2009_01_01_posts : Classy Mommy Blog

Kellogg's Plant a Seed National Field Renovation Program

On Super Bowl Sunday, Kellogg's Frosted Flakes will kick off an incredible program to inspire a call to action across the country to encourage people with their "Plant a Seed" commercial which will air for the very first time and announce their plans to renovate our children's favorite playgrounds - the playing field.

The field renovation initiative will make over approximately 50 fields across the United States to help provide better places for families to stay active. Through this program, fields will once again become central and vibrant places of activity and community in cities and towns across the country.

Wouldn't it be awesome if your local baseball, soccer, or football field was chosen to get a sparkling new makeover compliments of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes? Well hurry up and submit your local playing fields here! Good luck!

Win an iPod Touch!

Win it! We're giving away 1 iPod Touch plus a $10 iTunes gift card to one lucky Classy Mommy reader. And this isn't just another random giveaway. With some hard work and a little luck, you can win it! Find out how to enter and play here.

Check out my blog, my twitter, and my radio show Classy Mommy Live for hints between now and February 4th on finding the code. Get creative and employ your family and friends to help you with your search - assuming you can trust them!

Hint: The iPod Touch hidden finger is not on the blog!

Thanks to our fabulous sponsors: Walmart, Nestle, M&M's, and Russell Stover who decided to offer Classy Mommy and my fellow 11 Moms a chance to giveawayan iPod Touch in celebration of Valentine's Day. And they've got some steamy Valentine freebies for you here too. Visit Walmart to download the free Hershey's Blow a Kiss iPhone application or send a free M&M personalized E-Card to your Valentine.

Happy hunting!

Obama and my 3 year old

One week post Inauguration, I've finally had some time to reflect on this monumental moment in history and our lives. I don't normally talk politics on this "parenting" website but so it goes.

I anticipated this inauguration for so many reasons - a leader I could feel truly represented me, a Democrat, an African American, the need for satisfaction after Gore's loss and the drama of the "hanging chads" in 2000 and so on. My husband and I have been rooting for Obama for a long time and he remembers me first telling him about Barack years ago - before we even had children - in a Barnes & Noble when the Audacity of Hope was first released.

Who knew then, that I'd be witnessing this event and trying to impress upon a 3 year old, the history we were watching unfold on our brand new Flat Screen TV. So it goes. First comes love, then comes marriage, and before you know it Parenthood hits. During the primary and election, we were certainly vocal in our household about our passion for Obama. 3 year old Kenzie quickly became well versed in her "OOOOO Bama" cheer.

3 years ago at the birth of my daughter I certainly didn't imagine what being a Parent would entail - I definitely didn't expect the concept of no sleep nor that someday I'd be trying to impress upon a pre-schooler life lessons, values, and the meaning of democracy and freedom. Well apparently, this time I did the job right and somehow impressed upon her that today was no ordinary day.

Cause as we waited in front of our TV for nearly 2 hours during the pre-inauguration pomp and circumstance, she continually begged to see Obama and wondered just which man he was again as she couldn't see him on the screen. As Obama began to speak and tears welled up in my eyes, Kenzie grabbed her Fisher Price Kid Tough Digital Camera and began taking picture after picture of Obama on the TV. Asking me if each shot was a good one and telling me, "Mom we will always have these pictures of Obama so from now on we will always have Obama. And we will always remember this day."

Kids say the cutest things. And before bed, despite the love of Obama in our household, Kenzie asked, " Mom, why don't we have a girl President?" I told her, "Someday......"

You can read some more amazing Inauguration stories here at Share My Inauguration. Sponsored by the McCormick Foundation, this website and the DC 24 are 5th and 6th grade students from Frazier Preparatory Academy in inner-city Chicago who were chosen by a committee of faculty and staff to attend Barack Obama’s Presidential Inauguration and witness American history as it unfolds. You'll love checking out this site to see their blogs, pictures, and essays about witnessing the Inauguration and you can submit your own stories as well.

