Obvious Easter Egg in Disney's "Cars 3" we didn't notice until Thanksgiving!

Anyone who knows me understands how much I love Disney - what's not to love about those cuddly animals: Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, Donald, and my favorite; Goofy, to name a few!  So of course we were interested when Pixar joined the Disney family. I was still a minor myself when "Toy Story" first premiered.  And they didn't disappoint.  From "Monsters Inc." to "Wall-E", we've always laughed and cried more with movies designed for the young than those created for us adults. But throughout seeing ALL - I mean all- of the Disney/Pixar films available to the public, I never really understood the fun of finding the bread crumbs that link each of these films to another.

Our family doesn't like reading articles before we see a movie, because we don't want to be exposed to any spoilers, and with that in mind:

*WARNING - THOSE THAT DON'T LIKE SPOILERS OF ANY KIND SHOULD STOP READING NOW!!!! While I'm not going to give away a lot of plot information, I while be describing a bit of background setting and scenes.   If you haven't seen any animated movies from "Cars 3" and on this year (including "Coco"), come back and read this after you view the films.

Seeing Sulley in "Monster's Inc." pick up a toy in Boo's room that we can easily recognize from the movie "Toy Story" and "Finding Nemo".  While watching "Toy Story" for what seems like the umpteenth time, I finally saw the Dinoco filling station sign that links that movie to the "Cars" line of films.  And its even more exciting when you realize that what appeared to be a scene that could have been an inside joke is really reference to yet another movie that hasn't even arrived in theatres yet!  That's what happened yet again this year!  We saw both "Cars 3" and "Coco" at the theaters during their opening weekends... and purchased the "Cars 3" movie for home viewing once that arrived, and there is a scene while they are at the all new Rusteze Training Center on the treadmills that immediately rang a bell in my head as loud as the bell that hit Ernesto De La Cruz in "Coco"!
In the scene around the 28th minute of the movie, Lightning McQueen is undergoing his tour of the center and being introduced to Cruz Ramirez.  There are 3 cars she's training on the treadmills that are having issues with reaching their full speed potential.  The last one, Gabrel, is slowed down by his homesickness.  Cruz projects a picture of a Mexican town on his screen above his treadmill, and he almost instantly finds the motivation he needs to run faster - as he shouts, "Santa Cecilia! My pueblo!"   This is the same pueblo that the movie "Coco" begins in!  Ah! Disney does it again!  I love it!  Some time can pass before you start recognizing the significance of certain images or phrases, and it allows you to appreciate the detail that these animators put into each film they create!

Disney Pixar "Cars 3"

By the way, "Coco" was a movie I was apprehensive about in the beginning because my 4 year old hasn't experienced much death in his life. The skulls everywhere I thought would be a bit overwhelming and could possibly be a movie he would be bored in.  But they made it something that even he could relate to, with him understanding the importance of family, even if he didn't quite grasp the dynamics of things such as song writing and ownership, and the afterlife. It's a good movie to have your child see if they are not prone to be easily frightened.  You laugh and cry, and they learn a lesson. "Coco" is now in theatres across the country.

New Childcare Provider Review Site!

Our friends at myChildCareCrush.com have created a wonderful option for parents wanting to know what other parents are saying about their child care provider!


This site is brand-new, and looking for parents like you to add your favorite (or not-so favorite) childcare provider in Ohio or Kentucky and to the list, and leave a review based off of your experience for already listed providers.

Listing and Leaving a Review is easy!

1.  Visit mychildcarecrush.com 

1.  Search for your provider name by name, address, or county - add a Review if they are listed

1. If you don't see your provider listed, click "Add A Provider" on the top right of the Homepage and List for free! Only add the provider's/Center's name and address. 

You will be prompted to sign in/sign up so that you can be notified when your provider has been published.  Once your provider is published, you can then add your review.

   This is a site by parents, for parents!  The more providers that are added, the more of resource it will be for parents looking for new providers!  

