Paddington 2 In Theaters January 12

In the words of Paddington Bear, “If we’re kind and polite the world will be right”. If only we all lived by those few simple words, what a world it would be. Paddington has been a household name around here forever. How can anyone resist that adorable little bear and his antics. Our family absolutely loved the first Paddington movie and cannot wait to see what Paddington 2 brings us. Judging by the trailer we are going to love it! Honestly, I wish we could have him visit our own home for just a night!!

Following the worldwide hit “Paddington,” one of the most successful family films of all time, this much-anticipated sequel finds Paddington (Ben Whishaw) happily settled with the Brown family in London, where he has become a popular member of the local community, spreading joy and marmalade wherever he goes.

While searching for the perfect present for his beloved Aunt Lucy’s hundredth birthday, Paddington sees a unique pop-up book in Mr. Gruber’s antique shop, and embarks upon a series of odd jobs to buy it.  But when the book is stolen, it’s up to Paddington and the Browns to unmask the thief.

Reuniting many of the original film’s cast while welcoming those in new roles, “Paddington 2” stars Golden Globe nominee Hugh Bonneville (“Downton Abbey”), Oscar nominee Sally Hawkins (“Blue Jasmine”), three-time Golden Globe nominee Brendan Gleeson (“The Guard,” “Into the Storm,” “In Bruges”), Oscar nominee Julie Walters (“Billy Elliot,” “Educating Rita”), Oscar winner Jim Broadbent (“Iris”), and Oscar winner Peter Capaldi (short, “Franz Kafka’s It’s a Wonderful Life”), with Golden Globe and BAFTA Award winner Hugh Grant (“Four Weddings and a Funeral”), and BAFTA winner Ben Whishaw (“The Hollow Crown”) as the voice of Paddington.

The film was produced by multiple award-winning producer David Heyman (the “Harry Potter” films, “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” Oscar nominee for “Gravity”).   Serving as executive producers were Rosie Alison, Jeffrey Clifford, Alexandra Ferguson Derbyshire, Ron Halpern, and Didier Lupiter. “Paddington 2” is rated PG.

Check out the trailer below and follow us for all the updates on Paddington 2! You can also visit the official site for more info: https://www.paddington.com/us/#

 

 

ICE! Featuring Christmas Around the World at Gaylord Palms!

ICE! You can’t say the word without conjuring  up some thoughts of that frozen little wonder. It may bring back memories of icicles adorning your childhood home, or skating on cold winter days. Everyone has their own personal thoughts when it comes to ice. For me it definitely makes me think of the cold winter days ahead. But there is yet another kind of ICE! waiting for us all. It’s the one that includes two million pounds of hand carved ice sculptures and a world of ice that you could not even begin to imagine in your wildest dreams. 

There is something magical about the holidays and something that just mesmerizes me about ICE! Ever since I first heard about ICE! at Gaylord Palms I knew that I had to see it someday. Recently our family was invited to spend the night wearing the infamous blue jacket and taking on the nine degree temperature of ICE! It was a night I will not soon forget and memories made that will not soon fade.

Every year Gaylord Palms announces a new theme for their ICE!, this year’s theme is ICE! Featuring Christmas Around the World! I could not have thought of a better time to visit than this year. Our family is fascinated with meeting people from all over the world and learning more about other people’s ways and traditions. There is no better time for the world to come together and ICE! definitely has a way of showing just how wonderful Christmas is all over the world. Find our more about ICE! here: https://www.marriott.com/gaylord

So, let’s get down to it! I was a little worried that ICE! would be a let down. I thought maybe I had built it up so much in my mind that it could never live up. I was SO wrong. It was just as good as I thought, it was even better. BUT it is COLD in there….really COLD!! I know they said it would be nine degrees, but I was thinking- I’m from the northeast, we have cold winters-no big deal. Wrong! It is really cold in there! If you are going, they do supply am amazing blue parka that will keep you snuggly warm. In addition I would highly suggest bringing your own gloves, hat and scarf. You really don’t need the hat and scarf as much, but you definitely need the gloves. If you do forget them, they are available at the doors to ICE! The prices are pretty reasonable so definitely go for it if you are planning to spend some time inside.

ICE! Featuring Christmas Around the World is part of an amazing celebration that takes place annually at Gaylord Palms, Christmas at Gaylord Palms! Our first experience with ICE! began with a bit of preshow where we were challenged with some Around the World trivia on the big screen. If you are waiting in line to get it, this certainly will be an entertaining way to pass the time. Our next stop was to be outfitted with our blue parkas! Emily and I each received ones tailored to our size. We felt like a couple of blue penguins waddling into the green screen picture opp zone. Of course we left with the picture! We wanted to remember every single minute! 

I don’t think I will ever forget the moment the door opened to the actual exhibit, ICE! For lack of better words, that moment will be frozen in time! As we walked through the doors the chill just hit us in the face. It was COLD! We both laughed and looked around. It was absolutely amazing! Ice everywhere we looked, it surrounded us on every side. Even the walls were made of ice. Our icy dreams were about to come true. 

