Great Romantic Movies

I love watching entertaining and educational movies in my spare time when I am not in busy with kids or cooking. I like to combine my interest so, I make healthy snacks at home just I can sit down and have entertaining friends and family by watching DVDs at home. It is not only cheaper to watch a movie from my own collection or rented from movie rental store. Valentine day is just around the corner and it is a great to do something special for your loved ones.

I love romantic reading as any other woman out there, and I cry at sappy movies and laugh and get happy when there is a happy ending to people’s love.There is something about two people destined to be together come over great obstacles and misunderstanding to come together in the end, which is so inspirational and hopeful for anyone in love out there. Many of are made for women no wonder some are call chick-movies. Another romantic things to for your loved one is get them flowers for valentine, chocolate or cook dinner for them. Hopefully guy who is truly in love will watch these movies with his girlfriend, wife, sister or mother. There are many romantic comedies out there which are great. I want to share my top romantic movies list.

Top Romantic Movies

1. Titanic

Language: English
Genre: Romance/Drama
MPAA rating: PG-13
Director: James CameronActors: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane
Based on part non-fiction and part fictional story takes place in voyage over the ocean and tells a story of unlikely pair in love. Young rich girl and poor boy’s doomed love story. Whole story is told in flash back by old lady who comes with her grand daughter to retell what really happened. I love Leo’s character in this movie and made him a star.

Titanic (Special Edition)

2. An Affair to Remember

Genres: Drama, Romance, Rating: NR,Language:English
Director: Leo McCarey
Actors: Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Richard Denning,Neva Patterson, Cathleen Nesbitt,Robert Q. Lewis

I did not see this movie until recently and I loved it and wonder why I had not seen it. It stars Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. This another love story in ocean liner and fall deeply in love. Deborah’s character is engaged to somebody but they agree to meet after six month at Empire State’s Building if they still felt the love after six month’s time. A tragic accident keep their love apart but in end all ends well.

An Affair To Remember

3. Casablanca

Language: English
Genre: Drama/Romance
MPAA rating: NR
Director: Michael Curtiz
Actors: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid

This movie is set in Casablaca, Africa during 1940s. Bogart’s character has past which he wants to forget and avoid. He meets his past love, Ingrid again in a bar he owns. Things get complicated as has a husband now and to watch happens next you have to watch this movie.

Casablanca [Blu-ray]

4. Roman Holiday

Language: English
Genre: Drama/Romance
MPAA rating: NR
Director: William Wyler
Actors: Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Eddie Albert

I love Audery Hepburn and this was her first ever movie for which she won an academy award. It also stars Gerogory Peck as news paper reporter. He meets a princess played by Audrey who has escaped her boring family life. Will he spill the beans in new paper story? Watch this movie to find out.

Roman Holiday – The Centennial Collection

5. City of Angels

Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Rating: PG-13,Language:English
Director: Brad Silberling
Actors:Nicolas Cage,Meg Ryan,Andre Braugher,Dennis Franz,Colm Feore,Sarah Dampf

This movie is remade or inspired by a German movie called Wings of Desire. Meg Ryan plays a heart surgeon and has just lost a patient. An angel name Seth played by Nicholas Cage comes for this patient and falls in love with doctor. She can feel him and Angel chooses to be normal human and losing his immortality to be with woman he loves. Touching romantic story is gripping to watch.

City of Angels

Classic Romance Gifts

	Valentine Amore Romantic Gift Set – Bed of Roses Scented floating silk rose petals and tealight candles
	BoldLoft “Say I Love You” Couple Pillowcases-Romantic Valentines Gifts for Couples, Cute Valentines Day Gift Ideas, Good Couple Gifts for Valentines, Romantic Anniversary Gifts
	Reasons I love you stones Pack
	My Heart Will… Pocket Compass

6. When Harry Met Sally

Director: Rob Reiner
Actors:Meg Ryan,Billy Crystal,Lisa Jane Persky,Carrie Fisher,Steven Ford,Bruno Kirby
Genres: Comedy, Romance
Rating: R Language: English

This movie asks eternal question, can man and woman can be ever true friend or sex will have come between them. This movie spans two people’s life from a college to twenty years, starting with friendship and more to see they truly care and loved each other.

