|
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment provided me with a complimentary copy of this Blu-ray reviewed in this post. All opinions are my own. It may be October 29th, but cooler temps have arrived and as far as I'm concerned we can skip all the other holidays and celebrate Christmas all fall and winter long. It's just that worthy of celebration. From the birth of our Savior, to the warmth of family and togetherness, soul-satisfying food and bingeing on Christmas movies - there really is never enough time. So, start in October I always say. As soon as it makes sense to pull out the cozy blankets, the mugs for cocoa and throw a log in the fire. I was blessed by Warner Brothers with our first film of the season - A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish landed on the doorstep as if delivered to my happy little Christmas-loving home by Santa himself. Below you will find my review synopsis of the film - details on the film and where you can get your copy - as well as some fun behind the scenes info, photos, clips and printables.   Available NOW on DVD, Digital and Blu-Ray A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish follows a teenage Kat Decker (played by Laura Marano) through her trials and her holiday love story as a under-valued step-daughter in a festive rendition of the classic Cinderella tale. This is the fifth in the Cinderella Story series and is the first to be set during the most magical time of year. I personally adored watching this with Grey. He loved the colorful sets and the leading man Nick (played by Gregg Sulkin) had him laughing out loud as Santa. As a film songwriter and performer myself, I appreciated the musicality of the film and the choreography was well done. My soft spot for the Cinderella Story series (I've been a fan since the original with Hilary Duff!) made this such an easy and fun watch! It was a great film to kick of a season of many nights of movie watching in our new farmhouse. "Brimming with overtones from the classic fairytale, this contemporary musical follows Katherine “Kat” Decker (Laura Marano) dreaming of becoming a famous singer-songwriter. Her reality, however, is suffocated by her conniving and cruel stepfamily and a demoralizing job working as a singing elf at billionaire Terrence Wintergarden’s Santa Land. When she starts to fall for Nick (Gregg Sulkin), the handsome new Santa at the tree lot, things begin to look up. Unfortunately, when her stepmother and stepsisters realize Kat has been invited to the prestigious Wintergarden Christmas Gala, they’ll stop at nothing to procure their own invitation and keep Kat from attending. With the help of her attentive dog, a true friend, and a little bit of holiday magic, Kat may just make it to the gala, discover the true identity of Nick, and experience the true meaning of Christmas." - Warner Brothers Home Entertainment You can check out an interview clip with the adorable Laura Marano below detailing the magic in this film. To view the full trailer - you can see it here: Truly a fun and magical film for the whole family, watching this entertaining film was such a great way to welcome this season and share some laughs with my little guy. As we are approaching shopping season as well it was so fun to fill out the Christmas Wish Lists that Warner Brothers provided to us as an interactive activity to do after we watched the film. Once you grab your copy of A Christmas Story: Christmas Wish on Digital, Blu-Ray or DVD you can make it an intimate evening at home with your family or you can throw a little holiday party and make popcorn, my Vanilla Caramel Hot Chocolate, print the lists below for all of the kids in your group and if you want to get really creative - you can set up a create your own snow globe station just like Kat's special snow globe in the film! However you decide to enjoy this film, I hope it brings you an evening of joy, laughter and entertainment as it did our family! 
