WWE® and The Creative Coalition will support GLAAD’s Spirit Day by “going purple” through their joint Be a STAR (Show Tolerance And Respect) anti-bullying initiative. Support kicked off yesterday morning at a Be a STAR anti-bullying rally in New York and will continue through Spirit Day next Thursday, October 16 with promotion onTheCreativeCoalition.org, WWE.com, WWECommunity.com and on WWE and Be a STAR social media assets, reaching more than 400 million people globally.
As part of The Creative Coalition and WWE’s support for GLAAD, a Be a STAR Alliance Member, the Be a STAR logo was turned purple, a first in the program’s history, and students at the rally were given co-branded t-shirts that encouraged them to “Go Purple” on Spirit Day, show their support for LGBT youth and speak out against bullying. WWE has supported GLAAD’s Spirit Day since 2011.
“No one should be bullied because of who they are,” said GLAAD President & CEO Sarah Kate Ellis. “GLAAD is proud to stand with WWE in the fight against bullying and in a visible display of support for LGBT youth.”
“Spirit Day is an important time for everyone to stand up against bullying and discrimination,” said Stephanie McMahon, WWE Chief Brand Officer. “WWE is proud to support the LGBT community and GLAAD by spreading the message of respect and inclusion through our global platforms.”
“The Creative Coalition is proud that GLAAD is a member of our Be a STAR Alliance and even more proud to support Spirit Day as an initiative that embodies the tenets of the Be a STAR program,” said CEO of The Creative Coalition Robin Bronk. “We commend GLAAD for Spirit Day and believe it enhances our commitment to utilizing the resources of the arts and entertainment community to increase acceptance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth.”
Additionally, WWE and Be a STAR will stand up against bullying and support GLAAD’s Spirit Day by promoting the initiative through homepage takeovers on WWE.com and WWECommunity.com as well as social media support from WWE Superstars and Divas.
Spirit Day was started in 2010 as a response to the young people who had taken their own lives. Millions wear purple on Spirit Day as a sign of support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth and to speak out against bullying. With GLAAD’s help, Spirit Day has since garnered widespread support from entertainment organizations, sports leagues, celebrities, TV news and entertainment programs, corporations, schools, local communities, and even national landmarks.
According to GLSEN’s 2011 National School Climate Survey, 63.5% of LGBT students reported feeling unsafe at school because of their sexual orientation and 43.9% because of their gender expression. GLSEN also reported that 81.9% of LGBT students report being verbally harassed because of their sexual orientation and 63.9% because of their gender expression.
To find out more about how you can help, check out beastaralliance.org and start (or keep) showing tolerance and respect in your community today!
SLEEPING BEAUTY DIAMOND EDITION awakens on Blu-ray, DVD, Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere on Oct. 7.
Beauty, wonder and adventure spin together in a grand legend that transcends time as Maleficent, one of animation’s most spectacular villains, sends the kingdom’s beloved Princess Aurora into an enchanted sleep. In a majestic story that awakens all your senses, Good Fairies arm brave Prince Phillip to defeat a fearsome fire-breathing dragon and rescue Aurora. But success in battle may not be enough, for the only way to awaken the Princess is with True Love’s kiss!
Finally releasing from the Disney Vault, Disney’s ultimate princess fairytale classic “Sleeping Beauty” will be available for the first time on Diamond Edition Blu-ray, Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere on October 7, 2014. Experience all of the pageantry and power of this wondrous tale on Blu-ray – and for the first time on Digital HD – with incredible high definition picture, thrilling, soaring sound, and all-new Diamond Edition special features that make this a must-own for every family’s classic collection!
Creating the ultimate at-home viewing experience, Disney’s 2-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray Superset (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) contains digitally restored picture and sound, a digital copy of the film, and a variety of magical new bonus features, including “Once Upon A Parade,” in which “Modern Family” star Sarah Hyland tells us the tale of Walt Disney World’s new Festival Of Fantasy Parade, “Art of Evil: Generations Of Disney Villains,” a legacy piece spotlighting Disney’s favorite villain animator and Maleficent creator Marc Davis, and “@DisneyAnimation: Artists in Motion,” in which Walt Disney Animation Visual Development artist Brittney Lee goes through the process of creating a three dimensional sculpture of Maleficent, completely out of paper.
