The Tiger Rising - Momentum Review And A Giveaway!

 I was privileged to review the new movie The Tiger Rising this past week.  Starring Queen Latifah and Dennis Quaid, this cute coming-of-age story has all the marks of a feel-good pre-teen movie.  

[The movie is] based on the New York Times best-selling book by [Newbery Medalist] Kate DiCamillo. When 12-year-old Rob Horton (Christian Convery) discovers a caged tiger in the woods near his home, his imagination runs wild and life begins to change in the most unexpected ways. With the help of a wise and mysterious maid, Willie May (Queen Latifah) and the stubborn new girl in school (Madalen Mills), he navigates through childhood memories, heartache, and wondrous adventures in this heartwarming adaptation.

Christian Convery and Madalen Mills are very talented young actors, holding their own next to the well-known Queen Latifah and Dennis Quaid.  I hope we will see more of them.  Having moved my own kids around quite a lot, being a military family, I felt I could relate to their difficulties adapting to a new area.  Of course, a boy finding a tiger in the woods near his home is the stuff adventure tales are made of!

While characters of faith are portrayed positively in the film, the film itself is not necessarily faith-based, and I was disappointed by some uses of the Lord's name in vain, and by some of the speech Dennis Quaid's character used with the young girl.  It was somewhat for character development, but I feel that in today's world, our "inspirational" movies should not portray to young girls that men just talk to girls that way and we ignore it.  On the plus side, Willie May (Queen Latifah's character) and the boy's mother in the movie are positive role models.  In addition, however, without offering any specific spoilers, I have to say I was disappointed with the ending of the movie.

You can see the movie for yourself, available today on DVD, and available to rent on VUDU, ROW8, or Prime Video.  I would love to hear your thoughts!  See Film Website below for viewing information.

Of course, I'd also love to give away a digital code to one lucky reader to watch the movie for free.  Comment here or on my Facebook page by Sunday, February 13, for a chance to win!

Film Website:

https://theavenue.film/movies/the-tiger-rising

Trailer:

https://youtu.be/AHxMGndzvEI

Faith & Family Discussion Guide:

https://theavenue.film/movies/the-tiger-rising#resources

#TigerRisingFilmMIN #TigerRisingFilm #MomentumInfluencerNetwork

Disclosure: Many thanks to Momentum Influencers for providing this product/product information for review. Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post. 

 

March Movie Madness, A Momentum Review, And A Giveaway!

 

Hello, Readers!  It's been quite a while since I've posted, but today we begin March Movie Madness!  I will be posting movie reviews all month and will have several giveaways!

My first Momentum Influencers Review for March is not of a full-length movie, but of a cute new 3-D animated cartoon with a Christian Worldview.  Join Mom, Dad, Kip, Finn, Kara, and Archie Cubekin for a series of adventures where they learn more about following God!  I reviewed the episode "Invasion of the Cubecumbers."  The characters are cute, and I like the word-play around things that are boxes or cubes.  For example, Kara gets three box turtles as pets.  The family prays together, even baby Archie, they attend church, and I like the use of Scripture, which is quoted word-for-word.  I've always looked for things like that for my kids so that the fun entertainment would help them learn what is actually in the Bible, rather than just a vague lesson.  The only thing I wasn't too sure I was crazy about was the depiction of a picture of Jesus in Cubekin form hanging on the wall. 😳

There are also readers and coloring books available, making this a great supplement for homeschool.  Oh, and you can even get - wait for it - plush box turtles to go along with the show, from Kickstarter!

I would classify this show as being good for very young kids, maybe up to age 7 or 8.

Find out more about the Cubekins at https://www.cubekins.com!

Cubekins is an award-winning, wholesome, small-town tale of a rambunctious, seven-year old boy named Kip exploring his ever-changing world, while learning more about his never-changing God.

• ●  New Christian “Faith-based” Show for Kids, like Veggie Tales set in Mayberry

• ●  New, fun, family-friendly and faith-based content for children ages 3-8!

