It turned out to be a really cute family movie. It’s a little bit like the movie Home Alone, only the dog is the one home alone. The movie is a little silly funny at times, but kids will love it!

Zeus (voiced by Mario Lopez) is a former police dog who lost his bark. He ends up at the pound, and is adopted by a family looking for a good guard dog. The family discovers Zeus can’t bark, and begin to doubt their choice. When the family leaves on Christmas Eve and a pair of thieves try to break in, Zeus rediscovers his inner dog.

We definitely enjoyed the movie. It’s a cute holiday movie for the kids, I’m sure we’ll watch it again before Christmas gets here.

The Dog Who Saved Christmas will be available December 8th from major retailers, and is available now for pre-order at Amazon.com.

Image: Anchor Bay Entertainment

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I thought I’d put together a few fun Veterans Day activities for kids to help teach a little more about the importance of veterans, and what they do for our country.

• Veterans Day Word Ladder and Scramble Worksheets
• A Veterans Day Printable Coloring Sheet
• Make a handmade card to thank your favorite veteran
• Write a Veteran’s Day story
• Make a Patriotic Paper Wind Streamer
• A Veterans Day Word Search
• Make a camouflage friend
• A list of Childrens Songs for Veterans Day
• Make Veterans Day Door Hangers

What’s your favorite Veteran’s Day activity to help children learn the importance of honoring their Vets?

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1. The new Our Generation Dolls from Battat are great for encouraging little girls to use their imagination. The dolls each have their own unique personality and adventure they’re ready to go on with your child.

Image Battat

2.The  BFC Ink Dolls come in two different sizes, a smaller fashion doll, and a larger doll your little girl can carry around wherever she goes. The BFC Ink Dolls each have their own unique personality, and there’s even a set of twin dolls.

Image: Amazon

3. The myWallaby Doll Carrier, because every little girl needs a way to carry her favorite doll with her every place she goes. The myWallaby Doll Carrier can fit most doll sizes, and has a handy pouch at the bottom that can easily be activated to accommodate dolls larger dolls. It also features extra pouches so girls can carry their favorite accessories.

Image: myWallaby

4. The New Easy Bake Oven~ Remember the Easy Bake Oven from your childhood? The latest Easy Bake Oven is still inspiring future bakers to create that cake or cookie masterpiece.

Image: Easy Bake

5. Cabbage Patch is back and ready for play, with the new Pop ‘n Style Cabbage Patch Kids from Jakks-Pacific. The new Pop n’ Style Cabbage Patch Kids come ready for hair styling fun. Each doll has comes with her own hair extensions that snap into place, and they of course come with the authentic Cabbage Patch birth certificate and adoption papers.

Image: Jakks-Pacific

6. Hannah’s Kittens are an adorable, and unique Christmas gift that any little girl would love. Hannah’s kittens are ultra fancy kittens that come sitting in a basket of satin and marabou, and arrive in their own chic, pink hat box.

Image: Hannah’s Kittens

7. Tinker Bell’s Pop Up Tea Kettle is perfect for the Tinker Bell fan on your Christmas list.

Image: Disney

8. Dora’s back and she’s all grown up with new friends and ready to play with the new Dora Links and the Explorer Girls. Children can go on online adventures with Dora and her friends to help them solve mysteries.

Image: Amazon

9. The Littlest Pet Shop has several fun new sets for Christmas 2009, including the Littlest Pet Shop Pet Daycare Center, so now your pets have a place to go play while your child is away.

10. The Girl Gourmet Cupcake Maker or Candy Jewel Factory will be favorites for little girls who love to get in touch with their creative side. Kids can design their own cupcakes, or make their own edible jewelry.

Image: Jakks-Pacific

There are many other great toy ideas for girls out there, but these are some of my favorites. If you have a toy idea you think would be great for little girls, feel free to leave it in the comment section.

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The other Toy Hall Of Fame inductees this year included the Big Wheel, and the Game Boy, both are also very deserving toys, but nothing can top the ball.

The ball is one of the most versatile toys ever invented, there are tons of games you can play with that one toy alone. It’s a universal toy favorite. Kids from everywhere know what to do when you present them with a ball.

I was also glad to see the Big Wheel included in this year’s Hall Of Fame. The Big Wheel brings back some great childhood memories for me, and I’m sure for many other people.

The Game Boy is another toy that has transformed itself over time, and only become more popular with each new transformation.

I think all of this years inductees were very deserving. You can find out more about this year’s Toy Hall Of Fame Inductees here.

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My son’s 10 and he covered his eyes and refuse to watch several times. He’s not usually scared by movies. Not sure if it was the 3D part that was getting him, or just the ghosts themselves. The ghosts were really bizarre. I did like the third one, but the first one looked like the flame on a candle and he was freaky, but not in a good way.

Another thing that really bugged me, from the trailers I thought the movie would be more cute and funny. It wasn’t that at all! It was a very dark movie for Children, I think the only funny moments were the ones they showed in the trailer. I was very disappointed about that too. I probably would not have taken my son to see it if I would have known ahead of time how dark and scary the movie actually was.

I usually rate a movie on whether we would want to see it again, and I’m afraid this one is a no.

Image: Amazon

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We still have my son’s personalized story, it’s one of a few of his storybooks I’m definitely holding on to for a keepsake. I See Me! creates that kind of high-quality personalized book, a book you can share with your child. They’ll be delighted when they’re included in the story.

