Jake and the Never Land Pirates DVD Review

My son loves to get up early in the morning to watch cartoons. Since momma's not nearly as excited to be awake bright and early, I always make sure that I leave the tv on an acceptable channel. Disney Channel is one of Little Man's top choices, as he loves the shows on Disney Junior, especially Jake and the Never Land Pirates.

We were so excited to hear that Jake and the Never Land Pirates was coming to DVD for the first time this month. Jake and the Never Land Pirates: Yo Ho, Mateys Away is a 2-disc combo pack, which includes the DVD, a CD of 7 songs, and an official pirate eye patch.
Episodes included on the DVD include:

• Hats Off to Hook!/Escape from Belch Mountain
• Hide the Hideout!/The Old Shell Game
• Izzy's Pirate Puzzle/The Never Land Games
• Off the Hook!/Never Say Never!
• Cubby's Sunken Treasure/Cubby's Goldfish
• Happy Hook Day!/No Returns!
• The Sky's the Limit!/Bucky Makes a Splash

Plus bonus features:

• "Pirate Party" Music Videos
• Pirate-oke Sing Along
• Yo Ho, You Ready to be a Never Land Pirate?

I love watching the adventure- and music-filled episodes with my son. He is always entertained with the adventures of the young pirate crew, and ready to help them out, through the interactive treasure hunts during the show.


Disney has also released a Jake and the Never Land Pirates soundtrack. It contains 18 exciting songs from the show, each performed by Loren Hoskins and Kevin Hendrickson, aka Sharky and Bones.

Buy It:
The Jake and the Never Land Pirates soundtrack went on sale September 20, 2011. The Jake and the Never Land Pirates DVD and album sampler went on sale today, September 27, 2011 for $19.99.

A copy of the DVD was provided for our review. All opinions are our own.

Mariott "Nickelodeon Your Stay" Blog Tour

My son loves watching Nickelodeon. If he had his choice, it would be on our TV constantly. At the top of his "want-to-watch" list is usually Spongebob (closely followed by Penguins of Madagascar).

Since, I'm sure I'm not alone in my child's slight obsession with Nickelodeon, how fun is it that they have partnered up with Mariott to allow vacationers to "Nickelodeon Your Stay?"
Beginning July 1st, at almost 2000 Mariott locations, young hotel visitors will receive free activities, including a Nickelodeon bracelet with a code to access free online games at Nick.com, and an activity book with challenging puzzles and mazes. Kids who eat at the hotels' restaurants also receive a placemat featuring favorite Nickelodeon characters, SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer.

At certain Mariott brands, including Courtyard, Fairfield Inn & Suites, SpringHill Suites, Residence Inn and TownePlace Suites locations, guests can upgrade their package for $10. The upgraded package includes all the free items plus a SpongeBob activity bag and splash ball, Nickelodeon sunglasses, and a 3-D build-your-own SpongeBob craft.

At Marriott and JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts the upgraded package costs $20, and kids get all the above items plus a special SpongeBob SquarePants or Dora the Explorer pillowcase and storybook.

(A few of the included items, some had "walked away" before I could get a photo)

We had a chance to see the goodies included in the package, and my five year old was excited to pack his Spongebob bag with the activities and book, to "Nickelodeon" his own room. He's had fun exploring all the Nick products and reading the included book. I can imagine it would be even more entertaining in a hotel suite (where hearing I'm bored is way too common).

You can find out more information about the promotion at the "Nickelodeon Your Stay" site. They also offer free, downloadable, Nickelodeon themed travel games under the free goodies section, including a travel journal, travel bingo and coloring sheets.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Marriott and received a Nickelodeon gift pack to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central also sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Noonbory & the Super 7: DVD Review

Saturday morning cartoons are big in our house. We love curling up on the couch, plates of pancakes on our laps, to watch a few cartoons before Saturday soccer games.

Recently, Little Man caught an episode of Noonbory & the Super 7 on the CBS Saturday morning cartoon block. He was almost instantly hooked. I'm not sure what it is, the characters, the plot, or the animation, but something made him fall in love with the show.
Lucky for us, Noonbury & the Super 7: They're Sense-ational! was recently released on DVD. The 60 minute DVD contains 4 episodes: Luky's Bubble Trouble, A Honey of a Tale, Problem Peach, and A Rosy Day.
It seems that in Toobalooba, home of Noonbury and his team, a problem is always brewing. However, no issue is too big for the superhero borys. Each bory has a different super sense, and they have to work together to resolve the obstacles they face.

