Strawberry_Shortcake_DVDOnce again Strawberry Shortcake has come out with a fun and friendly DVD.  Berry Friends Forever came out on March 5th.  The friendship theme revolves around good manners and how to stay BBFs (Berry Friends Forever). The DVD also features two music videos for the kids to play and dance with. The extra features are always a hit with children.  While most of my girls are a bit old for Strawberry, I still have an eight-year old who can get Berry-comfortable and a three year old niece to share the berrys with!

Learn more from the following release:

Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Friends Forever

on DVD March 5, 2013

Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Friends Forever:

When the very formal Berry Bitty Buggy Derby is revived, the girls are unfamiliar with the traditional behavior for the event. Blueberry starts off as the resident expert, but eventually gets so obsessed with manners she does more harm than good. In the end, the girls work together and learn the true meaning of being BFF’s or Berry Friends Forever.

Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Friends Forever DVD Special Features

  – “Never Say Never” Music Video

  – Printable Coloring Pages

 

Strawberry Shortcake’s Berry Best Manners for Kids Guide

The following will highlight some of the “berry” best manners that Strawberry and Blueberry would approve of! Your kids will learn how to be on their “berry” best behavior everyday with this fun guide!

Keep Your Elbows Off the Table

 

While the origin of this table manner is still up for debate, it’s “berry” polite to keep your elbows off the table while eating! Resting your elbows on the table while you eat makes you prone to accidental spills and other mishaps, while remembering to keep your elbows off the table ensures that food, utensils, and drinks remain on the table and out of your lap!

 

Always Use Your “Inside Voice”

It’s easy to get excited when talking about something you love and are excited about, or when having fun with your berry best friends, but it’s important to always use your “inside voice.” If you’re invited to a formal event like the Berry Bitty Buggy Derby like Strawberry and her pals are, you’d have to do your best to not yell to show your excitement!

 

Always Use “Please” and “Thank you”

Always remember to say, “please” before asking for something, and “thank you” when someone does something to help you. Using “please” and “thank you” isn’t just a way to be polite when asking for something, but it’s also a nice way to decline someone’s offer. Let’s say a friend offers you a snack at their house, but you’re allergic to the food – what do you say? “No, thank you!”

 

Knock Before Entering

If someone has the door to their bedroom, the bathroom, etc. closed, you should always knock and ask for permission to come in before entering. In general, people shut doors when they don’t want company, so if you want to be on your “berry” best behavior, you should always knock!

Chew With Your Mouth Closed

No matter how yummy your food is, always remember that those you’re eating with don’t want to see your chewed food hanging out of your mouth! Even though everyone enjoys tasty food, it’s important to chew food with your mouth closed so that you don’t accidentally gross out your dining companions. Chewing with your mouth closed also helps you keep from dropping chewed food on your clothes and the table. Another “berry” good tip: don’t talk with your mouth full of food either – it’s considered polite to finish chewing and then speak!

 

(I received a copy of the above video from Twentieth Century Fox Home entertainment for an honest review.)

 

 

photo (5)

Our world is colorful and we need to embrace the colors, learn from the past,improve our future.  How boring would a color-blind world be?  I feel that Celebrating Black History Month does not belittle, undermine or replace other cultures or heritages.  It simple lets us learn and in turn see our world as amazing.

Scholastic has once again provided me with some great books for Black History Month!   I will review them for you, share with the girls’ classrooms and keep at least one of them for my home library.  While I believe you can never have to  many books, my bookshelves are bursting a bit :)

photo (4)My favorite is a beautiful hard-back by Henry Cole, UNSPOKEN: A Story From the Underground Railroad.  The illustrations are amazingly simple sketchings that make a huge impact.  My favorite thing about this book though is that there are no words!  It is wonderful to let kids come up with their own words from the pictures. This book is staying in my family library! The story is one of a young girl finding a hidden runaway slave in her barn, showing her kindness and then have kindness returned to her. Perfect for younger kids learning that what they do matters and that kindness begets kindness.

photo (3)I Am Martin Luther King, Jr illustrated by Elisabeth Alba and I Am Harriet Tubman illustrated by Ute Simon were both written by Grace Norwich are amazing new biographies aimed for third and fourth graders.  I know that there are other biographies on these people, but I really like this new format. The pictures/illustrations have a current feel to them, there is a pictorial index of the different people the reader will meet in the story and at the end a feature called “10 More Things That Are Pretty Cool To Know”.  My fifth grader grabbed these immediately to see if they are AR for school and thankfully the Martin Luther King Jr one is worth 2.0 points, I couldn’t find Harriet Tubman’s but I found several more in the series so my guess is that it is so new it is not on the list yet.  These will be donated to the class room, once I get through them.

photo (8)I Survived The Battle of Gettysburg, 1863 by Laren Tarshis. This is one in a series of I survived, also featuring 9/11 and the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906.  It is a level 4 reading book.Action packed the story tells of Thomas and his little sister running away from slavery and meeting up with Union troops to make it North.

photo (6)The final book  I want to review is Jackie Robinson: American Hero by Sharon Robinson. I love the fact that it was written by  his daughter. This book is full of family photographs and goes in depth on Robinson’s story, while not getting to heavy for the age group it is focused at (2nd-4th graders).  While the story of oppression and bigotry is in the book, the successes of Jackie Robinson is in the forefront of the story.

Here are links to some of my other Black History Month posts: Black History Month , Book Review For Black History Month.  I also like to provide classrooms with multicultural markers/crayons.  What are some fun things you do to celebrate diversity and other cultures?

 

(Disclosure: I received the above books from Scholastic to review them on my blog, no other compensation was received and opinions are my own.  Links are not affiliate.)

 
Win This DVD!!!

Win This DVD!!!

Madagascar has been one of those movies that sticks around with specials and sequels, and I don’t mind it at all. Many a movie I wish they would have stopped after the first, but Madagascar is quite funny!

The new Valentines Day short flick, Madly Madagascar is no exception. It will hit the store shelves January, 29th.  I loved it, the kids loved it and I get to give one away! YEAH!

To enter, simply leave a comment about your favorite African animal.  Earn an extra entry by liking my Facebook page and leaving a comment that you did so.  Contest is open to US and Canadians and winner will be contacted via email for a snail mail address. The DVD will be sent to you via the media company. Easy and fun I tell you!

Contest is open from January 22nd – 31st midnight, 2013.  Winner will be announced on January 31st or close to that date.  Good luck!

ThinkJam the PR company who gave me this giveaway opportunity has also shared the below Valentine’s Day gift guide!

Valentine’s Day Gift GuideInspired by MADLY MADAGASCAR, coming to DVD January 29  

Your favorite Madagascar pals are back in an all-new adventure! Alex’s favorite holiday, Valentine’s Day, brings hilarious surprises and excitement for the entire gang. Melman plans a big surprise for Gloria, Marty tries to impress a new friend and everyone wants to get their hands on King Julien’s love potion. You’ll fall in LOVE with MADLY MADAGASCAR!

