Author Archives: Paula

About Paula

The children are all grown and have started giving us grandchildren that we can dote on. For years it was just the three of us at home – my sweetheart, our spoiled cat, and me. However, we recently adopted a bobtail kitten. So the four of us are living in chaos. Who knew such a tiny creature could disrupt an entire household! ? Over five years ago, while I was looking for freebies and sweeps to do, I decided to start blogging about the great ones I found. When the opportunity presented itself, I began writing reviews. I found I truly enjoyed writing these posts and have dedicated a large amount of time to them.

A Christmas Story Christmas

Just in time for the holidays, A Christmas Story Christmas is available on DVD, Digital, or with Subscription.

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A Christmas Story Christmas

WARNER BROS. HOME ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES

A Christmas Story Christmas

Available to own, rent, or view with subscription TODAY

This 2022 American Christmas comedy film follows Ralphie as he returns to the house on Cleveland Street. He wants to give his kids a magical Christmas like the one he had as a child. This movie offers plenty of Christmas nostalgia as Ralphie deals with Christmas and all that comes with it.

While never replacing the magic of the classic A Chrismas Story film, this release offers solid entertainment, and lots of Christmas spirit.

Synopsis

Ralphie is all grown up in this sequel to the annual holiday favorite in which he must deal with Christmas and all that comes with it, this time as a dad. Peter Billingsley returns to the role that has made kids of all ages anticipate Christmas morning like no other.

About the Film:

  • Directed by Clay Kaytis
  • Screenplay by Nick Schenk and Clay Kaytis
  • Based on characters created by Jean Shepherd
  • Produced by Irwin Zwilling, Marc Toberoff, Cale Boyter, Jay Ashenfelter, Peter Billingsly, Vince Vaughn
  • Starring Peter Billingsly, Erinn Hayes, Scott Schwartz, R.D. Robb, Zack Ward, Julie Hagerty
  • Film Run Time: 98 minutes
  • Rating: PG
  • Watch with a subscription on Max, rent on Vudu, buy on Amazon, Walmart, Apple TV, Vudu and more.

You can find A Christmas Story Christmas and all the Holiday movies that Warner Bros. offers here.

Movie Intro:
In December 1973, 33 years after the events of A Christmas Story, Ralph “Ralphie” Parker lives in Chicago with his wife, Sandy, and two children, Mark and Julie. Ralph has been taking the year off from his job to write his first novel, but its excessive length leads multiple publishers to reject it. Mrs. Parker calls to tell Ralph that his father, “the Old Man”, has died, and the grief-stricken family makes its way to Hohman, Indiana to be with her. She gives Ralph two tasks: write his father’s obituary, and take up his mantle of making Christmas special for the family.

Ralph’s children befriend one of the Bumpus kids next door, and have their snowman smashed by two bullies on a snowmobile. Ralph reunites with Flick, who now owns his father’s old tavern, and Schwartz, who still lives with his mother and has run up a large tab at Flick’s. While leaving the house to go ice skating, Sandy slips and sprains her ankle.

As Christmas Eve approaches, the family goes to Higbee’s, where Ralph miraculously buys everything Mark and Julie asked for while the children speak to the store’s Santa. On the way back, Ralph’s car overheats, and Ralph accidentally hits Julie in the eye during an impromptu snowball fight. After Julie receives a temporary eyepatch at the hospital, the family discovers their car was robbed in the hospital parking lot; the presents are gone, and there is little money left to replace them.

Continue reading the A Christmas Story Christmas  plot on Wikipedia

 More Must See Christmas Movies

NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION, A CHRISTMAS STORY, ELF, AND THE POLAR EXPRESS

ARE ALL AVAILABLE FOR YOU VIEWING PLEASURE!

About these classic holiday family films:

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

As the holidays approach, Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) wants to have a perfect family Christmas, so he pesters his wife, Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo), and children, as he tries to make sure everything is in line, including the tree and house decorations. However, things go awry quickly. His hick cousin, Eddie (Randy Quaid), and his family show up unplanned and start living in their camper on the Griswold property. Even worse, Clark’s employers renege on the holiday bonus he needs.

The film is directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik. The screenplay is by John Hughes and based on characters by Hughes. The film is produced by Hughes and Tom Jacobsen and stars Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, and Randy Quaid.

A Christmas Story

Set in a 1940s-era Midwestern town and told from the viewpoints of a seven-year-old boy, who only wants one thing for Christmas — a Red Ryder BB gun — the episodic tale chronicles not only his schemes to convince his mother and father to buy him one, but also offers a warmly nostalgic look into 1940s middle-class American life. From the stories of, and narrated by, Jean Shepherd.