Classiest Strollers on the Market

Classiest Strollers on the MarketThe “new baby” parenting scene can be an interesting and dynamic culture. When it comes to giving our children the very best in toys, cribs, clothing, gadgets and any number of baby necessities in the market today, the sky is the limit. Case in point: baby strollers. Just as we put time and thought into the vehicle that gets us from A to B, choosing a stroller for our little ones can be just as involved and for a good reason! It’s important to find that perfect stroller that is dependable, safe, and stylish and what better way to start than taking a look at the classiest strollers for 2009!

Bugaboo Bee, starting at $529

Bugaboo International features a fabulous collection of affordable and high-quality baby strollers that cater to your family’s versatile and busy schedule day in and day out. In addition to looking chic while you gallivant around town for weekend errands, Bugaboo offers a comfortable and adjustable seat for your baby to rest safely inside. Turn your baby’s attention towards you or to the world with the reversible seat and adjust the backrest from an upright position to a reclined and more relaxed setting when your baby wants to snooze.
Bugaboo Bee Stroller

The Roddler, starting at $2,500

If you’re planning on going all out, it’s time to take a peek at the Rolls Royce of baby strollers. Kid Kustoms offers an extravagant collection of customized baby and toddler strollers that will leave you mesmerized between the soft suede interior, vibrant color palette, and decal designs that can adorn the fender of this posh mode of transportation.

Quinney Zapp, starting at $219.99
Every family is considered “on-the-go” when a new baby comes into the picture and it’s important to find quality baby products that work with your schedule; not get in the way of it. Whether you’re planning a weekend trip, traveling to a play date, or simply enjoying the outdoors, the Quinney Zapp stroller makes it easy to travel with its adjustable, easy-to-fold features such as a convenient adapter for car seats, bug nets, sun canopies, and more!

Inglesina Pram, starting at $1099.98
Bring back the classic and luxurious look with a romantically styled pram reminiscent of baby buggies used in British Court. Despite its history, this is one style that doesn’t get old and will surely keep your child looking classy around town complete with a leather handlebar and chrome-plated pram joints to adjust the hood on sunny or rainy days. Its almost like your very own portable crib! Store extra baby accessories down below in the elegantly designed basket or attach a spacious diaper bag to the hooks that are attached along the pram’s handle.

Maclaren Volo, starting at $99.99
As parents we already have enough to worry about in life and the thought of there not being enough hours in the day is all too familiar. A great way to keep up with your child’s growth and explorative personality is to invest in a lightweight and reliable stroller from Maclaren. Nothing beats a user-friendly, adjustable, and breathable mesh seat buggy that is as easy to carry with the side handle as it is pushing it around town. Maclaren’s Volo stroller can fold up in five seconds flat and be on the go in no time for your next family adventure.

Fancy Nancy's Fashion Parade & New Releases Book Bundle Giveaway!

Thanks to Harper Collins for sharing a fabulous book bundle of recently released titles with our readers! One lucky Classy Mommy winner will take home this prize pack. My daughter is pining for the Fancy Nancy Fashion Parade as it is no secret that she is crazy for Fancy Nancy. Just before putting her down for nap we read the Fancy Nancy & The Bonjour Butterfly 3x in a row! The prize package will include these 5 titles:

Fancy Nancy's Fashion Parade

A Penguin Story

Barack (I'd love to get this one. Kenzie is always chatting about Obama!)

Silly Street

The Cow that was the Best Moo-ther

Enter to win these Valentine's Book bundle from Harper Collins by leaving a comment below by February 5th, 2009. Please include your email address so we can easily contact you if you win the prize. Thanks!

Fancy Nancy Loves Loves Loves Valentine's Day Book Bundle Giveaway

Calling all the little bookworms! We've got a Valentine's Day spectacular Book Bundle givaway from Harper Collins. One of 3 year old Kenzie's favorite Fancy Nancy books is included in the prize package too! We'll select 1 winner to receive each of the following 4 titles.

