It's Time To Give Winter The Boot

Have I ever mentioned I happen to be the jealous type? I wanted to surprise my daughter with a new pair of boots because, hello, living in Minnesota a girl always needs a good pair of boots in the winter! That's where Lugz come in. You already know how much we love them in our house so I was excited to partner with them again to share a gorgeous pair with my daughter.

Last month I made a last minute trip out to frigid Minnesota. My aunt wasn't doing well again, and I want to make the most of the time with her that I can. I made sure to schedule some time with Sarah and the boys. With the little time that I had, we only got to see each other during dinner.

I was able to give her the Lugz Women's Convoy Fold Fur 8 Inch Boot. They. Are. Gorgeous! Here's why my "jealous type" comes in. It was a good thing she is a 9 1/2 because if she'd have been a 7 1/2 I'd have been tempted to keep them for myself! I actually went back and forth on which color to get her. I would've asked her which she liked best, but these boots were going to be a surprise.

These Convoy Fold Fur boots are the kind you want in more than one color. I went with black because she could wear them with anything. Ok, she could wear the golden wheat tan ones also, but I had to pick one and it was basically throwing a dart and it landed on the black. Seriously, you can't go wrong with either and should actually have both! Go for the gold ladies.

Meeting Sarah for dinner didn't give us the opportunity to take pictures because in Minnesota it's dark until 7am and get dark by 4pm in the winter. lol Ok, that might be an exaggeration, but sometimes it feels like it. It was SO cold the week I was there we couldn't meet during daylight hours to take pictures. You want to know how cold it was? They even shut down the Ice Castle and the Saint Paul Winter Carnival. lol While the weather was terrible, the boots definitely came at the right time for my daughter.

Let's talk a bit about the boot, shall we? They come with a soft, faux fur lining. What I like is that they can be worn folded down or left up for a bit more warmth. And who doesn't love a padded insole? I think every pair of boots should come with them. The Convoy Fold Fur has a synthetic nubuck upper, and I have to tell you, they're so soft you'll want to pet them every time you put them on. I dare you to try to put these boots on and not give them a stroke or two. :)

I may live in Maryland, but if I had a pair of these boots I'd probably wear them nearly every day throughout the cold months. I would have to say they're an essential for colder states! Fashion and function. What more could be better? Trust me that you won't meet a pair of Lugz boots that you won't like!

Day Trip To New York City

For Christmas Fred surprised me with a day trip to New York City! Not only were we going to NYC, but we were going to take a carriage ride!! I could hardly believe it. He knew that Hallmark had been showing all kinds of scenes of carriage rides and I tweeted about how romantic it was. What's really romantic is Fred paying attention and then making this experience come true for me. The plan was for us to take Amtrak up in the morning and then back again around midnight. What a fabulous gift amiright?

Having never been to NYC right after Christmas I had no idea what the city would hold for us. Instead of planning what we were going to do up there, I just mentioned a couple things I wanted to do and figured the rest of the day would unfold however it was meant to. The only thing I did last minute the week before we went up was make a reservation at Tavern on the Green for dinner. My initial plan was to  visit the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, and maybe the Statue of Liberty. Oh, what foolish thinking.

As soon as we got off the train we made a beeline for the Empire State Building. The line wrapped around an entire NYC block by 10am!! Isn't that crazy?! Scratch that off the list. We meandered our way over to the New York Public Library. I was excited to walk through this historical building. I was actually surprised that there weren't as many books that we could get up close and personal with. It didn't disappoint in its beauty though. If you get to the City, you should definitely take the time to take a walk through.

Having never been to Rockefeller Center I definitely wanted to get a photo by the ice skating rink. I thought it would be fun to go skating, but holy smokes the cost of that was outrageous! We weren't sure where we wanted to eat lunch, and I really wanted to eat somewhere the locals love, a place that had a great reputation, or somewhere fun. Unfortunately, we ate at a burger place in Rockefeller Center and were very underwhelmed. Next time I ask local friends before we head up.

We found out going to the Statue of Liberty was out of the question. My boys were up in NYC as well that weekend with their dad's side of the family. They were going out to it and were told it was a 3 hour wait for the ferry. lol So glad we didn't have our heart set on that. We also found out Ellis Island was closed. Because of that we headed over to Central Park.

I always had an idea of what Central Park looked like, and it didn't match up to what we saw. I thought it was This long, grassy area with trees lining the path. Boy was I so wrong. There were hills and large rocks jutting out, and paths that went all kinds of directions. You have NO idea how long it took for us to find the zoo. There were absolutely zero signs to point us in the right direction and the map we were trying to use wasn't very helpful either.

