tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79258705797006813802024-03-12T22:58:13.104-07:00Reel MamaA passion for movies and helping parents discover the best films to share with their children to make memories lasting a lifetime. A love for capturing the comedic adventures and misadventures in parenting a toddler, as well as offering humorous and opinionated observations about society, celebrities, movies, media, and much more.
ANNOUNCEMENT: LAUREN IVY CHIONG'S NEW WEBSITE REELMAMA.COM COMING SOON. STAY TUNED FOR DETAILS!Lauren Ivy Chionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00915540986876237897noreply@blogger.comBlogger193125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7925870579700681380.post-2141682128686519652012-09-26T20:00:00.001-07:002012-09-26T20:00:43.532-07:00Give the gift of savings to your family’s budget this holiday season with Kmart’s free layaway
<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>
<p>This is a sponsored post, I am a Kmart Layaway blogger, though all opinions are my own.</p>
<p> </p>
<p style='margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; '> <span style='letter-spacing: 0.0px'>Last year, when we moved into our first home, I was excited about the potential of our new patio. My first priority: new patio furniture to host our backyard barbecues! I found a good sale at one of the big retailers, but when some unplanned expenses came up, we decided to wait on the big purchase until the following month. Unfortunately by that time, the furniture was not only no longer on sale, but out of stock. </span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; '> </p>
<p style='margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; '> <span style='letter-spacing: 0px; '>If only I had known about the fantastic </span><a style='letter-spacing: 0px; ' rel='nofollow' href='http://app.socialspark.com/clicks?lid=23693&oid=8625261'>free layaway</a><span style='letter-spacing: 0px; '> program at Kmart. Placing an item on layaway can make all the difference for your family’s budget. With the holidays coming up, it’s the perfect way to plan ahead on </span><a style='letter-spacing: 0px; ' rel='nofollow' href='http://app.socialspark.com/clicks?lid=23691&oid=8625261'>holiday gifts</a><span style='letter-spacing: 0px; '>, especially for the larger gifts you plan on giving. Kmart has always offered layaway and from now until November 17 is waiving its layaway fees! Kmart will also honor sale prices with its layaway program, as long as it was marked down within the previous seven days. These are things you just won’t find at the other large retailers.</span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; '> </p>
<p style='margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; '> <span style='letter-spacing: 0px; '>I've already got my eye on several items I'm planning on placing on layaway this holiday season. The <a href='http://www.kmart.com/sony-7-in-diagonal-portable-dvd-player/p-018W017243150001P?prdNo=5&blockNo=5&blockType=G5'>Sony portable DVD player</a> will be perfect for my daughter on those long plane rides we'll be having during the holiday travel season. My husband is a big reader, and so he's going to love the <a href='http://www.kmart.com/barnes-noble-nook-color-8482/p-018W004255561000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1'>Barnes & Noble NOOK Color</a>. My parents are going to love the <a href='http://www.kmart.com/giinii-10.4inch-all-in-one-true-video-picture/p-020W027143360001P?prdNo=2&blockNo=2&blockType=G2'>Giinii All-in-One True Video Picture Frame</a>, perfect for displaying digital photos of their granddaughter!</span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; min-height: 14px; '> </p>
<p style='margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; '> <span style='letter-spacing: 0.0px'>Right now Kmart is launching its <a rel='nofollow' href='http://app.socialspark.com/clicks?lid=23695&oid=8625261'>Kmart's Big Layaway Giveaway</a>: though 11/17/12, Kmart will be giving away a great prize to one lucky layaway customer at each store (NO PURCHASE NECESSARY). What a gift winning would be to any family's budget, including my own!</span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; '> </p>
<p style='margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; '> <span class='placeholder'><img alt='BLG_Logo_Horizontal.jpg (3 documents, 3 total pages)' src='https://img.skitch.com/20120911-tk97srtsduhrt3f723k5e8xpqg.jpg'/></span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; '> </p>
<p style='margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; '> <span style='letter-spacing: 0.0px'>To find out more, visit a Kmart store near you or visit the following link:</span><span style='letter-spacing: 0.0px; color: #666666'> <a href='http://www.kmart.com/layawaygiveaway'><span style='letter-spacing: 0px; color: rgb(2, 37, 163); '>www.kmart.com/layawaygiveaway</span></a>.</span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; '> </p>
<p style='margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; '> <span class='placeholder'><img alt='Kmart Free Layaway Grid 09_12.jpg' src='https://img.skitch.com/20120911-pj4d4dwta5dnyg698mx9x9rj7p.jpg'/></span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; '> </p>
<p style='margin: 0px; font-family: Helvetica; '> <span class='placeholder'><img alt='Kmart_Logo_B&W.jpg (3 documents, 3 total pages)' src='https://img.skitch.com/20120911-gx8ht11rttxnpusrhjkf3yqe95.jpg'/></span></p>
<p>
<a rel='nofollow' href='http://app.socialspark.com/disclosure_clicks?oid=8625261'>
<img style='border:none;' src='http://app.socialspark.com/views?oid=8625261' border='0' alt='Visit Sponsor's Site'/>
</a>
</p>
</div>
Lauren Ivy Chionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00915540986876237897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7925870579700681380.post-52829627673970744282012-09-22T23:00:00.001-07:002012-09-22T23:00:33.175-07:00Growing a fall herb garden & easy cheesy caprese salad recipe
<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>
<p>This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of <a rel='nofollow' href='http://app.socialspark.com/disclosure_clicks?oid=8547867'>Scotts Miracle-Gro</a> for <a rel='nofollow' href='http://izea.in/r1J9T'>SocialSpark</a>. All opinions are 100% mine.</p>
<p> <a target='_blank' href='http://s1261.beta.photobucket.com/user/Lchiong1/library/'><img src='http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii582/Lchiong1/DSC_0067_zps2a90ff3e.jpg' border='0' alt='Photobucket'/></a></p>
<p> <span style='font-size:12px;'><span style='color: rgb(85, 85, 85); font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 25px; '>Early fall is a spectacular time to garden. With the summer heat beginning to fade away and milder weather setting in, gardening can be done at virtually any time of day.</span></span></p>
<p> <span style='font-size:12px;'><span style='font-family: georgia, serif; '><span style='color: rgb(85, 85, 85); line-height: 25px; '>Even if you don’t exactly have a green thumb, maintaining an herb garden is easy and a wonderful way to teach children about the circle of life. What kid doesn’t love to dig and play in the mud?</span></span></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p> <a target='_blank' href='http://s1261.beta.photobucket.com/user/Lchiong1/library/'><img src='http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii582/Lchiong1/DSC_0070_2_zps6af23e62.jpg' border='0' alt='Photobucket'/></a></p>
<p style='font-size: 14px; font-family: palatino; line-height: 25px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> <span style='font-size:12px;'><span style='font-family: georgia, serif; '>There is nothing like being able to grow fresh herbs right in your own back yard to use in tasty, and healthy meals. Basil is my favorite herb, and one of the most low maintenance, delicious, and versatile herbs around. I grab some to put on sandwiches along with greens when I’m packing lunches in the morning, and of course add it to salads. You can use whole stems when cooking tomato sauce for pasta (just discard after the sauce is done cooking).</span></span></p>
<p style='font-size: 14px; font-family: palatino; line-height: 25px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> <span style='font-size:12px;'><span style='font-family: georgia, serif; '>A light and very healthy salad that’s a family favorite is our<strong> Easy Cheesy Caprese Salad</strong>. With our plans for growing tomatoes in the works, we’ll have virtually everything we need in our garden to make this salad by next year!</span></span></p>
<p style='font-size: 14px; font-family: palatino; line-height: 25px; color: rgb(85, 85, 85); margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> </p>
<p> <a target='_blank' href='http://s1261.beta.photobucket.com/user/Lchiong1/library/'><img src='http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii582/Lchiong1/DSC_0087_2_zps8337e6b6.jpg' border='0' alt='Photobucket'/></a></p>
<p style='margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> <span style='font-size:12px;'><span style='font-family: georgia, serif; '>You’ll need:</span></span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> <span style='font-size:12px;'><span style='font-family: georgia, serif; '>-- Fresh tomatoes: I prefer vine ripened. Use about 1/2 medium tomato per salad plate.</span></span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> <span style='font-size:12px;'><span style='font-family: georgia, serif; '>-- 12-16 oz. fresh mozzarella (it even comes pre-sliced at some specialty stores)</span></span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> <span style='font-size:12px;'><span style='font-family: georgia, serif; '>-- Balsamic vinegar</span></span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> <span style='font-size:12px;'><span style='font-family: georgia, serif; '>-- Olive oil</span></span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> <span style='font-size:12px;'><span style='font-family: georgia, serif; '>-- Fresh basil</span></span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> <span style='font-size:12px;'><span style='font-family: georgia, serif; '>To make:</span></span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> <span style='font-size:12px;'><span style='font-family: georgia, serif; '>-- Drizzle 2 tbsp. of olive oil and 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar on each salad plate (an oval plate allows for a beautiful presentation).</span></span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> <span style='font-size:12px;'><span style='font-family: georgia, serif; '>-- Swirl to coat the bottom of the plate.</span></span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> <span style='font-size:12px;'><span style='font-family: georgia, serif; '>-- Slice the tomatoes in 1/4-inch thick slices, fan out on cutting board, and salt.</span></span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> <span style='font-size:12px;'><span style='font-family: georgia, serif; '>-- Rub the tomatoes into the oil and vinegar mixture on the salad plate, flipping to coat.</span></span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> <span style='font-size:12px;'><span style='font-family: georgia, serif; '>-- Slice mozzarella, then layer with the tomato slices, tucking a fresh basil leaf on top of each tomato (another option is to cut the basil into small pieces with cooking shears and sprinkle on top).</span></span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> <span style='font-size:12px;'><span style='font-family: georgia, serif; '>-- Drizzle more olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top of the tomato, cheese and basil.</span></span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> <span style='font-size:12px;'><span style='font-family: georgia, serif; '>-- Add a pinch of salt to taste.</span></span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> <span style='font-size:12px;'><span style='font-family: georgia, serif; '>Helpful hints:</span></span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> <span style='font-size:12px;'><span style='font-family: georgia, serif; '>* Get the best balsamic vinegar you can afford. It really does make a difference to the taste.</span></span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> <span style='font-size:12px;'><span style='font-family: georgia, serif; '>* Store extra basil leaves in the fridge in a plastic container with a damp paper towel to extend their shelf life.</span></span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> <span style='font-size:12px;'><span style='font-family: georgia, serif; '><strong style='font-style: inherit; color: inherit; '><em style='font-weight: inherit; color: inherit; '>Planning your herb garden for fall</em></strong></span></span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> </p>
<p style='margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> <a target='_blank' href='http://s1261.beta.photobucket.com/user/Lchiong1/library/'><img src='http://i1261.photobucket.com/albums/ii582/Lchiong1/DSC_0074_2_zps91a90241.jpg' border='0' alt='Photobucket'/></a></p>
<p style='margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> <span style='font-size:12px;'><span style='font-family: georgia, serif; '>My garden is still a work in progress, but I have fresh chives, mint, peppermint, sage, rosemary, thyme, and oregano at my finger tips for cooking a variety of meals! Starting an herb garden is easier than you might think. Potted herbs are widely available and easy to plant.</span></span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> <span style='font-size:12px;'><span style='font-family: georgia, serif; '>My herb garden thrives in the partial shade of my flower bed and with regular watering. A plant food like Miracle-Gro® LiquaFeed® Advance All Purpose Plant Feeding System Starter Kit provides nutrients to help your herbs grow and thrive, and it's a great way to ensure that your <a rel='nofollow' href='http://app.socialspark.com/clicks?lid=23525&oid=8547867'>Fall gardening</a> projects are a success. I love the convenience of this product because it allows you to feed your plants while watering them.</span></span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> <span style='font-size:12px;'><span style='font-family: georgia, serif; '>You can also help your herbs get the best start by mixing Miracle-Gro® Organic Choice® Garden Soil into your soil to provide proper nutrients for your plants as they get established.</span></span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> <span style='font-size:12px;'><span style='font-family: georgia, serif; '>We can’t wait to expand our herb garden this fall with more sweet-smelling basil, chives for baked potatoes, and rosemary for savory chicken dishes, breads, and more. I can’t think of a better way to <a rel='nofollow' href='http://app.socialspark.com/clicks?lid=23523&oid=8547867'>Find beauty in the Fall</a> than to get back to nature by creating or expanding a beautiful garden.</span></span></p>
<p style='margin: 0px 0px 15px; '> <span style='font-size:12px;'><span style='font-family: georgia, serif; '>For more helpful fall gardening tips, visit the <a rel='nofollow' href='http://app.socialspark.com/clicks?lid=23527&oid=8547867'>Miracle-Gro Facebook page</a> and talk with the online community of gardeners.</span></span></p>
<div> <span style='font-family:georgia,serif;'><span style='' class='placeholder'><img alt='MiracleGro Logo(1).jpg' src='https://img.skitch.com/20120905-kn54jh43wq34wjjs8hsn1yifaw.jpg'/></span></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div> <span style='font-family:georgia,serif;'><span style='' class='placeholder'><img alt='Advertisement' height='1' width='1' border='0' src='http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/N869.154520.IZEA/B6907120;sz=1x1;ord=[timestamp]?'/></span></span></div>
<p> </p>
<p>
<a rel='nofollow' href='http://app.socialspark.com/disclosure_clicks?oid=8547867'>
<img style='border:none;' src='http://app.socialspark.com/views?oid=8547867' border='0' alt='Visit Sponsor's Site'/>
</a>
</p>
</div>
Lauren Ivy Chionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00915540986876237897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7925870579700681380.post-16066384017672394602012-07-28T09:36:00.001-07:002012-07-28T09:36:30.030-07:00New giveaway helps homeless pets! Ends 8/11<a href="http://couponsandfriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/homeless-pet-button.jpg"> </a><a href="http://couponsandfriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/homeless-pet-button1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2346" title="homeless pet button" src="http://couponsandfriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/homeless-pet-button1.jpg" alt="" width="450" height="301" /></a>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>I have always had a special place in my heart for homeless and abandoned pets, who deserve so much better. They deserve to find that special forever home. I have really enjoyed volunteering to help these deserving animals, who are so sweet and incredibly grateful to those who adopt them. I look forward to teaching my daughter all about the importance of caring for pets, and the responsibilities that adopting a pet entail. </em> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/KittY-MattrazZ/264075386943456" target="_blank">Kitty Mattrazz</a> set up a wonderful page for bloggers and blog readers to help <a href="http://project121.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1032225&lis=0&kntae1032225=3D8014F1955849878A7A60F0AB1301CF&supId=361982258&emaillogid=5858963831" target="_blank">Project 121</a> through the Arizona Humane Society. Kitty is only eleven, a young artist with a big heart who wants to make a difference for these animals.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/KittY-MattrazZ/264075386943456" target="_blank">Kitty Mattrazz</a> and <a href="http://couponsandfriends.com" target="_blank">Coupons and Friends </a>have brought together bloggers and sponsors who love animals and want to help bring awareness to this important cause. It's a wonderful opportunity to win prizes your pets are sure to love, and perhaps give back to charity as well!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Special Thanks to Amber of <a href="http://thriftymom613.com/" target="_blank">Thrifty Mom's Review's and More</a> for our Event Image</em></p>
