Thursday, June 30, 2016

#SeetheLite and get the best quality value and freshness you can buy with Litehouse #ad


***This post was sponsored by Litehouse Foods. I received dinner & a gift bag in exchange for writing this review. All opinions are 100% my own.***

Recently I was very fortunate to be able to have a night out and a delicious dinner at ELA on 3rd St in Philadelphia thanks to Litehouse Foods. It was great to get together with Philadelphia area bloggers and influences.
We met up at a new restaurant called ELA, which is located in the Philadelphia Queen Village neighborhood. This is a restaurant I have been looking forward to trying but never had the chance to, I was excited to be able to enjoy ELA. 
We were able to find out some great food tips from a local dietitian with live cooking demos and recipes using Litehouse products. For those who are not familiar with Litehouse, this is a company that believes in the fresh is best motto, and offers a wide variety of salad dressing flavors along with caramel, fruit dips, veggie dips, and much more! Litehouse is a 100% family owned company, that really cares about the food that they make. 
From our family to yours, the Hawkins family started selling their homemade dressings out of the family's restaurant in Hope, Idaho over 50 years ago. In 2006, the family sold the company to its employees. Every person at Litehouse has the same passion and commitment to bring your family the very best products available.

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Turns Photos Into Fun Stories & Books with Twigtale, it’s easy as 1.2.3! #Giveaway


  
Photos of our most precious moments—family vacations, childbirth, graduations—often end up scattered across our personal technology and social media, looked at once but then forgotten.   Or the more industrious among us might spend the hours needed to arrange our favorite pics into scrapbooks via one of the popular photobook services.  But what if you could create a beautiful storybook of all of your family’s adventures with a simple, Tinder-style, swipe of a finger? Now, with a new app called Storyboard from LA-based Disney-backed Twigtale, it’s easy as 1.2.3!  
Storyboard, from Disney-backed Start-up Twigtale, debuts today for iPhone and is the antidote to creative gridlock brought on by the blank white page, the brevity of social media, and the angst of knowing that our most important photos sit in a file directory growing more distant and disorganized each day.  Featuring pre-made, but fully editable templates following specific topics such as Family Trip and Graduation, Storyboard makes it easy for anyone to create engaging photo-driven stories.  

Yummy and adorable Finding Dory recipes! #FindingDory #HaveYouSeenHer



Have you seen Finding Dory? If you have I am sure you loved it! If you have not see it yet, go see it, what are you waiting for. This record breaking movie is topping the box office charts, for a very good reason it will make you laugh it will make you cry, and you will remember just how much you love Dory. Here are some yummy and adorable Finding Dory recipes that everyone will love. Simply click on the image of the recipe below then print out the recipe and have fun. I would love to see your competed recipes I am sure they will be amazing! 


Check out A Monster Calls, new poster, it is awesome! Coming to theaters 10/21/16! #AMonsterCalls

A visually spectacular drama from director J.A. Bayona (“The Impossible”). 12-year-old Conor (Lewis MacDougall), dealing with his mother’s (Felicity Jones) illness, a less-than-sympathetic grandmother (Sigourney Weaver), and bullying classmates, finds a most unlikely ally when a Monster appears at his bedroom window. Ancient, wild, and relentless, the Monster guides Conor on a journey of courage, faith, and truth. Toby Kebbell plays Conor’s father, and Liam Neeson stars in performance-capture and voiceover as the nocturnally visiting Monster of the title.
             
Director: J.A. Bayona (“The Impossible,” “The Orphanage”)
Writer: Patrick Ness, based on his novel A Monster Calls
Cast: Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones, Toby Kebbell, Lewis MacDougall, and Liam Neeson

What do you think of this movie? Is this something you would like to see?

A Monster Calls releases nationwide from Focus Features on October 21, 2016
For more info, please follow the film on social:
Official Site I Facebook I Twitter I Instagram

#AMonsterCalls





Disclosure: The reviews and or opinions on this blog are my own opinions . No monitory compensation was received. I was not required to write a positive review. Your experience may differ. The opinions I have expressed are my own I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement and Testimonials in Advertising .



