Tinkerbell And The Legend Of The Neverbeast Film Review

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With much of the land of Costa Rica having protected status, it’s no surprise that this country is the flag-bearer for conservation of nature and wildlife. An astonishing twenty-six percent of this gorgeous country is designated as a national park, wildlife refuge, biological refuge, or some other category of protected status. Both public and private organizations work tirelessly to protect this country of fascinating ecological and biological diversity from the potential ravages and exploitations of other human beings. This makes Costa Rica an excellent destination for nature lovers and conservationists as there are a range of stunning National Parks open to visitors.
Rincon de la Vieja National Park
On the self-guided Las Pailas trail which skirts sulfurous hot rocks and boiling mud fumaroles, you can experience awesome volcanic action up close and personal. This National Park boasts dense rainforests and meadows which are fantastic for hiking and exploring, leading to the La Cangreja Waterfall where you’ll find hot thermal springs and a cool swimming hole.
Isla Del Coco
Designated a protected National Park in 1978, this is one of the largest uninhabited islands in the world, located over three hundred miles from the mainland. Nature lovers will find many endemic species inhabiting this island, many of which are endangered and can only be found in this area.
Corcovado National Park
To the south of Costa Rica, the Corcovado National Park is a haven for many endangered animal species. Visitors to this wild area will be able to see jaguars, Barid’s tapir, white-lipped peccaries and a whole host of endemic bird species.
Tortuguero National Park
This National Park is a large labyrinth of natural jungle canals, which cover over forty thousand acres of the Caribbean coast and hinterland. Along with a sharp-eyed guide who’s familiar with the local area, you’ll be able to see myriad endangered birds, reptiles and mammals.
Manuel Antonio National Park
Located on the central Pacific coast of Costa Rica, Manuel Antonio National Park hosts rugged rainforest, coral reefs, and crisp, clean beaches with pure white sand. The National Park is famous for its huge diversity of wildlife and tropical plants, from endangered capuchin monkeys to three-toed sloths and a whole host of bird species. The park is crossed with extensive hiking trails which reach from the coast up into the mountains. Those looking to stay near this stunning area can stay in a Manuel Antonio Villa from villapuntodevista.com.
Palo Verde National Park
The Palo Verde National Park is a part of the Tempisque Conservation Area. This park concentrates on conserving vital floodplain, limestone ridges, marshes, and seasonal pools from risks caused by the encroachment of civilization. During the dry season, a variety of birds flock to the park and its river basin for water. Protecting one of the most endangered ecosystems, Palo Verde is the largest nesting site for the black-crowned night-herons in the country.
Have you ever visited a national park in Costa Rica? We’d love to hear all about your visit! Let us know in the comments.

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Schools back in session and sometimes it seems like it’s always rush-rush. There’s not much time to spend with your kiddos like you did during the summer. It doesn’t take much to make a child happy. In fact, it’s often the “small stuff” that creates the most meaningful childhood memories. So how do you show them just how special they are? Here are 5 Ways To Make Your Kids Day.
Wake them with a kiss. Now, this wouldn’t work for my teen, he would prob fall out of his bed trying to get away from me, but my other three really appreciate mommies morning kisses.
Place a special note in their folder or lunch box. Maybe your child looked tired today and needs a little motivation, or were feeling sad about something that happened yesterday and needs something inspirational or something to make them giggle. Little notes are a special little surprise that will brighten their day. Check out these Back to School Lunch Printables from The Good Stuff by Coupons.com.
Make something special for after school snack. My kiddos love when I make them special treats for after school snack. Ants on a log, Carmel Apple Bites, Favorite Cookies etc. just taking the time to make something they like rather than a pre-made boxed snack can really make their day. Check out these 7 Yummy, Peanut-Free Snacks for Kids for more ideas on special snacks.
Ask about their day, and actually listen. We all ask how their day was, but then do we really listen? I used to find myself checking my phone, or getting distracted by the little one, and I could see the frustration and disappointment in their faces…I now make it a point to actually listen to their day. They get home just bursting to tell me about it, and it takes such little effort to listen.
Read one more book, or two, or three! We read books at night anyways, and I try to cut it off at one book, but why? Because I’m tired? What will one, or two more books really hurt? They get the quality time they need and crave while expanding their little creative minds and exploring new worlds.
As you can see it doesn’t take much to make your kiddos day. What do you do to make your kids day special?
WIN!!
One lucky person is going to win a $300 Amazon gift card! This giveaway is open to residents of the US who are 18+ until 11:59 PM EST Sep 30, 2015.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Fine Print: Entering this giveaway means that you accept both the rules & disclosure. Winner will be notified via e-mail. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. 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 provided and shipped by Coupons.com.
Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. 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.”

