Interview With Tinkerbell and the Legend of the Neverbeast Director Steve Loter & Producer Makul Wigert

Hop aboard the Sit-to-Stand Ultimate Alphabet Train by VTech! This train is designed to grow with your child and can be used for floor play or as a ride on that also transforms into a walker. When your little conductor gets older, the caboose converts into a wagon they can fill with toys and pull along to develop gross motor skills. Play ten activities while learning letters, numbers, colors and more. The train also helps build fine motor skills with a variety of manipulative features including a storybook, clock, gears and 13 doubled-sided letter blocks that your little one can plug into the side of the train to learn letters and build their vocabulary. The train also counts the blocks when they’re dropped down the chute! For role-play fun, pick up the walkie-talkie and press the number buttons to pretend to talk to animal friends. Take a ride on the learning express with this ultimate alphabet train!
Sit-to-Stand Ultimate Alphabet Train (Ages 12-36 months; MSRP: $49.99)
Kids can play ten activities while learning letters, numbers, colors and more
The train helps build motor skills with six manipulative features including a storybook, clock, gears and 13 double-sided letter blocks that little ones can plug into the side of the train to learn letters and build their vocabulary
When little conductors get older, the caboose converts into a wagon they can fill with toys and pull along to develop gross motor skills
My 2-year-old absolutely LOVES this toy! There are so many ways to play! It has lights, sounds and songs, plus it is a rideable train or push toy ! It only took minutes to put together, just a few pieces snap on and a few stickers to place. He loves pushing all the buttons to see what sounds or music will come out, and he loves that he can ride on it! It provides letter activities which will be great to continue to work on as he grows. Each “Block” fits in a slot on the side of the train and has corresponding “activities”. He also loves the slot where you can place your “blocks” and they slide down into the space under the seat.
Right now he’s mastered so many things just in the last 6 months! He learned to climb stairs all by himself…balance on his balance bike, and most recently we are working on counting, colors, alphabets, animals, and potty training…so much for such a little guy, but he can already count to 3 and knows most of his animals!
Ever wonder how some of these toys come to life? I know ME TOO!
VTech® works closely with a panel of children’s learning experts on the development of its infant and preschool learning products. In this panel are 6 experts including Dr. Lise Eliot, Early Childhood Mental Development Expert. Insight from these experts are featured in an online Developmental Milestones resource that offers parents guidelines and recommendations to help them select toys based on the individual needs of children from birth to nine years old. The categories explain different characteristics and occurrences that your child is faced with at each specific age and developmental stage, and are then followed by recommended products that are the most appropriate and beneficial. The milestones are broken down by age and three categories of development:
Language and Cognitive
Social and Emotional
Physical and Motor
We were able to send out questions over to the panel to be answered…below you will find the questions and answers to help you with your concerns about your childs’ development.
In this day of pushing children to do everything earlier and earlier, what age range is truly developmentally appropriate for early reading skills?
As always, it depends on the child, but for the average kid, age 5-6 is plenty early to begin formal reading instruction. Before that age, focus on your child’s mastery of the alphabet and letter sounds. ABC books are great for this, especially if they have clever pictures that tell a story using many words with the same beginning sound. Rhyming books and songs are also great for teaching letter sounds, so once children start focusing on letter patterns, they will already be familiar with the rhyming sounds they make. You can also look for toys that serve as vocabulary builders, like VTech’s Spinning Lights Learning Hippo, which promote phonics and language development that can help with early reading skills.
My youngest seems to be developing later than her older siblings, is this normal and is there anything I can do to encourage her progress? If she is delayed when it comes to early Milestones, will it affect her progress later?
Every child develops differently, so if you have two kids, there is almost no way they will develop on the same timetable. Parents and teachers tend to focus on the more overt milestones, like vocabulary and motor skills. But children are learning in many domains simultaneously, and chances are that your child is absorbing plenty about the social and physical world which may not be obvious from her behavior. Unfortunately, our school culture awards children who mature faster, so look for ways to counteract this for your daughter by finding other areas (art, music, crafts, building toys, sports, dance, etc.) in which she can develop confidence.
What are some inexpensive toys or games that will help encourage gross motor skills in my children?
The least expensive way to build motor skills is to go outside! The extra room is often all kids need to start running, skipping, and jumping in ways that parents often frown on indoors. Your nearest playground adds opportunity for climbing and swinging that also build children’s strength, stamina and coordination. If you are looking or something for your own yard, hang a tree swing, or purchase a jump rope or a soccer goal and ball. A tumbling mat is also a great addition for indoors if you have room in your basement or playroom. And if your child is old enough (5+) for organized sports, many communities have recreational leagues that are less expensive than the fancier club sports.
If my 18-month-old is not speaking words yet, what can I do as a parent to help them with their development?
The most important stimulation any young child receives is verbal–talk to your baby; sing to him; read to him; engage him in “dialogue” even if you are only pretending that his babbles make sense. Your child understands words, even if he cannot say them, and will appreciate the sense of being understood. However, if your child really has no spoken vocabulary at 18 months, you should talk to your pediatrician, who may refer you to a speech therapist.
How do I encourage my 12-month-old to walk, when he seems content to crawl everywhere?
Don’t worry about it! Crawling is a delightful, too-short phase that many children skip outright. And yet, there is evidence that crawling develops a child’s visual-spatial abilities in unique ways that walking cannot replicate. As long as your child is learning to balance on two feet (holding on to a coffee-table or walker toy like VTech’s Sit-to-Stand Ultimate Alphabet Train) he will eventually master those first independent steps. Before long, he’ll be running and racing and you will barely remember this adorable crawling phase.
WIN IT
One (1) lucky My Sparkling Life Reader is going to win a VTech Sit-to-Stand Ultimate Alphabet Train!! This giveaway is open to residents of the US who are 18+ until 11:59 PM EST Dec 4, 2015.
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 once. 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 VTech. In the rare occasion that a prize does not arrive (which has happened), please notify me.
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.”
Related

