A Mini Monsuno Tournament Party!

About 65 million years ago, meteors fell to the planet and they carried a new type of life. This life was powerful, chaotic, and uncontrollable. These were Monsuno, and they were catastrophically destructive to all the prehistoric population. Over time, these Monsuno fell dormant, until today when a potential energy source is discovered. But can the Monsuno be controlled?

Monsuno is a fun new toy from Jakks Pacific as well as a television show on Nicktoons. Kids get to help control Monsuno with cards, cores and action figures in a fun, fast-paced battle for children of various ages. Jakks Pacific was kind enough to send us a box of Monsuno toys to hold our own Monsuno party.

(Click any photo to enlarge)

We created invitations and my kids invited their best buddies over to play the game and earn free cards. We had finger foods like pretzels, cheese and crackers, and juice boxes and decorated my oldest’s bedroom with balloons and the Monsuno toys. Even though I had activities planned, all they wanted to do was play with the Monsuno toys and cards we were sent, which worked out okay. They just did it in tournament form so everyone played for the same amount of time and no one was ever bored.

All the kids had a blast playing with the Monsuno stuff and they played for a couple hours non-stop. Their favorite toy was the core with the transforming action figures, but their favorite activity was playing the Monsuno card game. The youngest of the group was my son, Quinn (5), and he even understood the basic play of the game. They all loved opening their packs of cards and seeing what they got and the older kids really enjoyed playing on a more advanced level. Monsuno is now their new favorite thing to play and they play all the time.

You can purchase Monsuno toys and accessories at most major retailers nationwide, such as Walmart, Amazon.com, and Toys"R"Us.  Monsuno the TV show can be watched on Nicktoons on Thursday nights. Check local listings for show times.  To learn more about Monsuno products, visit www.Monsuno.com and Monsuno Toys on Facebook.


Thank you to Jakks Pacific for providing complimentary product samples for our party.

New Episodes of Dinosaur Train Are Headed Your Way

Dinosaur Train is an Emmy-nominated educational show on PBS Kids about a family of dinosaurs who encourage preschoolers to get off their couches and explore the world. Created by The Jim Henson Company, Dinosaur Train has been entertaining millions of children since its debut in 2009. Its mission is to introduce children to paleontology and discovery.

The kids here and I really love watching Dinosaur Train on PBS and can’t wait for the new season, beginning Monday, November 14th. We can’t wait to see what adventures lay ahead for Buddy, Shiny, Tiny, and Don. We will also be joining the Nature Trackers Club to get free activities and receive a free Dinosaur Train surprise. If you love Dinosaur Train, check out their website to get that information and make sure to tune in to the new season of Dinosaur Train on PBS Kids beginning this week.

Giveaway & Review: "Let's Ride the Rails!" Chuggington DVD [CLOSED]

On February 8th, Chuggington fans will be able to purchase the first Chuggington DVD ever.  This 62-minute long DVD titled "Let's Ride the Rails" by Anchor Bay Entertainment includes some of the favorite episodes aired on Playhouse Disney since the show debuted in October of 2010.

These episodes include the following:

"Clunky Wilson"

"Braking Brewster"

"Can't Catch Koko"

"Old Puffer Pete's Tour"

"Koko on Call"

"Hodge and the Magnet"

One thing I have always loved about this children's series is the strong theme of friendship and teamwork.  This DVD includes many examples of situations that preschoolers can apply to everyday social situations that come up that may require kindness, concern, and thoughtfulness.

Usually, when I review a children's DVD, I ask each of my children which part or parts were their favorite.  My children rarely have problems telling me what they loved and what they did not care for.  With this DVD, they insisted that they loved "all of it"!  I even tried to ask them again the following day and their response was the same.  It is safe to say that they are looking forward to future Chuggington DVDs from Anchor Bay Entertainment.

Currently, you can pre-order this DVD, which comes with bonus Chuggington printables and coloring pages, on Amazon.com, but remember to look for it where children's DVDs are sold starting February 8th, 2011.  To learn more about Chuggington and its cast of characters or to keep up to date on Chuggington news, visit Chuggington.com, Chuggington on Facebook, and Chuggington on Twitter.

Thank you to Anchor Bay Entertainment for providing a screener DVD for us to base this review upon and for providing a retail DVD for our contest prize.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a copy of "Chuggington: Let's Ride the Rails" on DVD .

Limitations:
This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Visit Chuggington.com . Then leave a comment telling me who your favorite Chugger is. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1)  For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.


