Rolemommy

Tween-agers go Bananas for Cody Linley

2010-02-07T14:04:52Z

Monkey (Step and Rolling Around) with Cody Linley by Nancy Friedman

Cody Linley loves his mother. "My mom is amazingly strong and wise, " the twenty year old star of Hannah Montana fame told me last night. "I'm really lucky to have a super-mom, because that's what she is."

There you have it, proof positive that Cody Linley is not only a tween heart throb, not only talented, not only the on-again, off-again, on-screen boyfriend of Hannah Montana (he plays Jake), he's perfect in every way.

I got the chance to talk to Cody the other night at the launch party for Sega's Super Monkey Ball Step and Roll the newly updated version of their wildly popular game for the Nintendo Wii, Super Monkey Ball. In a downtown restaurant filled with tween girls thrilled to be near him and (mostly) too embarrassed to talk to the young star, Cody played the game - in more ways than one.

When we got there, Cody was playing Super Monkey Ball Step and Roll. And like any kid (hey, if you're young enough to be my kid, you are a kid) he was totally absorbed. Did he see the fawning metal mouthed tween-agers gawking? Probably not, he was too busy racing his Monkey around. Like the original Super Monkey Ball, the Step and Roll version has players move their favorite Monkey characters through an increasingly difficult serious of challenges. This version adds new characters, new brain teasers, and most important, the Wii Fitness Board. (As long as you have one - it doesn't come with the game or anything and you can play it without one.) Now, players can use either their Wii Remote or their Wii Fit boards to move their Monkey through the many levels of the game. You can even set the game to count the Monkey Calories you burn - the more you move, the more you burn. (That's what I like to call the "mother-marketing" aspect of the game: if you tell a mom she can burn calories doing something fun...you can bet she's gonna do it.)

When it was time for Cody to play the celebrity game - to stop playing and get to work shaking hands, giving interviews, and posing for pictures, just like that, he changed gears. (Further proof of Cody's perfection.) Wouldn't it be nice if all of our kids did that? Imagine, if they had (home)work to get to, we asked them to stop playing a video game....and they did right away!!!!

In work mode, Cody thrilled my daughter by posing for a photo with her, giving her his autograph, and (and this was big) telling her he liked her shirt. He answered the questions sent to me by Role Mommy Beth Feldman's daughter:

Question: Do you like Hannah Montana in real life?
Cody: We're really good friends. I haven't spoken to her in a couple of weeks, because she's really busy. But she's so nice, and her family is really great.

Question: How long have you been playing DS and Wii games?
Cody: Since I was two! I have older siblings, and they showed me a lot of stuff when I was young.

He also told me that he's in New York rehearsing for his Broadway debut in the musical "Over Here" in which he reprises the role originated by John Travolta in the 1970's. It's set in the 1940's, and he's getting to use his Dancing with the Stars experience to do some Jitterbugging in the show. He loves New York, he says. Growing up in Texas, he didn't have anything like Times Square or the Statue of Liberty outside of his window.

Through all of this, though, I couldn't help but wonder - what does Cody Linley have to do with Sega, or Chiquita? (Chiquita and Sega are partnering up for the "Super Bananza Sweepstakes" where you can win prizes such as a complete game room makeover including a 50" HDTV, sofas/chairs, and Wii console and Balance Board!)

And then I saw a bunch of tween-aged girls swarm Cody for a picture and an autograph, and I realized...it's because everybody goes bananas over him!

Role Mommy correspondent Nancy Friedman is a former TV promotions producer turned writer, author, ghost writer extraordinaire, retired Bar/Bat Mitzvah singer and contributor to See Mom Run. Nancy, her husband and twin daughter and son live in NYC with their new puppy who was recently discovered by a big time pet agent (no joke). Her blog, From Hip to Housewife offers a hilarious glimpse into Nancy's life as she ponders important feminine topics like aging gracefully without the influence of botox and her 20 year quest to lose the same 10 pounds.

Giveaway Central: The Jawbone ICON

2010-02-05T18:40:09Z

As we get closer to Valentine's Day, I'm sure there are men and women out there who are frantically trying to figure out what to get their significant other. Sure, you can invest in a nice piece of jewelry or a box of calorie laden chocolates, but what if you gave your loved one something they could use every day, that'll keep them safe while driving and make them look pretty cool too? Wondering what it is? Well, let me tell you. It's the Jawbone ICON. If you've never heard of Jawbone before, if you own a cell phone then keep reading.

