Wordless Wednesday: Ready for Vacation!

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs Blu-Ray 3D *review*

 Information from the press release:

Culver City, CA (June 9, 2010) –   Timed with the upcoming launch of Sony Electronics’ 3D capable BRAVIA HDTVs and Blu-ray players, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) announced today the release of the studio’s first Blu-ray 3D™ title in the US, Sony Pictures Animation’s comedy adventure Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs, debuting June 22, 2010.

The Blu-ray 3D™ release of Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs will showcase the film’s colorful environments and groundbreaking lighting technology crafted by an award-winning animation team in full 1080p high definition 3D, optimized for the latest 3D playback devices and eyewear. The disc will also include a 2D high definition version of the film that can be viewed on existing Blu-ray players.

The eye-popping Blu-ray 3D™ release of Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs offers a variety of delicious special features and will also feature sneak peeks in 3D of Open Season and Monster House, also coming soon to Blu-ray 3D™.

“We are thrilled to announce the first Blu-ray 3D™ titles from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment,” said SPHE worldwide president David Bishop. “We drove the industry in Blu-ray adoption and are now leading the way with compelling 3D content for the home. The addition of 3D showcases the versatility of Blu-ray and further demonstrates why it is being adopted by the mainstream as the home entertainment format of choice.” 

The animated hit, Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs will be available on Blu-ray 3D™ bundled with select Sony Electronics 3D televisions, and will be the first Blu-ray 3D™ title to be sold individually at select retailers.

The Blu-ray 3D™ includes both 2D and 3D special features, including two featurettes, deleted scenes, a music video, 3D sneak peeks at Monster House and Open Season, and more.

The Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs Blu-ray 3D™ was mastered at Colorworks and authored at Sony Digital Authoring Center (DAC).

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs Synopsis:

When Flint Lockwood's (Bill Hader) latest contraption accidentally destroys the town square and rockets up into the clouds, he thinks his inventing career is over. Then, something amazing happens as delicious cheeseburgers start raining from the sky. His machine actually works! But when people greedily ask for more and more food, the machine starts to run amok, unleashing spaghetti tornadoes and giant meatballs that threaten the world! Now it's up to Flint with the help of weather girl Sam Sparks (Anna Faris) and Steve, his talking monkey assistant, to find some way to shut down the machine before the world is covered in super-sized meatballs!

Written and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs was based on the bestselling book by Judi Barrett and illustrated by Ron Barrett. The film was produced by Pam Marsden. 

Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs has a running time of approximately 90 minutes and is rated PG for brief mild language.  Artwork and 2D digital clips are available for download at www.sphepublicity.com. Visit Sony Home Entertainment on the Web at www.SonyPictures.com.

Bonus Features:

·        3D sneak previews of Open Season and Monster House Blu-ray 3D™ titles

·        Early Development Scenes

• Extended Scenes
• Progression Reels with Introductions by Visual FX Supervisor Rob Bredow
• “Raining Sunshine” Music Video
• Behind the Scenes of Miranda Cosgrove's "Raining Sunshine"
• A Recipe for Success: The Making of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
• Key Ingredients: The Voices of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

 MY REVIEW

I don't have a 3D TV so I can't comment on that part of the Blu-Ray Disc... but I think it sounds really cool! 

The movie itself is an all-time favourite in our home. Seriously, we've watched it dozens and dozens of times. My kids (ages 8, 6, 3) LOVE it. We all find it hilarious and thoroughly enjoyable.  

I liked the bonus features on the Blu-Ray as well. The "Raining Sunshine" music video has been played and danced to several times :). 

If you haven't seen Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs yet you should immediately go out and purchase it because it is a great movie for ALL ages!!

Thanks so much to Sony Pictures Home Entertainment for sending me a review copy of this Blu-Ray Disc.

Vacation: Day 1

The Adventure Begins!

I am currently sitting in a hotel room in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. My kids are all asleep and Doug and I are sitting in the dark trying to relax from this crazy day.

This morning we saw a deer get hit by a transport truck and it was horrible awful sad. I literally saw the whole thing- from the deer running into traffic to one truck swerving to miss it to it being hit by another truck and flung through the air to land twitching and flailing in the middle of the road in front of us. The transport truck was not affected in any way and we were in no danger or anything but oh it was awful. Owen saw it too. Thankfully Olivia and Aiden were oblivious. But the sight has haunted both Owen and I all day.

