We’ve got them coming… the moving trucks will be here soon. But don’t worry, we will have every single toy accounted for. No toy will be left behind! We are going to have to take a short break for a week or so while we get all settled in our new place. The good news is that we will finally be able to unpack all of our fun games and toys that have been in storage way too long. We will have a lot to blog about!
In the meantime, you might enjoy playing some of these free online Toy Story themed games on the Disney website.
If I could pick any fictional castle in the world to visit, it would absolutely have to be Hogwarts. The school of witchcraft and wizardry in the Harry Potter series is a fascinating place and I wish I could really go inside it. I guess I will have to settle for a visit to Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida someday, or maybe a Harry Potter landmark tour in England. For now, I will just have to dream!
Ever wondered what it would cost to buy Hogwarts if it went up for sale? Check out this fun infographic and article from the fictional evaluations series at movoto.com
I like the way the castle was portrayed in the Harry Potter films but I have to admit that it’s even more amazing inside my own imagination. That’s the best thing about books, you are the illustrator in your mind!
If you want to explore the imaginary halls of Hogwarts Castle, here are some great links to check out:
Monsters University comes to theaters on June 21st and we can hardly wait! Like any student preparing for college, there are some steps that need to be taken. Start off by watching the introduction video.
Then you will need to take the M.A.T. (Monsters Aptitude Test) before you submit your application.
I’m happy to report that I got a great score on the M.A.T. – but my son got 9 out of the 10 questions right so he is the top MU student in our house!
I don’t think I will have any trouble getting in to Monsters University. I guess I better read up on all the requirements. I’m so glad they have such an informative website!
Are you ready for school to start? Better get going on that M.A.T.
With so many newer movies to watch, we often don’t think to go back to some of the movies of the past. North Avenue Irregulars came out in 1979 and I remember thinking it was so funny as a kid. A few years ago, I told my family that we should all watch it together. Nobody seemed too excited when I told them about it… a movie from the 1970s about a priest and some church ladies? Yes, believe it or not, it is a really cute and funny movie. I’m sure your kids will laugh, especially during the car derby scene.
It’s the kind of movie that the whole family can watch together and enjoy. It’s not a title you will find in your local red box rental machine, but you can find it online at amazon (dvd or instant) and you can even rent or purchase it from youtube. It’s also available on dvd from netflix or your local library might even have a copy.
Next time you want to watch something new, take a chance and grab this older film instead. It’s a fun one!
We absolutely LOVE Harry Potter around here and I can guarantee that you will be seeing many future posts about all sorts of things related to the Harry Potter universe. The books are just incredible and I love the J.K. Rowling has become the first author ever to become a billionaire. She got the whole world reading and has filled our lives with imagination. I say she deserves every galleon and then some! In my opinion, Harry Potter is the most epic book series of all time. I have a hard time understanding why anyone wouldn’t want to read them? That’s ok (I guess), everyone has their own opinion.
However, I almost cringe when I hear someone say that they wouldn’t read them because they’ve seen the movies. The movies are fun and we like them, but they don’t even compare to the books. And the funny thing is, I think the audiobooks are the very best option of all for experiencing Harry Potter. I must explain that I don’t generally feel that way about audiobooks. I almost always prefer to read the physical copy of a book, but the Harry Potter audiobook series is something extra special. Forgive me for being cliché, but I believe they are magical!
Jim Dale is a British actor who reads for the Harry Potter audiobooks. He is in the Guinness Book of World Records for creating 134 different voices for the Harry Potter books! You can see Jim in this short Youtube video as he explains why listening to an audiobook creates a rich experience.
If you want to hear what the audiobooks sound like, you can hear a small clip from each one by following these links:
The audio book set is pretty expensive, but you have to realize that they are very long performances. The best deal we have found is on amazon. Sometimes you can pick up a good deal on ebay and many libraries also have copies. We love owning our own set (we slowly built up our collection) because we listen to the entire series every few years. We just love them!
