.@TeddyOutReady: May 2019

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World Is Now Available on Blu-Ray™/ DVD | #HowToTrainYourDragon

Hidden World

It is fun to have a dragon friend, you can fly together through white clouds in the sky and enjoy aerial views. To young Viking leader Hiccup and his dragon Toothless it became an everyday task. With other folks they are on the mission to save dragons and free them from captivity. While persuading a good cause, the place where Vikings live peacefully and freely with dragons cannot accept more creatures. Viking-Dragon kingdom habitats need to find bigger and better place to locate everyone.

What is a movie without a bad guy, here we got Grimmel the Grisly, a dragon hunter. He is smart, strong and dangerous. Grimmel the Grisly wants to kill all dragons, but for the moment his main target is alpha dragon Toothless. Grimmel does not go into straight fight with Toothless, instead he uses female alpha dragon Light Fury to disarm Toothless. When Hiccup realized that all dragons are in danger and he cannot risk his friends lives, he decides to leave their place and head north to find another place to live. He has in mind "Hidden World", mythical place no one ever seen but Hiccup's dad ensured that this paradise exists. There, at "Hidden World" dragons live freely. Where is it, who knows?

In a day of flying, Vikings realize that they cannot move all together to find the place. People and dragons need rest and sleep, and they cannot roam around without knowing exactly where they are heading to. So Hiccup and Astrid want to explore first before moving out. After looking for Toothless who tends to disappear all the time after meeting Light Fury, Hiccup and Astrid discover mythical "Hidden World" and notice that Light Fury and Toothless are already there and fly with other dragons. They fly to Viking's place and then to "Hidden World", back and forward.

How To Train Your Dragon 3

Alpha dragons spend more time together and their friendship becomes stronger and better every day.  Using those ties,  Grimmel the Grisly kidnaps Light Fury and Toothless, to kill both. Now Hiccup feels useless, for many years he and his dragon were together, so what he can do without Toothless? Hiccup cannot fly, all dragons are gone after Toothless taken by Grimmel.

It is time for Hiccup to realize that he must use his own skills to free and protect his friends. While he and his team manage to fight Grimmel the Grisly and get all viking's dragons back safely, Hiccup's life cannot be the same as before. Toothless needs to go and live with other dragons and Hiccup needs to build his life by himself. When that moment of becoming a grown-up arrives,  Hiccup is no more a little boy with a dragon friend, he has to take serious decisions and take care of his Viking kingdom and his people.

The movie offers great animations, beautiful aerial views and stunning visual effects. We also liked Hiccup's, Astrid's and other characters costume designs, stylish and sleek.

How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-Ray™, DVD, and On Demand May 21, 2019 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The release includes great bonus features, from chronicles, alternate opening, shorts and more. Plus, to mark the film’s global 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD release, Universal has partnered with Facebook and Messenger to debut two exclusive adorable Night Lights (baby dragons) to train and an awe-inspiring in-store Augmented Reality (AR) experience. In pack, fans can unlock an exclusive code that reveals your very own Night Light that you can hatch, train, and send on adventures within the popular Dragon Pets Instant Game available on Facebook and Messenger.
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Friday, May 17, 2019

The Real Life Adventures of Catherine "Cat" Calloway, The First Book by David Essel | #ChildrensBook

The Real Life Adventures of Catherine Cat Calloway

Being at school has never been an easy task. Besides learning there are lots of challenges every child faces every day. It is simple to lose your confidence when there is no friends and family to support you. The world of success and influence takes their dominance and it is easy to blend, give up and let your dreams disappear without a trace.

Have you ever had a feeling being unwanted, forgotten and insignificant? Then the book The Real Life Adventures of Catherine "Cat" Calloway, The First written by David Essel makes you think about where low self-confidence and low self-esteem come from. The main character of the story, Catherine CAT Callaway the First. She is a very popular kid in school, everyone likes her. One day during lunch time she decides not to join her friends but have her lunch with a girl who sits alone. That little girl is shy and seems does not have any friends at school. Ling Ling Lu is a new student and other kids find that girl different, weird and strange. She tried to make friends, but it is not easy for her.

