Archives for November 24, 2014

‘Tis The Season at Los Cerritos Center

Los Cerritos Center is pleased to unveil a full calendar of seasonal events to warm the holiday spirit. Shoppers can enjoy visits with Santa, family-friendly festive activities, partake in opportunities to give back and also win big this holiday season.

 

Los Cerritos Center invites guests to Shop Early this Thanksgiving holiday. Macy’s, Sears, Forever 21 and several other retailers will open doors at 6 p.m. and many other mall retailers will be open at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving night. The retailers and mall doors will remain open through Black Friday, November 28 until 10 p.m. for the ultimate holiday shopping experience.

 

Families can experience the wonder of Santa’s Village in the modern and digital age at the Santa HQ presented by HGTV. Now through December 24 visit the HQ and get scanned by the ‘Naughty or Nice O’Meter, visit Santa’s Observatory in ELF-RAY Vision, and then take a photo with Old St. Nicholas himself. Skip the line and reserve your space in advance online at http://santa-hq.com.

 

On December 2, 9 and 16 from 6-8 p.m., the Santa HQ will welcome the Santa Paws Pet Photo Nights in partnership with Best Friends Animal Society. Bring your furry friends for a memorable photo with Santa. Best Friends Animal Society will be hosting pet adoptions on-site and $2 from every pet photo package purchased will go back to help the organization continue their mission to rescue animals.

 

Sounds of the Season returns to Los Cerritos Center to warm the musical spirit. The series will feature special performances by the Good News Kids with Dean & Mary Jean Brown on December 8 at 7:30 p.m. and D. P’s Angels Orchestra performing on December 24 at 10 a.m.

 

On Saturday, December 13 at 11 a.m., Kids Club Powered by National Geographic will offer a seasonally inspired Penguin Holiday Party. Kids will learn about their tuxedo-dressed penguin friends and their behaviors through songs and games. Each child that attends Kids Club will receive a complimentary ticket to visit CHILL, the winter holiday wonderland at The Queen Mary.

 

Los Cerritos Center is offering sweepstakes and incentives to sweeten your shopping experience this holiday season. Now through December 24, visit http://shoploscerritoscenter.com and enter for your chance to win $10,000 courtesy of HGTV’s Home for the Holidays Sweepstakes. Purchase a gift card from the mall Guest Services or Mall Management Office of $150 value or more and receive a $15 Mall Visa Gift Card now throughDecember 7. Visit guest services to redeem $350 or more in same day mall receipts December 4-19 and receive a free Knott’s Merry Farm regular admission ticket, a $65 value.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 – A Sure Hit With Teens and Tweens

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The latest installment of The Hunger Games trilogy, based on the best-selling books by Suzanne Collins was released this weekend to an eager youth adult crowd. With the Games now destroyed and in pieces, Katniss Everdeen, along with Gale, Finnick and Beetee, now end up in the so-thought “destroyed” District 13. Under the leadership of President Coin and the advice of her friends, Katniss becomes the “Mockingjay” and the symbol of rebellion for the people. KIDS FIRST! Critics Brianna Hope Beaton comments, “I completely love this film and the overall production. It’s intense and has such a grand feel to it. With scene after scene, it gets bigger and bigger and you see just how powerful one voice can be.” See her full review below.

 

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1

by  Brianna Hope Beaton, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 15

 

 

This much anticipated film is absolutely fantastic with some action and a stellar cast that will blow your mind!

This epic story continues with Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peetar Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) who both play a big part in the lives of District 13’ers, each in their own way. They want to unite and save an entire nation. In order to do this, they need the help of their friends and new alliances.

 

I completely love this film and the overall production. It’s intense and has such a grand feel to it. With scene after scene, it gets bigger and bigger and you see just how powerful one voice can be. The aerial shots, emotions, excitement and the anticipation of what’s happening next basically keeps your eyes glued to the screen. I’ve read all the books and this adaption is very true to the original stories. Jennifer Lawrence’s performance is incredible.  She becomes her character completely with a range of emotions –  anger, doubt, disbelief and feeling sorry. She is so convincing. My favorite character is Peetar. Although he is not on-screen time as much as the other characters, he plays a big part in the film. Peeta is what drives Katniss throughout the film as she struggles to get to him. Almost everything she does is a result of her wanting to save Peeta. I also like Peeta because, every time he is on screen, he seems to change and intensify the situation. My favorite scene is when Katniss sees Peeta for the very first time. She is shocked and, at the same time, grateful that he is alive. It is nice to see all of the questions that go though her mind through her own eyes. Katniss’ eyes reveal how she feels about Peeta.
I recommend this film for ages 13 to 18 and I give it 4 out of 5 stars. It is a little slow in the beginning, but I understand why. They have to bring you up to speed with what happened in the previous film. I cannot wait to see Part 2!

Satisfy your excitement and see The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1. It  is playing in theaters now, so please check it out.

