Family Movie Night: Mirror Mirror Great For All Ages!

The 411 by Maria:

Yesterday I was feeling a little sick from my intestinal nightmare the night before so out of character for me, I took to the couch and watched a few movies with the kids. One of them was Mirror Mirror.
I was hopeful that this would be good but wasn't holding out hope. I am usually let down by movies lately. Tainted I guess. It is mostly a time thing and if it turns out not to be good, I get upset by the time I wasted.

We start the movie hearing Julia Roberts tell us that this movie is about her, "the most beautiful Queen". She tells us that this is her story. Julia is perfect as the Queen. She is evil but not in a scary way for children.

Watching the cartoon version of this Grimms Fairy Tale by Disney still makes kids nervous. My daughter leaves the room when the witch is on screen and I remember closing my eyes too. This is much more enjoyable and no nightmares is always a plus. The world is scary enough when you are a kid.

This movie was enjoyable because:

I wasn't embarrassed to watch it with my kids. Completely child friendly.
The all star cast including some surprises like Mare Winningham (I was wondering where she has been) the King played by Sean Bean from my newest favorite show Game of Thrones and well, Julia. I love her!

It is funny, fast paced, and filled with adventure.

While I have read some reviews I believe this movie doesn't try to take itself too seriously. It is a modern take with a twist on a fairy tale. How can you take that seriously. It is merely a movie created for enjoyment and hopefully you have a laugh.

Great colors and great effects!

I asked the kids what they liked about it:

Handsome loved the 7 dwarfs and found them hysterically funny. " Those little guys were tough and funny. I liked the crabby guy. He could kick butt!"  (Can't say I blame him. I loved them too! So happy to see Marty on screen).

Goddess "loved all of it" When I pressed her, she said, "it was good because the Queen was mean and in the end Snow White won the battle for the castle. Good always wins over evil! Awww..that's my girl!

What I loved was that this princess is more modern and not a scared little girl. She is strong and doesn't wait for a prince to ride up and save her on his mighty stead! She's a go getter. A much better role model for my daughter than the ones I grew up wishing I could be like.

Finding Emma by Steena Holmes - A Story About Never Letting Go!

The 411 by Maria:

Knowing that this wasn't a true story made it easier to read. Well, let me take that statement back for a second. This is not a non-fiction book about a story based on the author's experience however it is something that many parents go through.

In Finding Emma, Megan is a busy mom with three daughters. While rushing around one morning she asks one of the girls to lock the house door on their way inside. Unfortunately, it doesn't get locked and her almost 3 year old Emma disappears. This all happens in the first chapter. We pick up the story 2 years in where Megan is racked with guilt, her marriage is falling apart and her daughters wish they were the ones taken so that mom would love them as much as they love Emma.

Megan sees Emma everywhere, so much so that she has literally tries to grab little ones away from their scared moms.

I loved this book. It wasn't as frightening as you would imagine a book about child abduction to be. As a mom of two this is one of my biggest fears and completely understand Megan's NEED to continue looking for Emma even without any leads.

My favorite character is Megan's husband Peter. His subtle way of dealing with his own pain from losing his daughter was how I would expect most men to deal with this. It also makes it easier for me to understand why parents of abducted children can speak on the news. I always thought, "how are they talking, I wouldn't be able to utter a sound."

This is something that unfortunately happens every day and I appreciate Steena Holmes for writing a story that was not overly dramatic for shock value but seems to deal realistically with the various ways people deal with the paths that life tosses our way. 

It is a reminder that there are two sides to every story and how we deal with each other really matters. Acceptance and understanding of other others differences is important to all relationships.

You will love this story about a family falling apart at the seams but cocooned in love.

Blue Monday - The Magic of Belle Isle

If you remember, last year I was on a mission to grab photos of Morgan Freeman, Rob Reiner who were filming Summer at Dog Dave's near my town.  Well, that was last summer. This weekend, I was invited to attend a screening of The Magic of Belle Isle which is the new name of Summer at Dog Dave's (I like this name better).

Isn't it cool that they left the movie sign?

