Nov 18 2022

Hot Chocolate Cupcake Recipe Inspired by Nick Jr Holiday Bonanza

The holiday season wouldn’t be the same without the epic Nick Jr. DVD featuring this years popular preschooler shows. Nick Jr Holiday Bonanza DVD was released November 1st with holiday themed episodes from Blue’s Clues & You! Blaze and the Monster Machines, Bubble Guppies, PAW Patrol®, and Baby Shark’s Big Show! Fans can join their favorite characters as they celebrate Hanukkah, help Santa prepare for the big day, deliver special presents, and more!

Nick Jr.: Holiday Bonanza episodes include:

  • Blue’s Clues & You! – A Blue’s Clues Festival of Lights!
  • Blaze – A Blazing Amazing Christmas
  • Bubble Guppies – Christmas is Coming!
  • PAW Patrol – Snowbound Cow
  • PAW Patrol – Pups Save the Marooned Mayors
  • Baby Shark’s Big Show! – Snowball Bonanza

To celebrate the release of Nick Jr Holiday Bonanza on DVD, here is an amazing recipe for Hot chocolate cupcakes! This recipe also includes printable cupcake toppers of the characters starring in Nick Jr Holiday Bonanza. To make you will need:

  • 2 cups of flour
  • 2 cups of sugar
  • 1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup hot water
  • 1 container of buttercream frosting
  • Mini Candy Canes
  • Mini Marshmallows
  • Holiday sprinkles

Click the image below to download the instructions and the cupcake toppers. Then print and create for a delicious cupcake!!

Nov 16 2022

Dragon Dessert Dip Recipe Inspired by My Father’s Dragon

Get ready to Party with Elmer and Boris the dragon with Netflix’s newest movie, My Father’s Dragon, which was released November 11, 2022! Starring a huge cast of amazing actors, this animated movie is a joy to watch. The cast includes Jacob Tremblay, Gaten Matarazzo, Golshifteh Farahani, Dianne Wiest, Rita Moreno, Chris O’Dowd, Judy Greer, Alan Cumming, Yara Shahidi, Jackie Earle Haley, Mary Kay Place, Leighton Meester, Spence Moore II, Adam Brody, Charlyne Yi, Maggie Lincoln, Jack Smith, Whoopi Goldberg, and Ian McShane. Yes, fan girl moment, Gaten Matarazzo voices the dragon!

SYNOPSIS: From five-time Academy Award®-nominated animation studio Cartoon Saloon (The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, Wolfwalkers) and Academy Award®-nominated director Nora Twomey (The Breadwinner), comes an exquisite film inspired by the Newbery-honored children’s book from author Ruth Stiles Gannett. Struggling to cope after a move to the city with his mother, Elmer runs away in search of Wild Island and a young dragon who waits to be rescued. Elmer’s adventures introduce him to ferocious beasts, a mysterious island and the friendship of a lifetime

To get the party started, here is a fantastic recipe for Dragon Cheesecake Dessert Dip the whole family will love to eat. To make, you will need:

  • 8 oz softened full-fat cream cheese
  • ½ cup softened unsalted butter
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • ⅓ cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • Blue food coloring gel
  • 2 watermelon slices
  • 1 taffy candy Mystery flavor
  • 1 taffy candy Blue Raspberry flavor
  • Variety of cookies/pretzels for dipping
  • Black icing writer
  • Blue icing writer
  • Round white sprinkles
  • Non-stick cooking spray
  • Kitchen shears

Click the image below to download the instructions and then print and create!

Nov 15 2022

DIY Paper Bag Backpack Craft Inspired by My Father’s Dragon

On Nov 11th, My Father’s Dragon was released on Netflix. This movie is based off of the book My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett. When Elmer and his mother lose their business and move to the city, Elmer struggles to cope. Eventually, he can take the insanity no longer and looks for a way to bring back what he once had. To make his dream possible, a cat, voiced by Whoopi Goldberg, tells him of a Dragon that needs rescuing. This Dragon could possibly grant his wish. With his future on the line, Elmer goes on an adventure to the Wild Island where he discovers ferocious beasts, weird friends, and of course the dragon voiced by Gaten Matarazzo.

