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5 Must Play Video Games #FanGirlFriday

Tessa Smith
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5
5 Must Play Video Games #FanGirlFriday

Must Play Video Games

For today’s FanGirl Friday post, I decided to talk about a few video games that you NEED to have. I know from personally experience that even the most “hardcore gamer” can get distracted by life. Since having kids, my video game time has been drastically shortened. So I know how important knowing which video games to purchase is. No use wasting your precious video game time on a game that just is not worth it. So below are 5 games that I would say are must haves. Enjoy!

Disney Infinity

Disney Infinity

This game is great for families, for Disney fanatics, or for anyone who likes to let their imagination run wild. I have a blast playing my favorite Disney and Marvel characters – and soon they will be adding Star Wars and Inside Out ones in the mix! There are two ways to play this game – in a story line type format and in the toy box. With the toy box you can create your own world and play with any of the Disney Infinity Characters. You can even play in toy boxes other people have created by connecting to the internet. This is truly a must have game! Purchase here.

Lego Marvel Superheroes

Lego Anything

I love Lego games! These games are great for passing the time and are really fun for completionists. Use your lego coins that you collect to unlock new characters, vehicles, weapons, etc. This is another game that is perfect for families – or will allow you to play while your kids watch. It is also a great co-op game because it can be played on split screen with someone who is sitting right there with you. My biggest peeve is games that allow co-op but only via the internet. My favorite Lego game right now is Lego Marvel Superheroes – don’t say you are surprised by that. Purchase here.

Dragon Age Inquisition

Dragon Age: Inquisition

I have played the other Dragon Ages and they are all pretty awesome. I love the fighting style in these games and the plot lines. It is fun to be able to chat up your travel party and decide who you want to be nice to, be mean to, and who to form a relationship with. The stories behind them all are fantastic – but my favorite is the most recent one, Inquisition. I have played it through twice as there is a decision to make part way through on who to side with in the war – making two different story lines (sort of). It will take up a lot of gaming hours, but every second is worth it. Purchase here.

bioshock

BioShock Trilogy

I remember when my husband got the first BioShock – we both sat, glued to the screen, while he played it through. He beat it in just two weeks (we had a lot more free time back then) and we were hooked. I then played it through. When BioShock 2 came out we did the same thing, except I played it first. By the time BioShock Infinite rolled around, we had two kids and video time was really limited. Lucky for me, I stay home with the girls, and naptime quickly became BioShock time. This game will blow your mind with it’s twists and turns! I love the fighting styles and the story lines. If you have to skip one, skip the second one – but it is still really good. Purchase here.

Arkham

Arkham Series

Another great set of games is the Arkham games. They are the best (in my opinion) Batman games out there. You can go in to detective mode to discover hidden traps, attack the bad guys stealthy, and disrupt crimes in progress. Slink through the night while you go from mission to mission, listening to the police scanner. This is a must play series! Origins is my favorite plot wise so far but I am really excited to play Arkham Knight which was just released earlier this week. Purchase here.

I am really looking forward to Disney Infinity 3.0 and Fallout 4. These games are sure to be amazing!

FanGirl Friday

Gifts That Give Back: Kohls Cares

Tessa Smith
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0
Gifts That Give Back: Kohls Cares

Disclosure: Mama Smith’s Review Blog received this item in exchange for her honest review. All opinions expressed are 100% hers.

Kohl's Cares

If you are like me than you kind of live at Kohl’s. I love shopping there – they always have amazing prices and I can find just what I am looking for. In fact, I did a lot of shopping for my recent LA press trip there (read about walking the red carpet at the Inside Out premiere here). As I check out, I always notice the Kohl’s Cares section – and we grab things from it quite often. I love how it is usually a book and stuffed animal of some sort. My daughters love them – and I love giving back in such an easy way. They are priced at just $5 each, with 100 percent of the net profit supporting children’s health and education initiatives nationwide.

Kohl's Cares

The summer collection of Kohl’s Cares books and plush is available now through June 27 at Kohl’s Stores nationwide and online at Kohls.com and includes:

  • “A Sick Day for Amos McGee” book and Elephant plush
  • “Bear Has a Story to Tell” book and Bear plush
  • “and then it’s spring” book and Turtle plush
  • “If You Want to See a Whale” book and Whale plush

Kohl's Cares

We have “If You Want to See a Whale” and it is the cutest book! I love reading it with my girls. My 4 year has heard it so much that she can now “read” it to her little sister. Kohl’s Department Stores is committed to giving back to the communities it serves by supporting kids’ health and education nationwide through its philanthropic platform Kohl’s Cares. Since 2000, Kohl’s has raised more than $274 million for kids health and education initiatives through the Kohl’s Cares cause merchandise program, recognized more than 22,000 outstanding kids through the Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program and donated more than 3.2 million hours of associate volunteer time through the Associates in Action volunteer program.

