Pretty Real: November 2009

Twilight Saga: New Moon → A Delightful Escape

So I'm no movie critic, but I wanted to post a quick note regarding my due date and how I distracted myself from it. My due date was yesterday, 11/24/09. Apparently my baby isn't a conformist and will come when she's good and ready. I suppose she is quite comfortable in mommy's womb. I always wondered why women even expect to go early or on their due date. Enter real life. Why?! Seriously? Because you feel like you've been pregnant forever. Because you love your baby so much and can't imagine loving her any more, but you haven't even met her. Because while watching your stomach roll and contort is quite fascinating, you have a sneaky suspicion that watching the real thing will be SO much better. Because you pee every 30 to 45 minutes. I'm getting carried away. The point is I am super anxious to meet her and needed something to distract me. That's where Twilight comes in.

Like others I was skeptical of the books and thought it was just some weird teen thing (I'm aware that makes me sound ancient). Then my best friend sent me the first novel for my birthday. I read it voraciously and immediately read the next three. I loved it! It was so sweet and reminded me of first love. I also loved the original and creative context. Now, a year later it seems anything but original with all the vampire related movies, shows, and books out there--all of which, quite frankly creep me out. But I'm still a die hard fan of the original Stephanie Meyers series.

The first movie honestly left something to be desired (though there are many who disagree with me). It seemed weird, and creepy, and surprisingly low budget. SNL's hilarious Twilight parody, Firefly, could be the original Twilight movie with all its awkward creepiness. Of course I still watched it twice, so I'm not judging! The second movie is anything but disappointing. While New Moon was my least favorite of all the books (seriously how long can you mope and pine?!), the adaptation to film was perfect. The action, the special effects, and the acting was all better and more polished than in the first movie. At 9 1/2 months pregnant I couldn't even leave the theater to use the restroom (my poor bladder). It was totally riveting, kept my attention, and seriously, I know the brooding and sensitive 109 year old, Edward is supposed to the heartthrob, but have you seen Jacob? I asked my husband to get me a Team Jacob T-shirt but I'm not sure how comfortable he was with that.

Other random observations: as expected, everyone is way prettier in this movie, especially Bella. Not sure if that's a good or a bad thing but as someone who loves hair, makeup, and styling, I appreciated it. Also, I loved the small role Dakota Fanning--who adds depth to anything she touches, played. Another thing- get ready for lots of bare chested young men. No more comment there. Lastly you can anticipate lots of near kisses. Depending on whose "team" you're on, you may or may not want these kisses to happen so I won't tell you if that desire will be satiated (or not). OK, so I'm rambling; I told you I'm no movie critic. All in all, I say see it! Read it! Enjoy the escape from whatever real life drama is plaguing you-- be it work, relationships, or waiting anxiously to meet your brand new bundle of joy. I guarantee you'll think of nothing but love, romance, Bella, Edward, Jacob, Victoria, and the Volturi for at least 2 delightful hours.

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by Unknown

charitable giving

Taste{full} Tips: Give Back → Operation Christmas Child

Operation Christmas Child is an incredibly practical outreach that allows local churches to bless kids in war torn communities. The mission of Operation Christmas Child is "to demonstrate God's love in a tangible way to needy children around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ."

It's one thing to SAY "God loves you" to a kid; it's a different story entirely to show them God's love through toys and basic necessities that we may take for granted. While a $150 iPod might be only one of many Christmas gifts to the average kid you may know, these kids often have nothing. To fill a shoebox with toys and necessities can make a world of difference this Christmas.

One thing I often cringe at is commercials that are intended to guilt us into giving. We don't have to feel guilty for being blessed with spiritual or material wealth. However I believe we do have a responsibility to share that blessing with others. The great part is giving FEELS GOOD! There are some schools of thought that it's 'bad' to give to feel good (I hope that sentence makes sense!). But I don't agree. I think it's okay, actually more than okay, I think it's right to feel good about making a kid smile, helping the helpless, or defending the defenseless. We do what makes us feel good. And I just had an absolute blast buying random girly presents for a total stranger. I imagined her eyes lighting up as she put on her sparkly barrettes. I imagined her sharing a game of travel checkers with her best friend. It felt really good! And I can't wait to do it again next year.

So go grab a shoebox and fill it with goodies! I spent less than $30 on tons of fun stuff I would have loved getting when I was a little girl. $30 isn't going to break me, but it is going to make a kid's day. It's really easy and although the collection week ended today (I'm a terrible procrastinator!), you can mail your shoe box year round to a central location. Check out this link for more details such as what to include in a box, how to donate cash rather than sending a box, and where to mail your box. See the video below to see the look on the kids' faces when they open their shoe boxes and the impact its made to the community. Now that is priceless.