Mama Sparkles

Ant-Man and the Wasp - A Movie Review

2018-06-30T15:42:00.001-07:00

Having missed out on the first installment of Ant-Man, I was intrigued and definitely looking forward to watching the second installment, Ant-Man and The Wasp. After all, it's summer and I needed something epic to watch. That, and I heard that the first film was pretty lighthearted and funny. Funny is good, especially after watching Avengers: Infinity War a couple of months ago. Other than that, I didn't really know what to expect.

Turns out, it's a wonderful heartwarming film, all about family and the relationship between fathers and daughters. I loved Paul Rudd as Ant-Man and his charismatic on screen presence. Evangeline Lily as The Wasp is not only beautiful but a super genius scientist as well. I especially enjoyed the integration of science with the art of close up magic. All the "tricks" were so clever and the shrinking special effects were amazing to watch.

I also appreciated the character of Ghost - yes, she's a villain but the film delves into why she is the way she is. It makes you think about people in general and what makes them do good or bad things.

Overall, the film is great entertainment and packed with charm and humor. Two thumbs up!

Ant-Man and The Wasp arrives in theaters Friday, July 6th.

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Avengers: Infinity War is Now Playing!

2018-04-27T22:21:00.003-07:00

Who knew that there would be so many Marvel Universe movies leading up to this one? Honestly, I had lost track of where we were in the storyline and was a little apprehensive going into this one. I was a little worried about being completely lost and how they were going to bring all the superheroes together and have them mesh together nicely in one movie.

Turns out, I needn't have worried. The story picks up with Thanos, the villain, trying to collect all six powerful stones (introduced in previous movies), so that he can bring balance to the universe. And the way he plans to do that is by destroying half the population. Cue the Avengers to stop this maniac!

The classic Marvel humor is ever present in the film, as well as plenty of awesome action and characters. Lots of characters. I loved seeing The Avengers meet the Guardians of the Galaxy for the first time. It's also fun to see so many different personalities interact with each other, which makes for some pretty epic battles. Although the film does tend to drag on after a while and there are a few heartbreaking scenes, you'll definitely want to stay for the extra scene after the credits!

Have you seen Avengers: Infinity War? What did you think?

Now Playing - A Beauty of a Film

2017-03-24T10:52:00.001-07:00

Disney's Beauty and the Beast has always been my favorite movies and definitely my favorite musical soundtrack. I was so excited to go to the new live action version of the film to see if it lived up the animated one from my childhood. And it does! First, some shots of Belle:

Wait a minute - that's Pinga, not Belle. But Emma Watson gives a splendid performance as Beauty, and I love the added twist of making her the inventor alongside her father. Her strong, independent portrayal of the character felt fresh and fitting. The film follows the original animated version pretty closely, with a few added surprises, that feel natural and blend into the story very well. The songs did not disappoint either! The whole cast is delightful in the musical numbers, from their costumes to their voices and is definitely a highlight. The cinematography is incredible and the scenery in France looks absolutely gorgeous. This tale as old as time certainly stands up to the test of time, and in some ways surpasses it! Two thumbs up!

Now Playing: LEGO Batman!

2017-02-10T14:34:00.000-08:00

Ever since we watched The LEGO Movie, the kids have been even more obsessed with Legos than they usually are. We really didn't think anything could get more awesome, until we saw The LEGO Batman movie! Batman is just so cool, we can't stand it. The movie is a non-stop, action packed classic that's filled with cheesy jokes, tributes to past appearances, and stunning visuals.

The story is your basic, Batman vs. Joker and his gang of super villains feat. Throw in the new police commissioner Barbara Gordon, Alfred the butler and Dick Grayson the orphan boy, and you've got a cast of colorful characters which can't be beat.

But underneath all the silly jokes, playful dialogue, and awesome ridiculous music, is a movie that has real heart. I actually saw a lot of myself in this film! Batman is a lonely man, whether he wants to admit it or not, and is forced to accept that working as a team is the only way to defeat the joker. And somewhere along the way, maybe he'll discover his true friends (and enemies!), and perhaps have the family he's been longing for all along. It's really about finding out who you truly are.

Both kids and adults will be entertained by this movie. There are lots of laugh out loud moments and a few sentimental ones as well. It is absolutley awesome and in the words of Batman, "that was fun!"

Now to try and find all the Lego Batman minifigs the kids are begging for...

#3DSKidforaDay at the Nintendo Gaming Lounge

2016-07-23T18:44:00.001-07:00

San Diego Comic-Con gets crazier every year, with bigger displays, more people and a myriad of outside events for the whole family. But the highlight for my kids is definitely visiting the Nintendo Gaming Lounge!

