Avengers Assemble for Marvel Universe Live! at Kansas City Sprint Center

Disclosure: I received media passes to this event. No other compensation has been received. All views expressed are my own. 

I've seen a lot of shows and theatrical productions in my life, but I have to say that Marvel Universe Live!, playing this weekend in Kansas City at the Sprint Center, was more action-packed than any of them! I wasn't totally sure what to expect, but it's very safe to say that all my preconceived notions about how entertaining the show would be were blown out of the water!

My son is turning five next month. He's a big superhero fan, but he's never seen any of the movies featuring the Avengers, X-men, or Spider-man. He was excited to get all dressed up in his Thor suit and tote his Mjölnir all the way to the Sprint Center!

We had no issues finding our seats and settled in to enjoy the evening. Mjölnir was kept at the ready and we even checked out the integrity of the railings to make sure they would hold up against the hammer's strength. Good news, Kansas City - they did!

Image Courtesy of Feld Entertainment

The two-act show has a runtime of about one hour and forty-five minutes, with one intermission. The scenes are well-designed with an appropriate length to successfully hold the attention of young children. My son still wiggled a little bit, but was overall pretty mesmerized by the show and asked me questions about the storyline, so I knew he was picking up plot pieces.

Image Courtesy of Feld Entertainment

The show begins with a gathering of our heroes as they have learned that Loki is (once again) seeking world domination. The cast of heroes includes the more famous: Ironman, Spider-man, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye, and Black Widow - plus a few of the not quite so famous: Falcon and Captain Marvel. There were even a few of the X-men in the story - Wolverine, Cyclops, and Storm were definitely important parts of the plot.

Image Courtesy of Feld Entertainment

It is a very family-friendly show with no inappropriate dialogue or innuendo (that I noticed). The stunts were constant and pretty incredible. From flipping cars over to lighting someone on fire to throwing criminals and good guys alike off of tall buildings, there was always something visually stunning going on. I was way impressed by the Statue of Liberty set, where Spider-man and Thor fought off the Sinister Six villains from Spider-man's universe. A multi-level apparatus with a scrim that went back and forth from being opaque and translucent, the illusion was beautifully created that a battle of epic proportions was going on inside the statue herself. Having been inside the crown of Lady Liberty, I can say that I don't think there's quite as much space in there for battling as they portrayed, but I didn't mind. This scene also included the pretty amazing stunt with the Green Goblin flying on his hovercraft while Spider-man dangled upside-down beneath him. On the way home, I asked my son what his favorite parts were and he said "Everything. But, I wanted to be IN IT!" I might have a heart attack if I were watching my own child perform these stunts, but as a performer I can see how it would be an incredible job!

There were multiple scenes featuring stunts with motorcycles on the small set, and those were a huge hit with the crowd, as well. The only part my son didn't like was when the Hulk had shiny green eyes - he said that was a little scary. But for the most part, he followed the plot well and was on the edge of his seat waiting to see what would happen next! He picked up on the fact that the heroes were tracking down three powerful objects to stop Loki from taking over the world and declared to me loudly during the show: "Locust (Loki) has one of them! He'll have to get dead a LOT!"

Image Courtesy of Feld Entertainment

I would happily go see the show again! If you have the opportunity, you don't want to miss it! The tour is here from January 14-17, and you have several more chances to see the show. You can follow along via Facebook and Twitter for more info! And click here to purchase tickets to Marvel Universe Live! Kids' tickets are just $15 for select performances.

Here's the full list of remaining showtimes:
Friday, January 15- 7:00pm
Saturday, January 16 - 11:00am, 3:00pm, 7:00pm
Sunday, January 17 - 1:00pm, 5:00pm

Who is your favorite Marvel Universe hero?

Thanks to Feld Entertainment for the chance to attend this event! 

Marvel Universe LIVE: Coming to Kansas City January 14-17, 2016 + Ticket Giveaway

Disclosure: I will receive media passes to this event. No other compensation has been received. All views expressed are my own. 