Get excited for Pete’s Dragon, with these fun books from Disney Publishing



When I was a little girl one of my favorite Disney movies was the classic Disney cartoon Pete’s Dragon. There was just something about having a dragon as a friend that I found so cool. I watched that movie countess times, I just loved it.  When I heard Pete’s Dragon was coming back to the big screen, but this time in a live action version I got so excited (yes I am just a big kid at heart) I could enjoy the joy of this film in the theater with my daughter. While we wait for this to hit the big screen there are plenty of Pete’s Dragon books from Disney Publishing that will keep any fan entertained. 
Pete's Dragon Junior Novel by Disney Book Group (Author)  Pete has a friend and protector in the huge green dragon Elliot. But when they are discovered in the forest, Pete must find a way to protect Elliot in return. A boy and his dragon find friendship, adventure, and a place to belong in this junior novel based on the upcoming Walt Disney Studios film, Pete's Dragon. Includes an 8-page photo insert! $5.99 for ages 8-12.
 Pete's Dragon: TheLost Years by Elizabeth Rudnick (Author), Nicholas Kole (Illustrator)  When Pete gets lost in the forest, he forms an unforgettable friendship with a giant flying dragon named Elliot. This original novel explores their adventures in the forest, and includes colorful illustrations. $16.99 for ages 8-12.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016

ZooAmerica a great Zoo with an amazing after hours tour, that everyone will enjoy even a picky tween like mine. #HersheyPA



*** I received lodging and admission to the park for the subject matter contained in this post, all opinions are 100% my own*** 


Do you have a tween in your family? If you do you may experience the ups and downs of tween life. You know what I mean, some days they are all op for everything, and others, well they don’t like this they don’t like that.. My daughter seems to be going through the times of the terrible tweens. She seems to dislike so many things but there has to be something picky tweens like my daughter likes? Something fun we can do as a family? Something?? 

Well I found one of those somethings. ZooAmerica in Hershey Park.  Hershey Park is all rides and chocolate, right? Not so fast. Did you know that located in Hershey Park is an actual zoo? And not just any zoo, but a zoo that features that can be found on our continent, hence the name ZooAmerica. You won’t find elephants, lions, or gorilla’s here, but you will find bobcats, alligator’s, and other animals that are indigenous to North America.
If you’re lucky enough to be able to spend a few days (tours are held on Wednesdays and Saturday only) in Hershey you’ll be able to head over to ZooAmerica after closing to take part of their After-Hours Tour. This tour can accommodate up to 10 people per tour and it roughly lasts 2 hours. We were lucky enough to take this tour recently and even luckier is that my family was the only family signed up for the tour that night! We had two guides (Tal and Dave) all to ourselves. Their wealth of knowledge and banter with each other made the night so much fun and is an experience we still talk about.
The tour takes you all over the zoo, we got to see the area where routine check-up’s are done on the animals, we learned that if the job is too big for the zoo the handle they have a working relationship with the Vet’s at Hershey medical and they often lend a hand on the larger jobs. We got to see the zoo’s kitchen….my husband still shudders at the thought of a freezer bag full of mice. The animals are well taken care of and get to eat a lot of the food that we would eat (except the mice.) 
ZooAmerica has a working relationship with the restaurants of the Hershey Hotel and Lodge, food that used to be thrown away is trucked over to the zoo and used to feed the animals. Don’t think they’re getting spoiled food, they’re not. What they’ll get is food parts that aren’t used in recipes and that were normally thrown away, now that refuse is turned into nourishment for the animals and is cutting back the waste from the restaurants and improving the quality of food for the animals. It really is a win-win situation. 

Meet the a-Dory-ble Baby Dory and go see Finding Dory in theaters now! #FindingDory #HaveYouSeenHer



Did you ever see a movie that made you laugh, made you cry and made your heart melt? Well I did. Finding Dory did this all an more, it was an amazing movie my whole family loved. When baby Dory came up on the screen, we all awww’d even my husband. 
Calling baby Dory “so stinkin cute” and she sure is. I can’t wait for “Baby Dory” merchandise to start to arrive, sign me up for it all! If you are looking for a great family movie, be sure to go out and see the record breaking hit Finding Dory, in theaters now.  If you want a sneak peak of baby Dory be sure to check out the clip below, and get ready for the awww’s! 
             Disney/Pixar's “Finding Dory” reunites everyone’s favorite forgetful blue tang, Dory, with her friends Nemo and Marlin on a search for answers about her past. What can she remember? Who are her parents? And where did she learn to speak Whale?

