Disney Side Celebration Party #DisneySide

Disclosure:  I was given the opportunity to host a Disney Side @Home Celebration from Disney Parks and Mom Select.  I anticipate receiving complimentary products to host the party as well.  As always, my opinions are my own.

Woohoo!!  I was selected out of tons and tons of applicants to host a Disney Side @Home Celebration Party just last week.  I am pretty excited about it.  We had so much fun on our Disney Cruise/ Disney World vacation a few years ago...we can't wait to do it again!  The Disney Magic just had us spellbound from our huge suite with the balcony and roomy bath to all the Disney characters...to the private island with magical "snow" when we arrived. We adore all the classic and new Disney movies and own a bunch of them.  We just saw Frozen in the theatre....can't wait to see it again.  My little one loves The Disney Channel shows too...great programming that I feel good about.  Daddy and I very often sit with her to watch "Good Luck Charlie" and her other faves.  

 

Disney wants you to find your fun loving Disney Side because everyone has one. You know, the side that laughs out loud when you are watching Frozen with your kids in spite of yourself. The one that decides to get your hair braided when you are on that fun Disney Cruise with family. You know the one. Disney is going to help you find it again!

Families like mine who were selected to host a Disney Side @Home Celebration will be holding their celebrations sometime during the last two weeks of February. All the lucky hosts get an amazing kit containing Disney themed party favors, decorations, games, activities and recipe ideas.  It is so adorable. A big suitcase filled with all kinds of craft ideas for an amazing party. All the Disney Side Hosts get the opportunity to personalize their @Home celebration and make it their own.  I am hosting a Frozen Disney @Home celebration. You can share in the fun and get some ideas for your own party by checking out the Disney Side Celebration website.  Disney is giving everyone the opportunity to share in the fun and happiness so get hopping and see what ideas Disney has cooked up.

Bruce Feiler’s “The Secrets of Happy Families” Kindle HDX Giveaway!

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe would be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255:  "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Wow, so I know all about the basis for this new book:  the Sandwich Generation. If you have little kids still living with you or older children that flown back to your comfy nest and are also taking care of your parents...you too are part of what the Bruce Feiler and many others call the "Sandwich Generation."
 
Feiler mentions other novel concepts that weren't around when we were kids like "Life Boating." It is the modern way to make it through life now...a totally new concept for families although challenging.  How we just jam in the lifeboat and try to stay alive paddling like crazy! Many of us have had to incorporate this changing lifestyle into the way we live day to day through no choice of our own.  Holiday celebrations are an opportunity for disagreements and lots of tension with teenagers texting and parents health issues.  Many families are falling apart more often than they used to on a regular basis. I see this with many of my friends and colleagues.  It can get so stressful!  Okay, so what was the catalyst to all this crazy dysfunction in families?  Feiler shares that all in his fascinating book.  Even more important, the author shares  what it is that makes some families effective, resilient, functioning and just, well....happy.  Isn't that what we all want in the long run?  I truly think so I just think many of us need some direction.
 
Feiler discusses how today's parents can navigate all these new paths that are a reality now.  The big stuff like teaching discipline and negotiating screen time. Throwing some fun in there too though. He says it is really possible!  He shares how it really is possible to keep timeless values in a world that prizes instant gratification with texting and internet 24 hours a day via small and big screens. He shows you how to actually find time to be a couple and still be good parents.  Feiler discusses how you can rewrite the book of life rules and introduces some interesting but not totally novel concepts. Bruce Feiler is very open that most of the ideas he brings into play in the big are not big old secrets.  Some of his sources that he shares are the Harvard Negotiation Project, ESPN coaches, Green Berets and even Warren Buffet's banker as well as Silicon Valley game designers. Kind of wacky but it all comes together.  Coaches know alot about building teams, and bankers know how to make money work for you as in allowances for example. 

The author has some simple ideas on how to connect as a family.  How about bringing a new vocabulary word to the dinner table each night? We are big readers (well, at least my daughter and I are!) so we liked that idea.  Even my hubby thought it was great. We thought that was very doable as we do eat dinner together most every night. If you don't that one isn't going to work for you. But you could even keep a dictionary in the car and introduce the word on the way to activities each day if you have that kind of schedule.

The author reminds us not to forget to share our history with our children. This is a key concept in The Secrets of Happy Families. You want your children to feel like they are part of the family.  Our daughter loves to hear our stories over and over. Gramma is good about sharing too and these are classics for us. I was glad to hear about this because we have been doing this since our daughter was a toddler. She loves to hear Gramma's hurricane story from her childhood. How about my Chicken Gumbo Soup story. Yup.

Another idea Feiler suggested was permitting your children to pick their own punishments.  I was kind of dubious about this but he says that kids tend to be harsher with themselves than we would be with them.  He goes on to say that the children feel more invested in the rules when they have a say in the consequences. I have to think about this one. Bruce Feiler also suggests weekly family meetings...I think this might be an excellent suggestion for a larger family. We have one child so we are pretty focused...perhaps when you have 4 or 5 children it is a great idea to check in with a meeting once a week so everyone is on the same page.  He mentions the life skills kids learn at these meetings from team leadership, negotiating and building winning teams.

