As a family we saw Ratatouille the other day. I wanted to share my impressions of the movie with you.
First of all I want to say that Ratatouille
is actually a family movie in the best tradition of Disney family movies. The whole family should enjoy seeing Ratatouille.
My kids, a teen and a tween, loved it. I also think that younger children would enjoy this film. While the film is engaging, I didn’t notice anything that would be scary to a younger audience.
I also didn’t notice any objectionable language or themes in Ratatouille. (This is something that I am always on the lookout for.) Also, the whole family should enjoy the way that the film ends.
Because a “figment of the imagination” becomes a character in the story and because the term is used, the movie could lead to an interesting opportunity to explain the concepts of “imagination” and “imaginary” to younger children.
I also liked the fact that the movie discouraged stealing. Several times in the movie, the rat was tempted to steal due to hunger. Each time, he was reminded that stealing is wrong.
As an adult, I have to admit that I found myself a little grossed out at the idea of a rat handling food that is going to be eaten by people. (After all, it was rats that spread the bubonic plague in Europe.) The kids didn’t share my squeamishness at all.
I’ve noticed that there’s already a lot of Ratatouille toys and activities out there. I personally prefer the toys and activities that encourage reading and learning.
All in all, Ratatouille is a movie that you can feel good about taking your family to see.
Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved.
Tags: Fun Stuff · Movies
Several readers have asked me to post my couponing and money-saving tips. Actually one person suggested that I start a blog of them.
I’m not sure that I have enough tips to populate an entire blog, but I do think that I have enough tips to share them one day a week. That is why I’ve decided to participate in Frugal Fridays. Each week I will be sharing one frugal tip and linking to the main Frugal Friday project over at Biblical Womanhood.
My tip for this week deals with how to slash your grocery bills by using an Internet service that helps you find grocery deals using published newspaper coupons.
I use such a service and am able to save over 60% on my grocery bill each week. In real terms, this means that my weekly grocery bill for a family of four averages $85 a week. This includes incidentals such as shampoo, detergent, toilet paper, and cosmetics. We don’t skimp either. We eat quite well.
People assume that I spend hours each week looking for the best bargains and clipping coupons. They imagine that I travel from store to store hunting for deals. They are wrong! I don’t have that kind of extra time. All it takes me is about 1/2 hour each week to create my shopping list and less than an hour to cut coupons. My actual shopping time (I go to two stores) is about two hours. So, in 3 1/2 hours every week I save my family over $90!
There are at least three programs on the Internet to help you find grocery deals that I am aware of and I have tried all three programs. Here is my review of the three AND the service that I prefer to use.
1. The Coupon Mom. The Coupon Mom offers a lot of options including (but not limited to) the ability to print grocery coupons, find grocery deals at selected stores in your state, and links to free samples. What I like best about this site is the Virtual Coupon Organizer. With this tool you can find a coupon for nearly everything that you need. Let’s say that you are out of kleenex. Before you go to the store to pick up more you can go to the Virtual Coupon Organizer, type in the word “kleenex” and a list of newspaper coupons for kleenex and the dates on which they were published appears. This service is free, but you must log in.
2. Coupon Database at Families.com. This database is similar to the virtual coupon organizer, except that you can add your own coupon finds to it. As far as I know, this database is maintained by volunteers. In my opinion, the best thing about the deals part of families.com are the active forums on coupons here. Are you looking to get the best deal on the latest video or hot toy? Post a question here and let the community members help you find the best deal. This service is free, but you must log in.
3. The Grocery Game.com. This is actually the service that I use most often. I find the customized lists that they produce each week to be just what I need to find the best deals. The “game rules” at this site taught me more about couponing than I would learn after several years on my own. They also have excellent message boards where you can discuss savings tips. There is a small cost for the list part of this service (less than $2 a week), but the weekly savings more than make up for the charge. There is a trial period in which you get a month of the service for $1. (If you wish to sign up under me, put ljs199 [at symbol] yahoo.com in the “Who Referred Me” box.)
That’s my Frugal Friday tip, I hope that you found it useful.
Here’s Biblical Womanhood’s Frugal Friday Tip: Kefir Smoothies.
Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved.
Tags: Frugal Fridays
Why Do I Dig Jesus? A Cup of Tea With Me wants to know.
I didn’t know that there was a Jesus meme, but apparently there is and I’ve been tagged for it. That’s okay, because I do “dig” Jesus. (I actually don’t use the word “dig” much, except when referring to the digg site. I’d say love.)
Here are the rules:
- Those tagged will share 5 things they dig about Jesus.
- Those tagged will tag 5 other bloggers.
- Those tagged will provide a link in the comments section here with their name so that others can read them.
Here are the five things that I love about Jesus:
- I love Him because He first loved me. Romans 5:8
- I love Him because He walks with me through the valley of the shadow of death. Psalm 23:4 (I got to experience this firsthand last Winter as I sat by my Dad’s bed as he lay dying.)
- I love Him because He gives me strength. Philippians 4:13
- I love Him because He is always with me. Matthew 28:20
- I love Him because He is holy. Psalm 99:9
Now it is my turn to tag five more bloggers:
Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved.
Tags: Faith · Meme
Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved.
Tags: Wordless Wednesday
I thought it would be fun to see what the contents of our purses say about us!
If you want to play, leave a comment and tell me what’s in your purse. (Keep it family-friendly, you know what I mean.)
