2009: A Reach Magazine TV Review

What a great year we had here at Reach Magazine TV!

We finished shooting for Reach Magazine TV and are awaiting the launch in 2010, we have our own network, LA Media TV, and four more shows are in the works:

Eso Es, the first of it’s kind, a daily bilingual talk show with a multicultural music video countdown featuring celebrity guests and an up and coming music artist each episode

What’s Hott, centering on the most current and hottest trends in fashion, beauty fitness, health, dining, and entertainment in the L.A. area

PUSH, an inspirational, extreme sports show which gives the youth an opportunity to check out their favorite extreme sports role models  pursue their dreams through sports, and…

Time Out 4 Billy, shows a glimpse into the Rockabilly lifestyle through fashion, accessories, tattoos and music.

And on top of it all, our faith and strength in our Lord Jesus Christ has only become stronger and clearer and is the main fuel pushing everyone here in the office to get our groundbreaking new shows to you, the true believers, and we would like to thank each and every one of you who has kept up with Reach Magazine TV and Hosts J-Love, Sherrie Marlene and J.O. and we promise that 2010 will be one of the biggest and most exciting years to come! Stay tuned!  Peace and Love

Living the Sweet Life

Nothing puts a smile on your face like a cookie does and in observance of National Cookie Day, the Reach Magazine TV crew is enjoying a huge batch of chocolate chip, sugar and chocolate cookies at the office and you can already see the smiles.

Reach Magazine TV host Sherrie Marlene says,”My all time favorite cookie is chocolate chip” and offers advice to go sweeten your family’s or co-workers days by bringing them some for lunch or baking them for dessert.

Try baking some super delicious cookies like these Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies!

• Prep: 15 min
• Cooking: 9 min
• Cooling time: 15 min cooling
• Yields: 60

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
• 1 cup chopped nuts

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Directions

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.PAN COOKIE VARIATION: Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.SLICE AND BAKE COOKIE VARIATION:
PREPARE dough as above. Divide in half; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Shape each half into 15-inch log; wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.* Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.FOR HIGH ALTITUDE BAKING (5,200 feet): Increase flour to 2 1/2 cups. Add 2 teaspoons water with flour and reduce both granulated sugar and brown sugar to 2/3 cup each. Bake drop cookies for 8 to 10 minutes and pan cookie for 17 to 19 minutes.

* May be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week or in freezer for up to 8 weeks.

The Vista Inspire Program: The Miracle Project Revisited

You may remember the Reach Magazine TV blog post regarding our visit to The Miracle Project, a theater and film arts program where children with special needs and their families can celebrate their uniqueness through creative workshops and artistic programs. In case you missed the post, check it out here.

When participating in The Miracle Project, we learned it was was held at the Vista Inspire Program (VIP) in Vista Del Mar. The Vista Inspire Program was established to serve children with Autism and other special needs and offer multiple programs including The Miracle Project theater program as well as a Bar/Bat Mitzvah educational program.

Within the VIP, a group called Inspired Teens,  13 to 19 year-olds, volunteer their time and services to raise awareness and fundraise for and with children with Autism and other special needs.

To learn more about the Vista Inspire Program, Inspired Teens and working with The Miracle Project, visit their Facebook, Twitter, or to enroll click here.

World AIDS Day

We’ve all seen the Red Ribbons on cars, backpacks, jackets, etc. But do you really know what the Red Ribbon is all about?

The Red Ribbon is to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS in which a total of 33 million people living worldwide are infected, 1.1 million of which are living in the U.S.

December 1st is World AIDS Day and was established over 20 years ago to honor those that have passed from this destructive epidemic, as well as educate the uneducated on the disease and inform people how to stay safe from it.

HIV/Aids Facts:

Everyday, 7,397 people contract HIV–that’s 308 people every hour

In 2008, about 2 million people died from AIDS and another 2.7 were estimated to be infected

More than two-thirds (67%) of all people living with HIV, 22 million, live in sub-Saharan Africa–including 90% of the world’s HIV+ children

Some good news is that the UN released new research stating that the number of new AIDS cases has decreased world wide, most likely because of new HIV prevention programs and educational programs being established.

Another positive of World AIDS Day and other programs of the like are to create a realization of the AIDS epidemic in our society. Many people living with the disease may feel some kind of stigma being associated with something so destructive and for them, coming out and sharing their story to the world is a very hard thing to do.

