Synopsis: A classic love story unfolds in the best Disney tradition as a lovely young pedigreed cocker spaniel named Lady, who lives a pampered life, finds herself falling romantically for Tramp, an amorous street-smart pooch without prospects. Although they have fun together on several dates, including a sentimental spaghetti dinner by moonlight at Tony’s restaurant, their relationship is strained not only by Lady’s loyalty to her human family and their newborn baby, but by Tramp’s devil-may-care attitude that eventually gets Lady in trouble and tossed into the dog pound. However, good-hearted Tramp redeems himself by saving the baby from potential harm and thus wins Lady’s love and the affection of her human family.

Share this timeless Disney Classic with your family as Walt Disney’s beloved classic,  Lady and the Tramp, finally releases from the Disney Vault for the first time ever on Blu-ray. This heartwarming tale now charms a new generation of families and fans with its exquisite animation and unforgettable songs in one of the greatest love stories of all time.  Featuring high definition sound and immersive bonus features your family can enjoy together, Lady and the Tramp Diamond Edition is a must own addition to your Disney collection.   

Blu-ray Bonus: 

•  Disney Second Screen: Inside Walt’s Story Meetings
• Audio Commentary: Inside Walt’s Story Meetings
• Diane Disney Miller: Remembering Dad
•  Three Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes
• Never Recorded Song: “I’m Free as the Breeze” 

Classic DVD Bonus: 

• Lady’s Pedigree: The Making of Lady and the Tramp
• Finding Lady: The Art of the Storyboard
•  Original 1943 Storyboard Version of the Film
• PuppyPedia: Going to the Dogs
• “The Siamese Cat Song,” Finding a Voice for the Cats
• “Bella Notte” Music Video
• Trailers
• Excerpts from “Disneyland” TV Shows 

DVD Bonus:  

• Diane Disney Miller: Remembering Dad
• PuppyPedia: Going to the Dogs 

Digital Bonus: 

• Diane Disney Miller: Remembering Dad
• Three Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes
• PuppyPedia: Going to the Dogs

My take:  This is one of the sweetest movies I have seen in a long time.  The kids learned a valuable lesson in taking care of the pets especially when a new family member comes along (like we will have in July) and the importance of friendship.  Everyone had a different “favorite” scene.  My youngest liked when Tramp defended Lady against the stay dogs who were chasing her, the 5 year old liked the “date night” Lady and Tramp had and I enjoyed Lady and Tramp’s puppies.

The kids also loved the never before seen deleted scenes while I found Diane Disney Miller’s Remembering Dad segment very informative.

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I was not paid in any form of cash for this posting. I did a receive free product samples to keep for my testing purposes. I was under no obligation to write a positive review or host a giveaway in return for the product. Receiving the product for free did not persuade my personal beliefs or views. My views are solely my own opinions.

Toys can entertain and stimulate young minds and foster an interest in a particular area, such as music, photography, math, arts and crafts, or language. Playing helps to develop a child’s social, emotional, language, intellectual, and problem-solving skills. When choosing toys, consider safety and age-appropriateness.

Playing helps to develop a baby’s social, emotional, language, intellectual, and problem-solving skills. Batting at a mobile, giving a musical ball a shove, or transferring a rattle from one hand to another helps babies to learn about the world. Such play also helps them to connect sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell to objects, to recognize shapes, patterns, and colors, develop hand-eye coordination and memory, and to bond with you and others.

When you choose toys and activities that enhance your child’s development, you’re speaking your baby’s language and helping her to foster cognitive and social skills that she can build on. But don’t give toys all the credit. You’re a key player. The most important toy is the parent and other caregivers because babies crave one-on-one social interaction and need the security it provides. The right toy, though, can make key developmental stages more fun—for your child and for you.

This month we were able to review two great products:

Flower Match Garden Patch:

Kids will love playing in our garden as they match up flower petals and stems using the easy to follow laminated pattern guides! Self-propping board with pegs and Velcro elements hold their selections securely in place as they follow the patterns or crate their own flowers! Comes in attractive wood storage case that doubles as the game board/ play area. AGES 3+.

Retails for $40.00.