After a full day of experiencing as much of Comic-Con as we could handle, the kids finally had a chance to experience the Play Nintendo Tour through a special sneak peak of the new Nintendo 3DS XL.

We were treated to a much needed, delicious pizza dinner and then headed off to the lounge to play some games!

Beloved classic games like Super Mario were a big hit - just look at that face!

Bean was selected to take part in a super fun tournament for a chance to win prizes.

The lounge was decorated with awesome displays. Bean loved the giant Kirby and Pokemon ball. Luigi himself even made an appearance!

Pinga discovered a new (to her) show and game called Yo-Kai Watch. She spent a good part of the evening chilling and watching the show. Both kids are now kinda obsessed. I have to say that the physical watch that you can buy in stores sounds pretty cool!

She also found a girlie game that she loved called Style Savvy: Fashion Forward, which is launching on August 19th. How cute is this setup with the vanity?!

You can experience all the fun of the Nintendo lounge too, for one more day. Come on Sunday, July 24th to the Marriott Marquis Marina hotel and experience the fun from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Happy gaming!

In Theaters Now - The BFG

2016-07-01T13:57:00.002-07:00

As a child, my absolute favorite author was Roald Dahl. I pored over his books, and read every title multiple times. His way of storytelling fascinated me and I strived (and still do!) to write books that would leave a touch of magic and a sprinkle of inspiration in every reader's mind.

Out of all the books I read, the one I loved best of all was The BFG. It had everything - ghastly giants, a poor orphan, the Queen of England, dream blowing, and of course, the Big Friendly Giant. Everything about it was perfect, and so I was curious to see how it would translate to the big screen.

I was not disappointed. Steven Spielberg directs this imaginative story of young Sophie and the Giant who introduces her to the wonders and perils of Giant Country. The BFG, while a giant himself, is a Big Friendly Giant and nothing like the other inhabitants of Giant Country. The film captures the otherworldly feel of the book spectacularly, and with some pretty awesome special effects. I loved Sophie's spunk, and the gentle BFG with the great sense of humor. The dream catching sequences were absolutely gorgeous and the man-eating giants downright terrifying. The final scenes with the Queen of England are endearing and brought back all the feelings I had as a child reading the book.

A captivating movie with a whirlwind of emotions, both kids and adults will love it!

Put Me in the Story - Plus Win a Trip to the San Diego Zoo!

2016-06-08T19:42:00.001-07:00

We feel lucky to live in San Diego - perfect weather, plenty of family fun activities, plus awesome attractions like the San Diego Zoo! What's even more awesome is that Put Me in the Story and National Geographic Kids personalized books are celebrating San Diego Zoo's 100th Anniversary The Little Explorer Drawing Contest. If you've ever wanted to visit this world famous zoo, now's your chance! This is us at the zoo, only because it's one of my favorite pictures. Yes, that is an elephant in the background.

And here are the rules!

To Enter: Adults 18+ can fill out the form on the contest page to enter. Plus download a free coloring page on the contest page. For extra contest entries, share a photo of your child’s drawing on their coloring page with the hashtag #ColorAndExplore or by uploading the drawing directly to the contest page. The contest runs until July 8th, 2016.

1 GRAND PRIZE WINNER will receive:
· Family vacation to San Diego to visit the San Diego Zoo for their 100th Anniversary!
4-days/3-nights for a family of 4! Includes flights, hotel, & zoo admission.
· National Geographic Little Kids Book of Animals and National Geographic Little Kids Book of Dinosaurs personalized books

2 RUNNER-UP WINNERS will receive:
· National Geographic Little Kids Book of Animals and National Geographic Little Kids Book of Dinosaurs personalized books
· 1-year subscriptions to National Geographic Kids magazine and National Geographic Magazine.

So, you know how it sometimes seems like the first child in the family gets everything, and then the second one kinda gets the leftovers? Not that I would know anything about that. But, since Bean already had a really cool personalized book with his name all over it, I was excited to finally get one for Pinga too! I decided to get her the National Geographic Little Kids Book of Animals.

We haven't gotten it in the mail yet, but she is going to love it! She actually reads Bean's all the time and loves searching for his name so it's only fair that she gets her own book! There is also a dinosaur themed book, and both books come in paperback or hardcover. They are also super easy to personalize and include all sorts of fun facts, trivia, and pretty pictures. I was able to include a personal message and add a picture as well. This book will definitely be treasured always!

Taste of Mama Sparkles - New Seasonal Salads at Boudin SF!

2016-03-21T12:00:00.002-07:00

*Click the Columns tab to see an explanation of Taste of Mama Sparkles.

I've always been a huge fan of sourdough bread. And Boudin Bakery seems to do it best. I mean, just look at this crab. Who wouldn't want to devour that in one sitting?!

