February Events at Michaels Stores

Michaels Stores have a number of great events in February.

One of the first things that I noticed on their page was that they now host Rainbow Loom Meet Ups. Dates and times will vary by your store. The meet up is $5/child and does not include supplies. It is for children ages 6+

They will have a FREE Family Craft Time on Monday, February 10 from 5-7p to make a Love Bug Card.

They are having two FREE Family Craft events on Wednesday, February 12. In the morning, they will have Valentine's Frames from 10a-noon and Tissue Paper Hearts in the evening from 5-7p. Both events are Free. I am disappointed that the frame event is during the school day.

In addition, Michaels hosts 30 minute Kids Club sessions each Saturday morning from 10a-noon. Kids Club sessions are $2/child and for children ages 3 and up. Parents are welcome to shop in store during the session. Upcoming Kids Club events are:

• Saturday, February 8 - Sweet Treat Card
• Saturday, February 15 - Heart Painting
• Saturday, February 22 - Craft Foam & Felt Butterfly
• Saturday, March 1 - Read Across North America Bookmark Event

LEGO Movie Building Event at Toys R Us

My daughter has been eagerly awaiting the LEGO® Movie since last summer.  She is so excited that it is finally coming out on Friday. She has already requested to go see it Friday night and no other activity has convinced her to delay until Saturday night.

Saturday afternoon, Toys R Us stores nationwide will have the LEGO® Movie Building Event from noon-2p. Kids will have the chance to build Emmet's car from the movie. There will be a raffle to enter by 2p for a chance to win LEGO® prizes and toys.

The event is designed for children ages 5 and up with a limit of 1 build per child. However, they never turned my daughter away when she was younger than the recommended age.

We have attended many events at Toys R Us over the years. We have had mixed experiences. Sometimes we have shown up at the start time to find they have just started setting up. Other times, we have arrived 30 minutes into the event and found that they had run out of supplies. For an event that my daughter is really interested in (like this one), we will typically arrive a few minutes early to be sure that we are there before materials run out.

Think Warm! Prepare for Summer with This Deal

Are you sick of the winter weather yet? In Ann Arbor we have had a horrible winter. We've used 4 "snow" days, mostly for extremely low temperatures (wind chill below -20F). Other days (like today) we have had quite a bit of snow and bad road conditions, but still had school.

This morning while going through my email I saw that Zulily is offering a deal on Keen's sandals. I am torn between feeling hopeful that summer is coming, or taunted with the idea of summer clothing while stuck in a miserable winter. Either way, I wanted to share the deal with you (so you can decide to feel hopeful or taunted as well).

Disclaimer: I am a Zulily Affiliate and am compensated for sales through Zulily links. I appreciate your support of my blog by shopping through my links.

Until last summer I never gave much thought to what my daughter was wearing. Then, in mid-August she did a water themed week of Girl Scout summer camp. They asked us to send the kids in shoes that could get wet but were securely fastened (no Crocs or flip flops). Of course the email came at 3p on Friday before camp starts and I was booked until 9p on both Friday and Saturday and had plans most of Sunday. Fortunately, a few of my friends also had daughters in the same camp and were able to do some scouting for me. We found the Circo (Target brand) version of Keen's on clearance since it was late in the season.

My daughter loved those shoes. I wish we had purchased them earlier in the summer since she practically lived in them for the rest of August and on a rainy week at Disney World in November. For next summer, I will definitely be buying her either Keens or the Target version again.

If you want to get a jump-start on your summer shoe shopping (or maybe you have a mid-winter or spring break trip planned), today there are KEEN on sale at Zulily.

In looking through the Kids election, I was drawn to these purple Keens which are available in a toddler 9 through a Youth 6. My only concern is what shoe size she will be wearing by summer. Her current winter shoes are all a size 3 (up from a 1 last winter), but in her latest pair of sneakers she is almost into a size 4. With the rate her feet have suddenly started to grow, I am hesitant to buy now.

For a boy (or a girl looking for something other than the traditional pink/purple), there is this Caribbean Blue pair or a Chili Pepper Red pair.

Additionally, they also have adult KEEN shoes on sale. With this deal, the whole family can match and be prepared for the summer.

Frozen Sing-Along Comes to Theaters Tomorrow

Have you seen Disney's Frozen yet? My daughter was originally disappointed that our trip to Walt Disney World interfered with the Frozen screenings that we were invited to. However, she was more than thrilled that she got to meet Anna and Elsa at Walt Disney World.

After that meeting, she decided that she wanted an Anna costume. Since we don't have a local DisneyStore, we ordered one online. She has had many Disney costumes over the years (including Disney Parks, Disney Store, and versions sold in toy stores). Without a doubt, I would say that the Disney Store version of the Anna costume is the one that has impressed me the most. Sadly, it is probably her last Disney Princess costume as she now wears a 10 - the largest size the costumes are available in.

Disclaimer: I am an Amazon Associate and iTunes Affiliate and am compensated for sales through Amazon and iTunes links. I appreciate your support of my blog by shopping through my links.

