Heaven Sent Family Friendly Movie Review

Movies

MBE is a Pure Flix VIP Ambassador

Wholesome Home Entertainment

Looking for a heart-warming family friendly movie kids and adults can enjoy watching together? Check out Heaven Sent (2023), a newly-released Pure Flix Original Film, now available for viewing exclusively on the Pure Flix platform. 

 

Cast and Crew

This Pure Flix romantic comedy, directed by Joanne Hock, features a cast headlined by Karen Abercrombie as Elise, Jemarcus Kilgore as Derek, and J. Leon Pridgen III as Pastor Patrick Briggs. Also appearing are Charlene Tilton (best known for the TV series Dallas) and others; Abercrombie wrote and executive produced the film.

The Storyline

It's a multi-generational relateable tale about family, forgiveness and love. The heart of Heaven Sent's story revolves around Elise, a woman who is pained by her past, and Patrick, a widowed pastor. Both of them have given up on love. 

As the plot moves forward, this grandmother who has a loving relationship and lives with her social media savvy grandson Derek, discovers he has secretly been filming her on his smartphone and streaming the live footage publicly, just for fun. Before long these reality candid videos go viral, kickstarting a whole lot of craziness and chain reactions among the characters.

It's no surprise that grandma feels betrayed by this young man whom she has raised. The ensuing action is a beautiful symphony of scenes filled with family drama, sensitivity, acts of kindness, comedy, conflict and tension.

What happens when faith and technology collide, will Elise and Pastor Patrick finally find love late in life? You'll find out when you watch Heaven Sent, a wholesome love story with heart which will appeal across the generations from sons and daughters, to moms and dads, to grandparents.

About Pure Flix

Pure Flix is an entertainment platform offering a safe place for all ages to stream content. All the content is pure, wholesome, and family-friendly. To stay up to date on Heaven Sent look for hashtags #HeavenSentMIN and #MomentumInfluencerNetwork on social as well as follow this entertainment company on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter. To learn more about this film to watch at home, the platform's other movies available, and to sign up for a Free 7-Day Trial Subscription visit Pure Flix

Many thanks to Pure Flix for facilitating this review. Opinions are 100% my own.

Chinese New Year of Rabbit Celebration

Celebrations

This post contains affiliate links

Chinese New Year Traditions

The Chinese New Year (also known as the Lunar New Year) begins on Sunday, January 22 and is the Year of the Rabbit for 2023. This holiday has been celebrated for approximately 3,500 years (apparently no one knows for certain) and will be honored for a week from January 21 - 27, 2023 around the world by families and friends (including millions of people young and old in the US) with a treasure trove full of beautiful Chinese customs, traditions, colorful decorations, parades, and delicious cuisine.

The Year of the Rabbit 2023

For twelve years the Chinese New Year rotates through a cycle associated with a dozen different animals according to the Chinese Zodiak. After the Year of the Rabbit, next year will be the Year of the Dragon. This will be followed in subsequent years by the Year of the Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig, Rat, Ox, and Tiger, before the Rabbit will once again be celebrated as the animal of the year.

Chinese Food, Decorations, Traditions

Though family traditions vary, among the traditional Chinese New Year foods which are typically served are Whole Fish, symbolic of prosperity for the year to come and Spring Rolls, representative of wealth. Chinese Dumplings, another delicacy associated with wealth, is also part of the food spread. 

The holiday is traditionally lauded in public with fireworks, parades featuring colorful cultural icons, and festive large gatherings.  But the heart of the annual cultural celebration has always been at home, where extended families spanning multiple generations and friends gather around brightly decorated tables to enjoy the extensive array of food favorites together. 

Room and table decor often include decorative red paper lanterns, the classic money tree, live potted bamboo plants, as well as beautiful place settings, exquisite tablescapes, pretty paper centerpieces and even Year of the Rabbit Napkin Rings.

Giving of Chinese Red Money Envelopes to family and friends is also customary, with the amount of money given based on the closeness of relationships. It's important to note that red is a color of great importance to this Asian culture, representing not only Good Luck  -- the message often printed in Chinese characters on these money envelopes -- but also wishes for much prosperity and happiness throughout the coming year.