<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/XAHCTIarKNY?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" width="640" height="360"></iframe>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Help Kitty Reach her goal of $200 to donate to the Arizona Humane Society. Even a $1 donation will make a difference. <a href="http://project121.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1032225&lis=0&kntae1032225=3D8014F1955849878A7A60F0AB1301CF&supId=361982258&emaillogid=5858963831" target="_blank"> DONATE HERE.</a></strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Several outstanding sponsors have been willing to support this great cause and offer some wonderful prizes to win!!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="Daris Howard" src="http://www.darishoward.com/BooksHoward4.jpg" alt="" width="777" height="300" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.darishoward.com/supercowboy.php" target="_blank">Daris Howard</a> is a wonderful author, and you will have a chance to win <a title="A Boy, His Dog and His Lamb!!!" href="http://couponsandfriends.com/2012/06/23/super-cowboy-rides-review/" target="_blank">Super Cowboy Rides</a> and one of his <a title="52 Humorous And Inspirational Short Stories" href="http://couponsandfriends.com/2012/07/03/52-humorous-and-inspirational-short-stories/" target="_blank">Life's outtakes</a> books of fun short stories!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="smiling bullies" src="http://img2.etsystatic.com/000/0/5240913/il_570xN.334080050.jpg" alt="" width="570" height="306" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Our wonderful sponsor Original Sock Dogs will be giving one lucky winner a pack of these super cute <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/31593071/smiling-bullies-note-cards-set-of-7" target="_blank">Smiling Bullies Cards.</a> Awww. If you think these are adorable then you just have to check out their <a href="http://www.sockdogs.com/" target="_blank">sock dogs!</a> Made out of real socks--so cute! You can also find their creative creations on <a href=" http://www.etsy.com/shop/originalsockdogs" target="_blank">Etsy.</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="Silver Paw Tags" src="http://www.silverpawtags.com/product_images/uploaded_images/3-tags.jpg" alt="" width="656" height="230" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.silverpawtags.com/" target="_blank"> Silver Paw Tags</a> has generously donated one of these heavy duty stainless steel pet tags for a lucky winner. These are beautiful and a very stylish way for your pet to express individuality. Yes, it's a pet fashion statement.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="artsydog" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=21bcb30187&view=att&th=13839fd59396b298&attid=0.1&disp=thd&realattid=f_h41q2psm0&zw" alt="" width="214" height="166" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">If you have not checked out <a href="http://www.artsydog.com/mall/index.php?route=store/index" target="_blank">Artsydog</a> yet then it is a must see! They offer very unique products with something for every dog owner and every dog! These are one-of-a-kind handmade products. The lucky winner will receive a $30 gift certificate to ArtsyDog.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzBPlh_kx6vhXnS7QGBwh9W5wa5OXlQ-1lDPDR7E4KnJEH4lHT7wQc-sNmQpz-Xupnp2DMCrF1m8vDbSEvGxT5n1H8yo1Y3qYeyU500Wk8SydXWAvJN9iQQcHQK1JhmSHuzZSxlpzF8Yc/s1600/ARTSYDOG_LOGO_RICH_BLACK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="310" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzBPlh_kx6vhXnS7QGBwh9W5wa5OXlQ-1lDPDR7E4KnJEH4lHT7wQc-sNmQpz-Xupnp2DMCrF1m8vDbSEvGxT5n1H8yo1Y3qYeyU500Wk8SydXWAvJN9iQQcHQK1JhmSHuzZSxlpzF8Yc/s400/ARTSYDOG_LOGO_RICH_BLACK.jpg" /></a></div>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="felterrific" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=21bcb30187&view=att&th=1383a72cb5fb4d08&attid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=f_h41uwc5e0&safe=1&zw" alt="" width="156" height="200" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Santa is coming early this year this Dog Treat Advent Calendar being sponsored by <a href="http://www.felterrific.com/" target="_blank">Felterrific</a>! Felterrific is your destination for all cute felt crafts. She takes custom orders and has her own <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/felterrific" target="_blank">Etsy shop.</a> You'll find out how many adorable things can be made of felt.</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0GjRFtTuqWjua1oMDmgBtmlklL5LPiz3unqHN4ec3piMkNjOoqESCHKmWEhEIrsDrwhcxmRtLBCE6XKtH5nMPwa7lYh513GMH7BYH7M5nYoWCGm_l9NrhAZAK7fTbNID6N5_sJKYdHCw/s1600/Dog+Treat+Calendar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0GjRFtTuqWjua1oMDmgBtmlklL5LPiz3unqHN4ec3piMkNjOoqESCHKmWEhEIrsDrwhcxmRtLBCE6XKtH5nMPwa7lYh513GMH7BYH7M5nYoWCGm_l9NrhAZAK7fTbNID6N5_sJKYdHCw/s400/Dog+Treat+Calendar.JPG" /></a></div>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="Distinctly Ivy" src="http://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/5739679/il_570xN.328804697.jpg" alt="" width="258" height="171" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/100388147/mommy-childrens-name-necklace" target="_blank">DistinctlyIvy</a> has donated a gorgeous Mommy and Children hand-stamped name necklace with pearl from her <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/100388147/mommy-childrens-name-necklace" target="_blank">Etsy shop</a>. The winner will have one personalized just for them!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="two caveliers" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui=2&ik=21bcb30187&view=att&th=138594a7d032b369&attid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=f_h4af0l2v0&safe=1&zw" alt="" width="328" height="205" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Felissa the creator of <a href="http://twolittlecavaliers.com/" target="_blank">Two Little Cavaliers</a> has graciously donated three cute keychains to our giveaway. You'll love Two Little Cavaliers for the latest doggie news, new recipes for your dogs too, and even giveaways!</p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBgHdrlXrMsWLCRhUbeOd7GD2dBiLybIt4f9WqJySCPFO_7rq6Ptys7rOJQfUOfQB1Vz-PuqWkUecUfEhLI-yANPnEQOy5qSjVf_bGRwBAGIuH-5XoPU3g7fY9P5SiZMdZzmiZrffscw/s1600/IMG_5665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="250" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBgHdrlXrMsWLCRhUbeOd7GD2dBiLybIt4f9WqJySCPFO_7rq6Ptys7rOJQfUOfQB1Vz-PuqWkUecUfEhLI-yANPnEQOy5qSjVf_bGRwBAGIuH-5XoPU3g7fY9P5SiZMdZzmiZrffscw/s400/IMG_5665.JPG" /></a></div>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://couponsandfriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Scentsy-0011.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2348" title="Scentsy 001" src="http://couponsandfriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Scentsy-0011-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://csmithrn04.scentsy.us/Scentsy/Home" target="_blank">Christi Smith</a> an independent consultant of Scentsy is offering the winner these great warmers with two scents of their choice! Check out this glowing review: <a title="Scentsy Review and Donations!" href="http://couponsandfriends.com/2012/07/06/scentsy-review-and-donations/" target="_blank">HERE</a>.</p>
<a href="http://couponsandfriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/no-phone.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-2351" title="no phone" src="http://couponsandfriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/no-phone-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a><a href="http://couponsandfriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/dogtagart-007.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-2350" title="dogtagart 007" src="http://couponsandfriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/dogtagart-007-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://couponsandfriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/dogtagart-007.jpg"> </a><a href="http://www.dogtagart.com/" target="_blank">Dog Tag Art</a> is donating three fun tags to the winner. They have an endless array from which to choose!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter" title="Pearl Mountain" src="http://www.batchimageconverter.com/images/boxshot_aic.jpg" alt="" width="152" height="178" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Carolyn From <a href="http://conversationswithcarolyn.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Conversations With Carolyn</a> a blogger who loves to blog about health, recipes, and more, has given us a Pearl Mountain Batch Image Converter registration code for a lucky winner! This is a great product. <a title="Pearl Mountain Image Converter" href="http://couponsandfriends.com/2012/05/08/pearl-mountain-image-converter/" target="_blank"> Check out a review here:</a></p>
<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/M17CVeF9qw0?feature=player_detailpage" frameborder="0" width="640" height="360"></iframe>
<p style="text-align: center;">The style experts over at <a href="http://www.26barsandaband.com/" target="_blank">26 Bars and a Band</a> are going to set one of our readers up with one of their brand new avante garde retractable leashes! These are the latest thing in doggie style! As an extra bonus, readers will be able to get 25% off with code GivingHope25 for the duration of the giveaway!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://couponsandfriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Dog-collar-boutique-0052.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2352" title="Dog collar boutique 005" src="http://couponsandfriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Dog-collar-boutique-0052-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">$10 Gift Certificate to <a href="http://www.dogcollarsboutique.com/" target="_blank">Dog Collar Boutique.</a> Check out this review<a title="Lifesavers for Dogs!" href="http://couponsandfriends.com/2012/07/11/lifesavers-for-dogs/" target="_blank"> HERE</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a title="Hike up your pants. Check out this Hikes Review." href="http://couponsandfriends.com/2012/07/12/hike-up-your-pants-my-hikes-review/" target="_blank"><em><strong>1 Set of My Hikes</strong></em></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a title="Protect that Leather @Tanex" href="http://couponsandfriends.com/2012/07/16/protect-that-leather-tanex/" target="_blank"><em><strong>1 Bottle of Tantex Leather Conditioner</strong></em></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a title="Save Your Eyes With @Optics Eye Products" href="http://couponsandfriends.com/2012/07/20/save-your-eyes-with-optics-eye-products/" target="_blank"><em><strong>One summer bag of Optics Eye Care</strong></em></a></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a name='more'></a></p>
<a id="rc-2aa29639" class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/2aa29639/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script type="text/javascript" src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>Lauren Ivy Chionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00915540986876237897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7925870579700681380.post-74035949802968677202012-07-22T01:44:00.000-07:002012-07-22T01:44:03.643-07:00Heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost loved ones in the Colorado shooting<br />
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">I want to start by saying how very heartbroken I am for all the victims who were killed this past Friday at the shooting at a Colorado movie theater. I send out my heartfelt condolences to the families who lost loved ones, and I think I can speak for all my readers by saying they do too. I want to offer words of love and comfort for those who have loved ones who were hurt and are recovering. </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">I want to tell the people who were in that theater that day that you are not alone. Anyone who has ever been to the movies, anyone who loves going to the movies, is with you. You have our thoughts and prayers too. The horror that you experienced is a wound too. We want to embrace you and be a shoulder to cry on, because it just as easily could have been us.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">As movie lovers we have all experienced the excitement of going to a film on opening weekend. The movies are a special place. They are a place where we feel so safe that we can make a fun escape from our daily lives. We trust them enough to lose ourselves in a story, to fall in love with the characters. On Friday that trust was violated. That safety was shattered. </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">The shooting that occurred is impossible to comprehend. We search our souls to make sense of a senseless act and pray for understanding. People thought at first that what was happening was some kind of special effect, a part of the film. Reading about it in another state or even another country, it does seem more like a movie. It somehow doesn’t seem real. We don’t want it to be real, but it very much is.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">And this makes me mad as hell too. The monster who committed this heinous act <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/21/justice/colorado-theater-shooting/index.html" target="_blank">reportedly ordered 6000 rounds of ammunition to be delivered to his work and home</a>. How could that not have set off a red flag somewhere? It’s time for gun control. I’ve never understood why automatic weapons are so readily available. Why do ordinary citizens need them? They make no sense.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">I offer my heartfelt thoughts and prayers for all of those affected by the shooting. I wish you strength, love, faith, and hope. Many people around the world are thinking of you.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">I plan to go see “The Dark Knight Rises” and I will post my review next week.</span></i></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i></i></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Information on how to help the families of the victims is available <a href="http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/impact.your.world/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></i></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span></div>Lauren Ivy Chionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00915540986876237897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7925870579700681380.post-7728391843499635432012-07-22T00:48:00.000-07:002012-07-22T00:48:56.464-07:00ATTENTION BLOGGERS: Join the "Giving Hope to Homeless Pets" giveaway (low cost)!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLTB_Abq0_wE-U8Dp9F_nqffMOaQWix4jrBDYNONFqXJoZIePCafUoCsgcYF2WK7wxxv7fsac1o2FfpYVWH2IVVGZYa1fMhn8VhTUqzybGOzwgwU8fL4rrJvoghUtWJI3urWaev4E5ek/s1600/Ares-003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLTB_Abq0_wE-U8Dp9F_nqffMOaQWix4jrBDYNONFqXJoZIePCafUoCsgcYF2WK7wxxv7fsac1o2FfpYVWH2IVVGZYa1fMhn8VhTUqzybGOzwgwU8fL4rrJvoghUtWJI3urWaev4E5ek/s400/Ares-003.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="color: black; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Those who know me well will tell you that the cause of helping homeless animals is very close to my heart. Having rescued and adopted two homeless cats and volunteered at the <a href="http://delcospca.org/" target="_blank">Delaware County SPCA</a> when I lived in Pennsylvania, I am always looking for ways to help an animal in need. Homeless pets have the world's biggest hearts and they express their eternal gratitude when they find their forever home. </span></div>
<div style="color: black; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I'd like to invite all my blogger friends out there to <a href="http://couponsandfriends.com/2012/06/28/low-cost-blogger-opp-for-a-great-cause-giving-hope-to-homeless-pets-giveaway/" target="_blank">join</a> a wonderful new giveaway I've learned about that will benefit the Arizona Humane Society and raise awareness for this very important cause. You can sign up <a href="http://couponsandfriends.com/2012/06/28/low-cost-blogger-opp-for-a-great-cause-giving-hope-to-homeless-pets-giveaway/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div>
<div style="color: black; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Please <a href="http://couponsandfriends.com/2012/06/28/low-cost-blogger-opp-for-a-great-cause-giving-hope-to-homeless-pets-giveaway/" target="_blank">join</a> us in this effort. The cost is $1 per link and all proceeds go to the Arizona Humane Society. Talk about bloggers doing good!</span></div>
<div style="color: black; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">This giveaway will run from 7/28-8/11.</span></div>
<div style="color: black; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">There will be referral prizes for the top three referrers: a $10 Amazon code, $10 Amazon card and a $25 Cato ladies' fashion. <a href="http://couponsandfriends.com/2012/06/28/low-cost-blogger-opp-for-a-great-cause-giving-hope-to-homeless-pets-giveaway/" target="_blank">Join up</a>, make your own post to spread the word, and let’s make this giveaway a huge success!</span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Here are the prizes we have so far:</span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">A Dog Treat Advent Calendar Sponsored by <a href="http://www.felterrific.com/" style="color: #9ab2bd; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Felterrific</a></span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">A $30 Gift Certificate and Free shipping Sponsored by <a href="http://www.artsydog.com/" style="color: #9ab2bd; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Artsy Dog</a></span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">A Silver Dog Tag Sponsored by <a href="http://www.silverpawtags.com/" style="color: #9ab2bd; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Silver Paw Tags</a></span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">“Rescued is my favorite breed” T-Shirt Sponsored by <a href="http://petjunkie.com/?wpsca_refkey=C8BG40FIdzQIQK5uVsl04EJAhFg00000000000" style="color: #9ab2bd; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Pea Of Sweetness</a></span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">2 books Sponsored by <a href="http://www.darishoward.com/" style="color: #9ab2bd; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Daris Howard</a></span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">A $10 gift certificate to Dog Collar Boutique</span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">3 Dog Tags from <a href="http://www.dogtagart.com/" style="color: #9ab2bd; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Dog Tag Art</a></span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">TBA Prize from <a href="http://distinctlyivy.blogspot.com/" style="color: #9ab2bd; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Distinctly Ivy</a></span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">3 keychains from <a href="http://twolittlecavaliers.com/" style="color: #9ab2bd; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Two Little Cavaliers</a></span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://couponsandfriends.com/2012/05/08/pearl-mountain-image-converter/" style="color: #9ab2bd; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank" title="Pearl Mountain Image Converter">Pearl Mountain Image Converter</a> from <a href="http://conversationswithcarolyn.blogspot.com/" style="color: #9ab2bd; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Conversations with Carolyn</a></span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Dog greeting cards from <a href="http://www.sockdogs.com/" style="color: #9ab2bd; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank">Sock Dogs</a></span></div>
<div style="color: black; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">More to come!</span></div>Lauren Ivy Chionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00915540986876237897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7925870579700681380.post-6644400418709678482012-07-21T17:51:00.001-07:002012-07-21T17:51:31.378-07:00Enter to win the 'What to Expect' trilogy of books! Ends 7/29<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<center><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">Reel Mama </span></b>has teamed up with <a href="http://www.to-sew-with-love.com/" target="_blank">To Sew With Love</a> and <a href="http://tocookwithlove.com/" target="_blank">To Cook With Love</a> to bring you a wonderful giveaway sponsored by <a href="http://whattoexpect.com/">WhatToExpect.com</a></span></center><center><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had to be a part of this giveaway because the "What to Expect" series has been so invaluable to me, first as an expectant mom, and then as a mom. I have consistently referred to this book series throughout my pregnancy and my daughter's first two years of life, and that's why I was so delighted to participate in this giveaway and offer my dear readers the chance to win them. Even if you're not expecting or don't have small children at home, you probably know someone who does. These books make great gifts for any expecting couples, new parents, or parents of toddlers, and could even make a great shower gift or Mother's Day present. </span></center><center><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></center><center><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.whattoexpect.com/what-to-expect/landing-page.aspx" target="_blank"><img src="http://i985.photobucket.com/albums/ae336/lelaniedenso/NEWWTELOGO.jpg" /></a>
</span></center><center><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></center><center><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.whattoexpect.com/what-to-expect/landing-page.aspx" target="_blank">WhatToExpect</a> is one of the most popular and respected sites for pregnant women. They have the second largest audience of pregnant women online! They are an excellent resource for expectant parents and offer a wide variety of books that any expecting couple will find helpful! Moms (and dads) will be delighted to find that at <a href="http://whattoexpect.com/">WhatToExpect.com</a>, they will find not just invaluable information and the latest news about pregnancy, newborns, infants, and toddlers, but also the opportunity to become a part of an online community of parents offering mutual support and advice.</span></center><center><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></center><center><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*Review by Reel Mama and <a href="http://www.to-sew-with-love.com/" target="_blank">To Sew With Love</a></span></center><center><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></center><center><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.whattoexpect.com/what-to-expect/landing-page.aspx" target="_blank"><img height="400" src="http://i985.photobucket.com/albums/ae336/lelaniedenso/WhatToExpect_TSWL.jpg" width="400" /></a>
</span></center><center><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></center><center><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These three books from <a href="http://www.whattoexpect.com/what-to-expect/landing-page.aspx" target="_blank">WhatToExpect</a>  are a treasure. They offer a tremendous amount of information in a concise and accessible way. Everything is easy to find, and expecting parents, moms, and dads will find answers to almost any question or concern they could have! I know there were many times, especially late at night, when I would turn to these books with a concern I had about Leilani, and I would find the answer there, alleviating my fears and providing me with the knowledge I needed to feel at ease.
