Intsa Friday With a Walkie Talkie

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I am coming out of a crazy month. I totally over-booked myself with speaking engagements and it has been a little crazy. Of course, I've been teaching on Simplicity - in the area of stuff/money and schedules. So no irony that my schedule was out-of-hand. Culminating in an MBD on Mother's Day. Lesson learned. Or rather, lesson learning. Still trying to navigate how much I can take on outside of my real job (my family). 

That being said, I have a lot of blog posts in my head - lame ones, funny ones, deep ones, spiritual ones . . . but haven't had the time. Ones about public school, bullying issues, people who are abandoning going to church but still love Jesus, people who have been burned by "the church", who is the church?, simplicity, Hume Lake mother/daughter retreat (you can listen to my seminars here), Jesus swag, Lydia's 6th birthday party . . . oh how they dance in my head and long to get on (fake, virtual) paper. 

So until then . . . I love Insta-No-Brainer-Friday.

My week in cell phone pics.

Laughed until I cried with my dear friend (and soon-to-be NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR!!!) Marissa on the mother/daughter retreat at Hume Lake

Played wiffle ball looking like this at Hume Lake.

Hung out with the amazing Megan Fate Marshman at Hume Lake.

Watched my husband put together 489,000 pieces to make the secret club house for our girls. 

Went on a girl scout nature walk and waited for a butterfly to land on the landing pad. Still waiting.

Watched the lunar eclipse on my car while singing Totally Eclipse of the Heart in my head.

Got my 14-year anniversary gift! Part of the front yard re-landscaped!!!

Loved watching kids be kids.

Took my fashion plate to school and realized how long her hair has gotten.

And finally, I got to wear this awesome outfit and struggled not to get on a power trip. Because I didn't just have this outfit. I had a walkie talkie.

Linking up with Jeannett at Life Rearranged.

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Round 2 With Jason Marsden of Blue Like Jazz

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If you are new to my blog, on Wednesdays I post about my experience in Hollywood as a former child/teen actress. If you want to start at the beginning of these posts go here.

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This is part 2 of my Q and A with my old friend from my Hollywood Days, Jason Marsden. You can read his previous guest posts here and here to get some more background on him. You may have seen Jason on The Munsters Today or Step by Step or a number of other things. He is currently featured in Space Guys in Space and his voice is featured everywhere - Thundercats, Transformers, Fairly Odd Parents to name a few. And I really I hope you saw him in Blue Like Jazz the movie. If not, it's still playing in select theaters. Go see it. It is loosely based on Donald Miller's book and it is very thoughtful and entertaining. I liked it a lot. Jason plays a a creepy youth pastor. But Jason is not creepy in real life so just relax and read the interview.

On Set as creepy youth pastor.

Read part 1 of the Q and A with Jason here.
(Iapologize for the multiple fonts for you font snobs out there. I cut and pasted from an email and I am not going to spend an hour sifting through the html to fix it. You'll just have to be an overcomer. Now overcome and read on.)

Questions From My Blog Readers:  

1. Love how Jason loves his kiddo so much! I like to know what it was like working with Steve Taylor. I was a big fan of his music in the 80's. :)

Steve was great! I had no idea of his history until well after shooting. I only worked for two days on the film and he was very much in 'work mode', so we never got much time to socialize. He has a place in Nashville, where my wife and I frequent. We've been trying to cash in on a coffee date where I will prod about his scandalous background in the music industry, personally. 

2. How did you prepare for a youth pastor role? That would be interesting to hear since I've worked in youth ministry for a long time. The scene where you had the pinata was great. Great movie, you guys did a really good job! I loved it.

Thank you, Mysterious Hagen-Blog Follower! To be honest, besides learning my lines, I did very little prep. Having chaperoned a lot of kids Bday parties and events, I knew a little about "Kenny's" responsibilities. I love kids and hanging out, trying to be a decent role model, comes naturally. The womanizing and the warped sense of faith that Kenny has...that was where acting came in. ;-) 

Questions from me:  

1. As a Christian, the book made a big impact on me. Gave me some fresh perspective and insight. Challenged me to reach out and ask forgiveness from some people I had judged harshly. Did the movie or book have any impact on how your view spirituality or Christians or Christianity or umbrellas in Oregon?

