DC Super Hero Girls + $100 Visa Gift Card Giveaway

Disclosure: Thanks to DC Entertainment for sponsoring this post. Keep reading for a $100 Visa Gift Card Giveaway!

When I was a kid, I wasn't crazy about superheros. Crazy, I know - but I admit it. My love of masked crusaders came a bit later, during my teen years. Maybe that had something to do with the lack of strong girl characters in the comic world - it could be possible, right?

I think it's so fun that the newest animated series from DC Entertainment is DC Super Hero Girls - featuring Supergirl, Wonder Woman, Poison Ivy, Catwoman, and more DC Comics favorites in all-new adventures! These characters are on a journey to discover the power of their unique abilities and friendships.

Each character is dynamic -from strong and fearless to edgy and fun; there is a super hero girl for everyone.


You can find DC Super Hero Girls on YouTube for more videos and entertainment.

Giveaway

One person will win a $100 Visa Gift Card from DC Entertainment and DC Super Hero Girls. This giveaway is open to US readers only.

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 DC Entertainment for sponsoring this post. All opinions expressed are my own. For more information, you can read my Giveaway Policy and my Disclosure Policy.

Amazing Gift Set Giveaway from Warner Bros. + Create Your Own Superhero

Disclosure: Thanks to DCKids and Warner Bros' for sponsoring this post. Keep reading for a fun giveaway with five winners! 

The other day, we had a massive manhunt in our home. Our Little People Batman went missing! We put Batgirl and the Joker on the case, and eventually the masked crusader turned up unscathed. Batman is always a popular guy, right? So I'm excited to share with you a fantastic chance to win 1 of 5 amazing Gift Sets From Warner Bros. The prize packs include products from many of Warner Bros. popular shows -  Teen Titans Go Action Figures & T-Tower Set, A Batman Unlimited Action Figure, and DC Super Friends Gift Set and Batmobile.

Every kid dreams of being a superhero, right? Hop over to the DC Kids Super Hero Creator and dream up your own hero with superpowers of your own choosing. Then, check out some of the amazing new videos from Warner Bros, including favorites like Scooby Doo & Batman Unlimited. And don't forget to subscribe to their channels for many more updates coming soon: DCKids Channel and WBKids Channel.

Giveaway

Five people will win amazing gift sets from Warner Bros' and DCKids. This giveaway is open to US readers only. Winner will be emailed and will have 48 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 Warner Bros' and DCKids for sponsoring this post. All opinions expressed are my own. For more information, you can read my Giveaway Policy and my Disclosure Policy.

Mystery Toy Gift Basket Giveaway + New YouTube Channels from DCKids & Warner Bros'

Disclosure: Thanks to DCKids and Warner Bros' for sponsoring this post. Keep reading for a fun giveaway with five winners! 

Na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na BATMAN! 

We've pretty much always been fans of Batman in our house. Lincoln has had a Batman shirt for just about every age of life, we have Batmobiles and plush toys and even a Batman lamp somewhere around here.

Check out the video below for some fun new content from DCKids & Warner Bros' new Youtube channels - included are favorites such as Batman Unlimited, DC Super Friends and Scooby-Doo! Make sure you subscribe to the channels - DCKids and Warner Bros' - to see new videos as they are released throughout the year.


Lincoln thinks the Batman Unlimited: Training Standoff video is pretty funny. Who's your favorite superhero?

Giveaway

Five people will win mystery toy gift baskets! The baskets are worth a minimum of $50, and will be picked by Warner Bros' and DCKids. This giveaway will end on June 28. This giveaway is open to US readers only. Winner will be emailed and will have 48 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 Warner Bros' and DCKids for sponsoring this post. All opinions expressed are my own. For more information, you can read my Giveaway Policy and my Disclosure Policy.

What's Up With Inkling? {A Pondering Creature Report}

Creature report! Creature report! Creature report!

I've not made is a secret that my kids are obsessed with The Octonauts. These adventurous little explorers save the lives of hurt and sick sea creatures every single day! They happily abide in the Octopod, down in the deep blue sea, coexisting as only a cat, a penguin, a polar bear, a bunny rabbit, a dog, and a bunch of vegetable-animals (vegimals) can. They're an awfully prepared bunch - with Gups named after almost every letter of the alphabet, which used for exploring places like the Midnight Zone undetected by dangerous creatures that might eat them all. The vegimals, though mostly incapable of speaking, manage to be in charge of feeding the different animals meals that apparently fit within their food groups - you know, from raw fish to lettuce to seals (what?! That's what polar bears eat, according to Wikipedia).

But perhaps the most puzzling creature of all who resides in the Octopod is Professor Inkling, a pink octopus who is rarely seen.

