Confessions of a Shopaholic

This is one of those movies that could have gone either way. It could have been hilarious, fluffy and fun or it could have simply been inane. I'm haapy to say that Confessions of a Shopaholic was the former.

In fact, it's the most enjoyable romantic comedy I've seen in quite a while. Isla Fisher's comedic abilities elevates the movie, playing the girl with a heart of gold who simply can't stop shopping. She is truly, truly funny and not afraid to look silly for the sake of making the movie better.

The writing was also wonderful and the movie contains some surprise moments in which you'll be laughing out loud. In short, this film is a total chick flick and one that you will really enjoy "escaping" in for a few hours. I totally recommend it. Maybe not for your husband, but definitely for you!

Bonus features on the standard DVD include deleted scenes, bloopers, and a music video from Akon. The Blu-Ray disc contains lots more special featurettes. It's out now, so grab yourself a copy today!

Hellooooo Frigidaire Refrigerator

If you follow me on Twitter, then you know already that I am (PERMANENTLY!!) test-driving an all-new Frigidaire refrigerator.

It couldn't have come at a better time- We've been limping along with our old refrigerator for about a year now. The ice maker stopped working some time ago and we've been "making do" with ice trays ever since. But that was getting really, really old.

*CUE ARRIVAL OF STAINLESS STEEL STATE-OF-THE-ART FRIGIDAIRE REFRIGERATOR*

Yes, when this was installed in our kitchen, my stock went up around here. It. Is. AWESOME.

To be honest, most of its immediate awesomeness for our family centers around the water/cubed ice/crushed ice dispenser. Everyone in our house is using it now, from our 2-year-old on up to my husband. My 2 and 5-year-olds once scorned water, but now they enjoy helping to get it from the dispenser and they're drinking it up like crazy.

My husband and teenagers love love love the crushed and cubed ice.

And I love having water-on-demand. I used to drink six or seven bottles of water per day, and the water dispenser (it's filtered water, by the way, which was a must for me) has put an end to that, saving us money and keeping me from using so many plastic bottles, which I felt a little bit guilty about.

I'm going to be writing more about this refrigerator in the next few months as I get to know my refrigerator better, but in the meantime, THANK YOU FRIGIDAIRE. I freaking love my new refrigerator!

Music Ace Deluxe- Teach Your Child (or Yourself) the Basics of Music Theory!

My daughter definitely has an interest in music, and as her home preschool teacher, I was excited to try out this new software from Harmonic Vision, called Music Ace Deluxe.

What I love about this software is that it really is for all ages. It's easy enough for my daughter to understand, yet can be challenging enough for me to enjoy, too.

The software contains the 12 basic music lessons from Music Ace Starter, plus 12 advanced lessons. You and your child will learn the basics of music theroy, rhythm, pitch, note reading, listening, and the keyboard.

My daughter's favorite part is that after each lesson, she gets to play a game that helps her internalize what she's just learned. She could play some of these games all day!

I am really excited that my daughter is learning to read music with this software. I've never been very good at note reading and since I love to sing, it has crippled me more than once in life.

Music Ace Deluxe also includes a Music Doodle Pad that lets beginners compose and play their own music using different instrument sounds. Pretty awesome, huh?

Music Ace Deluxe is available on Amazon for $57.99. It is a wonderful option on its own, or as a complement to your child's music lessons.

Lost Seasons 1 and 2 are Now Out on Blu-Ray!

I'll tell you a secret. We finally caved and bought a Blu-Ray DVD player ONLY after learning that Lost Seasons 1 and 2 were available for review only on Blu-Ray DVD!!

That's how much we love this show. But unlike a lot of you, we had only seen the first ten or so episodes of Season 1.

If you haven't checked this series out, you'll definitely want to. Everyone I know who's watched it absolutely loves it, from my teenagers on up to my 74-year-old dad. The series starts off when a jet plane crashes and 48 passengers are stranded on a deserted island- and things only get weirder from there!

Why Blu-Ray? Well, the Blu-Ray edition features crystal clear sound and picture, like you've never seen before. We just replaced our broken TV in the den with a flatscreen and watching Lost on it in Blu-Ray is even better than going to the movies. Since Lost is filmed in Hawaii, this is the kind of series you want to see on Blu-Ray, trust me.

The other great thing about Blu-Ray DVDs is that they feature all kinds of extras. There is audio commentary for certain episodes, blooper reels, long features on everything from casting Lost to creating the plane crash set to filming the pilot episode, and bunches of featurettes as well.

Lost Seasons 1 AND 2 are now out on Blu-Ray, joining Lost Seasons 3 and 4, which had already been released on Blu-Ray. Check them out!

Defiance

My husband was dying to watch this movie, so I was really excited when I was asked to review it.

And I have to say, Defiance lived up to his expectations. In fact, I'd even go so far as to call it one of the best movies of the year.

Defiance is the story of the Bieleski brothers, three farmers who, although outnumbered and outgunned, manage to turn a group of war refugees into powerful freedom fighters. It is a true story from the holocaust and one that actors Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, and Jamie Bell, and director Edward Zwick, manage to bring to life in a compelling, edge-of-your seat film.

I would recommend this movie for one of your date nights in, after you've put the kids to bed. The DVD's special features include commentary from the director, a behind-the-scenes featurette, a photo gallery that includes behind-the-scenes images and photos of the surviving members of the Bieleski Otriad, and a featurette featuring descendants of the Bieleski family.

