Claiming my blog + update

This is just a post for claiming my blog on BlogLovin' and also a quick update.

1. The claim... if this works you'll see a link to follow me on BlogLovin' below and I will be pleased.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

2. I'm working on getting back into blogging again after a too long unintended hiatus. I will be posting here shortly but my initial focus will be The Procrastinate Reader (aka TPR: A Different Kind of Book Blog). Especially on TPR I have a lot of things coming up including 3 reviews, 2 event recaps, author interviews, and much more! It's going to be a very busy November provided I can get my act together and find a way to focus on more things than just awesome TV (I plan to post about some of my new faves here on Rockin' Randomness) and bookish Twitter. So here on Rockin' Randomness I will be posting about TV, misadventures with friends, ranting about switching my phone plan (oh the joy that went on), and maybe even a few guest posts and links to guest posts on other's blogs! But more on all that later...

Hope this post finds all my followers well. Comments that aren't spam are always appreciated! Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Bloglovin' (obvs), Google Plus, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, and TPR on WordPress.

Time for bed.
Good night everybody!
See you soon!

Everyday Habits That Are Hurting Your Bank

In the January 28th, 2015 edition of Healthy Living From Everyday Health I found this article on back pain. Chronic neck and back pain are common, but do you realize that your everyday bad habits can be making your pain worse? Your muscles are used to the constant slouching and other bad patterns you’ve developed, which can eventually lead to pain. But taking better care of your back is easy once you replace your bad habits with healthy ones.

1. You Don’t Have a Healthy Diet
   Being overweight puts extra pressure on your joints and nerves. Not only will eating a balanced diet make your heart healthier, but it can also help reduce inflammation, which can trigger pain.
2. You Live in High Heels
   They force your back to arch, which makes the muscles in your back work overtime. High heels also throw off your balance big time. Consider wearing more comfortable shoes.
3. You Have Poor Posture
   Years of poor posture can really do a number on your back. Whether you’re on your feet or hunching over your computer all day, it’s hard to find relief from your pain. Do some stretching and sit/stand up straight.
4. You Don’t Do Yoga
   Increased stress levels can actually trigger chronic pain. Through different poses and breath work, yoga helps to promote deep relaxation, which can help your mind—and your back—feel at ease.
5. You’re Sleeping on a Mattress from the 20th Century
   Old mattresses can cause you to wake up with aches and pains because they don’t offer the support you need to keep your back in proper alignment. Consider replacing your mattress every 10 years.
6. Your Backpack or Purse Is Too Heavy
   The American Chiropractic Association recommends that your backpack or purse weigh no more than 10% of your total body weight. Any more than that and it could be hurting your back badly. In addition to cleaning out your backpack or purse, try to switch off which shoulder you carry it on. If you always wear the strap on your one shoulder, your shoulders become unbalanced, which can make your back pain even worse. You also may want to invest in a messenger bag which goes over your head and slopes over one shoulder therefore distributing the weight more evenly. 
   

Why I haven't been around much

I haven't been blogging here a whole lot yet due to the following factors:

1. Life has been getting in my way
2. Part of life is adulting which involves running errands for other people
3. Been getting distracted by a cute puppy (I do love puppy sitting!)
4. Trying to catch up on recorded shows so the DVR doesn't reach 100% and explode deleting shows others have recorded
5. Bookish stuff (bookish Twitter chats, giveaways, reading, blogging on The Procrastinate Reader [shameless plug haha])

Speaking of my other blog...

• Been lining up interviews
• Lined up a few guest posters
• Have 3 posts up and hopefully more soon
• It's making me anxious
• I want to post at least once to twice a week
• I want the posts to vary (review, book hauls, author interview, blogger interview, other interviews) but I'm finding I have more interviews than anything ATM (I really don't want to post all the same type all at once)
• I'm stoke because I just scored an interview with my first BookTuber!!!!
• Bookitcon is tomorrow- hoping to put up a review of the event within a week following!

