I love a good comeback story. We all make wrong choices sometimes. They can be in our personal life, relationships, professional life, whatever. When someone sees the error of their ways and decides to make a change to not only be better moving forward, but to do what they can to right the wrongs of their past, that’s a story I’m interested in. When that change comes not only from outward motivation but from a heart change, one that has made the most important decision in every person’s life, to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, than I’m all in. In a nutshell that is what THE MULLIGAN is all about.

Based on the popular book by former PGA touring pro Wally Armstrong and bestselling author and business executive Ken Blanchard, THE MULLIGAN is an inspiring reminder that second chances are only one step away. From the producer of BOBBY JONES: STROKE OF GENIUS, and the director-producer team behind THE ULTIMATE GIFT comes THE MULLIGAN, sporting an all-star cast that includes Eric Close (NASHVILLE, AMERICAN SNIPER) as Paul, Pat Boone as the Old Pro, and PGA golfer Tom Lehman and broadcasting legend Jim Nantz as themselves.

Mom Maven’s Thoughts

Hubby and I watched the movie the other night and we enjoyed it. It does get a little slow at a few points, but not too bad. The characters are mostly well developed and well acted. The part of Jake could have used a bit more depth. I thoroughly enjoyed Pat Boone as Will Dunn, The Old Pro. His love of golf and heart for the people around him shone bright. The Old Pro had a gold analogy for just about every life struggle. He was the heart of the movie. Eric Close was believable as entrepreneur and CEO Paul McAllister. The actor embodied the mental and heart shifts that take place in his character throughout the film.

THE MULLIGAN is only in theaters April 18 & 18, 2022 so get your tickets now! If there’s not a theater near you showing The Mulligan, you can also host a showing at your church? Click HERE to learn more!

The Giveaway

I am giving away a digital copy of the book The Mulligan. THE MULLIGAN is based on the beloved book by Wally Armstrong and Ken Blanchard. This inspiring story about relationships, forgiveness, and priorities is a shot of grace. Golf’s gracious do-over, a mulligan is the beginning of Paul McAllister’s second chance. Guided by the wisdom and advice of the Old Pro, Paul learns about priorities, self-confidence, and
playing a good game both on and off the course. The Mulligan is a parable of second chances.

The giveaway ends at 12:00AM on 4/25/22. Winners will be verified and their email will be sent to the sponsor who is responsible for emailing out the link to the book.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Like WINNIE THE POOH on Facebook.

WINNIE THE POOH opens in theatres everywhere on July 15th.

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Like The Help on Facebook. The Help opens in theaters everywhere on August 10th.

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I have not read the book, actually I had never even heard of it BUT when I watched the trailer I was moved and I think you will be too. “The Help” comes to theaters August 12th but I wanted you to get a sneak peek today. You can also Like “The Help” on Facebook for more updates.

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He’s a bear of very little brain. She’s half of the acclaimed band She & Him. This year, they come together on the big screen in “Winnie the Pooh,” which hits theatres on July 15, 2011.

Actress, Musician, Singer, Songwriter Zooey Deschanel (“Almost Famous,” “(500) Days of Summer”) joins Winnie the Pooh and all of his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood, performing three songs for the film, including her own take on the classic “Winnie the Pooh” theme song, “A Very Important Thing to Do” and the original end-credit song “So Long,” which was written by Deschanel and performed with She & Him bandmate M. Ward.

“This has been one of the most fun experiences I’ve ever had,” says Deschanel. “And I’ve just been thanking my lucky stars that I was able to work on this movie, because it’s delightful.”

Filmmakers were drawn to Deschanel’s signature style. “She was the perfect choice to do the ‘Winnie the Pooh’ song—a classic theme from the Sherman Brothers,” says director Don Hall. “Her music actually embodies the underlying spirit of the movie. We’re taking something that has vintage roots in the sixties, but spinning it in our own way and updating it. If you listen to Zooey’s music with She & Him—that’s their sound to a tee.”

Adds director Stephen Anderson, “It’s a perfect way to start the movie, letting the audience know right off the bat that this is Winnie the Pooh like you know him, but it’s something for today. We wanted to keep the same charm as the original, but give it a fresh spin, a contemporary feel, and she opens the movie with so much freshness, so much energy.”

“It’s always fun to have a contemporary artist rediscover a classic and that’s exactly what Zooey did,” says producer Peter Del Vecho. “She brought her own personality to the song—when she sings about introducing the individual characters, it’s as though she’s known them her whole life—and she has.”

