Cool Moms Rule! (Perfect Moms Need Not Apply)

Lee Jeans for free? Happy Birthday!

vbruss@coolmomsrule.com (Viv) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 05:01:00 +0000

The Lee Jeans 120th Birthday Giveaway begins today!

That's right, Lee Jeans is turning 120, and for THEIR birthday, YOU get a present. A giveaway! And a chance to win a pair of great-fitting jeans.

Just head on over to Facebook, and you could be a winner. And there will be LOTS of winners, because Lee is giving away 120 pairs of jeans EVERY DAY during the month of December on Facebook in celebration of their birthday!

I'm also putting a graphic up over on the sidebar, to remind you that the giveaway is all month long and you have a chance to win every day.

I'm a Lee Fit Ambassador. I received no compensation for this post, but I do learn about the latest Lee products first, and sometimes I get a chance to try them out for free.

Psst...Holiday Hassles? We have the cure!

vbruss@coolmomsrule.com (Viv) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:22:00 +0000

The Cool Moms Rule Holiday Handbook begins tomorrow!

With recipes, giveaways, shipping deadlines, decorating ideas and tips to survive all your holiday hassles, it's so much MORE than just a gift guide (but it's that, too!).

Muppets Mania Magnet Giveaway Winner!

vbruss@coolmomsrule.com (Viv) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:04:00 +0000

Our Muppets Mania giveaway has ended!

Congratulations to Jackie, who won with comment #13! Guess that's not her unlucky number.

Jackie, I know you are a subscriber, and you've won before, right? Just send me your info again, and we'll have the sponsor get your prize, including the marvelous muppet magnets and your DVD, right out to you!

Cyber Monday deals!

vbruss@coolmomsrule.com (Viv) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:02:00 +0000

If you like to do your shopping from the comfort of your own home, or just prefer the click of the mouse to waiting in line at the stores, today is your day.

Check out cybermonday.com or go to your favorite retailers' sites and you'll find deals good today only.

The Best Cyber Monday Deals I found:

24 piece room-in-a-bag for 99.99 at Macy's
Includes sheets, comforter and bedskirt, pillows, even coordinated window treatments! I bought a set for the Owl's room.

Left 4 Dead 2 38.96 (it's $60 everywhere else!) at Amazon. If you have a college kid on your list who plays video games? This is the game he wants. Hottest, most eagerly-awaited video game release this year. Intended for Mature audiences.

Beatles RockBand 99.99 (was $160) Amazon
If you're going to spend the holidays listening to the kids trying to play music, you can't do better than the Beatles!

Hot Tip: Check the Christmas tree on the top right side of the home page at Amazon to find other Cyber Monday deals!

Lee Jeans for 17.88 at J.C. Penney
Relaxed-fit, straight leg jeans from Lee. Perfect fitting jeans for less than half the usual price. Get a little something for yourself while you're shopping for the perfect gift.

Docker's Sweater for 18.88 at J.C. Penney
Regularly 45.00, this is a nice gift for Dad.

disclaimer: I do have an Amazon Associates account, so if many of you click on my links and end up buying from Amazon, I may earn credit at the store. I have yet to earn any, though!

vbruss@coolmomsrule.com (Viv) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 20:28:00 +0000

The Engineer, the Owl and the Rhino are off to join the family for Thanksgiving...and I'm here, home, sick in bed. Blah.

But you know what?

I'm thankful that I have all of you to share my holiday with today!

What are you thankful for today?

Check out Turkeytwitter, and add your own tweets using #thankful or #turkeytwitter as you celebrate the holiday!

Black Friday starts Wednesday???

vbruss@coolmomsrule.com (Viv) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:37:00 +0000

Here's the scoop:

You'll really want to check out BlackFriday.info to plan your holiday shopping this year. I do every year, but this season? Some of the Black Friday sales are ALREADY GOING ON!

Here's some of the Black Friday shopping deals especially worth getting out of bed early for (whether you go online or head on out to hit the shops), and you can find the ads at BlackFriday.info:

* Newegg.com sale starting at 6:00pm EST tonight (Wednesday)
* Sam's Club sale starting at 11:00pm EST (Wednesday)
* Sears sale starting at 9:00pm EST (Wednesday)
* Best Buy starts tomorrow morning online, 1-2am EST (Thanksgiving)
* Walmart Thanksgiving Day Specials starting at 3:00am EST (Thanksgiving)
* Walmart Black Friday sale starting at 3:00am EST (Black Friday)
* Toys R Us Black Friday sale starting at 12:01am EST (Thanksgiving)
* OfficeMax Black Friday sale starting at 8:00am EST (Thanksgiving)
* Target, Kohls, JC Penney, and other Black Friday sales will begin on Thanksgiving morning.

And Amazon.com has great Black Friday deals going on all this week, with new ones every day! Today's featured deal is a LG BD270 Blu-ray Disc Player for $99.99.

