With Spring here and the cold (mostly) behind us, the little ones have been asking for ice cream again (a "sometimes" treat), and a new spin on an old favorite recently popped-up, courtesy of my friends at Sara Lee, who've teamed-up with THE ROCK FATHER to help bring this "sweet treat" to the masses . It's funny how the simplest of changes can really bring new excitement to an old standard, and this is one of those occasions - toasting Sara Lee Frozen Pound Cake to add a warm layer to a Chocolate Strawberry Sundae, complete with a little crispness, and the soft goodness you'd expect.

Back in February, I had the opportunity to spend a few days visiting Walt Disney Animation Studios as part of the press tour for Disney's FROZEN. With something that's become so big that it's forever cemented it's place as a pop culture phenomenon, I'm fortunate and thankful to have been able to make such a hands-on connection with it and the folks behind it - if only for a short time. While I was out there, the folks at Disney hooked me up with some things... one of which stands out as something really unique. It's actually so unique - at least I think that it is - that I can't find any other pictures or reference to it online. I'd imagine the only other people that have these either worked on FROZEN, work for Disney, or were members of the media that were invited out to cover the film. Tonight, I'm giving all of YOU a chance to own it...

On May 30, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures will release MALEFICENT, the live-action "re-invention" of SLEEPING BEAUTY with a focus on the titular villain, played here by Angelina Jolie. Today, Disney hit my inbox with a new featurette focusing on "The Legacy" of Maleficent, complete with some words from Jolie and Elle Fanning, who plays Princess Aurora in the new film. Check it out below, right here on THE ROCK FATHER...

DANIEL TIGER's NEIGHBORHOOD brings fun lessons to families every day on PBS KIDS, and with Earth Day fast-approaching (Tuesday, April 22), Daniel Tiger and The Fred Rogers Company have come up with a list of five ways your family can "Go Green" (even if it's just a little bit) each and every day. It's important to teach kids to care for our planet, and here's some great conversation starters...

"To all the papa's out there. Enjoy every minute of your kids. Nothing is more important," says New York's RENE LOPEZ about "Here Comes Another Day," the new music video from his forthcoming album, PAINT THE MOON GOLD. Shot earlier this month, the clip features the Lopez Kids - Cosimo and Ara - in an appearance that happened spontaneously as Rene and Director Ehud Lazin set out for an afternoon of filming. Check it out below, right here on THE ROCK FATHER.

This Saturday, April 19, Brooklyn Kindie Rockers THE POP UPS, will make an appearance on Sprout - visiting the Sunshine Barn to play some tunes for Chica and Tim on THE SUNNY SIDE UP SHOW. The duo will debut "Bug Out," a new song from their forthcoming album, APPETITE FOR CONSTRUCTION, while also digging into their back catalog for some additional gems to perform. This news comes on the heels of their new single and lyric video for "All These Shapes," which hit the 'net last week. Check out the video below...

On April 29, DANNY WEINKAUF - known for his work as the bassist for THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS - will release his debut Kindie (that's family music in the indie rock realm, in case you didn't know) album, NO SCHOOL TODAY. To celebrate the release, Danny and THE ROCK FATHER are getting two (2) lucky readers hooked up with copies of the album on Compact Disc, the format that comes to you as a silver, spinning disc, encased in a cardboard digipack. The cover featured a Kangaroo and a Koala Bear rockin' out, but if you'd like to score a copy, you'll need to make a really good excuse. Yep, I want to hear your best excuses for skipping school!

When I started my 2014 Fitness Challenge here on THE ROCK FATHER back in January, I didn't realize how hardcore I was going to go with it. Losing weight may have been the primary goal, but getting fit is the ultimate goal - and that's the driving force behind where I'm at now... getting into a normal workout routine, hitting the gym regularly, and working on strength training, which is something that I'd not even thought of since before my first daughter was born back in 2009. For the first time ever, I actually spent time with a personal trainer this week, getting some insight into a solid plan to take me into the next stage of things. One regular accessory for me are the G-360 Workout Gloves and Wrist Wraps, which the folks at G-Loves so graciously hooked me up with. I'm all about style that goes with the function, and the G-360's have it.

