January Heat Wave at The Movies

It’s highly probable that over the holidays you found yourself in a movie theatre near you.  With so many heavy hitting movie blockbusters saved for the holiday season, moviegoers were not disappointed; in fact, some of the year’s best movies came out during the holiday season.  January can often hold a movie lovers trifecta and it goes something like this.  1. Many of the season’s best and most exciting films are still in theatres for your viewing pleasure! 2. Some pretty fantastic looking feature films are about to find their way into a theatre near you.  3. Perhaps the best part of waiting until January to hit the movies is that the crowds you may have found during the Christmas season are likely to be somewhat reduced.  Even still, with winter in full throttle and so many fabulous films to be seen, don’t take a chance on missing your favorites while they are still available on the big screen!  Take a look at some of our favorite January picks:

The Hobbit:  If you haven’t seen this film yet, run, don’t walk to your local movie house and see it!  This movie is, in a word–epic!  The characters are rich and interesting and the story of the Hobbit really reaches out, grabs you and pulls you in.   The battle between good vs. evil is something that anyone can relate to as well as watching ordinary folks do extraordinary deeds.

The Life of Pi:  After surviving a harrowing shipwreck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, son of a zookeeper, Pi Patel forms a surprising friendship with a 450-lb. Bengal Tiger as he fights to sustain himself while adrift at sea. 

Lincoln: If knowing that Steven Spielberg directed this film doesn’t do it for you, perhaps the amazing performances of both Daniel Day Lewis (as Lincoln) and Sally Field (as Mary Todd Lincoln) will.  We all know the history lessons we learned in school, but seeing the behind the scenes struggles of this great president and the Civil War in action will leave you breathless. 

Texas Chainsaw Massacre:  Okay folks, we are after all, a Halloween costume website and so we must give a shameless pitch for a classic horror film that keeps on re-inventing itself.  Seeing this kind of murderous rampage in 3-D might be a little much for the squeamish, but it hasn’t stopped droves of moviegoers from doing just that.  This film grossed over 23 million this past weekend–lots of horror fans out there, apparently!

The Last Stand: (Release date Jan. 18) After a largely dismissed book release, Arnold Schwarzenegger is “baaaack” as promised as many of us would prefer to see him–as the good old bad ass tough guy we all know and love.  The Last Stand promises to deliver what many of us like to see most out of Arnold movies.  Action.  Explosions.  Fast Cars.  And we think there are likely to be a few “old guy” jokes in there, too. 

Wreck It Ralph:  For all you kids, big and small out there in the land of moviegoers, “Wreck It Ralph” is the latest Disney animated adventure and is perfectly suited for the entire family.  The story is centered on a video game character that has been labeled as a villainous bad guy, but he would like to take advantage of an opportunity to change his reputation and become a video game hero; thus finding his perfectly blissful video game character brand of happiness.

On your mark…get set…go…to the movies!  Beat this winter’s chill by hitting a hot, hot, hot movie at a theatre near you!

7 Ways to Survive the Post Holiday Blues

Well, we’ve survived the (almost) end of the world (thank you, Mayan’s for being wrong) and a near swan dive off the fiscal cliff.  Here we are in the first week of a brand new year.  The holidays, and all the fun that went with them, are tucked neatly away until next year.  In spite of coming through so much and having enjoyed a fabulous holiday season, sometimes January brings with it a bad case of the blues. 

Scientists have actually calculated the most depressing day of the year and it’s rapidly approaching.  January 21 has been designated as this year’s “Blue Monday”.  Blue Monday got its sad and melancholy reputation from a convenient juxtaposition of bad and annoying things that all come together mid-January to create a bit of a sadness perfect storm.  Those pesky post-holiday bills have arrived.  New Year’s resolutions have already failed and perhaps been abandoned. Look outside and what you see is the coldest, most miserable weather of the year.  Motivation to do anything is at an all time low.  Combine all these factors with the least favorite day of the week, and there you have it…Blue Monday. 

Blue Monday is just around the corner.  What, if anything, can you do to prevent falling into a bad case of the mid-winter blues?  Here’s our list of quick and easy mid winter pick me ups that are sure to get you smiling again. 

  • Look ahead.  Today may not be the greatest but there are many fun things to look forward to.  Start making plans for Valentine’s Day or a long President’s Day weekend now.  Having something to look forward to can be a great pick me up.
  • Get Outside!  Even if the weather is cold and nasty, getting some fresh air can be invigorating to your mind and body.  Put on a hat and gloves if it’s cold.  I have a silly hat with furry and ridiculous earflaps that I can’t possibly wear without smiling a little; try it out if you don’t believe me.
  • Give Your Brain Some Space.  Over-thinking your woes never did much to help your situation.  Take a purposeful time out.  Breathe in deeply and slowly.  Try to think happy thoughts if possible to put some space between yourself and what’s bugging you.
  • Sweat it Out:  Exercise is a great way to purge your mid-winter blues.  The endorphins created during exercise will automatically elevate your mood.  You might feel like an extended TV-a-thon, but an hour of good sweat will do far more for your mood.
  • Hydrate.  All the forced air heating can dry you out more than you realize, plus all that holiday drinking didn’t help, either.  Focus for a couple days on drinking lots of water–it’s amazing how well this works!
  • Dance!  (And boy to we have costumes for that!) Practice your moves.  Lady Gaga, Madonna, Elvis, Michael Jackson–crank up your favorite tunes and go at it.  Bring the kids in on the action and don’t forget to take a few videos.  Which brings us to the next mood-elevator…
  • Sing!  In the shower, in the car, wherever.  Belt it out like you mean business.  Silly or uplifting songs are perfect for snapping out of a funk.  Our favorites?  “Don’t Stop Believing”, (Journey) and “Chicken Fried” (Zac Brown Band).
  • Phone a Friend:  Sometimes having a lively chat and catching up with an old buddy is a great way to perk yourself up. 

January doesn’t have to spell disaster for your mood.  Try these hints to lift your spirits and spit right in the face of Blue Monday! 

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