DeDivahDeals

Fashion and Fun after Fifty

Archive for February, 2015

SalsaCrazy Habanero Salsa on a Breakfast Burrito


Hello friends, I hope all is well in your world.  Last week on my YouTube channel, the Brunch with Blake episode was entitled “Breakfast Burrito” and I put some SalsaCrazy Habanero Salsa onto them at the end which really kicked it up a notch.  It’s true, the SalsaCrazy Habanero Salsa is “As Hot as The Dance” and if you don’t know how to Salsa, you can order a Free DVD to learn how, with the code that is printed on the side of the jar.

SalsaCrazyAvi

Because I like my foods a little spicier than most it was definitely a great taste for me with the tomatoes, green chilies, corn, onion, garlic, vinegar, Serrano and Red Habanero Chili Peppers – talk about a kick to the tongue!  The Breakfast Burrito was made with Hot Turkey Sausage but the spiciness went up a few degrees when topped with the SalsaCrazy Habanero Salsa.

Breakfast Burrito made with SalsaCrazy

I now want to create other recipes using this Salsa because it deserves to be more than just a dip for tortilla chips.  So if you have any suggestions please leave them in the comment section and then head over to Amazon and order a jar, your taste buds will “Dominate the Dance Floor” for sure!

Check out the video for the recipe which also included Jennie-O Hot Turkey Breakfast Sausage, Eggs, Shredded Cheddar Cheese and Tortillas and Spinach Wraps.

New Year ~ New You

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Headed to Hollywood – Part III – Eco Friendly Hotel

Headed to Hollywood – Part III – Eco Friendly Hotel

Hello friends and welcome to Thankful Thursday. Today’s post is Part III of my fabulous trip to Los Angeles. If you recall in Part I, I mentioned that there was a mix up in the room reservations so Pam and I had to hang out in the lobby for several hours.

Lobby of The Standard

 Fortunately, The Standard Downtown LA is a small hip, eco friendly hotel, with a dimly lit lobby which was more like a pass thru, therefore, people couldn’t assume that our lingering was unseemly i.e. “lounge lizards waiting on a pickup” – even with brighter lights they wouldn’t have thought that!

The Standard Hotel Downtown LA

Anywho, we did take several pictures outside in the courtyard which made the wait more enjoyable…after all what is a blogger with a camera – a HAPPY blogger!

Boomers who Blog in the Courtyard

 

Boomers who Blog

Later that evening we met up with Alexandria then we along with Mendy, Sarah, Maria, Jake, and Kay who had arrived later decided to have dinner at the hotel instead of heading out. We ate on the patio of the 24/7 Restaurant and our waiter, Tracey was extremely nice and the food was wonderful. Most of us ordered the same Salmon dish which was perfectly prepared, and after a glass of Pinot Grigio all was fine for the rest of the night.

Succulent Salmon

Dinner crowd at 24/7

Pam and I finally received our room keys so after dinner we each headed our separate ways to get a good night’s sleep before the next big day.

The Medium Room

There are several size rooms at the The Standard Downtown LA and mine was Medium.

The 300 sq ft Medium rooms feature a queen-size, comfy bed with Egyptian cotton sheets, fluffy down pillows and duvet, a glass encased shower with custom bath amenities, X-Large bath towels, cozy robes, free WiFi, a 14-foot working desk, 24-hour room service, an overstocked minibar, and big sunny windows that open, but I didn’t try to open it.

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Headed to LA 049

TV on a pole

Bathroom trashcan

in case you have too much to drink on the rooftop

Full mini bar

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In the lobby

The Shop

L.A.-centric fashion boutique, curiosity cabinet, and barbershop combine to create The Shop at The Standard, Downtown LA. Rudy’s Barbershop handles the barbering while The Shop procures unique finds from Retrosuperfuture, Clare Vivier, Comme des Garcons, A Peace Treaty, Bumble & Bumble, Kristen Elspeth, and RGB, as well as Standard collaborations with artists and designers like Quiksilver, KAWS and José Parlá. Open Mon-Fri 9:30am – 8:30pm and Sat & Sun 10am-6pm.

