The Canterville Ghost Family Movie Night Giveaway 3 Winners!

in , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, December 01, 2023

Happy December and happy Friday friends! If you’ve been on my blog before, you know how much I love Friday giveaways. This giveaway comes at a perfect time with kids going on holiday break from school soon, so parents looking for entertainment options, this one's for you!



The Canterville Ghost Family Movie Night Giveaway 3 Winners!





The Canterville Ghost
Courtesy: Shout!Media 


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A Day in the Life of a WAHM

in , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Monday, July 11, 2011
In reviewing my stats, I noticed that several searches were done for WAHM schedules, so I thought it would be fun ( and hopefully) helpful to share one of my days with you.
 Please note,  this is our summer schedule where kiddies reign supreme, but I think I've found a healthy family/work balance. It's worked for us so far.


6:00 AM
6:30 AM
Good Morning!
6:30 AM
7:00 AM
Coffee, please!
7:00 AM
7:30 AM
Get hubby out the door with all necessary items for his day : coffee, lunch, water, paperwork/invoices/designs etc. reminders of appointments. Love & smiles!
7:30 AM
8:00 AM
Work out, assist girls with breakfast, clothes, reminders of appointments for the day.
8:00 AM
8:30 AM
Check emails respond as needed : His business, Family, My business. Call hubby with updates as needed. Do billing, proposals, updates as needed or weekly on Friday morning.
8:30 AM
9:00 AM
Start a load of laundry. Shower, get ready for day.
9:00 AM
9:30 AM
Work on current project(s),His business 1st, then my business/blog if time allows. Clean up kitchen, plan dinner, plan day with girls.
9:30 AM
10:00 AM
Visit shared links, respond to blog comments, research offers, update all Web 2.0 sites, blogs, forums, groups as time allows.
10:00 AM
10:30 AM
Family/errand Time.
10:30 AM
11:00 AM
Family/errand time.
11:00 AM
11:30 AM
Return & make phone calls: Family, Businesses.
11:30 AM
12:00 PM
Free time with girls. Play outside, read, color, puzzles, dancing, singing, T.V. etc. girls choice.
12:00 PM
12:30 PM
Lunch.
12:30 PM
1:00 PM
Lunch and clean up.
1:00 PM
1:30 PM
Chat with hubby. Reconfirm appointments as needed.
1:30 PM
2:00 PM
Tackle at least 2 household chores/projects.
2:00 PM
2:30 PM
Tackle at least 2 household chores/projects and have girls check their chore charts and follow through as needed.
2:30 PM
3:00 PM
Find and/or implement boredom buster for the girls!
3:00 PM
3:30 PM
Find and/or implement boredom buster for the girls!
3:30 PM
4:00 PM
Plan a new boredom buster with girls input for the next day. :-)
4:00 PM
4:30 PM
Snack time!
4:30 PM
5:00 PM
Work. Girls get T.V./WII time. No seriously girls, I'm working here! :-)
5:00 PM
5:30 PM
Prep/start dinner.
5:30 PM
6:00 PM
Cooking, answering phone calls, herding kiddies, texting friends, etc.
6:00 PM
6:30 PM
Dinner time. We like long family style dinners most every night of the week. Family time rocks!
6:30 PM
7:00 PM
Dinner time. We like long family style dinners most every night of the week. Family time rocks!
7:00 PM
7:30 PM
Dinner clean up. Movie/Swim/Play/Walk/Garden time, or attending family/social functions.
7:30 PM
8:00 PM
Dinner clean up. Movie/Swim/Play/Walk/Garden time, or attending family/social functions.
8:00 PM
8:30 PM
Shower, storytime, one-on-one chat time with the girls.
8:30 PM
9:00 PM
Shower, storytime, one-on-one chat time with the girls.
9:00 PM
9:30 PM
Ah, another fine day in the books. Reconnect with hubby.
9:30 PM
10:00 PM
Watch T.V. Read a book/magazine, return calls/texts.
10:00 PM
10:30 PM
Plan next day. Sync schedule with hubby.
10:30 PM
11:00 PM
Try to be in bed by now. No late night T.V. or finishing up just one more thing.
11:00 PM
11:30 PM
Yep, I'm still awake, working through it all in my mind, formulating, reliving the day, praying, dreaming, counting my blessings, smiling,... zzzz
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Family Movie Night Review: The Odd life of Timothy Green

in , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Monday, August 12, 2013
Happy Monday! This is the first “full” day of school for my daughters. The new school year usually runs smoothly here at Casa Kinsman (feel free to chat with my long about March to see if I’m eating those words), and while I do miss my girls today, I am glad summer has ended and we are getting back to a regular routine.

