Showing posts with label valentines day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label valentines day. Show all posts

Monday, February 14, 2011

Bambi Presents Romance






                     

DISNEY ADDS A NEW GEM TO THE BLU-RAY™ DIAMOND COLLECTION


Walt Disney’s
BAMBI Diamond Edition

Releases From The Disney Vault on March 1, 2011

Burbank, Calif., December, 2010 – The Walt Disney Studios proudly announces the addition of BAMBI to its coveted, cutting-edge Blu-ray™ Diamond Collection line-up of Disney’s greatest animated-classics. Released from the Disney vault for a limited time only, BAMBI Diamond Edition features the loveable and adorable wide-eyed fawn and his forest friends in Blu-ray high-definition on March 1, 2011.
The Diamond Edition debut of BAMBI, Walt’s fifth full-length animated classic, is an endearing tale about a young prince of the forest who learns valuable life-lessons about friendship, love, and the miracle of life. The movie is a must-own coming-of-age story that Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has especially packaged with families in mind - providing the ultimate, interactive hi-def home entertainment experience with a newly enhanced digital restoration, enhanced picture and sound, games, activities and more.
The new BAMBI Diamond Edition will be available as a 2-Disc Disney Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD) for the suggested retail price of $39.99 US/$46.99 Canada, a High Definition Movie Download for the suggested retail price of $19.99 US/$39.99 Canada, and/or a Standard Definition Movie Download for the suggested retail price of $14.99 US/$24.99 Canada. Those who wish to own the standard definition DVD version of BAMBI will need to wait seven additional weeks – until April 19, 2011.

Disney’s new “Second Screen” technology, which is being introduced for the very first time on the BAMBI Diamond Edition release, will further transform the at-home movie watching experience by empowering viewers with the ability to engage with film content on multiple media platforms and bring them to life in their own hands at the touch of a button. By simply downloading the new Disney Second Screen App onto an internet-connected computer or iPad™* and synching it to the movie, consumers will instantly be able to dive deeper into the film by engaging with fun interactive elements like animated flipbooks, galleries, photos, trivia and more.

Film Synopsis:
As morning light breaks across the meadow, a young deer named Bambi is born and hailed as ‘Prince of the Forest.’ Soon Bambi emerges from the thicket on wobbly legs, much to the delight of his new friends, Thumper, the playful rabbit, and Flower, the bashful yet lovable skunk. But the fun of nibbling on fresh blossoms and frolicking through the woods is only the beginning. Exploring his new world, and guided by the wisdom of Friend Owl,Bambi learns valuable life lessons with every adventure – experiencing the power of friendship, family, and love along the away.

The Making of the Film:
BAMBI was Walt Disney’s fifth animated full-length feature film which released in 1942 during World War II and took approximately five years in the making due to the exquisite artwork and attention to detail of each and every scene, character and figure.  The artwork itself was created by some of the legendary “nine old men,” including Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Marc Davis, Milt Kahl and Eric Larson and in order to achieve the film’s unprecedented level of realism, animators modeled anatomical studies using live animals (including a pair of fawns named Bambi and Faline) and imbued each with a uniquely endearing personality. Bambi’s delightful forest home received the same painstaking attention to detail, as background artists painted hundreds of landscapes based on extensive field research and nature photographs. 

Walt Disney broke the longstanding animation tradition by casting child actors in the roles of Bambi’s young animals, including Bobby Stewart as Baby Bambi, Donnie Dunagan as Young Bambi, Hardie Albright as Adolescent Bambi and Peter Behn as Young Thumper. The cast also includes Sam Edwards as Adult Thumper, John Sutherland as Adult Bambi, Paula Winslowe as Bambi’s Mother and Sterling Holloway (the voice of Winnie the Pooh and The Jungle Book’s Kaa, the snake) as Adult Flower.
Film Accolades:
BAMBI was nominated for three Academy Awards® for Best Song (“Love Is a Song,”), Best Sound Recording, and Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture. To date, BAMBI is No. 3 on the list of American Film Institute’s Top 10 Animated Films of All Times. And in 2004, the movie was commemorated with a first-class U.S. postage stamp and in the 1990’s the film inspired astronomers to name a pair of asteroids after the adorable characters – Thumper (April 20, 1993) and Bambi (October 17, 1995). 

