Binge Worthy Shows

Hey everyone! With school being out for the summer I have been watching quite a few shows. These are a few of the shows I have been binging!

1. How to Get Away with Murder: This is one of my new favorite shows! It is one of the many shows that Shonda Rhimes has created, and much like her other shows it does not disappoint! I could not stop watching this show and ended up finishing the last three seasons in two weeks. How to Get Away with Murder really built the characters story. My favorite person in the show is Laurel and look forward to seeing where her storyline goes in the coming season. You can watch How to Get Away with Murder on Netflix.

 

2. Black-ish: This is quickly becoming my favorite show. It is so funny and I am almost through all the available seasons. My favorite character is Diane. She has a dark side, but it is hilarious at the same time. I highly recommend this show if you like sitcoms. You can watch Black-ish on Hulu!

 

3. Westworld: With Westworld I was unsure if I would like it, but I really enjoyed it! I originally started watching it because James Marsden is in it and I am glad I did. After the first episode I was hooked! I finished 2 seasons in one week it is so good. Westworld can be viewed on HBO.

These are just three of the shows I have watched and loved. What is your favorite binge worthy show? Let me know in the comments below!

-A

The Greatest Showman

Hi everyone! This post is a few weeks latte but today I am going to write about The Greatest Showman themed activities “B” and I did. These activities were  created for early school age children, however there is an alternative to one activity if you have toddler aged children.

The first activity that “B” did was a spelling game. She picked up a card from a stack of cards and then would use the clothespin letters to spell out the words. Some of the words that were in the stack are: lion, hat, show, music, fire, and elephant. “B” loved this activity and got super excited every time she got a letter correct. For “D” in the place of this game I am working on a matching game for her.

The next activity was tracing toy animal shadows. “B” liked this activity, especially enjoyed coloring the pictures after. She did struggle with getting around the feet of the animals but all in all this was a fun activity. For this activity she traced a giraffe, tiger, and zebra.

The biggest hit was when we made the wishing lamp. For this we froze water in a soda can and then used a nail and hammer to poke holes in the can. When things got a little harder we used an electric screwdriver. To finish we put a flame less tea candle in the can. When doing this activity “B” loved using the hammer and electric screwdriver, under careful supervision of course! If you do this activity I would suggest using a vegetable can or soup can because it is a thicker metal and does not bend as much. The soda can was good, it just got super cold and bent when we would use the different tools.

The last activity was done a few weeks after. This activity worked on her writing skills. For this activity “B” wrote fan mail to Phillip (Zach Efron), PT Barnum (Hugh Jackman), and Jenny Lind (Rebecca Ferguson). She loved writing and decorating the letters and really put a lot of thought into what to write into each letter. If you do this activity and your child wants a response you do have to include a self- addressed envelope in with the letter.

This was a fun topic to do these activities for, and it was great to see how excited she would get when she got each activity done! Have you seen The Greatest Showman? What was your favorite part of it? Let me know in the comments below!

-A

 

Movies That Make Me Happy

Hey everyone! A couple months ago I wrote about my favorite shows to watch when I am feeling a little down or just need to feel happy. Today I am going to keep with the same topic, but instead of television shows I am going to talk about movies.

The first movie I watch if I need a mood boost is William and Kate. This is a smaller less known movie that was aired right before the royal wedding, but I love it! When this movie was on Netflix I was watching it almost every weekend. I love how it is a modern day fairy tale and even though there were some tough times between Prince William and Kate they got their happily ever after in the  end!

The second movie I go to is not just one movie, but eight of them. The Fast and Furious franchise is my absolute favorite movie franchise! I am both embarrassed and proud to admit that I binge watched all 7 of the movies (the eighth was not out yet) in one weekend.  I love how there is action in every movie, and the plot of each movie is just as great. However, the real reason I watch these movies when I need a pick me up is because of Paul Walker. It does not get much better, in my opinion!

The third and last movie I am going to talk about is The Longest Ride. I have seen this movie at least fifteen times, most of which were in one week. I did not think I would like this movie as much as I did, but once I watched it I could not stop. This was my go to movie when I needed a good cry! I cried for the first five times, because of it being so good at pulling the heart strings. Being able to see the love story between two different generations was amazing! It is definitely in my top five favorite Nicholas Sparks movies.

