Celebrate with MyPunchbowl.com

Have you ever wanted to throw a party, or host a get together – but didn’t have a specific reason to do it?  There was no birthday, wedding shower, or anniversary on the horizon? Yet, you had that gnawing desire to surround yourself with family and friends?

MyPunchbowl.com, the leader in start to finish party planning, now offers Reasons to Celebrate on its website, identifying fun & entertaining reasons to celebrate for 365 days of the year – often with more than one reason for each day, week, and month.

In fact, the month of July is jam packed with interesting reasons to celebrate including:  National Lasagna Day, National Milk Chocolate Day, National Gummi Worm Day, National Ice Cream Day, National Cousins’ Day, National Parents’ Day, National Hammock Day (which may force the workaholic to actually plan time to relax),  and even National Hot Dog Day!  What better reason to spark up the grill and invite the neighbors over and have a hot dog roast!  There is a “reason” for everyone!  And, you’ll have the opportunity to share your Reasons to Celebrate on Twitter, Facebook, and more. Best of all, MyPunchbowl.com Membership is FREE.

By becoming a member, you can:

Design and customize online invitations, Save the Dates, and free eCards with a variety colors and fonts
Upload your own pictures into Save the Dates, invitations, and eCards
Allow your guests to help select a date that works best
Easily import addresses and manage RSVPs
Track items guests will bring to your party
Manage your own to-do list with a party checklist
Search theme ideas
Order customized party favors
Create gift registries
Get tips and party planning advice
Embed video into your eCards
Share personalized eCards on Facebook or Twitter
Create Birthday Reminders Lists
And more ….

For more Reasons to Celebrate and more information on MyPunchbowl.com visit www.mypunchbowl.com

What’s your favorite Reason to Celebrate?
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*** This product was received for review consideration. No other compensation was provided. The information provided here at the A Bookworm Mom’s Diary blog is for entertainment purposes only and reflect only the personal opinion of this blogger. Readers of this blog reading and/or using any of the information they glean here, do so at their own risk. ***

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DVD Review – Van Wilder : Freshman Year

Van Wilder: Freshman Year – Unrated

Packed with panty raids, wild parties and shocking behavior, Van Wilder: Freshman Year moves to the head of the class, arriving exclusively on DVD today from Tapestry Films and Paramount Home Entertainment. The third installment in the hugely popular college comedy franchise from the producers of Wedding Crashers and Van Wilder 1 and 2, Van Wilder: Freshman Year makes the grade with an even more outrageous Unrated edition stuffed with a semester’s worth of sidesplitting bonus features.

The long-awaited story of the legendary party animal’s uproarious introduction to Coolidge College is finally here, revealing for the first time his rise to become the man, the myth…the seven-year college senior. It features a young cast including Jonathan Bennett (Mean Girls) as “Van the Man” and Kristin Cavallari (Laguna Beach), as well as Steve Talley (American Pie Presents Beta House), Kurt Fuller (Wayne’s World) and Linden Ashby (Resident Evil: Extinction) as Van’s partners in mayhem.

In this movie, a young Van follows in his wealthy father’s footsteps by enrolling at prestigious Coolidge College. Much to the easygoing slacker’s dismay, however, Coolidge is hardly the party school he envisioned. Instead, it’s a strict institution led by an uptight dean—and to make matters worse, all the girls have taken a vow of chastity! Determined to rectify this intolerable situation, the civic-minded Van launches a personal crusade to free his school from the shackles of sexual oppression and party dysfunction.

Gut-busting bonus features include:

• Commentary with Director Harv Glazer and cast
• Creating the Legend: The Making of Van Wilder: Freshman Year
• Going Balls Out: Colossus
• Coolidge College: Orientation Video
• Decatur
• Teacher’s Pets
• Bloopers
• Van’s Party Supplies (unrated)
• Pranks 101 (unrated)

This movie reminded me irresistibly of the American Pie ones, except it’s a lot more juvenile despite being set in a college atmosphere. It does have some moments of outright hilarity and there’s no denying the fresh cast, the sexual jokes together with the physical comedy is effective. It’s more of a couple/guy movie and doesn’t require a lot of thinking.