About Me

Hi, I'm Rockin' Rita! I got my nickname freshman year in high school from my World Civ teach Mr. Steele who also happened to be a musician. I refused to take my headphones off from around my neck in class so he have me my nickname which has stuck since. Books and music consume me! Been obsessed with them both for as long as I can remember! I also consider myself a bit of a foodie and love posting pix of my food! I enjoy watching TV. Favorite things are (mis)adventures w/ friends & helping people! I love finding ways to make a difference! Find me around the web @RockinRita03. I have Instagram, Pinterest, a Tumblr O' Randomness, YouTube, Twitter, GoodReads, Wattpad-- all the majors. I also have a facebook page for my blogs. you know you wanna like it! http://facebook.com/RockinRitaBlogs

Looking for all kinds of people to interview for The Procrastinate Reader (http://rockinrita03.wordpress.com) - authors, fellow book bloggers, bookstagramers, booktubers, booklrs, readers. Also interested in having guest posters and reviewing books. Easiest way to get in touch with me is a Twitter DM as I'm most likely to respond to that method the quickest!

Also have another blog I've recently relaunched. Rockin' Randomness can be found on Blogger at http://rockinrita03.blogspot.com.

Adulting

ugh! I'm so sick of adulting!

I've been organizing my freaking finances all day and trying to pay my bills. :'( And it's all while puppysitting. Little Mr. Shamus doesn't get why I'm not spending a lot of time and attention on him like I usually do when I watch him :-( On the bright side, Shamus doesn't have an upset tummy today like he sometimes is prone to when his mommy isn't around. Also I feel like I've accomplished a lot! I did want to officially launch The Procrastinate Reader over on Wordpress but that may not happen. I figured I'd turn this into a post here on Rockin' Randomness since I was already venting out on Twitter.

Ok, uhhh...Welcome to the relaunch of this blog. More randomness to come. Don't worry, most of it will be fun. I promise! Also coming soon, a guest post from fellow blogger Bookish Fangirl!

Well, back to adulting I go...and here comes the puppy...LOL

A Super Green Smoothie

Ok so I'm not really super health conscious but I like to attempt to eat healthily. I'm completely addicted to Pinterest these days and have come across so many recipes for avocados and smoothies. I recently got a bunch of avocados and am getting tired of having them just one way- on toast with sea salt. Found lots of great avocado recipes on Pinterest (see here) including more than a few yummy smoothies.

To me that sounded like a fantastic way to get more fruits and veggies in without trying too hard. After researching extensively to try to find one combining ingredients I had in my fridge I found several but none had all I was looking to combine. So the little genius I am decided to combine several recipes and kind of come up with my own. It tastes really good but I think maybe more avocado might be nice.

Try it for yourself and let me know what you think. By all means tailor it to your dietary needs and/or use what you have hiding in that fridge of yours.

Ingredients:

• ½ c almond milk, coconut milk/water, or plain yogurt (I used vanilla almond milk)
• lime juice
• ¼ avocado, pitted
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 kiwi, chopped
• ½ cucumber, peeled or not
• 2 tsp honey
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ice

Optional Ingredients:

• handful spinach or kale
• 1 apple and/or pear, cored and chopped
• 1 banana
• handful green grapes
• ½ mango, cored and chopped
• 3-4 slices pineapple, cored and chunked
• cilantro or parsley (help get heavy metals out of your body)
• 2 tbsp chia seeds

How to Make:

1. Place liquid, avocado, spinach in a blender. Blend on low speed until smooth.
2. Add celery, pear, apple and herbs and blend at high speed.
3. Add banana, pineapple, and lime juice and end with frozen fruit or ice and chia seeds (if using)
4. Blend on high speed until smooth
5. Transfer into tall glasses

Remember a Visionary- The Tweeted Version

With the passing of Apple visionary and fmr CEO Steve Jobs I thought it only fitting to post tweets about him, his death, and the impact he left on this world. If you have any words to describe what Jobs meant to you or if you think everything he did has no impact and this is just overrated please comment on this post!

