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New Jake & the Never Land Pirates DVD & Free Printables

October 16, 2012 By sami

In honor of the new Jake & The Never Land Pirates: Jake Saves Bucky DVD being released today (October 16, 2012), I wanted to share some free Jake and the Never Land pirates printables I found!

Ever since Jake and the Never Land Pirates debuted on Disney Junior, we’ve been fans. I love that both my kids enjoy it equally and to be honest, I’m a closet fan of the music videos that Sharky & Bones perform at the end of each episode! (I have three live Sharky & Bones music videos you can watch on YouTube that were performed for us during the Disney Social Media Moms event in 2011, including this favorite, the “Pirate Song”):

If you love the songs as much as me, you can even sing along to all the fun, swashbuckling songs on a special Pirate-oke feature exclusive to the DVD!

IMG 6730 225x300 New Jake & the Never Land Pirates DVD & Free Printables
And this new DVD does not disappoint either. In fact, this combo pack houses more than 2 hours of content, as well as a digital copy and my son’s favorite surprise, an official “Jake and the Never Land Pirates” blow-up sword!

If you’re looking for free Jake and the Never Land pirates games, activities and coloring sheets for the Jake fan in your house, just click the banner below and let the fun begin!

Filed Under: Deals & Freebies, Disney, Movie, Reviews Tagged With: activity, dvd, free, jake, Kids, land, never, pirate, printable, walt disney world

The Activity Dilemma: Tommy Nelson September Blog

September 22, 2012 By sami

Only a few short months ago I was struggling to come up with a summer schedule that would optimize fun while still continue the learning process for my kids.

Now we’re already back in school and instead of worrying about how to keep them occupied at home, I’m wondering how to keep them at home!

It’s true, not only do I have two kids in school full time now, but for the first time this year, we found activities for them both to participate in.

To be completely honest, I have mixed feelings about the activity dilemma. As a child, I was VERY involved in sports & activities…to the point where I don’t remember eating very many meals with my mom at the dinner table. She was typically shuttling me back and forth between tennis or swim practice and show choir or dance rehearsal with a tupperware container for me to eat in the backseat. On a recent road trip, we stopped at my aunt’s house and even found all my own trophies, much to the delight of my young son:

My husband, however, had a more subdued childhood when it came to extra-curricular activities, but actively remembers playing outside with cousins and friends and the like. Of course he can also recite verbatim almost every meal his mom cooked too

So where is the happy medium? I’m learning I have to stop getting ahead of myself.

Through it all, I’m learning two things:
1. It’s not about me
2. Nothing is guaranteed

While this might strike fear in the minds of some parents, for me, it reminds me of God’s sovereignty and grace in each and every moment.

That’s why I love Max Lucado’s “Grace for the Moment: 365 Devotions for Kids“. It reminds my kids that grace is God’s best idea: More than we deserve … and greater than we imagine.

More importantly, it reminds me to apply the same principles to my own life and Christian walk as I read it with them!

Do you struggle with deciding what and how many activities your kids should be participating in? How do you make those decisions in your family?

READ THE WHOLE BLOG POST AT TOMMYNELSON.COM

Filed Under: Articles, Faith, Tommy Nelson Tagged With: activity, blog, christian, dilemma, Faith, Kids, Parenting, tommy nelson

Walt Disney World Adventure field guide & activity book: Giveaway Day 6

July 6, 2011 By sami

After going to the Disney Social Media Moms conference, not only did I meet some great ladies that shared my passion for the mouse, but I met some very talented ones as well! One of those ladies is Tracie Cook, author of Walt Disney World Adventure: A Field Guide and Activity Book for Explorers and the Vacation Field Guides blog.

When she offered me the chance to do a review and giveaway, I jumped at the chance. But I have to admit, I was a little hesitant when I first received the package.

Thinking this was just another Walt Disney World guide book, I thought it looked a little juvenile….but then I opened it up and started looking around. What I didn’t realize is that his book is jam-packed with exciting activities – “everything an explorer needs to discover the hidden details, the behind-the-scenes stories and the mystery and magic of Walt Disney World”.

I can’t tell you how many times I wish my kids had an activity book that not only guided them through Disney World (especially Epcot!), but provided fun games and interesting facts tailored just for them along the way. This book has everything from cryptic messages and puzzles of all sorts to fun games and Disney facts.

But don’t just take my word for it – enter to win one for yourself! On Day 6 of my Birthday Giveaway a Day, you can win a copy of Walt Disney World Adventure: A Field Guide and Activity Book for Explorers.

