Dream Journals

It's Martin Luther King Jr. Day and your children are home from school. All week and all next month they will cover all of the most known facts about the civil rights leader but not much more will happen. Here's an activity that will surely become an annual tradition for your family. It is also a wonderful way to remember Martin Luther King Jr. year round and not just during Black History Month.

Dream Journals are not a new concept nor are they difficult for children of any age. All you need is construction paper, markers, crayons, magazines, glue, yarn and scissors. Be creative and help your child make a small journal. If your child is kindergarten age or younger they can keep track of their dreams by making mini collages on the pages or by practicing to write by actually writing about them. In the Dream Journal you want your child to document what they dream about becoming when they grow up. Have him do this once a week. At the end of the year you can sit together and look through the journal and discuss how his dreams have changed or remained the same.

For older children you can actually buy a blank journal from Borders and let her decorate it. If your child is a tween or older you don't want to take it upon yourself to read what's in it. Feel free to give your tween topics to write about. Encourage her to write about her dreams and her future. Also, if you notice she is having difficulty expressing herself lately, encourage her to write about it. By having her write about it she will find comfort in her feelings and her trust for you. Chances are if she decides to share those feelings with someone she will share those feelings with you.

For you, go to Etsy.com to find a nice handmade journal or google "journal" and find one that fits your needs. If you can't find one that fits your personality make one yourself. Make sure it's big enough to last you all year. Take this time to write about your dreams in every sense of the word. Write about what you dreamed about becoming or seeing happening. Write about how that has changed. Write about your sleeping dreams. Speculate on their meaning. I keep my journal beside my bed to write about my dreams as soon as I wake up to prevent forgetting them. I made one for my husband to take with him to work so that he can get out his anger from his job before he comes home. I made one for my sister-in-law to help her get back into poetry.

Now you have two traditions to try out on Martin Luther King Jr. day. One is to start a new journal and the other is to give them as gifts to other people. Regardless of which tradition you choose to follow, it will spread. Don't be surprised if someone gives you a dream journal one year.

Netflix Pix

This week's Instant Watch movie suggestions are from four different categories. There's a comedy act that parents will have a special connection with, a mind blowing indie film, a children's cult classic and a horror film sequel who's original was famous for being an all female horror film. Add them to your instant cue and tell me what you think of them.

Kevin Hart Seriously Funny is hilarious in a way that you never see coming. He talks about everyone imaginable from the young to the old, the rich to the poor, and even himself. His comedic point of view of marriage and fatherhood is reminiscent of Bill Cosby's Himself.

Unlike Bill Cosby, Kevin does use profanity in his comedy but it is mild in my opinion. If your child is the type to pick up every inappropriate word you'll want to watch this after you verify that he is in bed snoring. If you tend to use profanity on a daily basis as I am guilty of then this will be nothing your child hasn't heard before.

Out of a possible 5 stars I gave him three.










The Burning Plain is a gripping, mind bending Indie film starring Charlize Theron and Kim Bassinger. Every time you think you know where this movie is going it goes somewhere else. It is written and directed by Guillermo Arriaga screenwriter of Amorres Perros, 21 Grams and Babel. This is his directorial debut.

Typical of Arriaga's works, this film is told in a non-linear narrative, where events are revealed out of sequence. The following plot summary is in chronological order, and thus does not reflect the exact sequence of the events as seen on screen. I can't really tell you too much more about the film or it would unravel the plot for you. I can't tell you that it is a refreshing movie plot that has not been done a thousand and one times. Your jaw will drop in shock and disbelief.








The Descent Part 2 is the follow up to the highly underrated, all female horror The Descent. In Descent The film followed six women who become trapped in an unmapped cave system in the Appalachian Mountains of North America, where they are hunted by carnivorous creatures who have evolved and adapted to life underground.

In The Descent Part 2, two days after the events of the first film, Sarah Shauna Macdonald is washed away to safety with no memory of the events of the last time she was in the cave. She is taken to a hospital, where it is revealed some of the blood on her matches that of Juno Kaplan Natalie Mendoza. Sheriff Vaines demands that along with his deputy Elen Rios, Sarah and three specialists - Dan, Greg and Cath, must go back into the cave to find the missing women. A new entrance is found with the help of a sniffer dog. The team members are sent down via an old mine shaft operated by the old, mysterious Ed Oswald. Then, all hell breaks loose.


