PJ Masks 'Let's Go PJ Masks' DVD released February 5th!

Ever since PJ Masks hit our screens, my two children have been completely enamoured with it. If you aren't familiar with the show, it follows three 6 year old children; Connor, Amaya and Greg by day,  but by night they transform into their magical superhero alter-egos, Catboy, Owlette and Gekko!

Last year saw the release of the first ever PJ Masks DVD (Time to be a Hero) and now, Entertainment One are releasing another - Let's Go PJ Masks! This DVD follows the trio as the solve mysteries and learn valuable lessons along the way.

C and E were very lucky to be sent a preview copy and as soon as it was opened they popped themselves onto the sofa, eager to watch. The DVD runs for 72 minutes and features six super fun episodes.

Gekko and the Snore-A-Saurus
Luna Girl turns a sleepwalking Cameron into her very own human puppet. It's up to PJ Masks to save the day...but Gekko has to stop messing around first!

Catboy and the Shrinker
Romeo and Night Ninja team up to shrink the PJ Masks with Romeo's shrinker invention. When Catboy gets shrunk, he forgets that even a little guy can save the day...if he can use his small size to his advantage.

Blame it on the Train, Owlette 
When the new Fairground Flyer goes missing from the fair, Owlette is determined to get it back quickly. But if she wants to defeat Romeo's new super train, she'll need to learn that a little patience goes a long way.

Looking After Gekko
When Night Ninja steals the school bus and converts it into his very own super-vehicle, it's up to our heroes to stop him in his tracks. But for that to happen, Gekko needs to learn that asking for help doesn't make you weak.

Catboy's Tricky Ticket
Catboy only has two tickets to the Jayden Houston concert and has to decide which of his best friends to take to the show. Owlette and Gekko offer him presents to sway his decision and Catboy's newfound greed could ensure Luna Girl ruins the concert for good.

Clumsy Catboy 
Romeo plans to use his newest device to make everyone in the world so clumsy that they can't stop him from taking over the world. But when agile Catboy is the first to be "clumsified", he can't admit it and tries to save the day without any help.

I don't think either child took their eyes off the TV once while watching, they were just excited to see what was going to happen next! If your little ones love PJ Masks as much as mine do, you need to get a copy so they can't watch whenever they like!

PJ Masks 'Let's Go PJ Masks' is available on DVD and digital download on Monday 5th February or you can preorder it from Amazon right now!

(We received a copy of the new DVD and a blind bag in exchange for this post.)

PJ Masks 'Time to be a Hero' DVD - out Monday 30th October!

As soon as PJ Masks was first shown on Tiny Pop, both my children quickly became obsessed with the show. If you aren't familiar with it, Connor, Greg and Amaya put their pyjamas on as day turns to night, activate their animal amulets and transform into their alter egos Catboy, Gekko and Owlette - the fantastic and unstoppable PJ Masks team!

PJ Masks has become a hit with children everywhere and I'm so excited about the first ever PJ Masks DVD - Time to be a Hero' being released on Monday 30th October!

The 72-minute long DVD contains six action-packed episodes:

Speak UP, Gekko
When Romeo starts using Gekko's voice for no good, Gekko has to get over his stage fright and get his voice back.

Catboy and Master Fang's Sword
Night Ninja has stolen Master Fang's prized sword and Catboy wants it back, but he will have to learn not to let his anger get in the way first.

Catboy vs.Robo-Cat
Catboy has to get Amaya and Greg's stolen superhero pyjamas back from Romeo so they can transform into Owlette and Gekko and help him save the day...unless he learns that you don't need superpowers to be a hero.

Owlette and the Giving Owl
Owlette's prized 'Giving Owl' statue is stolen by Luna Girl to decorate her new headquarters. If Owlette doesn't learn it's better to give than receive, Catboy and Gekko could become trapped in Luna Girl's newest HQ for good.