Deciding what to give your friends and family for Valentine’s Day can be a tough job. However, this handy guide will make this Valentine’s Day a breeze! Here, we’ll provide helpful suggestions of fun and unique gift ideas that kids and grownups alike will enjoy this V-Day!

PERSONALIZED LOVE COOKIES

teddybear

Looking for a nice way to send your love to your friends and family this Valentine’s Day? Consider baking them special love-themed cookies to send to them at work, school, etc. Kids will appreciate a fun, extra treat to share with their friends at lunchtime, and mom and dad will love the heartfelt sugary snack made from scratch. Simply look up easy sugar cookie ideas, use a heartshaped cookie cutter, and then frost in white, red or pink with personalized messages. You can even use Pinterest for more awesome decorating ideas!

CUTE PLUSHIES

 teddy bears

Kids will love waking up to a cuddling Valentine’s Day stuffed animal! V-Day plushies come in a huge range of different creatures, both real and mythical! Stuffed animals aren’t just for kids, either; adults can display them in their offices or cars as an extra way to show that someone was thinking about them on this special day.

COUPONS FOR A FAMILY NIGHT IN

 bags

Homemade coupons are always a hit with moms and dads, and this Valentine’s Day we suggest creating a coupon for a night in with your family! These cute coupons are simple to make – all you need is some colorful construction paper and markers. Parents can help kids write out a personalized coupon promising to spend a fun night in with their families. You can even list suggested activities for the night in such as playing board games, watching movies or cooking a family meal.

MADLY MADAGASCAR DVD

 mmdvd

Kids will love the new MADLY MADAGASCAR DVD this V-day! They can spend the holiday watching their favorite, hilarious characters from the film enjoy all the splendor of this romantic holiday. Make this fun Valentine’s Day present into something more by hosting a mini viewing party for your kids and some of their friends – they can watch the film, make festive treats, and decorate their only Valentine’s Day cards.

EVERYTHING RED GIFT BAG

 heart cookie

Make a unique gift bag for your family and friends this V-Day! All you need is a plain red bag, and then fun, red items to fill the bag with (e.g., lip gloss, candies, toys, jewelry  PJs, etc.). You can make each bag unique by finding something red for each member of your family or your friends – try to find things that are meaningful to them or fit their personality for an extra special touch!

Check out this card!

mm_valentines_ecard5

(Disclosure: I was given a free DVD of Madly Madagascar to review and host a giveaway. My opinions are my own. The gift guide is from written by ThinkJam, though I find the ideas cute myself!)

 

I was asked to participate on a book tour by I’m a Reader, Not a Writer and was happy to join in.  The book Open Adoption, Open Heart: An Adoptive Father’s Inspiring Journey by Russell Elkins is a quick read that I think would behoove all perspective adoptive families who are thinking of going through a domestic infant adoption.

While my experience with adoption has been with International Adoption, a good friend of mine is a birth mother in an open adoption and I have learned so much through her on this topic.  Several parts of this book were very positive, to name a few:

What an open adoption looks like was nicely portrayed. It is an ever changing relationship that can be tricky at times, but beneficial for all parties involved, especially the child.  Elkins  pointed out that the agreement of an open adoption is not a legal one and that the adoptive parents may make changes as they wish.  This is something I find particularly unethical and hope will change in the future.

His honest emotions of worrying the potential birth mom would change her mind or would want more communication than they wanted may rub some people the wrong way but  I respected how he shared his real emotions though, not just the ones that others would approve of.  His story telling allowed you to be apart of the journey and show the changes in his thoughts and fears.

The terminology was positive and modern.  Birth family, birth mother, birth father was all used and explained with respect.  I appreciated that they didn’t treat the potential birth mother as a baby factory as unfortunately some do.

How he and his wife shared their story with their friends, family and church was interesting to read.   It always amazes me what people feel they can say to one another with subjects of infertility and adoption.

A couple of things I felt negative towards deals with how this couple dealt with the birth father.  They encouraged the  birth mom to contact him and let him know of her plans, but I couldn’t help but think that there would be a legal route to go about contacting him so they could learn his side of the story.  It seemed they just relied on one side of the story and we all know that every story has two sides.   Moving the potential birth mother out of state to their state to circumvent the birth father’s rights is just plain wrong. She had family and a home where she was at.  While they all got to know each-other better living together, I cannot help but think that a fifteen year old girl in a strange place with no loved ones close by was a bit intimidated.    Most teenager girls I know don’t even want to complain to a waitress that her food is cold, let alone tell a couple who is supporting her that she has changed her mind or is having second thoughts.  The situation could have easily been interpreted as coercive, even with the best of people.  I felt for his mother, learning that she was a grandma with a grandchild out there  somewhere that she couldn’t see.  I hope that as time passes there will be more communication between the families so the child will know his birth father and family a bit more.

As I mentioned above I think that Open Adoption, Open Heart is a good book for potential adoptive parents to read.  I encourage those at the beginning of the adoption process to think out some of the hard scenarios that may come up, to recognize that an open adoption is no co-parenting.  Having more loving people in a child’s life  may seem complicated at times, but will be worth it for everyone’s sake in time.

Check out what others have to say about Open Adoption, Open Heart on the blog tour at I’m a Reader, Not a Writer. There is also a $25 gift card up for grabs for this book tour!

This book and review also gives me book number five towards my goal of six adoption books this year for the Adoption Reading Challenge 2012. Three fiction and three non-fiction!  Yeah me.

 

 

( I was given a free E-book copy of the book above from I’m a Reading, Not A Writer  in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was given.)

 
Showcasing Exciting Bonus Features Including an All New Coloring App and Interactive Music Videos, The Extraordinary Family Adventure Floats to Blu-ray™ 3D, Blu-ray™ and DVD on December 11

The other night we viewed  ICE AGE Continental Divide as a family and we laughed. A lot!  I admit that the first Ice Age movie did nothing for me, but the kids loved it.  The next two movies though were a lot of fun.  I mean a Mammoth thinking she is a possum is some good stuff!  The Christmas Ice Age I reviewed last year was a fun movie for Christmas and is only $5 at Amazon right now..  This movie was funny for all the ages of my children and  Hubby and I were entertained tool.  Amazon has this on pre-order for $19.96.

The next DVD that Mita and I previewed is Love’s Christmas Journey from the ever popular Love Comes Softly series based on the Janette Oke books. I read these books as a teen and Mita enjoys  them now!  Every one of these movies have the same themes of love, loss, survival and thankfulness, which are great values for your kids to learn about.  These movies are the Little House on the Prairie’s for my kids. This DVD was out on October 30th and is on Amazon for $14.96.

 

 

 

(Disclosure:  I received a copy of both movies mentioned above from Fox Home Entertainment in exchange for my honest review.)

 

A memory that my dad still laughs about is one that makes Meg shake her head.

