television « Real Moms Real Views

Pound Puppies: Homeward Pound now on DVD!

Mention the word “puppies” and my kids go crazy! They LOVE puppies. When Pound Puppies: Homeward Pound arrived for us to review they were super excited! When I think of Pound Puppies I remember being a little girl and owning quite a few of them. I remember they were adorable and they came in a little puppy dog house, which I kept with each one as their homes! Now I am excited to share these fun pups with my kiddos. They have brought a lot of smiles and giggles to our television time. My son’s favorite is Lucky. Once he learned his name he kept saying it over and over again.

This DVD includes 5 episodes:

Homeward Pound
My Fair Rebound
Quintuplets
K-9 Kid
Zoltron

There’s even a great bonus feature that you can enjoy:
Learn to draw Lucky! This will be fun when my son gets older. Right now it’s strictly crayons and scribbles for us! LOL

While I thought my 1.5 and 3.5 year old would only make it through one episode…..I was wrong. Once the first one was over they were asking me to play another! It was a hit, now do you think we will see a come back of the pound puppies in stores? I sure hope so, I would definitely buy them for my kids!

You can pick this up NOW at your local retailer!

Just in time for Easter basket giving!

Hollie March 10, 2012 PRODUCT REVIEWS children, dvd, Family, television

Look Whats Coming Down The Tracks {Thomas and Friends Up, Up and Away DVD Review}

You know when you hear “Thomas The Train” and in your mind you automatically sing the theme song, that it is being played (and enjoyed) in your house a little too much! If there is a thing as “too much.” Thomas is a slightly new thing at our house. But since we got our first Thomas DVD set, I have heard the music playing over and over. We are getting to know all of the train’s names, including Sir Topham Hat.

In Thomas’ newest movie Up, Up and Away you get to enjoy 4 more adventures with Thomas and his friends.

Thomas and his friends reach new heights in these high-flying adventures! Thomas and Percy have a special adventure as they try and try again to bring balloons to Mr. Bubbles’ Big Balloon Show. At the Children’s Steam Fair, Emily learns there are great rewards – and laughs — in helping others; Kevin tries his hook at Hide and Peep and Thomas has a wonky whistle! Up, Up & Away for fun and adventure with Thomas & Friends!

Episodes:

· Up, Up & Away

· Wonky Whistle

· Kevin the Steamie

· Emily and Dash

Can you believe what a hit Thomas and his friends are after 10 years of being one of preschool aged-kids top selling toys?! They get better with time! They will continue to make your kids laugh and smile while teaching them life lessons. Real Mom Approved!!

Erin March 7, 2012 PRODUCT REVIEWS children, dvd, entertainment, Family, kids, movies, television, Thomas the Train

Two of Our Favorite Pals! {Barney Movie Pack & Thomas and Friends Movie Pack Review}

None of my kids have ever really gotten into either barney or Thomas…except Mia!! She is totally differant then my other three. She loves the silly songs and dances that Barney does and the fun adventures that Thomas goes on. She was thrilled when one package came and it had a Barney 3-Movie Pack and a Thomas and Friends 3-Movie Pack in it!!

Barney brought lots of fun, music and laughs to my house with this 3 DVD set!

It includes threse 3 DVDs-

Barney: Jungle Friends

Grab your safari hat and join your best friends, Barney, BJ™, and Baby Bop™ as they laugh, dance and sing through an enchanted rainforest and learn about all of the amazing animals, plants and insects that call the rainforest their home. Watch and learn as kids play with monkeys, collect butterflies and search for the Higgledy Piggledy Pear Tree in this super-dee-duper tale of friendship and fun!

Barney: Animal ABC’s

BJ, Baby Bop and Riff™ have gathered alphabet blocks for a fun game of…. what? They wonder what game they can play with the blocks. When Megan’s dog, Gracie, picks up the D block, Barney comments that she’s a very smart dog, because D is for dog! He suggests a game of finding an animal for each letter of the alphabet, and everyone is excited to give it a try. During the game, the kids and dinos have fun coming up with animals, but BJ has a hard time with the letters, W, X, Y and Z. In the end, an animal is found for every letter, even though they have to use a make-believe animal for the letter U; Unicorn!

Barney: Let’s Go On Vacation

Pack your bags with Barney & Friends™ and come along for a musical adventure and a whole new world of fun! From exotic new foods to exciting new friends, the trip turns into a singing and dancing celebration. The gang quickly learns that the things that matter most — like family and friends — are the same all over the world. Don’t miss a magical minute!

All three of these DVDs became an instant hit in our house! Mia loved the ABC’s because that is what she is working on in school right now and thought it was fun to see all of the animals that went with the letters. Jungle Friends taught about being friends…it was a good one for Mia to share with her friends. They sometimes have a hard time sharing and getting along and this was a helpful was to remind them to be nice. The Vacation DVD made me need a vaca! Mia did like hearing about the differant kinds of food and wanted me to make them all…good luck!

