Our Family Movie Night Was A Colorful Celebration Of The Dead! #BOLinsiders - The Book Of Life Coloring Sheets

 
  

The kids and I sat down to watch a vibrant, beautifully animated story of two friends who are in love with the same woman and how tradition, legend and family effect the outcome. 

Well, maybe that is a bit broad of an explanation...

Plot: There are three stories involved in this movie about the Mexican holiday, Día de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead. The holiday where family remembers there loved ones who have passed.

Manolo and Joaquin love Maria. The three best friends spend all their time together while the boys are sweetly competitive with their affections for their dear friend.  

Some students on a museum tour listening to the story of the three friends 

AND two spirits Xibalba and La Muerte in the Land of the Remembered watch the two friends fighting over Maria and place a wager on who will marry Maria.

The youngsters find themselves in some trouble and Maria's father sends her away to Spain to become a proper woman. 

When she returns the boys are still as competitive as ever except this time, one of the spirits is upping his tactics to win the bet and have Maria choose Joaquin. 

Myth and tradition take center stage and the movie takes on a paranormal storyline involving the afterlife with a visit the The Land of The Remembered and Forgotten before the ending that we all hoped for.

Visually: The movie is truly stunning. sugar skulls, vibrant color, and festivals so incredible. The characters are all wonderfully done with a wooden look to some that made me think of Tim Burton movies Nightmare Before Christmas. I can only imagine this movie in 3D. The Land of The Remembered is truly a masterpiece.

Characters: What is not to love? The woman are beautiful, the men are handsome, there is even an adorable pig who is given to Maria by Manolo after she rescues him that has the sweetest face with his heart shaped nostrils.  I personally loved the singing nuns who showed up every once in a while while my daughter loved Maria and my son loved the head of Manolo's grandfather. Just the head! He is carried by Manolo's mother in the Land of The Remembered.   

Soundtrack: I loved it! So many great songs included in this movie. I Will Wait For You (Mumford and Son), Creep (Radiohead), Can't Help Falling In Love (Elvis), Do You Think I'm Sexy (Rod Stewart), Just A Friend (Biz Markie) and more. 

Great movie for the whole family.

Some photos from our movie night:

UGH...look at that window! 

I quickly shut the curtain!

Goddess and I posing while Handsome took a bathroom break. Best photo I have ever taken

They are so cute! Why did my son not like Manolo? I would have loved him! I just noticed my son had on the perfect pants for this movie night.

Some extras I received as a Fox Home Insider. 

I am so putting these in Goddess' lunch box next week.

We want to thank Fox Home Entertainment for the wonderfully fun gift pack to host our Family movie Night.  We had a blast and I love spending time with my kids "UNPLUGGED".

We Are Starting A Nerd Block Subscription For Goddess' 10th Birthday, Now To Decide Which One! @NerdBlockJr

We were thrilled to be able to review a Nerd Block Jr Box this month, January 2015 Goddess was beyond excited when she saw the bubble gum pink box.

If you don't know what Nerd Block is yet let me tell you a little bit about it. Nerd Block is a mystery monthly box that gets delivered to your house.  You never know what will be in it but it will undoubtedly be filled with fun!

Nerd Block knows how excited you will be to get your box so they stay in constant contact with their subscribers to tell them when their package is sent from their location. This way you can track it and get ready for the fun!

Goddess couldn't wait to open her box and did a video unboxing for it.

The items were fun and included Harry Potter, Hello Kitty, Frozen, Minions, and MORE!

Here is our kit and everything included

Everything was so girl friendly and perfect for the ages 6-11.

It's Olaf! Isn't he adorable!?

The Harry Potter figurines are rather awesome!

I have never heard of Shopkins but Goddess tells me the girls at school love them!

Handsome's unboxing is coming up soon.

Rough Day #TBT - Poor Kid

Originally Written Saturday, June 25, 2005

Rough Day!

So today while contemplating just where I would go on my first vacation my Mom and Dad starting talking about going bye-bye. Yippee..I love bye-bye. I run and get my sandels. Sitting down on my Wiggle couch I wait for mom to help me put them on. Mom comes over and starts putting socks on my feet which always means sneakers. Why the sneakers? Does my footwear preference mean nothing to her? She finishes doing that loopy do thing she does with sneakers and I run to the back door. She says, "No baby, we are going in the car." God damn I never get it right I run to the front door she says we are going on the deck I run to the back door she says car I can't win. Remind me never to gamble.

