Disney Is Celebrating Courage & Kindness with a Year of Princess Activities & More

by Erica LoopApril 29, 2021

Get ready for a year filled with Disney princesses! Disney recently announced the “Ultimate Princess Celebration”—and this year-long event includes everything from awesome activities to magical merch.

The princess-packed celebration is more than just an ode to Disney’s fab, fearless ladies. Disney’s imaginative event and the accompanying activities spotlight the theme of courage and kindness.

The celebration will start with the debut of Disney Publishing Worldwide’s new Tales of Courage and Kindness storybook. The 14 original stories featured in the book are told by the Disney Princesses and include artfully crafted illustrations. Fans can download the book for free through the end of August here.

Your littles can also check out dramatic readings of the stories by Mandy Moore (voice of Rapunzel from Disney’s Tangled), Auli’i Cravalho (voice of Moana from Disney’s Moana), Tamron Hall, Kelly Marie Tran (voice of Raya from Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon) and Anika Noni Rose (voice of Tiana from Disney’s The Princess and the Frog).

Celeb singer Brandy, who starred in The Wonderful World of Disney, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, will also debut a new song as part of the celebration’s launch. The song, “Starting Now,” is available May 21. If your princess fan just can’t wait, they can stream a curated playlist of fave Disney princess songs from Walt Disney Records here.

As if that’s not enough, in August the Disney Channel will premiere the video of Brandy’s song during a half-hour show— Disney Princess Remixed – An Ultimate Princess Celebration. If you miss the show’s debut, you can catch it streaming on Disney+.

Find princess-themed merch for this super-celebration at ShopDisney, score a sweet pair of sneakers from the Adidas Little Mermaid Collection ($96) from adidas.com, or get a Disney Princess Moana Lokai from Lokai.com ($1 of each purchase will go to Make-A-Wish).

—Erica Loop

Photos courtesy of Disney

Once Upon a Time There Was a New Collab Between Disney & JuJuBe

Photographer Transforms Moms-to-Be into Disney Princesses

This Nat Geo Series Reveals the “Secrets of the Whales”

by Erica LoopApril 11, 2021

Celebrate Earth Day with National Geographic’s new four-episode series, Secrets of the Whales. The documentary from the ocean’s depths makes its way to Disney+ Thursday, Apr. 22!

Are your kiddos into enviro- or animal everything? Your little naturalist can dig deep into the world of the whale in this brand-new series. Not only will your child enjoy Secrets of the Whales, the entire family can get in on the science-packed action of this streaming documentary.

Secrets of the Whales was filled over the course of three years in 24 different locations. The Nat Geo series explores the lives, communication skills, and social structures of orcas, humpbacks, sperm whales, belugas, and narwhals.

Narrated by actress Sigourney Weaver, the series was directed by Brian Armstrong and Andy Mitchell. The Nat Geo documentary’s executive producers are James Cameron, Maria Wilhelm, Brian Armstrong, and Shannon Malone-deBenedictis.

All four parts of National Geographic’s Secrets of the Whales will stream exclusively on Disney+.

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: 272447 via pixabay

Nat Geo Has a Virtual Earth Day Eve Celebration You Can’t Miss

These Companies Are Saving the Planet with Easy Recycling Programs

Get Your First Sneak Peak at Netflix’s Film, “Arlo the Alligator Boy”

by Karly WoodApril 9, 2021

Get ready for a sweet new film from Netflix! The streaming provider is getting ready to share its newest feature film, Arlo the Alligator Boy.

The flick tells the story of Arlo Beauregard, half human, half alligator as he searches for his long-last father in New York City. Along the way, a deeper story of friendship and embracing our differences emerges and is accompanied by fantastic music. Keep scrolling to see an exclusive clip!

Arlo the Alligator Boy stars breakout star Michael J. Woodward, Grammy-nominated artist Mary Lambert, Jonathan Van Ness, Annie Potts, Brett Gelman, Vincent Rodriguezz III and Jennifer Coolidge. It will debut on Netflix on Fri., Apr. 16.

