Friday, February 10, 2012

Interview with Bridget Mendler

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This past weekend, Ella and I, had the opportunity of a lifetime to interview Bridget Mendler on her role in the upcoming movie "The Secret World of Arrietty." Ella and I enjoyed a delicious lunch, complete with sugar cubes (which I can talk about later in my review) while asking Bridget Mendler questions about the film.


Ella has been a fan of Bridget Mendler's work. She was honored to meet her, and also interview her about the movie. When we left LA for the weekend, Ella told me that it was something that she will hold in her heart forever. Ella will always have a special connection to the movie, after getting to spend time learning about it directly from Bridget Mendler.




"The Secret world of Arrietty" opens in theaters on February 17th.

We were able to have a special pre-screening of the movie, lunch and a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet Bridget Mendler. All our photos, thoughts and opinions are of our own.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

One beat at a time #NourishWhatCounts

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Have you ever been touched by a family member with a heart condition? I have!

One night when I just 17 years old, my father came home from walking the dog. I did not understand why I was being rushed into the car in the dark of the night. My Mom speed her red Volvo through the dark of the night saying, "everything is going to be ok...everything is going to be ok."

As we pulled-up to the Emergency room doors, a nurse took my father away in a wheel chair.

The next time I saw my father, it was one of the most painful experiences of my childhood. My father was in the ICU with a tube coming out of his open chest cavity. He was unable to talk, and tears were flowing from his sick and weak eyes.

After the doctors had repaired his heart, it would be months of recovery. I went on Independent Study for six months of my most important years of High School, to help care for him while my Mother worked.
I love my Father so much, and his loving heart even more.

Having a healthy heart is very important to me, and I am reminded of how important it is every time I see his "zipper" on his chest while swimming at their pool.

I have joined the Quaker Heart Health Challenge, by working-out and every day to help keep my heart healthy.

Having a history of heart disease in my family means it is even more important that I care for my heart - keeping it beating - one beat at a time. I encourage you to join me too!

Joining the Quaker Heart Health Challenge is my first step towards becoming a healthier me. Now I’m curious to know, what motivates you to stay healthy?

For your chance to win $750 complete these two steps:

1.Share the Challenge with your friends
2.Tell us that you’ve invited your friends to join the Challenge AND share what motivates you to stay healthy below

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Wordless Wednesday: Wardrobe malfunction

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Monday, February 6, 2012

Change the life of a child #EnergizerCFK #cbias

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There are more than 100,000 children in need of adoption right here in the United States. That is 100,000 children who never get a kiss at night, a bedtime story, a warm meal on the table or a Mom and Dad to love. We were fortunate to be blessed with two of the most remarkable children through the love of adoption right here in our community of Orange County.


Our life was simple and happy. Then one night the phone rang.

A child was in need of an emergency shelter, and the same social worker that had worked with us in the past, asked if we could open our home to this young boy.



That morning we saw a rainbow in the sky, and knew that it was our mission to help this young boy. Within the moment we said, "yes," our lives were turned upside down.

The boy had been severely abused - both physically and emotionally. Instead of watching our favorite television show at night, we would begin holding him for hours. Holding him to help heal his pain.

I had bought my children hundreds of pairs of shoes. When their shoes would show the slightest bit of wear, we would run out and get a new pair. Our boy had never owned a new pair of shoes. When we took him to the shoe store for the first time, he fell on the floor crying about getting his first pair of Nike shoes.

His eyes followed my hands with every lace of the shoes. When we got home, my other kids tossed their shoes in the basket, but our boy carefully placed them next to his bed.

I had always done a lot of volunteer work growing up, but never truly understood the impact of what it is like for a child in crisis, until I cared for one. Children are our most precious gift on earth, and when you care for one that was not treated like a gift - I felt my heart broke.

Andrew saying "good-bye" to our boy


Our boy lived with us for a couple of months and left a smiling young boy. The impact of our love forever changed his life, and he changed ours. We were not able to erase the scars, but able to mask them with love. He is now a growing young boy. He gets a warm meal every day, a seat in a classroom and most importantly - a Mom and Dad to kiss him good-night.



Champion for kids  is a service project with a focus on making a difference in children's lives. Even though we live in a warm environment in Orange County, there are still many children who go cold every night. Champion for kids is creating a spark in the heart of children across the country. Inspiring people to stand-up and make a difference.


