The TRUTH About Motherhood

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Join Us for a National Geographic Kids #WeirdWednesday Twitter Party
As many of you might know, I am a National Geographic Kids Insider! #NGKInsider I’m honored to be a part of the National Geographic Kids Beta Ambassador program. So far, it’s been amazing going behind the scenes at one of my favorite non-profits. I’ve got to interview LeVar Burton, get pointers from one of National Geographic’s amazing photographers, Kelley Miller, and many other exciting behind the scenes opportunities. My girls love the National Geographic books and magazines because they are interesting and the stunning photos have always caught their attention. So you can imagine their excitement when we received a holiday surprise package in the mail the other day from National Geographic; a box filled with gorgeous Nat Geo Kid books. First Big Book of the Ocean, Ultimate U.S. Road Trip Atlas, Ultimate Weird but true 2, Treasury of Egyptian Mythology, The World is Waiting for YOU, Space Encyclopedia, Ye Olde Weird but True and Ella’s Bath and Animal Creativity book. My girls went wild! The books are absolutely gorgeous and what a fantastic holiday gift for the little bibliophile or adventurer in your family! My first thought was I wish all kids could have these amazing books. Well, guess what? National Geographic Kids has partnered it me and we are going to do just that. On December 4^th, National Geographic is declaring Wednesday #WeirdWednesday and will be encouraging the world to take over social media with weird but true facts and photos. NGK will be crowning Austin, Texas weird but true town of the year. Voting begins for next year’s WBT town at www. Weirdbuttruetown.com. Maybe your town will be crowned in 2014! Are you in? In celebration, we will be hosting a #WeirdWednesday National Geographic Kids Twitter party. It will be at 9 pm EST/ 6 pm EST on Wednesday, December 4^th, #WeirdWednesday. We will be giving away loads of great National Geographic books focusing on the Weird But True series. I’d love to invite you to our #WeirdWednesday Twitter Party on Wednesday, December 4th at 6:00 PM PST/ 9:00 PM EST! We’ll be giving away several National Geographic Kids books during the Twitter Party!!!
WHAT: National GeoGraphic Kids #WeirdWednesday TWITTER PARTY
WHEN: WEDNESDAY, DecEMBER 4TH, 2013 FROM 6-7 PM PST/ 9-10 EST
HASHTAG TO USE WHEN TWEETING IT UP: #Weirdwednesday
WHO TO FOLLOW @TRUTHFULMOMMY (host) AND @NGKids (SPONSOR)
Awesome Panelists: @Aboutamom @sunandsipcups @mommyPowers @MOmmmyNiri
PRIZEs:
10 Weird But True Books (1-5 and Ye Olde Weird But True)
2 Weird But True Collector’s Box sets
1 Ultimate Weird But True
1 Ultimate Weird But True 2
1 Ultimate Weird But True Book Set
1: Grand Prize: The entire Weird But True set – all 5 Weird But True books, Ye Olde Weird But True and Ultimate Weird But True 1 & 2
RSVP: PLEASE RSVP BELOW.
JOIN IN THE National Geographic kids #WeirdWednesday PARTY For FUN CONVERSATION AND A CHANCE TO WIN These awesome prizes. Don’t forget to post #WeirdWednesday facts and photos on social media!
**Please RSVP with your twitter name and link to qualify for a chance to win a prize during the National Geographic Kids #WeirdWednesday Twitter Party.
**Even if you can’t attend the Twitter Party, you can still enter to win a year subscription to National Geographic Kids or National Geographic Little Kids using the rafflecopter entry below. a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclaimer: I am an #NGKids Insider but I’ve loved National Geographic long before I was an ambassador. I was given the books by National Geographic to review but all opinions are my own. [/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
2013/11/25
Weekend in Chicago the Aladdin Experience
This past weekend, we took a road trip to Chicago. I still can’t believe that there is so much that I haven’t taken the girls to do in my hometown. Over spring break, I took the girls to see some of the more nationally known sites in Chicago. Usually, we just go to grandma’s house.
But last week, I took the girls home to some of my old stomping grounds i.e. the beach. My girls hear me talk about “the beach” all the time. They know I spent all my summers swimming and playing in the waves at “the beach” but as they’ve gotten older, they are all, “Hey, ma! There’s no beach in Chicago. It’s a lake!” And I‘m all, nope, Mommy doesn’t do “lakes” in the traditional sense because..ewwww, fresh water ( more like doesn’t move water) barely moves and unless there are rapids or waves, I’m not getting in. You’ve heard about those parasites that go up your nose and your urethra. No thank you!
