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Hallmark Channel Original Premiere of “Christmas at Castle Hart” on Saturday, Nov. 27th at 8pm/7c! #MerryThanksgivingWeekend

This is a sponsored post in partnership with Hallmark Channel for #MerryThanksgivingWeekend and #ChristmasAtCastleHart.

Merry Thanksgiving Week, you guys!  We are definitely in a merry mood here – I joke that our house is decorated like a holiday mullet, lol: Thanksgiving in the front, Christmas in the back. ;) I’m a chronic illness girl, which makes my whole “getting stuff done” planning pretty unpredictable. I like to start the Christmas prep early – so the back patio, yard, driveway, and shop are all decked in evergreen garland and bows and light-up Santas and snowflakes. But, I kept the front yard respectable of the November festivities with my giant blow-up turkeys and orange and yellow lights, lol. Silly, but super fun.

You know who else is celebrating Merry Thanksgiving Week with a bang? Hallmark Channel! You simply can NOT have a Christmas season without Hallmark movies, am I right? And this season they have 41 ALL NEW original movies premiering on Hallmark Channel and on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries! Are you excited? I’m excited. 

The one I’m MOST excited about is premiering this Saturday, November 27th at 8PM/7c – “Christmas at Castle Hart.” Check out the trailer – and see if you recognize the star…. {can I do one of those, “only 90s kids will know, kinda things?}

“Christmas at Castle Hart” stars Stuart Townsend and – Lacey Chabert!! If you were a 90s teen, you might remember her as Claudia, from Party of 5. I looooved that show. It’s fun to see her all grown up, and in such a great role, in a really amazing movie. Here’s a bit more about it:

BROOKE BENNETT {Lacey Chabert} goes to Ireland for Christmas to search for her Irish roots. While there, she meets charming AIDEN HART {Stuart Townsend}, Earl of Glaslough. Mistaken for an elite event planner, she’s hired to host his castle’s epic Christmas party. The entire movie is filmed in Ireland – which I looooove, since Ireland has been on my own bucket list since I was a kid. So not only is the storyline itself beautiful – so is the setting and scenery.

And grab your hot cocoa and fuzzy slippers, you guys – because this is part of Hallmark Channel’s #MerryThanksgivingWeekend and it’s a go big or go home kind of event… except, wait, no. You’re already home. This is… go big, from home? Yeah, that works. ;) Go big – on the movie night, on the festiveness, and on all the feels that you know only Hallmark can bring! “Christmas at Castle Hart” is part of Hallmark Channel’s Double Programming – it airs right after “An Unexpected Christmas,” which premiers on November 26th at 6pm/5c.

Here’s a list of all the movies premiering during Merry Thanksgiving Weekend:

11/25- The Nine Kittens of Christmas
11/26- Christmas CEO
11/26- An Unexpected Christmas
11/27- Making Spirits Bright
11/27- Christmas at Castle Hart
11/28- Christmas in Tahoe
11/28- The Christmas Contest

And there’s more: There are 41 ALL NEW original movies premiering on Hallmark Channel and on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries this season! 

With all of those amazing movies to watch, you’ll definitely want to get the Hallmark Movie Checklist App – so you don’t miss any of your favorites. And, be sure to follow the hashtags to chat with other Hallmark fans – during the premiere of #ChristmasAtCastleHart on Saturday, November 27 at 8/7c, we’ll be live tweeting from my Twitter account @sunandsipcups, with @HallmarkChannel, using the movie hashtag as the #MerryThanksgivingWeekend hashtag that you can use to find more fun movies all weekend long. Make sure to join the fun!