To view the LG BD270 Blu-ray Disc Player for $99.99, go to:
http://www.blackfriday.info/item/35113

Epic Cheese

vbruss@coolmomsrule.com (Viv) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:23:00 +0000

With Thanksgiving coming up, your mind has to be turning to delicious food, right? Now, you've probably got Turkey Day all covered, but when Christmas rolls around, you really have to consider Hickory Farms.

As part of this Mom Central blog tour, we were delighted to sample a huge gift basket from Hickory Farms (the picture on the left is not mine, but it is the same gift basket we received).

The rhino had been recently sick with a head cold (and now I am, too, so our own Thanksgiving plans are up in the air depending on how well I am tomorrow morning), and was just beginning to get his energy and appetite back, so I had the brilliant (ta-da!) idea of tempting him into eating with some of the cheeses in our Hickory Farms basket.

Great for me, since I didn't even have to cook or fix anything up--the basket comes with not only cheeses, summer sausages, mustard and crackers to put them on, but its very own wooden cheese board with a bulit-in cheese cutter. Which the Rhino and I thought was adorable.

And you know, it really surprised me, but that little board worked better than the cheese cutters we already have.

We tried out one of the 2 Vermont cheddar bars and some Edam (there was also a cheese ball), and the Rhino came out with the title of this post, declaring it, "Epic Cheese!"

Which, as he is a big cheese fan, is high praise indeed. We finished all three of the cheese bars over the course of two days, and we still have the summer sausage with sweet mustard to look forward to.

I'd never had a gift basket from Hickory Farms before, but I'm definitely going to get one again now that I've tasted them. And I like that the basket all that delicious food came in can be re-used to make up my own gift basket for family this holiday season.

You can check out all the gift baskets, as well as other tasty treats, at the Hickory Farms website.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Hickory Farms and received a Hickory Farms gift basket to facilitate my review.

K'NEX

vbruss@coolmomsrule.com (Viv) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:47:00 +0000

K’NEX inspires creativity, builds self-confidence and encourages interaction among children and parents. The possibilities are endless!

I got a chance to try out the 400 PCS Tub from K'NEX (intended for ages 7 and above). Inside the case are building ideas for 20 different models.

I loved the convenient bright red storage tub and all the different projects you could make from just this one tub. I do have to say, though, that the tub is really oversized for the number of pieces. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, of course; if you have other sets, you can combine all your K'NEX pieces and fit them all in this tub. But it is pretty noticeable how little room the pieces take up once you take them out of the plastic bags inside the tub. You can see what I'm talking about by looking at this pic to the right, which, yes, is all 400 pieces in the tub.

I also like how easily the pieces snap together, and that they stay together well. I know my kids used to get so frustrated whenever their creations would start falling apart before they were even done building them.

Also, the instructions have the steps and pictures outlined in an easy-to-follow format. I have no spatial skills whatsoever (the Engineer got them all), but created a nifty Hot Air Balloon (balloon boy, thank goodness, not included).

BONUS: Want a chance to win over $1,000 worth of K’NEX Toys and be featured on the KNEX.com web site? Then enter the Make a K'NEXion Video contest!

All you have to do is make a video including selected K’NEX products. You can tell a story with your video, or let your kids just play around and have fun--it's all up to you!

The 10 best videos will be featured on KNEX.com and the winning video will receive $1,000 worth of K’NEX Toys.

I had a chance to try out a complimentry 400 piece set from K'NEX thanks to Team Mom.

Why Aren't You Reading These Books?

vbruss@coolmomsrule.com (Viv) — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 16:57:00 +0000

Some top quality non-fiction selections have crossed my desk in the last couple weeks that I want to share with you. They'd also make great gifts for someone on your list.

Late, Lost and Unprepared
a Parent's Guide to Helping children with Executive Functioning

Do your children forget they have homework to do, or faithfully complete the work only to leave it home? Are they always running late in the morning? Do you get to soccer practice only to find he's left the water bottle or shin guards behind? Does she always forget to tell you about that school project (due tomorrow) or the forms she needs you to sign?

The ability to finish a task, plan and organize, and easily transition from on situation to another are examples of executive functions. Executive functions help us manage life tasks of all types. Children with executive weaknesses face a number of challenges: at school, at home, in the family, in social activities, in relationships and emotionally.

This award-winning new book offers specific time-tested strategies and creative interventions you cant teach kids to help them manage executive weaknesses. (Late, Lost and Unprepared, Woodbine House, $19.95)

Fat Chance
Julie Hadden may have only been first runner-up on Season 4 of The Biggest Loser (she lost by only 8 lbs), but the techniques she learned to develop a better self-confidence and self worth are lessons anyone could benefit from. On top of that, shortly after the show, stay-at-home Mom Julie and her husband adopted a beautiful baby boy. So, as a time-starved Mom (like the rest of us), she's put together budget-friendly and time-saving tips for healthy eating and exercising, like Playground Cardio and exercises you can even do while standing in line at the grocery store. Julie's book is full of the blessings she gained from *not* coming in first--for example, although she and her husband made the decision to sell their car so that she could stay home with the kids, Julie and her teammate won a BL challenge where the prize was a new car (Fat Chance hits the shelves in December).

