Next we got in line for the 7:00pm O Wondrous Night show. I’m glad we headed over there early because the line was very long and the doors open rather early. There are only 2 shows a night and they both fill up so make sure you arrive at least 45 minutes early, you’ll be glad you did.

O Wondrous Night

This show is AMAZING! Do not miss it. It has jumped up to #2 on my list of favorite Christmas shows. A beautiful telling of the Christmas story complete with 30 carols, puppets, singers and live animals is what you will find when you see O Wondrous Night. The singers were very talented and the performer on me really wanted to be on stage singing with them.

After the amazing show we wandered through the Christmas Market sipping hot chocolate on our way to Bayside Stadium for the 8:45pm Winter Wonderland on Ice show and the 9:10pm Holiday Reflections fireworks.

For the best viewing of the shows at Bayside Stadium I have found that the front row in the balcony area has the best seats. Here is a panoramic picture from our seats of the pre-show entertainment performing.

The other two big things you don’t want to miss are the Polar Express Experience and Shamu Christmas Miracles. I wrote about those last year so feel free to click over and check that post out too.

With everything from Santa to Shamu®, presents to penguins, and elves to Elmo, SeaWorld’s Christmas Celebration is where the season meets the sea. Events take place on select dates November 23 through December 31, 2013 and are included with park admission or annual pass.

Disclosure: We were guests of SeaWorld for this event. All opinions are 100% mine and my husband’s.

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Captain Tim is active on Twitter and Facebook so make sure you chat with him there and he is looking for other bloggers to review products for them so if you are interested send him a tweet and tell him @MomMaven sent you.

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About the Film

Les Misérables is the motion-picture adaptation of the beloved global stage sensation seen by more than 60 million people in 42 countries and in 21 languages around the globe and still breaking box-office records everywhere in its 27^th year.  Helmed by The King’s Speech’s Academy Award^®-winning director, Tom Hooper, the Working Title/Cameron Mackintosh production stars Hugh Jackman, Oscar^® winner Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit, Samantha Barks, with Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen.

Set against the backdrop of 19^th-century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption—a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit.  Jackman plays ex-prisoner Jean Valjean, hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Crowe) after he breaks parole.  When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine’s (Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever.

In December 2012, the world’s longest-running musical brings its power to the big screen in Tom Hooper’s sweeping and spectacular interpretation of Victor Hugo’s epic tale.  With international superstars and beloved songs—including “I Dreamed a Dream,” “Bring Him Home,” “One Day More” and “On My Own”—Les Misérables, the show of shows, is now reborn as the cinematic musical experience of a lifetime.

The Trailer

My Review

When I left the theater all I could say was, “Wow!” There is so much to this film that I needed to process it so that I could attempt to share my thoughts with you. As a whole Les Miserables is an epic movie worthy of every accolade and award nomination it is garnering. Since I have not read the book or seen the stage play I came to the theatre with no preconceived notions of what to expect and I was blown away.

The score is often intense and is the core of this musical. The movie actually includes an additional song that director Tom Hooper commissioned for Hugh Jackman to sing about his love for Cosette, his adopted daughter. the song fits seamlessly with the rest of the score and I didn’t even know there was a new song until researching for this review. Hugh Jackman is magnificent as the tortured soul, Jean Valjean. The emotion he brings to this role and these songs is palpable. Anne Hathaway’s portrayal of Fantine is raw and transparent and deeper than anything I’ve ever seen her do. Russell Crowe as Javert is very good but in all honesty, his vocals just aren’t up to par with the rest of the cast, that doesn’t make it bad-the rest of the cast is just that good! I could go on and on about the powerful and heart wrenching performances by Amanda Seyfried, Samantha Barks and Isabelle Allen, they are all amazing in their roles. Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter are the only comic relief as the Thenardiers.

I believe the major thing that allowed the cast to be so magnificent is how this movie was filmed. Almost all movie musical cast go into a studio and record the soundtrack in advance of filming the movie then they lip sync to the track during the filming. That would never work with Les Miserables because there is little dialog between the songs and you would miss a lot of spontaneous emotion that happens during filming. Watch this clip about how the movie was filmed.

This movie is rated PG-13 for suggestive and sexual material, violence and thematic elements. I tend to be more strict than the motion picture rating people but personally, I wouldn’t have taken my kids before they were 16. This film includes scenes of prostitutes, death, and violence. My 18yo enjoyed the movie but thought there was too much singing The movie is 157 minutes (2 hours 37 minutes) long. Les Miserables hits theatres Christmas Day.

