Stay True to Yourself #WreckItRalph Review

My husband and I are the couple that go out to see kid movies without the kids. Even before having kids we would go to the theater to see the latest animation flick. And we have a pretty extensive collection of Blu-rays, DVDs and ... don't laugh... VHS animation titles.

So when a new Disney movie comes out we get more excited than our kids do. And that was just the case with Wreck-It Ralph. Not only was this movie a feel good film that made us feel all warm and fuzzy inside, it was also a film we walked out knowing we'd be back to take our kids to watch it. And I'm pretty sure it'll be in our extensive movie collection as soon as it comes out on Blu-ray!
 

Bad Guy Turned Good
Now Ralph isn't really a bad guy, he just plays one in the game Wreck-It Ralph. And after 30 years of being treated like the bad guy during the game and after the arcade closes, he's ready for a change.  And after getting a chance to turn things around, he's taken on a challenge to finally be accepted.

With this challenge comes obstacles and one of his biggest obstacles is a little girl called Vanellope von Schweetz. The relationship that grows from the journey Ralph and Vanellope take is one that will make you laugh, cry, and just plain feel good!

Realizing Who We Are
With the journey Ralph takes to find his way, he comes to realize that people aren't always who they are. And by following his path and trying to find his way he was able to help Vanellope realize who she was. Ralph and Vanellope come to realize that being the "bad guy" and being the "glitch" can have their advantages. Being different isn't always a bad thing.

I absolutely loved the relationship they formed and the friendships made in this movie. Finding out who we are is important. And not just important for the main characters. The supporting actors, Fix-It Felix and Sergeant Calhoun also come to find themselves and see that they're more than just the characters they play in their games.

If you're looking for a great feel-good movie that will make you leave the theaters with a smile on your face, you have to head out to see Wreck-It Ralph! It hits theaters today and I predict amazing things for this movie. Awards, stars, and more!

Not convinced? Check out this awesome clip from the movie. Then drop all of the plans you thought you had this weekend and head to the theater.

Wreck-It Ralph hits theaters everywhere on November 2nd! 

Stay updated by checking out Wreck-It Ralph on Facebook and on Twitter @WreckItRalph!

Disclaimer: I received tickets to see Wreck-It Ralph for review purposes only. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.  

How to Create a Magic Wand for a #Halloween Princess Party #DisneyPrincessWMT

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How to Create a Magic Wand
My daughter is obsessed with all things wands, swards, and sticks. Anything she can swing around and bop people on the head with (gently of course), she loves. And with our recent obsession with Cinderella since it came out on Blu-Ray we've been using sticks and swords to turn objects into other things just like the fairy godmother did for Cinderella.

As I was planning and preparing for our Halloween Princess party I decided to let the girls make their own wands customized to their likes and needs. It really was a simple craft and the kids had a great time doing it! With the help of mom and a glue gun to finish everything off.

So if you're little princess loves wands as much as mine does, I highly suggest trying your hand at making a magic wand. It's simple, easy, and takes less than 5 minutes!

Here's how!

What you'll need:

• wooden dowels, cut to size (we purchased 48" dowels and cut them in thirds)
• felt, any color
• ribbon, any color
• glue gun 

What you do: 

1. Cut out felt into the size and shape you want for the top of your wand. Cut out coordinating ribbon in the amount and length you prefer.

2. Do a dry run before gluing everything together to make sure the felt pieces fit together on the top of the wand.

3. Tie the ribbon onto the top of the stick and secure with the hot glue.

3a. Make sure to go all around the dowel so that the ribbon doesn't slip down.

4. Now it's time to glue down the felt pieces. Start with a small dab on one side of the dowel and adhere the first felt piece. 

5. Then add a few dabs of hot glue to the other end of the dowel and the felt piece already adhered. Place the second felt piece on top covering the top of the dowel completely and sandwiching the ribbon in between the two felt pieces.

6. Hand the wand over to your favorite princess and watch them play!

See how easy that was?

What type of wand would you make? 

A special thanks to my friend Kari of Mommy To Elodie for allowing me to photograph her putting her wand together at the party. It was rather hard trying to take pictures AND use a glue gun so I'm thankful for not burning myself. Plus Kari always has a creative edge when making crafts so I knew she'd make a gorgeous wand!

Disclaimer: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Disney Consumer Products, Inc. All opinions are my own. #CBias #SocialFabric

Be Prepared for a Electrifyingly Good Time with #Frankenweenie!

