2011 September — MomStart

Make Your Own Toy Story Toymation Mattel Buzz Lightyear Command Center #ToyStoryMattel

September 30, 2011 By Momstart 155 Comments

Have you noticed that Disney Living and Mattel have been using Toy Story toys to make animation, it’s called Toymation. It’s so cute and old school awesome. I have an inside look into toymation to share with you.

This inside look at the conception and creation of the all-new, space-themed “toymation” vide featuring the Toy Story Buzz Lightyear Command Center and action figures from Mattel reveals the inspiration for the exciting stop-motion short: the imaginations of children. This video included Disney Character Artist George McClements and Mattel Toy Story Designer Chris Down; Toy Story Buzz Lightyear Spaceship Command Center (SRP $49.99) and character action figures (SRP $10) from Mattel.

The toys were a lot of fun for Zoe and Miles. I see these as toys they will go back to and keep playing with. They, Miles even more than Zoe, loves to talk to his toys and create his own stories. He loves to act them out and it’s this kind of imagination that I love too. Listening to him sometimes just cracks me up!!!

They were having quite the adventure!

To have a little fun with the new Toy Story Buzz Lightyear Command Center, Mattel sent us a few toys to make our own toymation. Now my children are only 3 and 4 and they do have quite the imaginations but putting and entire story to video is a little bit difficult. I tried really hard to keep it natural with them, but it might still feel a little over directed. It was fun though! The Toy Story Space Rex Figure and the Toy Story Space Woody Figure are easy enough to get out of the package and they seem to be quite durable. Miles and Zoe both wanted to be Woody, until they saw the space command center then they wanted to fly it. We had quite a bit of fun.

So what did you think of our little video?

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to the winner, {Not Quite} Susie Homemaker.

All rules can be found under giveaway rules. We received samples.

Filed Under: giveaway Tagged With: Buzz Lightyear Spaceship Command Center

The Travel Bug Is Dead

September 30, 2011 By Momstart 94 Comments

Who was I kidding when I accepted three brand trips in one week. OMG I want to shoot myself for all of this traveling, I’m so exhausted and missing my kids so much it hurts. I did one of these before where I did three at one time, but the beautiful thing that time was that the middle trip was a family trip. They all got to come so it was like a mini vacation. This was like torture of the third kind. It started out great, I had a blast in LA, watching Real Steel, which you MUST WATCH. Had a blast meeting Hugh Jackman, Sugar Ray Leonard, and the director. Miss Piggy and Kermit were utterly delightful and charming. The Muppets looks like it’s also going to be a MUST SEE.

Anytime I talked to my husband he said they’re doing great and I’m so GLAD they were having a good time and happy, I just felt a little like, don’t they miss me as much as I miss them. Of course they do, but they’re probably upset that I’ve been gone so long. WOW, six days, I’m not sure that I would do this again.

The red eye to New York is where things started to get a little dicey. I forgot my glasses, so I had to wear my contacts to everything and they got really dry. I’m sure I looked awful at the Time To Play Holiday Showcase, I think that’s why all of the brands looked at me like there was something wrong with me. I was just tired and really already terribly missing my kids. I LOVE MY BABIES, they will always be my babies. Sorry for bird walking. I’m just DONE! For a while. The Time to Play Holiday Showcase was AMAZING. The top toys truly are winners. They picked toys for all different age groups, and my kids aren’t in the Monster High age group, and I find those toys a little disturbing, but I hear they are a HUGE hit. One of the moms on my first trip with Disney and DreamWorks said that her daughter LOVES Monster High. So that one is going to be a hit. I loved the La La loopsy doll. If Zoe needed a doll I would get her that one but she doesn’t. I’ll write more about Time To Play later this week, but for now, I have to say that only spending 10 hours in New York is PAINFUL.

My flight out of New York was delayed and my cell phone was dead. Cell Phones Companies! Can you please create a phone battery that can last through very heavy social media use? PLEASE??? I couldn’t call my family and I missed my kids. I think I went 3 days without even talking to them. IT WAS Torture! My choice I know, don’t pitty me, but I have to write this to, well to share with them some day. The next day I find out my daughter was upset with my husband for not waking her up when I called. THAT made me want to cry, happy and sad tears.

Next I was on my way to Milwaukee to visit with Johnsonville and I’m a tad….I’m still working on how I feel about that trip. They were amazing, a bed a day earlier than anyone else just so I didn’t have to fly across country and back AGAIN, and a spa treatment, and tons of outstanding food. I think, at this point I was delirious from all my travels. We’ll talk about Johnsonville in greater detail after I process everything. I’m going to share a few of the recipes we tried with you next week.

Even though, yes I have a trip coming up next week, and I’m sure I’ll feel back to normal in a few days, for now. The Travel Bug is dead! But I do have contributors ready to travel.

