RASCAL FLATTS tickets for theater event now on sale

Hi! I’m a 30 Something World Travel Wannabe, Lifestyle Blogger, Movie & Music Lover, and Mom to 4 Boys living in south Texas. I started my blog ( Mom Of 3 Boys ) in 2011 as a way to keep busy after I quit work to be a SAHM to my 3 boys. I started off as a review blog to help other mothers make an informed decision on products they were looking to purchase.
In 2016 I decided to rename my blog since it had grown to be more of a lifestyle blog. I still offer reviews but have branched out to travel & entertainment because families are looking for tips, fun ideas, & ways to entertain the kids…a full life experience which includes so much more than products! I love providing this service to my readers and social media followers.

Jack’s only hope of survival lies in the legendary Trident of Poseidon, but to find it he must forge an uneasy alliance with Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario), a brilliant and beautiful astronomer, and Henry (Brenton Thwaites), a headstrong young sailor in the Royal Navy. At the helm of the Dying Gull, his pitifully small and shabby ship, Captain Jack seeks not only to reverse his recent spate of ill fortune, but to save his very life from the most formidable and malicious foe he has ever faced.

This post may contain affiliate links which fund the My Sparkling Life blog.
Disclosure of Material Connection: This travel was #Hosted which means The company who sponsored it compensated me via all expenses paid trip, cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. 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.”
In this week’s COCO post, we are going to take a closer look at Alebrijes & two characters Pepita & Dante. If you’ve never heard the name Alebrije, don’t feel alone. I had never heard of them prior to this press event.
During our Pixar Coco Press Event in San Fransisco, we learned so much about how Pixar’s’ animated movies come together. The team does so much research to learn about their characters behaviors, movements, and even legends that inspire them. Some of the Coco characters were inspired by legends & myth of the Alebrije.
Fun Fact: An Alebrije is an art form created by Pedro Linares dreams. He created these brightly colored imaginary creatures, that later on became part of Mexican folk art sculptures. The creatures are created by combining different animal body parts and colors.
In Disney•Pixar’s new animated film COCO Pepita is an Alebrije & is a mixture of various animals such as an eagle, lizard, ram, & tiger.
Fun Fact: Although Alebrijes are part of Mexican culture, they are not necessarily associated with Dia de Los Muertos. Pixar wanted to include the Alebrijes in COCO to be spirit guides for The Land of the Dead.
In Disney Pixar’s COCO we meet Dante pretty early on. Dante is Miguel’s faithful companion. Dante’s look was inspired by the Mexican Hairless Dog, or Xoloitzcuintli. One of the world’s oldest and rarest dogs, Xoloitzcuintli (Xolo) originated in Mexico during the Aztec Empire. In fact, their name is derived from the name of the Aztec Indian god, Xolotl, and itzcuintli, the Aztec word for “dog.”
Fun Fact: Xolo’s are known for “healing powers” because of the warmth of their skin.
Pixar has the privilege of using previous animated movies in their designs…In Coco, they used characters such as the dogs in Up and even Hanks tentacles from Finding Dory to create Dantes tongue designs.
Lee wanted Dante to appear more cartoony and wanted to push the animation.
“The idea with Dante is the lights are on, but nobody’s home.”
While there learning about the Alebrije, Alonso Martinez shared his own personal collection with us that includes Alebrijes of different sizes shapes and colors…I had my own favorite, as did most of us…and gave us a very special opportunity to paint our very own Pepita Alebrije!
Fun Fact: The Alebrije’s were made just for our group, there were many at Pixar that wanted one for themselves but was turned down.
Being able to sit down with the creators and learn all about the creative thought process and design is such a privilege. I’m so happy that I get to share this with you!
Had you ever heard of an Alebrije before?
About Disney•Pixar’s COCO:
Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel (voice of newcomer Anthony Gonzalez) dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (voice of Benjamin Bratt). Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector (voice of Gael García Bernal), and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history.

Remembering back to my college days..lets not talk how long ago though..I remember music being a big part of it. That was back when Napster was big and MTV/VH1/CMT actually played music. There were many nights I fell asleep to CMT playing. Now times have definitely changed with the digital era. The digital era has brought mp3 players and now bluetooth speakers. I have a few speakers around the house, one is a wireless mp3 player, the other is a larger home bluetooth speaker. But I didn’t have anything to carry around and listen to all the music we have in our phones/ipods. NYNE is all about Lifestyle Inspired Audio. More specifically – we are dedicated to harnessing, optimizing and integrating the latest cutting edge technology into audio solutions that enhance your lifestyle, whatever it may be. Whether you are an athlete, a new mom, a businessperson, a techie teen, a grandfather, or a surfer dude, NYNE wants to play a part in making your life more enjoyable through a better personal sound experience. NYNE offers many bluetooth speakers to match anyones needs. The mini is perfect for my boys..it comes in several colors and offers quality sound from a speaker that is only 5″ x 2.25″ x 2.25″. That’s pretty small, and you would never know that that’s where the awesome sound is coming from. My oldest has claimed this for his own, and plays is non stop most of the day. Its very portable and easy to hook up..they even switch devices no problem when my husband gets home and wants to listen to pandora while they play cards. The NYNE mini bluetooth speaker is perfect for any teens room, or dorm room…This would have fit perfectly onto the windowsill by my bed. I highly recommend you checking out the NYNE Mini bluetooth speaker or any of their other bluetooth speakers, you will definitely fall in love with the sound!
Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links with fund the Mom of 4 Boys blog. All opinions seen in this publication are those of the writer and may differ from your own. Momof-3boys.com received compensation as a condition of this publication. The disclosure is done in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission 10 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. For questions or to have your product featured on Mom of 4 Boys, email Becky at [email protected].

