Greatest Kids Songs Ever? Check out Patty Shukla

My little one year old loves music. He bobs along to it, dances like a total frat boy, and giggles. Now, as I have learned over the past few months, not all children's music is created equal.

There are songs that are so annoying you want to pull your ears out.

There are 'entertainers' who dumb down the songs and talk in such baby high voices you can feel your child lose IQ points as you go.

There are cartoons with grainy, boring characters.

There are songs that you learn with, and songs that you don't.

Jake is very particular. If he doesn't like a song (which happens more frequently than you might think), he gets very angry. He throws his head back, sobbing, as if the world was about to end. This is why I have to share what I have found to be the greatest kid songs ever.

Patty Shukla (with a channel on youtube and a website to check out if you are interested) is amazing. Her songs are a mix of kids jumping and playing and acting out the words and cartoons. The music is upbeat and educational. She also encourages kids to get off their butts and move! This is huge in today's world of videogames and iPads. Songs like "Twist", "I Can Do It!" and "Follow Me" make my little man run in circles and get his little baby exercise that he needs. Songs like "Grandma's House" and "Puppy" are cartoons and Jakey loves watching them when he's tired.

I recently learned that Patty has practically a whole empire... not just a few songs on youtube. She does Mommy and Baby music time popcasts, Music Time for older children and all kinds of things to help encourage love of music in little people. She also does sign language songs to help them learn ASL.

I love it.

My only complaint? How bloody addictive her songs. They WILL be stuck in your head all day! :) But definitely check her out on youtube and maybe even get a CD or two if you like her. She's worth it, as my baby will attest.

Thank you for many happy afternoons, Patty!  Now if only you made a song about balls... and Jake's life would be complete. :P

And for you momma's out there who need a nice break, check out my two published novels (with the third coming soon!) Iced Romance, where we deal with a cheating fiance, a runaway bride, and a potential new Prince Charming, all while hiding secrets and trying to escape into a new life. Or, if Hollywood is more your thing, you'll love Tanned, Toned and Totally Faking It, about a celebrity trying to hide who she is from the one person in the world who matters most. Betrayal, gossip, celebrities and fashion, this is a must read!

xox

Amanda Bynes and other struggling starlets

You know someone has been plastered all over the news long enough when my husband, who does not read People.com on a daily basis like I do, comes home from work and says "Wow, you know who's having a crazy meltdown? Amanda Bynes!" Seriously... my husband lives under a rock when it comes to celebrities and their lives, so for him to know about Amanda Bynes, clearly she is having an epic kind of struggle.

Amanda Bynes

It's sad... every day it seems like there are more and more articles capturing Amanda's breakdown... one article I read showed all the seemingly small things she's done over the past year that, when added up, do indeed show a downward spiral. Another article on a different site has people calling her mentally ill and saying that she needs psychiatric help. I have always been an Amanda Bynes fan... my favourite movie of all time is She's The Man and I doubt I will ever find a movie I love more than that one. So I'm hoping she pulls it together, but when looking at other celebs who started young(Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, Drew Barrymore), it takes them time before they can revamp their image. They struggle for a long time before they finally get their lives back together... if they get their lives back together, that is.

Mara Wilson, the adorable child star from Matilda, Mrs Doubtfire, The Miracle on 34th Street and others, wrote an article on seven reasons why so many child stars go crazy, and it makes for an interesting read. This girl, now 21, has her head on straight. She graduated university, she has a job, she lives in NYC and even mentioned that her idea of a party night involves board games and soda. The article is definitely worth your time, and by the end of it, I had a lot of compassion for Amanda Bynes. No, it isn't mandatory for child stars to go off the deep end, but Mara explains how it happens. These poor kids never really have a chance... despite the judgement that we so often throw at them.


Mara Wilson

I can only imagine what poor Amanda is going through. We've all had our down times in life, but think of how much harder it would be to get through if you had millions of people capturing your breakdown through newspapers, video and social media.

So here's my hope... let's be a little nicer. Let's stop passing judgement on the girl. Maybe she does have an emotional or mental disorder, maybe she's experiencing depression or maybe she's gotten herself into the mess by experimenting with drugs that she shouldn't have. But regardless, let's be a little nicer. It's not pleasant to read comments on articles that have random people saying that she is psycho or that she's going to wind up dead. Stop. Just stop.

Be kind. That's all.