Bonus Features:
            Backstage Disney:
·      Inside Walt’s Story Meetings-Enhanced Edition - A fascinating, multi-tiered, interactive story-telling experience. Go                              back in time with dramatic voice re-enactments of the moments with Walt that led to the creation of this classic film.
·       2 Never Before Seen Deleted Scenes
   ·       Deleted Song: “Twitterpated”
 ·       Blu-ray Galleries—A collection of the extraordinary images originally created as part of the design process for BAMBI.

Family Play: Games & Activities:
  ·       Disney’s Big Book of Knowledge: BAMBI Edition— An interactive educational gaming experience that uses the film as a learning tool. Players can customize their own Big Book of Knowledge and learn all about forest creatures, seasons andmore! Each time a player completes a task, they are rewarded with new stickers to decorate their Big Book of Knowledge.

Digital Exclusive:
  ·       The Golden Age

Classic DVD Bonus Features:
  ·       The Making Of BAMBI: A Prince Is Born—A comprehensive look at the making of BAMBI covers the story, the characters, the actors, the art design, the music and the history of Walt Disney’s classic film using behind the scenes footage, production stills, animation, artwork and multiple interviews withperformers and behind the scenes participants.
    ·       Tricks of the Trade (excerpt)—In an episode from the 1957 Disneyland TV show, Walt narrates the story of the multiplane camera, an animation innovation crucial to the production of BAMBI.
      ·       Inside the Disney Archives—Disney Supervising Animator Andreas Deja guides viewers through Disney’s Animation Research Library, where artwork from past Disney animated feature films is stored, including early story sketches of Bobo the rabbit,” (who became Thumper),  glass paintings made for the multiplane camera and more.
    ·       The Old Mill—Winner of the 1937 Academy Award® for Best Short Subject/Cartoon, The Old Mill was a testing ground for several techniques critical to Walt’s artistic vision for BAMBI, including the multiplane camera, animating realistic animals and experimenting with such natural occurrences such as wind, rain and lightning. 
   ·       DisneyPedia: Bambi’s Forest Friends 

Disc Specifications:

BLU-RAY
DVD
Street Date
March 1, 2011
April 19, 2011
Direct Prebook
January 4, 2011
February 22, 2011
Distributor Prebook
January 18, 2011
March 8, 2011
Suggested Retail Price
2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD) = $39.99 US/$46.99 Canada; High Definition Movie Download = $19.99 US/$39.99 Canada; Standard Definition Movie Download = $14.99 US/$34.99 Canada
2-Disc DVD = $29.99 US/$35.99 Canada
Feature Run Time
70-minutes
70-minutes
Feature Rated
G
G
Technical

FastPlayÔ enabled
Aspect Ratio
1.33:1
1.33:1

Sound
7.1 DTS-HD High Resolution Audio,
5.1 Dolby Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix (DEHT)

Languages
5.1 Dolby Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix (DEHT) French and Spanish Language Tracks
5.1 Dolby Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix (DEHT) French and Spanish Language Tracks
Subtitles
English SDH, English ESL, French & Spanish
English SDH, English Line 21/CC, French & Spanish

About Disney’s Blu-ray™ Diamond Collection:
Disney’s Blu-ray™ Diamond Collection represents The Walt Disney Studio’s most prestigious animated classics. The Collection will be comprised with many of Walt Disney’s most treasured animated classic titles to be released through 2016. These titles represent the highest level of picture and sound, feature groundbreaking, state-of-the-art immersive bonus content, and include unprecedented levels of interactivity, personalization and customization, made possible because of Blu-ray technology.

