Archive for September, 2014
Hello friends,
HAPPY FRI-YAY the day before my 53RD BIRTHDAY~HAPPY HAPPY DAY!
What are my plans, not much, sleep in late, eat out great and thank the Lord for another day he has kept me!
I am not going to hold you long, so let’s get this party started with Congratulations to last week’s Featured Bloggers.
Feel free to copy and paste this button onto your blog and follow the party on Pinterest as you are also featured there.
De Divah Deals
Snippets of Inspiration
A Living Sacrifice
Mustard Seed Mommy
Moms Who Save
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and I look forward to reading some great posts.
Stay Blessed ~ No Stress in 2014!
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Hello friends,
the summer may be fading fast, but don’t put away the grill just yet, why not fire it up and make some chicken kabobs for dinner tonight? Kabobs are a quick and easy way to cook both your meat and veggies together on a stick whether it’s with chicken, beef or seafood.
If using wooden skewers, allow them to soak in water for about 15 mins, this will prevent them from scorching or burning too badly.
I like using cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and sweet peppers.
Cube boneless, skinless chicken, then sprinkle on a little pepper and any seasoning of your choice.
Thread chicken cubes and veggies onto the skewer.
Before placing the kabobs onto a high, preheated grill, spray them with a little cooking spray or brush with olive oil. Grill for approximately 10 minutes or until done, you can also brush on a little barbecue or hot sauce if you prefer.
You know me, I have to have a little something sweet, so for dessert I made Krusteaz Lemon Bars but with a twist, crushed Lemonhead Candy sprinkled on top.
Following the directions on the box, I baked the Lemon Bars then allowed them to cool before adding some crushed candy.
What is your favorite dessert? Mine is cake and ice cream…why…because tomorrow is MY BIRTHDAY!!!
Stay Blessed ~ No Stress in 2014!
12 Comments
Hello friends,
today is Thankful Thursday which has me thinking, what am I truly thankful for? I know I always end my post with, “I am thankful for my family, my friends and of course my faith” but really is that all?
How about you, what are you REALLY thankful for?
Sending text messages and emails are fine, but do you have someone that you can pick up the phone and call for a friendly and fun conversation?
Be thankful for that.
Do you live in a house, apartment or condo and when you come home there is someone there to greet you or meet you later in the day?
Be thankful for that.
Do you drive or commute to work oftentimes doing the same boring task over and over again, yet you get paid to do so?
Be thankful for that.
Do you go to the grocery store, gas station or mall, spending way too much money on items, but in your wallet there is cash, a debit or credit card to pay for it?
Be thankful for that.
Does your kids or grandkids make you laugh and sometimes cry?
Be thankful for that.
Does sunshine on your face feel good and rain on a Sunday morning lull you back to sleep?
Be thankful for that.
Does a good workout, a few pounds lost or looking good in your favorite outfit make you smile?
Be thankful for that.
I woke up this morning in my right mind, a healthy body and a good spirit so for that I am truly thankful.
Now it’s your turn, what are you really THANKFUL for?
Stay Blessed ~ No Stress in 2014!
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Hello friends,
welcome to week 22 of “You Choose the Shoes“. Next Saturday I begin the dreaded task of cleaning out closets, donating items that I no longer want or fit and of course changing out the summer shoes for fall and winter ones. I have already started wearing a few pairs as evidenced by today’s contest, but before we begin, let’s see who last week’s winner was:
Ladies and Gentlemen, for the 2nd time this season, the DSW Polka Dot Peep Toes Win!!!!
Thank you all for your votes and of course your comments, I always love reading what you have to say. Now for this week the contest is between Suede and Snakeskin pumps, two of my favorite fall shoes.
The Chinese Laundry Suede pumps are another purchase from DSW, and the faux Snakeskin pumps are from Target. The leopard print insoles are from Dollar Tree.
I purchased these Chinese Laundry pumps several years ago, I love the tie accent in the back.
This skirt is from Spiegel and top was purchased from Marshall’s also several years ago.
Pattern mixing with these faux Snakeskin pumps which were part of a major shoe haul from Target.
Okay, so which pair do you like better with the top, because the skirt is so neutral, any shoe would work with it.
Will it be the Snakeskin, OR
Will it be the suede?
This is an interchangeable Miche’ purse which I ordered from a rep at a holiday Open House a few years ago, as a matter of fact most of my outfit is at least 2 years old. I haven’t bought too many new items this year thanks to Malik’s High School graduation party and college tuitions!
