My daughter is afraid of movies

My 4 year old is afraid of movies. Every movie we have taken her to has been a near disaster. The first time we took her to see the Hannah Montana Concert movie she sat on her dad’s lap for most of the movie. She only started dancing and singing when the music came on near the middle of the movie. The next time we saw a movie, she sat there chewing her sweater with tears in her eyes while watching a different movie that was supposed to be funny and rated G. The last time we took her to see “Earth” which was rated G,  she was scared to her wits end because the soundtrack was so loud in the movie coupled with the scary predator imagery, she never wanted to return to the movies ever again.

I do believe that some of the issue is that my daughter is an only child who is exposed to very little that is beyond her age group, however I blame the movie companies for some of the issues because they try to market movies for a wider audience to sell more tickets. For example, Earth is a rated G movie, but the sound effects and imagery of predatory creatures are so scarey in the movie, a 4 year old will end up spending most of the movie hiding under his or her sweater instead of learning about nature in the jungle and the sea.

Tomorrow, my 4 year old is supposed to be going with her kindergarten summer camp to see the movie “UP”. Since my 4 year old is afraid of movies, I thought showing her the trailer would help alleviate some of her fears of movies. I was wrong. The trailer confirmed all her fears with the barking dogs, loud thunder and lightening scenes, and the scary dark house with the grouchy old guy. The humor in the movie is more for older kids and adults and completely went over my 4 year old’s head. Therefore, my 4 year old will be staying home with me tomorrow instead of going on her school field trip because this kids cartoon has content that is marketed for a wider audience.

I am worried my child will never outgrow her fear of movies. It seems like people with more than 1 child in the family manage to take their 4 year olds to movies with no issue, but my 4 year old cannot deal with the loud noises in the theater. I even went so far as to bring an Ipod in the last movie with me so that she could listen to her favorite Taylor Swift songs while watching the imagery on the movie screen to block out the loud scary sound effects from “Earth.” That did not help, she still sat in her seat chewing her sweater with tears in her eyes as a polar bear lost his way amongst the melting ice caps.

In a way, it is something my child will have to eventually get over, but at the same time, I want the movie companies to rate their movies properly for children. Since when is a movie like “Earth” supposed to be G rated when there are lions attacking elephants in the dark or sharks attacking fish in the scenes?

Children believe everything they see is real and they have a hard time differentiating between what is real and what is not real. When my daughter watches a commercial on television that tells her it is time to do Back to School shopping, she tells me we need to go do some back to school shopping. Movie companies should get back to making G rated movies really appropriate for people of all ages.

For now, I have to figure out how to get my daughter to the next movie. For sure, “UP” is not the movie for her to try her next foray into learning to like movies. Doesn’t it sound strange that she has to “learn” to like a movie? If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them.

$25 Spendervention again at Marshalls

I love Spring when you think about cleaning out the old, and bringing in some new and just cleaning in general. Today I headed out to Marshalls for my spendervention. I had my $25 ready and waiting to be spent on some new goodies from Marshalls. I think lots of people had the same idea for a spendervention because the store was PACKED!

I saw some great things at the store. There were some great designer jeans by True Religion, Los Angeles Lakers tshirts, house hold goods, beauty products, Ralph Lauren flip flops, just to name a few. It was pretty well stocked full of some of the branded items you’d typically find at a department store for full price.

My mission for my spendervention was to find some key things that would fit my $25 budget. I combed carefully through the aisles and came across a few great items. Remember how I mentioned spring cleaning? Well, I think the items that I picked out would certainly fit the theme.

I found a bottle of Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day all natural laundry detergent. This stuff is really expensive at Whole Foods market and any other grocery store. This was a must have for my spring planning.

Next, I found some great organic cotton kitchen towels. How great are these?! I think that as I get older, I’m slowly transitioning to use more natural products where possible. These towels felt really nice and I think they’ll do the job well.

Lastly, we bought a grater because we’ve been wanting one for a while. I think this would be great for our panini grilled sandwiches that we’re having for dinner while we watch the Laker vs. Magic NBA finals game.

Check out the photo!

Since we are a family friendly blog, I thought that purchasing these home type items would be a really great way to showcase what finds you could see at your local Marshalls.