And, if you’re here reading this, then I know you’re my type of people, and I know you’ll love a few more things:

There you have it – so many ways to kick off this holiday season. Holly and jolly. Mark your calendar for the premier – or better yet, grab that Hallmark app! Check out the HMNow (Hallmark Movies Now service) to watch Hallmark movies anytime, on demand. And be sure to join me in live tweeting the fun during the premier! If you want to tweet me in advance, using the hashtag, to let me know you’ll be watching – I will follow you back. :)

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Posted by on November 24, 2021 Filed Under: Holidays, Entertainment | No Comments

Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Movie Premiere of “The Christmas Ring” on Saturday, November 7th at 10pm/9c! #MiraclesofChristmas

I’ve partnered with Hallmark Movies & Mysteries to share an amazing new holiday movie with you – “The Christmas Ring,” a heartwarming story about love, a mystery, search for stories, and of course – Christmas – that premieres Saturday, November 7th, on the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries channel at 10pm/9cst. And, guys, you KNOW that we can all use some heartwarming right now, right? Between the stresses that come along with pandemic life, refreshing election news non-stop on your phone – give yourself a merry little break, and tune in to let your stress melt away as you watch a satisfying, uplifting, touching story on your screen of choice. 

Movie Info for The Christmas Ring on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries:

Stars: Nazneen Contractor and David Alpay.

A reporter searches for the love story behind an antique engagement ring. With the help of the ring’s owner’s grandson, they learn the legacy his grandparent’s left behind. (Nazneen’s hair color is winter hair goals, for reals. Gorgeous. If she looks familiar – she should. Click her bio link above to see more but – she’s been in a ton of amazing shows, like appearing as Rima Harewood in the record-breaking Paramount feature film, Star Trek Into Darkness. And David Alpay? I am a sucker in a man in a jaunty scarf and some stubble like that. And – you might remember him from the CW series “The Vampire Diaries.”)

This movie isn’t your only opportunity to get your holly jolly on, you can have yourself a merry little movie marathon by checking out all 17 holiday movies, all season long, on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Miracles of Christmas! This year, the holidays look a bit different than usual, don’t they? But, different doesn’t have to be a bad thing – this year’s changes are all about creating new traditions, and spending more family time together. What better way than snuggling up in warm blankets, cozy socks, coffee or cocoa in your mug, and an uplifting Christmas movie on the screen?

[Read more…]

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Posted by on November 5, 2020 Filed Under: Entertainment, Holidays | 9 Comments

The Best of Jewish Children’s Books for the New Year!

I partnered with PJ Library on this sponsored post.

The Best of Jewish Children’s Books for the New Year! 

For Jewish people worldwide, the new year kicks off on Rosh Hashanah when people wish each other l’shana tova – a sweet new year!  This September, on top of eating delicious apples with honey and making resolutions for the coming year, families raising Jewish children can also kick off the New Year by signing up for PJ Library, a free program that offers monthly, age-appropriate books celebrating Jewish values and culture through the joy of story books.

A program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, PJ Library sends more than 200,000 books a month to families across North America. Expertly curated, the monthly selections exemplify the best of Jewish children’s literature and offer books that are certain to capture children’s imaginations with cheerful characters, compelling stories, and vibrant illustrations. 

Start the Jewish new year off right

PJ Library welcomes all Jewish families, whatever their background, knowledge, family make-up, or observance may be. The stories help families engage with Jewish values, ideas, and traditions on their own terms, and the books are paired with activities and resources for the whole family to learn, create, and play together.

Celebrate the new year by signing up your kiddos for PJ Library. Sign up today!

 

Be sure to follow PJ Library on social media – connect with them on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram – to learn more and share your stories! You can also follow me on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram too, and let me know your thoughts about PJ Library using the hashtag #PJLibrary!  

 

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Posted by on September 29, 2019 Filed Under: Holidays | No Comments

Fall is My Favorite Time of the Year!

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” – Albert Camus

I live in the PNW – in central Washington state, a mid-sized city called Yakima. We grow apples here, and are right next to Wenatchee, which is considered the apple capital of the world. 77% of the hops grown in the United States come from the Yakima Valley. And we’re fast becoming a major wine tourism destination. We’re the 11th biggest city in Washington, but still a MAJOR agricultural area too. We get four distinct seasons here, and fall is my favorite – the colors of the trees, the harvest of all that fall produce, the U-Pick farms that turn into corn mazes and haunted tours and pumpkin patches. Fall always feels like new beginnings, fresh starts, an embrace of changes – and the start to some of my favorite things like hoodies and boots, holidays and entertaining, football and fun!

