Reviews

 OK, oh, my gosh!! This movie might be a new favorite for me! This movie was awesome!
Tom watched it first and told me I would love it. I trust my husband, but I doubted I would love it.
I should never doubt my husband. He was right. I loved it.

                        1950's version                                                                            2016 version

I didn't even know they did a re-make of the old Ben-Hur. Not that I saw the first version, in fact,

it is probably the first version that made me think I would not like the new version. I know lots of people love old movies. I am not one of those people. (I do like some old movies, just not many)

So, it's a story about 2 brothers. (they are actually friends like brothers) Think of Joseph, King of Dreams meets Gladiator. It's a movie about betrayal, and revenge and forgiveness. It takes place during the time of Christ. Jesus is in the movie, a few times and in the end, it comes full circle and Christ wins. Forgiveness wins. I promise, it's good. I let my oldest 4 kids watch this with me and they all liked it.

My one complaint is Morgan Freeman. I mean, couldn't they find any other old, black actors to play his part? Why does it always have to be him. I know, he probably needs the work. He was fine.

This movie I'd also never heard of, turned out to be a great movie. A movie just like the cover says, a movie about true friendship. I really enjoyed this one. I liked seeing Eddie Murphy in this more serious role.

A favorite anytime. I could watch this one over and over and over and....well, Tom bought one online for me and it was only 1.99. That's it. Shipping costs more.

We found this one on Feeln. Liked this one. Twists in it and you know me, if I like it, it had a good ending. Check it out.

This was a show I watched this past year via Netflix. I liked this one. I didn't like that he smokes pot quite often and the show makes it seem like it's something a lot of people do. I don't think that even needed to be in it at all. Why do they do that? Interesting show though.

Ben-Hur. You've got to watch Ben-Hur.

That's all.

Reviews

This song has been out for a while, and I still love it!

I'm really loving this new song from Ed Sheeran too. He also has another new song out, I love the tune of it, as in for dancing and working out, but it's just not a very clean  song. Why do artists feel they need to make songs like that?

We might go to a Jeremy Camp concert and this man is opening for him. I love this song!

You know I have to add some Shawn Mendes! I think my kids' friends think I'm some crazy older woman in love with this teenage heart throb. (OK, maybe they don't think he's a heart throb) But, I am not. (Crazy or in love with him) I do, however, love all his songs!

OK enough of my favorite songs for now.

How about some movies?

This is one of my all-time favorites to watch at Christmas. You do know, that these Hallmark-type movies that are on at Christmas time, actually have nothing to do with Christmas, right? They are just love stories that happen around Christmas time. I love Hallmark-type movies. I love them because there's no guessing, there's no stress, just watch 2 people fall in love and get your happy ending.

We do  not have TV. We just stream Netflix and rent movies. SO, that means no Hallmark channel. You can watch Hallmark movies via YouTube but, the picture is just not as clear this way. I found something new this year, it's called "Feeln". It's an app I signed up for via the computer to be streamed to our TV.

For only $2.99/month I am able to watch a ton of Hallmark-type movies! All year long!!

So far, we, as in the girls and I, are loving Feeln.  Go HERE and check it out! (I think the price is now $3.99/month though, which is still an excellent price)

Tom and I watched this movie this past fall. I made a note to review it because it was such a good movie! Based on a true story. (I love those kind)

I don't really care for Matthew McConaughey, so I wasn't that excited to see this.

He really is a good actor though.

I don't  know, there are so many new actors out there, I just thought

it wouldn't be believable with such a popular actor, but he nailed it.

OK, back to Hallmark.

This show, we, as in, the girls and I, loved this!!

The first 2 seasons are on Netflix streaming.

Season 3 we had to order via Netflix

(you know, get the DVD's via the mail)

Good, clean, wholesome, love stories.

 Tom and I finished up Major Crimes via Netflix. We loved this show. It is a spinoff from the show The Closer. So if you are a fan of The Closer (we were) you'll love this one!

 This one is a favorite. What a  perfect role for James Spader. Seriously, he's the guy you hate to love. But you will love him. He's her dad. He has to be. This is another Netflix show we watch. I wanted to keep up with this season though and not wait a whole year for it to come to Netflix, so I'm watching current episodes via NBC.com on the computer. With my headphones on. Late at night.

