Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark



I love scary movies! These horrifying tales come to life on Digital October 22nd and on 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD on November 5th from Lionsgate.  Get ready to be absolutely terrified when Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is released.  The highly anticipated film adaption of the iconic book series brings the thrills and chills of some of Alvin Schwartz's scariest stories to life.  If you are anywhere near my age, I'm sure you are very familiar with the book.  This was one of my favorite books growing up so I am so excited to see what this brings! 

It's 1968 in America.  Change is blowing in the wind....but seemingly far removed from the unrest in the cities is the small town of Mill Valley, where for generations the shadow of the Bellows family has loomed large.   It is their mansion on the edge of town that Sarah, a young girl with horrible secrets, turned her tortured life into a series of scary stories, written in a book that has transcended time.  For a group of teenagers who discover Sarah's terrifying home, the stories become all too real in this spine-tingling film.

Take home Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and immerse yourself in the terrifying world with exclusive special features, including six featurettes on the 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and Digital releases and two featurettes on the DVD looking at the development of the creepiest creatures in the film, as well as the process of taking these classic tales from page to screen.


  

#ScaryStoriesMovie




Las Vegas Renaissance Festival



The Renaissance Festival is coming!!! We love this festival and try to go every year.  The kids love seeing the different costumes and it's so interactive with so many different things to do and see.  You can even camp for the weekend although I would not do that with young children as they might get scared of the costumed characters and festival attendees that dress up.  Grab your family and spend a day here, you might just get hooked and make this an annual thing like we did! 

Location:  Sunset Park 2601 East Sunset Rd. Las Vegas, NV 89120
October 11th & 12th 10am - 10pm
October 13th 10am - 5pm

10 “Must-Do” Activities For Sailing On A Large “New To You” Cruise Ship


Variety is the spice of life when it comes to cruising, say the travel experts at CruiseCompete, and sailing on different types of ships is a wonderful way to experience the world through different lenses. Each cruise ship is a new adventure, with its own unique style, amenities, and programs, and as such, deserves a thorough exploration.

Here are 10 “must-do” activities for when you sail on a large “new to you” cruise ship, according to a travel writer at CruiseCompete affiliate All Things Cruise.

1. Explore the entire ship, top to bottom. This will take some time. With the deck plan in hand, start at the highest level accessible to passengers. Walk bow to stern, portside in one direction, starboard in the other. Many might be unending lines of staterooms, but sometimes ship’s put little lounges or bars in unusual places. Move one deck lower. Repeat the process.

Why:  Many people see only a fraction of what’s on offer.

2. Visit every bar on every deck. This will also take some time. There’s probably at least a dozen, maybe double that. This includes bars in specialty restaurants and poolside bars. Assuming you drink, order something in each one. Talk to the bar staff.

Why:  Certain bars get crowded. Find out when you need to get to the popular ones and be able to get a seat. Establish one as your favorite.

3. Get as close to the bow as you can. At least one outside deck probably doubles as a jogging track. On a perfect day, while the ship is at sea, feel the (stiff) wind in your face. Look for dolphins. Look for other ships on the horizon.

Why:  It’s an exciting, often loud experience.

4. Read the ship’s program, cover to cover. Do it on one of your first days at sea. It’s easy to give it the once over and miss 60% of what’s going on. You might have eliminated paper documents from your life years ago, yet here’s one, delivered daily. There are lots of activities spelled out in the fine print. You may not be into needlework or trivia, but you might like blackjack lessons or cooking classes.

Why:  The idea is “There’s something for everybody.”  Are they right?

5. Visit every public space. OK, you gave the 12+ decks the once over early in the voyage. At a quiet time during a sea day, systematically visit every room that’s not a restaurant or someone’s stateroom. In addition to the theater and casino, there’s likely a card room, library, cigar lounge, gym with steam room and sauna, spa, tennis courts and a pool with a retractable glass roof.

Why:  We get into habits. We visit familiar spots, missing out on other features the ship offers.

6. Try at least one dining venue you might ignore. If you are a casual buffet guy, try the formal dining room. If you eat every meal in the dining room, try a specialty restaurant. If you always go for steak and potatoes, try the Asian restaurant.

Why:  If you do everything over and over, a sameness or routine develops. Mix it up.

7. Study the room service menu. Who opens the drawer and pulls out the booklet explaining things like how to make phone calls? Judging by its pristine condition, very few people. The room service menu should be in there. Everything is probably free or included in your fare. How about a romantic dinner for two on your balcony? Think about planning a cabin party for your friends.

Why:  If you entertain at home, why should your cruise be any different? Especially if someone else does the cooking! 

