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Zachary Levi & Gina Rodriguez Talk Holiday Traditions

November 19, 2017 by Beeb 5 Comments

Group photo with Zachary Levi & Gina Rodriguez

Photo Credit: Claudia Krusch

Travel consideration provided.

During last weekend’s press event for The Star, I had the opportunity to sit down with Gina Rodriguez and Zachary Levi to chat about their roles portraying Mary and Joseph in the film. Holiday movies make a strong emotional and sentimental connection to audiences, and this animated take on the Christmas story is the type of film that could easily become a holiday tradition to watch; so I asked the duo if there were any seasonal movies that they had grown up with that might have inspired them in wanting to become part of this new family favorite.

Rodriguez – who is no stranger to portraying miraculous birth after her starring role in Jane The Virgin – says that watching the nativity was an annual tradition in her household. The actress has spoken to me before about the importance of her family and personal values; I interviewed Rodriguez two years ago about her involvement in the anti-bullying campaign “Be Good to Each Other”, so projects with an uplifting message are clearly important to her. “I grew up with the nativity story,” she told me. “All the different versions – I feel like TBS and Lifetime did a version every Christmas – I really enjoyed it, so it’s really cool to be a part of this one.”

For his part, Levi is also a big fan of the other Christmas Story. “Because who doesn’t want a leg lamp?” he joked. “And I also like It’s a Wonderful Life – to me that’s one of the greatest stories ever told.” The Jimmy Stewart classic also left a big impression on Rodriguez during the scene where Stewart talks about lassoing the moon. “It’s so romantic!” she said, noting that it was also her boyfriend’s favorite movie. “He always watches it with his family on Christmas Eve, and last year we weren’t with his family, so he said I do this every year and I’m not gonna be with my family, but you’re my family now, will you watch with me? And it was the first time I had watched it with him and it was so beautiful.Their relationship [In It’s a Wonderful Life], though, towards the end was really rough.”

“He and his wife in the movie? Well, that all came full circle,” Levi replied. “I love the heart of that movie in that, even in our worst bits, even if we feel like we have completely ruined our lives – and I’ve felt like I’ve done that plenty of times in my own life – you are worth something. You are valuable. You are valuable to your family, to your friends, to your community, and the world would not be the same if you were not in it. And I think that’s the greatest thing from that movie.”

“That’s also the beautiful take on Joseph and Mary in The Star,” Rodriguez noted. “I think the way that they told the story was so beautifully done. Because it is such a delicate matter, but it’s done with such a light [touch], joyous. We all are just trying, and we all are just attempting at being the best version of ourselves. And we all fail, all fall. Joseph feels that way, and Mary does, throughout their entire little journey, but it’s done in such a hopeful way. The weight isn’t so heavy, so that children and adults with their different perspective on it can see the value in it, which I think is very cool.”

The Star is in theaters now.

Filed Under: Christmas, Movie review

Spread The Magic of Christmas With Santa.com

November 19, 2017 by Beeb 2 Comments

My gift from Santa!
This post is brought to you by Santa.com. Ho ho ho!

When I was a child, one of the most magical parts of Christmas morning was seeing what Santa had brought during the night. There was always ample evidence of his arrival: Our family’s stockings were all full, there were new presents under the tree, and the cookies were all eaten. He would always take the letter that I had written and replace it with what I had asked for; and one year, he even wrote me back, leaving a handwritten letter under the tree. I’ll never forget how amazing it was to read a letter from the Santa Claus himself – he even attached a square of red felt to the letter that was taken from one of his old suits, and I could feel the magic when I rubbed my fingers over it.

Technology has changed a lot since that Christmas morning in the 1980s, and Santa always keeps up with the times, so he now has his own official site: Santa.com! Someone as magical as Santa Claus is always on the cutting edge of everything, so he registered this domain all the way back in 1994. Santa enlisted the help of a small, family-oriented company to run his website and spread the joy of the season for kids from 1 to 92. Anyone can use the site to send a free email to Santa and get a thoughtful reply back! Parents can also send Santa a virtual cookie in the form of a one-time fee of 27.35 NPG (North Pole Gingersnaps) – which converts to $9.99 USD – so that their child can receive daily text messages from Santa from December 1st through Christmas Day! Santa will also be offering handwritten notes through his website later this month, for us old-school ’80s kids that still like receiving snail mail!

