Gone Girl: A Movie Review

The 411:

I hadn't read the book but watched with someone who had and felt that the book did a better job of showing how much of a momma's boy Nick was and how his personality and the personality of his wife led to the end result of the movie which I don't want to spoil for you.

As someone who didn't read the book and basically had no idea what to expect, I felt that the movie was a drama with twists and turns that made it interesting enough although I had figured it out within the first 45 minutes how this 2.6 hour movie would end.  I love that the movie flips back and forth showing both perspectives because we all know there are three sides to every story. His side, her side and the truth!

Rosamund plays a great pyscho female and there were numerous times I was cringing over her actions.  I love how she doted all her I's and crossed all her T's and was excited as her story started to blow up in her face. She is one twisted chick!

FYI Even though there was a lot of hype about Ben's full frontal, I missed it however, I will never be able to unsee Neil Patrick Harris' full frontal. 

I'll Have A Blue Christmas....

The holidays are often bittersweet for me. Life has hit me hard over the past 48 years of my life but I choose not to spend much time thinking about that and try very hard to focus on the positives and I can find them everywhere even when my thoughts want to make me choose a different path. I refuse to let negativity by my way of life and know that I make a conscious effort every day to always smile and know that every day above ground is a good day.

This Christmas I choose to push away all the memories that if I let them will push me down. There will be time to focus on those but not now. I am a master at pushing my true feelings down. I've been conditioned and choose now to do so. So let's focus on the positive...if you choose to see it, it is there.

Positive - I have a wonderful friend who takes me all the way to Queens, NY to visit my grandparents. She stops off at her brother's house too for a double visit. He and his wife are wonderful people who accept me and my kids into their house as if we are old friends. This is the second time I  have met them and they make me feel like I am visiting family.

Positive - I don't get to see them often and the visits are short but feel so long but here are my grandparents. My mother's parents who have out lived two of their children. I am blessed to have them and love that my kids have great-grandparents in their 90s. God bless them both.

Positive - Blue is my favorite color. I see it everywhere. This little owl reminds me of my youth. In the 70s we all had owl decorations around. I love that this guy has a red heart.

Positive - This was spotted at my sister-in-laws house. It's blue, my favorite color and going there makes me feel like I am with people I know and love!

Positive - Look at all this red!This is my laptop desk where I do all my blogging but on Christmas Eve it served as an area to house all the gifts were were taking with us to my in-laws for family. I love being able to give gifts to those we love.

Positive - My kids are so patient. My son had been up for two hours before us. He had to wait for us all to wake before we got started. He was smiling, excited and so surprised. I love how they both take their time and enjoy the gifts they are so fortunate to receive.

I  hope everyone reading this has a blessed Christmas. It is the prayer I went to bed with on Christmas Eve and one I wish for all of you. 

We Wish You A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year

Catching The Color

The kids and I are loving all the Christmas lights around the neighborhood but especially ours. My husband hung some ornaments above the garage door and the lights create beautiful reflections of color that I cannot get enough of.

I took this one with my car headlights on. It was when I shut them off that I got the above photos.

A wagon full of candy! Who wouldn't want that?

I never liked this kind of candy but think it makes a beautiful photo especially in the cupboard it rests in.

I would love my tree to look like this! This is a tree in the candy shop window. Love all those colorful ornaments.

A New Kinda Christmas Carol Story - REVIEW

I just finished Scrooged A Musicals Novella by Laura DeLuca and have to tell you, I loved it! It is perfect reading for my evening of sitting with the Christmas tree lights on and a fire in the fireplace.  A Christmas Carol story especially the one with Mr. Magoo is one of my favorite Christmas stories.  Ebenezer Scrooge gets a message from beyond on Christmas Eve that makes him change his nasty ways before it's too late. It's a book about second chances and how it is never too late to change. Laura DeLuca's take on the story is about the same only this time she uses characters from her Trilogy The Dark Musicals.

In Scrooged, "Scrooge" is Stan the father of main character Rebecca. Stan has never liked Rebecca's boyfriend now husband Justyn and Christmas Eve didn't change that.

Stan leaves his daughter's home early after an argument and falls asleep watching A Christmas Carol. Well, if you are familiar with the story you can imagine what happens. After being visited by various spirits from the past, Stan must decide if he will get the message and change before it's too late.

Scrooged had me laughing, worried and at the end crying because I was so happy.

Some of My Favorite Items From #FrostyVoxBox #@Influenster

Last week I received a box full of some awesome products. Some I've heard of and others I am happy to be introduced to. 

When I opened the beautiful red box, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Here is what it looked like!

Immediately I saw the Celestial Tea which I was a peppermint sample. YUMMMMM. I am a coffee and tea girl not playing favorites to either. I love them both.

