Discover whether or not it is better to watch movies at home rather than at the theater.
By Leah Corbett Going to a movie theater is a magical experience. However, magic is very expensive nowadays. With the price of tickets costing an arm and a leg, watching a movie at home can save a considerable amount of money.
Movie Theater Currently, a ticket to see a normal movie is between $8.50 and $10, sometimes more. You can get a discount if you are a student or a senior citizen or if you attend a matinee showing, which is generally before 1:00 p.m. However, it still costs around $8. If you buy anything at the concession counter, you will probably spend at least as much as you did on your ticket. Popcorn generally costs between $5 and $10, depending on which size you buy. A drink usually costs at least $2.50.
movie on DVD. You then would have a movie you could watch at your leisure and view more than once. Also, if you watch movies with friends or family, the price of tickets alone would cost more than the DVD. You only have to buy one DVD to watch a movie; whereas, you need to buy multiple tickets for a theater.
Renting, Pay-Per-View, and Netflix You may not want to buy a DVD if you think you will only watch a movie once. In that case, consider renting. To rent a movie from a video store near your dwelling would cost normally between $4-5. However, there are usually coupons to be found in either your mail or newspaper for video rentals that would lower the price.
Two-dollar Theaters
Buying a Movie Since movie tickets cost so much, you might want to think about buying a movie instead of going to the theater. Buying a new release on DVD will cost you between $15 and $30. Although this costs more than a single ticket, if you factor in the cost of food, you can potentially be spending less money. Consider if you have gone to a movie and have bought popcorn with a drink. Most likely, you have spent at least $15, if you got a discount and an ideal combo. With this amount of money, you could have bought a
receiver, or on the internet to view a movie on your television for a limited time. The fee is usually between $1.50 to $3.99. There are a few different businesses that let you borrow movies through the mail when you subscribe to their services. At the present, one of the major companies is Netflix. Its smallest plan costs $4.50 a month and allows you to have one DVD at a time, but limits you to two a month. Its smallest unlimited plan costs $8.99 a month and you can have one DVD at a time unlimited times and you can stream movies over the internet. The bottom line is, regardless of how you do it, renting costs less than going to a movie theater, especially if you watch with multiple people.
Renting a movie already costs less than buying a single movie ticket. Again, consider if you watch movies with other people, and you will see a considerable difference in how much is spent. There are now a variety of different ways to rent movies than just driving to a store. Pay-per-view is now available in many satellite and cable services. You pay once over the phone, through your
Although the preceding suggestions show how you can spend less money on movies by not going to the theater, there is undeniably still a certain magical experience that one undergoes when seeing a movie in theater that one does not attain by watching at home. In light of this, going to a two-dollar theater, or a rerun theater, is a frugal way to go. You can enjoy the theater experience and still save money. However, beware of the refreshments. This type of theater makes its money by selling food at astronomical prices.
Card Games by Leah Corbett A great way to have a lot of fun at home is to play a good, old-fashioned card game. You can play card games solo or with friends and family. Read the following to learn some interesting card games that are relatively new or have stood the test of time. The following card games are played with standard decks that contain 52 cards without the jokers. For more card games, visit www.pagat.com.
Pyramid Solitaire Players: 1 First, deal 28 cards face up in the shape of a pyramid made up of 7 rows, the top row with just one card. The goal is to get rid of all the cards in the pyramid. You can get rid of cards when two exposed cards add up to 13. A King equals 13, a Queen 12, Jack 11, the Ace one, and the other cards equal their number. For example, if you have an exposed Jack and a 2, you may discard them. A King can be discarded by itself because it equals 13. You can reveal one card at a time from the rest of the deck to pair up with cards form the pyramid. Game play ends when either you win by depleting the pyramid or you lose by using up the cards in the leftover deck.
