The Magic Christmas Key Book and Santa's Magic Key Review and Giveaway

We received product free from Wendell August to facilitate this review. 

Have your kids ever asked you how Santa gets inside homes that don't have a chimney or fireplace? My littles have. I have always told them it is just magic and that I really didn't know anything more than that. I don't recall anywhere that we have lived with a chimney or fireplace. So these questions didn't really come as a surprise to me. Small children are inherently, naturally inquisitive.

Wendell August, the maker of heirloom-quality personalized metal gifts in the USA since 1923, is proud to bring the tradition of Santa's Magic Key to children across the globe.

More and more homes these days are being built without fireplaces and fireplaces are also being replaced with "more efficient" sources of heat. Where does that leave Santa then? For centuries he has used rooftops as landing places for his reindeer and sleigh. Chimneys and fireplaces were his primary transportation to the inside of homes to get gifts to the children. Santa has had to seek other options, get more creative with his methods, and call out some favors of his elves. This is why Santa's Magic Key was born.

Instructions: Hang Santa’s Magic Key on your front doorknob on Christmas Eve, enabling Santa to get inside your house when you don’t have a fireplace…the coals in the fire are too hot…or Santa has had a few too many Christmas cookies to fit down the chimney! When Santa has finished his Christmas Eve visit, he will place the key on your Christmas tree to be ready for next year.

To take the tradition even further, read the book about Santa's Magic Key, entitled "The Magic Christmas Key." It’s a story about a young boy named Andy, his trusty dog Rufus and his loveable family. He goes on a marvelous adventure that starts with the gift of Santa's Magic Key and ends with some sound advice from Santa himself.

"Santa's Magic Key is a special gift that can be passed down from generation to generation," says Will Knecht, President of Wendell August. "It’s a heartwarming family tradition that reminds us that 'All things are possible when you believe.'"

This book has beautiful illustrations and a heartwarming story that is filled with wonder. My children enjoyed looking at the pages and me reading the book to them. The story has lots of words and does take some time to read, so make it a point to have time set aside for the occasion. My littles delighted in the excitement and magic of Santa Clause and his magic key. This story captures child-like wonder beautifully and reminds me of The Polar Express book.

The key itself is hand cast by Old Forge Pewter with Santa's Magic Key engraved in scrolly letters on the bow part of the key. The key comes with a red ribbon to hang the key with. This is wonderful to be used with the book as a keepsake and ornament.

The Magic Key and book are sold separately or together. Santa's Magic Key is 5 ½" long and retails for $25. "The Magic Christmas Key," written by Leann Smith and illustrated by Kip Richmond, is a 10 x 10” hardcover book and is available with the Magic Key in a keepsake box. The book and Magic Key sold together retail for $39.

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received products for free to facilitate my review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. 

Planes DVD Blu-ray Combo Pack Review

We received product free to facilitate this review.

From above the world of Cars Disney and Pixar brings us Planes, an animated comedy about a crop dusting plane named Dusty who has high flying dreams of a life of racing. He meets all sorts of characters when he enters the Wings Across the Globe race. Will Dusty qualify for the race even though he is afraid of heights and not built for speed? You should watch Planes to find out!

My family and I loved Planes! It is a wonderful story where you'll be rooting for Dusty, the underdog that has a big heart. The plot is very good even though it takes some twists and turns that one might expect with the hero and villain scenario. We loved seeing all the different planes and how, even with the personification, they were detailed fairly authentically. In one of the bonus features, Klay's Flight Plan, they told how they completely changed how the wings were in one of the scenes just because they wanted to get the authenticity correct. That's some dedication. My favorite characters besides Dusty were Franz and his alter ego, and El Chupacabra.

BONUS FEATURES: (Blu-ray, DVD and Select Digital Retailers)

• Exclusive Franz’s Song (approx. 1:40) - Blu-ray & Select Digital Retailers - Produced exclusively for Blu-ray and HD Digital, this never-before-seen completely finished animated song features the German mini-car, Franz Fliegenhosen, who encourages Dusty on his flight.
• Klay’s Flight Plan (approx. 15:00) Blu-ray, DVD & Select Digital Retailers -Follow Director Klay Hall’s personal journey during the making of “Planes” and discover why his family connection to aviation made “Planes” his perfect project. Fly along with Klay as he lands on a working aircraft carrier to get first-hand experience on the flight deck.
• Deleted Scenes (approx.. 3:46) Blu-ray & Select Digital Retailers - Director Klay Hall and Producer Traci Balthazor-Flynn introduce deleted scenes from the movie. 1. Training Montage (approx. 2:38) 2. Taj Mahal (approx. 1:08)
• Meet the Racers (approx.. 5:50) Blu-ray, DVD & Select Digital Retailers - Featurettes introducing racers El Chupacabra (1:15), Ripslinger (1:15), Dusty (:90), and Ishani (:90).
• Top 10 Flyers (approx. 8:00) Blu-ray & Select Digital Retailers - ESPN’s Colin Cowherd hosts a fun, fast-paced countdown of the greatest aviators in history.