The Encyclopedia of Haunted Places Ghostly Locales from Around the World
The success of movies like Paranormal Activity and TV shows like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Whisperer shows how intrigued people are by the inexplicable. Maybe you love to be scared. Or maybe you just want to keep Halloween going year-round. Whatever the reason for your own morbid fascination, this book has you covered!

The authors--written by dozens of the world's leading paranormal investigators--gather their research notes, location backgrounds, first-hand accounts, and many anomalous photographs featuring ghostly manifestations for the hundreds of haunted listings in this directory, crossing the globe to bring ghost stories from every continent. You can look up your own state and take a day trip to a nearby haunted house or hotel, or if you fear you have some less than friendly spirits inhabiting your own place, use the included appendix to find a paranormal expert near you. (Now available in paperback, 9.99 from Amazon).

You know, the more I think about it, the more I think you SHOULD be reading these books.

Which is why I am giving away a copy of The Encyclopedia of Haunted Places to one lucky reader!

To enter, just leave a comment below (if you have your own ghost story, I'd love to hear it). For additional entries, Tweet or blog about this contest and leave a link, or subscribe to our RSS feed.

Good Luck!

Who Knows What Evil Lurks in Shadowland?

vbruss@coolmomsrule.com (Viv) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:53:00 +0000

Alyson Noel's newest book, the third in the Immortals series, comes to your local bookseller today, and I know that all those who've read the first two books in the series are ready to run right out and get it today. You'll be pleased to discover that this latest in the series, Shadowland, is available for the first time in hardcover.

Evermore, the first book in the series, was an instant New York Times bestseller and has remained on the list for forty weeks and counting. Blue Moon debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times bestsellers list and has remained since its publication on July 7.

In Shadowland, Ever’s relationship with Damen is already reaching a rocky point thanks to the interference of the immortal Roman. After poisoning Damien, Roman tricked Ever into creating an antidote for Damien which now ensures the couple cannot touch each other without fatally harming Damien.

While seeking an "antidote to the antidote"--which Roman might have, but won't reveal--Ever takes a summer job at an occult shop, where she meets the mysterious and strangely familiar Jude. Ever finds herself drawn to Jude despite her love for Damien, who is undergoing a change of his own. Convinced that his past behavior has led to all their troubles and doubting an antidote even exists, Damien, a strong believer in karma, has determined to turn over a new leaf and step back from Ever and Jude, leaving Ever more confused than ever.

To find out more about Shadowland or the first two books of the series, check out www.immortalsseries.com.

Viv's Take: I enjoyed Shadowland, though like the book before it more loose ends and a cliffhanger ending left me wanting more. I felt that Ever flounders through much of the book--understandable, given the storyline, but I would have liked to have seen her psychic powers explored more and seen her grow as a character. Instead, I'm frustrated that Ever is still making the same mistakes, especially when it comes to who to trust. I did find Jude an interesting new addition to the series and look forward to seeing more of him in future installments of the Immortals.

I received an advance copy of Shadowland to aid me in my review.

Consumer Reports Best Baby Products giveaway (and money-saving coupons)

vbruss@coolmomsrule.com (Viv) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:28:00 +0000

When the Rhino was born, he didn't want to breastfeed. I don't know why; I just know that even the lactation consultant at the hospital couldn't get him to "latch on".

We kept trying, because we'd heard that breast is best for baby, but after several trips to the pediatrician in the first few weeks, where he weighed in the tenth percentile and we heard scary terms like "failure to thrive," we decided that just supplementing with the bottle wasn't going to cut it. So we switched completely to formula.

Even then, it wasn't easy going. We actually were under orders from the pediatrician to wake the Rhino up every two hours to feed him. Which led to many exhausted hours with the Engineer and I earnestly debating whether the two hours started from the moment we introduced the bottle, or when he finished up with the bottle, because the difference between the two options meant the difference between walking zombies and parents who could actually function on a few hours sleep a night.
Last month, a new Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program initiative reduced infant-formula subsidies by up to 26%. Well-intentioned, the initiative was designed to promote breastfeeding. But it also means that parents who in the past had most of the cost of their babies' formula paid for by WIC now have to cover those costs on their own.

In conjunction with Team Mom, I'm putting up some links for money-saving coupons for baby formula for anyone who has a financial need (or is just a thrifty, frugal Mom!). Buying store-brand formula, which Consumer Reports Best Baby Products confirms is as nutritious for babies as nationally advertised brands, can help Moms say up to 50% over the cost of the national brands.