For more information on Kohl’s Cares, visit www.Kohls.com/Kids.

Kohl's Cares

Make Your Own Archery Target DIY | #DIY #Archery

Tessa Smith
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25
Make Your Own Archery Target DIY | #DIY #Archery

Archery Target DIY

One of my favorite past times is archery. I might not be good at it, but there is nothing like shooting arrows at a target to relax after a long week (or day). Targets can be expensive, but I made this DIY archery target for next to nothing with mostly items I found around my house.

It was super easy and has held up for, well 4 years now. I have not needed to make any improvements or adjustments to it. It has lasted through moving, multiple summers, and A LOT of arrows!

What You’ll Need:

In order to make this DIY archery target you only need a few things – most of which can be found around your house. Especially if you hoard leftovers from other home projects like I do.

  • (1) 8′ 2×10 Board
  • 100 square feet of carpet or carpet pad (This may change depending on the thickness of carpet or pad.)
  • (2) 1″ Ratchet Straps
  • Handle (optional)

DIY Archery Target

Step 1:

Cut board into (4) 2′ pieces.  Cut (2) 1″ channels into (2) of the boards.  

I made mine about 4″ deep into the board.  These channels will be used for the ratchet straps to travel in to tighten down the carpet.

For mine I spaced each channel in 1-1/2″ from the edge of the board so that it left about 4″ in between the channels.  

Form the box into a square and fasten with screws or nails.  

Make sure the boards with the channels are opposite from each other so that the channels line up to form a path for the straps to pass through.

DIY Archery Target

DIY Archery Target

Step 2:

Cut strips of carpet into size to lay down in the box.  

Based on which way you form the long sides this will be either 9″x21″ or 9″x24″.  

Cut enough to totally fill up to the top of the box plus a few.  

Start laying them in, when full try to compress by hand and fit a few more in.

I did a search online and supposedly other materials like old blue jeans or cardboard work as well, just make sure any staples, buttons, zippers, etc. are removed or they could ricochet your arrows.

DIY Archery Target    DIY Archery Target

Step 3:

Route the (2) ratchet straps through the channels above the top layer of the carpet.  Attach each strap to itself and tighten.  

The key to what makes this target work well is the many layers and the compression.  

You want it tight enough so that the arrows won’t pass right through.  

You don’t, however, want it too tight that they will bounce out or be hard to pull out.  

The ideal target will take the arrow in and stop it in a reasonable distance without redirecting the arrow in any direction.  

This is really a game of trial and error at this point.

DIY Archery Target

Enjoy Your DIY Archery Target!

Now you are all set to take it out and give it a “shot”.  

We made this from materials we had laying around the house.  

The board pieces were excess  from our raised garden bed, the carpet pad was left over from when we had our living room carpet changed, and we even had an extra ladder handle from our girls’ swing set to make a convenient carrying handle.  

The remaining extra carpet we string up behind the target to stop any stray arrows on the occasional bad shot!

DIY Archery Target

Inside Out joins Disney Infinity 3.0

Tessa Smith
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5
Inside Out joins Disney Infinity 3.0

Disclosure: Mama Smith received an all expense paid trip from Disney/Pixar to attend this event. All opinions expressed are 100% her own.

Disney Infinity 3.0 Inside Out

It is no secret that I am a huge gamer. One of my favorite ways to kill time is by popping in a good video game. My favorite game to spend hours on end playing is Disney Infinity. It is a great game to blow off steam to and just have fun with! There are two ways to play – play sets and the toy box.