2)  For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3)  For 10 extra entries, join Chuggington.com to gain access to exclusive games, activities, video clips, and promos. Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments telling me you did.

4)  For 1 extra entry each, if you are a Friend of mine on Facebook and/or if you have "liked" the 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires Facebook page, then leave a separate comment here telling me so with the link to your Facebook profile.

5)  For 1 extra entry each, follow Chuggington on Twitter and/or "Like" Chuggington on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment for each with the link to your Twitter or Facebook profile.


6)  Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7)  Tweet about this giveaway using the hashtag #Chuggington linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8)  Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9)  Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, February 14th, 2011 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Giveaway & Review: Sid the Science Kid Party [CLOSED]

“Hey, Sid, what do you say? Whatcha want to learn today? I want to know why things happen and how and I want to know everything now. How does this thing work? Why did that thing change? How did that do what it just did? What’s up with the sky? Do you think I could fly? The world is spinning and I want to know why. I‘ve got a lot of questions and big ideas. I’m Sid the Science Kid.”

If you have young children, chances are that you’ve watched Sid the Science Kid. It’s an adorable show on PBS about a young boy, Sid, who loves science. Children are captivated by his cute personality, inquisitive nature, and the bright colors that make him up. I know that all the children in my daycare and my own two kids really, really love Sid. They look forward to it every day.

To celebrate the new season of Sid the Science Kid, we held a “screening party”. First we watched the season premiere of Sid the Science Kid, which the kids just loved and felt so special being one of the first to preview it. Next we introduced our new toy, the Sid the Science Kid Gotta Know Microphone that sings, magnifies your voice, gives applause, and more. The kids absolutely love this toy! It’s a bit noisy, but you know how kids love noise. Next we ate dinner and specially made Sid cupcakes. If you would like to take it a step further, you could make microphone cupcakes.

Then we watched the second episode of the show. After that, we did a coloring page, then our experiment about why wheels are round with the Sid the Science Kid: Why Are Wheels Round learning science kit, which was fun and the kids learned a lot by trying out the square and oval wheels before the round ones. We finished up the evening by watching the third episode of the new season. It was a great party and all the supplies just made the party that much more special. It was a great evening with a great theme.

Catch the new season of Sid the Science Kid starting this Monday, October 4 on PBS.

Thank you to The Rogers Group for sending us complimentary Sid the Science Kid party supplies, a screener DVD, and toys for our event and also for providing the prize for our contest.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive a Sid the Science Kid Learning Science Kit.

Limitations:

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Flip through the virtual Sid the Science Kid Funbook. Then leave a comment telling me which printable activity looks like the most fun to you. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2)

For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND Sid the Science Kid . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

4)

For 1 extra entry each, if you are a Friend of mine on Facebook and/or if you have "liked" the 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires Facebook page, then leave a separate comment here telling me so with the link to your Facebook profile.

5) For 1 extra entry, "Like" Sid the Science Kid on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Facebook profile.

6)

Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7)

Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8)

Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9)

Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

10)

Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

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(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, October 18th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Giveaway & Review: 8 Kids DVDs from The Cookie Jar Company [CLOSED]

Mill Creek Entertainment released 8 titles from Cookie Jar Entertainment on July 27 and we were fortunate enough to get to review them all. Each DVD contains 10 great episodes and runs for over 4 hours each.

The New Adventures of Nanoboy features the heroics of the world’s smallest superhero, Nanoboy, as he battles the micro-cosmos. Amoebas, proteins, bacteria, and cells beware! In Mona the Vampire, Mona, a 10 year old wannabe vampire, helps solve mysteries in her town. With the help of her sidekick vampire kitty, Fang, she uses her larger-than-life imagination to crack the case. Nanoboy and Mona were the big hits among the kids. They really loved the superhero and detective fun these two had.

I may not be a kid, but I can still enjoy cartoons, and enjoy I did. Horseland, my personal favorite, was just like it sounds, a land of horses. A lovable group of children strive to become the best competitive horse riders they can while still remaining children and friends. These are stories of honestly, integrity, confidence, and love, things we would all like our children to learn. Wimzie’s House was a favorite among the younger children, particularly the 18 month old and young 2 year old. It was cute and endearing and reminded me of a cross between Fraggle Rock and Muppets with a little bit of Sesame Street. Music, songs, and imagination were the theme in these cute episodes.


