I haven't used a jump rope since my early elementary days, but I wasn't very good at it as I had two left feet. Despite the fact that I still have two left feet, I thought I would still try out the Ultra-speed Cable Jump Rope from Naturalico.

Jumping rope is a great cardio exercise that can workout your entire body (arms, core, legs). It can also increase your muscle strength and correct your balance.

This jump rope is a lot different than the ones I remember from my childhood. While the handles are still made out of plastic, the rope is made out of wire. It is an adjustable rope, so you'll need a pair of wire cutters to cut the wire the correct length based on your height. I'm 5'9" so I had to cut the wire quite a bit to get the correct length for my size.

The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya
Director: Isao Takahata
Voice Cast: Chole Grace Mortez, James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, Darren Criss, Lucy Liu,
Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date: February 17, 2015
Retail: $34.98
ASIN: B00PHSDS0E
Running Time: 2hrs 18mins
Rating: PG
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:
 
Arriving on Blu-ray today, Tuesday February 17, 2015, from Universal Studios Home Entertainment is the critically acclaimed Japanese anime The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya. The film is produced by Studio Ghibli and directed by Isao Takahata. The American dubbed version features the voices of Chole Grace Mortez, James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, Darren Criss, Lucy Liu, Hynden Walch, James Marsden, Beau Bridges, Dean Cain, Oliver Platt, Daniel Da Kim, George Segal, John Cho, Emily Bridges and Liam O'Brien. Bonus Features include: "Isao Takahata and His Tale of The Princess Kaguya" - 86-minute documentary on the making of The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya, Announcement of the Completion of the Film, Japanese Trailers & TV Spots and US Trailers.

The film has received a 100% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes and has won several awards, including Best Animated Feature awards at the Toronto Film Critics Association, 40th Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, 35th Boston Society of Critics Awards, 36th Mill Valley Film Festival, Fantastic Fest, 8th Asia Pacific Screen Award and the 68th Mainichi Film Awards. It has been nominated for Best Animated Feature Film for the 87th Academy Awards.

Based on the Japanese folktale The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya tells the story about a bamboo cutter Sanuki no Miyatsuko (voiced by James Caan), who discovers a miniature girl inside of a glowing bamboo. He brings the girl home to his wife, Ona (voiced by Mary Steenburgen), and names her "Princess." They are shocked when the miniature girl magically turns into an infant.

As the days pass by, Princess (voiced by  Chole Grace Mortez) grows extremely fast and before long she starts hanging out with the children in the village, whom gives her the name "Takenoko" (Little Bamboo)! She develops a close relationship with her friend Sutemaru.

The Homesman
Director: Tommy Lee Jones
Starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Hilary Swank
Studio: LionsGate
Release Date: February 17, 2015
Retail: $19.98
ASIN: B00PPGZMFM
Running Time: 123 minutes
Rating: R
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on DVD and Blu-ray today is the critically-acclaimed western-drama The Homesman. The film stars Tommy Lee Jones (whom also co-wrote and directs the film), Hilary Swank, Grace Gummer, Miranda Otto, Sonja Richter and Meryl Streep. Special Features include 3 in-depth behind-the-scenes featurettes - Origins, Shooting The Film and Beyond The Western.

Based on the novel of the same name by Glendon Swarthout. The Homesman centers on a 31-year-old spinster, Mary Bee Cuddy (played by Hilary Swank), whom traveled from New York to Loup City, Nebraska Territory. She successfully runs a small ranch, but she has had trouble finding a husband as men rejected her because she is too "plain".

Hilary Swank ("Mary Bee Cuddy") stars in Lionsgate Home Entertainment's THE HOMESMAN.

The land has been very harsh to the residents, and three women, Arabella Sours (played by Grace Gummer), Theoline Belknapp (played by Miranda Otto), and Gro Svendsen (played by Sonja Richter), have had an extremely hard life and all them have gone insane. One was raped by her husband, one lost her child to diphtheria and one even killed her own child. Reverend Dowd (played by John Lithgow) decides that the women should be sent to a church in Hebron, Iowa that takes in women with mental illnesses. At first he asks for one of the husbands to escort the women, but Mary Bee volunteers to take on the dreadful task.

