Thursday, March 21, 2013

SCOOBY-DOO! MASK OF THE BLUE FALCON Now Available!

*I received a product to help facilitate this review. This post may contain affiliate links that when you click earn me a small percentage.*
Be sure to check out SCOOBY-DOO! MASK OF THE BLUE FALCON on Blu-ray combo pack.  Join Scooby and Shaggy on a fantastic adventure!

About:


Get set for superhero hi-jinks and adventure in Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon as Scooby-Doo! and the gang go head-to-head with a super villain they thought only existed on TV! Scooby-Doo! and his pals make big plans to attend a popular comic book convention. No one however, is more excited than Scooby-Doo! and Shaggy because they get to be part of a big premiere of a brand-new movie that’s based on their favorite superhero, Blue Falcon. Fiction becomes reality however when the hideous Mr. Hyde, a monstrous super villain from the classic Blue Falcon television series comes to life and terrorizes everyone at the convention.


 SCOOBY-DOO! MASK OF THE BLUE FALCON is available at your local retailer and online at Amazon!

Thank you to WHV for providing a product for review.  As always all opinions are strictly the opinons of A Rup Life and individual results may vary!  

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

TOM and JERRY: PINT-SIZED PALS now on DVD!

*I received a product to help facilitate this review. This post may contain affiliate links that when you click earn me a small percentage.* 


Another great DVD from WHV!  My kids are loving all these classic cartoons!  I have to admit my husband and I chuckle at some of the on screen antics too.  Funny how much we remember from our Saturday morning viewing.  

About:

Meet Nibbles, Tuffy, Quacker and Tyke, some of Tom and Jerry’s cutest companions on Warner Bros. Home Entertainment’s (WBHE) release of Tom and Jerry: Pint-Sized Pals, set for release March 5, 2013. This must-own collection showcases 30 hilarious shorts featuring some of the tussling twosome’s most popular pals in a set of hilarious adventures the whole family can enjoy together. The cartoon selection in this collection is comprised of several legendary classics, including an Academy Award®-winning title and a number of contemporary shorts.


That mischievous duo is at it again and their never-ending rivalry is fueled by some of animation’s most adorable characters in Tom and Jerry: Pint-Sized Pals. Spike the bulldog is at his most intimidating when he’s with his precious pup, Tyke. Several adventures featured on this set, including Hic-cup Pup, Pup on a Picnic, That’s My Pup and others, feature the lovable Tyke and his over-protective dad, as they become entangled in Tom and Jerry’s endless pursuit.



Nibbles, the perpetually hungry little mouse, re-emerges in several cartoons including Mice Follies, where Nibbles and Jerry turn the kitchen into an ice-skating rink, and again in The Two Mouseketeers, which won an Academy Award® for Best Short Subject: Cartoons. Tuffy, another precious and precocious little orphaned mouse, is Jerry’s pal throughout a set of Hanna-Barbera-directed classics, including Little School Mouse which is featured on this set.



Another favorite little pal is Quacker, the sweet baby duckling who mistakes Tom for his mother in That’s My Mommy. Quacker appears in several cartoons, including Happy Go Ducky, in which Tom’s Easter egg surprise yields more than he bargained for when it hatches and Quacker emerges. In Southbound Duckling, Quacker is determined to fly south for the winter and in Just Ducky, Jerry teaches Quacker how to swim.



Tom and Jerry: Pint-Sized Pals presents viewers with these and several other hilarious and endearing adventures.


Tom and Jerry: Pint-Sized Pals

Disc One
Disc Two
1. Love That Pup
1. Babysitting Blues
2. The Dog House
2. Game Set Match
3. That’s My Pup
3. Happy Go Ducky
4. Hic-cup Pup
4. That’s My Mommy
5. Pup on a Picnic
5. Little Quacker
6. Puppy Tale
6. Southbound Duckling
7. Barbecue Brawl
7. Just Ducky
8. Endless Bummer
8. Cat Show Catastrophe
9. Little School Mouse
9. Kitty Foiled
10. Robin Hoodwinked
10. Ho Ho Horrors
11. Jungle Love
11. The Two Mouseketeers
12. Royal Cat Nap
12. Touché, Pussy Cat!
13. The Vanishing Duck
13. Mice Follies
14. Cat Nebula
14. The Egg and Jerry
15. Adventures in Penguin Sitting
15. Tot Watchers



