Sunday, March 31, 2013

Parental Guidance now on Blu-ray and DVD


Billy Crystal, Bette Midler and Marisa Tomei prove that laughter is relative in this hilarious comedy that’s fun for the whole family! Old-school grandparents Artie (Crystal) and Diane (Midler) get more than they bargained for when they get stuck babysitting their type-A daughter’s (Tomei) overprotected kids. But things go from hectic to hysterical when Artie realizes the kids are running the house with their newfangled technology. By playing by his own rules, which include sugary snacks, old fashioned games and tough love, Artie manages to outsmart the kids and achieve the impossible- bring the family closer together!


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Friday, March 29, 2013

Stock Your Pantry with Homemade Meals That'll Last a Year




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Imagine coming home from a long work day to hungry kids and having a pantry
filled with meals in jars that require just water and limited time. Dinner
has never been so easy.

Introducing "Meals in a Jar," a new cookbook that takes the stress and
guesswork out of cooking.

"Meals in a Jar" is packed with step-by-step instructions for 125 natural
breakfasts, lunches, dinners and desserts, including Biscuits and Gravy,
Braised Short Ribs, Turkey Pot Pie, Breakfast Burritos, White Chocolate
Cranberry Cookies and much more.

Not only are the recipes in this book perfect for carry-along camping fare,
weeknight dinners, meals for Dad (or your teenager) to prepare, they can
also be lifesavers in times of disasters like fires, blackouts or
hurricanes.

Who wouldn't want to save time and money while eating their favorite
flavorful meals?


The 411 by Maria:

I was very excited to read this book. My husband and I often talk about creating a stockpile of meals especially since we spent almost a week without electricity last year with the kids and while we enjoyed and survived it would have been  harder had it been a little while longer. There is only so many meals I can cook on a propane stove.

The book definitely breaks down every step. What I learned was that I would have to purchase a lot of things for me to make this work such as: pressure canners, a food dehydrator and a vacuum sealer to name a few and while that isn't in the cards right now I was indeed interested.

A book shelf full of ready to go canned meals sounds great however this is not for people like me who want to just put a jar together and be ready to go.  There is a lot that goes into canning but I have a few friends I know would absolutely think this book was worth it's weight in gold.

The book did make me think though. I am certainly interested in eventually canning for our future reserves and perhaps making this a community effort with a few families in my town. It could definitely help if some of my friends already have a lot of the equipment. Some of the ingredients like dried eggs I had never heard of but I am sure there is a place nearby that could help me.

If you are looking to live life off the grid, or if you want to make sure you can take care of your family should you need to. This is your book! Now, if only the author would make one for dummies, I would be  on board to get started right this second! 

Enjoy and cherish your loved ones.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest opinion


 



Sid The Science Kid: The Movie Viewing






"Science in the house" as we watched Sid the Science Kid: The Movie. There was an encore performances today and again on March 31 and Goddess and I watched it under a big comforter because I cannot warm up today.

We have been big Sid fans since 2008 when we caught this colorful show one morning on PBS. We loved that it was about science and the kids did quite a few experiments because of Sid and the gang. They love everything about him and we still have the Sid Microphone see our videos here.

In this movie, Sid and Gabrielle entered their science experiment into a competition and won as Junior Investigators. They travel with Sid's grandma (who is always up for an adventure) to meet Yangyang and Niuniu who also won in the older division for first time viewing of a new science museum run by a scientist voiced by Christoper Lloyd!

Goddess and I loved the movie version of Sid the Science Kid although we both mentioned we were missing some of the songs we always hear on the show. 
 
For more on Sid and the Gang head over to PBS.com

Check out out Craft Stick Catapult, Recycled Robot, Dress Like Sid and Sid the Science Kid: The Movie Coloring Sheet  http://www.pbs.org/parents/sid/sid-the-science-kid-the-movie/

Don't forget to enter the Plush Sid The Science Kid Giveaway here 



Disclaimer: We also received a complimentary Screener for our honest review.

Demon Themed Prize Pack from Author Laura DeLuca


Demon, Book Two in the Dark Musicals Trilogy, inspired by Sweeney Todd is available now!

Purchase

When Justyn and Rebecca set off for the New York School of Performing Arts, they think their dreams are about to come true. To their dismay, they aren’t in high school anymore, and the competition is steep. Rebecca must compete against accomplished singers for a role in the production of Demon Barber, including a stunning Gothic diva with her sights set on Justyn
It doesn't help that things keep disappearing from their apartment or that Rebecca's father refuses to accept that Justyn is an essential part of her life. Yet, all this seems minimal in comparison to the serial rapist terrorizing the campus.
Consumed by fear and obsessed with revenge, Rebecca and Justyn start living the story of Sweeney Todd—both on and off the stage.
 Head to face book to join the Demon Release Party.  You can also add Demon to your shelf on good reads.




If you haven't read the first book in the series, now is a great time to get your copy. To celebrate the release of Demon,  Phantom is now on sale for only $1.99 exclusively on Amazon!



Purchase

Phantom, Dark Musicals Book #1

The “Phantom” was a musical phenomenon that Rebecca had always found enchanting. She had no idea that her life was about to mirror the play that was her obsession. When her high school drama club chooses “Phantom” as their annual production, Rebecca finds herself in the middle of an unlikely love triangle and the target of a sadistic stalker who uses the lines from the play as their calling card.

Rebecca lands the lead role of Christine, the opera diva, and like her character, she is torn between her two co-stars—Tom the surfer and basketball star who plays the lovable hero, and Justyn, the strangely appealing Goth who is more than realistic in the role of the tortured artist.

