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Amazon’s Emmy-nominated Annedroids

16 Jun

I’m all for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and applaud those who are taking a part in it now and pursuing a future in STEM careers. 

I was asked to review new episodes from the third season of Annedroids which will debut on Amazon Prime Video Friday, June 24th.

Amazon’s Emmy-nominated Annedroids, a live-action adventure series about Anne, a young female scientist, her human friends and the android assistants she’s created, and the amazing scientific discoveries they make while undertaking the biggest experiment of them all: growing up. The series spotlights, through trial and error, how science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) can inspire children to do great things. 

As a mom of four I love watching educational kids programs and shows that teach my kids how to problem solve or think for themselves and how friends help each other in certain situations and how to have fun while learning a lesson.

As soon as the show started I knew I was going to like it. My daughter even asked what I was watching and sat down and watched with me. We loved it. Friends meet in Anne’s secret science lab (junkyard) where Anne created android assistants. They’ve been with Anne since she was little. She’s taught them so much and they’re great helpers. Anne’s human friends are also great helpers, funny and smart. Anne lives with her father and he also plays a big part in helping her with her androids. We’re ready to see all the episodes and start from Season 1. 


Pal is my favorite Android who asks lots of questions and seems like a real kid with real feelings. I would love to have Pal as a friend. 


On June 24th, Prime members can stream the third season of Annedroids at no additional cost to their Prime membership with the Amazon Video app for TVs, connected devices and mobile devices, or online at amazon.com/annedroids. Prime members will also be able to download the series for offline viewing on iOS, Android and Fire devices at no additional cost. Annedroids is also available as part of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, the all-you-can-eat subscription service designed from the ground up for kids. FreeTime Unlimited is available exclusively on Amazon devices including Amazon Fire TV and Fire tablets, and a year-long subscription is included with every Fire HD Kids Edition.

Here’s the link to the Annedroids page on  Amazon:(https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dinstant-video&field-keywords=annedroids).

Let me know if you check it out. Hope you do! 

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of KidzVuz. Opinions are mine 100% as always. 

Leapfrog’s New 2016 Product Lineup

14 Jun

LeapFrog hosted their annual product showcase in New York on Tuesday, June 7th and I was invited to an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at their new 2016 product lineup.

LeapFrog announced LeapStart, a new interactive workbook that helps to prepare kids for the classroom and life beyond, as well as the full 2016 toy lineup for Back to School and Holiday. 
This year’s products focus teaching 21st Century Learning Skills, which intertwines school curriculum with new ways of thinking, problem solving and collaborating, to prepare children for a quickly-evolving, globally-connected world.

 The 2016 product lineup includes:

LeapStart: A new interactive system and library of activity books that bring learning to life to teach key school and life skills. There are two platforms, one for Preschool & Pre-Kindergarten and one for Kindergarten & 1st Grade and each is compatible with the LeapStart activity books that help build key skills and challenge kids to get ready for their next step in learning. Priced at $39.99 for the LeapStart system and $12.99 for 16 additional LeapStart Activity Books.


Melody the Musical Turtle: Ten musical activities prompt toddlers aged 2 years and up to find numbers and colors, repeat sequences from memory and create tunes by pressing light-up buttons on Melody’s shell. Priced at $19.99.


Count Along Register: Budding entrepreneurs can run a store and expand their imagination through pretend play and exercise social play skills that help them build a foundation for core and life skills. The talking, interactive cash register features an adorable character that talks, sings and lights up, offering much more than typical calculator-like cash registers. Priced at $19.99


Learn & Groove Musical Mat: An interactive floor mat that develops cognitive and physical development. Kids get to move, dance, and play music while they learn foundational mathematics skills, as well as 21st century skills, such as creativity as they compose their own tunes, and collaboration as they play with friends. Priced at $29.99.

Which product catches your eye? Check out http://www.leapfrog.com for more information and @leapfrog on Twitter. 

Disclosure: I was invited to the showcase. Opinions are mine 100% as always. This post is not compensated. 
 

Entenmann’s and The Salvation Army Celebrate National Donut Day #EntenmannsDonuts

6 Jun

Don’t you wish everyday was National Donut Day? Well maybe not everyday but every month would be nice. National Donut Day was held June 3rd this year and  the Entenmann’s Donuts event was where you needed to be for free donuts and coffee. The rain didn’t stop New Yorkers from joining in the celebration and satisfying their sweet tooth. 