In addition, one lucky reader will receive a copy of Consumer Reports Best Baby Products (a $16.95 value)! This booklet would make an excellent gift for an expectant parent this holiday season, or can be used to help you shop for that perfect gift for baby.

To enter, just leave a comment below this post. Additional entries (optional) for tweeting about this contest and/or blogging about the giveaway on your own site or Facebook page.

Good luck!

I did not receive any compensation for this post, which was made as part of a blog tour with Team Mom, and the booklet will be sent directly to the winner from them.

Bluelight Sweepstakes for Frugal Shoppers, now at your local Kmart

vbruss@coolmomsrule.com (Viv) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:26:00 +0000

Blue Light Specials are back, and to celebrate in style Kmart will be giving shoppers on Twitter a chance to win a $50 gift card everyday! In addition to the chance to win daily, everyone following @KmartDealsnNews on Twitter will be automatically entered for a chance to win a $500 Kmart shopping spree – how cool is that?!

The sweepstakes runs from tomorrow (November 12th) until December 23rd.

Winning couldn’t get easier - all you have to do is follow @KmartDealsnNews on Twitter from your personal Twitter account and issue a Tweet everyday using this hashtag: #KmartBLS.

Each day is a new opportunity to win, so the more often you tweet - the better your chances are to win a Daily prize!

For more info on sweepstakes details, check out: http://tr.im/kmartBLS.

Of course, this is all in celebration of the return of Bluelight Specials at Kmart! There are over 40 great Bluelight Specials throughout the weekend in-store, and other great offers online at Kmart.com, too, only on Saturdays and Sundays.

A little preview for this weekend’s (11/15 – 11/16) Specials:
· Essential Home Complete Bed set $29.99 (reg. $49.99)
· All Trim-A-Home lights 50% off (reg $8.99-$29.99)
· 9 Piece Luggage Set $49.99 (reg $99.99)
· Juniors Leggings 50% off

A Unique Way to Celebrate Veteran's Day: Create a Lasting Tribute

vbruss@coolmomsrule.com (Viv) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:15:00 +0000

Tributes.com is now providing families with easy-to-use tools to create a lasting military tribute, complete with information on their loved one’s time of service, duty stations and deployments, photo slideshows for military memories, as well as branch-specific themes, as a way to honor and remember their fallen heroes.

Tributes.com has partnered with SplashFX Inc. to add to the site’s existing tribute creation tools that allow the addition of videos, music and the creation of photo slideshows, making it simple for users to share meaningful remembrances of their beloved veteran.

“By allowing families to create military tributes, we hope to honor the decades of veterans who have served our country,” said Elaine Haney, President of Tributes.com. “With our help, families can capture the invaluable stories of veterans from the World War era through present day. With over 4,000 veterans lost in recent conflicts alone, it is more important than ever that we focus on a special recognition for our most valued citizens.”

”Creating a tribute for my father was an emotional experience for me and my entire family. We dug up his old photos to create the slideshow, added his medals he was so proud of, and included his precious stories about his service with the Coast Guard. It means so much to me that my children and grandchildren will be able to visit this beautiful tribute and learn about the wonderful man their grandfather and great-grandfather was,” said Terry DuBois, who created a military tribute for her father Victor.

This post was not sponsored in any way; it is offered to my readers purely for educational purposes.

Bakerella's Sesame Street Party: Cake Pops!

vbruss@coolmomsrule.com (Viv) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:21:00 +0000

I saw these adorable cake pops via @Bakerella over on Twitter, and just had to share her creations with you. What's really cool is that she explains, step by step, how to make your favorite Sesame Street characters into yummy cake pops, and the instructions sound like something even I could handle!

Check out the recipe and more here. (Oh, and follow the link in the post to find her basic, easy-peasy cake pop recipe, too!).

Muppets Mania Giveaway (with magnets!)

vbruss@coolmomsrule.com (Viv) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:19:00 +0000

We have a special new giveaway offer for you all, especially my fellow muppet maniacs.

A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa is available in an extended edition on DVD, and we are offering a copy in this giveaway along with some absolutely adorable muppet magnets!

Here's a clip from the movie:

Now, these muppet magnets are available in stores as well, but only along with select DVDs!

That's right, beginning this week and running through January 3, 2010, you can pick up limited edition magnet sets attached to select Muppet DVDs.

On The Muppet Movie, for example, you will find an exclusive Kermit magnet set, featuring his director’s outfit.

The Great Muppet Caper will feature a Fozzie Bear, including his pizza guy disguise.

And attached to A Muppet Christmas Carol you will find Gonzo’s set, featuring his Charles Dickens costume.

Each magnet set allows you to dress Kermit, Fozzie, Gonzo and the Whatnots in fun outfits – even real costumes from classic Muppet movies!