I was having a dry eye problem so the eye make up remover was the first thing I used. I was told by the school nurse to go home and remove all my make-up, take my contacts out and rest my weary, red eyes. I did so immediately. Thanks Rimmel! It is about time I got back to taking better care of my skin! I have used it every night since. It is soothing and removes my eye make-up easily.

The first thing the kids noticed was the Vines! They are like Twizzlers but bite size and much wider and chewier. My kids love all gummy type snacks. These are a hit. We have purchased three bags since I got them in this box.

Boots No 7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Serum is a true favorite. It was only a sample but thankfully the price makes it manageable. Honestly, after using I am quite surprised at the price. I thought it would much more expensive. It glides on the skin and if I had more I would have lathered my whole body with it. It felt wonderful and I am sooooo picking up the biggest bottle I can find this week.

Functional And Attractive For Your On The Go Refreshments And Snacks - Rove!!!!

We are a busy household and are on the go as much as any family. We also take lunch and our drinks in the morning for the day to our jobs to cut down on cost so having functional, reliable products we can trust is important to us and hey, it doesn't hurt if it looks good too!

I received the above to review:

The 20 oz infuser which is a cup where you place whatever you want into the flavor pod (herbs, frozen fruit, lemon, whatever you want. Fill the cup with your drink, we do seltzer or water and drink. It is the perfect compliment to my daily water which is bring to work every day. AND...it looks good too.

My favorite of the three is the 14 ounce BLUE double wall insulation mug. I love it because, of the color. It is a stunning cobalt blue put more importantly because it is the only insulation mug I have ever had that doesn't leak AT ALL! It has a push button at the top which opens up the whole lid so it doesn't matter where on the top you drink from. It is a complete 360 opening under a lip where the liquid would come out of. No need to peek and turn it for the mouth opening. Perfect for drivers. You don't have to look at your cup at all when you sip your coffee or tea during your morning commute. Then you click the button again to get a leak proof seal!

Lastly is the blue 7 piece Bento Box. I have never used one but always wanted to.  There are a multitude of ways to use this box. It even includes silver wear and an ice pack which fit perfectly.  It is dish washer safe and microwavable. It is truly a unique way to bring lunch on the go.

Everyone Should Sleep On A Satin Pillowcase

The 411: 

We LOVE our hairy fairy. Come on...look at that picture at the top. Isn't she the cutest little thing with her purple hair?

I have heard of the benefits of satin pillowcases for years. I have heard they are good for your hair and for your skin. That you tend to have less knots and less wrinkles. This is something I should have investigated a lot sooner because I can't begin to tell you the tears we deal with every morning and every evening when we comb Goddess' hair.

She isn't very good about putting her hair in a braid or ponytail end usually ends up with wavy, messy hair every single day since she run, hides, plays and the rest with her long hair trailing behind her.

We have started using the satin pillowcase two weeks ago since Goddess tends to sleep walk during the night she would ended up in my bed the first week. This week she said she made a conscious effort to stay on the pillow. It has made all the difference. No more wetting, combing, crying, wetting, combing and crying for the past week. Amazing! Who knew?!  Well, actually a lot of folks knew because I have been hearing this for years. 

If you spend the morning or evening dealing with a crying little one, invest in a beautiful pillowcase that you will have to force yourself not to claim as your own.

Someone Wanted To Interview Me? Little Old Me?

Hey I just received notice that I am the Spotlight Blogger at SheSpeaks this month! Woot Woot http://www.shespeaks.com/Spotlight-on-SheSpeaks-Blogger-Maria-Gagliano-of-Maria-s-Space

Maria Gagliano is the founder and writer at Maria’s Space. She has been blogging for nine years and claims to have the gift of gab, featuring content about parenting, reviews, giveaways and more. 

We recently caught up with her to find out more about her life and here is what we found out, in her own words.

Where you can find me on social media: Facebook - Twitter - YouTube - Google + - Pinterest 

I live in….The Hudson Valley of New York.

My niche is…Friendly Face for All/Find Happiness Everyday.

$PullQuote$I write when…..I want to remember something about my kids or life but also when I need to get things off my chest. Sometimes writing equals breathing for me.

How has blogging changed my life: Blogging has enabled me to connect with so many people. Whether a company who wants to send me products for review or another mom who is touched by something I wrote or feels connected by how similar we are. Blogging has opened up my social circle and has made me feel very connected to so many people who I would never have met.

A brand I have loved working with: 20th Century Fox is a favorite and Chicken Soup for The Soul and Purex are awesome companies to work with.

When did I start blogging: My first post was written June 21, 2005. My son’s Godmother sent me her blog link and I thought you had to blog in order to comment.

How I see the future of blogging/social media: I believe social media is where it is at. Whether Twitter, Facebook, blogging or whatever new media comes out. Everyone should be interested in it. It has made the world that much smaller.

