'Tis The Season...

New Holiday CD Releases 11/8/11

2011-11-08T00:00:00.001-08:00

~Christmas~

David Ian - Vintage Christmas

Slugs & Bugs Christmas

New Holiday DVD & Blu-Ray Releases 11/8/11

2011-11-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

~Christmas~

To Have A Shoe Box Party!

2011-11-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again for packing shoe boxes! For 18 years Operation Christmas Child has been delivering shoe boxes filled with toys, trinkets and other goodies to children in impoverished nations around the world. It's one of the simplest, and may I say most fun, ways to give back during this holiday season. It has becomes by far one of the most successful charities, which millions of people take part in each year.

This is something you can do as an individual, as a packing party with friends or organize with your church. I can't think of a better way to get your children excited about giving as well!

To make sure the children get these packages by Christmas, the drop off dates at 11/14-11/21. You can use regular shoe boxes, plastic shoe boxes or even the ones made by OCC. Just make sure you get all the info you need about what kinds of things to send, how to properly package your shoe boxes, and where to drop them off. All this information and more is listed on the Operation Christmas Child website:

http://www.samaritanspurse.org/occ

Personally, having a party is my personal favorite way to go! It's the perfect time to have a little pre-Christmas celebrations with snacks, music and friends. It also allows everyone to share bulk packages. Whatever way you choose to do it, it's sure to be a blessing to you as well as the children who receive it!

Related Post: Donate A Shoe Box

New Holiday CD Releases 11/1/11

2011-11-01T00:00:00.001-07:00

~Christmas~

Carole King - A Holiday Carole

Libera - The Christmas Album

Elf: The Musical [Cast Recording]

New Holiday DVD & Blu-Ray Releases 11/1/11

2011-11-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

~Christmas~

Happy Halloween!!!

2011-10-31T09:36:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween from 'Tis The Season! Hope all you ghouls have a truly defrightful evening!

New Holiday CD Releases 10/25/11

2011-10-25T00:00:00.001-07:00

Big releases by Michael Bublé and She & Him! Also featuring samples from Vanessa Peters new album, which is certain to bring warmth to your holidays!

~Christmas~

Michael Bublé - Christmas

She & Him - A Very She & Him Christmas

Vanessa Peters - The Christmas We Hoped For

New Holiday DVD & Blu-Ray Releases 10/25/11

2011-10-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

The highlight this week are the new collections featuring holiday themed episodes from some of the most popular BBC television shows! We also have several other collections filled with plenty of made-for-TV Christmas movies sure to keep you full of good cheer!

~Christmas~

Halloween Light Show!

2011-10-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

We all know, there is no end to the fun stuff you can find on YouTube! Here are a couple songs from a clever Halloween light show I stumbled upon. Can't imagine how long it takes to program something like this, but it sure is fun to watch. There are plenty more light shows like this that can be found on YouTube to watch. Or if you are feeling really inspired you might consider doing your own light show! If so, Light-O-Rama is the perfect website to get you started. Enjoy the show!

Christmas Halloween Costumes?

2011-10-20T00:00:00.001-07:00

Who says you can't mix Christmas with Halloween? If you're looking for some Christmas costume fun for Halloween this year, we found just the thing! Here is just a sample of what can be found on the website for "A Christmas Story House". The best part is that after Halloween you can dig it back out for the annual Christmas party or event you plan to attend. If you order now, you can automatically upgrade to FedEx Express 2 Day shipping!

Deluxe Bunny Suit Pajamas from Aunt Clara

Leg Lamp Dress Costume

Standard Buddy the Elf Costume

Deluxe Jovi the Elf Costume

Christmas Vacation Cousin Eddie Combo - Moose Mug & Dickie

Click here to see more!

New Yankee Candle Holiday Scents For 2011

2011-10-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

It wouldn't quite feel like the holidays to me without the room being full of a delicious Yankee Candle scent. Everyone has their old favorites, but check out what's new for 2011!

Also, be sure to pick up some of their brilliant new Perfect Pillars, now available in Fall & Winter scents, 2 for $25! When it comes to decorating with these, the possibilities are endless. Not to mention all the things you can use the jar for when it's done!

New Holiday CD Releases 10/18/11

2011-10-18T08:09:00.000-07:00

New holiday CD releases are a little slim this week, but there is a great collection of Christmas tunes by Dave Koz and a super compilation of hymns & carols featuring artists on the Christian label, Kingsway.

