Archives for 2013

Think you see a ghost? What was that noise? Things that go bump in the night. An unexplained image slides in front of your face.
Things move around in your home on their own. What do you do?

Well, you could run to the nearest Home Depot with the gift card that you just won from Michael Phillip Cash and buy some flashlights.

That’s right! Michael Phillip Cash is giving away a $100 gift card and a signed copy of his book Stillwell.

Will it be you that shoos away those paranormal “guest”? Enter today and find out.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:
Michael Phillip Cash is responsible for prize shipment. SoCal City Kids and the blogs hosting and co-hosting are not responsible for shipment.
The giveaway is for US only and not affiliated with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube or any other social media outlet.
Giveaway ends August 25, 2013. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to an e-mail sent or an alternate winner will be chosen.

It is back to school time and so that means time to get ready for a new school year with a fantastic giveaway!

Linda A Cadose, author of The Hidden Chamber In The Great Sphinx and The Underwater Pyramid In The Bermuda Triangle, is having a “Back to School Giveaway Blast”.

To prepare for this great back to school event, Linda Cadose is giving away not one but two great prizes!

First Prize: $25 and both of Linda’s books.

Second Prize: Laser Khet Game 2.0 and both of Linda’s books.

Get in the groove to back to school. Enter today in the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:
This giveaway is sponsored by author, Linda Cadose.

This blog, SoCal City Kids nor the hosting and co-hosting are not responsible for shipment. Linda Cadose is responsible for prize shipment.
Prizes are provided by the author and not by the companies.
This giveaway is also not affiliated with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest,YouTube or any other social media site.

Giveaway is open US Only.
Giveaway ends: August 23, 2013 at 12 AM MST
Winner has 48 hours to respond after notification via e-mail or  forfeit prize and another winner will be drawn.

I’m a big fan of Wholly Guacamole! I have to admit that I was hooked at the first taste of the no preservative Wholly Guac goodness! It really is my favorite guacamole especially the Spicy! I love adding it to recipes or just eating it with chips! But, okay…it would be nice if I could put it in my lunch to go and not worry about any mess. Whoa! Guess what? Wholly Guacamole now has that all covered! Say “Hello” to the New Wholly Guacamole 100 calorie minis cups!  These are just perfect for lunches on the go! I received samples from our friends at Wholly Guacamole and have truly been enjoying these mini cups every day this past week.  You can grab some veggies, chips or squeeze it on your favorite sandwich or salad. The Wholly Guacamole Classic Minis are all natural, have no preservatives and are Gluten Free. They are made with real Haas Avocados and freeze up to 3 months! The Wholly Guacamole Avocado Ranch Minis are yummy but spicy will always be my favorite! The great taste hasn’t changed but the new mini packaging is a hit in our house! What’s so great about the new mini packaging? My favorite thing of all is that it travels great to the park, the beach or any other outings! But, you can also peel a little to squeeze your guac or you can peel all the way to dip and dunk! You can also freeze and stash in a lunch box. They are great for summer and also for back-to-school! You can even use them for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner! Check out eatwholly.com for all the delicious recipes!  Here’s one of my favorites:

 Squish some history between your toes at Mud Mania: A Celebration of Adobe! It is the perfect venue for people of all ages who love to get “down and dirty.” Guests will have the opportunity to make real adobe bricks, plaster a wall with mud, construct a mini-adobe home, compete in mud relay races, and much more as they learn about our local adobe soil and its many uses throughout history. This muddy, wacky event will be held on Sunday, August 11 from 12:30-4:30 p.m. Admission is $6 adults, $4 for children 4-12; 3 and under are free.

Family Fun Month just happens to coincide with the August 6^th DVD release of the multiple award-winning half-hour animated family film, Room on the Broom, from NCircle Entertainment. Based on the #1 best-selling children’s picture book in America, written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler (the same author and illustrator team that created the critically acclaimed The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child), Room on the Broom is filled with humor and adventure, and teaches the importance of family, friends and teamwork!

