Dear Audrey Grace,

This last year has gone so fast.  It seems like just yesterday that we were bouncing and sliding around in the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse bouncer for your 4th Birthday and now here we are, with another year under our belt.  Five.  FIVE.  Wow.  You are growing so fast and while I have a blast watching you grow, part of me desperately wants you to slow down so that I can savor one more snuggle, one more hug, one more pout, one more smile.  Sometimes I ask you to turn around and come back to me, to give me another hug or some more love and you oblige me, but now that you’re older you have a distinctive “my mom has lost her mind” look on your face.

I can only imagine what your teenage years will bring.

Yesterday you chose your Mickey Mouse dress from your 4th birthday party to wear to school, since it was your “last day of being four”.  As soon as we got out of the car you started telling everyone who would listen – “it’s my last day of being four!” with the kind of glee that is usually reserved for a trip to the beach or a visit with Mickey Mouse.  Moments like this make me giggle, because you are far from what most people would consider a shy child.  As a matter of fact when, a month into the school year, you teacher told me that you were one of the quietest girls in the class I worried that something was terribly wrong.  You’ve since made up for it, and they are now trying to figure out how to make you pipe down during circle time.  Your Italian heritage has served you well – you are a child who talks frequently and uses her hands for emphasis.  I have no idea where you get that from.

This year has brought so many changes for the two of us.  For starters, we uprooted our lives from the only place either of us had ever known — Louisiana — and moved out to sunny southern California.  You haven’t missed a beat – you dove headfirst into your new school, made new friends, and oftentimes I think you know the way home even better than I do.  You love living close to the beach and to Disneyland – and we find ourselves at both of those places pretty often.  Sometimes it makes me sad that you will probably not remember a time when you were a full-time resident of Louisiana, but I’m thankful that the frequent trips home means that you’ll always be a Louisiana girl at heart.

You love our little family out in California even more than I ever expected.  You have embraced “Misser Morgan” and “Beezie Boy” with a big, open heart as if they have always been a part of your family.  You have called Banks your brother from the near start, and a few months ago I sat you down to explain that he wasn’t your brother just yet, but that he would be in September when Mommy and Mister Morgan get married.  You looked at me with those clear blue eyes and simply said “but I can call him my brother anyway, can’t I?”  Your love for him melts my heart – you are so happy to have him in your life.  Every morning you wake up and ask “is it a Banks day?” and my answer either excites you or disappoints you – but you ask again the next morning just the same.  It is my wish for both of you that you will always be close – it is not blood but love that binds us all.  You will always have each other.

For the first time this year, you had to deal with heartbreak.  Our sweet dog Lilly passed away a month after we moved to California.  It took me two whole weeks to compose myself enough to be able to tell you what happened.  When I told you that Lilly had gone to heaven you seemed sad, but fine.  And then you turned to me and asked how long it would be until she came back from heaven.  Fighting back tears, I told you that she would never come back.  And then you cried.  You cried hard, taking big gulping breaths in between sobs.  I couldn’t help it – I cried too.  And so for almost 2 hours we sat together and I stroked your hair and we cried.  Seeing you so heartbroken just about killed me.  I would do anything to protect you from such pain, but there was no way to do that.  I’m sure it will be the first of several times in your life where I feel totally helpless, and I hate it.

This year you have been full of questions.  Why do we put conditioner on my hair, mommy?  How does it work to make my hair soft?   What sound does Mickey Mouse start with?  Are there rules in heaven?  When I get older mommy, can I still follow you?  Why doesn’t my hair glow like Rapunzel’s?  When I get older, can I be a Princess?  Is chocolate healthy for you?  Who am I going to marry one day?  Some of your questions make me giggle and some of them really make me think, but I love that all of them give me a glimpse into your mind and your heart.  You have always been so curious, so analytical.  Even though you can be a little incredibly hard-headed, I think that your persistence and inquisitive nature will serve you well, and so I do my best to encourage it.