Animal Train Sort and Match:

An award-winning educational tool for teaching color-matching, shape-matching and pattern-recognition in a fun, game-like setting. Animal Train Sort and Match includes six double-sided pattern cards, 43 animal and train pieces, a wooden storage case, and a self-propping board with pegs and metal backing to help guide the parts into place. AGES 3+.

Retails for $45.00

My take:  I LOVE these matching products simply because they are so easy to use.   No assembly, everything is ready to go.  Simply slide the wooden top off and you are set!

Initially you will have to remove the packaging that separates all of the pieces.  Once everything is laid out there is a slot to place the main whiteboard so the children can start matching.

Each set comes with 6 two-sided guides for the children to match.

Then the real fun of matching begins:

Mom perspective:  I am all about nice tidy organization (or try to be) and I love how everything is self-contained in each set.  My 5 year old flies through the matches so fast if makes my head spin while my 3 year old easily gets stumped by different shapes and sizes which I love because he then learns to find the correct match.  These are great sets to learn colors and shapes.  My only complaint is that the stem of the flowers did not hold very easily onto the white board, the magnets kept slipping down to the very bottom.

Physical therapist:  The fine motor coordination required  to fit the pieces exactly so leads to increased finger dexterity, better hand-eye coordination and improved spatial awareness.  I also like how the main whiteboard is tilted and elevated to allow for better body positioning.

Want to win both of these great matching activity sets?  Head on over to Mommy Moment!

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I was not paid in any form of cash for this posting. I did a receive free product samples to keep for my testing purposes. I was under no obligation to write a positive review or host a giveaway in return for the product. Receiving the product for free did not persuade my personal beliefs or views. My views are solely my own opinions.

Ready to rescue!  The Sodor Search and Rescue Team is racing to the rescue – Bertie’s stuck on Shake Shake Bridge, Gordon’s derailed, and Thomas’ firebox is on fire!  In these exciting episodes, your favorite engines brave the rails to rescue their friends Discover that being heroic is more than having speed and strength; it’s about teamwork and a big heart – which puts every Really Useful Engine on the right track.

     Come aboard for edge-of-your-seat-excitement as Thomas and his new fire engine friend, Flynn, race to the rescue on the Island of Sodor in the all-new Thomas & Friends™: Rescue on the Rails on DVD, Digital Download and On Demand from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment. Enjoy new adventures with Thomas and his engine friends in four heroic tales featuring stunning CG animation and never-before-seen content!

     Thomas & Friends continues to teach timeless life lessons such as discovery, friendship and cooperation, inviting children to enter a world of imagination through the tracks of a train and the words of a story.

• Fiery Flynn
• James to the Rescue
• Edward the Hero
• Stop that Bus!

Bonus:

•  Who’s Pulling Into the Station? Game
• Thomas, You’re the Leader Karaoke Music Video Featuring Activities and fun with Driver Perkins

My take:  The boys enjoyed learning more about Flynn and have always been tickled by Driver Perkins.

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I was not paid in any form of cash for this posting. I did a receive free product samples to keep for my testing purposes. I was under no obligation to write a positive review or host a giveaway in return for the product. Receiving the product for free did not persuade my personal beliefs or views. My views are solely my own opinions.

 TruMoo Chocolate Milk: Good nutrition, great taste, no debate. It’s a nutritious snack that satisfies moms and kids alike. Because TruMoo is made with real, fresh white milk, it has essential nutrients your kids need: calcium, protein, potassium, phosphorus, riboflavin and vitamins A, D and B12. TruMoo is made with table sugar, not high fructose corn syrup. And our chocolate milk is produced with pure cocoa, so you know your kids will love the taste of this nutritious treat that you can feel good giving your kids every day. To find TruMoo at a retailer near you, visit www.TruMoo.com. Also find us on Facebook and Twitter as @TruMooMilk

Have you ever heard of TruMoo Milk? Chances are you haven’t, but you should get to know it. Imagine how many kids are going to love the name alone! It sounds fun! Even I giggled as I called my local Wendy’s to see if they had any “TruMoo” milk in stock for the kids meals. How often do you get to make that call.

