Red Hot Love Valentines Day Cocktail

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In Marvel Studios’ THOR: RAGNAROK, Thor is imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok—the destruction of his homeworld and the end of Asgardian civilization—at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela. But first he must survive a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger—the Incredible Hulk! THOR: RAGNAROK is directed by Taika Waititi and returns Chris Hemsworth starring as Thor and Tom Hiddleston reprising his role as Loki. They are joined by Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson and Karl Urban, with Mark Ruffalo and Anthony Hopkins.
THOR: RAGNAROK opens in theaters everywhere November 3rd!

*Disclosure: I was invited by disney on an all expenses paid trip to L.A. to attend the press junket and premiere for Disney’s The Jungle Book, however all experiences and opinions are 100% my own!
So yesterday I got to share our interview with Jon Favreau & Neel Sethi, well today we get to talk to Raksha & Akela about parenting, role models & more…that’s right Lupita Nyong’o & Giancarlo Esposito talk about their roles in Disney’s “The Jungle Book”!
It’s not every day you get to sit down with inspiring people and it just so happens we had the chance to do this 3 times in one day! We all have the actors that we just adore, and for me I have several, Lupita being one of them. I was excited that we would be sitting in the same room with her.
When asked about what life experiences did she have to draw herself to this character as a mothering role, I wasn’t really shocked by her answer, but completely moved.
“Well, I have a lot of very, very powerful women in my life. My mother being the first. And most important. But in my culture, in my mother’s sisters are also my mother. And my father’s sisters are my mother’s, too. So I’ve have many mothers. My mom, she had a fierce love for her children. And she’s known to say things like if you die I’ll kill you. And so… That… For me, that spirit, that tenacity of mothering was something that I thought of. And that inspired my version of Raksha. Because it takes a woman with one huge heart to take on not only a child that’s not hers, but of a completely different species. And the fact that she does this, and she does it, and she doesn’t look back, and she does everything in her power to protect that child. And then to have to…let go of that child as well, that takes even more love, you know, to allow your children to do what they need to do. And all mothers go through that. I know… I went through that with my mother. And as a child, you don’t appreciate it until you’re much older, and you realize how hard it is to make new connections, and then how hard it is to lose those connections. So those were things I was definitely thinking about. And I love my mommy.”
It wasn’t hard for either actors to say yes to their rolls. Giancarlo was actually talking to Jon years ago about how wonderful to do this movie again and re-envision it for a new generation as they were filming the trailer of Destiny. So when Jon called to ask if Giancarlo was in it was a resounding YES! As for Lupita, what appealed to her about the role was the idea of playing a mother. Something that she hadn’t yet done. To do it in voice-over.
” Just opened myself up to something new! I have always loved children. I been fantasizing about motherhood since I was probably 2 ½.”
Giancarlo was asked if he identifies with Akiwa in any way?
“Oh, in so many ways. I’m a male, and on the way in, Lupita was talking about another film she did, and there was a lot of testosterone, energy! I have four daughters, and you know, I have to say that, while these questions, in regard to Raksha and how Lupita feels about her mom and being a mother, I feel like… the importance of the female and the mother presence in our society is greater than ever.
I have four daughters who, the eldest is 19, the youngest is 12, and I watched all of them journey into motherhood. Motherhood is very deep. It starts when you’re very, very young. Now, my 12 year old comes in, wants to put me to bed. And she’ll, you know, put her hand on my forehead and say the prayer with me. As for years I’ve done for her! It’s almost like a very beautiful, natural transition.
So while Lupita and you guys have been talking back and forth about motherhood, I have this vision that I’m really watching each one of my daughters start to become women, and mothers. And this is what’s gonna save our planet. I know it. Because there’s such a grace and understanding in the female persona when women have really come into their own. Part of that is to have children, and to be caring for those children, and not only in the care for them, but also in the nurturing and raising of them, they have to pass on their, their souls, and their intelligence.
And all those things can’t be taught. It’s something that, that in the essence of a woman, the essence of a mother, a mother knows! So to me, you know, I have learned to listen through, raising four daughters. But I’ve learned to become a progressive man because I have four women in my life. It is this strength of the mother that is going to change the way the world is. It’s the compassion, the love, the very open spirited mother, and woman that will move us forward in this new century.”
What is one thing that you want children to take back from your character? What’s one example or role model quality that you want the kids to see from parental figures in the movie?
Lupita – “Well, I think… what Mowgli is dealing with is finding belonging and what Raksha offers him is home. Her… as home. And as an anchor. And I think that’s a really important thing for children to have, So that they can veer away from it, but always be able to come back when they need to.”
Giancarlo – “We want to remember to be playful! We’re here in this… wonderful and incredible world! Like, the grand architect of the universe created this playground. And we’re supposed to have fun, and we’re supposed to play. And that’s what I tell my kids. And what I want people to get from this movie is that sense of freedom, that sense of, abandonment in the ride of this film, the sense of connection with family, even if you don’t have a family. The sense of trust that someone’s gonna adopt you and take care of you. That sense of, really being engaged by the world. You know? And I think people are gonna feel it in this film.”
So what’s next for the stars after this amazing adventure?
Giancarlo – “I’ve just made, um, my second feature film as a director called “This is Your Death”. It stars Josh Gemmell, Famke Janssen, and myself…and it’s an unflinching look at reality television.”
Lupita – “Well, I am on Broadway at the moment. I’m doing a show called “Eclipsed” by Danai Gurira. She plays Mishone. And she’s an incredible playwright. And she’s written this five female play about women in the Liberian civil war, and how they each individually deal with war, and get themselves out of very dire situation. We are the first all female performed, directed, and written play on Broadway.”
She is also working on another Disney film that releases later this year where she plays a mother, but this time live action mother…Queen of Katwe…and its about a Ugandan chess prodigy.
I loved listening to the two of them, and if we could have, I would have sat all day and listen to them talk!
Come back later this week for an interview with Sir Ben Kingsley plus “The Jungle Book” movie review!
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.
If you’re like our house, you’ve fallen in love with the next generation of the Lion King saga….The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar on the Disney Channel. Disney’s Lion Guard comes out on DVD Today, Tuesday, February 23rd, and to celebrate we have some fun downloadable activity sheets & video clips to share with you courtesy of Disney!
The Lion Guard: Return Of The Roar – Kion’s First Roar
Beau Black Music Video “Here Comes the Lion Guard”
Stay tuned for a Digital Code Giveaway!!

