Tips for Tuesday - TV Shows: Austin and Ally and Oprah: Where Are They Now?

Me -Today I am recommending Austin and Ally on the Disney Channel. I love Austin and Ally. Every week, I look forward to the new episode hoping that Austin and Ally will get back together. It is a really fun show. All the characters are stupid in their own way. Sometimes, it's just plain stupid. Sometimes, it is funny stupid.  Either way it's fun to watch .

Mom - Today I am recommending Oprah:Where Are They Now? on OWN. If you always want to know whatever happened to this person or that person or the other person, this is the show for you. Even if you are not particularly fond of Oprah and you didn't watch her show that much or at all, you should still recognize most if not all of the people featured on this show. Another nice thing about this show is if you did watch the Oprah Winfrey show and there was a guest that you would like to know what happened to, they encourage you to write in and they might  cover that person  on a future show and maybe even have you do the introduction for that segment.

And that's our view.

Where-To-Go Wednesday will be closed this week. Tune in Thursday for another Talking Topic.

Holiday Movies

Me - Holiday movies, wow! I recently saw one version of A Christmas Carol. I didn't like it. I want to see It's A Wonderful Life. On Friends, Phoebe said it should be called "It's a crappy life.", but that's because she didn't watch the whole movie. I like the Grinch Who Stole Christmas. I like the first Frosty the Snowman. I don't like the second Frosty the Snowman. It's a totally different snowman. I never saw the A Charlie Brown Christmas. I would like to though, I would also like to see I Want A Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown. I once saw part of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. It was just okay. I never saw Santa Claus is Coming to Town. I really want to see both versions of Miracle on 34th Street, but they only seem to have them available to watch for pay and not free this year. I saw The Muppets Christmas Carol when I was little. It scared me then. I liked Elf. It was funny. Over all, I haven't seen a lot of Christmas movies, but I like the ones I have seen.

Mom - When I was a kid, every year we watched holiday movies. I loved Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is Coming to Town. I also liked The Grinch Who Stole Christmas and A Charlie Brown Christmas. I liked the musical version of A Christmas Carol. I saw it in the movie theater. We recently saw one of the older versions of the story. My husband had loved it when he was a child. After we watch it, even he didn't know why he loved it so much anymore. I have enjoyed other versions of the story though including Scrooged starring Bill Murray. I never saw It's A Wonderful Life until this year although I have seen numerous incarnations of a similar theme in Christmas episodes of various TV series. I like when a show manages to put a unique spin on this theme like in a recent episode of The Big Bang Theory. One of my favorite holiday movies is Miracle on 34th Street especially the original version with Natalie Wood, but I also like the remake with Mara Wilson. Ever year, it seems like they come out with more and more holiday movies. Most of the ones that I have seen aren't as impressive to me as the older classic holiday movies. I don't really watch much holiday movies that much anymore anyway even the ones I like.

And that's our view. What is your favorite holiday movies?

Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.

Saturday Special - Somerset Patriots Kids Club

The Somerset  Patriots of  the Atlantic League, an independent professional baseball league have announced the following:

Kids Club Membership is available for only $15.00

Kids club membership includes: 

  6 games
  merchandise gift package, 
  20% discount in the team store

Games Include:

  Sunday June 22 at 10:00 AM Kids Club Field Day
  Monday July 28 at 5:00 PM Sparkee (the mascot)'s 16th Birthday
  Sunday September 21 at 11:00 AM Kids Club Ice Cream Social
  3 additional games of your choice

For more information or to order:

Call 908-252-0700
or go to Somerset Patriots Kids Club

Funny Friday - Who said that?

Me -

When my brother was little, he always used to say that his brain told him to do things.

Mom

When Melia was little if we didn't let her do something she  wanted to do she would say that her favorite doll, Boo wanted to do whatever it  was Melia wanted to do hoping that we would change our minds. Like if we said, it was too late to watch TV, she would say "Boo wants to watch TV." Sometimes, she would just say "Boo." and  when we asked "Boo wants to watch TV?" Melia would nod vigorously.


We welcome you to share your funny stories with us. Tune in tomorrow for a Saturday Special.

























Me -

When my sister was younger, she decided that my Dad was allergic to red cars and I was allergic to green cars.

Mom -

Aurella (at age 3) to Mommy: If you're not nice to me, I won't tell you what your allergic to.

Mommy: Is it good to be allergic to something?

Aurella: Yes.


 We welcome you to share your funny stories with us. Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.

Holiday Songs

Me - Holiday songs, wow! I like holiday songs. I like Halloween songs like Purple People Eater, and Ghostbusters, and Monster Mash. I like the Passover song Dayenu. I like Channukah songs like Driedel, Driedel, Dreidel. I also like Christmas songs. There are more of them than any other holiday songs. I like Deck the Halls. I like We Need a Little Christmas. I like Jingle Bells. I like All I Want for Christmas is You. I like Extraordinary Merry Christmas. I like Let It Snow. I like Santa Claus is Coming to Town. I like Christmas Wrapping. I like Do They Know It's Christmas. I like Baby It's Cold Outside. I like Last Christmas. I like O Christmas Tree. I like Your're a Mean One Mr. Grinch. I like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. I like Frosty the Snowman. I like other ones that I can't remember right now. The only one I can think of now that I don't like is Blue Christmas.  I love holiday songs!

Mom - Most holidays have a song or two or at least one or two really good/ and or well known songs. New Year's has Auld Lang Syne. Valentines Day has My Funny Valentine and the song Valentine by Jim Brickman which happens to be my wedding song. Easter has Here Comes Peter Cottontail. Passover has Dayenu. Channukah has Driedel, Driedel, Driedel and the Adam Sandler Channukah songs. Christmas has a lot of songs. Some of them I like. I like Winter Wonderland. I like Silver Bells. I like Jingle Bell Rock. I like Feliz Navidad. I like the instrumental version of Sleigh Ride. My grandma was a teacher, and she used to play that ever year with her class. I like The Most Wonderful Time of the Year but more for the Back to School Staples commercial than as Christmas song. I like most of the songs Melia mentioned. Other ones I don't like so much. I don't like Hark the Herald Angels Sing. I don't like The First Noel. I don't like White Christmas. I don't like Silent Night. My grandmother never liked the song Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. I just think the Twelve Days of Christmas is okay although I do go around singing the line "and a Partridge in a pear tree" quite often as my family will tell you. Other songs I am undecided about including  Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth, and I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa ClausI am sure there are many other Christmas songs too many to remember and too many name. The one thing they all have in common is that by the time New Years rolls around, I am entirely sick of all of them even the ones I like.

And that's our view. What is your favorite holiday song?

Tune in tomorrow for Funny Friday.

Where-To-Go Wednesday - Disney on Ice

What: Disney on Ice

Where: Various Locations

Who: 3 and up

Our view: If your kids are big Disney fans and you can't make it to Disney, Disney on Ice is a nice alternative and a unique way for your children to see their favorite Disney characters live. One nice thing about Disney on Ice Shows is that they travel around so chances are there will be one at some point at at location near you. Another nice thing is that they are always changing. Sometimes they run a particular story like Toy Story on Ice or Monsters, Inc. on Ice, or High School Musical on Ice or whatever. Other times they run a show that is a combination of several shows, such as, Disney on Ice Worlds of Fantasy, Disney on Ice Princess Wishes or Disney on Ice 100 Years of Magic. However, the downside to these combined shows is that if your child doesn't like any of the stories covered, they might get bored during that portion of the show. That is also why we don't recommend children under 3 because children younger than this may not have the attention span to sit through the show. Children older than 8 or 9, may also be bored with the show. Disney on Ice shows, such as, High School Musical on Ice, which appeal to older kids are rare. Another problem with Disney on Ice is that like with all Disney things, they are heavily merchandised and from the moment you walk in until you leave you will bombarded with various toys, souvenir books, etc. for you to buy.  For more information, to find out when the latest Disney on Ice show is coming to a town near you and/or to find out how to order tickets go to disneyonice.com.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for another Talking Topic.

