In an unprecedented event, Swiper puts aside his swiping ways to lend a helping hand, in Nickelodeon’s new Dora the Explorer primetime TV special “Swiper the Explorer,” premiering Sunday, March 21, at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT). “Swiper the Explorer,” which marks the first of four primetime TV events celebrating Dora’s 10th anniversary, will encore on Nickelodeon on Monday, March 22, at 9:00 a.m. (ET/PT), and on Nick Jr. on Sunday, March 28, at 7:00 p.m. (ET).

In “Swiper the Explorer,” Swiper attempts to swipe Dora and Boots’ ball and notices them with a lost baby fox. Swiper takes heart and asks Dora if he can help her bring the baby fox back to his Mami. To find the fox hole, they must scoot past the volcano and, with cousin Diego’s help, make it through the Prickers and Thorns forest. The adventure is a big success as baby fox is returned to his Mami, and Swiper learns to say “thank you!”

Nickelodeon’s new ultimate Dora the Explorer online destination www.DoratheExplorer.com will feature a “Swiper the Explorer” theme month to teach preschoolers about helping, sharing and caring for babies. Kids can use their color and number recognition skills to play “Swiper’s Big Adventure,” the first game in “Dora’s Great Big World,” an interactive online play environment for kids. The site will also feature a personalized Dora Explorer Kit, family expedition ideas, recipes, crafts, printables, additional games and more.

Nickelodeon will roll out content from “Swiper the Explorer” across the following platforms:

Beginning Monday, March 15, Nick Jr. Video, Nick Jr.’s broadband video service available on Nickjr.com, will begin streaming a sneak peek from “Swiper the Explorer.”

A sneak peek from “Swiper the Explorer” will be available on wireless carriers beginning Monday, March 15.

“Swiper the Explorer” will be simulcast in full on Nick Mobile.

Dora the Explorer, created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh Valdes and Eric Weiner, is a play-along, animated adventure series starring Dora. Dora is a seven-year-old Latina heroine whose adventures take place in an imaginative, tropical world filled with jungles, beaches and rainforests. She explores her world just as preschoolers do everyday, and the show is designed to actively engage its audience in an interactive quest using a variety of learning techniques.

In every episode, Dora and Boots invite the audience to participate in an exciting adventure, where each step of their journey consists of a problem or puzzle that Dora and the audience must think their way through in order to solve the next problem. Dora is proudly bilingual and uses her knowledge of English and Spanish to communicate with her friends, overcome obstacles and reach her goals. In each episode, Dora teaches Spanish words or phrases to the viewers and then asks them to use it to solve a problem and forge ahead. Ultimately, Dora and her best friend, Boots, triumph, and the story always ends with a “We Did It!” anthem.

Technorati Tags: Dora the Explorer, 10th Anniversary, March 22, Swiper, Cartoon, Pre-school, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr

ENTRY RULES:
Literary Illusions is proud to be giving away a copy of Hannah Montana: Miley Says Goodbye on DVD. To enter all you need to do is leave us a comment. Please be sure to only leave one.

COMMENTS ARE MODERATED to avoid spam, so it will not show up right away. People who leave multiple comments will be deleted from the contest altogether. If you do not see your comment within a day then by all means leave another one. Otherwise, do not worry as we accept comments several times a day.

ENTRY GUIDELINES:
To enter you need to be at least 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible.

GET AN EXTRA ENTRY:
Want an extra entry? Twitter about this contest! Just click the Tweet button!

You can post the URL to your Tweet in your initial comment for this contest.

To find out about all our latest contests feel free to add us to your Twitter:

@dominickevans
@ashtynevans

You can also get extra entries (one entries for each) into our contest by:

-Posting on your blog/website about out contest with a link back to LI Kids (please let us know where to find said link so we can give you an extra entry)
-Digging or Stumbling this post (list your Digg/Stumble username in your comment)
-Becoming a Member of our Facebook Fan Page
-Subscribing to our YouTube Page

*******Please only leave ONE comment – If you Twitter, Digg, Blog about, or Stumble this contest you can post all relevant information in that comment. We will make sure to add extra entries for each extra thing you’ve done when we randomly pick winners.

CLAIMING YOUR PRIZE:
Winners will be sent an email shortly after the end of the contest. To claim your prize all you will need to do is send us your address in a reply to the congratulation email that you will receive. If we do not receive a reply from you within three days, your winnings will be forfeited and your prize will be offered to another contestant.