Almost immediately after casting, strange things start to happen both on and off the stage. Curtains fall. Mirrors are shattered. People are hurt in true phantom style. They all seem like accidents until Rebecca receives notes and phone calls that hint at something more sinister. Is Justyn bringing to life the twisted character of the phantom? Or in real life are the roles of the hero and the villain reversed? Rebecca doesn’t know who to trust, but she knows she’s running out of time as she gets closer and closer to opening night. Only when the mask is stripped away, will the twenty first century phantom finally be revealed.


 

      Laura “Luna” DeLuca lives at the beautiful Jersey shore with her husband and four children. She loves writing in the young adult genre because it keeps her young at heart. In addition to writing fiction, Laura is also the editor of a popular review blog called New Age Mama. She is an active member of her local pagan community, and has been studying Wicca for close to eight years. Her current works include Destiny, Destiny Unveiled, Phantom, Morrigan, Player and Demon. She also has short stories featured in two anthologies called HerStory and A Celtic Tapestry.


 Follow the author Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Pinterest






 THE GIVEAWAY

To celebrate the release of Demon, Author Laura DeLuca has put together a Demon themed prize pack. It includes a signed copy of Phantom, geode and geode slice, rough crystal points, incense and holders, Gothic style leather key chains, smudge stick with abalone shell, mini Buddha and elephant statue, crystal, natural stone and pentacle pendants, and a $10 GC to Little Caesars, . 



The The Sisters Elemental Etsy shop has also created custom Lavender Purification  bath salts and a set of ammonite necklaces, both of which are featured in the book.


And finally, the awesome mommy bloggers at  Mom Powered Media are also throwing in a $50 Amazon GC to support one of their own!



One lucky winner is going to receive all these fabulous prizes. To enter, just fill in the Rafflecopter form below. This giveaway will end on  5/17/13. Open to the US only. The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to reply. Thanks again to Mom Powered Media, The Sisters Elemental and the author for offering these fantastic prizes.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
****Please note no compensation was received for sharing this post. Maria's Space is not responsible for prize delivery.***

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Star Wars Fans Will Love These Easter Egg Tips




Decorate your Easter Eggs LEGO® STAR WARS® Style!

Ask Yoda-bunny for The Empire Strikes OutTM
Available on DVD March 26th



Description: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3339/3429453115_95982d8a2a.jpgDescription: http://www.neatorama.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Yoda-500x449.jpgDescription: http://globalgeeknews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Stormtroopereggs.jpgDescription: star wars easter eggs darth vader

Easter is just around the corner, so we thought we would help out Star Wars fans by providing you with a guide to how you can decorate your own LEGO Star Wars-inspired Easter eggs. With our step-by-step guide you will be able to re-create all your favorite LEGO Star Wars characters including Yoda, Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker.
STEP #1 Hard boil your eggs
To save a lot of mess and wasted time make sure you hard boil your eggs before decorating them.
STEP #2 Choose your characters
There are plenty of Star Wars characters to choose from, favourites of ours include Yoda, C-3PO, Darth Vader, R2-D2 and Darth Maul.
STEP #3 Prepare your paint and colors
To decorate your LEGO Star Wars inspired eggs it is best use either poster or acrylic paint and to use the right colors for each character. Here is a helpful color guide for you:
Darth Maul: black, red, white                       Yoda: green                                 Darth VADAR: black, grey
Stormtrooper: white, black                          C-3PO: yellow, gold, white             R2-D2: blue, white, black

STEP #4 Prepare your brushes
Eggs are pretty small so it is best to use very small brushes for your eggs. For the really detailed ones like R2-D2 a felt-tip pen is advised.

STEP #5 Use a pencil first
Some of you more experienced decorators may want to dive straight in but if you are unsure of your artistic ability then use a pencil to trace where your paint will go before you begin with the brush.

STEP #6 Start decorating – take your time
You are now ready to get going. Don’t rush straight in, take your time and make sure that each colour is dry before you add any extra details

STEP #7 Coat your egg with glue
To protect the paint and give a cool shine to your egg you can coat your themed Easter egg with PVC glue. 

STEP #8 Don’t stop at one
So you’ve now got a kick-ass LEGO Star Wars inspired Easter egg character, but why stop there? Don’t let your character get lonely, make a whole bunch and begin re-creating your favorite scenes. 

STEP #9 Make your eggs 3D
To make your LEGO Star Wars inspired Easter eggs even better why not add extras to each character. Maybe you could add some cotton wool to make Yoda’s white hair, or some colored Play-Doh as Darth Maul’s horns. 

STEP #10 Show off your LEGO Star Wars-inspired Easter eggs

You now have an awesome set of LEGO Star Wars inspired Easter eggs to show-off to all your friends. If you want you can even share this guide with them as well, so you can compare your LEGO Star Wars-inspired creations.

Celebrate Easter Sunday with a New Bible Series Music Video "Crave" by for KING & COUNTRY



THE BIBLE is an epic 10-hour television series produced by Roma Downey (Touched By an Angel) and Mark Burnett (The VoiceSurvivorShark TankCelebrity Apprentice), available on Blu-ray, DVD and DHD on April 2nd. Downey plays Mother Mary and Emmy-winner Keith David provides voice-overs throughout. Oscar- and Grammy-award winning composer Hans Zimmer created the musical score to the iconic saga.

For more information on THE BIBLE, check out the Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/BibleSeries and Twitter @bibleseries