Frozen 2 - some insights before we get to see the movie - WIN

Frozen 2 (cc Disney Africa)

 “Yes, she will sing to those who hear.

And in her song, all magic flows.

But can you brave what you most fear?

Can you face what the river knows?”

~ “All is Found,” “Frozen 2”

Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Frozen 2” opens in cinemas on December 6. It seems the story-line is going to be even more intense that the previous blockbuster. We can't wait! Disney Africa has made available an awesome hamper of Frozen 2 products worth R1350 for one lucky reader to win on this blog.

Disney Descendants are back with Series 3 - WIN

Disney Descendants 3

In celebration of Disney Descendants movie premiere on Disney Channel on Friday, 11 October, Disney Africa has made available a cool hamper to win.

Catch them on DSTv Channel 303 at 17:25 today!

Dove Cameron, Sofia Carson, Booboo Stewart and Cameron Boyce return to Auradon
and the Isle Of The Lost in the dynamite new Disney movie, Descendants 3. 

Some cool facts from Descendants 3 that makes us look forward to it!

Journey Beyond Symphonic Circus - WIN tickets

Journey Beyond Symphonic Circus

A magical production! The Zip Zap Circus is joining forces with the Johannesburg Youth Orchestra Company, and the rousing voices of  Zolani Mahola, Zita Pretorius and Timothy Moloi to bring you Journey Beyond – Symphonic Circus. It will be on stage in Heritage Month, only for 3 days from 20-22 September at Joburg Theatre. Zip Zap’s founder, Brent van Rensburg, choreographer Adele Blank and conductor, Maestro Eddie Clayton, are excited to share this production.

2 sets of tickets (4 each) has been made available for a give-away. See below on how you can win. The previous time we heard about Zip-Zap Circus was at The Greatest Christmas at Menlyn last year. It was awesome!

ZIP ZAP Circus (photographer Joan Ward)

Disney Toy Story 4 is a fun adventure - Giveaway

At the movies - Disney Toy Story 4 

“Every ending is a new beginning.”

~Josh Cooley, Director, Toy Story 4

Is it possible to have a whole new adventure, and another Toy Story? Yes, Disney Toy Story 4 delivers yet again. I can't believe we saw the first Toy Story in 1995. My eldest was two at the time.

All the well-known characters, Woody, Buzz and the gang, are back, with some new additions that bring a delightful twist to the story-line. Forky is already a firm favourite, and we are sure he is here to stay. Miss Fine and I saw the preview last Thursday, and we loved it!

Hot Chocolate to die for! - Proudly SA

Hot Chocolate Craft Coffee from Takealot

It's really cold here. I know, I know! It's not as cold as anywhere else, but here on the south point of Africa we really struggle during the 3 months of winter. That's all we talk about! Our houses are not equipped for the chilly evenings, and we are COLD! That's why the simple things such as a hot chocolate drinks are real lifesavers. There's nothing NOTHING as soothing as a cup of hot chocolate just before bed, or in the mornings before school drop-off.

I was scrolling through Takealot searching for a Father Day's idea, when I saw this special deal. The Craft Coffee Hot Chocolate is still 45 ZAR (usually 59 ZAR), and I have included it in my MomAgain@40 Shweshwe goody bag give-away.

BOS Sport TEAM UP School Challenge 2K18 [WIN]

#BOSSport #TeamUP

                                                                                                                         *Sponsored                                                                                                                                  

BOS Sport has a great new sports drink with less of the negatives that we usually associate with sports drinks. We already love BOS Ice Tea because of the rooibos ingredient. To celebrate the new BOS Sport, they are running a TEAM UP with BOS Sport competition. If you are part of a school sports team, no matter what sport, this is a great initiative. R50K in prizes are up for the winning teams and their schools. Registration is already open, so Go BOS!
(See below for details)

BOS Sport

BOS Sport contains organic rooibos, less sugar, zero colourants and essential electrolytes. Rooibos is a natural carrier of essential electrolytes (magnesium, potassium and sodium) for optimal rehydration, and is also rich in antioxidants to boost circulation and fight inflammation, helping heal damaged muscle tissue. BOS Sport is colourant-free and comes in a variety of great tasting flavours including; Blueberry, Lemon Lime, Mandarin Orange and Red Berry.

