New Release: Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness: Good Croc, Bad Croc DVD

New Release: Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness: Good Croc, Bad Croc DVD

This new Kung Fu Panda DVD made my son's day. He was sent home early from preschool and missed out on a special swim activity, so that was sad.   Just before dinner, the doorbell rang and  a copy of  Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness: Good Croc, Bad Croc DVD arrived. Check out my son's priceless reaction below.

He studies it closely in the first photo and then the second photo is a blurr with him doing Kung Fu moves while giggling and yelling, "Oh yeah! New movie! New movie!"

This DVD is awesome. They went all-out on packing a lot onto this DVD. There are several episodes that last for about 2 hours. This is something that I predict that we will watch over-and-over.

Do you know a little one that would love this DVD?

The following information is from a press release and includes an overview and specs of the DVD.
Synopsis
Brace yourself for awesome action and legendary laughs in this fun-filled animated TV series based on the Academy Award®-Nominated hit movie Kung Fu Panda! As the chosen Dragon Warrior and sworn protector of the Valley of Peace, Po the panda is highly skilled, ever vigilant and hungry for justice...and dumplings. Together with the Furious Five—Tigress, Monkey, Mantis, Crane and Viper—Po must fend off fierce villains, including an evil version of himself (courtesy of the Mystical Mirror of Yin and Yang) and the toothy Croc Bandits!

More than two hours of adventure including:
     ●    Good Croc Bad Croc
     ●    The Princess and the Po
     ●    Chain Reaction
     ●    Bad Po
     ●    Jailhouse Panda
     ●    Father Crime
     ●    Po Fans Out

Croc Crackdown Game:
The adventure continues with the interactive online game, “Croc Crackdown!” Fans will play as Po in this fast-paced and addictive arcade-style game in order to protect the Noodle Shop from the evil crocs. Each DVD set comes with a unique code allowing fans to join the action, unlock power-ups and find exclusive downloads. Do you have what it takes to be the Dragon Warrior?

KUNG FU PANDA: LEGENDS OF AWESOMENESS: GOOD CROC, BAD CROC DVD
Street Date:    June 18, 2013
Prebook Date:    May 22, 2013
Screen Format:    Widescreen 1.78:1
Audio:    English 5.1 Dolby Digital
Spanish: Dolby Surround
French: Dolby Surround
Subtitles:    English, Spanish, French
U.S. Rating:    NR
Total Run Time:    154 minutes
Closed Captioned:    Yes

The following is an affiliate link, but this DVD is available at many stores nationwide.

We appreciate the complementary DVD that we received. All opinions are honest and our own.

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Win It!: CLIF MOJO

Win It!: CLIF MOJO
Summer is here and it is a great time to get outdoors - walk, hike, swim, boat, camp, or whatever gets you excited.  My husband and I do a lot of hiking, so we love CLIF products that are easy to take on our hikes. We've recently been hooked on  MOJO, the all-natural Trail Mix Bar from CLIF. It is the perfect healthy snack to bring along on your weekend adventures. The sweet and salty flavors paired with a crunchy and chewy texture make MOJO a crave-worthy treat that we look forward to on our trips. We loved all of the varieties that we tried, but each had our favorites. My favorites are the ones that have a light coating of chocolate on them, especially the S'mores. My husband's favorite is the Chocolate Almond Coconut. My toddler's favorite is the White Chocolate Macadamia.

Have you tried CLIF MOJO all-natural bars yet?

Win It!
Five lucky winners will each receive a package of CLIF MOJO bars.  We usually have only one winner for a giveaway, so we are extra excited that this one will have 5 winners! Enter using the Rafflecopter below. The winner must have a U.S. shipping address and not a P.O. box. Each winner will have 48 hours to respond to our email with their shipping address. Otherwise, we will select a new winner. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
We appreciate the complementary products that we received. All opinions are honest and our own. Trendy Mom Reviews is not responsible for prize fulfillment. We will provide the winner's shipping information to the sponsor for the purpose of prize fulfillment.

