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Archive for the ‘Entertainment’ Category

Cradled in the arms of trees, the moon rested. Stars and planets hovered subserviently nearby, knowing that the bright light emanating from the full moon dimmed their own magnificence. But, if the truth be told, the moon didn’t want to stand out – he longed to be in the night sky clustered together with the others. He was lonely, but not alone. As the night evolved and the moon rose, he dimmed his light a bit and the stars twinkled with appreciation. The moon’s lesson: it’s not as important to be on center stage as it is to share the stage with others. And, with a little help, others can have their moments to shine.

#1 – Earth Day

Imagine what it’s like to view the earth from the moon. How majestic and pristine our planet must appear from afar. Celebrate our planet on Earth Day, April 22nd. The Nature Conservancy plans on celebrating by organizing a record-setting picnic. If you’d like to be part of the Conservancy’s attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the most people picnicking in 24 hours or if you want to learn different ways in which you can help our planet, click here.

#2 – Photograph or Painting?

I would be over the moon if I had the talent and patience to paint like Pedro Campos! Using oil paints, the Spanish artist creates amazingly realistic still life paintings that are often mistaken for photographs! Check out his website to view more of his incredible artwork!

#3 – Moonlight in a Jar

Stars twinkle and the moon glows in this DIY project. Mason jars are painted or “dotted” on the inside with glow-in-the-dark paint. They are allowed to dry and then are charged with sunlight or lamplight. I fell in love with these jars when I first saw them and they are definitely on my “to do” list!

#4 – Brain or Moon?

From mental_floss comes this quiz that tests your familiarity of moon and brain nomenclature. For example, is the Dorsum Scilla a part of the brain or a part of the moon?

#5 – Sailing to the Moon
“What can we gain by sailing to the moon if we are not able to cross the abyss that separates us from ourselves? This is the most important of all voyages of discovery, and without it, all the rest are not only useless, but disastrous.”
Thomas Merton

Look at the moon this weekend and have fun making up your own story about it!

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It was raining cats and dogs when I spotted a pretty bird perched on a tree in my yard. While other birds ate ravenously in the pelting rain, this Spotted Towhee was resting and taking in the sights. Here’s a lesson for us all – even in undesirable conditions, it’s always good to sit, regroup, and regain perspective.

#1 – What Time Is It?
Whether for business, travel, or staying in touch with friends and family, we all occasionally need to know what time it is in other parts of the world. With its easy slider bars, Every Time Zone makes it convenient to check the time in major cities worldwide. You will want to bookmark this site for future use!

#2 – What Happened Back Then?
Do you ever wonder what the world was like the year you or your parents were born? At What Happened In My Birth Year, all you have to do is type in the year you want to learn about and you’ll find out fascinating facts, such as popular songs and books, which movies were hits, who the movers and shakers were in the world, and so much more!

#3 – Amazing Goldfish
Artist Riusuke Fukahori takes painting to a new dimension. Carefully layering paint and resin, he creates incredibly realistic 3-D goldfish. Watch the brief video of his painstaking process. It’s amazing!

#4 – Healthy Recipe
This month’s Nutrition Action Health Letter offers a delicious recipe for Roasted Asparagus that is very similar to one that I’ve prepared for years:

Toss 1 pound of asparagus with 1 tsp. of canola oil. Roast in a 400 degree F oven until lightly browned and tender, about 15 minutes. Drizzle with with 1 tsp. of toasted sesame oil, 1 tsp. of soy sauce, and a squeeze of lemon. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, Serve hot or cold.

#5 – Design Your Life
“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.” ~Jim Rohn

Have a wonderful weekend!

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Stones, tumbled by the sea, collect on the shore. The waters have worn some smooth and round, while others remain irregular and pockmarked. That they existed in the same turbulent waters, but weathered the forces differently, can only be attributed to their individual compositions and, perhaps, the length of exposure. If you were one of these stones, which one would you be? What are you made of? What qualities do you possess to help you weather the ups and downs in life?

#1- Top Five Regrets
Recognizing that this blog is about sharing and encouraging joy, I was at first hesitant about linking to the Top Five Regrets of the Dying as recounted by palliative care nurse Bronnie Ware. As I read through the article, though, I realized that it reinforced the belief that an authentic life is a life of joy. Here are the top five regrets, but to get the most from these lessons, it’s best to read the article in its entirety:

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

#2 – Another Way to Recycle Newspapers
Here’s a creative undertaking that involves recycling newspaper in an unusual way. Italian artist Ivano Vitali uses strips of newsprint and, without the use of any adhesives, spins them into balls of yarn and crochets them into pieces using custom-made hooks and needles. Check out his Zero Impact Global Art website and be inspired to find new ways to recycle.

