Category Archives: movies

31 Day Blog Challenge: Day 5

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Hey, guys! Are you enjoying the 31 Day Blog Challenge? Is anyone else doing it, too? Today’s prompt is favorite movies you never get sick of watching. I am a BIG movie fan and a total sucker for $5 DVD deals (so much so, in fact, that I have had to create a DVD wish list I keep on my phone and only allow myself to buy deals from the list!). That being said, here are some of the movies I enjoy the most or have had the habit of watching over and over.

 

photo (1)

 

What movies have you watched over and over? 

new year’s all year: october reflections and november goals

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In January I introduced the 2012 New Year’s All Year Challenge, in which I made broad “endpoint” goals for the year and explained that each month I will make specific small goals that are stepping stones to my endpoint aims. Each month I will also reflect on the previous month’s goals and efforts.

 

 

 

October goals:

  • Health: get enough sleep
  • Finances: budget and stick to it
  • Relationships: try to balance relationships with work in a good way
  • Wedding: BOOK A PHOTOGRAPHER and go bridesmaid dress shopping
  • Career: stay on top of to-do list and fundraising for swimming
  • Self-enrichment: take time to a read a fun book or listen to history podcasts

 

October reflections:

Health:  I really struggled with getting enough sleep this month. Partly because of all that I had to do, partly because I was worrying a lot so I had trouble sleeping. Either way, I did my best. For the most part, I think I did okay. Hopefully I can do better in November. Finances: I budgeted and stuck to it pretty well! Definitely something I plan to keep up. Relationships: I did my best to balance seeing friends, family, and Dan and keeping up with work. I think I did decently. It’s hard because I love spending time with the people I love, but I also don’t want to fall behind on work. Wedding: A photographer has FINALLY been booked!!! Dan took the reins and settled a contract with our first-choice photographer. I’m so relieved and excited! My sister Jackie, who is my maid of honor/only bridesmaid, and I went dress shopping this month. We didn’t find a dress that we liked at the store we looked at, but we got better ideas what we wanted. Career: I am doing better with staying on top of things, though there is still so much to do all the time! And I am enjoying it more again now that I have a bit more of a rhythm.  Self-enrichment: I travel every other weekend to visit Dan (we’re in different cities until we get married) and I look forward to listening to Stuff You Missed in History Class on the rides. I’ve also started reading for fun again, as a way to get my mind off my never-ending to-do list.

 

Source: google.com via Kelly on Pinterest

 

 

November goals:

  • Health: make attending the group exercise classes I enjoy a priority and don’t feel guilty about using that time for exercise instead of work! Also consume less caffeine.
  • Finances: budget and stick to it; meet monthly savings goal
  • Relationships: make sure I thank those in my life for the ways they enrich it
  • Wedding: Ask for help with planning and start figure out best florist/flower option
  • Career: reflect on how my first quarter of teaching went and make/implement plans on how to improve the second; start swim season off on a great note with the students, continue working on fundraisers, and get all home meet preparations done well ahead of time
  • Self-enrichment: schedule regular pockets of time to myself to unwind (read a book for fun, bake, cook, watch a movie without also grading, BLOG, etc.) and don’t feel guilty about doing so!

 

bucket list: fall 2012

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Every time a new season rolls around, I think about all the reasons why that one has to be my favorite. And every year, when fall arrives, I wonder how I even questioned which season takes top honors. I ADORE autumn and embrace every second of it! Pumpkin and apple flavored everything? Cool crisp weather? Sweatshirts and boots and layers galore? Football? Start of the holiday season? Does it get any better?!

 

So while I wasn’t super successful at my summer 2012 bucket list (only completing numbers 1, 4, 5, 6, and 9), I’m of course making one for fall, too. After all, it’s a bucket list – you write down all you hope to do and achieve, and make the best of it!

  1. Bake something with pumpkin in it and/or make caramel apples.
  2. Clock in miles on a trail (running, biking, walking, whatever) and take in all the different colored leaves.
  3. Attend a football game of the high school where I work.
  4. Have a campfire, make s’mores, and drink hot chocolate.
  5. Make a new decoration each for Halloween and Thanksgiving.
  6. Rake up a big pile of leaves and then jump in it
  7. Try some new healthy casseroles and soups that can be made in a slow cooker.
  8. Watch a scary movie I haven’t seen before.
  9. Go on a hayride and/or go to a festival.
  10. Carve pumpkins.

What are your favorite things about fall? What plans do you have for the 2012 season?

