Handy Manny is a hot show among the pre-school crowd.  Probably because Handy Manny is just the kind of guy you'd like to be pals with.  He's friendly, his neighborhood is great, and he can fix anything (hence his name).  Do your little ones like to pretend they are repairing things right along with Manny when they watch?

Guess what?  Handy Manny has an all new show coming up: "Handy Manny Big Race" this Saturday, March 20th, at 7PM/6C on The Disney Channel.

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Between homeschooling, house cleaning, errand running, extra-curricular activities, the church nursery and blogging, I don't have much free time on my hands.  But I feel oh so much better when I do take some time out for myself.  I try and set aside an afternoon a week to do whatever I want, whether that's going for lunch with a friend, shopping by myself, or just curled up on the couch reading.  Just that little bit of time without "Mom can I...or Mom how do you.. or Mom, Mom, Mom", gets me ready for all the busy-ness again.

I am so excited to get that time away next month, when I board the Disney Magic for 14 nights of relaxation.  I know I am blessed to take as many vacations as we do, but it seems so long for me since our last one (it really hasn't been, it just feels that way lol!).  Being pampered Disney style is something I wish everyone could experience, it really is a treat!  I promise to share lots of pictures and stories when I come back though.  Year round, you can visit Disney Family.com for parenting advice, travel ideas, recipes and more.

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If you haven't heard of Allstar Weekend, be prepared to in the near future, especially if you have a tween or teen in your home.

This young group of 4 have talent and their first single "A Different Side of Me" will be premiering tonight Sunday, February 21st on Disney Channel! The music video will air after a new episode of Hannah Monatana! 

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America is home to baseball, state fairs, country music, cheeseburgers and of course, American cheese.  Now America’s favorite brand of American cheese – KRAFT Singles – has partnered with Disney ABC to discover America’s “Single Best Town,” inviting people across the country to share the single best thing about their town.  From a unique monument to a charming local festival, KRAFT Singles is searching for the one-of-a-kind features that make America’s towns special and uniquely American!  

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Disney's StarStruck is going to be big.  Sterling Knight is Christopher Wilde in this new Disney Channel Original Movie.  If the music is any indication, Disney has yet another hit.

Amber and I have been boppin' around and have played the tracks over and over again.

The StarStruck soundtrack was released on Tuesday, February 9th and is now available to purchase or download.

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And I'm just not talking about Mickey Mouse, I'm talking about a computer mouse too!  Disney Digital Books provides a whole library of Disney books for readers of all levels, that will help keep (or learn!) a love for reading.

Amber has always been a reluctant reader. She reads well, but finding content that interests her is always a chore.  Disney Digital books however, has kept her busy the last couple of weeks for her required homeschool reading.  She has discovered the Jack Sparrow books and is reading longer than I require her, because she is liking them so much.

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I can hardly wait for our Disney Magic Transatlantic Cruise this April.  Usually we tack on a few days at Disney World when we cruise, but because this one is a two week cruise as it is, we have to forego visiting the parks this time around.

Our first trip to Disney World as a family was when Amber was 2 1/2, and I wish I would have had Lisa Battista's "Beyond the Attractions: A Guide to Walt Disney World with Preschoolers" at the time.

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What child is not familiar with the popular Disney characters? Especially the younger ones, who adore having their special space decked out with their favorite movie pals.

When Amber was 5 she went through a Buzz Lightyear phase, and she wanted everything in her room to show that Buzz was "the" best thing in inner and outer space!

Which brings us back to the Disney characters and where your child lays their head.  Janlynn has wonderfully fun (and practical) Pillowcase Art kits featuring your kids' favorite Disney movies and characters.  Hannah Montana, Disney Princesses and Cars are just a few of the options available.

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 Disney's new hit The Princess and the Frog is in theaters now!  HINT water recently launched a limited edition The Princess and the Frog bottle for one of its most popular flavors, Blackberry, to memorialize the groundbreaking movie.

 In honor of the movie, HINT is hosting a promo on their site, http://www.drinkhint.com/ where you can enter for a chance to win free tickets to the movie through December 28th.  One winner will be announced each day and rewarded with two tickets to see the film at a local theater.

 If you've been reading my blog for a while you know that we're passionate about Disney in our home. And if you are newer to my blog, or if this is the first time you're visiting, the Disney category just below the featured section should give it away!

I was sent a mini Mickey Mouse cookie cutter from http://www.cheapcookiecutters.com/ to review, and yes I'll admit, it made me a bit giddy!

