Opinions for Nothing

Chop Socky Chooks Vol. 1 - DVD Review

CHOP SOCKY CHOOKS!

That's how I say it in my head every time I read it, in all caps, with an exclamation point. CHOP SOCKY CHOOKS! It's a tongue-twister, though, so sometimes when I say it aloud, it comes out, "CHOP SUEY SOCKS!"

From wikipedia:

Chop Socky Chooks is a British animated television series produced by Aardman Animations and DHX Media that debuted on March 7, 2008. It was created by animator Sergio Delfino, a prominent animator at Aardman. It currently airs only on Teletoon (EU & UK). For now, it airs on Cartoon Network, except in the USA. The name is from "chop socky" which is slang for the Asian martial arts film genre, and "chook" which is Australian and New Zealand slang for chicken.

Chuckie Chan, the wisened sensei; K.O. Joe, the smooth-talking muscle man with a giant afro; and Chick P, the brains and the beauty of the operation, battle the evil leader of Wasabi World, who else but Dr. Wasabi, of course. Dr. Wasabi rules his shopping mall world with help of his dim-witted bodyguard Bubba, his wily Ninja Chimps, and a host of evil minions. He's not the only one after the Chooks, though. Wasabi World is full of baddies.

Kids will love the contemporary themes, fast-paced action, and kid-appropriate humor. Adults will love the irreverent asides and pop culture nods. Though it's aimed at kids a bit older, Chop Socky Chooks, Vol. 1 even held the attention of my toddler.

WIN IT

I have one copy of Chop Socky Chooks, Vol. 1 to give away. Enter to win leaving a comment telling me your favorite Chinese dish. I love mu shu pork and shrimp in lobster sauce and wor won ton soup.

For an extra chance to win, tweet about this review and giveaway. For it to count, you need to leave a second comment on this post, letting me know that you tweeted it. "RT @peevedmichelle Win a copy of CHOP SOCKY CHOOKS VOL. 1, a hilarious animated series from the UK. Enter by Mon. 11/9 http://bit.ly/vycD4"

I will choose a winner at random on Monday 11/9 at Noon PST.

I was provided with a free copy of this DVD for the purpose of creating this review.

Can people change?

One of my relatives recently left her husband (again) and my sister and I were discussing the situation. I feel like our relative should divorce him already and cut her losses. My sister feels like our relative hasn't yet tried everything and should give him another chance to change his behavior. I said to my sister that I don't believe people change.

I don't believe that people can fundamentally change who they are. My sister agrees with that, but she does think that people can change their behavior. In the case of our relative, and in most marriages, if one spouse has left before and been fed up before, the douchey spouse saying he is really going to change this time seems like it is just a ploy because he knows she'll stay if he pretends. If he was really willing to change - if it was part of his fundamental nature to do so - he would have already done so.

This is what my sister says about it:

I believe whole-heartedly in the capacity for regeneration of the human heart. The difference is that while our personalities are fixed from conception, our behaviors are learned and can therefore be unlearned or retrained.  I do concede that apart from love, grace and forgiveness, it is an exercise in futility. One has to want to change and be willing to do the work to go after it.

In the case presented, if the parties involved are willing to admit their own part in the situation, forgive one hundred percent of the other person's part and move forward with love and grace.  There is no damage (and I mean none) that cannot be repaired and restored to an even greater level than before.

What do you think? Can people change?

*WINNERS* Giveaway Friday - Sesame Street: Elmo's Animal Adventures and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

WINNERS:

Bachamer wins the Elmo DVD and JillyBeeny wins the Ice Age DVD. Send your mailing address to me at peevedmichelle at yahoo dot com. I used a random number generator to select the winners.

Check back this week for another DVD review on Thursday and giveaway on Friday.

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I have two DVDs to giveaway today: one copy of Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs and one copy of Sesame Street: Elmo's Animal Adventures.

To enter to win, go to my review on this blog of the DVD you want to win and leave a comment. You can enter to win both DVDs but you can only win one. I will choose the winner of each DVD at random on Monday at 9 AM PST. Check back here to see who won.