Last night my family headed on out for a night filled with fun, entertainment, and science!

We were very excited to see the latest Disney great, Frankenweenie, in the movie theaters and could not wait to enjoy it with our friends. Luckily I had already been reading up on the amazing animation and characters behind this movie since a few of my blogging buddies were lucky enough to attend the Frankenweenie preview in Hollywood (see FormulaMom's experience and reviews here). So I knew that we'd love this movie!

For The Love Of Science
Surprisingly, though, I was more excited about the promotion of science through this film. Science is one of those subjects that I just loved in school. Maybe it was because my grandma was a teacher and loved getting me the science kits for Christmas and birthdays? Or maybe it's because science is such a broad topic and just about anything can be thought about scientifically?

A few days before seeing the movie I wanted to share my love of science with my son. He's getting to the age where he loves to do experiments with me and I thought that creating a Frankenweenie experiment of our own would help him get excited for the upcoming film too. So we learned how to inflate a balloon with science. You can see the full tutorial in my guest post on FormulaMom here.

Prepared and Ready To Go!
Do you see that gleam of excitement in his eyes? He absolultely LOVED it! Wait... you didn't go check out that experiment? Go now! I spent the next few days explaining to my son what the movie was about and how he might feel during the film. Now he's 3 1/2. This movie is geared towards older kids so I thought that a run down of the film was important before we went to the event.

Dealing with death and dying (no... I didn't just give away a surprise from the movie... this is Frankenweenie, right?) can be hard at any age. And it can be especially hard with a well liked pet such as Sparky. Since we lost our dog, Jetta, last year I knew that this movie might hit close to home and wanted my son to know that he could ask questions if he had them and he could leave if he didn't feel comfortable watching the movie.

But he was ready to go and couldn't wait to see Frankenweenie so off we went!

Once we got into the theater, cozied up into our comfy seats, started munching on popcorn, and put on our 3-D glasses, we were ready for this movie!

A Mom's Take on this Science Experiment
After a little glitch with our 3-D experiment, we were on our way to learning about the story of Victor Frankenstein and his dog Sparky in their creepy little town of New Holland. Within the first few minutes of the movie I easily fell in love with Victor's dog. He was the definition of man's best friend and I loved seeing the bond he had with his owner.

I absolutely loved the fact that this movie was filled with inspiration from science. The spark of excitement felt by the children as they started to think about their science experiments. And even the emotions felt by the students when their science teacher was let go because of the "small-minded" townspeople who didn't appreciate science. The fact that their science teacher was gone didn't stop these kids from moving on and experimenting!

And once Victor realizes that bringing back Sparky from the dead wasn't the best idea, the idea of science becoming good and bad depending on the scientist behind the experiment emerged. Teaching our children that their actions have consequences and that even if they really want something, sometimes it isn't the best, is important.

This movie touched on a lot of themes. Experiments. Life and death. Love. The bond between human and animal. But most importantly it sparked something in my child's imagination. He woke up the next day and asked if we could work on more science experiments. He wanted to learn more and wanted to create things of his own. And he's only 3 1/2!

While I wouldn't recommend this movie for kids under the age of 8 due to some of the scarrier scenes with a few of the other pets who were brought back to life, I do think that his is a wonderful film for kids and adults alike! It's definitely inspired me to become more active with my kids in teaching them about all aspects of science and I love that.

And no Disney film is complete without a little comedic relief.  I leave you with this clip of one of my favorite characters, Mr. Whiskers. He's also a favorite of my daughters too! She absolutely loved that "kitty" was in almost every scene. Enjoy!

Frankenweenie opens in theaters on October 5th! 

To learn more about the New Holland residents (and their pets!), check out the Frankenweenie website and connect with Frankenweenie on Facebook!

Disclaimer: I received tickets to see Frankenweenie in theaters for review purposes only. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. 

 

Frankenweenie Games and Fun for the Family

I love my pooch, Scout. He's a member of the family and was our first kid before we had kids. And as much as we love him, I'm not sure if I'd want to bring him back to life should he pass. I guess I've never thought of trying to bring him back to life.

That is.. until seeing trailers for the movie Frankenweenie.

I cannot wait to see Frankenweenie, Disney's latest heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog from Tim Burton. And it's coming just in time for HalloweenTime!

