DM Speaks

Kraft MILKBITE Milk & Granola Bars, the review

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 03:44:00 +0000

Have you ever heard of Kraft MILKBITE Milk & Granola Bars?

Nope?

Don't feel bad. I didn't either until I was asked to review the product and given a $10 gift card compare it to our favorites.

The first thing I thought when the package arrived was, "Why is it packed in ice?"

I am not sure how I missed that fact when the request to review the product was presented to me, but I did. So needless to say, when the product arrived, it took me by surprise.

That evening, my husband's co-worker came for dinner, so for dessert I offered her the Strawberry Milkbite Milk and Granola Bars. She took a bite, looked at me, and said, "These are pretty good. I like the texture, what are they?"

That's when I sprang them on her. She loved the idea that she could get 30% of her daily calcium intake and 5 grams of protein from one serving. She even thought they'd make a great alternative to her morning protein shakes!

A couple of days later, we went out and purchased Nature Valley's 100% Crunchy Granola and Fiber One's Chewy Granola Bars and did our own little taste test.

First test… Crunchy Granola versus Chocolate Milkbite Milk and Granola Bars

And I was the taste tester. For as long as I can remember I have always favored the Crunchy Granola Bars over any other type. I liked the crunch, and I liked that it provided a good alternative to potato chips when I was craving something crunchy.

So imagine my surprise when I tasted the Crunchy Granola, then the Milkbite and discovered that I actually preferred the Milkbite over my Crunchy Granola.

Still… I wasn't convinced that I actually preferred the Milkbite version until this afternoon when my daughter made chocolate chip brownies and after one bite I thought, "I'd rather have the chocolate Milkbite… same texture, more nutritious."

Second test… Chocolate Mocha Chewy Granola versus Chocolate Milkbite Milk and Granola Bars

My husband has always enjoyed the Chewy Granola over the Crunchy so I didn't think he'd have an opinion one way or another about the Milkbite Bars... but he did.

First, there was the texture, they're not chewy but they're soft and moist! Then there's the flavor, they taste exactly as you'd expect them to taste… very flavorful and yummy! And finally, ther'es this notion that because the Milkbite Granola Bars tasted fresher, they tasted "homemade".

The only drawbacks I see with the Milkbite Granola Bars is the fact that they need to stay refrigerated and they have 6 grams of fat. It's hard to imagine sending your kids off to school with them, or carrying them around when you're running errands.

But as my husband's co-worker pointed out, they'll make good snacks and/or meal replacements when you're running late in the morning.

Kraft MILKBITE Milk & Granola Bars are available in five flavors: Chocolate, Strawberry, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal Raisin and Mixed Berry, so if chocolate and strawberry aren't for you… you still have plenty of choices!

If you are interested in trying them, check out the refrigerator section of your local grocery store.

Disclosure: Reviewer was given a complimentary sample to review and a $10 gift card to purchase two other brands to compare.

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This post was sponsored by The Dabbling Mum.

For more articles like this, check out The Dabbling Mum eMagazine.

Interview with Carla Stewart

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Carla Stewart’s writing reflects her passion for times gone by as depicted in her first highly-acclaimed novel, Chasing Lilacs (read our review), which was a 2011 Finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award and the trophy winner of the 2011 Best Fiction Book for the Oklahoma Writers Federation Inc. (OWFI).

An Oklahoma native and graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Carla has lived in Tulsa since 2003. In her life before writing, Carla enjoyed a career in nursing and raising her family. Now that their four sons are married and they’ve become empty-nesters, she and her husband relish the occasional weekend getaway and delight in the adventures of their six grandchildren.

How did you get started as a novelist?
From an early age, I loved reading and knew that someday I wanted to write novels like those I loved to read, but I also had a heart for those who were hurting. It didn’t surprise anyone when I chose nursing as my career. I got my BSN, married, and had four sons. My life was full and busy.

Writing seemed a distant dream, but that was just it . . . a dream.

When my youngest son was in high school, my nursing instructor job required me to drive 60 miles each way to work, and with all that time on the road, my mind wandered. Wrestled really with my writing dream. My longing to write a novel rode with me each day in the car… along with fear, doubts, and what it would take to commit myself to writing.

One day, while reading my Bible and praying, this verse from Matthew 5:17 jumped out at me: “Simply let your yes be yes and your no, no; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” Soon after I made a wholehearted commitment to write. I haven’t looked back.

What was your path towards publication like?
My desire from the beginning was to write novels, and I’d written 90 pages of a homespun mystery before I had the nerve to tell anyone I was writing. I went to my first conference about the time it was completed and received a request from an editor at Multnomah. Ultimately, I was rejected (and for good reason), but the editor took the time to point out the shortcomings of the story and ended with the words, “You have an engaging voice.”

Those five words inspired me to keep going, and as I became more familiar with the writing community, I learned the value of “writing credits.” I began entering contests and in 2002, I received a coveted invitation to the Guideposts Writers Workshop in Rye, NY.

Over the next couple of years I had numerous articles published in Guideposts, Angels on Earth, SaddleBaron: Magazine of the West, and Blood and Thunder: Musings on the Art of Medicine as well as several anthologies.

In 2004 I began the novel which would become my debut – Chasing Lilacs. I wrote and rewrote it numerous times, entered it in contests and ultimately won ACFW’s Genesis contest in 2007. I signed with Sandra Bishop of MacGregor Literary in the spring of 2008, and the book sold in a two-book deal to FaithWords (Hachette) seven months later.

It was almost nine years to the day from the time I attended my first conference until Chasing Lilacs released in 2010. Now it seems like a very short time, but there were many weeks and months when I wondered if I would ever see my name on the cover of a book.

I’m not very good at asking people to buy my books, write reviews of my books, or promote me. It feels so self-serving. I haven’t overcome it, but am becoming more comfortable at looking at my writing career as a business and that I have a product to promote. Gaining a fan base and social networking has taken a lot of the sting away from self-promotion.

How do you balance your life as an entrepreneur with your duties as a parent or spouse?
I’m fortunate that my husband and I are empty-nesters and he still toodles off to the office every day, so I have the daytime hours to myself. Even so, there’s always the temptation to stay on FaceBook too long or read someone else’s book instead of getting in my word count. Keeping a detailed calendar and making a list of things I want and need to accomplish in the next week helps keep me on track. Being able to cross items off the list gives me a sense of accomplishment.

I usually have a long term goal for book projects with a desired completion date and the deadline. The deadline is sacred so I try to plan accordingly.

Last year, though, I received my second contract and while my deadline was the same as it was the previous year, I was still promoting my first novel, going through publisher’s edits with my second, and trying to find time to write on the newly contracted one.

What I didn’t plan on was a family crisis. My 84-year-old dad had quadruple bypass surgery in a city 6 hours from where I live. The two-plus weeks I was away meant I had to scramble to meet my personal deadline and still have time to edit. I learned several things:

1. There will be emergencies – plan on them.

2. Sometimes family trumps writing for short periods of time.

3. God gave me the ability to write really fast for that season, and when it was all said and done, the parts that I wrote fast were just as good (maybe better) than the parts I’d strolled through.

I still like to have my grandchildren come and stay for a week or so in the summer or over the holidays. My husband and I love to travel so we’ve started taking more trips where I can either do some research and/or writing while he plays golf. It’s sort of a fun combination.

What is your best advice for getting past writer's block?
Step away from the computer. For a day. A weekend.

Do something to clear your mind. Then read a really good book – preferably from an author you admire or aspire to write like. Lose yourself in the beauty of the words or the complexity of the plot. Somehow this frees my mind to let the words flow when I do return to the computer.

What was the best writing-related advice you ever received?
A short time after I began writing, we were eating at a restaurant with friends when a well-known local children’s author stopped at our table to talk to our friends. My friend told him I’d taken up writing so I asked him for any advice he could give me. He thought for a minute, a slow grin spreading across his face.

“My best advice is to cut your throat with a dull butcher knife.”

We laughed then and still laugh now, but what he was saying was what every writer feels at one time or another. This is an agonizing profession. Don’t try it unless you are serious about being a writer. There are long periods of waiting to be published, to hearing from editors, to finding an agent with very little encouragement to keep going. Then once you are published, there are still woes – sales numbers, getting new contracts, juggling schedules.

Is it worth it? Absolutely.

This is what I prayed about all those years ago, and God has given me the desires of my heart. But my author friend spoke truth. Did he follow his own advice? No. He’s the author of more than 60 titles and has more than 7.5 million books in print.

Writing is hard work. The rewards are amazing!

What do you feel is the single most detrimental thing an author could do to destroy his/her career?
To think that you’ve arrived and already know all there is to know. The minute you stop learning is, I believe, the beginning of the end of a writing career. I still have a lot to learn!
Can you tell us a little bit about your latest book?

Broken Wings is a framed story set in current day Tulsa with an interwoven story from the past that parallels the contemporary story. It’s a story of lifelong love and an unlikely friendship. Here’s what it says on the back cover:

Onstage, the singing duo of Gabe and Mitzi Steiner captured America's heart for more than two decades. Offstage, their own hearts have throbbed as one for sixty years. Only now, Gabe has retreated into the tangles of Alzheimer's, leaving Mitzi to ponder her future alone.

On the other side of Tulsa, everyone believes Brooke Woodson has found the perfect man--a handsome lawyer with sights on becoming Tulsa's next District Attorney. If only Brooke felt more sure. If only her fiancé could control his anger. If only love didn't come with so many scars.

When an accident lands Brooke in the hospital where Mitzi volunteers, the two women quickly develop an unlikely friendship birthed by providence and bathed in grace. And with Mitzi's help, kindness, and insight, Brooke learns how to pick up the broken pieces of her life.

How did you come up with the idea for your book?
It began with a short story I wrote a number of years ago based on my own family’s tales about the Great Depression and Black Sunday in particular. In “Sand Plum Summer,” three orphans were taken in by a farm family when their mother perished in the worst dust storm in history.

I loved this story and thought of the characters from time to time. It was almost like they were waiting backstage for their cue to make an entrance. It kept coming back to me that the oldest of those three orphans surely had a story to tell. Then one day I read a newspaper article about the possible renovation of Tulsa’s Big Ten Ballroom, a jazz hall in the forties and fifties. I knew at once my little orphan had grown up to become a jazz singer named Mitzi. She would be quite elderly now, of course, but perhaps she needed to tell her story. I chose a young professional woman in need of a friend and let Mitzi be that friend. It turned out they needed each other in this tale of providence and grace.

What was the most difficult aspect of writing this book?
Two parts were particularly difficult. The first was that I had no experience with domestic abuse and wanted to portray it realistically without being too graphic. I came to the writing knowing it would be a struggle, but I also knew that, for me, abuse is intolerable.

