Jamie's Two Cents Title

Movie Review: Love, Lights, Hanukkah!

Rating:

 4.5/5

There is little to kvetch about here folks! My Jewish heart was filled with this movie! Ben Savage, who I will always remember as Cory Matthews from Boy Meets World, makes a perfect match with Mia Kirshner.

Mia plays Christina, a woman who’s adopted mother recently died, so she decides to take a DNA test and discovers she’s 50% Jewish.

Through the test, she also finds she has a close relative. The relative, Becky, and her exchange messages and she agrees to meet Becky and her brother Scott at their restaurant.

While at the restaurant, Christina meets David Singer, a restaurant critic who rated her lasagna as forgetful and predictable. Christina gives him a hard time for the review, but Becky tells her he’s a good guy.

While at the restaurant Becky invites Christina to dinner to meet their mother, Ruth. At dinner, we all find out Ruth is Christina’s mother.

Ruth was briefly married to an Italian, Giorgio but had the marriage annulled and discovered she was pregnant when she returned home. Unable to care for the infant, she gave her up for adoption.

You’ll have to watch the movie to find out what happens after that, but let’s cover my two cents 😉

I initially struggled with the DNA testing results. Christina finds out she’s 50% Jewish and her first concern is how she’ll celebrate Jewish holidays? I didn’t understand this reaction. I’m not sure what my first thought or concern would be, but focusing on the Jewish holidays was odd to me.

However, I majorly applauded her for wanting to reach out to Becky and discover that relationship. I also loved how open and welcoming Becky and Scott were to Christina. They didn’t know her that well, but they welcomed her into the family immediately.

Even Ruth welcomed Christina before she realized who she was. I think they even invited Christina to join them in celebrating Hanukkah with them prior to them realizing who she was.

Speaking of Hanukkah…Lets talk about the Hanukkah traditions! Dreidel Dreidel Dreidel I made you out of clay…Did you see all the dreidels in the movie!! OMG! They were so beautiful! From the opening scenes, to seeing Ruth’s whole collection, they were mesmerizing. I’ve never thought about having a dreidel collection, but I might need to start one. You can see some of them in the picture below.

Beyond the dreidels, I loved how they explained the miracle of Hanukkah, what each candle’s purpose was, and taught Christina the candle lighting prayer. It was hilarious hearing her trying to say “Baruch,” and David saying she needed to do it with more phlegm. I had to tell my kids the same thing this year! My husband is a lost cause. I think he’ll always say “Baruck.” LOL. It’s okay, he tries!

The kids love lighting the candles and saying the prayer. They also love eating potato latkes! I added some pictures of our latkes and menorahs below.

I got a kick out of Scott’s 8 crazy latkes. His recipes were so creative! I’m not so sure chocolate latkes would have been a good idea, but I would have tried them 😀 Plus Christina learning to cook them with her mom. Awww…so sweet!

All this talk of Hanukkah and I totally forgot to talk about Christina and David! They were adorable. Christina’s animosity over the lasagna review was short lived, but funny, because everyone talked about it. Plus, Christina’s mom was such a nudnik and kept prying and poking at the two of them to get together. It reminded me of every Jewish mom I’ve seen portrayed in movies/tv.

Overall, this was a cute and funny movie. I appreciated the Jewish traditions they kept alive plus the addition of the Christmas party and angel statue at the end to honor Christina’s adoptive mother. That statue was seriously beautfiul!

I hope you watch this so you can hear the 1-2 dozen different ways David says goodbye. Arrivederci, ciao, aloha, sayonara, adiós, au revior! Happy movie watching y’all! Hasta la vista 😂

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Movie Review: Time for Us to Come Home for Christmas

Rating

 4/5

It all starts with a red envelope and a reindeer postmark. Sarah (Lacey Chabert) receives a red envelope in the mail she assumes is from her boss, which grants her a free stay at The Snowfall Inn.

While at the Inn, she discovers it wasn’t a gift from her boss and several other people staying at the Inn received the same envelopes.

