Friday, March 30, 2012

Aloha Friday - Final Four


Welcome to this week’s edition of Aloha Friday, hosted by Kailani over at An Island Life. In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day to take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So, on Fridays we can take it easy on blog posting, too.

I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer - nothing that requires a lengthy response. If you’d like to participate, visit An Island Life where you can link up with your own question and also visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

For those of you who follow college basketball, you are probably aware of the Final Four games that are coming up this weekend. I was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky and still live only about 15 minutes away from Louisville. So, the University of Kentucky - University of Louisville game this weekend is a huge deal around these parts. The two teams are already big rivals and this will be the first time they've ever met up for the Final Four. There's so much revelry and smack talk going on back and forth - it's crazy!

I support both teams but when it comes down to it, UofK is my team -- we "bleed blue" as the saying goes. Can't wait for the game - Go Cats!


What about you? Are you a fan of college basketball? Will you be watching the Final Four games this weekend?





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Thursday, March 29, 2012

Hide The Snacks!

With four kids (tweens/teens) in the house, snacks can disappear practically before I get them out of the shopping bag. I have to laugh because my kids, especially the youngest (he is 11), have been known to hide snacks so that they can have them all to themselves. Because of that, I never know when I'm going to come across some hidden goodies.

Case in point...I was looking for something on the top shelf of my kitchen pantry. See the rolled up pastry mat?....

On closer inspection, you can see what's hidden away inside the rolled up pastry mat...a package of cheese crackers!


They crack me up! But, I guess I should come clean and confess that I have a hiding spot of my own for my Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs. They are my big weakness when it comes to sweet treats and I'm not fond of sharing them, LOL!

Have you or anyone in your house ever resorted to stashing/hiding snacks?




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Wednesday, March 28, 2012

You Get What You Pay For

You get what you pay for. It's true. Particularly when you buy $6 made-in-China bath towels from Target.

For the longest time, I have needed to replace our bath towels. Ours had become so old and practically thread-bare. There were a few times that the old towels actually ripped in my hands as I was drying off in the shower. But, even though they were in pitiful shape, I was a bit attached to our old towels. You know, like the way you have that favorite comfy t-shirt that you keep wearing even though you know it should be thrown away. That's how I felt about the towels. I prefer a soft but thin towel, and these were just that.

It finally got so bad that every time I laundered the towels, I ended up with a mess of threads and strings and fuzzballs -- they were literally falling apart. My husband insisted that it was time to buy new towels once and for all. One day we happened to be at Target together (which is very odd and rare, we never shop together) so we picked out some $6 bath towels. They were a pretty gray color and very soft and seemed fairly decent. See, here they are:

I brought them home and washed them right away. I couldn't believe it but once again, I ended up with a ton of fuzzballs that came off the new towels. I thought maybe since they were new and plush, it would take one or two wash cycles and then they would be fine. But, I have now washed them at least five times and every time it's a huge fuzzy mess. Even when we take a dry towel out to use for bathing, we end up with fuzzballs all over the shower and bathroom floor. It's a mess and it's ridiculous! My husband wants to return them but I lost the receipt and anyway, we have used them numerous times, so ewww! I don't think we should return them.

I guess we will have to buy some different bath towels. Preferably towels that are not $6 and made-in-China. After all, you get what you pay for!



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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Movie Trailer Tuesday - The Rebound



Sandy (Catherine Zeta-Jones) is a beautiful 40 year old mother of two. Newly divorced, she takes her children and moves to New York City to start a new life. She soon finds herself in an unexpected romantic relationship -- with her 20-something male nanny (Justin Bartha). Is it just a rebound fling or could it be the real thing?

Very sweet and funny story. John Schneider is hysterical as the slimeball blind date of Sandy...very funny and let me just say ewwww!

Rated R for language, sexual content, and brief drug use.