The screening was held in Greenwood Lake NY and was at the lake where the movie was filmed.

The town of Greenwood Lake was abuzz with happy, proud people who were excited to see their town shown on the screen. Fortunately for me, I have friends in high places and was able to snag a band so I could cover the screening for the website I run. It was incredible to see all these people, so full of pride!

If you have a chance see the Magic of Belle Isle starring Morgan Freeman and directed by Rob Reiner.

Summer Life Begins & Balancing Life and Work Takes Time

Well...the life of a blogger is crazy. There are little windows of time that I can get things done and now that the kids are home...well..you know how that goes.

As a people pleaser type, I find it difficult to find time for myself because I am busy working. While I don't work outside the house, well I do but not in a standard office. My jobs are in the social media realm which include my blog, my website, Twitter, Facebook and creating advertisement for online ads. My day consists of editing photos for online posting, writing for Maria's Space or the community site I run after a nearby town lost its newspaper, being a good wife, a good friend, a good daughter, granddaughter, sister, taking care of the house, taking care of my social media clients, following up on giveaways and reviews which means, email, email, email, reading books for review and everything else that comes along with life while maintaining my first priority as a MOM! It is the job I find most important. It is the job that gives me the most joy and stress. It is also the job, I wish I was better at. We all do our best and there are times we are the best parent possible and times that we could use a little help but you never have time to ask for it.

While most of my jobs are not something I NEED to do but choose to do, it is something I find myself wondering if I should be stressed by it. At anytime I could give it all up and just be busy with life but keeping my sites going gives me joy and currently one is allowing me to earn a tiny income. Tiny means under $150.00 a month but it is something and I couldn't have done it if not for Maria's Space.

Back to life and the kids:

School ended last Wednesday and I gave the kids the rest of the week off. This week, summer officially begins and that means, fun, good times but also learning.  They both start swimming class today at a nearby high schools pool. They can't wait! They will also have to start writing in their journals today and the workbook session will begin on July 1st!

We also have plans for some summer school, Handsome is taking a social skills class starting July 10th and Goddess is expect to have a summer reading course which was offered by the school. Hopefully I hear more about it soon.

Last week I took photos at a Senior Center and met a member of the International Lions Club. The Lions had donated a pool table to the center and I wanted to take photos for the paper. The Lion member who attended was a past president of the club and invited me to the Lions Inductee Dinner where I took more photos to post on their local newspaper. When I was leaving the former President came over to thank me for coming and wanted to know what my "wish list" was. Apparently he is my fairy Godfather because I mentioned to him that I would love some of the merchants who I cover online to advertise on the website that I spend 12 hours a day working on. This weekend, I received 3 new ad requests.  One is paying for the whole year. Very excited to work on the last ad and send it over for approval so I can invoice out! Not a fortune but really does add to the month intake of the website and justifies all of the time I spend working on it and attending everything I am invited to by the town. It also justifies the negativity that comes with being an Editor. I have had some personal attacks because of the website's comment capabilities. People who can write anonymously can be unkind. While I know you can't make everyone happy, and I can shake it off. It makes it harder to attend some of the social gatherings I am invited to. You never know who was the person being nasty to you. They could be smiling right in your face and you wouldn't know it although they know who you are. Oh well...

As for Teach, he started a job about 3 months ago. Completely different from what he has done in the past. My blue collar guy is now white collar and drives a company car, wears dress shoes instead of work boots and slacks and dress shirt instead of a polyester uniform.  He is also in the best shape ever. After starting work and realizing we had no money to buy him clothes he needed to drop a few pounds so he could fit comfortably in the few dress clothes he had. He dropped 30 in 3 months and looks incredible. Not easy either, he works out at least 2 hours 5 days a week and only eats chicken, turkey, salad, protein shakes, Belvita cookies, and Wheaties! The man is dedicated.

Will have to snap a picture of him soon because once football season starts the eating resumes but right now...he looks amazing.

Going to get the kids ready for swim class. Have a great day everyone!

