This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks for stopping by.  The winner is Asha. Congrats!

Last fall, Disney’s latest film, The Princess and the Frog was released in theaters.  I still haven’t managed to see it, but every time I listen to the soundtrack I snap my fingers and do a little jig.  The film is set in New Orleans and is a modern twist on the classic tale called “The Frog Princess.” The story is about “a beautiful girl named Tiana, a frog prince who desperately wants to be human again, and a fateful kiss that leads them both on a hilarious adventure through the mystical bayous of Louisiana.”

The CD features the musical talents of Anika Noni Rose(Dreamgirls), Ne-Yo(R&B music star) and Academy Award winning composer Randy Newman.  The soundtrack is a diverse mix of Jazz, Blues, Gospel and Zydeco genres. The music is mostly upbeat and lively…perfect for children and adults.  In fact, if you enjoy jazz, you might wat to check it out!

The CD is available for purchase on Amazon.

Win It! One of you will win a copy of the soundtrack to The Princess and the Frog.  Simply leave me a comment with the name of a track you like from the CD.  Comments will close on March 1, 2010 at 11:59 PM PST.  One comment per person, please (unless you do the extra credit). US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one.Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about the contest.

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Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.

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This post was written for Family Review Network as part of a program for Walt Disney Records, who supplied the CD for review and giveaway.

Last year my husband and I got into Disneyland free on our birthdays.  This year Disney had to change it up a bit. Disney wants to inspire people to volunteer one day of service to a participating organization in their communities.  To celebrate and recognize those efforts, volunteers will receive a 1-day, 1-theme park ticket to Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World Resort for free.  In order to participate, you must pre-register and sign up on their site to volunteer and complete your service. Ticket quantities for this program are limited. The program ends on December 15, 2010 or until all tickets have been distributed.

If you’re a Southern California resident interested in visiting the Disneyland Resort, be sure to check out their “2fer” offer.  Now through April 12th, you can enjoy Disneyland one day and California Adventure another day, for $36 a day.  The interval between park visits must be less than 30 days.  If you’ve ever been to the resort, you know that it’s virtually impossible to see both parks in one day.  This is a great way to spend a little more time seeing both parks at an affordable price.  For more information, please visit the site.

In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a bit of a Disney fan.  My parents said they started taking me to Disneyland when I was around 2 (I have the pictures, complete with Mickey Mouse ears as proof!).  We have annual passes and the benefit of living in the OC is that we can go for even just a few hours and my son has a blast.  The park is just magical…particularly around the holidays.  I can’t wait until they put their gorgeous tree up and decorate!

Some things are so familiar and unchanged…even from many, many years ago.  And yet so much is new and exciting and changing all the time.  Last month I attended D23 and posted about my experience.  One of my favorite exhibits was the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Pavilion.  We had the opportunity to preview never-before-seen models of what’s to come at Walt Disney Parks across the globe.

I have to admit that I didn’t even know there was a Disneyland in Hong Kong.  And apparently they’re expanding!

And, I’m hoping my hubby will surprise me with a trip to the Ko Olina Resort in Hawaii.  Although I’d settle for a Disney Cruise!

Did you know that in 2012, Cars Land will open at Disney’s California Adventure? This 12-acre rendition of the town of Radiator Springs will glean inspiration from the hit Disney•Pixar film “Cars.” “Cars Land will feature three family attractions including Radiator Springs Racers (one of the largest and most elaborate attractions ever created for a Disney park), Luigi’s Flying Tires and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree.”

What else is planned for Disney’s California Adventure?  While we were at Mickey’s Trick or Treat Party last weekend, I saw construction already underway for The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure which debuts in 2011.  Our little girl will be the perfect age (or so we hope!) to experience this.

But I know…that seems so far away…what about NOW?  Well, in the spring (which is only a few months away), “World of Color will bring nighttime excitement to Paradise Pier with a panorama of spectacular water effects, dancing fountains and music that will bring Disney animation to life with a new creative and technical approach.” Fountains are going to come to life as they shoot from thirty feet to as high as 200 feet in the sky.  I can’t wait to see this show!!!!

Be sure to check out the official site here!

In other news, I hope you’ve had a chance to enjoy Disney’s birthday gift to you (your free day at the park!).  While the year is quickly come to an end, 2010 boasts and even better promotion:  “Give a Day. Get a Disney Day.”  Volunteer and you’ll be rewarded with a day at a Disney Park (Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World Resort).  Will you be one of the one million to do a good deed in 2010?

And if that isn’t enough, Disneyland is jumping on the social media bandwagon.  They’ve officially launched a blog (oooh!!) which will give you the inside scoop on the resort.  It’s packed with information about the Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort and Disney Cruise Line.  Be sure to follow @DisneyParks and @DisneylandNews on Twitter for the latest!

Halloween is right around the corner.  And that means Halloween Time is here (but not for much longer!).  We’re planning on bringing my son this week to experience all of the festivities.  Stay tuned…

More D23 pics!

This giveaway is now closed.  Thanks for stopping by.  The winner is Melanie B.  A HUGE congrats!

