The Illusionist - A Movie Review

Set in early 1900s Vienna, Neil Burger's romantic thriller centers on illusionist extraordinaire Eisenheim (Edward Norton), who falls for an aristocrat (Jessica Biel) well above his social standing. When she becomes engaged to Crown Prince Leopold (Rufus Sewell), the master magician employs his powers to win her love. His daring scheme creates tumult within the monarchy and ignites the suspicion of Chief Inspector Uhl (Paul Giamatti). - Netflix

The summary of this film doesn't do it justice! I love it. My dh even thought it was cool. We LOVE movies with great plot twists. I'm a long time fan of Edward Norton. He's played in a lot of great movies and this one is right up there on the top of my list. I was pleasantly surprised by Jessica Biel's performance. They had great chemistry I thought. I would not only see this movie again but I would buy it! Put this one in your Netflix rental queue if you haven't seen it yet. You won't be disappointed.

For some sexuality and violence

13

Iffy for 13+ (more)

Length:

110 minutes

Director:

Neil Burger

Cast:

Edward Norton			Jessica Biel
Brian Caspe			Dusan Fager
Tom Fisher			Paul Giamatti
Aaron Johnson			Eddie Marsan

Getting Ready - Day 48

Black Friday is over but we are gearing up for Cyber Monday and there is also a Cyber Baby Shower for blogger Sassy Frazz! I hope we have a good turn out for the games. That's the thing about throwing parties, I'm never sure who will come. lol

The baby slept so much better in her own room. We had to check on her a couple times because she slept so long. She is so much fun to play with. She is so happy and she giggles and laughs up a storm. I love it.

Tomorrow is my grams birthday! Big party plans are forming and I have more accounting to do. I'm just going to get it all done and work really hard so I can stop talking about it. lol

Saturday - Day 49

It's hard to remember what happened today. I'm working way too much. I keep thinking that if I just get this done or that done it will be better. The problem is my list tends to grow daily! What did I do today? Oh yes accounting! My nemesis is accounting. It's hard to explain just how monstrous my role is when it comes to accounting. Just know it's MADNESS!!!! The boy is going with his grandmas for a sleep over and we moved the baby upstairs in her own room. I can't wait to chill and watch the rest of The Illusionist.

That's The Way I Like It - Day 50

Black Friday was just madness. I'm so glad that I have no desires to get out there and hit those door buster sales. My daughter works for Best Buy and was there at 2am and still wasn't off of work by 8pm. That's just nuts! I feel very sorry for the people that were harmed during Black Friday too.

Me, I took the safe route and did some serious hop shopping here! I took advantage of the free shipping and coupon codes. I did some shopping on Amazon but I was a little disappointed. I was hoping for some better deals. It's ok! I've still got a while to go. We have a pretty big family to shop for and there are lots of kids too, ranging in all ages. Wish me luck! I think I'm going to hunt for some contests! Don't forget to enter mine. Check the top left side bar for a direct link to Life Learning Devices SWAG.

Aloha Friday #19

Kailani at An Island Life has created this really fun idea. If you are interested in joining in, please visit her site for more details.

Today's question is:
What was the last thing that happened that made you laugh so hard it hurt?

Flash Back Friday #19 - Howie Mandel

For those of you getting to know me....I love to laugh. I try to find humor in the day. Way back in the day Howie Mandel was one of my favorite comics. He made me laugh so hard. My favorite part about his act was a little boy voice that he did named Bobby! I'm flashing back today with Howie as Bobby. Enjoy.