</span></center><center><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></center><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rOBxXVTkFuVsAt-zUe9mp5W-yNbWq1TEGevZwEuqGtH3mPNU1tpn9ZoRM8pGqBHIsIWt5q85gvFPFAiUoDRXq4X8t5vogEijBTEEzUKxFzE1i-aIsQGp-KRimXzviCHRHUbSvepH5hQ/s1600/WTE+BOOK+COVER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rOBxXVTkFuVsAt-zUe9mp5W-yNbWq1TEGevZwEuqGtH3mPNU1tpn9ZoRM8pGqBHIsIWt5q85gvFPFAiUoDRXq4X8t5vogEijBTEEzUKxFzE1i-aIsQGp-KRimXzviCHRHUbSvepH5hQ/s320/WTE+BOOK+COVER.jpg" width="212" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The What to Expect When You're Expecting Pregnancy book is a best seller. This book is the pregnancy bible, a must have and almost an encyclopedia of information! It has almost everything you need to know during and immediately after your pregnancy!</span><br />
<center style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This book also includes:</span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">an expanded chapter on pre-conception</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a detailed weekly fetal development in each of the monthly sections</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">loads of information about pregnancy's emotional ups and downs and how to survive it</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a brand new section on achieving a safe, comfortable and pampered pregnancy <span style="background-color: white;"> It also includes practical advise for pregnant women on the job and on the go!</span></span></li>
</ul>
</center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></center><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOqGdmEGgYdu5wHeCgoPz6s3fknsS3cZTlq9XiYkhUs8GM88sSc_rfSaVp7R12VnA1RGfompWPfe_Kf2yMhJcaxVmQkzZ8re5FRxNY-CwdJm9IlZcogOme7lzNYqbuhoqX56xgAbw01Q/s1600/WTE+FIRST+YEAR+COVER.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYOqGdmEGgYdu5wHeCgoPz6s3fknsS3cZTlq9XiYkhUs8GM88sSc_rfSaVp7R12VnA1RGfompWPfe_Kf2yMhJcaxVmQkzZ8re5FRxNY-CwdJm9IlZcogOme7lzNYqbuhoqX56xgAbw01Q/s320/WTE+FIRST+YEAR+COVER.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What to Expect The First Year book is America's best-selling guide to baby care. New moms, you'll rest easy because you can find the answers to your questions about the milestones, medical concerns, teething, even things like how to bathe your baby and nursing tips. This book has it all! </span><br />
<center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It also includes:</span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">information on your child's monthly growth and development</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">feeding and sleeping strategies</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">up-to-date medical and practical tips</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl9Te_SJL1omXF6EC2c7WjeAdQH_KzAR8zr_aUHTk69YsCx1tDdxt2DvpLP0JCLJ3cd2Gzbx1b2KhW5svXrZuvn7e8iPHAQbdiac8sfMyVJdvtNZjlmcq2Ur-HG98gEBxTU5avFdKTZZ0/s1600/WTE-Second-Year.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl9Te_SJL1omXF6EC2c7WjeAdQH_KzAR8zr_aUHTk69YsCx1tDdxt2DvpLP0JCLJ3cd2Gzbx1b2KhW5svXrZuvn7e8iPHAQbdiac8sfMyVJdvtNZjlmcq2Ur-HG98gEBxTU5avFdKTZZ0/s320/WTE-Second-Year.png" width="257" /></span></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Time flies! Before you know it, your beautiful baby is a beautiful toddler! You will be amazed at how much independence they will have by this point, but they still need you very much! Understanding your toddler during this stage is so important, and this book is as helpful as the others were in earlier stages. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With this book, you will get to understand and learn more about:</span></div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">feeding picky eaters</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">solving sleep issues</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">getting your toddler to talk and communicate</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">temper tantrums and how to manage it</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">understanding their behavior and</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">keeping them safe and healthy.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These books saved me lots of worrying! They are a must-have in any household with small children. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These books are available for purchase through </span><a href="http://www.whattoexpect.com/home/what-to-expect-bookstore.aspx" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">WhatToExpect.com's bookstore</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">But WhatToExpect.com generously offered to give away two sets of books to two of our readers!</span></div>
</center><center><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></center><center><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two lucky readers will win their own set of What To Expect books. Each set will consist of What To Expect Pregancy Book, First Year and Second Year books. This also includes free shipping worldwide! Cool!</span></center><center><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></center><center><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">An email address is required to enter. Giveaway will end at 11:59 EST on July 29, 2012. The winner will be chosen randomly through Rafflecopter Random Selector and contacted via email. A reply to the winning email is required within 48 hours before a new winner is chosen. The winner's entries will be verified -- please make sure you follow the instructions and submit the entries correctly. Only one person per household may enter. You do NOT have to be a blogger to enter. Open worldwide, ages 18+. </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: left;">This giveaway is void where prohibited.</span></span></center><center><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br /></span></center><center><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">For more chances of winning, make sure to come back every day for the daily entries. The more entries you send, the more chances you have at winning!</span></center><center><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">Please be patient and wait for the entry form to full load. If it does not load at once, just re-load the page.</span></center><center><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br /></span></center><center><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">Good luck and have fun!</span></center><center><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br /></span></center><center><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br /></span></center><center><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/13fcb694/" id="rc-13fcb694" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js">
</script></span></center><center><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br /></span></center><center><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br /></span></center><center><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br /></span></center><center><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><br /></span></center><center><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>DISCLAIMER: This giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook, Twitter, Picket Fences, Pinterest, etc. Information collected is not collected by these sites. In signing up for this promotion, participants release and indemnify aforementioned sites from all liability. By entering this contest, you may be choosing to opt in to newsletters and other emails from To Sew With Love, To Cook With Love, <b><span style="color: red;">YOUR BLOG'S NAME</span></b> and/or its sponsors, but opting out of emails does not jeopardize your chances of winning. To Sew with Love and Reel Mama are not responsible of shipping the giveaway prize. </i></span></center></div>Lauren Ivy Chionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00915540986876237897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7925870579700681380.post-63871868281268009082012-07-21T09:06:00.000-07:002012-07-21T09:06:05.808-07:00Sizzling summer winner's choice giveaway: Kindle Fire, $200 Paypal Cash, or $200 Amazon GC!<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://simplyshawnnjenn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/USE-THE-BUTTON.jpg"><img title="USE THE BUTTON" src="http://simplyshawnnjenn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/USE-THE-BUTTON.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /></a></p>
<h1 style="text-align: center;">The Sizzling Summer Giveaway is on!</h1><p style="text-align: center;">Our fabulous giveaway hosts are <em><a href="http://jennsblahblahblog.com" target="_blank">Jenn's Blah Blah Blog</a></em> & <em><a href="http://divafabulosa.com" target="_blank">Diva Fabulosa</a>!</em></p><p style="text-align: left;">A BIG thank you goes out to the giveaway's lovely co-hosts: <em><a href=" http://bonkers4coupons.blogspot.com/p/blogger-opps.html" target="_blank">Bonkers 4 Coupons</a></em>, <em><a href="http://www.luvsavingmoney.info " target="_blank">Luv Saving Money</a></em>, <em><a href="http://www.sisterssavingcents.com/ " target="_blank">Sister's Saving Cents</a></em>,<em><a href="http://dishinwithrebelle.com/" target="_blank"> Dishin With Rebelle</a></em>, <em><a href="http://trinkies.com " target="_blank">Trinkies</a></em>, <em><a href="http://www.MyVeganGlutenFreeLife.com" target="_blank">My Vegan Gluten Free Life</a></em>, <a href="http://tidbitsfromamom.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><em>Tidbits From A Mom</em></a>, and <em><a href="http://www.keepingyourcents.com/ " target="_blank">Keeping Your Cents</a></em> and all of the fantastic bloggers that have joined in to help make this event happen!</p><p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">I love participating in giveaways as a way of expressing my gratitude to my wonderful readers, and I hope one of you wins! I really liked this giveaway because the winner is free to choose the prize. Good luck!</span></strong></em></p><p style="text-align: center;">Prize: The winner's choice of prize will be valued at no more than $200 (shipping included). Choose from a Kindle Fire, Paypal Cash or Amazon Gift Card.</p><p style="text-align: center;">This giveaway will run from 7/21 12:01am (EST) - 8/20 11:59pm (EST).</p><p style="text-align: center;">Giveaway is open worldwide and participants must be eighteen or older to enter.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Please the giveaway tool below to enter.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;"><div id="pgt110416488pgt" class="pgtContainpgt"><div id="pgtJS110416488">Javascript must be enabled to enter this giveaway. Learn how to activate Javascript by <a href="http://activatejavascript.org/" target="_blank">clicking here.</a></div><div id="pgtAjax110416488" class="pgtAjax" style="text-align:center !important;font-size:12px !important;line-height:16px !important;"><img style="border:0 !important;box-shadow:none !important;" class="pgtLoading" alt="loading" src="http://giveawaytools.com/img/ajax-loader.gif" /><br>Loading Entry-Form</div></div><script language="javascript" type="text/javascript">/*<![CDATA[*/document.getElementById("pgtJS110416488").innerHTML="";document.getElementById("pgtAjax110416488").style.display="block";var headID=document.getElementsByTagName("head")[0];var newScript=document.createElement("script");newScript.type="text/javascript";newScript.src="http://giveawaytools.com/wid/giveawayformtransform.php?pgt_special_key=110416488";headID.appendChild(newScript);/*]]>*/</script></span></strong></em></p><p style="text-align: left;">Disclosure: Reel Mama is not responsible for prize shipment and was not compensated in any way for posting this event. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning email to be sent out by<em> <strong>Jenn's Blah Blah Blog</strong></em> or <em><strong>Diva Fabulosa</strong></em>. If there is no response another winner will be drawn.</p>Lauren Ivy Chionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00915540986876237897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7925870579700681380.post-909346954944031352012-07-18T23:40:00.000-07:002012-07-18T23:40:12.942-07:00Wordless Wednesday: Stop and smell the roses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEU1pDmRONP8sbiELdBVfxR4EkkElyNl-zsNw2LJ3maIEQblnEGjecAgz_oTuAXzZjdBb6RSVBJcc2Ade4KaXlCDK9QkulcNeseRCVW71pNf3g3MLf-Qhkq_x-4c0QUexeoxTKxyKBPQ/s1600/DSC_0609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrEU1pDmRONP8sbiELdBVfxR4EkkElyNl-zsNw2LJ3maIEQblnEGjecAgz_oTuAXzZjdBb6RSVBJcc2Ade4KaXlCDK9QkulcNeseRCVW71pNf3g3MLf-Qhkq_x-4c0QUexeoxTKxyKBPQ/s400/DSC_0609.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk7nmqb2T9rcMXycD8vmDnNELlGybh_rzsIsHtVeveFei4FBzBcEMPXDj9LJiJOLsVX6puLL7KpiGuv8TBE1OhjhgNy93w1q5DMn9gno3X-PAm1Wvm6btlRLDYjgLG8AjXMK9O7hG6RD8/s1600/DSC_0610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk7nmqb2T9rcMXycD8vmDnNELlGybh_rzsIsHtVeveFei4FBzBcEMPXDj9LJiJOLsVX6puLL7KpiGuv8TBE1OhjhgNy93w1q5DMn9gno3X-PAm1Wvm6btlRLDYjgLG8AjXMK9O7hG6RD8/s400/DSC_0610.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9znsUBJL7wgd3Lu4YtrUznEw4c69ewrshU3DyG9aT5iZbNEmwkFCK04WFn-oe9jiNQoDkdAoIamM-HfzL9i-bunVj3EuCW_4W-wSIteOjX44nxEf-4djvV5LwxvLSXGFPmQiM0s-hX-Y/s1600/DSC_0614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9znsUBJL7wgd3Lu4YtrUznEw4c69ewrshU3DyG9aT5iZbNEmwkFCK04WFn-oe9jiNQoDkdAoIamM-HfzL9i-bunVj3EuCW_4W-wSIteOjX44nxEf-4djvV5LwxvLSXGFPmQiM0s-hX-Y/s400/DSC_0614.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Lauren Ivy Chionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00915540986876237897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7925870579700681380.post-79907792952936247042012-07-18T01:25:00.001-07:002012-07-18T01:25:18.855-07:00‘Ice Age 4’ cool 4 kids<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDShyD0ydOBB-lO63LYdhaFw0NFtjP5AI9x6qcEUjg9rTqokTBVXMBHpOf58sKXSJx9BN5Fr3g9w2M-iPbPCGKoC8_i0irT33Msv1C5U1m526eld8Pm9jn755GjPuZwXZC_tx5tlarHw4/s1600/ia4_wp-1280x1024-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDShyD0ydOBB-lO63LYdhaFw0NFtjP5AI9x6qcEUjg9rTqokTBVXMBHpOf58sKXSJx9BN5Fr3g9w2M-iPbPCGKoC8_i0irT33Msv1C5U1m526eld8Pm9jn755GjPuZwXZC_tx5tlarHw4/s400/ia4_wp-1280x1024-002.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The Pleistocene pals are at it again in "Ice Age 4."</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">It’s no secret that “Ice Age 4” has received a lukewarm, if not frigid critical reception, but silly critics, “Ice Age 4” is for kids! </span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Grownups might rather stay home and watch “The Artist,” but it might warm their hearts to know that “Ice Age 4” is lively and fun to watch. The environment in which the characters find themselves, with plate tectonics shifting the world’s land masses, is inhospitable, but the characters themselves are not.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">While there’s no mistaking that this is a sequel, with that unshakeable feeling of picking up where we left off and landing in the middle of something already in progress, “Ice Age 4” melts away the inevitable low expectations its audience might have for it by this point in the franchise. </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">For starters, the opening is priceless, with Scrat the squirrel up to his usual oblivious antics in his relentless search for acorns. This time, his pursuit changes the face of the planet, and all prehistoric peril breaks loose. </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/TzzGPfVx32M?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">This fourth installment finds the familiar trio of Manny the Mammoth (Ray Romano), Diego the sabor-toothed tiger (Denis Leary), and Sid the sloth (a lisping John Leguizamo) struggling to find their way home as the continents divide. They are stopped in their watery tracks when they encounter the primate pirate Captain Gutt (voiced with delicious malice by Peter Dinklage). </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Pirates in the ice age give new meaning to “shiver me timbers.” True, the pirate theme has been done to death and should probably be forced to walk the plank, but kids never get tired of it, and there’s not a children’s series in existence that hasn’t taken advantage of it. </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">The storyline is perhaps nothing special. “Ice Age 4” is all about silliness, but the goal was never to have the depth of a Pixar film. It’s all about making kids bust a gut (even naming a character after the same). Mission accomplished with mildly rude jokes like Sid’s shocked “Holy crab!” reaction at yes, wait for it, a giant crab. </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Manny’s overprotective father struggling with his little girl Peaches (Keke Palmer) growing up has been played out in every family sitcom since “Growing Pains.” While predictable, who better than sitcom superstar Ray Romano to make it work? “Ice Age 4” is a series of goofy vignettes, with a generous amount of hilarious if a tad agist humor thrown in by newcomer to the franchise Wanda Sykes, who plays Sid’s decrepit sloth granny. (“It’s like having a child, only without any of the joy,” declares Diego about her presence.)