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*** This product was received for review consideration. No other compensation was provided. The information provided here at the A Bookworm Mom’s Diary blog is for entertainment purposes only and reflect only the personal opinion of this blogger. Readers of this blog reading and/or using any of the information they glean here, do so at their own risk. ***

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Betty Crocker Gluten Free Dessert Mixes – Review and Giveaway!

Hurray – Betty Crocker® Gluten Free Dessert Mixes are making their way onto grocery shelves this summer! There are four new dessert options – all made in a gluten-free processing facility.

• Betty Crocker Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix
• Betty Crocker Gluten Free Devil´s Food Cake Mix
• Betty Crocker Gluten Free Brownie Mix
• Betty Crocker Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

As I´m sure you know, until now baking for yourself or a loved one who has celiac disease often meant preparing two kinds of sweet treats for one gathering – one for the gluten-free eater and another for everyone else. Also gluten-free mixes were often difficult to find and required a separate trip to a specialty grocery store. With the easy-to-find Betty Crocker Gluten Free Dessert Mixes, we can once again enjoy – and share – these sweet moments and desserts with everyone.

And, gluten free is tasty too – these new mixes create a sweet treat that´s truly delicious from everyone´s perspective, even those who do not follow a gluten-free diet. We don’t and yet we spent this weekend enjoying these delicious gluten-free brownies and the cookies were just fantastic – my toddler who is mighty finicky eater had no problem gobbling these up!

Click HERE to visit the Betty Crocker website’s FAQ’s about their gluten free products and labeling. Also, you can clip Box Top Coupons on Betty Crocker® Gluten Free Dessert Mixes and hundreds of your other favorite products, too. Visit Box Tops for Education to learn more. You can also call 1-800-446-1898 to request a free coupon for one of the new gluten free mixes and to also receive information about General Mills´ growing set of gluten free products.

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GIVEAWAY

For more details, and to enter the giveaway : CLICK this link

Deadline – Midnight CST of August 4, 2009.

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*** This product was received for review consideration. No other compensation was provided. The information provided here at the A Bookworm Mom’s Diary blog is for entertainment purposes only and reflect only the personal opinion of this blogger. Readers of this blog reading and/or using any of the information they glean here, do so at their own risk. ***

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http://abookwormsdiary.blogspot.com/2009/07/betty-crocker-gluten-free-dessert-mixes.html

Movie Review – Weather Girl

Written and Directed by Blayne Weaver, the film recently won Best Narrative Feature at the deadCENTER Film Festival. On the festival circuit, Weather Girl has also won an Honorary Mention for the Audience Award at Nashville Film Festival and Best Narrative Feature at Vail Film Festival. The film stars Tricia O’Kelley, Mark Harmon, Jon Cryer, Kaitlin Olson, Jane Lynch, Patrick J. Adams, Ryan Devlin, Enrico Colantoni and Alex Kapp Horner.

Synopsis:  After learning her boyfriend (Harmon) cheated on her with his co-host (Olson), a Seattle morning show weather girl (O’Kelley) freaks out on-air and is fired. Forced to move in with her little brother (Devlin) and deal with his best friend (Adams), she has to learn to cope with being 35, single, unemployed, and unfortunately famous for being the Sassy Weather Girl who lost it on live television.

My Thoughts:  If this movie had come to the local AMC, I probably wouldn’t have seen it as the lead star cast is totally unknown to me. But having been lucky enough to see the screener, I now know what I would have missed something totally quirky, but essentially funny and romantic. The “sassy” weather girl as played by O’Kelley is really wonderful, the often-sarcastic verbal diarrhea she indulges in whenever upset is just too funny for words! Mark Harmon, I love from NCIS. In this movie however, he plays the role of the “walking haircut”, a totally unlikeable, narcissistic Morning show host and he is so good at it that I actually did begin to dislike him toward the end. Patrick J. Adams and Ryan Devlin as the laid-back dudes who, in an unexpected manner, provide this flighty woman with some grounding and stability, are surprisingly effective. The overall acting is good, the story engaging and the rapid-fire dialogue, stellar!

My Recommendation : Don’t pass it up when this movie comes to a theater near you. It’s good, clean fun!
For more information, please visit  http://weathergirlmovie.com/ The movie releases on July 10th.

Enjoy the trailer:

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*** This product was received for review consideration. No other compensation was provided. The information provided here at the A Bookworm Mom’s Diary blog is for entertainment purposes only and reflect only the personal opinion of this blogger. Readers of this blog reading and/or using any of the information they glean here, do so at their own risk. ***

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Giveaways (9 Jul 2009)

Let’s start with my giveaways!