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Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Saying Goodbye


We had to say goodbye to our beloved family pet, Emma, on Saturday. It was pretty devastating to all of us. You may remember that she was badly injured from a fall last September and had to undergo surgery. She had her second surgery a couple weeks ago and we thought that she was doing really well. But this past Monday she just suddenly stopped eating and did nothing but lay around - she was actually unable to walk or move around much at all. When we took her to the vet she had a fever of 105 and they discovered she had a bulging disc in her cervical-thoracic area that was pressing on her nerves. She was hospitalized and given IV fluids, pain meds, steroids, and antibiotics. She underwent laser therapy as well. At first she showed a slight bit of improvement but then went right back to being unable to bear weight. She was in a lot of pain, unable to get up on her own, and there was not much else to be done for her. We had to make the painful decision to have her euthanized and end her suffering. The kids were so upset and chose not to go see her one last time at the vet hospital. Emma had been pretty out of it from all the morphine she was on, but when we went there Saturday, she knew us right away. It was just about the saddest thing ever because she literally started crying as we started to leave her. I was a bawling mess and it killed me to walk away. I feel so guilty but I just couldn't bear to be there in her final moments so we left right before.


Emma was the absolute best pet we could ever ask for. She was so sweet and loving and well-behaved. I can't even tell you how much we all miss her. She was an inside dog and always wanted to be right in the middle of things. She especially loved to jump right in to the wrestling/tickling matches my husband and kids always had. I don't think that she realized she was a 70+ pound dog...she thought she was a little kiddo! Whenever we came home, she would always be waiting at the door to greet us. It seems so strange that she is not here. But, I know that we were very blessed to have such a special pet that was a part of our family for eight years.



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Movie Trailer Tuesday - Warrior



Brendan and Tommy are two brothers whose lives have taken very different paths. Brendan is a high school physics teacher with a wife and two children. Tommy, a former marine, is angry and damaged by events from the past. Not only have they cut ties with one another, they are also estranged from their alcoholic father. But, they're all about to be brought back together when the brothers enter the world of mixed martial arts fighting.

Okay...I have to say that I am not a fan of mixed martial arts fighting (or fighting sports of any kind). It seems so violent to me and I just don't care for it at all. However, it's what this story is centered around and so it's a huge part of the movie. I confess that I looked away or covered my eyes for many of the actual fight scenes (they were intense and left me on the edge of my seat!). But, the story of these brothers and their reasons for entering this brutal world of fighting completely drew me in. These guys are all fighting so hard - Brendan, to save his family from financial ruin; Tommy, to honor a promise made to a dying comrade and maybe find some forgiveness along the way; and their father, trying to make amends with his two sons. It's such an emotional movie (you should know me well enough by now to know that it made me cry!) and I highly recommend it.

Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense mixed martial arts fighting, some language and thematic material.






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Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Movie Trailer Tuesday - Happythankyoumoreplease



I had never heard of this movie, it was just something I happened to come across while flipping through the movie channel guide on television. With a title like 'Happythankyoumoreplease' I was instantly intrigued. The info sounded like a familiar theme - young, self-absorbed, twenty-something New Yorkers trying to find their way/find love, etc. But, I usually like those kind of movies so I recorded it on my DVR and watched it a few days later.

I absolutely adored this movie! The characters were kinda quirky and had their flaws but I fell in love with each and every one of them. Even with the familiar theme, the story was completely unique. Very sweet and heartwarming!

Stars Josh Radnor, who many of us know and love as Ted on How I Met Your Mother. He also wrote and directed the film.

Rated R

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Upcoming Movies - The Lone Ranger


Photo by Peter Mountain courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Publicity

There's not a lot of details out yet, but here's a first look at The Lone Ranger from Disney/Bruckheimer Films. It stars Johnny Depp, as Tonto, and Armie Hammer, as the masked avenger. It's scheduled for release in May 2013.

I'll be looking forward to this one!






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Friday, March 9, 2012

Spreading The News About: McDonald's "Happy Meal Chefs" Contest


I wanted to let you know about a fun contest going on with McDonald's. It's called the "Happy Meal Chefs" contest and it's going on now through April 18, 2012. Here are the details from McDonald's:

Do you and your kids love to cook together using wholesome ingredients? Well, here’s good news for your family – our new “Happy Meal Chefs” contest will give two winning parent and child teams the opportunity to help McDonald’s executive chef Dan Coudreaut in the creation and testing of new, nutrition-minded Happy Meal choices. That’s right! Your child could win an apprenticeship with McDonald’s executive chef and help his team whip up new fun and goodness in the Happy Meal! Adding to the excitement, ten finalists will win a trip to the London 2012 Olympic Games as part of the Global Champions of Play program where they will join kids from around the world to celebrate balanced eating and fun play.

