Life With Levi

A Mighty Fine Look Into A Family’s Struggle With Bipolar Disorder

LifeWithLevi — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:00:00 +0000

I recently had the opportunity to attend an online movie premier of Mighty Fine.

Chazz Palminteri plays Joe Fine, a man who moves his family from New York to Louisiana to open a new factory. The movie follows the family’s dynamic as they adjust to the change, and to Joe Fine’s frequent mood swings as he continues to live beyond their means.

Chazz is true to character as the “ticking time bomb” patriarch. Andie MacDowell is more than believable as the enabler. As her daughter says, “She taught us to believe in any rosy cliché.”

As Joe’s personality flaws emerge, the family is forced to acknowledge his unhealthy emotional pattern. Jodelle Ferland does a great job capture Natalie Fine’s retreat into her poetry. It’s much easier for her to hide from what’s happening than confront it. Rainey Qualley captures Maddie Fine’s rebellious spirit, rejecting her father and his embarrassing outbursts.

After the watching the film, I had the opportunity to interview actors Chazz & Jodelle, as well as writer/director Debbie Goodstein via live video chat. It was great to be able to ask them questions about how they prepared for their roles.

Mighty Fine is based on a true story, as Debbie explained. She edited some parts for the purpose of the film, but overall, it’s a representation of what her childhood was like. To make sure the actors portrayed their characters accurately, she had a psychologist on-set to consult with them about mental illness and how family dynamics are affected by bipolar disorder.

The film told a very powerful story, and I hope audiences will recognize that issues like this can happen with any family, and it’s very important to find healthy ways to deal with them.

Mighty Fine opens in select theaters on May 25th. In the meantime, you can view the trailer for the film here:

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Mighty Fine and the distributor. I received access to an online showing of the film and a promotional item to thank me for participating.

Fundraising 101

sadie — Thu, 17 May 2012 13:00:23 +0000

How do you raise money for your organization? Whether you’re a Girl Scout Leader, basketball coach, or a PFLAG member, the livelihood of your club depends on fundraising.

Fundraising requires lots of hard work, put in by many individuals. Your group will have to work together as a team to accomplish your fundraising goal, but fundraisers usually only last a few weeks and can be so much fun! The hard part is coming up with a fundraising idea. What should you sell?

Between cookies, pizzas, and popcorn, you may be feeling a bit burnt out. When the topic of fundraising comes up, some people try not to make eye contact. They already have a collection of these items at home, and are ready for something new – but nobody does anything new! This is where Cookie Dough Fundraising comes in. Cookie dough? Genius! Everyone loves cookie dough, and it stays fresh in the refrigerator for much longer than a pizza would.

Fundraising is a necessity to keep many programs going, but you don’t want to be a burden on the folks you are trying to sell to. When I suggested Easy Dough Fundraising at our school’s fundraising meeting, everyone knew it would be a hit. Cookie Dough Fundraising is a great way to bring something new to the table, and is an easy fundraising idea for busy parents, coaches, and teachers.

Be sure to set a goal for your fundraiser. Do you need to earn $500 to purchase new gym equipment, or maybe $1,000 to get uniforms for band? We earned over $2,000 for our cause when we did a Candy Fundraiser, and it was simple to do even with the younger kids. Most everyone loves candy, and if they don’t then they know someone who does. Selling candy is easy because it’s something people purchase every day anyway. “Mom, can I have that candy bar?” Why not give them a reason to say yes? Then everyone is happy! Candy is also more affordable than many other items (like gift wrap and boxed chocolate), so there’s no reason to say no!

This post brought to you by Easy Dough Fundraising.

Freshening My Lady Bits

LifeWithLevi — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:00:00 +0000

I’m a brand snob when it comes to toilet paper. I buy the Cottonelle green package, and that’s it. I’ve tried other brands, but I always come back to Cottonelle. Their TP feels best on my lady bits.
I know, I know, that’s not the green package. You’re right. It’s the purple package. Their Ultra Comfort extra thick fancy TP. Since it’s still Cottonelle, I was willing to give it a try.
Most people don’t really like to talk about bathroom stuff. But toilet paper is something I’m actually kind of passionate about. You can ask Amy from Grinning Cheek To Cheek. When we were at the Portofino Island Resort for our Florida trip recently, one of the first thing I noticed about our room was that even high-end resorts have low-quality toilet paper.
Ok, maybe that’s not exactly passion, but it’s definitely something I notice. Who wants scratchy single-ply anywhere near down there?
Speaking of down there, I’ve recently discovered the awesomeness of flushable wipes.
Here’s the deal, folks. If you have hemorrhoids, you need a little extra TLC when wiping. I can thank pregnancy and my adorable son for that little rear-end accessory. Flushable wipes are awesome for making sure everything down there is clean and they’re really gentle on your skin. If you have a really bad flare up, you can even stick them in the fridge for a while to help cool things down.
I mentioned my lady bits in the title of this post. That’s the other thing they’re awesome for. When it’s that time of the month, it’s really nice to be able to clean things up easily down there. “Fresh” isn’t exactly a word I’d choose to describe how I feel when I have my period. But the Cottonelle wipes help make things easier and cleaner feeling for sure.
There you have it. I call my routine freshening my lady bits.
What do you call your Fresh Care Routine?
Be sure to submit your answer on the Cottonelle Facebook page to be entered to win some really great prizes, including a year’s supply of Cottonelle products!
Disclosure: I was compensated for this post. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own.

Aerin Rose Swimwear Makes Me Feel Pretty

LifeWithLevi — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:00:00 +0000

On my trip to the Pensacola Gulf Coast for Brandcation recently, I got the chance to try out my new swimsuit from Aerin Rose.
What I love about this one piece suit is that it is basically a cover up and swimsuit in one. The top “dress” layer is only attached to the bottom “swimsuit” layer at the top, which meant it was really easy for me to toss on capri pants and hit the beach without worrying about grabbing a separate cover up to go over it.
As a swimsuit, it’s pretty awesome, too. The cups have built-in underwire and are sized to match your regular bra size. I loved that I didn’t have to worry about jiggling around or falling out while swimming. It’s also very supportive in the tummy area, and since the “dress” portion is separate from the “swimsuit” layer, it skimmed over my waistline nicely without bulging at all.
The black & white lace print added just the right touch of femininity to me. There are several styles available in this print from their summer collection:
There are plenty of other styles and colors available to suit every body shape and size, from tankinis to bikinis to bandeau styles.
If you’re looking for a great swimsuit with style, sass, and support, definitely check out Aerin Rose. Don’t forget to follow them on Facebook to keep up with the latest news and promotions, too.
Disclosure: I received the fabulous swimsuit shown above at no charge to bring on my Brandcation trip. All opinions and twirls to show off the suit are 100% my own.

My Final Wedding Ring

LifeWithLevi — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:00:00 +0000

I know I already shared this on Facebook, but I’m so stinking excited I had to write a blog post about it, too.
It’s different from the one I shared with you guys a few weeks ago, but I love it and I think it’s amazing.
Jason gave it to me as my Mother’s Day gift. We were at the zoo and while we were looking at the otters (our favorite), he handed Levi the ring box so he could give it to me. I was nervous Levi would drop it into the otter exhibit, but it made it on my finger and that’s where it’s going to stay.
I’m incredibly honored that Jason thought I deserved a new ring to replace the one that was lost after Levi was born. We’ve had a lot of ups and downs in our relationship, and to me, wearing a symbol of our commitment is really important. I’m glad we decided to do marriage counseling together, and even though our marriage is far from perfect, I know we’re headed in the right direction.
Happy dance. I know this is going to be the last wedding ring I’ll ever need.