Jawbone is a hands free headset that comes in a variety of styles and colors with different size earplug holders to fit any size ear and a convenient on and off switch that won't drain the battery when you're not using it.

I recently received the brand new Jawbone ICON to review and this morning, after charging it up for an hour (a 40 minute charge works to), I flipped the switch, synced it to my blackberry and called my mom.

"Hello, Mom, it's Beth, can you hear me?"
"Hear you? You're coming in clear as a bell!"
"Really, because I'm trying out the new Jawbone ICON so I figured I'd test it out on you first."
"Well, you can tell those people at Jawbone that I can hear you perfectly down here in Boynton Beach."

Gotta love my mom - a ringing endorsement (no pun intended) that comes by way of Florida. Here's the deal - to truly figure out if your headset is working properly, you really need to ask if the people on the other end can hear you clearly - so part one of my testing worked.

While sitting at my laptop typing away, my cell rang and suddenly I mysterious voice whispered into my ear the phone number of the person who was calling me. Yup - the Jawbone ICON also features an incredible function that enables you to get voice activated caller ID. I answered the phone so easily - you can either press a button on the Jawbone or press answer on your own phone and off I was chatting away with a friend.

Best of all, as I walked around the house and outside to Cosi where I grabbed lunch, the Jawbone stayed in place and felt incredibly comfortable too. So all in all, while it's only day one with the Jawbone ICON, I am totally sold on the latest version. Plus, when I visited the website, I even signed myself up to participate in a beta program where I'm going to get to potentially post my status to Facebook and Twitter with my voice via my Jawbone headset. How cool is that - hands free posting - what a concept!

But enough about me. It is Giveaway Friday and all. If you comment on this post along with your email address and/or Twitter handle, sharing why you deserve this ultimate Valentine's gift, we'll let you know next Friday if you could be walking around town like me sporting your very own Jawbone ICON (a $99 value).

Refreshing the World, One Idea at a Time

2010-02-05T17:01:58Z

This past summer, I had the incredible opportunity to spend time with a woman who is truly a visionary - Jill Beraud, CMO and president of joint ventures for PepsiCo Americas Beverages, who is responsible for integrating the brand into worldwide initiatives that will make a global impact. I met Jill at BlogHer in Chicago when I participated in an incredible panel discussion that she and Lee Woodruff (one of my favorite people in the whole wide world) moderated about living life with purpose.

After the session, I was supposed to race back to the airport to catch a plane but lucky for me, I received the invitation of a lifetime - Jill was headed back home to Westchester, NY and she offered me a lift - on the Pepsico private jet! To say I was elated was an understatement of the year, I jumped at the chance to find out more about Jill and spend some quality time with my friend and mentor, Lee Woodruff, who in my eyes is the Role Mommy of the Millennium.

For the next several hours, I was riveted as I found out about Jill's passion for helping others as she talked about the many philanthropic and life-changing pursuits she and her family were involved with over the years. So it did not surprise me when I received an email a few days ago from the team at Pepsi, unveiling one of the most incredible initiatives undertaken by a major consumer brand - the Pepsi Refresh Project.

The Pepsi Refresh Project is a groundbreaking effort to foster innovation in social good, which will award more than $20 million this year to fund great ideas that refresh the world. The program launched on January 13 and has already exceeded expectations by receiving the monthly limit of 1,000 submissions in less than seven days with at least one from each state in the U.S. Joining the effort are actors Demi Moore and Kevin Bacon, who have generated their own ideas for Pepsi Refresh and are competing for support in the Pepsi Refresh Celebrity Challenge, which launched this week.

The Pepsi Refresh Facebook page also featured an exclusive opportunity to watch the Pepsi Refresh Everything through Great Ideas Brainstorm live from New York City. The Brainstorm brought together Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon, Jill Beraud; advisory board member, Majora Carter; as well as college students from the New York City area to discuss ideas that they believe will positively move the world forward. Below is the Ustream feed to this incredible brainstorming session:

The exciting opportunity behind this project is that anyone with a great idea can enter and potentially win a grant that will help others. According to Pepsico spokesperson Lauren Hobart, the whole premise behind the initiative is to empower people worldwide to vote for the ideas they believe deserve to be funded and the ideas with the most votes can win a grant. This is not a project that will be funding established charities but instead, one that puts the power of giving into the hands of the people.