Have you made a decision yet?
Leave a comment below then hop over to check out MeAndMyMiniMe as she always has some great giveaways going on at her place.
Stay Blessed ~ No Stress in 2014!
27 Comments
Hello friends,
belief it or not but according to AARP, after the age of 50, you are considered a Senior, someone who is entitled to receive discounts with an annual membership. However, if you are like me, a Boomer over the age of 50 who loves discounts but doesn’t want to be called a Senior, you might want to embrace the tag Senior but instead call the perks Boomer Benefits.
Once you turn 50, and join AARP you can get discounts on car rentals at Hertz, Alamo and National; 20% off hotel reservations a Sheraton, Ramada and Westin. Get a free donut with the purchase of a cup of coffee and Dunkin Donuts; 10% at Michaels and 30% off prescription glasses at Lens Crafters. There are also discounts on mattress purchases from Sleepy’s.
As you move further up in age, the discounts gets better and are more to my liking. For example when you turn 55, you can get 10% off on Tuesdays at Ross, 5% off at Pathmark, 25% off at Salvation Army Thrift Stores on Wednesdays and 10-25% off at certain Goodwill stores on select days…watch for some major thrifted hauls in a few years!
When you turn 60, discounts include 15% off in store purchases at Kohl’s and 30-60% off regular admission at AMC theaters. At the age of 62, 15% off most fares at Amtrak which my grandmother would take advantage of for her annual trips to North Carolina.
There are discounted lifetime passes to federal and national parks and 5% on Greyhound and Peter Pan bus fares. I guess this becomes the best time to starting traveling around the USA.
When you turn 65, discounted fares at major airlines including Southwest, United, American, Continental and U.S. Airways; $3 off haircuts at Great Clips and discounted plans at AT&T and Verizon senior plans.
There are over 175,000 AARP members in the State of Delaware alone, most are downstate where we like to call “’slower lower Delaware”. They can take advantage of these statewide benefits as well:
- free classes at DelTech and University of Delaware
- free smoke detectors and electric fans (income based)
- reduced tools on Delaware bridges
- ½ off taxi far
es via DART SCAT program
- discount admission at the Delaware Theatre Company and Delaware Art Museum
- $50 discount when adopting a dog at the Delaware Humane Society
What Senior Savings or Boomer Benefits would you like offered in your state?
Stay Blessed ~ No Stress in 2014
15 Comments
Hello friends, and welcome to the #WWDParty!
This has definitely been a busy week which is one of the reasons why this post is a day late…”better late than never”. Anywho, last weekend I was in Philly at the SITSGirls Bloggy Boot Camp and if you didn’t get a chance to read the highlights you can do so by clicking here.
I am also in somewhat of a somber mood as tomorrow, September 14th marks the 22nd Anniversary of the death of my sister, Gloria so I will be heading down to Dover to visit her grave-site.
Congratulations to this week’s Featured Bloggers
Feel free to copy and paste this button onto your blog and follow the party on Pinterest as you are also featured there.
De Divah Deals
Snippets of Inspiration
A Living Sacrifice
Mustard Seed Mommy
Moms Who Save
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and I look forward to reading some great end-of-the-summer posts.
Stay Blessed ~ No Stress in 2014!
5 Comments
Hello friends and Happy Fri-Yay!
The weekend is here and the weather is great so put away those take-out menus and fire up the grill.
Tonight try making a Black and Blue Burger!
I made these during the Labor Day holiday weekend and they were so simple to make. You can use either Blue or Goat Cheese to jazz up an ordinary burger.
There were only a few ingredients I needed to create these delicious burgers.
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Ground Beef or Ground Chicken or Turkey
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1 Egg
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Blue Cheese Crumbles
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Fresh Sweet Peppers sliced
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Buns
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Condiments
Mix the ground beef, egg and packet of Lipton Recipe Secrets in a medium bowl. I usually wear plastic gloves because I hate having meat under my nails, but make sure to wash your hands after handling raw meat even if using gloves.
Separate meat into 2 equal portions, and use just enough to make the number of patties required. With your thumb make a dimple in the middle of each patty. Sprinkled on a few pieces of Blue Cheese Crumbles then top with a slice of pepper.
Use the other half of beef to cover each patty, pinch the sides to ensure cheese crumbles are covered.
Fire up the grill and cook patties for approximately 8 mins on each side or until thoroughly done reaching an internal temperature of at least 160 F.