Meg was about three years old and we were re-siding our house.  At this age Meg was quite the songstress and would sing often and perform for us with dance.  One day I was in my room putting away laundry and Meg was singing in her room.  When I was finished I walked into my singing darling’s room and saw her dancing.  Naked. In front of her window. With a workman on a ladder putting up siding and laughing his head off.

Thankfully she has outgrown the naked dancing thing!

What is your hilarious ”MOM”ent?  Check out Zarbee’s contest and enter to win a $10,000 vacation!  If you have never tried Zarbee’s products, you may want to check them out this winter.  All-natural cough syrups made with honey may come in handy with the cold season coming!  Click here for samples and coupons.

Zarbee’s is giving me a Family Cough Kit and donating two Family Cough Kits to one of my local charities!  Thanks guys.

 

I just read a new book.  Then it turned out not to be so new.  It has two other books after it to complete the series(#3 is out in November) and Mita read it over the summer. I had okayed the book for her to read after looking at the reviews, but didn’t see it as a book for me to read. I was very wrong to not look twice at it though. BlogHer Book Clubs recently contacted be to read and review this very same book. This time I listened and read the book myself.

Matched is written by Ally Condie.   Condie has brought to life  a young heroine named Cassia Reyes .  At seventeen Cassia is smart, respectful and loyal to her community and her government that is called The Society.  The Society has made perfect life a science. They use genetics, statisics and behavioral observances to create a population of compliant  people who are fine with living a good life.  Through a series of mistakes and inspirations Cassia learns to question the Society and the life that she has been groomed to live.

While futuristic with hints of a post-apocalyptic America, it differs from The Hunger Games, in that there is very little violence in the open.  The threats are more subtle and hard to see unless one is looking for them.  The many rules and stipulations as well as the tightly arranged details leave very little room to become anyone but who they want you to become.  Free thought, a true education and creativity are all but abolished.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Matched and am currently reading the sequel Crossed.  This is a good book to read with your middle school kids who may not be ready for The Hunger Games, but want to delve into some futuristic topics.   Tough topics like ethics with genetic testing, privacy issues and the importance of free thought come out of this book that can make dinner time talks more interesting. I’m currently taking a genetics class and this book has helped illustrate some of the ethical questions that come when messing with genes.  Here is a link to the book trailer for those of you who like a bit of visual.

Have you read Matched?  What did you think?  Check out the discussion on BlogHer Book Club throughout this month.

 

 

(Disclosure:  I was given the book  Matched by BlogHer Book Club to review with my honest opinion and also compensated for my time and participation in the discussions.)

 

 

 

Strawberry Shortcake has done it again. She made a new DVD that you want to roll your eyes at as a parent, but the little girls love it!  My almost three-year old niece is having a Strawberry Shortcake party in a couple of weeks and she will for sure be getting a gently used but like new DVD in her gift bag. Among other things. I’m cheap, but not that cheap!

Here is the plot. Really, there is a plot.  Strawberry and friends get to meet a famous rock star and learn that friendship is more important than fame.  I hope the kids remember this as it seems so many people are looking for their 15 minutes of fame, even if it is shame!

This Family Approved DVD has a music video and a Dance-A-Long video feature as well as downloadable coloring pages.  This is great for stretching out empty time you may have on weekends or when the weather is bad outside.

Coming out on DVD today you can find it for under $10.oo at Wal-Mart and on Amazon.com.

 

 

(Disclosure:  I received a free copy of the above DVD in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was given.  I have been a Strawberry Shortcake fan for decades now!)

 

A few months ago I posted my review of Snow White & The Huntsman. Universal just recently sent me a preview copy of the movie’s new DVD coming out in on the 11th.  The Extended Edition is pretty awesome I must say and as always I  love getting the Digital copy for the kids to have on their various apple toys.  Of course this movie is PG-13 so only my two older girls will have access to it.

Here’s a link to the trailer if you have yet to watch the movie. The HD sound and picture is just beautiful.  I haven’t yet played with the pocket Blu App that gives you the opportunity to play with new features, but I’m sure the kids will get to it before me!

On September 11th the DVD is released and will be available at Wal-Mart, Target, Amazon and many other places.  It looks like the costs will be from $17.99 to $24.96 depending on if you get the DVD or Blu-Ray.

 

 

(Disclosure:  I received a free pre-view copy of the about DVD from Universal Studios Home Entertainment in exchange for my honest thoughts and opinions.)

 

Now that school bags are filled with new paper, folders and pens the homework and reading assignments  will begin again. The Scholastic Summer Challenge is still going strong through August so keep your kids registering their reading minutes to help Scholastic get an amazing number of read minutes.  The record was broke earlier this summer for over 76 million minutes logged!

To celebrate the new school year and the amazing summer of 2012,  Scholastic Books sent me three great teen reads that I get to give away. YEAH!

The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch

 Border Town #1: Crossing the Line by Malín Alegría

The False Prince by Jennifer Nielsen

I gave Meg The Eleventh Plague to read and she is just about done with it and tells me she really likes it.  It’s set in a post-flu-ravaged America where Steven and Jenny are teenagers trying to survive.  The setting is a popular one for the time for sure, and the book has been giving the following review from Suzanne Collins:  The Eleventh Plague hits disturbingly close to home…an excellent, taut debut novel.  This review tells me I might want to read it when Meg is done!

Mita was given Bordertown #1 Crossing The Line.  At first look it reminded me of the teen scene books I read as a middle-schooler but after reading the first chapter I laughed, hard at the comical writing.  I haven’t finished the book, but Mita really likes it.  It does have subjects to do with growth and development, so not a read for a typical 9 or 10 year old for sure.  I like how real issues of the day are in this book: minorities, immigration, bigotry.

The third book I am giving away is The False Prince.  The first book of a trilogy, it lays the foundation for an exciting story that I’m sure Meg is going to want to read.  I have just started it and have been swept up in the life of Sage, an orphan who is being trained to possibly portray the king’s long lost son.  Good stuff here!

Want to win  books for a lucky kid in your life? Don’t have any tween kids to give the books to, but can donate them to a worthy cause? Maybe you are not a tween, but want to win and read the books yourself?  Here’s how it will work:

*Leave a comment telling me the name of the best book you read all summer or the name of the book you wanted to read all summer and didn’t have time to (then find the time when the kids go back to school!).  One entry.

*You can earn a second entry by Liking my page on FaceBook. I have 32 Likes and would love to hit 50 by the end of the year!  Just tell me you like me and part of your Facebook name so I can double-check the entry.

Giveaway starts August 21st, my kids’ first day of school and ends next Tuesday, August 27th at noon EST.

(Disclaimer:  I was asked to give an honest review of and hot a giveaway for these three books by Scholastic, and received a copy of each book for my time.)

 

Bad Pic, I know!

My mom and I took the kids to see the new Disney movie:  The Odd Life of Timothy Green last week.   By kids I mean my four girls and my brother’s three kids.  We were quite the crew ranging from 6 to 14 years old. It is so fun to go out with all of them now that they are potty trained and can sit through the whole movie.  I love my babies, but there are wonderful advantages to having older kids!