Just leave a comment below sharing which part of Disney you’d most like your kids to learn about – whether it’s a ride, a park or even Walt himself! Even if you’ve never been to Disney before, just let us know what you’d most like to learn more about!

Tracie also has another kid-centered book that’s just as fabulous:Kid Tips for Walt Disney World: Touring Advice by Kids for Kids.

Most of all, I love how Tracie has packed a whole lot of learning into a trip to the happiest place on earth while still preserving all the fun!

I can’t wait to hear from you and give one of you the chance to take this book around Disney with your own family!

Filed Under: Books, giveaway, Reviews Tagged With: activity, adventure, book, disney world, explorer, field, giveaway, guide, vacation, walt

Pirates of the Caribbean Premier and Free Activity Pack

May 17, 2011 By sami

You can probably count the number of times on one hand that my husband and I have seen a movie in a theater together, and now two of those fingers are because of Pirates of the Caribbean movies!

We were invited to attend the Pirates of the Caribbean Premier in Nashville for the fourth film in the series, On Stranger Tides, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure what to expect. We totally missed the third movie and all I remember from the second was that I had to sit too close to the screen and left the theater with a splitting headache.

So I was thrilled when right off the bat we were reunited with the charming and quirky Jack Sparrow we’ve all come to grow to love. All in all, the story was fast-paced, but not frantic….and paired the perfect amount of action and humor amidst it all. Still, it was the characters and the story that ultimately kept me engaged and entertained.

jack sparrow angelica 300x199 Pirates of the Caribbean Premier and Free Activity Pack

Johnny Depp and Penleope Cruz

I do have two, nit-picky complaints. Well, I guess only one that actually has to do with this film in particular; the first is just a general beef with the newest trend in movies:
1. 3-D: I don’t know what it is about this fascination with 3-D. I can’t stand having to wear glasses throughout an entire movie, not to mention how dark it makes the film, literally (and it’s not like there are a lot of sunshine and rainbows in this movie anyway!). Does EVERY new movie have to be in 3-D to be better these days? Just sayin.

2. Mermaids: I will never look at mermaids the same way again. (I’ll leave it at that).

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides will be released this Friday, May 20. It’s rated PG, but I honestly cannot envision allowing children to see this film. While it was not as gory as I imagined it would be, there were still a lot of disturbing images that I can only imagine would haunt younger viewers far beyond when the theater lights came back up.

Still, if your little one wants to play pirate, why not check out this Pirates of the Caribbean FREE Activity Pack? Captain Jack’s Activity Pack includes face masks, coloring sheets, door hangers, mazes and more to keep your little swash-bucklers amused!

Get your very own Captain Jack’s Activity Pack here!

You can even visit the Pirates of the Caribbean Facebook Page to make your own Pirate name! Of course, you can also visit the official Disney Pirates web page for all things pirate!

But don’t just take my word for it – go see it for yourself and then come back and let me know what you think!

Tickets were provided for me and a guest to view the film, but obviously the review above completely reflects my own opinions….do you really think someone else could have made this stuff up???

Find your favorite Pirates of the Caribbean products, including collectibles, toys, apparel, movies and more at the online Disney Store.

Filed Under: Deals & Freebies, Events, Kids, Reviews Tagged With: activity, caribbean, movie, pack, pirates, premier, review, Walt Disney World

Kids Easter Activity: Resurrection Buns Recipe & Video

April 22, 2011 By sami

A favorite Easter activity to do with our kids is to make Resurrection Buns on Easter morning. A friend told us about this years ago and it is so easy! I’ve since had so many people ask me about this kids Easter activity, that I thought I’d share the recipe and video with you here.

You just take your favorite frozen rolls that you’ve allowed to thaw and rise and then stretch and ‘smush’ them into a round circle. Then take a marshmallow, place it at the center of that circle and stretch the dough around and over it, covering it completely. Put each dough ball in a baking dish (like a lasagna pan) then brush with melted butter and sprinkle with a cinnamon and sugar mixture. Bake according to package directions.

Watch the video and hear some of my favorite kids Easter Sayings:

They key to this is making sure your kids help you make them. They’ll see that when they make the resurrection buns, the marshmallow is inside the ‘tomb’, buy once they’re baked, the marshmallow isn’t inside anymore….just like Jesus wasn’t in the tomb! It’s a fun (and delicious) way to reinforce the Easter message with your kids!

Filed Under: Family, Recipes Tagged With: activity, easter, Food, Kids, recipe, resurrection, video