Thomas the Tank Engine is not one of my favorites, but Mia really likes it! I even caught Austin watching it!

The 3 DVD pack includes-

Thomas& Friends: Hero of The Rails

Follow Thomas as he discovers Hiro, an abandoned engine from a faraway land. Fearing that Hiro will be scrapped, Thomas enlists the help of many friends, but mishaps, mistakes and one boastful engine could foil their rescue plans.

Thomas & Friends: The Great Discovery

Sodor Day is coming and all the engines are busy preparing. When Thomas gets lost in the mountains, he discovers the old town of Great Waterton! Soon the whole island is buzzing with the news of Thomas’ discovery and restoring the old town in time for the big day.

Thomas & Friends: Calling All Engines

Summertime is a busy time on the Island of Sodor. When the Steam engines and Diesels can’t get along and no work is getting done, the engines are in a terrible mess! Will the new airport be ready in time? Will the bridge get built? Can the engines save the day? Find out in Calling All Engines!

This was the first time that Mia had seen Thomas, but since then has found a new love for these fun trains. We were at the dentist the other day and Mia was playing “Thomas” with the trains and cars there. I love that each episiode has a story that teaches something. I like that they are all kind of based on friendship, learning, and getting along.

Thanks to L

Erin March 2, 2012 PRODUCT REVIEWS Barney, children, dvd, Family, kids, learning tools, television, Thomas the Train

Dora-rific! {Dora’s Easter Adventure}

With a 4 year old in the house, our TV spends a lot of time on Nickelodeon, especially Dora. Mia is always glued to the TV as soon as that Da-da-da-Dora starts! I thought I had seen just about every episode made and I know all of the characters by name. (Boots is one of my faves but I think Tico and Benny are pretty cute, too. ) Dora’s Easter Adventure is a collection of three of the cutest Dora episodes that I have seen. Dora’s Easter Adventure Dora and Boots are waiting for their friend, the Hip-Hop Bunny, to bring his basket filled with eggs and treats for their big egg hunt. Just as the Bunny arrives at the forest, Swiper swipes the basket and throws it far into the Rainbow Garden – where it’s headed for a waterfall! It’s Dora and Boots to the rescue as they join the Bunny on an Easter Day Adventure singing the Hip-Hop Bunny’s Easter song, going past the scratchy flowers at the Garden and racing down the Rainbow River on a giant rubber ducky to save the basket.

Plus Two Bonus Episodes!

The Grumpy Old Troll Gets Married

Dora in Troll Land

After watching the DVD with Mia, she had to watch it again. We loved Dora and the Hip-Hop Bunny. Mia went on and on about how cute Dora was, and how cute her dress was, and how cute her shoes were. As always, Dora and Boots go on a fun adventure- this time they are accompanied by Hip-Hop Bunny and his basket. We loved when the basket was in Rainbow River. Mia yelled out the color the basket was on just like she was asked to Next up, The Grumpy Old Troll. (if you are a true Dora fan, you are singing “I’m the Grumpy Old Troll Who Lives Under the Bridge” song.) Who would have thought that the Grumby Old Troll would have even gotten married Well, he does! But first, you have to help his bride to be get to the wedding without crashing her carriage! Mia loved Dora in Troll Land just as much as the other two episodes. The entire DVD is super cute! Real Mom Approved!!

Erin February 5, 2012 PRODUCT REVIEWS children, Dora, dvd, kids, television

Spin, Twirl, and Dance The Day Away {Angelina Ballerina: Sweet Valentine DVD Review}

Mia is my youngest, therefore we have all kinds of little girls dress up clothes and left over dance costumes. They have made their way to a bucket in one of the girls bedrooms. Occasionally, a friend will come over to play with Mia and the clean bedroom turns into a dressing room complete with tiaras and feather boas. They try on outfit after outfit, but always end up in a ballerina dress. There is something “magical” about a ballerina. They are beautiful and graceful…two things that little girls want to be. When you take a beautiful ballerina and turn her into a sweet little mouse, you have Angelina Ballerina. She is the star of her newest DVD called Angelina Balleria: Sweet Valentine.

“Love and friendship take center stage in these sweet stories. Angelina uncovers the mystery of her secret admirer with some help from her friends. Angelina and Alice help Marco realize the true importance of helping his friends. The students celebrate Ms. Mimi, and although it may have been for the wrong reason, they do it with a lot of heart! And when Angelina and her girlfriends try to make a girls’ club, they realize a friendship club is much sweeter. Spread the love with dancing, skating, singing and best friends forever!”

