Hosting a #DisneySide Playdate

March 27, 2014March 27, 2014 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

After such a brutal winter cooped up indoors, not only for the crazy weather, but also because of the kid’s ongoing medical issues, we were more than happy to host our friends over for a #DisneySide playdate.

Thanks to the generous party pack provided by Disney, we were decked out with supplies to entertain and enjoy. It doesn’t take much for me to get excited about parties, but when it involves Mickey-shaped food, I’m all in. From Mickey chicken to Mickey-shaped fruit, we were totally in magic mode.

Since we had an after school soiree, the boys played Disney Infinity while the girls did Disney-inspired crafts.

Because we’re all about Frozen, we did a fun Olaf project. After we cut up the Olaf printable, we connected him at the joints with brads and then sang all about summerrrr!

Thanks to Hanes, we broke out the fabric markers and decorated our own t-shirts. Everyone’s shirts were beautiful, but Jack’s Spidey-themed tee was one of the faves. Even our littlest guy designed his very own tee!

From primary colored decor to the awesome HP photo paper to print our favorite photos, our playdate was Disney-fied through and through. And after so many not-so-easy days this winter, a little magic is just what the doctor ordered.

For more ideas on how to post your own DisneySide party, check out Spoonful.com, DisneySide and DisneySide Celebrations. Thank you to Disney and MomSelect for including us in the #DisneySide Party initiative. Samples were provided, but all opinions on NKT are my own.

TinkerBell Flutterbye Fairies to Fly onto Shelves

March 25, 2014March 25, 2014 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Today, I’m heading to a media event where I’ll get to meet, and perhaps, interview the producer for the new Disney straight to DVD movie, Pirate Fairy. I’ll have more about this cool flick, but in the meantime, I have fairies on my mind.

So, in honor of the stars of Pirate Fairy, I thought I’d highlight one of Spinmaster’s hottest toys: Flutterbye Fairies. One of Christmas’ must-have toys, Flutterbye Fairies is set to add a few more fabulous flying friends. Set to launch this Spring, TinkerBell is just one of the newest fairies to join this cool new line of toys.

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Like her fellow Flutterbye Fairy friends, TinkerBell will be able to dance, fly and flutter with the same kid-navigated technology. The ability to control her flight path by simply hovering your hand underneath the doll is simply amazing! Tink launches from her display stand and stops with the push of a button. In true Tink fashion, the TinkerBell Flutterbye features that signature green dress with a dash of pixie dust.

Flutterbye Fairies Magically Flying Tnkerbell Pkg MSRP $34 99 copy

For TinkerBell Fans, this new addition to the Flutterbye Fairies line is a magical move. TinkerBell Flutterbye Fairy from Spinmaster launches this Spring and will retail for $39.99

Want to hear more about Pirate Fairy, which is set to release on April 1? Check out the extended sneak peek to see what the Fairies are up to in Pirate Fairy.

Kardashian Kids Debuts at Babies ‘R Us

March 24, 2014March 24, 2014 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Kim and Kanye may be making waves after their recent Vogue cover reveal; however, we’re totally focused on Kardashian Kids, a new baby girl (k)collection featuring sparkly, animal print and ruffly motifs.

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Now available at select Babies ‘R Us, Kardashian Kids, a collaboration with Jupi Corp, is the latest brand extension for the reality family and first foray into their own children’s clothing line. Kourtney used her own daughter, Penelope, as the inspiration for this first collection. With cream and gold as the dominant color scheme, butterflies, stars, and of course, animal print round out the Kardashian take on “affordable high fashion” for babies.

“Since becoming a mom, I’ve been so inspired to create Kardashian Kids with perfect prints, heavenly fabrics for a baby’s skin and to bring fashion to the baby world that is affordable,” said Kourtney, mother of Mason and Penelope.

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Kardashian Kids line includes baby essentials such as onesies, caps, blankets, as well as two-piece sets, jackets and dresses in sizes ranging from newborn to 24months. Prices for the new baby line range from $15-30. Here’s a look at a few of the new pieces:

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Kourtney, who was said to lead the way for Kardashian Kids, is hosting a blogger event with Babies ‘R Us. I had to decline because of my schedule, but am definitely interested to see how this line does. I know quite a few people who like the Kardashian line for women at Sears, so I’d like to see if this gets the same response. My first impression, though, it seems pricey for being dubbed “affordable.” Looks like some people who submitted reviews over at BRU feel the same.