But, I know some of you Moms have a few days (or weeks) left before school begins and along with the hot August days, your kiddos may be dancing on your nerves right about now. It’s okay, you are among friends you can admit it and nod at the screen… kids dance on nerves, it’s what they do. 


That’s why I’ve chosen The Odd life of Timothy Green as my first movie review. 


About The Odd Life of Timothy Green:

Disney
Courtesy: Disney Films
Released: August 15, 2012

“Disney brings enchantment home with The Odd Life of Timothy Green, an inspiring, magical story for the whole family starring Jennifer Garner.
Cindy (Garner) and Jim Green are a happily married couple who can't wait to start a family but can only dream about what their child would be like. When young Timothy shows up on their doorstep one stormy night, Cindy and Jim - and their small town of Stanleyville - learn that sometimes the unexpected can bring some of life's greatest gifts.
 From Academy Award® -nominated director/writer Peter Hedges (About A Boy, Best Adapted Screenplay, 2002; Dan In Real Life; What's Eating Gilbert Grape) - and complete with engaging bonus features - it's a heartwarming celebration of family as only Disney can deliver.” 

Director: Peter Hedges

Cast:
Jennifer Garner
Joel Edgerton
CJ Adams
Ron Livingston
Dianne Wiest
Odeya Rush
Rosemarie DeWitt
Lin-Manuel Miranda
M. Emmet Walsh
Lois Smith
David Morse and Common



My Review:


 Recently we chose this movie as our Friday family movie night and were not disappointed. What we as parents liked were the gentle reminders that being parents is a gift. Having kids is a gift. Trust me; this is the movie to watch as a family if you are short on patience with your kids right now.

What the kids liked was Timothy’s unflappable personality. He just didn’t let things bother him, even when things didn’t go well.

Yes, this is a sappy, feel good movie and yes Jennifer Gardner (Cindy) and Joel Edgerton (Jim) have zero on screen chemistry and may have been a bit miss-cast. However, these fine actors superbly portray their rather dull, childless life and later, their total lack of parental experience.

Timothy (C.J. Adams) shows up like a breath of fresh air and the movie awakens with him. Watching him interact with his parents and extended family and then the towns-folk is joyful in his innocence.
Timothy touches everyone he meets; sort of shining the light on those parts of ourselves we think we have well hidden.

You may even notice some of the characters from the movie bear a striking resemblance to family and friends within your own community. Jim’s Dad didn’t have a good relationship with his son so when he shows up there is concern and tension. Cindy’s sister, Miss Perfect Mom, PTO leader, Soccer Mom (you know the kind) was played so perfectly by RoseMarie DeWitt that I swear I have met her somewhere! Then there’s the angst filled teen, mid-drift baring girl who befriends Timothy, much to the dismay of Cindy.

This truly is a heartwarming family movie that may have you hugging your kids and your spouse just a little tighter after watching.

To learn more about The Odd Life of Timothy Green, you can watch the movie trailer or visit Disney.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my first movie review. Stay tuned for our thoughts on Percy Jackson and the sea of Monsters!


Disclosure: This is not a sponsored post and is in no way associated with Disney. I just wanted to share our family night movie experiences. All opinions are 100 % my own and may differ from yours.

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Quick & Easy Grilled Chicken Flatbread Sandwich

in , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, March 26, 2021
As the days grow longer and warmer, my idea of a perfect lunch is evolving. I’m wanting lots of fruits and veggies and a heart grained bread for a sandwich or as a side to soup just feels too heavy now that spring has officially arrived. Recently, I found the answer when I was asked if I’d like to try Atoria’s Family Bakery mini flatbread with whole grain and flax seeds. I made a quick and easy grilled chicken flatbread sandwich that was so good, I wanted to share it with you in case you are wanting a lighter lunch as well.


Lunch is Served!


Quick & Easy Grilled Chicken Flatbread Sandwich


My thanks to Atoria's Family Bakery for the complimentary flatbread showcased in today's post. No other compensation given. All opinions are my own.

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Family Night with General Mills Awesome Movies #biggcerealmovies #sponsored

in , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, July 11, 2014

Friday nights have been Family fun nights at our house for years. Now that the girls are in their teens and tweens, we let them decide if it’s game night or movie night and it just so happens, tonight is going to be movie night thanks to Big G Cereal Movies. This post is sponsored by General Mills but my love for their cereal and family fun is all my own.

Big G wants to inspire family nights together with classic movies that you can share with your loved ones anytime, anywhere by offering a free HD movie download when you purchase 2 boxes of these participating cereals:


  • Honey Nut Cheerios
  • Fruity Cheerios
  • Frosted Cheerios
  • Lucky Charms
  • Reese’s Puffs
  • Trix
  • Cocoa Puffs
  • Golden Grahams


We chose Lucky Charms and Frosted Cheerios.  We had to look through the Big G cereals available to make sure we selected boxes with the General Mills and Fox MovieDownload Promotion movie banner across the front to ensure we’d get the code needed. 


