Stay at Home Mom

Thanksgiving weekend is a great time to go to the movies with the kiddos. We always love going to the matinee and taking advantage of the matinee prices.

The Fantastic Mr. Fox opened today and is getting great reviews. The voice talent is spectacular and the story is based off a book by Roald Dahl ( also wrote James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory ). The stop action filming of the movies sounds really cool and I’m looking forward to getting out there and seeing this one. I love movies that are based on books. Last year the movie the Tale of Despereaux inspired my son to get into reading ( he read that book 3 times ).

The movie website has some fun games along with movie info.
CHECK IT OUT

READ Fantastic Mr. Fox CLICK HERE

What was your favorite book / movie tie-in?

Here is a fun idea for Halloween Night. We used to have a Mystery Dinner every year at our church for all of the kids who volunteered over the year. We would be treated to a formal sit down dinner and the parents would serve us. The only thing was that we had to choose 5 menu items for each course and each menu item was in “code”.

On the menu you might order a SPEAR and you would end up with a fork. It was always funny when someone got spaghetti, pudding, soup, a cracker, and their drink for their first course (and no silverware).

My daughter is having a party this weekend and we were trying to think of something fun and different to do and I remembered the mystery dinner. So after several online searches we decided to customize our list to a Halloween theme. We started out with the menu items and then tried to give them Scary Code Names.

Here is what we came up with:

printable STAYATHOMEMOM’S HALLOWEEN MYSTERY DINNER (PDF) click here

Have you guessed what each item is?

Here is the PDF with the menu items and their corresponding true menu item

Have fun with this. Start with your menu then create your own “mystery dinner”. Let us know how it turns out. Send pics!

Happy Halloween!

Yes there is a theme – Motherhood -

It has been the theme here ever since we found out about the upcoming movie starring Uma Thurman. We have participated in teleconferences with the Director and stars of the film and have LOVED their perspective on making movies for families and on being parents themselves.

It is just before Halloween and the teenagers have taken over the movie screens bringing huge box office numbers to those scary movies that have been strategically released to coincide with Halloween.

It is time for us moms to get out there and let the world know that we want more family movies with a fair depiction of the Motherhood experience.

Go See the Movie Motherhood and take your picture with your friends at the theater! We’ll post your picture here and post any comments you have about the movie.

Exclusive engagements of MOTHERHOOD begin on Friday, October 23

The movie Motherhood is coming to theaters tomorrow and you know from this site and many others that the mom bloggers out there in cyberspace are excited to go see this one. The reasons for us are that it looks like a really quality film that has good fun with our daily struggles as moms without trivializing or stereotyping them.

BUT WAIT there’s more! (read the press release we just received )

Fandango and iDeal Film Fund Form Cause-Related Ticket Partnership Surrounding the Upcoming Release of “Motherhood”

Funds Raised Through Opening Ticket Sales to Benefit

Susan G. Komen for the Cure®

New York – October 21, 2009 – The upcoming feature film “Motherhood” starring Uma Thurman, Minnie Driver and Anthony Edwards has joined forces with Fandango, the nation’s leading movie ticketing destination, to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. For the first two weeks of the film’s opening, October 23rd to November 6th, 2009, one dollar of every “Motherhood” ticket sold on Fandango will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

Komen for the Cure Affiliates in each of the five opening markets – New York , Chicago , Boston , San Francisco and Los Angeles – will share information with their constituents about the partnership. All money raised in each of the five markets will stay in those communities to serve unmet breast health needs.

“This is truly a remarkable partnership,” said Jana Edelbaum, managing partner of the iDeal Partners Film Fund. “Consumers simply purchase a “Motherhood” ticket on Fandango and $1 of their ticket purchase will be donated to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Their donation is being is made possible by Fandango and iDeal Partners Film Fund. In fact, iDeal is guaranteeing a minimum donation of $5,000 to get the ball rolling but hope to add at least two zeros to that.”

“We’re pleased to support an important cause like Susan G. Komen for the Cure,” says Ted Hong, Chief Marketing Officer of Fandango. “With Motherhood debuting at theaters during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it’s an ideal title and time to support the search for a cure and to get moviegoers involved.”

The promotion will be supported with a mixture of print and digital advertising, public relations as well as online support. Fandango has even created a special “Motherhood”/ Susan G. Komen for the Cure-branded widget which will appear on the film’s website, as well as many of the film’s promotional partner sites.

“When Blink Entertainment first brought the cause-related partnership idea to us we immediately liked it. It just made sense.” said Edelbaum. “Since then, some members of our team have been affected by breast cancer making this partnership incredibly personal to us.”

“Motherhood,” starring Uma Thurman, Minnie Driver and Anthony Edwards is a comedy from writer/director Katherine Dieckmann, the acclaimed filmmaker of “Diggers” and “A Good Baby.” Shot entirely on location in New York ’s West Village , this comedy distills the dilemmas of the maternal state into the trials and tribulations of one pivotal day.

ABOUT IDEAL PARTNERS FILM FUND:

iDeal Partners Film Fund is an independent financing and production company founded in 2006 by managing partner Jana Edelbaum. Working in partnership with the country’s top film producers, iDeal produces a diversified slate of quality independent feature films and documentaries. iDeal manages the downside risk to its partners and collaborators through presales, casting and state tax incentives.

iDeal recently completed production on “An Invisible Sign of my Own,” a whimsical drama with a generous dose of magical realism. Directed by Marilyn Agrelo (Mad Hot Ballroom) from a screenplay by writers Pam Falk and Mike Ellis (The Wedding Planner) it stars Jessica Alba, Chris Messina, JK Simmons, John Shea and Sonia Braga.