Catboy's Flying Fiasco
When Catboy receives a scooter as a gift from an unknown aunt, something smells fishy. But when he can use it to fly, it's too good to leave at home. Too bad that it's really a "gift" from...Luna Girl!

Owlette and the Flash Flip Trip
Using his newest machine, Romeo erases all the stories from books and replaces them with pictures of himself. Rather than relying on her own skills, Owlette plans to use the moves of her favourite comic character, Flossy Flash, to save the day.

C and E were so excited and I think we watched the DVD three times in as many days. It's a show that I, as a parent, love myself as although the children transforming into superheroes is far fetched when it comes to real life, they do solve problems that children may really have, such as not getting angry in 'Catboy and Master Fang's Sword' - I know my son C could benefit from learning about that! The addition of PJ Masks stickers in the DVD case was a massive plus for my kids. They love stickers so it was a lovely touch.

PJ Masks 'Time to be a Hero' is available on digital download and DVD from Monday 30th October at a price of £9.99. You can order your copy from Amazon.

(We received this DVD for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.) 

Bob the Builder Dig This DVD - Review & Giveaway

Bob the Builder is back like you've never seen him before!

I was very familiar with the original run of Bob the Builder back in the early 2000's as my now 15 year old sister was a toddler then and was always watching the show. Fast forward 17 years and now my four year old son C enjoys the show just as much. He watches milkshake! every morning before preschool and so he fell in love with the show instantly.

I have to admit that I didn't pay much attention to the reboot until we received a copy of the new DVD, Dig This, to review. The first thing that I noticed was that the animation has changed in a fantastic way. The characters look more 3D-like and less blocky. I do miss Neil Morrissey as the voice of Bob but Lee Ingleby makes a great replacement.

The Dig This DVD contains seven fun filled episodes:

• Dig This
• Saffi's Treehouse
• Out of the Woods
• Stormy Weather
• Bear Mountain
• Bentley's Bones
• Home on the Range

Throughout these episodes, Bob and his team are constructing projects using a foundation of determination and working together. I loved that although the animation has changed, the original characters are all still there. Bob works with his business partner Wendy, apprentice Leo and his range of machines such as Scoop. Lofty, Dizzy and Roley - all names which brought back memories to me!

The run of episodes show the team tackling any project or problem handed to them, whether it be something small like fixing a roof to building an entire skyscraper. They show the trials and tribulations plus all fun in finally getting the job done.

C is a massive fan of machinery like the ones in Bob the Builder - his favourites are diggers and excavators. The fact that he was able to see them working whilst watching this DVD meant that it really captured his attention. He asked me a lot of questions from what each characters name was to what they were doing and why they were doing it. I definitely think is a great DVD for any current Bob the Builder fan or fans of diggers like my son!

Bob the Builder Dig This DVD has been released via Abbey Home Media and is currently available to buy now from all good retailers.

Want to win a copy of Bob the Builder Dig This for your little one? Just enter via the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck! 

Don't know how to use Rafflecopter? Check out Di Coke's easy peasy tutorial.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

T&C's:  

• The giveaway will run from April 26th until May 7th
• One winner will win one copy of Bob the Builder Dig This on DVD
• Open to entrants aged 18+
• UK residents only
• One entry per person
• No automated entries
  
  (We received a copy of the DVD for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)

  

   

Being Adventurous and Escaping this January

When 2016 came to an end, Chris and I had one thought of something that we wanted to do in the New Year: go on adventures with our children and see more of our beautiful country. We live in Northern Ireland and it is a wealth of beautiful scenery and lots of things for families to do. We are lucky enough that we can travel easily to Republic of Ireland too and take in the sights there.

We decided that this month we would write little "to visit" list and hopefully tick one of those off each Sunday when we have a family day. We currently want to do the Gruffalo Trail, visit Dublin Zoo, the Tayto Park, see the boats at Bangor Marina and much more. One downside of January is that we are pretty skint after Christmas, some January birthdays and after a routine eye test, I need stronger glasses which means I've had to fork out a small fortune for new ones. We don't drive either so going on these adventures means paying for the bus or train to get there so they are sort of on the back burner until we get settled into February. I'm sure we aren't the only family feeling the pinch so here's how we are being adventurous without even leaving our living room.

