Rave and Review

Lady and the Tramp Diamond Edition Blu-ray + DVD

I have always loved Lady and the Tramp and I vividly remember watching the VHS over and over with my sister when we were young.  I think we must have sung the “The Siamese Cat Song” {AKA “We Are Siamese”} every day from kindergarten to 5th grade and even to this day I can’t help but smile as I remember how much we adored the film. 

The one thing that wasn’t vivid was the quality of the tape from our youth that had seen its better days and hadn’t been treated as it should.  Seeing the Lady and the Tramp this past week in all its restored glory on Blu-ray was definitely the way it was meant to be seen.  Bright and vibrant in HD, the film’s hand-drawn artwork doesn’t show its age at all and even my husband thought it was decades newer than it actually is.

My daughter, who knows nothing of VHS tapes, will only ever know of Lady and the Tramp in its beautifully restored Blu-ray release and she was completely blown away.  In fact, it’s her new favorite movie, even surpassing her “princess movies” and she’s asked to watch it every single night since it arrived.  And, watching it again with her, I had forgotten how great of a movie it really is. 

A classic love tale about dogs from very different backgrounds coming together to realize that they have more in common than they had realized, it’s a fun twist on a “romantic comedy” for kids.  Perfect for Valentine’s Day and a fun movie for boys or girls, it’s a very welcome addition to our Disney Blu-ray collection.  In fact, with how much the whole family loves it, I have a feeling it’s going to be played a ton from now on.  Thank goodness DVDs can handle more play time than our old VHS could!

As with all Disney Diamond Edition combo packs, I love all the amazing extra features you get with purchase.  Besides the Blu-ray, you get the DVD feature film, the digital copy, as well as bonus features.  The bonus features in the Lady and the Tramp Diamond Edition were really fun and I learned a lot about the making of the film and all the things that had to come together to release Lady and the Tramp back in 1955.  It turns out that it’s not just a timeless tale about love, it’s also a historically significant film brought to life at a time in our country’s history that really needed fun. 

Special Features
• Blu-ray(TM) Feature Film + Bonus
• DVD Feature Film + Bonus
• Digital Copy Of Feature Film
• Diane Disney Miller: Remembering Dad
• PuppyPedia: Going To The Dogs
• Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes
• Never-Before-Heard Deleted Song
• Inside Walt's Story Meetings With Disney Second Screen
• Lady's Pedigree: The Making Of Lady and the Tramp
• "The Siamese Cat Song": Finding A Voice For The Cats
• And Much More! 

To make an even sweeter purchase just in time for Valentine's Day, Disney is also offering $5 and $8 coupons for two Blu-ray versions thru Disney Movie Rewards

And, here's a great Target Blu-ray Deal {thanks, Hip2Save!}
Deal Scenario:
Buy Lady & Tramp Blu-ray Combo Pack $22.99
Buy 1 Select Blu-Ray $14.99
Total = $37.98
Minus $8 discount automatically applied during checkout
Plus, use the $5/1 Lady & the Tramp Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Upgrade Coupon found on Disney Movie Rewards {you can only access this if you have an old Lady & the Tramp DVD or VHS}
Final cost $24.98 for both – just $12.49 per Blu-ray! Great price!

A big thank you to Disney for re-introducing our family to Lady and the Tramp this past month.  All opinions are 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.

The Builder Bag {Review & Giveaway}

In terms of great educational toys, you really can’t go wrong with building toys.  You just can’t beat the learning that happens when you let your little ones create whatever their heart desires with no rules but that of gravity and physics. 

I love watching my kids build and manipulate all the small pieces to see what a pile of blocks, bricks, or connectors can become.  Unfortunately, the drawback of all this creativity is that building sets have so many small pieces to scatter across the floor, misplace, or clutter up the toy box.  Luckily for me, there’s a genius new product called The Builder Bag that not only solves these problems, it also gives the kids a great place to play!

Essentially a play mat that cinches to become a carry-all tote, The Builder Bag is the perfect solution to playroom clutter and missing game pieces.  Available in two sizes and three colors and even with its own peg hanging system to keep it even more organized, The Builder Bag is now an essential part of our play.

While the design of The Builder Bag is pretty simple, it’s the details that make it awesome enough to have been awarded the PTPA Seal of Approval.  With oversized and reinforced grommets and sturdy carrying handles and cinching string, it’s built kid-tough but is still easy for even toddlers to use.  It’s simple to lay out and get to creating, and it’s just as easy to clean up when the creating is through. 

In fact, it’s FUN to clean up, which is not something you hear very often.  Or, ever.  When was the last time your kids asked to clean up and then squealed as they simply pulled a string to tidy hundreds – or thousands – of little pieces all at once?  Whether your little one is into Legos, Playmobil, TinkerToys, CitiBlocs, Lincoln Logs, SuperStructs, or even just little figures you will love how easy it is to keep all the little pieces in one place and ready to play, and then just as easy to clean up when they are done. 

