DVD Review - The Nutcracker Sweet

About the DVD
It is Christmas Eve and the Silberhaus children are excited for the festivities to begin. Marie and Fritz are playing in the children s room when their godfather Drosselmayer arrives and presents them with an early Christmas gift, a Nutcracker. Marie witnesses a great battle between a vast army of toy soldiers led by the Nutcracker against a terrible platoon of mice commanded by the Mouse King. Follow Marie and Fritz s journey in the Kingdom of Dolls, through the Christmas Forest, past the Almond Milk Sea, and the Palace of the Marzipans.

My Take on the DVD
If you are familiar with the story of the Nutcracker which has been on stage and produced for television viewing too, you will be surprised at this version called THE NUTCRACKER SWEET. In this animated movie, Marie and her brother Fritz receive a toy soldier from a relative for Christmas. Marie is aware immediately that the soldier is "alive". 

There is still the evil mouse king with his army of mice but there are new characters as the children and the soldier are transported to a world of candy canes, huge gumdrops and more.

There is adventure and magic. The characters are involved in new challenges and battles to escape from the evil. 

This is also story of a sister's love for her little brother.

I think you will find this movie entertaining but be aware it is not the version you may be familiar with from the past.
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Book Review - Ghostly Thief of Time

About the Book

The EMU Club is called into action again when they realize that the school janitor is an evil ghost trying to disrupt the flow of time!

My Take on the Book
Stuart, Brian , and Violet are members of a club called the EMU Club. EMU stands for Exploration Mystery Unbelievable Club. This book is the second one written by Ruben Bolling. It is written for middle grade students. The chapter book includes a mystery, of course, adventure, funny situations, and lots of challenges to our main characters.


The children come into contact with a school janitor (at least he appears to be the janitor). In reality he is a time traveler sent to avert a war due to an election that was going to be held at the school. The janitor and the three children use various devises to foil the attempt to keep the school open to voting, thus the war is averted.


Ruben Bolling is such a creative writer. His first book had the same creativity. His humor will delight the children engaged in the story. Ruben is the illustrator of this book. The illustrations depict the emotions of the characters so well and complement the text.
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A New Way To Energize Yourself - With Matcha!

About the Matcha
Midori Spring's Ceremonial Gold Matcha - is a ceremonial grade (premium) green tea used for brewing the finest most flavorful drinking tea you'll ever taste. This is NOT a cooking grade powder (although it can be used for cooking if you prefer), the quality is so high that it is primarily reserved for tea ceremonies for it's full flavor, and health benefits.

Rich, smooth and creamy with a hint of sweetness when brewed traditionally. This premium product is Ceremonial Grade and is Organic (USDA, JAS) and Kosher (OU) Certified. We only select the best raw material from our tea gardens mostly from Aichi and Kagoshima in Japan and maintain the highest standards in production. Our Matcha has a fresh, sweet, green-vegetable-like aroma. The colour is a vibrant emerald green. Only high quality Ceremonial Grade Matcha encompass these features. You can enjoy Midori Spring's Ceremonial Gold Matcha the traditional way by brewing or you can create your own Matcha inspired recipe. Whichever style you choose to have your Matcha, you can experience the many health benefits it has to offer since Matcha is a Superfood.

There are many immediate and long term health benefits when consuming Matcha, which include: increase in energy without the jitters, reduce stress and improve mental alertness, improve metabolism and help with weight loss, boost immune system and reduce inflammation and help the body cleanse of harmful elements. Give back to your health and embrace the power of Matcha.

My Take on the Matcha
I love to use Matcha in my daily smoothies for a nice, natural pick-me-up. However, I find that there is a definite difference in quality of Matcha that I have tried in the past so I always try and find good quality Matcha when I purchase it. That being said, I have to say that I have been enjoying the taste and quality of Midori Spring’s Matcha. You do not need a lot to make a difference and it mixes well It mixes well in my daily smoothies. Even without mixing it into a smoothie, the flavor was strong and not bitter which us exactly what I am looking for in a Matcha.

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Quality Fish Oil For Your Health!