Why not kick-off Family Fun Month with Family Movie Night? In Room on the Broom, the witch and her cat couldn’t be happier, flying through the sky on their broomstick—until the witch drops her hat, then her bow, then her wand! Luckily, three helpful animals—a dog, a parrot and a frog—find the missing items and all they want in return is a ride on the broomstick. But is there room on the broom for so many new friends? The kindly witch thinks there is—much to the frustration of her cat.  But when disaster strikes, and the witch is about to be eaten by a fearsome dragon, she is saved by the gang of animals, all working together.  The witch’s cat learns the importance of friends and family, and the witch rewards her new friends with a magnificent broom that is big enough for everyone!

Beautiful CGI animation brings the book’s drawings to life under the direction of Max Lang.  Gillian Anderson (The X Files) provides the voice of the witch; while Timothy Spall of Harry Potter fame, lends his voice to the dragon. Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) narrates the story which also features the recognizable voices of Martin Clunes, Rob Brydon and David Walliams portraying the helpful animals that comprise the witch’s family.  Room on the Broom is produced by Magic Light Pictures (the team behind award-winning animations The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo’s Child).

Complete Family Movie Night by enjoying together the fun-filled activities available for FREE for download at NCircle Entertainment’s activity site, EntertainmentThatEducates.com, including a coloring page featuring all of the endearing characters from the film; the “find the…” challenge that incorporates counting skills; templates for creating your own Room on the Broom finger puppets; and the elements for creating your very own magical wand! There’s also a word search puzzle and a dizzying maze to navigate.

The Room on the Broom has already earned numerous awards and accolades, including Britain’s Royal Television Award for “Best Children’s Program” and France’s Annecy Animation Festival’s Crystal Award for “Best TV Production.” It has been named “Best Animated Short” by the Toronto International Film Festival Kid’s Festival; was the “Audience Choice” at the Cleveland International Film Festival; and was the winner of the Curtinhas Competition for children’s programming at the Curtas Vila do Conde Film Festival in Portugal.

We received the Book and DVD and found it quite enjoyable! Young children will be delighted with both the DVD and the book! It is a delightful story with wonderful, creative illustrations and animations.

Need more Family Fun Ideas for the month of August?  Here are just a few:

August 9 is Book Lovers Day 

Bring the family together and find a shady tree to sit outside and enjoy reading books together, includingRoom on the Broom.  Reading is educational, informative and relaxing and sharing a love of reading with your family and friends makes everyone smarter, too.

August 23 is Ride the Wind Day    

No broom is required as you can catch a ride on a gentle summer breeze by flying a kite, riding a bike, standing on a hill or just driving in the car with the windows down!

 August 26 is National Dog Day

Where would our witch be without the help of a dog?  This day, organized by the National Dog Day Foundation, honors dogs everywhere for all that they do for us – love, companionship, protection, service, safety and so much more.  Get your kids involved by playing a little longer with your family pooch, by volunteering at your local animal shelter, donating unwanted blankets to Operation Blankets of Love or by making a family donation to one of the many worthy animal rescue groups.

 August 27 is Just Because Day

As the final days of summer get swept into the early days of Fall, this holiday gives us all a chance to do something special “just because.”  Replicate the kindness of the witch and the helpfulness of the dog, bird and frog.  Open your heart as the cat ultimately did—and before you know it… iggety, ziggety, zaggety, zoom … you’ll be falling in love with Room on the Broom!

Planning ahead for Halloween gifts?  Although the Room on the Broom book is not a traditional Halloween story, it is Penguin Publishing’s best-selling Halloween title, selling over 500,000 copies in 2011/2012.  So stock up on Room on the Broom to share with your friends and family!  Room on the Broom DVDs are available at Target, Walmart, Toys”R”Us, amazon.com, Kmart, and many other retailers (SRP $9.99); Room on the Broom books are available everywhere books are sold (SRP: 16.99).

To celebrate Family Fun Month, NCircle Entertainment is offering one of our readers the DVD and Book! 

If you would like to enter the giveaway, you must be a subscriber to SoCal City Kids to enter! Next, “like” the NCircle Entertainment Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/NCircleEntertainment and also the Room on the Broom Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/roomonthebroomus  and you can tell them we sent you! Deadline to enter is August 13th, 2013 at midnight. One winner will randomly be selected from all entries!

Check out the Room on the Broom website: roomonthebroom.com /us!