When we finally ended up at it, we bought tickets at the kiosk. At least that was up-to-date. Maybe they should considering putting in a few signs to make finding them easier. Ha! Anyhow, we started off with the sea lions which are smack dab in the middle of the zoo. It was incredible to see them so close up. Then we saw all of the rest of the animals. I couldn't get enough of the bears. The snow leopard was beautiful. It took a little bit for everyone to figure out where it was and once we had an eye on it, it jumped around to where most of us couldn't see it.

The rest of the zoo was fun, too. The harbor seals were playing which was fun to watch. I have always loved watching penguins, but I wish the windows to view them was better. We ended up our time at the zoo watching the very end of the sea lion show. I was so excited to have spent some of our day there.

We walked around Central Park and then went to a coffee shop close to Tavern on the Green because we were a bit too early to show up for our reservation. I was really excited about dining here because it's such a landmark. I had gotten reservations at the bar so I was sure how great the service or seating would be, but I held out high hopes. Let me tell you, I wasn't disappointed. The seating was perfect and we were only in the vicinity of the bar. If our section was so nice, I wonder what the regular seating was like! Our server was spectacular. The shrimp cocktail we got as an appetizer had the largest shrimp I've ever had! It didn't disappoint. I got the roasted organic chicken and Fred got the chardonnay braised short rib of beef. Both were absolutely scrumptious. For dessert I went with the carrot cake and Fred had the seasonal eggnog creme brûlée. I really wanted to come home with something from eating there so we went to the shop and bought the Apothecary Jar of Matches. Here are 2 things that are funny about that: 1) when I was on the site before we went I thought it was a bottle of q-tips 2) I thought it was a super small jar. Nope, they are matches and the jar is really large which I loved!

From there we made our way around to the other side of the Park to catch our carriage ride. Now, here are some things to think about when considering a carriage ride. If you go during the day there are going to be a lot of people walking through the park so that might hamper your experience. The plus side is you can see all of the landmarks your driver points out. If you go at night, there's pretty much zero foot traffic and you have the Park almost to yourself. The downside is that you can't really see much and in the winter it's pretty chilly.

Our driver was delightful. If I remember correctly he was from Turkey. Henry was driving Dennis who was pretty much taking our route by memory. I was even able to take the reins for a few minutes. It was an incredibly relaxing ride and I'd definitely do it again in the future. The only part that gave me concern was at the end when Henry had to make a u-turn with Dennis in the middle of the insanely busy street with a ton of traffic. I don't know how they do it.

We got done early because we'd been able to start our ride about 30 min early so Fred and I decided to high-tail it back to Penn Station to see if we could get on an earlier train. If we couldn't we would've had to wait 2 more hours to catch our scheduled departure time. We had to walk through an incredibly busy Time Square which was PACKED with holiday tourists and the city getting ready for the New Year's Eve countdown. We got to the train station, Fred was able to get us new tickets, and we were on the next train leaving for Maryland! We got back around midnight instead of 2am which was an awesome bonus!

If you are able to spend a day in NYC, no matter what the season, I would say go for it! You won't be able to do absolutely everything, but you will have a fun time no matter what you end up doing. It's the city that never sleeps and there's always something to do there. I've made a list of where I want to go over the next 1-2 trips we might make in the future:

Bronx Zoo
Coney Island
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island
Empire State Building
St. Patrick's Cathedral
Top of the Rock
Freedom Tower (One World Trade Center)
Castle in Central Park
The Cloister
Babeth's Feast for a meal

The Nutcracker And The Four Realms On Digital and Blu-ray January 29 & Giveaway

When you don't have a chance to get into the theater to see a movie, but you receive The Nutcracker And The Four Realms on Blu-ray for review, you know you're having a good day!

TODAY'S the day - January 29th! The Nutcracker And The Four Realms releases on Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Code and I'll be giving away THREE of them! Time to get excited everyone. I know I am. When this movie was coming out, and I was watching the trailers, I was hoping I could find time to get into the theaters to see it on the big screen, but is just never happened. Tonight we get cozy on the couch to watch the Blu-ray. I'm sure one of my boys will snag the Digital Code. It's always a race to grab it first.

Let's talk about the actual movie!

Disney’s “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms”
The Stunning, Magical Adventure Arrives Home on Digital and on Blu-ray™ Jan. 29 

Featuring a star-studded cast, including Keira Knightley, Mackenzie Foy
and Misty Copeland, with Helen Mirren and Morgan Freeman

BURBANK, Calif. (Jan. 8, 2019) — Disney's dazzling adventure "The Nutcracker and the Four Realms"- inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann's classic tale and the beloved ballet "The Nutcracker"- carried audiences along with 14-year-old Clara (Mackenzie Foy) to a magical, mysterious world with breathtaking performances by Misty Copeland plus sweets, snowflakes, soldiers, scurrying mice... and no shortage of surprises. Destined to become an annual viewing tradition for adventurers of all ages, the film arrives home instantly with never-before seen extras and deleted scenes on Digital and Movies Anywhere, and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™ and DVD Jan. 29, 2019. 

