We recently had our family photos (mostly the kids) taken at our home using a wonderful children's photographer in San Francisco named Heather Forbes. She also works in New York City. I was familiar with her work because I have friends in NYC that have used her as well and I've always thought the photos were beautiful.

I was really happy with the photo shoot. She made us all very comfortable and we were able to relax. She's very flexible which is important when working with a baby and a 4 1/2 year old. She's willing to work really hard at getting and keeping the kids in a good mood. She's also flexible on the location of the photo shoot. We decided to use our home since we have good lighting and thought it would be nice to include our home as part of the memory at this point in the lives of our children.

I found her prices to be very reasonable by San Francisco and NYC standards. The turnover was quick. She sent me a link to the site to view and order the prints within 48 hours. She took a lot of photos and I thought they were all beautiful. It will be very hard deciding which ones we want to display in our home. Some of the photos are in black and white and some are in color. We did some indoors, some in our back and front yards and some on our terrace. I was amazed that just taking pictures in our normal environment would come out looking like a piece of art. The looks she captured on my children's faces are priceless.

I would highly recommend her if you need a photographer.

Here is a link to her website: http://www.heatherforbes.com/

I hadn't read a novel in almost six months after the birth of my son. This book was the perfect book to get me started reading again. I was hooked from page one! It has everything you need for an easy and fun read...glamour, decadence and scandal! It was the most fun I've had reading in a long time. I couldn't put it down. It's historical fiction narrated by Mary Boleyn who was pushed by her family to become the mistress of King Henry VIII in order to secure the family's success. This family will stop at nothing to secure their fortune.

Most of the major events are based on facts. If you know your history, you won't be surprised by a lot of the story. The wars, births, deaths, trials actually took place but obviously nobody can know for sure the motives and conversations that were had behind closed doors. This is where Phillipa Gregory gives her version and it's certainly a fun and naughty version.

Now I am anxiously awaiting the release of the movie which comes out in February. Based on the trailer I can already see they've made some changes but since they have Eric Bana playing King Henry III, I'll forgive them these changes and see the movie anyway. If you can, read the book first and don't spoil it by watching the trailer!

I finally bought a reusable tote bag from Whole Foods to carry my groceries and it really made me feel good. I always feel guilty about accepting the double bagged plastic grocery bags but I really had no other way to safely carry my groceries home. Finally, I purchased the large canvas tote that Whole Foods carries. It cost $7.50 and it's great. It's really big and probably carried as many groceries as they normally would have put in three bags. It also has handles to carry by hand as well as a shoulder strap which is very helpful when carrying a bag around in the city. It's very strong and durable. I highly recommend getting one. If I move to the suburbs I will buy more to keep in my car, but until then I usually know when I'm going to the grocery store and can bring my bag with me.

I don't know if everyone else has noticed, but ever since San Francisco said they were going to quit using plastic bags our stores have started asking if you want your groceries double bagged or not (they use to always just double bag them automatically). I hope this is a trend and they ban plastic bags across the country. I wish I would have made this purchase a long time ago.

I found this movie very interesting but very disturbing. I didn't read the book so I'm not sure how it compares but I think this is worth watching. I get the impression that the book is more of a "tell all" regarding the fast food industry. The movie gets some points across regarding the industry but I think the actual story is all fiction. It didn't tell me anything that I didn't know regarding the meat and/or fast food industry but seeing it on film was truly disgusting and very sad.

Synopsis by Netflix: Richard Linklater's fictional tale (inspired by Eric Schlosser's 2001 book of the same name) critiques the junk-food juggernaut that's arguably responsible for America's alarming obesity rates. Don Henderson (Greg Kinnear), a corporate exec of a national fast-food chain, follows beef's journey from the corrals to the slaughterhouses and ultimately to your stomach. The power cast includes Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette and Bruce Willis.

This is a heart wrenching documentary that explores eating disorders. It is beyond sad. I literally cried my eyes out. They follow the treatment of four women at the Renfrew Treatment Center in Coconut Creek, FL. Per HBO’s website, five million people in the U.S. suffer from eating disorders, and more than 10% of those diagnosed with anorexia nervosa will die from the disease. A lot of the women and girls are kicked out of treatment centers before they’re ready because their insurance runs out and they’re no longer covered.