And for those sick of the real life drama, how about you disappear into fiction for a bit with these hot summer novels! Tanned, Toned and Totally Faking It is the story of a celebrity trying to hide who she is from the one person in the world who matters most. Betrayal, gossip, celebrities and fashion, this is a must read! Iced Romance is about a girl who finds herself the victim of second hand fame when her hockey player fiance cheats. Secrets, friendships and how to heal a broken heart are just a few of the things you'll love about this book. xoxox

Bachelorette Night One Thoughts

Hey everyone! Looks like we're back for another season of Bachelorette. Not gonna lie, I wish they had kept Bachelor Pad over this one, but what can you do. Anyway, this is not a full recap since not a ton actually happened, but here are a few of my thoughts from the show. Enjoy and then tell me below what you thought! :)

Top quotes of the night:
"My mom says I'm good looking." - Jonathan. Did he really say that? Laughing out loud, for real. Followed by "I'm going to kiss Desiree on the mouth." Your creepiness just accelerated. #WhatNotToSayEVER

"I invented sign spinning." - Robert. Is that actually a thing that could be invented? It's not, I don't know, the lightbulb or something. Who knew. #ModernDayEinstein

"I wish I could go to the party." - Brody, the poor 4 year old kid who is going to have plenty to discuss with his therapist in a few years. Thanks, dad. #FatherOfTheYear

"I gotta do something to get her attention." - Zak, the already half naked man who then decides to jump into a "freezing cold" pool. #TierraSaysYouAreFakingItForAttention

"Somebody get me a towel." - Zak after jumping into the pool and realizing that nobody cared... left alone, forgotten, as the rest of the "men" walk away. Kudos to some random Bachelorette minion for actually giving him one.

• Desiree is a pretty good bachelorette... she's pretty (although she pulled bangs off better than no bangs) and relatively confident (albiet a tad too emotional for my liking... how soon after arriving last night did she start bawling? 3 minutes?) and she should be fun to watch. The guys she got thrown seem, at first glance, sorta pathetic though... here's hoping they have 'good personalities' for this "journey".

I'm photoshopped but I don't care! Yay for roses! (Plus, I'm Cinderella. Duh!)

• I am obsessed with #hashtags now after #hashtagguy. Even though hearing people say #hashtag in everyday conversation is as bad as when people say "LOL". (Side note... I once knew a girl who would say LOL. As in, "That is so funny, el-oh-el." Yup, true story.)
• Brooks... his mouth irritates me. When he isn't talking or moving, he's fine. When he is talking... or moving... he annoys me. This will be a long season. However, in just the photos? Attractive man. 

Yeah, yeah, I need a haircut. I get it. I look like a manly woman. Or John Travolta from Grease. Blah blah blah. But at least it draws attention away from my mouth, right?

• Diogo wore a suit of armour. Enough said.

If this doesn't show her I'm husband material, I don't know what will.

• Nick the magician. Okay, maybe I"m five years old, but I would definitely have kept him around longer. Magic fascinates me. Even though I'm pretty sure Gob on Arrested Development would have been offended.... they are not magic tricks, they're illusions! Genuinely sad to see him go when Des gave him the boot at the end of the episode.
• Des's dress was very sparkly. Sequins are... overrated. Even People magazine agrees with me. I think she would have looked a million times better if the gown (which was a really nice cut/style) was a solid colour without the shiny beads. Just sayin'. Still looked pretty though. #I'mThePrettiestPrincess

Blinded by love? Or by my dress... mwahahaha

• Juan Pablo... attractive, good at soccer... cannot understand a word he says for the life of me. Sigh. And I even majored in Spanish in university. #UselessBachelorsDegree

Anyway, that's all I got from night one. Some of the guys look like they'll be decent. Some look like they'll be nice and annoying (which makes for good tv) and there are also a few creepers thrown in. Should be a fun season.

What did you think? Are you excited for Des as Bachelorette? Do you like her men? Who are you cheering for? I like Drew the best, from what I can remember. Although it usually takes a few episodes before I really start to get an opinion one way or another. Sound off below!

Until next week, ch-ch-check out these hot summer novels! Iced Romance, where we deal with a cheating fiance, a runaway bride, and a potential new Prince Charming, all while hiding secrets and trying to escape into a new life. Or, if Hollywood is more your thing, you'll love Tanned, Toned and Totally Faking It, about a celebrity trying to hide who she is from the one person in the world who matters most. Betrayal, gossip, celebrities and fashion, this is a must read!

