October 22, 2014
The Mystery Full Month of October with Netflix #streamteam
I love the month of October (and not just because my birthday falls in it!). October holds my two favourite holidays, Thanksgiving and Halloween. Halloween is by far the best holiday ever! We always go over board starting a week before October with decorations – well I do my poor husband just grins and shakes his head.
One of my favourite things that happens during the month of October is the amount of scary and suspensful movies that are played almost non stop. Of course the boys have taken after their Mother and could not wait to get started watching some mystery flicks on Netflix.
The boys top picks? Here they are:
The Spy Kids has always been a well loved movie in our home. The fourth installment in the series will definitely have your children ready to take on the world.
Anubis is a new show for us! We weren’t aware of this series before finding in on Netflix. Based in England, a bunch of students form a secret group to solve mysteries after one of their friends go missing the same day an American student joins their school.
Always a family favourite is Scooby Doo. I am so happy that my children love the series as much as I do. They are always up to something or on the trail of another mystery. The boys love to help solve these mysteries.
Are your children a little to young for these movies? Why not check out Blue’s Clues, I Spy, Inspector Gadget or Busytown Mysteries.
Celebrate with a Spooky Msyterious Snack!
Now that you have found the perfect movie why not enjoy your movie with a spooky and mysterious snack to go along with it. We love making eyeballs out of marshmallows, worms out of jello, monster juice and the list can go on!
If you are looking for something a bit heartier why not try the delicious mystery mac and cheese. Made with a bit of extra green Hulk powers (kale) your child will fall in love with this family favourite. You can find the recipe on Sweet Potato Chronicles.
October Craft Time!
To round off the month of mystery how about teaching your little one to write in secret code? All you need is lemons, white paper and a couple of Q-Tips. Squeeze the lemon juice into a bowl, using the Q-Tip write out your message on the white paper. Allow the juice to dry on the paper. Turn the oven on to 350-400F and place your paper on a baking sheet. Place it in the oven and keep it in for roughly a minute. Just enough for the lemon juices to brown to reveal your message!
Do you have a favourite mystery movie?
Disclosure: I am a member of the Netflix #StreamTeam and receive special perks. All opinions expressed are my own.
October 22, 2014
Kaboom! Big Block Singsong Giveaway!
We love family movie time – it is a time to sit together as a family, cuddle, learn new things and enjoy each other’s company. When our children get to choose the movie it is usually an animation full of song, rhymes and learning. I just learned that the majority of the movies we have enjoyed over the years have come courtesy of kaboom! entertainment. Kaboom! entertainment is the dedicated kids and family label of Phase 4 Films that brings us movies and shows such as Max and Ruby, Franklin, Air Bud, Toopy and Binoo, Chugginton and so much more!
The Big Block Singsong, which currently airs on TV, will be available for the first time on DVD on October 28th! The Big Block Singsong has a run time of just over forty eight minutes and features twenty four episodes. Each episode features a unique character that sings their very own song. From a pop song about noses to a techno jam about hair, from a hand clapper about your favourite fruits to an anthem about big feet, each episode offers up fun lyrics, love able wit and a catchy tune!
Although the DVD is targeted towards 3-5 year olds, our whole family loved the shows. They were the perfect length of time to keep the boys attention while still providing fun songs and images. The boys enjoyed yelling out the colours as the images changed on the screen as well as singing along and guessing the next words.
One lucky reader has the chance to win a copy of their own Big Block Singsong! Canadian residents can enter via the Rafflecopter form below – good luck!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this DVD in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
October 21, 2014
The Promise by Beth Wiseman #review
Mallory is a young woman on a mission to accomplish the goal she was unable to do so long ago. She is also naive and honest. The Promise, based on actual events ,will leave you on the edge of your seat!
About the Promise
Mallory Hammond is determined that no one will stand in the way of her goal – to save a life. She had that very chance years ago and she failed to take it. This has left her adrift and in search of the real meaning of life. Finally she meets a man online from a volatile corner of the world who offers her the chance to find that purpose. But in order to do so she will have to leave everyone she loves behind in order to take it.
