Claire and I had a chance to check out a new storytime at The Children’s Museum of Denver!
Pop on over to Mile High Mamas and check it out!
Click here to see the review and a chance to WIN TICKETS to the Children's Museum of Denver!
Archive for the 'Product Reviews' Category
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Rebecca Frezza & Big Truck has a new CD being released on November 10th. (Big Truck Music, $8.99, run time 23 minutes, for ages 4 to 
called Rockin’, Rollin’, and Ridin’. Claire and I had the opportunity to check it out!
It is upbeat and has catchy tunes and lyrics. Do you know Gordon (Roscoe Orman) from Sesame Street? Even HE’s on it! He helps sing one of the songs called, “Hey-O.” It’s one of those songs where Rebecca sings and then has you repeat after her. This is one of Claire’s favorite songs on the CD! It’s interactive, which I like.
I do have to tell you, though…this CD comes with side-effects. Its songs will work their way into your head. One morning, I was shocked to have Rocketship stuck in my head while I was getting ready. “Rocketship, Rocketship to the Moon! Rocketship, Rocketship to the Moon! Rocketship, Rocketship to the Moon! Flyyyy!”
Aaaaaaaah!
Admittedly, there are worse things to get stuck in your head.
So, if you like up-beat songs with fun lyrics, you should check out this CD when it comes out on November 10th. Claire isn’t quite 4-years old yet, but she loves it!
And then I dare you not to sing Rocketship while brushing your teeth in the morning.
The Casual Perfectionist received a free copy of the CD in exchange for an honest review. Photo provided by Rebecca Frezza & Big Truck. This review also appears on Mile High Mamas.
As you may remember, I was on live TV on October 3rd. I promised to post the link for those of you who missed it. I waited and waited for the video link to my segment to show up on the TV channel’s website, but alas, it never did.
Waiting wasn’t very hard, because you know how patient I am! [Cue the maniacal laughter here...] *cough*
After an excruciating week of waiting, we decided to take matters into our own hands. So…we’ve done it ourselves! Without further ado, here is my Live TV Debut in Denver!
Finally, you get to see the video! There were no wardrobe malfunctions! I didn’t burst into flames or hysterical laughter! And, Ana Cabrera pronounced my name correctly! Yay!
I think it went pretty well, considering we didn’t do a run-through of any kind, and I didn’t get any direction. A large portion of my life has been spent doing sales presentations, so I just went into that mode.
Somehow I remembered to smile, breathe, and not play with my hair too much. (Had I known exactly where the camera was going to be, I would have stood on the other side of Ana. My hairstyle would have been a little more cooperative that way, but that’s okay.) I didn’t have to worry about my posture, because the little mic-pack they had me strap on was poking me in the back! (Getting ready for Live TV could be a blog-post in and of itself!)
Over all, it was a blast! I had so much fun doing it. It was over in a blur, and I’m so glad I had the chance to experience it.
Jealousy-induced rage, attempted murder, breaking and entering (okay, maybe it was just trespassing), poisoning…the newest episode of Law & Order? No…it’s the newest release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs!
I have a confession to make. Previous to receiving** this DVD, Claire had never seen Snow White in action. I’d read her the abbreviated story books, and she’d watched a clip or two on YouTube, but that’s it. When asked if I’d like to do this review, I jumped at the chance. I couldn’t wait to see what Claire thought of it!
And, just like with the other princess movies that have graced our home, Claire is smitten. She, of course, has some really good questions that I’m not sure how to answer. Maybe you can help?
Using only the movie as your basis…
Where is Snow White’s mom?
My first thought: She’s probably dead. This is, after all, a Disney movie.
What I told her: I don’t know. We didn’t see her in the movie, did we. Where do you think she is?
Who was the skeleton in the evil queen’s room?
My first thought: There was a skeleton in the evil queen’s room?
What I told her (after I remember what she was talking about): I think whoever made the movie was trying to put scary things in that room. Skeletons and spiders are scary, right?
Additional questioning involved the fact that Claire didn’t believe me, and that the skeleton had to belong to somebody, so then we talked about other people the evil queen probably killed. *sigh*
I’m always amazed at what catches her eye…
The cool part about this edition is that it’s been released in both DVD and Blu-Ray format. The one we watched was the DVD version, because we don’t have a Blu-Ray player (yet…I say “yet,” because I know Daddy has had his eye on one…). In case you’re curious, here are some stats about Blu-Ray:
- Up to 6x better quality than DVD
- 7.1 Surround Sound
- Immersive activity with games and special features
- Kid proof-more scratch resistant
- Plays both Blu-ray and DVD discs
- Blu-ray also plays on Sony Playstation 3 players
And, here are some links about Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs:
Snow White Diamond Edition Website
Snow White Blu-ray Edition Trailer
Disney Timeless Memories – Blu Ray High Definition DVDs and Movie TV Spot:
And, yes, I can still name all seven dwarfs by memory:
Sleepy, Sneezy, Bashful, Grumpy, Happy, Dopey, Doc…but I have to do them in that order. 
