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Holiday Gift Idea – Ramona and Beezus Blu-ray

November 28, 2010 By

I was so excited when I first heard that Ramona and Beezus was getting made into a movie,  because Beverly Cleary’s Ramona books were some of my favorites when I was a kid. Even though the movie switched the title around – the book this movie is based on is titled “Beezus and Ramona” – I thought they did a fantastic job of both staying true to the book while making the story appeal to a modern audience. Bravo, 20th Century Fox!

We received Ramona and Beezus on Blu-ray for review. I popped it in on a Saturday afternoon, hoping Kaitlyn would sit still and at least watch some of it with me. The boys asked what I was watching and I told them, and neither of them left the room, much to my surprise. And to my greater surprise, both of them watched the movie all the way through and said it was “pretty good”, which is extremely high praise coming from 14 and 11 year old boys!

The adorable Ramona, who is 4 in the book, is a kindergartner in the movie and seems closer to age 6.  She’s played perfectly by newcomer Joey King. Her older sister Beezus (the name comes from Ramona’s inability to pronounce Beatrice) is played by Selena Gomez (“Wizards of Waverly Place”), her parents by John Corbett (“Sex and the City”) and Bridget Moynahan (” Blue Bloods”). Other stars in this movie include Ginnifer Goodwin (“Big Love”), Josh Duhamel (“Life as We Know It”), and Sandra Oh (“Grey’s Anatomy”).

Ramona is a free spirit with a soaring imagination, who believes that anything is possible. Her daydreams are part of the movie, like when she jumps from a hole in the side of the family’s house (they are renovating) and imagines herself flying through the air on a parachute.  When Ramona learns that her father has lost his job and they might lose the house,  she sets out to earn enough money on her own to save her house while her dad finds a new job.

Meanwhile, her aunt Bea (Goodwin) realizes that a neighbor is the boy who broke her heart in high school and is trying to resist his charms, and Beezus is falling for a classmate.  Ultimately, this is a sweet movie about the importance of being true to who you are and about loving your family for themselves.

BLU-RAY BONUS FEATURES:

Deleted Scenes
Gag Reel
Show & Tell Film School – Director Elizabeth Allen tells kids the “secrets” to  becoming a director and a filmmaker.
My Ramona with Author Beverly Cleary – Author Beverly Cleary talks about her inspiration for the Ramona books and what it took to write them.
Theatrical Trailer

GREAT GIFT FOR: Ramona and Beezus is rated “G” and could be given as a gift to any age, but I think it would be an especially great gift for tween girls ages 9-12.  $27.99 with Free Super Saver Shipping on Amazon.com.

Filed Under: BLU-RAY and DVD Reviews, Holiday Gift Guide 2010, Tags Tagged With: , ,

Holiday Gift Guide-Fancy Nancy Tea Party Time DS

November 8, 2010 By

Fancy Nancy: Tea Party Time! for Nintendo DS takes players right into the world that the book series has made so popular. Nancy is a little girl who believes everything in life deserves to be made “fancy”, from her clothes to her hair to her poodle Frenchy. In fact if she can use a French word for something, that makes her even happier! Little girls will love helping Nancy in this adorable game from THQ.

In this game, players explore Nancy’s neighborhood on a mission to help Mrs. DeVine plan the perfect party. Nancy needs to find all of the supplies needed for the party while solving easy challenges. Because Nancy loves to try on different outfits, the game cleverly has challenges that call for changing Nancy’s clothes, sometimes minute to minute! For example, Nancy’s raincoat, boots and umbrella are required for wading through puddles, and her fairy wings outfit helps her jump across long distances. The game is intuitive and was easy for my almost-5 year old daughter to play with minimal help.

Kaitlyn’s favorite parts of the game are searching for the colorful “Fancies” that are traded for virtual stickers, and a game where Nancy has to pull vegetables out of the garden before the rabbits eat them. This game has been holding her interest for weeks and she never seems to tire of doing the same challenges over and over. She’s even started saying a few French words she learned in the game!

Amazon.com has Fancy Nancy: Tea Party Time! for Nintendo DS for $29.96 plus free Super Saver Shipping. If you know a little girl who has a Nintendo DS, this would make a terrific holiday gift!

Filed Under: Holiday Gift Guide 2010, Tags Tagged With: , , ,

Holiday Gift Guide – PhotoWeavers Photo Blankets and Throws

November 7, 2010 By

Some people are just hard to shop for, right? As you make your holiday gift shopping list, I’m sure you’ve come across a couple of people that when you ask them what they want for Christmas, they say “oh, I don’t know.” It’s so frustrating!  I find it especially hard to come up with great gifts for my parents and grandparents every year. I came across a site called PhotoWeavers, and now I know exactly what to get those hard-to-buy-for people on my holiday gift list!

PhotoWeavers turns your photo into an incredible woven photo blanket that showcases your photo, plus personalization like a name, a special date, and/or a border. There’s a great “Inspiration Gallery” on the site that shows examples of different combinations you can make. Looking at the gallery gave me even more ideas for who a photo blanket or photo throw would be perfect for! Know someone who just had a baby? Design a blanket for them featuring a photo of their precious new addition, plus the baby’s name and date of birth.  Someone who graduated from high school or college would appreciate a cozy photo throw with their photo and the name of their school and when they graduated.  Give your parents, grandparents or a special family friend a photo of your kids for a special keepsake. The possibilities are endless!

PhotoWeavers can also turn your photo into a wall hanging, a pillow, a purse, or a tote bag. What a great way to have a special photo with you all the time!  Ordering is so easy – just upload your photo and personalize it. PhotoWeavers will edit your photo so it’s the best it can be, scan it into their digital interface, then weave it with over 8 miles of cotton.  After washing your blanket or throw so it’s extra comfy when it arrives, they ship your finished product via FedEx, and you have your photo throw or other item! There’s a video on the site that shows the process, it’s really cool to see how all the threads come together to make an exact replica of a photo.

DISCOUNT AND CONTEST: “Like” PhotoWeavers on Facebook and now through Nov. 15th, get 50% off your order!  The link for the coupon is on the “Welcome” tab of their page. Click the “Contests” tab to learn how you can enter your photo in one of five categories, the top 5 most voted for photos win a photo blanket, plus the overall winner gets an additional five blankets. I’m planning to enter a photo myself, so you might be getting a Facebook message from me asking you to vote for my entry!

PhotoWeavers can ship your finished product in 3-5 days and they have an unconditional money back guarantee, so my honest opinion is that it’s an option to consider for your holiday shopping. Or heck, buy one for yourself! It would be like getting a hug from the person you love every time you wrap yourself in the blanket :)

Filed Under: Holiday Gift Guide 2010, Tags Tagged With: , , , ,
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