Okay, by now yall should know we love us some Veggie Tales. This is the third movie we’ve received and once again, it’s a hit.  Not just because it’s the same characters, silly songs, and wholesome godly message that we like, but also because my daughter thinks Santa Clause is one of the coolest people in the world.

Saint Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving is a Christmas movie that helps kids know who St. Nicholas (aka Santa Clause) really was about: “‘Tis better to give than receive!”  The story tells how gift giving came about for Christmas time and encourages kids (and parents!) to reconsider their priorities during the holidays. Is it to consume more and more stuff, or to give and help others?

Also, I was thrilled to learn that Matthew West recorded a song with Amy Grant for this DVD!  I grew up with Amy Grant always on when we decorated our Christmas tree or driving through the neighborhoods looking at lights, and Matthew West is a fantastic music artist as well. Their song is a great one that also reflects the gift giving message, even in it’s title: “Give This Christmas Away.” Love it!

And as if Veggie Tales doesn’t do enough good in people’s lives, they’ve partnered with Operational Christmas Child to spread the gift giving and meaning of Christmas to other not-as-fortunate countries.  We’ve participated several times growing up and it definitely a great cause to be apart of.

Like I said, another great movie from Veggie Tales with another great message. At two years old Savannah is filled with the “I want, I want, I wants” and this movie will help us introduce a different and truer meaning of Christmas. The Veggie Tales website also has this cool gift giving guide for parents that shows little ways (and inexpensive!) that can make a big difference in not just our kid’s lives but others around us.

A sneak peak can be see here, and right now the movie is on sale on Amazon.com right now for $9.99 if you want to give it as a gift to some one this Christmas!

“This post was written as part of a program for Family Review Network and Big Idea, Inc., who provided the product for review. I was not compensated in any way except for the complimentary product.”

Remember Prima Princessa?  She’s back again!  I was thrilled to find the new Nutcracker DVD unexpectedly in my mail box one day, as was Savannah.  I grew up with the Nutcracker, watched several performances, and it by far is one of my favorite ballets.  So, it was neat to be able to now share that story with her without having to brave taking a 2.5 year old to an uptown theater.  She loved the first Prima Princessa DVD that told the story of Swan Lake and introduced basic ballet steps (see that review here).  It introduced a love of dancing for her, and we since have started dance classes to help learn and have even more fun.

Just as with Swan Lake, this DVD is broken down into different segments alternating between the Nutcracker performance and learning ballet steps.  Once again, this movie gets Savannah up and moving and interacting, which I love. The extras include the different beginning arm positions that they cleverly describe looks like a flower blooming.  Savannah absolutely loves these movies, and we enjoy them as adults as well. These movies are top favorites at our house

A clip of the new video can be found on their website and can be purchased through Amazon. It would make a perfect Christmas gift!

Thank you to Prima Princessa team for sending me a complimentary DVD to review!

The lovable and silly Veggie Tales are at it again in another fantastic DVD for kids: Minnesota Cuke and the Search for Noah’s Umbrella. Having an “Indiana Jones” feel to this movie, Minnesota Cuke (aka Larry the Cucumber) goes on a mission to find Noah’s lost arc, face enemies, and learns an important lesson along the way about confidence.  Prior to viewing this DVD I didn’t know what the message was about other than a search for the arc, but this lesson is definitely a good one to learn (but what Veggie Tales movie doesn’t have a great message?)! Minnesota Cuke’s worse fear is being laughed at by others, but he learns by the end that if you are doing the right thing and what God tells you to do, it doesn’t matter what others think . As usual, I love how Veggie Tales takes an interesting story, includes a Bible story within it, along with important life and God lessons, but still make it entertaining for both parents and kids. And as a bonus?  The Sippy Cup song is hilarious!  Though Savannah is only 2.5 and this movie has a deeper meaning than she can grasp just yet, it still is a movie that is not just entertaining but has no-worries-family-quality to it. And if she starts learning about confidence now? Even better!

Great movie, great message!  We’ll continue to be Veggie Tales fan at the O house

This post was written for Family Review Network as part of a program for Big Idea, who supplied the DVD for review. Thank you guys!

We’ve been a big fan of Baby Einstein DVDs since Savannah was a baby. 2 years later, I cannot even begin to tell you all the words and sign language she has learned through watching.  Let’s just say it’s proven to be a valuable part of our DVD collection.  So, when Mom Central gave me the opportunity to preview Baby Einstein’s newest DVD called World Music (it comes out next Tuesday, March 31st!), of course I jumped at it. We also received the World Music CD to try out.

This DVD is full of different cultures, musical instruments, dancing styles, animals, nature scenes…and of course those funny puppets.  While Savannah was confused there were not any babies in this one (she kept asking for babies), only older children and adults unlike her other Einstein DVDs, it certainly kept her attention. Every time a new picture popped up on the screen of a zebra, giraffe, pyramid, water fall, etc. she kept asking, “What’s that Mommy?” and I would tell her. Again, this DVD proved to be a great education resource and expanding her knowledge of the world and new vocabulary.

