Holiday Gift Guides

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Fall in love again with the timeless classic EDWARD SCISSORHANDS and celebrate its 25th anniversary with an all-new beautifully remastered, all-new 4k transfer available everywhere on October 13. This special-edition Blu-ray™ gift set with commemorative package and Digital HD from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, brings Tim Burton’s 1990 acclaimed work of art back to life just in time for Halloween.
Johnny Depp delivers the performance of a lifetime as Edward, an irresistibly charming creation with razor-sharp metal hands and a heart of gold. Edward’s lonely life in a Gothic castle changes forever when he meets a kindhearted Avon Lady (Dianne Wiest), who takes him to a pastel paradise known as Suburbia. Thanks to his fantastic talents, Edward becomes a neighborhood sensation, but when he falls in love with Kim (Winona Ryder), he must go to extraordinary lengths to protect her.
The beautifully restored EDWARD SCISSORHANDS: 25th ANNIVERSARY Blu-ray™ showcases Burton’s magical use of color, light and shadow, with clear, rich detail in even the darkest scenes. Considered Burton’s most personal and favorite work, EDWARD SCISSORHANDS is one of Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment’s most successful films. Nominated for an Academy Award® for “Best Makeup”, the romantic dark fantasy film is recognized as a quintessential icon for Goth subculture.
The EDWARD SCISSORHANDS: 25th ANNIVERSARY Giftset comes with the beautifully remastered, all-new 4k Blu-ray™, Digital HD and custom paper dolls, a heart shaped cookie cutter and a topiary air freshener that smells like fresh cut grass.

Summer time, the time for lots of fun in the sun. We usually slather on the sunscreen, but do you wear sun glasses..what about your kids? When it comes to protecting your eyes, do you know all the facts? If your like most chances are the answer is NO! Below you will find some facts, what to look for when buying sunglasses, advice on what to do to protect your child’s eyes & 5 Hot Sunglasses for you and your child!
UV radiation endangers an unprotected eye in ways that can lead to vision impairment. Just small amounts of intense UV exposure can cause short-term problems, ranging from irritating to overtly painful. The following symptoms may indicate over-exposure to UV.
Bloodshot Eyes
Swollen Eyes
Hyper-Sensitivity To Light
Infants & Children get 3X the annual adult dose of UV radiation and their eyes are more vulnerable. About 25% of an individuals lifetime exposure to UV radiation happens before the age of 18! If you notice any of the following your child should be taken in for evaluation by their Dr.:
Red Eyes – Skin around the eyes is red and appears to be sunburned
Extreme Sensitivity to light – constantly tearing
Disrupted Sleep – Feeling that eyes are burning, itching, or scratchy
Severe eye pain & spasims of the eye or eye lid
Why is UV eye protection SO important? Over time, the cumulative effects of sunlight can lead to eye diseases and conditions later in life. While some damage can be reversed through surgery, other conditions, like cataracts and macular degeneration, may result in permanent vision loss. It is never too early or too soon to protect your children’s eyes from UV exposure. Now that you know what to look for, what can you do to help your little one and yourself?
Limit outdoor time between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the UV radiation is strongest. Sometimes this isn’t an option and thats when a good pair of UVA/UBV Sunglasses come into play!
Have your child wear their UVA/UVB Sunglasses anytime they are outside, sunny or cloudy, the UV rays still come through on cloudy days!
Now you’re probably wondering what to look for when buying sunglasses, you don’t want to waste your money on something that isn’t going to help, right?!
Look for the UVA/UVB Sticker
Shop a credible source, chances are those vendors in the middle of the mall or the sidewalk don’t have true UV protection.
Make sure they are comfortable…you wont wear something that isn’t comfortable, neither will your child!
I LOVE my sunglasses, I love different styles and tints. One of my favorites is the Vestry Sunglasses from Nicole Miller, which I’m sure you’ve seen me sporting in many of my instagram photos! This year I have discovered SUM Company…the glasses are super cool and allow me to have the eye protection I need and the style I crave! I can change the look from solid black to a cool tortoise shell in just a few seconds. 5 Sunglasses You’ll Love:
Okay, you found some great sun glasses your child will love..now, how do I get them to wear them?
Routine, Routine, Routine! Every time you head outdoors put them on, make sure they see you put yours on. Once they feel the difference from direct sun to the sunglasses they will more than likely catch on and leave them on. Don’t be fooled by price! Expensive does not mean better! Plastic sunglasses are inexpensive and come in many colors and styles. Also look for Polycarbonate lenses if your child is rough or into sports they are more able to withstand rough play. Look through the sunglasses before you buy them..see if they distort what your child is looking at, I know I wouldn’t want to walk around in a distorted world! We used Baby BanZ & KidZ BanZ when little man was smaller, because they have a comfortable strap to hold them on his face. Now that he is a little older he loves his stylin sporty Foster Grants. I love the wrap around style so I know it protects his eyes from all angles.
