Author: Melissa

Family Movie Night: 90 Non-Disney Family Friendly Movies (Rated PG and Under)

Weekly family movie nights, now doesn’t that sound wonderful? Imagine it, getting into pajamas and snuggling up on the couch or pillow-strewn floor, munching on a special snack. There are many ways to create happy memories, and this is one of them!

We’ve already had three family movie nights this year and they were fun and relaxed. Our only rule is no screens except for the one the movie is featured on.

I’ve created a list of 90 non-Disney family movie ideas rated PG and under. I did not include many sequels for the sake of length, but most of the sequels are worth watching too! If you have any family favorite I did not include, please let us know!

  1. The Adventures of Tintin
  2. All Dogs Go to Heaven
  3. Alvin and the Chipmunks
  4. An American Tail
  5. An American Tail: Fievel Goes West
  6. Anastasia
  7. Babe
  8. The Bad Guys
  9. Balto
  10. Bee Movie
  11. Beethoven
  12. The Boss Baby
  13. The Brave Little Toaster
  14. The Care Bears Adventure in Wonderland
  15. The Care Bears Movie
  16. Cats & Dogs
  17. Cats Don’t Dance
  18. Charlotte’s Web
  19. Chicken Run
  20. The Chipmunk Adventure
  21. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
  22. Despicable Me
  23. Epic
  24. Ferdinand
  25. Ferngully: The Last Rainforest
  26. The Flintstones
  27. Free Willy
  28. Garfield
  29. The Grinch
  30. Happy Feet
  31. Home
  32. Horton Hears a Who!
  33. Hotel Transylvania
  34. How to Train Your Dragon
  35. Ice Age
  36. The Iron Giant
  37. Jetsons: The Movie
  38. The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones
  39. Kung Fu Panda
  40. The Land Before Time
  41. The Last Unicorn
  42. The Lego Movie
  43. The Lorax
  44. Madagascar
  45. Minions
  46. Monsters vs. Aliens
  47. Mr. Peabody and Sherman
  48. My Little Pony: The Movie
  49. The NeverEnding Story
  50. Once Upon a Forest
  51. Over the Hedge
  52. The Pagemaster
  53. Paw Patrol: The Movie
  54. The Pebble and the Penguin
  55. Peter Pan
  56. Pokemon: The First Movie
  57. Pokemon Detective Pikachu
  58. The Powerpuff Girls Movie
  59. Puss in Boots
  60. Quest for Camelot
  61. Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer
  62. Rio
  63. Rise of the Guardians
  64. The Road to El Dorado
  65. Rock-a-doodle
  66. The Rugrats Movie
  67. Scooby-Doo (any)
  68. The Secret Life of Pets
  69. The Secret of NIMH
  70. Shirley Temple (any early years)
  71. Shrek
  72. Sing
  73. Snoopy Come Home
  74. Sonic the Hedgehog
  75. Space Jam
  76. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
  77. Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron
  78. Stuart Little
  79. The Super Mario Bros. Movie
  80. The Swan Princess
  81. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
  82. Thumbelina
  83. A Troll in Central Park
  84. Trolls
  85. Turbo
  86. Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Wererabbit
  87. We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story
  88. The Wild Thornberrys Movie
  89. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
  90. The Wizard of Oz

If you’re looking for animated Disney movies, I’ve created a list of that too! Check it out here and enjoy!

The First 30 Minutes of Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage

Have you ever been undecided on what to play next? 

Should you buy that game? Should you install that game?

I’ve been there, and sometimes you just need to take a look at the graphics, hear the music, and learn a little about the plot to see if it resonates with you before taking the next step. I’m here to help! I am creating the first 30 to the first 60 minute videos of games; indie and mainstream, new and old!

This week let’s take a look at the first 30 minutes of Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage from the Reignited Trilogy…

Do you want to play the rest? 

DIY Crochet – Warm, Fuzzy Scarf Pattern

Welcome back friends! Do you crochet? I dabbled in crochet off and on for a few years, always fascinated, but never fully catching on. I kept at it, and suddenly, it clicked! I feel calm and cozy when I’m crocheting, and fiercely proud whenever I complete a project.

It’s that time of year for keeping warm! Whether you’d like to create a scarf for yourself or to gift to a friend, I’m here to help! 

This scarf is cozy classic and ideal for any level of crocheter (beginners included)! Any bulky size 5 yarn can be used in this pattern, but for the soft and fuzzy results of my example piece, I used Carron Latte Cakes Yarn.