Seriously tasty bread. So, I knew that Boudin had fantastic bread...which also means that their sandwiches are the bomb because of the bread. But, I hadn't tried their salads before. I've never been a huge salad eater. Perhaps it's because of the all the sad, pale iceberg lettuce and wilty cucumber and tomato combinations out there. They just don't taste that great. I like a little substance to my salad, which surprisingly is kinda hard to find.

I was willing to give Boudin's salads a shot though - because if they can make delicous sourdough bread in the shape of a crab, they should be able to make a decent salad, right? Luckily, my suspicions were absolutely correct!

At the San Diego blogger event, Chef Alan (who is awesome by the way), presented four salads to us. Each one was totally unique, and there was not one hint of iceberg lettuce, wilted cucumbers or pale tomatoes to be seen.

Instead, we were treated to spring mix, baby spinich and crunchy romained lettuce. These salads were packed with yummy things like chicken, green beans, goat cheese, beets and mangoes. As a "salad hater" I just could not get enough! These are the salads we got to try:

These are the Mango & Red Quinoa, Bacon, Blue & Beets, Forbidden Rice & Chicken Sesame and Lemony Couscous salads. I loved them all, but if I had to choose a favorite it would be a toss up between the Mango & Red Quinoa and the Bacon, Blue & Beets salads. The mangoes were super fresh with just the right amount of quinoa, red grapes and goat cheese. The house-made citrus vinaigrette was delicous! And how can you go wrong with bacon, blue cheese and beets? The answer is, you can't. This salad was jam packed with hearty goodness, including chicken, green beans, spiced walnuts and ranch dressing.

Needless to say, I will be back very soon for more salad AND for some crab bread! If you try any of these seasonal salads, let me know what you think!

What about you? What's your favorite item at Boudin Bakery?

Zootopia - In Theaters Now!

2016-03-10T12:55:00.000-08:00

Disney's 55th animated feature, Zootopia, makes your wildest dreams come true with a mammal metropolis featuring a small town bunny named Judy Hopps, a cunning fox named Nick Wilde and a hilarious slow-moving sloth employee at the DMV.

I really didn't know what to expect going into the movie, but I was pleasantly surprised. Seeing as my secret ambition is to be a detective, the "whodunit" nature of the plot had me thrilled. The film is filled with hilarious scenes, plenty of slapstick comedy and even some friendly jokes Disney itself. In addition, adults can appreciate the film noir feel, as well as some clever pop culture references. I myself didn't even see the twist at the end coming. So much for my detective skills!

The message behind the movie is simple enough - believe in yourself and don't judge others by how they look. Zootopia delivers it so eloquently and in a sophistocated way without compromising all the fun. It was so refreshing to see a new take on the issues discussed and presented in such an entertaining way. My whole family loved it and could easily watch it again. Two paws up!

Avengers 2 Movie Review by Hubby

2015-04-30T22:49:00.000-07:00

Go see Avengers: Age of Ultron. That's what a savvy, cynical product review reader would expect to see here. Without sacrificing any journalistic integrity though, I can say that a great product doesn't rely on word of mouth. You don't need me to tell you to go see Avengers: Age of Ultron. If you're reading this, you've probably already bought your tickets. Good for you. A movie this big doesn't need me or you and yet it feels like it was made for all of us because it is. Just. That. Big. This isn't your usual plot-driven movie review because Avengers: Age of Ultron isn't your usual plot-driven costumed caper. Also, I'm going to make this shorter than my last movie review.

They say that a hero is only as interesting as the villain they must face. Speaking of faces, any villain without a prominent nose reminds me of Voldemort from the Harry Potter franchise. Ultron, the titular villain in this Avengers movie sequel, doesn’t have a nose. He’s a robot so he doesn’t really need one. His creator, Iron Man, doesn’t have a nose either and this brings us back to the symbiotic link between heroes and villains. Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man was already an interesting character, with or without a nose, and long before any sequels came along. What Ultron provides is an “ultra” version of Iron Man, a funhouse mirror of only his best and worst traits. It makes you wonder if “ultra” versions of Captain America, Thor, or even Harry Potter could make those less nuanced characters more interesting.

Is Ultron a better villain than Voldemort, or Loki from the first Avengers movie? I’m almost tempted to say yes, but I admit that his rage is far less meaningful. He essentially boils down to fear (which I consider to be a truer opposite of love than hate). He has no love for anything, not even himself, as he tries to “evolve” the mirror image of his creator. What he does have over Voldemort or Loki is direct contact with more and newer characters, and that’s what sequels are really about (Wakanda!). The Quicksilver character in Age of Ultron may not provide the laughs that the Quicksilver in last year’s X-Men: Days of Future Past did, but he (SPOILER ALERT) personally saves way more people. I'm just glad that Disney bought Marvel so that Ultron could sing Pinocchio's song from Stromboli's puppet show because every villain deserves good theme music.