What I didn’t expect, though, was how angry it made me toward abusers, and I had a bit of anger, too, at the victim (Brooke in the story) for being so naive and willing to deny that the abuse was going on. While I knew that abuse is often passed down or learned, every individual can choose the behaviors they exhibit. Abusers are frequently respected and get along in many areas of life and choose those who they can intimidate. They can also choose to seek professional help. Sadly, many don’t.

It was not a comfortable story to write, but I don’t know that I’m excused from writing about hard things just because they make me squirm.

The second difficult thing in writing Broken Wings was unexpected. I had worked with Alzheimer’s patients as a nurse and had done quite a bit of research so I thought I was fairly comfortable with the topic. However, a month after I signed the contract to write the book, my own mother-in-law was diagnosed with mid-stage Alzheimer’s. That made the writing much more personal, and I hope that for readers, more poignant.

Did you have to do any special research for your book?
I visited the Jazz Depot in Tulsa which is home to the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame. I attended concerts there and read articles and books about the rich jazz culture that is part of Tulsa’s heritage. This was a blast! I already had a folder of material on Alzheimer’s so I reviewed it, researched current articles, and relied on my past experience as a nurse to bring the character to life. The personal connection with my mother-in-law did make me realize you have to maintain a sense of humor, that Alzheimer’s is a disease, that it’s not anyone’s fault, and that it is dreadful.

But the most challenging part of the research was learning about abuse. I read a couple of therapist-type books, did quite a lot of research online to profile both the abuser and the victim and study their personality types. I also found the DSM-III (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) helpful in understanding the personality of an abuser.

If you could choose just one thing for your book to accomplish, what would it be?
I would love to get a letter from someone who has been in an abusive relationship and got the courage to leave because of the hope that is offered in Broken Wings. If even one person is healed because of my writing the book, then it was worth it.

I have received a number of letters from people who enjoyed the book and a couple from former abuse victims who’ve thanked me for writing the book, so I’ve been greatly encouraged.

What’s ahead for your writing?
Stardust will be out in May, 2012. It is set in the bayou country of East Texas amid the polio epidemic and hysteria of 1952. The novel centers around an East Texas widow who must replace her dreams of a new life with a journey of sacrifice and forgiveness when her dead husband's mistress shows up unannounced with a child in tow. It’s a small town drama with a huge heart.

Order Chasing Lilacs on Amazon.com

Learn more about Carla Stewart at CarlaStewart.com

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This post was sponsored by The Dabbling Mum.

For more articles like this, check out The Dabbling Mum eMagazine.

Guest Bloggers Wanted

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:12:00 +0000

We are looking for guest bloggers to contribute to the DM Speaks review and interview blog.

Our goal is to provide quick, off-the-cuff reviews on family friendly videos, books, and products while entertaining with informative author, musician, and actor interviews.

Please use the form located here: http://thedabblingmum.blogspot.com/p/get-interviewed-get-featured.html for guest interviews.

We also welcome PR ready Q&A interviews for actors and musicians, so if you're a PR person, don't hesitate to drop us your interviews and head shots. Just use the form located here: http://thedabblingmum.com/write4us/donate.htm

Whether you'd like to share a one-time review or submit several posts, we'd like to hear from you.

Red Rossa Napoli Pizza, the review

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:41:00 +0000

This review was originally written back in 2008, for another blog, but I wanted to share it today because after 3 1/2 years, I can honestly say that I still feel the same way about this restaurant today as the day I first stepped foot into its doors... and that's a rare thing!

I love to eat out at places that cook foods I cannot cook or foods that taste better than what I make at home but I cannot stand eating out at places that offer foods I could have easily made at home—for cheaper—or at places with poor customer service and lousy food which brings me to my first entry and the reason I chose to start this blog—Red Rossa Napoli Italian Pizza.

We’ve lived in South Dakota for three years now and every few months my husband suggests we try Red Rossa but the majority vote has always sent us eating elsewhere—that is, until this Tuesday, April 29, 2008 when I finally caved. You see I am not a huge pizza person. In fact, I’d rather not eat pizza because the grease and sauce just doesn’t sit well with me.

But my daughter is a HUGE pizza fan and my husband wanted to treat her to a real Italian experience, or so he was hoping…

The Red Rossa in Sioux Falls, South Dakota is located on the corner of a little strip mall across from Scheel’s and the $3 movie theatre so your first reaction is to think, “Fast food, how great can it really be?” Even entering the establishment, where you order and pay at the counter, has you thinking “fast food” experience. But that’s where the entire “fast food” mentality ends.

The staff, having realized it was our first time to Red Rossa took the time to tell us all about their wood fired and roasted pizzas, answer our questions about various ingredients, and allow us to sample the various mushrooms available as well as their sorbet.

After ordering The Roman Pizza without green peppers and substituting spinach, the Margherita Pizza, The Chop Chop Salad (large), and drinks we sat down to await our meal. It was then that I was truly able to observe the staff and the ambience they set.

One gentleman hand-tossed pizza dough as he softly spoke to the two children inquisitive about the entire process. The staff worked together in complete harmony, with smiles and laughter, as they prepared one pizza after another—some for take out, some for dining in. Then as our meals were delivered the wait staff thanked us for coming and hoped we’d enjoy our meal. They even indulged in a little chit chat.

That’s when I heard something I haven’t heard in a very long time. My daughter, with a genuine smile on her face, said, “They’re nice. They make you feel welcome. It’s like they want you here and so they treat you special.”

As for the food, I just have to say: “I have finally found a pizza that I will eat!”

The Roman Pizza was fabulous. The bread was slightly toasted, the cheese perfectly melted, and the ingredients fresh. I especially enjoyed the combination feta cheese and smoked mozzarella. The pizza was light and airy. It didn’t feel heavy or greasy.

And that large salad easily served four people as a side dish. And unlike those chain restaurants that simply chunk some lettuce on a plate with a piece of tomato and a cucumber or two, this salad was packed with fresh ingredients like smoked mozzarella, thin strips of salami, chunks of rosemary-sage chicken, freshly diced tomatoes, whole garbanzo beans, shredded parmesan cheese, and a wonderful balsamic vinaigrette.

The food was presented so beautifully that it actually felt like you were sitting in a gourmet restaurant instead of what, by all accounts, looks like a clean fast food joint. In the words of my husband, “It’s fine dining at a budget anyone can afford.”

If you’ve been contemplating checking out Red Rossa Napoli Pizza, I highly recommend it! Just drive to 3412 S. Western Ave., Sioux Falls, SD 57105 or call 605-339-3675 for a pick up!

FTC Disclosure: The reviewer paid cash to eat at this restaurant, for this review.

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This post was sponsored by The Dabbling Mum.

For more articles like this, check out The Dabbling Mum eMagazine.

Interview with Puzzle Creator, Evelyn B. Christensen

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:35:00 +0000

Evelyn B. Christensen has a doctorate in math education and has taught at various levels of education, ranging from kindergarten to graduate school. She wrote her first book as a stay-at-home mom with three young children underfoot. Today she is an award-winning author and puzzle creator with more than 45 educational puzzle books and math games to her credit.

What was your path towards publication like?
I was blessed in that my first book was accepted almost immediately… by the second publisher I sent it to. Being totally unfamiliar with the publishing industry, I had no idea that was unusual.

That publisher also accepted my second manuscript and asked me to expand the pair into a set with additional books based on different math manipulatives they carried.

Unfortunately, as we were just finishing, my publisher got taken over by a big conglomerate that divested the imprint my second and third books were with. My three books ended up being with three different publishers, so the whole concept of the set, with all its advantages (which in educational publishing are considerable) got lost in the shuffle.

My real publishing break, however, came a couple of years later when I emailed a company that had been carrying my first book to ask if they’d like to carry my second book.

Serendipitously, (or from my perspective, by God’s grace) they were looking for an author right then, because they had decided to start publishing some of their own books instead of just carrying other company’s products. My first book had been selling well for them so they jumped at the chance to have me write for them… my next book out will be my 24th with them.

After writing just puzzle books for about ten years, I expanded to write picture books and to write for children’s magazines. I’ve been reasonably successful with the magazines, but all I’ve got to show for my six years of picture book submissions is a mounting stack of rejections.

What is your biggest obstacle when it comes to pitching yourself as an author and what steps have you taken to overcome that obstacle?
My biggest obstacle is finding someone who wants to publish what I have to offer.

Overcoming that obstacle has involved extensive research looking for potential markets. It means I constantly have my eyes and ears open for possible leads. I check market guides, scout out bookstores and libraries, am active on several writers’ forums and listservs, read newsletters aimed at writers, visit other writer’s websites, and belong to a couple of critique groups whose members graciously share market news.

In the process of accumulating a long list of leads for the education market, I realized that I wanted to "pay it forward" and find a way to share my research efforts with other authors who might like to write for the education market.

The result is a page on my website that includes an extensive list of educational publishers with links to their sites and to their submission guidelines, if they post them. If you’re interested in writing for the education market, feel free to check it out. http://evelynchristensen.com/markets.html . I hope you find it helpful.

How do you balance your life as an entrepreneur with your duties as a parent or spouse?
My children are all grown, and although I usually have great nieces and nephews over at least weekly to visit, that’s not quite the same as trying to juggle parent responsibilities on a daily basis.

What I did do when my children were younger, and what I still try to do, is involve them in my authoring career. That goes for my husband, as well.

My children have frequently helped proof my manuscripts. My daughter has co-authored eight books with me. My youngest son has co-authored four with me. He also designed and built my author website with my input, and is my go-to-person whenever I have computer questions.

My husband is a wonderful beta-reader and editor. He enjoys attending book signings and book fairs with me, and is my biggest fan. If we're talking with someone, and the topic of my author career or books comes up, he’ll usually pull out his wallet and offer the person one of my business cards. So basically, what I’ve tried to do is help my family feel an ownership in my authoring career.

If they feel a part of it, then it’s easier for them to understand and make allowances when I need to be focused on my work.

What is your best advice for getting past writer's block?
There’s probably not a single solution that will work for all writers for all cases, but my best advice is to read lots of books in your genre then sit yourself in your chair and force yourself to write.

What you write may end up being trash, but it can help you get past the block. If you write for kids, spending time with kids the age you write for can also sometimes get the creative juices flowing.

What was the best writing-related advice you ever received?
The best advice I received was, "Don’t give up."

Writing is an incredibly tough career. It’s full of rejections and disappointments, even for the successful and famous authors. It’s easy to let it all get to you. But if you give up, you certainly won’t win the prize of publication.

Hearing people, who make it, reminding us not to give up, helps me have the heart to keep trying. Who knows, maybe my turn for a picture book acceptance will be just around the corner. I keep trying and hoping.

What do you feel is the single most detrimental thing an author could do to destroy his/her career?
I think the most detrimental thing authors can do to their writing careers is to fail to savor and enjoy the process, and to fail to savor and enjoy the successes they have along the way… however small those successes may be.

Some of us have a tendency to always be looking ahead for the next step, so much so that we forget to enjoy what we’ve accomplished. It’s not bad to have goals and to work for them.