About The Walt Disney Studios:
For more than 85 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company (DIS: NYSE) was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under four banners: Walt Disney Pictures, which includes Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios, Disneynature, Touchstone Pictures and Marvel. Through the Home Entertainment division, innovative distribution methods provide access to creative content across multiple platforms. Original music and motion picture soundtracks are produced under Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records, while Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Broadway theatrical productions, Disney on Ice and Disney LIVE!  For more information, please visit www.disney.com.
All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.
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Lee Bogle and "Native American Love"


Happy Valentines Day everyone! Last year I posted a bunch of vintage valentines with Native imagery, and the Vintage Valentine Museum has a bunch more that are worth a click. This year I thought I would share the "art" of Lee Bogle, whose images have become synonymous with "Native American Love" (just google it, you'll see).

My friends apparently find it entertaining to send me postcards with these paintings on them, I've definitely opened up my mailbox more than once to find a Lee Bogle original staring back at me.



So where to even start with these ridiculous romance-novel-esqe images? I mean, clearly, they eroticize and sexualize Native peoples, but they also rely on the ubiquitous stereotypes dark skin, long hair, images of nature, feathers, fur, buckskin, headbands, etc. I picked out the ones that are supposed to represent "love", but there are many others that highly sexualize Native women alone.

Most people can look at these and see them for their ridiculousness, but the problem is that they are reproduced millions of times all over the internet, with "Native American Blessings" or "Native American Love Poems" emblazoned across them. There are entire websites dedicated to e-cards, desktop backgrounds, cards, and t-shirts of these images.

If it weren't obvious, Lee Bogle isn't Native. He's a white guy from the Pacific Northwest. His official website says this about his use of Native imagery:
Collectors know him for his images of Native Americans, often solitary figures of women. "I try to convey a spirituality in my art that the viewer must interpret for himself," Bogle says, "I want my paintings to show a peaceful contemplation and express a depth of serenity that comes only with quiet inner peace"
Since all Natives are innately spiritual and have a "quiet inner peace," right? But this by all means is not an isolated artist or isolated incident. There are hundreds of non-Native artists that make their livings off perpetuating stereotypes about Native people and preying on mainstream romanticized and idealized notions of Natives. Contemporary Native peoples don't look like something out of a crappy romance novel, and images like Lee Bogle's perpetuate stereotypes and erase our current existence and diverse and real people.

So with that, wishing you lots of Native love this Valentines Day!

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Valentine's Day Activity Sheets!

In celebration of Valentine's Day next week we have some cute activity sheets we wanted to share with you from Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 and Bambi



All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.
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Build-a-Bear Makes for A Special Valentines Day


 A few fun facts about Valentine’s Day this year at Build-A-Bear Workshop:
  • Join us on www.facebook.com/buildabear to stay up to date on the most current promotions and receive exclusive offers. And don’t furget about our FREE APP! Get Build-A-Bear Workshop updates on your iPhone by downloading it here: http://www.buildabear.com/app

  • Shop with us through Feb. 14 and receive a free box of Sweethearts candy with any purchase!

  • This February, your $1 donation at checkout in Build-A-Bear Workshop stores or on buildabear.com will help support the Children’s Heart Foundation in the United States.

  • Follow us on Twitter (@buildabear) and Facebook and encourage your readers to do so. This year our Fans will have tons of new opportunities for exclusive coupons, giveaways, and the latest information.

 
My Take on Build-A-Bear Workshop
Ever since I was younger I have liked stuffed animals and my girls have the same affinity. Though this has been the case we typically have given stuffed animals ever now and again. We have never had the opportunity to bring them to Build-A-Bear Workshop in the past, though we know that they would simply love it. With this in mind we decided to go and bring the girls to make a Valentines Treat with the help of a $25 giftcard provided from Build-A-Bear Workshop.

