PSA Cord Blind Safety

https://youtu.be/e39o5MrXCjQ

Independent Again ???

I am an independent actor and model again.  My decision to leave my last agency was one that I thought about for months on end and I finally made the decision to part ways.  We were not a good fit and I could not afford all the fees associated with representation but hopefully we parted on good terms.  I still think very highly of the agency and am happy to have had the experiences I did learning and growing in this career field.

Spokes Model.

I had the opportunity to be a spokesmodel for the Cricut Company. I love their products and they were such a great company to work for and with.  I am excited to get my own Cricut expression machine so that I can take advantage of all the wonderful crafts it can make.  Below are a couple of the videos I got to do with them.  What an amazing opportunity that I hope happens for you if you are trying to break into acting.
http://us.cricut.com/home/?Campaign=Brand%20-%20Cricut&ad=1&kw=[cricut]&gclid=CjwKEAjwp_uqBRClvrrXmsbPog4SJACK4gIPjgS04r607OE3Oxp-7kY29N0pZIp_w9VhB1lSyXe2FRoCdaXw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Acting Reel

Having an acting reel is such a good idea if your an actor.  You can showcase some of the projects you have had the opportunity to work on as well as show your versatility. I just got my Reel today my good friends at Redcastle Productions put it together for me and features many of the projects I have done with them as well as a couple of the jobs I got to do with Cricut a company I loved working with. So with out further ado here is my Reel I hope you like it and I hope if your an actor that you get one put together best of luck. 

Choosing a Talent Agency and Dealing with Fees

So I am currently with NIYA Model Management she is very good with young talent as she tends to get them seen by top agencies in LA, New York and so on.  I have been told many times that since I plan on staying local TMG or Mc. Carty may be a better fit for me.  However I have already payed the website and promotion fees to be represented by NIYA Model Management and although I found them to be much steeper than Stars Talent Studio online marketing fees. I have made a decision and hopefully one that benefits me.   Agency fees such as this go toward upkeep of a website and since my husband happens to be a developer, I know first hand how expensive this can be.  A company has to hire someone to create a website as well as continue to pay them for maintenance of the site and every time a new person comes in or leaves they are in charge of taking taking care of it so this is an ongoing process one in which the agency must pay for and if the agency is small like many in Utah then expect to pay this fee.  I have seen them as small as $50 and and expensive as $300.  

Who should you choose to represent you or your family member?  I get asked this a lot by people I know who are interested in having their kids in the media.  My best advice to them is to enroll in an acting class.  If you're not willing to pay for acting classes than I'm sorry but you're not going to make it as an actor.  Many of the agencies in Utah offer acting classes.  I personally would never take them from an agency I think the prices are far too steep with little pay off.  Instead I would and have taken tons of theatre and improv classes. Most of them have been through multiple universities.  I also am planning on taking a film acting course and I have already learned a lot just by being in film as main characters as well as background characters.

This brings me to another good point do some background video work.  Many of these jobs pay about $100 a day  which isn't a lot but you are learning how to be in film and you are getting paid to do this so take advantage.  Besides being a background actor will allow you to get a feel for the environment and then you can decide first hand if this is truly something you or your child should pursue.  Another good thing about background work is that it pads your resume and shows those agencies that you are trying to get in with that you're not afraid to look for your own work. Just recently I found a job on my own and had them refer to my agency so that I would get a better pay rate.  I actively look for work everyday even with an agent.  If you are not looking for work chances are you're not going to be working a whole lot.

 More about helping you child succeed. If your child is tall, beautiful, photogenic and comfortable in front of a camera but has no experience you're probably going to have to get a test shoot done. These are photoshoots an agent can use to determine if a young person has potential. These photos also are used in promoting your child.  These shoots are not and never will be free.  I payed roughly $400 to start my comp card and the images were pretty basic. I had a great headshot and then on the back of my comp card I had 4 different photos in different outfits. They are great images they got me some of my first jobs.  Since then I have made sure to ask photographers who I am working with if I can have a copy of my best image from the shoot so I can add it to my portfolio or comp card.  Now every image on my comp card is a working image.  I have even been hired by photographers for stock photo shoots and generally they give me an entire CD of generic images.  Stock photos are not my favorite jobs but if I ever need to show someone I can look like a Dr.  I have that image.

Some agencies will refer you to photographers. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO USE THEIR PHOTOGRAPHERS I hope that was clear.  Really if an agency is bullying you into using their guy than its probably a scam.

