I previously shared why I enjoyed Oz the Great and Powerful after screening it in 3D.  While some were very critical of the story line, acting, and visuals – I thought it was beautiful, well acted and cast, and the story engaging.  Making a prequel to the well known Wizard of Oz movie was no easy feat.  The two are constantly compared (often unfairly since they both are inspired and based upon the books).  As we know, film adaption from books is never quite the same.  Our attachments to the written stories can affect our opinions greatly.

I have yet to read the Oz collection by Baum, but I recently downloaded the 14 book collection ebook (Amazon link).  Currently I’m trying to decide if I should start reading them on my own or wait a bit and read them with the kids.

Anyway, I am a huge fan of Bluray extra features and was excited to receive this movie for review.  Usually I can count on only a handful of extras, of which I really enjoy one or two.  This one?  Wow, does this one deliver! I haven’t finished watching all of them yet.

I do want to make a quick note that after seeing the film in 3D at the theater, then 2D at home, I really prefer the 3D version.  Some scenes look awkward or cheesy in 2D but they worked well in 3D.

All right – now on to the extras!

• The Magic of “Oz The Great and Powerful” (Second Screen Experience)
• Bloopers
• My Journey in Oz by James Franco – A personal story produced and directed by James Franco.
• Mr. Elfman’s Musical Concoctions – An interview with composer Danny Elfman unveils his inspiration in scoring “Oz The Great And Powerful.”
• China Girl and the Suspension of Disbelief – This feature uncloaks the several forms of movie magic employed to bring China Girl to life, from the initial artwork and character design, to the on-set puppeteering during filmmaking, and finally, through each stage of the visual-effects process; and includes an interview with Joey King, the voice of China Girl.
• Before Your Very Eyes: From Kansas to Oz – Production designer Robert Stromberg takes viewers through the set design of the Land of Oz, from sketching his original ideas on a napkin, through to the final set pieces and the accompanying visual effects.
• Mila’s Metamorphosis – Lead makeup artist Howard Berger expands on one of the oldest, most tried-and-true forms of movie magic: makeup design and effects.
• Walt Disney and the Road to Oz – It is well known that Walt Disney had a fascination with the Land of Oz since he was a child.  See how that fascination grew into inspiration as he began planning for his own adaptation of the stories in the classic Baum books.

My favorites (so far) are Walt Disney and the Road to Oz and My Journey in Oz by James Franco.  Both of these are lengthy features, but provide a lot of insight into the making of the movie.  I really enjoyed how Franco interviewed other cast members and looking at how he worked with Braff.  The sets use mostly green screens and it is amazing how they work within that.

I didn’t know Walt’s history with the story of Oz, but it was a movie he chased after for years, testing it out with the Mouseketeers.  Things could have been quite different had he attempted the movie back then.  Another studio got the rights first though.  Took a long time, but Disney finally brought the story of the Wizard to us!

Wicked Witch Time Lapse

Watching how they transformed Mila is interesting too.  She definitely looks more frightening than the Wicked Witch I grew up with.

Order your copy on Amazon (affiliate link) today!

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I almost feel silly to bring this up again.  I mean, I’ve told you before how I’ve struggled with my weight and self-image for years.  I’ve discussed why I want to be healthy and teach my kids how to be healthy… For awhile I was posting my weigh ins and workout updates… but then stopped after I slipped off track.

I figured I would just ignore it instead of facing you all. I was ashamed.

Why do we do that to ourselves? Feel shame and guilt for mistakes when we need to learn and move on?

(Video)

Anyway, I wanted to come clean with you on what happened.  I stopped working out, stopped counting my steps, and started drinking soda again.  It’s amazing I haven’t gained more weight.  Breastfeeding must be keeping me at my pre-pregnancy weight.

I really hate how I can talk about what I need to do, yet suck at implementing it.  I’m thinking it’s fear.

Fear of failure…. fear of the hard work and commitment… fear of changing how I eat.

Fear of finding other ways to deal with my emotions.

