Winnie the Pooh Crafts & Fun Foods Roundup

Winnie the Pooh returns to theaters tomorrow, so here's a little roundup of some fun crafts, foods, and parties from around the web:

First up, Disney is sharing a family activities file with you! Download the file here. You'll get directions for a whole series of adorable Pooh activities--some of them edible too!  

In addition, if you head over to Disney's Family.com, you'll find a whole round up of cute Pooh inspired ideas there too, like these adorable paper bag puppets! 

And, if you're planning a Winnie the Pooh party, or just want to whip up some cute treats, these parties are a must-see:

Pooh inspired sweets table on Hostess with the Mostess

Adorable bee-hive cake!

 Winnie the Pooh Party on Celebrations at Home

Have fun celebrating that willy, nilly, silly old bear! :)

Disney's Winnie the Pooh Returns to Theaters

Walt Disney Animation Studios returns to the Hundred Acre Wood this weekend with "Winnie the Pooh" and we're thrilled!  We have "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" on DVD and it was one of the first movies we let Big Brother watch. He loved it (loves it still) and loved spending time with his favorite Pooh characters at Disneyland!

Needless to say then, we were really excited to be invited to an advanced screening of Disney's new "Winnie the Pooh". 

This newest installation of Winnie the Pooh is inspired by three different stories from A.A. Milne's books, combining them all into one honey-filled Pooh adventure. Everyone's favorite silly old bear is reunited with Christopher Robin and all his other cuddly friends, including poor Eeyore who has lost his tail.

   

"Ever have one of those days when you just can't win, Eeyore" asks Pooh.

 

In the midst of a quest to find a new tail for Eeyore (Bud Luckey), Owl (Craig Ferguson) sends the whole gang on a wild quest to save Christopher Robin from an imaginary culprit, the Backson! It turns out to be a very busy day for a bear who simply wanted to find some honey! 

Our Thoughts:

Winnie the Pooh is a return to the classic childhood innocence that most PG and even G movies are missing these days. Unlike Cars 2, there is no adult language or innuendo, no toilet humor, no guns and violence. Just a boy, his favorite bear and friends having imaginary adventures together! And, the animation helps with that wonderful innocent feeling, as there is no CG or fancy modern updating--the animators kept with the simple sketched/watercolor feel of the original.

While I think the story line could have been a little stronger had this film stuck to having multiple chapters instead of one story, I am thrilled that the stuck true to having a narrator and  Pooh interacting with the pages of the book. John Cleese does an excellent job with the narration and the storybook/letters play a rather key role in helping Pooh solve a big problem!

The only real downside for us was the running time--at just over an hour, even Big Brother was surprised that the movie was already over. He has been to about 5 movies in the theaters and has always done really great sitting through entire movies, so for us, the time was a little disappointing. That said though, if you have a little one who doesn't sit still for long or one who you are hoping to have a first movie theater experience with, I think the time would be perfect!  

Make sure you get to your seats on time, as there's a little extra treat at the beginning!  The Ballad of Nessie is an adorable tale (with an old-time animated feel) of a cute dragon who gets run out of her home with nowhere to go. After a good cry, she discovers just what she's been looking for!

 

And encourage those kiddos to sit all the way through the end of the credits, as they just might catch a Backson! ;)

While Winnie the Pooh certainly isn't the biggest or best "blockbuster" of the summer, and definitely won't win top spot at the box office (after all, it's got Harry Potter to compete with and even spoofed it), it is by far the most adorable! Perfect for the young at heart, no matter what their age! 

Who is YOUR favorite Winnie the Pooh character?

Disney-Pixar Cars 2 Activities Round Up!

Disney-Pixar's Cars 2 races into theaters today!! We've had the pleasure of seeing it already (check out our review and GIVEAWAY here)!! No doubt with all the movie buzz, many little fans with have Lightning and Mater "on the brain". So, here' a whole round-up of fun Cars activities, crafts, and party ideas--perfect for playdates, birthday parties, special treats, and fun craft time! 

