Movie : Robin Hood

I'm a fan of Robin Hood. I read the story when I was in primary school. It fascinated me. The noblemen and the commoners; the fight for liberty, equality.

I'm sure I've watched a few other Robin Hood movies along the way, but I cannot remember them much.

A search on IMDB for "Robin Hood" produced dozens of hits. TV series and movies from decades before to the latest one in 2010 directed by Ridley Scott and starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett.

The Robin Hood movie that aired this year focused on how Robin Hood came about. From his days in the king's army as an archer to a hero amongst the poor, the movie had a lot of killings, fightings and scheming.

For a two-hour long movie, it is generally rather slow-paced despite all the fightings involved. I'm glad I watched it on DVD and not in the cinema. Personally, I had expected a faster plot, but had to fast forward a few times to skip all the sceneries.

There wasn't much to comment on acting for the boys as there weren't much emotional scenes. Marion Loxley was well-played by Cate Blanchett, a spirited and dignified widow who, acoording to the movie, was only married for a week to her husband who then went to war for the next 10 years.

Strangely, for some reason, I don't recall much of the plot even though I just finished it 15 minutes ago. Probably because I expected a bit more of the thieving from the rich and giving to the poor than having so much background on the character.

Out of 10, I'd give it a 5.

Toilet Training - Wee Target

I bought a Wee Target some time ago to encourage Miss 2 to use the toilet. The intent of this toilet training gadget was to help boys aim into the toilet seat for their toilet training.

Created by Joanna and Daniel, parents to 3 boys and 1 girl, this invention has made toilet training for boys more a fun game than a training regime.

Each Wee Target has a suction cap attached to the top of the handle. The bottom part of the gadget is a black circle. When wet with urine, it changes into a picture. There are a few designs to choose from : Car, Tow Truck, Train, Ball, Fire Engine and Pony. The pictures 'magically' disappears when the toilet is flushed. However, it'll disappear faster in Winter, due to the coldness of the air.

To use it for boys, simply place the suction cap to the inside rear rim of the toilet seat and get them to stand at the front to aim at it.

Although it was meant for boys, I have found it just as effective when placed at the inside front rim of the toilet seat for girls. The only downside was, the only 'girly' picture they have was of a pony.

However, children are so fascinated by the appearance and disappearance of the pictures that it doesn't really matter.

Theme Park - Dreamworld

Went to Dreamworld with my husband recently. It's got nothing to do with dreams, but rather, rides. All sorts of rides. Kiddy rides and adult rides, with other little paid games and wildlife attraction.

Located in South East Queensland at the northern end of the Gold Coast, on the Pacific Hughway at Coomera, it is accessible by car, bus or train. You won't miss it.

I enjoyed myself thoroughly on the rides. Tried the bumper cars for the first time in years and it was great to be crashing into others without having to worry about a traffic ticket!

There was a new attraction, the Mick Doohans Motocoaster, which gives you the thrill of riding on a motorbike at a maximum speed of 72km/h. It would be the one and only time that I'll be on a motorbike!

Not all the rides were opened though. Some were closed for maintenance which is a must for the theme park. They do rotate their maintenance on the equipment, so that there will be plenty of rides for people to go on.

We bought the $69 unlimited entry pass. That allows us to re-enter for unlimited times for the whole month. Pretty worth, it I reckon! And, it's not just Dreamworld alone, you get to go to Whitewater World as well, for that amount!

While you're at Dreamworld, pop into their Tiger Island for a tiger performance. They also have other wildlife attractions like the koalas and crocs if you're interested.

We brought our own lunch and that saved another tens of dollars. No commercially prepared food or drinks are allowed in there. We didn't bring our home-made sandwiches in, but came out to the carpark to have our lunch. Too many things to carry anyway.

The best times to go would be before the school holidays to maximize your time there. Queueing for the rides can take up a long time and it'll be a shame to have to waste time at the queues. If you're not a fan of cold, avoid the end of winter. It can be quite chilly to be spun around on the rides. Bring a set of extra clothing and jumper, just in case you get wet on the rides.

Charity - Direct Relief International

I've decided that if I'm going to do a review, I'll do one for charity too. Do scroll down to the bottom of the page where you see a Social Vibe widget on the right. This blog is dedicated to Direct Relief International, a non-profit organization that "provides medical assistance to improve the quality of life for people affected by poverty, disaster, and civil unrest at home and throughout the world."


They provide medicines and medical resources to improve the health standards of countries around the world. 


And how does it work? There is no cost to you, my readers, just a few more minutes of your time as you read the blog. Click on the widget and it will bring you to a new window where you answer short polls sponsored by brand names. There are advertisements from the sponsors that play automatically alongside the polls, but you're not obliged to watch it.


Each activity will put a donation to Direct Relief International. There is a number tally on the widget that tells you how many people are being helped so far through Blog-O-Reviews. Check it out and tell your friends how easy it is to help people around the world.