But it is bad if we always want the next thing so much that we never appreciate what we already have and are always dissatisfied. That kind of career is not a career worth having, in my opinion.

Can you tell us a little bit about your latest book?
My latest book, Aba-Conundrums, was published last year by Fat Brain Toy Co. It’s a set of puzzles, for 4th grade and up, based on the abacus, and Fat Brain did an awesome job with the design. I love it!

The book has write-on/wipe off, full color pages, and is accompanied by a colorful abacus. It’s won a Parents’ Choice Award and a Creative Child Award.

This is a book that took me five years to find a publisher for. It’s my ugly duckling, my baby nobody else thought was worth anything… so it feels extra good that it has won awards and proved them wrong.

(So just remember, if you have a baby you believe in, don’t give up—keep on trying.)

How did you come up with the idea for your book?
A friend of mine went on a trip to Asia and brought me back an abacus as a gift. He knew I wrote puzzle books, and said he thought I might like to write some puzzles for the abacus. At the time, I knew almost nothing about how the device works, but I took his suggestion as a challenge, and the result was – Aba-Conundrums! As you can imagine, I’m very grateful to my friend.

What was the most difficult aspect of writing this book?
The most challenging part of writing this book was that I initially made the puzzles too hard. When some teachers field tested them with their classes who were the targeted age, the kids had trouble with them so I had to go back to the ‘drawing board’ and create easier ones.

Then, of course, the challenge was deciding which puzzles to cut to make room for the new ones. Since I liked all the puzzles, that wasn’t easy.

If you could choose just one thing for your book to accomplish, what would it be?
To help kids enjoy stretching their minds and to help them learn to ‘stick with it’ when a problem or puzzle seems challenging.

What’s ahead for your writing?
I’m excited to have a new book coming out in September with MindWare. Coin Clues: Making Change is a set of puzzles for 2nd grade and up, designed to give to them practice in making change and in using their money and logic skills. I’m hoping it’ll sell well enough that MindWare will want a sequel.

You can learn more about Evelyn B. Christensen and her books at http://evelynchristensen.com

Order Aba-Conundrums on Amazon.com for just $20.

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This post was sponsored by The Dabbling Mum.

For more articles like this, check out The Dabbling Mum eMagazine.

Lady and the Tramp, the review

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:56:00 +0000

As I sat watching Disney's latest re-release, "Lady and the Tramp" on Blu-Ray and DVD, I couldn't help but be reminded of my children's younger years... they loved everything Disney... toys, games, rides, and especially Disney films.

Today, they've just released the Diamond Edition, which from my understanding is the first time this particular title has been on Blu-Ray (but correct me if I'm wrong).

It comes with tons of bonus features like:

The making of Lady and the Tramp
Storyboard art
Finding a voice for the Siamese Cat song
Belle Note music video
Remembering Dad, starring Diane Disney Miller
Three never-before-seen deleted scenes
“I’m freeze as a breeze” un-used song
And a few other goodies.

If you're not familiar with "Lady and the Tramp" please stop by my recap page over at The Dabbling Mum to read the full story, why I really like this film, and leave with a parenting task to do with your kids. Just Click here.

My kids and I loved to sing the "We are Siamese" over and over again...

But it's the love song that gets me now...

Order Lady and the Tramp on Amazon for just $23

And just for fun... check out this widget.

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This post was sponsored by The Dabbling Mum.

For more articles like this, check out The Dabbling Mum eMagazine.

Destination Creativity, the review

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 03:12:00 +0000

Today I ran across "Destination Creativity" by Rice Freeman-Zachery. It wasn't a book I was looking for, but it did get me thinking about the value of art retreats.

In her introduction, if I may paraphrase, she said that "art retreats are about finding like-minded individuals who share similar interests, about traveling, about learning new skills and techniques, about growing into the artist you've always wanted to be, and about the excitement."

Rice took a year to explore several art retreats. The book gives you the inside scoop on each retreat via personal diary of sorts. Then she digs a little deeper and tells you what to expect as an attendee, and offers tips for vendors and workshop instructors. But it's not all about her experience, you also hear from a couple of workshop attendees and try your hand at a few of the workshops.

Personally, I would've preferred that she either wrote for the attendee or for the instructor so that she could offer more in-depth insight as there were areas that left me wanting to know more.

That pet peeve aside, if you've ever wanted to attend an art retreat and weren't sure how it worked or what it entailed, you'll find this a good resource.

You'll learn about:

Art & Soul, Las Vegas
Adorn Me!, Houston
Artfest, Port Townsend
Artful Texas, Salado
Art & Soul, Hampton
Valley Ridge Art Studio, Musado
Bead & Button Show, Milwaukee
Art Unraveled, Phoenix
International Quilt Festival, Houston

You'll get a general idea of cost, location, size, and lodging, plus contact information for each of the retreats.

You learn about Vendors' Night and how important it is to bring cash and "not haggle".

You get an overview of what to bring and what to pack for workshops, and you'll learn where and how to find supplies if you happen to forget something.

Then you'll attend a couple of workshops, via step-by-step tutorials, like:

One Line Drawings with Carla Sonheim
Neptune's Necklace with Melissa Manley
Free to Create with Jesse Reno (fingerpainting at its finest)
Wrapped-in-Silk Bangle Bracelet with Deryn Mentick
Centipede Stitch with Daniel Essig

If you want to learn more about art retreats, in general, check out Destination Creativity, today.

Disclosure: The reviewer borrowed a copy of this book to review.

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This post was sponsored by The Dabbling Mum.

For more articles geared towards busy parents, check out The Dabbling Mum eMagazine.

Children's Cartoons Anyone?

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:11:00 +0000

Even though our children are now teenagers, we, as a family, still enjoy a good cartoon... it's a guilty pleasure without all the "guilt".

If you're looking for a new (or old) cartoon to share with your child, give one of these titles a try... just click on the link to read the full review. :)

Interview with children's author, Kimberly Dana

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:22:00 +0000

Kimberly Dana is an award winning author of Pretty Dolls and teacher. She enjoys teaching middle school students how to write, and as a payback, they give her inspiration and insight into the world of "tweendom".

As a teacher of reluctant readers, it's her job to inspire and motivate young minds. One year, to inspire her students she wrote a book of funny poems for her most "reluctant readers" and took it to class. The kids were "in stitches" and the rest, as they say, is history.

What was your path towards publication like?
Very slow! I was a query-junkie for years until I started entering children’s writing contests and winning a few.

I received awards from Writers Digest and the Pacific Northwest Writers Association for my children’s books and young adult novels respectively. This little bit of recognition put my path to publication on a different trajectory because my queries finally made it out of the slush pile.

Suddenly agents and publishers were requesting manuscripts and although I was still receiving rejections, they came with a lot more detailed explanation and “love.”

During this period my writing definitely improved.

What is your biggest obstacle when it comes to pitching yourself as an author and what steps have you taken to overcome that obstacle?
As a debut author, it’s a challenge to obtain the promotional exposure I need.

I’ve overcome this by taking advantage of opportunities arranged through my publishing company, such as local book signings and the launching an eye-catching website specific to my book.

But today’s emerging author can’t rely solely on their publishing company for promotion. As such, I’ve joined several professional author groups where I’ve met children’s authors, editors, and publishers who are open to guest blogging interviews, author visitations, etc.

An online presence is an absolute must in today’s digital age, whether it be Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter, or an author’s blog. I think if you put yourself out there, it will definitely pay off.

How do you balance your life as an author with your duties as a parent or spouse?
I love this question because it’s so much easier said than done.

Balancing your personal life and writing is difficult because you’re always thinking of a character’s journey, a line of dialogue, or a riveting plot point. Sometimes my husband will just tell me straight out, “Put the laptop away.” But he’s a writer, too, and understands that when the inspiration hits you have to go with it.

Like everything in life, balance is the key to success and happiness. So yes, sometimes one does have to put the laptop away!

What is your best advice for getting past writer's block?
It doesn’t happen a lot, but when I’m plagued with writer’s block, I either read or go to the movies. Somehow, some way inspiration will hit.

During a writing lull, I also like to invent a new character or build on an existing one by giving them a quirk, idiosyncrasy, bad habit, etc. Just like in real life, perfection is boring and foibles are interesting. Getting “fresh freakish blood” in my story will more often times than not get me out of my rut.

What was the best writing-related advice you ever received?
Writing is all about conflict. It’s the driving force of fiction. You can have the most fascinating character, the wittiest dialogue, or the most idyllic setting but if nothing happens… who cares?

Putting an ordinary character in an extraordinary circumstance is conflict right there. If you up the stakes even more, you’ll have something the reader can’t put down.

James Patterson has this down to a science and the kid-equivalent would be R.L. Stine.

What do you feel is the single most detrimental thing an author could do to destroy his/her career?
To give up or let the rejection get to you is the really the only thing that can destroy a career. An author has to embrace the process.

They say writing is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration and I have to agree. Trying to get rich or publish without doing “the work” will just lead to disappointment.

Can you tell us a little bit about your latest book?
Pretty Dolls is a children’s book that addresses the universal themes of jealousy and friendship.

Three haughty dolls perch on the tippy top bookcase shelf in little Tasha’s bedroom singing, “Pretty eyes and pretty hair. We’re the best dolls anywhere. If you were a pretty doll, you’d be up here standing tall. Yet it’s Gracie, the purple-eyed, one-armed, spiky haired doll who’s won the snuggly arms and heart of Tasha. Only Emily-Nicole will have none of it. Little does Tasha know that when the lights go out in her room, the doll wars begin…

How did you come up with the idea for your book?
I was at the American Girl doll store in New York City during the Christmas holidays with my niece Madeline when I had my inspiration for Pretty Dolls. Just walking among this sea of beautiful, perfect dolls I thought, “What if there was a less-than-beautiful doll who made other dolls jealous, yet had the biggest heart in the world?” Hence, the idea for Pretty Dolls was born. I later dedicated the book to my niece.

What was the most difficult aspect of writing this book?
Personifying the dolls was an interesting challenge. Dolls are inanimate objects and I had to bring them to life by giving them personalities, quirks, voice, etc.

Emily-Nicole is definitely the mean girl ringleader and Chloë-Anne and Lilly-Kate are her sidekicks. Basically I imagined them in a real-life setting as the gossipy girls one goes to school with.

If you could choose just one thing for your book to accomplish, what would it be?
As a teacher I’d love to use Pretty Dolls to reinforce an anti-bullying message.

Kids can be mean to each other – even at a very young age. Pretty Girls is the perfect educational resource that can be used to teach positive character traits of fairness, courage, and respect in the classroom and beyond.

