Taken in part from the official description: In this 3D animated comedy, you’re introduced to the planet Baab. There, astronaut Scorch Supernova is a national hero. A master of daring rescues, Scorch pulls off astonishing feats with the quiet aid of his straight-laced brother, Gary, head of mission control at BASA. When BASA’s no-nonsense chief Lena informs the brothers of an SOS from a notoriously dangerous planet, Scorch rejects Gary’s warnings and bounds off for yet another exciting mission. But when Scorch finds himself caught in a fiendish trap set by the evil Shanker it’s up to scrawny, risk-adverse Gary to do the real rescuing. As the interplanetary stakes rise to new heights, Gary is left to save his brother, his planet, his beloved wife Kira and their adventure hungry son Kip.

Escape From Planet Earth stars Brendan Fraser, Rob Corddry, Jessica Alba, Sarah Jessica Parker, and William Shatner.

It’s a typical kids movie in many ways, but a fun one at that! It kept my kids’ attention, and that’s the biggest recommendation I can give.

And I have 2 copies to give away!

Win Escape From Planet Earth on Blu-Ray/DVD

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This giveaway is open to US only, age 18 or older. All contest entries must be submitted through Rafflecopter to be considered. I will notify the winner of the giveaway by email, after verification of entries. At which point winner has 24 hours to respond with their full shipping information, or a new winner will be drawn. Terms of Use.

I received the product free to review from the PR firm or company who is also supplying the prize for my readers. All opinions are mine.

TakeLessons.com has been in business since 2006, and has worked with over 30,000 students nationwide in over 30 subjects including guitar, singing, piano, drums, violin, dance, acting, and academic tutoring. They provide in home and in studio lessons. You can also take part in online lessons as long as you have a computer with a webcam, a Skype account, and a good Internet connection.

Safety and quality are their priorities, as such every instructor completes an extensive interview, training, and an annual criminal background check. They will assist with scheduling, initial coordination with the instructor, and billing. So all you have to worry about is enjoying your lessons! There is also a 100% money back guarantee.

I wish they had this available when I was a child, I may have been able to actually learn the guitar like I always wanted to do.

As a special offer to all readers, takelessons.com is offering 20% off all lessons packages. This offer is good from Thursday, May 23 through Tuesday, May 28 with special promotional code “MUSICMOM20“. Students can book online, or give us a call at 619-618-7460 to talk through options and pricing with a Student Counselor!

This is a sponsored post. All opinions are mine.

1. Balloons. I’ve always said it’s not a party in our house unless there’s balloons and my kids have come to expect waking up to a room full of helium color on their special day. This not only benefits the birthday kid, but every child invited. Because who doesn’t love balloons?

2. Invitations. Now our get-togethers are not large affairs. It’s mostly an afternoon spent with family. It’s still never a bad idea to send out invitations, however. Not only do they mark who, what, when, and where but it’s a beautiful way to remember the day. Luckily, I can get great deals on Vistaprint products, including birthday invitations.

3. Themes. As I said before, I’m not a stickler for decorations and detail, but I do like to tailor the theme of the party specifically for the child intended. The birthday before last for my son was all about The Avengers. This time, it was Angry Birds. Making it all about their favorite things is just another small way to make the day special.

The most important thing, though, is that your child has fun. Because when they look back on it, that’s really all they’re going to remember.

Opinions are mine. Link has been provided.

Aurora World Inc. has expanded its Sea Sparkles line to include new styles and sizes of its mermaid dolls. We were sent the 18″ Merissa doll to review and she really does shimmer and sparkle.

Each of these mermaids have long yarn hair and her dress is accented with a shiny jewel, giving it the feeling of something special and homemade. They’re soft, too, making it a great doll for a little girl to curl up with.

Aurora’s Sea Sparkles can be purchased at retail or online at the official Aurora shop. Depending on size, they range in price from $8-$70.

