DeDivahDeals

Fashion and Fun after Fifty

Archive for May, 2015

The Night His Smartphone Died

Mindless Millennial

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Monday night and it’s almost midnight…the house phone rings…my heart starts to palpate, my mouth goes dry…late night phone calls never brings good news…

the phone rings

(me) Hello…

(son) Mom…

(me) Malik…

(son) Mom…

(me) Malik what’s wrong!!!

(son) I dropped my phone…

(me) What???

(son) I dropped my phone and now it doesn’t work  

My son, a freshmen in college, during finals week, two weeks before he’s scheduled to come home calls me because he dropped his Smartphone and now it doesn’t work.  

(me) boy, do you know what time it is?  

(son) mom, I broke my phone so I won’t be able to wake up.  

(me)what, remember when I told you to take a clock radio with you?  

(son) mom, it’s finals week, my phone is broke and I can’t check for the assignments

(me) use your laptop…boy do you know what time it is?  

After that I hand the phone to his father and get back into bed.  What is wrong with this millennial, what is wrong with this young man.  Did he think I could snap my finger and he’d have a new phone from Verizon?  

Gazelle Certified Pre-Owned to the Rescue!

What happened to the twelve dollar Timex or the Swatch watches with alarms; clock radios on the night stand, and can openers in the drawer.  Can millennials even count cash?  Can they plant a seed in a cup of dirt?  What is going to happen in a Zombie Apocalypse?

Taken at the Townsville Show Qld Australia 2010.© I retain copyright.

Taken at the Townsville Show Qld Australia 2010.© I retain copyright.

Here, I thought Velcro was going to dumb down the kids…boy was I wrong, it’s the Smartphone!  Do you have a mindless millennial in your house?

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Live leak free like me with Depend Silhouette Active Fit

DISCLOSURE: I am participating in a VIN campaign for Depend. I am receiving a fee for posting; however, the opinions expressed in this post are my own. I am in no way affiliated with Depend and do not earn a commission or percent of sales.

 

Live leak free like me with Depend Silhouette Active Fit

I have been married for 25 years, am a mother of two sons in college and have a full time job in Corporate America, I lead a very busy and active lifestyle.  I can’t let a little bladder leakage stop me from from doing what I need to do; whether it’s traveling long distances on the weekend or just commuting back and forth to work on a daily basis, and thanks to Depend Silhouette Active Fit I can live leak free!

Depend Silhouette Active Fit 1

Depend Silhouette Active Fit 2

 

I’ve had an overactive bladder my entire life, even as a young girl I was constantly running back and forth to the bathroom.  It had gotten to the point that my grandmother needed to write notes to the teachers advising them of such. They thought that whenever I raised my hand requesting permission to go it was because I was just trying to get out of class.

As I aged, had children and then a surgical procedure in 2009, my bladder became weaker. My daily commute is 3 hours so I have to time myself before drinking that first cup of coffee…praying that there are no major traffic tie-ups.  I also keep an extra Depend Silhouette Active Fit in my purse just in case “pee happens”.

Depend in my purse

 

I can’t have a cup of coffee first thing in the morning, instead I must wait until there is less than 30 minutes of travel time remaining.  I wish I could take just a sip, but I can’t…to simply cross my legs and pray that my bladder cooperates is not an option.

In the afternoons, the cut off time for drinking any beverage is 3:00 p.m., hours before I begin my evening commute home.  In addition to my full time job I also teach Blogging and Social Media classes as well as present at various workshops and seminars throughout the state of Delaware.  In these instances I definitely have to limit my liquid intake or not drink at all to ensure my bladder is empty before the sessions begin.  I would hate to have to run out in the middle of one to use the restroom.

Presenting at From Purses to Portfolios 138

At work, when I have to go…I have to go…there is no swirling in my chair. Oftentimes, I’ve had to put callers on hold or simply hung up on them and rushed to the ladies room which fortunately isn’t far from my office.  When attending local events I make sure that I know where all the restrooms are located; I’ve even used a men’s bathroom (empty of course) because the lines for the ladies’ were too long.

Being over the age of 50 isn’t a mandate for having a leaking bladder, as a matter of fact a few of my younger blog followers have also experienced bladder leakage, either from coughing, laughing or sneezing too hard.  They initially found it to be embarrassing but have since come to realize that ‘pee happens’ and that they are not alone because bladder leakage affects over 51 million people both men and women.

 

pee a little

Throughout the years I have tried various types of pads but the Depend Silhouette Active Fit are by far much more comfortable than any of them.

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Depend Silhouette Active Fit 4

When I purchased my first box of Depend Silhouette Active Fit from Walmart, I was a bit apprehensive about wearing them.  I thought that they would be big and bulky and very noticeable under my clothing, even my husband gave me a look like “REALLY!”  

