Guardians of the Galaxy review

Guardians of the Galaxy

This was a super cool movie that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was full of laughter-inducing humor and special effects that, while 3D can be fun, didn't need to be seen in 3D to be amazing. At 2 hours long, it can make for quite a sitting but its worth it.

Each of the heroic characters had something to offer that made them fun and invited you to like them as your favorite. 

Rocket is a sarcastic little raccoon that was genetically mutated in a series of laboratory tests.

He is constantly cracking jokes and pointing out the doom the group is in. He is also heavily into all things destructive with as much fire power as he can muster.

His faithful companion, Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) is a lovable humanoid tree.

He's always lending a helpful branch and is willing to sacrifice all for his friends.

His only vocabulary is I, Am, Groot. And only in that order. But Rocket understands what Groot is trying to say to the rest of the group. And just wait until you see the moves Groot can rock! 

Peter Quill was abducted by a group of ravager space guys right after his mother dies of what appears to be cancer. 

She tells him that his father was made of light like an angel but doesn't explain further. He grows up with the group of ravagers in space and becomes the self-proclaimed "Star Lord" while attempting to be the futuristic version of Indiana Jones.His love for popular music from the 80's is evident by his constant use of a cassette tape that his mother gave him.

Watching him break into dances at the craziest moments will surely bring a smile to your face if not full-on laughter. He may not be a saint, but he has a good heart and will be ready to take up the challenge of kicking bad guy butt as needed. 

Gomora is a surgically modified, killing machine.

She's been trained to be a warrior that is hired out by her adopted father Thanos.

Thanos loans her and her sister, Nebula to the Kree radical, Ronan the Accuser, who wishes to rain destruction on a single civilization that had made a peace treaty with his people - the Xandarians. 

Drax brings up the rear in this list of heroes.

He wants to kill Gamora for being associated with Ronan, but is convinced to go after Ronan instead. He seeks revenge for the death of his family by Ronan. He does not understand metaphors and takes everything to be of serious value. While he may be fierce, he is also very loyal to those he considers to be his friends.

At first, Quill and his rag tag bunch are only looking to cash in on an orb that Quill took from a deserted planet. Once they realize the dangers that could come from it, however, they decide to work together to save the world. Plans are haphazardly thrown together and alliances are somewhat made. The group is tested, arrested, and bonds are created. It's the craziness of it with the uniqueness of the group that made it worth seeing. I highly recommend it. Even the kids can watch so long as you're okay with fight scenes and a little language, thus the PG-13 rating. Its one of the best super hero movies I've watched so far! And don't forget!!!

While I didn't see what was to come at the prescreening, I was told there was extra footage shown after the credits. All I can tell you is that the friend who saw it says it has something to do with the Collector.

And for fun, I'm sharing the Lego version of the preview!

Wizard World comic con!

I'm so glad I was able to win free tickets to attend the Wizard World comic con in San Antonio this past Saturday. I've actually never been to one like it. A gamers con, sure. Not a huge celebration to comics and all things that fans would enjoy like this.

I even did some cosplay with a friend who went with me. I must say, we both looked pretty awesome and got our pictures taken with so many other cosplayers. 

They had events, but we weren't really interested in them. We wandered the floor checking out booths that sold just about everything. Steam punk accessories, real animal hide products, hand painted/drawn items, prints from artists, toys from all the favorite anime/comics, and more than I can put down here.

This guy could be heard throughout the day yelling, "Hey, you guys!"

I think we walked for about 3 hours. So many people were in costume. It made me feel like a kid in the candy shop. I have ideas for other costumes I would want to try. 

Groot was a super tall cosplayer! 

This mini Vader was greeting those coming and going. 

There were even families dressing up together. 

Glenda and Mario made for a cute couple. 

These two were absolutely adorable, even if they tried to smack me with the light sabers.... 

A blonde Captain America. Cosplay doesn't mean you have to follow to a T. It's all about having fun! 

Loved this Doctor Who! 

He was a really friendly Spider-Man. 

These two were awesome Frozen sisters! 

Captain Jack Sparrow was being accompanied by the Joker! 

