Entertainment

New Clip From Marvel’s IRON MAN 3

April 25, 2013 By Stefani 24 Comments

For those of you Marvel fans, here is a new clip from IRON MAN 3 that releases in theaters on May 3rd.

For more info on the movie be sure to:

“Like” IRON MAN 3 on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ironman
“Follow” IRON MAN 3 on Twitter: @Iron_Man
Visit the website: http://marvel.com/ironman3

Enjoy!

Filed Under: Entertainment

Freshman Orientation At Monsters University + Trailer – #MonstersUEvent

April 25, 2013 By Stefani 25 Comments

Disclosure – I received an invite to the #MonstersUEvent. All expenses were paid for and covered by Disney. This post is not a paid post and the opinions stated herein are 100% my own.

This month I had the opportunity to pack my bags and head to Emeryville California for Freshman Orientation at Monsters University. Once I arrived in Emeryville I met up with my fellow MU classmates and we jumped on board the bus that would take us to our campus. This wasn’t just any bus though, it was definitely a party bus!

When we pulled up Pixar Animation Studios we were greeted by a MU marching band, cheerleaders and even Squishy’s moms who looked happy to see us. As we got off the bus and made our way down the walkway to the quad, with the amount of excitement that was going on, we knew we were in for a full day of fun!

I will have to admit that I was a little excited to see this live marching band, it was a little loud being so close to them but definitely a great addition to the experience.

Once we got to the quad, we were greeted by different clubs that wanted us to join like the MU Debate Team, Greek Council, Art and the MU Improv Club.

After checking out the quad, we headed to the Student Center to pick up our official Monsters University Student ID cards.

Once we had our student id cards, we headed to the cafeteria to eat breakfast before our classes began. After breakfast we attended 5 fun classes where we learned a TON of neat information about how the animation process works and what is involved in making a movie at the Pixar studies. I will be sharing more about the stuff I learned in class soon!

After our classes were over it was time for LUNCH. We headed out to the quad we were greeted again by the marching band and cheerleaders. My school mate The Night Owl Mama and I got us some yummy lunch and grabbed a bench outside to enjoy our meal.

After lunch we headed inside to interview the producer (Kori Rae) and director (Dan Scanlon) of Monsters University. We also got to interview the director (Saschka Unseld) of the new upcoming short The Blue Umbrella. All three of these interviews were very informative and I will be sharing soon what I found out from all three of these interview.

After the interviews it was time to get our SCREAM on. Each of my classmates got to inside this capsule thing and scream as loud as we could. I was loud, but I wasn’t the loudest of the group.

At the end of the day was Snack Time With Squishy. Not only did we get to have a fun little snack, we got to meet Pete Sohn aka “Squishy” and ask him tons of questions. Pete is such a down to earth guy and very funny. I think he is perfect for the character of Squishy and I will be sharing more about what he had to say too!

After we bombarded Pete with all of our questions, we ended the day with a tour of the Pixar Studio, shopping at the Pixar gift shop and of course some group photos of all the MU classmates!

View more pictures from my trip to Monsters University on Google+.

And now for the Monsters University Trailer:

MONSTERS UNIVERSITY opens in theatres everywhere on June 21st. Follow along the Monters University chat by using the hashtag #MonstersUEvent on Twitter!

Filed Under: Blogger Events, Disney, Entertainment

MONSTERS UNIVERSITY Voice Cast & Character Descriptions

April 22, 2013 By Stefani 7 Comments

Hey Monsters Inc fans, Pixar has officially revealed the full voice cast for Monsters University that opens in theatres everywhere this summer on June 21st! Below you will find both the names of the characters and the voice cast too!