2nd floor

SPiN STANDARD, LA’s first professional ping-pong club, is located on the mezzanine, just up the escalator above the lobby. Players of every ability test their table tennis skills on 11 pro-level tables.

The Roof

The Rooftop at The Standard, Downtown LA offers stunning, panoramic views of Downtown Los Angeles and the mountains beyond. The Rooftop features a heated swimming pool, (which is closed until March), red AstroTurf deck, dance floor, nightly DJs, bar, outdoor fireplace, waterbed pods, sculptured topiary and a Biergarten. We went up to get pictures of the view, however, I was told that I couldn’t use my camera so these are from my phablet.

Downtown LA at night Downtown LA at night

All in all, The Standard Downtown LA was a cool place to stay and I slept like a baby so I didn’t even need to use the complimentary ear plugs.  I did however, bring them back home to use when hubby starts to snore!  

Stay tuned for Headed to Hollywood Part IV – The Lost Bookstore.

New Year ~ New You

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YIKES! Stripes and Tights a Fashion Fail!

YIKES ~ Stripes and Tights a Fashion Fail!

Hello friends, and happy Hump Day Wednesday.  Have you ever gotten dressed thinking that you looked okay only to realize later that you made a major fashion mistake?  Well that is how I feel about this outfit which is aptly entitled YIKES, STRIPES AND TIGHTS a Fashion Fail!

SHOES - AVON | PURSE - THRIFTED  

I have to admit that it was still dark when I got dressed and I was in a hurry, running late as usual, perhaps the jet lag from the trip to LA or just because it was Monday, I messed up.  Actually, I am blaming my husband, because when I asked him if the shoes were okay, he said, “well it matches the bag”, that should have been my hint and a half to go change.

MIXING STRIPES WITH TIGHTS

Alright, alright, I know that I messed up…tights are too dark…there are too many colors…patterns, just a mess but hey, I am entitled to a fashion faux pas, so please be kind with your comments.

WIWW Mixing Metals 006

This thrifted multi-patterned dress is cute, but with the black striped tights…well it’s a bit too much, I should have gone with beige or suntan hose or perhaps the shoes were too much…two tone and stripes – nope…not a good look, should have worn my OTK suede boots.

MIXING STRIPES WITH TIGHTS

I even tried to find something Boho Chic to compare it to and even that was hard…so now this outfit will live in infamy and my great-great grands may one day find it and say, “what the heck was that ole lady wearing!”

 

New Year ~ New You

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Jordan Naturals Witch Hazel Can Handle the Winter Winds

Disclosure: Thank you Jordan Naturals for providing free samples of your products in order for me to provide an honest opinion.

Jordan Naturals Witch Hazel Can Handle the Winter Winds

Hello friends, I hope all is well in your world.  We had another cold and snowy weekend in Delaware and the winds were blowing something fierce.  Everyone is dreaming of the warmer days of spring and summer, but until then we have to deal with the harsh reality of winter. 

Not only are body protecting clothes essential to handling the cold weather in the Northeast but protecting your face and lips is of utmost importance as well.  The cold winds can rob your face of much needed moisture causing redness and soreness not to mention dry and cracked lips.

Jordan Naturals

Jordan Naturals has produced natural body and skincare products that are made of pure, healthy ingredients of which I had an opportunity to sample a few of them.  The line of all natural Bretanna Witch Hazel is definitely not your “grandmother’s Witch Hazel”, as they are infused with essentials oils such as Geranium Rosehip Seed Aloe, Aloe Lavender Chamomile, and Aloe Citrus Sage.  Bretanna Witch Hazel gently tones skin, balances the Ph and leaves your face refreshed, moisturized and clean.

Nightly cleansing with Jordan Naturals Witch Hazel

After cleansing my face in the evening, I’ll use a cotton ball with a few drops of the Aloe Lavender Chamomile to tone, and hydrate my face, the essential oils provides a calming scent that helps to ease me into sleep.  The next morning I use the Aloe Citrus Sage Witch Hazel which contains an energizing fresh scent preparing me for a busy day ahead.

Jordan Naturals Witch Hazel

The Jordan Naturals Lip Balms are made of aloe, coconut oil, chamomile and lavender and their smooth texture not only keeps my lips soft and supple, they also smell great.  Lip balm is something that I always carry in my purse or in my pockets so along with the gloves to keep my hands warm, the balm keeps my lips protected against the harsh winter winds.