Sesame Street: Elmo's Animal Adventures on DVD

You know how sometimes when you are watching Elmo's World on Sesame Street you start bleeding from your ears and develop hysterical blindness? Well, you'll be relieved to know that Sesame Street: Elmo's Animal Adventures causes no such side effects.

Each of the three episodes (plus bonus feature) teaches kids a certain aspect of the animal world in a way that is fun, entertaining, and educational. The first episode really cracked me up. Elmo and Telly are helping Little Bo Peep find her wayward cow (she was tired of those sheep always running off) by looking at animal tracks. When they need help with what to look for in the tracks, Luis pops up - literally - and sings clues for the monsters. Every time he popped up out of nowhere and started singing, I couldn't help cracking up.

In the other two episodes, kids learn all about amphibians and the different types of foods woodland animals eat. Each one held the interest of both my toddler and her parents.

For little Elmo fans, this is a must-have DVD - one parents won't mind having to watch over and over again.

I was provided with a free copy of this DVD for the purpose of creating this review.

Did you miss me?

Starting tonight, I will post one product review on Thursdays and one opinion on a topic on Mondays. When I get any questions from readers, I will post those in between. If I am so inspired, I may post more frequently, but I will post twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, at a minimum. Oh, and if I do have giveaways, I will post them on Fridays.

Thanks for sticking around!

Frederic Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Shampoo and Conditioner

I bought my mom Frederic Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Shampoo and Conditioner for Mother's Day this year. It was recommended on gift-giving guide I read. She didn't like it. So, that kind of sucks. I spent too much money on a gift she didn't like.

Since she wasn't using it, I figured I would try it out and hope to get my money's worth. I didn't like it, either. So, that kind of sucks.

Frederic Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Shampoo should be called Frederic Fekkai Suck Ass Frizzing Shampoo.

UPDATE:

This stuff messed up my hair so much that I couldn't even get it smooth with an iron today. I didn't wash my hair this morning so that I could straighten it with a flat iron. It tooks me ages, I had to use at least twice as much product in my hair as I normally do, and it is still kind of frizzy. Wtf, Fred?

Hyaluronic Acid for Your Skin

I added a hyaluronic acid serum to my skin care regimen about a month ago and my skin has noticeably improved. I used to have oily skin, but my skin got very dry when I was pregnant. I was barely able to keep the dryness under control with three different moisturizers. I used moisturizers that aren't supposed to clog your pores, but slathering that much stuff on my face every day, there was no avoiding clogged poors and my poor face was beginning to look rough.

Since I started using the hyaluronic acid serum under my moisturizers, I have been able to cut back on the amount of moisturizer I need to use and my skin has become smoother and clearer. Even the freckle-like spots I developed during pregnancy are diminishing.

I am definitely going to look for more products containing hyaluronic acid. I haven't mentioned the name of the serum I am using because I can't find it online and I think you can only buy it at Burke-Williams spa, which is where I got it after my facialist recommended it.

Hyaluronic acid is supposed to help with skin moisture on a cellular level. Some people advocate taking it as an oral supplement. I recommend doing more research before deciding to go that route. In my reading, I learned that hyaluronic acid also plays a role in the rapid growth of cancer cells, so I do not plan to take it orally. I will only use it as a topical treatment.

Working Mom Guilt: Dr. Phil Says You Shouldn't Have It

I don't have working mom guilt. I choose to work and that is the best decision for my family. A couple months ago, I attended a taping of a Dr. Phil show on the subject. As he so lovingly put up on the graphics, it was really "Stay at Home vs. Working Moms" with Jessica Gottlieb representing the stay-at-home moms with the opinion that if you can't stay home with your children, you shouldn't have them.

Romi Lassally summed it up nicely on Huffington Post:

Basically, Jessica equates the hiring of a babysitter, or use of a daycare facility for the kids with the hiring of a surrogate (a hooker perhaps?) for the husband. While this is an interesting concept...it's just dead wrong. Working, or staying home full time is [sic] not be the litmus test by which we evaluate the quality of love a mother has for her kids. There are plenty of full time moms who aren't that loving and probably just as many working moms who love with a vengeance.