Remember how last year you had gradually started moving toward loving all things girly?  Well this year marked the full-on girlfication of Audrey Grace – Princesses, Hello Kitty, Barbie, and anything else pink are all at the top of your list.  Speaking of last year – I also promised that this would be the year that I would cut your hair for the first time.  Well, I was wrong.  You still have every bit of hair that you were born with.  It’s super long and a bit wild, but I just can’t bear the idea of parting with your curls.  It works out because you aren’t any more interested in having it cut than I am in cutting it – so we can both just pretend that you are a real-life Rapunzel for a bit longer.

Audrey Grace, you are the most thoughtful little girl that I have ever known.  You bring me flowers, draw pictures for me almost every day, and write letters to all of your friends.  You worry about kids that you see who aren’t wearing jackets, remember to call and check on family members when they are sick (even when I forget), and point out things that you know your friends and family would like when we are in the store.  One of your favorite parts of Christmas this year was buying toys for the other kids – you still ask once a week at least when we can buy some more toys for the kids who don’t have any.  You are so full of love for everyone and I couldn’t be more proud of that.

I can say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that being your mommy is the most difficult job that I’ve ever had.  That’s not to say that it is hard to love you because it’s not – on the contrary, loving you is probably the easiest thing I’ve ever done.  But the day to day responsibility of making you into the best possible human being that you can be is one that I don’t take lightly.  I have so many hopes and dreams for you, and I also realize that you will (and already do) have so many of your own. All that I want is to be able to raise you in a way that equips you with all that you need to realize those dreams on your own.  Of course, I’ll be there every step of the way to cheer you on – I’m your biggest fan.

Audrey Grace, I love you more than I think I will ever be able to put into words.  You bring so much joy into each and every single one of my days.  I cannot believe that it has been five whole years since Dr. Striplin first placed you into my arms.  You didn’t know it, but on that day you taught me how to love unconditionally.  I am so proud to be your mommy.  Out of everything I’ve accomplished in my life, you are what I’m most proud of.

I love you my angel.

Love always,

Mommy

Then the folks at The Brainy Company contacted me about their Glowberry Bears and I just knew that Audrey Grace would love it.  They sent us the light blue Glowberry bear, and I’ve discovered that it works in 3 settings:

• Bear to Bear – There’s a chip located in the bear’s foot and when placed in close proximity of another Glowberry Bear, they communicate with each other.  We only have one bear so I cannot attest to the quality of this feature, but it sounds pretty cool!
• Nighttime – This setting transitions our bear into a night light – pressing the bear’s tummy makes it light softly from within and the glow will last for 3 minutes.
• Bear to Child – The bear talks to us, and even has a name! If you press its hand it will say things like, “Hi, I’m Twinkleton. What’s your name?” Pressing its other hand makes the nightlight light up, and tickling its tummy makes it giggle.

It’s funny though, because when My Friends Tigger and Pooh went off the air, my daughter was crushed.  CRUSHED.  She has loved Tigger since she was 6 months old, so to lose her pals on Disney Junior – well it didn’t go over well.  To top it off, I thought most of the shows were more geared towards boys – like Jake and the Neverland Pirates and Special Agent Oso.  I didn’t think she’d like either show.

And then one day an episode of Jake and the Neverland Pirates was on in the background and she was mesmerized.  Yo-ho-mateys-away!  ”Mommy – can we watch another episode of Jake?!” she begged.

I guess my boy-themed-theory was wrong!

Since that day, Jake and the Neverland Pirates has been the number 1 most requested cartoon in our house.  So, thanks to Team Mom, the kiddos were SO excited to receive a gift pack with some of their favorite Jake loot – including a special sneak peek of the Holiday Episode!  You can get your own sneak peek in the clip below!

The cool thing is that this episode airs tomorrow night, December 2 at 8:30 ET on Disney Junior.  The episode is called “It’s a Winter Never Land/Hook on Ice”, and in it Jake, Izzy and Cubby awake to find that Peter Pan has left the crew some presents and a tree to celebrate Winter Treasure Day, and Captain Hook invites Jake and the crew on a winter treasure hunt.

Be sure to tune in tonight and catch the all-new episode on Disney Junior on the Disney Channel!

