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Hot Potatoes! The BEST of The Wiggles (Review & Giveaway)

Posted on August 19, 2010 12:56 pm by TheAngelForever

It’s confession time again. Seven years ago, when I was a first time mother, I was introduced to The Wiggles. At that time, they were part of Playhouse Disney and on several times a day. Now, The Wiggly Waffle is part of Sprout, which we sadly do not have on Time Warner Cable – BOO!.

When I first saw Greg, Anthony, Murray and Jeff, I didn’t know what to think. As a teacher, I was familiar with other children’s musical groups, but not this Aussie sensation. The true confession is I was not a fan at first. I would quickly turn off the television when The Wiggles would come on because I just did not get them.

My tune (pun not intended) changed when my son perked up and wanted to dance to their music. As a curious new mother, I looked at the background of the group. It was interesting to see that The Wiggles are educators. After a few shows, I was hooked. I liked the messages in their songs, and I especially enjoyed how the group managed to get kids and parents up off their rears to dance together to fun and catchy songs.

Fast forward seven years and we have been to three Wiggles concerts (and counting – I hope), own a lot of Wiggles DVDs and CDs, and frequently go to Wiggles World at Six Flags. We were at a concert just weeks before the official announcement of Greg handing over the yellow skivvie to Sam. These were big changes for kids and parents alike. We mourned losing Greg and wished him a speedy recovery, but looked forward to the future with Sam.

Recently, TechyDad and I were contacted by The Wiggles PR team to check out their new DVD called Hot Potatoes! The Best of The Wiggles (Amazon Affiliate link).

About Hot Potatoes! The Best of The Wiggles:

The most successful children’s entertainment group in the world has finally released a collection of their most loved songs, Hot Potatoes! The Best of The Wiggles. The Wiggles’ songs have drawn millions of people over the years to see their live concerts. The New York Times called The Wiggles, “the band that rocks the cradle” and this is certainly true. They have set records for their sold out performances everywhere from Madison Square Garden in New York to the Hammersmith Apollo in London to their home town of Sydney, Australia. Their songs are instantly memorable and get you wiggling in seconds! Those same songs have seen music royalty line up to record music with the fab four of fun! We’ve picked the best for you to listen to, but snap it up as this DVD will go like….hot potatoes!

The songs/videos included on this DVD are: -> Hot Potato, -> Can You (Point Your Fingers And Do The Twist?), -> Fruit Salad, -> Rock-A-Bye Your Bear, -> Toot Toot, Chugga Chugga, Big Red Car, -> Wake Up Jeff!, -> Wiggly Party, -> Captain Feathersword Fell Asleep On His Pirate Ship (Quack Quack), -> Wiggle Bay, -> The Monkey Dance, -> Get Ready To Wiggle, -> Go Santa Go, -> Dorothy (Would You Like To Dance?), -> Ooh It’s Captain Feathersword, -> Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport, -> Dressing Up, -> Move Your Arms Like Henry, -> Lights, Camera, Action, Wiggles!, -> Do The Owl, -> The Zeezap Song, -> Play Your Guitar With Murray, -> Rockin’ Santa!, -> To Have A Tea Party, -> Here Come The Chicken, -> Getting Strong!, -> Murray Had A Turtle, -> Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, -> I’m Dorothy The Dinosaur!, -> You Make Me Feel Like Dancing, -> Dr Knickerbocker, -> The Shimmie Shake!, -> Over In The Meadow, -> Wags The Dog Is Chasing His Tail, -> Monkey Man, -> Hot Poppin’ Popcorn

In addition to the songs listed above, there are a lot of special features on this DVD. A few of them include interviews with The Wiggles’ Mums, Original clips from 1991, and Growing up with The Wiggles (Clare and Larissa). Some of the special guests that are on the DVD are Kylie Minogue, Leo Sayer and Steve Irwin.

What we thought:

As I mentioned before, we have a lot of other Wiggles DVDs at our house.

Still, I think we have a new favorite Wiggles DVD. From the moment we put the DVD on, both of the kids were actively engaged. Hot Potatoes! The BEST of The Wiggles is chock full of Wiggly classics. As a parent, I really loved that before each song one of the familar Aussies comes out to introduce the songs. This really worked well with the flashback style that was used on the DVD. Yes, each of the songs is in the original format from their television show, DVD or live performance. Thanks to this, we are able to see both Sam and Greg in the yellow skivvy.

