Family Review Network

How would you like to win a copy of Build-a-Bear: A Friend Fur All Seasons for Nintendo Wii? Well, you’re in luck because our members are currently runing giveaways on their blogs for this amazing kids game. Stop by and enter to win!

• 3 P’s Mama Says
• All Because Two People Fell In Love
• An Island Review
• An Ordinary Life
• A Wrestling Addicted Mommy’s Blog
• Blessings Abound
• Brain Foggles
• Chocolate Fingerprints
• Confessions of a Diet Coke Addict
• Deuce’s World
• Free Birthday Treats Blog
• From Melissa’s Desk
• Just a Mom’s Take on Things
• Lisa Reviews
• Loving Heart Mommy
• Miche Reviews
• Mom Giveaways
• Mom of 2 Dancers
• Mommy Mandy
• My Trendy Tykes
• Nerd Family Things
• Photo Bug Baby
• Redlady’s Reading Room
• Robyn’s Online World
• Rockin’ Mama
• Sage and Savvy
• SAHM Reviews
• She Scribes
• Sheltered Not Shattered
• Tara’s View of the World
• The Clan McLeod
• The Glamorous WAHM
• The Homeschooled Year
• The Mom Buzz
• The Power of Housewife Word of Mouth
• The Way I See It
• Thoughts from the Mrs.
• What’s That Smell?

And if you hurry, you can place your bid to win a celebrity-designed Build-a-Bear with proceeds going directly to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California. These one-of-a-kind bears were built by celebrities like Tori Spelling & Dean McDermott, the Jonas Brothers, James Gandolfini, Melissa Joan Hart, Bonnie Hunt, Mitchel Musso, Meaghan Jette Martin and more. Stop by ebay to check out these adorable creations!

This giveaway is now closed. Thank you for your participation.
The winner is comment #57: Rosanne M.
Congratulations!

Ever feel like life is trying to get the best of you? Well, you’re not alone. And like they say, laughter is the best medicine, right? Psycho Super Mom, Lauren Mayer, has come up with a way to take all the stress, anxiety, and every day situations and present them in a way that makes them a little more bearable, a lot more fun!

From the site: “Lauren Mayer is a singer, songwriter, music teacher, comic, and sleep-deprived mom. She is a five-time recipient of the San Francisco Cabaret Gold Award, a Peninsula Arts Grant recipient, and a phi beta kappa graduate of Yale University. Her songs have been heard on A&E’s Good Time Cafe, the Dr. Demento Show, and more, she is the author of several musicals published by Contemporary Drama Service, and she is the co-founder and songwriter for Curriculum Rocks, a company producing entertainingly educational music for kids. Visit the Curriculum Rocks Website. She is the mother of 2 boys who introduce her to really cool music, who sing backup on her kids’ CDs, and who inspire her wackier comedy songs.”

The members of Family Review Network had the opportunity to review this hilarious CD set and this is what they had to say:

All Because Two People Fell in Love: My favorite song is “I Hate to Exercise Blues!” Could be because I can unfortunately relate VERY easily to these blues! The whole family was able to appreciate and enjoy this hilarious CD!! I can’t wait to take this CD to our next BUNKO party because I am certain that my BUNKO Buddies will LOVE it as much as I do!!

An Island Review: Let me say, this is one funny lady! She takes everyday ordinary situations and really makes you laugh. My favorite song is “Have Aliens Replaced My Kids?” because I think we all wonder about this once in a while, right? Right? Or am I the only one? Even my girls liked listening to some of the more age-appropriate songs.

Chocolate Fingerprints: Listen up Mamas…If you’re having a stressful or difficult day, pop Return of Psycho Super Mom into your cd player and laugh with Lauren Mayer. I really do believe that laughter is the best medicine. Last week, when I was having some trouble with mommy guilt,  this cd helped me feel better. I spend so much time worrying and agonizing over my everyday life; it was so nice to laugh about motherhood for a change!

From Melissa’s Desk: Lauren Mayer’s newest CD Return of Psycho Super Mom is not the kind of music I would normally pick to listen to. However, I don’t think its meant for everyday listening. It’s true comedy that is unique and very funny. I can relate to these songs all about mom issues. This might be a good CD to play at a mom’s party.

Here’s What I Think: This CD is so perfect for mom’s. With songs like “Grown Ups Get to Have Fun Too” and “Too Pooped to Party”, I think every mom can relate. I definitely got a chuckle out of most of the songs. This would be a perfect gift for any mom that spends a lot of time in the car, running errands and carpooling kids around.

Mom of 2 Dancers: The CD is very funny! My favorite song is Food Network. I was laughing my head off at that song. Another favorite is Environmental Envy. I know I felt that way when my girls were younger!

Our Seven Qtpies: Lauren writes fun songs about the frustrating things we go through as women and moms. It is fun to see the humor in our situations, and to know we are not alone in our psycho worlds. (to find that I am not the only one that thinks of myself as psycho was a relief!) The tunes are catchy, I’ll warn you.