Disclosure:  I was provided with a Jake and the Neverland Pirates Gift Pack by Team Mom to facilitate this review.  Opinions are my own, duh.

Well, this year kick scooters are back with a vengeance, but this year they look a little different – or at least the Rockboard Scooter
does!  The difference between this cool scooter and the scooters of Christmases past lies in it’s ability to convert from a kick scooter to a shredding scooter in no time.  Even better this scooter holds up to 200 lbs – so even adults can benefit from the awesome workout that the Rockboard Scooter provides!

And get this – this scooter has suspension in the rear – so even if you’re riding over the bumpiest terrain, you’ll have a crazy smooth ride.  My family has their very own Rockboard Scooter now and it rocks.  It would make a great gift for the tween or teen in your life – or even an adventurous adult!

To review – the Rockboard Scooter is:

• 2 scooters in 1
• Rear spring suspension for a smooth ride
• Features “Rockboarding” mode or manual kick mode
• Easy adjustment between modes
• No assembly required

Check out the video below and see the Rockboard Scooter in action!

Thanks for checking out my 2011 Holiday Gift Guide!  Be sure to check out Our Ordinary Life and Mommy Mandy for more great gift ideas!

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When I was a little girl I was obsessed with American Girl.  A voracious reader, I read all of the books before carefully requesting that Santa Claus bring me a Samantha doll for Christmas.  It was the number one thing that I wanted more than anything – and when I found Samantha smiling back at me on Christmas morning with her glossy brown hair with the perfect bouncy curl – I squealed in delight.  I brushed her hair, I changed her clothes – Samantha came everywhere with me that year.  She was perfect, coveted, and mine.

Samantha still sits in my childhood room, prominently displayed on a shelf.  I never outgrew my love for her.

American Girl Bitty Twins

Twenty years later, I’m delighted to begin introducing my daughter to the world of American Girl.  She is a bit young for the full-sized American Girl dolls so when I discovered the American Girl Bitty Twins, I knew we had to have them.  You can customize your Bitty Twins with all different skin tones and hair colors – so that your child will have a set of dolls that looks like her.

Generally speaking I have a bit of a bias against all of the blonde-haired, blue-eyed dolls in the world – so  I was torn when ordering our Bitty Twins because part of me wanted to order a dark-haired duo.  However, I have a sweet little blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl and I wanted the twins to look like her – so I gritted my teeth and ordered blonde twins – a girl and a boy.

They twins come in the cutest argyle outfits and have 15″ soft bodies, and they also come with a book – The Bitty Twins Learn To Share.  The two twins, in outfits, plus the book is $100.  You can also order the 18 piece Bitty Twins Starter Kit, which runs $180 but in addition to above includes toys for each doll, a doll carrier, training diapers, and an additional outfit for the twins (and saves you $20).

Order by December 21st for Christmas delivery (rush charges may apply).

*Disclosure:  American Girl sent Audrey Grace a set of Bitty Twins to facilitate this review, however all opinions are 100% my own.

Thanks for checking out my 2011 Holiday Gift Guide!  Be sure to check out Our Ordinary Life and Mommy Mandy for more great gift ideas!

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I’m sure you’ve noticed from my site that I’m a bit of a beauty and fashion nut.  I have an obsession with all things girly, including nail polish.  Naturally, when a girly girl has a daughter, the odds of her also being a girly girl are pretty high.  I can officially say that Audrey Grace is about as girly as they come – which is totally fun for mom!

Even though I generally think Audrey Grace is a little young for even pretend makeup and nail polish, I saw the Hello Kitty Nail Tin by TownleyGirl and thought I would make an exception. (As in, she can only wear it and play with it at home, not out in public.) The nail tin comes with fun polish, nail art, and of course can be used as a lunch box or a place to store treasures long after the products are used!

If you the Hello Kitty Nail Tin set right now at Toys R Us you’ll get free 2 day shipping and also get a free Hello Kitty Bowler Bag with purchases of $30 or more.

Lucky for you, I have an awesome Hello Kitty Cosmetic Tin to giveaway to one of my lucky readers!

