Today begins the 16^th Annual X Games in LA. This year’s competition will include Moto X, Skateboarding, BMX, and Rallying. If you can’t make it to downtown LA, don’t fret- ESPN and ESPN2 will be airing more than 31 hours of live HD programming!
This year’s X Games is loaded with some of the biggest names in extreme sports like Anthony Napolitan, Blako ‘Bilko’ Williams, Scotty Cranmer, Elissa Steamer, Travis Pastrana, and one of my all-time favorites Shaun White.

Not only can these athletes do extraordinary things in their sports, but they have also paved the way for other people to be able to learn and grow into aggressive sports.

Elissa Streamer

Elissa Streamer was one of my heroes while growing up. She was the first female to get a video part in a legit skate movie and the first female to get an avatar in a skateboarding videogame (Tony Hawk’s “Pro Skater”).  Women like Ms. Streamer have paved the way for female skateboarders and women of many different aggressive sports by sticking with the sport she loved, even when the boys suggested she be a cheerleader instead.

Shaun White

Shaun White is nothing less than a superstar. He is not only one of the best skateboarders in the world, but he is also one of the best snowboarders in the world. He started competing in Winter X Games when he was only 13. Ten years later, Shaun White is still a force to be reckoned with at the age of 23.

There are many more talented athletes that will be competing in the X Games this year. You can check out all of their profiles here and if you can’t tune in to ESPN or ESPN2 on your TV, make sure to catch the free updates online here.

If you can come on out to Downtown LA make sure to keep an eye out for the 8^th Continent Soymilk team. We will be passing out samples, coupons, and supporting all of the amazing extreme athletes!

Do you have a favorite competitor in X Games 2010? Let us know on Twitter or Facebook!

If you are a fan of graffiti or any type of street art, chances are you have come across an artist named Banksy who does impeccable stencil art installations and is now a world-renowned artist, even though he keeps his identity a secret. You may not be an aspiring Banksy, but would like to make some stencil art yourself.

If you follow these directions you will be able to easily make stencil art of your own all by doing a quick picture edit, printing it out, cutting it out, and then painting!

What you will need:

• A printer with black ink
• Xacto Knife
• Paints
• Card Stock Weight Paper
• Canvas
• Regular Paint Brush
• Sponge Paint Brush
• Bright Colored Marker

Directions:

• The first thing you want to do is find a picture that you would like to make into a stencil. Pictures that have lots of different shades and tiny details may not work as well for stencil art. Silhouettes are usually good candidates for stencils.
• Import the chosen picture into your favorite editing software and open up the picture editing options.

• Recolor the picture to grayscale.

• Turn the contrast all the way up to 100%.

• Adjust the brightness level keeping in mind that you will be cutting out the black sections of the picture.
• Once you have adjusted the picture, resize it and print it out on Card Stock Weight Paper.

• After you have printed the picture, take a bright marker and trace the parts that you will be cutting out. Take note that some of the white spots are encompassed by black, which would cut out that detail. (For example, Marilyn’s pupil) To avoid this, create a small pathway from the white space to another white space to make sure that detail is not lost.

• Using the Xacto knife, cut out all of the black areas.
• Paint the background of your canvas whatever color you would like and allow to sit for about 3 minutes.
• Once the canvas is nearly, but not completely dry, press your stencil on top of it allowing the paper to stick to the nearly dry paint.

• Take your sponge brush and dab the areas that you have cut out of the stencil. Don’t apply too much paint so it won’t bleed over.
• Carefully peel your stencil away from the canvas as soon as you have applied the black paint to the stencil and allow your creation to dry.

Now the most important part, figure out where to hang your awesome new stencil art.

WARNING! Be prepared for conversations like the following:

“Oh cool stencil art?!? Who made that?”

“Me.”

“Nuh uh! Come on, tell me the truth. Who made that???”

“I did.”

“NO WAY!”

etc. etc. etc.

Did you use this tutorial to make some stencil art? Need any more tips? Wanna share what you made? Post it on my Facebook or hit me up on my Twitter!

Article By: Megan Stremick

When I was a little girl I was an adorable little pudge ball with dark curly hair and big brown eyes, I had a personality the size of Texas and was considered the chatter box of any group. I talked my mom’s ears off all day, every day and finally when I was about five years old she thought with my big cheeks and even bigger mouth I would be perfect for commercials.

