It's coming!

Faster than a speeding HDTV bullet!

In fact, faster than you can say, 3D TV, three times fast!

Family home entertainment is about to get better with the fast-approaching launch of the Sony LCD  3D-Ready Television. Though not the first 3D television on the market, it is highly anticipated to be the best in this category. The new normal-looking Sony LCD television set will have  3D-ready capability to play 3D Blue-ray discs with the ease of a command.

That's right, you and your family may never leave the couch again once you've watched "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" flying at you in your own living room. The sports fanatic in your home will be holding back from flying across the room trying to catch an out-of-bounds ball during the World Cup  this summer. And, the gamer dwelling in the game cave will be immersed in the dungeons of 3D video games to his or her delight.

As a Hollywood observer, I'm personally looking forward to the day when we can watch the Oscars in 3D. I can envision movie stars' gowns slapping my face as I assess their Red Carpet look. Or, having to back-up from the set as Mariah Carey walks by in her revealing one-size-too-small gown. It would make for a far more entertaining Awards TV production.

Admittedly, I'm not your usual gadget-happy gal, but after examining the picture from behind the Sony 3D goggles, I was taken aback by the image quality of the Sony 3D TV;  immaculate, crisp and clear, not at all cheesy  as I skeptically thought it would be.

Wearing Sony's prototype 3D glasses are required to view the full effect of this TV marvel, and instantly draw you into the picture which you will find hard to abandon once you've tried it. However, it does mean you'll need a new set. (Prices and models are not yet available, but will be published soon. Televisons will become available early summer of 2010!)

If you have time, experience Sony's outstanding 3D-ready television at a Sony Style Store. I'm confident you'll agree this could be a fantastic addition to the family home entertainment collection!

I was not compensated for this review. Only invited by Sony to preview the new television.

Overall, the 2010 Academy Awards were entertaining, a bit long (but not the longest on Oscar record at 4 hours plus), but still worthy of the show’s reputation as Hollywood’s Biggest Night.  The sets, the presenters and summaries were well done, but our sectional wasn't long enough to contain our fidgeting bodies while sitting through the long, and sometimes, dull broadcast. This year's Oscars could have used more creativity and a quicker pace to avoid rushing Tom Hanks to get through his presentation for Best Picture which went to the “Hurt Locker”. It was an abrupt end to a very long-awaited grand finale.

I was a little disappointed with Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin’s banter during the show; it was deadpan, the timing on some of the jokes was off, and evidently some actors failed to see the humor in their bits – George Clooney clearly let the bumbling hosts know they stunk when they referred to him in a gag and Clooney responded with a stern stink eye – whether playing along or not, I too would have tried to send them messages with my looks if I had to sit through their agonizing opening monologue.

I really wanted to see a repeat of last year’s Oscar’s Show format – it was impressive and certainly left an impression on me – having past Oscar winners speak directly to the nominees was a personal touch that made an otherwise lofty program more down to earth. Instead, co-stars spoke to their corresponding nominee and though touching, some were too detached or sappy. Nevertheless, I hope to see this arrangement back next year.

Neil Patrick Harris always blows me away with his multi-talented self, but not last night. Sorry, I just couldn’t keep from staring at the dangling ear piece, it distracted me. But, a showman he is and ignored the listening devise going on with the show.

Traditionally, the most entertaining part of the Academy Awards show is the Red Carpet where celebrities are caught in unrehearsed interviews about their chosen attire and any other off-the-cuff question the correspondents boldly come up with. I'm not a fashion expert (just ask my teenage daughter), so I'll leave this opinion to the "Fashion Experts"- be it the "Fashion Police" or any of the entertainment news panels that will surely be on tonight critiquing the star's gowns, etc.

I, on the other hand, kept flipping channels trying to catch several TV networks at work. E! was fun to watch, but not so much for the dresses chosen by the female correspondents.

The ABC crew, though knowledgeable about the industry, lacked that je ne sais quoi Red Carpet personality. In fact, the entire ABC team (except for Randolph Duke) along with Kathy Ireland was stiff and failed to make me feel relaxed enough to hang out with them.

What was up with Miss Ireland’s right hand? It was awkwardly straightened out as if trying to keep the huge bangles on her wrist from slipping off. Though she looked stunning, she was painfully difficult to watch; nerves, tight dress or aching heels, whatever was hurting her she showed it.

The good part of the show was the winners.

