Christmas of Many Colors (2016) Movie Review

I think that Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors Circle of Love is an excellent movie. It comes HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me if you are in search of a family friendly movie with a heartwarming story of hard work and sacrifice.

Set in 1955 in Tennessee's Great Smokey Mountains where Dolly Parton was raised, it continues Parton's story and follows on another successful made-for-television movie that I have not seen yet called A Coat of Many Colors.

In this film, we meet a struggling family with eight children and some members of the rest of their community, including my favorite, a very supportive and well established 26-year old 'old maid' school teacher and the preacher grandfather.

The family lives in a small rudimentary cabin and the school teacher in a cute little 1950s home with all the luxuries of middle class including indoor plumbing and the electronics of the time. All are fascinating for Dolly and quite a contrast with her family's home.

The family and members of the community work together in various ways in order to allow the father to gift the mother with the only thing that she wants.

The real Dolly Parton makes cameo appearances as a woman of possibly questionable morals. Since our moments with her are very brief, her profession is never truly established.

Watch this brief YouTube video to get a better understanding and feel for this movie:

Alyvia Alyn Lind takes on the role of  Dolly. You might recognize this young actress for her recurring role in the program Young and the Restless. Other actors I recognized include Ricky Schroder, Jennifer Nettles (actually a country music singer) and Gerald McRaney.

The New York Post calls the movie cliche and "contrived, especially as it leads to a series of near-disasters that can only be erased by another series of convenient miracles." I will agree with that statement but add that I do not think that it matters. 

USA Today says, "enjoy this movie for the message, the music and Parton's benevolent spirit." . 

A Christmas of Many Colors is a beautiful faith-based film that is full of hope and joy and peril and yes, humor, too. It is perfect for Christmas viewing by all, and it is an emotional roller coaster that will have you laughing and crying. It is predictable at points but it is perfectly enjoyable and very entertaining. As I said earlier, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by me. It is the best Christmas movie I have seen in awhile.

At the real Dolly Parton says at the end of the movie, "Hold your families close at Christmas. Love and accept each other. And always be kind." Thanks, Dolly.

Have you seen A Christmas of Many Colors? Will you be adding it to your holiday viewing list?

Merry Christmas!

Brenda

Quick Links:

Learn more about A Christmas of Many Colors on Amazon.

More Christmas movies.

Oreo Music Box / Turntable / Record Player Cookie Tin (2018)

As one who has just pulled out her vinyl records again after many years of them never seeing the light of day, Oreo's Limited Edition Music Box made me smile. As a novelty gift for someone with a turntable, I think it is brilliant though it will probably also make someone who does NOT own a turntable smile.

Place any Oreo cookie on the plastic turntable and it plays one of four songs from previous Oreo advertising campaigns. The manufacturer says that any Oreo brand cookie can be used and I assume that other brands that are the same size might work, too. The song changes each time you take a bite of the cookie. You can even record your own song or personal message.   I like the handsome tin advertising container that it comes in, too. It will allow you to safely pack the turntable away until next year. Add some new cookies and the fun will begin again.

The set includes the record player, collectible holiday tin, white fudge Oreos, double stuff Oreos and Oreo thin cookies. It requires 3AAA batteries. See how it works in this short video from Oreo:

Unfortunately, this item was a hot seller for Christmas 2018 and it is sold and discontinued. I put my name on the waiting list at Amazon but it appears the item has gone out of production. I believe that it originally sold for $19.99. What would you be willing to pay for a novelty gift item like this once it is sold out?

Today you will have to shop for this item on eBay.  Finding out-of-production items is what they do best. Try eBay by clicking right here. I do see some available there right now. You never know what might be in store for you when you visit the site!

What do you think? Isn't this a cute item? Do you have someone you would like to buy it for? I am thinking it would make a great gift for my sister, my grown sons or my sister-in-law and it would also be a lot of fun as a hostess gift for the annual ugly Christmas sweater party, the office party and the bring-a-consumable-item gift exchange, too. With the resurgence of interest in vinyl, Oreo's timing could not be better. As Oreo says, "It's a sweet holiday treat!"

"Play that cookie music!"