Additional all-new bonus features include never-before-seen deleted scenes “The Fair” (with Deleted Character The Vulture,) “The Curse is Fulfilled” and “Arrival Of Maleficent,” plus the Beauty-Oke sing-along to “Once Upon A Dream.” The Blu-ray Superset also includes classic DVD bonus features and more!
Never Before Seen Deleted Scenes:
The Fair (With Deleted Character – The Vulture) – In this version of the story, the fairies do not take the Princess to live with them in the forest. Convinced that King Stefan’s order to burn all the spinning wheels in the kingdom will not prevent Maleficent’s curse, the good fairies put a magic circle around the castle and cast a spell: “No evil thing that walks or flies or creeps or crawls can ever pass these castle walls.”
The Curse is Fulfilled – The three good fairies have just returned Aurora to the castle and give her a crown. They leave the room to give Aurora some time alone…but Maleficent pays her a visit.
Arrival Of Maleficent (Alternate Scene) – Maleficent arrives uninvited to the christening of the Princess Aurora.
Sleeping Beauty awakens on Diamond Edition Blu-ray, Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere onOctober 7th! To celebrate, A few blogger friends of mine got together an are giving away an incredible ‘Sleeping’ prize package that’s perfect for your princess’ bedroom. This special promotion was created by Killerbdesigns.com, Mythoughtsideasandramblings.com, Dadarocks.com, Formulamom.com and Redlotusmama.com and is valued at over $220!
The Grand Prize (1) giveaway includes:
A copy of Sleeping Beauty: Diamond Edition
o Disney’s 2-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray Superset (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy)
Baroque Pink Glass Night Light
o A handmade item that emits a beautiful and soothing light
Princess Bedtime Stories (Storybook Collection)
o A storybook collection filled with stories featuring the Disney princesses
Absolute Ruffle Princess Pink Canopy
o Sleep like a princess under this princess canopy
Colorful Butterfly Night Lights
o Changes to seven different colors!
Girls Sleep Mask
o Sparkling sequin-trim mask
Disney 4 Piece Toddler Bedding Set, Princess Dress to Shine
o Bedazzled princesses in blue, lavender, pink, yellow and white
Pink Princess Throne
o Now your princess can sit on this polyfoam pink throne!
Disney Princess Beauty Kit with Make-Up
o A fun makeup and beauty kit for your princess
Runner-Up Prize (5):
A copy of Sleeping Beauty: Diamond Edition
o Disney’s 2-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray Superset (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy)
Contest will run from Oct. 2 1:00 p.m. PDT to Oct. 7 11:59 p.m. PDT
Clinical psychologist Dr. Michael Breus, one of the nation’s top sleep experts, has some advice to offer parents!
Tips On Helping Children Sleep
Be consistent. Going to bed and waking up at the same time (even on weekends) will help your children keep Maleficent’s evil henchmen out of their dreams.
Use Flora’s gift of beauty.Help your children finish up whatever they’re doing, clean up their toys and make the room neat, comfortable and ready for sleep.
Use Fauna’s gift of song. While everyone’s getting ready for bed, sing a few favorite soothing songs while they bathe, brush their teeth and put on pajamas.
Use Merryweather’s gift of true love’s kiss. Dim the lights, turn on a night-light and read a book. If kids still have trouble quieting their busy brains, try the “relaxation game.” And then give your little ones that loving kiss good night.
Embrace Maleficent’s color of darkness. The color black is best for sleep, though most children like a little light at night. Keep in mind that some night-lights (LEDs, for example) contain “blue light” and that can actually keep a child awake by preventing the brain’s production of melatonin, which starts the engine for sleep. So make sure your child’s night-light is one that filters out blue light.
Follow Sleeping Beauty’s name, Aurora. She is so named because she fills people’s lives with sunshine. When children wake up in the morning, stop by a sun-filled window or take them outside for 15 minutes of brightness. Sun exposure helps reset their internal biological clocks each morning. Parents can also leave the window shades open so the child can wake with the morning light.
Dr. Breus notes, “For tips two through four, I recommend ‘The Power Down Half-Hour Technique,’ which I created for children, with 10 minutes spent on each of the activities mentioned. The consistent routine helps calm them down and unconsciously signals the brain to get ready for sleep. Roughhousing and other similar ‘fun games’ often initiated by parents who haven’t seen their children all day usually result in poor sleep.”
Finally, here are three rules for napping for infants and toddlers:
Set a specific nap time, or make it three to four hours after they last woke up.
Have a consistent pre-nap routine (it will not be as long as the pre-bedtime routine).