CLAIRE WHEELER, GREEK COUNCIL PRESIDENT (voice of Aubrey Plaza) – Claire Wheeler is the Greek Council president at Monsters University, and this year she is one of the chosen emcees for the school’s annual Scare Games. Don’t be fooled by Claire’s brooding exterior and monotone drawl—banal in appearance, on the inside she is a galvanizing force of school spirit who diligently warns the Scare Game participants of the dangers they will face.
BROCK PEARSON, GREEK COUNCIL VICE PRESIDENT (voice of Tyler Labine) – This preppy-looking fraternity monster has been chosen to assist the Greek Council president in emceeing the school’s annual Scare Games. Jock-like and what some might refer to as a “meathead,” Brock is a loud, enthusiastic emcee who relishes the danger of the Scare Games’ challenges.
MIKE WAZOWSKI (voice of Billy Crystal) – Mike Wazowski’s lifelong dream is to become a Scarer at Monsters, Inc.—and he’s sure he knows just how to do it. Ever since he was a young monster, Mike’s had his eye on Monsters University, home of the world’s top Scare Program. Now a freshman and hopeful Scare student, he’s well versed in the rich history, theory and technique required to reach his goal, and the little green one-eyed monster has more confidence, enthusiasm, determination and heart than all of his classmates combined. But unexpected roadblocks derail Mike’s plans and he’s forced to team up with a group of misfit monsters and an unlikely ally to give it the old college try and pull off the biggest coup in the University’s history.
JAMES P. SULLIVAN—“SULLEY” (voice of John Goodman) – When it comes to Scaring, Sulley’s a natural—his abundant size, fierce roar and family legacy of a long line of high-achieving Scarers make him a shoo-in for the esteemed Scare Program at Monsters University. But from the moment the overly confident monster steps his big furry feet on campus, it’s clear he’d rather crack jokes than books—and he learns the hard way that his unfettered talent and family ties can only get him so far. With his ego bruised and future in jeopardy, a stubborn Sulley must put his pride aside, team up with an odd bunch of misfit monsters and actually work if he wants to live up to his true Scaring potential.
RANDY BOGGS (voice of Steve Buscemi) – Monsters University freshman Randy Boggs has big aspirations for college life. The peculiar lizard-like monster with his host of gangly arms and legs plans to major in Scaring and lead an active social life filled with fun, friends and fraternity parties. If only he could get his embarrassing disappearing habit under control, he’d be good to go, because how is he ever going to be a great Scarer if nobody can see him?
DON CARLTON (voice of Joel Murray) – Faced with the realities of the economic downturn, Midwestern sales monster Don Carlton finds himself going back to school to learn new skills and pursue a dream career in Scaring. One of Monsters University’s “mature” students and a founding member of the Oozma Kappa fraternity, Don brings his honest hardworking spirit to their endeavors, ensuring that his fellow brothers keep their various heads on straight and their array of eyes on the task at hands.
SCOTT “SQUISHY” SQUIBBLES (voice of Pete Sohn) – Scott Squibbles gives new meaning to the term “undeclared.” A sophomore whose dream of becoming a Scarer was squashed in his first year at Monsters University, “Squishy” is a bit of a wide-eyed wanderer—small, sweet, naïve and quiet—who, not surprisingly, still lives with his doting mother. But with a little help from his Oozma Kappa brothers, Squishy begins to realize he’s more than just that shy monster in the corner.
ART (voice of Charlie Day) – The ultimate free spirit, Art is a mysterious monster with a questionable background. By far the strangest member of the Oozma Kappas, Art bowls over the competition—sometimes literally—with his unique dexterity and wild-card ways. Nothing is scarier than the unpredictable, especially when it comes to this furry ball of bad.
TERRI & TERRY PERRY (voices of Dave Foley & Sean Hayes) – When it comes to Terri and Terry, it’s hard not to ask, “Are two heads really better than one?” These bickering brothers have little in common: Terri with an “i” is a real romantic who’s quick to spot the silver lining in any situation, while older brother Terry with a “y” sports a more cynical outlook on life. If they can stop squabbling long enough to work with their Oozma Kappa brothers—they might be able to put their heads together—literally—and find their place in Monsters University’s Scare Program once and for all.
DEAN HARDSCRABBLE (voice of Helen Mirren) – To Dean Hardscrabble, there are scary monsters and there are all other monsters. It’s no surprise she feels this way—she is, after all, a legendary Scarer and Dean of the School of Scaring at Monsters University. Aspiring Scare students must be up for the challenge to impress her, though she is convinced that her assessment of who is truly scary and who is not is never wrong.
PROFESSOR KNIGHT (voice of Alfred Molina) – Professor Knight teaches Scaring 101, the introductory course to Scaring at Monsters University. With hundreds of new Scare students each year, Professor Knight must weed out the weak from the talented and identify who shows the most potential to be real Scarers. Only a few have what it takes to pass the formidable final exam and move on to the elite Scaring Program.

Filed Under: Disney, Entertainment

It’s Time To Plan Our Summer Vacations! #spon

April 18, 2013 By Stefani 49 Comments

Now that we are half way through April I have travel on my mind. My college courses end next month and my kid’s go on summer vacation in June. Every year we take a family vacation and I am excited to plan on our trip for this summer. I have been thinking of doing a Disney trip this summer, but I might be able to find a better travel idea online.

For those that like to travel like I do, that also like to find and book your vacations online, you definitely want to check out the site CarryOn. Have you ever went online and pretended to purchase a trip or vacation just so you can see what the cost would be? With CarryOn you can go through the purchase path of your initial travel search and instead of purchasing your trip at the end, you can “get bids”. With this system your search is saved and CarryOn will hunt for the best deals for you.

You can find deals on:

Hotels
Flights
Cruises
Car rentals

Once your search is saved, you will get notices in your inbox if they see a price drop or price increase for the trip that you are interested in. For those with limited time online, let CarryOn do the bargain hunting for your trip to help save you time.

