Ready For Pumpkins is such an adorable book and so fitting with the season. Reading it for the first time, I just knew I have to share it with my son’s kindergarten class. It is about the class guinea pig named Hercules who watches the first grade class grow plants from seeds and wants to do that too. During summer vacation when the teacher brings him out to the country with her he gets to do that with a new friend and during that summer he learns so much. He learns about patience and sometimes having to wait makes things sweeter, he learns about friendship and how hard it can be to say goodbye to old friends and the joy of meeting a whole class of new friends. All in all he learns that he is a pretty lucky guinea pig.
KATE DUKE has been creating wonderful picture books for more than 25 years. Her best-loved tales often include guinea pigs or mice, like Aunt Isabel Tells a Good One, andGuinea Pig ABC. Ms. Duke lives in New Haven, Connecticut.
Random House is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. One lucky blog reader will win their own copy of Ready For Pumpkins. Thank you Random House for the review book and for sponsoring this great giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.
Ready For Pumpkins by Kate Duke Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:
Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!
A Breathtaking New Vision Turns a Legendary Tale Into a Visually Stunning, Epic action-Adventure Featuring All Star Cast Charlize Theron, Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth
Featuring An extended Edition Not Seen in theaters,
Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack including UltraViolet™, DVD & Digital
“A stunning and epic cinematic odyssey that will blow you away!”
—Jake Hamilton, FOX-TV
This is no fairy tale!
Venture into a land of action fantasy, heroic battle scenes and visual wonder in Snow White and the Huntsman Extended Edition, on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, DVD, On Demand and Digital Download, from Universal Studios Home Entertainment. Packed with pulse-pounding battles, unmatched visual imagination and compelling characters, Snow White and theHuntsman is a wholly original adventure story told on an epic scale. From the splendor of the wicked Queen’s enchanted palace to the menace of the Dark Forest, a breathtaking combination of harrowing beauty, epic battle scenes, visual wonder and jaw-dropping special effects make this film singularly suited for the incomparable high-definition picture and perfect hi-def 5.1 surround sound of Blu-ray™.
The Combo Pack includes an Extended version of the film not shown in theaters, as well as a Digital Copy of the film, compatible with iPhone®, iTunes®, iPad®, iPod®, iPod® touch, Android™ or online retail partners, and also includes UltraViolet™, the revolutionary new way for consumers to collect movies and TV shows in the cloud to instantly stream and download to TV’s, computers, tablets and smart phones. Consumers can now truly enjoy their movies anytime, anywhere on the platform of their choice.
From acclaimed producer Joe Roth (Alice in Wonderland), Snow White and the Huntsman is “A breathtaking experience that shouldn’t be missed” and “a flat-out masterpiece!” with “amazing special effects,” said Shawn Edwards, FOX-TV. Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times, raves, “A film of astonishing beauty and imagination. What a ride!” While Peter Travers of Rolling Stone calls it simply, “A visual marvel.”
Snow White and the Huntsman’sstellar cast includes Academy Award® winner Charlize Theron (Prometheus, Hancock), Chris Hemsworth (Thor, The Avengers), Kristen Stewart (the Twilight saga, On the Road), Sam Claflin (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides), Ian McShane (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides), Bob Hoskins (Mrs. Henderson Presents), Ray Winstone (The Departed), Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz), Toby Jones (Frost/Nixon), Eddie Marsan (Sherlock Holmes), Johnny Harris (Atonement), Brian Gleeson (The Eagle), Sam Spruell (The Hurt Locker), Vincent Regan (Clash of the Titans), Lily Cole (St. Trinian’s), Noah Huntley (28 Days Later), Liberty Ross (W.E.) and, in her feature-film debut, Raffey Cassidy as the young Snow White.
Blu-rayTM and DVD Bonus Features:
A New Legend Is Born
Feature Commentary with director Rupert Sanders, visual effects supervisor Cedric Nicolas-Troyan and co-editor Neil Smith
Bonus Features Exclusive to the Blu-rayTM
Reinventing the Fairy Tale
Citizens of the Kingdom
The Magic Of “Snow White and the Huntsman”
Around the Kingdom: 360° Set Tour
Universal’s Second Screen: An innovative viewing experience that allows viewers to control, interact with and explore Snow White and the Huntsman with groundbreaking features on a networked tablet or computer, in synch with the movie on the television screen! As the movie plays, experience features such as:
Flick View: Move content from the tablet to the TV screen, and compare storyboards, animatics, and other exciting bonus material with a “flick” of the fingers.
