Just in time for the Halloween season, Disney Gravity Falls, is now on DVD! “Six Strange Tales” is about Dipper and his twin sister, Mabel, who are sent to spend their summer vacation with their great uncle in Gravity Falls. Perfect for this time of year, the six episodes are full of riddling situations such as silly gnomes pretending to be zombies, Mable in search for her perfect vampire, and little old men creating scary “legends” just to gain the town’s attention. The annoying uncle, Grunkle Stan, who runs The Mystery Shack tourist shop, is the biggest mystery of all!

Although not happy with their parent’s summer plans for them, Dipper is always ready for a little adventure. He is quickly distracted by his lucky find of a puzzling and intriguing old journal full of the town’s secrets. Mabel’s company adds humor to every adventure they take together.

Diego was excited to follow along with the exclusive Mystery Book: Journal #3 included in the DVD. The set includes over two hours of the very funny problem-solving duo in action. AND Gravity Falls can be enjoyed  by many with its French and Spanish subtitle options too!

The Giveaway!

We’re giving away one copy of Gravity Falls to one lucky winner. All you have to do is leave us a comment letting us know who you’d like to share this DVD with. Then, enter the Rafflecopter below.

Ends October 31st 

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Multicultural Kid Blogs is officially one year old as of today. To celebrate we are hosting a virtual birthday party and YOU are invited!

The Party

Be sure to visit the participating blogs (see list at the end of this post) to see what they are bringing to the party, plus link up your own posts on the MKB site!

The Giveaway

Like any good host, we don’t want you to go home empty handed, so we are offering some great prizes to three lucky winners. See the end of the post for details on the prizes.

To enter, visit the MKB site to:

1) Link up a birthday-related post or

2) Comment on the MKB site to tell us your wish for the coming year!

Party Hosts

Dad’s the Way I Like It
MommyMaestra
SpanglishBaby
For the Love of Spanish
Spanish Playground
the piri-piri lexicon
Expat Life with a Double Buggy
Kids Yoga Stories
MarocMama
All Done Monkey

Party Favors

Prize #1

Digital download of Más Canciones en Español from Music with Sara

Prize #2

Set of 2 books from National Geographic Kids – US Shipping Only

Treasury of Egyptian Mythology

How to Speak Dog

Prize #3

Lively Spanish immersion program DVD recommended for children ages 2-7 from Whistlefritz

Now it’s your turn! Visit the MKB site for a chance to win one of these prizes by linking up your birthday posts or commenting to tell us your wish for the coming year!

Giveaway will go through midnight PDT on Monday,  Sept 30.

The first real, real obsession with a princess that my girl Camila had was with Sofia the First. As soon as the movie came out on Disney Junior last year all she wanted was to watch it on repeat. Soon enough, she had learned the words to the main song in English (the soundtrack was only available in English) and had put together a choreography y toda la cosa. I still love watching this video we captured of her performing for us in a full Sofia gown.

Becoming royalty overnight is every girl’s dream, and Sofia is eager to prove she can be a true princess. Sofia the First: Ready to be a Princes DVD is out today and features five of the show’s most popular shows, and all can be enjoyed in Spanish! Visit an enchanted circus, meet a pet dragon and soar through desert skies with Sofia and Amber on a magic carpet ride! But when their high-flying adventure veers off course, it’s special guest Princess Jasmine to the rescue with inspiring advice about trying new things, staying strong and trusting yourself. Sparkling with extraordinary songs, unforgettable characters and thrilling surprises, Ready to Be A Princess opens the door to a whole new world of kindness, helping others and being the best you can be!

The Giveaway

We have one DVD + Dress-Up Playset for five WINNERS!

All you have to do is enter through the Rafflecopter below and leave a comment telling us who you want to win this for and why Sofia the First is so special to her.

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Disney Home Entertainment is at it again with their adorable team of superhero dogs. Disney’s Super Buddies is sure to be a hit with your small kids. Packed with adventure, these furry friends band together to fight crime and learn some valuable lessons along the way.

