2009 October | She Scribes

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

October 27, 2009 By Kimberly

Another great movie is released on DVD today (October 27, 2009), Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.

I have seen the two other Ice Age movies. The first one was “OK”. The second one I honestly thought was a “dud”. I have to say that the third film, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, was the best out of the three movies (in my opinion anyway).

In this newest installment to the Ice Age series you’ll find that the “gang” from the other two movies are still around.

In the new movie we find that Ellie and Manny are expecting their first child. Diego, feeling a bit lost and alone is contemplating taking off on his own and leave his friends behind. He’s also getting along in age and realizes he can’t do the things he used to be able to do.

Sid, feeling sad and alone because he doesn’t have anyone, stumbles upon three eggs in an ice cave. I vows to care for the eggs and to be their “mother”. Unbeknown to Sid the eggs are really baby dinosaurs. Even though he was surprised to find out that his babies were dinosaurs it didn’t matter to him. As far as he was concerned they were his children.

One day the REAL mother of the baby dinosaurs comes and grabs the babies and Sid and takes them back into the ice cave. Manny, Ellie, Diego, Eddie & Crash all take off into the ice cave to rescue their friend from the clutches of the fierce dinosaur mother. Once inside the ice cave the stumble upon a lost world that exists below their world. In this new world Dinosaurs roam free and mammals are seen more as “lunch” then equals.

A new character is introduced name Buck. Buck is a VERY crazy one eyed weasel type critter. And when I say crazy I mean he’s certifiably NUTS!

The friends find themselves in a race against time to find and rescue Sid. Ellie is due to have their baby at any moment and the friends find that they are being chased by a monstrous, vicious giant Dinosaur.

Will they ever find their friend Sid and rescue him? Will Ellie have her baby? Will the huge monstrous Dinosaur find the friends and make a snack out of them? Will they ever make it back home? You’ll just have to purchase or rent the movie to find out.

Like I mentioned earlier I enjoyed this movie the most out of all three Ice Age movies. I think there was a lot more action and excitement. I laughed many times watching the movie too. Even my husband who was not keen on the other two Ice Age agrees that this was the better of the three.

My kids saw the movie over the summer while at camp. They both said it was a funny movie and were happy to have a chance to view it again.

I was very impressed with the fantastic detail that went into this animation. You can see very little tiny hair. It’s done in such a way that it looks so realistic.

There were several action sequences, such as Diego chasing the deer through the woods and Crash, Eddie & Buck flying on the back of a Pterodactyl, that were SO REALISTIC! I honestly felt like I was a part of the scene. The images whirled passed you in a way that really made you feel like you were running along side Diego. It also felt like a “ride” in a way too. It was a pretty cool effect.

I would say that this movie might be a big “intense” for children under 5. The huge monstrous Dinosaur can be pretty scary for the little ones.

Of course Scrat, that zany squirrel, is seen throughout the movie chasing after an acorn. This time around he’s met his match in a female squirrel who is after the same acorn.

Both the Blu-ray and DVD is out today. You can buy the movie by it’s self or a combo pack with another DVD that features two Scrat short movies, Gone Nutty and No Time For Nuts.

There are some really cool games as part of the bonus feature.

- Scrat Pinball – This is a real pinball game. I played the disc on my computer so I was able to use my arrow keys. It’s not as easy as it looks. I played several times and I was never able to hit all the acorns.

-Eggshell – I love this game! You have to keep an eye on the egg shell that houses the different characters. The egg shelves move around and get all mixed up and you need to pick out which egg shell the creature is hiding under. I got them all right each time I played but I have to say that it’s NOT easy! At times there are four or five shells at once moving VERY fast around the screen.

- Bubble Trouble – I thought this game was going to be easy. It’s not! I have a hard time “grasping” the concept of this game. Scrat is in a bubble and you must move the bubble up and up and try to hit the bubbles that the acorns are in.

I only have the DVD so I am missing the features that come on the Blu-ray disc. I know on the Blu-ray disc there is a music video, deleted scenes, Unearthing the Lost World, Ice Age story maker, learn how to draw Scrat and much, much more. The Blu-ray has a ton of great bonus features. I’ll have to get the Blu-ray version of the movie.

