The music, the attitude, the sweetness and those fabulous orange locks! Annie was my kind of girl and I learned every song word for word after listening to the soundtrack album on my record player. I knew she’d always hold a special place in my heart.

That’s why I couldn’t be more excited to be giving away FOUR TICKETS to see the live production of Annie being put on by Tri-Valley Reparatory Theater at the beautiful Bankhead in Downtown Livermore!

That’s right, my friends at TVRT are back and better than ever with their production of Annie! The show will be opening tomorrow night and running through February 5^th!  Performance dates are, January / February 2012
Jan. 21, 22, 27, 28, 29; Feb. 3, 4, 5. You can buy tickets here via the Bankhead Box Office.

Remember by purchasing tickets you’re helping support this amazing local theater group that truly rivals anything you’d see in San Francisco! Buy tickets, support local theater, AND LOVE ANNIE! The whole point of awesome local giveaways like this are not just to bestow four fabulous tickets to one of my readers, but also to remind you all about the magic of theater.

Especially Annie, a story and character that so many of us grew up knowing and loving. Pass Annie’s story on to the next generation. Relive your own childhood and let the magic of theater… well… work it’s magic on you and your family.

Now on to the giveaway! I have four tickets to see Annie on the Friday February 3^rd performance. All you have to do is TWO things:

1. 1.    Like Tri-Valley Reps’ Facebook Page (if you haven’t already)
2. 2.    Come back here and tell me in the comments your favorite song from Annie. It’s OK if you’ve never seen it; you just say you can’t wait to experience it for the first time!

You have until January 27^th 4PM to enter! Remember, these tickets are for the February 3^rd performance. So please check your calendar!

Now good luck, and remember you don’t have to win to take in what is sure to be an AMAZING show that opens tomorrow! Buy your tickets today!

And what kind of person would I be if I didn’t share with you guys MY favorite song from Annie?

Like most modern soap opera fans my earliest memories include One Life to Live in the background. Summer vacations, sick days from school all included spending an hour with the folks on One Life to Live. My mom was always a soap fan, and because soap fandom, is genetic and always passed down from generation to generation eventually I was too

As I got older I paid closer attention to the characters and storylines until one day I was not just watching because my mom was watching, but because I wanted to know what would happen next. Soon summer vacation meant catching up on the soaps. And as I became an adult it meant catching the soaps during my lunch hour when I could, having my mom fill me when needed, and of course going on maternity leave for the first time meant a healthy sudsy daily dose of soaps.

Even now, as a work at home mom, I try to schedule my “lunch hour” around One Life to Live. Well, I did. Not anymore because as of January 13^th One life to Live is officially off the air.

It’s hard to explain the draw to certain soap operas. But for me the biggest draw, was the comfort the soaps provided.

Whether it was rough days school, hard times when I moved out on to my own, or the stress of planning my wedding, the soaps were always there. As a grown woman I suffered a number of miscarriages before finally having my children. And on those horrific days when I was home from work curled up in my bed, guess who was there? Those same melodramatic characters that had been on the small screen my whole life. Ready with my temporary escape. When I was exhausted and in labor with my kids, guess what was on TV to try and take my mind off things? The soaps.

And so on and so forth.

It’s the comfort that there was something constant in this world I could count on to never change. That no matter what was going on in the world outside, or in my life the folk of Llanview would still be there, going about their soap opera lives like nothing had ever changed.

There are not a lot of constants in this world. Not a lot of things that we can rely on to never change and to always be there when we need an escape or a break from life. And one of the few constants in my life disappeared with the cancelation of One Life to Live.

So to a wonderful cast and crew who have worked so hard each weekday since before I was even born, I say adios and thanks for always being in the background when I needed you.

Everything a trip to see Santa is supposed to be.

But as an adult and parent these days in the Tri-Valley (especially Livermore) I have a number of options when it comes to taking my own kids to see Santa. And sadly I admit that until this year, the mall had never been one of them.

