July 21 - National Junk Food Day

One of the things I really hoped to gain with this project, was a fresh perspective on how others live their lives. I think that's why I have been LOVING our guest posts! We have another great one for you today! This comes from Mindy Kane, you can visit her blog by clicking here. Her perspective on celebrating National Junk Food Day is so refreshing and I'm excited to share this with all of you! Leave her lots of blog love! Thanks Mindy for such a lovely post!

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NATIONAL JUNK FOOD DAY

I'm definitely a junk food gal. I love candy and ho-ho's and (especially right now) snow cones ... but my body doesn't love all the unnatural stuff that comes along with those things. I've realized how important it is to put whole foods into my body, rather than processed things. And, I can still make yummy treats without all the preservatives and yucky stuff that comes with those processed snacks!

Here are a few of my favorites:


Homemade Banana Pudding - recipe found here


No Bake Cookies - recipe found here


Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups - recipe found here

I love Michael Pollan's books and especially his article, Six Rules for Eating Wisely where he encourages us to avoid high fructose corn syrup and not to eat anything our grandparents wouldn't recognize as food.



Another favorite of mine is Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle:

"This is the story of a year in which we made every attempt to feed ourselves animals and vegetables whose provenance we really knew . . . and of how our family was changed by our first year of deliberately eating food produced from the same place where we worked, went to school, loved our neighbors, drank the water, and breathed the air."

And some of my favorite healthy food blogs/websites:

GNOWFGLINS
Oh She Glows
Deliciously Organic
Delightful Delicacies
Finding My Niche

I hope this helps everyone get a little bit excited about eating whole and organic foods ... Happy Junk Food Day!

Late July 17 - Disneyland Guest Post

Oh man, I'm so sad to say that this is coming to you late!  However, you will enjoy it despite.  What a great guest post written by David Zumbrennen, one of my friends from high school.  Show is post some love, despite my tardiness in getting it to you!  Thank you David and Happy Anniversary Disneyland!

:)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  ;)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)  :)

"To all who come to this happy place – welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past
and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, dreams
and the hard facts that have created America… with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world." Walter E. Disney, July 17, 1955

From its simple beginnings to the conglomerate it truly is today, Walt Disney and Disney Worldwide Services Inc.
(as it is officially called) have provided memories, experiences and a world where its hard to imagine not having "Disney" around. Whether its Pixar, ESPN, ABC, Baby Einstein, Marvel Comics, etc... Disney has its magical hands and memory making machines hard at work.

As a cast member for Disney it truly is a magical place and a place that evokes tender moments for visitors and
cast member alike. For all its glory, hype and for some complexity it all was quite simple to Walt and where it all began at Disneyland.

Disneyland was ultimately built as a place where both adults and children could go play together. Having visited
Griffith Park with his two daughters Walt was determined to create a "magical" place in which life's troubles could
be forgotten and families could be together as one, in a safe, fantasy land environment. One of his original ideas was to build a park next to his budding studio in Burbank, California, where tourists could visit. Knowing this space wouldn't be large enough he began the process of buying more land and the idea of a small park grew into the Disneyland area that is cherished and loved today.

The original concept for Walt's "Mickey Mouse Park" was to be an 8-acre park. Quickly realizing this was not large
enough Walt acquired 160 acres of orange and walnut grove trees in Anaheim, California. In order to finance the park, Walt and his brother Roy Disney turned to ABC television network to help cover the costs.

Construction began on July 16, 1954 and cost $17 million to complete. The park opened one year and a day later.

July, 1955: Dedication Day and Opening Day.  For as clockwork as Disney seems to run, the dedication and opening of Disneyland was a disaster.  Opening to the public on July 18, 1955 the park had 20 attractions.  A special invitation only event occurred on Sunday, the 17th of July 1955.

The event was to only have 11,000 guests but over 28,000 showed up. The event was televised nationwide.
Celebrities showed up at once, the temperature was 101 degrees, a plumber's strike left many of the drinking fountains dry.  In fact Walt had to decide between water fountains or flushing toilets. He chose the flushing toilets. This generated negate publicity since Pepsi helped sponsor the parks opening. Vendors ran out of food, cement was still fresh and hot from the temperature, that women's high-heeled shoes sank into it. A gas leak caused certain sections of the park to close early.

