Inspired by Savannah: The Jim Henson Company And Amtrak Partner On "PAJANIMALS Pack Your Pajamas" National Sweepstakes -- Review and #Giveaway

Disclosure: I was sent a copy of this DVD from the vendor in order to write up an honest review. The views shared are mine and mine alone.

PACK YOUR BAGS FOR A MONTH OF PAJANIMALS’ FUN AND ADVENTURE!

"In addition to our nation’s Independence Day celebration on the 4^th, July is also National Family Reunion Month and an opportunity to win big with an all-new national “Pajanimals’ Pack Your Pajamas Sweepstakes” with Amtrak.

Visiting with seldom seen family members can be loads of fun, and if you choose to travel by train, you can make the journey to your family’s reunion an exciting part of your child’s summer vacation experience. Think about it. Rather than fighting traffic, scheduling potty and snack breaks and trying to keep kids entertained on a long car trip, you can travel by train and actually spend quality time with your children while sharing a memorable adventure.

Amtrak offers some interesting vacation suggestions and discounts for family travel, as well as a special Kids Depot webpage (http://www.amtrak.com/whistle-stop/kids-depot), complete with games, activities and downloads covering a variety of topics like trains, geography, the environment, memory-building, problem-solving and much more. Kids can use the site to even make and send their own e-cards from the family laptop while aboard the train. Once aboard the train, you and your family will enjoy spectacular views, can get up and move around, visit the dining car or restroom, read train stories and play games, even take a nap together, arriving at your destination rested, happy and stress free.

The Jim Henson Company, a leader in family entertainment for over 50 years, is partnering with Amtrak this July for a special “Pajanimals’ Pack Your Pajamas Sweepstakes.” Families can enter the sweepstakes beginning July 1, 2013 by logging onto http://www.henson.com/PJsweepstakes/ and following the entry directions.

The “Pajanimals’ Pack Your Pajamas Sweepstakes” will award one Grand Prize of four round-trip coach tickets on Amtrak, a Flip video camera and a 4-piece large plush set of Pajanimals from Tomy.

Five First Prize winners will receive HeysUSA Amtrak luggage and a Pajanimals Adventure Game from Briarpatch and 10 Second Prize winners will receive an Amtrak branded hoodie and the “Pajanimals Playdate” DVD from NCircle Entertainment. The sweepstakes ends July 31, 2013, just in time to take the family on an exciting vacation adventure via Amtrak.

As part of the national summer promotion, Amtrak will promote the “Pajanimals’ Pack Your Pajamas Sweepstakes” and entry details through counter cards and seatbacks in over 100 Amtrak stations nationwide. Amtrak will also distribute free Pajanimals’ themed activity booklets to young travelers and Pajanimals will be featured on placemats for use in Amtrak’s dining cars.

Bring a portable DVD player or laptop along on the family vacation and watch the NEW “Pajanimals Pajama Party!” DVD, now available at www.ncircleentertainment.com and www.amazon.com. (SRP: $9.99).

Pajanimals love to celebrate birthdays, sing songs and enjoy pajama dance parties with friends. You and your pre-schoolers can join Cowbella, Apollo, Sweet Pea Sue and Squacky as they travel to Birthday Land to learn the true importance of why birthdays are so special! Then it’s time to enjoy a pajama dance party and sing our favorite songs! Join the Pajanimals on these fun adventures before it’s time for bedtime in “Pajanimals Pajama Party!”

The stories featured in the DVD encourage children to learn important social and emotional lessons such as how to share with friends, overcoming shyness and telling the truth. Perfect themes for family reunions, parties and sleepovers with cousins.

And you can celebrate your family reunion with the new Pajanimals’ party products from Birthdayexpress.com. As you may know, The Jim Henson Company partnered with BirthdayExpress.com, the authority on kids’ party planning and supplies, on the creation of a new line of Pajanimals-themed disposable party products, including tableware, personalized banners and wall décor, party favors, piñatas, cupcake wrappers and boxes, and even a t-shirt (costs vary).

