Celebrate World Kindness Day with A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood @beautifulday #Sponsored #ABeautifulDayMovie #WorldKindnessDay

This post is sponsored by Allied Philly.

Today, November 13th, is World Kindness Day.  I know, it seems there is a "day" for everything lately.  

But in the hustle and bustle of this busy holiday season, when we stop and take a minute to be thankful, we should also think about how we can spread more kindness to those around us.  After all, isn't that what the holiday season is all about?

"It only takes one person to inspire a world of kindness."

In the spirit of kindness, I'd like to share with you a bit about TriStar Pictures A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD coming to theaters November 22nd.  

Tom Hanks portrays Mister Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, a timely story of kindness triumphing over cynicism, based on the true story of a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers and journalist Tom Junod. 

After a jaded magazine writer (Emmy winner Matthew Rhys) is assigned a profile of Fred Rogers, he overcomes his skepticism, learning about kindness, love and forgiveness from America’s most beloved neighbor.




I grew up watching Mister Roger's Neighborhood; it was always on tv since my mom ran a home daycare.  Mr. Rogers shared many life lessons through imaginative stories and play, but one of the most important lessons was being kind.  He called everyone "neighbors" referring to the golden rule:  treat your neighbor as you would treat yourself.  

I am very much looking forward to this film.  We can all use some positive uplifting messages from the life of Mister Rogers!

Holiday Gifts for Mr. Rogers fans

Beekman 1802 believes in treating other people with as much kindness as you treat your skin.  They created this Mister Rogers inspired limited-edition red sweater product as a part of their overall holiday gift set.

Underneath the super cute Mister Rogers inspired red sweater is a 12.5 fl oz bottle of Goat Milk Lotion.  It is fragrance free, paraben free, sulfate free, and safe for sensitive skin.  You can give a gift that not only takes care of your dry winter skin, but is a beautiful reminder to practice kindness.

The collection launches on QVC November 23rd.

Don't forget to see A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood in theaters Nov. 22nd.

Follow A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood #ABeautifulDayMovie

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Make sure to visit our 2019 Holiday Gift Guide for  other great gift ideas and giveaways!

Christmas Magic Book Feature Plus Amazon #Giveaway @alainegreyson @Marie_McGrath_ #Sponsored #GiftGuide #GetStuffed

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Thinking about stocking stuffers for the reader in your life?  Books make a great gift and holiday tradition!  Christmas stories are always a favorite this holiday season and I have included them in our 2019 Holiday Gift Guide.

Christmas Magic is a new release by authors Alaine Greyson and Marie McGrath: seven short stories that you can cozy up by the fire, sip your cocoa, and savor slowly.

About the Book:

Christmas Magic is everywhere. Curl up by the fire and let these seven stories of Christmas transport you into new worlds. Explore friendships, family dynamics, and love as the magic of Christmas changes their perspective on life. Will they surrender to the magic of Christmas?

This post contains affiliate links, meaning I get a small commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you.





Question and Answer with the Authors:

1.       Was there an overall theme or message for Christmas Magic?

Alaine Greyson: My stories centered on relationships within families and friendships. Christmas is a special time of year where we focus on those we love. I wanted to explore how these special relationships are heightened during the holidays and how they can change and blossom over time.

Marie McGrath: I have three short stories in Christmas Magic and for each one I wanted to capture the beauty and obstacles that Christmas uniquely faces. Families come together to spend the holidays and it always brings out love and differences that every family experiences. In Coming Home for Christmas, Casey has to deal with seeing her hometown again after heartbreak and learning to be there and have reminders of that failed relationship everywhere she looks. In Christmas Locket, you see firsthand how family dynamics are messy. 

The roles we all have and play in our families and how we overcome those adversities to celebrate the joy of the season. Lastly, in Paws and Santa Claus we see how our ‘extended families’ our friends can join together to help accomplish things, with a sprinkle of holiday magic. In each story it’s about love and the feel-good emotion of Christmas. Connecting and being with people you love, that’s what it’s all about.

