http://BriefcaseDiva.com

And, join me every Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. EST for DivaTalkRadio.

http://DivaTalkRadio.com

Thank you for following my blog and I look forward to seeing you at my new location.

Until next time…wear you heels well!

Our guests are Tammy Munson of http://NewMediaVA.com; Shannon Smith of http://AppetiteForDesign.com; and TishiaLee of http://TishiaSavesTime.com.

Plan to join us as we chat with these gals.

When: Today, February 18, 2009 @ 2:00 p.m. EST

Where: http://blogtalkradio.com/DivaTalkRadio

Until next time…wear your heels well & I’ll see YOU at the show!

So, join us on Diva Talk Radio as Tammy shares her passions in business, the ups and downs she’s gone through and how she overcame typical obstacles that come with business ownership.  I guarantee that you will be encouraged and uplifted by this truly outstanding woman! Plus, you get a discount too!

When:   February 11, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. EST

Where:  Diva Talk Radio (http://blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio)

Our interactive chat room will be open 10 minutes before airing the show, so log in early as we are expecting a huge crowd!

Until next time…wear your heels well & I’ll see you at the show!

A Truly Outstanding Woman

This week on Diva Talk Radio, I am thrilled to have Tammy Munson as our Featured Guest.  Tammy is by far A Truly Outstanding Woman.  Her dedication as a military wife is motivated by her passion for other military spouses and families.  Because of this dedication, Tammy has created a site to help military spouses thrive and keep their own identity while living the military life.  Along with said site, Tammy blogs about her military life at Army Household6 as well as several other military spouse-focused blogs as an contributing blogger.

In addition to her gig as a military wife, Tammy is a mom of 2 daughters, runs a profitable business, NewMediaVA, is the founder of Business and Learning, she serves as the Colorado Installation Ambassador for Military.com, Technical Coordinator for ParentsZone.org,  founder and coordinator for HelpAServiceMemberOut.org and Military channel Editor for BlissfullyDomestic.com.

Whew! This woman wears me out with all of her involvement.  As you can see, Tammy certainly fits the label as A Truly Outstanding Woman!

So, join us on Diva Talk Radio as Tammy shares her passions in business, the ups and downs she’s gone through and how she overcame typical obstacles that come with business ownership.  I guarantee that you will be encouraged and uplifted by this truly outstanding woman!

When:   February 11, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. EST

Where:  Diva Talk Radio (http://blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio)

Our interactive chat room will be open 10 minutes before airing the show, so log in early as we are expecting a huge crowd!

Until next time…wear your heels well & I’ll see you at the show!

P.S. Be sure to tweet about this show on Twitter! (@krclaypool, @reginasmola, and @tammymunson).

Please be advised that the Diva Talk Radio Show has been canceled for Wednesday, February 4, 2009.  This is due in part to severe ice storms currently affecting Kelli’s area.  Since the show is broadcast live on the Internet, there is a very good possibility that she may not have electric.

Therefore, because your time is valuable, we felt that it would be better to cancel the show than you have you schedule yourself to listen.

However, we have an awesomely-incredible Featured Speaker for the following week, February 11th. So, stay tuned for more exciting information to come.

Thank you for understanding and we look forward to having you join us on Wednesday, February 11th at 2:00 p.m. EST.

So, until next time…wear your heels well!
Kelli & Regina

I want to ask you to take a moment and look around your room. How many items do you see for your kids that were made by you, friends, perhaps bought at a fair or online. How many are homemade or made by smaller companies?

If your house is anything like mine then you have lots of wooden toys, handmade animals and stuffed items, wall decor, clothing, cloth diapers, shoes, hats, scarfs, car seat covers, the list could go on and on that were made by work at home parents or smaller companies. High quality items made with love and attention that no machine or oversea factory can duplicate.

Now all the beloved toys, shoes, pretty hair ties and amazing wall decor are in jeopardy of no longer existing as well know it. The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) is beginning on February 10th, 2009 to enforce new testing laws. As I understand it the new laws will make it so that a hair bow that Sally Jane makes and sells for only $5 will cost her hundreds of dollars to have it tested for lead. Sally Jane uses ribbon and barrettes that she buys from hobby stores and crafts it into beautiful and cute bows for your little girls hair.

