Saturday, May 31, 2014

So... Where are the Reality TV Posts?

I know, something's been missing for the last couple weeks from this blog.  Ever since Big Brother Canada ended, I haven't blogged about anything Reality TV related.  Don't kid yourself, it's not because I'm not watching any Reality TV.  (Anyone that TRULY knows me would know that would never be the case)  And I did briefly consider doing a Bachelorette recap, because I have been watching.  But, I've fully expected that I will be recapping Big Brother when it makes it's premier at the end of June... and that takes a good chunk of time.  That show airs 3 times a week!  So I'm holding out for that.

Does that mean I will have no content?  No.  Of course not!  I can't keep my thoughts to myself!  But just not regular recap posts about the Bachelorette, Catfish, or other reality show.  But I will post the occasional commentary.  I've also been reading some of the feedback I've been getting, and apparently people want things other than Reality TV (whhhaaaattt???!!!)  So, seeing that I am a wonderfully nice person, I will accommodate.

So for today, you have to deal with this boring post.  More exciting content to come. 

In the meantime, have you entered my blog contest? Do it!  http://overtiredmama.blogspot.ca/2014/05/some-changes-are-coming.html?m=1

You could win a coffee card and donation to charity of your choice!

Friday, May 30, 2014

I love contests!

So this is a "semi-serious" post.  Semi because it's fun.  Serious because I'm serious about contests.

Before I share this contest, I will share a "real life experience" I had last night (see ... I'm reading the feedback from the surveys!).  I participated in my very first "Twitter Party".  What's a Twitter party you ask?  It's usually associated with a hashtag and/or a specific Twitter account.  In this case it was #LeonsSuperSale (sidenote - yes, Leons is having a "Super Sale" this weekend).  So the host asks questions and you answer and winners are picked for some awesome prizes.  Pretty cool right.  I have to say it was a lot of fun, although Twitter moves so quickly it was hard for me to keep up, but I'm learning (yay me!).  I highly recommend participating in one if you are on Twitter (that's kind of essential).  I will share any I hear about that are upcoming.

Anyway, on to the latest contest.  I will start with a little disclaimer for readers who don't live in New Brunswick, Canada (I specify Canada for the sake of my American readers), the event details I will share are specific to New Brunswick, Canada.  There are likely similar events that exist in your community though, so have a little Google search and check it out! 

Did you know that we have an "in motion Parks & Trails Day"?  Well we do.  Many of these events are taking place this weekend.  For a list of these events, check out: http://www.sentiernbtrail.com/index.php/en/parkstrailsday

Anyway, there will be a little photo contest during these events.  I've included the poster below.  Just take a picture during your visit to an NB Park/Trail and post it on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram with the hashtag #inmotion or #enmovement to be entered in to the contest.  You could win a special New Brunswick Parks prize pack!

 
And just a reminder about this Blog's contest (not restricted to New Brunswickers), deadline to enter that contest is June 4th at 12:00 PM Atlantic.  http://overtiredmama.blogspot.ca/2014/05/some-changes-are-coming.html?m=1  We've had some entries so far, but your odds are still pretty good to win!

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Throwback Thursday

Alright, I'm going to jump on the "Throwback Thursday" (or #TBT for all you Tweeters) bandwagon.   Wait!  Before you quickly flip away from this page because you don't want to see pictures of me and my friends in high school, or baby pictures... it's not that kind of post.  As much as I want to look at pictures of me looking younger and perkier (I don't want to... at all)... MY "throw back Thursday" will be a throwback to some of my favourite reality TV moments.  Keep in mind I can barely remember what I did yesterday, let alone what I was watching on TV 10 years ago.... and as much as I watch TV, I haven't seen EVERY reality TV show, so there's a chance that I may miss your favourite.  So you're welcome to complain about my list..... but just remember this disclaimer when you're writing your complaints. 

One other disclaimer, I am linking to YouTube videos.  At the time I am loading them, they are working... but who knows... YouTube videos get taken down all the time. 