But that’s not all! Arlo isn’t ready to leave NYC just yet. Following the film, I Heart Arlo, will debut on the streaming platform. The show will follow Arlo and his new friends as they settle in and try to bring their new abandoned seaside community back to life. Release dates are forthcoming.

––Karly Wood

Feature photo: Courtesy of Netflix

Disney Drops the Second “Cruella” Trailer & It’s Perfectly Wretched

Loki Is Coming to Disney+ & You Can Catch the Trailer Right Now

PAW Patrol Is Coming to Your Living Room with a Live Event

by Erica LoopApril 2, 2021

Calling all PAW Patrol fans! Nickelodeon recently announced a brand-new interactive streaming experience for the PAW Patrol-loving preschool set—and it includes a 45-minute stage show and a shared viewing room.

PAW Patrol Live! At Home is exactly what the name sounds like. Instead of going to a a theater, stadium, or other mega-venue to watch your fam’s fave Nick friends, you can watch this PAW-tastic production 100 percent from home.

photo courtesy of Nickelodeon

Amy Hyland, Executive Vice President, Nickelodeon Strategy, Business Development and Operations, said in a press release, “As we look forward to a return to normalcy and welcoming families back to our live events, we continue to invest in innovative ways to grow our Nickelodeon Experiences business during these unprecedented times. With PAW Patrol Live! At Home we’ve produced a one-of-a-kind co-viewing event that allows us to recreate the communal theater experience and give families a way to connect with not only fan favorite Nick characters, but their loved ones as well.”

Nick’s new PAW Patrol Live! At Home experience will include a pre-show with digital games, an e-shop, printable activity sheets and a Pup Pup Boogie dance-along video. The pre-show options are available immediately after your ticket purchase.

The show itself will stream Apr. 24 and 25 at either 7:00 a.m. PT/10:00 a.m. ET, 9:00 a.m. PT/12:00 p.m. ET or 2:00 p.m. PT/5:00 p.m. ET in English and in Spanish. Click here to purchase tickets in advance.

Parents can purchase a single ticket for access on one device or a group ticket that comes with one single ticket and three additional access codes to share with friends and family. Single and group pass ticket holders can also log on to re-watch the experience through May 2.

—Erica Loop

“It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown” Is Hippity-Hopping on Over to Apple TV+

Sesame Street Is Celebrating World Autism Awareness Day in a Special Way

“It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown” Is Hippity-Hopping on Over to Apple TV+

by Erica LoopMarch 26, 2021

The kids are ready to color eggs, gearing up for a backyard egg/candy hunt and so much more. This means you’re on the lookout for ways to keep the Easter cheer going. Now you can stream a sweet story with a classic Easter message!

Charlie Brown and the whole gang are back—on Apple TV+. The streaming service recently released one of your kiddo’s fave holiday specials in a partnership with WildBrain—It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown.

photo courtesy of Apple TV+

The animated holiday treat features some of the most iconic Peanuts characters, including Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Linus, Sally and of course the “Easter beagle” himself, Snoopy.

In case you’re not up on your Peanuts holiday specials, Peppermint Patty attempts to teach Marcie how to create Easter eggs in It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown. Along with the egg decorating story-line, Snoopy gets Woodstock a birdhouse and Linus tries to make Sally believe the Easter beagle will deliver eggs, making it totally unnecessary for her to dye her own.

How can your fam watch It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown? The adorable Easter animated special starts streaming Friday, Mar. 26 globally on Apple TV+!

—Erica Loop

There’s a Peeps Easter Inflatable & It’s a Must for Your Yard

Nostalgia Alert! Now You Can Get a Retro Ceramic Easter Tree

It’s Official: Netflix is Bring Back “Get Organized with The Home Edit” for Season 2

by Karly WoodMarch 19, 2021

All of our rainbow organizing dreams are coming true! If you’re like us, you binge watched the entire season of Tidying Up with Marie Kondo and Get Organized with The Home Edit, and are left at a loss for what to watch next. Worry no longer.