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The pieces are absolutely adorable, and much more subdued than what I was picturing. Though not practical for everyday outings, these outfits look ideal for Easter gatherings and such. Also, I would have liked to see boys clothes included in the collection. Obviously, I’m a boy mom and personally love boys clothes; but I love the way Kourtney dresses her son, Mason, so I’m bummed that boys clothes didn’t make it into Kardashian Kids from the start.

What about you, mommas? Would you invest in the new Kardashian Kids?

Review: Muppets Most Wanted

March 21, 2014 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Kermit and the gang are together again, and this time they’re taking Europe by storm in Muppets Most Wanted. Kermit, the Muppets’ effervescent leader, isn’t as excited about the world tour as proposed by Ricky Gervais’ Dominic Badguy (pronounced Bad-gee). After much coercing, Kermit reluctantly agrees to the group’s urging and lets Dominic lead the way for a European world tour, which is really a coverup for a complex jewel heist.

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When Kermit goes on a walk, Dominic, together with his boss, Constantine, hatch a plan where a case of mistaken identity lands Kermit in a gulag in Siberia and his criminal look alike as the lead of the muppets. The rest of the movie follows the complex scheme between Dominic and Constantine around Europe with intermittent sketches of the Muppets.

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To help investigate the burglaries and jewel heist, Ty Burrell steps in as Interpol and goes head to head with the Eagle. Jokes are aplenty between these two, as Burrell does a great job as a silly top cop.

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Over at the gulag, Kermit’s mistaken identity has him holed up with hard criminals like Ray Liotta and Danny Trejo. Trejo fit well in this role and was immediately recognized by my six year old: “Hey, it’s Machete from Spy Kids!” It was Tina Fey who commanded the most laughs in her role as the tough warden who has a secretive crush on Kermie. Fey’s first song was my favorite, and was the best attempt at showcasing her true talent. I could’ve used much more Tina and whole lot less Ricky Gervais.

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During the world tour, I appreciated all of the star cameos with stars such as Christophe Waltz and Selma Hayek. Even better, I loved the typical Muppet comedy and gratuitous use of homophones throughout. Christophe Waltz doing the waltz, Usher was an usher at the wedding…but, unfortunately, I thought Muppets Most Wanted misfired as a children’s flick. The movie, to me, had smart comedy and appealed to the parents who grew up watching the Henson-created variety show of the 70s and 80s. I found myself leaning over to my six year old more than a dozen times having to explain things and significance of certain jokes—something I’d never expect from a typical kid-friendly flick.

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There were quite a few Muppet centric scenes where we both laughed, but not nearly enough. Overall, it was a fun family movie, but one definitely for older kids. I’d absolutely watch Muppets Most Wanted again, but after being so smitten with Frozen and a few other children’s films, this one didn’t quite make the cut for my kid.

Frozen: Easter Eggs and Printables

March 20, 2014March 20, 2014 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

With the Frozen DVD and Blu-Ray hitting the shelves this week, we’re in a Frozen state of mind to say the least! In case you didn’t pre-order from Amazon, it looks like the major big box stores—Target, Toys R Us, Walmart—have Frozen on sale for $19.99 this week.

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And, of course, if you’re the totally digital family who doesn’t even bother with hard copies of anything, you’ve been watching Frozen day and night for several weeks, right?

So, in honor of Frozen, I thought it would be fun to re-visit some fun stuff found in the movie. Disney and Pixar is well known for their generous helpings of Easter Eggs throughout their movies. In case you haven’t already seen these, I thought I’d share the Frozen Easter Eggs as revealed in the Disney Blog!

Did you catch Eugene and Rapunzel at Queen Elsa’s coronation? They’re over here in the bottom left. I read some even cooler fan theories over here about Flynn Ryder and Rapunzel’s attendance. This would make total sense to me!

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And what about the chocolates that Anna is eating? Supposedly, these chocolates were also featured in Sugar Rush from Wreck It Ralph.

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One of the paintings from “The First Time in Forever” was also spotted on Tangled.

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And, of course, the Mouse makes a very subtle cameo at Oaken’s Trading Post. Do you see him hiding on the first shelf?

