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Movie Night!

July 19, 2013 By Lena 34 Comments

It’s Friday Night! And that means… you guessed it… it’s Movie Night!

(Also known as “Ignore the Kids for 90 Minutes Night”. Or, “I’ve Got an Hour-or-So to Myself Night”.)

We’re a big fan of movie nights chez Lena. The boys have a chance to enjoy a brand new movie – or frequently watched favourite – and I can catch up on the gazillion things I have on my “to do” list. In fact, this post is brought to you by A Turtle’s Tale 2 – Sammy Escapes From Paradise; the boys are currently enjoying their second screening! In case it’s not obvious, here’s how to successfully throw a movie night:

Step 1. Pop up some delicious popcorn. We love it Italian-style; I simply toss air-popped corn with a bit of butter, Italian seasoning and grated Parmesan cheese. Yum!

Step 2. Get the kids on the couch. This may or may not take a lot of convincing, depending on their mood and level of hyperactivity. To expedite this process, waft freshly popped Italian popcorn in front of their noses. That should do the trick every time.

Step 3. Put in a kid-friendly movie. Tonight, we’re all about Sammy & Ray in A Turtle’s Tale 2.

“When Sammy and Ray find themselves trapped in The Tank, an underwater aquarium, they must hatch a plan to escape and reunite with their grandkids, Ricky and Ella, and protect them from the dangers of the ocean. But they’ll have to get past Big D and his dopey thugs first. With the help of some unlikely friends, Sammy and Ray find that when you work together, anything is possible!”


The boys adored the movie the first time ’round and insisted on a repeat screening tonight. A Turtle’s Tale 2 has just the right amount of adventure, humour and emphasis on friendships and kindness to keep them interested. Ryder, at age 5, seemed to be more riveted than his 3-year old brother Reid, but then toddlers are known to have shorter attention spans. (Though he can quote a few lines from the movie!)

I love that the movie promotes strong family ties and from an adult standpoint, the animation is breathtakingly beautiful. The recommended age is 3-10, but there is one *slightly* scary scene at the very beginning when seagulls attempt to eat a group of turtle hatchlings as they make a run from the beach to the ocean. This really bothered Reid as he was scared for the “toortle babies”, but other than that brief scene, he enjoyed the rest of the film. All in all, this is a great movie for the entire family. And since it was released in Canada on July 9th, 2013 – it’s definitely deserving of a Movie Night!

Speaking of which – I almost forgot the most important step…

Step 4. Begin the process of avoidance and neglect for the duration of the movie. Ah, bliss.

 

I am participating in A Turtle’s Tale 2 – Sammy Escapes From Paradise Blogger Campaign by Mom Central Canada. I received compensation as a thank you for participating. The opinions on this blog are my own. 

Filed Under: Family Tagged With: #TurtlesTale2, A Turtle’s Tale 2 – Sammy Escapes From Paradise, childrens movies, movie review

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Heidi C.

    July 19, 2013 at 11:33 pm

    This looks like such a cute movie. I had not heard of the first Turtle’s Tale movie but I am going to look for it for a double feature!

    Reply
    • Lena

      July 28, 2013 at 10:49 pm

      That sounds like a great idea Heidi!

      Reply
  2. Nicole W.

    July 20, 2013 at 12:12 am

    Fun!! Happy movie night :)

    Reply
    • Lena

      July 28, 2013 at 10:49 pm

      Thank you Nicole!

      Reply
  3. Chandra Christine O'Connor

    July 20, 2013 at 9:15 am

    looks like a cute movie. Id have a hard time watching it because your kids are so darn cute!

    Reply
    • Lena

      July 28, 2013 at 10:49 pm

      Hahaha why thank you Chandra!

      Reply
  4. Debbie Bashford

    July 20, 2013 at 10:46 am

    Enjoy your me time!

    Reply
    • Lena

      July 28, 2013 at 10:51 pm

      Me time is always good :)

      Reply
  5. Anne Taylor

    July 20, 2013 at 11:32 am

    I love movie nights with my grandkids! Our daughters used to love watching movies way back when they came on vhs! Your popcorn sounds delicious!