The Real Life Adventures of Catherine Cat Calloway


Cat is an absolute opposite to Ling Ling Lu. She is confident, easily makes friends and loves to help. That particular day Cat decides to make a difference in another person's life. Catherine thinks that no one should eat lunch alone at school and makes one step forward to help Ling Ling Lu. She thinks that everyone must be treated with kindness and respect.

When you look at the whole picture, you do not think that everyone does something wrong. Kids, teachers and parents do not notice or try to ignore struggling little kid who tries to fit new school environment. But Cat sees that Ling Ling Lu has hard time and makes one little gesture to change the situation.

How often we see that another person needs help but just pass by and ignore. The book challenges the readers if they can do the same thing, step out, offer help and do not be just an ignorant passer-by.


We loved how the story turned out after Cat decides to join lunch time with Ling Ling Lu. Teddy said that it is such a positive book to read. He likes how Cat ignites with confidence other people so that they become better individuals to show their unique talents to others.

The Real Life Adventures of Catherine "Cat" Calloway, The First book has nice illustration throughout the book, there are also simple messages repeating multiple time to remember like  "Treat others with kindnesses and respect".

About the Author: 
David Essel is in reality just a big kid in an adult's body, who loves to write about good stuff and great people. His first book is titled: Phoenix Soul: One Man's Search for Love & Inner Peace. David is also a radio and television host, professional speaker, life coach and model. 
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Thursday, May 9, 2019

The LEGO® Movie 2: The Second Part Is Still Awesome Now Available on Blu-ray/DVD/Digital | #TheLEGOMovie2

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-Ray Combo I reviewed in this Blog Post. The opinions I share are my own.

Lego Movie 2

It's time to find out what happened in The LEGO® Movie 2: The Second Part, because now it is available on 4K UHD Combo Pack, Blu-ray combo pack and DVD. If you missed the movie on the big screen as we did because we were busy with our assignments and competitions then we all can watch it in the comfort of our homes with popcorn, treats and, probably, build something new with LEGO bricks.

The Lego Movie 2 takes us to Bricksburg, the city where it all started. In five years this shiny and colorful place turned into the bleak and dull. Their threat - LEGO DUPLO invaders from outer space, which wreck everything cute, vivid, attractive and do it faster than it can be rebuilt. Most of the citizens changed, affected by constant fights and threats. No more romantic dreams, creative ideas and vibrant colors. Most of them, including Batman and Lucy, constantly expect the worst. Only Emmet remains true to himself, optimistic and full of creative projects to everyone's disappointment. He tries to impress Lucy by building nice family house for them, so they can live there together. But circumstances changed and evil LEGO creature, powerful and strong, invades to take the leaders.

The city is in chaos, Emmet needs to save Lucy and other folks from LEGO invaders. He travels across the Lego universe in his spaceship re-built from his house. On the way to saving his friends he meets Rex Dangervest who offers his help in saving kidnapped Bricksburg residents. Together they head to Queen Watevra Wa-Nabi Systar System where most of inhabitants are brainwashed with pop songs. And residents of Bricksburg are expected to follow them, everyone except Lucy who was able to escape. But others cannot resist Catchy Song and even Batman, claiming to stay forever bat-chelor, agrees to marry Queen Watevra Wa-Nabi.

The story, cities, invaders and LEGO universe is created by a boy and his sister, often Lego scenes switch to the real world, where Apocalypseburg is built by brother and the Systar System by a girl. Their interaction, conflicts and rivalry are reflected in LEGO universe.

The LEGO® Movie 2: The Second Part is filled with funny jokes, lots of them inspired by pop culture. There is a line-up of catchy songs like Everything is Awesome and Catchy Song, also the one at the end of the movie with closing credits is incredible. The Blu-ray combo pack includes Everything is Awesome sing along and other songs you can sing as many times as you wish. Plus the release also includes free admission for kids to LEGO Discovery Centres and Legoland Resorts.

Everything is still Awesome in The LEGO® Movie 2: The Second Part!
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Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Learn the ABC with Sesame Street: Awesome Alphabet Collection on DVD | Shout! Factory

Sesame Street Awesome Alphabet Collection DVD

Learning the alphabet is important for preschool kids. It is like a gate to the world of reading. The best way to learn it is with friends you know. It's time for ABCs with Elmo and his Sesame Street buddies. They explore and show you every letter of the alphabet in new DVD release called Sesame Street: Awesome Alphabet Collection. It includes two hours of A to Z stories, songs, parodies, animated features, funny situations and more, everything dedicated to the alphabet letters.