I need to take a moment and fan girl for a second… Gaten Matarazzo portrays my favorite character from Stranger Things. When I heard his voice pop out of the dragon, I have to admit, I shouted to my family, “That’s Gaten! That’s Gaten!”

Fan girl moment over.

In celebration of the release of My Father’s Dragon, here is a fun craft to make Elmer’s backpack out of a paper bag and a few printable characters.

To make the DIY Paper Bag Backpack you will need:

  • Printable character sheet
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • tape
  • paper lunch bag

Click the image below to download the instructions and the printable character sheet. Then print and create!

More bout My Father’s Dragon:

RELEASE DATE: On Netflix in November 11

BASED ON THE BOOK: My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett

DIRECTOR: Nora Twomey

WRITER: Meg LeFauve

PRODUCERS: Bonnie Curtis, Julie Lynn, Paul Young

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Meg LeFauve, John Morgan, Tomm Moore, Gerry Shirren, Ruth Coady, Alan Moloney

CAST: Jacob Tremblay, Gaten Matarazzo, Golshifteh Farahani, Dianne Wiest, Rita Moreno, Chris O’Dowd, Judy Greer, Alan Cumming, Yara Shahidi, Jackie Earle Haley, Mary Kay Place, Leighton Meester, Spence Moore II, Adam Brody, Charlyne Yi, Maggie Lincoln, Jack Smith, Whoopi Goldberg, Ian McShane

SYNOPSIS: From five-time Academy Award®-nominated animation studio Cartoon Saloon (The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, Wolfwalkers) and Academy Award®-nominated director Nora Twomey (The Breadwinner), comes an exquisite film inspired by the Newbery-honored children’s book from author Ruth Stiles Gannett. Struggling to cope after a move to the city with his mother, Elmer runs away in search of Wild Island and a young dragon who waits to be rescued. Elmer’s adventures introduce him to ferocious beasts, a mysterious island and the friendship of a lifetime

Nov 11 2022

Sparky Sparky Boom Man Cupcake Recipe Inspired by #AvatarAdversaries

Our Sparky Sparky Boom Man Cupcake recipe for Avatar Adversaries is a Paid Promotion for Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Nickelodeon and BoxLunch are teaming up in the most epic way possible this holiday season featuring all-new Avatar: The Last Airbender and Legend of Korra themed items! To top it off, they want to give a shout out to all the Avatar baddies with their #AvatarAdversaries campaign! This is brilliant because every Avatar fan has their favorite bad guy and can quickly spout out why they are so epic. When I was contacted to feature something fun to showcase the baddies of Avatar, I knew exactly which adversary I would showcase! This adversary happens to be part of the Avatar: The Last Airbender series and is only around to destroy the Avatar with his third eye through CombustionBending. He is one of my favorite bad guys in the show simply because of his nick name, Sparky Sparky Boom Man (later known as Combustion Man).

Sparky Sparky Boom Man is introduced in the 3rd book “Fire” of Avatar The Last Airbender. He is hired by Zuko to make sure Aang is dead, and if he isn’t dead, he is hired to take him out of the picture. Through all his screen time, Sparky Sparky Boom Man has one goal and that is to end the Avatar. However, even with this one-dimensional goal, Sparky Sparky Boom Man proves his ingenuity as he tracks the Avatar across the world and even uses Katara and Toph as bait. He is certainly an epic member of the #AvatarAdversaries and deserves to be highlighted.

In celebration of #AvatarAdversariesand to give Combustion Man the attention he deserves), I’ve created Sparky Sparky Boom Man Cupcakes in partnership with @Nickelodeon! (Sponsored) and Jasmin Dragon Tea from @BoxLunchGifts. These cupcakes have a couple features that make them rather fun to eat and to look at.