Adventure movies! I love a movie that I can get completely lost in and feel like I've been transported to another dimension. Here are my top movies for escaping this year:

1) The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies

If you aren't family with the whole LOTR/Hobbit franchise, where have you been?! In this final instalment, Thorin Oakenshield and the Dwarves of Erebor have reclaimed the wealth of their homeland, but now face the consequences of having unleashed the terrifying Dragon Smaug upon Lake-Town. Sauron, the Dark Lord, has sent forth legions of Orcs to attack the lonely mountain and Bilbo Baggins ends up fighting for his life as five great armies go to war.

 

2) Inception

Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is the best there is at extraction; stealing valuable secrets inside the subconsciour during the mind's vulnerable dream state. His skill has made him a coveted player in industrial espionage but has also made him a fugitive and cost him dearly. Now he may get a second chance if he can do the impossible: inception, planting an idea rather than stealing one. If they succeed, Cobb and his team could pull off the perfect crime. But no planning or expertise can prepare them for a dangerous enemy who seems to predict their every move.

 

3) Gravity

Dr Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock) is an engineer on her first shuttle mission with veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (George Clooney). On a seemingly routine spacewalk, disaster strikes. The shuttle is destroyed, leaving Stone and Kowalski completely alone, thethered to nothing but each other and spiralling out into the darkness. As fear turns to panic, every gulp of air eats away at what little oxygen that is left.

4) Pacific Rim

When legions of monstrous alien creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a deadly war began. To combat them, humans devised massive robots called Jaegers as weapons. Controlled simultaneously by two pilots, even the Jaegers proved nearly defenseless against the Kaiju. Now on the verge of defeat, mankind must turn to a washed-up former pilot and an untested trainee teamed in a seemingly obsolete Jaeger.

 

5) Jupiter Ascending

Jupiter Jones was born under a night sky with signs predicting that she was destined for great things. Now grown, Jupiter dreams of the stars but wakes up to the cold reality of a job cleaning toilets and an endless run of bad breaks. Only when Caine, a genetically engineered ex-military hunter, arrives on Earth to track her down does Jupiter begin to glimpse the fate that has been waiting for her all along. 

 

6) 300: Rise of an Empire 

In this new chapter of the 300 saga, Greek general Themistokles is pitted against massive invading Persian forces who are ruled by the god-king Xerxes and led by Artemisia, the vengeful commanders of their navy. Knowing his only hope of defeating the Persian armadais to unite Greece. Themistokles leads the charge that will change the course of the war.

Are there a few of these movies that you haven't seen before but like the sound of? You can buy them here.

Happy watching!

(We received a bundle of DVDs for inclusion in this post.)

 

 

Festive Films for all the Family (+ giveaway!)

I absolutely love Christmas for so many reasons but one big one has to be gathering the family together and sitting down to enjoy a festive movie together. I loved family themed Christmas films before I even had children but now they are so much more special because I can see how excited my kids get watching them.

Warner Bros. has a fantastic selection of favourites to get the whole family in the Christmas spirit.

The Polar Express
I think everyone has to have seen this movie at least once in their life! If you aren't familiar with the story, a young boy who is doubting the existence of Santa Claus embarks a train to the North Pole. The journey is full of adventure and he receives a gift that only those who truly believe can experience. The way that this movie has been filmed and animated is absolutely incredible, I've never seen anything like it. It's worth watching just for that - and to see Tom Hanks in six different roles!

Get Santa
In this movie, a six year old boy discovers that Santa has crashed his sleigh into his parents shed. He gets his dad to help get Santa back to Lapland in time for Christmas but unfortunately his reindeer have escaped and are running around London. This is a film full of laughs and definitely one to watch if you're after something funny and light hearted.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
This is an oldie but a goodie! In the third instalment of the National Lampoon movies, disaster-prone dad Clark must survive Christmas with his in-laws. Of course, not everything goes smoothly and there are tons of gags and humour along the way. A proper dysfunctional family movie.