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Frozen Printables

Beyond the movie itself, we’ve been having a blast playing Frozen-centric games and doing cool activities. During the push for the initial release of the movie, Disney Studios provided these fun activities and printables. We had a blast making dancing Olaf at our recent Disney Side Party! Check out the other activities below!

Be sure to save the below images to your computer to print out yourself!

Build an Olaf

Find Olaf Maze

Elsa and Anna coloring pages

Spot the difference

To download even more printables and fun games check out the link below:

Photo credits: Disney Studios

St. Patrick’s Day Treats from Family Fun Magazine

March 17, 2014 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Not sure if any of you caught any leprechauns, but we sure didn’t. We did, however, enjoy creating some fun food goodies. St. Patrick’s Day and food go hand in hand in our house.

I got a kick out of Family Fun’s Leprechaun-inspired treats. How cute are these tiny hats and donuts?! We’ll be doing some fun after school creations after school today!

Leprechaun Hats

Hats

Ingredients

English cucumber
Sliced cheese
Hummus

Directions

Celebrate Saint Pat’s with a crunchy cucumber treat. Cut 1-inch sections of an English cucumber. Halve them lengthwise and lay the pieces flat on a plate, as shown. Trim a cucumber brim for each hat and set it in place. Finish with a sliced cheese band and buckle, attached with dots of hummus or dip.

Leprechaun Doughnuts

Donuts

Ingredients

Chocolate sprinkle:

O-shaped cereal
Dark or white chocolate
Colored sprinkles

Cinnamon sugar:
O-shaped cereal
Sugar
Cinnamon sugar

Directions

Lure wee visitors this Saint Patrick’s Day with O-shaped cereal disguised as tiny doughnuts. Prepare each variety following the steps at right and let dry on waxed paper. Add to the fun by placing them in a miniature box (get our template at familyfunmag.com/printables).

Chocolate sprinkle:

Dip the tops of O-shaped cereal into melted dark or white chocolate (the tines of a fork work well for this) and cover with sprinkles.

Cinnamon sugar:

Over medium-high heat, dissolve ½ cup sugar in ½ cup water. Let it cool. Dip the O’s, a few at a time, in the syrup, then toss them in a small bowl of cinnamon sugar.

5 Things We Learned From Mr. Peabody and Sherman

March 6, 2014March 6, 2014 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

A throwback to Rocky and Bullwinkle, Mr. Peabody and his son, Sherman, are back and they’re sharing their adventures with a whole new generation. Together with several fellow bloggers, we had a chance to preview the movie and participate in a Q&A roundtable with Director Rob Minkoff, Ty Burrell (voice of Mr. Peabody) and Max Charles (voice of Sherman).

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We had a fun time getting to know the stars of the movie, while taking turns asking them burning questions.

I’ll share more on that soon, but first, I wanted to share five things that Mr. Peabody and Sherman taught us.

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1. Family is family

Mr. Peabody and Sherman is a fun story about a dog who adopts a boy and goes on to explore the world, with boy in tow. Mr. Peabody, a genius Renaissance man, er, dog, is good at most anything he does. Despite the fact that he was never adopted as a pup, he, himself went on to adopt a boy. His son, Sherman, grew up as the son of a dog, something that was rather unique and special, though he didn’t know it yet. When Sherman gets teased for having a dog as a parent, Mr. Peabody, who never considered the consequences of their unique family, consoles his son without hesitation—because that’s what parents do.

When Sherman makes a mistake and takes the WABAC without asking, Peabody comes to rescue. When kids are sad, confused and feeling overwhelmed, parents swoop in with their unconditional love and find a way to make things better. What’s so fun about this movie is that instead of focusing on Mr. Peabody being a dog, it underscores the love between a parent and their kid. Family is family, after all.But ultimately, Mr. Peabody and Sherman is a reminder that every dog needs a boy.

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2. History is fun

I was an English major, so I read a lot of period pieces and books. The best thing about literature is that it schools you on history, too. I have always appreciated the arts and history in general, so I absolutely loved that Mr. Peabody and Sherman took the audience to memorable eras such as the Renaissance, the French Revolution, early American history and beyond. Even better? These historical references were fun and witty, but in the end made for an ongoing conversation with my six year old. The kids will appreciate the Mr. Peabody and Sherman’s adventures, but parents will love the bits of edutainment.