</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">The visuals are dynamic and eye catching in 3D. While not capturing the fine detail of a film like “Brave,” the bright colors and flashy images are perfect for the broad slapstick comedy that it is. Based on the ending, I have a feeling we aren’t drifting any closer to the end of the franchise with “Ice Age 4.” </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><b>Reel Mama’s rating: </b>Appropriate for five and up. Pirate “booty” jokes will make the kids have a giggle fest as parents struggle to suppress laughs. There isn’t much sexy stuff to speak of, but there is a scene in which each character is “seduced” by his image of the perfect woman when they encounter creatures known as Sirens. It’s as harmless as Bugs Bunny in drag. Captain Gutt’s fantasy girl, to quote a phrase from Chris Rock in “Madagascar 3,” is “roach-killin’ ugly.” Peaches has a crush on a “hot” thrill-seeking mammoth jock, but it’s just mammoth-sized puppy love. There are a few intense moments that might be too much for four and under (the Sirens with their flashing images as they return to reality are disturbing, and Captain Gutt cracks a whip.)</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Maybe I’ll be the lone voice in the arctic wilderness for liking it, but it wouldn’t be the first time.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span></div>Lauren Ivy Chionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00915540986876237897noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7925870579700681380.post-12026536008439387722012-07-16T23:11:00.000-07:002012-07-16T23:23:52.373-07:00Chef Larry’s Summery Pomegranate Punch<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCNTzRW3yI7BFjvT4V_XGljsoYnNXNCrnQTqwosPWuCy-370cXIp23xMERWzPq4Iw_wlIn9yqoEcsLHeO_GnUpKZGcDJbYuShO1VuDveSEzDcvZJ-wkfTwUYk_ERagaC9ECAxZMNFD9hE/s1600/DSC_0636.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCNTzRW3yI7BFjvT4V_XGljsoYnNXNCrnQTqwosPWuCy-370cXIp23xMERWzPq4Iw_wlIn9yqoEcsLHeO_GnUpKZGcDJbYuShO1VuDveSEzDcvZJ-wkfTwUYk_ERagaC9ECAxZMNFD9hE/s400/DSC_0636.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">For a summertime drink that’s refreshing, light on calories, but big on flavor, my dad Larry came up with the perfect concoction: a summery pomegranate punch. </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">You’ll need:</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYfjH-nXNX-axyp9R48a2WdYo45DcA0NK-A8PFAP1KmHJ2qJJKQWDdprYo6GGmDp5YhMaRc5duvpQFnpzcdK7B1sNhPOkTY8ePn10_xrtXq3ppjHjRr9TNTl13YO_eb67WE93zstLMXIE/s1600/DSC_0632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYfjH-nXNX-axyp9R48a2WdYo45DcA0NK-A8PFAP1KmHJ2qJJKQWDdprYo6GGmDp5YhMaRc5duvpQFnpzcdK7B1sNhPOkTY8ePn10_xrtXq3ppjHjRr9TNTl13YO_eb67WE93zstLMXIE/s400/DSC_0632.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">3 ounces of 100% pomegranate juice </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Sparkling lime-flavored mineral water (no sugar added)</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Ice</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">1/2 small lime or key lime squeezed or used as a garnish</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Fill a tall glass with ice, then fill with sparkling water. Top it off with the pomegranate juice and just a squeeze of lime. </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0jIT4ccQRexBRAtuvHB3i8TmHAsEnK8LsigyW92cMzbrmmKDxVTJo10ZGFVGVo_Mb3_n9wBQhm45W1ASQt04rt9MT0jYxbQFrYO5XAHeNPeqTNhhJmsZQgVe_P0FkMaZyby9zdWzkWE/s1600/DSC_0643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0jIT4ccQRexBRAtuvHB3i8TmHAsEnK8LsigyW92cMzbrmmKDxVTJo10ZGFVGVo_Mb3_n9wBQhm45W1ASQt04rt9MT0jYxbQFrYO5XAHeNPeqTNhhJmsZQgVe_P0FkMaZyby9zdWzkWE/s400/DSC_0643.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">For the kids, combine grape juice and a dash of the sparkling mineral water.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFaciP30EY9Pi8VnFkBOORsxbh8I1aYQ5vv0uN5kzipOFa1i2m1NgC5ffYbeXnEDI7BxU6Qz0ih9BJLkxPL7sZ3aP_XdATlvjHWjXms0aDD5PUfwsUC2G7bHVUmI0apEfNrgdlicBWX6k/s1600/DSC_0640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFaciP30EY9Pi8VnFkBOORsxbh8I1aYQ5vv0uN5kzipOFa1i2m1NgC5ffYbeXnEDI7BxU6Qz0ih9BJLkxPL7sZ3aP_XdATlvjHWjXms0aDD5PUfwsUC2G7bHVUmI0apEfNrgdlicBWX6k/s400/DSC_0640.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Enjoy!</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5BP6GZ5LzElXSG61XRJxOgOPeNLBRcii7ZOq-hnJWfwJCzZFKEz3njXnGirTJpnJHlNhscNNL5GLPIXN73rbDI1w6vXSkD9MLsk-gzsEZytl8OJwyVSKZmU8SfbWVUYEywY2JruOThaw/s1600/DSC_0646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5BP6GZ5LzElXSG61XRJxOgOPeNLBRcii7ZOq-hnJWfwJCzZFKEz3njXnGirTJpnJHlNhscNNL5GLPIXN73rbDI1w6vXSkD9MLsk-gzsEZytl8OJwyVSKZmU8SfbWVUYEywY2JruOThaw/s400/DSC_0646.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Tip: I like Crystal Geyser’s Natural Lime Flavor Sparkling Mineral Water, and R.W. Knudsens’ Just Pomegranate can be found in the juice section (Pom Juice will also work).</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>Lauren Ivy Chionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00915540986876237897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7925870579700681380.post-48572191159420059852012-07-16T16:16:00.002-07:002012-07-16T16:16:41.432-07:00Attention bloggers: A fun, fabulous, and free giveaway<br />
<div style="color: #49291d; font: 14.0px 'Century Gothic'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">One of my favorite ways to give back to my readers is to participate in giveaways of fun and useful items. One of the most exciting giveaways I’ve found this summer is hosted by <a href="http://jennsblahblahblog.com/sizzling-summer-giveaway/" target="_blank">Jenn’s Blah Blah Blog</a> and Diva Fabulosa -- just those names by themselves conjure up images of summer fun. </span></span></div>
<div style="color: #49291d; font: 14.0px 'Century Gothic'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #49291d; font: 14.0px 'Century Gothic'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">These fabulous divas have organized a fun event where the prize is the winner’s choice: a $200 Kindle Fire, great for enjoying for all your favorite summer bestsellers, or $200 Paypal cash or a $200 Amazon gift card. The giveaway will run from July 20 until Aug 18. If you'd like to be a part of this fun opportunity, sign up <a href="http://jennsblahblahblog.com/sizzling-summer-giveaway/" target="_blank">here</a>!</span></span></div>Lauren Ivy Chionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00915540986876237897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7925870579700681380.post-28162093753583047882012-07-14T23:43:00.001-07:002012-07-15T09:11:39.822-07:00La vie en rose: Celebrating France on Bastille Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4tLjwJF7EEIkgM0vLAY2AR5745m8caP7eCzOY7BTbFmWEngwpS77tQ6aMCHgP5bMFYeWjeNB-1yjmGOEAkkVTnTZpPzrge_g99yl9rh3VaMYNEi1yUMQ8DW6xqyEZUXTEPxgxffmMGUY/s1600/DSCF1079EiffelCU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4tLjwJF7EEIkgM0vLAY2AR5745m8caP7eCzOY7BTbFmWEngwpS77tQ6aMCHgP5bMFYeWjeNB-1yjmGOEAkkVTnTZpPzrge_g99yl9rh3VaMYNEi1yUMQ8DW6xqyEZUXTEPxgxffmMGUY/s400/DSCF1079EiffelCU.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Paris has always held a special magic for me. Though I haven't been in years, and am not likely to do so until my toddler is a bit older, I often imagine the City of Lights and remember my experiences there:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZHfZjXjAITk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">No place in the world can come close to Paris, and I'm lucky enough to have gone there with my husband Horacio on our honeymoon. I hope everyone gets the chance to visit this glorious city at least once in their lifetime. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Being unable to travel to Paris this year for Bastille Day, we decided to bring Paris to us.</span> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMUqiTKXjzI8FTbFZomVXupymhZ6Liw-DUQVXoqJZAB4fqkEFZ_zpb-UOvJqKavSLW9tm18IKadr-phbnqjUkfxBQPQxzXjuji3eCUKzB911Evu15css3Pv-8BdTQG6VImrOKUIRVyt_Y/s1600/DSC_0461cute.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMUqiTKXjzI8FTbFZomVXupymhZ6Liw-DUQVXoqJZAB4fqkEFZ_zpb-UOvJqKavSLW9tm18IKadr-phbnqjUkfxBQPQxzXjuji3eCUKzB911Evu15css3Pv-8BdTQG6VImrOKUIRVyt_Y/s400/DSC_0461cute.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Of course fashion is one of the highlights of Paris, so we started there. My daughter Leilani's dress with the French poodle may be my very favorite from her closet, and Bastille Day seemed the perfect opportunity for her to wear it one last time before she outgrows it (wistful sigh). My daughter's dress has a gingham skirt, but the owner of the French café near our home informed us that the pattern is known as Vichy. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FIhSHI2T2aG6FOB6Bh4oPg-S7MuvBZ3FJWbD5Xljr3SMD9GkGN2xRpXoTjpet8B43cS1VSsWgs9-Q5UBOZzX88l3oJgXtBPupY_jKNveXYkdl3mDl84_cChWQDBXX3sI3ktVZWFQNnk/s1600/DSC_0514teaparty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FIhSHI2T2aG6FOB6Bh4oPg-S7MuvBZ3FJWbD5Xljr3SMD9GkGN2xRpXoTjpet8B43cS1VSsWgs9-Q5UBOZzX88l3oJgXtBPupY_jKNveXYkdl3mDl84_cChWQDBXX3sI3ktVZWFQNnk/s400/DSC_0514teaparty.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">We decided to have a tea party. Yes, traditionally tea parties are British, but we were thinking French thoughts as we drank imaginary tea. Leilani's guests at the tea party were also French: Madeline and her dog Genevieve. I even got out a book of children's fables from a French class I took in college. Sadly it didn't help bring back my French, but it did help set the mood.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Later that day we had a <i>croque monsieur</i>, which sounds a lot better than ham sandwich, at a French café, then we headed downtown for the Bastille Day Waiters' race.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMsErLVsgG6pUazRaMoUhO08dw1lz5jQM3hdKtJqQOOAQROWRpXrZQotI4Qx63VxWwdvQwZgS57_FRHnU_fNKopzDgdXNtwUHlSKTA_hS_QL1X-oBtriEAjDy-27rszyjHHl8RLgjUGg/s1600/DSC_0592waiters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGMsErLVsgG6pUazRaMoUhO08dw1lz5jQM3hdKtJqQOOAQROWRpXrZQotI4Qx63VxWwdvQwZgS57_FRHnU_fNKopzDgdXNtwUHlSKTA_hS_QL1X-oBtriEAjDy-27rszyjHHl8RLgjUGg/s400/DSC_0592waiters.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Waiters from all over the city enter the race and have to round a city block twice carrying a tray filled with glasses and bottles of Perrier among other items. It's become a tradition in my city of Sacramento but the practice was started -- where else? -- in Paris, to showcase the balancing skills of the servers there. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBuGkfTGbDpEbNb26OwNJw6rVjGDoPommbxGPUUGP2Qa73byWITeHkl3tk9MztjaCW9y8wE89zZKRrZ_wVF8GrBtUgDB8sbPZQcQhTHORG7oJFBkmpSnOXdAaO8GuQpMSjT9maI7P7Dg/s1600/DSC_0594perrier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigBuGkfTGbDpEbNb26OwNJw6rVjGDoPommbxGPUUGP2Qa73byWITeHkl3tk9MztjaCW9y8wE89zZKRrZ_wVF8GrBtUgDB8sbPZQcQhTHORG7oJFBkmpSnOXdAaO8GuQpMSjT9maI7P7Dg/s320/DSC_0594perrier.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">When the day was done, we headed off into the sunset, dreaming of France, and seeing the world through rose-colored glasses for having imagined ourselves there.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL5FIkoI_Hd0QauTYK4LFHnWuRrBRN9MPp5Do8NyqPp1gHaasD1Xr-FAKkUhyphenhyphenO_s7nAzPzDOCTLtpFaf1aUxoc78yOIzQZtt5AFXQAhnypTRL3Dzpr8Js4RYCgxfIWAySBpuEnWs2x53w/s1600/DSCF1045bateaumouche.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL5FIkoI_Hd0QauTYK4LFHnWuRrBRN9MPp5Do8NyqPp1gHaasD1Xr-FAKkUhyphenhyphenO_s7nAzPzDOCTLtpFaf1aUxoc78yOIzQZtt5AFXQAhnypTRL3Dzpr8Js4RYCgxfIWAySBpuEnWs2x53w/s400/DSCF1045bateaumouche.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Good night, Paris! Thank you for the inspiration.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">* If all this talk of Paris has you in the mood for a movie set in France, then check out <a href="http://4realmoms-reelmama.blogspot.com/2012/06/family-friendly-mr-beans-holiday-takes.html" target="_blank">"Mr. Bean's Holiday."</a> It's hilarious, and it's very family friendly. We love it at our house. My favorite French movie is <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091288/" target="_blank">"Jean de Florette,"</a> starring Gerard Depardieu in his prime, appropriate for teens and up.</span>Lauren Ivy Chionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00915540986876237897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7925870579700681380.post-27182212682922031502012-07-11T23:56:00.000-07:002012-07-12T00:02:15.709-07:00Rude, crude, and socially acceptable?<br />
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Rude, crude and crass. Sometimes downright mean. Something has shifted in our society, and all these behaviors are becoming a lot more acceptable, even celebrated. </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 14.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">“An aggressive lack of consideration for others is spreading across this country like a case of crabs through a sleepaway camp, and there isn't a lot standing in the way,” says Amy Alkon, author of <i>I See Rude People</i>, in her <a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200911/two-minute-memoir-i-see-rude-people" target="_blank">recent essay for <i>Psychology Today</i></a>.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Amen to that. </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">The examples of rude, crude and crass, and downright mean treatment I received recently are more plentiful than f-bombs dropped in a high school locker room (sadly).</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><b>The rude: </b>A senior woman in a banana boat of a Cadillac was jockeying for a space as I pulled into a parking lot. I angled my car to claim the spot next to hers, which clearly ticked her off. Her intention was to prevent me from parking anywhere close to her or to get past her, as I pleaded in my head, “Please, pick a spot, any spot.” I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she was just having some trouble straightening her car in the space. </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">But to clear up any doubt, when she had finally settled into her spot, she turned and stuck her tongue out at me, her expression bordering on malicious. A member of the Greatest Generation, whose female members are known for their gentility and class, gave me her version of flipping the bird. Old enough to know better and then some. Pardon my existence.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><b>Crude and crass: </b>The $%#@ halfwits (I’ll avoid stronger language because I don’t want to appear crass) who purposely raise the decibel level on their profanity when I approach with my two-year old daughter. As far as I’m concerned, they’re the scum of the earth. When did it become acceptable to curse like a seasick sailor with a bad hangover and a newly acquired SDT in front of children? It was funny on <i>Modern Family</i> when toddler Lily dropped the f-bomb (reportedly the young actress really said “fudge” and it was bleeped while her mouth was blurred), and it is painful and funny at the same time when a young child says a curse word for the first time without comprehending its meaning. </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Accidental parental utterances during stubbed toe incidents aside, shouldn’t we make an effort to protect children from profanity for as long as possible? Their minds aren’t equipped to understand the context for profanity nor developed enough understand the consequences. Childhood innocence is a beautiful thing, and as a society we should band together to protect it. Which is why strangers in public purposely spewing curse words at my child, as if we were somehow invading their private space, is beyond my comprehension.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><b>The downright mean:</b> I’ll never get over being the victim of road rage, because my daughter was in the car at the time. </span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> I described the event in detail in another anti-rudeness post, <a href="http://4realmoms-reelmama.blogspot.com/2011/07/screw-baby-on-board-sign-road-rage.html" target="_blank">“Screw the ‘Baby on Board’ sign: Road rage, distracted driving, and why every day is Carmageddon in LA,”</a> but for the uninitiated, a driver of a convertible BMW was apparently foaming at the mouth because I had to stop short at a traffic light in front of him, forcing him to stop suddenly as well, but with enough time to avoid hitting my bumper. Relieved, I was then shocked when I felt a jolt, and turned my head to see the BMW with its front headlight knocked out (small payback for ramming my car) as it screeched away down a side street. The guy needed to teach me a lesson, and yes, my “Baby on Board” sign was in plain sight. Luckily we escaped the incident unharmed, just a bit shaken up.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Arial; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">As a society we need anger management. We need to take a few deep breaths. I’m grateful for the many random acts of kindness I encounter, but I’m disheartened by the woman huffing and puffing and storming away because I’m taking too long to check out with my groceries due to having an active small child with me. Give a mom a break! And a kid too, for that matter.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">We’re not a nation of saints. Never have been and never will be. But is it too much to ask for human decency?</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div>Lauren Ivy Chionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00915540986876237897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7925870579700681380.post-38235884443260484042012-07-10T23:53:00.000-07:002012-07-11T00:54:02.486-07:00Lauren's rules for happiness<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHgvsHmEHVsqeBb-qmnncPmLjdXmg8QBgMQ5-XMeeF414Lo3-bqflICjjALtV1xo1s4fVykie560_nbYpcbhkGJYh39Tm-hsj2iWGMJZuxdvCAVrH6sTZMPcsShun4QcyuKgbgj1vwnjs/s1600/Leilani+with+cupcake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHgvsHmEHVsqeBb-qmnncPmLjdXmg8QBgMQ5-XMeeF414Lo3-bqflICjjALtV1xo1s4fVykie560_nbYpcbhkGJYh39Tm-hsj2iWGMJZuxdvCAVrH6sTZMPcsShun4QcyuKgbgj1vwnjs/s320/Leilani+with+cupcake.jpg" width="288" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Eat cupcakes or ice cream every day. Preferably both.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Eat
