STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE Party (Outdoor) – for Girls 1 to 7 years old

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE Party (Outdoor) – for Girls 1 to 7 years old

My friend’s daughter will be celebrating her 1st birthday on March 3. I’m helping with all the preparation. Everybody say that I’m more excited and tensed than the parents of the birthday girl. I like parties because these are happy times when family and friends meet. Preparing for occasions like this keeps me active; doing it for people that matter to me makes the job all the more fun!

Invitation:

Materials: strawberry shortcake themed card, glittered pens, and strawberry shortcake stickers.

I hand-printed all the details on the invites and put sticker outside the envelope instead of glue.

Games:
1. Longest Happy Birthday
2. Paper Dance
3. Bring Me
4. Treasure Hunt

Loot Bags: My friend bought paper sandwich bag and we put assorted candies, strawberry shortcake stickers and button pins. I printed the thank you tags and we decorated the bag with strawberry shortcake stickers.

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OVER THE HEDGE - 2006

OVER THE HEDGE

USER COMMENTS:
My whole family watched Over the Hedge last year but I didn’t understand a thing. Why? I slept in the movie house. This is becoming a bad habit, so my husband said next time they will not bring me anymore. Since then I fought off my sleepiness.

Finally when this movie came out in DVD, my husband bought because the kids really like this one. They have watched this movie over a hundred times now, but every time they watch this, I seem to be sleeping. Finally today, I was able to finish it!

I find the movie funny but there are scenes that I particularly don’t agree on. I suggest parents watch this with their kids so that they can explain to them that some scenes must not be copied/done at all.

PLOT/SYNOPSIS:

A scheming raccoon fools a mismatched family of forest creatures into helping him repay a debt of food, by invading the new suburban sprawl that popped up while they were hibernating...and learns a lesson about family himself


Director: Tim Johnson & Karey Kirkpatrick

Composer: Rupert Gregson-Williams

CASTS:
Bruce Willis
Steve Carell
Garry Shandling
Wanda Sykes
William Shatner
Nick Nolte
Allison Janney
Thomas Hayden Church
Eugene Levy
Catherine O’Hara
Avril Lavigne etc.

Rated PG for some rude humor and mild comic action.

Genre: Children's

DINOSAUR PARTY ---for boys 2 to 7 years old

We celebrated my youngest son, Juan, first birthday in a restaurant. Everything turned out fine, of course because I was the one who prepared everything! The only disaster was that the food was served late!!! I was so ashamed with the guests that I sulked for a month!

This year I’ve decided to give my son a small party but nevertheless a happy one. The venue is in our house. The theme is dinosaur. I started with the invitation (of course, it has to have a dinosaur print. Since our place is small, I divided the guests to be invited in three groups/batches. First batch at 3 pm (friends from school); second batch at 5pm (neighbors); third batch at 7pm (relatives).

For the loot bags, I made a bag using glossy brochures. I put candies, biscuits, small toys, coloring books and crayons inside. I decorated the paper bag with curling ribbon and a plastic dinosaur toy (which you can buy in bulk).

I ordered three cakes (in different flavors) and decorated it myself with plastic dinosaur toy (much cheaper than buying a ready made dinosaur cake). Make sure the toy is lead free before placing it on the cake though.

Games:

1. Pin the tail on the dinosaur (pin the tail on the donkey). I had my kids’ dinosaur coloring book photocopied. I cut the tail of the dinosaur and pinned the paper on the wall (must be eye level with the kids).

2. Dinosaur Race. I bought 2 wind-up dinosaur toys. The game is much like a car race.

3. Match the Dino. I bought dinosaur flashcards. Told the kids to look carefully on the dinosaur flashcards posted on the wall. And I made them find the one that matches the dinosaur I was holding.

My husband decorated our ceiling with crepe paper and the walls with some balloons. I scattered Dino flashcards on top of the dining table.

On the center table, we placed several dinosaur plastic toys and egg-shaped chocolates.

Clearance Costumes & Party Supplies at BuyCostumes.com

VANTAGE POINT MOVIE - 2008

VANTAGE POINT

Plot/Synopsis:

Set in Salamanca, Spain, during an international counterterrorism summit, Vantage Point depicts an assassination attempt on the president of the United States from the perspective of five witnesses.

I was left wondering what happened to Sigourney Weaver's character, because besides her opening segment and two small background appearances, she's quickly forgotten. It’s a waste of talent, knowing that Weaver is such a fine actress.

