Family Movie NIght with The Amazing Spider-Man #SpiderManWMT #CBias

JT is a big fan of super heroes and Spider-Man is one of his current favorites.

He loves pretend play and on a weekly basis he can be found at the park

playing super heroes with his friends or his little sister - 

she is always gladto play the damsel in distress .

So I thought it would be fun to head to Walmart and pick up a Marketside pizza

to help us unlock and use The Amazing Spider-Man Augmented Reality App. 

We found the pizza right and away and it looked delicious!

JT was at school, so this was all a surprise for him, but Isabella knows

her brother and was insistent that we get pepperoni - his favorite.

When we got home I opened up the Web-Slinger app that I downloaded

to my Samsung Galaxy Tablet from the Google Play store.

While the pizza cooked, JT got into the spirit of the Spider-Man evening

and put on one of his favorite Spider-Man t-shirts.

While the pizza cooked the kids each got to choose a Spider-Man tattoo

to sport and show that they are team Peter Parker :)

JT also took advantage of the option to turn himself into Spider-Man

in the Web-slinger Augmented Reality app - he thought it was so cool!

We started with only one page unlocked, but by scanning different Spider-Man signage

at Walmart with the Augmented Reality app we were able to unlock the rest of the

comic story along with the fantastic cover.

What's super cool is that you have the option to share it on Facebook or email

yourself a print quality copy of the personalized comic book.

Nothing motivates a 1st grader to practice his reading skills than trying

to read a comic book starring himself!

I also tried out the portion of the Augmented Reality app that allows you

to scan the cover of your Spider-Man DVD/Blu-ray and Marketside pizza box

to create a fight scene between Spider-Man and the Lizard man.

The pizza came out of the oven and looked delicious and we were

ready to eat and enjoy our (rad) advanced copy of The Amazing Spider-Man.

I used the cutout from my Marketside pizza box as a centerpiece and used the

cool Spider-Man plates I picked up on my shopping trip to Walmart.

(You can read about my entire shopping experience on Google+)

The kids had a fantastic time and it was nice to have dinner and a movie as a family.

Do you want to watch The Amazing Spider-Man before it's official release date on November 9th? 

 If you pre-purchase the DVD/Blu-ray you'll get access digitally through vudu.com Ultra Violet

and then Walmart will mail you a hard copy.  

Be sure to connect with The Amazing Spider-Man on Facebook and Twitter. 

I got the the Augmented Reality app from Google Play but it is also available on iTunes.  

I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This content has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.  #CBias #SocialFabric #SpidermanWMT

Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted at the LA Zoo!

This Saturday Radio Disney will be at the Los Angeles Zoo

to celebrate the Blu-ray and DVD debut of Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted!

And don't forget to enter my giveaway to win your own copy!

Giveaway: Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted

 

Da-da-dadada da-da Circus!  

Da-da-dadada da-da Afro! 

Circus! Afro! Circus! Afro! 

Polka-dot, Polka-dot, Polka-dot! Afro! 

That is totally my favorite party of Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted.

It's hilarious and my kids loved having Alex, Marty, Melman, Gloria,

and the rest of gang back for another installment of the Madagascar adventure.

This time the group is still trying to get back to the NYC Zoo,

but end up in a traveling circus to escape 

the fanatical Monaco Animal Control officer Captain Chantel DuBois.

MADAGASCAR 3: EUROPE’S MOST WANTED debuts on Blu-ray™ & DVD on Tuesday, October 16th

I'm excited to be giving away TWO  DVD and Blu-ray combo packs

It also comes with a rainbow wig from the film. 

Now you can do your own Afro Circus!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wiggin' Out: Princess {Merida} Costume Wig Tutorial

 Have you seen Brave?
If not, you must!

Well, as soon as I saw it, I knew that Isabella

had to be this new spitfire of a Disney princess for Halloween this year.

And since I am me and me is crazy . . . .

I totally had to make the wig!!!!!!!!!!!!

When I set out to make this wig,

I was inspired by a lot of the Rapunzel wigs from last Halloween.

I knew it had to be yarn and I knew it had to be curly.

But how to go about it was the question.

I wanted a really authentic wig that would stay on and look unruly and wild

just like Merida's hair in the movie.

So I started researching wig making and came upon a method for making

a wig for a doll where you crochet a wig cap and then thread each

strand of hair through the holes in the wig cap.