These colorful and entertaining party products feature the lovable Pajanimals characters and can be used for your child’s Pajanimals-themed Pajama Party, family reunion, 4^th of July celebration, birthday party, or even just a fun, backyard BBQ. The Pajanimals’ party products are now available at www.birthdayexpress.com!

And if your Pajanimals fan misses an episode of Pajanimals while on vacation, Comcast is offering a special Pajanimals On Demand option the week of July 22 as part of its Summer of Kids Video On Demand (VOD) promotion. Every episode of Pajanimals will be available on demand and online to Comcast subscribers. The Summer of Kids promotion is designed to showcase the XFINITY TV library of kids content across platforms including traditional video on demand and the online platform at Xfinity.net. Additionally the campaign aims to introduce new portability features, such as live streaming and download capabilities through the Xfinity app.

Pajanimals currently airs daily on Sprout, the 24-hour preschool channel parents and kids share together, and on Saturday mornings on NBC Kids. The series follows the adventures of four cuddly musical puppets -- Sweet Pea Sue, Squacky, Cowbella and Apollo. These Journeys celebrate imagination and tackle typical toddler issues such as the fear of the first day of school, making new friends and learning how to share. The Pajanimals end their day of play with a relaxing return to their cozy bedroom and familiar night time routines, including bathing, brushing teeth and story time, to develop a feeling of safety and structure.

Pajanimals fans can also visit the www.sproutonline.com website to play the latest Pajanimals Birthday Party Game for kids."

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Review of New Pajanimals DVD, "Pajama Party":

My girls' bedtime routine is not complete until they tune to Sprout Channel to watch the Goodnight Show with the Nina and Star. After they are done brushing their teeth and washing their faces, they snuggle up next to my husband and I with their favorite stuffed animal (usually a Pajanimals character) and their security blankets, to watch Jim Henson's Pajanimals. If you are not familiar with this show, which airs on Sprout, it is about four cute and cuddly friends, Cowbella, Apollo, Sweet Pea Sue and Squacky, as they sing bedtime lullabies and travel to imaginary lands to learn about things like friendship, sharing, overcoming shyness, telling the truth and more.

Ever since Sprout began airing this now popular bedtime show, my girls have become instant fans. In addition to this new release, we have a handful of other Pajanimals DVDs, which the girls love to watch before nap time or bring to Nana and Papa's house, as they don't have Sprout, to help them go to bed. This new DVD release contains five stories which are about 10-13 minutes in length each. The theme of each episode centers around birthdays, and each episodes contains catchy songs that kids can pick up easily and sing along to. My girls loved singing "Twirly Whirly" and "Jiggle Giggle Dance".

Little ones, who are fans of the Pajanimals, or are just tuning into this bedtime show for the first time, will love the fun adventures that the Pajanimals will take them on. My girls are able to unwind after a busy day, as they watch their favorite characters, and enjoy peaceful, yet highly entertaining and catchy bedtime songs. This is definitely one DVD you will want to have in your Pajanimals collection. It would also make for a great birthday gift for pre-schoolers, as it centers around birthdays and has the Pajanimals traveling to Birthday Land.

---WIN IT NOW---

One lucky reader will win a copy of The Pajanimals new DVD release, "Pajama Party!, which released from NCircle Entertainment on July 2nd, to share with their Pajanimals fan. To enter, please complete the entries on the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to follow these social media pages to stay up-to-date on news and special offers as they relate to family friendly programming and product offerings:

· NEW dedicated Pajanimals’

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Pajanimals

· The Jim Henson Company

Facebook: www.facebook.com/hensoncompany

Twitter: @hensonparents

· Sprout

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Sprout

Twitter: @SproutTV

· Amtrak Pajanimals Pack Your Pajamas Sweepstakes

http://www.henson.com/PJsweepstakes/

· NCircle Entertainment

Facebook www.facebook.com/ncircleentertainment