A Visit to the City

There are many great cities in the world with a wealth of different experiences to offer. Paris is known as the City of Lights and it offers a range of art and cultural attractions. London offers great theater and a sense of Victorian charm, while Rome has centuries of art to take in, along with incredible food. New York City, however, is a place that has something extra to offer visitors of all kinds. New York is a vibrant and vital place that offers a huge range of art, culture, and architecture to take in, along with amazing entertainment and a special kind of verve that’s unique to this amazing American city.

Entertainment in New York

Many people come to New York to take in the amazing entertainment that’s unique to this city. A quick review of Broadway play reviews shows the range of choices tourists can choose from when they visit Manhattan. The Broadway stage offers amazing dramas headlined by major stars, as well as incredible musicals like the recent revival of “Hello, Dolly!”

The Vital New York Cabaret Scene

For those who enjoy seeing entertainment on a more intimate scale, the New York cabaret scene is also a great attraction. These shows take place in smaller venues, and they offer a chance to see great singers and comedians up close. These shows also offer food and drink to go with the show, which adds to the fun.

Galleries Galore

For those who love visual art, New York has a wealth of amazing museums to visit, including The Whitney Museum and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. There are also many galleries in areas like Soho and Greenwich Village, and a visit to these areas makes for a great afternoon in the city.

Without a doubt New York is one of the great cities in the world, so be sure to add it to your list of must-see places to visit.

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All that and no mention of the M&Ms Store! I've been to New York City once - on a weekend trip with the high school band - so our focus was a bit different. We toured Radio City Music Hall where we met one of the Rockettes, visited a museum, toured Carnegie Hall, roamed 5th Avenue, and took the ferry to Ellis Island and Liberty Island. Overall it was a fun, if exhausting, trip. Maybe it's time for another trip? I would really love to see a Broadway show. Or two.

Watching Some Dancing

Our local ABC station decided we'd rather watch football last night than watch Dancing with the Stars. They were wrong. I don't mind attending the occasional Colts game, but when it comes to my Monday night television viewing, I really want to see DWTS. (and seriously, I saw on the news that the Colts stopped playing before the game was over and lost. Again. So we would have all been better off watching Disney night on Dancing with the Stars.)

Anyway, we're watching it now and I just fell in love with Lindsey and Mark's dance. It was just so good - and even earned that "10 from Len" - and in my opinion should have gotten all 10s.


So far Lindsey is definitely my favorite. I'm also really liking Drew from Property Brothers. I wasn't so sure at first, but he's really improved and really seems to be having a great time out there.

Who's your favorite this season? Have you started voting yet? I often don't start until later in the season, waiting to see how everyone will do - and obviously I could not have (knowledgeably) voted last night since I wasn't even able to watch. </pout>

Why a Screen Room is a Good Idea for Your Home

Patios, porches, and decks are popular extensions of the home. People like taking a cup of coffee outside and enjoying the sunrise in the mornings, as well as being able to entertain and spend time with friends and family. There is just one drawback to a patio, porch, or deck. Summer brings bugs, and bugs can be very annoying. To enjoy all of the benefits of a porch or patio with none of the bugs, a screen room is a great alternative. A screen room can enclose a pool area, a patio, a small pond, or virtually anything else that you might desire. It is basically up to you when it comes to the many uses of a screen enclosure.

Benefits of a Screen Room

There are several benefits to a screen room. They have been compared to sunrooms, but rather than windows, they have screens. This offers some protection from the sun and rain as well as letting a good breeze blow through during the warm months. Some areas of the country have more warm weather than others making them prime candidates for jacksonville screen enclosures that can be used almost year round.

A screen room offers extra living and entertaining space without the need for heating or cooling. Often people add outdoor ceiling fans to the rooms to help keep them cooler in the summer. A few chairs and tables, a grill, and an ice chest make the perfect place for a meal outdoors without worrying about flies, mosquitoes, or gnats.

Another benefit of a screen enclosure is having a place to let your pets enjoy some fresh air without worrying about them. This is particularly true if you do not have a fenced yard.