Popping candy
  1. The frosting contains popping candy that make these a perfect dessert for any Avatar Adversaries Party. As the connoisseur snacks on the cupcake the frosting will start to Sparky Sparky!
  2. The topper is made from wafer chocolates by taking a knife with a pointed tip and spreading it across wax paper on each side to create the arrows. The eye is made by drawing the eye on wax paper and then flooding it to make it smooth.

Let me issue this one warning…

WARNING: I have no skills in molding chocolate, but I have always wanted to try working with chocolate wafers. For a first time experiment, I am calling this a no so success, success!

Sparky Sparky Boom Man Cupcakes Recipe

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Our Sparky Sparky Boom Man Cupcake recipe for Avatar Adversaries is a Paid Promotion for Nickelodeon’s Avatar: The Last Airbender.


Ingredients

Directions

  1. Melt chocolate wafers in a microwave safe bowl
  2. Using a poite knife, dip the knife in the chocolate and then brush it across the wax paper. Dip the knife again and brush it just below the last stroke. Dip it one more time and brush just below the last stroke. There should be 3 stripes with a triangle point at the end.
  3. Turn the wax paper 180 degrees and make the same strokes on the other side, connect the two strokes making the Sparky Sparky Boom Man Arrows.
    4. Let these set and harden.
  4. Melt the white chocolate wafers in a microwave safe bowl.
  5. Make the white eye by using a piping bag and slightly warm white chocolate. Needs to be still liquid but not runny.
  6. flood and let harden
  7. With the black edible ink marker, trace along the outer edge of the white eye. Draw a circle in the center and add a white dot. Let dry
  8. Fill in the round circle around the black dot red with the red edible ink marker. Let dry
    9. using a small amount of melted chocolate fuse the white eye to the brown arrows To make the “Sparky” frosting.
  9. Cream the butter and vanilla extract
  10. Slowly add Powdered sugar 1 cup at a time
  11. add 2-3 tbsp of milk to make creamy
  12. Fold in popping candy. Some may pop but most should hold as long as frosting isn’t too wet
  13. Place in a piping bag and pipe onto cupcakes
  14. Place the eye on top

The Sparky Sparky Boom Man Cupcakes are done!

For those that are like me and can’t mold chocolate to save your life, I have included printable cupcake toppers to place on top of the cupcakes using toothpicks or popsicle sticks. Simply click the image below to download the awesome printable cupcake toppers.

Nov 01 2022

Nick Jr. Holiday Bonanza DVD Review and Giveaway

Halloween is over and the season for being thankful and giving has begun! Nickelodeon is starting it off right with the release of their fun collection Nick Jr. Holiday Bonanza (affiliate link), now on DVD! This collection will feature holiday-themed episodes from Blue’s Clues & You! Blaze and the Monster Machines, Bubble Guppies, PAW Patrol®, and Baby Shark’s Big Show!

I got the chance to review the DVD and here is what I thought.

Most who seek this collection out already know the awesomeness that is Nick Jr. Their shows are amazing for the preschool audience and even adults find some of them fascinating to watch. This collection is no different. All that the fans have come to love, they will find in this holiday themed collection. The episodes include:

  • Blue’s Clues & You! – A Blue’s Clues Festival of Lights!
  • Blaze – A Blazing Amazing Christmas
  • Bubble Guppies – Christmas is Coming!
  • PAW Patrol – Snowbound Cow
  • PAW Patrol – Pups Save the Marooned Mayors
  • Baby Shark’s Big Show! – Snowball Bonanza

What I find excellent about this collection is that it introduces the audience to different holidays. In Blue’s Clues and You! we get to celebrate Hanukkah, the festival of lights. Going in a different direction, Blaze and his friends help Santa in Blaze and the Monster Machines. We even enjoy a Christmas Party in PAW Patrol. What a great start to the holidays!

