When I picture a successful woman like Melissa whose toy empire, with her husband Doug is worth half a billion dollars, I imagine that she has the perfect life or at least something pretty close to it.  However, despite Melissa’s successful business, 28 year marriage, children, and beautiful home, she had a secret that she carried within her, it was her lifelong battle with severe depression and anxiety.

Mental health awareness is very important to me because I myself have had my own bout with anxiety and even situational depression at times throughout my life. And with depression and anxiety being at an all time high right now during this pandemic, I think stories like Melissa’s are very important to share, so I hope you all enjoy the interview.

Q&A WITH MELISSA BERNSTEIN: 

1. From the outside, your life looks perfect: you started a business from scratch, used your creativity to design toys, and made hundreds of millions of dollars doing it. You’ve been married for 28 years, have 6 kids, 2 dogs, a cat, a beautiful house. Did the fear of shattering the image others have of you make it harder for you to seek help?

 Melissa:

Anytime you open yourself up and let people see a truer you, it’s scary. But I think in many ways, the ability I have to shatter the image of outward “success” is actually a gift. On paper, I had everything you could ever want, but I was still miserable because I hadn’t accepted myself. At some point, the suffering becomes so great that you have to surrender. You have to say, I can no longer deny this despair, I have to dive in. I decided to reach out to one of my favorite podcasts, The Good Life Project, and share my story. I was terrified, but I also felt crazily, strangely empowered. After the episode aired, I received hundreds of letters saying things like ‘You spoke to me, this is exactly how I feel, you gave words to something I’ve been feeling my entire life.” I felt a lot of communion with all the people who wrote to me. I spent my entire life thinking that no one knew what I was going through, so this was really powerful. It took me 6 months, but I wrote back to every single person who wrote. It was a tremendously meaningful experience. That’s why I’ve included my personal email in every copy of this book—I want to have this conversation with anyone who wants to reach out.

 2. What has this journey been like for you? And what made you want to support people dealing with mental health challenges?

 Melissa:

For five decades of my life, I was racing outward, looking for success and validation. I was imprisoned by my own perfectionism. It was only as I got older, and the cry of my own soul to be seen and accepted got louder and louder, that I finally started my personal journey inward. It’s been the most incredible, profound experience, and I felt compelled to show others that path as well. If I could take my mental anguish and channel it in a way that gave my life meaning and made me want to get out of bed each day, then I knew deeply in my heart that others could do the same.

3. You talk in the book about the depression and anxiety you lived with even as a young child. Do you think those experiences gave you special insight as a toy designer?

Melissa:  

Being a highly sensitive person has many not-so-positive aspects, but also allows me to be very attuned to people. I channel it into my verses, where I try to take really big things that are complicated and hard to understand into something very simple. I do that with toys, too. Toys had gotten very complicated, masked in bells and whistles, and I tried to distill them and make the experience of engaging with a toy and having it captivate your imagination the most powerful thing. Our toys are very straightforward; they’re not hard to understand. I always called them ‘low skill, high impact’, so that they would quickly engage a child in the beautiful experience of play.

 4. How has your immediate family reacted to learning about the depth of your depression and anxiety?

Melissa:

This was a very deep secret that I hid from everyone, and until the dots started connecting, I didn’t even understand it myself. But when I opened up to my family about it, they were very understanding. I was worried about two of my daughters because I didn’t want them to see themselves in me and then think, “Oh, my gosh, I’m doomed.” But they were both really chill about it, which was incredibly freeing. They were like, “Okay, whatever, this is who you are…so are you going to drive me to my practice?” Nothing dramatically changed except that I could see a little more compassion in their eyes. I have many flaws as a parent, but my biggest is that I wasn’t able to fully give emotionally to my kids because I was so repressed. I gave with my actions but I never was able to express how I felt about them. And that was because my own emotional well was empty, which made it really hard to bestow that honest love on others. So I was happy that—and no excuse, I take full ownership of it—but it comforted me that my children could understand it had nothing to do with them.