What’s really cool about this DVD that I haven’t noticed on others is that it has a “Grow With Me” feature.  Basically, there are 2 different viewing options. One that is the typical pictures with music, and another one that adds words to the pictures encouraging recognition of words.  So as your baby turns into toddler or preschooler, it adds another layer of learning. Love, love, love this idea and feature!  The second option also includes more Puppet shows to show interaction and grow their sense of humor.

The CD contains the same instrumental music that showcase different parts of the world, from America to Spain to China. However the CD expands on the music more and even includes some songs sung in different languages!  Which, honesty might even help me some as I’m continuing my own Spanish lessons (for my English degree…? I don’t know why either).

While this is not my top favorite Baby Einstein DVD (I’m partial to First Signs because it helped us communicate when she was just a baby!), this video is definitely educational for babies, toddlers, and parents alike.  It takes us beyond our limited view and helps us explore different cultures. What I noticed is the the drum is in every puppet scene, no matter what country they were showing, as if to show that music connects us all no matter where we live.

We all have music.

I can’t count how many times I have to say in one day, “Savannah, please be patient!”  Whether it’s waiting for her lunch to be ready or waiting for us to be ready to go to the car, it’s a lesson that is repeated nearly every single day.  Which, is why I was glad that the new Veggie Tales movie, “Abe and The Amazing Promise,” was sent to us for review because, appropriately, it is all about patience!  Now, Savannah is only (nearly) two years old, so I’m not saying watching this video magically taught her how to be patient. But, it does help reinforce the message we tell her daily in a positive way and best of all (in our book) teaches her about God’s love and promises.

We both sat down together to watch it, however since we haven’t watched many Veggie Tale movies before so I didn’t know what quite to expect.  The movie has 2 short stories about patience: one a Bible story about Abe and Sarah, the other about an inventor who rushes to get things done instead of taking his time.  In between the 2 short stories is Larry’s famous Silly Songs, which, appropriately again, was about sneezing since Savannah was (and still is!) sick.  Therefore, this entire movie held Savannah’s attention span well since  it wasn’t too long. Even I enjoyed watching these stories and being reminded of God’s promises to us and how I too need patience!

Savannah has asked to watch it again several times, so I’m thinking we’ll be adding some more Veggie Tales to our collection in the future.  I’d say this is a great addition to a children’s DVD library with positive messages and silly songs!

This review opportunity provided by The Family Review Network.

I have been looking forward to seeing this movie since July when The Family Review Network offered the chance to free tickets, courtesy of Dove. I was supposed to see it right after it opened in theaters as part of my birthday celebration, but that plan didn’t turn out.  So, yesterday I finally had the chance to catch up with a friend and enjoy this movie together while eating gummy bears.

In short? I liked it.  It is definitely a chick flick, as there are no male actors seen in the film, except the baby born at the end.  Not one, not even the people walking around New York City! Every person, every where was a woman.  Which, I think it s neat concept but it made me realize the impact and ways that men and woman complete each other and how their presence can be needed in some places.

I loved all the little puns and jokes throughout this movie.  We were chuckling the whole time (well, except when there were teary-eyed emotional moments!) and it was generally light-hearted despite the heavy topic.  But, what I really loved the most about this film was the message that I walked out with:

Be who you are and find what you want in life.

As a Mom, I know it it difficult to balance pleasing your family, friends, work, others and still taking time for yourself.  Life’s demands pull women in so many directions that it often leave them stretched thin, with nothing left to give.  Luckily, I’ve always had a Mom encouraging me to practice this idea; to find what I love in life, take a few hours to be creative, to buy something every so often just to pamper myself, or to take a well deserved vacation.  She’s taught me that refueling myself helps me be the best Mom, wife, student and all the other roles I am.  So, it was really neat to watch that concept throughout this movie and see what a difference it makes when we are true to our selves.

I loved watching the characters figure out who they really were. One evolving from a uptight personality who thought she was better than everyone else into a more laid back person who learns how to give to others instead of being selfish. And the other learns to do things for herself rather than trying to please everyone else and take pride in herself. It was beautiful to see the end result and end relationships. To see confident women just being who they are and shedding their fake layers. I totally see why Dove picked up this movie to sponsor! Real woman, Real beauty. Obviously, friendship is also an important factor in this movie and about how it helps you through tough times.

The thing I did not like about the movie was the cursing, sexual language, and drug use.  Personally, I just do not understand why people feel the need to put these in a movie. Over all this film has a great message, but the negative aspects of this movie make me feel like I cannot let my daughter watch this movie until she is well into adulthood.  I think all girls aged teens and up could benefit from the positive “be who you are” message of this movie but the surrounding content it’s shown in disappoints me.  This film is rated PG-13, but I certainly would not let my 13 year old (ya know, if Savannah was that age) watch this as it had many things a girl does not need to know just yet.

Overall, I did like this movie, I just recommend not taking your daughter with you to see it. The cast was fantastic, the humor was great (but for adults), and I left the theater reflecting on my own life.

I really suggest grabbing a girl friend and taking a ladies night out to see this movie.  The break and laughter together will be worth it