2017 Holiday Gift Guide

It's the most wonderful time of the year! I think this year I'm seeing more and more people decorating for Christmas as soon as Halloween is over. For the holidays, I'm sharing the products I've had the opportunity to review for the season and suggest for the holidays! Hope you get some great ideas!

For the Home:

Libre Tea Glass Infuser

Taste of Home Cookbooks

World Vision

For the Crafter

String of the Art

For the Family

Logitech Circle 2 Safety Camera

Watch Ya' Mouth Throwdown

Despicable Me 3

Watch Ya' Mouth Throwdown

Ok, I have to admit, my family likes games where we make ourselves look like idiots or have a level of grossness that is more than your average game. That's where our review of Watch Ya' Mouth Throwdown comes in to play. We received our game just in time for the holiday festivities.

If you've watched my Instagram stream, you know that when my family gets together we love playing games. There's usually one game of cards and then other family members get together to play board games. Earlier this year my family reviewed the original Watch Ya' Mouth game and drooled all over ourselves as we laughed ourselves into hysterics.

This game does the same except on a grander, droolier level. We were laughing and drooling, which is exactly how we like it! The best time we have together is when we're laughing so hard we can't make a sound. Playing Watch Ya' Mouth Throwdown will give your family that.

So, the new game comes with some extra items. There are straws, two balls, and 4 noisemakers. The new mouth pieces are colored also! Sadly, the first week we had the game we couldn't play because first my youngest got sick and then passed it on to me. I was so bummed having this game at the house and not being able to play it. When we finally were able to play, it was worth the wait!

There's plenty of time to grab a game for your holiday get togethers. Your kids will be out of school for winter break, may as well have something extremely entertaining for them to do! This game will definitely keep them from getting board.

* Throwdown Edition was awarded Top Holiday Toy of 2017 by Toy Insider
* Selected for the 2017 Amazon Holiday Toy List

Despicable Me 3 Popcorn & Activity Sheet

One of our favorite movie series as a family is Despicable Me! My youngest son and I just had a sick week and managed to take time to watch the DVD for the first time. We received the movie for review and to add to my Holiday Gift Guide!

The kids will be going on winter break and Christmas is just around the corner. That means two things: gifts and boredom! You know that movies are on your kids' lists, and Despicable Me 3 should fit the bill completely.

In case you've been living under a rock and don't know a thing about the movie, check out this information:

Illumination, the studio that brought you Sing, The Secret Life of Pets and the Despicable Me franchise, continues the adventures of Gru and his family in Despicable Me 3. After he is fired from the Anti-Villain League for failing to take down Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker, “South Park,”Team America: World Police), the latest evil mastermind to threaten humanity, Gru finds himself in the midst of a major identity crisis. But when a mysterious stranger shows up to inform Gru that he has a long lost twin brother — a brother who desperately wishes to follow in his twin’s despicable footsteps — the former super-villain rediscovers just how good it feels to be bad.

Despicable Me 3 will be available on 4K Ultra HD in a combo pack which includes 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray™, Blu-ray™ and Digital. The 4K Ultra HD will include all bonus features on the Blu-ray™ disc. 

· 4K Ultra HD is the ultimate movie watching experience. 4K Ultra HD features the combination of 4K resolution for four times sharper picture than HD, the color brilliance of High Dynamic Range (HDR) with immersive audio delivering a multidimensional sound experience.

· Blu-ray™ unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring 6X the picture resolution of DVD, exclusive extras and theater-quality surround sound.

· DIGITAL lets fans watch movies anywhere on their favorite devices. Users can instantly stream or download.