In going into the shop, we let the girls decide what they wanted to make. Diva-PJ decided to make the Girl Lady Bug (See below). Diva-J was different and decided to make the Love Bear (see above). Both girls loved the process and filling the animals and being able to press the buttons and levers to assist in the making of the stuffed animals.

Being able to do this, we were able to see how much they appreciated it, and I could tell that this is something that we will have to do this again in the near future. There were so many other people that were in the store, I could tell that the store itself brought so much happiness to others, which is something that I always look for.

I would highly recommend this store and the holiday line that they have available!


Giveaway
How would you like to win a Build-a-Bear $25 Gift Card? All you need to do is share this giveaway on Twitter, Facebook or any forum, including the name of the prize and a link to this post. Here I'll make it easier on you, copy and paste this:" @dadofdivas is giving away @buildabear gift card - http://dadofdivas-reviews.blogspot.com/ " (Then leave the link to your post. The contest will end on February 7, 2011.
Bonus Entries



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    Thursday, February 10, 2011

    Cisco ūmi: perfect Valentine’s Day gift for long-distance love

    For the more than 50% of people who live far away from the ones they love, Cisco ūmi telepresence is the perfect gift for Valentine’s Day - bringing people together in real time and in high definition no matter the miles apart.

    Cisco ūmi (pronounced: You-Me) connects to your existing HD television and broadband and lets you connect with loved ones. It’s a video experience so lifelike and natural, that you’ll feel like you are in the same room. With Cisco umi, grandchildren can make and share homemade Valentine’s with grandparents living across the country, and those in long-distance relationships can sit down together and have a real dinner date. For long distance love, Cisco umi is the next best thing to being there.





    All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.
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    Make a Valentine on Disney.com's Create!

    Make a Valentine on Disney.com’s Create!

    Create a valentine on Disney.com/Create with the new Minnie Mouse Digital Painter on Disney.com.  Guests can use stamps to create their own pictures of Minnie and the gang, or draw a unique piece of art using whimsical Valentine-themed pens and fun backgrounds. After creating valentines on Disney.com’s Create, guests can get even more Minnie Mouse fun at Disney Family.com with cute Valentine’s Day printables for kids and parents to make together. Guests can make the Mickey & Minnie Cutie Valentine's Candy Boxes for a unique gift or the Mickey & Minnie Valentine's Day Flowers to decorate the house with. For more Valentine’s Day fun, check out Disney Family.com.


    All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.
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    Wednesday, February 9, 2011

    Lelia Broussard releases new song for Valentine's Day

    Lelia Broussard is giving a sonic valentine this holiday with an unreleased song, "Alone On A Train."  This acoustic love letter is for those who are far away from their loved ones and missing them on this Valentine's Day.  This song does not appear on Lelia's recently released album Masquerade, which was produced by Dan Romer (Ingrid Michaelson) and features a song co-written by Rob Fusari (Lady Gaga, Beyonce).  A video for the song "Satellite" premiered recently on AOL Music Blog, and Lelia was handpicked by Russell Simmons as one of five rock/pop artists with star power for his myspace hip-pop challenge. She currently leads the competition.


    LELIA BROUSSARD RELEASES NEW SONG
    "ALONE ON A TRAIN"
    FOR VALENTINE'S DAY
     DOWNLOAD:
    download.themusebox.net/lelia_broussard/alone_on_a_train.mp3

    VIDEO PREMIERE FOR "SATELLITE" ON AOL MUSIC
    http://music.aol.com/blog/2011/01/26/lelia-broussard-satellite-video-premiere/

    All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.
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    Story Before Bed and Sourcebooks Partner to Give Away Bestselling Picture Book to Military Families this Valentine’s Day!

    A Story Before Bed (http://www.astorybeforebed.com/) has given away over 85,000 free recordable children’s eBooks to deployed and deploying parents in the U.S. Armed Forces. These stories, recordable and viewable on the online children’s book service, help keep families connected through long separations.
    Just in time for Valentine’s Day, A Story Before Bed is partnering with Sourcebooks to provide the bestselling picture book, I Love You More by Laura Duksta, and illustrated by Karen Keesler for *free* to military subscribers. The free promotion starts TODAY February 9th, 2011 (ending Thursday, February 24th).