Anyways, I totally digress, my point is I had to show them that my beach was a beach like the coastal beaches they’re used to, not like a rock covered pool of stagnant water buried in tick country. Yeah, don’t invite me to your lake house. I won’t come. I took the girls to the beach twice in 3 days. They get it now. They know what I mean. They loved it. They want to move to “the beach”. This makes me happy.
We also consumed lots of food that is indigenous to “the region”. The region is where I hail from, it’s the Chicagoland area but not the city. We are 20 minutes from downtown, on “this side” of the border. Meaning everything we grew up doing was in Chicago but since you could walk to the state line in 5 minutes from my house, technically, I lived in Indiana but I knew nothing about Indiana. I never even saw corn until I went to college. Boiler up!
We hit our usual local eatery favorites; Barton’s Pizzeria and White Castles. You can take the girl out of the region but you can’t take the region out of the girl. Then we hit Portillos. I had a hot Italian beef with all the Giardiniera they could put on it. The spicier the better. It was delicious. My youngest ordered a Chicago dog with nothing on it but ketchup. WHAT? She nearly lost her ish when they brought her a poppy seed bun. Fortunately, she was too hungry to go into a full on refusal.
But this trip was even more special than usual because aside from hanging out with cousins and barbecues and beaches, we took the girls to the city for an extra special date night that included a stop at the Joffrey with my two ballerinas to surprise their besties visiting from North Carolina.
A side trip to Marshall Fields (oops Macy’s! Who am I kidding it’ll always be Marshall Fields to me the way the Sears tower will never be the Willis Tower) because mama made an unwise shoe choice and then we had dinner at the Randolph Tavern about a 1 minute walk from the Cadillac Palace Theater. It was delicious and even on a Friday night, it was perfect for the kids. Even had an awesome kids menu and did I mention the Sangria because I should have. It was delicioso!
But the piece de resistance was that we took the girls to see Disney’s Aladdin at the Cadillac Palace Theater thanks to the generosity of Broadway in Chicago. You know how we love our theater. If you have the chance to take your kiddos to go see it…go see it! It was amazing. In fact, you don’t need kids to go see it. If you watched it back in the day when you were a kid, it’s even better on stage. Bet you didn’t think it could be possible did you? Well, it is. I like live productions and 3-dimensional characters. I was in theater heaven.
The Cadillac Palace is a gorgeous old building located in the heart of Chicago’s theater district.
Aladdin the musical, adapted from the Disney film and centuries-old folktales including, “One Thousand and One Nights,” is brought to fresh theatrical life in this bold new musical. Aladdin’s journey sweeps audiences into an exotic world of daring adventure, classic comedy and timeless romance. This new production features a full score, including the five cherished songs from the Academy Award-winning soundtrack and more written especially for the stage.
That was the press release version of Aladdin the musical.
This is my version of Disney’s Aladdin on stage.
The colors are vibrant. The atmosphere is vibrant. It’s electricity and you can feel yourself drawing from the energy of those on stage. It started with a bang. I honestly was not sure that they could pull it off, bringing an animated story to the stage. I thought it would fall flat of my expectations but I was pleasantly surprised by how animated and magical it all felt.
The music was pitch perfect and so animated that you almost forget that you’re watching it on stage as you are transformed into an animated world of Agrabah.
Genie, played by Anthony Murphy, was a show stopper. He was absolutely hilarious and played the part as larger than life. The only thing more grandiose than his stage presence was his powerful voice.
Aladdin, played by Jacob Dickey direct from the Broadway production, looked a bit like a young Rob Lowe. He was the embodiment of the animated Aladdin. I didn’t think it could be done but he really brought the character to life, literally.
Jasmine, one of my girls’ personal favorite princesses, played by Isabella McCalla, was the tiny, spit fire that I always hoped Jasmine could be. She was feisty and sassy and perfection.

Another favorite character of mine was Jafar’s sidekick, Iago, played by Reggie De Leon . Firstly, I loved that they changed the character from a bird to a human on stage. It just played better. He was a sidekick no more. He was hilarious, perfectly timed and his dry humor was appreciated more than I can convey.

I loved that the Abu character was replaced by 3 friends of Aladdin (Babkak, Omar and Kassim) not only did it play better in a live production, it gave the story a new dimension that made more sense in the real world. They were sort of an attractive, endearing version of the three stooges but they had pipes.
I know that everyone loves the “Whole New World” scene in Aladdin the animated movie but I have to say the magic carpet ride in the live production was nothing short of magical. I swear I saw no strings and I still don’t know how they did it. It must be that Disney+Broadway+Chicago=Magic.
Now, I will warn you, if you are a die hard Disney Aladdin animated purist, like my husband, there have been some changes. I will list them here so that you know they are coming. There are more songs ( because it is a musical), Abu has been replaced by 3 male friends of Aladdin ( so there is no monkey on stage), Rajah has been replaced by 3 female attendants (so again, no tiger on stage. I think that’s safer for all involved), Iago is not a bird but instead a human and Genie is not a cartoon but he is larger than life and very animated.