*These tweets come from only verified accounts and the occasional few from fans.
All tweets are from the same acct unless otherwise noted before the tweet.*

@TIME: Statement from Jobs' family: "Steve died peacefully today surrounded by his family" | http://ti.me/oOxha4 (via @Techland)
Apple CEO Tim Cook: Steve Jobs' "spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple" | http://ti.me/oOxha4 (via @Techland)
WATCH: Steve Jobs' career in two minutes | http://ti.me/nUKoyx
Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg: "Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend" | http://ti.me/oOxha4 (via @Techland)
Google's Sergey Brin: "Steve, your passion for excellence is felt by anyone who has ever touched an Apple product" | http://ti.me/oOxha4
A sign outside of a Manhattan Apple store. #SteveJobs http://instagr.am/p/POMVx/
President Obama: "Steve was among the greatest of American innovators" | http://ti.me/oOxha4 (via @Techland)
Google's Larry Page: "He was a great man with incredible achievements and amazing brilliance" | http://ti.me/oOxha4 (via @Techland)
The world-changer: Steve Jobs knew what we wanted | http://ti.me/n5K3UU(via @Techland)
Disney CEO Robert Iger: "Despite all he accomplished, it feels like he was just getting started" | http://ti.me/oOxha4 (via @Techland)
Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang: "Steve was my hero growing up" | http://ti.me/oOxha4
Steve Jobs at Apple: Master inventor, master marketer | http://ti.me/ol0qdu (via @Techland)
Top 10 Apple moments | http://ti.me/r5NTqQ
Steve Jobs, the TIME interviews | http://ti.me/pvCRCR (via @TIMENewsFeed)
Our official obit: "Technology's Great Reinventor: Steve Jobs (1955–2011)" | http://ti.me/qS2O5Z
The 10 products that defined Steve Jobs' career at Apple | http://ti.me/pW0PZN (via @Techland)
@jeffreykluger: The world is a less smart, elegant and insanely creative place tonight. Farewell, Steve Jobs. #stevejobs
"The world is immeasurably better because of Steve." Read more of Apple's statement on @Techland | http://ti.me/oOxha4
@TIME: PHOTOS: The long, extraordinary career of Steve Jobs | http://ti.me/oTXqjM
Steve Jobs' TIME covers | http://ti.me/rjyhqy
Twitter's Dick Costolo: Jobs didn't "just raise the bar," he created "an entirely new standard of measurement" | http://ti.me/oOxha4
@CNNMoney: #SteveJobs challenged #Apple's rivals to build better products. It's thanks to him we're where we are today. cnnmon.ie/ofvg3k
@YahooNews: Key dates from the life and work of Apple visionary Steve Jobs: http://yhoo.it/nXypoP
@STcom: Steve Jobs: From dropout to Apple visionary http://bit.ly/nlcL0N
@dedydahlan: Steve Jobs gave us Apple. Now you go plant your seeds and grow our own Fruit! #passion
@SFGate: Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford commencement address captured spirit of a legend. Watch it here: http://sfg.ly/mZ8GFQ
@GOOD: What Apple needs to do to survive without Steve Jobs' vision. http://su.pr/2ha5IE #RIPSteveJobs

@sussannekroshan: Steve jobs..the genius maestro of our times; the man who made one thing crystal clear that truly an apple a day helps keep d madness away★

H3dicho: I want to put a ding in the universe. Steve Jobs ---> And he did ... RIP 1955- 2011 bit.ly/ovaQWo #stevejobs

@cultofmac: Tim Cook's email to Apple employees arstechnica.com/apple/news/201…

@applenws: AppleInsider | Microsoft's Gates, Disney's Iger & more comment on passing of Steve Jobs appleinsider.com/articles/11/10…

Steve Jobs: “Death Is The Destination We All Share” tcrn.ch/nt6mXp  #stevejobs

RIP Steve Jobs 1955-2011 http://bit.ly/ovaQWo

Steve Jobs, Apple’s Visionary, Dies at 56 http://nyti.ms/p23FMV

@TIME: New York Mayor Bloomberg: "America lost a genius who will be remembered with Edison and Einstein" | http://ti.me/oOxha4

You Are Not Alone!

Tomorrow September 10th is Suicide Awareness Day. You might not know someone personally who have committed suicide, but I am sure you have heard about someone who has. Yellow is the color of suicide prevention. For one-day let's all stop thinking just about ourselves and start thinking about others, too. Wear yellow and/or write "You're not alone" on your arm to show people they are not alone in this world and you are here to help. Suicide is a tragic death. People around you that you do not even know could have tried ending their life at one point, or more then once. All I am asking is for one day please wear yellow and show people they are not alone! Post this on facebook, twitter, everyone... help spread the word around the world! You are never alone, even if you feel like you are. God will always be there to listen, Whether you believe in Him or not, He will always be there!

