Thursday, February 6, 2014

The Monuments Men Movie Review

This movie opens TOMORROW and please go see it. You MUST go see it. Its absolutely moving.

here is the synopsis:
"Based on the true story of the greatest treasure hunt in history, The Monuments Men is an action drama focusing on seven over-the-hill, out-of-shape museum directors, artists, architects, curators, and art historians who went to the front lines of WWII to rescue the world’s artistic masterpieces from Nazi thieves and return them to their rightful owners.  With the art hidden behind enemy lines, how could these guys hope to succeed?  But as the Monuments Men found themselves in a race against time to avoid the destruction of 1000 years of culture, they would risk their lives to protect and defend mankind’s greatest achievements.  From director George Clooney, the film stars George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Jean Dujardin, Bob Balaban, Hugh Bonneville, and Cate Blanchett.  The screenplay is by George Clooney & Grant Heslov, based on the book by Robert M. Edsel with Bret Witter. Produced by Grant Heslov and George Clooney."

 This film has been rated PG-13 by the MPAA for: SOME IMAGES OF WAR VIOLENCE AND HISTORICAL SMOKING
Thanks to GraceHillMedia, I was asked to attend a media screening. Hubby and I went and we were really looking forward to this movie. Once we got there, some other media folks were saying that they heard it was a slow movie... a flop etc. After overhearing those remarks, I didn't have high hopes. 

THANKFULLY, they were mistaken. 

This movie actually left me a little speechless. I walked away with such a greater feeling of appreciation for those who serve our country. My Grandpa served in WWII and I have always had an interest in it. 
The Monuments Men is a telling story about 7 men who fight to keep the history alive. These men have wives, children, and are much too old to be back in the war. But they go. A few die. And at the end they are asked if, in 30 years, anyone will care what they did... what the cost was for the preserved art. 
I will let you decide that for yourself but in my opinion, I say YES! 

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Review: Grace Unplugged

Okay folks... mark your calendars and plan on going to see GRACE Unplugged on Oct 4th!



I was sent the books GRACE unplugged and OWN IT to review a few weeks ago. Not only are they fantastically uplifting BUT... they are also endearing and I found myself getting caught up in Gracie's life and rooting for her to find herself. I mean, what girl hasn't gone through a searching time life?? I went through more than one actually and while so very difficult, those were the times that changed me.

Grace Trey is a delightful character who, unbeknownst to her rock-star-turned-to-Jesus Dad, sends her music to his former agent and finds herself in LA as an aspiring singer. As you can imagine, she is faced with various trials and choices with  boys, her dream, and her faith.

Below is an excerpt taken from a press press release: " “Do you own your faith? Do you rent it? Or do you borrow it from your friends or family?” asks Russ Rice, one of the film’s producers and a consultant on the books. “Those are the questions Grace has to answer, and I hope the movie’s audience and the books’ readers answer them, too.”

With a little over a month until the movie release, YOU can score your own book to read before you see the film. The book will be released on Sept 1st and the movie on Oct 4th.

Click here for the GRACE unplugged website and trailer... and don't forget to to download the free song! Giveaway ends Aug 31 so hurry!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, August 26, 2013

Stand Up Paddleboard-ing: Best Date EVER

We recently celebrated our 6th Anniversary. Six years is a drop in the bucket really but I also feel that we have come such a long ways. Our love is deeper and our marriage is solid. We have grown into our roles as husband and wife and, at least for me, have become really comfortable with what that all means. 

One of the things we have such a belief about is PLAY. A couple that PLAYS TOGETHER STAYS TOGETHER

We have both discovered how much we enjoy Standup Paddleboarding or SUP. I first saw it 6 years ago in Hawaii and have been dreaming about my turn on the water ever since. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. If you have been thinking about it, don't wait! Go rent boards today.



We went again in Utah for our Anniversary. It was a blast. This time it was on Greco Boards

So here is my question... what is a hobby that you and your spouse enjoy TOGETHER???

Sunday, March 31, 2013

I hate April Fools Day

Just after we had our first baby, hubby called saying that she had fallen and I needed come home right now and we needed to go to the ER. So, I hurry and dash out of my meeting (totally crying thinking the worst is happening). Hubby calls back and says "Uhm,... April fools,....." !!!!