Tate Webber has loved her for years. He understands that Mallory will never be happy with him until her deepest heart’s desire is satisfied. When Mallory decides to travel across the world to fulfill her dreams, he begs her not to go but also tries to give her the space she needs. Mallory embarks on her dangerous journey only to discover how swiftly and easily promises can be broken. Mallory can only pray that she will make it out alive.
Inspired by actual events, The Promise is a riveting love story that asks the question how far will we go for the one we love?
The Promise is one of those novels that you will not be able to put down – full of suspense, surprise and based on actual events that will leave you reading long into the night.
Mallory is like any other young woman you may know – she trusts and loves the people around her. She would never believe that someone would lie to her especially when it comes to people she has built a foundation of trust with. When those that she trusts plead to her inner feelings – helping a young sick woman she is thrown back in time to a time where she could not help someone she loved. She instantly feels like she will find redemption if she can just help this family across the ocean.
When she arrives to find things are not as they appeared she is stuck with no one to help and nowhere to go. It is her fiance overseas that moves mountains in order to bring her home safely.
The Promise is a definite one of a kind novel that you will just love! You worry for Mallory – you find yourself wanting to guide her and tell her to step back and really look at the situation. But just like her fiance you feel like you have no control. The Promise is a novel full of love, trust and how easily we trust can be broken.
To find more reviews, please visit the Litfuse blog tour here.
Rating: 4.5/5
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
October 17, 2014
DIY Hand Print Keepsake
My children are growing so fast – every time I look at them it feels like they have grown another inch! We wanted to capture them in this moment and decided to make hand print keepsakes to display in our home. It was the perfect holiday craft for our family – quick and simple! The boys loved it because they were able to get their hands nice and dirty although trying to get them to not paint each other was fun!
You Will Need:
- paint
- paintbrush
- canvas print (8×10)
- 8×10 frame
Using the paint colour your child has chosen (our boys wanted blue so blue it was) I painted their right hands applying a good amount of pain so that their hand was quite saturated with the paint.
One at a time, I took their hand and gently placed it on the canvas print. I gently put pressure on their hands to ensure the hand print would take to the canvas. You may have to help your little one to lift their hand back off of the canvas without smudging the print.
Allow the painting to dry, ours took roughly three hours to dry. I then placed it inside the 8×10 frame and hung it by our front door. Visitors love looking at their hands and this would be a fantastic gift for Grandparents!
October 17, 2014
The Mason Jar
Heartbreak and separation are the heart of this beautiful novel, The Mason Jar by James Russell Lingerfelt.
About The Mason Jar
Clayton Fincannon is a Tennessee farm boy raised by his Grandfather. The two men leave letters for each other in a mason jar on his Grandfather’s desk – letters of counsel and affirmation. When Clayton leaves to attend college in Southern California, he meets and falls in love with a dark debutante from Colorado. When an unmentioned past resurrects in her life and she leaves, Clayton is left with unanswered questions.
Clayton goes on to serve as a missionary in Africa, both men continue their tradition of writing letters. When Clayton returns home five years later to bury his Grandfather, he searches for answers pertaining to the loss of the young woman he once loved. Little does Clayton know, the answers await him in the broken mason jar.
The Mason Jar is an inspirational romance that brings hope to people who have experienced disappointment in life due to separation from loved ones. With a redemptive ending that encourages us to love again and written in the fresh, romantic tones of Nicholas Sparks, The Mason Jar interweaves the imagery of Thoreau with the adventures common to Dances with Wolves.
My Thoughts
A fantastic story based on a very probable life situation. Life is not always the perfect romance story we hope it will be nor will it be without pain and sorrow. We all have been hurt and have to learn to deal with this. It is how we deal with these moments that make us a stronger and better person. Finn spent so much time hurt about his broken relationship with Eden – he needed closure. It is in this relationship we can also see the hurt that lack of closure can cause on an individual.
The relationship between Finn and his Grandfather is beautiful. I loved their story and the support they give each other. Sometimes it is hard to open up and speak to the ones we love. Sometimes the easiest way is with a letter. It is something that I would not mind starting up with my own children!
You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour here.
Rating: 4.5/5
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