But once I put them on, I found them to be very comfortable, they didn’t ride up my leg and there were no panty lines which is a definite plus.  I wear dresses and skirts to work everyday and jeggings on the weekends and you can’t see a thing, I am still styling and profiling in my OOTD blog posts.

Depend Silhouette Active Fit 5

The Depend Silhouette Active Fit not only gave me confidence and comfort during my long flights from Philly to California, but I even felt sexy strolling through the airports.  I can honestly say, that I love the Depend Silhouette Active Fit because they contour to my body, shapes my curves and come in my favorite lingerie color, black!

 

LAX - bathroom selfie

 

Now I don’t mind shopping at Walmart for the Depend Silhouette Active Fit because I know they look and feel good on me – just check out this video and you’ll see what I mean.

Live leak free like me with Depend Silhouette Active Fit!

DependRealWomen-e1430364758277

Depend Ad 2

 

 

 


Social Media and Businesses – EnterpriseCares

Hello friends, I hope all is well in your world. If you are following me on Instagram, www.instagram.com/ablake48, then you know that we recently took a road trip to Virginia Beach to meet the newest member of the family, baby Vincent Gary, Jr.  

You also know that I teach “Social Media and Small Business” classes which is the topic of today’s post.

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Hubby has an older model Equinox which we are trying to keep the mileage low on so instead of driving we chose to rent a vehicle from Enterprise.

Enterprise Cares Rental Avi

 

The Friday before the road trip, I went online to check out the availability of a vehicle. We needed something comfortable for the 4 hour drive because my husband has back problems, and we wanted to make it a mini vacation.  We decided to splurge and rent a luxury car so I reserved a Lincoln MKSYOLO

Our excitement quickly faded when on Monday, hubby received a phone call from a rep at the office stating that they didn’t rent luxury vehicles at the Middletown location. Disappointed, I sent this tweet, “why doesn’t #Enterprise rent luxury vehicles in #Middletown”  

The power of Social Media…as it didn’t take long to get a response from @EnterpriseCares, with a request to send more info via a DM, which I did.  By the time I arrived home later that evening, not only was there an email response but there were also two voice messages from Enterprise reps in Delaware and Pennsylvania.  

After speaking to one of the reps, I was assured that the vehicle we initially reserved online would be available for pickup on Friday and as you can see, it was!

Roadtrip 1

We had a wonderful trip to Virginia Beach, enjoyed being with our family and loved the comfort of the Cadillac Lincoln, thank you Enterprise!

April OOTD 021 April OOTD 022 April OOTD 023 April OOTD 026

 

Enterprise Cares

Have you had good results from businesses you’ve contacted via Social Media?

I hope your day is as beautiful as you are!

DeDivahDeals Signature Floral


Sippin’ Soup when you’re sick

Disclosure:  I received the Organic Soups from Campbell’s in order to facilitate this review, however, opinions are 100% my own.

 

Hello friends, you know how it is when you don’t feel well, the last thing you want to do is head into the kitchen and cook.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I love cooking for my husband and sons and enjoy preparing meals for my YouTube Channel segment, Brunch with Blake.  However,  after returning from our road trip to Virginia Beach I began to get sick and that’s something that does not happen to me.  I am normally a very healthy person and can’t even remember the last time I had the sniffles.

Campbell's Organic Soup Review AVI

Fortunately, I had a few containers of Campbell’s Organic Soups on hand, so on Sunday, I warmed up a container of Chicken Noodle soup then curled up on the couch to rest and relax.  The Campbell’s Organic Chicken Noodle Soup is only 100 calories, however, the sodium content is 690 mg, therefore, if you are watching your intake, I suggest you add water to thin it out. 

The ingredients in the 17 oz containers are as follows:

CHICKEN NOODLE

Organic Chicken Stock, Organic Carrots, Organic Chicken Meat, Organic Egg Noodles, Organic Wheat Flour, Organic Eggs, Organic Egg Whites, Organic Celery, Organic Potato Starch, Water, Organic Chicken Flavor, Salt, Organic Onions, Organic Chicken Fat, Organic Sugar, Organic Carrot Juice Concentrate, Organic Spice, Organic Rice Starch, Organic Yeast Extract, Organic Onion Juice Concentrate, Organic Garlic, Organic Flavoring, Organic Dehydrated Carrot, Organic Tomato Paste, Organic Dehydrated Garlic, Organic Tumeric, and Organic Canola Oil.

SUN RIPENED TOMATO & BASIL

Organic Tomato Puree (water, organic tomato paste), water, organic diced tomatoes in organic tomato juice, organic heavy cream from organic milk, organic tapioca starch, organic sugar, contains less than 2% of organic basic, sea salt, organic spice.

