Will My Kids Love Ant-Man and The Wasp?

There have been quite a few big movies this summer already, so does Ant-Man and the Wasp deserve your family’s time? Yes it does. A solid follow up that continues the story of Ant-Man in a fun and exciting adventure.

Ant-Man and the Wasp picks up the clues laid out in the first film and focuses on finding the mom and wife of Hope (the new Wasp) and Dr Pym. Along the way several obstacles get in the way and must be dealt with before the rescue attempt can be made. One of the obstacles is a new quasi-villain called Ghost. She phases in and out and can pass through materials effortlessly. She is not an evil villain, but is self-serving with her own motives that are at odds with the Pym’s efforts. In this film Ant-Man gets caught up in the middle of trying to help the Pym family while still trying to lie low and not draw any law enforcement attention because of his involvement with the Avenger’s Civil War.

All of the action you saw in the first film is repeated here. Shrinking and growing combat style. along with lots of ants. This is all done with the humor that previous Marvel films and Ant-Man have established.

It is pretty safe to say if you liked the first Ant-Man you will like this sequel too. It was very entertaining and an enjoyable film. The film’s story is crafted well enough that it moves along in a way that makes sense and flows well. Really, it is a good summer diversion.

I walked away having enjoyed Evangeline Lilly’s performance as Hope. Paul Rudd delivered again as Ant-Man in a satisfying way. There were a lot of big names in this movie that were great to see, but the supporting characters, like Michael Pena, who plays Ant-Man’s roommate and business partner were excellent as well.

This film has lots of action and a few fight scenes, but it is all pretty clean. Most tense scenes get diffused with humor shortly after. This film would be okay for a 7 year old or older. Ant-Man and the Wasp is definitely worth a viewing this summer.

Want a peek into the movie? Check out this “Who is the Wasp?” featurette!

Star Wars Episode 8: The Last Jedi Review

Its been a day since the last time we saw the Last Jedi. We have seen it twice now because it takes a couple of viewings to appreciate the details and fully immerse yourself in new Star Wars content that goes by fast. What’s great about this movie is that society is buzzing about it. We were at the mall wearing Star Wars clothing and people ask “Have you seen the movie?” In this day and age when people communicate via computer/device it is kind of nice to connect again with strangers in person with causal fan talk.

This episode picks up shortly after episode 8. At this point we are reset back to good (The Resistance) vs evil (The First Order) as the new Republic government was destroyed by the Star Killer Base. So the rebels are on the run led by Leia Organa, Kylo Ren along with General Hux are in pursuit, and Rey has found Luke Skywalker for what she hopes will be training in the use of the Force. Additionally Fin and a new character, Rose, have a side story with a social message that gave me a little bit of a Star Trek story tone. As with Rogue One hope and never giving up are themes that continue. After all, rebellions built on hope.

We liked the movie. As you have probably heard it sets things up so that you think you know what is about to happen and then it turns and does the opposite. That story telling technique works well for this episode. With so much Star Wars content (and more on the way) they need to mix things up every now and again. Its worth noting that the humor is also present strongly in this story which is not bad.

For a Star Wars movie the characters were given a little more substance than normal. For example I think Poe Dameron grew from where he was during his first scene as hot head shoot first to the end where he is in tune with the bigger picture. Rose was a fine addition to the story and was a character with compassion and care. Mark Hamil did a solid job portraying Luke Sywalker again. Finally Carrie Fisher was also good portraying Leia again. I would like to take a moment and say I really enjoyed the actors who played the smaller parts as officers on the First Order ships and the Rebel cruiser. As background characters they emoted enough in their performances that I cared about them.

Locations are decent. Luke’s island is pretty cool. There is more happening there than I thought. A lot of good scenes of Luke’s life style. Canto Bight was the casino planet and as so serves as the Star Wars’s “bar scene” that seems to be part of the formula now where they can show case different aliens. Finally Crait looks like Hoth at first, but provides a couple of cool Millenium Falcon scenes that reminded me very much of the original Star Tours Comet sequence at Disneyland.

Obviously you NEED to see the new Star Wars movie. You will be entertained and enjoy your time. For a Star Wars fan it felt satisfying, but one wonders how episode 9 will go. Personally I hoping for some great big revelation that ties everything together in a “oooohhhhh” moment, but I guess we got to wait and hope with our fellow rebels.

If you are taking your family to this movie you probably want to leave the 5 and under crowd at home. There is no real blood and guts gore. Typical blaster fire hits and person falls down. A lot of explosions with loud noises. Check out a sneak peek of the training these Jediwent through to prepare for the movie! 

Have you seen The Last Jedi yet?

How to Make Moana Kakamora Coconut Ornaments

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Moana has been and continues to be both of my daughter’s favorite movie. Each of them is glued to the screen as the story unravels every time they watch it. Three thousand years ago, the greatest sailors in the world voyaged across the vast Pacific, discovering the many islands of Oceania. But then, for a millennium, their voyages stopped – and no one knows why.