What’s ahead for your writing?
I have a young adult book coming out next year called Cheerage Fearage, which I published with Wild Child Publishing, a prominent eBook publisher. Cheerage Fearage takes place at Camp Valentine - a cheerleading camp with raging spirit. It’s ten years after a popular girl’s bizarre death and the bloodthirsty pranks are going down at a hypnotic pace. Enter Tiki Tinklemeyer my protagonist, an indentured servant to the geek label, who’s thrown into the middle of camp mayhem Not only is she out of her element spending a week with the micro-miniskirt V.I.P.’s, but now someone wants to kill her. The book’s tagline is Fly high and die!

You love to write for kids… but are there adult books in your future?
Not at the moment, although I never rule anything out. I love my audience. Children and teenagers are the emotional truth-tellers of the world. They are who inspire me.

You can learn more about Kimberly at http://kimberlydana.com

Order Pretty Dolls on Amazon.com for just $9.

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This post was sponsored by The Dabbling Mum.

For more articles like this, check out The Dabbling Mum eMagazine.

Art Click Tv, the review

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:12:00 +0000

I have been a longtime fan of Creative Catalyst Productions—even bought and own 12 of their titles—so when I was approached by Jim to check out and review their new venture, ArtClick.tv, I couldn't resist!

You could even say I was a little giddy…

ArtClick.tv is striving to become the Netflix of the arts and crafts industry… a tall order maybe, but not an impossible one. With so many independent artists seeking ways to increase their revenue streams and so many hobby artists eager to learn a new craft, this venue can prove to be a rather lucrative one for both sides.

Artists and independent video producers are offered fair compensation for each rental or instant streamed video, ArtClick.tv staff are fairly compensated for their time and efforts, and those seeking to learn a new skill (whether amateur, hobbyist, or veteran) can do so without having to spend a fortune doing it!

Sounds like the perfect match, doesn't it?

So after receiving the code to become a member, I headed on over to the site to check it out.

First thing I noticed were two viewing options: a monthly membership and single rentals.

Single rentals start at $4.99 with the average rental running around $9 for a single 24 hour period. Then you can choose to upgrade the rental of that title for one week, one month, three months, or six months. Upgrades range from $14.95 to $35.95 depending on the title.

Personally, if I were going to pay $15 to $40 to view a video and felt the need to watch it more than a handful of times, I would just buy the DVD. And as a frugal shopper working hard to divide my income between necessities and wants, I would've liked to see all video rentals start at $4.99 for a single 24 hour period… that is, after all, the going rate for DVD rentals these days.

The more I looked over the single rental selection, the more I liked the idea of the monthly membership fee.

For just $29.95 for the first month, and $19.95 for each month thereafter or $89.95 for the first six months, then $14.95 each month thereafter, I could watch a select number of DVDs an unlimited number of times.

Sure, that's a higher price than Netflix's $7.99 instant streaming option, but not by much!

If you're really freaked out by the higher cost, however, think about this: art videos don't make box office dollars and often don't have benefactors; therefore, their production funds come straight from the sales and rentals of such videos (or if they're lucky… grants). Plus there's the artist's royalties, the video hosting site's bandwidth usage, and the daily operating expenses of running a business to consider... so $15 to $20 a month isn't bad at all, is it?

Once I got a feel for what the site offered, I decided to register. Registration was as easy as setting up an account name and password.

After registering, I purchased the 6 month option using the coupon code given to me and noticed a little flaw. The cart wasn't accepting the coupon; a little bug that is now resolved, I'm told.

Once I logged in, I was ready to start learning, and exploring!

As I selected a video to watch, I wondered what the video quality would be like as we live in a small town where high speed Internet access is still run through the local telephone landlines… which means that I often end up with long buffering sessions or pixilated images when trying to view videos online from small company sites.

But as you can see from this screenshot, I had nothing to worry about…

The sound quality was clean and the video quality was crisp and clear! As for the buffering, I had one instance where it seemed to be in a constant buffer loop, but once I refreshed the page, the buffering stopped and the video began effortlessly.

One thing I LOVED about ArtClick.tv's navigation was that I did NOT have to scroll through hundreds of non-member videos in order to find one of the "free" member videos to view. All I had to do was click on the "Membership Catalog" tab at the top of the screen.

Once I clicked on the membership catalog, I could scroll through the various videos available, by artist, media type, production company, subject matter, or skill level.

Currently, there are 129 videos in the membership side (and 450 in the pay per view side), but Jim has assured me that more will be added monthly so there will always be something new and exciting to look forward to.

As for my overall thoughts… I'm impressed. There's definitely 6 months worth of videos to watch and at $89.95 for a 6 month membership, that's a steal!

Get your 6 month membership for only $89.95 at http://artclick.tv

Disclosure: Reviewer was given a complimentary membership in order to review their services.

P.S.
Originally, I had only agreed to review the membership side once upon first impression, then do a follow up later after the excitement of being a new member wore off. But since Jim was gracious enough to give me a 6 month membership, I think I am going to give you a bi-weekly (or maybe weekly) review of some of the videos in the membership catalog…so stay tuned!

P.S.S.
This is one of the current videos available in the paid membership area.

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This post was sponsored by The Dabbling Mum.

For more articles like this, check out The Dabbling Mum eMagazine.

Supernatural, Season 2

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

With so many televisions shows dealing with supernatural beings, paranormal activities, and pure evil, it’s hard to believe that any show can be unique and different in its own right. Yet, that’s exactly what you get with Supernatural.

While some may argue that it hints of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Charmed, or other WB series, I must disagree. I found Supernatural to be unique in that it doesn’t try to make fighting evil fashionable. In fact, the main characters, Dean and Sam, spend most of their time living in a beat up old Impala, sleeping in dives, and using more head knowledge than gadgets.

A drawback, for some critics, is the fact that each episode lacks set creativity. They claim that each episode has all the makes of a budget film and should offer more than the dark, dreary four scene episodes. I, for one, have grown tired of special effects and fancy gadgets or scenery taking the place of good acting and find Supernatural’s episodes a refreshing change.

Another drawback seems to be the fact that the storyline doesn’t seem to follow logical progression and instead does a little jumping around from one episode to another. This can cause a little confusion on the viewers end, but I rather like this fresh approach since real life isn’t always presented in nice little packages.

In Season 2, Dean loses the battle against evil when his brother dies at the hand of the enemy. Grief-stricken, Dean makes the ultimate sacrifice and trades his life for his brother’s—giving Dean only one year left to live. His reasoning was simple: he had already died when his father gave up his life for Dean’s, so giving up Dean’s life for his brother Sam’s wasn’t the right choice—after all, he was living on borrowed time anyway. Of course, when Sam found out, he was heartbroken and determined to find a way to break the deal while keeping both brothers alive.

This episode hit home for me this year as I dealt with the loss of my mother and my sister-in-law—who died approximately a year apart. There isn’t a parent, a close friend, or a strong relationship that wouldn’t wish the return of their loved ones. And there are even some of us out there who can’t help but wonder what it would take to get that person back—even if it meant switching places. But as this season shows “be careful what you wish for” because what you expect may not be what you get and sometimes, getting your wish comes with grave consequences.

Your Task
This week, take the time to watch an episode, and then spend time in your Bible to determine what the Bible really says about demons, paranormal activities, and supernatural powers. Develop a skit, a worksheet, and a lesson that explains truth from fiction. Then sit down with your children and discuss these truths.

Order Supernatural today!

Disclosure: The reviewer received a complimentary copy of the DVD to review.

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This post was sponsored by The Dabbling Mum.

For more articles like this, check out The Dabbling Mum eMagazine.

Ten Inch Hero, the review

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 05:20:00 +0000

This afternoon I discovered a film I hadn't heard of before, Ten Inch Hero, and decided to give it a go since Jensen Ackles (Dean from Supernatural) was one of the main stars and Sean Patrick Flannery (From Young Indiana Jones) came in with a supporting role.

And I have to say that it surprised me.

It was created in 2007, but has the feel of an 80s film. It has some sex scenes and sexual remarks that make it unsuitable for small eyes, though... personally, I hate "sex scenes" in films. Call me old fashioned but I think they should be implied and not seen.

It's about a group of individuals who work in a sandwich shop near the beach; a group of misfits if you will. These, unlikely to hang out with each other outside of work, characters grow a fond attachment for one another, making them more like family than friends or co-workers which really adds a bit of charm to the film.

The story involves 5 main characters...

Piper is a young woman who gave birth to a child at age 15 and had to give that child up for adoption. Two years after the adoption, the adopted parents stopped sending updates on her child. When she sees a photo of a young girl in the paper who appears to be her daughter, she moves to the child's town in hopes of getting a glimpse of the little girl, unfortunately, she was mistaken and the little girl isn't hers.

Jen is a computer nerd who helps get the sandwich shop online and ready to take pick-up orders via the 'net. She befriends a guy named Fuzzy22 and after a year of conversing back and forth, she decides to meet him in person. Unfortunately, she gets cold feet at the last minute and is broken-hearted that she may have lost the love of her life simply because she couldn't face him in person.

Tish is a sex craved woman who uses a lame story about not being able to get turned on by men to get "hot" men to sleep with her. Then one day, she's persuaded by a rich young man who turns out to be abusive and a little bit unstable.

Priestly is a strange young man who wears a Mohawk, a kilt and several tattoos, all the while masking his true feelings, for one of the gals in the shop, through sarcasm, humor, and an uncanny outspokenness.

Trucker is the owner of the shop. He's not only taken this group of misfits under his wings, but he consistently acts like a father-figure, though the kids can only see him as a hippie loving surfer dude.

Of course, there's more to their stories than mentioned here...

I think what I liked most about this film is how charming it turned out to be.

Who wouldn't want to go to work each day enjoying the work atmosphere, the people, and the boss?!

But more than that, it's about growing up, defining one's self worth, and learning to believe in yourself enough to stand up for yourself, regardless of the situation.

Order Ten Inch Hero Today! You can get it on Amazon.com as an instant download or a DVD, or you can watch it on Netflix instant streaming.

Disclosure: The reviewer rented a copy of this film to review.

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This post was sponsored by The Dabbling Mum.

For more articles geared towards busy parents, check out The Dabbling Mum eMagazine.

Interview with Marcie Lovett

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:43:00 +0000

Marcie Lovett is an author and Professional Organizer and Productivity Consultant who coaches residential and business clients on goal setting and use of time. She graduated from the University of Maryland, School of Education, and is a Golden Circle member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO.

Marcie’s mission is to assist clients who want to remove clutter and chaos from their environments, thereby improving the quality of their lives.

What was your path towards publication like?
I have been writing since I was very young. I wrote atrocious poetry and dreadful prose when I was a teenager. As an adult, I tried writing short stories and a novel, but they aren’t very good. I used to say that I thought I had a book in me, but I never envisioned writing nonfiction.

I resisted writing this book for several years, even though clients and participants in my workshops asked for it. I have been in homes that are filled with books that the owners hoped would somehow transform their lives. Just like buying a diet book isn’t going to make you lose weight, I know that my book isn’t going to change lives if the reader doesn’t commit to making changes.

