Give the gift of history with Felicity from American Girl

It’s hard for me to picture Christmas time without American Girl. I vividly remember circling items in the American Girl catalog each year in my youth, then I remember shopping their online store with my nieces years later, and now I’m taking my own kids to the Seattle American Girl store for them to make … Read more

CARS 3 comes racing home on DVD and Blu-ray

For 6+ years, we’ve been mega fans of the Disney•Pixar’s CARS franchise. Our love started when my son became obsessed with all things that go and especially connected with CARS because of the fact that the films gave backstories and personalities to humanize cars, trucks, and other vehicles. After all of these years, we have … Read more

Strengthening the sibling bond with Disney•Pixar’s Cars 3

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #UltimatePitStop #CollectiveBiasDisney Pixar Cars worldAround here it’s been a mini construction zone for days. The kiddos have been busy repurposing toys, household items, and art supplies to create a little world for them to play in. This may look like any old kids’ project, but for them, and for our family, this isn’t just child’s play or a random assortment of things – this is how the siblings bond using Disney•Pixar’s Cars 3.

Interested in finding out what their newest Disney•Pixar’s Cars 3 love is? Hover over the photo to click through to Amazon.com to buy!


If you know my older kids, you know they are exceptionally close, despite being different genders and over two years apart in age. They play together happily for hours and hours each day and for the most part agree on toys, activities, and things they enjoy. But, there has been one activity they have disagreed on since my son was old enough to communicate.

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Z Yang events this Saturday at American Girl stores in NYC, Chicago, Seattle, Dallas, and DC

American Girl Z in the air Sponsored postHave you heard the news? American Girl just released their newest contemporary doll, Z Yang last week. “Z” {short for Suzie} is Korean American and hails from Seattle {every girl in the PNW, including my two littles, is squealing right now}. American Girl Z with cameraNot only do I adore that she’s from Seattle, I love that Z is a stop-motion vlogger, which is my oldest’s dream job. Fans have come to know and love Z as the star of the American Girl’s immensely popular web series, Z’s Crew. In the web series, Z loves staying connected with friends and sharing a good story through her stop motion videos.

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10 reasons to own ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY on DVD and Blu-ray

Rogue One lay flat 6a0105362badb1970b01b8d26a17bd970c-800wiLucasfilm’s first-ever standalone Star Wars adventure, ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY is out on DVD and Blu-ray today! I know from experience that the last few months have been torture for Star Wars mega fans everywhere. My son must have asked every singe weekend if he could go see "Rode One", and sadly our budget didn't allow for weekly screenings. Rogue One playing 2But, then he happened to catch a commercial about the DVD release and it was all over after that. So, as for the probability that we would eventually one Rogue One? It was high. Very high.

Here are 10 reasons why you should own ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY:

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Disney’s Moana obession level: High

Moana ObsessedSponsored post Our Moana obsession started as soon as we saw the first trailers for Disney’s newest full-length animated film, and it persisted even after we saw the movie in theaters {not just once, but twice, which is something we never do}. The kids were counting down the days until they could own the movie themselves, so to make do in the interim between theater and DVD, we got the Moana soundtrack with songs by the amazing songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda. The soundtrack quickly intensified their obsession and it basically hasn’t left the CD player in weeks.

And while some movies are great because they hold our interest and have great soundtracks, Moana was a movie I could get behind 100%. Instead of the tired old story of princess and prince waiting for each other in order to be happy and fulfilled, Disney is shaking up the game by offering us truly strong female characters. Moana is the newest in their lineup of progressive heroines that value self-discovery, independence, and rising to any challenge. This is why I not only allow the Moana obsession, but I also encourage it. Moana movie and bookThis is why we’re all thrilled to announce that Moana is finally available on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and On-Demand! Wooohooo! Even though the littlest one pronounces it “Noana”, the excitement she holds for the movie, the music, and all the new characters doesn’t need translating. This is a little girl who has been waiting for a 1/4 of her life for this day…. Moana love

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Marvel’s Doctor Strange is out on DVD and Blu-ray today

Sponsored post Doctor_Strange3DRemember when I told you not to wait to see Doctor Strange until it came out on DVD? Well, I hope you took my advice and saw it in theaters and then loved it as much as we did. And, I hope you adored it so much that you then were counting down the days until it was released on DVD so you could watch it over and over again. Like us.

We got to introduce our kids to Doctor Strange this week and their little minds were blown by the new superhero. “Is he a bad guy?”, “What are his superpowers?”, “Is he going to be okay?” So many questions. But, can you blame them? Doctor Strange is like nothing they have ever seen before, and a superhero like no other. As a parent, I loved them seeing a Marvel character that learned how to be a superhero. Rather than some accidental spill of radioactive material or a super power that comes on overnight, Doctor Strange just worked hard and studied.6a0105362badb1970b01b7c8ac3f9a970b-800wi I loved his transformation from an arrogant and famous neurosurgeon who embarks on a journey to find healing. When his travels take him to Kamar-Taj, a mysterious enclave where he learns that there is more to the center than meets the eye, you see the true superhero emerge.

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Introducing Logan Everett, the first ever 18″ boy doll from American Girl

Sponsored post American Girl playing guitarHe’s here! He’s here! I feel like we’ve been waiting forever for the release of the new American Girl doll, Logan Everett. The rumors have been swirling for months that a boy doll was in the works and I think I got roughly 50 messages asking if it was true. I’m happy to say that the rumors were true, and Logan Everett arrived this month at American Girl on Valentine’s Day.  American Girl Logan in storeIf you know my son, you know he’s one of the biggest fans of American Girl that there ever was. It started when my daughter got her first doll when she was 4 and he was only 2, and that love has grown exponentially throughout the years. He was crazy excited when he was given a boy Bitty Twin we scored second-hand, but I always wished there was an 18” boy I could buy for him. American Girl Tenney and Logan in storeYou should have seen his face when his sister and I surprised him with his own Logan Everett doll at the Seattle American Girl café last week. Not only was he over the moon excited, but so was his sister who has been dying for him to get his own doll for years and years. She had been plotting since before Christmas about how she could get him a doll if they came out with a boy and Logan was everything she had hoped for for her brother.

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Bring home a classic with Pinocchio on DVD and Blu-ray

Sponsored postR_pinocchio_header_prebluray_6a616c6bPinocchio has always been one of those movies that I could watch again and again, so I’ve been waiting for the day that the elusive Disney vault would open and they would re-release Pinocchio on DVD and Blu-ray so we could purchase it {and finally rid ourselves of one of the last few VHS videos we still own}. Besides our own love for Pinocchio, it was also one of our Grandma’s favorites. After she passed away this last year we really wanted to share her love of Pinocchio with our kids, and were thrilled when Pinocchio was slated for a January 2017 release.

The Walt Disney Signature Collection release of Pinocchio is available January 31st, 2017 and includes hours of classic bonus material and exclusive features including a reinvented rendition of “When You Wish Upon a Star” created and performed by music influencers from Disney’s Maker Studios. It also contains never-before-seen artwork from the film’s Pleasure Island sequence and archival recordings of Walt himself during Pinocchio production.

Not familiar with Disney’s Pinocchio? Pinocchio tells the tale of wood-carver Geppetto’s beloved puppet who embarks on a thrilling quest – with faithful friend Jiminy Cricket – that tests his bravery, loyalty and honesty, all virtues he must learn to fulfill his heart’s desire: to become a real boy.

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