Disney 'Big Hero 6' is Genius! {plus a DIY Hiro Costume}

Our family was invited to attend a press screening of Big Hero 6 prior to the Disney movie opening in theaters.  All opinions expressed are my own.

My family and I had the opportunity to see Disney Big Hero 6 in 3D last week during an advanced screening. I can tell you I have been bursting at the seams waiting to tell the world about this movie. I’m not going to beat around the bush: Big Hero 6 is spectacular and is destined to become a mega blockbuster. Everybody should see this movie, young or old, . . . everybody. As a matter of fact, it should be mandatory!

I first heard about Big Hero 6 on YouTube where I saw the trailer months and months ago. I could not wait to show my kids as I knew they were going to be as excited as I was to see it. To be honest, whenever Disney announces a new animated movie we are giddy in anticipation (who isn't?), but something about this one really appealed to us and we were especially excited for the release.


One of the reasons we were so excited to see the movie, was that one of the main characters, Hiro, looks exactly like my oldest son Jake. Dead ringer. It didn't take us long to realize that Jake had to dress up as Hiro at some point (see the how-to below). I think we nailed the costume and Jake was able to wear it to the screening! However, Jake is not the only person excited enough about Big Hero 6 to dress up….. I will be attending a comic convention event later this month dressed at the villain, Yokai! As you can probably tell, we really loved this movie.

Big Hero 6 takes place in San Fransokyo (how awesome is that?), a hybrid city made up from San Francisco and Tokyo. I was absolutely mesmerized by the scenery of San Fransokyo. The visuals were breathtaking. I would love to be able to navigate around that city and really take it all in, but the movie is so fast paced and exciting, you hardly get a chance.

Hiro Hamada is a young boy genius with an older brother who is also gifted. Both are into robotics and have developed some amazing technology. I don't want to say too much more, but as you can guess, the other main character of the movie, Baymax, was one of their creations.

There is no doubt Baymax is going to become one of Disney's most loved and cherished personalities. The entire theatre was in love within seconds of his entrance. His sole purpose is to heal and protect people, even to use humor as the best medicine for the job and he does it so endearingly you can't help but to love him.

In addition to Hiro, his brother, and Baymax, there is a team of other cool and interesting characters that keep the story moving right along. I can honestly say that some of them could star in their own movie, but Hiro and Baymax clearly own Big Hero 6.

It's tough to say much more about the story without spoiling the movie, but you can expect things to get action packed and exciting. Nobody in the world manages emotions like Disney does. We were laughing, jumping in our seats, and crying at very comfortable intervals throughout the entire movie. The kids were truly moved throughout with just the right levels of emotional stimulation.

The scary parts were enough to give the kids (ages 7, 7, and 10) a jump (and net me a hand squeeze) but not too much to make them upset. The sad parts were enough to shed a light tear, but they were followed by humor and warm feelings to bring them right back. I am not ashamed to say I was just as emotionally moved as the kids were. In fact, the entire theatre was. We all laughed out loud, gasped in unison, and cheered regularly.

Although this is a Disney movie, the story is Marvel. So make sure you look for all the little treats and Easter eggs you’d expect in a Marvel movie. They are there and you are going to love them.

Big Hero 6 officially opens in theaters today, November 7th!  I can’t wait for everybody else to see this movie so I can talk about everything without spoiling it! If you haven't guessed, I wholeheartedly recommend this movie. I cannot think of one type of person who would not enjoy it.

TIP:  Don't be late for the movie because the animated short that preceded Big Hero 6, Feast, was awesome!


DIY Big Hero 6 Hiro Costume How-To . . .

• Navy blue zip-front hoodie (lined inside in white with white contrast stitiching, if you can find one)
• Red Transformers Optimus Prime (or another similar robot-like character) t-shirt
• For accuracy, layer a white t-shirt under the red one
• Long pair of khaki-colored cargo pocket shorts (or cut a pair of long cargo pants to hit halfway between the knee and ankle)
• Black canvas high tops with the tongue folded down
• Golden yellow shoelaces
• Lots of hair gel (and some hair spray) to create a full head of tousled hair

Aside from accidentally forgetting the white t-shirt to layer underneath (due to our attempt to not be late for the screening), we were pretty pleased with our DIY Hiro costume!

I hope I can take the family to see Big Hero 6 again soon…. or sneak out and see it again alone!

To learn more about this movie, visit Big Hero 6 on Disney.com, Facebook, and Disney Animation on Twitter.

