5 Tips To Getting Summer Ready ⋆ My Sparkling Life

Where are my Movie fans at? What about Marvel? It’s time for a Fall Movie Madness Giveaway! One lucky winner will win their choice of either Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War Blu-ray Combo Pack or a $25 AMC giftcard!
About Captain America: Civil War
Marvel’s Captain America Civil War finds Steve Rogers leading the newly formed team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. But after another incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability, headed by a governing body to oversee and direct the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers, resulting in twocamps—one led by Steve Rogers and his desire for the Avengers to remain free to defend humanity without government interference, and the other following Tony Stark’s surprising decision to support government oversight and accountability.
When you are done entering to win here, be sure to hop to all the other great movie giveaways as part of our Movie Madness Hop! This great event is co-hosted by Miss Molly Says, ItsFreeatLast and Mom Does Reviews!
WIN IT!
One (1) lucky My Sparkling Life reader is going to This giveaway is open to residents of the US who are 18+ until 12:00 PM EST Oct 3, 2016.
THE FINE PRINT: ENTERING THIS GIVEAWAY MEANS THAT YOU ACCEPT BOTH MY RULES & DISCLOSURE. I WILL NOTIFY WINNER VIA E-MAIL AND THEY WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO REPLY BEFORE I AM FORCED TO REDRAW WINNERS. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. EACH HOUSEHOLD IS ONLY ELIGIBLE TO WIN THIS PRIZE VIA BLOG REVIEWS AND GIVEAWAYS ONCE. ONLY ONE ENTRANT PER MAILING ADDRESS PER GIVEAWAY. IF YOU HAVE WON THE SAME PRIZE ON ANOTHER BLOG, YOU WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO WIN IT AGAIN. WINNER IS SUBJECT TO ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION. MANY WILL ENTER, FEW WILL WIN! PLEASE ALLOW 8-12 WEEKS FOR DELIVERY OF PRIZING. MY SPARKLING LIFE IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY LOST OR MISDIRECTED PACKAGES. PRIZING & SAMPLES PROVIDED & SHIPPED BY MY SPARKLING LIFE. IN THE RARE OCCASION THAT A PRIZE DOES NOT ARRIVE (WHICH HAS HAPPENED), PLEASE NOTIFY ME.
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Talking with talent is always a highlight, you get to hear all the juicy behind the scenes gossip and their feelings on the film. During the Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tells No Tales press junket we interviewed the talented Javier Bardem about his role as Captain Salazar & a little about the first time he met Johnny Depp…you don’t want to miss that story!
Let’s jump right into the Q & A session with Javier!
Q. I want to know how long it took you to get makeup every day & How was it talking through the black goo coming out of your mouth?
A. It took Javier Three hours to get into makeup…“The goo was a liquid. They told me it was supposed to be like chocolate, chocolate my ass. That taste worse than that and they were supposed to put it on the teeth. I said give me that, so I drunk it and then I went to play the first scene, I think it was with Geoffrey Rush and it starts to pour out of my mouth and he was very disgusted.”
Javier’s Thoughts on Captain Salazar
“I thought it was like rage pouring out. It’s not blood. It’s like the rage of the character coming out, like something more physical, like a bull. I’d always thought the character was like a bull, like a wounded bull with the blood and moving like it’s wounded and breathing like it’s out of breath and with a very strong idea for revenge.”
Q. With all that makeup packed on your face and really intense emotions during the film, was it difficult to portray the emotions through all of that makeup?
A. “That was one of my concerns to see if my facial expression can go through the mask, but these guys won the Oscar for “Mad Max”, and they did an amazing job. Once I had the mask on the face, I realized that I could express myself through it, which is important.”
Q. How did you become involved in the project?
A. “I got involved back then, 2010, because Penelope was shooting “Pirates 4″ so I went to the set in Hawaii, a beautiful place and I was very envious. I was very jealous because I was seeing all this amazing production taking place, the water, the special effects, the boat, the sword fighting. I wanted to be one of those. So, I said to Jerry, Jerry please, give me a job. He called me five years after and I was so surprised and honored because as a movie goer, I love the franchise.”
Javier Thoughts on Captain Salazar
“I thought it was this great thing about one same character played in two ways, he’s alive and it’s all about pride and it’s all about honor and when he’s dead he’s all about betrayal and pain and revenge.”
Q. Whenever you saw yourself, like after all the CGI was put in, I mean the finished project is absolutely amazing, can you tell us about what that was like?
