Whaley’s Big Adventure!

Don’t miss this really cool giveaway!


New author and illustrator Alexander Luke has written the cutest book, Whaley’s Big Adventure. Get this, he is only 5 years old!
Do not be fooled though, this book packs a wallop and holds its own.


Join Whaley on his big adventure in the ocean as he meets Whales of all different sizes. Written by 5 year old Alexander Luke, and presented by his grandmother, award-winning children’s author Carole P. Roman, this oceanic adventure of whale-sized proportions will teach youngsters about the different whales that live in the oceans.


To introduce Whaley to the world at large, Alexander Luke, along with his grandmother, are giving away a copy of his book and $50 Paypal to one lucky winner! Wow! Follow the fish and join in the adventure below!





Disclosure: This giveaway is arranged by Away We Go Media on behalf of  Alexander Luke & Carole P. Roman who is responsible for the giveaway. SoCal City Kids was asked to help promote this giveaway.
The winner will be selected at random by Rafflecopter.
The giveaway is open Worldwide, however if the winner is outside the US the book will only be a Kindle download version. The winner must have an active paypal account and will only be paid in US dollars.
Giveaway begins on Feb. 6th at 12AM MST through Feb. 20th at 12AM MST.
Winner must respond within 48 hours to an email sent or an alternate winner will be chosen.
This giveaway is in no way affiliated with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or any other social media outlet.




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Delicious Chocolate from Sweetness & Light for Valentine’s Day!

store_logo

smalltruffleasst          1poundnutchew

Looking for Valentine’s Day gifts? Chocolate is always a top choice for Valentine’s Day! I recently had the opportunity to taste some really delicious, chocolate from Sweetness & Light! My family also loved the samples we received! (See photo above!) We received two boxes of chocolates (12 pc-1/2 milk and 1/2 dark) of some of their best sellers. So we received an assortment of Truffles and an assortment of Nuts & Chews and they definitely didn’t last long in our house! Well…the Chocolate Truffles are my favorite! (And, yes, I have stashed the remaining box away because they are THAT good!) These hand-dipped truffles are really some of the best I have ever tasted with flavors such as Cappuccino Chocolate, French Raspberry Chocolate and Kahlua Chocolate. The Nuts & Chews are also quite delicious with caramels, chocolate covered nuts, butter toffee, and more in your choice of milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or 1/2 milk chocolate and 1/2 dark chocolate. I honestly believe you can find chocolate for everyone if you take a look at their website!

More About the shop:   Sweetness and Light is an old-fashioned, family-owned candy kitchen and store located in victorian Ferndale CA. All of their confections are handmade and hand-dipped in small batches using only the finest ingredients available.  Their product line includes but is not limited to salted caramel, chocolate covered caramel, chocolate truffles, nut brittle, toffee, caramels, fudges, candy bars, and bon-bons.

 

Self Disclosure: I received samples to facilitate this review but any opinions expressed are my own. Photo Credit: Sweetness & Light.

 

 

The Hug Monster is here for Valentine’s Day!!

unnamed (4)    unnamed (3)

It’s almost Valentine’s Day! Only a little over a week left! Time to bake Goodies and Sweets and my favorite is the Hug Monster by SweetDaniB! This cookie cutter is so cute! I received one to try out for myself and can’t wait to bake cookies Friday night! Stay tuned! I will be posting my creations Friday night! But, I just couldn’t wait to post the information, so you could buy your own adorable Sweet Dani B Monster cookie cutter!

unnamed (2)

SweetDaniB Monster Cookie Cutter measures about 5-1/2 x 3-3/4 inches. This unique design by Sweet Dani B can be used to make Dani’s hug monster, party animal, Halloween monster or  yeti cookies. It retails for $17.95. Also available is the Valentine Cookie Decorating Set for $10.95. I also received this set and can’t wait to use it! Monster Valentine Cookie Decorating Set by SDB contains items that were selected by SweetDaniB to use when decorating her hug Monster Cookie Cutter for Valentine’s Day. This set is available in two colors.

Red Set includes:

unnamed (6)

Check out the cool video with a very special message about Hugs!

Self  Disclosure: I received the Monster Cookie Cutter and Decorating Kit to facilitate this Feature but any opinions expressed are my own. Photo Credit/video credit: Sweet Dani B.

Amy’s Asian Meals

unnamedamys   unnamedamys2

I love Amy’s products so I was excited to find out about these New Thai Meals! The Thai Pad Thai is delicious! I love the traditional Thai sweet and sour taste! But, I was impressed with that fact that this was as good as going out for Thai! The Rice noodles, tofu, carrots, green onions, broccoli & baked cashews…Yum! I think I am off to the store to buy more! My favorite was the Thai Red Curry! I absolutely love this one! It has finely cut organic veggies; sautéed onions, broccoli, carrots, tofu and my favorite is the sweet butternut squash! Another great thing, no cholesterol either! Delicious and healthy Thai! I know I will be stocking up on both of these products! To find out more about these and other Amy’s products, check out the Amy’s website.