The muppets we are offering for this giveaway, along with the A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa DVD, are Fozzie and Gonzo. Kermit is not available at this time.
(note: MUPPETS CHRISTMAS: LETTERS TO SANTA, does not include these magnets we are including in our giveaway if you were to purchase it at a retail store! This is a special combo we’re doing for the giveaway.)

To enter (required): Leave a comment below this post with your favorite muppet character, and why. Love Miss Piggy in Pigs in Space? Do you agree with Kermit that it's not easy being green? Let me know!

For additional entries (optional):
Tweet this contest! Link (just click on the timestamp of your tweet for link) in a comment.
Follow CoolMomsRule on Twitter.
Subscribe to our Feed.
Blog about this contest and include a link to your post in the comments.

That gives you five chances to win!

Good luck!

Pumpkin Soup Winner!

vbruss@coolmomsrule.com (Viv) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:52:00 +0000

As you can see, I have added a new Integer Generator Widget on the sidebar under Current Giveaways!

This makes it even easier for us to choose our winners randomly here on Cool Moms Rule! I've always felt this was the fairest way to do it, because I am not a fan of popularity contests where contestants compete against each other for votes. I think that causes problems, especially if you know more than one person in a contest! We don't want any hurt feelings around here.

So! Without further ado, let's find out who the winner to our Pumpkin Soup Giveaway for the book and CD set is!

We had 25 comments on the contest, and the new widget picked: Comment #22!

Jennifer said...: We love Halloween-themed stories. I think my little one would enjoy this set.

Congratulations, Jennifer!

As soon as I have your shipping info, I'll get your prize right out to you!

Kitty! Boo!

vbruss@coolmomsrule.com (Viv) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:20:00 +0000

I'm so pleased to remind you all that Disney's Monsters, Inc. is now available on Blu-ray!

That's right, Monsters, Inc. is out on Blu-ray today for the first time, in a special 4-disc combo set that includes a digital version for your computer and LOTS of extras!

Here's what you'll find on your Blu-ray edition of Monsters, Inc.:

Filmmakers Round Table--filmmakers reflect on the making of the film.
Monsters, Inc. Ride and Go Seek: Building Monstropolis in Japan--Go behind the scenes for the new attraction in Disneyland Tokyo.

Audio Commentary on the movie.
For the Birds Short--the 2001 Academy Award Winner for best short that preceded the film in theaters.
Mike's New Car Short--Nominated in 2002 for best short film.

And more! There's games based on the movie, banished concepts (ideas the filmmakers decided not to use), and a Pixar Fun Factory Tour.

This combo set is just LOADED!

And of course, there's the original movie itself.

Even though the boys are teens now, we all agree that Monsters, Inc. is one of those movies that appeals to all ages. The movie is so kid-friendly and fun that you can watch it over and over.

The story of Sully (voiced by John Goodman) and his friend Mike (the hilarious Billy Crystal), monsters who make their living by being "scary" and yet are most frightened of all by a little girl they call Boo--well, it flips around kids' views of scary monsters in much the same way I remember Sesame Street doing when I was a kid.

Viv's take: Monsters, Inc. is a must-see movie for any kid who has ever wondered about that dark shape in his closet or imagined a monster hidden under the bed.

I received a copy of the 4-disc Blu-ray combo pack of Monsters, Inc. for this review.

vbruss@coolmomsrule.com (Viv) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:13:00 +0000

On November 10th, Sesame Street turns 40!

I know, they don't look that old, do they?

Anyway, to celebrate the anniversary, any time you head on over to Google from now until November 10th you'll see some original "Google doodles", photographic rendering of the Muppets from Sesame Street featuring the Google logo on the Google home page.

You may have seen Google doodles before, as they've been creating them since 1998 to commemorate famous birthdays or national holidays.

Clicking on the Sesame Street doodle will bring up search results for “Sesame Street.” Google users will be able to link to the series’ popular website, www.sesamestreet.org, which, if you are unfamiliar with the site, features games and videos for kids and content for parents.

Through the anniversary, the site will also include content that celebrates the premiere of the show's 40th season.

Disney's Up! On DVD and Blu-ray November 10th

vbruss@coolmomsrule.com (Viv) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:51:00 +0000

I just saw Disney's Up! for the first time, and it tickled me pink.

When I first heard about the concept (a little old man flying his house away with balloons), I wasn't sure what to think. I didn't see how it could work in a cartoon.

But Up! had such high ratings in the theater that I just had to see it on Blu-ray.

And it's fantastic!

There's so much more to the story than I knew: a truly sweet love story in a series of vignettes, fun and colorful characters, humor and adventure. Ed Asner is perfect as the voice of Carl, the loveable curmudgeon who resolves to take on one last adventure. And early on in the movie, when that old Victorian home erupted in an incendescent bubble of beautifully animated, brightly-hued balloons, it really did light up the screen.

