Have You Watched Netflix The Perfection? Loved it? Own It! Bid Until 6/28 On Screenbid.com

The 411:

My husband and I watched it and usually the TV is on as background noise but we both closed our laptops and really paid attention, totally invested in this original movie from Netflix.  It has been a while since we found something worthy of our attention. 

When I thought I had it figured out, I didn't. Love movies like that. We watch a lot of horror; it is our favorite genre and found this to be pretty decent. I call myself the amateur review because honestly I think most reviewers take themselves and the films too seriously. The movie is basically a rape revenge movie. While it doesn't hit trigger any uncomfortable levels of abuse the movie is about a man who uses his power to abuse young girls. I have read some other reviews and man they read so much into the movie. For us it was two girls who meet as young girls, fall in love after meeting later, go on a trip, one becomes ill and the movie takes a turn from there.  I don't want to spoil it but it was weird, strange, odd and at times I thought wait...what? There wasn't another way to handle this situation? But with that said, we were entertained. I do know this movie has a fan following so I am sharing the above. 

Cinderella Reimagined: Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly

The 411:

I am in love with this book! Great re-telling. This book takes place after the ball. The prince is seeking the girl who wore the glass slipper and Isabelle's mother will make damn sure one of her daughters will be the future queen. 

Well written, wonderful characters and seeing things from the other side was definitely a fun ride. I loved everything about it especially Fate and Chance. Fate and her sisters map out everyone's life so they go in a certain direction. Chance thinks that mortals should have free will and not follow one distinct path so he always steals the maps to change the fate of some mortals. 

These step-sisters weren't mean, they are just a product of a narcissistic mother.  Something I always say as a teacher and parent. There aren't bad kids there is however bad parenting. Making your child cut off her toes to fit into a glass slipper is a bad parent!

Isabelle is a warrior, my kind of princess.

Today is National Jerky Day And I Have Eaten My Weight In Jerky!

Today is National Jerky Day and  T.O.P Chop Jerky sent me four different flavors to try:
Original, Teriyaki, Sweet & Spice and Red Chili Pepper. 

I am a huge fan of Jerky and will eat it whenever I am out and feel like I need some protein. As a kid I grew up on Slim Jims but as an adult I am way pickier with my dried meats.  I prefer the kind that is easy to bite through. T.O.P Chop Jerky is marinated overnight, sweetened with dried plum juice which is rich in antioxidants, fiber and healthy acids no artificial ingredients and doesn't use too much salt.  

Jerky is really the perfect snack. It is all natural, gluten free and a great source of protein.

The Teriyaki is made with soy sauce, pineapple juice, and a hint of brown sugar. 

If you like your meat a little spicy, go for my favorite the Red Chili Pepper flavor. So good. I loved it! It is spicy and sweet!

The Sweet and Spicy has a little kick at the end due to the Tabasco sauce. It is pretty good too.

The Original flavor was perfect for my son who just likes Jerky. Nothing too fancy. 
Lean pieces of meat with that smokey flavor Jerky lovers enjoy.

Father's Day Gift Ideas From Gourmet Gift Baskets + Video Review

Just last month I did a Mother' Day review of two Gourmet Gift Basket Gift Ideas. Man how time flies. Father's Day is just around the corner and GourmetGiftBaskets.com has many great items that will bring a smile to any Dad's face. To see the entire selection featuring dozens of great gifts, go here. Meanwhile, the top online gifting company is offering many brand new gifts, including these three very popular items: 

This weekend we received two packages from Gourmet Gift Baskets to try and show you. I have ordered from Gourmet Gift Baskets for years. Whenever I need to send something to my Dad, Grandparents or my Uncle Gourmet Gift Baskets was my go to.  It was easy to find exactly the gift I wanted that would make my family know I was thinking of them and know what they like. 

Dad will love these gifts as much as I did. I am putting everything into a gift basket for my husband for Father's Day. He loves trying IPAs and nuts are his go to snack. So I know he will be over excited to receive it. 

