My Blogalicious

Sandwich Night

LaTonya — Mon, 14 May 2012 01:57:46 +0000

After Blogalicious, I cooked for an entire week from Chef Aaron McCargo, Jr.’s new cookbook Simply Done, Well Done. His cookbook was my favorite swag gift. I wrapped up the week with his Marinated Chicken Club With Pesto Mayo and Sun-dried Tomatoes. To accompany the sandwich, fried pickled okra using Chef McCargo’s Deep Fried Artichoke Hearts recipe.

Although I’ve eaten sun dried tomatoes, this was my very first time cooking with them. It won’t be my last. They gave the sandwich an extra zing, that complimented the marinade of the chicken perfectly. I left out the pesto mayo, the kids aren’t fond of mayo at all.

Chicken clubs are one of my favorite sandwiches, mainly because of bacon, it makes everything taste better. Being the bacon lover that I am, I cooked some for the sandwiches, and a few pieces to nibble on.

Originally, the plan was to make deep fried artichoke hearts. I had everything needed, but marinated artichoke hearts. Looking through my pantry, I spotted a jar of pickled okra, and immediately remembered watching Paula Deen fry whole pickled okra. It was worth a try. Chef McCargo’s recipes are so adaptable. The Panko bread crumbs, paired with the tangy okra was crunchy and delicious! I’m not big on frying, but it was worth it!

After a very busy week I was happy to unwind, kick my heels up, and relax. This sandwich was a perfect finish to that week. Great no fuss food, and quality time with the family.

“Cross posted from LaTonyaRichardson.com“

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Soak Fabulous

Denise — Mon, 14 May 2012 01:56:29 +0000

Since before the days of Cleopatra, bathing has been not just a method of cleansing, but a luxurious way to care for and nurture the skin. And relaxing the body and mind. Whether you choose candles or essential oils, you should make bathing an experience. There are different baths that are unique to your skin type. For dry skin, milk baths have been a favorite. It adds moisture to your skin.

Baths can be luxurious pampering, therapeutic or both. Milk does a body good in more ways than one. Milk baths are a great way to gently exfoliate your skin. Milk contains fatty acids that help moisturize dry skin. Bathing in milk can also help calm sunburned skin or reduce the irritation of skin conditions such as eczema.

Salt baths have dual benefits. They exfoliate the skin, revealing a soft, supple layer of skin. They are also therrpeutic in that they also help alleviate aches and pains. Epsom salt is known to erase muscle aches from a day of tension or the soreness of a strenuous workout. To intensify your bathing experience add fragrance to help calm your mind and relieve tension. Use flower petals, lavender, candles, or essential oils to create a home spa experience.

There are products that combine the best of both worlds. Here are a few of our favorites!

Créme de Pistache from Laura Mercier’s Body and Bath Collection is a sweet experience. It has a rich scent and texture that is perfect for a hot bubble bath.
I Coloniali has created Invigorating Tibetan Shower Cream with Rhubarb. It leaves your skin feeling like silk, with a refreshing, subtle scent.
Carol’s Daughter offers Body Aches Bath Salts, which is perfect for soothing tired, achy muscles. The lavender crystals add a calming affect as you soak away stiffness and tension
Origins Ginger Float and Ginger Gloss. This scent is intoxicating. The float will add bubbles to your bath. While the gloss is a body spray, but if you add a few spritzes to a hot tub, you’ve created an experience that you won’t soon forget. The scent relaxes you and your skin will be supple and smooth. Use a few extra spritzes after your bath as an added moisturizer.

Original MyBlogalicious Post

Denise is the creative force behind the beauty blog, Rainy Day Diva. The online destination for beauty, style and inspiration-no matter what! Twitter: @RainyDayDiva. She is also a champion of diversity in television and film for the blog For The Love of The Game, on Twitter:@Girl_TD

We live in a high tech world that makes “mothering” so, so — well, OLD SCHOOL.