When Harry Met Sally – Special Edition

7. Gone With the Wind

Language: English
Genre: Drama/Romance
MPAA rating: PG
Director: Victor Fleming
Actors: Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, George Reeves

An epic movie tells civil war tale of a strong woman, Scarlett, who loves the man she didn’t marry. When she truly realize that man she married is the person she truly love, it is too late.

Gone with the Wind (70th Anniversary Edition)

8. Pretty Woman

Director: Garry Marshall
Actors: Julia Roberts, Richard Gere,Jason Alexander, Alex Hyde-White, Hector Elizondo
Genres: Romance, Comedy Rating:R
Language: English

Richard Gere plays a rich lawyer, whose girl friend has left him. He meets a prostitue to give him a direction and he uses her services to take her to special events and get to know each other to realize they there is more to the relation and that is love.

Pretty Woman
9. It Happened One Night

Language: English
Genre: Comedy/Romance
MPAA rating: NR
Director: Frank Capra
Actors: Clark Gable, Claudette Colbert, Roscoe Karns

A rich and spoiled daughter of rich father, runs away from home to meet the guy she think she in love with. She meet up Clark’s character who is newspaper reporter and they take journey together to realize at the end that they are in love with each other.

It Happened One Night

10. Romancing the Stone

Genres: Action, Adventure
Director:Robert Zemeckis
Actors:Michael Douglas,Kathleen Turner,Danny DeVito,Zack Norman,Alfonso Arau,Manuel Ojeda

A romance writer played by Kathleen Turner, receives a treasure map in the mail. She is soon headed to Columbia and have an adventure to save her sister from kidnappers, and maybe fall in love with a rogue soldier-of-fortune played by Kirk Douglas.

Romancing the Stone (Special Edition)

Top 10 Must See Romantic Movies is a post from: Heart and Mind

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People Eating Soup

Source: Yahoo News

Lava and Lightning

Source: Yahoo News

Snow Boarder

Source: Yahoo News

Shrimp Boats Collecting Oil

Source: Yahoo News

Crude Oil washes ashore

Source: Yahoo News

Kids Throwing Basketballs in air

Source: Yahoo news

Photography Picture Books

	Earth Then and Now: Amazing images of Our Changing World
	Earth Then and Now: Amazing Images of Our Changing World
	BibliOdyssey: Amazing Archival Images from the Internet

Be Photographer: Cameras

	Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W530 14.1 MP Digital Still Camera with Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 4x Wide-Angle Optical Zoom Lens and 2.7-inch LCD (Black)
	Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS 12.1 MP Digital Camera (Black)
	Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W530 14.1 MP Digital Still Camera with Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 4x Wide-Angle Optical Zoom Lens and 2.7-inch LCD (Pink)

Plane Flying through Rainbow

Source: Yahoo News

Strom Cloud looms

Source: Yahoo News

Mount Merapi erupts

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/

Torch Bearer from Singapore

Source: Yahoo News

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As a blogger, I get to write and be on my “soap box” any time, here is a chance for all my readers to have place shine, place to heal, share prayer, a message, anything as long as it is not spammy. I am not on any social media, so this is my way of connecting with my readers. You do not need be a blogger to write there, you can be yourself at Healing Tree and share about you, yourself there.

Why Healing Tree?

Tree of  Life has been played important part in mythology, some religion and culture aspects. Trees symbolize different outlooks and parts of life. Human beings, observing the growth and death of trees, the elasticity of their branches, the sensitivity and the annual decay and revival of their foliage, see them as powerful symbols of growth, decay and resurrection. Trees have been known to give people shade from heat, wood for building fire, or making houses and furniture. Trees also give flowers, fruits and has medicinal property which is used in Aryuveda, alternative and many modern medicine has basic roots from Trees and plants.