The Universe – Dvd Giveaway
The Prehistoric Collection – Dvd Giveaway
Cities of the Underworld – Dvd Giveaway
Military Combat – Dvd Giveaway
How the Earth was Made – Dvd Giveaway
America at War – Dvd Giveaway
Stealing Lincoln’s Body – DVD Giveaway
Elin Hilderbrand Giveaway
Jon Meacham Giveaway
Summer Beach Bag Giveaway
Gena Showalter Giveaway
Stunned Giveaway
Father’s day Giveaway
Blue Collar Giveaway

Blog/Host : Mommy Reviewed
Prize : A Gift certificate to BabySafeTravel.com
Deadline : Midnight CST of August 1, 2009
Eligibility : US only 

Sandier Pastures:

• T-shirt of choice from Ahpeele ($28) – ends July 10, 2009
• Choice of jewelry from Lillyella – ends July 14, 2009

Win Clorox Disinfecting Wipes Decor Canisters (5) at Goodies for Momhttp://goodiesformom.blogspot.com/2009/07/product-reviewgiveaway-clorox.html
Number of winners – 2
How to Enter – Leave a comment after visiting the sponsoring site. Extra chances to win.
Deadline – Monday, July 13, 2009 at midnight EST
Open to US only

Win a Basket From Ultimate Goodies
http://sahmanswers.com/news.php?readmore=891

Win a Strong As Steel Yoga Mat and Carrier
http://sahmanswers.com/news.php?readmore=889

Win 1 of 2 Softlips Balms
http://sahmanswers.com/news.php?readmore=890

Win My Secret Circle
http://themamahoodsgoods.blogspot.com/2009/07/my-secret-circle-review-and-giveaway.html
Number of winners – 1
How to Enter – Leave a comment
Earn extra entries by following, subscribing, blog listing or blogging about this contest.
Deadline – Sunday, July 12, 2009 at midnight MST
Open to US & Canada only

Win Crayola Outdoors Set (2 Winners) @ SAHM Reviews
http://www.sahmreviews.com/2009/06/children-live-thereand-thereand-there.html
How to Enter: Leave a comment. Bonus entries available.
Deadline: July 9, 2009
Open to Us Only

Win All Small and Mighty Laundry detergent (2 Winners of full value coupons) @ SAHM Reviews
http://www.sahmreviews.com/2009/06/sizing-things-up.html
How to Enter: Leave a comment. Bonus entries available.
Deadline: July 10, 2009
Open to Us Only

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DVD Review – Betrayed

The Betrayed

Synopsis : Waking up in a dark room after being knocked unconscious in a car accident and her young son nowhere in sight, Jamie Taylor (Melissa George), realizes that she has been kidnapped. Her masked captor (Oded Fehr) informs her that if she ever hopes to see her son alive again, she must help his mysterious employers. However, they’re not looking to collect a ransom; instead, the man reveals that Jamie’s husband is secretly a brutal killer who recently stole millions from his bosses.

The organization will stop at nothing to retrieve the missing money, and they think that their captive is the one person who can help them find it. Chained to a grate in a cold, dark room, with her marriage upended, her son’s life in jeopardy and no idea who she can trust, Jamie must attempt to piece together clues from the life she thought she knew in order to escape this nightmare and save the lives of her beloved family.

Single-Disc DVD Specs: The Betrayed single-disc DVD will be presented in widescreen format with English & Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English, Spanish & French subtitles.

My Thoughts: The Betrayed is a good, entertaining movie. Golden Globe® nominee* Melissa George’s (“In Treatment,” “Alias”) acting is (somewhat) convincing as a woman whose world has turned on its head in an instant and she’s unable to make out what is real and what is not. Other supporting characters have also been cast well, especially Oded Fehr who plays the role of her masked captor. Now this is a versatile actor whom I’ve seen in many other movies, playing small but vital roles. It’s the same here. His distinct voice gave him away even though you can make out little through the mask. Atmospherically, the dingy cell where she’s held is the focal point of the movie and that’s very effective. And the ending is typical Hollywood, but effective nonetheless.