She started taking me to auditions and on the way there I would talk, talk, talk but to her surprise once she put me in the room with the casting directors I would clam up tight, barely giving them a simple “hi my name is”. And to make it even more frustrating for my mom I would then get back in the car and talk, talk, talk, all the way home. Needless to say I never starred in any commercials.

Present day, I have grown up and I’m now a mom of a one year old. I still have the same dark curly hair and full cheeks and I am still the biggest chatter box in any group (especially those groups that drink wine). When the 8^th Continent  Nice Job Mom campaign started underway and it was time to do a video to introduce the contest I was asked to step in front of the camera and talk to you, my fellow moms, and “be myself”.

Of course there was a script because there were a lot of things that we at 8^th Continent wanted to be sure we relayed about what the Nice Job Mom contest is all about and how you can participate. So I had to read it but again it was stressed that I needed to “be myself”.

When I arrived for the filming there was no one to pick out what I should wear and no one to do my hair and make-up—and I just thought “Wow, they really want to film me just as I am—they aren’t going to pretty me up or anything—this should be interesting”. There was no one coaching me on how my expressions should be or how to give the right inflections at the right time—it was just me being…well…awkward.

I’ll be honest, I tried my hardest to “be myself” but every time the camera rolled the butterflies started fluttering in my stomach and the words just started coming out of my mouth and my face started moving and my voice starting changing and I was thinking “who is talking right now, this can’t be me, this doesn’t sound like me”. As much as I tried to be myself and as genuine as the words were that came out of my mouth it was almost like I was having an out of body experience.

By take 15, I thought I hit my stride with the my words but then I’d get to the part where I pronounce ‘sweepstakes’ and all of a sudden I developed a lisp that I never had before. This was so much harder than I thought it was going to be me—and all I’m doing is “being myself”.

Have you ever watched a movie and looked at the actors and thought “I can totally do that, I could act and make millions of dollars”? Well, I have thought that a million times and I will tell you that after doing this little two minute video I would be homeless and hungry if I tried to make a living being an actress. I have a new-found respect for all of the actors that we watch who make it look so real and quite frankly, make it look easy.

So, please, when you watch the video where I introduce 8^th Continents Nice Job Mom contest, have mercy on me. Try to get past my cheesy expressions and inflections and focus on the contest. Oh, and don’t forget to browse other mom stories and share your own.

Moving from one place to another usually means there is a lot to throw away and a lot you need, all at the same time. After moving I realized I had tons of CDs from back in kindergarten days that were so scratched, any CD player that could play them would be a pure miracle. And let’s be honest; CDs are SO 1995. I also realized, I needed to decorate my apartment.  Which realizations like these are the perfect inspirational Create Something Saturday Moments.

Me, being the music fanatic that I am, made sure I had a back up MP3 version of each of the CDs and decided to turn them into an expression of my love for music, and something that looks cool in my new place.

Enter: The Scratched CD Disco Ball

Materials:

• Scratched CDs
• Glue Gun
• Really Good Scissors
• Styrofoam Ball
• String
• Skewer

Directions:

-Never underestimate the power of CDs. Try to find a good pair of gardening gloves that you can wear while cutting your CD because trust me, it takes a little bit of elbow grease. Cut all of the CDs into little squares. Don’t worry if they are not all the exact same size.

-Poke the Skewer through the Styrofoam ball and lead both ends of the string through. Make sure the string is as long as you want the disco ball to be hung. Once you have both ends through, pull the loop remaining at the other end over one of your squares and glue in to place.

-Start from the middle and work your way out, gluing squares around the Styrofoam ball. Keep going until you have covered the entire ball with little CD squares.

-Mount a hook in your ceiling and hang your Scratched CD Disco Ball accordingly. You can even buy different sizes of Styrofoam balls and hang them in different lengths next to each other to make a hanging piece of art.

Did you make one? Post a pic on our Facebook or on Twitter!

Article By: Megan Stremick

Pose: Downward Facing Dog

Mommies, it’s time to down dog! Next to savasana, or corpse pose, where you lie on your back in relaxed meditation, down dog is one of the most widely recognized yoga poses. The mainstay in any yoga class, down dog is used as a warm-up pose, a pose to transition between poses, a strengthening pose, and much more. Recently I watched my one year old boy do a baby version of down dog and it was adorable. He had his hands and feet on the ground walking around like Mogley from The Jungle Book when he saw something between his legs that caught his eyes—so with his head down and butt up I couldn’t help but giggle at my little yoga boy in the making. This pose is great to do any time of day for a quick ‘all over’ stretch and energy boost.

