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Summer Love! By Cynthia Brian

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Empowerment
Summer Love! By Cynthia Brian

“The Summer Of Love was something special, We were so young and so free” Jefferson Airplane

A Message from Founder and Executive Director, Cynthia Brian Fifty years ago was the famous or perhaps infamous “Summer of Love” in San Francisco where over 100,000 young people migrated from around the world essentially launching the global hippie explosion of a counterculture revolution.. Maybe you were there or maybe you are the child of a flower child and completely exhausted from hearing about the good ‘ole days of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll. The nostalgia surrounding that complex time period is being showcased in multiple museums and exhibits around the San Francisco Bay Area. If you want to take a stroll down memory lane for a flashback of the 60’s, make sure to check out the various events. School is out, Father’s Day is here, graduations, birthdays, weddings, camping trips, water sports, barbeques, and multiple outdoor activities highlight the summer season. Whatever you do, be safe, smart, and enjoy your family and friends as they are precious.

 

The Moraga Faire booth was a huge success. Again, our gratitude to sponsors Michael VerBrugge Construction (http://www.mvcremodeling.com) and Realtor Elena Hood (http://www.Orinda.com) as well as authors Brooks Olbrys(http://www.blueoceanbob.com) and Diana Zimmerman (http://www.kandide.com) Teen event coordinator, Chelsea Pelchat, did a fantastic job of organizing the day and the BTSYA volunteers were stupendous. Thank you all. Be on the lookout for a summer event to be announced. Speaking of events, the 20th anniversary of Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3 will be September 9, 2019.

We want to celebrate in style and are searching for a dedicated and experienced volunteer who wants to chair and coordinate a 20th anniversary party. If that is YOU, shoot me an email, Cynthia@BetheStarYouAre.org and let’s talk. If you’d like to be on a committee, email me as well. Make sure to check out our new creative community at http://www.BTSYA.com. Web volunteer, Tim Barger, who helped design our website is available for hire at http://www.Timbarger.com. Since online shopping has become the norm for so many people, please scroll to the end of this newsletter to make your purchases through one of our partners who will donate a percentage of your total to Be the Star You Are!® All of your favorite stores and brands are represented so that you can buy what you wish while increasing literacy and positive media. During the summer, make sure to read books and read to your children.

 

“To be a leader, you must be a reader. Read, lead, succeed.” Check out this great article in the NY Times on how to raise a reader: https://www.nytimes.com/guides/books/importance-of-reading?utm_source=sharetools&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=website

 

Happy June, Happy End-of School, Happy Father’s Day, Happy Vacation. Make this YOUR summer of love. My virtual door is always open. Sending summer love, Cynthia Brian Founder/Executive Director Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3 http://www.BetheStarYouAre.orghttp://www.BTSYA.org Cynthia@BetheStarYouAre.org PO Box 376 Moraga, California 94556 925-377-STAR NEW DESIGNER PARTNER-Union and Fifth Union and Fifth is the newest BTSYA partner who raise money for charity by selling donated and pre-owned designer clothes, shoes and handbags.

To Donate Clothes: Sign up to donate your clothes via Be the Star You Are!® as your chosen charity. Download a free shipping label. They authenticate, photograph, list, and sell your items. Be the Star You Are!® will receive 75% of the sale. You receive 100% tax deduction. SHOP top brands like Chanel, Louboutin, and more up to 90% off retail.https://www.unionandfifth.com/charities/be-the-star-you-are-moraga-ca/shop Cowboy Nonie’s Online Boutique Two sisters, Amber and Lacy, have launched a new on-line boutique specializing in country chic clothing for women and children. Named as a tribute in memory of their country girl mother who died in May, 2016, Cowboy Nonie’s Boutique boasts beautiful items in sizes 0-3XL because the sisters want ladies to feel confident and sexy no matter what size they wear.  Amber and Lady design many of the shirts, hats, dresses, and onesies.  They proudly have the majority of their merchandize manufactured right here in the USA! Their husbands built them a mobile fashion trailer complete with a fitting room to resemble a small store front making it possible for Cowboy Nonie’s Boutique to travel for home parties, events, festivals, and more. When you want to feel a little bit country and a little bit rock ‘n roll, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/cowboynonies/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel And soon their web site will be launched at www.cowboynonies.com. WANT TO WRITE A CHAPTER IN OUR NEW BOOK? Volunteers, radio reporters, supporters, and beneficiaries are invited to submit a short chapter for our third book in the Be the Star You Are!® series. Titled, Be the Star You Are!® for Millennials-Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World, this book is bound for greatness. If you love to write and want to participate, please email Cynthia@BetheStarYouAre.org for guidelines. Deadlines are fast approaching.