5. What is your ultimate goal for LIFELINES—the book and the online hub? What does success look like for you?

Melissa: 

I want those who are in darkness to know they aren’t alone. I want those folks who are truly struggling, who feel like there’s no meaning in their lives, to know that there is a group of people—a community—that sees them and accepts them as they truly are. We want to create a community that accepts people in their totality: in their ups and their downs, their good and their bad. People say you have to love yourself before you can love others, but I think it can work the other way too. If you have a community that fully accepts you, I think you can begin to find that acceptance within yourself.

6. How will your approach be different than some others who are trying to help people in the mental health space?

Melissa:

One of the words that best describes LifeLines is “duality”. In society today, we try so hard to show only the shiny side of life and make other people believe that everything has to be perfect. But being human is imperfect. And part of self-acceptance is recognizing that fact. Striving for an ideal you can never achieve leads to utter misery. We have to realize that every day is going to have its share of failures and mistakes, and that’s okay. I admire women who are brash and confident and ready to take on the world, but that’s not who I am. I’m an introvert and sometimes we lack a voice. Despite the personal success, I’m still the kind of person who’s terrified to go to a sporting event because I don’t like social interaction. I’m the woman who’s running with toilet paper stuck to her shoe and something in her teeth. This is all I got—take it or leave it! It took me 50 years to learn that was okay.

The only promise we will give the Lifelines community is that we will show you that you are not alone. We will support you without judgment. We can’t promise answers. All we can do is show you that there is light within you if you have the openness, curiosity, and self-awareness to take the journey inward. We will support you and offer resources and tools to remain steadfast in the face of everything life throws your way.

You can Pre-Order LifeLines HERE!

BOOK INFO:

Title: LIFELINES: An Inspirational Journey from Profound Darkness to

Radiant Light

Author: Melissa Bernstein

Publisher: LifeLines, LLC

Pub Date: March 16, 2021

ABOUT THE BOOK:

LIFELINES is an unfiltered and authentic reckoning with how Melissa’s anxiety and depression—which started in childhood and continue to this day—have manifested and how she coped. Born of a desire to forge community, LIFELINES features Melissa’s story, as well as three of the “lifelines” that saved her: the rhyming verses that have been filling her head for decades (many of which became her mantras), her deep connection to nature (depicted throughout the book with awe-inspiring photography), and stories of how she wrangled her pain into positivity through the act of creating toys. Melissa is sharing her innermost experience and the lifelines that saved her because millions of Americans are struggling with mental health issues—now more than ever—and she believes her personal story can inspire and bring light to those shrouded in darkness.

The publication of LIFELINES also heralds the launch of LifeLines.com an online community, resource center, and content hub which Melissa and Doug Bernstein are developing and underwriting to offer support and authentic connection for those on their own journeys toward mindfulness and a sense of purpose and meaning.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Melissa Bernstein, along with her husband Doug, is the Co-Founder of the toy company Melissa & Doug, which has created over 5,000
children’s products and sold billions of dollars of toys since its inception. Raised by educators, Melissa and Doug started the business
in their garage in 1988, and they’ve been on a mission ever since to provide open-ended, inventive, non-technologically driven playthings for young children. Throughout Melissa’s remarkable career, she kept secret her lifelong battle with severe depression and anxiety. She reveals her struggles in LIFELINES, her first book, which she wrote to help others who are also suffering. Melissa’s book heralds the launch of LifeLines.com, an online ecosystem she and Doug are underwriting to support those seeking support, guidance, and community on their mental health journeys. Melissa lives in Connecticut with Doug and their six children.

fOLLOW Melissa On Social

Instagram @MelissaBernsteinOfficial and @seeklifelines

The post Interview With Melissa Bernstein, Co-Founder of Prestigious Toy Company, Melissa & Doug and Author of New Book LifeLines appeared first on Michelle Rivera Lifestyle.

