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Fashion and Fun after Fifty

Archive for November, 2016

Shawl and Sweater Weather For the Fall

Can you believe it, this is the last day of November!  All the leaves have fallen from our trees which hasn’t made hubby too happy and there is less sunshine during the day which make my evening commute much worse. 

Winter will be here and soon I’ll be wrapped in hats, scarves and gloves but until then I am still wrapped in sweaters and shawls.

Fashion after Fifty

As you can see, I was not wearing pantyhose or tights in these pics, however, since then have pulled them out and started wearing them because it got really chilly last week. 

Speaking of last week, it was a very busy one because in addition to getting ready for Thanksgiving, I conducted a Basic Blogging Workshop at the Bear Library, and then presented a “Social Media for Personal and Professional Networking” Workshop for IAAP Administrators in Dover both of which were awesome.

Suede Booties with Fringes

Thanksgiving was nice, Malik came home Tuesday and I prepared a nice dinner for my mini men and hubby and we had more than enough to eat.  The No Thaw Jennie-O Cajun Turkey was amazing and very easy to cook, from the freezer to the oven to the table in four hours.  After dinner, I spent several hours pulling out winter sweaters, ironing and gathering items to be donated to the Salvation Army.

Fashion after Fifty

Not one who likes wearing winter coats, I do however, love this shawl because it’s large enough to be wrapped in total warmth and it matches perfectly with these suede fringed booties.  If  you remember, I purchased these booties from TJ Maxx for a Cowboy outfit and they are very comfy and cute – what do you think?

thrifted from Goodwill

Last minute I changed from the shawl and booties and decided to wear this oversized, thrifted sweater with these Cognac color pumps to work instead.  I also have these Fioni pumps in black purchased at a BOGO sale last month at Payless.  I received several compliments from a few ladies in the office which made me feel pretty good.

BOGO sale at Payless

This is not a “You Choose the Shoes” post, but I am going to ask, which pair would you have worn with this outfit?

sweater weather


#GivingTuesday a New Holiday Tradition

Happy Giving Tuesday!

Thanksgiving weekend has taken on a new tradition in our home.  As the years have passed and our sons have got older rushing out on Black Friday to buy the latest toy or gadget has been replaced by staying indoors relaxing and spending time together watching movies.  This year Shop Small Saturday and Cyber Monday were also days in which we kept money in our wallets instead choosing to clear out closets gathering gently used clothing to be donated to the Salvation Army which will be picked up on Wednesday.

Salvation Army Truck

Donating to Toys for Tots where a local RE/MAX Realtor sets up a drop box at the entrance of over 20 local developments and donating cans and non-perishable foods to the Delaware Food Bank is yet another holiday tradition.

Toys for Tots Donations

Giving Tuesday is a globally celebrated day of giving back that kicks off the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and continues until the end of the year.

Giving Tuesday Logo

Giving back can be done in many different ways from donating cash or checks to charitable organization which has been vetted to giving time at a local soup kitchen, homeless shelter or delivering Meals on Wheels.  Giving as a family can create a positive tradition that can be passed on to the future generations, fostering a sense of caring and responsibility. 

There are so many local organizations that could use your support, if you don’t know of any personally there are several websites that will assist you in locating several of them; GuideStar, Charity Navigator and the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving site.

If you live in Delaware, here is a partial list of non-profit organizations that would love to accept donations in celebration of #GivingTuesday

  • Soul Saving Family Restoration Center, Inc.
  • Students for Haiti
  • Freedom Center For Independent Living
  • Christ Servants Mission Institute
  • Delaware Center for Homeless Veterans, Inc.

As you know, many of your donations are tax-deductible so keep a record of the amounts or items, as well as the dates and organizations for annual tax return filing. 

Is #GivingTuesday part of your holiday traditions?


Are Smart Appliances Safe?

Happy Cyber Monday!  

How was your holiday weekend?  Did you find any Black Friday bargains or Shop Small Saturday steals and deals?

