Sport Princess Blog

Surfing in Mexico? We make girls out of women

2012-02-06T22:04:00.000-08:00

Hi there my Sport Princess lovies!

This really surprised me, and I'm undeserving of this, but I just found out I was chosen as a top 10 finalist for a women's only surf school scholarship in Mexico! I've had my eye on this hot spot for a couple years now - it's an ultimate Sport Princess destination! A women's only surf safari for a week - you've got to check out the site!

Can you please please vote for me before contest ends really soon? The voting is SUPER SIMPLE and you only have to do it once, and don't have to enter any info or anything! You just click on the heart below my name (I'm second from the bottom) and when your email comes up, click send! That’s it! Here's the link:

OR even easier, just send a blank email to scholarship@surflasolas.com with the subject title exactly: I Vote for Bethany

They accept just one vote per email address actually, so if there are others in your household with email, maybe double my chances and send from each? I don’t have my heart set on winning because I'm obviously an underdog, but maybe with your help I'll get really lucky! Please share.

Life is beautiful either way!!! :))))))

xoxo, Bethany

April is for BASEBALL!

2011-04-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Here we go, Sport Princess #2

Samantha, or "Sam", was my second idea. She's a little more tomboy than the others, partly because her parents both played and supported baseball as well. She lost her mother shortly after her younger sister, Sarina, was born, so Sam plays a motherly role over her little sis, plus still plays baseball with her father. The reason she goes to the Perfectly Pink Princess Etiquette School is because she remembers how excited her mother had been about the school, and her daughters going to it, when she was very young. Sam is a pitcher - a left handed pitcher - like Babe Ruth. She has Babe's number, too. #3.

I learned baseball from my father, as well. I would go watch his games with the church team at grassy fields early early Saturday mornings. He instilled the love of Baseball into me at a young age. For one of our daddy daughter dates, he took me and my sister to go see the movie about Babe Ruth... "Babe" ... and then we went to the batting cages ... and then went and ate BabyRuth candy bars afterwards. Another time, on an early Saturday morning, his team was short some players, and they let me play out in far right field. It was a casual pick me up game, with no one watching. But it thrilled me. I ALMOST caught a ball.

That was just enough for me.

This month we will highlight baseball players, baseball photos and stories, and some fascinating history of Women playing Baseball. As well as more about the Baseball Princess book!

If you have any photos or stories you'd like to submit for the photo/story/athlete spotlight of the week, please email to sportprincess@gmail.com

Game Day Goodies: White Chocolate Frito Popcorn

2011-03-31T12:00:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you all but I HAVE to mix my salty with something sweet when it comes to snacking. I also have to admit a certain fondness for Fritos :) So when I found this recipe I was in heaven.

8 cups of popped popcorn

1 lb. (16 ounces) white chocolate or almond bark
2 cups Frito's, crushed
M&M’s

Pop corn according to package directions. Put popped corn and crushed Fritos into a large bowl. Melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until melted. Pour melted chocolate over popcorn mixture and stir to coat completely. Pour onto a wax paper or parchment paper lined cookie sheet and sprinkle with M&Ms. Allow to cool and dry.

I found this recipe here.

We have a winner...

2011-03-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

and it's Rachel Gustafson!!

Thanks to everyone who entered....tune in for the next one in April!

Sport Princess Photo/Story of the Week...

2011-03-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

I'm in Australia today ... working on something very exciting for the Sport Princess series! I will share after we are all official ... *grin*

But it made me think of the Australian women's soccer team, and I found this super cute picture of the Australian team, "Matildas". This picture was taken after a victory against Canada in China's FIFA World Cup, moving them up into the Quarter Finals.

The next Women's World Cup is actually this year, in Germany between June 26 and July 17th!

We will be starting a new month April 1st with a new spotlighted sport!

1 day left to enter to win Soccer freebies and Dick's Sporting Goods card!

2011-03-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Our March Soccer month is coming near to a close - and we are also nearing the end of our free soccer giveaway! You still have one day to enter to win all the pictured items - and it's easy to enter!

All you have to do is comment with what your eligible entries are! If you just comment alone, you have an entry... if you follow the blog, that's another one, if you "Like" us on Facebook, that's another one, if you do a posting on the blog that's another way, etc etc. You still have to comment with your entry in order to win though - it's easy! And your chances are high of winning - see comments so far! :)

You can comment with all your entries up until March 30th at 12AM PST

Winner will be announced on Thursday on Facebook, and emailed to the address provided.

It's just for fun to close out this month of soccer - we will be going into our next Sport on April 1st, and there will be a new free giveaway at the end of every month! Here are the full giveaway details again and where to comment!

Cheers and good luck!!

$25 at Dick's Sporting Goods... and more giveaways too - see full details and where to enter here

Athlete Spotlight: 7 year old lioness, Malia

2011-03-28T09:00:00.001-07:00

I've been excited to share today's spotlight about little Malia and her soccer studliness! When her mom, Mandy, posted on the blog contest about one of her Sport Princess's achievements, I asked her to send me more information so I could learn more. I'm so happy she did!

"Her name is Malia, she is 7 yrs old and in the 2nd grade. She started playing recreational soccer when she was 4 yrs old and knew right away she wanted to be a goalkeeper. She joined a select team, "traveling team", when she was 6 yrs old. Her team won numerous tourrnaments and there was an entire season where they were undefeated.

She plays year round, and even played in a "soccer in the sand" tournament at Lake Michigan's Grand Haven beach. One of her most memorable tournaments was on the campus of University of Michigan. Her team took 1st place and posed for pictures with the head coach of U of M's men's soccer team. We have also traveled with Malia's team to the campus of Michigan State University. She escorted the female college team onto the field at the start of the big Michigan vs Michigan State soccer game. At half time, her team got to play an exhibition game for the crowd!

Malia has been compared to a caged lioness when she is in goalkeeper mode. She never takes her eye off the ball, paces back and forth like she could attack at any moment! :)

She has been kicked in the stomach many times and gets right back up. Except that one time when she carried off the field! She has also been kicked in the mouth while diving on a ball. She took a minute to compose herself, got up and shook herself off and when the referee asked if she was ok she replied, "I'm ok, let's play". Afterwards she told me in disgust, "His foot was in my mouth!".

Malia is highly competitive, and puts her all into everything that she does. She is a straight A student and has tested above her grade level in reading and math. She is a very compassionate girl, and a great friend. She has a love of animals and decided on her own that she does not want to eat any meat. I'm sure this is challenging for her living with a family of meat eaters! One day in the grocery store she was horrified to read the word "lamb" on a package of meat. She picked it up and hugged it and said "I'm sorry someone had to kill you". This morning, on the way to school, she saw a dead skunk on the side of the road and said "that skunk had hopes and dreams!"

