"Making Today a Perfect Day" ~ from Disney Frozen Fever

We haven't made it out to the theater to see Cinderella yet, but if you have, you've seen Frozen Fever and heard this super sweet and fun song, "Making Today a Perfect Day!" We are loving this new song from our Frozen friends!

The track is now available exclusively on iTunes for a limited time! 

^^ You can preview and purchase by clicking on the link! ^^

Here's some background from our friends at Walt Disney Records:

“Frozen Fever” welcomes back to the big screen the voices that helped bring the “Frozen” favorites to life, and introduces a new song, “Making Today a Perfect Day.” For a limited time, the track is available exclusively at iTunes (http://smarturl.it/ffs1).

Kristen Bell (Showtime’s “House of Lies”) once again lends her voice to Anna, and Idina Menzel (Broadway’s “If/Then”) returns as the voice of Elsa. Jonathan Groff (Fox’s “Glee”) voices Kristoff, and Josh Gad (“The Comedians”) provides the voice of unforgettable snowman Olaf. Oscar®-winning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez (“Up Here”) and Robert Lopez (“Broadway’s “The Book of Mormon”) wrote the all-new song for the short, and composer Christophe Beck (“Cake”) provides the score.

In “Frozen Fever,” it's Anna's birthday and Elsa and Kristoff are determined to give her the best celebration ever, but when Elsa catches a cold, her powers may put more than just the party at risk. The tale is told musically with “Making Today a Perfect Day,” with Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff and Josh Gad lending their voices to the original song.

According to the songwriters, “Making Today A Perfect Day” showcases Elsa’s great desire to surprise Anna—all while battling an ever-worsening cold. “I think on some deep level,” says Lopez, “she knows she shouldn’t be doing this party. She should be in bed. But Elsa is fierce and her love for her sister is fierce. So the song has a really intense drive to it—especially the piano.”

Adds Anderson-Lopez, “We wanted it to be that perfect sunny-afternoon song so that it fought against the situation that she’s getting sick; that adds to the comedy.”

Reuniting with the performers was like getting together with old friends, says Anderson-Lopez. “I feel like we’ve been through something extraordinary together and that connection will never go away.”

Directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, produced by Peter Del Vecho and Aimee Scribner, and executive produced by John Lasseter, “Frozen Fever” opens today, in front of Disney’s live-action “Cinderella.” The “Cinderella” soundtrack is also available on CD.

For more information on Walt Disney Records releases, become a fan at Facebook.com/disneymusicemporium or follow us at Twitter.com/DisneyMusicEmp. “Making Today A Perfect Day” sheet music is available from www.SheetMusicDirect.com.

Disney On Ice presents Passport to Adventure ~ Discounts and Giveaway!

We were provided with complimentary show tickets to help promote this event. All opinions expressed are our own.

We are so excited to announce that Disney On Ice is coming back our way this spring!

Disney On Ice presents Passport to Adventure Presented by Stonyfield YoKids Organic Yogurt will be playing at the DCU Center in Worcester, MA from April 2-5!

Embark on the ultimate sightseeing vacation with all your favorite Disney characters in Disney On Ice presents Passport to Adventure Presented by Stonyfield YoKids Organic Yogurt. Join Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald, Goofy and Daisy on a journey to the magical worlds of Disney's The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, and Lilo & Stitch. You and your family will explore the African Pride Lands with Simba, Timon and Pumbaa; voyage deep under the sea to Ariel's mystical underwater kingdom; tour London with Peter Pan and Wendy before flying to Never Land to join Tinker Bell; and travel to Hawaii to visit Lilo and Stitch. Upbeat music, lovable characters and exciting destinations make Disney On Ice presents Passport to Adventure a vacation your family will never forget!

We are so excited to attend the show and I can smell that yummy Feld Entertainment Popcorn already!

You can get your tickets at Ticketmaster.com or at the Box Office, starting at just $15!

Exclusive savings for our readers: 
$6 off all price levels on select show times!

Offer valid on $60, $45, $35, and $25 tickets to the following performances:

April 2, 7:00 PM - $15 opening night tickets available!

April 3, 1:00 PM 

April 3, 7:00 PM

April 4, 11:00 AM

April 4, 7:00 PM

April 5, 2:00 PM - $10 kids tickets available!

Just follow these 3 easy steps to purchase: 

1. Go to Ticketmaster.com and choose your performance
2. Enter code MBLOG in the offer code box
3. Select your seats and check out!

No double discounts. Cannot be used for prior purchases or group sales orders. Service charges, handling and facility fees may apply. Please note that prices reflected on Ticketmaster.com INCLUDE service charges and facility fees. Select "Price Details" on the purchase page to confirm discount price.

