"Beauty Land" by Dani - Captivating Album plus Video Directed by Scary Movie's Phil Dornfeld

With Parents Choice and NAPPA Awards for her debut album Beauty Land in her hip pocket, children's musician Dani is truly ready to share her music -- and new companion video -- with the world.


Phil Dornfeld, producer/writer of Scary Movie 3, 4, and 5, was excited to direct Dani's new "Beauty Land" music video, an exquisite fantasy showcasing Dani's talents and featuring 20 child dancers, as seen HERE.

This gorgeous video embellishes Dani's captivating, interactive concept album, Beauty Land, where each song is part of a mini-epic legend of giants, kings, enchanted forests, and princesses. Beauty Land is rooted in the same magical soil as Disney's Frozen, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Shrek. With folk, pop, rock, country, electronic, and even jazz and metal influences, Beauty Land is a recording to which a diverse population of kids -- from tough to dainty -- can relate.

Dani reflects, "The majority of kids today don't listen to 'children's music.' They listen to Top 40 radio, which is hip-hop, pop, Taylor Swift, Selena Gomez, Wiz Khalifa, and so forth. I like Top 40, too! However, a lot of the lyrics are inappropriate for children. With Beauty Land, I wanted to create relatable Top 40 sounding songs, but with family appropriate lyrics. My hope is to bring magic and fantasy into kids' lives and to inspire them to dream big."


WHERE TO BUY: Beauty Land is available at amazon.com and iTunes.

Visit Dani on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Soundcloud, and Youtube! Check out Dani's website at www.musicbydani.com

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this promotion. I was given info and streaming links at no charge from the PR Firm / Company. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of other consumers.

VTECH InnoTab 3 Plus Giveaway

Welcome to the VTECH InnoTab 3 Plus Giveaway!

Hosted By Golden State Mom & Sponsored By VTECH

The InnoTab 3 Plus opens up a world of learning fun and offers kids educational topics across a wide variety of subjects. Your child will enjoy playing on this fun learning tablet for kids with 12 included apps and a Rechargeable Power Pack so you can recharge your InnoTab 3 Plus again and again! Entertaining game play teaches reading, math, social studies, handwriting, science, problem solving, geography and much more. From VTech, the one-stop learning authority. The Vtech Innotab 3 Plus comes in blue or pink.

Features:

• Rechargeable Power Pack (includes rechargeable batteries and AC adapter)
• 180 Degree rotating camera
• Plays videos and MP3 songs
• Expandable memory
• 10 onboard apps including My Magic Beanstalk Game, Wonder Cam, Movie Maker and more

You can read Golden State Mom's review of the VTECH InnoTab 3 Plus by going here!

{ GIVEAWAY DETAILS }

ONE (1) lucky winner will receive a VTech Innotab 3 Plus! Contest is open to US only, 18+. Contest ends October 10th, 2014 at 12am PST. Void where prohibited by law. Winner will have 48 hours to respond by email to claim their prize (or another winner will be chosen). All entries will be verified. Enter below. Good Luck! 

{Please wait while entry form loads} 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this promotion. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of other consumers. "Brandon's Adventures" Blog is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment. This giveaway is not associated with, affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or connected to Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or any other social media platform in any way. Contact teri@mompoweredmedia.com if you have any additional questions or comments..

Raves About Renovated Indoor Playground Now Using iPads

Recently, Guildford Town Centre in Surrey, BC replaced their indoor play area with iPad stations. The Interactive Play Park opened on September 20th, 2014. I first learned about this news when HuffingtonPost BC contact me to use one of my old photos of what the play area used to look like before the upgrade.

According to The Huffington Post, the area now consists of several iPad stations mounted on a colourful wall, along with a few activity wheels for toddlers.

BEFORE:
(Sorry about those lines. I took the photo with my cellphone and there was a glitch uploading.)

AFTER:


I don't know what they were thinking using iPads for indoor playground, but kids need more physical activity and stay active!  On rainy days, my little one enjoys going to indoor playgrounds where it's dry and it's free. Parents were told to limit screen time to younger children, right? So what's the difference here?  Leave iPads and tablets in the home. Please bring back those fun slides, climbing steps, and other fun figures that kids love to jump and climb on.

There is a Facebook Group that furious parents are petitioning to make a change: Guildford Town Center Play Area BRING IT BACK!!