Bonus features include a discussion with American Ballet Theatre’s Misty Copeland about her role as the enchanting Ballerina Princess, her personal history with “The “Nutcracker” ballet, and her inspirational and historic rise within the world of dance. Extras take viewers on the set of “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” to meet both new and reimagined characters, and discover how the Land of Sweets, Land of Snowflakes, Land of Flowers and mysterious Fourth Realm were created to such dazzling effect. Deleted scenes provide a look at magical moments that didn’t make the final version of the movie.

In “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms,” Clara travels along a golden thread, presented at Drosselmeyer’s (Morgan Freeman) annual party, eagerly searching for a one-of-a-kind key that will unlock a music box that holds a priceless gift. When she enters a mysterious parallel world, Clara encounters a Nutcracker soldier named Phillip (Jayden Fowora-Knight), a gang of mice and three Realm regents, including the Sugar Plum Fairy (Keira Knightley). Ultimately, she must brave the ominous Fourth Realm, home to the tyrant Mother Ginger (Helen Mirren), to retrieve the key and return harmony to the unstable world.

The stunning feature film will be packaged and released in several different formats, giving families the flexibility to watch it on a variety of different devices. Viewers can instantly watch the film in Digital UHD, HD and SD, and bring home a physical copy of the film as the Ultimate Collector’s Edition (4K UHD, Blu-ray and Digital Code), Multi-Screen Edition (Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Code) or a single DVD.

 Bonus features include*:

BLU-RAY:

• On Pointe: A Conversation with Misty Copeland - Copeland shares the thrill of portraying one of her favorite characters in a whole new way.
• Unwrapping “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” - Dive into the production design, sets, costumes and more that helped transform a beloved ballet into an adventurous movie.
• Deleted Scenes –
  • The Stahlbaums Arrive- As the Stahlbaums enter the Christmas Eve ball, the butler attempts to announce them to the assembled guests.
  • Follow Your Ribbon- Drosselmeyer encourages a reluctant Clara to go find her gift.
  • Deleted Scene: Clara Asks About Her Mother- Sugar Plum gives Clara a tour of her mother’s bedroom.
  • Left, Left, Left, Left, Left- Wandering lost in the forest, palace guards Cavalier and Harlequin quarrel about which way to go.
  • Out with the Old- Sugar Plum makes sweeping changes to the palace decor.
• Music Videos -
  • “Fall on Me” Performed by Andrea Bocelli Featuring Matteo Bocelli- Experience superstar tenor Andrea Bocelli and his son Matteo Bocelli performing their first duet together in this uplifting song.
  • “The Nutcracker Suite” Performed by Lang Lang- Get swept up in a series of images from the movie, set to Tchaikovsky’s music and featuring world-renowned pianist Lang Lang.

ON DIGITAL:

• Unwrapped: The Visual Effects of “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms”- View a reel that explores the layers of effects in sequences of the film.

ABOUT “THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS” CAST AND CREW: 
In the coming-of-age tale, “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms,” Keira Knightley stars as the Sugar Plum Fairy and Mackenzie Foy portrays Clara. Helen Mirren brings much-feared Mother Ginger to life, and Morgan Freeman stars as Clara’s eccentric godfather, Drosselmeyer. Eugenio Derbez and Richard E. Grant play Hawthorne and Shiver, the regents of the Land of Flowers and Land of Snowflakes. Jayden Fowora-Knight was cast as Phillip Hoffman, the Nutcracker soldier come-to-life. Matthew Macfadyen, Ellie Bamber and Thomas Sweet were called on to play Clara’s father Mr. Stahlbaum, sister Louise, and brother Fritz, respectively. Omid Djalili and Jack Whitehall portray palace guards Cavalier and Harlequin, and the film features a special performance by ballet greats Misty Copeland and Sergei Polunin.

Filmed in England at Pinewood Studios and various locations in and around London, “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” is directed by Lasse Hallström and Joe Johnston. Suggested by the short story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” written by E.T.A. Hoffmann, and “The “Nutcracker” ballet written by Marius Petipa, the screen story and screenplay are by Ashleigh Powell. The film is produced by Mark Gordon and Larry Franco, and executive produced by Sara Smith and Lindy Goldstein. Linus Sandgren, F.S.F., is the director of photography, Guy Hendrix Dyas serves as production designer and Stuart Levy, ACE, is the film editor. Jenny Beavan and Jenny Shircore are the costume designer and makeup and hair designer, respectively. Max Wood and Marc Weigert are the visual effects supervisor and visual effects producer, respectively. Music is by James Howard with a score conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, featuring piano soloist Lang Lang.