Jack Frost
This is one of my favourite Christmas movies as it's just so magical. Michael Keaton stars as a man who is in a car accident and comes back to life as a snowman. In life, Jack (Keaton) doesn't spend enough time with his son so when he is a snowman, he tries to make up for lost time. It's such a heartwarming movie and a must-watch this year.

Do you want to win a copy of all four of these movies? Check out my Twitter competition!

Want to win some fab Christmas DVDs suitable for all the family? Just RT & follow me! #WBChristmas

Ends 18/12 23:59, UK only! pic.twitter.com/BthCTYv494

— Rebecca Phillips (@x_walter) December 14, 2016

Children In Need 'Pudsey and Friends' DVD - Review and Giveaway

In just eight days time, the annual Children in Need fundraiser will be broadcast on BBC One. To coincide with this, Abbey Home Media have compiled some CBeebies favourites on to one DVD to help disadvantaged children and young people throughout the UK. A minimum of £2 per sale of the Pudsey and Friends DVD will go towards these young people having a safe, happy and secure childhood and help them reach their potential.

C and E both love watching CBeebies and I honestly can't think of a show that they don't like. At 4 and 2, they are still quite young so they did ask me about who Pudsey Bear was and I did my best to explain in a way that they would understand. 

At the main menu of the DVD, you can choose to play all or select certain episodes of shows. The kids liked the fact that they could play with no interruptions but now and then E would take a look at the cover, point to a character and say, "This one on!" and it was simple enough for me to find it without having to skip through a lot. She especially liked having a boogie to some of the theme songs - Timmy Time being her favourite!

The DVD contains a whopping 15 episodes, running for a total of three hours!

• Twirlywoos 'Turning'
• Peter Rabbit 'The Tale of Old Rusty'
• Something Special 'Fishing'
• Bing 'Hearts'
• Teletubbies 'Conga'
• Mike The Knight 'The Snoring Dragon'
• In The Night Garden 'Cough'
• Charlie & Lola 'I Can Train Your Dog'
• Timmy Time 'Timmy's Picnic'
• Sarah and Duck 'Sarah, Duck and the Penguins'
• Chuggington 'Trainee Camp'
• The Furchester Hotel 'Peckity Woodpecker'
• Octonauts 'Porcupine Puffer'
• Cloudbabies 'Rainbows Orchestra'
• Q Pootle 5 'Pootle's New Spaceship'

This is such a fun DVD for little ones. My two got really excited about watching their favourite characters and it's raising funds for a fantastic cause too.

I've also got a copy up for grabs for one of my readers. All you have to do is enter via the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck!

T&C's:

• The giveaway will run from November 10th until November 27th
• One winner will win one copy of Pudsey and Friends on DVD
• Prize will be sent by the PR company
• Open to entrants aged 18+
• UK residents only
• No automated entries
• One entry per person

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 (We received a copy of the DVD for the purpose of this post.)

 

 

Peter Rabbit 'The Tale of the Great Rabbit and Squirrel Adventure' DVD - Giveaway

Peter Rabbit is one of my children's favourite TV shows so I am really pleased that Abbey Home Media have released another collection of fantastic episodes. Fun, friendship and adventure abound once more with further tales to delight Beatrix Potter fans everywhere.

Join our hero, Peter Rabbit, in this fifth instalment of his animated adventures. Peter tells a curious Cotton-Tail how he and Squirrel Nutkin became friends and how Nutkin's lost his tail. Soon Peter is on an adventure to retrieve Nutkin's tail, even though it means going to Owl Island! This charming DVD collection features over 70 minutes full of fun, mischief and adventure, in six action packed episodes. 