Below you will find some delicious Sushi recipes…but before that let me share a few tools you may need to accomplish your diy sushi night. IMUSA Sushi Rolling Set
The IMUSA 3 Piece Sushi Rolling Set is part of the Pan Asia line that’s bringing Asian cuisine into your kitchen. Craft your own sushi rolls and let your imagination free by experimenting signature rolls with the ingredients of your choice! IMUSA Colored Bamboo Chopsticks
The stay-cool IMUSA Bamboo Chopsticks come in a pack of 12 pairs, and are the essential for enjoying the perfect Thai, Vietnamese, Oriental or other Asian-Inspired dishes. IMUSA Dumpling Press
For those people who may want to serve something else besides sushi, the IMUSA Dumpling Press is a handy tool for prepping dumplings. Use the small and large plastic molds to easily stuff any sort of dough with your favorite savory or sweet filling. The dumpling maker perfectly presses and seals the pastry, making it ready to cook. IMUSA Lightweight Cast Iron Wok
The IMUSA Lightweight cast Iron Wok introduces practically to style with its super light structure and sleek design. Crafted from cast iron, the IMUSA Lightweight Cast Iron Wok is significantly lighter than traditional woks while still being durable. It comes pre-seasoned to allow for enhanced flavor in each any every dish, and continues to season over time as it’s used. IMUSA Bamboo Steamer
The IMUSA Bamboo Steamer allows for a healthy way to cook while retaining flavor, vitamins and nutrients. Bamboo steamers are great for cooking vegetables, seafood, dim sum and more, and can be used as authentic serving dishes themselves. Making this tool the perfect tool to whip up some non-sushi side dishes. NOW For the delicious recipes! I would love for you to share with me if you make these!! Buffalo Chicken Steamed Dumplings · curly parsley 3 tablespoons · crumbled blue cheese ½ cup · buffalo style hot sauce, like Frank’s 1 cup 1. In a medium bowl mix first 9 ingredients together by hand until evenly combined. 2. Assemble dumplings by placing wonton wrapper on a flat surface. 3. Roll a small ball of the chicken mixture between your hands, about a tablespoon, and place in the center of the wonton wrapper. 4. Dip a finger in a cup of water and run it around the edges of the wrapper. 5. Pick up wrapper and chicken ball with one hand (between your thumb and index finger) and begin pinching hard around the wrapper until it tightly wraps the chicken ball. Re-pinch if necessary. Your dumplings should be star-shaped with the chicken ball in the center. 6. Spray your IMUSA steaming basket with non-stick spray and place dumplings throughout. Steam for 10 minutes until fully cooked. 7. In the meantime make hot sauce by gently heating it with the butter. 8. Spoon some hot sauce on a plate and place dumplings on top. Garnish with more crumbled blue cheese, if desired. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Basil Pineapple Fried Rice · cooked cold white rice 2 cups · soy sauce 3 tablespoons · garlic cloves (minced) 3 · medium red onion (chopped) 1 · canned pineapple chunks, drained (about 1 ½ Cups) 10 ounces · fresh basil (finely chopped) 1 cup 1. Combine sugar and soy sauce and set aside. 2. Heat your IMUSA wok on high heat and add 2 tablespoons oil to wok, then tilt the wok to swirl oil, coating the sides. Once the oil begins to smoke, stir-fry the garlic and red onions for one minute and set aside in a bowl. 3. Add 4 more tablespoons of oil and crumble rice into wok. Stir-fry for 5 minutes with a flat wooden spatula until lightly browned, breaking up lumps of rice. 4. Push rice to the side of wok and in the center add another tablespoon of oil. Add scrambled eggs and scramble until eggs are completely cooked and crumbled. 5. Mix together with rice and add cooked garlic and onions. Drizzle in soy sauce mixture and stir-fry for two more minutes. Add pineapple, peas, and cashews and mix evenly. 6. Remove from heat and mix in chopped basil. Garnish with extra basil before serving.