My husband may not appreciate what I’m about to write…but he is a HUGE fan and collector of Disney movies.  I remember when we first met and he told me and then showed me his collection how surprised and impressed I was.  He hasn’t quite reached the D23 category but he’s close!

For the first time in seven years, Disney released Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in high-definition Blu-ray today. And did you know it hasn’t been available in any form since 2001?  I didn’t! I just adore this classic story of a beautiful princess, her ugly stepmother, a talking mirror, singing Dwarfs and a handsome prince!  It’s been hailed as “the most acclaimed animated movie ever made” and I have to say I agree (although I have many close runner-ups in the animated category).  The movie debuted in 1937 (seriously?) but is as timeless as Disney.  It was also the first full-length animated film every made!

Some of the highlights of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Diamond Edition include a series of DVD bonus features including a sneak peak at Disney’s brand new The Princess and the Frog,” a beautiful video by Tiffany Thornton singing Someday My Prince Will Come, and a lively “Heigh-Ho” Karaoke Sing-Along (and that isn’t even half of what you’ll find in the “bonus” section).

We don’t have a Blu-ray player (yet) so we weren’t able to view the bonus features, however, they sound incredible, including Family Play games and activities, Backstage Disney, and some very cool-sounding Blu-ray features like DisneyView’s expanded viewing experience, and 7.1 Digital Theater System Hi-Def Surround Sound.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Diamond Edition is available in two forms:  Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack ($39.99) and the 2-Disc DVD set ($29.99).  You can view a trailer of the movie here.

Win It! One of you will win Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Diamond Edition Combo Pack +  Seven Dwarfs Plush Toy set (RV $85).  Simply leave me a comment with your favorite part of the movie!  Comments will close on October 20, 2009 at 10 PM PST.  One comment per person, please (unless you do the extra credit). US residents only. Duplicates and comments not including the above information will be disqualified. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. If you don’t want to leave your email address, please be sure to check back for my announcement on the winner. Please note that winners must respond within 48 hours of being announced/contacted or another winner will be drawn.

Want an extra entry? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one.

Be sure to leave me a separate comment for each additional entry.

Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about the contest.

Subscribe to my feed via email or reader.

Blog about this giveaway. It doesn’t have to be a separate post. Just include a blurb about it when you blog about other giveaways.

Click on one of the very cute buttons below and digg, stumble, fav, etc. Just let me know what you did in the comments!

Profuse thanks to One2One who provided the DVD for review!

We took my son to Mickey’s Trick Or Treat Party on Friday night and he had a blast! He was dressed as a pirate (arr!) and pictures will be up soon!  However, if you’re still looking for a costume, you may want to check out the specially designed collection of Disney-themed Halloween costumes available at Toys R Us and Babies R Us.  Part of the program involved a benefit to Children Affected by AIDS Foundation and Toys R Us and Disney donated $50,000 to the charity.

For the Halloween season, Toys R Us, Babies R Us, and Toysrus.com are offering 25 beautifully crafted costumes based on popular Disney characters such as Disney Princess characters, Disney Pixar Toy Story’s “Buzz Lightyear” and “Woody”, Power Rangers, Winnie-the-Pooh and Tigger, and Disney Fairies’ “Tinker Bell.”  These exclusive costumes can be recognized by their hangtag that features the CAAF logo.

If you’re planning on dressing your child up, the costumes look amazing and they benefit a great cause. Here are a few of my favs!

Everything Disney does is magical.  And this year, at the first conference for Disney fans, it’s no different.  D23 was awesome today and there are still two more days! Each day is filled with first-looks at products, projects and more.  I can’t wait to visit the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts exhibit and learn more about the resort they’re building in Hawaii (that’s right!), the new itineraries for the Disney Cruise Line (which we WILL be taking our children on when they’re old enough), and the new Cars Land, set to open in 2012 at Disney’s California Adventure (which will be perfect for our little boy!).

I spent most of the day on the Disney Consumer Products side of the expo floor.  I was seriously impressed with the Disney Home exhibit and have an entire post dedicated to the topic.  My son played in a Disney Playhouse, designed by Lilliput Play Homes (which hasn’t even been released yet), tested some of the latest Toy Story, Handy Manny and Cars toys, and got creative at Disney’s Creativity Center hosted by Crayola.  We took a snack break at the Disney Food booth (YUM!) and then I dreamed of getting married again at the Disney Fairy Tale Weddings exhibit (hubby says we need to pay for college!).   I won my little boy a car at the Mattel Toys exhibit (thanks Mr. Mattel guy who helped me win since I’m royally terrible at winning things), stopped in at the Disney Princess Storytime and Royal Manners exhibit for a story by Snow White and her prince, and spoke to a lovely British lady at the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh exhibit (thank you for the gorgeous Pooh ceramic figurine).  We ended the day by realizing just how old we are while we tried to build a piece of the life-size murals of Disney characters and listening in as teens and tweens sung lyrics to songs we’ve never heard of from artists we’ve only just recently learned about after brushing up for the conference.  It was a good day.

