Ferdinand Hits Theaters December 15 | New Poster & Trailer

Didn’t have the chance to attend the World Premiere of MCFARLAND, USA at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood this past week? I have some fun pictures of the premiere to share with you!
As a surprise, the event featured a special performance by Latin rock superstar Juanes!
Based on the 1987 true story, “McFarland, USA” follows novice runners from McFarland, an economically challenged town in California’s farm-rich Central Valley, as they give their all to build a cross-country team under the direction of Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner), a newcomer to their predominantly Latino high school. Coach White and the McFarland students have a lot to learn about each other but when White starts to realize the boys’ exceptional running ability, things begin to change. Soon something beyond their physical gifts becomes apparent—the power of family relationships, their unwavering commitment to one another and their incredible work ethic. With grit and determination, the unlikely band of runners eventually overcomes the odds to forge not only a championship cross-country team but an enduring legacy as well. Along the way, Coach White realizes that his family finally found a place to call home and both he and his team achieve their own kind of American dream
Meet the inspiration behind the movie (minus Jim White)!
Of course the dashing Kevin Costner
Also make sure you join the social relay race for a chance to win $2,500 and other prizes!
http://racetomcfarlandusa.com/
Follow McFARLAND, USA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mcfarlandusa
Follow Disney Pictures on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/disneypictures
McFARLAND, USA is rated PG and opens in theaters everywhere on February 20th!

**Full Disclosure: I participated in an Influencer Activation Program on behalf of Influence-Central for Proacitv+. I received samples of Proactiv+ to facilitate my review and a thank you item for participating.
I know we’ve all seen them, or if your like me been them…that teen with the “red spots” all over their face, yes I’m talking acne…it’s normal for them with all the hormones surging through their bodies, so we really don’t think twice about it. But what happens when this follows you into adulthood? No, I’m not talking 20, I’m talking into your 30s or even 40s. I’m 33 and still suffer with acne, truth be told it’s not as bad, but I still get looked at when heading out and there is a huge red blemish staring them in the face. All they see is my acne, and not me. The past 6 weeks I’ve been able to try out Proactiv+ and today I’m going to share my experience with you.
The Proactiv+ System is a 3 step system that comes with a bonus once or twice a week mask! It’s simple to use and gentle on skin.
I’ve been using Proactiv+ for about 6 weeks now and love how its been for my skin. It didn’t start off as all roses though…I got a huge under the skin blemish within the first week that lasted about two weeks, but since then I haven’t had any blemishes at all! It’s even cleared up the black heads (gross) that plague my nose.
Proactiv+ helps fight breakouts and makes your skin look and feel healthier through a range of skincare ingredients. There are three steps in the core system:
Skin Smoothing Exfoliator has gentle exfoliating beads and glycolic acid gently move away excess oil, dirt , and other impurities so benzoyl peroxide can penetrate the pore to kill acne-causing bacteria.
Pore Targeting Treatment has an exclusive Smart Target designed to deliver benzoyl peroxide directly into the pore with laser-like precision. More in the pore means fewer blemishes and less irritation on your skin.
Complexion Perfection Hydrator drenches skin with essential skincare ingredients designed to help soothe irritation, even skin tone, visibly reduce post-acne marks and leave skin soft, hydrated and radiant. Salicylic acid, and anti-acne medicine, helps pores appear smaller by keeping them free of the oily build-up that makes them appear larger.
After using this 3-step system I see my skin clearer and more radiant than ever which has boosted my self-esteem immensely! I can leave the house and know when people are talking to me, they are paying attention to me, and not the blemishes.
The “plus” in Proactiv Plus means “more” with more advanced skin care benefits built-in to give you a more luminous complexion.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

This post may contain affiliate links which fund the My Sparkling Life blog.
We love to grill, grilling just adds that extra special flavor to what ever your grilling. But even when you grill you tend to have to balance your time between the grill the kitchen which can sometimes end with burnt food. Not good. Today I have a simple Grilled Herb & Wine Chicken Strips with a VeeTee Thai Lime & Herb Rice and trust me, no burnt food and no balancing act between the kitchen and grill. This rice might just be your new staple in your kitchen!