• ●  Created by two homeschool dads and their families

• ●  Buy/Rent Cubekins Ep. 01 Invasion of the Cubecumbers ​on the ​Cubekins website​ (or

  other available streaming platforms)

• ●  Check out exclusive member content, like coloring books, bonus videos, and more by

  becoming a fan member at ​cubekins.com​! Includes...

  A link to watch/stream our 22 minute Cubekins Pilot and Bonus Songs Content A digital download of our "Kip Loves God" coloring book.
  A digital download of our full color "Kip Loves God" Reader.
  Access to our Members Only section of the Cubekins website

  Access to future Membership perks

• ●  Dove.org review:​ “Cubekins​ is a great kids show—children will be entertained while

  learning morals from a Christian perspective. Parents need not worry about negativity or inappropriate themes. When looking for a wholesome way to teach and occupy their children, parents can trust ​Cubekins​ to fulfill those needs.”

Of course, I am having a GIVEAWAY!  Just comment on this post or on my Facebook page to win one free link to the episode (only valid for winners in North America)!  Drawing will be held Friday, March 12.

Disclosure: Many thanks to Brainy Pixel for providing this product/product information for review.  Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation.  I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.  #Cubekins #CubekinsMIN #MomentumInfluencerNetwork

Laugh and Learn Bible for Kids Black Friday Sale

Black Friday Sale: Buy One Bible, Get One Free! https://shop.gominno.com/products/laugh-and-learn-bible-for-kids Free Family Advent Reading Plan with the Purchase of a Laugh & Learn Bible for Kids Don't forget that anyone that buys the Bible from the Minno Store will receive a free Advent Family Reading Pack download with purchase.  https://shop.gominno.com/products/laugh-and-learn-bible-for-kids

Laugh and Learn Bible for Kids Book Launch!

It's been a while since I've participated in a book launch, and I don't review a lot of kids' books anymore, now that my youngest is 14.  Since this one is from the creators of VeggieTales and looks so fantastic, though, I wanted to help get the word out!

The Laugh and Learn Bible for Kids is available at https://shop.gominno.com/products/laugh-and-learn-bible-for-kids, and for TODAY ONLY it is $14.99!  (Regular price $19.99)  Makes a great Christmas gift!

Also, through November 30, purchase the Laugh and Learn Bible for Kids and receive a Free Family Advent Reading Plan!

Happy Reading!

Caterpillars for Dinner

Four and a half years ago, my husband was deployed and I had four children, ages 2-8, and the dog at home.  I homeschooled, potty-trained, cooked, cleaned, brushed people's teeth, and clipped people's nails.  I did everything.  The vet was telling me I should be brushing my dog's teeth every day.  Yeah, whatever.  The dog was lucky if he got a bath or two the whole deployment!!  The yardwork was so behind it was embarrassing, as was the state of my mini-van.  I finally paid someone to mow the lawn and clean the car.  I felt like I barely made it through that deployment.  But the kids were all happy and healthy, so what's a few blades of grass grown as high as trees in your yard?!

Things have gotten easier gradually since then; we just finished another year with my husband gone, but my kids are older and able to help more and do more for themselves now.  I still don't brush the dog's teeth, but he actually gets an extra long walk every so often from my son, so his life is good.  

Suddenly, school is out for the summer, my husband is retired from the Navy and home looking for another job, and my oldest two kids are cooking dinner once a week each.  My husband loves to grill outside for dinner, as does my oldest son.  I feel like I'm living a life of leisure.  I think this is the first time since my kids were born that I've actually felt like I'm starting to catch up on my "to-do" list!

So what does all this have to do with caterpillars for dinner?  Well, my oldest 3 kids have been wanting to fix dinner one night a week each.  The oldest 2 can do it by themselves, while I still help #3.  They each pick their recipes and write down the ingredients before we go shopping each week.  Most recipes have to be at least doubled for our family of 6, so they are responsible for figuring out how much of each ingredient they need for that.  We praise their efforts highly when we partake of what they have prepared.

This, of course, leads to the little one wanting to cook dinner for the family by himself!  So he looked through the kids' cookbooks and found the recipe for caterpillars.  There are few things that can make you prouder when you are 7 years old than telling people you made your family caterpillars for dinner!

