Kidtoons Care Bears Share Bear Shines Movie

Movies

Last month this blog hosted the Kidtoons Spookley Square Pumpkin review and giveaway. Now, Kidtoons has announced their kid-friendly animated feature film for November -- Care Bears: Share Bear Shines.

Just as good news is that MommyBlogExpert is holding another giveaway contest this month to go along with the Kidtoons newest offering.

Care Bears matinees are every Saturday and Sunday this month starting this weekend, Saturday, November 6 and running through Sunday, November 28 at well over 100 neighborhood theaters across the U.S.

The Storyline for Care Bears: Share Bear Shines

It's time for the Twinklets' migration over Care A Lot, but the Bears wait all night without spotting any Twinklets. When a single Twinklet appears and falls to the ground, Share decides to take matters into her own hands. A variety of entertaining events ensue. In the end, the Bears convince Princess Starglo that they do believe and together, they find a way to rescue the Twinklets and relight the stars in the sky.

GIVEAWAYS

Kidtoons Birthday Club - Everyone is a Winner!

Everyone can get a FREE movie pass to a Kidtoon Films showing in your neighborhood on your child's birthday. Sign up your kid(s) for the Birthday Club

Care Bears: Share Bear Shines

Grand Giveaway

Easy Entry, Details Below

To help Kidtoons celebrate -- once again -- we're giving away a major prize package to one lucky family. November's sweepstakes includes a nice bunch of fun toys and activities that any Care Bears fan would love to win.

1 Kidtoons DVD Title (based on availability, may vary from picture)
1 Sesame Street Book
1 Strawberry Shortcake Doll
1 My Little Pony Magic Water Color Book
Plus fun Kidtoons kid-friendly temporary tattoos

ENTER this Giveaway NOW by leaving one or more comments below this post.

Contest ends November 29, 2010 at 12 midnite PST and is open to legal residents of the U.S. only.

For the Required (Mandatory) Entry

Simply leave a comment below this blogpost with your email address, Facebook or Twitter contact info so we may contact the winner. In the event that you are the lucky one, MommyBlogExpert will contact you for your shipping address.

Optional Extra Entries

Get extra entries for following MommyBlogExpert and/or Kidtoons on Twitter and/or Facebook. Remember: Be sure to return to MommyBlogExpert to leave an additional comment after each individual action you do to confirm them so we can record all your extra chances to win.

Follow @MommyBlogExpert on Twitter, Facebook (2 extra entries)

Follow @KidtoonFilms on Twitter, Facebook (2 extra entries)

In ADDITION doing any or all of the extra entries above, you can earn one extra entry each time you Tweet the message exactly in the paragraph immediately below (limit 3 separate tweets for 3 extra entries per day). Don't forget to return to leave a comment on MommyBlogExpert with the direct link to right after every Tweet you do so you'll receive an entry for all your RTs.

Care Bears:Share Bear Shines in Theaters + GIVEAWAY http://tinyurl.com/28znaqu #CareBears #kids #movie #contest #family RT 2 WIN

Remember, for each of the above entries to count, be sure to return to MommyBlogExpert to leave an additional comment after each of the above actions to confirm them so your extra chances to win will be tabulated. Contest ends on November 29, 2010 at 12 midnight PST and is open to legal U.S. residents only.

About Kidtoon Films

Kidtoons mission is to showcase fun and affordable family-centric movies at participating theaters. Every month a different entertaining film is screened. This brings parents and children together to enjoy kid-friendly characters, cartoons, music videos and sing-a-longs as well as giveaways for the kid audience members like stickers, activity books or toys after every film.

FTC Disclosure: Kidtoon Films has provided all the prizes for this giveaway. However, MommyBlogExpert 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.