I mean, he's there sometimes. Occasionally, he produces some knowledge (because, Professor - duh). But a lot of the time, he's entirely ignored. Which leads me to many deep and ponderous questions about this perhaps slighted character.

1. How precisely is he surviving? He's an octopus. The last time I checked, that's the sort of creature that needs to be actually living in water. In the photos here, we see Professor Inkling hanging out around all of the land mammals who have (of course) no problem breathing the air inside the Octopod.

2. Is he just too cool for school? Apparently, the hats worn by the rest of the Octo-crew are totally beneath him. His blue bow tie is sort of the same color, so perhaps that's his link to the rest of the crew. Also, shouldn't he be wearing Octo-boots on all eight of his legs?

3. What is his actual purpose? Captain Barnacles seems to be in charge of everything that goes on. Unless it's a medical situation. Or a meal. Or the repair of a Gup. Inkling's title of Professor indicates that he is knowledgeable about something...but, what, exactly? I would think it's pretty expensive to maintain this undersea ship that is fully powered and operational at all times. It seems that a professor might be better as a consultant from afar, instead of using up valuable resources like food and air (which he's not able to breathe anyway - see point 1). Am I right?

All in all, it doesn't matter, though. Because Professor Inkling has a monocle. And monocles are pretty darn cool.

Did you like this post? You may also enjoy Watch Out for the Shrinky Bush!

What's On Your... {December 2014}

I will not give up on this series, even if I never remember to post it. Even twice a year is good, right? It will have to do, since the last time I wrote a post for this series was back in May. Maybe I should turn it into a link-up! Would any of you participate?

Dresser | It's a hot mess. Like 13 tubes of lip balm, a bunch of Chewbeads necklaces that my kids beg to drag all over the house, jewelry that still needs to be sorted (it's clear I have other priorities, right?), a stud finder, a box of drill bits, two late 19th-century costume bonnets made out of straw baskets, and I don't even remember what else.

Perennial To Do List | Sewing stuff for my own kids. Editing videos. Figuring out a plan to be an awesome (or, at the very least - functioning) homeschool mom and not fail at preschool whenever we start it up again. MEAL PLAN. Can I meal plan for a year at a time? Because otherwise I feel like I'll never keep up.

Refrigerator Shelves | Leftover Christmas Eve food from my grandparents' house. So Delicious dairy-free Coconut Mint Chocolate milk (not an affiliate link - it's just divine). Fresh blueberries. Raw milk. Expired yogurt.

Itinerary | NOTHING. It is almost January and we are going to have a ton of pj-and-movie days and get our house CLEANED UP. I typically function fine in disaster zones, but it's so bad right now I can't even think about anything else until some of it is clean.

Fantasy Itinerary | I have really been dreaming about Disney lately. That's not in the budget, so to pacify us...for now, I think we're buying 2015 Silver Dollar City season passes!

Playlist | We've been hearing a lot of Christmas music lately, and Lincoln knows all the words to a whole lot of Christmas songs (particularly anything from Rudolph) - so that may be influencing our music selection for awhile. Right now, I'm really enjoying the Into the Woods movie soundtrack (which I got for Christmas, yay me!), William Joseph (awesome pianist), and as always because based on her lyrics, she just gets me...Mindy Gledhill.

Nightstand | Some pajama pants, the baby monitor, a big scratch, and my iPhone charger.

Workout Plan | Um. Bahahahahahahaha.

Phone | Not much storage space. Etsy app that goes "cha-ching" whenever someone buys something from my shop. Ebay app where I stalk vintage American Girl child sized dresses to use for costumes and Hanna Andersson clothes for my kids.

Top 5 List | New year, new goals, a clean house, a content heart, a fresh start.

Bucket List | Everything on my 30 by 30 list - because I've barely touched it and I have under two years to do it all now! Ah!

Mind | Purging, cleaning, and cleansing. I'm so over 2014 and need that lovely January 1 to roll around and inspire me.

Blogroll | I always love When at Home because Kristen is super real. I'm hoping to get back into a blog reading habit in the new year, because I've been so consumed with writing and sharing and chattering online, I have lacked time to network much!

Walls of Your Favorite Room in Your House | It's the Super Nintendo Nursery. Always has been, likely always will be. Though if it could have fewer toys to trip over, that would be lovely.

Last Credit Card Statement | Everything on earth and then some. Ugh. 2015 is going to be the year of banishing credit card debt, as well.

Screensaver | Still the same because it's a perfect shot! A really sweet photo of Addie walking at Silver Dollar City, wearing her sock monkey hat and grinning. It's my favorite.

TV Every Night | When the holiday season hits, we start watching epic movies. In the last couple weeks, we've watched several incarcerations of A Christmas Carol, and moving into the new year, we're starting a Harry Potter marathon. So far (in two nights), we've made it part of the way through Sorcerer's Stone. Clearly, parents get the short end of the stick when it comes to movie-watching ability.