Ingredients:
3-4 large chicken breasts
1c White Wine
1/4c oilve oil
2 packs McCormick Grill Mates Garlic Herb & Wine Marinade
1 Lime
1 container VeeTee Thai Lime & Herb Rice
Instructions:
Slice your chicken breasts into strips
Mix wine, olive oil, marinade packs & juice from lime in bowl
Place chicken strips into marinade and let sit in fridge for 45 minutes
Wrap grill grate with foil and puncture holes in foil
Place chicken strips onto foil and grill till half way done, then remove foil and finish grilling strips on grill until done.
Place your VeeTee Thai Lime & Herb Rice container into microwave and cook for 2 minutes
Veetee DINE IN Microwaveable Rice superior technology giving consistently great taste & texture to end product. Veetee’s transparent trays communicate freshness, modernity, purity, naturalness and quality & has a 12 month shelf life! My little guys all loved the rice. I fixed Chicken, Golden Vegetable & the Thai Lime & Herb and they loved them all! Even my super picky two-year-old, who actually asked for more! I love that I don’t have to spend time in the kitchen putting together the rice and had more time to focus on the grill and quality family time instead. The best part about the VeeTee, other than the quality taste and fast cook time…it’s available at my local HEB and at a price I can afford!!!
FOLLOW VEETEE ON:
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One lucky My Sparkling Life Reader is going to win a case of delicious VeeTee Rice! This giveaway is open to residents of the US who are 18+ until 11:59 PM EST August 14, 2015.
The Fine Print: Entering this giveaway means that you accept both my rules & disclosure. I will notify winner via e-mail and they will have 48 hours to reply before I am forced to redraw winners. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Each household is only eligible to win this prize via blog reviews and giveaways once. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Many will enter, few will win! Please allow 8-12 weeks for delivery of prizing. My Sparkling Life is not responsible for any lost or misdirected packages. Prizing provided and shipped by VeeTee Rice LTD. In the rare occasion that a prize does not arrive (which has happened), please notify me and I will try to contact the sponsor.
Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

My husband is an avid watch collector…but tends to have a particular style. I heard about JORD Wood Watches last year and was very curious about them…he didn’t seem too interested when I mentioned it so I left it alone. But the more I looked at JORD and the quality and craftsmanship that goes into each watch, I knew I just had to check them out. I knew it would make the perfect stocking stuffer gift!
I picked the 94A series just because he doesn’t have any square faces and I thought it looked fresh and would be a unique addition to his collection. I choose the darker wood tone, the Natural Dark Sandalwood, because I knew he would prefer that over a lighter wood. I also liked the two tone face rather than going with a solid silver or color.
The natural dark sandalwood 94A series wood watch is hand finished and pretreated with tung oils. While it’s not waterproof (hello, wood) it is splash-proof which is great! I don’t have to worry about the face getting scratched up either because it has a scratch resistant mineral glass face. I like that it displays the date in a small window along with the hour/minute/seconds. It sounds like a simple thing, but having the date on your wrist really helps out when your day’s tend to run together.
Other Features Include:
double locking fold-over clasp
tuning fork type: quartz crystal
frequency: 32,768 Hz
accuracy: +/- 20 seconds /mo
battery: silver oxide SR626SW (equiv)
drive system: 2-pole stepping motor
This watch is anything but cheap feeling or looking. My hubby loves to wear it out because he gets a lot of, “Is that a wood watch? Wow that’s nice!” I wish I would have gone with my gut and checked them out last year like I wanted to. Now we are both kinda in love…I want to get him one from each series and maybe surprise myself with one…or two. Sometimes buying a watch for you spouse, father, brother can be a little daunting with all the options out there. But a watch is a great holiday gift for loved ones, it’s something useful, yet these are unique & whimsical. Below I have 3 tips to help in your search of the perfect gift.
Tips For Buying The Perfect Watch
Set a budget and stick to it. Some quality watches can cost as much as a car, so before you start shopping you need to know where you and your budget stand. That’s one thing I love about JORD Wood Watches, they are affordable quality watches that will wow.