 

Not much of a shopper myself I didn’t leave the house, however, we recently had to replace our LG Washing Machine and the new model is awesome. It’s amazing how far technology has come in just a few short years…or at least in the past 10 years since we purchased the other model. 

LG Washing Machine

I hope we don’t need to replace any of our other major appliances any time soon, however, I have been curious about some of the new “Smart Appliances”.  Still being a little reluctant to purchase one, especially with all these Cyber Security hacking in the news, I decided to do a little research and found an interesting article that I wanted to share from TechforAnyone.

 

Back in 2014, a security firm announced details that a number of smart appliances were used to send out spam across the internet. It was a wake-up call to the potential security threats that our new home appliance and electronics pose. Most people now own at least a connected television for streaming but the appliance makers are pushing out the boundaries of what information and capabilities these things have. But is this necessarily a good thing?

whirlpool-smart-appliances-app

What Are Smart Appliances?

There are a wide range of features that appliances can have that a manufacturer might claim for them to be a smart appliance. After all, many devices have computers in them to help manage their energy consumption or adjust actions so that they perform their duties better. My fuzzy logic rice cooker is great at cooking all sorts of rice perfectly but is it a smart appliance? The real definition these days of a smart appliance is one that it is connected to other devices remotely. This can be as simple as a television that can stream video from a service like Netflix to an oven that can be setup with a meal that is refrigerated and then told remotely when to have the meal ready to eat.

Insteon Home Automation Controller

Insteon Home Automation Controller

Home automation is one of the key aspects of smart appliances. The ability to turn on and off appliances at specific times, adjusting lighting remotely and managing power consumption are just a few examples. In the case of home automation, the appliances and light fixtures may not even be smart appliances but connected to a smart power outlet. The key here is that there is a home automation controller that is in essence a computer that somehow controls those devices and it can be accessed with a remote computer or mobile device via a web page or through a mobile application.

Why They Are A Threat?

Essentially, anything that is connected to the internet can pose a risk. As the event at the start of this article pointed out, the smart appliances were used to send out bulk spam. Similarly, they could be setup to do things like a DDoS attack to take out web sites on the internet, be used as remote relays to try and break into other network systems or just be hacked to cause malice to the appliance owner. If the devices did not have any connection with the internet, the threats would be significantly lessened.

Lack of Security Expertise

One of the biggest problems with the rise of smart appliances is the lack of a security focus. Computers have existed for consumers for a long time and have developed a set of security standards. While not all software is necessarily secure, you often can get third party security companies that help maintain the security integrity of your computers. This is where Synmatec, McAfee, Kaspersky, Sophos and Trend Micro to name a few make computer security products to help protect consumers and businesses. Appliances on the other hand are reliant upon the developers of the software working at those companies. This can best be claimed as security through obscurity.

Users are unaware of how their devices are managed or interconnected. They have no ability to put a security product on them to help prevent any sort of attack. In essence, they have to rely on the appliance manufacturer to make a secure product. Since they use a proprietary system, they think that it will be more difficult to hack but hackers were able to develop a means to remotely control a Prius or Ford Focus. They still needed local access to do this but who is to say as our cars become more connected that this could eventually be done over the internet?

Need to Limit Exposure

The concept is that these appliances need to be connected to the internet to make our lives easier. A refrigerator that can notify us when we are running low on certain groceries, an oven that can be told when to start cooking or just being able to program when a TV program will be recorded by a built in DVR. They are all ideas that are beneficial to some people but they are not critical features. The thing is that many of these things don’t necessarily need to be directly connected to the internet to do these tasks.

For instance, a refrigerator could be setup to monitor the age of various perishable items in it. When they hit an expiration data, it can modify a shopping list to replenish those items. Rather than being designed to order them via the internet, why not just design it to sync up with a mobile phone shopping list application via a near field communication to update the apps list of items to get. It still is a smart appliance as it will sync with a device but is not exposed to the internet.

