In our therapy clinic, we're always looking for ways to incorporate STEM activities into our sessions. Even our youngest kids benefit greatly from age-appropriate STEM activities. This week, we're excited to share about one of our a super fun finds, Stick-O City Set by Magformers. Recommended for kids ages 36+ months, this hand-on set allows toddlers to explore tactile learning using magnetic play. Each piece uses magnets that can rotate in different ways, allowing the creations to stick together easily as kids build. This eliminates much of the frustration that other building sets bring for little ones and gives them a better free play experience.
Diversifying your child’s library is so important. It helps them to learn about others, promote positive character traits, and strengthen their identity and self-confidence. This week, we received an excellent holiday book box that is the perfect start to any library. This bundle is from Cardinal Rule Press and many of the books even include reading strategies and discussion suggestions inside!
Pure Flix one of the best streaming services out there right now and the number one place to find quality Christian television shows and movies that you'll enjoy watching with your whole family. Curl up on the sofa and choose from a wide variety of adult series as well as children's programming, such as the beloved Veggie Tales!
This month, I've had the pleasure of previewing the film called "Sun Moon" and found it especially inspiring. The film is by AFFIRM Originals and it's available on Pure Flix on May 5, 2023. Check out the trailer below...
About the Film
Kelsey is shocked and stuck after being left at the altar – unsure of everything she thought was God’s plan for her life. She abandons her faith and church. She is ashamed and embarrassed to confront her neighbors and community after what happened. After missionaries from Taiwan visit her church, Kelsey sees a job there as an opportunity to start fresh. Her sister encourages her to go. Her first several days overwhelm her, but her pride won’t allow her to admit defeat. Encountering some difficult students, Kelsey learns some are defiant to her teaching methods and tries a different approach. The principal encourages her to learn from Horace, another young teacher who is liked by the students. In an effort to assimilate, Kelsey asks Horace to teach her to ride a vespa and their friendship starts to form. Kelsey’s adventures and explorations of the country continue, her students warm up to her, but Kelsey knows her time there is expiring. The school throws a big Christmas party at the end of the semester. Students ask Kelsey to help them learn and perform a play based off the Biblical book of Ruth.
Expect these relatable themes as you view the film...
Keeping up appearances/your image
Learning new cultures
Loving all of God’s people, being afraid of losing loved ones/sick relatives
Being angry at God for how events unfolded
Moving forward after loss or unplanned events, healing
Friendship
Learning to trust in His timing
Struggling with disappointment and loss of faith
God uses everything, even the hurt and pain
Finding confidence
How to walk through difficult and challenging times
There is a season for everything
Grieving loss
Horace lost family in earthquake, Kelsey’s mom is dying
Loss of relationship (romantic relationship and family as Kelsey and Liz grow apart)
God will push us out of comfort zone (all the way to Taiwan)
The difference we make in the lives of other people
“God did not burn you” your boyfriend did
Choosing to not blame God in difficult situations
Overcoming adversity
Cast List
MacKenzie Mauzy, Kelsey (INTO THE WOODS, NCIS: New Orleans)
Justin Chien, Horace (Two Sides: Unfaithful)
Madison McLaughlin, Liz (Arrow, Chicago P.D.)
Michael Jong-Quin Huang, Principal (The Haunted Heart)
Jason Burkey, Braden (FEARLESS FAITH, MIRACLE ON CHRISTMAS, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE)
Leanne Morgan, Maida ((Netflix Original Stand-up special I’m Every Woman, Dry Bar Comedy, Thou Shalt Laugh 3)
Synopsis
Kelsey is running from failure, heartbreak and humiliation. In an attempt to understand God’s purpose for her life, she goes to Taiwan to teach English. Will her leap of faith pay off?
You'll likely connect with these Bible Verses throughout the show:
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (NIV)
“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” – Psalms 27:14 (NIV)
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9 (NIV)
“He said to them: ‘It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.’” – Acts 1:7 (NIV)
About Pure Flix
Pure Flix is a one-stop shop for faith and family-friendly movies and shows where you can confidently stream in your home with the entire family. With new premium and exclusive original entertainment choices every week, Pure Flix streaming service has the largest variety of high-quality, curated, positive, encouraging, wholesome movies, series and kids' content in one service. Pure Flix is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment, alongside AFFIRM Films.
Win It!
The generous people of Pure Flix have offered to giveaway one three-month subscription to a lucky Across the Avenue reader. Enter below for your chance to win! This giveaway is limited to US winners only, and only to those who have NOT won a subscription in the last 6 months.
Mother's Day is fast approaching! Celebrate your mother with something as sweet as her. MacKenzie Limited has a wide variety of desserts to choose from, and personally, our favorite is the Lemon Crunch Cake. This gourmet dessert is the perfect way to show your appreciation for all the love and care that Mom has given you over the years and a great way to celebrate her with family and friends. We like it as an all-around crowd pleaser because it’s the perfect amount of lemony sweetness and buttery crumb topping. Not to mention it’s light and refreshing for springtime, too. As for delivery, the cake arrives so beautifully wrapped that even the packaging is a delight!
