Dec 24 2019

31 Days of Joy from Dreamworks

Starting on the first of December, Dreamworks has been giving all of us fans 31 days of joy by giving us free crafts, activities, and digital color pages to enjoy for the holidays. It has been amazingly fun. I have been checking their site daily and have ended up with some wonderful crafts and recipes for my family! The crafts feature wonderful Dreamworks characters, such as: Everest, Spirit, Poppy and Branch, Toothless and more!

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How this works:

  1. Head over to the Dreamworks 31 Days of Joy website
  2. Click on each green numbered box
  3. click on the present that pops up several times to reveal the gift
  4. Click download for the printables and Save the PDFs to your computer then print and create
  5. For videos, games, and coloring pages , simply click the “go” button and play
  6. Check back daily for more gifts

Some of my favorite printable crafts from the 31 Days of Joy thus far are:

1. Everest ornament from Abominable. He is so freaking cute and even has a train. This is probably my number one favorite out of all they have released so far.

2. Toothless and family ornaments. These 3 ornaments feature the Light Fury, the Night Fury, and their kids. They are so adorable!

3. Spirit Riding Free PALS Ornament. This is a wonderful ornament of friendship with the PALS.

4. Madagascar Ring Toss. This game is fun to play with the whole family! It has a set up time because you have to build the game, but it is so worth it.

5. Shrek Wreath. We can Shrek the halls with this adorable wreath. The best part is, the whole family can help make it.

6. Spirit Riding Free Fortune Teller, This fun holiday game will have the family engaging each other with cute holiday questions. Simply follow the instructions to make and start playing..

Dec 11 2019

Movie Review for Abominable and Printable Recipes of Chef Shirley’s Bao

Abominable is only a weekend away from being released on 4K Ultra HD™, Blu-ray™ & DVD. In anticipation of the release, Dreamworks sent me a copy of Abominable to watch and write a review. So for those who do not want spoilers, skip to the bottom for the yummy printable Bao recipes. Otherwise keep reading to learn a little bit about this magical movie.

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SPOILERS BELOW

In a nut shell, Abominable is about a little Yeti (Everest) taken from his home and placed in a cage, One night he escapes, finds a girl named Yi, and together they go on an adventure to get him back home. However, once the shell breaks this movie pulls on the heart strings as it whisks the viewer away into the world of a Yeti.

I started watching Abominable thinking it was going to be another children’s movie with simple life lessons and a wonderful adventure on how the characters learn these lessons and make them a part of their lives. I was so wrong. This one hit home.

I recently lost my dad and the simple task of taking the next step forward has been difficult. As it turns out, the main character, Yi, is going through much of the same feelings because she lost her dad as well. I almost stopped watching the movie when I saw Yi’s pain. I am glad I didn’t, because I discovered a wonderful story about growth after loss.

I think one of my favorite scenes is when Yi finally embraces the loss and plays her violin to honor her father. The magical Yeti hair strings produce a heavy rain while she plays. It looks as if the sky is crying. But from the tears, flowers bloom about her like an ocean, creating new life. It is such a touching moment, I couldn’t help but cry. In fact, I cried a lot through this movie.

While the death of Yi’s father is the reason there is a story to tell, the story is also about returning home, for the Yeti and for Yi. Everest, the baby Yeti, embarks on this adventure with Yi and her friends to get home. Along the way, he shares his magical talents helping Yi to open up and discover that there are so many people around her that love her. Loss is a part of life but family and friends are there to help us get through it. In a way, Everest helps Yi rediscover her home and her connection to her family.

Taking a step back from the story, I have to say, Everest is the cutest little Yeti I have ever seen. His laugh, playful nature, and fluffy looks makes him right up there with Toothless on the cute-o-meter. Everest is an adorable and funny abominable! Just look at that smile! I now want a stuffed Abominable of my own to snuggle. I even want the epic burps!

Dreamworks has created a movie that goes far deeper into the psyche of their viewers. There is extreme amounts of cuteness, comedy, and fun, but also a true understanding into what it mean to experience loss. However, although loss may be a constant theme, Abominable shows how we can conquer loss and move on. I give it 5 stars.

END OF SPOILERS

In celebration of Abominable coming to DVD, blu-ray, and 4K, Dreamworks has released wonderful recipes featuring Baos from Chef Shirley. The recipes are:

  • Steamed Pork Bao
  • Christmas Ham Bao
  • Chocolate and Candy Cane Bao

To get the recipes click the image below and save the PDF to your computer. Then print and create for a delicious snack/meal.