Or *WIN* a 4-pack of tickets to opening night right here!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

No purchase necessary. Entrants must be age 18 or older at time of entry with valid photo ID. Winner will use photo ID to pick up tickets at the Box Office of the DCU Center in Worcester, MA on the night of the show. Contest runs from Thursday, March 12 through Monday, March 23 and ends at 11:59 PM on that day. Winner will be notified via email and must respond within 24 hours to claim prize or a new winner will be chosen. 

Good luck!

Real Bug Dig It Out Science Kit from Discover with Dr. Cool

We received free product to facilitate this review. 

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. 

All opinions expressed are my own. 

We love bugs around here... and we love hands-on exploration... and just plain cool science stuff. So, we were pretty excited to have the chance to try out the Real Bug Dig It Out Science Kit from Discover with Dr. Cool!

This totally hands-on science exploration kit, winner of the Brain Toy Gold Award - Academic's Choice 2013, comes with a beetle-shaped digging block which contains 3 little critters, enclosed in acrylic, as well as some tools. Your job (or your child's job) is to excavate the bugs!

If you dig, dig, dig, you'll eventually uncover a scorpion, a spiny spider, and a fortune beetle. Once you dig them out, you can clean them off with the enclosed brush and study them with the enclosed magnifying glass. You can also learn some cool facts about each of the bugs and engage in some fun educational games included within the enclosed activity booklet.

This kit is especially designed for children aged 6-12. Our little science lover is 4 years old but she was super excited to see her new excavation kit and get right to work to find the bugs. She lasted just a few minutes before asking for my help. I did my best to help her but so far we've only excavated one of the bugs... and it's been several weeks. Yikes! This is the real deal! Bug excavation is not for the weary, my friends. My hands got super tired, sore, and a little cut up in the process and we decided to save the rest for Daddy.

So, my thoughts? We like the kit, but 4 years old is a little young. I'm thinking 10-ish is probably right on target in terms of age-approriateness. I think kids younger than that could do it with patience and dedication... but not likely in one sitting. I'm not sure anyone could do this in one sitting! It's hard work, but fun and rewarding, if you have the strength and patience to stick with it... (or strong power tools - only kidding - sort of - leave that up to the grown-up's discretion!).

We're looking forward to completing our excavation with Daddy's help soon.

If you have a science loving big kid, I think they'll like this kit! It would also make a great addition to a classroom setting, where everyone takes turns. Teamwork would definitely make it faster, easier, and likely even more fun.

You can find the Real Bug Dig It Out Science Kit on the Discover with Dr. Cool website or on amazon.com.

      

Too Cute to Toss ~ Consignment Event This Month!

I am so excited to share with you about Too Cute to Toss, a children's consignment sale event created by two of my sweet and creative friends! They have several, very popular, events each year. If you're local to Massachusetts, you need to get to one! Here's a message from Alycia and Lauren and all the details about this month's event...

We are two North Shore moms who daydreamed about owning our own business while entertaining our children at our playdates. Our vision has now grown into Too Cute to Toss - a children's consignment event business where you can sell and/or buy gently used children's clothing, toys, books, shoes, gear, and much more! 

We LOVE recycling and were looking for a better way to save money on new clothes and also allow our gently loved clothes to move on to good homes. We accept and sell newborn up to size 16. It is a great way to pass on those extra items that your kids grew out of or no longer need and make some money in the process! We have 3 events a year in the North Shore area of Massachusetts.

We can do all the work! We gather up your gently used items, tag and price them or you can tag your items yourself for a higher profit and lower fee. The consignment events are open to the public to buy items at great prices! We look forward to you joining us!

Visit Too Cute to Toss this month!

Saturday, March 28 9:30 am - 4:00 pm

Sunday, March 29 9:00 am - 2:00 pm (most items 50% off)

DoubleTree Hilton

50 Ferncroft Road

Danvers, MA

Alycia and Lauren are still accepting consigners for this event who can tag their own items!

You can view more details on the Too Cute to Toss website or Facebook.

Urbini Dream Nursery Contest!

I participated in a Blog Blast Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Urbini. 

I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

A cozy nursery with high quality furniture is a must-have for new babies (and new parents)! Urbini has created a new line of nursery furniture, including some beautiful wooden cribs and to help spread the word, they are giving away not only some of their nursery furniture, but a full nursery makeover at the hands of Rachel Dacks, their designer!

Isn't that gorgeous?! This is a giveaway you will not want to miss!

If you're not working on creating or updating a nursery, don't despair! You can still win a $50 Walmart Gift Card by helping to promote the contest.

All of the details are below. You can enter the giveaway through the widget in this post, or at www.UrbiniDreamNursery.com.

Here's what you'll win!