Tips for Tuesday - Apps. and Web-Sites: Celebrity Pop and 20/20 Research

Me - Today I am recommending Celebrity Pop. It is a fun game. You try and guess the celebrities based on pictures of them when they were younger. It is a lot of fun to guess who is who and see what celebrities looked like way back before they were famous.

Mom - Today I am recommending 20/20 research. It isn't always easy to qualify for their surveys but when you do they are usually several days long and pay well. Also, they are not one of those surveys where you have to answer a ton of questions before you are finally told that you don't qualify for a survey. Their qualifiers are relatively easy to get through and you are told whether you qualify or not rather quickly. They also don't bombard your inbox with a ton of  e-mails regarding surveys that you ultimately won't qualify for anyway. I would highly recommend 20/20 Research. For more information or to sign up go to https://www.2020panel.com/.

Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday. 

What We Look Forward to Over Winter Break

Me - What I look forward to over winter break, wow! Over winter break, I look forward to a lot of things. I look forward to sleeping late. I look forward to wearing pajamas all day long. I look forward to not having to go to school. I look forward to spending time with my family. I look forward to spending time with my kittens I look forward to not having schoolwork. I look forward to not having homework. I look forward to not having tests, quizzes and projects. I look forward to watching lots of movies and TV. I look forward to getting presents. I look forward to New Year's Eve. I look forward to staying up until  midnight. I look forward to sleeping by the fire with my family. I love making New Year's videos. I look forward to it being closer to my birthday. I will be able to start my annual birthday countdown then. I can't wait for winter break!

Mom- Over winter break, I look forward to so many things. I look forward to not having to get up in the morning. I look forward to not having to go out in the cold. I look forward to pajama days. I look forward to all four of us cuddled up in the big king-sized bed watching movies. I look forward to getting caught up on my e-mail. Well that, will never happen, but it is a nice thought. I look forward to getting my house organized and straightened up. Well, I don't actually look forward to that. It is is just something I need to do. I look forward to  renewing our family tradition of going to the movies either on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. We used to go to the movies on Christmas Day when I was a kid. Now, my parents spend Christmas in Atlantic City. My husband and I and our girls either spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day by ourselves or we  spend one of them with our best friends. This is not really as sad as it sounds because we don't actually celebrate Christmas. When my husband and I were first together we used to spend Christmas Eve at the movies with our best friends. Since our girls were born, we haven't really kept up the tradition, however. I l also look forward to taking New Year's videos of our girls. That is another family tradition I will be glad to get back to. Last year, we had unexpected guests for New Year's so we didn't take our usual videos. We intended to do it some time after New Year's but somehow never got to it.  I am sure that I will not get to everything I want to do over break this year either, but at least I  will get to some of it.

And that's our view. What are you looking forward to?

Saturday Special- Coming soon - Bronx Bombers

Bronx Bombers

A New American Play

Circle in the Square Theater

New York, New York

Previews starting January 10.

If you are a theater fan, if you are a sports fan, or if you are a New York Yankees  you won't to miss the new play Bronx Bombers. The show features actors appearing as famous Yankee players  and managers including: 

  

Babe Ruth

 Lou Gehrig

Derek Jeter

Reggie Jackson

Elston Howard

Mickey Mantle

Billy  Martin

Yogi Berra

MVP Experiences available including:

Preshow autograph signings

Exclusive Talkbacks with Yankee players and historians

For more information go to bronxbombersplay.com, broadway.com,  or yankees.com.

We will also be featuring more about Bronx Bombers as well as a review in future posts.

Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic. 

Funny Friday - When I Grow Up

Me -

When I was little I said I wanted to be a turtle when I grew up.

Mom -

When Aurella was in pre-k and they asked all the kids what they wanted to be when they grew up, Aurella said "Dora."

We welcome you to share your funny stories with us. Tune in tomorrow for a Saturday Special.

Laurie Berkner Concert

Me - Laurie Berkner concert, okay. When I was little, I loved Laurie Berkner. The whole reason I got into her was because my Mom and Dad were sick of listening to Barney over and over again. I loved watching Noggin, and they played some Laurie Berkner songs between shows. We liked her songs so my Mom convinced me to get a Laurie Berkner CD. So I did, and we all loved it.  I went to three Laurie Berkner concerts when I was little. Although by now even my little sister is getting too old for Laurie Berkner, we went to one more concert for old time's sake. I like the way Laurie Berkner talks to the audience and makes each person think she is talking to him or her. Her songs are  fun. I like that at her concert she plays a good mix of her old popular songs and new songs. Her music is fun. It keeps kids very entertained. At this concert, we got to meet Laurie at a meet and greet. She was nice, but I felt kind of strange because I felt too old to be at the concert. I felt like all the little kids were staring at me wondering what I was doing there. I did have fun at the concert even though I felt out of place. Nobody can go to a Laurie Berkner concert and not have any fun. When I grow up and have kids of my own, I can't wait to share her music with my kids.

Mom - This past weekend was a little bittersweet for me. We went to our fourth and last Laurie Berkner concert. My kids are actually too old for Laurie already, but we had the opportunity to meet her at the concert and we wanted to go and tell her how much we loved her and enjoyed her music over the years. The concert did not disappoint. We all managed to enjoy ourselves despite my daughters' feelings that they are too old for Laurie Berkner. My daughters also really enjoyed the reactions of all the little kids around them to Laurie's music in the way that I enjoyed their reactions to her music when they were younger. The band plays a nice mix of music from the old albums and music from the new albums as well as standard children's songs and original songs. As a result, we were familiar with most of the music. In addition to favorite songs that they play at all their concerts, the other songs vary but unlike most groups who often concentrate on playing only the hits and music from their current album, the Laurie Berkner band might play any song from any of their albums at any time. That is one thing I always liked about them. After the concert, we had the opportunity to meet Laurie, speak with her, get autographs and have our picture taken with her. My girls especially Melia felt funny about it. However, I am happy we had the opportunity to meet her and tell her how much we loved her music over the years. She was a lovely gracious person too, and I am really glad I had the opportunity to meet her and speak to her. In the end, I think my girls were glad to have had the opportunity to meet her as well. Now, I feel a little sad not only because I actually enjoyed going to Laurie Berkner's concerts and listening to her music with my children over the years, but because it is just another sign that my children are getting older. While I always love my children and  try to appreciate them at every age, sometimes I really miss when they were little.

And that's our view. Who is your favorite children's singer now or when you were a kid?

Where-To-Go -Wednesday -Laurie Berkner Concert

What: Laurie Berkner Concert


Where: Various Locations

Who:  Birth to about age 6

Our view: If you want to go to a concert that your young children will enjoy but that isn't annoying for parents either, go see the Laurie Berkner band. Of course, it can be loud at times after all, it is a room full of little kids and it is a concert. However, it is still a lot of fun. Also, the nice thing is that the loudness generally comes from the band and the singing of the band members as well as the audience singing along. You don't find a lot of screaming, crying children at Laurie Berkner concerts. They are usually too enthralled to be bored or unhappy. The songs are a good mix of standard children's songs and the band's original music.  The band makes all of the songs equally fun with hand movements and props and talking to the audience among other things.  Laurie really has a way of making each child think she is talking directly to him or her.  To make memories that you will cherish,  even long after your kids might not remember or admit to, go to a Laurie Berkner concert.

