A Dogs Way Home Movie Review + Giveaway

Movies

MBE Partnered with Sony Pictures for this post

Fellow dog lovers I've got some great news to bark about and share with you. The heartwarming live action motion picture A Dog's Way Home (Sony Pictures Entertainment, 2019), which many of us loved in theaters, is now available on Digital, Blu-ray Combo Pack, and DVD. Finally, families and kids can enjoy the fun and adventure at home or while on the road.

The Storyline

Based on the novel by W. Bruce Cameron which spent 19 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list, this is an adventure drama about a dog named Bella and her bravery on the 400-mile journey home to her beloved human, Lucas. It's the story about what unconditional love really is and the unbroken man's best friend bond which kids especially will relate to and that the whole family can enjoy together. 

The movie stars Ashley Judd (Twin Peaks), Jonah Hauer-King (Old Boys), Edward James Olmos (Mayans M.C.), Alexandra Shipp (Love, Simon), and Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom). Shelby, a mixed breed dog adopted from a shelter, makes her Hollywood debut as Bella. 

Watch the Official Movie Trailer

Fun Home Entertainment Extras Include

• DIY Doggie Treats With Shelby so kids (under proper adult supervision) can mix up some homemade dog treats for their own pets
• Unforgettable Journey, a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film with commentary from novelist W. Bruce Cameron as well as the director, cast and crew
• Dog Days: Shelby's Production Diary, the story Shelby tells about her rescue, working with her trainers in her first acting job, and what it's like to be a dog celebrity
• Deleted Scenes, an assortment of additional scenes not in the movie itself

Enter to Win MBE's 

A Dog's Way Home Giveaway

About A Dog's Way Home

Rated PG for thematic elements, some peril and language, the movie has a run time of about 96 minutes with subtitles in English, French and Spanish.  Now available on Digital, Blu-ray Combo Pack, and DVD. Learn more about the film by visiting Sony Pictures as well as visiting the official A Dog's Way Home Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram pages.

MBE GIVEAWAY

A Dog's Way Home

Win the DVD & Book

US + Canada residents eligible

Enter our Giveaway

on Instagram

Thanks to Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, one lucky MBE giveaway participant will get a prize pack that includes the A Dog's Way Home DVD and Book. To enter MommyBlogExpert's A Dog's Way Home sweepstakes, visit MBE's Instagram page. Hurry, giveaway ends April 16, 2019 at 3 am EST/12 am PST. Open to residents of the U.S. and Canada. After the contest ends, ONE (1) qualifying winner, selected at random from all eligible entries submitted, will receive the prize package. Sony Pictures is responsible for the delivery of prize to the winner.

Nickelodeon PAW Patrol Live Family Show Review + Ticket Giveaway

Entertainment

MBE partnered with VStar Entertainment for this post

An all-new fun, family-friendly live national touring show featuring the beloved characters from Nickelodeon's popular PAW Patrol children's series arrives in Southern California next week. PAW Patrol Live! performances, geared to kids age 1 to 5 years old, are perfect for multiple generations of families to enjoy together. Local shows take place in Riverside (April 9-10), Los Angeles (April 13-14), and Long Beach (April 16-17).

Don't miss MBE's Family 4-Pack Ticket Giveaway, details at bottom of this post.

PAW Patrol Live! Show Highlights

The PAW Patrol Live! The Great Pirate Adventure show is all about celebrating Pirate Day in Adventure Bay. On a mission to rescue Cap'n Turbot from a cavern, Ryder and his PAW patrol find a secret treasure map. Chase, Marshall, Skye and the other Pirate Pups! heroes must then rush to beat the clock, getting to the pirate treasure before Mayor Humdinger.

Tickets for the shows in Riverside, Los Angeles, and Long Beach are available now, starting at $22 and up. There is also a VIP (Very Important Pup) package experience offered at each of the three venues which includes a premium seat, special gift, and meet and greet with three characters after the performance.

PAW Patrol Live!

Southern California Schedule

TICKET BOX OFFICE

Riverside, California

Tuesday-Wednesday, April 9-10, 2019
Fox Performing Arts Center

Los Angeles, California

Saturday-Sunday, April 13-14, 2019
Dolby Theater, Hollywood

Long Beach, California

Tuesday-Wednesday, April 16-17, 2019
Terrace Theater, Long Beach

MBE GIVEAWAY
PAW PATROL LIVE!