Behind the Scenes (Picture in Picture)
Around the Kingdom: 360° Set Tour
Virtual Flip books
Cast of Characters
UltraViolet™: The revolutionary new way for consumers to collect movies and TV shows, store them in the cloud, and instantly stream and download to TV’s, computers, tablets and smartphones. Consumers can now truly enjoy their movies anytime, anywhere on the platform of their choice. Currently available in the United States only.
Digital Copy: Viewers can redeem a digital version of the full-length movie from a choice of retail partners to watch on an array of electronics and portable devices including computers, iPad®, iPhone®, iPod™ touch, Android™ and more!
pocket BLU™ App: The popular free pocket BLU™ app for smartphones is now even better with newly updated versions for iPad®, Android™ tablets, PC and Macintosh computers, with features made especially to take advantage of the devices’ larger screens and high resolution displays.
Advanced Remote Control: A sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-ray™ player. Users can navigate through menus, playback and BD-Live™ functions with ease.
Video Timeline: Users can easily bring up the video timeline, allowing them to instantly access any point in the film.
Mobile-To-Go: Users can unlock a selection of bonus content with their Blu-ray™ discs to save to their device or to stream from anywhere there is a Wi-Fi network, enabling them to enjoy content on the go, anytime, anywhere.
Browse Titles: Users will have access to a complete list of pocket BLU™-enabled titles available and coming to Blu-ray™. They can view free previews and see what additional content is available to unlock on their device.
Keyboard: Entering data is fast and easy with your device’s intuitive keyboard.
BD-LIVE™: Access the BD-Live™ Center through your Internet-connected player to access the latest trailers, exclusive content and more!
SYNOPSIS:
In this spectacular action-adventure, Kristen Stewart (Twilight) is Snow White, the only woman in the land fairer than the evil queen Ravenna (Oscar® winner Charlize Theron). Ravenna wants nothing more than to destroy her young rival, but she doesn’t know that Show White has been training in the art of war with a huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) the queen dispatched to kill her. Together with a handsome prince (Sam Claflin) enchanted bySnow White’s beauty and power, they assemble an armed force to recapture the kingdom. This breathtaking new vision of the legendary tale from Joe Roth, the producer of Alice in Wonderland and acclaimed commercial director and state-of-the-art visualist Rupert Sanders is, in the words of Shawn Edwards, Fox-TV, “A film that soars with creativity, stylistic genius and amazing battle scenes.”
Kick off fall with a trip to Prospect Hill Orchards Farm in Milton, NY for Kids’ Day on September 29th and 30th!!! Lots of fun activities will make it a special day for your family. Kids can enjoy free face painting, craft projects, build a scarecrow, cider pressing, corn maze and hayride!!! I am sure you will enjoy that so much you will want to go back, on October 13th and 14th they are holding the Johnny Appleseed Cider Fest with old fashion hands on cider pressing. Everyone can make their own cider, corn husk dolls, paint their own pumpkin and go on a hayride at no cost!!! Mommy Rambling’s readers can click HERE and print a coupon that will entitle them to 2 free autumn gourds as well!!! So kick off fall with some great family fun at Prospect Hill Orchards in Milton, NY!!!
All-New Release From Anchor Bay Entertainment Features Seven Favorite
‘Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!’ Episodes – Voted On By The Fans Themselves!
Beverly Hills, CA – The fans have spoken! The votes have been cast and now the winning episodes have been chosen. By popular demand, a brand-new, first-ever collection of “fan favorite” “Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!” episodes is available by Anchor Bay Entertainment on the much-anticipated “Best Of Wubbzy: Fans’ Choice” DVD! The standout compilation, featuring seven of the most popular episodes as determined by a special “Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!” Facebook fan vote, hit retail stores nationwide on September 18, 2012.
“Tapping into Wubbzy’s active and devoted social media following allowed us to give fans a chance to tell us which episodes they most wanted on our newest release,” said Erin Carter, Executive Director of Brand Marketing for Anchor Bay Entertainment. “After more than a month of voting on the ‘Wow! Wow!Wubbzy!’ Facebook page, we’re excited to bring loyal fans their favorite episodes on one very special DVD!”