Children will be excited to learn and sing their ABCs while watching Awesome Alphabet Collection. Each letter is presented as a compilation form different segments, for example it can start with a letter song, then an animated story and finished with a funny scene. That way kids learn the ABC from different angles and remember for sure what is associated with that particular letter.

The collection includes familiar songs like "The Beetles Perform Letter B" and "C is for Cookie", M is for "Monster Song". Sesame Street furry friends explore the alphabet with a lineup of celebrity guests. For example, Pharrell Williams belts it out for the letter B, Ricky Gervais tries singing a lullaby to a sleepy Elmo and Sia performs for letter S.


While most scenes in the collection are amazing and most of the songs are special and our favorites, only one song for P letter is very annoying, only one. Overall, we had fun experience watching the collection, I like that there are Sesame Street segments from different years.

The release also includes Elmo’s Amazing Alphabet Race bonus feature and ABC-themed printable activities. You can download them from here.

Awesome Alphabet Collection is being released during Sesame Street’s yearlong 50th anniversary celebration. The anniversary celebrates equality, respect, opportunity and joy!

Sesame Street: Awesome Alphabet Collection DVD is available for purchase on Amazon, Walmart, and other e-retailers. Plus we have a copy to give away for our readers. For your chance simply fill the Rafflecopter form below! The giveaway is open for US and Canadian residents & ends May 20, 2019!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Monday, May 6, 2019

The Dolphin's Secret: A Meditational Journey for Children Book by Meryl Best Lowell | #happiness

The Dolphins Secret

Many children undergo stress at young age when they learn new things every day and try to cope with emotions and wishes they have. New schools, classes, friends and activities, new requirements affect children a lot. Plus, you can see how tech savvy these days our kids are. They start using digital devices at very early age, and often overwhelmed with so much information they are getting from a myriad of sources. They need to have something to deal with constantly changing world, find calmness and be stable with their emotions. Every child is precious, and every child is exposed to stressful situations at certain level. It can be learning challenges at school, parents and teachers who expect too much, peer pressure, bullies at school or some insecurities for being unfit, being not like everyone else.

Book The Dolphins Secret

Today's children have a lot to handle, that's why learning some mindfulness techniques is very important. They help kids let their worries go and fill them with a deep sense of love.  I know that at Teddy's school they already teach yoga and how to relieve stress. That's why when he started reading The Dolphin's Secret: A Meditational Journey for Children he was genuinely interested in learning new techniques. The book written by Meryl Best Lowell introduces children to Yoga Nidra, an ancient form of guided meditation which incorporates a sequence of mindfulness techniques. This is a how-to storybook, written in simple and easy way so that kids ages 4-8 can to follow the instructions. The Dolphin's Secret is not a boring book of exercises, it presents a magical story of Meri, a beautiful mermaid, and her friend Aloha, a dolphin. Together they invite children to join their journey and show how to relax and feel better. Their exercises are designed to do when kids lay down before naptime or bedtime. They include breathing techniques easy to follow. Teddy did his exercises in the park. It was fun and relaxing to lay down under the blanket and forget about worries, school and assignments, think about dolphins and  making bubbles.

The Dolphin's Secret: A Meditational Journey for Children

The Dolphin's Secret book is beautifully illustrated. It includes images of a whimsical world, Meri and Aloha, and as they tell the story and their secrets. You can see the images of kids doing yoga, breathing exercises and their happy faces. Teddy even found someone looking like him in the book.

I think The Dolphin's Secret: A Meditational Journey for Children very practical and useful book for parents, teachers and kids to learn easy relaxation techniques, help children to cope with their feelings. 

About the Author:
Meryl Best Lowell has been exploring and practicing different forms of meditation since 2004 and believes that Yoga Nidra, an ancient form of guided meditation, makes meditation and deep relaxation accessible to everyone. She was hiking on a mountain in Arizona when she was inspired to write a series of children’s books, which incorporate the mindfulness techniques of Yoga Nidra to give children a direct experience of meditation.
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