Nerts Players: 2-5 First, you must have a deck of cards for each player. Preferably, each deck should have a different back in some way for scoring purposes. Then, each player deals thirteen cards into a pile called the" “Nerts pile”. The last card dealt should be face-up on top. Then, each player deals four cards side-by-side face-up called “work piles”. The rest of the deck is kept as “stock”. In the middle, players will play at the same time by starting piles that begin with the Ace and progress up to the King, like solitaire. A player wants to deplete their “Nerts pile”. When that
Pishe Pashe Players: 2 First, deal 26 cards to each player. These are your “stock piles”. The object of the game is to get rid of your cards first. Scoring is kept by the winner getting as many points as the loser has leftover cards. You take turns turning over the top card of your deck and playing it if possible, or adding it to your “discard pile” if not. You can play cards if it is an Ace or a card that can go over another card, like in Solitaire. The two goes on the Ace, the three on the two, and all the way to the King. The person who did not deal goes first. Unless they turn over an Ace, they must discard and the next player goes. If you turn over a card you can play, you must play it. Then, you turn over another card. You can keep turning over cards as long as you can play them. Your turn ends when you can no longer play a card and must discard. You win the round when your “stock pile” and “discard pile” are depleted. The game ends when a player reaches an agreed upon score.
happens they call “Nerts” and that round is over. A player can use up their “Nerts pile” by playing in on the “common area” or by playing on their work piles. They can put cards into the “common area” from their “Nerts pile”, “work piles”, or their “stock”. Players may use cards from their “stock” by dealing three cards at a time from it. At the end, you tally the score by giving one point for each card that a player has played in the “common area” which can be told by the back of the card. Points are taken away for what is left in the “Nets piles”. The game ends when a player reaches an agreed upon score.
James Bond Players: 2-3 Deal the cards into piles of four cards, six piles each for two players, four piles each for three players. This will leave four cards leftover which should be placed in a row in the middle. During game play, everyone plays at once. Players pick up one of their piles at a time. They want the piles to contain four of the same card, such as four Queens. You can exchange one card at a time from the middle. You can only work at one pile at a time. Put the pile face down if you want to pick up another one. The game is over when a player attains four-of-a-kind in each of their piles. The player calls “James Bond” to show that they have won.
DOG BREEDS What you need and want to know about dog breeds so you can choose the perfect friend
The Perfect Friend by Leah Corbett
The dog is considered man’s best friend. Therefore, you may find yourself considering buying one of these furry friends. When you are looking into getting one of these wonderful companions, it is important to choose the right breed for you. In her book, Purebred Res-
Do you want a dog as a companion?
Do you want a very entertaining dog?
Then look for a breed that will want to be with you a lot, not a dog that is very independent and aloof. A good companion dog will want a lot of attention and will want to spend time with you.
Find a breed that is independent, energetic, and is curious about everything. A dog such as the miniature pinscher has all of these attributes.
Do you want a family dog?
Do you want a dog that won’t give you allergies?
Look for a breed that likes exercise and is gentle with kids. Also, look for a breed like
cue Dog Adoption, dog trainer and award winning author, Liz Palika says that the most common reason that dogs are put up for adoption is because their owners picked the wrong breed.
Boxers that have a very good patience with children.
Let’s look at which things you should look for in a breed of dog while deciding on one. We will start out by looking at some things to consider that you may want in a breed of dog. Then, we will go over some attributes of breeds to keep in mind to see if they match your living situation. Finally, we will see specific needs some breeds have.
Pick a breed that enjoys a lot of exercise and can endure long walks. An example of a dog with great endurance for exercise is the Dalmatian.
Let’s begin by looking at the first thing you should consider before getting a particular breed of dog: what do you want in a dog. The following are some things you might want in a dog and what type of attributes to look for.
Do you want a dog you can exercise with, like taking long walks?
Do you want a guard dog? Don’t just look for a lot of muscle. Get a strong dog that will be gentle, loyal, and obedient to you, a dog such as a Rottweiler. Usually, Rottweilers are just considered aggressive guard dogs, but, they are intensely loyal and gentle to their owners and are easy to train.
Get a dog that is hairless. One example of a hairless dog is
the American Hairless Terrier. Concerning this breed, the Dog Breed Info Center says, “This breed of dog is excellent for allergy sufferers. They have absolutely no body hair, no dander.” We’ve just looked at what things you might want in a dog. Now, let’s see what attributes of breeds to consider to match up with you living situation. Consider the dog’s size. Take into account the dog’s size and the size of your living quarters. For instance, if you have a small apartment, don’t get a big dog like a St. Bernard; he’ll cover your entire floor. Instead, get a small dog like a Boston Terrier.
Consider: Size, Climate, Space, Grooming, Exercise,Time. Consider the climate of where you live. Some dogs such as the Chinese Crested need to be protected from cold climates. Conversely, Bulldogs need to be sheltered from heat because they have panting problems.
need exercise or is small enough to get exercise indoors. Can you spend a lot of time with your dog?