Since the previews have been running on this movie, the kids have been wanting to watch it and  I was excited to see it as well.  It did not disappoint. I laughed and cried and the kids laughed and really enjoyed it. They didn’t quite get me crying at the beginning of it and tolerated me crying at the end.

A brief premise without giving anything away:  A couple Jim and Cindy Green (Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton ) are told by their infertility physician that they have done everything they could have, but will not be able to have a child.  The couple are heartbroken and express their grief in a unique and beautiful little ceremony. A child comes to them magically and they experience the amazing thing that is parenthood.  The background story of a small town that makes pencils nicely frames this family film.

I was touched that the pain of infertility was given such an honest portrayal.  While I’ve never suffered from it, I still feel so tender towards though who struggle with infertility. Timothy literally shows up as a miracle and they claim their parenthood status as we all do: with happiness, cluelessness and love.

The adoption theme in the film was awesome. It was understated really, with little mention of actual adoption. The sister in the movie voiced the typical negative comments that come with adoption, especially older child adoption, with comments like “You never know what you are getting.” ” I thought you were going to have your own?”.  Her character was effective in teaching people how hurtful comments like these are.

The new parent mistakes and conversations were so endearing and sent me back to the early days of parenthood.  The second-guessing, the overly concerned packing of the backpack is really comical.

I would be doing a disservice to adoptive parents if I didn’t point out that the movie didn’t show the struggles of parenting an older child who through adoption (or through gardening as this movie has it!). There are unique struggles. While I would love for older child adoption to become more prevalent, I do want prospective adoptive parents to be fully aware of reality.

I highly recommend this movie to families and kids 7 and up. I say 7 because Elle enjoyed it, I don’t think nephew, age 6, was totally following it though.  It could possible confuse younger kids who are in the adoption world at how Timothy comes to be and the end of the story, so it may be prudent for parents to watch first if you fall in this category (adoptees, siblings of adoptees).

If I had a star system I would say 5 out of 5 stars for sure with The Odd Life of Timothy Green!

 

 

 

 

(Disclaimer:  I was not asked to review this movie, just really liked it and found it applicable to my life. Minus leaves of course. I cannot grow a weed!)

 

July 10th couldn’t come fast enough. I had waited over a year for the sequel to The Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness.  I re-read the first one in June to remind myself of the details of the story line.  Finally it came. I almost didn’t want to start it once it was in my hands, as it would be over far to soon.  Re-reading that last sentence it sounds like I am describing a first kiss!  So I was really excited to say the least.

Once I got the kids to bed, I began reading it.  The characters came flying back at me, my anticipation was so great.  The first few chapters dragged a bit. I couldn’t keep up with new characters, I didn’t feel the intense love of Matthew and Diana.  I got scared. What if it didn’t live up to the first book.  I got worried. What if I don’t love this book?

Then it was all okay.  I don’t know at what point of the book it happened, but it did happen.  I fell in love with the sequel.  The Shadow of Night became a book worth reading in its own right.  I would be lying if I said it captured me in the same way exactly, but I think that is because I identify better with the modern-day Diana and had a hard time with her restraints in Elizabethan England.  She really comes into her magic which is nice to read.  I also love how she was able to do some alchemic experiments and got to meet the Queen.  Lovely.

Matthew was different going back to 1590. He  wasn’t the perfect Matthew that we fell in love with in the first book. He seemed to have less confidence, less passion, was less sure of his future (which is irony in itself!).  This could be frustrating at first, but if you think of him as a person who has lived for centuries, but who has never had a true loved one it makes it easier to see him.  He is learning how to be a husband, a true partner and he has never had to do that before.  The newness of the situation of him and Diana unnerves him.

Reading some of the reviews of Shadow of Night on Goodreads, I see that some had issues with the time travel aspect.  I think thet all the links were taken care of.  The only time I thought things got far-fetched was when Diana meets (not wanting to spoil here)  a family member.  That was a rough story line to take for me.  Not the idea of it, but how the relationship was handled seemed to stiff.

I gave Shadow of Night five stars on Goodreads.  I loved how the story continued to develop and went places I had never dreamed it would go.  It is an intelligent, well-written book that cannot be rushed through. I actually went back and re-read the first few chapters again to try to understand the new characters better, since I had a rough time with them the first time around.

If you like vampires and witches, smart writing and history this is the series for you!

 

Once again I accidentally read a book that had an sub-plot of adoption.  Loving that I unknowingly have worked on my Adoption Reading Challenge 2012!

What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty is a thought-provoking plot that isn’t too heavy to be considered a light read, which is great for people like me who like to read as a relaxation activity.

The story begins when Alice falls off her bicycle at the gym which causes her to lose the last ten years of her life.  She gets to the hospital to discover that her and her beloved husband are in the middle of a messy divorce and the child she thinks is growing in her womb is a crabby pre-teen.

Alice doesn’t like the woman she has become in many ways.  She cannot believe how uptight she has become and how did she have three children when the plan was for two? The amazing old house her and her soon to be ex had bought has become the home of their dreams and her mom has become a salsa dancing queen, both positive things, but not expected.

While learning about this new self, she discovers that her and her sister’s relationship has faltered over the missing ten years and there is a void there she wants to fill.  Her sister’s story is one of multiple  vitro fertilization and subsequent miscarriages, shedding some light on what it is like for infertile couples wanting to have children.  The adoption sub-plot is in her story.

Her sister  has always stated she would not adopt because of her husband’s experience as an adoptee.  Through-out the book the sister and her husband work through their grief.  Reading from this perspective was eye-opening.  As an adoptive parent who already had two biological children before adopting, I try to be sensitive to people who have adopted through the life experience of infertility.  I have no idea how a women who is infertile feels, and do not want to ever try to assume.  I do not see adoption as an easy answer to infertility.  I do think that What Alice Forgot did a nice job exploring adoption after infertililty.

I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I was very pleased with how the book ended. I was glad it wasn’t a cookie-cutter ending!

 

As always, I was delighted to get a new book to review.  When I received Where She Went by Gayle Forman from BlogHer Book Clubs, I read the back cover and realized it was a sequel.  I was ready to read though and had no time to hit the library.  This is when I really love having a Kindle!  I bought,  read, absorbed and adored If I Stay.  I didn’t want it to be over, and was so intensely happy to have the sequel ready to be devoured. 

I cannot review Where She Went without reviewing If I Stay. So I will do a double review here and try not to give out any spoilers. I loved this book set so much I want everyone to read them for themselves and not hear it secondhand.

If I Stay Tells the story of seventeen year old Mia.  She is a talented, young musician who plays the cello, has a wonderful, yet quirky family and a boyfriend, Adam, who literally rocks.  The story has a unique way of backtracking through her memories seamlessly, so that you really get to know the family, their history and how much Mia loves them and loves Adam.  After a terrible accident, Mia, has an out-of-body experience that shows her world from a different perspective. As a nurse, I especially loved how Forman portrayed the nurses and hospital staff. She nailed it, from caring to cranky –  nurses do make the hospital experience what it is!