BTW, I left mine on the grill too long and burned them, hence the title “BLACK and Blue”, so keep an eye on them.
While the burgers are cooking, “dress your buns”. I like mine lightly toasted with raw onions, sliced tomatoes, ketchup and pickles!
My men and I all love cheese so you know this is the only way I make burgers on the grill or on top of the stove!
Stay Blessed ~ No Stress in 2014
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The military may not want boots on the ground in every battle, but if you want to win in the blogging world you definitely need boots on the ground.
Last weekend at the Doubletree Hotel in Philadelphia there were many boots on the ground thanks to the SITSGirls and their 2014 Bloggy Boot Camp.
Ladies let me be honest with you, if you are serious about turning your blog from a hobby into a business then I highly recommend you make the investment and attend a Bloggy Boot Camp. I don’t care if you have 1 follower or 1 million followers, I guarantee you’ll learn something that will make you a better blogger.
Oh and by the way…the investment is a tax write off!
This post is not going to be a full blown recap of all the weekend activities because you personally need to attend a Boot Camp in order to fully appreciate it. I will however, provide a brief synopsis on what I took away from each of the presenters and then suggest you find and follow them on their Social Media Networks.
Day 1
I arrived at the hotel around 1:30 Friday afternoon and after retrieving my badge from the Registration table I participated in the @LGUS #MomConfessions photo booth. This was a fun way to break the ice and meet new bloggers as well as reconnect with others.
The first session began a little after 2:00 p.m. with Angela Smith, Danielle Smith and Allison Talamantez, an awesome trio of panelist who answered questions posed to them by SITSGirls founder Tiffany Romero. We learned more on how to work with brands as well as what they are looking for when partnering with bloggers.
The session was very informative and timely and it gave us an opportunity to hear the information first hand. Angela Smith is the Senior Brand Manager, Home Appliances Division of LGUS.
Assigned numbers were printed on our name badges and with each break we moved to another table giving us an opportunity to meet even more bloggers. It was an excellent way to expand the SITSGirls circle and a chance to exchange more of our business cards, because you know most of us brought more than 100!
It was great meeting fellow BLMGirls including Monet from Curls and Mo and Kemi from Beauty.Style.Growth, we became thick as thieves throughout the weekend!
The afternoon program continued with a presentation from Tiffany and Francesca Banducci, on the Art of the Sponsored Post. My ears perked up during this portion as they spoke about the importance of having a professional and impactful blog. Tiffany and Francesca discussed first impressions of the “About Me” page, the use of large images, hashtags, Media Kits, bit links, deadlines, reviews, sponsored posts and why “Content is King“. Didn’t I tell you this Boot Camp was well worth the investment, and that was just the tip of the iceberg.
After a short break, Courtney Slazinik gave photography tips and techniques emphasizing that your best photo(s) can increase audience viewership or even go viral on the internet. She definitely has some beautiful photos and because of that, has worked with various agencies and magazines throughout her blogging career.
“Working Smarter Not Harder” is the end game and this motivational presentation was tag-teamed by Tiffany and Danielle.
Closing Remarks before the LG Cocktail Reception were given by Angela, then the hors-doeuvres, drinks and laughter began. It was the perfect ending to Day 1 of the SITSGirls Bloggy Boot Camp.
The sponsors of Bloggy Boot Camp were @LGUS and @MirassouWinery and both had display setups with small takeaways. Angela and Dave each gave informative and entertaining presentations, not only the history of their companies but also of their enthusiasm for working with bloggers.
Day 2
Breakfast began at 8:15 am and our guest speaker was Nell Merlino, President and Founder of Count Me In and creator of “Take Your Daughters To Work”. If you are old enough to remember the sitcom “Maude”, then you will understand it when I say that Nell is just as determined, strong, outgoing and entertaining as she was. A wonderful woman who gave an exceptional presentation on making your blog and yourself New, Better and Different.
‘”EMPOWERMENT IS SELF DETERMNATION”
Our next speaker was LC Johnson, of Colored Girls Confidential. LC talked about various income streams, being audience specific, investing time upfront and constantly driving traffic to your blog. LC is a highly energetic speaker who kept our attention from the beginning to the end with her true life stories and colloquialisms.
“WHERE YOU PUT YOUR ATTENTION IS WHERE YOU GET YOUR RESULTS”
The only male member in attendance was Hudson Crier, he along with his wife Emily presented the Business of Blogging. Topics covered were Branding, Research, Finance, Operations and Networks, all very important aspects for any blogger. Specific emphasis was also placed on analytics and SEO.