I have to admit, my favorite episode is PAW Patrol: Snowbound Cow. I didn’t know I needed to see a cow on a sled, but apparently, I did. We also get to see Everest and her snowplow in this episode, and she is one of my favorite characters.

To celebrate the release of Nick Jr. Holiday Bonanza (affiliate Link) on DVD, we are hosting a fun giveaway! Use the form below to enter for a chance to win. Simply follow, tweet, or comment to earn entries. Many will enter, only one will win! Good Luck!

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Oct 31 2022

Happy Halloween Cauldron Punch Recipe Inspired By The Smurfs Season 1 Volume 2

The Smurfs are back with the release of The Smurfs Season 1 Volume 1. Continuing the merriment of being a Smurf, boy Smurfs and girl Smurfs come together to live in somewhat harmony. Featuring all the Smurfs that we have come to love including Papa Smurf, Clumsy, Grumpy, Handy, Vanity, and Smurfette, this collection is a smurfy addition to the family home.

To celebrate the release of The Smurfs Season 1 Volume 2 on DVD and Halloween, here is a smurfy Cauldron Punch recipe Smurfs and humans will love. With very few ingredients and very little create time, it is a smurf-tastic addition to any party! You will need:

  • 1/2 Gallon of Lime Sherbet
  • 12 L of Sprite
  • 1 46oz can of Pineapple juice
  • 1/4 Cup of Lime Juice
  • 1 few drops of green food coloring
  • a variety of round green candy
  • green icing
  • Cauldron mug

To get he instruction click the image below and save the PDF to your computer, then print and create for the Smurfiest party ever!

Oct 15 2022

Smurfs Season 1 Volume 2 DVD Giveaway and Review – Ends 11-14-2022

The Surfs are back and this time they share the screen with more than one girl Smurf! Continuing the story after the movie Smurfs: The Lost Village, The Smurfs series shares the dynamics of Smurf Village when male and female Smurfs collide in their Smurfy world. Of course there are complications, especially with Gargamel and his feline friend Azrael running around. The Smurfs Season 1 Volume 2 is now available on DVD from Paramount Home Entertainment and Nickelodeon Home Entertainment for $10.99. Purchase from Amazon.com (Affiliate Link) and get it for the holidays.

I received the chance to review this collection and here are my thoughts.

Like The Smurfs Season 1 Volume 1 DVD, Volume 2 isn’t much different art wise. Their clothes have texture, the trees have depth, and the colors are vibrant. All of these features make Volume 2 a joy to watch. Of course, all the amazing graphics don’t mean much if we don’t have a good story.

The Surfs Season 1 Volume 1 comes with 9 episodes on one DVD. The episodes are:

  • The Pluffs!
  • The Majestic 5/Kitchen Klutz
  • Chef Soup/Adventures in Smurfsitting
  • The Round Up/Waffle Wednesday
  • Funny Mommy/Smurfy Day Care
  • Smurfy Secrets
  • Crashing Gargamel’s Party/The Curse of the Smurfs’ Treasure
  • Storm Loses her Mojo/Pop Out
  • Knight Smurfalot/Forget Me What?

These episodes are a blast to watch! We have weird curse treasure in The Curse of the Smurfs’ Treasure, fun knight quests in Knight Smurfalot, and even alternate universes in The Pluffs! I have to admit The Pluffs is probably one of my favorite episodic episodes. The Pluffs is a two part story about how Brainy and Blossom enter an alternate universe where the Smurfs (Pluffs) are gray and mean and Gargamel, known as Caramel, is nice. Everything is a little topsy turvey as Brainy and Blossom attempt to find their way home. It is fun to see the backwards world and get to know the crazy Pluffs. It reminds me of the Star Trek episodes where Kirk ends up in an alternate universe and everyone is opposite of what they are in his universe.

