Does Club Jelly Telly Help Fill The Void?

March 26, 2013March 28, 2013 | Faith and Family Flicks News and Notes

So what is Club Jelly Telly anyway? Is it the latest jelly of the month club for those families that can’t make their monthly run to Costco? I had to say it – because that may have been the first thought that popped into your mind. No, It’s not from Harry and David’s, but from the one and only Phil Vischer (creator of Veggietales). In my last post I talked about the church stepping up and bringing wholesome family programming to the table. Well, Phil Vischer is one those pioneers and he is certainly is a covered wagon, head for the west type of pioneers that is willing to step out and take a risk and is attempting to fill the void.

Here is what Club Jelly Telly is all about.

Club JellyTelly is a unique online network for families, developed by VeggieTales and What’s In the Bible? creator, Phil Vischer. As a faith-based alternative to other chidren’s programming, JellyTelly provides families with a safe place to learn and play online. We have gathered the largest and most diverse collection of Christian children’s programming in the world for families to enjoy and engage.

Whether you want to spend some quality time with your family or just need a break in the day, Club JellyTelly is here to provide programming that you can believe in!

Click Here to Listen to Phil Vischer talk about Jelly Telly;

So to answer the question that is in the title of this blog. I would have to say Yes! I believe Club Jelly Telly does fill a void and provides parents with excellent family programing that parents can be proud of and whole heartily support! So here we go folks, here is an effort that we can support and get behind with our wallet. The site is up and running and Phil needs our support (Jelly Telly). If you like what you see and you can afford $5.00 per month. Give it a try and see how your family likes the programming content.

Thanks Phil for being a pioneer and for filling the void!!

Dave Almgren – Family Films

The Theater Industry Wants More Family Films

March 22, 2013March 15, 2015 | Faith and Family Flicks News and Notes

This just in . . .

The theater industry is looking for more family films and they are saying that the lack of the family genre is hurting their box office numbers. Well – this is interesting and very telling. Many have felt that there is a HUGE void regarding the lack of choices for families these days when they venture out to take in a film at their local theater. So with this void, the question that rises to top for me is this. Will there continue to be a void or will the dark hole be filled with some creative, quality family films that engage, entertain and leave audiences wanting more? Frances Schaffer Sr. ( Author and Theologian) often talked about how the church has abandoned the arts over the years and really stepped away from creative expression. I believe that the church should be setting the standard and allowing creative story telling to rise up and take center stage. There are so many incredible stories still yet to be told. At the end of the day I believe that are many creatives that have come to the same conclusion and they are doing something about it! They are telling their stories and allowing God to use their creative process to enrich our culture with powerful movies that can impact and shape modern culture.

So Here is the kicker. When these films arrive on the scene and we (the church) have an opportunity to support those who are telling their stories through the use film, we need to show up and support them!!! Here it goes . . . Stop complaining about culture and DO something about it. Vote with your wallet, do what you can to champion the film arts and creative families films that are so desperately needed. Not just to satisfy the box office numbers for the theater industry, but to impact culture with family friendly, clean, wholesome, entertaining movies.

Click here to read the story from Deadline.com

Random Thought #422 The Bible

Image | March 20, 2013March 20, 2013 | Faith and Family Flicks News and Notes

Random thought of the day:
You may have heard that one the most popular shows on tv right now is The History Channels new series called The Bible (68 Million viewers). It seems like there are many who are watching and learning about the most read book in history. Many today do not know much if anything about the Bible and the stories between the pages. So is the visibility of this series causing people to talk? Are there conversations around the water cooler at the office as well as the virtual water cooler taking place? I believe there are many conversation regarding issues of faith taking place and God is using this series to bring people to place where they are having healthy discussions about the Bible and its core message of hope and God’s love for the world.

James Hong Interview in Portland

Video | March 20, 2013October 7, 2014 | Faith and Family Flicks News and Notes

In 2013 I was working on a new family movie called “The Lost Medallion” and I had the chance to interview one of the stars of the film. You may not recognize his name, but at some point in the last sixty years you surely have seen the face or heard the voice of James Hong on TV or in film. James has appeared in over 500 film and television shows, not to mentioned the many voice over roles throughout the years. James did the voice over for Mr.Ping in Kung Fu Panda #1 and #2 and he says maybe in Kung Fu Panda #3.

The day of the interview just happened to be Mr. Hong’s 84th birthday. He shared that he really started out in the business as a comic and included impersonations of Jimmy Stewart, James Cagney and others in his routine ( he shared a few impersonations with us as well). James Hong is classy gentleman and it was a thrill to meet this Hollywood legend.

Summer Staycation Ideas for Families!

July 1, 2012April 20, 2013 | Faith and Family Flicks News and Notes

SUMMER STAYCATION IDEAS

It’s summer time once again and it is also time to be creative with regards to family outings that will not break the bank. Gas prices are still very high and the cost to travel can add up very fast. We have a few ideas that will apply to specific events in Portland Oregon – but many cities will also feature similar events for families. Be creative and use the local resources in your community to enrich your family summer experience. As a result you will not spend more money than you need to – but you will create some lasting memories for your family.