2. What’s your favorite part about writing?

Alaine Greyson: Letting my characters take over and dictate the plot. I love seeing where they lead and going along for the ride. New characters pop up that weren’t planned and other characters end up doing and saying things I didn’t think of in the planning stage. It keeps writing fun and exciting.

Marie McGrath: Can I say everything? If I must choose, I would say creating these stories that entrance even me, from characters that are relatable (hopefully) and events that are real. I love to devour books and always have. I only hope that someone out there feels that way about my books that I have felt for others. That connection with readers is the best part.

3. What can be expected from upcoming releases?

Alaine Greyson: Wanting Peace, Book #2 from my debut series Reclaiming Life, will be released in February 2020. I’m also debuting a Paranormal Romance series called Trapped Souls. Book #1, Whispers from Beyond is set to release in May 2020.

Marie McGrath: 2020 is going to be a busy year for me. I am debuting my first full length novel, The Many Faces of Charlotte Barnes, in May. It will follow a 17 year old girl during the summer before her senior year of high school. She will visit many colleges along the northern east coast as she works on her parents’ food truck.

In September 2020, I will be releasing another anthology with Alaine Greyson, this time Halloween themed. My second novel will also be released, The Fall Changes, introducing us to the inhabitants of a fictional town in North Carolina called Honey Cove. This will be the beginning of a series and the second book will shortly follow in the winter.

All of my works are important to me. They each tell a story I want readers to connect to and experience. Some are for entertainment, while others have a specific message I hope readers find and cherish. These characters are real to me and I hope readers feel the same.


Follow Alaine Greyson WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Follow Marie McGrath FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

Make sure to visit our 2019 Holiday Gift Guide for  other great gift ideas and giveaways!

Giveaway:

One reader will win a signed copy of Christmas Magic plus a $5 Amazon GC

This giveaway is not in any way associated with or endorsed by Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or Twitter.  Giveaway Ends 11/26/19 at 11:59 EST.  US Residents **18 and older** only may enter.  One entry per household and IP address.  Winner will be drawn using random.org and will have **48 hrs** to respond to email or another winner will be chosen. Entries are verified.  No purchase necessary.  Void where prohibited by law. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.  NO PO BOXES PLEASE.

The Attic Girl is not responsible/liable for prize delivery {or lost prizes}. Prizing may take 6-8 weeks for shipment. By entering the giveaway, you agree to the giveaway terms.

Holiday Gifts for Period Drama Fans @masterpiecePBS #Sponsored #GiftGuide #PoldarkPBS #DowntonAbbey #TheChaperone

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Masterpiece PBS is a personal favorite at our house for viewing superb series like Poldark, Downton Abbey, and Victoria.  We have some great holiday offerings from PBS Distribution for the period drama fan in your life.   Any of these Masterpiece PBS titles would make the perfect holiday gift or stocking stuffer.



Do you have a period drama fan on your holiday gift list?  I have a great list of the latest PBS Masterpiece dramas that will make your holiday gift giving as easy as a few clicks.