The DVD is not only entertaining, but also educational. Kids learn about cooperation, sharing, problem solving, and patience. A Rosy Day, Little Man's favorite episode, explores the importance of finishing work before play, as well as the importance of being considerate.

Noonbury & the Super 7: They're Sense-ational! is available now from NCircle Entertainment, Amazon, or Toys R Us. It retails for $6.99.

I received a copy of the DVD for review. All opinions are my own.

WordWorld: My Fuzzy Valentine DVD Review

I've mentioned WordWorld in the past. My five year old and I love watching the show on PBS Kids, but now that he's in school, he misses seeing it on TV. That's one of the reasons I love that they've put the episodes out on DVD.Recently released, My Fuzzy Valentine contains two full episodes from the Word friends. The first, which the DVD is named after, follows Sheep as she tries to create a special Valentine's song for Bear. Along the way, she gets help from her Word pals to create just the right words.

In the second episode, The Love Bug, Frog shows Bug a little encouragement and helps him to spell his name, allowing him to sign a Valentine card. (Little Man loves Bug, so he was excited that he was the "star" of this episode.)

As always, I love the skills WordWorld teaches, as well as the social lessons. The episodes focus on improving literacy skills, friendship, and determination. The messages the Word friends send out are perfect reinforcement for my 5 year old, as he develops and maintains friendships at school.

My Fuzzy Valentine can be purchased at NCircle Entertainment for $5.99 (on sale now) or Amazon for $6.99

Thanks to NCircle Entertainment for providing a copy for review. All opinions are our own.

WordWorld DVD Review

One of the biggest things Little Man has being studying in Kindergarten is letter recognition and letter sounds. We try our best to keep up the practice at home too. We read everything. Books, magazines, signs, food boxes. You name it, we've pointed out the letters and encouraged him to sound out the words.

WordWorld: Lots of Letters was released on September 29th. Word World is perfect for reinforcing letters. As their tag line states, it's where "words come alive," and the animation is very intriguing for my little one. He loves that the characters, houses, and many other items are created from the letters that spell them out.
Lots of Letters contains 16 episodes for a running time of 180 minutes. Little Man's favorite episode was The Lost Letter L, especially because L was the letter of the week at school. He loved seeing where the character's adventures would lead and what words they would create. I enjoy that the show teaches letter sounds and word composition, as well as problem solving and life skills.

You can buy Lots of Letters at NCircle Entertainment, Toys R Us, or Amazon. You can also catch WordWorld daily on PBS kids.

And just so you know...NCircle provided a copy of the DVD for review. But that does influence my opinion in any way.

Mommy Confessions #3

Oh, what to confess this week...

To be perfectly honest, my son watches too much tv. What was my first hint? Was it when I realized he could sing the whole theme song to Phineas & Ferb, Backyardigans, and Go Diego Go? Not quite.

Was it when he recited the entire commercial for Cereal Straws in the middle of the grocery store, much to the horror of the mom standing nearby? You put it in and sip, sip, sip... Still not quite.

Was it when he asked grandpa for Benderoos, "that only cost $19.99. You can call now or go online to benderoos.com to order"? Yep, that was the moment. Too much tv, and a mom who felt the need to crawl under a rock. Ugh.
Are you feeling the need to confess? Have something you need to get out there? Join in on Mommy Confessions over at Life Starring the Kids & Me.

Curiosity Quest Review

Ever wonder how pianos are built? Or how rescue dogs are trained? Ever wonder what it's like to fly in a hot air balloon? Or how it feels to drive in a go-kart race?

You're not alone.
Curiosity Quest, an award-winning tv show for the whole family, finds the answers to your questions. Viewers can send in an idea for a quest, and host Joel Greene will venture out on location to discover more about the topic. Each quest is unscripted, and at times, brings with it comical moments.

We had the chance to watch two Curiosity Quest episodes, Curiosity Quest: Goes Green and Steinway & Sons. The show reminded me of Dirty Jobs, but at a family appropriate level. The whole family really enjoyed learning more about the various situations Joel Greene explored.
My 4 year old thought the Fun Facts offered throughout the show were interesting. He also got a giggle listening to people answer questions during street interviews on the show. Overall, we found the show fascinating, and my son was captivated by the new information he was learning.

Curiosity Quest airs on PBS. Be sure to check out if it's on in your area.

Dinosaur Train on PBS Kids

Starting September 7, PBS will be inviting preschoolers to jump aboard the Dinosaur Train, the latest show from the Jim Henson Company. Dinosaur Train combines dinos and trains, two things all kid's I know love, while teaching basic scientific thinking.

