With the kids out of school, finding something to do becomes very important. Our family is filled with movie fans so at least one day will be spent at the move theater.

This week we went to see Yogi Bear in 3D at The Paramount.

I am not a big fan of 3D. However, it really worked well. At times I took off the glasses to find that the background was 3D instead of the whole picture. There is one scene in which Yogi is flying around with chips that really stand out. The images were crisp and fairly clear. I wish Alice in Wonderland 3D’s effects had been this good.

I found that Yogi Bear was a lot of fun. Dan Akroyd gives voice to the pic-a-nic basket stealing bear, capturing the mannerisms that many of us will remember from hours and hours of watching this show in our youth. Justin Timberlake does justice to Boo-Boo. Tom Cavanagh is simply, effortlessly good in his role as the straight man to a bear wearing a hat and tie. I loved him in Ed when it was on NBC and hope to see him in better comedies soon.

The story line has Ranger Smith (Tom Cavanagh) holding on to the park as he is a second-generation park ranger. But the evil Mayor Brown (Andrew Daly) wants to find a new money source to pay off the debt of the city and give every citizen a $1000 check so that he can successfully run for governor.

Another complication is Rachel, the Documentary Lady (Anna Faris) who wants to film Yogi in his natural habitat. Once she and Ranger Smith lock eyes and talk nature, they hit it off. Together, they try to re-build interest in the park as it celebrates a century of preservation.

What makes this movie work are the bits, such as Yogi water skiing and getting caught in one of his own traps. If you are looking for a meaningful story, go looking elsewhere. Any attempts are quickly over as the next bit comes together.  Looking for a bad politician to be caught before he gets to the governor’s office, this is the place to come.

In the end, my kids thought the movie was awesome. It can be seen by all family members as the romantic scenes are g-rated. The chase scenes are fun although you can tell when the live action included guys dressed in bear costumes without the CGI to make faces move appropriately. It is a movie that will re-kindle the love we had for Yogi as kids.

What movies are you seeing as a family this holiday season?

Karyn Bowman lives in Kankakee County with her outdoor writer husband and four children. Become friends with Karyn on Facebook or send an e-mail to momgoestothemovies@sbcglobal.net.

Friends told me about the second-to-last column by Colleen Loggins in which she addressed women who are highly educated who choose to become stay-at-home mothers. Colleen stated that she thought it is a waste to go through all that education and then not use by staying at home with your kids.

 When I looked it up on the Journal’s website, man-o-man, was there a slew of comments. Many of which were not flattering to the writers.

 People noted that Colleen has no right to make such statements as she is NOT a mother. Some of them questioned her future mothering abilities. (Not cool, people.  That is one thing I hate about these internet comments on news stories. You can hide behind some fake name and spew hatred.)

 The gist of what Colleen wrote was that it is wrong for those of us women who are highly educated to waste our education and talents by staying at home. Because none of us can predict the future, she stated it is good for women to be working parents in case anything should happen to our husbands – be it divorce or death.

 What is irksome is that Colleen is half right.

 It is my opinion that Colleen cannot fathom why anyone who has worked hard through college and any graduate studies would give up that to be a stay at home parent. Four to eight years of studying suddenly goes down the drain because you have decided to become a stay-at-home-mom (SAHM).

 I am twenty years older than Colleen and I have four children. I have worked outside of the home, worked out of the home, had part-time jobs to survive and been a stay-at-home-mom. I have been on all sides of the coin and there is no escape from parenting guilt. No matter if you are working outside the home or staying with the kids, there is always guilt of some sort for what you are not doing.

Granted, motherhood should put us women up for sainthood. There is so much cleaning and cooking and playing and lack of sleep. You are trying to keep toddlers out of trouble and fed. Trying to get them toilet trained and learn their letters. I spent years being able to sleep anywhere at the drop of a hat because I was exhausted. That should not be a badge of honor.

 One of the things you lose immediately as a SAHM is credibility except with other mothers. They know what you are doing everyday but strangers you meet at your husband’s work parties blow you off because you are only a stay-at-home-mom. People didn’t want to talk to me as a stay-at-home-mom but they could talk to me when they learned I reviewed movies for a living. Suddenly, I was ‘interesting.’  

 And don’t let others try to tell you the SAHM world is not competitive, it is. Who volunteers the most, who makes the best treats, who is staying sane without prozac, who still looks like they did before they had kids. The competitive zeal you had as a student and a worker does not go away and it will be directed in another venue. Look at every helicopter parent you have ever known and say that is not a part of the mix.

