Wednesday, June 27, 2012
MTV is NOT a Viable Source of Information
It seems everyone has an opinion about teen moms and while
opinions are fine, so long as they do not hurt anyone, viable and real
statistics are true and sound.
I can not tell you how upsetting, unsettling and
ridiculously absurd it is that grown adults feel MTV is a viable source of
information when it comes to teen pregnancy and young parenthood.
One positive thing about all of the hype around teenage
sexuality is government institutions, public and private sectors are starting
to do what small organizations have done for YEARS, pay attention to teens and
teen parents!
With all these larger entities with larger bank accounts
paying attention, studies and research is being conducted to see what is really
going on with teens and young parents.
While some statistics from these studies seem dooming,
others aren’t and most importantly they’re factual BUT are not determinate of a
teen/young mothers future.
Did you know that teenage pregnancy is AT AN ALL TIME LOW!
"According to new data from the CDC,
teen pregnancy rates have reached all-time lows, dropping more than 44% from
1991 to 2010."
Let me know what you think.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Frozen Pizza Has Received a Major Facelift
The fact that I am a single mother makes it difficult for me
to have “alone time.” In fact my definition of ‘alone time’ is taking a shower
or doing the dishes.
This is why I was so excited when I received an email invite
to join NYCityMama, Carol Cain, and Dr. Oetker for the “Bring a Slice of Romance Home” was a fun and educative event about pairing Dr. Oetker’s Ristorante Pizzas to the perfect
glass of wine in order to have an affordable date night at home, without
compromising on quality or emptying one’s wallet.
This invite made me immediately pick up the phone and call
the sitter.
I didn’t know it then but that call was one of the best
decisions I made for myself in a long time!
Dr.Oetker is a brand of delicious authentic Italian pizzas
and deserts. While some tend to think that frozen pizza can’t taste fresh or
flavorful Dr. Oetker Pizzas completely do away these stereotypes.
Upon arriving to the event I was welcomed by other mothers from
around the city and a wonderful glass of wine. If that wasn’t the perfect way
to end a long day of work and school than I don’t know what is.
After chatting with some of the other mothers and relaxing
with a glass of Pinot Gris, which goes perfectly with cantaloupe by the way. We
were informed that the pizzas were arranged on each table with the wines that
complimented them the most.
We had six delicious varieties of pizzas to choose from,
five which are vegetarian, and 7 wines for pairing them with.
I can honestly say it was love at first bite when I bit into
the crunchy Pizza Spinaci crust. Then my sip of the wonderful Summer Rosé wine
bought all the flavors out even more!
The Pizza Quatro Formaggi and the Pizza Mozzarella were
cheese heaven! The Pizza Quatro
had Mozzarella, Edam, Emmental, blue cheese and a hint of basil and paired with
a German Riesling. While the Pizza Mozzarella was topped with Mozzarella
cheese, tomatoes, Edam cheese and mixed herbs with a wonderful Chianti.
The rest of the night was about making way around the room,
tasting wines, enjoy wonderful pizzas, sharing stories and laughter with one
another. Sounds too cliché but that is exactly what it was, a perfect ‘girls
night in’ if you will.
Dr. Oetker and Carol Cain did a phenomenal job at making the
evening an evening of friends, food and wonderful wine lessons all wrapped in
one.
The best part is all of the wines were under $20 making your
perfect night in a very budget conscious night for anyone. Especially us,
single working and student moms.
Picking up a Dr. Oetker Pizza, bottle of wine and calling
friends, having a family night or
a date night is as simple as strolling into your local grocer. That’s because Dr.
Oetker Pizzas can be found all throughout the city in grocery stores that many
of us already shop at! The only warning I will give you is either put the kids
to bed before trying your first pizza or buy extra because sharing these pizzas
are hard, even with your little one.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
A Dream Come True
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| source |
My biggest goal in life is to travel the world and help others. While some people think this is crap and not 'normal,' it's my goal. I've spoken to Leilani and she's down.
At the end of the month Leilani and I are going on our first mother-daughter trip. We're going to attend an event in Boston, Massachusetts and then we're off to New Hampshire to visit one of my old friends!
While I might be a bit dramatic in saying this is a dream come true it really is! Traveling is what I want us to do! To me, the world is for exploring and helping others a long the way!
While is it 'just' Boston and New Hampshire it's out first trip of many!
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Teen Mom Documentaries
Are shows like MTV’s 16& Pregnant and Teen Mom a true
representation of life as a teen mom? I often get asked this question and my
answer is no, not mine.
