Personally I feel like spring time is when you start to do all new and exciting things outside – especially if you’ve been cooped up … so today we’re talking some great gifting ideas for taking outside to play with baby this spring.
Into the Forest Musical Nature Stroll [amazon] This sunny on-the-go flexible arch features 6 different baby-activated toys that encourage the development of fine motor skills and is compatible with baby’s age and preferences.
Meadow Days Thomas Jitter [amazon]
Thomas, an all-smiles inquisitive bunny, is a charming on-the-go clip toy with jittery feedback that stimulates the senses and helps develop fine motor skills.
Meadow Day Dynamic Gymini [amazon] A uniquely versatile baby activity mat with adjustable moving arches that adapt to baby’s age and stage, encouraging the development of fine and gross motor skills from day one.
We’re giving away a prize pack from Tiny Love that includes The Meadow Days Dynamic Gymini and the Thomas Jitter.
How to win it: Leave a comment with which animal you think the cutest is…
Contest ends 11:59 pm EST on May 16, 2018. Limited to US residents only. Must be over the age of 18 to enter. Winner chosen at random.
With Mother’s Day quickly approaching it’s time to think of those last minute gifts to purchase (we have plenty more to say on that) but it’s also time to start thinking about the card. Rather than buying a card, why not make something from the heart. So I’ve partnered with the Paper & Packaging- How Life Unfolds campaign to share some creative ideas on how you can make your own cards and gifts for mom.
As you can see below, my girls are making mom some one-of-a-kind cards using colorful construction paper. Another simple project I love is taking colored sticky notes and having my kids write little personal notes to mom. Then they can stick them around the house and mom will find little surprise notes throughout the day.
This is a really, really beyond simple project, but it teaches the kids to remember all the small things that mom does for them. Like “Thanks for making my lunches”…. “Thanks for reading me my bed time stories”…. “Thanks for picking out my school outfits”…. “I love singing songs in the car with you”… think of it as little notes of appreciation.
Plus we’re giving away 1 – $150 Amazon giftcard to make sure a mom has an extra special day thanks to #HowLifeUnfolds
But first the step-by-step guide.
We’re using this great paper set we found at staples or amazon.
Have the children take a sheet of paper and you can do a daily note (365 of them – if you go with this option if you write the month and a day in a corner it could become a pull calendar too) a weekly note (52) of them or just keep filling out notes till you feel like that’s enough.
Place notes back into plastic and gift wrap it up.
How to win it: Leave a comment with one saying you’d like to write on a note to mom.
Contest ends 11:59 pm EST on May 12, 2018. Limited to US residents only. Must be over the age of 18 to enter. Winners chosen at random.
From Marvel Studios comes the eagerly anticipated “Avengers: Infinity War,” the third installment in the “Avengers” franchise and 19th Marvel Studios film to date. The release also marks the 10-year anniversary of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which began with the release of “Iron Man” in 2008.
Marvel Studios’ “Avengers: Infinity War” is the preeminent collection of iconic Super Hero characters in one film and stars Robert Downey Jr., as Tony Stark/ Iron Man, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/The Hulk, Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America, Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Don Cheadle as Colonel James Rhodes/War Machine, Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa/Black Panther, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Paul Bettany as Vision, Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, Idris Elba as Heimdall, Danai Gurira as Okoye, Benedict Wong as Wong, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Dave Bautista as Drax, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, with Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, with Benicio Del Toro as The Collector, with Josh Brolin as Thanos, and Chris Pratt as Peter Quill/Star-Lord.
First appearing in the “Iron Man” #55 comic book issue in 1973, Thanos is a powerful Titan warlord who rules over the furthest regions of space and commands massive armies known as the Chitauri and the Outriders. “We always knew that the bar was very high with Thanos,” says Kevin Feige. “He made a very brief appearance in ‘The Avengers.’ He had a couple lines of dialogue and a brief appearance in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy,’ and we saw him very briefly at the end of ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron.’ But other than that, we’ve never really seen him do anything. We’ve just been teasing his presence and the coming of Thanos since ‘The Avengers.’”
Feige continues, “In our story, Thanos had to deliver a threat far beyond anything the Avengers had ever seen before. That’s not just making him strong and powerful. It’s about having a villain who’s charismatic and who you surprisingly begin to feel for. More so than any of our other movies, this is very much a story about Thanos and his drive, goals and past. This is the first time in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that a film is really told from the villain’s point of view.”
“Thanos is this virtually indestructible character who’s stronger than the Hulk and has invincible skin,” explains Anthony Russo. “Many years prior to ‘Avengers: Infinity War,’ his planet, Titan, experienced a cataclysmic shift. They were running out of resources, and they were overpopulated. Thanos made the recommendation to exterminate half the population randomly to save the rest of the population. Titans rejected his notion, branded him a mad man and exiled him. And the planet ended up dying.”
Ok so crazy Titan is hunting infinity stones to fix the universe in a similar way he saw a solution for his own planet.
THE INFINITY STONES PRIMER
SPACE STONE (Tesseract)
Color: Blue
Power: Used to control space and create advanced weaponry
Currently in possession: Asgard
REALITY STONE (Aether)
Color: Red
Power: Ability to warp reality at will, immense strength, durability, powers, and subjective influence over the universe
Currently in Possession: The Collector
POWER STONE (Orb)
Color: Purple
Power: Increases physical abilities, allows manipulation of energy. Can obliterate an entire planet when unleashed.