Here are some people I love and trust to shoot with if you need someone.

Tiffany Fuller- Specializes in newborns as well as children awesome lady very reasonable prices.
https://www.facebook.com/tiffanyfullerphotos?ref=br_tf

Charles Uibel- I met Charles at a job for a sunglasses shoot he is very talented.
http://www.uibel.com/

Mark Reynolds-  Amazing with my son who happens to be a model and also a very fun person to be around his talents show in all of his work.
https://www.facebook.com/MachineGunMarc?fref=ts


So who should you go with for representation?  That depends on who will take you as well as your goals if you plan on staying local TMG, Mc. Carty , Stars.  If you plan on being shown to Ford Models, NIYA.  If none of them will take you there are some other agencies in Utah just don't sign until you are positive and don't be bullied into taking classes from their establishment.

21 day fix Eating Out but Eating Right!

I love going out to eat! I love everything about it.  I don't have to do dishes, I don't have to prepare my meal, I get to chat with my family and I just enjoy being out on the town.  So I decided that maybe it would be a good idea to let you in on my favorite places to eat and why.  I also occasionally go to fast food restaurants but I choose the right things for myself and my kids.

My absolute favorite fast food chain in Utah is Zupas they have a fun family atmosphere and quick food prep line.  They offer great salads and their soups are good too! When I take my family here, I always feel good about what everyone is eating.  My kids pick from the kids menu which includes grilled chicken and fresh fruit cups along with other healthy choices and I get a different salad every time I go.  I also love their chicken taco soup. http://cafezupas.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Catering_Menu_2page_R1.pdf 
One thing to remember when eating out, is to always get your dressing on the side that way you know how much is going on your salad.  I generally skip on the bread that comes with these salads unless I haven't had any grains for the day.  I also just love the chocolate covered strawberry for my little treat that comes with every meal.

We also eat at Costa Vida about 1 time a month.  My favorite part of this cafe is that I can go online ahead of time and see how many calories my meal is going to be.  Check out the link below and it will show you based on what you choose how your meal will effect your daily intake.http://www.costavida.net/healthy-living/  I never eat a full burrito from here I generally split one 4 ways with my kids and then pair it with a salad.  Or if I am on a date I choose something from the menu that goes along with my goals.

So we live in a place that has a lot of Mc. Donalds restaurants and they have really cool play places. I generally don't choose to eat at Mc. Donalds but when I let my kids choose they almost always say lets go to Mc. D's and so we go.  Now many people don't know this but when you order here you can get your kids cutie oranges, apples, yogurt or a side salad.  Pair one of these sides with chicken nuggets and a water, milk or juice and your kid gets a fairly balanced meal. I still wish they had grilled chicken for kids but they are slowly making improvements and I like that.  As for me I always get the Southwest Salad with grilled chicken and no dressing.  I have water with every meal so overall my Mc. Donalds calorie count is at 290 calories. I really do like the nutrition information available online and at the restaurant.  So keep it up fast food chains your on the upswing.
 http://www.mcdonalds.com/content/us/en/food/product_nutrition.salads.3642.premium-southwest-salad-with-grilled-chicken.html

Another place my kids love is Chick Fil-A and I sorta love that place too.  Thier salads are very good and they offer great sides for the kids as well.

When we eat out at a nice restaurant my favorite place to go is Teppanyaki. I get the salmon with veggies and rice. I end up either sharing this meal with my husband or I put half of it in a  to go box.  Fresh veggies cooked right in front of you along with delicious salmon what not to love.

In An Instant (Child Safety Film - Dangers of Corded Blinds)

I love working with Redcastle Productions.  I found this job on my own and because I do not have an acting reel yet they auditioned me much like I would have auditioned for a theatrical role.  I really love auditioning for roles in person, unfortunately for me many jobs are booked solely by previous work shown in a reel.  A reel is generally very short with small snippets of scenes that an actor has done.  I will have one made for me hopefully in the near future.

Broken Country - Post Apocalyptic

21 Day Fix ; Color Coded Weekly Meal Planner!!

So for this post I wanted to share an idea that really helps me when preparing my meals. I really like to color code my meals in my calendar so  that I can see how many servings of veggies, fruits, grains and fats I am getting everyday.  By color coding I don't feel obligated to eat out of tupperware and can instead just use my containers as measuring cups.  I also have a visual of what I have eaten and can add or subtract categories.  A meal calendar also helps when buying groceries and saves us money in the long run because we have less waist. Remember red is lean meats, yellow is healthy grains, orange is dressing or seeds, blue is healthy fats, purple is fruits and green is veggies. 

