April 28, 2015
Refresh Your Decor with Posterjack This Spring
Winter felt like it would never end this year but spring is finally here! Many of you may have even started your spring cleaning already (I have a giant checklist of things to get done but not quite sure where to start). One of the more forgotten areas of your home is your home decor and the prints on your wall (you know all those infant prints you have up in frames and your child is now nine with no updated photos in sight!). The best way to refresh your home for the spring months is to update these few easy items on your walls.
Here are some helpful tips from Posterjack to help you accomplish this task:
Embrace Spring Photography
Spring time is an incredible time to get outside and take photographs. The flowers are budding, the weather is cool and not too warm and the lighting is perfect for your pictures. If you have kids take them outside to join you in the hunt for budding flowers, bugs and special nature shots. Use this time to explore and build your child’s knowledge of the outdoors.
Encourage Your Children to Participate in Photo Shoots
Is the weather wet and rainy outside? No worries! Set up an area inside and create your own family photo shoot. Have your children choose their props and set up the area in which you will be taking your pictures. Maybe take to Pinterest or the internet to figure out how you would like to set up the photos and go from there. In the photo shoot below our boys wanted to include their Dad’s ucalaly so we went for it and captured this perfect picture of their hands that melts my heart everytime I look at it.
Add a Pop of Colour to Your Decor
Colour has a way of changing the mood in a room. So liven it up and give your photographs a hint of colour this spring. Posterjack offers image customization features that allows you to add borders or photo effects.
Spring Clean Your Hard Drive
This is the one area that I have been slacking in. I have over four thousand photos to scroll through, save and transfer! It is also an important task to make sure you don’t lose anything important (who wants to lose those first baby photos??).
Join the 12 Prints Project
Have you been following the #12PrintsProject online? If not head over to Twitter and check it out to win prizes. Remember to keep on top of printing off your photos to make it less overwhelming on yourself at the end of the year.
Celebrate Mom!
Photographs and photo books are my personal favourite gift to receive and with Mother’s Day fast approaching, I can’t wait to see what my boys create for me! Capturing a special moment in time and gifting it to the person you love is the ultimate personal gift you can give the special person in your life.
How do you update your wall art and photographs in the Spring?
Make sure to follow Posterjack on Facebook and Twitter to keep up to date with current offers and tips and tricks!
April 28, 2015
Kidnap: Part One of Guy Erma and The Son of Empire
Two boys whose lives are as different as any two boys could be. One act of cruelty will bring them together in Kidnap: Part one of Guy Erma and The Son of Empire.
About Kidnap: Part One of Guy Erma and the Son of Empire
“I don’t want to go….do I have to go?”
Thirteen year old Prince Teodor of Freyne knows his duty to the memory of his Father and his Kingdom. He must always help those less fortunate than himself. Yet a frightening nightmare fills him with foreboding but still he must go – into the Dome.
Thirteen year old Guy Erma lives in the shadow of the Dome. He has no Father and no Mother and his future is uncertain. He must start to earn a living when he reaches the age of fourteen. He knows not where he will live or even how he will eat to survive. His only dream is to enter the military academy at the heart of the Dome.
These two boys will have their lives intersected with one cruel act but who will they trust?
My Thoughts
I LOVED Kidnap! I am a huge sci-fi thriller fan and this young adult version delivered suspense, adventure and science fiction with exciting plot twists. This is the first book in this series and I could not put it down – I finished it in one sitting!
The world that Sally creates is realistic and easy to understand and follow along throughout the novel. The terminology was easy to follow and made sense within the context of the novel. While a sci-fi novel, I did not find it overwhelming in words and you can easily relate to the characters in the book.
The differences between the majority of the people of Freyne and the rich is wide and full of quiet unrest. You feel compassion and concern for the majority of the people living in Freyne and are left wondering what will happen to their welfare. Not to mention their Prince and city!
Sally draws you into this world and leaves you craving for more. I was so sad when this novel was done and can not wait until the next novel in this series. While a young adult novel, I fell in love with it and I am well past my young adult years thus making this a novel for all individuals who love sci-fi.
You can find this book on Amazon.
Rating: 5/5
About the Author
Sally was born in Wallasey, England in 1964 and moved to the South of France when she was eleven. She spent her teenage years in Monaco learning the languages and cultures. As an English girl in a French school, she would spend her English classes at the back of the class writing stories thus inspiring her love of writing. Sally now writes marketing communications and manages large international websites. Sally currently lives in Farham with her husband and two children. You can connect with Sally on her website, Facebook or Twitter.
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
April 27, 2015
Paddington Now on DVD/BluRay + Giveaway!