Where She Went continues on three years later with Adam being the storyteller. I have to say I missed Mia’s narrative at first, but gradually settled into hearing Adam’s voice.   Adam is so vulnerable after his experiences with Mia, but to the world he is a rock star.  He is not allowed to show his feelings of loss and therefore his anxiety is sky-high and he is very skittish, and appears arrogant and standofish to those who try to get to know him.  Spoiler alert here in that Mia does show up again in the story, though not exactly how I wanted her to.  It all makes perfect sense in the end and it doesn’t leave you hanging.  Along with the rock and roll theme throughout the book, there are lyrics at the end of the book that are great to read and tell more of the story which is awesome.

I will stop there. It’s hard, but I will stop.  Go read this book series! It is rated 14 and up.   High schoolers will like it and I think if you read it first and talk about a few things, seventh and eighth graders would like it as well.  Check out the BlogHer Book Club discussion page and find out what others are saying about this amazing book!

The book trailers can be found here and I predict a movie to be made.  It’s that good of story and what is so great about it, is that it is realistic, it could happen.  I’m off to mourn now that I have finished these books.

Any suggestions for a good read?

 

 

(Disclosure:  This is a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own.)

 

THE NEXT CHAPTER OF THE BELOVED FAMILY CLASSIC ARRIVES JUST IN TIME FOR MOTHER’S DAY
 Country Music Superstar Clint Black and his wife Lisa Hartman Black shine in the Heartwarming Family Adventure Arriving on Blu-ray and DVD May 1
Exclusively at Walmart, Sam’s Club® and Walmart.com

    

Does anyone in your house like horses?   It seems the horse rage hits around age five at my house and never quite goes away.  So, needless to say, we were very excited to have the opportunity  to pre-view the Flicka: Country Pride movie starring Clint Black and Lisa Hartman-Black. 

The movie tells the story of a young teen, Kelly, who is struggling with the loss of her dad and the  passion of riding horses that she shared with him. With a new Mustang (Flicka) at the stables, however, and some stubborn determination Kelly is able to again fall in love with riding and competing.  The movie features a mean girl antagonist that is so popular with movies at this time and gives parents the opportunity to talk about how to handle the stressors of high school.  Overall a great movie that I think most girls ages 8-13 will especially love.  I am well over thirteen, though and I enjoyed it ;)

Be sure to check-out the end of this post to see a checklist of what young riders should know about taking care of horses.  This is a great list for Girl Scouts earning an animal badge!

I have two copies of Flicka: Country Pride to give away! YEAH :)

How to Enter: 

1)  Simply leave a comment telling me your favorite animal movie of all time. 

2) Like Four Against Two on Facebook and leave a comment telling me you did so.

Contest runs from April 23rd to April 29th at noon EST.  Two winners will be chosen from random.org.

 (Disclosure:  I received a copy of the above mentioned DVD to view and give my honest opinion.)

 

Get out your hankies. There is a new installation in the Love Comes Softly series.  On May 8th, Hallmark will release Loves Everlasting Courage, based on the  Janette Oke books.  I read these books years ago (decades maybe?)   Now daughter number two, Mita, is in love with the film series. I need to get her the books, she would read them up for sure.

Here is a quick plot line snippet from Twentieth Century Fox  Home Entertainment:

Clark Davis (Wes Brown, “True Blood”) struggles to maintain his land and support his family during a long drought.  With a bank loan to repay, his wife, Ellen (Julie Mond, “General Hospital”) takes a job in town as a seamstress, but soon becomes ill with scarlet fever.  Devastated to lose his beloved wife, Clark and his young daughter turn to his parents for support.  Clark must find a way to save his farm and survive Ellen’s death without losing the person he loves most: his daughter.

I am a sucker for prequels and this is the story of Clark and Missy before “Love Comes Softly”.  I cried, laughed and my stress level went up and down along with Clark’s.  Love the pioneer time period and this movie was just perfect for me on a day alone at home doing the laundry.  Mita watched it before me and loved it and now I will pass it on to my niece who also loves the series!

 

 

 

(Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of the above DVD to review and give my honest opinion about it.  No other compensation was received.”

 

I don’t pretend to know all about everything. Okay, to my kids I pretend to know all about everything, but here I just like to write about things  I care about.  As a blogger, even a small one, I get contacted by companies and sometimes get freebies to check out products and to write about them. This is a fun part of being a blogger I assure you, who doesn’t like to try free stuff? Oh  course I am honest. I have received a few products that just weren’t my time, energy or integrity to blog about.

However, on this countdown to Earth Day series, I did recently get contacted by 3M.  You know3M the company that gives us all the neat little tools to make our life easier. Think post-it notes, stickies, scotch tape and more.  They have graciously donated several rolls of their new Sustainable Scotch® Greener Masking Tapes to my local school district. 

 Masking tape is a must around children. Think labels, repairing game board or boxes, painting over stained and messy walls.  Not to mention the crafty side of masking tape.  Now we have the opportunity to buy it made from recycled and renewable resources. An Easy-Peasy choice if I do say so myself.

 I know that many a environmentalist curses at big business and big companies, but as consumers we have told said companies that we want a better, more responsible product. We vote with our dollars.  This product is evidence that 3M is listening.

Here is a quote with the stats that are interesting:

SAINT PAUL, MN – April 16, 2012 – Today, 3M announced the introduction of Scotch Greener Masking Tapes which are designed to provide the same great performance as other Scotch Masking Tapes, while creating less waste and conserving paper resources.  The new tapes are made with 56% renewable resources*, including paper backing made with 30% post consumer recycled content and adhesive made with natural, regenerating latex harvested from rubber trees.  The tapes are manufactured using solvent-free and water-based processes.  The tape core contains 87% post-consumer recycled fiber and the shipping cartons are made with 100% recycled fiber.

The tapes can be found just about anywhere, including Wal-Mart, Target, K-mart and Sears for about $5.

 

(Disclosure:  I received several rolls of the about mentioned masking tape to donate to my local school district. I think the art teachers and maintenance people will be happy!)

 

TY and Fox Home Entertainment sent me this little guy for posting about the Alvin and The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked DVD! Very cute!

 

I was goofing off on Facebook the other day.  Yes, I know I shouldn’t admit that, but I was. I am so very over TV and still kinda building up my stamina so I do have lots of sit down time.  Anyway, I was looking at a post from one of my favorite places, Scholastic.  They were talking about a book named If Only by Carole Geithner.   The cover showed a girl looking out a window. It was simple, pretty and immediately drew my attention. Then I read the plot and was most definitely engaged.

If only is about the first year a thirteen year old, Corinna Burdette, goes through after her mother dies.  It is told from her character, and is aimed at tween/teen girls, but will keep adults interested as well.  Corinna has to go to school and be surrounded by her friends who don’t know what they should say or do.  Who sometimes say or do the wrong things.  The book goes through the seasons and focuses on her feelings and her relationship with her grieving dad as well.

