Movie review: "The Boxtrolls"

This movie was advertised A LOT.. every time I saw a kid's movie, I would see a little intro of "The Boxtrolls" and every time I saw a different preview, my curiosity spiked even more...
I went in with mixed expectations; knowing that the movie was created by the same people who made "Coraline" and "Paranorman" I had a feeling it would be a little "weird" but the characters also looked so cute that I honestly didn't know what to expect.
I will start by saying that just as expected, the story line was NEVER clear to me; there were boxtrolls hiding in the sewers, running around with a kid and trying to escape the boxtrolls "exterminators", but the why and how of the story was never fully developed.
I don't think the story provides enough background in regards to how the boxtrolls came about or what the issue was with them... yes they do give a little info as to why people think they are evil, but I never really got the part of where they came from, what they do, what their purpose is, etc....
Also, there was never really a climax to this story.  The evil character's sole purpose was to earn a "white hat" so he can join the "cheese tasters" in a secret room.  Among the many things that weren't so endearing about the movie was the fact that the residents of the town had a strange fixation on cheese and the movie revolves around the value of exotic cheeses, which I don't think is a topic kids can really relate to.
Overall the characters were rather strange and despite the perfect animation and colorful scenes, the movie just never took off and even though the kids seemed to be enjoying it, it just fell flat.  There wasn't really anything too interesting about this film and it was borderline "creepy" and truly boring for my taste.
There was a subtle "feel good" message about family at the end of the movie but even that wasn't too clear and I'm sure the kids didn't really "get it"...
I would NOT recommend this movie to anyone with young children and there is a clear reason as to why it's rated PG and not G.  I give this one 1 out of 4 stars.. not worth it in my opinion....

Remembering my Grandma on her birthday....

I never imagined my life without you, in all of my existence I never fathomed the idea of you not being there to guide me, to laugh with me, to bless me or to simply have a Scrabble afternoon where we would discuss valid acronyms or two letter words that would skew our game just that much... you were fun, Grandma... you were so awesome to be around and something as simple as holding your hand could comfort me to no end on any given day. 

I always looked forward to that time of the day when I could come visit you and sit next to you in your room; whether we were having a trivial conversation about how much I hated my job or a serious discussion about how to raise my daughters, every word that you uttered was full of wisdom and love and that is something I will never forget. 

Your hands were soft, so was your hair; I never told you how much I loved hugging you and holding your cold hands....why were your hands cold all the time? I always found that so strange but also so cool about you... you would squeeze my hand tightly every time I went to kiss you good-bye, like you never wanted me to leave... and oh Grandma.. how I wish I could feel that squeeze one more time! I will never forget that last hand squeeze on the day you died; you were so aware of what was happening and I am sure you were terrified but you still managed to tell me how much you loved me and how much you would miss me... oh Grandma.. how painful it is not to have you around, especially on this day...

You would have been 86 today; we would be celebrating and singing a loud "Happy Birthday" song, you would be holding my hand, I would be enjoying you and loving you like I did every single day of my life and we would be eating cake... you loved cake and I loved your sweet tooth... I loved everything about you my dear Grandma!

Today my world feels a little sadder and life is a whole lot emptier but somehow I know that you are celebrating BIG today and all the angels are throwing you the party you deserve.  I know you wouldn't like to know that it took so much of me to write this post and that I can barely see what I'm typing because of the tears that fog my eyes, gosh my eyes are literally burning...it hurts so much Grandma!

We will release tons of balloons to the sky today, in your name and in the name of every wonderful moment that we were blessed to spend with you.  Please smile for us, Grandma and know that you are ever present in our lives and in every single thing we do. 

I love you and miss you forever!

The following are two pictures of my Grandma celebrating her 80th birthday; full of life and love.  I am sure the mariachis are playing for her today and her soul is joyful and grateful just like it was in this picture!  This day is for you, Grandma! Happy Birthday!