Book Review - Mary Higgins Clark "The Lost Years"

I have always been a Mary Higgins Clark fan. I started reading her when I was probably twelve or thirteen because my mom loved her books... and I fell in love with them too. They typically are keep-you-up-at-night thrillers and I adore them. I still think of scenes from Remember Me and Weep No More, My Lady, books that touched me and drew me in.

The newest one, The Lost Years was so far gone from those books I loved it's actually sad.

 

The premise was good. Here's the blurb from the book cover: "Just weeks after discovering a letter that may have been written by Jesus Christ himself, biblical scholar Jonathan Lyons is found shot to death in his study. Police suspect his wife, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, murdered him in a jealous rage. But the priceless parchment is missing, and Jonathan had recently confided to a family friend his suspicions that someone he once trusted had designs on the ancient document. It is up to his daughter, Mariah, to clear her mother of murder charges and unravel the real mystery behind her father’s death—before her own revelations become her last."

 

I was interested.... BUT when I tried to read it, I could not get into it. I forced myself past the first chapter... and then past the second chapter and so forth. It was never a can't-put-down novel, despite my best efforts. I found Mariah, a 28 year old, to be OLD. Her conversations sounded like a 50 year old woman, her mental state and the way she handled everything was not what a girl in her twenties would do. I should know... I am one! Even the love interest part was annoying... how do you go from "I am non-commital about you, since you are my dad's friend" to "I hate you because you probably killed my dad" to "I love you" all in a matter of chapters? Totally unrealistic.

 

Not to mention, all that aside, the premise of the ancient document was hardly touched upon. They had a blurb that was repeated almost word for word about the document that said "It was written by Christ to Joseph of Arimithea to thank him for his kindness" or something along those lines, and that was about all we got. I wanted more of a Dan Brown feel to it... give me something more!

 

Overall? Not her best work. I'd give it a 3 star rating... simply because I can't bear to give her worse than that! If you want a good mystery, stick to her earlier books. You will love them. But as for this one? Pass, unless you are a die hard fan.

 

xox Have a great day everyone!

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The Ellen Show with Jennifer Aniston

You know how sometimes watching a show leaves you agitated or excited or maybe in awe from the special effects or angry at the ending or a hundred other emotions that are out there? Well, today I watched The Ellen Show with Jennifer Aniston co-hosting where the special guest was Portia de Rossi... and it left me feeling happy. That's it. Plain, wonderful happy.

 

I loved this show.

 

I watch Ellen from time to time, but when I read yesterday that Jennifer was going to be on it as a co-host, I made sure I remembered to watch. I have always loved Jennifer Aniston. To me, she is one of the classiest women in Hollywood. Always looks beautiful without seeming pretentious, appears down to earth, real and friendly. No matter if she is tabloid fodder with breakup rumours or if her movies get bad reviews, she is always a class act, and I admire that. Not to mention, Friends was hilarious. I loved it and still enjoy watching reruns when clicking through the channels.

Beautiful.

This episode of Ellen was great. Ellen, Jennifer and Portia chatted. They seemed at ease and comfortable with one another. The clips they showed (see below for my favourite, where Jen is prepping for the show) were clever and made me laugh, they were appropriately reverent when dealing with the Oklahoma tornado, and they also had their silly moment 'acting' in a faux soap opera. Was it knee-slapping comedy? No. But I'm glad it wasn't. It was essentially what made Friends  a hit for so mny years... it was friends hanging out and talking (dishing on how Ellen and Portia move all the time... 9 times in 8 1/2 years... and how Ellen feeds the cats every time Portia has dinner ready) and made me feel like I was with my girlfriends.

 

 

That's all. I have no real point to this blog entry, except to give Jennifer, Ellen and Portia a round of applause from Canada. They made a rainy afternoon feel warm and friendly.

 

Love them.

 

And, for all you who have dreamed of being on The Ellen Show, be sure and check out my novel Tanned, Toned and Totally Faking It, a fictional story about a popstar making her way in Hollywood, including a guest spot with Ellen. Secrets, heartache and romance make this a fast and flirty ride! And if you've read it, make sure you try Iced Romance, the bestselling novel about betrayal and just how far someone will go to escape a broken heart.

 

xox