Movie Review: Finding Nemo in 3D

When Finding Nemo first hit the big screen in 2003, I was just out of high school and busy with college, so I didn't get a chance to see it in theaters. Eventually I ended up watching it, though, and fell in love with all of the characters. Disney PIXAR movies have a special place in my heart, so I was thrilled to get a chance to see the 3D version of Finding Nemo.

Marlin the clownfish (voiced by Albert Brooks) and his wife have just moved into a plush 'neighborhood' in the Australian coast. As they discuss baby names for their 100's of eggs, a terrible tragedy takes the life of Marlin's wife and all but one of the eggs. Marlin makes it his life's mission to make sure that his only child, Nemo (Alexander Gould) is never in harm's way by becoming possibly the most over protective parent in the sea.

History nearly repeats itself, however, when on Nemo's first day of school, he is dared to swim into dangerous waters and is captured by a human. Marlin then sets out on his quest to find his only son. He encounters several quirky characters on his journey, most notably Dory (Ellen DeGeneres) who is a Blue Tang fish with a short term memory loss issue. Dory steals the show with her one liners and silly antics throughout the entire film.

This film was really fun to see in 3D. I was worried I was going to get motion sickness, but I had no issues. I had never seen a movie in 3D before so it was really exciting for me. It was the day before Ruby's third birthday so she came along too. I think she was a little too young, though for the 3D experience because she took her glasses off fairly quickly and then found another three year old to quietly play with in the aisle

Ruby with her popcorn and blankie before the show!

I would definitely go check this movie out! Take your kids with you, they will LOVE it! Teens who were little when the movie first came out would have a blast seeing it in 3D!

Finding Nemo 3D hits theaters today, September 14th, is rated G and runs 100 minutes long.

My World Almost Fell Apart.....

This is my baby. She'll be three years old next week. She is the most beautiful, HILARIOUS, smart, and sweet little girl in the world. She is also fearless, and it scares me to death. Tonight I was taking a shower, Sawyer was asleep and I had set Ruby up to watch Dora. I locked the door as I always do and was so excited to finally get to shower after such a long day. I had just finished lathering my shampoo when I heard a squeal. It usually wouldn't alarm me except for the fact that she was alone and doesn't just do that when she's by herself. I immediately jumped out of the shower and ran out of the bathroom. I saw the door half open, my heart sunk. I yelled 'Ruby, are you okay?!!' and I heard a male voice say something...my heart started to race and I said 'Mark?!'...it wasn't Mark. It was my downstairs neighbor, Brian. Ruby had unlocked the door and ran downstairs. I told him to go get her, and he brought her back up to me. 
I couldn't even scold her, I was so upset. SHE was so upset. She was bawling and saying 'awww, maaannnn!' (so cute, btw) she was saying that she just wanted to say hi to grandma. There are a lot of older ladies in the apartments, and she calls them all grandma. I think one must of had her grand kids outside because she always wants to go downstairs when she sees other kids.
If you don't have children, it might be hard to grasp why I am so upset. She could have been taken in an instant, and I would have never known where she'd gone. I would have gotten out of the shower, seen the door open, and that would be it. She'd be gone. She could have ran out in the road, anything could have happened. I have been praying all night thanking the Lord for blessing me with good neighbors and good people who knew who she was and where to take her.
Now it's 2am and I can't sleep.

Kiss your babies.

Love,

Kailee

In My Next Ten Years...

This past weekend I had my ten year reunion! It was crazy to think that ten years ago we all graduated high school. I still have vivid memories from then, though I am learning that some memories are starting to fade, a sign that I am in fact, getting older. I would say I had a pretty average high school experience. It wasn't really life changing either way as far as being positive or negative. I was captain of the cheerleading squad, and yes, I dated the quarterback of the football team. But it's not what you think. It has always been my opinion that at my school there were no cliques or popular crowds in High School. We were such a small school that everyone had the same amount of friends. Sure, there were stereotypes that looking from the outside you could make those assumptions, but there was really not a lot of drama or typical high school attitudes going on. I guess we were all kind of boring lol.

My friend Faustino and I on Homecoming Court our senior year

Looking at the picture above, there are many things I miss about being that girl. I miss her smile. I miss her innocence, her happiness. I miss her ability to be so care free. I miss her ENERGY! And of course, her body! :)
I would have never guessed I'd have gone through the things I have. I have been to Hell and back in my personal life and struggle each day to make it a good one. I love the family that I have made with every bit of my soul, but sometimes life is just hard. Would I go back if I could? Probably not. I have become a stronger woman because of my experiences, and finally at nearly 30 years old, I am comfortable with who I am.