Emily was on the lookout for the ice slides from the moment we set foot into the doors but I wanted to just savor the moments in each room. She agreed that we should take our time and really stay in the moment. We did! The first room delighted us with a bigger than life ice carving of the world sided by ice flags from many countries. It was only the beginning and there was so much more to come. We had no idea what lied ahead. Our next steps took us past children from various countries dressed in native clothing. Each one with the country displayed beneath it in lights. There were plenty of photo opps to stand next to the ice children. It was fun to try to figure out which county each one was representing. It was incredible how intricate each face was carved along with being painted. Who even knew you could paint ice!!??

As we continued on we found a room filled with different countries being represented by their unique traditions. I absolutely loved this room!! I could not just walk through it. Emily and Mommy went from ice scene to ice scene discovering what country was being represented and admiring all of the details put into each sculpture. Some even had an ice sculpted grand chair to sit on next to the country! How amazing! We both tried out the ice thrones, we had to! My daughter’s favorite part of that room was the enormous decorated Christmas tree with Santa and Rudolph side by side. There was even a crawl through as part of that display! For a moment I stood in disbelief about how all of these sculptures before me were carved from ice! What an incredible sight!

The next room was the one Emily had been waiting for, the Ice Slides! Before us stood five lanes of ice slides! Music and lights going on as the kids and adults headed up the steps. Down they all slid! As for Emily- for some reason she could not slide until about the halfway mark. Myself along with the workers and Emily were getting a few laughs in. It was too funny! It’s a good thing she was able to go time after time after time. Of course she tried every lane of the slide! So much fun! I know this was at the top of her list and it was something she really recommended to everyone that she talked to about Ice! 

As we continued on room through room we were more and more impressed by the talent of the ice artists that put this entire experience together. We found crawl through tunnels, places to put our faces through for photos, a big teddy bear ice chair, a larger than life sleigh that we could actually sit inside of, a place where ice carving would be demonstrated and explained and more. But I think our biggest surprise and the most beautiful sight was the very last room. There we found the entire nativity ice carved. It was breathtaking to say the least. There before us in crystal clear ice was the beautiful nativity in life sized figures. Not just St. Mary and St. Joseph and baby Jesus, but also the shepherd all the animals and the Three Wise Men!  It really grounded me and made me feel so grateful for everything I have and for the being right there with my daughter in that moment. For me it was the beginning of the Christmas season. Emily and I bowed our heads in honor of the birth of Jesus and said a little prayer of thanks. It was a beautiful moment and I never want to forget it.  It was more than a media event at that moment, it was a precious moment. It was somewhere I would love to come back to with my hubby and sons. It was a place I wanted to bring everyone I every was friends with or related to and show them just how beautiful it was. 

So, gather up your friends and family and get over to Gaylord Palms for ICE! Featuring Christmas Around the World. You will love it! I will be writing another post that goes with this one that will tell all about Christmas at Gaylord Palms! ICE! is only one part of the fun you can have. In addition to ICE! you can enjoy eight lanes of snow tubing, a wonderful show- Cirque Dreams Unwrapped, Gingerbread House decorating, A Mrs. Claus Show, Holiday dining, Snowball throwing (not at each other..), a beautiful light and sound tree show- Joyful, Build-A-Bear Scavenger Hunt, Breakfast with Charlie Brown and more! I can’t wait to tell you even more about Christmas At Gaylord Palms. We cannot wait to visit again. Check out all of the activities at Christmas at Gaylord Palms here and also check out room packages: https://www.marriott.com/gaylord

Giveaway- Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You Now Available! 

I have been a Mariah Carey fan forever. I just love her. I love her music, her fashion, her voice, just everything! When I heard about Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You, I had to know every detail! Do you love Mariah? Do you love puppies? You MUST see this movie!! Mariah Carey originally released the single “All I Want for Christmas is You” in 1994 and it has sold more than 14 million copies! In 2016, more than two decades later, it was the year’s most streamed holiday single and dominated at #1 on Billboard’s Holiday 100 for four consecutive weeks. Carey’s critically acclaimed picture book of the same name was published in 2015. And now comes the new Holiday film, sure to be an instant classic with kids and parents alike!

The new film Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You is available now on Blu-ray™, DVD, Digital and On Demand from Universal 1440 Entertainment, a production entity of Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Narrated and executive produced by Mariah Carey, the animated family film follows little Mariah as she chases her dream of having a puppy of her very own, making her ultimate wish for Christmas come true! This new film features an original song written just for the release and also includes 3 of her Christmas Classics!

GIVEAWAY: We are so excited to partner with #AllIWantMovie to offer one lucky 3decades3kids reader a copy of their own! To enter check out the options below. Choose any or all. Good Luck. Winner chosen November 25th at 11:59pm and notified by email the following day. USA/18+only. Winner chosen by random.org.

1. Enter by answering this question below in the comments- Why do you want to win the movie? Did you ever want a puppy for Christmas?

2. Like our FB page and comment/tag someone who would love to win the movie. Click here to go to facebook.com/3decades3kids

3. Like our Intagram page and tag someone who would love to win the movie. Click here to go to Instagram.com/3decades3kids

 

Disclosure: Complimentary/Giveaway copies provided. All opinions are that of Diane Sullivan and honest. Contact me at 3decades3kids@gmail.com or @3decades3kids across all social media platforms. 

