Monday, December 29, 2014

DISCOVERY FAMILY CHANNEL JANUARY 2015 PROGRAMMING HIGHLIGHTS


DAYTIME PROGRAMMING



DAYTIME MOVIE PREMIERES


THE LITTLE VAMPIRE
Network Premiere Monday, January 19 at 5/4c
In this high-spirited family comedy, a kindly clan of Scottish vampires befriends a California kid who's far from home, a boy who may become “the little vampire.”   


ONGOING DAYTIME SERIES PREMIERES


LITTLEST PET SHOP
Premieres continue Saturdays at 12:30/11:30c
Blythe lives in the big city, right above the LITTLEST PET SHOP, a day-camp for all types of pets. Her adventures begin when she discovers that she can talk to the animals and joins them on fantastical adventures filled with music.
·         Room Enough premieres Saturday, January 3 at 12:30/11:30c A kitten visitor to the day camp peppers the pets with a stream of never-ending “why's” while Blythe wonders the same thing about her frilly bedroom after she sees an article in a magazine about the latest trends in teen rooms.
·         Why Can’t We Be Friends? premieres Saturday, January 10 at 12:30/11:30c Blythe hits it off with a fashion-minded girl at a thrift shop and neglects her "old friends," while Vinnie befriends a genial spider but must hide him from arachnophobic Sunil.
·         Pet Sounds premieres Saturday, January 17 at 12:30/11:30c Blythe and the pets must help Minka’s cousin Cheep-Cheep, who mistakenly thinks his scientist owner has invented a helmet that allows pets to talk to humans.
·         The Sister Story premieres Saturday, January 24 at 12:30/11:30c When Roger’s super competitive sister, Mo, comes for a visit, their need to constantly one-up each other gets out of control.
·         A Night at the Pawza premieres Saturday, January 31 at 12:30/11:30c Blythe and Mrs. Twombly help a friend try to transform her rundown pet hotel into a showplace, while Fisher Biskit is determined to shut the place down.


PRIMETIME PROGRAMMING


PRIMETIME MOVIE PREMIERES


CASPER
Network premiere Friday, January 9 at 7/6c
A paranormal expert and his daughter bunk in an abandoned house populated by three mischievous ghosts and one friendly one.
SPACE CHIMPS
Network premiere Saturday, January 8 at 5/4c
SPACE CHIMPS is an animated intergalactic comedy that highlights the antics of astronaut chimps with the "wrong stuff."


PREMIERES


ANCIENT CASE FILES
New Series Premieres Friday, January 2 at 10/9c
Forensic archeologist, Scotty Moore, takes us back in time as he plays detective to try and solve mysterious deaths.
·         Egyptian Mystery Coffin premieres Friday, January 2 at 10/9c Why is there a mysterious unmarked coffin inside the crypt of a once powerful ancient Egyptian? Archeological detective Scotty Moore travels 7,000 miles to the world-famous Egyptian City of the Dead to find out.
·         Death in the Castle premieres Friday, January 9 at 10/9c Archeological detective Scotty Moore travels to England to the ancient Bamburgh Castle to investigate an ancient – and mysterious – death.
·         Viking Murder Mystery premieres Friday, January 16 at 10/9c Archeological detective Scotty Moore races to the Arctic Circle to investigate a rare Viking skeleton and potentially solve an ancient crime.
·         The Secret Queen of the Pacific premieres Friday, January 23 at 10/9c Scotty travels to the middle of the Pacific to investigate the extraordinary burial of a 50-year-old woman in the long-deserted village of Ngerieleb on the island of Koror, in the Republic of Palau.
·         Secrets and Lies in the Monastery premieres Friday, January 30 at 10/9c A startling discovery within the ruins of a 16th century monastery in Iceland has archeological detective Scotty racing to the scene.
HAND MADE HISTORY
New Series Premieres Tuesday, January 6 at 8/7c
From the inventors to the workers on the factory floor, this series tells the real story behind the creation of the stuff we use every day. Each 30-minute episode, tells the amazing stories of three everyday objects – from the inventor's story and history, to designs and prototypes, and finally to the factory floor where the workers tell how the product is made.
·          Louisville Slugger/Spa/Excursion Vest premieres Tuesday, January 6 at 8/7c
·         Herman Miller Chair/Fender Strat/Parka premieres Tuesday, January 6 at 8:30/7:30c
·         Stetson/Luggage/Inflatable Boat premieresTuesday, January 13 at 8/7c
·         Cast Iron Skillet/Pool Table/Turntable premieres Tuesday, January 20 at 8/7c
·         Leatherman Tool/ Wine Aerator/Fireplace premieres Tuesday, January 27 at 8/7c
EXPLOSIVE!
New Series Premieres Tuesday, January 6 at 9/8c
Explosive experts Dr. Braden Lusk and Dr. Paul Worsey travel the globe to see how the biggest demolitions are accomplished-- and how they could be done better.
·         Bridge Busters premieres Tuesday, January 6 at 9/8c Our blasting team tackles two of the most dangerous demolitions in the world - find out what happens when the demolitions don’t go quite as planned!
·         Beach Front Blow Up premieres Tuesday, January 13 at 9/8c How do you blast a hotel built to withstand a hurricane? Find out as our demolition crews take down the nastiest hotel in Bermuda!
·         Smokestack Smashup premieres Tuesday, January 20 at 9/8c Explosive teams in Toronto and Chicago take on massive smokestacks – but who wins? Meanwhile a team in the UK is left puzzling over how best to flatten an old bottling factory.
·         Break the Bank premieres Tuesday, January 27 at 9/8c How do you detonate a bank building ravaged by fire, located right in the middle of a busy street and built next to a much-loved church? Find out as our explosives experts attempt unthinkable take downs!
FUNNIEST PETS & PEOPLE!
New Episodes Premiere Back-to-Back on Thursdays at 8/7c and 8:30/7:30c
FUNNIEST PETS & PEOPLE is a fast-paced animal series that showcases funny home videos of pets and people of all ages.


