Friday, September 7, 2012
Disney Chimpanzee Blu-ray DVD Movie Review
When Disney makes a movie about Nature I always want to see it. They make great movies! Chimpanzees have been something I have loved watching on nature shows since I was little. The way the interact as a family and are individuals is fascinating. When we go to the zoo my son and I watch the Chimpanzees for the longest time of any animals we see. To see them in a wild environment like the movie Disney Nature Chimpanzee was amazing.
The star of the movie is Oscar. He is a little chimp with his mama. This movie is about the adventures of little Oscar and his family in the jungle. Note: Some parts did make me cry! :) I was amazed at the clarity of this movie. It was like you were there! I giggled a bit to hear Tim Allen as the voice over, for me he is Tim the Toolman Taylor lol. I would have maybe liked a different person to voice over but thats just me. My son liked the "monkey movie" as he calls it. I told him they are Chimpanzees and he just looked at me and said "Mama its Monkeys". I love that he likes animal movies like I did as a kid.
Film Synopsis:
From Disneynature, the studio that brought you “Earth,” “Oceans,” and “African Cats,” comes “Chimpanzee” — a remarkable story of individual triumph and family bonds. Journey deep into the African forest and meet Oscar, an adorable young chimp with an entertaining approach to life. The world is a playground for little Oscar and his fellow young chimps who love creating mayhem. His playful curiosity and zest for discovery showcase the intelligence and ingenuity of some of the most extraordinary personalities in the animal kingdom. Stunning hi-definition images bring you up close and personal as Oscar and his family navigate the complex territory of the forest. It’s an inspiring and life-changing adventure that overflows with courage and charm. And it will capture your heart.
Bonus Features:
DVD:
• “See ‘Chimpanzee,’ Save Chimpanzees”—This feature details the “See ‘Chimpanzee,’ Save Chimpanzees” conservation program and how for every copy of the film purchased until August 27, 2012, Disneynature will make a donation to JGI to protect chimpanzees today and tomorrow. The feature also includes an interview with Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace.
• Disney’s Friends for Change—This feature highlights Disney's Friends for Change, a program that showcases steps that kids and families can take to make a positive impact on the world and the people and animals that live there.
• Disney’s Conservation Legacy—This feature provides a look at the conservation efforts that Disney sponsors around the world.
BLU-RAY:
Everything on the DVD, plus …
• ON LOCATION: THE MAKING OF “CHIMPANZEE” is a series of exciting short features that delve further into the incredible lengths the filmmakers went to tell the story of Oscar and his chimpanzee family.
o 30 Years in the Making—The story of the team of researchers who have been observing chimpanzees in the Ivory Coast for 30 years.
o The Heart of the “Chimpanzee”—A behind-the-scenes look at how and why the film was made.
o Piece of the Puzzle—A cameraman’s two-hour daily trek through the forest to get to the chimpanzees.
o Don’t Blame the Tool—An observation of the chimpanzees’ daily lives and how they use rocks as tools to prepare their food.
o Scar’s Army—An inside look at the struggles between the film’s two rival chimpanzee groups who share the same forest home.
o Camp Invaders—A featurette on all the creepy, crawly creatures found at the filmmakers’ forest camp.
o Forest of Bees—A feature detailing how the crew spent two days wading through a sea of bees that inhabited their filming location in order to capture 20 seconds of footage.
Movie Disc Info:
Feature Run Time: Approx. 78 Minutes
Rating: G (U.S. and Canada) Bonus Features not rated
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Audio: Blu-ray = English 5.1 DTS-HD MA; French/Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
DVD = English/French/Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
Languages: English/French/Spanish
Subtitles: English SDH/French/Spanish
The conservation program tied to the theatrical release will help protect 129,236 acres (202 square miles) of wild chimpanzee habitat through infrastructure investments in the expanded Tchimpounga Nature Reserve in the Republic of Congo (Congo); educate 60,000 schoolchildren about chimpanzee conservation; and provide food and medicine for nearly all of the orphaned chimpanzees at JGI’s Tchimpounga chimpanzee sanctuary for at least the next year.
ABOUT THE “SEE ‘CHIMPANZEE’ SAVE CHIMPANZEES” CONSERVATION PROGRAM
Disneynature will contribute $.50 to the Jane Goodall Institute for the Disneynature Tchimpounga Nature Reserve Project per Blu-ray DVD Combo Pack and Digital purchase through August 27, 2012, with a minimum of $30,000 pledged to this program. Information concerning the Jane Goodall Institute can be obtained, without cost, by writing to JGI, 4245 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 600, Arlington, VA 22203, or by calling 703-682-9220, or by visiting www.janegoodall.org. This purchase is not tax deductible.
Stay connected with the latest “Chimpanzee” information:
• “Like” the Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/Disneynature
• Follow on Twitter www.Twitter.com/Disneynature
• Website and Mobile Site: www.Disney.com/Chimpanzee
You can order a copy of Disney Nature Chimpanzee online at the Disney store.