I’ll go first. Here’s what’s in my purse:
- Sunglasses
- Change purse with DL, credit cards, and cash
- Pen
- Keys
- Cell phone
- Two combs
- Check book
- A pony holder
- Bottle of Excedrin
- Small spiral notebook
- Calendar
- Ticket stub from a Rangers game
- Two ticket stubs from the movies (different movies)
- Business card from candy store we visited on vacation (in March)
- Business card from doctor’s office
- Takeout menu from Chinese restaurant
- Several weeks worth of grocery lists
- Miscellaneous coupons
- Miscellaneous receipts
What’s in your purse? Leave a comment and let me know.
Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved.
Tags: Fun Stuff
I have been hovering around MamaBlogga’s blog today waiting for the final list of entries into her group writing project for June.
(The topic was “three things I want my kids to …”)
Here is the complete list of entries. There are some really great entries here. Have fun reading!
I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for the next project!
Tags: Meme
I’ve always heard that summer colds are the hardest ones to get rid of, and it seems to be true. At our house, we are passing around a rather unpleasant summer cold.
It must be the unusually rainy weather that we are having.
Anyway, in light of the circumstances, I thought I’d ask for some cold remedies. Why don’t you leave a comment with your favorite “cure” for the common cold.
Here are the ones that I already know:
- Drink lots of liquids
- Take Vitamin C
- Eat chicken noodle soup
How about you? What are your cures? (You just might have the one that works for us.)
Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved.
Tags: Family
The kids and I saw the Nancy Drew movie Thursday night and I wanted to share my impressions with you. Hopefully I can do it without too many spoilers.
Like many of us, I grew up reading the Nancy Drew mysteries. I loved how the stories unravelled until Nancy had solved the case. Secretly, I wished that I had the courage and abilities of Nancy Drew.
I’m happy to report that the movie preserves the spirit of the original Nancy Drew books, if not the details.
I took a teen and two tweens (8 to 13) to see this movie. All of them loved it. All of them agreed that they would want to own a copy of this movie. I have to say, all of them were girls. I’m not sure how a boy would react to this movie.
As a parent, I was glad that the girls liked Nancy Drew. The Nancy Drew in this movie is exactly the kind of hero that our kids need — she’s smart, polite, and dresses modestly. She’s also independent and more interested in solving cases than finding boys. I wish there were more characters like her for our girls to emulate.
I have to warn the parents of preschoolers and younger elementary students that this movie might not be for them. It is an action film, and some of that action just might be frightening for younger children.
You’ll want to check this film out, especially if you have a girl tween or teen. It’s definitely a winner in my book and I plan on adding it to the family’s movie library as soon as it comes out on DVD.
Besides, this is a movie that just might encourage kids to read, and you’ve got to love that!
Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved.
Tags: Movies
I found a fabulous group writing project for moms. There’s even a prize! The topic is “three things I want my kids to …” You fill in the blank. This post is my entry to that project.
1. I want my kids to experience the joy of a relationship with their Maker — to find the peace and contentment that comes with that relationship. God will be with them when I can’t be. It’s an awesome feeling to know that you can approach the Creator with your thoughts and questions.
2. I want my kids to know that I love them — always and unconditionally, no matter what. Life is hard, but I want to be that one person who is always on their side. I know that I can’t always be there for them, but I can always root for them. They are in my heart and always will be.
3. I want my kids to make wise decisions — to think through their choices and to take responsibility for their actions. A well-considered decision is better than acting on impulse. Too many people make mistakes with far-reaching consequences by acting without thinking. Yet, I don’t want them to be afraid to make mistakes because it is through our mistakes that we learn.
Thanks to MamaBlogga for making me think through my priorities for my kids again.
Contents (c) Copyright 2007, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved.
Tags: Meme
Angela at Domestic Divapalooza has tagged me for the eight facts about me meme.
Rules and Stuff
The object of the game is to blog “8 Random Facts About Myself.” Here are the rules:
1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.
The Facts
What’s sad is that I actually had trouble coming up with eight facts about myself.
I did manage to come up with some things. Here they are (in no particular order):
- I have large feet. Size 10 to be exact. I have the hardest time finding shoes because, for some reason, when you wear size 10 shoes the manufacturers think that you must have wide feet too. I don’t. I have narrow feet.
- I love the colors blue and purple. I wear blue clothes often. Somehow, I rarely wear purple clothes.
- I love to read. I read every chance I get (which is not nearly often enough). Moreover, I want to teach my children to love to read.
- I took four years of high school French many years ago. Little did I dream that I would end up in Texas where everybody speaks Spanish. I can’t speak a word of French, but I can read it a little. <!–[endif]–>
- I love photography. I love to wander around with my point-and-shoot digital camera in hand and take photos. The butterfly photo on Wordless Wednesday is a lucky shot I got at the arboretum. The tulips photo used in my header is another lucky shot. (Both photos were cropped.)
- I have another blog. That blog, WritingThoughts, focuses on writers.
- I love couponing. Couponing is kind of my other hobby (besides blogging, reading, and taking pictures). The kids know that they are more likely to get something from me if there is a coupon for it.
- My home office is really in what was designed to be the breakfast nook in the house. That means I have no door. It can get loud at times.
The Taggees
I decided to tag some of my commentators.
Tags: Meme