Netflix has announced that Joanna Teplin and Clea Shearer are returning for a season two! Not only that, Marie Kondo is bringing a brand new show to the streaming platform.

photo: Netflix

The Home Edit gals will be bringing back all lazy susans, clear stacking bins and plenty of rainbows when they return. No date has been announced for the launch of season two, but you can rewatch the first season in the meantime.

As for Kondo, she’ll be rejoining Netflix with Sparking Joy with Marie Kondo this summer. This show will differ than her first in that we’ll get to see Marie’s own home, her fam and much more. She’ll be demonstrating how the “fundamentals of her method can affect our businesses, relationships and communities.”

Now, who’s ready to organize?

––Karly Wood

Mindy Kaling to Join the Cast of “Monsters At Work” on Disney+

The First “Spirit Untamed” Trailer and It’s a Must Watch

Mindy Kaling to Join the Cast of “Monsters At Work” on Disney+

by Erica LoopMarch 18, 2021

Disney+ recently revealed a new addition to the Monsters At Work cast. Actress Mindy Kaling will voice the character of Val Little in the soon-to-be streaming service series.

Monsters At Work chronicles the the change over from screams to laughter as a way to generate kid-powered energy. Along with Kaling’s character, the animated series brings back fan faves such as Mike (voiced by Billy Crystal), Sulley (John Goodman) and Celia Mae (Jennifer Tilly).

Rounding out the series’ cast are John Ratzenberger (as Bernard), Bonnie Hunt (as Ms. Flint), Bob Peterson (as Roze), Stephen Stanton (as Smitty and Needleman), Aisha Tyler (as Millie Tuskmon), Lucas Neff (as Duncan) and Henry Winkler (as Fritz).

The series follows a young, eager, new grad from Monsters University—Tylor Tuskmon. With the changeover from screams to laughter, Tylor’s dream of becoming a Scarer is suddenly an impossibility. Instead, he’s assigned to the MIFT (Monsters, Inc. Facilities Team) as he learns to become a Jokester.

Kaling and the rest of the Monsters At Work crew start streaming on Disney+ Friday, Jul. 2.

—Erica Loop

Photos courtesy of Disney+

It’s Official: Patrick Star Is Getting His Own SpongeBob Spinoff

“Shrek” Is Coming to a Theater Near You!

This Free Online STEM Event Boasts 100+ Experts

by Jamie AderskiMarch 17, 2021

Have you ever had over 100+ Stem experts in your home? Cue the confetti: City of STEM, Greater LA’s biggest science program, officially kicks off with a virtual, free, all-online event Saturday, March 27th! This kick-off event has over 21 hours of content! With over 100 STEM partners including major museums, universities and STEM businesses, scientists, engineers and more, this event is not to be missed. This family-friendly event will have sessions focusing on Women in STEM, Emphasizing Green Energy and engineering solutions for a sustainable future. There is even a Spanish Language Channel to help deliver this curriculum to as much of LA as possible! Read on to learn more about this incredible event.

The Future of STEM: 100+ STEM experts in your home in one day—free online festival, check the website for YouTube streaming details.

A Free Event Featuring the Hottest in Education: STEM

This free event is designed to help elevate access to the STEM curriculum, inspire the community to consider careers in STEM, and experience the rich resources available in Greater Los Angeles. The launch event provides an easy way for anyone and everyone to log on safely from home and get hours of science delivered to their living room! There will be a mix of topics, hands-on activities using simple at-home items, and amazing behind-the-scenes footage. All brought to you by experts that are living right in Los Angeles.

What Makes STEM So Special

STEM encompasses so many different career applications and unique ways to understand our world. It is also so crucial to the future of the city. Through this event, viewers will be able to gain exposure to exclusive experiences and ask questions LIVE to experts through the chat function. So, your young learner or budding scientist can have the benefit of not only direct instruction but also interactive experiences.