Daddy takes my hand and we head down the stairs. I start down the steps and Dad starts his counting. I will never understand the relentless counting. How many times does he go down those stairs a day. Dude, it's five steps. Just do it. Maybe he has OCD. I feel kind of bad for the old man. Maybe next time I count them for him.

Mom carries the loud, pink bundle they call Goddess. Where are we going? The park, Aunt Teresa's, Mom and Tot Group? No! We end up at Babies are Us. Daddy picks me up because I tried to walk over to these really cool shades I wanted to check out. I try to explain that I am just going to try on some sunglasses and I'll catch up to him and mom later. It's a no go.

He walks with mom over to the women who takes our money and we are out the door. Mom puts Goddess in her car seat and Dad puts me in mine. We start on our way home and the bundle of hair sitting next to me starts wailing. Dad catches my eyes in the mirror. He says, "Pooh, you look like someone pooped in your lunch or someone stole your pony" or some other ridiculous statement that is no longer cute.

You think Dad!? Do you think I look pissed!? Babies R friggin us? Give me a break old man. I spend the rest of the ride listening to my Dad make up words to songs, mom is reading a magazine and my sister is screaming her head off.

I can't wait to get home and take a nap.

My head is killing me. Lord give me strength!

We Are Subscribing To Goodebox

Ever since I was a little girl I have loved make-up. After having kids I put myself on the back burner and only bought the bare essentials as needed. One eye liner, one shadow, one blush, one mascara. That was it!

Over the past two weeks I have been putting a lot more time into doing my face every morning thanks to my niece Samantha's You Tube Channel. I have been inspired and found my old love of make-up again.

Last week I received my first Goodebox and can I tell you it was so much fun to try these new products and spend some time on ME!

Here is my unboxing: 

The box contained:

African Black Soap from Soapbox - I loved the smell. It is a clean lovely smell probably from the shea butter but what makes this soap even more interesting is that there is activated charcoal in it which is good for exfoliating.

The soap has made my whole bathroom smell amazing and it really does make your skin feel silky soft.

A sample of Retinol & Peptide Infused Lifting Eye Cream from Palmetto Derma which is said to reduce fine lines and wrinkles. I can tell you that I have been using it for four days and love how soft my skin feels. I do in fact see a reduction in fine lines and only noticed today when I put my foundation on. Usually I feel like the foundation brings out the fine lines in the corners of my eyes when I smile. I didn't feel that today.

Botanical Peeling Gel from Eslor which smells great and reduces shine, refines pores and brightens your skin tone while exfoliating.  I love this stuff and have used it twice so far. The site says to use once or twice weekly. Apply over dry skin, avoiding eye area. Leave on skin 5-10 minutes. Gel will melt onto skin and liquify. Gently rub skin in circular motion. Rinse with warm water. It really rinses off easily and left my skin feeling amazingly subtle and soft. LOVE IT.

Lastly, A Della Travel Bag for whatever you need to carry.  It is 8.5 x 5 inches and has a zipper.

I believe that Goodebox is a wonderful beauty subscription that introduces you to some new products that may never be on your radar. You get to sample them before committing to buying them and if you love them you can continue to get them. 

You can join Goodebox and get a monthly subscription, a three month or even a six month subscription. The more you sign up for, the cheaper your subscription price depending on your budget, needs or likes. 

Make Someone You Love Smile With Karepax - A Surprise of Snacks and Comic Books

Have you ever found yourself wondering what to get someone as a gift for their birthday, Christmas, Valentines Day, Graduation, Anniversary, etc? You name it, I have stressed it. Co-workers, my nieces, my nephews, a friend, my husband, and so many others who I have wanted to buy a gift for but never knew what to get them has come to an end with one box from Karepax.

I would love getting this as a gift and found it so much fun to open and find what surprises awaited in the box I just knew was going to equal fun!

Here is a video of a very excited Goddess waiting for me to be ready to open the box. We opened it 25 minutes after receiving it and she spent those 25 minutes begging me to get ready to open it.

We thoroughly enjoyed the anticipation of opening the box and trying each and every item in it! Over the course of 3 days we managed to consume all of it including reading the comics three times.

Here are some photos of the plathora of items that were included in the box.

 Goddess insisted on taking the photos to go along with our video with her new camera. She did an OK job I just wish this one was clearer.

There were so many things to look at and try. Some we have had before but 90% were completely new to us and we found that so exciting. Trying items from Thailand, Mexico and others locations.

Each KarePax box contains 10 to 13 full size snacks, a handful of penny candy and 2 to 3 comic books. We love the mixture of International snacks with some from here and even some classics from when my dad was a kid.

There international crunchy chip snacks were our favorites. I need more TAKIS!

