N is for N-E-Where and N-E-Time at all down here in the deep blue sea!
Fun is exactly what our family got out of Connect Four – Spongebob Edition. This game brings the classic Connect Four I used to play when I was younger to my daughters. By integrating Nickelodeon’s Spongebob character in the children weren’t just playing a game they were interacting, quoting the show, and pretending to use the voices of the characters.
Instead of the standard red and black colors, Hasbro used Pink and Yellow. Why, you ask? Well just see for yourself.
The pink is Patrick Star, and the yellow is Spongebob! What a witty way to include the pieces. Gabrielle (3) loved playing on Patrick’s side she would say things like “That’s not my wallet” in a silly voice. Cayleigh (7) who played on Spongebob’s side would imitate Spongebob’s laugh or “Have you finished those errands?” For non SB fans they were quoting some of their favorite shows.
Connect Four is recommended for ages 6 and up, because of which Cayleigh and Gabs used the platform to make up their own game that Gabrielle could understand too. On top of the fantastic idea of having the pieces be the characters there is also an alternative way to play besides just creating four in a row either straight across, diagnolly, or upwards. Freeze your opponent out with the Spongebob blockers!You can use the Spongebob blocker to make it impossible for your opponent to put their piece in and block them from going further. But beware, if the checkers stack to the top of the grid the blocker can be taken away!
Our verdict: My daughters give Hasbro’s Connect Four a two thumbs up! This would make a great present for the Spongebob lover in your life. At $19.99 it is a game that brings the kids away from the television or electronics for awhile and just let’s them have fun!
I just finished eating lunch – peanut butter and jelly on flat bread – FlatOut flat bread to be specific – it’s one of my new favorite things – I found it in the deli section of our local supermarket and am blown away by it on two counts. First it is super soft, even a week after purchase it never cracks like tortilla breads typically will without steaming. Fresh out of my refrigerator, I am good to go. Second – it’s healthy!! I get the light version – the Italian herb is super yummy – which has only 90 calories in a wrap – no trans fats, no sugar, 9 grams of fiber and protein. It’s supported by that Best Life Diet that I’m always hearing about – personally I don’t do the ” Brand Name diet” thing – counting calories paired with some common sense is the best “diet” I’ve found.
Anyway, I was eating my so sophisticated peanut butter and jelly flatbread wrap, trying to decide, “Is this healthier than if I’d just eaten it on bread?” And I’m not sure – but it definitely felt more special. I also like to make a nice healthy hummus and spinach wrap with these flatbread things. They have been my go to’s for lunch lately but I’m a bit worried that before long I’ll be sick of them, too. You see I am constantly trying to find some great, healthy, filling, delicious lunch that isn’t a pain in the butt to make. And I’m fickle – it won’t be too much longer before I get bored of this.
What is your favorite thing to make for lunch? Any great new things you’ve found in your grocery store lately that I should know about? What did YOU have for lunch today?
Last Tuesday Sophie Kinsella’s book turned movie Confessions of a Shopaholic was released on DVD and Blu-Ray. For me, the release of this movie was huge – I loved the book and I love a good chick flick. I was mildly concerned that, like so many other books turned into movies, it wouldn’t live up to the hype in my mind, but rest assured, this movie was gooooood – like eating chocolate covered strawberries in a bubble bath while reading your favorite book and the kids are nowhere to be seen or heard good.
I think Kinsella’s original book was done a tremendous amount of justice – watching this movie doesn’t feel like seeing a poor rehashing of a well loved book – it feels fresh and exciting and well written and thoroughly enjoyable. This movie has got everything – it’s well written and funny and it makes you laugh and cry. And the seriously cute male lead, Luke Brandon (played by Hugh Dancy), who isn’t a jerk and does all the perfect things that the perfect guy would do – like paying an exorbitant amount of money to a hot dog vendor so that a cute stranger, main character Rebecca Bloomwood (played by Isla Fisher), can buy the perfect green scarf for her fake aunt in the hospital – that didn’t hurt either.
Rebecca has a lot of fake things going on – like her fake Finnish descent, fake excuses for not paying her bills and not accepting her status as a serious shopaholic – not to mention her fake qualifications and reasonings for becoming a financial journalist for Luke Brandon’s magazine, Successful Savings. But somehow, for awhile at least, she pulls it all off. Even when she’s being ridiculous, you can’t help but root for her. Isla Fisher did a terrific job with this part – I can’t imagine anyone else in her (gorgeous) stiletto shoes.