It has all the normal developmental things such as body changes, boy crushes and drama over the little things plus is a great way for young people to learn about grief.  Most of us don’t know what to say or do when someone looses someone. It’s tough. I’m not very good at it really, but I am learning. I wish I would have learned earlier in my life and having a book such as this one could have been a big help.

I am encouraging Meg to read it and review it on  her blog from her point of view.  I hope Mita will read it as it may help her know that the feelings she has about loosing her mother in Ethiopia are normal, that loss is a messy, nasty thing that never goes away. It does change though, into something that softens and doesn’t sear all the time.  Someday Enu will be ready to read it as well and I think she will respond to the character well. Though our situation is different, there is still grief to be dealt with.

I must mention that Geithner has worked as a clinical social worker who has worked with children and adults who have lost a parent while they were growing up.  She is Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at George Washington University School of Medicine.  This is her first book and frankly I think she did a spectacular job. As a mom of two girls who have done counseling, I know when someone gets it.  Geithner does.

The book If Only definitely has a niche in the grief community to give girls who have lost a parent a tool to work through thier loss.  It also belongs in the mainstream middle school library as a tool to help students learn about grief in an non-stressful way and how to treat those who are grieving.

 

(Disclosure:  Scholastic sent me a copy of the above book at my request to read and review on my blog. No other compensation was given.)

 

Over Christmas break last year I took the kids to see We Bought A Zoo.  Loosly based on the true story, a book of the same name by Benjamine Mee and directed by Cameron Crowe this is a heartwarming story that is great for a family movie night.   It is well-written with great acting,  starring  Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson.

A  short synopsis of the movie:  A recent widower with two children, Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon) is looking for a new home and a fresh start.    He finds the perfect house – that comes in a zoo and takes on the challenge of reviving the zoo and bringing it back to life.  In the process his son is finding his talent (and a girl!) and dealing with being a young teen boy and his daughter is incredibly sweet and totally in love with living in a zoo.  The family struggles, but in the end finds that they are still a family, even though their mom/wife is no longer with them.

This can be a sensitive plot line with the mom of the family having recently died.  With two of my girls having lost a mom, I was acutely aware of this and a bit worried.  However,  we are very open in talking about our situation and plot lines such as this one can help bridge the conversation.  We did not have any problems at all.  I recommend if you have a similar issue that you think might want to watch the movie before your kids do to sure it is appropriate for your family.

The process of re-building a zoo and the ins and outs of animal care make the movie something different to watch and there is a young teen romance that is cute and not to much for the ages involved.  I had a lot of fun with the girls watching this. While there was some name calling at the end, my girls are ages 7-12 and this PG movie was appropriate for our family.

A great quote from Benjamin Mee -

“You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it.”

Hits the stores April 3rd in DVD, Blu-ray and Digital Download!

 

 

 

(Disclosure:  I received a copy of the above movie from Fox Home Entertainment for my honest opinion.)

 

 

Okay. So I wrote that this is a movie review and a rant. I will rant first.  I know I am not the coolest mom ever.  Or the coolest mom. Or a cool mom.  But I am a mom and I did fork over close to $50 yesterday to take my two oldest darlings to see The Hunger Games. Nevermind that I would have seen it anyway if they hadn’t wanted to watch it because I am in love with this book series.  Gas, tickets, popcorn aren’t cheap. You would think I would get one lousy picture of my girls having fun at the movies…..noooooo. Not one picture of them in front of the movie poster, in the theater, posing with tickets. Nothing. I took a picture of my lonely little ticket to remember the day.  Maybe when Catching Fire comes out I’ll not take them unless they sign a contract saying they will pose for one picture.  Don’t they know that these events are the memories of their childhood? Don’t they know that they need to have them documented in photos so they will have hundreds of Shutterfly books to look through with their own children, my grandchildren, to show what an awesome mom childhood they had? Enough of the rant and on to the review.

I’ve read enough book series turned movie franchises to know that it is impossible to put everything from the book on the screen. The movies would be five hours long. I would still pay to see it, but apparently the movie people don’t know how die-hard readers can be!  The Hunger Games the movie was close enough to the book to please me. I can excuse the few missing characters, though I miss them.

If you have not read the books and only seen the movie the way Katniss gets her Mockingjay pin is not correct, and it loses some of its value I think in how she obtained it.  In the books Cinna is one of my favorite characters, he is very flamboyant, yet supportive.  The movie Cinna is certainly supportive, kind and him and Katniss work well together, but he was lacking in some of his charm.  Except for his eyeshadow, he wasn’t that WOW as he was in the book.

What I loved about the movie. Woody Harrelson as Haymitch was great, I enjoyed his portrayal.  Katniss was the Katniss from the books,  I think she nailed it.  Peeta was perfect, Gale had a small part in this first film, but I feel he is going to be perfect in this role.  I hate the whole Team Gale/Team Peeta thing. This is about Katniss!  She is not a prize to be won, she is a stand alone person.  Trying to tell this to my giggly girls is aggravating.

The violence in the movie was PG-13 for sure.  It was really hard to watch children kill children. The books can be hard to read, but as I am a visual person, it was hard to watch.  I questioned letting Mita and Meg see it on the screen.  They had read the books, I’ve tried to discuss the issues with them as they read them. I still don’t know if they get the entire picture, but I feel they are on the right track.  I would be hesitant to allow a young tween/teen see this film if they hadn’t read the books and started digesting the whole fight to the death theme of the books.  I don’t think murder should be glorified.

The theme of The Hunger Games being a reality TV show is very important for this upcoming generation especially.  It shows how real live human beings can be turned into mearly characters to play with. Watching the behind the scenes people come up with dogs, fires and darkness to add to the games appeal is reprehensible and yet it rings a bit to close to home.  Reality TV is not reality. We see people turn into diva monsters all the time for a few minutes of cheap fame.  A great discussion starter with the kids about the realities of reality TV and how human lives should not be treated lightly.

I  encourage parents to read this series if they have kids reading or watching them! If you want to learn more about them Scholastic has a great site to check out.  Have you read the books and seen the movie?  Did you allow your tweens or teens to see the movie? What are your thoughts.

Here is Meg’s blog about the movie. Notice how much time she spends on Peet and Gale! Arghh!

 

I have a confession. I don’t like Alvin and the chipmunks.  I loved them as a kid, but I have matured since then and while I may laugh here and there I have not sat through a whole movie.

My children on the other hand think these movies are the greatest things since cheese pizza and were thrilled when I got a copy of the third chipmunks movie to review.   Elle has watched it at least three times in as many days, I got three of them dancing on video the night we opened it up. The special features part shows you the dance moves to a few of the songs.  Even my girl who insists she doesn’t want to watch the movie is laughing from the other room at the jokes.  A hit for the kids I tell you!

