Hello friends, I hope all is well in your world. If you are a busy wife, mom, girlfriend or grandmother you know how important it is to take care of yourself and try to stay healthy. However, oftentimes we are running from pillar to post and before we know it both our minds and bodies are exhausted. At the end of each post, I close with “New Year ~ New You” which is a reminder to you and me to slow down and take better care of ourselves.
Essential Oil therapy has been a common form of alternative medicine used for thousands of years to effectively affect a person’s mood or health. Essential Oils are rubbed into the skin to penetrate and diffuse throughout the blood and tissues. The bottom line is they smell great, feel good and depending on the ingredients can be very soothing and calming and beneficial to our health.
I recently had an opportunity to try ‘Relax’, a Mia Mariu Organic Therapeutic Essential Oilthat contained Lavender, Sandlewood, Cedar, Clary Sage, Coconut and Almond oil. My nighttime ritual has included adding a few drops after my shower as the last thing that I do before getting into bed. This relaxing essential oil relieves the stress of the day, promotes inner peace and supports a restful night’s sleep, and as a blogger I need something that helps to calm my mind.
A few drops of the Mia Mariu Therapeutic Oils can be placed on your pulse points or used as a massage oil to rub directly onto your body where needed. There’s another fragrance “I Feel Good’ which contains Eucalyptus, Lemon, Bay Laurel, Peppermint, Apricot and macadamia Oil which together promotes good digestion and supports overall respiratory health.
My friends over at Mia Mariu’s are offering to give away one FREE bottle of Relax Essential Oil to one of my readers, so enter today for a chance to win. to which fragrance you would prefer then check out Mia Mariu’s website for wellness tips and other great products.
Contest is open to US Residents only and will end at midnight on 4/11/15.
Disclosure: The Dial Brand provided me with a FREE sample of Dial Sugar Cane Husk Scrub Hand Soap to facilitate this review. All opinions are 100% my own.
Outdoor Spring Chores & Dial Hand Soap
Hello friends, I hope all is well in your world. Have you finished all of your Spring Cleaning yet? Thankfully, last weekend I was able to get most of the indoor chores done, so next week we’ll be heading outside to get the yard and deck ready for the longer, warmer days ahead.
Along with getting the lawn ready for planting, we will also be cleaning the outdoor furniture and cushions as well as power washing the siding and walkways. Working outside in the yard is very therapeutic but it can also be very messy so this bottle of Dial Sugar Cane Husk Scrub Hand Soap will definitely be put to good use.
Dial Sugar Cane Husk Scrub Hand Soap is the newest member of The Boutique Collection Hand Soap line from Dial and not only does it smell sweet like sugar cane, but it also a deep cleansing hand soap that moisturizes and keeps your hands smooth. I also put a bottle in the kitchen to use before and after preparing meals because Dial Sugar Cane Husk Scrub Hand Soap can be used by the entire family, and my men think the micro-scrubbing particles are great for removing dirt from their hands.
Read more about the new Dial Boutique Collection on their Facebook page then leave a comment below with your favorite soap scent.
Thanks to Dial I am also able to give away a coupon to three (3) lucky readers, so enter this Rafflecopter Sweepstakes today for your chance to win a FREE Dial Hand Soap, 7.5 oz or larger (open to U.S. residents only) contest ends at midnight on April 4th.
Hello friends, I hope all is well in your world. I was just going through the videos on my YouTube channel only to realize that Episode 2 of Goodwill Goodies was never published, so I wanted to pop in to let you know that is now up and live. I thrifted some great belts, shoes and jewelry and gave a tip on disinfecting shoes. I also wanted to announce that starting in April, I will be writing a monthly Guest Post for the Goodwillde blog so make sure to follow it, that way you can keep up with my “5 for under $25” Goodwill hauls.
Thank you all for supporting me and my blog as well as subscribing to my YouTube channel – I now have 100 subbies – woohoo!! Enjoy the weekend and have fun, see ya on Sunday for Brunch with Blake!