#3 – The Game You Can’t Stop
In The Game You Can’t Stop small balls of different colors drop from the top of the game that you must try to deflect using your computer mouse which controls a large ball at the bottom. As you deflect the small balls, you must attempt to connect three balls of the same color to score. Warning: Don’t play this brain game unless you have a little time to spare!

#4 – Super Bowl Snacks
Is it possible to serve healthy Super Bowl snacks? Sure it is! It just takes a little conscious effort and the willpower not to succumb to media ads. Here’s a quick recipe from one of my favorite periodicals Nutrition Action Healthletter:

Quick Quesadillas
Toss together 1 cup of black beans, 1 cup corn kernels, 1/2 cup of reduced-fat shredded cheese, and 1/2 cup of jarred salsa. Spoon the filling onto 4 whole wheat tortillas, fold in half, and sauté each in a non-stick pan in 1 tsp. of canola oil.

#5 – Possibilities
Nothing is IMPOSSIBLE, the word itself says “I’M POSSIBLE“!
Audrey Hepburn

Enjoy your weekend!

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New Year resolutions speak of hopes, dreams, and new starts, but shouldn’t every morning bring with it the same potential? Why wait a day, a month, or 12 months to start something new or to create the life you want? There will never be a better time than now to eat better, to sharpen your mind, to make a difference, or to see the world with all of its colors!

#1 – Walk Through a Rainbow
Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson designed an enclosed circular rainbow walkway above a building in Denmark. I wonder, along with another commenter, if your mood changes as you walk through the colors?

#2 – Fast Food Reality
Is the food shown in ads the same as what’s served? Here’s an interesting side-by-side photo comparison. On the left are ad photos and on the right are photos of food actually served. Why do we eat fast food when it’s not so great to begin with and is even less appealing than promised?

#3 – Online Jigsaw Puzzles
When I was a child, my mom and I would sit for hours working on jigsaw puzzles. Jigsaw puzzles are addicting because you can’t stop searching for that one particular piece you need. When I found out that National Geographic’s website had a jigsaw puzzle generator, I immediately bookmarked it on my computer and sent the link to my mom. Although they do not contain very many pieces, these puzzles, made from National Geographic photographs, are difficult because the image disappears once you start working on the puzzle and you must reconstruct it from memory (unless you cheat by using the preview function). On top of that, your effort is being timed!

#4 – In the Beginning . . .
Watch this charming 4 minute story about global warming with its amazing painting by Alice Ninni and soothing background music by Matteo Negrin.

#5 – Don’t Stop Changing
“When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.” -Benjamin Franklin

Have an enjoyable, but safe holiday weekend!

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The sun was low in the sky on a crisp and breezy autumn day. It was the kind of day that beckoned for a stroll in the park. As the black lab puppy strained against his leash to see more, smell more, and play more, my husband and I walked and chatted. As we rounded a path leading down to the bay, I suddenly yelled out to him, “Stop! Don’t step on someone’s hope!” There at his feet, scrawled in the decomposed granite path, were large letters spelling out the word “hope.” As we continued our walk, my mind filled with questions. Who wrote that? And why? Does that person have hope or need hope? Or was it just someone’s name? I’ll never know the answers to my questions, but I do know that hope can be found everywhere.

#1 – Convoy of Hope
Recently in my small area of the world a Convoy of Hope came to town. Over 13,000 people attended this outreach to receive assistance ranging from “health and dental screenings, family portraits, groceries, clothing, shoes and employment – all of which were free of charge.” Convoy of Hope has ambitious plans for 2012; their plans include outreach events in every state. To read more about this charity that has won the Charity Navigator Four Star Award for seven years in a row and to learn about ways in which you can help, click here.

#2 – Flowers of Hope
My husband called me from work the other day and asked, “Do you have any use for a box of assorted flower vases, because if not, they are going to be thrown away?” He knows me too well. Since it is not in my nature to throw things away, I replied, “Bring them home. I will fill them with flowers and take them over to a senior care home.” Although vases are not required in order to give a bouquet of flowers to someone in a senior center or home, they certainly make it easier for the staff to distribute the flowers. I mentioned in a previous post, that glass jars work great for this purpose, too. So before you get rid of those inexpensive vases you get from the florist, fill them with lovely flowers from your yard or from a store and give a home-bound senior hope that someone still cares about them.