Chinese New Year Easy Recipes

For some really good, simple Chinese New Year recipes be sure to check out MBE's post including Wonton Soup and Sweet Egg Tarts. Both this soup and the dessert tarts are made with tofu, but you can easily substitute with your favorite meat or other protein source.

A Special Mention of Gratitude

Thanks to my dear friend Meg for allowing me to share some of these photos you see in this story to give you a glimpse of how she celebrates the Chinese New Year with her family. Not only does she always set a beautiful tablescape, she is a wonderful hostess I truly admire. She really knows how to entertain for all kinds of Jewish holidays, too, and makes the best homemade kosher wonton chicken soup on the planet according to my husband. Thank you so much for everything, we look forward to enjoying many more celebrations with you.

DISCLOSURE: We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program that allows our site to earn a bit of compensation (at no extra cost to consumers) for including referral links within our posts to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Chubby Bubby Bear Mom Baby Winter Style

Style 

by Sarah Slager

MBE Kids Editor

MBE partnered with Chubby Bubby Bear for this review

Mommy and Me Matching Style

With many parts of the US blanketed in snow and much of the rest of the nation dipping into temperatures at or below freezing, hats and sweaters are definitely not an option but a must here in New York where we live. Heading into the new year, matching family attire and quality children's wear are definitely trending again this season. So this is the ideal time to check out Chubby Bubby Bear and their extensive, gorgeous winter collection of cozy clothing and accessories for babies and young kids. They even have some really sweet twinning style options for you and your mini me among the choices.

Trending Winter Children's Wear

Like all Chubby Bubby Bear clothing, the cozy child's white knit sweater and matching mom and baby beige pom pom hats you see my 3 month-old and I modeling, seamlessly blend simplicity with style, comfort, and practicality. 

I'm just loving the brand's matching cable knit mom and baby beanie hats trimmed with faux fur pop poms. For sure, these fashion items were perfect for an Instagrammable baby photo shoot resulting in some precious poses of us together. In fact, this particular mom-baby hat set has been so popular, it sold out quickly even before this MBE post went live. 

Cute Warm Hats for Young Girls, Boys

The good news is there are plenty of other head coverings and hats for your little girl or boy that are still available in the current winter collection. So I encourage you to check out the other styles including Chubby Bubby Bear's cute baby Pompom Beanie Hat (choose from cream, tan, and gray) as well as other winter hat styles to help keep your child's head and ears covered and warm when venturing outdoors during cold weather.

Stylish Knit Baby and Toddler Sweaters

The unisex Chunky Knit Sweater from Chubby Bubby Bear my 3 month-old baby girl is styling for this collaboration is available in white (as shown) in addtion to beige, khaki, onyx, army green, rust, and black. The range of neutral colors this toasty warm winter sweater comes in make this piece a practical choice for both baby boys and girls since it can easily be mixed and matched with other pieces already in your child's wardrobe. 

This knit sweater works well layered under her coat when we go outside; it has also been keeping my daughter comfortable indoors when rooms sometimes get a bit chilly. And, best of all from a mom perspective as the one who does our laundry, it's washable and easy care.

If you have several young kids, this beautifully-made pullover crew neck sweater would be fun to wear as matching outfits for siblings since this style comes in both baby and toddler sizes. Sizes available include 0 to 3 months, 3 to 6 months, 6 to 12 months, 12 to 18 months, and 18 to 24 months. Whatever size you buy, I'd suggest opting for the next size up like I did, allowing for room to grow so your child is able to get as much wear out of this sweater as possible, enjoying it all winter long and into spring.

About Chubby Bubby Bear

From newborn to 24 months old, Chubby Bubby Bear has your little one covered with a constantly changing array of seasonal, beautiful and affordable clothing and accessories for babies and toddlers. Boys wearables include stylish, well-made knit tops and bottoms, one-piece rompers, shoes and accessories, while for Girls you'll find the same high quality in all those categories plus dresses. If you're shopping for that special little girl in your life, definitely don't miss the brand's darling stockings, hairbands, hairbows, and the cutest flower frame sunglasses. 

This online mom-owned children's wear boutique offers a nice selection of gender neutral styles and colors, making them perfect for gift giving for gender real parties and baby showers, too. Don't miss a beat on all the Chubby Bubby Bear news, follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok. For helpful advice and tips on babies and toddlers, you'll also want to check out their blog, Baby Bunch.