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The First Full Length Toy Story 4 Official Trailer is Here! (Plus my Trailer Reaction!

Tessa Smith
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2
The First Full Length Toy Story 4 Official Trailer is Here! (Plus my Trailer Reaction!

This post is in no way sponsored. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

toy story 4 poster

I am a giant fan of the Toy Story franchise. I remember watching the first one when I was (much) younger and then sobbing like a baby at the end of Toy Story 3. My excuse was that I was super pregnant but ya know, I still cry when I watch it. When the news first dropped a while back that there was going to be a Toy Story 4, I was cautiously optimistic. But the more I learned about it, the more excited I got. And now we finally have a full length trailer – with lots of new toys! Some are creepier than others…

My Reaction

Clearly I was really excited to see this trailer this morning. I fell in love with Forky from the moment we saw him in the first teaser and I am thrilled to see he is a major part of this movie (or seems to be). While it does resemble the “Woody being separated from the rest of the group” scenario of the second film, I think it will take a different turn. I was happy to see Bo back (I just love her and Woody!) but it seems like she has been through a lot. And those creepy Goosebumps dolls or whatever they are. NOPE. They are making me nervous….

Meet the New Toys

Among the new faces is GABBY GABBY, an adorable, talking pull-string doll from the 1950s. But unfortunately for her, a manufacturing defect in her pull-string voice box has left her sounding anything but adorable. She has spent more than 60 years forgotten in the depths of a jam-packed antique store—her only companions are a band of voiceless ventriloquist dummies. Gabby Gabby knows someone will want her if only she can find a working voice box to repair hers.

DUKE CABOOM is a 1970s toy based on Canada’s greatest stuntman. Riding his powerful Caboom stunt-cycle, Duke is always prepared to show off his stunt poses with confidence and swagger. However, Woody learns quickly that Duke has an Achilles heel: He has never been able to do the awesome stunts advertised in his own toy commercial. For years, Duke has been sitting in an antique store, constantly reliving the failures of his tragic past.

GIGGLE MCDIMPLES is a miniature plastic doll from the 1980s Giggle McDimples toy line. Giggle is Bo Peep’s best friend. Small enough to perch on Bo’s shoulder, Giggle is Bo’s confidant, supporter and advisor. “Giggle is Bo’s Jiminy Cricket—we’re able to get insight on Bo through their relationship together,” says Cooley. “Giggle is definitely the smallest toy in the Toy Story universe. She’s been stepped on, vacuumed up, and probably put up a kid’s nose in her time.”

BENSON is a classic, antique ventriloquist dummy, and Gabby Gabby’s right hand. He leads a small group of ventriloquist dummies that serve as Gabby’s henchmen. With no person to give them a voice, these silent toys patrol the antique store with a looming quietness that is inherently unsettling.

TOY STORY 4
LEADING THE WAY ©2019 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

About Toy Story 4

Woody has always been confident about his place in the world, and that his priority is taking care of his kid, whether that’s Andy or Bonnie. So when Bonnie’s beloved new craft-project-turned-toy, Forky, declares himself as “trash” and not a toy, Woody takes it upon himself to show Forky why he should embrace being a toy. But when Bonnie takes the whole gang on her family’s road trip excursion, Woody ends up on an unexpected detour that includes a reunion with his long-lost friend Bo Peep. After years of being on her own, Bo’s adventurous spirit and life on the road belie her delicate porcelain exterior. As Woody and Bo realize they’re worlds apart when it comes to life as a toy, they soon come to find that’s the least of their worries.

Toy Story 4 ventures to U.S. theaters on June 21, 2019!

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#ToyStory4

Captain Marvel Inspired Recipes from DOLE®

Tessa Smith
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40
Captain Marvel Inspired Recipes from DOLE®

Captain Marvel is in theaters everywhere and to celebrate I am sharing some Captain Marvel inspired recipes!

Captain Marvel recipes

Captain Marvel is taking the world by storm – rightfully so. Higher. Further. Faster. is Carol Danver’s motto, which she uses to encourage girls and women everywhere to be their best selves. I have two young daughters and I want more than anything to see them succeed in life. I also want them to be their healthiest selves, so I was thrilled when DOLE teamed up with Marvel for the Powering the Hero Within campaign. It is one of the many reasons we love their products.

