Thank you Smile Generation for a day with the Angels #spon


Have you heard about The Smile Generation? The Smile Generation is your one stop shop for finding local dentists within your area.  Speaking of, I still need to find a dentist within my area of SoCal.

The Smile Generation has dentists from California to Nevada to Arizona to New Mexico to Texas to Colorado to Utah.  It is a great tool if you ever move to a new area and are looking for a dentist within your area or if you’re not happy with the dentist you currently have, and need to find others.

The Smile Generation prides themselves on good service and gurantees you will notice the difference.  They use the latest technology including digital x-rays, single crown visits, advanced sterilization techniques, and intraoral cameras.

The Smile Generation accepts most dental insurance plans and will file the claims on your behalf making it a smooth transition for you.  Major credit cards are accepted at the offices of The Smile Generation, and dental financing options are available.

The Smile Generation is a proud sponsor of the following teams: Anaheim Angels, Texas Rangers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Sacramento Rivercats, Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, Sugar Land Skeeters, and Lake Elsinore Storm. Don’t forget what The Smile Generation can do for you, making your life easier to finding a GREAT dentist.

Last Sunday, The Smile Generation treated me to a day of baseball with the Anaheim Angels:

This happened to be my very first visit to the Angels Stadium, and boy, I was excited.  I was to finally be reacquainted with one of my all time favorite baseball players “Torii Hunter.”  If you didn’t know, Torii Hunter was, at one time, a Minnesota Twin, he played Center Field, and to me, he brought the love of baseball back to me.  So you can imagine how devastated I was when he got traded to the Anaheim Angels.

So, that day, I made sure to bring my zoom lens with me, and capture him in all his glory.  This was my favorite capture of the day as I caught him giving out a baseball sign.  Those baseball players work so hard.

What sets the Angels Stadium apart from other baseball stadiums is their massive waterfall in the outfield.  From our seats, since we sat right beside it, it was hard to get a good feel of the waterfall, but during the Star Spangled Banner, it was all I could notice as rockets shot out of it.  To me, that was “way cool.”

That day at the game it was pretty hot, in the high 90’s, and since our seats were in the sun we really could feel it.  Since it was my first time at the stadium I took it as my chance to walk around the stadium to see what it was all about.  There were a variety of food options available including Panda Express, Fresh Fruits, and the Sweet Shop.  The one thing I loved about Angels Stadium was how affordable the prices were on food.  I walked away with an entire meal for under 10 dollars.  (Hot Dog, Chips, and Medium Drink)

The Stadium also had a variety of Team Shops in which you could buy gear of the Anaheim Angels.  I was on the lookout for a Torii Hunter shirt, and was quite please to find one for 23.99, but they were sold out.  In the end, I found an adorable Angels hat I was quite pleased with.

At the end of the game any child 12 and under is allowed on the field to run the bases.  In our group, we had 5 children, and The Smile Generation got first priority at running the bases.  They walked us down to the field where we got a good view of the field around us, and of course, the mess of the opposing team’s dugout:

And of course, one of my favorite parts of the whole day was spending it with other bloggers.  It was great seeing Megan from Sunshine Wonderland, Marcie from Surburban Mama, Erin from HorsingAroundinLA, and MaryAnne from Purple Ways.

And as we were leaving we just had to grab a picture with Mickey.   Of course, we were showing some So Cal Lady Blogger’s pride.  ;0

And one last picture to leave you with:

I thought it was pretty neat that the entrance to the stadium were actual Baseball hats.  Pretty neat to me.

The Smile Generation has some pretty amazing promos throughout the year.  Make sure you follow them on facebook and twitter.  One such promotion they’re running right now on their facebook page is a chance to win a 4-pack of tickets to Batman Live at the Honda Center in Anaheim! The show runs for 5 nights September 5th through the 9th.  Make sure to click on the The Smile Generation Facebook page and click the Batman Live Giveaway for your chance to win.

The next time you’re needing to find a dentist, I hope you keep The Smile Generation in mind.  A big thanks goes out to them for my day at Angels Stadium.

Disclosure: I was provided with tickets to the Anaheim Angels baseball game, a t-shirt, sunscreen protection, and a 50 dollar gift card on behalf of The Smile Generation.  I am truly impressed with the services that The Smile Generation provides.   

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Etsy Party at CRAFTED in the Port of Los Angeles


On Friday, August 24th there’s an ETSY party happening at my new favorite hang  out in San Pedro (CRAFTED at the Port of Los Angeles)  A lot of the vendors will be offering different projects for you to make and take as you shop, eat some food, and just enjoy a night out.  If you’d like to partake in this invite make sure you RSVP here:

Etsy is a great online community in which local artists can sell their goods, and a lot of the artist’s that have booth space at CRAFTED are also on Etsy.  Some of my favorites include: KokoCandles, Hydrangea Hippo, Desiree B, WoodBrain, It’s Me, Mary, and JadenMoon Soaps and Sundries.