A Father’s Day History by Karen Kitchel Sonora Louise Smart Dodd first brought up the idea of a Father’s day in 1909. She wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart.  When Sonora’s mother died in childbirth with her sixth child, William, who was a veteran of the Civil War, was left to raise the newborn and five other children by himself on a small farm in Washington. Sonora realized how strong and unselfish her dad had been raising his kids as a single parent and she thought there should be a day to pay homage to him and other Dads like him.  Sonora wanted Father’s Day to be celebrated on the first Sunday in June because it was close to her Dad’s birthday. Instead the first Father’s Day celebration took place on June 19, 1910 in Spokane, Washington.  In 1966,  President Lyndon Johnson made the third Sunday of June Father’s Day, but it wasn’t until 1972 that President Richard Nixon made Father’s Day a national holiday — about 60 years after Mother’s Day had been made a national holiday. Other countries also picked up on the idea of Father’s Day. While many followed suit by celebrating it on the third Sunday in June, some decided to honor Dad on different dates. And what’s the best gift you can give if you’re lucky enough to have a Dad?  Write him a note and just tell him that you’re glad to be his child. Happy Father’s Day to all who hold this very special title! Some heroes don’t’ have capes. They are called DAD! 
Karen Kitchel is a Community Volunteer who is passionate about helping those who are homeless or disadvantaged. She previously served as President of Cheerful Givers, a nonprofit organization, and Director of BI University at BI Worldwide. She can be reached at karenkitchel@comcast.net Shop, Give, and Get Connected

 

If you would like to make a direct donation to our giving fund, please visit our Paypal page!https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/search-cause?charityId=1504&s=3

Ways to Help 1. AmazonSmile donates .5% of purchases http://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-3333882

2. Discounted books at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/shops/be_the_star_you_are_charity

3. Buy or Sell on EBAY:http://givingworks.ebay.com/charity-auctions/charity/be-the-star-you-are-501-c-3/1504/?favorite=link

4. Use GoodSearch to search the web & buy from your favorite stores,. Choose Be the Star You Are as your charity to support. You can log in with Facebook, too! http://www.goodsearch.com/goodto-go/be-the-star-you-are

5. Shop at over 1300 stores on IGIVE: http://www.iGive.com/BTSYA

6. BTSYA Logo Store: http://btsya.rylees.net

7. Giving Assistant: Shop. Earn. Give! Use Giving Assistant to earn cash back at 1800+ popular online stores, then donate a percentage to BTSYA: https://givingassistant.org/np#be-the-star-you-are-inc

8. Designer Clothes to Buy or Sell: https://www.unionandfifth.com/charities/be-the-star-you-are-moraga-ca/shop If you would like to make a direct donation to our giving fund, please visit our Paypal page! https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/search-cause?charityId=1504&s=3

Be the Star You Are!® charity. Every Season is for Giving Make a donation today.