Sally Cat, Hilda Hippo, Pig Will, Lowly Worm and more are back! Richard Scarry’s classic children’s books come to life in Busytown Mysteries and The Busy World of Richard Scarry. Busytown Mysteries was a little “cutesier” than the other, but both feature the Scarry characters and feel. Busytown is an enchanting little place that’s abuzz with energy, life, imagination. Scarry has written over 300 books and sold over 300 million copies worldwide, so every child is sure to love these DVD’s.

Super Duper Sumos features three super duper 18 year old sumo wrestlers who were sent to the modern world with ancient powers. With the help of their mentor, Wisdom San, they are always ready to defend the principles of PHAT; Peace, Honor, And Truth. Finally, World of Quest, The Quest Begins, is a hilarious action series following Prince Nestor on a mission to save his parents. With his amazing muscled protector, Quest, by his side, he faces the world. The catch is that Quest really doesn’t want to help nor does he care about the Prince, his parents, or their kingdom, but he is under the power of a magic spell which forces him to help. Much comedy ensues in this action-packed, super fun show.

I can honestly say that the children truly enjoyed all of these DVD’s and there were none they didn’t like. Sometimes they lost interest for awhile, but they always came back. A great buy for $9.98 each.

Look for these and other Cookie Jar DVDs at major retailers, such as Amazon.com .

Thank you to Mill Creek Entertainment for sending us a sample set of DVDs free of charge to base this review upon and for providing a second set of DVDs for our contest prize.

What you can win:
One lucky reader will receive all 8 DVDs reviewed in this article (ARV $80).

Limitations:

This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only. You do not need to be a blogger to enter, but you must have a valid email address and be age 18 years or older. If you enter anonymously and do not include a valid email address in your comment entries, I will not be able to notify you should you win this random drawing.

How to Gain Entries:

Browse the selection of kids shows on DVDs offered by The Cookie Jar Company. Then leave a comment telling me the name of the show you or your child would like the best. You MUST do this to be eligible to win this contest.

Extra Entries:

1) For 5 extra entries, leave a relevant comment on one of my non-giveaway posts. Then leave FIVE separate comments with the name of the post on which you commented. You will earn 5 extra entries for each different non-contest post you comment on.

2)

For 5 extra entries, enter one of my other contests. Leave FIVE separate comments here telling me which contest you entered. You will earn 5 extra entries for each contest you enter.

3) For 10 extra entries, blog about this contest linking back to this post AND TheCookieJarCompany.com . Then come back here and leave TEN separate comments with the link to your blog post.

4)

For 1 extra entry each, if you are a Friend of mine on Facebook and/or if you have "liked" the 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires Facebook page, then leave a separate comment here telling me so with the link to your Facebook profile.

5) For 1 extra entry each, follow MillCreekEnt on Twitter and/or "Like" Mill Creek Entertainment on Facebook. Then leave a separate comment for each with the link to your Twitter or Facebook profile.

6)

Follow me on Twitter. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your Twitter profile.

7)

Tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Then come back here and leave the link to your tweet in a separate comment. You may do this once per day until the end of the contest.

8)

Subscribe to this blog's feed. Or you can follow me through Blogger or subscribe via email (widget is on sidebar). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

9)

Subscribe to A Blog of Goodies' feed (the sister site to 3 Garnets & 2 Sapphires). Then leave a separate comment telling me you did so.

10)

Add my button or blog link to your blog's sidebar. Then leave a separate comment with the link to your blog.

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(All entries will be verified prior to awarding this prize.)


Random Drawing:

This contest will be closed on Monday, September 13th, 2010 at 11:59pm EST. A random number drawing will be held shortly after. The winner will be announced here and will be contact via email or through their blog. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

Good luck in the drawing!

Review: Sesame Street's "Let's Make Music" (DVD)

Sesame Street Workshop's and Warner Home Video's DVD titled Let's Make Music has quickly become one of my family's favorite DVDs about music. Although most parents are happy to watch Sesame Street anytime with their toddlers and preschoolers, it is rare that the parents would find the show engaging for themselves. This DVD is an exception to that rule.

On this 40-minute DVD, our friend Telly misplaces his tuba and is convinced that he will not be able to make music again without it. Who better to show him that he is wrong than the cast members of Stomp, the amazingly talented percussion performance group?

Let's Make Music shows the audience that formal instruments are not needed to create music, but rather almost anything that makes a sound can be used to make music. Examples illustrated on this DVD are everyday objects, such as pots and brooms, as well as parts of the body, like one's hands and feet.