The Pluffs

That isn’t the only time we get something geeky from other pop culture films. In The Curse of the Smurfs’ Treasure, Vanity calls the treasure “My Precious” like Gollum did from Lord of the Rings. I spit my coffee a little when I heard him say that. I know there has to be other pop culture Easter eggs throughout all of the other episodes. If you find some feel free to share them in the comments below.

Because of the graphics, the stories, and the fun pop culture reference, I have to give this Volume 5 stars. It is a fantastic collection of episodes!

To celebrate the release of The Smurfs Season 1 Volume 2 on DVD, I am hosting a giveaway! Use the form below to enter for a chance to win Volume 2 on DVD! If the form isn’t working comment your favorite Smurf and state the form did not work to make sure you get your entries included. Remember, many will enter, only one will win! Good Luck!

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Oct 06 2022

Blue’s Clues and You! Rainbow Puppy Adventures Adorable Mailer

Blue’s Clues and You! Rainbow Puppy Adventures is now on DVD! It is an adorable collection of episodes that takes viewers on an adventure through different worlds, singing adventures, beach adventures, and even a magic show. Each episode features everyone’s favorite puppy, the Rainbow Puppy! My family absolutely loves the adventurous Rainbow Puppy and we love this DVD.

To celebrate this release, Nickelodeon sent a mailer with the cutest stuff ever!!!! We had so much fun opening the box!

The mailer came with three items that celebrate all things Rainbow Puppy! It had a ton of blue confetti (that went everywhere), an adorable rainbow puppy plushie, a box featuring 2 themed sugar cookies, and the Rainbow Puppy Adventures DVD!

The DVD is fantastic and you can read my review here. There is also a fun giveaway for the Blue’s Clues and You! Rainbow Puppy Adventures DVD, which ends 10-18-2022.

The plushie is absolutely the cutest thing ever! It stands about 7 inches and it is so soft. It looks just like the Rainbow Puppy, down to the adorable cheeks and red nose. I was able to get a couple pictures of it before it disappeared into it’s own adventure with it’s new owner. I will be lucky to ever hold it again.

The cookies were another matter entirely. Make a note, NEVER turn your back for a second to get better light when cookies are involved. At least it was returned quickly so I could take a picture. I asked what the cookie tasted like and all I got was, ‘Mmmmmmmm.” Trust me that is 5 star review when it comes to food. The cookies are adorable and have edible transfer paper to get the rainbow puppy and Blue’s Clues theme.

We absolutely love this mailer! The Rainbow Puppy plushie has a new home, the cookies were devoured quickly., and we all got to sit and watch one of the best DVD releases Nickelodeon and Blue’s Clues and You! have released. Thank you Nickelodeon!

Sep 30 2022

Blue’s Clues and You! Rainbow Puppy Adventures DVD Giveaway and Review! – Ends 10/18/2022

Get ready to perform with the most talented and musical pup around, the Rainbow Puppy, in Blue’s Clues & You! Rainbow Puppy Adventures. We can join Rainbow Puppy as she goes to the beach, puts on a magic show, and even opens a theater. Blue’s Clues & You! Rainbow Puppy Adventures will be available October 4, 2022, for the retail price of $10.99. Purchase from Amazon.com (affiliate link) or use the form below to enter for a chance to win Blue’s Clues & You! Rainbow Puppy Adventures on DVD.

Blue’s Clues & You! Rainbow Puppy Adventures comes with 4 very specific episodes all featuring the one and only, charismatic and confident Rainbow Puppy. The episodes are:

  • Rainbow Puppy’s Skidoo Adventure!
  • The Treasure of Clue Lagoon
  • Little Rainbow Riding Hood
  • The Amazing Joshini

My family loves the Rainbow Puppy and getting this DVD to review has been fantastic, even if it is watched a couple zillion times. Obviously, very well loved.