The bonus features were good on this combo pack. I liked the bonus feature of Franz's Song the most! It was very cute and witty. Klay's Flight Plan was a great addition that had the director and his boys looking at the making of the movie a bit and having a father son bonding experience. Both of the deleted scenes were partially in the movie, but some of their content was cut because it wasn't really needed to get the same feeling across. Meet the Racers are short clips about some of the main characters, building on their personalities a bit more. The Top 10 Flyers bonus feature was very educational and great for a homeschool mini lesson on flyers in history.

Here is the bonus feature, Franz's Song :)


My kids enjoyed the slapstick humor and fun animation in Planes. I enjoyed the morals the movie was teaching: go after your dreams and make them a reality, conquer your fears, be kind and giving, and make and keep good friends. Even thought the plot was fairly predictable my family very much enjoyed watching Planes. This is definitely a great animated movie for airplane lovers young and old!

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received product for free to to facilitate this review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Elizabeth Mitchell and Friends The Sounding Joy Review and Giveaway

The Sounding Joy album cover. Cover artwork by Brian Selznick.

We received product free from Smithsonian Folkways to facilitate this review.

The Sounding Joy by GRAMMY-nominated Smithsonian Folkways family musician Elizabeth Mitchell is a tribute to Ruth Crawford Seeger’s overlooked but deeply influential 1953 songbook, American Folk Songs for Christmas. This is Mitchell's first Christmas album and it is a wonderful collection of folk carols for all ages. These are recordings that celebrate a Christmas before commercialization, an all encompassing custom of people sharing music, telling stories and celebrating together. The album includes Mitchell’s family, friends and neighbors, including Peggy Seeger, Natalie Merchant, Aoife O’Donovan, Amy Helm, John Sebastian, Dan Zanes, Happy Traum, and many others. The great assortment of voices, musicians, and instruments on the album breathes new life into words first sung over a century ago by farmhands, country preachers, and small-town congregations and gospel groups.

I love Elizabeth Mitchell! I have many of her albums and enjoy them daily. Now Sounding Joy has become one of my favorite Christmas albums. Most of the songs on the album are a refreshing change from the Christmas songs that you normally hear on the radio during the holidays. There are a few recordings that are not from the original songbook which include classics “Joy to the World,” “Silent Night,” and an a cappella arrangement of “Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming,” a “family heirloom” arranged by Elizabeth’s father-in-law, Michael Storey Littleton. I also loved hearing yet another familiar voice, Dan Zanes, of which I also love, on this album! I now long to have and hear the 1953 American Folk Songs for Christmas songbook to accompany Elizabeth Mitchell's album. The Sounding Joy is a wonderful throwback to a time much simpler than ours where stories and songs were handed down through generations.

Sneak preview:
Listen to “Children, Go Where I Send Thee (Little Bitty Baby: A Cumulative Song)”.


The Sounding Joy Tracklist:

1. Oh, Mary and the Baby, Sweet Lamb
2. Mary Had a Baby
3. Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow (feat. Mike Merenda)
4. January, February (Last Month of the Year) (feat. Amy Helm and Marco Benevento)
5. Joseph and Mary (The Cherry Tree Carol) (feat. Natalie Merchant)
6. Shine Like a Star in the Morning (feat. Simi Stone)
7. Joy to the World (feat. Jay Ungar)
8. Christmas Day in the Morning (feat. Peggy Seeger)
9. Mother’s Child (Child of God) (feat. Peggy Seeger)
10. Sing-a-Lamb (feat. Dan Zanes and Suzan Lori-Parks) 
11. Great Big Stars
12. Baby Born Today (feat. The Silver Hollers - Amy Helm, Ruthy Ungar and Chris Wood, with Larry Campbell)
13. Ain’t That a-Rockin’ All Night
14. Cradle Hymn
15. Bright Morning Stars Are Rising
16. Sing Hallelu (feat. Elizabeth Clark-Jerez)
17. The First Noel
18. The Blessings of Mary (feat. Larry Campbell)
19. Oh, Watch the Stars (feat. Aoife O’Donovan)
20. Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming
21. Mary Was the Queen of Galilee (feat. Gail Ann Dorsey and Joan Osborne)
22. Silent Night
23. Singing in the Land (feat. Natalie Merchant, Happy Traum, and John Sebastian)
24. Children, Go Where I Send Thee (feat. Natalie Merchant, Amy Helm, Ruthy Ungar, Gail Ann Dorsey, Dan Zanes, Aoife O'Donovan, Simi Stone)

70 minutes, 32-page booklet with photos.
List Price $14.98 CD, $9.99 Download

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Prize: Elizabeth Mitchell and Friends The Sounding Joy (2 Winners!!)