The Sandlot is another children's cult classic. Critic Roger Ebert gave the film three stars, comparing the movie to a summertime version of A Christmas Story, based on the tone and narration of both films. He said of one scene, "There was a moment in the film when Rodriguez hit a line drive directly at the pitcher's mound, and I ducked and held up my mitt, and then I realized I didn't have a mitt, and it was then I also realized how completely this movie had seduced me with its memories of what really matters when you are 12."

Game Day Essential

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TABASCO® Original Red. All opinions are 100% mine.

We all know that TABASCO® Original Red goes great with scrambled eggs, mac and cheese, and even popcorn. College students everywhere are responsible for the spicy Top Ramen flavors. A few splashes of TABASCO® Original Red and you had something that tasted much more delicious than anything that could come from that little foil seasoning packet. Look up seafood gumbo recipes and you may be surprised to find TABASCO® Original Red replacing Louisiana hot sauce in the recipe for the roux. That's because TABASCO® Original Red is more about flavor than heat. It's such a delightfully simple concoction made of salt, red pepper and vinegar and aged for 3 years. Still it goes so well with every thing. I'm sure you all remember when TABASCO® Original Red was added to A-1 sauce. The spicy steak sauce was constantly sold out. Not surprisingly, TABASCO® Original Red goes with pretty much every Game Day recipe that your guests will want to see on the table.

Pizza Perfected

You can sprinkle it on the pizza you may have gone half on with your guests. I like it on chicken pizza. It enhances the flavors without changing or overpowering them like Louisiana hot sauces can do. Unlike the Louisiana hot sauces, one drop really does do it. Pizza with TABASCO® Original Red is a great time saver if you  don't feel like making Buffalo wings. You will have started a new Super Bowl tradition that doesn't involve cooking. TABASCO® Original Red packs such a flavorful punch you can actually buy a cheaper pizza and make it taste better with a few splashes per slice. All you need is a $5 pizza, TABASCO® and some ranch.

Buffalo Wings:

Buffalo wings is one of those few recipes where TABASCO® Original Red and Louisiana hot sauce actually work together. You can't have authentic Buffalo wings without TABASCO® Original Red. But just in case you want a little variety in your Game Day party wing platter, the Taste Tent at Tabasco.com has you covered with 6 different recipes. In fact, there's a great Game-Day Party Menu featuring all of your favorite finger foods and chili.

TABASCO® Original Red isn't just the favorite of all 6 TABASCO® flavors. It's also a frequently listed ingredient in cookbooks that catalog your cupboard must haves.

So stock up before Game Day and don't forget the Bloody Marys or the TNT shots (Tequila, lime & TABASCO® Original Red instead of salt).

January Sight Words

A sight word is a word that is memorized by sight. It is a method of learning to read. By pointing to a word each time it is read the reader learns to memorize what it looks and sounds like. Though the person isn't technically reading they are memorizing words thus reducing the amount of time it takes to learn to read. When the reader is in school they are learning through phonetics. This is the best method as it teaches the reader to read practically any word they come upon as opposed to memorizing only the ones they have seen. Once the reader learns to read phonetically, the sight words they already know are plugged in. They don't spend as much time trying to figure out every word as many of them have already been memorized.

Your Baby Can Read is based on the sight word model. Many of my readers ask me about Your Baby Can Read because they've seen adds for it on television. In my opinion it is worth the $15-$20 you pay for what you receive in the package. It's a great option for giving your child a head start on reading. I must stress that your child isn't reading but memorizing.












Of course, your girl Red has a cheaper solution for you. You can make your own sight word tools at home. This way the words you choose are always age appropriate without having to purchase new levels. One of many great sight word tools are flash cards. You can make them out of construction paper for color or use index cards. Index cards are also color coded to help you sort the words with ease. My favorite method is word games. Word search puzzles are a great way to teach your reader to look through all of the other words and letters and recognize the sight words no matter how it is written. Sight word Bingo is a big hit.





If you aren't the arts and crafts kind of person you can always buy the Spongebob Square Pants Learn To Read box set. It comes with books that contain sight words, workbooks, and flashcards. It runs about $12 and is available at Scholastic.








