I saw Real Steel in theaters and wow.  It was awesome!  I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed it – I originally went for my husband’s sake, not so sure it was something I wanted to see.  I’m so glad he made me go (ha), because it was very worth experiencing in theaters!  I wanted to see it again immediately after it was over – it was that good.

The main reasons I loved it:

• Hugh Jackman (He had me in X-Men as Wolverine!)
• It’s set in the not-too-far future, but the future nonetheless.  I love imaginative futuristic movies!
• Robots!  Way cool.
• The actors did an amazing job and the movie is very well-directed.  No complaints there!
• The movie has a lot of heart, plenty of action, and isn’t predictable.  That makes a great movie!

What it’s about…
Sometime in the not-too-distant future, boxing has been outlawed and replaced by fighting matches with robots. Big robots. Hulking, rock ‘em, sock ‘em mechanical robots. But if those machines are cutting edge, Real Steel sticks to an old-fashioned style of storytelling, with a tale of a down-and-out fight manager (Hugh Jackman) looking for a good ‘bot to get back in the game, and get back out of debt. Hearts are further tugged by the arrival of this guy’s 11-year-old son (Dakota Goyo), who hasn’t seen his dad in many years but now needs tending. There’s something endearing about the way nobody ever pauses to remark on the fact that they are in the presence of giant remote-controlled prizefighting robots; it’s taken for granted in this cockeyed universe.

I received a review copy of the Real Steel Blu-Ray + DVD combo pack and couldn’t wait to see it again!  It was just as good as I remembered, and I’m glad to have it on Blu-Ray – it looked amazing on our TV.  This pack also comes with a collection of special features that will tempt even those who don’t “do” extra features to watch: Bloopers, deleted and extended scenes, “Second Screen” (get interactive content on your iPad or computer while watching the movie), an audio commentary, and much more!

You MUST watch the trailer:

Real Steel Online!

www.steelgetsreal.com
Real Steel on Facebook
Real Steel on Twitter
Real Steel on YouTube

DreamWorks Studios on Facebook

(If you have questions about how Rafflecopter works, watch this short how-to video.)

Also please note that you do NOT have to have a Facebook account to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I was provided with a review copy of the movie in this post in order to share my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are 100% mine.

I love neckwarmers.  Neckwarmers are stylish, cozy, and hassle-free!

Mom-owned Etsy shop, The Windfall Tree, is one place you can look for crocheted neckwarmers, fingerless gloves, scarves, and much more!

The mom behind these creations is Kristy Gordanier, mom of 3 who works full-time in the medical field but still manages to keep sewing and crocheting (and selling!) her creations, make delicious meals from scratch, and find time to play with her kids.  She is a supermom!

I have the green neckwarmer in the photo at the top of this post and I love it!  It’s so cute with it’s chunky yarn and big button closure.  The yarn is soft and it’s super comfy.  I just custom ordered another one for me and one for Emma, too – I want it for her so she can stay warm while riding her bike this winter.  I tried a regular scarf but that really doesn’t work since you have to worry about the scarf tails getting caught in the bike spokes.  The neckwarmer will be perfect!

Update: Here’s the one Kristy made me, received today!  Excuse the blurry cell phone pic.  I love the pattern and the versatility, these are so easy to button exactly where you want it around your neck – not too tight.  :)

You’ll also find accessories for babies and kids at The Windfall Tree:

Check out her ribbon tag stroller blanket/loveys, chenille washcloths, insulated lunch bags, crocheted handbags, and more!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

The Windfall Tree has a new Facebook Fan Page!  Click HERE to become a fan, be notified of new creations, and take advantage of her terrific sales!  She also has plans for some Facebook-only giveaways and flash sales, so you’ll definitely want to keep up.  ;-)

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

So do you want to win a lovely neckwarmer like mine?  Kristy is offering up this gorgeous neckwarmer to one lucky winner:

(If you have questions about how Rafflecopter works, watch this short how-to video.)

Leaving a blog post comment is mandatory.
After that, you can tweet the giveaway for extra daily entries.  :) 

Also please note that you do NOT have to have a Facebook account to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:  I was not given free product for this post.  I agreed to run this giveaway because I like the product and the shop owner, and want to support buying handmade!

Emma and I did something really fun last week.  We designed our own stuffed toy!  Thanks to Happy Toy Machine, we were given the ability to make any kind of toy be it animal, humanoid, monster, or robot.  You can make virtually anything with this super cool “toy machine” that lets you customize head shape, body parts, eyes, ears, and colors.  you can even add a tail or wings!  There’s also the ability to add an embroidered emblem or text.  Oh, the possibilities!  Here’s what Emma and I came up with:

We made two different characters before this, but the monkey won out in the end.  Isn’t he cute?  And we just had to add that little basketball emblem.  Emma’s daddy plays basketball and she loves playing with him.  I’m also always calling Emma my little monkey so I think this guy will fit in pretty well here.

- Designing your toy online is a blast, and you can save as many different characters as you want.
- Your child can save their designs and share them with friends!
- All embellishments are embroidered on, not glued or snapped on.  Totally baby-safe!
- All materials used are certified non-toxic.
- All pricing is the same no matter how many features or extra embroidery you add to your doll.
- The resulting stuffed animals are made of super soft fleece and are just like your design!

Room for Improvement?

- Some of the design options are limited.  I would like to be able to make everything a different color – it’s pretty uniform in that both arms are always the same color, both legs, etc.

Video – Opening of Emma’s Monkey:

I’m really happy with the way our design translated into the toy we received.  I wasn’t sure it would be worth the price at first, but if you consider the fact that you’re getting the opportunity to design your own toy and that it is made of non-toxic, soft materials, well, I think it’s worth it.  :)  I also like that all embroidery and customization is included in the original price, so you can make it very personalized.

Official Website
Facebook
Twitter

Visit www.happytoymachine.com to create your own custom stuffed toy!

(If you have questions about how Rafflecopter works, watch this short how-to video.)

Leaving a blog post comment is mandatory.
After that, you can tweet the giveaway for extra daily entries.  :)

Also please note that you do NOT have to have a Facebook account to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I was provided with a toy from Happy Toy Machine at no cost in order to share my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are 100% mine.