Disney Infinity 3.0 Inside Out   Disney Infinity 3.0 Inside Out

Play sets can be played with characters specific to them and they are like “normal” video games – you have a mission, you complete it, you (maybe) earn some kind of reward, game over. But the toy box, oh, the toy box, that is where your imagination can run wild! Throughout the play sets you can collect many things to use in your toy box. Here you can create your own world for any/all of your characters to play in (you can even use the 1.0 characters in a 2.0 toy box – and will be able to use both in the 3.0 toy boxes!!). Both of my daughters love the toy box. My 2.5 year old is a little young still, but she can find her way around a toy box that someone else has already built – no problem. My 4 year old LOVES to build with the toy box. I am so impressed by how well she can play this game, but then again, look at her mama. 🙂

Disney Infinity 3.0 Inside Out

I am what some people call a “completionist” so the first thing I do when a new version of Infinity comes out is finish all the play sets. Then I work to buy all of the characters and get them to gold status. Each character you use will appear in the Hall of Heroes. As you advance them, they will change from bronze to silver to gold.  I really enjoy doing this because it allows me to get a feel for all of the characters and helps me choose a favorite fairly.

Disney Infinity 3.0 Inside Out
Welcome to the family!

Disney Infinity 3.0 is coming this fall and I for one, cannot wait! I have all of the characters for the other two versions and have completed all the play sets already so I am ready for some new stuff! I will say that I could continue to play in the toy box forever though – it can be a TON of fun! When I was in LA for the Inside Out premiere, I was lucky enough to get to check out the latest version first hand! I could have spent all day in that room with that game – let me tell ya! Inside Out is going to be a major part of the 3.0 and I am so excited to play these characters. Each of them has a special ability and they all look like so much fun to play! Another part of the 3.0 will be Star Wars – which I know fans have been begging for. Below is a video with a first look at some of the Disney Infinity 3.0 game play with Inside Out!

I also got to bring home the Inside Out Disney 3.0 play set (fangirling over here!!). Now, of course, I cannot play it yet, but I can display these characters – Anger and Joy – with my other Infinity figures. They look great hanging with the likes of Phineas and Agent P, Elsa and Anna, and the Incredibles! The figures themselves are gorgeous – as they always are. I cannot wait to collect them all! I love the special touch of the memory spheres too. If you have not yet seen the movie, go NOW – what are you waiting for?!

Joy Sadness Anger Disgust Fear

Watch the video below about Inside Out and Disney Infinity 3.0. Click here to read more about it as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7ugaqmSKLE

Like INSIDE OUT on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PixarInsideOut  
Follow INSIDE OUT on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PixarInsideOut and https://twitter.com/headquarters
Follow INSIDE OUT on Instagram: https://instagram.com/PIXARINSIDEOUT/
Follow INSIDE OUT on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/disneystudios/inside-out/
Visit INSIDE OUT on Tumblr: http://insideoutheadquarters.tumblr.com/
Follow Disney/Pixar on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DisneyPixar
Visit the official INSIDE OUT website: http://movies.disney.com/inside-out/

INSIDE OUT is in theaters now!

Alvin & The Chipmunks are coming to Syracuse

Tessa Smith
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0
Alvin & The Chipmunks are coming to Syracuse

Alvin and the Chipmunks

My daughters love Alvin & The Chipmunks – and they love going to live shows. It is always a good time at The Oncenter in Syracuse. There is not a bad seat in the house and they always go on and on about the fun they had for days. We have seen Disney on Ice there and will be going to see Wile Kratts Live there next month (read more about that here). Don’t live in Syracuse? Don’t fret – they are probably coming to a venue near you as well! (Scroll down for a full list of dates and venues).

Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products and Iconic Entertainment Studios announced today that ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: LIVE ON STAGE!, a brand new, music-filled interactive live show, will take the stage, touring 50+ cities nationwide for a total of 80 shows, kicking off October 5th in Toronto, Canada. The world’s most famous chipmunk trio – accompanied by the Chipettes – will delight fans of all ages with LIVE performances that will feature world-class production, music, special effects, and immersive interactivity to encourage audience participation.

ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS: LIVE ON STAGE! will come to The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater on October 7, 2015 at 7pm.

Tickets will go on sale Friday, July 10th at 10am. Tickets will be available in person at the Solvay Bank Box Office at The Oncenter (760 S. State Street), charge by phone (315.435.2121) and online via Ticketmaster.com.

The Oncenter

Based on the characters from the hit Twentieth Century Fox movies, the show will bring the music and excitement of a live rock concert to life as the Chipmunks perform hits by One Direction, Maroon 5, Carly Rae Jespen, Elvis Presley and more! Join Alvin, Simon and Theodore as they sing and dance their way across America en route to their big charity concert. From an “old school” breakdancing competition in Chicago, to a no-holds-barred food fight in New York City, and with the Chipettes along for the wild ride, Chipmunk fans from coast to coast will experience it all –LIVE on stage!

