GoodyBlog

Nick Tunes

Last week, I blogged about the new line of CDs from a series that turns hit songs into lullabies. Now Nickelodeon is getting in on the act. The popular kids' network just released Sleepytime Lullabies, which uses a full string ensemble to sooth your little Dora fan off to dreamland. The CD features instrumental versions of some songs made famous by the likes of The Beatles, The Mamas & the Papas, and James Taylor. Bonus: It also includes “One Magic Kiss,” an exclusive track recorded by Brandi Carlile.

Friday Night Movies

This Week's Big-Screen Goody:

La, la, la...Go Speed Racer! Go Speed Racer! Go Speed Racer, go! I wasn't a huge fan of the show growing up, but I still remember the theme song to this day because it was one of the few cartoons my older bully brother would let me watch. Truth be told, he was more into it than I ever was. Boys and their cars–I still don't get it. Now he has an 11-year-old son he can use as his excuse to see the new live-action version of Speed Racer (rated PG) out today. Personally, I still feel the theme song was the best part of the show. Come to think of it–lots of cartoons from the '80s and early '90s had really rocking openers. Special shout-out goes to ThunderCats. What was your favorite?

 

This Week's DVD Goody:

The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin: Mysteries of Hard to Find City

Avatar the Last Airbender: Book 3 Fire, Vol. 3

Barney: Hi! I'm Riff!

Doodlebops: Live in Concert 

Madeline: Next Stop, America

The Secret of the Sword
   
Speed Racer the Next Generation: The Beginning
 
Thomas & Friends: Mud Glorious Mud
   
Veggie Tales: Lessons from the Sock Drawer
            
           

TMI! Documentary of the Week
The Business of Being Born

 

The Put-Your-Kids-to-Bed-First Pick of the Week:
I'm Not There

 

Nanny Nightmare

An article in the Los Angeles Times last week exposed a scary situation involving a fraudulent nanny agency. Gelila Puck, wife of celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, found a nanny for their kids through an agency an acquaintance had recommended. She hired the woman, who traveled with the family, and then when double-checking one of her recent reference, Puck realized that it was fake. The woman pretending to be the nanny's former employer of five years was a friend of the head of the agency and had never even met her. This story shows the importance of always checking all references when hiring a nanny or a sitter–even if you find her through an agency you think is reputable. Have you ever been burned by someone taking care of your kids?

Friday Night Movies

This Week's Big-Screen Goody:

Fellow GoodyBlogger Josh and I took a field trip to see the new comedy, Baby Mama (rated PG-13). We consider ourselves the Tina Fey/Amy Poehler duo of the office. The only problem is we always argue over who gets to be Tina Fey (we <3 her brilliance). Now we're fighting to see which one of us has to be the baby mama–my money's on Josh. Needless to say, we were SO excited about this movie.

A little background for you in case you haven't seen the trailer. Tiny Fey plays a woman with a "T" shaped uterus, which apparently means she can't carry a baby to term. So, she hires a surrogate (Amy Poehler) to do it for her, and that's where the hilarity ensues. The first half of the film didn't disappoint. Josh and I were in stitches, especially during the childproofing and prenatal vitamins scenes (why do they make those pills so large, anyways?). Unfortunately, the second half of the movie was a bit of a letdown. I won't give anything away, but it takes some weird twists and turns that didn't work for us. In the end, we still love watching these ladies together in anything, so we gave the film a "B" as the final grade (A+ for the first part, C for the second). If you're big fans like us, you may still want to hire a babysitter and check it out in the theaters. If not, just wait for the DVD.

BTW, the film has a fun site called Baby Mama Maker, where you can take a photo of yourself and a friend and create a composite of what your child will look like. Here is a picture of our.... Girl? Boy? Baby? Click here, and scroll down for real photos of Josh and I. Please tell me you don't see any resemblance. Please? Maybe we should hold off on this baby-mama plan.

This Week's DVD Goodies:

Best of Backyard Habitat

Gumby: the Movie

Todd World, Vol. 3
   
Wonder Pets: Save the Beetles!