Thursday Thirteen #57 - Top 13... (Day 51)

Here we go! Top 13 things I like about Thanksgiving. This is going to be tough because everyone gets so crabby from all the preparation.
1.) I like going to my Mom's for Thanksgiving.
2.) I love my grandma's pumpkin pie.
3.) I like the smoked turkey it is yummy!
4.) I get to visit with my cousin Greg and his family.
5.) I get to hang out with my two older brothers and their family.
6.) Most of the family come over for coffee afterward.
7.) All the kids come to play at our house.
8.) Everyone gets to see our baby girl.
9.) My Aunt and Uncle come into town.
10.) I don't have to cook for a couple of days because of all the left overs.
11.) The dinner prayer is a lot more extended.
12.) We play games (Phase 10 & Dominos).
13.) Most of us are off the day after Thanksgiving!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

The Night Before - Day 52

It's the night before Thanksgiving and all I can do is prepare for Black Friday! I'm really hoping that there will be a lot of online shoppers looking for that something special. There are 43 companies that have signed on to participate. I set up a sort of one stop shopping place. I know that the big guys like Amazon, Best Buy, etc. are going to be having sales but I hope our mom owned shops grab a few sales too! Wish us luck.

Wordless Wednesday - Breakfast @ Granny's

Code - Day 53

Longfellow 1 Blogs –Longfellow Design

more...

Meredith ~ craftyGAgal 1 Blogs –Mommy's Online more...

Thanks for the follow ladies! I'm not sure you should be following me because I just wiped out one of my blogs doing the worst thing you can do. That's right! I didn't back it up! I know better. I know better. I know better! I'm just tired and thought I could fix a Mr. Linky code real quick but it was not to be. I have NO idea how to fix it. I sent it to my tech guys and hope they will help me out. Foolish move on my part. Then again I know the file is in the cpanel I'm just not sure how to get it from A to B! Arg!

Tuesday Toot Meme #19

Welcome to this weeks Toot session! I am so happy that I finished my latest giveaway post. I really think it's a great gift item. I've paid all my bills and we finally are getting more estimates for a new roof. I've got some great photos to share very soon! Everyone is healthy and I'm actually making it in to the chiropractor for therapy and adjustments from being rear ended. I'm making some changes around my blog. I'm still working on it! Oh and I'm among the experts on the Wishpot Indie/Handmade channel. What an honor!

Life Learning Devices - Words of Wisdom Swag

Folks I would like to introduce you to Marty Lee Parker, creator and founder of Life Learning Devices.com. Mr. Parker contacted me about his product attached with this little story.

" About 5 months ago my little 5 year old was in the kitchen and bumped her leg on the dishwasher. She got mad and kicked the dishwasher..she saw that I was watching...she looked at me, down at the dishwasher then back up at me and said, "Sorry Dad,...when a ship misses the harbor it's not the harbor's fault." ...my mouth dropped open...that is exactly what the Secrets of Life, LLD had said 3 days prior. It really made me feel great. I truly believe that success spoken around the house is picked up by little ears.

There are 365 words of wisdom on the LLD. Everyday a new one is played. Some of the 365 tid-bits may not resonate with parents or children. A lot of times I have to explain to my kids what the quotes are about...that is what I like about this device, it gives us a topic to actively converse about. If I can have my kids just pick up 5 or 10 belief systems and mindsets that they can carry with them for the rest of their lives ... things to guide them in making life's tough decisions ...then I am very happy. " - Marty Parker

I knew right away that this would be perfect for our family! We are firm believers in education and we enjoy trying new things with our children. As soon as it came I opened it right up and set in the middle of our kitchen table. We've had it for 6 days now and let me tell you it's durable. My readers know I have a toddler here and he has pressed it hundreds of times! I've heard some of these quotes over and over again. My 8 yo sat at the breakfast table one morning and I could hear him press it twice to hear what the saying of the day was. My hubby would press it during dinner so he could hear it too. We love this device!

Marty is right our children don't understand all the sayings but it does give us the opportunity to explain them and have great conversations. There are more of these devices available in his store. You can learn Spanish or keep your spirit up with daily devotions.

Another cool section in the store are the Law of Attraction Quotes. These are great for staying motivated. I'm so HAPPY that Marty is letting me share his product with one of you! I get to share one Secrets of Life & Words of Wisdom Learning Device with one lucky winner.

How do you win? Visit the Law of Attraction Quotes and leave a comment telling me which is your favorite and why! Don't forget this would be a great Christmas gift too.

This contest is open to U.S. residence only and will end @11:59pm December 2nd and I will announce the winner here 12/3 @9:00am cst.
Good Luck!