Relearning it all is hard.  It’s also overwhelming and I seem to have a way of sabotaging my efforts even if I’m trying not to.

Time to call it like it is…. I’m fat and I need to make changes.  I need to change one thing every 30 days.  If I do something for 30 days, it will help develop the habit (or redevelop it), making it easier to continue while adding something else.  Does that make sense?

The first change I need to make is to get up off my ass more.  Then, I have to kick my soda habit (again).  Then we’ll take a closer look at food.

Do you want to work on these challenges with me?

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The chink of the quarter dropping into the jukebox.  Pressing the familiar buttons, queuing up the song.  As the first notes hit the speakers he’d take my little hand in his, guiding me along.  Twisting, twirling, be-boppin’ along.

It’s no wonder I looked forward to our Father-Daughter dance at my wedding, though we danced to “Butterfly Kisses” instead.  A song that almost always makes me cry, yet my dad made me laugh.

Throughout my life, my dad has been my rock.  Always accepting and encouraging me.  Cheering me on when things went well, comforting me when they did not.

And when I hear my daughter say, “dance with me daddy” I can’t help but smile, knowing the memories she is creating with her dad.  A man just as special as my own father.

Take my hand Daddy, so I can walk like you.

Take my hand Daddy, so I can follow you.

Take my hand Daddy, so I can dance with you.

Time to let go of my hand Daddy, so I can say… ‘I do.’

(Video)

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Me: What’s your name?

Her: Darcy!

Me: That’s my name, what’s your name?

Her: Darcy!

Oh kids…

(video)

Rissa really wanted to have her own video time so I asked her to talk about our latest zoo trip.  The girl can’t stand the stinky areas right now.  (Honestly, I’m not sure why they’ve been extra stinking our last two trips.)  I gave her a pass on the potty talk this time.

She also wanted to show you her hair…?

I don’t ask…

She was super excited to show you her somersault skills and the way she avoids falling on her brother.  It makes me happy that she’s so happy about doing them.  I wish I got that excited over little things still.  No.. no somersaults from me, thanks.  But now you can really see why she’s so excited for gymnastics tumbling to start, right?

So, I’m thinking about doing a couple video series, some sketches, and other fun stuff.  What is one thing you’d like to see or have answered? Tell me in the comments and you’ll get a shout out if I use it in a future video!

Now that you've read Rissa Pretends to Be Me and Shows Off Her Somersault Skills [VIDEO] how about leaving a comment to let me know your thoughts? If you really liked it, please share it!

The child does gymnastics all over the house.  She’s a constant flurry of motion.  Jumping, hopping, skipping (sorta), kicking, dancing, twirling…

and somersaults!

She’s finally letting me put her hair up! Though she said it’s a dragontail, not a ponytail.

The girl has learned how to do somersaults and loves to show off.  I think it was purely by accident after a few flips and slips off the couch, but she’s getting pretty good.  What exactly is a “good” somersault, anyway? Doing it in a straight line, I suppose?

Anyway, for the past few weeks Rissa has been asking to go to story time at the library and to go to gymnastics.  Things are about to get fun because her tumbling class starts next week and story time the week after that.  I asked for your thoughts on our Facebook page about scheduling them on the same day or spreading them out.

We decided to go with the same day.  Let’s hope that works out well for us! We’ll be walking to and from the library mid-morning, then driving to/from tumbling after dinner.  Won’t be rushing, but it’ll be a packed day.  Not sure how Xander will like it…

Last year I enrolled Rissa in tumbling somewhat on a whim.  We had no idea if she would like it or what to expect from class.  The focus on getting kids 3 and under moving rather than skills.  This worked fine for Rissa, she got to run, jump and climb around without getting in (much) trouble.  She was not very confident and just a little tyke then.

I was so proud of her for letting me throw her (repeatedly) into the cheese pit at the end of her 10 week class.  The cheese pit is a pit with foam blocks.  She was terrified of it on the first day.  A few weeks in she let me lower her into it, then pull her out right away.

At the end she asked for help to jump in and be thrown in.