If you could not tell from my binge watching every movie on this list, I love movies! These were just three of my favorites to watch that instantly lift my mood. However, I have a lot more that I love! Do you have any movies you watch to lift your mood? Let me know in the comments below!

-A

A Christmas Prince

Hey everyone! Christmas was Monday and I loved being able to spend time with my family. With that being said December was a busy month for Netflix. They have put out quite a few Christmas movies! One of them really stuck out to me, and that was A Christmas Prince.

I watched A Christmas Prince Thursday night and quite a few times since! I absolutely adored this movie! This movie is about a journalist who travels to a different country to interview the prince of the country, but ends up becoming Princess Emily’s tutor. In the movie the princess has spina bifida. This really stuck out to me, because it reminded me of Baby P.

Throughout the movie Princess Emily was seen in a wheelchair, but she was also seen using forearm crutches to walk. Seeing this little girl walking brought so much joy to my heart at the thought of Baby P walking. Not only did Princess Emily walk in the movie she was seen shooting a bow and arrow and even sledding down a huge hill. The fact that she was doing this was a big deal in the movie, because almost every person in the movie underestimated what the princess could do. As I was watching excited at the thought of Baby P doing those activities and then some!

There was one scene in the movie that really stuck out to me. The journalist, Amber, and Princess Emily were going sledding. Before they went down the hill the princess asks Amber, “Do you really think I can do it?” To this Amber responded by telling her, “I think you can do anything you want. You are not a china doll”. Princess Emily then asked her, “what if I end up even more broken than I already am?” When she asked this it totally broke my heart! Amber told her she was not broken, and Emily was ready to go after that! Seeing the princess sled down the hill was so great!

This movie was wonderful! I really did enjoy every minute of it. If you get the chance to watch it you should! Have any of you watched A Christmas Prince? Let me know in the comments below!

-A

Shows for Destressing

Hey everyone! Today I want to talk about shows I watch when I am feeling stressed or upset about things. Television shows can bring up so many feelings and can also help you work through certain feelings! There are three shows that I turn to when I need to relax and forget about things for a little while, and I am excited to share them with you.

The first show I am going to talk about is Jep and Jessica Growing the Dynasty. This is my first go to show for when I am feeling not so great. A great example of this was a week ago. I made the mistake of googling some health symptoms and per usual googles diagnosis was cancer. Now I do not have cancer, but I was so freaked out and was definitely working myself up over nothing! I started messaging my best friend and she suggested I watch a show to get my mind off my non-existent diagnosis. I immediately turned on Jep and Jessica and forgot about why I was freaking out moments before. What I love about this show is that it is centered on family and can have some serious moments, but it also has downright hilarious moments! I find myself laughing a lot during the episodes. If you want to watch this show you can find the first season on Hulu!

The second show that I watch when I need to relax is The Ranch! The Ranch is such a funny show, and can instantly raise my mood. A month ago I saw a petition going around calling for the cancellation of the show. I texted my best friend so worried they would cancel it. While texting her I turned on the show to watch old episodes and was laughing within a few minutes. For me The Ranch brings back some memories of when I used to watch it with my ex fiancé. While I am no longer dating my ex I still do cherish those moments watching this show with him. I was so worried that if they cancelled this I would not have these memories anymore, which of course is not true. However, they did not cancel the show and I do not believe they plan on cancelling it. You can find all four seasons of The Ranch on Netflix.

The third and last show I am going to mention is New Girl. I absolutely love New Girl! It is a hilarious show and I laugh through the whole episode. This show is what I go to when I need a huge mood boost. There will be days where I am feeling terrible and I will turn on New Girl and feel happier within seconds. There have been times where I am still laughing about certain episodes a few days later! I have recommended this show to someone before and he ended up really enjoying it too. I believe that you can find all the seasons on Netflix!

These were just a few shows that I watch when I am feeling down. I am a big fan of television and could probably think of so many more shows that boost my mood and help me destress. I highly recommend all the shows I talked about! They are all so funny and you will not regret watching them. What shows you watch when you need to relax or get an instant mood boost? Let me know in the comments below!

-A

Remembering Paul Walker

Hi everyone! Today for Watch it Wednesday I will be focusing on an actor instead of a movie or show. When you read this it will be November 30^th, and that marks four years since the passing of Paul Walker.