Consider your outdoor space. Bear in mind how much outdoor space your home has. Dogs like Australian Shepherds will not be happy without a lot of outdoor space.
If you do not have much time to spend with your dog, don’t get a breed that needs a lot of attention. Some dogs that are left alone for a long time, such as the Labrador Retriever, can have separation anxiety and develop destructive habits.
I’ve gone over what to keep in mind about getting a breed of dog and how it fits your living situation. Next, let’s look at some particular needs various breeds have and if you can take care of those needs.
Can you constantly groom your dog? Certain dogs like the Shih Tzu, require a considerable amount of grooming. If you do not have the time, consider a dog that requires lower maintenance. Can you give your dog plenty of exercise? Dogs such as the Siberian Husky need a lot of exercise. If you cannot exercise your dog, think about getting a dog that either doesn’t
We have just finished looking over several things to look for in a breed of dog, so let’s review. First, we went over some things you might want in a dog, like, a dog that’s a good companion, a family dog, an exercising partner, a guard dog, an entertaining dog, or one that won’t give you allergies. Then, we examined some attributes of breeds to consider to see if they would match up with your living situation, attributes such as, the size of the breed, what climate it needs, and if it requires wide, open outdoor space. Lastly, we looked at certain needs some breeds have, the need of grooming, exercise, and attention. Remember these things we’ve looked at to look for in a breed, and you’ll be able to pick the perfect friend for you.
Find out which home console is the right one for your home. By Leah Corbett
three dimensions.
As of 2007, the gaming industry has reached the seventh generation and currently offers three great home consoles: the Nintendo Wii, the Xbox 360, and the PlayStation 3. All of the current home consoles have a variety of features that can make it hard to choose which one is the right one for you.
Xbox 360
There is not one console that is better than the other ones; however, due to their differences, there should be a console that is better for you. When deciding on a home console, you need to compare what they have to offer to what you want. You might want to focus on what kinds of games are generated for each console. If you want more family friendly games, you may what to get a Wii. If you would like to play mostly online games, you might want an Xbox 360. If you are a hardcore gamer, PlayStation 3 might cater more to your preferences. Other preferences to look for are audio and visual capabilities. However, no matter what the console can do, you will only get sound and resolution as good as your television and speaker can output. Below is an overview of the different video game console and how they compare to each other. Wii The Nintendo Wii was created to attract current gamers, non-gamers, and lapsed gamers. In other words, the Wii has something for everyone. The Wii has outsold the other home consoles in the US and worldwide. Nintendo has continued a number of its best selling franchises that include Mario, Metroid, Pokémon, and The Legend of Zelda. The biggest feature of the Wii is the Wii Remote, a wireless controller that is used as a handheld point device that allows the console to sense movement in
The Xbox 360 is mainly popular for its online gaming system, Xbox Live. In the past, the 360 has had some technical issues, but Microsoft has and is offering support for such issues. Currently, its biggest platform is Halo. Xbox has been professionally known as having something of the best quality games. Xbox also releases a larger quantity of games than its competitors. PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 offers some of the most advanced technology in gaming. However, this is a two-edged sword. Although it can offer some top quality gaming experiences, it can also have the worst technical difficulties. Like Nintendo, PlayStation 3 offers some great franchises, such as: Metal Gear, God of War, and Final Fantasy. For serious gamers, PlayStation 3 is often considered the choice console for its technical achievements and franchises. Definition The Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 allow both support 1080p high definition. However, not all of the games are made for this resolution. The Wii supports 480p and most of its games are this resolution. Audio Both the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 have Dolby Digital and the Wii has Dolby Pro Logic II with surround sound.
Other preferences to look for are audio and visual capabilites. PlayStation 3 owners experienced failure, and 6.8% of Wii owners experienced failure.
Backwards Compatibility The Wii is completely backwards compatible with all of the titles from Nintendo’s previous home console, the Gamecube The Xbox 360 and the latest versions of PlayStation 3 offer some backwards compatibility by the use of software emulation. All of the current consoles offer the ability to download titles from older consoles. The Wii allows its users to download from the Virtual Console, the Xbox 360 use the Xbox Originals service, and the PlayStation 3 utilizes the PlayStation Store.