dessert first.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Don’t weigh yourself.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Don’t
be afraid to make a fool of yourself.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgElzDru0g7bn1uPUyeZHglAJfnA4T1FOSnNddl_jDNDcF4Ny4gdj2zN5-STpG42rmg-u_INnRURThFxBVpzD6lC3vbdIJcgSzGLR7tKXGh39l1sEw80mfLihSGhYn71HV9wDmK_Eb5xGE/s1600/another+day+in+paradise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgElzDru0g7bn1uPUyeZHglAJfnA4T1FOSnNddl_jDNDcF4Ny4gdj2zN5-STpG42rmg-u_INnRURThFxBVpzD6lC3vbdIJcgSzGLR7tKXGh39l1sEw80mfLihSGhYn71HV9wDmK_Eb5xGE/s400/another+day+in+paradise.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Go
to the movies as often as possible.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Surround
yourself with good friends.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHe2x_lMX-7T1JIghsSZpqMbE1HwxpVyiL99NwonIVDsqx8P51jpU2KiG3OtBqqf4dP9gSnm76h-UeZ2Dljv3zDKA9zUGLyNYacSUu5yofvyIkt_bj-IdsTCWlGnnov33YIwdCj09ZqBE/s1600/Good+friends.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHe2x_lMX-7T1JIghsSZpqMbE1HwxpVyiL99NwonIVDsqx8P51jpU2KiG3OtBqqf4dP9gSnm76h-UeZ2Dljv3zDKA9zUGLyNYacSUu5yofvyIkt_bj-IdsTCWlGnnov33YIwdCj09ZqBE/s400/Good+friends.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Get
and give back rubs as often as possible.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Collect
hugs and kisses.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRPOVPHxWMESPjidZzowV8JzcSmiQG7S4w-2CBB0b3ij-XOzn3naL0O_ckT0sFE83JWmcDogXeXVRuFtpVzLdMqu8qBsMSdz-CCwQhsNrnHJdNTm0Kn8Il-aLuzBvIe7OsUnddtXvWMG4/s1600/Kisses+and+Hugs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRPOVPHxWMESPjidZzowV8JzcSmiQG7S4w-2CBB0b3ij-XOzn3naL0O_ckT0sFE83JWmcDogXeXVRuFtpVzLdMqu8qBsMSdz-CCwQhsNrnHJdNTm0Kn8Il-aLuzBvIe7OsUnddtXvWMG4/s320/Kisses+and+Hugs.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Call an
old friend.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Call your
parents.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Don’t be
afraid to leave your comfort zone every once in a while.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJCBicz4b1JkuLbUAxU602XgbCvdpJ0km6RU3sZwRWgptmpaW709JZ0SBmUDn49zo5nUE4c6nIqjwqbesJnC22NQVHXO7unuPhkLyfAWNlErXKbSjcqLpyKEECDzHxg6KvJfS9ZDlgGw/s1600/Leave+your+comfort+zone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfJCBicz4b1JkuLbUAxU602XgbCvdpJ0km6RU3sZwRWgptmpaW709JZ0SBmUDn49zo5nUE4c6nIqjwqbesJnC22NQVHXO7unuPhkLyfAWNlErXKbSjcqLpyKEECDzHxg6KvJfS9ZDlgGw/s400/Leave+your+comfort+zone.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Pet your
pets.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtD31qI0Vq3bLCKSjiSZHuGpcsNTAhzzQDAEHV1aOevEe8UYu8SgLWwTOC5fiinVrB5TLYubiBt16hWSQf2NyfzstEq4-FRfZVG9H3SDK-lbFe6s_1uAL66rpkxszy5HFLN30B2mpMAi8/s1600/Photo+on+2011-08-14+at+17.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtD31qI0Vq3bLCKSjiSZHuGpcsNTAhzzQDAEHV1aOevEe8UYu8SgLWwTOC5fiinVrB5TLYubiBt16hWSQf2NyfzstEq4-FRfZVG9H3SDK-lbFe6s_1uAL66rpkxszy5HFLN30B2mpMAi8/s400/Photo+on+2011-08-14+at+17.09.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Lauren Ivy Chionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00915540986876237897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7925870579700681380.post-17659174212247729952012-07-08T01:45:00.000-07:002012-07-17T00:51:42.892-07:00What parents can do to about cyberbullying<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTesgLnWuteXcTvQoUuy34Is0iww3_0S06UM_Oj0hNtrhZPZYKK-knbsXAhX5eF4mNM1Ka6gK5aBeF_ibfL47fbMKpjSWKq99hVwcMMJcSalcOF4_05q5crQjB-G8zn3N-o_3zT87aRDs/s1600/DSC_0438+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTesgLnWuteXcTvQoUuy34Is0iww3_0S06UM_Oj0hNtrhZPZYKK-knbsXAhX5eF4mNM1Ka6gK5aBeF_ibfL47fbMKpjSWKq99hVwcMMJcSalcOF4_05q5crQjB-G8zn3N-o_3zT87aRDs/s400/DSC_0438+2.jpg" width="327" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></b></div>
<div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As parents who likely have memories from twenty years ago of an existence without email or Internet, it can seem like a brave new world when it comes to evolving technologies. For our kids, technology is their comfort zone, but we don’t want it to become their whole world. We wonder how to set limits on the limitless Internet </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">and protect our kids from harmful messages, especially when it comes to interacting with other young people online. </span></i></span></div>
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>
</i></span></b><br />
<div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; min-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>Bullying, formerly the domain of private spaces like the locker room, has gone public and even viral in the form of cyberbullying. Author <a href="http://www.signewhitson.com/" target="_blank">Signe Whitson</a> is an expert on bullying, and in her latest guest post she sets forth some invaluable tips for parents to help them monitor their kids’ online activity and prevent their children from becoming victims of cyberbullying. I am thrilled once again to welcome Signe as a guest contributor at Reel Mama.</i></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span></b></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<div style="color: #0070c0; font-size: 12pt; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
</span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0070c0; line-height: 115%;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What Parents Can Do to About Cyberbullying<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0070c0; line-height: 115%;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #0070c0; line-height: 115%;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">by Signe Whitson</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #0070c0; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I remember with clarity the day my daughter “discovered”
the internet. She was just three
years old and playing hostess to the son of one of my college friends, visiting
from out of town. As
the two toddlers were breezing through the kitchen, my friend’s son, Jack,
stopped short and suggested enthusiastically, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Let’s play computer</i>!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I laughed, thinking how cute it was going to
be to watch the little ones sit and pretend to type on my laptop. Then, before my amazed eyes, Jack
navigated successfully to pbskids.com and introduced my daughter to the wonders
of the world wide web.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, at not-quite-nine, I am still amazed
everyday at how natural and intuitive technology usage is to my daughter and to
all of her peers who have grown up with computers, cell phones, tablets, and
texting as part of their everyday lives.
I am also aware, however, that things like Internet safety, cyberbullying and “netiquette” may not register on her radar the same way they
do on mine.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When she was very young, I worried about the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">unknown</i>: online predators who could try
to trick her into revealing personal information so that they could cause her
physical harm. Now, in her tween
years, I know that “stranger danger” is still a threat, but I spend more of my
time worrying about the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">known</i>: frenemies from her daily life who may
use taunting texts, humiliating social media posts, and viral videos to cause
her emotional harm. It’s no wonder
that when she begs me (at least once daily) for a cell phone, I feel chills run
up and down my spine.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">No matter how tech-savvy my daughter becomes,
I am constantly aware that she is young and that it is up to me to monitor her
safety and well-being with technology in the same consistent, diligent way that
I ensure her well-being on a playground.
These basic rules are our first line of defense in minimizing (I’m too
wise to think that “preventing” is realistic) cyberbullying and using
technology in safe, respectful ways:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Talk About Safe Sites <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In her pre-literate days, I could rely on the
fact that the only way my daughter could get from one website to another was by
me typing in the correct website address for her. Likewise, I knew that she would be content staying on PBS
Kids, Disney, or Nick Jr. Websites.
Those days are long gone.
Flashing icons, interesting links, viral videos--there are so many ways
that children and tweens are tempted into visiting and viewing
less-than-innocent content online.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Without wanting to scare my daughter out of
ever going near a computer again, I do talk frankly with her about the fact
that predators exist in cyberspace (I have explained this in terms appropriate
for each stage of her development, but have never sidestepped the subject) and
that it is important for her to safeguard her personal information while
online. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Define
“Safe Sharing”<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m so glad we had the talk about safe sites
when we she was young, because it has helped us make a seamless transition in
her tween years to talking about what is—and what is never, ever, ever, never—safe
to share online. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First and
foremost, our rule is to go photo-free.
The network news is chock-full of stories about kids who have gotten
themselves into friendship-destroying, reputation-shattering, college
admission-sacrificing, future career-jeopardizing, family-humiliating
situations because of photos they have posted online or via text. For parents who don’t want to take as
hard of a line on photos, at minimum, I recommend making sure that the photos
their kids share are never suggestive or sexual in any way.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next on my list of words of wisdom to my
technology worshipper: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What you post is permanent.</i> Once you share something online, it is
out of your hands where it goes, who will forward it, who will see it, and how
it can potentially be used. When <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Queen Bees and Wannabeees</i> author,
Rosalind Wiseman called technology a weapon of mass social destruction, she was
not exaggerating; according to the CDC, 97% of middle schoolers are bullied
while online. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, as much as
my daughter might think she can trust her BFF with her deepest, darkest
secrets, I remind her of the importance of never posting personal information
that a BFF-with-a-grudge could at some point distort and use against her. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Set
Clear Guidelines on Etiquette<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When the internet first became a powerful
force in the lives of kids, the term “netiquette” was coined to describe
ethical ways to interact while online. Though no equivalent phrase has yet emerged for cell
phone use (cell-iquette??), it is important to talk to kids about how to treat
others while texting. For example,
I pose these questions to my daughter (only to an occasional groan,
surprisingly):<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
</div>
<ol>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;">Would you say the words you are texting to a
person’s face?</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What would your parents think if they read
this text?</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Could this message you are sending cause hurt
or embarrassment to me, my friends, my family, or anyone else?</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Can your text be taken out of context and
used to hurt you or someone else?</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you received a threatening or
rumor-spreading text message, what would you do?</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How does technology make it easier for you to
say something unkind to someone?</span></li>
</ol>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 20px;">Cell phones and social networking sites are
prime tools of bullying among young people, so being clear that texts, phone
calls, and social media sites are never to be used as tools of gossip,
exclusion, embarrassment, etc. is essential. Likewise, parents are wise to encourage their kids to tell
them about any incidents of cyberbullying that they are aware of, even if they
are not directly involved. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By
keeping a dialogue going, parents can position themselves to help a child who
may be being bullied online and can establish a set of standards for how their
own kids must behave online.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Know
the Lingo<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Are you familiar with these text-friendly
acronyms?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">LOL<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">JK<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">BRB<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">·<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">ATM<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Texting has a language all of its own. Laugh out Loud (LOL), Just Kidding
(JK), and Be Right Back (BRB) are common enough, but while most adults that are
parents today take for granted that ATM stands for a bank’s Automatic Teller
Machine, kids can tell you that it is more likely to refer to their being “at
the mall.” Online lingo is
cryptic, clever, and intentionally elusive. The over-30 crowd may never know all of the acronyms, but
the more parents educate themselves about the lingo their kids are using, the
better able they are to monitor technology use and abuse. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Know
Your Child’s Passwords<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Am I a helicopter parent? I don’t really think so, though I will
own the accusation if necessary, for my firm belief is that kids need clear
guidance, limits, and expectations when it comes to using technology. In my own home and in the workshops I
do, I always advise parents that when the time comes to allow their child
access to a cell phone, Facebook, YouTube, or any other piece of today’s
technology, they would not be overstepping their bounds to let their kids know
that they maintain the right to access their child’s accounts at any time. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The relative freedom of cell phones and
social media sites tempt even the most trustworthy and responsible kids to engage
in risky behavior, so it is important for parents to let their kids know
upfront that they will be reading texts, reviewing MMS messages, scrutinizing Facebook
posts, viewing YouTube uploads and providing any other kind of oversight that
underscores the importance of safe technology usage by kids.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While I advise parents to know their kids’
passwords, it is equally important that parents tell their kids not to give
their passwords to friends—like, ever.
Trusted BFF one day, sworn enemy the next; when kids give up their
passwords, they are giving up control of their personal accounts, their online
identity, and potentially their good reputation. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lastly, if your child is using a social
networking site such as Facebook, ask to “friend” them or, at minimum, ask
another trusted adult to do so.
While kids may initially resist this as “spying,” when parents present
this guideline as coming from a place of love and concern for their child’s
well-being, the young person’s sense of paranoia often melts away.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Parental
Controls<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And one final note to wrap up my thoughts on
the topic of keeping kids as safe as possible when it comes to using today’s
social technology. In
response to a conversation about cyberbullying recently, I heard someone
bluster, “I don’t know what the big deal is--all of those sites and gadgets
have parental controls on them.