Netball U/10 D (photo cred: Deb)

Miss Fine's Netball U10/D team of the previous semester was such a great team. They only lost 2 of their games. The most important was the camaraderie they had with the teacher and between themselves. Being part of a sports team is one of the biggest learning experiences our children are exposed to. They learn about life, sportsmanship, team dynamics, friendship and having someone's  back. I hope she will get the same team dynamics next year. In the meantime, I am also going to sign up her team.

May the best teams win!

READ Word Warrior Competition - Keep them busy

Word Warrior Competition logo

The school holidays are long, especially if it's only the kids who are on holiday. The working mom guilt is more pronounced during this time. What do we do with her, and how do we keep her busy? Miss Fine has been in my office at work for threeeeeee days now. That's why I get excited when I get an email in my inbox about READ Educational Trust's Word Warrior Competition. Something to do that's creative, but also has a prize to aspire to. Miss Fine loves writing, and she loves winning something.

READ Education Trust

The READ Educational Trust is a platform used to promote literacy, reading and the art of creative writing among young South Africans.

How does the competition work?

Festive Giveaway with the Bring Disney Home Campaign

Bring Disney Home

Disney and holiday cheer! Disney and fun! Disney and magic! We have already started a Christmas movie binge-watching tradition this year. The whole family is re-living Disney memories or experiencing them for the first time!

Disney’s Bring Disney Home retail campaign started from 13 November already. It will run until 31 December at all major retailers.

"With Disney’s seasonal cheer hitting stores, expect to see some brand-new Disney friends as well as some firm favorites -  from the brand new Disney Emoji range to your favourite princesses, there’s toys, apparel, games, DVD’s and so much more, a perfect gifting solution the whole family."

To celebrate the festive cheer, Disney Africa has given us one stunning Princess hamper valued over R1000 to give away!

WIN family tickets to Disney Cinderella Kids

Disney Cinderella Kids

The classic fairy tale being told at Peoples Theatre. 

"Poor Cinderella is endlessly mistreated by her wicked stepmother and stepsisters, and denied a chance to go to the royal ball. With a little help from her mice friends – and a lot of help from her Fairy Godmother – Cinderella’s dreams come true. She goes to the ball, meets the Prince and falls in love!"

The recommendation is that Disney Cinderella Kids as a must-see for the holidays. It is such an enjoyable show for the whole family!

The Fairy Godmother with Cinderella and The Prince

Kaylan Sabbadin, a Trinity College and Tshwane University of Technology graduate (National Diploma in Musical Theatre), plays the title role. She comes from Port Elizabeth and has been trained in singing, dance and drama. Sabbadin hopes to finish her masters in drama.

The Prince is played by Thokozani Jiyane, a versatile performing artist who received his training at the Tshwane University of Technology in Musical Theatre where he featured in Legally Blonde and 9 to 5 The Musical. Most recently he was featured in Mr Popper’s Penguins as Admiral Drake, Delivery Man and Doc Hopper.

Cinderella is “terrorised” by her two stepsisters – Genevieve Olivier (theatre credits include George's Marvellous Medicine and Pippi Longstocking - The Musical) and Tanja Franszen (a student from the School of Creative Arts in Sydney, Australia, and who has theatre credits including Perdekoop and Hoedemoles).

The stepmother and Fairy Godmother are played by Alida Senekal, who portrays the character of Petro Bam in Afrikaans soapie Binnelanders. She has featured in The Legend of King Arthur, The Enchanted Forest, Othello, The Crucible, Animal Farm, Romeo & Juliet, The 3 Musketeers pantomime, Into the Woods and Pippie Langkous at National Children’s Theatre. Her voice can also currently be heard on the programme In Die Bed Met Bibi on VIA TV.