I responded to Jessica's post about her appearance:

I was in that audience on the Working Moms side. I choose to work and I don’t feel guilty about it. I don’t miss my children’s milestones. If my daughter giggles for the first time at daycare, she is also going to do it for me later, when I get home from work. Our wonderful daycare provider is not raising my children for me, she is simply caring for them for part of their day. They thrive under her expert care in ways I doubt they would at home with me all day. They are appropriately bonded and attached to me and their father. And I am certainly a much happier person for being able to use my talents on daily basis in a way that makes us a lot of money that gives us opportunities we wouldn’t otherwise have.

One thing that I posted about when Sarah Palin first appeared and was getting so much heat for her choices about work and family, is that some women CAN do it all. Some women are more capable than others when it comes to balancing their lives. Some women can simply do more than others can.

One thing you asked during the show was something like, “You wouldn’t outsource making love to your husband, so why would you outsource mothering your children?” I laughed when you said that because, honestly, if I could get a girl in to take care of the blowjobs, I would.

She responded to me thusly:

Not “making love to your husband”, just “loving him”.

I’m sorry you don’t enjoy marriage or parenthood.

I showed surprising restraint in my follow-up response. You can read the rest on her site. Also, please note that my husband is holding auditions this weekend for the blowjob girl.

Call for Opinions: I Need a New Raincoat

Photo courtesy of REI.com

I need a raincoat that is more professional and grown-up looking than the one I have. I currently use a Columbia rainproof shell like the one pictured above. I have had it for 13 years.

Today I put that jacket on over fuschia knit top, black flowy pants, and shiny pointy-toed flats. The jacket didn't really go with my outfit.

Please help me find a new coat! (Plus sizes. XL is not plus size.)

When I Am President

When I am president - of my own company, not of the country - there are some things that I am going to do differently.

Every Friday will be a half day

Who really works all eight hours of a Friday anyway? I think people will be just as productive on half-day Fridays and they will be much happier since they get the afternoon off.

The office will be paperless

I hate paper. I hate printing out documents. I hate keeping documents. I hate signing documents. The only thing I do like is taking notes on paper and keeping a paper To Do list. Even so, I keep my notebook pretty thin. As soon as I use one page, I tear it out and recycle it.

People will be allowed to design their own workspaces

For instance, I hate working at a desk. I would be much more comfortable and get just as much work done if I had a recliner and used my laptop as an actual laptop. And, I would be much happier if I had a mini fridge stocked with Diet Pepsi right next to my recliner.

I would also not expect people to be tied to their workspaces. We have a great room here at work with some sofas. I would really like to take my laptop down there and work from there, but I have a feeling it would be frowned upon. Or, on a sunny day, it would be nice if our wifi extended to the patio in front of the building because I would love to sit out there to work. Again, I think it would be frowned upon.

People can wear what they want*

I would wear jeans, sneakers, and a tee shirt every single day if I weren't a director at my company. Some directors do, but they are generally in engineering. There is a subtle dress code based on your department and position here. I am a director on the business side of things, so I need to dress more professionally than a director on the engineering side, but not as nicely as a director in sales.

*Within reason. I don't mind flip-flops, but I don't want to see any knees.

We will have fantastic lighting

I really cannot stand overhead fluorescent lighting.

Siesta!

There will be a lunch hour and a siesta hour during which it will be perfectly acceptable to take a nap.

There will be onsite child care that includes sick care

I know it is ridiculously expensive, but I want to see my babies during the day.

Maybe I will add to this list over time. This is all I have for now

(Written at my desk under the harsh fluorescent glare while my toe throbs from these pointy-toed flats.)

SOYJOY is No Joy

I tried a SOYJOY bar for the first time today. Let me save you some money; SOYJOY bars are gross. I tried the Peanut Chocolate Chip and the Apple Walnut. They tasted surprisingly similar, but one was peanut scented and the other was apple scented. They looked like those kindling sticks you buy in bundles for your fireplace and tasted just as dry. Don't waste your money or your caloric allotment on a SOYJOY bar.

