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The Croods Movie Review

March 22, 2013 by Leave a Comment

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One of the perks of being a blogger is that I sometimes get to attend movie screenings.  My kids saw the previews for The Croods when we went to see Wreck it Ralph and have been looking forward to it ever since then!  We weren’t disappointed!

The Croods are a prehistoric family trying to survive as the “end of the world” approaches.  The movie deals with letting go, facing the unknown, and new beginnings and has some great messages about parenting and families, too!  Grug, the father (whose voice is done by Nicholas Cage) is understandably cautious given the perilous world they live in.  His top priority is protecting his family, even if it means keeping them locked away in a cave for days at a time.  The teenage daughter, Eep (whose voice is done by Emma Stone) has a sense for adventure and yearns for something beyond the cave walls.  After sneaking out one day, she comes into contact with Guy, (voice of Ryan Reynolds) who has been making it on his own for awhile and is full of great survival tips.  Shortly after Eve returns to her family’s cave, the family is faced with unexpected changes and they have to leave the cave for the unknown.  Along the way, Grug has to swallow some of his pride as the “protector” and the family relies on Guy to help them survive.

Adults will be able to appreciate the storyline.  As parent, you may be able to relate to the relationship between Grug and his daughter and to that desire to protect your children and family.  The father-daughter relationship also took me back to my teenage years and reminded me of similar battles with my parents as I approached adulthood and strived to establish my own independence.

grug

My kids, who are five and eight, enjoyed the movie, and there were plenty of moments where we all laughed together, but there are some pretty intense scenes and my five year old ended up on my lap about halfway through the movie. My advice is to leave the younger kids at home!

The favorite character for my kids was “Belt” (pictured above) who is Guy’s pet and doubles as a belt, a cook, and basically a jack of all trades.  You’ll be hearing “dun dun dun…” (you have to watch the movie to understand) from your kids for awhile after watching!

I have to admit that this movie kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end.  I found myself jumping at some scenes and wondering if the characters were going to survive in other scenes.  It’s not your typical children’s movie for sure!

DISCLOSURE:  I received free admission to this movie for myself and my family.  All reviews and opinions are my own.  Please refer to my disclosure policy for additional information.

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SCOPE mouthwash gives long-lasting fresh breath!

January 11, 2013 by Leave a Comment

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of SCOPE. All opinions are 100% mine.

When I was younger, my mom always used Scope mouthwash.  She would even buy travel sizes to take with us on family vacations!  I have never really been big on mouthwash, but just last week I was at the dentist, and she suggested that I keep mouthwash in my desk at work to use mid-day if I’m not able to brush.  My free sample of SCOPE mouthwash arrived just in time!

The last time I used mouthwash was several years ago (probably when I was single and in my “dating” phase), and it was very strong and overwhelming, so I was expecting the same from SCOPE when I tried it, but I was pleasantly surprised!  It was not overpowering, but was refreshing!  That clean and refreshing feel lasted much longer that I expected and I didn’t even need my afternoon gum fix! I love that I can be confident and have fresh breath even when I’m on the go and I’ll definitely be keeping some at work with me!

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, you want to have kissable fresh breath, and Scope is the perfect pick!  It’s available at your local Walmart store in 3 flavors including Outlast, Dual Blast, and Classic.  The Outlast lasts up to five times longer than brushing, the dual blast is perfect for getting rid of bad breath from garlic and onions, and the classic version kills 99% of bad breath germs!

Find out more about Scope here–> Fresh breath & courage, 1 oz at a time!

You can also check out this video here:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8mI0EF0Tf8&w=560&h=315]

Visit Sponsor's Site

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Rexall Now Available at Dollar General stores!

December 16, 2012 by Leave a Comment

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Dollar General. All opinions are 100% mine.

Rexall Logo

I recently visited my local Dollar General store during my lunch break because I had a killer headache and was looking for some pain relief.  I was surprised to see that Dollar General is now carrying the Rexall brand!  I remember Rexall products from my childhood, but hadn’t seen that label in a long time!  Rexall was founded in 1903, and is a brand that has been trusted by families for over 100 years!  You can find out more about the Rexall brand here–> Rexall brand information

If you’re not familiar with the Rexall brand, they carry a wide variety of health care and personal care products including first aid items, feminine hygiene products, hair care, foot care, vitamins and supplments, dental care items (such as toothbrushes and floss), over the care medications for pain relief, cough and cold, digestive problems, and more!  They’ve even got kid-friendly pain and allergy relief products!  You can see a full listing of the products they offer here–> Rexall products

Rexall understands that families are on a tight budget right now.  Their products are already affordable, but now, they are committed to helping you save even more!  Sign up for the Rexall Good Health Newsletter and you’ll get a BOGO free coupon for Rexall products!  Click here to get your coupon–> Get your BOGO coupon today

I admit that it had been a long time since I had tried Rexall products, but I purchased the Rexall Extra Strength Head Relief and it quickly took care of my headache!