 This show goes down as one of my all-time favorites. Not only do I love this actor, who is actually Australian, playing American roles, but I loved this show! This one is another show that is DVD only, so Netflix would send this to you.

Tom and I just started watching this one.

We just started season 3

I really like it for the cases they have. I like it for the look into the life of lawyers.

But, it's a little scandalous...there's affairs and just not much of happy.

I like happy.

What do you watch?

Are there any good "couple" shows that guys like to watch too?

I just think it's slim pickin's these days.

OK, if you are still with me, I've got a scarf review:

 OK, so I saw this scarf at Walgreens, you know, walking through the whole store to the back to pick up prescriptions, because the drive-thru line was too long. They sucked me in, I bought this scarf. I thought it was so pretty and I thought, "it's so pretty, I can pull this off, I can wear a scarf and look cool."

Well, I put it on and my kids kept looking at me funny all morning. They laughed and told me I'm not a "scarf person". What's a "scarf person"?

 What if I wear it like this? Lots of people wear scarfs like this. "Who mom?" I guess no one wears scarfs like this. I think they should. I think it looks pretty. My kids don't. They laughed.

 This is my review of the scarf. I'm not wearing it. But it  is a pretty scarf, isn't it? Waste of money.

I have no sense of fashion.

My husband  Santa bought me a pretty pearl necklace and my first thought was,

"What about  my medal?"

I wear a Miraculous Medal every day.

No big deal, I just decided to add a medal to my necklace.

It looks OK, doesn't it?

See? I can be stylish by wearing jewelry (not scarves)

and still wear my medal, right?

Alright, songs, movies, TV shows, fashion (haha!)

I think we're done.

Anyone want a scarf?

(I apologize blogger kept switching from left margin to centering my paragraphs. Left margin was my goal)

Some Reviews!

 OK, this part is not a "review" but an observation.  About myself.

I realized that I like love pizza.

I love any kind of pizza. (as in any brand name not any topping)

I like frozen, take out, any kind.

I like it cold, I like it hot.

I like the little bits my kids don't eat.

I like the crusts.

I like thin crust, I like thick crust.

I like deep dish.

 

Which brings me to my first "review"!

I'm on Weight Watchers again.

I love this program.

I can eat pizza on this program, but not much.

It sure shows how much we over-eat that's for sure!

 

This mascara!

It's the best!

I have been trying to find a new washable waterproof mascara

for over a year now and finally found one!

I love this stuff!

I, of course, buy the light side stuff, but it's OK if you like the dark side!

it doesn't clump, it washes off easy and looks amazing. 

 

 Nice transition into movie reviews, huh?

Have you seen the new Star Wars movie yet?

 

When is long enough to wait to actually talk about it?

It was SO GOOD!!

 

I loved so many things about it.

I loved how they joined the old with the new.

 

I loved how classy Princess Leia was.

Carrie Fisher really has grown old-er gracefully, don't you think?
I mean, she is older, and I love that she looks like that.
There is such a beauty in aging.
Seriously, how much of Christie Brinkley is actually Christie Brinkley?

Then, there's Harrison Ford.
Good ol' Han Solo, he still has his corny lines.

Everyone clapped when he was shown, as they did
with C-3PO and Chewy and R2-D2

 

I cried in this movie.

In this part.

It was a good cry.

It's good to cry.

 

Go. See the movie!

Then, maybe we can talk about it!

 

(this movie is still in the theaters)

 

 Onto Netflix movies!

(sorry for the blurry image)

 

This one was really really good!

I watched 3 times!

It is a French movie, so there are subtitles,

but there is not a lot of talking, because it's about a blind/deaf girl.

Think Helen Keller, only a newer movie, about a nun that teaches her!

 They did a really good job with portraying the sisters and the Church.

This is based on a true story.

This is a great movie for the whole family!

(well the ones that can read)

 

This is another movie about deaf people!

I also loved this one!

This one was not based on a true story though.

They did a good job of portraying deaf people and some of the things they go through.

It was a little corny, but cute.

Great for the whole family!

 

We watched this one last night!

I loved this one.

Good, also for the whole family!

 

Pan!

This one we had to rent.

(it's not on Netflix)

You can order it via Netflix though, through the mail.

I loved this movie!

I love finding good, clean, family-friendly movies!

 

This is not one of those movies.