Mama Sparkles Holiday Gift Guide - Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved

2014-12-18T12:12:00.002-08:00

Welcome to Mama Sparkles' Holiday Gift Guide! This week, I'll be sharing a few of my favorite gift ideas for everyone on your list. Be sure to check back often as I add more items.

If you're a Disney fan who likes rhythm/motion games, you need to play this:

This new innovative game for the Xbox One, allows players to enter the magical realm of Fantasia. The concept is loosely based on the original Fantasia short starring Mickey Mouse. The goal of the game is to match the on screen patterns with your hands and arms. It's brilliant. One or two players can play, and the game requires Kinect. Last weekend we went to Disneyland, and Bean couldn't wait to get to Innoventions so he could play the game. I think it's fast becoming one of his favorites:

He even had a few cast members commenting on what an awesome player he was! The eclectic song list includes a great mix of classical pieces as well as modern ones. The graphics are also gorgeous and add some great dimension to the game. It's so easy to just pick this one up and start playing immediately. Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved is available on Amazon. Is this on your wish list this year?

A Disney Christmas (plus New Ways To See Disneyland)

2014-12-15T21:35:00.000-08:00

I don't need to convince anyone how amazing Disneyland Resort is during the holidays. Here's what we did on our recent trip last weekend for Family Media Day:

DON'T MISS

Jingle Jangle Jamboree is bursting with holiday spirit! This is the place to go to see plenty of Disney characters, shows, crafts, a petting zoo, plus you can meet Santa and Mrs. Claus! The decorations are top notch, as usual.

A Christmas Fantasy Parade had our kids smiling the entire time. It really is spectacular to see so many Disney characters all at once. Santa is the highlight at the end, but this was delightful from start to finish.

Certain rides take on a holiday spin, with Haunted Mansion Holiday, Jingle Cruise and It's A Small World Holiday. Try and ride Small World Holiday at night because really, is there anything more beautiful than this?

YOU MIGHT MISS (If you're not looking)

And now, here a few things you might miss if you're not looking carefully. We're always looking for new things at Disneyland, and this time we tried to look at things from a different perspective.

We've all walked by Monstro, but have you ever noticed how cool the water reflection looks?

Get a good look at who's making your popcorn...by the way, Disneyland's popcorn is the best I've ever had. No joke.

While our son was busy playing video games at Innoventions, we noticed this eloquent quote on the wall.

How's this for natural beauty? Anybody know what kind of fruit that is?

A sea of Baymax balloons - not hard to spot, but too beautiful not to share.

Who knew that the beautiful Grand Californian Hotel also had a Santa in the lobby? Pinga was overjoyed to see him.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Special thanks to Disneyland Resort for giving us a magical day at the parks!

Mama Sparkles Holiday Gift Guide - Disney Princess Hairstyle Books

2014-12-15T10:57:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Mama Sparkles' Holiday Gift Guide! This week, I'll be sharing a few of my favorite gift ideas for everyone on your list. Be sure to check back often as I add more items.

It's so much fun having a little girl...but I have no idea what to do with her hair! Most of time it's just hanging in her face. I don't think this makes her very happy.

Let's try something different, shall we? I received these two books to review and to help me with my dilemma:

Disney Princess Hairstyles: 40 Amazing Princess Hairstyles with Step by Step Images and Disney Frozen Hairstyles: Inspired by Anna and Elsa are beautifully put together and offer clear, concise directions for creating gorgeous hairstyles. Classics like Cindrella's bun, Elsa's Frozen braid plus other favorites from Rapunzel, Snow White, Tiana, Belle, Pocohontas, Merida, Belle, Ariel, and Aurora are all represented here. There's also a helpful braiding tutorial at the beginning of each book:

All hairstyles are shown with a colorful, attractive backdrop on a real model so you can see what it's actually supposed to look like:

Okay, here's my attempt at doing hair for my princess. We went with Belle, since that's her favorite.

Not bad for a first attempt at doing hair, right?! There was quite a bit of squirming involved, but even so, I think she looks beautiful and definitely a lot happier. Both books are available on Amazon and make wonderful holiday gifts!

Our #Disneykids Preschool Party!

2014-11-24T10:00:00.001-08:00

I feel like we just recovered from Halloween and am going crazy thinking about Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other various projects that need to get done. So of course we decided to add a party into the mix, Disney style! Disney sent us an awesome box of goodies for us to throw a preschool playdate, which got Pinga extremely excited.

To ensure we didn't go completely bonkers, we opted to keep things simple and just let the kids let loose and have tons of fun.

Pinga dressed up as Princess Belle and anxiously awaited the arrival of her little friends.