These bars were provided to me free of charge at the SOYJOY booth at the Head to Toe Women's Expo.

Blog posts are like birth control pills

You miss a few days, you just do a few all at once. No big deal.

You Get What You Pay For: Haircut Edition

I tend not to get my hair cut often. I usually keep it long and layered and I just need a trim when I finally go, so it is really difficult for me to justify spending a lot on a haircut. I had been going to a drop-in place near work that was better than Super Cuts but not really that great after all. Every time I went in, my hair was cut a little worse than the time before.

Just before BlogHer in July, I went back to a real salon for a real haircut and some sideswept bangs. I went to the woman who had styled my hair for my wedding. Turns out she is great at updos and shitty at cutting hair. At BlogHer, when I had my hair styled by Anna from Lukaro Salon in Beverly Hills, she actually had to cut my bangs to fix them before she could style them.

Even though I knew I'd had a bad haircut and needed another one, I refused to get another hair cut because I'd just had one and I didn't want to pay for another one. It ould feel like I was paying double for a haircut, which is ridiculous reasoning. Now that it's been about three months, I could finally justify getting my haircut again. I decided to quit being so cheap and I paid $95 (plus tip) to have Anna cut my hair. It was worth every penny.

I think the $100 mark is about where it stops, though. I once paid $250 for a hair cut with Jonathon Antin (before his ridiculous, narcissistic reality show, after which he raised his rate to $500) and it was so not worth the money.

Why is Pinkberry so popular?

I had Pinkberry frozen yogurt for the first time at work. A coworker didn't want one that someone had brought for him so he gave it to me. I thought it was just OK but I chalked it up to the fact that I hadn't chosen the flavor or the toppings. Today, I had Pinkberry again. It is weirdly tart and thin. Why does it have to be so weird? Why can't it just be normal?

Three New TV Shows

Modern Family is funny. Cougar Town is not. I am still on the fence about Glee.

KEEN Sneakers Are the New Converse All Stars

Remember how I expounded upon my love of Chucks in one of my first posts on this blog? I thought my black low-top Converse All-Star Chuck Taylor sneakers gave me back a little bit of the cool I may have once had. Maybe they did, but once I noticed that everyone from tweens to Sally Fields was wearing Chucks, it became clear that they were no longer as cool as they once were. Fortunately, I had already switched to KEEN.

When I was pregnant, I needed some new shoes; ones that were roomy, comfortable, and provided adequate support. I found the KEEN Ventura sneakers. They are wider than the Chucks and don't make my feet look like boats. They also provided much more cushioning, making them more comfortable for all-day wear. I bought two pairs of the KEEN Ventura sneakers, one in black suede and the other in natural canvas (pictured above). I haven't worn my Chucks since.

Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

I, being an adult of sound mind, am not qualified to review Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs by myself, so I invited some kids over for a viewing party. Our pint-sized movie critics were Andy, age 11*; Tara, age 9*; Kenna, age 2; and Olivia, age 3 months.

From the Ice Age 3 web site:

The sub-zero heroes from the worldwide blockbusters Ice Age and Ice Age 2: The Meltdown are back, on an incredible adventure...for the ages. Scrat is still trying to nab the ever-elusive nut (while maybe, finding true love); Manny and Ellie await the birth of their mini-mammoth; Diego the saber-toothed tiger wonders if he's growing too "soft" hanging with his pals; and Sid the sloth gets into trouble when he creates his own makeshift family by hijacking some dinosaur eggs. On a mission to rescue the hapless Sid, the gang ventures into a mysterious underground world, where they have some close encounters with dinosaurs, battle flora and fauna, run amok, and meet a relentless, one-eyed dino-hunting weasel named Buck.

What did the kids think?

Andy, age 11: He chuckled out loud throughout the movie and, at the end, told me he thought it was funny. The movie held his attention, even though there was hot pizza sitting on the counter in the next room.

Tara, age 9: She is a sensitive one and missed her parents, who were out on a date night. She spent the first quarter of the movie crying in the bathroom, the middle half of the movie eating pizza in the kitchen, and the last quarter of the movie laughing quietly at the on-screen antics.