Raising Appreciative Kids

As a mother, I believe it is my responsibility to give my children everything they need; I give them food, clothes, school supplies and MUCH more... I perceive them as happy and content children whose needs and wants are always met and I, in turn, feel satisfied for doing a "good" job... but am I REALLY doing a good job?  I know my children are content...but are they APPRECIATIVE? Do they really understand what things are worth?  Do they grasp how LUCKY they really are to have what they have?....furthermore.. am I giving them TOO much?
We live in such a wasteful society, where we take everything for granted and nothing holds true value... iPhone 6 coming out?  Yes!  $749?  Who cares!  I still have a perfectly good 5s but I GOTTA have the new cooler looking model... When did that train of thought become our norm?
I was at the Chick-fil-A drive-thru the other day and my order had two drinks, the guy put the two cups in a carton cup holder and before I even touched it I gently told him I didn't need it since my car has a cup holder; he quickly said "ok" and proceded to trash a perfectly good cup holder without hesitation.  A similar thing happened to me at a Greek food place when I asked for a water cup and when the girl grabbed two by mistake, she simply tossed the other one in the trash.  Now, some people might argue that "procedure policies" require this sort of behavior, but I find it very sad to think that it's OK to just waste things for no reason.... I could come up with a ton of similar stories that convey the exact same message...but for practical purposes I won't do that....
So the problem lies with the fact that this unappreciative society is where our children are growing up; to them it's normal to throw perfectly good things in the trash, it's acceptable to want newer things just "because" and they have a constant expectation of having more; it's like they are genetically programmed to never be fully satisfied and to feel like there's always something missing.  Our children are growing up believing that they are entitled to millions of toys, never-ending entertainment and endless "things" that really never teach them anything and never fill the emotional voids that are part of life; we aren't teaching our kids to be appreciative because we live a constant state of "excess", we aren't promoting positive emotions and we certainly aren't nurturing caring feelings.
So how can we raise appreciative kids?  What are some of the basic concepts that can help our children become rich in feelings and emotions rather than rich in needless possessions? Can we do this collectively as a society?  Can we change the negative spiral effect that we are part of?
I have compiled a list of things that can contribute in changing these negative patterns of self-absorption and materialism into positive appreciation and a desire to focus on intangible things.
Here are some of my observations:

• Encourage basic manners: teaching your kids to say "please" and "thank you" goes a long way.  When you teach basic manners, you are building a foundation of appreciation and you are enabling your child to value other people's emotions by showing respect at all times. 
• Teach them the concept of money: kids NEED to know how much things cost and consequently they should understand the process involved in making money. We can't raise kids who are oblivious about the fact that money does not come out of a black hole and that parents need to work hard in order to obtain the money that goes towards purchasing everything they have.  Allowances and money management lessons are great approaches. 
• Expose them to the needs of the world: making a child aware of the needs in the rest of the world allows him to understand his place in society and it helps in making him more considerate of others and be more appreciative of what he has. We were at church the other day and the priest brought up and astounding fact: "In places like Haiti, $100 can feed a family of 4 for a WHOLE YEAR". Can you think about the last time you spent $100 on a special birthday dinner?  I can!  I'm sure more than one person will answer yes to this question.
• Give them responsibility: a child is more likely to understand the value of hard work when he has to perform some sort of duty, whether it's a small chore at home or some other type of "work; it is highly advisable to get children engaged in some sort of contributing routine.  When you give a task to a child, you change the focus from what they can GET to what they can GIVE and that makes for a very positive change. 
• Do not engage in consumerism: Consumerism is one of the worst ailments of our society; it encourages the acquisition of goods and services in greater amounts that are needed. When parents live a life of over-consumption, a child is more likely to model such behavior and interpret it as acceptable; this then become a cycle that is hard to break so it's best to never start it.  Stick to NEEDS vs. WANTS!
• Do not give into the "gimmes": when we give children more than they need, we are creating an expectation of "get-get-get" and we are weakening their character by placing excessive value on things rather than on developing strong relationships with the people around them. So as hard as it may be, parents need to stop encouraging the notion of effortless rewards and vane possessions. 
• Encourage children to become "givers": you may be surprised how much children enjoy giving and parents should always encourage children to find pleasure in sharing and helping others.  A toy drive around the holidays or a canned food donation will go a long way in teaching this lesson.  When we promote a "giving" attitude, we are more likely to raise children that appreciate what they get, no matter how little it may be.  

These are only a few of the things that will help parents in raising more appreciative kids.  We must always remember that the change starts with us parents and that we are raising tomorrow's leaders.  Let's keep making the world a better place by teaching our kids the value of people, emotions and feelings and by helping them understand their place in society.  We need to appreciate our world in order for the world to appreciate us!

Happy blogging!

"Doc McStuffins: School of Medicine": DVD release & giveaway

**Update: This Giveaway has been closed! A winner has been randomly selected and her prize has been shipped! Thank you for participating and please check back for upcoming giveaways!**

It's time for a check up!
Last week we visited Disney's Hollywood Studios and spent some time with the Doc; we saw the Disney Jr show, which is still one of Gaby's favorites even though she's not a "baby" anymore.
The Doc McStuffins show features some of the most adorable characters and stories; I really enjoy the little songs and all of the episodes where she treats the toys and nurses them back to health.

The latest Doc McStuffins DVD is being released on Sept 9th; it features the "School of Medicine" episode along with 5 other bonus episodes where the adorable Doc does her thing, cures the toys and saves the day.  My kids particularly enjoyed this DVD and it is a great addition to their collection.

In honor of this release, I am hosting a special giveaway, where one lucky reader will receive a copy of the new Doc McStuffins DVD with the special "School of Medicine" episode.  Even though the DVD is geared to younger children, anyone can enter for a chance to win!

