review — Page 32

Maleficent – In Theaters Now

May 30, 2014 By Anne

Maleficent is in theaters now, May 30th!

“Maleficent” explores the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the classic “Sleeping Beauty” and the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turn her pure heart to stone. Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king’s newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human kingdom that holds her legacy. Maleficent realizes that Aurora may hold the key to peace in the land and is forced to take drastic actions that will change both worlds forever.

When we first started seeing the commercials for this movie, my daughter was a bit scared. And I had no idea the movie was about Sleeping Beauty. All I know is it seemed a bit dark for my daughter, so I probably wouldn’t see it. But then I watched a few trailers and thought it actually looks like a great movie!

I took my cousin, Merrilee with me to watch the preview. The movie was fantastic! The scenes were amazing and the special effects wonderful. There were many magical creatures that made the film so, well magical.

Now that I’ve seen Maleficent, I know my daughter will like it. I know she will not like it in the theaters as it’s loud and a bit scary on big screen (for her anyway) but when it comes out we will definitely watch it together.

I don’t remember the Sleeping Beauty Fairy Tale very well, but love, love this version. It was a sad and sweet story.

This movie is rated PG and is out now! Go see it!!

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

Tips on Keeping the Air Clean During Allergy and Asthma Season

May 27, 2014 By Anne

I received the product below and information to review. Opinions are my own.

I’ve never been affected by seasonal allergies. At least none that I know of. But this year? Wow! It’s been a bad year for a lot of people. And guess who got it too? Me.

It started with my ears clicking. It did not hurt but it was very annoying. It almost felt like there was water in there. I tried ear drops and some Claritan. Then next came some bad sinus pain and a possible sinus infection. After a course of antibiotics there was still sinus pressure and the ear clicking was still there. My eyes! They are dry and irritating and itchy. Where did all of this come from? I went to visit and Ear, Nose and Throat doctor and he told me it was allergies. I said, I never had allergies before. But he said they could come on at any time.

Of course it’s all over the news about how bad allergy season is this year. So what can you do about it? Here is some information to help you get some relief.

Most people actually don’t realize air indoors can be up to 5 times more polluted with harmful allergens than the air outdoors!

Keep dust under control: Clean tables, shelves, lamp shades and electronics with a damp cloth to ensure dust doesn’t float into the air. Avoid throw rugs when possible; uncluttered and bare floors are best.

Love your vacuum: Vacuum carpets, wood floors and tile at least two times per week.

Clean the air you breathe: Use an air purifier with a True HEPA filter in common areas of the home and in the bedroom.

Prevent pet dander: While most doctors suggest that people allergic to animal dander avoid household pets with feathers or fur, if you’re an animal lover, keep the animal out of the bedroom.

Keep pollen outside: You can reduce the number of outdoor allergens such as pollen and mold from entering the home by keeping windows and doors closed and setting the air conditioner on re-circulate.

As noted above, an easy way for people to combat allergy symptoms is by using an air purifier with a true HEPA filter, such as one from the Fellowes AeraMax line. Their sleek design and ultra-quiet operation make them the perfect home companion as they silently remove 99.97% of the invisible indoor pollutants (pet dander, mold, allergens, etc.)

Fellows sent me the AeraMax Air Purifier to review. With all the pollen going around and getting a third cat, I thought why not? I could use some help, my allergies are killing me!

I love this new Air Purifier! It works up to 200 square feet. I placed in between my kitchen and living room. AeraSmart™ Sensor monitors the air quality and automatically adjusts the fan speed to keep your air purified. All of the sudden the purifier will kick up a notch. Although it’s still very quite. The True HEPA filter with AeraSafe™ antimicrobial treatment safely removes 99.97% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns, including pollen, ragweed and other allergens, viruses, germs, dust mites, mold spores and cigarette smoke.

All these lights let you know whats going on. The big circle at the top monitors the air quality and adjusts the fan speed. Different colored lights let you know the purity of your air. And yes Mine has been red sometimes, yuck!
The two lines together let you know when your HEPA Filter needs to be changed. And the six dots let you know when the Carbon Filter needs to be replaced.

Look how sleek and slender this is. My AeraMax is visible to anyone who walks through my house so having something discreet and pretty is a must.

Do you suffer from allergies? What helps you?

Anne

Thankful by Shelley Shepard Gray

May 20, 2014 By Anne

Thankful, Book Two in the Return to Sugarcreek series was a nice and easy read. I love these books. No super thinking – just like watching a movie in my head. I’ve been reading Amish books for a couple years now and I still love them! Shelley Shepard Gray is a great writer and the reader always fells like they are right there in the story. I did not read the first book in this series but there is no need to. Each book tells it’s own story. Thankful actually has three stories in one. I liked how the author goes back and forth between the three stories.

Christina Kempf has always known that God chose Aden Reese to be her husband. As children, he was there to save her when she fell through the ice, and he’s been by her side ever since. After his parents died in a car accident ten years ago, the Kempfs raised Aden as one of their own, and everyone sees Aden and Christina as brother and sister. But Christina has never given up hope that Aden will one day ask her to be his wife.

Aden always planned to court Christina. But losing his mother and father changed everything—except his love for her. Her parents generously welcomed him into their home and treated him like a son. He can’t betray their kindness by admitting his feelings for the girl who is like a sister . . . yet so much more.
Pressured by her parents to court, Christina begins to accept the attentions of Sugarcreek’s young men, and now, Aden must make a choice. Will he stand by and watch the love of his life slip away? Or will he risk losing the love and trust of the family he holds dear to tell Christina how he truly feels?

See more reviews here:http://litfusegroup.com/author/sgray

About the author: Shelley Shepard Gray is a two-time New York Times bestseller, a two-time USA Today bestseller, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time Holt Medallion winner. She lives in Southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.