Self Disclosure: I received FREE coupons to try these products but any opinions expressed are my own.

The Heart of a Champion Never Dies

image001

 

From the city to the country, families from coast-to-coast will experience an uplifting coming-of-age adventure when Anchor Bay Entertainment unleashes My Dog the Champion on DVD. The inspiring story of an unlikely friendship between a born-and-bred teenage city girl and a cattle dog, the new feature film starring Dora Madison Burge (“Dexter,” “Friday Night Lights,” Cowgirls ‘n Angels), Lance Henriksen (Aliens, The Terminator, Aliens vs. Predator) and Cody Linley (“Hannah Montana,” Cheaper by the Dozen) makes its national retail debut on February 4, 2014.

 

A moving and meaningful story for the whole family, My Dog the Champion (SRP $24.98) begins when Madison (Burge), a spoiled city teen, learns that her mother is being deployed to Afghanistan. She is suddenly forced to uproot to the country and live on her grandfather Billy’s (Henriksen) cattle ranch – in the middle of nowhere. Facing the hardships of farm life and her feelings of loneliness, she befriends Scout, the farm’s old and “useless” cattle dog. The new companions quickly form a special bond. And when the family farm becomes threatened, Madison, with some help from Eli (Linley), a teenage dog trainer, trains Scout to be an agility champion and together they compete with the hope of saving their home. Side by side, the determined duo proves the heart of a champion never dies.

 

My Dog the Champion, a story of friendship, love, teamwork, and challenges, is a must-have release for families nationwide. The film is executive produced by Arthur E. Benjamin, the founder of the American Dog Rescue, an all-volunteer, non-profit organization that works to rescue and promote the health and well-being of dogs and other animals all across the world. In addition, Scout, the movie’s starring dog, is herself a rescue!

We received this DVD to review and loved it! I especially loved the whole story of friendship and my son always loves a heart-warming animal story! I highly recommend this for all families! The film makes you laugh, may make you cry but it is a heart-warming story that I really enjoyed!

We are having a Giveaway! Simply leave us a comment below about your favorite animal story or movie! One winner will win the DVD! Deadline to enter is February 7th, 2014 at midnight. One winner will randomly be selected from all entries!

Self Disclosure: I received a DVD to facilitate this Review/Giveaway but any opinions expressed are my own.

 

 

About Anchor Bay Entertainment

Anchor Bay Entertainment is a leading home entertainment company.  Anchor Bay acquires and distributes feature films, original television programming, including STARZ Original series, children’s entertainment, anime (Manga Entertainment), fitness (Anchor Bay Fitness), sports, and other filmed entertainment on DVD and Blu-ray formats.  The company has long term distribution agreements in place for select programming with AMC Networks, RADiUS, and The Weinstein Company.  Headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA, Anchor Bay Entertainment has offices in Troy, MI, as well as Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia.  Anchor Bay Entertainment (www.anchorbayentertainment.com) is a Starz (NASDAQ: STRZA, STRZB) business, www.starz.com.

 

My Dog the Champion

Street Date:                 February 4, 2014

Pre-Book:                    January 8, 2014

DVD Catalog #:          AF00336

DVD UPC #:              01313261669881

Audio:                         Dolby Digital 5.1
Aspect Ratio:              Anamorphic
Subtitles:                     English SDH, Spanish
Retail Price:                 $24.98
Genre:                         Action/Adventure, Family
Rating:                        G
Run Time:                   87 Mins
Year:                           2013

 

 

Essential Tips on Setting Up Your Child’s First Smartphone

unnamedinfographic_child checklist smartphone

Giving a child his or her first smartphone provides a unique teachable moment when parents can ensure that their child gets off on the right foot in the mobile realm.

 

As many parents gifted smartphones to their kids this past holiday season, there’s no better time than now to help them establish their children’s good smartphone habits. As such, the experts at Zact Mobile (www.zact.com) offer the following tips on what to do before handing over that new device:

  •        Choose a password together, so you can both access the device;
  •       Set up Contacts with key names and numbers, so your child has them at their fingertips;
  •       Download and set up the apps you are willing to let your child use, and discuss the rules for future downloads;
  •       Establish – and put in writing – family ground rules for phone use, including times when it is off limits to use; and
  •       Talk with your child about privacy, content and the consequences of misusing their new phone.

unnamed (1)zact

Additional tips can be found in this handy infographic from Zact: “Setting Up Your Child’s First Smartphone.”

Self Disclosure: Zact sponsored feature. No products were received to facilitate this feature. Info provided by Zact.

Orchid Paradise to Blossom in Westminster

The Newport Harbor Orchid Society (NHOS) will host its 13th annual orchid expo, this year themed “Orchid Paradise,” at Simon Property Group, Inc.’s Westminster Mall, on February 7-9, 2014. The Expo will showcase thousands of high quality orchids, some rare in cultivation, that grow easily in Southern California.