Color Carnival - June 24, 2012

This is my "Handsome" plant. I got it on my very first Mother's Day as I was being wheeled out of the OR from my emergency Cesarean. I could barely hold my head up yet two nurses handled it to me on my gurney and said, "Happy Mother's Day". If anything happens to this plant I would be devastated.

Kidz Bop for The Kid In All Of Us

I have been writing about Kidz Bop for a few weeks now.  I cannot tell you how many of my friends have told me that their kids LOVE Kidz Bop since posting this picture of my Kidz Bop loot on my Facebook page.

My kids love music and I know this is not the exception. Everyone loves music but not all music is meant for everyone. There is way too much inappropriate music on the radio so we have never listened to the radio in the car but prefer that the kids listen to music we download to our MP3 Players which we use in the car.

They are going to grow  up quick enough and they don't need to know about half the things that are mentioned in the top 40 songs on the radio these days. But...I don't believe in sheltering them so much that they don't know the songs their friends listen to on the radio which is why I love Kidz Bop.

It is all top 40 songs with kids singing it and the words are changed to be appropriate for children to sing.

A Must See: Stunning Performances by All Star Cast!

The 411 by Maria:
This is an absolute must see movie. A+ cast! Stellar performances by Anna Paquin and J Smith Cameron. Paquin plays Lisa a 17 year old girl high school student and lives in Manhattan with her mother (Cameron) and brother. Smart script and dialogue about how life chews us up and spits us out.

When Lisa sets out to find a cowboy hat, she inadvertently causes the death of a woman crossing the street.

Guilt and frustration alters her already "too smart for her own good" youthful view of the world.  The movie takes its time and centers around complex day to day issues; death, hatred, real world events like 9/11, racial differences, teen pregnancy, drugs and divorce. Sounds like a devastating film? It isn't it is a centered, deep, thought provoking movie of the realities of the world our children are growing up in and how it affects them.

So well done, I will be thinking about it for days.

Anna Paquin and J. Smith Cameron along with the rest are incredible. Brilliantly acted! The scene of the bus accident is a harsh reality and Paquin will never be just Sookie to me again!

FYI: Not a child friendly film. Nudity, harsh language and a bloody accident add to the movie and are not there for dramatic visuals.

Perfect Family Movie: Journey 2 The Mysteries Island

 

The 411 by Maria:

If you are looking for Oscar worthy performances, you won't find it here but what you will find is a great, family movie with laughs and action.

My kids are big fans of Josh Hutcherson since his Zathura days so we get happy when we see him.

The kids and I watched the movie and after it was over they wanted to watch it again. That is always a good sign. There are some cool special effects like a tiny elephant and the flight of the massively hairy bees which will have kids very interested.

Yes, there is a little love story as Sean (Josh) is very interested in Kailani (Vanessa Hudgens) character but I think the lusty teen thing was mostly lost on them. It is very much played down.

Dwayne Johnson is his likable self as Hank and Luis Guzman is perfect as the weird bi-sexual dad of Hudgens. Honestly I have no idea if he is bi-sexual but there were some weird moments where I felt he was too interested in Hank but that is just me.

I loved Michael Cain as Sean's grandfather, part Indiana Jones, part Jurassic Park creator.

Fun for the whole family. The kids loved the special effects and Dwayne Johnson can pop his pecs anytime for me.

Cute despite being a silly adventure. Exactly the kind of movie kids want to see.

Disclaimer: I received a screener copy from Warner Brothers for the sole purpose of this review.

Playing Tuff Puppy @ The Park With Friends

Still playing catch up on my pictures and journaling. These are from April. Goddess, Handsome and I headed to the park and ran into some friends.

Before we left, Goddess put on all black clothes and made a badge out of paper that she taped to her shirt that said, Tuff for Tuff Puppy one of her favorite cartoons.

So cute!

I love when they pretend play. She used to think she wanted to be a super hero, now she wants to be a spy.

Here is Handsome chasing her at the park. He probably thought she was trying to beat him somewhere. Little did he know she was trying to catch the bad guy and he was the furthest thing from her mind.

