This year you should plan something fun and different. You could mail out Christmas invitations, set everyone up to watch “A Christmas Story”, and then pull out the Monopoly “Christmas Story” version, make a little yule tide joy, and be sure to order the Official Table Leg Lamp on Amazon!
Wouldn’t that be fun? Have a themed party with a little fun added to the mix.
If cards are more your game, then grab the Christmas Story deck to add to your theme.
Look, I can’t help it if I’m creative, but since it’s only the end of August, you have plenty of time to plan your ideas!
My friend Colleen first mentioned this book, and I jotted it down, then forgot about it. About half a year later, I remembered and asked her the name again. The name was “Moloka’i”. What an incredible journey this book was, and a “can’t put down” read.
I picked up this book on vacation, meaning to read for an hour before bed. Before I knew it, it was 3am, and I was forcing myself to put it down. I would have kept reading, but I knew I had to be up in a few hours. I can’t remember the last time I stayed up that late reading.
It felt like that every time I picked this book up, not wanting to be interrupted or put the book down.
Moloka’i follows the story of a 7 year old girl, as she is sent away to a colony in the Hawaiian islands, due to leprosy. The story combines history, along with fictional characters. Imagine as a child being pulled away from the ones you love, shunned by others, and having to learn to make a life for yourself accepting both yourself as you now are, and with other people in this same situation. The story follows Rachel Kalama through her life, and it’s a riveting read.
If you’re looking for a great new read, pick up Moloka’i by Alan Brennert.
I was given the opportunity to play Banzai this week, so we got in full “Banzai” mode, and our Shogun (my husband) is here modeling the latest in Banzai gear. Yes, I made him wear it, and I did too! My son of course said he was too cool to put it on. Ba humbug; be in the moment child! After MUCH coaxing, I was allowed to snap this picture!
Okay, so Banzai is a DVD game, where you bet on what the outcome of a video clip will be. Who will be able to do something the longest? Which will finish the fastest? Will the dog figure out the puzzle, and if so, in how much time? By the way, we liked the dog video clip the best!
On a scale of 1-10, the fun factor was a 5 out of 10 for hubby, a 6/10 for my son, and a 6/10 for me.
What we did like was the fun commentary, video clips and betting on who would win each clip. We did find that 30 minutes of playing was enough for us though.
One of the problems we had was that you need to set up a table where you can see the television to play with the sushi, chopsticks and more. No Kung Fu Carl’s for us, we didn’t have a table that would work for us near the television, so we had to pass on that part, and went right to the video and betting game part. We decided we would just keep score on who guessed right the most times. Without a table near a TV, the other portion of the game wasn’t workable.
The other thing is we felt it moved a little slow. I guess in a party situation, it would be fine, but it felt too drawn out. Maybe we’re impatient, eh? The previews before the clips were cute, but they were the same ones over and over. I’d like to have seen a little more randomization.
All in all, we had a good time and worked around our situation. I could definitely see this as a party game. The commentary was fun to listen to though, and we really like the concept of the betting and guessing on the video clips.
We didn’t do any dares, but we did have fun playing! You can buy Banzai online, and check out their MySpace page here. (www.myspace.com/takotheocto)
Banzai! ScreenLife Games is at it again. They launched a new Banzai game. Check it out:
That’s right, I was off playing in the ocean again. This time we did Wildwood. We had a blast, and now I’m back to reality, knowing I start school in about 10 days. Dear goodness, 41 years old, and here I go again!
You’d think I’d stop all ready, but I guess I’m one of those people who just loves to learn.
Speaking of learning, I learned about a new game. I’m going to fill you in on it in moments!
Also, speaking of games, we got another Wii remote and wheel, so we’ll be doing some Mario Kart today. Expect to hear that I kicked my son’s “gamer attitude”! ha…okay, probably not, since he’s the gaming guy, I’m sure I’ll be toast.
Congratulations go out to Ellen and Portia as news has spread of a small wedding. From the report I read, it looks like a small family gathering of no more than 15. Intimate is nice, it stays about the couple, rather than about a big event.