The Pepsi Refresh Project can be found at www.refresheverything.com, on Facebook at or on Twitter, @Pepsi or #pepsirefresh.

"The overwhelmingly positive response we have received since launching our campaign has been incredible and we are confident that this program will only continue to flourish in 2010," said Beraud. "This is the people's project, it's in their hands. We encourage all individuals to submit their creative and innovative ideas to the Pepsi Refresh Project and cast their votes for the ideas that they want to see come to life."

I love it when a Role Mommy comes up with a campaign that will truly change the world in amazing ways. Kudos to Pepsico and to Jill Beraud for recognizing that individuals do have the power to make a difference.

What Conserving Energy is Costing You

2010-02-05T15:34:20Z

]]> We talked about this before, but as the winter winds are whipping around, it bears repeating. While it's great to conserve energy, make sure you aren't conserving YOUR energy, especially during these cold months.

You probably have put some effort into making sure to keep your energy bills down this season. You may have put some extra weather-stripping around the windows, or added some insulation. You put the storm windows up and made sure that everything is sealed up tight.

But, as tempting as it is to wrap up in a blanket on the couch, hibernate and wait for Spring, don't do it! Even now, when walking across the parking lot sounds like the last think you would want to do, do it! Invest in some warm gloves and a nice toasty hat and scarf and walk across that lot. And walk up those stairs. And get off that couch!

And here's an extra bonus for you - shivering burns calories! So let yourself be a little cold. Get out and walk around the block, even when the wind is blowing and the snow is falling. You won't melt. I promise.

Conserve the energy on your electric bill, but when it comes to your own personal energy, use it. The beauty of it is, the more you use, the more you'll have. You can be your own personal power plant! An Energy Star!

Burn baby, burn!

Dennis Leary's Superbowl Advice

2010-02-04T22:43:10Z

If you're like me and have absolutely no interest whatsoever that this Sunday night is the Superbowl, then all I can say is please join me as I chat with friends, enjoy the commercials and sip wine while my husband is in another room shouting and cheering at our friend's 80 inch flat screen.

Of course, now that the Giants and Jets are out of the running, our interest level in who wins is not as high anyway, but nevertheless, while I am a self professed football avoider, I do have girlfriends who love the game and will watch it religiously with their spouses. In fact, my good friend Julie at Momspective even has a special "no pants" ritual in her house to ensure her team keeps winning games. Don't know how her players panned out this past year, but her no pants rule definitely does add a little spice to her marriage.

As we approach game day, I guess I'm lucky I'm not watching the kick off with "Rescue Me" star and comedian Dennis Leary. Over at Oprah.com, Leary just posted a list of 8 things that women should not talk about with men during the Superbowl.

So what's your take on the Superbowl? Are you a die-hard fan or couldn't care less?

The D(ad) List: Slogans Rejected by Chuck E. Cheese

2010-02-04T01:54:39Z

Check out this classic top 10 list from our resident Role Daddy, TV producer and author of The Kid Dictionary, Eric Ruhalter.

SLOGANS REJECTED BY CHUCK E CHEESE

1. "Come for the games, stay for the antibiotic-resistant germs!"
2. "The paper plates taste as good as the food!"
3. "Our Ball-Pit has more soiled bandaids and hypodermic needles per capita than any other family fun chain in the U.S.!"
4. "Never has a fire hazard been so much fun!"
5. "Using a rodent as a restaurant pitchman since 1980"
6. "So much fun, your kids won't leave without a meltdown"
7. "Your ill-mannered child can bully to his heart's content in the adult-free comfort of our Skytubes ®"
8. "Background checks are performed on all our employees. As far as you know."
9. "30 dollars worth of tokens could net you 75 cents worth of useless plastic crap."
10. "Our mascots will give your kid nightmares, or you get half off your next pizza!"

Eric Ruhalter lives in Morristown, New Jersey with his wife, Kara & 3 rambunctious children. Eric is the creator of The KidDictionary - A Book of Words Parents Need To Describe Their Kids. For more of his wit and wisdom, except for wisdom, amuse yourself at www.TheKidDictionary.com.

Smart Shopping

2010-02-03T17:13:51Z

What would you say if I told you less than 10 minutes in the kitchen could save over $150 on your grocery bill? That's what I thought. All you need is few simple ingredients, some you probably have sitting in your refrigerator's veggie drawer, and you'll be ready to save big bucks on store-bought stock and have a key pantry staple to make soups, risottos, stews...you name it, really. Take a peek at my recipe for homemade bouillon and say goodbye to cans, packets and preservatives.

