It’s Pretty Nice On The Sweeter Side of Life
And Things Are Pretty Crazy With a Meddling Mom

I love wonderfully told stories especially movies I can watch with my family that really bring a smile to my face. These two Hallmark movies did not disappoint.

The Sweeter Side of Life
http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/thesweetersideoflife
The Sweeter Side of Life is a beautifully told story about what happens when your life is turned upside down. Unexpected events happen to all of us, but when Desiree’s 5th Avenue life changes overnight she learns quickly how her life was not what she once thought it was, and she has to quickly make some adjustments.

Friends turn their back on her, and the doorman who adores her can’t offer her anything other than ailing a cab to take her to her next destination. All of the things she once treasured about her old life are gone and she doesn’t have anything to fall back on once her rich husband turns her back on her and leaves her with nothing. Despite all of that she finds herself with an advocate that she either forgot or ignored, who had never left her side. Although her situation quickly delivers her into a place both inside and out she wasn’t expecting to return, she finds the value of a treasure that was lost underneath all of the comforts and joys of privilege.

The movie made me both smile and laugh, as I cheered for Desiree and went through some of her highs and lows. Most of all it was a quiet reminder of the many gifts that we often overlook, and can quickly forget about and how valuable they really are as we go through life. In the movie, Desiree finds strength, courage, and joy in a place she never knew it could exist and it was fun watching her find more than she lost. As she finds her own hidden treasure she unlocks the key to her future. This is definitely a movie worth checking out with friends and family.

Meddling Mom
http://www.hallmarkmoviechannel.com/hmc/meddlingmom

As a mom, I got a real kick out of Meddling Mom, not for obvious reasons, but instead because I could truly identify with the desire every mother has to see their child happen. Watching this family, and this community of mothers try to orchestrate the lives of their children was hilarious as they try to help there children by giving everything from horrible advice to planning a candlelight dinner for the daughter and her son who live in the house with them. When the moms meddling causes problems for their kids they barely recognize it and only make things worst. Meanwhile, underneath all this meddling is a mother who is trying to deal with her own feelings of anger and frustration. Carmen challenged with her own past, doesn’t want to see her daughters fall into the trap that she found herself in, so she does everything from blind dates, clothing selections, to long talks with would be suitors to find out their intentions with her daughter. Watching mom stick her foot in her mouth provides more than enough entertainment. Her daughters try to get her to understand where they are coming from, but she is sure that she knows what is best for them so she pushes forward with her agenda and ignores their wishes. Beyond that she knows what she expects grandchildren, and married children, and she goes to extreme measures to make it clear to anyone who will listen. The band of mothers even sneaks into a restaurant to supervise their children, to make sure that they don’t mess up the opportunity to meet Mr. Right. Mom is so focused on what she wants she is going to make sure that she does what need to be done, no matter what the cost to her children. The movie is a welcome surprise, and makes for a good conversation with meddling moms and their children. It also is true comic relief for people who find themselves with overpowering parents who don’t know when to mind their own business so their children can find their own happiness. This wonderful movie highlights the love and joy of family, they make us laugh, they make us cry, they disappoint us but most of all they love us. It gives us a glimpse of how good intensions can quickly turn bad, even when they have the best intentions. In the end this feel good story was not just funny, it was also heart warming. It reminded me of many conversations with my own mother that left me shaking my head, but also thankful that she cared enough about me to share some advice whether I asked for it or not. Most of all, it made me think about my own daughter and how far I would go if I were in this moms place.