    I Love You More is a perfect Valentine’s Day gift for a child or a parent, and Sourcebooks and A Story Before Bed are thrilled to make a recording of the book available free to military families. Existing military subscribers can use their regular subscription code to redeem I Love You More recordings through the site. Deployed or deploying military families who have yet to subscribe to our service can head to www.astorybeforebed.com/military to apply for a free subscription.

    Thanks to all the military families for their sacrifice and service. We appreciate everything you do and hope this lovely book will help bring joy and love to this Valentine’s Day.


    A Story Before Bed (http://www.astorybeforebed.com/) is the first and only service on the web that lets parents and grandparents record videos of themselves reading children’s books into their webcam. Kids can play back the recordings synchronized with the pages of the digital children’s book as often as they like in their web browser, and even on their iPad or iPhone via the free A Story Before Bed App in the App Store. The library currently has over 250 books for your reading and recording enjoyment and more are being added all the time. Additionally, A Story Before Bed won a Publishing Innovation Award at the recent Digital Book World Conference in New York City in the Children’s category.

    Sourcebooks is a forward-thinking, independent publishing house with a passion for books and a dedication to the belief that books change lives. We are committed to innovative publishing, where every book is personal and every author’s voice has a place. We are a group of passionate, energetic and enthusiastic book lovers, and we are committed to helping readers experience each book. Sourcebooks has over 70 employees, publishes over 300 new titles each year, and celebrates their success with 15 New York Times Bestsellers. Sourcebooks is proud to be the largest woman-owned book publisher in the country. Visit http://www.sourcebooks.com/ for more information, and check out the Sourcebooks blog.
     
    All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.
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    Tuesday, February 8, 2011

    Encourage Reading On Valentine's Day

    In celebration of Valentine’s Day, and to help parents nurture their child’s reading abilities, Sylvan Learning is offering grade-specific tips for reading at home. With more than 900 centers located throughout North America, Sylvan Learning is the leading provider of tutoring services to children of all ages and skill levels.

    “Children who read regularly at home do better in school and become enthusiastic life-long readers. By encouraging children to read at home, parents can help their children establish an enduring love of books, transforming reading from a basic skill to a pleasurable activity,” says Richard E. Bavaria, Ph.D., Sylvan Learning's Senior Vice President for Education Outreach.

    Sylvan Learning recommends that parents spend at least one hour per week – 10 to 15 minutes a day – reading with their children.  

    “Reading is an adventure that begins early in a child’s life and should extend beyond the classroom,” Dr. Bavaria continued. “Children exhibit certain reading behaviors at a young age and by understanding and nurturing these behaviors, parents can make reading fun and motivate their child to develop a lifelong friendship with books.”

    Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten
    • Make cookies together. Read the recipe aloud to your child.
    • Read directions to your child when completing a project.
    • Subscribe to a magazine (Ladybug, Your Big Backyard, Zoobooks, etc.) to learn about topics of interest to your child. Your children will be excited to have their own reading materials.
    • Pick a storybook character (Arthur, Strega Nona, etc.) and pretend that character is coming for dinner. Help your child plan activities that character would enjoy.
    • Help your child relate read-aloud stories to events in her life.
    • Read stories aloud and act them out.

    Grades One through Three
    • Subscribe to a magazine for your child (Spider, Ranger Rick, etc.) to learn about topics of interest to him. Make its arrival an event.
    • After reading a nonfiction story, ask why your child thinks the author wrote the story.
    • Help your child create charts and posters about topics of interest.
    • Read picture books by the same author (Tomie DePaola, Bill Martin, Jr., etc.) and compare and contrast them: How are they the same? How are they different?
    • After reading a book, discuss it with your child – identify the characters, setting and problems in the book.
    • Help your child recognize how stories are similar to or different from their life.
    • Encourage your child to read various types of texts - non-fiction, plays, stories, comics and/or magazines.
    • Introduce your child to the library and plan special library visits together.