What Can Be Done About it…

Whirlpool My Smart Appliances App

Whirlpool My Smart Appliances App

With the ubiquity of smart phones, I think that manufacturers should look at more ways to interface their smart appliances through a centralized system. This could be similar to a home automation system that could then be secured more readily by the consumer. After all, a smart automobile could route all its features through a smart phone or tablet connected to wireless internet. The phone security can then be used to hopefully prevent attacks. A central home automation server could do same with home appliances that need to be adjusted remotely. The downside to such a system of course is a single point of failure. That smart phone or automation computer breaking or being breached puts the whole system at risk. The different though is it is easier to secure a single point rather than multiple ones.

So, don’t give up on smart appliances. They can still be quite useful but as a consumer, be mindful of what those capabilities are and how vulnerable you may become through them. Hopefully manufacturers will start considering the smart appliance security implications now that real world threats have been found.

Do you own a smart appliance?

 


The Divine Mind Mural Dedication by Wilmington Artist, Terrance Vann

The Divine Mind Mural Dedication by Wilmington Artist, Terrance Vann

Saturday, November 12, 2016 | 2:00 PM 

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO MY PODCAST INTERVIEW WITH TERRANCE

Terrance Vann Mural Dedication

Two Saturdays ago on a brisk, beautiful Autumn day I drove to Wilmington, to 7th and Jefferson Streets to support my “adopted son” on his Mural Dedication.  “The Divine Mind” which as you can see is a 60 square foot masterpiece painted on the side of a multi-story house.

Terrance Vann is a local fine artist and illustrator who started sketching and drawing at a very young age.  He is a graduate of the Cab Calloway School for the Arts and studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York as well as at the Art Institute in Philadelphia.

I met Terrance when he moderated the National Entrepreneurship Week Workshops sponsored by The Money School of Delaware earlier this year.

The Money School of Delaware Entrepreneurship Week

Not knowing at the time that he was an artist I was impressed with not only his ability to command the podium when asking each of the panelist pre-written questions; but with following up with un-rehearsed, insightful and in-depth commentaries regarding each of our businesses.

The following evening at the second Entrepreneurship Workshop he brought in one of his paintings, The Divine Mind and it was amazing.  I labeled him a “Millennial in Motion” and asked if I could cover one of his events for my blog.  Below are a few of the other pieces that were on display at the Art Loop in Wilmington which you can read more about HERE 

art by Terrance Vann

Terrance sports a hairstyle which was similar to own son’s and when he told me how his mom first reacted, which was the same as my reaction, I started calling him my “adopted son”. 

“The Divine Mind” Mural Dedication started a little after 2:00 pm with a welcome from Dr. Carrie Gray, Managing Director, Wilmington Renaissance Corporation followed by remarks from Terrance.  If you are following me on Facebook, you can see the full live feed from the event.

Dedication of Mural

There were several members of the community in attendance and because it was a bright beautiful day it made for a larger crowd.  DJ Ryan Foxx played in the background and a performance from Kae Hock had the audience clapping in unity – something that we desperately need these days – UNITY  

On the inside of the programs there was a black and white version of The Divine Mind and markers were available for the young crowd to create their own masterpieces.

Dedication of The Divine Mind

The Divine Mind Mural

 

Closing remarks were made by Laura Semmelroth, Creative District Strategist followed by cake which made the day even sweeter. 

 

the day is made sweeter with cake

You can find and follow Terrance on his social media platforms:

Instagram – @terranceism

Facebook – terrancevann

Website – terranceism.bigcartel.com

Stay tuned for more great things coming from this “Millennial in Motion”  as I will be interviewing him on this Sunday’s Podcast – Social Media Sunday with the Delaware Blogger on BlogTalkRadio/AAUTeenTalk 

Artist, Terrance Vann

mural-dedication-signature mural-dedication plaque Terrance Vann and his friend and photographer Josh

The following is the Press Release of the Event

WILMINGTON ARTIST UNVEILS 60 SQ. FT. MURAL, INSPIRES COMMUNITY 

Terrance Vann completes mural inspired by his most well-known painting entitled “Divine Minds”

WILMINGTON, DE (November 17, 2016) – Terrance Vann, an up-and-coming artist well known in Wilmington, DE with growing national buzz, recently debuted his greatest work yet- a 60 square foot mural of his painting “Divine Minds.” The dedication took place on November 12, 2016 at the mural site of 7th and Jefferson Streets (Wilmington, DE).