Healing Tree: How Indian Trees Help with Modern Medicine

According to wikipedia, trees have played important role in religion and places like, Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Druidism, Paganism Burma, Africa, Europe and Germany. There is also mythical stories about trees, such as Tales of Two Brothers, from ancient Egypt.

• Apple tree symbolism- magic, youth, beauty, happiness
• Ash tree symbolism – sacrifice, sensitivity and higher awareness
• Aspen tree symbolism- determination, overcoming fears and doubts
• Beech tree symbolism- tolerance, past knowledge, softens over criticism
• Birch tree symbolism- new beginnings, cleansing of past, vision quests
• Cedar tree symbolism- healing, cleansing, protection
• Cherry tree symbolism – death and rebirth, new awakenings
• Cypress tree symbolism – understanding the role of sacrifice
• Elder tree symbolism- birth and death, fairy realm
• Elm tree symbolism- strength of will, intuition
• Hazel tree symbolism- hidden wisdom, dousing, divination
• Heather tree symbolism- healing from within, immortality, initiation
• Holly tree symbolism- protection, overcoming of anger, spiritual warrior
• Maple tree symbolism- balance, promise, practicality
• Palm tree symbolism- peace and opportunity
• Pine tree symbolism – creativity, life, longevity, immortality
• Willow tree symbolism- magic, healing, inner vision, dreams

The Healing Tree – Relaxing Piano Music

Please visit and make your wishes known: Healing Tree

Image source: livingmemorialproject

Healing Tree: Page For You is a post from: Heart and Mind

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Do you find yourself to be unhappy? Are you always wishing for more? Are you waiting to start living your life to the fullest? Many people think and wish that “if only I had so-and-so, then I would be happy, I can start enjoying my life”.  Once they achieve that goal, the next desire manifests.  There is no end to human desires. A desire is like a bottomless pit which never can be filled, resulting in our unhappiness, jealousy and maybe even some sleepless nights.  So what is the solution for being happy right now?

Being content with what you have is one of the best way to achieve happiness in our lives. There are various ways to be content .

Now, this does not mean, not having goals or not wanting to do our best, as this is more about being content with what you already have.  This is the way I see it, goals are for improving ourselves, our life, desires are mostly about wanting more stuff.  Leo Babauta said very well about this subject in his post Incredible power of Contentment .

For some people, the grass is always greener on the other side, this type of mentality will keep them from truly enjoying their grass and life, both.  I know, I have been there before.  Here are a few lessons that I have learned along the way to find joy in my life again, which I want to share with all of you.

1. Choose to be happy

Some of you may wonder at this statement, and Yes you have a choice be happy or sad.  It is totally up to us. While it is easier said than done, it is possible.  Sometimes when I have to do something I am not fond of and I cannot seem to get out of, I tell myself I am going to have fun no matter what happens.  And it happens, I end up having a great time, despite the adverse task.  Try it once, you might be pleasantly surprised at the results.

2. Volunteer and Help Others

In my early days of volunteering, I got to meet many wonderful people and kids from all walks of life. Many of whom were more happier than I was, despite not having enough to eat for the whole day.  As I became aware of the zest for life in these people, I realized that it was not I who helped them, rather they helped me find my own self!, my lost happiness.

Whenever I travel to India, I see happiness on faces even in harsh life.  I see dreams and hopes, most of all, I see them smiling while working in extreme conditions.  Seeing their smiling face, my complains for silly things vanish and inspiration and a new energy emerges.

3. Feel Gratitude

No matter how bad our condition might be, there are still many things going great for us.  Counting our blessings and feeling gratitude from the sheart can do wonder to our perspective!  Why?  Wait until the “Thanksgiving” holiday to be thankful, be thankful each and every day!