Out on DVD, Blu-Ray and Digital Download on March 27th, you’ll be seeing this in stores very soon.  The tunes are catching remakes of current hits and fun to dance to.  Go ahead and buy it, it will get the kids moving and give you some dinner-making time! 

I’ll put a few coloring pages and an activity page on my Facebook for you to print off if you have a fan in your house.

 

(Disclosure:  I received a copy of the above mentioned DVD from Fox Home Entertainment for my honest review on my blog. No other compensation was given.)

 

Taking me back to my childhood in the 80′s is the release of two new Strawberry Shortcake DVDs just in time for Spring!  Bloomin’ Berry Garden and Berry Brick Road and both Family Approved movies that the younger set (4-8 years old I’d say) are sure to enjoy.  Both DVD’s come with downloadable coloring pages, which are great for rainy days and Bloomin’ Berry also has a music video on it for the kids to dance to.

Berry Brick Road is as it sounds,  a take of the Wizard of Oz, a story most kids are familiar with and enjoy different versions of.  Bloomin’ Berry Garden tells a story of the characters being magically shrunken down and it features them running around a garden with huge (to them) plants.  I think I may show this to my Girl Scout Daisy troop as we talk a lot about plants, flowers and gardens!

Two fun and age appropriate DVDs to keep your kids entertained while you clean the house!

 

Don’t forget to enter my St. Patrick’s Day giveaway!  Ends March 11th.

 

 

(Disclosure:  I received copies of the above mentioned DVDs in exchange for my time in reviewing them, no other compensation was received.  Amazon links are not affiliate.)

 

I love sugar cookies. I hate to make them, but I love to eat a fluffy, soft, melt in your mouth sugar cookie with the sweetest of frostings…. Cheryl’s Cookies anyone?  If you have yet to try a Cheryl’s Cookie you have to find one right now and gobble it up.  They are just that good!

This  Cheryl’s Cookies Shamrock Treat  is just $5 with shipping included.  It also has a $5 rewards card included for future purchases.  A sweet, inexpensive  way to tell someone….what do you tell people on Patty’s day?  Oh yeah to tell them:  Kiss Me I’m Irish and I sent  you a cookie.

Another fun St. Patrick’s Day gift is a tub of green pop corn from The Popcorn Factory!  Green Butter Popcorn is sweet, salty and buttery so you cannot go wrong satisfying your cravings.  This sells for $9.99.

I used to not do much for St. Patrick’s Day other than put green food coloring in the toilet (told the girls that the Leprechauns peed in it!) and when the girls are in Kindergarten they make Leprechaun traps.  Years ago I started buying Hubby Guinness beer though and I think he likes this tradition!  I may have to step it up a notch and start sending out these fun cookie cards and popcorn tubs to friends and family as well.

Or maybe I will just order them for me and eat them while the kids are at school. Baahaaahaaa!

Do you want to win a St. Patty’s Day Cookie Card and Green Butter Popcorn?  Simply leave a comment  telling me what you find attractive about Leprechauns.  For an extra entry you can like Cheryl’s Cookies and Brownies on Facebook, please come back to this post and let me know you did.

Giveaway is for US and Canada addresses only and you most likely will not get your treats in time for the St. Patty’s Day Party you are planning.  Three winners will be chosen random.org.  Contest runs March 7th until March 11th at noon.  Thanks!

 

 

(Disclosure:  I received a sample of the above products and no other compensation for my time and opinion.)

 

I was recently given the opportunity to watch the new line of DVDs that Roma Downey (Touched By An Angel) is the executive producer of.  Little Angels is a fun cartoon line that teaches pre-schoolers about numbers, letters and animals with a God centered theme.  Songs such as “Goliath Didn’t Like Rock Music”  and “Joshua, Get Those Trumpets Blowin” are catchy, fun and also teach  Bible stories to your little ones.  The DVDs are headed to a store near you on Tuesday, February 14th.

I was happy to see some diversity among the main characters, but disappointed that the activity sheets and  valentines all were centered around the white kids.  Dear movie makers, please remember that not all main characters have to be white!

My girls are passed the pre-school age, but I know a lot of moms with young ones and there are many families with special needs older kids who could learn from this easy, calm cartoon.  I plan on passing these along, but I am keeping the PB&J popcorn they sent us to chomp on while watching the movies ;)  Please see my Facebook page for print out activities and Valentines!  There is also an Little Angels app for the kids to play.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Disclosure:  I received a copy of the above DVDs to preview as well as some gourmet popcorn from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. No further compensation was received.)

 

Every once in a while you just have to watch or read a classic.  New stuff is always fun, but the classics are time-tested lessons the whole world has shared.  I was so pleased when Universal sent me a preview copy of  the To Kill a Mockingbird 50th Anniversary Edition [Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy] starring Gregory Peck to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of Universal.

I have not watched To Kill A Mockingbird since I was young and was anxious to watch it again as an adult to glean more of a message. I am also inspired to re-read the book, and have put it on my library list.

Mita and I cozied up on an icy day when the rest of the family were on a snow hike. We popped some popcorn and watched the movie together. I love watching old movies with the kids.  Being a black and white film, long beginning credits and the length of the movie itself are a history lesson.

To Kill A Mockingbird is a movie filmed in 1962 and was based on the novel of the same name that was written by Harper Lee. Set in the deep south in the 1930′s  Atticus Fitch, a single father,  is appointed to be the defense attorney for an accused black man.  The story is shown through the prospective of Atticus’ children, and covers far more than the racial divides of the day.  For example the topic of a neighbor with a mental delay/illness shows us how people with special needs were treated and feared in that time.  The poverty of the depression is shown throughout as is the mourning a family without a mother is noted upon.

I will not give away the story as it is such a powerful one, I do recommend watching this movie and reading the book if you have never done so before.  A great movie to watch with your older children.  It was great to watch with Mita and point out how things were just  100 years ago. The jury in the courtroom consisted of twelve, white men. The courtroom only allowed blacks in the balcony and the use of the n word and calling grown black men boy was very noticeable.

To Kill A Mockingbird hits the stores January 31st in DVD and Blu-ray.  The extra features include a conversation with Gregory Peck, and his Academy Award acceptance speech for Best Actor.   I enjoyed watching the Scout Remembers feature and seeing Scout all grown up and learning the story of how she was chosen to act in the film.  The book,To Kill a Mockingbird: 50th Anniversary Edition is now available at Amazon.

 

(Disclosure: I was provided with a preview copy of To Kill A Mockingbird from Universal Home Entertainment for my honest review. No other compensation was received.  Amazon links are affiliate links.)

 

After participating in last year’s Adoption Reading Challenge, I was delighted to know that Jenna is hosting one for 2012 as well! I knew immediately that my first adoption themed book would be No Biking in the House Without A Helmet by Melissa Fay Greene.  I have been wanting to read this book since I heard it came out, I just needed a kick in the pants to get started.