First up, Disney is sharing a family activities file with you! Download the file here. You'll get directions for a whole series of adorable Cars crafts--some of them edible too! 

There are also some fun activity sheets!

If you head over to Disney's Family.com, you'll find a whole round up of cute Cars ideas there too, from 3D papercrafts to cute cupcakes! 

 Then, check out all these awesome party ideas!!!

We'll start first with the fabulous Bakerella and her adorable Mater cupcakes!! "I don't care who you are, that's cute right there!"

The Dragon's Fairytale did an adorable Cars-themed 1st birthday using Bakerella's Mater cupcake idea! 

And, have a look at these other awesome parties from...

 Buckets of Grace

Not Just a Mommy

And, I LOVE these bottles from the Cars party on Belleza e Luce! Awesome! 

 

If you have the need to make a fabulous car cake, the tutorial from Make-Fabulous-Cakes.com is, well, fabulous! :)

 Enjoy!!

Cars 2 Review & Giveaway!!

Do YOU have a Disney-Pixar Cars fan in your house? We do! "Car-cars", as he's called it since his early talking days, was Big Brother's first feature length movie (on DVD at just shy of 2 years old!). Prior to having kids (and then, a boy no less), Mr. Mom Endeavors and I didn't really care for the movie much. But, when seeing the excitement on our little guy's face while watching it for the first time, we had a new-found appreciation. He loved it and we loved watching it with him! Since then, we've watched it at least 2.5 million times and all still enjoy it! 

So, the excitement has been building the last few months as all the Cars 2 stuff has been rolling out into stores. Earlier this month, we even braved a hot Phoenix afternoon to have the chance to meet some of our favorite characters during the "Agents on a Mission" Tour! 

Needless to say then, we were beyond thrilled to be invited to an advance screening of the film. We turned it in to an extra special surprise--a special outing with Mommy and Daddy just for Big Brother. Then, a new shirt and two new "Car-cars" really topped it off! Pure joy!

 

With those in hand, we headed into theater, donned our 3D glasses, and waited with anticipation for our favorite characters to race on to the screen!

About the movie:

Star racecar Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) and the incomparable tow truck Mater (voice of Larry the Cable Guy) take their friendship to exciting new places in “Cars 2” when they head overseas to compete in the first-ever World Grand Prix to determine the world’s fastest car.  But the road to the championship is filled with plenty of potholes, detours and hilarious surprises when Mater gets caught up in an intriguing adventure of his own: international espionage.  Mater finds himself torn between assisting Lightning McQueen in the high-profile race and towing the line in a top-secret mission orchestrated by master British super spy Finn McMissile (voice of Michael Caine) and the stunning rookie field spy Holley Shiftwell (voice of Emily Mortimer).  Mater’s action-packed journey leads him on an explosive chase through the streets of Japan and Europe, trailed by his friends and watched by the whole world.  The fast-paced fun includes a colorful new all-car cast, complete with menacing villains and international racing competitors. 

Our thoughts:

Say goodbye to Radiator Springs and hello to James Bond, Cars-style! For better or worse, Cars 2 seems almost the antithesis of the original. The innocent charm and serenity of the sleepy little town is replaced with action, adventure, spy gadgets, weapons, shootings, and explosions! If you haven't seen it yet, this trailer gives a good capture of the overall feel:

What could have been improved:

 - Less violence and James Bond-style adult innuendo

 - More racing scenes 

 - More with the original characters in Radiator Springs

 - A little more Lightning and a little less Mater

What we liked:

 - In true Disney-Pixar fashion, the animation was FANTASTIC!!

 - Great scenery and awesome depictions of cities around the world  

 - Some fun new characters (We got a chuckle at 'Brent Mustangburger' and I loved the Royal Family, like 'Prince Wheeliam')

 - Good message about friendship and being who you are (though, it might be lost amid all the explosions)

Overall:

The movie is action-packed with a good spy plot-line, interesting enough to even keep adults intrigued. While I did miss the quiet charm of the first movie, I did love the international travel! Seeing some of my favorite European sites animated so well was definitely fun! And, Big Brother of course, loved it! He did a great job during the movie, followed the plot line better than I expected, and can't stop talking about Finn! That said though, I personally think the violence is too much for his age group. Not having any kids older than 4, I'm not certain, but I'd say Cars 2 is probably best-suited for an above 7 or 8 crowd. 