0 Comments
  There I stood. Butterflies in my stomach as I raised my hand to tap on the large wooden door. It was a chilly evening in February 2007. An evening of one of our very first dates. You planned to prepare me dinner, rent a scary movie and I would be seeing your home for the first time. It was warm and glowing, romantic without the vibe that you tried to hard, and the food smelled delicious. You were, as you always are, intimidatingly handsome and you smelled wonderful. Chicken, potatoes, carrots and onions filled our bellies while deep conversation about life and our past and our future dreams filled my soul. I knew then, this might be it. You, might be everything.   Turns out I was right. This home, your home, after we dated a bit more and I toured the world a while longer, became my home too. We’ve celebrated birthdays here, most memorable being our respective thirtieth bashes (a surprise party for him, a casino party for me) and of course our sons first Sesame Street bash. Christmas here is magical and dinner parties have sparked community and conversation and deepened our walk with Christ. We’ve made big memories here. Like planning our wedding until the wee morning in our living room, planning our family and praying over what it would look like. Losing our first pregnancy and in God's great redemptive story, finding out our sweet Grey was coming. There’s also been many small, beautiful moments peppered in between the larger than life ones. Like movie nights snuggled on our sofa, playing games around our poker table with friends, laughing fits and story times and walks through our neighborhood and hot showers after long days and all the meals we’ve prepared and enjoyed day in and day out. Our home, our refuge from the world that we have been blessed to know.   Though I must say, it’s never felt more like our home than it has these past two years. Bringing our darling Grey home, this place has become something so much sweeter. It’s within these walls we are molding a little life. Helping him crawl, walk and run seemed to happened at lightening speed. While watching him talk, play and show love has made my heart burst with joy. For who he is. Who we are. Just us three.   To our first home as a couple, a husband and wife, and as parents, I’m grateful for you. As we look towards our future, and what God is writing that to look like, as we start to pack up our mementos and things from this home, may we always cherish the memories we’ve made here, no matter where life may take us and what roof we lie under.
To the house that built "us", thank you for every thing. This post is part of a marketing campaign with BSM Media and At Home, but all my opinions are my own. #AtHomeStores #Sponsored This holiday season is bittersweet in the Pimental house. On the one hand we have the excitement of hosting Christmas once again for our family (of 40+!), Christmas morning with a one year old to look forward to (I think I'm more excited than the baby) and many, many shared meals this season around the table my husband built us. On the other hand, we are looking to what this next year will look like as we say goodbye to the house we've been in for the past eleven years and make our way to an old ranch house that we hope to make our new home with new memories, new holidays and new meals.   Maybe bittersweet is the wrong word. Because it's all good. It's all a blessing. The new, the old. And whether we host dinners under this roof or the next, those who gather around our table become our family, and that time with family is what makes a home. In those moments, that's where the good stuff is. Making our home beautiful for us and those we share it with is one of my very favorite past times. At Home partnered with me to share some of the darling holiday decor they are showcasing this year and I was absolutely giddy to peruse their massive inventory to find the special touches for our holiday table.   Thinking ahead to the farmhouse style of the ranch, I wanted our decor to fit both this house and our future home so I went with neutral shades and natural elements to liven up our wood dining table. I fell in love with their White Willow Garland and it became my focal point for the rest of the tablescape and once I added in gold stems to add a golden touch I knew I wanted to bring through a little more sparkle. The reindeer head accessories found a cozy home amongst our monogrammed napkins, while natural eucalyptus from a nearby nursery adds more greenery and a fresh aroma. The pinecones that make up the centerpiece hold a special place in my heart because they are a mix from nature walks with my little guy and a trip to a cabin from years ago with my grandma before she passed. When it came to the table settings, I'm a sucker for a clean, white set up so I went with their Soft Square dish set and utilized the wine glasses I bring out for parties. Their gold party flatware and serving ware made my heart go pitter pat, so I knew I needed to include those to serve up my dark chocolate bundt cake we put out on Christmas every year.   So as we draw near to my very favorite season, I look forward to it all. I look forward to the mornings around this table enjoying both leisurely brunches and quick, hurried bowls of oatmeal on weekday mornings. To dinner parties that spark warm conversation and deep belly laughter, and to raising and teaching a little boy that this is where it all begins. Love, life, laughter, it all starts around the family table. And I’m honored to have such a beautiful one to celebrate around.
For more holiday decor ideas or to shop At Home, visit www.AtHome.com. For my bundt cake recipe, click here. This post was sponsored by Groupon and The Mommy Files. All opinions are my own. As promised, if you saw my last post on the new Groupon Goods, I let you know I was going to let you in on another special feature Groupon is now offering.