Despite the concerns and issues, It was successful and popular and today continues to be a magical and memorable place for all.  Disneyland itself land by land is a concept of ingenuity and precision an opportunity for us all to experience our inner childhood and to create memories that will last a lifetime.  It is a place to forget the present and go to another place as real as the life you have left behind. Most important it is a choice and chance to share, grow, experience and create magical memories as an individual and a family for a lifetime.

May we always realize that we can all pursue our dreams no matter what they may be and that a small dream can
change the world. Happy 56th Birthday Disneyland.

**Pictures borrowed from http://worldinapapercup.wordpress.com/2011/05/04/vintage-disneyland/.

July 7 - Movies

On July 7, 1943, the great Joel Siegel was born.  He is best known for the 25 years he worked for Good Morning America as their weekly film critic.  But Joel Siegel was also an English Professor, disc jockey, music and movie critic.  In honor of his work with film, I turned to one of my friends Melanie Lewis, who in my opinion has a refreshing view on film and if there is such a thing as a film connoisseur, she is it!  I hope you all enjoy her post as much as I did and leave her lots of GREAT comments!

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My Love of Film

It’s said that in Hollywood films there are only about a dozen or so storylines that are recreated with different characters over and over again.  While these reproductions can afford us with two hours of amusement and “entertainment”, they are often blatantly predictable and anti-climactic.  Yes, we have an enjoyable time, but in the following weeks, we quickly forget the film and its meaning, if it even had one. This is why I feel, as a society, Hollywood is letting us down.  Just as with other art forms, we are becoming artistically illiterate and numb. 

            In a film class I took last year, we talked about the differences between Hollywood and foreign films.  Hollywood films focus mostly on action; on what happens.  It’s also important for the characters to be attractive, well-known actors.  Production companies spend millions of dollars on the action parts of the film and the salaries for the big stars.  Foreign films put more emphasis on conveying a feeling. They often don’t have big budgets and you rarely see many flashy action sequences.  The actors look like everyday people.  The aesthetics of the sets are not as elaborate as the production designs of Hollywood films.  Quite often the films are funded by the government or national art organizations.  They wish to educate and inspire with their work, rather than to only entertain.  Foreign films deal more with the grittiness of real relationships and things we deal with in our lives each day.  For example, if any of you have seen, “The King’s Speech”, you see how the film focused more on feelings/relationships instead of action sequences.  It was set in the midst of World War II and yet we really don’t see any wartime action. 

            My favorite time of year is the last two weeks of January, the Sundance Film Festival.  There is something magical about the whole experience.  There are people from all over the world joining in the celebration of story-telling. You feel such a closeness with humanity.  One thing I love about independent films is that they have more of the qualities of foreign films than the Hollywood assembly line films.  When you experience a Sundance film, you will not soon forget the feeling you have when you watch the characters develop in front of you. You are invited to share in their vulnerability as they bare their soul.  Their struggles are your struggles; their triumphs are your triumphs.  I could go on and on about what I love about independent film, but I will say that I think some of the best filmmaking out there right now is being done in documentaries like, “Inside Job” , “Waiting for Superman”, or “Sing Your Song”.  I have become somewhat of a doc-addict this last year.  These filmmakers often have little to no budget and yet are so passionate about the message they want to convey, that they find a way to get their film made. 

I would challenge each of you to incorporate good films into your lives. I don’t want it to seem like I don’t watch Hollywood films or am trying to discourage anyone from doing so.  I realize there are times when we want to relax and be caught up in a fun movie.  But I also feel the need to learn about the things in the world that can educate and inspire me.  So check out a documentary, independent film, or a foreign film.  And who knows, maybe I’ll see you at Sundance next year.  :o)

There is an amazing documentary in theaters now called, “Buck”. http://www.buckthefilm.com/

Buck Brannaman is the man who inspired Robert Redford to make the movie, “The Horse Whisperer”.  To be honest, I have no affinity for horses, but this film is really about our own “training” as humans and how we interact with other humans.  It won the Audience Award this year at Sundance.  