Think Comfort. A man’s watch is his accessory and one that he wears day in and day out so it needs to be something that he would be comfortable wearing and not have to constantly fidget with it. My husband wears his to work as well as play so comfort is number one. You want to have it sized just right so it’s not too big and sliding around, yet not too tight and digging into his wrist. JORD makes this easy, as they offer sizing for the watch you choose. My husband was shocked when he tried it on and it fit perfectly…he didn’t know I had it sized before it even shipped!
What Style Does He Like? This one can be hard. There are so many options when it comes to watches. If you’ve purchased one with him before you might have a good idea of what he would like or not like. I know my husband does not like plastic bands or gold…and tends to lean towards darker colors when it comes to wood. So that saves a little time when looking. When I choose his JORD Wood Watch, I went for the darker tone band & silver face with a hint of color.
Now with any watch, you’re going to have to keep it clean. You can’t just take a cloth to this one, so here is how you clean & store your JORD Wood Watch to keep it looking and working its best:
Lemon or orange oil extract is best for cleaning the natural wood. When storing this timepiece, avoid extremely hot, cold, and excessively dry/humid environments.
Ready to shop? They offer free shipping & $10 sizing so there’s no reason not to! Just click the image below to be whisked away into the whimsical word of JORD Wood Watches!
Luxury Wood Watch
Ready to Win? One (1) lucky My Sparkling Life Reader is going to win $129 E-gift certificate to purchase their own JORD Wood Watch!! This giveaway is open to residents of the US who are 18+ until 11:59 PM EST Dec 6, 2015. a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Fine Print: Entering this giveaway means that you accept both my rules & disclosure. I will notify winner via e-mail and they will have 48 hours to reply before I am forced to redraw winners. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Each household is only eligible to win this prize via blog reviews and giveaways once. Only one entrant per mailing address per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Many will enter, few will win! Please allow 8-12 weeks for delivery of prizing. My Sparkling Life is not responsible for any lost or misdirected packages. Prizing provided and shipped by JORD. In the rare occasion that a prize does not arrive (which has happened), please notify me.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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Tomorrow, July 31 2015, is World Ranger Day. You might be familiar with their flat hats and uniforms, but a day in the life of a park ranger can be as different as the 408 parks themselves. One year away from the Centennial of the National Park Service, August 25, 2015 marks the 99th birthday of the National Park Service, and fee-free admission into more than 400 parks across the country for everyone. As you can see, America’s parks go far beyond the traditional landscapes you might normally think of.
I was able to get with Dr. Donna Shaver, Chief of the Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery at my local National Park, Padre Island National Seashore & ask how her park is celebrating the Centennial and all the ways people can get up, get out there and find their own connections with the parks, which preserve and protect America’s unique landscapes, history and culture.
Dr. Donna Shaver is the Chief of the Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery at Padre Island National Seashore, with the US National Park Service. She specializes in sea turtle research and conservation, winning the Harte’s Heroes Award last year for her efforts in the recovery of critically endangered species.
In addition to helping develop the Department of Interior’s restoration activities for sea turtle nesting, she has initiated a widely acclaimed sea turtle program that integrates conservation, research, and public education activities. Dr. Shaver is a member of the Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Working Group and the IUCN Species Survival Commission Marine Turtle Specialist Group. From 2002-2011, she worked with the Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Recovery Team that prepared the revised Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Recovery Plan to guide future restoration and research efforts for this species.
The boys and I love going to Padre National Seashore, so I asked Dr. Donna Shaver, What makes Padre National Seashore special?
Padre Island National Seashore preserves the longest stretch of undeveloped barrier island beach in the U.S. This very special place protects nearly 70 miles of beautiful Gulf of Mexico beachfront and preserves it in perpetuity for future generations.
