What to get mom for Mother’s Day. Usually the go-to gifts are chocolate and/or flowers. This year is no exception however the Happy Mother’s Day Chocolate Collection Box is a fun new way to gift mom some sweetness this year.
The beautiful purple box does not need any wrapping paper. It’s perfect the way it comes. Mom will be delighted when she opens this box to discover a variety of individually wrapped cookies and candy. Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, sweet and salty all come together in this box.
The selection includes:
6 chocolate-covered pretzels
3 chocolate-covered graham crackers
3 chocolate-covered sandwich cookies
Strawberry delights (the pink boosters)
2 Linzer cookies, filled with raspberry jam
Nonpareils
1 dark chocolate sunflower
The collection is Kosher, beautiful, and delicious.
It’s time to order your Happy Mother’s Day Chocolate Collection Box in time for mom’s special day. (Of course, every day is Mother’s day, but this one day each year is completely dedicated to mom.
To order your Happy Mother’s Day Chocolate Collection Box ($58) go to the Sugar Plum website.
About the Reviewer
Francine Brokaw writes about products, books, travel, and entertainment. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites.
Personal note: I love manatees. So, when I read the information about this show Harmony in Paradise, I was eager to check it out.
Amelia (Liliana Tandon) is a wildlife journalist who is anxious to have her own column. She has written about wildlife around the world and has a good reputation as a journalist. The thing is, Amelia has never left the east coast of the United States. She is not comfortable out of her “comfort zone.” So when she is given the assignment to cover the release of two baby manatees in Puerto Rico, she is happy to take on this assignment. But then her editor Madelyn (Vivica A. Fox) informs her she has to go to Puerto Rico to cover the event in person. That’s not the best news for Amelia.
Nevertheless, this intrepid journalist sets out for the island with her computer, note pads, and plenty of books about manatees. There she meets Fernando (Thony Mean) who heads the wildlife conservation clinic and who is initially unhappy with the idea of a journalist coming into his world. He immediately recognizes Amelia is not prepared for all that the island offers.
Fernando takes Amelia snorkeling, kayaking, and exploring the beauty surrounding them. For once Amelia has her head out of her books and her eyes off of her monitor. She is, for the first time in her life, really exploring the world and she is loving every minute of it.
The piece de resistance are the two little manatees: Moana and Oceano whose mother died during the big hurricane. They are adorable however do not have as big a role in the film as I would have liked.
So, as the days go on and the goal is to release the manatees into their natural habitat, Fernando and Amelia form a close bond. When an issue arises with the release date, it looks like Amelia might not get the story she is after. But being the journalist she is and having discovered the wonders of the outside world – outside of her apartment – she rises to the challenge.
For manatee lovers, it would have been a better story if there was more interaction with the two little manatees.
This 2022 movie was filmed in Puerto Rico. It is available to stream on UP Faith and Family.
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.
Love is in the air in Love, Alaska. Yes, the name of the town is Love and every year they have a Love festival where singles from around the world come to hopefully find their love match. But that’s not the main story of the movie Love, Alaska.
Maggie (Sarah Podemski) grew up in Love but left fifteen years ago. Her uncle Tobias was the town’s doctor and now that he died Maggie learns she inherited his clinic. She is a doctor, yes, but she has never run her own clinic. Can she do it?
Finn (Victor Zinck, Jr.) also grew up in Love. He and Maggie were sweethearts back in the day. After tragedies in his family, Finn left and joined the military only to return a broken man. He has extreme PTSD from combat but is back in Love to help his brother Declan (John Bregar) with his air charter business.
When Maggie returns to Love to take over the clinic, she and Finn discover he has inherited some money providing he helps her set up her new medical practice. With the air charter business sadly in need of money, Finn reluctantly agrees to work with Maggie but insists once the clinic is up and running, he is on his way out of town. His PTSD is driving a wedge between himself and everyone he loves, which includes Maggie, and he wants to spare them of his moods and PTSD episodes.
Although they have been apart for years, the love between them has not dimmed. So, while they work together and Finn fights his inner demons, Maggie wonders if the two have a future together.
