By Eddy

Guilty pleasures come in many forms.  No one can really say why we enjoy our guilty pleasure, but we can readily agree on one thing, guilty pleasures are things that we would rather keep to ourselves rather than share with the rest of the world such as guys who where clogs or watching children’s shows like iCarly or being big fans of Bring It On: All or Nothing   Not that I can judge anyone myself, since I have my fair share. 

One such guilty pleasure that I will reveal right now is our family’s obsession with the show So You Think You Can Dance.  Ever since we caught the show in its 3^rd season, we have been DVRing it ever since.  It gotten to a point that even Babyboy busts out a couple of moves, it is also directly responsible for his penchant to drop on all fours and attempt to break dance whenever there is music. 

Of course, the natural leap from TV dancing is to movie dancing (???), however it happened, D and I found ourselves watching the Step Up series.  While I can honestly say that I wasn’t a fan, I did enjoy some of the dance scenes and that is basically the best thing I can say about them.  Which leads us to Step Up 3D .

Step Up 3D is probably best served just by being a show case for dancing.  As for story and overall film it goes over like two left feet.  The story is pretty much "we have to win this competition to save our home" kind of thing which countless movies have done and redone to death, (Rick Malambri, Sharni Vinson).  Though it does a decent job at the beginning credits of showing the impact of dance and how it has affected the lives of the movies characters.  Since I presume many of them were telling their own true story instead of reading off some script it comes off as one of the more genuine parts of the movie.

Then again what did I expect, I always hated the other two films for having some actors that just couldn’t dance in the movie (though I am pretty sure none of those actors could really act either, I practically have a fit when watching when I watch Step Up 2: The Streets …I should actually tape it one of these days), now they fill the movie with great dancers who can’t act (watching "Moose" played by Adam Sevani try to act was like watching puppies getting put to sleep, you just had to close your eyes, cover your ears and hope you don’t lose too much of your soul).  I guess I can’t have my cake and eat it too. 

With that aside, the main attraction, the dancing, is certainly the best of the entire series, extremely well choreographed and peppered with So You Think You Can Dance Alumni we are treated to some spectacular routines.  One of my biggest pet peeves was that the best dance routines were in the middle of the movie and I was always left disappointed with the big finale dance of the movie.  You know the one I mean: the big dance routine that ultimately wipes the floor with the "bad guys" and turn a seemingly hostile crowd back on the right side.   Well this time, I have nothing bad to say about the final number…it pretty much kicked butt.

One word on the "3-D": Sucked.  It sucked as in it was bad and it sucked in that it "sucked" more money out of my wallet.

In the end it takes a bit of self realization when planning to watch this movie.  You have to ask yourself the sort of questions reserved for momentous events and turning points in your life.  In the words of Shakespeare you have to "know thy self".  So when you arrive at the movie counter/movie rental box etc you have to ask yourself whether you are either a fan of So You Think You Can Dance , a lover of dancing, or if the previous two don’t apply then a masochist.

By Rosa

Suave Naturals Body Wash and Lotion both are known for leaving your skin fresh and smooth with a nice scent.  I have sensitive skin and can’t use all types of lotions but Suave is one of the lotions that goes well with my skin. 

I tried the NEW Wild Cherry Blossom Body Lotion and Body Wash.  The Body Wash has a floral scent but it’s not too much.  It’s just enough to have you smelling and feeling fresh.  The Vitamin E in the Body Wash helps your skin look great! 

Now there is a Body Lotion that you can lather yourself with to have soft and silky smooth skin.  As I mentioned earlier, with my delicate skin some lotions make my skin dry but luckily that was not the result with this lotion.  I have a great scent which wasn’t strong and the best part is that it absorbed quickly.  I could still open doors and nail polish after lathering myself with the lotion. 

Suave products are available at your nearest drugstore, mass merchandisers and supermarkets nationwide.  The Wild Cherry Blossom Body Wash retails for $1.99 - $2.50 for 12 oz and the NEW Wild Cherry Blossom Body Lotion retails for $2.95 - $3.39. 

DancingHotDogs.com is giving away a SET for one of our amazing readers. 

For great beauty tips from Suave ask the Professionals !

