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VeggieTales LIVE – Happy 20th Birthday Bob and Larry

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by Filed Under: Entertainment, Kids, Review

published date: March 20, 2013
modified datt: March 19,2013

veggietales live logo

happy birthday bob and larry

Recently I got the opportunity to take my youngest daughter and her friend to see the VeggieTales LIVE here in Tallahassee and let me tell you, they had a blast!  The auditorium was filled with parents and kids from about one-5 years old all chanting ‘Bob and Larry’!

mom and aubrey

aubrey and cade 2

Before they came on stage, Aubrey decided her favorite was Larry while her friend, Cade, liked Bob the best.  I didn’t know there were favorites; but apparently there are because I could hear other kids discussing which one they wanted to see the most!

bob and larry on stage birthday

This tour of VeggieTales Live is called “Happy Birthday Bob & Larry – You’re Invited!” and it’s celebrating 20 years of VeggieTales with Bob, the famous talking tomato, and Larry, the silly song singing cucumber.  It is a surprise party for them, so the show seems like a normal LIVE event for Bob and Larry where they sing tons of their famous songs from various videos.  I tried to write down all the songs for you and here’s what we got to hear:

  • VeggieTales
  • Water Buffalo
  • Belly Button Song
  • Pizza Angel
  • Happy Tooth Day 
  • God is Bigger Than the Boogeyman
  • Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything
  • Hairbrush Song
  • I Can Be Your Friend
  • Say Boos
  • Cheeseburger
  • Poor Sick Penguin
  • I Love My Lips
  • Is it a Monkey or an Ape
  • Thankful Song

In between the songs, the actors try to find the presents and come up with a plan for how to give them a surprise party.  In the end, they do find the presents but are more excited that they are spending their birthday with us, the fans!

junior and kids dancing

At the very end, the kids were able to go down front and dance at the edge of the stage.  They LOVED that!

It was amazing to me to see the size of Bob, Larry, Junior, Billy Gourd and Jimmy Gourd.  Their costumes were more than life-size and extremely animated – you really felt like you were watching them on TV.  They even ‘bounced’ all over the stage like they do on the shows since, you know, they don’t have feet!  They were supported by singer/dancers with props who were very talented as well and really added another fun element to the show.

veggietales mementos

Of course, we couldn’t get out without stopping by to see if there was anything we just couldn’t live without…and, as you see, they settled on their favorite characters – in hat form!  Aren’t those adorable?!?!

bob and larry hats

I really hope you are able to make it with your family if they come to your town!  It was so nice to go to a fun concert for kids that is faith-based.  Check the tour schedule to see if they’re visiting your area soon.  It looks like they are concentrated in the Southeast/Midwest area through April.  If you can’t get there, you can download these coloring pages for your kids!

And, don’t forget to check out The Official VeggieTales Online Store, where you can get FREE shipping on orders of $30 or more!

Also, check out the video for a little peek into the action!

Disclosure: I was given tickets by Big Idea and Way-FM to enjoy and review this show.  The opinions expressed herein are 100% mine and should not be substituted as your own.

WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, Holiday, Group, and more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next birthday party.

Homemade Chocolate-Orange Turnovers and Heart-Shaped Cookie Pops with Great Value Dough!

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by Filed Under: Holiday2010, Review, Valentine's Day, Walmart

published date: February 08, 2013
modified datt: February 08,2013

chocolate orange turnovers

Valentine’s Day is next week and when I think of Valentine Desserts, it’s gotta be Chocolate with a decadent fruit like oranges or raspberries or Cheesecake!

I am working with Great Value Refrigerated Doughs once again to create some delicious Valentine treats for my family as well as the kids teachers and classmates!  This time I get to use the Great Value Rolled Pie Crusts and Cookie Dough.  Oh, the pie crusts!  There are so many ideas for those, as you will see below.  Once again, most Walmart’s carry the Great Value refrigerated doughs; but they also make the store brands for all other grocery stores except Aldi.  Since we are a test market, I did not find them in my store; but did grab Publix’s store brand and they worked great!