#biggcerealmoviesBig G Cereal Movies




Once you have your Big G cereal home, it’s time to decide what movie you are going to download. There are 10 great movies to choose from.


#biggcerealmoviesBig G Cereal Movies



We chose Mr. Popper’s Penguins.  Downloading our movie was easy.  

  • We found the codes needed in each cereal box.
  • Went to Big G Cereal Movies and entered codes.
  • Downloaded our free movie.



No family movie night would be complete without a snack, so we were happy to see snack recipes on both boxes of Big G cereal. The girls and I raided our pantry and came up with our own version of Lucky Charms Peanutty Good Luck Snack. We added Cashews, Pretzel bites and Frosted Cheerios to our recipe. It is so sweet and salty good that we had to put it away to wait until official movie time tonight. 


Lucky Charms snack #biggcerealmovies


Here is the recipe for Lucky Charms Peanutty Good Luck Snack from cereal box:


Ingredients:

4 cups Lucky Charms cereal
1 cup candy-coated peanut butter pieces
1 cup yogurt-covered raisins
1 cup peanuts

Directions:

Place all ingredients in resealable plastic food- storage bag; seal.
Shake until mixed. Store at room temperature up to 3 days.



Enjoying our family movie nights is just one of the ways we spend quality time together as a family, and now thanks to Big G, we’ll have Mr. Popper’s Penguins in our movie collection to watch again and again.


Please share in comments: What are some of your favorite family movies? 
Disclosure: Many thanks to General Mills for sponsoring today’s post and sharing their family fun with us. I will receive compensation for sharing my thoughts on Big G,. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be a good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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Warm up your family with Caserecce Pasta & Red Sauce

in , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Sunday, January 10, 2016
Pasta is a passion with my family and is on heavy rotation at our dinner table.  When we shop, we’re on the lookout for unique pasta shapes to try at home and when dining out, at least one in our family of four will order a pasta dish.  My husband and I enjoy recreating favorite pasta dishes at home so last night I made a favorite to warm up my family- Caserecce pasta and Red Sauce. I even added some meatballs for good measure.  Thank you to Ragu for sponsoring today’s post and inspiring me to pass on my family traditions.

Warm up with Caserecce Pasta & Red Sauce #recipe #simmeredintradition




You’ll find Caserecce Pasta and Red Sauce on many restaurant menus, but don’t let that intimidate you. With a planning and a good Red sauce like Ragu, you’ll be serving up smiles in no time! Here’s my list of ingredients for you to make a shopping list from.

Ingredients to make Caserecce Pasta & Red Sauce #recipe


Ingredients: Serves 6

  • 1 container Caserecce Pasta
  • 1 small white or yellow onion
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh Rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 2 24 ounce Ragú Red Pasta Sauce. (I used Chunky Tomato, Garlic & Onion) 
  • 1 pound Italian style meatballs (optional)
  • Freshly shredded Romano or Parmesan to garnish (optional)

Directions:

In a large skillet, add olive oil on medium heat until warm. Add onions and minced garlic and sweat until onions are translucent. When my family smells this, they know I'm cooking up something good! 

Sweating onions and garlic

Meanwhile, in large pot, bring water with a drizzle of oil of your choice and a pinch of salt to boil. Once boiling, add pasta and cook according to package directions.  As with most pasta dishes, Caserecce is best served Al dente.  


Once your onions and garlic are ready, add your Ragu pasta sauce. I usually put just a little water in the jars to get out every last bit of sauce and stir it in along with the salt, pepper and Rosemary.  Let your sauce simmer for about 6 minutes, then add your meatballs. You can either add meatballs you’ve made, or pre-made meatballs now, just make sure they aren’t frozen.

The making of a good red sauce with Ragu #simmeredintradtion

The great thing about using Ragu red sauce is that it has such a great flavor, it doesn’t require any fussing with. My pasta dishes turn out perfectly each time.  Assunta Cantisano, the founder of Ragu; sure new what she was doing with her recipe when she started out way back in 1937! This sauce is truly #simmeredintradition and I’m proud to serve it to my family and friends.  Plus, as a work at home mom and entrepreneur, I was fascinated to learn about her and this beloved brand. I invite you to read her story here. 

Continue to simmer your sauce while you make your sides. 

Simmering red sauce for pasta

I usually serve sourdough garlic bread and a large salad with my Caserecce Pasta & Red Sauce, but this dish also pairs well with roasted vegetables or whatever you have on hand.  