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Review: Red Rose Tea and Salada Tea

Review: Red Rose Tea and Salada Tea
Did you know that this is National Iced Tea Month?  It is appropriate here in Dallas given how incredibly hot and humid it is! When I had the opportunity to try out some Red Rose and Salada Teas, I was excited because I knew that my family would enjoy this.

First, we tried the RED ROSE original. This box comes with 100 servings, so it lasts a while. We loved the rich flavor!

The Salada Teas came in three flavors - Black Tea, Raspberry Green Tea, and Peach Green Tea. We loved all of them, but my husband definitely claimed the black tea as his favorite. He likes the strong flavor. My son and I gravitated toward the green teas, but equally loved the raspberry and peach flavors.

Finally, if you are feeling creative and up for it, check out this idea for Green Tea Martinis from Salada Green Teas!

Green Tea Martinis
	1. Start with 1 ounce of freshly brewed Salada Green Tea – Pomegranate Berry is recommended.
	2. Add 1/2 ounce of Grand Marnier.
	3. Add 2 ounces of citrus Vodka.
	4. Combine ingredients in an ice-filled martini shaker and shake until chilled.
	5. Pour into a martini glass rimmed with lime juice and super-fine sugar.
	6. Garnish with lemon or lime slices.
	7. Kick back and enjoy responsibly!

 
Do you know someone that would love to try Red Rose Tea or Salada Tea for National Iced Tea Month?

Win it!

One lucky winner will receive a prize pack of teas!  Enter using the Rafflecopter below. The winner must have a U.S. Shipping address. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

We appreciate the complementary products that we received. All opinions are honest and our own.

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Review: Squooshi Reusable Squeezable Food Pouches

Review: Squooshi Reusable Squeezable Food Pouches
All of you trendy moms know that squeezable food pouches are popular. Many grocery stores have entire sections dedicated to one-time-use squeezable food pouches filled with applesauce, fruit purees, and yogurt blends. I have even seen ones with pudding in them!   I have spent a fortune on these squeezable pouches because they put a big smile on my toddler's face. I love seeing him so happy.  However, if you think about it, these pouches are really expensive. I was excited to see that a new company invented really convenient reusable squeezable food pouches called Squooshis!  Let me share some information about these products and then share my personal experience.

Squooshi was designed by a father and daughter team. They have a knack for attention to detail and they were thorough in the design of these products. Here is a quick list of the important  features.

• Squooshi reusable food pouches are BPA-free, Phthalate-free, PVC-free, and Lead-free.
   
• Squooshi reusable food pouches provide more flexible and healthy nutrition options: fill with your favorite grain, veggie, legume, dairy, and fruit combos!
• Squooshi reusable food pouches reduce waste: no more throw away food pouches piling up in landfills and contributing to air pollution!
• Squooshi reusable food pouches save you money on your food bills: pre-filled pouches cost between 1.50-2.25 each!
• Squooshi reusable food pouches save energy: empty pouches require a lot less fuel for shipping and most pre-packaged food travels over 1,200 miles before it reaches your table!
• Squooshi reusable food pouches are easy: in the car, at the park, in your kiddos's hands, less mess from broken jars, spoons, and trash!

Our Squooshi package arrived as shown below.  The bag is handy to store unused pieces and looks nice if you are buying this as a gift.

We received the 8 pack that has a mixture of large and small Squooshis. The animals on them are colorful. My son's favorite is the blue bird!

My 3 year old helped me to fill the pouches with organic applesauce. You simply put the lid on the pouch, fill it with the squishy puree from the bottom, and seal the bottom.  The bottom is similar to a Ziploc bag. We found them easy to seal.

Within 10 minutes, we had a basket full of Squooshis filled with organic applesauce! My son loves that he gets to pick a different one each morning to take in his lunch to school. It is fun to see him so excited.

 

These are super easy to clean. We did a test run of putting a few in the top rack of the dishwasher. Since the bottom opens fairly wide, it was easy to line them up in our dishwasher. They came out perfectly clean without any damage.