Over 100 community members, public figures and supporters from the tristate area gathered to commemorate the monumental work standing at 34 feet tall and 33 feet wide with a 20-foot glass mosaic crown. The program included a performance by hip-hop artist Kae Hock, music by DJ Ryan Foxx and a community coloring session where community members created their own “Divine Minds” inspired work. Notable speakers included Delaware State Senator Robert Marshall, Carrie Gray of the Wilmington Renaissance Corporation’s Creative District and the Lead Artist himself.

local artist in Delaware

“This is really a dream come true. I’ve been sketching and drawing my whole life, so the fact that something like this is here and will be in the city for a long time is something I only dreamed about” Vann said. “That’s what I really want this mural to be, a testament to dreams becoming a reality.” Senator Robert Marshall followed saying, “What impresses me the most is the symbolic message the mural offers us…and all the young kids that live in this neighborhood. The message is that no zip code should dictate the outcome of your future, and that every kid who lives in this neighborhood should have the opportunity to reach their best and brightest talents.”

young artists in Delaware

Vann was selected by a juried panel of artists and community leaders to be Lead Artist on the project, which was the largest of a series of projects developed as part of the Creative District’s 7th Street Arts Bridge. Vann worked under the mentorship of renowned muralist Eric Okdeh of the internationally recognized Philadelphia Mural Arts Program and hopes to complete more mural projects in the future.

Local artist and illustrator Terrance Vann

About Terrance Vann

Terrance Vann is a fine artist and illustrator based in Wilmington, Delaware. Terrance studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York and at the Art Institute in Philadelphia where he developed as a designer and graphic artist, in addition to being a painter and illustrator. Terrance’s first solo exhibition was in February 2015, and since then he has pursued art as his full-time career, showing and selling his work throughout the East Coast. Through various community art initiatives, Terrance works to promote a creative culture in his native city and beyond by engaging all people, especially youth, in creative expression. Terrance’s work is vividly colorful and is inspired by friends, family, love and observations of inner city life. To view Terrance’s work, visit www.terranceism.bigcartel.com

For more information call 302-310-0587, email terrancevannart@gmail.com. To learn more about Wilmington’s Creative District, visit www.creativedistrictwilm.com/About.

Mural Dedication in Wilmington Delaware

 


Crock Pot Turkey and Potato Chowder – Thanksgiving Leftovers

Tomorrow is the biggest and best holiday of the year, well, at least the biggest eating holiday of the year.  A few weeks ago Malik and I were shopping at Walmart and it was packed with people getting their Thanksgiving fixins’.

Their carts were filled with all the ingredients to make the perfect Thanksgiving meal to share with their family and friends.

preparing Thanksgiving meal
Many people will overcook and then have leftovers for days so it’s important to find creative ways in which to make those leftovers appetizing.  Now I am not saying that a Turkey and Cheese sandwich with mayo and a slice of tomato isn’t appetizing, but there are other options.
As a small family of four, we always have Thanksgiving leftovers so in looking for creative recipes I found this one for a Crock Pot Turkey and Potato Chowder, but of course added a little twist based on my veggie preferences.
turkey chowder ingredients
Ingredients:
  • 4-5 cups of Red Potatoes
  • 3 tsp Minced Garlic
  • 1 cup Onions, chopped
  • 1 bag frozen Mixed Veggies (corn, peas and carrots)
  • 1/2 bag frozen mixed Sweet Peppers
  • 3 Sprigs of fresh Thyme – remove from stems
  • 3-4 cups of cooked Turkey
  • 4 cups of Chicken Broth
  • 4 tbsp of Corn Starch
  • 1 cup Heavy Cream
corn starch and chicken broth
crock pot turkey and potato chowder
Instructions:
  1. Wash and chop potatoes into 1-inch chunks.  Stir corn starch into chicken broth than add potatoes and remaining ingredients except for the Heavy Cream into Crock Pot.  Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or until the potatoes are fork tender.
  2. Stir in Heavy Cream, cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes.
  3. Serve with crackers or corn bread.
recipe for turkey leftovers
Do you have a recipe for leftover Thanksgiving turkey?
Enjoy and be safe!