In other studies the percentages varied slightly, but all of them show that the Wii console is the most reliable, followed by the PlayStation 3. The Xbox 360 is shown as the least reliable. Other The Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 have services that allow HD movies, television shows, and clips to be bought and downloaded to the consoles. Also, all of the consoles allow online, multiplayer gaming. Prices
All three consoles allow the games to be saved to the internal memory of the console, but the Wii also allows the games to be saved to in inserted SD/SDHC card.
Wii: $199.99 PlayStation 3: $299.99
Reliability
Xbox 360 Elite Console: $299.99
There is no definitive survey on the reliability of the consoles, but in a September 2009 issue of Game Informer magazine, about 5000 readers participated in a survey about reliability. 54.2% of Xbox 360 owners experienced a failure in their console system, 10.6% of
Xbox 360 Arcade: $199.99
Wii
Xbox-360
PS3
Price: $199.99
Price: $199.99-$299.99
Price: $299.99
Resolution: 480p
Resolution: 1080p
Resolution: 1080p
Best Feature:Motion Sensor
Best Feature: Xbox Live
Best Feature: Graphics
Football Parties
Have a Super Football Party By y Leah Corbett
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Make Food Make some food for you and your friends. Before the game, put some frozen sherbet in a bowl of Sprite. you great punch. In a few hours,, yo y u will have some g reat p unch. Anyy you your guests feel nachos, some time ti me y ou a and nd y you ourr gu ou gues ests es ts ffee eell li ee like ke n nac acho ac hos, ho s, p put ut s som ome om e tortilla chips on an oven pan and cover them with shredded oven some so me s shr hred edde ded d cheddar. ched ch edda dar. r. Put Put them tthe hem m in the the o ove ven n an and d putt the for about minutes. p pu e oven on broil fo or ab abou out two o minu ute tes. s You u tthen hen great, nachos you eat as have some ha have s som ome om e gr grea eatt, h ea hot ott n acho ac hos ho s th that at y ou c can an e att a s is is o orr salsa, cream, bean dip. with wi th s sal alsa sa, so sour ur c cre ream am, or b bea ean n di dip p.
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Have “Bad-call Bricks” When the referees make frustrating calls, supply the viewers with “bad-call bricks.” These are usually y bricks can safely televifoam fo am b rick ri ck ks th tthat at c an b be e sa safe fely fe ly tthrown h ow hr own n at tthe he ttel elev el eviev i ision. However, you can use anything that is soft enough, plush football enou en ough gh,, such such as as a pillow. pill pi llow ow.. A pl plus ush h fo foot otba ball ll o orr an any y plush knickknack otherr pl ot p ush knickkna us nack would wou ould be e a suitable suitab su able substisubst s stittute. tu tute ute. te
Play Games Have fun playing games before, after, or during the big game. One game you can play inside or outside is the th e Fo Foot otba ball ll B eanb ea nbag ag gT Tos oss s. M Mak ake e a fo foot otba ball ll fie fie ld dw wit ith h Football Beanbag Toss. Make football eld with masking marking the yard lines. Have ma skin sk kin ing g ta ttape, tape ape pe, ma m ark rki kin ing do ing down wn tth he y he ard ar d li line nes ne s. H Hav ave av e tw two o teams throw little beanbags inside or larger ones outside id across th he fo ffootball otba b ll field ld towards d the h oth her’’s goal l. the other’s goal. Keep Ke ep track ttra rack ra ck of of wh whic ich ic h ya yard rd llin ine in e th thei eirr ba ei bags gs llan and an d on on.. Th The e which line their land team with the lowest amount of y ards wins. yards
Have Noise Makers Have some noise makers to celebrate exciting game. events during g the g ame. You can use leftover noise makers Years some party store. make ma kers ke rs s ffrom ro om Ne New w Ye Year ars ar s or g get e s et ome om e at a p par a ty s ar sto to ore r . Air horns may not be a good idea to have since it may annoy anno an noy y or deafen d dea eafe fen n other othe ot herr people. peop pe ople le.. If y you ou d do o no nott wa want nt u unnnecessary maknece ne cess ssar a y noise, no oise, e, make e su sure re tto o co confiscate sca s cate te n noise se m akers before game. ers befo b be efore fore tthe he g he ame am e.