And that's our view. For more, information and/or to find out when the band is playing near you go to laurieberkner.com. For even more about Laurie Berkner concerts see tomorrow's Talking Topics post.


Disclaimer: We received complimentary tickets to a Laurie Berkner concert. The opinions expressed here are our own based on our experiences at this Laurie Berkner concert as well as previous Laurie Berkner concerts we have been to in the past.

Tips for Tuesday - Movies: The Absent Minded Professor and About Time

Me - Today I am recommending The Absent Minded Professor, the original black and white version starring Fred MacMurray not the remake Flubber starring Robin Willliams. It was a good movie. It was funny. It is about a professor who invents Flubber. Flubber is a substance which makes things fly. The characters and situations are all really funny. I laughed through the whole movie. If you have never seen it and you like a funny movie, I would definitely recommend it.


Mom - Today I am recommending About Time. Even though, there have been plenty of movies about time travel this one puts a new spin on the genre. Even though this is Rachel McAdams' third movie about time travel, it is not quite like either of her other ones. About Time is about Tim who discovers he has the ability to go back in time and Mary the love of his life who he  meets not once, not twice, but three times.  It a good well acted story.  I also like that it not entirely predictable. If you are looking for a sweet love story, I would recommend this one.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

Holiday Decorations

Me -Holiday, decorations, wow! My family never decorates for any holidays. Some people decorate like crazy. They decorate for Halloween and other holidays and even Thanksgiving and especially for Christmas. We put up a menorah for Chanukah but we don't decorate for any other holidays the rest of the year. I don't really care. I never really thought about it that much because we just have never done it. I don't mind other people's decorations as long they are not loud. Once we had neighbors who had Christmas decorations that played music. It was so loud you could hear it from inside our house. Luckily, they only lived near us for one Christmas season. Anyway, other than their loud Christmas decorations they were nice. I like to look at houses decorated for the holidays. I don't like it when they are decorated too much. If there are lots and lots and lots of lights sometimes it hurts my eyes. My favorite holiday decorations are the light up reindeer. They are pretty. My next door neighbors had light up reindeer that moved. Over all, I like holiday decorations.

Mom - We are not really big on decorating for the holidays. I do enjoy looking at other people's decorations, however. At least for the most part I do. Some people just go way overboard. Some people not only decorate for holidays like Christmas, Halloween and Valetine's Day, they even decorate for things that aren't even holidays at all like the Superbowl or even just a regular football game. Also, some people just don't totally over do the decorations. I don't like it when people's decorations could light up the whole neighborhood. I also don't like it when people's lawns are completely filled up with those  blow up decorations. In general, I like those type of decorations. Some of them are really cute. However, when people have a lawn full of them it doesn't look cute. It just looks like a big mess. I also don't like those blow up decorations that are deflated during the day and look like just a bunch of trash on somebody's lawn. I also don't like noisy decorations. I especially don't like noisy decorations that I can hear loudly in my house until 11:00 at night or 12:00 in the morning every day from Thanksgiving through New Year's. In general,  I don't mind holiday decorations and they can really brighten up a neighborhood (no pun intended), but with decorations like with most things, I think moderation is best.

And that's our view. How much do you decorate for the holidays?

Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.

Funny Friday - That's My Age

Me -

When we are at the beach once, Melia wanted to know why she didn't have a beach bracelet.

"You're free." I said.

"No, I'm not." she replied, "I'm 4 1/2."


Mom -

Mommy: My birthday is next.

Melia: And you're going to be 2.

Mommy: No I'm not.

Melia: Oh, yeah. I'm 2.


We welcome you to share funny your funny stories. Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.

Amazon vs. E-Bay

Me - Amazon vs. E-Bay, wow! I love Amazon and E-Bay! They are some of the best inventions ever.  I love Amazon they have almost everything and it's usually new. On E-bay almost everything is used but sometimes the prices are cheaper. Both have lots and lots of items and they are both useful and fun. They have toys for me and my sister, tools for my Dad, and CDs for my Mom. I use them both a lot. Often as soon as I hear of something I want,  I look it up on Amazon and E-bay to find out how much it  would cost me to buy. On Amazon, you can get items that are very rare, but on e-bay you can too. My Mom has Amazon Prime so when I order things, they come in two days. When I order things from E-bay, it usually takes several weeks. In some ways, they are total opposites, in other ways they are a lot a like.

Mom - I love Amazon and E-bay! Between them you can find just about everything you could possibly want, and you can pay for it all with virtual money. On Amazon, you can pay with Amazon gift codes which you can earn for doing surveys and things. On Paypal, you can pay with money in your Paypal account which you can earn by doing things or selling things on the web. I like that on Amazon the price is whatever the price is. I like that on E-bay prices are flexible because you can bid on items and so you may be able to get something for a lot cheaper than you would otherwise. I like that on Amazon, you just buy what you want and it is yours. I don't like having to win something on E-bay because the more popular or rare it is the more likely that someone else will come in at the last minute and outbid you. Amazon has excellent customer service. They respond quickly to problems, and I have never had a problem with them that has not be resolved satisfactorily. E-bay has good customer service. It takes a little longer to get a problem resolved because first you have to file a grievance, but I have never had a problem with them either that wasn't satisfactorily resolved. Both Amazon and E-bay make my life so much more fun. I could spend hours just looking things up on them both. Both Amazon and E-bay make my life easier when I need to get something especially if it is something older or something rare. However, the one thing that would make my life even easier is if Amazon started accepting Paypal and/or E-bay started accepting Amazon codes. I know this will never happen because they are in competition. Too bad.

And that's our view. Do you prefer Amazon or E-bay?

Where-To-Go Wednesday - Holiday Window Display Viewing

What: Holiday Window Viewing

Where: Various Locations
             

Who: All ages

Our view: If you live near or are visiting a big city for the holidays a fun thing to do is go and see the elaborate holiday window displays. One of the best places to do that is New York City. Holiday windows in New York are usually well worth seeing. They go well beyond your average lights, tinsel and trees. Each store's windows are decorated around a particular theme which varies from year to year and store to store, and they may even include such things as music, Disney like animatronic figures and other things. This year stores with windows worth viewing include the following:

Bloomingdales  located at 1000 Third Avenue featuring holiday shopping around the globe.

Henri Bendel  located at 712 Fifth Avenue featuring work of the great illustrator, Al Hirschfeld.

Lord & Taylor  located at 424 Fifth Avenue featuring vintage New York City holiday scenes

Barney's New York  located at 660 Madison Avenue featuring 3-D mapping,light projections, and performers from the Upright Citizens Brigade/

Macy's located at 151 W. 34th Street featuring the magic of dreams through the eyes of a young boy

Saks Fifth Avenue  located at 611 Fifth Avenue featuring the Saks Fifth Avenue yeti

Bergdorf Goodman located at 754 Fifth Avenue featuring various holidays depicted in frozen dioramas of ice and snow.

Holiday displays run through early January. For more information about any of the specific displays  call the specific store and/or visit their web-site. Remember that the lines to view the displays can be quite long and slow moving so you may not want to take very young children or children who are easily bored.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for another Talking Topic.

Tips for Tuesday - Books: Silver Linings Playbook and Castaways

Me - Today I am recommending Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick. This is one of my favorite books. It was so good. I read it in two days. It was really very different from the movie but they were both good. The book (and the movie) is about a guy who gets out of a mental institution and wants to be reunited with his ex-wife who has a restraining order against him. When his best friend's sister-in-law comes into his life, he finds things going a lot different than he planned. I would definitely recommend reading this book.

