Review and Giveaway: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Ultimate Showdown DVD set #Sponsored

I remember as kids when my brother discovered the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with his friends and so I was really pleased for my boys when Nickelodeon came out with an updated band of turtle brothers that still embody the vibe and feel of the original series.  The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Ultimate Showdown contains the last twelve episodes (including the double length final episode) of the first season of the new and improved TMNT!


The episodes that are included are:

1. I, Monster
2. The Alien Agenda
3. The Pulverizer
4. TCRI
5. Cockroach Terminator
6. Baxter's Gambit
7. Enemy of My Enemy
8. Karai's Vendetta
9. The Pulverizer Returns!
10. Parasitica
11. Operation: Break Out
12. Showdown, Parts 1 and 2 (Season Finale)

Our family's review:

My boys, especially Erik are obsessed with comic book style super heroes and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are right up there with the Avengers and Spiderman in his eyes.   This 2 DVD set contains what I consider to be the twelve most exciting episodes of the first season - especially since they build to the ultimate climax - a showdown between Splinter and Shredder... 

As a mom, I appreciate how well written each episode is and how much fun all the characters are - with their quirks and strengths - it makes for fun family entertainment!

Win your copy:

Do you or your kids need to add TMNT: Ultimate Showdown to your collection?  Just fill out the rafflecopter below:

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Sponsored Review & Giveaway: Dora & Blue's Clues Double Feature: Dora Musical School Days & Blue's Big Musical Movie

It was a dark and rainy day at our house when I unwrapped Dora & Blue's Clues Double Feature: Dora Musical School Days & Blue's Big Musical Movie for the boys!  I love hearing the excitement in Erik's voice when I unwrap anything new with "Dora Boots" and what I really liked is that there was something that caught Liam's attention too - Blue's Big Musical Movie!

A little about each DVD:

Blue's Big Musical Movie: 

Join Steve, Blue and all their friends as they plan a backyard musical show! Preschoolers will help Steve and Blue get the show underway, write an all new song with G-Clef --the voice of Ray Charles, and of course, play Blue's Clues. In Blue's Big Musical Movie, preschoolers will sing, dance, play, and learn that they can be anything they want to be! Includes 6 Brand-New Songs! Promotes Critical Thinking, Music (Curriculum including Notes, Rhythm & Tempo), Problem Solving, Confidence, and Self-Esteem

Dora's Musical School Days:

Getting to school becomes a musical adventure for Dora and her best friend in "La Maestra de Musica" and "Boots to the Rescue."

Preschoolers--and their parents--will be excited about the brand-new, never-before-seen episode, "La Maestra de Musica," in which Dora's music teacher has to get to school on time but has a broken bicycle. As always, viewer participation is strongly encouraged as children get to learn and practice Spanish vocabulary words and practical skills along with Dora and Boots. They'll also gain a real appreciation for music and realize that even the most difficult obstacles can be overcome with a positive attitude and a song in your heart.

Our Opinions:

This DVD combo package is the perfect way to treat your preschooler to a musical adventure!  Although the episodes are older, my boys were still singing along and enjoying hanging out with Dora, Boots, Blue and Steve and all of their friends!

If you are looking for a great way to share a rainy summer day with your kids or want some fun travel DVD's for your next trip, then picking up the Dora & Blue's Clues Double Feature: Dora Musical School Days & Blue's Big Musical Movie!

Want to win your copy? Just fill out the rafflecopter form below:
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Giving Back with the #NickCFK Big Help Book Drive - A trip to the Teacher's Supply Closet #cbias

I love being able to share the gift of reading and being able to direct my donation to those who need it most is so gratifying.  As part of the #NickCFK Big Help Book Drive, I was able to shop at my local Walmart for some great books (check out the whole shop album here) and as soon as I heard about this Champions For Kids Simple Project, I knew that shopping for The Teacher’s Supply Closet would allow me to make a great donation impact!  What I didn’t know when I planned my shop and book drive is that my donations would be needed even more!  This was the scene at the Teacher’s Supply Closet outlet just two weeks ago:

After a particularly nasty rain, the sky was literally falling in their little world!  Fortunately it was during the day while people were in the outlet and they were able to quickly cover the majority of the supplies before the flooding got too bad, but there was still significant damage to paper goods and some of the other supplies.  

While speaking to the chief operating officer, Deborah Halon today when I did my drop off, she said that the community has really rallied behind them since the disaster, and other than some ceiling tiles that still need replacing and a faintly musty smell in the carpets that will hopefully come out in the next few days and they are on schedule to start supplying 300 teachers in the neediest schools in the tri-county area with almost everything on their wishlists!

On top of the collection of fabulous Nickelodeon books I was able to find at Walmart and the others I picked up to round out my donation, my children, friends and neighbors also contributed so that we were able to drop off over 30 books today - including some that were bilingual Spanish and English, some classic chapter books, some non-fiction and some great picture books!  Check them out:

And they were so pleased to be getting such a great group of books!