My Handsome! I love this picture. One of my favorites before the haircut

She is a serious runner as you can see.

Those Burger King Crowns are fun but she only wore it for 5 minutes and I spent the rest of the time carrying it for her.

I love taking the kids to the park. It is one of my favorite things to do with them in the summer. They tend to gravitate toward each other when we are out.

Instead of fighting like they do at home, they follow each other around 

My second favorite picture of the day.

Get Inspired To Dust And Keep Germs Away With Pledge Giveaway

As summer is finally right around the corner, kids will be outside playing all day – being kids essentially! But among the dirt and grime they bring back inside, some germs may hitch a ride!

Oddly enough I had a friend who was raving about this product a week prior to me receiving this prize pack in the mail. She swears by it and says it is her favorite product since finding it. 

We all know the name Pledge. It is a product that I have been using for years in my own house and a product that my parents used.  In fact I once wrote that I am still dusting my moms dresser with Pledge the same way I did when I was a little girl.  While the can is different, I love this blue can the trust I have is still the same and now even better.

These are the very same reason my girlfriend says she loves it! No longer is there a need for many different cleaners just to clean up the house. Makes cleaning so much quicker and it is easier to spot clean which means the house doesn't become a chore for one day of the week.

Summer 2012 Is Definitely Bug Season!

While I can't say whether the spray helped us with bed bugs (we thankfully don't have them), I feel better knowing that I can safely spray our bedding wherever we sleep without worrying about the kids sleeping with chemicals.

Before you head out on vacation, grab a bottle of EUCOCLEAN. It is better to be safe than sorry and the Eucalyptus smell of the spray may even help you relax better when you are far away from your own bed.

The Dancing Fairies

 ShutterDay was asking for "Dancing" pictures this week and boy do I have some cute ones. Goddess was invited to the cutest party last weekend. It was a "fairy" party and the girls were adorable. They kept pinching themselves asking if this was a real party because our host did a fabulous job of decorating. It was a party in 7 year old heaven. They were so cute circling the birthday girl and spinning around her with their innocent ballet moves.

 

The Staircase

The staircase at my sister-in-laws house made me stare for some time. I don't know if it was the light coming through, all those lines and angles but I had to snap a few pictures.

Kick Off Father's Day & Summer With Snacks from Frito-Lay GIVEAWAY

WOW! Frito Lay really has quite an assortment of chips. We love crunchy, salty snacks when snacking and Frito Lay has something for the whole family. 

You can only imagine who our eyes brightened when we opened up a very large cardboard box, removed the paper and found all of this and it came at the right time too. Our social calendar has picked up and we have started booking play dates like crazy. Two play dates for the kids and one play date for me meant bowls of chips were put out. Have you ever noticed how happy people get when there is an assortment of chips? Doesn't take much to make people happy.

Frito Lay sent us a few of their chips to sample. While we had already tried the Tostitos Scoops and the Chedder Sun Chips, everything else was new to us.

While some of my friends weren't interested in the Ultimate Ruffles. They were my favorite of the bunch followed by Tostitos Hint of Lime. BUT...what I really loved was how I could base my lunch around Tostitos Scoops. I filled them 10 of them one day with chicken salad and the next day with egg salad. What a fun lunch. 

The chips only lasted about 3 days with the 3 parties and snacking by the kids in between and it was a fun review!

These are great snacks for taking to the beach, BBQ's, park or just to watch TV with your family. Enjoy and happy crunching.

Color Carnival - June 16, 2012

 

I joined a photo group this week with two other photographers. The were a wealth of knowledge and I learned more about my camera in the 2 hours with them than I ever knew before. 

This is one of the first picture I took with my new "professional" settings. There will be a learning curve as it is like using my Canon for the first time but I like knowing I am using settings that the pros use. 

What did you photograph this week?

