#MindfulnessMonday 3/4/19

Today’s #MindfulnessMonday Tip:

childs pose

 

Take 2-5 minutes each morning and each evening to do child’s pose. Child’s pose is a basic yoga pose with 11 amazing health benefits. 

https://youtu.be/bi92twArEMI

With that little piece of advice, I give you today’s Mindfulness Exercise:

Exploring your Face!

Take a few minutes, in silence, to close your eyes and explore your face with your fingertips. Take your time and explore each ridge and crevice. Notice the different textures and how some areas are particularly sensitive. Consider what your face says about you to other people. Is it a reflection of who you truly are or do you “put on a different face” to the world? How does your face change as you express different emotions? After you’ve explored your face fully, pat it gently to normalize circulation and to give thanks.

Mindfulness Journaling Prompt:

Take 5 minutes to reflect on the ‘Exploring your face’ mindfulness exercise. Make notes about what you discovered, how this exercise made you feel, etc.

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Check out my #MindfulnessMonday YouTube Series and don’t forget to click subscribe so you never miss an episode!

EPISODE 9 ~ The Benefits of Child’s Pose!

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InvisibleWould you like to take the 52-week challenge and experience a more mindful existence? Check out The Invisible You ~ 52 Weeks of Meditations, Activities, and Writing Prompts to Help you Discover You!
*I’m certified in Holistic Stress Management and Mind/Body Fitness. I’ve been practicing Mindfulness for 10+ years and am passionate about helping others in their pursuit of a more mindful existence.

My 2 Cents… Free Solo

Would you prefer to watch the video review, instead of reading it? CLICK HERE

MV5BMjMwYjcwNWQtNTQ5YS00MzVlLTkxYzMtNDIwZWIxZTE4Zjg2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,666,1000_AL_Title: Free Solo
Genre: Documentary (2019 Academy Award Winner for best documentary feature)
Directors: Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
Stars: Alex Honnold, Tommy Caldwell, Jimmy Chin, Dierdre Wolownick, and Sanni McCandless

SHOW RATING OVERVIEW
Writing: N/A
Cinematography: ★★★★★
Story: ★★★★★
Acting: N/A
Overall: ★★★★★ (5)

STORYLINE:
Follow Alex Honnold as he becomes the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite’s 3,000 ft high El Capitan wall. With no ropes or safety gear, he completed arguably the greatest feat in rock climbing history.

MY 2 CENTS:
WOW!!! This beautifully filmed documentary is filled with breathtaking views, shocking athletic feats, sadly emotional admissions, and a love not truly reciprocated.

free solo

“Free Solo” Nat Geo

Through simply stunning visuals directors Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi were able to capture the substantial life-threatening risk this climb entails. Although going in, I already knew Alex Honnold’s climb was a success, I was on the edge of my seat worried he would get injured, fearful he wouldn’t make it, and wondering what kind of stress it was putting on his friends to watch him risk so much.

Alex Honnold is a truly amazing athlete, accomplishing something no one else has even dared to try. The amount of training, not to mention self-confidence, it must have taken to not only say, ‘Yeah, I think I’ll try that,” but then to do it and complete the climb in just four hours is incredible. This film gives you a look inside the man… not only at his physical challenges but also the mental challenges he endured throughout this process.

I felt bad for Sanni, Alex’s girlfriend. She seems to truly love him, but unfortunately, he will always put climbing before her. Climbing is his passion and he was very upfront and clear with her that she does not mean as much to him as climbing. I hope that one day, she will learn what it means to be that passionate about something… that she will also look at her life and decide if she wants to continue to be placed second… third… or even forth. Alex doesn’t deserve a girlfriend like her, I hope she realizes that someday.

free solo

Directors Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin on location for “Free Solo” National Geographic/Chris Figens

With all that said, I am amazed… and awe inspired by this film. I do wish the footage of the actual climb had been longer, but what they did give the viewers was nothing less than astonishing.

MY FAVORITE QUOTE:
“I think it’s the best thing in life to be able to take the one thing you love the most and have it, like, work out that you can make a living that way.”

