Monthly Archives: February 2012
Spring is Almost Here- Time to Revamp Our Spring Wardrobe
Spring? Spring is pretty much regional. In South East Louisiana we have 3 Season- Hot, Hotter, & a little bit cold! But this year we are actually having somewhat of a cold season. That being said, I can not wait for Spring.
I recently made my way to one of my favorite fashion retailers to purchases a few new Tops for my Spring Wardrobe. Since I work full-time, my everyday wardrobe consists of Scrub Uniforms & good pair of tennis shoes. Fun right?!? So when I’m not at work or lounging at home, pretend we know what “lounge” means I love to wear nice clothes & get myself “put together”. Everything I saw that day was Jewel Tones!! And since I love to accessories my outfits with jewelry, I was really excited to buy a few new bracelets & earrings to mix & match with my new purchases.
I found a great Indian Jewelry website called Amrita Stingh and fell in love with their bangle bracelets. I bought 3 bracelets & 3 pairs of earrings (which is a splurge for me) and was very impressed with my package when it arrived. I bought all the pieces at 75% off retail pricing by using various Facebook Fan codes & a Good Morning America code, that they were advertizing. I could never afford $100 a piece on bangles or earrings (especially if they were just fashion pieces used to coordinate an outfit) so I’m very fortunate to have used the codes!!
Here’s a few pictures of my recent jewelry purchases.:
From Amrita Singh Website
From Amrita Singh Website
Remsey Bracelet in Touquise
My Favoirte Bangle!!
Make sure to check out Amrita Singh Jewelry & Accessories on Facebook for more information on their Facebook Fan Special Codes and more information on their Jewelry!
~~ What is your favorite retailer for accessories or other fashion key pieces? Know of any online sites that have great prices on these items? Please share!! I’ve always wanted to rock a scarf or funky hat, but I’m just not sure I can pull it off?!
Wordless Wednesday 02/22/2012
Wordless Wednesday
One of my favorite pictures of my daughter & husband. We went to the Saengar Theatre in New Orleans to see Dora The Explorer Live in 2003. The picture was taken outside of the Seanger Theatre in the median of N. Rampart St. facing Canal Street, which is being restored due to severe damage of hurricane Katina & is due to be completed 2013. The Seanger Theatre is such an amazing historical & architectural gem of New Orleans. I’m so glad to see that the restoration will be completed soon.
My picture was damaged (as you can see)to due Katrina. I took a picture of the damaged original print I have. It goes to show you that even 6+ years later, Hurricane Katrina is still a constant reminder of what we have lost.
~~ To old Memories & new Memories made.
Favorite Grocery Splurge Items
I love to save in any way I can, but when it comes to groceries -Sam’s Club- is my weakness. My husband & I call it the “Hundred Dollar Store”. No matter how little we plan on spending, our receipt is always $100 or more…easily! I can justify shopping there since I save so much money on health/beauty & cleaning items elsewhere (coupons and store sales which equals to FREE) that we can splurge on groceries at Sam’s Club.
With many households cutting back in various ways, there is always a few items that we can not live without not matter what the cost is.
For me, I love getting my produce & fruit at Sam’s. To me, the quality is second best to going to a Farmer’s market or out of your own garden (we garden in the summer). Most of their items are organic & lasts so much longer than buying at a normal grocery store.
I also splurge or Rib Eyes Steaks & Salmon there. I know it’s not a necessity but I’m sorry….my family loves a steak dinner!! We love to go out and have a steak dinner, but it can easily cost my family of four a quick $80 at a minimum. I can get a huge Rib Eye Roast, have them slice it for me and come home with 16+ Rib Eye steaks for average $100.
My family also loves salmon, so we try to squeeze it into our budget whenever we can. Since I live in the Gulf coast, we can get amazing seafood locally, but the cost is still considered high. So if i can get fresh local seafood or salmon from Sam’s Club I do and don’t feel guilty about it. My children love seafood in fact, I have to remind my son when eating a nice piece of salmon to slow down and enjoy it.
What is your splurge items?? If it’s not a grocery item is it clothing or Shoes? Share with me, we can not feel guilty…together!
Being Hispanic is More Than Just a Political Demographic (or Menu Food Item)
I remember being in first grade when my mother learn to speak & read English. I lived in Los Angeles, California at the time, and my mother would volunteer at my school a few hours a day during the week if she was not at work. Since then, my mother has always been proud of her accomplishment and has often helped our Hispanic friends, especially if they were new to our community, with teaching tool on how to speak English, where to find a decent job, information on good schools in our community, etc.
But something my mother also taught my Hispanic brother & I was that we were more than just our Mexican & Guatemalan. Being Hispanic is apart of us. Yes, we “look” Hispanic & have Hispanic last names (for me, my maiden name), but I am so much more.