Little Sport Princess, Malia

I think what makes Malia's accomplishments so amazing to me is the fact that she was born tongue tied, pigeon toed and with poor vision in one eye. She spoke very little at the age of 3, and underwent surgery to clip the skin holding her tongue down. She got her first pair of glasses this school year and looks adorable in them! She is still very much pigeon toed and it is amazing how quick her footwork is when she is dribbling the ball around other players on her way to score a goal. She has over come these obstacles and is excelling in spite of them!"

And here is Malia's contribution: "Malia would also like you to know her favorite soccer player is Lionel Messi. She HAD to have his replica Barcelona jersey last weekend as soon as she saw it! She will also be attending 3 Lions Soccer Academy Summer Camp this coming July." :)

WOW. What a darling, motivated, inspirational Sport Princess. MANDY - you write well - I love how you worded all of this, and being able to picture the pacing caged lioness. Also, that's an appropriate nickname since she loves Lionel Messi and is attending the 3 Lions Academy Summer Camp. I love this girl already, thank you for sharing her information!

*For any other submissions for the weekly spotlight, please email to sportprincesses@gmail.com.

Game Day Goodies: Cinnamon Tortilla Chips n Fruit Salsa

2011-03-25T23:47:00.000-07:00

How is it that everytime I sit down to share a recipe, I am instantly STARVING!!

I'm going to need a "fourth meal" after I write this out.

This quick and easy yummy-ness is a HIT with the kids! And, well..... me.

Ingredient ideas for fruit salsa:
1 peeled and diced apple
1 cup sliced strawberries
2 sliced bananas
2 sliced kiwis (optional) (delicious!)
1 Tablespoon lime juice
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

Ingredients for tortilla chips:
Flour tortillas
Cookies Spray
Cinnamon and sugar!

Toss the fruit together and chill in the fridge before serving... (Another alternative is Costco's peach mango salsa!)

For the chips, preheat oven to 350. Slice flour tortillas into triangles... (I stack them in a pile like pancakes and then slice it like a pizza with a pizza cutter) Arrange the tortilla triangles in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Spray with cooking spray, and then sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar!

Bake for 5-8 minutes, watching carefully.

Voila! A sweet, crispy ... and healthier version of chips and salsa!

My dream vehicle, worthy of tough sporty adventures

2011-03-23T20:39:00.000-07:00

I've been drooling over these for as long as I can remember.

My husband can tell you about the countless times I've been mid-sentence with him, only to stop immediately, googly-eye-stare-down a passing Land Rover Defender 90, then to shake my head back to reality, not remembering what I was even saying.

I recall another distinct afternoon when I was driving home from work that a yellow Defender passed me on a narrow bridge. Afterwards when I closed my open mouth and put my eyes back on the road, it dawned on me that the guy driving the Defender wasn't that bad looking either. He must have thought I was looking at HIM. I'm so naive sometimes. But I hope it did things for his ego.

They are RARE. They stopped building them in the states in the late 90's. And even when you do find the rare one for sale, the prices are usually still in the upper 30k to 40k+ range, even with high miles!

But it's the ultimate, rugged vehicle for me, out in the elusive fairytale of my existence.

So this week when I finally found a parking spot in front of a new restaurant in Washington for a lunch appointment, I was surprised to see a white Land Rover Defender parked right next door, For Sale. It's like a magnet to me, I don't even remember my legs taking me to the car. I may have heard harps and birds tweeting in the distance. 139k miles, 1994, $22,000.

I would love to put a big Sport Princess decal on this baby. A bright turquoise blue one. Or orange.

I've heard "Someday" is a dangerous word. But what else can I say? Someday I will own a Land Rover Defender. I know it's petty... so for now, I will keep daydreaming.

White defender for sale I found

Sport Princess Photo/Story of the Week

2011-03-23T12:06:00.000-07:00

I was sent this picture recently that reminded me of a poster I've seen. I don't know if it was intentionally posed this way, and I love it! A Sport Princess is an empowered girl, much like the famous motto on this poster: "We can do it!"

Ana, Sport Princess

This is little Ana, who won the Sport Princess Photo contest last summer. Here is the link to her mom's blog post: http://www.simzgirl.com/2011/03/03/my-little-soccer-princess/

Please submit your sporty pictures or stories to be used for this weekly slot! I will link to your blog. Email to sportprincesses@gmail.com

March Soccer Giveaway! Lots of hot pink soccer freebies

2011-03-22T06:30:00.000-07:00

Today I am kicking off a fun Soccer Giveaway for March! At the end of every month, after unveiling one of the 12 Sport Princesses and highlighting that sport, I have fantastic freebies to give one winner! New items every month. That means that after you're following us, you'll get to see the new sport-themed giveaways every month for this next year!

YAY! Here's what we've got for you this week:

Beaded soccer bracelet!

Hot pink and gray camo Soccer Ball, size 3

Girl's hot pink soccer socks

Sport Princess sticker decal! Choose any color, size is 8 inches

Hot Pink Armband!

Plus $25 bucks at Dick's Sporting Goods for you!
(You can use it to buy online if you don't have a local one)
Retail value of all of the above is $75. Saweeet!

So how do you win these free soccer goodies? Just follow the directions below... there are LOTS of way to be entered into the drawing! We will run this giveaway for just ONE WEEK! Entries will be accepted until Wednesday, March 30th, with the winner announced on Facebook next Thursday 31st, and emailed to email address provided below!

If you would like to enter this giveaway, here is what to do:

-Just leave a comment below with your email address!

Extra entries available:

Leave an additional comment with your email address for each extra entry below! This is the easiest way for me to track multiple entries :)

      -"Follow" my Sport Princess Blog
     -"Like" us on Facebook
     -Share this giveaway link on your facebook wall
     -Blog about this giveaway, linking back to this post (leave a link to your post in your comment)
     -Grab our Sport Princess button for your blog

For example, if you are already a follower of my blog you would comment: "already a follower. here's my email: yadayada@yougetit.com"

And then if you did a facebook post, you would also comment: "Posted on facebook today. email: yadayada@yougetit.com"

And then you do a blog post on your blog you comment: "Here is the link to my blog post today: http://www.jfkld;jj/.etc" :)

(Hey, that means that if you "like" on facebook, or have our Sport Princess button on your blog, and/or follow our blog, you automatically have entries in all the future giveaways this year!!)

Don't forget to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win! You have until next Wednesday to spread the word and help us get Sport Princess out there more... good luck! Hugs, BH

UK Athlete Spotlight: Rachel Yankey

2011-03-21T17:08:00.000-07:00

This week I'm taking you to the UK to highlight one of England's finest players, a midfielder with Arsenal Ladies,

Rachel Yankey!