About the Fish Oil
Life & Food Omega-3 Supreme Advantage

• Highly concentrated and pure, pharmaceutical grade (above 75% Omega-3) 
• 644/336 EPA/DHA levels (Meeting GOED standards). 
• Fish Oil concentrate made from IFOS 5-star certified fish oils (raw material). 
• Contains the minimum recommended 1,000 mg (1g) of Omega-3s per serving. 
• Sourced from wild Alaskan caught Pollock. Sustainable and certified operation by MSC. 
• USA Manufactured and laboratory tested in FDA, GMP, NSF certified facilities. 
• Molecularly distilled, clean refined and tested. ○ Easy to swallow soft gelatin capsules. 
• Enteric coated for max absorption and no fish burps. 

Guaranteed to be pharmaceutical grade 75% Omega-3s (with 644 mg of EPA and 336 mg of DHA) meeting GOED Standard levels. GOED, The Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s, was developed to help ensure that omega-3 oils reaching consumers were both safe and of high quality.

The Life & Food Omega 3 Supreme Benefit
Enteric coated with no fish burps, or after taste, our Supreme grade Omega-3 Fish Oil supplement promotes cardiovascular health, joint support, cognitive support, circulation and helps in maintaining cholesterol levels†.

Studies have shown that diets high in Omega-3 fatty acids - EPA and DHA -- may lower a person's health risks. By eating a diet rich in fatty acid containing fish - cold-water swimmers such as pollock, sardines and salmon, can lower your cholesterol and blood pressure. Some studies show there is a proven link that EPA and DHA reduces inflammation from arthritis conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis. Non-meat sources of Omega-3 include olive oil, walnuts and flaxseed.

My Take on the Fish Oil
I have been wanting to take fish oil for some time, but I wanted to take quality Fish oil. I have been doing my research and when looking into this I found that there were a few things that were important for me. First, was that it would have high quality amount of Omega 3 oil. Second, I wanted a pill that was small in size and easy to swallow. Third, I wanted a non-GMO product that would not make me smelling like a fish. As I was looking I found this product and it really fit all of my criteria. I have been trying this for the past week and have been very impressed with the overall experience. I have not had any side-effects and I love how small the pills were. Overall, I am very impressed with the overall pills and am so excited to have found them. If you are looking for high quality fish oil pills this is definitely one for your to check out!

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Book Review - Scholastic Book of World Records 2016

About the Book
Updated for 2016 with the newest, most exciting fun facts and records!

Who has had the longest career in baseball and who has had the shortest? Whose blockbuster movie made the most money and whose was a major flop? Which car is the fastest and which is the slowest? Discover the epic fails of science and technology, money, pop culture, nature, sports and more in the new and improved Scholastic Book of World Records!





My Take on the Book
This was a great update for 2016. We loved learning so much about the world around us. My daughter took this and just started reading it and she did not want to quit. I can see why. There are so many amazing facts and figures. This was a well written book that you will love reading and sharing with your family!

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DVD Review - Paper Angels

About the Movie
An abused wife leaves her alcoholic husband and moves with her children to another town. There their lives become entwined with another family in trouble.

My Take on the Movie
Have you ever seen a Christmas tree display with paper symbols hanging. On each symbol is a name of a child with some items the child wants or needs for Christmas. So you take one, buy the items , return to the gifts to the center and probably not think another thing about it.

This movie will make you rethink your actions. It is a movie what will move you in many ways. You will encounter a mother who runs away with her children to escape her abusive husband. You see her try to build a new life for her and her children. You see the many challenges the family faces. You will see how the paper angel tree established by the Salvation Army enables a family to enjoy a blessed Christmas.

Thomas , the son , shows us all through his character that there is more to learn from a person than their outside appearance. He shows us hope,l perseverance, love, commitment, and unselfishness , but also disappointment, hurt, and anger.

Due to Thomas' personality, the people he meets along the way, he makes a difference in so many lives. Thomas had a vision to help, no money, but he was able to make a special Christmas for many children/families.

To me this was a great family movie to share, but with the older children in your family. I can see a wonderful discussion initiated by the movie which may prove to help those less fortunate in your own community.

I believe this movie is well worth your time to watch and share.