Machine Gun Preacher - A Review

The 411 by Maria:
I am a huge Gerard (Jerry) Butler fan and have loved him since Phantom of the Opera!  In Machine Gun Preacher he plays Sam, a rough and tumble criminal who is hooked on drugs and upon getting out of jail finds out his wife has found God! She goes to church and supports him no matter what kind of trouble he gets in. I spent half the movie wondering if she was completely in love with him or just dumb. They say that behind every good man is a great woman and her constant support brings him to church where he finds the strength to finally turn his life around. He is Mr. Upstanding citizen helping others and suddenly running to East Africa to help rebuild.  Before you know it he has taken children in and all the kids know him. He comes home and builds a church and travels back to Africa to fight against Joseph Kony’s slaughtering army. 

Jerry does a great job as usual but like I said, I am a big fan. The story is interesting and at times horrifying even more so knowing it is a true story.  If all it does is entertain that will be the minimum. Hopefully it will draw more to know and hopefully fight against the onslaught of humanity going on around the world. So much innocence lost. But if nothing else, this film shows that we should never give up on anyone because everyone can turn their life around if they choose to. 

Sybil Exposed by Debbie Nathan

The 411 by Maria 

I was  obsessed with this book and movie with Sally Field. As a big Sally fan and horrified that this had happened to someone just destroyed me. When I heard about this book, I had to read it. I had to know what was real and what was fabricated. I read the book so many times as a teen and saw the movie at least 50 times. To know I may have lost sleep over something that was embellished on just didn't sit well with me. 

The author takes us on a journey to dissect the best selling book! It is a disturbing read but one that should be read especially if you were affected by the book or movie Sybil. 

A Mother's Journey of Love, Loss & Life Beyond - A REVIEW

A Mother’s Journey of Love, Loss & Life Beyond,Jennifer Scalise tells the harrowing story and her fight for survival after the tragic death of her daughter.  

The 411 by Maria:

Wow..where do I start? 

First, let's start with this; since reading this book, I have thought of Jennifer, Brooke and the rest of the family every day.  While I believe some of it is because I am a mom and Jennifer has gone through the most horrific, heart wrenching days a mother could ever suffer through.

Losing one of my children is something I have thought about more than I can ever admit to. Maybe this is because I lost my mom when I was 12 and death is something I know will happen. But, I always knew in my heart that I would never survive if something, God forbid ever happened to them.

Reading Jennifer's story and seeing her strength; and I am sure there are days she feels as if she has none; but she is one of the strongest woman I have ever read about. 

What happened to Brooke is devastating and when I explain the book to my friends they all say the same thing. "That sounds so sad! I don't think I want to read it. It sounds like a real tear jerker."  That is until I tell them Jennifer's story, Brooke's story. The story that is still unfolding and will until they meet again! As someone who cries at the drop of a hat. I can tell you that yes, there is a moment I cried. I literally sobbed into my hands and wished I could change everything. Wished I could make the Scalise story different. My heart hurt for Jennifer who had to leave her family vacation minus one child! The thought literally makes my throat close up and seizes my heart. 

Why the book is a must read:

1) Jennifer writes as if she is writing to a dear friend. I felt like I was reading her scrapbook, journal, personal diary.  I became part of the family  as I read. I was there.  This book, is like nothing I have ever read before. Maybe it has been done before, but in my eyes, this is HOW a non-fiction book should be written. The reader is transported to the time and place with detailed descriptions, letters, Brooke's journal pages, pictures, even mobile tag readers that allow you to not only read and visualize in your minds eye but to literally see what Jennifer is talking about.  The hardest video and I think one that will stay with me forever is the moment Jennifer & George got down the mountain to where Brooke is. She longs to  hold her daughter. She is not allowed to go to her.  The depth of the grief is horrendous. It is real! It is not fiction. This happened to her and she is brave enough to share it with all of us because bad things happen and even while on a family vacation with your family, life can change. 

2) If you have ever lost someone. This book is an inspiration. We all go through bereavement differently and Jennifer's journey taught/reminded me a lot of what I already knew. That the people we love never leave us.  If you look for the signs, they are all around us. Brooke lets her family know she is with them constantly. She feels their love and shows them love through various ways. You will be amazed at how attached they still are. 