It never fails that upcoming political elections always become interested in a certain demographic every 4 years. But what baffles me that in 2012 we are still making gaffes & insensitive comments about someones ethnicity.
Recently we have had the Mayor in Connecticut who made a insensitive remark about “tacos” to a news journalist. & today we have a “chimichanga” Tweet that Jim Messina, a former top White House official and the manager of Mr. Obama’s re-election campaign mentioned regarding WAPO’s Dana Milbank remark she previously made..
Are we seriously just a ethnicity of Tex-Mex foods?? Are we not more than someone’s lunch menu order??
Believe me, we do want our country to work on immigration laws, but we also want other things. We want a better public education system, job creation, good healthcare, & more. But don’t most ethnicity agree?
I already (at times) feel like a second class citizen the way many members of Congress make Hispanic voters look out to be. But you know what…we’re not second class citizens. We shouldn’t be perceived in movies are drug dealers or manual labor employees. We are educated, have good paying jobs & more importantly, can inspire & achieve high goals for ourselves.
So the next time a political pundit or politicians wants to describe the Hispanic community, maybe a description not out of a restaurant would be better suited for us! We’re writers, business owners, physicians etc, not just someone taking your lunch order.
~Maria~
Disclaimer: I am not endorsing any candidate or political party. I’m tired of feeling that the Hispanic community is misrepresented by our leaders & by others.
Wordless Wednesday 02/15/2012
Baseball & Softball is just around the corner. This Sunday I snapped a few pictures while we were at the ball park practicing with the kids. My family can’t wait!!
Enjoy~ Maria
Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares: Milk & Truffles Product Review
I’m a total chocolate snob! I’m the girl that picks out all the good chocolate then leaves the rest for someone else. But I’m also the girl that brings chocolate to work and leaves a few pieces to various employees that are also complete chocolate snobs!
Since I LOVE Ghirardelli Chocolate Square, I was more than willing to give their Milk & Truffles flavor a shot. Ghirardelli is known for their rich decadent chocolate & the Milk & Truffles is no exception.
I enjoyed the luxurious rich flavor one small bite at a time. The milk chocolate is not too milky, that it overshadows the truffle filling. There is something about a small piece of gourmet chocolate that brings you back to life.
You can find Ghirardelli at grocery stores or drug stores like CVS & Walgreens. Ghirardelli has an average price around $4 for a 4.63 oz bag. This is definatly within anyone budget & a perfect little treat to keep in your work drawer. I may have a few extra to share with my coworkers, but I wouldn’t count on it…they’re THAT good!!
If you get a chance also their line of baking chocolate. It’s my go to chocolate for baking, even my hubby uses their chocolate for his famous Chocolate Chip Waffles!
Remember, not all chocolate is created the same.
SheSpeaks.com and Ghirardelli provided a complimentary bag of chocolate for my honest opinion and review. I was not compensated further for this review. My opinions are my own.
Top 5 Things to Do to Now that NFL Football Season is Officially Over
Now that Superbowl 46 has ended & The New York Giants have another Lombardi Trophy & Championship Ring what are devoted NFL Football Fans to do with themselves?
Here is my list of Top 5 Things Every NFL Football Fan Must So until next Fall.
All this is meant in jest!
1. Go on Twitter & Re-tweet all your favorite NFL football players daily tweets Non-stop on a regular basis.
2. Make sure you continue buying more Official NFL football apparel. We must tithe keep investing in all new designs so we’re not left looking like we’re pulling clothing out of the closet, circa 2009!
3. Make sure you are up to date on all your favorite plays, stats, & records that your favorite team has broken during the 2011-2012 Season. If your a Saints fan, you have a lot of memorizing to do! 
~
4. Make sure you have carefully labeled your computer picture file with the appropriate tag of all your 2011-2012 personal game & party pictures, official copied pictures from internet websites & all your favorite funny pictures that surface social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and of course… the pictures that are sent to you via Text.
5. While your following stalking your favorite NFL Football players & favorite sports writers, make sure you continuously tweet them until they finally tweet you back. Save a screenshot of it so you can post the tweet back to other social media sites so you have proof.
The stalking alone should keep you entertained until summertime, then you can head over to NFL Training Camp until Pre-Season starts!
See you in the Fall!!
Sports Programs for Children $lipping Away
Friday evening my family & I made an unexpected trip to Academy Sports & Outdoor after our evening dinner. Softball & Baseball will be starting shortly in our community & I wanted to pop in to Academy to check out new bats for the kids. Sports equipment shopping has always been fun for us, so the kids were happy to run in.
As we were glancing at bat sizes, weights, etc my 11 year old daughter picked up a softball bat and gave it a few swings. I noticed her glance at a certain part of the bat….then she placed the bat back in the bat holder. I looked at her, then looked at the bat. The price of the bat was $329!! No, that wasn’t a typo!! Three Hundred Twenty Nine Dollars, plus tax!!