Where I work: I am lucky enough to work in my children’s school as a lunch aid/recess monitor. I love my job talking to kids all day and seeing my kids during my day makes me so happy. If I have to be apart from them, at least I get to see them in the midst of our busy day.

I am connected….At various times of the day and try to pre-post a lot of things. My biggest connection is to Facebook. It is where I get all my news and keep up with friends and family.

When I’m stressed, I…..Listen to music or call a girlfriend. However the more stressed I am, the more I turn toward music. Sometimes hearing opinions even if they are agreeing with me makes me feel more stress. Shutting down with some tunes is the way to go for me.

My favorite gadget is….Probably my Kindle. It is by far my favorite. I love flipping through my rows and rows of books all neatly showcased on my Kindle bookshelf. Makes me very happy.

My favorite travel destination is….As someone who has not traveled much I would say so far my favorite is Disney. I love that there is so much to see and do. I am dying to take my kids there and wish money wasn’t an factor.

My favorite clothing brand is…Maybe I am the only one but I don’t have a favorite. As long as it withstands many washing, doesn’t come apart and fits right, it’s my favorite.

I do all my shopping….Well, these days food shopping is taken care of by my husband which means I hardly do any shopping. However when I do we head to Walmart first.

My favorite TV shows: Walking Dead! For the past 6 years I have watched very little TV but would never dream of missing this show.

My favorite movie: This is so hard. I have so many favorites. There is no movie beside Twilight that I have watched more than 3 times. I do love Mamma Mia, The Notebook and anything I can get my kids to watch with me. My daughter and I love Coraline, The Nightmare Before Christmas and Beetlejuice. My son and I watch all the Home Alone movies over and over again.

Coffee or tea: Both! Coffee in the morning and tea at night.

I love….Being with my kids, taking pictures, reading, drawing, and laughing.

I dream about….One day having enough money to take my kids to Disney. They deserve it.

Where you can find my writing: At Maria’s Space.

What else I do: Sing. It is something I do with my kids but won’t be getting on stage anytime soon. I love doing duets with my daughter. We sing everything including chores and randomness. There is nothing that can’t be put to song and if it makes them laugh even better.

Causes I've worked with and made a difference via blogging about: I used to run a small website for my hometown when we lost the newspaper but now I only moderate a Facebook page for folks who live or lived in my town. I love reading and seeing photos from days gone by from my town.

Happiness Is: Goofing Around With My Daughter

Any long time reader will know that I lost my mom when I was 12 and longed to have a daughter to experience the lost Mother/Daughter relationship. I have a sweet boy and a spirited girl (sometimes vice versa) and couldn't be happier.

I would say I spend more time with Goddess then any other person on the planet. We sing, laugh, chat, play, read, and just chill out. We also love taking selfies.

Here are some from two days ago.

Some Holiday Decorations

Goddess and I love pretend shopping. We don't spend and money we just walk and check out the things we love. It really is a great time and something my daughter and I love because we are together. We laugh, sing, and take pictures and video. I hope she always wants to do this.

We love happy Santas!

Goddess is never afraid to pose!

He is so ugly he is cute!

Look at those twinkling eyes!

The Bluest Tablescape

While this is not my tablescape, I so wish it were.

    

The Babadook Is A Masterpiece of Writing And Acting

IFC Midnight 

presents

THE BABADOOK
Written and Directed by Jennifer Kent

The 411 by Maria:

Last night I watched the Babadook a dark, moody, smart, horror movie about a woman who hasn't dealt with her grief after her husband's passing. At first it seems like any other generic horror movie about a little boy scared of a story his mother reads to him one night where the character of the book comes to life scaring them both out of their minds.

NO! It is NOT that. It is so much more and I was completely blown away by how good this movie was and I am still unsure if the Babadook is a manifestation of the characters minds or if he was real. Whatever! It doesn't matter.  We are so conditioned to feel a certain way by so many movies out there today and I have watched a ton of the horror genre. This is one of the greats!

Amelia is a single mom or mum as Samuel calls her, this is an Australian film after all whose husband died in a car accident as he was getting her to the hospital to have Samuel. Samuel is a precocious, adorable 6 year old who has some obvious behavioral problems due to his wild imagination or is it imagination? Anyway I digress....

While Amelia tries to handle Samuel being kicked out of school and his wild, vivid imagination she begins to see the things that Samuel is seeing.

While it plays out like a horror movie, dark, foreboding house, creepy dark corners, bumps in the night, spooked pet, scary basement, frightening visions, horrifying sounds I believe the story has so many layers you will think about it for days. I need to watch it again to see what I missed. There were times I actually had the chills all over my body and felt very tense mostly during the quietest moments of the movie which I contribute to the brilliant acting by both main characters.  Essie Davies (Amelia) is a wildly impressive. She is a loving mom, a frightening force, a grieving wife, a tormented killer, she is everything and then some. Noah Wiseman (Samuel) is a loveable, devilish, little one who I wanted to hold and comfort one second and slap his bottom the next.