In less than 50 minutes, you’ll be serving up a hearty meal that will warm your family from the inside out and just may start a new tradition of serving pasta often as well. 


Mangia!


Please share in comments: What is your favorite pasta in red sauce dish? Is this a family recipe that's been handed down to you? 


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Roasted Red Pepper BLT Wraps for a quick lunch

in , , , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, February 04, 2022

Happy first Friday of February friends! I’ve had a very productive week, which means most days I was eating lunch on the fly and grazing my way through the afternoon until I’d cook and eat a proper dinner. Do you know those kinds of busy days where you eat a hand full of almonds here, and an apple there? I decided today I was going to treat myself to a proper lunch, so I used the leftovers from last night and made a Roasted Red Pepper BLT Wraps for a quick lunch. It was so, so good! I want to share this simple lunch idea with you and give you a chance to win some wraps too.


Quick Lunch Wrap:

 


Roasted Red Pepper BLT Wraps

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4 Cute and Clever Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for the whole family

in , , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Friday, February 03, 2023

Winter has us in its grip this week and has covered a large portion of the US in snow and ice, so to combat the bad weather, I’m focusing on the fun of Valentine’s day gift giving! My shopping style has changed now that my daughters are older. It’s not all hearts and candies (although, I still love giving and receiving those). Now, I look for gifts beyond the candy aisle!  I’ve found four cute and clever Valentine's Day  gift ideas for the whole family to share with you today.


 4 Cute and Clever Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas!



4 Cute and Clever Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas for the whole family

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Alone Yet Not Alone Book review and Giveaway

in , , , , , , by Linda A Kinsman, Thursday, August 29, 2013
Material Disclosure: As a member of FlyBy Promotions, I received a free copy of this book to facilitate my review and to host a giveaway.  All opinions expressed our 100% my own. 


Reviewing children’s or young adult books can be a hit or miss endeavor, because sometimes a book you think will hold your child’s interest doesn’t. This was not the case with Alone yet Not Alone. I will go into more detail about that in my review, but first let me tell you about the book and movie coming in September. There’s a giveaway too at the bottom.


About Alone yet Not Alone:



Settled in the Blue Mountains of Pennsylvania, deep within America's new frontier, the Leininger family celebrates the blessings of a beautiful homestead and bountiful harvest. That is, until tragedy strikes with the beginning of the French and Indian War and the devastating raid known as the Penn's Creek Massacre. 

The lives of this simple, God-fearing family are forever altered when Barbara and Regina, two young sisters, are carried away by the Delaware tribe. Driven by their faith in God and the powerful bonds of family, Barbara and Regina hold firmly to the belief that they are never alone, even in their darkest hour, and that they will be reunited again. 

Rich in historical details, Alone Yet Not Alone is an inspirational, true story of a family caught in the cross fire of the French and Indian War. 



About The Author: 

Tracy Leininger Craven loves history and retelling real-life stories in her historical fiction books. She also loves spending her free time in the great outdoors with her husband David and their four children.



My Review:

I have to admit, I was a little concerned about how in depth the author might go in details of the French and Indian war. Be warned, there are parts of this book that deal with the ugliness of this part of our American history. 
While there are parts in this book that tell of the terrible ordeals this family endured, Mrs. Craven wrote about them in a way that wasn’t graphic or over the top.

I enjoyed this books flow and story line. It drew me in from the first chapter. The Leininger family are a close-knit Christian family that was very relatable even though the lived so long ago.

My ten year old daughter devoured this book! She absolutely loved it and asked to stay up a little longer because she was at a really good part. She had this book read in record time, which speaks volume's to the authors gifted pen. 

We highly recommend this book for your tween reader 10 or over because of the subject matter. This is an inspiring book, full of faith and family love, which in my humble opinion, our world needs more of.


And Alone Yet not Alone Movie will be released in theaters September 27, 2013. 



 Starring: Kelly Greyson, Natalie Racoosin, Clay Walker, Jenn Gotzon, Joanie Stewart, Ozzie Torres, Tony Wade.

Families will love this film based on a true story!  Awarded 5 Doves from the Dove Foundation! 



You can connect with Alone Yet not Alone on their website, Facebook and Twitter or watch the movie trailer on You Tube.


 As always, I hope you found this review helpful. 




About the giveaway:


Enter to win a copy of Alone Yet not Alone for your little reader. Open to United States residents 18 or older. No purchase is necessary. All terms and conditions can be read on the Rafflecopter form below. My WAHM Plan is not responsible for shipment of prize.
a Rafflecopter giveaway





Disclosure: As a member of FlyBy Promotions, I received a free copy of this book to facilitate my review and to host a giveaway .  All opinions expressed our 100% my own. 

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