What's up in your life this final week of December?

Chuggington: Snow Rescue DVD Review + Giveaway - #HolidayGiftGuide2014

Disclosure: I received a sample DVD to review. No other compensation was received and all views expressed are my own.

My kids love trains. Seriously. But in all honesty, what kid doesn't love them? They're big, noisy, and awesome. We're always excited when there is a new adventure with our favorite Chuggington engines out on DVD, and this new release has arrived in time to be a perfect stocking stuffer!

Featuring five special episodes that are loaded with fun and heartfelt lessons for little ones, Chuggington: Snow Rescue is train-tastic winter fun just waiting to happen!

Here's a little more info about the release:

It's wintertime in Chuggington and the Chuggers are busy making preparations for the Parade of Lights Festival, adorning themselves in glowing colored lights for a special procession through Chuggington! But, when freezing fog traps Koko and a snowy avalanche derails Fletch, that’s when Wilson and the Chug Patrol team must set out on a wild winter rescue! This action-packed collection features five Chuggington specials, including the all-new Snow Rescue Special airing for the first time this fall on Disney Junior! With added bonuses including new character montages and coloring sheets, your own little Chugger will discover important lessons about safety, responsibility and teamwork.

The DVD has a run time of 64 minutes and there are five episodes included: 

·  Snow Rescue Special
·  Iron Chuggers
·  Deputy Chug Patrollers
·  Movie Maker Brewster
·  Toot’s Tall Tale


Lincoln's favorite episode on this DVD is Snow Rescue - he keeps asking to watch the "Christmas Chuggington!" Addie also likes this episode - they're both pretty obsessed with Christmas lights, so the holiday parade put on by the Chuggers is quite entertaining for all.

This DVD is a definite new favorite for winter in our house and I'm so happy we'll have it to help survive the cold, long months ahead.

Giveaway

One Director Jewels reader will win a Chuggington Snow Rescue DVD! This giveaway will end on December 31 at 11:59pm CST. This giveaway is open to US readers only. Winner will be emailed and will have 48 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: I received a sample DVD for review. No other compensation was received and all views expressed are my own. For more information, you can read my Giveaway Policy and my Disclosure Policy.

Daniel Tiger's Happy Holidays DVD Review - #HolidayGiftGuide2014

Disclosure: I received a sample DVD to review. No other compensation was received and all views expressed are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

We don't have a cable subscription, so I'm not completely up on all the options for children's entertainment on television. I had no idea Daniel Tiger even existed until my kids came home from my in-laws' house one afternoon chattering about the little tiger and all of his friends. I was finally able to actually watch a few episodes for myself when we received Daniel Tiger's Happy Holidays on DVD to review! 

I have come to appreciate this friendly little tiger and the way he sings his way around the neighborhood! I love that there are practical life lessons included in each story - from going potty to making friends to creating a handmade gift for someone, there's always something simple for kids to remember with a song. Life through a toddler's eyes can be pretty rough, and this show was clearly created with young ones in mind. I love having help in sharing with my kids how to deal with life's circumstances - even the smallest ones!

This DVD includes 7 tales: Something Special for Dad, I Love You, Mom, Thank You, Grandpere Tiger! Neighborhood Thank You Day, Katerina's Costume, Dress Up Day, and Snowflake Day! Snowflake Day! is a special double musical episode and Daniel has a very important role as a snowflake in his school program! My kids love this one since we have lots of theatre events in our family, between my role as a drama teacher and the community theatre where I met my husband.

The bonus Daniel Tiger figurine that came with this boxed set has been extremely popular in our house! I keep finding him in the princess castle, driving firetrucks, and in Addie's bed at night. Those are all signs that he's going to be a well-loved little toy for sure.  

Daniel Tiger's Happy Holidays and many other fun gifts from PBS can be found in the PBS Kids Shop!

Thanks to PBS for sending us this fun DVD to review! All opinions expressed are my own.

Holiday Recipes from Chuggington: Snow Rescue

It's cold outside here in Missouri! What are you doing with your little ones to keep them entertained during the cold months when outdoor play isn't an option?

Around here, we try to have a lot of imaginative play and arts and crafts...but I'd be lying if I said we don't turn to the TV for entertainment at least once a day. It's always fun when we find a way to bring some of our favorite characters to life with a craft of activity! We've been doing lots of holiday coloring sheets and I was so excited to find these Chuggington Holiday Recipes available for download. Click the button below to grab them for yourself!


The new DVD release, Chuggington: Snow Rescue, is all about wintertime and is scheduled to hit store shelves next week, just in time for Christmas. For now, we're being entertained by this clip of the Chuggington holiday light parade! Lincoln and Addie are obsessed with trains and Christmas lights...it's a perfect fit.