The whole town is pulling for them, even the newcomers who have come for the Love festival. It’s clear Finn and Maggie are still in love, but will her stubbornness and determination not to fall for him again and his stubbornness not to let himself get involved again, put a damper on their future together?
Grab some hot chocolate and bundle up, because the cold and the snow of Alaska is chilly. Spoiler – the movie was actually filmed in Ontario, Canada. But who’s nitpicking?
This is a romantic film based on a Harlequin novel, so viewers know how their love story will end. This 2019 movie is streaming on UP Faith and Family and will air again on UP TV on June 8, 2024 for those who do not subscribe to the streaming channel.
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.
IF is about a girl who discovers that she can see everyone’s imaginary friends — and what she does with that superpower — as she embarks on a magical adventure to reconnect forgotten IFs with their kids.
Downtown Disney at the Disneyland Resort has been going through changes, and recently they have disclosed what new culinary delights will await guests to this shopping, dining, and activity-dedicated area of the resort.
First, opening in May 2024, enjoy some authentic cuisine from Mexico. There will be three areas for Mexican style dining and drinking. Paseo is a gorgeous dining room/bar with a rich old-world charm. Wood, leather, and accents throughout immerses guests in the flavor of Mexico, along with the food, of course. Michelin-starred Chef Carlos Gaytán is at the helm of these new dishes.
(Artist Concept/Patina Restaurant Group)
Centrico is a courtyard restaurant and bar featuring upscale Mexican food and tequila-based cocktails. This is also decorated with rich wood and the vibe of Mexico. With plenty of food options as well as libations, this is bound to be a place for meeting friends and enjoying the atmosphere.
And for fast-food options where guests can quickly pick up some food for snacking, there is Tiendita. This is more of a on-the-go restaurant for items like fish tacos, breakfast burritos, and the like.
More new locations for food in the district include Din Tai Fung, which will offer a variety of Taiwanese inspired dishes, and later this year a new steakhouse and a barbecue restaurant will add to the additions for dining options in Downtown Disney.
Without a ticket and reservation required to visit Downtown Disney, this has become a place where guests come to shop and eat, mingle with their friends, and just enjoy a variety of experiences. Like the parks themselves, Downtown Disney is always changing and updating, and this year their dining options are adding some new choices. Whether you are visiting a park and/or staying in a hotel, Downtown Disney is a great area to have fun, food, and still get some Disney magic.
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.
In a convoluted and whacky story, Bryce Dallas Howard stars alongside Sam Rockwell in Argylle, a tale of spies and confusion. With plenty of twists and turns throughout the movie, this is an eccentric and offbeat story with more twists than a pretzel.
Elly Conway (Howard) is a mystery writer. Her books about a fictional super spy named Argylle have a loyal fanbase. As she reads her novel to an audience, viewers see the story unfold with Henry Cavill playing the over-the-top spy who has garnered the wrath of an evil syndicate. Little does Elly know that her novels are more fact than fiction. And soon she is being hunted by the real syndicate intent on getting her secrets. But things are not always what they seem, and people are not always who they appear to be.
When real-life spy Aidan (Rockwell) meets up with Elly, she finds herself in the middle of an actual espionage story with her life on the line. Who would want to harm this innocent novelist whose best friend is her cat named Alfie. With assassins hot on their trail, Aidan and Elly are off on a wild adventure around the world.
The story starts out similar to the 1984 movie Romancing the Stone where Kathleen Turner played romance novelist Joan Wilder who quickly became involved in a dangerous situation. But that is where the similarities end, as viewers will discover. Who can Elly trust? Besides her cat Alfie, whom she always has with her via a special carrier, Elly must rely on Aidan, but can she really trust him?
To say this is a convoluted and complex story is an understatement. It is over-the-top wackiness, and has not garnered a lot of positive reviews. There are some interesting aspects to the story as one by one various secrets unravel. The cutest aspect is the cat carrier with the little feline looking out through a plastic bubble.
There are many scenes with blood and killing, so it is definitely not a show for kids.
