Black Swan

Although we know that you were expecting the second part of our "Toys" blog, we had to put this one up since Black Swan was released today!!!

In honor of Black Swan the blu-ray and DVD release, we composed a list of reasons why to check out this fabulous movie!

Trailer for the movie:



If you love music



If you love fashion



If you have a crazy mother



If you enjoy inappropriate relationships



If you enjoy a good dance



If you strive to be perfect



If you've had daytime terrors



If you have a crush on Natalie Portman



If you like what the critics had to say



If you enjoy the occasional lesbian love scene



If you love all of these things, then you should definitely go buy this movie. Yes, I said BUY, do not rent it because you'll want to watch it more than once.  What are you waiting for, "the only person standing in your way, is you!"

A girl and her toys.

As a kid I used to call my basement Toys R Us. Mostly because one whole area in our basement was our dedicated toy room, and also because a friend once said we had more toys than Toys R Us.

After spending a few years with my fiancee's family, I've noticed that my family isn't the only one who bought and kept (for way too long) copious amounts of toys. So I sat down with my (future) niece and we discussed the hottest toys for kids... Keep in mind this list is composed by a 7-year-old girl.


1. Monster High (anything associated with this brand)

Monster High dolls are made by Mattel (yes the same company who brings you Barbie) after years of litigation, they could finally bring your their Bratz like dolls, meaning these dolls have huge heads and tiny slender bodies.


2. Pillow Pets (also anything associated with this brand)

Pillow Pets are really an ingenious idea. They are stuffed animals that turn into pillows, so kids can take their favorite stuffed animal to bed every night. They've also expanded the pillow pet brand to include dozens of animals, books, blankets, hats, games, and slippers! These things are so hot right now, even adults love them (ahem Angry Jess has one!)





3. Zoobles

Zoobles come from the same toy company who brought us Bakugan. They basically took the same product, changed the color scheme and the name and violia they had a new toy, and a new market. Now this line changes so much its kind of hard to keep up with but the kids love it and its popularity doesn't seem to be fading anytime soon.






4. SMS messengers

It seems almost every toy company has launched their own version of this product. My (future) niece has a Monster High version of this toy...which BTW didn't these debut way back in like 2001? I remember them from that era, but I believe my generation's were of much higher quality. Current gen models have to be in a well lit area and kept in a straight line to have the messages sent. There are a few brands out there that are actually more of an IM or web based service, and I would recommend those over these. Check out IM me instead.



5. Barbie (and Ken, that's right they're still on top)

Barbie debuted in 1958, its almost shocking to think that a toy that is over 50-years-old is still on top as one of the highest selling children toys ever. But then again, with numerous face lifts and image revamping, I guess Mattel made sure of it. She and Ken began rekindling their romance during the filming of Toy Story 3. The new hit doll will be the "Barbie Video Girl Doll"





6. Club Penguin Membership

Club Penguin is a MMORPG for kids, by Disney. It is designed for kids ages 6-14. One of the major focuses is child safety, and they have even implemented the "ultimate safe chat" where users select comments from a menu of options. They must purchase a membership (even though free memberships are available) if they want to spend any in game currency to buy virtual pets and other things.




7. Legos

Legos are another one of those toys that have been around, practically forever! Noe the most popular sets of Legos include: Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Sponge Bob. It was kind of hard to tell if girls are interested in these simply because the boys love them, or if they genuinely love them too. But I do know that they are here to stay, maybe for another 50 years! Lego has expanded their line to movies, video games and other merchandise.





8. Littlest PetShop

Many people don't know that LPS has been around since the early 1990s. It has had some serious reconstruction and image revamping since then but now it has become a longtime favorite of little girls. Hasbro recently created video games and an online world for girls to adopt virtual pets.




9. Nintendo Dsi

The Nintendo Dsi has been around since 2009. And it has been popular with kids ever since! They love the camera feature, the online games, the Nintendo shop and many of the other games as well. My one gripe is that this is not a toy for kids. My recommendation is to wait until they have the ability to read to dish out the cash for a system like this.

10. Wii games

The Wii has been super popular with families with young children since it was released in 2006. The reason is, many games are "party" games and are designed for the most novice of video gamers. Recently the most popular games for kids include the Just Dance franchise, Mario Party, Mario Kart, the Lego Franchise, and a few more. Personally I love my Wii and I will recommend it to anyone because of its versatility. Not only can you play current generation games but you have the ability to download all of your favorite Nintendo (and even some Sega) games!



Thats our list of the current popular kids toys, but stay tuned this week as we update our blog with the most popular toys of our childhood. Thats right we're talking 1980s and 1990s toys. So buckle your seat belts, we're going back in time!

(Do you have a favorite toy that has to be included in our list? How about suggestions for an upcoming list) Be sure to leave a comment or email us thelistchicks@gmail.com

That's not my name...

Celebrities name their children the craziest things. Some people think it's because celebs want their children to stand out... As if having rich and famous parents isn't enough.