Blade was going for authentic and hit the head on the nail. Shaved hair with designs, teeth, the works! 

This little guy was not only cute but scary. He does cosplay for other horror movies as well. 

Dead pool

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

Wonder Woman! 

Who you gonna call?! I wonder if they drove the Ecto One we saw parked outside... 

Harley Quinn

So much fun! I can't wait to go to the next one. 

Have you seen Planes: Fire and Rescue yet??

If your child loves the Planes movies, this will tickle them so much! You can help them write a letter to members of the Planes team and they will send an Airmail back! Just go to the link below and go through the prompts. Its so much fun!
http://www.planesairmail.com/

Bislique review via Shoplet.com

Having everything organized and ready to use. That's how my office is supposed to be. That's how I try to keep my home. I have lists all over the refrigerator. I have everything in a neat place. Okay... mostly. I am OCD and everything has to be organized to some extent.
Well, now I have a new list keeper. Thanks to Shoplet.com, I have a new 3-in-1 Planner.

Its an easy-to-erase white board that allows me to write in the month/days, hang notes with the magnets, or pin them up with thumb tacks. It's large enough not to get lost in the maze of things on the wall. It catches everyone's attention, allowing messages and deadlines to be met more efficiently.
There were instructions on proper care of the white board as well as instructions on how to properly hang it and attach the components.

These are great if they are followed. If you are like my husband though, you might just figure it out on your own (even if it takes a little longer).
This is a great way to leave notes and keep the family on track. You can add your own little designs and quirks to personalize it. Definitely a great addition to the office or home.
Don't forget that Shoplet.com offers other things as well. Every kind of office supply you might be looking for. They offer Medical Supplies and Office Stationary now.

Thun-der! (read it like you are singing Thunderstruck by ACDC!)

Planes: Fire and Rescue

This movie was such a pleasure to pre-screen for the review. My 4 year old was practically dancing in his seat the whole way through.

And when they played ACDC's Thunderstruck at that perfect moment... Laughter rang out clear!

Dusty Crophopper has gone from a simple crop dusting plane with dreams of racing, to being a world renowned racer. In the first Planes movie, he proved to the world that just because you are born and raised into something, doesn't mean you can't change your destiny and follow your dreams!
In this sequel, you see that he's racing and winning across the globe. He brings pride to his tiny home town. Until one race... He red lines and something breaks. Dottie checks him out and delivers the crushing news that his racing days might be over. A special part has busted. Without it, he can no longer reach top speeds. Dusty is devastated. Racing has become his life, his passion, his self-made destiny! To have it taken away... Just about crushes him. He gets into an accident when he pushes himself too hard. A fire breaks loose in the town. When the fire is doused in a rather sloppy way, the town is deemed unsafe and shut down. This all happens right before the towns Corn Festival. Everyone knows that every small town has their festivals and that its not just popular with the locals, but with those it draws in. Its a disappointment that everyone feels heavily. In order to be reopened, they have to make changes to prove they are ready for emergencies. One of those changes is to have a deputy fire fighter to serve alongside the fire truck, Mayday.

No one has been trained or certified. So what are they gonna do?? Dusty is faced with a choice. He's probably never going to be able to race again. So why not serve his town and help his old friend? He volunteers to go far from home to be trained by a great pro fire fighting helicopter. It takes a great deal of growing up for Dusty to see what's truly important in life.

He meets some friends, including an air tanker who is obsessed with Dusty - Dipper.

His trainer has a hidden secret that leaves most baffled.

One day, while training, there's an accident. On that same day, one event leads to another and disaster strikes. Will Dusty rise to the occasion? Will he be the hero he needs to be and help his new friends?
There were some other lessons to be learned. Things like how lightning can cause fires. The lightning can send sparks flying. Those sparks can start one or more small fires that can grow quickly. Fires can combine to create a larger, more dangerous fire. And most of all, fires that are blown by the wind, can jump over cleared paths.
Its a great way to talk to kids about fires. They show how the aerial firefighting is possible. A friend of mine joined us and commented on how its so cool to see how the planes with pontoons can scoop up water from nearby bodies of water to dump on raging flames. Even if they  are in cartoon form.

Check out this cool activity book!