Happy Spendervention!!

$25 Spendervention at TJ Maxx

While you see all of the commercials where people are staging spenderventions on fashions and everyday items, I had a chance to check myself on my very own spendervention at TJ Maxx.

Armed with $25 to spend on anything I could find at my local TJ Maxx store, I walked in with an open mind that I’d find some great savings on products.

In my last post about Father’s Day, I mentioned that I had no ideas for what gift to give this year. As I walked around the aisles and check out everything from Ed Hardy gear to Ralph Lauren Polo Shirts, I spotted a nice Adidas collared shirt for my father in law. He enjoys his walks around the neighborhood, and this shirt has some great breathable material.

With a few bucks left I was able to pick up something for myself…I found a water bulb to water my plant. I have always wanted one since I saw the infomercial.

Check out my purchases!

Father’s Day Gift Ideas

I am having such a hard time figuring out what to get for my dad for father’s day this year. Its also next week so I better get a move on it. After visiting every single online shopping site, I’ve still not come up with anything. I would hate to just buy something out of desperation, so I can send it to my dad on the east coast. If he were here on this side of the coast, it’d be a nice lunch or dinner out on the town and some good wine.

Anyone have any good suggestions? My dad is the type of guy who has everything…

Go check out our friend: www.shoppingandinfo.com for some quick father’s day ideas. That’s what I’m going to do now so that I can get my dad’s gift out in the mail so it won’t be late.

He’s been laid off, but you’re not…article I read today…

I read this article on CNN.com today that was repubished from The Frisky magazine.  http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/personal/06/01/Tf.Unemployed.Boyfriend.Now.What/index.html 

I won’t go and recopy it over to this blog, so please do read it via that link I provided above.

In our tough economic times, many people (men and women) are losing their jobs every day. This article focuses specifically on men and their challenges with accepting their new role in the household post layoff, and how we, spouses need to help soothe their fallen egos and prides.

This article is a sort of guide that was written to help the working women in your household, deal with your husband’s recent job situation. It tells you to empathize, but not to pity and above all else…stay positive for his sake. If you read this article, you start to understand that men feel lost identity, humiliation, anger and frustration over their marginalization. I get all of it and can understand how that can be tough on the male species, however, my skeptic and unsympathetic side thinks…so what?

Unfortunately, life sometimes sets you up for disappointment. If anything, not having this particularly boring, or unsatisfactory job should give lots of time and opportunity to go and find that career of a lifetime. I personally have gone through this situation over the last few months, and I know that it was tough on my husband at first (I wrote about this particular subject a couple months earlier). I would like to think that we survived that trying time with how we always deal with difficult situations. I don’t think that I was especially empathetic or different from how I normally face problems and issues in life. I think more than anything, you’d want to maintain some sense of normalcy in your life when a big life change like this happens.

Do you have mold in your house?

Recently, I thought I may have had some mold growing in my house. Luckily, we did not have the kind of mold that would threaten our lives or our house. But, after the initial scare, I decided I needed to be proactive from now on to prevent mold in my house in the future.

Mold can cause allergies. It can make it hard for some people to breathe. Mold can make it harder for your body to fight off infections. Mold can even cause serious illness.

Mold can grow in your house. You can prevent it from growing. If you have a little mold in your house, you can clean it up.

This pamphlet tells you:

* how to prevent mold from growing;
* how to find out if mold is growing in your house; and
* how to clean up small amounts of mold.
How to prevent mold from growing

Mold needs moisture to grow. Controlling the moisture and keeping the house dry prevents the growth of mold.

Check your house for signs of moisture or molds. Find out if water is coming in from the outside or if lots of moisture is produced inside the house.

Check your house foundation, walls and roof for leaks. Check for plumbing leaks. If you find any, fix them.

Think of the different ways moisture is produced inside the house (for example, cooking, bathing). Remove the moisture as it is produced by opening a window or using exhaust fans.

Reduce the amount of stored materials, especially items that are no longer used. Fabrics, paper, wood and practically anything collect dust and hold moisture.

