Are you a Lightening McQueen Fan? Are you gearing up to check out CARS 2? Well, here’s a pre-launch giveaway sure to get you and your kids excited about! Kid Bloggers Club will also host a CARS 2 Giveaway tonight, inshaAllah, God willing, and they’ll be spending the entire week sharing some great CARS 2 exclusive trailers, family activities, and their excitement as we prepared to attend a pre-screening next week, inshaAllah.

CARS 2 Kids Giveaway Pack

Prize pack includes:

- CARS 2 t-shirt in youth sizes of S, M, L, XL

- CARS 2 set of 3 bumper tickets

- CARS 2 temporary tattoo sheet (2 per winner)

- CARS 2 puzzle

Enter to win a CARS 2 Kids Giveaway Pack

Deadline date: Thursday, June 34, 2011 at 11:59 pm Eastern Standard Time. (The night before it debuts in a theater near you!)

Contest Rules

• You must adhere to all the rules as stated. Shall a winner be chosen who did not complete these rules, he/she will not be eligible to win.

You must visit the official CARS 2 website comment below telling us what episode you can’t wait to see and share what size T-shirt you’d like to win.

• To be eligible to win you must be a U.S. and Canadian resident, and 18 years of age or older.

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RT @ponnsabra #GIVEAWAY Win CARS 2 #Kids Pack – T-shirt, Puzzle, Bumper Stickers & Temp. Tattoos! http://ow.ly/5jGeG Pls RT

Determining a Winner

Each comment below designates an entry number. We will use And the Winner Is… plugin to pick a random winner from the total number of comments below. The winner will be contacted by email. If no response is received in 48 hours, another winner will be chosen. Confirmed winners will be announced on our Contest Winners Page, where you may refer to at anytime.

Disclosure: We do not receive products nor compensation for this contest. We will, inshaAllah, attend a pre-screening organized by Disney’s media department. However, we were not influenced in anyway to share only positive remarks. After all, lying is haram (prohibited). You’re welcome to read American Muslim Mom’s disclosure policy and contest disclosure.

CARS 2 Kids Giveaway Pack – T-shirt, Bumper Stickers, Temporary Tattoos & Puzzle is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

Note: No, we do NOT celebrate Earth Day. Every day is “Earth Day” in this proud natural, green-is-for-Islam, homeschooling Muslim mobile home, garden…home is where ever we are as long as our intentions and actions are with Allah, subhanallahu wa T’ala/May He be Glorified.

My girls have been telling me all about new commercials about AFRICAN CATS–which is the third release under our Disneynature label after OCEANS last year and EARTH in 2009. They are particularly excited because, as you may remember, we just returned from Africa (albeit Northern African) a few months ago. Now we watch a TON of nature documentaries, but they are particularly drawn to the obvious fact that this documentary is made for kids. And through these commercials, they learned how African cat families living in the Savanna depends heavily on their own family as the storyline to this film. They also like the fact that this film is only about wild cats, rather than multiple kinds of animals. Last, they just added that they really appreciate that Disney put out Disneynature series in which is focused completely on educational nature films…MashaAllah, God has willed, I’m very proud for their commentary, because I have yet to watch a commercial; so let’s watch the trailer below together, shall we?

Check out the trailer below

Educational Materials Available for Free Download

• • Download Educators’ Guide
  • Download Activity Guide
  • Download Activity Sheet

Learn more and connect with Disneynature online

• Website and Mobile Site
• Like us on Facebook
• Follow us on Twitter

Here is a brief synopsis:

Leaping into theaters on Earth Day, 2011, “African Cats” features the real-life love, humor and determination of the kings of the African savanna: Mara, an endearing lion cub who strives to grow up with her mother’s strength, spirit and wisdom; Sita, a fearless cheetah and single mother of five mischievous newborns; and Fang, a proud leader of the pride who must defend his family from a rival lion.