The Future of STEM: 100+ STEM experts in your home in one day—free online festival, check the website for YouTube streaming details.

Who Can Benefit?

This event is ideal for families with kids in grades K-12, and has programming in both English and Spanish. The program's goal is to create The Future of Stem in Los Angeles. City of Stem wants to inspire families to experience STEM, and maybe event consider a possible STEM career! There are no products to purchase, just experiences to enjoy. Education for many kids in greater LA has been challenging this year, and this free event is in an excellent way to encourage, educate and have fun with learning!

The Future of STEM: 100+ Stem experts in your home in one day—free online festival, check the website for YouTube streaming details.

—Jamie Aderski

LEGO® Just Dropped a White Noise Playlist Created with Bricks & It’s Awesome

by Gabby CullenFebruary 4, 2021

We know that building with LEGO can put you in the zone, but have you ever noticed the sounds the bricks make? It’s quite soothing apparently, and so, in hopes of bringing adults even more ways to destress, the LEGO Group has released LEGO® White Noise, an album of sounds made solely with bricks. Curious? So are we, and here’s what we found out.

Research shows that almost 73% of adults are looking for new ways to de-stress. To offer up something unique, LEGO designers experimented with over 10,000 LEGO elements, and they found the most soothing sounds possible.

The soundscape has seven different tracks, each one is 30 minutes long and a completely different sound: clicking two bricks together, sorting through a pile of LEGO to find “the one,” a waterfall of thousands of bricks being poured out, and more.

Released to accompany the new LEGO Botanics line—which includes a flower bouquet and a Bonsai tree—the playlist can be accessed on over 15 different music streaming platforms, including Spotify and iTunes or for free on LEGO.com.

—Gabby Cullen

Want to Star in Your Own LEGO Music Video? Now You Can

Happy Birthday NINJAGO! LEGO Celebrates with Brand New Sets in 2021

Holy Macanoli! The First Full Length “Punky Brewster” Trailer Is Finally Here

by Karly WoodFebruary 3, 2021

It’s been more than 30 years since we’ve seen new episodes of Punky Brewster, but the wait is finally over. Peacock, NBCUniversal’s steaming platform, just dropped the first full-length trailer for the rebooted show.

As seen in the trailer, Punky is all grown up and still close with her bestie Cherie. The show will follow her in her newly divorced life (with ex-husband Travis, played by Freddie Prince Jr.) and her three kids.

The mis-matched shoe-wearing mama will also be taking in a local foster child in the show, an homage to Punky’s early years. The 10-episode series will drop on Feb. 25 only on Peacock.

If you can’t wait until then to find your Punky Power, you can stream all the OG episodes of the 80’s classic on the streaming platform.

––Karly Wood

Feature photo: NBC Universal Media Village

Here’s What We Know about the “Punky Brewster” Reboot So Far

Peacock Shares First Look at “Punky Brewster” Reboot

ML Interest Tag: stream

Disney Is Celebrating Courage & Kindness with a Year of Princess Activities & More

Related reads

This Nat Geo Series Reveals the “Secrets of the Whales”

Related reads

Get Your First Sneak Peak at Netflix’s Film, “Arlo the Alligator Boy”

Related reads

PAW Patrol Is Coming to Your Living Room with a Live Event

Related reads

“It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown” Is Hippity-Hopping on Over to Apple TV+

Related reads

It’s Official: Netflix is Bring Back “Get Organized with The Home Edit” for Season 2

Related reads

Mindy Kaling to Join the Cast of “Monsters At Work” on Disney+

Related reads

This Free Online STEM Event Boasts 100+ Experts

A Free Event Featuring the Hottest in Education: STEM

What Makes STEM So Special

Who Can Benefit?

Related reads

LEGO® Just Dropped a White Noise Playlist Created with Bricks & It’s Awesome

Related reads

Holy Macanoli! The First Full Length “Punky Brewster” Trailer Is Finally Here

Related reads