Aurora is offering free Shipping on orders over $50; use promo code: YooHoo13

Of course she had to make the mermaid ride the dog.

Win an 18″ Sea Sparkles Mermaid doll of your choice

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open to US and Canada only, age 18 or older. All contest entries must be submitted through Rafflecopter to be considered. I will notify the winner of the giveaway by email, after verification of entries. At which point winner has 24 hours to respond with their full shipping information, or a new winner will be drawn. Terms of Use.

I received the product free to review from the PR firm or company who is also supplying the prize for my readers. All opinions are mine.

Now, Minnie and Daisy have their very own magazine and chapter book series that are the perfect read for girls who embrace school, sports, fashion, and growing up.

In Minnie & Daisy B.F.F. Magazine, girls can read about the power of friendship, take quizzes, do fun crafts, learn about caring for pets, read about fashion and their favorite music, and play games. Surprise posters and comics are included, too! The magazine is at newsstands now at all major retail outlets nationwide for $4.99.

Then, there are the Minnie & Daisy B.F.F. chapter book series! In “Much Ado About Juliet“, their friendship is tested as Minnie and Daisy both find themselves vying for the same role in the school play. And in “The Pesky Pet“, Daisy volunteers to pet sit but gets in way over her head. Minnie has to come to the rescue!

At over 120 pages each, these chapter books are geared for tweens, with typical situations tween or teen girls find themselves in. My 4 year old daughter loved having me read a bit of these to her, however, and she adored the vivid cartoon pictures. What girl doesn’t love Minnie and Daisy, after all?

Win 2 Minnie & Daisy B.F.F. Chapter Books and the latest edition of the new Minnie & Daisy B.F.F. Magazine

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open to US only, age 18 or older. All contest entries must be submitted through Rafflecopter to be considered. I will notify the winner of the giveaway by email, after verification of entries. At which point winner has 24 hours to respond with their full shipping information, or a new winner will be drawn. Terms of Use.

I received the product free to review from the PR firm or company who is also supplying the prize for my readers. All opinions are mine.

If it’s not chocolate sauce on his shirt, his clothes carry more of what he just ate than his stomach, or markers coloring his hands, then I could need a formula for blood stain removal from his pants. Now don’t get concerned, it’s always minor. But he’s forever prone to skinned knees or, in the case of a few weeks back, a stray cat that he got too close to.

Only my son, I’m sure.

He’s my daredevil, I’ve always said. Not a fear or care in the world until he gets hurts. As such, he’s always in to something. Curious as he is. It’s not just him, however. My daughter isn’t so clean herself, and the two of them combined are a disaster. And so I’m always in need of an effective form of stain removal.

Not that I’m completely mess free myself. There is that tea stain I’m still trying to get out of the carpet.

Maybe they got it from me, now that I think about it.

Opinions are mine. Links have been provided.

And now I’m excited to be able to give a set of the Tinkertoys away to a lucky reader!

This set is designed especially to encourage girls to build, play and learn. You can create a castle, flower, cat and more using the included guide pictures, or better yet use your imagination and construct your own ideas.

These are like the Tinkertoys you may remember from your own childhood, with unique parts such as bendable rods, wheels, and eyes. The Pink Building set includes 150 durable, plastic pieces including American made rods and spools, and personality parts, buildable-figures and more. The packaging even doubles as a sturdy storage box!

These pieces come in all the bright colors that girls will love. There are plenty of pinks and purples and orange throughout. Though I have to say, my 7 year old son had fun building with them, as well.

I let Abby put together a few things herself just to get an idea of how the pieces fit. She caught on quick! And then she wanted to make a cat, so we worked on that together. I could not figure out how to put on the ears, though. Surely it was something simple that I just overlooked.

She didn’t seem to mind that her cat couldn’t hear, however. And we had a lot of fun. It’s been a week later now, and she’s still playing with her Tinkertoys. With finicky kids, that’s a sign of a good toy!

