Good Night and Big Balls...

You know you're watching WIPEOUT when you hear that phrase! You know you're actually on the set of WIPEOUT when those balls are in your face! I speak from experience! As most of you heard, I was a contestant on the show and it was one of the most excruciatingly fun days of my life!

All I can say is that my day on the set was the most fun, excruciating, painful, cold, and fantastic day of my life! The horn blew and the next thing I know,  I'm falling into the pit of cold and muddy water. Wait, the word "cold" is a huge understatement! That water is literally liquid ice and swimming in that for the first time is an experience I will never forget! Wipeout officially announced on their Facebook that the water is 40 degrees! I guessed 45 degrees, but I sure wasn't far off!  Now I fully understand why so many contestants on other episodes look so winded and exhausted; it's the cold and evil water pit of despair, I tell ya!

I cannot even fully describe to you what it's like to take on the WIPEOUT obstacles.  Everyone should do this!! It is so much fun and FULL OF SURPRISES! Anyway, my "character" on the show was Miss Southern California Regional! I was going to go on the show as just the tough beauty queen, but conveniently enough, I won a new title so the show let me go on with my new crown! :)
That day of filming, they told us that there were 75,000 people that applied for the show, so being picked as a contestant alone was a honor!

Here is my 30 seconds of fame!

American Pistachio Growers!

This is from the American Pistachio Blog I turn in every month! Enjoy...

Hello California! I am so honored to be your new ambassador! I was just crowned Miss California 2012 on June 30th and so I am “freshly hatched” as they say. It has only been a month and I have already experienced so much! In case you don’t know about me, I am a native Californian and I am proud to say so! I was born in Long Beach and grew up in Garden Grove. I just graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Music. I have been playing the harp for eight years and this is the talent that I perform in Miss America pageants. 

At age 14, I was very awkward and had no experience performing or even speaking in front of crowds. Along with my family and friends, the Miss America Organization has made me into the woman I am today. I have learned skills that will benefit my life in so many ways. I know that some of these skills will help me promote the yummy pistachio that millions of Americans love! I am so excited to represent the American Pistachio Growers!

I just spent five days with the American Pistachio Growers and I had a blast! On the first day I arrived in Fresno, I was well informed about pistachios and it was a lot more than I knew before! I had no idea about the high amount of vitamins and minerals found in pistachios! All I knew was that they are delicious, but after learning about how healthy they are, I love pistachios even more! On my second day in Fresno, I attended the Annual APG Luncheon and this is where I got to meet all the Pistachio farmers and their families. It was a pleasure meeting them all in my pistachio-green gown! Then I did the photo shoot with Keith Seaman on Saturday and the photos will be found on the APG website and on billboards in China! It was a pleasure working with you, Keith!  Sunday was my day off, so I took a small trip to Yosemite! I have not seen the valley since I was a little girl, so it was so overwhelming to see those majestic rocks including Half Dome, of course! Someday, I am going to climb that! Finally, I finished off my exciting pistachio trip by being featured on the “Great Day Fresno” morning news show! I had to show up to Cal State Fresno’s Pistachio Orchard at 4am and the show went from 5am to 10am. “Great Day” wanted to feature pistachios because starting in August to October is harvest time. We did eight different interviews that lasted about three minutes each, and they were filmed live in between Kim and Kope’s news stories. There are two videos found on the website:

I got to cook one of my favorite pistachio recipes! Am I ready for Food Network Star? Alton Brown, I'm your girl!

Learn about my relationship with the American Pistachio Growers! CLICK HERE

I cannot express enough my enthusiasm for pistachios! They are not only delicious and easy to carry around; they are so healthy for you! One serving of pistachios (49 kernels) is full of antioxidants, more protein than a serving of halibut, more fiber than broccoli, and even more potassium than a banana! I’m sold! For more delicious and healthy facts about pistachios, explore the American Pistachio website! I’m addicted to the “Recipes” page. I look forward to more adventures with the American Pistachio Growers! KEEP CALM AND EAT PISTACHIOS!

 For now, watch some of the video blogs I made while I was in Fresno!

Don't forget to STAY CONNECTED!

If you can't get enough, find me on:

Official Miss California 
Website

MUSIC: Compassion for the Convalescing

This is a main reason why my platform is what it is.  I tear up every time I watch this sweet man's reaction to his music.  It reminds me of so many experiences I have had with people as I play my harp for them. I'm choked up while writing this....PLEASE WATCH AND TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK...

Music brings the sense of identity to people that are out of it.  Music brings those people back INTO it!




To learn more about my platform, click here: PLATFORM

POSTS coming soon!!!

I promise! I have so many exciting things in the works and so it's hard to keep up! For now, you can browse through the other parts of my blog (especially the SPONSORS tab!) and follow me on Twitter and Facebook!

See you all soon!

Love,
Leah