Captain Marvel New Poster

About Powering The Hero Within

While Carol Danvers fights to save Earth from a galactic battle as Captain Marvel, Dole is celebrating other female superheroes for their battles waged a bit closer to home. “Powering the Hero Within” (#DoleHero) is a 10-week empowered-living alliance between Dole and Marvel’s Captain Marvel inspired by Danvers’ dramatic transformation into the title character of the much-anticipated March 8 release. Taking its cue from Danvers, Dole is acknowledging influential women in food, health, and wellness plus female-focused nonprofit groups working toward a healthier, more heroic world. This initiative launches Feb. 25 and continuing through May 5.

According to Lisa Overman, director of marketing for Dole, the collaboration is meant to honor Captain Marvel’s distinction as the first female superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to headline her own film.

“We’re applauding the women everywhere who use their powers, whether supernatural or everyday, to fight for a healthier and more equitable planet. At the top of this list are all the female farmers, chefs, doctors, nurses, dietitians, scientists, engineers, philanthropists and others who have sacrificed over the years to give us a more fulfilling, nutritious life.“

Inspiring Women

Among the health-related female superheroes that Dole is inspired by and hopes may inspire others to everyday heroism are:

  • Abagail Adams, the first American First Lady to farm
  • Christine Moseley, founder and CEO of Full Harvest
  • Peggy Shriver, chief development officer of Rise Against Hunger
  • Johanna Sylvester and Jessi Greenlee, executive director and director of operations of Movement Foundation
  • and many others

“In honor of both Captain Marvel and March’s designation as Women’s History Month, Dole salutes these past and present champions of nutrition, health and wellness whose accomplishments allow us to do the work we do today,” said Melanie Marcus, MA, RD, Dole’s nutrition and health communications manager.

Superheroes in training will be directed to nine Dole fruit and vegetable recipes selected by Marcus for specific nutrient and health benefits important to women. Dole will even bring Marvel into the produce aisle with limited-time, Captain Marvel-inspired DOLE Banana stickers and DOLE Pineapple hang tags featuring Captain Marvel, Nick Fury, Mar-Vell, Talos, and Goose the Cat. Shoppers can find them in U.S. and Canadian supermarkets starting the week of Feb. 25.

For recipes, nutritional insights, and other information about “Powering the Hero Within,” go to www.dole.com and use #DoleHero on social.

Berried Treasure Yogurt Cups Recipe

Berried Treasure Yogurt Cups

These antioxidant-rich Berried Treasure Yogurt Cups can be prepared in advance to keep blood sugar levels steady throughout the day. I love a healthy breakfast filled with fruits, so this is something I have made several times already. Trust me, you will love it!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/4 cup lowfat granola
  • 1/2 cup lowfat Greek yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons honey, optional
  • 1/3 cup DOLE® Blueberries
  • 1/3 cup DOLE® Peach, sliced

DIRECTIONS

  1. LAYER 1/2 granola, 1/2 yogurt, 1/2 honey blueberries in glass. Repeat layers of yogurt, granola and honey.
  2. TOP with peaches.

Lemon-Ginger Spring Vegetables Stir-Fry

Lemon-Ginger Spring Vegetable Stir Fry

This Lemon Ginger Stir Fry as part of a fiber-rich, heart-healthy diet. Even my girls love it – they are 6 and 7 so that says a lot. They have no idea how healthy are eating. I’ll take it!

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
  • 2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
  • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
  • 16 DOLE® Asparagus Spears, cut in half lengthwise
  • 2 DOLE® Carrots, peeled and diagonally sliced
  • 1 DOLE® Broccoli Crown, cut into small florets
  • 2 cups chopped fresh DOLE Tropical Gold® Pineapple
  • 1 thinly sliced red chile pepper
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 3 cups DOLE® Baby Spinach
  • 1 cup quartered DOLE® Strawberries
  • 2 cups cooked hot quinoa

DIRECTIONS

  1. COMBINE in sauté pan sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, lemon peel and hoisin sauce, heat over medium high heat. Add asparagus, carrots, broccoli, pineapple, chile pepper and water, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Remove cover and continue cooking to desired softness.
  2. REMOVE pan from heat and stir in baby spinach and strawberries. Serve over cooked quinoa.

Sweet Apple Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Lentils

Sweet Apple Shaved Brussels Sprouts & Lentils

Sweet Apple Brussels and Lentils capitalizes on the iron-absorption powers of lentils and green vegetables – and it is delicious!