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With the holiday gathering hugging, kissing and cheek pinching that will be happening, it's important to make sure that we help our children understand proper hand washing techniques in order to keep the germs at bay as much as we can.

Well I'm always a sucker for any product that is branded with a Disney character but the Disney Musical Hand Wash Timer by Healthy Hands has its own merit, the Disney branding is just an added bonus!

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One of the things I like about Disney movies are the soundtracks.

Some pretty cool songs have emerged as classics and it's fun to listen to them in their original versions as well as remixed.

Rock icons Los Lobos have taken 13 Disney tunes from movies and even a couple of park attractions, and added their distinct Latin flair to them.

Los Lobos Goes Disney sounds awesome.  It is extremely catchy with their Latin twist.

The beat of this album, might get you up and dancing with your kids, which is a perk if you're like me and sometimes find it tough to get up and moving ☺.

I have a giveaway for a Los Lobos Goes Disney for one of my readers.

To enter visit Amazon.com and tell me what song you think would be your favorite.

For extra entries you can (please leave a new comment for each additional entry):

1. Follow Meon twitter and tweet this giveaway (this can be done daily!)"@threedifferent Win a copy of Los Lobos Goes Disney http://bit.ly/4oLEVi Listen to Disney classics with a Latin Twist! "
2. Become a fan of Three Different Directions on Facebook 
3. Subscribe to my feed via reader or email
4. Follow my blog publicly
5. Add my button to your blog
6. Post about this giveaway on your blog and link back to it

This giveaway will end on November 17, 2009 at 11:59 pm cst and is opento U.S. Residents ages 13+. The winner will be chosen by random.org andwill be e-mailed. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to thee-mail or an alternate winner will be chosen. By entering this giveawayyou are stating that you have read my **About Reviews and my Privacy/Rules statements and agree to them.

I received a complimentary digital version of Los Lobos Goes Disney for the purpose of this review.

As most of you know we vacation with "The Mouse".  A lot.  

This post was

A couple of days ago I had the chance to preview the new Wild About Safety with Timon and Pumbaa: Safety Smart About Fire DVD brought to you by Underwriters Laboratories and Disney Educational Productions.  This DVD will hit the shelves at Barnes & Noble on November 16th, and is a fun way to teach fire safety to kids (and adults too!).

Seriously, all three of us huddled around the computer when the webcast started, and when the video was played for a second time, we were still there watching!

Timon and Pumbaa engage with chalk drawings,their ever witty humor and catchy tunes, to share the importance of Fire Safety in your home and community.

Did you know that Sunday, October 4 kicks off Fire Safety Week?  And a perfect thing for you do to with your kids is watch a short trailer of the 12 minute dvd at http://www.safetysmartdvd.com/.

There is also A Fire Safety Smart Super Challenge at UL in their kids section that is a great reinforcement for safety rules.  The Safety Smart Super Challenge also has quizzes for other areas as well.

UL's business is to help make sure that the products you buy are safe to operate and use.  They smash, burn, explode (sounds like a fun job doesn't it!) and basically they trash the products before you buy them, so they can help your world be a safer place.

If you've ever been to Epcot at Disney World you will recognize UL as a the sponsors of the Test The Limits Lab in Epcot's Innoventions.  We always have a great time stomping to get the doors closed, trying to shatter a t.v. and attempting to smash a firefighters helmet.  Kind of gives you a taste of what Underwriters Laboratories do everyday!

Underwriters Laboratories is generously sponsoring a giveaway at Three Different Directions for 10 of my readers to receive a copy of the 11 minute Wild About Safety with Timon and Pumbaa: Safety Smart Goes Green.  The loveable jungle animals explore Reducing, Reusing and Recycling as well as ways to conserve water and energy.

To enter this giveaway visit UL's Facts and Figures page and comment with something you learned about the hazards that face our children and a solution to help prevent injuries.

For extra entries you can (please leave a new comment for each additional entry):

1. Follow Me on twitter and tweet this giveaway (this can be done daily!) you can tweet "@threedifferent Be one of ten winners for Wild About Safety Starring Timon and Pumbaa: Safety Smart Goes Green DVD! http://bit.ly/8ybrd"
2. Subscribe to my feed via reader or email
3. Follow my blog publicly
4. Add my button to your blog
5. Post about this giveaway on your blog and link back to it

This giveaway will end on October 15, 2009 at 11:59 pm cst and is open to U.S. Residents ages 18+. The winner will be chosen by random.org and will be e-mailed. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the e-mail or an alternate winner will be chosen. By entering this giveaway you are stating that you have read my **About Reviews and my Privacy/Rules statements and agree to them.