New on Netflix: The Adventures of Puss in Boots #StreamTeam


It's been cold out here. So the family and I have been snuggling up more on the couch together picking out great movies or new shows to watch on Netflix. I mean, there are just so many to choose from, but this month alone Netflix has outdone themselves for the New Year by adding new shows and movies for us to watch.



Can I just say how happy I am that FRIENDS is now on Netflix? I mean, it's FRIENDS, all ten seasons! This is me and my husband's favorite show. We never got a chance to buy the entire season, but we're so glad we get to watch it back to back on Netflix. It's a great treat for us to watch a couple episodes a night after the kiddos are all in bed.

Anyways, not only have they added shows and movies that we already love, but they have also added a new series that stars one of my kids favorite characters from the Shrek movies. It's The Adventures of Puss in Boots!

On Guard!

Yes, Netflix added this new series January 16th, so if you're a Netflix member you and your kiddos can stream it now. If you're not a Netflix member just remember it's only $7.99 a month and your first month is free. You can stream movies and shows practically anywhere from your computer, smart phones and tablets, smart TV's and video consoles.



The Adventures of Puss in Boots follows Puss as he embarks on adventures that are the stuff of legend, nothing can stand in the way of this swashbuckling hero … except a hairball! My kids loved the series and it made them want to watch Shrek all over again.

Puss in Boots is a great example of an enduring and entertaining children’s tale based on a book. So below is a list of other great shows your kids can watch that showcase the tradition of re-imagining and continuing great stories from literature.



I hope you check out The Adventures of Puss in Boots and the other titles I mentioned above. I've recently started watching The Babysitter's Club with my nine year old and she loves it. This is another show that we get to watch together and talk about how I use to watch it as a young girl. 

Disclosure: I am part of the Stream Team Campaign with Netflix and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Book Review: Chicken Soup For The Soul: The Power of Forgiveness (Review & Giveaway)



Title: Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Power of Forgiveness
By: Amy Newmark & Anthony Anderson
Publisher: Chicken Soup for the Soul
Publication Date: December 16th, 2014
ISBN:9781611599428
Pages: 400

Forgiveness frees us to get on with our lives! We can all benefit from letting go of our anger, and the 101 personal, touching stories in this collection will help you see the power of forgiveness and how it can change your own life. 
Whether it's forgiving a major wrong or a minor blunder, forgiving someone is healing and frees you to move on with your life. You don't have to forget or condone what happened, but letting go of your anger improves your well-being and repairs relationships. You will be inspired to change your life through the power of forgiveness as you read the 101 stories in this book about forgiving others, changing your attitude, healing and compassion.

MY REVIEW
With us being into the New Year for almost a month now, this book came to me at just the right time. Starting over, letting go and trying not to stress too much over the little things is one of my new goals for 2015. The book The Power of Forgiveness shares with you many different short stories on ways that others have learned to forgive, let go and move on and how you can do the same thing. Holding on to anger isn't good for anyone, especially you. It can cause so much stress and that wouldn't be good. I love how there are stories in here for anyone who is struggling with forgiving a parent, sibling, friend colleague and most importantly, yourself.

As you know I absolutely love Chicken Soup for the Soul books, not only are they inspiring, but they also are great reads that you can take with you anywhere and can finish a few stories in a short amount of time. I love that I can take this book with me to the doctors and by the time I'm done with my appointment I've read a handful of stories. The Chicken Soup for the Soul books are also great gifts to give anyone in your life. There is always a book out there for someone.
Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Power of Forgiveness at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

Guess How Much I Love You DVD (Review & Giveaway)



Guess How Much I Love You, the timeless and beloved picture book, has come to life on DVD in the U.S. and Canada. In the new release, titled Guess How Much I Love You – The Adventures of Little Nutbrown Hare – Someone Special, Little Nutbrown Hare and his father Big Nutbrown Hare remind us that there is no greater love than that between a parent and child. The DVD includes 7 heartwarming episodes that we’re certain you and your little Hare will enjoy over and over again!


MY REVIEW
Do you remember the book, Guess How Much I Love You? It's a classic that has now come to DVD in both the U.S. and Canada. I was really excited when I got a chance to watch this DVD with my little ones. Not only was this one of my favorite books to read when I was younger, but I also have this book in our family book shelf. I've read this book to each of my little ones when they were babies, so while watching the DVD with the seven episodes there were times when  I did tear up a bit. It's so great when you get to see characters from one of your favorite books come to life on screen.

The love between parent and child is like non other and in each of the episodes on this DVD you can see just that, the joyous love between parent and child. I'm excited I get to keep this and watch it over and over again with my little kiddos.

Guess How Much I Love You is now out on DVD, so if you have little ones or were a fan of the book, I definitely recommend adding this to your family DVD collection.


GIVEAWAY
kaboom! Entertainment and us ladies here at Just Us Girls are excited to offer our Canadian readers a chance at winning both the DVD and the panorama pop book of Guess How Much I Love You.



For more information on new releases, giveaways and much more from kaboom! Entertainment, be sure to follow them on both Facebook and Twitter!
Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received Guess How Much I Love You on DVD at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

Gone Girl Blu-ray/DVD Combo & Book Giveaway


I'm really excited about the release of the movie, Gone Girl. It comes out on Blu-ray and DVD today, January 13th! So in honor of the release of the movie, we are giving away a copy of both the movie and book to one lucky Just Us Girls reader.

I've read the book and I absolutely loved it, I have yet to see the movie, but will be watching that soon and letting you all know my thoughts in a review post later. I love when a book I've read comes to life on screen, even more so when it exceeds my expectations and I'm hoping the movie, Gone Girl will do just that. I've heard nothing but great things from friends that have already watched it. I can't wait to sit down with the hubby this weekend and watch it after the kiddos are all in bed.