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Get the ball rolling with Downys easier way to soften clothes

Everyone does their laundry in their own way with their favorite products. Not everyone likes to use dryer sheets because they might not always give clothing the softness people are looking for. Some people use both liquid and sheet softeners. Liquid fabric softener might do a better job at making clothes smell better and feel softer but for some, using fabric softener can be a chore. In the past, you would have to wait for the rinse cycle before you could even think about adding the softener. The wait is over, Downy created The Downy Ball, it automatically releases softener during the spin cycle which means no delays, no dryer sheets and no mess.

I have been using this within our own laundry now for a few weeks and I have seen a marked difference in the ease of getting things done as well as the lack of overall mess that occurs within the laundry too. On top of this I think that the clothes feel softer and I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that now all of the clothes are truly getting the fabric softener applied to them instead of only partial coverage. 

All-in-all I have been impressed and think that you will be too!

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Book Review - Mastering Leadership

About the Book
Is your leadership a competitive advantage, or is it costing you? How do you know? Are you developing your leadership effectiveness at the pace of change?

For most leaders today, complexity is outpacing their personal and collective development. Most leaders are in over their heads, whether they know it or not. The most successful organizations over time are the best led. While this has always been true, today escalating global complexity puts leadership effectiveness at a premium. Mastering Leadership involves developing the effectiveness of leaders—individually and collectively—and turning that leadership into a competitive advantage. This comprehensive roadmap for optimal leadership features:

• Breakthrough research that connects increased leadership effectiveness with enhanced business performance
• The first fully integrated Universal Model of Leadership—one that integrates the best theory and research in the fields of Leadership and Organizational Development over the last half century
• A free, online self-assessment of your leadership, using the Leadership Circle Profile, visibly outlining how you are currently leading and how to develop even greater effectiveness
• The five stages in the evolution of leadership—Egocentric, Reactive, Creative, Integral, and Unitive—along with the organizational structures and cultures that develop at each of these stages
• Six leadership practices for evolving your leadership capability at a faster pace
• A map of your optimal path to greater leadership effectiveness
• Case stories that facilitate pragmatic application of this Leadership Development System to your particular situation

This timeless, authoritative text provides a systemic approach for developing your senior leaders and the leadership system of your organization. It does not recommend quick fixes, but argues that real development requires a strategic, long-term, and integrated approach in order to forge more effective leaders and enhanced business performance. Mastering Leadership offers a developmental pathway to bring forth the highest and best use of yourself, your life, and your leadership. By more meaningfully deploying all of who you are every day, individually and collectively, you will achieve a leadership legacy consistent with your highest aspirations.

My Take on the Book
This is an amazing resource to help you analyze your own leadership and determine the steps that you need to take to be able to be the best leader that you can be. Not only is this a great resource in regards to the content held within the book itself, but there is also online content that you have access to as well that is invaluable. You are getting a ton of information, resources and more in this book. It is written in an easy to understand way that provides practical ways to incorporate leadership principles into your daily life.

I am so glad that I had a chance to read this and I have already shared it with my colleagues so that they too can benefit from the knowledge and self-growing that has happened in my own life because of what was shared!


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Become A Member of The Society of Seasonal Secretkeepers

About the Society
An heirloom token. Induction into a secret society. An intriguing Field Guide, full of fun, meaningful activities. A celebration of your child's growing up. Commemorate your child's new understanding of the holidays with The Society of Seasonal Secretkeepers Field Guide: Ancient Secrets for Modern Kids.

The kit includes:

• An 80-page, full-color Society of Seasonal Secretkeepers Field Guide. 
• The Society of Seasonal Secretkeepers heirloom-quality token with the Society's seal, inscribed with the values of Empowerment, Agency, Respect, Curiosity and Integrity. The token is 2" in diameter, and comes in a velvet gift bag with a red ribbon and presentation card. 
• A letter from the Society of Seasonal Secretkeepers, welcoming new Agents into this exciting new stage. 
• A Society bookmark. 
• These items all come in a super-secret, zippered, brief-case style bag imprinted with the Society logo to keep the Field Guide and other treasures safe. 