When I asked Mia what was her favorite part of the DVD she replied with “every time they dance at the school.” She sat and didn’t move as she watched all 5 episodes on the DVD. She thinks Angelina has a funny voice, too She liked it so much, she took it to a friends house and insted of the two girls playing, they got dressed up in their ballet dresses and watched and danced with Angelina and her friends. Angelina is such a sweet little mouse and all of her shows are so sweet and nice. I have so many not-so-nice shows that my kids want to watch, that this is one that I love to have on! REAL MOM APPROVED!

Erin January 19, 2012 PRODUCT REVIEWS Angelina Ballerina, children, dvd, kids, movies, PBS, television

Happiness is…..{Happiness is Peanuts: Friends Forever DVD Review}

Who doesn’t love a good ‘ol Charlie Brown every now and again?! My kids have fallen in love with Charlie, Schroeder, Linus, Lucy, and of course Snoopy! Every holiday we look forward to seeing the Charlie Brown Special on TV! They laugh at how mean Lucy is to poor Charlie while they play football and how silly Snoopy is on his dog house. They love how the teacher talks, and I occasionally will get a” Whaa-whaa-waaa” when I ask them to do something

“Charlie Brown has his heart set on meeting the Little Red-Haired Girl on You’re in Love, Charlie Brown, the 1968 Emmy® nominated television special. School is about to let out for summer but all Charlie Brown can think of is how to meet the Little Red-Haired Girl. All his attempts end in embarrassments. He writes her a love note but winds up accidentally reading it out loud to his class. When she tries to approach him during the lunch break, he panics and pulls his lunch bag over his head. He gets up really early one morning in hopes of catching her at her bus stop but winds up falling asleep and misses the bus. Will it be a summer of heartbreak for Charlie Brown or will he manage to connect with the Little Red-Haired Girl before school lets out?

Happiness is…Peanuts™: Friends Forever, also includes an episode from The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show, featuring skits based on Peanuts strips created by Charles M. Schulz.

Kite Eating Tree – Charlie Brown visits Lucy’s psychiatry booth for advice on fighting the kite-eating tree.

Sally – Pretending to be a WWI Flying Ace, Snoopy steals Sally’s report for school.

Camp – Charlie Brown is sent home from camp for being a “troublemaker.” Peppermint Patty tells Linus that she cried when she saw him kiss the Little-Red Haired girl.

Lucy Loves Schroeder – Lucy puts Schroeder’s piano in the washer and dryer after she breaks up with him.

Scared Snoopy – Snoopy sees Lucy at her psychiatry booth because he’s been hearing noises at night but later refuses to pay his bill.

“With Valentine’s Day approaching, Happiness is…Peanuts™: Friends Forever is the perfect title to share with both kids and adults, there’s something in it for everyone,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, WHV Executive Marketing Director of Family & Animation Franchise. She added, “Although most everyone can relate to Charlie Brown and his unrequited love for the Little Red-Haired Girl, Happiness is…Peanuts™: Friends Forever reminds us that love comes in many forms. From the fondness and affection we have for our friends to the bond we share with family, it’s something to be celebrated and cherished.”

There is no better way to tell your kids that you love them then sending them a Valentine with Snoopy on it!! Find your “Happiness,” sit back, snuggle in with your kids and enjoy some Peanuts!

Erin January 13, 2012 PRODUCT REVIEWS Charlie Brown, children, dvd, Family, kids, television, valentines

BRRRRR!! {Spongebob Frozen Face-Off DVD Review}

Some of our favorite friends are back on DVD! Spongebob and his crew are back again in a new DVD, Spongbob Frozen Face-Off. My kids were thrilled beyond belief when Spongbob’s newest DVD arrived at our house. I have heard lots of loughs (Spongbob style) since they popped it in.

“Start the New Year with America’s favorite sponge and enjoy wintery fun in this all-new DVD, SpongeBob SquarePants: SpongeBob’s Frozen Face-Off. In “Frozen Face-Off,” while everyone in Bikini Bottom participates in a race to the South Pole, Plankton makes another attempt to get his hands on the secret formula and end the Krusty Krab’s fast-food supremacy for good. In addition to this epic battle, enjoy six other episodes from the current eighth season of SpongeBob SquarePants. As an added treat, enjoy four bonus episodes from Nickelodeon’s hit series, T.U.F.F. Puppy and Fanboy and Chum Chum. SpongeBob SquarePants: SpongeBob’s Frozen Face-Off is available on DVD on Jan. 3, 2012, for the suggested retail price of $16.99. ”

The 7 episodes on the DVD are:

Frozen Face-Off Everyone in Bikini Bottom is participating in a worm-sled race to the South Pole. The big prize: one million clams! Will SpongeBob and the gang make it to the frosty finish line in one piece?
Accidents Will Happen When Squidward gets hurt on the job, he threatens to take legal action unless Mr. Krabs agrees to wait on him hand and foot.
The Other Patty Mr. Krabs and Plankton find a common enemy in the popular new “Flabby Patty” restaurant.
Drive Thru Instead of paying to patch up a hole in the wall of the Krusty Krab, Mr. Krabs decides to use it to make more money by turning it into a drive-thru window.
The Hot Shot Tony Fast, Jr., the son of a famous racecar driver, teaches SpongeBob how to drive.
A Friendly Game SpongeBob and Patrick build an indoor miniature golf course in SpongeBob’s house.
Sentimental Sponge SpongeBob has trouble throwing anything away when he realizes how many memories are attached to all his possessions.

