November 24, 2015
The Thread That Binds
In The Thread That Binds, five women once strangers form bonds that will be everlasting.
About The Thread That Binds
Sherice is a new mother, a sonographer, quilter, and wife; an overworked young woman whose elderly mother is slipping away from her.
Sylvie is a newlywed and recent immigrant, unemployed and virtually penniless. Her husband’s paycheck can’t even cover prenatal care, let alone a baby, and her due date is only drawing nearer.
Joanne’s unconventional pregnancy turns her world upside down, redefining her career and relationships, and even bringing to the surface long-buried demons from her past.
Payton is seventeen, pregnant, and on the run. She flees to her uncle in Georgia with the hope of making a fresh start, but discovers making it on her own is harder than she could ever have imagined.
Gloria is trapped in an unhappy marriage; in love with someone else. Her life is falling apart. With a baby on the way, would it be selfish to flee?
My Thoughts
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE The Thread That Binds. I laughed, I cried and I connected so much with this book.
The characters were lovely and you felt like you were seeing them from an intimate level. You felt their pain, their fear and their frustrations. Each character grew so much during the course of this book. They learned things about themselves, they grew stronger and more confident in their decisions. They made peace with their past in order to move forward. My favourite character was Joanne, I can honestly say I wish I had a friend like her! Honest, strong-willed and fierce! Everything you can want and need in a friend.
The Thread That Binds is a feel good novel of friendship, love and how we are all connected for a greater purpose. It will be a book you will share with your friends, sisters and mothers for years to come.
You can purchase a copy of The Thread That Binds on Amazon.
Rating: 5/5
About the Author
Originally from Winchester, England, Alice’s plans to read law at a British university were disrupted when she fell deeply in love with Georgia, USA, while studying abroad. After moving all over Georgia, Alice has finally settled in Athens and has no plans to go anywhere else.
She is a single mother to a three-year-old girl and a 65 lb hound dog. She likes coffee, wine, and anything edible with the words ‘salted caramel’ in its description.
At the time of publication, Alice is a 24-year-old history student working full-time in a law office, and writing fiction at every stolen moment. She hasn’t slept in approximately two years. Her first published novel, The Thread That Binds won third place in World’s Best Story contest.
The Giveaway!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
November 23, 2015
The Lion Guard Return of the Roar
The Lion King has to be one of my all time favourite Disney movies. From the hilarious characters, the inspiring music to the beautiful animations, The Lion King is a favourite for all age groups. So when we received an invite to see The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar, I was stokked and couldn’t wait to catch this sequel!
Based on Disney’s The Lion King, the television movie picks up where the epic feature film left off and introduces Kion, the second-born cub of Simba and Nala, who is destined to become the leader of the Lion Guard. Many of the beloved characters from The Lion King will appear in the movie including Mufasa and Pumbaa, voiced by James Earl Jones and Ernie Sabella who reprise their original roles. Rob Lowe (The Grinder) and Gabrielle Union (Being Mary Jane) star as Simba and Nala, respectively; Max Charles (The Strain) as Kion; Joshua Rush (The Adventures of Puss in Boots) as Bunga; Atticus Shaffer (The Middle) as Ono; Diamond White (Sofia the First) as Fuli; and Dusan Brown (Blaze and the Monster Machines) as Beshte.
The Lion Guard Return of the Roar, came with a special introduction by Director Howy Parkins! This was definitely a highlight of our day, even my son was amazed by meeting the director of this film. You could hear his love for his work and gave you a stronger appreciation of the amount of time spent in putting together this film and how dedicated his team was at making this film a success.
While we are introduced to some new characters, some of your old favourites are back in this film and remain true to their personalities (oh Timone and Pumbaa!). My favourite new character was Bunga, who was funny, cool and brave all rolled into one. Bunga even develops a brand new catch phrase for this movie (no more hakuna matata!). The movie was full of laughs, great music that brings back memories of the first Lion King but still gives this film a unique flair. I love the lesson that this story tells, that we don’t always have to be the biggest (or in this case a lion!) to be the best or bravest. Sometimes, it is the strongest of heart that can conquer and win.
The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar premiered on television November 22nd and on Disney Junior on December 1st. Check out this trailer to get a glimpse of The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar. The television series will premiere on Disney Junior in 2016.
Disclosure: We were given advance viewing of this film in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
November 20, 2015
Personalized Holiday Gifts with Acrylic Blocks from Posterjack!
The holiday season is just around the corner and I am sure many of you have either already started shopping or at least planned out some gift ideas!. Many of the items on my list are personalized items (like photographs) so that my family member can cherish that memory just as much as we do. Using your own photographs is one of the best ways to capture special moments for family members and friends, especially for those who do not live nearby.