Fancy Nancy Loves Loves Loves

Love, Splat

Do You Love Me?

How to Talk to Girls

Enter to win these Valentine's Book bundle from Harper Collins by leaving a comment below by February 5th, 2009. Please include your email address so we can easily contact you if you win the prize. Thanks!

Wordless Wednesday: A Romp in the Snow

Free $10 Coupon Booklet from Betty Crocker

In this economy, everyone is feeling the pinch and we're all listening to the couponistas and bargainistas for advice. And I'm loving all these free coupon offers that I'm finding online. Thought I'd share this free $10 Coupon Booklet from Betty Crocker. I know I could use an extra $10 - especially considering it's now $10.25 to see a movie in my town nowadays! Isn't that nuts? I remember when we were appalled with an $8 movie ticket and I swear in less than 2 years the price has gone up over $2.

Milkscreen Giveaway & Chat with Julie Jumonville

Hooray! This evening we had a super chat on ClassyMommy Live with Julie Jumonville, the inventor of Milkscreen, a revolutionary and afforadable technology that enables Moms to detect alcohol in their breastmilk. And in mere seconds !

You can listen to our interview with this inspirational Mompreneur who keeps a journal next to her bed and is constantly dreaming up new products to help both parents and babies live better.

Wish I knew about Milkscreen when I was still breastfeeding Kyle as it is a marvelous way to help Moms learn when they need to "pump and dump" and when they are good to go as far as feeding baby goes after a glass of wine. My best friend used it and loved it! Milkscreen is a product to watch and I predict you'll be hearing about this soon if you haven't already. You can buy online or shop in store at Walgreens nationwide.

We're also giving away a $10 (8 strip) package of Milkscreen to 2 lucky Classy Mommy Readers. Enter to win by leaving a comment below by February 4th, 2009. Please include your email address so we can contact you if you win. Thanks!

Escape with Roy's Chocolate Souffle Recipe

I love this recipe! After visiting Roy's in Kauai and Maui on our honeymoon almost 6 years ago it became my favorite restaurant. We'll go into center city Philly usually at least once a year so I can partake in my Hawaiin Fusian cuisine and on every visit I order the same items without fail. Including their decadent Roy's Chocolate Souffle for dessert.

This weekend after we put the kids to bed, Mike and I decided to stir things up in the kitchen and give this recipe a go. We were thrilled with the results although Roy's obviously perfects this treat! It was truly easy. The only difference in our recipe was that we prepared everything at one time right before baking.

Roy's recommends you make your chocolate mixure the day before so it can rest overnight in the fridge for the best results.

Here's the recipe for Roy's Chocolate Souffle:

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

4 oz semi-sweet chocolate

1/4 cup sugar

1 3/4 tablespoons corn starch

2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks

In a saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate and butter. Set aside (We even just melted it all in the microwave in about 1 minute)

In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar and cornstarch. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and yolks together. Add the melted butter-chocolate mixture to the sugar mixture and combine with a wire whisk. Stir until smooth. (Ideally you'd place this in the fridge overnight - again we did it all at once and were indeed still pleased with the taste and outcome.... as busy Parents we don't really have the time to plan a dessert 24 hrs before eating it. In fact we're lucky when we have time to eat at all!)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 4 metal rings with greased parchment paper or use 6 smaller molds. Roy'

s orders their rings from a store in NY called J.B. Prince Co. 212.302.8611. We used 6 small molds from Williams Sonoma which worked fine!

Scoop mixture into molds. 2/3 full.

Bake on the top rack for 20 minutes.

Serve immediately. Tastes delicious with ice cream!