Take a Peek at the New Kohl's Disney Jumping Beans "Planes: Fire & Rescue" #MagicAtPlay Collection

I participated in an Ambassador campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Kohl's. I received promotional items and product samples as a thank you for participating.

In case your little Disney fan hasn't alerted you already, the highly anticipated movie sequel, Disney Planes: Fire & Rescue, will be coming to theaters on July 18th!  Although the movie's release date is during mid-summer, Kohl's has what you need now . . . the exclusive Disney Jumping Beans "Planes: Fire & Rescue" collection for boys!  I am a huge fan of sporty orange and blues together, especially on boys.  I am loving that these colors have been included in so many pieces in this new playground-friendly clothing collection found at Kohl's.  It makes it so easy to mix and match!

3 reasons to shop the "Planes: Fire & Rescue" line at Kohl's . . .

1.  A fun trip to the movie theater!  If you're planning to take your little Disney Planes fan to see the sequel in July, then be sure he's dressed properly for the occasion.  My two boys wore Cars movie t-shirts to see Disney Pixar Cars 2 in the theaters and you can bet they will be decked out in Planes apparel to see Planes: Fire & Rescue.  Each time your little one wears that shirt or outfit thereafter, he will remember the fun time he spent with you at the movie.

2.  The 4th of July is right around the corner!  Red, white, and blue is a color scheme that can be found in at least half of the pieces in the "Planes: Fire & Rescue" collection.  These pieces would be perfect to wear to celebrate on the Fourth and any day throughout the summer (and even early fall) after that!

3.  Back-to-school shopping!  In some parts of the country, children are nearly halfway through their summer vacation already.  That means back-to-school shopping is not too far away.  This new Disney Jumping Beans collection also includes long-sleeved knits, long pants, and hoodies.  Mix and match to make these pieces last your child through summer and into fall!

To view the entire Disney Jumping Beans collection for boys and girls, stop in your local Kohl's store or visit Kohls.com.

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Good luck in the drawing!

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. A random drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be drawn.

Easy Recipe for a Pirate Fairy Family Movie Night on the Fly (plus Blue Pixie Dust Cookies!) #ProtectPixieHollow #shop #cbias

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This #ProtectPixieHollow shop has been compensated as part of a Disney The Pirate Fairy social shopper amplification for #CollectiveBias and its advertiser.

I'd love to say that our household is very zen and stress-free, but I can't . . . not even a little bit.  The truth is that ours is a very high stress household.  Everyone works hard and even the children rarely get downtime on weekdays during the few hours between the time they get off the school bus and the time they go to bed.  My oldest son just completed two big projects for school and all 3 children just recovered from a terrible stomach bug.  That's why I thought a surprise family movie night in the middle of the week would be just what the doctor ordered!  Since Disney's The Pirate Fairy released earlier this week on April 1st, I went to Walmart to pick up the Blu-ray/DVD combo pack and a few other things I would need for planning a family movie night on the fly! (Get it?  Pixies . . . fly?).


Here is my recipe for a quick mid-week family movie night . . . 

Step 1.  Get your children to do extra homework the night before to free up their time for a weekday family movie night.

Step 2.  Go to Walmart and buy Disney The Pirate Fairy (in the New Releases section).  I saw that the Walmart Exclusive gift set with the bonus Bake Off DVD, which also includes 10 animated shorts, was the same price as the regular Blu-ray/DVD combo, so I grabbed it.

Step 3.  If you don't already have the the following, you can grab these at Walmart too:  large cupcake liners that look like flowers (I bought Wilton cupcake liners, but you could probably cut the shapes out of regular ones), iridescent ribbon (like Tinker Bell's wings), green cellophane Easter grass, covered straw cups, refrigerated sugar cookie dough, blue sugar crystals, a small round cookie cutter, confectioners sugar, and some Pirate's Booty snacks (Arrrrrrrgh!!!).

Step 4.  Bake and decorate the mini Blue Pixie Dust cookies in advance (see the super-easy recipe at the bottom).

Step 5.  Set up a little "Pixie Hollow Patch" with everything you need for the movie with one serving of Blue Pixie Dust cookies, one serving of Pirate's Booty, and one cup of milk per child.

Step 6.  Eat an early dinner.  If you didn't have time to cook, then order takeout to make things as stress-free as possible and to ensure that the children don't get to bed too late since it's a school night.