On April 26, OPTIMUS PRIME (voiced by Peter Cullen) returns to TRANSFORMERS: RESCUE BOTS. Also appearing will be actor Mark Hamill (STAR WARS) as Uncle Woodrow, Chief Burns’ adventurous and eccentric younger brother who is convinced there are aliens beneath the earth. The folks at The Hub Network have provided me with a clip of the new episode, which I'm sharing with you tonight, right here on THE ROCK FATHER...

Alright, Boils and Ghouls - the folks at Mattel and BluBox Games have released MONSTER HIGH: GHOULS AND JEWELS as an all-new, freemium mobile game, available for iOS (playable on iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) via the Apple App Store. Check out the full details below, right here on THE ROCK FATHER...

As I mentioned last week, Oklahoma Kindie Rockers, the SUGAR FREE ALLSTARS, are prepping to release what is perhaps the only true family music release for this Saturday's annual RECORD STORE DAY. "My Daddy's Record Collection" will be available as a limited-edition 7" vinyl single, and today the band has released a lyric video for the song. Check out the new video below, along with an Instagram video shot here at Rock Father HQ just a few moments ago... showing my copy of the single in it's turntable-spinning glory!

MILKSHAKE's 2013 album, GOT A MINUTE? was a favorite hear upon release last year, and now the Baltimore-based Kindie rockers have released a new music video to go along with it. "Girls Wanna Dance" takes the kindie grooves back to 1975 - a time when live bands rocked-out in front of the kids for a truly memorable "school dance" experience. Check out the new video below, right here on THE ROCK FATHER...

With the recent release of Walt Disney Animation Studios' Academy Award-winning mega-hit, FROZEN, on Blu-ray and DVD, you'd think that we'd be done talking about the land of Arendelle for a bit, unless there was some news about FROZEN 2, right? Well, not quite, as the spirit and music of this cultural phenomenon continues to inspire and evolve, and now the folks at Roma Music Group are prepping to pay tribute by re-working the now-iconic soundtrack for the youngest Olaf fans in your house. LULLABY VERSIONS OF FROZEN will hit Digital Retailers on April 29th, the latest release in the popular, and fast-growing Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star collection of pop culture lullabies. How does the lullaby version of "Let It Go" compare to the version made famous by Idina Menzel? Find out below...

After checking out their new "Extreme Action" line last week (review here), this week, Toy State hit us with a new entry from their "Hyper Racer" line of Hot Wheels vehicles, created as part of an agreement with Mattel. Recommended for Ages 3 and Up, the Hyper Racer assortment serves up a pair of large-scale vehicles based on Yur So Fast and Spin King, both originally offered as 1:64 scale diecast cars from the Hot Wheels mainline starting in 2010 and 2012, respectively. Toy State's specialty is ACTION, and the Hyper Racers are infused with lights, sound, music and motorized play. Yur So Fast rolled into the toy testing facility here at Rock Father HQ, and my girls had no problem taking it for a spin...

Rock Father vs. Rock Father - It's been fifteen weeks since James Zahn and Tom George (read the kick-off story here) began a year-long journey to not only lose weight, but get fit. These two Work-at-Home Dads had let time and their jobs take their toll on their personal well-being. For each week of the journey, we've been checking-in to find out how their efforts are paying off. Today, Sunday April 13, 2014, both men did their weigh-in, and these are the results. The "Challenge" is becoming more "Challenging" as has been evident these past few weeks...

So, earlier this weekend, I'm cruising the Brown Bag Films website prior to posting about the YouTube release of their I'M AN ANIMAL series, when I come across this blog entry from March 24. Yes, the legendary Ron Swanson of NBC's PARKS AND RECREATION throwing down some wisdom about DOC McSTUFFINS. While I don't get to see PARKS & REC very often, I do know that Swanson (played by Nick Offerman) is perhaps the finest live-action character currently appearing on television. I also know that my house has been completely overtaken by little Dottie McStuffins, and friends - but I'm totally cool with it.