There will be no soothing hot shower this winter
You might enjoy your hot and relaxing shower in the evening, but in reality, the hot water is doing nothing for you! In fact, it could even damage and dry out your skin as it’s been fragilized by the weather. The best thing you can do for your body is to take a cold shower. Indeed, as your metabolism tends to slow down in winter, a cold shower can help to improve blood circulation and clear blockages. Besides, as it tightens your pores and cuticles, it ensures that your skin and scalp can stay clean and healthy.
Does your hair get greasy when it’s cold?
Beanie hat, warm gloves, and you’re ready to go out. Except that after a few days with these warming accessories, you notice that your hair is looking greasy. The main reason is that wrapping up makes you sweat, transporting the oil that protects your scalp further down the hair. The result: Your scalp can dry out while your hair looks greasy. Your winter shampoo, consequently, needs to tackle both dry scalp and oily hair! Failure to use the appropriate product can aggravate the situation.
Spend as much time outdoors as possible
The winter blues, as mentioned earlier, is a seasonal affective disorder that affects people when their intake of vitamin D drops. Vitamin D can be found in dairy products, for instance, but it also comes directly from sun exposure. In winter, the short days, cold temperatures and cloudy skies make it tricky to recharge your batteries. In reality, if you want to keep the seasonal depression at bay, you need to spend your free time outside. Natural light exposure can help you to prevent mood swings and other symptoms. Besides, fresh air is good for your immune system!
Winter might not be your favorite season. But with these tips, you can finally make the most of it without worrying about your health.

So it’s not something any parent looks forward too…but lice is inevitable…We dealt with it last fall after visiting my sisters. It was our first time having to deal with these menacing little creatures, and it wasn’t fun treating 5 of the 6 of us and one of them being a toddler with whom traditional lice products say not to use on. This year I was introduced to a new product SoCozy boo! lice scaring products.
SoCozy BOO! is a non-toxic Lice Prevention three step system that nourishes, hydrates and detangles hair all while repelling lice. All 3 products contain a proprietary of lice scaring essential oils, with no toxic or harsh chemicals. All products contain high-quality ingredients that help defend from infestations of head lice and by layering Boo! products you increase efficacy and ensure the best results.
BOO! Shampoo is a preventative shampoo to scare away lice. Use every time you wash and lice will stay away. This gentle sulfate-free shampoo is fortified with natural ingredients like Tea Tree, Peppermint & Rosemary that lice find very offensive.
To help prevent lice, after using Boo! Shampoo, massage a dollop of Boo! Conditioner through hair and scalp. Leave on for 30 seconds then rinse. When used after the shampoo, the essential oils in the formula create a layer of the scent that has a repelling effect on lice, they hate the smell so they stay away.
Boo! Spray is a non-sticky preventative daily leave-in conditioning spray that is perfect to use in-between washings for added protection. This formula conditions, detangles and maintains the look and feel of hair.
SoCozy’s BOO! 3-Step System’s products smell nice as each contain Peppermint, Tea Tree, Rosemary and Lavender and all of them leave hair clean and tangle-free. It’s such a relief to find a prevention product with no harsh chemicals that I can even use on my littlest one.
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.”