Space Buddies DVD & Plush Dogmonauts Giveaway

Win it! Walt Disney Home Entertainment's Space Buddies hits the street on February 3rd, 2009 and we're thrilled to giveaway 1 copy of this dvd to a lucky Classy Mommy reader along with a prize pack of 3 plush "Dogmonauts" Rosebud, Buddha, and Spudnik.

We're crazy for just every Disney movie in our household so Space Buddies is no exception! And we all know how well the kids respond to animals! Even 13 month old Kyle totally gets into hysterics watching the antics of these dogs in Space Buddies. He is so cute trying to go Ruff Ruff Ruff whenever he sees a dog on the big TV screen! And Kenzie now is desperate to visit outerspace!

To enter, please leave a comment below by February 3rd, 2009 and include your email address if it is not visible in your profile so we can contact you if you win.

Campbell's Slow Cooker Recipes Cook Book Giveaway

Win it! We're giving away 7 copies of Campbell's Slow Cooker Recipe Cook Book. It's no secret that when it comes to cooking I am reknowned for my lack of domestic prowess and misadventures in the kitchen. So what is a girl to do? I rely on a few simple tasty recipes and easy to use appliances like the crock pot to help me get the job done swiftly without any mistakes. I love my crock pot and am always astounded by how totally delicious and flavorful anything I cook in it tastes.

Campbell's sent this awesome Slow Cooker Recipe Cook Book. I love how it includes simple recipes with very basic pantry type ingredients along with including other ingredients to make the job even easier like pre-made sauces, broths, or soups for flavoring which a chef like me really appreciates. Check out their free online crock pot recipes here too!

To enter, please leave a comment below by February 1st, 2009 and include your email address if it is not visible in your profile so we can contact you if you win.

Free Sample of Chocolate Turtle Chex Mix from Betty Crocker

Wow! Ready for a yummy freebie? Chocolate Turtle Chex Mix is delicious and if you sign up for the Betty Crocker email newsletter which also comes with tons of free coupons they'll mail you out this scrumptious treat.

Johnson's Baby "No More Tears" 50th Anniversary Giveaway

Win it! In celebration of Johnson's Baby 50th Anniversary of their "No More Tears" Products that Moms and Babies around the world love, we're giving away a Johnson's Baby Basket valued at $70 to 1 Lucky Classy Mommy reader.

J&J also has 2 fantastic new "No More Tears" on the market. We especially love the new "No More Tears" Foaming Bath Wash.

Enter to win by leaving a comment below by January 31st, 2009. Please include your email address if it is not visible in your profile so I can contact you if you win. Thanks!

Free Makeup at Macy's, Saks, Nordstrom, and more

Act Fast! Here's the scoop on the "free makeup" freebie offers available this week thanks to a class action suit against 9 cosmetic companies which requires them to giveaway $175 million of free makeup starting 1/26/09 until supplies last for up to one week.

Select retailers giving makeup away include: Macys, Saks, Nordstrom, Nieman Marcus, and Dillards. Participating cosmetic companies include: Chanel, Inc., Christian Dior, Estée Lauder, Loreal (Lancome).

Claiming your free makeup is based on "code of honor" and I believe the value is up to $20. You can read an official story on claiming your free make up on MSNBC here.

Tiny Prints $50 Gift Card Giveaway

Win a $50 Gift Card to TinyPrints.com in celebration of their gorgeous and one of a kind Valentine Cards. If you want to send a fabulous Valentine to extended family, friends and relatives, TinyPrints is your one stop shop for something totally original and classy.

We're huge fans of Tiny Prints and ordered our holiday cards there this past season. I find their user interface amazing and far more user friendly than any other online providers as I can easily swap out backgrounds, crop photos, and more as I design my cards online.

To enter this classy Valentine giveaway, please leave a comment below by January 28th, 2009. Please include your email address if it is not visible in your profile so we can contact you if you win!

Red Envelope $10 off $65 Coupon Code and Wine Truffle Giveaway!