The story of Moana goes through the history of her people and the reason why they never leave their island. As Moana takes off on a new adventure, we come to learn more about this missing pieces of her story and watch as she creates a story of her own. 

Throughout her adventures, my daughter’s favorite part in the movie is when Moana and Maui encounter the Kakamora. Seemingly sweet and gentle creatures in the beginning, Moana quickly learns of their fierce, warrior-like side. We’re recreating the Kakamora in these fun Kakamora Christmas ornaments for the holiday season.

Don’t want to make these yourself? Purchase one here in our Etsy store! 

how-to-make-moana-kakamora-coconut-ornaments-supplies

How to Make Moana Kakamora Coconut Ornaments

What you’ll need: 

What you do: 

1. Paint a circle around the edge of the wood slice with brown paint leaving the middle wood exposed. 

2. Using the black paint, make two circles for eyes. 

3. With the white paint, make a mouth full of teeth. Outline in black if you’d like. 

4. Add the final touches to the face by adding some designs with red paint.

5. Screw eye screw on top of the ornament and string with ribbon. 

Let dry and hang on the tree to enjoy during the holiday season! 

how-to-make-moana-kakamora-coconut-ornaments-on-the-tree

* This post was originally published on Nov 21, 2016

How to Make a Pool Noodle Boat + Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Men Tell No Tales on BluRay!

Looking for some fun STEM crafts for your school-aged child? Why not make these fun pool noodle boats and challenge your child to find a design that will float and race! This post contains affiliate links. By clicking on the link, I will receive a small amount of money back if you purchase anything. 

This summer we spent a lot of time outdoors. Whether we were playing, exploring on our own, or making updates around the yard at the house, it just made sense to stay outside as much as possible. And with that, we also wanted to spend time with friends so we made sure we didn’t miss the movie night hosted at our kids school. 

In celebration of the great weather and being outside, we put together a cute pool noodle boat station where kids could come up and design their own boats and race them against their friends. It was a great activity to share before the movie started and kept the kids active as it became dark. 

What we loved was how easy it was for the kids to “get” it and start to create their own designs with little to no help from us. And I loved seeing all of their final designs once they were done decorating them. If you’re looking for a great outdoor STEM activity for the kids to try, grab some pool noodles, straws, and parchment paper and make a pool noodle boat to race! 

How to Make a Pool Noodle Boat

What you’ll need: 

  • pool noodles (we preferred having 2 colors/shapes)
  • straws
  • parchment paper
  • hole punch
  • stickers/markers/crayons to decorate
  • drink umbrellas
  • Rain gutter with end caps

What you do: 

Cut the pool noodles into 1″-1.5″ rounds. Place in a shallow container. 

Taking the parchment paper, cut out sails in trapezoid shape. Punch a hole on the top and bottom that fits a straw. Place sails in container with cut pool noodles. 

Place straws in a cup with drink umbrellas and set next to cut pool noodles and sails. 

Let kids put together their boats using their own designs and then have them decorate them to make them unique. 

Fill rain gutter (with end caps secure) with water and let the kids race their boats. Try using extra straws to blog into the sails unless you already have a natural wind going. 

Did the boats float? Did they sink? Did they move down the rain gutter with ease? 

Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Men Tell No Tales on BluRay

Did you know that Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Men Tell No Tale is coming out on n 4K Ultra HD™/Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, DVD and On-Demand tomorrow? YUP!! This activity would be a fun way to celebrate this new release. Just set up a movie night with your family or invite friends over for some fun, grab a copy of Pirates of the Carribean, set up an outdoor movie night and enjoy a fun time outdoors! 

What’s your favorite outdoor STEM activities for kids? 

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Disney’s CARS 3 Road to the Races in San Diego

Are your kids’ huge Cars fans? Well, you’re in luck! The CARS 3 Road to the Races Tour is in San Diego tomorrow June 6th! 

This is an amazing FREE event for San Diego families at Belmont Park in Mission Beach. It’s going to be HUGE- with tons of freebies and photo opps with your favorite CARS 3 characters.

You won’t want to miss this fun event! 

Before the event, check out these activity sheets including a “Race to the Finish” board game, a build your own Race Course activity and a delicious Corn Fritters recipe!

Click below to download activities! 

Piston Cup Race Maze

Memory Race

Spot the Difference

Make Your Own Race Course

Miss Fritter’s Corn Fritters

Not in San Diego? Check here to see if there’s an event in your neighborhood! 

Disney Pixar’s CARS 3 opens everywhere June 16th! 

Star Wars Rogue One Perler Bead Templates: Rebel Alliance and Galactic Empire

Use these Rogue One Rebel Alliance and Galactic Empire Perler Bead Templates to show the world if you’re on the dark side or the light side and see if your true Jedi comes out! 