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs gets a two thumbs up. I think it’s a great family movie. It’s funny and filled with lots of action and fun characters.

*I received an advanced screener copy of this DVD for free. There was no other compensation. The opinions expressed are my own.

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Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure Review

October 27, 2009 By Kimberly

Today, October 27, 2009, Disney’s newest movie Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure if available on Blu-ray and DVD.

I am delighted that I received an advanced copy of the movie to do a review. In true Disney fashion Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure is a mystifying, magical and entertaining movie sure to capture the hearts of young and old alike. I am 41 years old and I was in total awe of the movie. Even my hard to impress 10 and 12 year olds loved the movie and sat in silence as we watched it. Usually if they are bored with a movie they start to ramble or walk away. Both of my kids sat and watched Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure from beginning to end, and even stayed to watch the bonus features with me and my husband as well.

Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure is about everyone’s favorite Tinker fairy, Tinker Bell. Tinker Bell is asked by the Queen fairy and Fairy Mary bestow the task of creating this years Pixie Hollow Fall Scepter. The scepter needs to include an irreplaceable Moon Stone. When the Blue Moon rises the light must be able to pass through the Moon Stone in order to replenish the Pixie Dust Tree, which is the source of all their magic.

Tinker Bell feels overwhelmed and stressed out over such a huge responsibility. The stress of it all causes her to hurt her best friend Terence and drive him away. Shortly afterwards Tinker Bell accidently breaks the valuable Moon Stone. Without it Pixie Hallow will never be the same again and all their magical pixie dust will be lost forever.

After hearing the story about a magical mirror that grants wishes Tinker Bell sets out on her own to find the magic mirror so she can wish upon it for the Moon Stone to be fixed.

On her journey to find the magical mirror (the “Lost Treasure”) Tinker Bell makes a new friend, and adorable little fire fly name Blaze. Together Tinker Bell and Blaze set out to find the magical mirror. Along the way the pair encounter some dangerous situations.

Will Tinker Bell find the lost treasure of the magical mirror? Will Tinker Bell and Terence be able to mend their friendship? Will Tinker Bell be able to replace the Moon Stone in time to save Pixie Hallow? You’ll just have to rent or purchase the movie to find out.

I will give you a bit of a hint. Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure proves the power a true friendship.

My entire family was in awe of the great detail and attention that was given to every scene of this movie. From the features on the Owls chest to the pores on the Trolls nose, the animators truly put their heart and soul into this movie.

This is a magical, must see movie for your entire family. Myself, my husband and our two children give Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure a “two thumbs up” (on our case that totals “eight thumbs up”, ha ha). This is a five star movie, and then some!

Also included with the Blu-ray and DVD combo pack are some fun bonus features.

- A Magical Guide to Pixie Hollow. This is a fun short clip where Tinker Bell and Terence take you on a tour around Pixie Hollow. The clip makes you feel like you are seeing Pixie Hollow through the eyes of Tinker Bell and Terrance. You also get to meet some lesser known fairies such as the Tea Fairies and the Polishing Fairies (there is a Fairy for everything! LOL).

- Pixie Hollow comes to life in Epcot. In this bonus feature you get to go behind the scenese to see how Disney re-created Pixie Hollow at Epcot. They made all the fairies from the film our of topiaries. Each fairy has their own section of the Pixie Hollow garden with flowers specifically arranged for each fairy. This garden looks amazing! I truly hope that they continue to keep their garden at Epcot in hopes that my family can go and see it one day. It’s beautiful!

- Bloopers. These are really cute and silly. They are not REAL bloopers, since a cartoon character is not real. The animators created silly bloopers using all the characters from the film. They are really funny. We all had a good chuckle over them. My favorite is when the skunk makes the fairy pass out.

- Deleted Scenes. I found this section to be very interesting. You not only got to see parts of the film that were deleted but you also got to hear the reasons why. It was interesting to get a glimpse behind the whole process of making a film and why some scenes make it and some scenes don’t. I also learned something fun. Did you know that a fairy is created out of a baby’s first laugh? How sweet is that! That is just as wonderful as thinking that an angel gets it’s wings whenever a bell rings. I have to remember that one.