Links you can use for Be the Star You Are!®
Positive Results
About Us 
Programs
How to Help 
Blog
Events
Contact us

GREAT NON PROFITS REVIEWS: http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/be-the-star-you-are-inc/ Please join us on Star-Style Radio and Express Yourself! Teen Radio. Please also visit our calendar to find local events. http://www.BetheStarYouAreRadio.com Care to see what other people are saying about us? See our reviews at Great Non-Profits! GREAT NON PROFITS REVIEWS: http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/be-the-star-you-are-inc/
 Thanks for supporting Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3  HAPPY FATHER’S DAY TO ALL OUR DADDY HEROES! Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3 PO Box 376 Moraga, California 94556 www.BetheStarYouAre.org www.BTSYA.org 925-377-STAR info@BetheStarYouAre.org Read more at http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/672296/3d8fdc4852/288055965/ac7221bc2f/

May Play By Cynthia Brian

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Empowerment
May Play By Cynthia Brian

“There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature – the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after the winter.” Rachel Carson

The intoxicating waft of sweet jasmine filled my nostrils as I opened my front door and stepped onto the porch. Droplets of rain still clung to the leaves of the Japanese maple while the bright orb of sunshine broke through the cumulus clouds encouraging the clematis to reveal their splendor.

May! Magnificent May!

Between the copious showers and the solar assistance, spring is alive and lush with the grandeur of flora. My entire garden is bursting with surprises of color, textures, and forms. Plants are sprouting that I thought had long ago failed. The orchard trees are abundant with the tiny beginnings of the luscious fruit that will ripen in summer and fall. Scampering from branch to branch, squirrels entertain while stealing the bright orange loquats in their harried feeding frenzy. Birds, lizards, frogs, spiders, and other garden collaborators are active in their pursuit of the bounty of the month.

Yet, alas, weeds, weeds, everywhere. I spent every weekend in April in addition to hours daily before and after work pulling, composting, pulling, composting, pulling, and composting. The good news is that the soil is amenable, and although tedious and exhausting, I am able to pull most of these grasses and undesirables by hand. After all of my April preparations, including soil amending, I am finally ready for May planting. Seeds have been carefully sown for okra, beets, carrots, jalapenos, arugula, pole beans, bush beans, rattlesnake beans, peas, chard, corn, pumpkin, cucumber, a variety of lettuces, greens, and kohlrabi. On Mother’s Day I’ll plant seedlings of tomatoes, eggplant, and squash. I am excited to tend to this living family of friends.

When I was a child, this was my most favorite time of the year (Christmas excepted) because we were able to dig in the dirt, plant our vegetable garden, and moreover, savor the succulent smells of the soil of spring. When my children were young, getting them involved in the outdoor projects was paramount. Invite your children to plant a garden with you. Kids love getting dirty. We were told that we had “clean dirt” because after a day in the garden our bodies and clothes were washed. (My Mom used to brush us off with a broom, too!) Children will be fascinated with worms, bugs, frogs, and lizards. Gardening together forms family bonds with memories that will last forever, as you witness mine have.  We were given our own plot of land to grow whatever we wanted and I did the same for my kids. My son’s name remains on the gate where he began his “Veggie Garden”. Suggest that your child grow a pizza garden filled with tomatoes, peppers, onions, basil, and oregano or maybe a butterfly and bee heaven where pollinators will gather. Think easy to grow plants such as lavender, sunflowers, or poppies.

Make sure to spray yourself and your clothing with bug repellent. Ticks are ubiquitous this season hiding in the tall grass and shrubs just waiting to jump onto a heart healthy human and start the blood sucking. Mosquito larvae are already hatching. With all of the rain, get ready for mosquito madness. Scour your property for the tiniest accumulation of water in a container and dump it out. Old tires are notorious breeders of mosquitoes as water gets trapped in the inner rims and the larvae multiply and hatch quickly.

Spring is healing. It’s new birth. It’s a refresher course on living. Step outside your front door. Inhale the fragrance. Observe the beauty. Then get into your garden for a day of play. Hurray for May!

Cynthia Brian’s Goddess Gardener Tips for May

DIVIDE perennials, especially those that will bloom in autumn such as sedum and chrysanthemum.  Dig up the clumps , pull apart, and replant in other areas.

TRANSPLANT shrubs, trees, and other plants that you want in other places in your garden.  Make sure to get as much of the root ball as possible when digging, replant immediately. Water thoroughly.