Retro touches, like the posters sprinkled throughout this post and created especially for the film, add to the appeal of a bygone era of adventure and discovery.

And so many EXTRAS come along with the Blu-ray edition of Up! You get not one, not two or even three but FOUR discs, with commentary from the movie creators (including the pencil sketch that started the whole concept rolling), a digital disc for playing on your computer, and exclusive clips on the making of the movie, the actors lending their voices to the characters, and bonus shorts, like "Dug's Special Mission":

BONUS FEATURES FOR UP
• Commentary by director Pete Docter and co-director Bob Peterson.
• Dug’s Special Mission – An all new original short film that follows the
misadventures of Dug as he attempts to complete his “special mission.” The
short is directed by Up Story Supervisor, Ronnie Del Carmen.
• The Many Endings of Muntz – Many ideas were hatched about how to dispose
of the film’s arch villain, Muntz, and now viewers can see the many alternate
endings proposed during story development.
• Partly Cloudy –The hilarious short film that preceded screenings of Up.
Everyone knows that the stork delivers babies, but where do the storks get the
babies? The answer lies up in the stratosphere where the cloud Gus is a master
at creating “dangerous” babies, which prove to be more than a handful for his
loval delivery stork Peck. Directed by Pixar story artist, animator and voice actor
Peter Sohn.
• Adventure is Out There – This action-packed documentary tells the story of the
filmmakers’ own trek to the tepuis mountains of South America to research the
design and story of the film.

And, only on Blu-ray Hi-Def, hours of features,
and behind-the scenes bonus features, including:
• Cine-Explore – A visual montage of concept art, clips and documentary
coverage that illustrates the directors’ commentary.
• Geriatric Hero – A character study of Carl, from research to realization including
art and design, rigging, animation and story. It focuses on the issues of aging,
• Canine Companions – For anyone who ever wondered where CG puppies
come from, an introduction to the design, behavior and language of dogs.
• Russell: Wilderness Explorer – A character study of Russell from inspiration
and design to finding the character arc and authentic voice for this wilderness
ranger.
• Our Giant Flightless Friend, Kevin – Find out how avian research and
development at Pixar helped bring a mythical, 13-foot tall iridescent bird to life.
• Homemakers of Pixar – Carl and Ellie’s house is an important “character” in the
film. Fans follow the development of the house from story to art to its ultimate
realization in the computer.
• Balloons and Flight – Carl’s house and Muntz's dirigible presented the
filmmakers with two different problems—how could they make a physical
impossibility possible? And, in the case of the dirigible, how would they unearth a
fallen giant and let it soar?
• Composing for Characters – Composer Michael Giacchino returns to score his
third Disney•Pixar feature film. See how the Up filmmakers collaborated with
Giacchino to create the memorable score and compelling musical themes.
• Married Life – The original story concept that became the powerful “Married Life”
scene, showing Carl and Ellie’s love story.
• Global Guardian Badge Game – Players try to locate countries, states and
capitals around the globe in a multi-layered BD-Exclusive geography game
enhanced by BD-Live.

Disney's also provided some fun facts for me to share with you, for when your kids start to ask those tricky questions as they watch the film.

Enjoy!

BALLOON SCIENCE FUN

Have you ever wondered how many helium balloons it would take to lift different objects Up into the air?

It’s a tricky question and an even trickier answer because there are so many variables to consider. For instance:

• How big are the balloons?
• How heavy is the object?
• How quickly to do you want the object to rise Up?

We have come Up with a general formula you can use to figure out how many balloons it would take to lift... well, just about anything!

• Helium has a lifting force of about 1 gram per liter.
• An average size party balloon is approximately 30cm (one foot) in diameter.
• It can hold approximately 14 liters.
• That’s 14 grams of lift power per balloon.
• Estimate and subtract the weight of the string and the latex balloon.
• Formula: 1 balloon = 10 grams of lift power.

How Many Balloons Would It Take To Lift:

Disney • Pixar’s Up Blu-ray™Combo Pack?
At approximately 227 grams (or 0.5 lbs) in weight, it requires approximately 22 balloons to send the movie Up, up and away!

A Blu-ray Disc™ Player?
Most models weigh just over 2 kg (4.5 lbs.) which requires 200 balloons to add a whole new meaning to Blu-ray™ “high definition.”

Your Neighbor’s Dog?
“simplexity”, shape-language and compelling character arcs.
A happy Labrador Retriever dog weighs in at about 32 kg (70 lbs). It would take approximately 3200 balloons to lift this furry friend off the ground.
Fun Fact: The voice of Dug (the Dog) in the movie Up is actually the voice of Co-Director / Screenwriter, Bob Peterson.

