Category: review

February 6, 2018

The Napping Princess DVD Review and Giveaway

Napping Princess is a film that shows that following your dreams is sometimes the best way to discover your past.

About Napping Princess

From visionary director Kenji Kamiyama (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Eden of the East) comes a sci-fi fantasy that weaves together the rapidly evolving technology of today’s world with the fantastic imagination of the next generation. The Napping Princess was nominated for Best Animated Feature – Independent, at this year’s Annie Awards.

The year is 2020, three days before the opening of the Tokyo Olympics. While she should be studying for her exams, Kokone Morikawa often dozes off, entering a dream-world called Heartland that is full of fantastic motorized contraptions. But when her father, a talented but mysterious mechanic, is kidnapped for stealing technology from a powerful corporation, it is up to Kokone and her childhood friend Morio to save him.

Together they realize that Kokone’s dream-world holds the answers to the mystery behind the stolen technology, uncovering a trail of clues to her father’s disappearance and ultimately a surprising revelation about Kokone’s family.

Bonus Features:

Interview with Kenji Kamiyama
Special Interview with Cast
Intro at Japanese Release
Okayama Scenery
Special TV Program
Trailers and TV Spots

My Thoughts

I couldn’t wait to pop this DVD in as I fell in love with the cover image. I was (and still am) a huge fan of the Sailor Moon series and something about the cover brought back such great memories! This film is set in Japan in the future where technology is beyond what we could currently imagine.

Kokone is your typical teen, she has strong beliefs, a bit cheeky at times, loves to dream and has a tendency to drift off to sleep at the worst of times (which almost seems to be a joke between her and her friends) and enters her own magical dream world (which at first I thought was real!). Like many films similar to this genre, she also does a lot more than your typical teen would – she cooks for her Father (she almost seems to run the house!) and when her Father disappears she takes matters into her own hands. Along with her best friend, they set off with a stolen tablet, bike and begin on the journey to find her Father and to discover why he was taken in the first place.

I love the animation, it suited the film and plot. You can’t help but fall in love with Kokone. She has a huge heart and while her Father may drive her crazy at times, she would do anything to help him.

The film was roughly of two hours. I loved the theme of believing in yourself and chasing your dreams and never allowing the past to define the future.

The Napping Princess can be purchased on Amazon and Shout! Factory.

The Giveaway!

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Disclosure: I received a copy of this DVD in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

January 5, 2018

Degrees of Love Book Review

In Degrees of Love, a moment of weakness changes everything.

About Degrees of Love

At thirty-six, Susan Sinclair has it all. She’s just been promoted to Senior Vice President of Mobile Banking at her firm, a prestigious position bringing fresh creative challenges and a hefty salary increase. Like the shiny new BMW in the driveway of the Silicon Valley home she shares with her husband, Matt, and their two beautiful boys, Susan exudes confidence and style.

Yet despite her success in juggling the roles of wife, mother, and businesswoman, Susan struggles with a secret dissatisfaction. Matt’s work in cutting-edge computer research pays less than her job, and with each advance in her career, he has grown more distant. But Matt refuses to admit there is a problem, and Susan forces herself to play along, determined to give her boys the close-knit family life she never had.

Then she meets her new boss, Reese Kirkpatrick. Working and traveling together, she and Reese become a cracker jack team, but little by little, pleasure mixes with business. For the first time in a long time—maybe ever—Susan feels seen and appreciated for who she is. Certain she would never allow their friendship to cross the line, Susan lets herself stray dangerously close to the edge.

A moment of weakness changes everything. Now, unable to stomach the façade her marriage has become yet unwilling to decimate her family by moving forward with Reese, Susan faces a choice that could cost her everything—including her children . . . but possibly bring her more than she can dream.

My Thoughts

Degrees of Love is an excellent novel from start to finish. We have our main character, Susan, who seems to have it all – an amazing job, perfect family, excellent home and financial security. But as we all know too well, sometimes things are deceiving from the outside.

On the inside Susan is craving more. She desires and wants the love that she feels is lacking in her marriage. Matt goes out of her way to ignore her, plans family events that leave her out and seems generally dissatisfied with their marriage and life. Susan has coasted for many years in her marriage, her own childhood influencing this decision to stay with her husband regardless of how unhappy she is. She constantly puts her feelings and emotions last, never asking for more. My heart broke for her so many times!