DealPop Social Buying Network Goes National With an Eye for Family-Friendly Deals on Local Specialty Brands

MommyBlogExpert Reader Special

Save an Additional 15% off DealPop's Deals

With Coupon Code HALLOWEEN15 at checkout
Offer Expires 11/5/2010

DealPop -- from White Pages -- a social buying website that is already delivering on local deals in Seattle, Los Angeles, and on the San Francisco Peninsula has expanded and is now offering American small town deals nationwide on local specialty brands originating from around the U.S.

In fact, DealPop USA is the first social buying site to focus on helping consumers discover unique and sought after old-fashioned local brands from across the nation at up to 70 percent off retail prices, regardless of where you live. All deals are open to anyone in the U.S. for a brief window of time, typically available for purchase for 48-72 hours.

Auto License Plate Americana Wall Art, Hole 'N Rock, Near Moab, Utah
Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert

Since launching the expanded service on October 20, DealPop has already run a variety of deals accessible to consumers across the country. These include regional delicacies such as pure maple syrup from Maple Sugar and Vermont Spice; tea and tea accessories from Boston Tea Company; and Kona Coffee & Tea from the Hawaii Coffee Company. They've also orchestrated deals for huge savings on everything fleur-de-lis from French Quarter Market of New Orleans with more deals to come this week. Who knows -- they might even have DealPop deals someday from Hole 'N Rock, a bit of roadside kitsch that we visited on our roadtrip this past summer.

Every day, DealPop brings you different deals on all kinds of cool stuff -- many from new, up and coming boutique brands so you can be the first in your crowd to discover great new things that you'll want to then share with your friends. You can still choose from all the local deals, too, if you live in Seattle, L.A., or in the San Francisco area, in addition to tapping into all the deals for regional specialties that can be purchased online -- making it possible for you to reap the benefits of DealPop deals anywhere you reside within the U.S.

How DealPop Works
Just purchase your deal on DealPop.com Then, print out your deal voucher and use it online or take it to your local restaurant, club, theater, or store to redeem it, whichever is applicable. Deals are easy to share with your friends through Facebook, Twitter, or email, also, and as long as they respond before the deal offer ends, they can save big too. All DealPop social buying websites are free for consumers to use and buyers can earn $5 in free points on future purchases whenever they share a deal with someone who then signs up and purchases that deal for the first time.

Consumers can sign up to receive emails highlighting the deals or even visit the site directly to see deals without logging in to view the current offer(s). Additionally, you can like DealPop USA on Facebook and/or follow on Twitter to stay informed about new deals as well as to provide suggestions about where you'd like to get a deal. I you're a local specialty brand interested in working with DealPop USA to reach a national audience, send an email to sales@dealpop.com.

About DealPop
DealPop is a service of WhitePages, the go-to source for the reliable U.S. contact information online with one-click access to 200+ million adults and more than 15 million businesses.

WhitePages and their respective logos are trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of WhitePages. Other products and company names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective owners.

FTC Disclosure: MommyBlogExpert is a regular guest columnist for DealPop's Blog however this did not influence this post. Additionally, MommyBlogExpert did not receive any products, 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.

FREE Webinar - LinkedIn 101 for Small Business Owners Including Mom Bloggers - November 4th

Want to learn how to use LinkedIn to build your small or medium size business?

Then, consider attending this Free Webinar LinkedIn 101 For Small - Medium Business this week. Doug Hay is well-respected in cyberspace for his expertise in social media and often offers complimentary online seminars such as this. He has a background of 30+ years in PR and has spoken at a variety of conferences and professional meeting events.

LinkedIn 101 for Small - Medium Business

Date: Thursday, November 4, 2010

Time: 10 am Pacific, 1 pm Eastern

Location: Never have to leave your desk using GoToWebinar

Presenter: Doug Hay, CEO, Doug Hay & Associates

For more information

Contact Doug Hay

phone: 818-326-6784

email:doug@dougahay.com

FTC Disclosure: I did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this particular 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.