Dream As Big As You Can

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do." - Eleanor Roosevelt

Today is a very important day in American History. The History Channel and Florida's Natural posted about today on their facebook pages. The new Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial was unveiled this week in Washington, D.C., and today is Dream Day- the day that marks the 48th anniversary of the March on Washington and King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Find out more about the civil rights hero here: http://bit.ly/qB46O3

In honor of Dream Day and MLK, Jr., what is your greatest dream? If you could do one thing to change the world, what would it be? What steps can you take to achieve your dream?

Fun w/ Hurricane Irene

It's obviously no fun being in the brunt of a hurricane, but who says we have to be bored? Let's create our own hurricane party mix in honor of Irene..what songs should be included? Let's keep it completely themed. But don't be afraid to be creative and have fun with it. E.g. change the lyrics to a song to make it fit, change the title, etc. Check out my other blogs, my twitter, and Rockin Rita's Blogs for more! Check out the following twitter hashtags: #hurricanemix #huricanemusic, #huricanemusicmix #hurricanepartymix #irenemix #mixforirene #replacesongnamewithirene #replacesongtitlewithirene #hurricaneirene

Let's start w/ Kentucky Rain.

Oprah Talks About Life Lessons

The day has finally come. Today marks the ending of an era and the turning of a page. The Oprah Winfrey Show is ending. She talks to us about about life lessons and "Callings" and "Worthiness." In my personal opinion, today's episode is the most poignant and prominent, special and inspiring episode of all. I am proud to say I am truly a fan of Oprah and I recognize that while I may not have seen many episodes she has somehow still managed to reach through my tv screen over the years and touch me and change me for the better. Thank you Oprah. This blog entry is dedicated to you and the lessons you have taught us all and will continue to teach us. Here are some of the words of wisdom the great Oprah Winfrey shared with us today as she called it a "love letter" to us, her fans. Enjoy everyone and feel free to comment even if you are not a member of this blogging platform. This will also get posted to networkedblogs, my facebook homepage and fan page, and my twitter too.

As she came out on stage, Oprah said "After 25 years, I am still saying thank you America. Thank you so much. there are no words to match this moment. Every word I have ever spoken from the stage of The Oprah Show...is what this moment is all about... When I came here I was about to turn 30 years old. I didn't have a vision, or a lot of great expectations that we talk about all the time. I didn't have one. I just wanted to do a good job and cause no harm... I wanted to encourage you to be yourselves just as you all encouraged me and cheered me on... Soon after I started this show something shifted for me. I started this show as a job. It was not long before I understood there was something else going on here- more than just job satisfaction. Something in me connected with each of you in a way that allowed me to see myself in you and you in me. I listened and grew and I knew you did too. Sometimes I was a teacher and more often, you taught me. It is no coincidence that I always wanted to be a teacher and I ended up in the world's biggest classroom. And this, my friends, will be our last class from this stage.

"This last hour is really about me saying thank you. It is my love letter to you. I want to leave you with the lessons the have been the anchor for my life and the ones that I hold most precious." She explains how she never missed a day in 25 years simply because it is what she was called to do. "Every day that I stood here I knew that this was exactly where I was supposed to be... I showed up because I knew that you were waiting- you were waiting for whatever we had to offer. That is why I never missed a day in 25 years, because you were here."

Even if you never read another blog entry of mine ever again I hope you find something you can learn from this. I just want "to do a good job and cause no harm," as Oprah said.

LIFE LESSONS
(Oprah's commencement speech to Standford U-quotes)

“Walk through life eager and open to self-improvement,” she told the audience. “I believe that there’s a lesson in almost everything that you do and every experience, and getting the lesson is how you move forward.” She advised graduates to follow their “emotional guidance systems” and to trust their hearts. At 22, Winfrey endured a news anchor job that left her feeling miserable. A forced move to talk show hosting, she recalled, was like coming home.“The moment I sat down, doing that talk show, it felt like breathing,” she said. “It felt right…When you’re doing the work you’re meant to do, it feels right and every day is a bonus, regardless of what you’re getting paid. You want your work to be meaningful,” she said. “Because meaning is what brings the real richness to your life.”