PLANT okra, beans, watermelon, cucumbers, corn, amaranth, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, pumpkin, and whatever you love to eat.

REMOVE the bulbs from the potted gifts of narcissus, tulip, hyacinth, or Easter lilies that you received in April after the blooms and foliage die back and plant in your garden. You’ll be thrilled next year when the blooms and the reminiscences of the giver rekindle joy in your heart.

ADD nitrogen and organic matter while building the quality of the soil with a cover crop leaving no bare soil.  Radish, cowpea, sunflower, oats, and flax will provide lovely cut flowers, and prevent erosion until you are ready to plant something else for the summer.

USE the best tools possible for your gardening chores to save time and labor. A strong and well made hoe, spade, shovel, pick, pruning saw, pruning shears, hand trowel, and rake are essentials that when maintained properly will last for many years.  Recommend buying construction grade tools instead of just garden tools.

PRE-ORDER my forthcoming garden book, Growing with the Goddess Gardener, Book I in the Garden Shorts Series. Publishing was delayed in April but will be ready for May. All pre-orders will receive extra goodies such as heirloom seeds, bookmarks, and more. Email me for details, Cynthia@GoddessGardener.com. 25% of the proceeds benefit the 501c3 Be the Star You Are!® charity. http://goddessgardener.com/books

Win $50,000 for your Garden:  As a judge in America’s Best Gardener Contest. I encourage you to enter to win $50,000.  Show the world that your thumb is the greenest by showing the world pictures of your garden today! http://www.americasbestgardener.com

PLAN to attend the Orinda Garden Club Tour on May 11 where five Orinda and Lafayette gardens will showcase their spectacular outdoor living settings. Get inspired for spring. http://www.orindagc.ord/tour2017.

PAY your water bill with your credit card and accumulate those airline and hotel miles. EBMUD only charges an additional $1.99.  Best deal!

EMPTY all outdoor vessels of standing water. Even a teacup saucer will breed mosquitoes.

VISIT the Be the Star You Are!® booth at the Moraga Faire on Saturday, May 13th between 11-4pm to get a bag of complimentary spring potpourri. Bring your gardening questions and I’ll be there to answer them. www.BetheStarYouAre.org/events

INVITE your Mother for a day of garden strolling. Visit the Botanical Gardens in San Francisco (http://www.sfbotanicalgarden.org) or go on a hike on your favorite trail.

Looking forward to seeing you at the 11th Annual Moraga Faire. Let’s talk about play in May.  My sincerest wishes for a Happy Mother’s Day to every Mom in our community. You are love and are loved.

Happy Gardening and Happy Growing!

Read more: https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1105/Gardening-Guide-Hurray-for-May.html

Cynthia Brian, The Goddess Gardener, is a New York Times best selling author, actor, radio personality, speaker, media and writing coach as well as the Founder and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are1® 501 c3.
Tune into Cynthia’s Radio show at www.StarStyleRadio.com
Available for hire for any project.
Cynthia@GoddessGardener.com
www.GoddessGardener.com
925-377-STAR

April Beauty By Cynthia Brian

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April Beauty By Cynthia Brian

“We become just by performing just actions, temperate by performing temperate actions, brave by performing brave actions.” Aristotle

A Message from our Founder, Cynthia Brian

Happy Easter, Happy Passover, and Happy Spring!
This is a time of rebirth, resurrection, and redemption. The vernal equinox provides the impetus for us to become the person we want to be.  While cleaning our closets, we clean our minds and refresh our souls. I love this time of year when all of nature is singing the praises of renewal.
The Moraga Faire is our big event on Saturday, May 13 from 11-4pm. Thanks to Michael VerBrugge for once again sponsoring our event and Brooks Olbrys and Diana Zimmerman for donating books to be given to children and teens. Read Chelsea Pelchat’s, our event coordinator’s note below. We hope to see you there. If you’d like to sponsor or volunteer, email me Cynthia@BetheStarYouAre.org Make sure to visit www.BetheStarYouAre.org to find out more about our events and projects.
The volunteers and I are working on the third book in the Be the Star You Are!® series titled Be the Star You Are!® for Millennials. We are excited about this outreach project and hope to have it published by the end of this year.