Dec 09 2019

Fun Printable Frozen 2 Games and Activities

Frozen 2 is in theaters and so many fans have loved watching Elsa and Anna hit the big screen again. Add Olaf, Sven, and Kristoff and we have an all new adventure to save Arendelle…or so we hope.

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In celebration of Frozen 2 coming to theaters, Disney Family has created a fun printable pack of games for all Frozen fans to download print and create. The printable pack contains several cards to play Frozen 2 Memory, an epic forest maze, and a fun spot-the-difference (can you spot them all).

To create the memory came print all cards on cardstock. After all are printed, cut out the cards with a back and front together, fold them in half ,and glue the two non-printed sides together. Once they are dry turn all the cards face down, mix well, and form a grid. Then play the game by selecting two cards. If they match keep the pair, if they don’t, place them face down again. The player with the most pairs wins.

To download this fun pack click the image below or head over to Disney Family and get it from there.

from Disney Family

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Dec 05 2019

Dreamwork’s Spirit Riding Free Spirit of Christmas Special and Gifts

Spirit Riding Free: Spirit of Christmas is coming to Netflix December 6th! In anticipation of this upcoming Christmas feature, Dreamworks sent out a wonderful Christmas gift featuring Spirit Riding Free toys! I received this beautiful gift from Dreamworks this week! It was wrapped in beautiful red paper and tied with a bow. I placed it under the tree thinking about how great it looked with all the tree lights. It wasn’t there very long because I get too excited and usually open my gifts early. But, while it sat there for 30 seconds, I enjoyed it’s beauty and took a picture.

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After the longest 30 seconds I have ever endured, I ripped off the paper and pulled out gift after gift. At that moment I realized just how much time and effort Dreamworks put into this Christmas present. I am so honored by what they have sent me and my family.

Inside I found:

  • Spirit Riding Free Spirit & Lucky Grooming Paddock
  • Spirit Riding Free Collector Doll & Horse of Bebe & Sergeant
  • Spirit Riding Free: Lucky’s Guide to Wintertime Whimsy
  • Spirit Riding Free Ornament
  • Spirit Riding Free Coffee Cup and Hot Chocolate
  • Spirit Riding Free Wrapping Paper

The first item I received was the Spirit & Lucky Grooming Paddock. This item is huge! It includes a poseable Lucky Doll, Spirit the horse, one foal, and lots of accessories to have the best Paddock around! The playset features an upstairs loft, washing station,tack storage, and corral nursery. It is such a fun item that it even includes stickers to decorate the paddock. I truly can’y believe this item was sent as a gift. It is so wonderful!

The second gift to come out of this wondrous box was the Collector Doll & Horse of Bebe & Sergeant which will be released Jan 1, 2020. They are a perfect compliment to the Spirit & Lucky Grooming Paddock. Sarge has fully groomable and soft hair..I love petting it. Time to get this horse in braided style..

Image from Amazon.com

The third item was a wonderful Christmasy book called Lucky’s Guide to Wintertime Whimsy. This interactive guidebook comes with nonfiction elements about horse care in cold weather, recipes for holiday treats, easy-to-make winter crafts, coloring pages, a poster, stencils, postcards, crafts, quizzes, games, and other seasonal activities! There are even items that pop out of the book to build and play with such as a checkers board game and little cardboard figurines. So much awesome fun!

The hot chocolate and mug, wrapping paper, and ornament were wonderful little additions to the Christmas gifts. The hot chocolate is gone but rest assured it was well enjoyed and the mug will be a fun family cup we will all love to use.

All of these items are amazing and fun. They are perfect for all of us Spirit fans and horse lovers! Thank you so much Dreamworks for the gifts. I highly recommend these fun toys!

Dec 04 2019

Printable Abominable Movie Night Party Kit

From the studio that brought you How to Train Your Dragon, this heartwarming and humorous story follows teenage Yi (Bennet) as she encounters a young Yeti on the roof of her apartment building in China, she and her mischievous friends, Jin (Trainor) and Peng (Tsai), name him “Everest” and embark on an epic quest to reunite the magical creature with his family at the highest point on Earth. But the trio of friends will have to stay one-step ahead of Burnish (Izzard), a wealthy man intent on capturing a Yeti, and zoologist Dr. Zara (Paulson) to help Everest get home. 

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In honor of Abominable being released on digital yesterday and coming to Blu-ray December 17th, Dreamworks has released 3 special clips for all the fans to watch. Check out each of the clips below.

