Wow! Disney Easter Basket Giveaway! Enter Fast, Ends Soon

How would you like to win one of these Disney videos for Easter?

Blu-ray & DVD Combo Packs for the exciting new releases of Ponyo, The Princess and the Frog, Toy Story and Toy Story 2 Special Editions?

Or What about an exclusive Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen wedding doll set, which is usually available exclusively in Disney stores?

What's that you say? You want all that and more?

Hmm.

Okay, how about if we put ALL of these Disney offerings--the DVD's, the dolls, and an adorable plush Ponyo--into an Easter basket and even add some assorted holiday chocolates and Easter eggs?

That's a Disney Easter Basket worth over $200.

THEN would you be satisfied? You would?

Good.

Then ENTER THE GIVEAWAY!

To ENTER (required for all entrants):
Just leave a comment below this post letting me know which of these items is your favorite .

Since we want to get this out for you by Easter, we are going to move fast on this one. I will need your help getting the word out.

EXTRA entries (optional):

• Tweet about this contest, as often as three times a day until Friday. Extra entry for each Tweet you make. Please provide the link to each tweet in a comment (I need this to validate the Tweets). Don't know how to link to a tweet? Here's how. (1 entry per tweet)

• Add a link to this contest to your Facebook page. (1 entry) You can use this URL: http://bit.ly/cZt6iN

• Add a link to this contest on your MySpace page. (1 entry) You can use this URL: http://bit.ly/cZt6iN

• Blog about this contest (3 extra entries!)

• List this giveaway on another blog/Mom's forum. (3 extra entries!) You can do this multiple times for different sites. You can use this URL: http://bit.ly/cZt6iN

That gives you a possible 10 entries just to get started!



Contest ends Friday, March 26th at midnight EST. I'll announce the winner Saturday and get it out to the sponsors so you can hopefully have that prize before Easter Sunday!

Good luck!

This prize will be sent out directly to the winners by our sponsors, who provided complimentary copies of the movies, dolls, chocolates, Easter eggs and plush in a basket for the giveaway.

Frogs Are Green, Too!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I have on my green today, do you?

*Sigh*.

I'm kinda down today, actually. It happens sometimes. I'm prone to depression, and sometimes it sneaks up on me.

So I was searching about for ways to cheer myself up. I found myself reaching for some bland, dark clothing and right away I banished it to the back of the closet and grabbed a bright red shirt to go with my olive-green capris instead. Light and happy colors are good for me.

And then I needed something else light and happy, and my eye caught the advance copy of The Princess of the Frog I have yet to review.

And The Princess and The Frog came out on Blu-ray and DVD yesterday! Ack!

So I put it into the player, and I have to say the film is a tonic for my tired soul.

It's refreshing to see a heroine in a Disney animated film that wasn't born a princess. The last I remember was Belle, and she was my favorite. She loved reading and wanted adventures and had *plans*.

And of course, Tiana from The Princess and the Frog differs from traditional heroines in a lot of other ways, too.

The most obvious being her skin color. And it's about time.

Tiana is a poor black woman in New Orleans. She has to work for a living, as a cook, and she's a gifted one. And she has plans, too.

And they don't involve frogs, unless she can find a way to make them into gumbo or frog legs for her customers.

But what Tiana is most famous for are her delectable beignets.
Mmm.

I DO like this girl!

And when she first meets the Frog in the title? Her impulse is to smack him, not kiss him.

An independent spirit, too. Excellent.

But since her own hard-earned efforts were thwarted by events beyond her control, and she can no longer afford her own restaurant, when a talking frog suggests she kiss him to turn him back into the prince he was meant to be, it's the only logical course to take, right?

Right?

The Princess and the Frog is thoroughly enjoyable, with delightful, authentic music:



And an original storyline that reminds me, in some of its more humorous elements, of Shrek.

In addition, the movie plays homage to former Disney animated features: During “Down in New Orleans” early in the film, the carpet from Aladdin is being shaken up on a wrought-iron balcony. Mama Odie comes across the lamp from Aladdin during “Dig a Little Deeper.” A Mardi Gras parade float is modeled after King Triton from The Little Mermaid—on it are caricatured versions of directors John Musker and Ron Clements (who also directed The Little Mermaid).

