Movies are always a favourite option when trying to amuse the kids during the long school holiday break. It’s a couple of hours of ‘time out’ – a chance to sit back and relax, take a rest from sibling squabbles, and hopefully enjoy some quality entertainment while stuffing yourself with warm popcorn.
If you’re tossing up which movie to take the kids to see this weekend, then I’d strongly urge you to choose Parental Guidance over Wreck It Ralph – a MILLION times over. And don’t listen to the newspaper critics. While I have enormous respect for them, in this instance, I disagree with just about all the reviews.
Ronnie wanted to see Parental Guidance, and despite one prominent critic giving it only ONE star, we headed off to the cinema anyway, because she loves a comedy. She’d also checked out the trailer and was convinced it would be worth watching. She was right. Get a couple of seasoned comedic veterans like Billy Crystal and Bette Midler and it’s hard to go wrong. Their pairing is fabulous and their comic timing – spot on. The script is busting with gags that will appeal to both younger and older generations.
Even if you don’t have kids, there’s enough family conflict and humour to make it relevant to all. I also enjoyed watching the tug-of-war between the grandparents and their daughter over which type of parenting works best for children. Both are a little extreme – cocooning and helicopter parenting, versus the old school – ‘smack them and tell them to shut up’ variety. At least the film isn’t too heavy-handed in terms of trying to dish out a morality lesson. The audience is given the chance to see both sides can be right, and that black and white isn’t the way to look at life when it comes to raising children. The final message of the film probably falls from Bette’s mouth when she tells her daughter to ‘Stop trying to be the perfect parent. Nobody is.’ How true.
As for Wreck It Ralph, you couldn’t have gotten me out of the cinema more quickly. All four of our family agreed it was possibly the worst movie we’d seen in years. True, our kids are well beyond the age of the toddlers this Disney feature is aimed at, but regardless, we’ve loved all the Toy Story and Ice Age movies of the past and had hoped this movie would live up to the clever scripting and standards already set. Not so. The script is infantile and weak, lacking in magic and charm. I am amazed one movie critic gave it FOUR stars. Really?
The other aspect I detested was the film’s blatant product placement. It’s so contrived, I practically left my jaw on the floor of the cinema. From the Nesquik quick sand, to the Diet Coke lake, to the exploding Mentos, to the Sugar Rush landscape – god help me, if this film isn’t trying to turn the next generation of toddlers into sugar addicts, then I’ll eat a block of Cadburys. And if you’ve been reading my Blog lately, you would know how unlikely that is – being on a sugar-free campaign and strongly promoting the health benefits of a sugar-free diet. So you can imagine how incensed I was when those silly Oreo characters started marching and chanting ‘O-Reo! O-Reeee-ohhh. O-reo! O-Reeee-ohhh!’ Puh-lease….
So there you have it. I’ll stop ranting now. But DO see Parental Guidance. It’s charming, funny and your kids will learn who the amazing Billy Crystal and Bette Middler are. Isn’t that a better idea than turning then into sugar fiends???
Sometimes ‘going out’ can be a struggle. When you’re busy juggling work and kids stuff, the concept of actually putting on make-up and doing your own hair for a social occasion seems a bigger challenge than climbing Mt Kosciuszko.
Hats and pigtails – easy solution for a bad hair day
That’s why I’m also a huge fan of hats. They’re a quick fix for a bad hair day, although sometimes this look doesn’t necessarily work in the evenings…. But generally speaking, a hat is a favourite accessory on holidays when you just couldn’t be bothered lathering up.
But what if you’re going to a ‘special’ function or wedding and you know you have to up the ante? You’re probably going to have to have your hair coifed, teased and sprayed to within an inch of its life at the hairdresser’s. But what if you’re time poor – and who isn’t these days? Who has time for making an appointment and planning ahead, let alone getting there?
If you’re like me, you’re always looking for shortcuts. Tips on how to do your own hair and make it look half decent so you can avoid that hairdresser palaver. Which means I’ve bought lots of junk over the years, looking for a magical solution. And yes, I do occasionally use the GHD straighteners, even though they fry the bejeezus out of your hair and my colourist warns they should be avoided at all costs unless faced with an emergency.
So my latest tip comes from a good friend, Judy, who kindly insisted I borrow her new contraption before buying one of my own. It’s called the Vidal Sassoon Big Hair Styler and it looks like this.
I was skeptical, but agreed to give it a go. I already had another version lying unused in my bathroom cupboard so didn’t hold much hope. It took a few attempts, but – VOILA – it works!! I was impressed enough to run out and buy one the next day, and now I use it almost every time we ‘go out’.
If you want to get one yourself (and I’d highly recommend it) then I do have a few tips for getting the best results.
1. Generally speaking, the Vidal Sassoon Big Hair Styler retails at $99.95. Unless you can find one on sale, I’d recommend buying one from National Pharmacies. If you sign up for their Customer Rewards card, you instantly get a 20% discount!
2. Wash you hair, towel dry and leave it for between half an hour to an hour, before styling. And use a blow dryer to dry off your hair a bit first. If you start using the Big Hair Styler from scratch with dripping wet hair, it will take hours.
