Brittany Geragotelis

I'm a huge believer in people going after their dreams--and the bigger the dream the better! I also really love the idea that I have the power to choose who might become the next big thing! There's something really empowering in that....and I know first-hand how important having people believe in you can be to making your dreams come true. As many of you know, I got my start on Wattpad, where fans championed me into reaching 18 million reads of my book, Life's a Witch online. It was because people gave me their support that I ended up getting my book deal with Simon & Schuster.

And since my first published book came out Jan 29th, I've been asking my fans to continue to support me by buying my book. As much as everyone LOVES free stuff (music, movies, books, etc.), the bottom line is: it takes major time and money to create these things that you love to watch, listen to and read.

So I think that one of the coolest things a person can do is use their influence by getting involved in things they believe in. For some of us, that starts by believing in a person. Stephanie Lynn is a friend of mine who is both an awesome actress and a phenomenal singer. I met her when my fiancé was promoting his feature-length indie film, The Graduates, about five years ago. Stephanie played the "hot girl" in his movie (yes, she's hot, but don't hate on her) and when I first met her, I admit, I thought she'd be sort of mean or snooty. But she is nothing like that. She turned out to be as nice as she is pretty, and majorly talented....even outside of acting. I remember one of the nights we were promoting the movie in Ocean City, MD, and we were sitting around and Steph was singing a few songs she had been working on. And guys....she was SOOOO good!

Fast-forward five years and Stephanie Lynn is now working toward making her own dreams as a singer come true. I totally admire her dedication and love for music and would do anything to help her reach those goals. Including helping to fund her first album. Stephanie Lynn just launched her Kickstarter campaign and I've already donated $100 to her future career as a singer! I know you don't know her like I do, but take a listen to her music and decide for yourself if you'd like to hear more from her. You can donate any amount (and trust me, every little bit helps), and if you don't have the cash, you still have your voice. So, if you can't give, please post about this on your social media. You could help make someone's dream come true. And I think that's pretty awesome!

5x5,
B.

by Brittany Geragotelis

all photos credited to Disney

I got home last night to a new package from Disney! Upon opening the thick padded envelope, I was delighted to see our Disney luggage tags, basic itinerary and a book full of vouchers for things like discounts on mini-golf, spa visits, Planet Hollywood souvenirs and free games at the hotel arcade.

And then it hit me. In 20 days I will be embarking on my first adult vacation...And we're going to Disney World!

Yeah, I know, that may sound backwards. Taking your first "adult" trip to a kids park. But you have no idea what Disney means to me. Ever since I was old enough to remember it, my parents used to pack us up in the car and we'd head off in the middle of the night to Disneyland (a few times we drove from Washington to California, but mostly we flew. For some reason I always remember taking off when it was still dark out. My mom always warmed the car up for us before taking each of us out to the car wrapped up in our own individual blankets and buckling us in for the ride.). Once we were there, we'd spend a few days riding rides, eating food and spending some quality time together. My mom even used to make us get up early, so we'd be at the park when they cut the ribbon in the morning. Then she'd make us all run from one ride to the next. These are some of my favorite memories of growing up.

So, can you see why Disney is such a magical place for me?

This is why I felt it was apropos that Matt and I spend our first real vacation together (and not the kind where you're surrounded by family. That's nice too, of course, but I'm talking couple time here.) at the happiest place on earth.

And although he'd never admit it to anyone else, Matt's excited to be going too. He's even the one who convinced me we should take a day trip over to Universal Studios to check out Hogwarts. To say I'm excited about this trip is an understatement. I made our dinner reservations at some of Disney's finest dining areas about three months ago, and plan to wake up early every morning to have my gluten-free Mickey waffles (yes, they have them!). I'm going to line up at the ribbon in the morning before they open the park and then I'm going to (try to) convince Matty to run with me to the first ride. I've even been working on getting him to agree to take silly pictures with me while we're there (I think he still needs convincing on this one though).

Either way, we're looking at an opportunity to build some new memories, just the two of us. And I can't think of a better place to do it than the magic kingdom!

5x5,
B.