Right now, Zenguy is between projects, instead of being sad about it, I can count my blessings for having him more at home to spend time with me and the kids.  I also feel thankful for having simplified our life, where we can survive with our little savings until another job prospect comes along.  Ups and downs are part of life, it is our attitude towards it that makes the difference.

4. Up the positivity

Even when things are looking bad, I am sure there still are lots of positives in our lives.  Look at what you already have; what is going great for you already.  Many of us call to complain when product or services were not the best, but how many of us actually call for exceptional services and great product? Sadly, not very often. Why? Because we tend to focus on the negative and we need to learn how to be more positive to live a happier life.

5. Do something you enjoy today

Even if we do not have job, business or blog going our way, we can still do something we can enjoy in smaller chunks. For example, when I am having a bad day, I read my favorite book yet again or cook something and that really cheers me up.

Sometimes, just taking a walk outside for 15 minutes will recharge you to tackle life’s issues.  Sometimes, all one needs is a little nap or drinking a hot chai tea, like I do.  There are many simple ways we can be happier in our daily life.

Have goals to improve yourself and your life not your material possessions. Be compassionate towards others, be thankful for what you have and enjoy your today. Do not wait for your life to start some day. You are happy today because you are free and alive today!

Now, let me ask you, what makes you happy?

How To Be Happy Right Now is a post from: Heart and Mind

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New York school apparently has been spying on “fat” kids even at home, 24 hours, 7 days a week with electronic monitor. The updates are made in password protected websites that teacher and student can access. And you know, this is not even new, it has been going on for over 2 years and mostly without parental consent. One of the volunteer and active parent even did not know about it. School authorities are saying that it is because of “Reinforcement of Fighting Obesity”.

If that is the case, why not get consent from parents?, why not take out soda and junk snack machines from school?, Why not give school more lunch and recess time? Why not have more physical education and free play time? And what about “not so thin” teachers, principals and other adults?

Why not give parents and students chance to opt-in or opt-out instead of 24*7 monitoring? And how is that going to help encourage a student to lose weight? Questions are many, answers are few or none. Here see the original article and judge it for yourself.

Original NY Post Article below:

Big Brother is joining the battle of the bulge.

A group of Long Island students will soon be wearing controversial electronic monitors that allow school officials to track their physical activity around the clock.

The athletics chair for the Bay Shore schools ordered 10 Polar Active monitors, at $90 a pop, for use starting this spring. The wristwatchlike devices count heartbeats, detect motion and even track students’ sleeping habits in a bid to combat obesity.

The information is displayed on a color-coded screen and gets transmitted to a password-protected Web site that students and educators can access.

Angel Chevrestt

TOO FAR, TOO FAST? School aide records a student’s heart rate.

The devices are already in use in school districts in St. Louis and South Orange, NJ — and have raised privacy concerns among some parents and observers.

But Ted Nagengast, the Bay Shore athletics chair, said, “It’s a great reinforcement in fighting the obesity epidemic. It tells kids, in real time, ‘Am I active? Am I not active?’ We want to give kids the opportunity to become active.”

The monitors are distributed by Polar Electro, of Lake Success, LI, the US division of a Finland firm.

In the South Orange-Maplewood School District, where earlier versions of the devices have been used for two years, upper-grade students’ marks in phys ed are based in part on heart-rate monitors and activity sensors.

Teachers use hand-held computers to collect data from each student’s wrist monitor during class, then upload the information to the school computer system for storage and long-term tracking.

But privacy advocates and parents worry that schools are using electronic monitors in phys ed without families’ knowledge or consent.

“I didn’t even know it was going on, and I’m active in the school,” said Beth Huebner, of St. Louis.

Her son, a fourth-grader, wore a Polar Active monitor in class without her OK last fall at Ross Elementary School.

“We have gotten no information about the Web-site security or where the data will go,” Huebner said.