 

watch it: movies i’ve seen summer 2012

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Movie: The Avengers
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

See it if you enjoy: Ironman, the Hulk, Thor, or Captain America, insane special effects, and movies filmed in Cleveland ; )

Movie: Prometheus
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

See it if you enjoy: the Aliens movie franchise or serious-style sci-fi, alternate stories of how humans came to be, and gross and somewhat gory scenes

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
See it if you enjoy: classic Will Smith humor alongside a Tommy Lee Jones-style straight man, stories that involve time-travel, and sci-fi with heart

 

Movie: Brave
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

See it if you enjoy: anything Pixar has made, Scottish accents, movies about mothers and daughters, and fairy tales

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
See it if you enjoy: comic book-inspired superhero movies, new tellings of familiar stories, and the acting of Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Denis Leary, Andrew Garfield, and Emma Stone

 

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
See it if you enjoy: Batman Beyond and The Dark Knight, stories about the strength of the human spirit, and the spectacular acting of too many stars to name

 

Movie: The Watch
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
See it if you enjoy: goofy and crude humor full of quotable lines, silly alien stories, and the acting of Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill, and Richard Ayoade

 

Has anyone else seen any of these films? What did you think of them?

 

things that are making me happy

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Source: beagleandbear.tumblr.com via Kelly on Pinterest

 

What is making you happy as of late?

 

does anyone else…

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…enjoy driving with sunglasses on, the windows down, and music blaring?

…adore black tea lemonades?

…think August 18th is way too long to wait for The Hunger Games on DVD?

…love the start of summer grill-out season?

…read historical nonfiction (like this)?

…not understand the need for so many singing competition shows on TV?

…enjoy cheesy puns (like the ones in the photo above)?

…think napping is wonderful?

 

P.S. Thinking of all those the U.S.A. lost in the line of duty, their legacy, and their families, as well as all living past, present, and future servicemen and women. Thank you.

gift guide: mother’s day

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Have you gotten your mom (or grandma or aunt or wife or new mom relative/friend) a Mother’s Day gift yet?* I’m not a mom, but from what I can by watching my mom and other relatives, and talking with my friends who have already been blessed with their own kiddos, what a mom can benefit from – and enjoy – the most is just plain relaxation! That being said, I think a gift that provides the chance to chill out is just the fit for many moms. Everything below is easy to put together (even if you’re behind schedule):

 

Let Mom kick back with a…

Followed by… 

All the items shown above can be found at popular shopping stops such as Target, Amazon, and Bath & Body Works (the images themselves were taken from my Pinterest).  

 

Would your mom enjoy a gift like the one above? How would you adapt it to fit her personality? How do you plan on celebrating the day?

*The Glitter Guide had a great idea about how to spend Mother’s Day honoring moms who have passed away or supporting friends who have lost their mothers.

 

bucket list: summer 2012

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All right, so I’ve got summer on my mind (and I think that’s okay; it’s May 10th already!). Every year I usually make a “summer fun list” of things I want to do that summer, though I never shared them through this blog before. After seeing Emily’s post, though, I realized it was silly that I never thought to (especially because I have this series here on Beagle & Bear!). In any case, here’s my Summer 2012 Bucket List!

 

 

  1. Go to as many baseball games as possible.
  2. Visit a Cleveland museum.
  3. Go to dinner at Great Lakes Brewery Company.
  4. Complete a 5K.
  5. See some of these movies.
  6. Visit the Columbus zoo (I haven’t been there since before the Polar Frontier opened!)
  7. Try every group fitness class at the gym I recently joined.
  8. Go to Melt Bar & Grilled, but JUST for drinks and dessert.
  9. Go to a concert and/or camping….whatever happens to work out best!
  10. Bike a total of at least 50 miles on the towpath trail.

Basically, I just want to make my summer full of all things Ohio (including the two cities I spend the most time in, Cleveland and Columbus) while including plenty of entertaining experiences and opportunities for fitness. I can’t wait to start knocking items of this list!

Do you have a summer bucket list? What are you most excited about?

 

watch it: movies i’m excited to see this summer

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School may not be out for the K-12 set yet, but for the past four years summer started in May for me, and I would like to continue that tradition – even if I can only be in a summer frame of mind for now! There are many things I love about summer (sunshine, baseball, ice cream, pools and beaches, driving with all the windows down and music up, my birthday, 4th of July, etc.), but one of my favorites is the onslaught of big movies that hit the theaters. Here are the movies I’m most looking forward to seeing this summer! (Or hit up Redbox for when they’re on DVD. Let’s be real.)