SUPPLIES
  • Crochet hook (size 6mm)
  • Carron Latte Cakes Yarn (Color: Rose Scented)
  • Scissors
  • Yarn needle or small crochet hook
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Create a slip knot, then chain 250 stitches.
  2. Turn your chain around and half double crochet (hdc) into the third stitch from the hook. Continue to hdc in each stitch all the way across your chain.
  3. Chain 2 and turn your work. Hdc into the back loop of the third stitch from the hook, then continue to hdc in the back loops of each stitch all the way across your project.
  4. Repeat step 3 for the next thirteen rows for a total of 15 hdc rows. You are welcome increase the amount of rows if you’d prefer a wider scarf!
  5. After the last hdc stitch of your last row, use the scissors to disconnect the yarn from the skein and pull the loose end through your crochet loop.
  6. Using a yarn needle or a small crochet hook, weave the loose ends of the yarn into the surrounding scarf.
  7. Wrap around your neck and get cozy!

The First 30 Minutes of Spyro the Dragon

Have you ever been undecided on what to play next? 

Should you buy that game? Should you install that game?

I’ve been there, and sometimes you just need to take a look at the graphics, hear the music, and learn a little about the plot to see if it resonates with you before taking the next step. I’m here to help! I am creating the first 30 to the first 60 minute videos of games; indie and mainstream, new and old!

This week let’s take a look at the first 30 minutes of Spyro the Dragon from the Reignited Trilogy…

Do you want to play the rest? 

How to Clean – Classic My Little Pony Plushies

Growing up reading The Velveteen Rabbit and then watching the Toy Story films, I became convinced (as I’m sure many children do) that toys are alive and they have feelings. This made giving them up extra hard, and although I had to say goodbye to a lot of them over the years to keep my room and storage from overflowing, I did save a lot of toys that were meaningful to me in the hopes I could pass them on to my future child (like I believe Andy should have done in Toy Story 3). Now we have a daughter and I cannot wait to share some of my beloved toys with her in the hopes that they will be beloved to her too.

I dug through my parent’s garage and found my classic My Little Pony plushies (or Hasbro Softies) from the 1980s! In my memory they were in perfect condition, in reality their bodies are in good condition with no visible stains, but their manes and tails were a matted mess! I also noticed a great deal of their eye paint had scratched off!

I set to work cleaning, repairing and styling my My Little Ponies and now they are all ready for Zoey! I want to help you do the same so you can share them with your little ones, or collect them for yourself, the choice is yours!

First thing’s first let’s assess these ponies! The tags warn that these plushies are surface wash only; submerging them in water could ruin them, so let’s avoid that! I am fortunate that my pony plushies had very little discoloration or staining, so I used soap water to clean them. If I come across a dirtier plush, I will test other methods on them, so stay tuned!

SUPPLIES
  • Castile soap
  • Toothbrush
  • Washcloth
  • Conditioner
  • Detangler spray
  • Comb or wet brush
  • Small towel
  • Paper towels
  • Clothespin
  • Masking tape
  • Oil-based paint markers ( I used fine tip and wider)
INSTRUCTIONS

*Do not submerge this pony in water*

  1. Create a sudsy mixture of castile soap and water in a small bowl. Dip your cleaning toothbrush into this mixture as needed and use it to gently clean the pony’s body.
  2. Once you’ve cleaned the whole pony, dampen a soft washcloth and wipe away the soap.
  3. While avoiding getting the pony’s body wet under a faucet, carefully wash and rinse the mane and tail using castile soap or shampoo.
  4. Apply conditioner to the mane and tail. Allow it to sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then use a wet brush or a comb to gently brush through any tangles. If any of the knots are really stubborn, spraying a little detangler spray on them will help!
  5. Avoiding the pony’s body again, carefully rinse the hair out and use a small towel to give the hair a couple of squeezes to remove any excess water.
  6. While the pony’s hair is still damp, comb through it again so it’s smooth and set it with paper towels and a clothespin. Whichever way you want the pony’s mane to fall (sometimes it’s already decided for you) place a paper towel under the mane, against the body, then wrap the pony’s mane around its neck in that direction with a second paper towel over it and secure it with a clothespin. The tail could air dry, but you are always welcome to wrap a paper towel around it and tuck it between the pony’s legs to smooth it down.
  7. Allow your pony to completely air dry (overnight or 24 hours), then remove the paper towels.
  8. Once the pony is completely dry, we can repair their eyes. Before painting, use masking tape to cover the fur around each eye. I used oil-based paint pens and began with the pupil, coloring in the pupil. I did not have a color that perfectly matched the iris, so I chose the closest color and re-colored the whole iris to match. Use a finer tip for the eyelashes and liner. Allow this paint to dry and then add white highlight marks to each eye.
  9. Once everything is fully dry, enjoy!

What My Little Ponies plushies do you have?  How did they turn out? I hope you and your loved ones enjoy them!

 

The First 30 Minutes of My Little Pony: A Maretime Bay Adventure

Have you ever been undecided on what to play next? 

Should you buy that game? Should you install that game?