Simply carry The Builder Bag wherever you want to play, use it as a great play mat to set up your town, your farm, or your new creation, and then cinch, carry and store them up on the pegs until the next time you are ready to create.  The ease of setup and clean up means it’s easy to play on a whim without having to have hours set aside, and the beautiful way to store them makes them the first thing your little one will grab when it’s time to play. 

When I first heard of The Builder Bag, I knew it would be perfect for all of our little building blocks and figures since the kids play with those constantly and have a hard time corralling the little pieces, but I didn’t realize how much I would adore the design.  I love that the open Builder Bag is the perfect “backdrop” to their farm, their schoolyard, or their town and that they incorporate the bag into the play itself, and I also love how much less stressful playtime is when it doesn’t involve a buckets of small pieces being dumped into my living room only to be scattered by playing kids. 

But, even better than the love my husband and I feel for The Builder Bag would be how much my kids enjoy playing with it.  Whereas they loved their blocks and animal figures before, for some reason when you add a Builder Bag playmat, the toys become irresistible and the kiddos just can’t get enough.  Maybe it helps that they don’t mind picking up when they are done now that you can do so with the pull of a string, or maybe it’s just that there’s less setup when all you have to do is open a bag and all your favorite toys are in one place, but whatever the reason, we are all thrilled. 

If you have toys with small parts, building toys, or thousands of figurines that need a practical and fun place to call home, you will absolutely love The Builder Bag.  I love ours so much that I am ordering some more bags for our peg system and plan on getting my nephew a set, too.  Manage playtime, conquer clutter, and not have to waste time cleaning up?  Yeah, I’ll take two of those!

Find out more about The  Builder Bag at their site and see what color options and size options would suit your little builder.  For more ideas and inspiration from the man behind The Builder Bag, you should check out this great article Scott wrote for PTPA!

One lucky Rave and Review reader will win a Builder Bag in their choice of color as well as a set of Builder Pegs!

To Enter: Visit The Builder Bag site and let me know something you learned as well as your favorite color of Builder Bag.

And, as always, there are extra entries available!  {Please leave a separate comment for each completed}

1 Extra Entry - Post on your Facebook wall about the giveaway {http://t.co/dwGKfv5a} and tag The Builder Bag, PTPA Media and R&R on Facebook

1 Extra Entry - Like The Builder Bag and PTPA Media on Facebook {one for each}

2 Extra Entries {per method} - Follow Rave & Review! Subscribe by RSS feed, Subscribe by email, become a fan of R&R on Facebook or add R&R to your blogroll or sidebar.

1 Extra Entry {daily} - Twitter.  Simply tweet the following after following us all:

@TheBuilderBag makes playtime fun and cleanup easy! Enter the #giveaway from @PTPA and @RaveAndReview http://t.co/dwGKfv5a

2 Extra Entries - Blogger Bonus.  Blog about this giveaway linking back to this post and leave an address where I can find your writeup

1 Extra Entry - Comment love.  Enter any of my other Giveaways and/or comment on any non-giveaway post!

On March 4th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email.  Winner will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen. US and Canadian addresses only

A big thank you to The Builder Bag and PTPA for this review and giveaway opportunity.  All opinions remain 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this very Rave Review.

Save Your Razor Blades with Razorpit {Review & Giveaway}

I will admit it; I don’t shave my legs nearly as much as should.  It’s not that I don’t like smooth, silky legs, it’s that I’m cheap.  Seriously, have you seen how much razors cost these days?  Much to my husband’s dismay, for years I have convinced myself that the fact that I have lighter and baby fine hair makes it okay for me to shave every few weeks. 

The problem with my putting off shaving my legs {besides, you know, hairy legs} is that when I do get around to doing it, all that baby fine leg hair gets clogged in my razor as I shave.  Depending on how cheap my razor is {I’ve been known to buy ANY good deal}, this can sometimes mean I blow through a razor each time I shave because there’s no way to get it unclogged safely.  Not only is it costly to only use a blade once, it’s also horribly wasteful, which in turn, makes me put off shaving even longer.

Or, at least, I used to. I have recently found a cool new product called the Razorpit that allows you to clean and sharpen your razor blades after each use, allowing them to last a purported 150 times before replacing.  While I haven’t actually tested this {just think of how long it would take me to test that out...}, I’m just happy extending my blades by even a fraction of that.  To me, just getting 5 or 6 shaves would blow me out of the water, but that’s what I got and more from the Razorpit. 

It’s been over a month now and I’m still using the same cheap-o disposable razor that I opened in mid-December and I don’t see myself tossing it anytime soon.  I’ve shaved my legs twice now {the first time broke a two month no-shaving spell} and have used daily for my underarms and it’s still going strong.  Instead of clogging during that first shave and needing to be tossed immediately, I was able to use the Razorpit to help keep the blades clean even while I shaved and then I cleaned and sharpened right after I finished so it could be used for 5 weeks longer than normal. 