Social Media Strategy was presented by Cynthia Wheeler who shared her journey of transforming from being a “mom blogger” into a Social Media Ninja! Cyn provided tips and techniques on becoming a Social Media Consultant, various pay rates as well as the importance of a good web design.
Lunch was another opportunity to sit and chat with fellow bloggers, and I used some of the time to pick the brains of a few “experts“…ladies you know who you are!
After a delicious meal we literally jumped right back into it, including doing the “Hokey Pokey” led by Angele LaFond of Shoebox Be Gone! By the time Angele finished her presentation on social media and the tax laws including which blogging expenses were tax deductible, I was literally doing another dance called – “hey, I didn’t know that”, mixed in with a little, “say what!”
The afternoon steam rolled with another tag team presentation on Building Traffic Through Amplification using the 5 major social media platforms followed by Freelance Writing and Beyond with Sarah Maizes discussing how to build an online portfolio and credentials; then finally a Power Down session with Tiffany and Danielle who emphasized the importance of not having your blog overtake your life.
Remember to spend time with your family, have regular sex with your husband and always take care of yourself!
Bloggy Boot Camp was my first conference and not only did I have fun networking with other bloggers but I also left with the motivation and determination to become more focused so that I can turn my blog into a successful business.
Of course the delicious foods and the Wine Tasting Party helped to make it a perfect weekend in the “City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection”
Thanks to the SITSGirls Bloggy Boot Camp I’m now ready to take my blog to the next level and soon you will see some changes and then…
get ready to watch me in prime time on You Tube as I forge into the wonderful world of vlogging!
I am so thankful that I invested in myself and suggest you do the same!
Stay Blessed – No Stress in 2014!
28 Comments
Hello friends,
welcome to Week 21 of “You Choose the Shoes“. I’ve had so much fun with this mid-week feature and I love all of your comments, but as with all good things this too must come to an end. As the weather cools so will the contest and September most likely will be the last month until Spring, but who knows I may change my mind. What say you?
I learned so much at last weekend’s SITSGirls Bloggy Boot Camp which you can read about tomorrow, that I am going to make a few changes to my blog. There will be changes to the posting schedule as well as the topics but I think you will like it so stay tuned.
Now lets get to to last week’s contest…by an overwhelming majority the winners were the HEELS!
This week’s contenders are Madden Girl versus Madden Girl or big Polka Dots versus little Polka Dots or as I like to call them my “Betty Boop” shoes. Speaking of Betty Boop, do you know the origination of the cartoon character? I recently heard on the Tom Joyner Morning Show that she was a “stolen” caricature based on jazz singer “Baby” Esther Jones. If you want to read more about it click here.
Do you remember this sheath dress from eShakti? I love the style and wearing it but by the end of the day it is so wrinkled!
These Madden Girl heels were purchased a few years ago from DSW and were actually featured in the 1st “You Choose the Shoes” post.
The necklace and earrings are Avon and bracelet is from Old Navy, purchased for $1.99.
I love my polka dot Betty Boop shoes, but which pair looks better with this sleeveless sheath?
Okay, are you ready to make a decision? Will it be Madden Girl big Polka Dots or…
Madden Girl little polka dots?
You Choose The Shoes then head over to MrsLookingGood’s blog to check out this month’s #ExShoesMe entries.
Stay Blessed ~ No Stress in 2014!
28 Comments
Hello friends,
I know you’ve all heard that Apple unveiled 2 brand new iPhones to be released on September 19th (the day before my birthday!) Both the iPhone 6 and 6 plus boast larger displays, longer lasting batteries and a brand new processor which enables the phone to work 25% faster than it’s predecessor the 5s.
As the launch date for new iPhones gets closer, the values of previous iPhone models continues to depreciate. To ensure that consumers who are planning to upgrade to a new iPhone get the most value out of their old device, those who lock in their price today with Gazelle will have until October 10th to send it in.
Current pricing for the iPhone 5s ranges between $100 for a broken phone and $335 for a phone in flawless condition. With the sale price of the new iPhone 6 set at $199 with a 2 year contract, you can trade in your broken iPhone, get the new release, and still have some money left over for groceries or whatever your heart desires!
Go to Gazelle today, see what your iPhone or other device is worth then tell your family and friends because I already told mine!
Stay Blessed ~ No Stress in 2014!
This post contains affiliate links – please read my Disclosure Statement for more information.
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