Winfrey’s second lesson to graduates emphasized learning from failures. She described her founding of a school for girls in South Africa last year. Heralded by the media upon the school’s opening, Winfrey’s hopes were dampened when one of the dorm matrons was charged for sexual abuse last fall. Winfrey said she was devastated, but took the setback as a lesson to reassess her priorities. “I understand now the mistakes I made, because I had been paying attention to all of the wrong things,” she said, citing her focus on the school’s physical appearance. “I’d built that school from the outside in, when what really mattered was the inside out.”

Finally, Winfrey implored graduates to stand for something larger than their individual selves in order to find happiness. "To move forward, you have to give back. And to me, that is the greatest lesson of all,” she remarked. Whatever the graduates’ callings, Winfrey emphasized, operating from the paradigm of service would bring more value to their lives. “If you choose to offer your skills and talents in service,” she said, “it turns everything you do from a job into a gift. And I know you haven’t spent all this time at Stanford just to go out and get a job.”

CALLINGS

Oprah talks about having passion and everybody having a calling. "What I learned from this experience with you is that we all are called- everybody has a calling- and your real job in life is to figure out what that is and get about doing it...That is what a calling is. It lights you up and lets you know that that is exactly where you are supposed to be, doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing. And that is what I want for all of you- and hope that you will take from this show to live from the heart of yourself. You have to make a living, I understand that, but you also have to know what sparks the light in you so that you in your own way can illuminate the world."

Her "Live Your Best Life" pitch continues: "Each one of you has your own platform. Do not let the trappings here move you.Mine is a stage and a studio, yours is wherever you are- within your own reach...[We can influence co-workers, friends, etc.] Wherever you are that is own platform... That is your talk show and that is where your power lies. Every way and everyday you are showing people exactly who you are. You are letting your life speak for you. And when you do that you will receive in direct proportion to how you give on whatever platform you have. Of course, I know the circumstances are all different for all of us but the power I know is all the same."

So, I thought to myself, is this really going to be an hour of Oprah giving an empowerment seminar? Personally I'm kind of glad that this is how she ended it. Truthfully, I may have been hoping for more of her usual...but it was after all just about her embracing her fans.

People don't have to do things that make them famous to be of service, she notes. "We're all confused about fame versus service in this country," she says. Don't waste any more time, Start embracing the life that is calling you, Oprah urges.

OMG! What happened?!

I received this blog post in my email and I knew I should share with all my followers. This is a guest post by Sarah from The Blog Guidebook.

Last week some of us faced unfamiliar territory...Blogger was not functioning. Our readers wouldn't know it because they could still see our blog and interact. But we knew it, didn't we? It is so frustrating trying to work behind the scenes on your blog and not being able to. Apparently it was only a small percentage of users affected, but I happened to be one of them. And I have been known to boast about Blogger's exceptional track record when it comes to down time. Blogger was number one when it came to zero down time people! Now, not so much. This "down time" gave me time to go look at Wordpress blogs....(traitor!).  But still, jumping ship right before Blogger makes its big reveal seems like a silly thing to do...I want to see what the new Blogger has to offer me. Will there be more features that are amazing? There better be! You can stay on top of known issues for Blogger by going here. Blogger also posts when problems have been fixed. It might be a good idea to bookmark Known Issues.

Were you affected by Blogger's down time? Did you even notice it wasn't working? If you didn't, then I'm happy for you!

Photobucket has had a few hiccups lately too...Photobucket hosts images, and when they are down, the images are down too...you can literally have a blank slate to look at for as long as 3 days (and longer). Read an article from a fellow blogger here.

Now, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. These are guidelines you might want to follow simply as preventative measures...back it up! Even if you're not on Blogger, these tips will be good for you.

Prior to an outage - we might get a warning or notice of "updates" to be performed

• Back Up Your Blog:  Yes, you should back it up on a regular basis. Especially if you’re thinking of starting a  site redesign or moving to a different blogging platform.
• Keep A Copy Of Your Posts - OFFLINE: Think about keeping an offline copy of your posts, in case something happens to your host (ie. Blogger) and they revert to an earlier version of your blog.This may take some time, you'll have to copy and paste all your posts into a text file, but it will be well worth it!