“I’m a big fan of Winnie the Pooh and all his friends,” says Deschanel, who also plays the ukulele in the song. “It’s really hard to pick a favorite: Winnie the Pooh is so special, he loves honey and he’s just cool. Eeyore is amazing, I love Eeyore. And Piglet is so small. It’s really a four-way tie between Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet and Tigger.”

Among the songs Deschanel performed for the film is “A Very Important Thing to Do”—a song that helps illustrate the contest the friends from the Hundred Acre Wood take on to find Eeyore a new tail. She also lent her voice to “Everything is Honey” and “Pooh’s Finale,” joining Jim Cummings (the voice of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger), Tony Award®-winning songwriter Robert Lopez (“Avenue Q”) and other cast members.

For the end-credit song, Deschanel teamed up with Ward to perform “So Long,” a song Deschanel wrote.  “When I was writing ‘So Long,’ I just held the images for the end credits in my mind,” she says. “I spent a number of days tinkering with ideas, melodies and chord progressions that I thought would fit the images, the new music being written and the original Sherman Brothers stuff– but still be my own thing. The song definitely has its own feel, but also pays respect to the original.”

Deschanel plays piano for “So Long” and turned to the instrument when it came time to write the song. “I usually write on piano because that’s the first instrument that I learned when I was a little kid,” she says. “All of my musical theory knowledge is in linear piano form.”

Her heart, however, is in the vocals. “I’m always thinking in terms of vocals, and arranging a fabric of vocals is the most exciting part. I love to sing backup parts—I always try to squeeze in as many as possible,” she says. “It’s fun; it’s my style.”

Deschanel’s songs, plus the Sherman Brothers classic and a host of original songs by Robert Lopez and wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez (“The Wonder Pets”), as well as original score from composer Henry Jackman (“The Da Vinci Code,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest”), will be included on the “Winnie the Pooh” soundtrack (available Spring 2011 in select international markets, and in the U.S. on July 12, 2011) from Walt Disney Records.

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Here’s some info about the movie:

Walt Disney Animation Studios returns to the Hundred Acre Wood with “Winnie the Pooh.” Featuring the timeless charm, wit and whimsy of the original featurettes, this all-new movie reunites audiences with the philosophical “bear of very little brain” and friends Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, Owl, Kanga, Roo—and last, but certainly not least, Eeyore, who has lost his tail.  “Ever have one of those days where you just can’t win, Eeyore?” asks Pooh.  Owl sends the whole gang on a wild quest to save Christopher Robin from an imaginary culprit. It turns out to be a very busy day for a bear who simply set out to find some honey. Inspired by three stories from A.A. Milne’s books in Disney’s classic, hand-drawn art style, “Winnie the Pooh” hits theaters in Europe and Latin America in Spring 2011; the U.S. release date is July 15, 2011.

As you are planning your summer activities, make sure you pencil in Pooh for mid-July, I already have. Here is a sneak peek of the 1st trailer for the new movie.

To stay up-to-date on the latest Winnie the Pooh news make sure you Like the movie on Facebook.

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We received an advanced copy of the movie for this review so we watched it Saturday night. This cute movie is perfect for the 4-11 year old age group. There are two themes throughout the movie: parenting isn’t easy and family is the most important thing. The family theme is brought out in 3 of the 4 storylines throughout the movie. The movie is very family friendly with no questionable content or language (thank you Disney!). The chihuahuas are adorable (beware your kids may be begging for a puppy by the end of the movie).

Papi’s Parenting Tips:

Papi faces fatherhood in Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 – and it’s his toughest challenge yet! How does the doggy dad handle life with his pups? Well, he follows his very own set of parenting tips…

TIP ONE: ASK AWAY…

Papi says: “This dad business is harder than I thought. I should’ve read the manual – or at least some books! Don’t be scared to ask your friends and family for help or advice. After all, that’s what they’re here for. Oh, and invest in some parenting books. Every snippet of advice helps.”

TIP TWO: FOLLOW YOUR HEART…

Papi says: “Any mutt can have puppies, but it takes a real dog to be a father and that’s why my top piece of advice is simple: follow your heart. Fatherhood is more nerve-wracking than a trip to the vet, but you learn as you go along. Keep your chin up and your ears open – and embrace parenthood with an open heart.”

Bloopers

Disney Movie Rewards currently has a $10 off coupon for the Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 Combo Pack!

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In case you don’t know what a Roku is…Roku is a little box that allows you to instantly stream tons of entertainment on your TV. Watch movies and TV shows from Netflix, Hulu Plus or Amazon VOD, listen to music on Pandora, catch the latest ballgame, and more — it’s all available whenever you want it.