The actors portray their characters so well that it is most enjoyable to everybody watching, not only the children. I can recommend this as a great family outing for the holidays!

 WIN

Two sets of 4 tickets each is up for grabs on the blog! Date and time to be arranged with Buz Publicity!

The rules of the giveaway:

1. Mandatory: Leave a comment on the blog telling me why you would like to see this production with your family? Include your email in the comment to be able to get hold of you.

The following 4 steps will count as extra entries:
2. Visit Peoples Theatre on Facebook, and leave me a comment to tell my that you have done it.
3. Follow Peoples_Theatre on Twitter, and leave me a comment to tell me that you have done it.
4. Visit MomAgain@40 on Facebook, and leave me a comment to tell me that you have done it.
5. Follow @karentoittoit on Twitter, and leave me a comment to tell me that you have done it.

6. This competition will run from today and will end on Friday 16 June at 12 pm. The winner will be drawn via Random.org and will be announced here and on MomAgain@40 Facebook Page.
7. This competition is open to readers who will be able to get to the Peoples Theatre in Johannesburg using their own transport.
8. The prize is not transferable.
9. If you have won here in the past 3 months you will not be eligible to win this competition.

Enjoy the Show!

Congratulations to Aidan and Marcelle for winning a set of 4 tickets each!
The email is on the way.

Disney's Elena of Avalor - 10 branded hampers up for grabs!

 

A new show has started on Disney Channel called Elena of Avalor – she is the first Latino princess on Disney. The show airs every Saturday at 8:25am. 

 

I have 10 Disney and Elena branded hampers up for grabs!

 

The hamper contains  a pencil case, cup with straw, beach towel, cap and branded bag valued at R700 each. 

To win, answer the following question in the comments below. Please name any other character in Elena of Avalon and who they are in relation to Elena? (Disney Channel - Elena of Avalor)

Only open to South African residents.

The competition closes on Friday 9 December at 12pm. 

Can't wait for this little gem: Moana the Movie at Ster-Kinekor - GIVEAWAY

Disney's Moana

Ever since I've seen the first trailer of Moana the Movie at The Disney Showcase I knew we would definitely be making a plan to see it! (Luckily we love animation just as much even more as Little Miss!). We are going to see it on Thursday evening!

Moana is an animation about a young girl from the Hawaiian island, who has set her sights on a fabled island and makes her journey towards that place. She uses her navigational talents to set sail for a fabled island. Joining her on the adventure is her hero, the legendary demi-god Maui.

The Moana official trailer on YouTube: Moana 

Ster-Kinekor has given me one set of 4 tickets for a giveaway to go see the movie on 3 December at a Ster-Kinekor cinema nearest to you, anywhere within South Africa.

Ster-Kinekor is having an awesome day of activities planned on 3 December to complement the arrival of the movie at the cinema.

•        Movie date: Saturday, 3rd December 2016.
•        Genre: Animation.
•        Cinema: Nation-wide.

Please tell me in the comments below your favourite childhood fable that inspired you when growing up. Or: What facourite fable are you telling your children now?

Rules of the competition:

- Only one set of tickets (X4 tickets) can be given to one winner.
- The winner must reside in South Africa, and be able to get to Ster-Kinekor cinemas with their own transport on Saturday.
- The competition closes at 12 pm Thursday afternoon
…But remember, the tickets can only go to one winner, so they must be a family of X4 or X4 people who want to go see the movie on the 3rd December 2016.

In celebration of Disney's 10th birthday in Africa, win hampers

Disney Africa is celebrating it's 10th year in Africa. Ten years ago on 25 September 2006, Disney Channel (DStv Channel 303) aired it's first broadcast to South African viewers on DStv.