Mandatory Entry Method:

• Leave a comment here telling me why you’d love to win this – is there a special little girl in your life who just adores Hello Kitty? Maybe she is a makeup fanatic?

Extra Entry Methods (leave a separate comment for each):

• Visit Mommy Mandy and enter one of her Holiday Giveaways. Come back here and let me know you did it. (1 entry)
• Visit Our Ordinary Life and enter one of her Holiday Giveaways.  Come back here and let me know you did it. (1 entry)
• BLOG ABOUT IT!!! 5 entries.
• Tweet this contest.  (1 entry)
• Like Chic Shopper Chick on Facebook. (1 entry)
• Follow me on Twitter. (1 entry)
• Like Design Public on Facebook. (1 entry)
• List this giveaway on any contest site for 3 entries.
• You can always leave a comment on any non-giveaway post. (1 extra entry per post commented on. just go to “home” posts are up front, please comment on all new posts and leave your extra entry comment)

No purchase necessary to win.  Contest only valid for residents of the US.  Winner to be chosen by random.org on or after December 2nd. Winner has 48 hours to respond to notification email or another winner will be chosen.

Disclosure:  Townley Girl sent us a nail tin to review, however these opinions are 100% mine and I’m thrilled to share them with you.  

** This post is a part of my 2011 Holiday Gift Guide, created in partnership with Amanda of Mommy Mandy and Kristin of Our Ordinary Life.  Please check out their Holiday Guides for more great gift ideas! **

I’m not big into wearing t-shirts but every now and then a few really cute, great shirts do actually make it into the rotation.  Since early October, the “Anchored” t-shirt from Scared Panda has been one of them.  Featuring the Manhattan skyline (one of my favorite places!) and designed by Brooklyn resident Brad Jonas, the shirt reminds me to refuse to be overwhelmed – there is always something so much bigger than what I might be dealing with.

Plus, it’s just stinkin’ adorable!  I have gotten at least one compliment from strangers on it each time I’ve worn it – about 3 times now.

If you’re looking for a gift that also allows you to give back this holiday season – this is it.  10% of every sale of this t-shirt goes to Scared Panda’s non-profit partner Growing Home, a Chicago-based non-profit that provides job training through an organic agriculture business.  Talk about giving to give back!  I love it!  Plus, each shirt runs around $18 and during the Holidays includes free shipping and gift wrapping – so you have a great gift wrapped and shipped for under $20 smackeroos!

Better yet?  All of their tees are printed using only eco-friendly inks and is produced locally in the US!

Best yet?  I have an early Holiday Gift for you!  Use the coupon code “PANDAS” to receive 10% off your next order.

Go, shop, and be well!  Happy Holidays!

Disclosure:  Scared Panda sent me a t-shirt to wear.  All opinions on its awesomeness are my own.

(Don’t forget to check out Mommy Mandy and Our Ordinary Life for more amazing Holiday Gift ideas!)

We have had quite a year around here – last New Years Eve the man of my dreams got down on one knee and asked me to be his forever.  I was moved to tears.  And then, I was moved.  Literally.  This past September, my daughter and I moved from the only home and state we had ever known, Louisiana, out to Southern California to join my fiance’ and his son as we worked to become a family.

Of course, I had been visiting lovely southern California every other weekend for over a year at that point, so I knew what I was getting myself into, but I sure do miss my family.  My parents happen to be visiting as I write this, but as my grandparents, my daughter’s great-grandparents, get older it gets harder for them to travel.  They have always been a huge part of my life – they went on vacations with us, I spent weekends at their house, spent every holiday and birthday together, not to mention the Sunday dinners – my grandparents were basically at every major event in my life, and my grandmother and I even traveled to Paris, France for 10 days together when I was 19.  I can hardly believe that was 10 years ago now – how time flies.

Unfortunately, I know time isn’t going to slow down in the least, and now that I live far from home, the keepsakes and memories mean even more to me.  So, when I received the latest “Frosty the Snowman” Record a Story from the folks at Publications International I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it.  So, this week when my parents return home to Louisiana, they’ll be taking along our copy of “Frosty the Snowman” with a request to GG and Grandpa – record the story and song in your voice, please!

