Father's Day Gift idea

Disclaimer   I was given products in this post for the purpose of review.  I was not paid to write this review.  All opinions are my own

Every time I go to my dad's house I get a short history lesson.  And he never repeats a lesson!  My dad sits for hours watching documentaries and history shows.  I never mind though, because I myself am very interested in all things history.  The reason I am telling you this is because Father's day is literally only a few days away and the time to shop is all but gone, but don't worry dear readers I got you covered :)... Well only if your dad likes history like my dad

PBS offers a huge selections of historical  dvd sets.  I decided to review The Vietnam War set.  It has over 1080 minute of content!  Perfect for my history buff dad!

 

THE VIETNAM WAR: A FILM BY KEN BURNS AND LYNN NOVICK

Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s ten-part, 18-hour documentary series, “THE VIETNAM WAR” tells the epic story of one of the most consequential, divisive, and controversial events in American history as it has never before been told on film. Visceral and immersive, the series explores the human dimensions of the war through revelatory testimony of nearly 80 witnesses from all sides -- Americans who fought in the war and others who opposed it, as well as combatants and civilians from North and South Vietnam. The series includes rarely seen, digitally re-mastered archival footage from sources around the globe, photographs taken by some of the most celebrated photojournalists of the 20th Century, historic television broadcasts, evocative home movies, and secret audio recordings from inside the Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon administrations. “THE VIETNAM WAR” features more than 100 iconic musical recordings from greatest artists of the era, and haunting original music from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross as well as the Silk Road Ensemble featuring Yo-Yo Ma.

LEHIGH VALLEY ZOO

I live in a small town in Pennsylvania.  A lot of people over look my little state when planning their vacations!  But our little state has so much to offer.  Over the next few weeks I am going to tell you about several places that are a must see here in PA!

Up first is the Lehigh Valley Zoo.  So when you think of a zoo I'm sure you just imagine checking out animals from afar.  Which is true in most cases, but not Lehigh Valley zoo, going their is an entire different experience. 

Sometimes you even get to get up close and personal!  We started our day by going into the Kangaroo exhibit.  Yes people I said we went inside.   There is a roped off path, now the kangaroos never got to close to us, but had they wanted to they could!  My kids kept trying to get them to come closer.  I wont lie I'm 31 years old and even I was excited to be that close to a kangaroo!

 After that we got to watch the penguins eat.  

And there was even a speaker teaching us all about them.  When my boys got home last night my hubby got an earful on all things penguins.  So far so good, but the best part was yet to come!

We got to feed the giraffes!!  Yes people we got to go right up to them and feed them!!  Did you know a giraffe has a 18" tongue!

And speaking of feeding we also got to feed the goats, hens and other farm animals.  The kids had a blast doing this

There was a play ground, which I really appreciated.  After walking around to all the exhibits my dad and I needed a little break.  There was lots of places to rest, but my kids were having a go-go-go kind of day.  Another I really appreciated was the fact you never hand to walk far to find a rest room. 

There was so many different kind of animals to see.  And even though we couldn't go into all of their pens like we did the kangaroo we still got really close! 

 This guy (the ostrich) was my favorite!  The bar in front of him, he kept acting like he was eating something off of it!  The more my kids and I giggled the more he did it.  He or she was def. a silly bird!

 We also got a kick out of this guy.  He was actually sitting on his butt with his feet propped out in front of him as he ate!  

The other thing I really liked is my kids were able to interact with a lot of the exhibits.  There was photo opportunities and even fun facts posted about all the animals!   Even I was surprised to learn a giraffes heart is 2 feet!!

 When you are planning your next vacation def. consider this zoo!  You don't just see animals you get to experience them in a whole new way!

BIZ helping me to hide Life's dirty little secrets

I was given products in this post for the purpose of review.  I was not paid to write this review.  All opinions are my own.

I have two little boys, ages 7 and 10.  My little boys play baseball, football, soccer and basketball.  

Now these are the sports they play for school, at home they're also convinced they are professional mud wrestlers and advent tree climbers.  Sticks and dirt are their tools of choice, and grass must be rolled around on.  Puddles cannot go unjumped in and if we are eating half the bottle of ketchup must be dumped on our food.
 

Needless to say their clothing is the thing of nightmares.

2 weekends ago I took Quinn to Gymboree to do some summer clothing shopping.  $100 later we had two huge bags of clothing and a very happy little boy.  The next day he had to go to my grandmothers, I had a ladies event at church.  My nanny and pappy planned to stay home and just hang out with him.  3 hours later I go down and realize my cousin's little boys were over as well...  And those $30 cute little cargo shorts I got him were now navy blue and mud colored!  My normal detergent can handle every day stains and odors.  This was no normal stain, this was the mother ship of stains!  It was so bad some mud even got under his pants and into his underwear!  So dear readers this is my dirty little secret, my kids are a hot mess! 

 If you see me at church or school you will think "oh wow her kids always look so put together and clean".  Trust me it is just an illusion, some days I think they compete with each other to see who can get the messiest.  

At this point I normally panic, but no need to fear... This mama is now fighting back with the power of BIZ!

What is BIZ you  may ask?

It is a laundry boosting, stain-fighting must have item for every laundry room! Not only does it get out dirt, but also every day stains like food or even grease! No two stains are the same, so different stains require different ingredients to be rid of them. Sadly there is no one ingredient to clean them all. So why not have all of them in one? Most brand do not offer that, but BIZ® didn't cut any corners... Biz has more stain fighters than other brands. That's why it works better. 

How ever you are currently washing you clothing, you need to stop, because they aren't really clean unless they are BIZ clean.