What do these people have in common? Is there a bigger purpose to bringing them together? Who is behind the red envelopes? Watch the movie to find out!

Here’s my two cents worth…

This quiet movie about mystery, fate, and love will have you smiling and rooting for all the different stories to have their happily ever afters.

I watched this movie one time when it premiered, but was too tired to write my review right away. By the time I had a chance to sit down and write this, I couldn’t really remember the movie. Sure, I had my notes, but my notes really just record the basics of what happens and some good quotes I might be able to use when I write my review.

I finally caught it on TV and was able to watch it again. It’s really a sweet movie. I usually lean more towards the super funny romcoms like Good Morning Christmas (2020) or the heart catchers like Christmas Town (2019). So, it’s not a surprise this didn’t make a lasting impression.

I’m a die hard Lacey Chabert fan and she was good in this movie. Her co-lead Stephen Huszar was also good. He’s not my type, but he was good. But that kiss at the end? Nope. Not feeling it. 0 passion. Such a let down.

In many ways Ben and Sarah’s romance is overshadowed by Ted and Karen. They were easily the cutest couple in the movie and you found yourself rooting for them the most.

Just look at how cute they are!!

Maybe it was because second chance romances are kind of my thing. They make my heart say “awwww…” EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. I feel like sometimes you meet your love too early in life and you aren’t ready for each other. Then, when the stars align, fate brings you back together.

Fate originally brought all the envelopers together. Then the secret red envelope giver brought all the characters together a second time, which is good, because if this was a movie about just Ben and Sarah, it would be boring. We would have all switched to find something better.

Overall, Hallmark did a good job assembling the whole cast and bringing together each story line without it being overwhelming like The Christmas House. If you have a chance, give this movie a try. It won’t blow your socks off, but it’s cute. Happy movie watching y’all!

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Product Review: Fannie May S’mores Snack Mix

Rating

 4.5/5

My husband said I should write a review on this S’mores Snack Mix by Fannie May. I’ve resisted writing it a lot longer than I’ve resisted shoving handfuls of this chocolate heaven in my mouth on an almost daily basis. This is your warning…this chocolate delight is as addictive as CRACK…eat at your own risk.

How did I allow such an addictive substance in our house?? Well, my husband was sent to Costco for normal list items and detoured down the snack isle where he decided to buy this based on many positive reviews on a Costco product review Facebook group. I told him no. He didn’t listen. Sound familiar friends??

So, he came home with the first bag. It was opened. He tried a little, I tried A LOT and now we have a Fannie May S’mores Snack Mix addict in the house. So…

If you’re trying to lose weight DO NOT BUY THIS.

If you’re ingredient conscious DO NOT BUY THIS.

If you have addiction issues DO NOT BUY THIS.

These wonderful pieces of milk CHOCOLATE covered MARSHMALLOWS and GRAHAM CRACKERS cereal pieces are so delicious that you won’t be able to stop yourself from eating them. You’ll find that you need to keep them on a high shelf that requires extra effort to reach and dose them in small “bunny cups” (in our house these are small Tupperware cups), otherwise half the bag will disappear and you’ll be puzzled as to where it went. Or rather, your husband who insisted on buying it will wonder where it went if you don’t make secret trips to Costco to replace what you ate. Not that I do that…that would be wrong…

The good news: at approximately $10 for an 18 oz bag from Costco, this isn’t a bad price per ounce for chocolate covered deliciousness.

The bad news: at 140 calories for a measly 1/4 cup serving, you’ll be wondering why your yoga pants are shrinking in the dryer if you aren’t careful. Obviously the dryer is to blame here!

I dare you to try this and tell me what you think! I’m thinking we need more S’mores Snack Mix addicts at this point. Then maybe I won’t feel so back about my inability to control my chocolate habit. Happy snacking y’all!

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Book Review: My (Mostly) Fake Romance

My (Mostly) Fake Wedding (My Mostly Funny Romance #2)

My (Mostly) Fake Wedding by Penelope Bloom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A (mostly) good book

This book wasn’t quite as good as the first one in the series, but it was funny and cute. I didn’t have that same “can’t put it down” feeling though.