Defiance is only $9.99 right now on Amazon and is a GREAT Father's Day option. Definitely check this one out!

Light Up Any Dad's Face with the Duracell Daylite LED Flashlight

Now this is a surefire way to make Father's Day a success.

I received a Duracell Daylite LED flashlight to review and literally within five minutes of it arriving at our house, my husband had put it to use, installing a new television set in our den (don't hate- the old one, which we've had since I got my first job out of college in '97, finally fizzled out on us!).

He was absolutely stunned at how bright the light was- and it's a very small flashlight, too.

Next, he took some boxes up to the attic for me and used it again up there. Once again, he raved at how bright this flashlight was. He could see everything, much better than any other flashlight we have here at home.

The secret to the Duracell Daylite flashlight is its cutting-edge TrueBeam technology. According to the manufacturers, it projects up to 30% more light than similar products, and without the dark-spots that plague regular flashlights. It also has up to 5x the battery life of ordinary household flashlights.

I think I know what my own dad will be getting now as part of his Father's Day! These flashlights retail for between $24.99 and $34.99, depending on which model you get, and in my opinion, they are well worth the money.

Banana Boat Ultramist- LOVE.

Banana Boat sent me a bunch of its products to try out and can I just say its new continuous spray products have changed my life this summer?

Seriously. I am all about protecting my kids' skin from the sun (a bad burn suffered when I was a child and no one put sunscreen on me has led to that), and I always keep sunscreen in my diaper bag. But last year, I ran into a huge problem- I'd put some on Bruiser, he'd start sweating and rubbing his face, and the sunscreen would get into his eyes.

Cue screaming, crying baby.

Banana Boat's Ultramist products have solved everything. Press the button and a fine, continuous spray is emitted that you can spray all over your child, and that dries instantly. My children actually beg me to spray them and giggle like crazy when they're getting "sunscreened." And at the soccer field last weekend, no one had remembered sunscreen but me, so I quickly sprayed the entire team. No problem!

We really put the sunscreen to the test this past week at Holiday World. The sun was intense, the kids were out in it all day, and frankly, the sunscreen mist is so fine that I wondered whether it would adequately protect them in these extreme circumstances.

I sprayed them down probably three times during the day (they were playing in water fountains in their swimsuits and getting quite wet) and they were completely protected. I used the Kids SPF 50 Continuous Clear Spray and it was perfect. The kids now have a bit of extra color, but neither came anywhere close to burning or suffering from the effects of too much sun- and they are very fair skinned.

Banana Boat has TONS of products to choose from, including Tear Free versions of the spray and Sport versions for adults, ranging from SPF 4 to SPF 85. There are also lotions and sticks for children and adults, but seriously, this Ultramist is so awesome (think no more stickiness at the beach! And covering your back all by yourself!) that I think it won't be long before all sunscreen is applied this way.

Consider me a loyal fan.

Get a $2 off coupon on all Banana Boat Suncare products here!

The Farmer's Market Set From Playful Chef: We LOVE It

I have been a big fan of Playful Chef products ever since reviewing this most awesome child's apron and cooking utensil set. My daughter and son still wear it often while I'm cooking, so that they can help out.

The Playful Chef people seemed to be reading my mind when they sent me this Farmer's Market Set to review. I had just been thinking that Bruiser is finally old enough to take to the produce markets, and that I really needed to go soon and see what was available. This Farmer's Market Set makes it FUN for the kids to accompany me.

Whenever we go, they bring along this special bag and help me choose fruits and vegetables to put in it. When we get home, they help me wash what we bought with the produce scrubber and dry everything off with the cotton towel, both of which are included with the set.

It also includes a fun facts booklet that covers seasonality, where fruits and veggies are grown, how to wash them, and how to peel them.

I really like this set and would buy it as a gift for other kids because it encourages kids to think about where food comes from, it encourages them to eat fruits and vegetables, and it really helps make your produce market errands fun.

Learn more about the Farmer's Market Set and other Playful Chef products here.

Clever Ideas to Help You and Your Guests Stay on Your Diet

If you do a lot of grocery shopping, you can't help but see all the Weight Watchers products on the shelves. From snack cakes to cheese to frozen dinners and ice cream, Weight Watchers offers lots of different options that let you satisfy your cravings without ruining your diet. I know because I use several Weight Watchers food products on a regular basis.

Anyway, Lifestyle expert and HGTV favorite Susie Coelho recently used some of her favorite Weight Watchers foods to prepare easy, delicious dishes for entertaining. She made this video with tips on sensible food alternatives that don't derail guests' daily eating routines.

Of course, I like many of Susie's ideas for myself! One of them is to make toasted cheese pitas with Weight Watchers pita bread and Weight Watchers Pepperjack cheese. Another is to serve Weight Watchers brownies, cut up into wedges and served on a stylish tray, or serve Weight Watchers chocolates in martini glasses, along with slices of strawberries. Yum!

The Weight Watchers options are especially good if you have guests who are constantly dieting, like my parents. I never know what's going to be on their good and bad lists when they visit, so having options like Weight Watchers' Banana Nut Muffins for breakfast and Weight Watchers carrot cakes for dessert has helped a lot. It's also much easier on me, the food preparer!

Check out the video for yourself and get some great ideas for your next get together!