Rachel Yankey, #11, Arsenal

Not only is this all star playing for the Women's FIFA World Cup on England's National Team this year (nicknamed the "Three Lionesses")...

...but off the field, Rachel often works with children and youth, coaching football skills. She even created her own Rachel Yankey Football Academy in London a couple years ago, where she receives grants and teaches young primary girls and young ethnic minority groups how to play football for free! WOW. She is all heart for the game, and working with children. Here's a video where Rachel plugs youngins getting involved in the London Youth Games, over 30 sports:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCN6XcroYPw

She started playing on boy's teams when she was younger. Now, with 105 caps (football appearances) under her belt, she's got the most experience then all the other ladies on the Englad squad. I admire her humility, for how good she really is, and how she is giving back to the kids in the communities around her!

(I know where I'm going first when looking for coaches for the Sport Princess camp down the road!!)

Game Day Goodies: Buckeyes!

2011-03-18T17:35:00.000-07:00

I lived in Dublin during my High School years... okay I wish that one... Dublin OHIO... and became an avid Ohio State Buckeye Fan! During my Senior Year, I did an Athletic Training internship at Ohio State for a week, spending some time with the football players in the locker room too. (I still heart Joe Germaine)

One of my favorite football game day goodies comes from this time in my life. The school mascot for OSU is Brutus the buckeye! (huh?)

bc the Buckeye is the Ohio state nut!

But I do love Brutus, and I DO love this chocolate peanut butter version of the Buckeye nut. Enjoy!!!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 cups confectioners' sugar
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and confectioners' sugar. The dough will look dry. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.
Press a toothpick into the top of each ball (to be used later as the handle for dipping) and chill in freezer until firm, about 30 minutes.
Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir frequently until smooth.
Dip frozen peanut butter balls in chocolate holding onto the toothpick. Leave a small portion of peanut butter showing at the top to make them look like Buckeyes. Put back on the cookie sheet and refrigerate until serving.

Peanut Butter Chocolate BUCKEYES!

Soccer Princess eBook

2011-03-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

NEW: The cover for the Soccer Princess eBook that will be available for the iPad this Spring as well!

The Soccer Princess: Josephina and the Gown Fashion Runway Show, eBook version

This version has a slightly different cover, due to the different size layout, to fit on the iPad best. I don't have the hard date yet, of both. But we're getting close! "Follow" the Blog or "Like" on Facebook for exact timing and big discounts right away :) xo. BH

Hot Pink Soccer Cake

2011-03-16T08:57:00.000-07:00

Sport Princess photo of the week!

I haven't made this yet ... but was looking through soccer pictures online with my little Mack and she saw this and INSISTS (something along the lines of please please pretty please with sugar on top momma?) on having it for her bday in June. Sweet!

Hot Pink Soccer Cake

Feel free to submit your sporty pictures or stories to sportprincesses@gmail.com and I'll share here, linking to your blog!

Cheers!

As we get closer ...

2011-03-15T10:01:00.000-07:00

I'm starting to get excited. nervous. butterflies. I just have about another month and a half before I will get to finally have this first Sport Princess book - for the Soccer Princess - in my hands.

But it makes me think ... I've always wondered if famous singers get sick of singing the same songs over and over again, and then hearing them afterwards played over and over on the radio, usually months and years after they've produced them? Or what about novel writers, who write, rewrite, edit, re-edit hundreds of pages of manuscript before it's official, then to wait an endless time before having it in print. Do they enjoy reading it that first time after it's published? And what do movie stars think as they watch their million dollar movie at the box office after they filmed it in bits and pieces? I imagine it's weird being on the flip side. You're obviously biased... yet you're also your own worst critic. Will I still like reading the Soccer Princess book after I have it in my hands?

I have one of the book proofs from the printer right now - a paper version - not true color, but it's called a "Plotter Proof", showing how all the pages fit together right. Mack requested it for her bedtime story a couple nights ago, and when it was over, she sighed and told me "I love that story mom, can you read it again?" It's moments like those - or the days when she responds better to "Josephina" then she does to "Mackayla" ... that I remember why I created the Sport Princess series in the first place. For her. And it already did exactly as I hoped it would. So no matter how the books end up doing, or what I think, the most important thing to me is that my little Mack became my true Sport Princess, and how she squeals in delight when she sees her picture next to mine on the back inside jacket of the book.

Of course, it would be a dream come true to watch other little girls also transform from Disney Princess high-heelers to Sport Princess hot pink cleats and jerseys... but in the meantime, my little one is everything I could have hoped for. Hugs. BH

Athlete Spotlight: Abby Wambach

2011-03-14T09:05:00.000-07:00

As we are in the midst of March Soccer month, I have to tell you about an active soccer gal on the US Team, and currently playing for Washington Freedom... miss Abby Wambach.

As far as I've read, this is one hardcore chick, ever since she was hatched. Abby is the youngest of seven children, and learned defense quickly. Her brothers put hockey pads on her so they could practice shooting their hockey pucks at her. Her siblings would raid her food, until she learned to quickly bite each French fry in half on her plate before they had the chance. Abby shares her secret advice: "Always cut your underwear a little so that when your brothers hang you on the doorknob, it will tear away easier."

So it comes as no surprise that she shreds it up on the soccer field. In Abby's first youth league, she was transferred from the girls team to the boys team after scoring 27 goals in just 3 games. TODAY, She has quickly become "one of the most dangerous strikers in the world" ... with the best goals-per-game-ratio in US history ... 101 goals in 131 games at the end of 2009. And here's my favorite part of that: 41 of those goals were made with her head.

PLUS she likes to surf.

And play video games with the other US Soccer mom's kids.

............ And she has an English Bulldog named Kingston. WHO can ride a skateboard.

I can't even ride a skateboard. Not to say I haven't tried ... but I've had kaboodles more success and fun sliding down the skateboard ramps and pipes on my butt than standing up on a skateboard. And yes, that was on purpose, during early mornings before the skaters were at the park to watch. (And I didn't even take a skateboard with me) Different story.

Here's a quick vid on Abby Wambach, followed by a much longer vid of a skateboardin' English Bulldog. Enjoy :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=No1moklsowQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQzUsTFqtW0

Game Day Goodies: Frito Dog

2011-03-11T09:01:00.000-08:00

Um.... can I just say that I want to bear hug whoever wrote the inspirational piece I found: "30 ways to top a dog"......... all about different ways to dress a hot dog for game food! NOW we're talkin'! Don't worry, these are not my next 30 Friday recipe spots. However I will definitely throw a favorite in every so often. These are a cinch, and are an exciting twist on your classic hot dog! Just in case my mom reads this, I should add that you should always buy Nitrate Free hot dogs:) Aka Trader Jo's.

