Minky Chic Baby Blanket Review & Giveaway

Having a brother or sister isn’t always easy, but Max & Ruby show the importance of working together, and resolving differences in respectful and supportive ways, in the brand new DVD, Max & Ruby: Sharing & Caring. The DVD features 12 “tails,” each with an important lesson that helps preschoolers develop important social skills, including kindness and listening. Created by Nickelodeon and distributed by Paramount Home Media, Max & Ruby: Sharing & Caring will be available in the U.S. on June 2, 2015.
Max & Ruby: Sharing & Caring includes the following episodes:
Picture Perfect/ Detective Ruby/ Superbunny Saves the Cake
Max’s Ride/ Max on Guard/ Ruby’s Real Tea Party
The Bunny Who Cried Lobster/ Max and the Three Bears/ Little Ruby Hen
Ruby’s Autograph/ A Toy for Baby Huffington/ Max’s Big Dig
Max & Ruby: Sharing and Caring Fast Facts: Street Date: June 2, 2015 Catalog: 59169397000 S.R.P.: $14.99 Running Time: 94 Minutes

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With much of the land of Costa Rica having protected status, it’s no surprise that this country is the flag-bearer for conservation of nature and wildlife. An astonishing twenty-six percent of this gorgeous country is designated as a national park, wildlife refuge, biological refuge, or some other category of protected status. Both public and private organizations work tirelessly to protect this country of fascinating ecological and biological diversity from the potential ravages and exploitations of other human beings. This makes Costa Rica an excellent destination for nature lovers and conservationists as there are a range of stunning National Parks open to visitors.
Rincon de la Vieja National Park
On the self-guided Las Pailas trail which skirts sulfurous hot rocks and boiling mud fumaroles, you can experience awesome volcanic action up close and personal. This National Park boasts dense rainforests and meadows which are fantastic for hiking and exploring, leading to the La Cangreja Waterfall where you’ll find hot thermal springs and a cool swimming hole.
Isla Del Coco
Designated a protected National Park in 1978, this is one of the largest uninhabited islands in the world, located over three hundred miles from the mainland. Nature lovers will find many endemic species inhabiting this island, many of which are endangered and can only be found in this area.
Corcovado National Park
To the south of Costa Rica, the Corcovado National Park is a haven for many endangered animal species. Visitors to this wild area will be able to see jaguars, Barid’s tapir, white-lipped peccaries and a whole host of endemic bird species.
Tortuguero National Park
This National Park is a large labyrinth of natural jungle canals, which cover over forty thousand acres of the Caribbean coast and hinterland. Along with a sharp-eyed guide who’s familiar with the local area, you’ll be able to see myriad endangered birds, reptiles and mammals.
Manuel Antonio National Park
Located on the central Pacific coast of Costa Rica, Manuel Antonio National Park hosts rugged rainforest, coral reefs, and crisp, clean beaches with pure white sand. The National Park is famous for its huge diversity of wildlife and tropical plants, from endangered capuchin monkeys to three-toed sloths and a whole host of bird species. The park is crossed with extensive hiking trails which reach from the coast up into the mountains. Those looking to stay near this stunning area can stay in a Manuel Antonio Villa from villapuntodevista.com.
Palo Verde National Park
The Palo Verde National Park is a part of the Tempisque Conservation Area. This park concentrates on conserving vital floodplain, limestone ridges, marshes, and seasonal pools from risks caused by the encroachment of civilization. During the dry season, a variety of birds flock to the park and its river basin for water. Protecting one of the most endangered ecosystems, Palo Verde is the largest nesting site for the black-crowned night-herons in the country.
Have you ever visited a national park in Costa Rica? We’d love to hear all about your visit! Let us know in the comments.