With these programs in place, many are realizing that living with the disease is terrible, but living with it and being afraid to talk about it to their loved ones is even worse.

To learn more about World AIDS Day and the HIV/AIDS epidemic you can visit these sites:

World Aids Campaign

LightForRights.com

World Aids Day

Family Togetherness

A lot of things have changed since we were all children. The price of everything has gone up like 200%, kids are playing more inside by themselves rather than outside with their friends, and family members can get so busy sometimes that they are barely able to communicate with each other.

With winter holidays just around the corner, family communication and togetherness is more essential than ever.

Because we here at Reach Magazine TV care about family, we’ve come up with a couple easy things that you can do at home to strengthen your family bonds and maybe even have a little fun along the way.

Church is obviously something that can help strengthen the love your family feels for one another.  After church, maybe set up a family tradition where you all go out and eat together, or you all go home and play an outdoors game like football or softball that the whole family can enjoy.

Another thing, dinner time should be family time, not stare at the TV screen time so turn it off when you sit down with your family to enjoy your evening meal.  Without the distraction, it will make it easy to have a nice conversation.

If you or your family members are having trouble coming up with things to talk about, play dinner games where you have to say something nice about someone at the table, or talk about personal goals for your week or month, and even tell your family what you are thankful for.

You will be surprised at some of the things your family has to say about you or other family members and that education will definitely bring you all closer.

Helping your community or the needy is a great way to bond. Sending cards to our soldiers overseas or donating cans to a homeless shelter are just a couple ideas you can do as a family.

What tradition does your family follow? None? Well, what are you waiting for? Start one!

Turkey Day Tips and Tricks

Thanksgiving is one of those time-honored traditions that everyone enjoys being a part of.

Turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy, mom’s green bean casserole, all the family is there including hungry, impatient, nieces and nephews.  How do they expect you NOT to burst a blood vessel making everything perfect for the big day as well as keeping everyone entertained?

Well don’t sweat because Life123.com has the tools you need to pull off the biggest Thanksgiving dinner of the century, with minimal stress.

First thing to think about when getting prepped for the big day is the food.  Having the right dishes ready for your loved ones to enjoy can make or break your Thanksgiving and the number one thing to think about is variety.

Is this your first time cooking a turkey and you’re not sure how to do it? Check out these tips on cooking a moist turkey, safely.

Of course all the originals should be there, the turkey, stuffing, yams, etc. and those take a good amount of time to make so ask your friends and fam to bring some of their favorite dishes to lighten your load a little as well as making them feel special for asking them to be a part of your dinner.

But we all know that the food doesn’t begin with the turkey, it’s all about the pre-dinner appetizers.  You don’t want your guests to get filled up too much before you unveil your thanksgiving creations so start them off with something light and preferably low-fat.

Shrimp cocktails, chips and salsa, and veggie trays are all perfect appetizers for everyone to enjoy without getting too full.

So everyone’s eaten, coffee and pie has been served, everyone’s relaxed and full, what do you do now?

Maybe some of your guests would enjoy the annual Thanksgiving NFL game or maybe the Thanksgiving parade is on but the kids don’t enjoy watching either of those and you can’t be having anyone not enjoying themselves at your party.

Try some cool party games to pull everyone out of their turkey comas and back into the spirit of the day. And if the kiddies don’t want to play games with the adults or the adults are just too tired to play, set the kids up making some turkey pinecones or other craft ideas.

With a little help from Life123.com we are more than positive you will have a fun and easy day with your loved ones. Happy Turkey Day!

Is Friday the 13th As Unlucky as They Say?…

Friday the 13th always brings such mixed feelings to everyone these days.  Is it an unlucky day? Is it a lucky day? Do I avoid mirrors and ladders and cats? Do I stay inside all day long and avoid anything that can bring bad luck???

Try this word on for size…Paraskevidekatriaphobics.  This is someone who is afraid of Friday the 13th and if you are one of these people, you should probably stop reading now or be forever afraid of this day of the week.

Friday has been considered an unlucky day for a long time.  Jesus was said to have been crucified on a Friday according to scripture and there is also “Black Friday” which has been associated with huge sales the day after Thanksgiving and also with stock market crashes and other disasters.

But what about the number 13?  Why is it considered such an unlucky number to some but a lucky number to others?

Some say that the number 13 was considered a lucky number by ancient China and Egypt.  Egyptians believed that the number 13 signified death but not in a bad way.  They believed in 12 stages of life and the 13th is death in a glorious transformation.