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3. Traveling and seeing new places can bring families joy

The world is a big place, and there’s so much to see. In Mr. Peabody and Sherman, the dog and son duo travel through time in their WABAC time machine and learn a lot about the historical places and locations they visit. At the same time, they learn about their relationship with each other. Traveling as a family is so important and strengthens your bond in ways you never knew how.

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4. It’s important to take risks

When Sherman’s nemesis-turned-friend, Penny, urges him to take the WABAC for a spin, the kids disobeyed and broke rules. There’s a fine line between breaking rules and taking risks, but when Sherman takes a risk, he learns something about himself. During the Renaissance era, Mr. Peabody, Sherman and Penny find themselves hanging out with Leonardo Da Vinci, the Renaissance Man himself. Penny and Sherman take Da Vinci’s Flying Machine for a spin, even though the inventor said it didn’t work. Sherman insisted to Penny that he didn’t know how to fly. Penny encouraged her friend and unbeknownst to him, Sherman could fly! His risk paid off and he did Da Vinci a favor in the process. Taking risks are character-builders, and something that kids and adults can learn from.

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5. Variety is the spice of life

Mr. Peabody is a genius dog, and something he hopes to instill in his son. While perfection isn’t necessarily something to strive for, (in my opinion, anyway) I can wholeheartedly agree that kids need room to “run.” Whether it’s playing sports, reading voraciously, drawing, coding, life should be about discovering your passions. Everyone’s path is decidedly different, so it’s totally fine if your best friend embraces music and you find joy in soccer. Mr. Peabody discovered and invented a myriad of things; while his life was fulfilling, in the end, nothing made him happier than his family.

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Mr. Peabody and Sherman hits theaters tomorrow, March 7. The humor appeals to kids and adults, and the story is engaging and relevant.

If you appreciate smart humor as much as we do, then you’ll love this!

I was a guest of Dreamworks Animation and participated in a Q&A. As always, all opinions are my own.

Frozen’s “Love is an Open Door” Clip Released; Blu-Ray Combo Set to Release 3/18

March 4, 2014March 4, 2014 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

With Frozen winning an Academy Award for best animated feature, among a few other accolades, the insta-classic Disney tale of two sisters is still all the buzz.

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Idina Menzel (or Adele Dazeem, depending on whom you ask) was just on Fallon last night belting out the movie’s signature song, accompanied by the Roots who played children’s’ toys. It was epic to say the least.

And since Frozen is still flying high this winter, the movie’s other star, Kristen Bell sings quite a few of our favorites. Her duet with Santino Fontana (Hans) in Love is an Open Door was recently released exclusively by Disney Movies Anywhere. In case you weren’t aware, Disney Movies Anywhere is Disney’s all-new, cloud-based digital movie service. Frozen is now available digitally to own.

Santino Fontana was the prince in Broadway’s Cinderella so my older son and I are totally smitten with this clip. To watch a Broadway star on stage and then to have him voice a Disney character is pretty cool for a young kid to appreciate.

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Photo credit: Theatermania

Frozen Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital Combo Pack to be Released on March 18

With all this talk about Frozen, even though it’s already availably digitally, I’m excited about for when the Blu-Ray/DVD drops on March 18th. Like many Blu-Ray and DVDs, Frozen will have quite a few exclusive features.

Here are a few of the exclusive features that will be available on the Frozen Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital combo pack.

The Making Of Frozen (Blu-ray, Digital)
D’frosted: Disney’s Journey From Hans Christian Anderson to Frozen (Blu-ray, Digital)
Breaking The Ice – The Real Making Of Frozen (Blu-ray, Digital)
4 Deleted Scenes with introduction by Directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee
Original Theatrical Short – “Get A Horse” (Blu-ray, Digital & DVD)
“Let It Go” Music Videos by Demi Lovato, Martina Stoessel & Marsha Milan Londoh (Blu-ray, Digital & DVD)
Frozen Teaser Trailer (Blu-ray, Digital & DVD)

Making of Frozen still with Jonathan Groff, Kristen Bell and Josh Gad MakingOfThumb 010 R

If you’re anything like us, when we find a favorite movie, we watch it non-stop, sometimes til the disk breaks. We can’t wait for this release!