Her new boss, Reese, unleashes a new lease on life for her. She discovers her own talent, creativity, fun and love of life again. She also discovers that she is hugely attracted to her new boss and him to her. She knows how dangerous this is and struggles so many times throughout the novel with her feelings and relationship. The greatest part being that he made her feel love and treasured, something her husband never made her feel.

Ultimately, Susan is forced to choose – a predictable and safe but lacking love marriage or the unknown but full of affection and love with her boss.

Degrees of Love is an incredible read from start to finish. It is real, raw and full of emotion. You are drawn into Susan’s life from the start and are constantly left guessing as to what she will do. The ending was not what I was expecting but fit the book well. This is a definite must read novel.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Chapters.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Degrees of Love is Lisa Slabach’s debut novel. She is currently working on her third full-length manuscript and a collection of short stories inspired by her experiences growing up in a small farm community in Washington’s Yakima Valley. In addition to writing, Lisa works for a Fortune 500 Company, leading a sales team in the financial industry. She currently resides in Northern California with her husband and has two daughters, who are both pursuing careers in film. In her free time, she enjoys drinking wine with friends and cooking in her pink kitchen.

The Giveaway!

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Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

December 29, 2017

Establishing a Bedtime Routine in Young Children with LectroFan Kinder

Establish a Positive Bedtime Routine with LectroFan Kinder

A good night sleep is important for children and adults alike. As parents, we all know how awful it can be the next day after your child has not had enough sleep the night before. They are cranky, irritable and will argue with you over everything.

This becomes amplified in toddlers and young children who don’t always have the words to express how tired and frustrated they are. When this is prolonged over months, it can have many negative effects on your child’s physical, mental and emotional well-being (not to mention Mom and Dad’s too). When your toddler or young child is not sleeping well at night, no one in the house is!

In order for your child to have a good night sleep, it is essential that you develop a predictable routine for them that is geared towards their individual personality and needs. No two children are the same but there are a few things that you can do to make sure the transition to sleep goes smoothly and that your child remains asleep throughout the night.

Set a bedtime and stick to it. It is important that you are consistent with what time your child goes to sleep. Make sure you give your child enough notice (I personally like to give them an hour notice) that it will soon be time for bed so that they can begin to prepare themselves mentally to unwind for the day. Some kids need to prepare themselves and get in some last-minute games, snacks or books before it is time for them to go to bed for the night.

A warm bath is the perfect way to unwind (who doesn’t like a nice warm bubble bath at the end of the day?!) for your child. You can use this time to talk about their day, what went well and what bothered them. They can then hop into their favourite pyjamas to settle in for the night.

A bedtime story that does not work your child up too much is perfect for transitioning to sleep time. You can choose either a chapter book or a nursery rhyme, the choices are endless! I like chapter books personally because it can be read over a length of time and your child is excited to read the next chapter the following evening.

Purchase a sound device like the LectroFan Kinder from Sound of Sleep that emits light and soothing sounds to not only help your child fall asleep but also helps to ensure that they sleep soundly and longer. Many children sleep better with white noise and fall asleep quicker listening to lullabies and/or nature sounds.

How many times did you rock your infant to sleep singing them a sweet lullaby? I am sure it is countless! These are some of my favourite moments during the day when it was time for them to go down for a nap but we also don’t want to make it habit-forming that they need to be held and rocked to sleep.

As adults we are the same, many of us fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer when there is calming white noise in the background. The LectroFan Kinder has over 75 sound choices to choose from that includes nature, environments, ambient noise and lullabies.

The Kinder is a small plug-in device that is controlled by an app on your smart phone. The device itself fits perfectly into the palm of your hand and is lightweight. There is a power button on the front and apart from that there are no other buttons or switches on the device. It is placed directly into an outlet in the wall of your child’s room. The lack of buttons is a huge bonus for those curious minds and fingers that like to press everything! This will ensure that only you can make changes to the device from your phone.

Once the Kinder is plugged into the wall, you can then pair your device with the app on your smart phone through your phone’s bluetooth. The app is quick to download and was easy to navigate. You get to choose the type of sounds you want your child to listen to and with such a wide variety of sounds and music it will be easy to choose a selection that your child will love. The device also has an option to emit a light, which is a must have in our home. No one likes to sleep in the dark in our home (not even me!) and this is a perfect addition on this product (a nightlight and sound machine in one!).