 


10 Tips to Help You De-Stress During the Holidays

Get on your Mark, Get Ready, Get Set Go > this is the week that it all begins!

Thanksgiving preparations, Christmas shopping, then New Year’s Eve celebrations.  There may be a nip in the air here in the MidAtlantic Area, but there are also some heated emotions and high anxiety brewing the closer we get to the holidays. 

holiday stress

Before you begin to get yourself too stressed, check out these 10 Tips to help you de-stress during the holidays.  Leave a few of your own in the comments section as we can all benefit from having a happy and stress-free holiday season.

 

10 Tips to Help You De-Stress During the Holidays

 

HOT BATH

how to reduce stress during the holidays

 

Take a bath, add some Epsom salts to help ease aches and pains and to soothe your mind and body.  Try using a lavender scent salt which will provide a calming aroma.

 

SLEEP

Sleep is the most important stress reducer to keep us healthy and relaxed.  Don’t let your To-Do list cause you to lose sleep, stay in bed a bit later or go to bed a bit earlier then rise and shine rested and less stressed.

sleep recharges the body and soul

ENJOY THE MOMENT

Slow down and enjoy the little moments around you.  Enjoy and appreciate God’s Gifts; a sunrise, a sunset, trees blowing in the wind or snow flakes falling, slow down and enjoy the moment.

enjoy a beautiful sunset

SAY NO

Learn to say, “no” and don’t try to attend every meeting or event invite that pops into your email box or on your Facebook timeline.

3 signs saying no

DECLUTTER

Clear your mind by clearing the clutter from your closet, desk or dresser drawers.  Pull out a drawer and sit on the sofa or bed to remove and discard old papers, socks or items that you no longer use.  You will feel better the next time you open that drawer and are able to find exactly what you need without digging through the mess.

messy kitchen drawer

 

MEDITATION/DEEP BREATHING

Make and take some time alone to re-center yourself.  Sit in a quiet dark corner of your home or apartment or even on the floor of your walk-in closet to pray, mediate and breath deeply.

release stress with mediation

DANCE

Put on your favorite music then dance or jog in place or run around the house or up and down the steps.  Dance like no one is looking to boost your endorphins.

Fresh Prince of BelAir

LAUGH

Laughter is a great way to reduce stress hormone levels, leaving you recharged and refocused.  Turn on the television, your computer or Tablet and watch re-runs of old shows like “Everyone Loves Raymond”, “I Love Lucy” or “Everybody Hates Chris”

laughter is the best medicine

READING

Unplug and give your mind a rest from electronic and digital media then pick up a book or a magazine.  Curl up and relax with a good story or a “rag mag” that is for “entertainment purposes only” and enjoy the stress-free read.

reading in bed

SERVE UP FAMILY, FOOD AND FUN

Buffet and Potluck meals are more fun and social than traditional sit-down meals.  Ask family and friends to bring a dish and purchase pre-made items to cut down on your time in the kitchen.  Let everyone relax and eat as they please then tell some jokes, play games or just catnap the rest of the day away.

How do you reduce stress during the holidays?

 

Cut down on time and stress in the kitchen with a Jennie-O frozen, No Thaw Turkey.  It goes from freezer to oven to perfect on your table!

Disclosure: I am a member of the Jennie-O Switch Circle.  All opinions are my own.