Brand new Play-Doh is one of the simple joys in life. I love opening fresh cans of dough and so does my daughter. Even though we are older kids (um, grownups) we still had a good time playing with her Cake Making Station.
I believe in giving at least some toys to my kids for their birthdays, even though they are grown-up teenagers now. Part of the reason is because I want to play too! The cool thing about playing with Play-Doh when you’re an adult is that you are actually pretty good with the tools. My daughter is the real artist when it comes to the doh though.
You can make cakes with candles that pop out when you push a lever.
There is a stamping button to decorate the top. We really like the cupcake maker (same lever as the candle tool).
It’s fun to frost them with Play-Doh!
Best of all, these have no calories…
Of course, you are NOT supposed to eat them!
We love Play-Doh! If you are interested in learning more about Play-Doh, be sure to check out these links:
Did you know that Time Magazine listed Play-Doh as #30 on their list of Top 100 toys of all time? It’s been around since the 1950’s and it looks like it will be here for a long time!
We happen to think Weird Al Yankovic is hilarious around here! We love his humorous outlook on popular culture and after seeing him live in concert, I have to say that he really knows how to make things fun. He puts on a fantastic show! You can bet that he will be mentioned here again many times in the future. Today, I thought it would be fun to share his ode to the Jungle Cruise ride - Skipper Dan. If you have ever been on that ride at a Disney park, you will for sure get a kick out of this!
It was fun to find this interview from Inside the Magic where they talk with Al about his Jungle Cruise song. I had no idea that he wears an official Jungle Cruise uniform when he performs this piece in concert.
Now I’ve got the Jungle Cruise ride on the mind! Here are some fun links to explore:
It’s no secret that we are Phineas and Ferb fans around here, but our favorite character is really Dr. Doofenshmirtz. Poor guy, he just can’t seem to get the villain thing right! We laugh at his “eeeeevil” ways and all of his “i-nator” inventions. His backstories often reveal the reason behind his “eeeeevil plans” and you can’t help but like him even when he is trying to best Perry the Platypus.
We were thrilled to find that Doof actually has his own show! As the YouTube description says, it’s “Hands down the best daily show that's actually a weekly show that's also hosted by an evil scientist whose nemesis is a platypus.”
We are all pretty excited about this new video game from Disney called Disney Infinity. It’s due to be released on August 18, 2013 and we are already counting down to the big event. We are going to pre-order the starter pack on Amazon (now to decide which bonus character we want to select) because we love Amazon’s pre-order price guarantee. Nice to know that you won’t end up finding it for less somewhere else! Plus, we’ve learned the hard way that sometimes these really popular games can be hard to find on the release date if you haven’t pre-ordered them somewhere. Many retailers like Target and Game Stop also do pre-orders so be sure to check that out if you are interested in buying this game.
What is Disney Infinity?
Disney Infinity is a video game that will be available on several game systems (Xbox, Playstation, Wii, Nintendo DS) and you can create adventures and fun using Disney and Pixar characters. The best thing about it is that players can create their own games. There are supposed to be an infinite number of combinations and adventures to come up with and there will even be opportunities for free downloads of fan-created content. Polygon reports that Disney Infinity hopes to inspire future game makers.
There is definite potential for expansions and add-ons with this game. The Wikipedia entry explains that the game uses collectible figurines that are then synthesized within the game, allowing for characters from Disney and Pixar properties to interact and go on adventures. The collector inside of me is pretty excited about the figurines. I pretty much want them all!
The best way to illustrate what this game is all about, is to watch some of the video demonstrations. Here’s one of the official trailers:
As of today, there are already 74 videos to watch about this game on the official Disney Infinity YouTube channel
Want to customize your own little minifigure for an avatar or web image? Be sure to try out the Mini Mizer 3.0 from reasonablyclever.com – It’s fast, fun, & free! When it comes time to save your image, just use an image snipping tool, or print your screen and paste it into an image editing program.
This is the program I used to make my little Lego Lady signature. I think she turned out cute!
