THE BIBLE Series Premieres 3/3

This Sunday March 3rd, THE BIBLE, an epic 10-hour tv series produced by Roma Downey and Mark Burnett, premieres on the History Channel.  Roma Downey plays Mother Mary and Emmy-winner Keith David provides voice-overs throughout.  The musical score is created by Oscar and Grammy award winning composer Hans Zimmer.




You can find out more about THE BIBLE Series on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BibleSeries and Twitter @bibleseries


My family is excited to watch this fresh journey through the Bible from Genesis through Revelation.  Tune in to the History Channel at 8/7 c.  It's definitely an inspiring event you won't want to miss!


Disclosure:  No compensation was received for this post.  The information was provided by Fox and all opinions are my own.
  

Did You Say Shopping? {Wordless Wednesday}

For more Wordless Wednesday, visit Five Minutes for Mom. You can also share your W/W post in the linky below.

McDonald's Fish #McBites {Ends 3/6}

By now I'm sure you've heard the buzz about McDonald's new Fish McBites.  If you have a fish loving fan at home, you will probably want to try out these crispy flakes of Alaska pollack with tangy tartar sauce.  Think chicken nugget of the sea (it's the same fish that is in their filet-o-fish sandwich).  These come in three sizes; snack, regular and shareable.  They also have a Fish McBites Happy Meal.

Recently McDonald's partnered with Tongal (a social media platform inviting filmmakers to create branded video content for the chance to win prizes) to find the next music video hit to introduce McBites.

Check out the grand-prize winning video below; I dare you not to get it stuck in your head.



  

You can see the other McBites video finalists in the contest too.  There are some very creative entries!


Giveaway:

Thanks to McDonald's, three of my readers will receive 2 coupons to try out the snack size Fish McBites.

Just use the Rafflecopter form below.  You must be 18 or older to enter.  Open to US residents only. If you do not fully complete the entries, your entries will not count.  Please leave your email so I can contact you.



This giveaway is not in any way associated with, administered or endorsed by Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter.  Giveaway Ends 3/6/13 at 12:01 AM EST.  US Residents **18 and older** only may enter. One entry per household and IP address.  Winner will be drawn using random.org and will have **48 hrs** to respond to email or another winner will be chosen. Entries are verified.  No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.  The Attic Girl is not responsible/liable for lost or undelivered prizes.


Disclosure:  The giveaway coupons were provided by McDonald's Family Arches for myself and to share with my readers.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.  For more info see my Dislcosure policy.

Bath Splashing Fun For Toddlers

Bath time can be a challenge when it comes to toddlers.  If your munchkin is anything like mine, she doesn't always want to get in the tub.  But colorful and fun bath toys can be a good enticement.

We have a few favorite bath toys, like this Nuby Fish Swoop Play Set.  But it's nice to change things up with a new toy now and again to keep a toddler's interest.  

This little guy is the Attic Baby's latest buddy. 

The Tub Time Turtle is a fun alternative to your average rubber ducky.  He not only floats on the water, but he allows water to sift through his middle and create a waterfall effect. 

This tub toy is a good size (he is bigger than he looks in the above photo) for little hands with bright colors.   His body is a softer plastic for squeezing.  Little miss actually hugged and kissed him when he came out of the package.

Once he was in the tub, she had a blast watching him float and making him skim across the water.  The waterfall aspect of the toy kept her attention for nearly the whole bath time.  She alternated toys and kept coming back to making it "spwinkle" onto her other toys.  I'm sure she'll come up with some creative ideas as she is able to vocalize and use her imagination more.

This is a great toy for some bath splashing fun!

 The Tub Time Turtle is BPA free, recommended for ages 9 months+, and available at BuyBabyDirect.com for $5.99.    

Want to know more about Nuby?  Find out about the latest products, great info., and giveaways from other Nuby Mommy bloggers too.

Connect with them:




Disclosure:  I am writing this post as part of the NUBY Mommy Blogger Program.  I did not receive any compensation for this post, although as part of this program I may receive items to sample or review.  For more info, see my disclosure policy.