 

 

 

Sean Astin Celebrates Official Opening of Sharper Image® Holiday Pop-Up Shop In Times Square! 

It’s Pop-Up Shop time of the year and I absolutely love it! Everywhere you look there is a pop-up shop but some are pretty much a dream come true. What better way is there to open up a Sharper Image Pop-Up Shop in Times Square, NYC? The holiday shopping season got off to a flying start last night, quite literally, in Times Square where Sean Astin was on hand to officially open a playground-themed Sharper Image pop up shop that invites hands-on, try-before-you-buy fun. As for the flying, Jordan “Jet” Temkin, two-time International Drone League World Champ thrilled the VIP crowd with myriad remote airborne stunts, while New York’s Finest (NYPD) faced off against New York’s Bravest (FDNY) for “best NYC driver” bragging rights on a huge RC car track, complete with hairpin turns and checkered flags.

Photo: Actor Sean Astin explores his inner nerd at the Sharper Image® pop-up store in New York’s Times Square, testing the new Sharper Image massage chair, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017. From drones of all sizes and radio-controlled toys to hi-tech barware and beyond, Sharper Image offers something for everyone in the family—from the gadget lover or jet-setter, to the kids or kid-at-heart. (Stuart Ramson/AP Images for Sharper Image)

 

Pictured above: The New York City Fire and Police Departments and actor Sean Astin race Sharper Image® Radio Controlled Flip Stunt Rally Vehicles at the new pop-up Sharper Image retail location in New York’s Times Square, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017. This holiday season, Sharper Image is giving consumers a reason to “shop sharper” by helping them all shop wiser with a thoughtfully-curated selection of premium gifts for play and the home, available at the pop-up and at retail partners across the country. (Stuart Ramson/AP Images for Sharper Image)

The two-story showcase at 4 Times Square returns Sharper Image to brick and mortar retail this holiday season, inviting New Yorkers and visitors from across the country, and around the world, to Shop Sharper by offering a curated selection of premium gifts for play and the home, at prices worth celebrating. It’s high-tech, high-touch, high quality, minus the high price tag.
“I mean, who doesn’t love Sharper Image. Like so many of us here tonight, I grew up with Sharper Image,” said Astin. “Playing with all the awesome stuff in this store takes me back, while showing off everything that Sharper Image is today … 100 percent fun, and right in the heart of Times Square.” Click here for everything Sharper Image: www.sharperimage.com

“The Times Square community couldn’t be happier to have Sharper Image with us this holiday season,” said Tim Tomkins, President, Times Square Alliance. “Like Times Square itself, their seasonal store is about many things at once, and not least among those, the intersection of fun and commerce. We invite New Yorkers, and visitors from across the country, and all throughout the world, to experience it for themselves.”

Photo: Actor Sean Astin, second from right, looks on as New York City’s Bravest from the New York Fire Department test Sharper Image® radio-controlled cars at the launch party for the 4 Times Square Sharper Image holiday pop-up store, New York, Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017. For those unable to make the trip to Times Square, fear not: items featured in the pop-up can be found nationwide at major retailers such as Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, Kohl’s and others. (Stuart Ramson/AP Images for Sharper Image)

For those who can’t make it to 42nd and Broadway, items featured at the Sharper Image pop-up can be found nationwide at major retailers such as Target, Kohl’s and Bed Bath & Beyond. Among Sharper Image items sure to delight this holiday season, and well beyond:

•       Drone FPV: first-person POV let’s you see what the drone sees, with video that streams right to your smartphone equipped with VR viewer (included), and auto landing and take-off for maximum control ($119.99)
•       RC Action Flip Stunt Rally Vehicle: two cars in one! Dual sided flip design lets it perform 360-degree spins and flips, complete with with high-performance rubber tires and extra-bright LED headlights ($19.99)
•       Memory Foam Pillow with Cool Touch Cover: there’s never a “wrong” side of the pillow! Vented airflow with ice cool fibers keep you cool, while natural bamboo charcoal keeps odors under control and Visco elastic memory foam molds to your body ($49.99)
•       Robotosaur: run him into a wall, he gets angry and roars, his eyes changing to match his mood. Wave your hands over his nose, he calms back down. With a motion detector-powered “hunt mode,” Fido and Fluffy have some new competition ($99.99)

“Sharper Image was in so many ways the original experiential store, and our holiday pop-up takes the idea of hands-on fun at retail to an entirely new level,” said David Conn, Chief Executive Officer at Sharper Image brand owner ‎ThreeSixty Group. “Our holiday selection, available here and at leading retailers like Target, Bed Bath & Beyond and Kohl’s, showcases what Sharper Image is all about today, and that’s having fun!”

Disclosure: Diane Sullivan/3decades3kids was invited to the media launch of the Sharper Image Pop-Up Shop NYC. All opinions are that of Diane and do not represent those of the parent company represented. Contact me at 3decades3kids@gmail.com or @3decades3kids across social media platforms.