Tag: disney

Small joys tag

SMALL JOYS TAG

Thanks to The Okay Mommy for nominating me in this bloggers holiday tag! It was so fun reading through The Okay Mommy’s post on what brings her joy and seeing all those fun and delicious photos!

Here are the rules if you get tagged or if you want to start your own tag! Please include me in the tag group too as I’d love to see what brings you joy!

Rules:

  • Thank the blogger who nominated you

  • List 15 of your joy

  • Nominate 5 other bloggers/writers that bring you joy and feel free to say why!

15 Things That Bring Me Joy:

1 – My son! Your kids will probably always be your number one joy, even on days they drive you crazy! 🙂

2 – My family. And yes, this extends to outside my immediate family!

3 – Hot tea. There’s nothing like a hot cup of green or herbal tea. I drink it most religiously and have to have a cup every day. Green tea is my most favorite due to its health benefit and its slightly earthy flavor

4 – Cooler weather. I’m from Northern California so I’m used to the cooler weather. Plus, it’s a good excuse to bundle up on some cozy clothes!

5 – The Sun. Yes, yes, I know I just said I like cooler weather, but I also love the sun! The sun warms me and yet the quality of it makes me feel a bit like a Kryptonian 🙂

6 – Gardening. l love plants of all kind. Gardening is relaxing and can be rewarding. I’ve enjoyed gardening since I was a little girl, working alongside my parents in our yards and learning all I can from them.

7 – Books. I love to read! I’ve been an avid reader since I could pick up a book. Books help take me away to faraway lands and people that I wouldn’t normally meet.

8 – Writing. I love to write! Ever since I could pick up a pen or pencil, I was always writing something. Writing is a great stress reliever and can bring such wonderful creativity to anyone’s world.

9 – Disney and their entire franchise. There’s just something so magical about Disney. The creativity and imagination that Disney brings to the world is just amazing. 

10 – Laughter of kids. There’s just something so darling about a young child’s laughter. Their whole faces light up when they’re happy and laughing. Especially the giggles. The giggles are so sweet!

11 – Kittens and puppies. Heck, any baby animals are so darn cute!

12 – Godiva chocolates. I don’t eat a lot of sweets, but when I do, it’s gotta be Godiva! 🙂

13 – Being creative. It’s so fun to just let your creativity out!

14 – Finding rare and unique treasures at my parents house. My parents are artists and collectors and I’m always finding some wonderful treasures there!

15 – And certainly last but not least. The magic of friendship. I’ve been pretty fortunate to have met some wonderful friends throughout the years. These are friends that accept you for who you are and they will stick by you no matter what.

I would like to nominate the following bloggers/writers:

@BloggyMoms (Tiffany Noth/Bloggy Moms Influencers)

@theravenangel (https://www.janellrhiannon.com/)

@msrachelteodoro (https://www.rachelteodoro.com/)

@gabbyabigaill (https://gabbyabigaill.com/)

@mark_kastens (https://markkastens.com/)

 

*photos from Pinterest and Martha Stewart blog.

Disclaimer: The product(s)were sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on “Happymomblogger” remain unbiased and unpaid and are the sole decision of the author. The opinions of these product(s) were not influenced in any way, shape, or form. As always, please read the ingredients carefully when trying new products.

Please read the labels and ingredients carefully and follow all manufacturer’s instructions (if any). The products selected for the giveaway were generously donated by the companies/PR to help readers learn more about their products. The winner’s choice in using/consuming these products are entirely up to the winner and will not hold the author and her family liable nor the companies/PR liable. These products are made with non-toxic ingredients but always be safe with what you use and consume.

http://www.topmommyblogs.com/blogs/in.php?id=storm

 

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Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. – The Show We Need to Talk About Right Now

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Marvel. Perhaps one of the biggest leaders in the pop culture industry. You can be a die hard fan, a sometimes fan, or even a bandwagon fan, but there is no denying that the iconic mogul of comic books and movies has resonated within our souls throughout the years.

I’ve been a Marvel fangirl for many years. I follow their industry news just like any other fan would, so when I heard that their popular TV series, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. was ending on the seventh season, my heart was conflicted. Sure, most people will say that seven seasons on television is a long time, but with S.H.I.E.L.D., there can be decades of stories told through television, movies, and comic books. The TV show had some rocky episodes here and there, but Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. will always stand for one thing: defending those who can not defend themselves.

S.H.I.E.L.D. stands for The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division. In brief, S.H.I.E.L.D. was founded as a secret government agency to counter global and national terrorism. The agency of top secret operatives’ main villain was HYDRA, who in itself, is a rather complex and convoluted organization. Founded in the 1950’s, this fictional yet realistic organization has lead fans through tumultuous journeys fighting enemies, confronting comrades, and making really tough life decisions. Even if you’ve never picked up a comic book about S.H.I.E.L.D., you would know them through other Marvel movies (insert – Captain America and Avengers).