Big G DreamWorks Animation Family Movie Night #myblogspark

Family movie night is one of the highlights of our week.  We love to grab our favorite snacks and sack out in the living room to watch a movie together.  It's usually a night of laughs, talking, and yummy treats.  Definitely a great way to end a busy week!

For a limited time (until March 15th or supplies last), Big G and DreamWorks Animation have teamed up to create four collectible DVD samplers with content from Shrek, How to Train Your Dragon, Kung Fu Panda and Madagascar just for you and your family!  Each DVD contains fun episodes, behind the scenes footage and bonus material.

You'll probably want to collect all four!  Plus, you'll get an exclusive sneak peek at "The Croods" coming to theaters March 22, 2013.

You can only receive these by purchasing specially marked boxes of your favorite Big G cereals below:

We received this fun Movie Night Gift Pack and watched some of the sampler DVD's the other day.  The snacks were delish (I have a weakness for Swedish fish and Twizzlers) and both of my kids loved the episodes and extra features!  They were also excited to find two books about "The Croods"; the stickers were a huge hit with my two year old.  We are eagerly anticipating the release of this movie; it looks pretty amusing!

Gift Pack Contains:

•	Set of 4 DreamWorks Animation DVD samplers
•	The Croods: Grub's Survival Book
•	The Croods: Movie Novelization Book
•	Film Reel tin filled with some of your favorite movie theater treats
	Combined Retail Value: $53

Giveaway:

Thanks to MyBlogSpark, one of my readers will win the same Movie Night Gift Pack by filling out the Rafflecopter below.

You must be 18 or older to enter.  Open to US residents only. If you do not fully complete the entries, your entries will not count. 



This giveaway is not in any way associated with, administered or endorsed by Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter.  Giveaway Ends 3/9/13 at 12:01 AM EST.  US Residents **18 and older** only may enter. One entry per household and IP address.  Winner will be drawn using random.org and will have **24 hrs** to respond to email or another winner will be chosen. Entries are verified.  No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.  Sponsor is shipping the prize directly.  The Attic Girl is not responsible/liable for prize delivery.

Disclosure:  The information, products and General Mills gift packs were provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.  For more info. see my Disclosure Policy.

Easter Gift Ideas for Toddlers

I have many fond memories of Easter while growing up.  My parents always had a special Easter basket waiting for me that morning.  It was like a mini version of Christmas.  Treats and toys and a special trip to get donuts before heading off to Easter service.

I try to continue the tradition and make special memories for my children in the hopes that they will look back and know that they were (and are) dearly loved.  

My teen's Easter basket is pretty easy to fill, although he's out of the little toys and trinkets stage.  He wants bigger toys ie. video games, iTunes, books or movies.  And candy of course.  It wouldn't be Easter without a chocolate bunny.

But my 2 year old is a little trickier.  I don't want her having too many sweets and she's not quite old enough for some of the dollar store type toys.  I wasn't sure what kind of Easter basket to get her this year.

Large Plush Bunny Basket

Big Face Sesame Street Tin Pails

Personal Creations has a great selection of personalized gifts for Easter, including Easter baskets.  There are so many adorable choices that it can be difficult to choose.   I love personalization on Easter baskets; it just makes it a bit more special to see your name on the basket when you are little.  

And right now you can save 15% off your purchase at Personal Creations through 3/7/13 with this coupon code.

I chose the Easter Basket with Plush Bunny for $14.99.  This basket has a pretty liner personalized with your child's name stitched on it, a small 6" bunny, a little card, and grass to fill the basket.  I wanted a basket that didn't have candy included, but you can order the All in One Easter Basket for only $24.99 (I don't think the basket I ordered is available any longer so I'm glad I scooped it up when I did).

Shipping was fairly quick.  My items were nestled in packing peanuts and shrink wrapped in plastic.  The basket is good quality and just the right size for my two year old.  It does wobble a little when you set it down, but I have found many woven baskets tend to do that.  The stitching on the liner was well done; I was very pleased with the quality and the spelling was perfect.  There is plenty of grass to fill the basket and the little bunny is cute.  The basket holds approx. 20 plastic eggs (standard size).

