Sunday, March 20, 2011

HOP Movie Pre-Screening

hop_wallpaper_1280_2 I was so excited when SocialMoms gave me the opportunity to take my boys to see a pre-screening of the upcoming movie Hop from Universal Pictures. I had only seen a couple previews and it looked really cute. So Saturday morning we woke up early and headed down to the Mall of America to join other families going to see it.

We rarely get to see movies in the theater and typically only go to the MOA when there’s an event. I didn’t tell my boys what we were doing until we got there! I love surprises!IMG_5529

First of all, the CGI in this movie was fantastic! The way the actors interacted with E.B. was top notch! It is so amazing what they can do these days. E.B. really came to life on the big screen! I’m pretty sure at some point I didn’t realize he was computer generated any more. The details in E.B. were out of this world.

As for the movie itself, I had one major issue that showed up at the very beginning of the movie. Being that E.B. doesn’t want to be the Easter Bunny he heads of to Hollywood to fulfill his dream. He believes he’s found the place to start with the Playboy mansion.

Playboy mansion and children’s movie do NOT go together in my book. I am going to have some restraint because I could make an entire post about how ridiculous, unnecessary, and irresponsible it is to have this in the movie, but I won’t. Suffice it to say, this part should be cut before it goes out to theaters everywhere.

E.B. doesn't go into the mansion or interact with any Bunnies, but stands at the gate talking to Hugh Hefner. They show the gate with the Playboy Bunny emblem. Maybe I'm too strict when it comes to what's included in the movies my kids see, I don't know.

Yes, some adults will think it’s amusing, but I think many parents won’t be very happy having to find a way to explain it to children who are old enough to wonder about it. Trust me, my son was asking me various questions throughout the movie and he’s 11.

E.B. was also quite the ladies, er, bunny. He talked a couple times about the ladies and was seriously loving on Fred’s sister. They actually show a clip of that at the end of this video. Maybe they were trying to make E.B. seem like your “average” 20-something bunny?

Alright, with that out of the way, let me tell you what I did enjoy. The music was fun and my boys were rocking out in their seats. I wish I would’ve brought a pen and paper to take notes because there were some hilarious moments throughout the movie! Of course if I could’ve had my phone on I could’ve used my notes app. LOL

I liked the storyline because it’s so important for us as parents not to push our hopes and dreams for our children’s lives onto them. If they’ve found something they’re passionate about then we should do our best to encourage them.

hop_wallpaper_1680_11 Carlos, the mean head chick, was out to steal the leadership of Easter. What surprised me was there were no consequences in the end for all the chicks who decided to go against the Easter Bunny. Carlos did get a position that made him inferior to others, but aside from that no one else was punished or reprimanded for almost killing the Easter Bunny, Fred, and E.B. I like it when characters, even cartoon characters, have consequences for their choices.

Admittedly, I think I laughed more during the movie than pretty much everyone, and I’m an out loud laugher! I did try to contain myself when I realized no one else was laughing with me.

hop_icon_3 I’m not sure that this movie is really for kids as much as it would be for tweens and adults. The dialogue goes so fast sometimes, the exchange between the characters goes so quickly, your mind has to process what they said and then it’s funny. Not all the time mind you, but enough that if I feel like I couldn’t keep up, I’m sure my boys didn’t either.

There were plenty of crude moments that my boys found hilarious! A lot of comments or jokes kind of went over their heads, but you could tell the adults got them. Seeing this a 2nd time to catch all the jokes I missed might be a good idea. I have a feeling my boys are going to be spending a lot of time on YouTube watching the trailers and any videos that include E.B.IMG_5530My boys walked away really liking this movie and my 7yo old danced his way out of the theater. He also said, “coup d'état is French for coup d'état”. I was surprised that he caught that and repeated it correctly. I know they’ll want to add this to their movie collection, no doubt.

I’m not a movie critic, just a mom who went to enjoy a movie with her boys. Overall I thought this was a good movie with a few hiccups, being that it’s promoted to kids. I think out of 5 stars I’d give it a 3 1/2.

I want to thank SocialMoms for providing the tickets to see this movie. I was not asked to write a post for them or the movie and was not compensated in any way.

Kidorable Partnering With Children’s Cancer Research Fund

logo From March 21 through April 4, Kidorable is partnering with the Children’s Cancer Research Fund to help you support a great cause (and get a cool free gift, too).  
 