Superheroes and villains... the epic clash of these groups is something that has typically been reserved for movie screens, but that's not the case here in Kansas City - because from January 14-17, 2016, you can watch all the action unfold right before your eyes in Feld Entertainment's Mavel Universe Live! I've never been to a show like this one before, but it looks pretty epic! 

Marvel fans, assemble! Marvel Universe LIVE! is taking the live entertainment experience to a whole new level, with a mind-blowing show unlike anything you’ve seen before. Watch your favorite Marvel Super Heroes including Spider-Man and the Avengers (Iron Man, Black Widow, Hulk and more) and threatening villains come to life in an action-packed arena extravaganza, coming to the Chicago Area. You’ll definitely feel the energy with cutting-edge special effects, pyrotechnics, aerial stunts, martial arts, motorcycles and more. It’s being hailed as the most technically advanced live show ever. Join Marvel fans of all ages for this once-in-a-lifetime, monumental performance. The fate of the universe depends on it!

Who is your favorite Marvel hero, and who would you be most excited to see live at this show? I have always been a pretty big Spiderman fan. My four year old son gets excited watching the trailer for this show when he spots Captain America, The Hulk, Ironman, and Thor.

Are you  in Kansas City? The tour will be here from January 14-17, so you will have several chances to see the show. Make sure you enter to win tickets below! You can follow along via Facebook and Twitter for more info! And click here to purchase tickets to Marvel Universe Live! Director Jewels readers can snag opening night tickets (January 14 in Kansas City) for just $15, plus kids' tickets are just $15 for select performances.

Here's the full list of showtimes:
Thursday, January 14 - 7:00pm
Friday, January 15- 7:00pm
Saturday, January 16 - 11:00am, 3:00pm, 7:00pm
Sunday, January 17 - 1:00pm, 5:00pm

Giveaway

One person will win a 4-pack of tickets to Marvel Universe Live! at the Sprint Center on January 14 at 7:00pm. This giveaway is open to US readers only. Winner will be emailed and will have 24 hours to respond or prize will be forfeited.

To enter the giveaway, follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter form below (you may need Javascript enabled to see the form and it may take a moment to load)! Once you complete the first entry, the other options will open up so that you can complete them as well. All of the "extra entries" are optional - you can do just one, or as many as you want! Winners will be contacted by email. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Disclosure: Thanks to Feld Entertainment for providing the passes. All opinions expressed are my own. For more information, you can read my Giveaway Policy and my Disclosure Policy.

Minions Movie Night Party Ideas

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MinionsMovieNight #CollectiveBias

What do three little yellow creatures named Kevin, Stuart, and Bob have in common? Well, one thing is for sure - they work for only the finest villains around!

Minions © 2015 Universal Studios. All rights reserved. is new out on DVD just in time for the holidays and we are really excited to share our perfect Minions party ideas to help you create an unforgettable movie night.

No party is complete without food, and food that looks like a minion is sure to be a big hit at the party. Here's how we created a Minions Fruit Tray. 

Minions Fruit Tray
Supplies Needed

-Fruit. I used pineapple and blueberries
-Market Pantry dry black beans
-Small black, white, and silver circles cut from paper - for the eye
-1 black pipe cleaner
-Large cutting board and up&up aluminum foil, or large flat platter or tray

To make the tray:

1. Wash and cut pineapple into chunks. Wash blueberries. 

2. Wrap cutting board tightly in foil

3. Create minion shape. I started with the pineapple at the top, and worked my way down. The black beans for the goggles strap were added next, with the paper eye secured on the cookie sheet with just a simple piece of folded tape. The overalls were probably the trickiest part, but that was mostly because my kids kept trying to eat the blueberries!

4. Add small pipe cleaner pieces for hair, arms, and feet.

5. Enjoy! Just make sure to tell little ones that the beans aren't for eating. 

This Minions fruit tray was the perfect recipe to make for our party... it's quick and easy, and unforgettable!

