Prom season is upon us and I wanted to share a few tips on choosing the perfect corsage.  We've found the perfect suit and his date has found the perfect dress so now we just have to find one more thing... the perfect corsage. Real or Fake The decision to have your corsage made with real or fake flowers is a personal choice.  If using real flowers, remember r eal flowers can be a bit tricky to work with and you have to be very careful not to injure the flower.  Also, some flowers like orchids, roses, carnations and lilies are ideal for use as corsages.   If real flowers aren't your thing, consider artificial flowers.  Artificial flowers also make beautiful corsages and are often less expensive than using real flowers.      This artificial rose corsage from Silks Plants Direct comes with a trio of rose blush roses, some silk green leaves and a pin.  The trio is perfect as a corsage or can be separated to make a wrist...

Disclosure: Many thanks to MM Publicity for the opportunity to review this book. I was thrilled to receive  10, 9, 8... Owls Up Late! By Georgianna Deutsch and illustrated by Ekaterina Trukhan .  The book is perfect for preschoolers a ges: 3 - 5 and a perfect read for our Bedtime for Baby Book Reviews.   I love books that helps reemphasize learning skills particularly for toddlers and preschoolers.  Their little minds are always itching to learn more. My niece runs a daycare and my great nephew is one of her best students.  He's such a fantastic counter and he knows all of his ABCs.  We put him on the spot every time he comes to visit to wow us with his skills and he gets a little shy sometimes.  Truth is he's smart like his mom.  I remember when she about 9 or 10 and she could recite the longest poems.  There was something about the rhythmic flow of the words that she just embraced and for the life of me I can't recall the nam...

Disclosure: Many thanks to The Cadence Group for the opportunity to review this book. Our beloved doggy is a very busy guy.  After we leave the house for school and work, he is in charge of the house.  I guess he stays pretty busy throughout the day because when we come home he's always lounging on the loveseat as if he's put in a hard day at the office. Even though our favorite hound dog is getting older, he is always up for posing for a pic and playing in the snow. I sosceles' Day by Kevin J. Meehan is a whimsical picture book about a big ol' dog and his tiny friend Mole.   As we read  I soceles' Day,   I pictured our doggy with a playmate like Mole.   From being awakened by friend Mole, to a breakfast of dancing eggs, howling and grunting with Moose, time spent with Frog and Platypus, lunchtime with Lizard, playing it cool with Mouse, listening to drums with Prairie Dog, riding in a wagon with Rhino, drinking from a hose wit...

Disclosure: Many thanks to MMPublicity for the opportunity to review this book. Did you see that the United States Postal Service issued a stamp in honor of Mr. Rogers?  I grew up watching his show on PBS and a host of other PBS shows including the classic, Sesame Street. Funny isn't it that the show we and even some of our parents loved as kids is still on the air.  Those muppets we've loved for decades are still educating and entertaining preschoolers and that says a lot. I'm not ashamed to admit I can still sing along with some of my favorite Sesame Street songs.  Who remembers Ernie singing "Rubby Ducky" or Cookie Monster's ode to cookies?   I was thrilled to receive  Sesame Street: 5 Little Rubber Duckies By Matt Mitter and  Illustrated by: Tom Brannon.  The book is perfect for preschoolers a ges: 3 - 5 and helps reemphasize basic counting skills.   Join Ernie and his friends for a counting adventure in this fun, hands-on...

Disneynature’s all-new feature film PENGUINS is a coming-of-age story about an Adélie penguin named Steve who joins millions of fellow males in the icy Antarctic spring on a quest to build a suitable nest, find a life partner and start a family. None of it comes easily for him, especially considering he's targeted by everything from killer whales to leopard seals, who unapologetically threaten his happily ever after.  From the filmmaking team behind BEARS and CHIMPANZEE, Disneynature’s PENGUINS opens in theaters nationwide in time for Earth Day 2019. Check out the official trailer of Disneynature's Penguins Like Disneynature on Facebook: Facebook.com/Disneynature Follow Disneynature on Twitter: Twitter.com/Disneynature Follow Disneynature on Tumbler: http://disneynature.tumblr.com/ Follow Disneynature on Instagram: http://instagram.com/disneynature PENGUINS opens in theatres everywhere in time for Earth Day 2019! How did you and your family celebrate Earth Da...