I struggled with wanting to get the information out and knowing I might contribute to book clutter. I had intended to publish it only as an e-book so readers wouldn’t have to find a place to keep it, but I learned that my audience wanted to read a physical book.

Once I made the decision to write the book, I told everyone I was doing it and I started referring to myself as a writer, then I changed my marketing materials to reflect the upcoming book. The truth was, though, that I spent more time researching, thinking and talking about the book than I did writing.

I ran into an acquaintance, at a networking event, and we both mentioned that we were writing books. She asked if I would consider being accountability partners and I agreed right away.

Once I had to report to someone what I did each week, the writing process became an assignment instead of a dreamy fantasy. I set up time to write every day and I noted the other activities, like research, so I realized how I was using my time. I don’t believe I would have finished the book without having this structure.

I looked at all the publishing options and self publishing seemed to be the most cost effective and expedient way to make my book available to the greatest number of people.

Since this was my first publishing experience, I also wanted to have control over all the aspects of the process, including the design, pricing and release date.

What is your biggest obstacle when it comes to pitching yourself as an author and what steps have you taken to overcome that obstacle?
I have never been a great self promoter, although I have been more comfortable marketing my book than my business.

People have responded enthusiastically to the book, even before it was published, which made me more willing to talk about it. I spend a lot of time reading blogs and listening to webinars about marketing. Of course, I could say that I was simply following the steps in the Goal Setting section of my book!

Because I believe so strongly in the book’s message, I am dedicated to getting it out to as many people as I can.

How do you balance your life as an entrepreneur with your duties as a parent or spouse?
I coach people on making choices about how they spend their time, so I feel like I have to model appropriate behavior. Although I work long hours, I don’t allow it to interfere with my personal life. I rarely schedule clients in the evenings or on weekends and my writing and administrative work can be done any time during the day. I have much more freedom now than when I worked in an office.

What is your best advice for getting past writer's block?
Because I attempt to practice what I encourage my clients to do, I created a writing routine.

I schedule time every day to write and I have stuck with it, even when I have nothing to say. Some days the writing comes effortlessly and two hours can fly by, while other days are torturous and all I do is move words around on the page or reformat headings. Whether I have a productive session or not, I sit in front of my computer and make some movement toward meeting my goal.

What was the best writing-related advice you ever received?
Dan Janal of PR Leads told me, “You are not writing the definitive organizing book.”

Once I realized that I didn’t have to include everything I knew and address all of the concerns anyone could have, I was free to finally finish the book. I removed sections that really didn’t fit and set them aside to use in another book.

What do you feel is the single most detrimental thing an entrepreneur could do to destroy his/her career?
You have to pay attention.

There are so many details that need attention, including finances, marketing, administration, customer service and personnel. If you focus on just one thing and neglect the others, you will not be successful.

My suggestion is to have a calendar/planning tool that works for you and write everything down. I recently worked with someone who said she keeps all her customer information in her head. That is not the way to run a successful business.

How did you get started in your line of work?
I experienced three job layoffs in seven years. I had considered working as an organizing consultant even when I was working full time in other jobs, but I was concerned about working on my own. After the third layoff, I realized that it was a good time to open my own company and if I didn’t try, I would always regret not taking the chance.

Before starting my own business, I assisted people in a less formal manner. Because I have always had strong organization skills, people relied on me to help them sort out their cluttered home and work spaces, then create uncomplicated solutions.

What is your goal when providing your services?
My goal is to help people save time and money by teaching them to let go of what they don’t need and find room for what they value.

People call me because they are overwhelmed.

They find that they’re not able to keep up with all of the details of life, whether at home, work, or both. Just about everybody lives with some degree of clutter; however, when clutter keeps you from functioning productively or from enjoying your environment, you feel stress. That stress affects your social or family life and can affect your earnings, as well.

Can you tell us a little bit about your latest book?
Whether it’s caused by things, commitments or thoughts, clutter holds you back. Letting go of it will change your life. The Clutter Book: When You Can't Let Go is meant for people who need guidance and structure to meet their goals of eliminating clutter from their lives.

I firmly, yet sensitively, move readers through what can be very painful experiences. I’m also a cheerleader, encouraging them to take the next step so they can enjoy their successes.

My book comes from a place of acceptance, is written for adults and includes exercises for readers to participate in the process. I teach them process that I hope will make a profound difference in how they see their relationship to things. In addition, I want to inspire them to think about how they live their lives and what they want to change. Most importantly, I encourage readers to enjoy their lives and their choices.

How did you come up with the idea for your book?
Before I committed to writing a book, I read what seems like every existing organizing book to make sure that my message was distinctive.

I admire many of the writers, but they all seemed to be missing something. Some of them are too academic, some don’t offer practical advice, others are written in a comic tone that didn’t appeal to me.

For the past few years, I have been thinking differently about clutter. As a group, organizers tend to promote living with less. I endorse a “simple living” approach and I now recognize that doesn’t work with a lot of people. So the aim of the book is to help people learn to live with what they have. Some people need to be surrounded by stuff, but they also need to live safely and comfortably. This book is for them, too.

What was the most difficult aspect of writing this book?
The most difficult part of the process for me has been the editing.

Although I hired an editor and I reviewed the manuscript several times, there were still errors that got through. Three times over the course of a month I had to submit a proof, wait for it to be printed and shipped, read it and make changes before I was satisfied that it was accurate.

Reading the book as an actual book, not as words on a computer screen, made a huge difference. I took each of the proofs to bed with me, like I would read any other book, and marked them up. I was frustrated that I kept finding things to change, but I think I learned a lot and ended up with a much better book.

Did you have to do any special research for your book?
As this is a nonfiction book, the content needed to reflect current research about human behavior. I did a lot of reading about decision making, procrastination and perfectionism; these are issues my clients struggle with. Readers who are interested in the science behind the approaches in the book will appreciate the knowledge as they make changes.

If you could choose just one thing for your book to accomplish, what would it be?
My wish is that someone who has been struggling with a relationship to things reads this book and finds the strength to change. That change can manifest itself in letting go of relationships that aren’t healthy or behaviors that aren’t productive or stuff that doesn’t add value to his or her life. Letting go doesn’t mean dumping everything you have; it’s about choosing what works for you and discarding the rest.

What’s ahead for your writing?
I'm working on a companion workbook. The Clutter Book contains exercises and checklists; the workbook will allow readers to print full-size copies of the exercises and write all over them, then print more when they want to repeat an exercise. The workbook also includes worksheets that workshop participants have found to be invaluable.

I’m also considering creating more specific books targeted to students, older adults and people with attention challenges. These are groups with significant concerns who would benefit from a book tailored to their needs.

Thanks, Alyice. This was a very enlightening exercise for me! I look forward to reading more interviews on your blog.

You can learn more about Marcie Lovett at www.organizedbymarcie.com

Order The Clutter Book Today!

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This post was sponsored by The Dabbling Mum.

For more articles like this, check out The Dabbling Mum eMagazine.

Touched By An Angel, Season 4

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

I am one of those people that love sappy endings. I also love it when the good guys win, when the underdogs triumph, and when people are reminded that God does indeed exist—even if at times it all feels like hocus pocus. But, I am also one of those people who likes good acting and sadly, there are many Christian films that lack good actors. That, however, is not the case when it comes to Touched By An Angel—regardless of the season you choose to watch.

In Season Four, Volume 2, Tess is still the Supervisor, Monica is still the Case Worker, and Andrew is still the Angel of Death/Case Worker in training, and Rafael comes along to lend a hand as another Case Worker.

I was partial to three episodes: The Trigger, Flights of Angels, and God And Country. But what I’d like to do is tell you about The Trigger because I truly believe it is an episode that should be shared in every classroom across the United States.

In The Trigger, a wife is faced with physical abuse as her husband deals with the demotion he received at work. This episode hit home for me as I grew up around abuse. I used to believe that abuse only happened to lower income families, such as those of us who lived in the ghetto. But as I grew into an adult, I began to see all forms of abuse in all types of circumstances: from verbal to physical to both; from children to spouses to friends; from low income to medium income to those who had lots of money. Abuse knew no boundaries. And those that were abused were either too afraid to speak up, talked themselves into believing it was only a temporary thing, or actually believed it was their fault.

In Trigger, the wife was abused as a child and honestly believed that she would never allow another man to hurt her the way her father had. In fact, she thought that by purchasing her childhood home, she would be able to put to rest the memories of the past. But when her husband gets demoted due to an accident at work, he feels like less of a man and to make up for the high he got on saving lives, he began to abuse his wife. And no matter how many times she ended up in the hospital, she kept rationalizing it away—he’s just going through a tough time right now, he didn’t mean anything by it, he really loves me, he promised he’d change.

Then one day, the wife’s sister arrives and things change from bad to worse. The sister kills the husband in self defense. The wife lies to the police and puts her sister in jail. It’s up to Monica, Tess, and Andrew to get her to see the error of her ways, to see what really happened the day her husband died, and to stop her son from becoming the next abuser. It truly is an emotional roller-coaster but one every family should watch.

Your Task
Invite your child’s friends over. Invite your child’s Sunday school class over. Invite the parents, too. Make popcorn, oven Smores, and hot cocoa. Then put in a copy of Touched By An Angel, Season Four, Volume 2, Disc 1, Episode 2. After watching Trigger, turn off the DVD and open the room up to discussion. Ask the children what they thought about that episode. Ask them if they know what the various forms of abuse are: verbal, physical, unjust spankings, beatings, etc. Ask them how they would feel if something like that happened to them. Ask them what they would do if someone hurt them and they were really afraid. Then talk to them about the importance of staying safe, of reporting abuse, and about getting away from bad situations and bad people. The only way to end abuse is to educate others. Keeping it quiet solves nothing.

Order Touched By An Angel today!

Disclosure: The reviewer received a complimentary copy of the DVD to review.

P.S. Don't forget to enter our drawing for some free postcards. Click here for more details and to enter.

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This post was sponsored by The Dabbling Mum.

For more articles like this, check out The Dabbling Mum eMagazine.

Two And A Half Men, season 4

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

A successful middle-aged chiropractor named Alan divorces his uptight, money-hungry wife, Judith, and is forced to move in with his wealthy bachelor brother, Charlie. In season one, the original idea was for Alan to stay with Charlie for a few months and then move out, but as Judith continued to require more and more money from Alan it became apparent that he couldn’t afford to live on his own—just yet. Though tempted to throw Alan out on several occasions, Charlie agrees to let him stay. As the show progresses, Charlie and Alan set aside childhood issues, learn to forgive—or at least move past—hurtful childhood events, and end up becoming good friends.

Charlie is a male chauvinist who thinks great relationships with the opposite sex consists of one-night stands. He drinks too much, spends money foolishly, and knows just how to manipulate the opposite sex to get what he wants.

