TANGLED - A Giveaway.

All four of my kids are grown now, but it wasn't too long ago that we religiously made plans to watch whatever new Disney offering was available. In fact, we haven't missed a Disney film yet.

You know that we love All Things Disney (especially Disneyland, see my Disney Scavenger Hunt as proof). That love affair started for me when I was very young and has continued through the recent release of Toy Story 3. (Yes, I wept copiously through the entire thing. Shut up.)

Today I am delighted to invite MBFCF readers to enter a drawing for the chance to win 2 Advance Screening Passes for TANGLED in 3D in each of the following cities:

• CHICAGO - Thursday, November 18 at 7:00 PM
• DALLAS - Wednesday, November 17 at 7:00PM
• HOUSTON - Thursday, November 18 at 7:00PM
• LOS ANGELES - Monday, November 22 at 7:00PM
• MIAMI - Tuesday, November 16 at 7:00PM
• NEW YORK - Thursday, November 18 at 7:00PM
• PHOENIX - Thursday, November 18 at 7:00PM
• SAN ANTONIO - Thursday, November 18 at 7:00PM
• SAN DIEGO - Thursday, November 18 at 7:00PM
• SAN FRANCISCO/SAN JOSE - Thursday, November 18 at 7:00PM

From the press release:

Walt Disney Pictures presents "Tangled," one of the most hilarious, hair-raising tales ever told. When the kingdom's most wanted - and most charming - bandit, Flynn Rider (voice of Zachary Levi), hides out in a mysterious tower, he's taken hostage by Rapunzel (voice of Mandy Moore), a beautiful and feisty tower-bound teen with 70 feet of magical, golden hair. Flynn's curious captor, who's looking for her ticket out of the tower where she's been locked away for years, strikes a deal with the handsome thief, and the unlikely duo sets off an action-packed escapade, complete with a super-cop horse (named Maximus), an over-protective chameleon (named Pascal), and a gruff gang of pub thugs.

Do we love just about anything Disney? Do we further love Zachary Levi?? (Chuck.) Umm....YES!

So we all agree this is a must-see? (I thought as much.)

Take a peek:

If you are available to attend the 3D Preview Screening of TANGLED at the time stated in your city, and you'd like to enter this giveaway which will Admit 2, please leave a comment on this post and tell me:

• What would you do with 70 feet of hair?
• Also, tell me what city you are in.  

I will choose a winner from each area (so tell your out-of-town friends!) on Saturday, November 13th at 11:00 AM Pacific Time.

I think if I had 70 feet of hair I would invest in  Brazilian Blowout product, but that's not important right now... ;-)

The game's afoot...

I'm on vacation. Truly I am. We're swimming and relaxing and I'm even doing some scrapbooking and lots of reading. Yes. A perfectly relaxing vacation.  However, I'm still connected to the world because we inhabit a world of super-techiness (is that a word?).  So, I'm sitting today by the pool and I receive a text from my friend, Gene, Pam's husband, with a picture:

"We're at  the opening of Toy Story Mania. It's phenomenal. Hoping to see you.
Where are you?"

Hmm.... unexpected. My friends are at Disneyland and California Adventures and I'M NOT.

So I reply:
"Big Bear. On vacation. For the rest of the week. So sorry we missed you."

Moments later I receive another text, this time from my niece, Helen, with a picture:

"Just got off the new Toy Story ride. No wait - was amazing. Where are you??"

Ummm, here I go again... Helen and Daisy are my tried and true Disneyland buddies. And they are there WITHOUT ME?

"Big Bear. On vacation. For the rest of the week. So sorry we missed you."

This was starting to take on the characteristics of a conspiracy! I'm apparently the last Disney pass holder on the planet to ride on the new Toy Story ride. And no, I'm not jealous. I'm not. I swear...... heck, I'm on vacation! (and having a wonderful time, but that's not important right now) But the plot thickens and it's my own fault because I was the one who started the Scavenger Hunt in the first place, but that's not important right now either...

So now I'm texting with Gene and I'm texting with Helen when Gene suddenly wants to know where the thermometer is. In my original Disneyland Photo Scavenger Hunt there is a thermometer which reads 40 degrees. I took the picture in the doorway of the Coca-Cola Corner - Here's proof:

Gene and Pam are getting frustrated. No Thermometer. So I enlist Helen (after all, she was with me when I took the photos and she's already done this scavenger hunt) to help Gene and Pam find the Thermometer.

"On which side of the park are you? The Thermometer is MIA." 