  Campbell's Organic Soup Review 033

One 17 oz container filled the mug and was a delicious tasting soup.  I will stock up with more because Malik will be home next week!

I hope your day is as beautiful as you are!

DeDivahDeals Signature Floral

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You Choose the Shoes – Season 2 ~ Week 7

Hello friends and welcome to another week of “You Choose the Shoes”  I didn’t pull out all of my spring and summer shoes last weekend, but I did add to the collection, so look out for some new contenders.  In the meantime, let’s check out these oldies but goodies.

YCTS Week 7 Avi

It’s another week of peep toe versus closed toe, and speaking of toes, hubby gave me a gift card to Sunlight Salon so soon I’ll be getting my seasonal pedicure!

You Choose the Shoes

I kinda like these “granny boot” peep toes and the color can be worn with a lot of different outfits, however, I chose to go with this neutral color skirt from Spiegel.

You choose the shoes Of course, snakeskin is also considered a neutral color and it should be treated as such.  Now that I am looking at all the accessories, I’m thinking…”what was I thinking…”

You choose the shoes

Hubby was messing with me on this Monday morning, as you can see from the next picture.

You choose the shoes outtakes

Okay, so which one did you choose, the peep toes from Kmart or the Snakeskin from Target?

You choose the shoes outtakes

See I told you…and thank you all for voting in last week’s contest…the winner was…

Winner Week 6

Have you started wearing your summer sandals?  

I hope your day is as beautiful as you!

BTW, have you checked out my new blog – www.bloggingwithblake.com

 

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DeDivahDeals Signature Floral

 

 


Awesome Accessories to Add to Your Wardrobe

Awesome Accessories to Add to Your Wardrobe {Guest Post}

The article is contributed by CarpetCleaning Barnes

If you are looking to update your Spring wardrobe but not looking to spend a lot of money, instead of buying more clothes, just purchase a few accessories.   Adding awesome accessories to any outfit will make it look stylish and refreshed.

There are plenty of department stores with accessories which are very often on sale.  Invest in scarves, earrings and necklaces to add more class and attractiveness to your vision.  Here are just a few accessories you can use to update your wardrobe if you are on a budget.

Accessories for Guest Post

Courtesy Pinterest Polyvore

About a quarter of your wardrobe budget should be spent on accessories. The more accessories you have the less clothes you will need to buy. You can wear your favourite clothes and match them using different jewelry for a new look.

You will spend less time matching an accessory than trying to find clothes that match together. There are many accessories which are universal and can be combined with almost every outfit. If you have accessories in yellow, green, silver and gold, you can be sure that they can be matched with almost every clothing you wear. These colours are universal and will be the best choice no matter what clothes you choose to wear.

To stand out with your own unique personal style try wearing various types of accessories. Otherwise you can get lost in the crowd of similar dressed women who are all wearing the same branded and trendy clothes. Your shoes, earrings and jewellery makes you stand out and be unique.

Courtesy MaiTai's Picture Book

Courtesy MaiTai’s Picture Book

If you think your look is too plain you can just wrap a scarf around your neck and completely change your vision. You can use the scarf as a belt if you prefer, depending on the style of the clothes you wear. Bags and shoes can make your outfit look stylish and really change your appearance. You don’t have to follow the trend. It’s enough to choose accessories which look good on you and can be combined with many different clothes.

semi precious stone jewelry

Debbie Carol DIY Jewelry on Pinterest

Choose expensive-looking accessories to make your clothing look better if you are on a tight budget. There are many pieces of jewellery which look pricey but aren’t expensive. Choose things which don’t look too fake. You can cross a small bag around your body and wear some earrings which focus the attention. Instead of buying gemstones which are very expensive you can wear semiprecious stones. Don’t buy fake imitation of precious stones because they look cheap. There a plenty of accessories you can use to make your everyday appearance more interesting and stylish.

Guest Post Disclaimer

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Snuggle Spring Scent makes my laundry smell well

Hello friends, I hope all is well in your world and to all my lovely mommies, I hope you each had a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend.  Did you do anything special or like me, do just a little bit of nothing which was special!

On Sunday I basically lounged around relaxing however, on Saturday I did have laundry to do, but it was just one load and it was my delicates.  I never let hubby wash those so it wasn’t too bad of a laundry day.

Snuggle Fresh Spring Flowers

It did give me an opportunity to try the new Snuggle Fresh Spring Flowers scent which I had received last week from the Bear Den.  I received the free sample in exchange for this review, however, opinions are 100% my own as you can see from this video!