Fall favorites quote

Since the fall weather here is so beautiful, this is the time of year that Abby and I like to get our family photos together. Last year we used a local photographer for a s’mores themed photo shoot, outside of town at a big ranch with horses and open fields and beautiful views. My favorite was one that was kind of out-take… Abby thought it would be funny to eat a s’mores like Lady and the Tramp ate their spaghetti. The photographer caught us in the middle of that, and it’s so funny. ;)

fall smores photo shoot

I love to entertain. And being just a few hours away from Seattle, the Seahawks are our JAM here, man. So we throw a lot of game-day parties here. And if you love football parties too – you have got to check out my Snackadium tutorial! These pics are from a few years ago – I’ve made bigger and more elaborate versions the past two years, but never took time to post them. This year tho, I promise! This original post though – it is honestly NOT hard to create, it’s pretty cheap too – you can get all of the supplies you need at your local Walmart super cheap {pro tip: order it all online, do ship to store, and then just pop in and pick it up, easy peasy!} – it just takes a little bit of time. Totally worth it though, it’s a pretty rad way to serve your snacks during football season!

football party food snackadium tutorial

Another thing I absolutely heckin’ LOVE about fall is …. HALLOWEEN! Abby {she’s NINE now, can you guys believe it?} and I into witchy stuff, we love dress up, a black cat lives with us…. lol. It’s totally one of our favorite holidays. A few years ago I got a black pre-lit tree from Treetopia, that I put up in late September, to decorate for Halloween. Our last theme was a DIY Nightmare Before Christmas tree – lots of Dollar Tree decor, Sharpie markers to draw Jack and Sally on the big shiny ball ornaments, and some extra lights for pizzazz. After Halloween, I take the themed ornaments off, and stuff some fall flowers and leaf garlands on it for Thanksgiving. Then we decorate it up for Christmas too. It’s a tree for the whole holiday season. We are festive as all heck over here. 

diy nightmare before christmas black tree

What are YOU guys excited about when it comes to fall? I love to hear from ya. Leave me some comments below – or chat with me on Twitter at @sunandsipcups, or on Facebook at Sunshine and Sippy Cups!

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Posted by on August 27, 2019 Filed Under: Holidays | No Comments

Santa’s Toy Factory is Bringing Christmas Magic to the Clackamas Mall!

My little girl, Christmas-loving, Santa-smitten heart is super excited – The Clackamas Mall has partnered with Mattel to introduce a new holiday adventure that will be memorable for the entire family. Santa’s Toy Factory will open on November 11 in the center court area of the shopping center. Who’s ready to get some holly in their jolly??!!

©2017 Gullane (Thomas) Limited. ©2017 Mattel. All Rights Reserved.

Image Credit: ©2017 Gullane (Thomas) Limited. ©2017 Mattel. All Rights Reserved.

“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.” – Norman Vincent Peale

If you’ve ever read a blog post from me, or follow me on social media, or spent 5 minutes with me in real life – you already know that I’m an elf at heart. I fully embrace the whimsy in life, teach my daughter to believe in magic always, and am a total junkie for all things glitter and sparkle. So, I LOOOOOOOVE Christmas time! We always like to make the most of the holiday season by checking out all of the fun local events and parades and shows, to really celebrate this magical time of year. This year, we’re super excited to be buddying up with my blogging bestie – Alison, from Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, and our little girls, to head over to Santa’s Toy Factory at the Clackamas Mall!! I keep hearing that line from the movie Elf – “Santa Claus is coming to town…” :) So – if you’re like me, and Buddy the Elf, and smiling is YOUR favorite too, I’ve got something awesome to bring smiles to everyone’s faces, check it out….

Image Credit: ©2017 Gullane (Thomas) Limited. ©2017 Mattel. All Rights Reserved.

Image Credit: ©2017 Gullane (Thomas) Limited. ©2017 Mattel. All Rights Reserved.