Our party, of course, had to include a showing of Illumination Entertainment's Minions, so we stopped by Target to pick up a copy. Target is a one-stop-shop when it comes to movie nights, so we were able to grab everything needed for our party.

The Minions Metalpak Blu-ray/DVD - Deluxe is a Target exclusive and contains 40 minutes of exclusive content! More minions? Um, yes! Target also has a wide range of toys, books, apparel, and more so that you can take the movie-watching experience up a notch or two.

The Target Bonus Content includes a Minions Party Planner - giving fans the inspiration to create Minions themed decorations, party food, games, and activities. If you're planning a Minions party of your own, you'll want to snag a copy for sure.

With preschoolers at our party, I wanted to create some easy Minions crafts and games for them to do. We ended up having a Pin the Goggles on the Minion Game, a Minion Paper Bag Puppet, and a Minion Mosaic Craft. All of our basic craft supplies came from Target, since they have a wide variety of craft items in stock!

Pin the Goggles on the Minion
Supplies Needed

-White Posterboard Sheet
-3 Yellow Felt Squares
-Black Cardstock
-Silver Cardstock
-White Cardstock
-Sticky-back Velcro
-Black Pipe Cleaners
-Craft Glue

1. Fold felt in half lengthwise, cut rounded tops. You can make the all the same size or vary their width and height as I did. Use craft glue to attach to poster board. Add black cardstock feet.

2. Make goggles out of cardstock. I used two different glasses and my craft glue bottle to trace the three circle sizes on the correct papers, glued them together, and added black cardstock goggles straps on either side. Make one for each guest at your party!

3. Add Velcro to back of goggles. Make sure it's the pointy side so that it will stick on the felt!

4. Glue small pieces of black pipe cleaners to their heads for hair and mouths.

5. Blindfold party guests (or just have them close their eyes) and line up to take turns putting goggles on the minions!

We had so much fun - the kids wanted to play this game over and over again.

Minion Paper Bag Puppet
Supplies Needed

-Paper Bag
-Construction Paper of various Minions colors
-Large Googly Eye

1. Cut sheet of yellow paper the width and length of the paper bag (it can be slightly shorter). Set it on top of the bag and mark where the flap will be. Cut, then glue the two pieces to the bag.

2. Cut out the blue overalls. I made a square, then cut out the edges to form the correct shape.

3. Make an eye out of cardstock. I traced two different glass cups and a glue bottle to get the right sizes.

4. Attach pipe cleaners for feet, arms, and goggles straps. Add the eye you just made on top of that!

5. Wait for the glue to dry before letting kids play with it! Mine tried to use theirs too soon and we had to redo the mouth!

Minion Mosaic Craft
Supplies Needed

-Blank White Paper
-Printer
-Tissue Paper in Yellow and Blue. Optional: include black and silver for the other details but you could also color these with markers or just use the printable.
-Kids glue

1. Print the minion mosaic with this free printable! 

2. Tear tissue paper into small pieces. 

3. Let kids glue tissue paper to matching color sections on Minions printable, let dry. 

Super easy and super fun!

Whew! We're still having all kinds of fun with our minions over here. Are you ready for your own Minions party? Which project will you make first?

Harry Potter 8-DVD Movie Collection Giveaway

If you're a Harry Potter nerd, you probably know what today is. It's Hogwarts Day. And this year is special, because author JK Rowling is making all of us millennials feel old by informing us that today is Harry Potter's son's first day at Hogwarts. WHAT.

If you need to relive some Harry Potter magic to forget how old you are, here's a shot at winning the full 8-DVD movie collection! Around here, there's usually a marathon watching at Christmastime.

ReelMama.com and friends are delighted to bring you a giveaway of the Harry Potter 8-Film Collection (RV $75)! Use the Rafflecopter below to enter, and best of luck, dear reader!

A special thanks to the awesome bloggers who are helping to promote this giveaway. Be sure to check out their social media pages via the Rafflecopter.