Check out my YouTube channel and the video review below… and make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss a video.

https://youtu.be/jRqtmfowbeI

You can watch the official trailers and video clips here:

My 2 Cents… Set it Up

Would you prefer to watch the video , instead of reading the review? CLICK HERESet it up

Title: Set it Up
Director: Claire Scanlon
Writer: Katie Silberman
Stars: Zoey Deutch, Glen Powell, Lucy Liu, and Taye Diggs

SHOW RATING OVERVIEW
Writing: ★★★★★
Story: ★★★★ (The only reason this is 4 stars and not 5 is because of the predictability of the script).
Acting: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★ (4.66)

 

STORYLINE:
Two young assistants in New York City realize they can make their lives easier by setting up their workaholics bosses to date. While trying to perpetuate this romantic ruse between their nightmare bosses, the assistants realize they might be right for each other. Written by https://teaser-trailer.com

MY 2 CENTS:
I was in the mood for a fun, predictable, romantic comedy… Set it Up did not disappoint! I loved the chemistry between Zoey Deutch and glen Powell who played off of each other perfectly and looked great together. Even the supporting characters; the guy in the elevator, the best friend/roommate, and the waiter played their characters perfectly.

The script was tight, with little to no plot holes our unanswered questions. Although I had predicted the ending, long before, I was still crossing my fingers and rooting for the characters.

This film has a little bit for everyone… romance, humor, sports, etc. It is a feel-good film that is perfect for a rainy day.

Check out my YouTube channel and the video review below… and make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss a video

https://youtu.be/RhphTXUVotM

You can watch the official trailers and video clips here:

https://youtu.be/X-eRc9PF3TU

#MindfulnessMonday 2/18/19

Today’s #MindfulnessMonday Tip: Make Mindfulness a Daily Practice by doing these simple techniques: https://youtu.be/ZIqTbE-mMXw

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motivation

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With that little piece of advice, I give you today’s Mindfulness Exercise:

What are you naturally drawn to?

Stand, wherever you are, and just look around you. Take it all in. What colors are you drawn to? What do you smell? Pick something up and hold it, how does it make you feel? Reflect on how you feel about the things and the people around you and the benefits they bring to your life. Do this for just a few minutes a couple of times throughout your day.

Mindfulness Journaling Prompt: How did today’s exercise make you feel? What did you discover about yourself and your surroundings? If they something or someone affected you in a negative way, why? There are always ways to eliminate the negative effects on our life, so what can you do to change your surroundings to increase the positive aspects?

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Check out my #MindfulnessMonday YouTube Series and don’t forget to click subscribe so you never miss an episode!

EPISODE 7 ~ 5 Ways to Help you Develop a Daily Mindfulness Practice

https://youtu.be/ZIqTbE-mMXw 

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InvisibleWould you like to take the 52-week challenge and experience a more mindful existence? Check out The Invisible You ~ 52 Weeks of Meditations, Activities, and Writing Prompts to Help you Discover You!
*I’m certified in Holistic Stress Management and Mind/Body Fitness. I’ve been practicing Mindfulness for 10+ years and am passionate about helping others in their pursuit of a more mindful existence.

My 2 Cents… Velvet Buzzsaw

 Would you prefer to watch the review, instead of reading it? CLICK HEREVB

Title: Velvet Buzzsaw
Director: Dan Gilroy
Writer: Dan Gilroy
Stars: Jake Gyllenhall, Rene Russo, Zawe Ashton, Toni Collette, Natalia Dyer, and John Malkovich

SHOW RATING OVERVIEW
Writing: ★★
Story: ★★
Acting: ★★★★
Costumes: ★★★
Overall: ★★ (2.75)

 

Storyline:
After a series of paintings by an unknown artist are discovered, a supernatural force enacts revenge on those who have allowed their greed to get in the way of art.

My 2 Cents:
Being a horror movie lover, I was excited to see what this was all about. I felt like the concept… an art-world satire/horror where art comes to life and kills…was intriguing, but the end result was underwhelming to say the least. The first 2/3 of the film was fine, a bit slow, but fine. The last 1/3 of the film seemed to forget the actual plot or purpose. Instead of one dead man’s art coming to life and killing… all the art starting to kill people, even the tattoo on one of the character’s shoulder. That, was just one of many moments where the film script lost focus completely.

ACTORS: The cast lineup was impressive with Jake Gyllenhall, Rene Russo, Toni Collette, Natalia Dyer, and John Malkovich and their performances did not disappoint, despite the poorly written script and minimal character development. With that said… this felt more like a role that James Franco would play, rather than Jake Gyllenhall. 

STORY: Honestly, I felt that Velvet Buzzsaw was a mess. I enjoy a good b-movie horror, but this didn’t even live up to that.

WRITING: The writing, in my opinion, was all over the place.

EDITING: The editing was choppy and the felt forced.

Do I recommend this one? No.
Would I see it again? No. I feel like that was two hours of my life that I will never get back.