Skating with the NY Rangers

2010-02-02T23:29:55Z

My husband John, was like a kid in a candy store when he woke up last Thursday morning! You see, that night we were heading into the city for a Skate with the Greats Ronald McDonald House of New York/Rangers event at Rockefeller Center. My husband has not only been a Rangers fan since birth, but also an avid hockey player for most of his life.

Growing up in a lake community in Northern New Jersey, John spent his entire winters - and some years they were long ones - on the lake. I'm talking his every free waking moment was on the ice. My mother-in-law said she used to literally drag him off the ice at dinnertime. All John wanted to do was shoot the puck into the net. His dream was to play for the Rangers and I'm told he's a pretty good hockey player. He was so obsessed with the Rangers that he even permed his hair back in the seventies so that he could look like Ron Duguay.

Fast forward 25 years, I am pregnant with our second child and we're trying to decide on a name for our baby. I've always liked the name Adam. After mentioning it to John, he thought about it for a moment and agreed to keep it in the running. I later found out that was because one of his all time favorite hockey players is Adam Graves #9. While we didn't end up naming our baby boy Adam, it still makes me smile thinking about how he "agreed" to consider the name.

You can only imagine my excitement when Beth received an invitation to attend the Ronald McDonald House of New York's "Skate with the Greats" event. Headlining the event were New York Ranger veterans Brian Leetch and Rod Gilbert and, wait for it...ADAM GRAVES! O-M-G! I begged Beth to please let me be her Role Mommy "correspondent" on this special assignment. As you can tell by this post, Beth sent me on my way with a Flip camera in hand.

The night was truly amazing! The event helped raise over $489,000 including a Live auction of valued sports memorabilia and Rangers experiences. The Ronald McDonald House of New York offers children battling cancer and their families shelter and support while they undergo active treatment. Ronald McDonald House of New York is supported in part by the Rangers through a partnership with the Garden of Dreams Foundation, a non-profit charity that works closely with the Rangers and all areas of Madison Square Garden to make dreams come true for kids in crisis.

The event was generously sponsored by RBC Capital Markets, one of North America's leading diversified financial services companies and among the largest banks in the world. When I told John what we were doing a few days prior to the event, he was beyond thrilled and completely taken aback. Minutes later, he was on his phone, calling and texting every hockey/Rangers fan he knew - and trust me, that's a lot of people.

On the day of the event, I cracked up when I walked into our bedroom and saw John's clothes laid out on our bed - Adam Graves' Rangers jersey was proudly on top of the pile. Off we went to Manhattan and when we arrived, there were over 850 attendees! While we weren't sure whether we would get to meet any of the great legends, we both felt grateful to be there for such an awesome cause. It turned out to be beyond our wildest dreams! John not only got to meet many of his all-time dream players, but he even got to skate with a few of them. A smile was literally plastered on his face the entire evening. The players were all so gracious signing autographs - John alone had about five different items autographed. The event was truly incredible and ranks as one of my all-time favorite experiences with John, not because I'm a hockey fan (I barely even know the game) but because I was responsible for making one of my husband's dreams come true. It truly was a priceless moment!

14 Ways to Love Children on Valentine's Day

2010-02-02T14:34:38Z

A guest post from our friends at Love Our Children USA...

1. Hug your child - often and for no specific reason other than to show your love

2. Encourage your child using positive words - often

3. Place a valentine's day card by their bed so they can see it when they wake up on Valentine's morning and feel special.

4. Make plans to spend at least half a day alone with your child doing something they enjoy.

5. Remove any and all put-downs from your mind and your parenting vocabulary.

6. When your child is angry, extra needy, argumentative or in a bad mood, the most wonderful way of showing your love is a hug, cuddle, pat, secret sign or other gesture of affection.

7. Respond promptly and lovingly to your child's physical and emotional needs.

8. By making an extra effort to set a good example at home and out in public ... saying "I'm sorry," "please," and "thank you" not only goes a long way and it will come back to you.

9. Use non-violent forms of discipline.

10. Encourage your child to cook with you. The two of you have fun and you're promoting good food choices.

11. Take your child to the doctor regularly for consultations, keeping him safe from accidents, providing a nutritious diet, and encouraging exercise throughout childhood, you help protect and strengthen his body.

