This week I attended a screening of What to Expect When Expecting which opens in theaters today.  Each of my children are 4.5 years apart with me having my first as a teenager.  My youngest is about to turn six next month therefore last year was the first year I broke my 4.5 year cycle.  To say I’ve experience baby fever over the past two years is an understatement.  I’m blessed with my three children and upon giving birth to my son six years ago I truly believed I was done.  The options of becoming a foster mom one day or adopting have weighed heavy on my mind lately.  Watching this movie pulled on that heart string.

SYNOPSIS:
Inspired by the perennial New York Times bestseller of the same name and the first book in a series that has sold over 32 million copies worldwide, WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING is a hilarious and heartfelt big screen comedy about five couples whose intertwined lives are turned upside down by the challenges of impending parenthood. Over the moon about starting a family, TV fitness guru Jules and dance show star Evan find that their high-octane celebrity lives don’t stand a chance against the surprise demands of pregnancy. Baby-crazy author and advocate Wendy gets a taste of her own militant mommy advice when pregnancy hormones ravage her body; while Wendy’s husband, Gary, struggles not to be outdone by his competitive alpha-Dad, who’s expecting twins with his much younger trophy wife, Skyler.  Photographer Holly is prepared to travel the globe to adopt a child, but her husband Alex isn’t so sure, and tries to quiet his panic by attending a “dudes” support group, where new fathers get to tell it like it really is.  And rival food truck chefs Rosie and Marco’s surprise hook-up results in an unexpected quandary: what to do when your first child comes before your first date?

Release Date: In Theaters May 18, 2012
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 110 mins

I would have to say that Jennifer Lopez plays my favorite role in the movie.  Her character is unable to bear children therefore her and her husband decide to adopt.  The plot plays out their fears of becoming a parent, the fear of knowing if they are ready and the struggles that come with it including financial.

The story shared of characters played by Anna Kendrick and Chance Crawford hit home with me since they were both young, not married and confused.  Their story was the most emotional to watch.

Character Wendy, played by Elizabeth Banks, is a self-obsessed pregnancy expert.  Although she has never had a child of her own she is a pregnancy and early childhood store owner and author of a children’s book on breastfeeding.  Wendy has made it her life mission to read all books, do all research and know all when it comes to having a child.  Her and her husband, Gary played by Ben Falcone, have struggled with becoming pregnant therefore are over joyed when the day comes.  It’s hysterical to see Wendy experience pregnancy first hand and realize not everything is like what you hear, or read.  She forever awaits the glow she believes all pregnant women gain and suffers from every negative side effect of pregnancy there is such as heart burn, passing gas and just being miserable.

The movie shows five couples with all very unique experiences in life and relationships.  What to Expect When Expecting gives a look into the lives of both women and men with their individual points of view.  The drama and comical twist keeps you engage throughout. The movie was touching and hilarious at the same time.  I truly enjoyed the realistic display into pregnancy and child bearing.

I heard a radio interview this morning about the movie and one comment they made was that some of the directions of the story were already played out in other movies.  Such as Gary’s father marries a much younger woman whom becomes pregnant at the same time as Gary’s wife.  This is similar to the Father of the Bride movie where the parents suddenly find out they are expecting at the same time as their daughter with her husband.  My response to that comment is, although that may be true the stories are very different.  There were several parts of the movie that I expected a scene to play out exactly as it did with not a lot of guess work.  However with that being said I would still recommend seeing this movie and wouldn’t mind watching it again myself.

Full Disclosure: I was given the opportunity to see this movie at a screener.  All opinions are 100% mine.

I’ve always said that if I ever lost one of my five senses I would want my sight to be the last to go.  Being able to have healthy sight is extremely important in life.  As a mother I cherish watching my children play, laugh and grow.

Some of our favorite sights are enjoyed in our local town of DFW, Texas at the Dallas Arboretum.  The gorgeous gardens, ponds and water fountains are not only refreshing and relaxing to see, the kids also enjoy the atmosphere.  We love visiting the Dallas Arboretum for each season to see all the different blooms.  Watching the beauty of natural with the changing colors of the leaves and flowers makes for a sight you’ll never forget.

The Dallas Arboretum is also a great place to take family photos and capture some priceless memories.  Having healthy sight makes it possible to enjoy all the vibrant colors.  My favorite season is the Fall.  I love taking the kids to see the pumpkin patch and the Dallas Arboretum even displays a house made out of pumpkins.  It’s a lot of fun for the kids to run around and play while I capture all the photos and videos.  The orange, red and yellow colors are my favorite.