One thing that most people do not realize is a screen room can add to the value of their property. Adding a screen room doesn't have to cost a lot, so the property value added versus the investment cost is quite advantageous.

A screen room is also simple to maintain and repair. Most screens have vinyl or aluminum frames that are attached using a spline. There are grooves in the frames. The spline is placed over the screen and a spline tool is used to roll the spline holding the screen into the grooves. This makes it easy to replace the screen if it becomes worn out, torn, or develops a hole.

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We really enjoy our sunroom - which also has screens - but if we ever live in a warmer state, I'm definitely going to want one of these screen rooms. Preferably with a pool. How about you?

Score Big Savings on Concert Tickets and More!

I recently received an email asking me if I had ever tried ScoreBig.  I replied that I had not, but I would be happy to check it out, see how it worked, and share my experience.  I was provided with a coupon code to use toward the concert or event of my choice.  The experience and all opinions are mine.

You may not have heard of ScoreBig.  I hadn't.  To tell you the truth, we don't really attend many concerts, shows, or sporting events, so I'd only heard of the main ticket outlets like Tickemaster and LiveNation.  And, to tell you even more truth - we don't attend many events because it just plain costs so much!  That's why I was quite interested in ScoreBig because they promise you can save up to 60% on sports, concerts, and theatre tickets.  I love saving money!  Don't you?

Quick Facts about ScoreBig:

• You are guaranteed to save on each and every ticket on ScoreBig.com
• Tickets for sports, concerts, theater, Broadway, family shows, and attractions
• No fees – free delivery
• Choose Your Seating Area – all seats ordered together will be next to each other
• Tell us what you want to pay – you have all the control, it’s thrilling!
• Get an instant answer – you find out right away if your offer has been accepted

The way ScoreBig works is that you find the event you want to attend, choose your seating area (by choosing a seating area rather than an exact seat, you're giving the ticket providers the flexibility they need to give you great deals), and then make an offer for how much you want to pay for those seats.  They tell you how much full-price tickets in that seating area are, and give you an indicator of your offer's potential for success.  It's all up to you - offer what you want to pay. You'll know immediately whether or not your offer has been accepted.  If your offer is declined, you may not be able to make another offer on the same seat rating for 24 hours. You can still make an offer on a different seat rating, if available for that event, or you just wait and see if you'll have better luck the next day.

I decided to make an offer on some tickets for a Brad Paisley concert, which is coming up really soon.  (We haven't seen Brad since the Walworth County Fair way back in, well, a number of years ago.  Anyone remember when the Mud on the Tires tour was?)  My first offer was not accepted, but they gave me another chance - so I did not have to wait 24 hours.  That offer was not accepted either because I intentionally went in with another low offer, though it was higher than the first one, to see just how much I could save.  When that second offer was declined, ScoreBig told me I could still get those tickets and made me a counter offer.  While the price they quoted me was below full price, the savings weren't significant, so I decided to pass on those seats and try a different seating area.   I went from what they call the 5-star seating area (closer seats, highlighted in purple on the seat map) to a 3-star seating area (either sections E or G on the seat map).  My offer on those was declined, too, but I decided to go ahead and grab the tickets for the counter-offer quote ScoreBig gave me.  Full-price tickets in both areas cost exactly the same if you go to Ticketmaster or LiveNation (yes, I checked),  but the ScoreBig savings on the 3-star seating area were much better.  Instead of saving almost $5 on each seat, which is what they offered me on the 5-star seats, I saved almost $20 on each seat.  My husband said I should have grabbed the better seats, because with the coupon code ScoreBig gave me, the actual cost to us wasn't much.  But I was doing this to test the site and see how much I could save.  Once my order was confirmed and my tickets ready to ship, I found that our tickets are only 6 rows back in Section E, so I think I did pretty good!
 