In this book, Chris is about to be kicked off his football team and Damon sets him up with a fake marriage to help keep him on the team.

Chris is a big man-child. Everything is a joke, except for his feelings for Belle. He needs to come to his senses and tell Belle how he really feels before it’s too late.

Belle is a wedding planner who was recently humiliated at a wedding she was planning for her childhood sweetheart. She signs on to help plan Chris’ wedding, but can’t set aside her feelings for him.

Lots of great scenes in this book! From the mile high club walk of shame to the flower garden in Europe, I enjoyed so much of this!

If you’re looking for the same level of sex as the first book, I think you’ll be disappointed. I felt like the first book had more/better sex scenes, but this one had more humor.

Give this book and series a try. It’s a solid pick for your next reading indulgence. Happy reading y’all!!

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Movie Review: A Little Christmas Charm

Rating:

 4/5

I’ve now watched this movie like 5 times. Not because I enjoyed it that much, but because I kept seeing bits and pieces of it and it never thrilled me enough to make time to watch the whole thing at once.

It actually reminded me a lot of The Christmas Ring that played a few weeks ago. I didn’t review that one, because I also watched it in bits and pieces and it didn’t thrill me all that much. If I see it again, I might do a review on it, so I can compare the two for you.

In the mean time, let’s discuss A Little Christmas Charm. There’s not much to this movie. Holly works in a shop during the day, but creates jewelry on the side. She discovers a charm bracelet in a coat that was donated and decides to find the owner, because she knows how important the bracelet must be to the owner who lost it. Greg, a journalist, discovers Holly is trying to do something selfless, and wants to document it for a Holiday Heroes news piece.

I really enjoyed how they investigated each clue and discovered it’s meaning. It was like watching a non-gory CSI or NCIS episode!

I enjoyed the train scene a lot! How cool would it be to dress-up like you’re from the 1930’s and go on a train ride or spend an evening with others dressed the same way. It would be like you’ve gone back to the future.

Then there was the gala where they dressed up. I loved Holly’s red dress, but I don’t recall Greg having one of those drooling moments over her. Where was the chemistry? He should have been complementing her and giving her more looks than what I saw.

In fact, I didn’t really feel chemistry between the two leads throughout the majority of the movie. They had a joint goal and they worked well together, but I didn’t feel passion from them.

Despite the chemistry issue, I really enjoyed the ending where we hear the full explanation of what the charms were and how they came to be. They wrapped up all the loose endings nicely. The kiss at the end? Eh. I wasn’t running to find my husband to reenact that one.

If this movie is on you should give it a shot. It’s entertaining from the investigation perspective, but don’t expect much in the romance department. I hope you enjoy it a little. Happy movie watching y’all!

Movie Review: Christmas She Wrote

Rating:

 4.5/5

When I read the title of this movie, I was really excited, because I thought it was going to be a Murder She Wrote type of Christmas movie. I love mysteries! I knew Hallmark wouldn’t do a murder mystery Christmas movie, but I thought maybe there could be another mystery that needed to be solved. We’ve seen a lost charm bracelet and lost ring, so why not something else? Sadly, this wasn’t meant to be.

Instead, this movie is about Kayleigh, a columnist for a New York paper. She writes a column called Your Best Self, which is a self-help column.

Tripp is brought onto the paper to clean house and cut costs. He cuts Kayleigh’s column without even reading it! Jerk! Kayleigh’s readership revolts and the owner of the paper insists Tripp rehire Kayleigh or he will be out of a job.

When Kayleigh won’t return Tripp’s phone calls, Tripp decides the best way to convince her to come back to the paper is to visit her in Pineberry, where Kayleigh is visiting her sister. Will Tripp be able to convince Kayleigh to return? Or will Dan, Kayleigh’s previous flame, rekindle their romance and send Tripp home jobless?

You’ll have to watch the movie to see how this ends, but I’ll tell you what I thought of it.