- The music video for the film called “The Gift of a Friend” which is performed by Disney’s darling Demi Lovato (“Camp Rock” and “Sunny with a Chance”). Here is the music video from the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. You can see some scenes from the movie in the video too.

I also have some really fun activities and other goodies based on the movie that I’d love to share with you. Just click on each link to retrieve the special page that you can print out and use over and over again.

Tinker Bell “Spot the Difference” Activity Page

Tinker Bell Maze Activity Page

Tinker Bell’s Perfectly Pixie Nectar Recipe

Tink’s Trail Mix Recipe

Fairy Minders Travel Planner Activity

Tinker Bell Coloring Page

Tinker Bell Coloring & Activity Page

The above images are just some examples of the activities found in the links above. They are really cute! Just click on the link (not the image) to be taken to the page where you can download the page or print it out. These would be a lot of fun to do together as a family before or after you watch the film.

Here are some scenese from the movie too. Check out the great detail in all the images that you see. It’s amazing! The animators truly out did themselves.

Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure is available TODAY, October 27, 2009 on Blu-ray and DVD. This would make a great gift for the holiday season as well as a treasured addition to your family’s movie collection.

*We received a copy of the movie free to do this review. There was no other compensation. The opinions expressed are my own.

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Win an Assortment of Beauty Products

October 26, 2009 By Kimberly

As most of my regular blog readers know by now there is a beauty “widget” found on my top left side bar and at the bottom of my blog. The beauty widget has a daily beauty tip, coupons, free samples, videos and more. If you haven’t checked it out I suggest you do. I have found a lot of fabulous beauty tips myself just by reading the widget on a daily basis. Best of all the tips are super easy to do and the ones I have tried have worked well for me or my daughter.

For example my ‘tween daughter is always playing around with her hair to find a good look. We tried this tip that was listed in the widget a while back and it worked great on her hair to create a laid back style of loose waves. What we did was to put a bit of the Dove Curl & Sculpt Defining Mousse through her hair and braid into sections. When her hair was dry we undid the braids and finger comb through her hair for that wonderful “effortless” look.

Another great tip that has worked well for my daughter was to keep a package of the Pond’s Wet Cleansing Cloths in her locker at school. That way if she’s feeling sweaty after gym and wants to freshen up her face she just has to grab a cleansing cloth and clean off her face. Now that she’s a ‘tween her face is starting to break out here and there. The cleansing cloths help to remove excess dirt and sweat to help keep her face clean and blemish free.

Here is something very interesting that I learned from the beauty widget which has been a huge help. When you need to blow dry your hair do it outside of the bathroom. Steam from the shower creates humidity, which leads to frizz. UGH! All these years I have been blow drying my hair in the bathroom right after a shower too. No wonder my hair looks like it does some times. The widget recommended that you dab a little of the Dove Frizz Control Therapy Taming Cream on a brush and smooth through problem areas. I am keeping an eye out for that product. So far I have not found it at my local grocery store.

How would you like to win an assortment of beauty products? One lucky winner will win an assortment of brand name products such as Dove, Vaseline and Q-tips.

To enter please comment with YOUR favorite beauty tip. Also, please let me know if you have been reading any of the beauty tips found on the beauty widget. I’m curious to know how many people have been enjoying them.

For extra entries you can do any or all of the following. Just be fore to leave a separate comment for each that you have done.

- Subscribe and/or Follow She Scribes. I appreciate my subscribers/followers very much. Please help me to reach my goal of 500 subscribers before the end of 2009. That would be AWESOME! Subscription and Following options are found on the right side bar.

- Blog about this giveaway and please link back to this post. Please provide the URL of the post too.

- Tweet about this on Twitter. Please include @She_Scribes in the tweet so that I may see it too.

- Promote this giveaway in other ways (Facebook, Digg, Technorati…). Just be sure to tell me what you did and if possible provide a URL or name.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents and will end on November 7, 2009 at 11:59 PM (EST).

The winner will be chosen at random using a random number generator from all eligible entries. “Enter Me” and “I want to Win” are NOT considered eligible entries (please follow the rules – they are very simple). The winner will be contacted by e-mail and will have three days to reply with a name and mailing address or a new winner will be chosen.