Besides saving money and saving our landfills, I love that I just don’t have to worry about razor blades anymore.  No more putting off shaving or using a less-than-sharp blade to save money because I can now shave whenever I feel like it.  I wish I could say that I’ve been shaving my legs daily {or even every third day}, but I guess there was a bit of laziness rolled into the pricing issue and it turns out I just genuinely don’t like shaving.  But, hey, I like having the option to shave daily, and that’s enough for me!

If you’re tired of throwing away razors too soon and want to save time, money, and our landfills, you should definitely check out Razorpit to clean and sharpen your razor blades.  I'm thrilled that I have extended the life of my blade by 40x longer than normal - and am hoping I’ve got 100 more shaves in my razor!  To find out more about the Razorpit as well as where to buy, check out GetRazorPit.com

One lucky Rave and Review reader will win a Razorpit of their very own!

To Enter: Simply "Like" Razorpit on Facebook and let me know what color Razorpit you would prefer.  You can like either the US Facebook page or the Canada Facebook page, but activity on the European Razorpit Facebook page does not qualify

And, as always, there are extra entries available!  {Please leave a separate comment for each completed}

2 Extra Entries - Post on either US or CDN facebook page finishing the following sentence and tagging R&R on Facebook: Thanks for the giveaway on Rave & Review! With the money I'll save from using Razorpit I am going to ____________ http://t.co/7wm65Pwt

2 Extra Entries {per method} - Follow Rave & Review! Subscribe by RSS feed, Subscribe by email, become a fan of R&R on Facebook or add R&R to your blogroll or sidebar.

1 Extra Entry {daily} - Twitter.  Simply tweet the following after following us both:

Keep your blades clean & sharp w/ Razorpit & join the @ShaveRevolution! Enter to #win from @RaveAndReview http://t.co/7wm65Pwt #giveaway

2 Extra Entries - Blogger Bonus.  Blog about this giveaway linking back to this post and leave an address where I can find your writeup

1 Extra Entry - Comment love.  Enter any of my other Giveaways and/or comment on any non-giveaway post!

On March 11th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email.  Winner will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen. US and Canadian addresses only.

The RazorPit for review and the giveaway were offered at no charge to us.  All opinions remain 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this very Rave Review.

Dead Poets Society Comes to Blu-ray {Review & Giveaway}

“Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,” a very simple sentiment, but something that you just can’t hear often enough.  While the phrase “carpe diem” might be what Dead Poets Society is known for, and quite frankly, the only thing I remembered about the movie from when we watched it in High School, the latter phrase now resonates with me more. 

In High School, the movie was an assignment.  Required viewing about a man whose untraditional teaching techniques make his students excited to learn.  But, watching the movie 10 years later as a parent, the movie takes on a whole new meaning.  Instead of a teacher who inspires students to learn, it’s now obvious that it’s about a teacher opening his students’ eyes, bringing out their passions and breathing life into a lifeless backdrop. 

I personally love older movies and the surprise spotting of someone who is now famous like Ethan Hawke, Robert Sean Leonard or Josh Charles and the fun “where are they now?” searches after the credits roll.  Even though most of the actors were quite young and the film tackles some big issues, the entire cast does such a fabulous job of bringing the story to life.  Plus, Dead Poets Society marks one of the first times Robin Williams showed his serious side, which I prefer to his goofier films and slapstick routines. 

The movie itself was even better than I remembered.  Even with the heavier topics tackled by the movie, watching it again with the clarity of hindsight, I love the theme that learning about the arts isn’t about studying old, irrelevant texts, it’s about discovering yourself and the world around you.  Writing poetry and performing in plays may not be the coolest thing a teenager can do in their spare time, but it’s the appreciation and immersion of the arts that I think every child should experience. 

Another message lost on my high school self was that being true to yourself doesn’t mean taking uncalculated risks or acting reckless, it’s the understanding of when and where it’s appropriate to express yourself that is important as you develop who you are.  Watching the main characters struggle with that thin line between non-conformity and disobedience, it was easy to remember my own adolescence and how it felt to be stifled and then how freeing it felt when I was able to take risks on my own.

A decade later, Dead Poets Society is also 1,000x more sad than I remembered it to be {which could be something to do with the fact that I watched it with 40 other giggling High Schoolers} and the sad parts really hit home more as a parent.  As a parent, all you want is for your children to be happy.  The hard part is to know when lessons are better learned on your own and to not overstep your bounds.  When your children are young, this line is easy: keep them safe, nurture them, and give them a deep well of happy childhood memories to draw from.  But, it’s the teenage years that really scare me, as they discover their independence, develop their personalities fully, and decide what they want to do with the years that lie ahead. 