 We believe everyone would love receiving Karepax and this is not limited to just an age group, sex or demographic. This would be fun for everyone.

You can get subscriptions in 1, 3, 6, and even 12 month plans. You can even do just a comic subscription which runs for 3 months. Also, Karepax is willing to work with you on your order and if you want to get just a box with snacks, they will forgo the comics and add extra snacks. LOVE this option because I know some of my family would love the comics but my nieces would not. They would love the snack food!

#TBT - Painting The Deck With Some Water!

Originally Written Friday, June 24, 2005 for My Life As A Precocious Toddler

Painting the Deck?

So today, Mom asks if I want to go out. Hello? Do I poop in my diaper? 

So, we go to the deck, mom brings the screaming pink bundle and we head to the swing. Mom and I sit with the bundle who is finally quieting down and she starts us moving. We were on the swing for a moment when mom shot up and headed to the house. She comes out with, get this, a bucket of water and a paint brush? Is she kidding? We live 2 friggin blocks from a lake, I have a blow up pool that is sitting unfilled in the corner of the deck and she brings me a bucket of water. 

She hands me the brush and says, "go on baby, paint the deck?" What? Does she think I am so dumb that I don't know that the liquid swishing around in the bucket is water? 

She takes the brush and sticks it into the water and proceeds to brush the deck. Ummm...come on now mom, have you been sniffing glue. That is not paint, and I am not going to do hard labor on a beautiful day. 

 

She is smiling so I figure I will entertain her. I snatch the stupid paint brush stick it in the water and touch it to the wood. As the beam turns the color of well..wet wood I hear mom. "Good boy. Handsome is painting the deck." I must admit as much as I hate it that it was damn fun. 

What? So I wet the beam. Mom was happy and I got to play in water. So there.

Monthly Subscription Boxes For Moms To Be & Their Babies #bluum

Monthly Subscription Boxes are something I have loved since I was a little girl. Every month I got a box of cosmetics for $12.99 back in the day and that was pretty much the only monthly box at the time (I wish I could remember the name). These days you can get a monthly subscription box for everything; from snacks from Japan, to crafts, haircare products, games, and more. There is a plethora of monthly boxes and you are only limited by your paycheck!

I received a Bluum box for review and must admit I was pretty impressed. The items were premium size and not samples like I had expected which was actually thrilling.

When you first register for your first box you put either your babies name, age or if you don't have one yet, your due date. You choose your plan (how long you want to subscribe for), and get ready to receive your first box.

Every month the boxes are handed picked based on your child's age and developmental stage.

Here is an unboxing of our box from Bluum

Besides the monthly boxes you can shop at Bluum for some of their great products. I sincerely love this box and wish I were pregnant or had a toddler so I could have a reason to subscribe.

 

The Brass Teapot Is Wonderfully Interesting and Morally Enticing. #amazon

The 411:

I had no expectations about this movie and since getting Amazon Fire TV with Prime I thought I would give it a chance and if it sucked change it. It didn't suck!

Alice and John are a young couple who are NOT living the good life. They struggle, Alice can't find work. John is not good at his job. They are behind on rent and get harassed by their annoying landlord, a guy they both went to school with. 

While out for a drive they are involved in a car accident. Somehow they both walk away and while John discusses the accident with the law enforcement, Alice takes off to check out a brass tea pot she spotted from across the street.

For some reason Alice needs this pot so badly she steals it. One day she finds out the power of the pot and this is where the movie gets good.

The movie takes the direction of personal morals!  How far will they go? What will they do next? How will they handle the repercussions?

It was truly a great movie; funny, dramatic and smart. Juno Temple has become one of my favorite actresses. Michael Argarano was likeable and sweet as John. I was also thrilled to see one of my favorite Gilmore Girls, Alexis Bledel who plays Alice's very beautiful, rich friend.

Great movie that may not be on your radar. I never heard of it until it was on Amazon Prime and I am happy to pass it on.

Relieve Your Cough With Zim's Vapor Rub

Zim's Vapor Rub temporarily relieves coughs due to the common cold, and helps relieve pain associated with minor aches and pains. It is 100% natural and contains natural menthol, arnica extra, aloe vera, camphor, coconut oil, white beeswax, and eucalyptus. That's it! (When's the last time you could pronounce all the ingredients on a bottle in under 10 seconds?)

Vapor Rub is just one of the many products that make up the Zim's line. 

I have been using vapor rub since I am a little girl and still use it on my kids. When I received this two weeks ago I thought OK, this is something I know. My parents used to rub Vapor Rub on my chest and I use it on Handsome and Goddess. This was different!