Parents should just use them and be done with it.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If only it were that simple. I agree with his basic advice about
activating parental controls: adults should use them. However, I caution all parents not to rely on them as a sole
means of safety for kids. Parental
controls are limited…and we all know how good kids can be at testing
limits! Automated safety features
are a great first line of defense—best fortified by discussion, guidelines,
standards, knowledge, interest, and a whole lot of support for kids.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Signe Whitson, LSW is a national educator on bullying, mother of two daughters, and author of</span><span style="color: #016ce3; letter-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Friendship-Other-Weapons-Activities-Bullying/dp/184905875X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1315065859&sr=1-1" target="_blank"> Friendship & Other Weapons: Group Activities to Help Young Girls Aged 5-11 to Cope with Bullying.<span style="color: #0225a3; letter-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: underline;"> </span></a></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> For workshop inquiries, please visit <a href="http://www.signewhitson.com/">www.signewhitson.com</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Signe-Whitson/201569779887600" target="_blank">"Like" Signe on Facebook</a>, or follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/SigneWhitson" target="_blank">@SigneWhitson</a>.</span></span></b></div>Lauren Ivy Chionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00915540986876237897noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7925870579700681380.post-2608683501975623252012-07-05T12:23:00.000-07:002012-07-05T14:56:48.562-07:00Coming of age: Writing for teens & tweens<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #1d1d1d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I’m thrilled to welcome author and
screenwriter Hilary Weisman Graham with a guest post she created especially for
Reel Mama readers. I’ve had the
joy of knowing Hilary since we were independent filmmakers tackling our first
projects in Boston. Since then
it’s been delightful to see Hilary blossom into the accomplished writer and
artist she is today. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #1d1d1d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Hilary has undertaken a new adventure
in publishing her first novel for young adults, <b><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781442439849" target="_blank">Reunited</a></b>, which recently
debuted from Simon and Schuster. Enjoy Hilary’s inspiring post, and I highly
recommend checking out her new book as well!<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-size: large;">Coming of Age: Writing for
Teens & Tweens</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span style="color: #1d1d1d;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span style="color: #1d1d1d;">by Hilary Weisman Graham</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #1d1d1d;">I admit it. I subscribe to
both Teen Vogue and<b> </b>Seventeen Magazine, despite the fact that I haven’t
been a teenager for over twenty years. But as a young adult novelist and
screenwriter who often writes teen movies, staying in the pop culture loop is
just part of the job.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #1d1d1d;">However, the bigger, more important
part of my work has nothing to do with keeping up to date on the latest boy
bands and text lingo, nor does it rely on mining the zany anecdotes from my own
teenage life. When writing for teens, my goals are as simple (or as
complicated) as those of any other screenwriter or novelist—creating
interesting stories with emotions that ring true and characters with rich inner
lives. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: #1d1d1d;">Teenagers are very savvy
people. And just because they haven’t clocked as many life experiences as
the average 40-something, the biggest mistake a writer can make is to think in
terms of Us and Them. Sure, they may look better than we do in skinny
jeans, but the issues most teenagers are dealing with—the joys and pains of
self-discovery, questioning life’s “rules,” finding themselves wrapped up in an
all-consuming love or a heart-wrenching loss—are not exclusively of the teen
domain.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #1d1d1d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">In fact, I maintain that all of us
are always coming of age, at least if we’re living consciously and open to
change. So the real trick to writing for teenagers relies on the same set
of skills we use when we talk to kids in real life. Namely, you’ll never
win by pandering to their sensibilities or talking down to them. But if
your writing is honest and comes from the heart, you stand a decent chance of
connecting with them in a meaningful way, as well as the slight possibility
that they may actually think you’re cool.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #1d1d1d; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vxYDkfzZYEVem41DcPwzVgK8lfMItIRBtDNDPGI0tvah0MK0fte-9S4pQ5XuGWtEphfLyw3ISRbX9bguwWo41pcOkjzhLp_WOCgFJYxqzxhdblHi64ek40h_GPPgI3j1fYH-bPs4kgQ/s1600/IMG_2401+-+HWG+pic+Hilary+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5vxYDkfzZYEVem41DcPwzVgK8lfMItIRBtDNDPGI0tvah0MK0fte-9S4pQ5XuGWtEphfLyw3ISRbX9bguwWo41pcOkjzhLp_WOCgFJYxqzxhdblHi64ek40h_GPPgI3j1fYH-bPs4kgQ/s400/IMG_2401+-+HWG+pic+Hilary+photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.25in; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Hilary
Weisman Graham</b> is an award-winning filmmaker, screenwriter, and
novelist. She lives in rural New Hampshire with her husband and son,
roughly thirty minutes away from the nearest grocery store. She is currently
working on a new YA novel as well as a script for The Disney Channel. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.25in; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">F</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">ind out more about Hilary's projects at her website <a href="http://www.hilarygraham.com/">www.hilarygraham.com</a>. And don't forget to follow her on <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/HilaryGraham" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/HilaryWeismanGraham" target="_blank">Facebook</a>!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.25in; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Here's more information about Hilary's new book "Reunited":</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCYkuPJYfZLq2NvFbOEVTopzTxMP1KdyKolWZyO6q0WuJSUoHkTqS06nO5_3sRGY0fFvBRlzM_QSEjDAaxWWJweUS4HviEYLGo8ORsQkp9Ya133UM-_2Ixsr8BlxcHASS8vNUorwpuCdI/s1600/1_Final_ReunitedMEDIUM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCYkuPJYfZLq2NvFbOEVTopzTxMP1KdyKolWZyO6q0WuJSUoHkTqS06nO5_3sRGY0fFvBRlzM_QSEjDAaxWWJweUS4HviEYLGo8ORsQkp9Ya133UM-_2Ixsr8BlxcHASS8vNUorwpuCdI/s400/1_Final_ReunitedMEDIUM.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.25in; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.25in; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">1
Concert. 2,000 Miles. 3 Ex-Best Friends.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.25in; text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f;"><b><span style="color: #1f1f1f;">REUNITED
– Synopsis </span></b></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f;">
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f;">Alice,
Summer, and Tiernan are ex-best friends. Back in middle school, the
three girls were inseparable. They were also the number one fans of the rock
band Level3. But when the band broke up, so did their
friendship. Summer ran with the popular crowd, Tiernan was a
rebellious wild-child, and Alice spent high school with her nose buried in
books. Now, just as the girls are about to graduate, Level3
announces a one-time-only reunion show. Even though the concert’s
2000 miles away, Alice buys three tickets on impulse. And as it turns
out, Summer and Tiernan have their own reasons for wanting to get out of
town. But on the long drive cross-country, the girls hit more than a
few bumps in the road. Will their friendship get an encore or is the show
really over?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.25in;">
<div style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>
<w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
</w:Compatibility>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.25in;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b><span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;">REUNITED </span></b><b><span style="color: #181818; font-size: 13pt;">is available for <u>purchase</u> here:<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 18pt; margin-bottom: 0.25in;">
<span style="color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13pt;"><a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781442439849"><span style="color: #0930c4; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781442439849</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1f1f1f;">
</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>Lauren Ivy Chionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00915540986876237897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7925870579700681380.post-1830491567402572332012-07-05T11:30:00.001-07:002012-07-06T19:24:39.344-07:00American spirit, alive<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcPvYBTUzmW5ES9wHIsZfvSDpsqBdEYENtmh2PZm0HzGfnYw9nKHnxEZdtZYeE4Cx6WmdP5ftGrMnTxxPlp26ym5f9g0akvu4ZSKMqYSNnIYfB3EOXqm5e5Akbv1cyt-0mlY6AoseWZFc/s1600/Leilani+flag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcPvYBTUzmW5ES9wHIsZfvSDpsqBdEYENtmh2PZm0HzGfnYw9nKHnxEZdtZYeE4Cx6WmdP5ftGrMnTxxPlp26ym5f9g0akvu4ZSKMqYSNnIYfB3EOXqm5e5Akbv1cyt-0mlY6AoseWZFc/s400/Leilani+flag.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">I don’t live in a Norman Rockwell painting, but in my corner of the world, in Sacramento, CA, the neighborhood goes all out with patriotic spirit for the July 4 parade. Children decorate their bikes; parents deck out their kids’ strollers and ride-on toys, and everybody’s in the mood to celebrate what’s great about the good ol’ USA. You’re virtually invited to join the festivities by watching my movie capturing the red, white, and blue extravaganza.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/mnPej-0Mdh0?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Enjoy!</span></span></div>Lauren Ivy Chionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00915540986876237897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7925870579700681380.post-56010570153297638672012-07-02T23:53:00.000-07:002012-07-02T23:59:42.903-07:00Summer Movie Express offers popular kids' flicks at bargain prices<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrDGA7YoThFeu70d4G0Yo6UxaNmulNe8lQKuDXHgCIkxKI0ijYAGpjvVWJYWBHsfg7MxR8_Wb2rvHDIb5dc06AL5NLMlYwbP1n2jlC1yFJWDvC3B5TLXvyYR8uVFVUsbLb_jbT0rf0ok/s1600/hero-sme-landing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrDGA7YoThFeu70d4G0Yo6UxaNmulNe8lQKuDXHgCIkxKI0ijYAGpjvVWJYWBHsfg7MxR8_Wb2rvHDIb5dc06AL5NLMlYwbP1n2jlC1yFJWDvC3B5TLXvyYR8uVFVUsbLb_jbT0rf0ok/s400/hero-sme-landing.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Looking for the perfect family staycation? Look no further than your local movie theater and the <a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.regmovies.com/summermovieexpress/default.aspx" href="http://www.regmovies.com/summermovieexpress/default.aspx">Summer Movie Express</a>. For the next seven weeks, Regal Cinemas, United Artists and Edwards Theaters are offering a cinema-tastic, family-friendly screening series featuring G- or PG-rated kid favorites including "Rio," "Chimpanzee," and "Smurfs." If your family missed the popular children’s releases over the past year, this is a great chance to catch them on the big screen.<br />
<br />
Movies screen on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at 10am. At only $1 for admission, the price can’t be beat, and it’s a chance to help a charitable cause, with a portion of each ticket purchased being donated to the Will Rogers Institute.<br />
<br />
A family outing to the movies can be a very memorable experience, but can often be prohibitively expensive. Summer Movie Express makes it affordable for everyone. Attending the screenings could become a fun summer ritual the family can look forward to every week.<br />
<br />
The following is a list of the films screening. <br />
<br />
7/3-7/4 (10am)<br />
LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS<br />
YOGI BEAR<br />
<br />
7/10-7/11 (10am)<br />
CATS & DOGS: REVENGE<br />
HUGO<br />
<br />
7/17-7/18 (10am)<br />
ADVENTURES OF TIN TIN<br />
PUSS IN BOOTS<br />
<br />
7/24-7/25 (10am)<br />
KUNG FU PANDA 2<br />
RANGO<br />
<br />
7/31-8/1 (10am)<br />
RIO<br />
SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME<br />
<br />
8/7-8/8 (10am)<br />
CHIMPANZEE<br />
HOODWINKED TOO<br />
<br />
8/14-8/15 (10am)<br />
ARTHUR CHRISTMAS<br />
SMURFS<br />
<br />
Screening dates may vary, so please check the <a href="http://www.regmovies.com/summermovieexpress/default.aspx/" target="_blank">Summer Movie Express website</a> to verify which films are screening near you.<br />
<br />
See you at the movies!Lauren Ivy Chionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00915540986876237897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7925870579700681380.post-12952240488873667642012-07-01T22:23:00.000-07:002012-07-16T23:27:19.693-07:00OVER: Win a $100 Amazon gift card!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGI7xYrJFyfP39RfIYoWUS2bHLW057Gbz5rS50dtitiTj0_bQ-AAosGvX4OZoGLTf1A-xoBi1GvaJzj_7I-Gy5TUnWY4JPrpskE1yeannngxacX2ZZfEuJwA9nsX5wSXnOBACATBCYoKo/s1600/575610_440871619277404_485570516_a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGI7xYrJFyfP39RfIYoWUS2bHLW057Gbz5rS50dtitiTj0_bQ-AAosGvX4OZoGLTf1A-xoBi1GvaJzj_7I-Gy5TUnWY4JPrpskE1yeannngxacX2ZZfEuJwA9nsX5wSXnOBACATBCYoKo/s400/575610_440871619277404_485570516_a.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
Welcome to the Summer Sweet and Fruity Amazon Giveaway! Summer is in full swing and saving money is important so here's your chance to win 1 of 2 $100 Amazon Gift Cards brought to you by <a href="http://frugalityforless.com/" target="_blank">Frugality for less</a>, prize sponsored by <a href="https://www.americanfamily.com/lp/BlogSocial/?tcode=AF-FFL-07-01-2012" target="_blank">American Family</a>. Summer clothes, back to school or normal everyday needs can be expensive so why not enter to win a $100 Amazon gift card and shop for free! After all free is the best! Grab <a href="https://www.americanfamily.com/lp/BlogSocial/?tcode=AF-FFL-07-01-2012" target="_blank">FREE Summer Desserts Sweet and Fruity e-book</a> as a thank you for entering!
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/" id="rc-a2efa041">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js">
</script>
<strong>Terms and Conditions</strong>
Giveaway is open July 1st - July 14th<br />
<ul>
<li>Must be 18+ years old</li>
<li>Winner must reside in the US</li>
<li>No purchase necessary</li>
<li>All entries must be done via rafflecopter</li>
<li>Giveaway is in no way sponsored, endorsed or affiliated with Facebook, Twitter and/or Pinterest.</li>
<li>By entering giveaway you accept and agree to all terms.</li>
<li>Winner will have 48 hours to respond to winning email. If not a new winner will be drawn.</li>
</ul>Lauren Ivy Chionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00915540986876237897noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7925870579700681380.post-40967501445667484182012-07-01T09:00:00.000-07:002012-07-16T23:28:22.460-07:00OVER: Win an iPad 3!<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.momtobedby8.com/2012/05/ipad3-2.html"><img alt="" src="http://momtobedby8.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/BeeSavyiPad3-300x3001.jpg" title="New" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><em><a href="http://www.momtobedby8.com/" target="_blank">Mom to Bed by 8</a>, the Iowa-Mom is proud to present the The New iPad Giveaway Event, sponsored by <a href="http://www.beesavy.com/" target="_blank">BeeSavy</a>.</em></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Special thank you to our co-hosts <a href="http://www.voiceboks.com/" target="_blank">VoiceBoks</a>, <a href="http://www.pardonmypoppet.com/" target="_blank">Pardon My Poppet</a>, <a href="http://www.earndollarspinoy.info/" target="_blank">What's Up? - Contests, Freebies and Everything Nice</a> and <a href="http://www.to-sew-with-love.com/" target="_blank">To Sew With Love</a>.</div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
<strong>BeeSavy is the first website to combine comparison shopping with coupons, cash back discounts and referral cash back. </strong></h4>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong></strong>Compare prices on millions of products from hundreds of trusted online stores.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<center><a href="http://www.beesavy.com/iowamom"><img alt="" src="http://www.beesavy.com//Banner/Static/Version_01/468x60_final.jpg" /></a><center></center></center>
<br />
<h4>
<strong>No matter where you shop or what you're buying, you'll save $:</strong></h4>
<strong>I know what I want... but where should I buy it? </strong>Search for any product in BeeSavy's search engine. BeeSavy show you all the stores selling that product along with the total price at each of those stores. The total price includes the list price, tax and shipping costs, cash back discount, and coupon savings.<br />
<strong>I already know where I'm shopping... how do I save $? </strong>Even for you brand-loyal shoppers, you can save money every time you shop at your favorite stores. Click the <a href="http://www.beesavy.com/stores/search">Shop By Store</a> button in the top right to get started. First, check for coupons at your favorite store. Next, click through to your favorite store and make a purchase. When you shop online through BeeSavy, you will earn a cash back discount. Your cash back discount will post to your BeeSavy account within 1-4 days. BeeSavy will send you a check or deposit your cash back into your PayPal account once your balance reaches $10.<br />
<strong>I don't know what I want... Now what? </strong>You can browse popular products by clicking the <a href="http://www.beesavy.com/product/category">Shop by Category</a> button in the top left. You will see the most popular products in hundreds of different categories.<br />
<br />
<center><a href="http://www.beesavy.com/iowamom"><img alt="" src="http://www.beesavy.com//Banner/Static/Version_01/300x250_final.jpg" /></a><center></center></center>
<br />
<h4>
<strong>Other BeeSavy benefits for online shoppers:</strong></h4>
<strong>Trusted retailers only! </strong>Unlike other comparison shopping websites, BeeSavy carefully chooses each and every one of its stores to ensure a safe and secure shopping experience. If you ever have a bad experience with a BeeSavy store, please let them know right away.<br />
<strong>Feeling generous? Donate your savings to a charity. </strong>When you request a cash back payment, BeeSavy gives you the option to donate a portion or all of your cash back to a charity. Just choose a charity and how much you want to donate and they'll take care of the rest!<br />