For me, this movie is one that made me stop and think about my expectations for my kids and reminded me that childhood is such a fleeting time.  Maybe they won’t walk in the direction I would hope, maybe they choose a career I wouldn’t have handpicked for them, or maybe they choose something I dread, but if they are happy, so am I.  I would rather have kids full of life and excitement than ones who are obedient without questions and this movie made that all the more clear to me.

This was a great movie to watch while holed up during our recent snowstorm and taking a fun trip down memory lane.  I really enjoyed re-watching the film and remembering what a truly awesome movie it is, and even more so now that it’s on the Blu-ray platform.   I also loved all the special features, raw takes, and interviews with the cast looking back on the making of.  I definitely feel like I took more from the movie this time around, and I was even inspired to get reading some more of my poetry books after hearing some excerpts of my favorites. 

Dead Poets Society was released on Blu-ray on January 17th and is available wherever DVDs are sold and on Amazon.com

Want to win a copy of Dead Poets Society on Blu-ray?  Of course you do!

To enter, simply tell me your favorite artist

And, as always, there are extra entries available!  {Please leave a separate comment for each completed}

1 Extra Entry - Post on your Facebook wall about the giveaway {http://t.co/PXE2bFgL} and tag R&R on Facebook

2 Extra Entries {per method} - Follow Rave & Review! Subscribe by RSS feed, Subscribe by email, become a fan of R&R on Facebook or add R&R to your blogroll or sidebar.

1 Extra Entry {daily} - Twitter.  Simply tweet the following after following us both:

Would love to #win a copy of Dead Poets Society on Blu-ray from @RaveAndReview http://t.co/PXE2bFgL #giveaway

2 Extra Entries - Blogger Bonus.  Blog about this giveaway linking back to this post and leave an address where I can find your writeup

1 Extra Entry - Comment love.  Enter any of my other Giveaways and/or comment on any non-giveaway post!

OnFebruary 20th  at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email.  Winner will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen.  Giveaway open to US Addresses.

We received the film for review and one was offered free of charge as a giveaway.  All opinions are 100% ours and no monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.

 

Tegu Blocks Asks "How Do You Roll" {Review & Giveaway}

If you’ve come to my house to play in the past few months, chances are you were immediately asked if you wanted to play with Tegu Blocks. If so, you probably had the same reaction everyone else does when asked if you want to play: a shrug and an “I guess”. But, once the felted Tegu tote is pulled out that houses our beloved Tegu Blocks, immediately everyone is excited.

“Whoa, are these magnetic blocks?!?” Why yes, yes they are.

I vividly remember the first time I saw them at a store; I probably played with them for a good 20 minutes, blown away by their simple design that makes them so incredibly awesome and fun to play with. They may look like a beautiful set of wooden blocks upon first glance, but once you hold them, connect them, and build with them, you will be hooked.

Because let me tell you, Tegu Blocks are not your average building blocks. Instead of buildings held together simply by gravity and luck, Tegu Blocks are very different in that you can build some truly amazing stuff with the power of magnets. You may not be able to see the magnets, hidden deep within the wooden block, but the satisfying click they make when they connect tells you it’s there.

Although Tegu Blocks are, admittedly, toys, it certainly hasn't stopped all of our adult guests from playing with them as well.  In fact, the adults seem to like them just as much as the little guys do {which is a lot} and play with them just as much.  Whether this comes from a void that we all felt with a lack of magnetic blocks in our own youths or merely the fact that these little blocks are a great stress reliever is anyone's guess, but I'm willing to bet it's a combination of the two. 

While our kids showed us that these blocks not only stick to each other, but they also stick to the fridge, the washer and dryer, and anything else magnetic, we taught them that putting them away is almost as fun as playing with them... seriously.  I guess it's no wonder that Tegu Blocks have just been awarded our favorite Seal of Approval, the PTPA Media Award!   

So, with how much fun we've had with our Tegu Blocks over the past few months, I didn’t believe it when I first heard that Tegu Blocks were going to get even cooler.  But even I was surprised that the claims were actually true. When a small box holding one of the new Tegu Mobility packs – the Maddy Micro – arrived, I knew our fun with Tegu was just beginning because now our creations were now going places.

The Maddy Micro has removable magnetic wheels that allow it to roll across the floor, but the real fun is when you remove the wheels and add in some traditional Tegu Blocks for even more squeals of glee. Because Tegu Blocks are all magnetic, you can simply pop the new Mobility Wheels onto any Tegu blocks and see what kind of good times you can create.

Speaking of getting creative, Tegu loves to see all their young fans' creations and has even created an awesome contest called "How Do You Roll?" that lets your kid design the next Tegu car!  The contest is open to kids aged 4-10 and the prize is simply amazing - as in a trip to Honduras cool.  You can enter to win right from their "How Do You Roll?" sweepstakes site, but before you go...