And Dancy and Fisher are just two of the great actors and actresses that made up the cast in this movie – Some other terrific cast members include Bloomwood’s best friend Suze, who is played by Krysten Ritter – who you might remember from her roles in Gilmore Girls, Veronica Mars, Gossip Girl, 27 Dresses AND What Happens In Vegas – I’ve loved this girl in everything I’ve seen her in and this movie was no exception – she’s really incredible. Two other big names are Joan Cusack and John Goodman (do I even need to mention the laundry list of great things we’ve seen them in?) who play Rebecca’s parents, who are basically the opposite of their daughter as far as money is concerned, which is good because she’ll need all the help and support from them she can get when that other stiletto finally drops!
If you have read the book, I think you will be very pleased with the movie version and if you haven’t read the book – don’t worry, it’s totally not a prerequisite. So if you are looking for the perfect romantic comedy to snuggle down with – Confessions of a Shopaholic is definitely it, in my humble opinion – I give it a solid A for Awesome.
I know you don’t know a lot about me, you know what I feel about products. You know what my family says about the the things we review too. What you don’t know about is the Moms behind Mommas Review. I want to share with you my struggles, experiences and more. Over time you will see more of the Mommas coming through on our blog. This is one of those times.
This is common knowledge for those who know me in real life. I am overweight. I always have been the bigger girl, it seems. I remember being twelve and going to the beach and my sisters all getting belly buttons pierced, because that is what they did. They were skinny and fantastic in their bikini’s. That was the year my mom suggested I wear a one-piece bathing suit, and I agreed. She promised me that if I lost the weight that I could get my belly button pierced too. Well the fifteen extra pounds on my short frame never came off. I tried Weight Watchers that year and lost ten pounds. It came back within a few months and then some.
At sixteen I weighed 155lbs, comfortably. I miss that size! I wasn’t overweight to the point that I felt like the “fat” girl whenever I walked into a room like I do now. I got pregnant at a young age, after I had the baby I was amazed at how fast the weight came on. I went up 30lbs and quickly. I got tested for everything: thyroid, diabetes, and more. All I could ask for is something to blame my weight on. But they all came back okay, the only thing I could blame the size of my butt on is myself.
After much YoYo dieting, and even losing 20lbs during pregnancy (I weighed the same at labor that I was when I got pregnant, it came back full force within months). Now I sit just under the dreaded 200lb point. Oh, how I hate admitting this for the world to see. Though, I think it’s important that I admit my faults first.
When I received the EA Sports Active, I said to myself “Yes! Andrea, you can totally do this. Let’s start tomorrow” And that tommorrow was June 1st. Except I didn’t. I woke up that day and in all the stress and daily life I went to bed thinking “Ok, I will definitely start tomorrow!” Now it is a month later and I’ve only done it once.
Once.
I’ve been delaying on posting this, because it means that I will really be starting. I will begin the EA Sports Active challenge. By doing so I will workout with this Wii game at least three times in the week. From Saturday to Saturday I will get up, turn on the Wii, put the leg band on and begin my challenge. I will tweet at each workout (@MommasReview) and I will need people pushing me. I will push right back if you need it. Accountability has always been my strong point. When I diet, I do it alone 90% of the time. I need to prove that I can actually do it this time.
For my first challenge week I will not be dieting. Only focusing on working out.
Goals Week One
Workout three times this week with EA Sports Active
Are you working out? What has been your experience with weight loss? Any tips or tricks? Would you like to join this journey with me?
As a review blog we find that the majority of our posts are related to products. Well, with Mommas Misadventures we invite you a bit into our lives. Into our ups and downs and what we are doing on a day to day basis. Feel free to join in and share your Misadventures on your blog, too. Tell us the little, big, and the in between. By focusing solely on products we have found that it’s harder to share the you behind the blog. So step up, don’t be scared, and share who you are and who you spend your time with.
My father, a veteran, is a hard working man. There is no half doing things in his life. He works for everything he has and does it with pride. He is my Daddy, always has been and always will be. People laughed at me when in high school I would say “I’ve got to call my Daddy.” Yes, it is childish, but it is endearing and I love him for always supporting me. He currently is working two jobs. He wakes up in the wee hours before daylight and goes to his first job, working maintenance in a furniture manufacturing company. He’s so skilled with his hands that he can fix anything! A few days a week he goes to his second job. Sure, he does it for spending money. But he also does it because he loves it.
He works at a Horse Farm! My eldest (not to be calling her old or anything) sister always wanted a pony, now my dad works around the farm with tons of them. Gina from Belle Wood Stables allowed my family to come visit my daddy on the farm two Saturdays ago. We were so excited to be able to visit, I kept this surprise from my daughters, which was practically impossible. The whole family ended up going, because that is how we roll. So besides my small family (me, my husband, and the two girls), my sister and her infant son came, as did my mother, and my other sister.
