I Am Making Home Movies All Wrong! Watch the puddles at the garden centers this Spring!

Love this idea.

Watch Dad turn his toddler into an incredible super hero
 

Coolest Dad ever. Check out his 12 other videos. 

Sharing You by Molly McAdams Cover Reveal

Farmer's Bounty Dog Food Giveaway

Can you imagine? There is 20 pounds of fresh, cage-free chicken used in every 24 pound Bag of Farmer's Bounty besides the fact that it is an American made product with natural ingredients! Why wouldn't you want this for your family dog?!  BilJac Farmer's Bounty is sold at Pet Smart and is exactly what I would want to give my dog if I had one.

Farmer's Bounty is a family run business. Two brothers started the Bil-Jac Dog Food Company on an Ohio family farm in 1947.

Using real meat and oats as the only grain this is a premium dog food that doesn't spend a lot of money on advertising.

Pass the word about Farmer's Bounty so that all dogs can get good for them dog food without fillers and by-products. 

Please enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to #win a gift from Farmer's Bounty (natural, premium dog food

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Disclaimer: No monetary compensation was offered to host this giveaway.

Walking Dead & Zombie Fans, Check Out This Book Sale

WALKING DEAD AND ZOMBIE THEMED BOOK SALE

Riverdale Avenue Books Discounts Zombie Books 50% for Limited Sale Through This Sunday, March 30th

Riverdale, NY – March 28, 2014 – In preparation for the finale episode of THE WALKING DEAD on March 30^th, innovative hybrid publisher Riverdale Avenue Books will be offering 50% off of all their zombie titles including the best-selling book, Dead Sexy: The Unofficial Walking Dead Fan Guide to Zombie Style, Beauty, Parties, and A Ghoul-Lurching UNlifestyle.

“12.4 million people watched the season three finale of THE WALKING DEAD last year, so this weekend is a zombie-themed weekend,” said Riverdale Avenue Books Publisher, Lori Perkins. “I wanted to give our readers a chance to curl up with a good zombie read in anticipation, and as well as after the finale. We have so much to choose from among our titles, from zombie romance to military action.”

Customers will be able to receive the 50% discount on Riverdale Avenue Books’ website, Amazon, B&N, Smashwords and Kobo from March 28^th, 2014 through April 1, 2014. The discount applies to:

·         DeadSexy: The Unofficial Walking Dead Fan Guide to Zombie Style, Beauty, Parties,and A Ghoul-Lurching UNlifestyle. by Paula Conway

·         BloodBurn by J.E. Fletcher, a tale about werewolves in the zombie apocalypse

·         EvoluZion and RedemZion by Axl Abbott, military zombie fiction

·         StillHungry for Your Love, further adventures in zombie romance, edited by Lori Perkins

About Riverdale Avenue Books

Riverdale Avenue Books publishes e-books, print, and audio books under seven imprints: Pop a pop culture imprint; Riverdale/Magnus the award-winning imprint of LGBT titles; HSF, a horror, science fiction and fantasy line; Truth an erotic memoir line; Desire an erotica and erotic romance imprint; and Sports and Gaming featuring sports and gaming titles.  Headed by industry veteran Lori Perkins, Riverdale is a full service publisher, with a foreign rights and film agency department. Visit us at www.RiverdaleAveBooks.com.

Children's Books We Are Loving Right Now @Scholastic

NAUGHTY KITTY by Adam Stower

When Lily is finally allowed to have her very own kitten, strange things are afoot. Lily's brand new, teeny-tiny Kitty shouldn't be any trouble at all, but as soon as Lily leaves Kitty alone, hilarious hijinks are always around the corner.

Kitty ruins the kitchen, Kitty ruins the den. And we won't talk about what Kitty did to the rug. (Ugg!) Could it be that someone or something else is to blame for Kitty's wild behavior?

A loveable story that will have kids laughing out loud, NAUGHTY KITTY is a classic tale of mistaken cat-tastophies that makes for a roaringly purr-fect read.

The 411 by Maria And Goddess:

We loved this sweet book with the adorable faced kitty!  Poor kitty can't do anything right in Lily's eyes. Her tiny kitty gets in quite a bit of trouble.  It seems that every time Kitty turns around Lily is scolding it for something. However, it isn't Lily's kitty who is making the mischief but a huge tiger that has escaped from the zoo.

We love the illustrations of Lily and her kitty. AND...my reluctant 8 year old read this book without any help which makes it even better for this reading momma! 

