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Archive for January, 2010

Celebrating the Talented Mr. Timberlake!

Posted by Katie on January 31, 2010 in General

justin_timberlakeHey there music fans! Today we are wishing Justin a very happy 29th birthday!

Unlike most childhood stars (Justin got his break on the Disney program, The Mickey Mouse Club), Justin has successfully transitioned to adult fame — winning 6 Grammy Awards and 2 Emmy Awards!

Once a prominent member of the band NSYNC, Justin launched a solo album in 2002 which sold more than 7 million copies worldwide!

When Justin isn’t busy recording his own music, he’s running his record label (Tennman Records), designing for his fashion label (William Rast), or managing his two restaurants, Destino and Southern Hospitality. Talk about a busy guy…

But no matter how many business ventures JT pursues, he is first and foremost, a performer.

Check out Justin doing his thing at the 2007 Grammy Awards!

Happy Birthday Batman!

Posted by Katie on January 30, 2010 in General

christian-bale-2Ok, it’s not Batman’s birthday but it is Christian Bale’s 36th birthday! And for those of you who haven’t seen Christian play the handsome superhero, you should :)

Christian has been in the public eye since the age of 13 when he teamed up with Hollywood superstar Steven Spielberg to film Empire of the Sun. Enjoying success at a young age, Christian continued on the fast track to superstardom, staring in American Psycho, Public Enemies, Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight.

To learn more about this Hollywood heavyweight, I turned to IMDb.com!

The 10th Anniversary issue of “Entertainment Weekly” crowned Christian Bale as one of the “Top 8 Most Powerful Cult Figures” of the past decade, citing his incredible and legendary cult status on the Internet. EW also calls Bale one of the “Most Creative People in Entertainment” after his brilliant turn as the psychopathic yuppie serial killer in American Psycho (2000). And “Premiere” lauded him as one of the “Hottest Leading Men Under 30″. Christian Bale has garnered a huge international audience ever since he wowed critics with his devastating performance in Steven Spielberg’s WWII epic Empire of the Sun (1987).

Bale made his professional debut opposite British comedian Rowan Atkinson on the London West End stage. He auditioned with 4000 other kids for the coveted role of James Graham in Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun (1987). Bale received a special citation for Best Performance by a Juvenile Actor from the National Board of Review — an award specially created for his performance in “Empire”. In the following decade, Welsh-born Bale has appeared in Shakespeare, dramas and comedies demonstrating a versatility, depth and range that has made him one of the best reviewed actors today and one of the most popular actors on the Internet. Bale is the youngest in a family of 3 older sisters (Erin, Sharon, and Louis Bale).

Fun Fact: Birthday Traditions Across the Globe!

Posted by Katie on January 29, 2010 in Fun Fact Friday

globe_with_flagsEveryone celebrates their birthday differently, but have you ever wondered how birthdays are celebrated around the globe?

In an effort to teach us all a little something, I’ve compiled some birthday traditions from all around the world. Check out kidsparties.com to learn more!

Africa – Initiation Ceremonies. In various African nations they hold initiation ceremonies for groups of children instead of birthdays. When children reach a certain designated age, they learn the laws, beliefs, customs, songs and dances of their tribes.

Argentina – Dance the waltz at 15. When girls turn 15 they have a huge party and dance the waltz with their father and other boys.

Brazil – Pulls on the earlobe. The birthday child receives a pull on the earlobe for each year they have been alive. The birthday person also gives the first slice of cake to his/her most special friend or relative, usually mom or dad. At the age of 15, the girl dances a waltz with staring with her father and grandfather. She dances with a total of 15 partners each symbolizing a year of her life.

China – Noodles for Lunch. The birthday child pays respect to his/her parents and receives a gift of money. Friends and relatives are invited to lunch and noodles are served to wish the birthday child a long life.

Denmark – Flying Flags. A flag is flown outside a window to designate that someone who lives in that house is having a birthday. Presents are placed around the child’s bed while they are sleeping so they will see them immediately upon awakening.

England – Fortune Telling Cakes and Bumps. Certain symbolic objects are mixed into the birthday cake as it being prepared. If your piece of cake has a coin in it, then you will be rich. Also, when its your birthday your friends give you the “bumps” they lift you in the air by your hands and feet and raise you up and down to the floor, one for each year then one for luck, two for luck and three for the old man’s coconut!

Germany – Candles left burning for the day. A member of the birthday person’s family wakes up at sunrise and lights the candles on the birthday cake. There are as many candles as the years of age of the birthday person plus one for good luck. The candles are left burning all day long. After dinner that night then everyone sings the birthday song and the birthday person blows out the candles. If all of the candles are blown out in one try then the wish of the birthday person will come true. Presents are then opened and the party starts.

Japan – New Clothes. The birthday child wears entirely new clothes to mark the occasion. Certain birthdays are more important than others and these are celebrated with a visit to the local shrine.