How would you like to win one of these new Tegu Mobility Cars?  Of course you would!  Here's where it gets cool - for every 25 entrants Tegu will giveaway a car to a lucky Rave & Review reader! {i.e. 25 entrants = 1 winner, 50 entrants = 2 winners, etc!}

To Enter: Visit the "How Do You Roll?" sweepstakes site and comment below to let me know that you have entered to win the amazing Tegu Honduras grand prize {not to mention their awesome runners-up prizes}! Ready, Set, GO!

Here are the prizes you can win in the "How Do You Roll?" Sweepstakes: 

One (1) Grand Prize: The design experience of lifetime for your child. Design, Name, Package, Produce, and Share the next Tegu Magnetic Wooden Car (watch video for more details)

Two (2) First Prizes: $480 value for you and three friends. One each of the Tegu Mobility line: Dart, Hatch, Maddy Micro, Riley Roadster

Five (5) Second Prizes: $194 value. One Mahogany Original Set + Wheels + Travel Tote

Want more entries?  After signing up on the Tegu sweepstakes website, login to gain additional entries by doing the following {this is not through R&R, these additional entries are through Tegu ONLY}:

20 entries: Email friends
10 entries: Share on Facebook {Please tag Tegu Toys and Rave & Review on Facebook}
10 entires: Share on Twitter using @Tegu and @RaveAndReview
25 entries: Submit designs for the next Tegu car {great activity for kids!}

There’s no limit to the number of entries you can earn. Do each action every day to maximize your chances!  The sweepstakes ends at the end of January {1/31/2012}, so get going today and you might just be on your way to the Tegu factory and the memory of a lifetime.  Terms & conditions in the sweepstakes can be found here.

On January 31st at 11:59pm PST a winner(s) will be drawn, announced here and notified via email.  Winner(s) will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen.

A big thank you to Tegu for sending the Maddy Micro for review and for offering a giveaway to our fabulous readers.  All opinions remain 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this very Rave Review.

Entertain Beautifully with Wendell August Waterfall Chip & Dip Set {Giveaway $60 ARV}

Why does it seem that food tastes better when it’s displayed on beautiful serving pieces?  It can’t just be me that has noticed that the most gorgeous serving pieces are usually empty first or that the manner in which you serve food has a lot to do with how that food is perceived.  I’ve experimented with this firsthand these past few weeks and have confirmed that food is 100% more appealing when served on a Wendell August canvas.

While I was queen of plastic and paper serving pieces in the past, Wendell August has made a believer out of me, and I don’t think I could ever go back to disposable pieces ever again.  In fact, I love Wendell August so much that their amazing handmade Waterfall Chip and Dip Set has been used almost continuously since it arrived. 

Whether it was taken back and forth to holiday gatherings, used as a centerpiece for our parties, or simply as a functional and beautiful accent piece when filled with shelled nuts, everyone has been raving about the Chip & Dip Set from the Wendell August Waterfall Collection.  And, once you see it in person you will see what all the fuss is about. 

From its gorgeously hand-hammered aluminum base to its elliptical shaped bowl, everything about the Chip & Dip Set from Wendell August is simply stunning.  It has a higher shine to it than I had garnered from its pictures on the Wendell August site and in person it is even more gorgeous than I had anticipated it would be.  We’re talking party-stopping elegance that makes it a point of conversation as well as delicious food. 

But, as much as we love beautiful kitchen wares here at Rave Central, we wouldn’t be raving about it if it weren’t absolutely practical as well.  Since our family is big on veggies, chips, snacks, and dips, we’ve tried it with just about every appetizer you can imagine.  From hummus and pita to veggies and ranch, the Wendell August serving set has handled every food beautifully. 

We especially like the size of the 12” tray that doesn’t overwhelm a tabletop but still holds a good deal of food, the low lip of the tray that keeps round veggies from rolling off but isn’t a deep bowl that is hard to fill and serve out of, and the fact that the dip bowl nests wonderfully in the tray and stays in place even when jostled.  It’s this kind of quality that can only come from a company that still makes every product they sell individually by hand right here in the USA and with an attention to detail you just don’t see these days. 

I really couldn’t be happier with the Wendell August Chip & Dip Set and would highly recommend it for anyone that does even a small amount of entertaining each year or for those that are looking for an awesome looking centerpiece that is a beautiful as it is functional.  While you’re checking out the Chip & Dip Set, be sure to take a look at all of the other Wendell August creations.  I don’t know about you, but I have about a dozen new items on my wishlist from the Wendell August collection, starting with the Tracery Oval Tray or Luncheon Tray, their nursery series, and the Dogwood Keepsake Chest!

 
One lucky Rave and Review reader will win a Wendell August Waterfall Chip & Dip Set of their very own!

To Enter: Visit Wendell August and let me know what other gorgeous item of theirs you have your eye on.