**The Casual Perfectionist was asked to review the Diamond Edition of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. We received a free copy of the DVD set, in exchange for an honest review. This was provided by the One2One Network. If you have a product you’d like us to review, please feel free to contact us.
Well, I did it! I survived LIVE TV!
I had a blast doing the LIVE TV segment on Saturday on Channel 7 (ABC) Denver for Mile High Mamas! It went really well! Somehow, with the wardrobe advice of a fashionista sister and through the miracles of HD Television, I didn’t look like a complete dork! Yay!
I want to tell you all about the experience, but I’m waiting on the video link to support my claims.
In the meantime, if you didn’t see it, here are a few frames from the show:
Smiling, breathing, appearing totally relaxed.
More smiling and breathing, only with talking AND appearing totally relaxed!
Under the Sport-Brella with Ana Cabrera. This was a totally impromptu move on her part, and it worked well!
What a trip. It was so much fun! It was nerve-wracking before I went on, but once the cameras starting rolling, I couldn’t believe how much fun it was. I hope to have the online link to it soon! When I have it, I promise to post it.
It was over in a blur, and Claire has made us watch the segment more times than I care to admit.
It’s pretty cool…if I do say so myself.
Here’s a sneak peek at the products I’ll be talking about in my live TV segment today!
We’re also doing a giveaway at the Mile High Mamas to coincide with this! Click on over to check it out and enter the contest! I’m sure there’ll be a link to the broadcast, and when that’s available, I’ll post it!
**Due to shipping constraints, the Preschooler Princess helping with the photo-shoot, the Patio Lamp and the Sport-brella in the above photo are not included in this giveaway. 
A couple weeks ago, the three of us were invited to a special sneak preview of the newest IMAX adventure at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.
Sea Monsters
A Prehistoric Adventure
Along with the invitation was the warning: “this film merits a PG rating for some intense wildlife images, including scenes of simulated predation.”
So, of course, we decided to take Claire, our three year old, with us.
It’s so hard to tell what is going to upset her and what isn’t.
She watches all kinds of “nature” programs with us, and they always have the sharp edge of “predation.” I mean, everybody’s gotta eat. Right? Some scenes are a little harsher, and I do try to shield her from those.
The dragon scene in “Sleeping Beauty” where Prince Phillip kills Maleficent? She hardly blinks an eye.
The entire “Finding Nemo” movie? Traumatic experience. She cried through the whole thing! (More than once, because she begged to watch it again!) Every two seconds she was asking me if they were ever going to be reunited. My guess? The name of the movie says it all. It’s not called “They Lose Nemo Forever and Ever. The End.” (And, for the record, I skip the entire first scene with the mother because that almost makes me cry.)
*sigh*
Sea Monsters of the deep? Who knows? They could be like dragons, which though worrisome, are not a deal-breaker. Or, it could be too much like Nemo, and all hope would be abandoned at the door.
Time would tell.
The evening started out well enough. We got to hear from Kenneth Carpenter, PhD, Curator of Paleontology at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. He “heads the fossil preparation laboratory at the Museum and is a world-renowned dinosaur expert.” He gave us “the inside story on development of this film, which brings to life the extraordinary marine reptiles of the dinosaur age.”
That part was really cool, actually: seeing what goes into making such a masterpiece.
After he spoke, which wasn’t scary at all actually, the movie started. It was one of the best IMAX movies my husband and I have ever seen. We loved it.
…And it scared poor little Claire half to death.
There were parts of the movie that were scary for me…but I’m old enough to handle it. I actually enjoyed being frightened by the sea monsters leaping out of the prehistoric oceans and into my lap.
Claire, on the other hand, buried her head in my neck for the scary parts and then asked me unending questions about the storyline during the calmer parts. I won’t give anything away, but the movie follows the lives of a little Dolichorhynchops (Dolly for short) family, and not unlike most children’s movies, *cough* Disney *cough* some members of the family may or may not make it to the end of the movie.
The emotional connection in most movies is really strong for Claire, even though she’s only 3, so that was disturbing for her, not to mention the larger-than-life monsters jumping out of the screen. As with anything, kids of all ages may or may not be able to handle such excitement. You be the judge.