I’ve been there, and sometimes you just need to take a look at the graphics, hear the music, and learn a little about the plot to see if it resonates with you before taking the next step. I’m here to help! I am creating the first 30 to the first 60 minute videos of games; indie and mainstream, new and old!

This week let’s take a look at the first 30 minutes of My Little Pony: A Maretime Bay Adventure…

Do you want to play the rest? 

How to Play – Boggle Jr.

Part of the fun in raising Zoey is finding things that delight and educate her; I want to find fun, creative board games to play with her during our family game nights! This week we played Boggle Jr. by Hasbro for 1 to 2 players! 

This game will help children with their spelling in a fun, rewarding way! If this means setting up a reward system for if they could finish all the 3 letter words, then the 4 letter words and then the combined deck, do it! Education should be fun and rewarding! I could see improvement in Zoey’s word recognition and spelling almost immediately.

Let’s play!

IN THE BOX
  • Boggle Jr. game tray
  • 8 letter cubes
  • 30 picture/word cards (double-sided)
INSTRUCTIONS

Game # 1: Match it-Spell it

  1. Shuffle and stack the picture/word cards so the 3-letter words are all face up and turned in the same direction.
  2. Place the stack in the tray above the cube slots, facing the child (the word cover is flipped down & out of use).
  3. Point to the picture on the card and ask the child what it is — i.e. a pig, a jar, a pie, the sun, etc.
  4. Point to the word below the picture and say the word, then spell the word out loud letter by letter.
  5. Go back to the first letter and have the child find that letter on one of the cubes and place the cube in the first slot of the tray, directly under the letter as it appears on the card.
  6. Proceed through the other two letters until the 3-letter word is spelled out in cubes under the card.
  7. Reinforce what the child has just accomplished by saying the word and spelling together. Give the child the top card and proceed through the rest of the remaining 3-letter words in the same manner.
  8. Next play with 4-letter word cards. Then shuffle the cards and play with 3 and 4 letter words mixed.

Game # 2: Cover it-Spell it

  1. Shuffle and stack the picture/word cards so the 3-letter words are all face up and turned in the same direction.
  2. Place the stack in the tray above the cube slots, facing the child (the word cover is flipped up & in use).
  3. The child glances at the word under the cover, then hides it again. Now he/she is no longer matching letters with letter, but is actually spelling the word from memory.
  4. Next play with 4-letter word cards. Then shuffle the cards and play with 3 and 4 letter words mixed.
  5. For two players the children take turns. Each time a child successfully spells a word from memory, he or she wins that card and continues to the next.
  6. If a child spells a word incorrectly, that card is placed on the bottom of the pile of cards and that child’s turn ends. When the card comes up again, the player whose turn it is attempts to spell the word.
  7. The children alternate turns until all the cards have been used, whoever has won more cards during the game wins!

ENJOY!

The First 30 Minutes of My Friend Peppa Pig

Have you ever been undecided on what to play next? 

Should you buy that game? Should you install that game?

I’ve been there, and sometimes you just need to take a look at the graphics, hear the music, and learn a little about the plot to see if it resonates with you before taking the next step. I’m here to help! I am creating the first 30 to the first 60 minute videos of games; indie and mainstream, new and old!

This week let’s take a look at the first 30 minutes of My Friend Peppa Pig…

Do you want to play the rest? 

My daughter did, and this was a perfect starter game for her! The controls are simple and easy to grasp. She is currently four years old and enjoys watching Peppa Pig, so being a part of Peppa’s world was really exciting for her!

Happy New Year 2024!

Happy New Year Friends! I wish you all the best and sincerely hope all your hopes and dreams for 2024 will come to fruition. These last few years have been rocky, to say the least, but its a time for fresh starts and new beginnings, so let’s make the most of it!

I believe in making resolutions; they give you the focus to complete certain tasks. Resolutions can be made any time of the year, and should be in some cases, but it’s traditional to make them for the fresh start of a new year and it’s all in good fun!

I’ve set 12 resolutions for 2024, check them out!

  1. Become a YouTube Partner.
  2. Delete Facebook.
  3. Learn how to draw in Procreate.
  4. Use Procreate to create at least 12 designs and upload.
  5. Play and complete 12 video games.
  6. Progress in Duolingo lessons.
  7. Read and complete 12 books.
  8. Take Zoey to Universal Studios.
  9. Watch and complete 12 movies I’ve never seen.
  10. Weekly family game nights.
  11. Weekly family movie nights.
  12. Yoga 5 days a week.

The First 60 Minutes of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Have you ever been undecided on what to play next? 

Should you buy that game? Should you install that game?

I’ve been there, and sometimes you just need to take a look at the graphics, hear the music, and learn a little about the plot to see if it resonates with you before taking the next step. I’m here to help! I am creating the first 30 to the first 60 minute videos of games; indie and mainstream, new and old!

This week let’s take a look at the first 60 minutes of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor…

Do you want to play the rest?