ENTRY DEADLINE:
We will begin emailing winners for this the week of March 20, 2010, which means you have until March 19, 2010 at 11:59 to enter.

FROM THE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
Never before has Miley Stewart faced such a crucial decision! Now, DVD viewers will be the FIRST to see the season finale with Miley?s pivotal decision-making moment about staying in Hollywood or returning home to Tennessee, only on DVD before it airs on Disney Channel! Get ready for Hannah Montana: Miley Says Goodbye?, with six episodes, including the Season 3 finale episode, exciting bonus features and a bonus episode.

Technorati Tags: Hannah Montana, Miley Says Goodbye, DVD, Disney, Tween, Comedy, Sitcom, Television, Giveaway, Contest

I went to the store the other day and saved $20 in coupons, which is amazing for me because I never use coupons. Well, it’s good for me because I don’t use coupons as much as I should. I keep telling myself that I am going to use them and that I need to use them, but I never do. This weekend I will make sure to use them though, because not only will there be plenty of coupons in your Sunday, but each one you use will promote a good cause.

This Sunday, March 7, 2010 Procter & Gamble will be releasing the biggest brandSAVER book that they have ever released in your Sunday paper. In fact, it’s so big it’s going to have over $160 in coupons! The brands included in this saving spree are vast but include such names as Swiffer, Pampers, CoverGirl, Pantene, Gillette, Febreeze, Tide, Olay, Venus, and Pur Water Filtration. This is just a few of the brands though, you can find a complete list of the coupons in your paper this weekend.

Now on to the good part – for every single coupon that you redeem Procter and Gamble are going to donate one day’s worth of clean drinking water to a child in need through the Children’s Safe Drinking Water program. The goal is to save lives by offering clean drinking water to children in third world, developing countries.

If you use coupons make sure to check out your Sunday paper for loads of special offers. If you don’t use coupons at least consider using them this weekend when you can save some money and help some kids get clean drinking water in the process.

Technorati Tags: Sunday, Paper, Newspaper, Procter and Gamble, Clean Drinking Water, Children, Developing Country, Third World, Charity, Coupon, Tide, Pur, Swiffer, CoverGirl, Febreeze

In our house we only drink two brands of Orange Juice. No one likes Minute Maid and we will buy Meijer, but that is usually as a last resort. Our two go to brands are always Simply brands (Orange and Apple on average) and Tropicana.

When I was growing up as a kid I never remember seeing another orange juice in our fridge. Now that Simply is around, we all go back and forth, but more often than not you will find that Tropicana in our fridge because we always have some OJ on hand. So, as you can expect, when I learned that I would get a chance to be one of the Tropicana Juicy Rewards Insiders I was absolutely thrilled!

What’s the Tropicana Juicy Insider program you ask?

If you buy Tropicana you’ve probably noticed something about the Juicy Insiders on the carton. There are codes on each carton of Tropicana that can be used to redeem for points, which convert to different prizes based on your needs.

Anyone can sign up right now at Tropicana’s website. When you sign up you’re given a reward point instantly AND if you use the code MOMCE-NTRAL you can get a second point. These points, which can add up quite quickly depending on how much juice you drink they can be used in thousands of ways for everyone in the whole house.

I haven’t used any of my points, though I currently am wracking them up. Before I signed up I figured that you would need several points to get anything, but that really isn’t the case. Tropicana has set this up in a way that makes sure that everyone has a chance to enjoy some rewards. There are coupon codes and other offers for people with just two and three points. It doesn’t get better than that, especially if you were planning on buying the item anyway.

Depending on the area you live you will find a variety of offerings or if you’re planning a vacation you might want to redeem the rewards for the place you’re going. I know in our area there is a small selection of options, but one I am sure we will make use of is the buy 40 tokens at the new arcade in town and get 40 tokens free. I still haven’t looked through all of the options, so I am not sure how I will be spending them over time, but with options like museum passes and massages I am sure that I will find something to do.

In the meantime, if you’re a fan of Tropicana you should sign up too. You get the two free points, which set you up to immediately be able to redeem them for something or to save them from one of the other options, if you are so inclined. Either way, I am sure that the Tropicana Insiders Ambassador program is going to be a great experience and I look forward to being a part of it.

