But the Best Part was~~~
We recently got together with relatives to enjoy a refreshing stay in the 
majestic White Mountains of New Hampshire.
We shared a lovely home that slept 12, the views were spectacular and the kids enjoyed the indoor pool after long days hiking & caving…then they roasted marshmallows before bedtime.
We took in breathtaking sights at the Lost River with its powerful waterfalls, explored glacial gorges and admired the red-covered bridge from the 1800s along the Flume.
 
Dinners were scrumptious and the hospitality of the residents was delightfully warm & inviting. Aaahhh, it all sounds perfect…but do you know what the BEST PART was…
…when we went on a shopping spree that yielded the most unbelieveable savings: Phillip bought 2 pairs of leather shoes and a pair of cozy black suede boots valued at $200.00 for $3.97!!!!!
Yup! He handed the cashier a 5 dollar bill and smiled cheekily when she handed him change!
Turns out that there was a sale on top of a sale with an online coupon that he pulled up on his phone at the last minute and when all was said and done, the shoes were $3.97! Yahhhhooooeee!! Nothing feels better than a bargain!
 Hey, someone lose their glasses?!?! LOL!!
Imagine
Imagine not knowing where or WHEN you were born. Imagine being left in a shoe box as a baby. Imagine being crippled and abandoned. This is a must-see, heart-wrenching, totally inspiring video that will put your life in perspective.
My husband sent it to me and told me to get the tissues ready. I sat in my studio and watched in awe. Before the end of the video I was on my feet clapping, crying, clapping some more – full of joy, delight, hope.
Give yourself a moment in your day & truly brighten it with this video. Bravo, Emmanuel!!!! Bravo to the mother who saved him and his brother!!!! Click here to enjoy:
Miles of Smiles
May I take this moment to thank all of you who made the Miles of Smiles campaign at Stamford Ford Lincoln a wonderful success.
Proud & dedicated dad, Dominic Franchella, owner of Stamford Ford Lincoln, reached out to the community to fill an F-150 Ford truck full of toys and coats for families in our area.
 
 
  
Phillip & I are grateful to all who participated in Miles of Smiles and we are thankful for Stamford Ford Lincoln’s Title Sponsorship of our radio show, “Let’s Talk!” a Life, Love and Parenting show on 1490am WGCH airing Live each week and later archived right here for your listening convenience (see nav bar above). The Bright Spot 
 – all of YOU who made this campaign a success to make little children happy in your own community. Thank you. ~b
Stamford Ford Lincoln 212 Magee Avenue in Stamford, Connecticut
Hurricane Irene Pushes My Bright Spot!
Hurricane Irene ripped through metro New York and coastal towns in our area destroying homes and businesses. 
Our schools are closed for an extra week because of all the downed trees and power lines on the bus routes. Many people were left without power for a week; all I kept thinking about were the elderly, the disabled and all the Moms who have babies and toddlers to care for in the dark with no water. It also made me think very deeply of the 6-year-old little girl and her family we sponsor in Africa and how limited their resources are with power and water. It makes their plight and struggle for survival really hit home.
We were one of the families who were flooded; we had no power, no communication services, no running water. We’re on well water and when the power goes, so does the pump. Toilets don’t flush, oh, joy! Throw in a period the night of the hurricane and it can pretty much go downhill from there. 
But Phillip was my hero, as usual, driving back & forth downtown filling gallon after gallon of water jugs. Sure, we prepared – we filled the tub – but at 2.5 gallons of water to flush, it doesn’t last that many days! He bought a load of Poland Spring and at first I felt so guilty flushing it down the toilet – literally! We used the “refilled” jugs for that and the remaining bottled spring water for drinking & brushing.
But before we could get downtown, we 1st we had to get out of our road – again Phillip & our son were my heros! A tree blocked our road. Neighbors were stuck. We’re far in the back country, near the horse farms and golf courses.
  
We are not a priority area, so I knew workers would not be clearing the end of our road for a while.
 
So in rain and heavy winds, my men cleared the way. I snapped pics, Little Petal supervised. A grand team effort in a time of family & neighborly need.
 