Since this is the final season of the quintessential superhero show, let’s talk about why this final season is so important to humanity. While the organization itself is fictional, the story of S.H.I.E.L.D. is very real to all of us. In Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, the showrunners do not shy away from controversial topics and the interpersonal relationships between all the characters reflects the real life people in our world. These characters, or agents, face some type of adversity and prejudice both as real people on the show, and as secret government agents.

With the wake of the deaths of many people in the black community due to police brutality, season seven of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., takes us back through time to when injustice and racial prejudice were prominent.  Season seven’s tagline “To Save the Future They Must Change the Past” sounds like something we all wish we could do. Specifically, in episode 3, “Aliens Commies from the Future!” shows us that back in the 1950’s, race, gender, and social equality meant absolutely nothing in America unless you were white, male, and important.

In the scene when Gerald Sharpe enters a typical 1950’s Diner, we see Agents Coulson and Daisy sitting at a nearby table waiting for the Department of Defense employee to make his appearance. At first glance throughout the restaurant, everything seems normal. But then Coulson points out the segregated bathrooms clearly marked as “Whites Only” and “Blacks Only.” As Coulson clearly states, “we are at the golden age of invention” meaning that humankind is starting to progress into a more forward-thinking future. But Daisy points out the bathrooms and we are reminded again that, “we still have a ways to go.” Let’s jump ahead to later scenes with DoD Sharpe.

In the scene when Sharpe is being interrogated by Agents Mack and Yo-Yo, the government employee clearly feels slighted at being interviewed by a man of color whom he so blatantly calls “boy” and Yo-Yo as “mamasita.” His smirk remarks and degrading commentary puts Agent Mack immediately on the defense but Yo-Yo pulls him back. This is the first inclination that the audience receives of an already intolerant society where America judiciously think that they are the “leaders of the free world.” Hmm…

So let’s jump to the scene where Agents May and Yo-Yo are dressed as pilots to infiltrate Area 51 and Yo-Yo remarks why no one questions two women as pilots are walking through the top secret building. Agent May (who is a tough as nails Asian warrior agent) replies that in the 1940’s and 50’s, women pilots out-flew men as target-toting pilots. It’s safe to assume women pilots were merely revered as pinup dolls, made to look pretty to attract the enemies of the United States. Sexist? Yes, as so Agent May and Yo-Yo scoffs.

If you take a deeper dive into Episode 3, “Alien Commies from the Future,” the title alone gives away the subliminal meaning behind it. Aliens? Are they referring to aliens from outer space or aliens from another country that is not America? And Commies? Well, we know what communism all meant to the US back then. But the xenophobic trend in the middle decades proves to us that society indeed has not moved much away from race and gender discrimination. We saw Agent May almost taking out Sharpe when he called her an “Oriental” during interrogation back on their spaceship. And as I point out, Gerald Sharpe is the epitome of a systemic racial and sexist dictator where he believes that if you’re not white and male, then you are not worthy of his attention. And does he play that role well!

We know that Season 7 was filmed months ago before the pandemic and the police brutalities brought to surface. But the one thing that Marvel as a company does well, is to highlight the various personalities and abilities of people around the world. I met several Marvel artists and writers and most of them are indeed of various races and abilities and while they were their own entity long ago, I have no doubt that as a newly acquired presence in the world of all Disney, Marvel is still given free reign to write their stories that matches the uber quality of diversity, inclusion, and powerful mutants who just want to belong in society.

Though season seven is the final season of Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., I urge you to start watching it now and pick up the previous seasons. This final season travels backwards through time and we can bet that Marvel will not hold back on the topics we are still facing today.

Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. can be found on ABC and Disney+ as well as other streaming channels. It airs on Wednesday 10/9 Central.

 

Disclaimer: The product(s)were sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on “Happymomblogger” remain unbiased and unpaid and are the sole decision of the author. The opinions of these product(s) were not influenced in any way, shape, or form. As always, please read the ingredients carefully when trying new products.

Please read the labels and ingredients carefully and follow all manufacturer’s instructions (if any). The products selected for the giveaway were generously donated by the companies/PR to help readers learn more about their products. The winner’s choice in using/consuming these products are entirely up to the winner and will not hold the author and her family liable nor the companies/PR liable. These products are made with non-toxic ingredients but always be safe with what you use and consume.

http://www.topmommyblogs.com/blogs/in.php?id=storm

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D23 – Disney Expo Event 2015

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Disney…a world as old as time, a journey as grand as the next adventure. If you’ve ever been to Disneyland or Disney World even if it was just once, there is a certain connection with this magical place that allows us to embrace our childhood, our inner mischief, and our imagination. Even if you’re not as crazy about the Disney franchise (and really, how could you not like them even a little bit?), there is just that amazing feeling that brings out the happiness we all have deep within us.