 Don’t jump on Colleen because she dared to speak some truth. She did it without the experience as a parent to back it up. However, we don’t know what else she might have seen in her life to lead to that opinion. Perhaps she was raised by a mother or had friends who were raised by mothers with no choice in getting to stay home. My mother made it clear to me that I should always be prepared to work to support myself in case my spouse turned out to be a lay-a-bout.

 What Colleen does not yet understand is a mother’s love that drives her home, if possible. That your talents can be re-directed to help your school or church. That those years are precious and it is possible to be trained in new skills when you are ready to go back to work. She hasn’t done it yet and should not be yelled at for her lacks. Would that encourage you to be better after being yelled at in the manner some people yelled at Colleen?

There are books, such as Comback Moms by Monica Samuels and J.C. Conklin, that show it can be done, that you can have both worlds. How you do it might differ from other people but you can learn a lot by finding out how other make the transition from work to being a SAHM to working again.

Maybe you can not do it all at the same time but it is possible. Have you been able to do it?

Karyn Bowman lives in Kankakee County with her outdoor writer husband and four children. Send an e-mail to momgoestothemovies@sbcglobal.net.

I enjoy the Christmas season. There are a lot of activities to keep us busy and gatherings to attend. But the one I enjoy the most is when our family goes for the Christmas tree.

Our favorite place is the Cupola House Tree farm in Bourbonnais. It is off of Rt. 102 and we have always found wonderful trees. I prefer white pines but they have the very full firs as well. Plus there is hot cider in the barn which you can drink while your husband is making sure the tree goes trough the shaker machine and gets baled. Trust me, you want that service.

 In my last job, I usually wrote the Christmas tree farm article. I have the tips down on how to make it an enjoyable outing but like anything else it takes preparation.

 1. Before going to the farm of your choice, always, always call the farm ahead of time to verify hours, directions, prices and method of payment. Also ask about variety of trees, if they provide saws, shaking, and bundling of the tree.

 2. Make sure everyone is dressed warmly with plenty of layers, a warm coat, hats, scarves, and gloves/mittens. One child always tries to get away with minimal dress but this is when you have to be a mean mom. The open areas of tree farms have wicked cold winds that will go through that thin windbreaker.

 3. Bring along a thermos or two of your favorite hot drink. We do hot chocolate and mint tea. You might want hot cider and coffee. Pack along mugs and cookies in a cute bag or basket. The extra effort is worth it.

 4. Photograph the moment before you cut down the tree. You want that memory.

 Finally, someone may want to tell you that cutting down a tree is bad for the environment. But I have been told that for each tree cut down, three will be planted in the spring. Those trees will take time to grow and will add to the environment.

 Where do you go for a Christmas tree?

 Karyn Bowman lives in Kankakee County with her outdoor writer husband and four children. Send an e-mail to momgoestothemovies@sbcglobal.net.

This Friday is the Christmas Fantasy Parade in Bradley. Floats will come by, lit up like Christmas trees. It is a fun parade to watch and we do every year.

We do so because we have one child in the school band and they are marching this year. Years past when the weather gets too cold, our band director will call it.

So far this year, it looks like a go. So I will make sure this child has several layers to wear under his band jacket, plus a stocking hat to wear under the Santa hat, plus gloves to wear under the bigger gloves. If there are thermal long johns, he is getting them to wear.

He will get to eat along the way and have fun with his friends.

But let me share what the rest of us will do that has become a family tradition.

We  are planning to stop over at Bradley Evangelical United Methodist Church for the chili supper that happens before the parade. It is a great way to get ready for the parade, especially if you do not live in town. You get to eat great chili, choose from a bevy of desserts made by the church ladies and sit around in the warmth before the parade starts.

In full disclosure, my church is a sister church to Bradley and I know many people here. But just because you might not know anyone is not a reason to skip it. You are helping to support a local area church while getting a great meal.  The chili will help keep you warm during the parade. The sweets are simply wonderful. and the folks are pretty friendly.

Now, one more tip on how to keep warm to during the parade. Before leaving home, we make one thermos of hot chocolate and one thermos of hot tea to drink once we get back into the car. You could do coffee or hot cider or whatever you like.

As Friday gets closer, our family is looking forward to seeing the parade, especially when Santa makes an apearance.

How do you get ready for the Bradley Christmas Fantasy Parade?

For more information about the chili supper at Bradley Evangelical United Methodist Church  on 600 W. Broadway in Bradley, call 815-939-1141.

Today on my way into work, I saw something that made me cheer. A woman was in her big SUV, parked at the side of the road and texting.

 Finally, someone is doing what they should be doing with those devices.