Everest Creates Blueberries
Jin & Peng find Yi & Everest
Everest & Kids Escape on Dandelion

Now for the the awesome printables. Thanks to Dreamworks we have an amazing party kit featuring recipes, activities, and games. We will find:

  • Everest Cookies Recipe
  • Everest Snowballs Recipe
  • Everest’s Journey Home
  • Unscramble
  • Word Search
  • Copy Everest
  • Coloring Everest
  • Everest Ornament
  • The Abominable Adorably Ugly Holiday Sweater
  • Build Everest’s Home

To download these printables simply click the image below and save the PDF to your computer. Then print and follow the instructions for tons of family fun.

Dec 02 2019

Avatar: The Last Airbender Steelbook Collection

In a previous blog post we recently shared the news of Avatar: The Last Airbender The Complete Series 15th Anniversary Steelbook. Each book featuring a different element (Water, Earth, and Fire) and the covers combining to form a beautiful triptych. The stunning new artwork was created by artist Caleb Thomas. Check out all the details by clicking the image below or go to the blog post here.

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Now we have a few more images to share. Below you will find the new art that makes up the backside covers of the 3 collectible steelbooks.  Thomas was handpicked to design the collection’s covers after series co-creator Bryan Konietzko became a fan of Thomas’ art style on social media. The collection’s production run will be limited to 20,000 units. Ptre-order yours today at Amazon.com.

Avatar The Last Airbender The Complete Series 15th Anniversary Steelbook Book 1
Avatar The Last Airbender The Complete Series 15th Anniversary Steelbook Book 2
Avatar The Last Airbender The Complete Series 15th Anniversary Steelbook Book 3

Nov 22 2019

DreamWorks Announces Holiday Special Spirit Riding Free: Spirit of Christmas Starring Katherine McNamara

DreamWorks Animation unveiled the heartwarming trailer for the holiday special of its Emmy® Award-winning series Spirit Riding Free titled, DreamWorks Spirit of Christmas. The trailer shows Katherine McNamara (Arrow, Shadowhunters) joining the cast of the holiday special as singing sensation, Sally Jessup in a heartfelt performance featuring original holiday songs. DreamWorks Spirit Riding Free: Spirit of Christmas premieres on Netflix December 6

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Along with the trailer, Dreamworks released several sneak peek images to get the fans excited for the new holiday special. The pictures include those featuring Sally Jessup (Katherine McNamara). Check them out below!

Grab some awesome Spirit Riding Free printables from my blog here and get prepared for the December 6th release of Spirit Riding Free: Spirit of Christmas.

Nov 20 2019

Avatar: The Last Airbender is 15 Years Old!

NEW YORK – November 20, 2019 – Nickelodeon’s critically-acclaimed, Emmy® award-winning series receives the SteelBook® treatment as Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Complete Series Blu-ray 15th Anniversary Limited Edition Steelbook Collection arrives on February 18, 2020. The 3-book collection features stunning new artwork by artist Caleb Thomas, with each book featuring a different element (Water, Earth, and Fire) and the covers combining to form a beautiful triptych. Thomas was handpicked to design the collection’s covers after series co-creator Bryan Konietzko became a fan of Thomas’ art style on social media. The collection’s production run will be limited to 20,000 units.

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Created by Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino, Avatar: The Last Airbender aired on Nickelodeon from February 2005 through July 2008, garnering both critical and audience acclaim while also winning Annie®, Genesis®, Primetime Emmy®, and Peabody® awards. The series features an iconic blend of anime and traditional animation, alongside a talented voice cast including Zach Tyler Eisen (The Ant Bully, TV’s “Little Bill”), Mae Whitman (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, TV’s “Parenthood”, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”, “Family Guy”), Jack DeSena (TV’s “All That”, “Grounded for Life”), Dante Basco (Hook, TV’s “The Legend of Korra”), Dee Bradley Baker (TV’s “SpongeBob SquarePants”, “Gravity Falls”, “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”), and Mark Hamill (Star Wars franchise, TV’s “Batman: The Animated Series”). The fan-favorite series has spawned a beloved animated sequel series, The Legend of Korra, as well as an upcoming live-action remake (with its original creators) to be produced for Nickelodeon and Netflix. Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Complete Series 15th Anniversary Limited Edition Steelbook Collection will be available on February 18, 2020 from Paramount Home Entertainment and Nickelodeon Home Entertainment for $97.99.

More about Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Complete Series 15th Anniversary Limited Edition Steelbook Collection:

Synopsis:
Water, Earth, Fire, Air. Four nations. One war-torn world. Celebrate the 15th anniversary of the epic saga, Avatar: The Last Airbender, with this 3 SteelBook® collection, featuring all-new art for each book! Go back to the beginning to experience the animated series that quickly became a phenomenon with a huge fan base that spans the globe! This complete collector’s edition includes all three powerful books: Water, Earth, and Fire.

