The newest addition to the Disney Animators’ Collection is the Rapunzel Baby Doll and Crib Gift Set. This is just in time for the holidays and makes an amazing gift with everything included in the set and the beautiful presentation of the box.

The set includes baby Rapunzel, her crib, a blanket, a mattress, bedskirts, and the mobile that swings above the crib. The box is stunning and any little child would be delighted unwrapping this on Christmas or Chanukah. The only downside is removing everything from the box, so there is the option of parents removing every item (which takes several minutes because the set is very well packaged) and putting the set together so the child can see it all set up. Either way, it is a fabulous addition to the collection and something that will be treasured by little ones for years.

The bed is a sturdy plastic that looks like wood. It is adorned with designs from her kingdom and the sides include bedskirts that are attached to the bed. And of course there is a soft mattress for the baby. Above the headboard is a rod that holds a mobile. The mobile has five little toys that are free swinging so Rapunzel can play with them. There is, of course, Pascal, a duck, a horse, a bird, and an angel.

Rapunzel herself is similar in size and composition to the Animators’ Origins Collection. She is 13” from head to toe. Like the other dolls in the Origins collection, she is meant to lie down or sit up, however with the right stand she can be positioned to stand on a shelf. But baby Rapunzel is happiest sitting on lying on her bed.

Even as a baby, Rapunzel has a headful of soft hair. Her blonde locks are rooted and fall in soft curls. She has big green eyes and an open mouth with a little tongue. Her nightgown is lilac with deeper purple accents. She also has lilac underpants.

The crib is 15” high and 16” long. It is a substantial bed that is sturdy enough to take a few knocks by some overly attentive child. The colors of the materials for the bed are purple and pink.

The assembly for the set requires an adult. The entire set is designed for ages 3+ because of the small pieces in the mobile, however the doll itself is suitable for ages 2+. She has a soft but her head, arms, and legs are soft plastic.

If you have a Rapunzel fan in your family, don’t wait to order this. It is bound to sell out well before the holidays. Just one look at this little baby will put a smile on anyone’s face.

Due to the presentation, the sturdy construction of the bed, and the doll herself, I think this is one of the best selections this holiday season!

About the Reviewer

Francine Brokaw writes about products, books, travel, and entertainment. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.

There are some great shakes from IdealShape that not only help with hunger control, but also add protein to your diet.They utilize Slendesta, a protein that controls hunger for up to three hours, which is great when you feel like grabbing a candy bar but want something healthier. With vitamins and minerals, these products help with weight loss as well as simply providing a healthy alternative to sugary and high-caloric snacks. The shakes can be used as meal substitutes or as healthy snacks.

There are plenty of flavors from which to choose. They can be blended with water although they taste better when blended with milk (any kind) and if you want to throw in a banana or strawberries, or whatever, that is fine. With the hunger suppression, these are a great way to make a healthy, vegetarian (some are vegan), and fast meal. It’s perfect for busy parents on the go.

And for these cold days and nights, there is Ideal Boost hot chocolate. It’s the perfect 10-calorie drink for cold evenings when you’re watching TV. If you mix it with warm milk, it will add to the calorie count, but it’s still better than sugary hot chocolate mixes. And it contains vitamins and minerals! B vitamins are important for a healthy body and the hot chocolate IdealBoost contains B3, B6, and B12.

The company IdealShape offers meal replacement shakes (vegetarian and vegan), bars, and refreshing drink mixes.

Select from chocolate, chocolate peanut butter, pumpkin spice, vanilla, salted caramel, cookies ‘n cream, strawberry, mint chocolate chip, mocha, chocolate coconut, key lime pie, or snickerdoodle. These shakes sound like ice cream flavors and deliver great taste as well as nutrition. Mix them up, put them in your to-go tumbler, and you have a delicious meal on the go while you’re off to a soccer game or taking your kids to a play date. These meals-on-the-go are alternatives to fast food when you’re in a hurry.

If you want to lose weight, the company has bundles for their weight loss plans. Check them out at their website.

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.

True Disney fans will be delighted with the new subscription available from shopDisney. The Backstage Collection is filled with fun items all contained within a special canister.

Each canister contains a mystery gift with insight into the history of the studio. There are some pieces of forgotten artwork and untold stories from people who have worked at the studio through the years.

The current welcome canister contains a T-shirt with Disney artwork on it. There is also a collectible pin corresponding to the shirt, and a story card detailing some behind-the-scenes information about the studio. This all comes in a beautiful canister collectors will want to display on a shelf. Put it on a bookshelf for an added touch of Disney magic and history.

A new welcome canister will be released every 6 months. Once one of them sells out, it will be retired and not made again, making it highly collectible.

Simply go to shopDisney.com to subscribe to the Backstage Collection. You can select what shirt size you want to receive and this can be changed at any time. You then select if you want a 3-month plan (which includes 3 consecutive months in which you will receive your collectible canister with all the goodies inside), a 6-month plan, or a 12-month plan. Once the editions are sold out, they are gone for good.