First, I loved Kayleigh! She is a strong, funny, sassy, no-nonsense woman. For example, when she sees Tripp in Pineberry, she asks him if there’s a Grinch convention in town 😂

Then, when he says he isn’t leaving Pineberry without her, she tells him to go see a realtor, because he’s going to be here a long time. You go girl! But my favorite line is probably when she cooks dinner and tells everyone her cooking comes with a warning label, eat at your own risk. 😂 Better than the line itself was Tripp and Dan’s reactions to trying her food. OMG! What won’t a man do for love?

Speaking of men looking for love. Let’s talk a little about Dan and Tripp. I’m glad they brought Dan into this movie. Without him, the movie would have fallen flat. I actually liked Dan more than Tripp, but I’m not a huge Dylan Neal fan. Dylan always comes off as a jerk to me. I’m usually more into Mr. Nice Guy, Sir Knight, or Ze Bad Boy, but not Lé Jerk. Unless said Jerk becomes Mr. Nice Guy, but Dylan just never seems to do that for me.

Anyhow, this movie kept my attention while I was desperately looking for missing packages (UPS and USPS will be the death of me this year). How many times can UPS lose the same package?! Squirrel! Back to the movie…it managed to keep my attention even while I was desperately trying to work on other things and I kept finding myself laughing.

So, if you’re looking for a good romcom to pass the night, give this one a try! I think you’ll find something to enjoy about it. Don’t forget to leave a comment and let me know what you think! Happy movie watching y’all!

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Product Review: Conair 1875W Double Ceramic Hair Dryer

Rating:

 4/5

I had to get a new hair dryer, because my daughter is old enough to have her own. Boo whooo!! 😢 They grow up so fast!

Now, admittedly I didn’t do a lot of research before buying this one. I’ve had great luck with CONAIR in the past, so I walked into Target, looked at which CONAIR models they had and went “eenie, meenie, minie, moe!” (from here on out, I’ll be calling this hair dryer Moe). It’s the fastest significant purchase I’ve made in a while.

First, I want to tell you about how pretty Moe is. Let’s face it, she is a beauty! All white with some some rose gold accents gives her a classic yet sophisticated look.

Second, Moe is nice and light. I have weak hands due to carpal tunnel and some other arm issues, so I need something light that I won’t accidentally drop on my head. Moe is a definite winner in this category!

Third, she has good/solid options for heat and air flow at a reasonable volume. There are 3 buttons. One to blow cold air, one to select a heat setting (Hot, Warm, or Cool), and a final button to select High or Low air flow. Lots of options! I typically use Warm or Cold air on Low flow. Keep that in mind with the rest of my review.

While I like all the options for heat and air speed, I’m not thrilled with the location/type of these buttons. The top blue snowflake button is right where I normally hold my dryer. I’m sure I’ll get use to holding it a little lower, but I haven’t yet. My last hair dryer has this same button, but it must be a little lower, because I don’t have issues holding it.

The other two buttons are in an okay position, BUT (and this is a big BUT for me) they are push buttons. My last hair dryer had slide buttons. So, I would need to move them up and down in order for them to work. These buttons just need to be pushed in, which is easily done accidentally while drying your hair. Sorry Moe, but you’re not getting any points for PITA (pain in the A$$) buttons!

I’ve been using Moe for about a month now. I have thinner wavy hair that frizzes easily. I use the concentrator (that’s the plastic cone add-on) to help reduce the frizz, but it’s no better than my last hair dryer. If I want really straight hair, I need to whip out my Revlon one step or my ancient Chi flat iron. So, I give Moe a passing grade on this and hair drying speed, but she isn’t any better/worse than I’ve had in the past.

Another draw is the cord length. I really wish they would give us longer electrical cords for hair dryers. When I was younger I started using an extension cord specifically for my hair dryer. To this day, I will travel with an extension cord to make up for the terrible lack of cord length on these machines.

Overall, Moe is extremely similar to my last CONAIR hair dryer. I’m deducting a point for the type of button. While I’m sure I’ll get use to them, I liked the slide buttons more, because there was very little risk to accidentally changing the heat or speed. If this sounds like a good fit, then give it a try! You can use my link below to see this more about this dryer on Amazon.