So many things about this documentary saddened me, but the main thing that stood out is just how difficult it is for them to ever truly recover. It broke my heart to hear some of the women describe how this disease has consumed most of their lives as some of them have had it since they were young girls. Because of this, most of their memories revolve around starving themselves or binging and purging rather than enjoying times with friends and family.

I think it is such an important movie for everyone to watch, but especially if you are a parent. It was terrible to hear how some of the women that have this disease got it because of things that happened to them when they were young. For example, one woman was put on a very low calorie diet at 7 years old and then rewarded when she lost weight. Another young girl’s mother has an eating disorder and still does which influences this young girl. Since my daughter was born, I’ve always been careful to not make food an issue, but this just makes me want to be even more careful about what I allow others to say and do around her. It’s so sad that our society is so obsessed with being thin to the point where we’re encouraging young girls to starve themselves to death.

To read more about it, check out: http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/thin/index.html

In case you're wondering where all of the young stylish women of Manhattan were yesterday afternoon, they were all seeing The Devil Wears Prada at Union Square. We went to see this movie at 2:40 on a Friday afternoon and it was sold out (luckily I had bought my tickets ahead of time). I've never seen so many decked out women at the movies.

I thought it was a really fun, high energy movie that did a great job of bringing the book to life. There were a lot of things left out, but hey, it's just a fun movie that doesn't really need a lot of explanation. Meryl Streep was great playing the evil boss. And the fashion was the best part of it. Just to see all of the great outfits everyone was wearing was worth it for me. And, as an added bonus, I was pleasantly surprised to see Adrian Grenier who plays Vince
on Entourage as Andrea's boyfriend.

Synopsis by Netflix: After taking a job in the Big Apple as assistant to powerful fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), small-town girl Andrea Sachs (Anne Hathaway) is thrilled -- at first. But the magic soon wears off, leaving Andrea feeling battered and used -- and wondering whether working for the boss from hell will pay off. Helmed by David Frankel, this adaptation of Lauren Weisberger's best-seller also stars Stanley Tucci and Simon Baker.

I'll admit that I am too easy when reviewing most movies because I'm easily entertained and don't expect a lot out of a movie. However, this is one movie that makes me really want to go back and downgrade some of the movies that I've given one too many stars. I thought this movie was amazing. It was one of the best movies I've seen in a long time. I wasn't really sure I wanted to see it, but somehow I accidentally put it at the top of my netflix queue. I was impressed. I didn't really know much about it, I didn't realize it was directed by Steven Spielberg, I had also never seen Eric Bana except for seeing his photo a few times in a magazine and wasn't sure if he was even a good actor or just someone they were marketing as eye candy. There were so many great things about this movie. From an entertainment standpoint it was an interesting story with a lot of suspense. There was action, but not too much. It was actually quite subtle. Although it was a very long movie, I think about 2 hours 45 minutes, I was never bored. And, it just happens to be based on a true story. It really made me think about how conflict is handled in different countries. I can't say I'll ever come to a conclusion as to what is right or wrong, but it made me think about pros and cons of different ways we handle terrorism. It's a heartbreaking story that impacted so many lives. It was also interesting since it happened in 1972. So while it's history to me as I was 2 years old, I was alive so it wasn't SO long ago that I could distance myself completely. And obviously, these issues still haven't been resolved which makes it even harder to watch it with a distanced attitude as these types of things still happen. Avner (Eric Bana) is also a very interesting character. I think the cast was amazing. There were a lot of actors in the movie that were great, but I really thought Eric Bana was the best. As I said earlier, I had never seen him except for a few photos so I didn't really know who he was when the movie started. Now I'm very curious to see him in other roles because I felt like he really was this character. I'd also be interested in seeing more of the actress that played his wife.

Netflix Synopsis: In this thriller based on actual events, Palestinian terrorists hold hostage and ultimately kill a group of Israeli athletes during the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics. In the tragic aftermath of the infamous murders, a Mossad agent (Eric Bana) tracks down the assassins. Ciaran Hinds and Geoffrey Rush co-star in this film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Tony Kushner (award-winning playwright of "Angels in America").