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 pkg. (11.1 oz.) DOLE® Slawesome!™ Sweet Apple Kit
  • 1 DOLE® Granny Smith Apple, cored and diced
  • ½ cup cooked lentils
  • 1 cup thinly sliced DOLE® Brussels Sprouts
  • ¼ cup thinly sliced DOLE® Celery
  • 2 tablespoons chopped pitted dates
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • ¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts

DIRECTIONS

  1. IN large bowl, prepare Slawesome! kit as package directs. Add apple, Brussels sprouts, lentils, celery, dates, and parsley to slaw; toss. Makes about 6 cups.
  2. DIVIDE slaw mixture into 4 bowls; sprinkle with walnuts.

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over eighty years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing, publishing, games, and digital media. For more information visit marvel.com. ©2019 MARVEL

captain marvel prize pack

 

Create A Memorable Gift For Any Pet Lover with A Custom Plush from Petsies

Tessa Smith
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0
Create A Memorable Gift For Any Pet Lover with A Custom Plush from Petsies

Thank you to Petsies for collaborating with me on this post. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Create A Memorable Gift For Any Pet Lover with A Custom Plush from Petsies

Choosing the perfect gift can be really hard. I am not the best shopper at all, but I love to give meaningful presents. One of my really good friends is getting married this year and he loves his dog. So I decided to have a custom plush made of his dog, Sprocket, from Petsies. It was way easier than I ever could have imagined and looks exactly like his furry friend. Just check out the video of me surprising him and you will see how he recognized his doggy right away.

Easy To Create

The Petsies process is so much easier than I could have ever imagined. The first step is to take a photo of your pet or select one that you already have. The second step is to upload a pic or two via the Petsies website, from your phone or computer. It is a good idea to snap a couple of different angles, to make sure the designers capture your pet perfectly.

Petsies custom plush makes a unique gift

After you upload the photo, Petsies asks you to answer a few questions about the look of your pet, as well as your preference for your plush. You can choose to have your pet sitting down or standing, and can even specify if you want their mouth open, closed, or tongue hanging out. Confirm your pet’s eye color and fur color also.

Petsies custom plush

Incredible Resemblance

Petsies custom pet plushes will blow your mind with how much they resemble the pet they are designed after. They are handmade and the attention to detail is amazing. The fur is airbrushed to match the pet’s unique markings, based completely on photos provided. Don’t worry if you aren’t happy with the results (you will be), because every custom animal is backed by Petsies’ 100% guarantee.

Petsises makes a fun and unique gift

Petsies doesn’t only create custom dog plushes – oh no – they will create any animal you can think of. Cats, horses, birds, rats…the possibilities are endless. If you have a friend or family member that loves their pet, Petsies is the perfect unique gift that they are sure to treasure forever! This is also a great way to immortalize a pet that has passed on.

Order Your Petsies Custom Plush Today!

Easter Dessert Idea: Robin’s Nest Cake Recipe

Tessa Smith
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4
Easter Dessert Idea: Robin’s Nest Cake Recipe

This Robin’s Nest cake is sure to impress all of your friends and family this Easter! A delicious (and easy to make) treat!

Robin's Nest Cake

I recently got a box full of goodies from Tastefully Simple. It was their Easter Collection and designed to help you with practically every part of the meal for Easter Dinner. I was so excited to dig in and start baking and cooking.

My absolute favorite recipe is the Robin’s Nest Cake. It was really easy even though it appears to be somewhat daunting. Oh, and it is delicious! We now make it every year and guess what — it can be made with any cake or cake mix!

Tastefully Simple

Ingredients For Robin’s Nest Cake

  • 1 package Absolutely Almond Pound Cake Mix
  • 1 cup Water
  • 1 1/2 sticks of melted butter
  • 1/2 cup Rhubarb Strawberry Fruit Spread
  • 1 8 oz. package Softened Cream Cheese
  • 1 16 oz. container Chocolate Frosting
  • 1 bottle Decorative Chocolate Cupcake Icing with Tips
  • 1 10 oz. package Robin Egg Candies (I prefer the Cadbury milk chocolate eggs but any will work)

Robins Nest Easter Cake

Directions for Robin’s Nest Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Prepare the Absolutely Almond Pound Cake according to package directions (or use your favorite cake mix or cake recipe!)
  3. In Medium bowl, combine cream cheese and Rhubarb Strawberry Fruit Spread (or your favorite fruit spread).
  4. Place half the cake batter in a greased Bundt pan.
  5. Dollop with cream cheese mixture.
  6. Pour remaining batter in pan.
  7. Bake 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
  8. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes in pan.
  9. Remove from pan and cool completely.
  10. Frost with chocolate frosting.
  11. Using the straight drawing tip on the decorative icing, draw lines all over the cake creating the look of a nest.
  12. Fill center of cake with robin egg candies (my favorites are the Cadbury Milk Chocolate Mini Eggs).

