Sesame Street: 20 Years and Still Counting DVD Review
July 13, 2010 | Filed Under DVD's, Reviews | Leave a Comment
As a child I remember watching and enjoying Sesame Street and now I still get to watch it and enjoy it with my own children. We recently received Sesame Street: 20 Years and Still Counting and what a treat it was. With it being released today, July 13th, you can enjoy it now too!
It was a nice surprise to insert the DVD and not have to wait through 2-3 advertisements to watch the movie. This disc has a quick play feature that is a must in the house!
My children have been watching Sesame Street for pretty much all their lives and they were super excited to sit down and watch this DVD. The show gets off to a pretty slow start for the children, but it was quite entertaining for me. It starts out with a little history lesson and my children who are all 7 and under could have cared less. Sesame Street: 20 Years and Still Counting is hosted by the one and only, Bill Cosby, and features special appearances by Jim Henson, Kermit the Frog, Ray Charles and Placido Domingo. My children were absolutely thrilled to see Kermit the Frog but couldn’t appreciate the other special guests.
While the movie did provide some educational entertainment for the children, it really didn’t hold their attention very well. When timeless favorites like Big Bird and Grover hit the screen you couldn’t pull them away, but the interviews and clips from past episodes weren’t their thing.
I think my young children were too young to appreciate this movie. I think the movie is more suitable if you have older children who might appreciate the history of this movie or if nothing else, buy it for yourself.
Buy:
Sesame Street: 20 Years and Still Counting is available for purchase for a suggested retail price of $14.98!
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely that of the blog owners. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. I received free product in order to facilitate a honest review.
Care Bears: Share-A-Lot in Care-A-Lot DVD Review
May 8, 2010 | Filed Under DVD's, Reviews | 2 Comments
My daughter has had a fascination with Care Bears since she was very young. She has huge collection of plush Care Bears and many of the DVD’s. The newest DVD that we recevied for review is Care Bears: Share-a-Lot in Care-a-Lot. This DVD features eight all-new, never-before-released episodes from the popular television series. McKenna, the newest friend in Care-a-lot adorns the cover. Although this is considered more of a “girly” DVD, there are some boy Care Bears so it’s suitable for all three of my children. Viewers will join their favorite bears as they journey on new adventures and help children develop emotionally.
Synopsis:
Join the Care Bears for eight wonderful tales filled with sharing and caring delight! Whether it’s the Care Bears welcoming Grizzle, Share Bear helping Harmony overcome her fears on Surprise Day, or McKenna learning the joys of giving at a Giving Party, the Care Bears discover that warmth and kindness bring friendship and fun! Get ready to journey into Care-a-lot for more charming Care Bears adventures! “Sharing and Caring” is the focus of SHARE-A-LOT IN CARE-A-LOT.
The episodes included are:
- Re-Booted
- Tempus Fugits
- Share and Share Alike
- Here Comes McKenna
- Night Shift
- All Give and No Take
- Bumpity and Tweazle
- Surprise Day
One of the things that I like about this DVD is the Kid Friendly Direct-Play feature. This feature allows my children to play the DVD without needing my assistance. I’m sure many moms have experienced the frustration while you’re cooking dinner and the children are asking you to start the DVD. It never fails. You put the DVD in to start dinner, get your hands all nice and dirty and then the previews are over and you have to hit play to start the movie. The Kid Friendly Direct-Play feature eliminates this.
Each episode helps to teach children how to emotionally connect with others. Whether it be caring about a past enemy, giving others support, sharing and giving, Care Bears does a good job at teaching children very important skills that they will need to have successful social relationships.
Buy:
Care Bears: Share-a-Lot in Care-a-Lot is available for purchase with a suggested retail price of $14.98.
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely that of the blog owners. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. I have received free product in order to facilitate an honest review, but that does not impact my views or opinions.
Noonbory & the Super 7: They’re Sense-ational! DVD Review
May 8, 2010 | Filed Under DVD's, Reviews | 2 Comments
There are times as a mommy that I rely on the TV to entertain my children. I know that sounds terrible but I sometimes suffer from really bad headaches and it takes everything out of me. When one hits, I need to have something that keeps my children entertained until I can feel better. Many times I turn to NCircle Entertainment because they have a proven track record with my children.
We recently received Noonbory & the Super Seven: They’re Sense-ational! DVD for review and as expected, it was a hit. This is the first DVD release of this series which you can find on CBS on Saturday mornings. This DVD includes 4 episodes and in each episode Noonbory explores social lessons such as teamwork, sharing, patience and helping.
