House of Geekiness

You might be surprised by which movies make my Christmas Watchlist. Beside the traditional movies like It's a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, A Christmas Story, Miracle on 34th Street, and the other Christmas specials that are always popular, my list is...let's just say a bit eclectic. And oh so fun! :)

Better off Dead (1985)

One of the funniest movies ever made and probably the most quoted in my family!

Emma (1996)

With beautiful costumes and witty dialogue, and a swoon-worthy romance, Emma is one of my favorite Jane Austen movies (and not too off from the book).

Holiday Inn (1942)

White Christmas is a given, but many have never even heard of its predecessor, Holiday Inn. This Irving Berlin musical features Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, and Marjorie Reynolds in magical song and dance numbers and a romantic comedy in which the song "White Christmas" made its original debut.

Elf (2003)

If you haven't seen this movie yet, your life is incomplete.

Star Trek Generations (1994)

A Season for Miracles (1999)

Batman Returns (1992)

Despite many things I don't like about this movie, it's Michael Keaton and Michelle Pfeiffer. Period.

The Holiday (2006)

North & South (2004)

This was one of the first BBC shows that won my heart. Based on the 1855 Victorian novel North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell, North & South is a must watch! (Not to mention that it stars Richard Armitage. Enough said.)

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

This lovely Jimmy Stewart classic was the inspiration for the next movie on our list:

You've Got Mail (1998)

Little Women (1994)

The Princess Bride (1987)

It might seem like a bit of a stretch, but it really does take place during the holidays and goes on my list!

Donovan's Reef (1963)

Fools Rush In (1997)

What's on your Christmas Watchlist? Comment below.

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Click n' Play Blue Building Brick Baseplates - 5"x 5" - (Pack of 8) Tight Fit-Lego Compatible

#bluebaseplate5x5p8

I was excited to review these generic lego type bricks because Legos are so darn expensive, and, between three kids, we never seem to have enough baseplates! My prior experience with off-brand legos has not been good, so I've been hoping for better.

Click n' Play (blue, left) vs. Lego (green, right)

The good:

The top interlocks perfectly with Lego bricks. If it weren't for the Lego logo, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between brands by looking at the top

The bottom part of the baseplate connects perfectly to other Lego pieces of the same size.

Generic lego-type brick baseplate with Lego brand bricks connected

The bad:

The bottom portion interlocks very loosely with Lego bricks, especially if only linking by a few of the bumps. If you're connecting a larger Lego to the bottom of this, the more bumps connected, the stronger the connection. (This doesn't seem to be a huge problem since these are baseplates and my kids won't be connecting stuff underneath, only to the top.)

Generic brand doesn't have the teeth that allow them to interlock tightly

After only a light testing, the plastic shows signs of stress that usually show up after my kids have severely abused their Legos.

White stress marks in plastic

I'm a bit worried about durability, but I will give these a chance and see how they stand up for a bit after the kids get their hands on them. Since they're just baseplates, I don't foresee them undergoing too much trauma, but with kids, you never know!

Final rating:

Click n' Play Blue Building Brick Baseplates get 4/5 stars for now. If they prove not to be durable over time, I will let you know.

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Help us name this kitty! Comment below to nominate a name.

We found this unclaimed stray cat outside our house, and he was so emaciated that we mistook him for a 6 month old-ish kitten. A few weeks, lots of food, TLC, and a few vet visits later, it's obvious that, while he's not full grown, he's not a kitten either (the vet estimated he's just around a year old). I'm pretty sure this cat has doubled in size since we found him.

He has a playful and mischievous personality, a HUGE bushy tail, eats like he's never seen food before, demands snuggles, has a purr as loud as diesel engine, and loves to lord over us all.

We think he may be part Maine Coon because of how insanely big he already is (not to mention the tufts on his ears, mane, and massive paws that he hasn't grown into yet). Here he is next to Dobby, our Lynx Point Siamese (yes, he's very overweight right now. He was doing better but keeps getting into the extra food we get out for the kitten!) Sorry for picture quality, the kitties didn't quite want to hold still to pose for us, even for a kitty treats.

Check out how big the kitten's paws are (right) next to our 4 year old cat's (left)!

This cat is in desperate need of a geeky name to match the rest of our pets:

Princess Daisy (dog) and Dobby (cat)

Mozzie

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Your gift guide to geek gifts $10 or less (including shipping)

With Christmas fast approaching, I'll be posting inexpensive geek gifts ideas for you. From Doctor Who, to Marvel Comics, DC, Indiana Jones, and Firefly, these items are all available for a limited time on Amazon and include either free shipping or free shipping with Amazon Prime. Prices are subject to change, but are all $10 or less as of 11/23/15.