As a busy working mom who is very involved with her family, I would recommend giving The Secrets of Happy Families a read.  There are definitely some tidbits that are takeaways for any family with children. Not everything is going to work for every family but there are a lot of great concepts that are useful and something for every family big and small. 

Would you just LOVE to win a Kindle HDX?  Enter here and good luck to everyone!

Book Review Where Courage Calls by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan Plus Chat with Janette Oke and enter to win an iPad Mini!Giveaway

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe would be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Where Courage Calls by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan is a sweet book that tells the tale of Beth Thatcher.  I love these kinds of books especially in the winter. It is nice to get lost in a little romantic book.  It is an easy read that has some nice character build up.  Nothing too complicated but enough to drift into it easily.  I finished it over a weekend and really enjoyed it.

Beth Thatcher has always lived a safe and comfortable life with her family and her friends. Daddy's wealth allowed her to have a lovely social life with no worries. Beth decides to abandon her safe life and accept a position teaching in the rustic mountains of western Canada.  She was inspired and spurred on by her favorite Aunt Elizabeth who had taken a similar round several years before. Even her father encouraged her to take this step.  Beth puts her trust in G-d to help her face this challenge and sets out to head to Coal Valley for her teaching position.  She is totally unaware how her courage and her heart will be tested over the coming months ahead of her.

She arrives in the rugged town of Coal Valley and is completely taken aback.  The whole town is grieving after a horrible mining accident.  The children she is to teach have had almost no prior education which completely astounds her. Many of the residents don't even speak English. Schoolhouse.....you have got to be kidding. Nothing even close to resembling a proper schoolhouse.  In the midst of all this, Beth falls in love with two different Mounties.  One she has known since she was little and the other is a sweet and kind man who helps her more than a few times to get out of a jam.

Beth forges through all the setbacks and continues to try to help the children learn in this rustic town.  Beth's sister comes for a visit and Beth is flooded with luxurious reminders of her former life.  It is so difficult because Beth knows she could leave in a flash and have her lovely life back. Should she stay and make a difference or go back to all that luxury?

I really enjoyed this sweet book.  It was easy to read and kept me interested with all the subplots and relationships between the two men, her friends and her family back home.  I loved the setting for this book in Coal Valley.  It was really rustic and kind of historical...so very different from my suburban lifestyle that it was really refreshing and riveting to read about.  It was great to have her sister enter in after she is all settled and add a new element into the book with her family and new life mixing together and adding a sense of interest too. It was a fun read that you will definitely enjoy.

Don't forget to head to the chat with Janette and enter to win an ipad Mini!

Janette Oke's newest book, Where Courage Calls (co-written with her daughter, Laurel Oke Logan), is receiving rave reviews. It is the companion story to Hallmark Channel's TV series When Calls the Heart, set in the Canadian west.

Janette and Laurel are celebrating with an iPad Mini giveaway and a Facebook author chat party on March 4th.

One winner will receive:

• iPad Mini
• Where Courage Calls by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan
• When Calls the Heart DVD

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on March 4th. Winner will be announced at the Where Courage Calls Facebook Party on March 4th. Connect with Janette and Laurel for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more!

So grab your copy of Where Courage Calls and join Janette and Laurel on the evening of March 4th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today by clicking JOIN on the event page. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 4th!

LuxLock 14k Gold Earring Replacement Backs Review

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe would be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255:  "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

I know it has happened to you, me and almost every other gal out there.  You know what I am talking about.  The dreaded weak earring backs that slip off...then you lose one of your favorite earrings.  I admit it...I have crawled on floors to look I have gotten that desperate. You know how it is when it is one of your very favorite pairs of earrings. So frustrating!  So you can imagine my excitement when I heard about LuxLock...a patented system that sets a new standard for the security and quality of earring backs. I was ready to check them out and see how this worked.  

The patented LuxLock earring back replacement system uses a strong stainless steel spring within a stunning and easy-to-handle 14kt gold clutch. See how perfectly they work on my CZ stud earrings (earrings are not included with LuxLock backs) in the photo below! The earrings sit perfectly...no drooping. 

LuxLock firmly grips for security by easily sliding onto your earrings and then just locking right into place. Perfectly and easily.  LuxLock is effective on even the most expensive earrings.  No more lopsided earrings either. See how even they look on me?  Forget those constant adjustments too.  The weight of the gold balances and centers the earring on your ear for the most elegant of presentations.  Now you can wear your most treasured earrings without worries or anxiety.  I can't wait for my next vacation...LuxLock is coming with me.  I know I will look wonderful in my earrings and feel confident even with my most treasured pieces.  You can totally replace your old earring backs with the LuxLock.  

Now I truly love that LuxLock is manufactured 100% in the United States with high-quality gold.  I always feel good about supporting US based businesses.   LuxLock is the only luxury earring clutch available currently that combines strength, style and effortless simplicity.

You can get more information on LuxLock by looking at their lovely products and by following them for updates on all your favorite social networks including Facebook, Youtube and Ebay.