GREAT FAMILY PLACES TO EAT!

Check out The Grilled Cheese Grill in North East Portland (Alberta Street area). This cool eatery sits on the corner and is an old Air stream Trailer and you order your Grilled Cheese Sandwich ( that is all they serve) any way you may want it served. Than you can mosey on over to the old school bus where you can grab a seat for the entire family and enjoy your Grilled Cheese master piece.

KIDS EAT FREE!

Many restaurants offer FREE meal for kids with with the purchase of an adult meal. These offers can really help this summer and can keep costs down as you plan you Staycation events this summer. Do a Google search to find all the kids friendly restaurants in your community. Consider going out once a week with your family and create some summer time memories.

FREE MOVIE NIGHTS IN THE PARK!

Check your local parks for Free movies for families. Portland Oregon has a full summer schedule of Free movies in the park. Check your local parks and Rec web site for more details on times and locations and movies playing.

CREATE YOUR OWN FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT

It is Friday night. What are you going to do? Going to a movie at the theater can set you back $50.00 or more after popcorn, drinks and tickets. We suggest that you buy or rent a family movie and show it at home. Make some popcorn, roll out the blankets and enjoy the evening together. Another option is to check out the secondary theaters that usually show family movies during the summer at a reduced rate.

NEIGHBORHOOD MOVIE NIGHT

Or create a family movie night for your block with families in the neighborhood. This is a great way to meet your neighbors and to get outside the walls of your house. This past summer one entire street was blocked off and a screen was set up in the middle of the street for the movie. Everyone had a great time and neighbors were talking and creating memories together.

KidzOnEarth.com features a wide variety of faith and family movie titles that will deliver a great entertaining story.

Click here to view the movie titles at KidzOnEarth.com

Veggietales Kids Pool Has Arrived!

Image | July 1, 2012July 1, 2012 | Faith and Family Flicks News and Notes

Let your little kids cool off this summer with the VeggieTales inflatable pool! Measuring 5 ” tall by 36″ diameter, making it the perfect size for backyard fun. Easy to inflate and to store, kids will adore splashing along with Bob The Tomato and Larry The Cucumber. Featured now at KidzOnEarth.com for only $12.99.

New Veggietales and Soul Surfer Products Coming Soon!

April 14, 2011April 14, 2011 | Faith and Family Flicks News and Notes

Spring is almost here and so are some of the new Veggietales products. I am so excited!! Spring usually bring a few new items and this Easter season is no different for ever Veggietales fan.

For those who love Bob and Larry as well as checkers. Have we got a game for you!! That’s right Veggie Checkers – so cool.

We also have some new Veggietales toys that are available now and a few more coming soon. The Veggie Bus has already parked and is available to order as well as the Veggietales Play Dough Play Set. We are still waiting for the Larry Silly Dress up Play Set ( this is in the vain of the Mr. Potato Head type of toy). This item is coming the first week of May and is sure to be a hit. Pre orders are coming in at a steady clip.

We have also added a few new Veggietales birthday items that are sure to help make every Veggietales birthday party a BIG hit. We also have new Veggietales napkins, cups and Veggietales dessert plates.

If you have not caught the wave yet and gone to see the new hit movie Soul Surfer – don’t worry you still have a chance to go this weekend. The movie is playing every where. So check it out this weekend. So speaking of Bethany Hamilton and Soul Surfer – KidzOnEarth.com has added a few new products from the Surfing world.

Check out the new surfing books from Bethany and a cool new DVD called Walking On Water.

Click here to check out a trailer for Walking On Water.

Thanks for checking back to the web site. We hope you like the new look!

Click here to go to KidzOnEarth.com

Dave Almgren

New KidzOnEarth.com Web Site is Now Live!

March 30, 2011 | Faith and Family Flicks News and Notes

It has been ten years since the launch of KidzOnEarth.com. We started small and had the web site built to bring Veggietales products to families across the USA. Ten years later . . . As of today we have launched a brand new web site featuring family friendly products with our featured products being the Veggietales brand. We feel this new site will serve our customer well and has features that are long over do.

So check out the web site and thank you for your interest in the products featured on our web site.

Dave Almgren
KidzOnEarth.com

2010 in review

January 2, 2011 | Faith and Family Flicks News and Notes

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

Healthy blog!

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads This blog is doing awesome!.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 2,700 times in 2010. That’s about 6 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 17 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 29 posts. There were 29 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 2mb. That’s about 2 pictures per month.

The busiest day of the year was March 30th with 43 views. The most popular post that day was Veggietales Girl Power Coming This Summer!.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were kidzonearth.com, ow.ly, tyndale.com, blogger.com, and en.wordpress.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for veggietales sweetpea beauty, phil vischer, veggie tales sweetpea beauty, sweetpea beauty veggietales, and veggie tales bedding.