 It comes in a powder, liquid, pods and even pen form.  Whatever your laundry  needs are BIZ is there to save the day...  Well maybe not the day, but def. your laundry!!! 

Want to learn more?  Check them out here:
BIZ 

Spy Thriller RED SPARROW Now Available on Digital and Movies Anywhere

Disclaimer:  I was given products in this post for the purpose of review.  I was not paid to write this review

The quickest way to get me interested in a movie is to tell me Jennifer Lawrence is in it.  I adored her in The Hunger Games, and I just feel like any role she plays she nails it.  Such was the case in her all new movie The Red Sparrow

Who can you trust? Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment presents a suspense-driven spy drama RED SPARROW available on Digital and Movies Anywhere today. In this international spy thriller, Academy Award® Winner Jennifer Lawrence is Dominika, a former ballerina forced to enter Sparrow School, a secret government program that thrusts her into a treacherous espionage game between Russia and the CIA. She emerges trained as a lethal agent, but is trapped in a world she desperately wants to escape. Red Sparrow "twists and turns until the shocking conclusion" (Andrew Freund, Dish Nation, FOX-TV) – you will not see coming. Director Francis Lawrence (Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Mockingjay Parts 1 & 2) reunites with in this edge-of-your-seat spy thriller. RED SPARROW includes over 90 minutes of bonus material that takes you inside the making of the film, exploring real-life source material with the author, cast commentary, deleted scenes and much more. 

 SPECIAL FEATURES

• A New Cold War: Origination and Adaptation
• Agents Provocateurs: The Ensemble Cast
• Tradecraft: Visual Authenticity
• Heart of the Tempest: On Location
• Welcome to Sparrow School: Ballet and Stunts
• A Puzzle of Need: Post-Production
• Director Commentary by Francis Lawrence
• 10 Deleted Scenes (With Optional Commentary by Francis Lawrence)
• Movies Anywhere Digital Code 

   So here are a few of the things I love
Great story line -  I felt like I was kept on the edge of my seat the entire movie.  And everytime I thought I had something figured out there would be a new twist.  Not just some random twist, but a twist that made sense and enriched the story!
Great acting - I know it was just a movie, but I felt the actors/actresses really got into their role.  Nothing felt forced.
Characters -  So many of them had great story lines and even after the movie was over I felt myself wanting to know where they ended up.  They were all interesting and watching them interact is what made this a great movie

I do want to mention this movie is def. not for kids!  There is some parts that can be hard to stomach even for an adult.  But if you are into action packed movies, that keep you guessing this one is def. for you

Celebrate Mister Rogers' 50th Anniversary

Disclaimer I was given products in this post for the purpose of review.  I was not paid to write this review.  All opinions are my own

I remember as a little girl the sound of Mister Rogers singing its a wonderful day in the neighborhood was enough to make me stop everything I was doing to run and watch.  I adored him as a child and his also kind/calm demeanor.  Mister Rogers understood kids and understood that even though we were small we had big feelings.  He never once shamed us for them, but instead helped us to understand them.

I don't know about you, but I am pretty excited about the 50th Anniversary DVD set being released by PBS.

 MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD: IT’S A BEAUTIFUL DAY COLLECTION

 This special set of 32 memorable episodes and over 15 hours of content celebrates the 50^th anniversary of the beloved Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, the pioneering children’s television series from The Fred Rogers Company. Mister Rogers helps children learn the importance of being kind to others, appreciating what makes everyone unique, recycling and taking care of our planet, and much more in the classic series. The new release also includes a very special bonus episode – the series premiere, in original black-and-white! 

“MISTER ROGERS’ NEIGHBORHOOD: IT’S A BEAUTIFUL DAY COLLECTION” will be available on March 27, 2018 ($19.99 SRP). The four-disc collection has a total run time of 928 minutes. Episodes of the program are also available for digital download.

Through his popular daily TV visits, generations of young children have grown up with the kind and gentle Mister Rogers, who created a calm and safe place that welcomed all to his neighborhood. With real-life guests, adventurous field trips and charming make-believe segments, the iconic Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood encouraged kids ages 2-5 to learn about themselves and the world around them, speaking directly to the series’ young audience with his unique one-to-one affirmation of their self-worth. Celebrity guest stars have included: Tony Bennett, Julia Child, Margaret Hamilton, Michael Keaton, Yo-Yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis, Rita Moreno, and Bill Nye.

Episodes featured on the DVD include:

Helping Children Know What to Expect at School

Creating with Friends is Different than Playing Alone

Play is the Work of Childhood

Respecting All Living Creatures

Opera Day

Ups and Downs of Friendship

Learning about Rules and Limits

Appreciating the People Who Came Before

Food and Love Go Hand in Hand

Music As a Way to Express Feelings

Families Come in Different Shapes and Sizes

Celebrating Big and Little Things

Lots of Different Things for Play and Pretending

Each Person is Unique – Yet We All Have Much in Common

Being Kind to Ourselves and Others

Nobody Knows What You’re Thinking Unless You Tell Them

Games Can Be Fun, But Not If You’re Left Out

Recycling and Other Ways to care for Our Planet

Learning to Take Care of Yourself

Trying on Different Roles

We All Have Art Inside of Us

Understanding Concepts of Up and Down

The Strength of Love – Even Through Angry Times

Appreciating our Uniqueness

Some Things Change…Some Things Stay the Same

Needing Help and Giving Help

Feeling Good About Who We Are

Encouraging Generosity and Gratitude

Strengths and Limitations, Abilities and Disabilities    
Wondering and Asking Questions

Enjoying Books and Recognizing Symbols

Valuing All Kinds of Art