Tender and Sweet, Movie and Popcorn Treats!

Last night, as is our routine as of late, we put the kids down and watch a Netflix instant streamed movie on our Xbox 360. Lately, we have been focusing on watching independant and foreign films in order to become more distinguished and cultured (ha!) but on other nights, we watch The Office over and over and over again. (how many times is too much to watch a rerun and lose our classiness?) Do you have any suggestions for movies for us to watch? (no rated R, nudy, cussy, too sexy ones tho!)



So far we have watched Man on Wire (very interesting indeed, watch out a random nude scene that comes from nowhere) about a passionate Frenchman lunatic (imo) who crosses the New York Twin Towers in 1974 on a tight rope. The journey is intense and gripping, a very well done documentary.


vintage film reel from sushipotparts




Confessions of a SuperHero, amazing documentary about the SuperHeros who "work on tips" in Hollywood to take photos with tourists. They pretty much all need a little bit of (okay a lot) of mental therapy. Well, Hulk is the most normal, actually. Just watch it, you will be amazed.


popcorn stamp by Cupcake Tree



Primer, is a film about a team of guys who are obsessed with building a time machine. It is interesting, quirky, and even hard to follow in some parts even for people like me, who tends to follow brainy movies quite well. This review pretty much sums it up completely, I actually really liked this movie though!


popcorn soap by LoveLee Soaps



But, our latest movie was Cj7. I loved, no, LOVED this movie. My husband loved it. At various points of the movie we were laughing, crying, screwing up our eyebrows saying "wth?", being totally humbled (I even felt guilty at times for being so concerned with slipcovers and new drapes and such), and at the very end... well, you should just watch it. You will want this space alien toy dog to be yours forever too.



Well, really, my post wouldn't be complete without some sort of decorating or craftiness, so here are two gems. These would be perfect for family movie night, a craft, treat and time together watching a fun and inspiring film. Popcorn bag idea from Gretchen of the Examiner.



You’ll need one sheet of 8 1/2” x 11” paper for each bag. Lay the paper in a horizontal position and draw dotted vertical lines 2 1/2”, 3 and 3 1/2” from each side with a pencil and ruler. Draw horizontal lines 1/2” from the top and bottom.

Draw angled lines down from the lower horizontal line and middle vertical lines to the bottom of the page. Use the template shown as a guide. Cut away the sides leaving a flap.

Trim the horizontal top of the paper with pinking shears or other decorative scissors.



Paint stripes down the center of the bag with a thin paintbrush and craft paint or wide colored markers. When the paint is dry, write “Fresh Popcorn” on the bag in black and add a few simple stars for cinematic appeal.

Fold in accordion style on the dotted vertical lines. Burnish the creases with the back of a spoon. Adhere the folds in back with a glue stick. Fold and burnish the bottom flap and glue. Your popcorn bag is ready to be filled with a hot buttery snack!

ps, search Etsy for popcorn! All kinds of neat treats, like curry popcorn to popcorn crafts are there!

And last but not least, a popcorn ball recipe!



INGREDIENTS (Nutrition- ha!!)
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup margarine
2 teaspoons cold water
2 5/8 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup marshmallows
5 quarts plain popped popcorn

DIRECTIONS
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the corn syrup, margarine, cold water, confectioners' sugar and marshmallows. Heat and stir until the mixture comes to a boil. Carefully combine the hot mixture with the popcorn, coating each kernel.
Grease hands with vegetable shortening and quickly shape the coated popcorn into balls before it cools. Wrap with cellophane or plastic wrap and store at room temperature. Yeilds, 20 popcorn balls

Origins and the Spirit of Easter

Wild Easter Lily by KHall65890

I love Easter! I love cuddly chics, bunnies, lambs, baskets, bonnets, decor, pastels, lace, flowers, Cadbury bunny commercials... but what I truly, deeply love, is the True meaning of Easter.



I have a firm foundation and testimony in Jesus Christ, our Savior and his love and sacrifice for us. It is easy to forget this at times, but when we feel alone and in need, remembering Him and how He remembers us can help us. Let us always remember Him, not just when we need Him in times of trouble, but always! This video is a beautiful message about our Savior's atonement, and is my Easter message to you. You can read the full talk, by Apostle, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, entitled "None Were With Him", in which he describes the Savior’s solitary journey to overcome sin and death and testifies of the resulting blessings to all mankind.


