Movie Trailer Tuesday - Miracle on 34th Street

This 1994 version of the classic 'Miracle on 34th Street' is one that we love to watch around the holidays.

The Harlem Globetrotters Giftbag Winner

The randomly selected winner of the Harlem Globetrotters Gift Bag is: A Bookish Mom

I will email you regarding your prize. Thank you for entering!

Movie Trailer Tuesday - Serendipity

Here's another favorite movie that I especially enjoy watching at Christmas-time...

I love both John Cusack and Jeremy Piven. They are great together as best friends in this film. Such a sweet, romantic, fun movie! Have you seen it?

Kmart Bluelight Specials for December 12th and 13th

Image via Wikipedia

Are you heading out this weekend to do some Christmas shopping? If so, be sure and visit Kmart and check out their Bluelight Specials.

Below are the teasers for this weekend December 12th and 13th:

-Essential Home Snug Sack 50% off (reg. $19.99)

-Jaclyn Smith Today Cashmere Blend Throw $12.99 (reg. $29.99)

-Kodak 7” digital frame $49.99 (reg. $79.99)


All day offers:

Saturday:

-Mens Boxed Gifts $5 (reg. 16.99-19.99)

-Die Hard Battery Bank BOGO Free (reg. $9.99)

Sunday:

-Fisher Price Fashion Separates $4.99 (Infant/Toddler) reg. $10.99-$18.99

-Hershey Snack size jumbo bags $3.50 (reg. $5.99)



Don’t forget to follow @KmartDealsnNews and use the #KmartBLS hashtag for a chance to win every day! For more info & rules: http://www.pitchengine.com/free-release.php?id=32110. Good luck!

Movie Trailer Tuesday - Noelle

Over the next several weeks, I will be sharing some movies that I love to watch around the holidays.

Merry SITSmas!

Today is the 2nd annual Merry SITSmas celebration going on over at SITS. So, grab a cup of coffee, turn on some Christmas music and check it out. There will be lots of comment love, prizes and fun.



Last night, we did the dreaded photo-taking for our Christmas cards. My kids detest having their pictures made. Let me just say, it was 20 minutes of torture. They fussed and fought and complained the entire time. I managed to take about 10 photos - these were my two favorites.









Merry SITSmas!

~Enter my Harlem Globetrotters gift bag giveaway~

Relish!

Need a quick and easy gift idea? Give a subscription to Relish! - the cool website that offers weekly meal-planning services. Subscriptions cost just $7 per month, with discounts if you buy 6 or 12-month plans.

Relish! allows you to log on and choose weekly dinner menus that are customized to your needs. Streamline things by choosing from the Express Menu (picks of the week are already listed) or use the Custom Menu to make your own choices. Once the 5 meals are chosen, a grocery shopping list will be generated. Head to the store and pick up everything you need in one stop for the entire week's meals. Relish! offers kid-friendly, vegetarian, and low-calorie choices, just to name a few.

This would make a great gift for so many people on your list - even for yourself! Visit Relish! for more details.

Disclaimer
Relish! provided me with a free 2-month trial subscription. No other compensation was given.

The Harlem Globetrotters and their U.S. Magical Memories Tour (Coupon and Giveaway)

The Harlem Globetrotters have been entertaining audiences with their world famous, family-friendly basketball antics for years. On December 26, they will begin their 84th season with the start of their "Magical Memories" tour. On this tour, they will visit 216 U.S. cities. At each show, they will take on their arch-rivals, the Washington Generals. I can't think of a more fun way to spend an evening with your family. And, if you are like me and have children of different ages, this will appeal to everyone. Check out the Harlem Globetrotters tour schedule and find out if they will be coming to a city near you. While visiting their website, you can also see Globetrotter history, photos, and news. Kids can even send email fan letters (which Globetrotters players personally respond to).





Coupon Offer
The Harlem Globetrotters, through Coyne Public Relations, is generously offering a coupon to readers of Alas 3 Lads. Readers can get a $7 discount for each ticket purchased*. Ticket prices do vary slightly at the various arenas, but they typically average $25 each, thus allowing a family of four to save $28 in total. Readers can simply visit www.harlemglobetrotters.com to locate a game in their area and purchase tickets using the promotional code: HGMOM to redeem the coupon.

*Please Note:

-Not valid on VIP or courtside seats
-Available online only
-Valid until the day before the show


Giveaway
Would you like to win a fun gift bag from The Harlem Globetrotters? The gift bag includes a Harlem Globetrotter mini-basketball, authentic Globetrotter wristbands, an autographed Harlem Globetrotter team photo and a 2010 game program.

To enter the giveaway:

Follow @alas3lads and @Globies on twitter and tweet the following -

Harlem Globetrotters US Magical Memories tour kicks off 12-26. Check out ticket coupon & giveaway offer at Alas 3 Lads http://bit.ly/6BDKsl

To be entered in the giveaway, you must leave a comment here with a link to your tweet.


I will choose a random winner on Monday December 14, 2009.



Disclaimer
The Harlem Globetrotters, through Coyne Public Relations, provided information used in this post as well as the coupon code and gift bag giveaway prize. They also provided me with a free gift bag and tickets for my family to a Harlem Globetrotters game.

Aloha Friday - National Cookie Day

It's Friday - time to take it easy and get ready for the weekend. I'll post something quick and simple for you to respond to...

Did you know that today is National Cookie Day?

Here's a little information about the history of cookies. According to http://www.ezinearticles.com/, "the English word "cookie" is derived from the Dutch word "koekje," which means little cake. Bakers used to place a small amount of cake batter in the oven to test the temperature. They soon discovered that these little bits of cooked batter were quite tasty on their own, and the cookie was born!"

We've come a long way since then. Today, cookies are a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States. With every kind of flavor, variety, shape and color to imagine - the choices are endless. So, take a moment today and enjoy a cookie to celebrate!

What is your favorite cookie? - My favorites are oatmeal cookies.



For more Aloha Friday visit An Island Life

Christmas Meme

I came across this fun little Christmas meme over at Theta Mom and I thought I would play along...


1. Have you started your Christmas shopping? Yes, I usually try to start in late October

2. Tell me about one of your special traditions. We celebrate Christmas with my side of the family on Christmas Eve. Every year, right before opening gifts, we all gather around as someone reads the story of Jesus' birth from the bible.

3. When do you put up your Tree? Usually a day or so after Thanksgiving

4. Are you a Black Friday shopper? Yes, although I usually just hit one or two stores. I like to get home while it's still early enough to go back to bed.

5. Do you travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home

6. What is your funniest Christmas memory? I have had the same best friend since I was five years old. When we were little, we would always end up telling each other what gifts we bought for one another - then act surprised when we opened them.

7. What is your favorite Christmas movie of all time? Joyeux Noel

8. Do you do your own Christmas baking, what’s your favorite treat? I do a little baking, but I tend to stick to the quick and easy recipes. My favorite is peanut butter fudge.

9. Fake or Real Tree? Fake tree for us. I love real trees, they are beautiful. But, they really irritate our allergies and I don't think I could deal with the mess of the needles falling everywhere.

10. What day (as a mom) does the actual panic set in to get it all done? I don't think I ever panic. But, this year may be different - we are hosting my family on Christmas Eve at our house (normally it's at my parents' but they downsized to a much smaller home a few months ago). I will be having about 25 here for Christmas Eve, yikes!

11. Are you still wrapping presents on Christmas Eve? No

12. What is your favorite family fun time at Christmas? Just spending time together, watching Christmas movies, driving around looking at Christmas lights

13. What Christmas craft do you like the best? Hmmm...I guess we don't really do any Christmas crafts.

14. Christmas music? (Yes or No) If yes, what is your favorite song? Yes, for sure! One of my very favorite Christmas songs is by Harry Connick Jr - I Pray On Christmas

15. When do you plan to finish all of your shopping? Hopefully by mid December

The meme rules say to tag 5 bloggers, but, I will follow Theta Mom's lead and invite anyone to participate. If you do, be sure and comment here so I can come over and check out your answers. Ho Ho Ho!

Check Out April Showers Blog Designs and Giveaway

April Showers Blog Design is having a HUGE giveaway and celebrating her OPEN waiting list that starts January 1st! April not only does blogs - but also invitations, announcements, calendars, cards, business cards, custom illustrations, and so much more! Just by pasting this paragraph on my blog I'm a winner! www.aprilshowersblogdesign.com

Head over and check out her site. You will love her tutorials, freebies, and blog design services.

Christmas Giveaway 2009 at 5 Minutes For Mom

Visit 5 Minutes for Mom for all the details on their Christmas Giveaway 2009. They have over 30 giveaways going on this month and plenty of chances to win. You can also find some great gift ideas to help with your holiday shopping.

Here's what makes their Christmas Giveaway unique -- besides providing all the great giveaway prizes to the readers of 5 Minutes for Mom, the participating companies are also providing presents to selected families who are in need this season.



5 Minutes for Mom will choose several families to sponsor. Find out how to nominate a family in need by clicking over to Under the Tree 2009.

Movie Trailer Tuesday - Joyeux Noel

Over the next several weeks, I will be sharing some movies that I love to watch around the holidays.

This movie ranks high on my list of all-time favorite movies ever! I love movies based on true stories, I love period pieces, and I love films with subtitles - this is all that and more. It's an extraordinary story that is deeply moving.

Set in 1914 during World War I, we find opposing groups of soldiers hunkered down in trenches that are just yards apart. As Christmas Eve arrives, the troops from each side agree to a temporary cease-fire. They gather together to celebrate Christmas as well as bury their dead comrades who have died earlier during their battle. Despite their language differences, the men interact with one another and discover that they are alike in many ways. All of this is done without the permission of their superiors. And, once Christmas is over, they know that the war must go on.

Before and After

I caved and finally let my daughter color her hair. Last week, I took her to my hairdresser who used a temporary color stain to change her hair from blonde to brownish-red. It will gradually fade away over the next 6-8 weeks and there's no maintenance to worry about. I think it's gorgeous and she loves it. Her dad...not so much. I think it's just hard for him to see his little girl growing up.

Back from hiatus and losing my mojo....

I'm back after a little unplanned blogging hiatus. The kids were out of school all last week, so between having them home (and hogging the computer) plus Thanksgiving and Black Friday shopping, I've just not had the time or energy to post anything. We had a very nice Thanksgiving with lots of good food and time with family. And, my daughter and I went out with some friends for Black Friday shopping. We arrived at Walmart around 1:30 a.m. and left around 5:45 a.m. -- seriously, that's waaay too much time in a Walmart. It was fun, though and I did buy a couple of gifts that were pretty good deals.

We put up our Christmas tree over the weekend. But, all the other decorations were still in the basement. Tonight, I had the brilliant idea to carry all the storage boxes upstairs and unpack them. They are really in such a mess and need to be reorganized. Half of the items we don't even use anymore so I thought this was the perfect time to declutter and condense. Well, you can see that I have dragged everything out of the boxes and have it sitting on the floor. So far, I have two boxes filled with stuff for Goodwill (it feels so good to get rid of stuff we don't use).





But, now I'm starting to feel tired and I think I'm losing my mojo. I really need to get this all finished before going to bed. And, I'm trying to watch 'Brothers and Sisters' and the sound is all messed up. What's up with that? I sure hope it's a tv technical difficulty and not our television going kapuut!

Do you have your tree or other Christmas decorations up yet?

Movie Trailer Tuesday - Love Actually

Over the next several weeks, I will be sharing some movies that I love to watch around the holidays.

Here's one that a lot of you have probably seen. I love it; it's one of those movies I can watch over and over. If you haven't seen it, you simply must!

The movie takes place in London during the holidays. It follows more than eight different relationships, all of which are somehow inter-related. With a terrific ensemble cast, it's the perfect mix of romance and comedy. A really fun, sweet film!

Life With Four Kids

The ages of our kids are 16, 13, 11, and 9. Here’s a little glimpse of the way things work in our house with four kids…

• “Calling it” – If you want dibs on something, you better “call” it. And, you better call it fast. Our kids are always yelling out “I call front seat”, “ I call computer”, “I call Mom and Dad’s bathroom”. And, if you want to stay one step ahead, you better specify how long you’re calling it – “I call front seat for the entire day!”

• Interruptions – You will more than likely be interrupted a lot. If one of my kids start to tell a story, they have learned to premise it by saying loudly to everyone, “Don’t interrupt”

• Noise – This one is pretty self explanatory. 4 kids=noise

• Memory – My kids often forget to make their beds or pick up their dirty laundry, but, they never forget each and every single time any of their siblings have got to buy something or go somewhere. They can definitely keep score when it comes to that kind of stuff.

• Laundry – I literally do laundry every single day. And, I’m still never completely caught up. On the rare occasion that I take a day off from laundry…let’s just say, it’s not pretty. Piles of laundry are one of my biggest stresses.

• Fussing and Fighting – This is really hard for me to take. My siblings were quite a bit older than me, so as I grew up, they were already moving out on their own. I never had to deal with fighting and bickering with them. My kids do it all the time. They can argue over just about anything, no matter how insignificant it may seem.

• Mealtime Assembly Line – When our kids were younger, dinnertime was easier if we left all the food on the stove and prepared their plates for them. We would fill up their plates, cup up their food, and place it before them at the table. Now that they are older, we still find ourselves doing it this way. Although this made things run smoothly when they were little, I now see that it has put them at somewhat of a disadvantage. I say this because last night I discovered that my 11 yr. old son didn’t know how to cut up his chicken breast. Ooops!

• Love, Affection, and Companionship – And, last but not least, with four kids, there’s always lots of this kind of good stuff to go around!

More Holiday Shopping Gift Ideas '09

Here are some more gift ideas that I wanted to share with you. These are not paid endorsements or reviews - just neat things that I have come across while perusing the internet. Maybe you'll see something that will help with your holiday shopping.


Voice Changer from Restoration Hardware
$12
Disguise your voice with nine wacky effects. Having three boys, I know this would be a big hit in our house!





Say What Game by Radica
$14.99

"There's a new twist on word scrambles with this talking, hands-on electronic game, which begins by telling you a phrase out of order. See how quickly you can reorder the word balls until the game calls out the correct phrase. This includes electronic scoring, three ways to play, and age appropriate levels of difficulty for fair game play."

We have this game and it's a lot of fun! Set it out when you have guests and everyone - adults and kids - will want to give it a try. My kids love it. Even if they have never heard of some of the phrases, they can still try to figure them out.




Boom Blocks Mini iPod® Speaker Dock at The Land of Nod
$12.95 each
This would be a great little stocking stuffer



Kids Black & White Scottie Dog Collectible Porcelain Toy Tea Set from Gooseberry Patch
$18.95




Holly sprig graphic courtesy of The Graphics Fairy

Movie Trailer Tuesday - The Family Stone

Over the next several weeks, I will be sharing some movies that I love to watch around the holidays.


From Netflix:

Although their relationship works in the city, things begin to fall apart for buttoned-up Manhattanites Everett (Dermot Mulroney) and Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker) when they visit the suburbs for the holidays to stay with Everett's family. Sarah's first meeting with Everett's parents (Diane Keaton and Craig T. Nelson) proves so traumatic that she calls in her sister (Claire Danes) for backup -- a move that only makes Christmas more complicated.

Big families who are all in each other's business and act a little crazy are right up my alley. I love this movie!

Book Review - After You

After You A Novel by Julie Buxbaum

When Ellie learns that her best friend, Lucy, has been murdered in Notting Hill, she is devastated. Not only was she murdered in broad daylight, but also in front of her eight year old daughter, Sophie. Ellie immediately leaves her husband and home in Boston and flies to London. Because of the traumatizing experience of seeing her mother killed, Sophie has stopped talking. Ellie feels an intense need to be there for the little girl and her father. Knowing that she and Sophie both share a love of reading, Ellie begins to read the book 'The Secret Garden', hoping that it will somehow comfort Sophie. As the two become engrossed in the story, Sophie begins to open up little by little.

While Ellie continues her stay in London, she adds to the problems that were already present in her own marriage. And, after discovering some secrets about Lucy, she begins to question everything in her life - her marriage, her past, and her future. When an unexpected surprise occurs, Ellie is not sure which way to turn. Does she return to Boston, to her husband and her old life? Or, does she stay in London and take care of Sophie?

This was a great book. Being a mother and having a lifelong best friend, I could certainly relate to both Ellie and Lucy on many points.

Kmart Bluelight Special Holiday Sweepstakes

Image via Wikipedia

Blue Light Specials are back, and to celebrate in style Kmart will be giving shoppers on Twitter a chance to win a $50 gift card everyday! In addition to the chance to win daily, everyone following @KmartDealsnNews on Twitter will be automatically entered for a chance to win a $500 Kmart shopping spree – how cool is that?!

The sweepstakes runs from November 12th until December 23rd. Winning couldn’t get easier - all you have to do is follow @KmartDealsnNews on Twitter from your personal Twitter account and issue a Tweet everyday using our hashtag: #KmartBLS. Each day is a new opportunity to win, so the more often you tweet - the better your chances are to win a Daily prize!

For more info on sweepstakes details, check out: http://www.pitchengine.com/free-release.php?id=32110

For Official Rules: http://www.pitchengine.com/free-release.php?id=31674.

Share-A-Smile Saturday! #2

Time to share a few things that have made me smile or laugh this week...



Humor with dead flies - I'm not sure what to say about this, but, it made me laugh. Someone spent a lot of time getting these photos all put together.


Rules That Guys Wish Girls Knew - funny and true!



Ooops!






Poor Piglet!

Meet Leslie Blodgett And Get An Autographed Bottle Of Bare Skin 11/18 and 11/19

For any Bare Escentuals fans who may be in or around NYC or Tampa next week, RSVP today for your chance to meet Leslie Blodgett—and get a bottle of Bare Skin autographed!

What a fun opportunity - I wish I could be there.

Leslie will be making two (2) in-store appearances to celebrate the launch of her exclusive new fragrance collection, Leslie Blodgett Perfume Diaries! Come talk beauty with the woman behind the Bare Skin scent, sample the fragrance, and if you’re one of the first 100 to buy a bottle on the day of the event, Leslie will sign it!*


Sephora Times Square
At 42nd Street and 7th Avenue
Wednesday, November 18
5:30-7:30 PM
RSVP here


Sephora International Plaza
2223 N. West Shore Blvd.
(Cross-Streets: West Shore & Boy Scout Blvd.)
Thursday, November 19
6-8 PM
RSVP here


*Leslie Blodgett Perfume Diaries purchase required for bottle or packaging to be autographed. Autograph possible but not guaranteed after first 100 bottles have been purchased on day of event

Random Bits and Pieces

~Last weekend, we took the kids to see the new Christmas Carol 3D movie. We also went out to dinner before the movie. Very rarely do we do this because it's just so expensive. But, thanks to General Mills and My Blog Spark, I had some free movie tickets. Even then, we still spent $100 on dinner and movie concessions. Why is it okay for the theater to charge $4.50 for a bottle of water? Anyway, I digress...getting back to the movie. I really hate to say it, but, I was disappointed in the movie. The 3-D effects were totally awesome, especially in the beginning of the movie. But, the rest of it was honestly a little boring. My youngest is nine, he had to fight to stay awake. And, I think parts of the movie would be scary if you had younger kids, like maybe under six years old or so.

~Update on my Dad: He had his last radiation treatment this week (he took a total of 20). He's had three chemo treatments so far and three more to go. I'm so happy to say that he has handled it all very well - no nausea or vomiting at all. He's doing really great. He will have another set of scans in early December to see if the treatments have been able to shrink the mass. Please keep your fingers crossed and say a prayer that it's good news.

~I'm getting excited about Christmas! I have started to do a little Christmas shopping as well as playing my Christmas music playlist on my ipod. I just wish it would hurry up and get cold already. We've been in the 60's most days. I know it's silly, but, it just doesn't seem like holiday time until it gets cold.

~I got about 3.5 inches cut off my hair yesterday and I'm not liking it. Not at all.

Movie Trailer Tuesday - Bonneville

When her husband, Joe, dies, Arvilla wants to fulfill his wish by scattering his ashes. His daughter, on the other hand, insists on burying his ashes next to her mother. Threatened with losing her home if she doesn't give in to the daughter, Arvilla and her two best friends, set out on the trip of a lifetime. What starts as a plan to deliver Joe to his daughter for burial, turns into a crazy adventure, with the three friends learning a lot about themselves and each other. Jessica Lange, Joan Allen and Kathy Bates are all terrific in this heartwarming story.

Holiday Shopping Gift Ideas '09

I love browsing around and doing some online "window shopping", especially now that it's getting close to Christmas. Over the next few weeks, I thought I would share some of my fun finds with you. These are not paid endorsements or reviews - just neat things that I have come across while perusing the internet. Maybe you will see something that will help you with your holiday shopping.

For Her

Personalized Sterling Silver Bracelet from Lillianvernon.com $49.98

For Him

Personalized Valet Tray from Currentcatalog.com $22.99

For Teen Girl - how cute is this? This clock will "awaken you gently and sweetly with woodsy chirping sound and a little bird icon that pulses and glows. Early Bird is a traditional analog clock, so you can just spin the little pointer to set the alarm and press the birdie when you're awake."

Early Bird Alarm Clock from The Happy Woman Store $24.00



For Kids

Legends of Magic Set from Restorationhardware.com $69.00



Holly sprig graphic courtesy of The Graphics Fairy

Take A Chance Challenge - Challenge #5

I'm so excited to be participating in the Take A Chance Challenge hosted by Jenners over at Find Your Next Book Here. She has come up with 10 fun and clever tasks that involve books, reading, and even a little writing. This is my blog entry for Challenge #5.

Here are the instructions for this particular challenge:

5.Phoning An Author
Pick a random last name out of the phone book. Find an author with the same last name and read a book by them. Write about it. (I'm flexible ... if the first random name you pick is Xprxyrsss, you can pick again!)


I closed my eyes, flipped open the phone book, and pointed my finger. The random last name I landed on was Ray. Then, at the library, I went to the fiction section to see what I could find. What I found was this:

Julie and Romeo by Jeanne Ray


Julie Roseman is Jewish, 60 years old, with two grown daughters - Sandy, who has moved back home with her two kids after getting divorced, and Nora, the outspoken, gorgeous, married real estate agent. Julie herself is divorced, her husband having left her for a younger woman. Julie runs a florist that has been in her family for years, and right now, business is not going very well.

Romeo Cacciamani is Italian, catholic, 60 years old, with five grown children. He is a widow and lives in a duplex with his 90 year old mother, two of his children, a daughter-in-law, and three of his grandchildren. Romeo also runs his family-owned florist.

The Rosemans and The Cacciamanis; very different families who happen to own the only two florists in town. They also happen to be mortal enemies. As a little girl, Julie can remember her father spitting on the ground every time he heard the name "Cacciamani." These families hate each other. Come to think of it, though, Julie doesn't really know why they hate each other. No one ever explained it to her. It was just a known fact that the Rosemans hated the Cacciamanis and vice verse.

When Julie and Romeo both happen to attend a small business seminar on how to improve their shops, they run into each other face to face for the first time in many years. They make small talk and soon realize that there is no hatred between them. Instead, they are drawn together by an intense attraction and bond. Soon, they are sneaking around town going on dates. Julie, whose marriage was never that great, thought it was too late to find true, passionate love. Romeo, who adored his late wife, never thought he would find love again. They know that this thing between them is something special and they intend to pursue it (even if they must do so secretly).

Before long, their secret relationship is discovered by their families and all hell breaks loose. Nora calls her dad and flies him home with his young new wife to try and talk some sense into Julie. One of Romeo's sons comes to visit Julie and warns her to stay away from his father. And, Romeo's 90 year old mother sneaks over to Julie's garden in the middle of the night to salt her roses. The antics that go on to try and keep Julie and Romeo apart are crazy. Will they be able to withstand the trouble or should they give up their love to appease their families?

I immediately liked the characters of Julie and Romeo and rooted for them all the way. This was a light, sweet, and funny story with a happy ending.