I saw the “Hurt Locker” and was taken aback by the potent war scenes which made my heart ache for the troops and the nasty jobs they have to do.  I experienced a full range of emotions watching this film: Anger, sadness, despair, laughter and joy. Kathryn Bigelow deserved her award for Best Director simply because I think having a woman capture the male’s angle on war while simultaneously adding the family’s perspective during warfare to the movie was touching.

I’ll confess, I was the only one in my family who just couldn’t muster up the energy to sit through “Avatar”, so I didn’t, and was hoping it didn’t win simply based on the absence of humans in the film. Maybe I’m getting old, but Sci-Fi is difficult for me to swallow.

I was rooting for Sandra Bullock to win Best Actress from the get go. Don’t get me wrong, I adore Meryl Streep, and will watch anything she’s in confidently knowing she’ll make the film worth my time and money. But, I was ready for a fresh face to nab this top award, and obviously wasn’t the only one.  I watched “The Blind Side” and was admittedly blindsided by Bullock’s convincing part (and who gets tired of her girl-next-door look?). Can’t get enough of Michel Orr’s true story, it gripped me and pulled me into the film’s inspirational message … still with me today.

I love the yearly pomp and circumstance of the Oscars in Hollywood. It’s also a safe family date-night in front of the television (though it may not be entertaining for every age). I especially like the speeches which include thanking parents for their support or inspiration – they always get to me. I hope the kids get the messages of perseverance and gratitude, too. Listening to these award-winning adults thank their parents, and watching some of them tear up as they do, is a remarkable example of the gratitude children should be aware of towards their parents.

What is your favorite thing about the Oscars? What keeps you in front of the TV set for three or four hours at a time? ( If you inlcude the Red Carpet, then it's over 5 hours!)

Finally, quoting Michael Giacchino, who had just won an Oscar for Achievement in Music written for motion pictures (Original score) for the movie “Up“, and was thanking his parents for supporting him throughout his creative life,

“If you want to be creative, get out there and do it. It’s not a waste of time”

Anxious teenagers don't have to wait much longer for "Alice in Wonderland."

The anticipation for this film has been building among local youngsters since last summer when director Tim Burton and actor Johnny Depp surprised attendees in Hall H where the movie trailer debuted at Comic-Con in San Diego. However, discussions about the tight grip this motion picture has had on eager adolescents, including ours, have been going down the rabbit hole faster than Alice herself.

"Johnny Depp is my age. He's old enough to be your father!" remarks the over-protective dad to his little girl.

"Yeah, but he's way cooler and cute," replies the entranced youngster who won't relent on her zeal for all things Depp.

It looks like the Disney-Burton collaboration has once again been able to captivate the pubescent moviegoing set with innovative formulas to please this finicky age group. For some fathers, it's probably unclear what a 14-year-old could possibly see in a middle-aged actor. 

Still, making the prickly chat between father and daughter about the "over-the-hill" star less likely to quickly fade away is the fact that  Disney-Burton-Depp endorsed movies seem to have an enigmatic harmless-yet-edgy appeal with teens. Depp's keen ability to adopt an infantile-like demeanor in his roles along with his mature and virile charm is an irresistible combination further fueling teen fantasies.

Bring together this versatile actor's talent with the innocence of a Lewis Carroll story brought to the big screen by the inimitable Tim Burton, and Disney has bottled the magic potion needed to bridge the generation gap -- thus hexing brooding teens looking for burrows to disappear through in their angst-filled lives.

Read the rest at The Wrap.

Did you see me as a guest blogger at SanDiegoBargainMama? Stacey Ross is a San Diego mom dedicated to bringing you San Diego's best deals. If you haven't check out her site, do yourself a favor and take a look -I put together a few travel tips to help you plan your family's next vacation!

The post "Save When Traveling by Planning Ahead" offers some out-of-the-box ideas to get more bang for your buck - or your award miles. I've always found that traveling with mileage award tickets can be a real pain to plan, but not impossible. BOOKING EARLY (or at least doing your research early) is key to saving your cash for other travel-related expenses. (Who wants to pay for airline tickets when you've earned the miles buying essentials to get by in this dismal economy, right?)

After you read the post at SDBM, let me know if you have any tips you'd like to share!

Student Essay Contest to Find
the 50 Best Moms in San Diego
*** Essays Accepted February 1 to March 5 ...   more »

Going to the Oscars is near impossible. Unless you're related to one of the nominees or are part of the Academy, you'll probably never see the inside of the Kodak Theater when this mother of all award shows is on. Of course, the next best thing is to have your dress go without you, right?    more »

Returning to the San Diego Fairgrounds under the blue and yellow Big top is Cirque Du Soleil's newest show KOOZA. The word KOOZA means box or chest in old Sanskrit, and is precisely what we got to see at last night's preview show: A treasure trove of wonder-filled acts of daring and elegant human feats.