May the 4th… er… April the 4th be with you. 

Today’s the day!! Did you preorder your copy of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story? If not, get on it! It comes out on Blu-ray/DVD today and is the perfect addition to your ever-growing collection of Star Wars movies. 

The fact that it is being released on my husband’s birthday did not escape me. How perfect is it to have one of your favorite movie franchises release a movie ON your birthday? Kismet! In celebration of my husband’s birthday and the release of Rogue One on store shelves, my daughter and I got to crafting to make the perfect birthday gift for dad: Star Wars Perler Bead creations! 

My daughter has been obsessed with her Perler beads since receiving them for Christmas this past year so when she was thinking of what to make her dad for a birthday gift, she immediately went and grabbed her Perler bead kit. But she couldn’t figure out what to make.  [Read more…]

DIY Rose Hair Tie inspired by Beauty and the Beast

In celebration of the new Beauty and the Beast that hit theaters last week, my daughter asked me if I could make her a special hair tie to wear when I take her to see it. And since I’m always up for a challenge, I got to work to quickly make a cute DIY rose hair tie for her to wear. 

Since she also had some leftover hair clips from St. Patrick’s Day, we used a few of those to make rose clips as well. We always try to craft with what we have around the house so feel free to adapt and create as you go to make the perfect rose hair accessory for you or your little one! 

What I love about this craft is how easy it is to put together. You can have a super cute hair accessory in less than 5 minutes! 

Here’s how: 

DIY Rose Hair Tie

What you’ll need: 

  • red felt
  • green felt
  • scissors
  • hair ties or hair clips
  • hot glue gun or crafting glue

What you do: 

1. Cut a 2″ circle out of the red felt. The size of the rose will be determined by the size of the circle so you can adjust to a larger circle for a bigger rose or smaller circle for a smaller rose. 

2. Cut out a spiral into the circle leaving a small center to use as the base of your rose. 

3. Take your spiral and cut a scalloped edge on the outer edge of the spiral to create the petals of your rose. 

4. Gather the spiral scallops and, taking the center, start to tightly wrap the petals around the center of the spiral until a rose forms. 

5. Using the glue, secure the edge of the rose to the side so that it doesn’t unravel. 

6. Cut out some leaves out of the green felt. Start by cutting out a marquis first and then cutting into the marquis to form a round center with two petals coming out of it (see video for visual instructions). 

7. Take your hair tie and glue the leaves onto the bottom end of the seam of your hair tie. Then add glue onto the hair tie and leaves to adhere the rose to the center. 

8. Let set completely before pulling your hair into a pony tail to show off your new hair tie! 

Did you see Beauty and the Beast yet? What did you think? 

Read our review here

How to Create a Wishing Star Wand + Pinnochio on DVD

review affiliate link disclaimer

My daughter is obsessed with all things wands, swards, and sticks. Anything she can swing around and bop people on the head with (gently of course), she loves. And with our recent obsession with Pinocchio since it came out on Blu-Ray, it was the perfect way to commemorate the movie.

As we were planning for a family movie night, I decided to let the kids make their own wands customized to their likes and needs. It really was a simple craft and the kids had a great time doing it! With the help of mom and a glue gun to finish everything off.

So if you’re little princess loves wands as much as mine do, I highly suggest trying your hand at making a wishing star wand. It’s simple, easy, and takes less than 5 minutes!

How to Create a Wishing Star Wand

What you’ll need:

  • wooden dowels, cut to size (we purchased 48″ dowels and cut them in thirds)
  • felt, any color
  • ribbon, any color
  • glue gun

What you do: 

1. Cut out felt into the size and shape you want for the top of your wand. Cut out coordinating ribbon in the amount and length you prefer.

2. Do a dry run before gluing everything together to make sure the felt pieces fit together on the top of the wand.

3. Tie the ribbon onto the top of the stick and secure with the hot glue.

3a. Make sure to go all around the dowel so that the ribbon doesn’t slip down.

4. Now it’s time to glue down the felt pieces. Start with a small dab on one side of the dowel and adhere the first felt piece.

5. Then add a few dabs of hot glue to the other end of the dowel and the felt piece already adhered. Place the second felt piece on top covering the top of the dowel completely and sandwiching the ribbon in between the two felt pieces.

 
6. Hand the wand over to your favorite princess and watch them play! 

See how easy that was?

What type of wand would you make?

Disney’s timeless tale Pinocchio, considered one of the greatest animated films ever made with two Academy Awards, joins the Walt Disney Signature Collection. Now it will delight a whole new generation of dreamers with its masterful animation, unforgettable characters and award-winning music.

The movie which inspired the world to wish upon a star, arrives for the first time on Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere on Jan. 10, and on Blu-ray™ and DVD on Jan. 31 with hours of new and classic bonus features.