Seasons:

  • Book One: Water
    • Season 1 – 20 episodes – Aired 2/21/05 – 12/2/05
  • Book Two: Earth
    • Season 2 – 18 episodes – Aired 3/17/06 – 12/1/06                      
  • Book Three: Fire
    • Season 3 – 16 episodes – Aired 9/21/07 – 7/19/08

Bonus Content:

  • Book One: Water
    • Behind the Scenes Kung Fu Featurette
    • The Making of Avatar – From Real Life to Animation
    • Behind the Scenes: The Voices of Avatar
    • Ask the Creators Featurette
    • Original Uncut Animatic – Episode # 15: Bato of the Water Tribe
    • 4 Audio Commentaries with Creator, Cast & Crew
      • Features Dee Bradley Baker (voices of Momo and Appa), Ben Wynn (sound effects), Aaron Ehasz (Head Writer) and Co-Creators: Bryan Konietzko and Michael Dante DiMartino
    • Behind the Scenes with the Avatar Cast & Crew
    • Avatar Pilot Episode with Audio Commentary
    • The Making of Avatar – Inside the Sound Studios
    • The Making of Avatar – Inside the Korean Animation Studios
  • Book Two: Earth
    • Original Uncut Animatic – Episode # 21: The Avatar State
    • 7 Audio Commentaries by Creators, Cast & Crew
    • Interview with Creators and M. Night Shyamalan
    • The Essence of Bending with Bryan Konietzko and Sifu Kisu
    • Avatar Super Deformed Shorts
      • Bending Battle
      • Swamp Skiin’ Throwdown
      • School Time Shipping
    • Escape From the Spirit World: Animated Graphic Novel                           
  • Book Three: Fire
    • 11 Audio Commentaries by Creators, Cast & Crew
    • The Women of Avatar: The Last Airbender
    • Book 3 Finale Pencil Test Animation
    • Into the Fire Nation at San Diego Comic-Con

Avatar: The Last Airbender – 15th Anniversary Limited Edition Steelbook Collection Fast Facts:
Street Date: February 18, 2020
Amazon Landing Page: http://www.amazon.com/avatar
Catalog: 59210181000 (US); 59210182000 (CAN)
Running Time: 24 hrs 22 min
Audio: Books 1-3: English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 2.0 Dolby Digital, Spanish 2.0 Dolby Digital
            VAM: English 2.0 Dolby Digital
US Rating: Not Rated
CN Rating: Book 1: V1 & V5: G and V2 – V4: PG
                  Books 2-3:  V1 – V4: PG – Frightening Scenes

US S.R.P.: $97.99
CN S.R.P.:  $107.99

Nov 14 2019

DIY Costume for the Peanut Butter Falcon

The Peanut Butter Falcon is on Blu-ray™, DVD & Digital now! It is a funny, heartwarming story about Zak (Zack Gottsagen), a young man with Down Syndrome who runs away from a residential nursing home to fulfill his dream of attending the pro wrestling school of his idol, The Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Haden Church). On the road, Zak meets Tyler (Shia LaBeouf!!), a small-time outlaw who becomes Zak’s unlikely coach and ally. Together, they set out on a wild, life-changing journey and try to convince Eleanor (Dakota Johnson), a kind nursing-home employee charged with bringing Zak back, to join them.

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Now we can become the one and only Peanut Butter Falcon by creating the epic costume with this fun DIY! Simply click the image below and save the PDF to your computer. Then follow the instructions to become the PBF.

Nov 11 2019

Paper Dolls by Cory Releases New Dresses for Frozen 2

Most of my readers know that I am a fan of Paper Dolls by Cory. His work is beautiful. The best part is they are fun, they are free, and they are printable. Normally when I start talking about his work I start rambling and geeking out about the details he includes in his paper dolls. He really understands the characters and their costumes.

Several years ago, Paper dolls by Cory released an awesome set of Frozen paper dolls featuring Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Hans. They came with several different costumes and the classic closed eyes. I shared them on my blog here.

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With Frozen being such an awesome movie, loved not only by Cory and myself, but millions of other fans around the world, Paper Dolls by Cory continues to update the costumes Anna and Elsa wear. Some are from the films and others are his own design, such as the Pumpkin Spice Dresses…I so wish they were canon/

With Frozen 2 being released Nov. 22, Paper Dolls by Cory has released a brand new set of dresses for Anna and Elsa. Elsa’s purple dress is beautiful! To download click the image below and save it to your computer. Then print and create to place on the Elsa and Anna dolls.

I will be keeping an eye out for more designs and post them as I see them. You can also follow Paper dolls by Cory on his Facebook page to get the latest designs.