We served pizza because it's delicious and kids love it. Plus, it was awesome not having to cook!

Thanks to the amazing toys and activities we were sent, the kids were pretty much occupied for the rest of the evening. They colored, made Disney fortune tellers, and played with puzzles, an awesome Mega Bloks car and a Barbie house that Pinga had been begging to put together all week. After some root beer floats for dessert, they played a bit more before calling it a night. Our guests got some fun goodies to take home and Disney memories were made!

Thank you to Disney for providing such a fun box of supplies to host a fun party!

Home Cookin' Chicken 'n Waffles with Chick-Fil-A

2014-11-17T15:21:00.000-08:00

It's no secret that we are huge eaters of all things Chick-fil-A. Our kids seem to think that where there's cows, there's chicken to be had which, in our case is actually pretty accurate.

*Insert obligatory cute pictures here:

There's also this cool thing called the Chick-fil-A Mom's Club which I'm a part of. Aside from getting to offer valuable input and feedback, I also occasionally get treated to yummy goodies. The #DressUpYourNuggets promotion is my opportunity to share with you my best semi-homemade idea to dress up those addictively delicious chicken nuggets. I came up with two different ways to serve CHICKEN 'N WAFFLES because really...is there anything more satisfying?

We'll start with the easy way:

Step 1: Get a box of mini Eggo waffles. Sure, you could make your own waffles, but why on earth would you want to do that? Plus, these are way cuter. And don't forget the Chick-fil-A chicken nuggets!

Step 2: Toast the waffles. You can do that, right? Put them on a plate. You can even make pretty patterns, if you like.

Step 3: Stick some butter in the middle of the waffles, drizzle with your favorite syrup, and eat it all up!

Okay, now for my gourmet version.

This is what you would serve at a party, or if you wanted to make it seem like you have some mad cooking skills. The thing is, it's still totally easy, which is key. Get a load of this:

Seriously? How cute is that?! Okay, the trick here is the adorable mini plate. In this case, I used one from my daughter's play kitchen. Spread the waffle with a bit of butter - honey butter if you wanna be extra fancy, delicately place a chicken nugget on top, and drizzle lightly with syrup.

Enjoy - I know I did.

A Disney Halloween (plus Five Ways To Stay Cool at Disneyland)

2014-10-08T23:42:00.002-07:00

This past weekend, my family got to check out Disneyland Resort for Family Media Day. Halloween Time is such an awesome time to visit!

THINGS TO DO

For starters, there are the fun, spooky costumed characters to interact with:

There are creative pumpkin carvers and crafts at the Halloween Carnival at Big Thunder Ranch. You can also pet animals and watch a magic show here:

And rides like The Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain get spooky, ghostly makeovers:

At the media reception, we also had the opportunity to pose for a Disney silhouette. I highly recommend visiting the Disney Silhouette Studio on Main Street and getting one of these done...only takes five minutes and these guys are magicians with scissors! This makes for such a sweet souvenir, and Pinga's came out great:

STAYING COOL

And now for some tips on staying cool! October tends to be a hot month at Disneyland, and this day was no exception. That didn't take away from the fun though! Here are five things we did to beat the heat:

1) Visit the Animation Academy at California Adventure

This place is huge and we had a blast chatting with Crush the Turtle, creating simple animation and interacting with all the cool exhibits. Bean was fascinated with the zoetropes. It's all indoors and if you wanna just relax, you can take a seat in the main foyer and watch the cartoons on the walls.

2) Watch a Sneak Preview of Big Hero 6 at the Magic Eye Theater

Nothing's better than sitting in a cool theater on a hot day. The Magic Eye Theater in Tomorrowland offers up an exclusive sneak peak at Disney's latest animated feature. Big Hero 6 is presented in 4D, so be prepared for some exciting in-theater special effects! Both kids loved this, and we're looking forward to seeing the whole movie when it comes out.

3) Hang Out at Innoventions

One of Bean's favorite places at Disneyland is Innoventions, also located in Tomorrowland. He loves playing all the video games. Turns out, it's also quite cool inside. This time, he got to play a new game called Fantasia: Music Evolved for the Xbox One. It's a rhythm motion game that Bean happened to excel at. The cast members said he was the best player they had ever seen! Pinga also got in the action. Do me a favor and watch all 30 seconds of this video. Then try and tell me this isn't a genius way to wear out your kids:

4) Make Reservations At A Restaurant

Traveling with kids has made us realize that they get hungry. A lot. So this time, we decided to make a reservation at a restaurant and make sure that they get a proper meal. We chose to eat at The Blue Bayou, which turned out to be awesome. It got us out of the hot sun, plus the food and atmosphere were amazing. We got to see the boats of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride as they passed by, plus our drinks glowed! And take a look at this scrumptious pork chop, only available at Halloween Time. To die for!