Disclosure: I was invited to a media screening of the movie by Grace Hill Media. All opinions are 100% mine.

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In 3 easy steps I had fresh bread baking in my oven.

The bread truly is as easy to make as the video shows. The bread was a bit heavier than what we are used to but we enjoyed it warm out of the oven with some butter on it. I also used it for making a sandwich.

Fleischmann’s Simply Homemade No Knead Bread Mix allows home bakers to prepare freshly-baked yeast bread in just three easy steps; stir, rise and bake ­and in less than an hour. Perfect for everyday meals, impromptu get-togethers and special occasions, this pantry-friendly mix only requires water and 15 minutes of prep-time. Perfect for busy parents who still want to serve their families something fresh and homemade!

Fleischmann’s Simply Homemade product details:

• Perfect for beginner and experienced bread bakers
• All ingredients are in the box ­- just add water
• Stir-in and recipe ideas for unique bread variations and dishes are on every box
• Each box makes one loaf and provides 6 -8 servings
• Available in Country White, Stoneground Wheat, Multi-Grain and Italian Herb varieties
• Find it in the baking aisle at retailers nationwide for a suggested retail price of $2.99

Especially during the busy holiday season, Fleischmann’s Simply Homemade is a time-saving solution that allows busy families to bake warm, delicious yeast bread, in less time than ever before.

I also received a package of the Italian Herb variety and I’ll be making that when we have lasagna for dinner next week. You can pick up Fleishmann’s Simply Homemade Bread mixes at your local grocery store and surprise your family with homemade bread for Christmas dinner!

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To help college students who are attempting to cook in a dorm…or their first apartment, Chef Nisa Burns has written Kitchenability 101 The College Student’s Guide to Easy, Healthy and Delicious Food.

A culinary graduate of the Art Institute of Virginia Beach, Nisa’s easy, healthy recipes have gained fans on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube nationwide. Her mission? To show college students how to become best friends with their kitchens in order to feed themselves for life, a process she calls becoming “Kitchen-able.” It’s about making cooking easy and natural, rather than intimidating and overwhelming.

To that end, Nisa shows students healthy, accessible alternatives to the cafeteria or drive-thru lane with her highly-anticipated cookbook, Kitchenability 101: The College Student’s Guide to Easy, Healthy, and Delicious Food (on sale October 2012; Paperback $17.95; eBook $7.99), which comes with QR codes linking to Nisa’s popular how-to videos.

“It’s not about having a big, fancy kitchen—you can have amazing Kitchenability in your dorm room or apartment,” says Nisa. “It’s about developing a partnership with your kitchen, knowing what you can do and how you can play in it.”

College readers will learn that it is just as easy (and tasty!) to make an Avocado Lettuce Wrap as it is to heat up a processed TV dinner—and usually cheaper, too. Kitchen newbies have Nisa as their guide in each of these recipes, which helps students cook quickly and healthfully on a college budget.

“As you cultivate confidence in the kitchen, you’ll feel motivated to create foods that fit your lifestyle, instead of just eating whatever is fast and available. Kitchenability is about making awesome foods that nourish and strengthen your mind and body so you can succeed in college and beyond.”

Kitchenability 101 offers shopping plans, supply lists, budgeting tips, skills and recipes for cooking in college spaces—including dorm rooms, apartments and houses. The QR codes link readers to Nisa’s online video demos for delicious dishes like Gnocchi with Pesto, Chicken Mole, Creamy Hummus Dip, and Dark Chocolate Cookies with Chocolate Mousse Filling.

Since my boys have been cooking for years I decided to try this book out with Summer, who came to our house only knowing how to make Ramen noodles at age 18! We started out easy but we will be trying several recipes in this book over the next few months. I explained to Summer that cooking is 85% following directions, and right there she got discouraged I assured her I would help her and hopefully by the time she heads off to college in the fall she will have some basic cooking skills. She made the “Fancy Mac & Cheese”. I have never been a fan of baked Mac & Cheese but I was willing to give it a try. This recipe calls for Gruyere cheese which is a bit pricey on a college student’s budget, but we made it anyway. The recipe was easy to make and tasted pretty good. As a family, we all decided next time we would double the cheese and cut the pepper in half and then it should be perfect for our tastes.

Fancy Mac & Cheese

We found the book to be well written and even labels recipes so you know which can be made in a dorm or apartment. Kitchenability 101 will make a great gift for any college student who needs to learn some great new recipes.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All opinions are 100% mine.

