Now with 100 elementary schools in five states on board with the BE KIND program, the Josh Stevens Foundation is ensuring an entire  generation of children adopts KINDNESS as a way of life—from kindergarten onward.

Linda Rankin Givens Elementary School in Las Vegas is just the most recent school to adopt the foundation’s program, which sets out to encourage more children to be more kind, more often. The foundation fulfills its mission by spreading the BE KIND message among K-12 school students, as well as the teachers, counselors and administrators that serve them.  Its BE KIND materials and curriculum ideas provide the building blocks that make it easy for schools—and by extension, entire communities—to join the KINDNESS Revolution.

The Josh Stevens Foundation continues to make positive impact nationwide.  Since its debut in 2008, the BE KIND program has been adopted by 162 schools in six states, including Nevada, California, Illinois, Oklahoma, Oregon and Minnesota.  The organization’s founder and Josh’s father, Drew Stevens, speaks at school assemblies about the significance of acts of genuine KINDNESS and how those acts change the world.

“We truly believe every child is capable of experiencing the gift of joy that results from demonstrating acts of kindness,” says Stevens.  “And once they receive that gift, they’ll want to keep receiving it—resulting in more and more acts of kindness.”

Teachers and administration are supplied with “KINDNESS cards” and silicone bracelets to distribute to students caught in the act of being KIND, as well as t-shirts customized for their school with the BE KIND message.  Additionally, the Josh Stevens Foundation provides staff and administration with other curriculum ideas to help further spread the message of kindness among students.

For more information, go to www.JoshStevensFoundation.org. 

Courtesy of Josh Stevens Foundation

I’ve always envied people like Cathi who are able to visit Disneyland on a whim. “Hmmm . . . what should we do today? How about going to Disneyland?” No planning, no packing, just get in the car and go. Well, today was kind of like that for Kaila and I.

I was at home trying to find our Disney Trading pins for our upcoming Disneyland trip when I realized it might be pretty cool to add some Aulani pins to the collection. I searched online and found that people were selling them at an outrageous price! However, I was desperate and even considered buying a few. But then I remembered, “Hey, I live 20 minutes away from Aulani! Why don’t I just go there and buy them myself?” Within 15 minutes Kaila and I were on the road headed to Ko’Olina.

Here we are pulling up to the hotel.

The beautiful “Rainbow Wall” behind the Registration Desk in the Maka’ala Lobby. These photos were taken by Hawaii students, grades K to 12. Their mission was to take a photo of something that they feel showcases our beautiful islands. Each submission had to focus on one color.

The view from the Maka’ala Lobby. Here you can see most of the property as well as the property’s Waikolohe Valley. This Valley includes various water activities. You can see a partial view of the Waikolohe Stream where visitors can take a relaxing tube ride along the 900-foot-long path.

The 3,800 square-foot Rainbow Reef where guests can snorkel with beautifully colored fish that live in the waters around the islands.

Or how would you like to get up close and personal with some friendly stingrays at the Makai Preserve?

Here’s the 2,200-square-foot Menehune Bridge where kids will have a blast playing on the bridges, slides, and waterfalls.

Or take a swim in the hotel’s main pool

You can even take a stroll to Ko’Olina Lagoons and spend the day on the beach.

I mean, who wouldn’t love to sit under these beautiful cabanas?

You may even get to see a concert under the stars.

Back in the lobby is where we found this cute little area for the kids.

And of course, our visit wouldn’t be complete without meeting a few Disney characters. Stitch decided he was hungry and tried to eat some of Kaila’s cereal. She was definitely NOT happy about it and started to cry. He tried to kiss and make-up which brought a few smiles and in the end Kaila threw kisses to him as we left.

Mickey was another story. She just would not look at him!

The Aulani is a beautiful resort showcasing the largest collection of contemporary Hawaiian art in the world. At every turn, you’ll see beautiful Hawaiian flowers, artifacts, photos, painting, statues, and music. What I really liked was the laid-back feel that the hotel promotes. You just can’t help but relax as you slowly stroll through the property as the cast members greet you with smiles and Hawaiian greetings. It’s truly paradise.

As a two-time gold medal Olympian, Finch understands the important role that regular physical activity plays in a healthy lifestyle. But as a mother of two young boys, she doesn’t always have an hour to get to the gym; so a lot of times it’s just being outside and playing with her boys.

Research has shown that the benefits of walking for as little as 30 minutes each day provides heart health benefits.  In fact, a new study released on March 14 showed that people can cut the genetic effect of obesity in half by walking briskly for an hour a day,* so this year the AHA is making it easier than ever to get healthy and get walking.

For more information, and to find a local Heart Walk near you, visit www.heart.org/myheartmylife.