Produced by Iconic Entertainment Studios, the show’s world-class team includes Tony Award-winning Lion King costume designer Michael Curry, and the production team that won a Billboard Touring Creative Content award for its show Yo Gabba Gabba. See below for tour dates and locations. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit, www.alvinlive.com.


Tour Dates:

  1. October 5th – Toronto, ON – Massey Hall
  2. October 7th – Syracuse, NY – The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater
  3. October 8th – Lowell, MA – Memorial Auditorium
  4. October 9th – Upper Darby, PA – Tower Theatre
  5. October 10th – Washington, DC – Warner Theatre
  6. October 11th – Raleigh, NC – Memorial Auditorium
  7. October 14th – North Charleston, SC – North Charleston PAC
  8. October 15th – St Petersburg, FL – The Mahaffey
  9. October 16th – Miami, FL – Ziff Ballet Opera House
  10. October 17th – Jacksonville, FL – Moran Theatre
  11. October 18th – New Orleans, LA – Saenger Theatre
  12. October 20th – Houston, TX – Bayou Music Center
  13. October 22nd – San Antonio, TX – Majestic Theatre
  14. October 23rd – Oklahoma City, OK – Cox Convention Center Arena
  15. October 24th – Cedar Park, TX – Cedar Park Center
  16. October 25th – Grand Prairie, TX – Verizon Theater
  17. October 26th – Kansas City, MO – Midland Theatre
  18. October 27th – Omaha, NE – UNO Arena
  19. October 28th – Milwaukee, WI – Riverside Theatre
  20. October 29th – Cleveland, OH – State Theatre
  21. October 30th – Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre
  22. October 31st – London, ON – Budweiser Gardens
  23. November 1st – Wallingford, CT – Oakdale Theatre
  24. November 2nd – Buffalo, NY – Center for the Arts
  25. November 5th – Norfolk, VA – Chrysler Hall
  26. November 6th – Indiana, PA – Kovalchick Arena
  27. November 7th – Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theatre
  28. November 8th – Louisville, KY – Palace Theatre
  29. November 9th – Charlotte, NC – Blumenthal Performing Arts Center
  30. November 11th – Schenectady, NY – Proctor’s Theatre
  31. November 12th – Kingston, RI – Ryan Center
  32. November 14th – Brooklyn, NY – King’s Theatre
  33. November 15th – Wilkes Barre, PA – FM Kirby Center
  34. November 18th – St. Louis, MO – Chaifetz Arena
  35. November 19th – Peoria, IL – Civic Center Theatre
  36. November 20th – Rosemont, IL – Rosemont Theatre
  37. November 21st – Rosemont, IL – Rosemont Theatre
  38. November 22nd – Minneapolis, MN – Target Center
  39. November 24th – Winnipeg, MB – Burton Cummings Theatre
  40. November 25th – Regina, SK – Conexus Arts Centre
  41. November 26th – Edmonton, AB – Northern Alberta Jubilee
  42. November 27th – Calgary, AB – Jack Singer Concert Hall
  43. November 28th – Vancouver, BC – The Centre for the Arts
  44. November 29th – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre
  45. December 1st – Anaheim, CA – City National Grove
  46. December 2nd – Las Vegas, NV – Orleans Arena
  47. December 4th – Glendale, AZ – Gila River Arena
  48. December 5th – Rio Rancho, NM – Santa Ana Star Center
  49. December 6th – Denver, CO – Bellco Theatre

Sitting Down with Kyle MacLachlan: An Interview

Tessa Smith
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3
Sitting Down with Kyle MacLachlan: An Interview

Disclosure: Mama Smith received an all expense paid trip from Disney/Pixar to attend this event. All opinions expressed are 100% her own.

Kyle MacLachlan
Photo Credit: Stacy Molter/FancyShanty.com

While in LA, I got the opportunity to sit down with the one and only Kyle Maclachlan. He is the voice of Dad in the new Disney/Pixar movie, Inside Out but you may also know him from Twin Peaks, Sex and the City, How I met Your Mother, and more recently, Agents of Shield. He is an incredible actor and his role in Inside Out is one of his top performances, in my opinion. I just love his character in the film – reminds me of my husband actually – total goofball! Several times his character had me tearing up as well – although I will not tell you when (no spoilers). If you have not yet seen Inside Out, stop reading this, run to the movies, and then come back and finish reading. It is that good – you need to go now! I have seen it twice already and am planning another trip. Disney/Pixar has hit it out of the park again (read my full review here)!