This is just about 170 calories per slice – perfect to indulge in when Spring hits!

Robins Nest Easter Cake

Robin’s Nest Cake Recipe perfect for Spring or Easter

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An easy to make cake that is perfect for an Easter or Spring party!

  • 1 package Your Favorite Cake Mix (or recipe)
  • 1 cup Water
  • 1 1/2 sticks of melted butter
  • 1/2 cup Rhubarb Strawberry Fruit Spread (or your favorite spread)
  • 1 8 oz. package Softened Cream Cheese
  • 1 16 oz. Chocolate Frosting
  • 1 bottle Decorative Chocolate Cupcake Icing with Tips
  • 1 10 oz. package Robin Egg Candies (I prefer the Cadbury milk chocolate eggs but any will work)
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

  2. Prepare the Absolutely Almond Pound Cake according to package directions (or your favorite cake mix or recipe).

  3. In Medium bowl, combine cream cheese and Rhubarb Strawberry Fruit Spread (or your favorite fruit spread).

  4. Place half the cake batter in a greased Bundt pan.
  5. Dollop with cream cheese mixture.
  6. Pour remaining batter in pan.
  7. Bake 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
  8. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes in pan.
  9. Remove from pan and cool completely.
  10. Frost with chocolate frosting.
  11. Using the straight drawing tip on the decorative icing, draw lines all over the cake creating the look of a nest.
  12. Fill center of cake with robin egg candies.

Great for Easter or Spring party!

 

BREAKING NEWS: James Gunn is BACK for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3!

Tessa Smith
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1
BREAKING NEWS: James Gunn is BACK for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3!

James Gunn Thor Ragnarok Red Carpet

Last summer my heart was broken when I heard the news that James Gunn had been fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3. The Guardians are my favorite rag tag group of friends from the Marvel comic books – so much so, that I have a full Guardians sleeve tattoo. James Gunn himself even provided me with a clean copy of his signature to be the finishing touch on it. Well, the news has just broken (and I have confirmed) that he is BACK on as director or Guardians 3 and I could not be more thrilled.

james gunn is back as guardians of the galaxy 3 director

Everyone Deserves a Second Chance

When I saw the news, I literally dropped my phone. And then I started shaking. And then I sat down to write this post. Everyone deserves a second chance and the way that James was fired gave me all sorts of feelings. Sure, his tweets were wrong. But they were old, and he had already apologized for them. Multiple times. When he removed himself from social media, I felt a void. I looked forward to seeing his tweets, his Instagram stories, and everything he was posting. It seemed – wrong – to not have those popping up in my feed anymore.

Marvel has decided to take him back on because, well, everyone deserves a second chance. Including Marvel. Because you know what, I can’t say I would blame James to pass on the offer. But they are truly his Guardians, it is his trilogy, and he is the perfect person for the job. I met and interviewed James Gunn a few times, and he was always a really nice guy. In fact, he shared a photo of Kevin Fiege, himself, and myself on his Instagram once. I am so over the moon happy for him because he deserves this.

Mama's Geeky with Marvel's Kevin Feige and James Gunn & Kevin Feige MamasGeeky.com

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Honestly, I was really torn up about the fact that James was removed from this project. I cried. I was unsure that I would even see it and if you know me, that says a lot. When it was announced that they were using his script, I was happy, but still sad his hands would be removed from it. Knowing now that he is BACK on as director, well this just made my day – my week – my year!

Bravo Marvel! You did the right thing.