I really liked this movie a lot. I can't pinpoint exactly why, but it really got to me. It was sweet and tender but also a bit sad and depressing. I thought the acting by Claire Danes and Steve Martin was amazing. I liked the way it was shot as well, the music and the camera angles were really interesting.

Netflix Synopsis: Lovely but lonely Mirabelle (Claire Danes) feels purposeless selling gloves in a world where they're hardly ever worn. But her sad-sack days are soon enlivened by Ray (Steve Martin), a rich suitor who showers her with sex and attention. Mirabelle soaks it all up but yearns for more commitment, which Ray can't give. So when she meets the penniless but sincere Jeremy (Jason Schwartzman), she wonders if it's time to give up one man for the other.

I really like this movie a lot. All of the characters were interesting but the one that stood out the most was the sister-in-law Ashley played by Amy Adams. She was so sweet and pure, but not as naive as I originally thought. I also found it interesting to see how most of the family reacts to to Madeleine with a lack of trust just because she's from the "big city". Junebug is a really nice, quiet and subtle movie about relationships within families and how they welcome others into their families.

Netflix Synopsis: When Madeleine (Embeth Davidtz), a big-city art dealer from Chicago, makes a trip to North Carolina with her new husband, George (Alessandro Nivola), he finally allows her to meet his small-town Southern family -- including his bristly mother, Peg (Celia Weston), reticent father Eugene (Scott Wilson), crabby brother Johnny (Ben McKenzie) and immature sister-in-law Ashley (Amy Adams). Looks like a family with more problems than meet the eye!

I thought this book was truly amazing. It took me awhile to get through it because at first, while I thought it was interesting and the writing was great, it was so depressing that it was easier to read lighter fare. But after a friend (Lisa) told me to keep going I picked it back up and then I couldn't put it down. Last night I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish it. The story is heartbreaking and the characters really got inside me. I really felt like I knew them all. The book is fiction, but it was still very interesting to get a child's perspective of what it might have been like to grow up in Afghanistan and how the Taliban changed their country. Obviously, I only know it from the news, and most of what I know is what happened after 9/11, so it was particularly moving to hear about their culture prior to the Taliban take over in the mid-90's.

From Amazon.com
In his debut novel, The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini accomplishes what very few contemporary novelists are able to do. He manages to provide an educational and eye-opening account of a country's political turmoil--in this case, Afghanistan--while also developing characters whose heartbreaking struggles and emotional triumphs resonate with readers long after the last page has been turned over. And he does this on his first try.
The Kite Runner follows the story of Amir, the privileged son of a wealthy businessman in Kabul, and Hassan, the son of Amir's father's servant. As children in the relatively stable Afghanistan of the early 1970s, the boys are inseparable. They spend idyllic days running kites and telling stories of mystical places and powerful warriors until an unspeakable event changes the nature of their relationship forever, and eventually cements their bond in ways neither boy could have ever predicted. Even after Amir and his father flee to America, Amir remains haunted by his cowardly actions and disloyalty. In part, it is these demons and the sometimes impossible quest for forgiveness that bring him back to his war-torn native land after it comes under Taliban rule. ("...I wondered if that was how forgiveness budded, not with the fanfare of epiphany, but with pain gathering its things, packing up, and slipping away unannounced in the middle of the night.")

Some of the plot's turns and twists may be somewhat implausible, but Hosseini has created characters that seem so real that one almost forgets that The Kite Runner is a novel and not a memoir. At a time when Afghanistan has been thrust into the forefront of America's collective consciousness ("people sipping lattes at Starbucks were talking about the battle for Kunduz"), Hosseini offers an honest, sometimes tragic, sometimes funny, but always heartfelt view of a fascinating land. Perhaps the only true flaw in this extraordinary novel is that it ends all too soon. --Gisele Toueg --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

I liked Hustle and Flow a lot! I think Terrence Howard gave a great performance as a pimp (DJay) that desperately wants to make it as a rapper so that he can have a better life. I thought the story was interesting and I must admit I ended up finding the music catchy. I didn't expect to have that reaction to songs with a chorus of "It's hard out here for a pimp....or Whoop that trick".

