Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium - Movie Review

Rated: G
Released: 2007
Genre: Comdey, Fantasy, Family

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This movie. It's incredible! This movie is about a lady named Molly Mahoney, the manager of Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, a store that runs on magic. But when 243 year old Mr. Magorium decides to pass on the shop because his time is done, the store starts to get sad, dark, and the magic... is just gone, and it's up to Molly to figure out how to get it back.
I love this, there's no words to explain just how incredible it is. The quirkyness, the words, the hat collection. It's just...oh you'll just have to watch it!


Trailer:

Gluten Free Friday: Vanilla Blueberry Healthy Grains KIND Bar Review

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This has been my top favorite KIND bar lately. There's always one in my bag when I go out just in case I need something to hold me over.
It's sweet, fruity from the blueberries and hint of vanilla, and it's nice and chewy. Better yet, Gluten Free. One major thing I love about KIND. When eating gluten free it's a little hard to get any the whole grains when everything is made with rice and corn, these bars are a perfect way to get them in.




Ingredients:

Whole Grains, Gluten Free Oats, Brown Rice, Millet, Gluten Free Oat Flour, Buckwheat, Amaranth, Quinoa, Tapioca Syrup, Evaporated Cane Juice, Honey, Non GMO Canola Oil, Brown Rice Syrup, Gum Acacia, Vanilla Extract, Blueberry Puree, Apple Puree, Plum Puree, Apple Juice, Glycerine, Sea Salt, Natural Vitamin E, Citrus Fiber, Citrus Pectin, Natural Blueberry Flavor.

Calories	140
Fat Calories	35
Total Fat	4g
Saturated Fat	0g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	75mg
Total Carb	24g
Dietary Fiber	2.5g
Sugars	7g
Protein	2g

The Series of Unfortunate Events Book 1-3 by Lemony Snicket - Review

Just recently I've gone back to reading the first 3 books of The Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket and I thought I'd right up a quick review while it's still decently fresh in my mind.


The book I have is the first three books in one. The Bad Beginning(book 1), The Reptile Room(book 2), and The Wide Window(book 3). I'm sure most of the 80's- early or mid 90's kid have heard of this series or at least seen the movie that Jim Carrey stared in.

Now, book one. The Bad Beginning. Their is three children, the Baudelaire's. Violet, the oldest daughter, she's an inventor, you'll know when she's trying to invent something because she always ties her hair up in a ribbon. Klaus, the middle child, he's a reader, he reads everything. And Sunny, the youngest daughter and baby. She has four teeth that she bites everything with. The Baudelaire children lost their parents in a horrible accident and are requested to be looked after by family members, Mr. Poe, a cough-a-holic banker who watches after their families fortune, tries to find them a good guardian who can watch after them.
First guardian, Count Olaf. A very tall scrawny evil man who is obsessed with eyeball shaped....things! He's has a theater crew that are just as wretched as himself. Count Olaf is very much aware of the Baudelaire's fortune and is determined to get it by marrying Violet in one of his plays.

~~ Review ~~

I really liked this book, it wasn't drawn out or boring, the only thing that I don't really mind is the whole 'in which this word means ___' which I think most people who've read the series have found a love/hate relationship with it. BUT I really do like how it was written out.
It is a little more darker than what I had remember, but it has been years since I've read the series. And there is name calling of 'idiots' and what not every here and there, so if you are against that, than... now you know.

Book Two, The Reptile Room

After the Baudelaire's dealed with their wonderful Count Olaf, Mr. Poe had taken them to their beloved Uncle Monty, an amazing sounding herpetologist, that prefers to eat dinner together in the dining room and make coconut cream cake along with giving the children their own room, and planning to take them on his trip to Peru with his new, fill-in for Gustav, assistant Stephano.
They all study together in Monty's reptile room where he has books and books of all the reptiles he's come across, along with a collection of different venoms, oh, and his discovery of a giant, giant blak snake that he's decided to call 'The Incredibly Deadly Viper'.

~~ Review ~~

This is probably my absolute most favorite book so far. I love Uncle Monty, and dare do I say, I wish he was one of my Uncle's too. How could would he be? To spend a day studying different creatures with? Anywho. Again. One of my top favorites. I don't feel like this one is as dark, it's just more of a book with an unfortunate event rather than something morbid. Also, there is use of swearing(just one word), but I still feel the need to mention it.


Book Three, The Wide Window

The children are off again to find their newest guardian. Queue Aunt Josephine, the lady who is absolutely terrified of everything. The oven, don't touch the phone, it make electrocute you, oh and realtors. Do. Not. Under any circumstances, mention a relator.
The kids spend their evenings having cucumber soup and having proper grammar lessons, especially Sunny, poor poor Sunny.
One day at the market their Aunt runs into a rather decent man named Captain Sham who owns his own boat sailing company business.
After a bit, Captain Sham calls Aunt Josephine to set up a surprise for the children that they aren't too thrilled about, but that's okay, Captain Sham actually saves their lives! While...possibly... not saving anothers...

~~ Review ~~


This one was defiantly darker. I'm pretty sure my jaw dropped a few times. This book too has the name calling. My favorite part of this book was when they got to the cave and the conversation Klaus had to have with their damsel in distress. I thought that that was pretty funny in a ha-ha kinda way.