~Christmas~

Dave Koz - Ultimate Christmas Collection

Christmas Hymns & Carols

Pure Christmas

New Holiday DVD & Blu-Ray Releases 10/18/11

2011-10-18T00:00:00.000-07:00

Yo Ho Ho! Pirates be takin' over this Halloween! For Christmas we get a new Peanuts special, Aardman's Shaun The Sheep, plenty of Lifetime romance & more!

~Halloween~

~Thanksgiving~

~Christmas~

Fall Craft

2011-10-16T09:00:00.001-07:00

Looking for a fun, easy fall craft? Consider mini-pumpkin painting! It's as easy as it looks -- just pick a few of those super-cute mini pumpkins, get out some oil based/acrylic paint and let your creative juices flow.

Here are a few my kids did:

As you can see, they can be very non-traditional in color, though I've seen some done with pumpkin faces, fall scenes, leaves, etc.

Let us know if you try it.

New Holiday CD Releases 10/11/11

2011-10-11T00:00:00.001-07:00

We actually have some Halloween CDs coming out this time, along with one for Thanksgiving. Lots of goodies to check out!

~Halloween~

~Thanksgiving~

Craig Duncan - We Gather Together: 14 Thanksgiving Hymns

~Christmas~

Lori Mechem Quartet - Christmas Is Coming

Michael Londra - Beyond The Star

Songs & Story: Mickey's Christmas Around the World

New Holiday DVD & Blu-Ray Releases 10/11/11

2011-10-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

Not much to get excited about for Halloween this time around (aside from Casper), but a great selection of new Christmas!

~Halloween~

~Christmas~

Music For Autumn

2011-10-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

Just wanted share a project that both my co-author Kristin and I worked on together! A while back I completed a mini concept album called "Seasons". It contains 6 tracks that explore the 4 seasons and how they reflect different stages of life.

I recently put together videos for all 6 tracks, featuring gorgeous seasonal photos taken by Kristin in a New England setting. The only exception is the set of photos for "Summer", which were taken by me at the Great Lakes, Pacific Ocean & Atlantic Ocean.

To highlight this glorious time of year I have chosen to post the video for "Autumn", but you can view the entire video playlist on YouTube.

For more info visit these websites:
Jakki Jelene Official Website
Kristin Small Photography

New Holiday CD Releases 10/4/11

2011-10-04T00:00:00.001-07:00

Quite a few big releases by some of the Christian industry's hottest bands, along with the Jersey Boys, a new one by Chicago, a few reissues and many more!

~Christmas~

David Crowder Band - Oh For Joy

Matthew West - The Heart Of Christmas

TobyMac - Christmas In Diverse City

Kutless - This Is Christmas

Seasons Greetings: A Jersey Boys Christmas

Chicago - O Christmas Three

New Holiday DVD & Blu-Ray Releases 10/4/11

2011-10-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

OK this week we have a huge amount of releases! Some are reissues though.

~Halloween~

~Christmas~

Introducing The Kindle Fire!

2011-10-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

The holiday shopping season is around the corner and touch tablets are the new hot thing! Since the release of the iPad, everyone has wanted to get their hands on one. They are convenient, fun and miraculous devices when one considers the endless possibilities of all it can accomplish. Technology is fast evolving and many people also have concern that by the time they decide to splurge on one thing, something better comes along. At $500 a pop to start, it's no wonder some are still hesitant to jump on the iPad bandwagon. My husband was lucky enough to win one at work last Christmas, but if not for that I don't think it would be top priority for us either. That's not to say I haven't loved having it, in fact now it's hard to imagine life without it.

Well, for those still on the fence, Kindle Fire is a new kind of touch tablet that is sure to be one of the hottest items this Christmas season. So, what's it all about? Well, its function isn't exactly the same as all the other computer-like tablets, but has many of the most important features. For instance, it has a 7" color screen that allows you to browse the web, watch movies, install apps and games, and of course read books from the Kindle library. It also focuses heavily on utilizing Amazon's Cloud storage for media management.

So, what does Kindle Fire lack compared to the iPad 2? It only comes is one storage size of 8GB, there is no built in camera, has access to fewer apps, smaller screen & less battery time. This may all seem like small potatoes when you consider what you get for the price, but that's not all. No one has been able to use or review the Kindle Fire, so it's impossible to tell what other host of problems may pop up with a first generation device. Those who are pre-ordering do so at their own risk, though it may certainly be a risk worth taking.