3. I’m not a professional hair dresser, so don’t really know how to ‘section off’, so I usually just grab about half my hair from the top of my head and secure it with a butterfly clip to start with. This means I can work on styling the underneath layer first. Yep, it’s a messy look…
4. I use a comb brush to section off a piece of hair that will fit around the brush and then pull firmly to get the best results.
Use the roller button to pull the hair tightly to the scalp
5. I push the roller button to draw the hair in tightly to the scalp and then hold it there for about twenty seconds each time, which seems to work well for creating volume. Because the machine does the pulling for you, it also takes a bit of muscle work out of the job, which saves the aching arms you often get from performing a regular blow wave.
6. After the underneath section is done, I release the top half and repeat the same process, working around the head. It takes about two or three goes to get it down pat, so keep trying. In the end, it might not be as good as a result as I’d get at a hairdresser, but considering the time and money saved, I think it’s pretty good.
And sorry, I should have tidied up the bathroom a bit before having photos taken, but hey, remember what I was saying about being busy? Which is why I love the Vidal Big Hair Styler – it really is a fab time saver. Thank you Judy!
Of course, the Vidal Sassoon website has an actual video which shows you more clearly how to style your hair, but given those commercial productions are so fancy and sometimes hard to believe, I wanted to show you my own happy snaps so you could see a normal person can actually come up with a half decent result at home in their own bathroom.
But if you DO want to check out their video, it’s at http://www.vssassoon.com.au/BigHair/StylerVideo.aspx
When you hear a stage show has won five Tony awards and two Laurence Olivier awards before you see it, you can’t help but have high expectations. We headed off, very grateful, to be invited to the Australian Premier of Warhorse at the Arts Centre on New Year’s Eve. I tried not to get too excited. After all, I’ve been disappointed by several stage shows recently… (not mentioning any names.)
The show is based on Michael Morpurgo’s book War Horse, and tells the story of a young boy, Albert Narracott, and his horse, Joey. The pair is inseparable and share a special bond. Albert has an uncanny knack with horses – a bit like the horse whisperer of pre-war England. But when the First World War breaks out, Albert’s father sells Joey to the army, much to Albert’s distress. What then follows is a tale of heroism, heartache and suspense, as we follow Albert’s journey as a soldier to the trenches of France, in a brave and truly committed bid to find his beloved horse.
It’s a bit like National Velvet meets Gallipoli. So you get the special emotional bond between horse and owner that develops from when both are young, plus the stories of courage and loyalty in the face of terrifying, epic battles.
But what makes Warhorse truly extraordinary is that such a wonderful tale is told through a unique combination of artistic staging and masterful puppetry. It’s hard to believe the exquisite beauty of these man-made equine creatures, brought to life by such ingenious puppeteers.
Three men are required to make each horse move. When I first heard this, I thought it would look clumsy on stage and distract the audience from the story. Not so at all. After just moments, you forget the shadows moving deftly under the horses’ frames. The puppeteers are also responsible for the horses’ noises – neighing and snorting – and their portrayal is so convincing, I swear you will fall in love with these magnificent animals, believing them to be real.
The book’s author, Michael Morpurgo, says he wanted to convey how war looks through the eyes of an animal – to highlight the universal suffering brought about by war. The stage show definitely perpetuates this message, with strong imagery, music and effects. But there’s still a dash of comedy – surprisingly brought about by a single puppet – a goose! I won’t say anymore, but he’s a very funny bird.
There’s also a deep connection that develops between two of the warhorses – the strongest and most competitive – who are of course, Joey, and the masterful black Topthorn.
It’s been described as a ‘story for everyone’, and on that level, I agree. It obviously resonated deeply with Hollywood film director Stephen Spielberg who saw the show in London, then made it into a film, which was nominated for six Academy awards, two Golden Globes and 5 BAFTAs.
As fate would have it, we ended up seeing a DVD of the movie, Warhorse, the night before the theatrical event. As a person who likes to know the endings of books before they arrive, I was happy to learn the outcome before it a happened. But you might want to wait till after seeing the show. I’m just not good with suspense. I enjoyed comparing the two and found the stage show provided a deeper emotional understanding of the love between Albert and Joey.
The cast of 33 is strong, and while the show is produced by The National Theatre of Great Britain and Global Creatures, it’s predominantly made up of Australian actors. Twelve of them are puppeteers. Sydney-based newcomer Cody Fern takes on the role of Albert, and puts in a fine performance, full of earnest fervour. A strong debut for his first major production.
Others who shine include Ian Bliss, as Albert’s father, Ted Narracott and Natasha Herbert (seen in many an MTC production) as Albert’s mother. UK born actor Nicholas Bell plays Albert’s Uncle Arthur and is a standout. He’s long been a familiar face in Australia, having moved here many years ago and appearing in countless theatrical, film and television productions.
Overall, I’d have to see there’s something quite beguiling and beautifully magical about War Horse. It’s hard to nail exactly what makes it so compelling and I really don’t think I’ve done it justice with my words. You really will just have to go see it for yourself. Even with high expectations, I’m sure you WON’T be disappointed. You’d better hurry and buy tickets though, as the show heads to Sydney on March 16th. Let me know what you think!
