Family Movie Night - Big Hero 6

 This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BigHero6Release #CollectiveBias

Enjoying a Family Movie Night has become a frequent Friday evening occasion at our house.  So when the Academy Award Winning Movie for Best Animated Film, which was also my son's favorite movie in 2014, BIG HERO 6 was released February 24, 2015 on blu-ray and dvd we immediately had a family movie night that weekend to enjoy it.  My daughter and I swung by our local Walmart the day it was released to pick up the movie for our home video library and to grab a few other Big Hero 6 themed goodies for our night of family fun and bonding.  Whether shopping online at www.walmart.com or stopping by one of their brick-and-mortar locations, Walmart has a great selection of Big Hero 6 videos, toys, books and other merchandise.

We always like to try to incorporate some fun activities into our Family Movie Nights to make them a little bit more special than just watching a film together.  Since a big part of Big Hero 6 involves the characters' interest, accomplishments, and interactions with scientific topics, my wife and I decided to incorporate some demonstrations and experiments for our kids to do using everyday household items from our kitchen before we watched the movie.  So we made some rock candy for our movie treat, created a mad scientist concoction, and attempted a color symphony.

Like the character Hiro Hamada from Big Hero 6, my 6 year old twins have peanut allergies which often makes providing them with snacks tricky.  A safe candy where we don't have to worry about food allergy ingredients or contamination that you can make yourself at home is ROCK CANDY, and the process itself provides an educational and entertaining way to point out some interesting information about chemistry and crystals with children.  The downside though is you are giving children candy that is made 100% of sugar (which can get kids really wound up) and it takes a great deal of patience to do it yourself and get it done right.  You really need to provide yourself 5 to 7 days to let the crystals form enough for an edible treat.
 

INGREDIENTS & INSTRUCTIONS (ROCK CANDY)

Glass Jar
Clothes Pin
Wood Skewer or Stick
2 Cups of Water
4 Cups of Granulated Sugar
Food Coloring **optional**

STEP 1:  Wet your wood skewer or stick and roll it in sugar.  This will provide a base layer for the crystals that will become the candy to attach to when they start forming.  Set the skewer/stick aside to dry while you next begin to make a sugary syrup.

STEP 2:   Place the water in a pan and bring it to a boil.  Once the water is at a boil begin adding the sugar one cup at a time not adding the next cup until the previous one has dissolved into the water.  Stir the water after each addition to help the process of dissolving the sugar into the water.  Continue to stir and boil the water until all of the sugar has been absorbed into the water creating a syrup.

STEP 3:  Remove the pan from the stove.  If you want to add food coloring now is the time placing 3-4 drops into the syrup and stirring the pan to ensure even consistency.

STEP 4:  Let the syrup cool for 10 minutes then pour it into your selected glass jar.

STEP 5:  Place your wood skewer/stick into the jar so that it is within the syrup but not touching any of the sides of the jar.  Hold it into place by using a clothes pin to secure the skewer/stick into place at the top of the jar.  Your skewer/stick should be at least 1 inch from the bottom of the jar.

STEP 6:  Set your jar in a cool place where it won't be disturbed or in an extensive amount of sunlight.  Crystals should begin forming on the skewer/stick within 3 to 5 hours.  The sugar was dissolved by the water when it was boiling but as the water cools it can't continue to absorb the sugar which re-emerges as crystals which are attracted to the wood in the skewer/stick.  If you don't see crystals forming within 24 hours on your skewer/stick you'll need to start over again.

STEP 7:  Allow the crystals 3 to 7 days to grow to your preferred size.  When you are ready remove the crystals from the jar, allow to dry for a few minutes and voila you have yourself Rock Candy!

In addition to making the Rock Candy, we also tried out two science experiments with mixed success.  First to show off how two stable items can be mixed together to cause a volatile chemical reaction we created a mad scientist concoction.

INGREDIENTS & INSTRUCTIONS (Mad Scientist Concoction)

Glass or Plastic Cup/Bottle
1/4 cup of vinegar
2 tablespoons of baking soda
1 tablespoon of jello mix **optional**

STEP 1:  Place the baking soda in your cup or bottle.