Now, on to my favourite moments, in no particular order:

Big Brother Season 1 - "Sloshy" Josh's Dance

http://youtu.be/rgp6KZNs5GE

Where to begin with this video.  Clearly alcohol fueled.  Nothing provides more joy to Big Brother Houseguests than getting alcohol.  Josh, Eddie and Curtis are down to the final 3, and they're loving every minute.  They ask for some music... and in Season 1, Big Brother usually accommodated that request by playing Big Brother theme songs from around the world.  In this case a French... or German.... version (they sound the same... don't they?   Well... probably when you're drunk).  The boys encourage Josh to get up and dance... and take his "stuff" off.  He graciously complies.  We're treated to a little strip tease... but the best is yet to come.  As part of the routine, he picks up a hand broom and sweeps the floor then his butt.  A unique, and in my mind, his now signature dance move.  That comes after he moonwalks, moons his fellow houseguests and some other dance moves I'm not sure what to call.  But, can we all agree that the "butt sweep" was the best part of that dance?  So you think the dance is over?  It is not.  He finishes it off by putting some fruit in his underwear.... I'm not really sure why, but the laughter of Curtis and Eddie is enough to make me laugh. 

The Joe Schmo Show - Season 1

Yes, I cheated a little here.  I didn't just pick 1 moment.  This show was a little known reality show (at least in my circle of friends), but I loved it.  It centered around a "regular guy", Matt Kennedy Gould, who was brought on a "Big Brother" type reality show.  What he didn't know was that all of the other contestants were actors.  At times, this show seemed cruel.  He was feeling real emotions, crying when people were evicted, believing he was forming real bonds with this houseguests.  When in reality, they were all acting a part.  The consensus from the actors was that they thought he was so genuinely nice.  One of the little known facts about this show is that Kristen Wiig was on this show.  She played a psychologist.  During one of the challenges, that involved sumo wrestling, Matt accidently knocked Kristen out by taking her down in a hard tackle.  She was legitimately hurt.  He felt terrible, and the prize that he "won" during that challenge (a trip), he gave it to Kristen, because he felt so terrible.  See?!  Nice guy.  Some of the scenes/scenarios were so ridiculous, it was hard to believe that he wasn't catching on.  In the end, they did the big reveal and he couldn't believe it, but he did say that he was hurt because his "best friend in the house" was in on the joke, and he wasn't sure whether he could believe their friendship was real.  Awww.  Anyway, clips of this show are hard to come by, but to give you an idea of the ridiculousness of this show, here is a clip of their eviction ceremony:



Side note... when the host says "you're dead to us", I don't know how the actors didn't laugh.

Real Housewives of New Jersey - The Table Flip

I love me some crazy, and the "final dinner" during the Real Housewives of New Jersey brought plenty of that.  Grown women, all screaming at each other while dressed as though they were going to the Oscars.  As I watched this I thought the old saying is true - money can't buy you class (as we were also told by Countess Luanne from Real Housewives of New York - I've included her video reference below).

Enjoy the table flipping craziness (table flip comes near the end of the video.... and I apologize for the poor quality)

http://youtu.be/YHsql84h56k

And words of advise from Countess Luann - Money can't buy you class:



Anyone else feel awkward watching this.... ugh.

Jersey Shore - Snookie gets punched in the face

Ok, before people freak out and say I'm cruel for this being on my list.. .it wasn't a "favourite" moment, but definitely memorable.  I often wonder about what that guy tells people about why he punched her.  Seriously.  I realize that drunk Snookie is annoying sometimes, and I hate people whinning in my ear, but he PUNCHED her in the face.  Ridiculous.  Of all of the people on that show... you punch Snookie?  Way to go, idiot.



Ellen - Dennis Quaid goes to Starbucks

Ok - Ellen is not "technically" a reality show... but, given that this clip is a bit like punked, I had to include it.  I was laughing from the moment he said "Dennis Quaid is here!"  But people didn't really seem to think it was out of the ordinary... I guess they figured "typical celebrity".



And on that note, I'll end the "throw back Thursday" post.... I could go on forever.  

I may continue the Throw Back Thursday tradition next week... have any comments?  Share them here! 

And don't forget our contest in the post below.  Contest closes on Wednesday. 

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Some changes are coming...

I've decided to make a few changes to this blog.  It's looked the same since I began my blog, and I think it needs a "fresh look".  So I'm going to be making some changes over the next few weeks.

In the meantime, I'd like to find out more about those who check out the blog and what you would like to see. 

Please take a few minutes and complete the survey in the link below.   Don't worry it's not just doing a survey "for nothing".... if you complete the survey, you can be entered in a draw for a "fabulous prize".  The prize is a $15 gift certificate to one of the following coffee shops (your choice): Java Moose, Tim Hortons, Second Cup or Starbucks.  I will also make a donation to the charity of your choice.

