Watch Finding Kind on IndieFlix through May 31 (Giveaway)

In February 2009, two young women, Lauren Parsekian and Molly Thompson joined forces.  Having both been affected by female bullying throughout their youth, they decided to create change by giving females a platform to speak out about this universal experience. What began as an idea for a documentary about girl-against-girl bullying, ultimately became Kind Campaign, an internationally recognized movement, documentary, and school assembly program based on the powerful belief in KINDness that brings awareness and healing to the negative and lasting effects of girl-against-girl “crime.”

photo from findingkind.com

If you've got daughters in middle school or high school, you will want to sit down and watch this with them.  I apologize for the short notice.  I've been procrastinating again.  You, however, will need to get right on this.  You have until May 31st to watch Finding Kind, a peer to peer documentary about girl bullying on Indieflix. 

Don't have a subscription to Indieflix?  That's OK.  They gave me a trial subscription to check it out, and they will give 10 readers a two-month trial subscription too!  (no credit card info required)

About IndieFlix

• IndieFlix is a community of independent filmmakers and fans. Through its membership-based streaming service, IndieFlix helps filmmakers translate artistic vision into commercial success, and gives film lovers access to high quality independent films not otherwise available. IndieFlix’s mission is to champion filmmakers, rethink traditional approaches to distribution, and celebrate the artistry and impact of independent film.
• Co-founded by filmmaker Scilla Andreen, CEO of IndieFlix

Entering is easy - tell me why you want to watch this movie and/or visit Indieflix, browse through the movies and let me know which movie you're most interested in watching.  Be sure I have your email so I can send your code.  Giveaway ends May 31, so be sure to enter soon - and that is the last day to watch Finding Kind.  First 10 comments win!

Then, once you've watched the movie, be sure to come back and let me know what you thought of it.

Related articles

• IndieFlix Subscription Giveaway - 10 Winners!
• IndieFlix Featuring "Finding Kind"

Garden Inspiration brought to you by Miracle-Gro

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Miracle-Gro for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

It's springtime, and I'm starting to think about planting the garden again.  I'm also hoping that we'll get more rain this year so that things will actually grow.  Last year was a bit disappointing, though I did get enough jalapenos to make quite a few amazing Poppers!
 
I tend to plant a very basic vegetable garden - tomatoes, peppers, green beans, zucchini, chard -  good stuff to eat.  Nothing too creative, but it's so much fun to watch how little seeds or little plants grow and become food!  This year I got a little creative and planted some cheery marigolds in a pot out front.  I'm also planning to either plant some more of those or some other flowers, or perhaps a combination, in a couple pots out back on the deck.  It's really easy, and it dresses things up so much having that bit of color.

For this project:

• You will need - a pot or container with a drain hole, annuals from your garden store, potting mix.
• Fill pot about 1/2 full with Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Potting Mix. 
• Arrange plants in pot.  Add or take away Potting Mix to bring plants up to the level you want them.
• Once you've got all the plants where you want them, fill in with Potting Mix between and around the plants, covering the roots completely.  Press down lightly.
• Water thoroughly, and enjoy your new flowers.

Since they're in a container, they will need watered occasionally, but the Potting Mix absorbs 33% more water than ordinary soil, so it won't dry out as fast, and therefore won't need watered as often.  I love that, because I do tend to forget.

If you're interested in some creative and fun gardening projects, please check out The Gro Project from Miracle-Gro.  You will find many more great gardening ideas, all of them a lot more creative than mine, like the Toyarium, Ukulele Garden, Origami Garden, G.Y.O.B. or Thrown Down.  Even the names are creative! The Miracle-Gro website is also a great resource for gardeners and growers.  They have an expansive library of articles and videos full of expert gardening tips for beginners and professionals alike as well as online tools to help growers solve common garden problems.

Since I've branched out a bit from just planting vegetables - which I would highly recommend, by the way - I'm thinking of looking through the Gro Project ideas and seeing what else I can do.  See what happens when you start playing in the dirt?  You want to keep doing it!