“When you get into monitoring people’s biological vital signs, that’s a pretty intrusive measurement,” said Jay Stanley, of the American Civil Liberties Union. “There are key privacy interests at play.”

At the very least, says Stanley, parents must have a say in how long the data will be stored and who will have access to it and schools must obtain parents’ consent.

“A program like this should only be voluntary. Nobody should be forced to reveal biological indicators,” he said.

“It’s all about secondary use,” said Virginia Rezmierski, an expert on information technology and privacy at the University of Michigan.

“Does the data pass along with the child from school to school? When will insurance companies want to get access to it? Will a school want to medicate a child that the monitor identifies as hyperactive? It’s potentially very dangerous ground.”

Source: NY Times

New York School Spys On “Not So Thin” Kids 24*7 is a post from: Heart and Mind

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If you love cooking or not, making this recipe is fairly easy for any one. Baba Ghanoush can add a great flavor to any party and it’s easy and quick to make. Sometimes I roast eggplant in oven and sometimes when I am in hurry, I use my toaster oven to roast the eggplant in high heat. It cooks up fast. It is vegan recipe so it is great for vegan, vegetarians and meat eaters alike.

You need to add Tahini, Garlic, Olive Oil and Lemon Juice and put in food processor to coarse constancy or fine pureed dip per your taste. Add extra garnishing touch with Cilantro and olive oil and you’re done. It is that simple. You can serve it with pita or bread.

Around the World: Interesting Tidbits

There are similar dishes made from grilled eggplant similar to “Baba Ganoush” around the world, eaten and loved by many people.

• In Palestinian homes, it is made with wild eggplant from the Arabic meaning ‘of the earth.’ It is made with tehina, olive oil, lemon and parsley.

• In Lebanon, baba ghanoush is a starter or appetizer and quite famous dish eaten everyday.

• In Egypt it is mostly served as a side-dish or salad. It is made of aubergine with finely diced onions, tomatoes, and other vegetables mixed inside it.

• In Israel, both the traditional version made with tahina and a variation made with mayonnaise is eaten.

• Also in Greece, it is called melitzanosalata(meaning “eggplant salad”).

• In Romania, the eggplant spread is called “Salată de vinete” (eggplant salad).

• In India and Pakistan it is known as “Baigan Bharata”, it is made with grilled charred long eggplant, with onions and tomatoes.

• There is also Bulgarian eggplant salad/spread, called kyopolou.

Baba Ganoush Recipe:

Ingredients:

3 long thin eggplant or 1 large eggplant

1 tsp.grated lemon peel (about half a lemon, outer rind only)

1 Tbs. lemon juice

1 Tbs minced garlic or 3 garlic cloves

2 TbS. Tahini (found at health food stores)

Salt and Pepper per taste

Olive Oil as Needed about 2-3 Tbs

Finely chopped Cilantro for garnish

6 or so Pitas, or crackers or other bread

Method:

1. Sliced the eggplants in to thin disc if using large eggplants. If you are using long thin ones, slice it in half on long side.

2. Put some olive oil all over the eggplant, salt and pepper.

3. Put Eggplants on foil for easy clean up. You can use oven or toaster oven to roast the eggplants.

4. Roast until eggplant skin is charred and feel soft to touch, turning the eggplant over once. It can be 20-40 minutes, depending on size of eggplants and type of oven you may have.

5. Take it from oven, let it cool. Peel the skin or keep it. It is up to you. I usually leave skin as it is for rustic flavor.

6. Roughly hand chopped the eggplant and put in food processor or blender.

7. Add Grated Lemon peel, Lemon Juice, Garlic Cloves, Tahini, Salt as needed and Olive oil and puree until smooth as you like.