I See Me! has a new book out this Christmas, A Christmas Bear for Me is a beautiful, heart-warming, personalized story about a child’s Christmas wish for a special Teddy Bear friend. Each copy of the book comes with an adorable plush Gund bear with the child’s name on the tag and a personalized letter to the child from Santa.

A Christmas Bear For Me is written by Jennifer Dewing and illustrated by the nationally renowned artist Wilson Ong, the story follows the child’s journey from longing and wishing to the magic of Christmas morning, when the child finds his or her special bear along with a personalized note from Santa under the tree. This high-quality, hard cover, 26-page book includes wonderfully hand-painted, personalized illustrations that capture the magic of the season through a child’s eyes.

You can find out more about A Christmas Bear For Me, and other personalized stories at ISeeMe.com

Image: I See Me!

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So what do I think of the myWallaby bag? I think it would make a wonderful gift idea for a little girl who loves to take her dolls along with her wherever she goes. There are several features I really like about the bag.

• It’s hard to tell by the photos, but the materials and fabrics the bag is made from are very nice quality. The shell is canvas, and the straps and bottom are made of a soft microfiber material. The inside of the bag is made up of a satin fabric.
• I also like the Velcro safety release on the strap. I always worry about straps, so this definitely put my mind at ease on the safety issue.
• Another great feature is the bag bottom, there’s a kangaroo pouch that unfolds and drops down to allow room for the dolls legs. This allows the doll carrier to hold dolls of several different sizes. Smaller dolls can be held in the bag without the pouch down. For dolls that need a little leg room little fingers can easily release the pouch to accommodate their longer legs.

I always like to judge items I review on whether I would buy the product, and I have to say this is one product I would definitely buy for my niece who loves to haul her dolls around with her wherever she goes.

While we’re holding the myWallaby giveaway, myWallaby is also offering free shipping for anyone who purchases the bag during the giveaway and for three days afterwards. Just add the promo code “PLAYSHIP” when you’re ready to check out.

I think the myWallaby doll carrier would make the perfect gift for a little girl who loves dolls, and it’s a unique gift idea that you won’t find anywhere else.

Image myWallaby.com

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Here are some of the great value toys for Christmas 2009:

• Zhu Zhu Pets are big this year, they’re low on price, but big on fun, if you can find them in stock!
• Invasion of the Bristlebots is another toy I’ve been seeing on top of Christmas 2009 toy lists.
• Legos and other building toys are always a great value for the money (at least in our house).
• Bakugan is a boys favorite, and you can find most of the play sets for under $15.
• This time of year you can find some great bargains on most of the board games, many stores feature them at rock bottom prices during the holiday season.

Are you stretching your toy budget this Christmas season, looking for the best deals for your dollar this Christmas shopping season?

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This year we will be watching the 83rd edition of the Macy’s Parade. This year’s parade will be setting another new milestone, it’s marched down parts of Broadway for 82 years, the 2009 procession will be the first to bypass Broadway during the route.

Joining Macy’s parade favorites this year will be several new high flying giant balloons, including:

The Pillsbury Doughboy~ The Doughboy marches in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade with his arms outstretched, with his bright blue eyes shining ready to ring in the holidays. At more than 63 times his traditional 8 3/4-inch size, the Doughboy balloon will measure 53.7 feet in length, 34.4 feet in width and will be 46.4 feet tall. This Doughboy will rise to the occasion filled with 12,280 cubic feet of helium.

Ronald McDonald~ This year, there’s a new Ronald McDonald. He’s in a playful mood and has strapped on the world’s largest pair of ice skates for some fun-filled holiday activity. This giant balloon is 76.4 feet long, 28.8 feet wide and 48.6 feet tall, Ronald will be inflated with 13,650 cubic feet of helium on Parade day. Wow!

Sailor Mickey~ Sporting his nautically inspired red, white and blue sailor gear, Mickey will salute the crowds as he rides down the Macy’s Parade route. Mickey measures 48.1-feet long, 33.6-feet wide and 60.9-feet tall. Sailor Mickey will be filled with 14,750 cubic feet of helium on his maiden voyage on Thanksgiving Day.

Spiderman~ After a decade, the legendary crime-fighting web-slinger returns to the Macy’s Parade line-up in celebration of Marvel’s 70th Anniversary. Spider-Man made his Macy’s Parade debut in 1987, becoming an instant classic. The new, more modern and muscular Spidey is in full crawling mode with one hand set to release his web. On Parade day, the Spider-Man balloon will measure 78-feet long, 37.8-feet wide and 29.1-feet tall and will be filled with 11,800 cubic feet of helium.

Other Macy’s parades highlights include Santa in his new sleigh, after 40 years, and the magical world of Yo Gabba Gabba Live! comes to life on the brand new There’s A Party in My City float.

Is the Macy’s Day Thanksgiving Parade a tradition at your house?
Image: Newscom

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In Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey for the Nintendo DS you can care for and train your own elephant. You work with your elephant, feeding and caring for it while you teach it to do tricks for its circus act. Your elephant friend is in your care, from a bubbly bath, to polishing his nails.

Are you ready to soar through the air as a human cannonball? Do you think you can perform with magnificent Bengal tigers, or defy gravity on a motorcycle in the Globe of Steel? Or will you dazzle the crowd with aerial acrobatics, clown around in a juggling jamboree or dance with an exotic Asian elephant? Any of those can be experienced at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey™ for the Wii.

The Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Video Game for both the Nintendo Wii and DS will be available in major national retailers for $39.99 beginning November 10th, just in time to get on your Christmas wish list.

Image: 2K Play

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