#3 – Is There Hope For Mom and Dad?
The text I sent my daughter read something like this, “@ emerg room. Dad mayb hd gdasu buvacj!” I admit that sometimes when I text, I inadvertently send jibberish instead –  thanks to clumsy fingers or that darn spell check program that keeps changing what I write! I’m sure I’m not the only one with texting issues. Read these amusing texts that appeared on the Huffington Post Parents page or read many more funny texts by going to When Parents Text. I hope my kids haven’t submitted any of my bloopers!

#4 – Hope For Creativity
This four minute TED video presented by Gever Tulley shows hope exists when creativity is fostered in children. His Tinkering School allows children to design, create, succeed and fail. Life skills are learned when they have to figure things out. I love this idea!

#5 – Words of Hope
“Men and women are limited not by the place of their birth, not by the color of their skin, but by the size of their hope.” John Johnson

Give thanks this weekend to the many people who gave hope to our country by serving in the military! Have a safe Veterans Day weekend!

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The ever-increasing tales of the world’s woes often overshadow the good in the world. The good in life isn’t always monumental and can be easily ignored compared to the attention-grabbing bad. Is it a matter of the “squeaky wheel gets the grease”? The good in life is often the sum total of everyday small joys, so don’t let it go by unnoticed.

#1 – Spread Kindness
Performing acts of kindness provides joy for both the giver and the recipient. To read stories of kindness, to learn additional ways to be kind, and to print up smile cards that can be passed around in a pay-it-forward style, go to the inspirational site Help Others.

#2 – Wake-up Your Brain!
Need help jump-starting your brain cells in the morning? Try playing one of the many challenging games at Sporcle. For example, the Road Game allows you only six minutes to answer thirty questions about “things and phrases containing the word ‘road.'” On your mark! Get set! Go!

#3 – Spot the Fake
A smile is a thing of joy, but not all smiles are created equal. Based on the physiological differences between real and fake smiles, Professor Paul Ekman of the University of California and Dr. Wallace V. Friesen of the University of Kentucky devised the Facial Action Coding System. How good are you at spotting a fake smile from a real one? Take the Spot the Fake Smile test and find out. No pressure, but I got 16 out of 20 correct!

#4 – Kitchen Tip

Here’s a kitchen tip that will make you smile. Earlier this week I posted a recipe for Wild Mushroom and Prosciutto Lasagne on this blog. In this recipe the porcini mushrooms must be soaked before cooking them. When soaking dried mushrooms, put them in a bowl with warm water and place a smaller bowl or plate over them to keep them immersed in the water and to prevent them from floating to the top.

#5 – Choose Joy
“Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.” — Henri Nouwen

Choose to be joyful this weekend!

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She: “This photo is kind of gross.”
He: “What’s the photo of?”
She: “A close-up I took of a pumpkin.”
He: “What’s gross about a pumpkin and why’d you photograph it anyway?”
She: “Because it reminded me of something.”
He: “Reminded you of what?”
She: “Rolls of abdominal fat and stretchmarks . . . .”
He: “But it’s only a pumpkin!”
She: “Yeah, but it’s a pumpkin with PUMPKIN ROLLS!”
He: “No comment.”

#1 – Pumpkin Art
If you haven’t carved your pumpkin yet and you’re looking for inspiration and amazing examples of pumpkin carving, check out the galleries on the sites below. You’ll find yourself saying, “How did they do that?”

Ray Villafane and Andy Bergholtz
Pumpkin Gutter

#2 – Reuse It!
Don’t you dare throw away used aluminum foil – that is not until you’ve used it a few more times! Here are several ways to reuse aluminum foil:

Scrunch it up into a ball and use it to scrub baked-on food off of oven racks, barbecues, grills, pots and pans.

Wipe it down with soap and water and reuse it. Aluminum foil that has not been in contact with raw meat can be used to cover other foods again.

Sharpen scissors and garden shears by folding a piece into several layers and cutting through it with scissors or shears. Paper punches can be sharpened in this way as well.

Stuff clean used foil in your shoes and boots to help them keep their shape.

Deter birds, deer and other unwanted pests by hanging strips of foil around your garden.

Throw a crumbled piece of foil into the clothes dryer with your clothes to reduce static electricity.

Place some under your ironing board cover to reflect heat and iron more efficiently.

Save it for arts and craft activities: make cards, pretend jewelry for your kids; mold it into a sculpture; use it to create interesting textures in paint.