Now it’s what she is looking forward to… though it’ll be interesting to see if she hesitates on the first day.  Overall I think she’ll enjoy it much more this time and actively participate more.  After seeing Lily on Modern Family perform on the balance beam, she’s excited to be like her.

I’m really glad we can enroll her into an activity she’s excited about.  I remember wondering if she would be interested in gymnastics while I was pregnant with her… I also wondered how in the heck we’d figure out what her interests were without enrolling or pushing her into things.  Definitely glad she spoke up about this even if she changes her mind next year.

I think it’s natural to project some of our own interests onto our kids, but I never was a gymnast.  No tumbling class for me.

Did any of your kids attend a tumbling class?  What kind of activities do they look forward to enrolling in?

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Today’s 6 month baby update video is brought to you with a little help from a friend.

Xander is 16+ pounds and 27 inches long at six months old.  He recognizes his own name, reaches for things, brings objects to his mouth, rolls over in both directions, sits by himself for a few seconds, and is creeping forward.  His pediatrician and nurse seemed a little surprised that he’s working on crawling already, but it’s within normal range.  So far he seems to be hitting milestones similar to his sister’s timeline.  It’ll be interesting to see if that continues or not.

I am still breastfeeding him, but I’m continuing to offer solid foods to him.  He doesn’t always want a lot, but I give him something 1-2 times a day right now.  So far we’ve tried Baby Mum-Mums (one of Rissa’s first foods too), sweet potato, butternut squash, potato, carrot, banana, avocado and a grape.  I got a new self feeder we are trying out – I’ll let you know how it’s working out for us (it’s not mesh!) next month.

Watching Xander and Rissa together melts my heart.  They are so sweet.  I do have to remind Rissa to be gentle and she’s getting used to him moving around more and grabbing her toys, but overall it is clear they adore each other.

By the time the next monthly baby update is posted, I will have our new weekly newsletter ready.  Do you plan to sign up?

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Dora, meet Prime: Amazon snaps up Viacom shows after Netflix deal expires

Amazon was smart and snatched up the contract with Viacom to add thousands of more kids shows after Netflix failed to renew their contract.

All the missing shows (as far as I can tell) are available on Amazon Instant streaming as well as their Kindle subscription service.  They are FREE with Amazon Prime – which is only, what? 80 bucks a year? Not a bad deal and a must if you shop Amazon frequently (hello 2 day shipping on most everything!)  They even have Bubble Guppies!  Rissa is quite happy about that.  We always wondered why they weren’t on Netflix.

Now I have more reason to love Amazon Prime.

Your Mum, She’s Fat

This letter written by Kasey to her mom includes many nuggets of truth. Negative self image is learned and often learned from our loved ones.

Sadly, many people who read this will argue that being fat is not okay.That is not the point of this story. Women are filled with self loathing regardless of their size because society has put such an emphasis on outward appearance.

I am fat. I know this, but I do not want my daughter to pick up on my struggles with self worth. I don’t want her to have weight issues, which can be created out of needless worry about how she looks.

I just want her to be confident, happy and healthy no matter what her size.

Government issued maternity boxes help improve infant mortality rates

Finland has provided expectant mothers with a maternity box for the past 75 years.  The box is filled with start items for baby and the box is used as a bed.  Bottles are no longer issued (to encourage breastfeeding) and cloth diapers are included.

From the article:

“Mothers have a choice between taking the box, or a cash grant, currently set at 140 euros, but 95% opt for the box as it’s worth much more.
The tradition dates back to 1938. To begin with, the scheme was only available to families on low incomes, but that changed in 1949.

“Not only was it offered to all mothers-to-be but new legislation meant in order to get the grant, or maternity box, they had to visit a doctor or municipal pre-natal clinic before their fourth month of pregnancy,” says Heidi Liesivesi, who works at Kela – the Social Insurance Institution of Finland.”

I think one of the key points is the prenatal care.  The box/grant serves as an incentive that helps mom and baby receive care as well as support and education for a healthy pregnancy.