All you need to do is either comment below or on the FB post and I will contact the lucky winner within the next few days.  The DVD will be mailed to the winner within a week!  Good luck and happy blogging! :)

"Live Your Dream" campaign

I was recently approached by a representative from Kabbage, a small business loans company that helps people achieve their goals and dreams every day, making for a better future, inviting me to participate in the "Live Your Dream" campaign.
Well.. believe it or not, I face a big challenge when it comes to talking about myself.  While I do like to share my ideas and write about parenting and such, I can never come up with specific things to say about ME!  I spent countless hours writing about my kids and their friends, our trips and adventures, parenting tips and a bunch of other stuff that fill this blog's archive, but when someone asks me "what are YOUR dreams?", I find myself often doing some serious soul searching and then I get nothing.  Now, I'm not saying I DON'T HAVE dreams, of course I do.. I want to travel the world, I want to help the poor, save stray animals and so on and I'm sure I could write A LOT about each one of those, however, I decided to give my readers a chance to participate in this wonderful campaign.
A few weeks ago, I posted an invitation on my Facebook page inviting people to submit essays about their dreams and the response was overwhelming and so gratifying... I really enjoye getting so many notes and emails about people's dreams and for a moment, I traveled in time seeing all those dreams coming true.. how wonderful!
So.. with those people's permission, I will now post some excerpts about dreams and plans from some of my readers:

"I am a single mom and I have a career that I am good at but that isn't enough. I want it all! I want to travel and see the world. I want my kids to have every experience and chatter at the dinner table about "the time we did/saw...". my goals and dreams are to teach my children the value of hard work and aspiration. My goal is to raise two men that value hard work and encourage each other to never give up. My goals aren't just for me but for them. My dreams are for my kids to see they aren't another stereotype from a broken home but that I have made the best of the situation and don't get discouraged. You can reach all of your goals if you are determined and work hard, whether it's thousands of dollars spent for a piece of paper or an iron man helmet, you reached your goal!"- Megan B.  (Virginia Beach, VA)

"Presently, my dream is living in a rustic cottage or airy apartment with simple furniture, near the ocean. A small laid back community without the traffic and madness of the big city, somewhere where I can breath the ocean air, feel the sand in my toes and develop my two hobbies into a small business that will bring a small income and lots of pleasure. I am exhausted physically and mentally and have come to think that reaching a simple goal  is more difficult in todays society than the materialistic dreams of: having a home, a fine car, jewels, money and status. Some how a simple life seems to go against the grain of today's world, it feels like struggling madly to get free from a sticky and giant cobweb!"- Clarissa B.  (Miami, FL)

"I want to create a Rescue for cats. I'd like to work with local shelters and be able to save kittens and older cats by finding them homes around the country.  I believe that as much as shelters want to help, they don't have the resources necessary to keep all cats healthy.  I would like to register my rescue and create a 501(c)3 and grow my project little by little...but I need A LOT of money for that!"- Julie F. (Hollywood, FL)

"I am the owner of a Montessori school in Florida.  I love to see all children learning and growing and strongly believe that Montessori is an amazing philosophy.  My dream is to grow my school by building additional classrooms and expanding the property.  Having this school has taught me so much and my dream is to be one of the best institutions out there"- Martyna B. (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)

"My dream is to develop a call center that provides support in the technology.  I currently work in the technology field and through my work I have learned about the many challenges people face when implementing new technology; I have realized that so many people miss out on technology because they don't know about it or because they can't find the support necessary to apply what they know or learn more.  My call center would be a great option for big or small companies looking to outsource this service through a smaller partner"- Ignacio P. (Pembroke Pines, FL)

"I would like to materialize one of my inventions.  A few years ago, I came up with a product idea that would simplify the way in which people dispose of their garbage.  Even though I can't talk about product specifics, I believe if I had an investor or money to fund my project, this could revolutionize the industry. So, in short, my dream is to be able to fund my invention and see how it does in the market"- Henny C. (Pembroke Pines, FL)

"My wife is a great artist and she has developed an amazing skill that consists of making drawings out of sand; she has created amazing masterpieces with simple materials and I am always in awe with her artistic abilities.  She is great with children so my dream is to rent or buy a small space where she can teach children to draw with sand.  I envision her having a little art school where kids can attend after school and learn about this wonderful art form that my wife is so good at"- Renato C. (Barcelona, Spain)

I received so many responses for this campaign and I was really overwhelmed with all the positivism from my readers.  Hearing about people's dreams somehow made this experience SO MUCH BETTER than if I had decided to write about my own.  This experience has taught me that there is so much more to people than what we see; that we all have so many different dreams and plans and we all have to work hard at it to achieve what's on our hearts and minds.
This campaign has also inspired me to think harder not only about what I want but about how to execute those plans and make them my reality!


Happy Blogging..and Happy dreaming!!  :)