I got irritated, not by the movie, but because there was a group of women who kept on talking! Before the movie started, there was a reminder to turn celphone off and to not make noise. Gee, some people are still stupid not to adhere to rules!

Director: Pete Travis

Casts:
Dennis Quaid
Matthew Fox
Howard Lewis
Bruce McGill
Edgar Ramirez
Saïd Taghmaoui
Ayelet Zurer
Zoe Saldana
Sigourney Weaver
William Hurt
James LeGros
Eduardo Noriega
Richard T. Jones
Holt McCallany
Leonardo Nam

Genre: Action/Thriller/Drama

Rated PG-13: Violence, disturbing images, language

DIRTY TALK

My twin kids, Julia nad Rafael are in Kinder School. One day Rafael was so happy to announce that he already have a crush. This conversation with my son Rafael happened a few months ago...

Rafael : You know Mommy my crush in kinder 1 is Sarah.

Me: Oh, and why do you like her?

Rafael: Because me and Sarah, we talk about dirty things.

Me: (Gasps in horror! But I managed to ask my son... Ok what dirty things do you talk about?

Rafael: Sarah told me that her baby brother likes swimming in a dirty water. And I told her that when I was a baby I poopoo in our car and in our bed, and our floor, that's why our things got dirty.

Cutest Story from a two year old boy

It is my tradition to tell stories to my children before we go to sleep. These are stories I made up to teach them lessons in life. I often use animals as the main character. I already have Lizzie the Lazy Lizard, The Mouse etc.

Last night, my two-year old son, Juan, butt in while I was telling them a story...

Juan: I have a story.

Me: Ok. What story do you have?

Juan: About a snake.

Me: Ok, tell us about your story.

Juan: One day there was a snake...(he paused)...The End...By Juan...

We had the biggest laugh of that night. Certainly, kids are so amazing!

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JUMPER 2008

JUMPER

I went to see this movie today with my husband. We were not able to go on a date last Valentine’s Day (no one to leave the kids with, everybody seem busy!). I’m not much into this kind of movie but since there’s no other movie to watch, we went to see it. Lesson learned from this movie: that anything that man does have consequences…you can choose to be good because in the end you reap what you sow..

Plot/Synopsis: A genetic anomaly allows a young man to teleport himself anywhere. He discovers this gift has existed for centuries and finds himself in a war that has been raging for thousands of years between "Jumpers" and those who have sworn to kill them.

Director: Doug Liman

Cast: Hayden Christensen, Samuel Jackson, Diane Lane, Jamie Bell, Michael Rooker, Rachel Bilson, Anna Sophia Robb, Max Thieriot etc.
Genre: Adventure/Drama/Sci-Fi
Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action violence, some language and brief sexuality.

FOREVER YOUNG

This is the very first movie I watched with my then boyfriend John (we’ve been married since year 2000), the year was 1993. How time flies; eight years of blissful marriage with 3 kids, and still this movie is my all time favorite. It is also becoming a favorite of my children.

Today is Valentine’s Day so I’m sharing to you this movie that makes me believe that love finds a way. Watch it with your special someone.

Plot/Synopsis: A 1939 test pilot asks his best friend to use him as a guinea pig for a cryogenics experiment. Daniel McCormick wants to be frozen for a year so that he doesn't have to watch his girlfriend lying in a coma. The next thing Daniel knows is that he's been awoken in 1992.


Writer: Rob Hartill
Director: Steve Miner
Casts: Mel Gibson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Elijah Wood, Isabel Glasser, Joe Morton, George Wendt, Nicolas Surovy etc..
Genre: Romance/Drama/Adventure/Comedy/Sci-fi
Rated PG for some language and domestic conflict

What's Your Valentine's Gift?

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SOMETHING'S GOTTA GIVE

aDirector: Nancy Meyers
Genre: Romance/Comedy

Rated PG-13 for brief nudity, strong language, sexual content

Casts: Jack Nicholson, Diane Keaton, Keanu Reeves, Amanda Peet, Frances Mcdormand
etc.

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 8 nominations

Harry Sanborn (played by Jack Nicholson) is a perennial bachelor who only dates women under the age of thirty. On what was to have been a romantic weekend with his latest infatuation, Marin, at her mother’s beach house, Harry develops chest pains. Marin’s mother Erica Barry, a successful, divorced playwright, reluctantly agrees to help nurse him back to health. Once they are alone together, Harry is surprised to find himself drawn to Erica for all the right reasons (except for her age). And despite her initial protestations about Harry, Erica finds herself rediscovering love. Romantic complications arise when Erica is also pursued by Harry's charming doctor, Julian Mercer, played by Keanu.