Now keep in mind that even though my daughter is 11 years old, she is also 5 ft 1 inches tall (or she was back in September). Height has something to do with bat selection so she can’t just use any softball bat. I could not get over the $329 price tag!! Even though I’m so glad she put the bat down and found a less expensive bat, I started thinking…..when did we let Children Sports slip away??
I remember being being 7 and playing T Ball & softball in my area in Los Angeles, California back in the 80′s. My mother was a single mom, but since I was active in Girl Scouts, I was able to play ball with no expense to my mother other than her purchasing tennis shoes & a glove. since I’m left handed she had to buy my gloves at Sears & Roebuck due to a small selection available locally.
My brother played inter-mural sports at our Elementary after-school. He would walk me to a local church where Girl Scouts was held 4 days a week & then would walk back to school to play Football or Basketball in the after-school program. Money was never an issue. We only needed to play sports was shoes. When we reached Jr. High & High School, as long as we had a nice pair of shoes, we were OK.
I’m in my early 30′s, I don’t think I’m that old, so when did sports get priced out of control??
I currently live in S.E Louisiana, about 30-35 minutes away from New Orleans. We have excellent athletic programs for our children. But League ball (for any sport) does have a price tag. So what happens to the children that can’t afford the program?? Are children getting athletic education via video games only? How are parents able to afford 4 children playing little league without taking away for other expenses for the family? I know parents who get a part-time job before a sport season occurs, just so they can afford the expenses of a specific athletic program.
I’m glad my children are aware of the hefty price tag that incur during their sports season, but I wish money wasn’t a factor for any child! It’s not about expensive cleats, pricey bats, or fancy gloves…so why can’t we bring a sports program, even if it were a dodge-ball league or track team, back to elementary after-school?
60 minutes a day is what they need…every day, not just 2 days a week. Besides, what happened to stick ball on the street…times have definatly changed!
I want to know:
Are there any affordable sports programs for your children/relatives in your area? How much do you spend per season of athletic fees & equipment?
Sports Programs for Children $lipping Away
Friday evening my family & I made an unexpected trip to Academy Sports & Outdoor after our evening dinner. Softball & Baseball will be starting shortly in our community & I wanted to pop in to Academy to check out new bats for the kids. Sports equipment shopping has always been fun for us, so the kids were happy to run in.
As we were glancing at bat sizes, weights, etc my 11 year old daughter picked up a softball bat and gave it a few swings. I noticed her glance at a certain part of the bat….then she placed the bat back in the bat holder. I looked at her, then looked at the bat. The price of the bat was $329!! No, that wasn’t a typo!! Three Hundred Twenty Nine Dollars, plus tax!!
Now keep in mind that even though my daughter is 11 years old, she is also 5 ft 1 inches tall (or she was back in September). Height has something to do with bat selection so she can’t just use any softball bat. I could not get over the $329 price tag!! Even though I’m so glad she put the bat down and found a less expensive bat, I started thinking…..when did we let Children Sports slip away??
I remember being being 7 and playing T Ball & softball in my area in Los Angeles, California back in the 80′s. My mother was a single mom, but since I was active in Girl Scouts, I was able to play ball with no expense to my mother other than her purchasing tennis shoes & a glove. since I’m left handed she had to buy my gloves at Sears & Roebuck due to a small selection available locally.
My brother played inter-mural sports at our Elementary after-school. He would walk me to a local church where Girl Scouts was held 4 days a week & then would walk back to school to play Football or Basketball in the after-school program. Money was never an issue. We only needed to play sports was shoes. When we reached Jr. High & High School, as long as we had a nice pair of shoes, we were OK.
I’m in my early 30′s, I don’t think I’m that old, so when did sports get priced out of control??
I currently live in S.E Louisiana, about 30-35 minutes away from New Orleans. We have excellent athletic programs for our children. But League ball (for any sport) does have a price tag. So what happens to the children that can’t afford the program?? Are children getting athletic education via video games only? How are parents able to afford 4 children playing little league without taking away for other expenses for the family? I know parents who get a part-time job before a sport season occurs, just so they can afford the expenses of a specific athletic program.
I’m glad my children are aware of the hefty price tag that incur during their sports season, but I wish money wasn’t a factor for any child! It’s not about expensive cleats, pricey bats, or fancy gloves…so why can’t we bring a sports program, even if it were a dodge-ball league or track team, back to elementary after-school?
60 minutes a day is what they need…every day, not just 2 days a week. Besides, what happened to stick ball on the street…times have definatly changed!
I want to know:
Are there any affordable sports programs for your children/relatives in your area? How much do you spend per season of athletic fees & equipment?