Filed Under: personal

Giveaway Jingle Link Up Your Giveaways Here

September 30, 2011 By Momstart 1 Comment

You’ve got a giveaway, I want to know about it! Oh, and if you list your giveaway on Mom Start Facebook page then I will try to remember to tweet it out to all of my twitter followers. If you could link directly to the giveaway you want me to tweet that would be very helpful. At 10,800 followers and growing all the time! Cool? I hope so!

boy with ballons

I’ve got a few giveaways you might want to check out too!

Filed Under: linky Tagged With: giveaway jingle, giveaway linky, Giveaway Listing

Photos of Hugh Jackman Wordless Wednesday

September 27, 2011 By Momstart 43 Comments

Some of the photos of Hugh Jackman were taken at the press junket for Real Steel. The rest are movie set photos.

Real Steel is in Theaters October 7Th

I saved the best one for last!!!

I received transportation and hotel stay for the Press Junket for Real Steel. Photos are either mine or used with Disney’s permission.

Filed Under: personal, Wordless Wednesday Tagged With: Disney, dreamworks, Hugh Jackman, personal, Real Steel, Wordless Wednesday

Real Steel Movie Review

September 27, 2011 By Momstart 22 Comments

When I first started tweeting about Real Steel on-line, I had people tweeting me about how excited they were about the movie coming out. One of the tweets was “I love Rock ’Em Sock ‘Em Robots” and when I first read that I was worried that they weren’t excited about the movie because I didn’t think it was the same at all, but now I see the similarity and I still feel that saying that about the movie Real Steel is such an understatement. Real Steel is so much more than a movie about boxing robots in the ring. It’s a movie about a family, full of heart, well they have more than their share of problems but they get the heart.

Real Steel starts off at a rodeo where Charlie (Hugh Jackman’s) robot gets to fight a bull and he’s hustled by the rodeo owner. Charlie made a deal with him and he lost big time, but he ran off before paying off his debt. Charlie was told that he had to sign over his rights to his son, which Charlie was fine with because he didn’t want his boy. Normally when a parent is detestable to their children, I hate them right away, I couldn’t dislike Hugh Jackman’s character. There was just something about Charlie that was redeeming from the beginning or it’s just because I’m such a Hugh Jackman fan that no matter how hard he was on his son, I still liked him.

Max (Dakota Goyo) stole the show, this child is an excellent actor. His facial expressions are AMAZING. There is one scene in the movie where he didn’t get his way with his dad, and he gave him this quick angry look and all I could think of was my own son when he’s angry. I thought that’s the perfect reaction for a boy to have with his father. The chemistry between Hugh Jackman and Dakota Goyo was spot on for an estranged father and a son that secretly wants his father to love him. It’s amazing how forgiving children are and want their parents love no matter what.

Real Steel is amazing and women should go see it because it’s not a man’s movie. The movie really spoke to my heart, it wasn’t just an action movie. I was on the edge of my seat because I felt for Atom (the robot), Max and Charlie. I wanted them all to make it to the end together. The movie does have some fowl language and there is one scene that is hard to watch that might be hard for your children to watch. I don’t feel though that I can make an age recommendation, because I know my son Miles age 3 would LOVE the movie, I wouldn’t let him watch it because of the language and I would want to fast forward through that one scene. So parents need to decide for themselves, my recommendation is to watch the movie yourself before taking children under the age of 8 or 9.

Did I like Real Steel? YES YES YES! I was ready to watch the movie again as soon as it was over. I can’t wait for the movie to come out. I laughed out loud, I jumped out of my seat, I sat on the edge of my seat in anticipation, and I shed a tear.

My travel and all expenses were paid to visit LA to watch Real Steel and attend a press junket with DreamWorks.

Filed Under: Movie review, review Tagged With: Dakota Goyo, Hugh Jackman, Movie review, Real Steel

Initial Thoughts of the Movie Real Steal Hugh Jackman and Riding a Bull #DisneyDreamWorksEvent

September 26, 2011 By Momstart 35 Comments

I’m really trying to test myself with the video camera this week. So I’m documenting my trip to LA for the Real Steel and Muppets Press Junkets. Yesterday was all about Real steel. I started out the day wondering what you guys would want to know from the stars, directors and producers. Oh and a quick side rant about hackers taking down my site.

Then I documented my impressions of the day and how the interviews went. Everyone we talked to was AMAZING. Hugh Jackman was an excellent father figure off screen.

He’s such a people person. I’ve interviewed a few actors now and he’s just like talking to a really good friend. He’s very genuine. You’ll see what I mean on screen when I watch the movie about how he’s not necessarily a good dad on screen (and I’m not allowed to give any spoilers away, wish I could but I can’t). But he’s Hugh Jackman, even when he’s being a BLEEP, you still can’t hate the man.