For those of you who are not familiar with Hispanicize it’s one of the biggest conferences  for the top LatinX Creators in the Hispanic community. This includes Artists, Actors, Musicians, Digital Content Creators, Trendsetters, and Entrepreneurs. One of the highlights for me this year was meeting Actor/Comedian/Activist John Leguizamo and seeing Puerto Rican Academy Award Nominee Rosie Perez speak too.

Hispanicize is absolutely a wonderful conference to attend where you learn, grow, inspire and become inspired. It’s a place to collaborate and to CELEBRATE what the Latin community has brought to the table and continues to bring. Hispanicize offered everything from special performances, can’t miss panels, keynote speakers, signature award shows, and carefully curated workshops.

The weekend ended on the Red Carpet for the TECLA Awards and it was such a wonderful way to end the weekend. I’m feeling very proud and humbled to have been able to be a part of it all and I’m so proud to be part of my Spanish community as well.

The post Hispanicize 2019 appeared first on Michelle Rivera Lifestyle.

Self taught Artist Sand One who has gained popularity from her Sand Dolls and Wearable Art sat down with me to answer her fans’ questions and give them the scoop on all of her future plans from Gallery Openings to Distribution and Expansion to Travel. Sand loves creating Art and she loves her Sand Collectors too. So here are her answers to your questions, ‘Fans Ask Sand.’

Some Explicit Language: Parental Discretion Is Advised:

Shop Sand’s Online Gallery HERE 

Follow Sand On Instagram @sandoner

The post Fans Ask Sand!! The Sand One Interview! appeared first on Michelle Rivera Lifestyle.

Actor, media mogul, television producer, philanthropist and literacy champion Oprah Winfrey is the newest reader for the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s award-winning children’s literacy program Storyline Online^® (storylineonline.net). Winfrey reads The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen (storylineonline.net/books/hula-hoopin-queen/), a fun, intergenerational story about an enthusiastic girl with a hula-hoopin’ itch, written by Thelma Lynne Godin, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton and published by Lee & Low Books.

At the conclusion of her nearly 12-minute read, Winfrey shares why she chose to read The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen, “I love hula hoops so much and it was one of my favorite things to play with as a girl. And even now whenever anything fun or special or really fantastic happens in my life, I go out and I get my hula hoops.”

“There is no greater champion of reading in the world than Oprah Winfrey, and that is why there is no greater honor than to have Oprah read for Storyline Online,” said JoBeth Williams, President of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. “Her tremendous lifelong passion for sharing books and promoting the joys of reading through her own book club, will now also be shared with millions of children all over the world through Storyline Online. We are thrilled to release The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen read by one of the world’s greatest readers, Oprah Winfrey.”  

An Emmy^® nominated children’s literacy program of the nonprofit SAG-AFTRA Foundation, Storyline Online^® streams 53 videos at no cost to children, parents, and educators worldwide. The program is endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers, and receives more than 10 million monthly views.

Winfrey is the latest actor to join the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s expanding cast of Storyline Online readers that includes Allison Janney, Viola Davis, Chris Pine, Kristen Bell, Rita Moreno, James Earl Jones, Sarah Silverman, Kevin Costner, Wanda Sykes, Justin Theroux, Lily Tomlin, Betty White and more. Storyline Online features actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced, original illustrations.

As with all Storyline Online videos, The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen comes with a supplemental activity guide aligned with Common Core Standards that strengthens verbal, written and comprehension skills. Aimed at students in 2^nd and 3^rd grades, these activities encourage students to engage in critical thinking and ponder the themes from the book including dreams and aspirations, overcoming obstacles, sharing and giving, persistence, holidays and traditions.

In addition, Storyline Online has an app for iPhone and Android. The app features the full digital library of Storyline Online videos, complimentary educational activity guides and more.

To watch The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen and all of Storyline Online videos, visit storylineonline.net, and subscribe to youtube.com/storylineonline. Keep up with new videos to be released throughout 2019 by following @StorylineOnline on Twitter and StorylineOnline on Facebook.