Squirt’s Kelp Forest Smoothie Recipe + Finding Dory Now On BluRay/DVD

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Finding Dory picks up shortly after the original Finding Dory. As you can recall Dory suffers from short term memory loss which prevents her from remembering how she become alone in the ocean. Dory suddenly remembers a place from her childhood and sets off to find it with her new adopted family Marlin and Nemo.

Finding Dory Hank

This movie followed the classic sequel formula. It revisited memorable places, interacted with favorite characters, introduced new memorable characters, and added a new environment for the characters to conquer. The movie does a good job of telling an entertaining story and is a solid new adventure. If you enjoyed Finding Nemo you will enjoy this too.

My kids enjoyed the new character Hank the octopus. There was scene in a kids touch pool involving Hank and an ink release that my Daughter thought was funny. She also liked the use of sea shells to that served to guide Dory back home (used as a memory aide for Dory).

Finding Dory Destiny

Squirt’s Kelp Forest Smoothie

  • 1 1/2 cups coconut water
  • 1 cup fresh baby spinach
  • 1 ripe frozen banana
  • 1 pear, cored and sliced
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 4-6 ice cubes
  • 2 fresh strawberries for garnish

Combine coconut water, baby spinach, frozen banana, pear and cinnamon in blender and process until smooth. 

Add ice cubes, as needed, blend until desired consistency is reached. 

Pour into two glasses and garnish with a fresh strawberry to resemble squirt’s red spots. Kids can help with this. Enjoy immediately! 

Print PDF of recipe here

Finding Dory Hank and Dory

Overall a solid family movie and one that will find a spot in your kids movie rotation. Plus it makes a great stocking stuffer!

Purchase it on Amazon through my affiliate link here: http://amzn.to/2fRdCLs

If you’re considering getting a pet, make sure to do your research! You can get help from this great resource here. And remember, while clown fish who resemble Nemo may be good pets with the proper set up, blue tang fish like Dory should not be purchased as pets

FINDING DORY is now on store shelves everywhere!

Christmas Came Early: Star Wars The Force Awakens

Star Wars The Force Awakens

A Christmas gift delivered early, is what Star Wars The Force Awakens is and what a special treat it is! When this film was announced I felt a nervous excitement. Would it feel like Star Wars? Would the story be any good? Would the original cast be back? Well, that would be yes, yes, and yes. 

We start with the familiar Star Wars scroll to fill us in on with what has happened since Endor. Pieces of the Empire, now organized as the First Order, have carried on and continued to wage war with the Rebels, now called the Resistance. It is still good versus evil. And, of course, we have a Star Wars mystery on our hands. Luke has started a new Jedi Academy, but it has been disbanded when one of his students turns on him which drives Luke into hiding. We just don’t fully know the circumstances of this event yet and no one knows exactly where he is. The rest of movie revolves around both sides getting to Luke first. We meet two new young characters along the way who help with this quest. The first Rey, a scavenger on the planet Jakku and Finn a former stormtrooper. Rae has an interesting backstory that has yet to be revealed I think. Finn provides some heart and is a character that is battling the urge to run versus standing up for something more. Finally, we have our bad guys Kylo Ren and General Hux guided by a mysterious figure named supreme leader Snoke who give good chase throughout the movie.

Star Wars The Force Awakens - Storm Trooper

This movie really felt like the Star Wars universe of episodes 4­-6. It had a lot of creatures and droids that appeared to be very well done puppets and it had the signature “lived in feel” that Star Wars pioneered. The imagery on Jakku was amazing with the backdrop of the decaying war machine relics of a battle between the Empire and the Rebels. Throughout the movie, we are treated to mementos of the previous films. I was also pleasantly surprised by some of the humor mixed in.

I enjoyed seeing the original cast’s presence in the film. The roles they were given were a satisfying bridge between the old trilogy and this new one. The new characters were engaging enough and as a member of the audience felt vested them. The story is not overly complex and easy to understand as opposed to some of the prequels. For the most part, I was able to suspend my belief as the story unfolds. After a first viewing (I plan to see this one more time in the theater) I put this at 2nd or 3rd place in the series behind Empire Strikes Back, my personal favorite, and A New Hope.

Star Wars The Force Awakens - Dark Side

With the marketing machine going strong in the toy aisles across America your kids probably know about this movie. So should you take them to see it? The movie is rated PG­13 and it gets that from what I can tell is all the blaster fire and storm troopers dying. There was a scene or two with some blood. The language seemed to be okay with no swear words that I could recall. I would recommend 7 years and older.

STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS arrives in theaters everywhere on December 18th!

Planning to wait in line to watch the movie? Print out this Star Wars Activity Packet to make the wait more fun!

Are you heading to the theaters this weekend to see The Force Awakens?



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