Despicable Me 3 Available Now

 

If you’ve seen any of the Despicable Me movies, you know you’re in for a treat with the latest in the series- Despicable Me 3. And if you’ve already seen it, you know why my family is crazy for this new movie.

Gru, Lucy, and the adorable girls are back. And don’t forget the lovable minions too! This time Gru and Lucy have their hands full with a new villain on the scene, Balthazar Bratt, who seems to be stuck in the past. His silly antics give this movie a fun new twist. My boys have added “dance off” battles to their play thanks to a scene in this movie. It’s great!

I am a huge fan of any movie that the whole family can enjoy. Despicable Me 3 fits that bill perfectly. My husband and I enjoy it just as much as our kids. Our youngest, Jonah, has been a fan of those cute, little, yellow minions for years. His face lit up and he laughed so hard the first time he watched this. There are so many great moments and adding a lesson about the importance of family is nice too.

We did receive a copy of  Despicable Me 3 on BluRay and DVD for our review. We also got some fun minion holiday ornaments and placemats. The boys were so excited and have used the placemats for weeks now for a little more Christmas (and minion) fun! We thoroughly enjoyed the newest movie and hope you will too. Have you seen it yet? What did your family think?

Learn To Play An Instrument Without Spending Much Money At All

One of the most common reasons that people who want to learn how to play a musical instrument avoid getting started is the cost. The truth is that you can buy an inexpensive instrument of any kind second-hand, and then learn how to play without spending much money at all. If you have that inclination to start making music, then it is time to stop worrying about the bank account and get started on your new artistic adventure.

Use Books Instead Of Teachers

A music theory workbook can walk you through the process of learning the basics of music theory just as effectively as a teacher can. When you buy the right kind of workbook, you will see exercises that help you to become fluent in basic music theory in no time. While it is not always necessary to learn music theory to learn how to play an instrument, learning theory will help you to understand your instrument better and make the learning process easier.

Online Videos

Once you get that second-hand instrument off of an Internet auction site, your next move is to start taking lessons online for free. While there are plenty of online music courses out there you could pay for, you will also find much of the information you need for free on the more popular video hosting websites. Learning from videos can often be easier that trying to work with a teacher, and you can make your own schedule when you are learning online.

Learn By Ear

If all you want to do is learn a casual and fun way to play a musical instrument, then you should start by learning how to play your favorite songs by ear. Some of the most famous musicians of our time started off with a record player and an instrument. All they did was listened to their favorite songs, and then played back what they heard on their own instrument. Learning by ear can take time, but it is free and it gives you the room you need to develop your own style.

Playing a musical instrument can be a fun release and be a way that you deal with the stress that comes with everyday life. If the potential costs of learning how to play are holding you back, then you should be relieved to know that you can learn how to play an instrument without having to pay very much at all.

New Minions Movie Now Available on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital Download

Minion mania! My youngest son, Jonah, is crazy for those little yellow guys. They're cute, funny and mischievous. What's not to like!?!

About this movie:

BRING HOME THE WORLD’S

#1 COMEDY OF THE YEAR FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

Minions

GET THREE ALL-NEW MINI-MOVIES ON BLU-RAY OR DIGITAL HD

        

ON DIGITAL HD NOVEMBER 24, 2015

BLU-RAY™ COMBO PACK, DVD AND ON DEMAND DECEMBER 8, 2015

FROM UNIVERSAL PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT

“Minions are back and even better!” – Dave Morales, FOX TV

Universal City, California, October 6,   2015 – The breakout stars the world fell in love with in Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s Despicable Me global film franchise headline their own movie for the first time in Minions, available on Digital HD November 24, 2015, and on Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, DVD and On Demand on December 8, 2015 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. A much anticipated prequel to the unprecedented worldwide blockbusters Despicable Me and the beloved sequel Despicable Me 2, Minions is an immensely entertaining film for all audiences called “inventive and hilarious” by Julian Roman, Movieweb.com.  The Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and Digital HD also come with three all-new mini-movies and even more Minions everyone will want to watch again and again especially during the busy holiday travel season.