Lofty?
Yes.
Insane?
Yes.
Fabulous?
Of course!

Are you crazy like me?
I warn you, this method isn't for the faint of heart.
However, I am in love with the end results,
and working with the yarn is strangely therapeutic.

What you'll need:
2 skeins of Red Heart With Love Yarn in Mango
(I think it's $4.99 at Joann, so with a 40% coupon you can't beat the deal)
F and G Crochet Hooks

First, crochet your wig cap using a basic crochet pattern.
THIS ONE or THIS ONE would work well.
I used my G hook to crochet the hat.
After you're done with the wig cap the real fun begins.

Have your little model stand up and figure out how long you want
each strand of hair to be.
Cut lots and lots of strands :)

I cut mine in groups of 20 so that I didn't have a hot mess of
yarn strands all over my house.

Take a strand and fold it in half.

Poke your crochet hook (I used an F hook) through one of the holes
and grab the loop of the yarn hair strand.


Pull through slightly and then feed the end of the yarn
through itself and pull until the yarn strand "knots" itself to the wig cap.



Here's where things get really wild!
Once it's secure, take a sharp point (I used a pen tip) and poke in
between the four strands of the yarn strand at the base of piece - near the cap.
Run it up the strand to the open end.


VOILA!!!!!
A magically, amazing piece piece of curly yarn hair.


Repeat over and over and over!

For the first 3-4 rows you'll want to work in a circular pattern,
going around the entire wig.
Again, I worked in sets of 20.
Cut 20.
Thread 20.
Curl 20.
Cut 20.
Thread 20.
Curl 20.
 You get the idea.

Work up the wig in a hair pattern so you'll get shape of a head of hair.
I would place the wig on your model's head after the first 3-5 rows are done
and come up with a strategy for filling the wig in.
I went around and around and around - skipping 2 rows, instead of 1, from the middle to the top.
If I do it again (HA!) I would start working a pattern about from about
the middle to the top so that the sides meet at a side part.
However, there is really so much yarn, that I'm not sure it would make much difference.

Next up, THE DRESS!!!
Stay tuned!

FRANKENWEENIE!!!!

I had to opportunity to take my kids to an advance screening

of Disney's FRANKENWEENIE last week,

and I honestly {LOVED} it.

We're GIGANTIC Tim Burton fans in this house.

I start showing Nightmare Before Christmas in September and watch

it through the end of the year.
Little Isabella sleeps witha Sally doll and JT cuddles up with Zero,

so I was excited for this stop-motion animated throwback 

to “Frankenstein” and “Dracula” of the 1930’s.

 It did not disappoint.

Frankenweenie explores the idea of a young boy, Victor,

doing a science experiment to bring his beloved dog

Sparky back to life, only to discover that unintended, really creepy,

consequences follow his life changing choice.

I loved the movie.

It was creepy, spooky, unexpected and totally Tim Burton.

My six year old adored it.

He had a lot of questions about what was real

and what wasn't real and I enjoyed having the discussion with him.

He's still talking about it a week later and telling everyone he knows about it.

My friend said he talked her ear off for 15 minutes recounting the

story, the monsters, and the feelings he had.

My three and a half year old was a little freaked out by some of the more gruesome scenes.

You'll have to use to judgement as the parent of your own children to know

whether Frankenweenie is right for your family.

 

And here are some Halloween character masks for even more Frankenweenie fun!

Finding Nemo 3D: New Twist on a Classic

I remember the first time I saw Finding Nemo - it was magical.

I was always mesmerized by my dad's fish tank as a kid

and wanted to be a marine biologist when I grew up.

When I saw Finding Nemo it was like Disney had captured

the wonders of the ocean on the screen and I felt like

my childhood dream had come true - minus the claustrophobia :)

These days I just listen to Nemo as the kids watch it in the car,

so I have all the parts memorized, but I rarely get to sit and partake in the magic.

So seeing it on the big screen in 3D was amazing and I loved being

able to share that magic with my kids

I totally recommend seeing Nemo in 3D.

Relive the magic of Marlin and Dory crossing the entire

ocean - battling sharks, jellies, and the wicked dark -

to find Nemo.

Plus, you get to see Partysaurus Rex.

Totally hilarious!

 
And here are some fab coloring pages for you and your kids to enjoy!