Grand Prize:

One Urbini Crib

One Urbini Changing Table

One Urbini 6 Drawer Dresser

One Urbini Cubi Play Yard

A home visit by Urbini designer Rachel Dacks to personally outfit a newly designed nursery

Second Prize:

Choice of one Urbini Crib

Third Prize:

One Urbini Cubi Play Yard

Sweepstakes Winners:

Each day, one Sweepstakes participant will be randomly selected to win a $50 Walmart Gift Card

To enter the Urbini Dream Nursery Contest to win the Grand, Second, or Third Prizes, you must post to your personal Instagram account a photo of the room you want to design, tagging #UrbiniDreamNursery and #Contest. For all other entry information, including entering to win the daily $50 Walmart Gift Cards, please visit www.UrbiniDreamNursery.com.

Urbini Dream Nursery

Contest ends Wednesday, March 18, 2015. Entrants must be age 18 or older at the time of entry. Open to legal residents of the continental United States and the District of Columbia. Official rules are available at www.UrbiniDreamNursery.com.

Good luck!

Visit Urbini on social media by following the links below:
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest

Orchid Origami Paper

I received free product to facilitate this review. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and link to amazon.com. 

All opinions expressed are my own.

This week was "O Week" in my daughter's Pre-K class. Every week they focus on a letter of the alphabet and do lots of fun themed activities that start with that letter. Perhaps the most exciting part of the week is Show & Tell Day when each child gets to bring something from home that starts with the letter of the week!

My sweet daughter is very particular about what she will bring for Show & Tell. She has set a standard for herself (and her parents) that it must be something that her friends can use and enjoy together as a group. She is not content with an object that she can simply "show" and "tell" about. It must be something that unites the class in a common activity. Good gracious. She's practically a Pre-K teacher at 4 1/2 years old!

I'm not sure if you can imagine the challenge we face each week as we work on coming up with the absolute perfect Show & Tell. It's actually pretty intense. We start planning at least a week in advance and so far, I think our girl is pleased with her choices and her friends appear be enjoying them as well! Bless the hearts of these Pre-K teachers who must switch up their curriculum each Thursday to accommodate our daughter's additions to the plan!

This week, O Week, I was stumped. I thought of calculators with on/off buttons, a napkin with owls on it, an owl hunting call (a great opportunity for germ sharing), pictures of our vacation to the ocean, and an orange highlighter. None of my ideas met her approval, but my genius husband came to the rescue yet again (he seriously does every single week) with the idea of... ORIGAMI!

Say what?! I just received a pack of Orchid Origami Paper this week to review on the blog! Say what?! Thursday is Chinese New Year?! Could this be any more perfect?! Why hadn't I thought of this?! I'm telling you, the guy is a genius.

My daughter and I looked up some Pre-K friendly origami patterns, practiced a bit at home, and then off she went to school on Thursday with her package of Orchid Origami Paper, patterns, and samples in hand. This has certainly been one of her best Show & Tells thus far!

Although some of the more difficult patterns can be a little overwhelming even for me, origami truly is such a fun activity for all ages. Even at 4 1/2, my daughter and her friends really enjoyed creating special things simply by following instructions and folding paper! Practicing fine motor skills and skills such as listening, following directions, sharing, taking turns, and being creative are so important at that young age and the excitement that comes from creating a special treasure at the end of all that skill practice is such a wonderful thing!

Orchid Origami Paper is perfect for both beginner and advanced paper folders. It comes in a package of 500 sheets of beautifully vibrant colors which make the creating even more fun. The paper is high quality, durable, and non-toxic. It is just the right thickness for easy folding but we had no ripping or curling edges at all. Each sheet is a perfect 6 x 6 inch square so there is no need to prepare the paper before we start our patterns.

I love everything about Orchid Origami Paper but I would have loved to see a booklet with additional origami patterns included with it. There was one pattern included but it was actually quite difficult for me to follow. Thankfully there are really tons of different patterns easily found online but it would be super convenient to have a little idea book with different level folding projects come right in the package with the paper.

I've never been an origami lover before this week but I've been converted! I love this stuff, and I think I can say the same for my daughter, her friends, her teachers, and my genius husband. We are having tons of fun and are super grateful for a huge package of Orchid Origami Paper so the fun can continue for many days to come!

Are you an origami lover? A beginner? An expert? We need some more tried and true patterns, so please do share your favorites!

And if you're just getting started, there's no better place to begin than with a package of Orchid Origami Paper! You can snatch it up right now for a great price on amazon.com.

Authentic Homemade Asian "Takeout" from Blue Dragon ~ Review and Giveaway!

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Blue Dragon. I received product samples and a promotional item to thank me for my participation. All opinions expressed are my own.