Zombieworld
Directors: Jesse Baget, Adrian Cardona, Rafa Dengra, Luke Asa Guidici, Phil Haine, Peter Horn, Jared Marshall, Cameron McCulloch, David Munoz, Adam O'Brien, Zach Ramelan, Paul Shrimpton, Vedran Marjanovic Wekster, Tommy Woodard
Starring: Bill Oberst Jr., José María Angorilla, Marc Velasco, Noé Blancafort, Salvador Llós
Studio: Image Entertainment
Release Date: February 24, 2015
Retail: $27.97
ASIN: B00P8LS666
Running Time: 101 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on DVD on Tuesday February 24, 2015 from Image Entertainment is the zombie-bloodfest anthology Zombieworld. The film features short films directed by Jesse Baget, Adrian Cardona, Rafa Dengra, Luke Asa Guidici, Phil Haine, Peter Horn, Jared Marshall, Cameron McCulloch, David Munoz, Adam O'Brien, Zach Ramelan, Paul Shrimpton, Vedran Marjanovic Wekster & Tommy Woodard and stars Bill Oberst Jr., José María Angorilla, Marc Velasco, Noé Blancafort and Salvador Llós. There are no special features or extras besides the Short Film - "Marathon Apocalypse."

"There is nowhere to hide...nowhere to run.... the Zombie Apocoalypse has come, and our world now belongs to the dead! From Irleand, Canada, Australia, Europe and all over the U.S., the bone-chilling news reports tell the same gruesome tale - waking corpses terrorize and devour the living. Only a few desperate humans find the courage to stand and fight for their last chance at survival. But the hordes of undead keep coming, and there's only one thing on the menu - us."

Zombieworld centers on a worldwide zombie apocalypse and one of the last newscasters, Marvin Gloat (played by Bill Oberst Jr.), is determined to stay on the air and inform the world of the zombie invasion, despite the fact that he has been infected.

Super Sentai Zyuranger: The Complete Series
Starring: Yūta Mochizuki, Aohisa Takayasu, Hideki Fujiwara, Takumi Hashimoto, Reiko Chiba, Shiro Izumi, Machiko Soga
Studio: Shout! Factory
Release Date: February 17, 2015
Retail: $54.99
ASIN: B00P9UVC0I
Running Time: 1020 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
Buy Link: Amazon, Shout! Factory

Review:

One of the longest-running American children series is the Saban's Power Rangers, but not everyone knows that the franchise is an adaptation of the Japanese Super Sentai series; using the same costumes and weapons, as well as using stock footage. The Japanese version has never been officially released in United States, well, that is until this Tuesday, when Shout! Factory will release Super Sendai Zyuranger: The Complete Series, featuring all 50 episodes from the Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger series. There is also a bonus feature - "Power Progenitors: Super Sentai Zyuranger" Power Morphicon 2014 Panel.

Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger is the 16th installment of the Super Sentai series (1992-1993). It was later adapted as the first season of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, which explains why the Yellow Ranger never wore a skirt. Despite some name changes, the villains are the same, though the American version dubbed the voices.

170 million years ago, five ancient human tribes coexisted with the dinosaurs, thanks to the protection that was provided by the Guardian Beasts, that is until the witch known as Bandora (MMPR's Rita Repulsa) starts a war with the dinosaurs to avenge the death of her son. She summons the Great Satan to help her kill off the dinosaurs and all the tribes. The Guardian Beasts was able to seal Bandora and her minions on the planet Nemesis.


Jump to the year 1992, when Japanese astronauts accidentally releases Bandora and her minions from their prison. Bandora invades Earth with her minions (Grifforzer (MMPR's Goldar), Tottpatt (MMPR's Baboo), Bookback (MMPR's Squatt) and Pleprechuan (MMPR's Finster)) and the Golem Soliders (MMPR's Putty Patrollers).


Upon the invasion, Mysterious Wizard Barza goes below ground and awakens the five Holy Warriors of Justice (Geki - TyrannoRanger, Goushi - MammothRanger, Dan - TriceraRanger, Boi - TigerRanger and Mei - PteraRanger) whom have been in suspended animation for over 170 million years. With the help from the Guardian Beasts (MMPR's Megazord), these five warriors become the Zyurangers and they will do anything to help save the world from Bandora.

Just as they start to adjust to life in the year 1992, Geki's long-lost brother, Burai - the DragonRanger, returns and is bent on destroying the Zyurangers!

Disc 1 The Birth The Revival Fight In The Land Of Despair Reawaken, Legendary Weapons Scary Riddles

Disc 2 Arise, Daizyuzin! I Can See! I Can See! Terror! Eaten In An Instant Run! Prince Of The Eggs Monkeys No More!