Synopsis:
When trouble is brewing or super silly villainy is taking place in the whimsical word of Toobalooba, it’s up to Noonbory and his sensational team of super-sensing problem solvers to save the day! Each of our superhero borys has a super sense, including sight, sound, taste, touch, smell and of course, a little common sense and nonsense never hurts!
This DVD is bright and colorful and is very intriguing for the little ones. It teaches social skills that children need to learn. Having three young children that are close in age, teamwork is something that I’m already trying teach them. Having them see it on TV and seeing the benefit from the characters of the show helps them to understand it more easily.
This DVD has a run time of 60 minutes, features 4 episodes and one bonus episode with narration.
Buy:
Noonbory & the Super Seven: They’re Sense-ational! is available for purchase with a suggested retail price of $6.99!
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely that of the blog owners. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. I have received free product in order to facilitate an honest review, but that does not impact my views or opinions.
Hurray for Huckle! The Best Outside Fun Ever DVD Review
April 12, 2010 | Filed Under DVD's, Reviews | 2 Comments
Oh how I love NCircle Entertainment…seriously, I have yet to get a DVD that the kids and I didn’t like. The newest addition to our collection is Hurray for Huckle: The Best Outside Fun Ever!.
Hurray for Huckle: The Best Outside Fun Ever! runs 66 minutes long and features 6 fun filled mystery episodes. Each episode is suitable for children of all ages and my children really enjoyed helping Huckle Cat solve the mysteries Busytown.
The episodes are short which make them perfect for short car rides and errands. It also keeps your children from sitting in front of the TV for too long!
Synopsis:
There are plenty of mysteries to keep the Busytown friends very busy! Missing playground items, a mysterious note at the Busytown Bank, an empty swimming hole and a flying saucer are only the beginning of the mysteries Huckle and the Busytown friends try to solve with some outdoor fun!
If you are a Richard Scarry fan, you’ll definitely be a fan of Hurray for Huckle!
Buy:
Hurray for Huckle: The Best Outside Fun Ever! is available for purchase for a suggested retail price of $9.99!
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely that of the blog owners. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. I have been given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.
Prima Princessa: Swan Lake DVD Review
April 10, 2010 | Filed Under DVD's, Reviews | 4 Comments
My daughter is the ultimate girly-girl and loves everything princess. Well, she is the princess in the family so she plays this part well. We recently received a review copy of Prima Princessa: Swan Lake and she loved it. This is definitely a girly show! If you have little boys in the house, they will probably want to watch something else.
Synopsis:
Put your dancing shoes on, and enjoy the show! Prima Princessa features the world-renowned Paris Opera Ballet performing exerpts from Swan Lake, narrated by the adorable Prima Princessa, herself! Between acts Prima Princessa guides you through ballet steps performed by School of American Ballet students so you can become a Prima Princessa ballerina too!
The DVD runs 40 minutes and features the Paris Opera Ballet performing excerpts from Swan Lake, plus students from the School of American Ballet. It is a great introduction to the world of ballet and Taylor loved this show and sat through the whole 40 minutes. In addition to ballet there is also an underlying story line from Swan Lake that really makes it great for little girls.
Buy:
Prima Princessa: Swan Lake is available for purchase for a suggested retail price of $6.99.
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely that of the blog owners. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. I have been given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.
IMAX: Under the Sea Blu-ray Combo Pack Review
April 9, 2010 | Filed Under DVD's, Reviews | 4 Comments
My children love creatures and they are especially enamored with ocean life. When I received the Under the Sea Blu-ray Combo Pack it immediately made it’s way into the Blu-ray player and the children sat as the ocean came to life right in front of them. With the big screen HDTV and the Blu-ray player, it felt as if we were in the ocean with them. Under the Sea became available on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and for download on March 30, 2010!
Synopsis:
Imagine a world of incredible color and beauty. Of crabs wearing jellyfish for hats. Of fish disguised as frogs, stones and shag carpets. Of a kaleidoscope of underwater life. Now, go explore it! The makers of Deep Sea and Into the Deep take you into tropical waters alive with adventure: the Great Barrier Reef and other South Pacific realms. Narrated by Jim Carrey and featuring astonishing camerawork, this amazing film brings you face to fin with Nature’s marvels, from the terrible grandeur (and terrible teeth) of a Great White to the comic antics of a lovestruck cuttlefish.