I sent a few questions over to the founder of KoKoCandles (which makes some fabulous candle designs from cupcakes to pies to mac and cheese noodles that I just love and adore.)  And I want to share those questions and answers with all of you:

How did you get started with Kokocandles?


I got started with candlemaking about 14 years ago, in the early high school days. It began as a mere hobby from simply playing with the wax of burning candles to a full-on life-consuming adventure. KOKOCANDLES was officially launched as a business May 2011, with our Etsy store opened since October 2008.

What is the biggest challenge as a small biz owner?

The biggest challenge as a small biz owner is having to do everything yourself and keeping things in perspective. Choosing where to invest my limited amount of time in has been a big lesson in time management and planning.

When you first heard about CRAFTED, what were your thoughts?

I heard about CRAFTED months before I applied. As a solo-preneur that has done pop-up shows only, the thought of getting my own permanent storefront was only a pipedream.

How have people taken to KokoCandles since CRAFTED opened?

Everyone has been so supportive and wonderful ever since we’ve opened. I know that KOKOCANDLES has a unique point of view to offer, and I feel so blessed to be able to share it with the CRAFTED audience.

How successful has Etsy been for you?

Etsy has been a overall a great success for me. Although I am just shy of 400 sales, it has been an essential platform in helping big players find me. KOKOCANDLES was featured in the December 2009 Food Network Magazine and also a contributing author in “Candlemaking the Natural Way: 31 Projects Made with Soy, Palm & Beeswax”, and both of these pieces were through being found thru Etsy.

What is your favorite kokocandle?

My all time favorite piece is the Mac & Cheese DIY Candle, I love it because its one of my original candles. The process of creating the wax “noodles” with a hole in the center was difficult for figure out, and each noodle is handmade individually. The DIY factor where you assemble the kit is just so fun, while watching a ramekin full of mac & cheese burn is quite awesome too.

 

Kokocandles is a really neat vendor and I highly recommend you get in contact with them:

WEBSITE & STORE: www.kokocandles.com
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/kokocandles
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/kokocandles
EMAIL: kokocandles@gmail.com
NEWSLETTER SIGNUP: http://ow.ly/beEf8

Kokocandles is also putting on a giveaway right now on their facebook page in which you have the opportunity to win one of their candles, so definitely take the time to check them out there, and have fun.  Have you discovered Kokocandles at CRAFTED yet?

CRAFTED

Have you been to CRAFTED yet?  If not, what are you waiting for.  Friday, August 24th will be a great night of fun, and a fun time to come out and see what ETSY is all about.

 

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The Characters of “The Odd Life of Timothy Green.”


Last week I was invited out to a screening of “The Odd Life of Timothy Green.”  Just in case you haven’t heard what the movie is about let me explain a bit:  The Odd Life of Timothy Green is when Jim and Cindy Green dream up of the child they wish they could have.  This couple has been trying for a child of their own with no luck.  One night they create a list of their own, and lo and behold, the child appears after a pretty bad storm and through this one child lives are touched in a way they never were before.

What struck me about this movie was truly the depth of the characters involved, and I want to take the time to showcase each one:

“THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN”..Photo ID: Jennifer Garner, left; Cameron “CJ” Adams, right…Photo Credit: Phil Bray…©Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Meet Cindy Aka: Jennifer Garner.  Imagine your life if you couldn’t have children.  If you heard about your sister brag about her children for years while you were trying upon trying for one of your own.  And then one day, a child magically appears.  The emotions that go on inside you.  If there is a character that was meant to be played by Jennifer Garner, this was truly the one for her.  I couldn’t have thought of a better person to play the character of Cindy.

“THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN” L-R Jim Green (Joel Edgerton) and Timothy Green (Cameron “CJ” Adams)

Meet Jim Green (Joel Edgerton), this is the other half of Cindy.  Jim is a hard worker, who is working for a company close to going under, and his boss doesn’t necessarily make it too easy for him.  Not only that, but Jim is learning about himself as a father, and how he is really trying to do the things for “Timothy” that was not done by his own father which he still frowns about today.

Meet Timothy (CJ Adams) and Joni (Odeya Rush).  Timothy is the son that has appeared on the doorstep of Cindy and Jims.  He happens to have leaves around his ankles that have been covered  up, and truly knows how to touch the townspeople around them in Stanleyville.

Joni is a girl who has discovered “Timothy’s secret (leaves adorn his ankles) and has accepted him for who he is, and those two have become inseparable ever since.

Through these 4 characters above I have been deeply touched by this movie.  They add depth, and made it so easy to be able to relate to them.  Great casting for this movie.

I don’t want to say too much further without giving the movie away, but I do want to ask my dear readers this, “What gifts do you have that you wish to leave upon others as they come in and out of your life?”

 

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