When I'm looking for a classy and one of a kind gift, Red Envelope is my first stop on the web. After drooling over their Valentine's Day catalog, you can't imagine how thrilled I was to secure this rocking Red Envelope coupon code for Classy Mommy Readers.

Save $10 off a $65 order with this unique savings code link. Expires 2/28/09.

Even cooler, I'm giving away Wine Filled Truffles ($24.95) to one lucky reader in celebration of Valentine's Day and the Classy Mommy Live "Valentine Gift Guide" radio show airing on 1/20/09 at 8 PM EST. The Wine Filled Truffles come in dark or white chocolate with your choice of delicious filling. This decadent treat of 12 truffles come packaged in a gorgeous red box to make a classy gift. Red Envelope totally gets gift giving right!

To enter this delicious Valentine giveaway, please leave a comment below by January 30th, 2009. Please include your email address if it is not visible in your profile so we can contact you if you win!

Classy Mommy Live Airs Tonight at 8 PM EST - Call to win $25 from Birthday in a Box!

We've got the 2nd installment of our new radio show "Classy Mommy Live" airing tonight
at 8 PM EST with the help of a very special guest host, my good friend Jo-Lynne from Musings of a Housewife.

If you plan to call in and chat or have a listen online, you may want to go ahead and create an account with Blog Talk Radio so you’re all set when 8:00 rolls around.

The Call-In Number is (646) 716-5843 and you can also just "chat" online with us too.

We'll be dishing on top Valentine gift ideas, coupon codes, announcing an awesome Valentine application for iPhones, and giving away a $25 Birthday in a Box gift certificate to 1 lucky caller.

Hope to hear from some of our readers! If you've ever had a question for Musings of a Housewife or Classy Mommy now's the night to give us a ring!

I love the finds from Red Envelope for Mom or Dad and Children's Place & Land of Nod has the cutest Valentine picks for the kids. And the outlet store from Land of Nod has tons of finds nearly 80% off which is my trick for shopping the classy finds at bargain prices!

Get Up to 80% Off at The Nods & Ends Outlet

And a few of our coupon codes are below:

Free Shipping at Birthday in a Box on all orders over $70 here.

10% off your order at Red Envelope with this coupon here.

Save 15% Valentine's Day orders of $49 or more using the code SWEET15. Expires 2/2/09

Children's Place Valentine Gift Card Giveaway!

Win it! We're giving away a $25 gift certificate to Children's Place in celebration of Valentine's Day and the amazing collection of Valentine Tees, Valentine PJ's and charming Valentine hairb ows and headbands.

I shop at Children's Place all the time for Kenzie and Kyle and I love their Place Perks member program where I earn $10 back for every $75 that I spend. We've got this adorable Valentine Tee for Kyle and Kenzie can't stop wearing these cozy heart Valentine PJ's as we get in the mood for Valentine's Day.

To enter to win a $25 gift card to Children's Place, please leave a comment below by February 1st, 2009 and include your email address if it is not visible on your profile.

How To Create a Barbie Castle in your Closet

Check out our refinished basement and how we converted our spare closet under the stairs into an enchanting castle for the kids! It's a brand new year and I'm trying to get back into sharing more videos of my home and life with readers. However, as we filmed a bunch of snippets this weekend, we realized it is no coincidence that videos decreased after Kyle was born as he is busy busy busy.

Win a Free Photo Album from CVS!

Win it! A free photo album from CVS. (The prize will be a coupon to claim your photo book in store at CVS.) These CVS photo books are awesome and will make a super Valentine's Day Gift!

Creating personalized photo books are quick and easy at CVS/pharmacy store locations. Consumers bring digital media such as a memory card, CD or USB flash drive to their local CVS/pharmacy’s photo kiosk and select the “photo book” option, which automatically populates a book template with the selected photos. Pages are customizable by rearranging the pictures, changing the size of the photos, adding text and choosing from a variety of available backgrounds. Each book is ten pages long and beyond the cover page, can feature up to six pictures per page for a total of up to 54 pictures in a 6” x 8” book. Up to ten additional pages also can be purchased and pricing for all sizes are as follows:·

4” x 6” holds 36 pictures - $5.99·

6” x 8” holds 54 pictures - $12.99 ·

8” x 10” holds 72 pictures - $14.99

In-store photo books are printed on premium Kodak paper and make for great gifts.