5) Get Some Dole Whip and Chill At The Enchanted Tiki Room

Here's the skinny on Dole Whip: it's delicious. You can't not get it. And since you're getting it, you may as well eat it in comfort. Get it, then head to The Enchanted Tiki Room right next door, where you can sit, eat and hear the adorable birds sing. I guarantee it'll make you smile.

Finally, end your day by looking at this and you're golden:

Special thanks to Disneyland Resort for giving us a magical day at the parks!

Magical Moments with Disney Poster-A-Page

2014-07-16T14:55:00.000-07:00

Time Home Entertainment Inc. recently released a series of Poster-A-Page books. Two books, Disney Princess: Fairy Tale Moments and Disney Junior Sofia the First: Practice Makes Perfect are now available. My little princess Pinga spent all day with her book.

The Disney Princess: Fairy Tale Moments book has 100 glossy, full color pages for her to flip through, and all of her favorite princesses are in there! She talks non-stop about Snow White, Belle, Aurora...she loves them all! The pages feature inspirational or fun sayings on them as well.

These are no ordinary pages, either! They are actually posters. Each page is perforated, and easily removable. Nine supersize pull out posters are included, and are great to use as room decorations, door signs or festive backgrounds. Pinga has hers hanging up on the wall beside her bed.

There is also one large coloring poster page. Pinga had a lot of fun with this.

These books retail for $12.95. Which one is your favorite?

Armadons!

2014-06-13T11:06:00.003-07:00

Bean has a new toy:

That right there, is an Armadon. Basically, it's a really cool transforming motarized robot which for boys, is a dream come true! This particular Armadon is Thorn, one of the Stealth Fighters - this bad boy attaches to his wrist and launches into action with the touch of a button. If you launch them onto a smooth surface, you can then slide, spin or race them around. Drone Fighters Aerial Fighters and Ground Fighters are also available. Add another Armadon and a friend to the mix, and you could have some awesome battle action!

Bean had a lot of fun with this. He gets a kick out of pushing the button and watching it fly off his wrist! Plus, the idea of a transforming robot that comes to life is pretty sweet to him.

Armadons are reasonably priced at $9.99 - $19.99. Get yours at Toys"R"Us!

Thank you to Armadons and Maria Bailey for this review opportunity.

Maleficent - The Untold Story

2014-05-30T14:27:00.000-07:00

For those who have been counting down the days until opening day of Maleficent, the wait is finally over! I had the privilege of seeing an advanced screening of the movie Wednesday night. I wasn't sure where Disney was going to take this story, but it was definitely entertaining!

The original animated Sleeping Beauty film paints Maleficent as a pure figure of evil. But we all know that there are two sides to every story. In similar fashion to the musical Wicked, this movie absorbs the villains back story and gives us those missing details of her character that we didn't get to see the first time around.

Turns out, Maleficent actually has a pretty interesting story of unrequited love. At times you actually feel really sorry for her, and those moments where she's soft hearted (like when she's looking out for the baby Aurora) are extremely touching. Like the movie Frozen, we get to see what it means to truly love somebody. Don't worry though - there are still plenty of awesome evil moments, played impeccably by Angelina Jolie. And? The baby playing Princess Aurora has got to be the cutest baby I have ever seen (besides my own babies, of course!)

The complexity of the characters drives the story and makes for an entertaining movie. The scenes are gorgeously shot, although I could have done without so much CGI. The movie is also quite dark at times - I wouldn't bring my young kids to this, but kids older than eight years old would probably get more enjoyment out of it.

Maleficent is rated PG and opens in theaters everywhere today, May 30th.

Princess Pinga - Disney Princess Costumes Review

2014-05-29T22:18:00.000-07:00

Pinga is a typical little girl, which means she loves princesses! Especially Disney princesses. Maybe it's because we showed her the movies. Or perhaps because her bedspread has princesses on it. Then again, it's probably because I call her my little princess. Whatever the reason, she loves them and always wants to dress up like one.

Anyway, I showed her Beauty and the Beast, and ever since she saw the movie, she's wanted Belle's pretty yellow dress. I actually think Pinga looks a lot like Belle, so I was excited to get Belle's Sparkle Deluxe Children's Costume for her from Wholesale Halloween Costumes. Here she is:

She's talking on her princess phone because that's what they do, you know. She puts the costume on, then pretends to be Belle and calls her other princess friends. Adorable. The costume itself? Is awesome. Not only does it come with the dress, but it also includes the petticoat and headband. She already had the shoes, so this is perfect. The costume has great detail and feels soft and comfy. It also seems quite durable - a huge plus, since she's been wearing it practically every day. I can only imagine what she would do with the Belle tiara and wand that are also available. She'd flip! She really does look like Belle, don't you think? The website has a lot more Disney Princesses to choose from too, so this just may the first of many more to come. Ariel or Aurora may be next!