You can pretty much see in the pictures what is on the caterpillar.  The base is half of a bagel cut in half again and made into an "S" shape.  Top it with mozarella cheese, ketchup,  hot dog pieces, and mustard.  Use pimento-stuffed-olive halves for eyes and pretzel sticks for antennae.  Then bake.  You can find the exact recipe in Pampered Chef's Let's Eat recipe book, which is full of fantastic ideas for kids.  He's making the mini-burger-bites pictured on the front next.

Make some caterpillars for dinner and beat the summer doldrums!

Happy cooking!

Hey St. Jude

Sharing from Marlo Thomas:



Read the inspiring story at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marlo-thomas/hey-st-jude-legendary-song-for-new-generation_b_1890419.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&ir=Fifty&src=sp&comm_ref=false.

Amazing Animals By Design

This book will be available in just a few short weeks!  See http://amazingbydesign.blogspot.com/!

Toy Story Blanket

Well, the big kids have all been sewing and making fabulous projects, so my kindergartner wanted to make one, too.  He wanted to sew, and he started going after needles and straight pins, but I thought a knotted blanket might be better for starters.  Some of you might have kindergartners who can handle things like needles and pins and sharp scissors, but we're all a little bit afraid when the kindergartner in this house gets hold of anything sharp!

This is a simple project that has been around for a long time.  My kids have knotted blankets that my sister-in-law and nieces made for them when they were younger.  Now Wal-mart and some of the fabric stores carry easy kits with the pieces all pre-cut for you.  We happened to find this "Toy Story" kit, and I knew he would love it.  The kit comes with the printed piece of fleece and a solid (red, in this case) piece of fleece for the back.  You trim the image and trim the other piece to the same size, cut about a 4-sq-inch square out of each corner of both pieces, cut fringe all around the edges, and begin tying the fringes of the two pieces of fleece together.  This particular kit even had dotted lines where you cut the squares and fringes, so it couldn't be easier!

When we were done, we had a nice, reversible blanket, and one very proud little boy!!!

Scroll down my blog to see the ponchos my girls made using a similar kit.

Back to the Manger

I should have posted this a month ago, but I would be remiss if I got much past Christmas without putting in a plug for Back to the Manger:  A Caroling Adventure Through Time by Christy & Daniel Semsen, published by Word Music.  This was simply the best children's Christmas program I have found anywhere, and my children's choir kids did a fabulous job with it!  The plot was interesting (and had an unexpected twist), the music appealed to upper-elementary children, and there were plenty of speaking- and solo-parts to go around.  This is a hard combination to find, and our church has been blessed with a number of children who enjoy and are capable of doing solos well.  Some of you are thinking, "Christmas, why is she still talking about Christmas?"  But if you direct children's choir or plays for a church or homeschool group, I know you are already considering what you might do next year!  I highly recommend Back to the Manger, and I might even have some second-hand music for you to purchase!

The Heirloom Boutique

For beautiful heirlooms that will be cherished by your family for generations, visit The Heirloom Boutique.  Custom-made children's apparel, gifts, and accessories.

(The owner is also our sewing teacher.  She offers private or group in-home lessons for children or adults!)

Call it "Poetic Justice"

My husband loves White Elephant parties.  You know, the ones where you get together for a gift exchange at Christmas but instead of buying new presents, you bring something you have at home that you want to get rid of?  Some of the gifts are kind of nice; one person's trash is another one's treasure.  But then, there are always a few old lava lamps from someone's garage.  And then, at each party, you have at least one person who seeks out those outrageous gifts that no one wants, but everyone remembers because they are so atrocious.  The person who begins scouting thrift stores in August for those perfect treasures.  The one who will actually buy a White Elephant gift because it is just so much fun to give.  That person is my husband.