Acrylic blocks are unique gift ideas that the recipient can display at home or even at work (my acrylic block is proudly displayed on my desk at work and I have patients constantly stopping to have a look at it!). Your photograph is displayed on a clear, one inch piece of premium cast acrylic block. Posterjack prints your image onto the back of the block and the result is an image that appears almost 3D with crystal clear quality. The light catches in the acrylic block in such a unique way that really makes your image the centre of attention.
Ordering acrylic blocks from Posterjack is simple, which is something we all need during the holiday season. All you have to do is visit Posterjack, choose the acrylic block option and upload your photo. Simplicity at it’s finest!
The acrylic blocks fit the home decor and styles of any individual and help keep those special memories alive (your favourite fur baby, a family member or even a new baby!).
Make sure you check out Posterjack online, Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with news, contests and more!
How do you like to gift photographs for family and friends? Do you buy calendars, frames,etc?
November 18, 2015
Beautiful Creatures A Boundless Coloring Book Adventure by Nicole Stocker
Colour over the greys to bring the images to life in this unique adult colouring book by Nicole Stocker.
About Beautiful Creatures
Immerse yourself in the space between black and white and explore the many shades of your imagination. Unique in its sophisticated grayscale format, Beautiful Creatures is deceivingly simple. Using the gray as your guide, you will feel like a professional artist, bringing depth to each image and creating lifelike artwork that is uniquely yours. Take a moment of solitude to rediscover your creativity, and replenish your calm.
Optimized for coloring, each image is printed on acid-free, archival quality paper, perforated and watermarked for framing. Simply select your palette and color over the gray, letting the depth of shading guide your choices as you bring this thoughtfully curated collection of 48 striking images to life. Feel the thrill of artistic accomplishment that comes from creation, and the pride of seeing your work framed and displayed. Where the simplicity of coloring meets a refined aesthetic, Beautiful Creatures opens the door to artistic expression and all the joys that come with it.
My Thoughts
Colouring is one of my favourite calming activity. It helps me unwind from the day, clear my mind and even spend some time with my boys!
Beautiful Creatures is a whole new concept for colouring books with a grey scale that you colour on top of. Which at first sounds confusing but the end result is stunning. The grey scale helps with the tone of the image, helping those that may have little experience with colouring and painting. It can sometimes be hard to remember to shade depending on the light source so this was a fun way to get back in to drawing for me. It brought back all of my art classes while giving me artistic freedom with colour. I was easily lost in my colouring and spent over an hour colouring with the news on in the background. Even my children were jealous of the book and wanted to colour in it (I was a meanie and said no!).
Beautiful Creatures will make an excellent gift for the budding artist in your home as it allows them to improve on their skills while giving them artistic freedom in how they make the picture come alive. It was so much fun watching my image pop up on the page. The book itself is professional and even has a place for your signature waiting for you.
You can purchase a copy of Beautiful Creatures on Amazon.
Rating: 5/5
About the Author
As a young girl, Nicole was enchanted by a black and white photograph hanging in her parents summer cabin, wishing she could bring it to life with color. An artist at heart, Nicole imagined a collection of coloring books filled with inspiring, carefully curated photographs. The first in a series, Beautiful Creatures marks her publishing debut. A mother of two young children, Nicole treasures any moment to lose herself in color and creation in her Vancouver home.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
November 16, 2015
The Knights Before Christmas
The Knights Before Christmas is not your usual Christmas story but brings with it silly humour and a new kind of Christmas fun.
About The Knights Before Christmas
‘Twas December 24th, and three brave knights were just settling in for the night when out on the drawbridge, there arose such a clatter! The knights try everything to get rid of this unknown invader (Santa Claus!), a red and white knight with a fleet of dragons.
‘But nothing would stop
their white-whiskered foe.
No matter their efforts,
he just would not go!’
My Thoughts
Silly, fun, rhyming humour is what you can find with this trio of Knights as they protect their King from a jolly invader with his fierce dragons (think red suit and his sleigh!). The rhyming follows the much-loved, Twas the Night Before Christmas, which helped as my children could almost guess the next words. We have so much fun whipping this story out, snuggling on the couch and reading it to each other. We have read it almost every night for the last week and it still hasn’t grown old! It definitely puts a new spin on an old family favourite, while adding in humour, excellent illustrations and a theme most young boys and girls can relate to! A fantastic addition to our Christmas book collection.
You can purchase the book on Amazon.
Rating: 5/5+
About the Author
Joan Holub is the author and illustrator of more that 130 children’s books, including Zero the Hero, Little Red Writing, and the Goddess Girls series. She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.
About the Illustrator
Scott Magoon is the illustrator of many books for young readers, including Spoon and Chopsticks by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, and the author and illustrator of The Boy Who Cried Bigfoot and Breathe. The art director at Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, he lives in the Boston area with his wife and two sons.
Disclosure: I received a copy of The Knights Before Christmas in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.