The CarryOn travel website gets even better, they have a REWARDS program too! Members can earn points for a variety of different actions. Here are some of the ways to earn points with CarryOn:

Creating an account (1,000 points)
Completing your profile (4,000 points)
Watching a trip (25 points)
Opening up an email from Carryon (25 points)
Visiting the site (25 points)
Referring a friend (25 points)
and more ways…

Got friends that travel too? You can also earn 1 point for every dollar your friends and friends of their friends spend on travel. These points that you accumulate can be redeemed towards dollars off a trip booked on the CarryOn website. Once you reach the 10,000 point mark, you can start redeeming your points.

I joined and am already earning points on doing some of the things I mentioned above.For more info or to join for FREE, visit: www.Carryon.com

Filed Under: Entertainment, Travel

IRON MAN 3 Lego Movie Posters – #IronMan3

April 18, 2013 By Stefani 20 Comments

Below you will find Marvel’s IRON MAN 3 official theatrical posters in LEGO® form! These iconic characters are exclusive LEGO minifigure replicas found in LEGO Marvel Super Heroes sets based on the much-anticipated film hitting theaters on May 3, 2013.

You can click the posters above to take you to the larger version (4950 X 6900).

For those of you social media fans, be sure to:

“Like” IRON MAN 3 on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ironman
“Follow” IRON MAN 3 on Twitter: @Iron_Man

For more info on the movie visit: http://marvel.com/ironman3

Filed Under: Entertainment

Disneynature’s Wings Of Life Blu-Ray + DVD Combo Review + Video Clip

April 16, 2013 By Stefani 18 Comments

Just last week I was at the Disney Family Museum in San Francisco where I was thinking about how different the world would have be without Walt Disney. There would be no Disneyland or Disneyworld and there would be no fun Disney movies that millions of families continue to enjoy day after day and year after year. I happen to have many FAVORITE Disney classics from my childhood that I have been able to enjoy with my own children. I have sooo many fond Disney memories!

For those of you nature fans like me, Disneynature has released their film “Wings Of Life” onto Blu-ray and DVD today! This is not just any ordinary documentary about nature, this movie is AWESOME, especially if you want to learn about flowers, butterflies, bees and the reproduction cycle with some things in life we take for granted, pollen and bees!

When you watch this Disneynature film, you are going to see some incredible footage of nature taken in a dozen areas that range from the El Rosario Preserve in Michoacán, Mexico, to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument Park in Arizona. There is such close up views that when watching the film, it almost seems like you are close enough to touch it. I watched Wings Of Life on Blu-ray and I thought the detail on the flowers was amazing.

In celebration of Earth Day this year, I am going to watch this film with my kids. I thought I knew the basics of nature, but I learned some interesting facts that I didn’t know. I have a feeling my kids are going to enjoy this film too!

The “Wings of Life” Blu-ray Combo Pack includes a sneak peek at Disneynature’s 2014 big-screen adventure “Bears.” In an epic story of breathtaking scale set against a majestic Alaskan backdrop teeming with life, the film, which is currently in production, follows two mother grizzly bears as they impart life lessons to their impressionable young cubs.

Take a peek at the Wings Of Life Film Clip here:

Right now you can purchase the Wings Of Life Blu-ray Combo Pack on Amazon for only $27.99!

Disclosure – I received a copy of this film to provide you with this post. This post is not a paid post (but does contain affiliate links) and the opinions stated herein are 100% my own. This post does contain affiliate links

Filed Under: Disney, Entertainment, Reviews

National Boys & Girls Club Week – Open The Door

April 12, 2013 By Stefani 23 Comments

Did you know that this week is National Boys & Girls Club Week? This special week was created to celebrate the invaluable service that clubs can bring to our communities and to highlight why great futures start at the Boys & Girls Club. More than 4,000 Boys & Girls opened their doors to serve millions of kids across our nation as well as military bases overseas where they can grow and have a great future. At the Boys & Girls Club, you will find that they provide both guidance and lots of fun. The children in these clubs are able to participate in programs that can help them excel in school, give back to their own communities an choose a healthy lifestyle.

During this celebration, different clubs across the country have been participating in fun activities for the club members, their parents as well as the neighborhood too! Some of these fun events that have been happening include carnivals, heath fairs, teen forums, service and leadership groups and a ton more! You will also find these boys & girls giving back to their community by volunteering at homeless shelters and assisted living facilities in our communities.

Are you interested in getting your child involved in the National Boys and Girls Club Week? Take the virtual tour. If you are interested, but can’t get out to do a physical tour, you can take a virtual Club tour this week at greatfutures.org. Even if you can’t get to your local Club, you can still celebrate the spirit of our Movement by spending time with an important kid in your life.

Do you have a child that has participated in this program for kids? Feel free to share your story by leaving me a comment below!

“I wrote this review while participating in a campaign for Mom Central Consulting on behalf of the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. I received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Filed Under: Entertainment, Family Stuff, Misc Stuff