“I wrote this review while participating in the Tropicana Juicy Insiders Ambassador program by Mom Central on behalf of Tropicana. I received 12 free Juicy Rewards points and a $50 Visa gift card to use in redemption of the points and to facilitate my review.”

Technorati Tags: Tropicana, Juicy Insiders, Mom, Ambassador, Juice, Orange Juice, Points, Free Swag

I remember the day fondly (or sometimes not) that my mother burst into my office telling me about Twitter. We were having a communication problem with Comcast Cable (we’re now ATT Uverse customers as a result) and she insisted that I try out the service because she heard that more and more people were flocking to it to deal with complaints and resolutions. Mom was listening to Good Morning America again, and I’ve learned it’s best to just look at the sites she tells me about whether or not I will use them, because she will bug me relentlessly until I do. At least in the case of Twitter, she remembered the name when she told me about it, because normally she forgets and just assumes I will know the websites that she is speaking about.

At the time she made me sign up I knew what Twitter was, but thought it was strictly for people on the go (using their cell phones). I learned quickly how wrong I was. Within that first week I began following some great people and made sure my cable problem was resolved. It’s been over a year now and I just started using Twitter after a long hiatus. I have a love hate relationship with Twitter. I do my very best to ignore the things that annoy me, but some days the annoying things are all I see. As a fairly regular user these days, I see a lot of things that keep me from following people. Now, I am aware that my one follow means little in the scheme of things, but if this stuff bothers me, it probably annoys the hell out of other people, too.

1. The Overuse of Links – I post links to my blog articles on Twitter. I know most people do these days, too. However, there is a fine line between posting links to your posts and posting ONLY links to all of your posts on your 3,753 blogs. While reading about how to get a cat urine smell out of leather chaps might be important, if you can’t at least tell me Good Morning before you post 60 similar links then I don’t want to be bothered.

2. Blatant Misspellings that are Completely Unnecessary – You have 140 characters. Use them. I will admit, like most people, I cut out commas, apostrophes, and periods in order to get the words in, but I don’t purposely misspell if I have characters left over. Don’t write – “U R Da Bst” when you can say “You are the best.” Things like U, UR, Wut, Wud, and so on just completely annoy me. Granted, this is not for the majority of people I speak with on twitter, it’s more for the people I accidentally come across and run away from for fear of getting a headache when trying to read their posts.

3. The Follower with No Posts – Spotting a spammer on Twitter is super easy because they come in one of a few forms. One of those forms is the person that is following 6,485 people and not one post on their Twitter stream. Other spammers are ones that use the dirty pictures or DM you the minute you follow them sending you to their favorite naked picture of their no-no parts.

4. Following for the Sake of Following – Following people that follow you back is always fun, but if you’re unable to offer any form of value to people why be on Twitter at all? Making conversation isn’t hard on Twitter (or anywhere online, really), it just comes down to what you want to get out of your relationships with people. So, if you’re following people try talking to them. Take the time to learn from them and to strike up a conversation, you’ll be surprised to see how many followers you gain as a result.

5. Using Twitter for Polarizing Purposes – Everyone has differences but if you’re on Twitter to settle a score or to push your agenda then I’m not one to get too excited about your presence. People talking in hate speak (against the GLBT, disabled, various races), people that push religion, or threaten another person’s well being on the basis of their beliefs need to take a breath and think about the things they say before they fill their stream with things that are going to cause others to wonder about whether they want to interact with them as a result of their words.

6. Hashtag Addicts – #ihatewhenpeoplemakehashtagsoutofeverythingnomatterhowlongthehashtagis. Note: the original hashtag was so long that it tried to break the look of my site. The tag ran off into the sidebar and wouldn’t stop! Did you get all that? Hashtags were meant to group posts, which is good. Using one in each post in the hopes of being involved in a trending topic whether your tweet has anything to do with that or not, is not cool. Use them because you’re involved in a twitter party, because you’re watching a show and talking to others using it, or because you have a general purpose, don’t just use them because they are there.

7. Salesmen – Build your brand by making relationships not by shoving your product down my throat. If you have to keep offering my that blog marketing software six times a day on three different Twitter accounts that tells me how much you’re making from it. Not all blogs are the same and not all people using Twitter are there because they are bloggers. If Twitter is your audience you should attempt to sell your wares wisely because not all people are going to want to buy them or even hear about them. However, if you play your cards right and are a good person to follow, jobs and plenty of opportunity can come from the relationships that you build on Twitter.