My personal opinion, I’ll take the live action production on stage.The animated movie is still near and dear to my heart because of the hundreds of times that I’ve watched it with my girls but you can’t beat the magical feeling of being part of a live production. I think my daughters and my nephew totally agree with me.

Aladdin is now playing in Chicago as part of the North American tour launch at the Cadillac Palace Theatre (151 W. Randolph Street) for a limited premiere engagement through September 10, 2017.
Tickets for Aladdin at the Cadillac Palace Theatre start at $44. In Chicago, tickets are available at all Broadway In Chicago Box Offices (24 W. Randolph St., 151 W. Randolph St., 18 W. Monroe St. and 175 E. Chestnut), the Broadway In Chicago Ticket Line at (800) 775-2000, all Ticketmaster retail locations and online at www.BroadwayInChicago.com. A select number of Premium Ticket Packages, which include a prime seat location, a commemorative souvenir program and an exclusive merchandise item, are also available for many performances. Group tickets for 10 or more are available by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710. For a complete performance schedule for Aladdin, please visit www.BroadwayInChicago.com.
Disclosure: I was provided tickets to see Disney’s Aladdin at the Cadillac Palace in Chicago by Broadway in Chicago but all opinions and love of Broadway stage productions are my own.
2017/07/14
How to Protect Baby Skin this Spring
Disclosure: This is part of a sponsored collaboration with DiMe Media and Dreft about how to protect baby this spring. All opinions are 100% mine.
This has been one of the craziest years of my life, everything’s been out of whack including the weather. Spring is finally here and as the weather is getting warmer, my family has been spending a lot more time outdoors. We live in the Midwest and it’s been cold and grey for far too long this winter so at the first sight of sunshine, we’re outside trying to get as much fresh air as our lungs can possibly hold. We’ve all got a perpetual case of cabin fever and the only cure is the great outdoors; riding bikes, hiking, roller skating, reading in the teepee in the back yard, jumping on the trampoline, zip-lining, slack lining; you name it these girls are outdoors doing it. To better take care of your child skin, you can buy products lie this moisturizer at here, https://www.barbieinablender.org/best-korean-moisturizer/.
While all this warm sunshine on our faces is magnificent and the blossoming flowers and trees make the scenery that much more magical, the allergens in the air and rising temperatures can trigger some adverse reactions in many of us, especially in the little people. There’s nothing worse than to feel completely terrible when it’s so beautiful outside. It steals some of the joy of the occasion. That’s why whenever I get a chance to talk to a dermatology expert, I always ask for skin care tips for sensitive skin.
Unfortunately, both of my daughters have had sensitive skin since birth and as they’ve grown older have developed allergies. From before I even brought them home from the hospital, my first official act as a mom-to-be was to wash all of their tiny new clothes and linens in Dreft because it’s hypoallergenic and gentle on baby’s skin plus, it’s was the first recommendation I got on how to protect baby skin when interviewing pediatricians. Obviously, that made it bible in my book. For years, Dreft has been the only thing I’ve washed my children’s laundry with.
Laundry is probably my least favorite chore of motherhood. Honestly, with all the minutia of separating colors, washing, forgetting to put into the dryer and then throwing in a pile in the big chair in the living room, though it still is very much all of that, I find it to be quite frustrating and never ending. But in a weird way, it is also a way that I get to relish each milestone and amazing moment of my daughters’ childhood.
It’s one of those things where you might not appreciate it so much while you’re up to your eyeballs in unfolded laundry and crying babies but one day, in the not too far future, you will open up a storage tub of your “baby’s” clothes and the smell of the Dreft and nostalgia will come over you like a whisper from the past and a giant hug and almost knock you over with the realization that those babies are somewhere inside those 4 and 5-foot tall, walking, talking, amazing people that live with you currently.
As they grew older, I thought my girls might outgrow some of their sensitivities, as I did, but that day has not come, and may never come so I still wash their clothes with Dreft. It’s what works for us, so why should I change it? Obviously, I still love that new baby smell plus, bonus, it’s safe and hypoallergenic for my girls and allows them to play outside without worrying about their clothes being one more irritant. They are kids, their only job is to play and enjoy childhood; mine is to protect them and keep them safe. Their only limitations on a sunshiny day should be their imagination, not their skin sensitivities.
Dreft has partnered with Dr. Dyan Hes, mom and medical director of Gramercy Pediatrics, and here are her tips for how to protect baby this spring when allergens in the air and rising temps can trigger skin irritations for little ones.