July 4 - Happy 4th

I have another great, guest post here for you all from Megan Weems, writer of fantasticalmegs.blogspot.com!   Megs is an excellent esthetician, talented singer and my creative soulmate.  I hope you enjoy her post and be sure to leave her some comments of appreciation!

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It’s finally here!

Happy 4^th of July!

I know many of you have been looking forward to this day since, well, last Independence Day! I know in my circle, the 4^th represents everything wonderful about the summer:

We make good on our plans to relax with those we love;

We barbecue and play games;

We don our swimsuits and splash around in the water;

Sit curbside at city parades,

& we soak ourselves with bug repellent before stretching out under brilliant

firework displays.

Growing up, July 4^th wasn’t at the top of my list of favorite holidays. Christmas came in first, Santa Claus second, and all things jingle bells third- are you catching a theme? There were many years, however, that I had a blast celebrating our nation’s independence, and one of those was when I was about five years old…

My family and I were in Washington State visiting our extended family, and everyone got together on my uncle’s land for a barbecue and fireworks show. What I didn’t know was fireworks “show” actually meant fireworks WAR.  In the middle of slathering my hotdog with mustard, my uncles (who were full grown men, 30 years +) began running around with lit Roman Candles in-hand, shooting at each other from behind wheelbarrows! I can remember climbing onto my aunt’s lap and giggling when my uncles got hit and yelped like schoolboys. Obviously this is not what the manufacturer intended, nor should you try it at home, but it sure made for a memorable 4th!

*If you’re curious to see what a Roman Candle war looks like, watch this and try not think of wizards: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im_3ROAWqWs&feature=related

Now that I’m an adult, Independence Day has grown to be a favorite holiday of mine. I think about the freedoms I have as an American, let alone as an American woman, and I am humbled. I love how July 4th brings our nation together, our communities celebrating from east to west. I’ve come to associate this day with being grateful; that it’s a day to extend thanks to our service men and women- fellow citizens who have dedicated their lives to protecting what our forefathers established in the Declaration of Independence.

Most of all, the 4^th of July is a reminder of our greatest blessing: freedom. And that, my fellow LiveMLP family, is what I believe is at the foundation of this project: the freedom to go after the experiences that make us feel alive! So let’s take full advantage of it!

Happy Birthday, America!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRUjr8EVgBg&feature=related

July 4th - Freedom

Happy Independence Day everyone.  I really hope you are all enjoying your holiday weekend, getting lots of family time in, and making fantastic memories!  We have another great guest blogger today.  Introducing Lorien Harris Asisi, she is one of my sister-in-laws and I LOVE this great post that she put together.  Be sure to leave some blog love for her in the comments.

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The Fourth of July.  What a great holiday. This holiday is particularly meaningful to me because a long time ago I used to be a flight attendant, way back in 2000-2001.  One of the routes I often flew was from Chicago to LaGuardia (one of the 2 New York City Airports). I quit in May of 2001, that's a story for another post ;), so when the tragic day of September 11, 2001 happened I was obviously shocked, devastated, mad and also very relieved that I was not a flight attendant anymore.  I also felt a great sense of sadness wondering if, out of the thousands of United Airlines flight attendants, I would by chance know any that sadly happened to be working on any of those flights.  Thankfully I did not, but I also felt tremendous grief for them because I didn't know them, and knowing that they lost their lives for such a hateful and shameful reason.  I pictured what they must have been doing to prepare the passengers and themselves for the inevitable.  I wondered if I would have known what to do, would I put to use all of the training I had gone through for those particular situations, or would I just wing it and try to stay calm for the passengers knowing all the while we would soon be dying.  Such tragic thoughts were going through my mind.  Needless to say I do not take my freedom for granted, I also try not to get upset at all of the security measures the government puts in place.  It is because of that fateful day that our government tries in every way to protect it's citizens, even if it does seem overboard at times.  

I am thankful to live in such an amazing nation.  Our government may be not be in perfect shape, or not run how everyone thinks it should, but guess what neither is any other country.  Every country has their own issues and problems. 