I also chose a special gift to go with my daughter's Easter basket.  This Rag Doll Backpack is just the right size for my toddler.  It is made out of pretty fabric and can hold the doll it comes with as well as a few small board books.  I know she will love this when we go out on shopping trips and visits to the library!  

The rag doll is cute and sits in a little baby carrier on the back or she can be removed.  You can also personalize the T-shirt on the doll; I chose the word Princess since she is in love with princesses lately  (I don't like the idea of having her name on the back of the backpack for safety issues)

The personalization on the doll is not stitched (I prefer the look of stitching); it's an iron on type sticker on the T Shirt.  It seems like it has been ironed on well and hopefully will stand up to my rough and tumble tot.  The doll is not machine washable; surface clean only.  It's $29.99 for the set, which is a bit high, but I expect that is because of the uniqueness of the item.   This backpack will probably fit for a year or two and then she may just use it for pretend play (you can see how it fits her bunny in the photo).


I plan on putting her doll and backpack next to her basket Easter morning (she hasn't seen the basket or the doll yet).  Then I'll fill the basket with some of her favorites.  


Ideas for Items to fill a Toddler's Easter Basket:

*Sidewalk Chalk
*Bubbles
*Little People Figures
*Chunky Crayons
*Coloring Book
*Goldfish Crackers, Small Pretzels, Cheese Crackers, small Animal cookies, or O's Cereal to fill eggs
*Stickers
*Homemade or Store Bought Playdough
*Small Board books
*Easter DVD
*Foam letters or Numbers
*Bath Toy Squirters
*Special Themed Sippy Cup or Sport Bottle (my daughter loves Disney princesses)
*Sand Toys
*Fruit Pouches (organic purees are my fave)


There are so many fun possibilities to help make your child's Easter basket special.  What do you put in your child's Easter basket?

Disclosure:  I received the above items for review purposes.  No other compensation was received and all opinions are my own.  For more info. see my Disclosure Policy.

First Chuck E Cheese Visit {Wordless Wednesday}

For more Wordless Wednesday, visit Five Minutes for Mom.  You can also share your W/W post in the linky below.

Oh Fairy Hobmother...

Okay.  Now that you have a big ? flashing in your brain after reading this title, let me attempt to explain just what a Fairy Hobmother is.

There are bloggers all over the web who have had a visit from this spritely creature called the Fairy Hobmother.  I have seen posts about him on several occasions (yes, this is a he; not your typical fairy) and left comments everywhere in the hopes that Fairy Hobmother would visit me. 

No one knows where or when he will visit.  But all the cool kids get a visit.  And finally after many wishes and fairy dances later, I am proud to say I'm one of the cool kids!  

Fairy Hobmother and his fairy overlords at Appliances Online want to make your day extra special too.  If you leave a sweet comment with a link to your blog (he'll contact you by email),  just maybe he'll sprinkle you with some fairy dust and a special surprise!

So c'mon bloggy friends, get creative (but keep it family-friendly please). And have a magical week!

Disclosure:  I will receive an Amazon GC in exchange for spreading the Fairy Hobmother love.  All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received.  For more info. see my Disclosure Policy.

Top 10 Jane Austen Love Quotes

In honor of Valentine's Day, I've compiled some of my favorite quotes about love from beloved author of matters of the heart:  Jane Austen.    I hope you enjoy these insights as you celebrate love today.


"There are as many forms of love as there are moments in time."

 

"Next to being married, a girl likes to be crossed in love a little now and then.  It is something to think of."

"No man is offended by another man's admiration of the woman he loves, it is the woman only who can make it a torment."

"A lady's imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment."  Pride and Prejudice

"The more I know of the world, the more I am convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love.  I require so much!"    Sense and Sensibility

"Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love."  Northanger Abbey

"The course of true love never did run smooth."  Emma

"...there are very few of us who have heart enough to be really in love without encouragement."  Pride and Prejudice

"There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.”  Northanger Abbey

"We are all fools in love."  Pride and Prejudice
 

What's your favorite Jane Austen quote about love?

Valentine's Day Crafts for Toddlers

The Attic Baby and I are working on a theme this month to go along with Valentine's Day.  We are learning about the color red, reading stories about love and family, and completing coloring and craft activities.  I searched on Pinterest for toddler friendly Valentine's Day crafts and shared them with my friend.  She suggested we have a craft play date, so we got the munchkins together and got our crafty hats on.