Stuff some around pipe holes to prevent rodents from entering your home.

Clean your silver by putting aluminum foil in your sink with salt, baking soda and hot water.

Wrap some around stripped screws before screwing it in for a quick, temporary fix.

Click on links to read entire articles:
Chasing Green
How to Make Silver Polishing Dip
SF Gate

#3 – Oh My Aching Back!

My lower back and hip area was stiff and achy from standing all day. I mentioned this to my husband and before I could finish my sentence, he ran out of the room to get something. A few minutes later he came back with two tennis balls duct-taped together. “Here,” he said, “Roll on this, it will really help!” I looked at him incredulously and said, “Seriously?” But he was right, after a minute or two of rolling on the tennis balls and enduring shiatsu-massage-type discomfort, my back pain significantly diminished. If you suffer from back and hip pain, don’t let the simplicity of this gadget fool you and do give tennis ball therapy a try!

#4 – Sushi Cat
Halloween conjures up images of black cats, but Sushi Cat creates FAT CATS! Sushi Cat is a fun computer game that combines pinball-like skills with eating sushi! Drop a cat from the top of your screen and watch him eat sushi as he eats his way around obstacles. He must eat the prerequisite number of sushi pieces at each level to become a FAT CAT or else you must try again!

#5 – The Simplest Words
“All the great things in life are expressed in the simplest words: friends and family; purpose and meaning; love and work; caring and community; appreciation and gratitude.” – Dan Zadra

Enjoy this last week of October!

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Baskets of ripe tomatoes in a myriad of colors resemble a richly-textured quilt sitting on a table. As summer crops, such as tomatoes, peaches, berries and plums, wane and winter squashes take over the tables at farmers’ markets, I’m reminded that autumn is here. With temperatures still warm where I live, it’s hard to recognize the transition of summer to fall. But I’m ready, actually more than ready, for fall. I’m in the mood for apple cider and sweaters and soup and crisp mornings. What about you?

#1 – Mood Music
Does music create moods or do moods create music? I think it goes both ways. Whether you need music to match your mood or music to accompany a particular activity, you’ll probably find a playlist on STEREOmood that fits the bill. “Behind every song there’s always an emotion. We don’t know why but maybe that’s why we love music. So we’ve created a way to suggest songs that follow your feelings: stereomood is the free emotional internet radio, providing music that best suits your mood and your activities,” reads the website. Right now I’m listening to a playlist of music to paint by and, although I don’t paint anymore, listening to this playlist makes me want to get out my paint brushes!

#2 – Awwwards
No, the title is not misspelled. Awwwards are “The awards for design, creativity and innovation on the Internet, which recognize and promote the best web designers in the world.” Cool Gadgets for Creative Offices is an article that caught my eye. Check out the clever designs from ingenious designers. Or should it be, ingenious designs from clever designers?

#3 – How to Peel a Garlic in 10 Seconds!
Todd Coleman, Saveur executive food editor, shows in a super-brief video how to peel a head of garlic in less than 10 seconds! Wow, who would have thought you could work out your triceps and peel garlic at the same time!

#4 – Must-Reads
From Woman’s Day comes this list of 11 Must-Read Fall Books. Although I love to sink my teeth into a good book, I find that I don’t have as much time for reading as I would like. After reading the descriptions of each of these books, though, I’m in the mood to throw away my “To Do” list, snuggle on the sofa with my dog, and read them all!

#5 – Growing Ideas
“Throwing away ideas too soon is like opening a package of flower seeds and then throwing them away because they’re not pretty.”
– Arthur VanGundy, Ph.D.

Spend some time this weekend nurturing that little idea of yours!

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Being pulled in many different directions is something I am used to since I’m a mom with children who still need my help from time to time. The last couple of weeks have been crazy with activity and I tried to help all three of my kids through their recent transitions. That being said, I couldn’t do everything I wanted to do for each of them or do what I would have normally done for each of them, but I did the best I could. By focusing on the many things that could be accomplished, I did not let the few “unachievable” tasks stop me.

#1 – Makes Me Think
An aging brain and over 240 posts written make it difficult for me to remember whether I’ve already shared Makes Me Think. I’m pretty sure that I have, but it is a site well worth revisiting. Reading the often inspiring and often sad, but always thought-provoking, submissions validates my beliefs that life should be celebrated and that there is inherent goodness in man. Visit the site and read some submissions yourself, but if you don’t, here are a few examples:

Today, my cab driver showed back up at my house an hour later and knocked on my door to give me back my wallet, which another passenger found in his backseat. All of my cash and cards were intact.