I know! Boy was I mad/relived/never going to forgive him. When I got home he said "Uhm... I am so so sorry. It was funny when I first thought about it, but then after I called you I realized it was a very bad idea. "

Needless to say, April Fools has been banned in our home. I HATE everything about the holiday. I think it is a mean and pointless day. Since our daughter is getting older and we now have a son, my heart has softened a little bit. Very very little bit. There are rules and guidelines now. No tricks can be played on Mommy. This day turns into a fun day for Hubby and the kids. This mom watches and laughs and tries to not be too negative. I did find a few fun tricks to play though. This one is a new favorite... well, I hope it will be!
What do you do for April Fools Day?
or is it banned from your home too?

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Monday, February 25, 2013

Week of Anticipation

In my class on Dating your spouse, I talked about Anticipation. 
Do you make a little invite for your date that night and give it to them?
How about sending a text/picture showing that you are looking forward to seeing them that night?
Paper Coterie has these little gems. FREE DOWNLOAD and they have a few ideas of what you can do with them as well. Head over and a get yours. Make this week one of anticipation! 

Friday, February 22, 2013

Just keepin' the fun going

One HUGE part in a happy marriage is having fun.
My Hubby and I have this running joke and it really probably wouldn't make sense even if I could put it all down on paper. But I thought I would share a little email I got.


Dear Makana,

You forget me and leave me. You never call except when you need me. I've had it and decided to run off with your husband.

Your phone

So whenever we forget something or lose something, we try to be CLEVER and WITTY in letting the other person know. Doesn't it make it so much more fun doing this was rather than "Hey, you left your phone in the car...."

I think yes. 

Chime in, what do you do to keep the fun going?

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

ONE DAY SALE! 50% OFF ULTIMATE DATE NIGHT

Its the FLASH SALE you will ever see. Why is it the best you ask? Well folks, because this will really rock your marriage... in a good way! Feb 14th 2013 any of these books are your for 50% off! I know, it doesn't really get any better right? Enter VALENTINE at checkout and be sure to spread the love.

Click here to view more details

If you forgot to get a little something for your love...

Head over to Life.Design.and the Pursuit of Craftiness and get your Date kit starting at $19.99

Monday, February 11, 2013

Happy Valentines to YOU!

And for a limited time, BrickYardBuffalo is having this print on sale

You.
HAVE.
to. go.
now.



Hubby's favorite treat...

... now made into a popcorn!
My sweet friend and former BYU -Hawaii bakery Co-worker has this INCREDIBLE Cooking blog. And she just came out with this little beauty.
Behold... the way to your man's heart. 
Hubby's all time favorite desert is the traditional Better than Sex cake. 
You know, the one with chocolate cake, sweetened condensed milk, whip cream, and toffee.... 
And lets be honest, who doesn't like that cake???!!!
Well, now this recipe for it in a chex mix version just made it to my top ten snacks. 
I love that it has everything about the cake that I love but now it is in a travel-friendly version. 
and who knows... maybe one little bowl-full of this miracle treat will lead to some sweet lovin' later on.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Things you don't know about me

For my Hubby's 30th I wanted to do something. (Did I mention I totally blew it for our 5th Anniversary  And by blew it, I mean it was my turn to plan and did not plan One. Single. Thing.)
I have done the "reasons I love you" and "here is a book of all your friends and family saying good things about you" and "here is a photo album of all our memories thus far"... you get the idea.

So I cleverly came up with this little genius and all week long he found out random little bits of info about me. Ex: When I was younger I was in 4-H. I had a pig. It was a black pig. So I named him Blackie.
It has been on the Dating Divas site for a while so I thought it was time to add it here too

Friday, February 1, 2013

Non-sweets for your sweetie

Did you kick sweets for the new year too? (Well, I am trying to at least!) So I loved this idea especially in time for the month of Valentines!

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Love was made for me and you

Daves Wife has a FANTASTIC FREE love printable. 
Head over here and get yours in time for Vday

Thursday, January 17, 2013

I love Londonraquel

And so does Jessica Simpson and the Kardashians....
Did i mention I used to Nanny this darling shop owner? Sure did. Back in cali in our very small farming town.  And now look at her! All grown up and famous. Does that make me famous... by associations maybe?