No doubt though, as Cars 2 races into theaters this Friday, June 24th, car fanatics will be thrilled to see Lightning & Mater on the big screen! 

GIVEAWAY (now closed)!  

Winner: 

 

Congrats to lucky comment #18! Gretchen hope you're little guy LOVES this awesome Cars prize pack! 

Do YOU have a little Cars fan that would love some new gear? To celebrate the release of Cars 2, Disney is giving one lucky Mom Endeavors reader a prize pack perfect for your favorite little racer!! 

1. Simply leave a comment telling me if you plan on seeing the movie (or, if you've seen it already, share what you thought of it)!

Get extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):

2. Subscribe to Mom Endeavors on Google Friend Connect (see widget on the left side bar)

3. Follow Mom Endeavors on facebook and/or twitter (and share about the giveaway if you're so inclined)

4. Like Cars on facebook

if you're already following, thank you, just make sure you leave a comment & let me know!!

(up to 4 entries per person)
Limited to US & Canadian residents only. Giveaway will end on June 28th at 10pm PST. Winner with a valid entry will be selected at random using random.org. I will email the winner and post the winner on the blog. They will have 48 hours to claim their prize (make sure you leave your email address or that it is attached to your profile).

Disclosure: I saw this movie at a free press screening at the invitation of Disney.  Thank you, Disney! No compensation was received.  All opinions and experiences are my own and your opinion of the movie may differ from mine.

Disney-Pixar's Cars 2: "Agents on a Mission Tour" presented by State Farm

In keeping with the frugal family fun/staycation theme this week, there's a fun (free) event coming up for those Disney-Pixar Cars fans in Charlotte, Dallas, Phoenix, Las Vegas, San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco! 

 

In case you didn't know, CARS 2 races into theaters in Disney Digital 3D and IMAX 3D on June 24th. To celebrate, "Agents on a Mission", a multi-city tour presented by State Farm, kicked off at the Mall of America on March 22nd. The tour runs through June and will hit the U.S. red-carpet premiere in Los Angeles! 

Here's some tour information:

“The ‘Agents on a Mission’ tour lets fans get face to face with ‘Cars’ favorites Lightning McQueen and Mater, plus the very cool, very savvy spy Finn McMissile, a new character on ‘Cars 2’ roster,” says MT Carney, president of marketing for The Walt Disney Studios. “This movie is filled with fun, action, heart and a lot of laughs—we want to get everyone geared up for ‘Cars 2.’”

State Farm brings Disney•Pixar’s “Cars 2” adventure directly to fans with the “Agents on a Mission” tour, showcasing cars modeled after their big-screen likenesses. The cars will be outfitted in Goodyear tires and transported from coast to coast (and back again) by Mack Trucks, Inc. Visitors can check out the cars and take part in a variety of “Cars 2”-themed activities, including a video kiosk, e-photo opportunities, games and giveaways. They can also enter the “Agents on a Mission” sweepstakes, which features 18,000 prizes, including a new car.

FUN FACTS ABOUT THE CARS FROM THE STATE FARM “AGENTS ON A MISSION” TOUR:

• The replica cars are the largest production radio-controlled replica cars ever built!
• Because of the unique scale of these vehicles, all the exterior pieces had to be fabricated from scratch. No actual “off- the-shelf” car parts could be used. The sculpting process for each vehicle’s body took 6-10 days, totaling 1000-1600 man hours. After the cars were carved in foam, a fiberglass mold was created, and from that the final bodies were produced.
• The cars are all electric powered. Each runs on four automotive-style batteries at 48 volts and can run for 30 minutes at full speed. 
• The cars can travel up to 10 miles per hour. 
• Lightning McQueen’s tires are one of a kind due to their unique size and were fabricated by Goodyear specifically for the “Agents on a Mission” tour.