I mean it was seriously heartbreaking to see it suffer so much. I hope it died quickly.

I was nauseous for hours. Owen had a lot of questions and cried some too. I told him that Jesus took the deer to deer heaven right away so it wouldn't be in pain anymore and so it could run and play and be happy and not ever have to worry about being hit by a truck again.

I've never seen that before and I hope to never see it again.

And that was in the first hour of our trip.

The rest of the day was much less eventful. Thank-you God.

Tomorrow we head to the great wide open space that is Saskatchewan!

One More Sleep

This expression cracks me up...

It was the expression Aiden gave me when I told him that we weren't leaving for vacation until Monday morning. Only one more sleep!

I sure have a ton to do though... I may be up all night.

Oh, and it is pouring rain so the kids are trapped inside. That also means our "church in the park" service will no longer be in the park.

And I discovered that our sleeping bags all smell urine-like and that won't do so I am washing them one at a time and hoping they are all fresh for tomorrow.

I folded laundry for an hour and a half straight last night. We have too many clothes/ blankets/ towels/ sheets etc.. Seriously. I bet we could cloth a small village.

My super awesome amazing mom is going to house-sit/ cat-sit for us and she told me not to worry about leaving the house totally clean for her- she'll clean it while we are away!!!!! Seriously the best happy-vacation gift ever!

Peaceful Morning Gaming

This is what my kids were doing at 8:30 am this morning... playing their Nintendo DS' under the tree in our front yard. They were so peaceful and quiet. I thought they looked so cute all lined up in a row, oldest to youngest. And look- No fighting! No whining! Just enjoying each others company. They were even talking and laughing together while playing.

Thanks Nintendo :)

Now if we could only quit losing those tiny little DS games!! Olivia lost her most favourite game "Zhu Zhu Pets" and I am really hoping we find it before leaving for vacation on Monday!

*Nintendo didn't ask me to post this. In fact I am certain they do not know I exist. But they really should. :) *

Caramilk asks "How Much is it Worth to Keep a Secret?"

*information taken from the official press release*

One lucky Canadian will find out with the “Caramilk Key to the Secret”

Would you keep a secret for $250,000? What if it’s the Caramilk Secret? This summer, Caramilk will put you to the test by giving you the chance to become the Protector of the Caramilk Secret. All you have to do is find one of ten golden keys hidden in a Caramilk bar… somewhere in Canada! For more than 40 years, Caramilk has vigorously guarded the mystery of how they get the soft, flowing caramel into the Caramilk bar. Now, they are challenging you with the best test ever: up to $250,000 to protect the Caramilk Secret for six months and ensure one of Canada’s most beloved secrets remains a secret.

But Can Canadians Protect a Secret?

The Caramilk Secret-Keeping Survey**, conducted by Angus Reid for Caramilk, has found that eight per cent of Canadians don’t trust anyone with deep secrets... not our best friends, our spouses or even our therapists! Amazingly, the same number – eight per cent – would tell a complete stranger intimate details of a secret. The survey also showed four percent of Canadians can’t keep a secret for longer than a few weeks, if at all!

The Search for 10 Caramilk Golden Keys

Caramilk has randomly hidden 10 golden keys inside Caramilk bars. The 10 lucky Canadians who find the keys will take a trip to the Cadbury Chocolate Factory in Toronto. For the person whose key unlocks the famous Caramilk Vault, he or she could become the Protector of the Caramilk Secret and win $125,000. Another $125,000 will be awarded when the Caramilk Secret is safely returned in six months, unopened & untouched.

Keep Tabs on the Caramilk Secret* Keeper
 
Where and when will the keys be found? Who will become the Protector of the Caramilk Secret? Follow the adventure at www.caramilk.ca, on facebook.com/caramilk or on Twitter at @caramilksecret.

 
“Did you hear...”
 
Need to tell a secret, but don’t know who to trust? Here are some great Canadian secret facts uncovered by the Caramilk Secret-Keeping Survey**:

 
• Canadians trust their secrets most to their best friends (32 per cent).
• The ring makes a difference: 14 per cent of people confide in their spouse. Only 1 per cent choose a boyfriend/girlfriend.
• Work is not the preferred place to dish dirt. Only 1 per cent of Canadians choose colleagues to share their deepest secret.
• Canadians trust their parents with their secrets at 11 per cent. Few trust their kids, with only 1 percent choosing a child to keep a secret.
• Almost no one trusts their hairstylist to keep a secret.
• It’s a true battle of the sexes: men find men more trustworthy and women say they confide in women more often.
• In general, Canadians trust men more than women (57 per cent vs. 43 per cent) but as we get older, our trust in women increases.