Alan is an uptight business owner who never fully understood what it meant to live until he moved in with his brother. Now he struggles between experiencing a carefree lifestyle and being a responsible, yet fun-loving man.

Both men have a fear of women—resulting from a poor relationship with their own mother—and this fear causes them to mishandle their relationships with the opposite sex which results in lots of troubling times.

Jake, Alan’s son, is a naïve, lazy boy with a never-ending appetite who hates school and finds his Uncle Charlie’s lifestyle fascinating.

Rose, is Charlie’s stalker turned friend and babysitter. She’s strangely entertaining and you can’t help find yourself rooting for her as she tries to get Charlie to see the light and marry her.

Berta is Charlie’s housekeeper. She’s crude, obnoxious, and very forthright. She has a working relationship with Charlie that allows her to run the entire household. She’s also the closest thing Charlie has to a “best” friend.

Two And A Half Men takes the saying “dysfunctional” to an entirely new level. And yet, as a woman who enjoys a good laugh and usually dislikes anything with sexual innuendos, I can honestly say that this is the only show of its kind that I’ve ever been able to watch and enjoy. Perhaps it’s because the storylines make fun of some of the most horrific stereotypes while intertwining important life lessons, albeit very subtly. Or perhaps it’s because despite all their best efforts to appear uncaring, the cast finds themselves reaching out and helping one another. Or perhaps, just perhaps, it’s simply because it is funny.

Your Task
This week as you sit down to watch television, put the kids to bed and pop in a copy of Two And A Half Men. Your husband will thank you for it! This is a truly wacky show that shouldn’t be watched with small children—unless you plan on explaining to them why heavy drinking, sleeping around, and sadistic behaviors aren’t the best way to live one’s life.

Order Two And A Half Men today!

Disclosure: The reviewer received a complimentary copy of the DVD to review.

P.S. Don't forget to enter our drawing for some free postcards. Click here for more details and to enter.

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This post was sponsored by The Dabbling Mum.

For more articles like this, check out The Dabbling Mum eMagazine.

Want to win some artsy postcards designed by our editor?

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 23:07:00 +0000

Where are your favorite places to hang out online?

Share them on our blog and enter a drawing for some free postcards from my etsy shop!

One winner will be selected, from the comments below, on Friday, 1/27/12.

You could win a few of these....

or a few of these...

Of course, all postcards are available for sale via our etsy shop in case you just have to have some now.

Contest rules and disclaimer page

Real Steel, the review

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 03:00:00 +0000

When Real Steel was in the theatres, I left so hyped and ready to kick some butt that when my daughter asked to watch it again a few weeks later, I took her. And yes, we left the theatre just as charged up. So when I was offered a review copy, I couldn’t refuse… I just had to know if that same adrenaline rush was going to occur at home, too.

Well, I have to say that while it’s not the same adrenaline rush (there’s just something far more magical about watching it on a huge screen), it did leave me charged and feeling good. So if you want a feel-good movie to share with your kids, I truly encourage you to give Real Steel a try!

That being said, if you never liked Rocky then you’ll want to pass up Real Steel because it truly is a Rocky remake… but with a twist.

What I loved about this film is how amazing the fight scenes were—and not one human being was injured in the course of the fighting!

As a little girl I loved boxing… I loved the thrill of it, the skill of it, that excitement of it. Then I discovered how damaging it was to the human body, and being the sensitive soul that I am, I boycotted the sport. But not without regrets as I seriously enjoyed a good fight.

So the whole idea of robots taking the beating instead of humans…and using all the same moves…well, how could I not get excited?!

The film takes place approximately 15 years in the future where human boxing has been replaced with robot boxing. The main character, Charlie Kenton, was a human boxer, and when the sport shifted to robots, he reluctantly made the switch. Sadly, he sucked in his new profession, became a drunk, and basically gambled away his future.

Then one day he gets a call that the mother of a son he abandoned at birth has died and he must attend the custody hearing. At the hearing, he realizes that his child’s aunt is married to a rather wealthy man and agrees to give up his rights as a father in exchange for money, and a summer with his son, Max. (Yes, that’s very bad!)

Charlie uses the money to buy a new robot, and instead of taking the time to learn about the robot, he takes him to a fight and basically kills him. Frustrated and angered over his own stupidity, he takes Max to a dump to collect parts in hopes of putting together a new robot. That’s when Max discovers ATOM, a shadow-boxing robot, who had been thrown away with every piece still in tact.

Max cleans up ATOM and decides that he’s capable of fighting, but Charlie disagrees. After a little persuading, Charlie gives ATOM a try and is surprised to discover just how good a fight he can be.

Match after match, ATOM proves himself a worthy opponent. Then he’s scheduled to fight the champion of the World Robot Boxing League and all bets are off.

But there’s so much more to the storyline than fighting robots, or a sleazy dad taking advantage of a bad situation and selling his son for money.

It’s a story about second chances, of righting wrongs, of forgiveness, of human growth, of trusting your instincts, of learning what it really means to be a father. And that’s what makes this film worth watching over and over again.

Finally, some have argued that the robots not being intellectual enough to box on their own (think Transformers) was a turn off, but I found it rather charming. They remind me of the old Rock’em Sock’em robots I used to play with as a child.

But I think what I liked most about going this route is the fact that the robots being controlled by human beings—and without emotions—makes it easier to accept their skulls being bashed in, and far more exciting!

Order the Real Steel combo pack on Amazon.com for just $28.

Disclosure: The reviewer received a complimentary copy of this film to review.

For a limited time, Dreamworks is offering $5 OFF the purchase of the Real Steel 3-disc Combo Pack. Those interested should visit http://www.steelgetsreal.com/, and click on the offer in the upper right corner of the page. Offer ends 1/29/12.

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This post was sponsored by The Dabbling Mum.

For more articles geared towards busy parents, check out The Dabbling Mum eMagazine.

Step Up 2

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:01:00 +0000

Loved the dancing, hated the plot. Well, I shouldn’t say “hated” as much as felt there was something vastly missing. I honestly think the choreography and dancing took over the movie—which for those who prefer lots of action and very little drama, that’s a good thing.

But for people like me, who enjoy having a more balanced approach, let me just say that the plot could have been much better.

Step Up 2 is about a teenager girl named Andie who loves to dance and uses it as an escape to not deal with the death of her mother. She lives with her mother’s best friend, but the friend is fed up with Andie’s lack of respect for herself and the people she lives with. In fact, she’s just about ready to ship Andie off to a long distance relative when an old friend pops into town and offers up some sound advice: get into the local school of arts, keep your grades up, and continue doing what you love and living in a place that affords you the opportunity to take your dancing to new heights or give up on yourself and any hopes of a future by moving away and living with relatives who won’t understand you. She opts for staying put—reluctantly.

But when her new life interferes with her old life, her friends disown her. But all’s not lost because she discovers a new group of friends who not only “get her” but respect her enough to remain “true friends”—even in hard times!

In the opening of Step Up 2, there’s much talk about dancing being more than just another form of gang-related activity—that dancing was about bringing groups of people together to show off their talents and end the violence. Yet, we see a crew of dancers, known as 4-1-0, deface public property, make a nuisance of themselves in public, and take dance rivalry to a whole new level when they beat up a guy for co-starting a new crew with Andie, for not “being part of the streets,” and for basically stealing Andie from the crew leader who dumped her earlier in the show. But they don’t stop there, they then destroy an expensive dance studio to make a statement: you’re not welcome in our dance-offs, stay away or else! But it doesn’t help matters when the “new crew” does a little damage of their own by mocking and taunting 4-1-0 via secretly taped video footage and then breaking into their “crib” to place a dead fish in their central
air unit.

That being said, there are some underlying issues that really don’t get addressed in the film and they should have. Issues like the fact that the Andie needed to deal with the emotional issues of her mother’s death, the fact that Andie wanted so badly to fit in somewhere that she was willing to be bullied into giving up her future for the sake of her crew members, and the fact that vandalism and physical violence can’t go unpunished—they must be dealt with.

Your Task
Your task, if you choose to watch this film is to make an even of it. Because whether it’s lacking in the drama department or not, it’s got a lot of wonderful choreography going on and any child interested in dance is going to love the dance scenes and—like my daughter—replay them over and over again. Turn up the volume on the dance scenes and dance along with the actors. But when it’s over, take the time to ask your kids how they felt Andie could’ve better handled the sadness she felt over her mother’s death and the relationship with her legal guardian. And ask them what they do to deal with peer pressure. You may even want to give them a safe out by saying, “It’s okay to tell your friends, ‘I’m sorry, my parents wouldn’t like that and if they caught me I’d be grounded for life.’ So if you don’t mind, I’ll pass.”

Order Step Up 2 Today!

Disclosure: The reviewer received a complimentary copy of the DVD to review.

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This post was sponsored by The Dabbling Mum.

For more articles like this, check out The Dabbling Mum eMagazine.

Lois and Clark, Season 4

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

In season 3, after years of hiding his feelings for Lois, Clark was finally able to reveal his true identity and the two began to build a relationship. In this season, they conquer all odds and get married. But their marriage doesn’t have a storybook ending. It’s not happily ever after but real life with all of its ups and downs (only with a few super-villains and surreal moments mixed in).

Sometimes, watching the mushiness of Lois & Clark can be a bit sickening. It’s hard to see a couple go from cat and mouse to openly loving one another. But that’s when you have to ask, “Why is that we like the tension more than we like the bonding and closeness? Why do we prefer to see them struggling to find a way to love each other instead of relishing in their ability to finally show true love and affection for one another? And why do we turn our backs on characters that seem to finally have things going their way?”

Personally, I’ve enjoyed every season of Lois & Clark and was disappointed when the writers didn’t feel their relationship valued better writing. By that I mean the couple jumped into lovey-dovey too soon. The couple had been playing cat and mouse for so long that finally being able to show their true feelings, to openly say “I love you” and to call each other pet names, should have happened gradually, not all at once. Yet despite this flaw, season four still holds its charm. Superman still battles evil, Lois still sticks her neck out for great stories, and the couple still has a little tension to work out.

At first, I wondered if I could even come up with a defining moment for this season of Lois & Clark, then as I pondered what lesson we could learn I realized that the lesson was simple: relationships are hard. Marriage is even harder and roadblocks will always abound, but true love never gives up. A good marriage isn’t just about give and take, it’s about forgiveness, lifting each other up when we’re down, remembering to do special things for the ones you love, and keeping the romance alive by adding a little spice every now and then.

Your Task
This week take the time to look through old photographs of your pre-marital life. What were you and your spouse like before you got married? What do you see in those pictures? How did he (or she) make you happy back then? What made those times so romantic? What were the good qualities in your spouse?

While you’re feeling good about those memories take the time to write down those memories and good qualities on a piece of paper. Then once a day, over the course of the next few weeks, take one of those memories and write a short 2 to 5 sentence note for your spouse. Hide that note in his (or her) lunch, briefcase, dashboard, dresser drawer, tool chest, hobby area, or wherever else he (or she) might “happen” upon it. Continue to send secret reminders until you no longer have anything left on your note paper.