From the opulent costumes and exquisite make-up, to the live mystical-sounding musical scores, KOOZA had the audience riveted to their seats during the three hour extravaganza showcasing a return to established circus acts like Contortionists, High- wire acrobatic performances and  traditional clowns injecting humor between skits using, what else, audience members! 

The interactive show supplied laughs from a variety of comedic performances - I especially liked the professional pickpocket who incredibly 'stole' a gentleman's wallet, watch, cell phone and tie while simply talking him through a magic trick on stage. It was astonishing!

Make the time to go see KOOZA, it's  is a show the family will enjoy!

 (I little word of caution: A few references to body parts may not be suitable for younger children)

 

And the winner is ... drum roll, please ...

Chelsea of @somedayIllearn. Congratulations!

How was the winner selected?

I used www.Random.org and did the following:

I assigned numbers to each comment in the posts in order of date and time posted.

This is the list of entrants, the corresponding number to ea. entry and assigned identifier/number used for drawing:

1Lynne

2NJJ, 3NJJ, 4NJJ, 5NJJ, 6NJJ

7Karen

8Lynne, 9Lynne

10Tessie

11Toni

12Chelsea, 13Chelsea, 14Chelsea, 15Chelsea, 16Chelsea, 17Chelsea

18Lynne, 19Lynne, 21Lynne

20Cathy

Enter the case-sensitive identifier in the sidebar widget to find out who won!

Please send me an e-mail to vallesuzette@gmail.com with your mailing address. The company will send your prize directly to you.

Thanks to ICBINotButter for this fun giveaway! Congratulations to Chelsea, and again thanks to everyone for participating!!

Last day to enter this giveaway! Contest closes tonight at 6 PM. Winner will be announced tomorrow here, on Twitter and Facebook!    more »

Some friends put together a chocolate Twitter party just in time for Lent. We exchanged recipes, desert ideas and other uses for cacao powder, but the only thing missing from this cyber soiree was the chocolate!

Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent. Traditionally, people try to make a sacrifice by 'giving up' something they enjoy, a vice or a luxury. Food, alcohol, smoking and chocolate are at the top of people's Lent lists. Others chose more unusual things; a girlfriend gave up coffee for forty days (I can't and wouldn't want to do this!), while another friend gave up shopping which was rather admirable! For kids, it's usually laying off the candy or, with  modern technology, discontinue playing video games until Easter. Lately, I've heard rumblings about abandoning Twitter or Facebook to be considered huge sacrifices by some.

However, the period leading up to Easter Sunday doesn't always have to entail a fast or personal sacrifice of the material kind; Lent can also be a time to make a personal change for the better. Setting a  personal goal during this religious time can be another way to challenge yourself to transform a particular aspect of your personality you dislike; be positive; be more tolerant; conquer jealousies or be more  forgiving. These are difficult traits to change, but well worth the effort and a good opportunity to teach your kids by example.

During this Lent period, take the time to talk to your kids about why Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, is such a big deal. Why do people celebrate it with excess? It could be viewed as if people were eating and drinking to make up for the 40 days they won't be while observing Lent. Then again, it's not just about the party or the beads, it's the days that follow this festivity that matter.

I recall my parents using this time to challenge us siblings to not fight and to love each other. Other years it was about the candy or keeping our rooms clean - it changed year to year. But, I won't forget the year I came home from Sunday school and asked my mother to help me decide what to give up for Lent and she said: Lent is not only about the extraordinary sacrifice to give up something, it can be about doing something extraordinary for others or for yourself.

This really struck a chord with me, and I realized that chocolate or TV were a lot easier to give up than to try to become a better person ... something I am still trying to do each day.

 

***THE VIDEO VOTING PORTION OF THIS CONTEST HAS CLOSED. THE GIVAWAY CONTEST IS STILL OPEN. READ BELOW TO ENTER! ** To ‘spread’ the fun around, select bloggers were challenged to recreate their own Turn The Tub Around videos and now consumers can watch and vote for their favorites for a chance to meet Megan Mullally in Hollywood and receive the star treatment. (We all got free FLIP Full HD video cameras to record our effort!). People can enter the I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! Watch, Vote and You Could Win! Sweepstakes by visiting www.turnthetubaround.com January 12- April 30, 2010, viewing the new dance videos each week and voting for their favorites.    more »

  Getting ready for summer?

   more »

Bren Herrera and I partipated in a video contest, and is a very entertaining food blooger. She's joined up with other food bloogers to help raise funds for Haiti. Please read and consider helping out any way you can!    more »

This year's Grammy Awards had a variety of women who took the majority of the evening's prizes; three winners were Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga - opposites when it comes to performing styles. 