Like all of the Blue’s Clues and You! episodes before, these four episodes feature Josh and Blue as they look for Clues to solve some fun mysteries. Add the Rainbow Puppy and things go from blue to multi-colorful. It also gets way more fun! In Rainbow Puppy’s Skidoo Adventure! we enter so many different worlds in one episode as we look for Rainbow Clues to figure out where Rainbow Puppy wants to go. We get to see Chalkworld, the Ocean, the Theater, the farm, Rainbow World, and more!

The Rainbow Puppy adventures don’t end there! In The Treasure of Clue Lagoon, Rainbow Puppy needs help finding the Clue Lagoon treasure. This quest takes the audience on a clue search to find the amazing treasure. Of course, the audience gets to travel with Josh and Blue as they Skidoo to Clue Lagoon.

The audience also gets to help Rainbow Puppy with her theater in Little Rainbow Riding Hood and see the great Joshini in The Amazing Joshini.. There are so many colors and so much fun that all these episodes are eye catching and entertaining, especially when the Rainbow Puppy comes to play.

This collection of episodes stays true to the Blue’s Clues and You! theme of helping each other, discovering the world around you, and learning new things. The Rainbow Puppy certainly adds to that fun with an energetic puppy smile and new ideas to discover. This collection of episodes also includes many of the worlds Josh and Blue have discovered through their Skidoo adventures, which was awesome to see. It is a great collection to have and I give it 5 stars!

In celebration of Blue’s Clues and You! Rainbow Puppy Adventures! coming to DVD, we are hosting a Giveaway! Use the form below to enter for a chance to win Blue’s Clues and You! Rainbow Puppy Adventures on DVD. You can tweet, follow, or comment to earn entries. If the form isn’t working, simply leave a comment saying that the form did not work and I will add your name to the bowl. Remember if you don’t eneter, you don’t have a chance to win. Good Luck!

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Sep 29 2022

Blaze And The Monster Machines: Big Rig To The Rescue DVD Giveaway and Review! – Ends 10-14-2022

Join Blaze and the Monster Machines in all new adventures in Axle city in Blaze And The Monster Machines: Big Rig To The Rescue. We get to follow Blaze in 4 episodes as he and his friends do their part to keep their town safe by cleaning after a big windstorm, rescuing their friends from a slime volcano, and helping a dolphin reunite with his family. This DVD will be released October 4 , 2022, for the suggested retail price of $10.99.

Big Rig to the Rescue features four episodes of Blaze transforming into a big simi-truck to help save the day. From rescuing party supplies to getting a dolphin named flippy home, no job is to big for Blaze. The four episodes are:

  • Big Rig to the Rescue!
  • Big Rig Blaze
  • Big Rig: Dolphin Delivery
  • The Big. Balloon Rescue

The series Blaze and the Monster Machines is an interactive series for preschoolers. It will stop in the middle of a mission and ask for tips, shapes and other items kids will love to pick and shout. Each episode features a different problem to solve as the audience learns about teamwork and helping others. This series is no different as Blaze goes forth to rescue his friends. It is a fun show with learning, discovery, and entertainment. I have always like the series.

In this collection of episodes, Blaze has a few missions that will require him in a big rig. My favorite one has to be Big Rig Blaze. Blaze gets a call from Stripes, who’s party was just destroyed by the wind. To save the day, Blaze goes in search of all the items that were lost. Somehow they travel far, a cotton candy machine ends up on a pier and the prizes end up in snowballs. However, Blaze will do what it takes to help get this party back in action and accept help from the audience.

Just like all of the Blaze and the Monster Machine episodes, these do not disappoint and lead to an interactive good time. I give the DVD five stars

Blaze and the Monster Machines: Big Rig to the Rescue will be on DVD Oct. 4. You can purchase it from Amazon.com (affiliate link) or use the form below to enter for a chance to win the cool DVD. Simply follow, tweet daily, and comment for entries. If the form is not working, state that in the comments and I will add your name to the giveaway list. Remember, many will enter and only one will win. Good Luck!

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