I’m not sure what kind of car Ellen or Portia drives, but if they want a sharp current sports car, the updated Shelby Mustang might be worth thinking about. You could get Shelby Mustang wheels or Bullet wheels as a gift to add to their car!
Have you seen the remake of the Shelby? They are sharp! I’m sure the girls have nice cars, and maybe even bought each other new cars as gifts, but I personally love the retro vibe of the Shelby Mustang.
My husband and I were watching a show last week, and one of the things we noticed is that the Camaro is coming back, about 2 years after the Mustang got popular again, and they’re trying to compete with that sleek look of the Shelby. They even said on the show, that they were trying to find that cool look between current and retro, and in response to Ford’s Mustang.
Oops, I’ve gotten off topic; but if you’re here often, you’re used to me rambling on! Anyway, congratulations to Ellen and Portia, and here is to many happy years together. I’m glad you’ve found that something special in each other.
Denise Richards and her show aren’t doing so well. There’s rumors of cancellations, and her ratings keep dropping.
Pam is the girl of the hour, and right now they are banking on her show. Of course when her show goes bust, she’ll get the same thing. Drop them if they don’t pull in ratings.
What about Lohan, and Kimora? They’re still hanging in there for now.
People are funny, and while some people love one show, others hate it. My sister, big Pam fan, me, eh, not so much. Me, I like Living Lohan, my sister, eh, not so much.
Who would you like to see in a reality show? I’m no Brooke Hogan fan either, so I’m hoping if they’re going to do this thing, they find someone more interesting to follow; somebody different than “every girl in Hollywood”.
I’m no slouch when it comes to driving. In fact, my insurance company is pretty glad I’m not someone like Britney Spears who has had multiple fender benders. As much driving as I’ve been doing though, it might be worth looking at an auto insurance comparison. Maybe we could save a little extra money. We currently have 3 cars, and my son will be driving soon enough.
I didn’t intend to drive as much as I did this summer, but I ended up all over the place. I’ve drive from Florida back to Jersey, and back and forth to the shore a few times, and I’ll be heading down yet again this week. I’ve easily put 3000 miles on my car this summer, of course 2000 of them were from my big trip.
I remember when I first drove, and I had a red Camaro. I was looking forward to the day I turned 25 so my insurance rates would drop! Back then, they charged more for guys than girls, but I’m not sure if they still can do that or not. I know having a sports car cost me more. These days, I pretty much let my husband handle any of those details.
I thought I had made it. I thought I was in the clear. I didn’t feel the need to see anymore movies once summer passed. Sure enough, there are about 4 movies coming out in September I want to see.
Burn After Reading
The Women
Eagle Eye
Another that I can’t remember the name! Yikes
How am I going to fit them all in? My schedule changes, and I won’t have as much free time! I guess I’ll have to pick one or two and see the others when they come to “On Demand”. I think “Eagle Eye” is one that would be awesome on the big screen, where maybe I could wait for “The Women”. Sometimes those big action movies just aren’t the same at home, and have more presence on the big screen.
We went to see “Tropic Thunder” this afternoon. I wouldn’t say it was my favorite comedy, but I enjoyed the silly movie and the dynamic that it had. Out of all the publicity that has been surrounding this movie, it was Tom Cruise’s guest spot that was the best for me. I enjoyed all the characters, and the behind the scenes look of what some actors can be like. In the movie, I don’t think these guys thought it was in their job descriptions to be dropped into a real jungle and left to deal with things, but the characters were forced to deal with the outcome and each other.
It won’t win any awards, but it was a fun afternoon watching some good actors goofing off. Ben Stiller was pumped, Jack Black bumped, and Robert Downey Jr trumped. We had fun, but we didn’t expect too much.
A new show is coming to A&E called Jacked, which is about carjacking and catching those criminals. We love “First 48″, and will probably roll right into “Jacked” right after it.
It looks like Essex county and Newark are mentioned on it. Another show where people see the “city” and non-pretty side of Jersey.
The Jersey I know and live in is suburb, I visit beaches and parks. I just hate when they represent the state only as this busy, yucky city. There’s more to Jersey, so if you’ve only see the Soprano side of it, and now Jacked, don’t think that’s where we all live. That’s a teeny portion of the state.