    Grades Four through Eight
    • Help your child with the latest experiment in his science book. Talk through each step and discuss what you’re going to do next.
    • Pick a different country each week, and challenge your child to learn a bit more about that country by visiting the library or researching it online.
    • Research and select books about your child’s interests – such as a sport or hobby.
    • Make a trip to the library a weekly “date” with your child.
    • Read the newspaper with your child. Elicit her opinion about current events.
    • Encourage your child to read series books (Harry Potter, Lemony Snicket, The Chronicles of Narnia, Little House on the Prairie, etc.)
    • Create a family book club where you and your child read the same book and discuss it.
    • Help your child find a favorite author. Have him create alternate stories for the author’s repetitive characters.
    • Read your child’s favorite books.

    Grades Nine through Twelve
    • Read various types of directions (recipes, technical instructions, experiments) and determine the usefulness of the instructions to the reader’s life.
    •  Purchase a set of reference books or software for home use.
    • Read newspaper editorials with your child and discuss them.
    • Quiz your child when he has a test. This not only reinforces his note-taking skills and study habits, but also helps reading comprehension.
    • Encourage your child to talk about the latest book he is reading. Ask to share his favorite scenes with the rest of the family.
    •  Read classic works (novels, plays, myths, etc.) and compare the plot, characters, setting to today’s world.
    • Read books by the same author, comparing and contrasting styles across the various books.

    Sylvan Learning offers a free reading incentive program for children in grades K-8 at www.bookadventure.com. It’s fun and it’s free.  Tell Book Adventure what your favorite kinds of books are (science fiction, comedy, mystery, Westerns), whether you like easy or challenging books, and – you can create personalized book lists from more than 7,500 recommended titles, take quizzes on the books and earn prizes!

    For more tips and a Valentine’s Day Reading List, visit http://tutoring.sylvanlearning.com/valentines_day_reading_list_news_release.cfm.  You may also call 1-800-31-SUCCESS, or visit us on the web at www.sylvanlearning.com.

    ·        Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SylvanLearning
    ·        Twitter: http://twitter.com/sylvanlearning
    ·        MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/sylvanlearning
    ·        YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/sylvanlearninginc

    About Sylvan Learning
    Sylvan Learning is the leading provider of tutoring to students of all ages, grades and skill levels. With 30 years of experience and more than 900 centers located throughout North America, Sylvan’s proven process and personalized methods have inspired more than 2 million students to discover the joy of learning. Sylvan's trained and Sylvan-certified personal instructors provide individualized instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, study skills and test-prep for college entrance and state exams.  Sylvan helps kids develop the skills, habits and attitudes needed for lifelong success. Visit www.DrRickBlog.com to share your personal academic experiences and comment on academic trends.  For more information, call 1-800-31-SUCCESS or visit www.SylvanLearning.com.


    All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.
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    For Special Valentine's Day Dinner Ideas: McCormick & Schmick's offer

    I wanted to make sure you knew about this special Valentine’s Day offer from McCormick & Schmick’s.

    “You Supply the Romance and We do the Rest”

    In other words, they’ll do the leg work to help make planning a memorable Valentine’s Day easier than ever. 

    McCormick & Schmick’s will not only be offering a romantic Valentine’s Day menu all weekend long (February 11-14, 2011), but any guest that makes a Valentine’s Day reservation will also be offered the “above and beyond” service.  With this service, roses will be delivered to the table upon the guests’ arrival for dinner, and the flower cost can either be included on the dinner bill at the end of the evening or billed separately.  Diners can also choose to add a unique touch by having a special personalized message included on their dinner menu or a personalized note card on the table at arrival.

    Valentine’s Day reservations can easily be made straight from the website or by calling your local McCormick & Schmick’s.  I’ve also included the special Valentine’s Day menu below for quick reference.


