Leanne, Author at Rave & Review

Lady and the Tramp Diamond Edition Blu-ray + DVD

I have always loved Lady and the Tramp and I vividly remember watching the VHS over and over with my sister when we were young. I think we must have sung the “The Siamese Cat Song” {AKA “We Are Siamese”} every day from kindergarten to 5th grade and even to this day I can’t help but smile as I remember how much we adored the film.

The one thing that wasn’t vivid was the quality of the tape from our youth that had seen its better days and hadn’t been treated as it should. Seeing the Lady and the Tramp this past week in all its restored glory on Blu-ray was definitely the way it was meant to be seen. Bright and vibrant in HD, the film’s hand-drawn artwork doesn’t show its age at all and even my husband thought it was decades newer than it actually is.

My daughter, who knows nothing of VHS tapes, will only ever know of Lady and the Tramp in its beautifully restored Blu-ray release and she was completely blown away. In fact, it’s her new favorite movie, even surpassing her “princess movies” and she’s asked to watch it every single night since it arrived. And, watching it again with her, I had forgotten how great of a movie it really is.

Wishbone Flip 3-in-1 Rock & Roll Toy

For Christmas, my son got the coolest ride-on toy, ever. It gets this exclusive title because not only is it a super cool, adorable ride-on, but it’s also an amazing toy that can grow with your child from age 1 to 5. From one of our favorite brands comes their newest release, the Wishbone Flip … Read more

The Builder Bag

In terms of great educational toys, you really can’t go wrong with building toys. You just can’t beat the learning that happens when you let your little ones create whatever their heart desires with no rules but that of gravity and physics. I love watching my kids build and manipulate all the small pieces to … Read more

Woobee from Rain or Shine Kids

While we’ve had a bit of a mild winter here in the Pacific Northwest so far, it looks like winter is going to hit us pretty hard in the next few weeks. Taking other years into account, this means that we are likely looking forward to months and months of ice, freezing temperatures, and snow … Read more

Dead Poets Society Comes to Blu-ray

“Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,” a very simple sentiment, but something that you just can’t hear often enough. While the phrase “carpe diem” might be what Dead Poets Society is known for, and quite frankly, the only thing I remembered about the movie from when we watched it in High School, the latter phrase … Read more

Tegu Blocks Asks “How Do You Roll”

If you’ve come to my house to play in the past few months, chances are you were immediately asked if you wanted to play with Tegu Blocks. If so, you probably had the same reaction everyone else does when asked if you want to play: a shrug and an “I guess”. But, once the felted … Read more

Build Your Own Robot with PlanToys

Every kid needs a robot, right? PlanToys thinks they do, which is why they have released the new PlanToys Build-A-Robot. This isn’t your typical one size fits all robot, this is a special friend that kids can build to their specifications, and with their own distinct personality. Like everything PlanToys, the wooden Build-A-Robot is quality … Read more

Entertain Beautifully with Wendell August Waterfall Chip & Dip Set

Why does it seem that food tastes better when it’s displayed on beautiful serving pieces? It can’t just be me that has noticed that the most gorgeous serving pieces are usually empty first or that the manner in which you serve food has a lot to do with how that food is perceived. I’ve experimented … Read more

Zubels Organic Hand-Knit Toys

Are you constantly searching for organic toys for your kids? Have you noticed that when searching for organic toys, many of the selections that pop up are for babies? It’s extremely rare that you can find organic toys that can grow with your child and go from rattle to playmate, but that’s exactly what Zubels … Read more

Help Make Your Home Cozy with Blinds.com

A couple months ago I read a piece of home buying advice that I wished I had heard back before we bought our house in 2006. The author of the article was talking about the hidden costs of buying a home and at the top of her list was “count the damn windows”. Her point … Read more