TCM Showing Disney Classics this Sunday!
I love classic movies; one of my favorite channels, Turner Classic Movies, is bringing some of your favorite Disney classic movies to the “small screen”, starting this Sunday!
TCM PRESENTS: THE FAMILY CLASSICS premieres Sunday, December 7 at noon and continues each Sunday in December, featuring such films as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), Freaky Friday (1976), The Parent Trap (1961), The Love Bug (1968), Treasure Island (1950), The Shaggy Dog (1959) and Swiss Family Robinson (1960), as well as Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), which stars Angela Lansbury.
I remember watching, on VHS, the original Freaky Friday and The Parent Trap when I was in grade school. We actually watched these movies in school on a yearly basis.
The Swiss Family Robinson is so inspiring and enchanting! Every kid who watches it imagines the fun of living in an enormous tree house!
I watched Old Yeller in school when I was about seven. Admit it: you cried, too.
These are great movies that have become a part of the fabric of our culture.
Set your TIVO this Sunday, or just get ready for a family movie marathon.
- Sun., Dec 7
Noon Treasure Island (1950) – starring Robert Newton and Bobby Driscoll
1:45 p.m. Swiss Family Robinson (1960) – starring John Mills, Dorothy McGuire, Sessue Hayakawa and Tommy Kirk
4 p.m. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) – starring Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Paul Lukas and Peter Lorre
6:15 p.m. Old Yeller (1958) – starring Tommy Kirk, Dorothy McGuire and Fess Parker
8 p.m. The Parent Trap (1961) – starring Hayley Mills, Maureen O’Hara and Brian Keith
10:15 p.m. Pollyanna (1960) – starring Hayley Mills, Jane Wyman, Karl Malden, Adolphe Menjou and Agnes Moorehead
12:30 a.m. The Barefoot Executive (1971) – starring Kurt Russell, Harry Morgan, Wally Cox and John Ritter
What a fun day of free family-friendly entertainment! If your children are old enough to enjoy these movies, Sunday, December 7th is your day.
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Beautiful Bumble Bells
As a mom, I am always fascinated with cultural differences in parenting.
In Laos, there isn’t a mind-numbing variety of “must-have” baby items like in the U.S. In fact, when Jojo was a four months old, his first car journey in Laos drew a crowd of neighbors.
As we were getting ready to leave, my neighbor said, “How are you going to hold the baby AND drive?” So, I showed her how Jojo had his own special safety seat for riding in the car. She promptly called out to the whole neighborhood, “Hey, come look at this! Jonas has his own special seat!”
I have never known a mom in Laos to be given a baby shower; usually, some time after the baby is born, relatives might give a few small gifts like clothes, money, and jewelry.
In Thailand and Laos, many babies wear beautiful silver anklets with bells on them. Far from being merely ornamental, the tinkling bells help caregivers to know where the baby is at all times.
Bumble Bells sells these swanky, functional anklets in the USA, and I was so excited to have the chance to have one for baby Deeds.
Deeds looks totally cute in his Bumble Bells; I wish that I had a pair for myself, too!
We don’t have a baby monitor in our house, and one unexpected benefit of having a Bumble Bells baby is being able to hear him jingling around in his bed when he is awake but not crying.
I can also tell if he has fallen asleep yet or not, when I have laid him in bed awake.
Bumble Bells truly are the original baby tracking device !
Deeds has been wearing Bumble Bells for over a week, and he hasn’t been bothered by them or tried to frantically rip them off.
Our Bumble Bells are easy to put on; the circle expands wide enough to slip the anklet over baby’s heel without any wrestling.
The anklets come in two sizes (NewBee, for ages 0-9M and Worker Bee, for 9M-4Years).
The tinkling bells are a pleasant sound, especially in the quiet house when Jojo is at preschool and Deeds is toddling around, busy with his toys.
As delicate as they might appear, Bumble Bells are very strong and the wee bells do not come off. They are made from sterling silver and are ASTM-certified for safety.
You can hear Bumble Bells in action in this short video (our neighbors were playing loud party music, so it is a nice free soundtrack):
A portion of every Bumble Bells purchase goes to support Head Start, a nation-wide school readiness program in the US that provides comprehensive education, health, nutrition, and parent involvement services to low-income children and their families.
Bumble Bells are $45 for one anklet or $75 for a pair. Nothing could be cuter on your little one at a party, photo session, or any time!
Bumble Bells is happy to offer a discount to Mom Most Traveled readers!
Use coupon code 112080807 for 15% off an order!