An organization for teen moms The Care Center out of Massachusetts is on the mission to represent
life as a teen mom without stipends from major companies. Care Center in Holyoke, Mass is
asking for help from all people that hope to see teen moms represented as they
see fit.
By voting for "Our Reality" on they Good Maker they are hoping to win enough money to create mini
documentary about teen moms out of Boston and showcasing them on their own
website.
To read more about the center and vote click here. Voting
end on July 3rd so VOTE SOON!
Monday, June 18, 2012
Meet Ariella
Briefly introduce yourself. How many children do you have?
How old were they when you had them?
Have you ever heard of 'The Little Mermaid'? Well, supposedly that is where my name originated from 'Ariel' became 'Ariella'. By the age of 19, I was a mother to the two beautiful children I have today! Ezlaryah was born on July 14, 2008 and, Eciason April 4, 2010. Though, there are days I have six children. Yes, SIX! Can you imagine little me tagging along six children? Along with being the best mother in the world to my children, I am a Stylist, aspiring Fashion Designer and Boutique Owner! Which will be opening this month! I am very excited so, be sure to look out for it!
Why do you blog?Starting my blog, Fashion With a Story, I want to share my life experiences as a young mother and fashion dreams with inspiration! Prove that anything is possible, no matter your circumstances. A heart that is true and selfless can conquer anything! Look forward to Style Tips, Frugal Fashion, Mommy Favorites and Beauty Essentials! I hope you enjoy my blog as much as I absolutely love sharing it! Follow my journey and let's see where it takes me! Your love and support would truly mean the world to me. It's a different kind of blog, Fashion with a Story!
Do you feel you being from Hawai’i gives your fashion sense
more diversity?LOVE this question!
Yes, I definitely do! In Hawai'i, I grew up with 'Aloha' attire. Living there,
I do not think I would be caught dead wearing it unless it was for Hula! But, missing
home and ideas constantly being created within me, growing up with this style
and fashion allows me to expand my creativity and diversity in styling and
fashion designs! I saw that you had the opportunity to meet Tia Mowry, how was that?
Yes, I did! She was absolutely gorgeous and her son Cree ADORABLE! Almost made me want another baby. But, if that does happen it's not happening anytime soon! Tia was incredible! You never know what to expect when you meet a celebrity. She was sweet, genuine and precise! She had a little, tiny bit of 'Diva' in her. But, incredibly NICE! I must have gave her three hugs each encounter I had with her! If you are expecting mommy, get her book 'Oh, Baby' it is the best pregnancy guide book you can have! I wish I had it when I was pregnant!
What do you hope to accomplish by the end of this year?
By the end of this
year, I hope to FIRST take my family on a small vacation. It is way over due!
Remember, family always comes first! SECOND, build my Styling Portfolio. THIRD,
retain clientele for my Online Boutique. FOURTH, build followers on my blog,
Fashion with a Story. FIFTH, work and/or attend New York Fashion Week! SIXTH, make
my Fashion Designs come to LIFE! SEVENTH, make a difference in every individual’s
life I meet and encounter!
If you want to learn more about Ariella and her blog head over to Fashion with a Story. Ariella has great budget conscious segments where she shows people how to dress stylish without emptying your back account. Ariella will be sharing her types and advice with Teen Mom NYC as well as our fashion contributor!
Thursday, June 14, 2012
How Bad is a Big Gulp for You?
Needless to say people are upset by BOTH things while others, like myself, agree with them. I mean how bad can a 'Big Gulp' really be for you anyways...? Maybe a few calories right...
Well, it turns out a 44 ounce Big Gulp has only 500 calories.
Not bad, considering you can have 3 Crispy Strips with Green Beans and 3" Corn on the Cob, and a Medium Diet Pepsi for 475 calories from KFC. By drinking a 'Big Gulp' your literally drinking a MEALs worth of calories! Keep in mind that your daily calorie intake should only be 2000-2500.
More calorie sugar filled land-mines can be found here
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
What to Wear on the Job
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| This is NOT okay. |
LADIES! Exposed bra straps are a NO NO especially bedazzled ones. A few other things that are a no no are PLATFORM HEELS. Rule of thumb is: If you've worn 'it' out to the club do NOT wear 'it' to work.
The picture to the right has several strikes against it:
- No open toed shoes at the interview or on the job
- The skirt is way too short
- The skirt is too tight
- The button up shirt is showing too much cleavage
- Don't show any of your arms at a job interview- I don't know if this is a common rule, just one I think is important
- It looks like she put absolutely no effort into her hair.
