sooo good

We watched a lot of movies over the weekend. The Hurt Locker was amazing. I'm not a fan of war movies but I had heard all the good reviews about this one and how accurate it was. I'm telling you...I had my eyes fixed on the tv the whole time. No special effects, no unreal situations, just pure intense drama. I loved it. Netflix it for sure!

Other movies we watched were Julie & Julia and Temple Grandin. My sister also informed me that I may be the only woman alive who hasn't seen The Notebook, I guess we will be watching that soon.

good fun

Does anyone else watch the comedy "Community" on NBC? I love Joel McHale on "The Soup" and as soon as I heard he was on a series with Chevy Chase I set my dvr to record it. I really wasn't into the first episode I saw, so I stopped watching. A month or so later I gave it another try and fell in love. I added it back to my dvr and we now have a weekly date!

my wish is coming true

Thank you to my friend Leslie from Leslie's Lines for informing me of some very important news. I have a major problem with the fame of Heidi & Spencer, it eats at my core. I could go on for days, but then I would be giving them publicity so I can't. Well guess what! I am obviously not alone because 94% of the people who voted wanted to make E online Speidi-Free! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The have been expelled. Wow, maybe in the near future all entertainment will be Speidi-Free. A girl can hope.

me and my iPhone

I love my free Sudoku iPhone application. I play it when I have down time or I'm laying in bed with Brody while he falls asleep. Other great free apps that I have are the Say Where (helps get you places easily), Flashlight (lights up for you) and BubbleWrap (for useless entertainment). I can't wait to discover more!

Backyardigans Live

Brody has loved the Backyardigans since he was a tiny pea, and even though he has moved on to more preschool type shows, he still loves them just as much. So we jumped at the chance to see the Backyardigans Live. Brody waited for two months to go and we finally made it last Saturday. It was great! Brody said it was the best movie he's ever been to (we still have trouble distinguishing what a movie is and what a show is). Best part yet, he sat still the entire time. That NEVER happens. To see if they are coming to your town click here.

Goop by Gwyneth Paltrow

Now if you are a part of the blogging world you have probably already read about Gwyneth Paltrow's website and emails called Goop. But, for all of my non-blogging friends, I wanted to share a new definite favorite. Goop is a website, or newsletters you can subscribe to that are about nourishing the inner aspect. The emails dish about food, places, fashion, things to do and see and spirituality. I have already received an email with recipes, about Paris, on fashion and on spirituality. I love getting them, in fact I can't wait to receive one. And even if I'm not planning a trip to Paris soon, I appreciate reading about her favorites. I have always liked and respected Gwyneth Paltrow. I love her fashion taste, her exercise regime, her daughter's name (Apple), and so much more. So these emails provide a little bit of insight into her life and her fabulous taste. Go to www.goop.com and sign up for her newsletter! Below is a picture from one of her newsletters with an outfit I am trying to duplicate for Fall!

Whatever, Martha!

Whatever, Martha! is a show on the Fine Living Network hosted by Alexis Stewart (Martha Stewart's daughter) and Jennifer Koppelman Hutt. I love Martha Stewart so I really wanted to catch this when I heard about it. It's a 30 minute show where the two hosts make fun of some of Martha's shows and give their own commentary on their lives and thoughts as well. I wouldn't say that you should stay up waiting to watch this. But, if you have a DVR I would record some and when you feel like sitting down and having a laugh and being entertained I would watch them. I've watched 4 episodes so far and I think it's really cute and they both have funny things to say. Anyhow to read more about the show check it out here.

The Biggest Loser- New Season

I'm sure by now you all know how much I love The Biggest Loser. It's extremely inspirational and it is what jump started my determination to lose the extra weight I had packed on between babies. In fact, today marks my 20 pound weight loss from what I was before I got pregnant with Piper! Watching the show will inspire you, educate you and entertain you (because it is still a competition). I picked up so many little tricks that have made a huge difference in our lives. And I think it is a show everyone should watch. Last Tuesday was the first episode of the season but you can catch up by watching online here. So watch it, DVR it, or catch it online. It's on NBC, Tuesdays at 8/7 c

JibJab Sendable Cards

Ok so this post is a shout out to my neighbors the Howorths, who sent an extremely funny birthday card to our friend Lauren. It was from JibJab and I died laughing seeing the four of their faces square dancing on animated bodies!! There are a bunch of different cards to choose from, but you basically upload pictures and with some editing you put your faces on the bodies. You have to see it to get it, but it is addicting to say the least! And some are free so you can have fun, or you can subscribe for the year and send them out all the time. To check out one I did of me and my husband Mark, see below!

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

HILARIOUS! Go to http://sendables.jibjab.com.

Olympics

Why do I love the Olympics? For me it's a time to watch people achieve goals that they have been working their whole lives for. I mean we get to watch people live out their dreams and for me I always have tears of joy for them. I love the greatness of it all and the patriotism. It comes at a great time when so many of us are struggling in this economy, it's something to distract us and give us hope and inspiration. Personally I am really excited to watch gymnastics and swimming. I'm getting my DVR ready as soon as I finish writing this! I think we should all get a little lost in it for the next 16 days! Click here to see the schedule.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

I just finished watching this movie. If you haven't seen it or heard about it, it's about Jean-Dominique Bauby, the editor-in-chief of French Elle Magazine, who at 43 had a stroke. He became almost completely paralyzed and had locked-in syndrome where he could only communicate by blinking his left eye. He used that to write his memoir (which I intend to read). So yes the story is true and even though the movie may seem slow to some, I found it beautiful and inspirational. It took him a little over a year to write the memoir. He was a self-confessed playboy who realized he didn't spend his time doing what mattered, such as loving his kids. Wow, if he can write a poignant memoir by blinking one eye, what am I waiting for to achieve my goals? Every day is a gift and this movie continues to keep that at the top of my mind. To get more info on the movie click here.

The San Diego Zoo and Wild Animal Park

If you are a family who lives in Orange County or San Diego, you should definitely get a zoo membership to the San Diego Zoo/Wild Animal Park. Mark and I have been renewing it every year since we got married and we love it. For only $89 a year you can get a dual membership for two adults in a household and it's good for both parks. Kids memberships range from $24-$28, starting at 3 years old. Right now the Family of Four Special Membership is only $127! And with memberships you get some free guest passes and the Zoonooz magazine every month. We love walking either park and since we go so often we love to get there right when it opens, stay for a few hours and then we head home when it gets crowded. I think the best part is knowing that your membership money goes straight to the zoo and its conservation efforts. To go to the zoo website click here!

30 Days

If you have never seen the show 30 Days on FX show, at least watch one. You will most likely cry. Usually they take a person who has a solid viewpoint on something (say gay adoption) and they send them to live with a family who is a part of the opposing view (a set of gay adoptive parents and their children). They give it 30 days, with some rules and you see what happens. I have seen complete changes, some where their heart lightened up a little, and some who did not change at all. But each episode is always interesting and you nonetheless learn something about someone else. I think this show has taught me to be kinder and more accepting towards people that I may have disregarded their views, like people from PETA, gay parents, native americans, etc. My favorite of these episodes are when the creator Morgan Spurlock (from Super Size Me) goes to live somewhere for 30 days. I find these more touching because he is such an open guy. He just did one on the Navajo Indians that was amazing and one where him and his wife lived at the poverty level.

Lately reality TV is SO bad. I mean Celebrity Circus and Tila Tequila, is that the future of TV for my children? Shows that teach you nothing? Watching 30 Days actually affects me and I always take something from it. And if it makes me a kinder, more tolerant person to different positions on important topics. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Check out the website for the show here