Padre Island National Seashore is an important habitat for a wide diversity of plants and animals. It is the most important nesting beach in the U.S. for the critically endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle. Padre Island National Seashore staff and volunteers have worked with partners in the U.S. and Mexico for more than three decades to re-establish nesting by this species at the National Seashore and involve the community and public in our related restoration, research, and education programs. The National Park Service has been committed to this restoration program since the mid-1970s, and when we celebrate our Centennial it is very fitting to celebrate our decades of commitment to preservation of this magnificent species.
Sometimes we just want to help out and take out trash, even if it’s not ours. Dr. Donna Shaver had this to say about ways the public help her out?
The public can aid with our sea turtle conservation and research efforts by being alert for nesting Kemp’s ridley sea turtles when they are on the beach, and immediately reporting any that they see so that we can document and protect them and their eggs. Kemp’s ridleys nest mostly during the day, when most of our beach visitation occurs. In addition to helping with reports of nesting, there are also actions that people can take to avoid inadvertently harming the nesting turtles or their eggs.
Most Texas beaches are open to driving by the public, so if you drive on the beach during the nesting season please watch carefully for nesting and adhere to posted speed limits. If you see a nesting Kemp’s ridley turtle, let her nest undisturbed, protect her from others, and make sure that she safely re-enters the water after nesting. Carefully place an identification marker next to the nest so that rangers can quickly find it and protect the eggs. You can help by filling in any holes that you dig in the sand so that the nesting turtles do not become trapped in them. You can also make the beach a safer place for nesting turtles, people, and other wildlife by aiding with beach clean-ups and removing all of your beach equipment and trash when you leave the beach.
What made you want to work with the park and be a turtle conservationist?
During undergraduate school, I majored in Wildlife Biology and was very interested in conservation of endangered species. I read about the work with Kemp’s ridley sea turtles at Padre Island National Seashore and applied to be a Student Conservation Association volunteer aiding with that work here. I was selected for the position and this opportunity provided me with my first glimpse of the ocean and of a sea turtle. I was “hooked” on the spectacular vistas at the park, the friendly people of south Texas, and of course the opportunity to help save the world’s most endangered sea turtle species.
What is some little known history about the park?
The first published record in the scientific literature of Kemp’s ridleys nesting anywhere in the world was a Kemp’s ridley that nested here in 1948, years before this land was designated as Padre Island National Seashore and a unit of the National Park System. This record was published in 1951 in the scientific journal Zoologica. This was more than a decade before scientists learned the location of the primary nesting beach for the species, near Rancho Nuevo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, and published that information.
I know there happens to be turtle releases, where can the public learn more about this program?
The public can learn more about our sea turtle program and our hatchling releases by viewing our Facebook page titled Padre Island NS Division of Sea Turtle Science & Recovery, our website, or our YouTube Channel.
Watch our #FindYourPark video
This video celebrates the Centennial and #FindYourPark. We made it to help spotlight our hatchling releases and the long-term commitment of the National Park Service and Padre Island National Seashore to the restoration of this species, during this important occasion of the 100th birthday of the National Park Service. We hope that our video will inspire many more people to Find Your Park and watch a hatchling release here in the future. Many people plan a vacation to Padre Island National Seashore around the opportunity to see a release. Releases are soon coming to an end for this year, but will begin again next year starting in late-May or early-June.
Don’t forget to check out FindYourPark.com and use the #FindYourPark hashtag to share your stories!!

YEA! Fall is here, it’s my favorite time of year. Time for cooler weather, yummy smells and delicious food. What food reminds me the most of fall? Pumpkin! Today I’m going to share an Old Fashioned Pumpkin Honey Bread recipe with you…I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
1c Honey
1/2 c Butter (softened)
1 can (16oz) Pumpkin
4 Eggs
4 c Flour
4 tsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
2 tsp Ground Ginger
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Ground Nutmeg
In large bowl, mix honey with butter until light and fluffy.
Stir in pumpkin.
Beat in eggs, one at a time until thoroughly incorporated.
Sift together remaining ingredients.
Stir into pumpkin mixture
Divide batter equally between two well-greased 9×5 loaf pans.
Bake at 350*F for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Let loaves cool in pans for 10 minutes; Invert pans to remove loaves and allow to finish cooling on racks.
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