Kenna, age 2: The beginning of the movie, which set up the current situation for us, was a little slow for her and she was in and out of her seat, asking for other things to do, but once the action got going, she was cracking up right along with her older cousins. She especially liked the parts with lots of falling down and crashing.

Olivia, age 3 months: She was surprisingly riveted to the movie at times. When asked how she liked it, she said, "Ah-goo."

Adults: All the adults laughed throughout the movie. I thought it was mildly funny. I didn't enjoy it as much as the first and second ones but, if I hadn't been provided a review copy of the DVD, I would have bought this, too, in order to complete the set.

Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs will be available on October 27th. The three-disc combo pack includes a Blu-Ray disc, a DVD, and a digital copy, for a suggested retail price of the $39.99. The standard DVD will be $29.98. Additionally, a "Scrat Pack" Double DVD Pack will be available for a limited time for $24.98. The "Scrat Pack" contains special features and games focusing on the saber-toothed squirrel.

A review copy of the DVD was provided to me by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

*Fake names, real kids.

Spanx Higher Power Panties Suck It All In

You don't get to be my size without having tried a girdle or two. Spanx panties are not a girdle. I was a little worried when I first bought a pair of Spanx Higher Power Panties, that they were going to be like those terrible, rubberized body shapers/sausage casings I wore for the prom, and when I was a bridesmaid, and for my own wedding. Then I figured that if thousands of women are singing the praises of these panties and wearing them every day, they can't be that bad.

I am the exact same weight I was three years ago, just before I got pregnant with my first child, but my body has changed. It's lumpier here, saggier there, and I have long since lost the battle of the bulge that likes to hang out over my waist band. Spanx Higher Power Panties turned back the clock to firmer days, smoothing out the lumps and bumps and sucking that bulge back into my waistband where it belongs.

The Spanx Higher Power Panty goes from mid-thigh all the way up to your bra. The bottom edge is legband-free, which is supposed to eliminate bulges. I did have a hint of a indent where they ended, which was slightly noticeable when I wore them with slacks, but not noticeable when I wore them with jeans. The best part about the Spanx Higher Power Panty is the double-gusset crotch. It magically splits open when you need to pee, allowing you to do so without taking off your Spanx.

Today, I bought Spanx High Falutin' Footless Pantyhose for $28 at Lane Bryant. They go from mid-calf to just below your bra. I am hoping these will work better under slacks for me. The Spanx Higher Power Panties are $36 at Lane Bryant. Because that is a lot more than I pay for a regular pair of panties, I haven't yet come to the point where I wear Spanx every day, but I seem to be heading in that direction.

(Note: I also tried a pair of Assets by Sara Blakely, the cheaper line of Spanx available at Target. I recommend paying more for the Spanx. The Assets felt cheaper, were not as comfortable, and did not have the double-gusset crotch.)

Should you become a wine snob?

Amy asks:

When I drink I'm totally going for the buzz factor. When I'm out I even try to calculate bang for buck sometimes. My question is, should I make an attempt to learn more about alcohol because I'm not a 19 year old frat boy and should start acting like an adult someday? Should I learn what wine goes with which meat or just stick with the fact that a glass of wine may sometimes be the key to my sanity?

I may not be the best person to ask about this because I do not like wine, but you know I have an opinion about it anyway. I don't think you should bother to learn which wine goes best with what. What you should do instead is always ask your server or the sommelier for a suggestion and then just order the cheapest option they suggest.

That said, if you are going for the buzz factor, you need to lay off the wine and switch to the hard stuff. I recently learned that I like a gina and tonic with lime. Ordering that is much classier than ordering my usual Malibu rum and diet Coke.

What about this ripped jeans trend?

 

Images from People.com (via Celeb Trend blog)

Amy asks:

Your opinion on ripped jeans for grown ups. Is a little ripped ok or should they be avoided altogether?

I think ripped jeans are ridiculous on adults. This a trend that comes and goes and I will admit to having participated in it in the past, but I was a teenager. Once you are past your college years, maybe you should put on some real pants and act like an adult.