The film is directed by Bob Clark. The screenplay is by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown, and Bob Clark and is based on the novel “In God We Trust: All Other Pay Cash by Shepherd. The film is produced by Rene Dupont and Bob Clark and stars Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin and Peter Billingsley.

Additionally, A Christmas Story Christmas, from Warner Bros. Pictures and HBO Max, will debut on HBO Max on November 17. The long-awaited follow-up to the annual holiday favorite A Christmas Story, this time Ralphie is all grown up and must deal with Christmas and all that comes with it…as a dad. Peter Billingsley returns to the role that has made kids of all ages anticipate Christmas morning like no other.

Elf

This hilarious Christmas film tells the tale of a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts on Christmas Eve and is transported back to the North Pole and raised as an elf. Years later Buddy learns he is not really an elf and goes on a journey to New York City to find his true identity.

The film is directed by Jon Favreau and written by David Berenbaum. It is produced by Jon Berg, Todd Komarnicki , and Shauna Robertson, and stars Will Ferrell, James Caan, Zooey Deschanel, Mary Steenburgen, Edward Asner and Bob Newhart.

The Polar Express

When a doubting young boy takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole, he embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.

The film is directed by Robert Zemeckis from a screenplay by Zemeckis and William Broyles Jr. It is based on the classic Caldecott award-winning children’s book written by Chris Van Allsburg. The film is produced by Steve Starkey, Zemeckis, Gary Goetzman, and William Teitler, and features the voices of Tom Hanks, Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Jimmy Bennett, and Eddie Deezen.

THE CREDITS

About Warner Bros. Discovery

Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates and distributes the world’s most differentiated and complete portfolio of content and brands across television, film and streaming. Available in more than 220 countries and territories and 50 languages, Warner Bros. Discovery inspires, informs and entertains audiences worldwide through its iconic brands and products including: Discovery Channel, discovery+, CNN, DC, Eurosport, HBO, HBO Max, HGTV, Food Network, OWN, Investigation Discovery, TLC, Magnolia Network, TNT, TBS, truTV, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Television, WB Games, New Line Cinema, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies, Discovery en Español, Hogar de HGTV and others. For more information, please visit www.wbd.com.

-wbhe-

You can find all the Holiday movies that Warner Bros. offers here.

Are You a Modern Craveman? Take the Quiz and Find Out! Plus, Get Your 15% Discount Code

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Take the Modern Craveman Quiz:

  1. Do you like your snacks with no added sugar?
  2. Are you looking for foods with no refined carbs?
  3. Do you want something to eat that is nutritionally dense?
  4. Are you interested in eating organic or vegan foods?
  5. Does Gluten-free and Grain-free foods interest you?
  6. Are you not willing to compromise on taste?

The Modern Craveman LOVES
Organic, Kosher, Keto, Vegan, Grain-Free, Gluten-Free Natural Snacks with NO Added Sugar, NO Refined Carbs, that do NOT Compromise on Taste and Nutrition.

Plantraw is an up-and-coming company that is focused on bringing you the highest-quality, most nutritious snacks gustatorily possible. We had the privilege of trying three of their unique snacks; the Cocoa-Date Truffles (Dark), Tomato Onion Chips, and Nutrionally Dense Granola.

Our Modern Craveman loves him some Cocoa-Date Truffles.

The Cocoa-Date Truffles (Dark) contain just a few high-quality ingredients: Raw organic dates, Raw unsweetened organic coconut, Raw organic cocoa paste (100% dark chocolate), and Raw organic coconut oil. That’s it!

They have no added sugar, sweeteners, fillers, thickeners, emulsifiers, or preservatives. The fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, flavonoids, and other micronutrients in this product are intact and bioavailable.

Since these delectable bites are only sweetened with dates they are not overly sweet like many truffles. Unlike when you eat highly processed sweets, after eating these truffles your palate still feels clean. 

Attention Modern Craveman loves Tomato Onion Chips!

Plantraw Tomato Onion chips are gluten-free, vegan, and natural. These chips lose 2/3 of their weight during dehydration. This leaves the remaining 1/3 rich in flavor and nutritionally dense.

It is amazing that with so much taste they are a good source of fiber. If you’ve ever eaten a high-fiber bar you know this is not always true. These chips are also a good source of Omega 3, the “healthy fats” that may support heart health. And, ever conscious of carbs since I help several family members with diabetes understand what is beneficial for them to eat; these chips are a great snack for them with 0g refined carbs.