Currently in Possession: Nova Corps
MIND STONE (from Loki’s scepter)
Color: Yellow
Power: Subjugate the minds of others, bending them to the will of the user. Increased intelligence.
Currently in Possession: Vision
TIME STONE (Eye of Agamotto)
Color: Green
Power: Able to control the flow of time.
Currently in Possession: Doctor Strange
SOUL STONE
Color: Orange
Power: Unknown
Currently in Possession: Unknown
Avengers, Assemble!
There is NO mid credit scene in Avengers: Infinity War, however there is only a end credit scene.
Is this movie ok for kids? This is a tough question because I will say there are tough discussions to have and having to tell a child well it’ll only be a year before the next one comes out doesnt really fly either. so I think for older kids, they’ll get it. younger kids might not.
I will say I loved this movie and it totally did justice to the 10 years and 18 other films leading up to this moment…. now if you’re a fan of the comic books I going to say I believe the next avengers movie (part 4) which hasn’t had its official name released yet might be called Avengers: Secret Wars.
As we finally had our first taste of spring this weekend it means that its time to start prepping the BBQ grills for those family cookouts. My wife watches The Chew daily (sometimes even cooks a thing or two from the show) when I heard that Michael Symon (one of The Chew co-hosts) had a new book out called “Playing With Fire” I just had to check this out.
The 72 finger-licking, lip-smacking recipes here draw inspiration from his favorites, including dry ribs from Memphis, wet ribs from Nashville, brisket from Texas, pork steak from St. Louis, and burnt ends from Kansas City–to name just a few–as well as the unique and now signature Cleveland-style barbecue he developed to showcase the flavors of his hometown. Michael offers expert guidance on working with different styles of grills and smokers, choosing aromatic woods for smoking, cooking various cuts of meat, and successfully pairing proteins with rubs, sauces, and sides.
Clarkson Potter sent me a copy of Playing With Fire AND they’re providing a prize pack for one of you! The Grillmaster prize pack includes:
Michael Symon cooks with soul, having grown up in a Greek and Sicilian family. The Cleveland native shares his exuberant, approachable cooking style and infectious laugh with viewers as an Iron Chef on Food Network and as a co-host on ABC’s The Chew. Michael is the chef and owner of more than 18 restaurants, including Lola and Mabel’s BBQ in downtown Cleveland, locals of B-Spot Burgers throughout the Midwest, and Angeline at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City. He is also the author of five cookbooks.
How to win it: Leave a comment with your favorite food to grill!
Contest ends 11:59pm EST on April 21st, 2018. Limited to USA residents only. Must be over the age of 18 to enter.
What in my mind was the best Star Wars film in the last 15 years is finally available to bring home for your endless enjoyment.
Lucasfilm’s Star Wars: The Last Jedi—the next action-packed chapter of the Star Wars saga— Earned critical acclaim and theNo. 1 spot atop 2017’s list of highest-grossing films. The visually stunning film welcomes the return of original characters, including Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Chewbacca, Yoda, R2-D2 and C-3PO and further explores the deepening journey of the saga’s new members, Rey, Finn, Poe, and Kylo Ren. Now families can bring home the movie digitally in HD and 4K Ultra HD™ and via Movies Anywhere and now 4K Ultra HD™ Blu-ray, and Blu-ray™ disc. This release also marks Disney’s first title available on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray disc in both Dolby Vision™ HDR and Dolby Atmos® immersive audio, delivering consumers a transformative viewing experience.
The film stars Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern with Frank Oz, and Benicio Del Toro. Star Wars: TheLastJedi is written and directed by Rian Johnson and produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Ram Bergman. J.J. Abrams, Tom Karnowski and Jason McGatlin are the executive producers.
Bonus features include*:
The Director and the Jedi – Go deep behind the scenes with writer-director Rian Johnson on an intimate and personal journey through the production of the movie—and experience what it’s like to helm a global franchise and cultural phenomenon.
Balance of the Force – Explore the mythology of the Force and why Rian Johnson chose to interpret its role in such a unique way.
Scene Breakdowns
o Lighting the Spark: Creating the Space Battle – Get a close-up look at the epic space battle, from the sounds that help propel the action, through the practical and visual effects, to the characters who bring it all to life.
o Snoke and Mirrors – Motion capture and Star Wars collide as the filmmakers take us through the detailed process of creating the movie’s malevolent master villain.
o Showdown on Crait – Break down everything that went into creating the stunning world seen in the movie’s final confrontation, including the interplay between real-word locations and visual effects, reimagining the walkers, designing the crystal foxes, and much more.
Andy Serkis Live! (One Night Only) – Writer-director Rian Johnson presents two exclusive sequences from the movie featuring Andy Serkis’ riveting, raw on-set performance before his digital makeover into Snoke.
Deleted Scenes – With an introduction and optional commentary by writer-director Rian Johnson.
Audio Commentary – View the movie with in-depth feature audio commentary by writer-director Rian Johnson.
Into the Forest Musical Nature Stroll [amazon]
Meadow Days Thomas Jitter [amazon]
Meadow Day Dynamic Gymini [amazon]