Entenmann’s Donuts always put a smile on our faces at home and I had to be there to show my support. The Salvation Army was presented with a check from Entenmann’s for $35,000. 


The Salvation Army founded the holiday in 1938 in Chicago to honor the Donut Lassies who served these treats to soldiers and help raise needed funds during the Great Depression. Today, The Salvation Army continues to provide meals, including donuts and numerous other vital services to clients who visit The Salvation Army programs daily. 

It was a great day for free donuts & coffee and we can’t wait till next year. In the meantime I will still be eating donuts. 

Follow @SalvationArmyUS on Twitter 

Follow @Entenmanns on Twitter and Instagram



Disclosure: This is not a compensated post. I was invited to attend event. Opinions are mine 100% as always. 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Out Of The Shadows Movie Review #TMNT2

3 Jun

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Out Of The Shadows hit theaters today and I’m sure many fans purchased their tickets in advance to not be disappointed when it’s sold out on opening day. 

Thanks to Paramount Pictures my family and I saw a movie screening  a few weeks ago and we absolutely loved it. Check out my favorites below. 


*Favorite scenes: Will Arnett aka Vernon Fenwick at basketball game getting hit my spit balls. Megan Fox aka Aptil O’ Neil and Stephen Amell aka Casey Jones fighting scene in alley. Turtles in airplane was very cool and funny. 

*Favorite laugh goes to: Tyler Perry aka Baxter Stockman. 

*Favorite Ninja Turtle: Raphael. I mean look at him. 

*Favorite vehicle: Turtle garbage truck with all the cool weapons. 

*Favorite food: Pizza of course 

*Favorite Villain: Shredder 

*Favorite place to hangout: Secret Sewer Lair 

*Favorite line: MY MAN

We also enjoyed Popsicles with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles™ Michelangelo™, Donatello™, Raphael™ and Leonardo™.  They are the heroes of these frozen pops bold, refreshing flavors like, Orange Fury, Cherry Crush, Blue Raspberry Blast and Smashing Grape — this variety pack is helping parents share the turtle-power nostalgia with their little superheroes this summer.

Cherry Crush was choice number one. They kept us cool and we know the turtles would enjoy them too. Check out the Popsicles here: http://www.popsicle.com/product


Check out @TMNTMovie on Twitter for more info. Get your tickets now! http://www.teenagemutantninjaturtlesmovie.com/

Disclosure: My family and I were invited to the screening. Opinions are mine 100% as always. 

Nintendo’s Disney Art Academy Game 

1 Jun

I attended a Disney Art Academy event at the Nintendo store at Rockefeller Plaza. I was among the first to play the game that was co-hosted by Sabrina Carpenter, Hollywood Records recording artist and star of the Disney Channel’s Girl Meets World. For the first time in the Art Academy series, Disney Art Academy teaches players to draw some of the most classic and recognizable Disney and Pixar characters using a variety of drawing tools like pastels, paintbrushes and markets. A new edition is the Magic Brush where you can add glitter, stars and clouds to your masterpiece. There are more than 80 characters.

 


I loved art class growing up and my kids also love drawing so I knew this was going to be a fun event. We were given a Nintendo 3DS and started with a tutorial step by step learning how to draw Olaf from Frozen and I even tried to draw Mickey Mouse. I love how easy it was and you don’t have to be a professional you just take your time and follow directions. 

Sabrina Carpenter showed us her skills and I felt like a true artist. We even had berets to wear and cute mini paint brushes and easels at our tables. There was also a Disney stuffed animal at each table as well. 

If you make a mistake that’s not a problem because you can erase and start over. At the end you can save your art work to your SD card. It’s also Rated E for Everyone. Suggested retail price is $29.99. I enjoyed this game very much and I knew my kids would also enjoy. Nintendo was kind enough to send a 3DS XL for my kids. Of course they argued about who gets it. I gave it to my 13 yr old since he’s always been a fan of Nintendo. 

Have no fear I said to my daughter since the announcement that the Nimtendo 2DS system price dropped to $79.99 on May 20. It also comes pre-installed with Mario Kart 7. Click on this link for more info: http://www.nintendo.com/2ds


My son just purchased this game for his 3DS and he loves it just as much as Disney Art Academy. My kids enjoyed drawing Disney and Pixar characters on the 3DS. I also tried to draw a few more characters like Simba from The Lion King and Elsa from Frozen. My son takes his 3DS with him when we travel and plays it everyday at home. 


Check out @NintendoAmerica on Twitter. 