Big Brother LOVES the movie Cars and we'll definitely be enjoying the Phoenix tour stop in a few weeks. He will be SO excited to see the big versions of some of his favorite characters!! I can't wait to see his reaction! Here's the info on the Phoenix stop:

For information on the rest of the cities, visit: http://disney.go.com/cars/#/events.

Do YOU have a little "Cars" fan in YOUR house? Have you been to one of the tour events or are you planning on going?

For more information about the movie, the tour and a list of cities, check out Disney.com/cars. Like “Cars 2” on Facebook: facebook.com/pixarcars, and follow “Cars 2” on Twitter: twitter.com/disneypixar. To enter the “Agents on a Mission” sweepstakes, go to Disney.com/agents. For more information about State Farm and the “Agents on a Mission” promotion, like State Farm on Facebook: facebook.com/statefarm or follow State Farm on Twitter: twitter.com/statefarm.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Review & Giveaway!

Yo Ho, Yo Ho....Captain Jack is back as "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides" sails into theaters everywhere TODAY (May 20th, 2011)!

 Pirates has always been a "must-do" ride at Disneyland for us and one year we even  dressed as a pirate family for Halloween! 

So, needless to say, we've been fans of the "Pirates" movie franchise and thanks to Disney, my husband and I had the pleasure of attending an advance screening of the latest installment earlier this week! In "On Stranger Tides", Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) finds himself on an unexpected journey to the fabled Fountain of Youth when a woman from his past (Penélope Cruz) forces him aboard the Queen Anne’s Revenge, the ship of the formidable pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane).

Our thoughts:

Overall, the movie was great--just what you would expect from a "Pirates" movie--swashbuckling action, adventure, a little romance (& tension), some creepy piratey "magic", and the usual hilarious antics of Captain Jack. Mr. Mom Endeavors and I both agreed that "On Stranger Tides"  is the second best of the four (as we both like the first installment best). It was nice to have the Davy Jones plot line done (that wasn't my favorite), though I do have admit that I did miss the Elizabeth & Will story-line a bit (my husband, not so much). Like the other movies in the series, "On Stranger Tides" is rated PG-13, so the little guys won't be seeing it anytime soon. But, I think older kids would love it!

 Ph: Peter Mountain ©Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved

One thing that I especially loved about the film was the scenery! Twice during the movie, I turned to my husband and said, "this has to be Kauai." And, I was right!! They spent about a month on location filming there. We spent our Honeymoon in Kauai and absolutely loved it. It's breathtaking! Scenes were filmed in various locations that we loved there, like the Na Pali Coast, the National Tropical Botanical Garden, and Ke'e beach. So, if you've been to Kauai and loved it like us, you should really enjoy the some of the scenes. (The movie was shot on location in other parts of Hawaii, London, and Puerto Rico too).

 

 Ph: Peter Mountain ©Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved

To celebrate the opening of "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides", Disney is giving one lucky Mom Endeavors reader a fun Pirates prize-pack!!!

Prize pack features:

- PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES in adult sizes of S, M, L, XL

- PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES bandana in black

- PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES temporary tattoos (2 per winner)

To Enter: Giveaway has ended! Congrats to lucky winner, Heather (comment #20)!!
1. Simply leave a comment telling me if you plan on seeing the movie (or, if you've seen it already, share what you thought of it)!

Get extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):

2. Subscribe to Mom Endeavors on Google Friend Connect (see widget on the left side bar)

3. Follow Mom Endeavors on facebook and/or twitter (and share about the giveaway if you're so inclined)

4. Like PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN on Facebook 

if you're already following, thank you, just make sure you leave a comment & let me know!!

(up to 4 entries per person)
Limited to US & Canadian residents only. Giveaway will end on May 27th at 10pm PST. Winner with a valid entry will be selected at random using random.org. I will email the winner and post the winner on the blog. They will have 48 hours to claim their prize (make sure you leave your email address or that it is attached to your profile).