Step 7.  Sit down with your children and enjoy the movie!  (I totally enjoyed it as much as the children did.)


Other ways to make your family movie night fun . . . 

• Read a Disney Fairies book for your bedtime story after the movie
• Bookmark The Pirate Fairy games online, so the fun can continue the rest of the week.
• Print out these free printable Pirate Fairy coloring pages for use in the days to come.

Captain Zarina - The Pirate Fairy Scene on Disney Video
Although I've watched several Disney Fairies movies in the past, I have to say that this is honestly my favorite one.  Although I had been introduced to most of the fairies in past movies, this was the first one I've watched that really focused on each fairy's special talent and showed off how amazing and magical each talent was.  I think my favorite fairy is Rosetta because she is such a lady and she beautifies everything she touches.  Still, it would be exciting to have the talent of alchemy, which belongs to the newly introduced fairy, Zarina.

Something else about The Pirate Fairy that both I and my children very much enjoyed is that this movie had a place in time.  To me, other Disney Fairies movies were just adventures pulled out of no specific time from Pixie Hollow.  This one included the winter fairies, whom we were introduced to in the movie Secret of the Wings.  The viewer also eventually realizes that one of the characters is actually a young Captain James Hook (pre-hook) and a newly hatched crocodile named Crocky grows up to be Tick-Tock, the ticking crocodile from Peter Pan.  If your children have not already seen Peter Pan, it might be a good choice for your next family movie night as a follow-up to The Pirate Fairy.

Overall, this movie sends a great message about the flaws of not making an effort to see the potential in the new and nontraditional.  It also shows how important the ability to forgive is, something I want my children to be reminded about as often as possible.

Due to it being a school night, we had to save the bonus features and the Bake Off DVD for the following night.  The Bake Off also contained the theme of tradition vs. innovation and tied in very nicely with the story of Zarina, the pirate fairy.

If you're able to get The Pirate Fairy Blu-ray/DVD and Bake Off DVD gift set at Walmart before they sell out, let me know how you and your children like it!


Now as promised . . . 

Recipe:  Easy Pixie Dust Cookies

WHAT YOU NEED:

refrigerated sugar cookie dough

small round cookie cutter

blue sugar crystals

confectioners sugar

milk (or water)

Step 1.  Preheat the oven as directed on cookie packaging.

Step 2.  Slice the cookie dough per package instructions.  Then use your small round cookie cutter to cut your mini cookies out of the cookie dough slices.  Combine and flatten out the remaining dough to cut additional circles.

TIP:  Because of the small size of the cookies, I do not recommend using shaped cookie cutters.  I used a scalloped one, but it still baked into circles with smooth edges.

Step 3.  After the cut dough has been placed on a cookie sheet at least one inch apart, bake them for HALF the time recommended on the cookie dough package.  Watch the cookies carefully and remove them from the oven as soon as the edges begin to brown slightly.  Let them sit for a few minutes, then remove them with a spatula and put them on a plate to cool.

Step 4.  While your cookies are cooling, put 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar in a small bowl.  Then add a teaspoon of milk (can be substituted with water).  Stir until the icing is smooth and spreadable, but not runny.  If it's too thick, add another 1/4 teaspoon of milk.  If it's too runny, then add a little more powdered sugar.  Keep doing this until the icing is the desired consistency.

Step 5.  Neatly apply the icing to the top of one cookie.  Then sprinkle the blue sugar crystals on top of the freshly iced cookie immediately.  (If the icing begins to set, then the sugar crystals won't sink into it and will fall right off.)  Do this for all your mini cookies.  Serve after the icing has set completely.

Eat and enjoy!!!

Have Some #FrozenFun with This DIY Disney FROZEN Castle Bingo Game (Free Printable) #shop #cbias

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This Walmart toys shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification about FROZEN toys for Collective Bias and its advertiser.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Whether your children have had the chance to see FROZEN the movie by Disney in the theater or not, it is likely that an Olaf toy, an Elsa toy, or an Anna toy is on their wishlist.  We were saving a trip to see this film as one of the family activities we could do to celebrate our daughter's birthday this month.  Still, even not having seen the film yet, she was super-excited when we went to shop at Walmart for FROZEN toys.  I was particularly looking for a variety of figures from the movie to do a photo bingo game craft for my children, but there were not enough different figures in stock to do what I wanted.  Then we saw the Disney FROZEN Castle Play Set and decided to purchase it because my idea began to evolve.  Plus, who could resist this pretty-pleeeeeeease face . . .