Saying stuff like:

“Because I said so”

“I’m the mom”

“Are you wearing THAT?”

“Make up your Bed.”

“Comb your Hair.”

“Clean up your room.”

Stuff we say all day, everyday…but the kids just tune us out. We sound like a broken record.

We’d be better off sending a text that says, “OMG! WTH?”

Our kids think we enjoy being the “wicked witch” mom? We just want them to be well-adjusted, law-abiding, contributing members of society one day.

But to hear the response of this social media savvy swagging kid give us her view of how we sound is hilarious!

Really? Really Teen Kid?

Wait til you have kids of your own!

But the lessons I’ve learned in order to keep these social media savvy kiddies in check:

1. Hold their mobile phones hostage until all chores are done.

2. Threaten to post photos of their nasty room on Facebook & pictures of them cleaning it.

(Humiliation works, see this post on what Reshonda Tate Billingsley did to her teen)

3. Don’t pay their cell phone bill – until they learn how to get better grades.

Now, they won’t like the above. They will try you. So……keep the kids away from the gadgets (camera, computers) so they don’t “blast” YOU on social media to their friends online on how “crazy and bipolar” you are.

They will you know. When they are mad, they will resort to revenge on social media. It’s just what they do. It’s their world. Their reality.

And you won’t be ROTFL! You’ll be WTA! (Whooping they A**).

Pam Perry, find her “digital trail” across the internet at http://about.me/pamperry.

Online version of Smilebox.

iPhone version of Smilebox.

Shutterfly – Shutterfly offers a web version to create many different types of personalized gifts including photo books, coffee mugs, calendars, phone covers and much more. Adding a photo to a phone cover is a great way to keep your loved ones with you all the time.

Snapfish – Snapfish also offers tons of different personalized gifts you can make with photos. I’m sure mom would love a personalized blanket. Yes, you can create a blanket with your family’s photo on it and grandma can snuggle up to it every night.

zuzee – This last site is geared toward girls tween girls, but it is so awesome so I wanted to include it. zuzee lets girls create photo books with their pictures and parents do not have to worry about privacy issues. They have a Mother’s Day book called, Mom and Me that your daughter could create.

Now you have the tools to make an awesome personalized photo gift for Mother’s Day. Let me know if you use one of these services to create a gift.

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Beyond Neon!

Denise — Fri, 04 May 2012 02:20:45 +0000

Meagan Good for Rolling Out Magazine

This summer, let’s give Blue Monday a new meaning-blue anything for that matter. This summer the trending colors aren’t just bold, they are neon. These colors are fun and eye-catching. While blue lips may be a bit daring, you can rock almost any color of the rainbow on your nails, too.

Electric shades of pink, like Essie’s Knockout Pout or Mimosa by Chanel on your nails are great for switching things up on the weekend or a walk on the wild side. Add a neon spark to your beauty stash this year. What’s the most daring look you’ve tried with your makeup? Would you wear blue lipstick or nail color?

Taraji's Neon Manicure

Source: 1, 2

Original MyBlogalicious Post

Denise is the creative force behind the beauty blog, Rainy Day Diva. The online destination for beauty, style and inspiration-no matter what! Twitter: @RainyDayDiva ! She is also a champion of diversity in television and film for the blog For The Love of The Game, on Twitter:@Girl_TD

Several years ago, I had this great idea to have a Fiesta, and make authentic Mexican food for Cinco De Mayo. My failed attempted at making Chicken Tamales, without corn husk, has not been spoken of since. That’s a story for another day.

Dinner was not ruined, the Chicken and Corn Chilaquiles Casserole, was a hit with my family, and redeemed my tamale tragedy.

Of course I’m planning a little something for Cinco De Mayo this week. Although I haven’t decided on a main dish, a trio of salsa is a definate. My go-to salsa recipe is a must, along with a couple others that I must first narrow down.