Is it just me, or is the whole world turning it’s eyes to the sugar-free movement right now? Even Liz Hurley tweeted only the other day that she was starting up a ZERO SUGAR health kick. I’m hearing it being talked about on radio, TV and even in films.
Of course, I’m more conscious of the cause, because of my New Year’s Resolution to take up the sugar-free ONE LINE RULE diet, but I do believe it’s becoming a trend.
A well-timed mission too, with a new research study just out that validates everything that’s been said in recent blogs about the health risks associated with sugar. In particular, this study, by the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, focuses on cancer survivors and what foods may help or hinder their chances of staying healthy.
Results from the study, that was published last November, show that patients who ate more red meat and sugary products, had an 80% higher risk of a recurrence of cancer. 1011 people with advanced colon cancer were included in the research group.
Of the group, 343 had a recurrence of cancer and 262 died.
The good news is that other cancer survivors can learn from these facts and hopefully, improve their chances of preventing the cancer from returning.
Overall, the study found that the patients who had the highest ‘glycemic load’ and carbohydrate intake, were twice as likely to have their cancer return.
The Study’s author Jeffrey Meyerhardt, MD, a gastrointestinal oncologist, said the patients were observed for six months, with their diet, exercise and weight all taken into account. Those who ate refined grains, red meat and high-sugar content foods were much more likely to have cancer return than those who at more fresh fruit, vegetables, poultry and fish.
He said, ‘We theorize that factors including a high glycemic load may stimulate the body’s production of insulin. That in turn may increase the proliferation of cells and prevent the natural cell-death process in cancer cells that have metastasized (spread) from their original site.’
There is a reminder in the study that changing your diet in NO WAY is a substitute for standard treatment. All these patients were already undergoing chemotherapy and surgery. This information is purely advice for improving survival AFTER treatment.
Doctors are also unable to say whether the findings will apply to other forms of cancer.
If you’d like to read the article if full and learn more about the research results, go to this link: ow.ly/gxCTQ
So it’s ONE WEEK since I bared my soul and told the world my FIVE New Year’s Resolutions. Yes, even the embarrassing admission that I really had to give up playing time-wasting games – like DRAGONVALE of all things – on my I-Phone…. (Can someone else out there please confess so I don’t feel like a total loser!!)
To keep myself accountable, I promised weekly updates – which I’ll do until I feel I’m beyond temptation and have conquered my issues, or that I’ve broken so many of them, I have no choice but to thrown in the towel.
Here’s how the past week went:
RESOLUTION UPDATE
(1) Sugar free challenge (apart from wine) – to stick to the ONE LINE RULE diet.
So far so good. Despite all the temptations at this wonderful holiday location, Lorne, I have not eaten ONE lolly, cake, biscuit or ice-cream. The family haven’t been any help whatsoever – continuing to order muffins and crepes in front of me… so much for support. Just an hour ago, they bought smoothies and I was hit with a huge case of food envy. It was driving me nuts, so I relented and ate two pieces of sugar-free dark chocolate. Which is not great as that just perpetuates the craving for sweet treats. At least it wasn’t REAL chocolate!
I don’t think I’ve necessarily lost weight, but that’s not the real goal. Emma Dumas, the queen of the anti-sugar campaign (see Blog post December 19) insists the weight will come off, but says the health benefits are more important.
I will persist! And yes, I get a tick for keeping to my ONE LINE RULE diet for the first week of the year.
DAMN! I sort of broke this resolution yesterday… When I say ‘sort of’, I mean I didn’t play a game on my I-phone, but I DID play a game on Fletch’s I-pad!! So definitively, I did keep my resolution, but specifically – in terms of playing electronic games – I broke the rule. What happened is that Fletch had gone out on a VERY early morning photo shoot. When I woke, I noticed his I-Pad was on his bedside table, so I reached for it, to check the weather forecast. Unfortunately, I hadn’t deleted the Dragonvale game from his desktop, (as I had with my I-phone) saw the Icon, and without thinking, opened it and started playing. Naughty, naughty me!! A big bad cross for breaking this resolution. I will now go and delete the game from his I-Pad. Sorry.
(3) To tidy my office before the end of March.
Well of course you know I’m on holidays, so that just isn’t going to happen this week, is it????
(4) To go to the gym at least 3 times a week.
The disclaimer on this resolution, was “except for when on holidays” , so again I can give myself another tick for this one without thinking. Although I have done a decent bush or beach walk every day while here, so I think I’m doing okay in the exercise stakes.
(5) To NEVER smoke another cigarette again.
I really gave up smoking last year, but there were several occasions, maybe half a dozen? – (alcohol was usually involved) where I DID light up. I don’t want to have even ONE hiccup this year. So far so good. A big tick for Resolution Number Five in Week One.
Overall, checking the scorecard – that’s four ticks out of five at the end of week one. And I only played Dragonvale once. I promise. But next week I’m aiming for five out of five. After all, it’s not like I’ve set the bar extraordinarily high… How have you done with your New Year Resolutions this week? Let me know – I’d love to hear your stories.
