Category Archives: Uncategorized

September 20, 2013 · 12:53 am

Mama’s Family Complete 1st and 2nd Season DVD Giveaway!!! 3 Winners!!!

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THIS MONTH, BRING HOME ONE OF TELEVISION’S

ORIGINAL DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES WITH

TWO LONG-AWAITED SINGLE SEASON DVD RELEASES

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MAMA’S FAMILY: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON

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MAMA’S FAMILY: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON

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Street Date: September 10, 2013

Move over, Simpsons and Bundys!  Sorry, Bluths and Sopranos!  The honor of “Most Dysfunctional TV Family” goes to the Harper clan from MAMA’S FAMILY, the fan-favorite comedy spun off from the wildly popular “Carol Burnett Show” ongoing sketch “The Family.” Headed by the ornery and formidable matriarch Thelma Mae Crowley Harper, Vicki Lawrence’s indelible and abrasive alter ego, the Harper family puts run-of-the-mill relations to shame.  This September, StarVista Entertainment/ Time Life, in conjunction with Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, invites viewers to bring home this hilarious — and sometimes heartwarming – family comedy of the highest degree with MAMA’S FAMILY: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON & MAMA’S FAMILY: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON. 

 

These first two complete season DVD releases – never before available to the home entertainment marketplace — feature the rare, original broadcast masters (the “Joe Hamilton” cuts) of the episodes which fans have clamored about for years; they also feature Harvey Korman’s hilarious introductions as Alistair Quince (spoofing Alistair Cooke).  Each DVD set also contains robust bonus features, including the critically acclaimed and never-available on DVD teleplay “Eunice” and more.

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MAMA’S FAMILY: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON (1983) – When Vinton Harper (Ken Berry, F-Troop), Mama’s only son, drops by to announce that he and his children have been evicted from their home, it sets into motion family dysfunction of the highest order. Against the wishes of Mama’s roommate – her sister, Fran (Rue McClanahan, The Golden Girls) – Vint moves in, starts a romance with an old high school crush (Dorothy Lyman, All My Children), gets married in episode four, brings the entire clan to a very memorable appearance on ‘Family Feud’ and welcomes several visits from Mama’s high-strung daughter, Eunice (Carol Burnett) and her husband, Ed (in Harvey Korman’s final series appearance). THE COMPLETE SEASON ONE contains 13 episodes across 3 discs, as well as bonus programming sure to please every classic TV aficionado!

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MAMA’S FAMILY: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON (1983-1984) – This new collection features 22 episodes in their entirety across 4 DVDs.  SEASON TWO finds the Harper family in rare form, as Mama’s highfalutin’ daughter Ellen receives Raytown’s “Woman of the Year” Award, Mama gets hospitalized after being hit on the noggin with a stewpot (in Carol Burnett’s final series appearance), Mama’s once-vivacious cousin Gert (Imogene Coca) gets her life enriched, Mama attempts learning to drive (much to the family’s chagrin) and decides to run for Mayor of Raytown.  Among bonus extras, this set features the TV movie “Eunice” (1982), a CBS-TV original which was the precursor to the series and takes the Harper family on an unforgettable 23-year journey.

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Additionally, also being released on September 10 will be two “Best of” releases, each priced at $12.95.  MAMA’S FAMILY: SEASON ONE FAVORITES and SEASON TWO FAVORITES both feature the very best episodes from their respective seasons, highlighting the most memorable moments from the Harper family escapades.  MAMA’S FAMILY: THE COMPLETE SERIES, never before released in its entirety, is currently available for pre-order at www.mamasfamilydvds.com for $199.95 and will ship to consumers the week of September 2nd. Also available online in a limited edition run of 500 is the SIGNATURE COLLECTION, which features a set hand-signed by Vicki Lawrence.  Shipped with a Certificate of Authenticity, this unique piece of pop culture memorabilia retails for $299.95.