The story of Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s Minions begins at the dawn of time. Starting as single-celled yellow organisms, Minions evolve through the ages, perpetually serving the most despicable of masters.  Continuously unsuccessful at keeping these masters—from T. rex to Napoleon—the Minions find themselves without someone to serve and fall into a deep depression. But one Minion named Kevin has a plan, and he—alongside teenage rebel Stuart and lovable little Bob—ventures out into the world to find a new evil boss for his brethren to follow. The trio embark upon a thrilling journey that ultimately leads them to their next potential master, Scarlet Overkill (Academy Award®-winner Sandra Bullock), the world’s first-ever female super-villain.  They travel from frigid Antarctica to 1960s New York City, ending in ‘mod’ London, where they must face their biggest challenge to date: saving all of Minionkind...from annihilation.

Sandra Bullock (The Blind Side, Gravity) heads up an all-star voice cast including Golden Globe and recent Emmy Award®-winner Jon Hamm (“Mad Men,” Bridesmaids), Academy Award-nominee Michael Keaton (Birdman: (Or The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance, Toy Story 3), seven-time Emmy Award-winner Allison Janney (“The West Wing,” “Masters of Sex,” “Mom”), Academy Award-nominee Steve Coogan (Despicable Me 2, Philomena), BAFTA Award-winner Jennifer Saunders (“Absolutely Fabulous,” Shrek 2), and Academy Award-winner Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech, Pirates of the Caribbean series).  The inimitable voices of the Minions are again voiced by Academy Award-nominee Pierre Coffin (Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2) who co-directs with Kyle Balda (Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax). Minions is produced by Illumination Entertainment CEO and founder Chris Meledandri and Janet Healy. Brian Lynch wrote the screenplay, and Chris Renaud serves as executive producer of the film.

Minions will be available on Blu-ray™ with DIGITAL HD and UltraViolet™ and DVD

• Blu-ray™ unleashes the power of your HDTV and is the best way to watch movies at home, featuring 6X the picture resolution of DVD, exclusive extras and theater-quality surround sound.   

• DVD offers the flexibility and convenience of playing movies in more places, both at home and away.
• DIGITAL HD with UltraViolet™ lets fans watch movies anywhere on their favorite devices. Users can instantly stream or download

BONUS FEATURES EXCLUSIVE TO BLU-RAYTM AND DIGITAL HD:

• THREE ALL NEW ORIGINAL MINI-MOVIES:
• Cro Minion
• Competition
• Binky Nelson Unpacified
• DELETED SCENE – ME, MYSELF AND STUART
• AROUND THE WORLD INTERACTIVE MAP - Explore the world of the Minions with this interactive map featuring a collection of games, trivia, featurettes, storyboards, and more all themed to movie locations.
• BEHIND THE GOGGLES – THE ILLUMINATION STORY OF THE MINIONS – Get a “behind the googles” look at the history and evolution of everyone’s favorite yellow henchmen.
• WRITER - See how the Minions evolve throughout the different time periods. Writer, Brian Lynch discusses creating distinctive personalities for the three main Minions, his VillainCon idea, and the Minion family.
• BOSS’ OFFICE – Illumination Entertainment CEO and founder and Minions producer, Chris Meledandri discusses the origins of Illumination Entertainment and the genesis of both Despicable Me and the Minions.
• ART DEPARTMENT - See how the Minions came to life, from the original art concept of the henchmen to the final creation of the Minions and how to differentiate them between new time periods. Also, see how the idea of Herb and Scarlett Overkill’s characters came to be.
• GALLERY – CONCEPT ART (stills)
• GALLERY – COLOR SCRIPT (stills)
• COMPOSER - Listen to how composer Heitor Pereira creates the sound of the Minions and what it takes to create big music for small characters.
• ACTORS STUDIO - Listen to the actors’ experiences being part of the Minions movie, who their favorite Minions are, and why they love them so much
• NOTICE BOARD (stills)
• SAFETY VIDEO

• ILLUMINATION MACGUFF ANIMATION
• ANIMATION - Go behind the scenes and hear about the challenges and excitement behind the Minion characters and bringing them alive through animation in the movie

LIGHTING, LAYOUT AND EFFECTS - A look at the ways in which layout and lighting plays a big role in the emotion and motivation in the movie. Also see the ways in which they try to keep the 60’s vintage look and the challenges they face with very technical shots, where one shot can take weeks.