I cook dinner for my family daily and it's often a struggle to decide what to make. We have our favorites but eating the same few meals each week gets a little boring. I love searching for recipes online and can often find some new ideas but even those searches can be daunting because there are so many options and I don't always have all the ingredients I need on hand. And let's be honest... sometimes takeout sounds really yummy and easy! Our favorite takeout option is Chinese food but (unfortunately for my taste buds) we don't often splurge on that treat.

We were recently introduced to Blue Dragon, a company that provides everything you need to treat yourself to some homemade, super easy, and super fast Asian cuisine! Providing everything from noodles, to spring roll wrappers, to sauces, condiments, and a plethora of quick and easy-to-follow recipes, Blue Dragon has it all.

Blue Dragon was named after the Chinese symbol of good fortune. Over thirty years ago, the founder of Blue Dragon realized that it was nearly impossible to create truly authentic Asian dishes at home because it was just too difficult for people to find all the necessary ingredients in the grocery store. Well, that problem has now been solved with Blue Dragon products and after a quick trip to your local grocery store, you can simply and quickly pull together delicious dishes from China, Thailand, Japan, and Vietnam right in the comfort of your own home!

Following some recipes straight from the Blue Dragon website, and using some high quality products that were truly so user friendly, along with a few things I already had in the house, I was able to create three absolutely delicious Asian dishes - in less time than it would have taken me to order, pick up, and bring home my favorite Asian take-out!

Here's what I used:

And here's what I created:

Chicken Pad Thai

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound sliced chicken
• 1 egg
• 2 cups cooked flat rice noodles
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• Sprig of cilantro - chopped
• 1 ratchet Blue Dragon Pad Thai Stir Fry Sauce

Instructions:

• Heat oil in wok, add the egg, stir fry until almost cooked through.
• Add chicken and stir fry for one minute.
• Add pre-cooked and drained noodles and sauce.
• Stir until heated through
• Garnish with lime juice and cilantro.

General Tao Stir Fry

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb chicken breast, sliced
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 large onion, sliced
• Cornstarch to coat
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 satchet General Tao Stir Fry Sauce

Instructions:

• Dip the chicken strips in the beaten egg and then toss in the cornstarch.
• Heat the oil in a pan and carefully fry the chicken pieces.
• Once browned, add the onion and sauce and continue to simmer for approximately 2 minute until onions are tender and all is heated through.

Sweet Chili Quesadillas

Ingredients:

• 4 tortilla wraps
• 1/2 lb cooked chicken, shredded
• sliced green onions
• 4 tbsp Blue Dragon Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

• Heat large frying pan over medium heat.
• Place flour tortilla in bottom of pan.
• Top with half of chicken, onion, dipping sauce and cheese.
• Top with second tortilla.
• Once the base is golden brown and crisp, use a spatula to flip over and repeat cooking on the other side.
• Repeat with remainder of ingredients.
• Let sit for 1/2 minutes and slice into wedges.

I adjusted these recipes only minimally from those on the Blue Dragon website simply because I wanted to cook with what I had in my home already since my family was hungry and excited to try our new Blue Dragon products! Beyond the meat, I only needed minimal ingredients. Each dish tasted authentic, and truly delicious! The cooking sauces were so flavorful, the noodles cooked up in a flash, and, because it absolutely deserves it's own shout-out, the Blue Dragon Sweet Chili Sauce is AMAZING.

So again, I was literally able to pull these meals together with less money and less time than it would have taken to pick up Asian takeout. Does it get any better than that? But, I'll be honest - there is something sort of special about treating your family to takeout, so we even served up our creations in takeout containers and used chopsticks. Why not, right?!

We are so excited for the opportunity to offer one of our readers a chance to win everything needed to create your very own delicious homemade take-out experience with the help of Blue Dragon! Your prize will include samples of Blue Dragon Sauces and a cooking kit including a wok, spatula, chopsticks, and takeout containers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The giveaway runs from Tuesday, February 10 through Tuesday, February 17 at 11:59 PM. Entrants must be age 18 or older. Open to residents of the US only. Contest entrants are only eligible to win once per sweepstake, per household as part of a campaign sponsored by Influence Central.

If you like to try before you buy, check out a Blue Dragon tasting event at a store near you!
Shaw's in Canton, Waltham, Worcester, and Littleton all have tasting events coming up on 2/15 from 11-4. Or you could head to Market Basket in Nashua on 2/13 from 11-6 or Revere on 2/14 & 23 from 11-6. If you're wondering if there's a tasting at your store and it's not listed here, let me know!

Here are some places where you can get to know Blue Dragon online:
Blue Dragon Recipe Inspiration
Blue Dragon Online Cookbook ~ Chop To Chopsticks
Blue Dragon Facebook
Blue Dragon YouTube
Or search on your favorite social media channel for #BlueDragonMeals