Do you have this dryer? If not, do you have one you LOVE? Leave me a comment! I’d like to hear from you!

Movie Review: Chistmas in Evergreen: Bells are Ringing

Rating:

 3/5

I swear I remember watching the Christmas in Evergreen movie last year and enjoying it. This one? Not so much. It left me completely underwhelmed and happy for it to be over. Not just because I couldn’t get into it, but also because Lacey Chabert is on next!

I’m generously giving this movie 3 stars, because of the corny/funny parts in it. I think my favorite characters in the whole movie was Jenny and Josie Cooper, the two elderly sisters who were funny and adorable throughout the movie. They finished each other’s sentences and made the whole movie brighter.

The second part of the movie I thoroughly enjoyed was the wrapping paper fight scene. Especially when the glitter was threatened to be used. Glitter is a serious threat y’all! It’s like sand on the beach. It goes in every nook and cranny and truly never comes out. I sometimes find glitter in my house from over a year ago and sand in sandals from 10 years ago.

The last part I really liked was the part that makes Evergreen itself. For example, when Michelle’s Sister and Dad said that Christmas isn’t really their thing and the whole restaurant dropped their flatware with a clang and stared, I giggled like a schoolgirl. And Nick showing up exactly when he’s needed? I love that kind of Christmas magic!

Aside from those few things, there wasn’t much for me to enjoy. Jeb Cooper comes to town from whatever hole he lived in and has a bug up his butt that his Sisters (Jenny and Josie) had given the town use of the hat factory that was just wasting away. Michelle and her fiance are trying to have a wedding on 12/23, but they’re being kept apart by snow. Hannah and Elliot are facing tough times with Elliot wanting to open a new store in Boston. That pretty much sums up the movie.

So overall, this movie falls flat. If it’s on, give it a try, but it’s not making my top movies list and I will put this on the shelf with this year’s Godwink movie, which is sad, because I thought I’d enjoy both of these more than I did. Happy movie watching y’all!

Book Review: My (Mostly) Secret Baby

My (Mostly) Secret Baby (My Mostly Funny Romance #1)

My (Mostly) Secret Baby by Penelope Bloom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Grumpy Boss with Heart of Gold

Penelope Bloom delivers another great - couldn’t put it down - RomCom. I laughed, cried, and loved every bit of this book!

Chelsea is the most stubborn person I have ever known. She can’t step back from a challenge and when she meets this grumpy, stuck-up man while crashing a PR conference, she gets sucked into a challenge she can’t say no to. The challenge? He can make her yell “yes!” as she hits a big O.

The book then jumps 5 years ahead and Chelsea is in a place in her life where she needs to go to Mr Grumpy for a job. She gets the job and the sexual tension builds and builds.

This book will seriously have you reaching for relief! There are lots of love scenes and fantasies. You won’t be left hanging in that department.

Give this a read if you’re looking for a fun/funny RomCom book. Happy reading y’all!

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Movie Review: Mulan (2020)

Rating:

 4.5/5

If you don’t know this yet, I love all things Disney, but I’ve really struggled with all these remakes. I was a 1980’s kid and grew up with the cartoon versions of these movies and I loved everything about them, especially the songs. I think I can still sing almost every Disney song and Mulan had one of my favorites. I bet you can’t guess which! 😉

Did you guess I’ll Make a Man Out of You? I did enjoy this song a lot, but it wasn’t my favorite. Nope. Guess again!

Did you guess Christina Aguilera’s Reflection? Ding Ding Ding! We have a winner!! Have you heard the latest version? No? Why not?? It’s wonderful! I made it easy on you…have a listen below 😀

As a parent of a 4 and 8 year old, I’ve wound up watching all these remakes. The Lion King and Aladdin both stay very close to the original movies. I think both added in one new song, and resistant to change as I am, I didn’t like them at first, but now the new song, Speechless, from Aladdin has a space in my heart like all the other Disney songs I love.