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BONUS FEATURES

  • THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON – Featurette: Mama’s Family Tree: The Branches (All About Eunice and Ellen); Family History: A Classic “Family” Sketch from ‘The Carol Burnett Show’, featuring Betty White (Show #1012, December 11, 1976)
  • THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON – Movie: “Eunice” (Original Air Date: March 15, 1982); Featurette: Mama’s Family Tree: The Roots (All About Mama and Fran);Interviews: Vicki Lawrence interviews Mama, Vicki Lawrence interviews Carol Burnett, Betty White

 

ABOUT MAMA’S FAMILY

 

From the first time the wildly-popular sketch “The Family” aired on “The Carol Burnett Show” in 1974, Vicki Lawrence has been followed by a buxom, blue-haired, purse-lipped, 65-year-old widow.  This is, of course, Thelma Mae Crowley Harper, Lawrence’s indelible, abrasive and smart alecky alter ego who would eventually be spun-off into her own delightfully offbeat sitcom “Mama’s Family,” which debuted on NBC on January 22, 1983 and ran for six seasons. Set in the fictional city of Raytown, MAMA’S FAMILY revolves around the eye-opening escapades of the Harper clan, headed by formidable matriarch, Mama Harper, a fiery-tempered no-nonsense woman who does not suffer fools gladly.  In fact, she makes everybody suffer a little with her patented snappy retorts that truly put the “diss” in dysfunction.  Across 130 episodes viewers were treated to family comedy of the highest degree.

 

 StarVista Entertainment/ Time Life is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings.  3 lucky blog readers will win the Complete 1st and 2nd Seasons of Mama’s Family on DVD!  Thank you StarVista and Time Life for sponsoring this family, fun filled giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!!  Open to US residents.

MAMA’S FAMILY: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON & MAMA’S FAMILY: THE COMPLETE SECOND SEASON Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below.  Good Luck!!!

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· 12:13 am

LOVABLE LABELS SPOOKTACULAR SALE!!!

Check out the Spooktacular Weekend Sale going on at Lovable Labels!!!

 

 

 


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September 19, 2013 · 11:14 pm

Enter Welch’s “Share Your Moments” Photo Contest!!!

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Welch’s. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.”

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Sometimes  great memories are made over the simplest things.  It doesn’t have to be a trip to Disney or the Grand Canyon but great times can happen anywhere, even around the kitchen table sharing a glass of juice or snack with your child.  We have had so many special times around our table whether it’s myself and an early riser sharing some toast and jam or the whole family enjoying a meal.  Little secrets shared and conversation that just make me sit in awe of life through their eyes.

Welch’s believes in the magic of “kitchen table” moments, and has been helping families enjoy them for generations. In the time it takes to drink a glass of juice or share a sandwich, a special moment can happen. That’s why Welch’s just launched a new movement called “Share what’s good™” It’s all about sharing those special moments that occur each day with family, friends and loved ones – whether it’s at home or on the go. At Sharewhatsgood.com you’ll find a variety of great content from fun family ideas to delicious recipes. You can share photos of your every-day moments and see how others are doing the same.

The “Share what’s good” Photo Contest Details:

As part of the Share what’s good campaign, Welch’s has launched the “Share Your Moments” photo contest! From 9/16to 10/25 upload a photo of your favorite family moment for a chance to win $5,000! While there is only one grand prize, everyone who enters will get a $1.50 coupon for Welch’s 100% Grape Juice – or $2.00 if you share the news. Visit Sharewhatsgood.com to enter.

You can visit Welch’s Facebook Page, Follow Welch’s on Twitter and Instagram!!!

 

 

 


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· 5:25 pm

Kids do judge a book by its cover – 3 great ways to get your little ones loving reading!

Babies and children love to browse through books well before they can read, and if children can explore their books independently, it helps to plant a love of books and reading from right from the crucial early years.

Here are some ideas to get your kids loving reading!

  1.  Have lots of books around the house!

Studies show that more books in the home lead to greater academic achievement in children.   8 out of 10 kids who have books of their own at home are more likely to be above average readers*.  And if you’re a confident reader, you’re more likely to do better at school, and love reading more.  Kids love getting books as gifts and treats.  Give kids the feeling of ownership by putting their books in a special kids bookcase or book box.

*Source National Literacy Trust, Book Ownership Report 2011.

 

  1. Let kids choose their own books

“Let children choose their own books, from an appropriate selection. This helps build a lifelong love of reading.” Building Blocks US Dept Health and Human Services

What’s more, kids do judge books by the cover!  They need to see the front covers of books (and the often beautiful artwork), rather than the books’ spines to decide whether it’s worth picking up or not.

If kids can choose what they read, then they enjoy reading more.  Nerdy Book Club has 5 great reasons to get children to take control over what they read.  Publishing expert Michael Norris also advises parents NOT to equate reading with ‘good’ behaviour!