Groupon Coupons. And I am totally addicted. Groupon Coupons gives you access to coupons for top retailers, restaurants, theme parks and more. Some favorites that I took advantage of today were Birch Box, Barnes and Noble, Shutterfly (for ALL the baby books, guys seriously I take so many photos of this kid), TicketMaster for an upcoming date night concert, Sephora (because, make-up) and I even saved on theme park tickets for an upcoming trip we're planning! All in under ten minutes. So, without further adieu, I leave you with savings upon savings through Groupon Coupons. You're welcome and happy shopping! Also, shout out to Groupon and myself on Twitter and let us know what you saved on! This girl loves to know your favorite healthy and fashionable products! This post was sponsored by Groupon and The Mommy Files. All opinions are my own. As a new mama, I absolutely adore online shopping. I've always been a fan of Groupon for booking trips and date nights with deals around the city, but now they are offering Groupon Goods and the site has become a one stop shop for buying anything I need at the click of a button. I also love, love, love that there are no membership fees to shop on Groupon Goods. Just nationwide deals on my favorite products.  As Mr. Charming and I are gearing up to travel more this season with our little man, I headed back to check out the goods and ended up with a cart full of awesomeness. My favorite items included USB chargers for all of our phone and camera equipment (photos, hello!), awesome food storage containers for all of our healthy on-the-go noshing and, while I was there, some cute stuff for the house. Because as much as I adore traveling, having a place of our own that's decked out in our favorite things to come home to is what makes leaving worth while. Another feature I love is that there are dates posted with the sales prices, in true Groupon fashion, so you never miss out on something you love. Many days I have gone to a store and have seen something on sale, only to not buy it, think on it later and then miss out because it's gone or no longer on sale when I go back to get it. With Groupon Goods, I don't have to worry my pretty little head about it and can make sure I get what I want at the best possible price. I also can have it shipped to my house, so I can mom it up and take care of the babes in my yoga pants and top knot while still getting everything I need. (yay packages!) If you are interested in trying it out, come back this weekend for exclusive coupons to some of the most popular retailers in home goods, clothing, travel essentials and more. Have you used Groupon Goods and if so, what has been your favorite purchase?
May Goal RecapBusiness Goals
Personal Goals
June GoalsBusiness Goals
Personal Goals
What are YOUR June Goals? Share in the comments below!
April Goal RecapBusiness Goals
Personal Goals
May GoalsBusiness Goals
Personal Goals
This post and giveaway were made possible by iConnect and Dreft. I was compensated for my participation in this campaign, but all opinions and moments swooning over baby items are 100% mine.
As nesting continues full force in our home, I am anticipating the arrival of Baby P more and more everyday.
We are in the process of rearranging rooms so that Mr. Charming can wainscot and paint the nursery and I am working on smaller details like finishing the registry and making sure all of our future littles things are ready for when he or she arrives. 
As you are all aware of my affinity for wanting the best for the babes sensitive skin, I knew from before the time I got pregnant that I was going to use Dreft for it's hypoallergenic properties. With pollen and dust being a big problem here in the desert, laundry will be frequent and I wanted to use something that's going to sensitive enough for delicate newborn skin. Dreft recently partnered with the renowned Dr. Dyan Hes, a top rated pediatrician by New York Magazine, a mother herself and founder of Gramercy Pediatrics. Join Dreft, Dr. Hes & myself on Twitter May 9th, 9-10PM EST
Follow @dreft, @gramercypeds & @noshandnurture to get in the convo!I honestly have been having so much fun shopping for the nursery bedding, little ones blankets and the itty bitty clothes! Oh, the clothes! Even though we arn't finding out the sex until he or she is born, there have been so many cute neutral finds and I'm washing them all this week to get them ready to be hung up and tucked in to baby's room. Choose the right fabrics and care for them properly: When it comes to fabrics, it’s extremely important to seek out gentle and hypoallergenic items to care for the items that touch baby's sensitive skin. It's also essential that fabrics be cared for properly. Wash baby's items with a specially-formulated product such as Dreft, the #1 baby laundry detergent choice of pediatricians to be gentle and hypoallergenic on baby's skin. Trusted for over 80 years, Dreft comes with a babyhood scent beloved by moms, and it remains safe and hypoallergenic for baby. - Dr. Dyan Hes Nothing else beats that fresh baby smell and Dreft just reminds me of memories of when my sister, my cousins and my nieces and nephews were baby's. There is just something so light and wonderful about it. And being the number one choice of pediatricians makes it a huge win in my book and makes me feel good about what I'm using on these adorable little garments. We also purchased the baby's going home outfits. I am so in love with their vintage styles and they are so soft and now smell so, so good.