21 Day Fix, Im back in my Skinny Jeans!!

So part of the reason I decided to do the 21 day fix challenge is because I had gained some weight while recovering from a back injury.  Now I only gained 7 lbs but believe me it felt like 15.  I hate that feeling when you can't button your skinny jeans and just forget trying to bend over in them because they feel like they may rip any minute.  Yeah I was in that boat, I'm sure everyone knows that feeling, it sucks! So first I got a little depressed and ate like a monster making my 7 lbs turn into 9 lbs and then I took a breath and said nope. I can't go back to my unhealthy lifestyle. I'm kicking these pounds off.  I started swimming since running was too hard on my back and kept doing physical therapy and now I can run again and even do this challenge.

For the 2 weeks I have been on this challenge I have felt so good about my decisions. Today I put on my skinny jeans and guess what; I can button them and even stretch in them.  Mostly at this point I am proud of myself.  I have one more week of the challenge left but I wont be ending the routine. Instead I have decided to make it my regular diet.  I feel great I feel satisfied after meals I even give myself the occasional treat.  Plus my skin is looking better since cutting down on sugar or maybe its the added vitamins.

I will be posting a meal calendar so dont forget to check it out and maybe get some ideas for your own health goals.


Photo Credit: Rick Wallace

What to do when you want to enjoy a french fry? 21 day challenge

Sometimes you just have to have a snack and that is perfectly fine.   I have been really good at staying within the boundaries of this diet. As far as only having color coded items and making sure that everything I eat is pretty nutrient dense. However, yesterday I had an activity, mutual, with the young women in my church and there are always snacks for these weekly activities.  The snacks last night were french fries and tater tots.  I told myself have a snack but make it small so that you don't disappoint yourself.  I believe when I make myself a promise to do something I should follow through because if I can't trust myself then who can I trust?  Also I knew ahead of time to give myself the goal of not overindulging.  So I went to the snack line and got myself 3 tatertots and 1 french fry OMGosh those tater tots were sooo yummy and you know even with a half a serving of them I felt completely satisfied and even proud of myself for keeping my goal.   I can eat these items with the 21 day fix however, a serving of them has 170 calories in only 9 pieces.  So generally I try to choose something a little less taxing on the calorie intake. Also the cheat came into play because I had already had my allotted grains and carbs for the day.

So I have my cheat days as Tuesdays and Sundays now so that way I don't feel bad about having a treat and also so that I can eat Sunday dinner with family and not worry to much about what they are serving.  This being said, I still try to stay at about 1500-1600 calories on my cheat days.

As for today I don't get the opportunity to go over my grains so I started off the day with the Naked green machine smoothie mostly because I was running late. I love these drinks when I'm in a hurry. . They are packed with fruits as well as veggies and have healthy sugars in them rather than refined. My kids also love them so generally I get a large bottle that we can share over the course of a couple of days.  It is important to read the serving size because generally a small bottle has about 2. = a yellow container because it is a juice.
http://nakedjuice.com/our-products/juice/green-machine


For lunch:  I went on a date with my husband and had a Subway  chicken salad.  These salads are huge so I generally split the salad in half and then I get their sweet onion teriyaki sauce for dressing.  I also have them put the dressing on the side so that way I have a meal for lunch the next day as well. Another trick to eating at Subway is to ask for spinach instead of iceberg lettuce.  = 1 green serving and 1/2 red serving since there was chicken

Snack;  I had nuts with craisins= orange container not sure about the craisins probably 1/4 purple serving.

Dinner; I am going to be making a salmon fillet with steamed veggies and quinoa or brown rice.= green serving, yellow serving, and red serving.

Dessert; Mangos = purple serving.    Did I mention my kids love fruit as dessert! Im a really lucky mom.

Stick to the program 21 day fix

So today I had my first ever protien shake and I thought uhm this taste like Yahoo mixed with chalk. I think I will be adding banana to the mix tomorrow. I did feel like I had more energy or maybe that was just a placebo effect.  I did however love love love my lunch today. So on with the savory details listed below.