Okay with that disclaimer aside, here we go:

Hot Dogs

Toasted hot dog buns

Your favorite bean chili

Shredded cheese

Pickled Jalapeños

Crushed FRITOS

Directions: Well, basically, load them all up together in your toasted bun! Check out this picture below for aesthetically pleasing-ness. Leave out the Jalapeños for your little niños. Grub a lub!

Yummmm. Frito Dog!

Mackayla's first soccer goal ... except ...

2011-03-10T09:31:00.000-08:00

My little SP Mack is almost 5 now (June), and now that I'm seeing all the Spring Soccer signups, it makes me think back to last fall - her first soccer season - and her first-ever soccer goal. First of all, I love the little warm-ups and exercises they have these little kids do in soccer practice. Like dribbling around the cones before they know ball control so you either have kids chasing down soccer balls across the field that they've kicked way hard, or, like my daughter, you have a little girl in a skirt taking the tiniest... timid-like baby kicks that go about 2 inches in front of her cleats, her eyes focused on the grass in front of her, so carefully going around each cone that there's a huge lineup of the other kids behind her. :)

For Mack's first game, I hadn't explained the rules of the game to her yet, (What more was there to kick the ball in the goal?) But quickly discovered that, oh yeah, she needs to learn about what direction you are going. Because, YES, her FIRST ever soccer goal was for the other team. But it was so beautiful I almost cried. She crossed the entire field to get it into the goal, and she was so proud, I just couldn't tell her it was for the wrong team. In fact, she still doesn't know. I will save that for later. She jumped and whooped and had so much fun that I remembered, that's the real reason to play. I'm just happy she likes being out there, likes to run, likes to meet new people, wants to play again. :)

My little Sport Princess, Mack

Sport Princess Photo/Story of the Week

2011-03-09T09:02:00.000-08:00

I have to share this picture I found of a young girl playing soccer - look at her form!

And the HUUUGGE stride as she is stretching out to kick the soccer ball!

Also I love the pure focus and concentration on her face.

I wonder is this something you can teach?

Or is it just a natural inherited trait?

Sport Princess photo of the week

Feel free to submit a sporty picture or story for this weekly piece to sportprincesses@gmail.com and I'll share your blog or webpage along with it!

Soccer Princess book update: Sneak Peek

2011-03-08T19:32:00.000-08:00

The Soccer Princess: Josephina and the Gown Fashion Runway Show is just around the corner! With the first volume in the Sport Princess series at the printer right now, we are looking at a Spring release date. We will have an ebook version available at the same time. I hope it's worth the wait...here is just a sneak peek at some of the illustrations by Kristin Abbott in the book!!

Princess Josephina

Jo playing soccer before the Royal Ball

Perfectly Pink Princess Etiquette School Schedule

Sam's first day at Princess Etiquette School (Baseball Princess)

Book 2 - Baseball Princess - is already more than halfway illustrated too. I love how both turned out and can't wait for you to see. :)

As far as overseas rights go - my lovely Irish agents, Prizeman & Kinsella, are headed to the Bologna Children's Book Fair in Italy at the end of March -- and then the London Book Fair a few weeks later in April. I will keep you updated!!

Athlete Spotlight: Milene Domingues

2011-03-07T09:01:00.000-08:00

Something about this athlete intrigues me! Today I want to spotlight Milene Domingues, a Brazilian midfielder who retired after 2009 at just age 30. Can you imagine?

Beforehand, Milene was a Brazilian MODEL that decided to play soccer (football, in Brazil) and became the highest paid player in Spain. She was first famous for being married to Ronaldo, a very well known soccer player in Brazil. She later married Spanish soccer player David Aganzo, who is still playing today.

The ex-model also holds the record for ball juggling - keeping a soccer ball off the ground for 9 hours, with 55,198 touches!

I think what impresses me most is that someone who is beautiful - and the camera loves - turned away from that to play an active, fast paced sport instead! She even played on the National Team.

Anything is possible! Without knowing her, I am proud of Milene!

Game Day Goodies: Bacon Wrapped Smokies

2011-03-04T08:58:00.000-08:00

Yummmmm I am salivating as I type this already. If you haven't had these yet - they are a must try! Easy ingredients, fast procedure, super delicious! I've made these several times for football parties, new years, and, well, even breakfast. Talk about the perfect mixture of carmelized sugar, grease, and meat.

Bacon Wrapped Lil' Smokies!

1 package beef cocktail weiners (14 ounce)

1 pound bacon, sliced into thirds

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar (or more to taste!)

Toothpicks

Preheat oven to 325. Wrap each lil' smokie with bacon, securing with a toothpick. Place on a large baking sheet. Then sprinkle generously with brown sugar! Bake for about 40 minutes, until the brown sugar is warm and bubbly. Serve hot, or keep warm in a slow cooker on low setting until ready to party! This is supposed to yield "16 servings" ... but whatever, it's more like 3 or 4 at my house. Enjoy!!

Sport Princess Photo/Story of the Week...

2011-03-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

Today's story of the week comes from our very own Sport Princess illustrator, Kristin Abbott, about her mom! I love this true story about the ultimate Sport Princess, back in the day:

"Here's a story my Dad likes to tell about my Mom. One day when she was pushing a stroller with two tots (my sister and I) through the park, a loose basketball from a pick-up game crossed her path. My eight and a half months pregnant Mom picked up the ball and executed a perfect lefty hook shot. All the guys in the game laughed and exclaimed "You could never make that shot again in a million years." "Oh yeah," said my Mom, and she proceeded to do it again, and again and again until all those guys went silent. She is an original Sports Princess -- luckily, in her home town of Gackle, North Dakota, a variety of sports were available to girls in the 1950's and she played basketball and ran hurdles and was a cheerleader. This was not true of so many places in our country back then. My mom loves sports!"

Shared by Kristin Abbott, www.abbottillustration.com

Feel free to submit a sporty picture or story for this weekly piece to sportprincesses@gmail.com and I'll share your blog or webpage along with it.

March is for SOCCER!

2011-03-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

Here we go. Volume 1, Princess 1.

Josephina ... "Jo" ... came to me first, and she was also the easiest to create. Especially how she looked. Slightly latino, beautiful hot pink gown, but soccer accessories - the soccer socks, cleats, armband, headband, lots of black and white too. Proper parents who didn't understand... who just wished their princess daughter would act like the rest of the princesses in town did. This first book in the series is about a young princess finding who she really is.

Soccer was MY first sport, and probably my favorite sport still, back from my early years going to Uintah Elementary. I was fast. My dad took me running with him often, and would put us me in local races. We played soccer out on the recess field almost every day, and my friends and I joined a "Leopards" team and played on Saturdays.