When our Roku arrived my 17yr son quickly hooked the tiny box up to our TV and wireless internet and withing a few minutes we were registering for a Netflix account, linking my Vimeo account and finding great music on Pandora. We have watched movies instantly from Amazon Video on Demand (fee per video) and Netflix (subscription). The video quality is amazing with both services. My 17yo son has spent a lot of time listening to Misty Edwards and Sanctus Real on Pandora. For only $79.99 the Roku XD brings hours and hours of entertainment right into your home.

The Roku XD works with any TV-standard or HD, plays 1080p HD video, has Built-in wireless (Wi-Fi), plus wired (Ethernet) connector, HDMI video output for HDTVs, Enhanced remote with Instant Replay, and Extended-range Wireless-N (b/g/n compatible) . The services that work with the Roku are continually expanding-I am secretly hoping that they will soon work with Live365.com VIP and then I could listen to all of my favorite Disney Internet Radio stations through my home system.

If you follow me on Twitter you may have read me tweeting about my disappointment with Netflix. You need to know, if you don’t already stream Netflix to your computer, that their library of instant streaming movies is rather small. This past weekend we made a list of 25 popular movies from the past 10 years that we wanted to see and searched Netflix to put them in our instant queue…NONE of them were available. I would need to upgrade my Netflix subscription to get the DVDs in the mail-which is something I am not going to do at this time. This issue is with Netflix and not with Roku, but I thought you should be warned…since I wasn’t.

I do recommend the Roku XD for you and your family. It would make a great gift, maybe for Valentine’s Day–something everyone can enjoy.

Disclaimer: I received the Roku XD for the purpose of this review. All service subscriptions are paid for by me. All opinions are 100% mine.

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FUN FACTS

• IT TAKES FIVE — The production relied on five horses to play Secretariat—four thoroughbreds and a quarterhorse. Not only did they have to perform like the champion equine, they also had to look the part. To replicate Secretariat’s white signature markings, everyday Lisa Brown (Horse Continuity) painstakingly painted the three distinctive white socks and the facial white stripe and star on to each of the horses.
• NOSE TO NOSE — Nelsan Ellis (Eddie Sweat) experienced a very close relationship with all the horses—sometimes a bit too close. During the course of production he was nuzzled, bitten in the stomach and stomped on.
• DISCOVERED — One of the horses that played Secretariat in the film, Trolley Boy, was discovered in true Hollywood fashion after winning a Secretariat Look-Alike contest held at the Secretariat Festival in Paris, Kentucky. According to Diane Lane, Trolley Boy brought his own special talent to the role. When shooting close-ups with Lane, Trolley Boy had a tendency to chew the bit loudly which often caused her to laugh and break character.
• PUZZLED — The cast and crew of “Secretariat” were addicted to crossword puzzles, especially Diane Lane, John Malkovich and Margo Martindale. Lane was such a super fan of the brain teaser; she created her own crossword puzzle during production.
• PEACHES — The fluffy blonde wig that Diane Lane wore in the film was playfully nicknamed Peaches.
• INSPIRED — Make-up artist Julie Hewett used Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis as her style icon when designing the look of Penny Chenery in the film. Photographs of the former First Lady were plastered all over the walls of the make-up trailer.
• UP CLOSE — In order for the audience to get the jockey’s perspective, director of photography Dean Semler attached small, lightweight digital cameras to sticks and positioned them close to the horses as they thundered down the track. The horses got used to these cameras being in such close range, but the same was not true for the actors. When recreating Ronnie Turcotte’s famous look back during the Belmont Stakes, Otto Thorwarth peered backwards and was startled by camera.
• AUTHENTICITY — The production used the actual Triple Crown trophy, on loan from the Kentucky Derby Museum. The coveted cup was created by Cartier in 1978 after Affirmed won the Triple Crown in preparation for the next winner.  It had to be handled with gloves and was hand carried back and forth between Kentucky and Louisiana.
• DOUBLE DUTY — The head of the make-up department, Michael Mills, played a fellow golfer alongside John Malkovich’s character Lucien Laurin. Lead horse wrangler Rusty Hendrickson not only cast the horses in the film, but he also portrayed a fry cook in a diner scene.

Secretariat Stats:

• BIG HEART — Secretariat’s heart was twice the size of an average horse’s heart.
• RECORD BREAKER — Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths and still holds the record time at 2:24 for 1.5 miles.
• COVER BOY — In 1973, weekly mags Time, Sports Illustrated and Newsweek all featured Secretariat on their respective covers the same week.
• AMONG THE GREATS — Secretariat was ranked the 35^th Greatest Athlete of the 20^th Century by ESPN.
• A STAR IS BORN — During the peak of Secretariat’s career, the William Morris Agency would book the horse’s appearances the same way they would any of their other (two legged) mega celebrity clients.

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