Air Bud: World Pup *review*

Air Bud: World Pup


Story:

The whole family will get a kick out of the spectacular Special Edition of Disney's timeless canine adventure AIR BUD: WORLD PUP, including the all-new exclusive bonus, The Buddies' Sports Channel: Soccer Edition – and including a free limited edition sports bag to continue the fun after the film is done!

The world's most talented pooch is back in a heartwarming and hilarious sports adventure. When Buddy meets Molly and they have puppies, the hotshot hound is in for an all-new challenge, but the fun is just beginning. This exciting family favorite features Buddy joining his teenage owner Josh on the field in pursuit of the state soccer championship. From the creators of Santa Buddies and Space Buddies, the new AIR BUD: WORLD PUP SPECIAL EDITION will give audiences of all ages something to cheer about!

Bonus Features:
• All-New: The Buddies Sports Channel: Soccer Edition: Join Rosebud in the broadcasting booth as she
and the rest of the Buddies, B-Dawg, Mudbud, Buddha and Budderball, review the instant replay on the
amazing soccer career of their dad, Air Bud. Using on-camera footage and voiceover, the Buddies check
out highlights from AIR BUD WORLD PUP
• Making Of Air Bud World Pup Production Featurette (from the original release)
• Exclusive In-Pack “Air Bud” Sport Cinch Bag – a cool collectible sports bag, branded with the AIR
BUD logo, to carry the fun from the family room to the playing field

MY REVIEW

I watched Air Bud: World Pup with my family and we all enjoyed it. My sons (ages 6 & 8) loved that it was about a soccer-playing dog and when I asked them what they thought of the movie Aiden said it was "awesome and funny" and Owen said it was "cool". Olivia said "the puppy plays soccer!".

I admit that it wasn't the most engaging film I've ever seen but it was certainly good for an evening of family entertainment. The DVD has some fun bonus features which we enjoyed as well. My son Owen thought the small collectible sports bag was extra cool. I enjoyed watching the "making of" feature.

If you are looking for a nice family-friendly movie than be sure to check out Air Bud: World Pup.


Film: Puppies


Film: Playing the Game


Film: Buddy Scores a Goal


Thanks so much to Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment for sending me a copy of this DVD to review.

Crazy Heart *review*

 

Description

Award winner Jeff Bridges delivers the performance of a lifetime in CRAZY HEART, the powerful story of a country music star’s rocky road to redemption. Bridges stars as Bad Blake, a boozy, broken-down singer who reaches for salvation with the help of ( more . . . )

Award winner Jeff Bridges delivers the performance of a lifetime in CRAZY HEART, the powerful story of a country music star’s rocky road to redemption. Bridges stars as Bad Blake, a boozy, broken-down singer who reaches for salvation with the help of Jean (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a journalist who discovers the real man behind the music. But will Bad’s hard-livin’ ways and crazy heart cost him his last chance at a comeback?

My Review

I did not see this film in theatres so I am really glad I was given the chance to review it! I thoroughly enjoyed it. The acting was excellent and the storyline was very engaging. It is definitely not suitable for kids- lots of profane and coarse language. My mom also really enjoyed Crazy Heart and found it truly entertaining. 

The DVD really doesn't have any exciting extras but if you haven't seen Crazy Heart you should definitely pick it up!

Thanks so much to 20th Century Fox for sending me a review copy of this DVD.

Kung Zhu Pets *review*

Thanks to MomSelect I was given the opportunity to review the latest and greatest toys from the world of Zhu Zhu Pets- Kung Zhu! We were sent a ginormous box of Kung Zhu toys to try out ...

I can't even begin to describe how excited my kids were!