Less than 30 minutes after I placed my order, I had a FedEx Shipment Notification in my email, and my tickets were delivered 5 days later. It probably would have been quicker, but there was a holiday weekend in there.  Note: your tickets may or may not come via FedEx.  ScoreBig will decide the best way to get your tickets to you, whether shipping them to you, providing e-tickets, or having them for you at Will Call, they will be sure you have them in plenty of time for your event.  And did I mention that there are no fees, and shipping is free?

So, if you're looking to score some big savings on tickets to events in your area, be sure to check out ScoreBig.  It's fun, and you could just be seeing some great concerts, or sporting events, or theatre, for a lot less than the people sitting all around you! I know I'll be checking it for future concerts I want to see.

• Like ScoreBig on Facebook
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Related articles

• I do enjoy a good SCORE
• Score Big Savings on Tickets with ScoreBig.com {sponsored}

Something for Everyone in Las Vegas

Jeffrey and I went to Las Vegas three years ago.  We were only there for a few days, so we didn't get to see or do everything there is to do, but we certainly tried!  OK, maybe not, but we did do a lot of walking and tried to take in as many sights as we could.  We checked out the casinos, did a little gambling - which means I played the slots with the credit I got for signing up for a casino card until I lost it all, which took about 5 minutes, and Jeffrey played Blackjack a couple times.  We watched people, browsed some shops, saw Cher at the Coliseum, and wasted too much time with a stupid time-share outfit because they promised us Lion King tickets.  In the end we walked away from their stupid tour and purchased our own Lion King tickets - and it was awesome!  We enjoyed the fountains at the Bellagio, the Freemont Street experience, and the view from the Eiffel Tower at night.

There is certainly something for everyone.  Vegas is not just about gambling anymore.  Oh, sure there's plenty of that.  I personally don't see where the fun is in that, but there are lots of people who would disagree with me.  For thrill-seekers there is the roller coaster at New York-New York and the rides at Stratosphere.  Unfortunately we didn't get to those, but I definitely see the fun there!

There are shows of all kinds to see and restaurants, restaurants, restaurants.  For people who love antiques, there are victorian casino antiques to browse.  There are some pretty neat items available at the victorian casino auction  - coin-operated machines, slots, jukeboxes, arcade games, chip dispenser caddies, signs, etc. - that people who really love Vegas would love to collect and display in their own homes.   I personally think it would have been fun to look through everything just to see what they had and to live a little history of Vegas.  One thing I was really hoping to do while we were there was visit the Neon Museum and Boneyard where restored neon signs are on display.  Unfortunately, it was closed while we were there, but it would have been another great way to see some Las Vegas history.

Gambling, entertainment, food, history, adventure, and reasonably priced accommodations - there really is something for everyone in Vegas.  What's your favorite?

Return to Nim's Island Giveaway

Walden Family Theater, presented by Walmart and P&G will be premiering Return to Nim's Island this coming Friday March 15 at 8pm/7pm Central on Hallmark Channel.  In this sequel to the 2008 hit Nim's Island, 14-year-old Nim (played by Bindi Irwin) is more determined than ever to protect her island and the animals that call it home. With ruthless resort developers and greedy wildlife poachers threatening the existence she loves, Nim realizes she and her animal pals can’t defend their home alone. To save her island, she is forced to combine forces with an outsider: Edmund, a runaway from the mainland. Only with his help does she stand a chance of stopping the villains from dismantling her world.


The Blu-ray and DVD will be available exclusively at Walmart 4 days following the premiere on Hallmark Channel, but you can win one here.  Walden Family Theater will give one lucky winner a Return to Nim'’s Island Blu-ray Combo Pack!

To enter, just take the Quiz (above) to discover which adventurer you are, and leave a comment on this post letting me know.  (I got Edmund, a swashbuckling explorer!)  For additional entries (once per day) tweet this giveaway and/or share it with your facebook friends and Google+ circles, and leave me a comment with the link each time.

Giveaway is open to U.S. readers (NO P.O. boxes), and all entries must be received by 11:59pm (Central) on March  21, 2013.  Good luck!

This post and giveaway brought to you by Walden Media & Hallmark Channel.