Shade the sun: When heading outside, don’t forget to practice appropriate baby skin safety by dressing your baby in protective clothing, a hat with a brim and sunglasses. If your baby is 6 months or older, liberally use sunscreen and if they under 6 months, keep them out of direct sunlight.
Make bath-time beneficial: Over exposure to water can rob skin of natural moisture. Scaling back on tub time will help avoid itching — about 10 minutes in warm water with a mild cleanser is plenty of time for water play and a quick scrub. Gently pat skin dry and end with an after-bath moisturizer to seal in moisture and protect baby’s soft skin.
Load up on liquids: Staying hydrated is especially important as children get more active outdoor time and sun exposure. To ensure that children get enough to drink throughout the day; infants should nurse or take a bottle often; older kids should tote a sippy cup or reusable water bottle.
Choose the right fabrics and care for them properly: We find that natural breathable fabrics like cotton that are loose fitting are the best. It’s also important to seek out gentle and hypoallergenic cleansers like Dreft to care for the items that will touch baby’s sensitive skin.
Protect Problem Skin: Heat is a common trigger for eczema flare ups as the weather warms up, the sun is strongest between the hours of 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. so try to shield baby from direct sun exposure during those times. There are also apps available that can inform you of the hottest part of the day – which can be helpful for parents as they plan any outings with their little ones.
Join us for a Dreft Twitter Party and a chance to win fabulous prizes on Thursday, May 12 th from 9-10pm ET! To RSVP, visit www.dimemedia.net and you can win something here too!
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Dreft is an important tool in my mom arsenal of how to protect baby skin, what’s yours?
2016/05/10
First Day of Kindergarten Hurts Like a Mo Fo
It’s the night before kindergarten again and I am not ready for this. UGH! I am dreading it now. I’ve been breaking down all day because my dog’s very sick and we’re not sure if she’s going to make it and now, I am sure tomorrow the crying will be of inappropriate proportions. As I sit here typing, the thought of reading that damn book “The Night before kindergarten” has me choking on tears and knowing what the kindergarten hallway looks like, think a mine field with mothers crying like they are Mary and their kindergartener is Christ on the Cross. It’s every thing I can do NOT to turn around and say fuck it. Never mind, I will home-school; thank you very much.
Oh yeah, I fell prey to this menagerie of crying Mommies last year when I had to tiptoe over their strewn carcasses as I made my way to the 1^st grade corridor. It was brutal. I was holding it in and squeezing my Bella’s hand to reassure her. Damn the letting go. It hurts so bad. I hate the first day of kindergarten. I’d like to throat punch the first day of kindergarten or maybe even roundhouse kick it in the nuts.
The First Day of Kindergarten
I started this post yesterday when I was filled with trepidation and bursting at the seams with nauseating nostalgia. I was up most of the night unable to sleep. Gabs woke me up twice and the dog woke me up about three times. There was not much sleep to be had anyways. This morning I woke the girls up and the Big Guy too. The Big Guy made pancakes while I got the girls dressed, one by one, in a haze of no sleep and a fog of can I really do this? Let my baby start the leaving process. I don’t think I am built to let my children go.
If it were up to me, I would keep them snuggled up in my arms for all eternity. I know it’s crazy. Babies are born to grow up and become adults and go off on their own but why does the letting go have to start just when they are really starting to be interesting? I dressed both girls to perfection in their cute little navy uniforms with the hairstyle of their choice and we were off. Me with the camera on hand and the Big Guy under strict instructions to video tape everything.
As we drove along the same route we have driven so many times before to drop off her sister, I looked to the backseat and saw the baby I loved so much beaming with excitement and fidgeting with nervousness. I pretended not to notice the trepidation. She caught me staring at her and smiled just a little bit bigger. My heart, my mommy heart was starting to quiver. Silently I command myself, “ Don’t ugly cry, lady. You have to wait until you get outside of the building. Never let them see you cry.” Yes, my inner monologue is a pretty bossy bitch.
She has no compassion for me or the first day of kindergarten.
When we arrived at school, she was the first one out of the car. “Mommy, take my picture!” as she posed in front of the welcome sign. I followed silently snapping photos, committing every second of the letting go to memory. Smiling my nervous smile that only my husband recognizes. Gabs and her sister bounced through the hallways, sprinting towards the new year of new experiences; toward growing up. I could feel the pull at my heart as I watched their tiny bodies walking away from me.
After a photo or two beside the “KINDERGARTEN “ sign, it was time to let her go and trust someone else in the world with my most prized possessions; my children. This is the hard part. This is where I swallow hard and hug tight and slowly watch helplessly as I do the right thing and encourage her to go. Oh, how it hurts my heart and stings my eyes. Swallow that lump lady! I swallow so hard that I almost choke on this familiar lump. She runs back for one last hug and whispers, “I love you, Mommy. I’ll be okay.”