Honestly, to me, the book read as insight into ones life, like any other auto-biographical story. I found it entertaining and certainly thought provoking. I guess, to address the question, as a non-follower of Jesus, this whole experience did relieve in my mind that, hey, every Christian isn't trying to save me. Or maybe you are?! Or maybe you did!? Ha! You know, I try to practice a life of non-judging, kindness, love, and respect, and it was silly for me to have suspected anything else from this experience. 

2. Where was the movie filmed and how many days did your stuff take?

The film was shot in Nashville and Oregon. I did my bits in Nash over two days.

3. When you did the puppet thing at church and then sang that song . . . creepy and yet brilliant in terms of the way they revealed who you were. Did you just come up with that voice/character or is that from your pool of many voices and characters?

Pooled from my inner Speedy Gonzales, but less 'speedy'. 

4. Had you met or worked with any of the actors before? Who was the funniest on set? Besides you, of course.

I was a fan of Marshall Allman from True Blood. Never met him or any of the other actors or crew before. He was very funny and I was impressed with his dedication to the project. Considering what he and Taylor went through to get it made I could tell they made it a team effort and worked fluently together. 

5. In the movie, we see a lot of people who are passionate about various causes. What cause or social justice issue are you personally most passionate about?

Man, how about kindness!? There seems to be very little of that here in Los Angeles. I wish we could all slow down a bit, stop taking things personally, perhaps share a smile if one is offered to you. Litter is also something that bugs me. Being careless and thoughtless enough to leave your empty Starbucks grande mocha on the ground, by your car, in the parking lot, when there is clearly a garbage can not 20 feet away. Or guess what, I'm pretty sure your car will hold enough trash til you get home...argh, rant rant. I do have a plan to start a non-profit, targeting thoughtlessness amongst my fellow human beings. sarcasmforpeace.org Be on the lookout. 

6. Tell us a thing or two or eight about your beautiful wife.

She's insane! The universe has thrown her many...many obstacles! She deals, processes, and becomes stronger as a result. I've never met anyone quite like her! I've seen her blossom from one amazing human being to one galactically amazing human being! When it seems that she is incapable of topping herself, she does. My wife is a very important person in my life, in my son's life, and in the people she touches within our community of friends, students, and more. I always joke that she's Oprah. Any day now someone's gonna offer her her own network. She has taught me so much and is such a support system in my life. Oh, and she's hot!

xo

Thanks for reading!

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Moms Helping Moms! Thank You!

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Thank you to all of you who ordered your copy or copies of Totally Desperate Mom via my "I Broke Even" deal. I just donated $155 (31 books sold) to Compassion International on your behalf! We helped impoverished moms launch small businesses and children at risk! THANK YOU! 

Small Business Launch for Moms

Many mothers in the developing world have a burden on their shoulders. Often, due to death, abandonment or loss of family support, they are left alone to raise their children. Many need a helping hand to acquire the skills, knowledge and resources to care for their families. Your gift will help provide information on the best income-generating options — from tailoring to animal husbandry — along with necessary training and support needed to run a small business.

Protecting Children at Risk:
Children can be vulnerable even in their own homes. Children with severely ill parents, children who must serve as the head of the household, or children who are at risk of abuse or exploitation need extra attention and protection. Your gift will help Compassion minister to these children in need. Help often comes in the form of providing a safe place to live, legal care, and/or foster care for a child who is living in an unsafe environment.

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Last Chance for The Dealio

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So unless your name is Mary or Lindsey, you're not a winner. And I mean that in the most specific way - you are not a winner of a $20 Amazon gift card or a copy of Totally Desperate Mom. 

So now you might as well go purchase a copy of Totally Desperate Mom for yourself or your frenemy or for a baby shower gift or for your doorman. (And if you are reading this and you have a doorman, would you please leave a comment because who has those? Are they for real or just on TV?)

The special deal is almost up. Until 3pm PST today (May 22nd) I am offering free shipping of my book and I am giving $5 to Compassion International for every copy you buy. Just email me at wendy at wendyhagen dot net and I will email me your paypal invoice for $12. My kids will even sign the books for you. If they're in the mood.