San Diego Saturday - Suzie's Farm

2014-04-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to San Diego Saturday! Updated as needed, this column is where I'll provide info about noteworthy events, attractions and fun things to do around town.

Earlier this week, Pinga and I went on a tour of Suzie's Farm. Some of the delicious produce from this organic farm had been in my Farmer's Market Box from Specialty Produce, so I knew it was good stuff. But I had no idea it was so close to my home! It's comforting to know that there's a plethora of healthy fruits, vegetables, and herbs practically in our backyard, and that the education for learning how food is grown is literally at our fingertips.

The farm is gorgeous, and our tour included visiting the chickens, and gathering up fresh veggies for a fun craft.

On our way to pick veggies, we passed by these beautiful strawberries. It turns out that they are for the Strawberry Jam, which is TODAY. If you're free from 10am to 4pm, definitely check it out. There will be strawberry picking, face painting, a kids zone, scavenger hunt, live music and more. Sounds like a great way to spend the day!

After picking our veggies, we got to make "Frankenveggies"! Here is ours:

We enjoyed a scrumptious lunch from Indulge Contemporary Catering, which included duck, lentils, pasta, stuffed veggies and squash soup. It was heavenly. In addition, we learned about the variety of summer camps held at the farm. Each week long camp has a particular focus and they all sound so incredibly interesting and fun! Kids can learn about farm animals, farm tools, art and even take cooking lessons. I would love to sign up for them all!

Thank you to Suzie's Farm for a delightful day!

Suzie's Farm
2570 Sunset Ave.
San Diego, CA 92154

Disney Springtime!

2014-04-23T17:33:00.004-07:00

What better way to celebrate a delightful Springtime day than to spend it at Disneyland? Easter weekend, we made a last minute trip to Anaheim and decided it wouldn't be right to not wish Mickey and his friends a Happy Easter! Disneyland kindly gave us tickets to the Happiest Place on Earth. But first, we had to make a stop at Wondercon and see Wall-E. Both Bean and Pinga are obsessed. Wall-E has enchanted Pinga to the point where she refuses to watch anything else.

Time for Disneyland! Pinga had also been talking non-stop about Minnie Mouse. Their meeting was magical.

On this trip, I wanted to seek out some of the lesser known, unusual things about the park that people might overlook. "Easter Eggs", if you will. So we found this cannon in Town Square:

There are actually two of these, and they were used by the French Army during the 1800's.

I have a fascination with mailboxes...I still love to send and receive mail the old fashioned way. Every time I come across an unusual mailbox, I take a picture. There are a few at Disneyland, but this one's my favorite. It's a real mailbox too, so next time you go to Disneyland, send a letter to a friend!

I had always noticed the vehicles on Main Street, but it never really registered to me that people can ride them. So that is precisely what we did. The kids were so excited about their ride to Sleeping Beauty Castle in the fire engine!

We had wanted to do the official Easter Egg scavenger hunt, but the resort was out of maps. So we had fun looking for the eggs on our own:

Now here's something you don't see every day. Bean was tired after a few hours, so we sat down at the Springtime Roundup to rest. He was hot and thirsty too, so when the lively hoedown show began with dancers performing with the children, he was in no mood to participate. The dancing must have had some kind of effect on him though, because he joined right in for the next song. As if that wasn't enough, Pinga, who is very shy and never approaches anyone on her own, leaped out of stroller and ran to dance with one of the ladies. It was amazing, and it could only have happened at Disneyland.

She couldn't stop talking about it afterwards. More magical moments from our day:

As we were leaving, we were privy to one more secret. Bean wanted a hand stamp on both hands, and the cast member kindly told him that they only do stamps on the left hand. Why? Because Mickey Mouse is left handed. Walt Disney created Mickey Mouse in his mirror image - Walt Disney was right handed, therefore Mickey is left handed. What a perfect way to end the day.

Thank you to Disney for another magical day at Disneyland!

Disneynature's Bears = Warm Fuzzies

2014-04-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

This past week, our whole family had a date at the movies to see an advanced screening of the latest Disneynature title, Bears.
I've been wanting to see this movie for a while, solely for the fact that hubby kinda reminds me of a bear. Also, I thought that the trailer looked adorable and the kids would probably enjoy the movie as well.

Bears delivered all this, and much more. Yes, there is one bear in particular that looks almost exactly like hubby, and the cubs are almost too cute. The narration has a tendency to get a little cheesy (which I think the kids actually liked) and create unnecessary drama at times, but the cinematography more than makes up for it.