During an Outage - stay calm and carry on

• Keep Your Readers in the know: Let your readers know via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc that your site is down and you are unable to make changes, write posts etc. Ask them to check back soon, be patient, and send you feedback about their experiences with possible outages.
• Use Social Media to Run Anything on Deadline: If you have a sponsorship deadline, a contest to run, or just about anything else that needs to happen while your site is down, try taking it to social media. Get your followers active and still participating with your site, even if it’s down.

After an Outage - jump up and down in delight

• Read Your Blog: If anything looks different, or the layout has changed, go in and repair the damages.
• Inform Your Readership: Tell your readers you're back up and running. You are back in the captain's seat!
• Get back to blogging: Start back to your regularly scheduled programming, I mean posting. This way your readers will know you are cool and calm in the face of blogging dangers. Then back up your blog - again!

Some blogs have been known to disappear into the Bermuda Triangle too. Read this Google page to find out what you can do if you're one of the Lost. And, did you know that Blogger can delete your blog without informing you? Google hates spam, so don't have a blog about spam (canned ham?). Another good reason to back up your blog, right?

Read all Terms here.

Termination; Suspension. Google may, in its sole discretion, at any time and for any reason, terminate the Service, terminate this Agreement, or suspend or terminate your account. In the event of termination, your account will be disabled and you may not be granted access to your account or any files or other content contained in your account although residual copies of information may remain in our system for some time for back-up purposes. Sections 2, 3, 5 - 8, and 10 - 15 of the Agreement, along with applicable provisions of the general Terms of Service (including the section regarding limitation of liability), shall survive expiration or termination.

Remember to Keep Blogging and Backing Up!

Sometimes you just gotta let it out!!

Hey fans and friends! Do you ever get so frustrated that you scream? What about when you are bored? Take a look at what my friend Sally does. What do you do to deal with all the anger and frustration in your lives?

What I Am

Ok so I got an early wake up call this morning and after the call I had a bit of insomnia. I turned on the tv and began channel surfing. I hadn't gotten too far when all of a sudden I heard this song and I just had to stop. The song has such a positive message and I just love it. Turns out I was watching Sesame Street. Who knew all these years after I stopped watching it I'd be tuning in again and enjoying it?! Needless to say after it was over I immediately started up my computer and searched for it on youtube.

In the music video, Will.I.Am sings, "If what I am is what’s in me, then I’ll stay strong that’s who I’ll be," presumably sending a message to kids on the value of individuality and self-assurance, but if you ask me it's a great message for everyone. Singing and dancing with him include popular Sesame Street characters Big Bird, Elmo, Grover, the Cookie Monster, Bert, and Ernie.

Hope you enjoy this video as much as I did.

In Remembrance of a Legend

The world has once again lost a true Hollywood legend. Actress, Elizabeth Taylor, died early Wednesday morning of Congestive Heart Failure.

Beginning as a child star then throughout her adulthood, she was known for her acting talent, glamour, beauty, love of jewelery, and striking violet eyes; as well as a much publicized private life that included eight marriages, several life-threatening illnesses, and decades spent as a social activist, championing the cause of AIDS awareness, research and cure. Taylor, a two-time winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress, is considered one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age. The American Film Institute named Taylor seventh on its Female Legends list. 

Taylor struggled with health problems much of her life,and many times newspaper headlines announced that she was close to death. She is known to have smoked cigarettes into her mid-fifties and feared she had lung cancer in October 1975 after an X-ray showed spots on her lungs; she was later found not to have the disease. She broke her back five times, had both her hips replaced, survived a benign brain tumor operation and skin cancer, and faced life-threatening bouts with pneumonia twice, one of which (1961), resulted in an emergency tracheotomy. In the 1980s, she received treatment for alcoholism. She was treated for drug addiction at the now infamous Betty Ford Clinic in 1983, and again from the autumn of 1988 until early 1989. In November 2004, she announced that she had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure, a progressive condition in which the heart is too weak to pump sufficient blood throughout the body, particularly to the lower extremities, the ankles, and feet. She used a wheelchair and when asked about it stated that she had osteoporosis and was born with scoliosis. In 2009 she underwent cardiac surgery to replace a leaky valve. In February 2011, new symptoms related to congestive heart failure caused her to be admitted into Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles for treatment, where she remained until her death at age 79 on March 23, 2011, surrounded by her four children. -Wikipedia