My readers can receive a free Kidorable umbrella when they make a minimum $20 purchase on www.kidorable.com.  Kidorable will donate 10% of their purchase to the Children's Cancer Research Fund, bringing kids health, hope and happiness by revolutionizing the way childhood cancer is treated worldwide.  umbrellas

Flutter on over to www.kidorable.com and use coupon code CCRFUMB2 at checkout to get their free umbrella, and help save a child’s life. Add your free umbrella to their cart first.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Dinner Drama With Barber Foods Seasoned Selects $25 Giveaway

logo I’m not sure if you and your family runs into drama at dinner time or if it’s only me. The first thing that happens when I start dinner is my boys want to know what we’re having. Not just out of curiosity, but because they are going to try to figure out if they’re going to like dinner or not.IMG_5518Thankfully when we have Barber Foods Seasoned Selects the drama is at a dull roar. The complaints typically come from the side dishes.

So, what kind of drama am I talking about? Not the fun and amusing kind. More like my 7you throwing up because he’s thought about the food in front of him for so long he’s psyched himself out.


sidedetails_cxparm_pasta When I decided to make the Simple & Delicious Angel Hair Pasta featured as a side dish at Barber Foods, I figured there’d be drama involved. Guess what? There wasn’t. My 11yo isn’t a noodle eater so I didn’t even offer it to him, but my 7yo, the puker, scooped a spoonful onto his plate. To say I cringed would be putting it mildly.


I mean, hello, it had tomatoes and spinach in it!! Green and red colors in noodles. This was not going to go well.Barber Meal frozen, cooked, and eaten


Get this, the puker ate it ALL. Ok, he neglected to scoop up the tomatoes, but he ate the spinach with NO drama! I kept telling him how proud I was of him with every bite I took. My boys are starting to see that if they try something and don’t like it, that’s ok. It’s the fact that they even try something that makes the difference.



Check out Barber Foods recipes section of the site for a complete list of succulent side dishes and sauces here: http://bit.ly/aLqEKY


*As a side note, these make fantastic meals for college students. My daughter can take them out of the box and stick them in her little mini-fridge freezer.


Here’s your opportunity to win a $25 Grocery Gift Card.


Required: Tell me about your own last-minute dinner drama.


Giveaway open to US residents only 18 yrs or older. Please leave your email in the required entry or have it available in your profile. No email/contact = No entry. Giveaway ends 4/2/11 at 11:59 PST. Winner has 48 hours to respond.


Extra Entries:


Follow Woven by Words (1 entry)


Subscribe to Woven by Words (2 entries, comment 2x)


Follow me on Twitter and leave your twitter handle (1 entry)


Follow Barber Foods on Twitter and leave your twitter handle (1 entry)


Tweet this giveaway & leave a link with your tweet (1 entry daily) “RT #Win a $25 Grocery Gift Card from @barberfoods Enjoy Seasoned Selects #giveaway @bigguysmama http://bit.ly/hUbc0S


Like me on Facbook and leave your FB name (2 entries, comment 2x)


Like Barber Foods on Facebook (1 entry)


Follow my NetworkedBlogs: left sidebar (1 entry)


Enter my other giveaways: top right (1 entry each current giveaway)


I’d like to thank Barber Foods for sending me products to try and a gift card for purchasing ingredients for my side dish. The opinions expressed are my own and never influenced by the company.


So You Think You Can Dance?

Franks Red Hot Logo SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE?

ENTER THE FRANK’S® REDHOT®
BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP DANCE CONTEST
FOR A CHANCE TO WIN BIG!

Contest Launches Wednesday, March 2nd

Chester, NJ (March 2011) —Do you love the rush of excitement you get from the big, bold taste of Frank’s® RedHot® Buffalo Chicken Dip? If so, it’s time to channel that energy and start creating some signature dance moves for a chance to win big. So get your groove on and show us how you get down on the dance floor by creating an original Buffalo Chicken Dip Dance. There’s no time to waste, just visit the Frank’s RedHot Facebook page at www.facebook.com/FranksRedHot and click on the Contest tab to download the Official Buffalo Chicken Dip Remix. Then start to choreograph your steps and when you’ve polished the moves, upload your video to enter! If your dance receives the most online votes, you’ll win a Frank’s RedHot Party to Go Pack complete with:

•         Frank’s® RedHot® Traveling Party Bar
•         iPod/mp3 PA system
•         Frank’s Helmet, Gear and Sauce
•         Portable Dance lighting
•         Inflatable Basketball Cooler
•         Twister Moves Dance Game
•         Jock Jams

The more you share your moves, the more likely you are to get friends and family to vote for your performance and it’s the popular vote that decides the final winner. So what are you waiting for?

Enter solo or create your own dance ensemble with your pals. Rock your block, your co-workers and start stringing those steps together for a display worthy of the big stage. Once your dance is final, just follow the rules online and upload it to the contest application.