SOCIAL MEDIA:
Facebook:                        Facebook.com/DisneysNutcracker
Website:                           Movies.Disney.com/the-nutcracker-and-the-four-realms
Twitter:                             Twitter.com/thenutcracker
Instagram:                        Instagram.com/disneysnutcracker



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Keep Your Butt Going To The Gym!

So, are you one of those people who made a resolution to "get fit", "exercise", or "join a gym"? if so, I want to encourage you to NOT give up. Trust me, I know it's not easy getting started AND continuing. I did mention that the first time I went to the gym I didn't actually GO to the gym, right? I drove 35 min to the gym, pulled into the parking garage, turned right around, and went home!

I think if you're not in the habit of going to the gym regularly it can be difficult to make it a habit. I'm not the kind of person who is good at creating a habit, but if I can get one started for at least a few months, I can make it part of my lifestyle.

One of the key pieces I think to sticking to going to a gym is finding something you love or at least enjoy. If you have the ability to try classes or use a trainer then I say do it! Don't just go to any gym just once or twice and give up on it. Many gyms will give a free meeting with a trainer or if you haven't paid for a gym membership, find ones that have different options and find out if they give free passes for up to a week. I mean seriously, if they're free, the gyms can be your oyster. At least they'll give you a sampling of what each one offers and if you feel comfortable there.

Some gyms are very basic and you just do a circuit of exercise machines. Other gyms have trainers who help you every time you go in. I know there are also gyms which specialize in specific fitness styles. I mean, there's truly something out there for everyone! You just have to find your fit.

A suggestion I have is to find a buddy to hit the gym with. Whether it's a family member or a friend, going to the gym with someone who's going to be committed WITH you can be a huge motivator to keep on keeping on. Heck when you start going to the gym, especially if you're doing it alone, get to know the people you keep seeing. You never know, maybe you reaching out with a, "Hi," will be just what that person needs to want to keep going. That person might just be on a health journey, too!

We're all on this journey together. You CAN do this! Just keep going to the gym, whichever one you choose, and I guarantee that in a few months you'll be loving it.

Precious Moments Collectors' Club & Donation To The SPCA

I'm a collector. I have been all of my life. I remember as a little girl I would collect stickers. Then I collected coins from other countries, post cards, magnets, and coffee cups. My boys' grandma started me collecting Precious Moments about 15 yrs ago. She would get me one for various holidays and built up my collection. What I didn't realize was Precious Moments has a Collectors' Club! I was excited when they asked me to share about it for a review.

One of the best parts of working in a partnership with Precious Moments is adding to my collection or being able to give their figurines as gifts. When I was looking at some of the exclusive figurines for members only, I saw that they had one I could donate to the SPCA where we've gotten all 3 of our fur babies.

Let's chat first off about the features that come with joining the Precious Moments Collectors' Club.

·        FREE Membership Figurine

·        FREE shipping on all eligible purchases at PreciousMoments.com

·        FREE one-year subscription to MOMENTS Magazine

·        EXCLUSIVE ability to purchase Members Only Figurines

·        EARN valuable TRIPLE Reward Points on purchases from PreciousMoments.com

·        FREE personalization on eligible Precious Moments figurines, dolls and other

gifts from PreciousMoments.com

Did you even KNOW Precious Moments have Reward Points? Why, yes they do! If you're part of the Precious Moments Collectors' Club, for every $1 you spend, you get 3 points. On your birthday you get 200 points. You'll definitely have to see all of the other ways you can earn points. You can use those points toward your purchases.

Now, let's talk about the 2019 Precious Moments Collectors' Club, Members Only Figurine "Blessed Are The Peacemakers". This figurine fits in perfectly with their Club theme for 2019 which is "Sharing Love, Peace, and Harmony With The World."

These adorable little girls are holding a puppy and a kitten. This sweet figurine is made of bisque porcelain and expertly hand painted. I can tell you first hand that this is absolutely beautiful. it would make a perfect gift for a friend or to add to your own collection. You can see why it was so great to be able to give to our local SPCA.

 

Thankfully, the timing was right on when I received the figurine for review. The SPCA was having their Vaccine Clinic and since they already had Willow's records (since we got her from them) I figured it was the best place to go. I killed two birds with one stone by bringing it with me as well.

Since the SPCA relies heavily on donations, I knew something like this from Precious Moments would be such a great gift. They certainly seemed surprised that I was donating it to them. I tell you what, it certainly made my heart full!

Now, go get yourself to Precious Moments and become a Collectors' Club member!