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WW: Around Town
Jojo and Deeds being welcomed into our favorite jiaozi shop in Vientiane.
A weird sign from the water park in Vientiane, Laos.
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Win Big at Go Natural Baby!
Go Natural Baby’s blog is giving you the chance to win $147 worth of green baby items sponsored by Itsy Bitsy Baby Boutique.
This is a great haul, including prizes from Cotton Monkey, Zah Organics, Go Natural Baby’s organic cotton wash cloth sets, Debra Lynn Dadd’s new book Really Green, and one Go Natural Baby fair trade, grass gathering basket (we love ours!).
ENTER AT Go Natural Baby Blog for some great prizes from Itsy Bitsy Baby Boutique!
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Shelley Duvall’s Faerie Tale Theatre: The Complete Collection
I became a fan of fairy tales before I ever had children. As a first grade teacher in Beijing, China, I began exploring traditional Chinese folk tales, which in turn gave me a greater appreciation for my own western heritage in Grimm’s Fairy Tales.
Shelley Duvall’s Faerie Tale Theatre: The Complete Collection has been newly released as a 7-DVD boxed set from Koch Vision.
Shelley Duvall’s Faerie Tale Theatre first aired from 1982-87, specially produced for Showtime.
Shelley Duvall’s Faerie Tale Theatre: The Complete Collection is live-action renditions of 26 classic faerie tales (or fairy tales, depending on where you are from), featuring familiar actors.
These programs have been remastered and digitally restored, ready to be shared with your children and grandchildren.
Shelley Duvall’s Faerie Tale Theatre appeals to children because of the stories, but adults enjoy the nostalgia, the witty dialogs, and the stars!
Do you remember what life was like before Disney Princesses? You do know that fairy tales have been around for hundreds of years, right? It is so refreshing to see these real, theatrical performances of familiar tales we all know and love.
Shelley Duvall’s Faerie Tale Theatre is very true to the original tales; many of them being very dark. I do have memories of watching parts of this as a child and being terrified. Use judgment about whether your child can handle scary scenes with witches and intense violin music!
Though they are fantastically done, “Rumpelstiltskin”, “Rapunzel”, and “Hansel and Gretel” are rather intense in some scenes, and a little frightening.
Not all of the tales are dark, of course. In “The Tale of the Frog Prince”—– A chance meeting between a beautiful but spoiled princess (Teri Garr) and a fun-loving frog (a very young Robin Williams) results in a dinner date.
One of my favorite stories is “Pinocchio”; with the lead character being played by Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee Herman)! Actually, the “Pee Wee” voice never comes forth, and Reubens a sweet, innocent wooden puppet. Oscar-winner James Coburn plays a crazy gypsy.
It is also exciting to see familiar stories like “Sleeping Beauty”, with the Princess played by Bernadette Peters, and a dashing Christopher Reeve as the handsome prince!
Tatum O’Neal plays the role of Goldilocks in “Goldilocks and the Three Bears”, and this version includes appearances by Goldilocks’ parents, who are played by John Lithgow and singer Carole King.
In “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”—– Elizabeth McGovern is Snow White, and the story is narrated by Vincent Price (remember, the scary voice from Micheal Jackson’s Thriller?), who also plays the magic mirror (he does have the perfect omniscient mirror voice, after all).
In “The Three Little Pigs” Billy Crystal plays the pig who builds his house out of brick and Jeff Goldblum is the big bad wolf. This wolf is snarky and smart-aleky, making for some funny exchanges.
“Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp is directed by Tim Burton, both genies are played by James Earl Jones, and the evil sorcerer is played by Leonard Nimoy of Star Trek fame.
Other stars in this set are Jeff Bridges, Bud Cort, Liza Minnelli, Susan Sarandon, Klaus Kinski, Matthew Broderick, Gregory Hines, Eric Idle, and Mick Jagger, to name a few!
As part of this “Complete Collection”, you also get extra footage including a Lost Episode: “Faerie Tale Theatre’s Greatest Moments” (”Grimm Party”), Vintage Faerie Tale Theatre Presentation Reel with Shelley Duvall, and B-Roll Promo Footage.
To make sure this collection really, truly is complete, you also get a 112-Page Storybook with lots of photos and fun facts, and a “3-In-1″ Faerie Tale Theatre Game (custom playing cards, memory match and trivia).
I searched to find some online video clips to let you see some previews, and all I came up with was a commercial for when this collection was first released on VHS twenty years ago! So, enjoy this preview and think how much more amazing it would be to watch on DVD with eye-popping color and no graininess!
