Thursday, April 15, 2010

Cinderella for a day at the Streamy Awards!!!

I was invited by Kodak to come and interview celebrities on the red carpet at the Streamy Awards and after the initial excitement I started to panic. I figured I'd need a dress (which I did't have), hair and make-up (which was going to cost an arm and a leg) and a babysitter (which is hard to come by). It's amazing how the universe always comes together to answer my prayers. I mentioned it to a girlfriend and she lent me an amazing Armani dress, my friend Kris (who is a model/comedian/make-up artist extraordinnaire) agreed to do my hair and make-up (and did a phenomenal job!) and my husband insisted that he'd watch my daughter so I could enjoy the event. Thank you fairy-godmother, Cinderella is going to the ball!!!


The Streamys, which took place at the Orpheum Theater, honored web-based television and since I was sent there by Kodak I figured I could ask the nominees and presenters what their favorite Kodak moment was. Interviewing is definitely not an easy job (much respect to you Ryan Seacrest) so I was glad to have fellow LA mom blogger Donna there to shoot and co-interview by my side. We recorded our interviews with Kodak's newest pocket Zi8 camcorder. Coincidentally, many of the video directors told us they the same camera for their projects too.



All the people I interviewed seemed to enjoy sharing their answers. I figured all the other questions were about their shows or the routine, "How does it feel to be nominated?" type questions so ours was refreshing. One actor even said, "THAT is the BEST question I've been asked all night!"

The responses ranged from the birth of my daughter, the day I brought my dog home from the pound, receiving G.I. Joes on Christmas morning and running around the park in depends! They were definitely informative and insightful answers.


There were many celebrities who attended: Illeana Douglas, Patrick Duffy, Jaleel White, Tony Hall, Tatyana Ali, Robert Englund, Justine Bateman and Kevin Pollock just to name a few. I felt like it was a very relaxed environment and all the staffers for the Streamys, Kodak and Ketchum couldn't have been nicer. They gave me and Donna a lot of freedom to talk to everyone at the event.


I think the highlight of the day was interviewing Patrick Duffy. Yes, "Man of Atlantis", "Dallas" and for the younger generation "Step by Step" Patrick Duffy. I couldn't believe he was right in front of me. I remember watching him on that show thinking Suzanne Sommers is one lucky lady! Can you TELL how giddy I was by the smile on my face?!


I especially enjoyed interviewing the up and coming web actors. They were humble and genuinely excited to be there. A lot of times I think when an actor becomes a huge celebrity they lose the graciousness of doing interviews and greeting their fans. I have a feeling many of these web actors will become household names in the near future so I feel privileged to have met them at this red carpet.


After a 9 hour day I was happy to end the night by saying a quick good-bye to the awesome Kodak and Ketchum crew at the Cicada after party. I was also excited to take a red-carpet photo with my partner in crime, Donna, but at the end of the day all I could think of was my husband and daughter. Did they have a good day? What did they eat? I wonder if I could get home early enough to see them before bedtime?


When I got home I took off the beautiful Armani dress and snazzy red shoes wiped off all my make-up and washed all the product out of my hair and happily slipped into something more "mommy". I was disappointed to find my husband and daughter already asleep because I wanted them to see me all “fancified” but I guess that's what pictures are for. On the kitchen counter I found a pepperoni pizza and in the refrigerator a diet cherry coke zero. Ahhh, just what Cinderella ordered.

DISCLOSURE: I was not compensated to write this post. I received press credentials to attend the Streamys as a guest of Kodak, who is a major sponsor of the show. I did receive a Zi8 camcorder to use on the red carpet, as well as a small digital camera and digital frame...BOTH OF WHICH I'm giving away, click on this link to find out more details and enter the contest.

WIN Kodak's New M530 digital camera or Pulse digital frame!!!

Kodak wants to give YOU, my readers, a chance to win the NEW
M530 Digital Camera
OR Pulse Digital Frame!



Here are the contest rules:

1. Post a comment sharing your FAVORITE Kodak moment (A Kodak moment is a memorable moment that you'll remember forever). If you have a photo related to this moment please include a link so I can view it. (Photo is not necessary.)

2. Make sure I can access your blogger profile so that I can contact you if you win.


I will run the contest until midnite of May 9, 2010 and ONE reader will win the M530 digital camera and another will win the Pulse digital frame. The TWO winners will be chosen by using random.org and will be announced on May 11th, 2010!

Please follow my blog so you can learn about future giveaways.

Good luck and comment away!

Bernadette
AKA Bern-Baby-Bern

Monday, April 12, 2010

And The Winner of the $20 Cinnabon Gift Card IS...