Disclosure: I was invited to this event from Nintendo and given a Nintendo 3DS XL for my kids honest review. Opinions are mine 100% as always. Thank you Nintendo. This post is not compensated. 
 

Disney’s Alice Through The Looking Glass Top 10 Reasons To See 

1 Jun

Disney’s Alice Through The Looking Glass was an incredible film. I took the kids to a screening that we were invited to by Disney. I love anything Disney and we were excited to see. The 3-D effects were perfect for this film. Lots of exciting things were coming at us from all angles. 


Why we liked it and why you should see it:

1. Adventure movies are fun. We get to follow along on a journey and hope that it turns out good in the end. 

2. Cheshire the Cat. I want to have him. Can I just take him home with me? Who doesn’t want Cheshire? I mean really. Love his voice, cool smile and disappearing acts. 


3. Johnny Depp “The Mad Hatter”, even though when his eyes turned black my daughter got a little scared he’s still super cool and I love his acting. I definitely need a wig like his. Would love him as a friend. 


4. Time. He’s the one in charge. He’s funny he is “time” and he just might make you like him. 


5. Alice. Yes women can do anything they put their mind to. Doesn’t fear anything. Must save her friend. 

6. Chronosphere . I need this so I can go back in time maybe three times a week. 
7. Red Queen. You will notice her. She has the enormous head with red hair, hence the name “Red Queen.” Is she really a bad/evil person or does she just want to be loved? 


8. You get to hear recording artist, Pink new song “Just Like Fire”

9. If you saw the first one you have to see this one. 

10. In theaters now! See a matinee, take a group, family fun day. Check out @DisneyAliceFilm on Twitter for more info. 

Disclosure: Thank you Disney for the invite. This is not a compensated post. Opinions are mine 100% as always. 

Six Flags Great Adventure Announces June Events

31 May

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Now Open for the 2016 Season – Weekends beginning June 4 Celebrate summer at Six Flags Hurricane Harbor. The 45-acre, elaborately-themed water park is one of America’s largest, and features a million-gallon wave pool, one of the country’s longest “lazy rivers,” a giant, two-story family water playground, and more than 25 high-speed thrill slides. Hurricane Harbor welcomes the addition of the all-new Caribbean Cove water play area for families later this summer. The water playground includes 55 interactive features including water jets, spray nozzles and a dumping bucket. Hurricane Harbor is open on weekends and begins daily operation June 18.

 

Ronald McDonald® House Walk for Kids – June 5

Six Flags Great Adventure hosts the 17th annual Walk for Kids at Six Flags Great Adventure June 7. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Walk begins at 9:00 a.m. and proceeds benefit the Ronald McDonald Houses of Central and Northern New Jersey. Individuals under 18 who raise $50 or more and adults over 18 who raise $75 or more and are pre-registered will receive a free “Walk for Kids” T-Shirt as well as a ticket to Six Flags Great Adventure for the day.


 

Action Sports World Tour – June 11 & 12

See the world’s best BMX and skateboard pros from the X Games team up on the biggest half-pipe in the world for a unique team competition. Root for a team of one skateboard and one BMX pro as they compete against other teams in contests including individual runs, highest air, best trick and team doubles. The competition takes place in the Movietown Stunt Show Arena. Entrance to the event requires a ticket and is not included with theme park admission.


 

Discover Exclusive Ride Time – June 12

Discover invites card members and Six Flags Season Pass holders to exclusive ride time events at Six Flags, every second Sunday this summer. Stay late and enjoy big thrills with Discover and Six Flags. Participating rides will be communicated in-park on the event dates. Event wristbands will be available beginning two hours prior to scheduled park closing time at the designated event table. Guests must present a valid Discover card or Six Flags Season Pass to receive a wristband.  

 

Job Fair – June 12

Six Flags Great Adventure is hiring smiling faces for Four Seasons of Thrills at the World’s Largest Theme Park. Work where you love to play, plus get the opportunity to make great friends, earn competitive wages, tickets for friends and perks throughout the park.

Job fair will be held at the park Sunday, June 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with on-the-spot interviews. The job fair takes place in the Employment Center accessed by entering through the Employee Entrance on Route 537 East.

 

Praise in the Park – June 18

Six Flags Great Adventure celebrates Praise in the Park featuring Anthony Brown & Group therAPy, Maurette Brown Clark and Brian Courtney Wilson Saturday, June 18. The show takes place at 6 p.m. in the Plymouth Rock Assurance® Arena and is free with theme park admission or Season Pass.