Let children soothe themselves to sleep, even when napping.
This Sunday, October 5, the wait is over! Skylanders Trap Team will be available on a multitude of familiar platforms– consoles like the Xbox One, Playstation 4, and Wii U. But this iteration of the popular franchise also marks an important distinction for the series: it’s the first time that the full Skylanders console experience will also be available on iPad, Kindle Fire, and Android tablets.
The new Skylanders Trap Team Tablet Starter Pack (shown at left) includes a new Bluetooth Traptanium Portal that doubles as a docking stand for the tablet of your choice, as well as two traps, two Skylanders, and a Bluetooth wireless controller to play the game with. While the controller is included with the set, if your child is more comfortable using the tablet’s touch controls, don’t worry– touch controls will still be available in this version as an alternative to using the controller!
Skylanders Trap Team allows players to utilize Trap Crystals to capture and play as Skylands’ most dangerous villains, as the Trap Masters and other Skylanders work together to thwart the latest scheme of the evil Kaos. The game will be released on Sunday October 5 on Android, Fire OS, iOS, Nintendo 3DS, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, WiiU, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
Portal Masters everywhere can get into the Skylanders Trap Team spirit by taking advantage of exclusive Skylanders products at retailers nationwide:
Get Legendary at Toys”R”Us – Toys”R”Us stores in North America and online at Toysrus.com will be the only places fans will find the limited edition Legendary Series of Skylanders toys at launch. The Legendary Series features alternative versions of new Trap Master characters and packs, such as Jawbreaker, Déjà Vu and the Nightmare Express Adventure Pack, all of which feature in-game stat boosts.
Meet the Minis at Walmart – Skylanders fans can visit participating Walmart stores or go to Walmart.com to participate in the ‘Meet the Minis’ program to unlock special content featuring the fully playable and upgradeable Minis, including Gill Runt, Stealth Elf, Weeruptor, Pet Vac and Small Fry via the official Skylanders Collection Vault™ app. Walmart will also be the only place fans can find the Skylanders Minis Buddy Pack, featuring Tidal Wave Gill Grunt and Gill Runt.
NITRO Trap Masters at Target – U.S. Target stores nationwide and Target.com will once again be the only place where fans can get their hands on the Skylanders NITRO series of toys, which features the powerful Trap Master NITRO Krypt King.
Portals for Punch Pop Fizz at GameStop – During the first week of launch, fans that bring in a Portal of Power® from any Skylanders game can trade it in to receive a free Punch Pop Fizz character, a bright red version of the fan-favorite Skylander.
Three Skylanders for Two at Best Buy – Players that purchase any twoSkylanders Trap Team game products at Best Buy will receive a free Volcanic Eruptor character, who’s unique appearance is visible in-game. This promotion is available only at Best Buy.
With the release of Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Superheroes Edition less than a week away, it’s certainly exciting that some of the mysteries of the new game are finally becoming clearer, with new figures and features finally coming to light. The latest reveal in regard to the game is the release of a full list of the 82 new Power Discs that will be available for the game! For those of you not in the know, Disney Infinity‘s Power Discs (which are sold separately from the game and figures in random 2-packs) give players access to unique abilities vehicles, weapons, ground textures, backgrounds, and (new for 2.0) special costumes and team-ups. Of the 82 newly-announced Power Discs, 40 will draw from the Marvel Super Heroes end of things, while the other 42 will come from the Disney Originals (animated classics, Disney Channel shows, and so forth). All Marvel Power Discs will be available at the game’s launch next week, and the Disney Power Discs will be available beginning on November 4.
You can click on the pictures below for a look at the Disney and Marvel Power Discs, respectively, and check out our gallery at the bottom of the post for a glimpse at the Power Discs in action! Disney Infinity 2.0: Marvel Super Heroes Edition will be available on September 23, 2014 on the Xbox One, Xbox 360, PS4, PS3, WiiU, 3DS, Playstation Vita, Microsoft Windows, and iOS.
September 16th is Working Parents Day! To celebrate, I’ll be hosting a #KeepGoodGoing Twitter Party from 8-9pm EST with @NewYorkLife and my very own wife Suzanne @GothamLove. Let’s get together to share tips on balancing hectic schedules (or maybe pickup a tip or two), and talk about the family moments that make it all worthwhile (you know those moments that we all sit there an say there sooo darn cute!). We’ll even be giving away prizes!