STEP 2:  If you would like your concoction to have some color add the jello mix of your preference to the baking soda within the cup/bottle

STEP 3:  Pour the vinegar into the cup/bottle so that it mixes with the baking soda.

STEP 4:  Grab a sponge or rag to clean up as your children observe a bubbly mess that is created from the chemical reaction of these items being mixed together.  The bubbles are created and filled by carbon dioxide which is formed when the vinegar (acid) reacts with the baking soda (a base).

Next we tried an experiment called the Color Symphony.  Kids that like art class will enjoy this!

INGREDIENTS & INSTRUCTIONS (Color Symphony)

A Flat Tray
Food Coloring - at least 3 colors
Whole Milk - low fat milk will not work!
Liquid Dish Soap

STEP 1:  Pour milk over the tray so that its entire surface is just barely covered.

STEP 2:  Add 3-4 drops of food coloring from each different color at various spots on the tray.

STEP 3:  Add 5-7 drops of the liquid dish soap on top of each of the food coloring spots.

STEP 4:  Enjoy a Symphony of Colors - the dish soap will go after the fat in the milk as it does the food coloring will scatter and mix creating a colorful display.



Unfortunately, it didn't work out that well for us though because we used 2% Milk and you really need to use Whole Milk to get the whole impact of the demonstration.  A teachable moment about always reading instructions carefully! While we didn't get a symphony of colors, my kids did see how when you add various chemicals together they trigger reactions.  When we added milk, soap and food coloring together the food coloring quickly expanded within the milk when the soap was added.  It unfortunately didn't have the burst of colors that would have occurred from there being fat included within the mix.

So after we cleaned up our experiments, we grabbed our rock candy and enjoyed our feature presentation BIG HERO 6.  This animated, family friendly movie focuses on the special bond that develops between a giant plus-sized inflatable robot named Baymax and a young prodigy named Hiro Hamada.  When tragedy strikes these two team up with a group of friends to form a band of high-tech heroes who try to right a wrong.  This movie based on a Marvel comic book series is filled with both action and drama which makes it a perfect selection for a family movie night.

If you grab this movie from Walmart, they have two exclusive blu-ray packages while supplies last.  One package has a bonus dvd featuring The Science of Big Hero 6 which is what we picked up to go along with our family movie night's science theme.

The other exclusive Walmart blu-ray package has a VUDU INSTA WATCH feature.  When you purchase a Big Hero 6 Blu-ray/DVD + INSTA WATCH it includes a digital movie on Vudu while supplies last.  Simply scan your receipt using the Savings Catcher in the Walmart app.  Then look for a message on your phone or email.  Now you can watch Big Hero 6 on any device!

So is your family as excited about Big Hero 6 coming to home video as ours? How are you geeking out to enjoy this movie with your family?

Who Would Love TMobile FREE Data for Life? A Geek Daddy Tests out the T-Mobile Trio AXS 7.85" 4G Tablet

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser.  All opinions are mine alone.

Sick of draining your mobile phone plan's data package or always searching for free Wi-Fi when you are on the go?!  I recently took the T-Mobile Trio AXS 7.85" 4G Tablet that promises TMobile FREE data online connectivity for the life of the device for a test run through the Detroit Zoo for #CollectiveBias.  The #TabletTrio can keep you connected even when Wi-Fi isn't available by providing access to T-Mobile's advanced 4G/LTE network - when purchasing this tablet you are provided the FREE DATA FOR LIFE plan which consists of 200MB of data usage each month for as long as you own the device.  How often have you found yourself out and about wanting to connect to the Internet but don't want to use up your phone or tablet's data plan, don't have a device that is connected to a data plan (hate to admit it but we didn't have Internet accessibility on our phones until this year), or don't have access to Wi-Fi?  I know for our family that we lose convenient connectivity when we visit grandma and grandpa's house, are at soccer practice, or take a trip to the zoo, among other places.   