I slowly turn and walk away. I sneak one last backward glance she is smiling and coloring with new friends. As I walk away, I can hear her giggle and engage in excited conversation and I remember the words she just spoke to me, “I’ll be okay.” I know she’ll be okay and I trust that she’ll be safe there because of how commended this kindergarten is just like https://www.paulofreirezapopan.edu.mx/.
I know she will. Will I? I didn’t cry, though I really wanted to. I loosen my white knuckled grip on my little girl’s childhood and I look forward to afternoon pick up when I can once again fill my arms with my little girls and my heart can be happy. How did you deal with the first day of school, daycare or kindergarten?
I know eventually this won’t be so hard but today, on the first day of kindergarten, letting go hurts like a motherfucker.
2012/08/17
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year….Almost
Can you believe it’s September already? Summer disappeared over night and my girls are back to school. The days are getting shorter and Christmas decorations are already in the stores. We’ve not even made it through Halloween yet and the Nutcracker auditions are being held this Sunday. Christmas will be here before you know it. Does this bother anyone else? Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas more than just about anything but I’d like to enjoy all the holidays that actually precede Christmas before having our annual National Lampoons Christmas marathon.
I should be embarrassed to tell you this but from the moment I saw the giant Christmas blow-ups in Lowes last month, I have been secretly planning how we will decorate our yard and win this year’s neighborhood-decorating contest. My mind has already figured out a theme and all Christmas decorations have been located and placed them in their designated area in my mind. It’s like a runaway train; I’m already hopelessly immersed in a Christmas state of mind. Here’s hoping the elves remember not to show up until the day after Thanksgiving.
I guess since there is no use in fighting it, there is only one thing left to do, use my mommy ninja skills to start figuring out just what everyone wants for Christmas. I prefer not to give a bunch of gifts just for the sake of giving, I’d much rather take the time and find that perfect gift that is just right for each person. Whether it be a photo of our daughters framed with one of their favorite sayings, “I love you more” for my husband or a personalized journal for my daughter that we can write daily notes back and forth to one another in, I like gifts with meaning.
Next on the list will be to order beautiful, personalized Christmas cards. Since having our daughters, I’ve always ordered Christmas cards with photos of our family on them to share with family and friends. It’s a great way to keep loved ones updated, current with photos while filling the gap that geography and time create. I love receiving personalized cards that I know my friend or family member sat down and took the time to design. It’s like a hug in the mail and I love to receive them just as much as give them.
This year, I am using Minted.com to design and create our family’s 2013 Christmas card. I’ve been perusing the site all night and the most difficult task is going to be choosing just one design or maybe I don’t have to. For once, I have started early enough that I can take my time and design 2 or 3 different cards. The possibilities and combinations are endless. Not to mention, while I was on the site, I found all kinds of great personal gift ideas. You know how when you switch from a PC to a Mac everything seems easier, brighter, and more beautiful? That is how I feel about Minted.com’s Christmas cards. I just feel like Minted.com will take my personalized cards to the next level. I can hardly wait to get them ordered and mailed to our loved ones. I only wish I would have known about Minted.com back in May when my daughter had her first communion because they have those too. Who knew?
What is the best gift you’ve ever received for the holidays?

Disclaimer: I was provided a credit to spend at Minted.com to review the site and it’s products, all opinions are my own.
2013/09/08
Lion King Broadway Musical Giveaway
Hakuna Matata. What a wonderful phrase and an even better song. My family has watched The Lion King movie at least 100 times. The story is one of our favorites. Hakuna Matata is my 14-year-old daughter’s favorite thing to say. The story of young Zimba is both inspiring and uplifting.
The Lion King is one of those heartwarming Disney movies that we watch together and feel closer after doing so. It’s super glue for families. We love it in every iteration and we are looking forward to seeing it this spring for the first time ever live on stage.
READ ALSO: Disney’s the Lion King
Did you know there are 6 indigenous African languages sung and spoken throughout the show:
Swahili, Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, Congolese? I’ve seen a lot of Broadway musicals in my lifetime and I’ve seen The Lion King production at Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom and I’ve got to say,
I can’t wait to see what next-level performance we’ll get to experience at the Lion King Broadway tour.
After 22 landmark years on Broadway, THE LION KING continues ascendant as one of the most popular stage musicals in the world. Since its premiere on November 13, 1997, 25 global productions have been seen by more than 100 million people. Produced by Disney Theatrical Productions (under the direction of Thomas Schumacher), THE LION KING has made theatrical history with three productions worldwide running 15 or more years and three others running 20 or more years.