The Credits



About Warner Bros. Animation

Warner Bros. Animation (WBA) is one of the leading producers of animation in the entertainment industry, with an innovative and talent-rich roster boasting some of the most accomplished writers, producers and artists working today. The studio is on the cutting edge of animation technology and has both CG and traditionally animated projects in current production and development. For TV, WBA produces series such as Green Lantern: The Animated Series, The Looney Tunes Show, MAD, Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated and Young Justice: Invasion, as well as the forthcoming Beware The Batman and Teen Titans Go! for Cartoon Network. WBA also produces series and additional original content — including animated shorts — for Cartoon Network’s multiplatform branded DC Nation programming block. In addition to TV programming, WBA produces theatrically released CG cartoon shorts featuring iconic Looney Tunes characters, rendered in stereoscopic 3D. WBA also creates the highly successful series of DC Universe Original Animated Movies for DVD. Producing for multiple platforms including TV, digital and home entertainment both domestically and internationally, WBA is highly respected for its creative and technical excellence, as well as for maintaining the Studio’s rich cartoon heritage. It is also the home of the iconic animated characters from the DC Comics, Hanna-Barbera, MGM and Looney Tunes libraries. One of the most-honored animation studios in history, WBA has been honored with six Academy Awards®, 35 Emmy® Awards, the George Foster Peabody Award, an Environmental Media Award, a Parents’ Choice Award, the HUMANITAS Prize, two Prism Awards and 20 Annie Awards (honoring excellence in animation).



About Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, Inc.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) brings together Warner Bros. Entertainment's home video, digital distribution, interactive entertainment, technical operations and anti-piracy businesses in order to maximize current and next-generation distribution scenarios. An industry leader since its inception, WBHE oversees the global distribution of content through packaged goods (Blu-ray Disc™ and DVD) and digital media in the form of electronic sell-through and video-on-demand via cable, satellite, online and mobile channels, and is a significant developer and publisher for console and online video game titles worldwide. WBHE distributes its product through third party retail partners and licensees, as well as directly to consumers through WBShop.com.


TOM and JERRY:  PINT-SIZED PALS is available at your local retailer and online at Amazon!  

 Thank you to WHV for providing a product to test.  As always all opinions on A Rup Life are my own and individual results may vary! 

Monday, March 18, 2013

Healthy Recipes for Kids - from Peggy Kotsopoulos, Host of Peggy K’s Kitchen Cures on Veria Living

Low-Fat Mac & Cheese Muffins for Kids

 

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Peggy Kotsopoulos’ Low-Fat Mac & Cheese Muffins for Kids


Yield:  6 servings of Low-Fat Mac & Cheese Muffins

Ingredients:
2 cups brown rice elbow pasta;
¾ cup Greek yogurt;
¾ cup pureed cauliflower (see Tip);
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil;
2 tablespoon ground chia seeds;
1 red pepper, diced;
1 zucchini, grated;
2 tablespoons almond milk;
½ cup aged white cheddar cheese, finely grated

Make the Mac & Cheese Muffins:
Servings: 6
Cook Time: 30 min 00 sec
Ready In: 20 min 00 sec
  1. Pre-heat oven to 375F. 
  2. Boil water and cook pasta as directed. 
  3. Once pasta is cooked and drained, add back to pot, then add greek yogurt, and extra virgin olive oil.  Mix well. 
  4. Add gound chia and milk.  
  5. Mix well, and then stir in cauliflower puree, grated zucchini and red pepper and chedder cheese (reserving a little for topping).  
  6. Grease muffin tin with coconut oil and spoon in mixture.
  7. Sprinkle top with shredded cheddar cheese and bake for 20min 
  8. Remove from oven and let cool
  9. Remove from muffin tins and enjoy! 

 

Sunflower Seed and Strawberry Jam Sandwich for Picky Eaters

 

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Peggy Kotsopoulos’ Sunflower Seed & Strawberry Jam Sandwich for Picky Eaters

Yield:  1 Sunflower Seed & Strawberry Jam Sandwich “SB&J”Description: PB&J2_MYCC115.JPG 

Ingredients:
Strawberry Jam:
1 ¼ cup sliced fresh strawberries;
½ teaspoon vanilla extract;
1 teaspoon coconut sugar (optional);
1 heaping teaspoon ground chia seeds;
2 slice sprouted grain bread;
Sunflower seed butter
Banana slices

Make the home made Jam:
  1. Puree berries in a food processor with the vanilla and optional coconut sugar. 
  2. Pour into bowl and stir in remaining whole berries and chia until well combined. 
  3. Cover and refrigerate overnight. 
  4. While you’re sleeping the chia will begin to gelatinize, turning your fresh berries into even MORE of an antioxidant-rich goodness.

Make the sandwich:
  1. Spread one slice of bread with sunflower seed butter and top with banana slices. 
  2. Spread the other slice of bread with jam and close of the sandwich.

Recipes courtesy of   Peggy Kotsopoulos, Host of Peggy K’s Kitchen Cures on Veria Living.

Easy Beauty Recipes from Julieanna Hever!