Mom - Today I am recommending Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand. Castaways is a book about a group of four couples who are best friends. It is about the many different ways all the others are affected when one couple Greg and Tess McAvoy die in a boating accident. There is Andrea, the older cousin, who was sort of like a mother to Tess and her husband the chief of police whose job it is to hold everyone together. There is fun loving Delia and her steady husband Jeffrey. There is drugged up Phoebe and her calm and cool husband Addison.  It is about the way these people come together and the ways they grow apart. It is about the ways they grow and the ways they change as a result of what happens to their friends.  Even though all of the characters can be annoying a times, they all have redeeming factors that makes them ultimately likeable. All in all, I would definitely recommend this book.

And that's our view.  Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

The Sound of Music Live

Me - The Sound of Music Live, wow! Carrie Underwood is a terrible actress. She sings good though, and she is pretty. The captain was really good. I liked all of the children except Brigitta. Gretyl was adorable. She was not as cute as Gretyl in the movie, however. The rest of the people in the cast were fine. Audra McDonald was really good. Compared to Audra McDonald, Carrie Underwood is like a little squeaky mouse to Audra's lion. All of the acting in the show was good except for Carrie. Liesel reminded me of the daughter in the TV show, Mom. I missed Charmian Carr's bright blue eyes from the movie. For me that is a big part of Liesel. The singing was all good. Mostly, I didn't like the set. I didn't like the hill they climbed up at the end. It didn't look enough like a really hill. It wasn't high enough, and it didn't look enough like the one in the movie. I didn't like the house because it wasn't spacy enough. Also, there were too many staircases and too many doors. Also, I didn't like that the party scene took place outside.  I didn't like that they hid in the garden of the abbey near the end of the show and you could see the inside of the abbey from where they were hiding. I liked the lines and the placement of the songs better in the movie too. I also like the kids and Maria better in the movie. The costumes overall were okay. I did like that the drapes that the childen's outfits were made out of were much prettier in this version than in the movie. The whole thing wasn't bad, and I enjoyed it, but overall, I liked the movie much better.

Mom - I have always loved The Sound of Music. It was the first movie I saw and my favorite ever since. I couldn't wait to see the new TV version. Over all, it mostly lived up to my expectations. The acting was good. The singing was wonderful. I was very disappointed in Carrie Underwood though. She is beautiful and so is her singing, but she is no actress. I am not one of those hate tweeters.  I reserved judgment until I actually saw the show, but have to say that that I agree with the real Von Trapp family in their feeling that the part certainly could have been cast better. I mean Carrie Underwood is not the worst actress in the world. I have seen many that are worse. However, she does not have much range. Her emotions go from A to B instead of from A to Z. In a cast of mostly Broadway veterans, Carrie's lack of acting talent really stood out even more. Other than that I enjoyed this version of the The Sound of Music. Stephen Moyer as the Captain may not have been as formidable as Christopher Plummer in the movie, but he was very good in the part. He made the character a bit more likeable right from the start than I ever remember him being before. From my understanding from having read the autobiography of the Von Trapp family's real oldest daughter, I think they would have liked that better than the way their father was portrayed in the movie. The children were cute and sang well and for the most part acted well. I kind of liked Angela Cartwright in the movie a little better as Brigitta though. She seemed a little more knowing and a little less bratty than the young actress who played the part here. The other main actors were good. Christian Borle seemed a little more aloof and less of  a comic relief character than Max in the movie. Laura Benanti seemed a less evil  slightly more likeable countess. Although, she had and Max had two songs here unlike in the movie overall, I did not think her character was developed as well. She didn't leave because the Captain was in love with Maria. She left more of because of a political disagreement. Dramatically, it works better the other way as in the movie. Audra McDonald as the countess was wonderful as always. There is a reason she has won 5 Tony Awards. She made me really care about a song (Climb Every Mountain) and character that I had never really thought about much before. Everything that comes out of her mouth sounds beautiful whether she is singing or just talking. Her scenes with Carrie Underwood made Carrie's lack of talent stand out even more.The sets were well done. The costumes were good. I did not like that for the most part they stuck to the original version of the show because I feel like the placement of the songs and certain things was better in the movie then in that version. A revivial of the show that I saw on Broadway about 15 years ago or so stuck to the revised version of the movie, and I enjoyed that. Ironically, Laura Benanti who played the Baroness here played Maria in that version when I saw it. However, when I have seen the show in community theater once or twice they always stuck to the original stage version as well. Anyway, over all I enjoyed this verison, but it could never even come close to replacing my love for the movie. For me, if they now start to have more live theater on television as a result of this venture having been a success that will be the best thing to come out of this experience, and I will be happy and grateful for it.

And that's our view. Would you like to more televised theater? Why or why not?

Saturday Special - genZ

 

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The Atocha (world's greatest treasure hunter), Captain Sully Saves the Day, The Chilean Miners' Rescue, Wilt Scores 100 Points!, Owen and Mzee - an Unusual Friendship, The Invention of Velcro, and hundreds more!

Our readers receive a FREE Trial Subscription (no cc required) to GenZ Read Together!  CLICK HERE and Use Promo Code: A191

Funny Fridays - Party Time

Me -

My cat, Callie, was sitting on my parents bed, and I said to her, "Come on Callie, party in my room!", and she immediately jumped off the bed and ran into my room.

Mom -

One night when Aurella was supposed to be sleeping she came into our room and said to my husband and I  "You invited me to the party so I came."

We welcome you to share your funny stories with us.  Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.

The Liberty Science Center

Me - The Liberty Science Center, wow! The Liberty Science Center was really fun! They had lots of interactive exhibits. They had fun games. They had videos to watch. Even though you were actually learning things, you actually had fun. Me and my sister go to do an experiment together. It was about the Hudson River estuary. We learned about the difference between saltwater and freshwater. It was fun. Now, I am inspired to do more experiments at home. There was a place where you could stand on a picture of a footprint, and it would tell you how tall you were. There was a place where you could time how long you could hang from a bar. I was able to hang for 24 seconds. There was a place where you could make a giant bubble. There was a place you could make a giant graffiti picture.You could even e-mail to yourself or anybody else. I learned to speak Chinese and made a video except we couldn't find it to watch it. I already forgot what I learned anyway. I also made a Spanish video but I didn't really talk Spanish in it. I just said "I love cupcakes." I learn enough Spanish in school. There were living  animals too. There were some really giant fish. There were these cute little animals that looked like chinchillas. There were this strange creepy alligator turtle. There were lots of frogs. There were some cute monkeys. I decided to name one Chuck. He was cute. I wish I could have take him with me. I asked my Dad if I could get one. He wouldn't let me. They had an exhibit that was like a football training camp. You had to jump over hurdles, jump as high as you could, jump as far as you could, throw a football and kick a football. It was fun even though I don't like football. They also had a Bob the Builder room for little kids. Everything about the Liberty Science Center was fun except the Bob the Builder room and one doctor exhibit that didn't work at all. I definitely would go there again.