Before I start with my review I have to tell you that Melissa Fay Greene is a part of my adoption story.  It was her article in Good Housekeeping that I read sometime in 2004 (while pregnant with Elle) that I fell in love with Ethiopia and got my dormant adoption feelings going again.  It was also her book There Is No Me Without You that tugged at our hearts so dearly when we were doing the paper chase in 2006 and 2007.  It must be said that in tough times she has been blamed for this!  After reading her newest book, I know she doesn’t think ill of us for those blaming thoughts.   No Biking In The House provides some back story to my situation.  We used the same agency, so reading about Layla House and AAI, well it’s like reading a prequel.

Greene does a nice job in combining this biography of how her family of eleven came to be with anecdotes of daily life with her children.  As a fellow  mom who adopted after having biological kids and who twinned  two of her kids, I could really relate in some of her stories, thoughts and fears.

This book is a must read for large families and adoptive families and for families who dream of becoming large and adoptive. All mothers can relate to this story just with the hilarity that motherhood can be at times.  I loved reading how her bio kids and adoptive kids became closer, how she maintained her Ethiopian children’s heritage and languages and found the biological mother for her Bulgarian son.   She bulks against have a group home effect, and in that I can totally relate. There have been times that I feel I am the maid in a bed and breakfast.  Families have to work at being families sometimes, and that is okay. She gets International Adoption for what it is. Not a solution for poverty, but a way to build a family for parents who want to parent a child who has no family that can care for them.

The feelings that ran through me while reading No Biking In The House Without A Helmet, ranged from sadness, joy and knowing to jealously.  Yes, I said Jealously.  When reading about Helen’s disobedience over a can of Coke and how it led to an hour-long holding her violent little body I could wholeheartedly relate. I’ve been there, many, many times.  When she ended that story with “That was the only tantrum we ever had out of Helen.”  I was envious.  One time!  I’ve been spit on, bitten, kicked, pinched and hit so many times that we do not do the “holding therapy” anymore. They are just to big.  Her bout with post-adoption depression resonated in me as well.  It’s not all roses and rainbows, those first few months.

I am also acutely aware that we do not live in a diverse, metro area as she does in Atlanta.  She was able to hire an Ethiopian babysitter who spoke Amharic to her kids and could make Ethiopian food. Her town also offers many different schooling and recreation opportunities that my rural town doesn’t offer.  I wonder how my lack of access to these things have effected my girls and if that could have made the difference with some of our issues.

Melissa Fay Greene has written a thoughtful, funny and lovely book that speaks of the truths of adoption while not being to heavy of a read.  Go and read this book and laugh out-loud!

 

 

I recently was sent two new DVDs from Vivendi Entertainment to watch with my girls and to review.  Can I say PERFECT TIMING!  Post Christmas blahs and rainy weather are a recipe for watching movies at home.

The first movie is A Turtle’s Tale: Sammy’s Adventures hits the stores on January 3rd (I’ve already seen Walmart advertising it).  An animated film, the story follows  Sammy the turtle from being a new hatchling trying to make it to the sea and through the next fifty years of his life in the ocean.  Along the way he meets friends, the love of his life and learns about how things are changing in his enviroment.

Elle (age 7) and Enu (age 9) enjoyed watching A Turtle’s Tale and we passed it around to a few friends to watch. The under ten crowd has a lot of fun watching Sammy and his friends.

I also want to tell you about A Mile In His Shoes.  A Thomas Kinkade Production that comes to stores on January 10th,  is directed by William Dear (Angels in the Outfield) and stars Dean Cain and Luke Schroder.  Luke looks so much like his father it reminds me of Silver Spoons in the 80′s heyday!

Based on a true story A Mile In His Shoes  is a  DOVE approved PG movie that is perfect for the family.  The story about a young teen with Autism in the 1940′s and how he impacts the lives of others when he joins a baseball team.  This family film is great for ages 8-12 helping them learn that people who are different than them can be friends and be a part of a community.

 

 

(I received a copy of each of the above mentioned movies from Vivendi Entertainment  in exchange for my honest opinion about the movies. No other compensation was received.)

 

 

I was thrilled to be chosen to be a part of the BlogHer Book club!   If you read my blog you know that I’m all about reading a book. I have been thinking about my reading goals for 2012 since I met all my 2011 reading goals. One of those goals is to be in a book club and to review more books on my blog, so being apart of a BlogHer Book Club so early in the new year is perfect!

The book sent to me was The Magic Room:  A story about the love we wish for our daughters by Jeffrey Zaslow.  It goes on sale January 2, 2012. Zaslow is the bestselling author of The Girls From Ames and The Last Lecture.   I read parts of The Last Lecture but for some reason never read the entire book.  As a general rule I adore non-fiction, especially when it hits upon history and culture.  I was excited to read this book and to participate in the discussion.

A quick synopsis of The Magic Room:

The author spends time getting to know the owner of a well-known bridal shop in the middle of no-where Fowler, Michigan. This bridal shop has a  mirrored room with a tile pedestal that brides go into when they think they have found the dress.  Zaslow tells the stories of several different brides and their families.

From the first few chapters I had memories flood my mind of trying on a wedding dress for the first time.  I was at a fancy-smanzy department store in Columbus.  I was newly engaged and giggly.  We stopped by the bridal section just to look and the bored sales lady talked me into trying on a gown.  I picked a gorgeous, heavy silk gown that I know I could never afford.  I put it on, stepped on a pedestal and looked at myself in a mirror. I bawled like a baby.  There was something so amazing about seeing myself dressed in the traditional life changing dress.

Unfortunately after the first few chapters, the book started to wear on me.  Instead of following the title of the book , A story about the love we wish for our Daughters, I feel it was more a look at the societal changes of the past few decades and I must say the tone was a bit to judgmental for me.  While I am a sap at a good old-fashioned love story, I don’t presume to believe the only love is a traditional love.

All in all it wasn’t a bad book, just not what I had hoped it would be. If you enjoy reading non-fiction books with discussions of societal changes this would be a good book for you or if you are a wedding planner by trade or by hobby I think you too will like to read it.

Check out the discussion at the BlogHer Book Club page!

 

(Disclosure:  I received a copy of the above book and will receive compensation for participation in the BlogHer Book Club discussions and my review.  All opinions are my own.)

 

 

Way back in September I reviewed the DVD Monte Carlo.   A fun movie that my girl love and still put on to watch.  I thought I would remind you all that this DVD would make a great stocking stuffer for a tween girl in your life.

Directed by Nicole Kidman and staring Selena Gomez Monte Carlo is fun and age appropriate for those who are not yet teenagers but like to act as if they are (all my girls at this point!).

I want to thank Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment for giving me a copy of this movie last September and for giving a new copy away to my local Secret Santa program!  I believe in the power of giving and am thankful for all that I have from the little things to the big things.  I encourage everyone to find a local organization and give what you can, even if it doesn’t seem like a lot.  Every bit helps!

Follow Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on Twitter @FoxHomeEnt for more info on great DVDs!

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