Also be sure to share your projects on the Miracle-Gro Facebook page or on your social networks with the hashtag #MiracleGroProject and follow the Miracle-Gro Pinterest page for ideas on all kinds of fun garden projects and to share stories and projects with other gardeners.

What's Yellow and Green and All Over?

Oh, my husband hates seeing these things in his yard!

I never knew they didn't belong, until he started waging his war on them.  It's a pretty hopeless case.  They're everywhere.

And they are kinda pretty...

Of course, Jeffrey wouldn't agree with me.

Speaking of pretty - have you checked out Flickr recently?  I snipped all these dandelions off my flickr photostream, which now includes every photo I've ever uploaded - and 1 Terabyte of FREE storage!!  AND makes all the pictures look pretty, oh so pretty, and makes it easy to see all the newest photos from my contacts - like this one that just happens to also be of a dandelion.

Yeah, I haven't been using Flickr much for a while, but I am going to have to get back to it.  And start taking more pictures with my camera instead of just my phone.

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Now For Some Cuteness

Jason came over last week, and the weather was so nice we just had to get outside.  We went out into the back yard to run around a bit after dinner.  The neighbors were running a sprinkler where they've planted some new grass, and Jason really wanted to check that out.  It wasn't quite that warm, and he couldn't be running around on their baby grass anyway, so I headed him toward the swingset.  We don't have one in our yard, but both the neighbors have one.

I thought he might like to swing a bit, or go down the slide.  But first he tried climbing up the slide, which didn't work too well, so I showed him the ladder, which he climbed with a bit of help and went down the slide.  Once.  After that he went straight for the sand.  Typical boy, I guess. 

 

Sand in the hair.  Sand in the sandals.  Sand on the clothes. Once I finally got him out of the sand and into the house, it was definitely bath time. 

Dreaming of a New Kitchen

Kitchen Interiors
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We've been looking at houses again.  If you're confused because you thought we'd sold our house and already bought another one, that's another story.  Which I haven't posted here, but I should.  Soon.

Anyway, we've been looking at houses online, and there are several that could be quite nice for us.  Most of them will need a bit of work - from simple repainting, to completely ripping out the carpeting and installing new flooring.  Quite a few of the bathrooms and kitchens need some updating, too.

We're thinking that if we can get a decent deal on a house, we can afford to get some work done and fix it up the way we want it.  It would be kind of fun to be able to call someone in the area like this kitchen remodeling contractor minneapolis and see what kind of amazing kitchen I could have.

They say that the first step in any kitchen remodel, or any remodel for that matter, is to gather ideas, and I am definitely going to need to do that.  I spend a lot of time in the kitchen, so the kitchen is very important to me, but besides wanting plenty of cabinet space and counter space to work on, I have no clear idea about what I want in a kitchen. I'm more about function than about actual design.  I can look at the pictures of the houses and know if I like a kitchen or don't, but I'd have no idea what it would actually take to turn it into my dream kitchen.  I probably should start gathering some ideas on Pinterest.

I also hope there's something in our area like the Inspiration Design Center in Minneapolis.  Everything for the new kitchen is right there, and the showroom is designed to inspire plenty of ideas.  And then - they have 3D design capabilities, which means a new kitchen design isn't just lines on paper.  You get to see what your new kitchen will actually look like.  Jeffrey is always designing houses on paper or on his computer, but I have a hard time envisioning what it's actually going to look like just by looking at the drawings.  This would be much better.

Dancing with the Stars - and the Winner is...

I'm just now watching the Finale, so I don't know who the winner is - YET.  I just know who I think should win.

Kellie and Derek!

This has been a really good season, and I'm impressed with all four of the finalists, but I really think Kellie is the best.  She has consistently been great throughout the whole competition.  And that freestyle last night - did you see that?  It was so good.  If only the judges could have given higher scores than just 10s...