3) God is love, Love is God! And We are love. Love is on every page of this book. As someone who is not overly religious and more spiritual, my eyes were opened in so many ways to how unafraid we should be of death. I remember my daddy telling me at my grandmother's funeral in 1991 that we are crying for ourselves. We are not crying for her. We are crying because she is no longer with us but that is very selfish. She is in a better place. She is where she is supposed to be. She is home!"  I believe that not Brooke is still with the Scalise family and that they will all be together one day and it will be as if no time has passed.

4) Jennifer is trying to raise awareness of the dangers of ATVs for children. Something I have been concerned with for years. I get crazy when I see the kids on my street going up and down the street on their ATVs and when I see pictures of kids my kids age sitting on ATVs on my friend's Facebook pages. I have a fear! These are big vehicles and children do not know how to handle them if something was to go wrong. If you are interested in learning more, please visit Concerned Families for ATV Safety.

I could go on and on for the reasons you should read this but the main reason is you should read this. Brooke's death should not be in vain. You will feel inspired and a renewed sense of spirituality as you go through the process with Jennifer.

Also, I would like to thank Jennifer for her braveness and candidness in telling us about Brooke. I truly love Brooke and so will  you.

Update: 2 people have purchased the book since talking to me this week. They can't wait to get started. 

Simply Orange Has Expanded

My whole family loves Orange Juice, we buy it once a week and go through it before the week is done.  While I love to treat the kids occassionally to other juice, we don't do a lot of it unless it is on sale, we have a coupon or it is really good and we all crave it.

This is what happened now that we have tried the two new flavors of the Simply Orange Juice family.

This week my Daisy troop had our end of year party. My contribution was juice and chips. I brought Simply Orange and Simply Lemonade with Mango (the Simply Cranberry wasn't available at my store). There were other drinks there. More than I care to mention but while everyone else had leftovers to bring home. My drinks and chips were completely gone!

Dr. Scholl's Massaging Gel Saved My Weekend

While I am not out running a marathon and can honestly say...this will never happen. Dr. Scholls Massaging Gel inserts have changed my life.

This weekend was as usual flying from here to there and like most days, if I am not working at the computer, my butt doesn't touch down for 5 minutes until 9:30 PM. It is what it is and I am use to it. However, my poor feet, if you sat them down and asked their opinion of their owner they would probably utter things like, "she doesn't care about us!" "She takes us for granted." And.."She gives us zero attention!" And...I have to admit, they would be right.

I am not a woman who needs pedicures every other week. I rarely buy good shoes (it's a financial thing), AND I don't moisturize them enough! They are a sad, sad body part who I count on to get me from point A and point B.

The other day everything changed, Dr. Scholls Massaging Gel arrived in the mail. I buy them for my husband every 6 months for his achy feet and now it was my turn.

WOW...I know things are bad when I put them on and I literally felt like I was walking in heaven! The difference was unbelievable. Night and day!  Usually by the end of the day, my feet ache and I finally sit with foot pain but don't even try to calm or sooth them, I just keep going!

Not anymore. Just like I get Teach his massaging gel inserts, I will be getting them for myself and if I can find some for the kids, they want them too!

This weekend I was on my feet from 7:38 A.M. until 9:42 P.M. and at the end of the day when I finally realized I had yet to sit. I took my shoes off and felt well, nothing and that is a good thing!

]

WOW! 50 Movie Pack of Classic Musicals for Only $19.99!

The Musical Classics 50 Movie Pack brings an incomparable world of song, dance and orchestration to life in a collection that offers countless hours of entertainment.

Rediscover the magic of Fred Astaire in Second Chorus and Royal Wedding. Marvel at the incredible dance moves of Cyd Charisse and Jane Powell in Black Tights and Delightfully Dangerous. Relive the magic of jazz legends like Duke Ellington, Lionel Hampton, The Dorsey Brothers, Count Basie and Sarah Vaughn. Sit back and enjoy the songs of all time greats like Lena Horne, Frank Sinatra, Eartha Kitt, Perry Como, Judy Garland and Dinah Shore.