The Dad's Survival Kit definitely will be eaten by my son and I. My husband was not raised on Jerky and doesn't eat anything but chicken so I am kinda excited because we will not have to share. 

We were impressed with the various kinds of Jerky. There were 8 that we have never tried before. So far we have tried the Peppered Beef Jerky by Divine Bovine which smells and tastes to me like the Beef Stick I get from my neighborhood Chinese restaurant. It is delicious. My son loved the Craft Maple Pork Jerky by Big Fork he said it smells and tastes like bacon. 

The Cold One Beer Tower is definitely my pick for dad's. WOW. I don't know anyone who wouldn't love this gift. It comes with 3 boxes each one perfect.

The boxes are adorable and we will be using them to organize markers, pens and sketch pencils on my daughter's desk but you can use them for anything.  The tower was stacked and wrapped with a big white bow and I really felt bad dismantling it before Father's Day but how could I show you guys. 

The smallest box had roasted nuts and salty pretzel, goldfish, etc., treat
The middle box had jerky and 2 cans of IPA 
The large box had pistachios, jerky and a 6 pack of various IPAs.

I cannot wait for my husband to try the ale's and I am totally going to hide the almonds. He will never share those.

Watch the unboxing here

The Cold One Beer Tower is the ultimate beer gift. Your recipient will sit back and enjoy their adventurous side with eight beer choices selected for each of their unique flavors. Paired with six delicious snacks chosen for how perfectly they complement the brew selections along with snacks that include two roasted & salted nuts, three meat jerky favorites (taste tested and approved by our flavor connoisseurs), and a snack mix that could rival any award winner. You can't go wrong choosing this three tiered tower!

We Finally Watched How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World And My Daughter Thought It Was The Best Yet!

If you haven't watched all the How To Train Your Dragon movies yet; I highly suggest it. This is the final chapter of the saga. 

What is so great about these movies is the imagery. It really is a beautiful film full of high quality animation, stunning, colorful visuals and great characters. One of the thing I love most is how the characters are all growing up. The reason my daughter loved it so much was because Toothless (the Night Fury Dragon) is not the last of his dragon species. There is a beautiful, dragon (Light Fury) who my daughter has been obsessed with. Who wouldn't love to hide among the clouds? She has always had a dragon thing.

We enjoyed Toothless' awkwardness toward Light Fury.  We also enjoyed watching Astrid and Hiccups progression. The battles were great and good always winning against evil can never be overdone when it comes to kids movies. We think families will enjoy this movie as much as the others. We have watched it three times and I watched it the first time without the kids in my truck waiting for them to come out of school.  I laughed and cried. You never know...maybe it isn't the end. Maybe..just maybe we will see future generations starring in future movies. We can hope, can't we?!

The Perfect Backpack #SMARTY

I have the most perfect backpack.  My daughter needed a backpack for her 8th grade trip to Washington DC. The kids were told to bring a draw string bag because there would be so many security checks and having a backpack would slow the group down. She used the SMARTY Heavy Duty Clear Backpack and ran into zero trouble going through security or searching for what she needed quickly.

She kept everything in it:

Snacks, water, phone, money, credit card, keys, books, drawing pad, brush, umbrella, gum, sunblock, and even a stuffed animal she purchased at a gift shop.

She loved the size and said the other kids had a small drawstring bag that had to be searched thoroughly and didn't have any room in it due to the size. She said, this was water proof, easy to handle, comfortable to wear and on while on the bus she didn't have to search for anything. She could see exactly what she needed just by looking at it.

Since she came back and I have been seeing a chiropractor for my sciatica pain, I have taken SMARTY as my job bag. I carry so much stuff with me every day. Stickers for my students, books, lunch, wallet, planner, extra water and more. It is so nice and big and instead of carrying my tote on one shoulder like I use to, I can distribute the weight evenly. My chiropractor still doesn't love how much I carry but says this is definitely better for my back. 

It is a great bag. I love that it is waterproof and easy to find my things.