MRI Study: Breastfeeding Boosts Babies’ Brain Growth

It’s not surprising that I’m interested in breastfeeding studies and this isn’t the first one showing it to be beneficial to babies.  However, most other studies are behavioral.  This is the first imaging study done.  They used a “quiet” MRI to scan the brains of children 10 months to 4 years old.

They found a difference of 20-30% in increased white matter in the brains of babies exclusively breastfed for at least 3 months in their life compared to those never breastfed.  The babies who were combofed were in the middle.

While the imaging paired with various testing done with the older children indicated improved performance in language skills and a few other areas, I have no idea if that edge is maintained.  Really what I want to know is WHY.  I know breast milk is natural and our bodies can do amazing things with how it is produced for your baby’s specific needs… but what exactly is missing from formula?  What causes such a difference in brain growth?

Now that you've read How Amazon Became the King of Preschool Shows & Other News how about leaving a comment to let me know your thoughts? If you really liked it, please share it!

The Reality

I grew up knowing that I would have problems conceiving a baby, because I have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). I grew up knowing that I had to find a special person to accept that fact and go through all the trials and tribulations that such a journey entails. Four years ago, that happened. I met the man that I knew would be the father of my children. He was already a Dad to three little boys. The youngest was three months old when I held him in my arms for the first time.

Holding that tiny person, made my desire to become a mother even stronger. The need, the desire burned as strong as a candle lighting the way through a storm. In that moment there was nothing I wanted more.

Dream Come True

We tried to conceive naturally for two years. That meant committing to waking up at a certain time every morning to take my basal body temperature (BBT), charting said temperatures, and becoming addicted to pregnancy and ovulation kits. Yes it became and still is an addiction. I have over 200 pee sticks in a shopping bag under the bathroom sink. They’re used at peak times throughout my cycle or just at random, if I feel the least bit nauseous, dizzy or crampy.

In June of last year I received my first ever “Big Fat Positive” on a test – on a pregnancy test! I couldn’t believe it! I must have used at least ten other tests throughout the day to make sure I wasn’t seeing thing. I wasn’t, I was pregnant. The following day I called my OB/GYN to run some tests and make an appointment. I was beyond excited, scared, and in disbelief.

Was this really happening? Was this real? I started dreaming of baby feet and hands. Started imagining what the baby would like, who she would look like?

The Ugly Truth

Two days later I started to cramp and some spotting presented itself. My husband convinced me to go to the emergency room to get checked out. On the way there, I was told that I fainted from the pain and began to heavily bleed.

It was Father’s Day weekend, and I just lost my first baby. I destroyed my husband’s dream of becoming a Dad again. I know that I didn’t do it, I know that I didn’t cause the miscarriage to happen – but I felt like I did. I felt guilty. The “What If’s” started to set in, and every scenario imaginable began to play in my mind.

Growing Up ~ Emotionally

Our lives changed after this moment. Life became real. Death became real. I was pregnant for only a few weeks, and knew about it for only a few days, but I loved the life growing inside of me. I loved her with all my soul. When I lost her, she took a piece of me with her. I quickly became distant, depressed, my libido diminished, and my husband began questioning if I still loved him.

Of course I still loved him!

It was because of him I wasn’t wandering off like The Lady in White crying for her lost child in the middle of the night!

We finally sat down, and cried together. We understood then, that we did in fact share the same dream. To have a baby together, and grow our family. Through that entire phase of depression, I didn’t realize how much my husband was hurting.

Infertility Is a Couple’s Problem

We decided to finally take the step for medical intervention. We made our first appointment with a Reproductive Endocrinologist, she was a heartless person, and we never went back. She just didn’t seem to understand the pain we went through. She only saw a chunky couple and almost immediately refused to help us. To say we were disappointed is an understatement. We saw our only flicker of hope just fly out the window with a cold breeze.

New Found Hope and An Online Magazine

While researching for a better, more compassionate doctors, I started writing about my infertility on my blog. The outreach and support from other women, men, and couples was amazing! This sparked an idea. I wanted to help other couples through their infertility journey. There are many online forums and support groups, but they’re mostly aimed at women. There were barely any that supported the couple as a whole.