First, my love of Chocolate and Orange should be satisfied with these Chocolate-Orange Turnovers (recipe from Home Stories A to Z, adapted for this use):

What You’ll Need:

  • 2 Oranges, peeled and cut into segements
  • 1 tsp. orange zest, chopped
  • 2 oz. dark chocolate (I am using Green & Blacks)
  • 1 package Refrigerated, Rolled Great Value Pie Crust
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • Granulated sugar or sanding sugar

Directions:

  • Bring the pie crust to room temperature, preheat your oven to 350*, and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • Peel and chop up one orange and place in a bowl. Drain any juice. With a zester, zest your orange and place a teaspoon of zest in the bowl.
  • Mix your chocolate chips into the orange and zest and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  • On a floured surface, cut the pie crust into about 8 squares and place on parchment paper.
  • Grab your filling from the fridge, pour off any juice, and place filling equally in each of your squares.
  • Fold the corners over and pinch to close.  Or you can crimp the edges together.
  • Glaze with beaten egg OR freshly squeezed orange juice.. Sprinkle with sanding sugar (or just regular sugar) and pop in the preheated oven at 350* for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
  •  Garnish if desired with chocolate sprinkles mint leaves and orange rind curls and enjoy!

*I plan to duplicate this with raspberries and chocolate too and add some cream cheese!  You could do so many different combinations.

VALENTINES-DAY-COOKIE-POPS

For the kiddos, I am tackling these Valentine Cookie Pops from Pizzazzerie!  Don’t those look fun?  I think I’ll embellish them by dipping them in melted chocolate and then sprinkling them with Valentine sprinkles too!

What You’ll Need:

  • Great Value (or your store’s generic brand) Chocolate Chip, Sugar or Peanut Butter Refrigerated Cookie Dough
  • Wilton Lollipop Sticks – the shorter ones (can be found at Walmart in the specialty baking section)
  • Baking Chocolate or White Chocolate
  • Valentine Sprinkles

Directions:

    • Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
    • Roll dough onto floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness
    • Cut out heart shapes using a 2-inch heart shaped cookie cutter. Re-roll scraps to make additional hearts.
    • Place cutouts 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheet.
    • Twist Wilton Lollipop Stick into bottom of heart.
      • Tip: Do not simply lay the cookie on top of the stick – it may not bake all around.
    • Bake 20 minutes and cool completely on baking sheets.

Make sure to look for Great Value or store brand refrigerated doughs next time you’re at Walmart or your local grocery store!

Disclosure: I was compensated by Ralcorp and The Motherhood for this cooking review.  I researched the recipes and did all the cooking myself.  The opinions expressed herein are 100% mine and should not be substituted as your own.


WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, Holiday, Group, and more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next birthday party.

The Littlest Pet Shop DVD $12.78

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by Filed Under: Amazon, Entertainment, Free, Online Shopping, Review

published date: January 15, 2013
modified datt: January 15,2013

littlest-pet-shop-dvdArriving Today, Pickup the The Littlest Pet Shop: Little Pets, Big Adventures for $12.78!

Join Blythe Baxter as she embarks on a brand-new adventure! When she and her dad move into an apartment above The Littlest Pet Shop, she learns she can actually communicate with the pets who hang out in the shop’s day camp! Can Blythe and her new friends keep the pet shop open for its eccentric owner, Mrs. Twombly? Find out with these exciting episodes of the popular new series The Littlest Pet Shop!

Episodes Include:

Blythe’s Big Adventure – Parts 1 & 2
Bad Hair Day
Gailbreak!
Penny For Your Laughs

The girls and I got this DVD right beore the holidays. My four year old loved it and she is a MAJOR LPS fan. I must say, as someone who prefers PBS over most channels, the DVD did included some sas or personality in their main characters. Some things that were very acceptable by most homes, just persona I didn’t want my 4 year old expressing yet. It definiltey is perfect for the younger elementary aged crowd.

littlest-pet-shop-characters

If you have a big LPS fan like my sweet girl, check out the Littlest Pet Shop Collector’s Starter Pack for $18.75 from $29.99.

Head to Amazon for a look.



WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, Holiday, Group, and more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next birthday party.

Closed. Holiday Gift Guide 2012 and Giveaway | Dinosaur Train Interactive Toys, Christmas Book, PJ’s and/or DVDs!

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by Filed Under: Amazon, Entertainment, Holiday2010, Online Shopping, Review

published date: December 10, 2012
modified datt: December 18,2012

This giveaway is closed. Congratulations goes to Carolyn.

Are you familiar with the Emmy-nominated and Parents’ Choice Silver Honor TV series, Dinosaur Train? We are and we love it! Its’ one of the Top Ten Shows for Kids ages 2 to 5!