Introducing the hottest new line from Cepia evolving from of Zhu Zhu Pets...Kung Zhu Pets! These warrior hamsters are far from being the cute and cuddly Zhu Zhu Pets that everyone fell in love with. But make no mistake, these ultra cool, tough pets will be a sure competition to the original Zhu Zhu Pets! With eight original characters split into two battling groups called Special Forces and Ninja Warriors, Kung Zhu Pet owners will have the thrill of training each character to transform fighting, battling warriors. While these Kung Zhu hamsters may start of as "cute" and "mild-mannered" once they are sent into their main training grounds, smart chip technology will actually allow you to hear a distinct personality transformation of fighting ninja and warriors.

Once transformed, you can arrange ultimate battles between your Special Forces and Ninja Warriors Kung Zhu Pets! The Special Forces Kung Zhu army includes Stonewall, Seargent Serge, Rock'O and Rivit. These tough hamsters will evolve into Special Force Warriors after training in either the Alpha or Bravo training grounds with different weapons, armors and defense technology. In the meantime, your Ninja Warriors including Yama,Azer, Drayko and Thorn, will transform into rough fighters after training in their Samaurai and Ninja grounds using their own weapons and armors. Each of these Ninjas has a hieroglyph or Dragon symbol on its bright and colorful fur while the Special forces have either a star or comet army sign. Collect them all for your very own Kung Zhu Battle!"

- information taken from the Kung Zhu website.

We were sent everything necessary for a true Kung Zhu battle! We found the sets very easy to put together and set up. The boys were immediately thrilled with the whole battle-idea. They were very impressed that the Kung Zhu pets changed personalities and went from cute to battle-ready.

Olivia (age 3) even got into it. All three kids chose a Kung Zhu hamster for their very own and even in the week since it arrived have continued to be attached to THEIR pet.

I thought the hamster armour was an especially cool touch. Owen was especially fond of the tank. Aiden was more than slightly impressed with the training tracks.

The only down side is that it pretty much took over my whole living room for a few days until I made them set it all up in the basement! But it has provided hours of entertainment for all three of my kids and their friends who visit.

We did have a problem with the batteries that were included with the pets- we had to replace them pretty much immediately. Other than that though we've had no trouble. We've only had it for a couple weeks but nothing has been broken yet... and that is impressive.

Both of my sons have asked for a Kung Zhu game for their Nintendo DS and that is a sign they like them!

There is a ton of different toys that you can get to fill up your living space with Kung Zhu mania. :)

I suspect most kids- especially boys- would have fun with Kung Zhu pets!

Thanks so much to Kung Zhu Pets sending me these great products to review and thanks to MomSelect for giving me the opportunity to participate.

Backyard Boating

Olivia + the lid for the sandbox + a plastic shovel + a kiddie pool =

a happily floating Olivia enjoying backyard boating.

I love her creativity :)

She wants a bigger pool now so that her boat has more room to float. Of course.

Mad-Eye Owen

The Scene of the Crime:

The Weapon:

The Perpetrator:

The Wound:

Owen as Mad-Eye Moody:

The funny part? Owen ASKED Aiden to throw the ball at his head!

and then of course Olivia had to pretend she was injured too:

Kids. Go figure.

Wordless Wednesday- family photo success!

(you can see what it took to get us to that point on my husband's blog)

Find more Wordless Wednesday at 5minutesformom.com.

Backyard Safari Outfitters *review*

All three of my kids were very excited about a box we got in the mail last week- it contained 3 especially cool products from Backyard Safari Outfitters.

1. the Bug Wrangler's Bug Vacuum
2. Essential Field Gear 5 X 30 Power Field Binocs
3. the Essential Field Gear Cargo Vest

As soon as I got the stuff out of the box my kids were immediately fighting over who would get to try it all out first! Since Owen (age 6) is our resident explorer I let him have the first go. He was so very excited...

Children can now get up-close and personal with nature right in their own backyard or nearby park. Backyard Safari Outfitters equips young explorers with all the essential field gear they could possibly need for scoping out local “wildlife,” from insects in the grass to birds in the sky to frogs in a pond -- and more!  Kids can choose from a broad array of fun gear and tools, including the practical and very snappy looking Cargo Vest, as well as the cool Bug Vacuum, Mega View Periscope – among dozens of other choices.

Owen immediately put on the vest and the binoculars, put the Bug Vacuum together, opened the pop-up field guide and set out to catch some bugs!

Here he is telling me which bugs he is going to catch first...