The other items that I really enjoyed were the extras. It was so much fun listening to the Mums of The Wiggles talk about their little boys. The women really were a hoot and we were able to learn a lot about Anthony, Murry, Sam and Jeff. My older son also enjoyed the section with Clare. Clare is Anthony’s niece who has grown up around the Wiggles. She appeared on earlier shows with them and now travels as one of the Wiggly Dancers. NHL recalled seeing her long ago and when we went to the Go Bananas show last fall.

There was no doubting what JSL thought about the DVD. Here is a glimpse of him in action at Nana and Papa’s house:

From the moment the DVD went on, he was non-stop singing, dancing and running around. He loved each and every song and asked for it again. When I asked what his favorite was, he said Popcorn.

If you are a Wiggles fan, we highly recommend adding this to your Wiggly collection. The best part, you could win a copy here!

Giveaway:

Thanks to The Wiggles, one lucky winner will receive their very own copy of Hot Potatoes! The BEST of The Wiggles DVD.

Rules for Giveaway:

MAIN RULE – Answer the following question: What is your all time favorite Wiggles song? Yes yours, not your childs (will be asking another bonus question below).

The following Bonus Entries may also be done. Please be sure to leave separate comments for each that you complete below to make sure you get the right number of entries.

1 Bonus Entry – Who will this DVD be for and what is their favorite song by The Wiggles?
1 Bonus Entry – Tweet about the giveaway on Twitter. Be sure to include @TheAngelForever and The BEST of The Wiggles DVDGiveaway in the Tweet. Please leave a direct link to your Tweet in a separate comment for each daily entry. Example Tweet (feel free to use): Get ready to Wiggle. Chance to #win The BEST of the Wiggles DVD from @TheAngelForever http://bit.ly/cAh1al. #Giveaway #kids
1 Bonus Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment.
1 Bonus Entry – Who is your favorite Wiggle or character from The Wiggles and why?
1 Bonus Entry – Leave a comment on any of my non-giveaway posts from the month of July/August. Leave a comment here to let me know which one. This Bonus entry may be done only twice per person.
3 Bonus Entries – Add my blog button to your website and leave a link with the location. Be sure to give yourself 3 comments for credit.
5 Bonus Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog about the giveaway. Be sure to leave 5 comments about this to get credit for all of your extra entries.

To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section. Contest starts today August 19 and ends at 10:59 EST on September 2 , 2010. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. I will select the winner using random.org and contact you via e-mail. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. Open to U.S. and Canada residents only. Also note that TechyDad is having a giveaway on his website where you increase your chances for another DVD there.

Disclosure: I received this DVD complimentary of The Wiggles PR agency in order to facilitate this review. They were also sweet and sent a few other Wiggly surprises for my sons that included a T-shirt, CD and Henry the Octopus doll. No other compensation was given. The opinions expressed in the review are my own and you can see we have been long time Wiggles fans. The Wiggles are also providing the giveaway item to my readers.

Categories:
fun giveaway jsl looking back Music photos Product review show TechyDad

Winners of Potty Animals and Breyers Smooth & Dreamy

Posted on August 15, 2010 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

A big thank you to everyone that entered both of the recent giveaways. The winners have been selected and notified by e-mail.

They now have 48 hours to reply with their information or alternate winners will be selected. I would also like to thank Sterling Kids for the Potty Animals books to giveaway, along with Breyers and Mom Central for the Smooth & Dreamy coupons to share.

More giveaways will be coming soon, so stay tuned!

Categories:
giveaway

Post BlogHer10 Tuesday Tales – giveaway reminder

Posted on August 10, 2010 2:28 pm by TheAngelForever

Today on Tuesday Tales, I was going to review It’s Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroeder. The book was mentioned in a magazine I was browsing through and I HAD to read it.

NHL and I finished reading the book last week. He was going to help me with the review for today. Then this "little" conference called BlogHer happened from Thursday to Sunday and jumbled up my plans. Rather than rush my review, I am going to postpone it until next Tuesday. Of course, I could not help but smile when there were cupcakes at my first event on Thursday evening. I immediately thought of Isabelle and her family’s adventure within It’s Raining Cupcakes.

In the meantime, please stop by my review from last week on Potty Animals for your chance to win one of 5 copies of the book.

Potty Animals

See you next week for my review of It’s Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroeder.

Categories:
BlogHer books giveaway nhl photos Tuesday Tales

Tuesday Tales – Potty Animals (Giveaway!)

Posted on July 27, 2010 12:00 am by TheAngelForever

One of the hardest things that I have done as a parent is to potty train my youngest son. I should know, we are almost ready to say he is officially potty trained after the adventure began last Wednesday. That same night, when we were starting the process, I took out a book to read with the boys. The book was Potty Animals by Hope Vestergaard. I figured a little lesson learning about potty etiquette would be fitting given what we would be doing over the next few days. This is another of the books that I had received from Sterling Children’s Books.