Are you a Disney fan?  Are you going to be in the LA or OC area? Starting tomorrow, the first ever Disney fan expo will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center.  D23 is the official community for Disney fans and they are having their first conference Thursday through Sunday. The schedule is jam-packed with a ton of fun events including special screenings and sneak previews, special guests, a fashion show and more! Daily tickets are $37 but definitely worth the trip if you’re in the area.  It’s the first of its kind!

My husband and I traveled extensively before we had my son.  We immersed ourselves in the Scottish culture and hope one day to bring our son back to the place where we were living when we found out were were pregnant.  Our travels have been understandably limited because traveling with an infant and now a toddler is not easy.  But one day in the not-so-distant future we are going to plan a trip to Florida to experience Walt Disney World.  You may have gathered from reading my blog that I LOVE all things Disney.  I had a wonderful opportunity to attend both the Halloween and Holiday Mom blogger events to get an inside look on what Disney is doing to make things spectacular.  My son and I are at Disneyland every week thanks to the season pass we purchased and we’d be at Walt Disney World in a heartbeat if it weren’t for that 5 hour flight!

When my husband and I travel, we spend a lot of time researching the destination.  I have been BEGGING my husband for a family trip to Walt Disney World and recently had the opportunity to review The Hassle-Free Walt Disney World Vacation (the 2009 edition at that!) by Steven M. Barett.  This book was published by The Intrepid Traveler, “a privately-owned independent travel publishing company dedicated to helping people make travel a more integral part of their lives.”  I was excited about going to Walt Disney World BEFORE I read this book and now I’m ready to book the trip!  People have told me how crazy taking a child to Walt Disney World…how expensive it is….how crowded and hot and miserable it can get in Florida.  My advice to all of you who have been given this exact information is to read this book.  The author has over two decades of experience navigating the Walt Disney World Resort.  I honestly think his first chapter on planning is the most essential starting point, particularly for someone like me who has never been to that side of the country or done any research on the resort.  He gives you tips on when the best time to visit the resort is, where to stay, how to get there, what to bring, what to eat, touring tips, and how to buy tickets (I didn’t even know that I needed tips on how to buy tickets).  If you only read one chapter of this book (which I guarantee that won’t be the case once you start reading it), then read this one.  The author knows Walt Disney World inside and out.  His tips and insights are practical and feasible.  If you are traveling to the resort with young children, teens, or seniors, be sure to spend some time going through his suggested one and two-day touring plans for each specific park in the resort.  I really appreciate his tips on rides with the shortest wait times (essential for tots with a short-attention span), attractions that may frighten my toddler, resting places, and the least crowded restrooms.  Steven Barrett rates each attraction and gives you his opinion and tips on each one.  The guide includes maps and pictures and is thoroughly detailed and inclusive.

The Hassle-Free Walt Disney World Vacation is available for purchase on the site and retails for $15.95.  If you’re interested in finding out more information about The Intrepid Traveler’s money-saving, how-to, and guidebooks visit their site.

We seek to accomplish this goal by publishing money-saving, horizon-expanding travel how-to and guidebooks and by operating this web site.”

Profuse thanks to The Intrepid Traveler and Mom Fuse for this review opportunity.

I finally did it!  I purchased an annual pass to the Disneyland Resort.  We went for the first time this year on Friday and it was every bit as magical as it was over the holidays!  I’m so fortunate to be a Southern California resident because I was able to secure a Southern California pass which allows me access to both Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure.

Throughout 2009, Disney asks the question….What Will You Celebrate? From birthdays and reunions to true love and triumphs, Disney invites you to celebrate your special events with style, flare, and a little bit of magic.  And don’t forget to register for free admission on your birthday…Disney’s special gift to you.

If you’re a Southern California resident, be sure to check out Disney’s 2fer ticket.  For the cost of admission, you can visit both parks (on 2 separate days).

My birthday is on Wednesday and yes…I’ll be celebrating…Disney style!

Last night all three of us spent a delightful evening with a group of mom bloggers at the Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel.  I’d like to thank Michele Himmelberg at Disneyland Public Relations for this very special invite.  We were greeted with a warm welcome and escorted into the ballroom which was festively decorated for the holidays.  H’dourves were passed (the shrimp cocktail was so yummy) and Mickey and the gang were dressed for the holiday season.  We attempted to take some pictures but my son was just not having it.  Oh, he enjoyed staring at them from afar…but five feet was too close for comfort.  Poor Mickey…I don’t know anyone who is afraid of Mickey…well…now I do.

After I socialized with fellow mommy bloggers, Amanda and Christine, all of the bloggers were taken to a private area for a special holiday presentation (I’ll fill you in on the up and up in a later post).  At the end were were given a beautiful Disney Christmas ornament and another gift I’m going to tell you about very soon.

Dinner included a pasta buffet and carving station.  We also got to try some of Disney’s delicious holiday treats for dessert.  After more socializing, we all headed over to Disneyland to watch the fireworks and the Fantasmic show (we even had prime viewing areas especially for us).  The entire event was a nice intro to the holiday festivities as only Disneyland can produce.  We’re so excited about our fun-filled day at the Disneyland resort.  Holidays at Disneyland is going on now through January 4, 2009.  You definitely don’t want to miss out!