Get texts from Santa!

Santa.com has all kinds of holiday fun for the whole family. Santa’s elves are hard at work making fun coloring pages and “Santa Libs” that you can download and include in your letters, and Santa has even started his own personal blog on the site. Welcome to the blogging community, Santa!

Free reindeer coloring page

Click here to download the coloring page!

The official website of Kris Kringle spreads his message of the true holiday spirit by sharing his positive lessons and encouraging children to be polite and stay on the Nice List! And although Santa can see you while you’re sleeping, he still takes privacy seriously, and it currently having Santa.com certified by an FTC approved Safe Harbor Program to meet FTC privacy and security requirements for sites that provide content for children under 13.

The Christmas season is just beginning, so Santa.com is just ramping up – keep checking back through November and December for new games, content and Yuletide magic! And don’t forget to follow Santa’s social channels: @GarlandTheElf is the official spokes-elf for Santa on Twitter, and you can also find Santa.com updates on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.

Santa.com

Holiday Savings

Save 20% off Santa.com’s daily text messages by using promo code: momstart

You can also locate a hidden coupon code on Santa.com for 35% off until November 24th! To participate in this fun savings scavenger hunt, download the Blippar App from the iTunes store or Google Play. Then, visit Santa.com and hold the app over any image on the site. One of the images will reveal the hidden coupon code, just like magic!

Enter To Win:

One lucky winner will win a jolly old gift pack from Santa.com that includes the following:

  • (1) Santa.com fidget spinner wrapped in gift paper and a Santa.com ribbon
  • (1) Santa.com eco-friendly folding tote bag
  • (1) Santa Libs story book and coloring pages
  • (1) Santa.com oval bumper sticker
  • (1) Santa.com. pen

To Enter:

Please use the widget below to enter and read the full official rules. This giveaway is hosted and administered by Santa.com.

Santa.com Giveaway!

Filed Under: Christmas, giveaway, personal

Interview With Patricia Heaton

November 18, 2017 by Beeb 26 Comments

With Patricia Heaton during our interview
Travel consideration provided.
Last Saturday, I was in West Hollywood to interview the voices behind The Star. This animated Christmas feature about the nativity story features an all-star – pun intended – voice cast, and I had the pleasure of sitting down with Patricia Heaton to chat about her role in the film. Heaton portrays Edith, a cow who lives in the manger in Bethlehem where Mary and Joseph seek shelter when there is no room at the inn. Although Heaton is a seasoned actor, this is her first major voice role, so I asked how her approach differed going into a voice acting role versus what she does in live action.

“I feel like that’s like another skill set that I really would like to hone,” Heaton told me. “Going from multi camera on Raymond where we rehearsed all week and then presented it like a play to the audience, is very different from going to The Middle where there’s no rehearsal, you’re shooting out of order, there’s no response from an audience, and you don’t know what it’s gonna look like until it gets on the air. So that was a new skill set to learn. And then doing voiceover, where you might think you’re being animated, but you have to kind of ratchet it up a little bit. Because I can sound kind of flat, actually – have you ever listened to yourself and you’re like, ‘Oh! Is that my voice?’ You have to get used to that, and then you have to get used to putting a little more energy in it than you would normally do as an actor – because as an actor they can see your face, so that’s also informing what you’re saying, but here you’re trusting the animator to put that in. It’s a little flying blind, I think. But it’s really fun to do.”

Heaton said that she enjoyed the process of experimenting in the sound booth. “I think the most fun is doing the lines different ways, trying different takes. The director gives you different ideas and like on any show, if you can make the crew laugh, then you know you’re doing it well, so that’s kind of you goal. Although they can’t really laugh because we’re being recorded, but afterwards they do – you can see them snickering or holding it back.”

The Star retells the Biblical story from the perspective of the nativity animals, mixing lighthearted humor with parables. I asked Heaton if her own personal faith played a role in her wanting to be involved in the film.

“I think it’s always nice, if you’re a Christian, to have something out there – especially at Christmastime,” she said. “Because that’s what Christmas is about. You can put something out there for the whole family. The story of Christmas is what I base my entire life on, and all my hope, so yes – it’s nice to have that story out there to share with people.”