But in this Mulan? There’s no music with words. There’s some phantoms of my favorite songs, which I’m grateful for, but the actual songs with words are gone. 😢

This lead me to feel more like I was watching Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. It was beautiful and artistic, but it felt like it was missing some of that Disney magic I love. There was some magic in the phoenix that came to watch over Mulan, but that phoenix was no Mush, and I missed the comedy from Mushu and the lucky cricket terribly.

Beyond the phoenix, there was a shape shifting witch! A witch who started just like Mulan. A woman with amazing talent, but unlike Mulan, she was shunned and dishonored. So, she sought revenge and teamed up with Böri Khan to destroy the Emperor.

No worries though, because the witch is offered the opportunity to redeem herself and what Disney movie would it be if a villain couldn’t be redeemed? Always have faith! Beyond faith, this movie placed emphasis on virtues the soldiers needed to embody and make a pledge to be:

Loyal
True
Brave

I feel like we could all use these pledges in our lives.

Overall, this movie kept my 8 year old and I engaged the whole time. Neither of us wanted to leave long enough to even let the dogs outside (sorry to hubby for making him do that while we sat on the couch like lumps on a log). There were even a few parts where I held my breath or clenched my hands, anxious for what was to come! I mean sure, the nostalgic 1980’s kid in me missed everything I listed, but the 2020’s me is embracing the change and enjoying this remake. I included the new song from the new Mulan soundtrack below. Maybe it’ll grow on you! Happy movie watching y’all!

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Movie Review: USS Christmas

Rating:

 2/5

Oh my goodness!! I tried to watch this movie 3 times. I’ll admit, the first 2 times, I half-assed attempted, but on the third try I fully committed – like I said “I do” – to watching it! I put the movie on, put my feet up, covered myself with my warm furry blanket, propped my Chromebook on my lap, and hunkered down to watch the movie.

And it kept my attention for…wait for it…2 MINUTES! 2 FREAKING MINUTES!! UGH! Have you ever tried catching a flea? My dogs had a couple of fleas this summer and those buggers are fast! You think you have your eye on it, and then it’s gone. That’s like this movie.

I thought I was watching it, but I must have been staring into space, because I’m sitting here wondering what is going on?! I saw the opening scene where Maddie spills her drink on the other woman, I saw her ask for permission to take leave to go on the ship for the holidays, and then BAM! I’m watching Maddie find an article about a wedding and the movie is wrapping up.

Maybe I got abducted for an hour and a half? I mean, that’s the only reasonable explanation, right? Haha! Kidding! A shiny object must have caught my attention…SQUIRREL!

Anyhow, I think this movie and I weren’t a match made in Hallmark matrimony. I’m giving it 2 stars, because the beginning and end were okay. It was everything in between that just couldn’t hold my interest. So, I can’t recommend watching this movie, but if military movies are your thing, then give it a chance. I hope it’s better for you than it was for me!

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Book Review: My Big Fat Fake Honeymoon

My Big Fat Fake Honeymoon by Lauren Landish
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lorenzo to the Rescue

The youngest Andrews, Abi, gets herself in the craziest messes! This time, she tells a childhood nemesis she’s on her honeymoon with Lorenzo, a chef she only met once at her sister’s wedding.

Abi is crazy and fun and everything you want in a bestie. She lives her life doing what she wants and has created a flower business from the ground up, because she loves making flower arrangements.

Lorenzo is a bastard chef who flits from kitchen to kitchen around the world. Originally from Italy, he makes amazing fettuccini that a famous bride to be must have at her wedding, which sends him to Aruba to work on the same wedding as Abi.

Lorenzo is the biker, tatted up, Italian speaking bad boy that women dream about having in bed. He may be this “bastard” chef on the surface, but he’s actually an awesome guy. He’s the sweetest to Abi and he has you saying, “awwww...” practically every time he opens his mouth.

Read this book! You’ll enjoy everything about it. From the vibrator grabbing sex scenes to Jane’s cut a bitch craziness this book is great! Happy reading y’all!!