With the April 15 tax day nearing, remember you can still make tax deductible donations to Be the Star You Are!® Donate by check to PO Box 376, Moraga, Ca. 94556 or directly on-line through PAYPAL where 100% benefits the charity with no fees attached. https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/search-cause?charityId=1504&s=3

Our greatest pride are our two positive message outreach radio broadcasts. Tune into our two radio shows for positive, upbeat information and entertainment. Our YA show, Express Yourself! airs Tuesdays at NOON PT on the Voice America Kids Network. http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/2014/express-yourself with descriptions at www.ExpressYourselfTeenRadio.com . If you are a young person interested in becoming a radio personality, email me for details. Every Wednesday from 4-5pm PT LIVE, our radio broadcast StarStyle®-Be the Star You Are!® brings you the information and inspiration you need to thrive on Voice America Network, Empowerment Channel. http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/2206/be-the-star-you-are  . Check out more at www.BetheStarYouAreRadio.com  .

We were very honored to receive a letter of recognition of California Assemblywoman, Catherine Baker. You can read it by clicking here.
Read a book this week. Buy a copy of our Be the Star You Are!® 99 Gifts for Living, Loving, Laughing, and Learning to Make a Difference from our store at www.StarStyleRadio.com/store.

Our motto is “Read, lead, succeed. To be a leader, you must be a reader!”
Have a beautiful rejuvenating April.
Cynthia Brian
Founder/Executive Director
Cynthia@BetheStarYouAre.org

Moraga Faire News

The annual Moraga Faire is coming up in about a month. Every year, Be the Star You looks forward to running a booth at this event, as it’s always been a great success and experience for all volunteers. For the most part, our volunteers will be helping out at our booth and offered a variety of tasks to choose from (e.g. face painting, photography, “scouting” for donations and bringing people to our booth) Although I will be providing the volunteers with some snacks and water, you can also bring money to buy from food trucks at the festival. And of course, we won’t keep you confined to the booth at all times- you can take a break from time to time and walk around the park (it’s held at the Moraga Commons Park) to take a look at the other booths. Last year I collected a bunch of pens, notebooks, flashlights, and first aid kits.
The shifts are from 8:30-12:30 and 12:30-4:30. If you choose to stay for the entirety of the event, you will get 8 hours of community service. Each shift counts as four hours. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me via email or text (9252866338). I will be sending out a reminder in a couple of weeks, as well as a few days before the event. Once again, we greatly appreciate your help 🙂  See you there! Chelsea Pelchat

Spotlight on Volunteer, Joven Hundal
“Be the Star You Are is one of those unique nonprofits that helps its volunteers just as much as it helps the community. I can personally attest to the many different benefits and opportunities that it provides. Whether it’s empowering young people through various forms of media or sending books to relieve victims of natural disasters, Cynthia Brian and Be the Star You Are truly care to help. On a weekly basis, teens are able to share their viewpoint on important issues that affect them and others. Our thoughts get broadcast for the entire world to hear. At its core, Be the Star You Are fosters the next crop of world-shakers to develop into their full potential and express themselves!”
Tune in to Express Yourself!™ Teen Radio where Joven is a reporter: www.ExpressYourselfTeenRadio.com

INTERESTED IN BECOMING A RADIO REPORTER
Express Yourself Teen Radio is looking for talented and dedicated individuals to join our radio family of reporters. Young adults ages 13-30 are encouraged to apply. Email Cynthia@BetheStarYouAre.org for information.

The Power of a Smile!