Using Twitter is just like using any other social media platform. Some people are there for selfish reasons, some people are there because it’s the hip place to be, and other people are there to build relationships. If you want to be a good person to follow the first thing you need to do is figure out which of the three types of users you are or want to become.

Speaking of twitter if you have one and want to connect click the graphic and you can follow me there. Feel free to leave your @ name in the comments so people can find you there, too. While you’re in the comments let us know which annoying twitter habits you don’t like, especially if your complaint list is different then mine.

Photo Credits: Jmilles and CarrotCreative

Technorati Tags: Twitter, Ashtyn Evans, Annoyances, Annoying, Connect, Conversation, Hash Tag, Marketing, Message, Tweet

NICKELODEON’S YO GABBA GABBA! RETURNS FOR STAR-STUDDED THIRD SEASON, WITH GUESTS SARAH SILVERMAN, MOS DEF, WEEZER AND MORE, ON MONDAY, MARCH 8

Season Three Premiere Week Also Features Weird Al Yankovic, Anthony Bourdain, Devo and Recurring Guest Stars Biz Markie, Mark Mothersbaugh, Jack McBrayer and Paul Scheer

Future Guest Stars Include: Fred Armisen, Erykah Badu, Rob Dyrdek, Flaming Lips, The Killers, Solange Knowles, Angela Kinsey and Charlyne Yi, Among Others

NEW YORK, Feb. 17, 2010 – The party continues with the Gabba gang – DJ Lance Rock, Brobee, Muno, Toodee, Foofa and Plex – as Nickelodeon premieres the third season of the award-winning preschool music series Yo Gabba Gabba! on Monday, March 8, at 10:30 a.m. (ET/PT). The new season commences with a week of brand-new episodes featuring Sarah Silverman, Weird Al Yankovic, Black Kids, Jack McBrayer, Paul Scheer, Weezer, Anthony Bourdain, Of Montreal, Mos Def, Devo, The Aquabats, Mark Mothersbaugh, Biz Markie and a special remix by Travis Barker, Monday, March 8 – Friday, March 12, at 10:30 a.m. (ET/PT). Yo Gabba Gabba!, created by Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz, is produced by The Magic Store and W!LDBRAIN.

Future guest stars for season three include: Fred Armisen, Erykah Badu, Band of Horses, Blitzen Trapper, Chairlift, Rob Dyrdek, The Faint, Flaming Lips, The Killers, Solange Knowles, Mix Master Mike, Angela Kinsey, The Sounds, Taking Back Sunday, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Charlyne Yi and John Francis Daley, Samm Levine and Martin Starr from “Freaks and Greeks.” In addition, Biz Markie is back with his regular “Biz’s Beat of the Day” segment teaching preschoolers how to beat-box, singer/illustrator/composer Mark Mothersbaugh returns in his recurring “Mark’s Magic Pictures” drawing segment and Jack McBrayer and Paul Scheer visit with their recurring “Knock Knock” joke segment.

The schedule for the season three premiere week of Yo Gabba Gabba! is as follows (all times are 10:30 a.m. ET/PT on Nickelodeon):

o Monday, March 8 – “Circus” – Weird Al Yankovic plays the circus ringmaster; Sarah Silverman teaches the “Time to Mime” dancey dance and Black Kids sing the original Yo Gabba Gabba! song, “We Love Clowns.” The episode also features Jack McBrayer and Paul Scheer telling a “Knock Knock” joke and Mark Mothersbaugh in his “Marks’ Magic Pictures” segment.

o Tuesday, March 9 – “Bugs” – Weezer performs an original Yo Gabba Gabba! song, “My Friends Are All Insects” and Mark Mothersbaugh is featured in his “Mark’s Magic Pictures” segment. The episode also features a special remix segment arranged by Travis Barker.

o Wednesday, March 10 – “Doctor” – Anthony Bourdain plays the doctor when Toodee gets sick. Of Montreal performs an original Yo Gabba Gabba! song “Bananas, Rice, Applesauce, Toast!” and Biz Markie is featured in the “Biz’s Beat of the Day” segment.

o Thursday, March 11 – “Superhero”– Mos Def plays a superhero; Devo performs their song “Watch Us Work It;” Biz Markie is featured in the “Biz’s Beat of the Day” segment and The Aquabats perform a “Numbers” segment.

o Friday, March 12 – Encore of “Circus”