Credit: KIDS FIRST! Coming Attractions, www.kidsfirst.org

 

The Equation of Life

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You may remember that we have mentioned the film The Equation of Life. This is a film about Bullying through the eyes of a child. If you haven’t seen this DVD yet, you really must. It is rather powerful! I recently received a copy from our friend and young Director, Gerry Orz and honestly,  this film left me speechless. I was that impressed! Everyone should see this film. I actually think they should show it in every school across the nation.

 

“There are many anti-bullying films on the market but this one is unique. It was written and produced by a 10-year-old. This is a dramatization of a real life experience from someone who’s been there and, because of that, it is all the more poignant.”- Ranny Levy, Founder and President, KIDS FIRST!

So, if you haven’t seen this amazing film yet, you can find it on Amazon.com.  This one really is a Must-See for everyone!

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Photo: Gerry Orz

Self Disclosure: I received a free copy to facilitate this post and I highly recommend this film.

 

 

We like to think that bullying is not a major issue but it really is. I like that this DVD also offers helpful solutions to the problem of bullying that faces so many kids today.

 

PBS KIDS and Overstock launch Overstock Kid Zone

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OVERSTOCK.COM PARTNERS WITH PBS KIDS TO SERVE THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF CHILDREN THROUGH LAUNCH OF OVERSTOCK KID ZONE

 

PBS KIDS will receive a portion of every sale from curated shop, which provides thousands of everyday essentials for children across multiple categories.

Last week, Overstock.com and PBS KIDS announced a new cause partnership and the launch of Overstock’s new Kid Zone, a curated shop within Overstock that includes thousands of children’s products. Overstock will give a portion of proceeds from every sale in the Kid Zone to support the mission of PBS KIDS, to open a world of possibilities for every child and ignite a passion for learning.

 

Products sold in the Overstock Kid Zone are designed to provide the necessities to help children thrive as well as spark creativity, fun and imagination. To support the mission, 100 percent of the net proceeds PBS KIDS receives from sales in the shop will go back to PBS KIDS.

 

The Kid Zone also provides links to PBS KIDS resources and fun family activities. PBS KIDS is the number one educational media brand for kids and is uniquely positioned to reach children everywhere with content that is rooted in academic frameworks, preparing young children for success in school and in life.

 

“Overstock believes in a bright future for all children, and to support our commitment to their education, health, happiness and well-being, we’re honored to be a partner with PBS KIDS in children’s educational media,” said Stormy Simon, Overstock president. “We are excited to provide parents with an easy shopping experience that supports the mission of PBS KIDS with every sale from the new Overstock Kid Zone.”

 

“PBS KIDS is committed to using the power of media to light a spark for learning and to help all kids reach their potential,” said Lesli Rotenberg General Manager, Children’s Programming, PBS. “The proceeds received by PBS KIDS through our partnership with Overstock.com will help support our mission and the development of innovative PBS KIDS educational programming and digital content.”

I had the opportunity to check out the Kid Zone and the wonderful toy products for children and am so impressed! I received a credit to shop and quickly selected a Microscope that is on its way for my son’s Christmas gift. There is such a wide selection and something for every child on your shopping list!  

We have actually also teamed up with Overstock and PBS KIDS for a Holiday Giveaway! One winner will win $25, credit to shop at Overstock.com. Now, how cool is that? To enter, check out the website and let us know what you would select for a child in your life. Deadline to enter is November 30th, 2014 at noon PST. One winner will randomly be selected via Random.org.

 

 

About PBS KIDS

PBS KIDS, the number one educational media brand for kids, offers all children the opportunity to explore new ideas and new worlds through television, online, mobile and community-based programs. Kidscreen- and Webby-award winning pbskids.org provides engaging interactive content, including the PBS KIDS video player, now offering free streaming video accessible on computer- and mobile-device-based browsers. For more information on specific PBS KIDS content supporting literacy, science, math and more, visit pbs.org/pressroomor follow PBS KIDS on Twitter and Facebook.

 

About Overstock.com 

Overstock.com (NASDAQ: OSTK) is a discount online shopping retailer based in Salt Lake City, Utah that sells a broad range of products including furniture, rugs, bedding, electronics, clothing, jewelry and cars.  Worldstock.com, a fair trade department dedicated to selling artisan-crafted products from around the world offers additional unique items.  Main Street Revolution supports small businesses across the United States by providing them a national customer base.  The Nielsen State of the Media: Consumer Usage Report placed Overstock.com among the top five most visited mass merchandiser websites in 2011.  The NRF Foundation/American Express 2011 Customer Choice Awards ranked Overstock.com #4 in customer service among all U.S. retailers.  Overstock.com sells internationally under the name O.co.  Overstock Shopping (http://www.overstock.com and http://www.o.co) regularly posts information about the company and other related matters under Investor Relations on its website.

Overstock.com®, O.co®, Worldstock Fair Trade® and Club O Rewards® are registered trademarks of Overstock.com, Inc. O.info™, Club O™, Club O Dollars™ and Your Savings Engine™ are trademarks of Overstock.com, Inc.

Self Disclosure: I received a $25 shopping credit to facilitate this Holiday feature.