Sugar Ray Leonard (The Champ) is an amazing very talented and I must add very photogenic man. He doesn’t look his age not one bit and I took a lot of photos of him and they all LOOK good. He took his whole family to the theater including his mother in law and everyone liked it. So in his words, Real Steel is a multi-generational movie.

Shawn Levy is the director of the movie and I love him to pieces. He’s all about his three girls and he would never ever make a movie just for boys. He told us that one of his girls was upset at first, they felt betrayed that he would make a boy ROBOT movie and he told them to wait and see. In the end, even they agreed it Real Steel is for the whole family.

We also met the robots and producers and I’ll save those for another day.

I topped it all off with a bull ride. Oh yes I did! I was a little terrified (a LOT terrified) and I did better the first time which wasn’t captured on video, but this looks much easier than it actually is. Riding a mechanical bull is NOT easy. But I do have to admit that it was so much fun that I had to do it twice, which is why there is a video in the first place.

This trip and all expenses were covered by Disney/DreamWorks.

Filed Under: personal Tagged With: Hugh Jackman, Real Steel, review, Sugar Ray Leonard

HappySqueeze and HappyMorning Smoothies from Happy Baby

September 25, 2011 By Momstart 24 Comments

So here’s a true story. This past weekend was our local MOMS Club Garage Sale. To some, that may not sound like much, but for me, it meant a crazy-busy Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. If I was rich and famous, I could’ve just left Atticus (my little guy) with the nanny… sadly I’m not rich nor famous. That meant he had to tough it out with me. I had received some samples from Happy Baby literally one day before the mayhem began… and they came in handy to save the day TWICE!

On Thursday, I was bouncing around from place to place with baby boy in tow. He was such a trooper! Then lunchtime hit. I was out and couldn’t get back home. I wanted to make sure he got something healthy to eat though. I didn’t want to do the drive thru window, super greasy food for Atticus or myself (even though it would’ve been faster… and easier). So we pulled into a local grocery store where there is a small café. We ordered a chicken meal to share… but wouldn’t you know it? Atticus decided to put aside all veggies and proteins and not really eat (HIGHLY unusual for this guy). Lucky for me, I had the oh so handy HappySqueeze Organic Super Smoothie (Super Orange + Pumpkin W/Mangosteen to be exact) ready and waiting in my bag. He sucked that thing down in about 1 minute flat. I had to put some of it in a bowl and let him spoon it out… but whatever it took! He kept snacking on the lunch we had ordered but I felt good knowing he had gotten some “good for him” food. Sure there was a little mess, but he seemed content, full, and “happy!” I was happy knowing that he had taken in some SUPER nutrients.

The very next day, HappyBaby was there again! I was running late (of course) which drives me CRAZY! I knew Atticus needed breakfast, but I needed something FAST! I was literally in the kitchen with Atticus saying “Mmmmmm” and pointing to his chair. That meant there was literally zero time before a hunger meltdown hit. My guy is pretty happy, but when he gets hungry… look out! I still needed to load the car and a million other things, was skipping my own breakfast, but knew I had to feed my boy! “Happy Baby! One of those is for breakfast!” I honestly stopped my flurry through the kitchen and said that outloud. My husband of course had no idea what I meant, but I grabbed the HappyMorning Smoothie (Super Cinnamon to be exact). I handed it over to Atticus and within minutes (with just a little help), he had completed what appeared to be a delicious and most definitely a SUPER nutritious breakfast! I added some banana and a cupful of cereal to snack on in the car, and we were good to go! Not to mention, I was not as late as I thought I was going to be getting the garage sale that morning! Happy baby… AND happy mommy!

As you can bet on with ALL products from HappyBaby, these smoothies were filled with natural, organic ingredients and I knew my baby was getting “good stuff.” Here are some facts from the company:

HAPPYSQUEEZE, available nationally at Target, offers delicious organic nutrition on-the-go, with each pouch packing half of a serving of fruit, six grams of protein, two grams of fiber and a good source of omega-3, with 90-100 calories. HAPPYSQUEEZE will be available in three flavors: Pom, Apple + Peach, Yumberry + Apple, and Orange + Pumpkin.

Thanks to HappyBabyFood.com for product images.

Disclosure – A product was provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the writing of this review; however, opinions expressed are my own and are NOT influenced by monetary compensation.

About Ashley:

Ashley has a background in teaching Kindergarten and working with children K through 8th grade. She is now a SAHM and a very active member of our local MOMS Club chapter. She writes her own blog at Momicles.