ONGOING SERIES


OCEAN MYSTERIES WITH JEFF CORWIN
Premieres continue Mondays at 8/7c
The ocean is a mirror - reflecting all the wonders and mysteries of life - and the deeper we look, the more we see ourselves. OCEAN MYSTERIES WITH JEFF CORWIN features unique creatures, exotic locations and fascinating stories that quickly draw the whole family into the journeys that Jeff and the Georgia Aquarium team of experts take as they unlock the mysteries of the ocean.
·         Exploration Tahiti premieres Monday, January 5 at 8/7c Jeff travels to the remote islands of Tahiti to explore the animal wonders that call this tropical paradise home.  Jeff works with rescuers fighting to save Tahiti's sea turtles and also dives in the crystal ocean to find coral reefs, stingrays, and schools of hungry sharks!
·         The Endangered Coral of Curacao premieres Monday, January 5 at 8:30/7:30c Jeff races to a tropical paradise to save the endangered coral of Curacao Island. Diving into the dark ocean after midnight, Jeff witnesses the wonder of coral spawning and works with rescuers to prevent species extinction.
·         The Hunt for Lionship premieres Monday, January 12 at 8/7c Jeff boards a deep-water submarine on the hunt for an elusive and destructive species called Lionfish. Jeff joins biologists racing to remove these invading fish from the ocean as quickly as possible before they cause permanent damage to the Atlantic ecosystem.
·         Best of the Pinnipeds premieres Monday, January 12 at 8:30/7:30c Jeff revisits some of his favorite moments from the series with a special group of marine mammals called Pinnipeds.  Join Jeff on an adventure across the Pacific Ocean as he explores Harbor Seals from Alaska, Sea Lions from New Zealand, Elephant Seals from California, and Monk Seals from Hawaii.

Start 2015 On The Right Paw #RussellMadness

My kids love movies with animals as the main characters. So we are super excited to see Russell Madness which starts a dog and a monkey. Sounds like a win win. We are so in.


Coming to home entertainment this spring, RUSSELL MADNESS tells the story of Russell, an undersized but big-hearted terrier who dreams of having a family of his own. After running away from his pet store, Russell gets taken in by The Ferraros, a family desperate to revive their grandfather’s pro wrestling arena. That’s when they discover their new pet pooch has incredible wrestling skills. With help from his coach, Hunk, a savvy and hilarious monkey, Russell rockets to the top of the pro wrestling world and becomes a famous sports superstar. But when a dishonest promoter double-crosses the Ferraros, Russell will face his biggest challenge and discover that the strongest tag team is family. 


Follow Russell Madness on their Facebook page: https://www.Facebook.com/RussellMadness

Sunday, December 28, 2014

Gone Girl: A Movie Review #20thCenturyFox

Synopsis


Based on the novel by Gillian Flynn. The movie is based on Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) and his wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike). On their 5th anniversary Amy goes missing and Nick is suddenly under investigation. Everything points to Nick offing his wife and even his twin sister is wondering if it is possible.

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 seriously need to read the book Gone Girl now.



The movie will release January 13th! You can pre-order now



Disclaimer: I received a complimentary streaming of this movie for my honest opinion from 20th Century Fox. No monetary compensation was offered.

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.