Marvel Super Hero Mashers Combine Construction and Action Figures Toys

March 3, 2014March 3, 2014 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

For young boys and girls, super heroes personify strength and bravery. So, when toys depict these super heroes and super powers, action figures become an extension of their imagination.

Over the past few years, we’ve become major MAJOR super hero fans. What with Iron Man, Captain America, The Avengers and other Marvel movies on the big screen and eventually making their way to our small screen, it’s super hero all day, every day around here.

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Appropriately enough, Hasbro’s line of Marvel toys are some of our most played-with toys in our house. Marvel Super Hero Mashers, which debuted a few weeks ago, are perhaps among my favorite action figures to date. What sets these super hero action figures apart from the rest? They’re completely customizable!

As action figures promote imagination and creative play, why not customize the super hero and his powers while you’re at it? Well played, Hasbro.

Excited to get a first look at Marvel Mashers, my guys haven’t put them down since they arrived. Marvel Super Hero Mashers combines construction/building with action figures, which is the most popular play pattern for my six year old and his copycat two year old little brother. For review, we received a Marvel Mashers Action Figure Assortment of Hawkeye and an Action Figure Assortment Upgrade of Hulk.

To be able to mash Spidey’s arms with Captain America’s Legs, Iron Man’s torso and Hulk’s other arm most definitely extends his imagination and creative inner story lines and then some.

Not sure about you, but when we were kids, I remember taking apart GI Joes and then trying to reconstruct our own guys. It was endless fun! So, to me, Marvel Mashers is a brilliant concept and past play pattern come true. My six year old is within the target age demographic, and without a surprise, it’s a mega hit for him. Biggie says: “Marvel Mashers is cool because you can make your own guy and mix with another guy, too.”

For a six year old, it was fairly simple to mix and match, but at times, it was difficult for my son to interlock some of the limbs and parts on his own. Nevertheless, once we had the figures put together, it was open-ended superhero play for everyone.We’ve been having fun mixing and mashing our characters, but in my opinion, we had even more fun when we added even more characters’ “parts” to the mix.

I’m such a fan of Marvel Mashers that when I attended last month’s Hasbro cocktail party at Toy Fair, I was beside myself when I saw the Marvel Mashers corner.

I stood there, alongside several of my fellow bloggers, building our own superhero and naming them ourselves. I loved digging into the buckets full of Mashers and making my very own superhero with the absolute best powers. I lovingly named him Captain Wolverman.

Marvel Mashers has made its mark as custom action figures, underscoring this superhero and construction play pattern which is huge for this age bracket. It’s an absolute favorite in my house, and not surprisingly, I will most likely find broken (non Masher) action figures at the hands of my boys who will want to Mash every character they meet from now on.

Full disclosure: I received samples of Hasbro Marvel Mashers to facilitate this review. As always, all opinions are my own.

Oscar Buzz: The Wizard of Oz Tribute + First Look at Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return

March 2, 2014March 2, 2014 by Jen Rabulan-Bertram

At the Oscars tonight, The Wizard of Oz will be honored by Judy Garland’s three children: Liza Minnelli, Lorna Luft and Joey Luft. It’s been 75 years since the classic made its debut, and it’s time for a new generation to be introduced to Dorothy’s picturesque adventure down the yellow brick road.

Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz trailer

Perfect timing for new movie buzz, as the trailer for Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return is set to debut during the Oscars. The all-star cast to this classic story with the twist includes Lea Michele, Dan Aykroyd, Jim Belushi, Kelsey Grammar, Patrick Stewart, Bernadette Peters, Martin Short, Oliver Platt, Hugh Dancy and Megan Hilty.

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In addition to planned Oz themed TV shows, films and Oscar tribute, Roger Stanton Baum’s (L. Frank Baum’s great-grandson) books are the inspiration for this new 3D-animated musical Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return, which is set to release on May 9, 2014.

The trailer can be viewed here.

And with a new movie, that must mean new toys!

While at Toy Fair, I actually first heard about Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return while touring the Bandai booth. The pr rep breezed through this part of the tour; however, it was truly one of the most interesting toys they were showcasing. From the toys, especially the dolls, you can really get a feel for Dorothy’s Return. Dorothy’s crew looks more modern, more vibrant and will, no doubt, be more commercial. As much as I love Wizard of Oz, the thought of this new animated feature is starting to growing on me.