I was viscious and jealous back then though. I had a major crush on my favorite boyfriend (friend/boy), Taylor Moncur. A grade younger than me, super cute blonde boyish boy. (How can you not be boyish though? I was in 3rd grade, he in 2nd!) I used to think he was "mine". We were good friends, playing kissing tag, (my first kiss) trying not to bump elbows when we walked on the sidewalk because that meant we were getting married, running wild together. But then he got a girlfriend in 2nd grade with him, a pretty girl who played aggressively on an opposing soccer team. One of my favorite memories is when we played her team, and she was dribbling the soccer ball my way and I went to kick the ball as hard as I could, only, whoops, missing completely and nailing her in the shin instead.

*balk*

Don't worry, she didn't even cry. She didn't even know who I was. But it was my little secret, and I felt better afterwards.

Now fast forward 4 years to 7th grade. I was living in Kansas at the time, and two of my girlfriends and I joined a co-ed indoor soccer leage. (whatever. It was so a boy's league. We were the only girls there) Only my little missing-the-soccer-ball-instead-kicking-the-shins didn't work anymore. I remember one time I literally missed and kicked this tall, bronze, god-like muscled male in the shins. (Wait, wasn't this 7th grade?) But instead of inflicting any pain on the guy, MY foot twisted completely backwards, and I was out for a couple weeks. There was my karma, call it what you will. :)

Athlete Spotlight: Mia Hamm

2011-02-28T09:00:00.000-08:00

For my first *Monday Athlete Spotlight*… how can I NOT start with a spotlight on arguably one of the most important sportswomen of our time, Mia Hamm!

Ohhh where do I start! This sportswoman was… IS… incredible. Do I begin with how she was actually born with a club foot and had to wear corrective braces as a toddler?

Or how she is the youngest player EVER to play for the U.S. National soccer team at just a young 15 years old?

Becoming the youngest American women to win a World Cup championship at the still young age of 19?

Or how about the fact that Mia has scored more international goals in her career than any other player, male or female, in the history of soccer?

Yes, she has done it all. Named the FIFA World Player … TWO times … inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame when receiving 137 votes out of the possible 141 … has the largest NIKE building on corporate campus named after her … and was named the 1997 Sportswoman of the Year!

Hamm retired in 2004 at the age of 32 to start a family with her then-Red Sox shortstop husband (later Dodgers), Nomar Garciaparra. (Does it get any better than that??) In 2007 she gave birth to twin girls! With soccer star momma, and baseball daddy, you better believe those little girls are Sport Princesses!

You gotta watch this awing tribute I found to Mia Hamm! Super cool youtube Mia Hamm Tribute

........AAAAND we're back. New format!

2011-02-27T22:39:00.000-08:00

Did I forget? Nah. Has a lot happened? Yup. Am I excited to share it all with you? Absolutely!!

I want to first KICK OFF the new Sport Princess blog format, and will quickly be getting into the nitty gritty and exciting updates to the Sport Princess series and where we've been the last half a year! Sooo much to delve into. But first, the official-ness of fun updates:

Every Monday will be a girl/woman power *Athlete Spotlight*..... from super celebrity athletes, to local small town young girls. I will absolutely take submissions for this weekly blog post, and want to hear about your own Sport Princess highlights, or an all star athlete in your town that we need to know about and can be empowered by. Email me the skinny along with a photo or video at sportprincesses@gmail.com!

Every Wednesday we will share a *Sport Princess photo or story of the week*. This is also open to submissions, send me those fun stories and a picture so we can all be in on it together!

Every Friday I will share a fun *Gameday recipe* to give you lots of yummy sporty goodness to go along with watching or playing sports! (Wait now, how many ways can you make nachos and hot dogs? Let's get creative and share loads of hoo-ra food!)

There will be lots of book, merchandise, and series updates all mixed in between these too.

Now here's the fun part: unveiling the rest of the Sport Princesses. Because guess what... there are now 12 OF THEM! So to kick that off, I am going to introduce one character a month, highlighting that specific sport for that entire month. We will go in order of how they will be published in the series. So to start March 1, we will be having a SOCCER MONTH, to go along with the first book to be published in 2011, The Soccer Princess.

Stick around for lots more soon, starting tomorrow with the first Athlete Spotlight.

~Hugs!! Bethany

And the winners are...

2010-06-11T10:39:00.000-07:00

CONGRATULATIONS to

CHLOE who won the 1st Grand Prize with the most votes on her photo "BB", pictured here again! You can see more of this super cute sport princess at her mom's blog here.

and ANA won the random drawing for the 2nd Grand Prize! You can see more of Ana at her mom's blog here!

From what I can see, these two girls are real Sport Princesses, with posts about the fun girl stuff they do (ballet, dance, girl-ness) but sports too! (soccer, baseball, fun outdoors!)

Both girls win $250 and all sorts of fun Sport Princess gear including a custom Soccer Princess dress!

Thank you to all the participants in the photo contest - you will all get a free Soccer Princess book when it is published. It is being illustrated again right now, and lots more fun news coming out about it soon! We will be kicking out a new format on the blog in the next week with each day dedicated to a different aspect of sport... fun... education... photos, stories, book news, and more:)

Thank you!

2010-06-10T22:17:00.000-07:00

The voting for the Sport Princess photo contest closed as 12 noon earlier today - and we are busy tallying up the votes! The remaining names will be entered into a www.random.org drawing for the 2nd prize! Both winners will be announced on here (and contacted by email) by 12 NOON PST on Friday, June 11th... almost there:)

So many cute photos, and comments in the emails we received! Your daughters are beautiful.

Hang in there just a bit longer!

Vote on your favorite Sport Princess photo

2010-06-01T14:55:00.000-07:00

Are you ready for some DARLING sport chicks? I LOVE all of these. The fun news is ... your chances are high to win, too. We decided to still follow through on the photo contest even though the publication date is being pushed back while the first Soccer Princess book is being re-illustrated:)

So on with the next step! Below are all of the pictures entered for the contest.

Starting today, June 1st, through Thursday June 10th, the VOTING period opens. You - your family - your friends - are allowed ONE VOTE on ONE PHOTO per day! One vote per household per day - so rally up the troops to vote for your Sport Princess!

The first winner will be the princess with the most votes by Thursday June 10th 12pm PST.

All remaining names will be drawn from on random.org (equal chances all around) for the second winner!

Both winners will be notified and announced on the blog on June 11th.

To vote, simply send an email to sportprincesses@gmail.com with the subject title "Photo Contest" with the Alpha Letter of the photo you're voting for in the body of the email!

Thank you for those who took pictures to send in! Yay best of luck!

p.s. special note to check out the last three listed here late. We received the entries at the very beginning of the contest and missed them!

B.

C.

D.
E.

F.
G.

H.