 I smiled at her and felt very appreciative of her effort to not cause an accident. Earlier in the week a different big dark colored SUV almost crashed into my car as I was on my way to work.

 When I looked over the woman who was driving was smoking and texting. If you are smoking and texting while driving, do you have any hands left for the steering wheel? Maybe she saw me looking at her as if she was an idiot. She tried to avoid looking at me the rest of the time but was still texting.

That is when the woman in the dark colored SUV almost hit some guy walking along the side of the road while texting again. I was beginning to think she was an idiot and then I wondered why there was not a police officer to see all of this.

 Thanks goodness then it was my turn to head to work. I left the woman in the dark colored SUV hoping she was not going to hit anyone else as she made her way to wherever she was going.

 Could this be the part where I beg you not to do the same thing? That is you must text, pull over to the side of the road? It absolutely is. Laws have been passed to make sure we do just that in school zones and construction zones. Just make sure there is no one walking on the side of the road before you do. 

Karyn Bowman lives in Kankakee County with her outdoor writer husband and four children. Become friends with Karyn on Facebook or send an e-mail to momgoestothemovies@sbcglobal.net.

In case you have not been pay attention, this week is the opening of the latest Harry Potter movie as we move towards the end of the saga.

 On Friday, or late Thursday night, people who have followed this series will be standing in line waiting for the second to last movie. Finally we will be able to watch on the screen what we have tried to imagine in our feeble minds.

 So the only thing left to do to get ready for the massive amounts of references from the last six books is to have a Harry Potter Marathon!!!!!!

 But wait — what about appropriate viewing ages? Good point because not all Harry Potter movies are for all ages of the family members.  So let’s explore each movie for best viewing ages.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

In this movie we meet Harry and his friends, Hermione and Ron. We also see the beginnings of a great rivalry. And then there is Professor Snape whose dislike of Harry has everything to do with his father.

 This introduction into the series is good for all members of the family. There are scary moments and scary creatures but those scenes are handled in a friendly manner to make them less scary.

 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Here Harry will learn one of his talents is not popular with his school fellows. With the Chamber of Secrets opened, it is a race to save Hogwarts from a threat that could destroy the student population.

 What is scary is a series of events leading to discover who opened the door to the chamber. This movie is still appropriate for early grade school students with some fun scenes dealing with magical creatures.

 Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

A highly dangerous prisoner from the wizard’s prison has escaped and he may be coming for Harry. Plus the latest Defense Against the Darks Arts teacher has a major secret besides being a friend of Harry’s late parents. 

This movie shows the series starting on a path of darkness, with fear becoming a part of the norm. It is a film that is best suited for pre-teen kids and up as there are themes that need greater maturity to understand, such as long held hatred and a need for revenge.

 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

I believe this chapter of the story is the last one that is suitable for anyone under the age of 13. There is a constant mood of fear as Harry competes in a contest to find the ultimate magical champion. We meet students from other schools as well as some very scary creatures. What Harry and Cedric faces at the end of the movie can be terrifying to younger viewers.

 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

These last two movies are best for the teens, especially those who have been reading the series all along. The fear level is intense in both movies as Lord Voldomort is back and ready to rule the world. The action scenes are potent and lives will be lost, people we have grown very attached. I do not recommend these two movies or the one coming out to younger viewers because I do not believe their maturity level can handle the fear, the sadness, the manic need to do something.

If you have a different opinion, please leave a note below. I know my husband and I will be having the discussion as our 9-year-old daughter has just told us she wants to go to the newest movie.

Will we let her go? I am just not sure yet.

Do you remember about a month ago when an economic expert suggested the 3/50 project as a way of saving the local economy?

Cinda Baxter’s idea is to have consumers – me and you – pick three locally-owned businesses in the area and spend $50 there every month. By consistently spending money at three favorite vendors who are locally based and not a nationally-owned chain, it is possible to have real returns to the local economy.

Baxter states on her website that out of $100, $68 will come back to the local economy when spent at a locally-owned business. A nationally-owned business only returns $43 to the local economy. And that online purchase you just made gives nothing.

I brought the idea up recently at our family dinner, asking my husband and kids what three places we should spend our money at every month.

We all agreed on the first place. St. Anne Country Market right here in town. We love the meat we get from this small store. Plus, if you tell the owner what you like, the product will find its way on the shelf. I love being able to buy my Yoplait yogurt and Barilla pasta right there.

We started thinking about a second place and decided on Rondinella’s Italian Import Market that is located on Route 50. They have a great Italian Beef sandwich. We have tried the ready-made raviola, Mozzerella balls and various breads. I have not gotten the biscotti yet but that is next on my list. They also sell Nutella at Rondinella’s. If you do not know what Nutella is, let me just say it is a chocolate/hazelnut spread that might be described as heaven in a jar.