After spending a week in Mexico for Spring Break we are planning our Summer vacation.  This year the kids and I are heading back to Los Angeles to spend some time with my brother. As much as we love visiting LA, it's really a lot of fun to visit with him since he lived there for nearly 15 years.  He is wise when it comes to all things L.A. and helps his big sis - moi - maximize my travel dollars.  Traveling with a family of six has its challenges, first and foremost being space.  There is no way our family could call a hotel suite home for a vacation and staying with him is out of the question.  We need space and lots of it. The Diva Me loves staying in places with a resort type flair.  I have to have a place with all the amenities of home - i.e. dishwasher, washer/dryer, full kitchen, etc. - and a few things we DON'T have at home like an in-ground pool, ocean view, etc. When visiting L.A. we love to glam it up and search listings of  Los Angel...

Many thanks to Disney Hyperion for providing this book for review. All opinions are mine. If I could sum up Fox and Coats new book  A FRIENDLY TOWN THAT’S ALMOST ALWAYS BY THE OCEAN!  in 3 simple words I would say " Embrace your YOUness" In A FRIENDLY TOWN THAT’S ALMOST ALWAYS BY THE OCEAN! (Disney-Hyperion; On Sale: April 17, 2018) by Kir Fox (aka Kirsten Hubbard) and M. Shelley Coats (aka Michelle Schusterman), Davy’s fifth grade class uncovers the secrets of their peculiar town in a series of linked tales that pair the whimsy of Sideways Stories from Wayside School with the delightful eeriness of Welcome to Night Vale. Welcome to Topsea, the strangest place you'll ever visit. In this town, the coves are bottomless and the pier has no end in sight. There's a high tide and a low tide... and a vanishing tide. Dogs are a myth, but mermaids are totally real. And seaweed is the main ingredient in every meal—watch out, it might just start chewing you back! ...

In INCREDIBLES 2, Helen (voice of Holly Hunter) is called on to lead a campaign to bring Supers back, while Bob (voice of Craig T. Nelson) navigates the day-to-day heroics of “normal” life at home with Violet (voice of Sarah Vowell), Dash (voice of Huck Milner) and baby Jack-Jack—whose super powers are about to be discovered.  Their mission is derailed, however, when a new villain emerges with a brilliant and dangerous plot that threatens everything. But the Parrs don’t shy away from a challenge, especially with Frozone (voice of Samuel L. Jackson) by their side. That’s what makes this family so Incredible. Like INCREDIBLES 2 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PixarTheIncredibles/ Follow INCREDIBLES 2 on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheIncredibles Follow INCREDIBLES 2 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theincredibles/ Visit the official INCREDIBLES 2 website here: http://disney.com/incredibles2 INCREDIBLES 2 opens in theatres everywhere on June 15th and the T...

My nephew loves Paw Patrol and I know he'll be thrilled to see the PAW Patrol pups are ready for warm-weather fun in the new DVD collection PAW Patrol: Summer Rescues , available May 1.  Whether they're tracking down missing fireworks or embarking on a wacky windsurfing rescue, the pups are always ready to save the day under the summer sun. Produced by Nickelodeon Home Entertainment and distributed by Paramount Home Media Distribution, PAW Patrol: Summer Rescues will be available on DVD May 1 for the suggested retail price of $10.99. P AW Patrol: Summer Rescues contains the following episodes: Pups Save the Fireworks - Ryder and Marshall track down the missing Adventure Bay Day fireworks, while Chase and Skye round up the piglets that were delivered by mistake. Pups Save the Carnival - Cornelius the pig is causing chaos at the carnival and all of the prizes have vanished too. It's up to the PAW Patrol to rescue the missing piggy and prizes. Pups Save a Ferris Wh...

Many thanks to Disney Hyperion for providing this book for review. All opinions are mine. Looking for a great Spring read for the kiddos?  Check out Karen Kane's  CHARLIE and FROG: A MYSTERY. Discover the surprising ways people listen in CHARLIE and FROG: A MYSTERY (Disney-Hyperion; On Sale: April 10, 2018), a page-turning contemporary middle grade mystery filled with humor, intrigue, and heartwarming friendships, by debut author Karen Kane. Frog (aka Francine Castle), is Deaf and shines as a tenacious, crime-solving protagonist who introduces Charlie to the world of sign language and teaches it throughout. All Charlie Tickler wants is for his parents to listen. Charlie's parents have left him (again). This time they are off to South Africa to help giant golden moles. And Charlie? He's been dumped with his TV-obsessed grandparents. Lonely and curious, Charlie heads into the village of Castle-on-the-Hudson, where a frightened old woman gives him a desperate mes...