A. Because I was working a little bit on the darkness with the hair, they showed me some pictures and videos and it was like yeah, right, looks great but how is it going to look like at the end. The floating hair was an idea that the directors brought and I thought okay, but what do you mean, floating hair, like a troll? Then little by little, they were bringing all these drawings and concepts and I was amazed by it.
When asked if he pulled any inspiration from other villains he’s played his answer was a surprising NO! He was actually inspired by the idea of a wounded animal (a bull) because in those times the Spanish army was very powerful in the seas and the captains were all from the south of Spain where the flamingo & bullfighting culture belongs.
Fun Facts:
Javier played rugby
Javier met Johnny Depp in 1999 in Vera Cruz, Mexico doing a movie called “Before Night Falls” by Julian Schnabel.
“Johnny played a Drag Queen in “Before Night Falls” & when I saw this beautiful blonde hair and a beautiful ass. I said that’s a beautiful ass, and they said it’s Johnny’s, it’s a beautiful ass. I don’t care!”
Javier on Johnny Depp
“He’s so funny to watch and he will do and say anything and he will be brilliant so I had to cut sometimes the scene because I was laughing I cannot hate you, but he’s a great colleague and a beautiful guy.”
Pirates of the Caribbean Dead Men Tell No Tales Hits Theaters May 26
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Activity Pack & Trailers | Pirates Premiere | Pirates Movie Review
Want to see more of my adventures in LA? Check out my Twitter & Instagram. I’ve shared several photos from my adventures! #PiratesLifeEvent & #BambiBluray.
I attended an all-expense-paid trip by Disney, all opinions are 100% my own.

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day hit the stores on Blu-ray™ + Digital HD this Tuesday, February 10th! Based on the 1972 children’s classic book by Judith Viorst, the heartwarming comedy from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment will have your entire family laughing out loud!
Disney’s “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”follows the exploits of 11-year-old Alexander (Ed Oxenbould) as he experiences the most terrible and horrible day of his young life—a day that begins with gum stuck in his hair, followed by one calamity after another. But when Alexander tells his upbeat family about the misadventures of his disastrous day, he finds little sympathy and begins to wonder if bad things only happen to him. He soon learns that he’s not alone when his mom (Jennifer Garner), dad (Steve Carell), brother (Dylan Minnette) and sister (Kerris Dorsey) all find themselves living through their own terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
With a running time of 81 minutes, the movie is rated PG. Find videos, activities and ordering information on Disney.com. Anyone who says there is no such thing as a bad day just hasn’t had one.
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Two lucky Mom of 4 Boys Reader are going to win a copy of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Blu-ray Combo! This giveaway is open to residents of the US who are 18+ until 11:59 PM EST March 12, 2015. Entering this giveaway means that you accept both my rules & disclosure. I will notify winner via e-mail and they will have 48 hours to reply before I am forced to redraw winners. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Each household is only eligible to win 101 Dalmatians Diamond Edition Blu-ray Combo via blog reviews and giveaways. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. This contest is not affiliated with Facebook, twitter, or Pinterest in any way.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

We love all of the colorful rainbow and green recipes and crafts that come around during St. Patrick’s Day. This Rainbow Mobile (or Windsock) craft from The Neighborhood Moms is a super easy (and cheap!) craft that you can do with the kids. Hang it up inside or out and spread a bit of the St. Patty cheer! Click here for the instructions!
Be sure to also visit our other 12 Days of St. Patrick’s Day posts below!

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This past weekend at the D23 EXPO in Anaheim, CA, Disney, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm presented their live-action film slates! Met with enthusiasm from the excited, fan-filled audience, the lively presentations revealed exclusive news and details about upcoming live-action films and showcased surprise live and video appearances from stars and filmmakers. Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn hosted the highly anticipated biennial event.
“At The Walt Disney Studios, we could not do what we do without the support of the many Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars fans around the world, We feel like our fans are a part of the family, and the D23 Expo is our chance to give a little something extra back to them.” – Alan Horn
After welcoming the crowd to D23 Expo 2017, Horn introduced Sean Bailey, President of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production, to present overviews of the Disney live-action slate. Later Horn returned to the stage to introduce writer/director Rian Johnson for a look at Lucasfilm’s upcoming film and ended by introducing Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios, for a rousing presentation to close the event.