Mold-proofing your house, room-by-room

Basement or crawl space

* Get rid of clothes, paper and furniture stored in the basement. Keep only the items you can wash. Throw out wet and badly damaged or musty smelling materials. Keep the basement tidy so air can move around more easily.
* Store firewood in a shed or garage, not inside the house.
* Avoid having carpets on the basement floor.
* Periodically clean the drain in your basement floor. Use half a cup of bleach, let it stand for a few minutes, then flush with plenty of water. Keep the drain trap filled with water.
* A dehumidifier helps to reduce moisture in the basement during the warmer months. Close the basement windows when the dehumidifier is running.
* Avoid standing water. Keep your sump pit covered. Use a piece of metal or you can make a good cover by wrapping plywood in plastic.

Furnace

* Regularly clean and replace the furnace filters. Use a pleated, one-inch filter, not a coarse filter.
* If you have a heat recovery ventilator (HRV), clean the filter inside the HRV often.
* If you notice mold or signs of dampness, such as water on your windows or wet spots elsewhere, do not humidify. Disconnect furnace humidifiers that are no longer used.

Laundry

* Connect your clothes dryer to an exhaust ducted to the outside.
* Remove lint every time you use the dryer.
* Avoid hanging laundry indoors to dry.
* Dry your laundry tub and washing machine after you use them.

Bathroom

* Check the bathroom fan to make sure it exhausts to the outside, not to your attic.
* Turn the bathroom fan on when you shower. Keep it running for a few minutes after you finish your shower.
* Take short showers if possible.
* Keep surfaces that get wet, such as the walls around the bathtub and shower, clean and dry.
* If there is a carpet in your bathroom, remove it.
* Keep drains in good shape by removing debris from them. To clean a drain
o pour a handful of baking soda into it
o add a cup of vinegar
o put the plug in the drain
o let the vinegar and baking soda work for about 20 minutes
o run fresh water into the drain
o if the drain is still plugged, use a small plumbing snake to unplug it.

Kitchen

* If the fan over your stove exhausts outside, use it when you cook.
* Minimize prolonged boiling.
* Keep your drains in good shape. Follow the steps in the Bathroom section, above.
* There’s a drip pan at the back of your refrigerator. Pull the refrigerator out to clean the drip pan. At the same time, vacuum dust from the coils at the back of the refrigerator.
* Check under the kitchen sink to make sure there are no leaks.
* Take out the garbage daily to prevent odours and spoiling.

Closets and bedrooms

* Get rid of clothes or other stored items that you don’t use. Keeping your closets and bedrooms tidy makes it easier for air to circulate and harder for mold to grow.

Other parts of the house

* When family and friends come into the house, have them take off their shoes.
* Vacuum often. If you are buying a vacuum cleaner, try to get one with a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter. A HEPA vacuum cleaner is more efficient in removing small particles of dust and molds.
* Clean hard floors with a damp mop.
* Remove unnecessary furniture that collects dust.
* Do not bring furniture that has been stored in a moldy place into your house.
* Cut down the number of potted plants in the house-soil is a good place for mold.

Outside the house

* Install downspout extensions to take rainwater and melted snow away from the house.
* Make sure that eavestroughs, downspouts and downspout extensions are connected and working.
* Grade the soil so the ground slopes away from the house.
* Fix problems as quickly as possible.

How to tell if there is mold in your house

Mold grows in damp places. The best places to look for mold are the basement, under or behind stored items, under the kitchen or bathroom sink, on the wall or floor next to the bathtub, at the bottom edge of windows or in closets.

Mold can be black, white or almost any colour. It often looks like a stain or smudge. It may smell musty.

To find out if a stain or a smudge is mold, carefully dab the mark with a drop of household chlorine bleach. If the colour of the stain or smudge changes or disappears, it is probably a mold.
How to clean up small mold areas

Mold areas less than the size of a standard garbage bag folded in half are considered small. You can clean small areas yourself. For moldy areas that are larger, consult your housing department.

Wear rubber gloves, glasses or safety goggles, a dust mask and a shirt with long sleeves.

Washable surfaces:

* scrub with a detergent solution; then
* sponge with a clean, wet rag and dry quickly.