Healthy sight is key to truly experiencing the world around us and all that makes up the sights of your life. Make a promise to take care of your family’s vision by signing the Family Eye Promise.

I am looking forward to taking my kids to the Taste of Addison event this coming weekend.  I love sharing photos on Instagram and often catch myself posting photos of my food.  I love tasting new food items and local festivals are my weakness.

The 2012 Taste of Addison Event takes place starting Friday, May 18th at 6pm.  Both Friday and Saturday nights it runs until midnight with live music.  Plenty of fun to be hand by all ages.  You can make it a date night or bring the family out during the day for some kid friendly activities and entertainment.  Check online for ticket pricing for each day and where to find discount admission.

Transitions lenses is partnering with First Eye Care for free vision screenings at Taste Addison in Dallas, TX.  Experience on-site vision screenings along with a fun photo kiosk and great prizes will be raffled in the booth!  If you attend the event don’t forget to tweet me some photos of your food choices and connect with me on Twitter by using hashtag #seemoresights and Instagram.  I can’t wait to see all the silly photo kiosk poses everyone has!  I plan to take the kids out to the festival right after church on Sunday with a big appetite.  Come see us there?

I have been blogging for so many years that I often forget how much my readers truly don’t know about me. Majority of my close friends were met online through the social media world and often times during conversations something from our past will come up and we both are shocked at things we never knew. In the blog world you share current events and stories or tweet what’s happening at any given moment but we don’t always mention our past.

Did you know that before becoming a Social Media Strategist and working in the social space full time I was part of the corporate world? I used to work for the DFW Airport Board as an Inspection Coordinator for the Code Enforcement Department. After that I spent nearly four years working for Lockheed Martin on the F/A-22 Program. I loved my jobs in corporate and loved all the people I worked with. Fortunately I was able to realize those jobs were just that,jobs, and not my passion therefore not a career path for me. Even though they were amazing jobs! Becoming a Social Media Strategist has opened the door for me to be more available to Gabby once her special needs became more severe. That’s one blessing I’m thankful for daily.

Did you know that Go Daddy actively employs and promotes corporate women? The chief human resources officer, VP of PR and VP of marketing are all women, as are several high-ranking individuals in the legal department. I love to see companies have active female corporate roles outside of just being their spokesperson.

Most of my readers know that I feel strongly about community involvement. Giving back to charities, whether it’s with time or funds, is a passion of mine and something I’ve been blessed to witness first hand with my daughter on both the receiving end and giving front.

Did you know Go Daddy gives back in a big way? That’s right! In 2011, Go Daddy donated more than $5 million to 56 charities both at home and around the world. From the Arizona Humane Society to Hope for Haiti, you can learn more about the diverse array of charitable organizations Go Daddy supports at www.GoDaddyCares.com.

I love learning about what large companies are doing behind the scenes. There is always so much we never know about companies we do business with.

There’s a lot you don’t know about Go Daddy! Including all the tools they have for bloggers! Check out www.godaddy.com to learn more!

Join the conversation for your chance to win 3 year Unlimited 4GH Hosting from Go Daddy!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Go Daddy. The opinions and text are all mine.

Mother’s Day is this coming Sunday.  When thinking about a gift to purchase I always look for unique Mother’s Day gifts.  The standard flowers and card seem nice yet over played.  YesVideo’s transfer service offers the ability to preserve your old memories for future generations.

My mom was always the photographer in our family.  A total amateur but her passion behind the camera made most photos look professional.  She captured photos from every family event even if we were just walking around the Botanical Gardens.  She has albums and albums of photographs that are sitting on a shelf or in a box not being viewed by anyone.  The photos are starting to fade away and some of the memories can not be replaced since several family members have since passed away.  She also has VHS tapes with very little labeling on them from my childhood.  I can only imagine what all is on those videos.  I know years worth of my dance recitals that I’m not sure I even want to see, could be embarrassing…

When thinking of my favorite mom moments I started to browse through digital photos I had on my own computer.  The above photo was taken at the Yanni Voices concert I took my mom to for her birthday one year.  We had a great time and one of the perks from blogging is we were able to meet the performers backstage for a meet and greet with photos and autographs.  She truly loved the concert and it was a nice break away from work for the two of us alone.

My mom also attended the Disney Social Media Moms event with me and my kids in 2011.  I was given the chance to make some lasting memories with my own children as well as with my mom.  That’s three generations together on a vacation.  It was nice.