Win a Family 4-Pack of Tickets
for the L.A. or Long Beach Shows

How to Enter the Giveaway

Thanks to VStar Entertainment, one lucky MBE giveaway participant will get a family 4 pack of tickets to see the PAW Patrol Live! show in Los Angeles or Long Beach. To enter MommyBlogExpert's PAW Patrol Live! Giveaway, visit our Instagram page. Hurry, giveaway ends April 11, 2019 at 3 am EST/12 am PST. Open to legal residents of the U.S. only. After the contest ends, ONE (1) qualifying winner, selected at random from all eligible entries submitted, will receive vouchers for their venue of choice by email to exchange at the box office for tickets. 

Storm Boy Family Movie Review Opens in US

Movies

MBE partnered with Good Deed Entertainment for this post

As an animal and nature lover I am thrilled to share about Storm Boy (2019) a new Australian foreign big screen family film opening at select U.S. theaters this Friday, April 5.  The movie stars Aussies Geoffrey Rush (Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales), Jai Courtney (Insurgent, Divergent, Jack Reacher), new comer young actor Finn Little, and others. 

Perfect for families and kids to see together this spring, this movie delivers an important message.  In an entertaining way children and parents will learn about kindness to animals and protecting wild animals, such as the world's various pelican species, to spark new conversations about animal and habitat conservation at home.

Movie Storyline

The new movie reframes the tale based on Colin Thiele's classic 1976 book, told as a modern day story from the point of view of the grown-up Storm Boy, Michael Kingley (Geoffrey Rush), who is now a grandpa. 

Michael, all of a sudden, starts getting bombarded with repeated visions from his childhood, of being with his own father living on a small town beach on the remote South Australia coastline. In the strongest recurring memories, he thinks back to rescuing three baby pelicans he finds in the sand, who have been orphaned. The young Storm Boy role is depicted by Finn Little, who started acting at 5 years old.

  

The events of the past continue to haunt him and begin to feel so real, eventually evolving into an urgency to share about these stories of long ago experiences and what he learned with someone who will understand. He finds the perfect audience in his rebellious, motherless teen grand-daughter Madeleine (Morgana Davies) who is estranged from her father. Grandpa then regales her with the childhood memories he can't stop thinking about, how he hand fed and raised this pelican trio to adulthood, and developed a particularly strong and special bond with the pelican he named Mr. Percival. 

It's a heart-warming story, a message about giving unconditional love, doing the right thing, helping another living being, and protecting nature. It is also a shining example of how important it is for older people to share childhood stories and valuable life lessons with younger generations to keep these ideas alive for the future.

Storm Boy Movie Trailer

Adopt A Pelican 

In the wild, the greatest threats to pelicans are habitat loss, hunting, human abuse, and pollution. It goes without saying that protecting these beautiful oversized bird species is really important so pelicans will continue to survive for future generations to enjoy in their natural habitats.

Thanks to Good Deed Entertainment, to help build awareness about pelican conservation along with the U.S. opening of the Storm Boy movie, I have adopted a pelican of my own. 

I invite you and your family to join me by also participating in the Adopt a Pelican program through World Animal Foundation.

Adopt a Pelican Kit Contents

• An Adopt a Pelican Kit in Colorful Folder
• A photo of your adopted animal
• A personalized adoption certificate
• A fact sheet about your adopted species
• Earth & Animal Action Cards

About Storm Boy 

Storm Boy, from Ambience Entertainment with U.S. distribution by Good Deed Entertainment, is rated PG. The movie opens in select cities across America this Friday, April 5. 

For more information on the film and lots of free fun and educational pelican themed kids activities, visit the official site StormBoyTheFilm.com. You can also stay up on all the Storm Boy movie news by following them on Instagram and Facebook.

About World Animal Foundation 

Visit World Animal Foundation for more information on how you can adopt a pelican and other wild animals. You can also access lots more educational material by following WAF's Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest channels.Your donation to tax deductible to the extent of the law. The level of tax-deductibility depends on whether or not a free gift was selected and the amount donated.

Beautiful Artsy Nature Inspired Spring Gift Ideas

Gift Inspiration

MBE partnered with VIDA for this post

We've all been waiting for it: Spring flowers and sunnier days are finally here. It's time to celebrate. With the holidays of Passover (April 19-28), Easter (April 21), Earth Day (April 22) and Mother's Day (May 12) coming quickly, with graduations not far behind, many of you will be entertaining guests and looking for new ways to accessorize your home and table as well as shopping for memorable gifts.  

Gifting for Spring

VIDA Flash Sale Up to 45% Off on Zulily Ends Saturday

If you're not hosting a spring event yourself, chances are you're probably planning to visit family or friends and trying to think of something unique and special to bring your host/hostess. You might also be shopping for presents which recipients will truly love and appreciate, looking for fresh gift ideas to give for these special occasions.