How to participate and win:
Before the Party, let us know you are attending by tweeting @NewYorkLife using hashtags #KeepGoodGoing and #WorkingParentsDay. When participating in the chat, be sure to use hashtag #KeepGoodGoing in all tweets to ensure you are eligible to win 1 of 4 Target gift cards. We also ask that you follow @NewYorkLife, @DaDaRocks, and @GothamLove. All winners will be randomly chosen.
1 Grand Prize: $350 Target gift card
3 First Prizes: $100 Target gift card (1 winner per $100 gift card)
Party Hashtag: #KeepGoodGoing
Who: Be sure to follow @NewYorkLife @GothamLove and @DaDaRocks
When: Tuesday, September 16th, 2014 from 8-9pm EST
How: In order to be eligible to win 1 of 4 Target gift card prizes, please tweet along with the chat using hashtag #KeepGoodGoing
Rules & eligibility:
No obligation. No purchase necessary to enter to win. Sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the United States 18 years of age or older at the time of entry. Sweepstakes ends on September 16, 2014 at 09:00:00 PM EST. Void where prohibited. Sponsored by New York Life Insurance Company, 51 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010. For complete rules for our #KeepGoodGoing Working Parents Day Twitter Party, please visit the Terms & Conditions
School is back in session, and with it comes the daily grind of homework, club and sports team meetings, and e like. Why not make some room in all of that to sit down as a family and watch some TV or a movie together? Whether it’s a weekly event or just once in a while, Netflix has you covered for family movie/tv night with tons of great titles to watch– check out our top recommendations below!
For younger kids:
1. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2 Inventor Flint Lockwood battles mutant food beasts created by his notorious machine, including shrimpanzees, tacodiles and jellyfish sandwiches.
2. The Pirate Fairy In this spritely tale, Tinker Bell and her friends set out to find free-spirited fairy Zarina after she makes off with some precious Blue Pixie Dust.
3. Hoodwinked Investigators searching for a candy recipe thief uncover a tangled web of messy delights in this animated spoof of the Little Red Riding Hood story.
4. Angelina Ballerina Angelina Ballerina joins her friends for fun adventures in the palace, where they solve a mystery and put on a grand ballet for the king and queen.
5. Bob the Builder In this collection of tales, Bob and friends have to repair a barn right before a big storm hits, and Lofty the Crane is fitted with a strong magnet.
6. The Muppet Movie After deciding to pursue a career in acting, Kermit the Frog heads to Hollywood. Along the way, he meets Miss Piggy and the rest of the Muppets cast.
For older kids:
1. Strange Hill High Three students investigate numerous unusual occurrences at Strange Hill High, an all-but-forgotten inner-city school with many secrets and mysteries.
2. The Avengers An all-star lineup of superheroes — including Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk and Captain America — team up to save the world from certain doom.
3. The Smurfs 2 Evil magician Gargamel continues his quest to tap the power of the Smurfs, creating a pair of his own “Smurf-alikes” called the Naughties.
4. Star Wars: The Clone Wars Follow the animated adventures of the Jedi knights, including Anakin Skywalker and his master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Season 6 available only on Netflix.
5. Free Birds When two adversarial turkeys find a time machine, they take a wild trip to the past to try to take turkey off the traditional Thanksgiving menu.
6. Mako Mermaids: An H2O Adventure This “H2O” sequel follows Zac, a boy who accidentally turns into a merman and threatens the existence of three young mermaids who guard Mako Island.
For teens and up:
1. Clueless Meddlesome Beverly Hills high school student Cher gets more than she bargained for when she gives a fashion-challenged student a makeover.
2. The Breakfast Club The athlete, the brain, the criminal, the princess and the basket case break through the social barriers of high school during Saturday detention.
3. Friday Night Lights Eric Taylor faces enormous pressure when he signs on as the new coach of a small-town Texas football team that’s poised to win the state championship.
4. The Vampire Diaries Trapped in adolescent bodies, feuding vampire brothers Stefan and Damon vie for the affection of captivating teenager Elena.
5. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off Ferris convinces his entire school he’s at death’s door, then hits the streets of Chicago with his girlfriend and best friend for a day of fun.
6. 13 Going on 30 When a geeky teen’s birthday party goes awry and she makes a wish that she could be 30, she wakes up to discover she’s flash-forwarded 17 years.
Before you sit down to watch one of these titles – or your own family favorite – check out these tipsfrom Common Sense Media on how to make family movie or TV night a success.