And, as always, there are extra entries available!  {Please leave a separate comment for each completed}

1 Extra Entry - Post on your Facebook wall about the giveaway {http://t.co/oRcoymFp} and tag and R&R on Facebook

1 Extra Entry - Like Wendell August on Facebook

2 Extra Entries {per method} - Follow Rave & Review! Subscribe by RSS feed, Subscribe by email, become a fan of R&R on Facebook or add R&R to your blogroll or sidebar.

1 Extra Entry {daily} - Twitter.  Simply tweet the following after following us both:

Gorgeous entertaining with Wendell August @HandMadeUSA metal pieces! Enter the #giveaway from @RaveAndReview http://t.co/oRcoymFp

2 Extra Entries - Blogger Bonus.  Blog about this giveaway linking back to this post and leave an address where I can find your writeup

1 Extra Entry - Comment love.  Enter any of my other Giveaways and/or comment on any non-giveaway post!

On February 14th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email.  Winner will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen. US addresses only.

The Wendell August Chip & Dip set for review and the giveaway were offered at no charge to us.  All opinions remain 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this very Rave Review.

Relax with a Cup of Tea Forte

I like coffee, but I just adore tea.  There’s something so relaxing about sitting back with a nice full mug of tea and chatting with a friend, so in our house we drink a lot of tea. 

In fact, we have a whole cupboard that is dedicated to our tea obsession.  In that cupboard is black tea, white tea, green tea, herbal medleys and more, with a collection of bagged varieties and loose leaves, some of which are for iced brewing that we drink year-round and some for hot tea during the colder months.  But, until recently, we didn’t have any truly gourmet tea brands in that cupboard, just the standard grocery store faire. 

So, I’m sure you can imagine the cheering that took place when we received the Tea Lover’s dream: a package of Tea Forte selected teas and a glass Tea-Over-Ice brewing pitcher.   I think we had the package open about 10 minutes before we were enjoying our first glasses {yes, just long enough the heat the water} and were immediately raving about the quality and flavors of the two varieties we were enjoying. 

If you haven’t tried their tea varieties in the past, then prepare to be blown away.  Not only do they look super cool with their pyramid shape and their beautiful design, once you try them you will change the way you drink tea.  You see, these aren’t overpriced and over-hyped teas that taste just like the kind you can buy in any discount store, these teas simply taste decadent.  With no bitter aftertaste and no strange mix of flavors, the Tea Forte line is tea as it was meant to be – smooth, delicious, and fun to enjoy.

To make our tea parties even more fun, I simply love the Flash Chill pour-over tea pitcher we were sent to check out.  The design is fairly simple with a two pitcher set that you use to steep, cool, and serve your iced tea in, but it’s that simplicity that will mean it actually gets used.  You simply steep hot tea in the lidded upper pitcher as you’d like, and then Flash Chill your fresh iced tea by pouring it into the ice in the larger, lower pitcher below, making it ready to serve right away.  In just minutes you can have a fresh 24oz pitcher of iced tea that is elegant enough for a dinner party but practical for use every day.

What’s so great about Tea Forte is that their tea is so delicious that you could use just about any of their teas and they would be delectable over ice, but what’s really cool is that they make a full line of Tea-Over-Ice pyramid infusers that are the perfect size and strength for the pitcher sizes.  Whether you prefer fruity varieties, flowery, or classic flavors, Tea Forte has the perfect iced tea pyramid infusers for you.

I know many of you are thinking “but I don’t have a tea cabinet, is this something I would actually use enough to store it?”  The short answer is “yes” - Even if you don’t have a designated tea cabinet or don’t consider yourself a tea connoisseur, the Tea Forte collection is sure to make a tea lover out of you.  If you want a truly gourmet experience, I would also recommend the Tea-Over-Ice pitcher as the perfect complement.  Beautiful, compact, and fun to use, I find myself looking for excuses to brew a batch in our new pitcher!  

Be sure to check out their Specials & Discounts section to get a great deal on the Tea-Over-Ice pitcher and more!

A big thank you to Tea Forte and An Island Life for this review opportunity.  All opinions are 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.

Free Sheet Battery Offer with Sony VAIO S Series Laptop {$150 ARV ends 12/31}

Are you in the market for a new laptop?  Check out this awesome deal that includes one of the most raved about laptops of the year and the amazing sheet battery, which gives you power all day!  Whether you travel a lot and need your laptop for long stretches of time or you simply like to go cord-free at home, the Sony sheet battery will soon become your new laptop must-have. 

Unlike other extended life batteries, the Sony sheet battery is so slim and lightweight that it's barely perceptible when it's attached to the laptop over the internal battery.  Since the Sony VAIO S Series is one of the lightest in its class and the sheet battery adds a negliable weight, you will be as surprised as I was that it adds some serious power to an already amazing 6 hour battery life.  Not only does it give you a whopping 12 hours of power, it also has a great design that spreads the battery out over the entire base of the laptop, giving you a balanced work surface and a streamlined laptop that can fit into snug laptop cases, carry-ons, and briefcases.