I brought along some pre-cut construction paper Valentine hearts to make cards.  (with toddlers, as much prep work before-hand, the better) 

The first project was a Simple Yarn Valentine from Toddler Approved.  We squirted little blobs of glue onto the heart and let the kiddos put the yarn on wherever they wanted (I cut the yarn since they aren't quite able to handle scissors yet).   Little miss first threw a big clump onto her card, but I showed her how to spread them out and stick them down in the glue.  She enjoyed it, despite the glue drying on her hands.

For the second card, we used peel n' stick foam hearts from the craft store.   These were easy breezy and lots of fun!

I had my heart set on making a Hand print card for her daddy.  It was a little easier said than done.  We tried to get a perfect set of hand prints, but as soon as her hands went on the paper, she smeared them around.  

It took about 3 or 4 tries to get a set of hand prints.  (Little buddy decided to paint his with a paintbrush) After chasing around pink handed monsters, we were ready to finish painting time.

Next, we modified this Love Bug craft (again from Toddler Approved).  I didn't have any modeling magic, so I thought I'd try these toilet paper tubes that I had saved.   I covered the tube with construction paper and taped down the sides.  Then I twisted pink and red pipe cleaners for the antennae.  My friend came up with the idea of poking a hole in the tube for the legs; it was a little tricky taping down the pipe cleaners inside to keep them from falling out.    Then we used a peel n' stick heart for the face and marker for the eyes and mouth.

This turned out to be more of a mom craft than a toddler craft, but the finished product was pretty cute.  (You can see little buddy's cheese puff hands picking up the love bug)   It was difficult to get a good picture of these little critters; they wanted to pick 'em up and play with them.

We had a great time making these and they were both proud of their projects.    

What are your favorite Valentine's Day crafts to do with toddlers?

Wreck-It Ralph Valentine's Day Cards

Sometimes we may not have the best way with words.  Help your kids say something sweet to their friends this Valentine's Day with these Wreck-It Ralph Valentine's Cards. 
 

 
Disney's Wreck-It Ralph is now available on HD Digital 2/12 and 3D Blu-ray Combo Pack 3/5. I missed it when it was in theaters so I'm excited to see it on DVD with my family!  How about you?   These printable coloring sheets will go well with the trading cards too.
 

Looking for more Valentine's Day fun?  Check out these craft ideas and Madly Madagascar printable Valentine's Day cards.

Disclosure:  This was not a compensated post.  All info. provided by PR company; opinions are my own.

Love Finds You in Glacier Bay Alaska Party

I am excited to let you know about the upcoming Facebook party to celebrate the book tour for Love Finds You in Glacier Bay, Alaska (click the link for my review of the book).  If you have never been to a Facebook author party, you're in for a real treat!    Even if you haven't read the book, you can still come and chat with the authors.  You will find out more about the book, meet other readers, and enter to win some great prizes.  I hope to see you there!

Celebrate with Tricia and Ocieanna by entering their "Glacier Bay" Giveaway and RSVPing for their Facebook Party on Feb. 12th!

One fortunate winner will receive:

• A gorgeous handmade “Glacier Bay” bracelet
• A handmade cowl in "Glacier Bay" blues and greens
• A bottle of custom-made "Glacier Bay" sparkle polish in blue
• Love Finds You in Glacier Bay, Alaska by Tricia Goyer and Ocieanna Fleiss and their two other “Love Finds You” titles {Love Finds You in Lonesome Prairie, Montana, and Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington}

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on February 11th. Winner will be announced at the "Glacier Bay" Author Chat Party on February 12th. Connect with authors Tricia and Ocieanna, get a sneak peek of their new book projects, try your hand at the Alaska trivia contest, and chat with readers just like you. There will also be great giveaways—gift certificates, books, and more!

So grab your copy of Love Finds You in Glacier Bay, Alaska, and join Tricia and Ocieanna on the evening of February 12th for a chance to connect with the authors and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun, RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 12th!