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse T-Shirt Activity

Tessa Smith
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39
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse T-Shirt Activity

Thank you to Sony for sending along this amazing package! All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Spider-Man_ Into The Spider-Verse T-Shirt Activity

I called Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse the best animated film of all time, and I stand by that. My family and I saw it in theaters opening weekend and we loved it. So much more so than we could have ever imagined. The animation style is like nothing that has ever been done before and I felt like I was inside of a comic book. Spider-Verse is finally coming home on March 19th, and I received a super awesome Spider-Man package from Sony to celebrate. The better news? You can win one for yourself!

spider-man tshirt coloring activity

coloring spider-man spider-verse shirt

Spider-Man T-Shirt Activity

My daughters love creating things. It is a passion of theirs. So they were over the moon to see this Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse package included some t-shirts for them to color with fabric markers. They wanted to start their shirts the second we opened up the package. I might be just a little biased when it comes to these girls, but their skills were impressive! You should have seen how hard they were concentrating to make their shirts perfect.

Spider-Verse Colored Shirts and Blu-ray

spider-verse colored shirt lorie

I think they turned out awesome, what do you think? After we finished up our shirts, we popped the movie in. I had actually forgotten how enjoyable it really is. What a great movie! Everything about it is fantastic. In fact, I think we all agree we enjoyed it more the second time around. My girls, who are little artists as you can see, were totally taken by the art of the film. They were so excited to flip through the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Art of the Movie book that we got. I actually collect art books, so this is a great addition to my coffee table collection.

spider-man into the spider-verse

About Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Bitten by a radioactive spider in the subway, Brooklyn teenager Miles Morales suddenly develops mysterious powers that transform him into the one and only Spider-Man. When he meets Peter Parker, he soon realizes that there are many others who share his special, high-flying talents. Miles must now use his newfound skills to battle the evil Kingpin, a hulking madman who can open portals to other universes and pull different versions of Spider-Man into our world.

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse comes home March 19th!

Me with Stan Lee
Me with Stan Lee at NYCC.

Bonus Materials

My favorite part about an in home release is the bonus features. There are so many amazing ones on the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse release but the one that really got me was the Tribute to Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. It wasn’t super long but man, it took me several tries to get through it. If you are a Marvel fan, that should be the first one you watch.

Other features include:

  • We Are Spider-Man: Exploring and celebrating one of the key themes of the film, We Are Spider-Man takes a deep dive into the diversity of the characters and aspirational core that any person from any gender or cultural background can wear the mask.
  • Spider-Verse: A New Dimension: With a stunning visual style and state of the art animation designed to take the viewer into the pages of a comic, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is not only a love letter to comic books but a groundbreaking take on the super hero genre. Hear from the artists and filmmakers who pushed the boundaries of the artform as they discuss their journey.
  • The Ultimate Comics Cast: Enjoy this showcase of all of the fan favorite characters featured in the Spider-Verse and the spectacular cast who were chosen to bring them to life.
  • A Tribute to Stan Lee & Steve Ditko: Celebrate the amazing legacy and powerful spirit of the creators of Spider-Man.
  • The Spider-Verse Super-Fan Easter Egg Challenge: The Spider-Verse is loaded with Easter Eggs, from cameos to comics references. Fans are challenged to find them all!
  • Designing Cinematic Comics Characters: A breakdown of all aspects of the character design including costume, movement in animation, and distinct powers for each character.
  • Heroes & Hams: Meet the amazing Spider-people of the Spider-Verse.
  • Scorpions and Scoundrels: Explore the classic villains who wreak havoc on the Spider-Verse.
  • Alternate Universe Mode: In this all-new viewing experience, discover alternate scenes, plotlines, characters, and more with the filmmakers as your guide.
  • 2 Lyric Videos
    • “Sunflower” by Post Malone and Swae Lee
    • “Familia” by Nicki Minaj & Anuel AA (feat. Bantu)
  • All-New Original Short “Spider-Ham: Caught In a Ham”: It’s another normal day for Peter Porker, a.k.a. the Spectacular Spider-Ham, fighting bad guys and loving hot dogs, until a mysterious portal starts messing with the very fabric of his cartoon reality.

SpiderVerse Foldables BloggerButton

Giveaway Alert

Spider-Verse Prize Pack
Thank you As The Bunny Hops for this photo!

What We Saw In The BRAND NEW Avengers: Endgame Trailer! (+ My Reaction!)

Tessa Smith
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10
What We Saw In The BRAND NEW Avengers: Endgame Trailer! (+ My Reaction!)