<strong>Love BeeSavy? Tell your friends and get referral cash back forever. </strong>Tell a friend about BeeSavy and you will earn a 40% commission on all of their cash back forever. There is no limit to how many friends you can refer! They even pay you a 10% commission on all of their referrals up to seven levels deep! So this could add up quickly for those of you who like sharing a great deal with others.<br />
<h4>
<strong>BeeSavy benefits for online retailers:</strong></h4>
<strong>It's a win-win-win.</strong> With most forms of marketing, online retailers must pay upfront with no guarantee of results; however, with cost-per-sale marketing, online retailers only pay BeeSavy when it generates a sale. Online retailers choose a commission rate that fits within their profit margin, thereby ensuring a positive return on their marketing dollars. By giving most of this commission to the purchasing customer as a cash back rebate, BeeSavy utilizes this online retailer marketing method to save its customers money that traditional comparison shopping websites cannot match (due to their cost-per-click revenue model).<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://momtobedby8.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/ipad3b.png"><img alt="" class="aligncenter wp-image-11720" height="388" src="http://momtobedby8.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/ipad3b.png" title="ipad3b" width="715" /></a><a href="http://momtobedby8.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/ipad3.jpg"><br /></a></div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
One lucky winner will receive an iPad 3rd Generation, 16GB Unit from BeeSavy!</h4>
<a name='more'></a><div style="text-align: center;">
Giveaway ends July 15th at 11:59pm, open worldwide, ages 18+. (Non-US residents will receive cash equivalent). Must be a BeeSavy member to enter to win (new and current members qualify). <a href="http://www.beesavy.com/iowamom" target="_blank">Click here to become a BeeSavy member</a>. To enter please use the Rafflecopter form below. Good luck!</div>
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/" id="rc-a21fd0305">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js">
</script>
Disclosure: Reel Mama received no compensation for this publication. My opinions are my own and may differ from those of readers and the sponsors. Reel Mama is not responsible for sponsor prize shipment.Lauren Ivy Chionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00915540986876237897noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7925870579700681380.post-34897419789153425562012-06-27T11:15:00.001-07:002012-07-17T00:59:26.266-07:00Thinner, Sexier, Hotter: 3 ways to help your daughter resist media pressures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBGxpmz5Ki1pl5xV8QbhFNp7SAjfIkak4nwy0WrcV9-M2q8FL_yIk0N3WPrjQExplay1mqmzNkP43cfAPEZhg5Hvkv8rcSoUsErr0olR-5ufudB6VMKXS1Kjo8J5wz24E1Y83CX57Yqbc/s1600/DSC_0410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBGxpmz5Ki1pl5xV8QbhFNp7SAjfIkak4nwy0WrcV9-M2q8FL_yIk0N3WPrjQExplay1mqmzNkP43cfAPEZhg5Hvkv8rcSoUsErr0olR-5ufudB6VMKXS1Kjo8J5wz24E1Y83CX57Yqbc/s400/DSC_0410.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Many parents worry about how the impossible standards of beauty for women depicted in the media will influence their daughters’ self-perception. Magazine images can be airbrushed and digitally manipulated, but few people know that films stars’ images can also be manipulated in movies through special effects, making them appear younger and thinner. Blemish-free and thin, often alarmingly so, movie stars and models also have a legion of assistants and makeup artists to help them achieve that trend-setting “hot” look. Little girls, tweens, and teens viewing these images can easily develop an unrealistic idea of how their faces and bodies should look in order not only to be “beautiful,” but to be accepted and loved.</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>Parents eager to help their daughters develop positive self-esteem and critical thinking skills will be delighted to know that highly respected author, educator, and Huffington Post contributor <a href="http://signewhitson.com/"><span style="color: #0225a3; letter-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: underline;">Signe Whitson</span></a> is here as Reel Mama’s first guest blogger to offer her expert advice on the subject. In her first guest post, Signe addresses how parents can have productive and meaningful conversations with their daughters about everything from music lyrics that are demeaning to women and girls to images of women and girls in advertising. I’m thrilled to welcome Signe Whitson to Reel Mama. Signe will also be sharing her insights about cyberbullying and how to prevent it in a guest post next week.</i></span><br />
<br />
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0087c6; font-size: 12px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Thinner, Sexier, Hotter: 3 Ways to Help Your Daughter Resist Media Pressures</span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0087c6; font-size: 12px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0087c6; font-size: 12px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">by Signe Whitson</span></b></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">How many times have you heard your daughter singing along to a popular song on the radio and innocently belting out the kind of lyrics that would otherwise get her sent to her room? In the moment, you believe (<i>desperately want to believe!)</i> that she is unaware of the innuendo and unaffected by its explicit content. But messages embedded in song lyrics, along with video imagery, and advertising influence do have an impact on the ways girls think about themselves and their relationships with others. Without having to resort to a full-on pop music ban or complete shunning of media, you can help your daughters -- and other young girls -- become aware of media messages that violate values and degrade girls:</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Music Lyrics</span></b></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The next time your daughter is singing along to a catchy tune with questionable lyrics, use the opportunity to ask her questions like:</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
</div>
<ol>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">What do you like about his song?</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">How do you feel when you listen to it?</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">What is it about?</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Have you ever watched the music video for this song? </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Did the video storyline match the words?</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">How did the video make you feel when you watched it?</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">How were the actors/dancers in the video dressed?</span></li>
</ol>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Be sure to convey your genuine interest in her music and opinions rather than coming across as an interrogator. You will be walking a fine line between showing interest in her world and "judging" her taste in music. As long as you can resist the urge to lecture, there can be almost limitless potential for talking about pop music and videos of the day, from lead singers to their fashions, to the messages they are trying to convey, and so on. Let your daughter take the lead.</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The goal of this conversation is not to condemn your daughter's taste in music and videos. Rather, asking her to evaluate the lyrics and video images can help her become a more informed consumer and better critical thinker when it comes to awareness of the media influences that surround her on a daily basis.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">When young girls get in the habit of asking themselves questions about what they are hearing, seeing, dancing to day after day, and singing out loud, they develop a protective measure of insight and control over ubiquitous media messages -- rather than the other way around.</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUobuzccq3GeQAnrKeIJNVShms2mbjoAw-QFk9E65PmdCGSfe_kMYK3q3S457ZWsTu9rKDCfdXmlP6B5K7dm7iHK5pilkFU8KQtZUlRBdIMV_fIJ8dwpS3b-5Vpz_fKB5Sxz-wGibxexA/s1600/DSC_0453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUobuzccq3GeQAnrKeIJNVShms2mbjoAw-QFk9E65PmdCGSfe_kMYK3q3S457ZWsTu9rKDCfdXmlP6B5K7dm7iHK5pilkFU8KQtZUlRBdIMV_fIJ8dwpS3b-5Vpz_fKB5Sxz-wGibxexA/s400/DSC_0453.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></b></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Models of Perfection</span></b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">The next time you and your daughter are browsing magazines or watching entertainment news on TV, strike up a conversation about how popular advertisements and celebrity photos often bend the truth and trick consumer into seeing things that do not really exist. </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Ask your daughter to define the term "airbrushing." Explain the concept with the emphasis that some media images use airbrushing to trick girls into believing that "perfection" exists. Explain that when girls take in these messages without questioning them, they can begin to feel badly about themselves, worrying that they don't measure up to impossible standards.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">To illustrate, check out the "Dove Evolution" video: </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/5XF66Ku4a9U?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">This brief clip shows the transformation of an everyday-looking woman into a billboard-ready supermodel. It can be a great discussion tool for showing young girls how it takes an army of professionals to transform one person into "model-readiness." What's more, even with a whole team of hair and make-up artists, the model still needs digital alteration before her image is projected to the world.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">"Dove Evolution" is a great visual reminder for kids that seeing should never be believing when it comes to the images in the media. The most important takeaway point of this film and mother-daughter discussion is to encourage your child to feel good about exactly who she is and not to compare herself to media images that are neither real nor attainable (without a team of professionals and digital alteration.) </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"><b></b></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Clothing and Toys</span></b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">Children and tweens are the target market for airbrushed images and sexualized products of all kinds, everyday. As a way to create awareness in your impressionable youngster, set aside some time with your daughter to browse through store catalogs or walk through toy store aisles. Encourage her to take note of the types of outfits and toys that are available for kids her age. Ask her to share her thoughts on which items represent "real" girls engaged in everyday activities vs. which show girls in age-inappropriate outfits, wearing adult make-up, or doing things you couldn't imagine a girl your child's age doing. Tally the number of items that represent "real" girls versus those that represent unrealistic products for kids her age. How do the numbers compare? What does this tell her?</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">When your daughter has this interactive experience of seeing how kid-friendly "kid products" actually are, she gains practice in becoming an engaged, critical thinker. What's more, she takes important steps to being an empowered consumer who can resist the pressures of unrealistic imagery.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 16.0px 'Times New Roman'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Signe Whitson, LSW is a national educator on bullying, mother of two daughters, and author of</span><span style="color: #016ce3; letter-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Friendship-Other-Weapons-Activities-Bullying/dp/184905875X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1315065859&sr=1-1" target="_blank"> Friendship & Other Weapons: Group Activities to Help Young Girls Aged 5-11 to Cope with Bullying.<span style="color: #0225a3; letter-spacing: 0px; text-decoration: underline;"> </span></a></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"> For workshop inquiries, please visit <a href="http://www.signewhitson.com/">www.signewhitson.com</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Signe-Whitson/201569779887600" target="_blank">"Like" Signe on Facebook</a>, or follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/#!/SigneWhitson" target="_blank">@SigneWhitson</a>.</span></b></span></div>
</div>
</div>Lauren Ivy Chionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00915540986876237897noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7925870579700681380.post-22790175309267919262012-06-27T09:21:00.001-07:002012-06-27T09:24:58.679-07:00Disney Pixar’s Oscar-nominated ‘La Luna’ captivates<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYNlKCjJltfR3OmUtFCyct6zO3Ne-WNBWn9IMOncCopHwZboaQDMJu94x62fDkwnvYSrbAy7bSO4aTOchqZD2LbF8dEJtqRxSu6XMBq3i4swcrsoiAaNMLqUikDPhQrIIfSZKcDx12dE/s1600/La_luna_pixar_website_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAYNlKCjJltfR3OmUtFCyct6zO3Ne-WNBWn9IMOncCopHwZboaQDMJu94x62fDkwnvYSrbAy7bSO4aTOchqZD2LbF8dEJtqRxSu6XMBq3i4swcrsoiAaNMLqUikDPhQrIIfSZKcDx12dE/s400/La_luna_pixar_website_.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Photo credit: Disney Pixar</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="color: #333233; font: 16.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #333233; font: 16.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Animation lovers have a second chance to catch Disney Pixar’s latest short film “La Luna” on the big screen. The short, which received an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Short this year, is the opening featurette screening prior to <a href="http://4realmoms-reelmama.blogspot.com/2012/06/pixar-brave-for-tackling-mother.html" target="_blank">“Brave.”</a></span></div>
<div style="color: #333233; font: 16.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #333233; font: 16.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQBEfuq1hyTIXWALkk66pCRlsgbexFCn66u35gIkK74iOf8KXrMxMZUBOkLwjjkrPiJGv7eMq7d4p5Gpi_o7nlHzNNLLEYW8nUd_gn4siJUFMBThJZqG_1PJdk-AGZW_OWgBcdkVQtsk/s1600/LaLuna_Moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQBEfuq1hyTIXWALkk66pCRlsgbexFCn66u35gIkK74iOf8KXrMxMZUBOkLwjjkrPiJGv7eMq7d4p5Gpi_o7nlHzNNLLEYW8nUd_gn4siJUFMBThJZqG_1PJdk-AGZW_OWgBcdkVQtsk/s400/LaLuna_Moon.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Photo credit: Disney Pixar</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="color: #333233; font: 16.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #333233; font: 16.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 18.0px;">
The seven-minute animated piece will delight lovers of sweet, feel-good movies like "Finding Nemo." In the charming and magical film, a young boy is invited to learn the family business with his father and grandfather: they are custodians of the moon, and the moon’s lustrous appearance is dependent upon their work. <span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="color: #333233; font: 16.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 18.0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #333233; font: 16.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 18.0px;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAOoNJSzlk4a9wTy3v4A_IECkCFKYYo2pC_KPA1II9XQ0UyFKfdfwrnfcTY9CeWJzVJSSkPU_5S4IRXDKsfmQPjoLlb0iu1UCD07k3ts2XRjLn4L8LhhtZ1c9uEva7usb1LseC87PTeg/s1600/La_luna_oscar_anzeige.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBAOoNJSzlk4a9wTy3v4A_IECkCFKYYo2pC_KPA1II9XQ0UyFKfdfwrnfcTY9CeWJzVJSSkPU_5S4IRXDKsfmQPjoLlb0iu1UCD07k3ts2XRjLn4L8LhhtZ1c9uEva7usb1LseC87PTeg/s400/La_luna_oscar_anzeige.jpg" width="335" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Photo credit: Disney Pixar</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="color: #333233; font: 16.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 18.0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #333233; font: 16.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 18.0px;">
<b>Reel Mama’s Rating</b>: Everybody can see this! It’s a movie that truly is for all ages.</div>
<div style="color: #333233; font: 16.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 18.0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #333233; font: 16.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 18.0px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/bD3F1mPjh5U?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="color: #333233; font: 16.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 18.0px;">
</div>
<div style="color: #333233; font: 16.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 18.0px;">
Official trailer for 'La Luna'</div>
<div style="color: #333233; font: 16.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 18.0px;">
Credit: Disney Pixar</div>
<div style="color: #333233; font: 16.0px 'Courier New'; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 18.0px;">