Using the Snuggle Fresh Spring Flowers scent not only made the clothes smell well but it also made the laundry room smell good.  Hubby liked it so much that he even used it when he washed the rest of the laundry.

Snuggle Fresh Spring Flowers

Next time you’re out shopping, use this coupon to save money on a bottle of Snuggle Fresh Spring Flowers scent then let me know what you think.Click on the pic or link to print out a coupon http://h3.sml360.com/-/51io

snuggle

I hope your day is as beautiful as you are!

BTW, have you checked out my new blog – www.bloggingwithblake.com

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DeDivahDeals Signature Floral

 


Graze Snacks Unboxing #3

Hello friends and welcome to the unboxing of the Graze Snack Box #3.

I haven’t tried any of the snacks to date, however, I will be taking them to work this week to try and then next month I’ll bring you the results as to which were my favorites.

From last month’s box, the Brooklyn Bites and Black Pepper Pistachios were my favorites.  If you decide to place an order, please use the Promo Code ANTION3LB, so that I can receive $1 in my account to be used towards future shipments which are $6.99 each with FREE shipping.

Cracking Black Pepper Cashews: roasted cashew nuts, black pepper seasoning (sea salt, black pepper, rice flour, maltodextrin, tapioca and/or corn starch, sugar, lemon juice powder, natural flavoring), tree nuts

230 calories and 210 mg of sodium

Cracking Black Pepper Cashews

Cracking Black Pepper Cashews

Sour Cream & Onion Cashews: roasted cashew nuts, sour cream and onion seasoning (onion powder, salt, sugar, tapioca and/or corn starch, yeast extract powder, natural flavoring, garlic powder, citric acid, dried chives), tree nuts

230 calories and 190 mg of sodiumSour Cream & Onion Cashews

Sour Cream & Onion Cashews

Barbecue Sub with a BBQ Relish: Relish – tomato, apple, muscavado sugar, raw cane sugar, cider vinegar, dates, tomato paste, onions, red wine vinegar, salt, garlic, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce (water, soybeans, salt, sugar, wheat flour), malt vinegar, tamarind paste, curry paste (coriander seed, mustard seed, black peppercorns, cardomom pods, cumin seeds, fenugreek, cider vinegar), chopped red chili, molasses, mustard, black pepper  BREADSTICKS – unbleached wheat flour, sunflower oil, tomato powder, salt, yeast, malted barley flour, dried oregano

80 calories and 200 mg of sodium

Barbecue Sub with a BBQ Relish

Barbecue Sub with a BBQ Relish

Twist of Black Pepper Popcorn: corn, palm oil, salt, black pepper, rosemary extract

130 calories and 200 mg of sodium

Twist of Black Pepper Popcorn

Twist of Black Pepper Popcorn

If you are interested in trying the Graze box subscription, click on the link below to be taken to their website and if you do place an order, I will get a few discounts on  future orders and the 3rd referral will get me a FREE box!

www.Graze.com

Graze Unboxing

Graze Unboxing

I hope your day is as beautiful as you are!

DeDivahDeals Signature Floral

 

 


You Choose the Shoes – Season 2 – Week 6

Hello friends and welcome to You Choose the Shoes Season 2 ~ Week 6

You Choose the Shoes Week 6 avi

Thank you all for your kind words and suggestions regarding my leg, unfortunately there is still a scar which I doubt will ever heal.  Thank God is didn’t blister, but the next time, if there is a next time, I’m just going to let the pan fall onto the floor!

You Choose the Shoes

This week will be open toe versus closed toe.  The weather is finally where it should be so this weekend, I will be pulling out the Spring and Summer shoes so we can get this contest rocking and rolling.

You choose the shoes

The cloth open-toe pumps are Rocket Dogg from The Shoe Dept and these patent leather pumps are Mossimo from Target.

You choose the shoes You Choose the Shoes

Believe it or not I almost forgot about this weekly feature…not because I wanted to but because I launched a new blog, Blogging with Blake and have been trying to get it up and running along with a vlogging series.  Do ya think I have enough time in a day?  

 

If you follow me on instagram you know we took a road trip to Virginia Beach and welcomed a new cousin into the world, I can’t wait to tell you all about our trip and the rental car from Enterprise!

You Choose the Shoes

So which pair do you think looks better, the closed toe pumps…..or…

You Choose the Shoes

 

The open toe pumps?

Thank you all for voting last week…and the winner was…

Week 6 Winner

 

TODAY IS MY HUBBY’S BIRTHDAY – WE WILL CELEBRATE OVER THE WEEKEND AND I’LL SHOW YOU THE PICS THAT I CAN SHOW ONLINE NEXT WEEK – ((^_^))

I hope your day is as beautiful as you are!

DeDivahDeals Signature Floral