Tara’s View of the World: The CD is “an autobiographical, comedic look at life, motherhood, and sleep deprivation”. I thought the CD was very witty and enjoyable. I especially enjoyed the songs “I Hate To Exercise Blues” and “Grownups Get To Have Fun Too”. Any mother will be able to relate to the pictures Lauren paints with her songs and have a good laugh at the funnier side of being a mom!

The Dirty Shirt: The song Defining Gravity cracked me up and I just loved Too Pooped To Party (my new theme song lol) And Mama’s Gonna Be Okay was funny. Lauren has an all around great sense of humor and she portrays that straight into her music touching on all the topics that we moms go through on a daily basis. I really enjoyed this album and my toddler danced to the whole thing so she liked it too!

Val’s Views: While a CD of comedic songs isn’t something I’d typically get for myself, I did enjoy listening to this one. Only another woman can relate to my feelings on a day to day battle with gravity, and Lauren captures it perfectly in “Defining Gravity”. And every mother can relate to “Tell Me Another One”, one of my favorites on the album.

Stop by Lauren’s site for the perfect stocking stuffers for your girlfriends!

Win it!

How would you like to win a copy of Psycho Super Mom, Return of Psycho Super Mom, & First Grade Rocks? To enter:

• Stop by Lauren Mayer’s site before midnight, Dec 4th and listen to some of her music clips.
• Then come back and mention in comments which song is your favorite. That’s it!
• A random winner will be selected and notified on Dec 5th.
• The winner will then have 3 days to claim their prize.

To earn extra entries, you may do one or all of the following. Each one counts as an extra ticket but you must leave a separate comment for each one.

• Subscribe to our feed.
• Mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back here and to Lauren Mayer.
• Place our button in your sidebar.

This giveaway is open to everyone world-wide. Good luck!

At first the directions were a bit confusing to understand however once we got the hang of it we were on a roll. It’s one of those games where everything falls into place once you start playing.

Hand and Foot Canasta is perfect for 4 players although more can play as long as you have an even number of players. The games includes 4 decks of cards for 4 times the fun. The cards have been created with point values pictured on them for easy play and learning. We had a blast and I truly cannot wait until we get together to play again.

Priced at less than ten dollars, Hand and Foot Canasta is the perfect gift and holiday stocking stuffer. It’s a great twist on the classic Canasta game!

What our reviewers think:

 The Clan McLeod: After taking a couple of hands to get accustomed to it, we had a lot of fun and hope to play again soon! If your family enjoys playing games together, try it out! Like us, you’ll soon discovered that Canasta isn’t just for old folks!

Mom Giveaways: This past weekend was my brother’s birthday so when we went to his birthday dinner I brought the game along.  We quickly got a group of four to play and started playing. Once we played a couple of rounds and got the hang of things we started to really enjoy the card game.  I really enjoyed playing Canasta Hand & Foot and I’m looking forward to the next time my family can get together to play.

The way I see it: We are big time game players at our house. We love board games, Wii and card games alike. Even our young grandchildren enjoy playing games. I’m a firm believer that playing games teaches sportsmanship because everyone, occasionally, must learn to loose graciously.

An Island Review: I have to admit that I was a little confused at first but after reading the rules a few times, I realized that it was very similar to Gin Rummy except that the groups of cards that you put down are a little different. The whole goal of the game is to beat your opponent by scoring more points. You score points by melding cards, and making as many canastas as possible. A canasta is a meld of at least seven cards of the same rank.

Our Seven Qtpies: I tested it out with the ladies at Ladies Night Out. It was really a fun game, and easy to learn. Only two of us had played Hand and Foot before. Now, if you know anything about Canasta games, everyone has their own rules, so that was fun, deciding which of our rules applied, lol. The game does have a very complete set of rules, and they are easy to follow and learn.  

 

Forgetfulone: The instructions are a bit confusing, but once you get going, everything falls into place.

 

Just a Mom’s take on things: Partner games like this one are always a blast since there’s interaction between the partners and with the opposition – I think that Hand and Foot Canasta would be a fun party game.

 

3 P’s Mama Says: We will most certainly play Canasta Hand & Foot game by Marina Games again - maybe during our annual New Year’s Games.

 

 

This giveaway is now closed. Thank you for your participation.
The winner is Colten Edwards.
Congratulations!

Then She Found Me with it’s all-star cast explores the various relationships and issues that many face during their lifetime - marriage, pregnancy, miscarriage, adoption, love, betrayal, and family bonds.

From the product: “An all-star cast with memorable performances by Helen Hunt, Matthew Broderick, Bette Midler and Colin Firth powers this smart, funny drama about love and destiny. Desperate to start a family, schoolteacher April Epner (Hunt) is thrown into confusion when she is unexpectedly abandoned by her husband (Broderick). She gets another shock when she meets her unusual birth mother (Midler), a self-centered talk show host who’s not exactly the ideal mom. At first she rejects her, along with the attentions of a divorced dad (Firth), but then she begins to find her life opening up in ways she had never imagined.”