I am trying out Rafflecopter on my blog. Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for it below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received product for free to facilitate my review and some to giveaway. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Guess How Much I Love You Hidden Treasure DVD Review and Giveaway

We received product free from eone (Entertainment One) to facilitate this review and the opportunity below to giveaway 3. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Inspired by the best-selling books written by Sam McBratney and Illustrated by Anita Jeram,  Guess How Much I Love You: Hidden Treasure follows the adventures of Little Nutbrown Hare and his father, Big Nutbrown Hare, reminding us that there is no greater love or bond between a parent and child. These 7 episodes were part of the Disney Junior series which aired on TV. In these stories, Little Nutbrown Hare goes about exploring the meadow and playing with his friends, all the while learning valuable life lessons such as the importance of friendship, learning from mistakes, embracing differences in one another, and much more.

Little Nutbrown Hare Iceskating

I loved reading the books of this series when I was little and love to see them come to life in animation on DVD. These are so adorable and charming. My kids and I enjoyed them very much and each episode has a sweet message. The animation is really well done and I love all the forest characters. They remind me of the TV series: Little Bear, Franklin & Friends, or Winnie the Pooh.

Still from Slip, Slop, Slide

Episodes

• Hidden Treasure - Little Nutbrown Hare and his friends go looking for sparkly treasure and learn the valuable lessons: everything's special in its own way, nothing is ordinary, something that looks ordinary could be extraordinary, friends are treasure, there is treasure all around us, something that looks ordinary on the outside could be beautiful on the inside, sometimes things are much more than what they seem.
• Finder's Keepers - Little Redwood Fox finds a pile of spotted acorns unattended and takes them as his own, he soon finds out that they belong to Little Gray Squirrel and has to choose whether to keep and eat them or give them back. This episode teaches about doing the right thing and that sharing is better.
• It's Okay - Little Nutbrown Hare learns to forgive and that accidents sometimes happen.
• Slip, Slop, Slide - Little Nutbrown Hare learns that everyone is different and learns at different speeds. He also learns that practice makes perfect.
• Inside Day - Little Nutbrown Hare learns that some animals aren't meant to hibernate and that all winter is far too long to stay inside.
• Where's Little Redwood Fox? - Little Nutbrown Hare and his friends make up a new game and have a fun game of wits.
• Snowflake - Little Nutbrown Hare learns about reasons to love snow as he and his friends try to bring a snowflake to his father. He also learns that snowflakes are beautiful and everyone of them is unique.

Follow Entertainment One on Twitter: http://twitter.com/eOneHomeVideo for the most up-to-date information on this and other releases.

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You can purchase Guess How Much I Love You Hidden Treasure DVD on Amazon.com for $10.73 at the time of this posting.

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Prize: Guess How Much I Love You Hidden Treasure DVD. 3 Winners!! US Only!

I am trying out Rafflecopter on my blog. Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for it below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received product for free to facilitate my review and the opportunity to give another 3 away to my readers. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. Affiliate links may be in this posting. Thanks for supporting my blog.

Try iCaughtSanta.com Free!

iCaughtSanta.com Abel Home Christmas 2012

Last year I surprised my kids by showing them a photograph of Santa, the large jolly man himself, in our living room by our small tree we had put up. My littles were asking me how I captured him there. I never told them my secret ;)

iCaughtSanta.com is a online website where you can add Santa or Rudolph to a family photo to create a cool Christmas eGreeting Card, share the image with friends and family, scrapbook it or use it to create a fun button photo for you to wear. You can even add Santa in front of your Christmas tree or Rudolph outside your house in the snow this year!

I had a lot of fun making the above image come to life with the provided Santa image they had for me. They have other ones you can choose from too. The favorite of most is the sleeping Santa. All you do is load your picture that you want to place Santa or Rudolph into, pick which image of Santa or Rudolph you want, and move them around until they are where you want them on the photo. So much fun!

To help celebrate their 5th year anniversary you can try it out for yourself for FREE with code #SantaShare and remember, it expires December 10, 2013 (you may use the code as many times as you want until then)!!

ENTER THE CONTEST
After creating your photo you can enter to win all sorts of prizes (iPad Air + Amazon, Visa or Starbucks Giftcards) with the iCaughtSanta.com 2013 Customer Appreciation Contest via Rafflecopter! Over $1,500 in prizes! Enter at http://www.iCaughtSanta.com

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I am posting about iCaughtSanta.com to let you know about the promotion. Thanks to USFamilyGuide.com for providing me this promotion information and free product code. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this promo.