8. Take out mixture in to shallow dish or serving bowl.

9. Drizzle more olive oil, peperika and finely chopped cilantro for garnish.

10. Serve at room temperature, with toasted pita triangles, crackers, or other breads.

How to Make Video:

For those who like visual learning of how to Baba Ganoush, here is video of how to make it. I make it often at home, but my skills at video and picture taking are so minimal, I always leave to professional!

Enjoy and check out other food and recipe posts from Heart and Mind:

We are what we eat, really!

How to Make Best Ever Chai-Tea at Home

Upgrading Inexpensive Food In to Gourmet Meal: Ramen Noodle Hacks

Vegetarian Thanksgiving: Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes

How To Make Baba Ganoush: Eggplant Recipe

How to Preserve Food

Image source: Source

Other source: Wikipedia, My Middle eastern Friend Abeed

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Last Minute Gift Ideas under $20

Okay, so you decided to try buying a last minute gifts from grocery store, drug store, gas station or air port store, what can you buy there and how much usually it will cost you? While prices of stuff varies by locations, I have found these 20 items under $20 or so, that you can buy from these stores. Sounds like a good plan and last minute solution to many of us.

1. Candies and Chocolate Boxes
2. Lotto tickets
3. Music CDs, Movies
4. Photo frames and Photo Albums
5. T-shirts
6. Caps
7. Wine and Beer
8. Magazines and Books
9. Magazine Subscription
10. Candles
11. Small Kitchen Cookware gadgets
12. Board games
13. Small toys for kids
14. Perfume for men and women
15. Beauty and Makeup kits
16. Notebook, pens etc
17. Coffee mug and gourmet Coffee
18. Clock of various types
19. Calendar and planners for next year
20. Plant

Conclusion:

If you have time or chance, buy extra few generic gifts and store it on your garage or extra room for emergency last minute gifts. Otherwise, I hope these tips will be useful to any of you looking for last minute gift ideas.

The best way to not get in to this is either do not do gift giving or buy it now when you have time. Have a great shopping and even better holidays!

Image source:  Christmas Gifts

Last Minute Frugal Gift Ideas is a post from: Heart and Mind

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Here are 12 ways of Random Act Of Kindness and Christmas Kindness tips to make you and others life around you little bit sweeter in busy, chaotic December! These are simple ways to cheer someone up and it will not cost you much, but bring you so much inner joy. Random act of kindness works Try it and see it yourself.

12 Ways To Make Someone’s Day: Random Act of Kindness

1. Smile and say cheery hello to strangers.
2. Ask and offer help to a parent of crying child
3. Let someone in line before you.
4. Pay toll for car behind you.
5. Buy someone in need a hot meal or make one at home for them
6. Pick up trash and throw in trash bin
7. Give warm blankets or extra coat to someone in need (specially people who are homeless or less fortunate)
8. Say Thank you.
9. Babysit for busy parent
10. Sing a happy tune or song  just because(even if you think you can not sing)
11. Give a hug ( Jadoo’s Jhappi in Hindi Language)
12. Give or read a inspirational book to someone

Bonus: This is from Valishali from HolyCowVegan.net: If you have blankets or towels to give away, please consider donating them to your local animal shelter. The dogs and cats need them!

I want to share a small video of Jadoo is Jhappi from a Hindi Movie called Munnabhai MBBS. It is a story of guy called Murli Prasad Sharma also known as Munna bhai who is local don wanting to be a doctor. He believes in Jadoo’s Jhappi or magical hugs to bring happiness in his own way. This this short scene, he is at the hospital where he is studying to be doctor with another lady doctor and there is old cleaning person/janitor who is visibly upset from years of tough work and no appreciation. Munna bhai makes him better with his simple appreciation and his Jadoo ki Jhappi.

It is about 1.34 minute long and has english subtitle of those who do not know Hindi.

Jadoo ki Jhappi =Heartfelt Hug Video

How are you making someone’s day today?

Zengirl

Image Source: Jochoo

12 Ways for Random Act Of Kindness is a post from: Heart and Mind

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