Amazing, right?  So, what are you waiting for?  For a limited time the sheet battery is available for FREE {$150 ARV} when you buy a VAIO S 15.5" before 12/31 at retailers like Sony Style, Amazon, NewEgg.com, HH Gregg, Fry’s, Tiger Direct, and several other retailers across the country!

Here are some details on the deal that goes through 12/31 - www.sony.com/batteryoffer.

Sony VAIO S Series Features:

• Intel^® Core i5 or i7 processor for visibly smart performance
• Genuine Windows^® 7 Home Premium (other Windows editions available)
• Up to 12 hours battery life (with free extended sheet battery)¹
• 15.5" LED backlit Full HD display (1920 x 1080)
• AMD Radeon graphics with up to 1GB VRAM offers premium performance
• Available solid state drives for rapid boot-ups and quicker application access
• Type in low light with the backlit keyboard with integrated number pad
• Available with Blu-ray Disc or CD/DVD player/burner
• Protect your PC's data with fingerprint sensor and TPM
• USB 3.0 technology (transfer data up to 10X faster than USB 2.0)
• Starting at $999.99

A big thank you to Microsoft and Sony for sharing this special with us.  Stay tuned for additional posts about the Sony VAIO S Series and Microsoft SkyDrive as we get a chance to check some of them out.

Get $10 Credit with Amex Serve Account! {+ $100 Giveaway}

This post is sponsored by Serve from American Express. Sign up for Serve and receive $10 credit towards your first use. Comment below within the next 11 days for your chance to win an extra $100 credit to your account!

'Tis the season of splitting tabs, joint presents, and babysitters.  With dozens of birthdays between mid-November and Christmas, it feels like we're constantly out to eat or shopping as a group and then figuring out who still owes what, whether that check ever got cashed, or wondering why on Earth we forgot cash... again.  But Serve is out to change the way you handle these situations and make sure I'm never stuck creating an IOU spreadsheet ever again.

Serve is the brand new online and mobile money account from American Express that allows you to send and receive money easily, whether you are at home or on the go.  Instead of having to collect bank account information, write and cash checks, or caravan to an ATM, Serve allows you to send and receive money to and from any other Serve member using just their email address or cell phone number.

By managing your account online, through your smartphone, or through their convenient pre-paid card, you can ensure that you will always know how much money you have and control where it gets divvied up.  With your online dashboard you can get the complete overview of your accounts, subaccounts {great for kids, employees, etc}, as well as send and receive money and view past transactions.  Through your mobile app on your smartphone you can manage your account and handle transactions on the go.  Then, as a final convenience, Serve accounts also include a prepaid, reloadable card that you can use to make purchases online and offline wherever American Express is accepted in the US.

To try out the Serve mobile app, we invited two couples out to dinner with us to celebrate all of our birthdays {yes, we all have birthdays within weeks of each other}.  We decided to make a night of it and celebrate having babysitters in the middle of the holiday season so we booked a table at Barrio in Seattle and then bought tickets to a show afterwards.  We enjoyed a leisurely dinner and drinks by candlelight {fun fact: over 380 flickering candles make up the wall and table decor at Barrio}.  When the bill came we split it like normal but, then as a birthday surprise we then credited each of their Serve accounts.

In preparation for the night I had each of them sign up for a Serve account the week before telling them about the free $10 promotion for new signups.  Then when the time came to reimburse, all I needed was their email address or cell phone number and they had their money.  The best part about using Serve this way is that our friends actually accepted the credit on their accounts.  Since I am positive they wouldn't have accepted cash or a check and would have walked out the door insisting that they pay their way, I love that I now have a "sneaky" way to pay people back. 

Side note: All of our babysitters who refuse to let us pay you, beware - Serve is going to make sure that I have a way to reimburse you for donating your Saturday to watching my kiddos if it's the last thing I do!

Since setting up a Serve account is so easy, there's really no reason not to do it.  It's a great way to help you manage your money by making it easy to send and receive while still being safe and secure because it's backed by a trustworthy company, and it's a fabulous way to make sure you stay within spending limits with a prepaid card. As if that wasn't enough, now you can get $10 in your account just for signing up!  If you'd like you can also refer friends to Serve and get up to $5 for each one that signs enrolls, up to $50.  While I haven't tried this feature yet, there are quite a few people I think could really benefit from a Serve account and I am definitely going to be referring them.

If you haven't already created an account, now is the perfect time to do so and help make the holiday season easier to manage.  While there are some personal information required such as the last 4 digits of your social security number and some security questions to answer, you aren't obligated to give financial institution information, give up your first born, or go through a credit check.  Just a few answers and your account is created, $10 deposited, and your Serve card is sent in the mail for you to use - isn't that simple?