Not scary, I didn't loose any sleep but very very spooky and thought provoking. Who do you think the babadook is?

Christmas Dolls Can Be Scary. Who KNEW!???

The doll's name is Madison and she looks innocent enough but Goddess swears her name is Annabelle and she is very afraid of her.

We were laughing and joking when she said, "Mommy she looks like me, her eye lashes are very long, she freaks me out."

I hugged the doll and Goddess pretended to faint. I said, "She is beautiful. My Daddy your Grandpa gave her to me."

She was like "Mommy I am going to have nightmares, please please put her away."

Soooooo like the good joking, fun mom I am I said, "I am not going to put her away, I am going to have her pop up in various places like all your friend's Elf on a Shelves."

Her face completely changed from a smile to complete fear, "nooooo mommy, I am afraid of her. Stop saying that."

So....like a good mom I reboxed her and put her away. She has been around for over 15 years and maybe one day will be able to come out again but this year she will return to the attic. Which I of course won't mention to Goddess because that is just creepy to me.

Give The Gift Of Family Time With These New Hasbro Games

Holidays are right around the corner and this means so hectic days are up ahead as we shop shop and shop to make sure we get everyone on our list something amazing for Christmas.  So while you are sipping your eggnog in front of the fireplace, making your list and checking it twice I thought I would give you some food for thought.

Kids these days love their electronics! They do. They love their computer games, their video games, their smartphone games but if you really want to spend some time together as a family, there is nothing like good old board games especially on days when the electronics aren't available like this past Thanksgiving when my whole town ended up without electricity for nearly 20 hours. Yeah it was an interesting Thanksgiving but more on that some other time. 

Thankfully, the week before we received a shipment from Hasbro that kept my family sane on a really different Thanksgiving.

The book contained Simon Swipe, Monopoly Junionr and Playdoh Launch.

Handsome got right to the Simon Swipe which is a great new Simon game. I loved playing Simon as a kid with my sisters and love how they have altered the game to contain some swipes of the keys. It was so much fun and out of all of them this is the one I see them playing most often.

The Monopoly Junior is really a great game and at the moment I am so upset because we lost a whole 5 minute video on the game. It was really a fun video with Goddess and I explaining how you play it. I am not sure where it is and have searched all my folders. UGH. If I find it, I will post it but I believe it is lost forever. 

It is definitely a game that can be played with kids as young as 4 and isn't as long as the original. You land on the property, you buy the property. You place your card and everyone who lands on it pays you. The best part is that the prices are all in the ones place so there is no big counting for the little ones involved. We love the game pieces which consist of a car, cat, dog and boat.

  Here we are playing it on Thanksgiving on a very cold morning.

The board is so colorful and the cards make for easy buying of property if you get the right one

Lastly, we love our Playdoh and I can't imagine a time where we will not have a Playdoh can in this house.  We were thrilled to try out Playdoh Launch.

In Playdoh Launch you create balls with Playdoh and launch it into the Playdoh canister as it spins around opening and closing it's mouth! We love this type of game.

What a great way to spend time with your kids to laugh and play. Unplug your kids and make memories that will last a lifetime.

Our Jingle All The Way 2 Party Was A Hit #FHInsiders ##JingleInsiders

We are back from our most fun Holiday Party ever thanks to Fox Home Entertainment. As a Fox Insider I was shipped a box containing all the makings for a party that the kids won't soon forget and neither will I.

 
We were all thoroughly impressed with the swag. There is so much to say....we waited patiently for our friends and it was hard to keep my kids away from the hot cocoa and cookies. Can't say I blame them.

Our Jingle All The Way 2 package had cookie cutters shaped like stars, crafts, activity sheets, hot cocoa, Santa hats, straws with a Santa mustache AND truly the coolest mugs ever.

The kids were ready to party and party they did. It was a very very loud, few hours except during the movie which they mostly laughed at.

Holiday music had them showing us their moves.

Our crowd consisted of 3 - 12 year olds and they all got along so great. They are so cute in their hats.

The activity sheets definitely got a few laughs especially for the parents who thought they would get gift ideas on the Santa letters. Two including one of mine wrote "You already know what I want." Ummmmm...no help there.
 

These wood ornament crafts were a hit! Wish there was an extra for me. I need to pick up some of these.

Handsome colored his so patiently.

 

Laughing, eating and a movie. Is there a better idea for a party or get together? We don't think so.

My non art lover was loving this craft. Who knew?

 

After much drinking, laughing, eating and ribbing, we headed downstairs to watch Jingle All The Way 2 starring Larry the Cable Guy. The kids had a great time and the moms loved that there was a new holiday movie that they hadn't seen before. We had a great time!!!

Disclaimer: No monetary compensation was sent! We received this package as a Fox Home Insider.