My three year old daughter is obsessed with animals, so this family film was perfect for her. Being her first exposure to the Buddies franchise, she was equally enthralled by their speaking abilities and out-of-this-world cuteness. With a fun mix of suspense and positive messaging, I enjoyed watching Super Buddies with her too. Each dog has a personality that is personified from their owner, five friends who are fighting an alien invasion that threatens to take over Earth. An ordinary day at Fernfield Farms turns extraordinary when the talking puppies discover mysterious rings that grant them each a unique super power. The rings each grant them super powers that help the pups save the day, but not before learning a valuable – “You don’t need super powers to be a super hero!”.

Super Buddies is released August 27 and is voiced by some veteran talents. The ‘Buddies’ voices include Cooper Roth Grader”)  who voices B-Dawg; Tenzing Trainor (TV’s “Stevie TV” ) who voices Buddha; Jeremy Shinder (TV’s “Louie,” “Newlyweeds”) who voices Budderball; Ty Panitz (“Because I Said So,” “How To Eat Fried Worms”) who voices Mudbud; and G. Hannelius (TV’s “Good Luck Charlie,” TV’s “Sonny With A Chance”) who voices Rosebud.

“Disney’s beloved and adorable ‘Buddies’ are back in a hilarious all-new movie for the whole family — ‘SUPER BUDDIES’ debuts August 27, 2013, on Bluray Combo Pack and DVD.  An action-packed canine adventure, ‘Super Buddies’ stars the world’s most adorable talking puppies – Rosebud, B-Dawg, Budderball, Buddha and Mudbud, as caped crusaders em’barking’ on their biggest adventure ever.”

The Giveaway!

We are giving away one copy of Disney’s Super Buddies to FIVE lucky winners! All you have to do is leave us a comment letting us know who you’d like to share this movie with. The, enter the Rafflecopter below.

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Sukey’s Circle! Vol. 3: Mini Shows, a bilingual DVD with 15 mini televised episodes featured on Baby First, is the perfect example of what a true circle time should be for young children.  Circle time for young children is one of the hardest jobs (at least for me it was) to do well because children are always growing at different stages.  From the moment a baby is born, his instinct is to learn, grow, and make connections with the world around him. Each one reaches his or her own milestones at different stages which makes entertaining while educating difficult.

What I loved about Sukey’s circle! is the relaxed nature and gentleness of movements that engages a child’s interest.  Her approach at circle with a soft voice and relaxed style helps children feel comfortable. Infants and toddlers are especially vulnerable to being overstimulated without such elements which makes Sukey’s style perfect for the youngest children.  Her movements are slow, simple, and easy to follow for any child who has mastered walking.  The mini shows are also just the right amount of time; just enough to get their attention, get involved, and learn something new.

Each mini show is begun with a simple greeting song that is catchy, welcoming, and easy to remember (as any good transitional greeting circle time song should be).

A few of our favorites were…

• I Like to Move My Body; A video that invites children to join her in practicing different movements with their bodies.
• Pat the Ball; which encourages children to explore different forms of ball play and ball skills.
• Puppet Dance; A display of computer animated bubbles that Sukey gracefully maneuvers through and catches as she demonstrates a variety of movements with music.  It’s probably the simplest out of all the episodes, but both my five & two-year-old were watching and following along saying “catch one, catch one!” to Sukey.  They loved this one!

Sukey Molloy has studied developmental movement with former Olympian, Garland O’Quinn, Ph.D., and infant development at the School for Body Mind Centering with Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen.  ”I look for ways to promote quiet reflection, while also engaging children in physical play, to create a sense of invitation, trust, and relationship” (Sukey Molloy).

Sukey’s Circle! Vol. 3: Mini Shows DVD is available at Sukey Molloy and Amazon.  You have the option of watching the mini shows one at a time in English or Spanish, or you can choose to play all in either language.  The total run time of the DVD is 33 minutes with 15 mini shows.

{Image Copyright © 2013 Sukey Molloy! - All Rights Reserved}

The Giveaway!

We are giving away one copy of Sukey’s Circle! Vol 3: Mini Shows DVD to one lucky winner. All you have to do is visit Sukey Molloy’s video page and tell us which video you enjoyed the most and why. Then enter the rafflecopter below.