Twenty six fairy tales, including old familiar favorites, and some new ones to enjoy, too!
Shelley Duvall’s Faerie Tale Theatre: The Complete Collection is available for $52 at Amazon.com.
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Hanukkah Box of Questions
Have you ever sat around the dinner table with loved ones and found yourself trying unsuccessfully to whip up some conversation?
Or maybe you just want to avoid the same embarrassing questions that your relatives ask every holiday? (i.e., When are you having another baby? Why aren’t you married yet?, etc., etc., )
This holiday season, try the great conversation-starting games from The Box Girls; awkward silence, be gone!
A great Hanuukah gift, the Hanukkah Box of Questions brings meaningful conversation to your family celebration.
The darling gift box contains 35 glossy dreidel cards, each with a conversation starter to spark discussions about Hanukkah and what it means to your family.
You might learn new things about your family that you didn’t know before; that is the best gift of all!
Some thought provoking questions from the set include:
- What miracle have you experienced in your life?
What three values does your family cherish most?
What are some different ways you can achieve peace?
Also in the Hanukkah Box of Questions are 2 wooden dreidels and instructions on how to play.
Family members of all ages can enjoy this gift. And since it is made with 50% recycled paper and printed with soy ink, it is easy on the environment, too.
Enter to win a Hanukkah Box of Questions for your family! Just visit The Box Girls and tell me another product you would like to have. I want them all!
One winner will be chosen at random.
This giveaway is open to US residents.
This giveaway will close on December 11, 12 midnight CST.
Extra Entries:
- Digg! Or Stumble! this post using the links below, and leave a separate comment here with your Digg! or Stumble ID, so I can give you credit! Actually you can use any of the links below for extra entries. Digg! and Stumble just happen to be my favorite!
-Earn additional entries for submitting up to five of my other posts to Digg! or Stumble! Just leave me a comment to let me know which post you submitted.
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The Original Fortamajig
Since we love our Connectables from The Happy Kid Company, it was only a matter of time before The Original Fortamajig joined our family.
The Happy Kid Company has developed The Original Fortamajig, an award-winning toy that engages both children and adults in creative play.
Presented with the Parents’ Choice Gold Award, The Original Fortamajig is a large 8×8 panel of endless possibilities.
The Original Fortamajig is everything your child needs to create any kind of playspace anywhere!
Nine inner loops and 24 adjustable outer loops allow little engineers to make a fort, hide out, tent, teepee, clubhouse, or hiding place indoors or out, with endless anchoring possibilities.
The Original Fortamajig has two door flaps that can remain open, or close with velcro to create a wall.
Four pockets in the corners of The Original Fortamajig can be used to stabilize your structure, or to store special treasures.
The Original Fortamajig is made of durable, water resistant, and machine washable nylon ripstop.
The Original Fortamajig is better than a prefabricated playhouse for many reasons:
- Versatility. The Original Fortamajig can be configured into a variety of structures, making for a continually exciting play experience.
- Portability. The Original Fortamajig comes with its own tote bag, and folds up to about the size of a pair of adult sized jeans. We plan to take our Fortamajig on the road for fun while traveling, and also to divide shared family hotel rooms so that our boys can have a sense of privacy.
- Long-term play value. While plastic or wooden playhouses are designed for itty-bitty sized children, The Original Fortamajig can still be enjoyed by tweens and beyond. And by “beyond” I pretty much mean “my age”.
The Original Fortamajig also engages the imagination, for open-ended pretend play. - Value. The Original Fortamajig costs $69.99 and will last for years and years. Compare that to playhouses that cost more than twice as much, and are given to mold/dirt/rotting.
The Original Fortamajig makes a great holiday gift that siblings of different ages can enjoy playing with together.
If you are looking for a virtually indestructible toy that encourages creative, open-ended, active play, and is
extremely, unequivocally FUN, look no further than The Original Fortamajig!
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Holiday Soundtrack Lights: Celebrate Hanukkah: Live in Concert
It is always refreshing when familiar traditional songs get new life; it is like hearing them for the first time all over again.
Lights: Celebrate Hanukkah: Live in Concert is filled with songs from a new Hanukkah music special that will soon air on PBS TV stations across the nation (check local PBS TV listings for dates and times).
Lights: Celebrate Hanukkah: Live in Concert is an eclectic mix of performers and music styles, hosted and produced by international Jewish musician Craig Taubman.