Zendaya has been great, too - and every single time she performs I am just amazed that she is only 16.  I had a sixteen-year-old daughter once.  I cannot imagine her putting in the work necessary to learn these dances or sticking with it when the going got hard.  Make no mistake about it - being on this show is hard.  If Zendaya wins, I'll be OK with it, because she is good.  Very good.



But I still like Kellie.

If there was a "Most Improved" award on Dancing with the Stars, I'd definitely give that to Aly.  She has come so far and turned into quite a dancer.  I'm glad she made the finals, but I don't think she should come out ahead of Kellie or Zendaya.

And Jacoby?  He's always fun to watch, and he's been better than all the other guys this season, but I really don't see him coming out the winner.  He's just not that good.  He might be.  If the girls weren't so good.

Anyway, I'm going to watch the end, but I'll publish this first so I can wait and see how things actually turn out and how close I was in picking a winner.  I guess I have a 1 in 4 chance of getting it right....

Something for Everyone in Las Vegas

Jeffrey and I went to Las Vegas three years ago.  We were only there for a few days, so we didn't get to see or do everything there is to do, but we certainly tried!  OK, maybe not, but we did do a lot of walking and tried to take in as many sights as we could.  We checked out the casinos, did a little gambling - which means I played the slots with the credit I got for signing up for a casino card until I lost it all, which took about 5 minutes, and Jeffrey played Blackjack a couple times.  We watched people, browsed some shops, saw Cher at the Coliseum, and wasted too much time with a stupid time-share outfit because they promised us Lion King tickets.  In the end we walked away from their stupid tour and purchased our own Lion King tickets - and it was awesome!  We enjoyed the fountains at the Bellagio, the Freemont Street experience, and the view from the Eiffel Tower at night.

There is certainly something for everyone.  Vegas is not just about gambling anymore.  Oh, sure there's plenty of that.  I personally don't see where the fun is in that, but there are lots of people who would disagree with me.  For thrill-seekers there is the roller coaster at New York-New York and the rides at Stratosphere.  Unfortunately we didn't get to those, but I definitely see the fun there! 

There are shows of all kinds to see and restaurants, restaurants, restaurants.  For people who love antiques, there are victorian casino antiques to browse.  There are some pretty neat items available at the victorian casino auction  - coin-operated machines, slots, jukeboxes, arcade games, chip dispenser caddies, signs, etc. - that people who really love Vegas would love to collect and display in their own homes.   I personally think it would have been fun to look through everything just to see what they had and to live a little history of Vegas.  One thing I was really hoping to do while we were there was visit the Neon Museum and Boneyard where restored neon signs are on display.  Unfortunately, it was closed while we were there, but it would have been another great way to see some Las Vegas history.

Gambling, entertainment, food, history, adventure, and reasonably priced accommodations - there really is something for everyone in Vegas.  What's your favorite?

Summer Vacation Can Be Deadly

A friend posted this on Facebook today, and I thought it was definitely worth a share - especially since school is about over for the year, and many of us will have young people with some extra time on their hands.

Summer vacation can be deadly.

A survey completed by the Love and Logic Institute found 75 percent of American adults believe teenagers today face more serious, potentially life-threatening decisions than a generation ago. These decisions, combined with a strong dose of hormones and the vacations and parties that come with summer, can challenge the most sensible teenagers. Fortunately, there are some simple, time-tested tips for parents who want their teens to make cool decisions as the weather gets warmer.

Tip #1: Don't fall into the trap of thinking teens no longer need their parents.

Because their adolescents are becoming more independent, many parents believe it's okay to leave them without supervision for hours on end. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Wise parents understand this, and they recognize teens need a watchful, yet friendly eye.

Tip #2: Set enforceable limits.

Teens need and want limits. However, instead of telling your teen what they should do, experiment with telling them what you will do or what you will allow. Instead of, "Be home on time," experiment with something like, "I share the car keys with those who come home on time." Instead of, "Don't hang out with Steve. He's trouble," try, "Feel free to see Steve when I know there is adult supervision."