See you

at the record store!

Brenda

Quick Links:

Check eBay for the Oreo Music Box record player.

The Muppets Exclusive Deluxe Plush Toys

Love The Muppets? Check Out These Amazing Muppet Plush Figures

In 2011 Disney brought The Muppets back in a very successful way with The Muppets Movie and The Muppets achieved their goal of TOTAL DOMINATION. Because of this comeback, characters from The Muppet gang have been seen here, there and everywhere and they have been welcomed back with open arms.

I particularly enjoyed the new character, Walter, since he pulled off his role of a quiet, kind, twenty-something young man so well and had us all rooting for him. He turned out to be a very nice young man in real life interviews with the media.

To celebrate the return of The Muppets, I created this page with as beautiful assortment of official Disney Store Muppets plush figures. I love them all and, as a matter of fact, I had a very hard time deciding who to feature here at the top of the page. In the end, I created a collage with them all. They all deserve equal billing.

If you love the Muppets as much as I do, you will also love this collection of brand-new plush figures starring The Muppets. They are all available online on sale from Amazon. Picking just one of them might prove to be very difficult.

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EDITED 2021:  These plush toys are retired and generally no longer available on Amazon. As a matter of fact, I could not find any of them today. You can, however, follow this link to check for yourself if Amazon has any available today or you can follow the links below.

Kermit The Frog 

Kermit measures in at 16 inches. He is the star of The Muppets and of the 2011 Muppets movie, although I would say in the 2011 Muppet movie, he really shared the limelight with Walter, Amy Adams and Jason Segal. He certainly could not have pulled off this story without them.

Fozzie 

What's not to love about this wise-cracking, furry bear? This plush toy version of Fozzie is slightly shorter (and rounder) than Kermit at 15 inches.

Animal 

Some will relate to this crazy fun-loving, drum playing Muppet character. Disney's Animal plush toy measures in just slightly taller than Kermit, at 17 inches.  

Miss Piggy

Miss Piggy measures in at 19 inches. However, please note that she's offended at the thought of sharing any more personal statistics.

Miss Piggy is a high maintenance, self pronounced Diva. In this authentic Disney plush figure, she is ready for a night on the town. Who knows, maybe even a night at the Academy Awards picking up an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress?  Miss Piggy is also retired, like the rest on this page, so you may have to try eBay. You can do so by clicking here.

Walter

At 12 inches, Walter shares the title of shortest Muppet figure on this page with Rizzo. Walter is the newest Muppet. Disney introduced us to this quiet, sweet young man in the new Muppets movie in 2011. Walter struggled for his whole life to be happy in the human world. It is nice that in the new movie, he finally comes to the conclusion that he is a MUPPET not a MAN. 

Gonzo, Rizzo, Beaker and Pepe

Rizzo is 12 inches tall. making him, quite appropriately, one of the shortest of The Muppet gang featured on this page. He's adorable as a plush and one of my favorites. Unfortunately, he is a bit rare, which translates directly into a bit expensive.  

Beaker is the same height as Animal, measuring 17 inches tall.  

Gonzo is another hugely popular Muppet character. This plus version stands at 17 Inches tall.  

Finally, Pepe is 15 inches tall.  

You can check for any and all of these Deluxe Most Wanted Plush Muppets toys on eBay by clicking here.

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How is that for a wonderful collection of plush Muppets? Which of The Muppets Plush is your favorite?

See you

at the movies!

Brenda

MORE READING:

The Muppets Most Wanted Coffee Mugs

This page originally published by me elsewhere.

Anne of Green Gables Gift Ideas

I watched and thoroughly enjoyed season two of the CBC mini-series, Anne with an E. It featured a remarkable cast and was really, really good but I digress. My enjoyment of that series and my enduring love for Anne of Green Gables, sent me looking on Etsy for some great gift ideas. If you are a fan, prepare to enjoy my little gift shop here on this page, which highlights a few of the very best Anne items on Etsy.

The image shown above is a picture of Amybeth McNulty, the actress who portrayed Anne in Anne with an E. It is a canvas print from the Poster Base on Etsy that is available flat or stretched on a frame that is suitable for framing.  You can find it on Etsy by clicking right here.