If you prefer the television you can sit your child in front of Super Why Super Readers. It airs on PBS.


For those who prefer to follow The Red Housewife you can keep up with the monthly sight words on my Facebook Fan Page.

Wings Over Buffalo

Here is my copycat recipe for Chili's Wings Over Buffalo. I love their wings. But lately, every time I go there the appetizer has increased by a dollar and decreased in number of wings. They started at about $6 and order and are now $9 and order. I found it cheaper to make them myself and have as many as I want, any time of day.

Makes 6 Servings

Ingredients:

• 36 chicken party wings (They come frozen by the bag)
  
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco red sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons Frank's Louisiana hot sauce
  
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter or margarine
• celery sticks
• blue cheese dressing (I prefer ranch) for dipping
  

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

1. In a bowl toss the wings with the oil, and salt. Place into a large bag, and add the flour. Shake to coat evenly. Remove wings and shake off excess flour. Spread them out on an oiled foil-lined baking pan(s). Do not crowd. Bake for about 20 minutes until they are crispy, turning the wings halfway through.
   
   
2. Mix all the ingredients for the sauce in a pan and simmer over low heat.
   
   
3. Before the wings cool, transfer to a large mixing bowl and pour the sauce over them. Coat completely.
   

These are great on Game Day with potato skins, beer or mixed drinks, sliders, ribs or fries.

Netflix Pix

Here are the "Watch Instantly" picks for this weekend directly from The Red Housewife's Netflix queue.

Carved (also known as Slit-Mouthed Woman) with the Japanese title Kuchisake-Onna, is a J-Horror movie released on August 14, 2007. It referred to a ghost from Japanese Mythology called the Kuchisake-Onna, as well as a modern version of the tale of a woman, mutilated by a jealous husband, and returned as a malicious spirit bent on committing the same acts done to her.

Legend holds that 30 years ago, a suburban town was terrorized by the spirit of a woman whose horrid face had been grotesquely disfigured. Roaming the streets wearing a long coat and carrying large scissors, the spirit would approach her young victims and, while removing the mask, ask if she was pretty. The victim’s response would almost always lead to their violent death. Now, one by one, children are disappearing again.

The Messenger is a 2009 war drama film starring Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Steve Buscemi, Jena Malone, and Samantha Morton. It is the directorial debut of Oren Moverman, who also wrote the screenplay with Alessandro Camon.

The film premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and was in competition at Berlin International Film Festival 2009 where it won the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay and the Berlinale Peace Film Award '09. The film received first prize for the 2009 Deauville American Film Festival. The film has also received four Independent Spirit Award nominations (including one win), a Golden Globe nomination, and two Academy Award nominations.

Will Montgomery (Ben Foster), plays a U.S. Army Staff Sergeant who has returned home from war, is assigned to the Army’s Casualty Notification service. Montgomery is partnered with Captain Tony Stone , to give notice to the families of fallen soldiers. The Sergeant is drawn to Olivia Pitterson (Samantha Morton), to whom he has delivered news of her husband’s death.

Shaun The Sheep

A premise of the series is that Shaun the sheep exhibits human intelligence, creativity, and behaviour in a farm setting, which usually provides a situational comedy conflict which Shaun must resolve before the end of each episode. Recurring themes include the characters evading the sheepdog Bitzer (though he is sometimes with the sheep in their escapades) and avoiding discovery by the Farmer. In the first episode, a stray cabbage bouncing into the field provokes an impromptu football game. In the second episode, a freezing cold sheep dip sends Shaun on a commando raid to get hot water from the Farmer’s bathtub.

Episodes are very much a combination of slapstick and classic silent comedy in Aardman’s recognisable animation style. There is no spoken dialogue, even by human characters. In this way it is reminiscent of silent comedy films and even Pingu and the animated version of Mr. Bean. However, simple grunts, bleats, and sighs are all used to add subtle expression to each character's moods and feelings.

Based on the theme song, a longer, compact disc version was released under the title "Life's a Treat", performed by Vic Reeves,

Happiness Resolved

It's resolution time. Housewives everywhere are resolving to lose weight, eat right and spend less. We all know that in most cases this will not end well. Hopefully you will be the exception to the rule. For those of us who want at least one year without weight loss as a New Year's resolution I have the perfect suggestion.