...first of all, I want to show everyone how I GOT the winner. I took all the entries and entered them in the list randomizer at random.org and pressed "randomize" and got THIS list...


THEN I put 1 thru 29 in the number randomizer (because that's how many entries there were) and whatever number came up was "matched" to the first list.


And the winning number was lucky number 13!!! Which is...drum roll please...AMY ANDERSON!!! Congratulations Amy! Please email me your address so I can have the card sent to you.

Thank you everyone for all your comments! The next giveaway gives you TWO chances to win! The two gadgets are courtesy of Kodak. One is their awesome NEW M530 Digital Camera and the other is Kodak's Pulse Digital Frame! Check back in a few days for details and thanks for reading my blog!

Friday, April 2, 2010

Fresh & Easy's New EatWell Products


It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Fresh and Easy. But now I'm an even bigger fan because they're coming out with their EatWell healthy meal options that are fresh, convenient and best of all they're DEE-licous!!!


Each meal contains 25% or less of your daily caloric intake, which means, you can have four of these meals and still be within the daily guidelines based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Each individual packaging clearly displays the calorie, fat, saturated fat and the sodium content, which is very important when you're trying to lose weight.

The EatWell launch consists of 17 new items including Fresh Ready Meals, Soups, Salads, Sandwiches and Sushi-all made in the Fresh & Easy kitchen. I was lucky enough to sample a number of these products at Fresh & Easy's home office and I must say that I agree with their motto, "no compromise on taste". All the dishes were fresh, flavorful and I didn't feel like I was missing anything when I ate them.


Here is a list of some of the dishes I sampled:

Arroz con Pollo-Seasoned chicken breast and rice with crimini mushrooms, bell peppers, peas and tomatoes blended with herbs and spices. $3.99


Bruschetta Chicken-Whole wheat pasta topped with juicy chicken breast and sweet tomato sauce, sunblushed tomatoes and parmesan cheese. $3.99


Teriyaki Salmon-Grilled salmon fillet on a bed of brown rice with broccoli, bell peppers and sweet teriyaki sauce. $4.99 (MY FAVORITE!)


Spicy Tuna Square-Layers of brown rice, roasted edamame, gingered carrots and spicy tuna mix. $3.99 (MY 2nd FAVORITE!)


Veggie Hummus Wrap-Crisp cucumbers, bell peppers, carrots and spring lettuce mix with red pepper hummus wrapped in a sundried tomato tortilla. $2.99 (The dressing is to die for!)


Turkey Chili-Hearty chili with lean turkey, onions, carrots, tomato, kidney beans and bell peppers with herbs and spices. $1.99

My husband and I have taken an oath to eat better in our daily life and these convenient, healthy and reasonably-priced meals will definitely help us accomplish that.


Enjoying the delicious Fresh & Easy wine

I know you're probably wondering, "How you can I get my hands on these new EatWell meals?" Starting April 7, 2010 they will have these products, and many more, available at your local Fresh & Easy grocery stores so you can experience the goodness for yourself!


The Awesome Fresh & Easy Team!

Thank you Fresh & Easy for allowing me to be part of such an awesome event!!!

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Mommy's Purse to the Rescue!!!

Before I was a mom I thought I was always prepared. Only after I became a mom did I truly find out what the word prepared meant. I thought, "This is just how I am when I'm with my daughter" but I realized that once you're in mommy mode you can never go back. Which in not neccessarily a bad thing.

I recently got the opportunity to shoot in San Francisco. The thought of having three days to myself with uninterrupted sleep was exhilarating! This would be the first time I would be away from my daughter for such a long period of time. I knew it would be difficult but I wanted to enjoy myself as much as I could.

On this trip, I discovered that I was very prepared. Let me over-emphasize that, I was "mommy" prepared! When I boarded that plane I had snacks, anti-bacterial, baby wipes, aspirin, extra napkins (because you can never have enough napkins in your purse) and more things than I care to list. Let's put it this way, I had feminine products and it wasn't even that time of the month. I just like to have them ready in case someone else needs them.


I think once you become a mom you develop this mentality of "always" be prepared! For instance, carrying around an extra outfit just in case your little one has an accident. Having snacks in case they get hungry. Taking books and crayons to the restaurant so during those few minutes they are distracted you can devour your meal before a meltdown.