If you review customer reviews of hotels before you stay,  why are you just shoving your kids into a stranger's place before getting reviews??

@OVParent Ohio's parents R using the newest site to list your favorite providers & share reviews! Visit https://t.co/CETxPUqEU4 for details! pic.twitter.com/KiWAMS0qu5

— Ele Millenia (@alphagenfiles) October 18, 2017

Why I like this site:

1. Signing up and listing a provider is easy- you just need their name/center name and address.
2. Providers will have the chance to respond to your concerns and make it right.
3. You can read articles and discuss child-related topics with other parents in the Tea Time Discussions forums.

Sign up today!  myChildCareCrush.com
 

Review: Disney's Wilderness Lodge

We just decided to book a new trip to Disney World in a few weeks, and I realized I hadn't shared my 1st experience staying at a Disney Property.  Read my review and see if this property would work for you and your family!

PICS coming soon!

“Surpassed Expectations”

We have always stayed at the Dolphin/Swan hotels while visiting the "World", but decided this time to stay at a Disney Owned property since we are now Annual Passholders. While we were researching- initially the only thing that looked grand about this property was the foyer/lobby, and we began to wonder why this hotel was considered "deluxe". 

 We arrived with sort-of low expectations but were pleasantly surprised! I'm very picky about certain things, and guest rooms are on that list...But our room was quite clean! No dust, no dirt! If you've ever been grossed out noticing that your bath mat is dirty at the bottom after it slides on the bathroom floor BEFORE you even take a shower; then you'll appreciate how I felt when I noticed my mat was still white AFTER the floor was wet from my shower: Ecstatic & Ready to go spend some more money with Disney! 

That alone was big for me. The carpeting looked well maintained, there was no dust/dirt on the furnishings either: the headboard included. I have been to many places where the TV remote is sticky-That wasn't the case.. I'm hoping that it wasn't a fluke - and that wasn't the only clean room on Disney properties....we'll see.

Since we had a balcony- with a lovely view of the bay - we were provided with complimentary OFF spray to combat Disney's mosquito problem. We had no bites at all during our stay. I loved the online check-in, the fact that they held our groceries that were delivered while we were at the park, and the receptive staff.

The gift store lacked the proper sizes for Wilderness Lodge t-shirts, but the team worked hard to try to find us something that meet our needs.

My toddler loved it! He had a blast with other toddlers and preschoolers running around the in the kids pool and even in the lobby on the bridge. There were rocking chairs for us adults to sit, listening to the babble of the creek's water under the bridge, meet new parents, and watch the kids have a ball! 

Everything was close enough for the young and the mature adults to not be tired going from the room to eat, or from the room to the transportation stops.
The only gripe I have is for the bellhop we had. He was grumpy and was not friendly at all. We decided to take our own luggage to the Magical Express when it was time to check out - to avoid having someone's attitude affect our energy. But overall, I shall return. The western-US themed property felt like we were at a fishing retreat.

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Maxi Cosi Pria 85 - Two Years Later

Most people review products as soon as they get them.  I prefer to see those reviews where the product has been tested through time.  Here's one of those!

I was in the market for a convertible car seat and had no idea where to start. My baby was outgrowing his Chicco Keyfit 30 infant car seat, and I needed to find a great alternative that also appealed to my aesthetic nature.  I looked at several different brands, from Chicco to Britax to Evenflo.  I had it narrowed down between the Chicco NextFit and the MaxiCosi Pria 85, and ultimately went with the latter because it looked relatively easy to install in the car. Below are a few things I liked and disliked about it.

The Pros:

• The Color choices. They have Black, Pink and Blue. I immediately liked that the black color I chose worked well with the décor of my car interior.

• Material. The fabric was firmly pulled around the frame of the carseat to allow for easy vacuuming without parts of the fabric being sucked into the vacuum. With some other brands, you'd have to take it out of the car to dry clean. The material also keeps your child from overheating too much- they call  the technology used for the fabric and the padding CosiComfort, which can be removed for spot cleaning as well.

