My Natural Toy Review

We just received a plush owl from My Natural. My Natural is a new line of toys from Hosung Companies. The toys in the My Natural line are all-natural soft plush characters, as gentle on the environment as they are to the touch. They are available for immediate purchase at Target. I love that it is so soft and environmentally friendly. Sara loves that it looks like the owl from her favorite TV show (totally a coincidence).



We also received the new Baby Ben from miYim's Fairytale Collection. miYim is another line of Hosung Companies. This toy line will be available come spring and can be found at specialty stores. Baby Ben the frog is made from certified organic cotton and is soft with embroidered details. He's also colored with all natural plants and minerals, and his overalls are made from natural hemp. Baby Ben comes in a recycled cardboard gift box that can be reused for just about anything from recipes to photos.

Thanks to Role Mommy for the chance to review these great toys.





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Big Bang Mini for Nintendo DS Game Review

I posted a sneak peak of Big Bang Mini for Nintendo DS before. I am excited that I got a chance to review it as well. It is really fun! Pretty much you get to make your own fireworks displays. You send up rockets with a sweep of the stylus and try to avoid any bullets that fall from the fireworks that miss. When an enemy is defeated you collect stars and try to progress through all 90 levels.



It is rated E for everyone and I bet it would be fun for kids as well as adults. I may have to get my dad a DS so that he can play it on the metro on the way to work in the mornings.

The aim was to create an absorbing, yet challenging game for Nintendo DS which fully utilized the unique attributes of the stylus to enhance gameplay, according to Melanie Mroz, CEO of SouthPeak Games. “The classic arcade shoot em up, is a perennial favorite, but it needed a genuinely new twist,” explained Mroz. “There’s a universal attraction to fireworks, and something strangely captivating about creating displays, even in the midst of gameplay. The sweep of the stylus is the ideal way to launch a rocket into the sky with a satisfying swoosh, before it bursts into a kaleidoscope of brilliant shapes and colors – and destroys the opposition. It’s this combination of the old and the new in Big Bang Mini which will have players hooked.”

The game has already received an excellent response from industry reviewers, was awarded ‘Best Game Soundtrack’ at the prestigious video game festival, Prix du Festival du Jeu Vidéo in France, and was also nominated for ‘Best Portable Console Game’.





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31 Days of Oscar Feb 1- March 3

Right now Turner Classic Movies is presenting it's annual "31 Days of Oscar" festival, in which every film has received one or more Academy Awards and/or nominations. All movies are shown in an unedited, commercial-free format. This year's theme for "31 Days of Oscar" is TCM University, with movies categorized by Departments and Course Offerings that allow any student of film to gather knowledge on a variety of subjects.

More than 25 titles will make their first appearance on TCM during "31 Days of Oscar", including Mike Nichols' Carnal Knowledge (Feb. 5); the colorful musical LiÂ'l Abner (Feb. 6); the gritty urban drama Boyz N the Hood (Feb. 8); Lawrence Olivier's stunning adaptation of Shakespeare's Richard III (Feb. 10); the passionate drama Room at the Top (Feb. 10); the delightful romanceEnchanted April (Feb. 10); Alec Guinness' hilarious comedy The Horse's Mouth (Feb. 15); Louis MalleÂ's controversial Pretty Baby (Feb. 15); Barry Levinson's Bugsy (Feb. 16); adaptations of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion (Feb. 19), Stephen Vincent Benet's The Devil and Daniel Webster (Feb. 23) and John Steinbeck's East of Eden (Feb. 23); Kon Ichikawa's anti-war classic The Burmese Harp (Feb. 24); and Jim Sheridan's heart-wrenching My Left Foot (Feb. 25).

The 81st Annual Academy Awards ceremony airs Sunday, Feb. 22, at 8 p.m. (ET)/ 5 p.m. (PT) on ABC.

Turner Classic Movies, currently seen in more than 75 million homes, is a 24-hour cable network from Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company. TCM presents the greatest motion pictures of all time from the largest film library in the world, the combined Time Warner and Turner film libraries, from the 1920s through the 1990s, uncut and commercial-free. The network also offers critically acclaimed original documentaries and specials, including Martin Scorsese Presents: Val Lewton—The Man in the Shadows, the Emmy®-winning Stardust: The Bette Davis Storyand the Emmy-nominated Brando. More information is available at tcm.com.





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Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story Movie Review

I was lucky enough to be able to get a sneak preview of A Johnson & Johnson Spotlight Presentation- Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story courtesy of Role Mommy. If you are looking for something to do this weekend, I strongly suggest tuning into TNT on February 7 at 8p.m. (ET) Cuba Gooding Jr. and Kimberly Elise star in this inspirational movie that is based on a pediatric neurosurgeon's moving memoir.



It is based on the true story of Dr. Benjamin S. Carson, whose lifelong journey led him to become director of pediatric neurosurgery at John Hopkins Children's Center, a best-selling author and a recipient of the Presidential medal of Freedom.

Gifted hands was adapted by award-winning writer John Pielmeier from the memoir penned by Carson and Cecil Murphey.



The film opens with Carson's childhood in Detroit. The young Bennie struggles in school after his father abandons the family and his mother, who suffers from bouts of depression, is forced to be the family's sole provider, despite the fact that she can't read and has only a third-grade education.

Seeing that her son is having problems in school, Sonya soon realizes it is because he has troubles seeing. With a new pair of glasses and encouragement to spend time at a library, Bennie dives into the world of books. The joy Bennie gets from reading and the undying love and support he receives from his mother pave the way for him to overcome his impoverished background and graduate from high school, college and medical school. To fulfill his dream of becoming a doctor, he also must face down racial prejudice and other obstacles that threaten to derail him.



Along the way, Carson gets married and starts a family. But his home life becomes strained when his work starts to consume his every waking hour, especially as he faces the challenge of becoming the first doctor ever to successfully separate conjoined twins joined at the back of the head. In the end, however, Carson's family comes to understand that his work is vital in helping other families, including a young couple whose twins' lives are saved thanks to Carson's remarkable skills, knowledge and courage.

Today, Carson stands at the top of his field as one of the most respected pediatric neurosurgeons in the world. He is living proof that, with perseverance, a devotion to knowledge and the loving support of family and friends, one can overcome any obstacles. Like his mother did for him, Carson now pours everything he has into helping young people overcome their medical limitations and fulfill their own dreams.

Don't forget to watch this touching and inspirational movie on TNT February 7 at 8p.m. (ET). Let me know what you think of it!





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