 


  • The Avengers, May 4 – I love movies based on comic books, particularly the Marvel franchise. I greatly enjoyed all the movies leading up to The Avengers (Ironman 1 & 2, Thor, & especially Captain America), so I can’t wait for this film! Bonus: The Avengers was filmed in Cleveland! And has some supremely attractive stars.
  • Dark Shadows, May 11 – I never saw the TV show, but the plot intrigues me. The trailer definitely drew me in, not to mention the fact that Johnny Depp, Michelle Phiefer, and Chloe Grace Mortez, all who always give outstanding performances, all have starring roles.
  • What to Expect When You’re Expecting, May 18 - I don’t know what I can say about this movie except that it looks freaking hilarious and stars a ridiculous amount of my favorite actors.
  • Men in Black III, May 25 - Any child of the 90s who knows what’s up is excited for this movie. IT’S ANOTHER MEN IN BLACK FILM.  If I have to offer further explanations to you about why this is exciting, we have a problem.

Source: collider.com via Kelly on Pinterest

  • Prometheus, June 8 – Okay, I’m not actually super psyched for this movie of my own volition. Dan is mega excited and I am excited on his behalf. Plus he promised he’d buy me a big popcorn when we go see it.
  • Rock of Ages, June 15 - I love musicals in any form, so I’m pretty excited for this movie just because it’s a movie musical. However, it’s directed by Adam Shankman, who was responsible for the awesome musical version of Hairspray!, and stars a ton of big stars who have reputations for delivering excellent performances.
  • Brave, June 22 – I am obsessed with Disney and Disney-Pixar movies. I am WAY pumped for another Pixar film, particularly the company’s first fairy tale and first movie starring a female protagonist. (Even if they happen to coincide within the same film. I’m not that picky.)
  • Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, June 22 - I love road trips, which this movie definitely has, and Steve Carrell, Keira Knightley, and Patton Oswalt, which this movie also has.

Source: moviehypesa.blogspot.com via Kelly on Pinterest

  • Magic Mike, June 29 – Channing Tatum, aside from being extremely nice to look at, was hilarious in the recent 21 Jump Street. If the trailer is any indication, this movie should also provide plenty of laughs – and even more shirtless Channing Tatum. Everybody wins!
  • People Like Us, June 29 – While I tend to gravitate towards children’s movies, big-budget action movies, and comedies (as the previously listed movies indicate), I certainly enjoy a well-done drama every now and then. This film looks like such a choice! It centers on questions of family and trust, and stars underrated actors I love like Chris Pine and Elizabeth Banks.
  • The Amazing Spider-Man, July 6 – I credit the early 2000s Spider-Man franchise for jumpstarting my love of comic book movies, so naturally I’m beyond excited for this reboot. Plus – Andrew Garfield? Emma Stone? Yes!!
  • The Dark Knight Rises, July 20 – The Dark Knight was not only a masterpiece of the comic book movie genre, but a masterpiece film in general. I cannot wait to see this follow up, especially since it will add the likes of Anne Hathaway, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, Liam Neeson, and Marion Collitard to the already superb acting of Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freedman, and Michael Caine.

Source: collider.com via Kelly on Pinterest

 

  • Neighborhood Watch, July 27 – I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this movie’s plot, but it stars people I love for their comedic skill, like Jonah Hill, Vince Vaughn, and Ben Stiller, so I’m hoping it will turn out to be pretty entertaining.
  • The Campaign, August 10 – In this film, Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis go head to head as politicians with presidential aims. That enough convinces me to watch this movie. Add in Jason Sudeikis, John Lithgow, and Dan Akyroyd, and I’m set.
  • Hope Springs, August 10 - This is a “movie for grown-ups” about a couple that’s been together for 30 years and wants to rebuild their spark. Plus, I love anything Meryl Streep and/or Steve Carrell does. The end. Oh, and Tommy Lee Jones is pretty cool, too.

Here are some other summer preview lists in case you are interested: IMDB, IGN, Entertainment Weekly, Toronto Sun.

Are you excited for any of these movies? Or movies that aren’t on the list? 

 

 

does anyone else…

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…look forward to the beginning of a new month for new monthly dining specials and shopping deals?

…love Burt’s Bees chapstick?

…prefer leggings to shorts when working out?

…feel gross without two cups of coffee in the morning?

…enjoy key lime pie ice cream?

…like listening to baseball games on the radio better than watching them on TV?

…prefer Mondays to Wednesdays?

…wish *NSYNC would just go on a reunion tour already?

…have plans to see a movie this weekend?

…love giving and receiving greeting cards?

 

 

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