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Movie Review: If I Only Had Christmas

Rating:

 5/5

This is such a cute movie! I loved everything from the first meeting to the family filled ending. Candace Cameron Bure and Warren Christie are the perfect match in this fun romcom!

Quick recap:

Darcy is a Publicist who makes a bid to do the PR for Austin Inc (AI), but doesn’t get the account. So instead, she volunteers to create a PR campaign for Emerald Education Trust (Emerald), which is owned by AI.

Darcy meets with Glen Goodman to discuss the PR campaign and Glen decides to watch over her as she works her magic on Emerald to create a PR campaign that works for everyone.

This movie is definitely 5 star worthy. I absolutely love Darcy! I mean, who doesn’t?! Even the most cold hearted Dr. Tinsley eventually gives in to Darcy’s charms.

I don’t think anyone stands a chance against the force of nature that is Darcy. She is a total “YES!” girl. She doesn’t stop when someone says “No.” She finds new ways to accomplish her goal, but not at the cost of hurting someone’s feelings. She builds confidence and trust in everyone she meets. She’s a good person deep down and it shows!

Even when Darcy meets Glen and doesn’t know it’s him, she nicely calls him a jerk by calling him Curmudgeony and a “No” guy, but she does it in such a way that Glen doesn’t take offense. Instead, Glen agrees with her and asks her to dinner. It’s so cute! Apparently I need to insult my husband more to get a few dates out of him. Haha! But Glen’s right…how often do you hear unsolicited honest feedback about yourself? Not often enough!

I could gush about this movie all night, but I won’t. I want you to be able to enjoy many of the wonderful jokes and life lessons yourself.

I would be lying if I said there was anything surprising about this movie. I called the ending within the first 10 minutes, but that’s okay. Candace and Warren are absolutely adorable together! They carry the movie through the predictable plot.

Give this movie a try and let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Happy movie watching y’all!!

Favorite movie quote: I didn’t know what I was missing until you dropped into my life – Glen

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Movie Review: Christmas Waltz

Rating:

 5/5

I have a HUGE crush on Lacey Chabert. I feel I need to admit things like this before I give you my reviews, because this absolutely impacts them. Regardless of my crush, this was a very good and super sweet Hallmark movie!

Movie Overview:

Lacey plays Avery, a woman who breaks up with her fiance, David, shortly before the wedding when he takes a job in a different city and suggests they “stick a pin” in their wedding. Avery knew she deserved someone better who wouldn’t put their relationship on hold like that.

While planning the wedding, Avery had scheduled dance lessons for the wedding, but didn’t have the opportunity to start them prior to calling off the wedding. Avery called to cancel the lessons, but was unable to get anything other than a busy signal, so she visited the studio and met Roman (Will Kemp). Roman eventually convinces Avery to keep the lessons. Through the lessons, Avery and Roman grow closer together, but you’ll have to watch the movie to know exactly how.

We’ve talked about my crush on Lacey, so now we need to address my new crush on Will! I think it’s mostly the accent, blue eyes, and earnestness he exudes, but I can’t stop wishing Roman would be around to calm me down when I start crying. The looks he gives Lacey throughout the movie… **Swoon** And what does Avery do every time they start getting closer? She runs! Literally. Runs. Away.

No worries though, because Roman has the patience of a saint. He gives her space when she needs space and pushes her when she needs pushing. He’s the perfect compliment to her.

Okay, I’m done swooning over Will for right now. This movie had some really cute scenes. One of my favorites was the dancing down the street scene that – for some reason – reminds me of Mary Poppins. It was so much fun!

Avery and Roman had fun throughout the movie. Even when Avery threw a snowball and Roman fell and got a concussion. Avery lies and says she’s his wife, so she can visit him in the ER. Then she checks in on him early the next morning and attempts to make breakfast. Unfortunately, she burns it horribly, but Roman was too sweet to tell her how horrible it was.

Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone ate your burnt food and told you how wonderful it was?? I’m thinking of my family…NOPE…they tell it like it is. Don’t worry though, Roman calls a spade a spade later he tells her, “Teaching you to dance is more painful than a concussion.” LOL!