Breakfast: protein shake

Snack: mixed nuts = orange jar healthy fats

Lunch: I mixed up some mushrooms with my pre-cooked chicken 2 teaspoons of garlic and 1/4 cup cabbage with a drizzle of olive oil and shimmy of salt.  OMGosh it was sooo yummy or maybe I was just super hungry either way, I need more mushrooms so I can make it again.  = 1 green serving and one protein serving

Snack: I had a pumpkin muffin= 1 grain serving and 1/2 of a veggie but I didn't count the veggie part. I make my muffins using no eggs or oil  just a spice cake mix with a can of pumpkin.   I think they are even on the weight watchers list of snack recipes.

Dinner: I had leftover taco soup made with ground turkey kidney beans, black beans and a can of chopped tomatoes. = red container, and green container, and yellow container. I always forget that beans are yellow and not red.


Snack: I had another muffin  not sure I should have done that but I did. :) and I feel like I got away with a little something.

Workout for me today was a cardio video and then I did a 4 mile walk jog on the treadmill and I ended the night with my version of abs: 100 crunches, 20 side crunches each side,  2 minutes of bicycle crunches. and done!

21 Day Fix: My kids love this program too!

I have only been on this program for 6 days but I have realized that my entire family is involved and learning better habits,  My smallest children have started doing warm ups with me and the stretches to cool down.  

My 4 year old asked me for a healthy snack yesterday she now knows the difference between good and bad foods and occasional treats. For snack time she usually finds herself extremely content with an apple, a cutie orange or some other form of fruit .  She really loves when I add "Justin's Chocolate HazelNut Butter to her snack" but she is perfectly aware she can't have it every day.  If you haven't tried this spread I absolutely recommend it there is less than half the sugar and calories than other chocolate spreads and my kids and I love the product.  This spread is great with banana chips or sliced apples. 

My oldest daughter is 6 she has a set of 1 lb hand weights and she does some of the exercises with me.  Sometimes I have to remind her to slow down so she doesn't hurt herself but she loves to exercise with me.  She is so encouraging and I hope she is learning to be a confident young girl as she helps me obtain this goal . She has been asking me everyday when can we exercise together. I refer to her as my little coach now.

Although I am excited that my kids are getting involved in my routine, I think it is important to point out that I don't limit my kids calories intake ever! However I do offer them the same things as I am eating because they need to learn how to eat correctly to avoid unnecessary health problems in the future. Sometimes I have to modify their meals a smidge as well so that they will eat.  For example on salad nights they get carrots and celery with chicken and I have a chicken salad.  For dressing I a  yogurt based ranch dressing.   

Ranch Dressing 

1/2 cup greek low fat yogurt 

3 Tbs milk or buttermilk

1 ranch pack. 

You can add more milk if you like thinner dressing generally I taste it and if it tastes to salty I add a tablespoon more yogurt or a tablespoon more milk.  The best part about this type of ranch is that it now becomes a healthy fat. 

Menu

Breakfast:  small granny smith apple and  6 oz chocolate almond milk = purple container, yellow container ( remember three times a week you can substitute a tasty beverage for a yellow container.)

Snack: cherry tomatoes= green container

Lunch: turkey sandwich using a 90 calorie thinwhich bun slice of tomato onion and lettuce with mustard paired with carrot sticks = red container, green container, yellow container.

Snack: banana= purple container

Dinner: taco salad pictured above , 1/4 cup ground turkey taco meat and beans, 2 small carrots diced, 2 cherry toms sliced, 5 tortilla chips and a cup of lettuce with a table spoon of guacamole and a tablespoon yogurt ranch. = Red container, yellow container, green container, blue container.

I counted my ranch as healthy fats. 

Snack: air popped popcorn I did two cups instead of a yellow container full with a teaspoon of butter and a little salt.  =  yellow not sure on serving size with popcorn yet but the calorie count is 96. 

Remember I always add an extra yellow to my diet because I do extra during the day if I have a small workout day I only eat two servings of healthy carbs. 

Cardio and the 21 day fix

Well my muscles are definitely feeling better today and today is my favorite workout because I get to run my 4 miles then do the video as well. Todays video is Cardio Fix.  I allow myself one extra carb serving because I am doing more than the expected with this routine.  So altogether I get 3 yellow containers instead of 2.

As I have watched many of my friends struggle with weight I can't help but notice that when they diet they lose focus on healthy.  A healthy lean person does not starve themselves instead we give our bodies the energy needed to fuel our active life.  I think that is why I really love this program.The diet is designed to teach good portion sizes as well as what we should be eating to be healthy and lean This goes along with one of my favorite quotes " Eat to live don't live to eat."