Avengers 4 Endgame Trailer 2 Breakdown

AHHHHHH!!!!!!! You guys!!! This morning we got a surprise trailer – the second Avengers: Endgame trailer – and I have so much to say about it. I wrote a breakdown of the first Avengers: Endgame trailer, but we saw so much more with this one! Tony Stark is back on Earth and with the team! Poor Scott Lang is super confused, but back from the Quantum Realm. Hawkweye’s family is growing up so what sent him down a dark path to become Ronin? Rocket has found a new shoulder to perch on, and Thor + Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel) = LOVE!

endgame poster

The New Poster

First things first, let’s check out this poster. It looks amazing, and has me hyped, of course. But then I looked a little closer. Check out that credits block guys. There are same names there that we didn’t know if they survived the SNAP or not. We see Benedict Wong (Wong), Jon Favreau (Happy), and Gwyneth Paltrow (Pepper Potts). Sure we could assume some of them made it – especially Gwyneth since we saw her sharing what looks like a Rescue suit on her Instagram, but we didn’t know. They are credited which means we can hope that they have survived! Marvel doesn’t do anything by mistake guys.

avengers endgame poster reveals names of those that survived

My Reaction

I clearly missed some things the first time around – emotions and all – but you get the point. This movie has me so HYPED! All of the flashbacks to previous films were pretty amazing and I am loving Thor and Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel). I cannot wait to see more of them – I just know the witty banter will be there. I am hoping to see lots of moments between her and Tony Stark as well because I adore them in the comics together – they are always cracking me up. After I recorded this I had to run the girls to school (mom life, am I right?) but then I came home and watched it over and over, frame by frame, and there are a few things I wanted to point out.

Avengers 4 Tony Stark is Back

Tony Stark is BACK Baby!

My girl Amanda from Guide4Moms gave me a heads up about this one before I had time to rewatch the trailer. You all know that I love my boy Tony Stark. I am Team Iron Man ALL THE WAY so seeing this, gave me hope. Of course this means absolutely nothing except that he made it back to Earth. He could still die before Endgame is over, but I sure hope he doesn’t. We also see Nebula, who we assume was with Tony still after the SNAP anyways… so this is a good sign. However, I am still not over Marvel for showing us Hulk in Wakanda in the Infinity War trailer and it not happening. So I never fully trust them.

Hawkeyes Family Endgame

Hawkeye’s Family is Growing Up

Take a look at this screen shot. Hawkeye’s family has grown up. That baby in the distance is now clearly a toddler. That makes me assume that none of them were dusted in the snap. So what sent him down the dark path to become Ronin? Well I have a few theories. First, this is alternate dimension Clint Barton. Super happy with his family that never dusted. Second, possibly this is toward the end of the film after they go back in time and set things right. This is the future that could have been and now is. Or Third, something is going to happen to them after the fact, and that propels him toward Ronin. One thing I know for sure is we will see in less than two months. Have you read my interview with Jeremy Renner?

Scott Lang Avengers Endgame

Scott Lang is Safe

Looks like Scott Lang is out of the Quantum Realm (did you see what the cast of Ant-Man and The Wasp said about that end credit scene when Scott Lang was stuck in the Quantum Realm?), which we assumed from the last trailer. But this is not the alternate timeline or past like we maybe thought it was because he is looking at all of the missing posters. What I can assume from this is it has been at least a little while since the SNAP heard around the world. I wonder how long it took him to get out and if he needed help?

thor and carol danvers endgame

Thor and Carol Danvers

Yes please! I need more of these two. I mean, Thor likes her. And just look how amazing she looks! Obviously she has arrived, and changed out of her uniform, so I am curious how long she has been around. Happy to see that she is likely a pretty big part of Endgame, not just a cameo as some have been saying. If you have not read my Captain Marvel review yet, you should – I talk about what they changed from the comics (and why it worked!).

rocket endgame

Good Old Rocket

Does this really need any description? I say no. Man Rocket is looking badass as always. Looks like he found a new shoulder to hang on to (RIP Groot) with War Machine. Now I just need all my Guardians back (have you seen my Guardians of the Galaxy tattoo?) and I will be one happy girl.

Avengers: Endgame hits theaters April 26th!

The grave course of events set in motion by Thanos that wiped out half the universe and fractured the Avengers ranks compels the remaining Avengers to take one final stand in Marvel Studios’ grand conclusion to twenty-two films, “Avengers: Endgame.”

If you need to catch up before Avengers: Endgame, check out these lists for the best order to watch the Marvel movies!

Celebrate National Reading Month with an Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition!

Tessa Smith
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7
Celebrate National Reading Month with an Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition!