Since the play set only comes with an Olaf figure, we agreed that our daughter would use her own Christmas and birthday money to buy the Anna and Elsa dolls to go with the castle.  In the meantime, the castle will be used with her other fashion dolls and may very well be turned into an evil lair or a secret hideout by her two brothers at some point.

After we shopped that day, we stopped into the Subway at Walmart for lunch. Along with their Fresh Fit Kids Meals, the twins received an Olaf keychain (a Walmart Subway exclusive), a FROZEN jigsaw puzzle, and their meals came in two different styles of FROZEN-themed reusable bags.  The twins were wondering what they could put in their new bags, but I already knew what they would be perfect for . . . our DIY Disney FROZEN Castle Bingo Game!

What you'll need to make your own FROZEN Castle Bingo Game:

• Print out pages 1 and 2.  Then cut out the 4 bingo boards.
• Print out page 3.  Then cut out each individual bingo calling card.
• (Optional) Print out page 4 if you would like a reference for the names of the items shown in each picture.
• Small items to use as bingo markers (see suggestions below)
• A paper or reusable lunch bag to store the bingo calling cards (bag should not be see-thru)
• A sandwich bag to store the bingo markers
• A small tote to store all the items above

TO PRINT:  Be sure your printer is on and ready to print.  Click on the desired image to enlarge.  Then right-click and select print.  Use your browser's back arrow to return to this page.

What can you use for bingo markers?

I really wanted bingo markers that were fun and went well with the theme and colors of the bingo boards.  I wandered around Walmart for awhile and then I found this set of 4 faux gem elasticized bracelets in the party favors section for just $2.97.  That's when I got the idea to cut the elasticized string and use the individual gems as bingo markers.  I also had some sparkly pompoms I had picked up in a craft store and thought those looked like they could be snowballs.  I really could not decide which bingo markers I liked better, so I decided to use them both!

Some other ideas for small items to use as bingo markers would be blue and white M&Ms, buttons, foam shapes, and pennies.  What else could you use?

Making this bingo game was easy, although a little time-consuming.  All I had to do was take photos of different things in the Disney FROZEN Castle Play Set.  Then a resized the images, cropped them into identically sized squares, and digitally pasted them onto a large solid colored square.  To make the calling cards, I just used the same images I used on each bingo board and digitally pasted them onto one page.  You could really make this bingo game with any theme as long as you have enough items to photograph.

In addition to enjoying this DIY Disney FROZEN Castle Bingo Game with your children on a rainy or snowy day, it would also make a fun inexpensive party favor for a FROZEN-themed birthday party.  You can just print and cut out a set for each guest and include a little bag of M&Ms to use as bingo markers in the goodie bag!  What do you think?!

The Magic and Romance Return with Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID Diamond Edition Blu-ray+DVD Combo Pack

Thank you to WDSHE for providing a Blu-ray/DVD combo pack for our contest prize and for also sending one to my family as a thank you for taking the time to participate in this campaign.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Do you remember the first magical romantic film you saw in the theaters?  Well, I do!  It was The Little Mermaid in 1989.  On October 1st, 2013, the Diamond Edition of this classic Disney animated film, which contains never-before-seen bonus features, will become available on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital download.  Although my daughter is familiar with Ariel the red-headed Disney Princess, I am anxious for her to get to know Ariel better.  After all, Ariel was the first of a long line of Disney Princesses who displayed strong will, courage, and a mind of her own.

Do you remember Prince Eric, Sebastian, and Flounder?

How about King Triton. Ursula, and Scuttle?

To share the fond memories and the fun with the next generation of Little Mermaid fans, visit Disney Movies - The Little Mermaid, where you can find video clips, games, crafts, and more.  You can pre-order (prior to October 1st) or purchase THE LITTLE MERMAID Diamond Edition 2-Disc Blu-ray+DVD Combo Pack with Digital Copy on Amazon.com, Walmart.com, and many other retailers where Disney movies are sold.

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Good luck in the drawing!

This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canadian 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. A random number drawing will be held shortly after the contest closing. The winner will be announced here and will be contacted via email. If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new number will be drawn.