POLDARK: THE COMPLETE SERIES

The critically-acclaimed series “Poldark,” starring Aidan Turner (The Hobbit) as the smoldering Ross Poldark and Eleanor Tomlinson (Death Comes to Pemberley) as the fiery Demelza, follows the thrilling story of solider Ross Poldark after his return to Cornwall from fighting in the American Revolution. Once he is back in Cornwall he realizes that his life at home has been completely turned upside down – his father is dead, his lands are gone, and the love of his life has agreed to marry someone else. Ross comes to find that his fighting days are far from over. Will he be able to return his crumbling estate to its former glory? Will an unexpected romance change his life forever? Follow Ross Poldark’s journey and watch the whole saga unfold in the 44 episodes that comprise the complete series. The complete collection will be available November 12, 2019. Poldark is one of my absolute favorite series, and I am so sad to say that this is the final season.  (Season 5 is currently showing on Masterpiece PBS).   Season 5 is dealing with a lot of social issues of the time period including mental illness, slavery, spy intrigue, and the severe consequences of not being on the "right" side of the issues.  It also looks at the marriage relationships of the characters {will Morwenna and Drake ever be happy again?}  I've loved every minute of it! Poldark: The Complete Series also has some great bonus features: over 150 minutes of bonus video!  You'll see behind-the-scenes with the cast and crew in each season. THE CHAPERONE Louise Brooks, the 1920s silver screen sensation who never met a rule she didn’t break, epitomized the restless, reckless spirit of the Jazz Age. But, just a few years earlier, she was a 15 year-old student in Wichita, Kansas for whom fame and fortune were only dreams. When the opportunity arises for her to go to New York to study with a leading dance troupe, her mother (Victoria Hill) insists there be a chaperone. Norma Carlisle (Elizabeth McGovern), a local society matron who never broke a rule in her life, impulsively volunteers to accompany Louise (Haley Lu Richardson) to New York for the summer. Why does this utterly conventional woman do this? What happens to her when she lands in Manhattan with an unusually rebellious teenager as her ward? And, which of the two women is stronger, the uptight wife-and-mother or the irrepressible free spirit? It’s a story full of surprises—about who these women really are, and who they eventually become. The film will be available on November 26, 2019. The Chaperone is based upon Laura Moriarty's New York Time's best selling novel.  It reunites the writer (Academy Award ®-winner Julian Fellowes), director (Michael Engler) and star (Academy Award® nominee Elizabeth McGovern) of one of my other favorite series, Downton Abbey.   I hadn't read the book prior to watching the film. The film focuses more on Norma Carlisle's story than it does Louise's.  You learn about Norma's life leading up to her time as a chaperone in flash backs and current events. There are some surprises surrounding Norma's marriage and about her background.  While Norma's life was complicated and interesting, I would have liked to learn more about Louise Brooks story too.  We only see glimpses of Louise as a teenager, and not much about her career as a silent film actress.   The Chaperone is a dynamic film with many layers that show how limited women's choices were in that time period and what society expected of them (and the men around them). DOWNTON ABBEY: THE COMPLETE LIMITED-EDITION COLLECTOR'S SET With the new feature film coming out in September, fans of Downton Abbey can curl up and relive the magic that started it all with the Downton Abbey Collector’s Set. This set is complete with all six of the Emmy®, Golden Globe®, and SAG® Award-winning series (52 episodes). The set contains 13 hours of bonus content containing all of the splendor, romance, desire and heartbreak, scandal and rumor that flourished both upstairs and downstairs, as well as exclusive collectible keepsakes. The run time of the set is approximately 51 hours on 22 discs and the SRP is $69.99. The Gold Keepsake Box Contains: - Working Downton Abbey pull-bell (the famous bells from the opening credits) ready to hang on the wall or stand on a shelf. - Collectible set of six elegant cork-based coasters featuring the official Downton Abbey crest. - The Costumes of Downton Abbey, an exclusive photo-filled booklet featuring a forward from executive producer Gareth Neame. - Collectible hardcover book with 22 discs featuring all 52 episodes including each season finale Christmas special, video extras from each season, full color photography and favorite quotes from iconic characters.

Each of these quality Masterpiece PBS series / films make the perfect gift for any period drama fan.  

Can't get enough period drama?  Check out our Gift Guide for Downton Abbey fans,  Mother's Day Gift Guide,  The Suffragette, upcoming Amazon film The Aeronauts, 2018 Holiday Gifts from Masterpiece PBS, and 2009 BBC Drama Emma.  

Make sure to visit our 2019 Holiday Gift Guide for  other great gift ideas and giveaways!