Created by Craig Bartlett, Dinosaur Train airs on PBS KIDS® (check local listings), and embraces and celebrates the fascination that preschoolers have with both dinosaurs and trains while encouraging basic scientific and thinking skills. Young viewers join Buddy and his adoptive family of Pteranodons on whimsical adventures through prehistoric jungles, swamps, volcanoes and oceans as they unearth basic concepts in natural science, natural history and paleontology. The Dinosaur Train is a colorful locomotive, customized to accommodate all kinds of dinosaurs, and it has the ability to visit the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous worlds, while the Train’s conductor, a knowledgeable Troodon, provides passengers with fascinating facts along the way.  Starting Today, December 10th, be sure to tune in to PBS KIDS for the premiere of new episodes of Dinosaur Train – the Pteranodon kids meet their grandparents!

I can say personally that I know way more about dinosaurs, as do my kids from watching the fun adventures of Buddy, Tiny and Don! We also like the information that the resident Paleontologist, Dr. Scott Samson gives during live segments of the show. My 2-year old son is CRAZY about dinosaurs, loves Dinosaur Train and all of these Dinosaur Train items listed below:

InterAction Buddy, InterAction Tiny or  Interaction Don Pteranodon from Tomy for ages 3 and up.  From $15.99 on Amazon.

SmartTalk technology gives these toys the ability to recognize and interact with other dinosaurs in the line. Press their buttons, and as they shares tons of fun dino data, interactive chomping and sneezing sounds are triggered in their mouth, on his forehead, and on his nose; and when they walk on the ground, they make huge stomping sounds! Tiny makes flapping sounds by waving her wings. They have fully-poseable head, legs, arms, and tail. It’s truly an interactive dinosaur experience!

Ride the Holiday Train! (Dinosaur Train Lift-the-Flap) Board Book for ages 2 to 5. $9.99 on Amazon.

Little ones love lift-the-flap books and this one did not disappoint! Buddy and his friends are super excited that their favorite holiday is coming—the Winter Solstice! Kids travel on the holiday train to the North Pole where the Pteranodon family has the chance to build snow dinosaurs, play a prehistoric game of ice hockey, and meet some new friends. Secondary learning activities which reinforce learning concepts are included, and over 45 flaps hide fun surprises that kids will want to find again and again!

Dinosaur Train Buddy & His Pteranodon Friends Pajamas for boys – available in sizes 2T, 3T and 4T. $20 on Amazon.

These were probably the favorite item for us! Now your little guy can get comfy with Buddy, the curious T-Rex and his Pteranodon pals Shiny, Tiny & Don on a Camp Out Adventure! The pajama bottoms have an all-over print of Tiny posing on some prehistoric leaves in a primitive camouflage. The short-sleeve top features the dino friends with contrasting sleeves. These 100% polyester pajamas are flame resistant for safety.

To Win: One Frugal Coupon Living reader will win a Dinosaur Train Gift Basket to include one Dinosaur Train Interactive Toy (randomly selected), Dinosaur Train Christmas lift the flap book, Dinosaur Train Pajamas (only available in size 2T – if this is too small, you will receive two DVDs).

To Enter the Giveaway:

You can enter up to two times – that would mean, leave one or two comments. Read more about how to enter giveaways.

1.) Tell me your child’s favorite Dinosaur Train character.

Additional Optional Entries:

2.) Sign up for Frugal Coupon Living Emails. You must confirm your subscription!

This giveaway ends on December 17, 2012 midnight ET. The winner will be contacted via email and will have 48 hours to respond. If I do not hear from the winner by that time, a new winner will be selected. Note winners may not receive the facial tissue box that they voted upon in their first entry.

Please Note: Email entries will not be accepted. If you are reading this giveaway in a reader or in your inbox, please select the post to direct yourself over to the site. Due to time constraints, I am not able to enter email, Twitter, or Facebook entries on my own. Thanks!

Disclosure: I was compensated with product for my review. All opinions expressed are my own and should not be substituted as your own.



WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, Holiday, Group, and more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next birthday party.

Christmas Favorites with Great Value Cinnamon Rolls and Cookie Dough!

This post may contain affiliate links or ads. Read my privacy policy and disclosure policy here.

by Filed Under: Holiday2010, Review, Walmart

published date: December 17, 2012
modified datt: December 17,2012

Last week I told you that I was going to remake a Breakfast Lasagna recipe using Great Value Brand Cinnamon Rolls!  Most Walmart’s carry the Great Value refrigerated doughs; but they also make the store brands for all other grocery stores except Aldi.  Since we are a test market, I did not find them in my store; but did grab Publix’s store brand and they worked great!