What are you up to on this cold, wintry day?

NCircle Entertainment: Back-to-School Fall 5-DVD Giveaway

Disclosure: I received sample DVDs for review purposes. No other compensation was received and all opinions expressed are my own.

Fall is definitely in the air here - we've broken out the long-sleeved pajamas a few times, and have been snuggling up under more blankets than usual. This doesn't last all day long - the days are still pretty warm, but I can tell the winds of change are on the way and that makes me excited! We're trying to get back on track with preschool this week, and I'm hoping for some cool days so that we can go on a nature walk and maybe even visit a pumpkin patch soon!

It hasn't been all clear skies here, though - last week, we had a torrential downpour that lasted a good day and a half. Lincoln and Addie were just about beside themselves with the gloomy view out the windows, so we decided to have a movie marathon - that perked them back up (if only for awhile - but I'll take it). 

We were excited to check out the DVDs we received from NCircle Entertainment. You should have seen the excitement when Lincoln opened the package in the mail and found five brand new movies waiting for us! The first one we watched was an easy choice for them (Octonauts: Deep Sea Mission), but they've enjoyed the whole collection.

Here are all of the titles we received -

The Wiggles: Apples & Bananas ((NEW!)
Octonauts: Deep Sea Mission (NEW)
Cat in the Hat: Show & Tell Sure is Swell!
Animal Atlas: Animal ABC’s
Sid the Science Kid: The Ruler of Thumb

The Wiggles and the Octonauts are brand new releases, and the other three are popular back-to-school titles. We've already used Animal ABC's as part of our preschool curriculum. Lincoln is starting to correctly identify most of the alphabet on sight, and Addie is just excited to see animals, so it's a great one for them to watch together.

The Cat in the Hat Knows A Lot About That - Show & Tell Sure Is Swell has been another big hit, and I love the Cat's adventures because the journeys to far-off places always feature some element of learning! Today Lincoln and Addie learned about condors, the largest flying land birds in the Western Hemisphere. That's advanced biology when you are three years old!

Octonauts: Deep Sea Mission is of course the favorite of the bunch, since we live with Captain Barnacles and his little sister, Peso, here in our house. Sid the Science Kid: The Ruler of Thumb and The Wiggles: Apples and Bananas are fun, as well - just not quite as loved yet, here. We go in DVD phases, you see. This week it's Cat in the Hat - who knows what next week will be. Every time I watch the Wiggles, I have the hardest time getting those songs out of my head!

I'm hopeful for many more sunny, cool fall days this week - but I can hear some thunder rolling outside, so tomorrow may end up being another movie day. I think I'll be okay with that! Hop over to NCircle Entertainment and take a peek at all of the great educational DVDs they offer. You can also follow along on Facebook or Twitter for all the latest updates.

Giveaway

One Director Jewels reader will win a set of 10 DVDs from NCircle Entertainment! This giveaway will end on October 24 at 11:59pm CST. This giveaway is open to US readers only. Winner will be emailed and will have 48 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: Thank you to NCircle for providing my sample DVDs and the giveaway prize! I received no other compensation and all views expressed are my own. For more information, you can read my Giveaway Policy and my Disclosure Policy.

The Octonauts at SEA LIFE Kansas City Aquarium

Disclosure: I received press tickets for my family to tour the attraction highlighted below. No other compensation has been received and all opinions are my own.

It's a grand day for an adventure here in Kansas City, and I know just the place to have a pretty unique experience: SEA LIFE Kansas City, the beautiful aquarium at Crown Center. SEA LIFE is pretty amazing on a normal day, but now through August 31 you will find some extra special sea-faring guests waiting to greet you: The Octonauts!

We're big fans of these loveable animals who have a knack for rescuing creatures under the sea. Lincoln and Addie would literally watch this show all day long if I let them. We have two DVDs featuring their stories and I have both sets of episodes almost memorized. For the upcoming birthday season, I am happily welcoming additional Octonauts collections so my brain can have a little break from the cookie cutter shark, the narwhal, and the others.

So, you get it that we love the Octonauts. Let's move on to our own adventure! We were able to stop by SEA LIFE last week to get a peek at this super fun exhibit. The kids were really excited to go see the Octonauts and fish (or "Noctonauts and fishies" if you ask Addie). We have been to SEA LIFE a couple times this year - once at Lincoln's birthday and then again earlier this summer, but this time was definitely our best experience as far as the kids' attention span.

We brought my mom along (the kids call her Bun), because I'm not brave enough to tackle a character meet and greet with two toddlers alone. I'm crazy - but not that crazy. Lincoln and Addie were quite excited to show all of the fish and sea creatures to their grandma.