Heat is a common trigger for eczema and as the weather warms up, there are a few things you can do to help prevent flare ups of such skin irritations. The sun is strongest between the hours of 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. so try to shield baby from direct sun exposure during those times. There are also apps available that can inform you of the hottest part of the day – which can be helpful for parents as they plan any outings with their little ones! - Dr. Dyan Hes
Dr. Hes will be giving plenty more tips during the Dreft Twitter party on May 9th, so make sure you RSVP above and join us.
|
|
And what makes this party even MORE exciting? I am giving away a Dreft prize pack to a lucky mama or mama-to-be.
The package includes: Dreft Products (Newborn Detergent, Active Baby Detergent & the Blissfuls beads that make everything smell yummy) - as well as a gender-neutral hypoallergenic blanket. (ARV $60) |
|
One task must be completed as your entry, additional tasks are not mandatory but count as extra entries. Good luck!
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions, tutorial and photographs are mine. #SummerCarCare #CollectiveBias
I know this may sound crazy to some, but one of the phases I was looking forward to in my pregnancy was the nesting phase. As an avid organizer and clean freak when it comes to my living spaces, I was excited to get my second trimester energy burst so that I could get the house into gear.
After spending many weekends on the house, another aspect I couldn't neglect was the car. A few years ago we purchased our Nissan Versa, as we knew it was going to one day be our family car. I love it's pep and spunkiness and it's comfortable and roomy inside for road trips and kiddos. Here we are about to meet our first little son or daughter this summer and I knew it was time to get the car into gear for their arrival.
After spending many weekends on the house, another aspect I couldn't neglect was the car. A few years ago we purchased our Nissan Versa, as we knew it was going to one day be our family car. I love it's pep and spunkiness and it's comfortable and roomy inside for road trips and kiddos. Here we are about to meet our first little son or daughter this summer and I knew it was time to get the car into gear for their arrival.
|
|
I started with taking it in for a deep clean, both inside and out, so that it would be ready for the car seat installation once we were past my baby shower. As well as the regular three month check and tune up.
One of the most important aspects to me is that the air is clean inside and the engine runs as efficiently as possible, as filtered air, both for us and the car, is important when you're living in such a dry and dusty climate such as Arizona.
I'm thankful my husband has been patient to teach me about how to care for my car in ways both big and small, so that I can feel confident in the every day tasks, as well as in emergency situations. It's empowering to be a woman or a mom and be able to make these easy swaps to know you're making your car as safe as it can be.
I knew it was probably time to swap out my engines air filter, so that was my next step. We are FRAM fans, as they have an extensive line of wonderful items to help with our car care. Available at Walmart, the FRAM Extra Guard filter was easy for me to locate when it came to finding the right one for my car. On my cars model its super easy to find the filter box under the hood too, which made this a quick and easy task. If you need help locating yours you can look to your cars manual to help you locate it. Below I show you an easy step-by-step tutorial to changing your cars engine filter, once located on your car. I've also included below my step-by-step guide to helping you get your car ready for baby.
Like filtering the air in our homes the FRAM Extra Guard is your engines first line of defense. Which is really important to your car running effectively, increasing acceleration, horsepower, and improving your overall engine performance. Much in the same way that we perform most effectively when we can breathe clean air.
In less than five minutes, with zero tools, I started by locating my filters case and removing the lid. After snapping it off, I opened the new filter, ensuring it wasn't exposed to the elements until it was ready to be installed.
It was actually exciting to see the difference for me! I know, I'm odd, haha, but i love seeing the improvement when I improve or upgrade something in my home or car. And that old filter definitely needed to be changed.
|
|
In just a few seconds I popped the clean filter into the holder, slid it back in the case and voila! Done and done. A clean & happy car! A happy & secure mommy to be! Win/win!
For more on how I am getting car ready for baby, click here to see my Top 10 Steps for Preparing Car For Baby.
For more on how I am getting car ready for baby, click here to see my Top 10 Steps for Preparing Car For Baby.