Suggested retail price for the Tinkertoys: Pink Building Set is $43.99. Ages 3+. Available now on knex.com, Target.com, TRU.com, Amazon.com and at toy retailers nationwide. You can find more information on the K’NEX website, Facebook page, and on Twitter.

And you can enter to win a set now! Good luck!

Win a Tinkertoy: Pink Building Set

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open to US only, age 18 or older. All contest entries must be submitted through Rafflecopter to be considered. I will notify the winner of the giveaway by email, after verification of entries. At which point winner has 24 hours to respond with their full shipping information, or a new winner will be drawn. Terms of Use.

As a K’NEX brand ambassador, I received the above free to review from the PR firm or company who is also supplying the prize for my readers. All opinions are mine.

We recently added Snoopy to our family, a 5 pound mop of a Yorkshire terrier. As you can see, he has a lot of hair. Luckily, his fur is hypo-allergenic and doesn’t shed, but it still needs a lot of upkeep to look its best.

In trying to keep an eye out for the best products for Snoopy, who has quickly found his place here in our home, I was introduced to the AvoDerm Challenge. By using AvoDerm® Natural premium dog food, they also have cat food as well, you will see a softer, shinier coat in just 6 weeks. Guaranteed! And I was happy to spread the word!

Everyone who signs up for the AvoDerm Challenge gets a $5 coupon and the opportunity to enter AvoDerm’s sweepstakes for a chance to win a year’s supply of AvoDerm.

AvoDerm® Natural premium dog and cat food formulas are loaded with high quality meat proteins, rich in omega 3 and 6 fatty acids from natural avocados and completely balanced for the total health of your pet.

You can find more information at the links below:

AvoDerm Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avodermnatural

AvoDerm Twitter: https://twitter.com/avodermnatural

AvoDerm Website: http://www.avodermnatural.com/index.htm

Direct link to the AvoDerm Challenge page: http://www.avodermnatural.com/challenge/

I was compensated for this sponsored post made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own.

One of the products we received to review were Lincoln Logs: Horseshoe Hill Station, and they were first on my list to open and introduce to my 7 year old, Buzz. I couldn’t wait to break them out for my son to begin building.

This building set features 83 pieces including real wood logs, a cowboy, a horse, a roof and a door. The set also comes with colorful, step-by-step building instructions. When playtime is over, you can put the parts back into the handy storage container for a quick and easy clean-up.

Abby also had her set of Tinkertoys to construct, but more on those later. Little did I know, however, that she would also end up stealing the Lincoln Logs from her brother, too.

Buzz and I built a cabin together. And then Buzz made up his own story with the included cowboy and horse figures, as they peeked out from the open window and climbed on the log plank roof. That’s before they all fell asleep in their log cabin.

Suggested retail price of the Lincoln Logs: Horseshoe Hill Station is $27.99. Ages 3+. Available now on knex.com, Walmart.com, Target.com, TRU.com, Amazon.com and at toy retailers nationwide. You can find more information about K’NEX on their Facebook page, Twitter and on Pinterest.

As a KNEX brand ambassador I received products to review. No other compensation was received. Opinions are my own.

And you can personalize them to suit your child. They come in 3 finishes: white, natural or espresso colored woods. There are also 70 different hand-painted designs to choose from. The rocking chair is valued at $130 and is painted in matching colors with the first name of your choice.

Sized for children from ages one to six, each chair’s measurements are 23″ high (including back) x 10 1/2″ high (floor to seat) x 15″ wide x 13 1/2″ deep (seat) x 20″ deep (rungs). They are Canadian crafted of solid maple with certified lead-free paint. Comes fully assembled.

And I’m helping Baby Gifts and Baskets give one away!

Win a Personalized Rocking Chair

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Disclosure: Kid Things is not responsible for prize fulfillment of this event. I received no products or compensation for posting this giveaway.