ABOUT THE SAG-AFTRA FOUNDATION
The SAG-AFTRA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides vital assistance and free educational programming to the professionals of SAG-AFTRA while serving the public through its Emmy^® nominated children’s literacy program Storyline Online^®. The Foundation relies solely on support from gifts, grants and sponsorships to maintain its free programs. For more information, visit sagaftra.foundation.

Connect with the SAG-AFTRA Foundation
Snapchat: sagaftraFOUND
Twitter: @sagaftraFOUND
Instagram: @sagaftraFOUND
Facebook: facebook.com/sagaftrafoundation
YouTube: youtube.com/sagaftrafoundation
Hashtag: #sagaftraFOUND

The post Oprah Winfrey reads The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen for SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s children’s literacy program Storyline Online® appeared first on Michelle Rivera Lifestyle.

By: CHRIS HARNICK

Connie Britton is back at the Golden Globes thanks to a riveting role. Britton, who was previously nominated in 2013 for her work in Nashville, is back at the Globes for her role in Bravo’s Dirty John.  

“I’m so happy to be here,” she told Giuliana Rancic on the red carpet. “It’s such an honor.”  

Regarding the attention and critical acclaim, Britton said, “You can never think anything will get any attention or anyone will care.” However, she said there was a little clue because the series is based on the hit Los Angeles Times podcast and interview series of the same name.  

“It’s a compelling story,” Britton said. “Out hope was to bring it to life to an even different degree than the podcast was able to do. We’re hoping that’s what we’re doing.”  

“I always love to tell a good story,” Britton said. And Dirty John is just that. The series follows Debra Newell (Britton) who meets and falls in love with John Meehan (Eric Bana). It’s a whirlwind romance. They get married after just months, despite Debra’s family’s misgivings. And then John’s past comes back to light. The end of the saga is totally unpredictable and shocking.  

Britton said she recognize “a lot of women in [Debra].” “She’s doing the best she can and she gets really duped,” she said.  

While millions may be watching, Britton isn’t. Not yet.  

“I don’t watch,” she said. “I have not watched passed episode two. I don’t know, I think I get too nervous…I think I’ll watch it when it’s all over.”  

Dirty John airs Sundays, 10 p.m. on Bravo.  

(E! and Bravo are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)  

CREDIT E! LIVE FROM THE RED CARPET: http://eonline.com/news/1002033/connie-britton-reveals-why-she-can-t-watch-herself-in-dirty-john-at-the-2019-golden-globes 

The post Connie Britton Reveals Why She Can’t Watch Herself in Dirty John at the 2019 Golden Globes appeared first on Michelle Rivera Lifestyle.

 

Beth Bowen is an emerging Artist whose career you are going to want to follow closely this upcoming 2019. Her career is sky rocketing and you don’t want to miss what’s coming up for her next.

To commission Beth Bowen’s Artwork you can visit www.BethBowenart.com. To contact Beth go to BethBowenArt@yahoo.com and make sure to follow Beth’s art journey on Instagram at @bethbowenart.

The post Beth Bowen…Incredible Artist Career To Look Out For In 2019 appeared first on Michelle Rivera Lifestyle.

Maya Vargas, played by Jennifer Lopez, makes one important wish on her 43rd birthday and that’s for a job promotion. After 15 years at Value Shop, the past six years as the Assistant Manager, Maya knows that she is ready to run the big box store in Queens. However, there’s one problem and that’s convincing the Value Shop hiring manager that she is the “right man for the job.” Although Maya has the experience, street-smarts, and innovative know-how for the management position, she does not have the fancy MBA Degree that Management usually contains. As a result, Maya is NOT hired for the position.

Maya’s boyfriend Trey (Milo Ventimiglia) and best friend Joan (Leah Remini) try to lift her spirits, but Maya is frustrated that street-smarts never seems to equal book smarts. She then wonders if her entire future was determined at age 16 when she made a difficult life decision that she has never even told her boyfriend Trey about. She wonders about how what happened to her at such a young age changed her entire life trajectory, and now that she’s in her 40s she’s faced with the decision if she can really reinvent herself and begin her ‘Second Act.’