Claire didn’t cry, but it wasn’t the best experience for her. Your child may totally dig it. Like I said, my husband and I loved it!
So, if you like IMAX movies, you should check this out. It opens tomorrow! (September 18, 2009) Click here for showtimes and prices.
Photos provided by Denver Museum of Nature & Science.
Claire is an expert in all things Princess. I didn’t really mean for this to happen. No, really…I didn’t! She got some Princess Paraphernalia from some well-meaning relatives when she was but a wee lass, and the rest is history…
…or, our princess-filled present, as the case may be.
You can’t shake a beautiful princess wand in Claire’s room and not accidentally point at something princess-related, so I think she’s in the perfect position to review the new Pettiskirt by MyPrincessAcademy.com. This was not a paid review, however, we did receive a free Pettiskirt ($32 retail value) in exchange for an honest review. Be sure to check out our other reviews on The Review Page.
The verdict?
She loves it!
How does it stack up against other Princess outfits we have around here?
Well, it’s just a skirt, so it’s not a full-outfit, but that’s not really a problem around here (as you can see in the photo).
I love that she can put it on without assistance. Many of the other articles of princess garb we have around here require adult intervention.
I love that it comes with its own hanger. I know this doesn’t seem like a big deal, but it is. Trust me.
I love the fullness of the skirt and the way it flares out when she spins…or even when she doesn’t. That part really is cool!
When I asked her what her favorite part about it was, she said she liked the bow! …and the skirt! …and the colors! …which pretty much describes the entire pettiskirt.
When I asked her what she didn’t like about it, she looked at me like I was crazy, said she didn’t know what I was talking about, and that she liked “everything about it.”
So, there ya go.
The only negative things I can see about the skirt is the fact that one of the ribbons (of the bow) came off within the first few days. I was able to stitch it back on easily, and to be honest, I’d endured “please tie this again, Momma!” about a million times before that ripped off.
And, the other negative thing? Momma doesn’t think it’s appropriate sleepwear.
But that’s not the pettiskirt’s fault.
****SPECIAL OFFER****
Please note! MyPrincessAcademy.com is also offering a great deal right now, so check out their website for the Princess Pettiskirt or other Princess Paraphernalia.
Use this promo code: princessvip for an offer of 15% off the total purchase (no minimum purchase required).
This promo code is valid through October 31st!
Here are some of the latest Product Reviews here at The Casual Perfectionist:
I’m not sure I could put together a more mix-matched, seemingly random list of items!
When taken out of context, these things are pretty funny…but it’s a good snapshot of how my day goes: Random things thrown together, and it all makes sense in the end.
Check ‘em out!
I am in the process of reviewing a DVD. Claire and I watched it, and she LOVED it. Yay! The review should be easy to write. In fact, we have yet to review a movie or show she didn’t like. I’m sure the time will come.
So, this one was a huge hit…makes my job easy! Right?
Then, she begged to watch it again.
And again.
And again.
And, I don’t play that game. We don’t watch a lot of DVDs around here, and when we do, we don’t watch them over and over and over (and over). We don’t even watch a lot of TV during the day (if hardly any)…not for philosophical reasons, but for logistical reasons: The television is on a different level of the house. And, because we’re busy! Playing! Usually outside!
But, this movie, unlike any other, has caused her to literally throw herself on the floor in a sobbing heap, when denied.
If that doesn’t say “two thumbs up,” I don’t know what does.
BUT, this movie irritates me to no end…and not for the reasons you may suspect. It’s a kids‘ movie, so I view it with that in mind. I don’t appreciate large stuffed creatures that talk, but she totally digs it. The messages are awesome, and the songs aren’t too annoying. The reason it makes my life miserable? It was fine the first time we watched it, but now I associate it with the huge fight that will surely ensue when we’re done watching it.
Anyway…
I’m trying to get the review written, and every time I pull up the photos or the website or get out the actual DVD, the whole fight begins again. It never fails that I forget to turn the speakers off, and going to their website triggers the songs she loves, and here we go again.
Don’t get me wrong. It was a really cute DVD the first time we watched it. But, there must be some hypnotic mumbo-jumbo goin’ on, because she is obsessed.
You’ll know when I have the review done by the lilt in my step and the twinkle in my eye. And, yes, I could have had the review done in the time it took me to write this post, but I HAD to get this off my chest.
It’s coming. Stay tuned. Rest assured…I won’t lie in my review. Honest. In the meantime, I’m trying to find a nice way of saying, “Your kids will love it so much that you’ll hate it.”
What kids’ movies (or shows) are on your dreaded list? Do share!
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