A Bicycle?
The average bicycle weighs approximately 19 kilograms (or 42 lbs). You will need approximately 1,900 balloons
to turn a 2-wheeler into an air-bike.
Fun Fact: Before the Wright Brothers built their first flying airplane in 1903, they operated a small bicycle repair shop.

A Sumo Wrestler?
The average weight of a Sumo wrestler is approximately 148 kg (or 326 lbs). That means it would take about 148,000 balloons to send this guy Up.
Fun Fact: Sumo wrestling was established as a national sport in 1909.

A Small House?
This figure can vary in terms of quantity of balloons given the size and scale of the house. Let’s say the house in Disney/Pixar ’s movie Up weighed about 46,000 kg (that’s 101,413 lbs). That means it takes approximately 4,600,000 balloons to send Carl's home Up and away!
Fun Fact: Nearly 70 animators worked on the movie Up during peak production.

Up! comes out on Blu-ray and DVD on November 10th, and yes MUST have this one in your video library, folks.

I received a preview copy of the 4-disc Blu-ray edition of Up! to aid me in this review for the upcoming release.

Ewoks Make Everything Better

vbruss@coolmomsrule.com (Viv) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:47:00 +0000

Hilarious clip from the Today show, which airs live and unedited, as two Ewoks steal the show during their Halloween-themed segment.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Happy Halloween!

vbruss@coolmomsrule.com (Viv) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:02:00 +0000

Halloween Bundle at Macgamestore.com!

Halloween Bundle - 5 Spooky Games For $10.00!
This weekend Macgamestore.com is offering a special 48-hour Mac games pack. Get five games for just $10.00! This week game pack features these scary games. The pack includes:

- Dr. Lynch: Grave Secrets
- Mr Jones' Graveyard Shift
- G.H.O.S.T. Chronicles
- G.H.O.S.T. Hunters: The Haunting of Majesty Manor
- Monster Quest

To order this fantastic game pack, please follow THIS LINK. This bundle offer ends Monday, November 2, 2009 at 12:01 AM.

Note: This bundle can also be bought through Mac Games Arcade.

Dogs and Cats Living Together, Mass Hysteria...

Help out animals at the animalrescuesite.com, also known as the GreaterGood Store, and you'll save on shipping today only. Just use the link below the pic.

Shop at the GreaterGood Store
and enjoy just 1-cent shipping on Halloween.

Virtual Pumpkin Carving (via Methodshop)

vbruss@coolmomsrule.com (Viv) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:05:00 +0000

Methodshop has a Virtual Pumpkin Carving game. All the fun and creativity, with none of the mess and the gloop!

Here's my effort. Can you tell what it is? It's supposed to look like a squirrel!

Morphoscopes are Certified Cool

vbruss@coolmomsrule.com (Viv) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:25:00 +0000

I recently tried out a Morphoscopes kit from Ooz & Oz. It's a crazy concept, and I don't know how they came up with it, but I can tell you this: my boys, and these are teens we are talking about, both agreed that Morphoscopes are really cool and strongly encouraged me to review them on the site.

Here's what you get: two Morphoscopes mirror decoders (which are basically reflective cups), some crayons, and lots and lots of activity sheets to keep your kids busy.

Now, you may be thinking, okay, but how is that crazy?

Okay, take a look at this pic to the left.

You see the image on the mirrored decoder? The cute pic of the kids playing soccer?

It's not there.

There is nothing printed on the cup.

Instead, look at the page under it. See the crazy swirling mess? That's what the image looks like on paper!

To color it properly, you have to look at the image as it is reflected in the cup.

The cup shows it as it should be, rather than all distorted as it is on paper.

It is, folks, a real mind trip, and one that blew my mind.

Especially because, within the Sports of All Sorts kit, which is the Morphoscope set I received (they have tons of them to choose from over at the Ooz & Oz site, even a Halloween one) there is also a very realistic sketch of a person's face.

Or at least that's what it is when it is decoded.

Seeing a human face spread out in the weird swirly way on paper really does a number on your perception!

Morphoscopes are, as they put right on the box, "Brain-powered play." Kids can even make their own with instructions in the kit. And there are activities that kids can do that adults have trouble with, like connecting the dots using the reflection on the cup. Wild.

The suggested age for the kits are 8-14 years old, but I could see younger kids playing with this as well, and as an adult I got a real kick out of our Morphoscopes: Sports of All Sorts Kit.

I could definitely see gifting kits for Christmas. They have Twisted Pajama Party, Princess Pony and Pirate Party kits, too.

Now, on to my teens. The guys who normally wouldn't be caught dead coloring at their ages.

The Rhino's take: "Whoa, Mom. That's cool. That's a really cool idea. You have to give them a really good review on your site!" (14 yrs old)

The Owl's take: When called in to give his verdict, The Owl, who is a fan of optical illusions, wondered how they made the art sheets and marvelled at the perception of the original versus the decoded image. He, too, gave the Morphoscopes a huge thumbs-up on the coolness scale.

