Happy Mother’s Day from Disney Pixar’s Monsters University and ME!
Are We There Yet? Good Times with the #Verizon Samsung Galaxy Tablet
"Are we there yet?"
“Why can’t we just be THERE?”
“Why does Grandma live so far away?”
"How much further to Grandma’s?"
"How long is an hour?" (It’s two Phineas and Ferb episodes—FYI.)
Sound familiar? Yea. Fun times.
When you are seven years old, sitting in the car for long drives is, in a word, B O R I N G. It is also frustrating to us, as parents to answer the same questions over and over. We love our kiddo, but when she is bored, we are responsible to bring on the entertainment, or suffer the incessant questions. I remember how it felt on long drives. When I was a kid, we drove to Texas from California many times. My dad was not the "Pull-over! I got to pee" sort of accommodator. If you went to the restroom in New Mexico, you were holding it until the Texas State line. I remember it being a pretty boring drive, in some parts and I am assured that I drove my parents crazy with the incessant questions, just as my daughter does on long drives now.
Mr. Bear and I make a lot of long drives to our parents’ houses. My parents live 2 1/2 hours away and Mr. Bear’s parents live about an hour away, depending on traffic. We make these drives several times a year, usually with our animals in tow. The last couple times we went to visit our parents, we had the Samsung Galaxy 7 inch tablet. To say it is a life-changer, it is an understatement. We put Allie in the backseat with the tablet fully loaded with educational (and not-so-educational) games to help pass the time when we were on the long drive. It sure beat the “Counting Call Boxes” game we tried to get her to play the last drive (she wasn’t falling for it!). We hardly heard a peep from her, in the back seat. Happy kid, happy parents! The drive went by so quickly for all of us.
It really is amazing to think we ever travelled without one of these!
Not only does the tablet keep her busy in the car, she really enjoyed using it for homework. It’s so simple to use, she was able to figure out how to find the information she needed for her most recent project on Grover Cleveland. We are very careful with appropriate viewing on the internet and monitor what we can, whenever we can. Of course, as parents, we need to monitor what websites and information kids have access to. We were able to find some helpful tips on setting up the Parental Controls, which helped us manage and create a positive digital experience for Allie. There are so many amazing applications out there that help to assist with homework. I was pleasantly surprised by what I found. It made homework just a little more fun!
The great part, is that the Samsung Galaxy Tablet is so portable and lightweight. It fits nicely in the back pocket of Mr Bear’s pants and tucks nicely into my purse. It is easy for Allie’s little hands to hold. I was a bit concerned at first that the screen would not be large enough to view videos (Like our Netflix!), however, the screen is just the right size. We have the 10 inch Samsung Galaxy Tablet and we love it—I didn’t think it was going to be possible to love the smaller screen, nonetheless, it’s perfect!
The latest trip we took, Mr. Bear and I were able to have a pleasant conversation. Allie was entertained and time passed by so quickly. I don’t think we can ever travel without one of these again. Please, don’t make us!
Disclaimer: I am a Verizon Wireless Ambassador, and I was sent the Samsung Galaxy 2, 7-inch Tablet to review on behalf of Verizon Wireless, for my honest review. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I honestly love the Samsung Galaxy 2, 7-inch Tablet and enjoyed using it.
Happy Halloween
Last week, Allie had the coolest opportunity to show off her Halloween costume to all of San Diego with a few of my fellow San Diego blogging moms and their kiddos. They all looked so cute. Mr. Bear’s mom made most of Allie’s costume, including the cape, the skirt and the boots. It turned out so cute!
Thank you, Fox Channel 5 Morning Show for having us!
Happy Halloween, everyone! Be safe, have fun!
Disney On Ice—100 Years of Magic Recap
We had so much fun at Disney on Ice. We had been to Disney Princesses on Ice before and it was fun, but I really liked this one! We had four little girls on the edge of their seat the entire time. They LOVED IT! Of course, they loved the cotton candy, but the four little girls and their eyes fixed on the ice was something very special.
They show was awesome! I could not even guess how many characters there were at the show. One of my favorite stories is the Lion King and I loved the re-creation of the story on ice. The kids had such a great time.
They were all smiles waiting for the show to start!
My favorite part was the It’s a Small World number that they did with the bright lights, the music and all the characters. After all these years, It’s a Small World still holds a special place in my heart, even though years ago Mr. Bear and I got stuck inside the ride and heard the song play over and over for 45 minutes! There is magic in that song and on that ride, after all these years!
Disney on Ice will be here in San Diego through the 14th, so be sure to buy your tickets today and experience the magic for yourself!
Disclaimer: I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided me with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events.
Frankenweenie in 3D #Disney Movie Review
Tomorrow (Friday, October 5th), the much anticipated Disney movie Frankenweenie is released in theaters. Lucky, lucky for us, we were able to go to the premiere screening last night. Allison has been wanting to see it since FOREVER, when she first heard about it! She was so excited yesterday, she could scantily contain herself. Of course, in this house, we love all manner of Disney and she has not missed a single movie this year: from Brave to The Odd Life of Timothy Green and everything in between. She loves movies like her daddy.
The name, I admit, is quite strange. Admittedly, so are some of Tim Burton’s wonderfully imaginative movies. This movie was so beautifully done. I was a little skeptical about a black and white, stop motion animation and 3D. Typically, the 3D makes me dizzy. But this was so—-BEAUTIFUL! The characters were creepy and yet, quite lovable—in the style that only Tim Burton can create. It was funny, creepy and lovable, all at once. It was a fun movie!
My favorite characters of the movie had to be Mr. Whiskers and Weird Girl. They both had creepy, dead eyes and never blinked. As quirky as the characters were, I loved them. Of course, who wouldn’t love Sparky the dog?
The end of the movie left me bawling my eyes out. There were lots of sobs from the crowd. No one warned me how sad the ending would be. No spoilers here though. You will have to go and see what a fun movie it is for yourself!
The movie really hit home for me after we lost two of our dogs last spring. We got a phone call a few days later that they were hit on the freeway (about a mile from our house) and it did not survive. It was one of the toughest things we have ever went through as a family. Our pets are part of the family. Mr. Bear, Allie and I were crying our eyes out. We will never forget that experience.
The movie was well done and we all enjoyed it. It is a perfect Halloween movie for the whole family!
Here is a silly little clip, featuring Mr. Whiskers, himself:
Weird Girl. She is a little—well, WEIRD!
Disclaimer: I received tickets to see Frankenweenie in theaters for review purposes only. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- Next Page »