Gone Girl is directed by David Fincher and based upon the global best seller by Gillian Flynn. Unearths the secrets at the heart of a modern marriage. On the occasion of his fifth wedding anniversary, Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) reports that his beautiful wife, Amy (Rosamund Pike), has gone missing. Under pressure from the police and a growing media frenzy, Nick’s portrait of a blissful union begins to crumble. Soon his lies, deceits and strange behavior have everyone asking the same dark question: Did Nick Dunne kill his wife?


Every Blu-ray comes with an exclusive new Amazing Amy story – “Tattle Tale.” The 36-page children’s book is only available with the purchase of the GONE GIRL Blu-ray.

 


30th Anniversary My Little Pony: The Movie DVD (Review & Giveaway)



The first day of Spring is on its way and the Little Ponies are preparing for it with a big festival. But all the fun may come to an end if the witch Hydia has her way! Can the Ponies defeat Hydia and her evil daughters, Reeka and Draggle? More importantly, can they save Ponyland from the witches’ concoction, the strange purple goo called Smooze, that’s threatening to bury the whole town?

MY REVIEW
My Little Pony is a very well known show in my home. My daughter still loves the Friendship is Magic series. Her favorite right now is the Equestria girls. I'm excited that My Little Pony has taken it up a notch to appeal to older girls, this way their love for the Ponies will never end. So when I got a copy of the original My Little Pony: The Movie, I was really excited to watch it with my daughter.

I remember watching this movie when I was a kid and loved it, so it was great to watch My Little Pony the way I remember it with my daughter. She loved it and it was a great way for us to have a mommy and daughter movie date.

My daughter absolutely loves music and singing, so the added sing-along songs made her love the movie even more. This is a great classic movie to watch with any young ones that love any of the My Little Pony shows.

Since we're coming up on the 30th anniversary of the original movie, Shout Factory is releasing the movie for the first time on DVD, January 27th, 2015. And to celebrate the release we're giving away not only a DVD of My Little Pony: The Movie, but also a copy of the latest film, My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks.

GIVEAWAY:
One lucky reader of Just Us Girls will win a copy of both the original My Little Pony movie along with the newest movie; Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks! That's both movies that are 30 years apart to enjoy with your little one! To enter leave a comment sharing with us your favorite pony from the original series and favorite character from Equestria Girls! 


Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received My Little Pony: The Movie on DVD at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

Looking For Great Skin Care Products This Winter, Check Your Local Shoppers Drug Mart #SDMWinterSkin




Winter is back! It feels like it was just a minute ago we were talking about the great Polar Vortex and here we are again dressing up in layers, trying to keep warm. The next few months of Winter, not only has us dressing up in warm clothes, but also making sure that we take care of our skin and keeping it moisturized and hydrated.

Winter can bring lots of dryness to your skin if you don't keep it moisturized. Who wants that? Your skin needs extra protection during the winter. It's very important that you apply some type of skincare product on your skin two to three times a day to keep it moisturized.


My favourite skincare product to use during the winter is Jergens Vitamin E Replenishing Moisturizer. I'm a huge fan of anything from Jergens. What I love most about the Vitamin E Replenishing Moisturizer is that it restores moisture in dry skin and keeps your skin smooth and soft. It's not only great at keeping your skin healthy during the winter months, but it's also affordable.

One place I know where to go to get my favourite skincare is my local Shoppers Drug Mart. It's a one stop destination for a wide variety of winter skin care products and you can earn Optimum Points on selected skincare products. How awesome is that?!

Did you know that you can go to your local Shoppers Drug Mart and their Beauty Experts are able to provide complimentary skin care consultations to help identify you skin type? Using the beautyRx tool to a Moisture Checker will measure you skin’s hydration level and a Video Microscope magnifies your skin's surface by 30 times to help diagnose your skin type. The Beauty Experts will then recommend a skin care product that works best for you.


Be sure to visit your local Shoppers Drug Mart to check out all the different skin care products they have to offer and to also get your complimentary skin care consultation!



Disclaimer: Although this post has been generously sponsored by Shoppers Drug Mart, the opinions and language are my own, and in no way do they reflect Shoppers Drug Mart.

OPI's Infinite Shine Gel Effects Lacquer System Review


I have always loved OPI products. They have amazing colours and they wear quite well.  Over the holidays I was lucky enough to be able to try the Infinite Shine Gel Effects Lacquer System. The Infinite Shine Gel Effects Lacquer System, offers rich color, intense shine and lasting wear of gels without the need for LED-light curing or soak-off removal. They have 30 new shades along with a Primer base coat and Gloss top coat that makes this an easy three-step process and delivers beautiful nails that lasts up to 10 days. This system does not disappoint. 

As a Busy mom of three, I barely have time to shower everyday let alone do my nails. This quick and easy three step process let's you do your nails in a timely manner and be on your way. This Lacquer applies smoothly and dries fairly quick. I especially like the thick brushes to allow for optimal coverage. 



When doing my nails, I applied one layer of primer, two layers of lacquer and finished with the top coat. The shade "It never ends" is a rich neutral tone with a gorgeous shine. I'm always worried about how long my polish is going to last. The thought of having to repaint them everyday is tormenting but they lasted over a week and there was not a chip in sight! So I am very impressed with the outcome and was very happy that I didn't have to redo my nails over the holidays.




The Infinite Shine Gel Effects Lacquer System is now available in stores retailing $14.95 across Canada. I am looking forward to trying out the many different shades from the Infinite Shine Gel Effects line. 

To find out more about other OPI products check out www.opi.com

Disclosure: All opinions are my own. I received samples from the Infinite Shine Gel Effects Lacquer System line at no cost for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.