I have fond memories of both of my grandparents singing, and I want to create that lifelong memory for my kids as well.  Record A Story is an amazing gift to all of us, and I can’t wait to receive the finished product in the mail so that the kids can listen to it over and over again.  (Ok, and me, too.)

As a matter of fact, I know exactly what I’ll be getting all of the grandparents this holiday season – the awesome “My Grandma is Special” and “My Grandpa is Special” books for the kids to record for them – my only complaint is that they don’t come in multiple versions – like “My Nana is Special”.  Either way, these will make incredible gifts, and ones that everyone in your life will treasure for years to come!

Disclosure:  Record A Story sent my family a book to review (photos above are my own).  However, my opinions are, and always have been my own.  Thanks so much for reading.

Yesterday I was in Costco and as I was perusing the vitamin section I hear  the strains of a song I know, all too well, coming from the electronics section –

“Everybody looooook left!  

Everybody loooooooook right!  

Everywhere you looooook I’mmmmmmm

…standing in the spoootttttliiiiiight!”

And right there, in the middle of Costco, I surprised myself and everyone around me by practically shouting Zazu’s line –

“NOT YET!”

Which led to this tweet.

Oh yeah.  I’m totally that girl.

The Lion King has always been my ultimate favorite Disney movie.  I knew every line, every song, every word to this movie (and apparently still do).  I even had the soundtrack.  It didn’t hurt, of course, that I was 11 years old with a huge crush on Jonathan Taylor Thomas (who is the voice of Simbaa).

Then of course there is the very cool connection of my cousin, Ernie Sabella, being the voice of Pumbaa in the movie.  Not that he knows me, or anything, but related we are.  And at 11 years old?  That made me like, totally cool.

Of course, The Lion King has just been re-released in theaters in 3D, but as of yesterday, October 4th, it’s also available as The Lion King: Diamond Edition on Blu-ray 3D & Blu-ray Hi-Def Combo Pack.  You can save $5 on your purchase with the coupon below (click the image to be redirected)!

And of course, the folks at Disney always have such fun items to go along with each release – I love these Fun Food Ideas (featuring Pumbaa, of course!).

And these coloring and activity pages (which are always such a hit in our house!).

So, if you’re looking for something fun to do this weekend with your kids, try out some of these fun food ideas and then pull up a tub of popcorn and pop in The Lion King.  I know we will be. (And I’ll try not to annoy the kiddos by singing every single line, but hey – I’m not making any promises.)

There is a lot of love in our house.

But no one gets more love, I’m afraid, than Tigger.

All Tigger - right down to her toes. For the record, she is even watching Tigger on TV in this picture.

The “original” Tigger appeared as a gift from one of my students when Audrey Grace was 6 months old.  Even though she had a room full of stuffed animals, she immediately took to Tigger.  Now, 4 years later, we have over 20 different stuffed Tiggers, not to mention Eeyores, Pooh Bears, Piglets, and so forth.  But there is still the original Tigger – the one she has loved from the start – the one who, when he takes a bath (in a pillowcase in the washing machine) she stands guard by the machine until the wash is over.  When his nose came unravelled, I found her in the bathroom on her tippy-toes, reaching for a band-aid for him (and I happily obliged).

So, as you can tell, for the past 4 years, Winnie the Pooh and his loveable friends have been a huge part of our lives.  Naturally we are counting down to the October 25th release of WINNIE THE POOH on Blu-ray, DVD & Movie Download.  Did you catch the film in theaters?  It was adorable!

If you’re a huge fan of Pooh (and Tigger too!) much like we are, I have a few fun recipes to share in honor of National Honey Month (which is wrapping up today!).  Check out these super fun recipes that you can make with the kiddos – I’ve printed them out and put them in page protectors – I have a feeling we will be using these for a very long time!

TTFN!
 

Oh yeah baby, you read that right.

Jem and the Holograms: The Truly Outrageous Complete Series is going to be available on DVD beginning October 11, 2011.

