About Liza

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for CaringBridge. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Bilateral microtia with atresia. Kind of a big mouthful, isn’t it? Bilateral microtia with atresia is a condition that basically means being born without ears, which makes it an even bigger mouthful when you need to learn to say it in conjunction with your own child.

This is something that my friend Jamie had to deal with a few years ago. Her daughter, Bobbi, otherwise-healthy, was born without ears, meaning also deaf. There were many consults with specialists, a fitting for a headband that acted as a hearing aid, and flights to California to doctors who were able to literally build Bobbi ears. While I would have loved to have been there to offer my support, I lived in a different state which made it impossible.

New Book "Hope Conquers All" from the Founder of CaringBridge

Fortunately I was able to stay connected and be part of all the updates through a site called CaringBridge. For more than 15 years, the nonprofit CaringBridge has served as a lifeline of hope, bringing together families struggling with illnesses and tragedies. Sona Mehring, the founder of CaringBridge wanted to share these important stories to inspire hope, and so she has written a new book, Hope Conquers All. Ranging from young children with cancer, to adults awaiting transplants, these first-person accounts share the importance CaringBridge had in their personal journeys. You can find the book on the CaringBridge site. It would make a nice gift to provide uplifting tales for those who are in need of love and support, and all author proceeds go to CaringBridge.

Have you ever shared via CaringBridge? I’d love to hear about it!

I was provided with an advanced review copy of The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec. All opinions are mine.

I’m not always the hugest fan of foreign films. I like to read, I like to watch movies, but trying to read the screen while taking the movie in doesn’t exactly spell enjoyment. But recently I heard about a new adventure movie titled The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec that made me re-think my foreign movie stance.

I read the following boilerplate for the film and with talk of deserts, mummies, and museums, I thought Adèle sounded a bit like a female Indiana Jones:

The year is 1912. This is the story of an intrepid young reporter Adèle Blanc-Sec and her quest for the power of life over death. Her journey would take her to distant lands to face many dangers beneath the sands. She will go to any lengths to achieve her aims, including sailing to Egypt to tackle mummies of all shapes and sizes. Meanwhile in Paris, a 136 million-year old pterodactyl egg on display in the natural history museum has mysteriously hatched, and the creature subjects the city to a reign of terror from the skies. But nothing fazes Adele Blanc-Sec, whose adventures include many more extraordinary surprises…

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Kohl’s. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

If you follow me on Twitter, Instagram or Foursquare you may have saw posts or check-ins that reference Kohl’s. That’s because I have been in love with Kohl’s basically since the first time I set foot inside one of their stores. They have great brands (like Carters, Vera Wang, Food Network, and more), a wide selection of items, and amazing deals and sales.

A couple of years ago one of my biggest shopping dreams became a reality: Kohl’s built a brand new store just about 5 minutes away. It’s a LEED-certified store which is something of which they are very proud. Kohl’s is very devoted to being a good community partner and this is just one way in which they do it. Another way is through their Kohl’s Cares program, which we love. They regularly rotate in a new themed line of merchandise for $5 per item. We’ve bought a lot of kids books, stuffed animals, and cookbooks that were part of the program.

Back-to-School Shopping at Kohl's

Thank you to MOM for providing an oil change checklist and a prize for myself and one of you.

Car maintenance has never really been my “thing”. I mean, my Dad made sure I knew a few of the basics: I learned how to change a tire, how to check the oil and coolant levels in the car, things like that. But the tire thing I’ve never done and the fluid levels I haven’t checked on my own in years.

My Dad was good about always reminding me to go get my oil changed. Apparently the sticker in the corner of my windshield wasn’t quite enough. I’d go and drop off the car, they’d call, and I’d go pick it up. What the man behind the curtain did, I had no idea. And now my husband reminds me, though his reminder really only prompts me to make an oil change appointment, and then he takes the car for me. So I still didn’t really know much about it.

I participated in a Champions for Kids SIMPLE Service Project as part of a sponsored campaign for Collective Bias®. All words and opinions are my own.

July is slowly melting away and before you know it school will be back in session. Most of us are thinking about spending a few more days splashing in the pool or how we can fit in one last road trip while we still have time. I’d like to ask you consider adding one more item to your to-do list: join us in participating in a Champions for Kids SIMPLE Service Project.

Champions for Kids Tooth Tunes Donations #Spinbrush4Kids

This month we collected donations as part of the Champions for Kids and Arm & Hammer Spinbrush SIMPLE Service Project designed to bring attention to kids in need. Many families struggle on a daily basis to provide food and shelter; for them, much outside of those two things are considered luxuries. It’s even more challenging during the summer when schools are out and the assistance provided by school programs is not being provided. Continue reading »

Views From the Ville

Liza

Inspirational New Book “Hope Conquers All” from the Founder of CaringBridge

Have you ever shared via CaringBridge? I’d love to hear about it!

Get Ready for the Adventure of a Lifetime with “The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec”

Get Started on Back-to-School Shopping at Kohl’s

Motor Oil Matters – Are You Ready for a Change?

Spin Into Action with a Champions for Kids Simple Service Project