I don’t call this movie stellar for just one reason – it comes close to outright thrilling moments time and again, but these fizz out almost as soon as they appear. Therefore, every emotion it causes in the audience is somewhat muted, for no sooner than expectations are raised, that they’re dashed. It’s not too terrifying, it’s not too suspenseful, not too scary, not too adventurous. Like I said, faded. 

My Recommendation : It’s a good way to pass a Sunday afternoon. However, I’d recommend you rent it, rather than buy it.

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*** This product was received for review consideration. No other compensation was provided. The information provided here at the A Bookworm Mom’s Diary blog is for entertainment purposes only and reflect only the personal opinion of this blogger. Readers of this blog reading and/or using any of the information they glean here, do so at their own risk. ***

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Summer Giveaway Bonanza

Celebrate the arrival of summer with the Mom Central Summer Giveaway Bonanza! Each week, Mom Central will post new giveaways just for Moms and their families on MomCentral.com. They’ll have tons of great prizes throughout the summer for you and all members of your family. Some of  their giveaways include:

•    Hoover Cyclonic Bagless Upright Vacuum: This new vacuum from Hoover removes more dirt than other cyclonic bagless vacuums due to its patented wind tunnel technology and embedded dirt finder. With power controls on the handle, it reduces bending to get to those hard-to-reach places and easily moves from hard floor to carpet.
•    Crayola Play Sand: Transform an ordinary sandbox with a splash of color or design colorful art projects with a 20 lb. bag of Crayola Play Sand. The sand doesn’t stain hands and features an easy-to-carry handle to make transporting easy on Moms.
•    Jeep Tandem Stroller: Built to accommodate your growing family, the Tandem Traveler Stroller features sun canopies, reclining seat backs, car-seat adaptors, and cup holders that will leave you feeling like the coolest mommy on the block.
•    Razor Jr. Electric Wagon: Put a modern spin on the classic wagon with the Razor Jr. Electric Wagon. Traveling safely at 2-3 miles per hour, parents have assistance while cruising the block.

This week, you can win a  Super Soaker for fun in the sun, a new Hoover vacuum, and more. To see all of their giveaways, check out the Summer Giveaway Bonanza homepage here.

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*** This product was received for review consideration. No other compensation was provided. The information provided here at the A Bookworm Mom’s Diary blog is for entertainment purposes only and reflect only the personal opinion of this blogger. Readers of this blog reading and/or using any of the information they glean here, do so at their own risk. ***

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DVD Review – 12 Rounds

12 Rounds

Synopsis: WWE Superstar John Cena (The Marine) stars as Fisher, a New Orleans police officer playing a vicious game of cat and mouse after spoiling the multi-million dollar heist plan of an Irish arms dealer. When the thief’s girlfriend is accidentally killed in the melee he vows revenge, breaking out of prison and putting Fisher through a series of mental and physical challenges in order to save his kidnapped fiancée. With the clock ticking, Danny struggles to keep his focus as he races through The Big Easy completing each dangerous game and hoping he is still standing at the end of 12 Rounds.

Directed by action auteur Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, Deep Blue Sea), 12 Rounds features supporting performances from Ashley Scott (“Jericho,” Walking Tall) and Aidan Gillen (“The Wire”).

Standard DVD Specs:
The 12 Rounds Single-disc DVD is presented in widescreen format, 2.35:1 aspect ratio with English 5.1 Dolby Surround and Spanish and French Dolby Surround, along with English and Spanish subtitles. The disc includes all these special features :

o Rated and extended “Extreme Cut” of the film
o Commentary by Director Renny Harlin, Writer Daniel Kunka and John Cena
o Two alternate endings
o “Crash Course: John Cena Stunts” featurette
o “Never-before-seen Cena gag reel” featurette

My Thoughts: Nice film, great action, in the Die Hard: With a Vengeance kind of genre. Not much can be said of the acting (Cena being wooden thru and thru) but suspense-wise this is an entertaining flick. The twist at the end is especially interesting!

My Recommendation: This is a guy-flick through and through. So give it to them to watch while you go shopping!

