GIVEAWAY: Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie Extended Edition and Wishing Stone

The winners have been emailed and sent the movies - I have the list of Random.org-ly drawn winners somewhere and will update here once I find it!  

I'm giving away 10 copies of Wizards of Waverly Place The Movie extended edition with movie-tie-in jewelry included (a mood ring-like wishing stone with clip for backpacks and such.)

Here's the official DVD synopsis:

Wizards Of Waverly Place The Movie Extended Edition features exclusive footage, behind-the-scenes bonus and awesome extras that take you deeper into the mysterious world of wizardry! Embark on a supernaturally exciting adventure as the Russos, your favorite family of wizards-in-training, join together on a quest full of heart-stopping action and hilarious magical mishaps! While on vacation, Alex (Selena Gomez) accidentally casts a spell that threatens her family’s existence! Max (Jake T. Austin) tries to keep his parents together while Alex and Justin (David Henrie) use every trick they know as they search for the “Stone of Dreams” to reverse the spell and save their family.

Anywhoo,  if you'd like to win this DVD gift set, you must live in the United States and email me at apissgiveaways@gmail.com with Wizards in the title and your address in the body of the email. The winner will be randomly drawn on Monday morning and then sent by me Priority Mail on Monday or whenever mail in the DC area resumes.

Yes, I'll only mail and yes, I'll be shoveling my driveway and taking my desert booty (um, it's 80 degrees in my hometown right now) to the P.O. on Monday morning.   Which means that yes, you'll probably receive before Christmas but don't burn me in effigy if you receive on the 26th.

New Stuff I Love

Not only am I vehicle for companies to give free products away to you guys, I'm also sometimes a giveaway winner on other websites myself.  (Wait, that sounded suspiciously like those old Hair Club for Men commercials.) Here are some reviews for stuff I've won or received for free.


Hana Mini Flat Iron
Sometime after my 30th birthday I started getting hangovers after more than two adult bevvies, realized that having a professional waxer on speed dial was essential and learned that it was no longer possible to simply roll out of bed and have my hair look acceptable.  (Aging...I so love it!)

But who has time to painstakingly blowout or flat iron their hair every freaking day?  I received the answer to the look-cute-in-no-time quandry when I received the fabulous Hana Mini Flat Iron for review.  This professional ceramic straightening iron is only 5 inches long when collapsed for storage or travel - but it extends to 8 inches - the length of a standard hair straightener. Its 5/8 barrel  is perfect for smoothing out sections of hair for a fast, polished look.  No time for a shower?  Already blowdried your 'do yesterday but slept weird on one side? Here's your quick fix.  And if you travel a lot, you'll love the heat proof travel case and compact, collapsable size.



Hana Shine Shield Serum
The generous Hana peeps also sent me the Hana Shine Shield serum to protect my hair when heat styling.  But I'm using a drop of this lightweight smoother even on days I air dry.  It's the perfect consistency for making flyaways and split ends obey, or tucking stray pieces into a bun or pony.  And though I have fine, light hair that can easily look greasy, this stuff is super lightweight.  And it really makes my straightened hair look Pantene commercial shiny.  I've used other clear serums from Redken, Rusk, etc. over the years, but sincerely, this Hana Shine Serum is my fave so far.  Although the $18.99 price tag looks high, the bottle's a whopping 2 oz. so it will last for-eva. My bottle's still full to the top and I started using daily in July. 


 

Microsoft Wireless Mobile Mouse
This summer on a fabulous Tech Savvy Mama giveaway, I was the proud winner of this fabulous mouse...in the color of my choice.  I chose green, and my husband was so green with envy of this wireless mouse's super sensitivity to the slightest movements that he bought one for himself too.   As a longtime desktop PC user with large hands for a girl, I really need a full size mouse, even when using a laptop.  All I have to do is plug in the USB port to whatever computer I'm using and the mouse immediately works - there's no software to install.  At only $20-22 on Amazon (dependent on what color you choose), I'll be picking up lots of these for siblings and teenage nieces and nephews this Christmas.




Mabel's Labels
Thanks again to Tech Savvy Mama's naming me as the buddy she wishes had attended BlogHer with her (awww, sniff sniff) in the Mabel's Labels Wish You Were Here contest (check out her adorable video entry), Mabel's Labels sent my kids a fabulous School Pack of personalized labels.  And seriously, they are GENIUS.  These special labels stick to fabric inside clothing, on the outside of Sippies and water bottles, and after dozens of washings since September, the labels have not disintegrated one iota.  The text is so much clearer than even the neatest printing with a permanent marker.