Down Dog Benefits:

Energizes the whole body

Builds arm and leg strength

Beneficial in relieving symptoms of menopause or menstrual discomfort

Builds flexibility in the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, arches, and hands

Stimulates the nerves and calms the brain

Down Dog How-To:

1. Start with your hands and knees on the mat—wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
2. Curl your toes under and straighten your legs. Be sure your feet are hips distance apart.
3. Your tailbone lifts up toward the sky then presses back. The top of your head reaches toward the earth as your chest reaches back toward your legs.
4. Rotate the arms outward—imagine you are turning your hands so that your thumbs would point straight forward—this helps to create space between the shoulder blades.
5. Engage the front of the thighs (quadriceps) as you draw the heels down to the mat. *For those with tighter hamstrings keep a slight bend in the knees but continue to work towards straightening the legs.
6. Hold here for 5 deep, even breaths then release back to the starting position or release further into child’s pose by resting the tailbone back on the heels, bringing the arms back by your side, palms up, and resting your forehead on the mat.

Down DogCaution:

For those with frequent headaches or high blood pressure be sure to rest your head on a block or folded blanket in down dog.

If you have shoulder issues, take care by not rotating the shoulders and arms outward.

And lastly, if you are in the latter stages of pregnancy do not practice

Make sure to join our Facebook Fan Page and follow us on Twitter to stay up-to-date with all of the new Yoga Made Easy Poses brought to you by 8th Continent Soymilk.

Related Posts:

• Baddha Konasana
• Tadasana
• Uttanasana
• Utkatasana
• Warrior 1
• Warrior 2
  

So this week, I wanted to post your Create Something Saturday project ahead of time so you could go out and purchase the materials. I have grown up playing cornhole and have always wanted to make my own cornhole boards so I could paint them however I wanted.

As we all know summer is in full effect! Time to take full advantage of it with friends and get down on some serious hang out time. Because let’s face it, when winter comes around again you are going to go back into hibernation.

SO for this Create Something Saturday why not create a game that is perfect for those summertime kick it sessions? First, let’s go over the rules of how to play Cornhole. (A classic yard game most of us learned in college.)

How to Play:

The game starts out with two teams, two people on each team. One person from each of the teams takes their sides facing opposite each other at the two cornhole boards.
Each team has four bean bags. The two people on opposite teams at one side of the cornhole field will take turns tossing their bags at the cornhole board opposite of them. If a bag hits the ground and then bounces onto the board- it should be removed. Once all bags have been thrown, then the two players on the other side of the cornhole court throw their bags. The cornhole game continues until one team reaches 21 or more points. The objective is to toss the bean bags into the hole in the cornhole boards.

Scoring:

• 3 points for a cornhole bag that goes through the hole.
• 1 point for a cornhole bag that is on the playing surface.
• 1 point for a cornhole bag that is hanging into the hole.
• 1 point for a cornhole bag that is hanging off the edge but not touching the ground.
• 0 points for a cornhole bag that is on the playing surface, but also touching the ground.

The cornhole team with the highest round score, adds the difference of the two scores to their game score.
And now- how to make your own cornhole boards! Watch the video below with step by step instructions!

Things you will need:

• Power Drill/Screwdriver
• Jigsaw
• 2 Sheets of Plywood 24″ x 48″ (regulation size)
• 4 2×4′s – 24″ long (frame)
• 4 2×4′s – 33-45″ long (frame) (Three (2×4 are only 1.5 inches thick) inches shorter than the plywood)
• 4 2×4′s – 13.5″ long (legs)
• Screws
• Drawing Compass

Tips:

• Use a semi gloss paint to paint the boards with, so the bags will slide up the surface to the hole!

• Your local lumber store will most likely cut the 2 x 4s to length for you… this is far less expensive than buying the proper power saw if you don’t own it.

Now go try ‘em out. There is nothing like hanging with friends and putting together a little friendly competition on a sunny afternoon.

Shoot me a picture of you and your friends playing your favorite summer game on our Facebook or Twitter.