The highlight of the experience, of course, was seeing the Octonauts, so we headed there first. We stopped by when Captain Barnacles was out to say hello! Lincoln nearly passed out from excitement. It was really adorable - he covered his mouth with his hands, opened his eyes as wide as saucers, and bounced his way over toward Barnacles.

And...then he stopped, a couple feet in front of him, fell on the floor, and generally freaked out about having had a super cool experience. He wouldn't give a high five or hug, but he did whisper hi.

Addie, although feigning indifference here, was pretty excited about this whole experience too and spent much of the time waving and saying "hi Captain," gaining smiles from people all around us. She's a charmer.

Trying to give Lincoln another opportunity to have a fun meet and greet experience, we came back for the next meet and greet segment, this time with Kwazii. It went pretty much exactly the same, but we did manage to get him (sort of) in a photo, at least.

Both kids were very content to just sit on the floor and color the Octonauts coloring sheets with provided crayons, and play with the Octopod play set. I was informed after the adventure that "Mommy, we need a Octonaut toy too!"

The meet and greet is designed well to keep any potential line moving quickly, and with the kid-friendly atmosphere, it's no wonder the event is a success. This is the second time the Octonauts have visited SEA LIFE this year, and they'll hopefully be back for more fun later, too!

You can catch Captain Barnacles and Kwazii (alternating hours) daily now through September 7. They meet and greet every hour (on the hour) between 11:00am - 6:00pm (no appearance at 3:00pm). Since this is a popular event - especially with the preschool crowd - it is recommended that you purchase your tickets online before you visit. Check out SEA LIFE's website for more info and to purchase your tickets!

The Octonauts were just part of the fun for us on this trip! Both of my kids were really interested in all of the fish and other creatures (way more attentive than they have been in the past). I partially credit their love for Octonauts and their fascination with the show for this - they love learning about new creatures now! The touch pool was an especially big hit for Lincoln.

We easily spent close to two hours touring the aquarium and no one was grumpy or bored when we left. This makes me so happy! I think they would go back every day just to visit the fish - whether the Octonauts are there or not.

My mom had never seen the aquarium, and she said over and over that it was such a neat experience for the kids! I can't wait to use SEA LIFE to supplement our homeschool studies on ocean life in a few years.

We had a blast, SEA LIFE Kansas City! Thanks for being so awesome - and we hope to come back soon!

Disclosure: I received press tickets for my family to tour SEA LIFE. No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.

Sofia the First: The Enchanted Feast DVD Review + Giveaway

Disclosure: I received a sample DVD to facilitate my review. All opinions expressed are my own.

 We are fans of just about every Disney Junior show - and we don't even have cable! We recently took a (very long) road trip to Texas to visit my brother and his family, and we stayed in a hotel along the way. The kids were thrilled to watch episodes of Sofia the First, Doc McStuffins, and more on the Disney Channel before we headed on our way! Since we don't subscribe to a TV service at home, we make do with DVDs - and really, that's nicer, I think! No commercials interrupting the show, and I can limit screen time to "just one DVD."

One of the new favorites in our house is Sofia the First: The Enchanted Feast. Addie is especially concerned about anything that involves princesses, and she can identify most Disney princesses by name. She was quite excited to find "White" (Snow White) featured in the first story, The Enchanted Feast, on this DVD!

Here's the official synopsis of this story:

The wicked fairy, Miss Nettle, disguises herself as a powerful sorceress and attempts to steal Sofia’s magical amulet. With the help of Snow White—Sofia must learn to trust her instincts and speak up when she suspects someone is not who or what they say they are.

Lincoln and Addie have both enjoyed watching the antics of Sofia and her friends and family. The evil Miss Nettle returns to the castle disguised as Sascha the Sorceress, bent on stealing Sofia's amulet. Sofia is suspicious of her from the moment she arrives, but everyone else falls for her ploy hook, line, and sinker. Sofia learns a lot about working together (even with someone unlikely, like the castle sorcerer, Cedric) and ultimately manages to save the day! It's definitely a conversation starter for talking to kids about who to trust.

The additional episodes included in this release are:

-The Buttercups
-Tea for Too Many
-Great Aunt-Venture
-Two Princesses and a Baby

I think Two Princesses and a Baby is a crazy cute episode. Prince James gets accidentally turned into a baby on the day of his and Princess Amber's big birthday celebration. Maybe it's just because I'm surrounded by baby and toddler antics constantly, but this one makes me smile.

Do your kids like Sofia as much as mine do? Who is their favorite character?