Easy to Locate!
|
My Model, with Many Others In Stock!
|
Do you have any tips on preparing car or home for baby? I'd love to hear them below!
 | 1. Oil Change One of the most basic, but one of the most neglected services, your oil change is important to keep your car running efficiently and staying in top shape. You can opt to do this yourself, or take it to a professional. I personally take my car to the dealer because I adore the staff there and they always send coupons! 2. Tire Check A service that is included in most oil change services is a tire check, this is critical, especially if you're going to be driving around a little. I always have them check for wear, tear or nails. I rotate regularly and purchase new tires when needed. 3. Deep Clean Your Interior Luckily I have a husband who LOVES washing cars, so our cars are always pretty sparkly. But a good deep clean, chemical free preferred, is important before bringing baby home. We cleaned ours top to bottom and gave it a thorough vacuum to prep for the car seat. |
4. Tune Up
This can be scheduled during one of your routine oil changes, but its important to know what may need to be tuned up on your car. Squeaky belts? Loose brakes? All of this should be addressed before your baby's birth date.
5. Registration
This should go without saying, but important piece of information to make the list. Make sure your emissions, tags and registration are up to date.
6. Easy DIY Upgrades
Items like faulty windshield wipers, adding air to your tires, or swapping out easy changes, like your cars engine air filter, can all be done at home to save you on labor costs. See how I easily swapped out my cars engine air filter in under five minutes.
7. Mommy Car Care Kit
Aside from the diaper bag, I created a Mommy Car Care Kit. It's a small box in my trunk that includes a pair of flip flops if I need to pop on some comfy shoes, diaper wipes, a small pack of tissues, an extra changing pad, a few diapers, a hoodie for me, a hoodie for baby and a summer change of clothes for baby as well. Always better to have extra items on hand than not enough I always say. When our babes gets older, the kit reflect that. With non-perishable snacks, color books and a toy or two.
8. Car Emergency Kit
Mr. Charming and I are big into kits, for home, work and car and our car emergency kit consists of items such as flashlights, emergency blankets, water, a few canned foods, a First Aid kit and boots/close toed shoes, as well as the necessities to jack up the car or change a tire.
9. Window Covers
This one is optional, but where we live in Arizona, the summer gets extremely hot. Shaded window covers and a car seat cover are must haves to keep the baby's area cool when we are shopping or out of the car.
10. Car Seat Installation
Once your car is clean and checked its time for the cherry on top, installing car seat for baby! We plan to visit our local Fire House to have them install our model for the first time. To be safe, we can see how to properly install our chosen car seat in our particular car model as they are all so different.
This can be scheduled during one of your routine oil changes, but its important to know what may need to be tuned up on your car. Squeaky belts? Loose brakes? All of this should be addressed before your baby's birth date.
5. Registration
This should go without saying, but important piece of information to make the list. Make sure your emissions, tags and registration are up to date.
6. Easy DIY Upgrades
Items like faulty windshield wipers, adding air to your tires, or swapping out easy changes, like your cars engine air filter, can all be done at home to save you on labor costs. See how I easily swapped out my cars engine air filter in under five minutes.
7. Mommy Car Care Kit
Aside from the diaper bag, I created a Mommy Car Care Kit. It's a small box in my trunk that includes a pair of flip flops if I need to pop on some comfy shoes, diaper wipes, a small pack of tissues, an extra changing pad, a few diapers, a hoodie for me, a hoodie for baby and a summer change of clothes for baby as well. Always better to have extra items on hand than not enough I always say. When our babes gets older, the kit reflect that. With non-perishable snacks, color books and a toy or two.
8. Car Emergency Kit
Mr. Charming and I are big into kits, for home, work and car and our car emergency kit consists of items such as flashlights, emergency blankets, water, a few canned foods, a First Aid kit and boots/close toed shoes, as well as the necessities to jack up the car or change a tire.
9. Window Covers
This one is optional, but where we live in Arizona, the summer gets extremely hot. Shaded window covers and a car seat cover are must haves to keep the baby's area cool when we are shopping or out of the car.
10. Car Seat Installation
Once your car is clean and checked its time for the cherry on top, installing car seat for baby! We plan to visit our local Fire House to have them install our model for the first time. To be safe, we can see how to properly install our chosen car seat in our particular car model as they are all so different.
Do you have any additional tips on getting your car ready for baby? I would love to know if I missed anything as we prep for Baby P this summer!
RSS Feed