BONUS FEATURES EXCLUSIVE TO 4K ULTRA HD, BLU-RAYTM, DVD & DIGITAL:

· All-New Mini Movie —The Secret Life of Kyle

· Minion Moments — Watch the Minions cause more hilarious mayhem with Gru

· Deleted Scene —With intro by Dana Gaier, the voice of Edith

· Character Profiles — The inside scoop on the most popular characters, from the actors who play them

· The Making of Despicable Me 3 — A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie

· Developing Dru — Behind the scenes character development of Dru

· The AVL Files — Through the lens of the Anti-Villain League’s hi-tech database, this ultra secret, interactive surveillance briefing showcases all of the agency’s amazing creations and top agents

· Freedonia Visitors Guide — Welcome to Freedonia! See all that the town has to offer with this interactive map. From its world class cheese, to its beautiful coastline, Freedonia has it all!

· Despicable Me TV — Tune in for some fabulous fun with these Despicable Me 3 infomercials. Includes “Balthazar Bratt Action Figure,” “Bad Boy Bod by Balthazar Bratt” and “Agnes’ Super Cute, Incredibly Amazing Toy Sale.”

· “Doowit” Sing-Along — Sing along with Pharrell Williams as the Minions plot their escape from prison

· “Yellow Light” Music Video — Official music video by Pharrell Williams 

· Minion Mugshots — The Minions add to the long list of celebrity mugshots in their very own “rogues gallery.”

· Wanted Posters — Have you seen these Minions wanted for various crimes?

Now, I hope you'll want to make this Despicable Me 3 Popcorn! Super simple. Melt half a bag of white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Separate the other half into two other bowls. Melt them and add food coloring to the color you like. Pop the popcorn, and while it's still hot, pour the white chocolate chips onto the popcorn and stir well. After that, you can drizzle on the yellow and blue white chocolate. Voila...Minion Popcorn!

Be sure to grab the movie and enjoy a night home with the family! You can also download & print the ornament and activity sheet!!

Out Of The Ordinary By Jen Turano

Out of the Ordinary
by Jen Turano
Publisher: Bethany House
ISBN: 9780764217951

Thankful to be able to do a review of Out of the Ordinary, book 2 in the Apart From the Crowd series.

Summary:

Working as a paid companion may be quite commonplace, but Miss Gertrude Cadwalader's eccentric employer makes her job unpredictable, to say the least. She finds herself carrying out an array of highly unusual tasks, including wearing peculiar outfits and returning items the woman pilfered. But when the wealthy Mrs. Sinclair catches Gertrude sneaking around the Sinclair yacht with some of the missing items in her possession, she immediately jumps to the wrong conclusion.

Shipping magnate Harrison Sinclair is caught in the middle of a misunderstanding between his mother and Gertrude, but he can't help coming to his friend's defense. Even as he hopes their friendship might become something more, Harrison is unprepared for the outlandish escapades that seem to follow the lovely, anything-but-ordinary Gertrude at every turn.

My Review:

Ok, so here's a little funny to start this off. When I first started reading Out of the Ordinary, I had been so incredibly busy I couldn't figure out why the characters seemed familiar. By the time I was done with chapter 1 I realized this is the follow up book to Behind the Scenes. I remembered how excited I'd been to know we were going to get to have a story with Gertrude!

I once again loved getting to know the characters better, and I'd say by chapter 3 I wasn't sure who's story I wanted to be continued next: Temperance, Edwina, Margaret, Adelaide...I just wasn't sure!

I can't believe how much I laughed out loud during the story. I think at the ends of chapter 7 & 8 cracked me up. The characters are so enjoyable, except for Clementine Flowerdew! What a stinker. It was so easy to be pulled into the story and feel as though you were surrounded by the characters. And hello, Harrison is one of my favorite male characters ever! We get to know him better and become privy to why he chooses the outlandish outfits he wears.

The worst part about reading this book was finishing it, knowing I have to wait until next year for book 3. It's going to feel like for-eh-ver! I have got to say, I think this is probably my favorite book of 2017! Shhh don't tell the other books I read this year.

About the Author:

Jen Turano is the USA Today bestselling author of nine books and lives in a suburb of Denver, Colorado. Visit her website at www.jenturano.com.