Hello Friends, I hope all is well in your world. Most of you know that I have a channel on YouTube and on most Sunday’s I have a feature “Brunch with Blake”. Last week’s recipe was Chicken Enchiladas which I made especially for my youngest son who is home for Spring Break. This is a quick and easy recipe and I was able to use my new tongs and spatula from Bobbi Jean’s Kitchenware.
I have several stainless steel tongs in the kitchen drawer however, the sets from Bobbi Jean’s Kitchenware have thick silicon tips which prevents scratching and abrasions to pots and pans. Bobbi Jean’s Tongs Set come with a FREE Bonus Spatula and the 9 inch tongs are great for shorter reach when preparing food. The 12 inch tongs are perfect for deep pots & serving food and were great for stirring the Chicken Enchiladas.
The tongs are a dusk grey and the FREE BONUS Silicone Spatula with a stainless steel handle is Pea Green. The curve shaped spatula is perfect for blending dishes & scraping bowls which I will be using when I bake a cake next week. Another great feature is their heat resistance which is up to 480°F, perfect for pan searing and deep frying.
Check my YouTube vlog to see the full Chicken Enchilada recipe and how I used each of the Bobbi Jean’s utensils.
Hello friends, I didn’t expect to bring back “You Choose the Shoes” this soon, but after getting dressed yesterday morning, I realized that I hadn’t worn many of my flats during the winter. The weather is still cold and gloomy, so in anticipation of warmer days and brighter open-toe shoes, we might as well kick it off now!
I decided to wear black pants mid-week and match my sweater with the shoes, so the factors of this contest is heels -vs- flats, open toe or loafers. Take a look at both and let me know what you think.
The cheetah print top was thrifted from Goodwill, the loafers were purchased from CitiTrends, and black slacks (pants) from Boscov’s.
In keeping with the cheetah prints, I chose to wear brass accessories, necklace and earring set was a gift from hubby 10+ years ago, bracelet and ring are jewelry box staples.
So will it be comfy casual in the flats or heel height with covered tootsies in the Jessica Simpson peep toe pumps?
I hope to bring out the Spring shoes soon or at least add to my collection with a few trips to Payless, Ross and Burlington Coat Factory!
Hello friends, I hope all is well in your world. Did you know that the country’s unemployment rate recently hit another all time low of 5.7%? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the U.S. economy added 257,000 jobs in January, 2015. For full-time workers there was a gain of 777,000 numbering more than 120 million for the first time since July 2008.
That may not mean anything in several communities around the country because people are still having difficulty landing jobs or obtaining a career in their field of expertise. There are several job-training sites located in and around cities and states, but did you also know that you could also locate employment opportunities right from your mobile device with www.tweetmyjobs.com
According to their site, “founded in 2009, TweetMyJobs helps job seekers find opportunities and receive targeted job recommendations by email, mobile or through Twitter and Facebook. TweetMyJobs’ technology, powered by its Social Network Interface (SNI) distributes company’s jobs across Facebook, LinkedIn and over 10,800 job channels on Twitter each one segmented by industry and location.[3] Twitter job channels allow followers to be notified of new job openings in their desired industry or location through their Twitter stream.”
Tweetmyjobs is geographical specific and recently Wilmington City Councilman Darius Brown helped bring the online resource to Delaware. The site began with 3,500 job postings but it quickly doubled in the first 6 weeks. The listings include everything from entry level positions with retail stores like Starbucks and CVS to highly skilled positions with AstraZeneca, and DuPont.
Tweetmyjob is free service for both job seekers and employers and people looking for work can quickly set up a profile, enter the type of position they are looking for and how they want to be notified. If this sounds like something you or someone you know would be interested in check out their website www.tweetmyjobs.com and have a successful search!
Hello Spring ~ Hello Birdies chirping in the trees ~ Hello Sunshine peeking through the windows ~ Hello oh no ~ dust and lots of it!
Friends the time has come to wash away the winter webs and begin the annual tradition of Spring Cleaning! It doesn’t matter if it’s the kitchen counters, the bathroom sink, in the car or on the barbells in the basement, they all need to be cleaned.
These Microfiber Cloths by VibraWipe are a great alternative to paper towels and are strong enough to clean all areas in your home. They are soft, and non abrasive so they can be used on glass and delicate bulbs…don’t forget that Dining Room chandelier.