The North American touring productions of THE LION KING have been seen by more than 20 million theatergoers. Having already played more than 80 cities across North America, THE LION KING now proudly makes its premiere engagement in South Bend.
READ ALSO: Aladdin Musical
Performed over its lifetime in nine different languages (English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Spanish, Mandarin and Portuguese), productions of THE LION KING can currently be seen on Broadway; London’s West End; Hamburg; Tokyo; Madrid; on tour across North America, Japan, and The U.K. & Ireland, with a separate production touring internationally, for a total of nine productions running concurrently across the globe. Having played over 100 cities in 20 countries on every continent except Antarctica, THE LION KING’S worldwide gross exceeds that of any film, Broadway show or other entertainment title in box office history.
THE LION KING won six 1998 Tony Awards®: Best Musical, Best Scenic Design (Richard Hudson), Best Costume Design (Julie Taymor), Best Lighting Design (Donald Holder), Best Choreography (Garth Fagan) and Best Direction of a Musical. THE LION KING has also earned more than 70 major arts awards including the 1998 NY Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical, the 1999 Grammy® for Best Musical Show Album, the 1999 Evening Standard Award for Theatrical Event of the Year and the 1999 Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Choreography and Best Costume Design and now, its coming to a city near you!
READ ALSO: What is Disney Creator Days
The show’s director, costume designer and mask co-designer Julie Taymor continues to play an integral part in the show’s ongoing success. The first woman to win a Tony Award® for Direction of a Musical, Taymor continues to supervise new productions of the show around the world.
The Broadway score features Elton John and Tim Rice’s songs from the Lion King animated film along with three new songs by John and Rice; additional musical material by South African Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor and Hans Zimmer; and music from “Rhythm of the Pride Lands,” an album inspired by the original music in the film, written by Lebo M, Mark Mancina and Hans Zimmer. The resulting sound of THE LION KING is a fusion of Western popular music and the distinctive sounds and rhythms of Africa, ranging from the Academy® Award-winning song “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” to Lebo M’s rich choral numbers.
Elton John, Lebo M, and Hans Zimmer all collaborated on the 2019 version of the film, executive produced by Julie Taymor and Thomas Schumacher, which has gone onto extraordinary worldwide success.
Disney Theatrical Productions and Broadway Theatre League South Bend are thrilled to announce that tickets for the long-awaited premiere engagement of Disney’s THE LION KING Performances Begin on March 4th and Play for Three Weeks at The Morris Performing Arts Center through March 22nd.
Tickets are available at the Morris Performing Arts Center Box Office windows only. At 10:00 AM, tickets will be available via LionKing.com, at The Morris Performing Arts Center box office, 211 N Michigan St, by visiting BroadwayInSouthBend.com, MorrisCenter.org, or by calling 574.235.9190. Groups of 10+ call 866.314.7687. Tickets start at $31.00. VIP Ticket Packages, which include a prime seat location, a commemorative souvenir program and an exclusive merchandise item, are also available.
For more information worldwide, visit LionKing.com.
The performance schedule for Disney’s THE LION KING at the Morris Performing Arts Center.
Week 1
Wednesday, March 4 – 7:30pm
Thursday, March 5 – 2:00pm
Thursday, March 5 – 7:30pm
Friday, March 6 – 8:00pm
Saturday, March 7 – 2:00pm
Saturday, March 7 – 8:00pm
Sunday, March 8 – 1:00pm
Sunday, March 8 – 6:30pm

Week 2
Tuesday, March 10 – 7:30pm
Wednesday, March 11 –7:30pm
Thursday, March 12 – 7:30pm
Friday, March 13 – 8:00pm
Saturday, March 14 – 2:00pm
Saturday, March 14 – 8:00pm
Sunday, March 15 – 1:00pm
Sunday, March 15 – 6:30pm

Week 3
Tuesday, March 17 – 7:30pm
Wednesday, March 18 –7:30pm
Thursday, March 19 – 7:30pm
Friday, March 20 – 8:00pm
Saturday, March 21 – 2:00pm
Saturday, March 21 – 8:00pm
Sunday, March 22 – 1:00pm
Sunday, March 22 – 6:30pm

Please Note: BroadwayInSouthBend.com, MorrisCenter.org, and The Morris Performing Arts Center box office are the only official sources for tickets to the 2019-20 Broadway In South Bend Series. If you purchase tickets through another source, you may pay inflated prices and your tickets will not be guaranteed.
For information and to purchase tickets: https://bit.ly/2NV4ckz
Thank you to the Broadway Theater League for providing me with tickets to see the Lion King Musical and providing a family four-pack for one lucky reader.
Simply leave a comment below telling me who’s is your favorite The Lion King character and why?
One lucky winner will win 4 tickets to the March 4^th opening night production of The Lion King. I will choose a winner randomly on February 29th, 11:59 pm. via rafflecopter Good luck.