8. Find a quiet spot. Large ships can mean large crowds. Think lots of kids having a great time in the pool, oblivious to how far water travels when you jump in from a great height. Find a spot, sheltered from the wind, ideally with some shade.

Why:  This becomes your special spot to decompress. You read. You nap. Maybe, just maybe, you share it with others.

9. Visit all the channels on your stateroom TV. At sea, your selection is limited, but the cruise ships do what they can to provide variety. You’ve probably got news stations. They might run some movies. Maybe they replay lectures and talks. There may be a few music only channels. There’s probably a bow camera view too.

Why:  Someone back at company HQ probably figured out what their passenger demographic wants to watch while on vacation. What did they choose?

10. Pamper yourself. When was the last time you had a full body massage? Enjoyed a 25-year-old scotch? Ordered caviar and champagne? Pick something you really enjoy that you don’t usually do at home.

Why:  Vacations are meant to help us decompress. They also create memories we revisit when things get stressful in our lives back home. Create some of those memories.

Many people drift through life. Others embark on new experiences with the attitude “If I never pass this way again, what should I do to make the most of this experience? Which are you?

CruiseCompete member-agents are the most well-educated, forward-thinking and trusted cruise specialists in the industry. If you’d like more information or assistance planning a future cruise or a cruisetour, please visit CruiseCompete and try the Virtual Cruise Advisor™ or Live Help.

Learn To Draw Aladdin & Abu


To celebrate the animated classic, Aladdin, which joins the highly celebrated Walt Disney Signature Collection on Blu-ray TODAY, Art for Kids Hub has created a step-by-step guide on how to draw the lovable characters, Aladdin and his sidekick Abu! Check out the video!



Embark on a magic carpet ride with the entire family when Disney's original animated classic Aladdin soars into the highly celebrated Walt Disney Signature Collection, now on Digital and available on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD.  The all-new live action version of Aladdin (which we loved!) is also available today!

Fun Alarm Clocks for Back to School



*Disclosure: Product was provided to help facilitate this feature. 

With the school year in full swing getting back into the routine of waking up early can be tough.  Seiko and The Coco-Cola Company have teamed together to help kids get up and to school on time!  At exactly the same time as Kintaro Hattori was planning to open his Seikosha factory and to create his first ever wall clock, Doc Pemberton in Atlanta, Georgia created a drink that would soon sweep the world.  Both companies are celebrating 130 years in business this year and have collaborated on some sweet clocks that could make a perfect back to school gift or even a little stocking stuffer! These clocks feature an alarm clock, snooze function and light.

NEW! Out this week - The Swan Princess: Kingdom of Music

**Disclosure: No monetary compensation was received.  We did receive the movie & plush to help facilitate this feature. 

A new installment of the enchanted tale - The Swan Princess: Kingdom of Music debuted this week on both Digital and DVD from Sony Pictures Entertainment. Can you believe this year marks the 25th Anniversary of the beloved franchise that continues to captures hearts around the world?!  Fans of all generations will be coming together with memories of watching as a child or making new memories with your young one as they grow.  I have daughters and granddaughters and always get so excited when I can share something with them that I have been a fan of for years.  Our family always tries to make one weekend night a movie night where we get together, watch movies and eat.  I absolutely love family time and this movie is perfect for it.



If your kids are like mine, they can't sit still for very long without having something in their hands to play with.  My granddaughter also likes to dress up like a princess - literally everyday! lol!  Here is a quick and easy water bottle maraca that is awesome for everyone to make (no matter the age) and "shake" along with the music! 


In the newest film in the series, THE SWAN PRINCESS: KINGDOM OF MUSIC, our favorite princesses are back in an all new feature-length musical adventure. Princess Odette is hosting a music competition to celebrate Princess Alise’s birthday - the winner will sing at her grand birthday ball! Prince Li of Cathay has entered, but his sister Princess Mei Li has stowed away on his ship to seek help from Odette and Derek for Chen, who has been cursed to live as a dragon. Lucas and Alise are reunited but Prince Li’s arrival makes Alise doubt her feelings. While Li and Lucas fight for Alise’s heart, Derek and Odette try to help Mei Li and Chen break the curse. Who will win the music festival and will Chen ever be free from his curse?


Included with the Kingdom of Music DVD are interactive sing-alongs featuring two all-new toe-tapping tunes from the film and a behind-the-scenes featurette that explores how the world and characters of the film were brought to life.

THE SWAN PRINCESS has a runtime of approximately 90 minutes. THE SWAN PRINCESS: KINGDOM OF MUSIC has a runtime of approximately 83 minutes. Both films are rated G. 

**Plush as seen in our Instagram post as well as other movie merchandise can be purchased here