Yo Gabba Gabba! premiered in the U.S. on Nickelodeon in August, 2007 and currently ranks as one of the most popular series on television with broad appeal among preschoolers, parents, teens and adults. The award-winning series is created by Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz and is produced by The Magic Store and W!LDBRAIN. Jon Berrett and Michael Polis are executive producers. Yo Gabba Gabba!, was voted as one of the best new shows on television by TIME magazine, won a BAFTA Award in 2008, was awarded the “Outstanding Achievement in Children’s Television” Award by the Television Critics Association and is a two-time EmmyÒ nominee. Yo Gabba Gabba! infuses retro-style and beat-driven music to teach simple life lessons through music. The series stars DJ Lance Rock (Lance Robertson) and a cast of colorful characters, including: Brobee, the little green one, Foofa, the pink flower bubble, Muno, the red Cyclops, Toodee, the blue cat-dragon and Plex, the yellow robot. Yo Gabba Gabba! airs regularly at 1:00 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. (ET) on Nick Jr., the 24-hour commercial-free, educational preschool network from Nickelodeon.

Technorati Tags: Sarah Silverman, Yo Gabba Gabba, New Season, Weird Al, Biz Markie, The Killers, Flaming Lips, New Episodes, Kids Programming, Nick Jr

KIDS OPEN UP ABOUT CHEATING IN Nick news with linda Ellerbee’s Cheaters never win: true or false? premiering March 7 on Nickelodeon

NEW YORK, Feb. 22, 2010 – Cheating in school is easier and more popular than ever. According to recent studies, 64 percent of high school students admit they cheated on a test within the last year. Nick News with Linda Ellerbee’s Cheaters Never Win: True or False? premiering Sunday, March 7, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Nickelodeon, explores today’s reality of kids and cheating.

“Who doesn’t cheat?” says Andrea, 15: “We have politicians that have cheated, and look where they are today.”

“If a kid hears that politicians cheat, corporate executives lie, athletes take illegal steroids (or parents cheat on their income taxes), and that these people often get away with it, why are we surprised at the message that kid is getting?” says Ellerbee. “And it’s not just about bad influences. Why students cheat is a complex question. But I was stunned at how common cheating is today.”

Begin with this: Advances in technology have made cheating easier. Matt, 12: “I see lots of kids hiding their cell phone under the table and texting each other the answers.” Richard Muszalski, a teacher at Northeast Middle School, Creve Coeur, Mo.: “They are literally just copying stuff right off the Internet, and trying to pass it off as their own.”

Many kids say they cheat because they feel pushed to succeed. Tara Rosipal, teacher at North Middle School, Great Falls, Mont.: “We have seventh and eighth graders who are worried about college and fear that if they don’t have straight A’s here, it’s going to affect their ability to get into a college. Kids that I talk to and I say, ‘Why did you cheat?’ They say, ‘Because I needed the A.’”

Christine, 13: “I can find myself in a lot of pressure because I do a lot of activities out of school,” she says. “Last year, I was just so overwhelmed, and I caught myself cheating sometimes. You never wanna see a bad grade on your paper.”

“I hate cheating,” says Jackson, 15: “I go home with guilt piled onto me. I just feel like probably one of the worst kids ever, but I still wanna get good grades and I still wanna make my family happy and get into a good college someday.”

What classifies as cheating may not always be so clear. Nick News asked kids across the country to weigh in on a series of potential “cheating situations.” Randy Cohen, ethicist for The New York Times, addresses the issues surrounding what the right thing to do is in each scenario — and why.

While it has become increasingly difficult to detect cheating, schools are finding new ways to prevent it, including the use of plagiarism prevention websites. “I don’t want to catch cheaters,” says Susan Heckman, English teacher at Coronado High School in Las Vegas. “So why do I put the time and effort into it? It’s for all the students out there who have the courage to put their very own work forward. So I feel like it’s my job to protect the honest students.”