This August was my very first Disney D23 Expo at the Anaheim Convention Center. I’m quite familiar with the Convention Center as many great events are hosted there and the D23 Expo was a sight to see when we were finally allowed to go inside. The initial waiting in line for the doors to open wasn’t the best experience as the weather was rising quickly towards 90 degrees, but once inside and the icy cool air conditioning blasted in our faces, my son and I were giddy with excitement.

We were immediately immersed into the fantastic world of Disney and its entire franchise. Not only were their flagship Mickey and the gang decorated everywhere, but my heart strings were tugged when I saw Star Wars and Marvel showcased throughout the arena. I’m so glad that Disney now owns Star Wars because with such an enormous entity backing them up, the Star Wars world can only get better. I’ll get more into details about the Star Wars exhibition there because I have to rant a bit about Marvel. As a huge Marvel fan, I was a bit disappointed with them merging with Disney because they seem to only focus on Avengers. Yes, the Avengers are a big deal to most people but Marvel encompasses so much more. Marvel in fact created their own comic book universe and has long lived through tradeouts and scrutiny. Perhaps Disney is just vetting out the superheroes and villains to be more kid-friendly, but any scenario where there are superheroes and villains, there are bound to be some bloodshed. But, I will just have to wait patiently like all the other diehard fans and see how much freedom Disney allows Marvel Studios.

D23 INSIDE

Now, with the Star Wars franchise under Disney’s belt, we saw Star Wars marketed everywhere, which was a good thing for a longtime fan such as myself and my son. But one of the main reasons in attending D23 Expo was to see a glimpse of the new Star Wars movie coming out in December and their merchandise. There was only one event for Star Wars and that was harder to get into than a pair of wet skinny jeans. And I could see why it was the most anticipated event during the expo. Many secrets were revealed to the fans as well as surprise guest stars that probably gave most of the crowd heart attacks. It was a great move for Disney to reveal so much to the world and for a fangirl such as myself, my excitement for Star Wars only grew more.

Other events such as new shows on Disney xd, Pixar showcase, and upcoming feature films were big hits as we got an inside look at all the new and exciting things happening with the animation and live action world. Throughout the weekend fans were also able to meet and greet with their favorite stars of shows such as Pretty Little Liars, Once Upon a Time, and the recently aired Descendants and take photo ops with them as well. My heart was really set on attending the Once Upon a Time event but the tickets were grabbed up within minutes. It was great for Disney to offer free Stage Passes this year to some of the events where you were guaranteed to get into one of the rooms instead of waiting for open seating. However, as with most major events such as the Disney D23 Expo, one really had to be prepared ahead of time to be able to attend all the events offered. And if you were one of the lucky fans who were able to attend the Disney Legends ceremony, that alone justified those who spent the night at the convention center to be first in line. My husband, our son, and I however were just happy to attend the event and see all the wonderful opportunities offered by Disney.

STORM TROOPERS

Now, onto the anticipated highlights that Disney will be bringing to the world. Let’s start with a major reveal that Disney is planning on building a Star Wars Land within the Disney parks in both California and Florida. The Star Wars themed land will feature rides, attractions, and immerse you fully into the world of Star Wars. That’s going to be incredibly exciting because the world of Star Wars is so immense and extraordinary that Disney could really go to extreme measures to create a theme land just for Star Wars. No word yet on when Star Wars Land will start construction but what a sight it would be to watch the progress and growth of this new area!

Disney will also be releasing several animation movies in the coming years with the most upcoming one called The Good Dinosaur. I’m already excited about this movie as the story line seems to align perfectly with Disney’s philosophy of teaching good through trials and tribulations. Other movies include bringing back fan favorites such as Pirates of the Caribbean, and several other remakes including The Jungle Book, Alice Through the Looking Glass, and Pete’s Dragon.

Disney’s D23 Expo was a pretty happening place during the month of August. It was a highly anticipated event and people of all ages got to see something new while enjoying many classics. We had so much fun checking out sneak peek previews, playing games to win prizes, and of course interacting in the Star Wars section where we were able to play with the new characters in Disney’s Infinity video games. Even the dark lord himself, Darth Vader could be seen wandering the halls testing out some new video games and being ominous and magnanimous as usual.

The next Disney D23 Expo will be in 2017 and I expect it to be even bigger and with more things to see and interact with. Here’s hoping that it comes back to Anaheim, California.