A Sneak Peek Video of the Upcoming Disney's Planes Movie

I would say that Disney Pixar Cars was the big movie of our now 9 year old son's childhood.  Although he was too young to see the movie in the theater in 2006, he did watch the DVD after its release almost daily for quite some time and he collected every Cars movie vehicle we could find.  When the 2011 Cars 2 film came out, he and his younger siblings were able to see it in the theaters and they were wowed.  Still, even though all our children enjoyed the film, our oldest is still the hugest Cars movie fan out of the three.  He still watches Mater's Tall Tales over and over again on Netflix to this day.

The upcoming film, Disney's Planes is scheduled to be released on August 9th of this year.  It will be interesting to see if the film will meet my oldest son's expectations.  Based on the sneak peek video above, I think he will not be disappointed.

Holiday Gift Idea: Prep & Landing Naught vs Nice . . . 2 Holiday Adventures on One Blu-ray/DVD

Last holiday season we were treated to a fantastic short Christmas DVD called Prep & Landing by Disney. I was pleasantly surprised how entertaining the movie was for adults as well as for children. Parents know how it can be to sit through a kids movie sometimes, but Prep & Landing was fun and a pleasure to watch and I can say Karen and I enjoyed it every bit as much as the kids did.

When we found out there was a sequel coming I could not wait to see it. We received the DVD + Blu-ray combo set that includes the original Prep & Landing and the new Prep & Landing Naughty Vs. Nice sequel in the same box. It was a nice touch to watch the original prior to seeing the new story.


Seeing the original was just as fun this time as it was the last. There is something about good clean and original humor that continues to be funny the more you see it. By the time we were finished with Prep & Landing, we were all eager to see the sequel, Prep & Landing Naughty Vs. Nice.

Naughty Vs. Nice stars the same likable characters from the first movie with a couple of new additions. The sequel adds a new type of special operations elf team and adds an extra degree of suspense and thrill. Naughty Vs. Nice only takes a few moments to get hilarious and action packed, much like the first movie.

I don't want to say more, as not to spoil the story, but the “nemesis” of Naughty Vs. Nice turns out to be a very cute and pleasant surprise.

The DVD + Blu-ray set is loaded with extras including shorts that are every bit as entertaining as the movies themselves. The disk contains a couple of easily digestible hours of fun by both adults and kids.


I loved both of these short movies and the extra content. This set is an absolute no-brainer to get for the family this year. I can't wait to see my special operations elf teams again next year!

You can find Prep & Landing Naughty Vs. Nice at most major movie retailers.  The Blu-ray/DVD combo is currently selling for just $13.99 with Free Super Saver Shipping on Amazon.


Thank you to Click-Communications for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

Have a Disney Pixar "BRAVE" Family Movie Night at Home with On Demand

 If you are looking for your next family movie night movie, look no further because Disney Pixar BRAVE is now available on demand.  If you had read my review of this PG movie and you have younger children, you may have decided to hold off on seeing the movie on the big screen because of two intense scenes in the film.  Well, now is your family's chance to watch the movie on a smaller screen in the comfort of your own home.  Other than the two scenes, my children thoroughly enjoyed this movie, which is filled with humor and adventure.  Princess Merida has such heart and is a true heroine.

Take a peek for yourself . . .


To order BRAVE on demand, contact your local cable or satellite TV provider.


Thank you to Disney ABC Domestic Television for providing a prize pack for our contest, as well as for my family.

Our BRAVE On Demand Prize Pack (ARV $63) includes the following:

• $25 Visa Gift Card (so your family can enjoy BRAVE on demand)
• The official BRAVE soundtrack CD
• BRAVE stationary set
• BRAVE t-shirt

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Good luck in the drawing!

Holiday Gift Idea: Tinker Bell in Disney's "Secret of the Wings" on Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD

For our most recent Family Movie Night, we watched the latest Tinker Bell movie from Disney, Secret of the Wings.  I have to say that this movie was delightful and would make an especially wonderful gift for sisters this Holiday, although it is a movie that would be enjoyed by both boys and girls.  It is filled with adventure, surprises, magic, and even what possibly could be classified as a miracle.  Also, it is a treat to have such famed actors like Anjelica Huston, Lucy Lui, Timothy Dalton, Mae Whitman, and more, providing the voices and personalities behind each character.

In this movie, Tinker Bell's curious and adventurous nature leads to the discovery that she actually has a sister who is a frost fairy named Periwinkle.  With so many things in common, such as identical wings, pompoms on their shoes, and their hobbies of collecting lost items, there was an instant sisterly bond.  The pair were determined to change the rules that have always separated winter fairies from warm-weather fairies.