Connected Digital Photo Frames Now Linking Multiple Generations, Even without a Computer + CEIVA Halloween Giveaway Contest

MommyBlogExpert Insiders:
After reading this post, don’t forget to enter CEIVA’s Halloween Digital Photo Contest now through 11/8/2010. You could win a CEIVA product valued at approximately $220 or one of several other prizes. See all the details below.

Remember the days when you wanted to show off family photos and you’d pull out your wallet-sized pictures and show them to your friends?

MommyBlogExpert's Family at the Annual Strawberry Festival in California

Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert

Nowadays, we whip out our cell phones or digital cameras to show off our brood. To keep in touch with faraway friends and family, we even post pictures on Facebook and tweet about all of life’s events. The problem is these updates in everyone’s lives fly by us at lightning speed. Isn’t there an easier high tech way to capture these memories for the future? And, particularly, how can you bring older family members into the digital age, so they can enjoy them too?

Digital picture frames are a user friendly and elegant way to share your photos. Most frames will show your camera memory card photos, but some frames can also grab your photos over your home wi-fi network through a media server, too. This is a great way to add a dynamic element to your wall of photos to show off your fave pictures to others without having them crowd around your teeny-tiny camera screen, and to easily keep refreshing these images as kids grow.

Another great option for everyone, including doting grandparents, are connected frames such as the specially-equipped digital photo frames available from CEIVA. This brand’s products not only allow you to connect by wi-fi but can also use your existing phone line when a computer is not in the house. This makes it a reality to receive pictures from friends and family who you invite to the frame making it possible for you to wake up and see photo updates from everyone.

This kind of photo delivery service is invaluable for keeping everyone engaged with the whole family day by day as time passes. Even better is -- that because you set up the frame just once -- they never will have to touch it again.

Want to win a CEIVA Connected Digital Photo Frame? All you have to do is send in your cutest, scariest, and most spooktacular Halloween photos!

1st Prize: CEIVA Pro 80™ Connected Digital Photo Frame with a one-year PicturePlan® Photo Delivery Service, valued at approx $220 value; 2nd Prize: $50 American Express Gift Card; or 3rd Prize: $25 CEIVA Print Credits.

How to Enter the Photo Contest

For the CEIVA® Spook-o-Rama Halloween Photo Contest enter HERE

Hurry, Contest ends November 8, 2010.

FTC Disclosure: I did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this particular 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.

Ritz-Carlton Ambassadors of the Environment Creatures of the Night Inspires Tweens & Teens

3rd in a Multi-Post Series

What a whirlwind and fun mini vacation to the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel in Dana Point, California it has been.

In less than 24 hours, my kids and I not only played tennis, swam in the pool, lolled in the jacuzzi, built sandcastles on the beach, and worked out in the most picturesque gym with direct ocean views, we also witnessed the most exquisite sunset and sunrise ever.

Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel Sunset
Photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert

There is so much more to tell about all this. That will have to wait for future posts, though, because this story focuses on the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel's Creatures of the Night event. This was presented via the seaside luxury five star hotel's Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ambassadors of the Environment program during that same visit.

Kids Explore What's Inside Owl Pellets

Photo Above by Ambassadors of the Environment Staff

Creatures of the Night, themed to tie in with Halloween, was an exclusive offering at the Dana Point location. This customized learning program was made available to 8-16 year-olds in association with Ritz-Carlton's Ambassadors of the Environment, a partnership between the hotel and Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Futures Society. To say that this alliance is simply another green endeavor does not come anywhere near to doing it justice. After we experienced the first ever Ambassadors holiday-centered program held, we realized that this was really so much more.

Mini MommyBlogExpert Giggles at the Jelly Belly Taste Test
Photo Above by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert

The beautifully-designed Ambassadors of the Environment facility which just opened in June at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel features a state of the art environmental and cultural education center that brings forth a mind-boggling array of rotating fun, educational nature activities and excursions led by expert naturalists. All these -- both those events coordinating with specific holidays like Halloween and those provided 7 days per week year-round -- are geared toward giving young and old a wonderful variety of hands-on ways to learn about Southern California's unique ecosystems.