Check out my YouTube channel and the video review below… and make sure you hit subscribe so you never miss a video.

https://youtu.be/vQUoWaZSACA

You can watch the official trailers and video clips here:

https://youtu.be/XdAR-lK43YU

My 2 Cents… Beautiful Boy

beautiful boyTitle: Beautiful Boy
Director: Felix van Groeningen
Writers: Luke Davies, Felix van Groeningen, David Sheff, and Nic Sheff
Stars: Steve Carell, Timothee Chalamet, and Maura Tierney

SHOW RATING OVERVIEW
Writing: ★★★★★
Story: ★★★★★
Acting: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★★ (5)

By your copy of the book Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction HERE!

Storyline:
Based on the best-selling pair of memoirs from father and son David and Nic Sheff, Beautiful Boy chronicles the heartbreaking and inspiring experience of survival, relapse, and recovery in a family coping with addiction over many years.

My 2 Cents:
This movie tore me apart and broke my heart. As a mother, I pray my children never find themselves in a situation like this, but if they do, I hope and pray I have the strength to help them fight.

This is probably one of the best films I’ve seen in a long time and yet, there is no way you could make me watch it again. It was heart-wrenching and emotionally devastating. The casting was spot on and I truly believe that Timothee Chalamet is one of the best young actors in movies today. I look forward to watching more of his films in the coming months and years.

The strained father/son relationship between David Sheff (played by Steve Carell) and Nic Sheff (played by Timothee Chalamet) is so real and raw that it makes you feel guilty for watching. Steve Carell who I always think of as a comedic actor was nothing less than perfect in his role.

Beautiful Boy deserves to be recognized for the beautiful work it is. It deserves Oscar nominations for directing, cinematography, adapted screenplay, and of course for both Timothee Chalamet and Steve Carell.

I dare you to watch this film without crying!

You can watch the official trailers and video clips here:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1226837/videoplayer/vi3210525465?ref_=tt_pv_vi_aiv_1

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1226837/videoplayer/vi2885335833?ref_=tt_pv_vi_aiv_2

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1226837/videoplayer/vi2593110553?ref_=tt_pv_vi_aiv_3

Becoming Mindful

I have been pretty vocal, via Facebook and other social media, over the past 12-18 months about the importance of being mindful and the practice of mindfulness. However, I’m not sure I’ve ever really talked about it here on my blog. So, as I look at the changes I want to make in myself over the next year and how I’d like this blog to grow in 2019, I’ve decided to kick off a new weekly post: #MindfulnessMonday 

 

mindfulness#MindfulnessMonday – In this weekly post, starting February 2019, I will be sharing some mindfulness tips and tricks. I will also share a weekly mindful journaling exercise that can be done in just minutes. Make sure you subscribe to my YouTube series #MindfulnessMonday so you never miss an episode.  

 

CURRENT EPISODES: 

EPISODE #1 ~ What is Mindfulness?

EPISODE #2 ~ Tips to Reduce Stress and Anxiety!

EPISODE #3 ~ MindFULness NOT MindLESSness!

New episodes are posted every Monday, on the YouTube channel, so check back often! 

51Pe04-x+wL._SX398_BO1,204,203,200_

 

Want to take the 52 week challenge and experience a more mindful existance? Check out The Invisible You ~ 52 Weeks of Meditations, Activities, and Writing Prompts to Help you Discover You!

*I’m certified in Holistic Stress Management and Mind/Body Fitness. I’ve been practicing Mindfulness for 10+ years and am passionate about helping others in their pursuit of a more mindful existence. 

 

 

 

My 2 Cents… VICE

VICE

Title: VICE
Director: Adam McKay
Writers: Adam McKay
Stars: Christian Bale (Dick Cheney), Amy Adams (Lynne Cheney), and Steve Carell (Donald Rumsfeld)

SHOW RATING OVERVIEW
Writing: ★★★
Story: ★★★★
Acting: ★★★★★
Makeup: ★★★★★
Editing: ★
Overall: ★★★ (3.6)

 

 

Storyline:
The story of Dick Cheney, an unassuming bureaucratic Washington insider, who quietly wielded immense power as Vice President to George W. Bush, reshaping the country and the globe in ways that we still feel today.

My 2 Cents:
If you’ve been reading my movie reviews, you’ll notice I added two more categories to this one (Makeup and Editing) because I really believe they needed to be mentioned. Let me start with makeup… OMG!!! The makeup was phenomenal in this film and if it doesn’t win some awards, I will be truly shocked. Just check out the photos below:

Editing… well, that left much to be desired. The movie was all over the map in terms of timeline, and maybe it was because I was watching a SAG Award Viewer Copy, but the weird credits that ran in the middle of the film making it feel like the end of the film was just weird. Not to mention the fact that the timelines were all jumbled up, which made the story hard to follow.