First, I made the Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Casserole (recipe HERE):

First, fill a 13×9 with two cans of Cinnamon Rolls – 8 ct.  Now, this was kind of an experiment so I cooked the cinnamon rolls all the way before adding the toppings because I wasn’t sure if they would cook with everything on top.  I think next time I may cook them half to 3/4 of the way because they were a little over-done once the casserole was cooked.

Once the Cinnamon Rolls are cooked, top with the icing that comes with them.  Then top with Apples, then Ham (I used lunchmeat) and finally cheese (another change I made after cooking this once.  Two layers of cheese was a little bit much; but definitely do one generous layer!

Pop it in the oven for about 30 minutes and serve with the Sour Cream-Brown Sugar Sauce and Syrup (if desired).  This got great reviews from the parents at my eldest daughter’s school Holiday Party and I agree, it was good and the Publix brand cinnamon rolls were awesome!

Then, the kids and I made the Christmas Cookie Pizza to take with us for some Christmas Caroling with our church (recipe HERE):

This is so easy and you can do whatever you want to decorate it!  We chose Marshmallow fluff and Christmas sprinkles!
 Have your best helpers help you spread the cookie dough on a greased round cookie sheet.  I used a pizza pan so I needed two rolls of dough!  If you do that, cook it with a cookie sheet underneath.
Once the cookie is done, either spread it with marshmallow fluff (wait for it to cool completely before doing this) OR sprinkle with miniature marshmallows.  I think I will do this next time because I like the way it looks in the example recipe.  Oh well – still tastes great!
Then, have your helpers decorate it any way they want!  This usually guarantees it won’t look perfect but it tastes great just the same and memories were created too!
This Christmas Cookie Pizza (or pie, as my middle child keeps saying) is sooo decadent!  There are tons of chocolate chips and the marshmallow just adds to the flavor.

 Both of these recipes were so easy for anyone to make!  Consider using them in your Christmas baking.

Make sure to look for Great Value or store brand refrigerated doughs next time you’re at Walmart or your local grocery store!

Disclosure: I was compensated by Ralcorp and The Motherhood for this cooking review.  I researched the recipes and did all the cooking myself.  The opinions expressed herein are 100% mine and should not be substituted as your own.


WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, Holiday, Group, and more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next birthday party.

Cinderella II and III DVD Collection $19.49

This post may contain affiliate links or ads. Read my privacy policy and disclosure policy here.

by Filed Under: Amazon, Holiday2010, Online Shopping, Review

published date: December 13, 2012
modified datt: December 12,2012

Our Elf on the Shelf, Dorothy, has to bring something to distract my little girls. A present intended for Christmas came early since we all have had 101 to 103 fevers – no fun!

If you haven’t gotten Cinderella or Cinderella II and III – check out the deals below.

Pick up Cinderella II: Dreams Come True / Cinderella III: A Twist In Time (Two-Disc DVD Collection) for $19.49 or the Blu-Ray for $26.49.

Plot Summary:

Cinderella II: Dreams Come True Special Edition
As a newly crowned princess, Cinderella quickly learns that life at the Palace – and her royal responsibilities – are more challenging than she had imagined. In three heartwarming tales, Cinderella calls on her animal friends and her Fairy Godmother to help as she brings her own grace and charm to her regal role and discovers that being true to yourself is the best way to make your dreams come true.

Cinderella III: A Twist In Time Special Edition
Princess Cinderella is living a charmingly perfect life until her stepmother gets her hands on Fairy Godmother’s magic wand. With a wicked spell that turns back the clock, she erases the Prince’s memories of the girl he met at the ball and shatters Cinderella’s happily ever after! Jaq and Gus scurry to save the day before time runs out. But was it all really just a dream in Cinderella’s heart, or will true love triumph over all?

Don’t forget you can also get Cinderella (Two-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo in Blu-ray Packaging) for $19.99 for the 1-Disc for $17.99.

WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, Holiday, Group, and more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next birthday party.

Breakfast Lasagna with Cinnamon Rolls and Christmas Cookie Pizza!

This post may contain affiliate links or ads. Read my privacy policy and disclosure policy here.

by Filed Under: Holiday2010, Review, Walmart

published date: December 10, 2012
modified datt: December 10,2012

Image courtesy of Taste of Home – my mom has those plates though!