Unfortunately it was pouring rain that day but the did manage to catch a house fly and some crumbs off of the carpet :)

THE ESSENTIAL FIELD GEAR CARGO VEST

THE ESSENTIAL CARGO VEST

It’s your most essential piece of field gear. It’s rugged, and tough enough for all your outdoor adventures. Plenty of cargo pockets means lots of space to load up. Six D-Rings and two shoulder epaulets let you clip and hang more essential gear. A large zipper pocket stores your trusty binocs and a clear-view chest pocket stores your Pop-Up Field Guides™. The back of the vest features a one-size-fits-all adjustable strap and two extra mesh pockets for storing extra gear. It’s the must-have for every BACKYARD SAFARI™ kid.

FEATURES:

• RUGGED POLY-TWILL FABRIC WITH REINFORCED DETAIL
• 4 CARGO POCKETS WITH VELCRO CLOSURES
• 1 TWO INCH DEEP ZIPPER POCKET WITH MESH-NET OUTER POCKET
• 6 D-RINGS
• CUSTOM ZIPPER PULLS
• CARGO SHOULDER EPAULETS WITH SNAP CLOSURES
• ADJUSTABLE REAR STRAP
• 2 OVER-SIZED MESH-NET CARGO POCKETS IN REAR
• PLUS CLEAR-VU FRONT POCKET CONTAINING ESSENTIAL FIELD POP-GUIDE

AGE: 5 & UP

On Sunday the sun came out and Owen finally got to have his very own backyard safari!

We spent several hours at the park and Owen spent almost the entire time playing with the new gear. He had fun searching for things using the binoculars and he also thought it was pretty funny that he could see us all "huge". :)

5X30 POWER FIELD BINOCS

A CLOSER VIEW OF NATURE

The Backyard Safari™ FIELD BINOCULARS are standard issue for every outdoor enthusiast. The 5x30 power crystal clear optics bring nature up close in crisp detail. Adjustable, rugged, and waterproof, these binocs are the first piece of equipment you need in your collection of ESSENTIAL FIELD GEAR.

FEATURES:

• 5X30 POWER OPTICS
• ADJUSTABLE FOCUS
• SOFT, SAFE, RUBBER EYE CUPS
• COMFORT FOAM HAND GRIPS
• PLUS: STURDY CARRYING STRAP

AGE: 5 & Up

Of course his siblings wanted to be part of the action too...

Owen managed to catch various disgusting delightful bugs and he had a great time studying them. The cargo vest is very cool- it has pockets for both the field guide and the binocs and a bunch of extra pockets too... the one down side is that there was nowhere to hang the bug vacuum. Both of my boys (and my husband) thought there should be some way of attaching the bug vaccum to the vest - like a holster or something.

 

THE BUG WRANGLER'S EXTREME SUCTION BUG VACUUM SNEAK UP ON BUGS AND SUCK ‘EM UP! There are THOUSANDS of crawling, flying, buzzing bugs in your backyard – catch them LIVE with your Bug Vac! Look at bugs UP-CLOSE with built-in magnifying Glass! CAPTURE CORE attaches to the Bug Habitat (sold separately) for easy transfer of your insects. FEATURES: 2 CATCH & RELEASE CAPTURE CORES WITH BUILT IN MAGNIFYING GLASS PLUS: EXTRA NOSE CONE FOR THE REALLY BIG BUGS AGE: 5 & Up

The bug vacuum is really cool- it is strong enough to suck up some nasty little insects into a little see through container that you can close off so the bugs can't escape. I will say that the batteries it came with were weak at best and had to be changed within minutes... but once we got some decent batteries in there we were good to go.

Aiden (age 8) has been especially impressed with the bug vacuum. He wrangled it away from Owen at one point and spent a good half hour studying a beetle... keep in mind Aiden has high-functioning Autism and ADHD so spending a half hour at one thing is pretty darn impressive!

I must admit I hate bugs... I pretty much freak out when most of them come anywhere near me... but I totally took one for the team and studied those bugs right along with the kids. 

Overall we have been really pleased with the Backyard Safari gear. Olivia loves the vest even though it is too big for her and she adores the binoculars. Actually all three kids love the binoculars. Owen truly felt like an explorer and I had a great time watching him!

If you have little explorers in your life than be sure to check out Backyard Safari Outfitters for some great summer fun!

Find Backyard Safari Outfitters on Facebook and Twitter too. 

Thanks so much to Team Mom and Backyard Safari Outfitters for giving me the opportunity to do this review.