Many thanks to Disney Hyperion for providing this book for review.   All opinions are mine.   I'm the kinda' reader who just can't dive into a book that's part of series without reading the previous books in the series.  So before diving into Burning Magic by Joshua Khan, I had to find copies of the previous books in the series. As luck would have it my kids had Shadow Magic and Dream Magic right on their bookshelves.  This series has the makings of a great on screen movie.  A strong, female lead character paired with a rebel of sorts boy.  The pair lead a cast of unforgettable characters sure to transport middle school readers into a world of magic and mystery. The chapters are short but the adventures of Lily and Thorne are HUGE! BURNING MAGIC ( Disney-Hyperion; On Sale: April 10, 2018) by Joshua Khan is the third and final installment in the Shadow Magic trilogy. In this sizzling adventure, Lily the sorcerer queen and Thorn the ...

Time to rev up those engines and get ready for some great family fun.  Monster Jam is coming to the San Francisco Bay Area, Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara on April 28 at to be exact and there's a party in the pits! Grave Digger All of your favorite monster trucks will be there.  Grave Digger, Son of Grave Digger and our personal fave, The Scarlet Bandit. Scarlet Bandit You can save $5 on your adult ticket purchase when you use the code MOM1.  Visit Ticketmaster using this link to get your tickets today and be sure to follow #MonsterJam on social media for more Monster Jam fun! Monster Jam® is adrenaline-charged family entertainment providing jaw-dropping displays and gravity-defying feats that promises to always leave fans entertained. Monster Jam events feature some of the most recognizable trucks in the world including Grave Digger®, Max-D, El Toro Loco® and many more. Our world-class drivers push these perfectly engineered Monster Jam trucks to their l...

All throughout April you can earn large bonuses when sign up as my referral on Swagbucks. Swagbucks is a rewards site where you earn points (called SB) for things you're probably doing online already, like searching, watching videos, discovering deals, and taking surveys. Then you take those points and exchange them for gift cards to places like Amazon, Starbucks, or PayPal cash. When you sign up through me this month, you can earn a 300 SB bonus! Here's how: 1. Sign up using this link 2. Earn 300 SB total before May 1st, 2018. You'll get a 300 SB bonus for it! 3. That's it. It's super easy, and Swagbucks is for real. I use it myself, and I've earned enough Swagbucks to share with family and friends.  Even better than that is hearing how those who have signed up using my link are using their Swagbucks.  $10 here for a gift card to their favorite lunch spot.  $50 there for a gift card to their favorite store.  $100 for a Visa gift card for their Spring...

Many thanks to FaithWords for the opportunity to review this book Easter 2018 was one for the record books. Our church musician was ill and had to go to the hospital. Our pastor fell ill just before Easter service and was rushed to the hospital. Our church sat in silence as paramedics attended to our beloved pastor. I often say "Don't pray and worry" but as I sat there on that weathered church pew I was worried. Our pastor is such a vibrant person and seeing him struggling to catch his bearings knowing there was nothing I could do but pray worrying my prayers wouldn't be enough. Yet, even as hope seemed to fade I thought back to some words spoken at the Spring Revival earlier that week.  The guest pastor asked the congregation "Who could use a little more faith?"  Hands all over the church raised high... including mine.   Again, the pastor asked "Who could use a little more faith?" More hands joined in and then the pasto...

Sweet potatoes make an appearance at every one of our family gatherings and it never fails there’s always just a little bit leftover. It’s never enough for feeding the family, but there’s usually enough to make some sweet potato dip. The dip is easy to make because you’re using leftover sweet potatoes plus it’s good for you. I mean sweet potatoes of much needed vitamins. Pair them with a tasty chip like Good Health Sea Salt Eat Your Vegetable Chips or Snikiddy Hot & Spice Baked Fries and you’ve got a healthy snack. Sweet potato dip is so good and a great alternative to salsa, sour cream calorie laden dips or hummus. It goes well with chips, veggies, breads or even crackers. Sweet Potato Dip Ingredients 1 cup of cooked sweet potatoes, mashed 1 tbsp. plain yogurt 1 tsp. apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice ½ tsp. cayenne pepper, for a little heat Salt to taste Directions Mix all ingredients in a bowl Serve with your favorite chips , veggies, breads or c...