The only difference in this milk from other dairy is that it has less sugar and made from pure coco. It tastes and looks creamier and thicker. My girls didn’t make any notion of not drinking it and believe me, as soy lovers, they are picky on milk. I have poured a few brands down my drain after trying everything to get them to drink it, so this wins with us.

TruMoo will run you a little higher (depending on areas), around $4, but they do have milk coupons on their site. They do have more flavors such as strawberry and coffee. See if they have TruMoo in your area, if not, they may actually have it at your local Wendy’s.

So what is my final verdict? I say, if you can get coupons for TruMoo, or if its around the same price, you might as well give your child a better alternative. Less sugar and better ingredients is always best. There has to be a reason it won the PTPA Award.

Win It! (Double your chances! Enter over at PTPA for the same prizes)

Five (5) winners:

• 2 Winners for the GRAND Prize Pack: A TruMoo branded apron, lunch bag and grocery tote AND a TruMoo branded 4GB mino HD Flip video camera
• 3 Winners for the Basic Prize Pack: A TruMoo branded apron, lunch bag and grocery tote.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I am a PTPA Blogger. I received products to review. 

Some information was taken from sponsors site.

My 4yr old has this obsession with not wearing socks…ever. She insists that socks “hurt” her feet too much. I could buy her a brand new pair straight out of the package and she would still say they are “bad” and “hurt”. Half the time, mom is bent over forcing on a pair of perfectly fit socks, fighting a toddler. Ugh. I gave up.

Then these super cool socks came called EZ Sox. They sent me enough sizes that I even gave my niece and nephew some. Ariel thought they were great. I felt like was finally stressfree on the whole idea of socks. She tried them on, and the look on her face was priceless. I really think the process of putting them on easy with handles herself is what she liked the most. But, she said these socks were “the no hurt kind”. Hey I will take that and run!

She wanted to wear the same frog design for days but I had to pry them off her and switch them out. I think I might have to ask EZ Sox to create sizes large enough to get her through high school. ;- )

Here is a great EZ Sox video:

Overall: This pair of Ez sox are $9.99 for a 2 pair pack (2 pairs of fun animal designs in each pack) and if you have new learners or just stubborn ones like mine, go for Ez Sox! Cute and easy, these are perfect for toddlers! My mother in law said my niece and nephew both enjoyed putting the socks on themselves too, and left them on throughout the day. And from what I know about them…. that’s a plus! lol

-They do carry sizes for older kids and I just seen they have adult sizes too! I am kinda excited about that in Ariels case haaa. But on a serious note, these are great for anyone with immobile needs or those who really want to have some sort of Independence. Its a positive product!

I received product to review.

No, it’s not what you may be thinking…I am not the one who is pregnant. That is Andrea. Ever since she wrote her post, I have been getting her congratulations, and its hilarious when I think about the baby themed posts I, myself,  have coming up.

One of those posts is this one, from Diaper Cakewalk. Have you ever seen a diaper cake in person? I have seen some mini ones, but never one so big as “The Brown & Green Diaper Cake” I received; 18 inches high! (pictured below)

 It was amazing to look at, and the quality was outstanding. Let me tell you what was inside (4 tier version pictured above) :

• Snuggly soft teddy bear for baby
• Pacifier
• Baby washcloths
• Johnson’s baby wash
• Johnson’s baby lotion
• Johnson’s baby shampoo
• Johnson’s baby powder
• Desitin diaper rash cream
• 70-75 premium Pampers Swaddlers, size 1 (up to 14lbs.)

I gave this to a friend of ours who recently had a baby girl. She said it was beautiful and that the diapers were outstanding.

I wanted to keep the darn bear myself, it was so cute. Overall, if you are looking for a unique baby shower gifts, I would strongly recommend Diaper Cakewalk. Plus these are such a great conversation piece to be used as a baby shower centerpiece.

You figure you probably spend about $100 on a baby gift anyways, why not give them a case if diapers, stuffed animal, and about 8 needed baby items delivered to their door in a great design. You can pick from a wide selection of colors and themes. And, if you don’t see one you like…custom make one! Eco-friendly, Burts Bees, Twins. You can even get the base of a diaper cake (about $39) and then you can decorate it yourself.  Mini diaper cakes and diaper castles are also available.

I received a product for review. 