Another note that somewhat bothers me I had to share: Every time I see parents giving their little ones (even as young as 1-year-olds) their iPads or iPhones while having their meals at the food courts or at the restaurants, I just roll my eyes. In my opinion, it's not ok because we all need to focus on what we're supposed to be doing together as a family (like eating together).  They can play afterwards. I do let my son use my iPhone or iPad sometimes, but only when we have long roadtrips or waiting at the doctor's office or waiting in a long line-up for something.

LovableLabels #Spooktacular Weekend Deal

It's been 3 weeks since BC public school teachers were on strike. It was tough for many of us, especially those parents scrambling for daycare, and highschool students to prepare for post-secondary.  Early next week, kids will be finally back in class.


If you are still looking for name tags and labels to use for your child's back-to-school gear, it's not too late. Back-to-School Packs and the new Daycare Packs are still available at LovableLabels.com.

So what's new this month? Check out Lovable Labels Spooktacular Deals! Save $10 off any online purchase of $25 or more. Use promo code: SPOOKY2014. The weekend sale is 3 days only from September 19th to 21st at 11:59pm PST.

New Halloween products are now available for a limited time (until October 31, 2014).




Don't lose it - Label It!

Disclosure: I am part of the Lovable Labels Love Bug ambassador program. I received personalized labels as my perks. The opinions expressed are my own personal and honest thoughts. No other compensation was given.

Importance of Saving Early for Your Children’s Education #RESPwithRBC

Some time after my son, Brandon, was born, I had already thought about opening and RESP  (Registered Education Savings Plan) account for him. I started later in the 2nd year because the first year was very stressful and was a busy year looking after the little one. My sister works as a financial advisor so I was lucky to have her come over to do the paperwork as well as give me advice and tips about setting up Brandon's RESP. It was very easy and convenient.


What motivated me to start opening and RESP account for my child is when I thought about his future in his education and getting good education is important. Post-secondary tuition can be very costly. I know from my experience. My mom used to work part-time and my dad was retiring. And at the same time, I was looking for part-time work to pay part of my tuition (mom helped out mostly). It wasn't easy.  I wanted to attend art school, but tuition was so much more than the regular colleges. I just couldn't afford it. I wish my parents had and RESP for me back then.


Saving for a child's education is easier if you start early and contribute regularly ($25 a week can add up to $50,911** in 18 years). You can receive free money from the government! The Canada Education Savings Grant will match up to 20% on the first $2,500 contributed annually. That could mean up to an additional $500 a year in your RESP, up to a lifetime maximum of $7,200!

With advice from RBC Royal Bank, it's easy to start. No need to be overwhelmed. You have the flexibility to use the RESP for university, college, apprenticeship, non-credit courses etc., and if your child doesn't use the funds, you can use your contributions and earnings to fund your RRSP! There are many ways to save for a child's education: birthday or Christmas gifts from relatives and friends or a weekly contribution that fits your budget, maybe $25/week with an RESP-Matic. I think it's awesome that family members can donate money to the kids.


Did you graduate with student debt? By utilizing an RESP you can help your kids graduate debt-free! You can find more great tips on saving for your child’s education here: http://www.rbcroyalbank.com/resp/ and http://www.rbc.com/education

Why invest in a child’s education? Of all the factors that could influence your child’s future employment, earning power and career satisfaction, a post-secondary education is probably the most significant.

{ GIVEAWAY }

RBC Royal Bank is currently running a contest called "Grow an RESP with RBC" through their Facebook Page. Canadians can win money towards their Registered Education Savings Plan and help their child achieve their dreams. Enter for a chance to win 1 of 4 $500. Contest ends October 4, 2014.


Disclosure: I am part of the RBC RESP blogger program with Mom Central Canada and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

October 2014 In-Home Release: Sleeping Beauty (Diamond Edition)

"Sleeping Beauty" tells the wondrous tale of a princess cursed by an evil fairy, protected by three loving fairies and, ultimately, saved by "true love’s kiss." Featuring the voice talents of renowned opera singer Mary Costa as Sleeping Beauty and Disney stalwart Eleanor Audley as the evil fairy, Maleficent, the film’s vibrant visuals were created by a team that included Milt Kahl and Ollie Johnston, two of Disney’s legendary Nine Old Men and an Academy Award-nominated score, 1959, adapted from the incandescent music of Peter Tchaikovsky. "Sleeping Beauty" is the sixteenth animated feature in the Disney animated features canon and was the last animated feature produced by Walt Disney to be based upon a fairy tale. It is the tenth film released as part of Disney's prestigious Blu-ray Diamond Collection.

