Into The Woods
Director: Rob Marshall
Starring: Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Borden, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine, Johnny Depp
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Release Date: March 24, 2015
Retail: $39.99
ASIN: B00Q7WBFTA
Running Time: 125 minutes
Rating: PG
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on Blu-ray and Digital HD this week is the critically-acclaimed all-star musical Into The Woods. Directed by Rob Marshall, the film stars Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, James Borden, Anna Kendrick, Chris Pine and Johnny Depp.

Bonus Features include: Never-Before-Seen Sodeheim Orginial: "She'll Be Back" - Meryl Streep preforms a song composed especially for the flim with an introduction by director Rob Marshall; The Cast As Good As Gold - The film's stars share the experience of taking this epic musical journey; Deeper Into The Woods - Four pieces on the making of the film, including "The Magic Of The Woods"; Filmmaker Commentary; Music & Lyrics and more!

Based on the popular Tony Award-winning Broadway Musical by Stephen Sondheim, Into The Woods puts a magical spin on classic fairy tales of Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel. A Baker (played by James Corden) and his Wife (played by Emily Blunt) dream of having a child of their own, but thanks to a nasty curse that was placed upon the Baker's family, they're destined to be childless that is until the Witch (played by Meryl Streep) gives them a chance for a happliy ever after. They're to venture into the forest to collect these items for the Witch: a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn and a slipper as pure as gold.

What seems like a simple task, turns into a nightmare when Red Riding Hood (played by Lilla Crawford) heads into the forest to visit her Grandmother (played by Annette Crosbie) and encounters the Big Bad Wolf (played by Johnny Depp). Of course Red Riding Hood comes across the Baker and his Wife.

Yeah, it's probably not a big surprise to anyone that follows this blog to find me reviewing a coffee related product as I'm a big coffee lover! I've tired many different coffee brands and I prefer beans over ground as I believe the beans have a fresher taste. I started out using just a Ninja chopper to grind the beans that is until I purchased an electric coffee grinder at a thrift store. It worked great for about a year and then it quit on me. Of course, I bought a new electric coffee grinder and it works great, but you can't grind very many beans at one time.

A few weeks ago, I was sent the Cozyna Ceramic Burr Coffee Grinder to review and as you can imagined, I was excited about trying a hand-held coffee grinder.

The Cozyna Ceramic Burr Coffee Grinder is made from stainless steel and features a Ceramic Conical Burr, so it will never rust. It will give you a wide range of grinding. You can grind the beans to the size that'll fit to whatever coffee brewer (espresso, French press, coffee maker, etc.) you are using.

I hope everyone had a good weekend. Here in the Missouri, the weather was pretty nice. The grass is now green once again, so if it doesn't unexpectedly snow again, I'll probably be mowing the yard sometime in April. Despite the warm weather, I'm going to wait a few weeks before I do any planting in the vegetable garden; just in case the temperatures does drop again.


If you follow my blog regularly, then you would know that I have anxiety issues. Well, I had to fight those issues to create my first video review last week for the ABX DVD. While I had no problems filming myself attempting to the do the workout for a highlight reel, it took me forever to record the actual review for it.


I've already started some spring cleaning this month by boxing up some Christian books that I no longer wanted to keep. My intention was to drop them off at Salvation Army, but I ended up giving them to an elderly lady who was thrilled to have the books. I already have another box full of books for her. I have two other boxes filled with non-Christian books that I plan on donating to Salvation Army, but it will have to wait until I finish going through all my books, which includes two closets.


Speaking of books, I'm taking a slight break from reviewing books, so I can do some personal reading. I squeezed in some time Saturday afternoon to read the first two chapters in Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I hope to finish reading the novel, which is around 850 pages, before the television series returns on April 4th!

An enthralling literary tale brought to life as a television drama, Outlander, based on the series of the same name by Diana Gabaldon, tells the story of an accidental time-traveler, World War II nurse Mrs. Claire Beauchamp Randall, Who finds herself hurled into the midst of an 18th century civil war in the Scottish Highlands. Socially branded as a “Sassenach,” or “Outlander” by the Scotts upon arrival, Outlander tells the story of how Claire earns her acceptance into Jacobite society; first as a healer and then as the wife of Highland warrior Jamie Fraser.

Now, after a very extended break between part one and part two of the first season, the series is set to return to Starz on April 4th. However, given the months that have passed since it was last on the air, we all need a refresher. Sparing yourself from binge watching the first half of the season (although that is an option for those with plenty of spare time and Starz Play or DTV) here’s what you’re going to need to know to be able to jump right back in on April 4th. Warning: Spoiler Alert!

Simultaneously depicting two timelines, the first eight episodes of Outlander not only reveal the progression of Claire’s life of romance and adventure with Jamie in 1743, but also tell the story of a grieving Frank Randall, Claire’s husband, who continues to look for his missing wife in 1945. While the creator, Ronald D. Moore, says that “there’s a lot of things we did in the first 30 to 40 minutes [of the pilot] that aren’t in the book or are compilations of things that happened in the book,” critics have concluded that the screen adaptation has only altered the plotline ever so slightly.

Bustle.com writer Jefferson Grubbs says that although the series’ remains faithful to the novel, the few places where the television drama departs add depth to the story. Grubbs points to the changes in the pilot that reveal Claire’s experiences as a WWII nurse; flashbacks to Frank and Claire’s marriage; depictions of Frank’s on-going grief despite the novel’s sole focus on events from Claire’s perspective, and the invented tussle between Claire and Father Bain over the healing of an injured boy. Grubbs argues that all of these changes, although minor, add depth to the story’s characters.