If you hate rap music and more importantly hate the lyrics of rap music, you might have a problem with the movie. I personally need to find some redeeming qualities in a character to enjoy a movie and want the character to succeed. I was worried I wouldn't be able to do this with a character that is a pimp, at times quite cruel and many times refers to women as b$tches and ho's, however, I was somehow able to get past that and hope for DJay's to success. He had enough good qualities in him and could be loving and I felt like he wasn't any happier being a pimp than the women were at being prostitutes. Also, I didn't get the impression that he turned the women into prostitutes, they were already prostitutes and he just ended up becoming their pimp. This probably played a big part in me being able to like him "enough" to hope for his success.

Netflix Synopsis: Terrence Dashon Howard turns in a true star performance in director Craig Brewer's indie drama. DJay (Howard) is a pimp with aspirations of grandeur -- he wants to make it as a rapper -- but he soon discovers that fame isn't all it's cracked up to be. Offering strong characters and notes of sweet romance amid the urban beats of its central plot, this 2005 Sundance Audience Award-winner was produced by John Singleton.

I thought this was a great movie. When it comes down to it, it's a tragic story of what can happen when you're not free to love the person you want to love. The character development was a little slow so it took me awhile to get into the characters but in the end I found the acting to be great and the story heartbreaking. If you're uncomfortable with the subject matter (the sex in particular), you probably won't be able to get past it and enjoy the movie, so don't see it and complain to me later that I recommended it. :-)

Netflix Synopsis: Two sheepherders -- Jack Twist and Ennis Del Mar (Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger) -- meet and fall in love while working together near Wyoming's Brokeback Mountain in 1963. Over the next 20 years, their lives take different courses: Jack becomes a rodeo cowboy while Ennis remains a ranch hand. Anne Hathaway, Randy Quaid and Michelle Williams co-star. Ang Lee directs screenwriter Larry McMurtry's adaptation of a short story by E. Annie Proulx.

I liked this movie, but it wasn't as good as I expected it to be. It was cute though. It has some funny parts as the young boy tries to find poor people to give his money, as he has a tough time finding poor people.

Netflix Synopsis: Acclaimed director Danny Boyle posits a tantalizing question in this engaging film: What happens when two boys stumble upon a cache of cash? Damian (Alex Etel) and his brother, Anthony (Lewis McGibbon), find a satchel filled with British pounds, but with the country just days away from switching to the Euro, they must quickly find a way to spend and share the wealth. Trouble is, Damian wants to give to the poor, while Anthony aims to live it up.

I should have known better because of the bad reviews I read in the paper as well as got from friends, BUT....I couldn't help myself. It's a romantic comedy and I'm a sucker for them and I love John Cusack. Thankfully, I saved it for a rental because it was very disappointing. While I was watching it, I was trying to figure out what made the actors agree to be in it. The acting was fine, but it was just a terrible script and I'm pretty easily pleased when it comes to romantic comedies. Even the Netflix synopsis sounds terrible...what made me rent this movie!?!?!


Netflix Synopsis: Divorcée Sarah Nolan (Diane Lane) isn't ready for romance. But when her sister (Elizabeth Perkins) signs her up for an online dating service, love-seeking mates come calling. While one Mr. Maybe (Dermot Mulroney) is rife with possibilities, another (John Cusack) is even more intriguing. Still, there's just one problem: While this second eligible bachelor's ad states that his dream woman "Must Love Dogs," neither he nor Sarah actually owns one.

I saw this movie and loved it. It truly lived up to my expectations. I read the book about 8 1/2 years ago and loved it. I was excited to hear the book had been made into a movie. I think the movie really brought the movie to life. Many of the scenes were just as I had imagined when reading the book. I thought the acting was great and it was a beautiful movie to watch. The actors, dress and scenery were all so beautiful. Even without the story, I would have enjoyed just watching it because it was so pleasing to the eye.

Synopsis from Netflix: Based on Arthur Golden's novel and set in 1929, this tale follows 9-year-old Chiyo, who is sold to a Kyoto geisha house. Chiyo endures harsh treatment from the owners and head geisha Hatsumomo, who's envious of Chiyo's stunning beauty. Rescued by Hatsumomo's rival, Chiyo blooms in her role as a geisha, but World War II threatens to change her privileged life forever. Ziyi Zhang, Ken Watanabe, Michelle Yeoh and Li Gong star.