All in all, I really do like these books, I don't have the fourth or fifth book so I'm waiting to get that one before I continue the series, I'm not one of those people who can just skip it an go on with the series, I have to know everything that happened in-between, haha.

This is a link to the box set inc case you're interested in this series. Also, I promise that I'm not affiliated with Barnes & Noble, as much as I'd love to be, I am not.

ParaNorman Movie Review

Rated: PG
Released: 2012
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy

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Norman Babcock, a boy that can speak to the dead. No one but his best friend Neil believes him. One day Norman's Uncle tells him about this ritual that he must do to protect his town, Blithe Hollow, from a witch it sentenced years and years ago. Norman agrees to the plans but nothing goes just the way he'd hoped. The witch threatens his town and the dead rise. A group of new companions team together to try and help end the horrible curse.



Alright. I have some beef with this movie. Firstly. I don't know WHO judges the rating of movies, but whoever rated this movie to be PG is a little cray-cray. I personally don't see how butt-shots[although the characters were clothed], and mild language is PG acceptable. But, again, that's just me. Along with that, there was a gay reference.

Claymation movies tend to interest me, I did a claymation/stop-motion scene in tech and ever since that I have a new respect when it comes to these sort of movies because I know how much work it can take to make just a 30sec video.


However, I don't think it was a horrible movie or anything, but it wasn't also my favorite. I do like the fact that his family does come around to accepting Norman, and I find Neil to be one of those quirky characters that makes ya chuckle. Plus there is zombies, who doesn't like zombies?


Trailer:

Gluten Free Friday: KIND Oats & Honey with Toasted Coconut Healthy Grains Bar Review

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If you haven't noticed already, I'm a HUGE KIND bar fan. They're so good, and healthy!

The Oats & Honey is one I've been wanting to try for a while now and I just saw about a week or so ago that our Sheetz carries them, and today I picked one up.
It's so good! I was kind of expecting something along the lines of one of those Nature's Valley Oats 'n Honey Crunchy bars but the taste wasn't really there. These, of course, have coconut in them and they aren't as oat-y, I guess would be the best way to describe it. And they aren't as crunchy either, which I'm totally okay with. (side note: I''m not knocking the Nature Valley Bars, I was obsessed with those bars when I was younger.)
These, when you first bite it is crunchy, after that it's chewy, the flavor is good, not too sweet, and it's filling!


Ingredients [source]

Whole grain blend (oats, brown rice, millet, oat flour, buckwheat, amaranth, quinoa), tapioca syrup, dried cane syrup, honey, coconut, canola oil, brown rice syrup, gum acacia, sea salt, Vitamin E (to maintain freshness).

Vitamins and Minerals

Calcium (2%), Iron (6%)

Allergen Information

Contains coconut. Made in a facility that processes peanuts, tree nuts, soy and sesame seeds.

Serving Size	1 Bar (35g)
Calories	150
Fat Calories	45
Total Fat	5g
Saturated Fat	1.5g
Trans Fat	0g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	100mg
Total Carb	23g
Dietary Fiber	2.5g
Sugars	6g
Protein	2g

Getting Lost in a Good Book

There is something so nice about getting lost in a book. Your world changing into something completely different, become someone else, in a different place, with all these different people who feel like you've known forever.



Then you when you close the book you have a hard time functioning with reality.

Sunday I spent a good portion of the day reading. It wasn't even planned. Our library has ebooks that we can borrow books and read them on our computers or mobile devices (side note: I'm still coming around to the whole ebook thing. It's hard to be beat holding an actual book). I was looking through all the different books and came across one of my favorites: Dreamland by Sarah Dessen.
I believe this is the book that got me so into reading, the first book I ever really got lost in.
All day Sunday I was reading it, and it gave me a hangover. I still hangover from it-I feel guilty thinking about reading another book! How can that happen??
It's slowly fading though, I've been contemplating reading another. There's one picked out waiting for me. I'll get there.

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However, I was thinking the other day that I thought spending a day reading was on my bucket list, and it is! Yippie!

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Dreamland by Sarah Dessen Book Review

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"Wake up, Caitlin

Ever since she started going out with Rogerson Biscoe, Caitlin seems to have fallen into a semiconscious dreamland where nothing is quite real. Rogerson is different from anyone Caitlin has ever known. He's magnetic. He's compelling. He's dangerous. Being with him makes Caitlin forget about everything else--her missing sister, her withdrawn mother, her lackluster life. But what happens when being with Rogerson becomes a larger problem than being without him?" -- Goodreads

This book is so good, it gave me a hangover. It's been three days and I feel guilty at the thought of reading another book.
I loved the storyline of this, I loved Caitlin and the battles she was going through with herself, where she ended up, and just how she came to grips.
In my opinion this story is relateable, especially when you have someone you get the non-stop 'you two are so much alike' and wanting nothing more than to be the opposite. It's also nice that she doesn't have that white-picket fence of a family like some books have, it made the story run together so much smoother, it didn't seem like a total random thing that just came over the character.
I liked the development of Rogerson and the tug-and-pull Caitlin had of him, knowing she shouldn't, but still wanting it with everything she had.


Hands up to Sarah Dessen for another amazing book!