Sean Bailey welcomed A WRINKLE IN TIME cast members Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling and Chris Pine along with newcomer Storm Reid and visionary director Ava DuVernay to the D23 stage, where they thrilled fans with a first look at the film’s teaser trailer and teaser poster. The film, which is an epic adventure based on Madeleine L’Engle’s timeless classic, takes audiences across dimensions of time and space, examining the nature of darkness versus light and ultimately, the triumph of love.
Meg Murry (Storm Reid) is a typical middle school student struggling with issues of self-worth who is desperate to fit in. As the daughter of two world-renowned physicists, she is intelligent and uniquely gifted, as is Meg’s younger brother Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe), but she has yet to realize it for herself. Making matters even worse is the baffling disappearance of Mr. Murry (Chris Pine), which torments Meg and has left her mother (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) heartbroken. Charles Wallace introduces Meg and her fellow classmate Calvin (Levi Miller) to three celestial guides—Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey), Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon) and Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling)—who have journeyed to Earth to help search for their father, and together they set off on their formidable quest. Traveling via a wrinkling of time and space known as tessering, they are soon transported to worlds beyond their imagination where they must confront a powerful evil. To make it back home to Earth, Meg must look deep within herself and embrace her flaws to harness the strength necessary to defeat the darkness closing in on them.
Sean Bailey shared with D23 Expo 2017 fans Disney’s all-new take on a classic story in THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS. Starring Keira Knightley as the Sugar Plum Fairy, newcomer Mackenzie Foy as Clara, Helen Mirren as Mother Ginger, Morgan Freeman as godfather Drosselmeyer, and featuring a special performance by Misty Copeland, the movie is inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann’s classic tale. THE NUTCRACKER AND THE FOUR REALMS is directed by Lasse Hallström and produced by Mark Gordon and Larry Franco.
The film largely takes place in a strange and mysterious parallel world—home to Land of Snowflakes, Land of Flowers and Land of Sweets. But it’s the ominous Fourth Realm where Clara must take on a tyrant called Mother Ginger as well as a gang of mice who’ve stolen a coveted key from Clara.
Said Bailey, “The Mouse King is made up of thousands of mice—a cutting-edge CG creation. But we wanted him to move in a way that would be wonderfully surprising and incredibly cool, so we called on Lil Buck to provide the style of dance that defines the character. He is so talented and the way he makes this character move is unbelievable.”
Los Angeles-based dancer Lil Buck hit the stage at D23 Expo 2017 to demonstrate the kind of street dancing—called jookin—that informed the way his character moves in the film. The performance earned a standing ovation.
To the delight of D23 fans, Emily Blunt, the star of Disney’s sequel MARY POPPINS RETURNS, took to the stage with director/producer Rob Marshall to talk about the eagerly-anticipated return of the practically-perfect nanny. In this original musical sequel to the 1964 “Mary Poppins,” Mary and her friend Jack, an optimistic street lamplighter played by Lin-Manuel Miranda, embark on entirely new adventures with the next generation of the Banks family to help them find the joy and wonder missing in their lives.
Blunt and Marshall answered questions from Sean Bailey, with Blunt offering insight on how she made the character her own. “I needed to try to pay homage to Julie Andrews, but carve out a new space for myself,” said Blunt. “And we were very loyal to the books.” Rob Marshall shared, “I was incredibly honored to be approached by Disney about directing a sequel. This is a brand-new original film musical from top to bottom, which is very rare, and it is a wonderful opportunity to create something specifically for the screen.” D23 attendees were then treated to an exclusive first look at the film, which was accompanied by a live orchestra performing original new music from the film conducted by composer Marc Shaiman, eliciting thunderous applause.
P.L. Travers first introduced the world to the no-nonsense nanny in her 1934 children’s book “Mary Poppins.” However, the subsequent adventures of Mary Poppins remained only on the pages of the seven other P.L. Travers’ books…until now. MARY POPPINS RETURNS is drawn from the wealth of material in these additional books. The film also stars Ben Whishawas Michael Banks, Emily Mortimer as Jane Banks, Julie Walters as the Banks’ housekeeper Ellen, with Colin Firth as Fidelity Fiduciary’s William Weatherall Wilkins and Meryl Streepas Mary’s eccentric cousin Topsy. Angela Lansbury appears as the Balloon Lady and Dick Van Dyke as Mr. Dawes Jr., the retired chairman of the bank now run by Firth’s character.MARY POPPINS RETURNS is directed by Rob Marshall. The screenplay is by David Magee and the screen story is by Magee & Marshall & John DeLuca based on The Mary Poppins Stories by P.L. Travers. The producers are Marshall, DeLuca and Marc Platt with Callum McDougall serving as executive producer, and the music is by Marc Shaiman with songs by Shaiman and Scott Wittman.