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  1. Read real (print) books together

Reading together is a brilliant way to end the day, to have a cuddle or while away a train ride, and of course, starts children off on their journey of reading.  Despite the hype about ebooks, most parents still prefer print books for their kids.   Print books give young children a complete sensory experience; touch, smell and feel of the pages as they turn them, and which builds up their love of books and reading.

3 out of 4 parents and kids, plump for print books for bedtime stories*.  Kids get to use all of their senses, and often kids’ books use flaps or pull outs to add to the story (like the surprise ending in Abigail by Catherine Rayner, or the classic Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell.

*Source Reading is Fundamental/Macy’s 2013

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What do you think?  Have you made a reading corner at home?  How do you get your kids browsing?

This is a guest post from Tidy Books who make brilliant bookcases that get kids reading.  To find out more, visit Tidy Books.


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September 17, 2013 · 12:15 pm

Fall, What Fall?

A little ranting going on this morning and I am calling out all of the people who say that Fall is their most favorite time of the year.  They talk about warm, crisp days filled with apple picking, sipping pumpkin flavored beverages and jumping in piles of crunchy, colorful leaves.  Hayrides, picking pumpkins and just sitting and admiring the changing colors are all on their list of favorite things to do.  That’s all well and good unless you live in upstate New York.  We don’t have Fall most years, in fact the leaves start falling in July.  I can’t tell you how many colored Autumn leaves I find on my lawn all Summer.  In August the nights get cold enough that you put the heat on in the car at night and sweatshirts are required.  

Before even the official start of Autumn we have frost warnings, are using the heat and building roaring fires in our fireplaces.  Sure there are some days when we have a taste of true Autumn but never a season of it.  We seem to move from Summer right to Winter with a short stop at Autumn beginning late August.  My husband laughed when I told him that he needed to finish the new porch railings a few weeks ago because we would never get to  paint and stain if he didn’t because soon the snow would fly.  Let’s just say he’s not laughing now.

Saturday was so cold and windy we cancelled a family photo shoot due to the conditions.  Fall to me is one of the most depressing times of year, not true Fall but our Fall.  Everything dying, the thought of a Winter that lasts to late May (I kid you not it snowed mid May here last year), is not uplifting for me.  I love Spring (again if we had one) and Summer which is entirely too short since it ends mid August.  So far today looks fairly okay outside, so I will enjoy one of the last days of true Autumn even though it’s technically still Summer and better fit that pumpkin latte in quick before the chance passes me by.  That’s what you have to do when you live in the state of 2 seasons, Winter and Summer.

Enjoy some photos of Fall in upstate New York that I took in July (I jest a little). It is beautiful when we get one or two true days of Autumn.  

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September 16, 2013 · 10:57 pm

Littlest Pet Shop: Petacular Escapades DVD Available October 1st & Giveaway!!!

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 Get Ready For Petacular Escapades!

Littlest Pet Shop: Petacular Escapades

Bring the Fun-Filled Adventures Home on DVD

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              October 1st  2013 from Shout! Factory Kids     

Blythe and her best friends — Zoe the spaniel, Pepper the skunk, Sunil the mongoose, Russell the hedgehog, Penny the panda, Vinnie the gecko and Minka the monkey — are back for five more exciting adventures in the Littlest Pet Shop! On October 1, 2013, Shout! Factory Kids, in collaboration with Hasbro Studios, will release Littlest PetShop: Petacular Escapades on DVD.  This collection features encounters with legendary parrots, movie stars and Blythe’s sudden inability to understand the pets! All of these adventures and more happen in these petacular episodes of The Littlest Pet Shop!

Littlest Pet Shop: Petacular Escapades delivers captivating entertainment the whole family can enjoy and contains a brand new bonus sing-along. Featuring all-new original music by Daytime Emmy® Award nominee Daniel Ingram and the vocal talent of Ashleigh Ball, Tabitha St. Germain, Nicole Oliver and Peter New, Littlest Pet Shop currently airs on The Hub TV Network in the US.  Fans can pre-order their copies of the collection now by visiting ShoutFactory.com

 

Episodes Include:

Blythe’s Crush

Dumb Dumbwaiter

Lights, Camera, Mongoose

What Did You Say?