It was so cool to see where my dad worked. We met some fantastic horses. As a highlight to the day we were able to see a brand new addition to the stables. A gorgeous days old colt! His mom was there so we didn’t get too close. But she came over to inspect us and gave her seal of approval to look from afar. The colt, so young it was still without a name at our visit, reminded me of Bambi when the deer tried to stand in the movie and had those huge and spindly legs that were awkward to walk in. It’s coloring was a stunning brown that just shown in the sunlight.
To finish the day Gina introduced us to a pony sized horse, Reece (my dad called her Reeces Pieces). And offered to the girls to let them take a pony ride! Gabrielle (3) jumped up and down at the chance to get on this pony. She climbed up the small platform and climbed on with no fear. Gabs is like that, nothing scares her (unless it’s bugs), she will be my roller coaster riding, high diving, daredevil child. She already has the devil part down.
Cayleigh (7) talks all the time about wanting to ride a horse, so when it was her chance. She froze. That crazy kid did not want to get on! We finally coaxed her on and she did not want to get off. She rode for a good half hour and even learned some basics. She is so small, that it was like she was meant to ride. The owner said she was a “natural”, my girl a natural at horse back riding, who would have thought? So now Marc (my husband if you didn’t know) and I are considering lessons. Yes, they are expensive. But if you saw the joy and comfort on my daughters face you’d want to pay for them too!
Here is a slideshow from our day for your viewing pleasure. I am behind the camera so you won’t find me in the pictures. In these photos you will see my family members enjoying their day and the horses showing off!
So nobody told me that Zack Morris was on tv again. Then I started hearing these rumors about the actor who played him, Mark Paul Gosselaar, talking about blondes vs. brunettes and I was like, “Hmm, that’s weird.” Then I got a copy of season one of Raising The Bar, a legal drama on TNT, to review and after a couple seconds I nearly dropped my glass of root beer because, “OMG Zack is a brunette and he’s on this show!”
Evidence : Photographic Proof – It’s Really Him!
This realization was pretty cool but nowhere near as cool as the show itself. It does however lead into my Top 5 Reasons You Should Be Watching ‘Raising The Bar’…
If you were a fellow Zack Morris fan like myself, you now have an opportunity to get that Zack-fix you’ve been waiting for. Even better, you can enjoy that fix with your husband right next to you – and he’ll be too busy enjoying the actual show to make fun of you. If you can get past the hair, you should be set for an enjoyable evening. At first – the hair was a bit much for me and I couldn’t quite find the Zack we all knew and loved. But after an episode or two (you know the first episode of any new series is always the worst) he really gets into his groove with this new character, Jerry Kellerman, a brass public defender who always seems to be ruffling feathers as he fights for his latest cause.
The other characters, yeah they are pretty good, too! Michelle Emhard, played by Melissa Sagemiller, is the quite suddenly off-again flame of Kellerman’s and also one of his rivals in the world of law. She is almost always on the other side of his cases – something which rarely interfered with their personal relationship until it really did, big time – and now (at the time that I’m watching mid-way through season one) there is that whole relationship dynamic – love thrown off the tracks – that is oh so fun to watch. And she’s pretty. So your husband will be thrilled.
You really shouldn’t mix love and work – but it does make for good tv!
The plot line is actually really excellent. My husband actually called the pilot, “the best pilot for a show he’d ever seen.” He is seriously hooked and I’ve got to say, I am, too. I love how they really present all sides of a story (or twelve) with no real good guys or bad guys at the end of the day. Everyone is human – mistakes are made on all ends – and the result you hope for throughout the show may or may not be the best result. Even when the “good guy wins” it’s not always a good thing – and the good guy doesn’t always win. It’s very down to earth in that regard and it’s exciting but it’s also realistic.
The actors and actresses who are not Michelle and Jerry are also terrific. You’ll recognize Judge Trudy Kessler, played by Jane Kaczmarek from the hit tv series Malcom In The Middle. She is excellent, in that you really can’t stand her half the time, even though you almost understand where she is coming from, except – who can be so cruel to the adorable Jerry on such a frequent basis? And she’s just another of many, many fabulous faces in this legal drama which has officially become a favorite in our household.