Friday, June 17, 2016

Celebrate the 40th anniversary of MAM baby products, and a chance to win! #Giveaway


This year marks MAM’s 40th Anniversary, please see below for more information on this very special milestone from one of the world’s most respected brands of infant products (and please share with your readers!).  In celebration of their anniversary MAM will host a special anniversary giveaway all week long where they will giveaway two ultimate MAM prize packages full of award-winning MAM products to two winners each day THIS WEEK from 6/13-6/17.  Entrants can head to MAM’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MAMbabyUSA/ to enter and for further details.
MAM’s cutting-edge pacifiers combine technological innovation and trendsetting design to help give babies a healthy start in life. Developed by leading pediatric dentists and developmental psychologists, MAM pacifiers provide maximum comfort and style for babies of all ages.


Clever design and lightweight materials make MAM pacifiers a pleasure to use. All MAM pacifiers feature an orthodontically correct nipple design that allows little ones to safely satisfy their sucking reflex while maintaining proper jaw and tooth alignment. MAM pacifiers feature an easy-to- grasp front knob and a curved shield for a comfortable fit that’s gentle on baby’s skin, thanks to generous air holes and MAM’s patented interior surface.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Check out the amazing New Trailer for "Pete's Dragon" #PetesDragon

Pete's Dragon fans rejoice! Your favorite film is headed back to the big screen with a brand new live action version this summer! Pete's Dragon was one of my most favorite movies growing up, there is just something great about having a special friend like no other.
Here is the, new trailer for Disney’s PETE’S DRAGON, which features spectacular never-before-seen footage of Pete’s dragon, Elliot.

Check out some fun toys for the summer from Hasbro #PlayLikeHasbro


It is that time again! Summer vacation! Here in the northeast it is the last week of school for most kids, and for most kids all around the nation summer vacation fun has already begun! I am sure the kids are excited, no more school! It is a time to rest, and have fun with the time you have off. Parents are you ready for the kids to be home all summer?


Do you have some fun activities, and vacation plans? I know we have a jammed packed summer, I am looking forward to all of the fun. Do you have some fun things to do while you are at home on those hot summer days? Well I have some great suggestions for you all, some fun new toys from The Hasbro Toy Shop that will make the summer days just fly by with fun.


If you have a little superhero in the family they will have a great time with the, Marvel Captain America: Civil War Blaster Reveal Shield. This is unlike any old Captain America shield, oh no this is a much cooler blasting shield! Imagine some fun hijinks in the yard with this fun shooter!  
Marvel Captain America: Civil War Blaster Reveal Shield - Captain America fights for battle victory with superhuman strength, agility, and an indestructible shield! He's America's first Super Soldier, fighting fearlessly on the side of justice.

Kids can imagine what it's like to battle like Captain America with this Blaster Reveal Shield, which includes 2 launching projectiles! Just push down the star button to watch the shield open, revealing a hidden blaster designed to take enemies down! Heroes-in-training can also use the shield as protection, and when they reveal the blaster, they'll have the ultimate weapon!  Includes Blaster Reveal Shield, 2 NERF darts, and instructions.
 $19.99 retail value for ages 5 years and up.


Have a My Little Pony and a LPS fan? Here are two cute new playsets that would be great to travel with on a road trip, or just to play with at home.
My Little Pony Friendship is Magic Pinkie Pie Row & Ride Swan Boat Set - Row, row, row your boat with Pinkie Pie and her awesome Row & Ride Swan Boat! She’s poseable for rowing action and as the boat rolls, the music plays and she rows!

Wednesday, June 15, 2016

Check out some new yummy Sara Lee® Snacks Peanut Butter Crème Filled Cakes! #Giveaway #Ad


Who here is a peanut butter fan? For my family peanut butter is one of their most favorite treats. Be it in a sandwich or a chocolate sweet, my family just loves the sweet and salty taste of peanut butter. If you love peanut butter, you are going to the new Sara Lee® Snacks Peanut Butter Crème Filled Cakes! These chocolate covered cakes have just the right amount of sweet and fluffy peanut butter filling. My daughter could not wait to give these a try, and when she did she gave them two big thumbs up!