I.

J.

K.

L.

M.

N.

O.

P.

Q.

R.

S.

T.
U.

V.
W.
X.
Y.

AA.

BB.

THE new illustration style =)

2010-05-28T23:12:00.000-07:00

Real quick, I just received this tonight... *much anticipated*... I saw the model sheets of the sport princess characters from this illustrator, Kristin Abbott, earlier this week, and loved them right away. You can see more of her portfolio at http://www.abbottillustration.com/. I wanted to post this full illustration so you can see the new style we are most likely going with for the Sport Princess series! We will have an official decision by Leo Publishing Works next week, and then after some minor tweaks to the characters themselves, new BIO pictures and style on here, soon.

More details to be continued...

UPDATE: it's official, Kristin Abbott is the new illustrator! We will have new character bios and images up as soon as they are completed... finalizing now!

3 days left for the Sport Princess photo contest!

2010-05-28T14:03:00.000-07:00

In good faith, we are still doing the Sport Princess photo contest even though the publication date of the first book has been pushed out while it is being illustrated again! Click on the Sport Princess Photo Contest link at the top of the page for full details... You have until May 31st midnight to email a photo!! There aren't many entries so far, so that's good for you... Your chances to win are very high! We have received some super cute sporty pictures that will be posted On June 1st. There are two grand prizes... And two ways to win. One is completely random, we will use random.org to pick the winner! Everyone has an even chance. The second way to win will be by voting all next week during the contest period! Could be an easy way to pick up some quick cash and some fun sporty princess gear:) Send a cute sport picture you already have, or pull out your cameras this Memorial Weekend! Spread the word if you have a friend that has a little girl and could use the money rift now! Cheers:)

The many faces of The Soccer Princess "Jo"

2010-05-22T13:17:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I've put this off... because from what I've heard so far, this news I'm about to share has been received enthusiastically. And now that I'm looking through older illustration examples again, I'm getting a kick out of this thing called starting over. Since getting signed with my lovely Irish Literary Agents... and in talking to several overseas publishers and marketing companies at the London Book Fair, I heard a consistent message:

"LOVE the idea. Illustrations look a little old or off for the younger target audience though. Change that and you have something that could go international, too"

And then it hits me, too, as so apparently obvious that I don't know why we didn't see it sooner. So with the big picture in mind, and what's best to get all our little girls to love sport princesses and spread the idea... we all agreed to push off the first publication date of The Soccer Princess, (still in 2010!) while we start over on the illustrations! It was perfect - blessed - timing at the Book Fair, because my publisher had just received the proof sample from the printer in Minnesota, and we were at that point to either plow forward with the printing, or make any revisions.

I'm waiting for a new sample illustration from a fantastic agented illustrator right now that we've been in negotiations with, and my publisher will be able to make that decision by the end of next week. In the meantime though, I want to show you several of the faces of Josephina that I've received since the beginning from different freelance illustrators!! The first two (uper-amatear) drawings are my own... how I initially pictured Jo. The rest are several different styles and mediums based on different artist perspectives!

Have fun looking through all these examples!! I would LOVE your feedback and opinion. Several of these are obviously not her exactly, but some are closer than I originally considered... is there a style here that you love for little girls? Is there one that you think is close? Or right on? Have your daughters look through it with you too!

Stay tuned as we continue the search for the right match......

Sporty surf-style clothing line... ATHLETA!

2010-05-03T16:53:00.001-07:00

Have you seen this new magazine for women's clothing yet? I have fallen in love with it! I receive nothing from ATHLETA for making this pitch... I genuinely highly recommend ATHLETA! Here is their motto from the Design Director:

"Everything that makes its way into the Athleta assortment comes from our own personal love for both fashion and sport ... Our design team is made up of women athletes and we have pretty much every sport you can imagine represented by a member of our staff"

The have loads of beautiful sun dresses... knee length shorts, skirts, beach cover ups, swimsuits. And as far as online shopping goes, it's the same shipping as with Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic etc:) You can shop by sport categories:

Yoga/Studio
Run/Walk
Hike/Explore
Gym/Training
Adventure Travel
Swim/Surf/Paddle
Golf
Tennis
Cycling
Triathlon

Check it out! http://www.athleta.com/
And lots of sporty tips and stories on their blog at http://www.athleta.net/chi/

Go Irish! A Literary Agent Tale

2010-04-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

London Book Fair, day one, April 19th.

The iceland volcano Eyjafjallajokull (I didn't make that up) impacted the book fair, to say the least! Empty booths and holes in once-filled schedules presented an opportunity I didn't expect.

While I went to London to attend the fair as a spectator... to learn what goes into the UK and other foreign markets, to understand "rights" and contracts and see if there is a market for Sport Princesses outside the U.S... in one of those not-so-coincidental-chance-meetings... I found my literary agent match overseas! Two agents, actually, who work together. I love them immediately, but how can you not, with that Irish accent and charm?

I was sitting on an aisle bench at the end of the day... weary... looking through old Sport Princess illustrations on my new Ipad, wondering if I change the style? When they each plopped on each side of me, delighted, asking if this is really the Ipad and could they please have a look? Turns out the Ipad is not available in Europe yet (so this wasn't my first Ipad demonstration) These gals are so witty and fun and they're asking about the illustrations and I'm showing them the book and sharing laughs before I even look at their nametags and see that they are Literary Agents. The rest clicked right away. They weren't even on my radar - and they weren't there to sign any more authors - and on their webpage they aren't even accepting manuscripts right now ... it was just meant to be. *aww*

The lovely Prizeman Kinsella gals are my new Irish go-tos, and I couldn't be more escatic about them! To be continue.

NFL Football Draft...

2010-04-28T13:45:00.000-07:00

So the 2010 NFL Football Draft 7th round came to an end on Saturday April 24th! ... with a few more "undrafted free agents" getting signed to teams after it was all over. Dennis Pitta from BYU went in the 4th round (pick 114 overall) to the Baltimore Ravens! Hopefully we get to see him play this year... they picked other great Tight End talent in the draft as well. Hey, John Beck is also a reserve quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens! He was the quarterback for BYU before Max Hall... Beck was initially drafted to the Miami Dolphins, but hasn't seen enough action yet and is now waiting with the Ravens.

After all 7 rounds were finished, Max Hall signed an undrafted free agent rookie deal with the Arizona Cardinals. What does that mean, anyway? Well, at least he still has a shot of playing in the NFL. Anyone not drafted can then choose to become a free agent and pick a team to play on, if they are interested in them. He won't make nearly as much money as a normal drafted player... but it's not about the money! It's about the love of football!

Ladies Gaelic Football!!