It has been a month of celebrations! 
Disney Channel has opened the DStv Extra and Compact customers from 5 September to 9 October 2016. Disney’s 100th Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM), Adventures in Babysitting, had it's premiere. Stuck in the Middle is a brand new live-action comedy series. Joining the Thank Disney It’s Thursday slot (5:25pm–7:05pm) are new episodes of fan favourites Alex & Co, Girl Meets World, and Mako Mermaids, with season finales of Backstage and Austin & Ally. Also Disney’s first ever South African long-form series production Disney Cookabout, the comedic adventure game-show that uses food preparation, cooking and outdoor exploration. Disney Channel’s series Bizaardvark, the side-splitting comedic adventures of two quirky 13-year-old best friends, are also worth mentioning!

Disney Channel’s most popular movies, such as Full Out, A Bug’s Life and Ratatouille, have been part of the festive fun as Disney Channel celebrates 10 years on DStv.

Disney is giving away three festive hampers to celebrate their 10th year! 
Just in time for the holidays!

To win yourself one of these amazing hampers, name one of Disney Original movies that aired in the past 10 years?
Answer in the Comments below.
This give-away is only open to South African readers.
The three winners will be drawn on Monday 3 October 2016 at 9 am SAST.

Fans can get in on the birthday celebrations by using the hashtag #DisneyChannel10
Facebook: Disney in Africa
Web: Disney in Africa


The winning entries drawn through Random.org:

Congratulations to!

1. Bongiwe
2. Heather
2. Cat

 Please send me your email details!

Win tickets to a pre-screening of The Secret Life of Pets at Ster-Kinekor this Saturday

Celebrate Heritage Day with pre-release screenings of The Secret Life of Pets at Ster-Kinekor this Saturday. This looks like a definite winner for a family outing at the movies!

"Set inside a Manhattan apartment building, a terrier named Max finds his status as favourite pet in jeopardy when his owner adopts a giant, sloppy and careless mongrel called Duke. After being dragged into the city and caught by Animal Control, they're sent to the pound, where they're recruited into an army of lost pets by a bunny named Snowball."
Starring voices of: Ellie Kemper, Jenny Slate, Kevin Hart
Directed by:  Chris Renaud, Yarrow Cheney
Produced by:  Janet Healy

Here is a short trailer for you to watch and get a glimpse at all the exciting adventures ahead:
The Secret Life of Pets - Ster-Kinekor

We have 4 tickets to be won. It would be great for a family still undecided what to do on Saturday 24 September. This is a nationwide pre-screening, so winners can attend at any of their local Ster-Kinekor theatres.

The pre-screening times available for viewing on the Saturday as per follows:
9:15        11:30     14:00     17:00     19:30     22:00

To win 4 tickets:
1. Please comment below and tell me which pet in the movie trailer best describe your pet while you are away from home?
2. Please leave your email address and nearest Ster-Kinekor cinema in South Africa. (Check out the drop-down menu on Ster-Kinekor's website)

The winner will be announced on Thursday 22 September at 9 am SAST.
This give-away is only open to a South African reader who is able to get to the Ster-Kinekor theatre by own transport.


Congratulations!

The winner through Random.org: Charne Ayres!
I will forward your details! Enjoy the movie!

LeapFrog LeapBand Review and Giveaway

LeapBand

We love this gadget! The LeapFrog LeapBand is a kid's activity tracker for kids aged 4 to 7.
Little Miss is already 7 years old, but I can see that she is going to use it for at least two more years.

She is enjoying the watch feature while at school, and because we have set the time features, the virtual pet only comes alive after school and over weekends!

Little Miss has been wearing it for over a week now.

This is what we love about the LeapBand

- It is both a watch and a wristband tracker!

- Kids run, jump and play to earn rewards and power a customizable pet pal that lives on the band. (The pet pal makes me think of a the Tamagotchi's of the 80's and 90's, although it looks much cuter!)

- For parents, the controls on LeapFrog Connect make it easy to set play times, challenges and more.

- This is a very cool birthday or Christmas present which won't break the bank!