Okay now for the “relevant to you here and NOW” part. Tonight at 10pm ET the newest episode from Season 2 (catch up on Season One now on DVD – or the first few episodes of Season 2 online) is one I think any mother blogger would be interested in. The episode is entitled, “No Child Left Behind (see a sneak preview here)” and reviews for this episode have been all over the net. You can read a great review by 5 Minutes For Mom here. The basic plot line is this: A man is arrested when an innocent bath time photo of his son online is picked up by a pervy website. See? This is a topic we all deal with frequently as mom bloggers – and according to 5 Minutes For Mom it’s really well done. I’m planning to record it on my DVR to watch asap (and hope I don’t get too many relationship spoilers from it!)
So – there you go – a great new legal drama for you to enjoy now with a fix of Zack Morris ogling and a topic relevant to you as a mom blogger. No need to thank me – unless you really, really want to.
Many of the shows for children on the popular channels annoy me to no end. I cringe whenever my daughter gets TV time and flips to them. The bad acting, the cheesy scripts, and the inappropriate story lines make me have her change the channel often.
The only show I will admit to enjoy watching is iCarly. I love the young cast. The fact that their clothing is so appropriate for what I would want my child to wear. Their adventures are mostly casual and though they are teenagers I find the violence to be silly or minimal and the “love” stories to have a minor play.
Miranda Cosgrove, who plays Carly, is a little star in the making. My daughter asks to meet her all the time. Out of the cast she and Sam’s character are my favorite. Their friendship is one that I want Cayleigh to have. It’s the type of relationship I coveted as a teenager. One that I miss the easy going and entertainment of it. Follow their adventures through making a Web Show duly titled “iCarly.” It will remind you of the old days of Waynes World, and who didn’t love Wayne and Garth on their couch.
The next time your child is looking for something to watch try stopping on iCarly if you haven’t before. You might just get sucked in to it like I do! To understand fully before tuning in check out iCarly Season 1 on DVD – I received Volume two and Cayleigh and I have spent some of our time together enjoying it. Buy it now at major retailers.
Have you watched The Secret Life of the American Teenager?
We recently received the second season on DVD. I will admit, I’ve never watched the show before. So when I popped in the DVD I was hesitant. I have so many shows that I already love to watch, so adding in one more and having it be about teenagers made me think twice. After watching the first three shows I am utterly sucked in.
This ABC Family series has brought on an onset of viewers from many ages who have laughed, cried, and joined in with the teens. Amy is getting close to her having her baby and not only has to deal with the child growing inside of her but also a secret marriage to Ben. Being a young mother myself I feel her pain along the way. Be sure to check out The Secret Life, and catch up with all of Season 2’s shows by purchasing it on DVD.
The Secret Life of the American Teenager: The Secret Wedding of the American Teenager
After Amy hears that she needs to find a job, she and Ben decide to get married. Meanwhile, Anne informs George she wants a divorce, and George moves into their garage to save money; and Ricky continues to seek out a relationship with Grace. ~ Jennifer Sankowski, All Movie Guide
The Secret Life of the American Teenager: Unforgiven
Ben and Amy’s relationship hits a rough patch when Ben tells her he needs some space. Elsewhere, Anne and George interview people who are interested in adopting Amy’s baby. ~ Jennifer Sankowski, All Movie Guide
The Secret Life of the American Teenager: Money for Nothing and Chicks for Free
A possible employment opportunity opens up for Anne. Elsewhere, Adrian makes an effort to change her style, and Jack continues to help those in need by raising funds for underprivileged children. ~ Jennifer Sankowski, All Movie Guide
The Secret Life of the American Teenager: Whoomp! (There it Is)
As Amy’s due date inches nearer, Grace and Adrian decide to throw a baby shower for her. While preparing for the party, Jack and Grace have a moment where they reconnect. ~ Jennifer Sankowski, All Movie Guide
The Secret Life of the American Teenager: And Unto Us, a Child is Born
In the first-season finale, Amy gives birth to her son and has a difficult time adjusting to life as a mom. Ricky takes a liking to fatherhood and forms a friendship with Ben; and George and Ashley surprise Anne by moving out. ~ Jennifer Sankowski, All Movie Guide
The Secret Life of the American Teenager: One Night at Band Camp
As Amy goes into labor, she flashes back to the first time she met Ricky at band camp and how he charmed her. Elsewhere, Tom tries to get Grace and Jack back together, and Adrian realizes she still cares for Ricky. ~ Jennifer Sankowski, All Movie Guide
The Secret Life of the American Teenager: Maybe Baby
Amy’s friends come to her aid by developing a plan regarding her decision about the baby. ~ Jennifer Sankowski, All Movie Guide