Kids will learn natural science, natural history, and paleontology with Buddy, a young T-Rex, and his adoptive Pteranodon family. Viewers can join Buddy as he explores prehistoric swamps, jungles, oceans, and volcanoes.

From the press release:
Departing from Pteranodon Station, the Dinosaur Train is a colorful locomotive, customized to accommodate all kinds of dinosaurs. Windows are perfect for the long-necked herbivores, and there’s plenty of head room in the Observation Car for the Giganotosaurus, giving all the species onboard a chance to check out the prehistoric world as they ride on the train. The Dinosaur Train has the ability to visit the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous worlds, while the Train’s Conductor, a knowledgeable Troodon, provides passengers with “cool Dino facts” along the way.

Adding to the series are live-action interstitials featuring world-renowned paleontologist Scott Sampson. "Dr. Scott" brings to life the show's natural science and natural history curriculum for preschoolers as he gives specific facts about dinosaurs and compares their features to animals of today.
Be sure to check your local listings in September for show times!

It's Time to Shell-erbate!

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are shell-ebrating their 25th anniversary of fighting evil. Can you believe it's been 25 years since they were first created? Even though they first came out in comics, I vividly remember the cartoon that aired from 1987-1997. I can still sing the theme song word for word. Is that sad to admit?

To celebrate the anniversary, Lionsgate is presenting Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Season 7 on DVD. The four disc set includes 27 episodes and is available now!
All we can say is Cowabunga, Dude! Turtle Power!

The little one loves all things ninja. What boy doesn't? So the DVDs are right up his alley. They seem to bring out his inner ninja, as he runs around shouting, turtles in a half shell, turtle power!

Sasquatch

Someone thought it would be a good idea to let the 4 year old watch Monster Quest.

Let's see, a show about Sasquatch, giant groupers, and "killer fish." Hmm... Who thinks letting a 4 year old, with an active imagination, watch this is a good idea? Did anyone raise their hands?

Every day since, I get asked, "Do you think Sasquatch really exists? But someone caught him on tape fishing in a river. They saw him on Cougar Island, and he can really swim."

A fear of monsters seems to be pretty common in kids my son's age. It's no wonder. They star in tons of books and movies, and people with a lapse in judgment let them watch shows beyond their comprehension.

So how do we deal with these fears?

• In our house, we talk about the fears. I don't have all the answers, but I know how to listen. It seems to make my son feel better to talk about his concerns.
• We use our imagination to lessen the fears. We imagine good monsters instead of mean ones (Clyde Monster is a great book) and we use monster spray (water in a spray bottle) to keep away any monsters.
• We use knowledge. We research things that scare us and find out the facts, instead of worrying about what could be.

But, it's tough to help kids deal with their fears. I do know one thing: The someone who thought Monster Quest was a great idea is going to be in charge of bedtime for the next 2 weeks.

How do you help your kids deal with their fears?

Trust Me & The Closer on TNT

I have to admit, I am a huge tv watcher. I love a good drama, where I get caught up in the characters, escaping my own life for 60 minutes or so. TNT has quite a few shows that I have to watch each week. Saving Grace was a huge hit in our house, and every Monday, you could find me glued to the tv at 10 pm.

TNT is bringing a new drama to Monday nights beginning this week. Trust Me, starring Eric McCormak and Tom Cavanagh, will premier Jan. 26 at 10 EST. Mason (McCormick) and Conner (Cavanagh) are top creative partners at an ad agency. Joined by Sarah Krajicek-Hunter (Monica Potter), the shows follows the three though emotional turmoil and a rocky road filled with office tension and clients who know just what they want, sometimes.

I can say, without a doubt, I’ll be curled up on the couch watching this drama unfold. The character’s lives easily captivated my attention, and the story line was easy to follow, but I was never sure just how things would work out.

Also starting this week, The Closer will return. Season 4 will kick off Monday, Jan. 26 at 9 PM (EST). If you watched faithfully last season, like I did, you know that the end of the season was filled with cliffhangers. We were left wondering what happened to Detective Sanchez (Raymond Cruz) and how things would turn out between Brenda (Kyra Sedgwick) and Fritz (Jon Tenney).

The Closer is a definite must-see in our house. It is much more than your typical crime show. The lives of each character draw me in, and I usually find myself anxious to see how the show will end.

Be sure to tune in Monday night at 9 to TNT to catch The Closer, followed by Trust Me.