With a taste for radishes and a thirst for adventure, Peter Rabbit is the lovable and extraordinary friend you longed to hang out with when you were a kid. But when the chips are down and danger lurks, there's no better friend to have around than Peter and his boundless courage will always see him through.

Peter Rabbit 'The Tale of the Great Rabbit and Squirrel Adventure' features the episodes:

• The Tale of the Great Rabbit and Squirrel Adventure
• The Tale of Old Brown's Feather
• The Tale of the Wiggly Worms
• The Tale of Two Enemies
• The Tale of Fierce Bad Rabbit
• The Tale of Mr Tod's Trap

Want to win a copy for your little one? Just enter via the Rafflecopter widget below! Good luck!

T&C's:

• The giveaway will run from October 31st until November 13th
• One winner will win one copy of Peter Rabbit 'The Tale of the Great Rabbit and Squirrel Adventure' on DVD
• Prize will be sent by the PR company
• Open to entrants aged 18+
• UK residents only
• No automated entries
• One entry per person

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

4 Films to Watch with your Kids this Halloween + giveaway!

I absolutely love Halloween, it's one of my favourite times of year. Because I love it so much, I've tried to get my children excited about it from an early age. It's worked well because my four year old son, C, is obsessed and I think he'd wear a Halloween costume every day if he could! My children are obviously too young to watch proper horrors but we love watching seasonal themed versions of our favourite animations. Here are four films that you should watch with your little ones. I loved Tom & Jerry and Bugs Bunny when I was a kid so it's great to have an excuse to watch them all again.

Tom & Jerry's Magical Misadventures 
This DVD features seven magical episodes. Wielding magic wands and careening through creepy castles, Tom is up to his old tricks as he continues the never-ending chase of his elusive target: Jerry. Fall under the spell of fun and laughter for both children and adults alike.

Tom & Jerry Tricks & Treats 
This amazing DVD contains a whopping 20 different episodes. The mischievous pair that is Tom and Jerry continue trying to outwit one another in this selection of adventures in which they encounter witches, werewolves, mummies and ghosts.

Tom & Jerry Halloween Hijinks and Shrieks 
Tom and Jerry are all dressed up with so many places to go in these seven hilarious episodes of zany chases and thrilling escapes. Showcasing their best attempts at clever disguises, these shorts are packed with the precise comic timing and over the top gags that made this award winning series one of the best in animation history. Join them in all-out antics and after-dark adventures in this collection of crazy cartoons.

Bugs Bunny Howl-Oween Special 
The wascally wabbit Bugs Bunny encounters dimwitted witches and vacant vampires in the holiday special. Bugs is joined by well loved Looney Tunes favourites Tweety Bird, Sylvester, Porky Pig, Daffy Duck and Speed Gonzales.

You can get your hands on these titles on Amazon and I'm also hosting a giveaway over on my Twitter page to win the lot!

RT & follow me to #win this #WBHalloween DVD bundle! https://t.co/MCIDva3jTf Ends 23.59 10/11. UK only! pic.twitter.com/LjdOYvz5gw

— Rebecca Phillips (@x_walter) October 27, 2016

What's your favourite family friendly Halloween movie? 

Masha and the Bear 'Holiday On Ice' DVD - Giveaway

Hooray, Masha and her friend Bear are back in a collection of seasonal episodes that will be released on DVD on Monday October 31st.

A retired circus bear settles into the woods and prepares for a quiet new life surrounded by peace and tranquility until he is introduced to an adventurous little girl named Masha. Masha is an energetic three-year-old who lives in an old train station in the forest. Precocious, silly, and friends with everyone she meets, this energetic girl can’t seem to keep herself out of trouble.

 

Bear is a warm, fatherly figure that does his best to guide his friend and keep her from harm, often ending up the unintended victim of her misadventures. Together with a loveable group of friendly animals that have made the forest their home, Masha and the Bear entertains adults and children alike, teaching viewers about creativity, loyalty and true friendship.