 This post was sponsored by Amazon as part of an Ambassador Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Celebrate National Reading Month with Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition

Education is very important in our household. I don’t mean to be biased but my daughters are both very smart. They are 6 and 7 years old and have nearly perfect report cards. They both really enjoy reading, my youngest so much so that in Preschool she opted out of nap time to read with her teacher more. I have been completely blown away by how much our Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition has helped my girls with their reading. Not only can they have stories read to them, but they can play educational learning games as well.

Amazon Echo Kids Edition Reading

National Reading Month

Did you know that March is National Reading Month? We are celebrating with our Alexa products and my girls are loving it! We read a lot in our house. Like, a lot! My daughters have reading logs for school and we fill them out every day. Our average reading time is 30 minutes, and that doesn’t include Alexa reading to us. My husband and I often encourage our daughters to read on their own. We set a timer for 10 to 15 minutes and have them read until it goes off. After that, they are allowed to go right back to having Alexa read to them.

Echo Dot Kids Edition Laughing

Amazon Storytime

“Alexa, read me a bedtime story from Amazon Storytime” is what I hear every single night as I close my 6 year old’s bedroom door after saying goodnight. We recently went on vacation and she told me she had a hard time sleeping without her Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition reading to her. If I had not set up a time for Alexa to stop reading on the Parent Dashboard, I know that she would still be listening in the middle of the night. She says her favorite story to listen to is The Cutest Critter – just listen to her talk about it in this video.

Family Bonding Time

Besides the reading, FreeTime on Alexa gives us some unforgettable family time. We love the fact that we can share in the learning and fun together with these devices. One of our favorite things to do is ask Alexa questions. You should hear some of the things they come up with! My 7 year old is always going the science route, asking how things work. It sure makes me a proud mama (and I admit, I have learned some things too!).

Amazon Echo Kids Edition

The Amazon Echo Dot Kids Edition is a must have for any family. It has kept us on track with our New Years Resolutions, changed the way we have family time together, and has even made us all just a bit smarter. There are so many features for kids and adults alike (the Parent Dashboard is a life saver!). Alexa gets us up in the morning, and puts us to bed at night – and we couldn’t be happier!

 

New Aladdin Official Trailer REACTION: They More Than Made Up For The Last One!

Tessa Smith
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2
New Aladdin Official Trailer REACTION: They More Than Made Up For The Last One!

aladdin 2019 poster

The full Aladdin trailer dropped and if you remember, I was not impressed with the Genie. I needed more. Well, Disney pulled it out again because this trailer even brought tears to my eyes. Aladdin meant so much to me growing up. Not only did I have the VHS which I totally wore out, I had a soundtrack cassette that my friends and I would perform for our parents. Regularly. This trailer gave me chills guys. I am hyped again. Jafar still seems too young and it annoys me, but I am willing to look past it. Bring on May!

My Reaction

Yup, I totally cried. Can you blame me? That music hit and it was all over for me. Not only did I belt out the words, I teared up. Right now I am HYPED for the live action version, and cannot wait to see more and more!

aladdin poster

About Aladdin

A thrilling and vibrant live-action adaptation of Disney’s animated classic, “Aladdin” is the exciting tale of the charming street rat Aladdin, the courageous and self-determined Princess Jasmine and the Genie who may be the key to their future. Directed by Guy Ritchie, who brings his singular flair for fast-paced, visceral action to the fictitious port city of Agrabah, “Aladdin” is written by John August and Ritchie based on Disney’s “Aladdin.” The film stars Will Smith as the Genie; Mena Massoud as Aladdin; Naomi Scott as Jasmine; Marwan Kenzari as Jafar; Navid Negahban as the Sultan; Nasim Pedrad as Dalia and Billy Magnussen as Prince Anders.

“Aladdin” is produced by Dan Lin, p.g.a., and Jonathan Eirich, p.g.a., with Kevin De La Noy and Marc Platt serving as executive producers. Eight-time Academy Award®-winning composer Alan Menken provides the score, which includes new recordings of the original songs written by Menken and Oscar®-winning lyricists Howard Ashman and Tim Rice and includes two new songs written by Menken and lyrics by Oscar and Tony Award®-winning songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.

Aladdin Hits Theaters May 24th!

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Captain Marvel Spoiler Review: What They Changed From The Comics (& Why It Worked)

Tessa Smith
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6
Captain Marvel Spoiler Review: What They Changed From The Comics (& Why It Worked)

This post is in no way sponsored. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Captain Marvel Spoiler Review

I took my daughters to see Captain Marvel on opening night and the whole family loved it. I already wrote a spoiler free review, but now that the movie has been out a few days I am ready to get in to the spoilers with you.