I can’t blame it all on the editing… the writing wasn’t top notch either. Maybe it was true to the situation, I don’t know. I guess I’ll never really know.

The story… well, it was based on a true story, so I guess its only as good as real life can be.

Acting… Other than makeup, the acting is where this film excelled. Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Steve Carell were outstanding in this film. They embodied their characters, and even when you hated them you could appreciate their commitment to their roles.

You can watch the official trailers here:

https://youtu.be/aSGFt6w0wok

Amy Adams as Lynne Cheney was AMAZING… Check out her performance here:

https://youtu.be/L1tDnzx-5iA 

My 2 Cents… Bohemian Rhapsody

Queen

Title: Bohemian Rhapsody
Director: Bryan Singer
Writers: Anthony McCarten and Peter Morgan
Stars: Rami Malek (Freddie Mercury), Lucy Boynton (Mary Austin), Gwilym Lee (Brian May), Ben Hardy (Roger Taylor), Joseph Mazzello (John Deacon), Aidan Gillen (John Reid), Allen Leech (Paul Prenter), Tom Hollander (Jim Beach) and Mike Myers (Ray Foster)

SHOW RATING OVERVIEW
Writing: ★★★★★
Story: ★★★★
Acting: ★★★★★
Overall: ★★★★ (4.66)

 

Storyline:
Bohemian Rhapsody is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury. Freddie defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound. They reach unparalleled success, but in an unexpected turn Freddie, surrounded by darker influences, shuns Queen in pursuit of his solo career. Having suffered greatly without the collaboration of Queen, Freddie manages to reunite with his band mates just in time for Live Aid. While bravely facing a recent AIDS diagnosis, Freddie leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. Queen cements a legacy that continues to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day. Written by Twentieth Century Fox

My 2 Cents:
My husband and I both really enjoyed this film. I’ve been a Queen fan for years and believe this is a beautiful tribute to the band and to Freddie Mercury. Rami Malek was perfectly cast. He showed no hesitation to dive right into such a dramatic and charismatic role.

I enjoyed learning more about Freddie Mercury, the band, and the origin of many of the songs. Although, I wish the movie had included his struggle with AIDS and his death, not because I think he needed to die in the movie to give closure, but because I had hoped to see the relationship between him, his band mates, and Mary throughout his last few months. With the strong acting and wonderful script, I believe they could have brought the movie full circle with his life. This was the only reason I didn’t give it a full 5-star rating… the story was lacking a conclusion… I wanted more!

Even if you aren’t a Queen fan, this movie is worth your time. I wish I had seen this one on the big screen. If it’s still available, I highly recommend going to the theatre… see it on IMAX… get the full concert effect and enjoy every minute of this masterpiece.

You can watch the official trailers here:


Watch the original Queen Bohemian Rhapsody music video here:

https://youtu.be/fJ9rUzIMcZQ

I’m on YouTube!!!

im-on-youtube

OK… Some of you might already know, others might not…

I joined the YouTube craze a while back, but I haven’t really been advertising my page or my videos and I haven’t really put myself out there, not much anyway. That’s all about to change! Today, with some trepidation, I am sharing my YouTube pages with all of you lovely readers. 

Please be gentle!

With the new year upon us, WELCOME TO 2019, I’ve decided to focus on consistent content on both of my active YouTube channels.

bookreviews

If you’d like to check out my book review videos, you can find them at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpT3nSZ13WwQ0KFDroYj_kg

By clicking on ‘Share a public Comment’ when you view one of my videos, you can share your thoughts on the book I’m discussing as well as give me some suggestions on books you think I’d enjoy. I love hearing what you think, so please don’t be shy. 

Be sure to click subscribe at the top of my YouTube page so you never miss a video!

skincare and selfcare

If you’d like to check out my Mindfulness videos, you can find them at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6tK3aoZdquZCGT0LffRuCA

By clicking on ‘Share a public Comment’ when you view one of my videos, you can ask questions and share your thoughts. I love hearing what you think, so please don’t be shy. If you have questions about mindfulness or skin care please let me know, I’m here to help. If you’d like to check out my mindfulness book you can do so by following THIS LINK. If you’d like to check out the #1 Skin Care Brand in America, follow THIS LINK

Be sure to click subscribe at the top of my YouTube page so you never miss a video!