This was really cool and I wanted to share the news! Khan Academy just launched Pixar in a Box, a behind-the-scenes look at Pixar Animation Studios’ creative process. It’s a Free online curriculum that shows how Pixar filmmakers use science, technology, engineering, art and math to create movie magic.
Through a series of video lessons, interactive exercises, and hands-on activities, students will discover how the academic concepts they learn in school enable Pixar filmmakers to create new worlds, animate unique characters and tell stories through animation. Although designed especially for students in middle and high school, these resources are available to learners of all ages, completely free of charge.
“Our mission at Khan Academy is a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere,” said Sal Khan, Founder and CEO of the not-for-profit Khan Academy. “Sparking student interest in math and other academic fields is a key part of that, and we’re delighted to collaborate with Pixar to achieve this goal. Pixar in a Box gives students a new way to engage with key academic concepts and see how creative these concepts can be.”
Khan and Catmull officially unveiled Pixar in a Box at a special event yesterday evening on the Pixar campus in Emeryville, CA. After an introduction from Klaidman, local educators learned the story behind the project and then received a live demonstration of Pixar in a Box from two of its creators – Brit Cruise, Content Producer at Khan Academy, and Tony DeRose, Senior Scientist and Research Group Lead at Pixar. The evening concluded with a question-and-answer session moderated by Klaidman.
“Many students start to lose interest in academics in middle and high school, partly because they don’t see how academic concepts relate to things they care about,” said DeRose. “Pixar in a Box aims to address this disconnect by showing how Pixar filmmakers use these concepts for creative benefit in their everyday work.”
Starting today, students can access Pixar in a Box and learn:
· How combinatorics are used to create crowds, like the swarm of robots in WALLŸE.
· How parabolas are used to model environments, like the forest in Brave.
· How weighted averages are used to create characters, like Buzz Lightyear and Woody.
· How linear and cubic interpolation are used to animate characters.
· How trigonometry is used to create the worlds in which Pixar stories take place.
· How simultaneous equations are used to paint all of Pixar’s images.
“These lessons are the first phase of the project,” said Cruise. “While the first year focuses on math, future Pixar in a Box lessons will explore science, computer science, arts, and humanities.”

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If you’re trying to grow your hair out, the wait can seem like it’s taking forever to get to the length you want. There are some tricks that you can try to help it along and help your hair to grow faster.
Get frequent trims. It might seem counterproductive but the best way to help your hair grow is to keep it healthy. You can grow African American hair faster, and help caucasian hair to grow faster by getting rid of split ends which can cause more breakages. Getting rid of the split ends makes your hair look smoother and more voluminous, which can help you make the most of the length you have.
Resist the urge of drastic color changes. If your hair is naturally dark, avoid any dyes that would require bleaching. Bleaching damages the cuticles of the hair, which can lead to more breakage. Breakage is the last thing you want if you’re aiming for longer hair.
Distribute your hair’s natural oils. The oils that are naturally in your hair help to keep it healthy, but they tend to gather at the root, which can lead to oily roots. Distribute the oils throughout your hair so it all benefits. Regular brushing will do this for you. Brush your hair before you go to bed, as well as when you’re getting ready in the morning. Brushing also stimulates the scalp which will help with hair growth too. A boar bristle brush is best for the hair.
Eat healthier. Healthy hair comes from what you fuel your body with, not just the products you use. Protein is the best thing for strong, healthy, long hair, so make sure you eat plenty of fish, beans, nuts and whole grains. If you aren’t getting enough protein, you may experience more hair shedding. Omega 3 is also great for hair, which you can find in oily fish.
Reduce heat styling. Heat styling might make your hair look great, but over time, it can dry it out, increasing the rate of breakage. Try to reduce the number of times you use heat to style your hair. If you’re not going anywhere, towel dries your hair instead of blow-drying it and only heat style when you need to. If you do use heat, make sure you always use a heat protecting spray or serum.
Don’t shampoo your hair every day. Shampooing can strip your hair of its natural oils, so only wash your hair two or three times a week. This allows those all-important oils to penetrate into your hair and make it healthier.
Take a multivitamin. Look for one that is labeled as being good for hair, teeth, and nails. You want something with plenty of vitamin C and vitamin B which both boost hair health. This can also make your skin healthier, as an added bonus. Make a multi-vitamin part of your morning routine.
Finish your shower with cool water. At the end of the shower, turn the temperature down and rinse your hair with cool water. This seals your cuticles and helps to strengthen your hair.