Keanu is so cute in this movie, his character shows goodness of a person in all aspect…that of a true loving and giving human being.

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PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS

PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS

This is a story of a struggling salesman, his great love for his son and his life-changing professional endeavor. I like Will Smith, his cool and cute ways. In this movie he proved his detractors that HE CAN ACT! Jaden Smith is superb. He really is his father’s son!

This movie reminds me of my friend Joan. Her life experiences are almost like Chris Gardner, except that she is a woman and she does not have a son but a daughter. Joan and Chris Gardner inspire people not to give up on life. That life is worth living for especially if you have a child to take care of. Mostly that perseverance brings forth good result.

Go see this movie, it’s worth watching. Just don’t forget to bring hankerchief.


Director: Gabriele Muccino
Writer: SteveConrad
Genre: Drama/ Biography
Casts: Jaden Smith, Will Smith, Thandie Newton, Brian Howe, James Karen, Dan Castellaneta,Kurt Fullet etc.
Awards:
Rated PG-13 for some language.
Nominated for Oscar. Another 8 wins & 16 nominations

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E.T.

We've recently let our kids watch E.T. on DVD.

I like this movie because even before when movie-making is not that 'hi-tech' the director made E.T. look so real. I like the kind of friendship the movie imparts and the simplicity of what happiness means to a child.

I just don't like it when E.T. has to go because it never fails to make me cry. And so did our daughter, Julia. After the movie she cried for an hour! Memories of my own childhood came back...I cried uncontrollably too! I was worried that E.T. and her friends will never see each other again.

Drew Barrymore is so cute in this movie.

It's nice seeing Drew as a very young girl, from there you instantly knew she'll be a big star when she grows up.

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Casts: Drew Barrymore, Henry Thomas, Peter Coyote, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, K.C. Martel, Sean Frye, David M. O'dell, Richard Swingler, Frank Toth, etc..

Rated PG

Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy

BIG FISH

Big fish is a story about stories; it tells about a man’s great love for a woman; his adventures; a father and son relationship; and his relationship with all the people he met along the way. The main character, Edward Bloom, tells his life story in a fancy way, in which his son does not approve of.

This is a very nice movie to watch for people who are in love. I’d like to quote my favorite line in the movie, “they say that when you meet the love of your life, time stops”… With this line, the feeling when I first met my husband (15 years ago!) flashed back at once. I remember seeing this guy in green shirt and khaki pants, standing at my cousin’s door, and suddenly time did stop, and a thought run through my mind, “can this guy be my boyfriend?.”. Now with 3 kids, our life has never been happier!

I rate this movie 5 stars because it tells about how life should be spent fully and nicely... even if you are a regular kind of person!

Tim Burton is such a great director!

Casts: Albert Finney, Ewan McGregor, Jessica Lange, Helena Bonham Carter, Billy Crudup, Alison Lohman, Robert Guilllaume, Steve Buscemi, Ada Tai, Arlene Tai, Matthew Mcgrory, Marion Cotillard, David Denman, etc.

Rated: PG 13 because it contains some fight scenes and the back of a nude woman

Genre: Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Comedy

MY LIFE - Michael Keaton and Nicole Kidman

A very close friend of mine was detected to have a brain tumor just a couple of days ago. She's only 32, was married for only a year, and have a 2 month old baby. She is due for operation today. My heart cries for her, but I know she can make it. I know her to be a tough and strong woman...

With my friends recent condition, I suddenly remember the movie of Michael Keaton and Nicole Kidman, MY LIFE. Keaton was in the prime of his life when diagnosed with cancer. In the movie, he also have a young baby boy. Keaton, used his remaining days by recording his thoughts and sharing advices to his son thru a video cam.

I like this movie beacuse it speaks about the vulnerability of life...that life is not permanent...and that life should be spent in a way that enhances the relationship of people. Keaton's amazing acting is also noted.

If you are an emotional person, make sure you have tons of facial tissue before you watch this movie.

I rate MY LIFE: 5 stars.

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Evan Almighty

We've watched the premier night of Evan Almighty last monday..I find the movie good though it's not as funny as i expected it to be. I specifically like the last part where Evan was talking to God. God talked about the ARK (an Act of Random Kindness at a time)...that's how you change the world according to the movie...do an ARK...if only people will find it easy to do an ARK..I rated it 4 stars because i like the A.R.K. part and environmental issues the movie imparted.


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Genre: Comedy
Casts: Steve Carell, Morgan Freeman