ABOUT FANDANGO:

One of the Web’s top movie and entertainment destinations, Fandango sells tickets to more than 16,000 screens. Fandango entertains and informs consumers with reviews, commentary and trailers, and offers the ability to quickly select a film, plan where and when to see it, and conveniently buy tickets in advance. Fandango is available at www.fandango.com, and via your wireless mobile device at mobile.fandango.com. Fandango is a unit of Comcast Interactive Media.

ABOUT SUSAN G KOMEN FOR THE CURE:

Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure and launched the global breast cancer movement. Today, Komen for the Cure is the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Komen Race for the Cure, we have invested more than $1.3 billion to fulfill our promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure, breast health or breast cancer, visit www.komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN.

* * * * *

For further information, contact:

For 42West:

Jennifer Wiese
Digital Marketing, 42West
O: (646) 300-8667
E: jennifer.wiese@42west.net

The movie “Motherhood” opens this weekend and is one mom’s story taking place all in one day. We have had the chance to talk with the stars of the movie and the director over the past few weeks and this is definitely a show you will want to see on the big screen with your friends or even your husband.

Leave your comment here about a favorite moment you have experienced being a mom for a chance to win this adorable leakproof thermos sippy cup.

Join the discussion about the film MOTHERHOOD on their Facebook page

Follow them on Twitter ( tons of fun on facebook and twitter because they are very active – they are posting and tweeting often! )

Exclusive engagements of MOTHERHOOD begin on Friday, October 23

October 23, 2009

Stayathomemom.com officially announces Mom’s night out.

One of the things that keep us sane – especially during those years when the kids are little – are those connections we have with our friends.

When my kids were very little I actually took a girls retreat for an entire weekend. It was only once a year but it carried me through the rest of the year and restored my necessary patience load that had somehow depleted throughout the previous year.

This October 23 is the PERFECT night to get together with your girl friends and treat yourself to a night out for several reasons.

1. If you haven’t already lined up the halloween costume by then you know you will be tying plastic snakes in her hair and calling her Medusa or slapping together some other uber easy costume.
2. Once you hit October 31 you enter full on holiday season and getting together for a leisurely night out will be a challenge

and

3. ( Most importantly ) October 23 is the premier of “Motherhood” the film – starring Uma Therman.

Face it – on Mom’s night out you are probably going to end up talking about the kids anyway. This movie is sure to bring us all together in our motherhood humanity and the challenges that we all face – even when those challenges all happen in one single day.

Remember: It’s not babysitting when the dad is watching the kids – it’s a special night at home with daddy and kids to watch movies together, pop popcorn, play games, and maybe even stay up late.
But if you need to then pool a babysitter and meet over at one friends house with a couple of babysitters and let them watch a few kids. It can be a great night for everyone. ( more on night out solutions later ). Don’t let the lack of a babysitter keep you from Moms night out October 23.

Recently I had the chance to sneak out of a conference I was attending for a quick dinner with an old college friend. We had not seen each other in a long time and it was fun to just be there with her and catch up with her. No big group – no kids running everywhere – no distractions. Our biggest decision was whether to have the seared tuna or the pasta dish. ( I opted for tuna – it was amazing – it is always fun eating a dinner that no one at home would want and would probably complain about if you served it ).

The hour flew by. We had just scratched the surface of all the things we wanted to talk about. Just around 7 her phone rang and it was her kids. I have only met her kids briefly but they are DAAArling. They wanted to call to make sure she was going to be home in time for kick off. Family football night was that night and their favorite team was playing.

One thing you have to know about this friend of mine – she is an amazing mom. Her kids are darling and very polite. They play together really well and even though they aren’t even in first grade yet they are making their own beds. As parents her husband and her have given the kids a wonderfully creative and yet structured environment to play and grow. She is calm with them and leads by example.

So, as we sat there at the restaurant catching up on the past decade (or so) and the phone rang she was very apologetic about having to dash out to make kick off.

I tried to reassure her that there was no need for apologies. You don’t get second chances to make memories with your kids. They learn from repetition and consistency. They learn trust from promises made and delivered. No apologies necessary.

As moms we need to support each other and let each other know that there is no apology necessary if you want to go spend time with your kids. They really do grow up too fast and there will be plenty of time to get together with your girlfriends for a leisurely dinner when the kids are grown.

Take care of your friendships while the kids are growing – but surround yourself with people that support your positive parenting. And do not make apologies for spending time with those little people that adore you.

Every June we look optimistically forward to the upcoming lazy days of summer and, in what seems to be a blink of any eye, then rolls on into September and comes to an end.

Near the end of July it starts – hints of back to school specials and back to school shopping. It can be a little ugly and we try to ignore it as long as possible. But then it happens: Back to School.

Tomorrow we have to go in to register kids for school again and that means we are on the homestretch. Just a couple of weekends before we are back into the full swing of Fall / Winter activities.

But for today I am going to enjoy the sunshine and the teenagers outside helping our boys with their landscaping tasks. I’ll run to the store for Pizza and feed the crew in a few hours. Later tonight we may have a little campfire and sit out and watch the stars with the kids. And I’ll make a wish on a star that days like this will be preserved in my memory bank forever.

Bundle up and take the kiddos outside tonight for an awesome show – and it’s all free.

METEOR SHOWER

We love watching meteor showers. We pull out the sleeping bags and bundle up and head out to a spot where the lights are dim ( for best viewing ).

Tonight the moon is going to be pretty bright so you may have to deal with that but it is supposed to be a great show.

Kids love spending time with Mom and Dad hanging out in the back yard just talking and searching for the stars.