The Detroit Zoo doesn't provide free Wi-Fi so we accessed the Internet via T-Mobile's 4G network during our test of the tablet.  I had registered the tablet before our visit and the T-Mobile network instantly recognized, authenticated, and connected the device when I opened up its browser just as if I had been using my smart phone.  The Trio AXS provided a fast and reliable connection throughout our visit both within the indoor exhibits and around the outdoor ones.  We utilized the connectivity to look up some additional information on some of the animals we were viewing, access a tour app hosted by the zoo, upload some pictures we took to the cloud, do some tweeting, double check the closing time, and to look up a restaurant menu in deciding what meal we were going to pick up on the way home for dinner. All of this barely put a dent in our allocated 200 MB of data for the month.

In addition to the great connectivity feature, the Trio Tablet has great features and functionality.  It utilizes the Android operating system which allows for the use of Flash Player applications, includes the Kingsoft Office word processing suite of programs, Movie Studio video editing, and other handy apps.  The tablet is very light weight and portable yet it has a screen size twice the size of most smart phones.  My kids were able to really appreciate viewing images and information on its screen.  The device also has a camera that is easy to use and takes some nice photographs.  The only downside of the device was, that like most smart phone and tablet screens that I'm familiar with, it reflects sunlight and can be difficult to view content on its screen outdoors without being in some shade.

The best feature of the tablet hands down though is its free data package through T-Mobile's 4G nationwide network.  4G is the term used to describe the fourth-generation of wireless service.  When you are utilizing 4G technology wireless service it is supposed to be anywhere from four to ten times faster than currently existing 3G networks.  You don't have to sign-up for a billable T-Mobile plan with this tablet, simply register your device through the device's ConnectMe portal, for free,  to active the service and you get 200MB of data usage each month.  This is a capped program which means that once you reach 200MB for the month you are shut off until the next month.  After you've reached your cap a screen will appear that will offer to sell you an upgraded T-Mobile data plan but there is no obligation to purchase it. There are no worries about billed for going over your data limit and no contracts or service plans you are committed to. There are is no data roaming or tethering with this program either.  Once you purchase the T-Mobile Trio AXS 7.85" 4G Tablet just register it to activate it and enjoy using the free 200MBs every month for as long as you own it. Simple as that!

The T-Mobile Trio AXS 7.85" 4G Tablet costs $179.00 and is sold exclusively at Walmart.  Think about that...for under $200 you are purchasing a tablet with guaranteed monthly connectivity for accessing the Internet pretty much anywhere you need to go through a dependable wireless service provider that has a state-of-the-art network for as long as you own device without paying another cent.  That's a great deal!

It's back-to-school time and with that comes a lot of extracurricular activities too.  For our family that means evening dance classes for our daughter and soccer practices for my son plus swimming lessons for them both on the weekends.  Her dance studio doesn't have Wi-Fi, neither does the pool or the soccer fields.  I don't want to drain my data plan on my phone and my other tablet only connects to the Internet via Wi-Fi so if I want to read e-mails, check weather or traffic reports, surf the web, update my blog, or interact via social media I'm out of luck while chauffeuring my kids to their activities and school functions.   This T-Mobile Trio AXS 7.85" 4G Tablet provides parents dependable access to the Internet without breaking the bank.  If you are a parent who knows they are going to be on the go this fall you really should check this device out!

The Trio would also be a good tablet for children.  My 5 year old twins were very capable of using it and it was sturdy enough I wasn't worried they would break it but also light enough that it wasn't to heavy or bulky for them to be uncomfortable carrying it.  Based upon the data limits you also know that your kids won't be using it for video games and watching movies but rather for more productive uses of their time.  Plus the data cap seems like a nice tool to teach them responsibility of managing their time online because they will get cut off if they reach that 200MB limit so they have to weigh that into determining what they want to do online.  So this is a great buy for parents or kids!

In addition to taking the Trio AXS to the zoo, I also took it the park with my kids the other day.  The weather forecasts had been for rain but it had been a sunny day outside.  There's no Wi-Fi access at the park but I was able to keep an eye on the local radar weather maps through the tablet's T-Mobile service.  While it didn't look cloudy I could see rain coming into the radar picture after we'd been there for about an hour so I packed up the kids and headed home.  It down poured a few minutes after we arrived home.  You have to appreciate the convenience of knowing you can take this device with you where ever you go with the assurance you can always be connected when you need to be.