Good thing that VIDA just debuted on Zulily today with a stunning line of affordably-priced monogrammed home and fashion accessories inspired by nature and Spring. For a limited time, till this Saturday at 9 pm EST they're offering this exclusive line of five different patterns designed by artists that are meant to take your breath away. As you can see, these home and fashion accessory items are really that beautiful.

Monogrammed Pieces Designed by Artists

Choose from custom monogrammed beauties ranging from table runners, place mats, coasters, throw pillows, glass trays and tall pillar candles for the home to jewelry, silk scarves to wear. With so many colorful and unique artistic options in your choice of design, if you're like me, you may have trouble deciding on which things speak to you most.

The 100% cotton monogram dinner napkins from VIDA's Just Glorious collection pictured at the top of this post, designed by artist Diane Morgan, are just calling my name. In fact, if you think about it, these napkins -- available in four other designs by different artists to suit your style -- could be a real focal place setting point as part of an elegant Passover or Easter tablescape. 

Not entertaining this year but you'll be a guest at someone else's event? These napkins or one of the other VIDA home or fashion pieces also make wonderful and unique host/hostess gifts and are the perfect way to say thank you. 

Unique Gifts for Unique People

Easter and Passover are almost upon us with Mother's Day and graduations in May and June. You might just find something -- like this lovely monogrammed silk scarf in VIDA's Mountains of Blue design -- you love for yourself or the gift you've been looking for at VIDA's flash sale on Zulily to make that someone special smile.

VIDA Flash Sale 

on Zulily Now

Hurry, Ends this Saturday 3/30/19 at 9 pm ET

The Girl He Used to Know Book Review + Twitter Party RSVP For Prizes

Books

MBE partnered with SheSpeaks for this post

On Sale April 2, 2019

Deep down every one of us seeks love, to be accepted for who we are, despite our flaws. As human beings we all also face challenges in life as well as endure both bad and good experiences from which we can learn and grow including forgiveness and accepting others without judgement. In a nutshell, that's the messaging the new heart-felt novel The Girl He Used to Know (St. Martin's Press, 2019) by New York Times Best Selling Author Tracey Garvis Graves conveys. 

A Romance With Heart

What makes this new novel different from other romantic tales is Annika's sense of feeling different because she is high functioning autistic. From the very first chapter of The Girl He Used to Know, you'll find yourself building empathy, relating to her, and cheering her on. You'll feel increasing sensitivity toward the main character as the plot pushes further and Annika struggles to overcome social anxiety, to fit in, and, ultimately, to open herself to the possibilities of self-worth, true friendship as well as true love.

The book tells the story from two alternating points of view of former college classmates who first met at a Midwestern campus chess club and once had a relationship. Ultimately, it is Annika's fears and struggles due to autism -- that aren't her fault -- that causes a disconnect in their feelings for each other and these young lovers grow apart. 

A decade later Annika, who now has a Master's degree and works as a librarian, and Jonathan, a newly-divorced banker, a chance meeting catches them both caught off guard. Following much awkwardness and out of regret for what they once shared as a couple, they begin to revisit what they had and try to recapture their love. 

It's author Graves' gift of developing settings and characters which seem so real that you almost feel as if they can jump off the pages and physically be in the same room with you.

Will Annika and Jonathan succeed in unconditional love this time before it is too late? Or will they fail again to rekindle the romance they once had? To find out what happens, you'll have to read this beautiful, sensitively written story. Your perceptions and beliefs about what it's like to be autistic or to be a parent, friend or lover to someone who has autism are about to open your eyes to things you may have never considered before.

Learn More

The Girl He Used to Know (St Martin's Press, 2019) by Tracey Garvis Graves goes on sale April 2, 2019. You can also stay up to date on all the news about this novel and other new books via St. Martin's Press on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Join us for a Twitter Party

The Girl He Used to Know

Twitter Party 

April 2, 2019

2:00 - 3:00 pm ET

#ReadTheGirl

Special Guest: Author, Tracey Garvis Graves, tgarvisgraves
Panelists:  MommyBlogExpert, CensieJ , MoneySvgParent
Prizes: The Girl He Used to Know books + Amazon giftcards; ONE (1) Door Prize $100 Amazon giftcard

RSVP

FTC Disclosure: I received an advanced copy of the book featured to facilitate this review. I am also participating as a paid panelist in the publisher's related Twitter Party organized by SheSpeaks. However, all opinions here are my own.