Here is what I can tell you about this Vapor Rub:

After removing the safety seal on I turned the green cap squeezing the vapor rub until it came to the top. 

What I like about this is that I didn't have to stick my fingers in a jar of rub containing menthol which in the past took forever to get off my fingers making me always worry about accidentally getting some in my eyes if I rubbed them after applying vapor rub or worse yet wiping you know where and burning my you know what. 

This way of applying definitely is better! 

Also, my daughter would always get a little rash when I applied other rubs to her chest to help her sleep when she is coughing or has a stuffy nose. The next day; I am happy to report...no rash.

I swear by this stuff and have being using vapor rub forever. I will be switching my brand from now on.

We also received a Zim's very popular trademarked Crack Creme hand and foot lotion. Made with aloe, arnica and hydrocortisone, it's the ultimate skin saver go-to for cold days and dreary skin.   

It is definitely good stuff and my elbows never looked better.

If you have a chance check out Zim's for more information on their products.

FYI my favorite Zim product is the original Crack Creme which is not a creme at all but comes in a spray. My feet have never looked better. This also works on my dry knees and elbows.


 

Labor Day Starring Kate Winslet and Josh Brolin Was A Great Love Story

The 411:

I honestly had no desire to watch this movie nor did I have any high hopes for it. Yesterday I was  looking for a chick flick while the house was busy with football or a computer game and thought if it sucks I will just move onto another movie.

It didn't suck. In fact, the movie was really good even though I didn't understand or even sympathize with some of it.

Kate Winslet plays Adele, a depressed single mother who suffers from anxiety. Her son Henry played brilliantly by Gattlin Griffith who is also the narrator which is voiced by Tobey Maguire.

One day during their occasional trip to superstore Henry bumps into Frank played by Josh Brolin. Frank needs help. He is bleeding and in a passive-aggressive move gets Kate to drive him to her home where he can rest.

Frank is an escaped prisoner whose photo is information is all over the paper and news but there is another story to his case. Frank is on a murder charge that wasn't really his fault (sob). We see in flashbacks what happened to Frank and it is devastating. We also see via flashbacks why Adele has her anxiety and this is where I had trouble but this review is not about me so moving on.

Adele and Frank fall in love. Henry is in dire need of a father figure and Frank just wants to belong.

I loved everything about this movie. It is brilliant and makes you truly care about all the characters.

The story has a sweet, loving ending that made me cry my eyes out but not because I was sad but hopeful!

Winslet did a fantastic job as Adele! Doesn't get better than this!

My Journal, Some Dirty Chai Tea And A Call From A Loved One Is All I Need In The Morning

I have kept a journal since receiving a Holly Hobbie mini diary on my 9th birthday. At 48 my diaries have changed over the years and now they are just spiral bound journals I find on sale. This one was in a clearance rack for 89 cents a few years ago.

Friday I had a doc appointment which meant a long wait. Not just at the doctor's office but since it was scheduled after the kids school drop off time, I just headed into town as soon as I dropped them off. I don't like to do back tracking so this is totally normal for me. Why head home just to have to head out again.

I always carry my journal so when I stopped at a cafe I grabbed it from my bag and headed in.

My favorite drink here is an expensive Dirty Chai Tea which is Chai Tea with Expresso and runs about $5.00 but is so delish. Since I only head into this town a few times a year it is a treat I allow myself.

I snagged a table by the door after placing my order and when the waitress brought over my drink my phone rang. It was my sister who I never get to talk to enough. We chatted the whole time while I looked at my journal and drank my tea. It was worth it and I can write in my journal any time.

Parking Meter - 50 centers
Dirty Chai Tea - $4.97

Talking to my sister - Priceless

The End Of My Nursing Days Were Bittersweet #nursing #breastfeeding #parenting

One Year Ago Today……

Originally written August 1, 2008 for my blog In The Blink Of An Eye

One year ago today, was the day I stopped nursing my daughter. (Last Years post) One year ago today, I sat holding her while she feed from my body.
One year ago today, was the last time I held her like an infant.
One year ago today, she slept with me and nursed off and on all night long.
One year ago today, I was sad that it was over and I would never nurse another baby again.
One year ago today, I was the last time I saw my friend Lori. We went to see a local play Oliver and had the best time.

One year ago today, I was upset that I would get home too late to nurse her.
One year ago today, I was still fielding questions about when I would stop nursing.
One year ago today, my baby grew up with one night out with a friend.
Nursing my kids was something I knew I would do when I was pregnant. My son was such a natural. He was my first and he took to it like a champ. I nursed him for about 8 months which was as long as he would allow. Then I pumped for another 4 until he was 1.