In an effort to get my kids excited about the movie I've downloaded these awesome Pin the Tail on Sparky activity sheet and Sparky maze. Download them for your kids and start getting ready for the fun to come in just a few weeks!
 

Don't miss seeing Frankenweenie 

in theaters everywhere October 5th!

(enjoy this sneak peek Frankenweenie Tale of Victor and Sparky)

Just Keep Swimming over to the Theater {Finding Nemo in 3D - In Theaters September 14th}

Every once in a while there's a movie that is just made for the big screen. And experiencing it in any other way does the film an injustice.

One of my favorite Disney movies of all time is Finding Nemo. Sure it isn't a "classic" but it's an amazingly triumphant story that gives hope to anyone who's just a little bit different. In 2008, Finding Nemo was named one of the top 10 greatest animated films ever made by the American Film Institute. And I agree!

This past weekend my husband had the opportunity to take our son to see Finding Nemo in 3D. I thought it fitting that a father take his son to see the movie and they had an absolute blast. With popcorn and water in hand they headed to the theater with their 3D glasses.

Since my son is a bit too small to fully see the screen, they grabbed a booster seat to make it easier for him.

Once settled, they munched on popcorn and waited for the movie to start. Throughout the movie my son kept mentioning how cool it was to see the fish so big. He even asked if we could upgrade our fish tank to be the size of the screen. Sadly, my husband had to tell him no.

The experience of watching Finding Nemo in 3D on the big screen was definitely one that made memories for my husband and son. And I'm sure I'll be hearing about it for months to come...

On September 14th, Finding Nemo is coming back to theaters. And it isn't just coming back, it's coming back in 3D! 

So if you missed out on experiencing Finding Nemo in theaters the first time around, here's your chance to relive the story of Nemo, his father, Dori, and all of the other marine life under the sea. You won't be disappointed.

And if you don't head to the theaters, Bruce just might pay you a visit!

Finding Nemo returns to theaters for the first time in 3D September 14th, 2012!  

For more information check out Finding Nemo 3D  on Facebook or head on over to the Disney's Finding Nemo website and take a look at sneak peeks, games to play online, activities to do at home, and more.

Disclaimer: I received two tickets to the pre-screening of Finding Nemo 3D. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Happy National Dog Day from Disney's FRANKENWEENIE!

"Like" FRANKENWEENIE on Facebook

FRANKENWEENIE arrives in theatres everywhere on October 5th!

Grab the Tissues! You're going to need them {Disney's The Odd Life of Timothy Green #Timothy Green}

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When I was in New York City for BlogHer'12 I had the honor of being able to pre-screen an amazing movie. Disney's The Odd Life of Timothy Green is emotional, magical, and just plain amazing.

The Odd Life of Timothy Green is the heartwarming story of a couple pained with infertility. They were at the end of their hope and left one night to continuing the dream of their perfect child. With that (and a little magic) Timothy Green came into their lives... through their garden.

Throughout this whole movie I found myself going through a wave of different emotions; heartbreak, happiness, joy, sadness, and then finally a wave of content. I absolutely loved the magic of it all. The mystery behind Timothy.

With all of their hopes and dreams of their unborn child in one small wooden box burried in the garden, Cindy and Jim Green (played by Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton) buried their chances of parenthood. Until a freak storm came, poured water from the heavens, and a special boy appeared.

As the story unfolded and we grew to love Timothy right along with the Green's an amazing realization hit. Every attribute and characteristic Cindy and Jim wrote in that little wooden box matched Timothy. And every moment his parents realized this they became more and more wound up in what everyone else thought of Timothy rather than how they were with him.

Seeing them struggle with parenting, how to confront issues in their immediate and extended family, as well as deal with the hardship of the economy in this country created a storyline that not only seemed plausible, but hit home.

But through what Timothy taught them, and many others, hard times weren't as hard as they once were. And everything seemed a little more possible.

The Odd Life of Timothy Green is truly the summers most magical movie and should not be missed! It's been in theaters for 5 days now and would make for a perfect afternoon out with family.If you're looking for a great way to beat the heat this weekend, go see this movie.

Check your local theater for showtimes now!

You can keep up with all things Timothy Green by liking The Odd Life of Timothy Green on Facebook  and following on Twitter.

The Odd Life of Timothy Green is in theaters everywhere now!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ticket to see The Odd Life of Timothy Green for promotional purposes only. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.