• 3D MODELS GALLERY (stills)
• DIRECTORS - Directors Pierre Coffin and Kyle Balda discuss the unique challenges of creating distinctive personalities for the Minions  
• PRODUCERS - Producers Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy and Executive Producer Chris Renaud discuss the three main characters – Kevin, Stuart, and Bob – little family in the movie and the goal of creating a special bond between them and the audience when they leave the theater.
• EDITORIAL - Editor Claire Dodgson discusses the distinctive editing style of the Despicable Me franchise and the three-year process it takes to make these movies from the original storyboards to cutting scenes with Minion dialogue.
• STORYBOARD ARTIST - Learn how the actions of the words of the script turn into visual drawings and how much work is put in from the rough sketches to the final cut of the movie.
• GALLERY – STUART HOT TUB STORYBOARD (stills)

• JINGLE BELLS MINION STYLE - This holiday favorite is brought to life in a merry-Minion way. Now you get to sing along to the beloved video that was the most shared piece of content on Facebook in 2014.   

• THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS THEATRICAL TRAILER

DVD BONUS FEATURES

• DELETED SCENE – ME, MYSELF AND STUART

• JINGLE BELLS MINION STYLE - This holiday favorite is brought to life in a merry-Minion way. Now you get to sing along to the beloved video that was the most shared piece of content on Facebook in 2014.   
• THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS THEATRICAL TRAILER

Official Website: http://www.minionsmovie.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/minions

Twitter: https://twitter.com/minions

Instagram: https://instagram.com/minionnation/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/illumination

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/minionnation/

Tumblr: http://minionnation.tumblr.com

Hashtag: #Minions

While Jonah has enjoyed all of the Despicable Me movies at home, we did not venture out to the theater with him his summer when Minions was released. I considered it, but I was pretty nervous about taking a busy two-year-old to a quiet theater. We may give it a try sometime soon, though. 

So when Minions was about to hit the stores, I knew we had to have this movie for Jonah. We were right on. He loves this movie. He has watched it approximately 50 times already. OK so that's an exaggeration, but he has watched it a lot!

We received the Blu-Ray/DVD combo of the new Minions. As expected everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. What a great movie for the whole family. If your family is looking for some fun, wholesome entertainment be sure to look for this new movie out for purchase now.

Walt Disney Animation Studios Developing FROZEN 2!!!

From Walt Disney press release:

Winter weather ahead! Frozen 2 is officially in development at Walt Disney Animation Studios with directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee and producer Peter Del Vecho, the Oscar®-winning filmmaking team behind Frozen.

The news was announced at Disney’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders this morning by Bob Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company; John Lasseter, Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios; and actor Josh Gad, who provides the voice of Olaf from Frozen.

“We enjoyed making Frozen Fever so much and being back in that world with those characters,” said John Lasseter. “Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck have come up with a great idea for a sequel and you will be hearing a lot more about it and we’re taking you back to Arendelle. We are so excited about that.”

A release date and production details are yet to be announced.

Are your kids Frozen fanatics? We have the movie, but my boys have only watched it a few times. They didn't latch onto it like so many other kids I know. But my youngest, Jonah, does really like Olaf the snowman. We'll be keeping our eyes open for more information about the new movie coming!

What do you hope will happen in Frozen 2?

Back to School with Walmart Coca-Cola Effortless Meals

Thanks to The Coca-Cola Company for providing compensation for this blog post. All opinions are my own.