Courtesy of American Heart Association

Get ready to join Elmo and Abby for some BIG fun as Warner Home Video (WHV) and Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, release Sesame Street: Big Elmo Fun on DVD April 3, 2012 at an SRP of $14.98. Sesame Street: Big Elmo Fun features three full-length stories, two engaging new songs, a special animated book extra and the full-length bonus content “Monster Hits.”

courtesy of Sesame Workshop

In the first episode, Elmozilla, the gang is using a growth chart to measure their heights. They’re learning that everyone grows at the own rate but Elmo was to be bigger . . . right now. Abby grants his wish and he finds himself taller than everyone and everything around him. When Elmo’s growing gets out of control, it’s up to his friends to figure out a way to get Elmo back to his adorable size.

Elmo and the Monarch Butterfly is a cute segment that my kids really enjoyed. Elmo and Telly are hunting for insects on Sesame Street. They find ants, ladybugs, and a butterfly. They notice that the butterfly is all by himself so Elmo decides he wants to become a butterfly himself to keep it company . . . but he doesn’t know how. So, Telly and Elmo research the stages that butterflies go through . . . egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and finally a beautiful butterfly. In the end the butterfly and Elmo Butterfly become friends.

However, my favorite story was Cast Iron Cooks. As a fan of The Food Network and Iron Chef, this hilarious spoof starring Jason Schwartzman had me laughing so hard! In the first round of this segment, Alan, Elmo, and Chris compete against the Iron Chefs to create a “P” Stew. In the second round, the teams must create a stew dish using only ingredients starting with the letter P. In the second round, each team must bake a pie using exactly 8 apples. The final round has the teams cooking Half-garian Goulash. They can use any ingredient they want but everything must be cut in half. Who will win the competition?

This DVD contains some great new songs with our favorite being All Kinds of Fun. It has a very upbeat reggae beat and even I found myself swaying back and forth. Some other bonus features include:

• Animated book: Flutter By, Butterfly
• Brand new song: Measure Yeah Measure
• Downloadable Activity Book
• Tips for Parents
• Full-length video “Monster Hits”

It’s big fun for everyone in your family! Purchase your copy of Big Elmo Fun at Amazon.com for $9.66.

This post was written for Sesame Workshop who provided the complimentary copy for review and giveaway.

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Welcome to this week’s edition of Aloha Friday. In Hawaii, Aloha Friday is the day that we take it easy and look forward to the weekend. So I thought that on Fridays I would take it easy on posting, too.

Therefore, I’ll ask a simple question for you to answer. Nothing that requires a lengthy response. If you’d like to participate, just post your own question on your blog and leave your Aloha Friday post link below. Also, please consider linking back to this post so that others can join in, too!

Don’t forget to visit the other participants! It’s a great way to make new bloggy friends!

So my question is . . .

Sweet or salty?

Louboutin, whose designs are the epitome of style, power, femininity and elegance, was invited by Disney to bring “Cinderella” to life with a fashion forward twist.  As part of this collaboration, Louboutin will design a “Cinderella” slipper putting his own magic touch on the world’s most famous pair of shoes.  This announcement precedes Louboutin’s 20^th Anniversary retrospective exhibition at the London Design Museum and the and the global release of Disney’s animated classic masterpiece “Cinderella” Diamond Edition on Blu-ray coming to market this Fall.

“Isn’t it everyone’s dream, to once in your life part of a fairy tale? Walt Disney Studios gave me a wonderful opportunity to live this magical moment. I have been so lucky to have crossed paths with Cinderella, an icon who is so emblematic to the shoe world as well as the dream world.”

-        Christian Louboutin

The designer’s mesmerizing creations are full of whimsy and glamour and his limitless imagination has helped him turn his dreams to reality and help women all over the world over feel like princesses.

“I think we have made the fairy tale fashionable again. We can translate the ancient fairy tale into its modern equivalent without losing the lovely patina and the savor of its once-upon-a-time quality.”

-     Walt Disney

Specific details on the collaboration will be formally shared in early July. To stay informed on “Cinderella” and this collaboration, please continue to visit us at www.Facebook.com/Cinderella.

About Cinderella:

Everyone orders Cinderella around: her cruel stepmother, her awful stepsisters — even the big clock in the church tower tells her when to start another day of drudgery. But they can’t stop her from dreaming, and Cinderella has faith that someday her wishes will come true. When an invitation to the royal ball arrives, Cinderella is sure her time has come — until her stepsisters, with the encouragement of Lady Tremaine, tear her gown to shreds. Just when Cinderella believes all is lost, her Fairy Godmother appears, and with a wave of her wand and “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo,” transforms an ordinary pumpkin into a magnificent coach and Cinderella’s rags into a gorgeous gown, then sends her off to the Royal Ball. But Cinderella’s enchanted evening must end when the spell is broken at midnight. It will take the help of her daring animal mice friends and a perfect fit into a glass slipper to create the ultimate fairy tale ending.