12. Whether or not you actively try to pass on your values and beliefs to your children, they are bound to absorb some of them just by living
with you.

13. One of your most important gifts as a parent is to help your child develop self-esteem. Your children need your constant support and encouragement to discover their strengths and weaknesses.

14. Reinforce their strengths and help them strengthen their weaknesses. They need you to believe in them as they learn to believe in themselves. Love them, spend time with them, listen to them and praise their accomplishments. Remember to say, "I love you" to children of all ages!

Love Our Children USA is proud to partner with Kenn Viselman presents... The Oogieloves and the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund to raise money for the children of Haiti! You can read more about the initiative at Little Hearts ...BIG Change. It's all about kids helping kids. Funds raised will go directly to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. Donations can be made through Love Our Children USA. Please help the children of Haiti!

Valentine's Day is special day to remember the ones we love. Of course, our
children should be loved and nurtured every day! The benefits to you and your children are amazing!

E*Trade Baby Mail: Role Mommy Fave Find

2010-02-02T13:51:27Z

You gotta love it when you start your morning with an email from the folks at E*Trade - they're the geniuses behind all those hysterical talking baby ads that run during the Superbowl. Well, get ready because thanks to the folks at Oddcast, they have just given us the chance to create our own talking babies and send them to friends and family via email, facebook, twitter!

Plus, if you're a blogger, you can embed it on your site too! I already sent the email below to my husband and I'm sure his buddies at the trading desk will get a big kick out of it or think his wife is pretty strange. Either way, take a look, make your own and then check out all the hilarious outtakes with the E*Trade babies.

And of course, if you happen to be watching the Superbowl this weekend, then get ready to watch a brand spankin' new E*Trade commercial with those adorable talking babies. Don't know about you but the commercials and half time are my favorite part of the game.

Inside the Ladies Locker Room

2010-02-01T15:41:06Z

I don't like working out. There, I've said it. I hate everything about it. I don't get a rush when I'm running on the treadmill (instead I get shooting pains in my side), I don't like waiting for the elliptical machine for more than 5 minutes at a time and I hate, I repeat, hate taking workout classes with women who mark their territory like they're a pack of rabid coyotes.

But there's more to my tale of workout woe. You see, last year I decided to give up my fancy gym membership so that I could save some money and join a less expensive gym about one block away. Sure at my fancy gym I never waited for a machine, the snooty women there never gave me the time of day and I never accidentally inhaled cleaning solution while I tried to faux run on the treadmill at 4 mph, but in the interests of frugality, I bit the bullet and left the comforts and perks of my top notch fitness center.

The problem with my new gym is simple. It's way too crowded and there are too many yentas. Okay - if you do not live in New York and if you are not Jewish, a yenta is someone who likes to gossip. A lot. And I've decided, they should rename my gym, the Yenta Center. Everywhere I turn, there are women chatting with each other about everything from health issues, to the guy someone caught cheating on his wife (now, I have to admit, that was a juicy story), to a loud woman engaging in a very loud conversation with her girlfriend while admiring herself in the mirror as sweat, mascara and foundation trickle down her cheeks.

As uncomfortable as I get when I have to ask a towel less woman to move over so that I can open my gym lock that I still have from junior high school, what bugs me the most when I try to place my coat and knapsack in one of the few lockers are the people who just shove their stuff inside without investing in a lock or the staffers who utilize an entire row of lockers for their cleaning supplies and towels. Isn't that what a utility closet is for?

Wait! Now that I'm in full tirade mode, the cleaning methods of this gym is what gets me absolutely batty. No matter the time of day, the cleaning crew are always vacuuming right under equipment while you are actually on the machine. And they even spray cleaning solution and wipe down machines without caring whether any of the members are inhaling their toxic fumes. But that's not all. One day, when I got incredibly annoyed over the whole lack of cleaning etiquette, I was about to hop on an elliptical machine when a woman, who I mistook for a staff member, took the cleaning spray, spritzed several times and wiped down the machine adjacent to mine. At first, I shot her a dirty look and told her she was rude because the excess spray from the cleaner nearly burned my corneas (I know I'm a bit dramatic) and rather than apologize she brusquely replied that she'd rather inhale fumes than germs. I guess I failed to mention that not only are the women at this club chatty, they also like to engage in arguments with other female members.

And today, after an incredibly uncomfortable locker room experience, in which I had ask at least five naked women to move their buns so that I could make a break for my locker, I decided that it might be time to get back to basics and start working out at home again. My Wii Fit is looking quite attractive these days - especially since I won't have anyone spritzing cleaning solution in my face or pouring their heart out in their birthday suit.