This post may contain affiliate links which fund the My Sparkling Life blog.
Disney Infinity has brought many hours of fun to our home over the years, so when I heard that 3.0 was going to include Star Wars I was over the moon! I was able to learn more about what would be included and play with it a little at D23 Expo in August & I couldn’t wait to get my hands on one of my own! Thankfully Disney sent me a starter set and a few figures a few weeks ago so that I can share my Disney Infinity 3.0 Review with you, so lets get started!
What is Disney Infinity?
Disney Infinity 3.0 is an action-adventure sandbox video game. Heroes and villains. Sorcerers and Super Heroes. Princesses and pirates. For generations Disney, Disney•Pixar, MARVEL and Star Wars™ storytelling has sparked our imaginations with characters and worlds of magic, action, and adventure. Now, Disney Infinity invites you and your family to enter those worlds and game experiences where you can put your imagination to play.
Disney Infinity supports a range of figurines — in this case Marvel and Disney Originals characters. Players place them on a USB peripheral called the Infinity Base to bring the characters into the game. Players can expand their game by buying additional characters, Play-Sets, and temporary upgrades called Power Discs.
What’s in the Starter Set?
Basic Starter Set
1 Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Video Game
1 Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Base
2 Star Wars™ Figures: Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker
1 Star Wars™ Twilight of the Republic Play Set Piece
1 Web Code Card
Star Wars Saga Bundle
1 Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition base,
1 Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition video game software
1 Star Wars Twilight of the Republic Play Set piece, (1) Ahsoka Tano figure, (1) Anakin Skywalker figure,
1 Star Wars Rise Against the Empire Play Set piece, (1) Luke Skywalker figure, (1) Princess Leia figure
1 Boba Fett figure
1 Web Code card (unlocks content for PC/mobile)
Now Available on PlayStation®4, PlayStation®3, Wii U™, Xbox One, Xbox 360
Of course like other Infinities, other character figures are sold separately and in play sets. You can also purchase power disks which you use to modify Disney Infinity Play Set gameplay and modify or customize Toy Box worlds.
Disney Interactive and Lucasfilm launched Star Wars™ Rise Against the Empire for Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition, a new Play Set that takes place during the original Star Wars trilogy. This set includes the Play Set piece, Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia Organa figures.
In the Star Wars Rise Against the Empire Play Set, players will embark on galaxy-spanning missions with legendary Jedi Luke Skywalker, Rebel leader Princess Leia Organa, heroic smuggler Han Solo and his trusty co-pilot Chewbacca to help defeat Darth Vader and overthrow the evil Galactic Empire. With non-stop action, players can explore open world planets like Tatooine on foot or on a Bantha, take down AT-AT walkers on snowspeeders on Hoth, out-maneuver stormtroopers on speeder bikes on Endor, and partake in epic space battles in an X-wing in attempt to destroy the Death Star.
I was so excited to be one of the 5000 people at D23 Expo to get the limited Mickey Kingdom Hearts III Power Disk!!
Game Play
You have a set of main story missions which will take you across the planet levels and a ton of optional side missions. Completing them will net you one to three stars depending on the length and difficulty of each. Unlike previous versions of the game, you don’t have to collect ten coins to unlock a character, you just need one.
Like in previous versions you will need to collect sparks. Collecting Orange Sparks will level up your character allowing you to upgrade them using the new Skill Tree. Broken into different sections, the Skill Tree is now a lot easier to use. The Blue Sparks are the in-game currency and they’re used to purchase anything and everything from the Toy Box. This is all the stuff you use to create your own levels or decorate your own space in the My INterior section. Everything from buildings, to terrain, to decorations and vehicles is available here and it’ll take a lot of time to gather enough Blue Sparks to buy it all. Trust me I tried so hard in 2.0 and still couldn’t buy it all!
The My INterior section is where you can design your own “house” with as many rooms and decorations as you want. This is one of my favorite parts of the “Toy Box”!! I love creating themed rooms! My favorite from my 2.0 were my “Nightmare Before Christmas” & Beauty & The Beast” rooms! In 3.0 you’ll be able to add special sidekick rooms which will unlock some nice bonuses.
The hosts will give you a series of missions which will explain a lot of the game play. They’ll teach you all about vehicles, combat, exploration, creation, and more. You’ll be able to jump into themed levels, Pirates of the Caribbean, Marvel, Star Wars, and more, fighting off enemies on your way to a boss battle at the end of each level. There are collectibles to be found and sidekicks to unlock.
In 3.0 each character play is entirely unique in their style and approach. Whereas before, it tended to feel very similar between characters, everyone now has a distinct style and skill tree now.
The other big section of the Toy Box Hub is the Main Street area which is modeled after the one in the Disney parks. You can enter Flynn’s arcade from here to partake in some online multiplayer games, or head into El Capitan theater where you can watch the latest episode of Toy Box TV.
You’ll also find three doors to a themed Hall of Heroes for each version of the game. The original Disney Infinity one is set in a garden, Marvel is set in the helicarrier command center, and Star Wars is set in the ceremony room from the end of A New Hope. Each will unlock statues of your owned characters as you level them up.
Be sure to spend some time in the Hub getting to know more about the game. Presents will randomly appear the longer you’re there. These are always something from the Toy Stores so it becomes one less thing you’d need to buy with the Blue Sparks you spend so much time collecting.
Overall Thoughts
This is a fun game that the whole family can enjoy. The boys absolutely love playing and we are all thrilled that we can play as our favorite Star Wars, Marvel & Disney characters!! If you love video games and letting your imagination run wild while playing as your favorite character, then this is the game for you! It’s set up for hours of fun and adventure with your imagination. Now the pieces can get a little pricey so I suggest waiting for the holiday sales and search for the best deals.
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.”