When I received the email telling me this very fact, I responded exactly like this…

O

M

G

When I was a little girl, Jem was my ABSOLUTE favorite show.

I can still sing the theme song.

You pretty much just made my month.  And I’m not even kidding.

I would love to share Jem with my little girl, and share my obsession (and hidden rock-star dreams – pre Hannah Montana days, of course) with my readers.

I’d love a review copy of the entire Box Set if possible.

You have no idea how happy this makes me.

Thank you!!

Erika

And guess what, y’all?  They sent it to me.  I’m the proud owner of the 11 DVD Box set.  I’m in Jem Heaven.

This is one of those giddy pieces of nostalgia that I want to hold on to forever.  I had no idea I could even find Jem on DVD, much less have the complete series?  Shut the front door.

Remember I said that I could still sing the theme song?  I just tested myself out with this clip while my very kind and patient fiance’ pretended like he didn’t need to plug his ears.  It’s official, I can totally still rock out to this, and sing almost all of the words.  And oh man, lemme tell you, it’s 80′s-tastic, and I’m lovin’ it!

The series “JEM and The Holograms” ran from 1985-’88 in first-run syndication and still boasts a loyal and vocal fan base. It is frequently credited with influencing fashion in the late 1980s and beyond, and launching the careers of female pop-rock stars and music groups.  The series follows Jerrica Benton, whose discovery of Synergy, a powerful computer companion, allows her to transform from co-owner of Starlight Music into rock star Jem.  Teaming with her sister and best friends who form The Holograms, Jem sets out to make their musical dreams come true, even as she battles against the ruthless Eric Raymond and his musical protégés.

This would have been on my Christmas list in a heartbeat this year.  I’m sure there are lots of other 30-40 somethings who would agree with me.  I can’t wait to share Jem in all of her glory with my daughter – I have a feeling she will love it just as much as I do.

You already know that I’m a huge Disney fan, especially classic Disney.  So when I heard that Dumbo was being released on Blu-Ray and DVD in honor of the 70th anniversary, I knew it was something we had to have in our collection.  After all, I’ve been riding the iconic Dumbo ride at Walt Disney World ever since I can remember…and it was especially nostalgic when I got to ride it with a film crew back in January for the Lifetime Moms / Disney Parks Commercial shoot!

This movie is being released for the first time in high-definition, and has been flying off shelves since it’s September 20, 2011 release date.  We have the DVD/2 disc Blu-Ray combo pack, but it is also available as standard definition 1-disc edition, or just a high-definition 1 disc release – so it fits all budgets and preferences.  They all come with quite a few “extras”, such as:

DVD:

• Deleted Scene – “The Mouse’s Tale
• Deleted Song – “Are You a Man or a Mouse?”
• Taking Flight: The Making of Dumbo – A journey back to the origins of the film as everybody’s favorite baby elephant takes wing.
• The Magic Of Dumbo: A Ride of Passage – Witness the excitement and magic of Disneyland’s most popular ride through the eyes of a child.
• Audio Commentary with Pete Docter, Paula Sigman and Andreas Deja
• Sound Design Excerpt from The Reluctant Dragon
• Original Walt Disney Television Introduction

Blu-ray:

Everything on the DVD plus:

• Cine-Explore
• Disney View
• “What Do You See?” Game
• “What Do You Know?” Game
• “Celebrating Dumbo” Featurette
• Animated Short: “The Flying Mouse”
• Animated Short: “Elmer Elephant”

Movie Download (Standard Definition & High Definition Versions):

• Deleted Scene – “The Mouse’s Tale”
• Deleted Song – “Are You a Man or a Mouse?”
• “Celebrating Dumbo” Featurette

Morgan is obsessed with apples and almost always has one in his hand or in his bag.  He usually eats one if not two apples a day – he must have heard the saying that an apple a day keeps the doctor away.  Of course, in this house we are always looking for healthy alternatives, what with Morgan being diabetic and me being hypoglycemic - our issues with sugar are ones we battle daily.  So, having this box of some of the most perfect apples that I’ve ever seen overnighted to my house was like having the Holidays come a bit early!