Giveaway

One Director Jewels reader will win Sofia the First: The Enchanted Feast on DVD! This giveaway will end on September 5 at 11:59pm CST. This giveaway is open to US and Canadian readers only. Winner will be emailed and will have 48 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: I received a sample DVD for the purpose of this review and I am not responsible for fulfillment of the giveaway prize! I received no other compensation and all views expressed are my own. For more information, you can read my Giveaway Policy and my Disclosure Policy.

Awesome 10 DVD Giveaway from NCircle Entertainment

Disclosure: I received sample DVDs for review purposes. No other compensation was received and all opinions expressed are my own.

When summer is at its peak, here in Missouri that means it's way too hot to go outside. At all. Just going from your car to the front door of a store is enough to make a person start sweating up a storm. We try to get in as much outdoor play as we can when it's cool outside, but when we face day after day of heat wave, I start running out of ways to entertain the kids.

So then, my friends, is when I turn to the wonderful world of educational entertainment via screen. I used to have some serious mom guilt about planting my kids in front of a television program, but let's face it - they are learning all sorts of cool things from their shows, especially some of our favorites from NCircle Entertainment - like Octonauts or WordWorld.

NCircle offered to send me a huge collection of DVDs (six of them brand new) to help entertain my kids during the heat of summer, and I was super excited. However - my excitement didn't even begin to compare to Lincoln's when this package arrived. His eyes were as wide as saucers and he talked for days about "all the new movies!!!" We have been putting this collection to use for about three weeks now, and while Lincoln and Addie both have a definite favorite (cough Octonauts cough), I love the variety that's presented and how it has given us the opportunity to talk about sea creatures and songs and going camping and so many other fun things!

The DVDs included in this collection are:
Mike the Knight: Knight in Training
Octonauts: Meet the Octonauts!
Octonauts: Calling All Sharks!
Sid the Science Kid: Backyard Campout
Sid the Science Kid: Now That’s Using Your Brain
Sonic the Hedgehog: Sonic Goes Green
The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That: Let’s Go on an Adventure
The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That: Ocean Commotion
WordWorld: Hide and Seek!
The Wiggles: Hot Potatoes! The Best of the Wiggles

The six brand new DVDs are definitely some of my kids' favorites right now.

Sid the Science Kid: Now That’s Using Your Brain! Sid discovers that the brain controls all kinds of actions such as walking, thinking and breathing and wants to learn more about how it works. We had never seen Sid before these DVDs arrived, and I think it's fun that so many scientific lessons can be incorporated into a short show.

Octonauts: Calling All Sharks. Join the Octonauts aboard the Octopod as they come face to face with a trio of pesky Cookiecutter sharks, look after an injured Lemon shark and stop a Whitetip shark who is chasing the Gup-A! By far, Octonauts are the reining champions at our house right now. Addie calls them "NOC-TONAUTS!" and it's the best thing ever. These little sea-faring animals are constantly finding some new creature to help and I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I randomly sing "Creature Report! Creature Report" several times a day.

Octonauts: Meet the Octonauts. Join the Octonauts as they explore the world’s oceans, rescue the creatures who live there, and protect their habitats above and below the waves! Addie likes this DVD best, because the other one has so many "SHARKS!!! Ahhhh!"

The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That: Let’s Go on an Adventure. When the Cat eats the last chocolate, Nick and Sally must fly to Coco-a-licious to restock their supply. But princess Lotta-Chocka's helpers are away. Join the Cat and the kids as they make chocolate today! I really love the Cat in the Hat DVD series. Maybe it's just because I'm such a huge literary nerd and Dr. Seuss is awesome. But either way, I think it's awesome and the kids think it's awesome, so it's a win.

The Wiggles: Hot Potatoes! The Best of the Wiggles. The beloved and wildly successful children’s entertainment group has finally released a collection of their most popular songs, including Big Red Car, Toot Toot Chugga Chugga, The Monkey Dance and much more. I was prepared to be super annoyed by this DVD, but I actually secretly love to dance along with all the songs myself.

WordWorld: Hide and Seek! Join the WordFriends and play a game of Hide and Seek! In this special game, the friends have to hide behind WordThings that end in “ake." BUG builds a RAKE, and PIG builds a CAKE. But SHARK is so big that it's hard for him to find a good hiding place. We're working hard on learning letter shapes and sounds, so WordWorld is a perfect tool to help! Lincoln has started identifying letter sounds on his own and I know the repetition of seeing favorite characters do the same is helping.

Hop over to NCircle Entertainment and take a peek at all of the great educational DVDs they offer. You can also follow along on Facebook or Twitter for all the latest updates.

Giveaway

One Director Jewels reader will win a set of 10 DVDs from NCircle Entertainment! This giveaway will end on August 22 at 11:59pm CST. This giveaway is open to US readers only. Winner will be emailed and will have 48 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: Thank you to NCircle for providing my sample DVDs and the giveaway prize! I received no other compensation and all views expressed are my own. For more information, you can read my Giveaway Policy and my Disclosure Policy.