We have not selected a third place yet. The problem is in the choosing. Should it be a fun place like Hidden Cove or a bowling alley? Maybe it could be a restaurant such as Bull’s in Kankakee or Dixie Delight in St. Anne. Maybe it could be my favorite quilt shop, B&J Sewing in Bourbonnais or a locally-owned coffee shop.

We are still working on that final selection. But we know that we want to keep businesses going and have to spend money there to make it happen.

Now it is your turn. What are your three businesses that you plan to spend $50 dollars at each month?

Karyn Bowman lives in Kankakee County with her outdoor writer husband and four children. Become friends with Karyn on Facebook or send an e-mail to momgoestothemovies@sbcglobal.net.

Do you know how I know it is hunting season?

 All of my neighbors are practicing with their duck calls.

 And it is driving my four-year-old black lab, Storm, crazy!

 This is a dog who tried to eat my dining room table and my coffee table when he was teething. This is a dog who has been known to drag me across the street. This is a very strong dog who loves to chase squirrels and cats.

 But when he hears a call being used, the dog goes nuts. My husband was given a four-part call that can work on four different species of fowl. The other day, he took his call outside in the gangway between our house and the neighbor’s to try it out.

 Of course Storm heard it. And my lovely dog began to howl. He wanted to be where that thing was and he howled in the most forlorn manner that a dog can howl. There were tones of longing and sadness that he wasn’t where that call was hiding. Roy Orbison could have gotten a song out of that howl.

 Plus, he was running about the house trying to find the source of the sound. He ran up the stairs and down again. Through the dining room and into the kitchen. Only the possibility of dropped food made him stop for a moment. It was the shortest ‘food’ moment I ever saw the dog have. My husband came back in the house with a sheepish look on his face. As he should have.

 If that was not bad enough, a week later I was walking the dog when someone a block over tried out their goose call. There was some calling out to me and perhaps some laughing. Not that I was really paying attention because I was HOLDING BACK EIGHTY POUNDS OF DOG. It took all of the strength I had and some that was stored up for a few years coming up.

 But Storm was pulling and standing on two legs because he was trying to get a better look for the call. About a half a block later he finally got back on all fours and walked with me. But it was a quick walk, a look-around-and-see-what-you-can-see walk. A go-after-anything-you-see walk. I think I lost a whole pound during that walk so it was a little worthwhile.

 Now that waterfowl season has started, I am wondering who else is going to try out their call to see how my dog responds to it. I want to write something mean about what I would do to that call but then if anything happened to some one’s call, the police would only look in one direction. Perhaps if I demonstrated what a call does to my dog, they would let me off the hook.

 Maybe.

 Karyn Bowman lives in Kankakee County with her outdoor writer husband and four children. Become friends with Karyn on Facebook or send an e-mail to momgoestothemovies@sbcglobal.net.

Halloween weekend this year is an extended event. One thing I feel certain about is that there will be plenty of kid and adult parties.

 The other thing I am certain of is that some people will be hosting a huge horror film fest.

 Let me be honest – this is my least favorite genre. I get nightmares easily and these scary movies do me in every time. When 28 Days Later came out, I had to do some intense romantic comedy movie watching to get the images out of my head before bedtime.

 But that doesn’t mean I have thrown out the whole genre with the bath water. There are some excellent movies that have a horror/psychological thrill to them. What I am going to do is make ten (10) suggestions that range the ages for those people who want to watch scary – although not necessarily gory – movies.

 Let’s start for little, little kids. I am talking pre-school through third grade. These kids want to be like their older siblings but they cannot handle the more extreme scary movies. To allow a small child to watch the intense PG-13 or R rated horror/scary movies is child abuse in my book and it means a little work on the parent’s part to find the right type of scare for the various age groups.

 My fallback plan for pre-school to third grade ages is always anything (1) Scooby Doo. The stories focus on a monster, there are a couple of scary chase scenes and the capture of the villain. The newer animated movies and series have a ‘real’ spirit at times but it is never more than kids in this age group can handle.

 Another cute movie for this age group is (2) The Little Vampire starring Jonathon Lipnicki, that cute little boy from Jerry McGuire. The story is about a lonely little boy who discovers a vampire family has moved into his neighborhood. Soon, he is helping them find a way to end the curse that made them vampires. It is scary at bits but appropriate for the younger kids.