Mom - The Liberty Science Center is a really fun place. It is not just for scientists and/or  people interested in science. Nobody in our family ever really liked science all that much, and we all had a great time at the museum . We got to learn a little Chinese. We got to learn some sign language. We got to learn about all the germs lurking in our kitchen. We got to create a graffiti picture and e-mail it to ourselves. We got to make a giant bubble. We got to see cute Tamarin monkeys, a scary Tarantula, and even an odd half alligator half turtle among other creatures.  We got to control a giant Rubik's cube by computer. My girls got to see how far they could jump and how high they could jump. They went through a pitch black maze using only their sense of touch. They climbed a rock wall. They practiced on a simulator used by surgeons-in-training. They even got to do an experiment regarding the Hudson estuary where they learned about the differences between freshwater, saltwater and brackish water. These were just a few of the highlights of our visit. There was so much more that we got to do and see at the Center as well.We had so much fun there that three plus hours there went by in no time at all. I'm sorry it took us so many years of talking about visiting to finally get there. I hope it doesn't take us as long before we have a chance to go back.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Funny Friday.

Where-To-Go Wednesday - Liberty Science Center

What: The Liberty Science Center

Where:222 Jersey City Blvd.
           Jersey City, NJ

Who: All ages

Our view: The Liberty Science Center is a place that makes learning so fun kids won't even realize that they they are learning. Four floors and twelve galleries of hundreds of mostly hands on exhibits provides something to interest just about everyone.The Touch Tunnel, a pitch black maze; a da Vinci surgical robot surgery exhibit and a giant Rubik's cube are just some of the highlights. There are live animals. There  are IMAX and RealD 3D movies which include fiction features, such as, The Polar Express and non-fiction, such as, Great White Shark. Some exhibits are permanent; others are only available for a limited time. Small children will love the  Bob the Builder Project Build It exhibit running now through April 2014. Here they can pretend to drive one of Bob's vehicles or build a machine shelter among other things. Sports fans will love the current exhibit simulating an NFL training camp  which runs through March 2014. There is almost too much to see and do at the Liberty Science Center. There is so much to see and do it can be a bit overwhelming at times. It is also hard to keep track of it all and remember what you've seen and done as you go along. Tickets are available at different prices for adults 13 and over, kids 2-12, and for seniors. Prices also vary depending on whether you want general admission tickets, general admission tickets plus tickets to one movie, general admission tickets plus tickets to two movies, or just movie tickets. There is also occasional special programming available at varying prices. For more information, to buy tickets on-line or to find out what exhibits are currently available go to http://lsc.org/.

And that's our view . For more about The Liberty Science Center see tomorrow's Talking Topic post.


          

Tips for Tuesday - Apps and Web-Sites: Candy Crush and Daily Break

Me - Today I am recommending Candy Crush. It is a fun game. It is like Bejeweled. You have to switch the candy around to make three in a row or more. If you get five in a row, you get a donut. It is fun for all ages even my grandfather plays it.

Mom - Today I am recommending  Daily Break where you take challenges. Challenges are trivia and games about fashion, music, sports and stuff. By doing challenges you can earn prizes such as Amazon gift cards or other things.Sometimes, challenge winners are chosen randomly and sometimes, they are chosen based on top scores or by a vote. You can also earn coins which can be traded in to enter sweepstakes. You also get daily spins where you can earn more coins. You can also earn runner-up prizes by sharing. You won't necessarily win a lot with Daily Break but it is a fun site. To learn more or sign up go to dailybreak.com.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

The Kinds of Movies We Like

Me - Movie genres, wow! I don't like horror movies. I don't like action movies. I don't like adventure movies. I like comedies. I like chick flicks. I like romance movies. I sometimes like dramas, and I sometimes like documentaries it depends what they are about. I don't like science fiction. I don't like war movies. I don't like westerns. I like musicals. I like mysteries but not criminal mysteries. I like some animated movies and I don't like some. I don't like foreign films because I don't like subtitles. I don't like silent movies because they are boring. Over all, I don't have a favorite kind of movie.

Mom - I don't like horror movies. I like some science fiction but not all. I like movies like ET and the Harry Potter movies, but I don't like movies about futuristic worlds and stuff like that. I am also not into all those vampire movies. I like comedies but not stupid comedies. My favorite kind of  comedies are romantic comedies. I like dramas even dramas that are sad. I don't like dramas that don't make any sense, but those usually fall under the science fiction category anyway. I like documentaries depending on the topic. I like animated movies if they are well made like Pixar or Disney type animated movies and if they are not really stupid. I like foreign films depending on the topic because who wants to sit there and read subtitles if the movies is not any good anyway. I sometimes like action movies and sometimes don't but they are not my favorite. The same with adventure movies. In general, I don't like war movies or westerns, but there have been a few that I have liked. I don't like war movies that are just about killing, I only like ones that have some deeper meaning than that. I love love love musicals! They are my favorite kind of movie. This does not mean I have loved every musical ever made. There have been some really bad ones. Then, again there have been some really great ones too. I guess you can pretty much say that about every genre of movie though.

And that's our view. What is your favorite kind of movie?

Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.

Saturday Special - Updates from the Lakewood Blue Claws and the Trenton Thunder

Lakewood Blueclaws

The Lakewood Blueclaws baseball team have announced the following promotions for the 2014 season:

2014 Promotional Highlights

Giveaways - Pitcher Pitchers (a drink pitcher with a picture of a BlueClaws pitcher, June 2^nd), World Cups (June 3^rd), USA Soccer T-Shirts (June 11^th), Salt & Pepper Shakers (July 24^th), Darin Ruf "Made the Phillies" Bobbleheads (August 4^th).

Entertainers - Phillie Phanatic (June 19^th and August 14^th), ZOOperstars (August 5^th).

Celebrity Appearances - Roy White (autograph signing with former Yankees outfielder, April 22^nd), Yo Gabba Gabba Character (April 27^th), Duck Dynasty's "Mountain Man" (autograph signing, May 8^th), WWE Legend Jimmy "Mouth of the South" Hart (autograph signing, July 13^th).

Theme Days

- Phillies Night (details TBA, April 21^st), Bark in the Park (bring your dog, May 17^th), What Could Have Been Day (June 22^nd), Pirate Night (July 1^st), "Napoleon Dynamite" 10-year Anniversary Celebration (July 10^th), BruceClaws Night (Springsteen Appreciation (July 26^th).

For more information go to Lakewood Blueclaws.

 Trenton Thunder

The Trenton Thunder have announced the following:

Holiday purchases will benefit the Children's Home Society of New Jersey

For each Season Ticket, Pic-A-Plan and Mini Plan purchased between November 25 and December 20, the Thunder will provide tickets for families in the Holiday Gift Outreach program run by Children's Home Society to attend a 2014 Thunder game.   In its first eight years, the Gift of Baseball program has allowed the Thunder to donate a total of 5,712 tickets to the Children's Home Society.    Mini plans include five or six of the most popular games on the schedule, free food at each game, a Trenton Thunder hat, a complimentary ticket to Opening Night and start as low as $55. More information about Mini Plans can be found here: MINI PLANS Pic-A-Plans allow fans to choose any 10 or more games and like Mini Plans include free food, a free hat and a free Opening Night ticket.  More information about Pic-A-Plans can be found here: PIC-A-PLANS Season Tickets are available as either a full (71 games) or half (36 games) and include a lot of perks such as early entry, special events and more.  More information about Season Tickets can be found here: SEASON TICKETS   The Children's Home Society of New Jersey provides at-risk children and their families with a range of services that empower them to achieve their potential.  They are child-oriented, family focused, community based, and outcome-oriented. The Thunder will begin the 2014 season at ARM & HAMMER Park on Thursday, April 3.  Season tickets, group outings, Pic-A-Plans, and Mini Plan renewals are on sale now.  Single game tickets will go on sale on March 1, 2014.  For more information about tickets, fans should call 609-394-3300 or visit trentonthunder.com.

Funny Friday - Name Confusion

Me -

My sister had a toy My Little Pony named Rainbow Dash. My brother always used to think it was called Diaper Dash.