Well I thought I would feature some things/people I love as we count down to the most famous love day of all. And if you have a little girl or a niece or want a little girl or a niece... start a collection of these amazing hair bows now!!! Buy 'em here


And then buy them all!!!
**these two are my top favorites!**




Saturday, January 12, 2013

Cutest little shop you ever did see!

Do you have a favorite ETSY shop? I stumbled across this one on Pinterest. She has a darling blog you should follow as well. Anyhow, love this print and really hope to order it for Valentines Day. Well, not in honor of Valentines Day. That should be about love. Not yelling, right?! Although lack of yelling =love.
**just a reminder, head over to her BLOG to see the source and to purchase the print on her ETSY shop. Please do not copy. As that violates copy write laws and it is all about love people

Sunday, September 23, 2012

I saw this on lifedesigncraft and just thought I was darling. 
And while this was created for her husband, it really is a versatile idea. 
My mom recently went back to school. I am thinking she would love to get this in a package!

And then I kept on scrollin and found this little gem
While I am not sure hubbs would actually eat this, I do know that he would laugh about it. 
We like silly play on words so this fits the bill! 
head on over and check it out and don't forget to leave her some comment love! 


Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Time out! Its back to school

Hubby recently went back to school. He is in an MBA program and one thing I was warned and prepared for is the amount of time that Hubbs spends away from school. It doesn't bother me too much to be honest. But I know that even though this decision is a good one ( and the right one for our family), it can take it toll. He often feels that he is missing out. 

I don't know about you but I really wanted to help him feel loved and appreciated throughout this new experience for all of us. I am sure it is a bit stressful going from working full time and making a pretty good income to going to school full time and making a $0 income. There are so many factors and reasons to be worried about the future. However, as his helpmeet/partner/wife/best friend/cheerleader, I need to be there to SUPPORT him. I want him to know that even if he has a bad day or a bad interview or just is plain burnt out, that he has a fan club at home. A place of refuge. That I am on his side 110%. 

With all that said, I wanted to put together a short list (oh boy, there are the lists again) of things I can print out and give to him to say "I am here for you. I am rooting for you." 


Super Hero Dad by Kiki Comin  (her stuff is AWESOME! Lots of freebies and her etsy shop rocks!!)
Originally created for Fathers Day. But I am going to use it for just a "normal day" and stick it in his backpack. because he is a super hero every day and I know it will put a big smile on his face. 


Made to order lunch bags by Mooreminutes. I try to make his lunch everyday. Wouldn't this be a fun way to have him fill out what he wants. It sure beats me interrupting him to ask.

Naptimejournal. Fill these left over bottles with his favorite treat. The labels rock too! You can give him one a day/week/month... so versatile. 

 We LOVE these shower notes by HowDoesShe in our house! And while this post is geared to your spouse, you can share the love by writing notes to your kids. Good luck on the test, you are loved etc. Why not help everyone feel extra loved. When you have a full love tank, nothing gets you down! 

From Love, Actually. Amazing Dating site. Lots of easy and steamy ideas. (wink wink). I did this one year and he loved it. Since then I have made the book and given to friends of mine as bridal shower gifts. Lemme tell ya... this makes hubby SO HAPPY!!!

Use instagram? Or just text messages? Send him photos of ou and the kiddos so he knows what is going on and feels included. Check out RebeccaCoopers photo checklists

I know it says fathers Day but that just means Extra Special idea for dad. And he doesn't even have to be a dad to get this jar of kisses made by smysisterssuitcase from you. 


I just think this is funny and I KNOW hubbs will laugh right out loud. Its good for the soul to laugh


this deck of love is such a fab idea! you can get all your supplies at the Dollar store and make it on one afternoon. Get the kids on on the action as well. Tuck it away in his backpack during finals or when he is having an extra busy week to show him you love and appreciate him. 


Kikicreates again. I can't help it. She sorta gets it. These Love Notes are perfect!!

 I saw this box a tic-tacs at the store one day. I bought 4. Since they were his alma maters colors, it has been fun to leave them every time a new sports season starts. And then he has very minty breath which makes for great kissing! 