We had our battery-operated radio and listened to the radio station we air from weekly – WSTC & WNLK – it was the only outside communication we had. And we had dark chocolate-covered graham crackers – a must-have during this dodgy week!
With no electricity, time seems to pass more slowly. My stomach was still achy, brushing teeth was a misery trying to not waste the bottled water while cleaning the toothbrush, night came way too quickly and I just wanted to wash my hands!
My buttons were being pushed and I had to push back – I had to find my Bright SpotTM and make it a grand adventure! (See Mission: Bright Spot -Â 3rd flower tab in the nav bar above).
Finding your Bright SpotTM is not an easy task. The effort comes in times of adversity. But I decided to turn my situation into something great and memorable. We became pioneers and turned the hurricane recovery time into family fun time.
So what exactly was the Bright SpotTM in all this?? We all drove to my 
Mom’s house (my sister’s family had no power either) for hot showers, home-cooked dinner and good times all together. Then we bought dozens of battery-operated tea light candles and used them for the den, bedrooms, hallways, staircase, etc. It was very pretty. We had our 6-year-old pick out her favorite brand new flashlight and she played with the cats – chasing the little spot light here, there and everywhere. Our little one stayed in our room and we made shadow puppets on the ceiling with her new flashlight. We had friends over and in daylight hours played family games like Chutes & Ladders, Candy Land and I Spy.
We watched crazy men with bike helmets play golf on a flooded course – hello???
And because we had to eat out every day, I didn’t have to cook! And that means NO dishes…which in itself is its own Bright SpotTM!!
Date Your Spouse
We do everything together with our kids.
We ski, skate, travel, bike, scout, dance, read, sing, play & pray together.
   
  
   
   
   
  
  
  
   
  
  
And most of all, we just like to hang out with one another.
  
  
 
 
Our kids are our #1 priority, our focus, our love. But there is one thing we know is vital to a strong family unit and strong marriage – dating your spouse.
When couples first meet, it’s exciting, romantic & heart-pounding to be together.
And when you choose one another for a lifetime, that romance & thrill should last a lifetime, too. Of course, mortgages, work, time contraints, exhaustion, these all creep up on us. But taking the time to date your spouse will keep your love on fire!
My husband & I date once a week. We plan something fun like evening horsebackriding followed by hors d’oeuvers & dinner…
…or smooching at sunset on the beach…
…or just bopping the heck out of each other!!
Although we like to
sail, snorkel and snog, Â 
  
   
 party or chill…
      
  
…and even work together in our own company – choosing to sit in the same office – much to the shock of our staff and those who visited (“Don’t you two get sick of each other,” they’d chide, “working all day across from one another and then seeing each other at home?”)
Nope, we look at each day as a gift. We celebrate it with our children and with each other.
And sure, gala events are nice (scroll down to see more on this summer event in the next story),
but it’s our routine Friday night pizza & a movie at home that’s my all-time, hands-down favorite!!!
Just hanging out with my husband, putting our feet up, throwing on a sweatshirt or fleece, a ponytail & little white socks, snuggling under the covers and watching a movie on NetFlix, now that’s a good time!
The Bright SpotTM – So go grab your Honey, the one you chose for your lifetime and make memories just hugging & kissing and all the wonderful little things you used to do before the bills and the laundry and the dishes.
 