Rather than explain what the book is about in my own words, I think Hope Vestergaard and illustrator Valeria Petrone did a fabulous job with their Book Trailer for Potty Animals. Make sure your volume is turned up and get ready for a lesson in What to Know When You’ve Gotta Go!

While the little guy was off playing between reminders to head to the potty, NHL read Potty Animals to me. As an almost seven-year old, he is pretty good with his potty etiquette. He laughed at the scenarios and we talked about why these things are important for little kids to learn, especially once they go to school. We both liked when we read about Arnold and his troubles being accurate with his aim in the bathroom and reminder to lift the seat. There really was something profound about seeing Wilbur, Wilma, Freddie and friends make the wrong choices and then get reminded about things. Of course, as the girl in the family I secretly wished there was a reminder to put the seat back DOWN when finished. You can see NHL reading the story to me here.

A little while later, we were trying to calm JSL down. He was upset about using the potty and did not want to bother. I sat next to his little Winnie the Pooh potty and read him Potty Animals. He laughed at the reminders at the end of each section. I was not sure if he really understood some of the items. He will be going to nursery school in September and I think at that time it will be more relevant to him. Still, a day or two later when he was using the potty, he reminded me several times of the items we had read about in the book. He told me he had to wipe each time, to close the door when he was using the big potty, and not to forget to flush. Even at three, the fun rhyming verses with colorful characters on each page had made an impact.

More about the book from Sterling:

Meet Wilbur, who won’t wash his hands after going potty. Wilma, who waits too long…and sometimes doesn’t make it in time. And Freddie, who’s afraid to flush. These are just a few of the preschool animals who need a little help with their bathroom etiquette! With wit and good humor, Hope Vestergaard presents a unique “toilet basics” guide for toddlers. It covers everything from lifting the seat and closing the door to planning ahead when you’re on a trip. All told in cheerful rhyme, with hilarious illustrations, it’s a fun way to handle a serious subject. PLAN AHEAD! DON’T WAIT TOO LONG! GO POTTY BEFORE YOU SLEEP! EXCUSE YOURSELF! KNOCK FIRST! BE SURE TO LIFT UP THE SEAT! CLOSE THE DOOR! DON’T LOLLYGAG! NEVER FORGET TO WIPE! WASH YOUR HANDS! ZIP AND FLUSH! ALWAYS TURN OUT THE LIGHT!

Sterling Children’s Books sat down with author, former preschool teacher and toilet training expert, Hope Vertgergaard, who gives us the bottom line (ha ha!) on her unique and lighthearted guide to bathroom manners and some useful tips for parents and kids. Read the Q&A

And download a free copy of the Potty Animals Bathroom Poster: it’s the perfect way to remind everyone about the “dos and don’ts” of bathroom behavior.

Potty Animals (Sterling Children’s Books; On Sale March 2010; $14.95; Ages 4+; ISBN: 1-4027-5996-7

We enjoyed Potty Animals and will be reading it again with JSL as we continue on our potty using adventure. I will also be asking JSL’s teachers if they would like to borrow it. I imagine it would be a great addition to read aloud to the children in the first few weeks of nursery school (and even into 1st grade) where many of the kids will be new to the social etiquette involved in potty time at school. There are even some adults that may benefit from some of the gentle bathrooms manners reminders within the book. As a teacher, I could tell you stories involving the bathrooms in kindergarten and first grade classrooms that would scare you!

Giveaway:

Thanks to Sterling Children’s Books, FIVE lucky readers will each win a coupon for a copy of Potty Animals and a bottle of "Potty Animals Hand Sanizer" to go with it.

Potty Animals

Rules for Giveaway:

MAIN RULE – Answer the following question: What was your favorite part of the Book Trailer for Potty Animals?

The following Bonus Entries may also be done. Please be sure to leave separate comments for each that you complete below to make sure you get the right number of entries.

1 Bonus Entry – Who will this book be for and why is it perfect for them?
1 Bonus Entry – Tweet about the giveaway on Twitter. Be sure to include @TheAngelForever and Potty Animals Book Giveaway in the Tweet. Please leave a direct link to your Tweet in a separate comment for each daily entry. Example Tweet (feel free to use): Tuesday Tales from @TheAngelforever is all about Potty Animals. The best part, 5 will #win the book in #giveaway http://bit.ly/c5tcA2
1 Bonus Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment.
1 Bonus Entry – Leave a comment on any of my non-giveaway posts from the month of June/July (Be sure to check out my other Tuesday Tales posts). Leave a comment here to let me know which one. This Bonus entry may be done only twice per person.
3 Bonus Entries – Add my blog button to your website and leave a link with the location. Be sure to give yourself 3 comments for credit.
5 Bonus Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog about the giveaway. Be sure to leave 5 comments about this to get credit for all of your extra entries.