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Goodie bags are a birthday party staple that seems to be here to stay – and a nice way to let your little guests know even though the party is over, they can continue to have fun at home! However, year after year, it becomes challenging to find new and creative ideas for those birthday party goody-bags. This year, PBS KIDS has a perfect addition, On March 17, PBS KIDS released the appropriately themed “WordWorld Birthday Party!” on DVD.
My boys just love following their favorite WordWorld friends on all their adventures, but this DVD seemed to be packed full of extra fun and excitement for them. I mean what kid doesn’t love a birthday party, and what mom doesn’t like a little bit of learning in disguised as fun!
This fun-filled DVD includes multiple birthday-themed adventures, the first of which, “Happy Birthday, Dog,” features a surprise party for WordWorld’s friendly canine. Can Frog get the C-A-K-E safely to Dog’s party? Also included on this DVD is “Bit by Bit.” In this story Frog is not feeling well and entrusts Duck and Bug to take his present, a B-A-N-A-N-A, to Monkey’s birthday party. When they accidentally break the banana into letters, Elephant steps in and teaches them to build the banana back, bit by bit.
Join the lovable WordFriends for these and other educational adventures as they playfully demonstrate the connections between letters, sounds, words, and meaning in order to empower children to advance from learning letters to learning how to read.
“WORDWORLD: BIRTHDAY PARTY!” is available on DVD NOW. The DVD run time is approximately 75 minutes and its SRP is $6.99.
Stories included on the DVD are listed below.
“Happy Birthday, Dog” It’s Dog’s birthday and all of his friends are planning a surprise party. There’s just one problem – they need a cake! Frog must get to the party safely without Dog finding out.
Build a Word: CAKE
“Pig’s Present” It’s Pig’s birthday and his nephews, the Three Little Pigs, are making him a secret present. Although Pig promises not to peek, his curiosity about his present gets the better of him…and wreaks havoc all over WordWorld. Will Pig ever learn to be patient?
Build a Word: JET
“The Rainbow Birthday Cake” It is Frog’s birthday, and Duck wants to make him a big, beautiful birthday cake frosted in the colors of the rainbow. Such a cake requires lots of cans of frosting, and Duck learns he can’t just throw cans anywhere – they must be recycled. In WordWorld, recycling means using the letters in a discarded word to make other words, such as can-dle, which is just what Duck needs for Frog’s cake!
Build a Word: CANDLE
“Bit by Bit” It is Monkey’s birthday, and a sick Frog entrusts Duck and Bug to take his present – a banana – to Monkey’s birthday party for him. In their enthusiasm to get to the party, Duck and Bug accidentally break the banana into letters…and they don’t know how to rebuild it! It’s just too big a word. Fortunately Elephant knows a thing or two about big words, and teaches them to build the banana back, bit by bit, based on the three syllables in the word.
Build a Word: BANANA
“Bugs to the Rescue!” Ant and Dog build a hot-air balloon, but Dog accidentally floats away in it! Ant elicits the help of his insect WordFriends Bug, Bee and Fly to rescue Dog and save the day.
Build a Word: BALLOON
About WordWorld
“WordWorld” was developed with funding from the U.S. Department of Education as part of the Ready To Learn initiative. Incorporating the latest research into the most effective ways for kids to build reading skills, “WordWorld” produces delightful educational experiences for preschool children, on-screen, in print, and online. “WordWorld” is owned by General Word LP.
Ready for your chance to win?
One lucky My Sparkling Life Reader is going to win the WordWorld: BIRTHDAY PARTY DVD listed above ! This giveaway is open to residents of the US who are 18+ until 11:59 PM EST April 07, 2015.
Who is your childs favorite WordWorld Character?
The Fine Print: Entering this giveaway means that you accept both my rules & disclosure. I will notify winner via e-mail and they will have 48 hours to reply before I am forced to redraw winners. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Each household is only eligible to win this prize via blog reviews and giveaways. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Many will enter, few will win! Please allow 8-12 weeks for delivery of prizing. My Sparkling Life is not responsible for any lost or misdirected packages. Prizing provided and shipped by PBS distribution. In the rare occasion that a prize does not arrive (which has happened), please notify me and I will try to contact the sponsor.

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When we think Shredded Wheat, you would normally think of the little bundles of wheat that have been in your pantry for years…Well Post is changing the Shredded Wheat game with their new cereal Post Shredded Wheat Crunch. I had the opportunity to try out the new cereal and was pleasantly surprised when I opened the box.
Post Shredded Wheat Crunch cereal is made with 100% natural whole grain wheat with sweet granola clusters. One-cup of Post Shredded Wheat Crunch contains 43g of Whole Grain per serving and also provides an excellent source of fiber (5g). Better yet, Post Shredded Wheat Crunch has 0g Trans Fat, 0g Saturated Fat, and 0mg Cholesterol per serving.
This ceral is really delicious. The shredded wheat bites are crunchy and hold up to milk. They stay crunchy and don’t get soggy. The sweet granola clusters give the cereal that tiny bit of sweetness that I love. I even caught my boys and husband fighting over the last bowl! Guess I know the new fav cereal in our house!
If you want to try Post Shredded Wheat Crunch, you can find it at your local grocery store or other retailers.
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.”

As I’m sure everyone is aware, STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS is now playing in theatres everywhere! If you haven’t seen it yet, I promise it will live up to your wildest expectations! And don’t be afraid of sellout shows as theatres across the country are adding show times left and right to keep up with the […]