The 411 by Maria

Get Fit With Essentrics

The 411 by Maria:

Many who know me know that I had major surgery at the end of 2010 which left me with compromised abdominal muscles and a hernia on the left side of my stomach which means another surgery on the horizon.

After my first mega baby which really stretched out my size 7 belly and ended in a breech, emergency cesarean followed by a second cesarean 22 months later, my belly will never be the same and I don't expect  it to but before babies. I had a super flat belly with cute little cuts. Those days are long gone and I am not looking to get them back but what I would like to get back is some energy and ease of movement.

Essentrics will do that for sure. When I put the first disk in, I was surprised with how easy the movements were. They are the right combination of low impact and speed to feel like you are getting a nice workout for your muscles.

My favorites involved all the floor exercises which concentrated on the stomach and thigh area in the first workout. Wow...after a few weeks of these, you should see a difference. Essentrics seems to be a combination of stretching, dance and toning. The movements seemed all very dance related and you can really feel your muscles limbering as you move.

My only complaint would be that as a newbie, it would have been nice to see one of the trainers do a modified workout for those who aren't quite up speed. You basically jump right in and that would be fine if I were 10 years younger so I had to take a break by minute 18. Thankfully there were some nice stretches that really helped and since I was on the floor already (floor exercises) I put my head down for 2 minutes and jump back in to finish the stretches at the end.

I will be moving onto the full body workout tomorrow and alternate for hopefully 2 weeks to see if I notice a difference. Summer is here and while I am not looking to be bikini ready, I want to have the stamina to do everything the kids want to do this summer.

Destiny Unveiled by Laura DeLuca

The 411 by Maria:

I was excited to read Destiny Unveiled. Laura is a great person beside being a talented writer so I hoped I would like the book. You know if you have been reading my blog that if I don't like a book I will say so and I hoped I wouldn't have to write something against Destiny Unveiled but knew that I loved the first book. Thankfully, I also loved the second part.

Gabriella, Darron and her friends Monte and Flora have been through a lot. They are trying to get their life back to some semblance of normalcy but who can be normal when you know that there are witches all around you and friends have died because of magick. Gabriella is a witch as was her mother before her. She is a powerful witch and ready to start her new life as a new High School graduate with Darron at her side. Their blissful new path is cut short when Gabrielle's aunt shows up needing her help!

This is where things start getting really good. Gabriella must help find her cousin who has been kidnapped from a hospital. Dark Witches want to consume her power and take over the world. Will they find Gabriella's cousin? Will Darron's headaches stop? Can Monte ever find love? Will Flora ever be serious? Ohhh the questions go on and on but I won't tell you. My lips are sealed so read Laura's book and find out if it is their Destiny to reach their destination. Oh look at me...trying to be all full of intrigue and stuff!

My favorite character has to be Flora next to the two mains Gabriella and Darron (both of whom I love). She is never serious and keeps her friends from getting to lost in the drama of their lives.

Fans of romance, science fiction, magic (oopps Magick), and young adult will love this book!

Easter Pictures and Yes, I Know It is June!

But I have not had time. I do run a community news site and all! Life is busy now if I were only making minimum wage I would be rich with all the hours I put in. I can dream can't I?!

Well, anyway...Easter 2012.

This year the baskets contained Squinkies, Littest Pet Shops, Fur Real Bunnies, Kites, Orbeez, and more. Not much candy. Handsome doesn't really eat much.

Handsome was up by 5:00 a.m. and as usual had to wait for the whole house to wake before he could look in his basket. When I finally got up at 6:30, he wished me a Happy Easter and told me he was waiting forever.

Goddess finally got up at 7:30 thank goodness because as patient as he was, he was starting to touch his basket. I can't say I blame him.

When she woke she walked directly to the baskets but we had to wait for Teach! Eventually I told them to go right ahead. How much can kids be expected to wait when things are staring them right in the face?

I love watching them go through their baskets and showing the other what they received. Wonder how long I have before, well, you know.....in case they ever read this...Mommy Loves You!

The bunnies are from their Aunt in California. The are cute. You pet them and they hop. Right now, the pets that don't require food and care are perfect for us.