Mom-

When Aurella was little she thought the show was called Hannah Tana instead of Hannah Montana.

We welcome you to share your funny stories with us. Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.

What We're Thankful For

Me - What I'm thankful for, wow! I'm thankful for my family. Even though we tease each other and fight, we always are there for each other. I'm thankful for my friends who I have tons of fun with. They are also always there for me. I'm thankful for the creator of Friends because it is the best show in the world. I'm thankful for having shelter and the warmth it provides for me. I'm thankful for books because I love to read. I'm thankful for food because I like food. I'm especially thankful for French Toast. I'm thankful for desserts because I love sweets.  I especially love cupcakes. I'm thankful for drinks because my throat hurts a lot and drinks help especially water. I'm thankful for makeup because it makes my face actually look nice for a change. I'm thankful for TV because I love to watch. Besides, if it wasn't for TV there'd be no Friends, and Friends is the best show ever! I'm thankful for the microwave. I'm thankful for Broadway shows because it is really fun to go see them. It is fun to be right there and see them acting right in front of you. I'm thankful for pencils because they have erasers so you don't have to start all over again when you mess up. I'm thankful for computers because even though I have a typewriter, and I like it, computers are much easier to use especially if you have to go back and start over. I'm thankful for early Homo Sapiens who invented language because I love to talk. I'm thankful that I live in the 21st Century because if I didn't who knows what my life would have been like.

Mom- I'm thankful for so many things. Of course, first and most I am thankful for the love and support of my family. They make my life so much better so much happier so much more fun. I'm thankful for a roof over my head and a place to sleep. I'm thankful for heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. I'm thankful for books because I love to read. I'm thankful for computers because I love to write and computers make it so much easier. They also make it so much easier to find information and to buy things. I'm thankful for Amazon and E-bay because they also make it so much easier to buy things.  I'm thankful for music because I love to sing, and I love to listen to music. I'm thankful for mp3s because it makes it so much easier to take all my favorite songs and put them together and carry them around with me. I'm thankful for e-readers because they do the same thing with books. I'm thankful for the microwave because it makes cooking so much easier and more convenient. I'm thankful for the color purple not the movie or the book or even the Broadway show but literally the color. I'm thankful for Broadway shows, and Off-Broadway shows, and sometimes even community theater because there is nothing like live theater. I'm thankful for Oreo cookies, Lindor white chocolates, Nestles toll house cookie ice cream sandwichs and all those things that are so bad and yet taste so good.  I also hate those things because I can't stay away from them like I should. I'm thankful for blue skies and rainbows, and rare perfect days. I'm thankful for blogging because it gives me the opportunity to write which I love and to share my writing, and now it is giving me so many other opportunities too. I am thankful for so many many things.

And that's our view. What are you thankful for?

Tune in tomorrow for Funny Friday.

Where-To-Go Wednesday - The Lion King

What: The Lion King

Where: Minskoff Theater
             220 W. 45th St.
            New York, New York

Who: 5 and up 

Our view: Even though The Lion King has now been running for 15 years on Broadway, it is still as popular as ever. All the familiar songs and characters from the original movie can be found here. There are also additional songs. They are not particularly memorable for the most part. Even if you are not particularly fond of The Lion King, this version is worth seeing for the staging. The creative use of a puppetry to portray many of the animals in the story is probably what the show is most well known for and is certainly worth seeing. The costume and makeup are colorful. The singing and dancing is lively and energetic. For the most part, kids will love it. Just be aware, however, that parts of the plot can be downright scary like a visit to an elephant graveyard and the death of Simba's father although probably not any more scary then the movie with its wildebeest stampede among other things. However, if your child scares easily, you might want to skip it. For more information or to find out to order tickets or to find out when a touring production of the show is coming to your area go to www.lionking.com/.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for another Talking Topic.

Tips for Tuesday - Misc: Kittens and Trivial Pursuit

Me - Today I am recommending kittens. I think kittens are really good pets to have. They make your life interesting. They give you a lot of affection and love. There are soft and cuddly. Also, you don't have to walk them or give them baths. They do, however, require attention.  Kittens make great pets.

Mom - Today I am recommending Trivial Pursuit. Finally, there is a purpose for all that useless information floating around in so many people's heads including my own. Since the original version of the game came out back in the early 80s, there have been numerous other incarnations of the game. There have been all movie versions, junior editions, all 90s and all 80s editions to name just a few. If you are interested in trivia in any way shape or form there is a version for you.  Also, if you like a game which actually involves thinking and knowing things then this is the game for you. Every time you play, it is different. There are so many questions and answers, the game is never exactly the same twice. I really love it, and I would highly recommend it.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

Thanksgiving Food

Me -Thanksgiving food, wow! I don't like Thanksgiving food. I don't like turkey usually on Thanksgiving I have meatballs, ham or chicken instead. I don't like gravy. I have never had it because it looks strange. I would have nothing to put it on anyway because I don't like turkey.I have never actually had cranberry sauce, but I don't want to try it. It looks too weird and kind of squishy. I only like cornbread stuffing. I don't like regular stuffing. I used to like sweet potatoes very briefly. Now, I don't. They are a little too sweet. I used to like Pumpkin Pie too, but I don't like it any more either. I really don't like pie at all except Boston Cream Pie which is not really pie anyway. I do like mashed potatoes. That is the only Thanksgiving food I like. I like to eat other foods for Thanksgiving. I like to eat meatballs. I like to eat corn pudding. I like to eat apple sauce. I also like to eat potatoes like I already mentioned. For dessert, I like to eat black and white cookies, cookie cake, fruit salad if there is any and Brownies if there is any. We usually have an ice cream cake. I like that too except for the icing. Even though I don't like most of the traditional Thanksgiving foods, I still enjoy my meal on Thanksgiving.

Mom - For many people, Thanksgiving is all about the food.  For me, not so much. I mean I enjoy the Thanksgiving meal. I just don't enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal.  I don't like Turkey. I don't like gravy. I don't like cranberry sauce. I don't like most stuffing. I don't  like sweet potatoes. I don't like pumpkin pie. In fact, I don't like most foods that can be considered traditional Thanksgiving fare.A lot of those foods, we don't even have at our Thanksgiving meal. We always have turkey, but there is always an alternative to turkey. Sometimes, it is chicken or roast beef. Sometimes, it's stuffed shells or ziti or something else. We usually do have potatoes just not sweet potatoes. We usually have twice baked potatoes or mashed potatoes both of which I love. In fact, I love most kinds of potatoes twice baked potatoes, regular baked potatoes, mashed potatoes about the only kind of of potatoes I don't like are sweet potatoes. We usually have corn pudding which I love. We don't usually have pie at all. We are not big pie eaters in our family. There is always plenty of dessert though. One thing we usually always have is an ice cream cake. We have a lot of birthdays in our family right around Thanksgiving. Besides, we just love ice cream especially ice cream cake. For me, there is no better way to end the Thanksgiving meal.

And that's our view. What is your favorite part of the Thanksgiving meal?

Funny Friday - Now here it is

Me -

We were talking about blogging post topics while I was doing my homework so instead of writing "homework" on my paper, I started  to write "homework then and now."

Mom -

At the end of an episode of Too Cute on Animal Planet when they give the updated information on animals that have been shown in the episode I call it the "where are they nows."

We welcome you to share your funny stories with us. Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.