Rate the Ads During the commercials, rate the ads on pads of paper system system p pa p r using pe g a five-star sy ystem or any y number sys y tem end, which highest you yo u want. want wa n . At tthe nt he e nd,, se nd see e wh whic ich ic h ad ads s go gott th the e hi high ghes gh estt es ratings and which ones were the favorites. Add up ve-star rating, highest the th e ad ads s th that at g got ot a fiv fivee st star ar rrat atin ing, g, o orr th the e ne next xt h hig ighe hest st rating, see which overall favorite and rati ra ting ng,, to s ee w hich hi ch a ad d wa was s th the e ov over eral alll fa favo vori rite te a nd therefore winner. ther th eref er efor for ore e th the e winn wi inn nner er. er
By Leah Corbett
Outdoor Games
Board Games
Never think of your home as boring. Just because you are at your house or apartment does not mean you cannot have fun. Invite friends over and there are countless ways you can all have a great time at your house.
You do not need to stay indoors to have fun at your house. Try playing some outdoor games to have fun while enjoying some fresh air.
Sometimes the greatest guarantee to have fun is to play a board game with friends. Have someone pick and bring over a board game, set it up on a table, put out food and drinks, and let the fun begin.
Inside your house, play board games and card games with your friends and family in a variety of ways with new, exciting twists. Also, try having inovative groups meet at your house like a movie club instead of a traditional book club. Finally, have fun outside of your house with outdoor activities.
Whether you are playing something as simple as catch, most outdoor games offer enough physical activity to be good exercise, yet not exhausting. If you have a yard, try getting some kits like a croquet set or bocce set. Both sets can be easily stored in a small space and are very easy to set up. Croquet and bocce allow for various amounts of people to play at a time, so they are great games to play with any number of friends. You also do not need to be athletic at all to play. Therefore, almost anyone of any age can play them. If you live in a small place, try using a wiffle ball for catch and maybe couple it with a plastic bat so you can play various forms of baseball and other sports.
You can play a different board game every time you and your friends get together. There is such a wide variety of board games that it is almost impossible to get tired of them. With computer games that allow online gaming, you do not even need to meet in person to challenge your friends to a pleasant game of chess or other games. Just make sure to be a good sport whether you win or lose. No one likes a sore loser or a puffed-up winner. However, that is not to say that you cannot use playful smack talk with yourfriends. The purpose of playing is to have fun, so keep it fun.
Playing Cards
Gardening
Movie Club
Playing cards can be so much more than just sitting around drinking coffee and play Hearts. You can device tournaments that can go on for us long as you would like and offer prices to the winners that can be whatever you want.
Gardening can be a great way to spruce up your home while having fun outside. There are so many options with gardening that deciding which kind can let you decide how much work you want to put into it. You can make the outside of your home into anything you want. Trees, bushes, and flowers can thrive wherever you place them.
Instead of a book club, try having a movie club at your house. Have people over to watch movies or miniseries and then discuss them.
You may have a tournament of Bridge to which the winner gets to pick the next tournament or maybe where you will go out to eat that weekend where the players will pitch in to buy the winner a deserved dinner. Your tournament can have a variety of card games to which you might attribute a different amount of points for each. Also, you can have different types of tournaments. Instead of have points, you might have eliminations or “playoffs� to decide the winner.
Even if you live in an apartment, you can probably still have potted plants that can lighten up your home and bring some of the relaxing nature of the outdoors into the indoors. Plants are not the only things you can garden with. You can also add figurines and other knickknacks around your home. You may not be the kind of person to have lawn gnomes, but you might like porcelain figures of birds and other animals, decorative stepping stones, and simple fountains to add life to your home.
Your discussions can be as deep or entertaining as you want them to be. You might have a series on historical fiction or nonfiction on time periods that interest you and watch them with friends who have similar interests. If you like thought provoking films, watch interesting films that incite questions that you can discuss. Art films and independent films are great ones to watch if you like to discuss films and film making. You do not necessarily need a theme; you can watch any kind of movies you would like. Having people over to p experience the films with y you can be a great way to have fun within your home.
NOVUM magazine is designed to help and inform its readers on how to improve their home life with entertainment. It gives you insight in many different ways to have fun, into not just for special occasions, but for everyday life. Fill out the subscription order form below to enjoy online contentand other exclusive featuresonly offered to our subscribed members. Our magazine is proud to be partnered with INFORMATIVE PUBLICATIONS LTD.
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