Imagine my husband's delight when, at a thrift store the day before the office White Elephant party, he found a 4-foot-tall stuffed baboon.  Complete with the bare bottom for which baboons are known.  For three dollars.  The quintessential White Elephant gift.  Some greedy person who wanted to unwrap the biggest gift beneath the tree would grab this up and go home with a gigantic plush monkey, while the unassuming people who picked up a small gift bag or a plain envelope would be rewarded with a $10 gift certificate to Dunkin Donuts.  One poor fellow didn't show up for the party today, so he risked coming in tomorrow morning to find the giant baboon checking its email at his desk.

Except that something went wrong.  Something always can when you mix children, Christmas presents, and a little greed.  You see, we had told our children which gifts we had brought, and that they should choose something else.  My daughter, one of the first people chosen to pick a gift, lucked out with a beautiful, pink-and-purple, hand-knitted cape.  The evil eye on her cute 9-year-old face kept any Marines or other wives or children from "stealing" it from her when their turn came.  One person had already unwrapped a roll of toilet paper from the Base Chaplain.  Then, our 5-year-old's number was drawn.  His eyes flew to the giant wad of green wrapping paper under the tree.  The one we had told him not to pick.  He had to have it!

As our youngest son unwrapped his treasure, those around the room who knew of my husband's prank began to chuckle.  The Base Chaplain quipped, "Now no one will remember the toilet paper!"  As it happened, our son was probably the only person in the room who would actually want to take that baboon home.  He was so happy when he got it all unwrapped.  He put it on the floor and began to ride it around the room.  He immediately gave it a name and began talking to it and trying to feed it Christmas cookies.  We tried and tried to get someone to "steal" the baboon and trade it for another gift, but then our son would grab it around the neck and cry, "No, no, PLEASE don't take my baboon!"

We brought the baboon home.  The guys in the office nicknamed it "Karma."

Christmas Fun

Finishing decorating the tree and the kids making a Gingerbread Train:  that's the way to spend a Friday evening in December!   We normally do gingerbread houses every year, so we decided to try something new.  I think they did a good job!

Happy 5th Birthday!

Today I would like to share a poem my daughter wrote for her brother's 5th birthday:

I love my brother
He likes jeans
My brother is five
He can't drive
He's not sixteen
He sometimes likes steam
He's really sweet
But maybe not his feet
He has his mother
But he's my brother
Happy Birthday!
P.S. You're greater than Mater!

Meritorious Service Medal

Monday, May 17, 2010

The second item of business today is to say how PROUD I am of my husband! This morning, we took a homeschool field trip down to the Base to see an Awards Ceremony in which Daddy was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for his last tour.

I realize I should not brag too much on my own husband, but since this is my blog, and no one has to read it if they don't want to, I think I'm going to brag just a little! A Meritorious Service Medal is awarded for outstanding service outside of combat. My husband, a Naval Chaplain, did a number of things to earn this distinction. He participated in humanitarian efforts to get food and water to areas that had been hit by natural disaster. He counseled people and took suicide prevention classes. One of my favorite things that he did on his last tour was to set up a coffee hut on the beach, called "The Gator Cafe." He has always believed that to help people, you have to really get to know them. In the military, you have to get in and serve with them. And so, he set up the cafe, and he went down to the beach in the mornings where the Marines were working on equipment, and he served them coffee. One of the reasons I have always loved him is because of the way he shows love to others through service.

Now, while I am thrilled that we had this ceremony this morning for my husband, who certainly deserves it, my favorite part of the ceremony was when the Marine Colonel addressed my children directly, in front of all present. He told them specific things their daddy had done to receive this medal. He told them how important Chaplains are to the military, and how their daddy had helped so many people. He told them that he knows how hard it is when their daddy is gone, but that there is a purpose for it, that he is able to help other people because of the sacrifice that they are making. My children know there is a purpose for the hardship they suffer, and that other people can live better lives because they are willing to do it. I am thankful for people who help us make sense of this career for my children. I am quite certain they deserve it.

GPS: God's Plan of Salvation

May 17, 2010

So the first order of business today is to say how PROUD I am of my kids - my own four children and the other 20 in our church's children's play - for their performance Saturday night inGPS: God's Plan of Salvation. The children's musical was perfect, and the teens preparing and serving the meal for the dinner theater, as well as the teens performing in "Hands of Praise," were all just marvelous. What a fantastic weekend!