To enter, to win a free photo book from CVS (in store coupon for free photo book!) please leave a comment below by January 24th. Please include your email address if it is not easily visible in your profile so we can contact you if you win.

Giveaway: Potty Tots Potty Training Kit

Win it! When it comes time to Potty Train Kyle, I'll be giving the Potty Tots Potty Training kit a try as I've been hearing rave reviews about the Potty Tots. The kit includes a dvd and kits come designed for either girls or boys at $19.95 nd they also sell a potty training chart for $7.95. We'll be giving away 2 kits to 2 lucky winners - you can choose boy or girl! And we'll also giveaway 1 runner up prize to 1 Runner Up for a Potty Training Chart. And the owner of the company will even include a letter to the winner's children from the Potty Tots!

To enter, please leave a comment below by January 24th, 2009. Please include your name and email address so we can contact you if you win if your email is not visible in your profile.

Wordless Wednesday: All Bundled Up!

Dad bundled up with the kids while I hit NYC with some of my bloggy friend.I finally got to meet a few of my virtual friends for the first time! Below is Audrey from MomGenerations and I in front of Radio City Music Hall. Meeting her in real life felt like meeting a long lost friend.

Suavenomics: Free Suave Coupon for Free Shampoo

Visit Suave.com today to get your free coupon for your free bottle of shampoo! Thanks for this awesome opportunity Suave as they hope to ease our economic woes with their Suavenomics campaign!

* Note you must visit Suave.com January 14th, 2009 to claim your coupon. (Let's hope they do it again!)

Elmo Call on Classy Mommy Live! Win it!

Tonight, we aired our 1st ever Classy Mommy Live Radio show with the help of the most special guest - Elmo. 3 year old Mackenzie and I interview Elmo and Puppeteer Kevin Clash. Little Kenzie is just too cute conversing with Elmo as if it is the most normal thing ever!

Take a listen to our chat with Elmo and share a special memory of Elmo below for a chance to win the brand new Elmo Loves You! Dvd from Genuis Products and Sesame Street Workshop. We'll be giving away 2 copies of the new dvd. Please leave your favorite Elmo memory below by Sunday January 18th, 2009. And don't forget to include your email address if it is not visible in your profile so we can contact you if you win.

Thanks for listening!

Pepsi Super Bowl Giveaway $250 Value

The Super Bowl is just around the corner - and I'm hoping the Eagles just might sneak into the Big Game with the streak they've been on these past few weeks!

Pepsi hopes to help 1 lucky Classy Mommy reader host a rockin' Super Bowl viewing party with all these goodies valued at $250. To enter, please leave a comment below by January 22nd, 2009. US Residents Only. Please include your email address in your comment if it is not easily visible in your profile information.

The Ultimate Pepsi Super Bowl Party Pack inclues:

1 football

1 beverage pail

1 snack helmet (my favorite!)

2 key chains

2 hats

2 t-shirts

5 Pepsi 24 pack coupons

5 Frito Lay coupons

The Tudors Season 2 DVD Box Set Giveaway

Win it! I'm crazy for the Tudors. And given we're on the low budget cable package -seriously my cable bill is $16/ month - so Showtime is not included, I needed to wait to watch The Tudors Season 2 until after it came out on DVD. Last year we devoured Season 1 within a few weeks and I didn't now how I'd manage nearly 1 year to see it again! Now I'm already 2 episodes into Season 2 which was released this past week on January 6th. Season 2 is just as scandalous and entertaining as I'd remembered. Plus it fills my historical cravings along with showcasing the amazing costumes and architecture of the day.