Now with this new test Sally would have to pay $75+ for that ONE bow to be tested. I don’t know about you but a $75+ bow for a little girls hair is a little much. It will cause numbers upon numbers of small businesses and hobbiests to no longer do what they love – loosing a source of income and even jobs for the larger of the small businesses. I’m hardely even touching on the snowball effect that this will have, not to mention the millions of dollars worth of product that is already made that will be retroactive under this new law that will be thrown into landfills.

What can you do to help? Still confused as I am?

Join me Wednesday January 28th 2009 at 2pm EST at http://blogtalkradio.com/divatalkradio and listen to some special guests who will help clear up all of this mass amount of information.

Want to act now? Make just 3 phone calls and your voice will be heard!

Call One: Call Rep. Henry Waxman and ask the receptionist to postpone the CPSIA deadlines! Tell them you know only he has the authority to make it happen!
(202) 225-4434

Call Two: Call Nancy Nord of CPSC and ask for help and guidelines for your business under CPSIA
(301) 504-7901

Call Three: Call Chairman of Commerce Com. Senator John D Rockefeller IV – they are fighting for us and let them know how you feel (202) 224-6472

Visit http://child-safety.blogspot.com for more information

–
Alaina Frederick

Dinker & Giggles
Natural Parenting Info & Product Reviews
http://dinkerandgiggles.com

New Show Coming Feb 5th 2009!
http://giggletalkradio.com

Fifth Avenue Web Solutions
Web Hosting & Affiliate Management
http://fifthavenuewebsolutions.com
– New Site To Be Launched 2-1-09–

As many of you know, over the summer my husband, son, and I moved to our farm in the Kentucky mountains.  You see, in April 2008, my husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and was given 18 months at the very best.  We are a family of faith and rest on God’s promises.  For that, we have great peace and are taking a pro-active approach to a cure.  Because of the news that literally brought me to my knees, my husband made the decision that he wanted to spend his time on the farm.  How could I deny him of that?  So, without a second guess, I packed up everything (yes, even my 207 pairs of stilettos!) and we moved 722 miles away.  With this move, I left my daughters behind.

Leaving my daughters was the single most difficult decision that I had to make.  Brandi, my oldest baby girl, was on her own and Britni, my middle baby girl, was in her last years (Junior) of high school.  Moving them to a rural location was not even a question.  They are close to their dad and his family, so it made my decision a little easier (but only a little bit).  You see, I’m a touchy-feely mommy and like to know what’s going on in my kids’ lives.

This past Christmas was pretty hard, since it was the first Christmas without them.  It was a pretty weepy day for me.  However, I talk to my girls 100 times a day and text message even more than that.

So when Brandi said that she was coming up for my birthday, you would think that I won the Kentucky Lottery! I thought my heart was going to leap outside my chest in excitement.  I was counting down the days, the hours, the minutes, and the seconds for her arrival.  Finally, the day came and my baby girl was here!  Brandi, Vinnie (her boyfriend), and Juicy (my new grand-dog) was finally on the farm!  I had three (3) full days to spoil them!

Thursday night, January 22^nd, I was afraid to go to sleep because I didn’t want to miss them coming up the long drive.  Plus, I was too excited to sleep.  All night, I was pacing the floors, calling the cell to check up on them, making various dips for snacks, etc.  I was so anxious for them to get here.  At 5:30 a.m. (Friday) I woke my baby boy to get ready for school.  Then at 6:20 a.m., I took him to the bus stop.  Brandi wasn’t here yet!

At 7:00 a.m., I heard “beep-beep”…my baby girl was here!  YAY!!  After driving all night, she and Vinnie were so tired.  They stayed up long enough to have a quick bite to eat and then they passed out for a few hours.  Honestly, I laid down too…I was pooped!  My grand-dog wasn’t too sure of me or my 65 pound black lab.