I have written previously about Colossians 3:17 - "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." (NIV) This is what these children are learning at this young age. Too often, they feel they must wait until they are older to do things. They sit in children's church and do not become "part" of the church for years. Meanwhile, they enjoy music, acting, and other creative expression, and the world will give them places to express themselves. What I want most from plays like this is for the children to learn to use their creative talents for the Lord. To do the best they can because they are doing it for God and God alone. To enjoy worshipping God with their creative expression. And to begin a lifelong habit of using their talents for worship and service to the Creator of all. We are blessed to be part of a church congregation that recognizes the value that its youngest members and attenders can contribute. These children will remember the applause and every compliment that was paid to their hard effort. The experience has built their self-confidence and given them affirmation for a job well done for the Lord. For every person who walked up to one of these children and said, "You did a good job tonight," I am thankful. You have invested in the Kingdom of God.

True Worship

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Life in the military requires frequent moves, and frequent moves require church-shopping. If you have attended a church or two, you've had opinions about worship services. Now, I can worship with traditional hymns, contemporary choruses, children's songs, or rap music; I love them all. The challenge for most worship teams is to find the balance between an excellent performance and an excellent worship experience. We've all seen praise teams that could have put on a rock concert, but they sang songs we didn't know, they were too loud, and we left wondering where the good ole' gospel sing-alongs were being held. And then we've all been to churches where we knew and appreciated that everyone's hearts were in the right place, but bless their hearts, if they could just get a songleader who could carry a tune. Most places are somewhere in between. We know that God requires our best, so why is it so hard to keep our eyes focused on worshipping Him and to do a good job musically as well?

Well, when we visited our current church when we moved here a few months ago, I knew almost immediately that we had come to the right place. It was our very first Sunday visiting this new congregation. I already knew that the worship minister was musically talented; I had seen him lead music at church camp before. We were impressed by the praise team, the instrumentalists, the chosen song mix, and the participation of the congregation. Then came the test. A boy walked up onto the stage in the middle of the worship service. He seemed to be lost in the music, oblivious to the audience. To be honest, I expected someone to come across the stage and rush him quietly out of the room, but that is not what happened at all. As he walked over to a singer and touched her face, she smiled at him and took his hand. He continued to walk around the stage, looking at the different instruments, trying to figure out how they made the sounds they did, and everyone just kept singing. He walked over to the worship minister, peering at his guitar, and the worship minister turned slightly away from the microphone, holding the guitar towards him so he could see and hear it better. There was no interruption to the worship whatsoever. After the song was over, the boy left the stage, and the worship minister spoke. "For those of you who may be new here, this is our friend, Tommy (name changed to protect privacy). Tommy is autistic, and sometimes music can reach him in ways that nothing else can. He is part of our church family here, and this is part of his worship. We are glad he can worship God with us through music." Wow. Musical excellence for God with no concern for putting on a "show." Evidence that the people in this congregation wanted to truly worship God, in spirit and in truth; and that they cared about every single member of the family of God. Yes, we were in the right place.

Praise God!

Fingers Wiggling Under the Door

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Someday, when my children grow up and go to college, I will go visit them in the dormitory. When they go to the bathroom, I will bang on the door, throw myself on the floor, and stick my fingers under the door, yelling, "No, no! Open the door! I want to be with you!" If they forget to lock the door, I can fling it open when lots of people are in the room outside it. Of course, they will not remember the days when they did this to me, and they will think, "Mom is losing it!" and put me in a home. But someday, when I am able to go to the bathroom in peace and have privacy in my own home, I will miss those little fingers under the door. I will be lonely. A day is coming, sooner than I want it to, when they will not want my advice and they will be embarrassed to be seen with me in public. So for now, when they climb me while I'm on the phone and sit on top of me while I try to fold laundry, I will enjoy every minute of it. I will lovingly help change the doll's diapers, and I will carefully step over the toy cars zooming under my feet while I work in the kitchen. For these are among the greatest blessings of my life, and someday I will long to come back to this day.