Tomato-Onion Chips also have just a few simple ingredients. They contain tomatoes, onions, flaxseed, nutritional yeast, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt, smoked paprika, and acerola cherry. That’s it!

Did You Know That The Modern Craveman Loves Nutritionally Dense Granola?

Plantraw’s original granola is grain-free and gluten-free. It is sweetened solely with whole organic dates so it has no added sugar or sweeteners.

With its ingredients of sprouted almonds, dates, pecans, sesame, flaxseed, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and acerola cherry it is a good source of dietary fiber, Omega 3, and plant-based protein. 

We enjoyed this granola as a late afternoon pick-me-up while spending the day at the aquarium with our grandchildren. I was pleasantly surprised at how much the kids loved it. They kept reaching their tiny hands into the bag for more.

 

If you’re a modern craveman and are looking for healthy and minimally processed foods that taste amazing, you’ve got to check out the products that Plantraw offers. We’ve tried their truffles, chips, and granola so far. And, are loving them!!!!

PlantraW has graciously offered our readers a 15% discount. Just enter code Sweet15 at checkout or use this link to get your discount

My father’s, Ronald George Povero, Funeral 1PM 4/28/23

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It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I have had to take time off from my online activities. My father was very proud of my writing and supported me in my pursuit of creating a successful blog. So, I will return to blogging in the future.
My father passed away Friday, April 21, 2023. He was a wonderful dad, husband of 57 years, grandfather, and great-grandfather. We are thankful that, thanks to Hospice, we were able to get him home with his family around him before it happened. Please keep our family in your prayers.

Obituary of Ronald “Ronnie” George Povero

Ronald George “Ronnie” Povero, 79, of Summerville, South Carolina, passed away peacefully surrounded by close family in his home on April 21, 2023.

Born on March 4, 1944 in Seneca, New York, Ronnie was the only child of the late Dominic and Mary Povero.

He is survived by his wife of 57 years, Pauline Povero; two daughters, Paula Stewart-Sealund (husband, Marcus) and Connie Robertson (husband, Cleveland “CJ”); seven grandchildren and their spouses, Joey Povero, Christine Alexander (Paul), Jamie Campbell (Marissa), Robert Campbell (Anne), Bobby Stewart (Alicia), Felisha Thomas Tresler, and Berry Robertson; ten great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family.

Ronnie joined the United States Air Force in 1962. After he completed boot camp and technical school in Texas he was assigned to the Charleston Air Force Base. In 1971 he joined the 315th Airlift Wing reserve unit in Charleston, SC where he served until he retired as a Master Sargent in 1990.

Through his church, Saint John the Beloved, and the Knights of Columbus, honorary 3rd and 4th degree life member, he served the community of Summerville for more than fifty years.

As an avid fisherman, Florida State, and NASCAR fan, he enjoyed spending time outdoors with his many family and friends.

Visitation will be on Friday, April 28, 2023 from 12:15 until 1pm at Saint John the Beloved Church, 28 Sumter Avenue, Summerville, SC 29483. The Mass of Christian Burial will immediately follow the visitation.

The family asks in lieu of flowers, contributions be given to your charity of choice.

https://obits.postandcourier.com/us/obituaries/charleston/name/ronald-povero-obituary?id=51740112&fbclid=IwAR3_jt_GSwc2exBmTPwBcHBhlq1ha5b-0fCwMW7mo495j9YUk39IG0TMXiU

50th Wedding Anniversary

Marriage Is…

A commitment.  Its success doesn’t depend on circumstances, feelings, or moods – but on two people who are loyal to each other and the vow’s they took on their wedding day…

Marriage Is…

A relationship where two people must listen, compromise, and respect.  It’s an arrangement that requires a multitude of decisions to be made together.  Listening, respecting, and compromising go a long way toward keeping peace and harmony.

A union in which two people learn from their mistakes, accept each other’s faults, and willingly adjust behaviors that need to be changed.  It’s caring enough about each other to work through disappointing and hurtful times and believing in the love that brought you together in the first place.

Patience and forgiveness.  It’s being open and honest, thoughtful and kind.  Marriage means talking things out, making necessary changes, and forgiving each other.  It’s unconditional love at its most understanding and vulnerable – love that supports, comforts, and is determined to triumph over every challenge and adversity.

Marriage is a partnership of two unique people who bring out the very best in each other and who know that even though they are wonderful as individuals… they are even better together.

Delicious Recipes For Soup Swap Day

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Soup Swap Day!!!