Are you looking for the perfect baby shower gift or product for your own home? The LectroFan Kinder can be purchased on Amazon and Sound of Sleep. New parents and seasoned parents will fall in love with the simplicity of design and comfort that the LectroFan Kinder will bring your child.

What is your number one tip for a successful night of sleep for young children?

Make sure to follow Sound of Sleep on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with the latest news and products.

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

December 21, 2017

Feel Confident and Safe with MYNT Tracker

I am an anxious person by nature. I double (and sometimes triple check) to make sure my stove is off. I re-check locked doors and even get my kids to double-check with me for a second pair of eyes (I really hope that they don’t grow up and follow in my steps with anxiety). I will put my keys in my purse only to be checking ten minutes later if they are still there.

When I can’t find something in the place that I thought it was in, I go into full-out panic mode. My anxiety kicks in and I begin to have an attack – face goes red, sweating and being sharp with those that are around me. It is truly not a pretty sight! Most of my anxiety is over my keys, my phone and my wallet.

I know I am not alone in these habits. So many others also become anxious at the thought of losing their phone, keys and anything of value. As a society we are constantly on the go so we know that this is a reality – it is easy to misplace or leave something behind. We have so many things that we are multitasking that our brains tend to go into over drive.

What if there was a device that could safely track your valuable items and help give you that piece of mind that you need to function day-to-day?

The MYNT tracker is a sleek technology designed to attach or even be embedded into valuable items to track their location. It has the shape of a typical USB but much smaller design – it is 2 inches in length, 1 inch wide and an incredible 1/8 inch thick. It definitely packs a lot of power in such a small design! The tracker has a stainless steel shell allowing it to hold up against a lot of wear and tear including being water-resistant.

The tracker uses Bluetooth to connect to an app on your phone to monitor and let you know when the item that the MYNT tracker is attached to has become too far away. The app is easy to download from the Google or Apple store. Once the app is downloaded you would pair the device to your app and you are ready to be worry free! The app has three great features that includes: separation phone alert, separation location and distance indicator.

Common uses include:

smart phone
keys
wallet
car
purse
backpacks
your child’s clothes (this would be a huge bonus if going to an amusement park or location that is overly packed full of people)

The uses are really unlimited and you are in charge with what you feel is important to you and what you want to track. The tracker also has a remote control function allowing you to use it for camera, smart phone and more.

The tracker was very easy to set up, I literally took it out of its packaging, downloaded the app (a quick and painless and hit the MYNT button on the tracker. It began to pair immediately and took me through a couple of steps to let me know how to use the app and tracker. It gives a peace of mind knowing that at any given time I can check my app and see that my keys are nearby.

The MYNT tracker is available for purchase on Amazon and Amazon Canada.

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned product in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

December 21, 2017

P. King Duckling: Discovery Duck Giveaway

Discover the web-footed hilarious world of P. King Duckling in Discovery Duck released on DVD December 12th, 2017.

About P. King Duckling: Discovery Duck

Spend some time in Hilly Hole with your favorite day-seizing duck P. King Duckling! Along with his two best friends – Chumpkins, the tech-savvy pig, and the smart, sensible Wombat – P. King travels the globe in search of excitement and fun although they do ruffle a few feathers along the way!

This series is brought to you by the award-winning Josh Selig (Sesame Street, Wonder Pets!) in collaboration with James Chen Gu, General Manager of UYoung Animation,P. King Duckling encourages creative thinking and problem-solving skills in children with his funny, family friendly adventures.

Broadcast in the U.S. on Disney Junior, where the series enjoyed high ratings, the preschool comedy series has a learning-focused curriculum created by media specialist, Dr. Christine Ricci (Dora the Explorer), that centers on overcoming challenges and inspiring creative thinking.

The DVD has a run time of 132 minutes and contains six episodes from season one and four music videos.

Honestly you can’t help but fall in love with P. King Duckling and his friends. As a parent and a child you will appreciate his silliness but above that he teaches children valuable life lessons in a way that they can understand and appreciate. It is a series that will be on constant reply in your home!

The Trailer

You can purchase a copy of this DVD on Amazon and Shout Factory.

The Giveaway!

My Canadian and American readers can now enter to win their own DVD copy of Discovery Duck. Two winners will each win one copy of this DVD. Please enter via the Rafflecopter form below – good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a copy of this DVD in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.