I shared with Jennifer a personal story about my mom who was a very hard worker and good worker too, much like her character Maya was, and how my mom always felt the divide between those who were college educated and those who were not. As a result, my mom was very adamant that I get a college education because she felt she had difficulty getting ahead without one. I asked Jennifer if the message about equalizing those who are NOT formally college educated, but have the job or life experience to fulfill a particular position, to those who are college educated, was an important message to her in this film and this is what she said to me.

“Absolutely….I think, again, it’s one of those things that’s so relatable. Most people don’t have the privilege of going through an Ivy League School. There’s a very small percentage of the world that gets to do that. And so, there’s the rest of us who have to finally scrap our way through. 

But, just because you don’t have that type of education doesn’t mean that you don’t have the same type of smarts, or experience, or know how, or creative, you know, instincts, that can be just as valuable to any–and now that I work with big companies, I know that even more. Because there are the people that go to Harvard, and all this Yale, and Stanford and all that. And yes, they’re valuable, they’re awesome, but then there’s a people who just understand a certain subject, a certain instinct, see things differently, you know, and they’re just as valuable. And that can be anybody. And so, it’s just about finding your passion and your talent, and putting it out there, and that’s what the movie is about. It’s about understanding that the only thing moving you back is not that you don’t have a degree to you, it’s you. And you can do whatever you want to do, you can accomplish whatever you want to accomplish, you need only work hard at it, and not give up. The people who don’t succeed are the ones who give up. The people who succeed are the ones who never did. ” 

Directed by Peter Segal (Anger Management, Tommy Boy), Second Act is a heartfelt comedy that is sure to make the audience laugh, while also inspiring them with some very important messages within the film.

Check out the Official Trailer below:

SECOND ACT will be in Theaters on December 21st. Also, get Social and visit the Official website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram page for Second Act.  

Official Site | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

The post Jennifer Lopez’s Wise Words To Me In Regards To Her New Film, ‘Second Act.’ appeared first on Michelle Rivera Lifestyle.

I attended the Media Screening/Press Junket for the film, ‘Love, Simon. The film stars Nick Robinson, Jennifer Garner, and Josh Duhamel. I can honestly say that I highly recommend this film. It’s a modern day coming-of-age story that is reminiscent of those classic John Hughes films that we all love. ‘Love, Simon’ also has an amazing message and I highly recommend parents take their teens to check it out. The story is about a 17 yr old boy, Simon Spier who has not told his family and friends that he is gay.

In addition he has secretly fallen in love with an anonymous classmate online who has been going through the same thing as Simon and their online relationship and love for one another develops as they share their individual journeys with one another. This movie is a touching, hilariously funny, coming-of-age love story that tackles what it’s like being a gay teen whose trying to come out in his  world.

Josh Duhamel and Jennifer Garner are heartwarming as the parents and actor Nick Robinson will capture your heart as Simon! ‘Love, Simon’ will be out in theaters on March 16th and is rated PG-13. I have to say I was very impressed by how endearing the story was, and I loved how funny and entertaining it was too. The entire cast was absolutely AMAZING. Check out the official trailer!

Also, check out what Nick Robinson had to say about the coming-out scenes and how they were executed in the film:

Nick Robinson:  “I think there were several scenes.  The one–kind of all of the sequences of coming out.  The first coming out scene between Alex and I, I thought was handled really delicately and kind of beautifully and not too heavy-handed.  And it was hard to get that from the script, but after talking to Greg [Berlanti, director] I felt confident that he would be able to kind of bring the delicacy that it needed.  

And then also the scenes between Josh and Jen, just because they were so beautifully written and I felt like kind of necessary for this whole journey that this Simon character goes on.”

The post Love, Simon appeared first on Michelle Rivera Lifestyle.