If you select the 3-month plan, each delivery will be $39.99.  For the 6-month plan, each monthly canister will be $37.99. And for the year plan, each month will cost $34.99.

These products are only available through shopDisney. They are definitely collectible and make great gifts for Disney fans who want something special.

Act now to get in on the first collectibles and future products.

Some upcoming selections pay tribute to iconic Disney films. They include:

1. 3 Caballeros 75^th Anniversary
2. Emperor’s New Groove 20^th
3. Fantasia 80^th Anniversary
4. The Haunted Mansion 50^th Anniversary
5. Toy Story 25^th Anniversary

About the Author

Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 25 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.

Anyone who has a young child knows about Baby Shark. Baby Shark has captured the hearts and ears of kids and families everywhere. ZURU has the entire family of Baby Shark, Mommy Shark, and Daddy Shark for bath time and pool time play. And yes, the song does play while the sharks swim in the water.

This is one fun bath toy that little kids will enjoy. It not only entertains them by swimming around the tub, but the song is one almost every child knows. And parents know this is a song and a character that can put a smile on a kid’s face even when they are grumpy.

The three sharks are sold separately: yellow baby shark, pink mommy shark, and blue daddy shark. The plastic animals are ready to go with their batteries included.

One word of warning for adults… once the shark begins you won’t be able to get that theme song out of your head for days! Nevertheless, the show and Baby Shark have been entertaining kids for several years with the characters and the theme song.

Baby Shark is beloved and now able to share bath time (and swim time in the summer) with young kids. It is recommended for ages 1-6 however I have tested it on a 9 month old who really enjoyed the little fellow. Just be careful when using it around very small kids.

Baby Shark is part of the ROBO ALIVE collection from the company. “ROBO ALIVE is one of our most popular and best-performing properties,” said Renee Lee, Global Marketing Director, ZURU. “The addition of Pinkfong’s Baby Shark provides the perfect on trend item for younger children to engage in the brand. We expect this to be an absolute hit for bath time play and are thrilled with the phenomenal support from all our retail partners.”

About the Reviewer

Francine Brokaw writes about products, books, travel, and entertainment. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.

PAW Patrol is an entertaining and popular show for preschoolers on Nick Jr. There are plenty of great products that bring the fun of the PAW Patrol home to your house and provide hours of activities for kids. Imaginations run wild with these products and the latest, the PAW Patrol Mighty Lookout Tower, doesn’t disappoint.

The unit takes a little time and effort to assemble – parents need to do this – but once it is up and the batteries (not included) are inserted, the lights and sounds make it even more exciting for little kids. The PAW Patrol Mighty Lookout Tower comes with one dog (Chase) and one vehicle (Chase’s Police Truck) however there are plenty more to purchase separately and when they are all together, the tower is even more fun to play with and more adventures to create.

There are buttons to push, an elevator, a zip line, lights, music, slides, and so many ways in which to play with this one toy. The fun this unit creates is only limited by imagination. Kids will definitely make up their own scenarios to go along with all the activities in the tower.

With the addition of other pups, vehicles, and even other products like the PAW Patrol Super PAWs Mighty Jet Command Center, playing with the pups is an all day adventure.

The PAW Patrol Mighty Lookout Tower is one of the featured products from Nickelodeon for the 2019 holiday season. It’s the perfect gift for kids who enjoy the hit TV show on Nick Jr.Bring home the Mighty Lookout Tower and let the fun begin!

About the Reviewer

Francine Brokaw writes about products, books, travel, and entertainment. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.

 

The new Midnight Masquerade series is coming soon. These collectible figures will be released over a period of time, however they are all going to be available before the holidays. Each doll is a limited edition.

 

The dolls are all decked out in their finest attire and ready for a masquerade ball. With their signature colors, they are exactly what collectors have been clamoring for.

 

The first release is Esmerelda on October 5. She is from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. With a somewhat darker skintone, Esmerelda wears a beautiful gypsy style gown of red and purple. And, like the series name implies, she has a gold mask for the Masquerade party. Esmerelda is limited to 5,200 units.

 

On October 12 Belle joins the party. She is decked out in a beautiful gold and black gown and has an ornate gold tone mask. Belle is limited to 5,800 units.

And on October 19 Cinderella enters the group. She wears a light blue ball gown with a dark blue cape. Her silver tone mask matches the embroidered designs on her gown and cape. Cinderella is a limited edition of 5600.

Next on the schedule is Megara who comes out October 26. Megara, aka Meg, is from Hercules. Her gown is done in shades of purple. And on November 2 Rapunzel rounds out the series. Rapunzel’s gown is shades of red and rose.

These five dolls each come beautifully packaged in a display box fitting the occasion. The designs are exquisite and definitely add glamour to any collection.

These dolls were revealed at the 2019 D23 Expo and 400 enthusiastic guests were able to preorder the set. The Midnight Masquerade Doll collection was one of the highlights of the new merchandise at the Expo. These dolls are beautiful. The entire set looks great together, however if you cannot afford them all, select the character, dress, or color you prefer and proudly display her anywhere in your house.