Liz was a leading child star by the age of 12 after her performance in MGM's National Velvet. It wasn't long before she was knocking critics dead as a serious adult actress with films like Giant, Raintree County and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. She reigned the box office as the quintessential movie star taking the breath away from viewers with her glamorous looks and those velvet eyes... See full bio on IMDb »

Born:Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor  February 27, 1932 in Hampstead, London, England, UK
Died:March 23, 2011 (age 79) in Los Angeles, California, USA

Elizabeth Taylor is considered one of the last, if not the last major star, to have come out of the old Hollywood studio system. And not just any studio, the top of the heap: MGM. Her early movies, as a child in the early 1940s, starred such Hollywood luminaries as Orson Welles and Spencer Tracy. She quickly grew up, however, and by 1950 was, if not starring in, assuming major responsibilities for the success of motion pictures she appeared in. Then with major roles onscreen, came worldwide attention off-screen, most notably due to a succession of famous and/or rich husbands and a series of health crises throughout her life. To put it simply, Elizabeth Taylor has lived a life far more exciting and dramatic than any movie she's ever appeared in and probably most any other movie you could name. She's known internationally for her beauty, especially for those violet eyes, with which she captured audiences early on in her youth and has kept the world hooked on ever since. She's won the Oscar twice and she's earned her place in and out of the sun.- IMDb 

Wednesday on "The View", Barbara Walters opened the show with a few clips from their conversations to honor her friend, the Oscar winner and social activist. One clip, from 1999, showcased Taylor's trademark humor. Walters inquired what the actress wanted on her tombstone, to which she responded, "Here lies Liz. She lived. Wait, no...Here lies Elizabeth. She hated being called Liz. But she lived," she said with a laugh.

"She had a sense of humor so bawdy that I’d say 'really, did that just come out of your mouth?'" "The View's" Whoopi Goldberg recalled. "She was a great broad and a great friend."

Walters agreed that in addition to being a great actress, Taylor could be "very salty," but that's also what everyone loved about her.

A special edition of "Nightline" featuring Barbara Walters: "Remembering Elizabeth Taylor" aired on Wednesday night, March 23 on ABC at 11:35pm.

All these comcast service interruptions are ridiculous. Everything is out- phone,tv,internet,mobile internet. 2 days in a row! comcastisannoying

I was looking for some safer (and cheaper) ways to clean ordinary household items when I came across these tips.  For more helpful tips click here. Do you have any tips please feel free to share! I'd love to hear them!

What's for dinner tonight?

If you are anything like me and have a lot of time on your hands today you will be glued to your computer. Why? you ask. You mean you haven't heard?! Well, then, let me fill you in. Today is Swagbucks' third birthday. So what? you say. Well they are throwing a huge bash and are just throwing away tons of swag bucks all day long. Plus they will be finishing off their cryptogram that has been going on all week. They will give you the final letter and instructions on how to solve it for a swagcode that is bound to be worth big bucks! If you aren't a member of swagbucks yet, today is the day to sign up! You get 30SB right away if you sign up (as always), but you will get a bonus 50SB if you enter a special code (available only to new members)! For more info on the "Birthday Swag-a-thon" as I like to call it and info on how to sign up for SwagBucks please check out the latest entry of my other blog Rockin Tips.

So now back to the point. If you are going to be glued to your computer you aren't going to have much time to plan a dinner for the family. That's where this entry will come in handy. I found this recipe through SwagBucks TV videos and thought today would be the perfect day to post it. Enjoy.