Terriers & Tiaras

Bonus Features:

Sing-Along

Shout Factory is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!  One lucky blog reader will win their own Littlest Pet Shop: Petacular Escapades DVD.  Thank you to Shout Factory for the review DVD and for sponsoring this awesome giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!!  Open to US residents.

Littlest Pet Shop: Petacular Escapades DVD Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below.  Good Luck!!!

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· 6:39 pm

Adora Calcium Supplements, Made With Premium Chocolate Review & Giveaway!!!

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Adora® Calcium is a chocolate calcium supplement in decadent Dark Chocolate and creamy Milk Chocolate. It is the only calcium supplement made with rich, all-natural, premium chocolate. Crave Your Calcium® The secret Adora® formula that has us craving calcium nationwide was developed by Thompson Brands, a chocolatier with a rich, celebrated heritage since 1879. We can all thank William Thompson, one of the earliest innovators in the American chocolate industry, for Adora’s great taste. He founded W.H. Thompson Confectionary in Meriden, Connecticut over 133 years ago and, to this day, the company continues to be a manufacturer based entirely in the United States. From the intricately foil-wrapped chocolate bunnies that are a must-have on Easter morning, to the chocolate cigars that announce a baby’s joyous arrival, his chocolates have had the ability to make any occasion sweeter.

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After over a century of perfecting the art of chocolate molding, the team at Thompson Brands believed chocolate offered more than just great taste. Enter Adora® – and the idea of craving your calcium! Adora Calcium Supplements were introduced to the world in 2006 in all-natural, premium milk and dark chocolate, and designed so that two delicious disks a day provide 100% of the Daily Value of calcium plus the addition of vitamin D3 for improved bone health and magnesium for optimal absorption. And, the proof is in the chocolate – as recent studies continue to report, adequate calcium and vitamin D throughout life, as part of a well-balanced diet, may reduce the risk of osteoporosis.

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I was recently sent some of the premium dark and milk chocolate Adora calcium supplements to try.  They were really good and you could definitely not taste any aftertaste.  It was delicious and delivers some much-needed calcium via a chocolate sweet treat.  Really, what more could a girl ask for? If you want to make sure you remember to take your calcium get some Adora and believe me you will remember to take it!

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Adora is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!  One lucky blog reader will win a bag of milk and a bag of dark chocolate Calcium supplements.  Thanks Adora for the review supplements and for sponsoring this sweet giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!!  Open to US residents.

Adora, Calcium Supplements, Made With Premium Chocolate Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below.  Good Luck!!!

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September 13, 2013 · 11:19 pm

Richard Scarry’s “Busy Busy Town” Book Review & Giveaway!!!

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Richard Scarry’s books have been a part of my childhood and went on to be favorites of my children as well.  I think many of you can say the same.  Richard Scarry’s Busy, Busy Town is an oversized book full of all the busy happenings around town.  Kids love seeing and reading all the fun things the residents of Busytown are doing.

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Welcome to Busytown where everyone is on their way to work. The Busytown grocers stock and sell fresh food; the bankers keep the money safe; the doctors and nurses make sure everyone is healthy; the postal workers collect and deliver letters; the sanitation workers collect trash and recyclables; the lumber workers chop trees to make furniture and houses; and the workers at the docks, railroads and airports help transport people and freight. But it takes even more careers and professions than that to keep this busy town running.

Richard Scarry is one of the world’s best-loved children’s authors EVER! Generations of children all over the world have grown up spending hours poring over his books filled with all the colorful details of their daily lives. No other illustrator has shown such a lively interest in the words and concepts of early childhood. For himself, whenever he was asked how old he was, Scarry would always put up one hand and laugh, saying, “five!”

Born in 1919, Richard Scarry was raised and educated in Boston, Massachusetts. After five years of drawing maps and designing graphics for the U.S. Army, he moved to New York to pursue a career in commercial art. But after showing his portfolio to one of the original editors at Golden Books, he found the perfect home for his children’s books.

The assignments first given to Scarry tended to be Little Golden Books that featured popular characters of the day, such as Winky Dink, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and Smokey the Bear. EventuallyScarry created many original characters such as Lowly Worm and Huckle Cat. But first came Nicholas, a young rabbit clad in red overalls, for the now-iconic board book I Am A Bunny. After Scarry married children’s textbook writer Patricia Murphy, she wrote many stories for him as Patsy Scarry, including the bestselling Little Golden Books Good Night, Little Bear and The Bunny Book. In his extraordinary career, Richard Scarry illustrated over 150 books, many of which have never been out of print. His books have sold over 100 million copies around the world, and are currently published in over twenty languages. Richard Scarry, Jr., also an illustrator, carries on his father’s work today under the name of Huck Scarry. Richard Scarry passed away at his home of Gstaad, Switzerland in 1994. He was posthumously awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Society of Illustrators in 2012.