The Secret Life of the American Teenager: Making Up is Hard to Do
Ricky tries to ruin the adoption. Elsewhere, Ashley goes to Ben and attempts to persuade him to go back to Amy. ~ Jennifer Sankowski, All Movie Guide
The Secret Life of the American Teenager: Chocolate Cake
Amy and Ricky talk about the possibility of adoption, but the discussion turns into an argument. Elsewhere, George’s coworker approaches George to inquire about adopting Amy’s baby; and Adrian gets close with her stepbrother. ~ Jennifer Sankowski, All Movie Guide
The Secret Life of the American Teenager: Baked Nevada
Ben and Amy’s parents learn about their nuptials, and the news leads to a brief reunion between Anne and George. Elsewhere, Adrian’s dad attempts to uncover who created the fake IDs. ~ Jennifer Sankowski, All Movie Guide
The Secret Life of the American Teenager: The Father and the Son
Ricky’s abusive dad (Bryan Callen) arrives in town with a proposal for how Ricky should handle impending fatherhood, and Amy starts to seriously consider giving the baby up for adoption. ~ Jennifer Sankowski, All Movie Guide
The Secret Life of the American Teenager: That’s Enough of That
Amy reaches the stage in her pregnancy where she has the opportunity to find out the baby’s sex. Elsewhere, as Jack works to complete community service, he thinks that he witnesses Bob violating his parole; Ricky tells Grace’s parents that he loves her. ~ Jennifer Sankowski, All Movie Guide
I’m getting to that point in my pregnancy – even my longest of maternity shirts are no match for my bulging expectant belly and I find myself constantly pulling my shirts down. Another strange phenomenon? As my belly gets larger, the rest of me seems to be getting smaller. I know, to have such problems. But that means my pants are getting bigger – and constantly slouching down, which doesn’t help with the shirts that are rising up. It makes for a lot pulling up and pulling down and wishing my clothes would just stay in place!
Enter Pocket Dots, whose catchy slogan, “They grip so pants don’t slip!” really does say it all. Designed for anyone, pregnant or otherwise (seriously even when I wasn’t pregnant I think I was having the same slippage problem – anyone else?), by fellow mother, Annie, whose been there, done that, AND come up with a brilliant solution. They are kind of like suspenders without the big strap – you just take one end and clip it to your back pocket, then take the other end and clip it to your shirt, camisole, undershirt or belly band. Now you are good to go!
I’ve tried my Pocket Dots a couple of times and they really do work – there was no more tugging and pulling – and it got me to thinking – if you can use them on the back pocket, why not the front pocket, too? And guess what? It worked. So whether you are having problems in the front or back, Pocket Dots will have you covered, literally.
My only real complaint is a minor one that is more funny than problematic – bathroom breaks (something that happens a lot being pregnant). The Dots are so effective that I literally forget I’m wearing them until I go to the ladies room and find that I cannot pull my pants down! That shows you how strong they are! I’m willing to bet most women have a memory bank large enough to remind themselves to un-clip before they unzip, but this is me – the woman who has to walk back to the car several times just to make sure it’s really locked. So if you are memory impaired like myself, I suppose that’s something to keep in mind – not that it’s stopped me from wearing them!
Win It!
The fabulous Annie is offering up one pair of Pocket Dots to one lucky winner! Here’s how you can enter to win:
Check out the Pocket Dots website and tell us which color you’d prefer. This is mandatory – if not done, all other entries will be null and void.
For a second entry you can tweet about this giveaway once a day until giveaway is closed. Leave a comment for each tweet – Need some tweet-spiration? “@mommasreview is giving away one pair of Pocket Dots – they grip so your pants won’t slip! www.mommasreview.com”
Post about it on your blog and leave a comment here with the URL of your post and get five extra entries. Leave five comments for this extra entry opportunity.
For a final entry, subscribe to our RSS feed, leaving a comment here to tell us you’ve done so. We’ll be posting more giveaways on Momma’s Review soon so subscribing will be a great way for you to stay informed about all the great things you can win in the days and weeks to come.
This giveaway is open to US readers only! The contest will close at 12:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday July 8th.
Just a heads up to all of the Stephanie Plum fans out there – Evanovich’s newest Plum novel, Finger Lickin’ Fifteen hit bookstore shelves today. I know I am anxiously looking forward to reading the latest installment. If you are also waiting impatiently for your next Plum fix, you can satiate the cravings a tiny bit with the new online tour of The Burg – take a peek inside Morelli’s house, figure out how to get from The Bail Bonds building to Cluck In a Bucket – and more, of course. This website is super cute and one I don’t think any Plum fan will want to miss.
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