Disclosure: I saw this movie at a free press screening at the invitation of Disney.  No compensation was received.  All opinions and experiences are my own and your opinion of the movie may differ from mine.

New Interactive Disney Store Opens in AZ

We're big Disney fans and so were thrilled to experience some Disney magic right here at home with a special tour today of the all-new interactive Disney store at Chandler Fashion Center! It is one of over 25 newly-designed stores opening in North America in 2011--and the first one to open in Arizona! Not surprisingly, Big Brother could hardly wait to get in! 

 

The new store concept is centered around giving guests an interactive and magical experience, aimed to deliver "the best 30 minutes of a child's day"! Disney definitely knows how to do "magical" and as with everything they do, the difference is in the details. This is immediately apparent upon entering the store--even the floor sparkles with "pixie dust". 

The 12-ft high fully animated "Translucent Trees" dominate the store's "skyline" and are complete with hidden Mickeys. The projections changed throughout the morning.  Then, there's the special mural that wraps around the top of the entire store! You might think that all the stores would have the same mural, but not so! This one is  modeled with sites around Chandler and desert scenery unique to Arizona! Again with those incredible details! Tink and Wall-E even appeared on the walls from time to time!

There are four main interactive areas throughout the store, making shopping there so much more of an "experience" than just another store. It really is a big shift from the older/non-remolded stores! Even from outside the store, the most noticeable of these new magical features is the delight of many little girls. A large princess castle!! 

 

And, this castle is even complete with Magic Mirror! When a child walks up with any of the special princess merchandise, the princess that matches the item will appear in the mirror. All the little girls this morning seemed to be in awe! Big Brother was more interested in showing the mirror his new-found Buzz Lightyear Super Blaster though, so no princesses for us!

Kids of all ages seemed to enjoy the plush toy area--and not just for the toys! The display itself is interactive, with a tunnel to crawl through, gears to spin, and buttons to push! Little Brother was thrilled to get out of his stroller to check it out!

Not surprisingly, Big Brother was most enthralled with the Disney-Pixar CARS-branded RideMakerz experience, where kids can create their very own custom car! In fact, he's already informed me that he wants to do that for his birthday! :) From various bodies & wheels to various decals & accessories, the options seem nearly endless!

And last but certainly not least, there is a Disney Store Theater! Under a lighted in-store gazebo, sits this interactive theater experience. I loved that there is a kid-sized table & chairs inside (which today was set up with Disney coloring pages & crayons). But, the coolest thing is that families can choose the content they want to watch in the Disney Store Theater!

There are touch-screen displays (kid-height, of course) with selections of various films, shows, characters, and songs so that you can choose to see your favorites! Making this experience all the more magical, you can come in for a celebration and watch it come up on the theater screen! Birthdays, unbirthdays, anniversaries, birth of a new baby, good report cards, you name it! Just let any cast member know when you come into the store what you're celebrating and they'll arrange it all for you during your store visit! 

Not surprisingly, we were really impressed with the new Disney Store and had a fantastic time checking everything out! Thank you, Disney, for inviting us!!! As far as Big Brother was concerned, the only problem was having to leave and not being able to buy 10 different things in the store! :)

For local readers, the store opened today, May 11th. But, the store is having it's Grand Opening Celebration on Saturday, May 21st complete with special guests of honor:

10:00 am: Opening Ceremony
12:00 pm - 4:00 pm: Meet Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse in Macy's Court 

*Characters alternate every 30 minutes. Character appearances are subject to change or cancellation without notice. Call store for more details at (480) 812-1661 and/or check out the facebook event page. 

If you're not a local reader & want to check out a new Disney store or want more information, I encourage you to visit www.disneyconsumerproducts.com/press/us/disneystore or follow at www.facebook.com/DisneyStore and www.twitter.com/DisneyStore.

Have YOU been to one of the all-new interactive Disney Stores? What did you think?

Disclosure: All opinions and experiences are my own. We attended a press tour and received a gift for attending the event, but was not compensated to provide this review. We simply LOVE Disney and had a great time!   For more information, read my disclosure policy.