I love how free we really are and can have these blogs and social websites to say and express how we feel.  I love the pride expressed by musical artists, particularly country artists, and the kick ass songs they write about our country and being able to live free. 

I also love all of the freedom festivals that occur during the month of July.  As a kid every year we would go to our local festival in Olympia Washington, Lakefair.  What a glorious display of diversity.  We are free to wear whatever we want and look however we want. I remember being a teenager cruising up and down the midway looking for friends, boys, and enjoying all of the delicious food the fair had to offer. I remember riding the Zipper with my brother Scotty and getting it spinning so so fast, to the point of almost puking.  I remember sitting on the banks of Capitol Lake watching the amazing firework show.  Great memories, great traditions.  I am really excited to start traditions like those with my little family.

Here is a really great, inspiring quote and to go along with it my favorite soldier monument, The Iwo Jima.  

"This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave." ~Elmer Davis

Happy Fourth of July everyone, be safe and remember exactly what this Holiday is all about! 

July 3 - Idaho Day

Today's post comes from my dear, sweet mother, June Spencer Asisi!  You can find her blog by clicking HERE!  I hope you enjoy her post as much as I did!  Love you Mom!
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Idaho State Song

And here we have Idaho
Winning her way to fame.
Silver and gold in the sunlight blaze,
and romance lies in her name.
Singing, we're singing of you,
Ah, proudly too,
All our lives thru, we'll go
Singing, singing of you,
Singing of Idaho.

There are more verses, but I can't remember them all.  I learned this song in the 4th grade when we studied the history of Idaho.  We learned about the Shoshone Indians who originally lived in most of what we know now as Idaho.  We learned about the mountain men and the rendezvous they had.  We learned about Louis and Clark and how their expedition put Idaho on the map.

I was and still am proud to be from Idaho.  When you mention Idaho, most people think about potatoes, because that is something Idaho is know for.  Our license plates have always said "Famous Potatoes".  There are even several brands of potato products that have Idaho in their names, such as Idahoan, and Ore-Ida.  Yes, Idaho has vast acres in potato farms.  I had a roommate at BYU from Burley, Idaho and her dad was a potato farmer.  That area of Idaho is very flat and is the perfect climate for raising potatoes.

There are several other areas of Idaho known for different things.  Northern Idaho has vast acres of forest around the Coure de Lene area.  This is a very beautiful area and I am privileged to have been able to visit it once.  Unfortunately, the beauty is marred by the history of white supremacist groups who hide out in the forests of Northern Idaho.

Another area known for it's beauty is Sun Valley.  A popular ski area in the winter and a summer sports area.  This area has long been a vacation spot for the jet set and Hollywood types.

I am from the Southeast corner of Idaho which I consider the most beautiful part.  Anyone who has ever made the drive from Logan to Garden City, Utah can't help but have their breath taken away when they come down from the Summit of Logan Canyon.  Bear Lake lies across the valley floor, half in Utah and half in Idaho.  Of course, I was born and raised on the Idaho side. 

Bear Lake from the Summit of Logan Canyon

Bear Lake is famous for several things:  being part of the route of the Oregon Trail, being settled by the Mormon pioneers, and the Bear Lake Monster.  When I was a child we used to get very upset about all the Utahns who came to the Idaho beach instead of staying on their own side.  We called them Carrot Snappers and Cricket Stompers.  I'm sure you can understand the Cricket Stompers, but I have no idea where the Carrot Snappers came from.  Now I'm just happy that the lake is there to be enjoyed by all.

The northern end of the Bear Lake Valley has a number of towns named after famous cities.  I'm sure this is because of homesick pioneers who were just trying to keep a little bit of where they came from with them.  Some of the names are Geneva, Bern, Montpelier, Bloomington, and of course Paris where I lived.  I have always been proud of the fact that Gutzlum Borglum who carved the faces in Mount Rushmore was born in St. Charles, Idaho, only 6 miles from where I grew up.

Paris Tabernacle

All in all, Idaho is a great state.  I'm happy to tell people I'm from Idaho.  By the way, Idaho has the highest per capita number of millionaires than any other state.  Wish I was one of them.