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2020/01/31
Teen Girls Rebel when Teen Boys Rated Female Classmates on Looks
You’ve heard of burn books? We all have. I remember in high school they were called slam books; same difference. Same jerky idea, different decade. Well, a group of high school boys at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School Maryland are bringing it back. But in the wake of the #MeToo movement, the girls are refusing to stand for it. Teen boys rated female classmates on looks and the teen girls rebel. They will no longer stay quiet. Like teenage superheroes, these girls fight rape culture.
Teen boys rating girls on their looks is a practice as old as time. For as long as men have been objectifying women, girls have been getting rated by their looks in burn books, slam books, bathroom walls and in guy group texts. It’s a national pastime for men and boys. The undiscriminating discriminatory act of objectifying the part of the population born with girl parts. It’s sickening.
This time the list is in an iPhone Notes app. It included the names of 18 girls in the Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School’s International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, ranked and rated on the basis of their looks, from 5.5 to 9.4, with decimal points to the hundredth place. There, with a number beside it.
A number rating system for girls like they’re cattle being rated for purchase. A group of male students created the list over a year ago and it’s been recirculated. Spreading like a plague through text messages and whispers during class. One male student saw the name of his friend, Nicky Schmidt, on the list and told her about it. Within 24 hours, most of the senior girls knew about the list. Teen boys rated female classmates on looks and the girls are not having it.
READ ALSO: The Problem with Little Boys
In the past, tween and teen girls would see the list, hang their head in shame and pray no one brought it up again. It’s shameful. It’s one thing to feel ugly ( as we all do in those awkward years) but it’s quite another to have everyone at school to see your national ugly average rating in notes, much less hear it whispered as you walk through the halls. The thing about these sorts of lists is that it shakes even the most confident young women to their core. Even if you’ve always thought you were pretty, these books have a way of crawling into your psyche and taking root; growing, twisting and digging in.
As someone who suffered from eating disorders and was never sure of herself, at least in the looks department, finding myself in a burn book would have made me feel so isolated, unsure and depressed. As a grown woman, it would make me rage because of two things, 1) I know I’m attractive enough 2) I don’t care what anyone else thinks about how I look or think or exist. But this is as a grown woman, it took years to have this confidence.
Yasmin Behbehani, a student at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, found herself ranked on this list after her friend, Nicky Schmidt, let her know about the list, as a heads up. But Behbehani didn’t want to know about this list. She was trying to stay in her lane; just trying to survive high school is hard enough without extracurricular humiliation. She’d spent her entire high school tenure recovering from eating disorders and trying to avoid this kind of triggering comparison to her classmates but there is was in a text message with a screenshot of the list, typed out in the damn notes app.
These kinds of lists are not new. And they will never not exist. As long as boys are raised to objectify women with no real consequences they will continue to do so. But today is not yesterday, or last year, or the last decade. Today, we live in the world of #MeToo.
We are raising ours girls to not take this kind of treatment. Raising our girls to know there are more important things to be than beautiful and to speak up, no to scream, when we need to be heard. We’re empowering our little girls. We are not afraid of you any longer. You can’t demean us with your stupidity and objectification because we know we are more than our parts.
READ ALSO: Raising Girls to Survive Misogyny, Sexting and Slut Shaming
The girls of Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School felt violated, objectified by classmates they thought were their friends. They felt uncomfortable getting up to go to the bathroom, worried that the boys were taking notes and editing their scores.Objectification feels horrible; judged at your very existence.
The things that no one counted on in this “boys will be boys” rape culture that we live in is that there is power in numbers. Dozens of senior girls spoke to the school administration and to the boys, demanding not only disciplinary action in response to the list but a school-wide discussion about the toxic culture that allowed the list to happen in the first place. This resulted in one male student being given an in-school detention for one day. It wouldn’t even be on his record.
Not happy with the disciplinary action, Schmidt texted 15 friends and told them to tell all of their friends to show up at the school’s office the next day during lunch, “to tell them we feel unsafe in this environment and we are tired of this toxicity,” Schmidt wrote in her text. 40 senior girls showed up, packing into the assistant principal’s office where Schmidt read a statement she had written.
We want to know what the school is doing to ensure our safety and security,” Schmidt said. “We should be able to learn in an environment without the constant presence of objectification and misogyny.”
READ ALSO: The Reality of Being Born a Woman
The girls and administration agreed that to have a meeting with the male students in the program, including the assholes who created and circulated the list. On International Women’s Day, almost all of the students in the IB program — about 80 students — met in a large conference room for what was supposed to be a 45-minute meeting during fifth period. It lasted over 2.5 hours.