Anne

Chick-fil-A New #grilledlove

May 12, 2014 By Anne

I was invited to visit my local Chick-fil-A and try their new menu items.

#grilledlove

Recently a group of friends and I was invited to Chick-fil-A for a tasting event for their new Grilled Chicken items.

Our table was set up and ready for us with flowers and placemats and little cow stuffed animals. After we were served the biggest drinks offered and were spoke with the owner of the store, our food was brought out to us one by one.

First up was the Grilled Market Salad. I already love this salad and I get it all the time. The only difference for my was I tried it with the Zesty Apple Cider Vinaigrette. I usually eat it with the Avocado Ranch Dressing. But I wanted to be adventurous and try new things! 🙂 The Grilled Market Salad comes with grilled chicken breast served on a fresh bed of chopped Romaine lettuce and baby greens, topped with shredded red cabbage and carrots, crumbled blue cheese and a mix of red and green apples, strawberries and blueberries. It is absolutely delicious!

Market Grilled Chicken Salad

Next up was the Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich. A boneless breast of chicken, marinated with a special blend of seasonings and grilled for a tender and juicy backyard-grilled taste It’s served on a toasted multigrain bun with Colby-Jack cheese, smoked applewood bacon, Green Leaf lettuce and tomato. Served with Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce. Again, I would never have added the sauce, but man was that good!

ChickfilA-Grilled-Chicken-Club-Sandwich

Now how did we eat of this food? We didn’t. We all had a few bites then placed them in out to go bag and went on to the next item. It was all so good it was hard to stop eating!

Next up was the Grilled Chicken Cool Wrap. I’ve had this before and knew how tasty these are but several of my friends have never tried it!?The wraps come with grilled chicken breast, nestled in a fresh mix of Green Leaf lettuce with shredded red cabbage and carrots and a blend of shredded Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses, tightly rolled in a flaxseed flour flat bread. And Avocado Lime Ranch dressing is recommend with it. I love that stuff!

Grilled Chicken Cool Wrap

All the while the owner and assistant manager were there with us telling us about each item and answering any questions. We were told that some new and exciting breakfast items would be coming soon. Also be on the look out for new coffee and iced coffee. I love iced coffee in the summer.

Chick-fil – A has some popular items that are gluten free such as their grilled market salads, chicken, fruit cups and waffle fries.

Grilled Chicken Nuggets

More food comes along – Grilled Chicken Nuggets. Now I’m a big fan of the original but I have to say, these are now my favorite besides the Market Salad. The nuggets are marinated with a special blend of seasonings and grilled for that tender and juicy backyard-grilled taste the Grilled Chicken Sandwiches come with.

Then the last item to come was the Grilled Chicken Sandwich. Just like the Grilled Chicken Nuggets, this was wonderful! Served with the Honey Roasted BBQ Sauce, it was amazing!

Grilled Lovin’

After we were pleasantly stuffed we got a tour of the kitchen. They showed us all of the “real” ingredients they used, no bagged salads or powdered lemonade here.

Inside we were greeted by…

Fresh Ingredients

Did you know that Chick-fil-A cups are recyclable? They are. In the store they have a cup only bin where you can recycle them. Awesome!

Recycle those cups!

We got to see how the chicken comes in frozen, then gets de thawed and finally ready to be ready and breaded or grilled. We saw how boxes and boxes of fresh lemons were stored and ready to be squeezed for fresh lemonade. They really do make everything fresh.

Some of the group received a dessert and we all walked out with a bag full of goodies.

In that bag of goodies was a beach towel, a hat, a Tervis Tumbler, a small stuffed cow and some awesome gift cards for free grilled Chick-fil-A!!

I was given a few extras to pass along to my readers!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A big shout out to our local Chick-fil-A for inviting us to taste the New Grilled Menu Items – Visit them at -https://www.facebook.com/CFAMarshLanding

Anne

Critical Condition by Richard L. Marby, M.D.

May 7, 2014 By Anne

It began as a quiet dinner party honoring Dr. Shannon Frasier’s colleague, but became a nightmare when a man was shot on her lawn, reviving emotions from a similar episode a decade ago. Then a midnight call from her sister, Megan, causes Shannon to fear that her sister is on drugs again.

Her “almost-fiancé” Dr. Mark Gilbert’s support only adds to Shannon’s feelings of guilt, since she can’t bring herself to fully commit to him. She turns for help to her pastor-father, only to learn that he’s just been diagnosed with leukemia. Shannon thought it couldn’t get any worse. Then the late-night, threatening phone calls begin, the rough voice asking, “What did he say before he died?”

With everything around her in a critical state, simply staying alive will require all the resources and focus Shannon has.

I love getting books to review. Of course I love to read and the books I receive are books I probably wouldn’t have bought. Okay that may not be fair. I don’t buy a lot of books new. I search the thrift stores and garage sales and my mother gives me some as well. I’d love to start a book exchange club in my community….Hmmm I really don’t need another project to do.

Anyway back to my review. Critical Condition was a great read! It’s one of those books you don’t won’t to stop reading. Perfect for a day at the pool or beach.If you like a good mystery you will love this book. There are many twists and turns and it keeps you guessing what will happen next! Dr. Shannon Frasier, the main character is a strong woman who went through a lot and continues to help her sister and her community.

A must for your summer reading list!

See more reviews here:http://litfusegroup.com/author/rmabry

About the Author: A retired physician, Dr. Richard Mabry is the author of four critically acclaimed novels of medical suspense. His previous works have been finalists for the Carol Award and Romantic Times Reader’s Choice Award, and have won the Selah Award. He is a past Vice-President of American Christian Fiction Writers and a member of the International Thriller Writers. He and his wife live in North Texas.