Winter is the perfect time to warm up with a nice bowl of soup. Rich in nutrients and energy, it’s not surprising that soup is one of the most popular appetizers. Around since 20,000 B.C, soups are one of the best comfort foods of winter. But as the cold chill of winter stretches into the new year we often become tired of the same old soups in our recipe repertoire. To combat this and have some fun, have or attend a soup swap!

We celebrate Soup Swap Day on the third Saturday of January, which takes place on January 21 this year. Soup Swap Day is a national holiday in which people come together for a soup party. Everyone brings their favorite soup and shares it with others. Soup Swap Day is a perfect chilly middle-of-the-winter day to gather with family and friends and enjoy some tasty hot soup of every type.

–Practical Self Reliance     

What is a Soup Swap Day Party?

A soup swap day party is a fun and easy party in which you invite your soup-loving friends to come together and bring several quarts of their favorite soup to share. Then, you take turns swapping soups and everyone goes home with different soups than what they brought.

–The Full Plate Blog

Before the Soup Swap
Give your prospective guests plenty of time to prepare for Soup Swap. This is a great party for mixing people who don’t know each other. How better than over soup?

Invite at least 6 guests: A bigger group is better, more soup, after all!

Explain Soup Swap to your invited guests: Make sure that everyone knows what a soup swap is and how it works. The invite is a great time to do this.

What Each Guest Should Bring:
Six quarts of soup in separate containers that they don’t mind giving away.
The soup should be frozen or refrigerated.
Swappers should also bring a separate container of soup for tasting.

Soup Swap Day Party Invite Idea: “I’m having a Soup Swap on (DATE) at (TIME)! Swap begins at (TIME). I have invited you because you are a great cook or (ahem) you could really use a freezer full of homemade soup to enjoy this winter. The beauty of a Soup Swap is that each person just has to make one big batch of one kind of soup, divide it into six one-quart containers, and everyone will go home from the party with six different types of soups to enjoy. Surely, you have one soup recipe that is a family favorite or crowd-pleaser. Chilis, stews, soups, healthy purees… it need not be fancy, just comforting and delicious.”

If you are hosting the Soup Swap Day Party, here’s what you need to set up.

Set up your party: You’ll need a place for everyone to set out their soups and tasters, and to mingle and talk. Make sure there is plenty of room for jars of soup.
Cover the table: There will be lots of soup drips, cover the table with a tablecloth or butcher paper for easy cleanup.
Put out small bowls, cups, or jars for the tasters: Make sure you have enough for all the soup swappers.
Decide how you’ll sample soups: You can buy or make a loaf of great bread. Or, you can also use crackers or tiny disposable spoons.
Plan some snacks: Offer a spread of bread, soup toppings, brunch bites, or little sweets. 
Offer drinks: Tasting soups is thirsty work! Put out some water, coffee, sparkling wine, or a pitcher cocktail.
Have labels and tags ready: If it’s a crowd of people who don’t know each other, do name tags! In case, everyone doesn’t label their soups. Have blank labels to put on soup containers.

Make swap cards: These cards stay with each soup and let people note if they’re interested in that soup. If someone loves a soup, they should write their name on the swap card to indicate they want it.

When it’s time to Swap Soups: The Soup Swap site suggests everyone pick numbers, and then go in order: The first person chooses a soup, then the next person, then the next, and then it all starts back over with the first person, until all the soups are distributed. A variation of this method is after each pick to pass your number to the person behind you. With the last # going to the first # in the previous round. This gives everyone a chance to pick first.
Another more hectic option, that works best when everyone knows each other, is for everyone to stand around the table behind their soup. Everyone then starts calling out names on their swap card. The first person to respond immediately gets a jar. Soup passes back and forth over the table, some people swapping directly; others giving soup to one person and then receiving one from another.

If you want people to stay after the swap, recommend that they bring coolers or put their soup in your refrigerator.

That’s it! Everyone goes home with 6 homemade quarts of soup to enjoy during the cold winter days ahead!

Whether you’ve been invited to a Soup Swap or just looking for a delicious soup for your family, I’ve put together some great recipes for you to try. If you got a great recipe to share, please add it to the linky below!

    
     

Make soup for the homeless:
Not everyone has the privilege of being invited to a soup swap party or having a home to host one. Homeless people face the challenge of surviving the cold weather this time of year and sharing soup with less privileged people is a great way to make the most out of soup swap day.

How to Make and Keep Your New Year’s Resolution

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A New Year’s Resolution is a promise that we make to ourselves.

As the year ends, many of us are thinking about how we can get 2023 off to a smashing start. The new year is the perfect time to get a fresh start. Seize the opportunity to change bad habits and establish new routines that will help you grow psychologically, emotionally, socially, physically, or intellectually.