Related articles

• Return to Nim's Island Blu-ray Combo Pack Giveaway!
• Time for another giveaway - Return to Nim's Island
• See the Premiere of "Return to Nim's Island" on Hallmark Channel ~ Plus Enter This Giveaway for a Blu-Ray Combo Pack!

Three Movie Tickets in My Pocket

This does not normally happen, but I've seen three movies in the last couple days.  Three movies in the theater, that is - I'm not counting any movies we may have watched at home.

Tuesday night Cory and I attended a pre-screening of Man On a Ledge, which opens January 27.  Yay for free passes!  It's certainly a good way to fill up a theater on a weeknight.  For reference - if you get free passes to a movie like this, show up early.  The movie was at 7pm, and we got there about 5:20 and were behind about 8 people in line.  It wasn't long until that line curled all around the theater's entryway and into the lobby, and they started taking the passes, exchanging them for tickets, and directing us to the theater where they were showing the movie shortly after 6pm.  Too far back in the line could mean bad seats or no seats at all.  We got good ones!

We really enjoyed the movie.  It's about an escaped convict ex-cop who climbs out onto a hotel ledge declaring that he's prepared to die - yeah, probably not a good risk for guaranteed issue life insurance -but as the movie continues we find out he's not really planning to commit suicide, but what is he really up to?  There are enough twists, turns, and laughs to keep you entertained until the end.

The second movie we saw was The Muppets.  Cory and I went yesterday morning/afternoon, and we loved it!  We laughed out loud throughout the whole movie.  It was just so much fun.  Also, I really really need to figure out how to Travel by Map!

Then last night Jeffrey, Cory, and I went and saw Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - again.  We went and saw it on the Ultra Screen when it first came out and probably wouldn't have gone to see it again, but we had passes - from buying some $8 BluRays - so we had to use them....  We really enjoyed it both times!  I think it's better than the first one.  Of course, we might just have to watch that one again soon just to see...  I'm also thinking that I really need to read some Sherlock Holmes!

How many movies did you see this week?

Stand Up for Family

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of American Family Insurance for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I was watching some of these Stand Up For Family videos the other day.  I haven't watched all of them, but the ones I saw were really good.  The videos feature some of today's hottest comedians providing entertainment for the entire family. Inspired by experiences from their own families, the performers offer their own perspectives on daily life with loved ones, finding the humor that we all can relate to. It's good, clean stand-up comedy, and you're bound to see something of your family in there.  There's one called Street Lights that reminds me of a story Jeffrey always tells about when he was growing up.  It was a safer world back then when kids could go out and play all day, as long as they were home by dark - or when the streetlights came on.  And, in that time before cell phones, how did they know if mom needed them sooner?  She honked the car horn three times.

I'm definitely going to have to go back and watch the rest of these videos.  They're sponsored by AmFam, and I think it's a really cool effort. It's just nice to see some profanity -free stand-up comedy.  Why in the world do so many comedians - most of them - seem to think profanity is necessary to make something funny?  It's also nice to see an effort that supports family.  I believe our society is only as strong as our families, and so many families are falling apart these days.  Thanks to American Family Insurance for putting this together!
Be sure to check out the videos.  I think you'll like them.

Fall Fun in Branson

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I love Fall.  I think it's my favorite time of year - at least at this time of year!  Yeah, I'm fickle like that.  Whatever season I'm in, that's my favorite.  Right now I'm loving the colors on the trees.  They're just so gorgeous with all the bright reds and oranges and yellows.

Right now would be a great time to visit Branson.  Not only could we enjoy all the great attractions Branson has to offer like live theater music shows, championship golf courses, that zip line I'm really dying to try, shopping, museums, and more, but we could enjoy the beautiful Fall colors!  I'm thinking it would be really spectacular to try that zipline at this time of year - zipping through all the bright colored trees.

We could stay at the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing and be close to just about everything.  They're offering three great packages right now:

• The Silver Dollar City package which features two adult and two children's tickets to Silver Dollar City and rooms starting at $257.50/night.
• The Santa Claus package which features deluxe accommodations for a family of four (two adults and two children) and breakfast with Santa at the Level 2 restaurant with a special gift for the children. Rooms start at just $228 a night.
  