Finally, Squooshi offers the opportunity to be really creative in feeding your children.  For instance, my son will not eat spinach, but if I make a green smoothie with blueberries to mask the taste a bit, he'll happily eat it.  Put it in a Squooshi and consider it gone in 60 seconds or less! I feel like Super Mom that my son eats a lot of spinach thanks to these purees.   

Here is on of my favorite Squeezable Food Recipes:

Preschool Green Smoothie for Squeezable Pouches
Ingredients

• 1.5 cups of blueberries
• 2 to 4 cups of spinach (based on your preference)
• 2 to 8 ounces of juice (we've used cherry or cranberry for different batches)
• 1 banana (use as much as you think is necessary to thicken the smoothie)

Directions

1. Blend the juice and blueberries.  You will notice that the ingredients say 2 to 8 ounces of juice. This varies based on the quality of your blender and how thick you want to make it. We use only small amount of juice since we have a good blender and prefer a thicker mixture for the pouches.
2. Add the spinach and blend. Add more juice only if necessary.
3. Add the banana last.  I always add this last because it helps to thicken the mixture and you can add as much as you think that you need based on your taste preference and how much you want to thicken the mixture.
4. Fill your Squooshis with the mixture!

Do you know someone that would love Squooshi Reusable Squeezable Food Pouches?

Learn More
Visit Squooshi 

We appreciate the complementary products that we received. All opinions are honest and our own. 

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New Release: 21 & Over on Blu-Ray + DVD + Digital Copy

New Release: 21 & Over on Blu-Ray + DVD + Digital Copy
My husband and I had a long evening with our son throwing tantrums. We are sure that he just needed sleep and will be better in the morning, but we needed to unwind and were lucky to come across a trendy movie that was perfect.  This movie, 21&Over, comes out tomorrow (on Tuesday, June 18, 2013) and is from the writers of The Hang Over.  It was just what we needed - a funny movie to get our minds off of our stressful day.  I won't spoil it for you, but we definitely noticed the humor that was apparent in The Hang Over.  We laughed out loud so many times.   This is a great movie for a date night this week!

Did you love The Hang Over? Do you think that you will love 21 & Over?

The following info is from a press release and has the official synopsis and details:

"Synopsis
From the writers of The Hangover comes a movie 21 years in the making. Straight-A college student Jeff Chang (JUSTIN CHON of the Twilight Saga) has always done what’s expected of him. But when his two best friends Casey (SKYLAR ASTIN of Pitch Perfect, Wreck-It Ralph) and Miller (MILES TELLER of The Spectacular Now, Project X, Rabbit Hole) surprise him with a visit for his 21st birthday, he decides to do what’s unexpected for a change, even though his critical medical school interview is early the next morning. What was supposed to be one beer becomes one night of chaos, over indulgence and utter debauchery in this outrageous comedy.

Blu-ray Special Features:
     ●    Levels of Intoxication
     ●    Tower of Power
     ●    Gag Reel
     ●    Theatrical Trailer
     ●    Sneak Peek

21 & Over Blu-ray & DVD
Street Date:    June 18, 2013
Prebook Date:    May 22, 2013
Screen Format:    16:9 (2.40:1)
Audio:    English 5.1 DTS-HD MA / 5.1 DD DVD
Subtitles:    English, Spanish
U.S. Rating:    R
Total Run Time:    153 minutes / 143 minutes DVD
Closed Captioned:    Yes"

The following is an affiliate link, but this movie is available nationwide at many stores.
 
We appreciate the complementary movie that we received. All opinions are honest and our own.

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Toddler Sandwiches for Preschool

I miss my toddler when he is at school, so I like to make him special lunches that I know will make him smile when I am not there.  When I pick him up from school, he always tells me about the sandwich that I made him for lunch that day.  I thought that I should start taking photos of them to share with all of you trendy moms, but also because I'm sure that my son will enjoying reading this post one day.