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Hume Lake Fans?

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Don't forget to enter to win an Amazon gift card and a copy of Totally Desperate Mom. And thru Tuesday, May 22nd, 3PM PST I'm offering free shipping and I will donate $5 to Compassion International for every copy of Totally Desperate Mom you purchase through me.You must email me for the deal at wendy at wendyhagen dot net and I will send you a paypal invoice for $12. More details here.
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I'm heading to Hume Lake Christian Camps today to speak at their Mother/Daughter retreat. Please pray for me! I will be giving two seminars - one on Bold Faith: Trusting God with the Hard Stuff. The other one is Simplicity and Contentment: Living the Un-American Dream. 

Who out there has been to Hume? Heard of it? Dreamed about going there? Had a milkshake from the Hume snack shop? Seen a bear there?

Junior High winter camp. (See if you can spot Melissa Larson's hubby in there.)

Hume Lake is a wonderful camp in the Sequoia National Forest up behind the Fresno area. I went to winter camp there when I was in junior high and Shiloh and I were on Summer Counseling Staff in 1996. We have gone there several times in the last five years for family vacation and to hear our friend Chris Brown speak at the high school camp. Needless to say I am thrilled to be going there this weekend to encourage and challenge the mama/daughter crew.

Shiloh and I in 1996. In love. With flowers on ear.

 My fellow SCS Hume gals at my wedding.

With the Brown fam.

One of the week's I spent as a counselor at Wagon Train. Far left is my buddy Brittany.

And here Brittany and I are 14 years later. Don't worry, she's gorgeous on the inside too. 

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Broke Even, Sold 2000+ Books, & Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

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Update! We have our winners. Congrats!

#2 Lindsay Bell 

Searching for Sanity (I actually already wrote this book, though, so I hope it still counts!)

Congrats on breaking even. What an accomplishment.

#23 Mae (Who is a Totally Desperate Mom to be!)
Hope I'm not too late to enter! I want to write a book called, "It Only Takes One"

A big thank you to my Totally Desperate Mom supporters! I recently broke even from my investment of self-publishing Totally Desperate Mom and am now profitable. I might even go public soon. Or something like that. Just shy of two years, I have sold 2000 paperback books sold and some ebooks (not sure how many) - most of which have come from my speaking engagements. Praise God and thank you TDM friends!

You can read more of the story of my self-publishing journey here. But in short, I decided to do offset printing and ordered a lot of copies of my book. Apparently there are roughly a zillion books out there and most of what I read online says the average sales for a self-published book is 150-200 copies. And the average U.S. nonfiction book is now selling less than 250 copies per year and less than 3,000 copies over its lifetime. I don't know how accurate those numbers are but . . . I ordered 5,000 copies of my book. Because I'm crazy . . . as demonstrated by finding an agent in the yellow pages when I was nine years old, showing up on Kirk Cameron's front door with a love note when I was 12, and having a baby without an epidural. And now -  5,000 times more crazy.

In honor of making it "broke even" I want to give away a copy Totally Desperate Mom and a $20 gift card to Amazon. Just leave a comment and tell me this: If you were to write a book, what would the title be? I'll pick two winners via random.org on Monday, May 21st.

Keep in mind I still have a few thousand books to sell so here is the deal thru Tuesday, May 22nd, 3PM PST: Free shipping and I will donate $5 to Compassion International for every copy of Totally Desperate Mom you purchase through me. Stock up for baby showers, birthday gifts, and MOPS events now. You must email me for the deal at wendy at wendyhagen dot net and I will send you a paypal invoice for $12.

Thank you to all my Totally Desperate Mom supporters! I know most of you readers have already gotten a copy or two or ten.

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Hollywood Days - TeenBeat in San Diego

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If you are new to my blog, on Wednesdays I post about my experience in Hollywood as a former child/teen actress. If you want to start at the beginning of these posts go here.

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One weekend Teen Beat Magazine (R.I.P) took some of us young actor people on a little overnighter to San Diego. You know, back in the day where Teen magazines sponsored harmless events like this instead of wild parties? It was the olden days, where parents chaperoned their kids instead of partying with them . . . as we toured old town San Diego and had a pool party. I guess there were 24 of us, because that is what this picture says.