YesVideo has launched a new service for album transfers.  You ship in your full photo album, untouched, and they will capture all your old photos and digitize them on a DVD for you.  Without touching your actual photos and without removing them from the photo album.  None of their competitors offer this service.  Once your photos have been preserved in a digital format, YesVideo will ship your album back to you in the exact condition it arrived in.  This service is perfect for my mom since some of her photos are stuck within the albums and we know if we remove them they may fall apart.

Since Mother’s Day is just a few days away there is still plenty of time to purchase a gift certificate for your mom from YesVideo and preserve her old memories.  I bet some of those old home movies haven’t been watched in years!  It’s like giving the gift of time…

Don’t forget to follow YesVideo on their social networks to keep up to date with the new services and special offers.

• YesVideo on Twitter
• YesVideo on Facebook
• YesVideo on Pinterest
• YesVideo’s Blog
• YesVideo on Google+

Full Disclosure: This post is part of a Mother’s Day campaign for YesVideo.  All opinions are 100% mine.

Disney Cruise Lines provides each stateroom with two mobile phones called Wave Phones, so you can carry them with you and make contact with one another, any other stateroom and all services on board such as the kids club, room service, guest services and others. It’s pretty awesome actually and we put them into good use. They also have the option of text messaging between Wave Phones.  T loved this option.

I was able to call T while Noah and I were at the pool to check on her and Gabby and determine when was the right time to head back to the room to meet-up. It’s also the way that the kids club reaches the parent when they need the children to be picked up. Gabby and Noah both knew if they ever wanted to leave they just asked the crew to call me and I’d come back to get them.

The Wave Phones held a charge since we truly didn’t need to use them much but the stateroom had a charging dock right on the desk that we would use at night anyways.  I was extremely impressed with this extra touch added to the Disney Dream.  When we cruised two years ago on the Disney Wonder the option of Wave Phones didn’t exist.  It was difficult to make plans where to meet at what time and keep track of it.  Especially if the teenagers wanted to swim and didn’t have a wrist watch on them.  They would have to ask someone for the time and use judgment not to be late for meetups.  The Wave Phones really put me at ease.

Way to go Disney!

Post originally written on April 28, 2012 while on a Disney Dream cruise.

We had such a great time at the pirate party. I think I had just as much fun dressing the kids up as they had being dressed up. The two of them looked adorable.

The evening started out with the Villains broadway style show, then a mini pirate party on top deck for 20 minutes to get the kids excited, dinner at Enchanted Garden and the final Pirate in the Caribbean party with a fireworks show over the ocean with dance party. Jack Sparrow and his crew made an appearance as well. It was amazing. The kids danced and sung along to pirate songs with smiles on their faces. None of us wanted the fun to end so I let them stay up later than usual. After all, it’s a vacation.

Do you save your kids’ Halloween costumes each year? Have you ever had a need to reuse them?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Post originally written on April 27, 2012 while on a Disney Cruise.

On our last Disney Cruise aboard the Disney Wonder we planned a shore excursion on the first day while the ship was at the port in Nassau. We rushed around that morning to get ready, eat breakfast and head down to meet the group that we were heading off the boat with. We took the small boat over to the island where we went swimming with the Stingrays. Although we had a wonderful time and I would say that swimming with the Stingrays was probably the highlight of the trip for Gabby, we were exhausted by the end of the day. Since our cruise was only three nights we truly never had a chance to enjoy the ship. We didn’t take time to swim in the pools or go down the water slides. It felt like we were rushing from one activity to the next, then hurrying around to get ready for the show and dinner. By the time we got to dinner each night Noah would pass out at the table before even eating.

I decided before even booking our next cruise that we would take advantage of the first day, while most people were exploring Nassau, by staying on board the ship. This way the kids could swim and play as much as they wanted, then rest and prepare for the pirate party that goes until late. I regretted that Noah missed the fireworks last time.

Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, is gorgeous and so much nicer for families than Nassau, in my opinion. You can take part in shore excursions as well as relax at the beach and let the kids build sand castles. So I didn’t feel like we would be missing out on anything by staying on board while at Nassau.

What was your family’s favorite vacation destination?

I love talking about travel and family with my community on Facebook. Are you on Facebook? Come over and join the conversation by liking MommaDJane Blog on Facebook.