Monday: a Tivo character PB&J with raisins for eyes and a cheesy poof mouth! 

Tuesday: Mommy & Daddy Dinosaurs with sprinkles for eyes and mouth. These didn't turn out as well as I had hoped - but he is 3 years old - I think that all is forgiven by adding a Skittle to each dinosaur. 

Wednesday: Silly Face with raisins eyes, a cupcake sprinkle nose, and yogurt melt mouth.

Thursday: Fish with blueberry bubbles and bread crumb fish food. A Skittle candy for an eye and cheesy poof fin.

Friday: Starfish with Skittle eyes and a pretzel mouth.

Check back soon for more photos.

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Review: Nonni's THINaddictives

Review: Nonni's THINaddictives
Anything in a 100-calorie pack is trendy lately, but Nonni's really hit the mark with their THINaddictives that are made with wholesome, antioxidant-rich ingredients like crunchy California almonds, savory pistachios, succulent cranberries and delicate cinnamon swirls. I love the amazing flavors and how crunchy they are.  At 100-calories per pack, it's easy to keep up my healthy habits.  While I am a big fan, my husband and toddler also love them.  We had a sampling party this evening after dinner all of us fell in love with all three flavors!

Do you know anyone that would love these 100-calorie packs of Nonni's THINaddictives?

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To encourage fans to get addicted to healthier habits, Nonni’s THINaddictives is hosting a series of monthly giveaways as a part of its "Get Addicted to Fitness" program. This month, they’re kicking things off with the “Get Addicted to Biking Giveaway," which runs through midnight on June 17. Readers can find and follow THINaddictives on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram to stay updated on giveaways and chances to win THINaddictives, a Fitbit pedometer and other exciting fitness-themed prizes. The THINaddictives YouTube channel also has exclusive insider tips about fun, accessible forms of fitness from exercise experts!
We appreciate the complementary products that we received. All opinions are honest and our own.

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Review: Open Road Snacks - Poplets, Popcorn, and Popcorn balls

Review: Open Road Snacks - Poplets, Popcorn, and Popcorn balls
We received an awesome package of Open Road Snacks today that included Poplets, Popcorn, and Popcorn Balls. It was perfect timing since these are great snacks to take on our summer road trips and activities!  All of these snacks are gluten-free, whole grain, natural, non-GMO, and nut-free. 

First we tried Poplets. We were lucky to have a sneak peek of these products because they are officially coming out on July 1st. These are like Corn Nuts, but healthier (fewer calories and less fat), plus they come in really good flavors.   We tried all three new flavors: Chile Picante, Sea Salt & Butter, and Asiago Ranch.   Everyone in my family loved them, but my favorite was the Asiago Ranch.  They are all flavorful and crunchy. Another really cool thing is that one serving has 12% of my fiber for the day!

 

We also tried two popcorn balls. These were really good and disappeared quickly. My son told us, "This is the best food in the whole wide world!"  That made us laugh. We'll have to order more since he loves them so much.

Finally, we tried the Rocky Mountain popcorn. We love this popcorn so much that we've purchased some in the past as gifts for our son's teachers. This popcorn comes in several flavors, including White Cheddar (my favorite), Caramel, Cinnamon Sugar, Jalapeno, Butter (my son's favorite), Naked, Kettle, and Southwest Cheddar (my husband's favorite).

The large bags below are great for a family movie night or summer party.

The smaller bags are great for road trips and other outings. For instance, we are going to a water park and these are a perfect snack to take in the car.

Finally, I thought that it would be fun to share a couple photos of my son digging into the popcorn. Oh, seriously, do not get in between him and a bag of Rocky Mountain Popcorn!

What snacks do you pack for road trips and summer activities?

Learn More
Visit Open Road Snacks 

We appreciate the complementary products that we received. All opinions are honest and our own.

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Review: String & Beep by ALEX

Review: String & Beep by ALEX
My son recently turned 3 years old. In my search for fun and educational toys, I came across ALEX Little Hands products. This line of toys is made specifically to prepare preschoolers for their first day of school. They have a variety of toys that help children to develop a variety of skills. Their products are generally brightly colored and easy to figure out which "no reading required".