Article By: Megan Stremick

For so many families the Fourth of July is a time to make big plans, and my family is no exception. From the time that I can remember the Fourth of July has been a day filled with friends and family, food, swimming, food, games, more food, and of course fire works. As a kid it was always the highlight of the evening when amidst the red, white and blue themed desserts we were all handed sparklers, given the standard warnings; hold it at an arms length from your face, this goes for everyone else’ face as well, and don’t let it touch anything or anyone. Then there were the big fireworks. This is the time of night when everyone gathers together, kids and adults, and watches the master of ceremonies, my dad, try to put on a fireworks show without lighting himself on fire.

These days we celebrate the Fourth of July just like we did as kids only now I have joined the ranks of the adults and my husband and I delight in watching the kids play, and join in the laughter as we watch the new master of ceremonies, my brother, as he puts on the fireworks show.

Whether it’s having an all day and night affair with friends and family at a backyard BBQ or taking the family on a camping trip for the long weekend it’s all about having fun. How are you going to ensure that you and your family have a blast this weekend? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter, and have a safe and happy holiday.

We know it’s not easy being a mom. That’s why we salute momhood for what it is: doing your best every day, and trying not to screw up too much.

Of course, nobody’s perfect. So we’ve decided to provide an outlet for your little mistakes, one that just might earn you some peace of mind. Submit your amusing parenting faux pas and join the hundreds of stories from moms just like you. Share it with your friends and vote on your favorites. You could win free housekeeping for a year from Merry Maids, a room of choice makeover from Home Line Furniture or the grand prize of a complete adventure package from Caravan Tours.

So go on. Declare your mom mess-ups. You’re among friends.

• Anytime through the promotion, each submission will earn a chance to win the grand prize at the end of the promotion
• A winner will be selected every month out of the top ten submissions with most votes for that month (cut-off to submissions will end on the last day of every month with winners announced the following month)
• Promotion period is from 7/1/10-10/31/10

Check out the Nice Job, Mom. App here!

Article By: Megan Stremick

Pose:

Warrior 2

Now that you’ve had a week to master Warrior 1 let’s continue the theme of the mommy warrior with Warrior 2, strengthening both your peace-of-mind and your thighs. This is a perfect pose to do for those times that you’re feeling a little less than the awesome mommy that you are; like when you beat yourself up over that Krispy Kreme you indulged in, your mother-in-law made another comment about the way you choose to discipline your kids, or instead of ‘politely’ hanging up on the solicitor on the phone you decided to release your frustration with a string of four letter words. Follow the How To below and you will feel like a peaceful, strong, and beautiful mommy in no time.

Warrior 2 Benefits:

1. Promotes flexibility in the inner thighs, hips, groin, ankles and chest
2. Strengthens the thighs, shoulders and arms
3. Builds stamina
4. Relieves back pain

Warrior 2 How To:

1. Stand in Mountain pose, reach your arms out to a T then step your feet out to the sides so that your ankles line up underneath your wrists—yes, your stance should be that wide.
2. Keep your arms out to a T. Spin your right leg open so that your right toes are now pointing in the same direction as your right fingertips.
3. Pivot your left heel back so that your left foot is now at an angle
4. Bend your right knee so that it sits above the ankle. Look down to make sure that you can see your front big toe and the knee is in line with the second toe (this alignment protects the knee and the hips).
5. The torso sits right above the hips, do not lean the torso over the front thigh—the spine should be straight.
6. Keep the back leg straight and strong by reaching down through the outer arch of the back foot.
7. Take a deep inhale and lift the chest up, exhale as you relax the shoulders down away from your ears.
8. Focus your gaze is out over your front middle finger.
9. Hold for five deep breaths or as long as you can while breathing in through the nose and out through the nose
10. Repeat on the left side.

Warrior 2 Cautions:

1. Diarrhea
2. High Blood Pressure
3. Severe neck or back discomfort

Are you loving our Yoga Made Easy Poses? Let us know on our Facebook or on Twitter!

Related Posts:

• Baddha Konasana
• Tadasana
• Uttanasana
• Utkatasana
• Warrior 1

Summer is officially here and so are all of the sports that come along with it. Oh, and do I even need to mention the awesome barbeques? So let’s say you are planning a tailgating party or a 4^th of July cookout- but you want to make it vegetarian friendly. How is that even possible?!?
Rest easy my veggie loving amigo, I am here to help you plan the perfect Veggie friendly Tailgating/BBQ/relax on the lawn experience!