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Aaron wasn’t happy about having his picture taken but he LOVES his new Grunt Style shirt. The t-shirt material is very soft and comfortable and it fits him well. He wore his shirt when he went out with his friends and he said “The guys all commented about my shirt and that they liked how it looked.”

Grunt Style, LLC was founded in 2009 by Drill Sergeant Alarik. Watch this brief video about how the company was started and their Beer Guarantee…

It is a little late to order Grunt Style for Christmas delivery but if you order now you can use the code gs1752 and receive 15% off your order. Just print the picture of the shirt you order and wrap it up and tell the recipient it is on the way. We do that all the time in our family!

When you’re in apparel business and in need of fast, accurate, screen printing gold ink services just check out a site like https://thrivescreenprinting.com/metallic-ink-printing/ for help.

Disclosure: We received a shirt of our choice for the purpose of this review. All opinions are 100% mine and my family’s.

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The crisp Iowa Pine, with a touch of clove and cedar smells like a fresh-cut Christmas tree, without the messy needles. The entire family loves it and I’ll be running out to Target to pick up more of these limited time candle tins!

The Orange Clove Holiday Candle give off a warm and spicy citrus scent, which is delicious this time of year. These candles are available at Target stores for $2.50! These will make great stocking stuffers, teacher gifts or add-ons to other gifts. If you want to take it a step further you can pick up a Mrs Meyers Seasons Cleanings Kit in either of these holiday scents and really get your house ready for Christmas!

Disclosure: I received 2 candles for the purpose of this review. All opinions are 100% mine.

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We had the opportunity to try the Tortilla Chips in Olive and Jalapeno and the Sweet Potato Kettle Chips in Salt & Pepper and Barbecue. The entire family tried the snacks and we all rated them the same. The Jalapeno Tortilla Chips are our favorite but beware the heat sneaks up on you and it really builds up so you can’t eat too many at one sitting. Our second favorite is the Olive Tortilla Chips. The chips are crunchy and have a nice taste. The Sweet Potato Barbecue Chips came in third because there isn’t enough barbecue flavoring on them. All you taste is a hint of barbecue. Coming in a distant fourth is the Salt and Pepper Sweet Potato Kettle Chips which no one liked and two people gagged on them. I’m going to go to the store and look for the Chocolate, Jalapeno & Cheddar, Kettle Corn and The Works Tortilla Chips which are flavors I think my entire family will enjoy.

If you are looking for snack foods and you are living a gluten-free life you’ll be happy to know that all Food Should Taste Good products are certified gluten-free. All chip varieties are also cholesterol free, have zero grams trans fats. They are also certified Kosher. Plus, many varieties are certified vegan. All of this makes Food Should Taste Good products great for anyone on a restricted diet.

Food Should Taste Good chips are available nationally at conventional grocers and natural food markets so go get some for your holiday entertaining!

Disclosure: We received 4 bags of chips for the purpose of this review. All opinions are 100% those of my family.

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The Vacuum Stubble & Beard Trimmer Pro is the product for men sporting a signature facial hair style. Whether designer stubble or a simple ‘stache, this product makes upkeep simple and quick. And, the vacuum feature captures hair for mess-free trimming. My husband really likes the shaver, he has used it several times since he did the review. He likes that it is rechargeable and that it vacuums up the shavings so he can just dump them in the trash-and not have to clean out the sink! If you want more ways to elevate your look, sites such as www.groenerekenkamer.com got your back.

shave collage

If you are shopping for a shaver for your man, here are some great coupons from Phillips Norelco to help make your Christmas shopping a little easier!

Disclosure: I received a shaver for the purpose of this review. All opinions are 100% those of myself and my husband.

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Christmas by Francesca Battistelli

Track Listing:
1. “The Christmas Song”
2. “Heaven Everywhere”
3. “Christmas Is”
4. “What Child Is This? (First Noel Prelude)”
5. “Marshmallow World”
6. “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
7. “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”
8. “You’re Here”
9. “Joy To The World”
10. “Christmas Dreams”
11. “Go Tell It On The Mountain”

I think my favorite track is “You’re Here” but “Heaven Everywhere” is a close second. This entire album is soulful and very well arranged and produced. If you are looking for an addition to your Christmas music collection I recommend Christmas by Francesca Battistelli, it will be a family favorite for years to come.

In case you aren’t familiar with Francesca and her music she won the 2011 Dove Awards for “Artist of the Year,” “Female Vocalist of the Year” and“Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year” and received a 2009 Grammy nomination for “Best Gospel Performance” for her single “Free To Be Me” off her debut album My Paper Heart.

Disclosure: I received a copy of the CD for the purpose of this review. All opinions are 100% mine.

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