*I was not paid or compensated for this post. The opinions in this post are 100% mine and may vary from other opinions. I was provided for free a copy for my review.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
The Kindergartener
Guess who started Kindergarten? This guy!! JJ has embarked on the wonderful world of Elementary School! He started Kindergarten this week and couldn't be more excited! He was so excited to use his new backpack, his new clothes and new shoes. Growing up the first day of school was a special day in our family. We got to wear all of the new stuff that had been hanging in our closets just waiting for the "special" first day. My sister and I would model our new clothes almost daily until the first day was upon us. Having two sons, things are a little different. They are not so much into the clothing part but the school supplies and backpack were all the rage!! Definitely looking forward to all of the fun this school year will hold! Elementary school is such an important milestone in his life, one that we are truly going to enjoy.
Champions for Kids September Simple Service Project: Nickelodeon Book Drive
As far back as I have memories books have been front and center in my life. My mom read to us all the time and made sure there were plenty of books for us 5 kids. Birthdays, Holidays and just because books were given to us. I have wonderful memories of trips to the book store to meet authors to sign our books, even Babar the Elephant at one book event. Books are very important to my family and its a love I now share with my own son. Not only is my son learning as I read to him and he "reads" in his own way back to me (he is almost 3 years old) but its a time we can bond as a family.
Libraries were something we were lucky enough to have access to. Once we even lived next door to a huge library it was Awesome!!! Sadly this is not the case in many homes. Many families and educators do not have the resources to buy books for their own children or students. The thought that kids do not have the chance to sit down and read a book at home makes me beyond sad. Books not only teach kids to read but they teach them to be creative and to see the world through a different perspective.
Here are some facts about Children's Literacy in America from Champions for Kids:
- Students who do more reading at home are better readers and have higher math scores. Students with more types of reading materials in the home also demonstrate greater reading proficiency.
- 67% of fourth graders in the U.S. are reading below a Proficient level, according to the most recent National Assessment of Educational Progress.
- 61% of low-income families have no books for children in their homes, and more than 80% of the preschool and after-school programs serving at-risk children have no books at all.
- Approximately 8.7 million fourth through twelfth grade students struggle with required reading and writing tasks in school. For many adolescent students, ongoing difficulties with reading and writing figure prominently in the decision to drop out of school.
For the month of September Champions for Kids Simple Service Project will be a Nickelodeon Big Help Book Drive. I am so excited to be a part of this project. Books are so special to me and I feel like every home should be full of them.
My son and I headed to Walmart to shop for books to donate. I found many cute Nickelodeon books with the characters we know. There was Dora the Explorer, Go Diego Go and Sponge Bob. I was looking for Blues Clues too but did not spot him. We found many great books to donate at low prices.
My son loves books as much as I do and had a blast helping me pick out the books for us to buy. Our book section had many books to select from. I wish it was bigger but that's just because I LOVE books!
These are the books I have collected just in the last few days for my Champions for Kids Nickelodeon Big Help Book Drive. I have the books I purchased at Walmart and a few others that neighbors have given me. I have only just started to collect donations and I look forward to seeing how many books we can collect for a local charity. I have selected a local charity that I know could use these books. They house families in transition from being homeless to independent living in sustainable environments. These families could be any of our neighbors that have lost jobs and then lost their homes with no where to turn. I feel this charity can use the book donation to give to the children that live there. There can be as many as 30 kids living at the charity transitional homes that need these books to make sure they can get the quality reading they deserve.
Here is a short video from Champions for Kids about the Nickelodeon Book Drive:
For more ideas on what types of books Walmart has to buy for your donation, including the awesome Bargain Bin you can read my Google+ Story.
*I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Champions for Kids. #NickCFK #CBias All opinions expressed in this post are my own.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Monday, September 3, 2012
Labor Day Fun: Sacramento Gold Rush Days
I hope everyone is having a great Labor Day weekend. Its warm here in Northern Cali but that could not keep us away from the Sacramento Gold Rush Days. I have heard so much about this event I knew we needed to go this year.
This was the first time my family and I attended the Sacramento Gold Rush Days. I have to say it was really fun. Much more than I expected. I can see why it is a Labor Day tradition for many families. There was so much to do we did not get done everything we wanted to. We now have more to look forward to next year.
We took a fun train ride along the American River. The train ride was bumpy and fun. My son loved the train whistle and watching the river as we passed by. We even saw cowboys doing a Wild West show.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Frugal Reading: Free Magazines
I love all the FREE magazines I get each month. I get to read tons of articles get tips and learn a lot of helpful info. Every topic of magazines from parenting, home and gardening, current news and events to business I get to read many things. Plus when I am done with them I get to do fun little collages with my son, paper airplanes and I love to pull out the pages of things I like. Then recycle it of course!
I found some free print and online magazines for this month I wanted to share:
Enjoy a free 6 issue subscription to Working Mother magazine. No strings attached. You'll never receive a bill. This subscription is yours, compliments of StartSampling.com. Working Mother is the only national magazine that helps moms with careers balance their personal and professional live. Sign up before Sept 16th.
Signup to get AmericanBaby Magazine for Free!