First of all, if you have both veggie and non-veggie guests, you should grill vegetarian dishes first to prevent meat particles from mixing with meatless dishes. Also keep in mind that some of your carnivorous friends may get a whiff of those amazing veggie entrees and foods and decide to go meatless for the day… so cook enough for your veggie friends and then some.

Veggie Delight
Brush vegetables with flavored oils, herbs or marinades before grilling to enhance the flavor. Also, cook small vegetables in a wire grid or basket to prevent food from falling into the fire.

If you have absolutely NO idea on how to grill vegetables, don’t you worry! Here is a link that explains practically step by step how to grill just about every vegetable you can think of.

But does grilling just not feel right without filling those burger buns? I hear ya!

There are tons of options in your grocery store for veggie burgers that taste phenomenal and you can put on whatever toppings you desire. You can also make your own! I would suggest making these the night before a party or BBQ because they do need some time in the fridge.

Backyard Black Bean Burgers

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Chilling time: 1 hour
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

• 2 cans (15 ounces each) Black Beans, rinsed and drained
• ½ cup whole wheat or all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup yellow cornmeal
• ½ cup chunky salsa
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• Hamburger buns

Place beans in food processor; process until fairly smooth. Add flour, cornmeal, salsa, cumin and garlic salt. Process until well combined. Spoon mixture into 6 balls on a large plate and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours before cooking.
Heat barbecue grill or ridged grill pan over medium heat. Coat grill or pan lightly with oil. Form each ball into a 4-inch patty about ½-inch thick. Place the patties on the grill or in pan and cook until browned and heated through, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
Serve on hamburger buns with your favorite toppings.

Still want more options? How about these recipes from “In a Vegetarian Kitchen with Nava Atlas”?

GRILLED EGGPLANT TERIYAKI

• 2 medium-large eggplants, about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds total
• Teriyaki Marinade (recipe follows) as needed
• 2 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced
• 1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Slice the eggplants 1/2-inch thick and peel. Salt them and let stand in a colander for 30 minutes, then rinse well. Prepare grill. Brush the eggplant slices generously on both sides with Teriyaki Marinade. Grill on each side until nicely browned and tender (5 to 10 minutes on each side, depending on the heat of the coals). Remove and let cool slightly on a cutting surface. Cut into strips and place in a serving container. Stir in the scallions. Add enough additional Teriyaki Sauce to moisten and flavor the eggplant to taste. Sprinkle the top with the red pepper dice and sesame seeds.

GRILLED RATATOUILLE

• 1 medium eggplant, about 1 pound
• 2 medium onions
• 1 medium zucchini or 2 small zucchinis, about 1/2 pound total
• 1 large green or red bell pepper
• Olive Oil-Lemon Marinade (recipe follows), as needed
• 1 large ripe tomato, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped black olives
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon wine vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/4 pound crumbly goat cheese, optional

Cut the eggplant into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Salt them and place in a colander for 30 minutes, then rinse and drain.
Peel the onions and cut in half. Steam or microwave until just tender. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise.
Prepare grill. Brush the vegetables lightly with the Olive Oil-Lemon Marinade. Grill the eggplant on both sides until nicely browned and quite tender, about 15 minutes total. Grill the onions and zucchini on both sides until marked with brown, and tender, about 10 to 15 minutes total. Place the bell pepper directly on the grill and turn frequently, allowing all sides to get charred. Remove and place in a paper bag to steam.
When all the vegetables are cool enough to handle, chop into fairly large chunks and combine in a serving bowl. Slip the skin off the pepper, then remove the core and seeds. Cut into small squares. Stir in the tomato, olives, herbs, olive oil, and vinegar, and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If desired, sprinkle the top with crumbled goat cheese. Serve warm or at room temperature.

If you are still uneasy about the recipes above, then go ahead and pick up some veggie burgers, or veggie hotdogs, or even veggie sausages and veggie bacon. They are all easy to grill and will please any veggie guests.

Now what’s left? Throw that sunblock on and get to grillin!

Are you Tailgating or BBQing soon and are going to use one of these recipes? Let me know on my Twitter or Facebook!