 


But back to Kyle. He was so kind and down to Earth. He was a lot of fun to sit and talk with, and I saw a lot of “Dad” in him. I can tell that he was channeling his own experiences as a father while voicing Dad in the movie – which he confirmed when asked about it. “It was fun to do this guy because being a Dad myself, I was able to bring a little bit of my relationship with my son in and it was encouraged actually by Pete and Jonas and Ronnie. They wanted my personality so I was happy to try different things. Some worked, most didn’t, but it’s always good to throw them out there.” When we started chatting about social media – Kyle stated that he loves the “one on one” of it. He enjoys fans tweeting him and commenting on his Facebook page – he loves that he can respond and talk with them. So follow him – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.

Inside Out Dad   Inside Out Dad

Kyle is definitely a joker – he had us all cracking up the entire interview. When asked what identities would be controlling him – his immediate response was that Wino would be one of them (after 6pm of course) – and that coffee would be another. He then went on to seriously answer “They’re pretty much the same. Don’t you think? (Meaning Anger, Joy, Fear, Disgust, and Sadeness) I was thinking to myself what emotion sort of rides gain on me, you know, as the dominant, job I think for me. And I would put underneath that silliness just because that’s just kind of my nature.”

Kyle MacLachlan
Photo Credit: Stacy Molter/FancyShanty.com

I really enjoyed talking about the process of filming animation vs. a live action movie or television show. Kyle said “The process is strange because you’re sitting with a microphone and you don’t have anything visually to work off. Pete would feed me all the information and what was happening in the scene and I would read it and then I had to go into my head and play it out in my head as I was doing it. It was like I was shooting my own little movie as I was saying the words. So walking into the room and sitting down on the edge of the bed and saying things got a little hand – and I was like well now, you start asking questions like would I say that from the doorway or would I knock? So you begin to just put it together in your brain – let me try it this way and then let me try it starting it here. So that was the process which I find fascinating. Most people, I think, would be bored to tears but I love how to interpret those words in the most interesting way. So that’s the difference between doing it in front of the camera where you’re actually just walking through it and you can feel it yourself to just playing it out in your head as you go.”

When asked what he thinks that Dads will take away from Inside Out he was pretty dead on. “I think just giving your kids a little bit of space to figure it out would be good. You realize with kids, a lot of it is about timing so if you come to them and you’re prepared to have a nice conversation, deep – they’re not ready. So you have to take them when they’re ready. You have to engage them when they’re ready. That could be at the most inopportune times. 4th Quarter in a great Football Game – you just have to walk away from the Football Game and engage, cause that’s when they’re ready.” For fun, I asked my husband what he took away from the film as we left the theater on Friday and he said almost the same thing. I am so glad that the message is being interpreted as was intended.

Kyle MacLachlan
Photo Credit: Stacy Molter/FancyShanty.com

During the interview, one of my Twitter followers wanted me to ask Kyle how he got so awesome. He chuckled and said it was a slippery slope – and to blame his parents. He then asked if we all were blogging and tweeting about him and we said yes, we were tweeting him live. He thought that was really cool – and that goes to show how much he loves interacting on social media, as I said before. Another fun question for Kyle was what is the strangest thing he has had on pizza (since broccoli pizza is a big deal in Inside Out) and he stated that he once put a variety of different Mollusks on pizza. They were chewy and it was “challenging” to eat.

Kyle MacLachlan
Photo Credit: Stacy Molter/FancyShanty.com

One final thing I want to mention about the interview – because I loved it so much – was when Kyle talked about how he now selects roles that he takes on. Not only does he think about the long term and how the character might follow him (and what mood the character might put him in while filming) he also considers the time it will take him away from his family and his son. He mentioned that he hates being away from him – which I totally get having two young girls myself. Kyle is such an amazing father – and he really portrays that through his character of Dad in Inside Out.

Kyle MacLachlan

Follow Kyle on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kyle_MacLachlan
Like Kyle on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kylemaclachlanofficial
Follow Kyle on Instagram: https://instagram.com/kyle_maclachlan/

INSIDE OUT is playing in theaters everywhere NOW!