Be ready for Spongbob laughs and Patrick-toned talking throughout your house when you watch all of these super funny Spongebob episodes. Real Mom Approved!

Erin January 5, 2012 PRODUCT REVIEWS children, dvd, entertainment, Family, kids, movies, SpongeBob, television

50 Episodes! {SpongeBob SquarePants:The Complete 7th Season Review}

If you have the BIGGEST SpongeBob SquarePants fan in your house, then I have the #1 gift on their list. The Complete 7th Season is a collection of all 50 SpongeBob episodes from the 7th season of the show. You are bound to laugh your head off as you watch the 4 DVD collection of some of the best episodes of the show.

“SpongeBob, Patrick and the rest of the Bikini Bottom crew are back with SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete 7th Season. This four-disc set comes with loads of animated shorts, special features and ALL fifty episodes from season seven – including “SpongeBob’s Last Stand,” “The Great Patty Caper,” and “Legends of Bikini Bottom.” This is the first complete season set since SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete 3rd Season! SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete 7th Season is available on DVD Dec. 6, 2011, for the suggested retail price of $26.99.”

9 hours! 9 hours of SPONGEBOB! Could you handle that? I am sure I would have to take a well deserved break in there someplace…but I bet my kids could handle it. Especially Austin. He loves to watch SpongeBob. He thinks Patrick is so funny…make me crazy when he talks like him though!

Hey mom’s, enjoy a day off! Pop the 7th Season in the DVD player at 9:00 AM and you won’t hear form them again until 6:00 PM Real Mom Approved!

Erin December 21, 2011 Holiday 2011, PRODUCT REVIEWS children, dvd, entertainment, Family, kids, movies, SpongeBob, television

If It Continued…{Smallville: The Complete 10th Season & The Complete Series on DVD}

synopsis

The series that redefines the origins of the world’s greatest hero reaches its powerful conclusion with more revelations, more fascinating characters from DC Comics lore and a mind-blowing, spirit-lifting finale that is everything fans could want. In this 22-Episode Season 10, super heroes emerge from the shadows, only to be driven underground by a public that labels them vigilantes. At the same time, other world forces of darkness gather, presenting Clark Kent with the greatest challenge of his young life. The world he calls home and the people he loves – including Lois Lane, who now shares his secret and his life – need a champion. They shall have one. Don’t miss all the hopes, heartaches and heroics of a final season to remember. They will lift you up, up and away.

Smallville 10th Season DVD came to an end with so many unanswered questions. If I were the writer for the next season and next episodes, I would have so much fun revealing the secrets and unknown things that the show left unexplained. Because I hate when things are left hanging. I always like to know what happens next.

I would also follow Clark and Lois as their new journey together began. From kids to family and work….it would be great to see how their lives played out after the wedding.

If you were the writer for the next episode of the next season, what would happen?

You can also pick up Smallville The Complete Series! Featuring all the seasons in one box set.

It would make a great Christmas gift for the Superman fan on your shopping list.

{I have been hired by Warner Bros WBWord division to raise awareness for Smallville.}

Hollie December 9, 2011 CHIT CHAT dvd, smallville, television

Streamin’ Movies on winter nights! {Roku 2 HD Review}

We love watching movies in our home. With three kiddos, we just can’t find the time to head out to the movie theatre, and then theirs the babysitter issue alone….it is much easier for us to just pop some popcorn and curl up on the couch with a good movie when the kids are tucked in bed.

We were very excited when Roku sent us their Roku HD 2. We can now use it as a stream player for our movies right to our HD televison.

The Roku HD 2 features:

350+ entertainment channels available, including hundreds of free movies
Works with virtually any TV
Built-in wireless (Wi-Fi b/g/n)
Plays high-definition video (720p)*
Expandable memory slot plus Bluetooth**

It’s super easy to install. We did have to get a HD cable which was not included-so that delayed our movie viewing by a few days. First, we installed the batteries in the remote, then we plugged in the power cord to the player and outlet, then you just configure your network-wirelessly or through an ethernet cable. Last, you are walked through the rest of installation online. Super easy and we were streaming movies minutes later!

The Roku is compatible with many online movie services: