Merry Christmas!

Jim Henson Company

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas! We're looking forward to a possible white Christmas here and all of the kids are very excited. It should be a lot of fun! So, once again, Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noel, Feliz Navidad, Frohliche Weihnachten, and Nollaig Chridheil.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Disney

Happy Thanksgiving, ya'll! I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with family and friends and all of the things we should all be thankful for. Eat lots of turkey and plan your Black Friday shopping lists. There are some awesome deals out there, especially on Disney movies on DVD and Bluray and Disney clothing and toys. Check out Black-Friday.net for all the ads so you can plan your predawn shopping strategy! Good Luck and Happy Thanksgiving!!

The Good Witch's Gift

I love the Good Witch movies. The stories are magical and all about the importance of family, either the one you're born into or the one you find for yourself. The latest film in the series tells the story of Cassie and Jake's wedding, and the struggles they go through to reach the altar.

It seems that as soon as they settle on Christmas Eve for their wedding day, things begin to go wrong. First, Jake is having trouble proving Cassie's existence so that they can obtain a wedding license. Then, Cassie entrusts her mother's ring to Lori, who promptly loses it. Then there's Brandon 's girlfriend, whose father has recently been released from jail and seems bent on making trouble for Jake. Add to this Martha Tinsdale, who has been forced to find a job by her husband's real estate losses, and has decided that she should plan the entire wedding. Of course, by the end, everything works out for the best and the entire family can happily settle down to their new life together (and hopefully more movies!)

The Good Witch's Gift premieres on November 13, at 9/8c.

Happy Halloween!

I hope everyone has a Happy Halloween! We spent the morning carving pumpkins. I made a howling werewolf, Bean made a silhouette of Tiana kissing the frog Naveen from Disney's Princess and the Frog, and my sister carved a spooky face. Unfortunately, I had to run out and buy a carving kit this morning because we couldn't find last year's, and I had to try two stores, and only lucked into picking up the last one to be had at Target. This evening, we went to a church Halloween party and "Trunk or Treat" and then went trick or treating door to door in a nice neighborhood with full size candy bars. Bean had a wonderful time. I love this time of year!

From ghoulies and ghosties
And long-legged beasties
And things that go bump in the night
Good Lord, deliver us!
- Traditional Scottish Prayer

Spooky Fun Treats

I love crazy theme food, especially at Halloween. I usually end up buying the Halloween flavors of Jones Soda. (My favorites are the Buried Pomegranate and Creepy Cranberry!) However, most fun Halloween treats are loaded with sugar. This year, I found a fun themed, good-for-you Halloween treat... Scarrots! Scarrots are snack size packages of baby carrots in cute Halloween packaging. They even come with tattoos featuring baby carrots dressed as a ghost, witch, Frankenstein's monster and Bride of Frankenstein, vampire, red devil, mummy, and skeleton. They are adorable and hilarious! And they are 100% products of the USA, both the carrots and the tattoos, which can be very difficult to find these days.

Each small pack has funny trivia on the back. For example, on the Frankenstein's monster package it says:
"What do Frankenstein and baby carrots have in common?
They're both misunderstood. They both lack human emotion. They're both sweet at their cores. But unlike Frankenstein, baby carrots are not made by scientists. They're aliiiive!"
The witch package says:
"Is it true that when you shut off all the lights...
And say "baby carrots" in the mirror six times while eating baby carrots, witches will fly out from under your bed on broomsticks and cast a spell on your Halloween candy? Only one way to find out."

These Scarrots have the cutest images on the bags and would be a fun surprise to stick in a kids lunch box. After all, how often do you get a Halloween treat that's fun AND healthy?

The Good Witch

Two of my favorite fall movies are The Good Witch and The Good Witch's Garden. Catherine Bell is fantastic as Cassie Nightingale and I love Chris Potter as Police Chief Jake Russell. When a mysterious woman moves into the local haunted house in a small town, residents wonder whether she is a witch. When she opens a shop called Bell, Book, and Candle, the mayor's wife starts a campaign to get her out of town. Will Cassie be able to work her magic on the town and be welcomed into the community?

In The Good Witch's Garden, the entire town is preparing to celebrate their 200th anniversary. Cassie offers to host the party at her home, the oldest in town. To help make ends meet, she opens her home to guests as a bed and breakfast. However, there's something suspicious about her guest. Will she be able to keep her home and help the community? Perhaps with a little magic.

I love these stories. They are romantic and magical stories that can be watched by the whole family. Not only do my sister and I enjoy watching them, but so does Bean and even her grandpa. Hallmark usually plays them in October because the end of the Good Witch takes place on Halloween. They are well worth watching.

The Secret of Kells

I recently discovered a fabulous movie called The Secret of Kells. It is the story of a young boy called Brendan, who live within the walls of Kells. He meets an amazing illuminator from Iona, who has fled to Kells when his abbey was destroyed by the Norsemen. To help brother Aiden finish illuminating the book, Brendan, along with Aiden's white cat Pangur Ban, ventures outside the walls of Kells for the first time. He meets a fairy called Aisling who aids him in his search for berries to use for ink. As the Norsemen move ever closer, Brendan, with the help of Aiden, Aisling, and Pangur Ban, must decide what is more important: following the rules of his uncle and staying inside the walls, or finishing the book, which will enlighten the world in a time of darkness.

The story is great, and the animation, inspired by images within the Book of Kells are beautiful. The movie is a good one for families, although young children may be frightened by the images of the Norsemen and Crom Cruach. If you love Celtic art and stories that blend myth and imagination, then this movie is for you.