Around noon, the kids got up and Jules (they call him “Pop”) made lunch.  My dad and stepmom came down to visit and we spent the next few hours getting caught up on things.  I have to say, I really, REALLY like Vinnie.  This is the second time that I’ve met him, but the first time that I really got to know him.  He’s very good to my daughter, which is good because she can be a little high maintenance at times (obviously, gets that from her dad! Heehee!)

Later that afternoon, we decided to go hiking in the woods and cave exploring.  We really have some great places to see and explore in mine & my dad’s own backyard.  It’s amazing!  Okay, to be honest the hike kicked my butt!  Up and down the ‘hollers’ was intensive and proved that I’m out of shape.  Urg! We spent the evening watching movies and snacking on chips & dip.

Saturday morning (my birthday) we decided to go to Bowling Green to yet another cave.  This time an actual attraction.  After the cave, we shopped, ate, shopped some more, and…well…okay, we ate some more too!  Saturday night, we were in bed early.  Totally pooped from two days of strenuous activities.

Sunday, my parents took us to Lake Cumberland Lodge for dinner.  This place was gorgeous.  We had our meal overlooking this incredible lake.  The atmosphere was breathtaking, the food was delicious, and the company was priceless!

Sadly, before I knew it, it was Sunday night and my time with my girl was just about over.  I begged them to stay a few more days.  However, I knew they needed to return home and get back to their routine.  So, this morning came, we kissed and said our goodbyes, and I watched them leave.  I have to say, I was pretty weepy.

The last three days have been incredible.  Vinnie is a great guy and I’m thrilled that he is in my daughter’s life.  Juicy, my grand-dog (a min pin) is a hyper little thing (only 2 lbs) and hops around like a rabbit.  I completely fell in love with her and spoiled her every chance I got.  She loved “grand-mommy” because I would slip her bacon and sausage and chips and other goodies.  My daughter would kill me if she knew.  Hey, I’m grand-mommy…I’m allowed to do that!

Well, thank you for sharing this time with me.  I wish each of you were here to enjoy our time together.  Maybe next time!  Just be sure to bring your hiking boots. 

Until next time…wear your heels well!

There are many contributing factors. First, it seems likely that we have a genetic disposition to store more fat as winter approaches. Many animals do this and it was probably vital to survival for our ancestors. Extra layers of fat on the body protect us against the cold and then can be used as fuel in the late winter and early spring when food stocks would historically be very low. We probably have a tendency to eat more in the fall, when food is plentiful after harvest time, to help this process along. We may also unconsciously choose foods that are higher in fat content at this time.

Hormone levels can also influence our weight gain. The interaction of hormones and other chemicals in the brain can bring about variations in appetite and cravings. Some neurotransmitters can also influence the way we eat. People who are overweight often have low levels of these neurotransmitters and the results can include excessive appetite, depression and sleep disorders. At the same time, the lack of daylight caused by the shortening days during late fall and winter can bring on seasonally affected disorder or winter depression.

One of the quickest ways to give a boost to the energy levels and emotions is to eat high carbohydrate foods including sugar treats, chips and cereals that give us a fast blood sugar ‘fix’. So people who feel low in the winter will tend to overeat or eat the wrong foods, leading to weight gain, more depression and a vicious cycle that is hard to break.

So altogether there are many reasons why we eat more high carbohydrate foods such as cookies, pies and chocolate in the winter, and of course most of these foods also contain high levels of fats. The best way to handle this is generally to substitute other foods that are also high in carbohydrate so that we get what our body craves, but which have low fat content and plenty of fiber. This means potatoes, wholegrain bread without butter, wholegrain rice, cereals, and fresh whole fruit.

It is also important to take more exercise. Often our physical activity levels drop in the winter and we have a tendency to want to stay home and rest. This is natural when it is cold outside. But we are not cavemen! We have heating in our homes and can be sure that there will still be plenty of food in the stores come February. We do not need to stow fat the way that they did. Sign up with a gym or get a stationary bicycle for the den. Transform those carbs into energy now instead of keeping it on the waistline until spring. Winter weight gain is easily avoidable this way.

Until next time…wear your heels well!