Find the nearest Dollar General location so you can use your BOGO free Rexall products coupon here–> Dollar General Store Locator

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Campbell's Skillet Sauces: Tasty Meals in Minutes!

November 20, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Growing up, we always had dinner as a family.  Now that I have my own family, I continue to believe in the importance of eating dinner as a family, but sometimes between work and two kids, by the time we get home, it’s hard to find the energy to cook.  Campbell’s Skillet Sauces makes it easy to throw together a “home cooked” meal in about 20 minutes!

I recently had the opportunity to try Campbell’s Skillet Sauces!  I was provided with four different sauces to try and I chose the Marsala for my family because I love Chicken  Marsala, but I don’t get it often because we don’t eat out very often these days and I haven’t found a recipe that I’ve really been impressed with to try to make it myself.

You literally can throw together a meal in minutes!  All you have to do is cook the chicken and then add the sauce and let it simmer for a few minutes!  It only took about 20 minutes to make everything and it gave me just enough time to cook some pasta to serve as a side!  The packets say that they contain two servings and I have a family of four, so I decided to cut up my chicken to stretch it further.  We actually had leftovers!

I was impressed by the rich, tangy taste and I love that they had generous-sized mushrooms, too.  It was hard to believe that this meal had come from a pouch!  My kids, who are usually picky eaters (including my son who doesn’t even like mushrooms) ate everything without complaint and my daughter said she loved it.

Campbell’s Skillet Sauces are available in the following flavors:

  • Creamy Chipotle
  • Fire Roasted Tomato
  • Marsala
  • Scampi
  • Thai Green Curry
  • Toasted Sesame

If you’re always on the go, but want to have dinner with your family, these Campbell’s Skillet Sauces are a great quick fix choice!  I want to try the Toasted Sesame next, but my husband really wants to try the Thai Green Curry.

These sauces are available at your local grocery store and they retail for about $2.49 each.  Right now, you can get a coupon for $1 off here–> $1 off Campbell’s Skillet Sauces printable coupon  

Which Campbell’s Skillet sauces would you like to try?  If you tried them already, let me know what you thought!

DISCLOSURE:  This is a sponsored post.  Campbell’s supplied me with the Campbell’s Skillet Sauces so I could post about my experience.  All opinions are my own.  Please refer to my disclosure policy for additional information.

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The Odd Life of Timothy Green movie review

August 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment

I’ve been watching the previews for The Odd Life of Timothy Green for weeks now and looking forward to seeing it!  I had the opportunity to preview the movie at a screening presented by Disney when I was at the Blogher conference last week and I was not disappointed!

As the movie begins, we meet Jim and Cindy Green who are very much in love and who desperately want to add a child to their family.  After being told that they will not be able to conceive a child, they spend an evening thinking about what might have been.  They fill a box with all the qualities their child would have had and all of the wonderful moments they would have shared.  He would love and be loved.  He would “ROCK.”  He would kick a winning goal at a soccer game.  They bury the box and their dreams in the garden in their backyard.  Late in the night, a young boy named Timothy appears and simply tells them he came from the garden.  Jim and Cindy decide not to question the gift that they’ve been given and to make the most of every little moment with Timothy.

WARNING:  This movie is a tear jerker!  Don’t forget the Kleenex!  Those who have struggled with fertility will be able to identify with Jim and Cindy’s emotions.  Anyone who is a parent will be able to identify with the struggles that they face during parenthood.  You want your child to be accepted and fit in with his peers.  You question decisions you’ve made, always wonder if you’re doing what’s best for your child, and think about what you could have or should have done different after the fact.

Timothy treasures every moment, even taking time each day to bask in the sunlight.  He brings perspective to the adults and peers in his life.  Watching this movie led me to reflect on my own children and the magic of childhood in general.  It reminded me to take a step back and to treasure those little magical moments that occur on a daily basis because children grow up way too fast!

This is a great movie for families and I can’t wait to share it with my own family next week!  It will be released in theaters on 8/15/2012.

In the meantime, you can enjoy this free summer fun kit here–> The Odd Life of Timothy Green summer fun kit 

Check out the trailer here:


DISCLOSURE:  Disney provided me with the opportunity to attend this screening, but all thoughts expressed in this review are my own!

 

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