    CHEF’S VALENTINE’S WEEKEND FEATURES

    Seared Ahi Tuna for Two
    Spicy Sliced Ahi Tuna, Pickled Ginger, Wasabi and Soy Sauce
    $11.95 (for 2)

    Lobster Ravioli
    Poached Maine Lobster, Fresh Spinach and Cognac Butter Sauce
    $24.95

    Winter Mixed Grill
    Petite Filet Oscar, Grilled Salmon, Jumbo Shrimp and Scallop
    Rõsti Potato, Sautéed Spinach and Salsa Cruda
    $32.95

    Hawaiian Seafood Trio
    Seared Ahi Tuna, Grilled Shutome (Swordfish) and
    Macadamia Crusted Mahi Mahi, Jasmine Rice and Bok Choy
    $28.95




    All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions.
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    'TIME' Garners Most Mom Votes as #1 Gift This V-Day


    As the anticipated romantic holiday approaches, moms seem to want nothing other than the gift of time (42%), according to a survey conducted by FamilyFinds.com. The leading online daily deal site that focuses exclusively on experiences for families in LA and Chicago communities, will announce survey results that reveal LA and Chicago moms’ state of mind on love, money and time on Feb 8.

    Key survey results are listed below from hundreds of LA and Chicago moms and if you are interested in learning more, we have a FamilyFinds spokesmom who can speak to this survey and its results. Thank you for your consideration.

    Valentine’s Day – Jewelry, Chocolate & Flowers No Longer Matter
    ·         When it comes to Moms’ favorite thing about Valentine’s Day, sex and dinner out was over shadowed by simple alone time with their significant other – preferred by 43% of LA moms and 41% of Chicago Moms. 
    o    Jewelry, chocolate and flowers no longer reign supreme, with moms in LA and Chicago in the low single digit percentage caring about what were once Valentine’s Day defacto gifts. 

    ·         That same city difference carried over to how many of their children were conceived around Valentine’s Day
    o    Nearly 20% of kids in LA were sprung by Cupid; Chicago saw just 9%

    ·         As for how many people actually have special plans for this love-filled day,
    o    A stunning 74% of Angelenos and 84% of Chicagoans had nothing on the books. 
    o    A big part of that, based on these findings, is that moms don’t have time or necessary resources. 

    ·         Ever wonder where the best spot in Los Angeles and Chicago are to make out with your loved one? 
    o    Most LA moms prefer to make out at the beach. 
    o    In Chicago, top make out spot was a little more reserved; at home. 

    Time – Moms most prized commodity
    ·         More than half the Mothers in Los Angeles (52%) and Chicago (54%) plan to increase the amount of time they spend with their kids in 2011 as compared to 2010. 
    o    Despite that, most moms still complain that work is the biggest drain on their time.

    ·         Above all else, this Valentine’s Day help your Mom around the house. 
    o    41% in Los Angeles and 43% in Chicago would like a housekeeper and 14% want their kids to do more chores.

    Money – What economic uptick?
    ·         It seems that saving money is the biggest priority for both LA and Chicago moms in 2011. 
    o    About 63% of LA moms and 65 of Chicago moms placed this as the most important plan for the year. 
    o    Losing weight and being more frugal followed with about 58% and 34%, respectively. 
    o    The least popular plan for 2011 – having a child.

    ·         As for how moms plan to save money, eating out generated the biggest response (average of 43%) of the first area they would cut; followed by manicures and pedicures. 
    o    Also taking a hit for spendthrift moves are vacations and groceries.  Not sacrificed; moms spending on themselves. 
    o   A surprising 52% of LA and 62% of Chicago moms plan to either maintain or spend a little to a lot more on themselves in 2011.

    All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by the company.  Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. Please refer to this site's Disclaimer  for more information. I have been compensated or given a product free of charge, but that does not impact my views or opinions. 
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