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*** This product was received for review consideration. No other compensation was provided. The information provided here at the A Bookworm Mom’s Diary blog is for entertainment purposes only and reflect only the personal opinion of this blogger. Readers of this blog reading and/or using any of the information they glean here, do so at their own risk. ***

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DVD Review – Baby On Board

Sometimes BIG surprises come in small packages. In the tradition of Knocked Up and Nine Months, BABY ON BOARD turns a would-be joyous occasion into a hilarious series of mishaps and misunderstandings for an ambitious career woman and her divorce attorney husband in this must-see, side-splitting romantic comedy. Heather Graham and Jerry O’Connell star as the stunned parents-to-be, while John Corbett and Katie Finneran play their “happily” married best friends. Lara Flynn Boyle rounds out the A-list cast in this 2009 theatrical release from director Brian Herzlinger.

Angela (Graham) and Curtis (O’Connell) have it all – a loving relationship, a beautiful house and successful careers. That is, until an unexpected pregnancy sends them on a nine-month roller coaster ride, which causes each to mistakenly believe the other is cheating. Now, they must deal with emotional and hormonal mood swings, as well as all the drama caused by their friends Danny (Corbett) and Sylvie (Katie Finneran), who suddenly find their own marriage on the rocks. Meanwhile, Angela worries that her job is in jeopardy as she strives to please her over-demanding boss, Mary (Flynn Boyle), while hiding her pregnancy… all adding up to one uproarious battle of the sexes.

Bonus features on both the DVD and Blu-ray editions of BABY ON BOARD include commentary by director Brian Herzlinger and producer Emilio Ferrari along with the trailer and photo gallery. The film is presented with Spanish and SDH English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing.

My Thoughts : Lackluster and unfunny are the words that come to mind when I try to sum up this movie. It begins with a fart joke and ends with one – you can guess what the rest of it contains. I didn’t find anything even remotely humorous in this dvd. Even my husband, with his juvenile sense of humor, didn’t crack a smile at ridiculous shenanigans of the characters.

In short – A wooden star cast, together with juvenile jokes and a silly plot makes this a regrettably forgettable movie.
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*** This product was received for review consideration. No other compensation was provided. The information provided here at the A Bookworm Mom’s Diary blog is for entertainment purposes only and reflect only the personal opinion of this blogger. Readers of this blog reading and/or using any of the information they glean here, do so at their own risk. ***

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Melrose Kids’ Head Snugglers – Review

Like all parents, I’ve had to watch in silent misery as my kids’s heads flop around like a beached fish when they fall asleep in their car seats. There’s nothing you can do and no matter how many times you gently push their heads back into the proper position, off they loll out again. End result is cranky kids with painful necks and aching backs (both parents and children!). I bought both my kids the neck supports that can be generally found in conventional stores and while they’re effective somewhat, they’re really not useful when the kid’s in a deep sleep. Because then their heads flop forward and no neck support helps prevent that. And in my kids’ cases, that kind of sleep (oh, the blissful silence!) is so rare, I do not want ANYTHING to disturb it.

The solution I ultimately found is simple and yes, Mom-made! It’s Melrose Kids’ Head Snugglers. It’s designed to properly support a child’s head and neck while the child rests in the car seat (or simple umbrella stroller) to not only provide more comfort for kids, but peace of mind for parents.

My main concerns were whether it would fit over my infant car seat and the toys attached there and whether it’ll be too tight or too lose on my newborn’s tender head and face. And whether it’d fit over my toddler’s front-facing seat as well.

To my delight, the Head Snuggler fitted easily over both, despite the fitted shade on the infant seat. And yesterday was the first day I had a chance to use it and it was with my baby daughter. I was a bit worried that it would be tight on a baby’s head. But that wasn’t the case. When her head started flopping forward, I gently pushed it back in the proper position and then stretched the Head Snuggler down and over her forehead. And presto! No more forward-drooping head! She slept comfortably and I feel for a longer time than usual, because of the Head Snuggler. I have it fitted over my toddler’s seat as well, but he’s usually so chipper when in the car that I haven’t yet had a chance to use it on him yet. I look forward to that experience!

Melrose Kids’ Head Snugglers are 100% Canadian made, so you can rest in peace there. They also have a very good “Usage Tips” section that explains everything clearly.

Buy it! Melrose Kids’ Head Snugglers can be bought at their website and at select retail locations. For more information, just visit http://www.melrosekids.com/

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*** This product was received for review consideration. No other compensation was provided. The information provided here at the A Bookworm Mom’s Diary blog is for entertainment purposes only and reflect only the personal opinion of this blogger. Readers of this blog reading and/or using any of the information they glean here, do so at their own risk. ***

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