$25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway from Heroes of the City

Disclosure: Director Jewels received no incentive to participate in this giveaway and is not responsible for prize fulfillment. 

Sponsored by Heroes of the City

Hosted by Coupon Crazy Mommy

My son is obsessed with trucks and vehicles in general - and we had a firetruck themed birthday party when he turned three earlier this year. I just found out about the app called Heroes of the City and I'm amazed that somehow we've not heard of it until now! It looks like something that would be a favorite of Lincoln's for sure.

This popular app, Heroes of the City, now has a new YouTube channel where you can check out all of their latest videos! I'm  ind of afraid to even show Lincoln the channel because he would insist on watching it all the time!

Here is an example:

   
Hint: Watch the video above to be able to answer the Bonus question in the giveaway for 10 Bonus entries!

In order to help to promote their latest YouTube channel, Heroes of the City is offering a $25 Amazon.com Gift Card Giveaway! This giveaway is open to US residents ages 18+. It will run from 7/21/14 1am EST -8/4/14 11:59pm EST. Winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Enter below and Good Luck!

 

Entry-Form

*Disclosure: Coupon Crazy Mommy and participating bloggers are not responsible for sponsor prize shipment.This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

What's On Your... {May 2014}

I always intend to write a post in this series every few months, but I just realized the last one was in December! Ahh! There are just so many wonderful things to write about...how can I find the time?

Dresser | Well, I still haven't sorted my jewelry. I did throw out some really old lip balm recently. I think currently, there are only about five mismatched socks and a couple of shirts and maybe an Undercover Mama tossed on top right now.

Perennial To Do List | Video editing. I've finished three videos this month and have another in progress! I have hope. I still haven't managed to sew a dress for Addie, so that's going on this list.

Refrigerator Shelves | Leftover stuffed shells. Really, really leftover enchilada casserole. Organic corn on the cob that has probably gone bad. Supplies for broccoli cheddar soup. Probiotics for everyone. Flax oil because potty training is awful. Cherries. Strawberries. Grapes. Stonyfield Organic Yogurt.

Itinerary | Several trips this summer - Omaha, Branson, and Indianapolis. I'm so excited! And possibly crazy, to travel so much with toddlers.

Fantasy Itinerary | I've been seeing a lot of really gorgeous photos of Italy lately. I want to see Europe!

Playlist | Mindy Gledhill: A Pocketful of Poetry. Lots of kid stuff like Disney Jr. DJ Shuffle, Wee Sing Bible Songs, Laurie Berkner, and Anna & the Cupcakes.

Nightstand | A huge pile of board books, a couple of which are covered in applesauce from an unfortunate incident from when I tried to take a shower last week (shocking, right?). A bottle or two of water. There was a lip balm yesterday, but I think it fell off.

Workout Plan | I've been having weird stomach pain, so exercise of really any sort is out right now. If Addie ever sleeps longer than an hour on a consistent basis, I might try to start running again, though!

Phone | Voicemails from a mystery shop company who seems to desperately want my assistance. Cartwheel. Timehop. Etsy shop stats that I check far too often. Blurry photos of my kids.

Top 5 List | Big hugs around the neck from my girl. Hearing "Mommy, I not want to grow up" from my boy. My thriving little backyard garden. The potential for my Etsy shop. Summer possibilities.

Bucket List | Between my 30 by 30 and our Summer Bucket List - a ton of things!

Mind | Oh, heavens. This could go on for weeks. Some health issues. Addie's teeth. What to pack for vacation coming up soon. The play I haven't written yet for the drama class that starts in a few weeks. Things I learned recently about chiropractic care and genetic makeup and predisposition to certain conditions. My mind is weighed down right now. Trying to let go and trust that all will be well, but that's hard.

Blogroll | Sad face. I haven't read any blogs in weeks. I've been slammed and Bloglovin' has been the thing to go for the moment. Looking forward to reconnecting soon!

Walls of Your Favorite Room in Your House | It's the Super Nintendo Nursery. Always has been, likely always will be.

Last Credit Card Statement | Some groceries. Some takeout. Bill for the removal of Andrew's wisdom teeth.

Screensaver | Hasn't changed. A really sweet photo of Addie walking at Silver Dollar City, wearing her sock monkey hat and grinning. It's my favorite.

TV Every Night | New Girl. Currently season 2. The Nick and Jess kiss. Ahhhh!

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Around the Clubhouse World DVD {Review + Giveaway}

Disclosure: I received a sample DVD to facilitate my review. All opinions expressed are my own.

It's no secret whatsoever that we are huge fans of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. The most popular posts here on my blog are from Lincoln's Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Birthday Party! We try to keep screen time to a minimum in our home, but my first pick is almost always a trusty Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD when I need something that will both entertain and educate my kids.