The literature-themed shawl or wrap shown to the right is totally unlike anything I have ever seen. If you love Anne, you are likely to appreciate this item, which shares an image of a book cover and a page from Chapter One in the book. It is available in two colors but I chose this one because I think it is likely to be the most neutral and go with more items in your wardrobe. You can find it on Etsy by clicking right here.

Next up and shown below is a small and affordable wee gift or even stocking stuffer for an Anne fan from The Everyday Edited on Etsy. It is an enameled pin with Anne Shirley reading a book. I think that it is cute representing the image of Anne Shirley that so many of us carry around in our heads. You can find it here on Etsy.

Another piece suitable for framing and hanging is the Anne of Green Gables art print shown below. I love how it highlights many things from Anne Shirley's world on Prince Edward Island. It would do double duty as both a gift for someone who loves Anne and a souvenir of a summer vacation spent on the island. It is available from Books N Bobs on Etsy by clicking right here.

I love this 300-piece collage-style jigsaw puzzle from the Tammy Puzzle Co. on Etsy. It features many of the beautiful vintage covers that have graced the Anne of Green Gables books over the years. Find your Anne of Green Gables-themed jigsaw puzzle here. Bonus this is a wooden jigsaw puzzle, which makes it an extra special gift idea.

I do think that a t-shirt is a practical and fun gift idea and I did find a few lovely choices including the green one shown here. It features a traditional image of Anne Shirley. It has a "soft, lived in and quietly nostalgic look" and is from Etsy seller Hampton Prints Co. Find it on Etsy by clicking right here.

I love antique L.M. Montgomery Anne of Green Gables books and, if you can afford one, I believe every fan should have one. A one hundred year old book just feels so much closer to Montgomery. You will have to work to find one. They come and they go on Etsy but there are lots of other book options. You can wait for a really old one or you can choose instead one that is the actual version you read as a girl or you can simply pick one that takes your fancy. There are so many beautiful versions, the choice is up to you.  To see all of the L.M. Montgomery books available right now on Etsy click here.  Be warned that genuine antique books are expensive.

Finally, I am sharing a practical Anne of Green Gables-themed tote bag from October and Mae. Rather than give it alone, I would consider using it to craft a themed gift set. Place a few Anne items in the bag like a book, a movie and a t-shirt and use the tote bag as your wrapping paper. Alternatively, use it to carry your books to and from the library! You will find the tote bag here.

How about it? Do you love Anne Shirley? Will you be creating an Anne of Green Gables gift set or will you be buying something for yourself? I love all the ideas on this page. How about you?

See you
at the book store!
Brenda

Quick Links:

Six historical fiction books set in Canada.

Before Green Gables Book Review.

Anne of Green Gables Early Chapter Books Reviewed.

Nifty Fantastic Beasts Niffler Coffee Mugs

It has been awhile since I have done a post about Harry Potter or Fantastic Beasts and that is not because I have not seen some fun movie-themed merchandise. However, today's spotting of the Fantastic Beasts Niffler on a couple of coffee mugs literally called out for a post so here it is.

We first met the Niffler in J.K. Rowling's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them book and then we truly met him and really got to know him in the movie of the same name in 2016. I have yet to see the second movie, 2018's Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, so I do not know if the Niffler returns but surely he must.

Nevertheless, you can catch the elusive Niffler perched on a suitcase and grasping a clutch purse on this mug on Etsy from seller Shit Cake by clicking right here.

As cute as it is, it is not the only niffler mug that I saw though. I also found this nifty color-changing mug by Half Moon Bay and I think that it is is very clever how the addition of heat changes the black background with a small niffler and the words, "Have you seen the niffler?" to sketches like those seen in Newt Scamander's sketchbook. (Do be aware that color-changing mugs are not dishwasher nor microwave safe.) You could originally find this heat changing mug on Amazon here. However, I think it is now out of production and I recommend looking for it here, on eBay.

Either one would be a great pick for your fan of  all things from J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World.

See you
at the movies!
Brenda

Quick Links:

Find more nifty Niffler gift ideas here.