Big Hero 6
Director: Don Hall & Chris Williams
Voice Cast: Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, Daniel Henney, T. J. Miller, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans, Jr., Génesis Rodríguez, Maya Rudolph, Alan Tudyk, James Cromwell
Release Date: February 24, 2015
Retail: $39.99
ASIN: B00O4ZC57I
Running Time: 102 minutes
Rating: PG
Buy Link: Amazon

Review:

Arriving on Blu-ray and DVD on Tuesday February 24, 2015 is Disney's action-packed adventure Big Hero 6. The film is directed by Don & Chris Wiliams and features the voice cast of Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, Daniel Henney, T. J. Miller, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans, Jr., Génesis Rodríguez, Maya Rudolph, Alan Tudyk and James Cromwell. Bonus Extras include Fast! Theatrical Short, The Origin of Big Hero 6: Hiro's Journey, Big Hero Secrets, Big Animator 6: The Characters Behind The Characters and Deleted Scenes.

Inspired by Marvel Comics, Big Hero 6 centers on a 14-year-old boy, Hiro Hamada (voiced by Ryan Potter), who happens to be a robotics genius living in the futuristic city of San Fransokyo. Ever since his parents' died, Hiro, along with his older brother Tadashi (voiced by Daniel Henney), have been living with Aunt Cass (voiced by Maya Rudolph). Ever since graduating high school at an early age, Hiro spends his days participating in back-alley robot fights that is until his brother takes him to a cool robotics lab at the university and introduces him to several students, GoGo (voiced by Jamie Chung), Wasabi (voiced by Damon Wayans, Jr.), Honey Lemon (voiced by Génesis Rodríguez), and Fred (played by T.J. Miller). Tadashi shows Hiro his latest project - Baymax, a personal healthcare robot.

Hiro is determined to go to the same university and be a member of the robotics program, but first he must impress Professor Callaghan (voiced by James Cromwell) at the annual exhibition. He comes up with the greatest project - microbots, tiny robots that can linkup and it is a complete success. Suddenly, a fire erupts at the exhibition, forever changing the course of Hiro's life.


While still mourning the lost of a loved one, Hiro accidentally activates Baymax (voiced by Scott Adsit). The robot tries to cure Hiro's broken heart, but it can't figure out how to do that, so instead it follows the last remaining microrobot that leads across the city. Of course Hiro follows Baymax, where he discovers that someone had stolen his microrobots.

With Valentine’s Day nearly here, many of us are in the mood for love and romance. Of course you can always rent a movie, but films often gloss over the subtleties of relationships. With the written word you can not only explore the dynamic of relationships more effectively, but you are also able to fill in the remaining blanks with your own imagination. Plus, there’s something romantic about curling up with a good book.

So in honor of Valentine’s Day, grab yourself a box of chocolates and crack open some of these great YA romance novels.

From the author of the famed Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series comes a new novel – this time a departure from her usual fare. In The Here and Now,  Ann Brashares explores both romance and the current booming dystopian trend. It’s not what you’d expect from the genre, since it’s set in present day New York, a city which toes the line between utopia and dystopia. At the center of the story is Prenna James, an immigrant from the future seeking refuge from plagues. The immigrants are instructed to create no relationships with outsiders in order to avoid being outed as time travelers. However, Prenna meets Ethan Jarves and those rules fall to the wayside. With him, she questions her role both in this society and the future, and sets out to save a scientist whose life might improve the future.

Currently the writing sensation of the YA writing world thanks to his bestseller The Fault in Our Stars, John Green has yet another novel growing in popularity: Paper Towns. The novel follows two estranged childhood friends, Quentin and Margo, as they exact revenge on the people who have wronged them. Over the course of one night, the duo targets Margo’s cheating boyfriend, her ex-friend, and Quentin’s bully in a reunion that makes Quentin realize he missed having Margot in his life. The next day, though, Margo disappears. Her parents and the authorities aren’t concerned, claiming she’s run away before, but as time goes by Quentin becomes increasingly worried and starts to pick up hints Margot left behind. As he searches for her, he begins to develop feelings for the girl he’s afraid might not even still be alive.

This now classic romance novel by Nicholas Sparks gained a huge surge in fame when it was brought to life on the big screen. Of course if you’re in the mood to cry you can easily watch the film on any