About Christian Louboutin:

French designer, Christian Louboutin’s red soles have stamped an inimitable mark on the world of fashion and shoe making over the past twenty years.  The innovation and imagination behind Louboutin’s mesmerizing shoes and his utter devotion to women have established him as one of the world’s most visionary and important shoemakers.  Born in Paris and raised by his mother and three sisters, the designer credits this feminine environment as the inspiration for much of his work.  Louboutin’s unmistakable red soles, his inventive designs and exceptional craftsmanship have gained him a loyal following from some of the world’s most stylish women.  Today, the Louboutin brand can be found in 54 countries worldwide with 55 jewel box boutiques proudly displaying his red sole creations for women and men as well as a collection of handbags and small leather goods.

About The Walt Disney Studios:

For more than 85 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company wasbuilt. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under the following banners: Disney, including Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel Studios; and Touchstone Pictures, the banner under which live-action films from DreamWorks Studios are distributed. The Disney Music Group encompasses the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels, as well as Disney Music Publishing. The Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Disney on Broadway, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!.

With the amount of Cheerios my family consumes, we usually have to buy in bulk. However, those really big bulk boxes make it a little difficult for the kids to make their own breakfast. So what we usually have to do is pour the cereal into another smaller storage container for easy access. Now, this works just fine but it really is an extra step for me. Thankfully, Cheerios has come up with a solution . . . a new 2 box Cheerios pack.

Not only does this 2 box Cheerios pack make my life easier but it also makes it easier to share our favorite cereal with the rest of our family. We can leave one box at home and one at Grandma’s house for when the kids sleep over. And since we’re still purchasing in bulk we’re still getting a great price.

What other benefits come with this 2 box pack? Check this out!

So the next time you’re at Sam’s Club or Costco, check out the new Cheerios packaging and stock up on your favorite cereal . . . without the hassles!

“Disclosure:  Cheerios® cereal, information, and giveaway have been provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.”

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Mrs. T is the most supportive, encouraging, and positive educator we’ve ever met. Her love for her students go beyond the classroom and we really appreciate everything she does for Kiana. She’s sends surprise notes home for Kiana telling her what a great job she’s doing in class. She writes Thank You cards whenever we bring goodies for the students. She even called Kiana on her birthday (which was during Winter Break) to wish her a happy day. Now that’s impressive.

However, what really stands out in my mind was the time when I volunteered at school to help pass out lunches for a special picnic event we had for the parents and kids. I told my kids ahead of time that I wouldn’t be able to sit and eat with them but what I didn’t realize was that I would be too busy to even grab their lunches for them. Mrs. T took it upon herself to pick up Kacie, Kiana, and my lunches and deliver them to the kids for me.

So, this week we’re letting Mrs. T know how much we love and appreciate her.

What about you? Is there a special teacher that you’d like to recognize during Teacher Appreciation Week?

In this recession we have all had to cut back on what we spend on fashion – but there is one unique break-through accessory that is empowering women across the country to “recession proof” their wardrobes so that they can still look stylish – for a fraction of the cost.  Miche Bag is the ultimate smart investment in these challenging times when every dollar counts.

Miche Bag is the equivalent of 40 handbags in 1.  Miche Bag is 1 purse that, through 40 interchangable shells which fit snuggly over the outside and attach via magnets, instantly changes color, look and feel.  You can transform the same bag from a canvas tote by day to a sleek satin look for night – all in less than 3 seconds.  Day-to-night has never been easier!

Over a million women across America have already discovered the freedom of this break-through “recession proof” fashion accessory. The inventor of Miche Bag came up with the idea one day when she spilled her drink on her purse and wished that rather than having to throw it out, she could be recycle it with a fresh cover and make it as good as new.  She did exactly that!  With Miche Bag, you will never have to throw out an old purse again when it gets stained or dirty.  You can just replace the cover and give your bag a whole new look in seconds.

Miche Bag has sparked a fashion revolution.  It gives every woman the opportunity, no matter how tight her budget, to express her personal style with a purse to match her every outfit.

We invite you to experience Miche Bag for yourself today at www.michebag.com  At no more than $39.95 for a base bag with shells starting as low as $14.95, they are the ultimate smart fashion investment.

Connect with Miche:

• Website
• Facebook
• Twitter

This post was written for Miche who provided the information and item for giveaway.

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