- Jewelry is too big
- Too much cleavage
You can also get more tips here
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Disney's Diet Change: Says NO to Junk Food.
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| Thank you Disney and Mrs. Obama! |
Maybe Disney's failed effort to show that unhealthy foods were not good for you prompted them to try a larger and better approach.
Why does this make me happy? Because advertisements are a HUGE part of our lives and they sell ideas that products are good, needed and essential to life even when this may not be the case.
The fact that Disney is taking a stance against these type of advertisements says to me, maybe too ideally, that they no longer want to promote products that don't promote healthy things for children.
While some people might say Disney's decision and Bloomberg's ban on 32 ounces sugar drinks are unfair and that trying to control people, I disagree. Just like people have the option to buy into these products while advertised they have the same option when they aren't advertised.
No body seems/seemed to have such a problem with the FEDERAL GOVERNMENT allowing pizza to be counted as a vegetable for child school lunches so why does everyone have a problem with this?
Another thing to consider is if parents have stated they WANTED this than Disney is responding to what their viewers want.
I will officially go on the record and say I COMPLETELY AGREE AND STAND BY DISNEY'S DECISION to BAN unhealthy food advertisements.
To read more about Disney's decision click here
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
NOT EVERYONE IS SKINNY
First, it was H&M finally admitting that their lingerie models were in fact FAKE HUMANS BODIES with real human heads, they are/were computer created 'females.' If this isn't the grossest over exaggeration of the 'perfect body' I don't know what is.
But then I saw a light spark in Israel with a law they created which BANNED the use of UNDERWEIGHT models. I was SO happy to see this and hoped other countries would catch on too. Although the US hasn't made such a law, probably because people will say it's infringing on personal rights or something, major publications are starting to realize that people no longer want to be sold/shown UNrealistic images of how women should look.
Glamour Magazines editor-in-chief Cindi Leive asked readers how they felt about retouching and after the votes were tallied she released this statement,
"Yes, we DO do it—and so do most fashion publications in the age of digital photography, since retouching includes everything from darkening a sky so a headline reads better to keeping models’ nipples from showing through a shirt (done in our March issue—twice!). But as your responses make clear, retouching has its limits—or should—and Glamourplans to take a stronger role in setting ours. You told us you don’t want little things like freckles and scars removed, and we agree; those are the kinds of details that make each woman on the planet unique and beautiful. And while our policy has always been not to alter a woman’s body shape, we’ll also be asking photographers we hire not to manipulate body size in the photos we commission, even if a celebrity or model requests a digital diet (alas, it happens)." (Via: Glamour.com)
Basically saying NO more UNnecessary photoshopping.
Then Vouge and other magazines said they would be following suit. Not sure how long this will last however, I hope it does!
Then Vouge and other magazines said they would be following suit. Not sure how long this will last however, I hope it does!
Now for the reason I finally decided to write this post, Ms. Gabi 'Fresh'. Ms. 'Fresh' is a FULL FIGURED fashion blogger, you know for the majority of America that is treated like a minority? She caused a STORM online for her gallery of Fresh Fatkini Gallery: 31 Hot Sexy Fat Girls in Skimpy Swimwear.
Plus-size 'fatkini' blogger rebuts critics: 'I'm all for health'
While I'm all for health we have to be realistic! Not everyone is SKINNY! Gabi has received lots of positive feedback and some not so positive feedback. Some are saying that she is promoting an unhealthy lifestyle. ... because FAKE, UNDERWEIGHT, CHILDREN in ADULT CLOTHING isn't an unhealthy lifestyle?
I say BULL and these women all look amazing because of their courage and confidence. I'm a size 4 and still felt unforgettable in my bikini on the beach this past weekend.
You can watch Gabi on the Today Show here
As well as more UN-natural photoshops here
REMEMBER YOU ARE ALL AMAZING AND BEAUTIFUL!
You can watch Gabi on the Today Show here
As well as more UN-natural photoshops here
Saturday, June 2, 2012
I Cried
I spent just about all day yesterday CRYING! But they were happy and good tears so it's okay.
However, Glee had me boo wooing all over the place and it didn't help that it was the graduation episode. I had just realized that four year ago I graduated high school to the date and that several of my friends I've made in school (college) graduated yesterday too!
Anyhow, another reason I realized I was a sap was because of Yahoo's amazing little happy place I found called Ultimate Surprise. Basically it's amazing loving people doing amazing and wonderful surprises for an unsuspecting loved one. I've watched several of these however below is the one that really got me going! This couple is too cute!
And who can forget this adorable and humorous proposal. Probably the best thing out of Oregon. lol
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