To enter the GIVEAWAY:

• Leave a MANDATORY comment telling us about your favorite fragrance and what memory it brings. For example when I smell fresh cut grass it always reminds me of Paraguay and being outside with my family members.
• Tweet about it! Tweet “I want to WIN a @suavebeauty set to feel gorgeous all day long with @dancinghotdogs
• follow @rosadancing on twitter (leave a comment)
• follow @dancinghotdogs on twitter (leave a comment)
• follow @suavebeauty on twitter (leave a comment)
• follow DancingHotdogs rss feed
• Blog about the contest (post link in comment)
• Join our fanclub on facebook

This is only open for only US residents.

Contest ends September 19, 2010, 9pm. Giveaway is open to U.S residents only.

Disclosure:  I was given a sample of the Suave Natural Body Wash as well as the Suave Naturals Lotion.  All the opinions of the product are of my own.

Yeah, I know it’s been almost a month since Comic Con ended, but we saved the best for last. Our Final installment of our Comic Con experience brings us to one of our favorite video game developers, Namco Bandai. This year, they certainly had a great line up available for us to try out.

Dragonball  Z: Raging Blast 2

The first being one of my favorite shows from college, Dragon Ball Z.  D can attest that my friends and I wasted many hours watching these shows from Japan.  DBZ has also carved itself a nice little niche in the video game world.  Their latest offering is Dragon Ball Z: Raging Blast 2 . Including 90 different playable character you can literally be any and every character from the series, which means classic battles can be recreated at will.  On top of that, with new updated graphics on the PS3 and Xbox 360 as well as a smooth battle system that is definitely an improvement over the last game.

At Comic Con, I got the opportunity to talk with one of the producers of the game.  We talked about the impact that DBZ has had, and how this new game improves over the games of the past.   He pointed out that the camera tracking the action has improved and follows the fighting much more accurately and smoothly, keeping both fighters in the frame at the same time.  On top of it all the original Japanese voice actors are in the game blurring the line between where the game starts and the show begins.  The only downside is that about 80% of the cast of character won’t be very fun to play with unless you are truly a hardcore fan.  For a more casual gamer, it might be hit or miss when picking a fighter, but overall it looked and played great.  Dragon Ball Z: Raging Blast 2 will be available in late 2010 on both Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

Enslaved

This is Namco Bandai foray in to the action adventure genre. Taking place in a post apocalyptic America, full of ruined cities overflowing with trees and jungles, we follow the escape of Trip and Monkey from a mysterious slave ship taking them out West.  Trip, a female tech genius, modifies the head bands originally used to enslave them to the ship-owners to trap Monkey so that he will help lead her to safety.  Players are put in the control of Monkey, who must ensure that Trip survives as well as he, using his various martial arts and MMA moves.  The games make use this relationship to create a strategic element to the game, players must now weigh weather direct conflict with the bad guys is the right option depending on how well you can protect Trip as well as forcing you to use team work to overcome various obstacles.  The thing that has me really excited is that Enslaved was developed by the same creators of Heavenly Sword , which for those who are familiar with video games was both a commercial and critical success.

It usually takes me some time to warm up to games and their controls.  I am definitely not a quick learner when it comes to pushing the right buttons and figuring out the functionality, but once I do I can be sucked in quickly.  So when I demoed Enslaved , it took a bit of coaching from the PR person for me to pick up the basics, especially the teamwork controls, but even running around the environment blindly as I did kicking robot body was a satisfying experience.     Enslaved comes out on October 8^th for both PS3 and Xbox 360.

Splatterhouse

No, this is definitely not your older brother’s Splatterhouse .  In fact, at first glance you would be hard press to find anything similar other than the premise.  Far from the 2D horror that started in 1988 and spawned a number of sequels, the new Splatterhouse takes us back to the beginning but with a new updated 3D point of view.  Hardcore fans should not fret though, all the bloody fantastic action will happen but on a more graphic and visual level, rivers of blood flow as you fight your way through the movie.  Obviously, playing a character that is transformed into a beefed up super hulk in a Jason Mask isn’t going to lead to a game about picking daisies in a field, well unless those daisies are demons and you get tear them apart in your bare hands.  In addition to the aforementioned hands are meat cleavers, two by fours as well as other objects of mayhem.

When I say a preview it was as if the elevator doors in The Shining had just opened up.  Suffice it to say that the main color of the game was red and it didn’t change much from that point on.  Other updates on the classic include actual fighting combos that can be performed with new moves being unlocked as you collect more blood (yes I just said that).  I am going to venture to say that this game is not for those who faint at the sight of blood, those with heart conditions nor children or pregnant women. Sign me up!! Splatterhouse comes out this fall for the PS3 and Xbox 360.