The girls shared personal stories and impassioned speeches about how the list made them feel. They shared their stories of sexual abuse, harassment and the lasting effects objectification has had on them. And something miraculous happened, the boys heard them. In fact, the boy who created the list stood up, took responsibility for the list and apologized for the hurt the list caused. I am so proud of the girls for uniting and standing up and demanding that their voices be heard. Silence is the enemy of equality.
The thing this isn’t new and the kid who made the list and the ones who passed it around are not the minority. The girls who spoke up and refused to be treated like this, they are the minority in our culture. We need to make doing the right thing easier and more common. It shouldn’t be this hard for women to be treated like humans. We shouldn’t have to fight for a basic human right like being treated like people and not objects.
What will we do next time we find out teen boys rated female classmates on looks? Where will we be when our teen girls rebel?
To be honest, since the #MeToo movement began, I have shared my own stories. I shared them before but I never realized that men don’t actually understand what it feels like to be a woman and be objectified. They have always been bigger, stronger and more privileged than women. They’ve always lived in a boys will be boys culture and they’ve watched, from the time they were little boys, the world apply different rules for women and girls. Boys assault women in so many ways and all they get is a slap on the wrist, even from women. But no more.
Since the day they were born, we’ve been raising our girls to respect themselves and to value no one’s opinion over their own. I’ve taught them that no means no and if they have to scream that, then do so. We’re raising our girls to be brave and determined. They know that they are as good as any man and in some instances, even better.
This generation of moms is raising an army of feminists ready to do battle for their human respect, equality and dignity. If you can’t get on board with that, that’s your problem. It’s happening. Be ready for it. Don’t stand in their way. This is their future and their worth is more than any ranking a man could ever give them.
2019/03/28
Throat Punch Thursday: Condoms for Kiddies Edition
https://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/apps/cvp/3.0/swf/cnn_416x234_embed.swf?context=embed&videoId=us/2010/06/24/dnt.condoms.for.elementary.kids.wcvb
Well, we all know how I feel about sex education for elementary schoolers. What is this world coming to? When kindergarten through fifth grade students return to class at Veterans Memorial Elementary School in Provincetown, Mass., this fall, they’ll be able to ask the school nurse for condoms.Well,that’s a hell of a school supply. That better not show up on my beginning of the year wish list for the class, they can just keep on wishing.Wishing they were older! No questions, no write your name down and call your Mama. It’s their very own don’t ask, don’t tell; the mini me version. It’s a free license to be promiscuous and experiment sexually when you are in ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. Some of these kids can’t even spell their names, tie their shoes, barely wipe their own asses. Now, we are giving them condoms. They don’t have the social skills to know how to deal with this. This is wrong on so many levels that I am beyond flabbergasted. I am on the ground passed out. Yes, I am lying on the floor passed out typing this post.
Thanks to a new, district-wide policy approved by the Provincetown School Board, condoms are now available to students in all schools, regardless of their age. Parents will not only NOT be informed, they can not opt their children out. So there is no paperwork to sign to say do NOT give my kid condoms! WTF? Who the hell are these people? What the hell gives them the right to do this without my permission? They work for me, right? This is a damn infringement of parental rights if ever I saw one!Thank GOD my kids are going to Catholic school!
Officials say that there’s no set age when sexual activity starts and students who ask for condoms will also receive counseling and information on abstinence. OK, so we are expected to give these little kids condoms and not expect them to think its OK to experiment? It’s like giving them candy and saying not to eat it. They don’t have the restraint. Are we going to see an increase in “date” rapes? Little boys are going to think since they were given the condoms with adult permission maybe that means free range to have sex with whatever little girl they choose.
This is absurd. What next, passing out guns when kids start 2nd grade? Whose brilliant idea was this to give K-5th graders condoms? I mean are they passing out some special brand for babies? No way a condom made for a grown mans junk is going to fit a elementary schooler’s penis! I don’t have little boys so I don’t know how that works but I do feel that by doing this they have made the world a little lot less safe unsafe for little girls.
This weeks throat punch definitely goes to the morons at the Provincetown School Board, the world renowned champion mental midgets, who approved this district wide policy of condoms for kiddies. Stay tuned, I am sure it will be coming to your town soon!Happy Mothering! Oh wait, better check to see if that is OK with the Provincetown School Board first. What’s next? Free abortion clinics operating out of the gymnasium at the middle school? Maybe free crack if you make the AB honor roll?
2010/06/25
Today
Client: Today
Website: https://www.today.com
Task: Freelance Writer
http://community.today.com/user/deborah-cruz

2019/04/27
Scary Mommy
Client: Scary Mommy
Website: http://scarymommy.com
Task: Freelance Writer
https://www.scarymommy.com/author/deborah-cruz/

2019/03/30