Moldy drywall:

* clean the surface with a damp rag using baking soda or a bit of detergent. Do not allow the drywall to get too wet.
If mold comes back after cleaning, or you think your house has lots of mold, contact your housing department for more information.

I got this info from http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fniah-spnia/pubs/aborig-autoch/mold-mefaits_guide/index-eng.php

J Crew 20% off coupon code

J Crew has a one day private sale for Memorial Day. Get 20% off your total purchase of $175 or more with code SUMMER. Enjoy it.

KTLA Emmet Miller Home Depot today

I was at Home Depot today buying some things for a home improvement project for Memorial Day and I saw Emmet Miller in shorts and flip flops with a cart full of stuff leaving the store. How cool is that? I love watching Emmet Miller on the KTLA 10P news. He is a great anchor and I actually watch the news when he is anchoring. This was a very exciting siting.

Happy Memorial Day. Guess he is doing some home improvements too.

Shopping and Goodies fashion trends

We have a great edition of Weekly Shopping and Goodies.Check out what all the best fashionista’s are dishing about… the draped dress, swimwear tips from Shoshanna, Blake Lively’s bag, making your own soda, and so much more! Have fun reading and we’ll see you next week with the latest scoop!





A Few Goody Gumdrops and Chickdowntown are giving away a necklace from the House of Harlow by Nicole Richie.Enter to Win!
Bags, Bling and Beauty invites you to check out swimwear tips from Shoshanna Gruss.
Being High Maintenance, not Bitchy is getting summer ready with ChickDowntown and you can too – just read and win!
Couture In The City shops sandals and savewith Smartbargains.com.
Fashion Fille loves colors- and welovecolors.com! Find out what’s her favorite on the awesome tights site!
Raging Rouge blows her diet with a 2,000 calorie treat by MAX Factor.
Shopping and Info found Blake Lively’s brown cross body bag.
Spork Fashion braves the heat to check out the Silver Spoon Dog and Baby Gifting Suite. These are some spoiled babies!
Less sugar, less money, less waste – Spork Living asks, why wouldn’t you want a Soda Stream machine? Make Your Own Soda With Soda Stream!
Style Eyes would love to invest in a beautiful, flattering and expertly draped dress.
The Bare Skinny knows where Kim Kardashian got her Balmain inspired vest.
Suffering from a breakup? The Well-Heeled Society breaks it down with The Relationship Journalist Lisa Steadman’s new workbook (that gives her gift registry kudos on page 77!).

Shopping and Goodies has all the goods

Find out what to read, wear, and eat this week on Shopping and Goodies. All the best news is online today here.

The Fashionable Housewife found the 4 most comfortable sandals for Spring / Summer
A Few Goody Gumdrops is giving away a Roncato train case filled with Sue Devitt, Stila, China Glaze and more Beauty “Goodies”. Enter to Win!
Being High Maintenance, not Bitchy lathers up with Caress Evenly Gorgeous Exfoliating Body Wash! Time to suds up ladies!

Couture In The City shares with us May is IMAN month! Check throughout this month for exclusive giveaways and IMAN interview!
Fashion Fille has yet another totally awesome giveaway. This time, she’s giving out free Yeah Yeah Yeah’s swag! Enter now to win!
Handbag du Jour has got the scoop – shop the one-day private Ted Rossi sample sale this week in NYC.

Princess Dominique Dishes Fashion is BACK and she’s spreading the fashion love Fabulous ALDO Handbags UNDER $50! Get them while they last…
Puppies and Worms loves the Magnolia Bakery Vanilla Cupcake recipe.

Quinta Trends talks with Ricky Gonzales about his fashion brand VMarie. Latin flavour from Phoenix.
Shopping and Info found out how to eat 70% off at celebrity favorite restaurants like Café Med.
Style Eyes indulges in a bit of guilt free shopping at the Ethical one stop shop
The Fashionable Gal is giving away Jill Mansel’s new book “An Offer You Can’t Refuse”. Enter for a chance to win this book!
The Well-Heeled Society shows you python stilettos so high, you can kiss the sun!
What’s Haute Magazine’s beauty editor Allison Croce gives a beauty how-to on achieving a flawless face!