Today, my dad saw the tears in my eyes and asked, “You’re not crying over him again, are you?” “Just let me be,” I said. He started walking out of the room, then turned around and said, “If someone won’t lift a finger to call you, see you and spend time with you, it’s time for you to lift five fingers and wave goodbye.”

Today, I ran into my favorite teacher from high school. He was my music teacher all four years. I saw him standing in line outside an unemployment office. I own my a small production company here in L.A. that does animated graphics, sound effects and background music for TV shows, commercials, and small-mid budget movies. I grabbed him out of the line, we chatted and I hired him on the spot. He’s going to be a priceless addition to the team.

Today, my cousin and I met for lunch for the first time in almost a year. He sat across from me with the biggest smile I’ve ever seen across his face and updated me on all the things going on in his life. He said all of his hard work was paying dividends and his small business was thriving. He also mentioned that he was thinking of proposing to “the most amazing woman he had ever met.” “I don’t know how else to say it,” he said sometime toward the end of our lunch, “I’m happy. I’m finally feeling comfortable in my own skin.” My cousin lost his life in a car accident on the way home from work this evening.

#2 – Osteoporosis
Concerned about osteoporosis? Read iVillage’s list of 7 Foods that Fight Osteoporosis and then check out these exercises in Good for Your Bones: Exercises to Prevent Osteoporosis.

#3 – Arctic Light
Sit back, relax and enjoy the beauty of an arctic light display as captured in a short video by photographer Terje Sorgjerd! While on this site stay awhile and watch his other beautifully soothing videos.

#4 – Make It Short
Short stories make perfect reads when you are short on time. It takes a great deal of skill to craft a short story, because the writer has far fewer words than a novelist in which to grab a reader’s attention and develop characters and plot lines. Read and appreciate the art of short story writing at East of the Web, where different genres of short stories are available to read for free. The Short Stories application for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch is free, so that you can read a short story anytime and anywhere you want!

#5 – 18/40/60 Rule
“I like Dr. Daniel Amen’s 18/40/60 Rule: When you’re 18, you worry about what everybody is thinking of you; when you’re 40, you don’t give a darn what anybody thinks of you; when you’re 60, you realize nobody’s been thinking about you at all.”
Jack Canfield

Enjoy your weekend!

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Being a creative person is a joy, but it also gives rise to odd looks and a lifetime of explanations. For example, one time at work someone presented me with a box of wide, purple, satin ribbons. “What should we do with this?” she said. Off the top of my head came this answer, “We can weave them together and make clutch purses!” The look I received in return translated to “Are you crazy?” In my mind, anything is doable if given an appropriate amount of creative thought. Today’s post is dedicated to all the creative people who think outside of the box, who envision things as others can’t, who are the problem solvers of the world, and who often say, “What about this?”

#1 – Create For Free
Finding this site was like a dream come true! From Everything Etsy is a list of 101 links for printable gift tags, recipe cards, labels, thank you notes, baby shower invites, sayings, travel games and more! Not only are some of them really cute, they are also FREE! You’ll want to bookmark this page for your future creations!

#2 – 365Q
365Q pairs photos with inspirational sayings and is a project by photographer and graphic design student Julian Bialowas. His goal is to post one of his own photographs everyday for an entire year. We are the lucky recipients of his endeavor!

#3 – Escape Motions
Drawing is just not for kids. Create a piece of art that moves and changes color just by dragging your cursor in a black square on your computer screen. You’ll escape temporarily from your daily drudgery and duties. Amber Starfire of Women’s Memoirs writes, “Drawing engages the right side of the brain while relaxing the left side, allowing visual, emotional, intuitive expression. And when you draw, if only for a few minutes, it improves your ability to problem-solve, including your ability to understand and see into yourself.”

This is so true for me – doing something creative energizes and rejuvenates me. To create something beautiful just for yourself, click here first, then click on the play icon and start moving your cursor around. Just like magic beautiful swirls appear! To check out other escape motions by Peter Blaskovic, click here. Take a moment and enjoy yourself!

#4 – Hotel Tips
Escaping to another place altogether? Create a perfect hotel stay by checking out these tips submitted by readers/travelers on Gadling before you go.

#5 – Don’t Stop Playing
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”
-George Bernard Shaw

Create a weekend that rejuvenates your soul!!

Note: The photo above is a screen capture of a “Wordle” that I created. Make a Wordle using your own words or a favorite quote by clicking here.

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