Creating the ultimate at-home viewing experience, Disney's 2-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray Superset (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) contains digitally restored picture and sound, a digital copy of the film, and a variety of magical new bonus features, including "Once Upon A Parade," in which "Modern Family" star Sarah Hyland tells us the tale of Walt Disney World’s new Festival Of Fantasy Parade, "Art of Evil: Generations Of Disney Villains," a legacy piece spotlighting Disney’s favorite villain animator and Maleficent creator Marc Davis, and "@DisneyAnimation: Artists in Motion," in which Walt Disney Animation Visual Development artist Brittney Lee goes through the process of creating a three dimensional sculpture of Maleficent, completely out of paper.

Additional all-new bonus features include never-before-seen deleted scenes "The Fair" (with Deleted Character The Vulture,) "The Curse is Fulfilled" and "Arrival Of Maleficent," plus the Beauty-Oke sing-along to "Once Upon A Dream." The Blu-ray Superset also includes classic DVD bonus features and more!

For those of you with little ones, below are printable activities (spot the difference, bingo, maze, etc) you can download.

VTech Innotab 3 Plus Blogger Opportunity

 Blogger Opp: VTech Innotab 3 Plus Giveaway Event

Attention bloggers:  This is a free/paid blogger event hosted by Golden State Mom. Link is free when you post about the giveaway on your blog and a thank-you for participating in the event.

PARTICIPATION DETAILS

* Prize: VTech Innotab 3 Plus

* Event dates: September 29 - October 13, 2014

* Eligibility: Contest is open to US

* FREE link on entry form (Pinterest, Facebook or Twitter) with announcement post

* Optional additional links are $5 each

* Agree to post the giveaway HTML on the date the event begins and promote at least 3x a week

* Please feel free to mention Jennie Yuen from "Brandon's Adventures" Blog referred you! Thanks much!

Neoniks: Mystie the Fox book and Fabled Magic World Encyclopedia {App Review}

Neoniks are magical people who live on Cake Island. When they turn seven, their parents cast the Winged Spell on them and then the little ones learn to sprout wings on their backs whenever they need them.At first, Neonik kids are not very good at magic and can only make very simple wings, but the adults can grow really magnificent wings that sparkle with neon lights.

Neoniks: Mystie the Fox book and Fabled Magic World Encyclopedia reading for elementary school kids by Pavel Mamaev

Developer Pavel Mamaev has recently just released a new FREE app for your iPhone and iPad! In the app, there's an interactive map of the magical world, an encyclopedia of enchanted creatures that live there, and a 184-page beuatifully illustrated chapter book "Neoniks and Mystie the Fox."

A 10-year-old Jay secretly brings a tiny talking fox Mystie to school to show to his friends. The substitute teacher who wears a fur coat with a lion head on its collar follows the instructions of his eerie neckpiece and kidnaps Mystie. Jay and his sister Phoebe embark on a quest to get the little fox back, while learning important lessons on true friendship, creativity, and thinking outside the box.


If you have an elementary school age child, this app is definitely for you! The Neoniks App is available to download for FREE at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/free-neoniks-mystie-fox-book/id899196882?mt=8

It is quite a fun educational app!


Disclosure: I was provided an iTunes code of the full version app in exchange of my review in this post. Any expressed opinions are my own and personal thoughts. No other compensation was given.

Friends of Ferrari Grand Prix Formula 1 Race Event

On Sunday, September 7th, Brandon attended the Grand Prix Formula 1 Friends of Ferrari Race event at the parking lot in front of the Italian Cultural Centre. We were excited that he got picked and it was his first time racing others. The day before the actual race, the kids had a chance to test drive and had the uniform fitting. Only boys and girls ages 3 to 5 years old are eligible to drive in the races. The purpose of this event is to raise money for a variety of charitable organizations.

We also wished get-well to Michael Schumacher (7 times Formula 1 World Champion), who sustained serious injury while skiing.
Here are photos from the event:







Special thanks to Volunteers, Organizers, and Sponsors in making this event successful!

Big Event Fundraising: $250 Target Back to School Giveaway

Big Event Fundraising designs programs that help schools across the country raise money. They are hosting a ‘Back to School’ giveaway, which will end on September 16th, 2014. The prize is a $250 Target gift card!

Click here to enter!

Summer Art at Sunrise Park (Event Recap)

Sorry for the late post. This event happened on August 22nd before I went away out of town. The event was the Summer Arts at Sunrise Park, which is very close to our home. I took little Brandon out for a fun day of crafts, games, and BBQ. Below are some photographs I took.