 

About the Reviewer

Francine Brokaw writes about products, books, travel, and entertainment. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.

They don’t make them like they used to! In the 1960s the songs had great melodies and memorable lyrics. If you’ve seen the latest infomercial from TimeLife, you know this compilation of songs is a “must have,” especially for Baby Boomers. “Greatest Love Songs of the ‘60s” is filled with songs that will bring back memories, put a smile on your face, and maybe a tear in your eyes.

When I first opened this box that was sent to me by TimeLife, I couldn’t believe all the songs included in this one set: 9 CDs and 155 songs all in one box. And to make this even better, every one of these songs are winners! They are all wonderful. I don’t know how TimeLife selects their songs, but in this case they did a fantastic job of collecting songs from a variety of singers and groups.

The Association, The Supremes, The 5^thDimension, Dusty Springfield, The Beach Boys, Dionne Warwick, Hall & Oats, Roberta Flack, Bread, and so many more artists are included. The songs range from upbeat love songs, (“Wouldn’t it be Nice,” “Georgy Girl,” “Chapel of Love”) to more soulful sounds (“Try a Little Tenderness,” “Walk on By,” “The End of the World,” “Our Day will Come”) and so many more.

It would take up too much room to list the entire playlist but take it from me they are discs you will play everywhere – in your car, while making dinner, in the evening by the fire, or just when you want to sit and relax with good music from the past that does not have profanity or hate or violence. These songs are beautiful, some are really fun and some are very tender.

The ninth CD is a collection of “Motown’s Greatest Love Songs” from Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and others. “My Girl,” “You’re My Everything,” “Stop! In the Name of Love,” “The Tracks of my Tears,” and more make up this disc.

Also included in the box is a booklet detailing the various artists and songs.

Think about all the hours you spend in your car. Make that time go faster with these discs.

There is a deluxe version with additional discs, however I was sent the original box with the nine discs. There are plenty of hours of great music with these 155 songs, however if you do decide to upgrade to the Deluxe Edition, that includes 305 songs.

Go to the TimeLife website for more information and to order. This collection is one of the best compilations I have heard in many years.

About the Reviewer

Francine Brokaw writes about music, books, products, travel, and entertainment. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter

Last year Disney introduced their Disney Animators’ Collection Origins Series of dolls depicting their beloved characters as babies. Their latest release is Moana, and she will make everyone smile when they set their eyes on this adorable doll.

Moana sits at nine inches high and her total height when her legs are not bent is 12 inches. She has rooted black curly hair and wears her classic island-inspired top and diapers made of faux suade. This little girl comes with her own blanket, also in an island pattern, and she has a shell rattle. Her body is soft and her arms, legs, and head are plastic and brown in color to match her stuffed polyester body.

The best part about this loveable little girl is her sweet expression. She looks exactly like the little Moana in the movie. She is curious, excited, and happy. She is definitely a doll that will be loved, hugged, and carried everywhere. Oh, and collectors will be delighted to display her either in her original box or out of the box on a shelf or even on a bed. Yes, she’s that cute.

The Disney Animators’ Collection Origins Series is designed for ages 2 and up. They are the perfect size for little hands to hold and this little one will be getting lots and lots of kisses on those adorable chubby cheeks.

With the holidays only three months away, it might be time to start thinking about your gift list. I have an idea that this little Moana will be at the top of many lists this year.

Check your local Disney Store to see if she is in stock. She is in demand and its hard to keep her on the shelves. Baby Moana can be ordered at the shopDisney website.

 

About the Reviewer

Francine Brokaw writes about books, products, travel, and entertainment. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. Follow her on Twitter.

The new “Shinelighter” from beautyblender is a unique product. It is a clear gel that is not sticky and adds shine to your face to give you that healthy glow.

Sometimes a little shine on the upper part of your cheeks looks amazing, and that is just what this product does. It gives you that healthy shine wherever you put it. I love it on my lips. It does not get gooey or sticky and gives users that “Jennifer Lopez” look of shiny lips.

I have also tried it on my eyelids over eye shadow. That is an interesting look. As long as you don’t get it on the bottom of your eye you will have a very shiny eyelid. Placed over gold or silver eye shadow at the holiday time, this is definitely going to make you stand out. Just make sure you do not get it below your eyes or you’ll look like you’re crying. On the top lid is an impressive new look, however.

Test is on different areas of your face to see what you prefer. This is a unique item that will be in demand at the holiday time.

Beautyblender has many unique products. Check them out, and take a closer look at this Glass Glow Shinelighter. It’s something new and something you definitely do not have in your beauty drawer…yet. It adds a little sparkle to your face. And who cannot use a little extra sparkle and pizazz?

About the Reviewer

Francine Brokaw writes about books, products, travel, and entertainment. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, from Sourced Media Books, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County.

Follow her on Twitter