Parents or legal guardians with children ages 8-11 may enter via the Happy Meal Chefs contest website. To enter, your family team will answer a short questionnaire and submit a video showing off your mealtime creativity.

The "Happy Meal Chefs" contest is part of McDonald's commitment to make nutrition fun for kids. Along with the contest, also watch for new tv campaigns featuring healthy food options that can be found with McDonald's Happy Meals. These ads will feature new characters that encourage kids to be healthy and active.

If you think you and your child have what it takes to be a "Happy Meal Chef" then don't let this amazing opportunity pass you by. Contest is open to U.S. residents 18 or older who are parents or legal guardians of a child 8-11 yrs. Subject to Official Rules.


I am helping McDonald's to spread the word about this contest. In exchange, I may receive McDonald's coupons to share with my readers. Any opinions expressed are my own.





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Aloha Friday - Treat Yourself


Welcome to this week’s edition of Aloha Friday, hosted by Kailani over at An Island Life. In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day to take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So, on Fridays we can take it easy on blog posting, too.

I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer - nothing that requires a lengthy response. If you’d like to participate, visit An Island Life where you can link up with your own question and also visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

I've just handed you $500 and you can only spend it on yourself today...what would you do and/or buy?




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Wednesday, March 7, 2012

My Favorite Movie Dance Scenes

Unfortunately, I'm not much of a dancer myself (can you say "two left feet!"). But, I can appreciate a good movie dance scene. They are always fun to watch. Here are a few of my favorites:


Doc Hollywood - This is one of those cute, feel-good movies that I could watch over and over. The dance scene between Michael J. Fox and Julie Warner takes place outdoors at a small town carnival. It's just so dreamy and romantic and the song, Crazy by Patsy Cline, happens to be one of my all-time favorites.





This Christmas - Make sure and stick around for the closing credits to see this fun dance scene. Watch it and try to tell me it doesn't make you want to get up and dance, too!





Hitch - Another fun end-of-the-movie dance scene.





You Again - I could only find a small clip of this one to post but you can go to YouTube to see the entire dance scene clip. This is seriously one of the funniest things ever! My 15 yr. old daughter and I were watching the movie and we laughed till we cried. Two generations of women get caught up in a dance-off while at a pre-wedding dance class. Jamie Lee Curtis and Victor Garber are hilarious and you gotta love anything that involves Betty White. Really, really funny! Remember to click over and watch the full scene...







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Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Coming Soon - John Carter In Theaters March 9, 2012

We've been seeing the John Carter previews on tv and can't wait to check it out. It looks like it has just the right combination of action/adventure and romance...something my whole family can enjoy.


From Academy Award–winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton comes “John Carter”—a sweeping action-adventure set on the mysterious and exotic planet of Barsoom (Mars). “John Carter” is based on a classic novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, whose highly imaginative adventures served as inspiration for many filmmakers, both past and present. The film tells the story of war-weary, former military captain John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), who is inexplicably transported to Mars where he becomes reluctantly embroiled in a conflict of epic proportions amongst the inhabitants of the planet, including Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) and the captivating Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins). In a world on the brink of collapse, Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes that the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands.




Rated PG-13; John Carter arrives in theaters March 9th.

For more information, visit the official movie site or check out the John Carter facebook page.


Information used in this post provided courtesy of Disney. All opinions expressed are my own.




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Friday, March 2, 2012

Aloha Friday - March 2, 2012


Welcome to this week’s edition of Aloha Friday, hosted by Kailani over at An Island Life. In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day to take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So, on Fridays we can take it easy on blog posting, too.

I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer - nothing that requires a lengthy response. If you’d like to participate, visit An Island Life where you can link up with your own question and also visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!


Is there something you would like to do but have always been to scared to try?





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