Under the Sea is an underwater exploration of all the incredible sea life through the Great Barrier Reef, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Australia. As you watch this amazing film you feel like you are the one behind the camera getting all this amazing footage. As host Jim Carrey leads you on this journey he also points out that things we are doing are contributing to the oceans’ carbon dioxide levels which could eventually lead to loss of ocean life and coral reefs.
This film is great for the entire family. It kept the attention of the younger ones with all the bright colors and constant movement and the older ones loved seeing all the sea life. I’m going to leave you with a trailer to give you a sneak peek of what to expect
Buy:
Under the Sea is available for purchase for a suggested retail price of $29.95.
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely that of the blog owners. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. I have been given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.
Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey Review and Giveaway (Closed)
March 22, 2010 | Filed Under DVD's, Giveaways, Reviews | 159 Comments
The adorable little monkey is at it again and it totally rocks! We received a complimentary review copy of Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey and I have to admit that I think I actually liked it more than the children. While daddy was at work, all 4 of us piled on the couch to watch our favorite little monkey.
The world’s most beloved and inquisitive monkey is back in Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey, the fun-filled sequel to the hit animated movie. Join Curious George and The Man with the Yellow Hat as they set out on a madcap cross-country adventure to reunite Kayla, a homesick elephant, with her family. This unlikely trio faces all types of comic calamities and colorful characters and in the end learn that with family, friends and determination you can achieve anything. Featuring the voices of Tim Curry, Matt Lauer, Jamie Kennedy and Jerry Lewis, Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey, “proves that family, friends—and curiosity—are number one.” (Francine Brokaw, Los Angeles Family Magazine)
While watching the movie there were times I was laughing and then times I wanted to cry. I really enjoyed the movie and the children did as well!
Buy:
Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey is available for a suggested retail price of $19.98, but you can often find it cheaper shopping on Amazon.com.
Giveaway:
One Simply Being Mommy reader will win a Curious George prize pack that includes Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey DVD, CD soundtrack, and book!
How to Enter:
Simply leave me a comment below letting me know what you like about Curious George.
Extra Entries Available:
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This giveaway will end on April 5th at 10:00 PM Central time. Winner will be chosen via a random number generator. Giveaway is open to US entries. The winner must contact me in 48 hours to claim their prize. Good luck to everyone!
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely that of the blog owners. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. I was given a free product in order to facilitate my review.
The Princess and The Frog DVD Review
March 17, 2010 | Filed Under DVD's, Reviews | 5 Comments
My children are big Disney fans! Our DVD cabinet is getting extremely full and a huge majority of them are the children’s DVD’s! My 6 year old daughter is the ultimate princess fan and as soon as she heard about The Princess and The Frog, she anticipated it’s release.
We received our complimentary review copy late last week but we just got around to watching it tonight. All 5 of us loaded up on the couch watching the newest Disney Princess, Tiana! She is the ninth princess and she is the first African-American princess. She joins the beloved Disney Princesses in royal sisterhood.
I’m a Texas gal and when I heard those southern accents I got all giddy inside. The Princess and The Frog is based in New Orleans, Louisiana and you can definitely tell my the characters voices.
A little about the movie:
The Princess and the Frog transports audiences to glorious, glamorous New Orleans as Tiana, the first African American Disney princess meets her frog prince and gives him the fateful kiss that leads them both on a hilarious adventure through the mystical, magical bayous of Louisiana. The Princess and the Frog’s colorful cast of one-of-a-kind new characters joyfully raises the roof, with voice performances from stars including Tony Award winner Anika Noni Rose (Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical, 2004,“Caroline, or Change”), Keith David (Crash), Jenifer Lewis (“Strong Medicine”), Jim Cummings (“Mickey Mouse Clubhouse”), Michael-Leon Wooley (Ghost Town), Bruno Campos (“Nip/Tuck”), Peter Bartlett (The Producers), Terrence Howard (Hustle & Flow), Jennifer Cody (Broadway’s “Shrek: The Musical”), Oprah Winfrey and John Goodman (Monsters, Inc.).
I thoroughly enjoyed watching this movie with my family. Watching it on Blu-Ray was simply amazing and the images and colors were so vibrant and joyful, I couldn’t help but smile. The animation and effects are simply amazing and really brings the movie to life.
While I loved the movie I did have a problem with the Shadow Man clips. It was pretty frightening and I don’t think its suitable for the younger children. The whole ghost, demon-like shadows were a bit much throughout the movie.