 When it comes to the pre-teens, they are thinking scary on the level of what you see on the Disney Channel. The scares here are a little more intense and in settings that are more likely to happen. This age group might like (3) Monster House which stars a young Mitchel Musso as the best friend to our protagonist. In this beautifully animated movie, a tweener boy realizes that the spooky house across the street might be something more. There are some great scary scenes, especially when the house ‘eats’ the rotten boyfriend.

 Another series I like is the (4) Goosebumps movies. I find they always focus on something that is very close to real life but the resolution comes quickly as well. Gotcha moments galore happen here but our lead characters tend to be relatable and likable.

 If you want to edge a tweener child into horror films start with the classics of (5) Count Dracula, 1931; Frankenstein, 1931; and The Wolf Man, 1941. These movies have some scary imagery without the big scares or the gore factor. They are fun and campy with a slight edge.

Now once kids get to those teenage years, you can take off the gloves. They know what they can and cannot watch if they do not want nightmares. Parents who came up during the 70s and 80s may want to share their love of the ’slasher’ movies with their kids. (6) Halloween, Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street are good, solid movies at their core. They have interesting premises with plenty of gotcha moments and interesting death scenes.

 A sub section of the horror genre that has become quite popular in recent years is the zombie movie. The classic series is (7) the Living Dead movies directed by George Romero. The dead have risen and are looking for something to eat – preferably your brains.

 But these are not the ones I love the best. Recent zombie movies have been fabulous for either being completely action packed or a humorous take on the genre or BOTH. I love 28 Days Later is one of the best zombie movies for the action and the reasoning for the virus in the first place. Shaun of the Dead has Simon Pegg trying to lead his friends to safety during a zombie invasion. It takes some well deserved jabs at the genre while still packing a few good scares.

 My latest favorite is Zombieland starring Jesse Eisenberg and Woody Harrelson as they travel across the country looking for other survivors and killing zombies. There are funny bits and serious bits mixed together with moments that are just wonderful. Maybe not as action packed as Resident Evil but what a movie.

 It is the monster that matters in some movies and one of the best is (8) Alien. Who can forget that big John Hurt’s moment or how Sigourney Weaver battles this thing? Sure, the movie has been made fun of over the years. But watch it again and let the terror wash over you.

 Another very satisfying monster is (9) Hannibal Lector. Anthony Hopkins made this cannibal appealing so that the audience actually likes him but he is a devastating killer. Smart, crafty with a polished air, Lector can fool you into a sense of well being. But every moment when you are not the hunter, you are the prey.  

 There is only one movie I consider the best of all scary movies and that is (10) Psycho from 1960, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The blood is chocolate syrup and the villain is who we least suspect. It is filled with drama, tense moments and a shuddering death. The music of that scene will forever remain as one of sharp, piecing noise.

 The best way to watch this movie is completely in the dark on the biggest TV screen you or a friend owns, and no one in the room is making a sound. The scariest part of this movie? Hearing the knife rip into flesh through the shower curtain.

 What are some of your favorite scary movies?

Cooking is one of the avid hobbies of my family. We like making recipes, looking up recipes and having the big family meal.

 Every Sunday, one member of the family chooses the menu -even our six-year-old. Granted he gets out of cooking duty but the rest have to take part in the making of the food.

 This past week, I tried something new on Saturday. None of us want something big and we were going to be home for the night. That is when I remembered the Potato Cheese Soup recipe in Relish, the insert that appears monthly in the Daily Journal.

 After going through the stack of newspapers to find it, I started looking for ingredients. Potatoes, broth, cheddar cheese, carrots and beer I had. What I needed was ham, onion and gruyère cheese. The big problem was the cheese. My store in my little town does not have that kind of cheese.

 So I sent my daughter to google and we found out that depending on your list of ingredients, cheddar or swiss cheese can be substituted. I sent my son for an onion and worked on putting together the ingredients for an herb bread to make in the bread machine. Then we went for a bike ride to the graveyard (another story for another day).

 One the way home, I got the rest of the ingredients. The kids helped with sautéing the onions, ham and carrots. We added the eight cups of diced potatoes and broth. Let that cook for about 20 minutes. I put about 1/3 to 1/2 of the soup in the food processor and pureed. After returning the mixture to the pot, I added the 8 oz. of beer and grated 3/4 cups of cheeses.

 Talk about smelling good. We were all getting pretty hungry between the herb bread (fantastic when dipped in the soup) and the soup aromas. The kids ate this soup, requesting seconds and thirds. Our picky eater had four bowls of the stuff.

 Needless to say, this soup will be added to our repertoire on a semi-regular basis. It was a perfect ending to a wonderful fall day.