Tip #3: Hold them accountable with empathy and logical consequences.

Parents who provide consequences with anger create teens that think, "When I make poor decisions, it makes others really mad. I better not get caught." Parents who replace anger with a genuine dose of empathy or sadness raise teens who know, "When I make poor decisions it makes my life really sad. For my sake, I'd better make wise ones!"

Tip #4: When you are too angry or worried to think - delay the consequence.

If your teen does something that throws you off balance, buy some time by saying, "I'm going to have to do something about this. But not now …later…try not to worry." Take some time to calm down and get some ideas from friends.

Every day, parents around the world are finding their lives made easier with these tips. One parent commented, "I came home from work to find my 16-year-old daughter and six of her friends had scattered pizza, chips, and dip all over my new carpet! I was furious. Luckily, I remembered the advice from Love and Logic and how to delay consequences. All I managed to say was, 'I'd better calm down first. We'll talk later. Try not to worry.' By the next day, she already had a good plan for selling enough of her things to hire some carpet cleaners!"

Our audio CD, Hormones & Wheels, includes plenty of ideas for setting enforceable limits, providing effective consequences, and dealing with other common challenges that arise during the teenage years.

Thanks for reading! Our goal is to help as many families as possible. If this is a benefit, forward it to a friend.

Dr. Charles Fay

Love and Logic® provides simple solutions and practical techniques to help parents with kids of all ages.

When Ends Just Won't Meet

A shop window advertising payday loans. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Living paycheck to paycheck is not easy, but millions of families are doing it today. When money runs short from one paycheck, even a few days waiting for the next paycheck is difficult. For instance, what is a single mother supposed to do when the electric is about to get shut off, and she has to choose between keeping the lights on and putting food in the refrigerator?

Usacashservices.com offers Nevada Payday Loans designed to help families going paycheck to paycheck. These short term loans allow the single mother to purchase food and pay the electric bill. The money is extended through electronic transfer, and borrowers simply repay the money from their next paycheck plus the added interest.

USA Cash Services makes it easy and fast to take out a short term loan by allowing borrowers to apply for their loan and verify their employment and identity online. One phone call is required before the loan is disbursed to the borrower, but the borrower does not have to walk into a USA Cash Services storefront to take advantage of their payday loan program. This eliminates transportation problems for those unable to visit a storefront.

With prices on everything from gasoline to food skyrocketing today, one paycheck does not stretch as far as it once did. That is why so many Nevada families rely upon payday loans to help them through difficult weeks. USA Cash Services even offers a Visa debit card for borrowers who do not have a checking account to accept their cash loan.

What I Wish I'd Said

I just finished reading In His Footsteps: Be Happy In Every Situation, Find Your Purpose, and this passage really struck me.   I thought it would be especially appropriate to share part of it for this Mother's Day weekend.

What I Wish I'd Said

When my children were small and would lose their shoes, I wanted to teach them responsibility, so I said, "You lost them; you can find them.  When did you last have them on? Where were you?"

I wish I'd been more concerned with teaching kindness, rather than responsibility.  I wish I'd said, "Here.  Let me help you.  When did you last have them on?  Where were you?"

When my children were small and I was busy or tired, I would ignore them or even worse, berate them.  I would say, "Go away.  Stop saying 'Mom, mom, mom'.  Just stop whining."  I wish I'd said, "Come here.  Talk with me.  Let me hug you."

That's what I wish I'd said.

My kids are grown and mostly out on their own now, and there are plenty of things I wish I'd done differently or said differently.   I'm pretty sure most moms would say that. 

Being a mom is one of those jobs where you learn as you go, hopefully learning quickly.  It's one of the toughest but most rewarding jobs in the world.  Even if we don't do it perfectly - and nobody does - we can focus on doing the best we can and most of all loving those little people.  No matter how old they get to be.