Re: Giveaway

The creative people at Craftzine are doing a fun giveaway. The winner will receive a 50.00 gift certificate to Warmbiscuit.com
(graphic courtesy of craftzine and warmbiscuit.com)

What a glorious feeling

The boys and I decided to walk to school today, a la Charlie Chaplin style...feet spread out and an imaginary cane. Unbelievably hilarious! Random people started to change their walk and were cracking up.

So to continue in the spirit of rediscovering old movies. Here's a quick list one of readers, Amy put together for us.
Musicals first:
Meet Me in St. Louis
Singing in the Rain
On the Town
The Pirate
Kiss Me Kate
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

And the rest:
The Adventures of Robin Hood
Bringing Up Baby
Stagecoach
Some Like It Hot
It Happened One Night (ages 7+)
the Lady Eve (ages 8+)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington 8+
National Velvet (ages 6+)

Let me know what some of your favorite classic movies are to watch with kids.

In Search of Silence?

Friday night is our family movie night. Although, my husband and I have been living a social expirament of NO TV for 6 months now, we've yet to toss out our computer!

So after Friday's dinner, we plop in front of our MacIntosh and watch a movie together. The family feature? Charlie Chaplin's "The Kid".

Not only is this flick in black and white but it is a SILENT movie. An hour and a half of silent drama and action. Even, I was doubtful of sucess. I was prepared for the boys to get restless 15 minutes in to it. But, guess what?

They not only did they sit without getting up-- we all laughed while happily immitating "the Tramp" and the Kid. Bottom line, this 1920's silent movie easily joins the rank of Ratatouille and School of Rock as Bodwell favorite movies. WE LOVED IT!

And what it taught my husband and I, is that kids today don't need all the added violence, action and hoopla thrown into todays movies. We live in an entertainment driven culture. It was unbelieveably refreshing to see my boys quietly engaged.

Simple works with kids. In my mind, whether it's a Lite Brite, tinker toys or a classic movie, we don't always need the latest and greatest. Often, the tried and true, old-fashioned things work better. Right, kids?

Hey moms, need some inspiration for starting a business?

Just wanted to make a quick plug for the March issue of Country Living magazine...it's chock full of inspiration for women thinking of starting their own business. My good friend Polly Wilson of Barn Dandys fame is showcased among other super star women.

And if you are really motivated, you can join me, Country Living and all the other Entrepreneurs of the Year in Chicago on March 15th for a full day conference.

Is living a simpler life possible?

Every newspaper headline for the last month has been predicting an economic recession, a market downturn, loss of jobs, downturn of the housing market, increased debt...

It's enough send any parent (or business owner!) into a tailspin.

I for one, try and focus on simplifying our kids life. I said this to my best friend who laughed and said, "Vicki, how much simpler can your life get?! You have no cell phone, no television, no Wii, no digital games...you can't go back to living the life of Little House on the Prairie!"

Of course, I know this. Yet, it feels that we live in constant need of more, new and improved. So maybe a recession could help us refocus on things of real value and cost nothing.

Like spending more time with our kids and having family dinners instead of going out to dinner, signing up for fewer after school activities, buying fewer and classic toys etc. For some reason this appeals to me.

What about you?

A Lesson from the Giants (New York that is)

On Friday, I was apparently not interested in football nor the Super Bowl. However, being a mom of 3 New York boys and a wife of a football fan, it was hard NOT to get into the spirit of the game.

We haven't had a TV in our house since last summer, so my husband and a bunch of dads gathered around a ginormous flat screen TV to cheer on the Giants. While my boys and I stayed home. Pretty soon, the boys began to ask at regular intervals, "Who's winning, mom?" "Are the Giants going to win?" So we tuned into the radio.

How 1940's is that? It was fun to huddle together around my son, Henry's radio and listen to the plays. The amazing lesson in this particular game, is that the New York Giants were not supposed to win. The New England Patriots had an undefeated record and were the favored team.

Clearly the underdogs, the Giants with the help of sheer grit and determination, did what the sports casters said would never happen...they WON! A historical victory and a life lesson for my kids...if you TRULY put your mind to something, great things can happen.

And a non-football fan, like myself could actually enjoy the game!

What's So Super about the Super Bowl?

True Confession: I was a cheerleader in high school and never bothered to learn the rules of football.

I really don't get all the excitement about the Super Bowl. The guys are as big as refrigerators, bodies completely engulfed in gear, and the referees use funny indecipherable hand signals to describe penalties that you didn't catch in the first place.

But the New York Giants are playing, so I guess that is more exciting for my boys than most years. Go Giants.

Well, I suppose it's a fun excuse to eat lots of chips and dip and watch the half time events. Have fun this weekend, moms!