In this special, seasonal collection, eager to learn how to skate like a pro, Masha gets Bear to teach her. With a bit of effort, Masha gets Bear down to the frozen lake where Lady Bear is already. Hopeefully Bear and Lady Bear can help Masha learn the steps.


This special Christmassy collection includes the episodes:

• Holiday On Ice
• One, Two, Three! Light the Christmas Tree
• Picture Perfect
• Tracks of Unknown Animals
• Watch Out!
• First Day of School
• No Trespassing
• The Snow Maiden
• The Wolf and the Fox

 To be in with a chance of winning a copy for your little one(s) just enter via the Rafflecopter widget below. Good luck!

T&C's:

• The giveaway will run from October 20th until November 6th
• One winner will win a copy of Masha and the Bear Holiday On Ice on DVD
• Prize will be sent by the PR company
• Open to entrants aged 18+
• UK residents only
• No automated entries
• One entry per person

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Introducing my children to Spot! (+ giveaway)

One of the earliest memories I have is my dad reading me my Spot books at bedtime. They were my favourites and I asked for them every night.
Eric Hill created Spot way back in 1980 in a lift-the-flap book. His toddler-like behaviour introduces children to new experiences through friendship and play. The adorable little puppy has been loved internationally since and the books have been published in 50 languages including sign language and Braille and over 60 million books have been sold.

20+ years since reading the books myself, I was thrilled to receive a little Spot themed pack for the kids. We received a copy of Spot's Hide and Seek book, a DVD of Spot Goes to the Farm, a cute Spot hand puppet and tote bag.

The kids absolutely love reading so we had to give the book a go first. The book is called Hide and Seek and on every double page spread you are in a different setting such as the beach, farm or kitchen. To the right of the pages there is a list of things to find across those two pages with images of the items to help. C (almost 4 years of age) was better at this than E (who is almost 2). She tended to point at the helping images whereas C really tried to search. Some things he'd find right away and others he needed a bit of help with. It was a really fun activity to do with the kids and I loved combining fun with learning.

At the back of the book you are also given some bonus items to find. These were a little harder for C as he had to remember the image then flick back to the right page to search. He did quite well though! I was impressed. 

There is also a great new website Fun with Spot which we took a look at too. You can find out more about the books, Spot news and there are even some games to play and activity sheets to download. C had fun with the dress up game! There is a new app coming out on August 16th which I will be reviewing here on the blog so do keep an eye out for that.

I put the Spot Goes to the Farm DVD one early evening whilst we were waiting for Chris to get home from work. Both kids snuggled up in a blanket and couldn't wait to watch. 

The DVD contains 11 episodes:

• Spot Goes to the Farm
• Spot's Horse
• Spot's Breakfast
• Spot in the Woods
• Spot Goes to the Circus
• Spot's Umbrella
• Spot Goes Splash!
• Spot Stays Overnight
• Spot Goes to the Fair
• Spot Goes to the Park
• Spot Help Grandma

C and E were totally engrossed in the DVD whilst it was playing. C kept telling me about different things that Spot was doing, the characters he was meeting and how he thought Spot felt. It was really nice to see that he was taking such an interest in it. I loved watching too. The animation just seems like pages of those original Spot books that I read years ago were coming to life. I think the kids really like Spot because he does things that they do and likes the things that they are interested in. After the first episode at the farm, I asked him where he thought Spot should go next and he replied, "the park" so he liked that there was actually an episode about the park. The episodes are quite short (the entire run time is 55 minutes) so every time an episode went over, E would point and shout, "oh no!" She didn't want it to be over!

I've also been offered a second copy of Spot Goes to the Farm to give away to one of my readers! All you have to do is fill in the Rafflecopter widget below. 

 T&C's:

• The giveaway will run from August 15th until August 28th
• One winner will win one copy of Spot Goes to the Farm on DVD
• The prize will be sent to the prize winner from the PR
• Open to entrants aged 18+
• UK and ROI residents only
• No automated entries
• One entry per person

  Good luck!

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

(We received these items for the purpose of this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own.)