Our review group had the pleasure of reviewing this entertaining movie and thoroughly enjoyed it. See what they had to say:

Sage and Savvy: Both DH and I enjoyed this touching and amusing movie. It was not entirely predictable, and I was captivated until the end. I also love how the meaning of the movie’s title can be interpreted in more ways than one. It’s not just about a mother finding the daughter she gave away for adoption, but there are many other examples of how “she” found “me.”

Here’s What I Think: I did laugh some in this movie and even teared up a bit. I have to say that this is what I would classify as a “chick movie”. My husband was gracious enough to watch with me, but he did not enjoy it near as much as I would. I would recommend getting this movie, some wine and some popcorn, and having a girls’ night in. I don’t think you will be disappointed.

The Dirty Shirt: The all star cast of Then She Found Me put on amazing performances in this movie. I have not been on a roller coaster of emotions in a long time watching a movie but this one has them all. I laughed, I was shocked, I cried. It is the best movie I have watched in a long while.

Sheltered Not Shattered: I felt that the movie moved ahead without good explanation of time passage which left you a bit confused. It also lacked detail. The character of April was in the midst of making life changing decisions and by the end of the movie you knew she came to terms with a lot of things but you were not sure how. It was a movie with alot of potential but one that left me glad I didn’t go to the theatre to watch it.

Maria’s Space: The movie is a supposed comedy but I didn’t see it as one. I thought the story was good, very realistic, great cast, strong performances, and a good overall message. After saying that, this is not a movie that will stick with me long after the next movie comes along.

Red Sox Mommy: I did like it, although it honestly could do with fewer swear words and there were times I wanted to shout at the screen when Hunt’s character let herself be stepped on rather than fighting back. But all in all I think it was a sweet story with an ending that left me a little teary, but good tears.

An Island Review: I’ve always been a big fan of Helen Hunt ever since Mad About You and she turns in an outstanding performance as April Epner. Although, I did want to slap her a few times every time she went back to her wimpy ex (Broderick). Bette Midler is perfectly casted as the essentric birth mom and adds witty humor to this film. I can’t imagine anyone else playing the part but her. I’m not sure I’d watch it over again but I am glad I had the opportunity to check it out. It was nice to see Helen Hunt on the screen again.

Then She Found Me can be purchased at Amazon.com for 19.99.

Win it!

I have a copy of Then She Found Me to give away to someone interested in watching this DVD. To enter:

• Just leave a comment - any comment - before midnight, Oct 14th. That’s it!
• A random winner will be selected and notified via email on Oct 15th.
• The winner will have 3 days to claim their prize.
• Don’t forget to leave a way to contact you in case you win.

To earn extra entries, you may do any or all of the following. Each one counts as a extra entry but you must leave a separate comment for each one.

• Subscribe to our feed.
• Mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back here.
• Place our button in your sidebar.

This giveaway is open to everyone world-wide. Good luck!

Then She Found Me was directed by Helen Hunt from the novel by Elinor Lipman and screenplay by Alice Arlen and Victor Levin & Helen Hunt.  The film was executive produced by John Wells, Chip Signore, Louise Goodsell, Ralph Kamp, Victor Levin, Walter Josten, Jeff Geoffray and Howard Behar; associate produced by Moon Blauner; co-produced by Matthew Myers; produced by Pamela Koffler, Katie Roumel and Christine Vachon; and produced by Helen Hunt and Connie Tavel.

Well, the reviews are in and it’s unanimous - we loved The Women!

Mom of 2 Dancers: If you like chick flicks, I recommend this movie. It has a great cast, plus the movie touches on many issues women face in a fun way including children, career, marriage, betrayal, and friendship.

A Mom Speaks: I took my mom to go see this with me and we enjoyed it and lauged until we cried.

The Glamorous WAHM: I was worried that it might be a total chic flick and that my husband would suffer through it to make me happy.  But I was relieved as we watched the movie and I heard my husband laughing harder than I! I give it a thumbs up and definitely recommend that you see it!

Forgetfulone: The Women isn’t just about a woman’s response to a cheating husband. It’s also about friendship, betrayal, healing, independence, and success. It’s about finding out what makes you happy, and pursuing your goals. It’s about our relationships as wives, friends, mothers, daughters, and the many different roles we women perform on a daily basis. It will leave you feeling good about being a woman.

Val’s Views: Ladies, get out to the theater and see this movie while it’s still showing, you won’t regret it. Don’t wait for it to come out on dvd. It was a lot of fun watching this movie in a theater full of woman, because we all got it. That’s something you can’t get from a dvd.

If you haven’t seen this movie yet, what are you waiting for? Grab your BFF and head on over to the nearest theater. You won’t regret it!