Contest closes Wednesday, June 4 at 12:00 PM Atlantic.

Good luck!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PGBJ7C2

Friday, May 9, 2014

Big Brother Canada May 4, May 7 and the Finale May 8

Ok, so bear with me as this "recap" may be more rambling than actual recap as I am definitely an "overtired mama" today... seriously Big Brother?  A finale until 12 PM Atlantic?  Brutal.  I prefer to be sleeping by 10 (note that the 21 year old version of me would be horrified to hear that... 10 PM is when the night got started...)

I decided to group these episodes together... mostly because I'm tired and lazy... also, I discovered that the recap I wrote for May 4 was "saved" but I didn't "publish it" so I will cut and paste in to this recap.

So, to recap, Sabrina won HOH... much to the horror of the other 3 houseguests.  She screams obnoxiously for what feels like 20 minutes.  When she gets to her HOH room, we're reminded that Sabrina gave up real food for a week to see her loved one... so there is no booze and no treats in her basket.  Jon can't believe it.  "What a waste of an HOH", he says.

Big Brother held the "Big Brother awards" which is essentially a way for producers to show some recaps of the season in a less boring way than Survivor does it. (Note to Survivor producers: I hate the episode where the Castaways "reflect" on people already voted off... boring)  A couple of highlights... Best look? Naked Arlie (ew).  Best dance?  Jon and Allison (agreed), Best cry? Sabrina (Duh... no one else cried as much as her).  Best moment?  Kenny telling Sarah he's gay (love it).

Ultimately, Sabrina nominates Heather an Jon, indicating that Jon is her target. 

On to the POV - A sort of Board Game.  Fun!  Jon ultimately wins.  He goes to talk to Heather and tells her that her fate is sealed, she's heading home.  She's upset.  So am I.. I like Heather, but I think we all knew that Jon wouldn't send Neda home.

So Heather is evicted, and the houseguests find out that Canada is the 7th Jury member.  They record cheezy messages as to why Canada should vote for them.

So now, the 3 part HOH competition.  Part 1 - sinking boat... they have to keep their water levels low to keep their boat from sinking.  This challenge is pretty physically demanding.  Neda is the first one out.  Sabrina and Jon battle it out for over 2 hours.... but ultimately, Jon wins.  Sabrina is upset.  Hard to lose such a physically challenging competition after hanging in for so long.

Part 2 - Neda wins

Part 3 - Question challenge.... between Neda and Jon.... and they ask for questions to be repeated a few times... good stalling technique.  And Jon wins!

At this point in the game, even if you've played a pretty "clean game" this is usually when you have to break your word to somebody... such is the case for Jon.  He has a final 2 deal with Neda and Sabrina.  And this, for me, was the shocker of the season.  Jon evicts NEDA!  He decides to go to final 2 with Sabrina.  This was a smart move on his part.  Not only do I think he has a better chance against Sabrina.... he's doing what Neda would have done to him had she won that competition, and she confirms as much with Arisa after her eviction.

Jury members get a chance to ask their questions of the final two.  You can tell some are bitter, most of all, Neda, who asks Jon what moves did he make in the game that were his own and not "someone else's".    And when she casts her vote, she says she's voting for the person that played "the best/my game".  Burn!

But ultimately.... Jon wins!  

Fantastic season.  But now... what am I to do with all my spare time.  :)

Friday, May 2, 2014

Big Brother Canada - May 1

Picking up where we left off last episode.  Everyone's "sacrifice" for seeing their family members are coming in to effect.  Not all sacrifices are created equal.  Take for example, Heather's sacrifice - No access to HOH for 24 hours (or however long it was, I can't remember).  Jon's in solitary confinement there, so, technically no one has access to the HOH.  No big sacrifice there.  Neda - No access to personal belongings for... some period of time.  Yeah, not being able to get your clothes isn't great, but is it awful?  Not really.  Although we have to see her "struggle" through using an iron as a hair straightener.  Remember the 70's ....ok, Neda's to young to remember the 70's... and so am I... but people used to straighten there hair that way all the time.
Anyway, then the rest of the sacrifices:
- Sabrina - no food for a week - yeah, that's a challenge
- Jon - Solitary confinement for 24 hours - I would likely sleep the whole time.... but I think the biggest disadvantage to this punishment is that you miss out on game talk.
- Adel - No sleep for 36 hours.  This, to me, is the hardest one.  I struggle through the day if I am up an hour later than usual.  Nevermind if I had NO SLEEP.  And I will just add... those doll heads he was playing with were super creepy.