I especially love the Tag-Mates that have guaranteed that Charlie and Eve don't come home with other kids' sweatshirts from school or lose their jackets to the anonymous lost and found pile. Although I was so fortunate to receive these for free courtesy of Tech Savvy Mama and Mabel's Labels, as soon as they're gone I will be purchasing another order for a School Pack and am now a total groupie.  (I'm also going to suggest our school implement a Mabel's Labels Fundraiser, so that we earn cash for every order the parents place.)

As stated above, I either won these items in an online giveaway or received free review product. I did not receive any additional compensation.

GIVEAWAY: 30 (Yes, 3-0) Free Copies of Disney's Princess Protection Program

Adorable teen queens Demi Lovato & Selena Gomez do the requisite shopping montage in
Disney Channel's Original Movie, Princess Protection Program

UPDATE: ALL DVDS ARE GONE. THANKS EVERYONE!

If you get the Disney Channel and have a child in your household age 7-17, just skip reading the rest of this text and send me an email with your mailing address STAT.

For the rest of you, I have 30 free DVDs of the latest Disney Channel Original Movie, Princess Protection Program. The movie features charismatic and watchable Tiger Beat regulars Selena Gomez (star of the Wizards of Waverly Place) and Demi Lovato (Sonny With a Chance.)

I saw this G-rated movie with my kids and thought it was fun and promoted good values. I think that Disney is genius to continue the tradition of releasing their teen made-for-TV films in the dead of summer. Princess Protection Program reminds me of the summer TV movie mash-ups of teen actors I used to watch in the '80s like Crash Course with Alyssa Milano or Poison Ivy with Michael J. Fox (NOT to be confused with Poison Ivy II with Alyssa Milano...now that's a VERY different type of cheaply-made movie and this is a family site people!)

Here's the set-up: Tomboy and American gal Carter (Gomez) gets a new "cousin" by helping her foreign service agent father and hiding out royalty, the lovely Rosalinda (Lovato.) In an unexpected (ha ha) role reversal, "Rosie" learns how to act like an everyday girl and Carter finds her own inner princess. Then they become BFFs and dance and sing around and charm the entire freaking world. They're basically two female Jonas brothers with dresses and eyebrow waxes.

If you'd like a copy of the movie for your very own, just be one of the first 30 readers to email your mailing address to jessica *dot* mcfadden *at* gmail *dot* com.

Please put your mailing address in the very first email you send. I'll reply to you if you are one of the lucky winners. If you don't receive a reply from me, then please assume that you were not one of the first respondents. I'll also post here when the DVDs are gone.

Here's a free gift for everyone - a music video of the girls rocking out as hard as you can when you're rated G:

GIVEAWAY: 15 Copies of Hannah Montana DVD, Keeping It Real

Giveaway closed - the 15 lucky winners have been notified.

OK, just the title of this Hannah Montana episode compilation DVD, Keeping It Real, cracks me up. And the shows it contains are even funnier and full of the charming, family-friendly sitcom humor that kids and parents both love. This is the first time Disney has released a DVD of HM episodes, and they picked good ones: High School Musical cutie Corbin Bleu guest stars as a crush and there's two brand new bonus features too.

Even though my own children are preschool age, we find Hannah Montana silly and watchable. It reminds me of Charles In Charge or Silver Spoons - corny but cute, moral but without the gag-you-with-it learning lesson at the end of, say, Full House. (My sister and I can STILL imitate the music that would play when Bob Saget would dispense his wisdom to DJ, Stephanie and Michelle at the end of an episode.) By the way, those links to DVDs of old sitcoms above are SO what I'm getting my sister for her 30th birthday this year...along with the DVD of the 1984 made-for-TV movie Nadia. My only regret is that I can't find Crash Course with Alyssa Milano for purchase yet...my sis is going to have to make do with our old taped-off-TV-with-commercials-for-Bill-Cosby's-Puddin-Pops VHS version. Or maybe this poster of Jackée....

Anyways, my point is that yeah, Hannah Montana is frothy TV and has an over-coiffed Billy Ray Cyrus as the dad (not unlike Uncle Jesse's pompadour,) but this day-glo cheese and hairspray is a right of passage. If your kid loves this show and the hairless Jonas Brothers with their purity rings and tries to tie her scarf from Claire's Boutique just like Miley, seriously? Calm down. It's adorable. Remember when you tried to curl your bangs exactly like Kelly on Saved By the Bell? Your kids are still little kids.

The awesome Disney folks have given me 15 brand spankin' new DVDs to hand out to you guys. Just leave a comment below with your favorite character from kids' sit-coms, past or present, before midnight Friday April 10th, and I'll randomly draw the lucky winners this weekend.

Hannah Montana: Keeping It Real
Cost: $13.99