Movie Review: The Ugly Truth

An ABSOLUTE must see movie!!! The Ugly Truth stars Katherine Heigel and Gerard Butler in a romantic comedy that will have to laughing and smiling through the whole show time. Katherine plays Abby that is a producer of a Morning show. Gerard plays Mike a new raunchy hire by Abby's boss. Mike tells it like it is when it comes to relationships and in order to "keep" his job he begins to help Abby catch her really hot neighbor doctor, Colin, played by Eric Winter.
While he is teaching her how to flirt and helping her catch the guy, he begins to fall for Abby but does not tell her this. Just like in any romantic comedy when it comes down to the end, Mike leaves and moves to another station while they both fight feelings for each other. In the end they come back together and live happily ever after :) Gets a 5 out of 5 from me!

AHA! A Hands-On Adventure

Located in Lancaster, OH this kids museum brings having fun and learning together. I was able to take two girls that I watch to this place and we had a blast and it was full of learning opportunities. They have a dress up station with a stage that not only has curtains, but lights and microphones that the kids themselves can operate. They also have a pizza making station where kids make fake pizzas and can bake them in an oven and either serve them on a plate or place them in a delivery box. They have a grocery store where kids can fill their cart and check out with play money. They also have a bank where kids can walk up and make deposits and withdrawal play money. There is a reading station, a honeycomb jungle gym, an arts and craft section and a small tumbling section for 3 year olds and under. They also have a veterinary station where kids can bandage up animals and look at real x-rays. In the bigger room there is a wood framed house where kids are allowed to put their own bricks up. A sand and lego table along with a face painting station. They also have a water feature where kids can make their own damns and make a cool water feature by using PVC piping. They have a boat that kids can stand on and fish. After they have caught a fish they can measure it and see how big it really is. They also have a gardening station where kids can pick a flower, place it in a pot and add dirt to it, water it, and let it grow.
This was a really fun time for the kids and even though sometimes it can get crowded there are plenty of things to do.
The kids I took could not stop talking about it and they really enjoyed themselves. It is not only worth the drive, but also the $5 ticket price.
The link is listed below if you would like to check this place out for yourself. While there they were getting ready to add on more activities for children which include a Fire Engine, question boxes, and a ball mountain.

http://www.aha4kids.org/Default.aspx

Book Review: Kite Runner

Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is about two boys growing up in Afghanistan. These two boys are friends even though one, Hassan, is a servant for the other, Amir. Throughout the beginning of the book, Amir cannot figure out why his father loves Hassan just as much as he is loved and gets jealous. Amir then lies and says that Hassan stole something from him and Hassan and his father have to leave. Amir's father is heartbroken but moves on. The war in Afghanistan begins and Amir and his father escape to American.
Fast forward to 2001 and Amir is a grown thirty year old man, now married and his father has died. He gets a phone call to head back to Afighanistan to do a final wish for a family friend and to make ammends. When he gets back to the Middle East he learns that the dear friend he betrayed was married and had a son, but was killed. Amir must now go back into the war torn country to find Hassan's son, whom he has now learned is his half nephew to take him to another safer orphanage. Amir does this and succeeds, but not without trials and turmoil. He then learns that there really was no safer orphanage and bring is nephew to America to live with his wife and him.
This story is truly surreal and it has such a compelling background. Throughout the book you hope for the best, even though it rarely happens and are happy at the end that after all they have been through they all are able to be together again.
I give this book a 5 out of 5 and encourage anyone and everyone to read it.

Columbus Symphony Orchastra: Popcorn Pops

This year I was able to take a little girl I baby-sit for the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and was not sure what to expect. They have a special one-hour show on Friday nights during their season for children where many organizations come to help entertain the youngsters. The Ohio Wildlife Center came and brought a hawk, the Columbus Museum of Art came and allowed for crafts, many music companies came and brought instruments children could try out and play. Along with all the activities to keep you busy before the orchestra started, they also sold pizza, snow cones, and ice cream by Graeter's. The port-a-potties were very clean and they allowed you to leave to your car and come back in without any fuss. They also allowed strollers and wagons along with food and beverages. The Popcorn Pops is a younger rendition of their Picnic with the Pops that happens on Saturday nights.
The theme for this evening's events were Remarkable Farkle, which is based off a book, The Remarkable Farkle McBride by John Lithgow. Along with fun music that everyone (even the Children know) they tell the story. The two songs we sang this evening were Oh Susanna, and Michael Finnigan. At the end we all got up and did the hokey pokey and have a great time. I cannot wait to do this again and if you have young kids and are looking for something to on a Friday night this is it. It is only an hour long and it is enjoyable for all ages.

Broadway Review: Mama Mia!

Mama Mia is a fabulous Broadway Play that has won a numerous amount of Tony's as well as brought ABBA's music to life. In early July, the touring company for Broadway Across America stopped in Columbus, Oh and I went and saw it. We had great seats (even for being in the upper balcony) and the singing was awesome. The show is about a young girl who has grown up with only her mother as both parents on an island in Greece. Two days before she gets married three possible father's show up on the island and she has to figure out which one is her father without her mother and them knowing. Even her mother is not sure which one it was, but with the hilarious laughs and great music to them it does not matter. All three men decide to have a part in their daughter's life and her mother ends up falling for one of them all over again. This show was definitely a 5 out of 5. The casting director did a remarkable job placing all the right actors and actresses into their roles. If you have not seen this show live, then you must!