Viv's Take: I've never seen anything like the Morphoscopes before. They really engage kids' interest (as well as mine, I was coloring furiously right in there with the Rhino), spark their creativity and keep them interested a lot longer than just simple activity pages or coloring sheets ever could.

I received the Morphscopes: Sports of All Sorts free of charge to aid me in my review of this product.

Giant Scrat! Will it Break the World Record?

noreply@blogger.com (Colby and Cheddar) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:01:00 +0000

This is too cool. Literally. Just got a press release about an attempt to break the world record with a huge ice sculpture of Scrat, the cute squirrel from the Ice Age franchise, in Santa Monica, CA, to celebrate the release of Ice Age 3. Details below. ~Viv

WHAT:
To coincide with the release of the Ice Age 3 Dawn of the Dinosaurs Blu-ray disc and DVD, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for Tallest Ice Sculpture at the opening of the ice skating rink, ICE at Santa Monica.

Fun Facts:
• The Scrat Ice Sculpture will stand at 45 feet tall
• Over 133,000 lbs. of ice will be used, gathered across 4 states
• Months of preparation went into the logistics
• Artists from Blue Sky Studios developed the look of the model
• The current record for the Tallest Ice Sculpture is 40.28 feet and was achieved by Michel Amann (France) in Ski Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates on April 20, 2006.

Additional Highlights:
• World Figure Skating Champion Randy Gardner will perform to the “Walk the Dinosaur” song featured in the film
• The one and only acorn-loving Scrat will demonstrate his own skating abilities
• Skating for the entire family, including music and many more fun activities
• ICE at Santa Monica is an 8000-square-foot outdoor ice rink in Downtown Santa Monica

WHO:
A team of 14 skilled sculptors from Ice Bulb LLC will build the world’s Tallest Ice Sculpture over a 4-day period on the ice rink at the ICE at Santa Monica. A Guinness World Records™ adjudicator will be present to oversee the attempt.

WHEN:
Tuesday, October 27, final Scrat sculpture to be unveiled at 4:00pm
• Entrance is Free to the public
• From October 27 through January 31, 2010, the ice rink will be open Sunday through Thursday, 10am to 10pm, and Friday and Saturday, 10am to midnight
• Admission is $10 and includes rental skates
* Stand-ups and in-progress check-ins available beginning Saturday, October 24

WHERE:
ICE at Santa Monica
1324 5th Street (at Arizona Avenue)
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs on DVD Today!

noreply@blogger.com (Colby and Cheddar) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:01:00 +0000

I LOVED the first Ice Age movie. Ruthless Diego, silly Sid and morose Manny made an eclectic but loveable herd.

The second movie, though, left me a bit meh on the franchise. I am not too keen on Ellie, despite the fact that Queen Latifah rocks. An elephant that thinks she is an opossum is a little too much for me. I like Manny. I want him to end up with someone loveable but not completely loony.

But the third movie, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, is every bit as good as the original. In fact, Robert Ebert gave it 3 1/2 stars, and says it is, "The best of the three films...pure invention."

First, Ellie is a bit more practical and down-to-earth in this movie, because she is expecting a little mammoth. So she doesn't seem so loony. Diego is trying to get back his edgy, bachelor side. Morose Manny has become an anxious Dad-to-be. And Ellie's possum 'brothers', while still wild and weird, are nowhere near as crazy as the newest characters.

Who, incidentally, are fabulous. First, there're three baby T-rexes looked after by Sid, who finds them as eggs and begins nesting in a bizarre parody of Ellie and Manny. The baby T-rexes do not play nice with the other kids.

They eat them instead.

And even my cool, we-don't-do-animation-any-more teens, who came to the theat to see the film with me after a little wheedling because they are fond of Diego found themselves loving Buck.

Who is Buck? He's sorta an Indiana Jones/Crocodile Dundee mashup who has been living in the dinosaur world just a little too long.

And he's undoubtedly certifiably crazy.

Why this all works, well, I just have to throw my hands up in the air because I have no idea, but it is utterly outstanding.

And as if that wasn't enough, Scrat is back!

The cute, terminally unlucky squirrel and his eternal quest for that elusive nut even features into the main film, rather than just a short at the beginning.

I watched the video of Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs again last night, as I got a preview copy, and even though I had seen it in the theater already, I really enjoyed it. I was especially impressed, all over again, with the animation. It looked as good on my television as it did in the theater.

Oh, and there are lots of extras on the video versions! You can get a two-pack DVD set, and the second disk is full of cute Scrat shorts, musical extras, commentary and games.

The three-pack Bluray set also includes a third, digital copy of the movie.

In my opinion, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is a must-buy for your video library.

I received a preview copy of the DVD (two disk set) to aid me in my review in time for today, its official street release date.