Don’t forget to check out the other great giveaways currently available on the right side bar under “Win It”.

Mark you calendars…the Happy Holidays Spectacular starts November 1st!

Also, please scroll down to the bottom of the blog to view a larger image of the beauty widget.

*I was not compensated for this post. I did receive some product samples a while back which was disclosed in another post. I am posting this for the benefit of my readers. The opinions expressed are my own.

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I love Vaseline Petroleum Jelly.

October 26, 2009 By Kimberly

One of my most favorite “beauty” products, and one of the least expensive, is Vaseline Petroleum Jelly. I love this stuff! I think I should buy stock in the company because I use the product so much (ha ha).

Do your feet ever get extra dry, especially in the colder weather? Sadly some of us have feet that get so bad that the heels crack. I have that problem and let me tell you I have used practically ever product on the market, including pricey prescription stuff the foot doctor gave me. Nothing has ever worked as well as a simple scoop of Vaseline Petroleum Jelly.

I noticed my feet were getting really dry over the weekend. Prior to hopping into the shower I used a Ped Egg (another “must have” product) to remove the dead skin. While in the shower I used a bit of an exfoliating scrub on my feet to buff them some more. After the shower I slathered on Vaseline Petroleum Jelly on to both feet and slipped my feet into cotton socks. I did this right before I went to bed so I wasn’t walking around with the jelly on my feet. I slept with the jelly and socks on all night. The next morning I took the socks off and rubbed any remaining jelly into my feet and ta da… nice smooth feet again!

I did it just that one time and my feet are a million times better. If you have dry feet too you should really try it. Once they are nice and smooth again you should make an effort to put the Vaseline Petroleum Jelly on your feet every week or at least every other week to maintain them.

This same procedure works wonders on your hands too. Before going to bed slather on the Vaseline Petroleum jelly on to both hands and have someone help you stick your hands into a pair of cotton socks (or cotton gloves if you have them). Sleep with them on all night and the next morning you will wake up to soft, smooth hands.

Another favorite use I have for Vaseline Petroleum Jelly is to smooth it on my lips to keep them from getting dry. It’s also shiny so it doubles as a lip gloss too. When you think about how much you spend on a tiny tube of lip balm it makes better sense to pick up a jar of “all purpose” Vaseline Petroleum Jelly.

Did you know you can use Vaseline Petroleum Jelly on your eye brows? Just dab a little on and use an eye brow brush to brush them into shape.

You can even use the jelly on your eye lashes. It acts as a great conditioner plus it gives them a bit of a darker color so it looks like you are wearing mascara.

You can rub some jelly on to your cuticles to keep them soft too.

Vaseline Petroleum Jelly also makes a great eye make up remover.

Vaseline Petroleum Jelly is truly an “all purpose” beauty product that every woman should keep on hand. It’s also very inexpensive and a little goes a long way so you really get a lot for the money.

Does anyone else have any uses for Vaseline Petroleum Jelly? If so I would to hear about them. Please feel free to leave me a comment.

*I was not compensated for this post. I posted this for the benefit and enjoyment of my readers.

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Yo Gabba Gabba! Music is Awesome & Updated Tour Information.

October 26, 2009 By Kimberly

Not too long ago I posted for my readers that the hit children’s show, Yo Gabba Gabba!, was going on tour. Click here to see the original post. Since the tour has received so much “buzz” they have added more dates to the tour. Here is the updated tour dates.

YO GABBA GABBA! LIVE: THERE’S A PARTY IN MY CITY
*Recently Added

Los Angeles, CA @ Shrine Expo Hall
Saturday, November 14, 2009 11AM and 3PM
*Sunday, November 15, 2009 11AM and 3PM

New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
Saturday, November 21, 2009 11AM– 2PM –*5 PM

Chicago, IL @ Rosemont Theatre
Saturday, December 5, 2009 11AM and 3PM

Yo Gabba Gabba’s new album, Music is Awesome, is also available now. I had the chance to listen to an advanced copy of the CD and I have to say the songs are very up beat and “catchy”. My cousin and little neighbor LOVE Yo Gabba Gabba! I can see why. If I was 2-3 years old I probably would too. As an adult they look pretty “funky” and weird, but I can certainly see their appeal for the younger ones.