My daughter on the other hand, was not a natural and because she gave me so much resistance, I felt unsupported by the people in my life for the first 4 days of her life. She was hungry and would not latch on. I finally got in touch with Le Leche and through their support (1 phone call), I got the support I needed to relax and try again and it worked. When she finally got it, it was so easy.
I never felt that it was a job, or a commitment, annoying, hard, it just worked. Having a 23 month old be patient enough to watch me nurse ALL DAY is crazy too. Everyone just did their part and it was a piece of cake. In fact. I loved it. It relaxed me and when it finally was over I realized it was the only time I sat down. On the 3rd day after weaning I realized I NEVER sat down during the day. Nursing forced me to sit and just be! Something a mom with a colicky newborn and a late talking 23 month old needed very badly.

Baby Girl,

I will never forget how much I loved holding you and smelling you as you nursed. I used to take my hand and trace your face and play with your hair as you played with my fingers. Your brother used to come over and say, “baby eat” whenever you were nursing. He didn’t say much but he did tell us when you were crying and when you needed to eat.

You used to call it “all done” which I found so cute. You would come up and ask for all done which meant you wanted to be nursed. I guess me asking if you were all done was a bit confusing.
When we were done I was actually very surprised at how easy it was. You asked for it the next night and I said, “You don’t need it.” You probably only asked for it 3 times. On the 4th night you cried for it but I felt that enough nights had gone by and that you were probably more tired than wanting to nurse. Honestly, if you had cried and begged for it on the next evening after missing the first time I would have caved in.

I love you baby and miss our time together but I think our bond more than makes up for that loss of closeness.

God bless you baby. You are everything Mommy wished for and God intended.
See my rant on nursing in public.

Suck On This - My Breast Feeding Rant

Originally written August 14, 2006 for my blog at the time In the Blink Of An Eye

Geez..while I have been away from blogging there has been some hoopla about the July BabyTalk Magazine because there is a picture of a mom breastfeeding on the cover.

I will never understand the problem with this. I am not sure if people have forgotten that the reason we have been given breasts in the first place was so that we could friggin feed our babies. They are not just fun bags to entertain men. They are actually living, breathing, fleshly, ready to serve, milk filled bottles for our offspring.

Breast feeding is not for everyone. I for one try not to feed my daughter in public but if I actually had to I would have no problem doing it nor would I run to find a bathroom stall (gross) to feed her. I am discreet and no one even has to know that she is eating.

How much longer am I going to breastfeed has become the question I feel I am constantly answering. The answer…I don’t really know. As long as my daughter wants to! She will not be nursing past four that is for sure, and if she wanted to stop now I would be ok with that too. She is slowly weaning herself so I guess we will see. My son weaned himself at 10 months so it’s anyone’s guess.

I will never understand the controversy on some things. I have a live and let live attitude but that is just me. I think there are people who should stop smoking, stop talking, stop driving, stop drinking, stop shopping, stop cursing; I am not telling them to stop so why should I have to stop something I am doing? Something that doesn’t effect their lives in any way.

Here’s a big F you to anyone who thinks that seeing someone’s breast as they feed their little ones is a problem.

If you don’t like it…stop staring!!!

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang On Blu-ray Combo #FHInsiders

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang starring Dick Van Dyke, and the stunning Sally Ann Howes was written by one of my favorites Roald Dahl who also wrote the screenplay for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, James and The Giant Peach, Matilda and more. This is one talented writer and as a child his books were my absolute favorites.

I still love the songs:

Chitty, Chitty Bang Bang, I remember singing this song all the time as a child, "oh you, Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang, Chitty, Chitty Bang Bang We Love you!

And Truly Scrumpticious!

Watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang as an adult is much different then when I was a child. As a child it was a fantasy about a man who invented a car that could fly and end up with a beautiful new mummy! The movie is peppered with sweet songs that you sing along to and beg your parents to buy the album so you can hear them whenever you want.

Watching it as an adult the movie loses a little of the magical feel but is still a great movie by standards of movies of the time. The effects are cheesy, the song numbers still catchy if you like that kind of thing. The kids adorable and Dick Van Dyke is perfect as the widowed father trying to make a living and do right by his kids. He has a wonderful imagination that keep his children grounded and innocent.

Adorable movie especially the scene where Caractacus and Truly become life size dolls for the Baron in order to rescue his children!

If you haven't watched with your kids, watch. If you haven't seen it since you were little, watch!