5 Sunglasses Your Child Will Love:
Frequent sunglass use comes with practice. Reinforcing healthy behaviors by making your kids routinely wear sunglasses will help to get them in the habit of protecting their eyes. Set an example by always remembering to wear your own shades.
How often do you or your children wear sunglasses?

Last week, NBC’s hit series America’s Got Talent wrapped up its 10th season with the crowning of a new winner who rose above to walk away with the series’ top honor.
After several eliminations throughout the night, it all came down to two competitors, comedian Drew Lynch and ventriloquist Paul Zerdin. Only one act could walk away with the series’ top honor. In the end, Zerdin got the edge on the young comedian and walked away with the $1 million prize!
Last week a few fellow bloggers/reporters were able to interview the winner Paul Zerdin about his win. Here are a few questions and answers.
Can you speak a little bit about what was going through your mind as you awaited the final results? And what your initial reaction was when Nick announced your name as the Season 10 Champion? – Cody Schultz from hiddenremote.com
Well, when it was whittled down to myself and Drew I thought that Drew would win it definitely. I thought he was an amazing comedian. Very, very, very lovable character — personality. The audience loved him in the theater and, you know, out and about in America.
And I thought that he was going to win it. So I was preparing in my head what I would say to him before I got told to get off the stage. And I was going to say to him, you know, well done. The best man won. You’re a great act and congratulations.
And I thought I would be runner up. And then when they said my name, my heart skipped a beat. And it took a bit of a – it took a moment to sink in really. I still the feel the same really.
It’s a mixture of jetlag, lack of sleep, and euphoria all together — which, you know, I feel very happy about it. And I’m still slightly lost for words when people ask me about it now like you have done.
You had some tremendous performances throughout the season. So looking back is there any performance that stands out as your personal favorite? And what was it about that performance that made it your stand out above the rest? – Cody Schultz from hiddenremote.com
Well, I think, well, probably my first audition at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood would stand out for me because it was the first one. And I just thought, I don’t know what’s going to happen here. It could go horribly wrong, or it could go well.
And luckily it went well. And I got a standing ovation from the judges and from the audience in the theater. And so I thought, wow that’s a great reaction and what a great start.
So that filled me with confidence. And I think helped me enormously to carry on and think that I could maybe, you know, go far. I didn’t ever think I could win it. But I thought I could get maybe, you know, quite a bit further in the competition.
That was a big moment for me. And also having Howie last week in the semifinal be my human dummy. I mean that was a bit of a moment because he was such a great sport. He had no idea what was going to happen.
And I was so lucky the way that he reacted. Because he could have reacted so differently. But he – whatever he did, he did it just beautifully. And I love doing that piece because I can control – I do it from, you know, I’ll be doing it in my show in Las Vegas where I’ll get a couple out of the audience and I — a married couple is what I usually do — and I turn them into my dummies.
And I get them doing, you know, crazy things. And it’s great being able to sort of control them. But you’re, of course, you’re not really in control. You control their voices. But it’s very much up to the individuals how they react. And everyone reacts differently.
But that’s what I love. I love the danger of that and the fact that you can adlib. And Howie Mandel was absolutely brilliant.
So I’m curious to know is there anything throughout your time spent in the competition that you found that you were surprised to learn about yourself as a performer? – Kristyn Clarke from Pop Culture Madness
Well, I think when you come to perform at Radio City — and I’ve been lucky enough to perform all over the place, all around the world doing different sorts of gigs and things — no gig has ever been quite as big as Radio City.
I mean that theater holds just under 6,000, I think it is. And even though I think of myself as a, you know, a fairly polished performer and, you know, pretty experienced, I still had jitters in my stomach. I had butterflies just before I started my performance.
I’m not a performer that’s like a jabbering nervous wreck before I go on. I’ve worked with some comics over the years who just spend all day worrying about the gig that night. And I’ve always thought that’s crazy. That’s just going to ruin your day. And I’m, you know, I work a lot and perform a lot. And I just thought, I can’t go through life just worrying about it. I think that’s ridiculous. But I try and channel the nervous energy.
So I would just get a little kind of buzz just before I started. Before I walked out on the stage at Radio City. But I remember being slightly surprised that, you know, I did have that slight jitter.