One of the bonuses for the Teacher's Supply Closet is that they have a fabulous volunteer who takes all of the book donations and sorts them by grade and reading level so that when teachers come to browse the selection they can pinpoint exactly what they need for their students to help motivate them to READ!!!


These books and the school supplies that I was also able to collect will go a long way to helping out children  who are most in need.  The schools who participate in the Teacher's Supply Closet have 88% or more of their students on free or reduced lunch and the saddest thing is that there are 34 schools that qualify... 

Getting this project off the ground was incredibly simple!  All it took was a few well placed Facebook posts and a couple of phone calls and everyone was on board!  Please consider checking out Champions for Kids at http://championsforkids.org and find out what you can do to make this simple service project work in your community! You can also follow the Champions for Kids Twitter Handle https://twitter.com/#!/champions4kids and Champions for Kids Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ChampionsForKids

You can also keep up with Nickelodeon on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nickelodeon and Nickelodeon on Twitter @nickelodeontv https://twitter.com/#!/search/nickelodeon

“I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Champions for Kids. #NickCFK #CBias All opinions are my own.

DVD Review and #Giveaway: Nickelodeon Favorites - Dance to the Music!

Dance and sing along with preschoolers’ favorite characters from Bubble Guppies, Team Umizoomi, Dora the Explorer, Go, Diego, Go!, The Wonder Pets!, and Ni Hao, Kai-lan, who star in the all-new DVD, Nickelodeon Favorites: Dance to the Music! Nickelodeon’s top-rated preschool show Bubble Guppies is making its DVD premiere in this collection and as an added bonus kids can enjoy two Bubble Guppies karaoke music videos. Created by Nickelodeon Home Entertainment and distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment, Nickelodeon Favorites: Dance to the Music! arrives on DVD on Feb. 28, 2012, but you can pre-order it now on Amazon.com for just $11.99!

Nickelodeon Favorites: Dance to the Music! Synopses:

#Giveaway and Review: Nickelodeon Favorites: Merry Christmas

Get in the holiday spirit with preschoolers’ favorite characters from Dora the Explorer, Go, Diego, Go!, The Wonder Pets!, Blue’s Clues, Team Umizoomi and Ni Hao, Kai-lan, who star in the all-new DVD, Nickelodeon Favorites: Merry Christmas ! Created by Nickelodeon Home Entertainment and distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment, Nickelodeon Favorites: Merry Christmas! comes to DVD on Oct. 4, 2011.

#Giveaway and Review - SpongeBob’s Runaway Roadtrip DVD

Join SpongeBob and Patrick for a never-before-seen hilarious and adventurous vacation in the DVD debut of SpongeBob SquarePants: SpongeBob’s Runaway Roadtrip, which arrives on store shelves before its on-air premiere in November 2011. Enjoy the Great Barrier Reef, a romantic cruise, a trip to the Ocean Mint, a homebound holiday and a trip that’s out of this world.  Featuring six adventures in one grand vacation, everyone just might need a vacation from this much fun packed into one DVD.

#Giveaway and Review of iCarly: The Complete 3rd Season

 I am pleased to have been able to get a sneak peak review of iCarly: The Complete 3rd Season with my daughter and share some memories of when iCarly was one of her favorite shows... I am also pleased that I have a copy of iCarly: The Complete 3rd Season for one of my lucky readers!  iCarly: The Complete 3rd Season is going to be available everywhere on August 30th

DVD Review: Big Box of Playdates Vol. 2

One of the most important things to pack when we head out on a family car trip is a set of DVD's that will keep Liam entertained throughout the trip without Mom and Dad and big sister, Robyn pulling our hair out and wishing we were anywhere but the car... so when the Big Box of Playdates Vol. 2 arrived just before we left, I was so excited!    One of the things I usually love about the other Nickelodeon DVD's I've reviewed is that they take one show and put together a medley of great things about a topic, but this time the 3 DVD set combines episodes from six different Nick Jr. Faves - Dora the Explorer; Go, Diego, Go!; The Wonder Pets; Yo Gabba Gabba; Blues Clues and Ni Hao, Kai Lan!


This set is great because you can put on one DVD for each leg of the trip and no one gets bored!  We especially liked the Summer Vacation set, although since our road trip, Liam has taken to watching the Brothers and Sisters DVD the most!

DVD Review and #Giveaway: Dora the Explorer: It’s Haircut Day!

I have to preface this review by saying that after my daughter outgrew Dora, I never thought that she would enter our household again... but Liam got to watch Dora at school and has fallen under Dora's spell, so when I had the opportunity to sit down with him and watch the latest compilation DVD from Nickelodeon Home Entertainment and distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment, Dora the Explorer: It's Haircut Day, I knew that she'd be back in our lives for a good long while.