Join us to watch Miracle at Manchester, an incredibly powerful film based on a true story from Pure Flix! Miracle at Manchester airs on March 31st, and if you're tuning in, get ready to be inspired. Pure Flix is one of the best streaming services available right now and the number one place to find quality Christian television shows and movies for the whole family. If you need hope in times of distress, watch this film & be reminded of God’s strength & sovereignty!
As a pediatric therapist, I'm always interested in finding quality developmental toys that target important speech, language, cognitive and motor milestones. Early sensory play is a critical experience which is often overlooked by parents. It helps to build important foundational skills in infants, toddlers and pre-schoolers. This week, I gave the Creative Kids Sense and Grow Sensory Magic Tissue Box a try with my little one as we worked on object permanence, joint attention and motor skills. It was a fast favorite for him and allowed us to play together in many different ways.
Easter is just around the corner! One of our favorite family traditions is hosting a special brunch to spend time together and enjoy the holiday. This year, we're taking Easter brunch to a new level with MacKenzie Limited gently smoked salmon with a special hardwood blend. Their large salmon tenderloin is incredibly flavorful, with a hardy portion size that will feed a crowd. It's super tender and so delicious that it's hard not to sneak a few bites here and there as we prepare for our guests! In addition to the taste, one of the best things about having our salmon delivered is the amount of time it saves us. We loved bringing in the box from the front porch and getting right to work on our menu. I've included three of our own meal ideas for you below, but the possibilities are endless with this delicious fillet.
A cancer diagnosis is never an easy thing to grapple with. Personally, I felt as though I was in a fog for weeks. Information from doctors' visits came and went in my head and I found myself scared to do so many things, for fear it was the cause of my unexplained cancer. Nutrition was the scariest. What was okay to eat? What may make my cancer spread? Logical or not, these were the thoughts that swirled in my head 24/7. When a friend of mine shared about Breast Cancer Smoothies: 100 Delicious, Research-Based Recipes for Prevention and Recovery by Daniella Chace, it was like a small part of the weight had been lifted. This book has so much information about proper nutrition based on the type of breast cancer that you've been diagnosed with that it feels like a road map for meals. I truly enjoy working my way through these delicious recipes and feel like I'm doing good for my body each step of the way. (Of course, each person should consult with their doctor when making individualized nutrition decisions.)
You're going to want to joinPure Flix for this next series! Episode Five of A Thousand Tomorrows airs on March 17th on Pure Flix, one of the best streaming services out there right now and the number one place to find quality Christian television shows and movies for the whole family. The series “Karen Kingsbury’s A Thousand Tomorrows” is a show about redemption, forgiveness, devotion and transformation. Cody and Ali find a love so rare and so powerful and they make the most of
everyday they have with each other.
If you haven't joined Pure Flix yet, you don't know what you're missing! It's one of the best streaming services out there right now and the number one place to find quality Christian television shows and movies that you'll enjoy watching with your whole family. Pure Flix offers adult series as well as children's programming, such as the beloved Veggie Tales.
I've had the pleasure of previewing the film called"Heaven Sent" and it will renew your faith in love! The film is by AFFIRM Originals and it's available on Pure Flix on February 3, 2023. Check out the trailer below...
About the Film “Heaven Sent” is a romantic comedy about re-finding love later in life and rediscovering joy after loss. It's a dynamic and heartfelt story about love at different stages of life. Featuring Karen Abercrombie from War Room, An Angelic Christmas, and more and Charlene Tilton from Dallas, this is an all-star cast!
My Thoughts This film is so heart-warming and will have you cheering for every one in the cast. There are so many relatable themes, especially the feeling of trying to make your own life in your twenties and the making peace with getting older and finding new purpose and happiness in your fifties and sixties. It pulled me in from start to finish.
Jemarcus Kilgore, Derek, (DISCARDED THINGS, Black Lightning)
J. Leon Pridgen II, Patrick Briggs/Ellerman, (DISCARDED THINGS, P-Valley, TRINITY GOODHEART)
Charlene Tilton, Pam, (Dallas)
Michael J Patterson, Kenny
Maurie Moore, Corrine
Elizabeth Byland, Theresa
Gary Dourdan, Jeff, (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation)
Synopsis Elise, a grandmother hurt by her past, and Patrick, a widowed pastor, have closed the door on love. But with faith and a little help from technology, will their live-streamed romance find a way?
You'll likely connect with these Bible Verses throughout the show:
"Love is patient, love is kind.It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." – 1 Corinthians 12:4-7 (NIV)
“We love because he first loved us.” – 1 John 4:19 (NIV)
“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” – Colossians 3:13-14 (NIV)
About Pure Flix
Pure Flix is a one-stop shop for faith and family-friendly movies and shows where you can confidently stream in your home with the entire family. With new premium and exclusive original entertainment choices every week, Pure Flix streaming service has the largest variety of high-quality, curated, positive, encouraging, wholesome movies, series and kids' content in one service. Pure Flix is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment, alongside AFFIRM Films.
Win It!
The generous people of Pure Flix have offered to giveaway one three-month subscription to a lucky Across the Avenue reader. Enter below for your chance to win! This giveaway is limited to US winners only, and only to those who have NOT won a subscription in the last 6 months.
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