I really liked this movie though.

It is for adults.

It's about 3 teens struggling with some severe mental issues.

The adults in this movie are very flawed, and I love movies about flawed people!

(as long as there is progress shown)

And there is.

Thumbs up!

(on Netflix)

 

Oh, my gosh!!

Upon some prompting from a friend that told me

she was sure I'd love this, I finally started watching it!

(via Netflix)

 

(thank you Kelly!)

 

I was sick for over a week, up all night coughing and have watched the whole dang thing now!!

2 seasons so far on Netflix and I thought it would last me a couple months at least!

 

He's the bad guy you hate to love.

Or is he?

And do you hate loving him?

I think not.

And

is he really a bad guy?

And dang it, is he really her father?

 

"I am your father"

(deep booming voice)

Oops.  Wrong movie...we're already done with Star Wars.

 

Back to The Blacklist. 

I can't wait for the next season to be on Netflix!

Thumbs up!

(adult show)

 

I'm still watching The Mentalist and loving it.

I'm towards the end of season 2 now.

 

Thumbs up on this one!

Light-hearted, not corny, yet serious enough to be a drama.

 

Tom and I watched this one the other night.

We rented it.

This one I liked, Tom didn't really.

 

I loved a lot of it, most of it, really.

But, as with most movies, there were some parts, that, you know, make it a little

harder for me to give it a total thumbs up for.

 

Like his love interest....why do they have to insinuate that they slept together?

And a few little things like that.

 

Other than that, really, I liked the rest, it was pretty good!

 

How's that for a wishy-washy review?

 

OK, onto music!

 

This is one of my new favorites!

 

Somehow, my daughter's One Direction CD got onto my iPod list

and

I love it!

(I know, I'm weird)

I like all the songs, but this one is my favorite.

 

 

My daughter was also listening to my music with me the other day

and when this song came on,

She said, "Of course you would like him! Charlie Poop!!"

 

I was like, "What?"

I love this song.

He's a kid.  A talented kid.

And I guess kids make fun of his name.

At least mine do.

 

Charlie Puth

 

I tend to like male singers more often than females.

I do like females, but not many compared to the male voice.

I like men.

My whole family teases me because of my male singer preference.

 

Here's another.

I heard it the other day on the radio

and found out it's actually an older song:

 

This is a great walking-on-the-treadmill song!

 

Yes, I read too!

This book is not out yet, but, I'm looking forward to ordering it!

HERE

 

I am reading this book right now.

It's really good.

HERE

 

 

I'm also reading this awesome book!

My priest suggested this book for me to read during lent

(I couldn't wait)

It's a "Can't put down" book!

HERE

 

There.

That should keep you busy for a while!

 

 

 

 

 

 





Movie Reviews!

 Most of these goodies are family movies!!

It's so awesome when we can all snuggle up in the living room

and enjoy a movie together!

(Key word: together)

 

Max is a story about a Marine dog, whose owner/trainer/soldier

dies.  He is then sent home and ends up living with his trainer's little brother.

(who is slightly troubled)

 

 We watched this movie this past Saturday.

Another awesome movie for the whole family!

(it is listed PG-13 for WWII talk, "Japs" and some bullying)

We let all our kids watch.

 

I laughed, I cried  (a lot)

and I loved it.

Such redemptive quality in this movie!

 We rented this movie!

I loved it!

My family think that I have 2 of those blue people in my head,

because I always cry in movies.

 

I tell them, it's a gift.

(and that they are totally insensitive and un-feeling)

 

Without Sadness, you cannot have Happy.

Some people have reviewed this movie to be more for adults,

in its themes, but my kids loved it and got it.

 

Awesome movie!

 I finally watched this one.

The kids saw it a long time ago.

I finally sat down and held my littles though and watched it.

We'd been reading the book that week,

so I wanted to see what the movie was like.

 

The movie is only a little like the book.

I loved this movie also!

 

 This movie is more for pre-teen, teenagers and people like me.

I really liked this movie.

It's about a girl that loses her father and the struggles that follow.

Good movie!

We watched this via Netflix streaming.

 Tom and I started watching this show and we are really liking it!

I like that there is a little humor in it, and Tom likes that it's not quirky humor.

We started watching Crossing Jordan, and didn't really like it much,

this show's main character "Bones"

is totally the opposite as Jordan, in Crossing Jordan.