At the reunion with one of my best friends since I was 5

I appreciate the lasting friendships I've had with a lot of the people in my class. My favorite is my group of girlfriends from HS, we all had kids together around the same time, and make a point to have a playdate once a month. I love how my class can get together after so long and just click like no time has passed. Even seeing people I haven't seen since high school wasn't awkward in the least bit. It was like it was lunch time again and we were just catching up and about to head off to the next class.

In my next ten years I hope to gain more energy, get more organized, and live my life not worrying so much about what the next day will bring. Things I enjoy about the woman that I have become are her wit, her strength, her ability to be a great mother, her experience, and most of all the ability to not worry (as much) about what people think about her.

I had the best time catching up with everyone. I truly care about each and every one of them.

Here's to another ten years my friends!!!

Graduation day!!!

In Hawaii on our senior trip

With some of the class. Apparently my gang/duck face likes to come out when I drink. ;)

Love, 

Kailee

A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes

-

This house is small. This house is nothing special. It will never be featured in Better Homes And Gardens, and driving by it, you might not even notice it's there. But at the moment, this is my dream home.
We made an offer on this house about four months ago. It being a short sale, I knew we'd be in for a long ride, but I never anticipated it would take this long. I've gone from pinning gardening projects nightly, to just now hoping we are able to move in before the rainy season hits. I got a call from the realtor the other day, and it looks like we should close by the end of September.
We moved into the apartment we live in now about a week before I gave birth to Ruby. Almost immediately we outgrew the apartment. Mark and I decided we weren't going to move anywhere else until we were able to buy a home. I really didn't want to pay someone else's mortgage, and wanted to stick it out until we could save some money. Ever since I had Sawyer, I've been more claustrophobic than ever. The only thing that is keeping me sane right now is the picture of this house as my background on my laptop.
There is a part of me that is wondering if I will miss this place. Both times I have given birth, this is where I brought them home. We have made many great memories in this apartment. I have really tried to make this feel like a 'home' for us. In my heart, though, I ache for something more. I want a backyard for my kids to play, I want a wood stove to keep us warm. I want to be able to walk only a few steps to my car, and not half a football field and up 20 stairs with two kids and groceries. I thank God every night for giving my family a roof over my head, and know that I am more lucky than some to be able to live where I do now, but we are so excited and anxious to move into this new place, a place we can say is ours. Our home.

All The Sudden I Like Oatmeal...

Isn't it funny how your tastes change? Things you used to detest as a child, you now love? Or vice versa. When I was little, there were many a Saturday mornings that my dad would fry up chicken hearts and we would eat them, much to my mother's dismay. It was our thing. Now you couldn't pay me to eat them. Though I find it funny that my daughter and boyfriend now share that same fondness for chicken gizzards...

 I'll admit, I'm completely one of those people who will say they hate something before they even try it, or automatically be disgusted as soon as I find out the contents of my food. There are a couple things, though, I may never get over. Onions and mayonnaise. Mayo, okay, I can handle that SLIGHTLY, like I can scrape it off and I'll be fine. But raw onion? Fuggedaboutit. Every time I get a Subway sandwich I can tell if there's been cross contamination with some raw onion. It ruins the whole damn thing.

Kill me...

So imagine my surprise when I wake up one morning and decide this looks good to eat:

mmmmm?

Oatmeal has been one of those things for me. The texture, oh GOD the texture. And the blandness, but mostly, the texture. I kept looking at these little oatmeals and would think 'If I liked oatmeal, those would sound really good.'

Then I just thought I would try it today, and it's effing delicious.

I can't even tell you what's good about it. The texture? Hardly. It's just as mushy as any other oatmeal. It has raisins? Who the hell likes raisins!? Maybe it was the surprise of stirring it up and getting all the yummy goodness from the bottom. I don't know, but it was good.

Now I like oatmeal.

And yes, that's a Team Peeta sticker on my laptop. Don't hate.

Love,

Kailee

Movie Review: The Odd Life Of Timothy Green

While in New York City, I was very fortunate to be invited to attend a screening of the new Disney movie, The Odd Life Of Timothy Green, starring Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton, with adorable CJ Adams as the title character. In the movie, Cindy and Jim Green (Garner and Edgerton) have infertility issues that progress into an emotional scene where they imagine every characteristic of what their child would be like. In a fashion that only Disney could pull off, Timothy Green is 'born' out of their garden, where they had buried their hopes of having a child.



Was this movie predictable? Yes, but it was nonetheless absolutely heartwarming. Garner gives a beautiful and real performance as a mother, and Adams is inspiring and on point. He lets his character be himself and teaches us all the art of acceptance. Edgerton lets his character become the dad to Timothy that his never was. It is very fulfilling to watch this family come to fruition and thrive in the love they all have for each other. As Timothy showcases each of the characteristics his parents had dreamed for him, there is a twist in the movie that I invite you to go and experience first hand. This movie made me laugh, cry, and appreciate my family more than ever.