  Switch to Turkey with Jennie-O

 


Social Media and Subscription Boxes

As a blogger I have had an opportunity to review several Subscription Boxes throughout the years, some were FREE and other’s were those that I had to pay a monthly fee.  

On the Podcast a few weeks ago, I interviewed Yolanda Kennedy, owner of Blissful Crate a subscription box for moms and babies, you can check out the interview here.

  variety of subscription boxes

Today more than ever consumers are dollar-conscious, and budget savvy thanks to social media.  We want to know if we’ll like something before committing to a purchase which is why samples are so popular in those big box stores like Costco and BJ’s.  While the idea of sampling is hardly new, the concept of putting your brand inside a box is.

This business concept is a two-pronged approach – 1) provide customers with products they’ll enjoy while using a fresh, direct-to-consumer platform 2) market products nationally without ever having to leave your home or office. 

There are literally subscription boxes for everything from cosmetics from Birchbox to dog related products from Barkbox.

sampling food at Costco

For the entrepreneurs who’ve started these sample subscription services the business model provides a steady and predictable revenue stream.  Inventory management is not a huge problem, and the cost of goods is minimal as the samples are usually subsidized by the manufacturers.  Many of these manufacturers may even pay you for including their products in your subscription boxes.

Manufacturers and big brands understand that sample products in a subscription box can lead to conversion to full size purchases.  They can measure this with specially coded coupons or offers placed inside the box that recipients can later use in stores for purchasing regular sizes, or to order online on the brand’s website, this is a win-win for everyone.

Blissful Crate Subscription boxes

10 Social Media Tips to Market  Your Subscription Box

Most subscription boxes are business-to-consumer, so Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are usually good starting points. Think about your target audience’s age and demographics and what social media are they already using then head over there.

  • Tell Family & Friends

Ask your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, sorority, fraternity, church members everyone about your new subscription box and if they aren’t interested, perhaps they will tell others who are.  Make sure to have a sample box with you to show and tell – of course non-perishable items

  • Follow your niche

This is one of the easiest ways to find customers, use your social media accounts that your target customer is already following.  Make sure to follow your followers and their followers as well.

  • Encourage your fans to share photos

Remind your subscribers to share with a custom hashtag printed directly on your subscription box.   Selfie contests and subscriber discount programs are fun, especially during the holidays.

  • Get influencers to share your subscription box.

Send complimentary boxes to bloggers popular with your target audience. Even if they don’t give you a glowing review, you’re increasing awareness of your brand among people likely to buy.  Bloggers are always sharing on social media platforms so you are increasing your own social shares.

  • Free Giveaways

A ‘Try Before You Buy’ promotion to targeted followers and especially influencers in the industry or niche.  Google them to get on the radar of product review bloggers especially those who host link parties.

  • Create anticipation

The beauty of a subscription box is that you always have new surprises to share each month. While your subscribers are waiting for their next box, use this opportunity to tease what’s coming up. By offering these sneak peeks, you’re providing extra value to your followers.

 

  • Pay attention to what’s working and try new things

Get creative and create media like videos, Infographics, Livestreams and Flipgrams. Experimenting with different posts is what will keep you ahead of your competitors.

  • Blog

We have all heard the phrase ‘Content is King’ then let your customers wear the crown!  Creating a blog that will appeal and resonate with your target audience, and then sharing across your social media networks is exactly how you will organically build a loyal community around your business.

Once you have those followers on board you can aim to convert them into paying customers. Additionally, Blogging also works wonders for your SEO if you do it right. If you can rank high in Google’s search results for those targeted keywords you could be getting a bunch of organic traffic and customers too.

  • Build Your Email List

Email marketing is one of the most valuable channels in the game. Having an email list of thousands of targeted customers who have all shown an interest in your product means that you can instantly contact them to promote your products. Imagine sending out an email to 10,000 potential customers telling them about your new product line. The results can be sensational and it is all free.

