We launched a KICKSTARTER project today for the first three books in the series! Soccer Princess, Baseball Princess, and Football Princess! You can see the video at www.sportprincesskickstarter.com - my favorite is the throwback to Mackayla when she was 3 years old, and then the compilation at the end! (The slow motion football princess makes me giggle every time!)

It's super simple and free to set up a kickstarter account! What I love about Kickstarter is it's all or nothing. It's not like a gofundme asking for donations -- there are reward tier levels that you pledge money on depending on interest level, starting as low as $5, and then after the 28 day duration of the launch when we have enough backers to fully fund the project THEN your money is released and you receive the reward tier that you pledged on!

Please share the link here and let's bring out the tomboy in every princess!

sport, sport princess, princess, children's book, fairytale, girly, glamorous, hardcore, adventures, soccer, football, baseball, steve young, brett favre, sam gordon, nike,

5 years later and we're back! THEN and NOW!

THEN AND NOW Left: Age 3, Right, Age 10

First and foremost, thank you to everyone that has reached out to encourage finishing this series from what was started over the years, including fans, my fabulous illustrator Kristin Abbott, and book designer David Brady! Over the past 5 years we have moved to Austin, Texas and my little sport princess Mackayla has grown up so much! It is ultimately her again who has inspired me to continue this project again that I am so passionate about. 

I started it because of her when she was so young and clamoring for plastic high heels and barbie dolls that made me cringe. I created a world of Sport Princesses for her, and she grew up with that. Fast forward to 7 years later, and that girl has become the epitome of a Sport Princess!! She still loves her tea parties and dress up, but even more so LOVES being on the football field with her team of all boys for the last 5 seasons, or on the soccer field at recess, or going to baseball games with her momma! Over the last year, she has told me that she wants to work for the NFL when she grows up, she has been reading Steve Young's autobiography and loves it, and she asked me if rules are different when we go to heaven... ("What do you mean, sweetie?" Mackayla "I'm really hoping they let girls play professional football in heaven!") She just started asking about playing ice hockey teams as well!

I owe it to my daughter, and to all the tomboys in the world who love a little grit with their glitter and don't mind grass stains on their tutus, to get this out again! Baseball Princess is fully illustrated and ready to publish, and Football Princess is next in line, fully written and ready to be published. Watch for more catch up info soon... and a kickstarter link soon with limited edition rewards!!! Let's do this! Follow us on facebook here!
Xoxo, Bethany

At a Round Rock Express baseball game in Texas

Mack now, swinging at home in Austin, TX 

Broncos Flag Football 5th/6th grade team Fall 2016

sport, sport princess, princess, children's book, fairytale, girly, glamorous, hardcore, adventures, soccer, football, baseball

Get a free Soccer Princess book ~ this week only!

Gearing up for a long, rainy weekend, while daydreaming of sunny surfing days in Mexico, I decided to do a fun and EASY giveaway with some Limited Edition Soccer Princess books and bracelets I have available!

Stretchy 3 band charm bracelet! Available in Blue, Pink, Purple or Rainbow. Mix and Match, tied together with cute ribbon

Limited Edition version of the Soccer Princess, in the shape and texture of a Soccer Ball! Retail $19.95 :)

So here's the deal! If you hadn't seen yet, I'm a top 10 finalist for a surf scholarship at Surf Las Olas, Mexico. (All my sporty followers, check out this surfing paradise for Women Only! They have this scholarship contest once every year, if you follow them on facebook you'll see when the next contest is!) 

So there is less than a week left to collect votes for the winner. Which brings me to the fun and suuuper easy getaway... For 2 votes I will send you a free Soccer or Baseball Charm Bracelet! For every 5 votes you can put in for me on the contest, I will send you a free Soccer Princess book PLUS the Bracelet! ***Only 1 vote per email address is counted for the entire contest period, so you need to use multiple email addresses (others in the household, work email, friends, etc...) 

It's super simple, you can do this one of two ways. Either go here and scroll down to my name, Bethany, (second from bottom) and CLICK on the HEART next to my  name. It will bring up your email account and you just click Send! The easier way is to just send a BLANK EMAIL to scholarship@surflasolas.com, with the subject title exactly: I Vote for Bethany

That's it! Send from your different email addresses, and then send ME an email here with how many votes you sent in, plus your address where I can mail your freebies! If you have any sporty friends that would like to score some cute jewelry valued at $10, and the Soccer Princess book valued at $19.95, share this with them! While supplies last, I will update here if I run out of bracelets. And choose a "first pick" for color, I have Blue, Purple, Pink, and Rainbow colors. Also PINK Baseball too :) And contest ends on Friday February 24th! 

(if you already voted, you can still send me your # of votes and add to them for freebies and I will still hook ya up! Honor Code System ;)

I wish you all some inner sunshine this weekend! 

xoxo, Bethany

Surfing in Mexico? We make girls out of women

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!

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

 

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...

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...

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir frequently until smooth.
4. 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

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

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 ...

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