(Click any image to enlarge)

As part of their shared adventure, Tinker Bell experiences many firsts, such as sledding, while Periwinkle sees her first rainbow, fish swimming in water, and fluttering butterflies.  In the end, Tinker Bell suffers one of the worst things that could happen to a fairy, but that is where the miracle comes in . . .

In addition to some fun music videos, our children's favorite DVD bonus feature was the "Pixie Hollow Games." Even though they had seen this 22-minute adventure before, they thoroughly enjoyed it as much this time as they did the first time they watched it.

You can find Secret of the Wings at most major retailers of Disney movies, such as the Disney Store, Amazon.com, Target, Walmart, and more.  It is available in a Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD combo, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, DVD, and digital download.


Thank you to Click-Communications for providing a complimentary product sample for us to base this review upon.

Disney Pixar BRAVE's Princess Merida is a True Heroine Who Changes Her Own Fate

The latest film from Disney Pixar, BRAVE, opens in theaters today.  Our family was fortunate enough to be invited to an advanced screening last week at the AMC in Boston and I have been eager to share my thoughts about the film with my readers.  Before I get into the film, though, I must tell you about the wonderfully delightful treat "La Luna", the Pixar short that preceded the movie.

Also in 3D, this short features three generations of a family whose job it is to tidy up the moon.  Without a single word, this Pixar short shows how even the oldest and wisest can still learn from the younger generations.  The amazing 3D effects make this little tale a magical one.




BRAVE is the tale of a Scottish princess named Merida (voice of Kelly MacDonald) who is a heroine like no other Disney Princess.  This young girl not only changes her own fate, but changes the fate of her people, and does so without the help of a prince at her side.  In fact, this film does not offer any romance for the Princess . . . just 100% adventure.

Merida is not the first Disney heroine to face the unsavory idea of a forced marriage, but she is definitely the first to vie for her own hand.  What she is as a person has been defined by the Queen (voice of Emma Thompson) having trained her to be the perfect princess since birth, time spent with her mother that Merida has grown to resent rather than cherish.  The moments she did cherish were those spent mastering the use of a sword, her trusted bow, and riding her beloved horse Angus. . . all things Queen Elinor did not approve of.  The Queen found it as impossibly challenging to tame her daughter, as it was to tame her wild red hair.

This tale of Merida's quest to change her fate began with a demon bear and ended with it as well.  In between, you will find adventure, humor, bravery, witchcraft, and patriotism.  Although the rest of the film is appropriate for children of all ages, the scenes with the big black ferocious demon bear in 3D on the big screen frightened both our 5 year old twins.  It ruined the film for our daughter, who seemed to be enjoying the film otherwise.  Her twin brother actually cried during the final battle with the bear.  As an adult, I thought those scenes were extremely intense, especially in 3D.  The bear is the main reason the film is rated-PG rather than rated-G.  You can catch small glimpses of the bear in the trailer below . . .




One major victory for Merida is her mother's realization that she could never survive outside of the castle, while her very capable daughter could do so easily.  To me, that was the turning point that started the change in Merida's fate.

In addition to the amazing 3D effects and the breathtaking scenery depicting the Highlands of Scotland, there were two other aspects of this film that help to make it an outstanding one. The first is the hilarious displays of testosterone by King Fergus (voice by Billy Connolly) himself and all the clansmen.  The second is the antics of the the triplets, Merida's mischievous and overly-clever little brothers, who eventually end up using their powers for good.

If you end up going to see Disney Pixar BRAVE in the theaters, I would love to know what you thought of it.  It is a truly amazing film and like no other that Pixar has produced so far.  If you have little ones in your household, you may want to wait until the Blu-ray/DVD comes out.  I'm sure the bear would seem less frightening on a smaller screen and not in 3D.  You can check your local theaters for showtimes here.

My family received an invitation to attend an advanced screening of this film in order to facilitate my review.

Wear A Princess Merida Costume to See Disney Pixar's BRAVE at the Theater

Last week, we had the pleasure of attending an advanced screening of Disney Pixar BRAVE.  As if our children were not excited enough to see this film, our daughter had even more reason to look forward to this event.  About a week prior, she received the JAKKS Pacific Merida's Scottish Princess Dress, the Merida Jewelry Set, and Merida's Wig.  The timing worked out perfectly for her to wear the Princess Merida costume to the theater.