You can do a lot of things with the monthly 200MB though if you want to be playing online games or streaming/downloading movies you most likely will need to upgrade and purchase a T-Mobile data plan.  For parents that are just looking to stay connected and have the convenience of accessing the Internet while out and about you should be just fine with the included free monthly data.

CLICK HERE for more information about the  T-Mobile Trio AXS 7.85" 4G Tablet.

New Muppets Mini-Series Hits the Web

Watch "Drive-On with the Muppets" on Disney Movies Anywhere

To promote Disney's Movies Anywhere website/app and the upcoming home video release of Muppets Most Wanted a six-part original online video series called "Drive-On with the Muppets" will be available through the month of August.  Each Friday beginning August 1st, two new video shorts that feature brand new Muppet skits will be available to view on Disney Movies Anywhere.  Disney Movies Anywhere is a cloud-based movie service that allows you to store your DVD and digital download  purchases on one online catalog so that you can easily and instantly stream or download your collection of Disney, Pixar, and Marvel movies across a wide variety of devices ranging from desktop computers to tablet devices to smart phones.  Setting up an account to access Disney Movies Anywhere is FREE and in addition to the movies that you have purchased being accessible through the service there are also bonus content features such as this "Drive-On with the Muppets" original video series.

The premise behind "Drive-On with the Muppets" is that Kermit the Frog has to leave work for a day and Pepe the King Prawn is left in charge of the Muppets office. It also happens to be Walter's first day on the job at the Walt Disney Studios lot after joining the Muppet Show cast. This series of video shorts is set between The Muppets (2001) and Muppets Most Wanted (2014) with a focus on incorporating the Walter character from The Muppets as a regular part of the goofy ensemble.

The first episode has been posted on youtube but the remaining 5 episodes will be exclusively viewable via the Disney Movies Anywhere website/app.  I've embedded this first episode below and here's a synopsis of it:

After being left in charge of the Muppets office by Kermit, Pepe the King Prawn takes on the responsibility of "mentoring" Walter on the business of Hollywood.  Still considered the "new guy" with the Muppets, Walter is given low-level jobs working alongside his fellow Muppets at their office in the famed Walt Disney Studios in Burbank.  Walter quickly learns there is a lot more to making movies than he thought! Developing projects may not always be so glamorous, but Walter is still excited to tackle new challenges and discovers life on the Disney Lot is certainly a fun and funny adventure.

To watch the rest of these new Muppet shows, tune in every Friday at DisneyMoviesAnywhere.com throughout the month of August.

Walgreens Looks to be a Player in the Toy Arena

When I think of WALGREENS what comes to minds is filling my children's food allergy epi-pen prescriptions or picking up some cold medicine.  I'd never really though of the pharmacy as a place to go toy shopping, but Walgreen's is working to change that impression as it becomes more of a player in the growing arena of market challengers to Toys-R-Us.  This fall, Walgreens will be enticing toy shoppers to their stores with 2 exclusive action figures from the Star Wars and Marvel brands.

A Boba Fett action figure from Hasbro's popular 6" Black series collection will be sold exclusively in Walgreen's toy aisle.  This isn't just a generic action figure based upon a popular Star Wars character though, this toy is designed based upon the original Ralph McQuarrie concept art for Boba Fett that has the bounty hunter clad all in white, rather stormtrooperesque I would say, that was big enough news to warrant an announcement and rather detailed post on the official STAR WARS website.

Looking at this promo pic of the upcoming Ralph McQuarrie concept art Boba Fett action figure, I have to say "impressive, most impressive."  The actual price and launch dates for this Walgreen's Hasbro 6" Black Series exclusive haven't been announced yet but expect it to be around $20 and out around mid-September / October like the other toys in this lineup.  This will absolutely be a popular pickup for both children and adult collectors so keep your eyes peeled for it if you are interested in it as they will probably sell out quickly.

Joining Boba Fett this Fall on Walgreen's store shelves will be Marvel's Agent Venom which will be an exclusive action figure from Hasbro's Marvel Legends Infinite Series.  This is another 6" line of action figures from Hasbro based upon Marvel's comic book and movie superheroes.  Agent Venom is the bad guy alien symbiote that attached itself and took over control of Spider-Man's body for awhile in the comics and movies.  Venom has been taken over by a special agent for the U.S. government named Flash Thompson who is trying to use the symbiote as a tool for special ops missions.  This looks like a pretty cool toy too!