The Odd Life Of Timothy Green hits movie theaters August 15th.

Socks and a notebook I received at the screening.

Disney has also teamed up with Hanes for Operation Sock Drive, where you can find a location near you and donate new socks for families in need. Click the link to find a location near you!

Love, 

Kailee

I'm Back From BlogHer!

Oh, Lordy!

My roomies Liz from Yes/No Films, and Jenn from Also Known As...The Wife

The past five days have been a whirlwind of fun, friendships, learning, and laughter. I have no regrets and am so thankful for the opportunity to go to New York and meet some of the coolest people on the planet. I will do bigger recaps throughout the week, but today this mama is exhausted and will just do a little teaser for ya!
This picture is from our first night in NYC at happy hour at Old Castle Pub, located around the corner from The Hilton. $5 Absolut drinks in NYC? Yes, please!

I jokingly dubbed myself the 'Swag Mommy'

The day I left. My roomies kept asking the entire time how I would fit all my swag in my bags. Very carefully my friends, verrry carefully. Don't mind the vintage suitcase on the right, it's a long story! Haha...
I had the perfect amount of time away from Oregon. By the time I was ready to go, I was READY to go! Sunday was probably the longest day for me. The worst part being the drive to the airport (crazy taxi drivers getting me car sick), and then some flight delays caused by some weather debauchery.

View from the plane

Right as the pilot was informing us of delays, rain poured down and thunder struck. I prayed we would get home safely, as well as all the other flights that night. We waited a little over an hour before we were cleared for take off. We were able to watch satellite TV, though, so I caught some of the Olympics, which was nice. Also, when I got on the plane I noticed that Carrie Brownstein from Portlandia was on my flight!
I made it home in one piece and Mark was waiting for me at the gate. I was sooo happy to see him again. We promptly drove home and I passed out cold.
Today I am recuperating from a great trip, but I will be posting more the next couple of weeks, including a couple of small swag giveaways! I will be doing reviews of some of the products I received as well.  I can't wait to share with everyone about this experience!!!

Love,

Kailee

Kids and Television: Is It Really THAT bad?

Picture me at my child's Well Child appointment. The doctor asks me if my daughter is watching more than an hour of television a day. I get all shifty eyed and say 'Oh, no, no no.' I am instantly feeling shameful on the inside, because yes, she DOES watch well over an hour most days. But honestly, the feeling of shame is fleeting. It's not like I'm letting her watch old episodes of Bratz all day long. She loves Dora and Diego, Leapfrog movies, Angelina Ballerina, and Baby TV shows. The only one I'm not a huge fan of is Angelina Ballerina. It's not educational at all and Angelina is kind of a whiny brat, but she loves the dancing in that, so it's a 'sometimes' show. Other than that, Ruby has learned a LOT from these shows.

Now picture me cleaning the house and Ruby is looking through a book of colors. 'Red,' she says. Nothing special, she's known all her colors for awhile now...then she whispers 'Rojo,' Uh, what? She has done that so many times now, saying things like 'Agua,' 'Hola' and 'Vamanos'. Of course I like to brag, I'm her mother. But seriously, I've got one smart little cookie. She's not quite yet three and can sing her ABC's, name all her colors, count to ten, and knows left, right, and straight.

Now don't misunderstand me here, I'm not saying park your kid's booty in front of the TV and they'll be smart! I try to make learning fun for my daughter...at bedtime I sing her the ABC's, in the car I ask her which way we should turn. I'm constantly asking her things and reinforcing her learning every day. And yes, watching these shows are a part of that. She loves it, and I see no harm in it. She recognizes SO MANY animals from watching Diego, it's hilarious. 'Mommy, das a Awillgator! Das a Giwaffe!'

Ruby watching 'Go Diego, Go!' on the Kindle Fire

When it comes to parenting, I pretty much go with the flow. I do what I think works best for my children and my family as a whole. I don't listen to statistics, I don't read books about it. If your kids don't watch a drop of TV, I applaud you, but I sure hope you're not putting judgement out on me for what I'm doing. I play with my kids, I read to them, teach them, and interact with them as much as I can. Sometimes I just need a break, and sometimes my daughter just wants to watch a show, and I'm okay with that.

What do you think? Do your kids watch TV? None at all? Let's get a discussion going, I'd love to hear your opinions, good or bad!

Twitter Parties, Toddlers, and SparkleCorn

Okay you guys...seriously....

The only reason I finally get to write this is because Netflix finally decided to work. Thank you Dora! What a day, what a day! I had a pre-teen today along with my near three year old and my eight month old. When it comes to stress, I am not very graceful with it, I was pretty frazzled more than once today. My internet has been shoddy and I missed out on a cool Twitter Party for an invite to the SheHeard party at BlogHer. So what's a girl to do?!