The holidays for me brings on baking…It’s a fun thing that my mom and me do together every year, and every year I like to try something new! This year I created a delicious Salted Caramel Brownie Brittle English Toffee. I was inspired by Brownie Brittle’s Salted Caramel snacks & Brownie Brittle’s Toffee snacks.
What is Brownie Brittle?
Brownie Brittle, LLC, with headquarters in West Palm Beach, FL, has been baking and selling innovative brownie products to restaurants, club stores and world-class theme parks since 1992. Brownie Brittle snacks, the company’s flagship product, is a 12-month shelf-stable retail snack made in America and available in Chocolate Chip, Toffee Crunch, Mint Chocolate Chip and Salted Caramel. Brownie Brittle ™ Snacks are now available in tens of thousands of stores in the US, Canada, Mexico, Korea, Japan, Australia and the Caribbean. More information is available online at http://www.browniebrittle.com, or on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram
Brownie Brittle has been enjoyed by our family for a few months as we had found it in World Market and thought we would give it a try. Brownie Brittle sent me their NEW 1oz Single Serve Bags which features Paddington – hitting theaters January 16th – in Chocolate Chip & Salted Caramel, which started my inspiration for the “English” toffee I’m about to share with you.
They also sent me the Toffee Crunch which is a great side snack to the Salted Caramel Brownie Brittle English Toffee.
If you have kids, chances are you’ve heard of Paddington, but just in case you haven’t check out this fun and adorable trailer for the upcoming film…
Now the recipe you’ve been waiting for!
INGREDIENTS
Toffee
1 cup butter 1 cup sugar 2 tablespoons water 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 ounces chocolate bark
Topping
1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped 1/4 cup Brownie Brittle, finely chopped 1/2 tsp Corse Sea Salt
Caramel Drizzle
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350F. Toast the chopped pecans on a baking sheet in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes, or until fragrant.
With heavy-duty aluminum foil, form a 10-inch square shell with 1-inch high sides. Place the foil shell on a baking sheet, and set aside.
In a heavy saucepan, cook the butter, sugar, water, and salt over medium heat until the temperature reaches 305F (hard-crack stage), stirring occasionally (watch closely after it reaches 290F because the temperature will increase rapidly). When the mixture becomes dark golden brown, immediately remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the vanilla extract. Pour the mixture into the foil shell. It will spread but may not reach the edges of the square. Skore toffee with back of knife to help the chocolate stick. Cool at room temperature for 45 minutes, or until hard. Wipe off any access liquid that may have puddled on the top.
Melt the chocolate according to instructions on the side of package. Spread melted chocolate over the cooled toffee, and sprinkle with the pecans, & Brownie Brittle pressing lightly to set into chocolate. Drizzle with caramel & sprinkle corse sea salt. Let set at room temperature 1 hour, or until the chocolate is set. Break toffee into pieces. Store covered at room temperature for up to 1 month.
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.”

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