There is so much to learn from Tiana. If you are going to dream – dream big and work hard at your dreams.
When you purchase the The Princess and The Frog Three Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo Set you get so many extra features. Some of those features include:
- Magic In The Bayou: The Making of A Princess — Co-writers and directors John Musker and Ron Clements take a freewheeling, behind-the-scenes look at the making of Disney’s newest animated film as it grows from an initial concept to a lavish animated film set in the enchanting world of New Orleans and the surrounding bayous.
- The Return To Hand Drawn Animation
- The Disney Legacy
- Disney’s Newest Princess
- The Princess and the Animator
- Conjuring The Villain
- A Return To The Animated Musical
- Bringing Life to Animation with an introduction by John Musker and Ron Clements.
- Deleted Scenes introduced by the filmmakers
- Art Galleries — A collection of storyboard art traces the visual development of The Princess and the Frog’s rich gallery of characters and settings.
Disney has totally outdone themselves! This is definitely a must watch.
Buy:
The Princess and The Frog is available for purchase for a suggested retail price of $44.99!
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely that of the blog owners. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. I was given a free copy of the DVD in order to facilitate my review.
Super Why!: Peter Rabbit and Other Fairytale Adventures DVD Review
March 15, 2010 | Filed Under DVD's, Reviews | 2 Comments
As you know I love all the shows on PBS Kids. They provide my children with educational entertainment while providing me with the time I need to get dinner fixed and clothes folded.
We recently received a complimentary review copy of Super WHY!: Peter Rabbit and Other Fairytale Adventures. Super Why is a preschool series designed for children 3 though 6 and it provides children with the critical skills they need to read.
Super WHY!: Peter Rabbit and Other Fairytale Adventures includes 4 new-to-DVD adventures including:
- Peter Rabbit
- Tom Thumb
- Goldilocks and the Three Bears
- Rapunzel
Each reading adventure presents a problem and the Super Readers must use their skills to get to the solution. These episodes will teach children about caring, getting help from others and teamwork. They will also practice spelling, rhyming and the alphabet with the Super Readers friends.
The DVD has a run time of approximately 100 minutes and includes special features including:
- Interactive Games
- Music Videos
- Coloring Pages
My children love watching Super Why and I feel good about letting them watch it. This series has received the 2008-2009 Parents’ Choice Silver Honor Award and was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Preschool Children’s Series. It’s a great choice for us, and I’m sure your children will love it too!
Buy:
Super WHY! : Peter Rabbit and Other Fairytale Adventures is available for a suggested retail price of $14.99.
The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely that of the blog owners. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. I was given a free copy of the DVD in order to facilitate my review.
Martha Speaks: Martha Says It With Flowers DVD Review
March 12, 2010 | Filed Under DVD's, Reviews | 4 Comments
I am a big fan of everything PBS, but I especially love PBS Kids because it offers my children educational entertainment. On March 9th, Martha Speaks: Martha Says It With Flowers hit store shelves. We received an advance copy to review with the children.
As a mommy, I love being able to put on an educational DVD and it keep my children’s attention. It seems my children have the shortest attention span in the world, but they love every PBS Kids show – including Martha Speaks! A talking dog is sure to keep anyones attention.
Martha Speaks: Martha Says It with Flowers includes 8 stories:
- Raiders of the Lost Art
- Martha Says It with Flowers
- Martha Gets Spooked
- Martha Changes Her Luck
- There Goes the Neighborhood
- Ice Scream
- Martha Sings
- TD Makes the Band
Each episode of Martha Speaks introduces 10 new vocabulary words and then helps kids understand what the words actually mean. Some of the words featured on the DVD are considerate, socialize, jinx, and inspiration. You really can’t go wrong with any PBS Kids series.
About Martha Speaks:
Based on the successful children’s book series by Susan Meddaugh, and produced by WGBH Boston and Studio B Productions, MARTHA SPEAKS™ follows the adventures of a beloved family dog who develops the power of speech after eating some alphabet soup. Each entertaining episode is designed to help kids learn new words and increase their oral vocabulary as they enjoy the escapades of the outspoken, honest and confident Martha and her family and friends.
Buy:
Martha Speaks: Martha Says It With Flowers is available for purchase for a suggested retail price of $14.99.
























