Fossilized Cocoa Bean Leaf Sculptural Jelly Fish Lamp
Photo Above by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert

From kelp beds, the intertidal zone, sandy beach, terrestrial ecology, native cultures, and sustainable living concepts, there are always new things to learn about the area's regional environment. The cause extends into the world at large, too. Programming also demonstrates how what's happening locally connects to the larger global systems and why it's so important that we must take an active role in rehabilitating and preserving the environment for generations to come.

The youth element of Ambassadors of the Environment, in particular, not only strives to teach kids about the natural environment we live in. It also is intended to empower the young with the tools and inspiration needed to take eco responsibility in their own hands and into the future.

Collin Keeps Score While One of the Kids Feels Inside the Box
Photo Above by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert

The opening evening Creatures of the Night program that my four teens (triplets, age 13, and big brother, 14) enjoyed began -- appropriately enough -- as the sun set over the Pacific Ocean. The very creative, enthusiastic, friendly and knowledgeable Collin orchestrated the entire fast-paced evening for the bright-eyed young clientele under the watchful tutelage of Lyn Michelle Evins, director of Ambassadors of the Environment at Ritz-Carton Laguna Niguel.

The Kids Enjoy a Sunset, Ritz-Carlton Style
Photo Above by #1 Elspas Son, MommyBlogExpert

Following an introductory indoor presentation about some rather unusual living creatures, the kids and their adventurous group leader headed to the Ambassadors' Outside Nature Center located in the property's indescribably lovely backyard perched on a bluff overlooking the surf below. There, the night's group of 11, 12, 13, and 14 year-old boys and girls played games in the dark to challenge their senses such as Ghost Catcher and Echo Locator to learn more about how animals, such as dolphins and bats, communicate in different ways with each other. Just after the outdoor games commenced -- as if on cue -- a wild bunny rabbit popped its head out of the lush landscaped border and frolicked across the lawn.

The Kids Interacting During the Shadow Show
Photo Above by Ambassadors of the Environment Staff

After the tweens and teens ran off some steam under the influence of the evening's fresh ocean air, everyone came back inside for a full schedule of more educational but fun activities including a shadow game show competition, a Harry Potter-style Jelly Belly tasting, and the opportunity to dissect owl pellets. For another activity, participants were blindfolded to feel what's inside a box. Using only their senses of smell and touch, even this particularly intelligent group had trouble identifying the really zany concoctions that the kitchen dreamt up to challenge them.

As the evening wound down, the kids devoured several delectable platters of beautifully presented organic fresh fruits and vegetables specially prepared and personally served to us by Chef Benjamin III with a side of his super secret Ranch Dressing. The Ambassadors' Organic Menu offers kid-friendly, gourmet cuisine that just about any child will enjoy looking at as well as eating. From such unique offerings as So Cal Fries: California avocado fries served with Bumble Bee mustard to Slippery Sliders: Vintage natural filet sliders, organic white cheddar, homemade pickles with Granny Smith apple slaw to Sea Otter Pops: A trio of citrus popsicles and seasonal berries, Chef Ben delights in preparing healthy fare for every child's palate.

Kid-Friendly Organic Vegetable & Fruit Presentations
Both Photos Above by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert

It's hard to believe that these youngsters experienced all this and learned so much in the space of a mere three short hours. Seeing the Creatures of the Night after glow in my teens' eyes following this activity as well as hearing them continuing to talk excitedly about it upon our arrival home, solidified my first impressions about this novel concept. Clearly, the Ambassadors of the Environment appears to be well-poised to become a long-term asset not only to the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel and to the other two Ritz-Carlton properties offering this program, but also to family-friendly luxury travel in general.

No one could sum up that sentiment better than my 14 year-old son who -- referencing the Oscar-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth -- said, "I think that the Ambassadors of the Environment just might be the next Al Gore."

MOMMY BLOG EXPERT

Tab Names + Order