Peanut + chocolate + snack cakes = these new, wonderfully delicious individually wrapped treats. Sara Lee® Snacks is introducing NEW Peanut Butter Crème Filled Cakes. These deliciously rich and moist chocolate snack cakes are made with a light and fluffy peanut butter crème filling and wrapped in a smooth chocolate coating. 
The new Sara Lee® Snacks Peanut Butter Crème Filled Cakes are made with real peanuts. If you are looking for a yummy snack treat, why not check out the Sara Lee® Snacks Peanut Butter Crème Filled Cakes, I am sure your family will love them as much as my family did.
The generous folks at Sara Lee® are giving one of Susan's Disney Family readers a chance to win a Sara Lee® Snacks Peanut Butter Crème Filled Cakes prize pack, the package includes the following:
Two Boxes of Sara Lee® Snacks Peanut Butter Crème Filled Cakes, Five Sara Lee® Snacks Coupons valued at $4 each, and one custom Sara Lee® Snacks Travel Leisure Blanket valued at $15! Would you like to enter? Please let me know who would like to try this new peanut butter treat? There are also other ways to enter, please enter below.


Buy it:
You can purchase Sara Lee® Snacks Peanut Butter Crème Filled Cakes at your local supermarket. Please visit the store locator to find a location near you.

Win it:
One winner will win a Sara Lee® Snacks Peanut Butter Crème Filled Cakes prize pack.
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclosure: The reviews and or opinions on this blog are my own opinions . I received the same as the giveaway pack to facilitate this review. No monitory compensation was received. I was not required to write a positive review. Your experience may differ. The opinions I have expressed are my own I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsement and Testimonials in Advertising .


Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Nature’s Harvest® bread Whale and Seashell Pizza Sandwiches inspired by Disney’s Finding Dory #Giveaway.

“The Nature’s Harvest® provided me bread information, coupons, gift card, gift pack, and additional giveaway have been provided by Nature’s Harvest® bread so that I could try the product and share my thoughts and information about Nature’s Harvest® bread. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and do not reflect the opinions of Nature’s Harvest® bread.”

Are you a fan of the lovable yet forgetful fish Dory? If you are I am sure you are looking forward to seeing the newest Pixar/Disney movie "Finding Dory ". This fun family movie is coming to theaters Friday, June 17th. To celebrate the upcoming release of "Finding Dory", Nature’s Harvest® bread has partnered with "Finding Dory" and they have some cool new packaging featuring characters from "Finding Dory". 
 Nature’s Harvest® bread also has an amazing mail in opportunity when you purchase these new branded "Finding Dory" bags. What if I told you, you could trade 4 branded "Finding Dory" Nature’s Harvest® bread bags for a super cute plush Dory!  Now through July, fans can purchase any four Nature’s Harvest® breads and receive a free, limited edition Dory TY® Sparkle Eye Beanie Boo™ plush toy.
Swim by www.wholegrainsplash.com for more info!  Being such a big Finding Nemo fan, I am sure "Finding Dory" will be just as great. And to celebrate the release of "Finding Dory" I have come up with a fun kids sandwich idea (great for adults too!), Nature’s Harvest® bread Whale and Seashell Pizza Sandwiches. These fun shaped sandwiches are delicious and kids love them. Shhh don’t tell them, they are pretty much a tomato sandwich with cheese, kids like pizza and since this tastes like the real thing just go with the pizza sandwich aspect.  


Sunday, June 12, 2016

Have you tried the new Oreo Churros? America's Favorite Cookie is now available as a melt-in-your-mouth chocolate churro pastry! #Giveaway


Oreo. That is all I have to say to get me thinking about having a delicious cookie. For me there is no better cookie than the Oreo. Plain, or dipped in milk you just can’t go wrong with Americas Favorite Cookie, the Oreo. How can you improve on perfection? Well maybe you can serve it warm with sugar sprinkled on top? J&J Snack Foods came out with a way to make Oreos even better Oreo Churros!