We’ll accept entries from March 2nd through March 23rd at 11:59 PM EDT. Then it’s time to rally friends and family and have them vote for their favorite entry anytime between March 24th and March 30th. Vote once a day for your favorite entry or vote for multiple entries in a single day, but no more than one vote total per entry. All entries must be original and performed to the official remix tune with entries are limited to one per person.

In the meantime, whip up a batch of Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Chicken Dip for the energy and inspiration you’ll need to create the winning moves:Franks Red Hot Dip

FRANK’S® REDHOT® BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP

This robust creamy dip tastes like Buffalo Chicken Wings but without the mess! Serve hot with celery sticks, veggies or your favorite chips. I learned about this recipe from a friend a couple years ago and it’s a favorite for parties! I love this stuff on a personal note!

Prep Time: 5 min.  Cook Time:  20 min.

1 (8 oz.) package Cream cheese, softened
½ cup Blue cheese or ranch salad dressing
½ cup any flavor FRANK’S® REDHOT® Sauce
½ cup Crumbled blue cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese
2 cans (12.5 oz. each) SWANSON® White Premium Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained      

1. HEAT oven to 350ºF. Place cream cheese into deep baking dish. Stir  until smooth.
2. MIX in salad dressing, Frank’s RedHot sauce and cheese. Stir in chicken.
3. BAKE 20 minutes or until mixture is heated through; stir. Garnish as desired. Serve with crackers or cut up vegetables.

Makes 4 cups dip

Microwave Directions:  Prepare as above. Place in microwave-safe dish. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 5 min. until hot, stirring halfway through cooking.

Tips:  You may substitute 2 cups shredded cooked chicken.

Slow Cooker Method: Combine ingredients as directed above. Place mixture into small slow cooker. Cover pot. Heat on HIGH setting for 1 ½ hours until hot and bubbly or on LOW setting for 2 ½ to 3 hours. Stir.

Tailgating Tip: Prepare dip ahead and place in heavy disposable foil pan. Place pan on grill and heat dip until hot and bubbly.

FRENCH’S Foods, a division of Reckitt Benckiser Inc., the maker of FRANK’S® REDHOT® Cayenne Pepper Sauce, is a leading manufacturer, marketer, and distributor of food and household products. Some other well known, trusted household names in the Reckitt Benckiser Inc. family of food products include, FRENCH’S® mustards and FRENCH’S® French Fried Onions.

*I have not been compensated in any way for this post.

Friday, March 18, 2011

For Japan With Love

forjapanwithlove_blog1 I’m just finding out about this blogger recognition of the devastation in Japan right now so I’m a bit late in getting the word out. My blog post that I had prepared for tomorrow is going on the back burner. You’ll see it on Saturday.

For now, I want to tell you about the Blogger Day of Silence. You can see and learn more from Ever Ours. Here’s what Utterly Engaged says is involved:

There are two parts to it.

Fundraising:

For Japan With Love has a direct link on the website to our fundraising page for ShelterBox. ShelterBox was one of THE first organizations asked by Japan to help and were on hand on the Saturday after the quake. Each large, green ShelterBox is tailored to a disaster but typically contains a disaster relief tent for an extended family, blankets, water storage and purification equipment, cooking utensils, a stove, a basic tool kit, a children’s activity pack and other vital items.

Please check it out and whatever you can contribute will be so appreciated.

Bloggers Day of Silence:

Anyone that has a blog can help out with this one.

The aim is just raise awareness and respect and acknowledge the devastation going on in Japan.

The guidelines are simple.
1. This coming Friday, March 18th, no posts at all on your blog.
2. Please post a blog post about what you will be doing this Friday whenever possible in hopes to spread the word and whoever else would like to join in. You all can check out what Lydia of Ever-Ours did for her’s here or how we did ours here and do it your way if you’d like. We’ll be posting a reminder post on Thursday evening on my blog too.
3. Tweet and Re-Tweet the shiznit out of the link to http://www.forjapanwithlove.com/ please.
4. Encourage your readers to contribute to donate shelter to Japan.
Whatever anyone can contribute will be appreciated.
Every little helps.

I have seen bits and pieces of the news, but it’s so overwhelming I have a hard time seeing it. Hearing the miracles of someone being found 5 days after the earthquake is a testament to ability to survive extreme conditions. Seeing the baby pulled from the rubble must’ve given those rescuers so much joy and hope.

If you are able to donate, please click the links above. If not, continue praying for the survivors, especially in the wake of the nuclear reactor. We live only 15 miles as the crow flies from a nuclear reactor and it really kind of freaks me out seeing all of this happen. It hits close to home in a different way for me.

Blessings on your Friday, and I will see you again on Saturday!

 
Creative Commons License
Woven by Words by Mimi B is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.