According to this write up, things got a little out-of-hand on the bus ride. But I'm pretty sure this did not happen. I do not recall any tickle fighting with Brian Austin Green. But I can't remember what I did yesterday, so who knows?  But I do know this: Christie Clark was too much for Brian Green. This my friends, is some awesome writing.

I think Mario Lopez had a good weekend. And yea, that's me up front. I got the bicep.

 We went to a night club opening. I mean, Sea World.

We did have a little dance party at the hotel where awesome outfits were worn. Clearly put together by stylists.

How awesome is Crystal McKellar's zebra outfit? Guess? or Wet Seal? I'm just not sure. I boogied with Jason Marsden and am confident that my shirt was purchased at Wet Seal.

Come back next week for part 2 of my Q and A with Jason Marsden about Blue Like Jazz or my Q and A with Andre Gower . . . just depends on which one of them emails me their photos first :)

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How to be Selfish Neighbors

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So Lydia was bringing some wisdom (with some random) to the dinner table tonight. I had to grab my camera. I struggled not to laugh when she made the hibernation reference . . .

Bless her heart. I love her . . . especially when she is figuring out the bed situation.

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Stylin' Saturday - Wear it Out

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Stylin' Saturday - A place to enjoy the uniqueness of children and their wardrobe choices. Also a place for the momfit - when you just can't get it together for What I Wore Wednesday.
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Jordi's advice for this Saturday is simple. If you like it, wear it. Every day. For at least four days in a row. Sure, you can change up accessories - like from belt to Star Wars gun - but keep the dress. If you spill Elmer's glue on it, your mom will wash it right away. Then grab that dress the next day before it is even done hang drying.

Feel free to lay out your repeat outfit the night before - with accessory.

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A Big Zit, A Retreat in Arizona, and a Buffalo

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This is a busy season for me with my speaking stuff and of course, real life. I was in Arizona last

weekend speaking at a mother/daughter retreat at Prescott Pines. 

I added an extra day on my trip on both ends to hang out with one of my best friends, Stacy. 

You know the one whose husband surprised her with a renewing of vows ceremony? You know the one where Jon Foreman of Switchfoot performed. No big deal. Anyway, I stayed with her and went to the retreat with her. I also had dinner with two high school friends and one of my youth group leaders from junior high. 

And in honor of junior high and in order to connect with the young people at the retreat, I brought a pretty-good sized zit.

It was pretty rough staying in this tiny cabin at the retreat. 

The camp director was my husband's youth pastor growing up. So great to meet him and tell him thank you for pouring into my husband's life. My husband claims he was a bit of a selfish punk in the youth group so Jim didn't get to see the fruits of his ministry to Shiloh. I assured him that Shiloh is now awesome (we celebrated 14 years of marriage yesterday) and only sometimes calls me fatty arms.

We had some free time so we went to jail and ate at The Lone Star Cafe with a Buffalo.

The worship leader who was awesome, Mary Naman, brought her sweet friend and esthetician friend so . . .

 And I found many dream homes in Prescott.

And this is the chapel where we had our meetings. Charming.

The capitol building for in downtown Prescott. Or something like that - maybe you go there if you have a speeding ticket or if you want to vote for something. Isn't it beautiful?

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Be a Driver on a Kindergarten Field Trip

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I went on the kindergarten field trip last week. I was a driver and wished the cameras were rollin' because kindergarteners rule. I learned a lot. For example:

On the way there . . .
"Do you have any Michael Jackson music? I do. But he died. And so did Whitney Houston. She's dead."
"I hate Justin Bieber. He sounds like a girl. Turn it off!"
Then my Lydia pipes in: "I like Justin Bieber. I want to marry him."
"Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez broke up. They were on a date but they broke up."

On the way home . . .
Me: Does your mommy work?
Girl: No. She goes to the gym.

"I believe in two Gods. The Canada God because I used to live there. And our God."

Don't forget to get your Mother's Day copy of Totally Desperate Mom. Free shipping. Details here.

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