So as the newly named Stoneridge Mall Correspondent I was told my first assignment would be to document the Santa experience at Stoneridge I was filled with a wave of nostalgia and excitement.

Some people may turn and run the other way when it comes to visiting the mall at Christmastime, but for me, being a mallrat of sorts when I was a kid, I love it. The Christmas music, the hustle and bustle of shoppers running around, the twinkle of Christmas décor in all the stores and of course the excitement in the air. There’s no fighting it. As a kid it was part of the whole Santa experience and I thrived on it, so I couldn’t wait to take my kids.

We headed over to Stoneridge and made our way to the line of parents waiting, which was by all accounts not that, horrible. Our wait was about 20 minutes, because I wisely chose to go on a Tuesday after school. I imagine the line would’ve been even shorter had I gone on Wednesday when the kids got out of school early.

So heads up, forget the weekend trip if you can and do it during the week to cut down on your wait time.

I have to admit that though the towering tree that Santa sat beneath with the life-sized presents was beautiful, I missed for the Santa’s village Stoneridge used to have when I was a kid. As we waited it was hard not to reflect on the changes and similarities to the mall that have occurred since I was a prepubescent kid hanging out there.

Just as the wait was starting to make us all a little unnerved, something magical happened. As stood waiting we looked across Santa’s area to Godiva chocolates, which was just across the way. There was a man with long white hair and a white beard and what can only be described, as a tummy that I can only imagine must shale like a bowel full of jelly when he laughed. watching the mall Santa take pictures. He was dressed simply in a hoodie and jeans. We watched him until he turned and walked into the chocolate store.

“Wow, He looks almost like the real Santa.” I said. My kids know that the Santa’s we see during the season are not the “real Santa” but his helpers who take full reports of what they’re told and hand them over to Santa, who is MUCH too busty to visit every mall and store around the world during this bust time. “Yea mom, I wonder if he is.” Asked my 6 year old. “No, that’s not him.” My 8 year old, who is just beginning to question the actual existence of the big man in red, replied.

We waited until the man came out and watched as he walked up to the mall Santa and asked how things were going. Then he began walking through the mall away from us as my kids watched him wide eyed. Could it be?

Then out of nowhere this man stopped and turned and walked right towards us. When he came upon my amazed children he winked and said “Ho! Ho! Ho!” and continued on his way, bag of chocolates in his hand.

My kids watched him in wonder. “MOM. That was the REAL Santa wasn’t it??’ They both asked.

I watched the jolly man walk out of sight and couldn’t help but wonder….

I don’t have a clue who the bearded man was who was checking up on us as we waited in line that day, but I do know that as far as my kids are concerned when the “Real” Santa want to check out things in the real world and buy some Chocolate, there’s only one place he goes.

And for the rest of their lives every time we go to the mall they are going to keep an extra eye for him.

Who am I kidding? We’ll all be keeping an extra eye for him…

I received a Simon Mall Gift Card from Stoneridge Shopping Center to review the Santa Experience, but the opinions are completely my own.

So I can’t help but be giddy with more excitement than Edna Turnblaud in front of a Christmas Ham to be giving away two tickets to what is sure to be a fabulous show! But there’s more to this contest than just getting to give away two tickets to Hairspray, it’s a chance for me to help an incredible local theater company who has found themselves on hard times.

Tri-Valley Repertory Theater (TVRT) recently found out that their landlord was going to be raising the rent to their office and rehearsal space on top of general expenses that continue to rise for set and costume rentals, theater fees, etc. They are in need of donations of any size and of course more people to buy tickets to their fabulous shows. So I’m taking advantage of this contest opportunity to not only give away two tickets to see Hairspray but to encourage YOU to spread the word about the show and TVRT upcoming shows the coming season (OMG Annie AND Oklahoma!!!!).

For me Hairspray is simply one of my favorite musicals hands down. The music, the dancing and the incredibly uplifting plot are not only enough to leave you dancing to the beat, but feeling like you have the power to change the world! I’m SO stoked that TVRT has brought it HERE and I want to share it with you.