Our daughter has straight dark brown hair.  Unless your child is a natural redhead, then I highly recommend purchasing the wig to go with the costume since it is one of Merida's signatures.  When I first took the wig out of the package and the protective netting, I thought that it looked very unnatural.  After I brushed it out a little, however, the curls softened and looked much more natural.  I have to say that I think our daughter enjoyed having a head full of curls.  She wore the wig for hours, as we traveled to Boston, walked to the theater, and sat through the movie.  Aside from itching her now and then, she said it was comfortable to wear.  On the way home from the movie, she did take the wig off, but then she asked if we could dye her hair red.

(Click any photo to enlarge)

I am extremely pleased that the rest of the costume seemed to be as comfortable for our daughter to wear as the wig.  The dress is recommended for girls sizes 4 to 6x.  Our daughter takes a 5/6 and I found that the dress fit her perfectly.  The waist, which is elasticized in the back, hit at just the right place on her.

The jewelry set comes with a pair of clip-on earrings that glow in the dark.  They were also comfortable for our daughter to wear the whole time.  She is so sad that she lost one while skipping back to the car through the streets of Boston.  The tiara has one comb on each end that stayed put well in the thick wig.  I did not need to use any pins to hold the tiara in place, but I did use some hairspray on the wig to help tame the wild curls a bit.  The necklace was the only thing I needed to alter.  The length just happened to make the pendant hit exactly where the brooch is on the dress.  To shorten it to a choker length, I simply tied one knot on each end near the clasps.  The wig hid the knots completely from view.

We had a Batgirl and a witch costume already on deck for Halloween, but I think our daughter would like to dress up as Merida again.  The dress is the perfect length for her to wear a pair of capri leggings underneath for the cooler October weather.

In addition to the Merida Princess Dress (Retail $19.99), Wig (Retail $14.99), and Jewelry Set (Retail $9.99), you can also find the JAAKS Pacific Merida's Adventure Dress and the Bow and Arrow Set at your local Toys"R"Us and Target stores.


Thank you to JAKKS Pacific for providing complimentary product samples for us to base this review upon.

Studio Ghibli's "The Secret World of Arrietty" Would Make Mary Norton Proud

As someone who did read Mary Norton's The Borrowers book series as a child, I was extremely interested in seeing the Disney film The Secret World of Arrietty.  Although neither my husband nor myself are fans of anime in general, we both thought that the past Studio Ghibli films, Ponyo and Castle in the Sky, were very well done.  The whole family was very excited to have the chance to attend an advanced screening of this new Studio Ghibli production in Boston last weekend.

This film is about bravery, friendship, and dreams coming true.  It also brings up the subject of mortality, and more specifically, mortality in children.  This movie depicts the Borrowers to be as charming and endearing as I remember them to be from the books.  These tiny people, who call human beings "human beans" and use postage stamps as wall art, have successfully won over my children as well.  One thing that made this film a huge success is the magnifying of everyday noises, even the smallest.  The audience heard all these sounds as a Borrower would living in a human size world.


This clip explains what a Borrower is very simply . . .



Our heroine, the 14 year old Borrower named Arrietty (voice of Bridgit Mendler of Disney Channel's Good Luck Charlie and Lemonade Mouth) had been taught to live in fear her whole life.  She eventually proved to her parents that there are exceptions to the rule, by befriending a 12 year old human boy named Shawn (voice by David Henrie of Wizards of Waverly Place) and eventually the cat, two beings she had been trained to avoid.

This film occurs all in a matter of days, which started with Arrietty's first borrowing . . . a rite of passage for any young Borrower.  Her overprotective mother Homily (voice by Amy Poehler of Saturday Night Live) is always anxious, especially when her husband Pod (voice by Will Arnett of Arrested Development) is off borrowing.

My children's favorite parts of this film are the humorous ones, something not seen in all Studio Ghibli films.  It was interesting to hear the audience, the majority of which were adults, laughing out loud at both the subtle and obvious humor.  The rogue Borrower Spinner and the scene with our villain Hara the housekeeper (voice by comedienne Carol Burnett) and the crow made the top of our children's favorite things about the movie.  In the end, I am extremely pleased that the movie sparked enough interest for my 8 year old son to want to read The Borrowers book series.

We have covered the bravery and the friendship, but what about the realization of dreams?  Well, you will just have to watch the film to find out.  The Secret World of Arrietty opens in theaters today!  After you watch the film, I would love to know if you think there will be a sequel coming our way from Studio Ghibli.


My family attended an advanced screening of this film to facilitate this review.