 Central Jersey Blood Center Blood Drive – June 25

The Central Jersey Blood Center will host a blood drive at Six Flags Great Adventure’s Employment Center from 8 a.m. through 4 p.m. Each donor will receive one theme park ticket valid for Six Flags Great Adventure. Blood supplies are typically low in the summer months and one donation can save up to three lives.


Disclosure: This post is courtesy of Six Flags Great Adventure. 

#TheJoker 4D Free Fly Coaster At Six Flags Great Adventure/ Press Event/Review 

27 May

Talk about the weather being perfect for a fun day at Six Flags Great Adventure and I got to test out the new rollercoaster ride The Joker. I’ve been waiting a long time to get on and I finally did. Press/Preview VIP event took place Thursday, May 26 in Jackson, New Jersey for us to see how brave we were to get on The Joker. I knew from seeing videos of this ride that I was going to enjoy it. I love flips, loops, spins, going backwards and some drops on rollercoasters period. My kids and I headed to Port Authority, got on the first bus and waited for the press conference and first ride. Before the press conference we filled out bellies with food, drinks and dessert. I guess people didn’t care about eating before getting on a ride because the food was too good to stop eating. I don’t get sick on rides so to me it was no biggie. 


John Fitzgerald, President of Great Adventure spoke. Comedian and Spokesperson for Boys and Girls Clubs in New Jersey Joe Piscopo also came to the stage and spoke. After the press conference it was time. 


I was the first one on the line to experience The Joker. You can choose the purple side or the green. No ride is the same. It felt like I was definitely free falling. Not knowing what’s coming next is such a thrilling experience. My eyes were open most of the time. The flips are off the hook. I would have gone back for more but it stopped working. That’s okay because I was able to ride and get interviewed. I also will be back this Summer. I enjoyed The Joker very much. We also enjoyed the entire day at Six Flags. 


Here’s more about the 50 second ride: After being lifted straight up a 12-story, 90-degree hill, The Joker will wreak havoc as riders flip head-over-heels at least six times along the seemingly weightless journey. Thrill seekers will experience exhilarating leaps and dives along a horizontal plane, along with unexpected drops as they tumble from one level to the next. The wing seats amp up the pandemonium since riders will experience all of this chaos with no track above or below ─ just the sky, ground and adjacent Great Lake churning around them.
 The unique design of The Joker features:
· Massive, imposing, floating and twisting I-box track frame in a unique two-tone design

· One-of-a-kind onboard magnetic technology featuring smooth head-over-heels free-fly flips providing guests the feeling of weightlessness as they soar outside the confines of a traditional track

· 4-D wing vehicles that seat up to 8 per vehicle with a total of 5 vehicles

· Face-off seats that allow riders to face each other as they tumble head over heels

· A 120-foot-tall, 90-degree hill that is ascended by an elevator-style, chain link lift

· Two beyond 90-degree “raven” drops giving the sensation of free-falling

 The Joker is the second 4D, free-fly coaster of its kind anywhere in the world. For more information about the 2016 season at Six Flags Great Adventure, visit http://www.sixflags.com/greatadventure


Video: https://sixflags.box.com/s/ia6sx8l1wk8axu9l2uh2chbhaou0umw3

The Joker previews to Season Pass holders through Friday evening (May 27) and opens to the general public on Saturday, May 28. For more information about the 2016 season at Six Flags Great Adventure, visit http://www.sixflags.com/greatadventure
Disclosure: Six Flags Great Adventure invited my family and I  to press day. This post is not compensated. Opinions are mine 100% as always. Thank you for a fun filled day. 

NYC529 Direct College Savings Plan #NY529edu 

25 May

I’ve always dreamed of becoming a lawyer but when my parents divorced and my mother raised my sister and I it wasn’t looking like my dreams were coming true. I didnt want to bother my mother financially because I knew she couldn’t afford it. Even though I worked every summer since age 14 I knew that wouldn’t be enough for college. I didn’t want to take out loans nor have my mother take out loans. 

Great thing about college is you can go anytime. I didn’t go right out of high school, nor did I go to John Jay to study law, but I did go to a community college in my 30’s while pregnant with my third child. I studied radiology. I found out about Pell and Tap, financial aid and grants. I worked at my college and attended classes while receiving a check from working and from Pell and Tap. I used some of the money for supplies, books and transportation. 