Like INSIDE OUT on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PixarInsideOut  
Follow INSIDE OUT on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PixarInsideOut and https://twitter.com/headquarters
Follow INSIDE OUT on Instagram: https://instagram.com/PIXARINSIDEOUT/
Follow INSIDE OUT on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/disneystudios/inside-out/
Visit INSIDE OUT on Tumblr: http://insideoutheadquarters.tumblr.com/
Follow Disney/Pixar on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DisneyPixar
Visit the official INSIDE OUT website: http://movies.disney.com/inside-out/

Throw the Perfect Teen Beach 2 Viewing Party

Tessa Smith
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1
Throw the Perfect Teen Beach 2 Viewing Party

Disclosure: Mama Smith received an all expense paid trip from Disney/Pixar to attend this event. All opinions expressed are 100% her own.

Teen Beach 2

Teen Beach 2 is a great movie to watch with friends and family. There is singing and elaborate dancing – it is so much fun. I think the best way to watch it when it airs this Friday (June 26th) would be to have some friends and family over and have a Summer “beach” party!  I am talking beach activities, food, and of course, enough room to get up and try to dance along! I know that I plan to have a few people over and will be throwing a beach blast of my own! It really is the best way to experience Teen Beach 2 – even if you haven’t seen the first one (although, you still have time!).

I have put together some recipes and activities with the help of The Disney Channel for you that would be perfect to make your Teen Beach 2 viewing party a success.

Recipes

Flip Flop Sandwiches

Flip Flop Sandwiches

Ingredients:

  • Loaf of Bread
  • 1 lb. fresh mozarella cheese
  • 2 lbs. heirloom tomatoes
  • 1 bunch basil leaves
  • Olive oil (for drizzling)
  • Salt & pepper (to taste)
  • Bell peppers in various colors

Directions:

  1. Cut flip flop shapes out of the bread.
  2. Cut mozzarella into quarter-inch-thick rounds – then cut flip flop shapes.
  3. Wash tomatoes and cut into rounds.
  4. Wash the basil and pat dry with paper towel.
  5. Drizzle olive oil on bread.
  6. Layer mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil leaves on the bread – then season lightly with salt and pepper. Top with another slice of bread.
  7. Cut bell peppers into strips about a quarter-inch-thick and about three-fourths the length of your bread. You will need two strips for each sandwich you are serving.
  8. Place bell pepper strips in a V shape and secure where the two strips meet with a tooth pick.

Download & Print Flip Flop Sandwich Directions Here —-> Flip Flop Sandwiches

Fruit Trees

Fruit Trees

Ingredients:

  • Kiwis
  • Bananas
  • Oranges

Directions:

  1. Peel kiwi and cut lengthwise into eight segments. The kiwis will be your palm tree’s leaves.
  2. Peel banana and cut in half lengthwise. The banana will be your palm tree’s trunk. Cut the banana “trunk” into half-inch-thick pieces.
  3. Peel orange, remove pith, and separate out the segments, which make up your palm tree’s roots.
  4. Arrange the fruits on the plate to resemble a palm tree as pictures above.

Download & Print Fruit Trees Directions Here —-> Fruit Trees

Here are some other recipes that you can download to add to your beach party food:

Hummus

Orange Pineapple Yogurt Dip

Blueberry Hawaii Bread

Raspberry Smoothies

Surf's Up Cake

In additions to these Teen Beach 2 inspired recipes, be sure to serve some beach party snacks and finger foods such as popcorn, cherries, hotdogs, mini-hamburgers, corn on the cob, salad, and Sweet Hawaiin rolls. Oh and what beach party isn’t complete without s’mores!

Fun Activities

Photo Props

Photo Props

Everyone loves to take selfies and post on social media. Why not add some fun photo props to your Teen Beach 2 Viewing Party photos?!

What You’ll Need:

  • 8 1/2″ x 11″ cardstock
  • Scissors
  • Cutting Knife
  • Wooden dowels or bamboo skewers
  • Masking, duct, or craft tape

Directions:

  1. Download and print out the pages below. Cut them out.
  2. Affix a wooden dowel or bamboo skewer to the back of each photo prop with heavy-duty tape such as masking, duct, or craft tape.
  3. Use the props and accessories to dress up photos!

Download & Print Photo Props Directions Here —-> Photo Props

Oragami Lei Necklace

Origami Lei Necklace

What You’ll Need:

  • 8 1/2″ x 11″ copy paper
  • Scissors
  • String
  • Tape

Directions:

  1. Fold the paper diagonally with the white side up. Flatten the paper again.
  2. Fold the corners to the center of the apper. This will create a smaller square. Once done, fold the coreners of the new, smaller square to the center as well.
  3. Flip paper over to the side with no seams. Fold Corners to the center again. Fold 2/3 of each flap back the other way so that each overlaps the edge.
  4. Flip back to the first side. Fold all four flaps out and then repeat. Repeat steps 1 through 4 with the other colors.
  5. Tape your flowers down in a desired pattern around the string. Tie ends of string together.
  6. Color on the them to personalize them.