It doesn’t matter what you do – and it doesn’t have to cost a penny - just spend quality time with your One & Only.
More photos above under “Our Photos – Hand in Hand.”
Happy summer lovin’ on the last of these lazy, hazy 2011 summer days.
Daddy
My Daddy was my hero.
Kind and loving, generous and hardworking, he loved his family and we adored him.
Below is a photo tribute for my father. Happy Father’s Day, I miss you so.
The quote, “A Happy Childhood Lasts Forever,” sums up my father’s parenting style – an amazing storyteller, an excellent Santa, a funny Daddy who was bigger than a mountain and softer than a teddybear.
My father held us up and made us believe in ourselves. (Me in the 60s, my sister in the 70s):
One of 7 children, 
(2nd in pic), he left his country and came to the USA in his early 20s, 
with no family, no friends, just a few dollars in his pocket, and worked tirelessly to put himself through college, met my mom, got his MBA, 
and they built & earned a life together living the American Dream.
(1st Christmas with mom)
He worked day & night to give my mom, sister & me an incredible life, for which we are forever grateful, 
but even with life’s ups & downs, there he was with a huge & brilliant smile – the most optimistic person I’ve 
ever known! My strength in “Mission: Bright Spot” (read above) comes directly from Daddy.
He founded 6 companies, and as busy as he was, he was never too busy for us. Daddy dropped everything if my sister or I phoned him or popped by the office. He would stop conferences mid-meeting and get up to kiss us & give us a great, big hug.
(Good eye if you recognized my favorite little blue daisy dress above in the picture from 23 years ago – it’s the same dress I wore last year for the photo in the above header of this website – I’ll never get rid of it! 🙂
Inventor of several patents, Daddy was a math genius and was there anytime we needed help with school work. Education was of the utmost importance to my father! Education and persistence.
He always made it a point to pick us up at the airport. When we were little, he read to us at night, took us skiing, ice skating, sledding, horseback riding, boating, and every summer filled his car with neighborhood kids for a trip to Dairy Queen.
Daddy loved to dance…
(gala in the 80s)
…but God needed him, so I never had the chance to dance with him at my wedding.
I met my incredible husband on FATHER’S DAY and Phillip & my Dad share the SAME BIRTHDAY! Signs everywhere!
At our wedding in England, Phillip’s wonderful father walked me down the aisle. Too weak to travel due to illness, my sweet father-in-law did not attend the wedding in the States.
God has called my dear father-in-law as well. Now both Dads watch over us.
My father’s best friend, Ali, escorted me in the States.
(Daddy and Ali goofing around in the 70s)
Many years have passed since my beloved father died suddenly and unexpectedly.
He was laid to rest on Valentine’s Day…appropriate for a man with such a big heart.
He was smart.
He was strong.
He was cool.
He was kind.
He was goofy.
And he was my hero.
My father loved children, it is clear.
He lives on in our family & our memories
and I thank you for sharing this beautiful & poignant holiday with me.
Happy Father’s Day to all the Daddies in the world – no matter how busy you are, nothing can take the place of your quality time with your children. Nothing.
This note sits atop my computer screen. My father was an inspiration to me and to many whom he mentored. Charismatic, fearless, a visionary, entrepreneur, motivator, a true patriot, he was larger than life and is deeply missed by all who knew him.
The Bright SpotTM – 
Soft Hands, Warm Heart, Now that is Strength!
Teach your children to be kind to animals, to use gentle hands and soft voices. A respect of nature and the world we live in will always serve them well.
Meet our newest furry baby from the shelter. Her name is Purr.
The examples we set as adults have profound effects on our children. The way they treat each other and other living beings they learn from you.
It’s easy to be tough, cool and sometimes even mean, but to be big & strong and still kind and loving, now that’s a real gift! A treasure for a lifetime for all who receive that love.
The Bright Spot – I am proud of my children, my husband and my parents. Thank you, Mom & Dad, for giving me the gift of Soft Hands, Warm Heart. You were the greatest teachers and I love you!!
My Mom-Shirt Says It All!
Awakened by the sounds of supressed giggles & loud shhhushhing, the aroma of 24 roses and strawberry-cream chocolates, the sizzle of bacon, scrambled eggs & smoked salmon, the juiciness of a delightfully sweet fruit bouquet, and the sparkle of a gorgeous diamond droplet necklace, it was actually my new Mother’s Day t-shirt that said it all:  Â
Thank you to my dear husband for noticing…you know…how exhausted active Moms are!! Hahahahahaha!!!
 
But really, above and beyond all else, the cuddles & snuggles of my wonderful children, the sumputous kiss from my incredible husband, the birthday hats,
the Mother’s Day song, the handmade cards & gifts created with such care,Â
& the pure joy of sharing breakfast in bed as a family was the best Mother’s Day gift of all!
A Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms out there – now go put your feet up!! 🙂
The Bright Spot  – remember as you plow through the fog on a particularly tiring day – exhausted because everything you do is for your family because you love them so much, go ahead and take a moment to grab your kids and snuggle the daylights out of them, because time is short and those are the moments you’ll remember…not the dishes, not the laundry, but the special cuddle, the eskimo kisses, the sweet memories. Then go take a little time for yourself…the laundry will still be there when you get back!
Pixie Dust & Dolphin Kisses
Nothing can take the place of wonder & awe in a small child’s eyes.
Think back to a time when everything you believed in was true & sweet & simply pure magic.
 (3 years old)
Our little one just turned 6 ~ celebrate with us in this photo journey and thank you to everyone who has sent such lovely e-mails ~ I have shared every one with her!
It all started with a trip to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique: choice of gown, hair in a princess bun with shimmering pixie dust, a wand, glass slippers, and a beautiful sparkling wishing star.
Cinderella had just finished dancing with Prince Charming…Sleeping Beauty & Snow White.Â
 
  
The Fairy Godmother greeted Little Petal and her Baby Bambi at the door.
                 Following her gown presentation in the dressing room…
   
  
 …it was time to transform into a little princess. Hair, nails, the whole royal treatment for Little Petal and her Baby Bambi – who was also sprinkled with pixie dust and given a matching crystal cheek applique.
Then it was time to meet Cinderella and have lunch with her in her castle!
  