When it comes to celebrating Christmas in her own household, Heaton incorporates traditions from both the US and the UK: “I’m married to a Brit,” she explained, discussing how she enjoys making Yorkshire puddings and pulling Christmas crackers with her family. As a British expat in America myself, I asked her if this means that she essentially makes Thanksgiving dinner back to back, as the traditional UK Christmas dinner includes most of the same things. “Yes, so we’re doing Thanksgiving here [Los Angeles] and then we’ll do Christmas in Montana. And the other thing that the Brits do, they have Boxing Day, so the day after Christmas they do another celebration. It’s a little exhausting. (Laughs)”

The Star is in theaters now.

Filed Under: Christmas, interview, Movie review

Getting Into The Christmas Spirit With The Star

November 16, 2017 by Beeb 8 Comments

Christmas came early thanks to @TheStarMovie! #TheStarMovie

A post shared by Louise Bishop (@momstart) on Nov 11, 2017 at 2:30pm PST


Travel consideration provided. This post contains Amazon Associates links.

Last week, I flew to Los Angeles to attend a press event, and the experience reminded me of the opening lines of White Christmas: While the California sun may have been shining outside, inside The London Hotel was a winter wonderland bedecked with Christmas trees, ornaments and nutcrackers. The cause for this holiday cheer was The Star press event, where I had the opportunity to watch an advance screening of the film, interview the cast and director, and get into the holiday spirit. It’s not every day that you follow up an interview by making a gingerbread nativity scene!

My gingerbread nativity scene

My gingerbread nativity scene

The Star is an animated retelling of the Christmas story, as told from the perspective of the manger animals. The film follows Bo (Voiced by Steven Yeun), a little donkey with big dreams who breaks out of captivity in a mill with his best friend, a dove named Dave (Keegan-Michael Key). Along the way they meet Mary (Gina Rodriguez), who saves Bo from a broken leg he suffered during his escape. As Mary and Joseph (Zachary Levi) prepare to travel to Bethlehem for the census, Bo discovers that King Herod (Christopher Plummer) has sent a pair of angry hunting dogs (Ving Rhames & Gabriel Iglesias) to destroy the new King. With a little help from their friends Ruth the sheep (Aidy Bryant), Edith the cow (Patricia Heaton), and the Wise Men’s camels (Oprah Winfrey, Tracy Morgan & Tyler Perry), Bo and Dave must rescue Mary and Joseph before it’s too late.

The Star

This movie is sure to become a holiday tradition in many households, with an all-star cast and toe-tapping soundtrack featuring artists such as Mariah Carey, Fifth Harmony, Zara Larsson and Pentatonix. Every song has a different flavor and tone to set the mood for each scene, with a mix of original music and reinvented classic carols. The Star is a Christmas film that the whole family can enjoy together!

The Star hits theaters tomorrow, November 17th.

Filed Under: Christmas, holiday, Movie review, personal

Giveaway: Experience Christmas Magic at PDX ZooLights

December 8, 2016 by Beeb 11 Comments

ZooLights
Event consideration provided.

One of my favorite holiday traditions is driving around looking at Christmas lights. So this year, we decided to celebrate the season by kicking off December with a visit to the Oregon Zoo to experience ZooLights!

ZooLights is an annual event where the zoo is transformed into a winter wonderland with over a million and a half lights decorating the grounds. This special event also gives you the unique opportunity to experience the zoo at night while soaking in the Christmas magic. Since my youngest niece, Juniper, is now a year old, I thought this would be the perfect time to take the whole family to ZooLights. I have fond memories of visiting the Oregon Zoo with my family when I was a small child, and I want to share that experience with my nieces as well.

All bundled up

We got all bundled up, grabbed some peppermint cocoa in our special ZooLights tumblers, and began our walk through the zoo!

Beautiful tree

Christmas wreath

Tree covered in lights

Blue and red trees

The lights covering the zoo grounds are gorgeous, and quite spectacular. We walked through tunnels of lights, watched animated lights create “Rain” falling from dazzling trees, and enjoyed the light-up characters dotted all through the zoo. There were lions, tigers, bears, and even the Wizard of Oz – oh my!

Wizard of Oz lights

Juniper was captivated the entire time, taking in all of the sights and sounds.

Juniper looks at the lights

We enjoyed seeing the nocturnal side of the zoo, watching seals, fish, and my personal favorites – bats!

Bats

There was also a tiger slinking right up by the glass where we were standing, much to the delight of all the children watching.