I am a huge fan of Paul Walker, and actually he is number one on my list of celebrities I find attractive. I have watched all the Fast and Furious movies at least twenty times since first watching them at the beginning of the year. I even went out and bought them all on DVD. I really do enjoy them all! In fact, as I am writing this I am watching The Fast and the Furious.

Upon a recent search on the internet I found out that Paul Walker was in quite a number of movies, besides the Fast and Furious franchise. Some of the other movies that he starred in are; Varsity Blues, She’s All That, Noel, The Lazarus Project, and Vehicle 19.

Not only was Paul Walker a great actor, but he was also a charitable and kind hearted man. He founded a nonprofit called Reach out Worldwide. Reach out Worldwide is a disaster relief organization in which other places who have been hit by disaster can get help rebuilding and access to any supplies they may need to live their daily lives. Not only did Paul Walker found the organization, but he also went to the places that needed aid and helped rebuild. He has put his own money into sending relief teams to these places and has negotiated with the Port-au-Prince army to get supplies for the people affected. Paul Walker also did random acts of kindness throughout his everyday life. One of the stories told was when he bought an engagement ring for a veteran and his fiancé after discovering that they could not afford a ring.

Paul Walker truly was a great man. He not only made a difference in the film industry, but also in the world. He will be missed and my prayers are with his family on this day.

-A

Throwback Shows

Happy Wednesday! Today I am going to talk about a couple of my favorite shows as a child. Yesterday while I was watching “D” she found a toy Earth. When you opened the toy you found Brain, from the show Pinky and the Brain, in the center. That one toy sparked a whole conversation about all the shows that I watched when I was her age.  After all that talking I showed her a couple clips from a couple shows I watched. I did not show her Pinky and the Brain, because that is not the best show for little kids!

The first clip that I did show “D” was the theme song from The Big Comfy Couch. She really liked it, but I could tell she was not super impressed! Her comment was, “I like it!” I did only show her the theme song and nothing else.

The second clip I showed her was from Bananas in Pyjamas. This show was a HUGE hit with “D”! She wanted to watch every clip that was on YouTube. Every once in a while she would look up at me with this huge grin across her face. That one clip had her cracking up to the point she was on the floor giggling a lot!  What was really funny about this was that I showed a different girl I babysat the same clip and she also was hysterically laughing! Bananas in Pyjamas is definitely a must see for any kids in your life!

It was so great to watch these old clips with “D”. I really enjoyed watching them and seeing her reactions to each clip!  What shows did you watch as a child? Let me know in the comments!

-A

Pocahontas- Listen to Your Heart

Hi everybody! A couple months ago while I was babysitting I watched the movie Pocahontas for the first time in a long time. It was great to take a trip back to my childhood by watching this movie! Since it had been quite a number of years there were quite a few things I did not remember.
The biggest thing that was new to me was Grandmother Willow. I did not remember her at all, in fact! In today’s post I wanted to talk about something that Grandmother Willow told/sang throughout the movie. She would sing, “Listen to your heart.” This was exactly what I needed to hear at the time and still need to hear!
A little bit back I had been having doubts about my degree and was unsure if it was what I really wanted to do and if it was worth all the time and money that would be going into my speech and hearing science degree. I had done a google search looking up what classes I would need to take and everything I could do with my degree. During this search I learned that entry level for my degree is a master’s degree. That really freaked me out! I began to worry about how I would pay for all of this schooling! I decided in that moment that I needed to get off of google and distract myself. I got on Instagram and began looking through all the pictures on there in an effort to forget what I had just read. It was on picture that really caught my attention. It was of a little girl who was getting a cochlear implant that day. She immediately caught my attention, because she had the same name that my ex fiancé and I wanted to name any future daughter we might have had. Over those next few weeks I read the updates her mom posted. It was through that one Instagram account that I realized that I did want to become a speech pathologist/audiologist.
The next experience I had was in a relationship of mine. We were having some troubles and I was ready to just give up. I was getting annoyed and super impatient with him. I just kept overthinking things and it was not helping anything. I knew in my heart though that I did not want things to end and that he was going through some things and I really needed to be patient and more understanding. I told my friend so many times that I was done, but never actually was. I decided to go with what my heart was saying and I waited and did not add to the stress he was going through. Being patient did help. Things are going well now, and if I had not listened to what my heart was saying I would not be feeling as happy right now!
It is not always easy to listen to your heart. Sometimes your brain will take over and start creating fears, whether it be thinking things are too much money, that your relationship may not work , or something else! I encourage you to look past those fears and to listen to what your heart is telling you. If you feel that you should do something do it, as long as its within reason! Is there a time when you listened to your or heart or wanted to? Do you have a favorite Disney movie that is not Pocahontas? Let me know in the comments below!
-A