Audio Science

Moses Amadaes

Rumor

Suri

Zoltan Crimefighter

Moxie Crimefighter

Bogart Che Peyote

God'iss Love Stone

Pilot Inspektor

Spec Wildhorse

Seven Sirius

Fifi Trixibelle

Peaches Honeyblossom

Little Pixie

Sage Moonblood

Rocket

Rebel

Racer

Rogue

Moon Unit

Diva Thin Muffin

Fushia

Bamboo

Bluebell Madonna




Those are just some of the outrageous celebrity baby names that we've stumbled upon. I could understand using names like these for nicknames, but as a legal name, celebs must be crazy! I can only imagine the bullying their children are going to endure in school and life.

Did we miss any names that you know of? Would you ever give your child an unusual name? I know my fiancée has mentioned a few names to me (that I shot down). What about unusual names you've heard that aren't a celeb's child?

I just can't get you out of my head.

And nor do I want to! We love music, movies and music in movies! Here's our list of the soundtracks, that we just can't stop listening to! Also keep in mind they are not listed in order of preference, mostly because we love them all!

1. Garden State

2. Inception

3. The Little Mermaid

4. The Breakfast Club

5. Black Swan

6. Whip It

7. 500 Days of Summer

8. The Wizard of Oz

9. Love Actually

10. Center Stage

11. Anastasia

12. Star Wars

13. Mama Mia

14. Pirates of the Caribbean

15. Magnolia

16. Music and Lyrics

17. Indiana Jones

18. Fight Club

19. Requiem for a Dream

20. Big Fish

21. Rocky Horror Picture Show

22. Pulp Fiction

23. Beauty and the Beast

24. Lord of the Rings

25. Across the Universe


As you can tell we listen to a rather eclectic mix. So what are some of your favorite movie soundtracks?

I hope none of our choices made you do this...

Oh, that just grinds my gears!

Everyone has at least one pet peeve. Jess and I made a list of the some of the things that bother us.

20.) Couples who sit on the same side of the booth or table, particularly when there is no one else sitting with them.

19.) When you ask a passenger in your car for directions, and they point instead of saying turn on this road.

18.) When you go to an amusement park and they tell you all bags have to be left with a non rider or in a locker but you didn't come with a "non-rider" and the lockers aren't free.

17.) When dining with a group and spending way more than what you actually ate because someone tries to get out of a portion of their bill, or tries to convince the group to "split it evenly."

16.) A couple who says “We’re pregnant”. Are they sharing a uterus?

15.) When someone makes up a lame excuse as to why they can't do something, instead of just saying "I'm not interested."

14.) When something I've been loving for a long time suddenly becomes popular.

13.) People who don't RSVP to events. I'm sure you're busy but it really doesn't take that long to send in an RSVP especially when the envelope is already addressed and stamped!

12.) Someone who gets on an elevator as soon as the door opens, without allowing the people who were already on it to get off!

11.) Noisy eaters and drinkers. There is no need for you to SLURP or chew that loudly.

10.) When someone with a full cart of groceries gets into the 10 items or less line.

9.) When a non friend uses a nickname for you, when you hardly know them and you weren't introduced as that nickname.

8.) If you sprinkle when you tinkle, please be sweet and wipe the seat! 

7.) People who try to pick-up someone who they know is in a relationship

6.) People who don't respond to voicemail, texts, or missed calls... we know that you're not that busy

5.) People who don't know the difference between its/it’s and they’re /their/there

4.) People who bring small hyper-active children to the movies.

3.) People who make a commitment but then don't follow through.

2.) When you're telling a story or having a conversation and someone interrupts you to start telling their own story. LET ME FINISH!

1.) When someone does something that you just asked them not to do.

So go ahead, tell us what gets on your nerves. It can be something serious, or something really funny. Whatever it is, let us know!

Why do you love lists?

Lists are everywhere you look! NPR even made a list as to why lists are so popular, I'll include an excerpt at the end of the post. I know , I know why didn't we make our own list? Well don't worry there will be plenty of time for that later. But for now let us introduce ourselves.

The Talent

"Angry Jess"

I'm loud and opinionated. I'm humorous and opinionated. I'm nice but kind of a bitch....and opinionated. I say whatever is on my mind and yes, it comes back to haunt me at times. I heart Emily. My favorite color is orange and my favorite singer is Frank Sinatra. Basically, I'm me. So take it or leave it. k? Thanks.

"Emilolz"

I'm kindaaa a big deal. I hate writing about myself, so lets make this brief. I like skiing, bubble gum and chapstick. My favorite color is green and I love my cat, Gambit. I'm going to be marrying Chewbaca later this year. "And thats all I have to say about that."--Forrest Gump



(Emily on the left and Jessica on the right)

Below we have the list by NPR but feel free to leave a comment with your own reasons why you enjoy lists!

Why do we love lists--according to NPR

1. Lists bring order to chaos.

2. Lists help us remember things — at the hardware store, for the vacation trip, Christmas presents. The things you have done and the things you need to do.

3. Most lists are finite. They don't usually go on and on. And if they do, you can skip to the bottom of the list.

4. Lists can be meaningful.

5. Lists can be as long or as short as necessary.

6. Making lists can help make you famous.

7. The word "list" can be tracked back to William Shakespeare, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. In Hamlet, the Bard refers to "a list of landlesse resolutes."

8. Lists relieve stress and focus the mind.

9. Lists can force people to say revealing things.

10. Lists can keep us from procrastinating. We put this one off until the end.