Everyone has an email address and the sooner you start collecting them the better you will be placed in the future. Offer visitors an incentive for signing up. Perhaps a free trial, a coupon code offer, or a newsletter update to receive your awesome blog content. Mailchimp  and MadMimi are useful tools to use to store your email list and to then create an email campaign or monthly newsletters with updates that you want to send to your followers.

These are just a few marketing tips to get your subscription box business off the ground and if you have others, please leave a comment below. 

These are the Subscription Boxes that I have tried:

Rocksbox is a monthly subscription box for jewelry rental. You will receive 3 pieces of hand-selected jewelry in every box. Wear them for as long as you like and then return them in a pre-paid shipping envelope to swap them out for a new set.  I tried a Trial subscription to Rocksbox for 3 months and you can check out my blog and YouTube Channel to see the pieces.  The jewelry was nice for special occasions, but if you could see my collection you would definitely agree along with hubby that the last thing I need is another pair of earrings!

PinchMe.com after you answer a series of questions about your household and shopping habits in the Member Profile. they will offer samples just for you.  Every Tuesday they announce new products and you can pick the samples you want to try, they are actual samples not large products but they go quickly.  Once you’ve had a chance to try your samples, you will complete a short feedback survey to tell them what you think of the samples. You don’t have to be a blogger to sign up.

Influenster.com is free to join, they ship out thousands of exclusive VoxBoxes every month from brands you know for FREE and you share your thoughts, pics, videos, on social media platforms as well as complete a questionnaire.  The more you participate the more VoxBoxes you are chosen for and they have some great items.  The more social you are the better chance you are chosen for some big VoxBox containing a wide variety of products from beauty products, to candy and food.

Graze is a mini-snack subscription box that sends a customized selection of treats weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. They offer over 100 different snacks that you can rate online, which, over time, helps tailor your subscription to your particular snacking preferences. (Regularly $11.99 for 8 snacks per box).  The snacks were good and they were perfect for the 3:00 snack attack at work, but was a bit costly for the small snacks so I cancelled my subscription.

Target Beauty Box first started out FREE with a few samples but now it’s a paid subscription which varies and averages about $7. Target releases new beauty boxes about every other month, and they sell out within hours because they are good! The value is always great and they come with Target coupons, with a good mix of samples and full-size items.  I need to check them out again.

Remember to check out my YouTube Channel to see the actual unboxing of these subscription boxes and subscribe so you will be notified when I have new ones to share.

Do you subscribe to any of these boxes?


Slow Cooked Chicken and Broccoli

Are you ready to prepare and/or eat the biggest meal of the season – Thanksgiving – YES!!! 

It’s not the food that I love, even though it’s a big part of it, it’s the day spent with my family especially now that there are just only four of us which makes it even more special. 

Hubby’s parents and grandparents, my parents and grandparents are all gone and my extended family, all cousins and just one aunt are in New York and Virginia.  I miss growing up with lots of family and friends living closer together sharing the holidays and eating around a large dining room table.

I now enjoy cooking for Malik who will be home from college, Tayair and hubby and it warms my heart because it is creating memories for my sons.

Vacation tour of The White House

The week before Thanksgiving I don’t cook a lot not only to save room in the frig and pantry but to also cut back on calories and this Slow Cooked Chicken and Broccoli Crock Pot Meal is just right.

slow cooked chicken and broccoli

Ingredients (Serves 4):

4 Frozen Chicken Breasts

1 – 14 oz package of Frozen Broccoli

1 Jar of Alfredo Sauce

1/4 Tsp. Seasoning of your choice

ingredients for slow cooked chicken and broccoli

Instructions:

Coat the inside of a Crock Pot with Cooking Spray.  Add chicken breasts, broccoli, seasoning and Alfredo Sauce.  Add 1/4 cup of water to jar, shake and pour remaining sauce into Crock Pot.

(Flipagram)

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 hours. You can serve this dish over rice but I prefer Angel Hair Pasta.  Sprinkle with little Parmesan Cheese and Red Pepper Flakes for some added spice.