“Best Of Wubbzy: Fans’ Choice” showcases six engaging episodes: “Follow The Leader,” “The Wubbzy Shuffle,” “Wubbzy The Star,” “Tooth Or Dare,” “Wubbzy’s Makeover” and “Wubbzy Bounces Back” – plus a special bonus seventh episode, “Wubbzy The Hero.” In these fun-filled adventures, Wubbzy helps baby chirpees who’ve lost their mother, Widget builds a robot to teach a lesson about cheating, Daizy gets a visit from a fill-in Tooth Fairy, the town of Wuzzleburg misunderstands a friendly dinosaur game, and everybody has fun on the first day of spring! Plenty of singing, dancing and learning is in store for preschoolers and families in this first Wubbzy DVD collection chosen by fans themselves! ‘The Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!’ team has embraced social media since Wubbzy’s launch in 2005 and it is exciting to have our Wubbzy fans guide the episode selection on Anchor Bay’s newest DVD,” said Susan Miller, CEO of Bolder Media, Inc.
“Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!,”a hit with young viewers and their families since its 2006 TV premiere on Nickelodeon®, currently airs daily on Nick Jr®. Wubbzy is a fun, lovable, curious little guy who just likes to play, play, play with his friends in the eye-popping town of Wuzzleburg. The top-rated series supports preschool social skills – sharing, listening, compromising, helping and appreciating others, self-awareness and the use of humor as a coping skill.
Although their world is more fanciful and imaginative than our own, Wubbzy and his friends deal with the same social and developmental issues faced by preschoolers. They learn how they fit into a group, how to understand their own feelings and those of others, how to get along with one another and about the value of friendship and community.
My kids were thrilled when we received this DVD for review. They really like Wubbzy and so this DVD was quickly embraced. I like that it enforces social skills that are essential to forming friendships, working together in preschool and teaching them to appreciate and help their friends. Wonderful values and wonderful Wubbzy.
“Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!” is produced by Bolder Media, Inc. in association with Starz Media’s Film Roman Animation Studio. It is a worldwide hit that is broadcast in 100+ countries. Susan Miller (co-producer of Ella Enchanted) and Fred Seibert (executive producer of “The FairlyOdd Parents”) are the executive producers of the show created by Emmy Award® winner Bob Boyle (producer of “The FairlyOdd Parents”).
The Giveaway!!!
Anchor Bay Entertainment is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. One lucky blog reader will win their own “Best of Wubbzy” DVD!!! Thank youAnchor Bay Entertainment for the review DVD and for sponsoring this super giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.
Win Even More!!!
There’s even more to “wow” about! To celebrate the release of the “Best of Wubbzy: Fans’ Choice” DVD – and all those wubb-tastic, Wubbzy fans nationwide! – Anchor Bay Entertainment is hosting a special Wubbzy giveaway on Twitter where fans can win the new DVD and a personalized t-shirt from Ty’s Toy Box (pictured below)! From Sept 24 – Sept 28, followers can enter to win by tweeting @WWWubbzy and sharing the hash tag #BestofWubbzyDVD, from noon to 4pm ET daily! One lucky winner will be selected at random each day. Be sure to spread the word so your readers can get in on all the Wubb-centered fun! Check out www.facebook.com/WWWubbzy and www.twitter.com/WWWubbzy for more!
When I see the words paint chips, I think of the scary public service announcements showing a toddler playing in an old house by a peeling windowsill. Paint Chips though are not scary on Pinterest, in fact they are the stars of some really great craft projects. Of course I am not talking about peeling paint but of the sample cards you use to select paint. After seeing some of the great projects, I was intrigued but I did wonder, what stores thought of these now countless women marching in and leaving with stacks of paint chips and no paint. Would stores soon be locking up the paint chips behind the counter? Would paint chips start to be rationed? If so, I better get some while I can.
So, in the store the other night passing by a very colorful selection of paint chips; I decided to take a few samples. I had my 3 and 5-year-old with me and my 3-year-old was generously helping but mainly picking out the same color and then handing them to me saying, “Look Mommy, I got these for you.” It might have been my imagination because the store was relatively empty, but it seemed like a manager was watching me and every announcement I heard was, “Security please go to the paint department, there is a woman taking paint chips.” I worked through the anxiety and knew that other pinners had to have done the same thing and they not only lived but created something useful and pinned it. So I took my paint chips and put them in the pocket of my purse and continued shopping. Now I need to find a project.