To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section. Contest starts today July 27 and ends at 10:59 EST on August 13 , 2010. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. I will select the winner using random.org and contact you via e-mail. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. Open to U.S. and Canada residents only.

Disclosure: I received this book complimentary of Sterling Publishing in order to facilitate this review. No other compensation was given. The opinions expressed in the review are my own. Sterling Children’s Books are also providing the giveawsay items to my readers.

Categories:
books giveaway jsl nhl photos Product review school Tuesday Tales

Breyers Smooth & Dreamy (Review/Giveaway)

Posted on July 26, 2010 11:58 am by TheAngelForever

Summer time and ice cream just go together. Of course, the calories and fat associated with most ice cream treats means that a lot of us do not splurge very often. When I was asked by Mom Central to participate in a Review/Giveaway for the new Breyers Smooth & Dreamy products, I jumped at the chance. I had seen these in a magazine and the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sandwiches really caught my eye.

There are six varieties of the Breyers Smooth & Dreamy available. They include Chocolate Caramel Brownie, Vanilla Caramel Chip, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Chocolate Covered Strawberry, Vanilla Fudge Brownie, and Triple Chocolate Chip. As seen above, three of the varieties are bars and three are ice cream sandwiches. They contain no artificial flavors or colors, have 160 calories or less and 4-6g of fat per serving.

Since we only had room for one book in our freezer, we picked up the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough variety. I am a big critic for all things related to ice cream with cookie dough. Here is a closer look of what we found inside:

Yes, those are good sized chunks of cookie dough in these ice cream sandwich treats. Of course, the boys had to join in the taste testing. As you will see, they were very much involved in the process and did not want to be interrupted.

Overall, we really enjoyed the box of Breyers Smooth & Dreamy ice cream treats that we tried. TechyDad has already requested which type to try next (he was scoping them out at the grocery store on several occasions). I really liked the cookie dough flavor throughout the ice cream sandwich. There were nice chunks of cookie dough throughout the sandwich, so it was there from the first bite to the last. The boys and I also really enjoyed the cookie part of the sandwich since it was not too crispy (we like more soft cookies). To say that we would purchase more of these and try others would be an understatement. As I said, the boys already have the next box planned out!

Giveaway:

Thanks to Mom Central and Breyers, FOUR lucky readers will win a coupon for a box of Smooth & Dreamy treats of your own.

Rules for Giveaway:

MAIN RULE – Answer the following question: Which of the Breyers Smooth & Dreamy would you purchase with your coupon and why?

The following Bonus Entries may also be done. Please be sure to leave separate comments for each that you complete below to make sure you get the right number of entries.

1 Bonus Entry – What is your favorite type of ice cream? If you can not pick just one, tell me your top few flavors of all time.
1 Bonus Entry – Tweet about the giveaway on Twitter. Be sure to include @TheAngelForever and Breyers Smooth & Dreamy Giveaway in the Tweet. Please leave a direct link to your Tweet in a separate comment for each daily entry. Example Tweet (feel free to use): Stop by for your chance to #win some ice cream. Breyers Smooth & Dreamy #giveaway from @TheAngelForever http://bit.ly/dA60P5
1 Bonus Entry – Subscribe to my RSS feed (or let me know if you already are) in a separate comment.
1 Bonus Entry – Leave a comment on any of my non-giveaway posts from the month of June/July. Be sure to leave a comment here to let me know which one. This Bonus entry may be done only twice per person.
3 Bonus Entries – Add my blog button to your website and leave a link with the location. Be sure to give yourself 3 comments for credit.
5 Bonus Entries – Write a post on your blog linking to my blog about the giveaway. Be sure to leave 5 comments about this to get credit for all of your extra entries.

To enter, please follow the rules above within the comment section. Contest starts today July 26 and ends at 10:59 EST on August 9, 2010. You do not have to be a blogger to enter, but must leave a valid e-mail address for me to contact you for mailing address once the giveaway is over. I will select the winner using random.org and contact you via e-mail. You will have 48 hours to claim the prize. If there is no response, another winner will be selected. Open to U.S. residents only.

Disclosure: This review and giveaway was made possible while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Breyers. They provided me with the coupons to purchase the product to facilitate my candid review. The opinions of this review are 100% mine and I will be purchasing more of these products with my own money for my family to enjoy. Mom Central will be sending me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.