Genre: True Life Adventure

Rating: G

Do you want to watch “African Cats”? Please share

The truth is, and my entire family knows this, I do not like cats–stems from my allergies, and well…no need to get into it. But, before Simba and Raja, other Disney animation movies made lions so lovable, and people started actually started taking wild cats as pets…I’ve always wanted to walk near and pet one of these furious, wild African cats. Well, I think I’m fine just getting close enough to this film, and inshaAllah, to lower Africa so we can one day see them live in their own lands. (Yes, we’ve seen them in multiple different zoos and saharis, but that’s definitely not the wild).

African Cats coming to theatres everywhere on April 22nd is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

Orphan Productions is presenting Disney’s Cinderella Kids on Saturday, August 6 at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. at the Maumee Indoor Theater, 601 Conant Street in Maumee, Ohio.

The show is free and is put on by the children in their Summer Theater Workshop.

Thanks Erin for the tip!

Disney’s Cinderella Kids – Free Performances is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

As I absolutely love blogging…I had to find a whole new voice, direction, and focus for us, as we make our “official” first-year’s journey through homeschooling here in the state of Ohio. ..Toledo to be more specific.

As I see huge difference in my raising girls than I would if I had boys…this changed our sub-title to “It’s a Girl-Thang! Homeschooling girls: tips, tools & resources…from birth and beyond (on a shoestring budget).”

The truth be told: my husband and I have been homeschooling our girls the moment they were born, and I don’t envision us stopping any time soon…that’s how I came with “from birth and beyond”.

Starting anew, will allow me to write naturally, and I’ll feel more comfortable that I have targeted opinions, tips, tools and resources for those looking for girl-thangs!

Don’t get me wrong…we plan on raising very worldly girls, so I will not be writing “girlY-things” per se.

It’s just that in raising them and letting them lead some of their education, interests, activities and desires…I realize that we will always have a “Girl-Thang” going on at this house. At least until a little dude comes around…if ever

Examples of “It’s a Girl-Thang”:
- As our eldest spent 2.5 hours at Safety Town each day for the past 9 days, she always shared her “new girl friend’s stories”. When asked if she has any friends who are boys, a quick “no” jumps out of her throat.

- As we walk down the aisles at the library or bookstores…you ONLY hear “Dora….princesses…Strawberry Shortcake!”

- When we shop for clothes, and in various tones of high-pitches you hear “awww….ahhh….howww cuuuute….ohhhh”.

That’s the “Girl-Thang” I’m talking about.

So, after a month of incredible swimming lessons, tomorrow’s graduation planned for Saftey Town…we’re planning a nice relaxed August before we start our long awaited dancing lessons in September.

Leotards and tutus are already hanging in our closets…and the girls are impatiently waiting for their very first ballet and tap shoes fitting.

To all homeschool girl…young and old–I, too, am a Girl-at-heart–we, Sabra Girls, are here for ya!

Peace-out!
Mama

P.S. While I’ll obviously share Toledo and Ohio-specific resources, hopefully these posts will empower you to find similar resources in your area, and cause you to still stick around. Afterall, our tone will always be from one (or 4) girl(s) to another!

P.P.S. We’re sticking to a shoestring budget too…utilizing the world wide web at our fingertips. Share your tips and resources often.

It’s a Girl-Thang! is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog

Should public libraries charge for the rental of movies and DVDs?

Check out the debate: Libraries increase DVDs stacks, add fees for movie watchers.

Now are some people just chosing to be cheap…and not renting elsewhere, taking away from the public’s right to free educational and entertaining resources of those who can NOT afford the luxury of movie rentals?

As a movie renter, I honestly do not turn to the library for New Releases…hence, I do not expect or want public libraries to start actively carrying them…just to cater to a movie frenzy and spending dollars I’d rather see them spend on educational materials for my homeschool girls, and the general public at large.

I grew up utilizing the vast educational resources of the public libraries and raising my girls the same way.

No doubt, I don’t just rent educational videos and DVDs. We get Disney full-featured films too…so, there is a place of entertaining videos…as books are the source of creativity, the arts and where true entertainment lies in the imagination of our own minds.

Please, let’s invest wisely.

Library Movies and DVDs is a post from: American Muslim Mom Blog