I am going to be putting together a special package for a child at Kinship Center. I chose Kinship Center because of the service work that they do for adopted and foster children. They give lifelong services to children just like my own, and children that may never find a permanent home.

We are creating a special kit with all the needs a child might need to stay warm this winter, and most importantly for them to feel loved.


We are hoping to shine a light down on a child, and light up their life - will you join us?


I was compensated for this post as part of a social shopper insights study with collective bias. All my thoughts and opinions are of my own.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Raise Awareness on Super Bowl Sunday

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Adoption holds a special place in my heart, having adopted two blessings here in the US. More than 100,000 children in need of a stable and loving family in the US - by sharing this message, you are giving all those children hope!

Shares His Heart for Adoption

The Super Bowl is just around the corner! Friends and families will gather together to watch the big game. At half-time, consider being a light of hope to one of the millions of orphans by showing this short video by Super Bowl-winning coach, Tony Dungy.

Coach Dungy and his wife, Lauren, have adopted several children and want to encourage others to step up and be the families these children are waiting for. Watch this short video created by Adoption Journey.



"The big win on Super Sunday would be to raise awareness about the millions of children who need a family. I would love to see thousands of local community groups and circles of friends consider how they can help," said Dungy, the winning head coach of the 2007 Super Bowl Champion Indianapolis Colts.

The time you take to show this video at half-time on Sunday could be the kick off to a new life for a child!

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Mediterranean Lemon Chicken Recipe

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We all have busy lives, whether you have kids - or don't. I cannot help just shout from the roof tops when I find a recipe that takes less than five minutes in the kitchen to make, is healthy and everyone in the family loves. This recipe is it! I am not kidding!

In the morning I took some chicken breast and marinated it in a ziploc bag. I added the chicken (fillets), 1/4 cup of lemon juice, 2 tea. of lemon rind and 3 Tbl. of garlic. I let it sit the fridge all day until an hour before dinner.


Now here comes the even easier part - I did all these steps..

(3 tea. of fresh Oregano, 1 tea. of fresh rosemary, 15 Kalamata olives, 1 shallot and 1 lemon)

Then I baked it in the oven at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve over a bead of freshly made Orzo and your family will love you - trust me!


Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Wordless Wednesday: Can you dig it?

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Hawaiian Style Super Bowl Chicken Wings Recipe

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Super Bowl (aka. The Men's Valentine's Day) is just days away. My house will be filled with my husbands buddies who will be hooting and hollering throughout the game. Super Bowl always ends up being at our house, because all our friends know they will be in for a fantastic feast with my love for cooking.

I have been testing out some sample recipes this week for the big game and found this super yummy chicken wing recipe. It is perfect to serve at the big game - or over a bed of rice for a family weeknight meal. (Plus it is super easy!)



  1. First cook the chicken wings at 400 degrees in a pyrex baking dish for 30 minutes.
  2. Then mix all the ingredients with the wings - coating the wings well.
  3. Return to the oven for an additional 30 minutes.
  4. Enjoy!

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Adventures with Zaya!

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If you follow me on Twitter, then you already know that I freelance write for the Anaheim Visitors and Convention Bureau. Anaheim is the most popular vacation destination in Orange County, and the site is a terrific resource to visitors to the OC.

The visitors bureau is creating a family webisode series, where they will show Orange County through the eyes of an energetic little boy named Zaya.

Keep an eye of Zaya's adventures on YouTube! Isn't he cute?

We've got school spirit

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My kids are almost half way through their first year at a Charter School. I have never seen my kids have as much school spirit as they have gotten since starting at OPA. My kids love their new school so much.


Last week the school hosted its first pep rally. My kids had never been to pep rally before, and they walked away even more pumped up to start learning at school the next day. Children stayed after school, got dressed in school colors and cheered for the school they all love so much! It is so awesome to see children celebrate learning in such a powerful way.


Do your kids have school spirit? How do they like to celebrate learning?

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Cooking with Kids: Pizza Calzones

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Kids love pizza! Kids love pizza even more when they make it themselves.

I saw a fun way to make pizza calzones on Pinterest, and attempted to make it with my own unique twist. Instead of buying crescent rolls, I just purchased the pre-made pizza dough at Trader Joes.