Being Young vs. Being Older

Me - Being young vs being old, wow! When you are young, you don't have to go to school. When you are young you get away with everything.  When your older you can stay up late. When you are young, there are a lot of cute clothes. When you are older, you can pick your own clothes. When your little you spend more time with your Mom and Dad. When your older you can go places by yourself. When your little, you don't understand what grown-ups are talking about. When your older sometimes, grown-ups let you be a part of their conversation. I wish they always did. When your younger your friends with boys. When your older, you hate boys and then later you really like boys. When your little, you have to be taken every place. When your older you can take yourself places especially when your old enough to get a driver's license. Over all, I thing it is better to be young because you can see your parents more because you are home with them all day.

Mom - When you're young you don't have to work. When your older you don't have to go to school. When your young, you have tests. When your older, you have bills. When your young, you have people to take care of you. When you're older, you have to take care of yourself. When you're young, you can't go places by yourself. When you're older, you have to go some places by yourself. When you're young you don't always know better.  When you're older you should know better. When your young, you have growing pains. When your old you have aches and pains. When you're young sometimes you feel like people think you're too young for everything. When your older, sometimes you feel like you're too old for everything. When your young, you don't know much about what's going on in the world. When you're older, you know too much about what's going on in the world. When your young, the world seems so big. When you're older the world seems so small. When your young, you wish you were older. When you're older, you wish you were young again.

And that's our view. What do you think is the best age to be?

Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.

Where-To-Go Wednesday - Build-A-Bear Workshop

What: Build-A-Bear

Where: Various Locations

Who: All ages

Our view: Build-A-Bear is stuffed animal lover's dream. For parents whose homes are already over run with stuffed animals  maybe not so much. There are plenty of animals, outfits and accessories to appeal to boys as well  as girls. A lot of them can be kind of pricey, however. They only have about 3 animals available to make at the lower end of the price scale and those three never seem to change while the higher priced items are constantly changing. It can be hard to find inexpensive outfits and accessories as well. If your kids have a fondness for stuffed animals and their accessories and are prone to begging, you might want to steer clear. Otherwise, unless you have really little kids who wouldn't understand, we would recommend  coming to an agreement before you get to the store about what they will and will not be allowed to get. It is actually much easier to stick to a budget if you are having a birthday part at Build-A-Bear. In fact, birthday parties at Build-A-Bear are quite a good not too expensive birthday party option. If you have a birthday party at Build-A-Bear, you  choose options and a budget, and the staff  will put together items for your guests to choose from beforehand. At the party, they will offer your guests only these items to choose from so your guests won't be tempted to pick out higher priced items that are outside of your budget. If you  decide to allow your guests to pick out every item for themselves, chances are the costs will add up quickly. Another nice thing about a birthday party at Build-A-Bear is that since most Build-A-Bear's that we have been to are in malls and don't necessarily have a party room, there is no extra charge for use of the party room as there is in many other places. No party room, however, does present the problem of where to serve cake and other food you plan to serve at the party. Where we live, most people decide to do so either at Friendly's or the food court which are both located in the same mall as Build-A-Bear, but you can choose the option that is best for you  depending on what is available at your location and what fits in your budget. For more information or to find a location near you go to http://www.buildabear.com.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for another Talking Topic.

Tips for Tuesday - TV Shows: How I Met Your Mother

Me -Today I am recommending How I Met Your Mother. It is a really funny show about five friends who live in New York. We just started watching it this season. We happened to see the last episode last year which ended with a cliff hanger so we had to watch the first episode this season. We loved it so we continued watching. I wish we had been watching it all along.

Mom - Today I am also recommending How I Met Your Mother. This year I am really loving How I Met Your Mother. It is a really funny comedy about a group of five friends one of whom is recounting to his children the story of how he met their mother. It has been on for 8 seasons, and this is the 9th and final season. I watched a handful of episodes over the years, but this season I have grown to love it. It is a really funny shows. I will have to go back and watch all those other seasons now.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

Things We Would Like to Get for the Holidays

Me - What I want for the holidays, wow! There are so many things I want for the holidays. I want more Barbie dolls and Barbie doll clothes.I want a mermaid Barbie and some more boy Barbies.  I want a bathing suit for my Barbies.  I want some food for my easy bake oven which may be hard to find because I have an old one. I want a hair jeweler. I want all the seasons of Friends. I want some more things for my doll house. So many things that I want that I can barely even think of them all. I'd like a new scooter. The one I have right now is Hello Kitty, and I am way too old for it. I want DS games. I want Wii games, Just Dance 4 and Just Dance 2014. I want books. I want Charlotte's Web, both the live version and the cartoon.  I want Taylor Swift CDs especially her latest one. I want more Rainbow Loom rubber bands. I would like long sleeved shirts and leggings, a heavy jacket, and a jean jacket. I would like shoes to wear to dance class. I want a guitar. I want a video camera.  I would like a new i-pod touch that isn't cracked and has more gigs. I want a new mp3 player, but I know I am already getting that from my Aunt and Uncle. I want so many things I  can't even name them all

Mom - There actually isn't that much I would like for the holidays this year. I mean I like to get things myself but just as much or maybe even more I like to get things for my girls and see their happy faces when they open their gifts. There are a few things I wouldn't mind getting myself though. I would like a Fit Desk Semi Recumbent Petal Desk so I can go on the computer and get exercise at the same time.I would like an exercise treadmill for the same reason. I am sure I am not getting those though because they are much too expensive. I would like a Sunny Health and Fitness Twister Stepper. I would like The Sound of Music Scrapbook. I would like Jeopardy and.or Trivial Pursuit for the Wii. I would like a set of Funko Pop Vinyl Big Bang Theory figures and a set of Funko Mini Mystery Big Bang Theory. A friend of ours is Bernadette on Big Bang Theory. I like to have Big Bang Theory items partly out of nostalgia because I knew her back when she was a little kid and partly out of the fact that it kind of blows my mind that she is now so famous there are actually things like that made in her likeness. That is about all I can think of that I want right now.

And that's our view. What do you want this holiday season?

Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.

Funny Friday - Pardon the Interuption

Me-

My Mom and I were arguing about something and all of the sudden my sister said "Excuse me, but I'm cute."

Mom -

When Melia was younger, we were in the car and she was whining and complaining and carrying on and a song that she liked went on the radio. She immediately stopped whining, complaining and carrying on and started singing along to the song. As soon as the song was over, she went back to whining and complaining and carrying on.


We welcome you share your funny stories with us. Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.

Monster Mini Golf

Me - Monster Golf, wow!  Monster Golf was a lot of fun. It was better than I expected. There was so much more than just golf. There were a lot of video games too, and you could win tickets for prizes. I never played golf in the dark before. It was fun. The pretend monsters at all the golf holes were a little scary to my sister, but not so much that she didn't want to play except for at one hole. I didn't like the 9th hole because it was really hard and my Mom and sister and I couldn't get the ball in at all. Only my Dad could do that hole. I like the glow in the dark golf balls. The games were fun too. I didn't really have a favorite. I really wanted to play more games but my Dad wouldn't let me recharge my game card. Next time, I would like to play more of the games. The prizes you could win for playing the games weren't so good, but it was still fun to play the games. There were also things you could buy. I liked that stuff better than the prizes you could win. I would recommend Monster Golf as a really fun place to go.