I thought this movie was absolutely adorable. I highly recommend it. I must admit I was a little nervous when I saw all of the previews they were showing me before the movie started (very G rated). However, this movie is perfect for those of all ages. I particularly like the fact that it's very wholesome. I would really recommend it for young girls. There's a good message in there due to the fact Rosemary is such a good and responsible girl. Even though the topic is first love, it's done very innocently. I also loved that it was set on the Upper West Side and they showed a lot of the city and took full advantage of using the city as their backdrop.

Synopsis from Netflix: Despite Virginia's slogan, New York is for lovers, too, and this film is about pint-sized passion. Young urbanites Gabe (Josh Hutcherson) and Rosemary (Charlie Ray) explore their budding emotions against the backdrop of the Big Apple. And there's one thing that makes them perfect for each other: They're both in the fifth grade. Cynthia Nixon and Bradley Whitford co-star in this quirky romantic comedy directed by Mark Levin (Wimbledon).

Very cute romantic comedy! I really enjoyed it. It had some very funny and very sweet moments. And yes, Mark Ruffalo was in it. It was just what I needed on a horrible rainy dreary day.

Netflix Synopsis: Shortly after David Abbott (Mark Ruffalo) moves into his new San Francisco digs, he has an unwelcome visitor on his hands: winsome Elizabeth Martinson (Reese Witherspoon), who asserts that the apartment is hers -- and promptly vanishes. When she starts appearing and disappearing at will, David thinks she's a ghost, while Elizabeth is convinced she's alive. Their quest for the truth ultimately leads to love in this spectral romantic comedy.

This was a great movie! Dave had to convince me to see it because after only hearing the name of it, I thought it was a documentary on violence! :-) So don't let the name fool you.

The movie was particularly enjoyable to me since I had never seen a preview and had no idea what to expect. It starts out a little too perfect (it seemed like they were living in Mayberry), so you have to figure something is going to go terribly wrong. The movie is filled with suspense. I quickly became really attached to the family and wanted everything to turn out OK. The performances were all great, but especially Viggo Mortenson.

Netflix Synopsis: Operating a diner in a small-town community, Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen) and his wife (Maria Bello) are the picture of normalcy. But when Tom prevents a robbery and enjoys hero status in the local media, he attracts the wrong kind of attention from mobsters (Ed Harris and William Hurt) who think he's someone else. David Cronenberg (The Fly) directs this taut suspense-thriller based on the graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke.

I liked this movie a lot. I don't even remember where I heard of it, but somehow it ended up on my netflix list. Ironically, the next time I was eating at Gigino's, they also had a poster on the wall advertising the movie. Anyway, it's a really good movie and I think you'll especially enjoy it if you live in Tribeca and eat at Gigino's on a regular basis like we do. It's fun to watch because it's filmed at the real Gigino's but the restaurant is a very different restaurant than the real one. It's a cool movie and the ending ROCKED! Rent it!

Netflix Synopsis: Louis (Danny Aiello) is an aging bookie and restauranteur who's bemoaning the transformation of Gigino's -- his restaurant in the TriBeCa area of New York City -- from a down-to-earth, mom-and-pop Italian eatery to a pretentious, see-and-be-seen establishment. To make matters worse, Louis's son Udo (Edoardo Ballerini), a talented chef, wants to take over the restaurant … as do a pair of thugs who murdered Louis's partner.

I liked this movie a lot, however, it’s not for everyone. I’m guessing if you didn’t like “Lost in Translation” that you won’t like this movie, however, I could be wrong. The performance by Bill Murray is very subtle and the movie moves along pretty slowly, but I enjoyed it. I really enjoyed his relationship with his nosy neighbor that becomes obsessed with solving the mystery of his son’s identity. I also found it very interesting to meet all of the women from his past. I thought the performances were great and I looked forward to meeting each new woman each time he left for another destination.

Netflix Synopsis: After being dumped by yet another girlfriend (Julie Delpy), Don Johnston (Bill Murray) vows he'll be alone forever. But when a mysterious unsigned letter arrives in the mail, he's surprised to learn he has a 19-year-old son. With no idea who the mother could be, Don sets out on a cross-country journey to confront his past, surprising a series of old flames (Frances Conroy, Jessica Lange, Sharon Stone and Tilda Swinton) along the way.