Movie Review: Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

When I watched the first Transformers, I did not pay a lot of attention to the movie, but I got the gist and understood what the point was (I think it also helped that Transformers were a huge toy when I was growing up and thanks to an older brother I got to know them very well). When I went to see the second movie I wanted to really watch it because all my friends loved it. I on the other hand, found myself looking at my cell phone to check the time a lot. It was a good movie and the special effects were beyond amazing (I wish I could watch it in 3D just to see how much better it would look), but I felt that the movie took way too long and dragged on and on. It took almost the two hours to explain what the last 30 minutes were all about. If I watched the very beginning and fast forwarded to the end I would have been a happy camper.
This movie is a continuation of the first Transformers which was released in 2007. It follows Sam Witwicky (Shia Lebeouf) and his girlfriend, Mikaela (Megan Fox) and the good guys as they battle Decepticon again. In the end, they save the day and everyone lives (even Optimus Prime). They also left the movie open for a third which I think is a good idea, but I hope that it is not longer than this one. I give this movie 3 1/2 out of 5 because they length was way too long.

Movie Review: The Proposal

The Proposal is a great movie for both sexes. It has enough romance for the females and enough comedy for the males. Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds do an amazing job of portraying a "couple" who visit Ryan's family in Alaska for the weekend. Ryan's character, Andrew, is an assistant for Margaret, Sandra Bullocks character. They have to pretend they are a couple and get married so that Margaret can stay in the United States and keep her high profile job (her native country is Canada and her visa has run out.) While on their weekend getaway to Alaska, Margaret realizes that Andrew is not just some low class writer trying to make it in the writing world, but actually is wealthy and is writing and working for her because that is his dream in life. She also learns of family traditions and what it means to have a family (Margaret's parents died when she was little and she has no other family.) Of course like any romantic comedy there is always a twist at the end and after the two have really fallen in love (but neither will tell the other one) they end their engagement before the wedding can continue. Margaret heads home to New York to pack for Canada while Ryan stays back in Alaska trying to decide what to do. Again, in any romantic comedy the boy goes after the girl and they live happily ever after. I give this movie a 5 out of 5 because not only is it cute, but it is really funny too!

Softball Showdown For Autism!

The Softball Showdown for Autism is put on by Jerod Smalley, a local news anchor in the Columbus area, and NBC4. This is one of the biggest fundraisers for Autism Speak's Walk Now for Autism. This was a truly amazing event and I am so happy that I was able to be a part of it. The Showdown features 8 teams, 7 of the teams are represented by local news casts and radio stations and the 8th team was made up of OSU alumni athletes. Along with Softball games there is also a home run derby that anyone can enter into for $10. Besides all the sport action there is also free food by Graeter's Ice Cream and Rising Cane's Chicken. There was also an auction with amazing items and a snow cone station.
The teams consisted of NBC4, CBS10TV, ABC6, 107.5 The Power, 92.3 WCOL, 97.1 The Fan, QFM 96, and OSU alumni athletes (Marcus Freeman, Branden Joe, Andy Groom, and others).
They had such a great time and OSU took the trophy this year by being undefeated throughout the entire tournament.
The benefit raised a little over $8,000 and it was so great to see all these people helping out even then their lives may not have been touched by autism.

Red, White, Boom!

As a part of the 4th of July in Columbus, OH it is a must to go see Red, White, and Boom. It is the largest fireworks show in the Midwest and has been rated numerous time as being one of the top ten fireworks show in the United States. This year there was no disappointment again when they started. My family and I always joke by saying the show is any town's grand finale where as the finale is amazing! If you have never seen Red, White, and Boom and live in or around the Columbus, you should go one time. You can honestly see them from any place in downtown and they are so loud!!!! 

Movie Review: The Hangover

HILARIOUS! It is a must see, it is not a movie that you will waste your money on at all. It is so worth the price. You will laugh the entire time. The Hangover is about a group of friends that head out to Vegas two days before one of their buddy's wedding to have the best bachelor party ever. The only problem is that when they wake up, they cannot remember what happened and they lost the groom. The movie shows their adventures of trying to find their friend while hitting road blocks along the way. I give this movie a 5 out of 5 and cannot wait to buy it when it comes to DVD. If you have not seen it, you must.

Book Review: The 8th Confession

The 8th Installment of the Women's Murder Club by James Patterson, I thought this book could use some more to it. I got confused about one of the story lines and it did not make sense to have two murders that were not linked at all to each other, except for the main characters solving the case. I did like plot but I definitely thought it could have been better. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Zoombezi Bay

Located in Columbus, Ohio, Zoombezi Bay is affiliated with the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and is in its second year of operation. It is a full fledged water park with so much to do that you never get bored. I proved this by showing up to the park around 11 and not leaving till 7:30. Not once did we sit at our towels,we were constantly running around going down slides, and taking a ride on the best lazy river ever. Tickets are 29.99 at the gate, but head to Kroger before hand and pay only 24.99. Parking is $5, unless you have a season pass to either the zoo or the water park. Also the best thing about the tickets is that they not only get you into the water park, but also the zoo.