Tiger

After saying “Hello” to the tiger, our family hopped aboard the zoo train for a special holiday ride. The train ride is always great fun, and it becomes very magical during ZooLights as you are treated to beautiful light displays while the train winds through the park.

Riding the train

Big cats

A new activity that has been added to ZooLights in 2016 is a classic carousel ride, creating even more fun and memories!

Riding the carousel

Visiting ZooLights was the perfect way to get into the Christmas spirit! It’s an ideal family activity because it will be enjoyed by all ages, from infants to adults. I highly recommend planning a trip there this holiday season!

For More Information:

Oregon Zoo
4001 SW Canyon Road
Portland, OR 97221

Phone: (503) 226-1561
Website: OregonZoo.org/ZooLights

ZooLights Dates:

November 25, 2016 through January 1, 2017. Closed December 24 & 25.

ZooLights Hours:

Sunday through Thursday: 5 – 8 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 5 – 9 p.m.
ZooLights tickets are valid for zoo admission after 4 p.m.

Admission:

Adults (12-64): $14.95
Seniors (65 +): $12.95
Youth (3-11): $9.95
Infant (2 & under): Free
Members (all ages): Free

You can save on admission by attending during Value Nights, as well as getting a transit discount if you take TriMet to the zoo instead of parking; click here for all the details.

Train and carousel tickets are sold separately from admission; click here for more information.

Enter to Win:

ZooLights

One lucky reader will win 4 tickets to ZooLights on the night of their choice!

To Enter:

Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter. Giveaway is open to US residents, 18+, and ends on December 12th at 11:00 PM PST. Winner will be notified via email. Upon confirmation, tickets will be placed in will call at the Oregon Zoo under the winner’s name. Tickets are valid for one-time use from completion of contest through the last night of ZooLights (January 1, 2017). Value of four tickets is $59.80. Please see the widget for more details and click here to read our giveaway rules.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Christmas, giveaway, Pacific Northwest, personal, travel

My Favorite Memories of Santa #SantaProject

December 7, 2016 by Beeb 2 Comments

This sponsored post is brought to you by the MomStart elves on behalf of Santa!

Christmas is a special time of year because of the palpable sense of magic and wonder. Every December, I look forward to building new memories and traditions while looking back with fond nostalgia at years past. I was flipping through an old photo album today and enjoyed looking at some photos from Christmas in the ’80s when I was a little kid!

Beeb with Santa

Beeb with Santa in the 1980s

When I was a child, I spent all of December excitedly anticipating the arrival of Santa on Christmas Eve. I would think about what special toy I wanted, like a Foofur doll – this was the 1980s, after all – then write my letter to Santa and tuck it under the tree with milk and cookies. Then, on Christmas morning, I would run to the tree to find cookie crumbs on an empty plate next to the gifts that Santa had brought me!

One of the most magical Christmas experiences I had was when I was around 4, and we had traveled to my Grandma and Grandpa’s house to spend the holiday. I got into my Glow Worm sleeping bag by the tree – again, this was the ’80s – and as I was drifting off to sleep, I heard the distinct sound of bells and knew that Santa’s sleigh was approaching to land on the roof! When I woke up the next morning, Santa had left me a handwritten letter with a patch of red felt attached. In the letter, he explained how this was a piece of fabric from one of his old suits. It was so magical to touch that piece of fabric and know that it had come from Santa’s own suit!

Opening my stocking

Opening the stocking that Santa had left me. Clearly, I’ve always been a fashionista!

It’s hard to believe that so many years have passed since that night, and that I’m now in my 30s! When I was a child, I used to hate the idea of growing up because I thought that I wouldn’t be able to have fun anymore. If I had a time machine, I would love to comfort my child self by letting her know that 33-year-old me spent last Christmas Eve watching the Power Rangers holiday special, so things really haven’t changed much! Growing up doesn’t mean that you have to lose the magic of Christmas. And any time I start feeling old, I just remind myself that Santa himself is 1,746 years old and is still just as spry as ever! To help get you into the Christmas spirit, I recommend checking out this fun Santa FAQ for more trivia and fun factoids on everything Kris Kringle.

What is your favorite memory of Santa?