Sometimes moms, it’s good to be bad, well at least in the light-hearted fun sense. So grab your mom friends, grab your wine, and grab your Bad Moms DVD/Blu-Ray because it’s out in stores on February 6th! It’s the perfect excuse for a get-together and movie night with your girlfriends.

All of us moms can fully relate to the stress of preparing for Christmas. So how could we not want to follow the original trio of suburban Chicago friends played by Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and Kathryn Hahn as they deal with the joys of the holiday season?! Except this time the cast is joined by newcomers Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines, and Susan Sarandon, who play the leading ladies’ respective mothers and let’s just say, that these “Bad Grandmas,” just add even more fun to this raunchy, witty, and fun comedy.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Susan Sarandon and Cheryl Hines at Sky Zone in Van Nuys (remember the hilarious dodgeball game scene that took place there from the movie), as they talked about Bad Moms 2 and shared their own personal experiences of being mothers. Here’s what Susan had to say about the important message she thinks Bad Moms Christmas gives to moms these days.

Cheryl Hines and Susan Sarandon were also very open in sharing their personal experiences with their own moms, as well as what it was like when they became moms too.

Check out these fun photo from our Bad Moms event from Sky Zone in Van Nuys!

Thank you at Universal for my Bad Mom gifts too!

Make sure to get your copy of Bad Moms Christmas on Blu-Ray and DVD on February 6th.

Make sure to check out all the fun you can have at Sky Zone Van Nuys too!

The post A BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS OUT ON BLU-RAY/DVD ON FEBRUARY 6TH #BADMOMSXMASSKYZONE appeared first on Michelle Rivera Lifestyle.

1. Alison, so many moms are both amazed and inspired by the fact that you have two small children, while also maintaining a busy career. You are an actress on ‘Days of Our Lives’, the Host of ‘The Biggest Loser,’ and the author of the new book The Mommy Diet, how do you balance it all?

I focus on what I need to do in each moment and give it 100% of my attention. If I’m making dinner with my family, I’m focused solely on that.  If I’m at Days, I focus on giving the best performance I can while there.  At the end of the week, I’ll look back and assess what I could have done better and work towards that in the next week. I do have a lot going on but I’m lucky to be as busy as I am and make the most of every moment.

2. What initially inspired you to get fit and become healthy and what do you think is the most important advice that you can share with moms who are trying to do the same?

I have learned so much from being a part of ‘The Biggest Loser.’  I’ve been so inspired by the shows’ contestants, and seeing the changes they’ve made in their lives has had a profound effect on how I wanted to take care of myself and my family. I continue to be inspired by them, which is why I’m training for the 2012 Honda LA Marathon right now…watching the contestants run the marathon made me want to do it as well.

3. Our pets are our family members too and you recently partnered up with Hill’s Pet Nutrition, makers of  Science Diet® and Prescription Diet® pet foods to kick-off the Million Pound Pledge to help dogs and cats maintain a healthy lifestyle.  Why did you personally want to get involved with this campaign and can you tell us more about it?

As the host of “The Biggest Loser” I never thought I’d be the owner of an overweight pet so this came as quite a surprise and I wanted to do something about it right away.  We got some advice from the vet on how to get Winky to a healthier weight starting with a change in her diet – that’s where Hill’s Science Diet Light came in. Then I was shocked to find out that 1 out of 2 pets in America are overweight.  When I realized that weight issues were not just for people I wanted to do something to help pets as well. In fact obesity can have serious consequences in pets, just like their owners.  That’s why I teamed up with Hill’s Science Diet to kick-off The Million Pound Pledge.   

I’m hoping the Million Pound Pledge will help pet owners become more aware of their cats and dog’s health and provide a solution for getting pets healthy.  I want to inspire pet owners everywhere to help their pets lose weight so go to PetFit.com to take the pledge and you’ll find some great tips on how to manage your pets’ weight. 

The post Alison Sweeney Interview: TV Host of ‘The Biggest Loser’ & Actress On ‘Days of Our Lives.’ By: Michelle Rivera appeared first on Michelle Rivera Lifestyle.