The problem is, resolutions are much easier to make than to keep. With the best of intentions, we promise to start doing something good or stop doing something bad on the first day of the year. Too often by the end of March, many of us have lost our resolve and returned to our old patterns. If this is you, don’t worry, You’re not doomed to have unfinished resolutions forever. Picking a focused New Year’s resolution that’s both inspiring and manageable will have you more likely to check it off, come the end of the year.

Make only one resolution. You may be tempted with grandiose plans for self-improvement. But try to avoid creating a list crammed with lots of resolutions. It is better to focus on just one. That way, you can focus all your energy on achieving it. Plus, you won’t be disappointed when the end of the year comes and you haven’t checked off a bunch of resolutions on your list.

Focus on just one behavior. Your one resolution should address one behavior, not multiple behaviors. If you try to commit to eating healthy, exercising, and drinking plenty of water you’re more likely to get overwhelmed and quit. Instead, just focus on one of the three behaviors and you’re more likely to succeed.

Make your goal specific. The more vague goal is the more difficult it will be to achieve. Specific goals are more actionable and therefore more achievable.

Choose your resolution for the right reason. Make sure is something that you genuinely want to achieve. If it’s because you think it will benefit someone else or make someone envious you won’t be as likely to succeed as you will be if you pick a goal that means a lot to you. Before committing to a New Year’s resolution, ask yourself, “Why do I want to do this?”

Pick a meaningful resolution. Pick a resolution that makes you feel inspired, aligns with something that you are passionate about, or motivates you. And, you’ll be more motivated to do it. Some ideas are to join an art class, volunteer at a pet shelter, or take a class at a local school.

Stanford psychologist Kelly McGonigal says, “The best kind of resolution is one that has a “big why” – to create health, to reconnect with a personal passion, to strengthen an important relationship, to change your financial situation, to develop yourself in some way, or to contribute to others in some way. And then you pick a small action or change that reflects this big goal, to remind yourself of it and to help you take steps toward it.”

Choose a resolution that helps you grow as a person. A resolution that brings you closer to your ideal self will be easier for you to achieve. You don’t want to make to choose a resolution to make a huge transformation but one that focuses on a single action that will help you grow in some way and get you a little closer to who you want to be.

Choose a realistic resolution. Don’t set yourself up for failure. Make a list of potential obstacles. What day to day constraints might interfer with achieving your goal. Write them down. Then, assess if it’s still a realistic resolution. For example, if your resolution is to walk five miles everyday after work, consider your work schedule, the weather, other obligations that may interfer with doing it, and how likely you are to stay commited long term. A more realistic goal may be to commit to exercising for 15 or 30 minutes each day.

Break your resolution into smaller parts. Even if your resolution is specific and realistic, it might still be overwhelming. To make your resolution more manageable divide it into a series of smaller goals that are measurable. Say you want to finish something by the end of the year. Creating a subgoal to do one part of it each week and assess that progress every week. If you’ve done it, continue what you’re doing. If not, ask yourself why that happened. For example, if you want to lose weight, setting a goal of one pound per week is less daunting than losing 50 pounds. If you want to put your photos into albums, committing to doing a few pages a week is more likely to get done than being overwhelmed with hundreds or even thousands of pictures that you’ve stashed in a box for later.

Pick a resolution you haven’t attempted before. If you’ve tried a resolution in the past and failed, you may be setting yourself up for failure.

Stay Motivated. During the first few days of a resolution, you’ll probably feel confident and highly motivated. That’s because you haven’t really faced any real discomfort or temptation associated with changing your behavior. However, after the reality of dragging yourself out of bed at 6 a.m. to go for a run or suffering through the ill effects withdrawal sets in, your motivation may wane.

In these moments, remind yourself exactly why you are doing it. Write a list or think about why you are doing it, what do you have to gain by achieving your goal. Finding sources of inspiration can keep you going when times get tough. Don’t Give UP! Stay Focused On Your Goals With The Staying Motivated Tips In This Post.

Share your resolution with family and friends. They can be super helpful in making your resolution a real. They can hold you accountable, offer advice, and most importantly cheer you on!

You don’t have to start your resolution on New Year’s Day. You can start anytime. If you aren’t ready on the first you can start when you are, you don’t have to wait until the following New Year.

Some of the most common resolutions are:

  • Losing weight
  • Sticking to a healthier diet
  • Exercising regularly
  • Making better financial choices
  • Quitting smoking
  • Spending more time with family
  • To de-stress
  • To declutter

What is your New Year’s Resolution? Tell me in the comments below.