These six inch action figures are becoming more popular because the size allows for increased articulation, details, and durability compared to the three inch sized figures that most people associate with action figures but aren't as lanky and awkward as Barbie styled dolls (and the original GI Joes from the 60s & 70s)...plus they can command a higher price point at the cash register.  Walgreen's partnership follows recent exclusive offers from Todd MacFarlane Toys that included action figures from the Assassin's Creed & Halo video games and The Walking Dead television show.  So now that Walgreen's is drawing in consumers with "action figures" will they start branching out to other types of exclusive toy offerings? Will we see an increased toy area at stores?  Like these upcoming Star Wars and Marvel toys we'll just have to wait and see.

 DISCLAIMER:  My son bought me a Hasbro 6" Black Series Stormtrooper for Father's Day that I keep displayed on my desk...and I think it is pretty cool!

JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT is the perfect Fathers Day gift to show Dad he is your Hero

Disclosure: I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and its advertiser.

Your mission if you choose to accept it is to show Dad on Fathers Day that he is your family's hero.  Instead of a boring tie or golf shirt this year consider giving Dad something a little more exciting like an action movie DVD or Blu-ray featuring a hero.  As a teen I watched all the Star Trek and Tom Clancy movies and was thrilled when the Star Trek franchise was rebooted a few years ago.  Now the Tom Clancy franchise has been rebooted with the movie JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT which features the same actor who re-energized Star Trek's Captain Kirk, Chris Pine, now starring as Clancy's lead character Jack Ryan.  I am sure there are a lot of Dads like me who are fans of movies like The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, and Clear & Present Danger that are interested in seeing a new chapter in the Tom Clancy franchise ... and may not have been able to get a babysitter so they could go see it when the movie was playing in theaters.

From a Dad's perspective most of us would probably appreciate getting a Blu-ray of JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT as a great Father's Day gift, much better than the undershirt/boxer set, golf shirts, or ties I have received in past years. To help out that idea, Walmart has an exclusive #JackRyanBluRay movie package available for a limited period from Tuesday June 10 through Saturday June 14th, just in time for Fathers Day, that you really shouldn't miss.  I #shopped this offer for #CollectiveBias and it found it to be a good deal.  For $12.96 you can get a movie combo pack that includes Blu-rays of JACK RYAN: SHADOW RECRUIT and THE ITALIAN JOB plus it gives you $15 dollars off sports tickets at Ticketmaster.  That's 2 great movies and $15 off Sports Tickets, all for one very low price! Don't miss out though because once Father's Day is here the offer is gone.

Hey its Fathers Day so pick up some movie candy to indulge Dad while he's enjoying his present.  We picked up a few boxes of Whopper movie candy boxes for 98 cents each while doing our #CollectiveBias #shop at Walmart to go along with our #JackRyanBluray combo pack.  You have to admit that a movie and candy sure beats getting a tie from a Geek Dad's perspective when it comes to Fathers Day gifts.

 

If you are going to give Dad a Tom Clancy movie for Fathers Day, don't just hand it to him...add in a secret agent adventure to help him make his day a little more special. One way to do this is by creating a scavenger hunt that showcases how Dad is your family's hero while he searches for his gift.  Start off by giving Dad a Fathers Day card, but don't sign it rather create a unique #hashtag and print that on the card.  

 

Post a picture on instagram or twitter (whichever Dad uses most often) that portray how Dad is your family's hero.  Include with the picture a link to a specially created Facebook "Fathers Day" photo album that is filled with more photos showing favorite moments with Dad.  Put a link in the last caption of the final picture in the Facebook photo album that directs him to a youtube video.  Post a video with a heartfelt message from your family members wishing Dad a happy Fathers Day and telling him why he is your hero.  Wrap up the video by telling Dad to turn on the television and Blu-ray player.  Pop out the candy and enjoy the show!  An online scavenger hunt like this can be really fun, doesn't take a whole lot of effort to put together, and can make a great impact on your Dad.  My Dad is a big Tom Clancy fan too so it can be used to help grandpas celebrate Fathers Day too!

I hope everyone has a great Fathers Day!