They are lint-free and won’t streak so they are great on mirrors and glass doors, are super absorbent which is perfect for the kitchen and bathroom sinks. The Microfiber Cloths come 8 to a pack in 4 pastel colors so you can leave one in each room then throw them into the washer to keep them clean and ready for the next use.
So go ahead and fling back those curtains and raise those blinds, just be sure to have a VibraWipe Microfiber cloth handy to catch all the dust.
Are you creating a big snacking spread for the Big Tournament? Looking for ways to spice up game day and save money at the same time? #JustAddRotel is the perfect way to spice up your favorite recipes. From guacamole to pot roast sliders, adding a can of RO*TEL makes a traditional game day recipe into something extraordinary. Click this link http://cbi.as/4wqx to print a Walmart coupon where you buy 3 cans of RO*TEL, you will get 1 can free!
Hurry, this coupon expires on April 6th and is only while supplies last!
Be sure to look for RO*TEL in either the Pasta or Hispanic aisle in Walmart!
My sons and their friends are trying to eat me out of house and home while watching the games during Spring Break. I have already made several trips to Walmart to pick up cans of RO*TEL and thanks to this money-saving coupon it’s helping with the weekly grocery bill. My family loved the sausage and cheese dip that I made using RO*TEL diced tomatoes and now it’s their number one snack request.
So if you are making game day snacks or looking to jazz up your favorite recipe, head over to Walmart and pick up a few cans of RO*TEL diced tomatoes, they will add a little kick to all of your favorites!
Independent Resources, Inc. #LaunchSpace Small Business Program Award Presentation
Hello friends, I hope all is well in your world. Last week I had an opportunity to attend the IRI Small Business Program Award Presentation, as well as the honor of being one of the five judges.
This Dolphin Tank Award’s program was IRI’s first and it was an excellent way in which to feature the hard work and dedication of the participants involved in the LaunchSpace Small Business Program.
Independent Resources, Inc., is a federally funded, private non-profit, non-residential organization providing services to persons with disabilities. IRI is a statewide organization with offices located in Wilmington, Dover and Dagsboro. Each office provides services that consumers consider critical in gaining control over their lives; services they feel will enable them to function in the community of their choosing.
Front Row: Larry Henderson (IRI Executive Director), Latoshia Caldwell (Finalist), Barbara Monaghan (DDC Chair), Emmanuel Jenkins (Runner-up)
Back Row: Cathy Woodhouse (First State CPAs Relationship Manager), Khalil Abdul-Majid (Finalist), Tina Riley (Entrepreneur of the Year), Ken Anderson (DEDO Director), Senator Brian Bushweller (state senator for 17th district), Antionette Blake (Social media and blogger consultant) and Jackie Reyes (Small Business Program Coordinator)
Khalil Abdul-Majid: “Inspired by Touch Massage”
Latoshia Caldwell – Caldwell’s Helping Hands
Emmanuel Jenkins – We Stand 4 Something
Tina Riley – Tina Riley’s Imaginarium
The program began with welcoming remarks from Dr. Tes del Tufo, then each participant presented their individual Business Plans. As a judge, I along with Senator Brian Bushweller, Ken Anderson, Barbara Monaghan, and Cathy Woodhouse were given the arduous task of scoring them in 7 areas.
I must admit that each participant did such an amazing job that it was hard not to rate them all “excellent” in each category. I was truly impressed and definitely inspired by their plans, goals and overall presentations, I walked away thinking that I really needed to step up my game!
Ken Anderson and I presented each with a Certificate of Completion and then the presentation of Accomplishments & Awards was made by Senator Bushwell, Cathy Woodhouse and Barbara Monaghan.
In addition to a cash prize, the winner also received in-kind contributions, including my donation of 3 hours for Social Media and e-marketing training valued at $500.
The program ended with concluding remarks by Mr. Larry Henderson, Executive Director of Independent Resources, Inc. It was yet another opportunity on a ThankfulThursday to be blessed with the ability to volunteer time to such a worthy organization.