One night I was up late talking to a friend of mine, also a blogger who is also suffering from PCOS and Infertility. I asked her how she felt about starting an online Fertility Magazine. Unbeknownst to me she had already bought a domain a year before, and it was the same exact name I wanted to call it, Fertile Fairy. This was beyond coincidence and we immediately began to brainstorm. In a few short months we launched the site and it was a success, literally overnight. Our words to one another were, “If only we could get pregnant this quickly!”

The site talks about Fertility in general! There are so many aspects to conceiving and we bring all of this to the surface. Not only has it been an outlet for us, but other couples are learning and sharing their stories with the world as well!

For myself, I finally found an RE who not only is supportive of me and my husband, but also understands infertility from a personal standpoint. She understands loss as well. We discovered a polyp in my uterus. I had surgery, and now I’m on my way to finally starting Clomid to help me ovulate, and then she will concentrate on keeping me pregnant. I hope that this story does have a happy ending. I hope that your story does too!

What’s your Fertility story? Did you know June is Fertility Awareness Month?

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A lot of people focus on “spring cleaning,” but we don’t really dig in for the season change until summer comes.  Besides, you can miss spring in Wisconsin if you blink.

There are three main things that we always need to clean once the temperature rises:

1. The grill
2. Outside toys
3. The car

Bet you didn’t think about the car.  The other two are more obvious when you drag them out of storage, but the car needs it too.  It’s the perfect time to empty/sort the trunk, get rid of old bottles and trash, vacuum the carpets, check the spare tire, and wash the inside of your windows.  For more summer cleaning tips and tricks you’ll want to join me and several other bloggers for the #SCJCleanSummer Twitter Party next week!

#SCJCleanSummer Twitter Party

When: Wednesday, June 12 at 8 PM EST

RSVP for prizes: http://resourcefulmommy.com/12259/scjcleansummer-twitter-party/

We’ll be talking about easier and more environmentally friendly ways to get your house ready for the summer.

For more green ideas for your home and your life, be sure to check out SC Johnson’s Green Choices site www.SCJGreenChoices.com, follow along on Twitter @SCJGreenChoices, and getting pinning with them on Pinterest: SCJGreenChoices.

Hope to see you there!

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Me too.

I know kids are messy and that it is okay, yet I don’t want the house (or myself) covered in whoknowswhat.  My house isn’t even that clean most of the time so you would think I don’t care.  But I do.  I don’t know why, but I do.

Sponge and cotton swab painting.

Rissa has already decorated many walls, doors and even a couch cushion with crayons.  Yet I’ve been hesitant to let her paint.  I make up excuses like she might stick it in her mouth (which is true) or she will get it every where but on the paper (quite possible).

I had to let go of control and relax.  Creativity is important to me, so I want her to experiment with ways to express herself.  Plus, she wants to help with everything right now.  Might as well use this opportunity before she loses interest.

Last year she made a few things at story time.  Whatever we colored and glued together was usually dismantled by the time we got home.  She is still a bit destructive like that, but it’s her artwork… she can do what she wants with it, right?

Over the past few months I’ve started introducing new activities like mixing water with oatmeal, colored water, jello painting, and sponge painting.

I’m having the hardest time with keeping my hands off when she helps me bake or cook.  For now I let her help me measure, pour and stir.  I’ve let her stir a little all by herself.  Since I am afraid of us messing up meals right now, I prefer to have her help me bake dessert or make smoothies.  I figure we can live with throwing away a cake (wait, what? did I just say that?) if needed rather than an entire dinner.

Rissa’s frosting!

Soon I think she may be ready to do more.  Rissa is currently practicing how to spread frosting and peanut butter properly.

Tips for messy play activities:

• Spread out a towel or blanket for easy cleanup.
• Explain that nothing leaves the towel area or play time ends.
• Help set items out and clean up.
• Wear clothing ok if gets stained or ditch clothes completely.
• Let them explore!

What kind of messy play does your child like?

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