I am a young hot mama so I don’t remember the classic “Ring Around the Collar” commercial from the 70’s and 80’s

But I am one of three girls so there was a lot of laundry at my house growing up and if some stains just would not come out despite how many soakings and washings my mom was forced to throw away clothes regardless of how expensive they were.

When I think about what my mom went through and want I am going through now, I probably should be very thankful that detergent technology has continued to advanced to the point it is right now.  The funny thing is that it took me being a mom to completely realize and appreciate what my mom and mothers in the past had to go through.

With Babyboy I have never thrown out an outfit.  Trust me, he is a very active two year old and he gives all his clothes a workout with mud, chocolate, tomato stains and whatever else he gets into and with another one on the way I only want to wash once and have it be ready to wear.

I know from my Wisk Bubbles and Bubbly event and from my use of Wisk products they are always improving the formula to tackle a full range of stains for my family. That is why I am happy to report that I will be working with Wisk to promote their new Wisk with Stain Spectrum^TM Technology in a new red-hot bottle.

So for the upcoming weeks you will see my posts on Wisk with Stain Spectrum Technology and how it’s taking on stains from carbohydrates, oils to proteins and believe me I will certainly put it through its paces.  As the summer heat starts to die down, we are spending even more time outside being active.   When that happens we will definitely see if Wisk can handle us!

Check out the new commercial on the new red bottle.

I have yet to see the new bottles in my local Target but I hear they will be out soon retailing at $5.99 for 50 fl oz. 

Go to http://www.wisk.com/Stain_Spectrum_Technology.aspx or www.Facebook.com/Wisk to learn about the different categories of stains and to get a coupon for $1.00 off

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post for the Wisk Stain Spectrum Technology and I was compensated for my post.  I have yet to try the new Wisk detergent but all my words are my unbiased opinions. 

By Rosa

Club Penguin - Herbert’s Revenge is rated E for everyone for the Nintendo DS.  You are a part of The Elite Penguin Force decoding puzzles to get to the next level.  I am a fan of testing the brain and solving puzzles but this game was very hard for me.  I couldn’t even get to level 2 because I got frustrated and didn’t want to look online for cheat sheets. *HELP*

This is the first time that I tried out the Penguins world and as you can tell, difficult for me.  I did enjoy the characters though, they were definitely very cute!  You can play this game with another player who has a Nintendo DS as well or go online for more games and ways to get more points. 

I would recommend this game to people who enjoy testing the brain and who don’t get very frustrated.  Online there are lots of tips and advice as to how to solve the puzzles but since I am stubborn, I wanted to figure out the puzzles on my own.

Club Penguin - Herbert’s Revenge for the Nintendo DS retails for $29.99 for those who enjoy The Elite Penguin Force and this missions!

Follow me on twitter @RosaDancing

Disclosure: The game was provided as a review copy but my post is my unbiased opinions on the game.

Wow what a conference, that’s the first thing that I can say!  I was lucky enough to be one of the volunteers at the registration desk.  So many of you probably saw my smiling face on Friday :D. This was our second conference but the first BlogHer.  There were so many bloggers from all over the United States.  There were good classes and events to attend.  Here are some of my highlights of the conference!

Before the conference officially launched on Friday, I attended the pre party on Thursday, Social Fiesta hosted by the Latina bloggers.  There was great music and food.  To top it all off a Zumba instructor came and showed us how to burn lots of calories while dancing!

Walking around the Expo, there were lots of great characters to meet and greet.  Below are some of the people that we got to meet with my sister like my best friend the Pilsbury Dough Boy and Ronald McDonald ! 

We were also able to attend the shooting of a Rachel Ray Show where The Sun and Catherine DeOrio showed us how to make quick and easy breakfast with Jimmy Dean . 

At the Unilever Pent House, I was able to get tips for makeup and hair as well as cooking tips all while relaxing.  It was heaven since I got to experience all that in one place.  After the Pent House, it was time to party for the last night.  The Blogalicious Party was just a little sneak peek of how much we will be dancing and having a good time at Blogalicious 2010 in Miami! 

Overall, I had a great time and came back home in desperate need of a bed.

Follow me on twitter @RosaDancing

By Eddy

If it were 1988, it is likely that The Expendables would have been a ridiculously huge hit…I mean Avatar huge!  With stars like Sylvester Stallone, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger, the latter two only making cameos, the movie already would have been guaranteed to top the box office.  Add on top of that Dolph Lundgren and Jet Li rounded out by tough looking men like Jason Statham, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, and Steve Austin and you would have all the makings of something pretty special.