After introducing us first to Claire’s husband Frank Randall and then to the world of Jamie Fraser in the Scottish Highlands, intriguing events occur in the first eight episodes. From Claire’s first encounter with “Black Jack Randall” – her 20th century husband’s colder, crueler ancestor – she finds herself directly in harm’s way until she is brought under the wings of the MacKenzie Clan. The clan, involved in the ever growing Jacobite risings and suspicious of her origins, the Mackenzie men, specifically Dougal and Colum, keep Claire under a watchful eye but esteem her value as a healer – something she first demonstrated when aiding an injured Jamie.

While some studies suggest that multivitamins won't help boost a person's overall health, I happened to have a completely different opinion. Now I'm not a doctor, but I do believe that a multivitamin is an easy way to make sure you're getting the necessary daily vitamins and nutrients. If you are lifting weight, exercising or dieting regularly, then a multivitamin is a surefire way to boost your energy levels.

I've been taking a daily multivitamin for a few years now. Occasionally, I do switch brands as I like to try out new things. A few weeks ago, I was sent a bottle of Elite Man Multivitamins (90 tablets) to review. Just like other brands, the dietary supplement is meant to help you boost energy, increase stamina, improve your focus and promote proper digestion.

The ingredients include: Vitamin A, Vitmain C, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Thiamine (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitmain B2), Niacin, Vitmain B6, Folic Acid, Biotin, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium, Iodine, Zinc, Selenium, Copper, Maganese, Chromium, Molydenum, Chloride, Potassiu, Choline, Citrus Bioflavonid Peel Powder Complex, RNA, Inositol, PABA, Hesperidin Complex, Elite Green and Whole Foods Blend (Oat Straw Herb Extract, Oat Herb Powder, Wheat Grass Powder, Spirulina Algae Extract, Apple Pectin Powder, Chlorella Cracked, Cell Wall Powder, Barley Grass Powder, Sodium Copper Chlorophyllin), Elite Omega Oils Blend (Flax Seed Powder, Sunflower Oil Poweder, Borage Oil Powder), Elite Energy and Focus Blend (Echinacea Purpurea Herb Powder, Ginger Root Powder, Milk Thistle Seed Poweder, Cayenne Pepper Powder, Asian Ginseng Root Extract, Ginkgo Leaf Extract, Goldenseal Root Powder), Elite Liver Cleanse Blend (Garlic Blub Powder, Wheat Grass Powder, Beet Root Powder, Carrot Root Powder, Parsley Leaf Powder, Asparagus Root Powder, Broccoli Plant Powder, Cabbage Leaf Powder, Brussels Sprout Powder, Cauliflower Blub Powder, Collards Leaf Powder), Elite Detox Blend (Grapefruit Seed Extract, Apple Fruit Powder, Papaya Fruit Powder, Peach Fruit Powder, Starwberry Fruit Powder, Cabbage Plam Fruit Powder, Cranberry Fruit Poweder, Blueberry Fruit Powder, Biberry Fruit Powder, Pomegranate Fruit Extract, Pineapple Fruit Powder, Orange Fruit Powder, Noril Fruit Extract), Elite Immunity Blend (Shiitake Mushroom Extract, Maitake Mushroom Powder, Reishi Mushroom Extract), Elite Digestive Enzyme Blend (Betaine HCI, Bromelain, Papain, Amylase, Lipase, Cellulase, Protease), Elite Colon Probiotic Blend (Bifidobacterium Bifidum, Lactobacillus Bulgaricus, Lactobacillus Acidophillus) Rutin, Quercetin, L-Glutathione, DNA, Boron and Lutein.

If you want schedule next week's post, click here to find the next prompt question. To submit a question, fill out this form.

What to do:

1. Post on your blog answering this question:

  This week's question is submitted by Elizabeth!

Do you read more on a rainy day or on a gorgeous day so you can be outside?

2. Enter the link to your post in the linky list below (enter your Blog Name and the direct link to your post answering this week’s question. Failure to do so will result in removal of your link).


3. Visit other blogs in the list and comment on their posts. Try to spend some time on the blogs reading other posts and possible become a new follower.  The purpose of the hop is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.

  

My Answer: 

 It doesn't matter what the weather is outside as I read every single day!

Don't Stay Up Late
A Fear Street Novel
by R.L. Stine
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pub. Date: April 7, 2015
ISBN: 9781250051622
Pages: 304
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:
 
It's almost hard to imagine that the Fear Street series by R.L. Stine first started in 1989! I was an eight-year-old back then and I didn't start reading the series until several years later. I believe the first book that I read in the series was Fear Street Cheerleaders: The First Evil.

The Fear Street series was extremely successful with teens throughout the 90s', but the fad disappeared quickly that is until R.L. Stine brought the series back last year with Party Games. The second novel in the new series is arriving in bookstores on April 7th and is titled Don't Stay Up Late! As you can see by the cover, the book has an 80s' horror vibe to it.

Don't Stay Up Late centers on Lisa Brooks, a teen that almost loses everything in one single car crash. After mending her wounds, she returns to Shadyside High and reunites with her boyfriend Nate and her friends Saralynn and Isaac. While the guys plan on helping Saralynn make a horror movie for her film project for school, Lisa searches for an after-school job to help her mother pay the bills.

Thanks to her shrink, Dr. Shein, Lisa gets a job babysitting Brenda Hart's eight-year-old son, Harry. There's only one rule to follow, Harry is not allowed to stay up late. Of course, Lisa thinks absolutely nothing about this rule, that is until she sees a strange green creature in the Hart's house. Of course everyone, including her shrink thinks she's crazy, but when a few murders occur, Lisa is convinced that there's a creature on the loose on Fear Street.