So here are the rules to get into the running for YOUR two tickets to see Hairspray.

1.    Go to Facebook and “Like” Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre (if you haven’t already).
2.    Share the Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre page OR this blog post with your friends.
3.    Come back here and leave a comment telling me why you love local theater.

Then the morning of Thursday October 20 I will choose a winner from the comments (that have “liked” the TVRT page) using Random.org. The winner will receive two tickets to see Hairspray during it’s run at the Bankhead Theater on the day of YOUR choice!

Remember you DO NOT have to be here in Livermore to enter, readers from the greater area Bay Area and Central Valley should enter as well. Trust me you HAVE to come visit our gorgeous downtown and see all that we have to offer and catch a great show while your at it.

A little about the show: Hairspray opens Saturday October 22 with performances Oct. 23, 28, 29, 30, Nov. 4, 5 and 6. Hairspray debuted on Broadway in August 2002. The songs include 1960s-style dance music and “downtown” rhythm and blues. In 1962 Baltimore, Maryland, plump teenager Tracy Turnblad’s dream is to dance on The Corny Collins Show, a local TV dance program based on the real-life Buddy Deane Show. It received 8 Tony awards and is based on the 1988 John Waters classic film of the same name.

A little about Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre: Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre is a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to providing affordable quality theatre, theatrical training, a showcase for talent, and a cultural experience within the Tri-Valley and East Bay communities. They are currently in their 27th year of providing professional quality musical theatre, their 20th year of providing a true community chorus, and their 14th year of providing black box theatre productions. Attendance at their various productions exceeds 15,000 people annually.

Squeezing the last bit of summer that we can…

Thank you to Crocs for sponsoring this blog post. Please click here to learn more about Crocs’ new Back to School line. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Now that Labor Day has come and gone, it’s safe to say that most kids are officially back at school. And that means that most people have completed their back to school shopping. Though if you’re anything like me here in California, most of those autumn and fall clothes have made their way to the back of the closets as the current heat wave has made summer feel like the guest that wouldn’t leave. Shorts and sandals are still all the rage where I am, not that I’m complaining.

I guess that why my goal with back to school clothes is to keep it simple and keep it cheap. My son and daughter both like to run and play hard at school, so fancy dresses and shoes are just a big waste of money. I need durable, weather appropriate and affordable stuff for my rugrats.

That’s why I was totally cool with helping spread the word about the new line of shoes from Crocs (not that most of you need to hear about Crocs from me!).

Crocs news line includes 13 new shoes that are both close-toed and close-heeled making them totally perfect for school. You can check out the new line and all the fabulous styles it includes here. Don’t forget to enter their giveaway for a family vacation to San Diego!

This morning I pulled out those books and I let myself slowly turn page after page.

The memories of that day and the weeks that followed are still a blur to me. In my mind I see montages of all the things I remember about those weeks. I feel sadness, fear and anger. But mostly sadness. And some joy. I remember the heroism and kindness that this country showed in those weeks following 9/11, and well, I don’t know that I’d ever be able to explain it to someone who wasn’t there to see it.

I remember pictures of burning buildings, missing loved ones and crowds of people covered in chaos. I remember for the first time the simple act of hanging a flag outside of my home caused me to sob uncontrollably. I remember a simple phone message from a cousin in New York, with chaos in the background simply saying that him, and the other family members were OK.

I remember making signs to hang outside my window. I remember FDNY t-shirts, and raising money for firehouses that had been left empty handed. I remember kids in Police and Fire Man costumes all through our neighborhood that Halloween. And I remember it making me cry, again.

I remember not having been on speaking terms with my dad for quite some time, and on September 12 calling him to tell him I loved him.

I remember driving down Tom Burnett Drive in Pleasanton for the first time, and crying as I looked up at the street sign. Crying for a fallen hero, his widow and their children.