Once you’ve used up all your notes, plan a romantic evening out—with no kids, no business talk, and no problem-solving. Then relish in the fact that you’ve married the perfect person—for you!

Order Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Season 4 today!

Disclosure: The reviewer received a complimentary copy of the DVD to review.

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This post was sponsored by The Dabbling Mum.

For more articles like this, check out The Dabbling Mum eMagazine.

Interview with Heidi Legg

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:19:00 +0000

As a young girl, Heidi Legg kept creative writing journals. To her, writing came naturally so while in school she wrote a column for the school newspaper, became editor of the school yearbook, and became a roving reporter for Teen Generation Magazine. Then one day, after the birth of her second child she realized that she wanted more from her life and for her writing…

What was your path towards publication like?
After writing three screenplays with a few meetings in Los Angeles, I realized screenplays were ubiquitous and difficult to pitch from Cambridge… and with two little kids in tow, that was the reality of my life. I had to write from here for now.

A top literary agent in Boston sat down with me to discuss these three scripts and we realized Evangeline had more to say; it was a novel. That said, he was a non-fiction agent and once I sent the manuscript around as an unknown to agents, I started to check off the rejections one by one on my excel spreadsheet.

I thought if I created a professional spreadsheet with YES and NO columns, eventually I would be able to check off YES. When that didn't happen, the indie movement was looking pretty dam sexy and exciting and liberating. Just like the heroines I like to write.

What is your biggest obstacle when it comes to pitching yourself as an author and what steps have you taken to overcome that obstacle?
The biggest obstacle is being an unknown on an independent study who has been at home raising children for the ten year nap.

I would go to readings of newly published authors or filmmakers who either had a famous last name or an internship from the New Yorker or had done an MFA at Iowa and I was convinced for a while that was insurmountable… until I started to read about indie writers breaking out and bringing their stories to "the people". Seth Godin's daily emails also helped. It reminded me of the Internet days in the early 90s. Anything was possible.

How do you balance your life as an entrepreneur with your duties as a parent or spouse?
The most important gift I gave myself was the boundary of time.

At first I felt guilty, as women do!, saying no to things, people, school, friends and then I realized I was not saying no, but rather, I was saying just not now. I carved out three full writing sessions a week in the mornings and I tried so hard to respect those times.

Friends knew that on Tuesday and Thursdays I was writing, my husband would try to give me two days a week when he would take the kids to school so I could write fresh out of bed in my pajamas.

Our kids were really little—ages 2 and 5—when I started soI started slowly. First two mornings a week, then as they went to school full time, I took more time to write and when I had paid work to do, I would consolidate that work into other times and try diligently to respect my writing days.

It is a luxury as I do not work full time at a job but I do pick my kids up every day and some things had to give. Lunches, work outs, paid jobs, grocery shopping all queued behind those writing hours. I am sure, until my book came out, many people thought it was a cover for long naps and matinee movies.

What is your best advice for getting past writer's block?
Brush your teeth or take a walk or run the Charles River in the northeast winter.

What was the best writing-related advice you ever received?
Oh there are such good ones....

My writing friend Bob Johnson reminded me that swaths of time are important for writing because writing fiction is like a dream, if someone wakes you up mid-dream, it is very hard to get back to where you were when interrupted.

Hemingway said you should write once you have lived and so I write in times of struggle because I know that's when I can really hear my voice and when I am living real time.

And my mother said, mind your manners.

What do you feel is the single most detrimental thing an entrepreneur could do to destroy his/her career?
Listen to reason over your gut.

Can you tell us a little bit about your latest book?
My Evangeline is so personal to me because it is from my home. I had been writing very irreverent, midlife reckoning scripts (which I LOVE and the novel I am working on leans to that beat) and I was looking for a story to transport people to my quiet, "lost in time place" in Canada where old world charms saunter alongside rugged, raw realities. They combine in a way that is unique to Atlantic Canada.

Annie Proulx has captured it in The Shipping News, Antonine Maillet has captured the Acadians in La Sagouine and Longfellow romanticized it in Evangeline.

This is my version of the way of life up north, in our secret Atlantic coast, and the coming of age story with eighteen-year old Eve is so timeless to me and something I went through myself. The classic townie vs. summer kid, the duty to father vs. the lure of romantic love, the immigrant vs the nationalist.

How did you come up with the idea for your book?
My mother was visiting from Shediac, New Brunswick and we took my daughter to Longfellow's National Parks house a few short blocks from where I live near Harvard Square. While touring through with the docent, we learned that Longfellow had never stepped foot in the Maritimes of Atlantic Canada and had written the poem's topography from paintings of the area.

Nathaniel Hawthorne had been offered the story first by a traveling cousin and Longfellow was so taken by the French Acadians and their plight as they were disbanded from the British ships that sent them south in 1755, that he asked if he could work on it first. Hawthorne was fine with that.

I realized that if Longfellow was so enamored with them as an American, then my love for the Acadian way of life, my way of life growing up, was possibly of more interest to others than I feared.

What was the most difficult aspect of writing this book?
I started the book in the present tense to be cool and current and I found it very difficult to recount the story in that tense. It tripped me up more than once. I also struggled with people's reaction to the magic realism in the book. But it came to me that way in a dream one night and I just had to honor it. I am still defensive about it and I must stop because it is what makes it a book ripe for the young who will understand it with me.

Did you have to do any special research for your book?
Longfellow house was a major inspiration and there I bought a book on the poem and on his life. I also spent time researching the news clippings on the Quebec election and suggested accusations by people after the fall out of the election, especially Parizeau.

If you could choose just one thing for your book to accomplish, what would it be?
I hope this book inspires young women to hear their voice earlier than I heard mine.

I hope it encourages that 20 something girl trying to live boldly and on her terms to just go for it; especially if it happens to be my own daughter, Bronwyn, one day.

What’s ahead for your writing?
Oh I still dream so much to make a movie. However, an indie book is more affordable than an indie movie right now but maybe that will change.

I would do anything to be Sophia Copolla! Nicole Holofcener for films and Isabelle Allende for novels are idols. I love writing strong heroines who use wit, irreverence and an openness to being flawed as they find their voices. Family ties and romance usually figure pretty heavily in anything I write.

I have a new book in the works and a few agents are interested which feels so much more motivating this time round, like a trampoline at the bottom of a 100 story building. Novels, film, essays - To be paid to make those would be pretty awesome.

Learn more about Heidi Legg at www.heidilegg.com or order My Evangeline from Amazon.com for just $14.

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This post was sponsored by The Dabbling Mum.

For more articles like this, check out The Dabbling Mum eMagazine.

Grey’s Anatomy, Season 3

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

This is an old review (9/28/07), but one worth sharing here on the blog....

I can’t believe this series has been on the air for three years and this is the first time I’ve watched it. I was impressed with the way the writers were able to keep the medial aspect of the show real while helping us to connect with both doctors and interns. It’s like a tame version of a soap opera with a mix of medical terminology.

As I watched Grey’s Anatomy, Season 3, I couldn’t help but feel as though I were giving into a guilty pleasure. Premarital sex, love triangles, forbidden love, and so much more.

I was hooked on the love triangle between Callie, George, and Izzie. First, I couldn’t believe he didn’t know he had feelings for Izzie, then I couldn’t believe Izzie decided she had feelings for George only after sleeping with him over a drunken stooper. And finally, I felt sorry for Callie who thought she’d finally found love—only to be severely hurt. Her entire demeanor changed as she watched her relationship with George die and in her I saw hundreds of women who try desperately to hold onto relationships that have long been over—hoping to rekindle that one moment that brought them together and hoping that in doing so their dreams would be fulfilled.

And then there was the relationship between Burke and Christina. Christina clearly loved Burke, but his constant need to “try and change her” continued to build a wall between the two of them. In his mind, he had vision of what the perfect mate would be like and he truly believed that he could mold Christina into that vision. Then, on the day of their wedding, he realized that he could no longer continue to make Christina into his vision—that if he truly loved her, he needed to let her be who she was and he couldn’t do it, so he left her at the alter. And in him, I saw countless men and women who are never satisfied until everything is done their way—relationships, business transactions, and children. Some become abusive verbally, other become abusive physically, and others just destroy every relationship that comes there way—even the good ones.

Christina’s character is strong and will one day make a brilliant doctor. But she’s got a lot of baggage that keeps her distant and sometimes cold when it comes to her patients. And the end of her relationship only adds to that. When Burke left her at the alter she was confused, stunned, dazed, and left wondering if she was relieved to be free or scared to have given her heart only to have lost the man she loved. In Christina I see women who tries so hard to forget the past that she becomes stuck. Sure they succeed in their careers and even their finances, but despite how successful they become, there’s just something missing and until they deal with the baggage in their lives, there will always be something missing.

And let’s not get started on Meredith. Talk about complete craziness! Her parents screwed her up so badly that she has only allowed one person in—and that one person is just as screwed up as her, emotionally. Meredith is smart and has the potential to be a great partner—and one day, mother—but she can’t see it and therefore destroys every good relationship that enters her life. Her depression, untreated, nearly kills her, destroys the best thing that has ever happened to her, and leaves her in a self-destructive mode. In Meredith I see what can happen to people who don’t reach out, who live with untreated depression, and who allow the past to rule their futures. In Meredith I see lost hope.

Your Task
Grey’s Anatomy offers lots of material for adults to open of conversations with their teenagers about trust, honesty, love, premarital sex, love triangles, friendships, depression, suicide, and even hope. If there’s an area in your child’s life that you feel could be opened up by a conversation starter, search the episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, watch the show together, and then ask your child what he/she thought about it.

Order Grey's Anatomy Today

Disclosure: The reviewer received a complimentary copy of the DVD to review.

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This post was sponsored by The Dabbling Mum.

For more articles like this, check out The Dabbling Mum eMagazine.

Saturday Morning Cartoons from the 60s and 70s

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

When I was a little girl, my mother had to leave the house between six and six-thirty in the morning—for work. That meant I was awake and ready for school at six in the morning, every morning. Unfortunately, it also meant that I spent my mornings at a babysitter’s house—often sitting in the dark as I waited for that house to wake and start their day. Then my mom switched sitters and while I still had to stay quiet and sit in the dark while I waited for the rest of the house to awaken, I had the blessed fortune of turning on the television. It was then that I discovered re-runs of the Saturday Morning Cartoons and time literally flew by!

Now, I get to relive those memories as Warner Brothers presents several of those cartoons—and some I’ve never seen before (or don’t remember)—on disc. It’s amazing to be able to step back in time and see how simple cartoons were back then. There were no special gimmicks, no high tech gadgets, no murderous plots, no sexual innuendos, no garbage—just clean, silly fun!