With word bubbles, full page illustrations, a sweet, funny story and kitty's innocent face, kids and parents will love this book.

AVAILABLE IN JUNE

Learn to count to five as these very hungry pandas lunch on bamboo in this innovative board book with die-cut pages!

Brightly colored illustrations and fun rhyming text make this the perfect read-aloud for young children just learning about numbers and counting. The die-cut pandas sit at the top of the page, and as the reader moves through the book, each panda gets something to eat! Little hands stay engaged with the turn of the page as readers learn all about how to count to and visualize numbers 1 to 5!

The 411 by Maria and Goddess:





Five Hungry Pandas is an adorable book about sweet, cuddly pandas, who are all very hungry. Each page opens with a Panda cut out.  The book has a number on each page where each of the panda gets to eventually eat leaving the reminder on the next page. It's basically a count up and a count down book. We thought it was really cute and Goddess thinks kids will love the panda faces and searching for the number on each page. She said that she would have loved pointing to the numbers if she was a toddler and I agree.

The Swift Boys and Me by Kody Keplinger

Eleven-year-old Nola Sutton has been best friends and neighbors with the Swift boys for practically her whole life. There's the youngest, Kevin, who never stops talking; the oldest, Brian, who's always kind and calm; and then there's Canaan, the ringleader and Nola's best-best friend. Together, they have a summer of fun adventures planned.

But then everything changes overnight.

When the boys' dad leaves without even saying good-bye, it completely destroys the Swift family, and all Nola can do is watch. She tries to hold on to them, but they are changing. Kevin stops talking, Canaan starts hanging out with mean boys, and Brian is never around. Nola just wants things to go back to the way they were -- the way they've always been.

Is Nola strong enough to save the Swift boys from themselves, or has she lost them forever?

The 411 by Maria:

I love YA books. This book was written by Kody Keplinger while in middle school. Pretty impressive for a young woman.

The Swift Boys and Me find Nola a tom boy who hangs out with three brothers coming of age. She watched her best friend Canaan's father leave one night and never come back. Now she is a on a mission to find out why he left and if he is ever coming back all while dealing with her mom's upcoming wedding and her best friends reeling from the disappearance of their dad.

The story and characters are well written. I loved the story and can't wait to pass it to my niece. My only complaint is that the ending left me wondering if everyone will be OK.

 

Disclaimer: I received these books from Scholastic Books no monetary compensation was received for my honest opinion.

ENOUGH SAID! Moving On

“Letting go doesn't mean that you don't care about someone anymore. It's just realizing that the only person you really have control over is yourself.” Deborah Reber, Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul: 101 Stories of Life, Love and Learning 

“Cry. Forgive. Learn. Move on. Let your tears water the seeds of your future happiness.”
― Steve Maraboli

“I will never forget what you did to me. I will never forgive it. I will never stop mourning what you stole from me. But I realize now I can't steal it back and I'm done spending every day trying to.”
― Katja Millay, The Sea of Tranquility   

“We could do ourselves a tremendous favor by letting go of the people who poison our spirit.”
― Steve Maraboli

 

Enter To #WIN A National Geographic Kids Look And Learn Prize Pack

NationalGeographic Kids Look and Learn series brings fun, lively content to the preschool set with board books that cover a range of topics in an engaging, interactive way.   Each book in the series focuses on a different concept or subject and is designed specifically to cultivate early concept learning with context reinforcement so learning sticks.  Whether it's parts of the body, counting, baby animals, colors or exploring the world of same and different, each durable and sturdy board book is filled with bright, gorgeous photographs and is developed in conjunction with experts in the field of child development and growth.   Perfect for developmental skill building for ages one to four, these eye-catching books make early learning fun!

My family is has been a huge fan of National Geographic since I was a little girl. The coloful photos and animal filled articles made my sisters and I very happy when we visited our grandparents non-child friendly home. They had a subscription and it gave us something to do. We only wish there was a National Geographic Kids back then but thankfully there is now. My kids love Nat Geo Kids. What's not to love?! 

 

National Geographic Kids Look and Learn Prize Pack is comprised of Colors!, Counts!, Baby Animals, Match!, Same and Different and All About Me (ARV: $42).  

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Disclaimer: No monetary compensation was received to host this giveaway. THIS IS A US GIVEAWAY ONLY!