You’ll find all the magical films included in this Harry Potter Complete 8-Film Collection:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

Muggles, here is the Rafflecopter to enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Giveaway Rules: This giveaway is in no way associated with Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media platform. You must be 18 years old or older to win and be a U.S. or Canadian resident. This giveaway will run from Saturday, August 29, 2015, until Monday, September 21, 2015, at 11:59pm. One winner will be chosen at random via the Rafflecopter. Reel Mama is sponsoring the prize and is solely responsible for prize shipment.

How to Make Your Own Easy Cheap DIY Thor Hammer

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #AvengersUnite #CollectiveBias

It's a big weekend at the movies: MARVEL'S The Avengers: Age of Ultron hits theaters on Friday, May 1! I've always been a big superhero fan, so you can bet I will see this new film sooner rather than later.

Lincoln and Addie have not seen any MARVEL'S: The Avengers movies yet, but that hasn't stopped them from falling in love with the characters. Somehow, Lincoln automatically knew that he should start shouting "SMASH!" when he put on the giant Hulk hands we picked up this week at Walmart, and Addie likes to proudly go around saying "I'M Captain 'Merica."

More often than not, they're trying to wail on each other while wearing their costumes, but we're working on learning how the Avengers actually work as a team and take care of each other - very much like a family!

When you're shopping for Avengers products at Walmart, make sure you download the new Avengers Super Heroes Assemble App! You can turn your phone into a portal to exclusive MARVEL'S The Avengers: Age of Ultron content. Keep up to date with the latest movie and behind-the-scenes action. When you scan Avengers displays at Walmart and Walmart.com, you can become your favorite Avenger, explore a Hulkbuster training facility in a 360 degree interactive space and to bring MARVEL'S Avengers: Age of Ultron characters to life with augmented reality! It's really cool! Find it on the Apple Store or Google Play.

With a Captain America shield and Hulk hands in our costume collection, we were pretty set for our adventures - but we wanted to add at least one more character to our dress-up box. Thor seemed the most logical choice, because we can teach the kids to speak with an ancient accent and that will be hilarious. The project I landed upon was making a DIY Mjölnir, or, Thor's hammer.

I had most of the supplies already in my house, and chances are, you do, too.

DIY Thor Hammer
Supplies Needed
-Empty Rectangle Baby Wipes Box
-Aluminum Foil
-Round Wooden Dowel
-Wooden Candle Cup (optional for the base of the hammer)
-Hot Glue Gun & Glue
-Scissors
-Sharpie
-Brown Ribbon or Leather Trim (for strap)
-Silver Trim (for handle)

1. Cut off wipes lid flap.

2. Attach wooden dowel. There is no science behind this, folks. I pretty much attacked it with Duck tape and then hot glued it inside the box.

Hot gluing the dowel to the box.

3. Attach Lid to Box. I actually didn't glue it together or anything. I closed and snapped the box and it worked fine. But if you wanted to, you could glue it so it holds better.

4. Cover Box in Aluminum Foil. I wrapped it like a gift and cut out a hole where the dowel came out of the box.

5. Use Hot Glue to tack down edges.

6. Cut pieces of aluminum foil to cover any holes. Attach with hot glue. I just went crazy with hot glue and pushed down all the little corners and crevices.

7. Add Silver Ribbon Trim to Handle.

8. Glue Ribbon inside Candle Cup, to make strap. Then Glue Dowel into Candle Cup.

9. Use Sharpie to make designs around edges. I put Andrew in charge of this.

That's it! It's perhaps not the strongest toy and I keep cautioning the kids to not beat on things with it, because the foil will probably rip. But it makes a perfect addition to a Halloween costume or a kid's dress up box!

I love my little Avengers!

Around here, there are many epic battles raging (usually over who gets to wear the Hulk hammer or wield Mjölnir, or who gets the last snack) as we wait for the release of MARVEL'S The Avengers: Age of Ultron. Will you see the movie this weekend?