Here’s a bit more about Santa’s Toy Factory:

Santa’s Toy Factory is designed to empower creativity through an interactive, immersive experience to meet Santa. Within the 1,600 square-foot space, young guests will have the opportunity to “test” new toys in Santa’s Factory before they get delivered to all the boys and girls on Christmas morning. After they “test” the toys, they visit different stations to digitally design, build and paint toys from Mattel’s iconic brands including Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, and Thomas & Friends™.. The grand finale, of course, will be meeting Santa himself for photos and to share their holiday wish list.

“We are proud to be partnering with Mattel to bring this new, one-of-a-kind holiday concept to life,” said Dennis Curtis, general manager of Clackamas Mall. “We are always looking for ways to introduce new brands and experiences to our community and can’t wait to showcase Santa’s Toy Factory this holiday season. We know our guests will embrace it.”

The experience with Santa’s Toy Factory is free-of-charge and photo packages begin at $39.99. To make reservations to ensure quicker access, please click HERE. If you’d like more information, please visit www.VisitSantasToyFactory.com. Clackamas Mall is located at 12000 S.E. 82nd Ave and is home to a plethora of high-quality tenants including Bath & Body Works, Nordstrom and Sephora. [Read more…]

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Posted by on November 8, 2017 Filed Under: Holidays, Travel, Entertainment | 20 Comments

Sweet DIY Chocolate-Themed Gift Ideas

 

This DIY Chocolate-themed gift post is part of a Fashionista Event, and a promotional item was provided to me by Chocolat Frey. Hosts for this event are Still Blonde after all these Years and ModlyChic.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… As well it should, because believe it or not, it’s only TWENTY days until Christmas! Are you ready yet? Have you made your list and checked it twice? Well, if you’re anything like me this year, and just getting started on your holiday gift shopping, I have a great suggestion for you. Chocolate. Yep. Because seriously, who doesn’t love chocolate? Especially when it’s a premium fancy-pants chocolate, and you gift it in a creatively fun way. Keep reading to learn more – and for a SWEET giveaway just for you!

Chocolat Frey for holiday gifting

I’m on a pretty tight budget this year. That means I have to get creative with my gifts. And it’s amazing how many fun ways there are to create unique presents using Chocolat Frey goodies – we’re using them as gifts for the Abby’s teacher, stocking stuffers for all the kiddos, as part of gift packages for friends and family – and my favorite, this super cool DIY Chocolat Frey Trifle Dish Gift Set! Just like a traditional trifle dessert, it has layers of deliciousness shown off in a pretty pedestal dish. But way more fun! [Read more…]

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Posted by on December 5, 2016 Filed Under: Crafty, Holiday Gift Ideas, Uncategorized, Holidays, Food | 105 Comments

DIY Nightmare Before Christmas Halloween Tree

This DIY Nightmare Before Christmas tree post is a partnership with Treetopia – get your own pre-lit black Christmas tree, or any other color you can imagine! – and start creating awesome new holiday memories today!

Nightmare Before Christmas Halloween Tree #witchesandwonders

“This is Halloween, this is Halloween, Halloween, Halloween….” Man, I so love this movie. If you’re reading this, I’m guessing your a fan of Halloween. And if you like Halloween, I’m willing to bet you also like the Tim Burton movie, “Nightmare Before Christmas.” Abby fell in love with the movie Coraline years ago, so I knew she’d love this movie too. Both have that quirky, slightly creepy vibe to them, but have a good message and good heart. So, when I found out that I would be partnering with Treetopia to decorate a black Christmas-style tree in a Halloween theme, I knew immediately that this would be the inspiration for it. I mean – it’s the perfect match: A Christmas tree + Halloween decor = Nightmare Before Christmas, for sure.

In my house, we are crazy holiday fanatics. We go a bit overboard when decorating and celebrating festive occasions. The Christmas tree goes up the day after Thanksgiving, sometimes even sooner. And it stays up through New Years. We’ve decorated an Easter tree every year since I was a little girl – some cool branches, painted white, in a pretty metal bucket, with beautiful spring-colored ornaments hung from each branch. But I’ve never had a Halloween tree! Why? NO IDEA! Because it’s pretty much the coolest thing ever. [Read more…]

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Posted by on October 28, 2016 Filed Under: Holidays, DIY | No Comments
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