 

Disclosure:  I am part of the Tricia Goyer 2013 Fiction Launch Team. I received a copy of the book for review purposes.  All opinions are my own and no other compensation was received.  For more info, see my disclosure policy.

 

Madly Madagascar Valentine's Cards And Craft Ideas

Do you love the characters from Madagascar as much as my family and I do?   Then you will most definitely want to check out Madly Madagascar now on DVD (released Jan. 29th)!

Your favorite pals are back in an all-new adventure just in time for Valentine's Day.  Alex's favorite holiday brings hilarious surprises and excitement for the entire gang. Melman plans a big surprise for Gloria, Marty tries to impress a new friend and everyone wants to get their hands on King Julien's love potion. You'll fall in LOVE with Madly Madagascar!


You can print these cute Valentine's Cards on cardstock or you can email them to friends.  Simply right click, save to your computer, and print.

Want to get crafty?  Check out these Madly Madagascar inspired craft ideas for kids:

Valentine's Heart Ornament

 

You’ll go mad for these adorable ornaments! They’re fun and simple to make, and they double as inexpensive decorations! All you need is yarn, cornstarch glue, water, a heart shaped cookie cutter and parchment paper. 

First, make your cornstarch glue by combining cornstarch and water over medium heat until it is thick and translucent. Once the glue has cooled enough to touch, cut your yarn into foot long pieces, and place your cookie cutter on your parchment paper. 

Then, push a piece of yarn into the cornstarch glue until it’s coated, and remove any excess glue with your fingers. Next, lay the yarn inside the cookie cutter. Repeat until the cookie cutter is filled with a thin layer of yarn, then press the yarn flat and gently lift the cookie cutter off and allow the yarn to dry.

Homemade Valentine's Cards

All you need to make extra special homemade Valentine’s Day cards is some colored paper (in colors like red, white and pink), markers, glue, scissors, and anything you might want to add in (glitter, beads, candy, etc.). Help your kids cut out heart shapes in their paper, and think of fun sayings to write on the cards. Decorate the cards with drawings, or glue on treats like lollipops or Sweethearts. These truly custom Valentine’s are both fun to make and receive.

  

Macaroni Jewelry

Making jewelry from macaroni is both fun and easy, especially for Valentine’s Day! All you need is some rubbing alcohol, red food dye, dry macaroni, some bowls to mix in, and string. Once you’ve mixed the rubbing alcohol and food dye to the perfect shade of Valentine’s red (or pink!), drop the macaroni in and let it soak until you like the hue. Take the macaroni out of the dye, and let it dry, then use yarn or string to make necklaces, bracelets, crowns, and more for the perfect Valentine’s Day accessory!

Easy Valentine's Cookies

These cookies are fun to make and, with a little help from mom and dad, easy for the kids to help with! You need vanilla wafer cookies, peanut butter, melted chocolate chips (both white chocolate and milk chocolate), red and white colored sprinkles, pink and red gummy candies, red, white and pink decorating frosting and lollipop sticks. All you have to do is coat one side of your cookies with peanut butter and place a lollipop stick on top of it, followed by another cookie. Then, dip your cookie stick into your melted chocolate (either white or dark), covering completely. Use the remaining ingredients to decorate! Once you are finished decorating, place the pops on wax paper and refridgerate until dry.

  

Heart Shaped Pillows

 

This craft is great for slightly older kids, or may take a little more participation from mom or dad. To make cute heart shaped pillows, you need fabric of your choice, a needle, thread, cotton batting, and straight pins. 

First, lay your fabric down flat and fold it over twice so that it is doubled up. Next, cut out half a heart shape in your folded fabric (when you open it you should have two hearts that are the same size). Next, lay your hearts together so that the wrong side of the fabric is facing out, and use your straight pins to secure the two pieces of fabric together. 

Then, stitch around the edges of your hearts until you’re about two inches from closing it. Remove all the pins, and turn your fabric inside out so that the right side is visible. Next, gently stuff your heart with your cotton batting until it is full, and then stitch the opening closed. 

I can't wait to see the movie and try out some of these fun crafts! What will you be doing to celebrate Valentine's Day with your kids?

 Disclosure:  No compensation was received for this post.   The information was provided by Fox Home Entertainment Publicity and all opinions are my own.