Do-it-Yourself Beauty Recipes:

Breakfast Moisturizing Face Mask: Mash 1/2 banana well with a fork, combine about 1/4 - 1/2 cup rolled oats, and drizzle about 1 TB almond milk to the mixture to create a paste. Apply to face using a circular motion as a scrub and then leave on for 15 minutes. Rinse and remove with a warm washcloth and follow up with the Soothing Facial Moisturizer: drizzle 3-4 drops lavender essential oil into approximately 1 TB coconut oil, mix, and apply to face.

Hair Growth-Stimulating Treatment: Brew a cup of green tea. Add 1 TB mustard powder and 1 TB cayenne pepper, the contents of 1-2 vitamin E capsules, and 1 TB jojoba oil to the tea and mix well. In the shower, apply mixture to the scalp and rub in gently, using the pads of your fingers for a few minutes. Allow to sit while washing your body. Rinse and follow up with natural, chemical-free shampoo and conditioner. Perform treatment weekly until you notice hair growth.

What Would Julieanna Do? airs weekdays from 7:00 to 7:30 pm ET/PT on Veria Living.

Hosted by Julieanna Hever, What Would Julieanna Do? is a lifestyle-oriented talk show focusing on everyday topics as "getting your kids to eat better" and "treating menopause" to "rekindling the spark in your marriage" and "getting back in shape for your high school reunion."

Julieanna Hever, M.S., R.D., C.P.T., also known as “The Plant-Based Dietitian,” is an author and advocate of the benefits of following a whole food, plant-based diet. As host of What Would Julieanna Do?, Julieanna regularly features recipes like the Breakfast Moisturizing Face Mask, the Hair Growth-Stimulating Treatment and many other similar, helpful, do-it-yourself recipes on her show.

In the U.S., the Veria Living network is primarily available to Cablevision/Optimum (Channel 164), DISH Network (Channel 218) and Verizon FiOS (Channel 162) subscribers, on GCI (Channel 142 in SD and Channel 738 in HD), on RCN systems in several markets around the country, and on WOCK-CD Channel 13.3 in Chicago (Comcast Channel 389).

Friday, March 8, 2013

My new White Board! DIY!

We have a fairly small home.  Add two parents and 3 kids every bit of space is valuable.  Since we don't have room for a dedicated classroom (someday!)  I have to make the most of the space we have.  My kitchen now houses a large bookshelf that stores a good bit of homeschool materials.  Pretty much all my teacher manuals and paper.  The kid's have clear bins with their books on a countertop for easy access.  My kitchen table, couch in the living room and kid's desk in their room are where the homeschool magic happens!

Typically in the afternoon the baby takes a nap and the big boys each hop on a couch with a tv tray.  Then I do History and Science with them.  This involves a lot of me reading from their text while they take notes or do notebooking activities.  (We use Mystery of History and Apologia Science in case you were wondering.)  What I've found is that it is hard for them to know what are the important key words for each subject - and most are super hard to spell.  Fast forward a little and I was doing the parents portion of Institute for Excellence in Writing with a group of homeschool mommy friends.  On the DVD Andrew Pudewa says if you don't have a white board your failing your kids.  While that is a harsh statement and I don't 100% agree ~ I did see his point.  There is something to be said for having things on the board.  My own public school education had many many things on the board.

Well that got my brain rolling.  How could I put up a board?  Well - first off it was recommended to go to the hardware store and buy a piece of cheap masonite board.  It is dry eraseable and PERFECT!  Only $10 for a large piece at my local Lowe's.  So I looked around the kitchen and living room and quickly realized the living room would be the place to have it.  I didn't want a permanent white board up in there though.  We had just re-done the living room and it is a nice tranquil inviting place now.  A white board would be OUT of place.  So I looked at my DVD shelf and started thinking about how I could hang up a board.

This is when my husband's expertise comes in.  He suggested brackets - and he did the drilling.


 photo 1797DCCA-4854-4DC6-9327-6C5FAC197649-71678-00000847B65BB8D3_zps0833a5fb.jpg 

These are the brackets we used. He anchored them on the top of the DVD shelf where no one can see.  photo 682BB0A8-F858-4EAB-8378-4F1C67C631C3-71678-00000847A9E4D1F7_zpsc962fd1c.jpg 

Then he drilled a hole in the masonite board. There was some measuring involved but I left that to him!

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This is now a board we can remove quite easily and put behind the couch or in another room. The hooks will stay up but way less noticeable. 

Now if I'm being honest I have yet to take it down but we do use it almost every homeschool day so it is what it is.  I'm totally pleased with the quality of the Masonite board too.   You can spray a little cleaner on it and it wipes 100% clean.  

Leave me a comment if this post has helped you! 

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Hunger Games only $5 for Trilogy on Kindle!

* This post  contains affiliate links that when you click earn me a small percentage.* 


Don't miss out on this great offer for The Hunger Games on Kindle.  All three books for only $5.  I personally bought this set yesterday because I had been waiting for a great deal and I think this is the lowest it will get!