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The kids couldn’t wait for the day to arrive that we would board the airplane for our trip to Orlando to embark on our Bahamian vacation aboard the Disney Dream cruise ship.  We left town on Wednesday, April 25th with the plan to stay the night at a location hotel before boarding the ship the next morning.  I was nervous to fly into Orlando the same day the ship left port just in case for unseen reasons the flight was canceled or delayed.

Noah was so excited to ride on the ‘big plane‘ again. His first time to fly was two years ago when I took him on his first Disney cruise. He was claiming the window seat two days before we even left. He made it clear to his sisters that he was riding near the window so he could watch everything become the size of a mouse. I never quite thought of it that way but he’s right, the view from the sky does make everything on the ground look very small.

This was our first time to fly Spirit Airlines and I must admit we really enjoyed the plane. The seats were very nice and comfortable. I used BestFares.com to find the best rates. After seeing which two airlines were listed as the cheapest for flights on the days we needed I went directly to each airlines’ website and checked their prices. Spirit Airlines was by far the least expensive.

My two complaints would be their high rates for luggage. You must pay to check bags as well as pay for carry-ons. So when booking your flight always take into consideration the cost of luggage which could make other airlines cheaper in the end. Spirit Airlines does not charge for one personal item each so the kids were able to carry their small backpacks with activities, stuffed animals and snacks on board. My second complaint is they charge for beverages on the flights. They also sell snacks which is standard for most airlines but Spirit Airlines is the first flight I have ever taken where you do not receive a complimentary beverage. Luckily we took our own drinks on from the airport.

Which airlines do you usually fly when traveling? Are you loyal to one airlines or do you go with the least expensive at the time?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Table of contents for Quirky Things In Fort Worth

1. Fun and Quirky Things To Do In Fort Worth
2. Gypsies, Bonnie and Clyde – Fort Worth History
3. Exploring Fort Worth for History and Wildlife

Continued guest post written by Claudia Hall Christian.

4. The nations oldest district, the Fairmont Historic District, is in Fort Worth.

The Fairmount has gorgeous homes, great coffee houses, quirky places to eat, world famous vegan restaurants, and the first community garden in Fort Worth. What more could you want? The neighborhood is one of those places where artists and lawyers live side by side in community. It has one of the most active neighborhood associations in Fort Worth, so if you move there, you may have to deal with the “Fairmont Mafia.”

In the year that I was writing the Queen of Cool, the park in front of the main character, Lo Down’s house was completely rehabilitated. When I went to tour, they proudly showed off all of its new fabulousness.

Just on the edge of the Fairmont is Chase Court. Chase Court was a small gated street just off Hemphill. The houses are big, gorgeous, and deteriorating.

If you find yourself cruising down Hemphill and have a few minutes, take a left at Chase Court. These homes almost reek of mystery and romance. Of course, if I had kids, I’d load them up and drive over to wander the streets. This might not be as fun as chasing after the Goatman, but in the middle of the Fairmont is Arts Fifth Avenue. If you love looking at old houses, you could set the kids up for a summer class in theater or dance or painting or all kinds of cool stuff and wander the streets dreaming of a cool mint julep.

5. Just north of Fort Worth, you can find lions and tigers and bears – oh my!

The International Exotic Animal Sanctuary is about twenty minutes north of Fort Worth. There you can find every thing from American Brown Bears to white tigers and snow leopards. The preserve takes in animals that have been neglected and often abused and helps to restore them to health and well-being. These animals, many of whom are on the endangered species list, are sought after by private collectors. These private individuals eventually become overwhelmed and the animal suffers.

And seriously? I thought everyone knew about the International Exotic Animal Sanctuary. But in talking to people in Fort Worth, Dallas, and around, the sanctuary seems to be a bit of a secret.

If you have a chance, check out their website. You can book a tour for yourself and your family. The animals are amazing, the facility awesome, and it’s all available to you, just outside of Fort Worth.

I hope you enjoyed my quirky facts about Fort Worth and that you have a few different ideas for adventures around time.

Claudia Hall Christian is the author of the Queen of Cool. Set in Fort Worth, the Queen of Cool is an intoxicating ride across a landscape of insurmountable odds, covert government operations, and toxic weapons, where a courageous heroine who risks it all in the name of love. For the rest of April and all of May, you can download the Queen of Cool and set your own price at Smashwords. The book is available in paperback and Kindle at Amazon and our store. The Queen of Cool will be released two chapters a month on the Queen of Cool website. For more information Go to the Queen of Cool Facebook page or follow the Queen of Cool on Twitter. You can find more photos of Fort Worth locations in the Queen of Cool on Pinterest.