Argylle is comes to Apple TV+ April 12, 2024.It is rated PG-13 for strong violence and action and some strong language.
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.
The cute animated film Migration available to stream on Peacock beginning April 19, 2024. With the voice talent of Kumail Nanjiani, Elizabeth Banks, Keegan-Michael Key, Awkwafina and Danny DeVito, the story of a fun feathered family who leave the comfort of their little pond and travel to Jamaica is filled with some cute scenes as well as a few scenes of peril. But rest assured, they all make it to the island safely and the family is stronger and closer than ever before. This is truly a story about family.
For the entire review and parental guide, check out our page.
Alison Sweeney returns as Hannah Swensen in a new Hannah Swensen Mystery on Hallmark Mystery (formerly Hallmark Movies and Mysteries).Sweeney has said, “The fans have been so vocal in their love of these characters and it’s exciting to be bringing them back to life and to return to the Hannah’s bakery where it all began.”
In the latest movie, written and produced by Sweeney, Hannah’s fiancé Mike (Cameron Mathison) has left so she is a single woman. But will that status last for long? There are several men who could step into her life on a personal level. Fans will have to wait to see what happens.
In the meantime, in this latest movie, One Bad Apple: A Hannah Swensen Mystery, Hannah is teaching a baking class at the local college and enjoying it and the interaction with the students, who, incidentally, thoroughly love the delicious treats they are learning to create. Between her bakery and teaching, she is a busy woman. But so is her mother Delores (Barbara Niven) who has just started her own private investigation business.
When an explosion in her classroom occurs, Hannah is not sure it was an accident. And when a professor is found dead, well, that’s enough for this amateur sleuth to put two and two together. Something is definitely amiss at that college. Between her friend Norman (Gabriel Hogan), her sisters and mother, not to mention Mike’s replacement Lonie Murphy (Daylin Willis), they investigate the murder by eliminating the suspects one by one. But can the amateurs get to the bottom of the mystery before the professionals?
As viewers of this series know, Hannah is intuitive and very astute. And now, enter the prosecuting attorney Chad Norton (Victor Webster), and the investigation grows.
Besides the drama in this series, viewers are treated to some of the most attractive and mouth watering desserts from Hannah. She is definitely a great baker as well as a great detective.
With her mother providing some comic relief to this situation, and the potential budding personal relationship between Hannah and Chad, things are starting to heat up, and that’s not referring to the ovens. Fans are also waiting to see if perhaps Norman might be more than just a good friend down the road.
Previously titled the “Murder, She Baked” series, Sweeney’s Hannah mysteries are now “A Hannah Swensen Mystery” movies on Hallmark Mystery channel. Hannah is a delightful character and her mother adds some fun and additional entertainment to the stories.
One Bad Apple: A Hannah Swensen Mystery is now showing on Hallmark Mystery. This is the first film written by Sweeney. As of now there is no announcement on the next movie in this enjoyable and delicious series.
About the Author
Francine Brokaw has been covering all aspects of the entertainment industry for over 30 years. She also writes about products and travel. She has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines as well as Internet websites. She has written her own book, Beyond the Red Carpet The World of Entertainment Journalists, is the entertainment correspondent for Good Day Orange County, and has her own TV show, Beyond the Red Carpet, on Village Television in Orange County. She is a longstanding member of the Television Critics Association and is accredited by the MPAA.
The lovable little Blue Heeler dog named Bluey lives with her Mom, Dad, and little sister, Bingo. This adorable dog has an over abundance of energy and with all of that energy she manages to provide plenty of fun for her family and friends, not to mention viewers.
In January and February,2024 the Nielsen report listed Bluey as the number one most-streamed series across all audiences and the number one series for preschoolers and kids ages 2-11 in the U.S.
“The Sign,” is the first extended-length special of the hit series Bluey. It premieres April 14, 2024. Check out the trailer below:
Bluey airs on Disney Junior, Disney Channel, and streams on Disney+. Kids – and families – will delight in this new longer episode of the fun and fabulous Bluey.
The selection includes: 