Korea – Choice to tell the future. There is big family party on the first birthday. The table is set with food, and four items; a pencil, a ruler, thread, and money. The baby chooses one item to forecast their future; excellent student, good with hands, long life or riches.

Nepal -Mark on the forehead. A certain mixture of rice yogurt and color is placed on the birthday child’s forehead for good luck.

New Zealand – Birthday claps. After the birthday cake is lit, the happy birthday song is sung loudly and often out of tune and then the person birthday person receives a clap for each year they have been alive and then one for good luck.

Russia – Birthday Pies. Instead of a birthday cake, many Russian child receive a birthday pie with a birthday greeting carved into the crust.

Happy Birthday Oprah!

Posted by Katie on January 29, 2010 in General

oprah300Say happy birthday to TV’s most powerful woman! Yes, it’s Oprah’s 56th birthday!

There isn’t enough room on the blog to talk about all of Oprah’s accomplishments so I’m not even going to bother giving you the rundown except to say that this TV host, producer, and philanthropist is a living legend and has even been called the most influential woman in the world!

From Hollywood stars to Presidents of the United States, she’s interviewed them all, creating the highest-rated talk show in American TV history.

Oprah recently announced that she will be ending The Oprah Winfrey Show in September of 2011, but don’t worry, she’s not going into hiding just yet. In fact, Oprah is continuing to expand her horizons, creating her own 24-hour cable network!

So to celebrate Oprah on her special day, here is a video of some of Oprah’s very best moments from the last 25 years!

Happy Birthday Sarah McLachlan!

Posted by Katie on January 28, 2010 in General

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Canadian singer/songwriter Sarah McLachlan is celebrating a birthday today! Happy birthday, Sarah!

Sarah is an incredibly accomplished artist. In fact, for the last 20 years, every one of her albums and videos has been certified gold, platinum, or multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America!

But Sarah isn’t just a performer, she’s also an advocate for female vocalists around the world. A little over a decade ago, Sarah launched the all-female music festival Lilith Fair which became the top-grossing female music festival of all time! The concert ran from 1997 through 1999 and raised over $10 million for charity. After taking a few years off, it appears Lilith Fair has resurrected and will begin touring again this summer!

To learn more about Sarah and what’s coming up next for the songstress, check out sarahmclachlan.com!

Theme Thursday: Lego Birthday!

Posted by Katie on January 28, 2010 in Theme Thursday

Lego BrickI’ve never met a kid who doesn’t love Legos (in fact, I don’t know very many adults who don’t love Legos).

Well, 52 years ago today, the Lego company patented their design of Lego bricks — so to celebrate, I’m going to provide you with a few tips on how to throw an awesome Lego-themed birthday party.

To find this coveted information, I went right to the source — Lego.com.

DOOR PRIZE

Fill a large glass jar with LEGO bricks. As each guest arrives, have him or her guess how many bricks are inside, and write down the name and answer. At the end of the party, the person whose guess came closest to the real answer wins the entire jar!

LEGO CHOPSTICKS

Use two long, thin LEGO pieces to make a pair of “chopsticks” for each guest. Cross them in an “X” shape and bind them tightly together in the middle with a rubber band. Squeezing the top part of the sticks together should make the bottom halves pinch together. Fill several bowls with an assortment of small objects like big buttons, erasers, crayons and LEGO bricks. Have 3 or 4 kids at a time use their chopsticks to pick up as many objects as they can in one minute. The child with the most objects at the end wins!M

SKY HIGH CHALLENGE

Give each child a small pile of LEGO bricks and have them sit in a circle on the floor. Put one brick in the middle. Going around the circle, each child adds one piece from their pile to the top of the growing tower. How high can they build it before it topples over? The more the merrier for this one!

LEGO MARACAS

Shake up the party with these easy-to-make musical instruments. For each maraca, have kids fill a small cardboard box with a few LEGO bricks. Punch a small hole in the side and insert an unsharpened pencil, taping it in place. Tape the box closed and let kids decorate with stickers or markers. Shake the maracas to jam!

SCAVENGER HUNT

In a confined area (indoors or out), hide an assortment of LEGO bricks and let the party guests search for them. For younger kids, count the number of bricks they bring back. For older kids, you can assign scores to the different brick colors.

MIXED-UP MODELS

Have the children sit in a circle on the floor and give each a pile of LEGO bricks. Each child puts four bricks together however they want, then passes the model to the next child on the left, who adds three more bricks and passes it on. After several rounds, each child makes up a name and story for the model that he or she ends up holding.

BAKE A LEGO CAKE

You can transform any cake mix into a great LEGO cake! Bake a rectangular or square cake and 4 or more cupcakes. Turn the cupcakes upside down, place them on top of the cake like LEGO brick “studs”, and frost! You can add blue, green, red or yellow food coloring to white frosting to make one big “brick” or a multi-colored layer-cake stack.