In this game, there are 7 levels. That might sound like a small amount compared to something like Mario Bros or Zelda (is that even a game anymore?), but The Magic School Bus encourages educational participation. Reading, choosing correct answers, and understanding concept of things. This helps prolong the game and wanting them to learn more. So, where as other games may go faster, at least at the end of this one, they know how many legs an octopus has and why sea turtles are so cool.

Overall- A+ and we love it!

With Magic School Bus: Oceans, readers age 4 and up take a deep-sea adventure with iconic teacher Ms. Frizzle and her class of young adventurers: a wild ride to the ocean floor.  The highly interactive app engages readers with the story by using Scholastic’s “Touch and Tilt” technology.  By touching animals, characters, and objects on the iPad screen, readers reveal fun animations, and nearly 40 real-life photos and videos of ocean animals and plant life.

I am a PTPA Blogger. I received products to review. 

Some information may be taken from sponsors site.

iH22, a stylish iPod alarm clock is great for any place where space is limited. Wake and Sleep to your favorite music and charge your iPod at the same time!

I was able to see the new Disney iHome products recently and I fell in love with the Jack line. The headphones were uber cute but this line did not have the speaker system in it so I chose Kermit the Frog!

There is nothing to put together, out of box. You simply plug and play. You can adjust the time, date, and alarms easily. You can actually wake to your ipod or to a buzzer. Plus it can start out slow and gradually become louder. The light on the unit can be adjusted dim or bright. You can also plug in a computer or another MP3 player into it with the “line in”.

This iHome is actually compatible with:

• Ipod Nano 1,2,3,4,5 & 6
• Ipod Classic
• Ipod 4 & 5
• Ipod Touch 1, 2 3

I received product for my review

A father of four, B. F. Parajon says that he had witnessed his own children experience the wonder and magic of the Christmas season and watched as his kids enjoyed the very same classic Christmas stories that he had watched as a child. In over a quarter century, he noticed, not a single new classic Christmas story had succeeded in capturing the imagination of children the way those classics had…and the youngest of those stories was over 50 years old! Without a new, fresh Christmas story, Parajon feared, kids would eventually grow tired of the same old stories year after year and lose interest altogether. Part of the specialness of the Christmas season would be lost forever.  Hence, along came Elphland: The Story Of Santa’s Elves.

When I first thought about a bean bag chair, I was thinking of the rubbery, easy to pop, hard to clean up, mess. Plus I was also thinking maybe $50 and it would fit half a kid in it and last about 2 days of torture from my pets. Let me tell you that I was beyond surprised then when a box as tall as me showed up at my door filled to the brim with the Black City Scape Bean Bag ($169). I had to have both of my girls pull on one end while I yanked and yanked to get that thing out of the box. Those shippers meant business lol.

This bag is huge. Look at these photos and tell me if you notice how many people can fit on this thing! Its like a freaking horse bed! It fit both of my daughters and my dog. As you can see, my dog is no yorkie, hes a big ol Husky. 4.5’ x 5’ square shape.

The versatile shape can be transformed by you to fit whatever you’re looking for – a  loveseat, couch, crash mat, or giant comfy floor pillow; this is not a bean bag chair from the ‘70s – this is home décor versatility at its best!

Each beanbag is filled to perfection with lightweight foam beans. The filling is magic as it allows the beanbag to mold to your body like a second skin. Fabrics are made from mega-durable material for rugged good looks with the ultimate craftsmanship.

Bean Bag Chairs retail for $169.99 – $199.99 and will be delivered right to your doorstep ready to be enjoyed and relaxed in. The Boss is going one step further by offering FREE shipping to anywhere in North America! The Beanbag Boss Chairs are available online at www.beanbagboss.com

I wish you could touch the quality of this bag. Its incredible. You know before I got it, believe me I was thinking who in their right mind would pay that much for a darn chair? When I got it, I kid you not, this thing is freaking sturdy. No way would any dog chew through this, or a kid pop it. In fact, its water and stain resistant!

I love how you can put it into any position and it fits all ages. Even our dog loves it. Watch the video above to get a better idea on how easy the transformations are. I have to say, in the end..splurge on this bag! Or ask Santa.

I received product for my review