 

Bones= Thumbs up!

I am watching this show!

I'm really loving this one.

I first saw this Australian actor, Simon Baker, in The Guardian

and loved him in that, so wanted to see him in others.

His character is flawed and struggling, yet much happier than the character he

played in The Guardian.

 

I give this one, so far, a thumbs up! 

 

There you go, you winter lovers, grab a blanket,

some popcorn, hot cocoa and snuggle up! 

Movie Reviews!

This movie, I loved.

(not just because Kevin Costner was in it)

I loved the story.

You'll laugh, you'll cry, you will be happy in the end.

I let my 13 year old watch this with me.

(there is swearing in this movie)

I loved their flawed personalities.
There are major flawed personalities.
 

 



It's about the love he has for his granddaughter.

He and her other grandparent fight

for custody of her.

In the end, love wins.

As it should

This movie I watched via Netflix.

I really liked this one,

in fact, I watched it twice.

I loved James Cromwell in it

(who doesn't like the farmer in Babe?)

He's plays an old farmer trying to build a more suitable

home for his wife, because she is having memory issues.

That's all I'm going to say,

it is based on a true story.

A true love story.
(not really for kids, they show him naked a couple times,
once to take his shower, in his outdoor shower and again
when he gets intimate with his wife. As an adult,
I can say those parts were kind of cute and kind of eye brow raising)

 



This was a great movie.

I let my older 3 kids watch it.

You can see the Common Sense Media review HERE

This was also watched via Netflix.

 

Tom rented this one.

I had heard nothing about this one.

The only reason I watched it with Tom

was because Russell Crowe was in it.

I'm glad I did.

It was great!

We did not let our kids watch this one.

Common Sense Media rates it for ages 16+

HERE

This one was pretty good.

Tom rented this one.

I think there were a lot of things covered that didn't need to be.

It got a little confusing as to what the movie was actually about,

This man, or the finding of a serial killer.

It all came together in the end though and, I guess made it worth it.

Kind of slow.

And not for kids.
Maybe it was not pretty good, it might have been just OK....
I do love the love he has for his wife in this. 
That made it worth it for me. 

This one, I thought would be boring.

It was not.
It was made in 2011.

I want my oldest girls to watch it with me.

It is rated PG-13

There were some strong thematic elements,

other than that, nothing really.
 



I loved the love story.
 

We watched via Netflix again.

Common Sense Media HERE



I watched this one last night via Netflix.

This one is not for kids.

(my opinion)

It's a story about a woman and her son.

She ends up taking up surfing lessons,
and ends up sleeping with her instructor.

They do not show much though.
She has such a flawed character in this.
I loved her acting.
 

I like Helen Hunt.

It's probably why I liked the movie.

Plus, if you love the ocean like I do, you will LOVE the scenes.





This was on Netflix also.

This was a surprise for me.

 

I had no idea there were POW camps right here in America

during WWII.

This is about a camp in Wisconsin.

Adult themes.

Good movie.
I liked this one.
(but I like history!)



I watched this only because Pierce Brosnan was in it.

I liked it.

Because Pierce Brosnan was in it.

And it was pretty good too.

Swearing, violence....not for kids.



This is on Netflix now.

A anytime favorite for me.

(all my DVD's are packed away)

This one is also on Netflix now.

I let my oldest 2 girls watch it with me.

They liked it so much, they watched it twice.

Now my 11 year old wants to move to Ireland.



Tom and I finished this show.

I think there were 5 seasons.

via Netflix

This is a clean, good drama!!

Happy endings usually.

 

 Almost every episode, made me cry at some point.

I'd always look at Tom and say, "I'm crying again!"

It's partly because of the music they play

while the camera kind of slide shows to each scene.

 

An all time favorite show from Netflix.

Great show to watch with the hubs with just enough action to keep

him interested and enough drama for me to get emotional about it!

 



Here's a few videos of my favorite songs at this moment.

As in, I crank up the radio every time I hear them.

As in, I play and re-play til my kids hate the songs.

 

I know, it's terrible.

But I love these.

Sing along with me, OK?

His Grammar is not too great in this song, but, I love the tune.

That should keep you busy for a while!

Make some popcorn, grab a blanket, snuggle up and have fun chilling out!

(or is it, warming up?)