And the winner is comment number:

TheAngelForever chose15 about 2 hours ago from web in reply to PMKU

Family Game Night - Uno

Oh tonight was family game night! We have dedicated our Mondays to this fun event. It has worked out really well so far. It doesn't take very long and we usually do it after dinner. Tonight it was Uno. I haven't played that game in a long time but I was the reigning champion, twice! Whoo Hoo. I wonder what we will pick out of the closet next week.

Waiting on the world to change - Day 54

Why we can't find someone to replace our roof is just beyond me. After hurricane Ike it's really be an adventure trying to get everything back to normal. We just got our fence repaired but I have to tell you that the job done wasn't all that great. The pickets used are really warped. Fine it's up and replaced, moving on....we need a roof now.

Each company that we have called wants to deal with our insurance company directly. They all want to charge however much the insurance company pays out. If the amount is more they will deal directly with the insurance company. Does any of this sound right? Let's say for a moment there was no hurricane? How would you go about getting a roof? You would get an estimate and they would give you an amount. That's not the way it's working at all. Buyer Beware after natural disasters. Wish us luck!

Kenmore Progressive 35922 Upright Vacuum - Day 55

Kenmore I big giant red puffy heart your vacuum! I tweeted and I asked my wonderful group of followers, tell me what to buy!? I've got 3 kids and 3 dogs in the house. Help me get rid of this blasted dog hair. They told me one after another Dyson, Dyson get a Dyson. I was jazzed! It's expensive but I wanted to at least try it. I was hoping that the Dyson Gods would shine upon me and send me one to try but this was not to be.

My hubby got a hold of the consumers reportse online and did his own research. Side note- we are a bunch of research freaks over here. We research items to death but that's part of being a savy consumer. Now on with the show!

I told him about this groovy Dyson but no, Kenmore topped the list not Dyson. Off to Sears we went and we purchased this particular vacuum and I'm in LOVE! It's like a whole new carpet now and I love the attachments too! I used them on our super cool couch that holds dog hair and won't let go. Our Kenmore rocks! I don't have a Dyson to compare it to but I have to tell you I'm really pleased with our purchase. Did I mention that it was on sale for $100.00 off?

Yeah! SEARS you rock for carrying this Kenmore vacuum. You've just made my cleaning days a lot easier.

Bitter Sweet Symphony - Day 56

It's been a bitter sweet day! That tornado toddler of mine had some success this evening. He finally went potty in his potty chair! We danced, we high-fived, we called big sister, we called nana and granny! Oh the joy the whole family shared. And 5 minutes later as he ran around naked he managed to pee on the couch. (Hangs head and sighs) Bitter Sweet Symphony - that's potty training for you. It's ok - He did it. We will continue more tomorrow.

Today we got to light a fire in the fireplace and oh how the whole family loves it. Guess what else we did? We broke out the ingredients for ....wait for it....SMORES! Yummy goodness right there.

I haven't had a Big Red in 3 days and I broke and bought one today. I haven't had any Red Bull in 2 days. I'm really trying to cut out the sugar intake way down. I just had a bite of the smore, it was way too rich. Have a good Saturday night folks.

Site Warming Party! #TNT

What a party it was last night on Twitter! The big question of the evening was "What is "TNT?" That acronym stood for the store Tote and Tee. Every time a party is created there has to be a new hashtag created. A hastag is the # sign and letters that follow. It helps you keep up with all the conversations happening for that topic. There are two ways to follow a party. First use the Summize option and search for the party. In our case we used #tnt and you can still find comments from the party last night. Some people found it easier to use the twitter chat room.

As a panelist it was a blast! It was so fast and furious and that hour went by so quickly. I've never seen a party like that before. People popped in and out because their eyes were hurting trying to read it all and keep up! Prizes were given away too! I can't wait to read the summary. Twitter was acting up though because I had people ask questions but I didn't get them until later.

I hope to do it again some time!

What I Like About You - Day 57

Wanna get the inside scoop on what it's really like to be me? How do I do it all or at least what you can see? Come find out on Twitter right now! Follow Hashtag #TNT to get the scoop. Join us #TNT Panel: @AlexCaseyBaby @PMKU @ToteandTee @ClassyMommy @MommaDJane @slpowell

Aloha Friday #18

Kailani at An Island Life has created this really fun idea. If you are interested in joining in, please visit her site for more details.