The air her in the Northeast is getting cooler and crisper and we are now officially in Autumn. Halloween will be here very soon, it is a fitting time to read some fun books to your child. I recently received Bedtime for BOO by Mickie Matheis for review. After a night of haunting, Boo the little ghost is wide awake! But Mama Ghost knows just what to do to help Boo fall asleep. “Listen,” she says, and Boo slowly dozes off to the comforting creaks and squeaks of the house. This lullaby-like picture book has the lyrical beauty of Margaret Wise Brown and is the perfect bedtime read. This is such a wonderful read and my sons just adored it. My boys are not scared of monsters or ghosts so they had no problems with this story before bed. Some kids who have issues with monsters and ghosts may not find this great for before bed. This book is sure to be well requested many times before and after Halloween in our house.
MICKIE MATHEIS lives in a ghost-free but nonetheless spirited home in northeast Ohio with her husband and three young children. Growing up, the sound that soothed her to sleep at night was the furnace kicking on, which is still one of her favorite house sounds—along with the sleepy chatter of her children at bedtime. Mickie has written numerous licensed titles for young readers. Bedtime for Boo is her first original book.
Random House is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. One lucky blog reader will win their own copy of Bedtime for BOO!!! Thank you Random House for the review book and for sponsoring this spooktacular giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.
Bedtime for BOOby Mickie Matheis Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:
Please enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter below. Good Luck!!!
I was recently selected to review a new product designed to make girl’s lives a little easier and more hygienic. The Tbox To-Go is a sleek case that holds 3 tampons and also has an attached pill box for Tylenol or Midol or whatever gets you through that time of the month. This case is discreet keeps a ready stash of hygiene products ready and clean. Now you don’t have to be left searching for that lone tampon that has been sitting on the bottom of your purse and just as no one wants that mint that has been rolling around with the loose change, who wants that tampon? Now even if your case is down there among the bottom of your purse your feminine hygiene products are crisp and clean inside the case.
The Tbox to-go is a sleek tampon holder for the purse, pocket, or backpack. The easy-snap lid keeps tampons secure and secret pill box on the bottom makes the Tbox to-go a lifesaver. The product doubles as a mirror for a quick check.
The best part about Tbox to-go? Its sleek and upscale design makes it look like it’s make-up. Perfect for a quick pass to a friend in need.
Tbox to-go’s sleek design holds up to three tampons.
The easy-snap lid keeps tampon secure.
The secret pill box on the bottom makes the Tbox to-go a lifesaver.
The product is mirrored for a quick makeup check.
Right now if you buy 2 Tbox products at tboxgirl.com and get free shipping! Visit and like Tboxgirl on Facebook HERE!
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
I am a pretty skilled baker and have always wanted to try making madeleines, not that I had them many times but just because they looked so pretty and delicious. Actually I think the first time I had them was sometime last year from a company that asked me to do a review of their madeleines. Anyway, recently while browsing my daily obsession Zulilly; low and behold they were offering a madeleine pan and that was simply something I could not refuse. I was so excited with my purchase I quickly gushed to my business partner Carrie that I could not wait for the madeleine pan I just bought to arrive. Her response was, “What is a madeleine pan?” Now Carrie likes to bake and cook too, in fact it is she that gave me the courage to try and make fried green tomatoes this summer.
Lately she has been making very healthy recipes, the other night she was making some whole wheat, flax seed, gluten free, waffles. A few hours later she told me that her daughter came into her room, exclaimed that her stomach did not feel well, and proceeded to projectile vomit all over. I mentioned since this is not the first time, that perhaps it could be her “healthy” recipes and we both had a good laugh. I promise she is not my business partner in a bakery. Anyway, I digress, so back to the madeleines and time to step away from projectile vomiting.
My pan arrived the other day and I was scouring the internet for recipes. I found such a discrepancy in recipes, it really was confusing. There was one woman posting a recipe and before she started she was ranting about how she was doing this just to show that Americans do not understand how a madeleine should taste much the same way we do not understand scones. I looked at her recipe and found that it was full of mistakes, such as not listing eggs in the ingredients but in the directions telling the reader to make sure they beat the eggs in one at a time. A little ironic that she did not proof read given her rant. Anyway after finding recipe after recipe and not finding one I really liked, I decided to tailor one to my taste, which is always a risk, but one that I took.
Here is what I did:
Preheated the oven to 350 degrees. Greased the Madeleine pan generously with real butter and ignoring Carrie and embracing my inner Julie Child.
I mixed together:
2 sticks of butter
2 and ½ cups of powdered sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla
The zest from one lemon
1 Tbsp. of Orange Juice
1 ½ Tbsp. of Honey
1 Tbsp. of Baking Powder
2 Cups of all-purpose flour
The batter was on the thick side but since I never made these and I did see one woman spooning batter in the pan in one of the recipes, I decided to give it a go.