I rolled out the pizza dough and cut it into triangles. Next I added all our toppings & rolled it up. Just as simple as that!

I also tried a different version where I cut the dough into rectangles and then folded it over. This would work perfect for vegetable calzones!

I baked the calzones on a cookie sheet for 8 minutes at 400 degrees! I served it with a salad & dinner was on the table in less than 15 minutes!

Friday, January 27, 2012

Kale and Butternut Squash Casserole

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Cooking Light is my favorite magazine. I have been reading it for years collecting all my favorite magazines. What I love about the recipes in Cooking Light magazine, is that they are all kid friendly. I have never made a recipe from one of their magazines that my kids did not devour.

I recently made this delicious - I mean extremely delicious recipe - however it was a lot of work to make. I always judge the complication of a recipe depending on how many pots, pans or cookie sheets it takes to make a recipe. This recipe was a #5 on my scale of complication, because it filled-up my sink with a ton of dishes. Although, it took a lot of kitchen tools - I can not wait to make it again! Here is the recipe (along with my personal changes that I made along the way.)

Ingredients:

  • 1 large butternut squash
  • 4 Tbl. of olive oil
  • 1 Package of piccolini mini ziti
  • 1 large busshell of organic kale
  • 1/2 package of bacon
  • 1 large onion
  • 7 cloves of garlic
  • 2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 Tbl. flour
  • 1 cup of creme fraiche (see my recipe here - make the night before)
  • 1/3 cup of parmesan cheese (shredded)

  1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees
  2. Combine the chopped squash w/ oil and then bake on a cookie sheet for 30 minutes. While that is cooking boil your pasta - add the kale to the pasta for the last two minutes of boiling.
  3. Cook bacon in a pan and then crumble. Remove bacon and then add onion. Cook onion for about 5 minutes before adding some salt and garlic. Cook for an additional minute.
  4. Boil 1 3/4 cup broth in a saucepan. 
  5. In a cup mix 1/4 cup of broth & flour in a bowl with a whisk. Add the flour mixture to the boiling broth & cook until it thickens. Then remove from heat and add the creme fraiche.
  6. Combine everything into a 13x9 baking dish - top with Parmesan - bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes!

Enjoy!

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Making Homemade Suncatchers

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Crayon melting was one of my favorite activities to do when I was a teacher. It is simple, fun and educational for young children. Children learn about cause and effect when they watch the crayon melt on the paper when heat is added.


Before doing the activity with young children, it is important to talk to your children about safety. Advise the children that the plate is hot, and never leave the children unattended.



  1. Cover a hot plate or electric grill with foil.
  2. Warm the hot plate - not too hot - just warm
  3. Place a piece of wax paper over the foil
  4. Allow your children to color on the piece of wax paper
  5. After the crayon rubbings dry, cut into shapes and hang in a window

Wordless Wednesday

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Monday, January 23, 2012

Giveaway Monday: RoseArt Color Blanks

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There is nothing my kids love better than doing crafts. After our visit to the RoseArt headquarters, my kids have been in full craft mode. One product that my children fell in LOVE with from RoseArt is the RoseArt Color Blanks. 

They made some Color Blanks at the headquarters and brought some extra kits home. My children spent an entire day decorating their Color Blanks, yet the fun did not stop with the art project. Tyler has been playing with his Color Blanks everyday. The kids have brought them to the pool to use as pool toys, used them to play dolls and dramatic play.

Color Blanks allow children to let their imaginations go wild while designing a Color Blanks. The Color Blank kit comes with a blank Color Blank along with some markers. Children let their imagination loose while decorating a Color Blank exactly how they envision it in their minds.



We are so excited to be able to offer a Color Blank kit and set of markers as a giveaway to one of our readers.

To enter just leave a comment below!

For extra entries: (please leave a comment for each additional entry)


  1. "Like" Glitterful Felt Stories on Facebook
  2. Follow Glitterful Felt Stories on Twitter
  3. Follow our blog via Google friend connect (right hand corner of blog)
  4. Tweet about the giveaway using handles @GlitterfulFelt

Giveaway will be open until January 30th 2012 at 11:59pm PST. Winner will be chosen via random.org and is open to residents worldwide. Winner has three days to respond to my email before another winner will be chosen. We were provided with a sample color blank kit from RoseArt. All our photos, thoughts and opinions are of our own.
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