Category: Movies

November 18, 2014

Keep the Laughter Coming This Winter Season with #Netflix #StreamTeam

Brrrr!! It is getting cold outside – this morning was a chilly -21C with the wind chill! I honestly did not want to get out of bed it was so cold. But here I am up and working away even though all I want to do is curl up on the couch with a warm blanket and a great movie playing.

With the temperature drop there seems to always come the rise of cold and flu symptoms which tend to peak in these early months, trend off and start up again near the end of the winter. Last week I was under the weather with a gastro bug for two days. For two days I was pampered by my boys and was able to watch all of my favourite comedies on Netflix (okay in honesty only the second part is true – I like to imagine my boys were pampering me!).

I love my cartoons – the animated movies that they are producing are incredible with humour that both adults and children alike can appreciate. Those two days were spent watching all of my favourite animated comedies and laughing my way back to health. My two favourite movies of all time have to be Despicable Me (love those minions!!) and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. I can’t even begin to count how many times we have watched these movies but they are just as funny each and every time (Bee Do Bee Do Bee Do….).

Laughter is so important for all of us (and too often we are not spending enough time laughing and bonding with the ones we love) so we should always make time to do the things we love together, watch funny movies together and just be plain old silly.

Don’t believe me? Research has shown that laughter is important for:

laughter boosts the immune system
laughter triggers the release of endorphins (remember those natural feel good hormones in your body, yep those ones!)
increase blood flow which in turn helps the heart
decreases stress
improves mood
strengthens relationships

Do you have a go to movie for the winter months when you and the family are stuck in bed unwell? Or maybe not unwell but just want to spend the day in bed getting cuddles from the little ones (how I miss those days!!).

Disclosure: I am a Netflix StreamTeam member and receive perks. All opinions expressed are my own.

November 2, 2014

Big Hero 6 #SUBWAYandAMovie

Yesterday we headed down to Toronto for the advanced screening of Big Hero 6 with Subway Canada – needless to say we were super excited for this brand new Disney movie!

Big Hero 6 is an action packed comedy adventure about the special bond that is formed between Baymax and science prodigy Hiro Hamada. Baymax is a plus sized inflatable robot invented by Hiro’s brother. When a devastating event occurs in the city affecting Hiro himself, Hiro turns to Baymax and his close friends for help. The team is determined to uncover the mystery and Hiro transforms his friends into high tech heroes called Big Hero 6.

We LOVED this movie! The humour was fantastic – both my children and I appreciated every joke. It was full of adventure that our eldest son loved. Our youngest became scared at certain parts (with the masked villain) but those moments were few. I am not ashamed to admit it but I teared up at the end. It was so emotionally sweet the bond that forms between Baymax and Hiro and the ending was just incredible and powerful – I couldn’t help but tear up!

Baymax is one of the best parts of this movie. He is love able, funny and makes you want to reach out and squish him. Our boys were doing Baymax style fist pumps the whole way home!

The Big Hero 6 gang are a new league of super heroes that use more than just their strength. They use science and thinking outside of the box in order to save the day. A definite must see movies for families and individuals alike! You will not be disappointed!

Disclosure: We attended the advance screening of Big Hero 6 free of charge. All opinions expressed are my own and I was under no obligation to post.

October 24, 2014

Celebrate the Release of Big Hero 6 with #SubwayAndAMovie Giveaway!

Are you as excited for the release of Big Hero 6 as our family is? We can not wait to see the movie!

Big Hero 6 is set in the fictional metropolis of San Fransokyo where a young robotics prodigy and his robot uncover a criminal plot. Together they pull together a team of inexperienced crime fighters to solve the mystery surrounding these crimes. Adorable characters and funny wit make this a movie the whole family will love!

To help get you ready for the movie’s upcoming release, Subway Canada is offering one of my readers the chance to win a Big Hero 6 prize pack! The prize pack includes a $10 Subway gift card, Big Hero 6 poster, kite, trading cards and stickers!! Awesome right?!

Canadians, 18 years of age and older can enter via the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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 2, 2014

Kong – King of the Apes, Coming to Netflix in 2016!

Parents get ready! A new animation is coming to Netflix in 2016: Kong – King of the Apes an original series for kids from Avi Arad!

Set in 2050, Kong – King of the Apes is a fresh spin on the classic King Kong story. Kong is the strongest creature ever born with many human traits that make him the ultimate hero. When San Francisco’s star attraction suddenly goes ape, Kong quickly becomes the city’s biggest enemy. The villain that framed him is free to unleash an army of gigantic robotic dinosaurs on the unsuspecting world. Kong is the only creature strong enough to defeat these enemies but he is also the number one hunted creature in the world. Three young humans who look deeper to discover the truth and believe in Kong are willing to risk their lives to help Kong evade capture while he battles to save humankind.

About Avi Arad

Avi Arad has produced several iconic superhero stories like the Spider-Man franchise movies, X-Men franchise movies, the Iron-Man films and the Incredible Hulk. He has also executive produced kids TV with Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures series which began in 2013.

Kong – King of the Apes

Netflix members around the world will be introduced to Kong first through a full length feature film that will be followed by twelve half hour episodes beginning in 2016.

We definitely can’t wait for this animation to hit Netflix!

Disclosure: I received no compensation for this post. As a member of the Netflix Stream Team I have access to great information on new series like the one above and can’t wait to share this information with you!