I didn’t finish but if I choose to go back I will be even more prepared because I recently attended an event on the Imtrepid with Momtrends and NY 529 Direct College Savings Plan. We heard from a few guest speakers as well as First Deputy, Pete Grannis  who also took a group photo with the kids. I think if my mother knew about this service back when we were babies my sister and I could have attended the college we wanted. 

Now that I’ve heard all it takes is as little as $20 a month for this great NY 529 Direct College Savings Plan my kids will thank me when they’re ready for college. 

*What is a 529 college savings plan you ask?

It’s a type of investment account you can use for higher-education savings. 529 plans are usually sponsored by states.

*What makes these savings so powerful?

Tax savings. Your earnings grow federally tax-deferred, quali ed withdrawals are tax-free, and some states (like New York) have other tax bene ts as well.

You can use the money in a 529 account  to pay for anything that’s considered a qualified higher education expense, including tuition, books, supplies, etc.. Anybody can open a 529 account- parents, grandparents, friends as long as their a US citizen or resident-alien. 

My daughter wants to attend culinary school and I’m glad to hear she can choose from postsecondary trade, vocational schools, two & four year colleges and postgraduate programs. I just might take a few classes myself. My son also is considering culinary school. Whatever they choose the NY 529 Direct College Savings Plan will be there for them. 

I really enjoyed learning about this savings plan and my kids enjoyed touring the Intrepid and getting on the Simulator rides. I also got on one too. I’d like to thank everyone who spoke and for great information. Thanks to Momtrends as always for another fab Saturday event. NY529 was kind enough to contribute $100 each for both of my children toward their college education. For more info visit: http://www.nysaves.org or call 1(877)-NYSAVES



Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. Opinions are mine 100% as always. 

Mix & Mingle with Momtrends and Fairy Tales Hair Products #FairyTalesMix

19 May

Do you try to prevent things from happening to you or your family to avoid stress and headaches or do you just deal with the problem when it happens? 

I’m that mom that tries to prevent things from happening like my asthma for instance so I take preventive medication to avoid an asthma attack. I also make sure everyone gets a flu shot to avoid getting the flu and so on. 

Momtrends invited bloggers to Mix and Mingle with them and Fairy Tales Hair Products to celebrate the newly reformulated hair products. 



Did you know there are preventive hair care products to prevent catching head lice? Fairy Tales Hair Products have been around since 1999 delivering high quality products to your family. Shampoos, Comditioners, Detanglers, Sprays and even a Survival Kit at your service. 

I’m sure no one wants to wake up to a head full of lice. I’ve heard stories of how easy it to catch it. Sharing hats, combs, brushes, sleepovers and at camp sharing pillows, the list goes on and on. So if you could prevent a problem like head lice from happening wouldn’t you take the time to use the product? 

Here’s more info about lice: 

Lice are mostly spread through head-to-head contact. Lice infest children more than adults because they have more physical contact at that age.
Lice can survive up to 36 hours off the human head on clothing and other personal items such as hats, helmets, brushes, combs, hair ties, towels and head phones. They do not fly or jump. They crawl. Lice can also survive in water as they go into a state of suspended animation. Chlorine does not kill them. Pets do not carry the same type of head lice as children.

Here are tips for preventing head lice: 

Do a weekly head check. A quick check of the “hot spots” (behind the ears, back of the neck and at part lines) on a weekly basis can help prevent an outbreak.

Teach children NOT to share hats, combs, brushes, hair ties, pillows, sleeping bags, etc. Going to a princess party? Wipe down the tiara first. At sporting events, never share helmets or caps.

Keep long hair up in a ponytail or in a braid. Secure styles with styling aids. The extra coating will make it harder for lice to attach to the hair.

At school, daycare or camp make sure to store jackets, nap mats, backpacks and hats in separate cubbies or in a sealed bag.

Use lice prevention hair care products every day! Organic herbs such as rosemary, tea tree and citronella found in Rosemary Repel Hair Care® are proven safe, gentle and effective to help prevent head lice.

Another great things is their formulas are free of harsh chemicals, pesticides, toxins, paraben and sulfates. And with the growing concern regarding children’s allergies, they are now dairy, gluten and nut-free too! 

Don’t wait till it’s too late. Summer is right around the corner. Prepare in advance.


These pictures courtesy of Momtrends.


Check out http://www.fairytaleshaircare.com for more info and @ fairytaleshaircare on Twitter

Thank you to Momtrends for a wonderful night. 

Disclosure: This is a compensated post. Opinions are mine 100% as always. 

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