Aloha Friday - Chili

It's Friday - time to take it easy and get ready for the weekend. I will post something quick and easy for you to respond to...

Today, let's talk chili. Now that the crisp cool autumn days are here, it's the perfect time to enjoy some chili. I was talking with my daughter's piano teacher about this and was surprised to learn that she had never had chili with spaghetti noodles - she never even heard of anyone putting spaghetti noodles in their chili. What? That's the only way we've ever made it, but, maybe it's not as common as I think.

I like my bowl of chili (made with spaghetti noodles) with a couple of crushed-up saltine crackers and some shredded cheddar cheese on top. And, I like mine to be pretty mild; I don't do spicy. My husband adds jalapeno slices to his bowl.

What about you? How do you make chili - with or without spaghetti?
Do you add in any other toppings?


If you would like to participate in Aloha Friday, visit An Island Life.

Take A Chance Challenge - Challenge #7

I'm so excited to be participating in the Take A Chance Challenge hosted by Jenners over at Find Your Next Book Here. She has come up with 10 fun and clever tasks that involve books, reading, and even a little writing. This is my blog entry for Challenge #7.

Here are the instructions for this particular challenge:

Challenge 7: Random Bestseller
Go to Random.org and, using the True Random Number Generator, enter the number 1950 for the min. and 2008 for the max. and then hit generate. Then go to this site and find the year that Random.org generated for you and click on it. Then find the bestseller list for the week that would contain your birthday for that year. Choose one of the bestsellers from the list that comes up, read it and write about it.

My random year was 1998. The book I chose was Summer Sisters by Judy Blume. It was on the bestseller list for the week of August 23rd, 1998.




As a child, I read and loved many of Judy Blume's books. But, I wasn't really familiar with any of her adult works, so, I was anxious to check this one out.

It's 1990. Victoria, or Vix as she's known to her family and friends, gets a call at work. It's her longtime childhood friend, Caitlin. She tells Vix that she has to come and be her maid of honor; she's getting married! After agreeing to come and be Caitlin's maid of honor, Vix hangs up the phone. She goes to the office restroom and gets sick. Why did she agree to this?

Then, it flashes back to 1977. Caitlin is the new girl at Acequia Madre Elementary school in Santa Fe. She's beautiful, outspoken, and fearless. All the kids love her. Vix, is quiet, shy, and in awe of Caitlin. When Caitlin approaches Vix out of the blue and invites her to spend the summer with her family at the beach, Vix is thrilled. Over the next eight years, Vix continues to spend all her summers with Caitlin. Although they come from very different backgrounds - Caitlin's family has money, Vix's family doesn't - they become best friends. They become "summer sisters."

This coming of age story follows Vix and Caitlin as they grow up and experience many firsts - first crushes, first jobs, first loves, "first times".... Their relationship is far from perfect, but, they share a special bond that can't seem to be broken. Caitlin is wild and reckless, a wanderlust. Vix, more stable, focused on going to college and making something of herself. Their lives take different paths, but they always seem to find their way back together.

I loved this book! From page one, I didn't want to put it down. I have to admit, I did not like Caitlin and couldn't identify with her at all. But, the dynamics between the two girls really drew me in. And, there were so many interesting characters that really added to the story. I was very satisfied with the ending.

Movie Trivia and 400 Posts - GIVEAWAY WINNER

Thanks to everyone who played along in my movie trivia contest. I tried to make it pretty easy, but, even if you didn't answer all of the questions correctly, you were still entered in the giveaway. Sorry for the delay in posting the winner, time got away from me yesterday. But, without further ado...

The randomly selected winner of the $25 Visa Gift Card is:

Anissa said...
1. School of Rock
2. Almost Famous
3. Iron Man
4. Twilight
5. Good Will Hunting
6. The Wizard of Oz
7. Terms of Endearment?
8. Speed
9. 27 Dresses
10. Ever After

October 28, 2009 12:49 PM


Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

9
Timestamp: 2009-11-03 13:41:32 UTC


Congratulations to Anissa! You correctly identified all of the movie photos.
Please contact me with your mailing information within 48 hours. If I do not hear from you within that time, another random winner will be selected.