How it works:

- The more kids run, jump and play, the more they earn rewards to power a pet pal that lives on the band.

-  Parents can pre-load 50 active challenges on the LeapBand to get kids moving, such as “pounce like a lion”, “march like an elephant” and “wriggle like a worm”.

- There are 8 virtual pets for children to choose from. The more they unlock joules, the more pet pals they can choose from.

- Parents can set up the LeapBand by connecting it to their computer, cellphone or laptop using a USB cable and downloading the LeapFrog Connect application.

 - Once the child has unlocked all the pets, the app allows parents to see their child’s activity level for an entire week.

- The LeapBand can be charged via the USB cable, either through a computer or a USB wall charger.


Smart Features:

- The onscreen pet changes colour to reflect your child’s activity level. The feature allows kids to instantly view their progress.

- Kids can also see how many joules (jewels) they've earned and this encourages them to complete activity challenges to unlock new pets.



Available at ToyZone, Pick n Pay, Toys r us and Reggies stores countrywide. RSP: R399.99

For more information go to Prima Toys

Disclaimer: Little Miss got a green LeapBand


GIVEAWAY
One lucky reader can win one of these.  
Unfortunately only open to South African readers of the blog.

The giveaway will close on 12 am 29 June 2016


  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congrats to RIAZ!!

Guidelines on choosing OT Toys and a give-away from Toy Kingdom

I don't know why I was so apprehensive about occupational therapy earlier? We did the school readiness assessments that highlighted some issues that needed to be addressed. I was questioning "How much therapy is needed when there was no need in the first place?" (Ha! Laughing at myself now!) But we did the sessions with Little Miss, until the final OT therapy, and I know we definitely did the right thing! Little Miss is doing very well at school!

Our kids do not get to play as much as they should any more, and they spend far too much time with electronic devices and watching television. A recent research publication in Britain identified that 25% of children aged 2-5 years have smartphones, while 56% are aged 10-13 years. More scary results of studies in the US revealed that over a third of children under the age of 1 year are using smart devices.

I would not mind taking my child for more OT therapy sessions. The OT therapist never used the same OT toy or technique with each session. I was amazed with the variety of toys she had available.

I am extremely pleased to hear that Toy Kingdom places strong importance on using educational toys to help children develop the skills needed to participate in their environment.
Grant Webster, COO of Toy Kingdom, says “Keeping traditional educational toys in the home for playtime is becoming increasingly important in this day and age of electronic devices, so that children can still spend time developing the basic skills associated with play.”

There are different types of toys that can assist in a child’s development at home.


Guidelines of what sorts of toys are suitable to assist in building skills:


Toys that encourage problem solving

Children’s motor and problem solving skills should be encouraged, as it gives them a chance to try and figure things out for themselves.
Examples: Lego and building blocks
Toys that will help build strength in children’s hands. (Prerequisite for writing)
Example play dough scissors.

A ZOOB creation by Little Miss

Smart Logic Game - Anti-Virus

Things that feel ‘weird’
Toys with sticky or slimy surfaces help children to experiment with texture.


Toys that require the use of both hands
Using both hands well can help with colouring, cutting and writing.
Examples: Winds up toys; simply tossing and catching a ball.


Toys that encourage pretend play
Fantasy and play stimulate creativity as well as social skills in children.
Example: Toy Kingdom’s Shopkins range is a perfect set-up for children to play with pretend food and enjoy make-believe scenarios.

Because toys are so expensive, it is definitely a bonus if it addresses developmental needs as well. Even more so when we can strike a balance between screen time and play time with challenging toys!

Play area at Toy Kingdom

One reader can win a Toy Kingdom voucher of R750 to spend on OT toys available at Toy Kingdom in South Africa. There are 12 stores in South Africa already!

I have saved a list of the OT Toys from Ideal Cycle Toys at Toy Kingdom on Google Drive.
It is only a small selection of the OT toys that are available at Toy Kingdom.
Unfortunately this give-away is only open to South African readers.
The Rafflecopter will close at 12 am on 20 April.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post.