 Cinderella enjoyed meeting Baby Bambi.
Snow White, Belle, Ariel and Sleeping Beauty made our little princess feel extra special, too!
          
   
  
After making a big wish on her birthday candle and a wonderful farewell hug from Cinderella,
we enjoyed the Magic Kingdom where dreams really do come true…
…because the next morning, Little Petal awoke to the news that her dream of swimming with dolphins was about to come true!! (For more on her incredible love of sea animals, go to the story “Harmony & Magic,” posted on November 3, 2010)
 We spent a beautiful day at Discovery Cove swimming with sting rays, swimming through an aviary – protected by 2 waterfalls…and Little Petal’s favorite – swimming with a very sweet dolphin named Jenny – what an amazing experience!
The Bright SpotTMÂ – Creating memories with your family, for in the end, all we have are our memories.
Do You Need Fur That Badly??
If you’ve read my Press Release, you know my husband and I fervently hope for the end of the brutal seal hunt in Canada and have worked with the Senior Vice President of the Humane Society of the United States Wildlife to stop the largest massacre of marine mammals on the planet – slated to begin this early April on the baby seals’ birthing floes.Â
According to this Senior VP, “the Canadian government is now allowing 468,200 seals to be killed – an increase of 80,000 from 2010. This is the HIGHEST SLAUGHTER since the 50s and 60s when the sealers nearly decimated the seal population by as much as two-thirds!!” 468,200 seals will be slaughtered in a 6-week period – you do the math, that’s a lot of hooked-club bludgeoning in an 8-hour day!!
There’s ONE thing that you can do to help STOP this, read below.
Fact: 95% of the seals beaten to death are less than 3 months old.
Fact: Over 50% are 12 – 30 days old! Most have not even eaten their 1st solid meal. They are nursing on their mother’s milk on their birthing grounds.
Fact: Most cannot swim yet as they are so young. Even the bigger seals cannot defend themselves – they cannot run away! Come on – they don’t even have legs, this is NOT a hunt but a vicious, savage massacre!Â
Fact: Observing vetrinarians say as many as 42% of the seals are skinned alive. Video shows the mothers cry!
I mean, really, do you need fur so badly that you are willing to wear the remains of a baby seal beaten to death by a hooked club? Seal products are banned in the US, thank God, but it needs to stop worldwide and YOU CAN HELP BY MAKING ONE SIMPLE CHANGE – DON’T BUY CANADIAN SEAFOOD – JUST LOOK AT SEAFOOD LABELS IN YOUR STORES OR ASK WHERE SEAFOOD WAS PURCHASED WHEN YOU’RE IN RESTAURANTS, OR JUST GO TO THE HSUS SITE BELOW FOR DETAILS.
If you have the guts for it, read my article in XD Magazine, but be warned the photos are graphic. Click on the red words below here that say “end the seal hunt” to read my article, and to see how YOUR ONE simple change can have a huge impact:
Article:Â Â End the Seal Hunt
Or click on the seal photo below to learn more about the boycott to not buy Canadian seafood until this henious brutality stops.
 
Â
The Bright Spot  – YES, THERE IS ONE AND AGAIN, IT’S YOU!! 650,000 individuals and 5,500 companies are participating in the HSUS ProtectSeals Boycott of Canadian Seafood. THANK YOU if you are one of the 650,000 people and THANK YOU if you go to the seal link above and join the effort.
A MILLION Thanks to YOU!!
We hit our 1 Millionth page view on this site since its launch 6 months ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We only have YOU to thank as our faithful readers of this site and as listeners of our radio show, “Let’s Talk with Bianca & Phillip” on stations WSTC and WNLK, and streaming LIVE worldwide.
        
       
  Â
With guests from around the nation, our show focuses on Life, Love & Parenting issues. We welcome all of your input and respond to every e-mail.
The show is archived on this site every week! – just click on the Radio Show flower in the navigation bar above to select a topic of interest to listen to at your convenience.
            
       
    Â
We’d love & appreciate your vote ~ only takes a minute.
   
  Please click on this Vote Now image ~ you’re eligible because we stream Live.
On the VOTE NOW survey above, please forward to page 4 & under Radio Personalities: type in “Let’s Talk with Bianca & Phillip,” and under Radio Station (local): type in “1400am WSTC, Norwalk.”
Then just hit “Submit” at the end. You don’t have to give your information.
The Bright Spot  – YOU, YOU, YOU!! Our readers, listeners, followers and friends, THANKS A MILLION!! LITERALLY!!