But, there's one victor who's quiet triumph made a resounding impression on me.

The young, poised and very talented Taylor Swift won 4 Grammys recognizing her accomplishments thus far - and she did this without much fanfare, props or spiked outfits to help her earn her quartet of gramophones.

Simply commendable.

 

(AP Photos/Matt Sayles)

However, besides congratulating the country superstar on her achievements in a tough industry, I'd like to note her staunch resolve to not give in to the pressures of growing up too quickly as many famous little divas have done before her, only to end up diving deeper into infamy.

Poised, conservative, classy, genuine and beautiful describe Taylor Swift to a 'T'.

For parents on the lookout for a decent role model, she'd be a safe bet, don't you think?

No bed sheets or stripper poles required in her rise to fame.

Hope Miss Swift continues on a steady, well- guided ascent to success.

What do you think helped Taylor Swift's stay on a 'normal' path to fame?

Croce's was the site of this month's Tweet-up organized by Liz Philips @iizliz and Stacy Ross @sdbargainmama (gotta follow them!). Food, music and delightful companionship were the highlight of the evening. About 30 San Diego bloggers congregated at this San Diego Gaslamp Quarter restaurant to chat about life on the WWW.    more »

Every mom is special, but some truly standout and deserve to be recognized for the sacrifices and dedication they've made for their children and their families. Time Warner Cable wants to know who they are. For the ninth straight year, Time Warner Cable is calling students in grades 4 through 12 to write essays of 150 to 500 words telling why their mom should be one of the best in San Diego.

In the past, essays have come in from San Diego kids with moms of all kinds – even a father and grandmother! Who knows what this year will bring? The essays will be judged by a panel of local journalists, politicians and teachers who will select the 50 Best Moms for 2010 based on the children’s explanation of why they believe their mom is the best. The writers of the three best essays will receive a new Sony VAIO laptop computer. There will be a winner from each school level: elementary, middle and high school. In addition, the winning students’ teachers will also each receive a $250 gift card for supplies for their classrooms.

The San Diego’s 50 Best Moms contest, presented by Time Warner Cable, will run from February 1 through March 5, 2010. Essay forms can be downloaded online at www.twcsd.com by clicking on the 50 Best Moms logo or you may go to one of the following locations:
•       All Time Warner Cable payment Centers
•       All Mission Federal Credit Union locations
•       All San Diego County Boys & Girls Club locations
•       All Ultra Star Cinemas in San Diego County

Each winning mom will be honored at a special luncheon on Saturday, May 8 where they will receive an award and gifts generously donated by sponsors throughout San Diego. For more information, visit www.twcsd.com and click on the Best Moms logo. Students and teachers can also call the Best Moms event hotline at (858) 805-6789.

GOT MILK? Nope. I got Lattes! One too many, in fact.    more »

We've heard the slogan, "The Family That Eats Together Stays Together". But, how about "The Family That Burns Together Stays Together?"

If you watched the 'Attention Seekers' episode I appeared on Dr. Phil, you heard what he, I and others had to say to the Dunn Family who want their own reality show, and they'll torch themselves and their three kids to get one.

 I think the 'flames of love' could be doused if these 'wackadoodles' got their heads out of the smoke!

What would you tell Jim and Celia Dunn about their intentions to be on TV?

UPDATE: You can watch a short preview of tomorow's show here. Click on the 'Attention Seekers' link on the home page.

Date: January 29, 2010

Time: 3 PM

CBS/KFMB 8 at 3 PM

Friday - January 29, 2010

Attention Seekers

In the age of Twitter, Facebook and countless reality shows, it’s no surprise that many people require an audience for even the most mundane aspects of their lives. But when does this attention-seeking behavior go too far? Stunt parents Jim and Celia say they lit themselves and their kids on fire to get noticed for a reality show. Jim says that being on the program will bring his family closer together. Suzette Valle, creator of the popular mom blog mamarazziknowsbest.com, has some choice words for these parents! Then, Sarah says she was fresh out of college when she was selected for the reality show Joe Millionaire, but the experience was more than she bargained for. She says she was labeled as a gold digger, and it’s taken her years to get over the backlash. Next, meet a woman who says she went to great lengths to get noticed by Oprah, and the owner of a casting company reveals some of her trade secrets.