• And for the shoppers, a deluxe shopping package which includes hotel accommodations, a $25 gift card to Branson Landing, a second $25 gift card to Tanger Outlets, and complimentary breakfast buffet for two!
  

It sounds like there is plenty to do any time of year in Branson, and the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel or the Hilton Promenade are the perfect places to stay.  Maybe even Thanksgiving when the Level 2 Steakhouse offers a Thanksgiving Brunch.

See Monte Carlo this Summer

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Monte Carlo for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
 
I'm not talking about actually taking a trip, though that would be fun, wouldn't it?  I'm talking about the new Selena Gomez movie coming out this Friday - Monte Carlo.

What it's about: Grace (Selena Gomez) is an ordinary girl who becomes an accidental heiress when a summer trip to Paris turns into the fantasy of a lifetime. On a dream vacation, Grace, along with her best friend and step-sister, discover that the greatest adventure is finding out who they really are.

Of course there's a guy involved, too.  In the trailer, Grace says, "I finally meet a guy who likes me for me, and I'm not even me."  Will she tell him who she really is?  Will it all work out?  I hadn't heard anything about this movie until I watched the trailer, but now I'm looking forward to seeing it.  Check it out:
 

 It really looks like a lot of fun.  It's not really Jeffrey's kind of movie, so I'm thinking maybe I can get Beth to go with me.  That is, if she can leave that little man of hers long enough!  It would be fun, though.  It's been ages since we've gone and done anything together.  Hanging out at home while she does laundry doesn't count!
 
Be sure to check out the Monte Carlo trailer for yourself.  Like the Monte Carlo Facebook page for more information and photos.  I found a giveaway there, too - for a Monte Carlo mini poster and a $25 Fandango gift card.  Beginning 6/29, you can get tickets for Monte Carlo online through Fandango - so that gift card could come in handy!
 

Movie of the Week: Unknown

We saw Unknown last night.  It stars Liam Neeson as Dr. Martin Harris who's in Berlin with his wife (played by January Jones) to attend an international conference on biotechnology.  They've barely arrived when Martin gets into a taxi to rush back to the airport, and that taxi ends up plunging off a bridge.  Martin hits his head, has to be rescued by his taxi driver, almost dies, and wakes up in a hospital bed 4 days later hooked up to ekg machines and IVs.  He had no ID on him, and they had no idea who he was or who to contact.

His memory is fractured, but he remembers his name and that he has a wife.  Thinking she must be worried, not hearing from him for 4 days, he checks himself out of the hospital and rushes to the hotel, only to find that his wife does not remember him, and another man has taken his place.  Martin then begins a desperate quest to prove that he is who he says he is and that he's not crazy.  He tracks down his taxi driver Gina (played by Diane Kruger) to find out what she knows, people start dying, they have to run for their lives, forcing them to team up to find out what is going on.  "The question is, why would they want to take your place?"

There is plenty of action in this movie and lots of twists and turns.  It kept us guessing throughout as we, too, tried to figure out what was going on and why.  Overall, we really enjoyed it and would recommend it for an evening's entertainment.

Related articles

• (2/2011) Movie Review: Liam Neeson's Unknown (basilandspice.com)
• Review: Unknown -- Get to Know Dr. Martin Harris (seattlepi.com)
• Unknown Review: Some Good Twists, But Don't Think About It Too Much (reelmovienews.com)

If you have Marcus Theatres in your area, be sure to sign up for their Spotlight Movie Club for $5 admission to select movies on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Charlie Sheen Fired

Image by susie.c via Flickr

So the 'news' is that Charlie Sheen has been fired from his job on Two and a Half Men.  Anybody else would have been fired ages ago with all the trouble he's been getting into, but celebrities get away with all kinds of shenanigans, don't they?  Why do we put up with these people, and even look up to them?