Just take a peak at what you’ll get in each collection:

Saturday Morning Cartoons 1960s, Volume 2

Augie Doggie And Doggie Daddy
Breezly and Sneezly
Droopy
Foghorn Leghorn, the rooster
Just Ducky
Lippy The Lion
Magilla Gorilla
Punkin’ Puss & Mushmouse
Precious Pup and The Hillbilly Bears
Ricochet Rabbit & Droop-a-long
Snooper and Blabber
Space Heroes
Sylvester & Tweety
The Adam Ant Show
The Adventures of Young Gulliver
The Bugs Bunny Show
The Jetsons
The Peter Potamus Show
The Porky Pig Show
The Road Runner Show
The Space Kiddettes
The Tom & Jerry Show
The Wally Gator Show
Touche Turtle
Quick Draw McDraw
Yippie, Yappie, and Yahooey
Young Samson & Goliath
Bonus: Completely Bananas: The Magilla Gorilla story

Saturday Morning Cartoons 1970s, Volume 2

Inch High Private Eye
Sea Lab 2020
Shazzan
The Amazing Chan and the Chan Chan Clan
The Banana Splits Adventure Hour with the Arabian Knights, Danger Island, and The Three Muskateers
The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Hour with Daffy Duck and Peppe Le Peu
The Hair Bear Bunch
The New Adventures of Gilligan
The New Adventures of Batman
Valley of the Dinosaurs
Tom & Jerry and the Grape Ape with Beegle Beagle
Yogi’s Gang
Bonus: The Power of Shazzan

There are a few caveats, however, with this collection. First, there isn’t a line-up sheet so you don’t know which disc contains which cartoons and that can be frustrating when you want to watch a specific cartoon. Second, the menu bar isn’t very clear since it contains episode titles but doesn’t tell you who is in each episode. Third, none of the cartoons have been digitally re-mastered; therefore you will see streaks, flashes of tape jumping from top to bottom, and an occasional black dot or two. Fourth, the “Saturday Wake Up Calls” and trailers are a big joke and add nothing of real value to the collection.

That being said, when I first heard Warner Brothers was going to create a smorgasbord of cartoons in a new series titled, “Saturday Morning Cartoons”, I couldn’t help but wonder why they didn’t create a “Complete Series” collection of each title instead—and for that reason, I didn’t jump at the opportunity to buy volume one. But after viewing volume two, I get it. That doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t prefer complete series of my favorite cartoons, because I would. What it does mean, however, is that collections like these have their place. In fact, I think these volumes make great trip videos. And for those who enjoy a little nostalgia, this collection offers just the right amount.

Order Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1960s, Volume 2
and Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1970s, Volume 2 Today!

Disclosure: The reviewer received a complimentary copy of the DVD to review.

DÉJÀ VU

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

A huge fan of Denzel Washington, I couldn’t wait to see DÉJÀ VU when it hit theatres. And I’m glad I did. DÉJÀ VU is truly an action packed thriller loaded with great actors and plenty of suspense.

When we saw the previews, we thought it would be about premonitions, but that’s not what DÉJÀ VU is about at all. In fact, DÉJÀ VU is really a play on words.

A terrorist blows up a New Orleans ferry filled with military personnel. The FBI is called in to investigate. When the FBI is introduced to Doug Carlin, an ATF agent with a keen ability to interpret data, they discover that one of the victims was actually killed “before” the ferry exploded and made to look like part of the explosion. Having caught their curiosity, the FBI asks Carlin to help them solve the mystery behind the explosion.

Confused, but happy to help, Carlin discovers the FBI has the ability to “spy” on Americans through the use of a highly sophisticated satellite-based surveillance device. To move the investigation along, Carlin asks to see what the first victim, Claire, was doing prior
to the explosion. And it’s there that Carlin realizes that the device isn’t just recording history, but going back in time and recording live events—creating true DÉJÀ VU moments.

And it’s then that Carlin realizes the government has invented an unstable, yet highly sophisticated time machine. Will Carlin be able to solve the mystery? And in doing so, will he be able to go back in time and prevent the mass murder of hundreds of innocent people?

You’ll have to rent the film to find out.

Your Task
After watching DÉJÀ VU, sit down with your kids and ask them if they’ve ever experienced moments when it felt like someone was following them. Ask how it made them feel and what they did to feel safe. Then explain to your children the importance of being aware of our surroundings, what to do if a stranger follows them, and how to keep safe when they’re alone.

Order DÉJÀ VU today!

Disclosure: The reviewer received a complimentary copy of the DVD to review.

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This post was sponsored by The Dabbling Mum.

For more articles like this, check out The Dabbling Mum eMagazine.

Cartoons From The 80s

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

The Cartoons
As a kid growing up in the 80s, I L-O-V-E-D cartoons and spent every Saturday morning glued to the television set. I didn’t see sunlight until after lunch and it didn't matter if my friends and classmates thought I was uncool for watching them because I liked the way they made me feel on the inside—happy and content.

I had many cartoon favorites in the 80s and these three were no exceptions:

Garfield
Garfield was such a hit when I was a kid that even my mom adored this chubby, self-absorbed lasagna eating cat! For awhile there, we even had a mini-shrine just for Garfield (mom's not mine), complete with drawings by yours truly!

Mom’s been gone for just over two years now and I miss her like crazy but watching Garfield’s Fun Fest is like curling up on the couch next to mom and being a kid all over again.

In this episode, Garfield's got a rival who wants nothing more than to de-throne Garfield and take over as top cat in the funniest comic strip ever. Garfield, however, has a few tricks up his sleeve which include getting back to the roots of what true comedy is all about. In the end, Garfield discovers that the best talent happens by being one's self, not by conforming. It’s a lesson we can all use refresher course on from time to time, don’t you think?

Order Garfield's Fun Fest Today!

Care Bears
For me, the Care Bears were an amazing group of cartoon characters because they did what people in my family didn't do—share their feelings. I learned a lot from these little bears and would recommend them to anyone with small children.

In this series, Care Bears Care-A-Lot collection, children learn how to be helpers, how practice makes perfect, what it’s like to make new friends, how to overcome personal challenges, and more.

Amongst the cast are: Funshine, Grumpy, Share, Cheer, Oopsie.

Funshine bear taught me how to turn ordinary situations into fun times—even if I had to do it alone. Funshine bear was all about finding contentment in life regardless of one’s circumstances. Grumpy bear showed me what I looked like when I let my emotions get the better of me. Grumpy bear also reminded me that underneath those rough and tough exteriors lied hearts of gold—we just had to look for them and break through the hurts and pains that caused the hardening of those hearts. Share bear was probably my favorite bear because she's a lot like me—she's very giving and for all the right reasons. Share bear was all about reaching out to those in need and showing genuine concern for their well-being and happiness. There weren’t any ulterior motives, it was love in its purest form. Cheer bear was always a breath of fresh air because she knew how to turn gray skies into blue ones. Cheer bear was like having your own personal cheer squad at your beckon call. When times got tough she was there to remind you that taking just one more step in the right direction could prove very rewarding. Oopsy bear was a fantastic role model because he reminded me that not everything turns out the way we want it to. Oopsy always seemed to have good intentions, but he was also very clumsy and good at messing things up. He taught me that as long as we did our best, that’s all we could do. Order Care Bears: Care-A-Lot Today!

Strawberry Shortcake.
Being a bit of a perfectionist growing up, I needed a character like Strawberry Shortcake. Heck, I even had her dolls and figurines—and yes, each one actually smelled like their names! She helped keep me grounded by reminding me that as long as you do your "berry best" everything will work itself out in the end. She had a very optimistic outlook on life which encouraged daydreaming.

In Strawberry Shortcake: Rockaberry Roll, Strawberry Shortcake and her friends get a dose of reality when they let their pride get the best of them. The girls form a band for the local talent show, but they all want to do it “their own way” which ruins their chances of entering the talent show—that is, until they learn what it really means to work as a team and practice, practice, practice.

Order Strawberry Shortcake: Rockaberry Roll Today!

Disclosure: The reviewer received a complimentary copy of the DVD to review.

The Witchblade

noreply@blogger.com (Alyice Edrich) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Yancy Butler plays Sara “Pez” Pezzinni—a New York detective hell bent on bringing in the guy who killed her best friend. With only one thing on her mind, Sara’s obsession costs her the life of her best friend and partner, Danny, but gains her a secret weapon unlike anything ever seen before—the Witchblade.

The Witchblade is an ancient weapon that appears to have a mind of its own and with the help of Sara Pezzinni it will do what it has always done—fight evil. The Witchblade is an amazing instrument in that it can look like a simple bracelet one minute and a combative arm piece the next—complete with dagger or sword. There also appears to be a living, conscious being within the Witchblade that speaks to those that wear it and gives the wearer the ability to see the past and the future, the ability to heal, and the ability to fight with a strength the wearer has never known before.

Many have tried to wear the Witchblade but only a few have succeeded—that’s because it cannot be worn by a male and it can only be worn by certain females. Those who aren’t meant to wear the Witchblade have rare consequences bestowed upon them—some death, some a living hell, and some the ability to remain immortal and forever connected to the Witchblade and its wearer.

I have to admit that the storyline takes a while to get used to as Sara is a rather distant, untrusting soul that makes it difficult to embrace her character or understand the full potential of the Witchblade, its history, or its true purpose. But just as you’re getting comfortable with the show’s format and beginning to understand Sara’s character strengths and weaknesses, the show does a drastic 90 degree turn-a-round.

Sara discovers that she can reverse time—only once—and chooses to go back to before she ever receives the Witchblade. She saves everyone that has ever died but still ends up with the Witchblade. After all, it was her destiny!

With the Witchblade back in Sara’s possession an alternate timeline takes place with many of the same things occurring as before, but thanks to Sara’s premonitions (or her memories) she’s able to make some wiser choices. And soon, Sara discovers that you can’t always cheat death.

From my understanding, the Witchblade is actually a knock off of a famous comic book series with the same name. But don’t expect to know what’s going on if you’ve read the comics. The two aren’t as identical as one might suspect. In fact, if you’re not careful, you can miss some key points that will leave you hitting the rewind button because if you don’t you’ll be lost and confused for the rest of the series. Yes, folks, this is one of those series where you cannot skip an episode and catch up.

Your Task
In Witchblade, there are many historical figures and events mentioned. Because the storyline isn’t real, the mentions could leave young scholars confused as to what’s fact and what’s fiction. This is the perfect opportunity to take a walk through history with your children—rent some movies based on historical truths, read a few books together, visit the local museums. If your kids are half as interested in the series as mine were, they can’t help but want to know more about what was truth and what wasn’t. (Oh and one more thing, don’t let anyone under the age of 13 watch it—not all scenes are safe for young eyes.)

Order Witchblade Today!

Disclosure: The reviewer received a complimentary copy of the DVD to review.

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This post was sponsored by The Dabbling Mum.

For more articles like this, check out The Dabbling Mum eMagazine.