If you have not seen this movie or want to avoid Captain Marvel spoilers, bookmark this post for a later time. As a comic book reader I can tell you a lot of things were changed, but they all made sense to me in the end.

Get To Know Captain Marvel in the Comics

WARNING: THERE ARE MASSIVE SPOILERS FOR CAPTAIN MARVEL IN THIS ARTICLE!

kree supreme intelligence

Kree Supreme Intelligence

The very first variation from the comic books that I noticed was the Kree Supreme Intelligence was not a floating head. Yeah, in the comic books it is a giant floating head and it is awesome. I was really bummed about this, I am not going to lie.

The Kree saying you see who is most important to you made no sense to me. But then as the movie went on, I get why they did it. It was the perfect way to set up Lawson/Mar-Vell. I get it. I do. But I still want to see the Supreme Intelligence in it’s true form at some point in the MCU. Please.

generations captain marvel and captain mar-vell

Mar-Vell is a Male

This brings me to my next point. When they first called Annette Bening’s character Mar-Vell, I was ticked. I was so angry. This was not right. Carol takes the name Captain Marvel after her mentor, Mar-Vell, dies. I can’t say for sure why this made me so angry. Perhaps because I was dead set on the fact that Jude Law was really playing Mar-Vell, and he wasn’t. But again, I see why they did what they did.

goose the cat flerken

Goose The Cat

There are a few things different about adorable little Goose. First of all, her name is Chewie in the comics. I understand that they didn’t want any confusion with Chewbacca but it is really hard for me to call that Flerken Goose.

However, I was THRILLED with how well they embraced the Flerken aspect of Goose. So spoiler, Goose is not exactly a cat. She is an alien species called a Flerken.

A really dangerous alien species. In the comic books it is Rocket Raccoon who lets Carol know, but I loved how Talos and the Skrulls were always on edge around Goose.

Life of Captain Marvel Carol's Mom

How Carol Got Her Powers

In the comic books Carol Danvers gets her powers when she is in an accident with a Kree device. This is pretty similarly done in the film, except it is the tesseract, not exactly a Kree device. However it was an engine that Mar-Vell was working on, so I see the connection.

Carol absorbed the core powers and ended up with amnesia. When we see this flashback is when we realize that Yon-Rogg (Jude Law) and the Kree are actually the villains in this movie. Which was a complete twist to me that I did not see coming.

Yon-Rogg gave Carol a blood transfusion, making his blood run through her veins. He made her think she was always Kree, and she forgot her memories from Earth.

More recently in the comics we discovered that Carol did not actually get her powers through the explosion, that was just how they were activated. Her mother was actually Kree, making her half human/half Kree. I really wanted them to go this route but it doesn’t seem we will get that story line at all.

Avengers Initiative

One of my favorite moments in Captain Marvel is toward the end when Nick Fury is putting together the Protector Initiative. After Carol leaves Earth to help the Skrulls find a new home (because the Kree destroyed theirs), he realizes that SHIELD needs more heroes.

Fury looks at a photo of Carol from her Air Force days and sees that her name on the plane was written as Carol “Avengers” Danvers. He then renames the initiative the Avenger Initiative and yea, it made me cry.

Captain-Marvel-Infinity-War-Beeper

End Credit Scenes

The mid-credit scene is the one that ties in to Avengers: Endgame. And boy did it get me hyped. We see bearded Captain America, Black Widow, Bruce Banner, and Rhodey trying to make sense of what happened in Avengers: Infinity War. The pager that Fury used to page Captain Marvel is hooked up to lots of batteries and devices, but has stopped transmitting.

The team is discussing why it would stop working, and how event though they are unsure what it is doing, they need to reboot it because Fury did and they trust him. They turn around and there is Carol Danvers. She says one line “Where’s Fury?” and it gave me chills. So excited to see her in Endgame!

The final scene, after the credits, features none other than Goose the Cat, or should I say Goose the Flerken. Earlier in the movie she swallowed the Tesseract to keep it away from the Kree. Well, she spits it up, hair ball style, right on Fury’s desk. Classic.

Did you see Captain Marvel in the second Avengers: Endgame trailer? AMAZING!

See Captain Marvel in theaters now!

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