By Karen Kitchel

The power of a smile has been documented by activists, singers, and authors since time immemorial. When we feel great, a smile comes naturally. It’s an outward sign of joy, happiness, appreciation, amusement, excitement, or contentment. Scientists have found that smiling on purpose can help people feel better. Smiling on purpose changes brain chemistry. So it can be a big help to people who are dealing with depression and anxiety. In one study, researchers discovered that people who intentionally smiled, ended up feeling happy.
There was an interesting article in Forbes magazine called “The Untapped Power Of Smiling” written by Ron Gutman, CEO of Health Tap. A study examined the smiles of students in an old yearbook, and measured their well-being and success throughout their lives. By measuring the smiles in the photographs, the researchers were able to predict how fulfilling and long lasting their marriages would be, how highly they would score on standardized tests of well-being and general happiness, and how inspiring they would be to others. The widest smilers consistently ranked highest in all of the above.

3-D ultrasound technology now shows that developing babies appear to smile even in the womb. After they’re born, babies continue to smile, mostly in their sleep, and even blind babies smile in response to the sound of the human voice.
A smile is one of the most basic uniform expressions of all humans. Smiles have the same meaning in all cultures. More than 30% of us smile more than 20 times a day and less than 14% of us smile less than 5 times a day. Children are said to smile as many as 400 times per day!  Have you ever wondered why being around children who smile frequently makes you smile more often?  Two studies at Uppsala University in Sweden confirmed that other people’s smiles actually suppress the control we usually have over our facial muscles, compelling us to smile. They also showed that it’s very difficult to frown when looking at someone who is smiling. This occurs even among strangers.
In a study conducted in the UK, British researchers found that one smile can provide the same level of brain stimulation as up to 2,000 chocolate bars.  And unlike lots of chocolate, lots of smiling can actually make you healthier. Smiling has documented therapeutic effects and has been associated with reduced stress and lowered blood pressure. If that’s not enough, smiling also makes us look good in the eyes of others. A Penn State University study confirmed that when we smile, we not only appear more likeable, but we’re actually perceived to be more competent.
So now, whenever you want to look great and competent,  reduce your stress, or whenever you want to feel as good as when you’ve enjoyed a stack of chocolate bars, or if you want to help yourself and others live longer, healthier happier lives, just SMILE!

Karen Kitchel is a Community Volunteer who is passionate about helping those who are homeless or disadvantaged.

Shop, Give, and Get Connected
If you would like to make a direct donation to our giving fund, please visit our Paypal page!
https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/search-cause?charityId=1504&s=3
Ways to Help

1. AmazonSmile donates .5% of purchases http://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-3333882
2. Discounted books at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/shops/be_the_star_you_are_charity
3. Buy or Sell on EBAY:http://givingworks.ebay.com/charity-auctions/charity/be-the-star-you-are-501-c-3/1504/?favorite=link
4. Use GoodSearch to search the web & buy from your favorite stores,. Choose Be the Star You Are as your charity to support. You can log in with Facebook, too! http://www.goodsearch.com/goodto-go/be-the-star-you-are
5. Shop at over 1300 stores on IGIVE: http://www.iGive.com/BTSYA
6. BTSYA Logo Store: http://btsya.rylees.net
7. Giving Assistant: Shop. Earn. Give! Use Giving Assistant to earn cash back at 1800+ popular online stores, then donate a percentage to BTSYA: https://givingassistant.org/np#be-the-star-you-are-inc

If you would like to make a direct donation to our giving fund, please visit our Paypal page! https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/search-cause?charityId=1504&s=3

Links you can use for Be the Star You Are!®
Positive Results
About Us 
Programs
How to Help 
Blog
Events
Contact us
GREAT NON PROFITS REVIEWS

Please join us on Star-Style Radio and Express Yourself! Teen Radio. Please also visit our calendar to find local events. www.BetheStarYouAreRadio.com
Care to see what other people are saying about us? See our reviews at Great Non-Profits!
GREAT NON PROFITS REVIEWS: http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/be-the-star-you-are-inc/

Thanks for supporting Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3
Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3
PO Box 376
Moraga, California 94556
www.BetheStarYouAre.org

April Newsletter: Read our BTSYA April Newsletter

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