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This post is sponsored by Netflix. ¡Gracias!

You may remember how excited I was a couple of weeks ago when I finally figured out how to find the kids programming in Spanish on Netflix. It was great to see that so many of you had also been looking for that and you were relieved to find that Netflix did carry shows in Spanish, albeit not enough, we all agree.

Today I’m all giddy and excited again because Netflix just launched a brand new destination for families: Netflix Families. Whether you’re a member or not, you can visit the Families page to find fun and targeted recommendations of family and kids movies and shows to watch this summer. The page also features stories from families on how we use Netflix. And, yes, I did say WE, because my family and I are featured in one of the four Parents’ Tips videos! The best part? It’s in Spanglish!! Yay, We’re bringing on the Spanglish to Netflix, baby! And you know that by Spanglish we mean the almighty code-switching that only fluent bilinguals can do and we hope our kids achieve Check it out here y celebra con nosotros!

You’ll notice on Netflix Families that they have curated some rows of playlists with some of the most popular shows. I’ve already put in a recommendation for a “Favorite Kids Shows en Español,” but while we wait for that one to come (hint: tweet @Netflix and ask por favor!), we’re definitely bookmarking these for our Friday movie nights and lazy summer days.

We have movie nights every single Friday and now that it’s become a tradition there’s no escaping them. My girl looks forward to it all week. We pull out the sofa bed, get in our PJs, make pizza, and eat chocolate. The one rule we have is that the three of us need to agree on a movie to stream on Netflix, so basically princess movies are out! This has led to us discovering some pretty great flicks together and making Camila expand her horizons. Glad to have this playlist handy!

¿Quién se acuerda de Jems y He-Man? Wow, the 80′s flashbacks! Not sure I’m ready to have Camila watch Jems, but soon enough I’ll be able to get all retro and cool with her. Wishing for Candy, Candy and Heidi to come soon and we can sing the intro songs along together.

This summer we won’t be traveling overseas as a family, so we’ll travel virtually and stream the world to our casa. Camila loves watching animals on the screen, so we can have some nature time at home to compliment our local hikes and keep the learning going.

Somehow my brain and motivation starts melting as soon as summer hits. It’s like I give myself permission to take it easy and give myself a break. That means that instead of turning on the laptop after my girl is in bed, I turn on the Apple TV and sit with my husband to catch up on our favorite shows via el Netflix. We like to watch episodes back to back and right now are OBSESSED with House of Cards in an almost unhealthy way. I love it.

We’re also testing out the new Profiles feature that Netflix will roll out soon to all members, so now we can freely add our favorite shows to our individual Instant Queues without fear of our girl somehow figuring out how to get out of the Kids section or fearing a joke from my husband for the amount of chick flicks I’ve added. That, and also we’re each getting recommendations based on what we each watch via our profiles, and not a sea of princesses and Disney flicks because our girl pretty much rules our family account.

Would love to know what you think of Netflix Families and how your family is using it! Leave me a comment below and/or join me as I tweet with Heather Armstrong (@Dooce) and Rebecca Wolfe (@GirlsGoneChild) tomorrow, Wednesday, June 19th at 4pm EST/1pm PST. We’ll be using the hashtag #NetflixFamilies and chatting during the whole hour. I’ll be tweeting from @laflowers and @spanglishbaby in both English and Spanish. Can’t wait to chat there with you!

The latest Mickey Mouse Clubhouse adventure is here! When the legendary Crystal Mickey goes missing, Mickey and friends go on an adventure to save the Clubhouse from losing its magic.“Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: The Quest for the Crystal Mickey!” is out on Disney DVD. The DVD includes four extra episodes of Disney Junior’s Emmy®-nominated series “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” (over 2 hours of content!) and a free Adventure Activity Map plus Stickers.

We love that Disney DVD’s include the Spanish soundtrack for our niños to enjoy. So, of course, we want to share this DVD with you! Five lucky winners will not only take Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: The Quest for the Crystal Mickey! but they will also take one copy of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Minnie’s Wizard of Dizz. Check out the giveaway below.