Here’s a list of some of the upcoming Disney events for 2015:

Studios
November 25
The Good Dinosaur opens in theaters.
December 18
Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens in theaters.
January 29
The Finest Hours opens in theaters.
March 4
Zootopia opens in theaters.
April 15
The Jungle Book opens in theaters.

Television
September 22
The Muppets premieres at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
September 26
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy premieres at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT on Disney xd.
November 30
It’s Your 50th Christmas, Charlie Brown airs at 9 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.

Disclaimer: The product(s)were sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on “Happymomblogger” remain unbiased and unpaid and are the sole decision of the author. The opinions of these product(s) were not influenced in any way, shape, or form. As always, please read the ingredients carefully when trying new products.

Please read the labels and ingredients carefully and follow all manufacturer’s instructions (if any). The products selected for the giveaway were generously donated by the companies/PR to help readers learn more about their products. The winner’s choice in using/consuming these products are entirely up to the winner and will not hold the author and her family liable nor the companies/PR liable. These products are made with non-toxic ingredients but always be safe with what you use and consume.

http://www.topmommyblogs.com/blogs/in.php?id=storm

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Disney vs. Nickelodeon

I have to admit – I’m a big Disney fan. I remember going to Disneyland for the first time when I was a kid and the initial memory of the entire experience forever stuck in my head. From then on, it was pretty much Disney here, Disney there, Disney everywhere. I don’t remember watching a bunch of Disney television though but I do recall watching Disney movies in the theaters. I even played with a few Disney dolls and probably still have them hidden somewhere in my parents house.

And then when I had my son, I got turned onto Nickelodeon. We used to watch Disney quite a lot and now there are only a few choice shows we watch specifically. But lately, our TV is turned to Nickelodeon all the time. Mind you, I don’t really let my son watch TV all that often and he’s not a big TV watcher as it is, but when he does watch television, it’s gotta be Nickelodeon. Or more specifically, Nick Jr. since the other Nickelodeon shows are geared  towards tweens and young adults. Except Sponge Bob and Squarepants – I really don’t know what age group or category that show falls under.

I think we grew tired of Disney after too many Hannah Montana reruns and whether she’s staying on the show, leaving the show, staying one more season, leaving altogether – it got to be a bit irritating. But we adore the Imagination Movers(and you’ve gotta check them out since they’re great for all ages), Phineas and Ferb, and the occassional Jonas Brothers (all right, I have to admit, it is I who makes my son watch that show).

As a mom, I think I’ve made many sacrafices when it comes to what my son wants to do. I no longer get to watch my soap operas or my crime shows and I’ve become best friends with the employees at the Disney stores. Now if only there’s a Nickelodeon store somewhere, then I’m all set. But honestly, there really isn’t much difference between the two companies. My husband even pointed out that some of the shows between the two looked familiar but you really can’t prevent that since both corporations target pre-K to teenagers. But then sometimes I wonder who had the idea first? Take for instance, The Imagination Movers – their episodes are geared towards problem solving and finding creative solutions in a funny and unique way. Then there’s The Fresh Beat Band on Nickelodeon who pretty much has the same concept, except where you have only 4 guys and an occasional “Nina” as the female counterpart with the Imaginatin Movers, with The Fresh Beat Band, you get the same 4 stars except there are 2 guys and 2 girls. And they pretty much problem solve in every episode and both shows use music as a guideline for problem solving. So to me, they’re both equally fun to watch, but my son seems to enjoy the differences between the two shows and can catch the difference and similarity without missing a beat.

Both shows have their qualities and their weaknesses. As previously mentioned, there were too many Hannah reruns and quite a lot of spin-offs as well. One great virtue of Disney is that almost all of their TV shows and movies will directly and indirecty teach the audience a lesson in the end. The movies are mostly tear-jerkers (in my opinion) and you’ll most likely cheer for the good guy but feel sympathetic towards the villain because the villain himself learned his lesson as well. Nickelodeon are known for their award shows and music shows such as the recently aired Mega Music Fest which featured John Leguizamo as the host and a mostly-annoying Sherri Shephard appearing frequently to “remind” John of his duties. It was a great “music fest” with their most popular animated cast members as guest stars and musical guest stars such as Colbie Caillat and Wyclef Jean as the highlights. Yet, it was still a bit disappointing to me in the way that it was only an hour long (probably to prevent the younger kids from getting bored) and that both John and Sherri were dressed way too casually for a musical extravaganza. Still, it was entertaining at its best for a first time music “fest” from Nickelodeon. And I have a feeling they’ll put on another one next year with even bigger names from the music industry.

So, as I was once a big fan of Disney, I think I’m really on the fence as to which syndicate I like the most. They both produce quality, fun, and family-bonding shows and they both have unique characters that children can relate to. But if Disney decides to take Jonas off the air, then there will definitely be a controversy!

So which company do you like and prefer?

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