Mickey has universal appeal, and is loved equally by my three-year-old and eighteen-month-old.

The newest DVD release from everyone's favorite mouse hits shelves today and it's sure to be a big hit. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Around the Clubhouse World is an adventure of global proportions! Come on, let's go around the Clubhouse world!

This has been Lincoln's favorite movie for the last couple of weeks. He is fascinated by all of the different places that Mickey and his friends visit on their trip around the world. The simplicity is beautiful - Mickey just takes the toon car around the world (near Mickey Park, naturally) and comes across some new locations that offer a suggestion of the place they are visiting. For example: the Eiffel Tower rests in a roundabout - there are no other symbols of Paris, but we know that's the place we are visiting. We're working on understanding that there is a whole big world out there, but it's a lot for a preschooler to grasp, so this DVD will help us make some connections as Lincoln and Addie continue to learn.

Here's the official synopsis of this adventurous release!

Pack your bags and grab your passport. Join Mickey, Minnie and pals on a whirlwind trip Around The Clubhouse World! Climb the Eiffel Tower in France and say “bonjour” to Mademoiselle Daisy and Monsieur Donald Duck. Then, rescue Gondolier Goofy when he goes adrift in Italy’s Grand Canal; solve the mysterious riddle of Pharaoh Pete’s pyramid in Egypt, and meet a dancing dragon at the Great Wall of China. With your help – and the right Mouseketools – your Clubhouse friends can get their special passport stamped at each wonderful location. Featuring over two hours of song-filled fun, including four additional episodes, this global adventure proves it’s a small world after all!

One of our favorite parts is Goofy's Gondola Song, highlighted in the clip below!


The DVD comes with a free passport activity book, so kids can follow along with Mickey's adventure and fill their own book with stickers as the Clubhouse friends collect passport stamps. There are four bonus episodes included as well:

-Donald and the Beanstalk
-Goofy on Mars
-Mickey's Handy Helpers
-Pluto's Dinosaur Romp

Do your kids love Mickey as much as mine? Who's your favorite Clubhouse character?

Giveaway

One Director Jewels reader will win Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Around the Clubhouse World DVD! This giveaway will end on June 6 at 11:59pm CST. This giveaway is open to US and Canadian readers only. Winner will be emailed and will have 48 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: I received a sample DVD for the purpose of this review and I am not responsible for fulfillment of the giveaway prize! I received no other compensation and all views expressed are my own. For more information, you can read my Giveaway Policy and my Disclosure Policy.

Motherhood and Setting New Expectations

When I found out I was pregnant, I expected to have a breezy pregnancy and a healthy glow - with a heaping side of productivity.

I quit my full time job when my baby was two months old, and I assumed that there would be hours of crafts and games with my children, and long nap times in which I could rest and rejuvenate (and work from home).

When my second baby arrived, I said to myself, "how much harder can it be? They will be such good friends."

If you haven't yet guessed - none of those things ended up being completely true. Pregnancy knocked me flat on my back. Working from home is stressful at best, when you are trying to care for and entertain small people. And tiny siblings can be great friends - but they also require a lot of mommy interventions because naturally there is only one toy that is worthy of being played with at any given time.

And today, as I sit nursing that second baby - who doesn't sleep on her own - while my oldest is being brainwashed occupied by the Scooby-Doo complete series box set, I feel frustrated that it's 4:30pm and not enough things have been crossed off my to-do list.

My to-do list is ever increasing, but so are the needs of my children. My spare time is not spent sewing dresses or editing videos or writing scripts or blog posts as I had imagined in my fantasy stay-at-home-mom scenario. Instead, I spend my days taking someone potty for the 15th time since noon or breaking up squabbles over a plastic muffin or pulling someone down off the kitchen table again.

It turns out that being a good mom has very little to do with how many craft projects you can do in a day, but a whole lot to do with how many kisses you can give for the same boo-boo in an hour. It's less about planning educational activities and more about accepting that it's really okay for your kids to sometimes watch a movie while you take a shower.

I struggle with finding a balance and often end the day thinking that I have failed my kids. I need to not worry so much about email and be more concerned with fort-building. There will be time to fill my Etsy shop after the days of being a little firefighter's assistant are long past. I need to be present for my kids 100% of the time - and they deserve more than a half-hearted smile when I am met with reading that super annoying book one more time.

I need to be constantly aware that my expectations cannot be the same as they were before these precious little lives depended upon me. Their thoughts, fears, and feelings need to be first priority right now, even if that means setting aside some of the things that are important to me.

Motherhood and making realistic expectations - it's a fine line to balance. What are your tips for making the most of every moment with your littles, even in the overwhelming moments?