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Bring the party home when the hit animated comedy, The Angry Birds Movie, debuts onto digital July 29th & Blu-ray / DVD Combo Pack, 4K Ultra HD / Blu-ray 3D combo pack and DVD Aug 16th from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Based on the most downloaded app of all time, the film takes us to an island populated entirely by happy, flightless birds – or almost entirely. In this paradise, hot-headed Red, speedy Chuck, and the volatile Bomb have always been outsiders. But when the island is visited by mysterious green piggies, it’s p to these unlikely outcasts to figure out what the pigs are up to in order to save their home.
BUY THE ANGRY BIRDS MOVIE
Bonus Content:
Blu-ray, DVD, Digital:
Bonus Scene; “Chuck’s Rescue”
The Blake Shelton Music Video “Friends”
Symphony Mode: Allows viewers to play the movie without all the squawking, just the music
Photo Gallery
Blu-ray & Digital:
Short “The Early Hatchling Gets The Worm”
Deleted scenes
Series of fun mini-movies featuring the Hatchlings
Five additional featurettes including:
Dance Along Birds and Pigs
Crafty Birds
Meet the Birds
Meet The Pigs
Meet the Hatchlings
Fans can unlock more content by syncing the Angry Birds Action! app with the audio on the blu-ray or digital version of the movie. The Angry Birds Action! app movie integration will also extend to retail where fans can unlock an augmented reality Hatchlings selfie feature by scanning “bird codes” on in-store signage.
Lots of Laughs!
I’m not going to lie, we thought an Angry Birds game turned movie would be a bit hokey. But I tell you what…from the get go we were laughing out loud! The laughs didn’t stop and neither did the action. This movie kept both the kids (yes even the teen!) and adults entertained through the whole movie, which doesn’t happen often! My boys have watched it over and over and laugh out loud every time. I think Chuck is my favorite…While my boys like Terence & Bomb.
If you haven’t seen it I suggest you do! It is a funny action filled movie the whole family will love!!
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.”

Welcome to March and another 12 days of new and exciting recipes or crafts to celebrate St Patricks Day. Today’s recipe is for a Brownie Mint Trifle. This recipe is chocolaty, creamy, and minty! Visit SavingYouDinero.com for this yummy recipe. Make sure you check back tomorrow for a new craft of recipe for your family to enjoy!

Steven Spielberg returns to executive produce the long-awaited next installment of his groundbreaking Jurassic Park series, Jurassic World. Colin Trevorrow directs the epic action-adventure from a screenplay he wrote with Derek Connolly. Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley join the team as producers.
Twenty-two years after the events of Jurassic Park, Isla Nublar now features a fully functioning dinosaur theme park, Jurassic World, as originally envisioned by John Hammond. After 10 years of operation and visitor rates declining, in order to fulfill a corporate mandate, a new attraction is created to re-spark visitors’ interest, which backfires horribly.
Jurassic World will be released in 3D by Universal Pictures on June 12, 2015.
Genre: Epic Action-Adventure
Cast: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins, Nick Robinson, Irrfan Khan, Vincent D’Onofrio, Jake Johnson, Omar Sy, BD Wong, Judy Greer
Director: Colin Trevorrow
Written by: Derek Connolly & Colin Trevorrow
Based on Characters created by: Michael Crichton
Produced by: Frank Marshall, Patrick Crowley
Executive Producers: Steven Spielberg, Thomas Tull
Continue to follow the countdown on
JurassicWorld.com and visit JurassicWorldMovie.com
Follow Jurassic World on Facebook | Twitter
Jurassic World is in theaters everywhere June 12!

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