</div>Lauren Ivy Chionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00915540986876237897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7925870579700681380.post-61707800923519879462012-06-23T02:59:00.001-07:002012-06-23T09:39:38.726-07:00Pixar ‘Brave’ for tackling mother-daughter themes<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjstg9F_2Ou9e39mUzLYxty59uDKP2ELoGPGOYQtEsKWNSZ4sz3OlQhvm2goNldrfFLT5qqvtgF0WRINtnN9dDsTbrmfir25T-W5-hRk8TYYjKP3M2bw4iNSVe-TJPOfGG_zqxnbyjC1FI/s1600/108481_ab_lrg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjstg9F_2Ou9e39mUzLYxty59uDKP2ELoGPGOYQtEsKWNSZ4sz3OlQhvm2goNldrfFLT5qqvtgF0WRINtnN9dDsTbrmfir25T-W5-hRk8TYYjKP3M2bw4iNSVe-TJPOfGG_zqxnbyjC1FI/s640/108481_ab_lrg.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Merida is the thoroughly modern princess </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">in Pixar's latest film 'Brave.'</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;"><i>Photo credit: Disney Pixar</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Pixar’s latest movie to hit theaters -- ‘Brave’ -- is bound to strike a chord with mothers and daughters and may remind them of the conflicts they often face, particularly when daughters are navigating the difficult teen years. </span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Fans of the Disney princess franchise will find Merida unconventional, and the most outspoken princess to date. She is not merely free spirited. She is rebellious, particularly against her mother, which is at the heart of the film’s conflict. She has flaws, and this makes her a believable, dimensional character, the polar opposite of the goody two-shoes portrayal of a princess like Snow White in the classic Disney film. </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibqx1pG9iBfn54S32_gdsMEN96wxO1IHkKt1xTEGpokoh45EVLjglJlXPAaeykGafgkC5E6J-CvVGdntwcJVD2mcZvMi0LMl034NxtvGjGzOlKlZcXmbc-UQ7_nQnDvLOJWGp8yIb7TcU/s1600/108481_bk_lrg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibqx1pG9iBfn54S32_gdsMEN96wxO1IHkKt1xTEGpokoh45EVLjglJlXPAaeykGafgkC5E6J-CvVGdntwcJVD2mcZvMi0LMl034NxtvGjGzOlKlZcXmbc-UQ7_nQnDvLOJWGp8yIb7TcU/s400/108481_bk_lrg.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) is Disney's most unconventional princess to date. <i>Photo credit: Disney Pixar</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">The Disney princess that comes closest to Merida’s free spirit is Repunzel of “Tangled.” Both princesses share the desire to explore the world, but it would seem their mothers are standing in their way. Due to Merida’s attitude and belligerence against her mother, some viewers may not find her as likable as Repunzel, and some mothers in the audience might cringe at the back talk and disobedience, either because it is all too familiar, or because they fear it as their own daughters mature. Nevertheless, Merida is unique and memorable. She’s a firecracker, hot tempered, and she wants to take control of her destiny.</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBED-423ghzp6VI3SPZ3aBPMg9UDZe3NoBJp3Vcf4WCAWIechLTkfibpuTUzrPHayrlaB3H2IJFUG7mFkdx5iNC9t7sWwHA128qfvnbsFtd-P79mbtZFhLy3zgqN5PufOxJ0jP1EJ9Lic/s1600/108481_be_lrg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBED-423ghzp6VI3SPZ3aBPMg9UDZe3NoBJp3Vcf4WCAWIechLTkfibpuTUzrPHayrlaB3H2IJFUG7mFkdx5iNC9t7sWwHA128qfvnbsFtd-P79mbtZFhLy3zgqN5PufOxJ0jP1EJ9Lic/s400/108481_be_lrg.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Merida finds a way to change her fate in 'Brave' <br /><i>Photo credit: Disney Pixar</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">What distinguishes Merida is that she resents her status, whereas many Disney princesses, such as Repunzel, are unaware of it, or like Snow White live in substandard conditions and are certainly not being groomed for the role of queen (though Merida does clean the stables by choice). “I’m the princess. I’m the example. I have duties, expectations. Every day of my life is planned,” complains Merida. “A princess strives for perfection,” insists Elinor her mother, the queen, who is bossy, rigid about adhering to the rules, and set in her ways, but this is what makes her a flawed, dimensional, believable parent.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmq89VMsDDCDWnYhBd_7gdarBiqha4BBZ_S7uqHfJuAtUhAquK5PcOAQXxrAAmgTz0ci8yfKEIKjT3QKaztlRFfnhVkCYLQ7ouyIyD_IxKUed1HgxuyBFmLpA45h8BfDHy9D5DSEnc2I/s1600/108481_bc_lrg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmq89VMsDDCDWnYhBd_7gdarBiqha4BBZ_S7uqHfJuAtUhAquK5PcOAQXxrAAmgTz0ci8yfKEIKjT3QKaztlRFfnhVkCYLQ7ouyIyD_IxKUed1HgxuyBFmLpA45h8BfDHy9D5DSEnc2I/s400/108481_bc_lrg.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Emma Thompson and Bill Connolly are the voices <br />of Merida's parents Elinor and Fergus,<br />who struggle to help her realize her destiny as princess.<br /><i>Photo credit: Disney Pixar</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Elinor truly does have Merida’s best interests at heart: “What I do, I do out of love,” she says. Yet Merida finds the many rules constricting and will do anything to escape them, including seeking out a witch to cast a spell intended to make Elinor see the light and cancel the plans for Merida’s arranged marriage. Unfortunately, the spell backfires terribly.</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">What makes “Brave” so remarkable is that it explores mother-daughter conflict in the first place. “Brave” is the first Pixar movie to feature a female heroine, and the only one in a long line of princess movies that doesn’t focus on the princess dreaming of a Prince Charming, or at the very least falling in love. Merida’s suiters are clearly unsuitable, with too many shortcomings to mention here. </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Merida expresses strong reservations about marrying in the first place, making her thoroughly modern. The anachronistic nature of Merida’s independent spirit does not detract from the story. Here is a princess conflicted with teen angst, and that is thoroughly refreshing. Moreover, a mother-daughter relationship is hardly ever explored on film, much less in a major Hollywood animated kids’ release.</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFf-iPsitxRN2JCWReColOAJcjUULvTDjXrVz26VSukGCJeSDKksvgI3OBOCftw00zB3bvYjD4zykqhp_54X8HWpxL1eLf-I8ZrUaDXhDkf8IEOQMZy-W3C04vK5yZhoksji025tfEWYo/s1600/108481_bf_lrg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFf-iPsitxRN2JCWReColOAJcjUULvTDjXrVz26VSukGCJeSDKksvgI3OBOCftw00zB3bvYjD4zykqhp_54X8HWpxL1eLf-I8ZrUaDXhDkf8IEOQMZy-W3C04vK5yZhoksji025tfEWYo/s400/108481_bf_lrg.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Merida's family struggles with some contemporary issues <br />facing families today<br />Photo credit: Disney Pixar</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">The film takes an odd turn and seems to lose momentum temporarily once the spell is cast. Nevertheless, the story manages to recover its pacing when Elinor’s plight becomes more serious and she seemingly will never be returned to her former state.</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald voices Merida to perfection. The entire cast is outstanding. Emma Thompson is ideal as the voice of Elinor. Seasoned performer of animated films Billy Connolly plays Fergus, Merida’s boisterous, hot-tempered yet soft-hearted father. </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Possibly Pixar’s most visually stunning movie to date, “Brave” is one of the first animated movies that truly does justice to the 3D format. The studio’s rendering of fine detail -- Merida’s glorious unruly tresses, shimmering fabrics, the sheen of animal’s fur -- is exquisite. The majestic Scottish landscapes are a feast for the eyes. Merida’s horse Angus is so lifelike he could almost be mistaken for a real horse superimposed on the screen.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Ultimately, “Brave” has a beautiful message about bonding, patience, trust, and most of all, love. The end is quite touching and will be sure to cause more than a few misty eyes. “Fate lives within us,” says Merida. “We only have to be brave enough to see it.”</span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31UDGqVGo_C2rcn_W8lTvyrOfjE-pAqNh3LiWAGLK-_VDKpCIgDmQPzRpGZGF79J7XFtd_uZV1QkECLwt9RQmnrld9HmL_b9JVwYagbL1GlIQxuO5xS_2_m2eiKXmJDdoxpxsLSdvgns/s1600/108481_bh_lrg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi31UDGqVGo_C2rcn_W8lTvyrOfjE-pAqNh3LiWAGLK-_VDKpCIgDmQPzRpGZGF79J7XFtd_uZV1QkECLwt9RQmnrld9HmL_b9JVwYagbL1GlIQxuO5xS_2_m2eiKXmJDdoxpxsLSdvgns/s400/108481_bh_lrg.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Merida discovers magic on her journey.<br />Photo credit: Disney Pixar</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">“Brave” is sure to be a crowd pleaser that will likely encourage more studios to tackle projects with brave young heroines and to explore mother-daughter issues.</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><b>Reel Mama’s recommendation:</b> The film is appropriate for ages six and up. Merida challenges authority at every turn, which should generate some valuable family conversations. Children old enough to understand and ask questions about Merida’s rebellion will best appreciate the film.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Parents should be aware of the violence, with plenty of head bonking and hitting with objects blunt and sharp between the Scottish clansmen. There are several intense scenes of fighting between human and beast that may be too scary for the youngest viewers. There is also a brief instance of nudity (male buttocks being shown in the context of a joke about kilts), an instance of an item being dropped into a woman’s cleavage, and mild rude humor, including a reference to mooning (a cultural nod to Scotland's boisterous and bawdy humor). </span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbdqESl9zMtzV6PwaHKuMPWHlj0VF2weQwlx0ZAtmCTXqXP5WE3NYE9Jp9fKKL6pdnjjyplBitRCS33_CJOf2NRa-1sNMJbq6Rs7aT9-Q93iBamTGtUBSnSMhXbcfCVBnv9cIHnUDxNA/s1600/108481_bd_lrg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnbdqESl9zMtzV6PwaHKuMPWHlj0VF2weQwlx0ZAtmCTXqXP5WE3NYE9Jp9fKKL6pdnjjyplBitRCS33_CJOf2NRa-1sNMJbq6Rs7aT9-Q93iBamTGtUBSnSMhXbcfCVBnv9cIHnUDxNA/s400/108481_bd_lrg.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Scottish clansmen provide comic relief in 'Brave.'<br />Photo credit: Disney Pixar</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>Lauren Ivy Chionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00915540986876237897noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7925870579700681380.post-42007777363856873712012-06-20T23:29:00.000-07:002012-06-22T10:25:44.007-07:00A night at the drive-in<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The mention of a drive-in movie brings back wonderful childhood memories for many, including this movie lover. I</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">n the era of the multiplex most children and young adults have never experienced the enchantment of watching a movie outdoors. It's an evening well worth the price of admission. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Many communities still have drive-in movie theaters. Seek them out and watch a movie against the setting sun. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Here are some photos from my recent night at the drive-in...sheer magic!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnowalCMg0Xt3MlnAeby6DEc7hikE1FepyGDPi_Mmpnj3afK8kNBWFEWFZpShT-YUjF-spNLaxgIWdca-u6IKqchVhy_li2WLDl6O_EsmjIEGQZF9XJGn7NUSzr1H_iKp6wPNk8ZDaE1Y/s1600/DSC_0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnowalCMg0Xt3MlnAeby6DEc7hikE1FepyGDPi_Mmpnj3afK8kNBWFEWFZpShT-YUjF-spNLaxgIWdca-u6IKqchVhy_li2WLDl6O_EsmjIEGQZF9XJGn7NUSzr1H_iKp6wPNk8ZDaE1Y/s400/DSC_0011.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4bYOxdGCESKwuUIP6ZGRu_7nNSQizf0R9CXjYMx4BMtIyQg_kmO0gHIz3zhFlVwTz8OH4ZVPFPaA4x_7Au0-KL5Un8HDyyrZmExzcL65Vy-obWOwCx2-CWEdvSJYDHaNEzro3pnufu4/s1600/DSC_0023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4bYOxdGCESKwuUIP6ZGRu_7nNSQizf0R9CXjYMx4BMtIyQg_kmO0gHIz3zhFlVwTz8OH4ZVPFPaA4x_7Au0-KL5Un8HDyyrZmExzcL65Vy-obWOwCx2-CWEdvSJYDHaNEzro3pnufu4/s400/DSC_0023.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMftgR2KUYZNmkLHX9MlM7w3xHEJX_RWSBcYdENSFol4yycSHPDrgUiNTf5XCnTQaTh0_1YswcVKlmGDlnxqmnwROyHp1HoTjZg_knPLWiPQFC7HIEAxLGU4YHAEdL0P9RYNja_St4vs/s1600/DSC_0029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMftgR2KUYZNmkLHX9MlM7w3xHEJX_RWSBcYdENSFol4yycSHPDrgUiNTf5XCnTQaTh0_1YswcVKlmGDlnxqmnwROyHp1HoTjZg_knPLWiPQFC7HIEAxLGU4YHAEdL0P9RYNja_St4vs/s400/DSC_0029.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoUz9DUMRUlnbNshWgsbOh8VfOEwNkd_XHw1ZJwT1jwavE2qqj7-GeuuKoeCpa4Jw2dO8J4lP551vW5OfHopbMnJxe91kQg2hqW45pgPXsjZgTLUoRuY9tkPaO_ecSPCTyIMva5SxIMZw/s1600/DSC_0035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoUz9DUMRUlnbNshWgsbOh8VfOEwNkd_XHw1ZJwT1jwavE2qqj7-GeuuKoeCpa4Jw2dO8J4lP551vW5OfHopbMnJxe91kQg2hqW45pgPXsjZgTLUoRuY9tkPaO_ecSPCTyIMva5SxIMZw/s400/DSC_0035.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Lauren Ivy Chionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00915540986876237897noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7925870579700681380.post-88800595443878412082012-06-16T00:54:00.001-07:002012-06-22T00:30:44.150-07:00Family-friendly 'Mr. Bean's Holiday' (2007) takes a vacation from seriousness<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-h80ECmW9pkyi1HN1XfwUb1VBQ2ahQRdX9AH6GNqoOn9eHWUnG7aOXDODul6uGmrAVaA6uUjfHNpatfDccMaFKCEsWKgKyYd1mXMC-BJwam_TyHOyO3AIiBURh4-pklQ4XiCUtIpWa0/s1600/61033330_Bean+Holiday_800x445-thumb-497xauto-1298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-h80ECmW9pkyi1HN1XfwUb1VBQ2ahQRdX9AH6GNqoOn9eHWUnG7aOXDODul6uGmrAVaA6uUjfHNpatfDccMaFKCEsWKgKyYd1mXMC-BJwam_TyHOyO3AIiBURh4-pklQ4XiCUtIpWa0/s400/61033330_Bean+Holiday_800x445-thumb-497xauto-1298.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Photo credit: Universal</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Boy, are you in for a treat! <a href="http://www.universalstudiosentertainment.com/mr-beans-holiday/" target="_blank">“Mr. Bean’s Holiday”</a> ranks among my personal favorite comedy films. Perhaps it didn’t pass cinematic muster with the tastemakers, but the movie has my two-year-old and the most straight-faced grownup members of my family laughing out loud from start to finish. How many G-rated films can claim to entertain your toddler, your ten-year-old, your fifteen-year-old, you and your spouse/significant other, not to mention the grandparents? </span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">The film is a favorite across three generations in my family. Sometimes a G-rating is equated with baby stuff, but in this case it’s just fun stuff. Even if slapstick isn’t your thing, it’s worth checking out because it’s guaranteed to entertain the kids.</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6bz-r2dZ_-9sSNwcJZ0Gf8jOPJgD-BuCDnMjPzVferD0sQCOB95Ipz8bT7rLD0yzCtPc0DClpa1_c64RDgmKGlSVua977_vjBiU95vxBVYBKICrhBh4MkztsLcXrkWCNr3yXOQXMLjw/s1600/Photo6-13-thumb-497xauto-16599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ6bz-r2dZ_-9sSNwcJZ0Gf8jOPJgD-BuCDnMjPzVferD0sQCOB95Ipz8bT7rLD0yzCtPc0DClpa1_c64RDgmKGlSVua977_vjBiU95vxBVYBKICrhBh4MkztsLcXrkWCNr3yXOQXMLjw/s400/Photo6-13-thumb-497xauto-16599.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Rowan Atkinson stars as Mr. Bean, an oblivious <br />but well-meaning schlimazel in "Mr. Bean's Holiday"<br />Photo credit: Universal</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">In the movie Mr. Bean (played by legendary British comedian and "Black Adder" veteran Rowan Atkinson) wins a trip to Cannes in the French Riviera, and a camcorder to document his journey, in a church raffle. In the misadventures that ensue, Mr. Bean accidentally separates a young Russian boy Stepan (Max Baldry) from his father, who as luck would have it is heading to Cannes as a jurist at the Cannes Film Festival. Mr. Bean’s mission then becomes twofold: to help Stepan find his father, and to get to the beach. Along the way they hitch a ride with an actress (Emma de Caunes) starring in a film directed by self-important filmmaker Carson Clay (Willem Dafoe) that is set to premiere at the festival. Needless to say, the Cannes Film Festival is turned upside down with Mr. Bean’s arrival.</span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnQtvvZf59iKnI1lzEGXRgKDr-wAwJbXu1U5pt8VJb5DsgjkalXKp2KDO08JKR7s4dxa5B0hZ76fRNRzbrBU_ynaceU7nNYsW_BzmusICVNqQD2ncVSHmStzBxKlG0OxacwRRg2x9GvY/s1600/Photo8-13-thumb-497xauto-16601.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnQtvvZf59iKnI1lzEGXRgKDr-wAwJbXu1U5pt8VJb5DsgjkalXKp2KDO08JKR7s4dxa5B0hZ76fRNRzbrBU_ynaceU7nNYsW_BzmusICVNqQD2ncVSHmStzBxKlG0OxacwRRg2x9GvY/s400/Photo8-13-thumb-497xauto-16601.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson) has countless mishaps<br />Photo credit: Universal</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Sometimes the movie is just pure silliness, it’s true, but Atkinson is a genius when it comes to physical comedy. There isn’t any other comedic actor working today who can touch his skills for slapstick, timing, and hilarious facial expressions. Highlights include Mr. Bean boogying down in an open market to Shaggy’s “Mr. Bombastic” (again, quite G-rated shimmying--nothing to worry about) and lip synching to opera. Mr. Bean in drag is absolutely a hoot, and a bit scary. </span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7cb96W6Lei6J2EQRMoeYjjihJEDQmNYWYnAh66WkC9Sp_wRdcu3MWc0phvvtJZYrJsjqPpdsfbfLU9bH1xiS5KHLXGlFMv69_6V1dkVD22A8wVYzlDu6Ul4IOnDIb7Vq0lG-g1hT-9gg/s1600/Photo2-13-thumb-497xauto-16595.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7cb96W6Lei6J2EQRMoeYjjihJEDQmNYWYnAh66WkC9Sp_wRdcu3MWc0phvvtJZYrJsjqPpdsfbfLU9bH1xiS5KHLXGlFMv69_6V1dkVD22A8wVYzlDu6Ul4IOnDIb7Vq0lG-g1hT-9gg/s400/Photo2-13-thumb-497xauto-16595.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Mr. Bean in drag<br />Photo credit: Universal</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Cinephiles need to check this film out too. You won’t want to miss the send-ups of an over-the-top yogurt commercial and the Cannes Film Festival itself. Willem Dafoe’s super-hilarious and all-too-accurate portrayal of the self-indulgent director is spot-on. </span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Mr. Bean is oblivious to his surroundings. He doesn’t seem to “get” the consequences of his actions, but that is part of the humor. He’s not the brightest bean in the tamale. His rudeness is unintentional. He’s clearly on his own planet, and he can be selfish at times, but he does have a heart. He’s likable and funny, and ultimately he does the right thing. I won’t be giving too much away to reveal that this one has a happy ending.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Jrjik_ilY3AOrDBCwU5K-0rjp6lJNToMYDtJqNt98nY9bOYsMHyzoZYVQujX_EE9MQGdA-DvKb9dvumqLhboofJjeD5ZC-LZSBMwspEZGP7gIw5njqW4Oml7Gk4r9t55HEJSYZo5rbM/s1600/Photo10-8-thumb-497xauto-16603.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Jrjik_ilY3AOrDBCwU5K-0rjp6lJNToMYDtJqNt98nY9bOYsMHyzoZYVQujX_EE9MQGdA-DvKb9dvumqLhboofJjeD5ZC-LZSBMwspEZGP7gIw5njqW4Oml7Gk4r9t55HEJSYZo5rbM/s400/Photo10-8-thumb-497xauto-16603.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Mr. Bean reaches <i>la mer</i>.<br />Photo credit: Universal</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><b>Reel Mama’s rating: Appropriate for all ages.</b></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Unfortunately the movie does contain one instance of the “D”-word. It’s in the subtitles, said by Stepan in Russian when he loses Mr. Bean during one of their escapades. The instance seems unnecessary in a film that otherwise is perfectly family friendly. Since it is in the subtitles, it will go right over the heads of pre-readers. Parents of young readers may wish to preview the film. </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Other instances include artillery fire from tanks during the yogurt commercial (I mentioned that it’s over-the-top), which may prove too scary for very young viewers. Finally, there is a scene of a man jumping from the Pont du Gard in order to end his life. (The man thinks it’s his wife calling because their marriage is over. It’s actually Mr. Bean trying to get in touch with Stepan’s father. Mr. Bean hangs up, and the man jumps.) </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Overall, the film is so wonderfully fun and funny that these instances don’t deter me from recommending it for all ages, especially since they are easy for parents to fast forward through after previewing the film.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;">Here’s a link to some <a href="http://www.universalstudiosentertainment.com/mr-beans-holiday/" target="_blank">fun downloadable coloring sheets</a> from the movie.</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfYkTyIU7VNCg6RCaY3u5TorHs59-Jx785EbToyl8NiL62-ScGW4fg112rys5gLq8q7lzJdJw9mKwhepBWynEdzg73r0hFlToicjd5LGlTfD2rGEUbHkKrf6rYZYFnLhyDGciG-Ecs8I/s1600/Photo9-9-thumb-497xauto-16602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfYkTyIU7VNCg6RCaY3u5TorHs59-Jx785EbToyl8NiL62-ScGW4fg112rys5gLq8q7lzJdJw9mKwhepBWynEdzg73r0hFlToicjd5LGlTfD2rGEUbHkKrf6rYZYFnLhyDGciG-Ecs8I/s400/Photo9-9-thumb-497xauto-16602.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: x-small;">Enjoy a laugh at Mr. Bean's expense <br />with "Mr. Bean's Holiday"</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"></span></div>Lauren Ivy Chionghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00915540986876237897noreply@blogger.com3