Ben 10 Ultimate Alien Wild Truth Movie Review

Movies

Cartoon Network DVD Review, Giveaway

MBE partnered with Cartoon Network, post contains affiliate links 

Back in August this blog reviewed and gave away Ben 10 Ultimate Alien - The Return of Heatblast. Now MBE is pleased to be reviewing and giving away Ben 10 Ultimate Alien - The Wild Truth Volume 4 the latest Cartoon Network Ben 10 Ultimate Alien DVD release from Warner Home Video.

In this installment, hero boy Ben is on another non-stop action animated mission and will be hanging out with some bad and good aliens -- both familiar characters and some  new. Ben's foes now include another enemy: a roaring giant alien known as Ultimate Wildmutt that looks like a cross between a saber tooth tiger and some kind of fierce dinosaur. To counter the red beast's advances, Ben 10 pulls out all the stops to race to the rescue with Fasttrack, his newest alien comrade. 

Ben 10 Ultimate Alien - The Wild Truth

Double DVD Set Giveaway

Ends 1/31/12

How to Enter

Just leave a comment(s) below this post!  Contest ends January 31, 2012 at 12 midnite PST and is open to legal residents of the U.S. only. Winner will be selected at random from all entries and will be notified via email.

Required (Mandatory) Entry

Simply leave a comment below this blogpost saying why you want to win this prize.  Don't forget to include your email address, Facebook and/or Twitter contact info in the comment section so the winner can be contacted.

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Earn extra entries to win for doing one or more of the easy options listed below. Just be sure to return to MommyBlogExpert (MBE) to leave an additional comment after each individual extra action you do to confirm so we can record all your additional chances to win.

1. Follow @mommyblogexpert on Twitter

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3. Follow @CartoonNetwork on Twitter

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FTC Disclosure: MommyBlogExpert received this DVD from Cartoon Network (CN) to facilitate the review. Additionally CN is providing the prize and shipping to winner for this giveaway. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.

What to Do With All Those Unused Gift Cards - How to Donate These Unwanted Holiday Gifts to Charity

Community 

Who didn't give and/or receive at least one gift card this holiday season in this day  and age where giftcards have never been more popular, politically correct and widely used? Whether via the  internet with online codes as well as those physical pieces of plastic that work like debit cards when you take them to a traditional store -- chances are that you are a member of that card-carrying club. And you are not alone because the National Federation of Retailers estimates that 8 in 10 consumers bought at least one gift card in 2011. 
'C' stands for Consumer Cards to Charity
iPhone Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com

Consumer and money-saving expert Andrea Woroch 's wisdom is no stranger to this blog. She points out the season of giving isn't over yet, especially here in the U.S. where Americans are still looking to make tax deductible contributions to legitimate non-profits before the federal fiscal year officially ends just before midnight on January 1, 2012. With unwanted gift cards being so prevalent right now and people still in generous frame of mind, it makes sense to introduce a concept many consumers may have not considered before. That is, the possibility of contributing those cards to a worthy charity rather than allowing them to waste away in a drawer for years.

Woroch suggests some questions to ask prior to donating gift cards 

How Much Are You Actually Donating? 

What percentage of the card will be directed towards the charity's mission and how much towards administrative and overhead? Carefully research the non-profit you are thinking of giving to and feel free to contact them directly if you have questions. 

What is the Minimum Balance You Can Donate? 

Some charities are grateful to accept any balance, while others won't accept a card that's worth less than $10 or $20 because of handling of the gift outweighs its benefits. 

How Will the Charity Use Your Donation? 

Gift cards sometimes end up being given directly to the charities clientele, while other non-profits resell the card for a percentage of the face value so they can take advantage of the cash. 

Should You Simply Resell the Card Yourself? 

Remember donating gift cards for charity is still relatively new, so there are still many non-profits that don't accept gift card contributions for a variety of reasons. If the group you want to give your gift card to doesn't take that type of contribution, you can always convert your gift card into cash yourself on websites like GiftCardGranny and then donate all or part of the money received directly to the organization of your choice. 

Would the Charity Prefer You Donate Purchased Items? 

Another good idea is to check with the non-profit to see if they would rather you purchase groceries, clothing, etc. and donate these items, instead of the cards or cash. If your gift card comes from a merchant selling products the charity doesn't need,some stores will let you exchange these for another store. 

Can You Donate the Gift Card to a Silent Auction or Raffle?

One way to make sure cash goes directly to the intended non-profit is to contribute your card as a biddable item for a fundraising auction. 

Please leave a comment. Have you contributed a gift card to charity before? Why or why not. If yes, I should you'll share your particular experience as well as additional thoughts on this topic. 

Happy Holidays!

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Kwanzaa December 16 - January 1 - 7-Day African American Cultural Festival With Roots in History

Celebrations

Yesterday, African Americans held events across the U.S. to officially kick off the beginning of the seven day celebration of Kwanzaa. I'm not of African American descent and don't celebrate this relatively modern holiday. Still, I have studied about African culture before and am particularly interested in their folk and fine arts. This background prompted me to look into how this special season is celebrated. Knowing my readers,  I thought you might enjoy learning more about this too.

Hand-Embroidered 40,000 Stitch Traditional African Folk Art Tapestry

Purchased from North American Conference on Ethiopian Jewry's Embroidery Program 

iPhone Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com

Here in metro Los Angeles the holiday's customs and traditions -- which like the holiday, have little to do with any particular religion -- were celebrated by thousands. Both in private homes and also on Crenshaw Boulevard and in Leimert Park as well as elsewhere across Southern California, African Americans joined in marking this colorful festival by holding customary candle lighting ceremonies, getting together with friends and families and enjoying foods, music and cultural activities that connect them to history and origins of the motherland.

Festivities will be going on in virtually every community with an African American population in America over the course of the festival which began on December 26 and runs through January 1. Kwanzaa is Swahili, a language spoken in various parts of the African continent and literally means first. This originates from the phrase Matunda ya kwanza which translates to mean first fruits in English.

The holiday, first celebrated in 1966, was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, formerly executive director of the Institute of Pan-African Studies in Los Angeles and now chairman Department of Africana Studies at California State University Long Beach. His premise was simple: To inspire his people to remain connected to the African way of life of their ancestors.

Each of the 7 days is associated with a different concept

• December 26 - Umoja or Unity - Cooperation as family, community, nation and race
• December 27 - Kujichagulia or Self-Determination - Knowing self, speaking out and preparing for one's personal journey in life
• December 28 - Ujima or Collective Work/Responsibility - Building community, sharing with others and being part of the solution not the problem
• December 29 - Ujamaa or Cooperative Economics - Creating and maintaining an infra structure of business and sharing profits
• December 30 - Nia or Purpose - Building communities and reawakening traditional morality: respect for others, especially parents and elders; also responsibility for self and others
• December 31 - Kuumba or Creativity - Using intellect, physical skills and natural gifts to preserve the culture's history
• January 1 - Imani or Faith - Heart felt belief as a people in righteousness and ultimate victory in the struggle for equality

Kwanzaa yenu iwe heri!

Happy Kwanzaa! 

Native Art Handmade by African Craftsmen

Grass basket, gourd shaker, clay frogs

iPhone Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com

I encourage everyone, whether you celebrate or not, to leave your thoughts about this annual commemoration. If you do celebrate Kwanzaa or know someone else who does, definitely feel free to tell about your/their favorite annual traditions associated with it.

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FTC Disclosure: This blog did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog,including this one.