Real Steal is one of those movies I wasn’t sure I was going to like.  Yes, Hugh Jackman is a sight for sore eyes.  But a boxing movie?  How interesting could this be?  Boy, was I wrong.

Real Steel is a gritty, white-knuckle, action ride set in the near-future where the sport of boxing has gone high-tech.  Real Steel stars Hugh Jackman as Charlie Kenton, a washed-up fighter who lost his chance at a title when 2000-pound, 8-foot-tall steel robots took over the ring. Now nothing but a small-time promoter, Charlie earns just enough money piecing together low-end bots from scrap metal to get from one underground boxing venue to the next. When Charlie hits rock bottom, he reluctantly teams up with his estranged son Max (Dakota Goyo) to build and train a championship contender. As the stakes in the brutal, no-holds-barred arena are raised, Charlie and Max, against all odds, get one last shot at a comeback.

I walked out of this movie thoroughly impressed.  Real Steel is  a movie that will appeal to both men and women (and there aren’t a lot of movies that can do that!).  It has a great story, and I appreciated the ending.  I’m trying really hard to not give a spoiler here, but let’s just say that Bill swore he heard the Rocky music playing at some point in the movie.  🙂  When we walked out of the theater, Bill said to me “that was awesome”, and I have to agree.  (Side note:  This movie is rated PG-13.  However, I would have been fine with my kids watching it.  Since it is boxing, there is some violence and some swearing too).  Here’s a quick preview:

Since I loved this movie, I have arranged for one of my lucky readers to win a Real Steel Prize pack.  In it, you will find one:

– REAL STEEL t-shirt in adult  sizes of S, M, L, XL (you’ll have to let me know what size)

– REAL STEEL bottle opener

– REAL STEEL stickers

– REAL STEEL temporary tattoos

Here’s what you need to do:Read More »Real Steel Giveaway!

Changing the World One Heart at a Time! That is the goal of the new Hearts For Hearts Girls doll line and fashion collection from Playmates Toys. The collection features six dolls from around the world, each with an inspiring story to share.The authentically dressed and lifelike dolls each represent a girl who is working to change her community in ways that are unique to her home country. Included with each doll are a friendship bracelet and a story booklet that explains how these multicultural girls live and contribute to their families, communities, and culture. Each doll also comes with a special code that unlocks a free membership to the kid-safe Hearts for Hearts Girls Website, which features: Additional information about each of the Hearts For Hearts Girls and the countries in which they live,
Educational activities and lively games that are fun and rich in culture, and Intriguing stories about real girls who are making a difference. To further bring to light each Hearts For Hearts Girls’ culture, additional outfits are available for the dolls, so that your little girl can envision her doll’s story as she plays and changes the doll’s attire.

Additionally, through a partnership with World Vision3, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each Hearts For Hearts Girls doll is donated to programs that support girls in that doll’s country. Whether it’s malaria nets in Africa, schoolbooks in Asia, or food supplies in the United States, these programs help girls worldwide to thrive and succeed.

I have to say that I am impressed with this doll. It is a high quality doll. I love the educational component to it too. Most of all though, Madison like it. It was easy for her to play with, and she loved going online to learn more about her Tipi from Laos. Based on a real girl who shares her art and storytelling with others through dancing, drawing, and puppetry, Tipi leads her school in a mural contest in hopes of winning much-needed books for her class. All of Tipi’s interests are Madison’s so she definitely felt connected.

Since Madison and I loved the Hearts For Hearts dolls, I have arranged for one lucky reader to get a Hearts For Hearts prize pack. In it, you will find one One Hearts For Hearts Girl, accompanied by a friendship bracelet, story booklet, donation for girls in need through partner World Vision and a special product code you can use to unlock a free membership to the Hearts For Hearts Girls website, which provides access to the “myHeart” page and an array of games and activities and an outfit that is authentic to one of the Hearts for Hearts Girls’ culture, in which your child can also dress her doll. Here’s what you need to do:Read More »Hearts For Hearts Girls Giveaway!

Have your kids ever wanted to great their own toy? If so, please check out Happy Toy Machine!

Will and I headed over to their site and created the monster/alien thing that he created in that picture to the left there. Will is 4 years old, and he basically created that by himself in about 5 minutes. You get to pick everything — the look of the eyes, the look of the mouth, if it has a tail, if it has wings, what color it is, etc. You literally design your creature with everything that you want. It took will about 5 minutes to create his creature too. He loves it now that it has come too! He sleeps with it at night and has carried it around in public. I’ve had several people ask me where he got it too, so they could make their own!

Since we love our creature so much, I have arranged for one of my lucky readers to make one of their own and sent to them! Here’s what you need to do:Read More »Happy Toy Machine Giveaway!