The Book Thief Was Amazing! @BookThiefMovie @FHEinsiders

THE BOOK THIEF

Based on the beloved best-selling book comes an “extremely moving” (Leonard Maltin, Indiewire) story of a girl who transforms the lives of those around her during World War II, Germany.  When her mother can no longer care for her, Liesel (Sophie Nélisse) is adopted by a German couple (OSCAR® Winner Geoffrey Rush* and OSCAR® Nominee Emily Watson**).  Although she arrives illiterate, Liesel is encouraged to learn to read by her adoptive father.  When the couple then takes in Max (Ben Schnetzer), a Jew hiding from Hitler’s army, Liesel befriends him.  Ultimately, words and imagination provide the friends with an escape from the events unfolding around them in this extraordinary, acclaimed film directed by Brian Percival (Downton Abbey). 

The 411 by Maria:

I have not read The Book Thief and I honestly had no idea what the movie was about when I started out but I cannot wait to read it. 

There is so much to love about this movie. Besides it being an amazing storyline, the acting was incredible and the sets made me feel like I wasn't just watching a period piece. 

Narrated by Death we see Liesel on a train to her adoptive parents. Her mom is no longer able to care for her and her brother so she is being sent to Germany to live with a childless couple Hans and Rosa. Liesel, played by Sophie Nelisse is a beautiful, quiet, scared young girl. I was floored by her portrayal. She is quiet, sweet, innocent and timid I loved her from the moment she comes on the screen.   

Liesel's brother dies on his way to Germany. The grave diggers bury him quickly track side. Liesel spots a book called The Grave Diggers and takes it. The movie begins.

My heart ached for the moment this beautiful, blonde girl walks into the home of Hans and Rosa so confused, hurt, lost and shy. Rosa seemingly tough and gritty, Hans the opposite, sweet, soft and empathetic. 

Set in Germany in the years 1939-1943, a war, death, fear, resistance and secrecy made up the times but at the heart of this movie Liesel and Hans have a beautiful relationship that showcases love in its purest form.  A man doing the best he can. Standing by his promises and finding the beauty in the meager, hard life that he has been dealt. 

This is a book everyone she read. It is a movie everyone should see. Definitely a classic. I will watch this movie again and try not to cry this time.

Enter the Movie Giveaway 

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy for my honest review as a Fox Home Entertainment Insider

Love Your Loom Bracelets? Check Out THIS OUT & Are You An Amazing Loomer Boomer? Check Out The 1st Annual Loomy Awards

The Original Loom Boom

(Site Launching SOON!) 

Fact Sheet

     

 

Quick Facts:

·         Organize, display, transport and share your loom creations

·         Features bright colored tubes that can hold up to 40 bracelets

·         The tube is detachable from the base, giving you easy access to bracelets at the bottom

·         The base contains extra storage compartments for loom bands, charms, clips, and other spare parts

·         Available in a variety of color combinations

·         Can be purchased nationwide for $9.99 at Michael’s and Learning Express

Like all loom-crazed households, rubber-band bracelets were taking over. As moms, Katy and Lauren (Co-Founders) loved the focus and creativity it provided for their kids. Every new stitch their children learned produced more patterns, more colors and more creations. However, these bracelets were winding up everywhere, from their couch cushions to their dog's mouth. It was a problem that needed solving! They stumbled upon a solution when Katy’s five-year-old son, Jake, housed his ever-growing collection of bracelets on a paper towel roll! What began with a simple concept has now developed into a first-of-its kind product intended to organize, display, transport and share. Sometimes children see things so clearly, and they jumped on his simple yet genius idea. 

The Loom Boom features bright-colored tubes that can hold up to 40 bracelets. The tube is detachable from the base so “loomers” can transport and share, as well as have easy access to bracelets at the bottom. The base also contains extra storage for loom bands, charms, clips, and other spare parts. 

  Calling All Loomer Fans!

January has the Golden Globes, February hosts the BAFTAs, and March is home to the Oscars. What better time than awards season to announce the first ever award for loom bracelet fanatics! This April, “loomers” from far and wide will submit their creations for a chance to become a Super Loomer in the 1^st Annual Loomy Awards!

The Loomy Awards are sponsored by TheOriginal Loom Boom, a first-of-its kind product intended to organize, display, transport and share your loom bracelet creations. Winners will be chosen from four categories: Best Bracelet, Coolest Charm, Wackiest Wearable, and Best Loom Boom. Three winners will each receive a $250 gift card, and one grand prize winner will receive a $500 gift card! Plus, all winners will receive a special edition of The Original Loom Boom! Entries can be submitted on The Original Loom Boom’s Facebook page beginning on March 30, 2014, and winners will be announced on a live web award show April 30, 2014.

 FYI! Giveaway COMING SOON!