After breakfast they played with their gifts and we eventually headed to my mother-in-laws, as we do every Easter. We don't see them as much as I would like. The kids love going there but I think my in-laws after raising two of my four nieces are kid'ed out.  They are only in the states 6 months of the year and it happens to be while the kids are in school so we only have the weekends. They never call to invite and when I invited this way, my mother-in-law says no. Umm...oh well. It is what it is. We stopped inviting, maybe this year we will try again.

It is usually inevitable that the kids and the husband will head out to the back yard. This is the yard that my husband played in when he was a kid which makes it even sweeter that they go out together. It is a beautiful view of the New York City Skyline and my Father-in-Law asked that I get some photos of the Freedom Towers.

 I love how small Goddess looks walking next to her daddy!

Handsome wasn't sure if he wanted to leave the yard to go to the park. There was a discussion. He left for about 5 minutes and then they came back. I guess swings and slides aren't as cool as running through their Abuela's yard.

Thin Ice REVIEW

The 411 by Maria:  

Well, lets see. I like Alan Arkin and Lea Thompson. Greg Kinnear is OK too but well...I wasn't really sure what was going on in the beginning. The movie is extremely slow to build. Greg plays Mickey an insurance salesman who works with his now separated wife played by Lea Thompson. When Mickey finds a lonely farmer played by Arkin who has a violin worth $25,000 he figures his luck is about to change. Arkin is just happy to have a visitor. Mickey has a plan to get the violin and ends up in the middle of a mess with Bill Crudup's character. The rest of movie is being compared to Fargo which a lot of my friends really loved. I didn't!

While the storyline is extremely slow, the acting is pretty good.  Kinnear does a great job of playing a nervous, sad sack whose life is out of control. While listed as a comedy, I didn't see it. The only thing helping this movie was the acting! Kudos to Arkin, Kinnear and even Crudup.

Madagascar Party Helps With Madagascar 3 Anticipation

If you have kids, you have undoubtedly seen that Madagascar 3 will be in theaters next week. Kids and adults are crazy for Madagascar and mine are no different. Who wouldn't want to see this movie? Just check out this trailer!

Recently we had the opportunity to host a Madagascar Movie Viewing Party sponsored by Children's Claritin for 5 moms and their kiddies in anticipation of Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, which will hit theaters nationwide on June 8, 2012.

We love Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe and Gloria the Hippo and love hosting parties for friends. The hardest part for us was narrowing down from our massively cool friend list. All the kids were excited, thinking they were coming to see Madagascar 3. As if! I have friends in high places but that would be like winning the lottery. It was fine, they took it in stride and had a great time. With a day off from school (we had extra snow days, that were never used), the kids were excited to see their friends in a relaxed setting on a Friday.

With 5 moms and 9 kids the house was hopping, the popcorn was popping and the movie was rocking! We all watched the movies, ate lunch, popcorn and set up a date to see the movie as a group. We can't wait to see Madagascar 3! This year, the dynamic group is still fighting to get home to their beloved Big Apple and of course King Julien, Maurice and the Penguins are all along for the comedic adventure. Their journey takes them through Europe where they find the perfect cover: a traveling circus, which they reinvent – Madagascar style.

Handsome and friend were the only boys willing to come out of the fort for pictures.  Couldn't thank them enough. Such good boys in a slew of chaos! Thanks guys! Mwah!

And, as you can see...Goddess couldn't be bothered. Never went in the fort because she wanted to watch but wouldn't look at me either. She has watched Madagascar 1 & 2 three times since Friday. In fact, she watched them right after the house cleared out too!

The moms all agree that their favorite part of the party, "beside spending time with you'll" as one mom stated was watching the kids who have been friends since preschool, lie in the living room talking about the movie together. It is nice when everyone is friends!

All the kids walked away with their popcorn soaked containers and the mom's dug into the Claritin samples and coupons provided on the table. 

I love being part of the Claritin Mom Crew and was thrilled to be a host for such a fun party! Thanks Claritin!