And the voice talent for The Princess and the Frog is not just star-studded, but singularly appropriate: The well-known chef Emeril Lagasse voices the part of Marlon the Gator while Terrence Blanchard, who is a native New Orleans jazz legend and trumpet player, played all of alligator Louis’ trumpet parts in the film. He also voiced the role of Earl the bandleader in the riverboat band. And a veteran of former Disney animated film classics like Toy Story, Randy Newman (one of my own personal favorite songwriters) provides the voice of firefly cousin Randy, who is a caricature of the composer. Newman was actually cast to voice several characters in the film—a raccoon, a turtle—but only the firefly made the final cut.

Viv's take: Guaranteed to brighten up the darkest day, The Princess and the Frog is an original, musical, humorous, modern take on the age-old "happily ever after" storyline.

I received an advanced copy of the DVD combo pack, which includes a digital copy and multiple bonus features, to facilitate in this review.

Kitty! Boo!

I'm so pleased to remind you all that Disney's Monsters, Inc. is now available on Blu-ray!

That's right, Monsters, Inc. is out on Blu-ray today for the first time, in a special 4-disc combo set that includes a digital version for your computer and LOTS of extras!



Here's what you'll find on your Blu-ray edition of Monsters, Inc.:

Filmmakers Round Table--filmmakers reflect on the making of the film.
Monsters, Inc. Ride and Go Seek: Building Monstropolis in Japan--Go behind the scenes for the new attraction in Disneyland Tokyo.

Audio Commentary on the movie.
For the Birds Short--the 2001 Academy Award Winner for best short that preceded the film in theaters.
Mike's New Car Short--Nominated in 2002 for best short film.

And more! There's games based on the movie, banished concepts (ideas the filmmakers decided not to use), and a Pixar Fun Factory Tour.

This combo set is just LOADED!

And of course, there's the original movie itself.

Even though the boys are teens now, we all agree that Monsters, Inc. is one of those movies that appeals to all ages. The movie is so kid-friendly and fun that you can watch it over and over.

The story of Sully (voiced by John Goodman) and his friend Mike (the hilarious Billy Crystal), monsters who make their living by being "scary" and yet are most frightened of all by a little girl they call Boo--well, it flips around kids' views of scary monsters in much the same way I remember Sesame Street doing when I was a kid.

Viv's take: Monsters, Inc. is a must-see movie for any kid who has ever wondered about that dark shape in his closet or imagined a monster hidden under the bed.

I received a copy of the 4-disc Blu-ray combo pack of Monsters, Inc. for this review.

Snow White is Almost Gone! But Tinkerbell is here!

Just a reminder that last day to enter our Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Diamond Collection Plush set is tomorrow, so get those entries in now!

Also, the latest animated Disney DVD is coming out on October 27th, Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure!




Pixie Hollow, where Tink (Miss Bell if you're nasty) hangs out, is becoming more and more popular with young girls, and we've got some great activity pages, as well as recipes from Tink and her Pixie pals!

First up, those activity pages! Just download and print.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...Disney! (and another giveaway)

We're planning our Holiday Gift Guide for the end of November, and I know I'm really looking forward to that (hope you are, too!), but I just had to let all you early shoppers out there know that not only does Disney have some adorable holiday movies for you to watch with your family, but the movies themselves come with special gifts to help make the holidays bright!

So, if you are like me and try to get all your shopping done early, or you just love that holiday feeling and want to spread some Christmas cheer throughout your home, take a look at these two offerings:

First up, there's Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving.

Now, I know I've gone on and on about how my kids loved Winnie the Pooh and the gang. I really think the appeal of Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, Piglet and the whole gang is timeless.

Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving starts out with Pooh and his friends thinking they missed Winter (due to some missing calendar pages). So they believe it's Groundhog day! They must track down a groundhog to find out what happened to their favorite season, Winter. What's really cute is when they think that it's Springtime and they plant their gardens out of season, even do some Spring Cleaning even though it's really Winter!

The next video vignette features Christopher Robin and it is all about getting ready for Thanksgiving. There's a cute Thanksgiving song from Pooh and even a monster Turkey! What I liked about this segment was that it's not all about the food and all the excesses but about being with your family and friends, and that's what the holidays are all about.

Of course, Christmas is my favorite holiday, and the Christmas episode will put you in the right mood. Rabbit (love how Rabbit is so particular about everything, like the Martha Stewart of The 10o Acre Wood) has an unexpected guest for the holidays that throws off all of his perfect planning. Oh, and Pooh? Not the best choice for babysitter. Just sayin'. This is actually a touching little story.