Todays meal plan includes

Breakfast:  2 boiled eggs, an apple = red container, purple container

Snack:  cherry tomatoes= green container

Lunch:  left over tacos on corn tortillas with a side of refried beans ( remember beans are yellow container) =  red container, green container and  2 yellow containers.

Snack: Banana ice cream I take a frozen cubed banana and blend it with 1/4 cup almond milk and coco powder or vanilla and a couple almonds = 1 purple container, 1 blue container

Dinner:  Turkey chili and 9 carrot sticks = red container, yellow container,  and green container

Snack: yogurt= red container

21 Day Fix Oh Ouch My Butt.

My glutes hurt so good today which is exactly why I am certain that this routine combined with my own exercise is totally changing the shape of my derriere.  I am still sooo loving this especially because my husband is participating too.  He is so good to try new things with me.  I may just be rock solid in 21 days!! As for today I need a good stretch and to get these muscles warmed up.  I haven't been this sore since well... yep I haven't ever been this sore.

Photo Credit Alan Poulson

Today is my pilates day which  means this is an active recovery day! Believe me I do definitely need this one today.  I have decided to incorporate the 10 minute abs workout into my daily routine.  I will also be walking today, yes, me walking I am a runner this seems weird but walking I shall go.   Altogether I will burn around 400 calories.

Meals for the day include:

Breakfast: Omelette with 2 eggs I love them I'm addicted to them they are perfect for this diet. I make them the same everyday with spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes and a sprinkle of cheese. I also had half a pear which is half the purple serving

Snack:  I had cashews but only 11 this counts as healthy fats orange container.

Lunch: steamed veggies with cubed chicken mixed in.

Snack: air popped popcorn with light butter real butter not margarine.  This is my orange container and I believe popcorn counts as yellow.

Dinner:  Fajitas!!! yummy.  I use frozen peppers when preparing this. I also use Lowery's Steak and chop sauce.  10 calories in that sauce and it is delicious. Two corn tortillas and thinly sliced steak I didn't even eat 2 oz of steak because I made sure the mix was mostly peppers and onions.  This counts as half red container, one yellow container, and my two teaspoons for the sauce.  I also had a side of beans which made up another half portion of yellow container.

In general I allow myself 3 yellow containers instead of the 2 that are recommended. This is because I am also running and walking most days.

Tomorrow's goal use all of my green containers!

21 day Feeling Foxy!

Todays workout is Lower Fix.  I really am loving this program.  So for the last two days I have a reason to be proud of myself, I have stuck to my goals and have really felt more energetic.  I like my containers but I find it much more fulfilling to eat off of a plate so I either measure with my containers or I use regular measuring cups and serving sizes.  I really like that the book is very descriptive on meat portions and what types of meat to consume.  I love that this diet encourages healthy grains such ans quinoa and incorporates ideas on how to make meals rather than just eating out of tupperware.  Really this entire system is great for a person who has no idea what a serving size should be to get into a healthy routine and believe it or not I was one of those clueless people.

I used to run 4 miles a day every day and lift hand weight twice a week.  This kept me thin but I have never been toned except for my legs.  I also overloaded on carbs constantly and really never gave myself adequate vegetables or fruits throughout the day.  This diet gives people a good idea of how working different body areas everyday will tone and how getting a variety in the diet will maintain weight and shed unwanted pounds.

Meals on Day 2 that I just loved.

Breakfast:
I had a veggie omelette, with a small amount of cheese I also had half of a small apple.
2 eggs, red container
three diced mushrooms
1 slice of tomato
3 spinach leaves
all of my veggies combined  make up a 1/5 veggie container so I really didn't count this as my green.
a tablespoon of cheese, half of blue container
half apple, half serving of purple container.

Snack:
half apple, banana and pumpkin seeds.  I baked my own seeds from some of the cookie pumpkins I harvested this year.

Lunch:
steamed veggies and 4oz chicken.  I used the all purpose season but just a dash or two and I baked the chicken.  This gave me a red container and a green container

Snack:
tortilla chips yellow container
home made and home grown salsa, green container

Dinner:
I had a mixed green salad with light catalina dressing and topped with precooked cubed chicken that I had prepared on Sunday.
I paired my meal with a slice of whole grain toast.

I let this be my cheat day since it was New Years and I had a serving of ice cream with my hubby.