It’s not who I am, it’s just what I do!
I’m the new host of California Bountiful TV! The show is a 30-minute weekly lifestyle show featuring the people, places, food and farms that make California so delicious.
Join me as I travel the Golden State and share so many wonderful stories that are all tied into California’s abundant bounty. Check out the teaser trailer below for a sneak peek.
We are all finding new ways to continue to connect with our friends and family, keep busy and do things we enjoy, most likely on a virtual online platform. And usually when you think of wine tasting, you envision visiting a tasting room or winery for a vino pour. Well, wineries along the Madera Trail, (south of Yosemite), are virtually connecting wine fans with their favorite wine makers to bring the wine community together and continue in the tradition of wine tastings, in a virtual setting!
In my latest Zoom interview I had the opportunity to chat with Brooke Smith of Visit Yosemite Madera County Tourism office and Anna Marie Dos Remedios of Idle Hour Winery to find out more on this virtual wine connection. Plus, I learned about the virtual cooking classes being offered too! Chef Robert Snyder III is teach his kitchen-maestro tips in a virtual cooking class series. First up , he showed viewers how to prepare a simple, nutrition-packed Carrot Ginger Soup from the coziness of your own home. New videos will post regularly, and now the hospitality of the Chateau du Sureau can be experienced from your home.
As Brooke pitched : When the going gets tough, the tough come together, with new ways to appreciate things we love, like drinking wine. Although tasting rooms at Madera Wine Trail wineries are temporarily closed for anything except bottle pick-up and deliveries fear not, wine tasting is still on. Virtually, that is.
Your favorite winemakers are taking to Instagram and Facebook to open up a bottle (or two) of some cheerful reds and whites. If you are fortunate enough to have a bottle from the Madera Wine Trail tucked away, follow along with your own library. If not, grab a bottle of something you have on hand (we are sure you have stocked up, along with toilet paper!), make yourself a lovely appetizer, then have some fun chatting wine. “We wanted a way to stay in touch with our community, patrons and dear friends.” mused the winemaker and owner of Idle Hour winery, Anna Marie Remedios. “For now, we are temporarily rethinking our way of life during this time of social distancing. There are a variety of curbside pick-up or delivery options and a lot of fantastic wine discounts at the moment.”
When I think about my early visits to Disneyland when I was a child, the Main Street Electrical Parade is one of the first things that comes to mind, after Mickey and Minnie. In fact, if I’m being honest, I never even realized it went away….there definitely was a time lapse between my childhood, to now being a parent where I hadn’t visited Disneyland in YEARS!
Last year when I took my boys to Anaheim and Disneyland for the first time, I didn’t realize the night parade was not the same one I was accustomed to seeing during my visits as a kid. And, while the parade(s) we saw were awesome in their own right, it was very exciting for me to hear that the Main Street Electrical Parade is lighting up Disneyland once again!!!
There sure is something about it that’s very nostalgic to me, and being able to share that experience with the kids is very cool, not to mention maybe I won’t feel so “dated,” as the characters and visuals that amused me as a child will have the same effect on them today! All this being said, I got to do an interview about this excited (limited time) event at Disneyland. I spoke to Disneyland spokesman Eddy Collins and the man mouse himself, MICKEY MOUSE even dropped in on the interview I did for Bay Area LIFE.
If you want to see it and “relive” that childhood experience or maybe see it for the very first time, be sure to visit Disneyland Resort by June 18!!
Repost from 53 Weeks
Dr. Jaseon Outlaw, is on a mission…to actively change the way inner city youth are often times portrayed in the (mainstream) media, and instead highlight, present and focus on the positive images in the community! I commend his effort and action to create an organization designed to lift, enlighten and create change for the benefit of inner city youth…in his hometown of Oakland, CA!
Positive Images for Inner City Youth is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes. Seeking 501(c)(3) non-profit organization status, Positive Images seeks to promote and expose inner city youth to realistic and positive images of those representative of the community. This is a direct response to the mainstream media’s decision to focus on inner city violence and the psychological implications that reality television has on defining the identities of inner city youth.
The vision for Positive Images is to expand the realm of career and lifestyle choices for inner city youth, by providing a barrage of positive imagery in the areas of career, education, arts, healthy living, and family.
Since “Positive Images” is a brand new endeavor, they need your help to grow the organization and spread the message of positive images! So, if you can, please strongly consider donating a few dollars to the organization http://positiveimagesoakland.org/
And — If you have not already mentored a young person in your community, please do so…
I spent part of the 2nd day of 2014 at the HEAT vs. Warriors game at American Airlines Arena.
It’s only once a year (NBA season) when my hometown, Bay Area, Golden State Warriors make it to South Florida, and after many years of struggles and heartache for fans, the team is finally competing (and beating) the competition! Plus, I have to make sure to show some “California Love” …so, it was exciting to see the team in action in Miami and to represent & support a team I grew up watching!
DUBS ALL DAY! I also got to sport a custom shirt design by Tony.psd in the Warriors Blue and Yellow – in fact there were lots of Golden State fans in the crowd Thursday night… so that was fun to see too!!
And — post game my friend Maite and I were invited to check out “HYDE” – the ‘exclusive” court side club, which was nice because I hadn’t been down there yet when it was “club” time… and coincidentally I ran into my friend Jenn, who was visiting Miami from the Bay! Good times!
Every year, hundreds of women pour their heart, mind, soul and body’s into auditioning for various Pro Sports Dance and Cheer Teams. I have worn an audition number, stood in line with the masses for my chance to dance, and so I KNOW what the experience is like. Thankfully I have been successful and have reached my goals of being selected for a coveted spot on one of those teams. Now that I’ve hung up my dance shoes, I work as a consultant and regional director for Going Pro Entertainment…and every year the company puts on “dance conventions” all over the country, designed to help audition hopefuls be ready and be their personal best for these once a year NFL, NBA, AFL, etc.. auditions. This year I am again coordinating events in the Bay Area (Northern California) and Miami, FL.
Another GREAT benefit of our workshops is that there are open to current dancers as well. Perhaps you are on a college dance team or semi-pro team that doesn’t have a big budget for choreography, however…by attending our events, you will learn 2 routines and 4 sidelines to take back and use for your own performances, so we encourage teams to send a couple if not all their dancers to be part of this exciting day! And — it’s always a wonderful refresher for alumni who’ve taken time off and want to get back in the groove before auditioning again.
All our events are staffed by former dancers, director and choreographers from Pro Sports Teams and we have the advice, tips and insider info you need to put your best foot forward! Of course we encourage you to always attend the “prep classes” for the specific team that you are interested in being part of, to be audition ready. Going Pro conventions offer that extra “edge” and additional help some of you may seek and it’s another opportunity to meet like-minded women who are also going through the process. Plus, since we are not the actual team reps for specific auditions, it’s no pressure, ask any questions and have fun!
West Coast (Bay Area) Pro Dance is Sunday, January 29 in San Jose!
For more info & sign up >> http://westcoastprodance2012.eventbrite.com/
Miami (South Florida) Pro Dance is Sunday, February 19 in North Miami!
For info and to register >> http://miamiprodance2012-eorg.eventbrite.com/
All other Going Pro Conventions, including DC, Atlanta, Arizona…
For the complete list >> http://procheerallstars-eorg.eventbrite.com/