Tuesday #Giveaway Linky 11/11

November is moving right along.  We have some great holiday giveaways!  Don't forget to check out our 2019 Holiday Gift Guide.

Welcome to Tuesday's Giveaway Link Up with your hosts Karen @ Tots and Me, Emily @ Emily Reviews, Shelly @ The Attic Girl, and Rena @ An Ordinary Housewife.

So glad you could join us as we share our giveaways on  Tuesday's Giveaway Link Ups. 

This link up will be posted Monday at 7 PM est. and run all week long! Make sure you stop in as often as you can to list your latest giveaways.

Here is how to use the Giveaway Link Up

1. Post your reviews and/or giveaways, as many as you have, be sure to add the end date (family friendly please)

2. Help spread the word about the giveaway link up by grabbing our button, Tweeting or posting on Facebook. (Not mandatory- but it helps get more exposure to your giveaways as well!)

3. Take a moment to enter any giveaway that strikes an interest to you!

Featured Giveaways

Universal Pictures Kids Holiday Giveaway 3 Prizes US only Ends 11/15

LEGOLAND Discovery Center Tickets Giveaway {2 winners} 

LEGO Santa Build Set {4 winners} Ends 11/30

Featured Reviews

Entertaining Reading with Goldtown Beginnings from Kregel Publications {A Homeschool Review Crew Review}

Improving Multiplication Skills with Channie's {A Homeschool Review Crew Review}

If you would  like to follow the  hostesses, we will gladly follow you back! Simply leave us a message to do so.

Thank you for linking up with Karen @ Tots and Me, Emily @ Emily Reviews, Shelly @ The Attic Girl, and Rena @ An Ordinary Housewife .

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Abominable Comes to Digital Dec 3rd @DWAnimation @universalpics #AbominableMovie

This post contains affiliate links.

Looking for holiday gift ideas for your kids?  DreamWorks Animation and Pearl Studio's co-production ABOMINABLE will be available just in time for the holidays on Digital Dec. 3, and on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-Ray^™, DVD and On Demand December 17, 2019 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. ABOMINABLE makes a great stocking stuffer or gift under the tree!

ABOMINABLE is a magical action-packed adventure for the whole family; with a 95% Audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, critics are calling this new animated classic “pure magic” (Dave Morales, Fox TV Houston). 

Yi, Everest and the gang come home just in time for the holidays from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Boasting the biggest opening for an original animated film this year, ABOMINABLE is “an epic, colorful journey home. Beautiful and exhilarating to behold” (Glenn Kenny, The New York Times). The 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray^™, DVD and Digital versions feature tons of fun bonus content including 2 original shorts, deleted scenes, and activities for the entire family to enjoy.

This magical journey is brought to life with the voice talents of Chloe Bennet (“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D”), Golden Globe^® and Emmy^® Award winner Sarah Paulson (“American Horror Story”), Eddie Izzard (Cars 2), Tenzing Norgay Trainor (“Liv and Maddie”), Albert Tsai (“Fresh Off the Boat”), Tsai Chin (The Joy Luck Club) and Michelle Wong (“Scandal”). It is written and directed by Jill Culton (Open Season, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc.) and co-directed by Todd Wilderman (Open Season 2).  The film is produced by Suzanne Buirgy and Peilin Chou. 

From the studio that brought you How to Train Your Dragon, this heartwarming and humorous story follows teenage Yi (Bennet) as she encounters a young Yeti on the roof of her apartment building in China, she and her mischievous friends, Jin (Trainor) and Peng (Tsai), name him “Everest” and embark on an epic quest to reunite the magical creature with his family at the highest point on Earth. But the trio of friends will have to stay one-step ahead of Burnish (Izzard), a wealthy man intent on capturing a Yeti, and zoologist Dr. Zara (Paulson) to help Everest get home. Heartwarming and a visual masterpiece, “ABOMINABLE is a movie for all ages with laughter and life lessons and a little bit of wonder thrown in” (Allison Rose, Flick Direct).