So after considering all the pros and cons, still not quite ready to take the plunge? Well, the Kindle Fire is sure to create some stiff competition to the touch tablet world, so expect to see the price of other similar devices continue to go down. Given enough time and though, I'm sure you'll eventually find something that satisfies...at least until the next big thing comes along.

Visit the Kindle Fire website for more info or to pre-order!

Monster Madness At Cinemassacre!

2011-10-01T12:00:00.000-07:00

Every year Cinemassacre founder, James Rolfe (aka the Video Game Nerd), does a video series called Monster Madness for the entire month of October. Starting today, he will post a new video exploring a popular horror movie every day of the month. This year is SEQUEL-A-THON, which features an in depth look at one horror movie franchise each week, spanning the 30s to the 80s. Here is the trailer for 2011:

Kicking off the first week is Frankenstein, so if you are a fan of classic or modern horror, Monster Madness is not to be missed! Be sure to stop by each day if you don't want to miss out on this must-see Halloween tradition. For those who can't get enough Monster Madness, you can also revisit videos from year's past!

http://cinemassacre.com/category/moviereviews/monstermadness/

Warning: Contains graphic material, due to the nature of the subject.

Groovie Goolies!

2011-09-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

To follow our previous post about the Rankin & Bass Halloween specials, "Mad Monster Party" & "Mad Mad Mad Monsters", I thought I would also promote this "Groovie Goolies" DVD, released earlier this summer. "Groovie Goolies" was a Saturday morning (mourning) cartoon in the 70's produced by Filmation, and a spin off of the popular series, "The Archie Show".

Similar to the Rankin & Bass specials, this show primarily featured classic monsters, such as Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster & The Wolfman. They all hang out together in Horrible Hall, getting into wacky scrapes and banging out sugary hits as a band, all with a comedy style resembling Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. It's a fun, wholesome series to add to your Halloween viewing. It will be nostalgic for adults who grew up watching it, but I'm sure the kids will get a kick out of it as well. If you've never seen the show, check out the intro!

Related Post:
Mad Monsters!

Mad Monsters!

2011-09-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

Rankin & Bass are world famous for their heartwarming classic Christmas specials, but they also tried their hand at making 2 Halloween specials; "Mad Monster Party" (a similar stop motion style as Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer) & "Mad Mad Mad Monsters" (a traditional animated feature like Frosty The Snowman). Similar to the Christmas specials based on popular Children's songs, these specials seemed to be loosely based on the Halloween anthem, "The Monster Mash" by Bobby "Boris" Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers, and feature many of the same characters.

Although these seemed to fade into obscurity after their initial release, "Mad Monster Party" has had a bit of a resurgence after its release on DVD and has since developed a cult following, whereas "Mad Mad Mad Monsters" saw its debut release on DVD earlier this year.

Despite its new-found popularity, there is not much in the way of merchandise as there is for Rudolph & Frosty. So, I was excited to run across 2 sets of figures made by Funko, Series 1 featuring Werewolf, Frankenstein, Zombie Bellhop & Dracula, and Series 2 featuring Francesca, Mr. Hyde, Skeleton Band & Yetch. Unfortunately there was a very small limited number of these sets made and they have since sold out. It's a bummer, but my hope is that more people will show interest and either these figures will be re-released or new figures will be available in the future. I thought they were worth sharing just the same!

~Mad Monster Party Figures Series 1~

~Mad Monster Party Figures Series 2~

I guess my biggest question is, where is the figure of Baron Von Frankenstein, i.e. Uncle Boris? The closest I could find was this cold cast resin statue that is also no longer available. Doesn't appear to be related to the set either, but pretty awesome!

~Mad Monster Party Uncle Boris Statue~

For anyone who is truly interested in purchasing a set, the good news is that there are a few Series 2 sets available on Amazon. Perhaps you'll have luck finding the rest on Ebay!

To Celebrate National Coffee Day At 7-ELEVEN!

2011-09-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

Wake up and smell the coffee because tomorrow is National Coffee Day! To celebrate, stop into any participating 7-ELEVEN tomorrow morning between 7am-11am and you will get a FREE medium sized coffee of your choice. Not a bad way to start the day, and for those of us who love coffee and freebies, this is our kind of holiday!

New Holiday CD Releases 9/27/11

2011-09-27T00:00:00.001-07:00

~Christmas~

WOW Christmas

Harry Connick Jr. Trio - Music From The Happy Elf