Smiling Sally

Monday, December 22, 2014

Use Your Neighboorhood Bakery For Delicious Semi Homemade Gifts You Just Don't Have Time For #givebakery





The Give Bakery Because. It’s Gifting Made Delicious program encourages people to visit the bakery department of their local grocery store to find a variety of treats that can be gifted to all the special people in their lives. 



With simple creative packaging, a baked good can become a personalized (and delicious) gift. It’s simple, easy and affordable—no baking required! 


The bakery department can also help you create the ultimate holiday hostess basket too. A gift basket will give the hostess a much needed planning break and offer him/her goodies that they can enjoy the next morning for breakfast or brunch. For example, the holiday hostess basket could include croissants and cinnamon rolls from the bakery department and a jar of jam, champagne and orange juice…and maybe even a magazine for a little extra morning entertainment. What you choose to include in the basket is up to you. 


What a great idea. My grandparents are in their 90's and I never know what to give them. This is a perfect idea. 

Visit the Give Bakery Because Pinterest page for more unique gifting and packaging ideas 

Sunday, December 21, 2014

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.


MGM Celebrates 90 Years Of Great Family Movies With A Movie Bundle Giveaway #MGMInsiders #Giveaway


I am a huge fan of MGM as they have created some of my favorite childhood movies. When that lion roared my sisters and I would run into the living room which was the room with the only TV, because we know that something amazing was about to happen and this usually meant we would all be together as a family singing or laughing together. Whether it was The Wizard of Oz, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Secret Life of Nimh or Singing in the Rain or later, Overboard, The Adams Family, or Prancer, MGM created movies that everyone in the family could enjoy.

My favorites are:

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang



Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls start your engines. You're about to take an incredible ride with one of the most wonderful family films of all time! Now celebrating its 30th anniversary, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang has never looked or sounded better. Dick Van Dyke stars as eccentric inventor Caractacus Potts, who creates an extraordinary car called Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. It not only drives but also flies and floats as it leads him, his two children and his beautiful lady friend, Truly Scrumptious (Sally Ann Howes), into a magical world of pirates, castles and endless adventure.

The Princess Bride
A fairy tale adventure about a beautiful young woman and her one true love. He must find her after a long separation and save her. They must battle the evils of the mythical kingdom of Florin to be reunited with each other. Based on the William Goldman novel "The Princess Bride" which earned its own loyal audience.

From celebrated director Rob Reiner (When Harry Met Sally) and Oscar-winning* screenwriter William Goldman (Chaplin) comes "an enchanting fantasy" (Time) filled with adventure, romance and plenty of "good-hearted fun" (Roger Ebert)! Featuring a spectacular cast that includes Robin Wright (Forrest Gump), Cary Elwes (Liar, Liar), Mandy Patinkin (Dick Tracy) and Billy Crystal (City Slickers), this wonderful fairy tale about a Princess named Buttercup and her beloved is "a real dream of a movie" (People)! 


*1969: Original Screenplay, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
1976: Adapted Screenplay, All the President's Men

  
Get ready to meet some runaway rodents with an earth-shattering secret! Suspenseful and heartwarming, this beautifully animated odyssey stars Mrs. Brisby, a mild-mannered mother mouse with a plan to move Heaven and Earth (or at least her house and home) to save her family from Farmer Fitzgibbon's plow! Along the way she gets some help from a lovelorn Crow, a busybody neighbor mouse and a fearsome Great Owl. Unfortunately, Mrs. Brisby will need an engineering miracle to hoist her home, and for that she must face a mysterious rat, fend off a ferocious cat and claim a magic amulet! But when Mrs. Brisby discovers the astounding secret of NIMH...it could change her life forever! This timeless tale of love, courage and determination will transport the whole family into an enchanting world where the bravest hearts live in the meekest of mice.  



As a MGM Insider I get to gift one of my readers a gift pack of these three movies.
  • The Princess Bride
  • Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
  • The Secret Life of Nimh
To enter, complete the Giveaway Tools form below.

 Visit MGM 90 on Tumblr for some fun movie moments.


Disclaimer: No monetary compensation was offered or received.  This is open to the US only. Winners will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to reply.

Giveaway Winners 12-21-14 #winners



 
The Winner of the Christmas Favorites CD Giveaway  is:

The winner has been notified by email. 

Saturday, December 20, 2014

A New Kinda Christmas Carol Story

Amazon now for $0.99
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.

 If you have not read a Laura DeLuca book yet, I highly recommend them.   You can read my reviews for the Trilogy here , here and here. It is a great series for lovers of Young Adult and romance. I love Justyn and Rebecca and was so happy Laura brought them back in a Christmas book.