Enjoy 1 free Bridal Guide issue. No strings attached. You'll never receive a bill. This 1-issue is yours, compliments of StartSampling.com. Bridal Guide is for the contemporary bride-to-be focusing on current trends in fashion, beauty, home design, and honeymoon travel. You'll never receive a bill.
I found some free print and online magazines for this month I wanted to share:
Enjoy a free 6 issue subscription to Working Mother magazine. No strings attached. You'll never receive a bill. This subscription is yours, compliments of StartSampling.com. Working Mother is the only national magazine that helps moms with careers balance their personal and professional live. Sign up before Sept 16th.
Signup to get AmericanBaby Magazine for Free!
Enjoy 1 free Bridal Guide issue. No strings attached. You'll never receive a bill. This 1-issue is yours, compliments of StartSampling.com. Bridal Guide is for the contemporary bride-to-be focusing on current trends in fashion, beauty, home design, and honeymoon travel. You'll never receive a bill.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Fall Event Launch: $50 Shabby Apple Giveaway
We are so excited to be hosting a giveaway of a $50 gift card from
That's right $50 from Shabby Apple so you can browse, shop and choose what ever you want from their site!
What we love about Shabby Apple is their ability to make women feel feminine and beautiful. They have beautiful dresses, blouses, jewelry and accessories, maternity and kids and more.
We have been checking out the New Arrivals in Jewelry and Accessories and came across The Charleston, a vintage marquis rhinestone necklace. Love it and it's only $50!
Oh and how about this Navy Circle Skirt they call the Curiouser and Curiouser? This would be a great addition to your wardrobe!
How about the Oscar Shirt? On sale now for only $37!!
The list of things we love goes on and on.....
The list of things we love goes on and on.....
Enter to win the $50 Gift Certificate in the Rafflecopter Giveaway Below:
You can enter on either of the sites hosting this giveaway.
Popcorn and Pearls or Frugal Family Tree
You can enter on either of the sites hosting this giveaway.
Popcorn and Pearls or Frugal Family Tree
*Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts Sept. 1 2012 and ends on Oct. 1, 2012 at midnight EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize
Friday, August 31, 2012
Farewell Hamilton
Well its official I have broken my Hamilton Beach Blender. This is a somewhat sad small appliance to break. I have had this same blender since my husband and I lived in our first place place. We bought it right after my 21st bday to make drinks for parties we hosted. I bought it for the Ice Breaker function. I loved making smoothies, home made coffee drinks and mixed drinks. Oh the memories a small appliance can have!
You dont realize how sturdy something was or how long you have had it until you break it. I am sure that blender would have kept going if not for me and my multi tasking. This morning I was making a smoothie like I always do. Instead of holding my hand on top of the container as it blended I wanted to put a pizza in the oven just really fast. Well my loyal blender got mad at me ignoring him during his shining moment of turning frozen fruit into a smooth as silk drink. The container shifted a bit causing it to come up from the spinning gears and it spun like crazy against the bottom of the container. There was a lot of smoke, my son yelling Oh No! and me baffled as to why did I have to take my hand off it.
I broke my Hamilton and now must say farewell to my loyal blender who for 10 years has kept up with whatever I threw at him and made it awesome!
But guess what?!??! This means I need a NEW Blender. I must get over the loss of my old friend with a new one!! What blender do you recommend??
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Books! We Love Them
![]() |
| Pinned from Kellie Durbin on Pinterest |
I live in a family that treasure books. I love it. As a kid when we moved books were packed and carried with the care of fine china. I grew up knowing the value if a good book and to pass the admiration of books on to my own kids. My son is a book lover too, I smile proudly about that. He loves to curl up on my lap like a cat and listen to me read, then "read" it back to me when he declared its his turn. The first "grown up" book I read as a teenager was The Horse Whisper, I still love that book to this day. I love Martha Stewart from reading her books from my Moms book shelves as far back as I can even have memories. The books my Mom put in our home I think helped shape my personality. I have books that are expensive and ones I have bought for $0.25 at a yard sale and I treasure them all the same. As a busy Mom it seems I do not read chapter books as much as I would like to but I do love the kids books I get to read with my son.
I like the The Catalog and The Mountains Crack Up by Jasper Tomkins, not just for the story but the memories of reading it with my family as a kid. There is a value you dont see until you have your own kids how much your parents influence your like or dislike for books. I encourage you to grab a book, sit with your kids and get lost in the story, even if its one you have read hundreds of times lol.
What books are you reading? What books are your kids loving right now?
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
3 Days Left to Enter $500 DownEast Basics Fall Fashion Pinterest Contest
3 days left
to enter the DownEast Basics Pinterest $500 Fall Fashion contest (ends Aug 31)!
More details at: http://bit.ly/O7vkYN
To help you get into the fall spirit, DownEast Basics is kicking off their “Fall Back
to Basics with DownEast Basics” sweepstakes, our first-ever Pinterest
contest! One lucky winner will receive a $500 gift card to help bring in
the cooler temperatures with a new, fresh look.
I am off to enter! I love the creativity of a Pinterest contest. Good luck and let me know if you win!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
©
Frugal Family Tree | All rights reserved.