I will admit I overflowed the pan with batter because I was not thinking how it would spread out and fill the molds and extra would overflow. It only took about 11 minutes in the oven to reach a nice golden brown on the edges. Since I overflowed the pans, the cookies were bigger and flatter than madeleines should be, but they were still very delicious and the buttery citrus flavor of the moist cake cookies was wonderful.
Now to just tweak some things to get the batter a bit thinner. I added a bit more vanilla and orange juice to thin out the batter. I filled the pans less than the first time but still too much. The second dozen was better but still not near what they should look like. Like the first batch though they were scrumptiously delicious.
Third time is the charm so they say. I filled the molds even less this time and remarkably we had some regular size madeleines.
The fourth dozen was pretty much spot on in size and so was the one after that. Had I used the right amount of batter in the first place I would easily had 2 more dozen cookies instead of some pleasantly plump madeleines. The family thought they were fabulous and it did not matter to them what they were supposed to look like because their taste won out over form. I originally was going to dip them halfway in milk chocolate and some in white chocolate but they were so delicious and sweet, they didn’t need that.
I will definitely be making them again and this will be a recipe I go to as well as experimenting with some fancier presentations for the holidays like dipping halfway in chocolate and maybe some fine nuts. Don’t be afraid and jump on the madeleine train and if you have some expert tips to share, we would love to hear them. Funny thing is one of my good friends is from France and I never thought to call her as I am sure she has probably grown up making these cookies which are more like little cakes.
The Flex Belt is the first Ab Belt Toning system that you can use to tone, firm and strengthen your abs that is cleared by the FDA! The Flex Belt is great if you do not have time or are too busy to stop and do a traditional workout session. The Flex Belt works stimulating nerves that cause your muscles to contract and relax and just using it 30 minutes a day you will benefit from a workout that targets all of your abdominal muscles.
We were recently sent a Flex Belt for review. My husband was the tester, he is a world champion powerlifter and so I was anxious to hear his opinion. He found the instructions for attaching the pads very straightforward and easy to follow. The pads are covered with plastic covers that you remove when using and replace when finished. The instructions said for him to start his first 2 workouts at a low intensity so he began with a setting of 40 for the first 2 sessions and then raised it to 50. His next were at 60 and he said he could feel some very noticeable muscle contractions with that. As he progressed he kept increasing the setting until he was at 110 and he could really feel the muscles contracting pretty intensely. He feels that anyone can see good results from this belt if they use it consistently. He will add to this review with his results around the New Year then again in the spring.
He heard some folks say they had problems with the battery, charger, and controller connector which does not seem right unless the connector has been improved. This connector has little steel wires that are shaped to hold it together and can only be deliberately unplugged. The product is a very welcome addition to a busy person’s workout. Or, a very welcome addition to someone whom wants to easily shape their abs while uncovering them. He really likes the Flex Belt and plans to continue to use it regularly and keep increasing the intensity in addition to his other physical activity and training. You can like The Flex Belt on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.
Flex Belt is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. One lucky blog reader will win their own Flex Belt. Thank you Flex Belt for the review product and for sponsoring this awesome giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US and Canadian residents.
The Flex Belt Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:
Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below. Good Luck!!!
I was recently sent a family size bag of YummyEarth Gummy Bears.Everything YummyEarth makes is certified organic or all natural, gluten-free, peanut-free, tree nut-free, and has no chemical colors, artificial flavors, or high fructose corn syrup, just fabulous award-winning taste. I know that you must be thinking that all of that sounds great but how does it taste. You can’t get more honest taste testers than kids so I called in my 3 and 5-year-old to try some gummy bears. They loved them, my 3-year-old was head over heels in love with the little bears. Mom and Dad thought they were pretty good as well and felt great about the ingredients. Next month is Halloween and if chemicals, food coloring, additives and more have you scared, please don’t fear because all you need to do is pick up some YummyEarth Candy.
YummyEarth is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings. One lucky blog reader will win a bag of YummyEarth Gummy Bears. Thank you YummyEarth for the review Gummy Bears and for sponsoring this great giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!! Open to US residents.
Hello, I’m Carolyn! I am a PR Savvy, WAH Mom to 5! I love Photography, Baking, DIY Projects, Crafts, Cooking and making memories with my family. I love sharing reviews and giveaways too!