Mom - Monster Golf was a lot more fun than I expected it to be. Part of it was just because of me. The last time, I played miniature golf I just rushed everything and did terrible. This time I took my time and remembered not to overswing and stuff, and I did a lot better. However, also it was just generally a lot of fun. I liked the glow-in-the dark balls. I like the creepy monsters adorning every hole that were just scary enough without being too scary. I liked the music playing in the background. I like the songs that were playing and I also liked  that the music was just loud enough without being too loud. I liked the perodic contests that were run throughout our time at Monster Golf, such as, who had a golf ball of certain color or who could answer a certain trivia question. I like that the prizes awarded were actually useful like a free pass for a future visit or tickets that could be redeemed for prizes. I like that there was other things to do besides play golf. However, I also didn't like that because sometimes it hard to drag the kids away from video games. I liked that there weren't really a lot of high value prizes that could be redeemed with winning game tickets. That makes it easier for kids to set a goal of what they would like to be able to redeem and then actually be able to reach that goal then it would be if there were a lot of higher priced items. I like that most of the stuff for sale was reasonably priced too. However, I didn't entirely like that there were things for sale at all because sometimes kids think that just because things are available to be bought that means they need to get something. That leads to fighting, whining and carrying on. I like the way the decor of the place contributed to the Monster theme. I think that I could probably visit a bunch of times before I would notice everything. That gives me a good reason to go back although I probably would anyway because it was a lot of fun.

And that's our view. What is your favorite monster?

Tune in tomorrow for Funny Friday.

Where-To-Go Wednesday - Monster Mini Golf (Review with Giveaway)

 

What: Monster Golf

Where: 314 US Highway 9
             Marlboro, NJ
            (also in various other locations around the country)

Who: 5 and up

Our view: If you are looking for a unique experience playing miniature golf this is a great place to go. Instead of playing golf out in the sunshine with windmills, castles and other cutesy themed holes, here you will play indoors with glow-in-the-dark balls and monster themed holes. However, there is much more to Monster Golf than just golf. There are also a ton of video and other games to play as well. You can play games to win tickets and redeem them for prices. State of the art machines make it easy to find out the balance on your game card, add value to your game card and/or trade in your tickets.There are also various trendy and/or monster related items for sale. Despite the darkness of the venue, you feel welcome from the moment you step inside. We especially loved the periodic contests run throughout the day, such as, a free pass for a future visit to anyone with an orange golf ball or free prize tickets to anyone dancing to the music. We appreciated that the music that played throughout our visit was loud enough to be heard and provide a nice background without being so loud that we had to scream to hear each other. There are various party packages available for both kids and adults including private party packages where the venue is closed to everyone but party guests. There is plenty of seating in the two party rooms although, they did look like they could be a bit of a tight squeeze. That did not seem to stop anybody who was attending the two parties going the day we were visiting from having a great time, however. We would not recommend Monster Golf for very young children or any one with an extreme fear of the dark and/or of monsters. However, the youngest member of our family who is generally easily scared had a great time and was only afraid of the monster decor at one hole and that was because that one actually moved and it startled her. Monster Golf is currently available in approximately 30 locations in approximately 15 states. For more information about Monster Golf of Marlboro, NJ  or  for more information about Monster Golf in generally or to find a location near you go to http://www.monsterminigolf.com/fran-nj-marlboro/index.html or monsterminigolf.com/ respectively and/or tune in to tomorrow's Talking Topics post. If you would like to win a 4 pack of tickets for a round of golf at Monster Golf of Marlboro. Enter using the below Rafflecopter.

Tips for Tuesday - Apps. and Websites: Tappy Run and E-Bates

Me- Today I am recommending Tappy Run. Tappy Run is a really fun app. You play as a cat named Tappy. You can become an invincible Tappy which is where nothing can kill you. You can become fat Tappy which slows you down. Bluebird Tappy or eon Tappy lets you fly. Those are the powers apps. You can't just choose one just to be clear. Mostly you are just a cat. To jump you tap. You don't really move other than that. There's a lot of fruit, and you try to get it. I don't know why. I would definitely recommend this game app.

Mom - Today I am recommending E-bates. E-bates gives you cash back for shopping on-line. Browse and shop at any of E-bates thousands of available stores. Stores range from well known stores, such as, Amazon, Best Buy and The Disney Store to lesser known stores, such as, Alloy Apparel, Bogs Footwear and Cameta Camera. Cash back percentages vary from store to store. Discount coupon codes for various stores are also available. After your first $25.00 purchase, you get a free gift card  For more information or to sign up go to ebates.com.

And that's our view. Tune in tomorrow for Where-To-Go Wednesday.

Saturday Special - Trenton Thunder 2014 Promotion Dates

	The Trenton Thunder the double A affliate of the New York Yankees have announced the following promotions for 2014 Giveaways including: Replica championship trophies Helmet toothbrush holders Bobbleheads (featuring Mark Texeira, David Robertson, Hideki Matsui, Boomer) Replica championship banners Replica championship pennants Thunder Cooler Bags Sportstoys Minifigure Boomer Dress Up Magnet Catcher's Helmet Coin Banks Youth Replica Jerseys  Thunder Scarves  Adults Replica Jerseys Bucket Hats Visors  Drawstring Bags Roll-A-Banners Reusable Shopping Bags Team Card Sets  Chase Photo Montages Lanyards Posters 2015 Magnetic Schedules Other promotions include: 17 Firework nights Free-All-You-Can Eat Night Bark at the Park Super Value Tuesdays featuring Kids Eat Free & $1 Hot Dogs Thirsty Thursdays     Theme nights including: Super Hero Night  Faith & Family Nights  Irish Heritage Night  Pirate & Princess Party  the Fifth Annual Good Deed Game Football Kickoff Night   For specific dates and/or further information go to trentonthunder.com. Tune in Monday for another Talking Topic.

Funny Friday - Mistaken Identity

Me -

When I was littel I loved the song I Want Candy because I thought it was about the candy you eat and not about a girl named Candy.

Mom -

Melia: I met a girl named Dildora.

Aurella (thinking she meant Dora the Explorer): I love her!


We welcome you to share your funny stories with us. Tune in tomorrow for a Saturday Special.

Pippin

Me - Pippin, wow! Pippin was a great Broadway show. I loved it. It was so funny. It was like one big circus. I liked the music also. I liked when they were using this person as a human jump rope. I liked the part where a guys head was in a chest and it was still talking and everything. When they accidentally let go, it would say "Falling,! Falling!", and then would have to put it back again. I still don't understand why they call the main woman in the show "the leading player." All the characters are funny. I don't have a favorite. My favorite song is No Time At All, but I like them all. I like the words and music of No Time At All, and also  I like that the audience gets to sing along for part of it. I also like what the Grandma said during the song. Not all her words are on the CD though so if you want to get the full effect of it, you have to go see the show. There really wasn't very much of a plot. I did like the way Pippin learns to live in the moment and that you don't have to do something different every day to love your life. However, mostly the whole show makes no sense to anybody that sees it. Despite, that it is a great great show. When I first heard about it, I thought it was going to be a completely realistic bloody war story. It turned out, it was not. It was completely unrealistic. It was not  bloody or gory at all. It was just a lot of fun.

Mom - We were fortunate enough to be invited to a blogger day at Pippin the Broadway musical. I had always loved the show, but had never seen it professionally performed before. Although this new version differed somewhat from the original version which I had previously seen in Community Theater and on video, it was still quite enjoyable. Even though the plot doesn't necessarily make a lot of sense at times, Pippin is still one of the most fun shows you can see. It is also one of the those rare musical along with Godspell and Xanadu where the cast seems to be having as fun a time being in the show as the audience does watching it. That makes for a really special experience. This particular experience was even more special for us because after the show we were given the opportunity to speak with a couple of the actresses in who were in the show. Charlotte D'Amboise played Fastrada, Pippin's stepmother and Rachel Bay Jones played his love interest, Catherine. Both were very down-to-earth and graciously answered our questions. They even posed for a picture with the group. However, unfortunately, we had to leave prior to that time and were unable to be a part of the picture.

And that's our view. What is particularly special experience you had that you remember?