Happy Birthday Mikhail Baryshnikov!

Posted by Katie on January 27, 2010 in General

Mikhail Baryshnikov-7

Perhaps one of the greatest ballet dancers in history, Mikhail Baryshnikov, celebrates the big 6-2 today!

The Russian-American dancer and choreographer is a living legend in the world of dance, having served as a principle dancer and eventually the artistic director of the American Ballet Theatre.

I was a little embarrassed that I knew so little about Mikhail so I went to the Kennedy-Center.org to read what some of the experts had to say.

Not long after coming to the United States, Baryshnikov looked both back and ahead at the immense possibilities of a dancer’s lifetime. “I have been very lucky to work in so many new ballets, but that is what a dancer’s work is,” he wrote in the 1978 Baryshnikov At Work. He likened the challenge of dancing different choreographies and styles to learning new languages, confessing that “there are never enough.” He added that “every ballet, whether or not successful artistically or with the public, has given me something important. Everything that I’ve done has given me more freedom.”

Has anyone in the field of dance ever made so much of that freedom? The generosity of Baryshnikov’s spirit embraces the world. He has danced to Adam and Tchaikovsky, but also to Dmitri Shostakovich and Philip Glass, to Duke Ellington and Frank Sinatra. He has danced to silence, and he has danced to his own heartbeat. He has been the ideal Albrecht and Prince Siegfried, but he has also stepped out in style as a paragon of jazz dancing, as a living emblem of modern and post-modern sensibilities, as a choreographer and teacher, as a company director.

He has been, and continues to be, a surprise. He embodies so many different and impossibly beautiful things to so many people that it is next to impossible to define him save to say this: Mikhail Baryshnikov is a dancer.

So for those of us who only know Mikhail from his role on Sex and the City (yes, Mikhail played Carrie’s love interest, Aleksandr Petrovsky, in the final season), I’m going to enlighten you with a clip of Mikhail doing what he does best.

Check him out for yourself!

Celebrating 60 Years of Prevention!

Posted by Katie on January 27, 2010 in General

prevention_logo_1

This month marks 60 years of Prevention magazine! The healthy lifestyle magazine includes news and tips on all kinds of subjects including food, nutrition, exercise, beauty, cooking, and more!

The publication is the 14th largest consumer magazine in the world, and with all this energizing and upbeat lifestyle advice, I can see why!

I went on Prevention.com yesterday to take a sneak peek at their latest issue and found all kinds of useful advice for a woman on-the-go. They even have workouts you can download onto your iPod so you can learn all the latest exercises without paying for a personal trainer! I think I’m hooked :)

Happy birthday, Prevention! Here’s to the next 60!

Tip Tuesday: A Wearable Birthday Craft

Posted by Katie on January 26, 2010 in Tip Tuesday

summerhair_rdax_65

I don’t know about you, but sometimes it’s hard coming up with fun activities to entertain your kids. Well, if you have a young girl at home with a birthday approaching, I’ve found a great craft that is sure to be a hit!

All your little fashionistas will love the idea of decorating their own headband! I stumbled upon Kaboose.com and found some quick and simple tips to create a party favor your kids will actually use!

Also, note that this activity requires use of a hot glue gun so make sure there is plenty of parental supervision!

What you’ll need:

  • Embroidery floss in your favorite colors
  • Buttons
  • Plastic headband
  • Scissors
  • Hot glue gun

How to make it:

  • Place a small dot of hot glue at one end of the headband on the inside. Place the starter end of your embroidery floss on the hot glue and start wrapping it tightly around the headband.
  • If you want to change colors, snip the thread you’re using and then put a dab of hot glue to tack the new thread into place. To get the effect in our picture, double up with two colors.
  • To add buttons, simply run the embroidery floss through the buttonholes and position the button on top of the headband. Then, continue wrapping with floss.
  • When you reach the other end of the headband with your floss, tack it in place with hot glue.

Tips:

  • Embroidery floss is available near the sewing, knitting and cross-stitch items at your local craft supply or discount department store.
  • Use buttons, pony beads, or other jewelry beads to decorate your headband.
  • If you plan to use this headband frequently, run some white craft glue around the bottom ends of the headband, across the floss, and let dry completely. This will hold the floss in place even more securely.

Happy Birthday Ellen!

Posted by Katie on January 26, 2010 in General

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Comedian and daytime TV sensation, Ellen DeGeneres, is celebrating the big 5-2 today! Happy birthday, Ellen!

This 12-time Emmy winner (yes, that’s not a typo — she’s got 12 of them) is the host of the syndicated talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show and the newest judge on American Idol. Talk about a busy schedule…

But Ellen isn’t just funny — she’s also a pretty good dancer. For anyone who has seen her talk show, you know exactly what I’m talking about :)

And if you haven’t seen it (or you just want to enjoy a good laugh), check out the signature Ellen dance.

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