Random House is sponsoring a giveaway on Mommy Ramblings.  One lucky blog reader will win their own Richard Scarry’s Busy, Busy Town!  Thank you Random House for the review copy and for sponsoring this great giveaway on Mommy Ramblings!!!  Open to US residents.

Richard Scarry’s Busy, Busy Town Giveaway on Mommy Ramblings Rules:

Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter widget below.  Good Luck!!!

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· 10:23 pm

R.L. STINE’S THE HAUNTING HOUR: THE SERIES VOLUME 5 and VOLUME 6 on DVD Now!!!

Just in time for the Halloween, Shout Factory, in collaboration with Hub TV, will release R.L. STINE’S THE HAUNTING HOUR: THE SERIES VOLUME 5 and VOLUME 6 on DVD Available Now!!!

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OWN THESE TWO SPOOKTACULAR DVDs NOW

FROM SHOUT! FACTORY

R.L. Stine, the reigning king of children’s horror, is back with two all-new DVD collections from the award-winning second season of the Hub Network’s hit television series “R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series.” Now available, Shout! Factory, in collaboration with the Hub Network, has unleashed R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series – Volume 5 and Volume 6 on home entertainment shelves nationwide.  Guaranteed to excite kids and their families with creepy chills, each DVD collection is packed with spooky stories and all-new bonus content guaranteed to thrill you and your parents like never before.

Delivering spine-tingling tales, the award-winning “R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series” features guest star appearances from some of young Hollywood’s biggest names, including Dakota Goyo (Real Steel), Liam James (The Killing),  Joel Courtney (Super 8), Dylan Minnette (Awake), Riley Griffiths (Super 8). Jean-Luc Bilodeau (Kyle XY) and Frankie Jonas (Jonas L.A.)  Join these talented young actors as they coax you through the creepy and crawly stories of The Haunting Hour’s outrageously fun second season.

“R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series” is currently presented Saturdays at 6 and 6:30 p.m. (ET) on the Hub, Network a television destination for kids and their families. The popular children’s anthology series recently received the 2013 Daytime Emmy® Award for Outstanding Children’s Series from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, and is a recipient of multiple Parents Choice Awards.

Setting the gold standard for contemporary horror for kids, world-renowned children’s author R.L. Stine has penned hundreds of horror stories and sold over 400 million books worldwide.  Stine is the recipient of a Children’s Choice Award, and holds the Guinness World Record for the #1 best-selling children’s book author for three years running.

R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series – Volume 5 DVD

Episodes:

Scary Mary, Part 1

Scary Mary, Part 2

Swarmin’ Norman

Flight

Pumpkinhead

 

Bonus Features:

A Look Behind The Screams

Original Promos

 

R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series – Volume 6 DVD

Episodes:

Creature Feature, Part 1

Creature Feature, Part 2

Brush With Madness

Sick

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Bonus Features:

A Look Behind The Screams

Original Promos

 
 


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September 12, 2013 · 10:03 pm

Growing Up Online Free eBook & Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax Blu-ray Combo Pack Giveaway!!!

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Growing Up Online Free eBook 

How did YOU teach your children to surf the web safely?

The More You Know Learning Series, in collaboration with NBC News, has launched Growing Up Online, the FREE eBook for parents to keep their kids safe on the Internet!

Our kids have never known a world without the Internet. They’re spending more and more time on the web, so teaching them about using technology responsibly and safely is critical. Use the #GrowingUpOnline Blog App and take the quiz to see if your child is ready to safely surf the web!

Download the FREE Growing Up Online eBook and be sure to watch all four entertaining comic book stories as a family, which show real situations that may occur when your kids go online.

This free eBook provides easy-to-use information that addresses the growing concern about kids’ online privacy and cyberbullying in a unique and engaging way. Growing Up Online is packed with important tips that every parent should know!

Enter to win Dr. Seuss’, The Lorax DVD & Blu-ray Combo Pack using the Rafflecopter widget below!  Open to US  and Canadian residents.

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