Being in the public eye should come with responsibility, not  the 'right' to do anything they want to do, right or wrong.  I'm thinking that most of us, if we knew we were constantly being watched, would be on our best behavior.  Even most hard-working Americans in not-so-visible columbus jobs, manufacturing jobs, or any other jobs in the heartland are on better behavior than many celebrities.

Yes, there are some good people who are also celebrities, who use their influence for good and don't get into trouble all the time.  The others should be fired, like Charlie.

I've Seen These Oscar Winning Movies

We usually watch the Oscars, and we usually haven't seen most of the movies that are nominated.  Sometimes we've never even heard of them until they get nominated. It makes it really hard to have any idea or even really care who actually wins. Which begs the question why do we even bother watching? Yep, good question. Hooray for Hollywood and all that, I guess.

This year, we actually had seen quite a few of the movies, and that got me to wondering how many of the Best Picture winners have I actually seen?  So I copied this list from oscars.org - not going all the way back, but just since the year I was born - to see exactly how many of them I've seen, and because I know you're dying to know, whether I liked them or not.

RED = Yes, I've seen it, but I really can't remember whether I liked it or not or I really didn't care that much.  RED BOLD text = I liked it. 

2010 - "The King's Speech"
2009 - “The Hurt Locker” (it's on my DVR waiting to be watched)
2008 - “Slumdog Millionaire”
2007 - “No Country for Old Men”
2006 - “The Departed”
2005 - “Crash”
2004 - “Million Dollar Baby”
2003 - “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”
2002 - “Chicago”
2001 - “A Beautiful Mind”
2000 - “Gladiator”
1999 - “American Beauty”
1998 - “Shakespeare in Love”
1997 - “Titanic”
1996 - “The English Patient”
1995 - “Braveheart”
1994 - “Forrest Gump”
1993 - “Schindler’s List”
1992 - “Unforgiven”
1991 - “The Silence of the Lambs”
1990 - “Dances with Wolves”
1989 - “Driving Miss Daisy”
1988 - “Rain Man”
1987 - “The Last Emperor”
1986 - “Platoon”
1985 - “Out of Africa”
1984 - “Amadeus”
1983 - “Terms of Endearment”
1982 - “Gandhi”
1981 - “Chariots of Fire”
1980 - “Ordinary People”
1979 - “Kramer vs. Kramer”
1978 - “The Deer Hunter”
1977 - “Annie Hall”
1976 - “Rocky”
1975 - “One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest”
1974 - “The Godfather Part II”
1973 - “The Sting”
1972 - “The Godfather”
1971 - “The French Connection”
1970 - “Patton”
1969 - “Midnight Cowboy”

1968 - “Oliver!”
1967 - “In the Heat of the Night”
1966 - “A Man for All Seasons”
1965 - “The Sound of Music”

There are quite a few that I still haven't seen.  I suppose I could always track down the DVDs . . .


How about you?  How many Oscar winning movies have you seen in your lifetime?

Goin' to the Theater

We're going to see Fiddler on the Roof next week!  Cory mentioned the other night that it was coming to Whitewater, which I already knew but had forgotten to check when.  So we had him check into getting us tickets,  because we love Fiddler on the Roof.  Well, we've only seen the movie - and I'm expecting this to be better.

The beauty of seeing it in Whitewater is that tickets are really reasonable and we won't have to sit miles away from the stage.  I'm really looking forward to it.  I've been watching some YouTube videos and getting excited!  I found one yesterday, which I can't find again, showing part of a performance at Radio City Music Hall in New York.  That is one big place, and we'd probably need binoculars to see any of the action there.  Thankfully, that won't be a problem in Whitewater.

This is going to be fun!

Movie of the Week: The King's Speech

Image via Wikipedia

Last week the Spotlight Movie Club included The King's Speech, which we had been waiting to see.  We had been hearing a lot about it, since it was nominated for 12 Academy Awards.