Beautiful Word Coloring Bible For Girls Review & Giveaway

NIV Beautiful Word™ Coloring Bible for Girls
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 9780310763543

You must know my love of Bibles considering the ones I've been talking about! And they're not always just for me! I received this Bible from Zonderkidz for a review. I'll be donating it to our youth group so that it can be given to a girl who needs her own Bible!

Summary:

The NIV Beautiful Word™ Coloring Bible for Girls contains hundreds of inspiring verses illustrated in detailed, ready-to-color line art created just for girls ages 8-12 so they can reflect on the precious truths of Scripture. The thick white paper with lightly ruled lines in the extra-wide margins provides ample space for your own artistic expressions and journaling.

Features of this treasured Bible include:

• Hundreds of verses illustrated in ready-to-color line art
• Thicker white paper for enduring note-taking
• Lined, wide margins for notes, reflections and art
• Full text of the most read, most trusted modern-English Bible; the New International Version (NIV)
• Easy-to-read black letter text in single-column format
• Lays flat in your hand or on your desk
• Ribbon marker
• Beautiful debossed and screen-printed leathersoft over board binding

My Review:

What young girl doesn't want her own Bible? I loved my girls (and my boys) having their own Bibles they could study with at home and bring to church with them. This Bible is a beautiful way to draw them into the Word. It says it's for girls 8-12, but after looking through it, there's no reason a teenage girl wouldn't love this Bible. I know my oldest daughter would've used it through high school!

The wide margins are great for taking notes or if they decide to get creative, they can doodle! The pages are thin so you can see the designs through the pages. I would suggest using a colored pencil when coloring it in. Then there are a few pages with text that you really can't color. With hundreds of verses to color, those text ones are just a drop in the bucket.

I love the two page spreads. What a wonderful way to have girls taking in the Word while adding their own touch to their personal Bible. I love the idea that the girls as they grow up, their Bible will be with them, and one day maybe pass it on to their own daughters! How great would it be to look back on that time while passing on a heritage!!

Now you have the opportunity to win one of your own! Now, it won't be to you in time for Christmas so please keep that in mind! a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Nutcracker At Westfield Mall

It's a magical time of year! One of the most cherished traditions during the holidays is taking in The Nutcracker. Last week I had the opportunity to visit the Westfield Mall - Annapolis to enjoy a High Tea and The Nutcracker.  The Ballet Theater of Maryland sent their dancers to perform selections from the performance while parents and children were served a tea party!

100% of the proceeds benefits Anne Arundel Medical Center Pediatrics. This year they had 5 sold out shows! Tickets were only $10/person! Isn't that incredible? Maybe you want to introduce your children to The Nutcracker, but you're not sure if they'll sit through an entire performance, this is the way to do it AND give back at the same time.

I have to tell you how sweet it was to see moms, grandmas, and their little children taking in the wonder of it all. They serve child friendly food:

Of course there's enough for everyone at the table along with the desserts! The tea was delicious, and thankfully they had a good selection. The staff at Westfield Mall serves the food and tea. It's incredible the amount of work that goes into pulling this whole shindig off!

 

The first performance didn't last as long as shown on the schedule. It might've been because it was the first performance. It only lasted about 45 minutes. Each pair or individual ballet dancers would get on the stage outside of Nordstrom and perform a dance that lasted a few minutes.

After the entire performance was finished, the dancers came out to greet the attendees. Moms and grandmas had the little kids taking pictures with the group. It was really cute. Then the big kahuna himself showed up...Santa! Oh my gosh, once he made an appearance, some fake snow started falling, and the kids flocked to him.

Now, as you can imagine, these tickets sold out in a hot minute! With only 5 performances and limited seating, you have got to be on top of it in November to make sure you get seats. yes, this year's performances are over, but you can put it on your calendar now to make sure you don't miss out next year. It's an incredible way to make memories and introduce your children or grandchildren to a timeless holiday tradition!