Unfortunately, for us and them it is 22 year later.  Most of the afore mentioned actors are now or soon will be past their prime, but that is what The Expendables is all about: these guys have reached their Lt. Murtagh point or the “I’m too old for this sh*t” stage of their career both in reality and in the film and we get to see how they handle it, which is to say watch them take out their sadness by decapitating some nameless Latin soldier. But even in their twilight these guys still have the goods to kick butt and that is what they do throughout this movie in spades.

Written and directed by Sly Stallone, The Expendables follows this crew as they are contracted to assassinate a military dictator on some foreign island; already an old and mostly tired group they all must also deal with what the job has taken from them throughout the years.  So we substitute the Russians of the 1980’s for some Latin country and then age the heroes 25 years, add in a sprinkling of the a rogue CIA agent take out any possibility of nudity and presto! We have about every other action movie from 1990 to 2010. Not that original huh? I guess Sly is going to have to wait until The Expendables 2 to get that screen writing Oscar. Let’s face it he hasn’t had a true writing credit to his name since the 80s so we really can’t blame him from not advancing that much since then. 

Let’s face the facts, this movie isn’t really very deep, so much so that you might find yourself trying to stifle the laughter even at the most “dramatic” moments the film tries to manufacture (Yes, Mickey tear ducts do work and he sheds a tear and Stallone passes a kidney stone…or cries, at this point I am not sure which). If you are like me you will find yourself smiling at all the hero poses and the timely one liners flying around the battlefield more than the bullets.  But, it is all these little things, the crappy dialogue, the bad acting, the unlimited ammunition (its almost a tenant in most of these movies that all the good guys have some little bullet fairy feeding them ammo without end), the senseless plot and violence that lend it an air of familiarity, Like coming home after years of being away.

Not to say that the more modern era of action movies wasn’t represented.   Along with having The Transporter himself in the movie, we have buckets and buckets of CGI blood and a ton of animated people and body parts. While this allows the carnage to go above and beyond what could be done in the past, to me it made the movie worse.  In the past directors were forced to be a bit more creative when planning the action.  Now, anything that they can’t do in real life they just add in post production, it takes a bit away from the innovation and imagination of the movies. 

With that said, for the most part the destruction and explosions looked pretty legitimate.  Now taken as a whole, the movie was a good rated R time, the action was visceral and intense and if that is what you are looking for when you arrive in your seat then you will not be disappointed, if you are looking for more, then you are better off looking elsewhere.

By Divina

I am the family amateur photographer.  I am always trying to document every special moment. So much so that Babyboy is a terrible ham and has been trained to the point he gives a big smile and says "cheese" whenever I pull out the camera. This is a fact!

So when I got to try out the latest Fujifilm camera I flipped.  Especially when this new camera claims that "Fujifilm’s First ‘Four-Proof’ Digital Camera Is Perfect for Your Family Adventures."

The only problem with Babyboy being accustomed to having pictures taken of him is that now he "wants his turn, please."  How can you say no to that!

Luckily, this camera is two year old proof. You can drop it, freeze it, cover in dirt and it still works! Seriously!

This is my first time using a Fujifilm camera so I was nervous to try out the extreme measures they described like its waterproof up to 10 feet, shockproof up to 3 feet and freezeproof up to 14°F but for you my loyal readers I will do it.

• In it went into the hands of a two year old, shockproof check!
• In it went into a sink filled with water , waterproof check!
• In the freezer, freezeproof check!

Phew! And it still works! The final pictures also came perfectly. 

Check out all the pictures from all the posts since Blogher Take One , yup they were all taken with this little wonder camera.

Some facts:

• 1. Valued at $199.95 in most stores
• 2. 12-MegaPixel CCD sensor
• 3. 2.7" High-Contrast LCD for better viewing
• 4. Fujinon 5x periscopic optical zoom lens
• 5. 21.7 mm1 thin
• 6. Comes in silver, black and green  (I got the black one)
• 7. HD Video capability

I have yet to try out the video capability but I will soon enough it has a blog mode!

What I love about the camera is the ease of use! There is no real fiddling required and it takes great pictures. It’s so easy Babyboy has been taking fantastic lopsided shots, ha ha. And it’s small enough that whenever a special moment happens I have the camera at hand.

Check out this pic of an impromptu family picnic this past Sunday. So happy I had this little camera in my purse.