The largest winter orchid show in the Southland features:

  • Twenty or more orchid nurseries and professional growers selling orchids, exotic plants and supplies
  • Orchid displays by local orchid societies, hobbyists, and growers
  • Repotting workshops Saturday and Sunday at 4PM ($5 fee includes supplies and an orchid to take home)
  • Botanical art exhibit by area painters and photographers organized by the Vietnamese Orchid Society

“We continue to take pride in making sure our expos offer the widest variety of orchid vendors and workshops while featuring so much of the great talent and artistry that comes from the local community and our collective appreciation of these elegant plants,” said Ha Bui, spokesperson for NHOS. “Orchid Paradise will provide hobbyists and novice growers alike the ability to learn about these plants, make their first purchase, attend a workshop or simply enjoy the beautiful atmosphere.” 

Show admission and parking are free.

For more information visit http://www.nhosinfo.org/or the organization’s Facebook page.

Visit Westminster Mall on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/WestminsterMall on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ShopWestminster or on Instagram at http://instagram.com/shopwestminster.

About The Newport Harbor Orchid Society

The Newport Harbor Orchid Society’s primary mission is to foster the culture, cultivation, and conservation of orchids and to educate the members and the public about orchids. We combine our educational goals with a number of special activities and social events throughout the year, including an annual greenhouse and garden tour of members’ growing areas, visits to orchid nurseries located in Southern California, a spring orchid show and sale, an annual banquet, and finally, a holiday potluck. Founded in 1979, the NHOS is a large and very active society with over 250 participating members who reside in Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Diego counties. We meet on the third Tuesday of each month at the Neighborhood Community Center in Costa Mesa, 1845 Park Avenue. The meetings begin with a culture class from 7:00-7:45 p.m. on a different topic related to orchids, followed by the general meeting, at 7:45 p.m. that features a speaker, plant display, refreshments, a silent auction, and plant raffle.

 

About Westminster Mall

Westminster Mall is a modern shopping center that features some of the best names in retail including Macy’s, jcpenney, Sears, Target, Victoria’s Secret PINK, Old Navy and more. In addition to more than 180 specialty stores with shops ranging from teen apparel to shoes to women’s apparel and jewelry, Westminster Mall also features exciting dining destinations such as Outback Steakhouse and Todai. In November 2008, Westminster Mall completed a multi-million dollar renovation. Included were brand new family restrooms, a first of its kind children’s fully soft play area, new interior and exterior directional signage. The entire lower level of the center was carpeted for guest’s shopping enjoyment and comfort.  For a map and store listings, as well as directions, events and job listings, visit http://www.simon.com/mall/westminster-mall or call 714-898-2558.

About Simon Property Group
Simon Property Group, Inc. (NYSE: SPG) is an S&P 100 company and a global leader in the retail real estate industry.  The Company currently owns or has an interest in more than 325 retail real estate properties in North America and Asia comprising approximately 242 million square feet. We are headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and employ approximately 5,500 people in the U.S.  For more information, visit simon.com.

Shutterfly for Valentine’s Day!

MUG-48005-730-MERCHLARGE_FRONT-NONE_WHITEMUG-v139025329600030899     STATIONERYCARD_A2-24022-8868-MERCHLARGE_FRONT-v138557726700090257

Can you believe that it is the last day of January? I really don’t think I can! But, I do love the upcoming Valentine’s Day holiday! it truly is one of my favorite days! It’s time to start looking for those Valentine’s Day cards and gifts and Shutterfly has you covered!

It’s that time of year to appreciate and tell those who are special to you that you love them! A great way to do that is with personalized cards or gifts from Shutterfly!
I had the opportunity to create Kid’s Valentine’s Day cards with my son and personalize a Notepad and Mug too. My son quickly chose the cool You’ve Got Game Valentine’s Day cards and is thrilled with how they turned out! He can’t wait to give them out because he says “They are just really cool!” I was thrilled about all the different choices that they have! I also love all the Notepad and Mug choices and was impressed with how they shipped the Mug and that they offer different sizes too. I received the 15 oz mug and am delighted with it! The Notepad and Mug would also make a great gift for Teachers this Valentine’s Day!  There are just so many great gifts to choose from at Shutterfly!

We have teamed up with our friends at Shutterfly! You don’t want to miss this  Valentine’s Day Giveaway! You will win a set of Valentine’s Day Cards (25 Kid’s cards), a Mug and Notepad!  Don’t forget you must be a subscriber to enter! Next, leave us a comment below telling us your favorite thing or your child’s favorite thing about Valentine’s day! Deadline to enter is February 4th, 2014 12 pm. One winner will randomly be selected from all entries.

Giveaway has ended!

STATIONERYNOTEPAD-25010-5520-MERCHLARGE_FRONT-v136786521200097565

Self Disclosure: I received compensation by receiving products to facilitate this review/giveaway but opinions are my own.