My Life In Pics - April 1 - April 7

April 1 - More art from my Goddess. Her sketches are so cute to me even when she wants to toss them out because she "ruined it."

April 2 - Digital art by my girl. So cute!

April 4 - Luna's teeth. Why? Well, we love getting shots of them yawning for some reason. Don't judge.

April 5 - NADA

April 6 - Hello! I saw the Weiner Mobile and thought it was the coolest. My daughter thought I was totally lame. 

April 7 - Luna laying with Goddess while she creates art featuring well....Luna of course.

My Life in Pics - March 23 - March 31

March 23 - Family dinner at Pizza Unos. My boys crack me up when they are together. Very much boy play which gets a little ridiculous and involves a lot of trash talk.

March 24 - Just one of our cat sitting jobs. This is a new family for us and we were thrilled to get to know their cats.

March 25- We never get a photo of our three cats hanging out together. This made us so happy.

March 26 - Pretty pathetic pic but I took a photo of the speaker I  have a work for a review. It is a great little speaker. My class is so loud (they are 2 after all) so I need a power little speaker that will not break if it falls. This is durable and loud.

March 27 - My daughter took some photos of her class trip to Roosevelt Mansion in Hyde Park. I love seeing them. As a child my family went there often. I love how quiet this room looks with it's four poster bed and overhead light.

March 28 - This is the thing nightmares are made of. Luna in a snapchat filter was the only photo taken on March 28th. Yikes!

March 29 - My date for the Middle School play is too cute in all her black gear.

March 30 - Really?! This is it! A friggin picture of a Shamrock shake?! UGH

March 31 - Semi Formal dress shopping was not what I had expected. It kinda sucked.

Chloe's Nickelodeon Kids Pops are Here

Chloe's the better for you frozen fruit pop brand has launched a kid focused line in partnership with Nickelodeon!

Still made with the same simple ingredients: fruit, water and cane sugar, the new line of 40 calorie pops includes a Blueberry-Banana combination featuring Thomas & Friends and a Strawberry-Mango blend with new favorite character, Sunny Day.

My store says they are getting them in soon and I am excited to see what my kids think because they love the Blueberry and Tangerine pops. The Thomas & Friends and Sunny Day pops are a wonderful kid loving combo of Blueberry-Banana and Strawberry-Mango. These are my kids favorite yogurt combos so I know they will love them. 

Since my store didn't have them in stock yet, I am going to show you the Dark Chocolate ones. 

I think the reason they taste so much like my beloved Brooklyn Italian ice is because they are made of natural cocoa, water and cane sugar. At 60 calories I don't feel any of the guilt I feel when I eat a bowl of ice cream. They are delicious and one is enough! I LOVE THEM!

They have so many flavors to choose from and you can find them in your supermarket freezer.

T

S'Mores Better Than Ever #stuffedpuffs #smores

 

The 411:

My kids and I loved these marshmallows. They love marshmallows any which way but I only like them once they have been charred. Well...that is how it use to be. I will eat a whole bag of these charred or uncharred if I wasn't concerned about my waist. I love them! The kids and I love that we don't need to have a bar of chocolate on hand to make S'mores. It certainly made things easier to have the chocolate already inside. 

I was sent a box of Stuffed Puffs with skewers and Graham Crackers to try them out for myself. The box had 2 bags of Marshmallows inside yet we have already bought 2 more bags. I got a bunch of gavones in my house. I order to take these pics I needed to run out and get more marshmallows. Can you imagine? Is nothing sacred?  

My favorite way to eat a marshmallow

If your family likes S'mores, I highly suggest these yummies. I cannot wait to try them in my hot chocolate. 

Craving them right now....

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OMG You Guys...This Is The Best Juice Ever And It Is 90% Juice

Have you guys ever heard of WTR MLN WTR? It is unbelievable! By far my favorite drink and I need to order 10 cases immediately.

I drink about 5 16 oz glasses of water a day. I love my water and carry it everywhere. Being that I have  nasal drip from my deviated septum, my throat is always dry. My only other drink is my morning cup of coffee BUT...this changed it all.