I personally love how easy it is to pay with Serve and plan on using the heck out of it over the next few months.  From all of our divvying up meals, tabs, and gifts this holiday season it has actually been quite handy to have and I'm excited to use all of the features.  Be sure to connect with Serve via Facebook and on Twitter

Win It: One lucky Rave & Review reader will win $100 credited to their Serve account!

Mandatory Entry: Just head over to Serve and sign up for an account, then come back here and leave me a comment.  Be sure to leave your email address that you used to sign up for Serve with.

This giveaway will end on December 31st. The winner will be picked by Serve. The lucky winner was Ann F! Thank you all for entering!

Remember to sign up for Serve and receive $10 credit towards your first use. Comment below within the next 7 days for your chance to win an extra $100 credit to your account! Official sweepstakes rules and regulations may be found by clicking here. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Original Christmas Classics come to DVD {Review & Giveaway}

Ultimate Holiday Gift Guide - Day 28

Nothing gets you in the spirit of Christmas quite like watching some holiday movies, whether it’s classics from your youth or new adaptations of well-loved stories.  When I think of holiday classics, the first thing that comes to mind is the animated and stop-motion movies I grew up watching about Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph, and the Abominable Snowman.

Since we don’t watch much TV anymore at our house, I was hoping I could eventually find these movies of my youth on DVD so I could share them with my kids.  Of course I was thrilled when I saw that they were going to be re-released in Blu-ray just in time for Christmas so we could enjoy them together as a family.  Just one look at the front cover of The Original Christmas Classics Blu-ray box set and I'm immediately taken back to childhood when my sister and I would wait all year for the movies to start playing on our favorite TV station.

This family-friendly box set contains four of the most beloved holiday TV specials of all time that you are sure to remember, including the Rankin/Bass classics “Frosty the Snowman,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” and “Frosty Returns.”  If you're like me, you don't think the holiday season is the same without these holiday classics to kick off the magical season when snowmen sing and every kid waits up to see Santa. 

This year we were even more excited when the old classics I loved as a child were joined by a new title that we could all enjoy together for the first time.  This year I was also thrilled to add to our holiday movie list with the VeggieTales The Little Drummer Boy movie.  I personally love The Little Drummer Boy story and adore Veggie Tales so I was already certain I would love it, but wasn’t so sure how well it would go over with the entire family. 

Once VeggieTales The Little Drummer Boy started and we got all settled with our popcorn and drinks, the kids sat transfixed.  It was only 5 or so minutes in when my daughter turned to me and said “I’m in heaven watching this with you”.  Seriously, if that doesn’t put you in the Christmas spirit, nothing will.  

Like all VeggieTales movies, The Little Drummer Boy is an all-veggie cast of characters who have wit and wisdom to spare.  In this remake of the holiday classic, Junior Asparagus stars as The Little Drummer Boy, a lonely and heartbroken child who finds the true meaning of Christmas when he stumbles upon the birth of the baby Jesus.  My daughter epecially liked the songs and the energy in this film, and even though the subject can be a little serious with the underlying story of the Romans and poverty it still manages to have a message of hope and love.

Whether you are reminiscing about Christmas past and signing along with your holiday favorites or you are enjoying a whole new take on a classic story, curling up with the family and having a movie night. 

The Original Christmas Classics box set retails for $44.95 and VeggieTales The Little Drummer Boy will be available wherever DVDs and Blu-rays are sold, including on Amazon.com where you can get it in time for Christmas!

 
One lucky Rave and Review reader will win both DVD titles!

To Enter: Let me know what you how you kick off the holidays

And, as always, there are extra entries available!  {Please leave a separate comment for each completed}

1 Extra Entry - Post on your Facebook wall about the giveaway {http://t.co/Lhq5kzHk} and tag and R&R on Facebook

2 Extra Entries {per method} - Follow Rave & Review! Subscribe by RSS feed, Subscribe by email, become a fan of R&R on Facebook or add R&R to your blogroll or sidebar.

1 Extra Entry {daily} - Twitter.  Simply tweet the following after following us both:

The holidays are even more merry w/ great classic Christmas movies. Hoping I #win the DVD #giveaway from @RaveAndReview http://t.co/Lhq5kzHk

2 Extra Entries - Blogger Bonus.  Blog about this giveaway linking back to this post and leave an address where I can find your writeup

1 Extra Entry - Comment love.  Enter any of my other Giveaways and/or comment on any non-giveaway post!

On December 26th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email.  Winner will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen. US and Canadian addresses only.

This giveaway is now closed.  Thank you to all who entered and congratulations to Candie who said: I love to kick off the holiday by setting up my tree.  Thank you!

The DVDs for review and the giveaway were offered at no charge to us but all opinions remain 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this very Rave Review.