About the movie:

After the death of his father King George V (Michael Gambon) and the scandalous abdication of King Edward VIII (Guy Pearce), Bertie (Colin Firth) who has suffered from a debilitating speech impediment all his life, is suddenly crowned King George VI of England. With his country on the brink of war and in desperate need of a leader, his wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), the future Queen Mother, arranges for her husband to see an eccentric speech therapist, Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). After a rough start, the two delve into an unorthodox course of treatment and eventually form an unbreakable bond. With the support of Logue, his family, his government and Winston Churchill (Timothy Spall), the King will overcome his stammer and deliver a radio-address that inspires his people and unites them in battle.

Based on the true story of King George VI, THE KING'S SPEECH follows the Royal Monarch's quest to find his voice.

Sometimes the movies that get all the attention and hype are a real disappointment - not this one.  This was a really wonderful movie.  We enjoyed it thoroughly, from beginning to end.  I was aware of the abdication of King Edward VIII but did not know the story of his brother's struggle to become the king the country needed him to be.  Or if I learned it at all, I had forgotten.  If only all history could be taught this way!

Colin Firth was absolutely amazing as Bertie (King George VI).  Amazing!  His speech impediment was very believable as well as his struggle to overcome his childhood issues and become the man he was meant to be and the king his country needed him to be.  Helena Bonham Carter as his wife Elizabeth was loving and strong, and also had to come to terms with the fact that she and Bertie would no longer be allowed to live a relatively private life.  Geoffrey Rush was wonderful in his role as Lionel.

We left the theater understanding why this movie has received all the attention it has.  If you haven't seen it yet - do!

Related articles

• The King's Speech (geneveith.com)
• "Crown Colin Firth's 'King's Speech' Performance With Oscar Gold" and related posts (newsjunkiepost.com)
• The King's Speech: how Lionel Logue cured King George VI's stammer (telegraph.co.uk)

Sittin' in the Cheap Seats

Image via Wikipedia

When you think of the cheap seats, you probably think you'll be up in the nosebleed section, about as far away from the action as possible, right?  That's how it usually works.  The more you pay, the closer you get, and if you can't afford to pay a lot, you just hope they'll have some big screens so you can see what's going on - either that, or you better take the binoculars.

Then again, you could check for a deal at acheapseat.com where they negotiate great prices on tickets for events around the country and then pass the savings on to their customers.  They have tickets for concerts, sports events, and theater.  Whether you're looking for Radio City Christmas Spectacular Tickets for your trip to New York City or Boston Celtics Tickets, it's worth checking - to see if your cheap seats can be down there with the people who paid the big bucks.

It's also a good site to check if other ticket sites are sold out.  I wish I had known about it when I was checking on tickets to see Wicked when it came to Milwaukee.  Perhaps there would have been some tickets available in my price range.  As it is, I didn't pursue the matter, and we didn't end up seeing the show.  Right now I can find Jersey Boys Tickets for next summer - Orchestra level and still not cheap enough for me, but at least they're available.  I checked another site, and the Milwaukee shows aren't even listed yet.

Anyway, I'm going to be checking this site when there's an event I want to attend.  We saw Lion King in Vegas, and I'd really like to see some more Broadway productions.  Also, there are a few people I'd really like to see in concert, and if we can get some good tickets, that would be great.

iNetVideo - Entertainment for Less

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of iNetVideo. All opinions are 100% mine.

Everyone who knows me knows how I love a good deal.  I can't believe I've never heard of iNetVideo before.  They've been offering a wide range of movies on DVD, HD DVD, Blu-ray, Video Games and Music CDs for Less, since 1999.  I know there are other sites that sell movies and music online, but why pay full price when you don't have to, right?  At iNetVideo, they have all kinds of entertainment, for better prices than I've seen elsewhere.

Looking around the site, some of the deals that caught my eye are the DVD boxsets for $13.88, music CDs for $5, and blu-ray movies for $13.99.  I thought it was good to get DVDs for $13.99, unless they're the older not-so-popular movies you can get at Wal-mart for $5.  It looks like iNetVideo has some of those, too - though I found quite a few movies I wouldn't mind having just on the first page!  They're also a lot easier to look through than those messy bins in Wal-mart.