If you haven't checked out the Tudors yet, you don't know what you are missing. Seriously! And if you want to get a real taste of just what your life might be like if you lived back in the day, check out this very cool website called "Who the Tudor are you?" where you can plug in your name, age, occupation, life goals, and salary and they'll tell you just what kind of figurehead you' d have been during the time of King Henry. You'll really enjoy fiddling around with it, but I must tell you it told me I'd have been a Nun!

We're giving away 2 copies of "The Tudors" Season 2 to two lucky readers! To enter, please leave a comment below by January 20th. Please include your email address if it is not easily visible in your profile so we can contact you if you win.

Barney Once Upon a Dino Tale Giveaway

Win it! We're giving away 3 copies of the brand new Barney release titled "Barney Once Upon a Dino Tale" which includes fairy tale favorites like Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, and the Emperor's Contest.

To enter, please leave a comment below by Jan. 17th, 2009 and include your email address if it is not visible in your profile.

Wordless Wednesday: Butterfly Boy Sucking the Sweet Nectar

BPA-Free Feeding System Giveaway

I'm loving this BPA-Free Feeding System from ThinkBaby. Ever since last years BPA scares, I've been tossing plastic left and right and seeking out alternate safe options for the kids.

We're giving away 2 of these awesome BPA-Free Feeding Systems to 2 lucky winners. Each is valued at $42 and includes The set includes a baby bowl with lid, soup bowl with lid, small bento box with air tight lid, kids cup, and a fork/spoon set. In accordance with thinkbaby's policies for creating safe products, the Feeding Set is free of bisphenol-A (BPA), phthalates, Lead, PVC and Melamine. The interior of the products is stainless steel and is surrounded by a layer of safe, non-toxic polypropylene. Also Recommended by Healthy Child Healthy World (http://www.healthychild.org/) one of Classy Mommy's favorite resources.

To enter please leave a comment below. 2 Winners will be chosen. Contest expires January 14th, 2009. Please leave your email if it is not visible in your profile - otherwise we can't contact you if you win! This happens all the time.......

January DVD Release Wrap Up

For Mom & Dad:

With Mike taking a bunch of time off work over the holidays, we've been maximizing "date night" at home with movie nights in our brand new refinished basement. We've got an awesome new flat screen TV and a Blu-Ray dvd player - I think this is even more comfortable and fun than a night out at the movies!

Eagle Eye: This action flick was fantastic (although at times far fetched as are all "action" movies). It was a fantastic and intense escape from the first 10 minutes until the movie ended. And I loved seeing it on Blue-Ray. The clarity and definition really rocked!

Ghost Town and the Duchess are other top picks for date night. We saw Ghost Town and it is the cutest romantic comedy I've seen in a long time. Tea Leoni was irresistible as usual and the chemistry between her and the horribly rude and unhappy dentist, played by the hysterical Ricky Gervais was surprising!

For the Kiddies:

Elmo Loves You! - We just previewed this today as it released on 1/6/09. Kyle and Kenzie are crazy for anything with Elmo. And this is just in time to prep the kids for Valentine's Day. I love that REM is featured in this DVD with Elmo and the cast. They totally got all 3 of us up and dancing!

Bob the Builder Race to the Finish: Releases 1/6/09

Barney: Once Upon a Dino Tale: Releases 1/6/09. Both Kenzie and Kyle (as much as a 12 month old can be into TV) love Barney even if he isn't Mom's favorite character. Kids just can't resist the cheerful singing and I do love that he gets Kenzie up and moving while watching TV! This new dvd is cool as it includes versions of fairy tales like Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella and the Emperor's Contest.

Other Holiday Titles from the very end of Decemeber that we enjoyed included: Shrek the Halls, Madagascar - which also included a holiday mini episode featuring the wacky penguins, and Kung Fu Panda and the Furious Five special edition double pack.