The movie is absolutely gorgeous. It felt like we were right there with the bears - the credits actually show that the filmmakers were in fact quite close to them, which surprised me. There are some breathtaking scenes, including one of the cubs playing at the beach, that will make you feel all warm and fuzzy. There are also a couple of good bear fights. It's fascinating to watch the bears catch fish, and to see the way they react to other wildlife. It's amazing to see the sacrifices that these bears go through, and the hardships that they endure.

Most of all, I enjoyed the parallels between the bears and ourselves. Sky, the mother bear reminded me of my own mother, with the love that she has for me, and the valuable lessons that she taught me. The cubs are exactly like my children; Bean is like the male cub, always running off and getting into mischief. My Pinga is exactly like the female cub. She sticks close to mom, no matter what.

Disneynature's Bears opens in theaters today. Go see it, and don't miss the end credits. Enter the world of bears, and hug your teddy bear a little closer tonight.

Foot Races Are the New Car Chases

2014-04-04T11:18:00.000-07:00

Let me tell you about a hot date I went on with my wife. No, this isn’t Mama Sparkles. It’s Hubby again, with a guest movie review of Captain America: The Winter Soldier. I say “hot” because we’re talking about an action movie sequel and on a funny side note, it was announced before the screening that it would be “overwhelmingly loud,” so it could’ve been “hot” in that the theater speakers nearly exploded. My wife says my reviews have too many tangents and my sentences are too long, so I apologize for that.

Back to the movie, anyone going into any sequel wants two things (whether they realize it or not): something (1) more and something from (2) before. It’s obvious that by “more” I mean more action or comedy, bigger budgets and better special effects. But a successful sequel shouldn’t just expand on top of the original movie, it should deepen its roots. By “before” I mean character background that precedes the original movie without contradicting it, context as opposed to content.

Captain ‘Merica (as the guy sitting behind me pronounced it) definitely has more action and more comedy. Where the original movie had (spoiler alert) a death at the end, this sequel starts off with a death and who doesn’t love a good murder mystery? There’s a deeper political context this time around (although I’m going to leave that open for you to interpret how you will) and most importantly (to me anyway), the relationship dynamics between Cap (Chris Evans) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) are deepened.

Yes, The Winter Soldier makes for a hot date. I say “hot” because we’re talking about some good, old-fashioned sexual tension. If you don’t care about superheroes but you do like romance, you should still watch this for something that I never saw coming. At first I didn’t get it (typical aloof guy that I am) when the superheroine kept trying to set our hero up with different people. By the time they reach a certain underground bunker (metaphor for “deep”), his all-business-and-no-pleasure mentality becomes apparent for what it really is, her unrequited love.

Be still my beating heart! Not only that, but the actress they got to play title character’s actual love interest, Agent 13 (Emily VanCamp), was always my pick to play Katchoo, the love interest in a Strangers in Paradise adaptation, another comic book movie with love triangles that probably won't get made. Now if you don’t care about other comic book characters but you do like celebrity cameos, you should still stay through the '60s-style
end credits for the DOUBLE ZINGER. That’s right, not one, but two different sneak peeks of future franchise films starring Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson (who will both appear in the remake of Godzilla, my most anticipated movie of 2014)! Awww, I’m a nerd, but thanks for reading me on Mama Sparkles.

Our DisneySide Celebration!

2014-03-27T22:12:00.001-07:00

Last month, I had the opportunity to host a Disney Side Home Celebration. This meant that we got to have an awesome party at our home with this amazing kit that was sent to us:

Try spinning the American Tourister luggage - I bet you can't do it just once.

Any excuse to have a party is fine by us...especially if it involves Disney! In addition to all the cute Mickey cups, plates and decorations, there were other great items as well. Mickey cookie cutters, HP photo paper, stickers, and fun games all played a role in our party.

We decided to bring a bit of Disney magic to our guests and recreate one of our favorite moments. Ariel's Grotto at Disney's California Adventure is a delectable place to eat. In fact, I posted about it here. We love the three tiered presentation of the appetizer plate, so that's what we did for our party:

We served cucumber mint and egg salad tea sandwiches, along with scones and cut strawberries. We also cut up cheese, meat and bread with the Mickey cookie cutters to make sandwiches. It was all delicious!

We also did a little cookie decorating:

My mom was in town and she showed off her mad face painting skills:

The adults enjoyed playing Disney Bingo and Disney Trivia. We also used the tablecloth that came in our party kit and used it as a backdrop for our photo booth. I downloaded the Disney Memories HD app on my iPod Touch and took cute pictures of all the kids. Then we printed them out on our HP photo paper, so people could take home a souvenir.

Thank you to Disney for providing the party kit and allowing us to show our Disney Side with such a fun party!