We all have experienced at least once in our lives, a special someone who just isn’t that into Valentine’s Day. You know the type who doesn’t need “the man” to make him spread commercialized loving gestures one day out of the year. We at Loc’d Ladie can understand that concern and offer a few ways to celebrate love year round.
Here are a few examples from our staff:
Getting a hug from your spouse while you are doing dishes.
Holding hands in public after 30 years of being together.
Is to send your loved one or partner a loving email or text to let them know that you are thinking about them.
I express love for my daughter by saying I love you with a good morning kiss and a kiss goodnight.
Get a little close with your significant other helps keep the spark alive. By lessening the physical distance and being flirtatious will let your partner feel more noticed and appreciated.
Show love to yourself by taking ownership of your successes, failures and all the emotions that come with it. You don’t do anyone any good by pretending to be less than who you really are.
A healthy understanding relationship with your parents helps you to form positive relationships with others. You can do this by listening to your parents and/or guardians individually about their own upbringing. Get a better viewpoint about their lives and challenges they experienced. Learning more about them will create a context for your own personal history.
Billions of dollars are spent each year purchasing goods and services on the internet. Cyber Monday is now included as a major shopping day during the holiday season. Have you joined millions of others on the internet to avoid being overrun at malls, save a little on gas or shop anytime day or night? Online shopping can be fun and convenient however buyers must beware so your experience is a safe one. There are some things to take into consideration when looking for gifts for your loved ones.
Know where you are buying from – Research the site and company prior to purchase by calling the seller, confirming the physical address and checking reviews or buyer feedback. Scammers can front as legitimate companies, send e-mails or pop-up messages and direct you to click on links. Authentic online merchants do not ask for this information by email. Delete these items as soon as they appear.
Securing your computer – Install and/or update anti-spyware, anti-virus and firewall protection on the computer you are making the purchase to protect against potential threats. Check for signs of encryption on the seller’s site by looking for a padlock on the browser status bar or shttp or https in the URL address. Once you’ve finished shopping, close your browser and turn off the computer. Cyber crimes can be easily committed when users leave their computers on 24/7 for scammers to install malicious software.
Every transaction is important – For maximum payment protection, pay by credit card, preferably only one, with a low credit limit. Tracking your payments will be easy and you can contest the charges if items aren’t received or if you are returning. Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, consumers have the right to dispute and withhold payment temporarily from the creditor while an investigation is underway. Finally, when completing a purchase print a copy of the order with product details and price to save for your records.
Before clicking on that button to complete your purchase, try these simple tips to avoid scams and keep your personal identification safe. Using these ideas prior to sale will help you through this holiday season so you won’t have to worry into the New Year.
Itchy winter scalp, chapped lips and dry scaly skin can make it tough to shine your natural glow while bearing the cold winter weather! Often, the winter season presents the biggest challenge to looking and feeling your best. Fortunately Loc’d Ladie has the solutions to fight itching, irritation, redness, flaking and scaling.
Try our Simple Scalp Rinse after a sweaty workout or before your next shampoo. Once you rinse, the only flakes you see will be falling from the sky!
When your lips are less than kissable, smooth on our Loc’d Lip Slick to restore and protect your pucker.
Rid yourself of dry and scaly skin with our Rub My Body Scrub and then lather up with the Sweet Oil Body Wash.
Step put out of the shower and protect your skin from Jack Frost when using our Loc’d Body Butter.
Our line of beauty products are gentle and moisturizing yet never leave behind a greasy residue.
Many of us found an e-mail in our inboxes warning about 30 name-brand national retail chains that have or will be closing down stores, leaving gift card shoppers high and dry.
What makes the e-mail especially alarming is that millions of shoppers have already begun their annual holiday gift buying. Shoppers tend to purchase gift cards for teenagers, college students, and folks who are hard to shop for. Ok so back what makes this inbox junk? Much of the information listed in the e-mail is both misleading and out of date. It names stores like Ann Taylor, Eddie Bauer, Lane Bryant, Cache, Talbot’s, J.Jill, Macy’s, GAP, Foot Locker, Wilson Leather and Sharper Image.
Loc’d Ladie’s research reveals that Ann Taylor, Gap, and J-C Penney say the message is a hoax. While Eddie Bauer plans to close some stores in January but the company says all gift cards will be honored. On the other hand, Steve & Barry’s, Mervyn’s and Linens ‘N Things are liquidating stores and will close for good.
When a company files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will go out of business or stop accepting gift cards. But consumers often aren’t aware of the rules that impact the worth of their gift cards. Your best bet is to call or check out each stores website for more information on gift cards. But remember some gift cards do expire and some charge a fee if they are not used by a specific date.
As we move into the holiday season, for many it is a spending season. It is a time to buy the bling, the latest gadget or a much requested toy.
But this year has turned out to be a season of downturns, downfalls and a bleak outlook on finances in general.
Loc’d Ladie has a few frugal experts, who have been doing this for awhile, and offer these few tips to make that cha-ching sound at the cash register a little less painful painful to hear.
* Decide in advance how much you are going to spend this holiday season and put the cash in an envelope. Once the envelope is empty, you are finished.
* Do not spend unbudgeted money using credit cards the piggy bank or the stash in the pillowcase
* Never ever pull money from your retirement (401k, IRA, etc.) or college funds (529 plan, IRA) for holiday gift giving.
* Make your gift whether a baked good or a handmade item – it is the spirit of the holiday that is important
* Instead of buying for each person in the family, make it a family gift, something that everyone will enjoy and appreciate
* Make use of coupons - whether clipped from the paper, received in the mail or found on line (dealcatcher.com is just one of the sites you should check) – every penny saved is to your advantage
* Shorten your gift list – do you really have to give the dogcatcher who came to pick up that litter of puppies up the street a gift?
Most of all remember, it is the spirit of the season and not the material gain that should make this time of year special.
Each month the Loc’d Ladie Team selects a recipe to share. Stuffed Sole is the winner for December! Fish is a healthier option for those of us cutting back on fat, watching our diets, and exercising regularly.
Visit the site to download the recipe and possibly submit one of your own. It might just be a winner!
Stuffed Sole
* 8 to 16 strips of fish(for 4 to 8 people)
* 10 slices of whole wheat bread cubed for stuffing
* 1 sm onion, diced
* 1 – 2 lbs fresh clams out of shell( or 2 cans of clams)
* ½ lb. baby shrimp
* ¼ c. lemon juice
* ½ lb. low-fat mozzarella cheese
* ½ lb. low-fat cheddar cheese
* ¼ c. warm water
* 2 celery stalks, diced
* 1 carrot, shredded
* 4 tbsp. “I can’t believe it’s not butter”
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse and pat dry fish strips; put to one side. In a small pot bring water to boil; add shrimp and boil for 15 to 20 minutes, cool and shell. While shrimp are cooking place stuffing, onion, drained clams, celery and carrot in large bowl and toss lightly. Add cooked shrimp, ¼ cup water, lemon juice and let stand 5 to 10 minutes.
Grease baking dish with a 4 tablespoons of “I can’t believe it’s not butter. Take 1 layer of fish and line bottom of dish. Spread stuffing mixture, then shredded cheddar, then top layer of fish and thin layer of Mozzarella. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Keep an eye on it for best results. Baste tope with lemon butter(1/2 stick of “I can’t believe it’s not butter melted and 4 to 6 tablespoons lemon juice) every 10 minutes.