Treat One-To-One Holiday Card Collection and a Personalized Mug & Stationery Giveaway

This post sponsored by Treat.com through Global Influence.

Treat by Shutterfly has Christmas and Holiday Cards for everyone on your list this year. The One-To-One Holiday Card Collection can be personalized and customized online in the comfort of your own home...even in your pajamas if you like :) Add your own photos and words to make something truly unique and perfect for your special someone. You can't really do that with a boring drugstore greeting card.

You can also mail them out yourself or send them digitally. The digital ones are perfect for one like me that is a huge procrastinator! You can send them out the day of and they get to your recipient at super speed and they never will get lost in the mail!

Treat also has great photo gifts that you can also personalize to make a unique gift. There are mugs, iPhone cases, photo easels, mounted prints, canvas prints, and personalized stationery. I personally love the mugs and canvas prints they have to offer.

You can also join the #TreatCheer Twitter party on 11/18 at 2 PM ET with @ResourcefulMom. RSVP: http://resourcefulmommy.com/13195/treat-holiday-twitter-and-pinning-party/



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Prize: Win 1 mug & 1 set of personal stationery from Treat.com

I am trying out Rafflecopter on my blog. Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for it below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I am receiving 1 mug & 1 set of personal stationery from Treat for free and will be able to give away the same to a reader. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this post.

UncommonGoods Recycled Glass Bumblebee Nightlight and Tube Kneeling Pad Review

We received products free from UncommonGoods to facilitate this review.

UncommonGoods is a unique online store with some very unusual items (some handmade) that you don't find in every day shopping usually. Their products make great gifts for the holiday and Christmas season! Click here to see some unique affordable gifts they have under $50. They also have some really interesting facts or what they call "Uncommon Knowledge" posted around their website and feature some of the artists and designers of their handmade goods in highlights on some of the pages on their website and their print catalog. They are committed to the environment and print their catalogs on recycled paper and there is also products in their store that are made of recycled materials. In their Better to Give Program they donate a portion of each order to your choice of non-profit organizations: American Forests,Women for Women International, City Harvest, and the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN).

I was recently approached by them to pick something from off of their website that was under $65. I picked two items. One was the Recycled Glass Bumblebee Nightlight and the other item was the Recycled Tube Kneeling Pad.

Bumblebee Nightlight, seeds, and packaging.

The Bumblebee Nightlight arrived in a recycled cardboard box with shredded newspaper all around to protect it from breakage. It came with the 4 watt bulb needed to create the ambient light. It also came with some weedy wildflower seeds to spread around for the bees to collect pollen grains to pollinate the flowers with and nectar to convert to honey. I love this! My bees are going to be very happy! Wildflowers are some of my favorite flowers and I love that I can give back to the earth and help the bees at the same time.

Bumblebee Nightlight with room light on and with it off.

The Bumblebee Nightlight by Vawn and Mike Gray of Reborn Glass located out of Cape Coral Florida is definitely something worth buzzing about. It is a gorgeous nightlight that is made with recycled broken bottles that were rescued before they reached the landfill. Each one is unique and are fused and formed in the kiln. The art glass is textured with its purple blooms and adorable plump bumblebees. Its curved form hugs the light perfectly and I love the warm soft glow it makes. So Bee-autiful :) Click here to see some unique lighting from UncommonGoods.

The Recycled Tube Kneeling Pad in use.

The Recycled Tube Kneeling Pad by Flat Tire Décor located out of Milwaukee Wisconsin is a great gift for any gardener or anyone who works on their knees. This extremely durable pad is smooth and flexible. The rubber exterior is made of reclaimed industrial tire inner tubes and the inside is lined with a inch thick cushion of anti-fatigue foam. It is also naturally slip resistant, water resistant, abrasion resistant, and easily wipes clean. This cushion is so comfortable for my knees and the curved semi circular shape is contoured where you can shift left to right without repositioning! It works on dirt, cement, brick, wood, stone or other surface. I no longer get my knees dirty when I garden and my knees don't feel stressed. I can garden longer and not feel any pain. Besides gardening I can see this being used for other jobs that have to be done on your knees. I also think that it would be an ideal seat for watching a game in the stands or having a picnic while seated at a park bench or picnic table. It does become hot if in direct sunlight. It also has a study nylon strap that you can carry or hang it from. 37" L x 14" W x 1" D, Strap: 30" L Click here to see some wonderful gifts for women from UncommonGoods.

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received products for free to facilitate my review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.