Parenting

“The Greatest Gift” episode of The Garden cartoon includes a free lesson

Many thanks to Garden Productions for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.

Purchase “The Greatest Gift” episode of The Garden cartoon and get a free lesson

I just spent a bit over 10 minutes watching an adorable cartoon episode from The Garden cartoon series available for download. This episode does a great job reminding the younger viewers about the true meaning of Christmas. With easy mentions of scripture relating to Jesus’ birthday and how we can give joy to others, this is a great short watch and with the Christmas Episode special, you get a free gift!

Butch Hartman, the creator of Nickelodeon’s animated shows: The Fairly Odd-Parents, Danny Phantom and Tuff Puppy is the creator behind THE GARDEN! You may even recognize the voice of Lenny (James Arnold Taylor, the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi on ‘THE CLONE WARS’) and the voice of Lucy is Cristina Milizia (the voice of Jessica Cruz/Green lantern, Poison Ivy from ‘Batman’ to name a few).

The Garden Series Synopsis

The Garden is a Christ-centered children’s cartoon series aimed at teaching your kids the Gospel in a way they can understand. It features LENNY THE LION and LUCY THE LAMB—two best friends who work inside a magical garden where ANYTHING can grow! Each story revolves around them having to accomplish their goals by learning a Bible story or an original song. “The Garden” will take your kids right along on these adventures, too! Over 40 episodes set to release!

*Special – Download the Christmas episode: The Greatest Gift for $1.99 and get a free lesson to download along with your purchase! Currently available of PureFlix and YIPPEE TV! App coming soon!

Download the special here -> https://www.gardencartoon.com/shop

Education

3 Ways to Improve Your Photographs For Christmas Day

Christmas is the time to connect with our friends and family, eat together, exchange gifts, and play games. One of the best ways to immortalise these memories is by taking pictures, and you’ll find that even the most camera-shy among us want to be snapped in their Christmas party hat.

However, it’s important to ensure these photos are of the highest possible quality. This way, you will be able to look back on them in years to come and remember the happy memories. Let’s take a look at how to improve your photographs for Christmas Day.

Choose The Right Camera Settings

Camera settings can seem intimidating to those of us without much photography experience or knowledge. However, they are actually fairly simple to understand, and knowing how to best optimise your camera settings will allow you to take much better photos at Christmas and beyond.

You’ll need to think about things like exposure, focus, white balance, and colour balance. Many modern cameras and camera phones will set these for you automatically, leaving you free to snap away. But to get the best results, you should take the time to manually adjust these settings to best suit your particular situation.

Choosing the right settings will give you high-quality, professional-looking photos that can be uploaded to your social media and then printed into a collection by using a photo book maker.

Pick The Best Subjects

Christmas can be fun, but it can also be a hectic time. A house full of extended family members can get rowdy in good ways as well as bad. It can be easy to take photographs of everything in sight, but the best way to improve your photos is by choosing your subjects carefully.

Think about form and composition and watch how things like light and colour interact with one another. Instead of trying to take a photo that captures the entire scene at once, focus on individual moments and build up a collection of singular memories that can be grouped together to represent the full Christmas experience.

Head Outside

Christmas doesn’t just need to be spent indoors. Heading outside for some fresh air can be the perfect way to clear the head after a busy day and can help you get a head start on working off that extra festive weight.

Make sure to bring your camera outside with you. Taking some outdoor pictures can act as the perfect accompaniment to snaps of indoor festivities. If you’ve been lucky enough to have a white Christmas and there’s snow on the ground, even better! Take some pictures in the snow to complete your Christmas collection. Just remember to wrap up warm!

Conclusion

Everyone loves a Christmas photo. Whether you’re printing them, posting them on social media, or giving them away to friends and family, ensuring your photos are the very best they can be is incredibly important. Use the correct camera settings, choose the perfect subject, and head outside for some snowy snaps.

Movies Reviews

All In: Miracle at St. Bernard’s film about Faith, Family and Football

All In: Miracle at St. Bernard's film about Faith, Family and Football

All In: Miracle at St. Bernard’s is a film by Gregg Backer & Evan Kanew, releasing on VOD December 13th! This was such a heartwarming film that speaks to the value of high school athletes, faith and community support. 2018 was a winning season at St Bernard’s in Fitchburg, Massachusetts despite rumors that their school is in dire financial crisis and in jeopardy of closing down for good after serving their community for multiple generations.

I went to Catholic school from grades 1-9. It was small and survived off dioceses support. If less families come to church and donate, the funds are hard to supplement. It is hard to support a financially failing school and St Bernard’s had to get very creative in only 1 year to try and save their school.

I couldn’t imagine my school closing back when I attended Catholic school myself. We were all close- we were small classes and we learned and prayed together as well as saw each other in mass on the weekends. Shutting down a Catholic school is like splitting families up. It is the saddest phenomenon that seems plaguing across the country. The neighboring school, who they played in the 2018 championship game, sent letters to families informing them of their closure. St Bernard’s would be the single Catholic school left in the area unless they also fail to raise funds. Then an idea hit….

The synopsis of All In: Miracle at St. Bernard’s is about faith, family and football. This documentary chronicles a tiny, 100-year-old Catholic school in Fitchburg, Massachusetts struggling with insolvency
yet defying the odds at a time when the Church was shuttering similar institutions nationwide.

It’s the underdog story of a working-class community and the state’s smallest football program rallying in pursuit of an impossible goal: to save their school from closure by the Church.

The Bernardians faithful needed a miracle. So they set about creating one. All In follows the
dramatic campaigns to raise money and enrollment as well as a magical football season
that together saved a beloved institution.

Watch All In: Miracle at St. Bernard’s on VOD (Video On Demand) channels. Amazon link to watch!

Movies Reviews

Catch 5000 BLANKETS exclusively in theaters for 2 days only

Many thanks to Sony Pictures for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.

Catch 5000 BLANKETS exclusively in theaters for 2 days only

The Holidays is a great time to think about and practice service towards others. To get you into the spirit, 5000 Blankets is a heart-warming movie about giving to those in need. Gather the kids and head to the theaters this week. You can only see it for 2 days!

Movie Synopsis: Inspired by a remarkable true story, 5000 BLANKETS is filled with hope and highlights the power of family and faith. When her husband has a mental break-down and goes missing, a woman and her young son set out to find him on the streets, sparking a movement of compassion towards those in need and inspiring a city.

See 5000 Blankets in theaters 2 days only! December 12 & 13!

Buy tickets here -> https://www.fathomevents.com/events/5000-Blankets

Enter to win

1 US winner will win a $10 Amazon gift code, courtesy of Sony Pictures. Enter below and a winner will be drawn December 14, 2022!