Claudia is also the author of the intense Alex the Fey thrillers and the sweet and crunchy Denver Cereal. You can find her on Twitter or on her blog.

Table of contents for Quirky Things In Fort Worth

1. Fun and Quirky Things To Do In Fort Worth
2. Gypsies, Bonnie and Clyde – Fort Worth History
3. Exploring Fort Worth for History and Wildlife

Continued guest post written by Claudia Hall Christian.

2. Fort Worth is a hotbed for other elusive creatures – the Romani: Who? Gypsies.

Fort Worth is home to one of the largest populations of Romani in the country. Pushed for centuries from one country to the next, they come to the United States to seek asylum and live in peace. Unlike the usual depiction of a Gypsy as a thief or trickster, the Romani are hardworking people who blend into the background in Fort Worth. They tend to be highly educated business owners. When I was in Fort Worth doing research, a waiter (the only person who had any contact with them) told me that you could always tell the Romani by their expensive clothing, purses, shoes, and jewels. The Romani tend to keep to themselves with the hope of keeping their culture, language, and traditions alive. They live together in an area by the Naval Air Station called White Settlement.

The Romani are not to be confused with the Irish Travellers, these people were highlighted in the television show, the Riches. While the Irish Travellers claim genetic links to the Romani, and call themselves Gypsies, they tend to be louder and more visible than the Romani. Irish Travellers live in Fort Worth during the winter months and travel the country doing (or not doing) construction work in the summer.

3. Bonnie and Clyde hung out in the Stockyards in 1930s.

While almost everyone in Fort Worth can articulate the date Elvis played the Colesium, January 20, 1956, very few remember that Bonnie and Clyde were born just outside of Dallas. While on the lam, they held up in the stockyards at the Stockyard Hotel. In a time when no one but the very wealthy had money and everyone felt desperate, Bonnie and Clyde robbed banks. This quote from Wikipedia best describes their appeal then and now – “The countryís money simply declined by 38 percent“, explains Milner, author of The Lives and Times of Bonnie and Clyde. “Gaunt, dazed men roamed the city streets seeking jobs… Breadlines and soup kitchens became jammed. (In rural areas) foreclosures forced more than 38 percent of farmers from their lands (while simultaneously) a catastrophic drought struck the Great Plains… By the time Bonnie and Clyde became well known, many had felt the capitalistic system had been abused by big business and government officials… Now here were Bonnie and Clyde striking back.” Bonnie and Clyde were folk heroes to average people. They spent a great deal of time playing cards in the saloons in the Stockyards.

I was able to sneak one Bonnie and Clyde story in the Queen of Cool. I was never able to find out it’s origin but it was told to me as if it was fact: Bonnie loved to play cards. While the two of them were recognizable together, they were safe apart. Bonnie would play cards in saloon across the street from the Stockyard Hotel. Clyde could sit up in the window and watch her play. The person tell me this story thought he was watching to make sure she didn’t pick up a few men with her winnings. I personally believe they cheated at cards that way. With Bonnie’s back to him, he could easily see her cards and two or three other players around a round table. The question is how did he signal her. I pose an answer – moving the curtains changed the light – but I challenge you to check it out yourself.

Visiting the Stockyards is another great trip to take with kids. Round up the kids and head down to the stockyards during the day when the bars are quiet. Tell them the cool story and ask them to figure it out. There are waterways and paths to explore as well as great old West stuff to do in the Stockyards. The last scene of the Queen of Cool happens on the site of the Swift Packing Plant. This is a super creepy site that’s also worth some exploration.

Come back tomorrow to read more of my five fun and quirky things to do in Fort Worth.

Claudia Hall Christian is the author of the Queen of Cool. Set in Fort Worth, the Queen of Cool is an intoxicating ride across a landscape of insurmountable odds, covert government operations, and toxic weapons, where a courageous heroine who risks it all in the name of love. For the rest of April and all of May, you can download the Queen of Cool and set your own price at Smashwords. The book is available in paperback and Kindle at Amazon and our store. The Queen of Cool will be released two chapters a month on the Queen of Cool website. For more information Go to the Queen of Cool Facebook page or follow the Queen of Cool on Twitter. You can find more photos of Fort Worth locations in the Queen of Cool on Pinterest.

Claudia is also the author of the intense Alex the Fey thrillers and the sweet and crunchy Denver Cereal. You can find her on Twitter or on her blog.