Nick News, produced by Lucky Duck Productions, is now in its 19th year and is the longest-running kids’ news show in television history. It has built its reputation on the respectful and direct way it speaks to kids about the important issues of the day. Nick News recently was honored with its first ever Edward R. Murrow Award for “Network News Documentary” for the documentary special, “Coming Home: When Parents Return from War,” marking the first-ever kids television program to receive the prestigious award. Over the years, Nick News has received more than 20 Emmy nominations and recently won its seventh Emmy Award in the category of Outstanding Children’s Nonfiction Program for “Coming Home: When Parents Return from War.” Additional Emmy wins for Outstanding Children’s Programming include: “The Untouchable Kids of India” (2008); “Private Worlds: Kids and Autism” (2007); “From the Holocaust to the Sudan” (2005); “Faces of Hope: The Kids of Afghanistan” (2002); “What Are You Staring At?” (1998). In addition, in 1994, the entire series won the Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Programming. Nick News has also received three Peabody Awards, including a personal award given to Ellerbee for her coverage for kids of the President Clinton investigation, as well as two Columbia duPont Awards and more than a dozen Parents’ Choice Awards.

Technorati Tags: Nickelodeon, Linda Ellerbee, Nick News, Cheating, Cheater, Television Show, Episode, High School, Middle School, College

ENTRY RULES:
Literary Illusions is proud to be giving away a copy of Thomas & Friends: Thomas and the Runaway Kite on DVD. To enter all you need to do is leave us a comment. Please be sure to only leave one.

COMMENTS ARE MODERATED to avoid spam, so it will not show up right away. People who leave multiple comments will be deleted from the contest altogether. If you do not see your comment within a day then by all means leave another one. Otherwise, do not worry as we accept comments several times a day.

ENTRY GUIDELINES:
To enter you need to be at least 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible.

GET AN EXTRA ENTRY:
Want an extra entry? Twitter about this contest! Just click the Tweet button!

You can post the URL to your Tweet in your initial comment for this contest.

To find out about all our latest contests feel free to add us to your Twitter:

@dominickevans
@ashtynevans

You can also get extra entries (one entries for each) into our contest by:

-Posting on your blog/website about out contest with a link back to LI Kids (please let us know where to find said link so we can give you an extra entry)
-Digging or Stumbling this post (list your Digg/Stumble username in your comment)
-Becoming a Member of our Facebook Fan Page
-Subscribing to our YouTube Page

*******Please only leave ONE comment – If you Twitter, Digg, Blog about, or Stumble this contest you can post all relevant information in that comment. We will make sure to add extra entries for each extra thing you’ve done when we randomly pick winners.

CLAIMING YOUR PRIZE:
Winners will be sent an email shortly after the end of the contest. To claim your prize all you will need to do is send us your address in a reply to the congratulation email that you will receive. If we do not receive a reply from you within three days, your winnings will be forfeited and your prize will be offered to another contestant.

ENTRY DEADLINE:
We will begin emailing winners for this the week of March 7, 2010, which means you have until March 6, 2010 at 11:59 to enter.

FROM THE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
Hang on tight for a high-flying ride with Thomas & FriendsT in the all-new Thomas & the Runaway Kite flying onto DVD March 2, 2010 from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment. There are jobs to be done, visitors to meet and friends to greet in this never-before-seen DVD featuring full CG animation and individual voices for all the engines. All-new content available only on the DVD features live-action host Driver Perkins, who has to rely on a naughty parrot to save the day.

Teaching timeless life lessons such as discovery, friendship and cooperation, the Thomas & Friends animated series invites children to enter a world of imagination through the tracks of a train and the words of a story.

DVD SYNOPSIS
There’s a kite on the loose and Thomas must catch it before the wind blows it from Sodor. With Gordon, Charlie and Toby by his side, Thomas learns that a helping hand keeps him right on track when it comes to rescuing kites, saving a swarm of bees, and preventing railway disasters from taking flight! Hop on board for a high-flying ride with Thomas & FriendsT in these all-new, never-before-seen train adventures!

Episodes include:
“Thomas & the Runaway Kite”
“Buzzy Bees”
“Toby’s New Whistle”
“The Biggest Present of All”

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES
“How Many Shapes Do You See” Game
“Find What Doesn’t Belong” Game

Technorati Tags: Thomas and Friends, Hit Entertainment, Lionsgate, DVD, Contest, Giveaway, Thomas and the Runaway Kite

ENTRY RULES:
Literary Illusions is proud to be giving away a copy of Barney: Egg-Cellent Adventures on DVD. To enter all you need to do is leave us a comment. Please be sure to only leave one.

COMMENTS ARE MODERATED to avoid spam, so it will not show up right away. People who leave multiple comments will be deleted from the contest altogether. If you do not see your comment within a day then by all means leave another one. Otherwise, do not worry as we accept comments several times a day.