Today's question is:
Besides the mirrors in your bathroom, How many mirrors do you have in your home?

Answer to Aloha #12 - The sketch

Sorry I had to leave you hanging in the dark last week. Here is the answer behind the sketch. There is an author who was writing a book about products Made in the USA. My company Happy Panda will be included in his book. After giving him an interview I threw many more companies that I have worked with his way. As a thank you, a friend of his who is a sketch artist made that for me. The book will be released in April 2009.

Flashback Friday #18 - I Want Candy

I really think this is the first time I came in contact with Mohawks. I had not really seen one until this video, let alone on a girl. This video cracks me up! Check out the guys buried up to their heads in the sand. LOL - I wonder what they think of this video now. I was so young. MTV was just so important, bringing music to a short video. Too cool.

I Want Candy - Day 58

I can't believe there are only 58 Days left in the year. I can't believe next week is Thanksgiving. Geez, I read about it but I really must be in my own bubble. My computer is on the fritz and I'm using my DH's (that doesn't mean Desperate Housewives). I have to tell you his computer rocks. His screen is so big it's like a tv screen. It's really fast and his keyboard is awesome. I can type so much faster. What do you think? Sounds like an upgrade is in the air. I turned on Google Alerts. That is really cool! It could be annoying I don't know yet. I'm just playing around as usual. I kept my head down today and got some finances taken care of. It's going to take another day but that's ok I'll be ready by 8pm cst tomorrow for the latest Blog Warming party hosted by Resourceful Mom. Tweet you there!

Thursday Thirteen #56 - Thirty Six

36 While sitting in the waiting room this morning waiting for my appointment I saw a magazine cover with Jane Fonda, Sharon Stone and Tea Leoni. They were focusing on their ages. I thought it would be fun to focus on mine.
1.) At 36 I don't have any hang ups about my age. I'm totally comfortable in my 30's.
2.) I'm not focused on wrinkles or gray hair. I color my hair because I've had gray hair since I was in my early 20's. I'm not ready to have a full head of gray hair but I don't mind telling you that it's colored. Not embarrassed at all.
3.) I'm more diplomatic in my older age. I'm not as likely to fly off the handle and say many things that I don't really mean.
4.) I'm calmer now. I'm busy but I've mellowed out a lot.
5.) I'm comfortable with having an adult daughter. People normally gasp about that but I've heard it so much that I'm just use to it. We both turned out fine.
6.) I'm more confident in my skills and abilities. I'm really aware of what I can do now and in the future.
7.) I'm not afraid to speak my mind.
8.) I'm not worried about being a people pleaser. I'm generally a very nice helpful person by nature. If I can't do it I'm capable of saying no.
9.) As much as my body needs to change I'm comfortable knowing that it needs to and putting things into action.
10.) I'm looking forward to my 40's. Yep, I hear it's the new 20 and I can see why. The kids are older and you can finally put yourself at the top of your own list because your getting more sleep.
11.) I now have a quest to eat better and feed my family better. I know that just because it's easy to stop and pick up that burger it's not the healthiest route to go.
12.) I understand how precious time is with my children. They grow so fast. I really can put everything on hold and sit down and play or stand and play in some cases. I was jumping on our trampoline yesterday with my toddler. He loved it!
13.) I'm more comfortable with the roller coaster of life. Some days will be really bad and I relish in the days that are good. I know that this too shall pass. I'm just becoming wiser.

Dancin With Myself - Day 59

Here I am once again Dancin with myself. Today was my check up with the Dr. nothing like getting on that scale after you have read tons of articles of how movie star *.* now has a great bod the day after giving birth. That's exaggerating but seriously! It's time. I've got a great question lined up for Friday.

ok - So why Dancin with myself because this song makes me want to jump around. Apparently I need to do that for cardio. I keep thinking about buying some hula hoops to play with in the backyard. Seriously! Why not. I remember as a child being outside all the time! Weight was never thought about, discussed or focused on until high school. I remember being very care free. I miss those days. Have a good evening folks.