 

The Put-Your-Kids-to-Bed-First Pick of the Week:
Cloverfield

    
 

Friday Night Movies

The Put-Your-Kids-to-Bed-First Pick of the Week:

There's not much coming out on DVD for the kiddies this week, but one of my grown-up favorites is FINALLY hitting shelves. I'm of course talking about that Oscar-nominated, little-movie-that-could Juno. It's a bit much in the beginning, but stick with it for some on the best character development and family dynamics on the big screen this year. The film managed to put a big smile on my cynical face (it's my movie Prozac). It even won over both the pro-life and pro-choice camps (maybe we should send Juno to the Middle East?)
But there is one downside: After watching it, I came up with probably the worst "Knock, Knock" joke in history, which I will now repeat for you because I have no shame:

"Knock, Knock!"
"Who's there?"
"Juno."
"Juno, who?"
"Juno!"
"Juno, who?"
"Juno it's me, so stop asking!"

 

Yeah...I'll be here all week, folks! Twice on Saturdays!

      

This Week's Kid-Friendly DVD Goodies:

Big Comfy Couch: Upside Down Clown, Vol. 5

Classical Baby: The Poetry Show

Nick Jr: Sleepytime Stories

SpongeBob SquarePants: Pest of the West

Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection, Vol. 2

 

Friday Night Movies

This Week's Big-Screen Goody:

Have you ever noticed how Jodie Foster takes on characters who get mixed up in a lot of bad situations, from hunting cannibals to home invasions? In her latest, she's stranded on a deserted island. But the good news is Nim's Island is a PG-rated movie based on the popular children's book of the same name. So, think more Swiss Family Robinson and less Lost. We recently jumped at the chance to talk to the child star turned Academy Award-winner and ask her one of the most quintessential questions of our time: If you were stuck on a deserted island and could only take along five things, what would they be?

"My books and my iPod. The kids, of course, but they're not things. Food and drink are pretty important to me, so I might have to take tiny airplane-size Bordeaux wine bottles and a catalog from Dean & Deluca [a NYC gourmet food store] so I could order take-out. Technically, more than five things."

 

Check out the rest of the interview in the April issue of Parents!

 

 

This Week's DVD Goodies:

Alvin and the Chipmunks

Animated Classics

Growing Up Wild Cats

The Put-Your-Kids-to-Bed-First Pick of the Week:

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

 

 

A Memo to J. Lo

Dear J. Lo:

We all fight for first dibs on the office's People subscription, and this week everyone was dying to see the "world exclusive" pics of your newborn twins. Max and Emme are darling, natch, and you look as glam as ever—but Parents staffers were kinda shocked at the photo of the babies' ornate, Versailles-like nursery, which is filled with safety hazards. We want those sweet twins to stay out of harm's way, so we're begging you....please babyproof!

• Take the pillows, stuffed animals and blankets out of the cribs—they're suffocation hazards.
• Get rid of the dramatic draped canopies hanging over the cribs, which can cause strangulation.
• Those cute bows tied onto the crib slats? Choking hazards as soon as the babies are big enough to get their hands on them.
• Throw a window guard on that open window!

Yours in safety,
Parents

Spankin' New Headlines

Every mom loves beautiful baby photos, but are fancy ultrasounds of fetuses safe? Chicago Tribune

A good marriage is good for your blood pressure and a bad marriage is—you guessed it—bad for your blood pressure. Yahoo! News

A new California program modeled on America’s Most Wanted is targeting the 10 worst child support evaders. LA Times

Fear of food poisoning: Is washing your veggies in tap water good enough? Newsweek

More celebs contemplate trading in their baby photos for big bucks. New York Daily News

Original photo via

A Mid-Week Laugh For Moms, By Moms, About Moms

If you haven't seen it already, check out In The Motherhood, a series of funny Webisodes starring Jenny McCarthy, Chelsea Handler and Leah Remini. You can also share stories about your own kids with other moms on the message boards and browse products from Suave and Sprint, the site's co-producers. Here's a sample of the mommy hilarity.

For the Baby Who Has Everything...

I've read a zillion news items about celeb parents' obsession with luxe baby store Petit Tresor, but I never had any clue what the goods looked like. My curiosity got the best of me this morning while reading the New York Daily News' gossip pages (hey, I can't start the day with anything too mentally taxing). Jennifer Lopez allegedly bought two bunny chandeliers from the store for $1,250 each (!) So what does a $1,250 chandelier for babies look like? I wondered. I found my answer (and learned it's actually $1,275, assuming I tracked down the right model.) What do you think? If you had J. Lo-esque bucks, would this be a must-have?