This DVD retails for just $9.99 and would make a fun educational addition to any toddler's or preschooler's Easter basket or Christmas stocking. You should be able to find it most places where Sesame Street DVDs are sold.

Thank you to Sesame Workshop for providing a sample DVD free of charge for us to base this review upon.

Review: Sesame Street's "Elmo Loves You!" (DVD)

Right in time to help celebrate Valentine's Day and Sesame Street's 40th anniversary, Warner Home Video and Sesame Street Workshop re-released "Elmo Loves You!" on DVD. This Elmo's World DVD features Sesame Street favorites Cookie Monster, Grover, Ernie, Rosita, and more.

This DVD also has two surprises. In addition to the usual Sesame Street gang, it also welcomes guest stars R.E.M., country music artist Trisha Yearwood, and recording artist, musician, and actor John Legend. This DVD also comes with a bonus music CD containing five all-time favorite Sesame Street songs. The top two on my list are "Rubber Duckie" and "'C' is for Cookie".

"Elmo Loves You!" starts off with a song sung by Elmo about what Elmo loves. In fact, this DVD is packed full of music. Many of the songs were geared towards toddlers and preschoolers, but I was extremely happy to see R.E.M. perform "Shiny Happy People" as was my 6yr old son. He was not familiar with R.E.M. prior to this, but he was very impressed by this rock band's sound.

If you are looking for an alternative to candy for Valentine's Day or Easter, the "Elmo Loves You!" DVD with the bonus music CD would be a great candidate for any infant, toddler, or preschooler. You should be able to find this DVD at most major retailers of children's movies, including Amazon.com .

Thank you to Warner Home Video and Sesame Street Workshop for providing us a copy of this DVD to base this review upon.

Review: Happy Holidays WordFriends (WordWorld DVD)

If your little one is a PBS Kids WordWorld fan, then you might want to consider this affordable holiday DVD for a gift or for a stocking stuffer this year. Happy Holidays WordFriends contains two Christmas-themed episodes starring their favorite WordWorld characters Frog, Dog, Duck, Pig, and Bear.

Between the two episodes featured in this 33-minute DVD, "The Christmas Star" and "A Christmas Present for DOG", I liked the latter the best. The reason for this is, not only is this episode educational and entertaining, it also teaches my children that it truly is better to give than to receive.

I do wish that this DVD contained one or two more episodes. Even if they were just winter-themed stories, it would have entertained my children for just a little bit longer. I know my children were disappointed when the DVD was over so quickly.

Currently, you can find this WordWorld DVD at NCircleEntertainment.com, Toys R Us, and Amazon.com .

Thank you to NCircle Entertainment for providing us with a review product free of charge.

Review: Johnny Test "Johnny X and Super Pooch" (DVD)

As my son approaches the age of six, I need to choose what programming he is allowed to watch carefully. These days, we cannot assume, just because a children's show is animated, that it is appropriate for a child my son's age.

I have to admit that I was wary about the Johnny Test animated series because the main characters in this cartoon are 11 and 13 years old. After watching the 6-episode DVD titled Johnny Test: Johnny X and Super Pooch I came to the conclusion that it is a show that I would allow my nearly 6yr old son to watch. Some of the things I watch out for are violence and the main characters portraying that poor attitudes and name-calling equals coolness. I did not see any of those negative attributes in Johnny Test.


The Johnny Test series is fun and interesting to watch because the possibilities are endless. The premise is that Johnny Test and his dog Dukey became Johnny X and Super Pooch because Johnny's highly intelligent twin sisters Susan and Mary perform scientific experiments on them regularly. As a result Johnny and Dukey are constantly discovering new super powers, such as being able to turn into a snake or a polar bear, having arms that can create twisters, and the ability to fly. Of course my son's favorite super power of all the ones Johnny X possesses is the one that allows him to expel fire when he passes gas.

Overall, I think this is a fun non-educational cartoon that can just be watched for pure enjoyment. Johnny Test presents the classic theme of good vs evil, but it is also extremely unpredictable. That element of unpredictability is what makes this cartoon stand out from the rest.

If you are considering picking up a Johnny Test DVD for a gift or a stocking stuffer this holiday, they are temporarily being offered at the reduced price of $5.99 each on NCircleEntertainment.com .


Thank you to NCircle Entertainment for providing us with a review product free of charge.