Jordan Naturals Lip Balms

Check out the full line of products www.jordannaturals.com, or you can Like them on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter.

New Year ~ New You

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Can Kombucha Tea Cure Cancer?

What is Kombucha tea? Can it Cure Cancer?

Hello friends, I hope all is well in your world.  

Have you heard of Kombucha?  It’s the beverage the ancient Chinese called the “Immortal Health Elixir?” It has been around for more than 2,000 years and has a rich history of health benefits like preventing and fighting cancer, arthritis, and other degenerative diseases.

Kombucha is made from sweetened tea that’s been fermented by a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast (a SCOBY, a.k.a. “mother” because of its ability to reproduce, or “mushroom” because of its appearance), Kombucha didn’t gain prominence in the West until recently.

A co-worker recently introduced me to GTSKombucha tea and after just a small sip of it with Chai I was hooked, it has such a cool, crisp flavor.  Also because of the reported health benefits including cancer prevention and a digestion aid I immediately headed to Target to purchase a few more bottles.

GTSKombucha Tea 2 Avi

I was hoping hubby would also give it a try as it might help with his intestinal disorder but after reading that it also contained traces of alcohol he said “nope”!  I on the other hand have been drinking several ounces daily and no, not because of the alcohol content, but in hopes that it will increase my energy and help me stay hydrated.

GTS-Tea-3

 

The bottles clearly state that “Kombucha is a food product and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease”   However, according to Food Renegade there are several health benefits associated with Kombucha including:

KOMBUCHA HEALTH BENEFIT #1 — DETOXIFICATION

Detoxification produces healthy livers and aides cancer prevention. One of kombucha’s greatest health benefits is its ability to detox the body. It is rich in many of the enzymes and bacterial acids your body produces and/or uses to detox your system, thus reducing your pancreatic load and easing the burden on your liver.

KOMBUCHA HEALTH BENEFIT #2 — JOINT CARE

Kombucha contains glucosamines, a strong preventive and treatment all forms of arthritis. Glucosamines increase synovial hyaluronic acid production. Hyaluronic acid functions physiologically to aid preservation of cartilage structure and prevent arthritic pain,with relief comparable to NSAIDs and advantage over glucocorticoids.

KOMBUCHA HEALTH BENEFIT #3 — AIDS DIGESTION AND GUT HEALTH

Because it’s naturally fermented with a living colony of bacteria and yeast, Kombucha is aprobiotic beverage. This has a myriad of benefits such as improved digestion, fighting candida (harmful yeast) overgrowth, mental clarity, and mood stability. As such, it’s noted for reducing or eliminating the symptoms of fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety, etc.

Have you tried any of the Kombucha Teas?  If soplease share your results as I am very interested in hearing what others have experienced.

New Year ~ New You

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Chinese New Year Cartwheel Savings @Target

Hello friends, I hope all is well in your world. Yesterday after work I stopped in at Target to pick up a few bottles of Kombucha tea (come back and read more about that on Monday) and while there I decided to check my Cartwheel app. There were a lot of deals on frozen foods including PF Chang’s Frozen Entrees.

Cartwheel app

The first and only time that we’ve ever eaten at PF Chang’s restaurant was in 2010 while visiting family in Virginia Beach.  The food was awesome, especially the lettuce wraps, so I took a chance on buying their frozen home menu meals including the steamed white rice.

PF Chang's Frozen Entrees

I didn’t get home until almost 8 o’clock but it didn’t take long to prepare this meal, as a matter of fact it took less than 15 minutes. 11 minutes in the Wok to cook the chicken, veggie and sauce which is all included in the package, then 2.5 minutes to zap the rice in the microwave, and yes, it was good.

PF Chang's Frozen Chinese Food

So head over to Target to save 5% from now until 2/28 on their various frozen veggies, chicken, fish and of course the PF Chang’s Home Menu dinner meals.

Happy a warm and wonderful weekend.