Right out of the box I saw there were natural electrolytes from watermelon and it was only 90 calories. I don't love a sugary aftertaste so I was pleasantly pleased when I took my first delicious sip.

It was absolutely amazing. It was as if someone took a watermelon and squeezed it into my cup. The ingredients are: Watermelon flesh, watermelon rind, Strawberry puree, filtered water and lemon juice. THAT IS IT PEOPLE!

I took one bottle to work (one because that was all I was willing to part with) to share with my co-workers. My boss loves stuff like this so I brought it to her first telling her I had something I really wanted her to try. She LOVED it and said exactly what I thought the first time I tried. "I have a dry throat due to medications and this would really help me. I could easily drink that whole bottle." She carried on about how good it was just like I did after my first taste.

The next person I brought it to was my friend Clary. I know she wouldn't like it and I knew why. I gave her a cup and she said no thanks at first. Then I poured some telling her she needed to try it. She kept saying "that's enough!" but seriously guys..you can't taste a drop right?! She is like that.

She drank it and said, "Nope I don't like it. It tastes too healthy." WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT I KNEW SHE WOULD SAY. Seriously...too healthy. It didn't have any Stevia and that is what some people get use to when something says "no sugar". I LOVED it and didn't share the other bottles. Sorry not sorry!

Look at that color though...isn't it pretty?

The cover says Shake it Like You Mean It.

Have You Ever Wondered Does Size Matter? Check Out Bigger Like Me For The Answers - Extended Director's Cut Review

The 411:

Soooooo I was kinda interested in seeing this documentary because it hasn't really been done before. Sure woman can do all kinds of things to their bodies to get the effect they want. They inject their lips, color their hair, enlarge their breasts, even fix their vajayjay to be tighter but men enlarging their uhhh member. Nah man, I haven't see a doc on that so...I sat down while home with a sciatica issue and the kids in school and thought...WTH?! Then I sat back and started thinking; wait, I also would never get my boobs enlarged, I don't believe in cosmetic surgery but what if I went through my whole life hating something about myself so much that I could actually do something about it. When Greg said he had thought of killing himself once over his "size" I got it. It is a bold movie. Greg doesn't leave much to the imagination.

We watch Greg try different methods, often enlisting the help of his very bored wife to measure him
afterward. My favorite scenes are when Greg heads to the street to ask random people what size they like and shows them three different sized phallic pieces.

The documentary also includes moments of Greg's stand up act and his family as he talks to them about his desire to have a procedure to enlarge his penis.

I am not sure if size matters to all woman but it matters to Greg and he heads over to Mexico to get injections for a more pronounced girth and we sorta see him try things out when he gets the chance but more than the boldness is the reminder that people are looking for perfection in their lives and some will actually travel and allow a doctor to inject stuff into their junk! Sooooo I guess I am glad I saw it and I base whether a movie is good or bad on whether I talk about it with others. I found myself mentioning the movie to a few people for a week so I guess that makes it worth a look. If nothing else, you can see what one man will go through in order to find happiness in his pants. 

You Cannot Go Wrong With Gourmet Gift Baskets For Mother's Day And More #giftideas #mothersday

I love Gourmet Gift Baskets.com truly an amazing company that I  have used many times for gifts to my out of town family members especially my Grandmother, Aunts and Uncles. I never know what to get them for holidays or just an I am thinking of you gift. 

We received two baskets for review and I was thrilled with them both. 

We loved everything in it. My kids cannot eat peanut butter so the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies were all mine as well as the Dark Chocolate Toffee which I just ordered more of. They are incredible. 


We also received Mother's Day Fruit & Snack Gift Box which sells for $79.99 which comes with the following

I loved everything about this box and the first thing we ate were the oranges. OMG...so perfect. Effie's Homemade Oatcake Biscuits are my nighttime snack with my tea and we have had a wonderful time sharing with friends the rest.