Television & Movies Archives - Page 8 of 11

The VHS to DVD Converter from Hammacher Schlemmer

I’m all about keeping it old school, and I have a huge collection of film cameras to prove it. But, some things are better left in the past, a good example of which is VHS tapes. I had forgotten how much I despised VHS until I was “gifted” our collection of VHS tapes that our family used for recording TV and home movies throughout the 80s and most of the 90s.

But, let me tell you, VHS is awful. The quality of the tape degrades as it ages, it’s a pain to fast forward and rewind, doesn’t have menus to help you navigate, and back in the day it wasn’t easy to edit down into the good stuff. This means I was “gifted” with hundreds of hours of pure awfulness and about 30 minutes of perfection {which more than made up for the awfulness I was subjected to while going through the old tapes}.

However {and this is a big however}, each of those moments of perfection were spread out over 30+ tapes and took up a huge space in our office where no one could ever enjoy them. The solution? The VHS to DVD Converter from Hammacher Schlemmer that allows you to take all those precious home movies on VHS into custom DVDs that can be easily played, edited, and enjoyed.

In addition to easily transferring VHS recordings to DVDs, this little console does double duty as it’s also a video player for those who have a library of both DVD and VHS home videos. For DVDs it has 1080p upscaling through an HDMI output, but it also has a front DV input that allows you to connect a camcorder directly to the device to transfer content directly to a DVD {includes a coaxial input as well as component and composite inputs}.

It’s the 50th anniversary of Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! {own Mary Poppins today on Blu-ray}

Is there anyone out there that didn’t want Julie Andrews as their nanny? What I would’ve given to have a babysitter like her instead of my pesky older siblings bossing me around {just kidding, siblings, you know I love you even though you can’t fly with umbrellas or make up well-orchestrated songs for our menial day-to-day tasks}.

Even though my days of wishing I had Mary Poppins as my nanny are long gone, my love for the film has never dimmed. Of course I was thrilled when I heard that in honor of its 50th anniversary, the classic Disney film Mary Poppins was going to be released on Blu-ray this year.

DIY snowflake window cling craft for kids {inspired by the movie Frozen}

My kids are fully obsessed with the new Frozen movie from Disney. You may remember my post about the press pre screening we were invited to, but what you don't know is that we loved it so much that we actually went back to the theater that same week and watched it again. That's a lot of love.

Both of them are dying for the movie to come out and are broken hearted about the fact that it's going to be months until we can watch it whenever we want at home, so we've decided to bring some Frozen fun home while we wait. First up on the list was doing a craft I've been wanting to do for a while: snowflake window clings.

To make DIY Snowflake Window Clings you will need:

Tulip Glitter or Puffy Paint
Wax Paper
Snowflake pattern from the Disney Frozen site

Monsters University available today on DVD and Blu-ray

If you love Monsters, Inc. as much as we do then you’ve likely been dying to see the new Monsters University for yourself. Instead of a traditional sequel as we’re used to, Disney*Pixar has gone the opposite route and have introduced a prequel to the uber popular Monsters, Inc.

The new movie fills us in on everything that came before Boo and tells how Mike Wazowski and Sulley met. Taking place at the prestigious Monsters University {MU}, Mike and Sulley meet in the elite Scare Program that Mike has been dreaming of his whole life.

But, the academic life Mike always dreamed of is derailed almost immediately when the pair's competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the University's elite Scare Program. They find themselves at odds over and over again and hilarity ensues.

Disney’s The Little Mermaid: Diamond Edition Blu-ray + DVD Combo Pack available now {$7 off coupon}

Have you heard the news? The Little Mermaid, one of the most celebrated animated films of all
time, is available for first time ever on Blu-ray! Wooohooo!

Looking back, I can clearly remember the time I first saw The Little Mermaid. It marks a point in my life in which I became obsessed with merfolk, deep sea creatures, and singing about wanting legs. So, of course, I was dying to watch it with my own children.

With unforgettable characters that shaped my own childhood, adventures at every turn, awesome Academy Award-winning music {1989: Best Music, Original Score, and Best Music, Original Song, Under The Sea}, The Little Mermaid is one of those classic films that every child should enjoy.

Sofia the First: Ready to be a Princess on DVD

Much to my daughter’s dismay, I must have been the last mom on Earth to hear of Sofia the First. She has been trying for months to get me to buy Sofia toys and games whenever we saw them in stores, and it wasn’t until about two weeks ago that I realized they were licensed after a new show on Disney Jr.

So, I did my reading and found that Sofia the First is all about a little girl who becomes a princess overnight when her mom marries the king. The show is about adjusting to life as royalty while dealing with normal issues every kid faces, like honesty and loyalty and courage. I love the premise because it shows girls that even though Sofia may be living a fairytale, it’s important to know that she has problems just like everyone else.

My daughter was ridiculously excited when we received the new Sofia the First DVD last week with 5 new episodes from the TV series. After watching the first episode, she turned to me and said “this is the BEST SHOW EVER” and snuggled in. My daughter absolutely loves the show now that she's seen the new DVD, and I love that she’s learning lessons about telling the truth, believing in herself, and trying new things.

See An American Girl: Saige Paints the Sky this Saturday 7/13 on NBC

I remember when I used to cry during love stories, carried away with whatever misunderstanding brought the lovers apart and on the edge of my seat to see if they would eventually get back together. Now, I cry during kid’s movies – specifically ones that I can see my own children in. These days, the … Read more

Welcome to the world of Mike the Knight

by Susan, editor and reviewer

I'm not going to lie; my kids love TV. Sure, we love playing outside together, and building with blocks, but they are also big fans of the TV. When I was first pregnant, visions of sharing princess movies with my kids danced in my head. So far, I have boys. Boys who are not interested in princesses. Thank goodness for Mike the Knight!

When we first discovered Mike and his friends in Glendragon, I was very happy. It's a very vibrant show that really teaches kids about problem solving, being a good friend, and doing the right thing! "Be a knight; do it right!" is always the end motto – and the one most repeated by my 3 year old.

As a parent, I really appreciate the positive message the show teaches, including some deeper things like equality, accepting all people (or trolls or Vikings) for who they are. Mike, his horse Galahad, and his two dragon friends Sparkie and Squirt have many adventures, and work together to help Mike find the knightly way to handle every situation; including getting along with his little sister Evie!

Secure your TV with SANUS {tilting TV wall mount}

I’m sure everyone out there has read the horrifying stories about little kids climbing furniture and pulling it down on themselves, but I’ve got one more for you. About ten years ago, my little niece climbed the drawers on a dresser in her older brother’s room to change the channel on his TV. Since the … Read more

Oz The Great And Powerful out on Blu-ray and DVD today!

When I was young, I memorized every word in The Wizard of Oz movie. And, to this day, every night before bed, my daughter and I sing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” together as part of our bedtime routine. Obviously, I’m busy cultivating a deep love for all things Oz at a young age.

And, now is the best time to be introducing her to Oz with the release of Disney’s Oz The Great And Powerful that comes out TODAY on Blu-ray and DVD. While I saw Oz when it was in theatres {and loved it}, I really wanted to watch the film over and over again to see everything I might have missed the first time, so I knew this would be one film we would definitely have to own. When a copy arrived for review, I was so incredibly excited that we planned an Oz night to watch it.