30 Years of Dirty Dancing

This past week was the 30th anniversary of Dirty Dancing, with Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze. I love this movie, and have seen it multiple times. It is one of, if not, my favorite movie. However, it was not until this past week that I watched the remake. I was hesitant to watch it at first, because I loved the original so much. While I did not like the ending of the remake I did enjoy a majority of the movie. There were a couple quotes in the remake and original that really stuck out to me. I felt that I could really relate to these quotes.

The first quote that really stuck with me was at the beginning of the remake. Baby says, “You never forget your first love. A single song can take you back to that time.” I believe that this is so true. For me the song that brings me back to that time is Own It by Bailey Bryan. Whenever I hear that song I am instantly reminded of my ex. I also believe that not only do certain songs bring back memories, but also certain scents. There have been times where I have smelled cologne that he used to wear, and certain memories came to mind.

The next quote was also by Baby. She said it in the original and in the remake. Baby tells Johnny, “Me? I’m scared of everything. I’m scared of what I saw, I’m scared of what I did, of who I am, and most of all I’m scared of  walking out of this room and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way I feel when I’m with you.” This quote really hit home for me. I recently was telling my friend about some fears I have in a relationship of mine. To me this quote is about being vulnerable, and about sharing your fears. Everyone has fears; it is all about admitting you have them and talking about them.

There were a ton of good quotes in the movie, but those two were the ones that really stuck out to me. In the comments tell me what quotes you liked, if any! Did you see the remake, and if you did what did you think of it? I hope you all have a wonderful week.

-A

Quote Printout: quote.jpg

Photo Credit: https://www.cineworld.ie/films/dirty-dancing-30th-anniversary

A Lesson From Moana

            This past weekend I babysat for a couple of families. The kids were great and I always enjoy watching them. One of the things that the kids and I did this weekend was watch the movie Moana. I had never seen Moana before, and while there were some parts that were a bit confusing and weird to me there were some quotes that really stuck out to me.

            The first quote was when Maui had left Moana and she was feeling like she would never be able to return the heart to Te Fiti. Moana said, “Why did you bring me here? I am not the right person. You have to choose someone else. Choose someone else.” Everyone has felt this way at one point or another. I know I sure have! It is easy to feel like you are not the “right” person or even strong enough to deal with certain situations or trials thrown your way. There is a family that I know and absolutely adore that recently had a beautiful baby girl named Peri. Early on in the pregnancy, this family faced some hard news. They learned that Peri has spina bifida, and that their baby would be facing a lot more than other babies. Getting news like this would throw a lot of people for a loop. Peri’s parents, Kate and Eric, really exemplify the meaning of the next two quotes.

            The first of the two is “The Ocean chose me for a reason.” The second quote goes hand in hand with the previous, saying, “Sometimes our strengths lie beneath the surface. Far beneath in some cases.” There are reasons that we all are facing the trials we are. We all have strengths that lie within us that we may not know are there yet. In time it will be clearer why we were given the trials we were. Kate and Eric are some of the strongest people I know. They have really taken the bull by the horns and come out on top with everything that has happened. They are definitely the perfect choice to care for and love Peri.  Kate found her strength and now has a blog to help inform others about what to expect with spina bifida. (www.ourspinabifida.com) Kate and Eric are not the only ones who have a lot of strength. Peri has two sisters, Brittain and Delaney. Both girls have been incredible. There were times when they were away from their parents. That would be extremely hard for some kids, but Brittain and Delaney were great. I have loved seeing videos and pictures of them and Peri together. Both girls love their sister and it is amazing to see how they have been super strong and brave. This family is amazing and I definitely could not imagine stronger people. Much like Moana finding out she had the strength to return the heart, the Slivinski family found the strength to get through their challenges.

            Everyone is faced with tough things, and everyone has the strength to get through these things. It is just a matter of digging deep and discovering that you are strong enough and why you were chosen to face that trial. I hope that you are all able to discover your strengths during whatever trials you may be facing.  As always, if you have a comment on my post or just want to share what you thought of the movie Moana leave it in the comments below! I hope you all have a wonderful week!

-A