The Society's Mission Control is online, providing seasonal missions and ideas, keeping the field guide fresh and current year-round.

My Take on the Society
My oldest daughter is 11 and I think she is starting to not believe in the magic behind many of the symbols behind the holidays (Santa, Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny). While she has yet to come out and challenge us on it, I know it is only a matter of time. That being said this was a great product because we get to bring her into our society, and it keeps the magic alive.

We gave her the book and she read it straight through. What I loved was that because this was a secret society, as she was reading it, she would call me into her room and she would talk to me about it (out of earshot from her younger sister).

Now I do not have to worry about my daughter hearing from others that it is not real, as she now knows that the true magic is the magic that she is keeping by being a member of this society!

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Book Review - The New Social Learning

About the Book
“Social learning is a fundamental shift in how people work leveraging how we have always worked, now with new, more humanizing tools, accelerating individual and collective reach, giving us the resources to create the organization, and the world, we want to live in.”

In this newly revised and updated edition of The New Social Learning, Tony Bingham and Marcia Conner dispel organizational myths and fears about social media. By sharing the success stories of socially engaged companies and people, the much-anticipated second edition persuasively makes the case for using social media to encourage knowledge transfer and real-time learning in a connected and engaging way.

As Steve LeBlanc noted, “Social learning thrives in a culture of service and wonder. It is inspired by leaders, enabled by technology, and ignited by opportunities that have only recently unfolded.” Brand-new case studies about innovative organizations such as Boston Children s Hospital, National Australian Bank, LAZ Parking, Sanofi Pasteur, Cigna, CENTURY 21, and Roche Pharmaceuticals illustrate cutting-edge social learning approaches that cultivate environments where great people can do their best work. The New Social Learning lays the foundation for improving the way you engage with colleagues, collaborate with teams anywhere in the world, and build workforce capability. Take the next step to connect skills and knowledge and move your own organization forward as you reclaim and revolutionize workplace learning.




My Take on the Book
I am the type of person that is always looking for ways to engage social tools into my work so I was excited to read this. In reading this book I found it to be very practical in nature. There are great stories included throughout and the author has brought in great expert perspectives that will help you to take your social tool usage to the next level. I have already shared this with some of my colleagues and I think you will find that once you read this you will want to do the same!

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Book Review - Monsterland

About the Book
Welcome to Monsterland – the scariest place on Earth. All guests can interact with real vampires in Vampire Village, be chased by an actual werewolf on the River Run, and walk among the dead in Zombieville. Wyatt Baldwin, a high school student and life-long movie buff is staring bleakly at a future of flipping burgers. Due to a fortuitous circumstance, Wyatt and his friends are invited to the star-studded opening of Monsterland. In a theme park full of real vampires, werewolves and zombies, what could possibly go wrong?



My Take on the Book
This was a fun story that combines some great horror genre concepts: vampires, werewolves, zombies and more. Add in teenagers to this attraction and of course something goes wrong. The book was a great read, and you are compelled to read more and more, making the book a very quick read overall. The book has some great twists and turns and the ending is not what I would have expected at the beginning (which is always good). This is quite different than some of the other books that I have reviewed from this author, but just as enjoyable, and it definitely is more-relatable to a teenage and older audience!


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Book Review - Scholastic Year in Sports 2016

About the Book
For sports fans everywhere, the 2016 edition of Year in Sports features full-color action photographs throughout, completely updated facts and stats, and a colorful interior design. Featuring info about all of the top athletes, championships, and legends from the major and secondary sports. Including your favorite stars like LeBron James, JJ Watt, Clayton Kershaw, Serena Williams, Lionel Messi, and McKayla Maroney, SCHOLASTIC YEAR IN SPORTS 2016 is perfect for sports beginners, as well as the most devoted of fans.



My Take on the Book
My daughter is a sports girl (her wording) and with that in mind she loves to not only play sports but read about sports and athletes too. With that in mind this book really gives you a ton of great information on the top athletes in so many sports as well as details that she did not even know, even though she has read a lot about them. If you have a sports lover in your family this is a great go-to-resource that they will come back to over and over again!


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