School has been in session for about a month for us. Last week was actually our first full 5 day week. Trying to get back into a routine is hard work. We still have mornings we are rushing around trying to get everyone ready on time. And yesterday my son missed the bus. Ugh. Well, technically the bus missed him. Anyway, it made the rest of my day hectic, because we had to change plans to get him to school on time.

It's hard to believe that I have a 3rd grader this year. Time has flown. That means this is our forth back to school season. While I do miss my oldest son when he's at school, back to school means a little more structure with our schedule. It isn't always the easiest, but once we hit our groove things go well. It does take time to get there though, so the first month is pretty hectic trying to sort everything out. 

One thing that can be tough after school is thinking about supper. My son gets home late in the afternoon, my husband gets home an hour later, and we eat supper shortly after. Add in a toddler who naps in the afternoon and is just getting up around the same time, our afternoons can get a little crazy. Sometimes that mealtime sneaks right up on me. 

Time for meal prep is short for me. There are different ways that I can battle that, and one big way is to have a ready to cook meal available for those especially crazy days. Now I have a solution thanks to Coca-Cola and Walmart Effortless Meals.

Families are busy. Coca-Cola and Walmart are helping to beat the busy suppertime with Effortless Meals. You can quickly and easily stop by your local Walmart Supercenter and find a take 'n bake pizza, tasty sandwiches, or ready-to-serve rotisserie chicken. These meals will help you put your focus back on your family without the hectic dinner rush every evening.

We went to Walmart for groceries and looked over the Effortless Meal items. My kids helped me pick something out, and we settled on a take 'n bake pizza and Coke. We also found breadsticks and cinnamon dessert bread in a combination box. All of these were so easy to prepare. The large pizza fed our family of 4 for more than one meal. We enjoyed the yummy flavors and fresh vegetables on it. Everyone gobbled up the pizza. And I don't know about you, but my favorite drink with pizza is Coca-Cola. We have pizza about once a week, and I'm sad when I forget to get the Coke to go along.

You can see more about the Walmart and Coca-Cola Effortless Meals at the My Coke Rewards website. You can unlock bonus points when you purchase one of these meals. Not only will you enjoy the ease of supper, your family will thank you for a delicious meal too! It makes the back to school rush a little easier.

Bronze Buffer - Help for Self Tanning

*Disclosure: I received this product to review. All opinions are my own.*

Many people enjoy summer for the sunshine and tan skin. My skin does get tan, but it's not something I seek out like others. The older I've gotten the more easily I burn. Lucky for me my burn doesn't stay red long, though. I still avoid getting too much sun. I try to make sure I have plenty of time in the shade while outdoors, and I wear sunscreen to help protect my skin too.

Another alternative is using self-tanner. You can get the nice tanned look without exposing your skin to too much sunshine. Sometimes with self-tanner, though, you get blotchy spots or tanner in a spot you didn't really need it. This is where the Bronze Buffer comes into play.

The Bronze Buffer is almost self-explanatory from it's name. It is a sponge that is made to help make your self tan look even and nice. For a no stress, tanning mess, just keep this product on hand all summer long (and winter too...why not!).

For a great self tan follow these easy steps:
1. Exfoliate your legs with a non-oily scrub, loofah or mitt.
2. Apply your favorite tanner, making sure to let it dry fully before getting dressed.
3. Refine your results with the Bronze Buffer. Even out streaks on your legs, blend any excess color on the tops of your feet, and be sure to get between your toes!
4. Now that you have picture-perfect color, add a little shine before stepping out. You can try a body cream or oil - take your pick!

The Bronze Buffer sponge works with only water. There are no added ingredients or chemicals. The gentle exfoliation from the Bronze Buffer will gently remove unwanted self-tanner from the upper layers of skin. No more streaks or color mistakes. You can have a perfectly tan look with ease.

Bronze Buffer costs $10 for 2 sponges. You can purchase it at www.bronzebuffer.com.

Beach Vacation

So much fun in the sun. 

Now we are home and work must be done.

I have more to share.

You'll wish you were there.

But for now please enjoy,

 the photo of my boys.