ENTRY GUIDELINES:
To enter you need to be at least 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible.

GET AN EXTRA ENTRY:
Want an extra entry? Twitter about this contest! Just click the Tweet button!

You can post the URL to your Tweet in your initial comment for this contest.

To find out about all our latest contests feel free to add us to your Twitter:

@dominickevans
@ashtynevans

You can also get extra entries (one entries for each) into our contest by:

-Posting on your blog/website about out contest with a link back to LI Kids (please let us know where to find said link so we can give you an extra entry)
-Digging or Stumbling this post (list your Digg/Stumble username in your comment)
-Becoming a Member of our Facebook Fan Page
-Subscribing to our YouTube Page

*******Please only leave ONE comment – If you Twitter, Digg, Blog about, or Stumble this contest you can post all relevant information in that comment. We will make sure to add extra entries for each extra thing you’ve done when we randomly pick winners.

CLAIMING YOUR PRIZE:
Winners will be sent an email shortly after the end of the contest. To claim your prize all you will need to do is send us your address in a reply to the congratulation email that you will receive. If we do not receive a reply from you within three days, your winnings will be forfeited and your prize will be offered to another contestant.

ENTRY DEADLINE:
We will begin emailing winners for this the week of March 5 , 2010, which means you have until March 4, 2010 at 11:59 to enter.

FROM THE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:
It’s magical make-believe time with everyone’s favorite purple dinosaur, BarneyT, and his friends when Barney: Egg-Cellent Adventures springs onto DVD March 2, 2010 from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment. Available for the first-time ever on DVD, it’s the perfect addition to any Easter basket! Trusted by moms and adored by children, Barney displays sharing, caring, imagining, dancing and learning on television, online and through live events, home entertainment and publishing. The EmmyR award-winning series, Barney & FriendsT is one of the top-rated preschool shows today, airing on PBS KIDS and PBS KIDS Sprout.

DVD SYNOPSIS
Your search for tee-riffic fun with Barney & FriendsT is over! Baskets full of egg-citement abound when Mother Goose, a nest full of eggs, and a mysterious, carrot-eating visitor bring super-Dino adventures to the whole family. Hop along for the super-dee-duper adventures with Barney and his friends!

Episodes include:
“Rabbits”
“Mother Goose”
“Ducks and Fish”

DVD SPECIAL FEATURES
“Barney’s Easter Egg Hunt”
“Gumdrops Matching Game”

Technorati Tags: Barney, Contest, Giveaway, Egg-Cellent Adventures, DVD, Easter, Holiday, Kids

Growing up, I absolutely loved Little House on the Prairie. In fact, there were no words for how much I loved it. I occasionally got teased for it. Okay, I still occasionally get teased for it, but when I see it on television, I always at least stop to see what episode is airing. So, when someone sent me the information for Little House The Musical, I wasn’t sure what to think. I hate the idea of remakes and the idea of something like this being made into a musical…well it honestly scares the living hell out of me.

On one end, you have Melissa Gilbert staring in this as Ma. Now, anyone that knows Little House knows that Gilbert has remained away from anything that was Little House related since the show ended. For her to be involved in this must mean that the project has some merit. Still, a musical?! A Little House musical? I just don’t know. I want to believe that it’s good. I certainly want to be hopeful, but I just am not sure of it’s greatness.

Based on the schedule for the tour, I may not have a chance to find out first hand how good or bad this is. They will be touring a lot in Texas, California, and Florida, but will be missing a variety of states including Michigan. So, that pretty much leaves me out of the running for checking it out. Despite that, I still can’t help but wonder why now…and if it’s even worth seeing in the first place. As a fan I am curious if it would make me angry that it was even made (as some things like this might do/have done) or if I would love it.

Check out this sizzle reel and let me know what you think. If it was in your area and you’re a fan would you watch it?

According to the musical website Little House: The Musical is currently in Canada (Toronto) and will eventually hit:

Tampa, and Naples, Florida
Raleigh, North Carolina
Appleton, Wisconsin
Spokane, Washington
Sacramento, California
Houston and Dallas, Texas
Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Ft Worth, Texas
Atlanta, Georgia
Kansas City, Missouri

You can learn more about the show at the Little House on the Prairie: The Musical Website.

Technorati Tags: Little House on the Prairie, The Musical, Stage Production, Melissa Gilbert, Ma and Pa, Fans, Television