Girls Night Out Party! 11/24

It's a bit of a "Girls Night Out" with a twist! Don't be late for the party. Save the date and win! Check out the hot list of what's up for grabs. Hope to see you there. Don't forget to bring your hash tag "#gno."

Wordless Wednesday - Future Cub Scout

I'm on Fire - Day 60

What a super crazy day! So much is going on today with online projects it's just madness. People keep asking me how I do it. I do some things but it's only what interests me the most at the time. I'm really working hard on that potty training. It got to the point where he would cry when we put him on the potty so we had to back off of that and go back to the beginning. The baby now hangs out in her jumperoo. I'm happy because she likes it in there. Things are looking up around here. We have our fence and now it's time to hunt the roof! Whoo Hoo....progress. Time for WW.

Mom Made meet Katja Presnal

Why do you need to know KatjaPresnal? Because she is going to manage Wishpot's Handmade/Indie shopping channel!


She sent me this Tweet:

KatjaPresnal @PMKU That's awesome! If you know Indie designers / experts I'm looking for ppl as experts for the Handmade channel! Pls spread the word. 16 minutes ago from web in reply to PMKU

I'm doing my part to help my fellow entrepreneurs! I've worked with MANY and I invite you to Email Katja directly to find out how you can be a part of this new channel at Wishpot! Good Luck.

Tuesday Toot Meme - #18

Do you hear it? It's so loud my Toot Toot! Here we go. What did I accomplish this week? Widgets to help all those mom business owners trying to make it out here in the online world of business. I made it to the chiropractor yesterday from the accident that we had. I'm so sore. Our fence is finished! Insert happy dance ---->@<-----here. Three dogs in the house for 2 months = icky smelly house but now there is relief! I began a #15 Days of Marketing group at twittermoms.com. I helped judge the food photo contest at 5 minutes for mom and will soon be editing their directories. I love working with the twins. They ROCK! Can't wait to see what the other moms are Tooting about this week. Have a good one.

Fat Bottomed Girls - Day 61

Why? I don't know it was just that kind of a day. Everything happened so fast today. Monday is bittersweet. At one moment I would get good news and the very next I would get bad news. It's just been a very long Monday. I sit here looking around me and all I can think of are all the things that I need to do. But then I see the news on Twitter that the Motrin ad came down and I'm distracted. Then I see that I have 443 listeners on Blip.fm and I'm distracted once again. Did I pay all the bills? Can I find them? I long for a few days of being "hands free" with a dash of energy. I don't mind working hard but do I have to work hard at everything? Yes.

Motrin - You Feel My Pain? (#motrinmoms)

Motrin, I'm feeling your pain! I'm so sorry that your ad campaign has gone awry. As a Social Media Consultant, mommy blogger and small business owner I could have easily advised your team of the absurdity of this campaign. Moms don't wear children to be fashionable or to look official. As the mother of 4 I can quickly tell you that our children are carried for a good 2 years if not more. Our backs are going to hurt whether we use carriers, slings, pouches or none at all. I wonder if the woman that you hired to do the voice over might not have chimed in and been ignored. One thing is certain, the moms in Twitterville have power. They are very tech savy! From posts to video, blogs, twitter and Facebook news of this will spread like a virus. It would not surprise me to see this on the news. Motrin I feel your pain as I can see your sales decreasing as I write this post. I feel your pain as you gather your PR team to figure out how to fix this. My advice to you, get some moms together to help bail you out of this mess. On second thought you might not be able to find any. Good Luck Motrin. Are there any moms out there that support this video campaign? Find moms weighing in on twitter at #motrinmoms and find more posts here! There's a Mr. Linky too over here!

Campfire - Day 62

The guys returned from their camping trip. It's pretty cool how they smell like a campfire. I love that smell. Watching a fire is such a relaxing thing for me to do. That is one of the reasons I like the winter. We get to buy firewood and have fires in the fire place. The kids love it too. I'm looking forward to this weather change. It's also my favorite time to open all the windows and let the house air out!