On the other side of the spectrum, Norse mythology believes that 13 people sitting and dining with eachother is bad luck and one will die within the next year.  Did you hear that there were 13 people sitting at the Last Supper with Jesus Christ? And he died on a Friday remember?…

It’s said not to change your sheets on your bed on Friday or it will bring bad dreams…

They say not to drive on Friday the 13th because studies show that there have been more accidents on that day…

Don’t start a trip on the unlucky day either…haven’t you heard the story of the H.M.S. Friday?

About a hundred years ago in Britain, Sailors who were afraid of setting sail on Fridays because it was considered unlucky were going to be shown that Friday was not an unlucky day and a special ship was commissioned called the H.M.S. Friday. They launched the ship on a Friday, chose the crew on a Friday, made her captain a man named Jim Friday and she set off on her maiden voyage on a, you guessed it, Friday.  The ship and her crew was never seen or heard from again

But bad luck is not for everyone. Take J.O. at Reach Magazine TV, who both agree that Friday the 13th is just another day.

“I don’t believe in luck,” says J.O., “There are blessings and divine instruments and there’s horseshoes and hand grenades.  I’ve walked across so many black cats and broken so many mirrors and nothing has happened yet.  I LOVE FRIDAY THE 13TH!”

Whether you have a bad outlook or a good one like J.O., remember that Friday the 13th is just another horror movie, just another day.

Here’s some interesting ideas on how to Beat Bad Luck on Friday the 13th.

What Do You Know About Halloween?

Did you know, according to a Halloween statistics sheet posted on SunnyinLA.com, that…

There were 36 million Trick-Or-Treaters between the ages of 5 and 13 visiting approximately 111 million homes last year on Halloween? Or that…

1.1 Billion pounds of pumpkins were bought, carved, and/or consumed in 2008? And that…

About 23 pounds of candy was consumed per capita by Americans last year?

Go bananas this Halloween just like Reach Magazine TV’s J.O. in his banana suit and Sherrie Marlene playing nurse! Have a safe but spooky Halloween!

Blogger Beach Cleanup WrapUp

As you may know, the Reach Magazine TV crew participated in the Blogger Beach Cleanup in Santa Monica at Ocean Park this last Saturday and had an absolute blast!

Over 120+ volunteers and bloggers showed up for the event and in just 20 minutes picked up an amazing 39.5 lbs of trash!!

Big thanks to Siel at green LA girl and Sarah Bayles of The Daily Ocean for coming up with the great idea to spend just 20 minutes cleaning up the beach and making it cleaner and safer for all of us.

The Blogger Beach Cleanup took place on International Day of Climate Action. Learn more here. And don’t forget to stay tuned to Reach Magazine TV ~ you won’t want to miss Sarah Bayles easy tips on conservation and what YOU can do to make a difference!

“It’s good to do something good for the planet,” said Reach Magazine TV host J.O. about the beach cleanup, “It’s really just the small things that can change the overall bigger picture.”

Blogger Beach Cleanup

The Reach Magazine TV team will be joining Siel of green LA girl, Sara Bayles of The Daily Ocean  and other green-minded Angelenos for the Blogger Beach Cleanup Saturday, October 24 in Santa Monica, CA.

We will be picking up trash on Santa Monica Beach at Ocean Park between lifeguard stations 26 and 27 from 4:20 p.m. until 4:40 p.m.

The 20 minutes cleanup is open to anyone – blogger or not!  Learn why the clean up is only 20 minutes long at The Daily Ocean’s project.

“I’m looking forward to being so hands on with cleaning up the beach and helping to protect the environment at the BBC,” says Reach Magazine TV co-host J.O., “We’re all really excited to help out and spread awareness, and not only for cleaning beaches but helping to pick up trash at the local parks and even just picking up after yourself.”

If you’re in Southern California this is a great opportunity to celebrate International Day of Climate Action, help make a local SoCal beach cleaner and healthier, network with like-minded bloggers and even win prizes!

Learn about the prizes, how to sign up for the BBC, who is participating and more at green LA girl’s blog here.

About the organizers:

The Daily Ocean is a blog written by Sara Bayles, who’s cleaning Santa Monica beach for 365 non-consecutive days and documenting the process in a creative effort to bring attention to beach and ocean pollution.

green LA girl is Siel’s personal blog, covering eco-happenings in the L.A. area and beyond.