BONUS FEATURES ON 4K Ultra Hd, BLU-RAY^TM, DVD and digital:

• DREAMWORKS SHORT – MAROONED - Marooned, tells the story of a cantankerous and selfish robot named C-0R13. Stranded on an abandoned lunar outpost, C-0R13 longs to return to Earth. With a partially built ship and his last power source, this determined robot will stop at nothing to achieve his goal.
• SHOW AND TELL - Back home in the Himalayan Mountains, Everest puts on a magical show-and-tell for his fellow yetis after he receives a special care package from Yin, Jing and Peng.

• DELETED SCENES with Intros by Writer/Director Jill Culton and Co-Director Todd Wilderman
  • Play All
  • Spa Day
  • Villains at the Map
  • Magic Montage
  • Yak Attack
• MAKING A MYTH (MOVIE) - In this entertaining ‘making of’ we learn from the filmmakers and stars how they brought the heartfelt and whimsical story of Abominable to life - from the use of magic, music and humor, to the themes of family and nature.

• ANIMATING ABOMINABLE - From production design to storyboarding and animating, the creative team behind Abominable will take us through the design and animation of the film.
• MEET THE CAST - This fun featurette introduces the audience to the cast of Abominable and the characters they play. Learn first-hand from the actors what their personal inspiration was for the role and how they went about performing the voicework.
  • Play All
  • Chloe Bennet as Yi
  • Tenzing Norgay Trainor as Jin
  • Albert Tsai as Peng
  • Tsai Chin as Nai Nai
  • Joe Izzo as Everest

• YOUR YETI CARE GUIDE - Chloe, Albert and Tenzing provide tips and tricks to caring for your newly adopted “Yeti”. In this case YETI stands for pet - dog, kitten and bird.

• COURAGE TO DREAM - This featurette explores the character Yi, the strong, independent and untraditional female lead at the center of Abominable. Actor Chloe Bennet and the filmmakers discuss what makes Yi special and why she is the ultimate role model for young girls and boys today!
• AN ABOMINABLE TOUR WITH CHLOE BENNET - Like her father before her, Yi dreams of travelling across China to see the many beautiful, natural and culturally significant locations featured in Abominable. Chloe Bennet, the voice of Yi, will take viewers on their own magical journey.
• EVEREST’S TALK BOX - Shooting on the DreamWorks Animation campus, we bring in some real kids to meet the man behind the voice of Everest, Joe Izzo, and the audio team from Abominable to learn about all the cool tech that went into Everest’s voice.
• COOKING WITH NAI NAI - Can Tsai Chin, the voice of Nai Nai, learn to make Nai Nai’s famous pork buns in real life? Let's find out!
• HOW TO ABOMINABLE - Bring Everest, Yi and Nai Nai to life in your home with this How-to-Draw with a difference. Not only will we show you how to recreate your favorite characters from Abominable, but also how to magically bring them to life through a homemade Chinese style lantern!
  • How to Draw
  • Play All
  • Intro
  • Everest
  • Yi
  • Jin
  • Peng
  • Nai Nai
  • How to Make a Chinese Lantern

• YOU CAN SPEAK YETI-ESE - Inspired by foreign language courses, viewers can learn how to speak Yeti-ese with these easy teaching guides hosted by Chloe Bennet.
• NAI NAI SAYS - Narrated by Nai Nai, Yi's wise grandma gives us life lessons on how to be a strong, independent, modern woman.
• FEATURE COMMENTARY - Writer/Director Jill Culton, Co-Director Todd Wilderman, Producer Suzanne Buirgy, Producer Peilin Chou, Production Designer Max Boas, Visual Effects Supervisor Mark Edwards, and Head of Character Animation John Hill

Follow Abominable #AbominableMovie

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Make sure to visit our 2019 Holiday Gift Guide for  other great gift ideas and giveaways!