Chunky Salsa

2 ripe tomatoes, diced
2 green bell peppers, diced
1 white onion, diced (I prefer red)
1 garlic clove, diced
1/2 bunch of cilantro ( or to taste)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl, mix together all of your ingredients. Chill in the refrigerator. For a less chunky version use a blender or food processor. Serve with home made tortilla chips.

Following are a few salsa recipes I’m considering. How do you salsa?

“Original MyBlogalicious Post”

I’ve tried Tomatillo Salsa also known as Salsa Verde a few times, and really liked it. What interest me the most is the tomatillo itself. It looks like a green tomato, but is actually a berry.

When it comes to watermelon, I strickly eat it as-is. I’ve turned my nose up to in salads, and dressings drizzeld on it. Making and eatng watermelon salsa will be a walk on the wild side for me.

Just thinking about mango salsa, conjours aromas of the sweet fruit. It goes well with fish.

Black bean salsa is another one I enjoy. The combination of the beans, corn, and tomatoes are delicious! I can’t believe I’ve never made it before.

What are your meal plans for Cinco De Mayo?

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Animal Print Swimsuit Trend & One-piece Hits

Monica — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:35:54 +0000

{Arizona by Melissa Odabash}

For my last swimsuit post, I saved the best for last—animal prints! Animal prints are timeless, and since designers always introduce their own spin on them, they always look unique. If you’re a one-piece swimsuit devotee and are tired of wearing the same old styles, look for those featuring fierce animal prints and innovative designs.

Many one-piece swimsuit styles feature boring colors and typical silhouettes. For something fresh, try a one-piece with a colored animal print, chic asymmetrical design or even some embellishment!
For something ultra-sexy that still provides great overall coverage, look for a one-piece swimsuit with a deep plunging neckline—perfect for showing just the right amount of skin
Tired of bikinis and looking for an edgy new swimsuit style? Monokinis are one-pieces with side cutouts, so they look like bikinis from behind. They vary in coverage and design so you can easily find one that fits your personality

Check out swimsuit trends #1 (small bust solutions), #2 (elongating your torso) and #3 (downplaying a bigger bust)

{Special Croco One-Piece by Cia.Maritima}

{Fuerte Ventura by OndadeMar}

Which is your favorite? Mine is the first ~ love the print and the slimming coverage!

Monica Barnett writes about all things stylish and sophisticated, and focuses on curated style for Blueprint for Style, is a Personal Stylist with Shoe Dazzle, a Lucky Magazine Alpha Shopper, a contributor to TheRootDC, and can be found on Twitter using Blueprint4Style.

Aldo has navy, black, natural and purple [$80]; ASOS has orange, green and navy [$107])

Because I’m all into versatility and multiple use, I’m opting for the natural color…

{Aldo Drewel}

Of all the spring shoe trends, which one are you going wild over ~ wedges (with me), metallics, bright yellow coloring, or floral prints?

10 reasons why you should write a book.

And I recently saw the Steve Harvey blockbuster hit movie, Think Like a Man. Based on Steve Harvey’s best-selling book, “Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man.”

The movie follows four interconnected and diverse men whose love lives are shaken up after the ladies they are pursuing buy Harvey’s book and start taking his advice to heart. When the band of brothers realize they have been betrayed by one of their own, they conspire using the book’s insider information to turn the tables and teach the women a lesson of their own.

Funny movie. Great cast. Had me thinking. What if an author really wanted to be a “best seller” – they can’t just have the mind of an author. They have to have the chutzpah and ACT LIKE A MARKETER!

Steve Harvey is an entertainer, national radio personality, TV game show host, comedian, actor, author and NOW a film producer. But he can do all these things successfully because he is a marketer.

Unless you were living in a cave, you could not miss the marketing machine in motion for this movie: ads in every major magazine, newspaper, urban magazine cover stories featuring the actors in the movie, radio interviews, TV ads plus major social media. Their facebook page was blowing up! They have more than 784,000 folks that “liked” the movie’s FB Page – and it’s still growing!