The concert special celebrates the holiday that everyone can enjoy. As Taubman says, “You don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy this show.”
Among the contributing musicians are The Klezmatics, who share songs from their hit Hanukkah album with high energy and old country charm.
Cantor Alberto Mizrahi - the “Jewish Pavarotti” wows the audience with his Middle-Eastern rendition of “Ocho Kandelikas.”
Gospel singer Joshua “The Prince” Nelson puts a new spin on “I Have A Little Dreidel,” making it our favorite track on the disk!
Lights: Celebrate Hanukkah: Live in Concert is newly released and available for purchase TODAY at national retailers!
Hanukkah begins on December 22nd this year.
Would you like a copy of Lights: Celebrate Hanukkah: Live in Concert? Leave a comment on this post telling me something special you do to celebrate the holidays.
One winner will be chosen at random.
This giveaway is open to US residents.
This contest will close on December 11, 12 midnight CST.
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A Great Race with Thomas and Friends
Before I had children of my own, I wondered how my friends with kids could remember things such as the names of every vehicle from Thomas and Friends.
Now, my own boys can’t get enough of Thomas, so I am pleased that Briarpatch has character-themed games that allow them to get their blue engine fix and learn something at the same time.
Thomas’ Great Race is an exciting game for preschoolers ages 3 and older.
No reading is required in this game, but that doesn’t mean no learning takes place!
Thomas’ Great Race game helps children master concepts like counting,sorting and color matching.
Players count items on cards drawn from the pile.
The cards have questions written on them (how many blue wheels?), but if the player can’t read or figure out the question from the context, the answer is on the back of the card.
At each turn, “coal” is earned that pushes the trains up an incline.
After just a few turns, the train reaches the top of the hill and speeds to the bottom by itself!
This game is very short; great for a preschool attention span. Jojo asks to play it again and again!
I like playing this game with Jojo before bed, because it is short enough to allow me to consent to the pleas of, “One more time!” without disrupting our night time schedule.
Briarpatch is giving away a Thomas’ Great Race game to one Mom Most Traveled reader!
To enter, visit Briarpatch and find another game that someone in your family might like for Christmas. Tell me what it is in the comments!
This contest will close and one winner will be chosen on December 11, 12midnight CST.
This giveaway is open to US residents.
Extra Entries:
- Digg! Or Stumble! this post using the links below, and leave a separate comment here with your Digg! or Stumble ID, so I can give you credit! Actually you can use any of the links below for extra entries. Digg! and Stumble just happen to be my favorite!
-Earn additional entries for submitting up to five of my other posts to Digg! or Stumble! Just leave me a comment to let me know which post you submitted.
-Submit this giveaway to a contest listing site. Leave a comment with a link to the site you submitted to. When the listing goes live, you get 5 extra entries. Only the first person to list at each site can claim these extra entries!
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Passports With Purpose: Giving Back
Passports with Purpose is a travelblogger driven fundraiser for Heifer International, a nonprofit organization that seeks to eliminate hunger and poverty around the globe.
You can learn more about Heifer here.
Travelbloggers everywhere have rounded up amazing prizes to raffle off; the proceeds go directly to Heifer International.
Thanks to Casio, Passports with Purpose is raffling off this sweet Casio Men’s Waveceptor Atomic Dual-Time Watch #WVQ400J-1 !
The Casio Men’s Waveceptor Atomic Dual-Time Watch combines convenient, athletic attributes and sophisticated styling. With a stainless steel case and bezel, a black resin band, and a black dial, this timepiece is a fashionable, durable choice for everyday wear. Its unique face includes three subdials, small white indices marking each second, faceted silver-tone indices marking each hour, three hands, and luminous accents. A small, digital display at four o’clock provides added functionality, while a window made of acrylic acid resin protects the face. This watch is water resistant to 330 feet and is backed by a one-year manufacturer warranty.
There are more incredible prizes on the prizes
page.
Before you make your raffle donations, be sure to check out all the other great stuff you can win.
Once you’ve selected your prize – or prizes – go to First Giving
to make your raffle donation.
For each ten dollar donation you make, you’ll be entered into the raffle for the prize you’ve selected.
Heads up: Be sure to enter your email address and the prize you want to win in the
comments field, or we can’t notify you if you win!
Passports with Purpose promises not to use your email for any other purpose than to
notify you if you’ve won.
There’s more information on the First Giving page.
The founders will pull winners and notify them via email on December 30th.
Want to know more? Visit Passports with Purpose!
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