My fellow actors noticed this as well. We worked in 38 degree weather for fifteen and a half hours and one of the actors looked like she was freezing so I offered her a blanket. Another actor had a headache, no need to call the medic, I had aspirin in my pocket. It was two hours 'til dinner and craft service was quite a hike but one of the actors was hungry, fear not I have goldfish and granola bars in my purse!!! I remember someone saying, "Wow! You can tell Bernadette is a mom." I thought to myself, "I certainly AM a mom" and took it as a complement.

That trip made me realize that I practically have everything I need, but if I don't I can certainly ask a fellow mom and I'm pretty sure she will have it.

$20 Cinnabon Gift Card Giveaway!!!

Now if you've been out to your local Cinnabon lately you would have noticed the delicious NEW cupcakes they are now selling. I know I have! They come in four flavors: chocolate, vanilla, cinnaswirl and carrot cake (my favorite).


If you'd like to try these yummy treats for free, join the contest!

Here's how:

Leave a comment on THIS BLOG (NOT Facebook) stating what your favorite dessert is. Let's keep it G rated people. Some of you might have to create an account to do so but it will only take a minute, I promise! AND if you become a follower you'll be able to sign up for future giveaways. And there are some GOOD ones coming up!

The winner will be chosen at random and will be announced on April 12, 2010.

Comment away and good luck!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Fun, Food, Friends and Free Stuff at the Ritz!


A few weeks ago I got an opportunity to attend the LA/Orange County Moms Blog party at the Ritz. It was hosted by SV Moms Group and sponsored by BitDefender, Stride Rite and the fabulous Ritz-Carlton of Laguna Nigel.

The best part of these events is all the great stuff we receive and in addition we also get the chance to meet and catch up with fellow mom bloggers in person.


We had the opportunity to network and share valuable information about integrating brands into our blogging, which is very helpful to bloggers who haven't tapped into this market. After two hours of the roundtable we proceeded to learn about all the products we were about to receive.


Here are just a few of my favorite items and will follow up with more in the future:

iGO green Charge Anywhere-
This awesome charger works as a wall charger to charge almost any device while charging it's own battery for device charging away from a wall outlet. It even has two USB outputs for simultaneous device charging. It works with multiple devices including mobile phones, digital cameras and GPS devices just to name a few. This handy charger is a definite must-have for trips as well as regular day to day life!


Cinnabon Cupcakes-
Now you might be asking, "Cupcakes?!" Yes, CUPCAKES!!! Cinnabon is not only spreading joy through their cinnamon rolls but now also with cupcakes. I am a huge fan of their cinnamon rolls, which is probably why I still have some baby weight to lose, and their new cupcakes rate equally as high. They come in cinnaswirl, chocolate, vanilla and (my favorite) carrot cake. These yummy treats are now available at your local Cinnabon. I will also have a $20 Cinnabon gift card giveaway so that you can try these new cupcakes so make sure to check back in a week!


Skechers Shape-Ups
Every busy mom who is trying to lose the baby weight looks for quick and easy ways to incorporate exercise in their everyday lives. Now they can with Skechers Shape-Ups! The second I slipped them on I fell in love. They are comfortable and sporty at the same time, not to mention the added bonus of helping shed those extra pounds. After wearing them for a few days while grocery shopping I've noticed an improvement on my calf muscles and posture. If you're looking for a shoe replacement I definitely recommend trying out these Shape-Ups!


Dole-
Dole has a special place in my heart. Not just because they gave us some awesome fruit cups, which every child loves, but because they made me feel like a winner with the help of fellow mom blogger Yvonne. See, there were many items raffled off at the event and after all the winners were announced I was disappointed to find out my name was never called. But Yvonne won a great gift basket from Dole which had everything from recipe books (which is so appropriate because Yvonne is an excellent baker and does it successfully for a living) to cans of pineapple and last but not least, thee cutest pink Dole hat!!! She graciously shared that hat with me so that I could also feel like a winner. Thanks Yvonne!


Bosch Appliances-
If you're a coffee addict like I am, you'll love Bosch's new TASSIMO single-cup beverage maker! They had a wide variety of flavors, caramel being my favorite. If you're not into coffee they also had other flavors including hot chocolate which was creamy and decadent. Each individual serving is barcoded so the machine knows exactly the right time and temperature to brew. Wake up to a perfect cup with Bosch!


Thank you to Daphne, Heather and Jason of the Rogers Group for sharing such terrific products and participating in the event.

After visiting the booths and learning about all the giveaways some of the mom bloggers and I were able to relax and enjoy some of the delicious food at the Ritz.


California rolls, my favorite.



And chocolate covered strawberries for dessert.



Eunice and Me at the event.

I would like to thank SVMoms Group and all the amazing sponsors for allowing me to take part in such spectacular event! Live, Laugh, Blog!!!