2010-04-20T01:36:00.000-07:00

I am still visiting the London Book Fair... (and am still quite befuddled I made it here the day before the Icelandic volcano that has had European flights grounded ever since... ask me if I'm coming home on Thursday or not? Ask me again on Wednesday!)

But yesterday I met two absolutely charming Irish Literary Agents, who introduced me to a new sport: Gaelic Football! It's the most popular sport in Ireland, (yet one of the oldest world sports still played today)... ladies have their own division and play too, and it is growing in international popularity. Of course I googled it... and have been hopping ever since. Check this out: it's sort of a mix between american soccer (European football) and rugby!

The ball used is slightly smaller, and heavier than a soccer ball... similar to a volleyball in appearance.

You can pick the ball up from the ground and run with it, passing it between hands (ladies only. Men cannot pick it up, they have to kick it up, and cannot pass between hands)

You can kick the ball (like soccer)

And you can hand pass or "strike" the ball to pass it to a teammate. You can't throw it... a hand pass is not a punch but rather a strike of the ball with the side of the closed fist, using the knuckle of the thumb!

It's an aggressive contact sport too though! Not as brutal as rugby, but definitely more so than soccer. Here are more technical fouls of the game first though:

Going four steps without releasing, bouncing or soloing the ball. (Soloing involves kicking the ball into one's own hands)
Bouncing the ball twice in a row (It may be soloed continuously)
Hand passing a goal (the ball may be punched into the goal from up in the air, however)

The field is rectangular, similar to soccer... but in Australia they play on an oval field.

The goal itself... looks like a soccer net at the bottom, with two upright poles coming up on the top! If the ball is passed (punched, not thrown) or kicked between the uprights on top of the goal, you are scored 1 point! If the ball is kicked into the bottom net part, you score 3 points. The ball cannot be passed by hand into the lower net part.

The level of tackling allowed is more robust than in soccer (football), but less than rugby:
Shoulder to shoulder contact and slapping the ball out of an opponent's hand are permitted, but the following are all fouls:
Using both hands to tackle
Pushing an opponent
Striking an opponent
Pulling an opponent's jersey
Blocking a shot with the foot
Sliding tackles
Tripping
Touching the goalkeeper when he/she is inside the small rectangle
Wrestling the ball from an opponent's hands

Girls of all ages play gaelic football in Ireland! I've seen pictures of girls of primary age playing! Outside of Ireland, there are also teams in Canada, all over Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Asia, and the U.S.... there is one team in the U.S. which happens to be in Seattle! The "Seattle Gaels"! They are looking for recruits:) http://womensfootball.seattlegaels.com/

I will absolutely be checking it out.

Here are more links for pictures and history on Gaelic Football!

http://www.ladiesgaelic.ie/index.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ladies%27_Gaelic_football

You better believe there will be a Gaelic Football Princess added. This is a contact sport for women in it's finest. Irish women are hardcore! If I get stuck in London due to the flight restrictions, maybe I'll hop a ferry over to Ireland to see more....

Girlie girl pink princess fairy store in London

2010-04-17T01:23:00.000-07:00

Wait, did I fail to mention pink and girlie?

I came upon this Mystical Fairies pink princessy shop yesterday in the village of Hampstead, London. And even though this kind of store is everything that I am NOT, I couldn't help but go inside! I thought of Avery, mostly, and ... okay... basically every little girl in the history of mankind. I have to say I was awe-struck at once, and wish I could show you a picture of the intricately princess'd inside (Trust me, I tried and was almost taken out by a pink tutu'd glitter employee)

The shop itself wasn't that large, but wall to wall tea sets, dolls, ballet girlness, gowns, glitter, fairydust makeup, hair accessories, princess jewelry, purses, sequins, canopies, etc ... and even hanging from the ceiling were glittery branches holding fairies, butterflies and girl wonder-ness.

My mum bought a new fairy teaset for the girls, and invitations to a teaparty. The checkout employee had ringlets, tiara, and a tutu.

So if you know me ... it wasn't long before I started feeling claustrophic as the walls of pink and frilly started crashing in on me... my breathing quickened and I had to go back outside into the fresh air. I felt like I needed something to redeem myself... like... find a sport store and buy a new jersey, or drop down in that village alley and start doing pushups. I wonder if this is how dads feel when in this same situation? Where did my girlie girl gene go? Did my sister get double? All I know is ... we do things for our girlie daughters because we love them, and we know they love the pink girlie princesses, so of course we oblige! But I would openly embrace it, love it, delight in it TOO if it had more of a tomboy edge on it.

This is what it would look like:

HOT pink and brown

glitter football stripe sticks

pink sporting goods, cleats, socks, bats, balls,

vintage pictures of Sport Princesses on the walls... and sport pennants... and framed jerseys... and merchandise

Green turf floor with white 10 yard lines on it

The jewelry would be sport wristbands, headbands, leatherbands, soccer ball earrings

Princess gowns next to the sport jerseys and crinoline

and a high def tv on the wall playing sporting games so the dads would still feel manly and embrace going in, too.

Sport Princess Football Referee Signals... Videos!

2010-04-16T04:34:00.000-07:00

Want to learn different football referee signals from 3 year old Football Princesses? Watch these super cute videos below! The youtube link is pasted above each video so you can share with your friends and family! Send me your cute girl sport videos and we'll share on the blog!

Part 1: Mackayla: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVi0f4ZajUI&feature

Part 2: Avery: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfHU71L0Mh8

Take me out to the ball game

2010-04-05T22:16:00.000-07:00

And Baseball season is off and running with a bang! Did you see the Major League Baseball game opener on Easter Sunday? New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox? What a game! Hottie Dustin Pedroia saved the day in the 7th inning when he hit a homerun with a man on base, tying the game at 7-7! The Red Sox went on to win 9-7 over the Yankees. What a night... how can you compare a classic Red Sox and Yankees rivalry at Fenway park?

What's in a Sport Princess?

2010-03-31T19:05:00.001-07:00

She's not afraid to get dirty...

She prefers to be outside whether it's rain or shine... running, playing...

She's determined and competitive,

Brave and adventurous,

More likely to pick a fight and stand up for what she believes in than sit and watch the world go by!

She'll wear glitter and ribbons with her football jersey...

Pink and ruffles with her soccer cleats...

Bubble gum and curls with her baseball hat and bat.

And her daddy's favorite sport team shirts... with flowers in her hair.

She would rather camp in a tent than sleep on fluffy mattresses in a luxurious bed,

Would choose a ponytail anyday,

And prefers running around with the boys than sitting inside with the girly girls!

A Sport Princess is glamorous, fancy, and girly.... yet hardcore, adventurous and outgoing!

Photo Contest - 2 prizes and 2 ways to win!