But that's not all that's on Winnie the Pooh: Season of Giving. There's lots of great bonus features, like two shorts called Magic Earmuffs (Piglet learning to ice skate!) and Wishing Bear (I've seen this one, Wishing Bear, before, and it's so sweet!).

Then there are two holiday games on the DVD, one where you decorate your own Christmas tree and the other has you coloring in holiday scenes.

And, perhaps the best extra of all, Pooh: Seasons of Giving comes with your very own holiday stocking!. This is definitely one DVD library, folks.

The second great movie pack coming out on DVD from Disney is Mickey's Christmas Carol.

I think we're all familiar with the classic Dickens tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, but most versions are too serious and stuffy for small kids to sit through.

Of course, Mickey's Christmas Carol is the exception. Naturally, Ebenezer Scrooge is played by Scrooge McDuck himself, and Mickey is his clerk, Bob Cratchit. The ghosts that visit him include Goofy and Jiminy Cricket!

In addition to a fun, kid-friendly cast, this special DVD, which hit shelves yesterday, comes with a collectible litho print of Mickey and his family decorating their Christmas tree.

And you can win Mickey's Christmas Carol for your family this holiday season just by leaving a comment below. Here's what I need to know in your comment : who is your favorite Disney character?

For additional entries, Tweet or blog about this contest, or leave a comment on another post on the site and let me know you are commenting for an extra chance to win Mickey's Christmas Carol.

That's FIVE chances to win! Contest ends October 14th.

I received review copies of these DVDs to facilitate my review and so that I could offer this giveaway to my readers.

Puppy Play from Disney

Disney's hit movie Space Buddies is coming to DVD and Bluray February 3rd (tomorrow!).

Little ones can't wait? Copy and print out these activity and coloring pages (you may want to enlarge them on your printer):

Announcing the Winner of our Contest!

We had over 82 entries for our contest for the Disney DVD Bingo giveaway! Why "over 82"? Because some of you also blogged about our contest on your own blogs, linked to us and even Tweeted our contest on Twitter.

Thanks so much, everybody! That's a great turn-out.

Now, without further ado...the Winner is...

Janet, from Grammy Janet's Place!

Congratulations!

Janet, you have three days to respond to our email with your shipping address so that we can get that prize right out to you! We'll have more giveaways coming up, everybody, so stay tuned to Cool Moms Rule!

Put on Those Mouse Ears!

It's time for a giveaway! Why? Honestly? Because I have reviews to write and I've been procrastinating! ;)

I've actually been planning this giveaway for a while, though, and Mondays are great days for a pick-me-up, don't you think? So, here's our fantastic prize (ready with those mouse ears?):

Disney DVD Bingo Set!

Your kids will love this game, and you can play right along with them! Designed for the whole family, this video spin on the classic Bingo game lets you play with Disney-themed bingo cards, featuring your favorite characters: Mickey and Minnie, Aladdin and Jasmine, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel--they're all here!

The Disney DVD Bingo set comes complete with the DVD, bingo cards and 'markers', and it retails for 24.99 (when you can find it-- if you checked for it online right now you'd find that it's sold out at Barnes and Noble). But we've got it here and we're giving it away at Cool Moms Rule!

Here's all you have to do to win:

1. For one entry into the giveaway, just tell me who your family's favorite Disney character is, and why.

Optional additional chances at the giveaway:

2. Got a blog? Post about this giveaway and come back here with the link.
3. Put my badge on your site!
3. Tweet about this contest on Twitter! Let me know about it, and that's another entry, too!

No matter how you choose to enter, please make sure you include an email address in your entry because I have lost all my psychic abilities, okay? ; )

Good luck, everyone!

~Viv

P.S. A little bird told me (okay, it was in your comments) that I forgot to put the deadline for the contest here in the post! It should be in the Prizey listing, but here it is: Sunday, September 28, Midnight EST the fat lady is singing, people! ; )

Win the latest BABY EINSTEIN DVD!

Leave a comment on THIS post, and you will be registered to win the Baby Einstein DVD reviewed below, Baby's First Moves: Get Up and Go!

Link to this post in your blog for an extra entry (just let Viv know in your comment)!

Make sure to include an email address where you can be reached with your comment!