The Giveaway!

We are giving away one copy of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: The Quest for the Crystal Mickey!  AND one copy of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Minnie’s Wizard of Dizz to FIVE lucky winners! All you have to do is leave us a comment telling us who your kids favorite Micky Mouse Clubhouse character is. Then enter the Rafflecopter below.

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As soon as the Doc McStuffins video arrived and I opened the box I was super excited to see that the main character, Doc, was a woman of color. My daughter, who is almost 3, has been noticing the color of people’s skin and I have been starting to wonder if she’s timid around darker skinned people or if I am misinterpreting her reactions. I have also noticed that most of the people she interacts with are white so it wouldn’t be too surprising if I were right, unfortunately.

We are a Latino household and I consider my skin to be brown. That being said, it has been challenging to find books that reflect images of minorities in a positive and non-stereotypical light. In fact, all of my nena’s dolls are white which makes me concerned about the messages she is internalizing. I am not the only one that feels this way. As I was reviewing this new Disney product I ran across mom bloggers, such as Cincomom, who were happy to see an African-American in the role of the doctor.

The character, Doc, basically gets help from her stuffed animals to fix toys. My daughter knows what a doctor is since she has been going to many of my prenatal visits and seemed excited to see one working with little toys and animals. Since we are expecting a baby this summer the video has also provided us with another frame of reference to continue talking to her about what doctors do; such as deliver babies. It’s been fun watching her reactions to how, la doctora (since we only watch the video in Spanish), interacts and heals her toys with the help of her friends.

We hope you enjoy this wonderful Disney video as much as we have!

The Giveaway !

We are giving away one copy of Doc McStuffins: Time for your Checkup! to FIVE lucky winners! To enter all you have to do is leave us a comment telling us why you and your little ones like Doc McStuffins. Then enter the Rafflecopter below.

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There are 6 DVDs in this comprehensive box set, each containing the adventures of Jojo (a monkey) and Lulu (a duckling) in different parts of the city. They go to places like the park, the beach, the market, and school, all the while carrying on simple conversations in Spanish. The narration and music style reminds me somewhat of a Baby Einstein DVD: solid repetition and a pace that keeps kids engaged. I also enjoy the integration of animated characters with real-life scenes.

Though the Early Lingo immersion method is intended for children as young as 6 months, it clearly carries through the preschool ages, since my 5-year-old was just as enthralled as an infant would be. Early Lingo recommends using the DVDs for children up to 9 years. Because of this versatility, I would suggest them as tools for elementary Spanish teachers as well as parents.

Here is a preview of Opposites at the Beach:

For more from Early Lingo, check out their YouTube channel, Facebook, and Twitter.

The Giveaway!

We are giving away one Early Lingo 6 DVD set in the language of your choice. Languages available include: English, French, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin, and German. All you have to do is visit the Early Lingo Spanish Edition page, or whichever language you prefer, and leave us a comment telling us which preview video you enjoyed most and why. Then enter the Rafflecopter below.

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My girl is a ballerina at heart. What she lacks in precise talent at age 5, she makes up for in passion, persistence and love for the art form. She’s also an unabashed fan of the color pink in all its shades. Do I even really have to tell you how much she adored watching Barbie in the Pink Shoes DVD and twirling around with her new ballerina Barbie?

Barbie’s 25th title in twelve years brings ballet back to the spotlight for the first time in years – introducing a new generation of girls to the moves and music of famous Giselle and Swan Lake. Whether your girl is a budding ballerina or just prancing in colorful tutus around the house, she’s bound to engage with Barbie in this magical adventure where dancing and dreams intertwine.

Barbie in The Pink Shoes also marks the first time a Barbie movie will be released on Blu-Ray. Scroll down to enter our giveaway for a chance to win the prize pack pictured above.

The Giveaway!

We are giving away one copy of Barbie in the Pink Shoes DVD and Barbie doll to one lucky winner! Just leave us a comment telling us who you’d like to share this prize with, and then enter the Rafflecopter below.

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