• It's Safety. I'd read many reviews before I decided to purchase, and even more recently, people are expressing how the seat kept their little ones safe through an accident.  I myself can vouch for it as well - being in a side impact car accident where my son had not even one complaint of whiplash.  The doctors looked over him for good measure and gave the green light. They have AirProtect, the technology used in the side head structures, that protected my son's head and neck during the impact. If you have no other reason to purchase this car seat, this would be enough.

• It's weight range. There are other car seats out there that offer a true convertible experience, transitioning from convertible stage to the booster seat stage.  But with this seat, you need not worry about losing or damaging pieces that allow for the transformation from one car seat type to the other. Instead, you can have a baby 15 pounds all the way up to 85 pounds in this seat without needing to make any additional changes. There are not too many convertible seats that allow for such a high max weight. You can get your money's worth before you child outgrows it.
•  Sturdiness. The build of it withstands when my son is a bit rambunctious and decides to use it as a jungle gym when he's not riding.
• Removable Material.  This is vital if you wish to keep your little one's chair clean.  Mine gets everything known to man in the chair: popcorn kernels, cookie and bread crumbs, as well as a few "unknown" substances, most likely jelly.  I simply take the cover off- the first time was the hardest to do - and wash. 

Cons

Weight. When you do need to transfer the seat to maybe another car, it's quite heavy. But I'm okay to sacrifice it being lightweight if I can get stability and sturdiness.

 Few colors.

 While some like they have Black, Blue, and Pink, I'd like to have seen a few more options, like chocolate or beige, so that it can match the interior of other cars.

After two years, I still don't see many negatives to owning this type of car seat.  It's relatively easy to install, and quite safe.  If you are still on the fence, read the reviews from other parents and decide for yourself!

The "dirty" truth of this carseat!

Review: Disney Movie Club

4 movies at $1 too good to be true?

As we're watching one of my son's favorite movies, Disney Pixar's Cars 2, I decided it would be good to share whether or not I found the Disney Movie Club (DMC) to be worth it. I admit I was drawn into becoming a member by the special offer I received; $5 for 5 movie titles.  I visited the site and saw that I was able to pick from so many popular titles, so I was sold.  I figured as a first time mom, I could build my movie collection now that my son was very much into Disney after his first trip to Disney World.

The DMC works by allowing you to choose those 4 or 5 titles for $1 each as long as you agree to purchase 5 more titles from them at regular price within a 24 month span. The movies, called featured titles, cost $19.99 for the DVD package or $29.99 for Blu ray package.  Since my 5 special offer titles were Blu-ray, I'd subscribed to the $29.99 package. 

Every 3-4 weeks, you are sent information on the featured title, and you have about 10 or so days to decide if you want to take it.  You can mail in a response or call in with your membership number to say yay or nay.  If you say yes, or simply don't reply at all, they will charge you for the movie along with shipping & handling, and send you out the featured movie.  Remember, you have to buy 5 in a 2 year span, so you don't have to accept every movie offered.  The company is betting you do, however.  I wound up purchasing an extra title because It was the movie I was needing at the time, AND it was offered at a special.  Let's take a quick analysis of my investment and whether it was worth it over buying retail.  I've rounded to the nearest dollar for convenience.

No. of Movies	Price
5 initial	$5
1 special	$15
5 featured	$150
11 Movies Total	$170
Cost per Movie	$15.45

The average Disney Blu-ray is around $22 each, as they can range from $18-$30.  So even with purchasing the extra movie, I still came out ahead.  We have enjoyed building our collection this way, and the only reason I'd not do it again is because we have decided to build our digital collection, and are looking for HD digital movies only.  If they offered HD digital movies (without a physical disc) then I'd be interested again, because I'm tired of those movies using space when we can use Disney Movies Anywhere instead. But if you are still utilizing discs then this is definitely a viable option for at least 2 yrs.