Download & Print Photo Props Directions Here —-> Oragimi Lei Necklace

Here are some other activities to download and enjoy at your Teen Beach 2 Viewing Party:

Box Puzzles

Origami Beach Balls

Paper Lanterns

Paper Lanterns

And there you have it – everything in one place for you to find easily. The most important part, however, is to have fun! Enjoy your Teen Beach 2 – Beach Bash – Viewing Party! Be sure to let me know how everything turned out and post your photos on social media. Remember, Teen Beach 2 comes out on DVD the same day it airs on the Disney Channel – June 26th, 2015 (this Friday!). What a great way to kick off summer!

Oh and if you are daring enough, check out this post about my dance lessons with Chrissie Fit (CheeChee) and Jordan Fisher (Seacat) that includes some dance moves to “Gotta Be Me” that you can learn for showtime!

JORDAN FISHER, CHRISSIE FIT
Photo Credit: Disney XD/Valerie Macon

 

Tune in to Teen Beach 2 on June 26th at 8pm EST on the Disney Channel.
Follow Chrissie Fit and Jordan Fisher on Twitter.

#InsideOutEvent #TeenBeach2Event

Ryan Gosling in Young Hercules

Tessa Smith
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Ryan Gosling in Young Hercules

Disclosure: Mama Smith’s Review Blog received this item in exchange for her honest review. All opinions expressed are 100% hers.

young hercules

I love reading comic books – you should all know that by now. I am also Greek and so I am a huge fan of Greek mythology. Therefore, Hercules is one of my favorite characters. I remember watching Young Hercules starring Ryan Gosling growing up. My crush on him started then and is still going strong (I know I am in good company ladies!). This show aired from 1998 to 1998 and the series contains 50 episodes. I was super excited to recieve this on DVD and have been loving reliving my childhood by watching it. I can’t wait to share it with my girls when they are just a little bit older. For the first time, the complete series will be available  on June 23rd (TOMORROW!) from Shout! Factory. Order your copy here.

young hercules

Synopsis:

This prequel series to the smash hit Hercules: The Legendary Journeys explores the dawn of an ancient age of light and darkness as the half-god, half-man Hercules (Ryan Gosling, The Notebook) — along with his friends, Prince Jason (Chris Conrad, Mortal Kombat Annihilation) and Iolaus (Dean O’Gorman, The Hobbit Trilogy) — struggles to find his place in the world and learns what it means to be a hero.

Survey Says: Tune Into Celebrity Family Feud

Tessa Smith
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6
Survey Says: Tune Into Celebrity Family Feud

Disclosure: Mama Smith received an all expense paid trip from Disney/Pixar to attend this event. All opinions expressed are 100% her own.

Celebrity Family Fued

I have watched Family Feud since I was a little girl. It is a show that has always entertained me – and still does to this day. My husband and I love watching it and trying to guess the top answers. Fast Money is one of my favorite parts – it is a great game to play along with from home. I have enjoyed all of the hosts, but the most recent, Steve Harvey, has brought a whole new humor in to it. When I found out that I was going to be attending a live taping of Celebrity Family Feud, I was beyond excited. I immediately called my mom and told her because I grew up watching the show with her. Needless to say, she was extremely jealous.

STEVE HARVEY
Photo Credit: (ABC/Adam Taylor)

Stepping on to the set of Celebrity Family Feud was so surreal. There were a lot of bright lights, loud music, and of course the podiums. It was incredible to see. The atmosphere was filled with fun and excitement! Up on the stage was the “warm up” guy. You know, the guy that keeps everyone excited and happy and having fun while we wait for the taping to start. He was blasting music and dancing around – and he was hilarious! He was so much fun to watch and dance with. His name is Rubin Ervin and you can follow him on Twitter here.