We see some clips of Adel and Sabrina's interactions.  Their relationship reminds me of one I had in grade 4 with a boy in my class.  He would pull my hair and twist my arm.  My mom told me he did this because he liked me.

Then, we have Sabrina's "campaigning".  Wow, she is really bad at this.  Aggressive campaigning and threatening not to vote for someone in the end is a terrible strategy.  I'm glad that Heather and Neda both say that they don't like the strategy... but I agree with Neda, they will likely keep Sabrina around for reasons other than her campaigning.

Jon and Neda also have come to the realization that they need to break their alliance.  To see them struggle with that decision shows what a genuine friendship they have.

We did get a brief glimpse of the Jury house as Rachelle showed the video of Adel's nomination ceremony.  Figures that Arlie would find Adel's cruel words hilarious.  But, I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Adel didn't make any friends doing that.

Down to the vote - and Adel is sent packing.  I think we all had a feeling that was coming, but this also means we will be subjected to more of Sabrina's campaigning.  Boo.

HOH Competition is a series of "before or after" questions, but it is "too be continued".  When we left the competition, Sabrina and Neda were tied with the most points...

Tune in Sunday to see who the winner is.

And Arisa informed us that the feeds will go down on Sunday... which also means no more spoilers... what will I do when I have to wait for the show to actually air to know what happened!  :)

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Big Brother Canada - April 30

We open up on the "fall-out" from nominations.

Jon and Neda's plan is to tell Heather she is a "pawn" but actually send her home. 
After the ceremony, Heather leaves, pretty upset.  Jon doesn't understand why Heather is so mad, but Neda takes the opportunity to sympathize with Heather in hopes of winning her Jury vote.  I get why Heather is mad.  Even if she believes she was nominated as a pawn, generally they have been letting people know they are being nominated... as a courtesy.  But Jon didn't do that.  Only now are people starting to notice that Heather is a competitor.  Really, Heather has had to fight hard this whole game as an "underdog" with no strong alliance to back her up. Unfortunately for Jon, if he was in the final 2, this experience with Heather could make her vote for someone else over him as it can leave her with a bad taste in her mouth.

On to the POV, you have to get in a sort of "wind tunnel box" and gather up letters to form a sentence.  The Houseguest who does this the fastest, wins POV.  There are also bags hanging from the top of the box that contain money amounts, you can choose to go for that as well.  I have to admit, this challenge looks fun! 

Neda decides she wants to "go for the money".  Here's the thing.... if you want to get rid of Heather this week, shouldn't you be working to make sure she doesn't win?  Or is this another case of the "Heather's not a big threat" mentality. 

Sabrina also decides to "go for the money".  This decision is even more stupid than Neda's decision as  Sabrina is ACTUALLY ON THE BLOCK!  Play the game, girl!

When the challenge concludes, we learn there is another "Twistos Twist" (Twistos is certainly getting bang for their buck with their sponsorship $).  For those that chose to grab some money, only the houseguest who grabbed their money in the quickest amount of time wins theirs... and the winner is ... Neda.  Neda wins $3000.  But the big winner is Heather because she wins POV.  Adel does the classic "beauty queen clap" (fake smile + clapping+ thinking "damn").

Adel decides he will try to convince Jon to nominate Neda instead of him.  So apparently Adel is oblivious to how close Jon and Neda are?  Although, unbeknownst to Jon, Neda is prepared to ditch him in the end.

On to a "reward challenge", the hosueguests have to decide what they are willing to give up in order to spend 2 minutes with a loved one.  This is one of the most heart warming challenges I've ever seen on Big Brother.  It's hard to make a houseguest look unlikeable during this sequence.  I especially loved watching Heather and her boyfriend.  Such a cute little couple.  I also liked seeing Jon and his dad.  He looked like an excited 8 year old boy while he talked to his dad.  Although I was hoping his dad would say "keep your hands out of your pants".  haha.

Back to the serious stuff.  Heather uses the POV on herself and Adel is nominated in her place.  We find out tonight who is going home.

7 Tips for Summer Travel on a Budget

Winter is over (although, I know for some, it feels like it's still here).  We are now approaching summer.  We're on the "downw...