Creamy Chicken Florentine

prep time 10 min

total time 22 min

makes 4 servings, 1-1/4 cups each

photo by:

kraft

What You Need

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 cup  halved red pepper strips

1 pkg. (6 oz.) baby spinach leaves

1 tub  (10 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Savory Garlic Cooking Creme

2 cups hot cooked penne pasta

2 Tbsp.  toasted pine nuts

Make It

COOK chicken and peppers in large nonstick skillet on medium heat 5 to 6 min. or until chicken is done. Add spinach; cook and stir 2 to 3 min. or until wilted. Drain all but 1 Tbsp. liquid.
ADD cooking creme; cook and stir 3 min.
STIR in pasta; top with nuts.

Kraft Kitchens Tips

Substitute uncooked deveined peeled medium shrimp for the chicken; cook and stir 2 to 3 min. or until shrimp turn pink. Continue as directed.

Smart Shopping Tips That Really Pay Off

Grocery Shopping Tips That Pay

When grocery shopping, it’s amazing how quickly items in your grocery cart can pile up, along with your bill. But if you apply a little know-how to your weekly grocery run, you can save some time and money. And those are two things we could all use more of. Here are some tricks of the trade that’ll pay off on your next trip to the store.

Find Real Sales
Your local grocery store probably has a variety of items on sale at any given time. If you do your research and really get to know the prices in your favorite stores you will get to know what is the real sale and what isn't. And if you find something on sale, buy a lot of it, especially when you have coupons. It may take you a little over your budget, but will add up in the long run. Of course, only buy bulk items that you know you’ll use and have room for. 

Items To Buy In Bulk

·	Baby, flushable, hand sanitizing wipes: Trust me, you can never have too many of these handy little things. They are great for cleaning hands, rear ends, wiping up spills, changing diapers, and more.   Cleaning products: Whether or not you buy Lysol wipes or sponges or whatever other spray you know you are always going to need them so why not stock up while they're cheap?
·	Diapers: Speaking of diapers, buying diapers in bulk is always a great idea. There’s nothing worse than running out at 2 a.m. Just make sure you don’t underestimate how quickly babies grow. They are also great for little kids dolls and house training puppies, not to mention older dogs who occasionally have issues.
·	Shampoo, soap, and wash: This is something you will need for years to come that has a long shelf life. A truly great bulk purchase.   Other great products to stock up on: toilet paper, paper towels, non-perishable dry foods that don't have an expiration date (oats, plain rice, boxed pasta, tea bags, coffee beans, etc), light bulbs, AA/AAA batteries (smoke detectors and many remote controls use them- just don't buy too many cos they do have expiration dates and will eventually leak), identical dog/cat toys (if your pets are anything like mine they sometimes destroy their favorite toys so have that replacement ready), underwear, bras, socks, plain under shirts, school/office supplies, air fresheners, etc.

Another tip: When it comes to prepackaged bags of produce, buy the heaviest one. They are usually priced per package, so you won’t have to pay for that extra few ounces of food tucked inside.

Save Time
Keep an ongoing grocery list handy. Add items when you think of them, so you’ll be sure to pick up everything you need in one trip. Keep the list in your purse so you can’t forget it. And if there’s a recipe that you want to make, bring it with you. No need to spend valuable time writing down all those ingredients on your list.

Quickly go down every aisle, so do you don’t miss anything and have to go back to that section. This will save you time hunting-and-pecking around for items. And the best time-saving tip: Avoid grocery shopping on Sundays, especially Sunday evenings. It’s their busiest time and will guarantee that you stand in line longer.

Use Coupons Like They Are Going Out Of Style
If you’re not using coupons, you’re throwing money out the window. Take a few minutes each week to clip coupons and print off of the internet and keep them organized in your coupon box. An index/recipe card box works great. Other great options are expandable file folders and binders with sheet protectors and section dividers. It’ll take a little prep time, but will be quite handy once you get to the store. Keep your coupon box in your car, so if you’re running errands, you’ll always have it with you.

Share coupons with your friends, family and neighborhood. You can easily start a sharing program by setting up a coupon basket at your local library, child’s school or doctor’s office, where you can take the coupons you need and add extra ones that you don’t. It’s easy to do and everyone will benefit.

The Payoff

With a little strategy and preparation, you can save big. All you have to do is shop on the right day, bring your list, look for true sales and use your coupons. Eventually you'll have a pantry, garage, and/or laundry room full of supplies and stuff you use everyday if you shop smart. These little things will add up to big savings in time, money, and energy!