Oreo meets Churros - The Ultimate Mashup! America's Favorite Cookie is now available as a melt-in-your-mouth chocolate churro pastry. A crispy exterior, warm soft interior and real OREO cookie pieces in every bite give OREO Churros a just-baked Oreo taste.  OREO Churros are available in the frozen dessert section of most grocery stores. They're perfect for any snacking occasion and are easy to prepare. They bake in just minutes. There's even a crumb sugar topping to roll them in before serving! 
As soon as these arrive my family could not wait to check them out, I told you we loved Oreos! These crispy, chocolate churros are packed to about 18 bites in a box are made with real Oreo cookie pieces and are filled with the vanilla cookie’s delicious crème we all love. After baking for a bit these were ready to roll in sugar and enjoy. I could taste the Oreo filling and chocolate cookies in each bite, I really enjoyed this divine treat. 

Friday, June 10, 2016

Ever dream of becoming a cartoon character? My chance at being Fru Fru from Disney's Zootopia! & chat with Dialogue Mixer Paul McGraf #‎ZootopiaBluray

                 **Disney provided an all-expense paid trip for me to cover this event, all opinions are 100% my own **


On a recent press trip, to DisneyToon Studios, I was very fortunate to be in the very studio where they did a lot of the character voicing for Zootopia. I learned the process of recording with Dialogue Mixer Paul McGraf. With an animated movie like Zootopia, Paul was involved in the recording room from the very beginning of the film through the very end.   

According to Paul McGraf “Even though everything’s been digitized and things have become more computer generated, animation and the process of animation is still done the same way that it was back with Snow White where it starts with the script, then it starts with the voice”. 

Each of the major characters, actors like the voice of Judy and Nick had 15 hours’ worth of recording time. Smaller (no pun intended) characters like “Mr. Big” had about 5 hours of recording time. How many times do the actors have to read their lines? It’s not uncommon for them to read the line 50 to 60 times. Easily! Has an actor ever given up, and just did not want to try the line anymore? Surprisingly for Paul this has never happened. 

Thursday, June 9, 2016

Looking for a fun Father's Day or Graduation gift? Check out the cool Peanuts prints from Art You Grew Up With! #Giveaway





June is bustin’ out all over, as they say in Oklahoma! (the musical, not the state), and we’ve got all kinds of things to celebrate—including dads, grads, and the start of summer! So I have a special giveaway this month: a high-quality, customizable, and irresistible Peanuts art print from Art You Grew Up With LLC that can be personalized for the special person in your life (psst: this can also mean you!).


One lucky giveaway winner will receive a promotional code that can be used to select one art print—framed or unframed, your choice—which you can then customize with any name you like up to 11 characters long. And if you are in the Chicago area, you can order yours in the morning and pick it up that afternoon at Art You Grew Up With LLC’s shop in Macy’s State Street!

Some of the amazing food all around Hershey. Sure there is chocolate, but there are so many more delicious eats! #HersheyPA

*** I received lodging and admission to the park for the subject matter contained in this post, all opinions are 100% my own*** 


Visiting the town where your favorite Hershey’s chocolate originated is a must do for chocolate lovers like me and my family. Imagine a town filled with so many divine chocolate treats from muffins, to shakes, to brownies to fudge to cookies to chocolate covered pretzels (a personal favorite, there is nothing better than the sweet and salty mix of a chocolate covered pretzel)
to actual candy bars I could go on and on… Yes Hershey PA is a chocolate lovers heaven, but there is so much more great eats in Hershey than just yummy chocolate treats. 
Dining in Hershey is an experience in and of itself.  From the huge selection of food options in Hersheypark, the chocolate (of course) the fresh popped kettle corn, which smell is intoxicating, and just makes me crave popcorn to the delicious meal choices. Hersheypark offers gluten free options and plenty of other food choices even for those with the pickiest of pallets.  
One of my favorite Hersheypark food options is the Makin' Whoopie Pies! “With  Makin' Whoopie Pies™ gives visitors a whole new way to enjoy a Lancaster, Pa tradition, the whoopie pie. At Makin' Whoopie Pies™ you build-your-own-whoopie-pie by choosing from a variety of from scratch whoopie pie shell flavors and specially crafted filling flavors”. 

Disclosure: The reviews and or opinions on this blog are my own opinions, . No compensation was received. All opinions are my own. This is a unofficial fan site that is not affiliated with the Walt Disney Company or Disney theme parks.