New Year ~ New You

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Francois et Mimi Mugs Makes Me Smile


Francois et Mimi Stacking Mugs Makes Me Smile

Hello friends, I hope all is well is your world.  Which room in the house is your most favorite?  For me it’s the kitchen because it’s the place where I enjoy preparing meals, creating, reading and relaxing. 

I can’t help but smile when I walk into the kitchen early in the morning and the sunshine that is streaming through the window is bouncing off the colorful items surrounding me.  That is just one reason why these Francois et Mimi Stacking Mugs makes me smile.

Francois et Mimi Stacking Mugs

The Francois et Mimi Stacking Mugs are a new product recently launched and they are so cute with the bottoms, base and handles of all different colors.  They are a perfect size to hold 12 ounces of coffee, tea, hot chocolate or even soup.  The set of 4 mugs are stacked neatly inside a metal rack, they are dish washer and microwave safe, and made of lead-free stoneware ceramic.

Francois et Mimi Stacking Mugs Review

The Francois et Mimi Stacking Mugs would make a perfect Mother’s Day or Housewarming gift and can be purchased for a quick ship from Amazon.com.  I can’t wait for Spring to arrive so that I can sip some herbal tea on the back deck in one of these colorful Francois et Mimi Stacking Mugs. 

Cheers to Spring

Oh and don’t forget to check back in on Sunday to watch “Brunch with Blake” on my YouTube channel…you’ll want to see what I’m cooking!

New Year ~ New You

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Headed to Hollywood – Part II – Scenes From the Shoot

Headed to Hollywood – Part II – Scenes From the Shoot

Hello friends and welcome to Thankful Thursday. Today’s post is Part II of my fabulous trip to Los Angeles. As you may recall from Part I, our day started extremely early but there was such beauty in the mountains and warmth from the California sun at Veteran’s Memorial Park that everything was a-ok.

MOUNTAINS IN VETERAN'S MEMORIAL PARK

SUNRISE IN SYLMAR

The shoot was in Slymar, and the traffic at 6:30 am was a pure D mess, how do people in LA deal with all of that, no wonder there is so much smog in the air. Once we arrived at the park the production crew was already in place but we ate breakfast before hair and makeup so they could set up for the videos and stills. Alexandria did her thing first and I caught a little of her mad-cap frivolity, she is a hoot. I was next followed by Pam and then we did a few group shots and videos before a lunch break.

BEHIND THE SCENES

LUNCH BREAK SALADS ME AND MY TOWN'S NEWSPAPER

3 Boomers Who Blog

After lunch everything was packed up and we traveled to the the next location in West Hollywood on Melrose Place. Driving to West Hollywood, checking out the scenes, snapping a few pics was a great tourist thing to do, but once we got to Melrose, that’s where it started getting real.

Not only were we on one of the most famous city streets in the world, but the streets were packed with drivers in exotic cars, shoppers strolling, pedestrians and lookie-loos all around us. The valets were jumping up from their podiums greeting wealthy shoppers as they rolled up in front of the ritzy boutiques on Melrose. I didn’t see him, but was told that Toby McGuire (aka Spiderman) was seated at an outdoor cafe where Pam was supposed to shoot so things were delayed until he left the scene.

my kind of boutique boutique on Melrose

CAPITAL RECORDS FROM THE CAR HOUSE ON THE HILL SANTA MONICA BLVE HOLYWOOD CASTING

 

STREET ART GORGEOUS GATE HOLLYWOOD HOME FABULOUS FIRE ESCAPE

Trust and believe when I say, I worked hard that afternoon, it was exciting, exhilarating and exhausting…how do the stars do it ? Everything went well with all of us, including the group antics, is reality TV in our futures, (#3boomerswhoblog) anywho, we finished an hour ahead of schedule which I don’t know if it was a good or bad thing, but I do know that it was one of the most exciting days in my life and I am truly blessed and thankful to have had the experience…and pray for more!

FINAL FOTO ON MELROSE FUN FOTO ON MELROSE TAKING DIRECTION FROM CHRISTA MELROSE PLACE

After hugs, kisses and goodbyes to an amazing crew of photo, video, production, digital, wardrobe, hair/makeup and catering we left West Hollywood and headed to Griffith Observatory to see the famous “HOLLYWOOD” sign which was barely visible through the smog…all those exhaust fumes! There were some great looking homes and buildings as we returned to the hotel to shower, change and have dinner at Pez Cantina, a wonderful Mexican restaurant with the best Shrimp aguachile ever!