Check it out and see if you can find some deals on your entertainment needs wants.  If you're like me and don't have a Blu-ray player yet, you'll want to enter the monthly Blu-ray player giveaway, too.  Also be sure to visit the iNetVideo blog for movie giveaways, fun entertainment articles, and more.

Good Food in Branson

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson. All opinions are 100% mine.

This sounds like fun. The weekend of Friday, February 26th through Saturday, February 27th the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel is hosting an Italian Culinary Weekend. Friday night begins with a reception that includes antipasto and hors d’oeuvres along with great Italian wines.  Then on Saturday participants experience a hands-on cooking demonstration, and it all ends in a 5-course dinner Saturday night.  Prices start at $429 for two people, and that includes the reception, cooking school, the 5-course dinner, and a goodie bag filled with items to take home. 

Yep, sounds like fun.  The only thing is I'd have to find someone else to go with me, because I just can't see my husband doing the cooking school thing.  He's the guy who conveniently forgot how to cook anything when he married me.  Not that I'm actually complaining, because I like to cook, so it works out well.  I think Jeffrey would appreciate the food and Italian wine included in this weekend, but he'd rather get out and enjoy some of the other things Branson has to offer - like championship golf courses, for example. 

There is a lot to do in Branson, museums, live entertainment, lakes, theme parks, shopping, and more.  The Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel is within easy driving distance to everything.  I just wonder how long we'd have to stay in order to see and do everything we'd like to see and do?  We might not make it for the Italian Culinary Weekend, but one of these days we'll have to find out, or at least give it a good shot.

Heads or Tails - Spin

The theme/prompt for this week is:
HEADS - "Spin"

Jeffrey and I went to the Rotary Music Festival in Cedarburg on Friday night. From the Rotary website:

An annual favorite that attracts nine World Class and Open Class Drum & Bugle Corps from across the nation. This year’s festival includes the 2008 World Champions, Phantom Regiment from Rockford, Illinois.

This is the 3rd year we’ve been able to go. Jeffrey’s company is one of the sponsors, so they get some tickets. No one else seems to want them, so we’re more than happy to take them. We love DCI shows. That brings me to today’s theme, Spin. Those color guard members can really spin those flags! And various other things, too.

It was a very enjoyable evening, listening to music and watching those flags spin.

Heads or Tails is a fun weekly meme created and hosted by Barb (aka Skittles) – feel free to join in!

Escape to Branson this Winter

We used to go to Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri practically every year. We loved the lake and the Ozark Opry show, the outlet mall, and the go karts. There was always something to do. Several of our friends and family members have visited Branson, and they say there is plenty to do there, too and that we should go sometime. So far we haven't made it.

I do know that if we go, we will want to stay someplace like the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing because they have some really nice one, two, and three bedroom suites with full kitchens. I really don't like staying in a plain old hotel room when I go on vacation. It's just so cramped, and if you don't have your own kitchen, you have to eat out for all meals. Besides being more expensive, it takes more time to eat out. We don't eat fancy meals that take a lot of time to prepare. I'd rather use my precious vacation time to see the sights and do whatever there is to do. In Branson that means live entertainment theaters, wineries, caves, amusement parks, and of course outlet malls. Why do I even like outlet malls? I usually don't buy anything, just walk around and look. I really didn't realize there was so much to do in Branson. It looks like they've got something for everyone.

There are even some interesting things happening in Branson during the winter. They call it Hot Winter Fun. Winter is a bit warmer there in Branson than it is here. There are some great shows going on, the Third Annual Ice Carving Event on January 17, the 2009 Polar Bear Plunge on February 14, and the Hilton Promenade will be celebrating its second anniversary this winter, too. The town square features a spectacular water fountain with a light and fire display choreographed to music, and both the Promenade and the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel are offering Winter Escape packages to help you escape to Branson this winter. I'm not quite sure about that Polar Bear Plunge, but the Ice Carving sounds really interesting, and I'd love to see that water fountain in the town square. How about you?