Let it go and write about a sparkly outfit, that's what! lol

At BlogHer (this super cool conference for bloggers that's NEXT WEEK) there's a party called SparkleCorn...I'm still carrying around some extra baby fluff (read: I'M FAT) so it was a little depressing when all these pretty sparkly dresses didn't fit me. Everyone dresses up in SOMETHING sparkly, tutus, dresses, tops, you name it! Coming in a plain white tee and jeans is not an option. I ended up finding something that I thought was pretty awesome, especially since the conference is in New York, I thought it was quite fitting!

It's fun, sparkly, fits loosely and it was only $5! I'll take it! It only took me two hours roaming around a store called Top 2 Bottom, but hey, I found it! It was the only one they had. It must be fate.

Can you even handle these pants? Leggings that have rhinestones only on the knee area?! I don't foresee myself ever wearing these again outside of this party, but I just had to do it. Too hilarious in my book!

I tried on many pairs of shoes, but ended up with just some super plain black sparkly flats. I thought I could handle some heels, but when I rolled my ankle (Completely sober, mind you) I thought oh helll, no.

Do you ever go out of your way to get something to wear for just one night? What has been your craziest party outfit?! Comment below, I want to hear! :) 

Love,

Kailee

Cottonelle Care Routine "Name It To Win It" Contest

Cottonelle has come out with a new two step routine involving using both their Cottonelle Ultra Comfort Care and Cottonelle Fresh Care Wipes. The problem? They don't have a name!!! YOU can help name this two step routine and have a chance at winning a year's supply of the routine for FREE!

Here's the name I chose:

'Round Trip' Haha, you like it?!

You can take a crack at it on the Cottonelle Facebook page here.

Good Luck!!!

Kailee

$100 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!!!

My first giveaway, how about that?! Who likes free cash? I know I do! I got together with some UH-MAZING bloggers to bring you a giveaway for $100 Amazon gift card!!!

Let's give a big round of applause to:

Musings From A Stay At Home Mom

The Mama Report

Shopaholic Mommy

Only A Breath

NYC Single Mom

Read. Write. Mom!

philZENdia

Loose Screws And Terrible Twos

A Thrifty Geek

This Mama Loves Her Bargains

This giveaway is open Worldwide, 18+

Ends August 3, 2012 at 11:59 EST

a Rafflecopter giveaway

How Much Is Too Much? TMI On Facebook...

The other day my boyfriend's friend got into a small motorcycle accident. As predicted, he posted the self portrait of himself from his hospital bed, showcasing his bumps and bruises. What we all did not expect, though, and surely no one saw coming, was the picture he posted the next morning of his balls - Yup, his balls. I'm not sure if because they were bruised he figured it would be appropriate, or if he generally just thinks it's okay to show his balls to the entire Facebook feed, but it certainly gained the attention I'm sure he was trying to get. One comment read 'Really? Some people like to have their coffee first,'

This got me thinking. There is almost a daily occurrence of me cringing at someone's post on Facebook. Whether it's a 'sexy' self portrait (with the ever predictable caption 'just me...'), someone making a vague statement about someone else in a negative fashion, and not elaborating when asked what or whom they are talking about, or the wall bomb of photos with song lyrics or something having to do with how bad their relationship is.

What's the cutoff? Where do we stop and say 'Wow, maybe this isn't something I should be posting to my 300+ friends on Facebook, half of which aren't really my friends,' I'm not saying I'm completely innocent, there have been a few emo moments where I haven't thought about what I was saying, and then later regretted it. I just think we all need to take a few moments to think before we post. Maybe the world doesn't want to see you using the F word five times in one status update. MAYBE no one cares if you're pissed off at your friend and are using
Facebook to get back at them.

Facebook is the way most people connect on a daily basis. What you're putting out there is what other people are perceiving you to be. If you are constantly swearing, talking about your period, and how crappy your life is - Who is going to want to see you in real life?


What do YOU think? Do people go overboard on Facebook? Do you un-friend, or just hide someone who's annoying? Do you confront them? Let me know!


~Kailee

It Was Bound To Happen...

It was bound to happen at some point. I had been bitten by the blogging bug a few years back right after the birth of my daughter. I've always loved writing, and baking as well so it seemed like a perfect fit. As time has gone on, though, I feel the need to write about more than just baking. Sometimes I just want to talk about my day, things that have happened, being a mom, whatever. I feel like I'm missing out on so much in limiting my writing to just baking, that I've expanded my blogginess (yup, I said blogginess) to being a mom blogger as well. I hope to share many stories with you, reviews, giveaways, whatever I feel like! I'm taking this opportunity and running with it. So for now I bid adieu, but we will meet again, I'm sure! 

Love,

Kailee

Summertime Sweeties