I could go on and on about all the wonderful parts of this movie, but I think you should watch it for yourself and enjoy the Matryoshka story, Nicky’s supporting role (he was absolutely adorable!), Roman’s Mom teaching Avery to cook, and the overall sweetness and comedy that makes up this movie. Happy movie watching y’all!

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Movie Review: Five Star Christmas

 5/5

I love these cute comedy centered sweet movies. Sure they’re a little – okay, a lot – predictable, but they’re so cute too!

In this movie, Lucy and her siblings return to her childhood home to find it’s been converted to The Ralston Inn. Lucy’s Dad hasn’t had any guests and needs to in order to keep the Inn.

The family discovers that a famous B & B blogger, Bea Turner, is in the area when Beth Thomson appears without a reservation. They suspect Beth is Bea and don’t want her to think there aren’t any guests, so some family members become staff, while others become guests. Basically, craziness ensues as people pretend to be who they’re not.

To add to the craziness, shortly after Beth arrives, so does Jake Finley. Jake is doing a geological study in the area and needs somewhere to stay for a few nights. Jake and Lucy hit it off immediately.

While the family tries to maintain their new identities and impress who they believe to be Bea, they have a great time with their guests.

Here’s break down of the characters for those trying to keep track of who’s who:

Hopefully the family tree helps. I had to take notes!

That’s probably one of the down sides to this movie. You barely learn people’s names when they’re changing names and who they are. No worries though, because this also contributes to a lot of the comedy!

After Beth arrives, someone needs to take her bags to her room, so Will runs like the building is on fire, grabs the bags and runs back into the house without being seen because Lucy distracts her. It’s a cute little scene that had me chuckle, because at the time, he was suppose to be “Clayton” the guest.

In fact, all the supporting cast was great in this movie! I loved Walter’s earnestness and his reaction when he won the ugly sweater contest. I also loved how everyone reacted to Francesca’s food and how they always watched Beth take the first bite to see her reaction. I would totally respond the same way to green soup though. What was in that?! Now I suddenly have a craving for Schnitzel from the Pinewood Cottage Inn. Haha! Don’t get it? Watch the movie!

Beyond the awesome supporting cast, the leads for Lucy and Jake were equally fantastic. I loved them trying to out quote sassafras facts and even though Jake won, he still gave it to Lucy. Smart man!! He realized she was too proud and stubborn to take it, so he paid for it and left it at the register. Awww…

Jake knew how to handle Lucy from the beginning. They were really like two puzzle pieces fitting together, which was one reason why the ending didn’t seem to fit for me. It felt like the whole ending was very rushed. I would have liked if they slowed it down just a little. Maybe cut out some of the beginning to be able to focus more on the end.

You should watch this and let me know what you think. Did they rush the ending? Did you enjoy it? Let me know!! Happy movie watching y’all!

See what I did there? I rushed the ending. Consider the rest of this a BONUS! Haha!

I’m giving this 5 stars because so much of this movie was overwhelmingly good. I had a small issue with the way Lucy and Jake come together in the end, because it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. Mostly because I felt it was rushed.

Also, the super fake snowman killed my Midwestern heart. I can deal with digital and/or fake snow, but that fake snowman was pretty terrible. Snow doesn’t rock back and forth when you’re stacking the balls.

It feels wrong for taking stars for those minor issues. So, I can’t do it. Enjoy this movie for what it is. A cute Hallmark Romcom – meant to make you laugh and say awww at the appropriate moments, and it does that!

Sorry folks, this was a long one! I’m going to leave you with a few quotes I enjoyed. I wanted to work them into this post, but it didn’t work out. This way you still get to enjoy them! Happy movie watching!

- “You’re like Scrooge and the Grinch rolled into one” – Francesca to Lucy
- [discussing the purpose of a gift] “Very nice, but totally unnecessary” – Lucy
  - “Isn’t that the definition of a gift?” – Jake
- “What I want most in this life is a great adventure and I can’t think of a greater adventure than having a baby with you” – Will to Suzanne