Next week I am going to give you a Crock Pot recipe to use for the leftover Turkey.

 


Denim Duo OOTD

Well I did it, I finally cleaned out my walk in closet…well at least the the top right half of it…don’t judge, I’m getting there!  Anywho, in doing so I realized that I don’t have as many long sleeve dresses as I need for Autumn, but instead of buying or thrifting more, I am going to simply wear a sweater or in this case a denim jacket over them.

denim jacket

It was the first day of the work week so I grabbed this denim jacket which has been hanging in my coat closet for over 5 years to wear over this cap sleeve blue dress.  This was one of the summer dresses that I had purchased from Ross, do you remember?  You know the saying, “everything old is new again”, well you can definitely say that about this jacket as evidenced by the animal print around the collar and sleeves.

denim jacket with a dress

So along with my standby animal print peep-toe shoes which was an obvious choice they made the outfit complete, what do you think?  Oh, and the necklace was also thrifted new from Goodwill.

Fashion after Fifty

On Casual Friday, which as you know is the only day that I wear pants or jeans to work also included denim, or Chambray as some may call it.  This chambray shirt has Avon embroidered on it, so I covered it with this long duster which was thrifted from Goodwill a few years ago.  Wearing it along with my black jegging jeans from Walmart and clunky shoes from Kmart, I was comfy casual on a Friday.

casual friday wear

Do you any denim clothing other than jeans?  I have a few more denim shirts so you will see them in another outfit of the day post.

Fashion after Fifty These clunky, chunky shoes are so comfy – what do you think?

shoes from Kmart

 


Metrostyle at the Marina

A few weeks ago hubby took a solo vacation trip to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic and it was the first time in our 27 years of marriage that he did so.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to take the time off from work but felt he needed to get away and relax so I was glad that he did go alone. 

He said he didn’t have as good of a time without me (of course), but did enjoy spending time by the water.  Hopefully, this summer we will head back there as a family because we own a timeshare and it’s a great resort.

Metrostyle Affordable Quality Clothing for Women

Once home, we planned a lunch date at Aqua Sol, a restaurant on the C&D Canal which is also on a Marina.  Once there we realized that not only was it closed for the season but that it was closed for good.  Disappointed in not being able to eat we instead decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and scenery to take a few pictures, here I am in my Metrostyle Plum Pencil Skirt and Suede Plum Pumps.

Aqua Sol Restaurant and Marina

If you haven’t had a chance to check out a Metrostyle Catalog lately, make sure to click this link to see the latest fall fashions that are not only stylish and trendy but also affordable quality clothing which is available in sizes from petite to extra large.

comfortable pumps

This Suiting Pencil skirt is also available in Plum Plaid and Black and comes in sizes 4 to 20, from Misses and Petite to Tall.  You guys know how much I Iove shoes, so of course I had to get these matching Patent Heel Pumps which are Suede with a patent 3 1/4” heel and are uber comfortable because of the cushioned insoles.

Plum Suede Pumps from Metrostyle

 I can wear these pumps with other color skirts as well and I have a few purple scarves that will pull it all together so expect to see me rocking these babies until the first signs of snow! 

These suede pumps also come in sizes from 6M to 10M and in colors Red, Black and Latte which is a nice shade for Autumn.

pencil skirts from Metrostyle

Hubby and I had a nice time and I had to teach him how to take a selfie because the ones he took on vacation weren’t that great….sssh don’t tell him!

selfie with hubby at the Marina

I hope Aqua Sol will reopen in the spring, but even if it doesn’t the Marina is always a nice place to visit to just watch the boats and relax by the water with hubby.

  Lunch at Aqua Sol Marina

Click on the catalog below to see more fashionable clothes from Metrostyle and then come back to leave a comment as to what you would like to add to your wardrobe.

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Disclosure:  I am participating in a compensated campaign with this brand.  The styling and the written words are my own.