2010-03-17T23:15:00.001-07:00

The Sport Princess photo contest continues... contest runs through May 31st, with winners announced on June 11th! To enter, send me a picture of your darling ... rugged little Sport Princess and we'll share her on the blog. Does she wear daddy's favorite football jersey and pom poms on game day? Does she get muddy in her dress in the backyard and not mind?

Does she wear a skirt for soccer?

Because check out these prizes!
There will be two grand prizes (and two ways to win!):
$250 dollars, plus Josephina custom princess gown,
The Soccer Princess book,
pink soccer socks and soccer ball!

For more details click on the Sport Princess Photo Contest link

at the top of the blog.

I wish I had my camera on me today. That... or remember that my cell phone has a camera in it. :) My little Mack insisted on wearing her gloves to the park - which just happen to be her *Baseball Princess SAM fingerless gloves* I bought for her. She bounces through the dandelions in her ruffled skirt, ribboned hair, tennis shoes, green sporty shirt (Happy St Patrick's Day!) and fingerless baseball gloves. You would have thought she was wearing long ... elegant... princess ball gloves for how beautiful she felt and acted and showed off her hands to everyone within sight.

*beaming and can't wait to see other little girls randomly wearing baseball gloves... football stripes... and soccer socks with their dresses*

A Sport Princess beginning

2010-03-09T14:24:00.000-08:00

I used to flinch at the word "princess".

My sister teased me when I made my own onesies for my daughter when she was newborn... I wasn't finding much neutral colored clothes for so young, and when I put Mackayla in boy onesies... yellow or blue or green, everyone thought she was a boy... and that just wasn't fair to my sweet little baby.

So I bought pink plain onesies, and sport patches from a craft store, and made my own! I'd put on a sport ball patch, a number or two, and sometimes put her name "Mack" across the back. I didn't think much about it back then, but now I realize it was the start of the Sport Princess concept.

My sister teased me again after she taught Mackayla all the mainstream princess names and got her into dress-up gowns. See, she had a baby girl just 9 days after I did! Sweet little Avery, who is the girly-girl-princess of them all. I was no competition at first... Mackayla started requesting a dress everyday. So I compromised and bought her new flouncy skirts to twirl in, but sport shirts to go with it... and eventually... her own mini football jerseys. She loved it! As long as she had some girly twist to go along with the rugged sports, she was thrilled.

Ringlets... glittery stripes... puffy crinoline under her skirt...

It wasn't until after I created Sport Princess characters, pictures, and stories that she really got hooked though. She started asking me to call her "Jo" and wore her pink soccer socks and cleats through the house and to preschool! She made me cut out paper dolls and characters and act out the stories with her at night. She has colored and painted countless Sport Princess pictures by my side at night. She is both my biggest fan and inspiration.

The real eye-opener was when we hooked Avery, too.

I have rarely seen anything as beautiful as a rugged sport shirt or jersey over a flouncy skirt, coupled with tennis shoes or cleats, skipping off to preschool and singing a sport tune.

"J J! na-na-na-na-na.....na-na-na-na-na-na-na-na... na-na... na-na"

Will you help me share it with others who might feel the same?

Saturday for sports and why I can't let Football season go just yet...

2010-03-06T14:09:00.000-08:00

My first thought this morning when I woke up was... "it's Saturday! College Football day!" and then I wake up a little more and remember that we're months past that already... I automatically go to the closet anyway and try to decide on a football jersey (I have a whole collection!)to decide which team I want to represent today ... I think I still feel like it's football season since there's so much of the NFL Draft on the news right now. I keep perking up my ears to hear if there are rumors of Dennis Pitta, BYU tight end, and where he ends up getting drafted! It has just been so much fun watching Austin Collie rock it as a young rookie on the Indy Colts this year that I can't wait to see what Pitta can bring next year to the NFL too. But the official NFL draft isn't until late April... so I put my football jersey back in the closet, and choose a baseball jersey with my jeans instead.

Is it wrong that I would rather wear a sport shirt or jersey and jeans every single day? That I'll sometimes put a red sox t shirt under my suit jacket if I have to get dressed up for work because that's the only way I still feel like "me"? I asked Ben just this last week... (super rugged outdoor hunter of a husband. don't tell him I told you but when he's NOT hunting though he makes the meanest strawberry freezer jam!!) I asked him if it ever bothered him that I have more sport clothes than anything else and choose to dress like a tomboy but then put glitter eyeliner on. He just said "of course not!" and I remember how lucky I am to be married to my best friend who lets me really be me.

My little Mack wanted to wear a dress and tights to the park this morning, which of course I let her, because she tells me "this is a sport dress, mom, and I want to play sports at the park AND be a princess". How can I argue with that?

Go seahawks

2010-03-04T10:15:00.000-08:00

We did a girl's roadtrip last fall with my sisters and I took my little football princess Mackayla to a college BYU Cougar game. She loved getting all "football'd and glitter'd up" but once we got in the stands and everyone started cheering, she jumped up on the chair and kept yelling "GO SEAHAWKS!" Everyone within earshot started laughing and soon others were cheering the same along with her... Go Seahawks! Oh well, at least she got the sport right! I've created a sports fan who loves to watch with me. She loves a lot of different teams... sometimes she'll ask me who to cheer for "Mommy are we going for the white ones or the blue ones?" But other times she'll defiantly tell me which ones she wants to win. "Nope, I'm going for the red ones" She's only three!

Share our blog and get a free book!

2010-03-04T10:03:00.000-08:00

For the first 50 bloggers that follow our blog site by sharing it on their blog - you will receive a free Soccer Princess hardcover book on the publication date of June 10, 2010! Once you have our blog linked on your site, email us to check it out and get you on the list. Thank you for helping us share the Sport Princesses with everyone that needs more princess options and loves sports!

Photo Contest!

2010-03-04T08:32:00.001-08:00

Today marks the opening of the Sport Princess™ Photo Contest! Click the contest link at the top of the page for details! Contest runs through May 31st, 2010, with fun prizes! Please share our blog, story, and contest with any moms or dads with their own little sporty girl in their life. We need your help spreading the word and sooo appreciate it:)

My Dream

2010-01-25T23:54:00.001-08:00

"My Dream is to see little girls run around with football jerseys over their dresses... and glittery football stripes under their eyes. Don't laugh, I'm not kidding!" (to husband, Ben)

Created by Bethany Hegerhorst, together with Leo Publishing Works, and an amazing illustrator, the SPORT PRINCESS™ Adventure Series of Children's Books launches soon! This Blog will soon be updated with the Princess illustrations and Bios... a Sport Princess picture contest with prestigious prizes... and information on the upcoming books, merchandise, and media!

With the World Soccer Cup happening this year in June in Africa, our first book launch will be Josephina ("Jo") the Soccer Princess™.

Check back soon!