It's not at the Coke Corner, she says, in fact, she's sure it's at the Carnation Cafe. I finally give Gene, Helen's number and vice versa (trying to extricate myself from the proverbial loop - I'm on vacation here, people!) but the texts kept coming:

"Not there. The Employees have never seen it before. yada yada. and you're delusional."

What?? This hunt wasn't that long ago.... (I start feeling a bit worried and responsible and a bit crazed when I'm supposed to be relaxing - did I mention that I'm. on. vacation! sigh).

Helen and Daisy let me know that they are now on their way to Main Street and the Carnation Cafe. Surely they'll find the bloody Thermometer - how hard can this be???  Okay. I admit it's a pretty difficult hunt - not for the faint of heart.

So now I get poetic: "Your Sacred Quest - FIND THE THERMOMETER."

They play right along with me: "No quest is too dangerous for the unstoppable duo of Daisy & Helen!"

By this time we're getting ready for dinner. The texting has been going on all day. My family is kind of tired of The Impossible Thermometer Quest. Gene and Pam apparently are tired of it too because they are resting and they think I'm lying and they've given up. (sorry, guys!)

Last text from Helen, way into the evening now:
"There is a nail hole, people!"  Mystery solved.

"Our Disneyland Scavenger Hunt has been sullied. The thermometer is gone, baby, gone!"

SIDE NOTE: When I send text messages with my friends we don't use text-slang (ie - CU L8TR which always sounds like bad vanity plates,but that's not important right now), we use punctuation, upper and lower case letters, and capitalize proper nouns. I know!

It cracked me up that they were furiously texting me all day over this Case of the Missing Thermometer and that yes, even though I'm on vacation.... I still got to play along!  And that makes me uber-happy! But I'm sad that my scavenger hunt is spoiled now.

I guess that only means one thing: I need to start working on a new one. (sigh. A creative-Disney-loving mother's work is never done.)

From the (allegedly) vacationing Marta - Peace out. =D

"Elementary, My Dear Watson there was a NAIL HOLE."

Finding Nemo (and everything else, too.)

It's not like I don't already have enough projects going on in my life.  But this one I couldn't resist.

If you're the holder of a Disneyland Passport (which we are) this will be as familiar a sight to you as it is to us.
Most of our friends are also passholders and Lovers of All Things Disney.
So last week Helen (my niece) calls me:

"It's Gina's Birthday and I want you to make one of your Disneyland Scavenger Hunts for her."

Create a GAME?? Are you kidding? No need to ask twice. I'm all over it. We are all such uber-geeky lovers of anything competitive. I swear.
So we went to Disneyland this week and I took my beloved camera with the longer (40-150 mm) lens and went nuts.

Here's how we did it:

1) We took pictures of things (signs, statues, landmarks, etc.) all over the park.
2) We printed them and put them into a mini-album ($2.00 at Target).
3) Helen took Gina to Disneyland yesterday and gave her the album.
4) Gina had to provide photo-proof she had found the 40 items. (I won't mention how old she is. wink. wink. =D)
5) I have included the pictures in a photo album over on the left called Disneyland Photo Scavenger Hunt if anyone is in So Cal and going to Disneyland and feels like playing. I gave hints in the photo comments section as to which "land" you need to be in to find each item.

Can I just tell you right now that Gina ROCKS!!

She claims she had a blast finding everything.  I think I had more fun coming up with the game.

Happy Birthday, Gina! I hope you had a great day.

I should quickly explain that Gina has been hanging around MBFCF since she could toddle. She's definitely one of the family.  So of course, none of this surprises her.  It's so awesome.

Now I'm thinking I want to go back and do another scavenger hunt over at California Adventures and maybe a kid-friendly version just for the kid areas.  I can feel my creative booster rockets preparing to launch.  Stay tuned. I'll be letting you know whenever someone chooses to play and lets us know.  I'll also be letting you know if my brain accidentally explodes. ;-)  I should have been an Imagineer. (sigh)

And because I have Gina's attention (and I can). . .

We use this clip of my brother-in-law dancing with all the women in just about every family video we've ever created. It's our very favorite.  Gina is in this scene, which puts her in every single one of our family Christmas videos. See? Family. She's the one of the far right with the long curly hair and the butt bow. (lighten up. it was the 80's - everyone had a butt bow!) If you look closely enough you'll see a little blond girl trying to get in the dance - that would be my Amy.

Happy, Happy Birthday, Gina! You Wild Thing, you. And yes, you made the video again. =D