I remember Berkeley full of protesters protesting against an inevitable war. I remember finding comfort in the gun toting Texan that was our fearless leader at the time, only to spend the next 10 years watching our country turn into a volatile politically charged and aching country.

I remember the first anniversary of 9/11 being pregnant with my son. And watching the footage again of that day while caressing my growing stomach. I remember watching TV from my hospital room after giving birth, when we officially declared war.

I remember a more innocent world. I remember a safer world with less hate and more love. I remember a world that was blown away long before my children were even conceived. A world where two strong towers stood tall in the Manhattan skyline.

I remember a Tuesday that started out like any other… or so I thought.

It’ been 10 years. In that time my life has changed a million times over. But when I look at these pictures and let myself remember, my stomach fills with knots and my eyes fill with tears as if it were only yesterday.

Never forget is what they said. Like we ever had a choice.

I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour conducted by Clever Girls on behalf of Dannon. I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program but my opinions are my own.

For more information and recipe ideas, visit www.oikosyogurt.com or www.Facebook.com/oikos. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Generally I am not a huge fan of celebrity-endorsed products. I don’t mind the occasional funny well-written commercial starring a celebrity I like, but I usually roll my eyes at the thought of a witty celebrity actually getting me to purchase a product.  Any product.

With one exception.

Anyone who is familiar with me knows that I do not keep my lifelong obsession with John Stamps much of a secret. An ill-fated contest in which I was one vote away from seeing my man Stamos in person here in my hometown over the summer still causes me to wake up in cold sweats at the frustration of it all…. But that’s another story. This story is about my favorite hunky Greek and his new gig as the face of Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt.

From the moment I first saw the commercial with Stamos knocking at the door with a container of the fluffy Greek goodness, I publically declared then and there that I would never purchase Chobani Greek Yogurt (my brand of choice until that day) again. “If Stamos says it’s better, then it’s BETTER.” I declared to my cat.

Little did I know that I would actually be chosen not a day later by Dannon to take part in an actual paid review of Oikos. Why they didn’t think John Stamos as their front man was enough I have no idea, but who am I to turn down a chance at trying Stamos’s yogurt of choice?

So I received my $5 card from Dannon and headed over to Safeway where lucky for me they were on sale five for $5 and almost cleaned out. I picked some peach, strawberry and my favorite, Vanilla to find out the truth about what John Stamos was telling me.

And I am the right person to judge. For the last six months I have been doing Weight Watchers and on a daily exercise in an attempt to get healthier. I have been pretty successful in losing 30 pounds during that time. One of my secret go-to treats while trying to eat healthier had been Greek yogurt. But honestly I found the super thick consistency of Greek yogurt to be too much for my taste. But with one yummy spoonful of Danon’s Oikos Greek strawberry, I knew I’d be going back to Greek Yogurt again.

The best part is that both the Strawberry, vanilla and Peach Dannon® Oikos® flavors that I tried all contain 0% fat (while the Dannon® Oikos® traditional blended varieties contains about 3% fat). Both are an excellent source of protein, twice that of most regular lowfat yogurts, which is one of the reasons why Greek yogurt is such a great snack to include in a healthy lifestyle.

Thanks to the authentic Greek straining process which gives Dannon® Oikos® it’s rich and creamy-thick texture it was creamy and thick enough to be filling yet much lighter than Chobani, leaving me satisfied but not overly full. And one single serving and a bottle of water left kept me going the rest of the afternoon.

So yes, Stamos peddling Dannon® Oikos® Greek Yogurt is what got me interested in trying it. And YES, Dannon asking me to review Dannon® Oikos® pushed me to buy a bunch before I went grocery shopping. But the actual yogurt itself is what’s going to make it a part if my daily snacking routine.

I have partnered with Dannon to help promote the Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt Series.  I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program, which includes writing about the promotion and product.  However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.

Second Discloser Notice: I have asked to be compensated for this post by having John Stamos bring me more yogurt. Dannon has yet to respond.