Yo Gabba Gabba! Music is Awesome is the first ever Yo Gabba Gabba! CD release which hit the shelves nationwide on Oct. 20th, 2009.

I have one of the songs, “Party in my Tummy”, stuck in my mind! LOL! Here I am a 41 year old women who keeps having the words “Chicken, yeah, in my tummy. Party, party in my tummy…”

“I Like to Dance” reminds me of an 80′s rap song. LOL!

Biz Markie (do you remember him from the 80′s?) sings a song on the album too called “Biz’s Beat of the Day“. Well, it’s not really a song. He just teaches kids how to do the rap sounds.

Not all the songs on the album are song by the Yo Gabba Gabba! gang. Other artists including Biz Markie, Yo Dazzler, The Roots, Of Montreal and others contribute to the album too.

On Friday I sang the song “Good Bye, See You Later” to my kids (I tried to mimic the silly voices but I couldn’t do it). They totally think I’m a nutcase. LOL!

The whole album is high energy, quirky and has an old school 80′s vibe to it (or at least that is my impression of it). I gave my copy to my little neighbor and she won’t stop listening to it and dancing around to it (as per her Dad).

The album, Yo Gabba Gabba! Music is Awesome is available now where ever albums are sold.

If you have a Yo Gabba Gabba! fan in your life you might want to consider getting them the new Yo Gabba Gabba! Christmas book which is available now. It is so cute! You can even put your child’s picture in the front of the book and on the last page. Little children love to see pictures of themselves. As with the TV show the Yo Gabba Gabba! Christmas book, Christmas in Gabba Land, is just as silly and colorful as the TV show.

Also available now is the Yo Gabba Gabba! Meet My Family DVD. We have a copy of this but I haven’t had a chance to watch it yet. It looks cute though. I also know that they have a special Halloween DVD too.

For more about Yo Gabba Gabba! visit their official website at www.YoGabbaGabba.com.

*I received these products free to do the review. There was no other compensation. The opinons expressed are my own.

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The Evolution of an Icon

October 26, 2009 By Kimberly

Do you know who this is a picture of? Here is a hint…look at what is hanging from her “bottom”. If you answered “Tinker Bell” you are 100% correct. This is actually the original Tinker Bell. She actually has bells on her “bottom”. How interesting is that? At least we know how she got her name, although I wonder why they came up with that idea in the first place?

I honor of the release of the new Tinker Bell movie, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, which is released tomorrow (October 27, 2009) I thought my readers would enjoy seeing how Tinker Bell has transformed over the years since she was first created back in 1904.

Did you know that Tinker Bell first appeared in J.M Barrie’s 1904 play and 1911 novel Peter Pan. She has also appeared in multiple film and television adaptations of the story, in particular the 1953 animated Walt Disney classic Peter Pan, which most of us remember her from.

Tinker Bell was described by Barrie as a fairy who mended pots and kettles, like an actual Tinker. Her dialogue consists of the sounds of a tinkling bell, which is understandable only to those familiar with the language of the fairies. In the movie Peter Pan (1953) she never even spoke a word.

On October 25, 2009 the United Nations made Tinker Bell the Honorary Ambassador of Green, under Secretary General for Communications and Public Information, Kiyo Akasaka at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Tinker Bell was joined by voice cast Mae Whitman (Tinker Bell), Raven Symone (Iridessa), Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure director Klay Hall, producer Sean Lurie and UN delegates as they celebrated the world premiere of Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure.

“We’re delighted Tinker Bell has agreed to be our Honorary Ambassador of Green,” said Mr. Akasaka. “This beloved animated character can help us inspire kids and their parents to nurture nature and do what they can to take care of the environment.”

How amazing is that? A cartoon character has become an ambassador for the United Nations. That is pretty cool if you ask me.

Here is a video of yesterday’s events.

One more fun fact about Tinker Bell. Tinker Bell was modeled after an actress name Margaret Kerry. There is an “urban legend” that says she was modeled after Marilyn Monroe, but that is information is false.