    Reply
    • Lena

      July 28, 2013 at 10:55 pm

      Please do try it – it’s a favourite around here!

      Reply
  6. Flora M

    July 20, 2013 at 12:46 pm

    I actually think this is one movie my daughter and son-in-law DON’T have for their kids !! LOL Going to look for both movies next time I am out shopping :o) Sounds like a winner to me

    Reply
    • Lena

      July 28, 2013 at 10:55 pm

      Thanks Flora! My boys really enjoyed it, and the animation is superb!

      Reply
  7. mrdisco

    July 20, 2013 at 9:12 pm

    nothing beats hot popcorn drizzled in butter and the right amount of salt

    Reply
    • Lena

      July 28, 2013 at 10:55 pm

      Mmm… I agree.

      Reply
  8. sarah sar

    July 20, 2013 at 9:57 pm

    I love movie night! My kids watched Despicable Me yesterday. It was ace!

    Reply
    • Lena

      July 28, 2013 at 10:56 pm

      Oh we LOVE that movie! Will likely see it again while it’s in the theatre for sure!

      Reply
  9. Soozle

    July 21, 2013 at 7:17 am

    Your popcorn ‘recipe’ sounds delicous! I am going to try it on my own next movie night :-)

    I’m not surprised your boys enjoyed the Turtles Tale movie – it’s been a hit with many friend’s kids!

    Reply
    • Lena

      July 28, 2013 at 10:57 pm

      Yup, it’s definitely a crowd pleaser – both the movie AND the popcorn!

      Reply
  10. Chandra Christine O'Connor

    July 21, 2013 at 8:07 am

    I dip I my popcorn in salsa or sprinkle hot sauce on it. we are a spicy family

    Reply
    • Lena

      July 28, 2013 at 11:03 pm

      Mmmm… that sounds divine!

      Reply
  11. Judy C

    July 21, 2013 at 1:02 pm

    Love movie nights! Sounds like a very cute movie!

    Reply
    • Lena

      July 28, 2013 at 11:03 pm

      It’s quite enjoyable, Judy!

      Reply
  12. Barbie Squires

    July 21, 2013 at 7:57 pm

    I adore family movie nights. Cute kids.

    Reply
    • Lena

      July 28, 2013 at 11:03 pm

      Thanks Barbie :)

      Reply
  13. Tara Gauthier

    July 21, 2013 at 8:06 pm

    We have movie night on Friday’s too. Although this week it is Wednesday night as there is community event going on outdoors – Croods will be showing on the big screen at one of our local parks!

    Reply
    • Lena

      July 28, 2013 at 11:03 pm

      Ah! Sounds like so much fun Tara!

      Reply
  14. ivy pluchinsky

    July 21, 2013 at 8:23 pm

    I love movie nights!! So much fun with the family!

    Reply
    • Lena

      July 28, 2013 at 11:04 pm

      Agreed! We have them every Friday, and they’re awesome!

      Reply
  15. Deirdre

    July 21, 2013 at 10:31 pm

    What a great idea! So awesome!

    Reply
    • Lena

      July 28, 2013 at 11:04 pm

      It is! Thanks Deirdre!

      Reply
  16. Crystal Wonitoy

    July 21, 2013 at 11:40 pm

    Movie nights with the family are the best!!!

    Reply
    • Lena

      July 28, 2013 at 11:04 pm

      :) They really are. Looking forward to continuing the tradition!

      Reply
  17. Victoria Ess

    July 31, 2013 at 1:05 am

    It looks like Ryder loves the camera as much as the camera loves him! You must tire of hearing this so I’m sorry to say it again, but your kids are SO cute!

    Reply
    • Lena

      August 4, 2013 at 10:55 pm

      Aw, thank you so much Victoria! xx

      Reply

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Lena Almeida

Toronto Blogger, Social Media Strategist for Listen to Lena Inc. Television & Radio Personality, Columnist and Speaker. Family Travel Expert. Star Wars Fanatic. Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion. Read More…

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