Saturday movie review: Brothers... Plus, a one-month free Sundance Now freebie

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Documenting the daily doings of beloved children is nothing unusual. Thousands (hundreds of thousands?) mommy — and grandma — bloggers across the globe do exactly that, day in and day out, sharing stories and such on their little sweeties.

Documenting the very same on film day in and day out — for decades — is unusual. Is unique. Is exactly what Norwegian director and cinematographer Aslaug Holm did in her documentary BROTHERS. In doing so, she confirmed that a (moving) picture is indeed worth 1,000 words. And then some.

brothers documentary 

Holm set out making the ultimate home movie of her two young sons, Markus and Lukas, more than a decade ago. She kept the camera rolling for eight years. Day in, day out Holm...

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Bonus grandma

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making paper dinosaur

My three desert-dwelling grandsons — Bubby, Mac, and Jak — call me Gramma. I am their grandma, and they call me Gramma.

My local step-grandson — Bud, whom I see only every once in a while as he lives with Patrick (his dad) and Brianna every other week — calls me Lisa. Which is what I told him he's welcome to call me. He calls Jim by his first name, too. He used our first names when we first met, when his dad was dating...

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Saturday movie brief: Catching up on contenders

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oscar nominated films

Next Sunday, February 26, the 89th Academy Awards will be televised.

And, oh, I'm so woefully unprepared.

The Academy Awards are my Super Bowl. I look forward to them every year. I don't host a party for the annual awarding of the Oscars, but my movie-loving husband and I do spend the evening in front of the television cheering on our favorites of the films and their makers — actors, directors, and otherwise — of the nominated pictures we've seen.

Which is where the "woefully unprepared" part comes in. We...

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7 benefits of being a long-distance grandparent

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I am a long-distance grandma. Have been from the beginning of my grandma gig.

The first few years I moaned and groaned ceaselessly about the miles separating me and my sweeties.

I'm now nearly nine years into grandmahood. In that time I've thankfully learned there is indeed — unbelievable as I first thought it might be — a bright side to my grandbabies living so far from me.

Following are a few such perks on which fellow long-distance grandparents just might agree.

long-distance grandparent 

 

ONE
Bathroom breaks at my house are a breeze. I never need straddle a step stool when using the toilet. Nor do I have to question who left the seat up as only two...

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Get wet and wild with the grands at Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs

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A wet and wild weekend designed for grandparents and grandkids? I recently experienced exactly that — without my grandkids.

The story: I was invited to the grand opening celebration of Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs and encouraged to bring along my grandsons and husband. But my grandsons couldn't make the 800+ mile trip to spend the weekend with me. My stepgrandson — my only local grandkiddo — couldn't come either. My husband did get to attend with me, though. And even without our favorite boys in tow, our free weekend adventure left no question that the expansive indoor water park resort offers a great, nay, grand getaway destination for grandparents and grandchildren.

Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs — the fourteenth location of the family-friendly indoor water park resort — has all the first-class entertainment and accomodation amenities of its sister spots across the U.S., plus a few goodies only guests of the brand-new resort on the north end of Colorado Springs get to enjoy.

The incredible view of Pikes Peak to the west is a perfect example of what sets the Colorado Springs location apart from other Great Wolf Lodge locations. This early morning shot was taken from the balcony of my room for the weekend:

pikes peak 

Breathtaking, right?

The majority of what my husband and I experienced at Great Wolf Lodge Colorado Springs, though, was similar to signature features, fun, food and such found...

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Saturday movie review: Dough

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The movie DOUGH is about Muslims. And Jews. And immigrants. And marijuana-infused baked goods. All hot topics in our current volatile (and often downright vile) political climate.

Unlike political discussions on such hot-button immigration, race and religion matters, though, DOUGH leaves no sour taste for viewers.

DOUGH movie

While DOUGH touches on — embraces even — serious issues, the British comedy drama turned out to be quite sweet and digestible. Because of the story and honest performances more so than the bakery goodies featured throughout.

The bare bones of the humorous and heartwarming plot: Nat Dayan (Jonathan Pryce), an aging Jewish bakery owner struggling to keep afloat his family business in London's East End reluctantly hires the troubled son of his Muslim cleaning woman, Safa (Natasha Gordon), an immigrant from Darfur. Ayyash ...

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