This time of year is all about entertaining.  And when I think of entertaining, I think of food!  And when I think of what food to make, I usually like to depend on a tried and true recipe and test something new too!  I always break the rule of testing before serving to guests, though – oops!  This week I am testing an old recipe redone and a brand new one using the Publix store brand Cinnamon Rolls and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, made by Great Value!

The first one I am remaking is a family recipe for Breakfast Lasagna!  This one has French Toast, ham, cinnamon apples and cheese.  I am going to exchange Cinnamon Rolls for the French Toast and I think it’s going to be delish!  Every time I serve this family favorite to friends, they request the recipe.  Let’s hope they’ll  request this one too!

Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Casserole:

Ingredients:
1 Roll of Refrigerated Cinnamon Rolls
8-12 oz. sliced of chopped ham
2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese – divided
1 Can Apple Pie Filling

Dipping Sauce:
8 oz. Sour Cream
1/4 cup Brown Sugar

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
In deep dish lasagna 9×13 pan, place cinnamon rolls on the bottom.
Layer ham on top and then half cheese.
Spread apple pie filling across top and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes.
Serve with dipping sauce and syrup on the side.

The new recipe I’m trying will use Publix store brand Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, also made by Great Value.

Christmas Cookie Pizza

Ingredients:
1 roll (16.5 oz) Great Value (Publix brand in this case) refrigerated chocolate chip cookies
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup red and green candy-coated chocolate candies
1/2 cup hot fudge topping, heated, if desired

Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F.
Grease 12-inch pizza pan with shortening, or spray with cooking spray.
In pan, break up cookie dough into pieces and press out dough evenly in bottom of pan to form crust.
Bake 12 to 17 minutes or until light golden brown.
Sprinkle marshmallows and candies evenly over crust. Bake 2 to 3 minutes longer or until marshmallows are puffed.
Drizzle hot fudge topping over top. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into wedges to serve.

We will enjoy this while watching the Nutcracker and enjoying Hot Chocolate! The kids will love it, I’m sure. It sounds so easy, I may just make another one and give slices to my neighbors in festive wrap!

I’ll let you know next week how these turned out!

WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, Holiday, Group, and more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next birthday party.

Coupon | Contessa World Meals $1 Coupon

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by Filed Under: Coupons, Review

published date: November 28, 2012
modified datt: November 28,2012

 

Time is so important to me. Quality and Tasty food is a bonus!

Contessa has just come out with a new coupon for a product that is sure to combine both – Quick and Tasty! Contessa World Cuisine’s frozen skillet meals are made for two. These fozen meals made with wholesome, quality ingredients.

Contessa World Cuisine Facts:

  • 18 unique, world cuisine-inspired flavors
  • Simple to prepare in ten minutes at home
  • No msg
  • No trans-fat
  • No artificial colors or flavors
  • No preservatives
  • Minimally processed
  • Multiple gluten-free options
  • Individually packaged sauce packets to allow for freshness, recipe variation and special dietary needs

Right pick up a coupon for $1 off Contessa World Meals.

Try These Blends:

  • Beef Mongolian
  • Broccoli Beef
  • Chicken Alfredo
  • Chicken Chow Mein
  • Chicken Florentine
  • Chicken Fried Rice
  • Chicken Stir-Fry
  • Italian Sausage Rigatoni
  • Jambalaya
  • Orange Chicken
  • Paella
  • Sesame Chicken
  • Shrimp Alfredo Penne
  • Shrimp Fried Rice
  • Shrimp Primavera
  • Shrimp Scampi Linguini
  • Shrimp Stir-Fry
  • Vodka Chicken Penne

Favorites of mine are Vodka Chicken Penne, Shrimp Stir-Fry and Beef Mongolian. I felt comfortable sharing this email with my young girls (ages 3 and 4). The meals were tasting, easy for me to stir/cook as well as manage other kitchenly duties getting ready for dinner and settling down into evening activity.

Be sure to follow Contessa Foods on Facebook and on Twitter!

Disclosure: I was provided product for this review. All opinions expressed are my own and should not be substituted as your own. Read more about giveaway conditions and terms on my disclosure page. 


WHAT’S TRENDING? Looking for a few engaging activities? Grab Minute to Win it Games – Traditional, Holiday, Group, and more! Use these fun activities in the office, classroom, or at your next birthday party.