BRAVE!

Big Girl, summer movie critic: Two thumbs up! Better thay "Toy Story 3," she said.

You know it's summer when the big movies start arriving in theaters. They are usually preceded by hype, and "Brave" was no exception. Big Girl has been waiting for this one for a very long time, and was prepping by reading "Brave" essentials for the past few weeks with this:

You can find the book at this Amazon link... Although we bought ours at our local Barnes & Noble.

Yes, she is a little obsessed... And I am OK with that. "Brave" is a movie for modern girls, with a "modern" princess living in ancient times who chooses her fate instead of accepting a fate. Merida is wild, adventurous, opinionated and headstrong -- everything a girl needs to be to survive in the world. And she's not tall and Barbie-perfect -- she's a little curvy with a round face and somewhat messy. Not perfect. Oh, and she loves her mother -- that's my favorite part.

Disney hit the nail on the head with a great message for girls. I won't spoil the story for you, but let's just say it was not what I expected. And maybe it was because I haven't read the book shown above. It was beautifully created, and there's scene near a river that looks so much like "real" phototography I can't imagine how they actually animated it.

MoMs with multiples will love the film for Merida's little triplet brothers -- multiples who are as spirited as my two, so much so that their antics had me chuckling inside.

And, true to Pixar tradition, there's a little cartoon short prior to the movie, giving you your money's worth.

Using my trusty Pinterest, I found a few fun Brave links:

• Cook up a batch of Scottish sweet buns with this recipe, or how about chocolate "bear paws" with almond claws?
•  The movie fun continues with this printable Brave activity book. More crafts and activities are available this link on Disney's family site.
•  Recession Home has a great post on how to have a Brave/Merida party, whether it's in honor of a birthday or not. There are so many ideas on this post!
• Plan a hunt for "blue wisps" from this link.
• Archery, archery... Pick up a youth bow & arrow for some backyard fun (be safe!) or use bean bags for a toss into a "target."

Big Girl's birthday is coming up, and we're still figuring out what to do, but who knows? Maybe a "Brave" party is in her future?