Wouldn't you love to have these in your lunch? Banana Love Notes. You could even get a little scandalous in your message and get that hubby of your home quicker! 

head on over to Living Locurto for this great anytime thankful candy bar  printable 
And finally... bYu cupcakes. Make a batch for his study group. Makes you the awesome wife and makes your hubby happy to married to you as well. Its a win-win. 


**extra idea: Stop by at lunch or during a break and take some funny/cute pictures.  then use this free $40 from paper coterie to make a book of you! 


***please link up anything that you find that fits in**

Friday, September 14, 2012

10 easy ways to stay in love or keep that spark or... well, you get what I mean


Lists. We women tend to be list-driven. Well, at least this woman tends to be list driven. Did you know that in the much too soon future my children will be all grown up and off to collage? At that point, I hope to be back at college myself for another degree. This time in Marriage Therapy. And I will have 20 years experience under my belt. It would help if those 20 years are great ones. I mean, really folks, who would want to pay to get advice from a therapist who had 20 crappy years of experience?

We recently celebrated our 5th anniversary. And by celebrated I mean we moved half-way across the country then promptly got sick. And because I had enough foresight to prepare something in advance, (kidding here) We actually did nothing and that is due to my failure. It was my year to plan. Boo on me.  So with some actual crappy experiences to mix in with the really fantastic ones, here are just a few things that I have really learned. (disclosure since hubby does read this blog: I do not do half of these as often as I should. One of my three resolutions for 2013 is to be way way way better at this)

1. Hold hands in the car, walking, on the couch...
     For me touch is a big one. And this one makes me feel important
2. Leave notes
     Hubby rocks at this. He will always leave me little notes that I come across through out the day. It makes for a sweeter reunion at the end of the day
3. TEXT a lot. And by text I mean flirt text. Not "don't forget the milk" text
    Remember how exciting it was to get those texts while dating? Don't let that spark die!
4. Get away once a year for at least a night WITHOUT KIDS!!
    I cannot stress this enough. Even if you just drop them off at the neighbors and you stay home, it is so vital to have some absolute alone time as a couple. We have been lucky enough to do this up tp a week at a time and it makes me remember my husband as my boyfriend, rather than the to-do list guy
5. Take a nap naked. It will lead to good things
  This goes along with making sure you are intimate with one another often. Don't feel like it, well just strip down and take a nap. Or jump in the shower in the morning while the kiddos are sleeping still
6. Write it down if it bugs you. If it still bothers you after 24 hours, then you can address it. Nicely.
  A soft answer turneth away wrath. SO TRUE! Don't be naggy. If it really matters, then it will matter still in 24hours. If not, then is it really worth bringing up?
7. Laugh Laugh Laugh!
   I read somewhere that kids laugh 400 times a day. Adults 15. That was shocking! Since then I try to laugh as much as possible. It makes me feel happier and when mamma is happy... everyone else is too!
8. Send a letter or postcard when you are gone to him.
   I have every hand written letter my man wrote me. I still read them. And one day I want my daughters to read them and wait for someone as good as their dad
9. Make him steak.
    Or whatever his favorite meal is. Learn to make it and don't make it only for special occasions. Every day you get to spend together is special. He works hard to keep a roof over the families head so its nothing to whip up a nice man meal for him
10. Let your kids see you have fun together! Make it a point.
   Hubby is great at dancing and being spontaneous. I tend to drag my feet. But life is so much better when I grab him for a kiss or the tickle monster comes out or we all play hide and seek. Its all about happy endorphin's. They will cut down on the stress and frustration and soon "roses will be bloomin' beneath your feet!"

***bonus 11: SAY YES! Try it. Try for a whole day (on a Saturday or Sunday) to say yes to everything your spouse says. Want to ride bikes? Want to go to the library? Want to workout together? YES YES YES!


Did I miss any? What do you do in your marriage to keep things hot?

(**I know this list really could be 100 things to stay in love plus 100 more. But i can't manage 100. I probably can't even manage 10. But here is to trying and happy couples! )

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Saving your marriage

This my friends, is worth watching. 
It is worth remembering
It is worth living 
And it is very much worth sharing