HOLLYWOOD SIGN BEHIND THE SMOG LA NIGHT LIGHTS

PEZ CANTINA Caramelo Shrimp aguachile

After dinner we walked a few blocks down to The Last Bookstore and in Part IV, you will see pictures of a truly amazing more-than-a-bookstore, one that you definitely must visit if ever LA.  Stay tuned for next week’s Headed to Hollywood – Part III – The Eco-Friendly Hotel.

Until then…stay THANKFULLY blessed because you truly are!

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WIWW – Mixing Metals

WIWW – Mixing Metals

Hello friends and happy Hump Day Wednesday. I hope all is well in your world. Don’t forget to come back tomorrow for Headed to Hollywood Part II – Scenes from the Shoot, I have some great photos to show you.

Having come back to the cold weather in Delaware with snow flurries in the forecast I opted to wear pants twice last week. Do you mix your metals? I mean do you wear silver accessories with gold accessories, bronze with rose gold, etc? I think most of you will say, no, but I actually enjoy doing so and have quite a few pieces of mixed metals that I love to wear.

mixing metals

I like that this sweater has gold threading but that doesn’t automatically make me want to wear gold tone jewelry, instead I rather like wearing silver and gold mixed metals.  I recently read an article Four Secrets of Style:Rules That Are Meant To Be Broken, and one of those rules are mixing metals.

boots and clutch from Rainbow Shops

The boots were a recent purchase from Rainbow Shops, they had a Buy One Get another ½ price and I wore them to LA.  Believe it or not they are very comfortable and didn’t hurt my feet walking through the busy airports. The clutch was also purchased at Rainbow Shops.  The pants are Talbot, thrifted and this sweater is so old I can’t remember where it was purchased.

WIWW Mixing Metals 040

The mixed metal necklace, and “Basketball Wives” inspired earrings are both from Jewelrymax.net; ring from Avon and bracelet from a flea market vendor. Mixing metals allows you to wear your costume jewelry much more often.

WIWW Mixing Metals 039

 What is your favorite metal, Gold, Silver or Bronze?  

New Year ~ New You

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Banquet and Chef Boyardee on Rollback at Walmart

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser, however, all opinions are 100% mine alone. #LowPriceMeals #CollectiveBias

Our youngest son, Malik is away at college so I don’t buy as many groceries as I used to, which is saving us a little bit of money.  However, our oldest son, Tayair is living at home while attending college and is hungry when he gets home.  I don’t get home until late and he isn’t willing to wait until dinner is ready, so he’ll find something to eat before then.

Thankfully, I can still save money with Walmart’s Rollback prices on Banquet Frozen Dinners, Pot Pies and Chef Boyardee products, all of which he loves and are easy for him to fix.

Banquet Frozen Meals on Rollback

 

 

Banquet Frozen dinners & Pot Pies

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Chef Boyardee Cans

The rollback prices on frozen Banquet dinners and pot pies and Chef Boyardee cans makes it easy to save and spend less time in the kitchen. The rollback prices are just $0.80 for each frozen Banquet dinner and pot pie now through February 24, 2015 and $0.75 for each 14.5-15 oz can of Chef Boyardee February 9 – April 6, 2015.

Tasty meals like Banquet salisbury steak and Chef Boyardee raviolis make dinner and in my case pre-dinner easy and delicious! Be sure to head to Walmart and stock up on this great deal while supplies last!

Banquet Frozen Foods in my cart

Here is the entire list of meals on rollback price:

Frozen Banquet dinners:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12MWYZijbUaky8xv113sM2G0Vm-7MOCeas3PKVHNEwgY/edit?usp=sharing

Chef Boyardee cans:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1T0KEogmmH2WsqnhXYaLHlDnt8dXKGI9jO1o8N1WiZUk/edit?usp=sharing

While shopping at Walmart, be sure to look for the Rollback signs for Banquet in the freezer section and Chef Boyardee in the Canned Food aisle!

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