Tulips & Eggs in a clear glass bowl and more ideas from The Inspired Room

In my family, our Easter tradition was laying out carrots and milk for the Easter bunny. On Easter morning, we awoke to a nibbled carrot stick, an empty cup of milk and milky paw prints on the table and the floor. Evidence!! Question. When you were little, did you envision the Easter Bunny to be like an actual looking bunny, or some huge rabbit like the kind in bunny costumes?



"A Little History: The origins of celebrating Easter seem to begin early in the third century with a movable feast honoring Christ’s resurrection. Early Christians may have eased cultural differences and religious conversions by relating their feast of Christ’s “renewal” or resurrection with Anglo-Saxon’s pagan spring celebrations involving Eostre, the goddess of spring and renewal, who was depicted at times with a hare or eggs. The Germans, much later in the 1500s, introduced the Easter Bunny or the “Oschter Haws” who would lay colored eggs in hidden caps and bonnets of boys and girls on Easter morning (boys made nests in their caps/girls made nests in their bonnest for the Bunny to lay the eggs).

By the time this tradition was brought to the United States, it was popular to leave out baskets for bunny and egg shaped sweets. Easter is now celebrated religiously and/or secularly throughout the world. As Christians, our family celebrates the Resurrection during Easter and we also are lucky enough to have the Easter Bunny hop by to celebrate it with us.



The following is a tradition we have begun with our family to help teach the meaning of the holiday: a few weeks before Easter we grow wheatgrass. As the wheatgrass grows, each day we review a little bit of the last days of Christ’s life and his resurrection. The definition of resurrection is “the act of rising from the dead or returning to life”. Since Easter is a time to celebrate the resurrection and a renewal of life, early spring is a perfect time to teach your children about birth, growth, the resurrection and life. While the grass is growing , we leave the grass out for the Easter bunny to leave treats on as an early reward for learning of and knowing the meaning of Easter. The above photo is our wheatgrass from this year!" ~segment by No Fuss Fabulous (click link for directions on growing wheatgrass and ideas of what to do with it!)


Another great idea to do with your children, is this paper Easter lily. You simply trace your child's hand on a piece of paper, cut it out, roll it up, roll the fingers down and attach it to pipe cleaners to make a paper flower. I think, you can teach how the Lord had a hand in creating so many wonderful things for us, like flowers and He also gave His life for us.

Then, after each family member has created their own handprint flower, put it in a vase together and show the children how the family is special and created by God, and each member of the family is here to love and help each other. They will see how beautiful and strengthening it is to put a single flower together with more to make the family bouquet. Full instructions/photos at Artists Helping Children.

Happy Easter!

Messes

I am sitting on the couch taking care of the baby, my 2 year old sitting next to me. Of course, he and our dog are playing a bit of tug o war, she's barking like mad and he's in a giggling frenzy.

All of a sudden, he starts screaming, I look over and bright red blood is everywhere! I put the baby down, thinking, "Oh my gosh, did he get bitten?" I rush him to the bathroom and search wildly for scratches, bite marks, anything...

He is amused by the blood in the mirror and starts to stare at in admiration and wonder, a little smile across his face. I realize this was just a very random and harmless nosebleed.

Interesting how something so small, can be so scary.

Glitter Lung and Lord of the Rings, Star Wars Kid Matrix version... this is just too funny!

Cases Of Glitter Lung On The Rise Among Elementary-School Art Teachers

I just love love LOVE this article. I think I have a case of fur lung when I am cutting up fur on my puppets. I have been wanting to use glitter on my ACEO's lately... I wonder if I should wear a mask... maybe a dainty bandana would do?

And since we are being funny today, I absolutely MUST show my geekster side with 3 of my favorite Google videos, and link you to the most hilarious LOTR song, evar. I am a Lord of the Rings nut (have read them and the Silmarillion many times)... and my husband and I quiz each other daily on the movie quotes. It is a sad, sad fact, but it keeps the marriage fun (that and the fact that he slightly resembled Legolas when we first met, minus the tights, naturally.)

"How The Lord of the Rings, Should Have Ended"



"Star Wars Kid... Matrix Style"


"Potatoes, Boil 'em Mash 'em Stick em in a Stew" by Enigma Monkey



Remember the dialogue between Gollum and Sam... about the potatoes and the "brace of conies"? Well, this is a little techno "mash-up" of the song, and it is hi-larious!!!

And this last video, well, not many people think it is as funny as I do (they look at me weird when I show it to them)... but if you are a TRUE fan... you just may bust a gut laughing.

"Lord of the Rings Voice Over"