Filed Under: Christmas, personal

The 12 Stinks of Christmas #12Stinks

November 30, 2015 by Beeb Leave a Comment

Glee’s Jane Lynch and Matthew Morrison are sharing a fun holiday send-up with their new Christmas carol inspired by Febreze, The 12 Stinks of Christmas! Check out the song above and get some hints on dealing with each culprit with this handy tip sheet:

12 Stinks of Christmas

Filed Under: Christmas Tagged With: Home & Garden

Celebrate Baby’s First Christmas With Babies“R”Us! #BRUChristmas

November 7, 2014 by Beeb Leave a Comment

Baby's First Christmas

Gift card provided.

One of the many exciting milestones for a new parent is celebrating their child’s first Christmas! To help commemorate this sweet season, Babies“R”Us is hosting special events during select Saturdays in November where parents can bring their babies for a fun playdate with other little ones that includes storytime, photo opps, and a craft station where you can make an ornament to commemorate baby’s first Christmas! The events are broken down by age:

Saturday, November 8: Babies born in December 2013; January, February and March 2014

Saturday, November 15: Babies born in April, May, June and July 2014

Saturday, November 22: Babies born in August, September, October and November 2014

You’ll also find a “Baby’s First Christmas” shop in-store with over 200 seasonal picks for baby; or if you prefer to get gift ideas online, visit The Baby’s First Christmas Gift Guide online at Babiesrus.com/FirstChristmas, which breaks down gift ideas by age.

#BRUChristmas Sweepstakes

What could be better for completing your holiday shopping than winning a $2,500 Babies“R”Us gift card? You could do just that by entering the #BRUChristmas Sweepstakes, which is offering other fab runner-up prizes like a year’s supply of Gerber baby food or a year’s supply of Huggies diapers! You can enter 3 ways:

  • By visiting Babiesrus.com/FirstChristmas
  • Texting FIRST to 72229 – Message and data rates may apply. Text HELP to 72229 for help. Text STOP to 72229 to end. For mobile terms and conditions, visit Babiesrus.com/mobile.
  • Share a photo on Twitter or Instagram (@BabiesRUs) of their babies’ celebrating their first holiday season using the hashtags #BRUChristmas and #Sweeps.

What was your child’s first Christmas like?

Filed Under: Christmas, parenting Tagged With: Babies R Us

MomDot- BP Day Eleven

November 26, 2008 by Momstart 10 Comments

Sponsors: Day Eleven Blog Party Question is Brought to you by Shishu Style and Mimsi Bags.
VIP BLOGS to visit are Parent Reviewers , Mom Most Traveled, Mommy Zabs, MomStart, HipposToes, Run DMT
Day Eleven (November 26): Staci A, mommas gone over the wall
If you could only eat ONE food on Thanksgiving Day, what would it be? Do you have a home cooked meal for Thanksgiving or do you go out to eat? Does your family dress up?
I would love to eat Mexican food. We do this for Christmas at my grandmothers because by the time you have had four or five holidays (big family), everyone is tired of Turkey. Mexican food is my all time favorite food.
We’re going over to my MOMS Club. We always have a home cooked meal, although; last year since I was pregnant my husband wanted to take me out for dinner but I was too tired. So we had mac and cheese.
No, we don’t dress up. I do for Christmas though!
One more day to go!

Filed Under: blog party, Christmas, MomDot

MagnetStreet Baby cards, magnets, and more

November 25, 2008 by Momstart Leave a Comment

Patrick over at MagnetStreet Baby has offered a 50% discount to my readers and your readers and to anyone who would like to use it. You should use it ‘ SAVE50′.



I had the opportunity to review their product. I’m still waiting to get mine in the mail, it should be here today or tomorrow or some time very soon and then I’ll update my post with a picture of the sample I got.

I went to the site and found a birth anouncement magnet that was completely customizable. I changed it to be a Holiday greeting from my children to the family. It was so simple to do. The whole process took less than thirty minutes and it took that long because I was taking care of my kids and watching tv at the same time.



Photo upload is very fast and placement is very fast as well. I just can’t believe how easy it was. I also thought the pricing was really great. Especially since I picked out magnets. You can get cards, announcements and magnets. The magnets are 1.99 each and with this new discount they are going to be 1.00 each.

If you think about the price of magnets, they are usually 4 to 5 dollars a piece, well these are customized like you want them and 1.00 each for a limited time. Go, hurry, why are you still on my site?

Filed Under: announcements, card review, Christmas

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