The much-loved Paddington is back in this hilarious new movie, all about this loveable bear and his search for a family in modern-day England.
Paddington, the bear from the much-loved series by Michael Bond, is coming to DVD/Blu Ray on April 28th.
Not familiar with the story of Paddington? Paddington is a Peruvian bear who travels to London in search of a new home after his home is destroyed. He is sent to London bearing a tag that states: “Please look after this bear. Thank you.” His label was styled after the labels that were attached to children that were sent out of London during the war by their parents to families outside of the city to care for their children. Paddington is noticed by a kind and loving Mother who is with her two children and husband. They decide to take him in for the night. What harm could this possibly cause? Only if they knew! On top of this, a taxidermist catches wind of his arrival and wants to capture this rare bear to add to her collection. Paddington shows his ‘adopted’ family about love, kindness and the true meaning of family.
Full of adventure, mishaps and hilarious encounters, it is easy to fall in love with Paddington. He is sweet, kind and loveable. Paddington is a movie that you and your family can cherish for years to come.
Here is a trailer of our sweet friend:
Our friends at Entertainment One are now giving one of my readers the chance to win their own copy of Paddington! My Canadian residents, eighteen years of age and older can enter via the Rafflecopter form below – good luck!
Disclosure: I received a copy of this movie. All opinions expressed are my own.
April 26, 2015
Aoléon The Martian Girl Part Four: Book Review
Aoléon is back in the fourth installment of the series, Aoléon The Martian Girl: Illegal Aliens by Brent LeVasseur.
About Aoléon The Martian Girl: Part Four
Aoléon and Gilbert have become the Luminon’s top priority in stopping the Martian resistance movement and after being chased by the Palace guard they are forced to flee the Martian metropolis.
After they escape, they crash-land deep in the Martian desert where they set out to locate Aoléon’s parents who are being held captive. After a long and hard battle they finally make their destination but come to learn that their journey is far from over.
Will they be able to save Aoléon’s parents and stop the Martian invasion of Earth before it is too late?
My Thoughts
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this series of books for young adults and tweens. It has the perfect blend of imagination, creativity, illustration with the strength of the book coming from two young friends.
Part four of Aoléon did not disappoint! I think this part is one of the best so far. It was full of exciting adventure – at times I was worried the two were not going to make it through! But as one wise, old Martian taught them it is important to have faith. Aoléon and Gilbert hang on tight to their faith, trust in each other and the friendships they form to get them through the worst of the journey to rescue Aoléon’s parents.
The humour in this book had both my son and I cracking up (D.U.M.B. for a secret location!) – and helps to offset some of the more dangerous parts of the novel (being chased by Martians, crashing in a desert,etc..). Gilbert starts to come into his own strength and this novel and I loved that!
Aoléon will be the perfect addition to your child’s library!
You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.
Rating: 5/5
Here is a trailer of Aoléon Part Four:
Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
April 24, 2015
Bridges of Paris #bookreview & #giveaway
Paris. Just the name alone can stir of images of cathedrals, historical monuments and places and a city full of rich history. The Bridges of Paris guides us through the city in a way we have never seen it before.
About Bridges of Paris
The Bridges of Paris is a large format book with over 350 original colour photographs. The thirty-seven bridges over the Seine River emerge as beautiful, historic destinations rather than go by unnoticed. This book not only features each bridge but riverside photographs as well.
Michael Saint James immersed himself in the Parisian culture for a year and captured images over, on, below and beside these wonderful bridges.
My Thoughts
The first words that came to my mind when opening up this book for the first time was breath-taking, incredible and wondrous. It truly brings the city to life through the photographs and history of the bridges! My love of history and the arts made this the perfect book for me. The photography was stunning and breath-taking. The historical content was the perfect amount to intrigue and to learn something new.
The book is broken down into several sections: Island Bridges, Palace Bridges, Downstream and Uptown Bridges. Each section contains historical facts alongside the images. So not only is this a visually appealing book but one you can learn a great deal of knowledge from.
The book is in a large, rectangular format that is perfect for displaying on your coffee table and just tempts you to want to hold it and cherish each page. Although this is probably designed for an older crowd (young adult and up), both of my children enjoyed turning the pages and learning a little bit of French history!
You can purchase your own copy on Amazon.
Check out this fantastic book trailer of the book:
Rating: 5/5
About Michael Saint James
Michael Saint James’ artistic pursuits include award-winning book design, film editing and sound recording, as well as his first love photography. He has taught media production and technology arts as well as photography, story telling and art history. Michael is a world traveller who has visited over fifty countries.
The Giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.