Disclaimer: I received the Fine Pix XP10 camera and accessory kit for review purposes.  My post is my unbiased experience with the camera. 

During the NYC Disney Holiday Media Tour in June, I got a chance to preview the new Motherhood Maternity collection and it’s finally out!  Now all you fashion forward mommys-to-be can dress comfortably with your favorite Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Winnie the Pooh.

Like I have said in multiple reviews I love Disney.

I have been a huge Disney groupie since I was a little girl and as I have grown up so has Disney.  In the most recent example of that growth, Disney Consumer Products is teaming up with Motherhood Maternity.  Talk about perfect timing! 18 weeks pregnant and they launch a new line for pregnant women!

Thank you, thank you, thank you Motherhood Maternity and Disney.

Though this is my second pregnancy I need all new clothes because Babyboy was a summer baby. This new baby will be born in the middle of winter so all the clothes I saved are all useless in the freezing temperatures of the Northeast.  So this along with the new line is the perfect reason to go shopping.

Check me out with this cute Embrace the Bump T-shirt. Babyboy loves Mickey and likes to wear his Mickey stuff when I wear mine.

And check out this cute Disney Long Sleeve Scoop Neck Button Detail Nursing Mom And Baby Set. Yup for $34.98 you get something for you and a 100% cotton onesie and cap for your baby to match.

As much as I love Disney I really love the quality behind the products.

When you are pregnant you are never 100% comfortable because of nausea, extra weight, tiredness etc.  (as you can tell I love being pregnant ha ha.)  The new line is stylish, fun and good quality that makes me happy especially when everything ranges from $12.98 to $34.98. 

Disclosure: I received sample products for my review. My post is my unbiased opinions on the product.

I am the family chronicler. I am the crazy person always taking the picture and documenting everything for future oohs and aahs.  I drive the family a little nutty but in the end my home and my parent’s home is filled with pictures from all the great times we’ve had and I know we will treasure them forever.

When I was approached by MomSelect and Milson Road to review their The Daily Portrait I jumped at the chance.

Eddy is my college sweetheart.

We met one fateful day freshman year during his fraternity and my sorority homecoming practice, started dating and before you know it we were married with a kid and pups.

June 24, 2010 marked five years of happily married life so to mark this special wedding anniversary we reviewed the Daily Portrait for a Wedding Anniversary valued at $165.00.

I have never used Milson Road before but I love how this family owned and operated business takes a special moment in your life and documents this celebration forever.

You may think that you have seen similar things at amusement parks and keep sake store, but those novelties are nothing close to the design elegance and beauty of the product you receive.  It truly is something that is worthy to be displayed at a home.

I thought the ordering process was really easy but relatively detailed. You just had to keep answering the questions.

• Name of couple?
• What date?
• How did you celebrate?
• Upload picture.

The difficult part was figuring out what color combination I wanted and what fit with the house. Did I want a black or walnut frame etc.  With what background etc.  I have the same problems with anything interior design related.

Few weeks later a huge box was delivered to our house with our custom Daily Portrait and it’s so beautiful it hurts my eyes! ; )

Take a look!

The frame is approximately 21" by 28" and chronicles our special day with key news from the headlines, financial, pop culture and so on so in 25 years Eddy and I will look at the frame and see us in our 28 year old hotness and remember the day. ; )

I would recommend the Daily Portrait from Milson Road to anyone for an upcoming celebration such as birthdays and graduations and I would definitely gift this for a close friend for an upcoming baby shower or wedding.

Better yet! I have one Daily Portrait to giveaway to my loyal readers!!!

Giveaway

To enter this truly one of a kind giveaway go to http://www.milsonroad.com/products and tell me what special occasion you want to document forever.

Contest ends September 6, 2010, 9pm. Giveaway is open to U.S residents only.

Other ways to win?

• follow DancingHotdogs rss feed
• follow @dancinghotdogs on twitter (leave a comment)
• follow @rosadancing on twitter (leave a comment)
• follow @milsonroad on twitter (leave a comment)
• Tweet "I want to WIN a @DailyPortrait for my special moment with @dancinghotdogs http://tiny.cc/xgwju "
• Blog about the contest (post link in comment)
• Join our fanclub on facebook

PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO LEAVE A COMMENT ON THIS POST IF tweet or are a new or current follower.

Disclaimer: Momselect and Milson Road are sponsoring this giveaway. We did not receive any monetary compensation for hosting this giveaway. I received a Daily Portrait for review purposes.  My post is my unbiased opinion based on my experience.