We got R1500 to spend on OT toys. A lovely lady Siza helped us at Toy Kingdom Cresta to select. We selected The Smart Logic Game - Anti-Virus, Zoob building pieces and Grammar Wise. I will do a follow-up with these specific toys, with another give-away next week.

Good luck!

A magical Christmas at Toy Kingdom! #giveaway

Sylvanian families

Disclaimer: A Toy Kingdom R 1500.00 gift card to spend, and the choice also available to a lucky winner through Rafflecopter!

Little Miss wrote her list to Father Christmas two weeks back, and based on that we could guide her through the difficult task of picking a Christmas present at Toy Kingdom. 

The variety is overwhelming! Even as a parent I am lost when confronted with all the options.

Luckily Little Miss has a doll's house (point 4) on her list.

Star Wars is launching on 16 December and it's exciting (to the parents, not the child - it seems ;-)) to see all the Star Wars goodies in store. We showed her the Star Wars goodies, as well as all the LEGO building sets, but Sylvanian Families won easily!

Star Wars treats!

The Sylvanian Families that got chosen:

Sylvanian Families Country Tree School R899.95
with the Chocolate Rabbit Family and the Chocolate Rabbit Baby R89.95

Plus the Rabbit Baby with Crib.

Little Miss can't wait to start playing with it! 

One reader of this blog can also win the same Sylvanian Families listed above OR the LEGO Star Wars Imperial Shuttle Tydirium (R 1 399.00).

Enter through Rafflecopter. The winner will be announced on 4 January! (Unfortunately not in time for Christmas, but great for a New year present! Now it's a thing!)

Only open to South African readers.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Apple in Education Awards 2015 - mind-blown!

The yearly Apple in Education Awards was announced on Tuesday night!
As always I walked away with a an inspired feeling of FOMO! I am definitely missing out!
I wish I was in education right now!
I wish I was a student again!

The possibilities! The creativity!

This year there were again entries from Grade R to Grade 12.
70 schools from 9 provinces participated.
1156 projects were received which were judged by local and international judges.

Here is one of the winning entries:
Exploring the Sciences in Everyday Life - Thomas Granig from The Ridge School
"Gravity and beyond"



You can check out the rest of the winners here: Apple in Education competition 2015.

Christine Greig from Parklands College won in the iPhoneography part of the competition with her "Selfiest Self" portrait! Stunning!

Judge Bernard Viljoen (from "I was shot in Joburg") with Christine Greig

Lindsay Durell from Parklands College won the iTeacher award, and it was not difficult to guess, because she was on stage with many of her students!

Lindsay Durell

The following are links to the rest of the entries. If you have time, it is worth looking at all of these! And wondering How The *Genius they did it!

- Expression Through The Arts: Gabriella Fedetto from St Stithian's College: Lovely

- Bring to Life Your Favourite Historical/Literary Figure: Matthew Thompson from St Andrews: Winston Churchill

- Shape of my world: Luca Genovese from The Ridge School: The Shape of My World

- iTunes U in the Classroom: Brett Udal from Hilton College


Well done to all the winners and the teachers who make this happen! You are stars!!


Which one of the projects are the most mind-blown to you?

Children's Book Giveaway: The Poofiest Pong, by Katherine Graham

Katherine Graham, the author of The Poofiest Pong, which was featured here last week, is willing to sponsor one copy of her book to the lucky winner who answers correctly.

Question:

What is name of the main character in the story?


The answer can be found here:

MomAgain@40 blog post: Who makes the poofiest pong?

Katherine's blog: Letting rip with poofy pongs

Kindle Edition: The Poofiest Pong

Sketch from the book: The Poofiest Pong

It's the cutest "most stinky" little book which all children will enjoy!


The winner will be randomly selected by Random.org on 9:00 am SAST on Friday 12 June 2015.


Lynette is the lucky winner. Max is the main character!