Fave Five Ways to Cure a Sore Throat

2010-02-01T11:29:23Z

Let me just start this post by saying I am not a doctor or a nurse. But I am quite good at Googling and when I woke up five days before my big show at my synagogue with a sore throat, I panicked.

I could feel my throat start to get a bit scratchy before I went to bed but I tried to ignore it and not freak out. But when I awoke at 6 am and the pain started to get worse, I went into full on state of emergency mode. You see, my pattern for sore throats is as follows. Redness gets worse to the point where I feel like I've swallowed knives. Within 24 hours the sore throat dissipates as I develop a full blown head cold. At this point, I can't breathe at all through my nose and I can't taste food. Horrendous.

Making matters worse, after about two days of the cold, the mucus usually heads down to my chest and I get stuck with a cough that keeps me up at night and sometimes even develops into laryngitis. Did I mention my show is in five days?

So, back to my story. I woke up this morning and raced down to the kitchen. And while the cat thought I'd be breaking open a can of Fancy Feast a few hours before his usual meal time, I headed to the cabinet that's chock full of cold, sore throat and stomach bug remedies. So what did I do? Popped two vitamin C, gargled salt water and ate an Airborne throat lozenge. Since there are other remedies I've yet to try, I'm going to include them in this fave five, but do it at your own risk since I'm not desperate...yet.

1. Pop two tablets of Vitamin C. Although after copious Internet searching I learned that Vitamin C is not that effective, I ignored that piece of information and immediately swallowed the required dosage.

2. Gargle with Salt Water. That has been the resounding choice of doctors and consumers all over the web. Take a glass of warm water and add about a teaspoon of salt.

3. Gargle with mouth wash and hydrogen peroxide. While you'd think that sounds like a recipe for a stomach pump, supposedly the anti-bacterial action in the hydrogen peroxide will kill off those throat germs.

4. Gargle with Cayenne Pepper. Okay, this one you must try at your own risk. At the Earthclinic website, I saw a huge response to the method of gargling with cayenne pepper powder. However, I also read a few of the mishaps - one woman swallowed the pepper, it went down to her stomach and she proceeded to throw up so much that she forgot about her sore throat. Another man swallowed it too and his head caught fire. Okay - not really but it felt like it did. There are over 300 testimonials from people who say it worked instantly but just be careful - put in an 1/8 of a teaspoon of pepper because if you over do it, you could turn into a red hot chili pepper and your throat will still hurt.

5. Eat a Garlic Clove. I have no idea why this works, but again according to the holistic cures for a sore throat, garlic is at the top. The thought of it totally grosses me out but I guess I can stomach garlic over cayenne.

Now of course, there's always zinc lozenges, echinacea, hot tea, chicken soup and a crazy remedy that I had once with honey, lime, lemon juice and pepper - but I'm not desperate yet. Check back with me later in the day if the sore throat gets worse because if so, I could be trying all of the above.

Do you have any surefire remedies to stop a sore throat and cold in its tracks? Let us know because at this point, we will try anything! Now if you don't trust me and would like to consult someone more official on the web, then hit one of my favorite sites that's chock full of great medical advice...WebMD.

Hilarious American Idol Audition

2010-02-01T03:36:17Z

Check out this classic audition by Wanda Sykes - she is soooo funny. Who needs Letterman or Conan when you've got Wanda?

Parentville Gift Ideas & Be a Good Valentine

2010-01-31T20:38:33Z

For Valentine's Day, we have some more great gift ideas below for kids and parents; and, check out the full list here!

We also invite you to nominate a deserving parent to win a Lela Rose Limited Edition Quinny Buzz Stroller! If yours is the winning nomination, you will receive a sterling silver bracelet and teething ring from Momma's Jewels, at $115 value!

Click Here for the details to sign up, nominate and vote!

VALENTINE'S DAY GIFT IDEAS

Below is just a sample of the great gift ideas our parents are talking about:

Half Pint Citizens

Half Pint Citizens is a great store in Brooklyn at 55 Washington Street, and they have a loaded website with a range of eco-friendly, educational and inspirational clothes (and casual shirts), toys, feeding, bathing and decor items.

Check out this Tutu and Polka Dot Slippers for Valentine's Day!