So how does an author “act like a marketer” and get their book SOLD so they claim the title of “best seller?”

Here’s some steps for an author to follow to nab the “prize” of best seller title:

1. Build a list. Every author must build an email list and/or a mailing list of folks that are interested in what you write. A good goal would be to have at least 1,000 true “raving” fans. Once you have an email list that you communicate regularly with (writing personal emails to), you can then move forward and launch a marketing campaign that will get some traction.

2. Create a Social Media Brand and Identity. Now this is where your “superstar” personality must shine online. Create an awesome Facebook cover, Twitter background, stellar bio and great head shot. I know this has nothing to do with writing the book, but trust me, this has everything to do with SELLING the book. (Especially if you are a first time author and no one knows you – yet).

3. Host a Series of Events. Speak for free. Yes, run your mouth. Most authors just want to write in a cave and appear when the book is published and on the shelves. But that’s not how it works! You have to pre-promote the book and talk it up months before it’s even done. Promoting the book at least six months before it’s published is not too soon. So, set up events where you speak at conferences, schools, churches – anywhere and everywhere – and tell folks you have a book coming out! (And don’t forget to get their email addresses).

4. Get Endorsements.The sooner you get your synopsis together, go out and ask other “superstar” authors to write an endorsement for your book. These endorsements will be in the first few pages of the book or placed on the back cover of the book. Either way, these are clues to a potential reader that you a “superstar” too. The more well-known your endorsers, the better chance you’ll sell more books. So, it a pays to really start early to identify your ideal endorsers – and create a relationship with them.

5. Build an Author Website. This is the hub of your brand. As soon as you have the title and the book cover – get this site up! This is where folks will find your bio, fab photos, social media handles and they can opt-in to your email list (and get a free chapter). This is the main way you will build your list. Drive traffic via social media back to this site so you get those 1,000 true fans.

Now, you may think like an author - putting all your effort into crafting a really good book – and that is important… but if you want SEAL THE DEAL, you have to act like a marketer.

That’s what sells the book. You can have an excellent book – but it’s the marketing that lets people know it’s there – and to BUY it.

Check out what sells movies – and you be the judge on how you want to position yourself for your next book launch.

‘Think Like a Man’ star Kevin Hart: How Twitter, Facebook, and my NBA outburst helped my movie open at No. 1

Pam Perry a social media pundit, follow her on Twitter and Pinterest.

She loves to laugh, have fun and help authors be #1. Get a free e-course, www.PerryWilliamson.com

Here are a few ways to fit in a recharge break from your technology:

1. No technology at dinner. I will get so focused on writing that I will forget to eat lunch and before I know it, six hours have gone by and the kids are home and the chaos all begins. Turning off the TV, putting the phones away and sitting down to a family dinner clears my mind and puts the focus on my family.

2. Take a walk. In the Spring when it is sunny and not sweltering hot, I love to take walks. Just getting up from my desk and walking to the mailbox is sometimes enough.

3. Date Night with yourself. Yes, make a date with yourself once every week (or at least once every month.) Put it on the calendar so everyone knows that you have plans. Go shopping, take a bath, read a book or watch a movie or maybe go to bed at 7:00 pm. Just turn off the computer and your phone so you won’t be interrupted.

4. Sleep-in Sundays. I like to refer to Sunday as my recharge day. Most activities are not scheduled for Sunday morning so it is usually the one morning I can turn off the alarm clock and sleep in. The rest of my family knows not to disturb me unless it’s a REAL emergency. It feels good to turn off the alarm clock one day every week.

5. Turn off the technology. Just simply setting business hours and turning off the phone when you are off work will make a big difference.

With all of the mobile technology so easily available, we feel the need to always be on and social. That is a lot to ask of anyone. Be sure to take time every day to not be “on.”

Do you take tech breaks? How often? Do you feel it helps clear your mind?

Photos from Microsoft Images.

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