When I saw the ALEX String & Beep set, I knew that this would be a hit with my toddler! Let me share the product description and then tell you our experience. This is from their website:

"String up big, chunky shapes with these beautiful wood beads. Thread the cotton lace through the openings on either side of the beads and string up a collection! Stringing helps young children develop fine motors skills and the beads help promote sequencing and counting skills. Includes chunky wood beads, wooden needle, cotton lace and stopper."

My son loves this toy. I've noticed over the past few days that his fine motor skills have improved when it comes to putting the little cars on the string.  It is adorable to watch him put these chunky and colorful cars onto the string because he has a name and cute sound for each one.  He makes beep, siren, and vroom sounds as the vehicle pile up on the string. The Ice Cream Truck is a favorite and he frequently says, "I have Ice cream! Vroom. Vroom." He has a special beeping sound for the Red Polka Dot Car.  The Yellow School Bus makes him sing a song about the wheels on the school bus.   This toy really brings out his imagination!

Another great thing about this toy is that we have fun counting. My son can count to three reliably and we are working to count higher. This toy makes it fun for him to practice counting!

Finally, my son loves playing with the string of cars on a little carpet in his room. He puts the vehicles on the string, pulls them to a new destination, unloads them into parking spaces, and lets each one visit a destination. For instance, they all go to the cactus on this carpet which he calls "Grandpa's house in Arizona".  He has spent hours and hours playing with this toy!

We love ALEX Toys! They are great for child development. Our son is in the "Little Hands" stage where their toys are great for preparing him for school.  We look forward to sharing with you as we come across more great toys that help with child development.

Do you have a favorite ALEX Toy?

Learn More
Visit ALEX Toys. 

We appreciate the complementary products that we received. All opinions are honest and our own.

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Review: The Touch 8 aPen

The Touch 8  aPen is an easy way to get touchscreen capability on your non-touch PC.  The unobtrusive USB sensor attaches to the side of your screen and reads the position and movement of a stylus pen. The stylus pen uses a soft touch brush at the end (that has the added benefit of cleaning). I love this relatively inexpensive and easy way to turn our old laptop with a 17" screen into a touch screen. I was surprised with quick and easy we were able to get this up and running. The designers definitely put a lot of thought into this device so that users would have a good experience. It doesn't require any installation. It is simply plug and play.  

The kit includes:
- Stylus with two tip brushes and cap.
- Batteries for the stylus.
- Sensor
- USB to micro USB cable
- Sensor mounting magnets
- Carrying pouch

Some of the reasons I wanted to add touch were to take advantage of Windows 8 features such as navigating the app screen.  This feature was especially important for my toddler to get more out of the PC because he is only familiar with touch screens since he has used NetFlix and a few games on an iPad.  He has been trying to touch my PC screen and getting frustrated,  but with the Touch 8 aPen, he can follow his intuitions.  I like it because thanks to the touch screen functionality and stylus, I don't have sticky fingerprints on my screen anymore. 

I found the touch interface to be quite natural and easy to use.  As I mentioned, the installation was very simple.  I installed and used it on two different laptops. First on a laptop running Windows 8 and then on my Macbook Pro using Windows 8 in a Parallels VM.  The device is also compatible with Windows XP and Windows 7.  The point and tap features work effortlessly using Window's built in tablet features.  Where I found the most fun was using it with Google Earth to move the map.  Aside from using a stylus instead of a finger, the experience was very similar to using a touch screen tablet.

Check out some photos of my husband using this. Notice the device on the left side and the stylus.

The best benefit of using the Touch 8 aPen is saving myself from the cost of a new tablet laptop.  So whether you can't give up your PC, or can't get a touch screen the Touch 8 aPen is an affordable and effective alternative.
 
Learn More
Visit ApenUSA.com.

We appreciate the complementary product that we received. All opinions are honest and our own.

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