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?

DIY Star Wars Rogue One Night Light

This post featuring a DIY Star Wars Rogue One Night Light is brought to you by Kleenex brand via Momtrends.

diy-star-wars-rogue-one-night-light

In just a few short weeks Rogue One: A Star Wars Story© TM Lucasfilm LTD will be coming to theaters everywhere and I’m pretty sure that my family may be looking forward to that more than Christmas this year. We’re huge Star Wars fans and have been for… well… ever! And it’s not just one or two of us, it’s the whole family. Including Grandpa. My dad may be the biggest Star Wars fan I know and he’s passed that down to his kids and grandkids. So as we wait patiently for the next story to come to life on the big screen, we’re biding our time with fun Star Wars themed crafts. 

In partnership with Lucasfilm LTD, Kleenex brand will launch limited edition boxes featuring Rogue One: A Star Wars Story designs, perfect for Jedis of all ages. They’ll hit store shelves this Fall. Once they do, you too can create your own Kleenex brand ft. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story designs night light. This DIY craft turns a Kleenex box with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story designs into a fun room accessory, simply by removing the tissues, poking small holes in the sides of the box (using a thumbtack) and inserting an electric tea light, creating a “night sky” in a dark room. So easy that my 7 year old son was able to complete this craft on his own! 

This craft, just like the Star Wars movies, brought my family together. Spending quality time together is an easy way to show you care. And we can take this idea outside of the home by showing others we care as well. We can all be heroes by banding together to combat indifference with gestures of care, like sharing a tissues from a Kleenex box featuring Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

diy-star-wars-rogue-one-night-light-supplies-needed

DIY Star Wars Rogue One Night Light

What you’ll need: 

  • 1 empty Kleenex box with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story designs
  • 1 thumb tack
  • 1 electric tealight

diy-star-wars-rogue-one-night-light-poke-holes-in-box

What you do: 

1. Grab your Kleenex box and use the thumb tack to poke holes on all sides of the box. 

2. Turn on your tealight and drop into the empty Kleenex box

3. Enjoy the light show! 

diy-star-wars-rogue-one-night-light-add-tealight diy-star-wars-rogue-one-night-light-shine-on

You can find more great kids crafts by checking out my Pinterest boards! And for more fun with Kleenex, check out their boards too here

Do you have a caring moment to share with Kleenex? 

Disclaimer: Compensation was provided by Kleenex brand via Momtrends. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Kleenex or Momtrends.

Find Kleenex on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram

diy-star-wars-rogue-one-night-light-a-great-craft-for-kids

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?

Avengers: Age of Ultron – Date Night OR Family Night?

Avengers Age Of Ultron

It is time for the big summer movies and Avengers: Age of Ultron does not dissappoint, so grab your favorite date or huge Marvel comic fan and sit down for entertaining 2 and 1/2 hour adventure.

This movie is a good blend of fast paced action, humor, and special effects. The premise is that Ultron was created by Tony Stark (Iron Man) assisted by Bruce Banner (the Hulk) to protect the world from bad guys thus making the Avenger’s jobs easier or not needed. Like only a computer mind can do it figures out the best way to protect imperfect humans is for them to evolve.

Marvel's Avengers: Age Of Ultron..Conceptual Artwork..?Marvel 2015

Unfortunately Ultron’s plans to spur a new race of humans is a global cleansing of the existing gene pool. So our heros cross the globe hunting down the robotic villian Ultron who is assisted by two twins that have been inhanced with special powers and his many robotic copies.

Its enjoyable when a movie’s characters have a good repore on sceen. These scenes lend themselves to some good humorous moments, like when each hero takes a turn attempting to lift’s Thor’s hammer and his reaction when it budges. Further the movie avoids some of the cookie cutter patterns when the movie sets up one of heros as a family man we are not subjected to watching him sacrifice himself later. The character of Ultron is very interesting on screen and his vocal work was very well done.

Avengers Age Of Ultron Thor and Captain America

This movie is a fun one to share with a date. You will both laugh and enjoy the action. If bringing children the movie was rated PG-13, so it is most likely too intense, in my opinion, for anyone under 10 years old. It also has a little profanity that some parents may not care to have their children hear.

Also? Stay until after the credits… you’ll thank me later!

Check this clip for a great sneak peek:

Will you be seeing Avengers: Age of Ultron this weekend? Already saw it? What did you think?

This post written by my husband, Joseph Simmons.

5 Things to Pack for a Sleepover at Grandma’s House

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5 Things to Pack for a Sleepover at Grandma's House

We recently headed out for a couples weekend without the kids here in town and the kids headed over to Grandma’s for a sleepover. My daughter has been requesting sleepovers for the past few weeks and was really concerned about what to pack for a sleepover at Grandma’s house. She wanted to make sure she had everything she’d need.

So we sat down and thought of a few things she might bring to help make her feel more comfortable at night when the transition from fun adventure to actually sleeping happened. She couldn’t leave our house without a few of her favorite things.

She’s obsessed about all things princess so she couldn’t leave the house without her new favorite movie – Sophia the First: The Floating Palace – and her Disney princesses. Since she’s only allowed to bring one toy, she chose Cinderella. But she was tempted to bring Tiana. Find out what important things she packed for her trip to Grandma’s below.  [Read more…]

20+ Delicious Casserole Recipes to Feed a Crowd

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20+ Delicious Casserole Recipes to Feed a Crowd

Have you watched Delivery Man yet? If not, definitely pick up a copy! This compilation of 20+ delicious casserole recipes to feed a crowd is inspired by this recipe. And the 533 kids underachiever David Wozniak fathered via donations made twenty years earlier!

This heartwarming comedy about a man who discovers that the shock of his life might just be the best thing that’s ever happened to him. Along the way he discovers not only his true self, but also the father he could become.

So whip up one of these casserole dishes for the family, pop in the Delivery Man Blu-Ray, and enjoy a great family night with Vince Vaughn, Cobie Smulders & Chris Pratt. It’s one the whole family will enjoy. [Read more…]

Be the Change You Wish To See with Community Action

About a year and a half ago I received a flyer on my door step. Other community members were meeting up together to see if they could receive the proper approval to put in a community garden on a plot of land in our neighborhood. Seeing that I had just started my own garden bed I was very interested in hearing what their plans were and what needed to be done to take the right steps forward.

Having a community garden is not only something that’s wonderful for the person who owns a bed but for the community as a whole. It takes a deserted piece of land and brings beauty. It takes a community of individuals and creates a family. I headed out to that first meeting not knowing what to expect. But over the next few months I found myself as a member of the Community Garden Steering Committee and an active member in my community as well.

Be the Change You Wish To See

[Read more…]



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