Of course, we do LOVE apples, but we had to figure out what to do with all of these apples, and fast.  I decided to modify an old family recipe that we often use around the holidays for Apple Oatmeal – and to try it out in the slow cooker!  We love oatmeal for breakfast (as my 4 year old says – it makes her tummy warm) so I thought this would be a great way to put all of those apples to use!  I was right!

Slower Cooker Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oatmeal

Ingredients:

Family time and family movie nights have long been something after my own heart.  I’ll just be honest – there is so much junk on TV these days that it’s hard to find something appropriate for the entire family to watch.

Think about it – creating something appropriate for the whole family to enjoy is harder than you might care to admit.  For us that means the following:

• Not overtly sexual
• No crude jokes
• No cursing
• Not violent

But it also means:

• Easy for the entire family to follow but…
• Complex enough for the adults to enjoy
• Appealing to both boys and girls (we have a 50/50 split)

I mean, honestly.  That’s a tall order, is it not?  P&G and Walmart have successfully accomplished this yet again, however, with Game Time: Tackling the Past, the newest of the Family Movie Night franchise.  You might remember that I visited the set of The Jensen Project, another one of the Family Movie Night movies, back in March of 2010.  I’ve enjoyed all of the movies that P&G and Walmart have created so far, and I have been partial to The Jensen Project because of my involvement, but I have to tell you – they have really outdone themselves this time with Game Time: Tackling the Past.

Our family LOVES football — I grew up in the South where Football is in your blood.  Even my now 4-year-old daughter has been asking to watch more football since she was barely old enough to talk.  I made this video when she was around 17 months old, asking me to put “fut-ball” on the TV.  (Sorry it’s so dark, it was one of those moments where I just grabbed my camera!)

Football fans like us will LOVE this movie because it is all about the Football spirit!  Check out the synopsis from the official Family Movie Night site:

Pro football star Jake Walker is living the dream… or so he thinks. The veteran tight end is a fan favorite and on pace to set the all-time receiving yards record that will guarantee him a spot in the Hall of Fame. While working out at training camp, Jake receives an unexpected call from his brother Dean – their father Frank has suffered a major heart attack. Jake immediately leaves practice and returns to Riverton, North Carolina, the small hometown he’s avoided for nearly 15 years. Memories of glory and regret flood his mind as he returns to the family and friends he abandoned in pursuit of his career. Jake dutifully visits with Frank and Dean, but hurt and misunderstanding from the past begins to resurface, leaving him counting the days until he can return to his team.

A second unexpected call, this time from his agent, delivers Jake another crushing blow. His contract is not being renewed amid concerns about his surgically repaired knee. Suddenly, the life Jake knows is over. To avoid the media circus around this news, Jake reluctantly decides to extend his stay in Riverton. Attempting to make the best of the situation, he begins reconnecting with the community that once revered him.    Jake is reintroduced to Sarah, his high school sweetheart, and helps Dean take over their father’s high school coaching job.

Surprisingly impacted by the people around him, the real Jake begins to emerge from behind his armor to see that life is much more than the accumulation of personal stats. But when Jake’s offered a lucrative new contract to play for another team, he is forced to decide whether to go back to the career he thought he loved, or stay in Riverton and embrace the people who always believed in him.

I was able to watch the movie online and chat throughout the film with one of it’s stars, Catherine Hicks (who you might remember as the mom from Seventh Heaven!).  It was so much fun to get the behind-the-scenes peek at the film with her insight, and I can tell you that she, along with the rest of the cast and crew, have personally put so much heart and soul into this film – and it is apparent while you watch it.  It is directed by Doug Barr, who also directed The Jensen Project (and is just a totally awesome guy.)

So, if you’re looking for something to watch this Labor Day weekend with the family, check out Game Time: Tackling the Past, which premieres on Saturday, September 3rd on NBC at 8 pm EST/7 pm CST.  Also, don’t forget to check out the Family Movie Night Facebook Page for more information!

Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of P&G and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.