Filed Under: Ashley, organic, review Tagged With: Happy Baby, HAPPYBABY, HappyMorning, HappySqueeze, organic, review

Leftover French Toast Recipe

September 25, 2011 By Momstart 41 Comments

We buy so much of our food in bulk because it is so much cheaper. Even though we’re a family of four we can’t always get through a Costco size package of hot dog buns. To eat them all before they lose their freshness we would have to have hot dogs five times in two weeks which isn’t that healthy of a meal plan. My husband stumbled upon a great recipe that inspired him to get in the kitchen with our left over hot dog buns.

This recipe is from Southern Plate by Christy Jordan.

Leftover French Toast Recipe:

There really isn’t that special to this recipe. You use any basic French Toast recipe just with special bread. Here we are using the left over bread.

We mixed up our French toast mix, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla and milk

Then we cooked the hot dog buns in a skillet

Leftover French Toast Recipe

5.0 from 1 reviews

Ingredients

2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 hot dog buns

Directions

Spray a large skillet with nonstick spray and heat over medium heat
Mix the eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon in a shallow dish
Coat each side of the bread
Place on the skillet and brown each side (cook for about 3 to 4 minutes each side)
Serve with warm syrup

Google Recipe View Microformatting by Easy Recipe

Filed Under: recipe Tagged With: French Toast, hot dog, hot dog bun french toast, recipe

Unique Things Remembered Birthday Ideas

September 25, 2011 By Momstart 156 Comments

Things Remembered is featuring some really cute items as unique birthday presents. I found many of them so cute it was hard to pick one to focus on for a review. Since something we’re working on at home is saving money, and my son doesn’t have a cute piggy bank, I finally ended up choosing the Silver-Plated train bank and had them engrave I think I can on it. It’s ADORABLE.

Silver-Plated Train Bank – It’s never too early to teach children the value of saving. This adorable train design makes it fun, featuring intricate train detailing to look like the real thing. For easy removal of money from the bank, there is a plastic cover on the bottom. Be sure to engrave a name and date for a treasured keepsake.

He’s going to be saving lots of quarters in this little train.

Other Unique ideas from Things Remembered.

Retractable Ear Buds – Teens can’t live without their music. When they’re rocking out with their mp3 player or iPod, pristine sound is good – tangled cords not so much. Just give the cord a little pull, and both sides retract into the housing. No tangles! The rubber buds fit comfortably in the ear, and the gunmetal look is as cool as the music on your favorite fan’s playlist. Engrave it with a special message and your gift is guaranteed to be a big hit.

Kids’ Silly Sac Bags – This charming bag is a practical but fun gift for kids. Great for school, sleepovers or day trips, these “silly” bags can be embroidered with his or her name on the belly to make it even cuter. Choose from the Monkey or the Turtle bag, each equipped with a side zipper, adjustable straps and a mesh body. They’re as precious as all the little things kids will stuff it with. Available online only.

Birthstone Key Necklace – A great gift for moms, this necklace also lets her celebrate her loved ones’ birthdays, too. Each polished sterling silver heart key can be customized with the birthstone and engraved with the initials of her soul mate, her children or anyone else she wants to keep close. Available in multiple key/birthstone configurations. Choose up to 3 keys/birthstones for review.

Friends Shadowbox Water Globe – How do you tell a friend how much she means to you? This handcrafted water globe commemorates the special times you’ve shared in a unique way. A tiny friends "shadowbox" inside the globe contains the sentiment, "By my side no matter what I do. I’m so lucky to have a friend like you". The globe rests upon a silver-plated base that can be engraved with your best friend’s name or a special message of your own. Plus, it’s musical, playing Bach’s Minuet No.1.

Sports Tankards – If he’s a sports fanatic, these drink tankards are sure to raise a toast from your #1 fan. Choose from NFL Tankards or NCAA Mugs, emblazoned with the colors and logo of his favorite team. These robust mugs safely hold his favorite beverage, plus they can be engraved on the back. Add your favorite fan’s name and you’ve got a gift that they’ll show off all year long.

This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to the winner, ShellieAndBrutus.

All rules can be found under giveaway rules. We received samples.

Filed Under: giveaway Tagged With: birthday gifts, birthday ideas, jewelry, sterling silver, Things Remembered

Make Your Own Toy Story Toymation Mattel Buzz Lightyear Command Center #ToyStoryMattel

The Travel Bug Is Dead

Giveaway Jingle Link Up Your Giveaways Here

Photos of Hugh Jackman Wordless Wednesday

I saved the best one for last!!!

Real Steel Movie Review

Initial Thoughts of the Movie Real Steal Hugh Jackman and Riding a Bull #DisneyDreamWorksEvent

HappySqueeze and HappyMorning Smoothies from Happy Baby

Leftover French Toast Recipe

Leftover French Toast Recipe:

Unique Things Remembered Birthday Ideas

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A Little Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

I saved the best one for last!!!

Leftover French Toast Recipe:

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