Make 2011 your year of happiness. Resolve to be happy.


Step one: Confront your finances

Calculate your annual salary. Calculate how much you paid in taxes last year by looking at your pay stubs or W-2 and subtract that amount from your annual salary. Calculate your rent and bills for 12 months and subtract that from your income. This is what you have left to pay off your credit. Don't create new unnecessary debt. Make a list of everything you need. When you see a sale check to see if what you need is on sale. If it isn't, don't shop. It's that simple. If you shop anyway, the money you need to spend on necessities is going toward desires and you will wind up unhappy in the end. Remember that this sale is not a once in a lifetime sale. There is only one time of year when you should go all out at a sale and that is from Black Friday to Christmas. Avoid after Christmas sales like the plague. Most of the things on sale are either being discontinued or are defective returns.

Step Two: Make realistic weight loss goals.

Never resolve to lose a massive amount of weight by a deadline. It is almost a guaranteed fail which will certainly result in unhappiness. Most diets fail because of unrealistic goals. Think about your dieting history. Each time you dieted you probably lost between 5 and 15 lbs the first 5 weeks and then plateaued. Shortly thereafter you quit your diet. Always remember that the first month of a diet you are mostly losing water weight. Once you plateau it's time to step up your game and exercise. Don't choose a restrictive diet. When you deprive yourself of something completely you will go after it twice as much as you had done originally. Resolve to add a salad to every meal, drink a glass of water after sweets or with every meal and snack. Eat one meatless meal a week to save money and calories.

Step Three: Give yourself one night a month

Let's face it, having one date night a week is difficult when a trip to the movies for two costs at least $50 not including dinner or the sitter. If your husband works odd hours you can pretty much forget it. This can be frustrating. Frustration leads to unhappiness. Instead, give yourself one night a month. Take one night out to dinner or to a show, whatever you want to do. If you can't steal a night then give yourself a day, at the spa or at the mall. My favorite way to give myself a day is to hire a maid. Maid services for one day can catch you up for a month. It's affordable and it gives you a running head start. Be creative. Give yourself a day or a night a month to stay happy.

Step Four: Take a trip

It doesn't have to be a long, expensive trip. It can be a trip to the beach, to a local casino or wherever. Just be sure to take a trip at least once a quarter. It does need to be to a city other than your own. If gas is too expensive then take a short trip to a bed and breakfast for a night. You could rent a room in town and order room service. Taking a trip is a great escape and a great way to stay happy.

Step Five: Increase your intellect

Learn a language or teach a language in your spare time. Study up on the math you could never understand before. It will help when your child brings home that homework assignment he needs your to help with. Read a history book and learn about someone you didn't know about before. Being a housewife doesn't mean the only thing you need to know about is soap operas and ketchup stains. Come to think of it, a crash course in chemistry would help immensely. many women are unhappy with being a housewife because people talk down to them. If you make an effort to learn new things you won't lose touch with the rest of the world.

Step Six: Sign away your kids

Basketball sign-ups should be happening right about now at your local YMCA or community center. Baseball won't be far behind. The cost is typically about $50 a season. If your child isn't old enough to join a competitive team sign them up for an everybody wins league. Boy or girl doesn't matter. Get them out of the house to a place where they can burn energy. That makes bed and nap times easy for you. The sight of your little one participating with a team can make you smile.

Step Seven: Redesign your routine

There's no point in getting bent out of shape every time someone fails to wash out a dish or scrub a toilet. You may be expecting too much from your family. You know that no matter how many times you tell your husband to was a dish when he's done he won't do it. So don't bother getting upset over it. Simply serve his food on paper plates. It won't be long before he gets tired of it and puts more of an effort into washing out his own dish. Your kids are not going to stop leaving skid marks in their underwear or in the toilet until they are old enough to be embarrassed. Until then, become their supervisor and not their maid. Make them pre-treat their own underwear and scrub their own toilet. It won't be long before they stop leaving skid marks. People don't realize what you deal with until they have to do it themselves. This goes for discipline too. You don't always have to spank when timeouts stop working. Try using your camera phone to your advantage. Snap a pic of your child in mid tantrum and threaten to text it to everyone she knows. She will straighten right up and you will get a great laugh. Works every time.


Do whatever you can to remain happy this year. There are enough things to be upset about.