After returning from our trip, we saw the movie on Opening Weekend and we both loved it. Over Christmas, my daughter enjoyed singing along to the Frozen Soundtrack with her cousins. I have already pre-ordered Frozen (Two-Disc Blu-ray / DVD + Digital Copy) from Amazon which will be released on March 18, 2014. You can also preorder a digital copy of the movie through iTunes for a February 25, 2014 release. We have also bought the Frozen Soundtrack for her to listen to (from Amazon or Frozen (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) - Various Artists on iTunes).

My daughter is going to be so excited to hear that there is a Sing-Along version of Frozen coming to theaters beginning tomorrow. We attended a Sing Along Screening of The Little Mermaid at one of our local theaters two years ago and she loved it.

The press release below has more information on the Sing-Along version.

FANS GET IN ON THE ACT:

ALL-NEW SING-ALONG VERSION OF DISNEY’S “FROZEN” HITS THEATERS NATIONWIDE JAN. 31, 2014

Moviegoer Response to Film’s Original Songs Triggers Sing-Along Experience in More Than 1000 Theaters

BURBANK, Calif. (Jan. 22, 2014) – “Frozen” audiences are invited to join the act—literally—as more than 1000 theaters nationwide introduce an all-new sing-along version of Disney’s Oscar®-nominated, Golden Globe®-winning big-screen adventure beginning Jan. 31, 2014.

“‘Frozen’ fans have embraced the film’s original songs and its soundtrack with such passion—there are countless YouTube videos from people singing songs like ‘Let It Go’—we decided to create a version that would celebrate that enthusiasm,” said Dave Hollis, executive vice president, theatrical distribution, The Walt Disney Studios. “It’s a great opportunity for families to get together and have some fun with these songs.”

According to Hollis, on-screen lyrics and a magical bouncing snowflake will accompany select showings; moviegoers can check local listings for showtimes and theaters. The duration of the sing-along run will vary by theater.

Disney’s “Frozen” received two Oscar® nominations, including best animated feature and best original song (“Let It Go”). Named best animated film by more than a dozen critics associations, the film won a Golden Globe® for best animated feature, two Critics Choice Movie Awards, including best animated feature and best song (“Let It Go”), and a Producers Guild of America Award for outstanding animated feature.

In wide release since November 27, the film posted the No. 1 all-time Thanksgiving debut and the largest opening ever for a Walt Disney Animation Studios film. “Frozen,” WDAS’ 53rd feature film, has earned more than $773 million worldwide, including $337` million domestically. The film’s soundtrack was No. 1 in the Billboard top 200 for two straight weeks.

At Hollywood’s El Capitan Theatre, the “Frozen” sing-along version includes on-stage appearances from the movie’s Elsa prior to each showing, plus snow flurries inside the theater. Showtimes are at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

On Digital HD & 3D Feb. 25 and Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD & On-Demand March 18, the in-home version of “Frozen” promises continued family fun with a blizzard of never-before-seen bonus extras to complement the film’s gorgeous animation, memorable characters and unforgettable music.

ABOUT THE MOVIE
Walt Disney Animation Studios, the studio behind “Tangled” and “Wreck-It Ralph,” presents “Frozen,” a stunning big-screen comedy adventure. Fearless optimist Anna (voice of Kristen Bell) sets off on an epic journey—teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff (voice of Jonathan Groff) and his loyal reindeer Sven—to find her sister Elsa (voice of Idina Menzel), whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf (voice of Josh Gad), Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom. The film is directed by Chris Buck (“Tarzan,” “Surf’s Up”) and Jennifer Lee (screenwriter, “Wreck-It Ralph”), who also wrote the screenplay. It is produced by Peter Del Vecho (“Winnie the Pooh,” “The Princess and the Frog”). Featuring original songs from Kristen Anderson-Lopez (“In Transit,” “Winnie the Pooh”) and Tony® winner Robert Lopez (“The Book of Mormon,” “Avenue Q”), and an original score by Christophe Beck (“The Muppets,” Oscar®-winning short “Paperman”), “Frozen” opened in theaters nationwide on Nov. 27, 2013. Accompanying “Frozen” is Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Get A Horse!” With Walt Disney himself as the voice of Mickey Mouse, the all-new short features Mickey, his favorite gal pal Minnie Mouse and their friends Horace Horsecollar and Clarabelle Cow as they delight in a musical haywagon ride. For more information, check out Disney.com/Frozen, like us on Facebook: facebook.com/DisneyFrozen and follow us on Twitter: Twitter.com/DisneyAnimation.

In the meantime, get ready for the Sing Along version with this multi-lingual version of Elsa singing "Let it Go"

Michaels Store Events

Does your child love crafts? If so, you may want to check out your local Michaels store.

Michaels Kids Club Events are half-hour sessions that are held each Saturday from 10a-noon for kids ages 3 & up. Each session costs $2/child. The parents are welcome to stay and assist or shop in the store.

Upcoming events are:

• Saturday, January 11: Mini-Masterpieces - Painting Fun
  
• Saturday, January 18: Alien Foam Door Hanger
  
• Saturday, January 25: Glitter & Tie-Dye Designs
  
• Saturday, February 1: Crafty Valentine's Day Bags