Celebrity Family Feud

The episode that we watched being filmed was Vicki Lawrence vs. Ed Asner and while I cannot tell you who won, I can assure you that you need to tune in. I was cracking up almost the entire show. The contestants were great, the categories (and answers) were funny, and everyone had a great time. Each celebrity family plays for a charity of their choice. During the breaks Steve Harvey talked with the audience. He told stories about growing up and he preached – oh boy, did he preach! I could have listened to him go on for hours. It was incredible and inspiring! At one point he answered a few questions – including one that I got to ask (yay!): Who is your favorite comedian? Steve did not even bat an eye, he immediately answered Richard Pryor – because he loves Richard’s stand-up. After the taping we were told that we could go up on stage and take photos – and even get our photo taken at the buzzer! How amazing is that! I was nearly shaking standing up on that stage. It was so much to take in. What an absolutely amazing experience!

Celebrity Family Feud

The first of six two-game episodes of Celebrity Family Feud airs TONIGHT on ABC at 8:00 pm EST and features Anthony Anderson vs. Toni Braxton and Monica Potter vs. Curtis Stone. All of the other episodes are sure to be amazing as well – Gronk (from the SuperBowl Champions – the New England Patriots) and his brothers are playing! You should all know what a huge Patriots fan I am so of course, I cannot wait to be watching and rooting for him on that one! Once I know when the Vicki Lawrence/Ed Asner game will be aired – I will be updating you, so stay tuned!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRDqROQ0Ids

Twitter Handles for the first episode so you can tweet as you watch:

Steve Harvey @IAmSteveHarvey

Curtis Stone @curtis_stone

Monica Potter @monicapotter

Anthony Anderson @anthonyanderson

Tamar Braxton @TamarBraxtonHer

Toni Braxton @tonibraxton

Traci Braxton @TraciBraxton

Trina Braxton @TrinaBraxton

Towanda Braxton @towandabraxton

TONI BRAXTON, STEVE HARVEY, ANTHONY ANDERSON
Photo Credit: (ABC/Adam Taylor)

Like on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FamilyFeudABC
Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FamilyFeudABC
Follow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/familyfeudabc/
Follow on tumblr: http://familyfeudabc.tumblr.com

#‎CelebrityFamilyFeud‬ #ABCTVEvent #InsideOutEvent

Printable DIY Inside Out Nail Art & More!

Tessa Smith
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0
Printable DIY Inside Out Nail Art & More!

Inside Out

OK everyone – TODAY IS THE DAY! Inside Out is in theaters everywhere and you need to go see this. It is a must-see summer movie that kids and adults are sure to love. I just got back from seeing it with my daughters, my husband, and my mom. We all laughed, and a few us shed some tears (guilty!). In order to celebrate this JOYful day – I have a few fun (and FREE) printables for you to download.

Nail Art inspired by the Inside Out Emotions – Too Cute!

nail art

Download Instructions Here —> Nail Art

The Train of Thought Board Game – fun for the whole family!

board game

Download Here —> board game

Memory Ball Craft – Perfect for Ornaments and Keepsakes!

memory ball

Download Instructions Here —> memory ball

INSIDE OUT opens in theaters everywhere TODAY!

Movie Synopsis:

Do you ever look at someone and wonder what is going on inside their head? Disney•Pixar’s original new film “Inside Out” ventures inside the mind to find out.

Based in Headquarters, the control center inside 11-year-old Riley’s mind, five Emotions are hard at work, led by lighthearted optimist Joy (voice of Amy Poehler), whose mission is to make sure Riley stays happy. Fear (voice of Bill Hader) heads up safety, Anger (voice of Lewis Black) ensures all is fair and Disgust (voice of Mindy Kaling) prevents Riley from getting poisoned—both physically and socially. Sadness (voice of Phyllis Smith) isn’t exactly sure what her role is, and frankly, neither is anyone else.

When Riley’s family relocates to a scary new city, the Emotions are on the job, eager to help guide her through the difficult transition. But when Joy and Sadness are inadvertently swept into the far reaches of Riley’s mind—taking some of her core memories with them—Fear, Anger and Disgust are left reluctantly in charge. Joy and Sadness must venture through unfamiliar places—Long Term Memory, Imagination Land, Abstract Thought and Dream Productions—in a desperate effort to get back to Headquarters, and Riley.

Like INSIDE OUT on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PixarInsideOut  
Follow INSIDE OUT on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PixarInsideOut and https://twitter.com/headquarters
Follow INSIDE OUT on Instagram: https://instagram.com/PIXARINSIDEOUT/
Follow INSIDE OUT on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/disneystudios/inside-out/
Visit INSIDE OUT on Tumblr: http://insideoutheadquarters.tumblr.com/
Follow Disney/Pixar on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DisneyPixar
Visit the official INSIDE OUT website: http://movies.disney.com/inside-out/

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