And I just kept saying to myself, “Right. Come on. Keep it cool. Keep it cool. Look like you’re in control. Just go out there.” And also sometimes you’re worrying about so much because you’re very limited with time. You don’t have much time. You’ve got to try and make an impact when you’re on a live TV show and you want to try and make the best impression you can.
You want to impress the judges. You want the audience at home to love what you’re doing. And you want a great – you want great feedback from the theater audience as well. And to try and do that in like two minutes — or whatever it is — is quite hard.
And so I – you’re worrying about it. Or and you don’t want to overrun because you’re on live television — which when you think about it, is quite – it’s quite a big deal when you’re right there in the moment.

WhooHoo! The Croods are Coming to Netflix on 12/24 in an all new show Dawn of the Croods.
History’s favorite first family is back in the all-new original family sitcom Dawn of the Croods from DreamWorks Animation premiering on Netflix 12/24 world wide just in time for the holidays! This fun new show deals with modern-day problems for the first time ever in life’s history like discovering: school, a sugar rush, an eye roll, and more! Here’s a sneak peek of the show below.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Usually, I hear the great summer anthem, “I’m Board” even though we just got back from the beach, the lake or something else fun. The great summer anthem rings through the house like an unwanted version of bohemian rhapsody. I will admit that during the summer, no matter how hard I try, getting them to read is a major battle. I’m so glad that I can grab a few “activity” books to keep on hand for when the anthem starts.
Fantasy Adventure Coloring Book
Enter an enchanted land of awesome ogres, legendary dwarves, and supernatural beasts. This imaginative coloring book will cast a spell on colorists of all ages, with fantastic visions of mythical creatures. Fantasy illustrator Eric Messinger presents dozens of detailed illustrations, ready to color with markers, colored pencils, watercolors, or gel pens.
Fantasy Adventure Coloring Book includes handy guides to coloring techniques like patterning, combinations, and shading. Guided Coloring Pages make coloring easy for beginners, with beautifully colored examples and ready-to-use color palettes. Each design is printed on one side only of archival-grade, acid-free, 200-year paper, and perforated pages detach easily for gifting or display.
Vera Bradley Coloring Collection
This deluxe boxed set provides four eye-catching Vera Bradley coloring card books in one attractive case! Printed on heavy cardstock with satin ribbon bookmarks and foil-embellished covers, each unique book offers 20 lovely coloring cards. The cards all feature authentic Vera Bradley designs, and detach easily from the book to share with friends. On the back of every card is the name of the design, a cheerful quote, and lines for personal notes. The Vera Bradley Coloring Collection is a wonderfully creative way to relax with simple beauty in the midst of our hectic lives.
Fun With Fidget Spinners
Become the ultimate spin master with this epic fidget spinner trick book. Work your way through 50 totally awesome tricks, ranging from beginner to advanced, plus cool games and challenges. Inside, you’ll find loads of tips and tricks for increasing your spin speed and time, plus tons of ideas for customizing your spinners to make them totally unique. Track your progress in the workbook section at the back of the book so you know which tricks you’ve mastered and your best stats. In no time, your tricks will go from super to the extreme!
A guide to the most popular spinners.
More than 50 great tricks and games from beginner to advanced.
How to care for and customize your fidget spinners.
Workbook for tracking tricks and stats.
Mind Magic
Everyone knows that most magic tricks are simply sleight-of-hand. Mental magic, on the other hand, can give the illusion of real paranormal powers. This dazzling collection offers a rich selection of mind-reading, spirit-raising, future-telling illusions, complete with tips on how to present them most effectively. Read palms with amazing accuracy, predict the future with tarot cards, conjure up table-tipping spirits, find psychic connections between people and their possessions, receive uncanny messages from the beyond, and even seem to know what people are thinking. Of course, it’s all in fun and all the explanations include the magician’s patter that goes with each trick–assuring that no matter how spooky the effect, the audience isn’t shocked or terrified, but delightfully amazed.
Geology Lab
Geology Lab for Kids features 52 simple, inexpensive, and fun experiments that explore the Earth’s surface, structure, and processes. This family-friendly guide explores the wonders of geology, such as the formation of crystals and fossils, the layers of the Earth’s crust, and how water shapes mountains, valleys, and canyons. There is no excuse for boredom with a year’s worth of captivating STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math) activities.
In this book, you will learn:
How to identify the most common rocks and minerals
How to maintain and display your rock collection
How insects are trapped and preserved in amber
How geysers and volcanoes form and erupt
How layers of rock reveal a record of time
How to pan for gold like a real prospector
Geology is an exciting science that helps us understand the world we live in, and Geology Lab for Kids actively engages readers in simple, creative activities that reveal the larger world at work.
What books do you have to keep your kiddos busy this summer?