Custom Silhouette Charm Necklace

Love & Victory's Custom Silhouette Charm is a great find from our friends at Mamaista. Simply send in a photograph of your child's profile and Love & Victory will make you a charm to match with his or her name - for a necklace or keyring. They have a beautiful bow-and-arrow necklace in sterling silver for the holiday, too!

Jellycat Beige Bashful Bunny

Incredibly soft and super sweet, this 12+ Jellycat bashful bunny will be your child's new best friend. Makes a great early Easter gift, too!

If you use code PARENTVILLE10 you'll also receive a 10% discount!

Amy Lehmann Designs

Perfect for special Valentine, Amy is a mom who creates modern custom works of art incorporating your vintage treasure, honeymoon souvenir or personal keepsake. Guaranteed to be a conversation starter, these precious and semi-precious pieces are individually expressive and destined to be treasured! This might be a good IOU gift for Valentine's Day.

The Healthy Pantry

We've mentioned The Healthy Pantry before, we are sending a reminder! A gift card or set of kits from this online store would make a fabulous gift for a busy parent.

You choose from a variety of boxed recipe kits filled with pre-measured, natural and organic ingredients that combine to create wonderful breakfast, lunch, dinners and snacks. All you do is provide some of the main ingredients like meat, butter, and eggs!

Use code PARENTVILLE for 10% off!

Family Movie Review: The Tooth Fairy

2010-01-31T13:20:45Z

Yesterday afternoon, I took my kids and one of their friends to see "The Tooth Fairy" with Dwayne Johnson. And while I've never really paid attention to why movies are released in January, versus the ones that are released during the summer or closer to the holidays, I now know why. January movies are duds. There, I said it.

Case in point. A few weeks back we were invited to see a screening of "The Spy Next Door," with Jackie Chan. It seemed pretty cute and I thought it would be an enjoyable film for the entire family. I should have known better. Don't get me wrong - my kids loved it. But they also loved "Shark Boy and Lava Girl." Me on the other hand, well, I had a hard time understanding Chan and the evil Russian villains and while the action was great, if they had showed the movie with subtitles, I probably would have enjoyed it more. But this wasn't a foreign film.

All kidding aside, when we were pulling up to the movie theater yesterday to see "The Tooth Fairy" my son chimed in from the back seat - "Can we see "The Spy Next Door" again???" To which I replied, "No way." Somehow I think there's a Spy Next Door DVD in our future with our name on it.

And now for the main attraction. We arrived at the theater pretty early and were the first take our seats. Note to theatergoers - if you enjoy going to the movies and not dealing with crowds, then always hit the movies early in the day. Anyway, we got our popcorn, sat down, watched a ton of previews for family films and decided I'd like to see the following movies in order of popularity:
Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
A Dragon Movie by Dreamworks (forgot the title)

I can't remember the rest because at the precise moment the movie was about to start, three women came charging down the aisle with more than 10 kids under the age of five and they decided to sit down directly behind us. Of course, the theater was completely empty but they opted to take the uncomfortable elevator personal space approach. And to make matters worse, these kids were chatty. And they kicked seats. We must have given them at least half a dozen icy stares before I let out a huge "SSSSHHHHHH" and then my husband blurted "Don't make me come back there."

Back to the movie review. Let's put it this way, if you are comparing Dwayne Johnson's body of film work in order of favorite to least favorite, I believe "The Tooth Fairy" comes in dead center. My favorite film with Johnson is "The Game Plan" - I loved everything about that movie and even cried at the end. Then I saw him in "Escape to Witch Mountain" and pretty much could have done without that viewing. And "The Tooth Fairy," well they have an incredible cast - from Ashley Judd, to Julie Andrews to Billy Crystal and I did enjoy watching them in the film even though some of the dialogue was chock full of cliches.

The gist of the movie is simple - a dream killing hockey player whose nickname is "The Tooth Fairy" because he's known for knocking out people's teeth, tells his girlfriend's daughter that there's no such thing as the tooth fairy and she's crushed. He then gets a summons under his pillow to report for tooth fairy duty and for two weeks he must repent by retrieving teeth under the pillows of unsuspecting kids.

The scenes where Johnson is using all kinds of crazy methods to break into people's houses was quite funny and there is a nice twist at the end that makes the film incredibly corny and endearing at the same time. Anyway - while "The Tooth Fairy" is no Oscar contender, it did get a thumbs up from my family.

To find a theater nearest you, visit my favorite online destination...Moviefone!