D23 Expo 2017 fans were greeted from across the pond by visionary filmmaker Tim Burton, who is busy directing his next project—a live-action reimagining of Disney’s 1941 animated classic DUMBO. “’Dumbo’ was always one of my favorite Disney films,” said Burton. “We’re trying to give it the same heart, feeling and emotion that we all loved about the original.”
The film stars Colin Farrell as Holt Farrier, a former circus star and war-veteran charged with the care of a newborn elephant whose oversized ears make him a laughingstock of an already struggling circus. Nico Parker and Finley Hobbins were cast as Holt’s children, who discover that Dumbo can fly. Danny DeVito portrays circus owner Max Medici who tries to capitalize on the novelty. And Michael Keaton is persuasive entrepreneur V.A. Vandevere who swoops in with aerial artist Colette Marchant, portrayed by Eva Green, to make Dumbo a star. Katterli Frauenfelder, Derek Frey, Ehren Kruger and Justin Springer are producing from a screenplay by Kruger. Filmed entirely in England, DUMBO is utilizing state-of-the-art visual effects to portray the big-eared elephant and many of his animal counterparts.
Alan Horn joined Sean Bailey to surprise the D23 Expo crowd with a special look at director Jon Favreau’s new live-action take on Disney’s 1994 classic animated film THE LION KING. The technology team behind the movie are introducing all-new filmmaking techniques that promise striking visuals never before seen on the big screen—bringing celebrated characters to life in a whole new way.
Favreau, who was behind 2016’s blockbuster live-action remake of THE JUNGLE BOOK, joined Bailey on stage.
“This is a story that belongs to everyone who grew up with the original film, I wanted to demonstrate that we could be respectful of the source material while bringing it to life using new techniques and technologies. We wanted to do something special for the D23 Expo audience and give them a first look at what we’re up to.” – Favreau
THE LION KING is one of the biggest animated films of all time with a lifetime global box office gross of $968.8 million. It won Academy Awards® for the original song “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” (Elton John, Tim Rice) and original score (Hans Zimmer). In 1997, the stage production inspired by the film made its Broadway debut, subsequently winning six Tony® Awards; 19 years later, it remains one of Broadway’s biggest hits.
Starring Donald Glover as Simba, and James Earl Jones as—naturally—Mufasa, Favreau’s live-action version of THE LION KING is produced by Favreau, Jeffrey Silver and Karen Gilchrist.
Alan Horn welcomed Rian Johnson, the writer and director of the latest chapter in the Skywalker saga, STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI. Johnson thrilled the audience by introducing talent from the film, including Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Gwendoline Christie, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern and Benicio Del Toro.
In Lucasfilm’s STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI, the Skywalker saga continues as the heroes of THE FORCE AWAKENS join the galactic legends in an epic adventure that unlocks age-old mysteries of the Force and shocking revelations of the past.
The audience was then treated to a special sneak peek of behind-the-scenes footage from the highly anticipated movie:
For the finale, Horn brought Kevin Feige to the stage for Marvel Studios’ AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR. To start the ball rolling, Feige unveiled the Marvel Studios’ official 10thanniversary logo to the excited audience. Marvel Studios’ 10th anniversary begins with the release of AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR and covers an impressive decade of Marvel Studios’ blockbusters released from 2008 through the AVENGERS untitled film in 2019. In celebration of the anniversary, fans can expect exclusive consumer products and collectibles, along with in-theater events and much more in the coming months.
Then, in a surprise for all that brought the house down, talent from the film made a grand entrance, including Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Mackie, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Josh Brolin, Don Cheadle, Sebastian Stan, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan and Pom Klementieff. To top it all off, the thrilled fans got an exclusive early look at footage from the movie, introduced by Joe Russo, one of the directors.
An unprecedented cinematic journey ten years in the making and spanning the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Studios’ AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR brings to the screen the ultimate, deadliest showdown of all time. The Avengers and their Super Hero allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.
A live-action take on Disney’s 1998 feature, which will be helmed by Niki Caro (“McFarland, USA,” “Whale Rider”).
A live-action nod to the popular theme park ride. The studio is working with Dwayne Johnson, recently heard as Maui in MOANA, on the project.
Directed by Guy Ritchie, with Mena Massoud as Aladdin, Naomi Scott as Jasmine and Will Smith as the Genie.