Please come by my new home...........

I know I still have this blog up and running but I've got a new home now.

Click here.

Hope to see there!

I'm on a Starbucks Strike!

I have been on a Starbucks strike for almost 4 months.. I know some of you are like what??? Lisa is on a Starbucks strike?? That can't be! I know, I love coffee, Starbucks and everything about coffee but you'll understand why after you read my post. Although, I did almost lose the strike when I went to North Carolina for Easter weekend.

Here's why: I had planned to meet a friend at a local Starbucks in N.C. that I have known over the internet for over 2 years but I never met her face-to-face. For some reason, that didn't go thru because of our families or what have you..

Anyway, one of the reasons why I'm on a strike with Starbucks is because I love the coffee my Senseo machine makes. It's so good, I don't need to go to Starbucks anymore. The Senseo is my new Starbucks at home. You can get so many different types of coffee, it's great.

The second reason for the strike is because the last 4-5 times I have had anything from Starbucks, the lattes have been mediocre. It's either bitter, warm, too bland, too sweet, not enough coffee in the cup, or way too watery. I remember getting some really great coffee before but all of a sudden, they weren't good anymore..

*Could it be that the new baristas are not trained well enough?
*Could it be that they don't know how to make coffee?
*Could it be that they need a bit more training?

Well, thank goodness they closed back in February for almost 4 hours to re-train those baristas. They sure need the training at the Starbucks by me. They called it, "Perfect the Art of Espresso". I hope they get it right this time. Anyway, when I did get coffee at Starbucks, it was either a Caramel Macchiato or Chai Tea. The Caramel Macchiatos are so good (when the coffee isn't bitter) but why should I spend almost $4 for bitter coffee, milk and caramel?? No thank you. I rather make a great cup of coffee at home for the fraction of the cost at Designer Latte's, I mean Starbucks.......lol.

Ya know, I haven't stepped foot in a Starbucks since the new year began. To be honest, why should I? I don't trust Starbucks anymore. I am scared to order a latte, taste the bitterness or ask for a different cup because someone might either spit in it (I know, gross) or put something foreign in the cup. Who knows! Am I wrong to feel this way? Do I need some type of Starbucks therapy?

If you've had a bad experience with a coffee shop, let me know! I would love to hear about it!

*** I think I should go to Starbucks this week and order my "usual" and come back and write a review on it. Tomorrow (April 8th at 12pm sharp) would be a great day to go and try their coffee again.... They have a surprise for the public. They say the surprise is Venti BIG... It's probably just a free small cup of java.

We'll see! Stay tuned!

I need ideas

Does anyone in cyberspace have any ideas how to cook an entire meal with a crock pot/slow cooker? We are going on week 2 on not having a workable stove (gas leak) and I need all the help I can get. I've been using our grill, microwave and toaster oven to cook our meals but I'm getting sick of those foods. I need some comfort food in my tummy, ya know.

So, I went to Kmart and bought this: It was on sale for $29.99 and it matches perfectly with my kitchen. So, I need a great web site for recipes I can use for my whole family.. I need easy, fool-proof recipes.Somebody, anybody; please help me!

Attention: Bloggers in the NYC area!

Blogher will be having an event, Thursday, April 3, 2008 - Friday, April 4, 2008 and it is located at:

Affinia Manhattan Hotel
371 Seventh Avenue
New York, New York 10001

It's about:

BlogHer Business brings the world's leading bloggers and businesses together in an intimate setting to strip away the hype and hyperbole and get to the heart of what makes social media work. We understand that your customers are where the action is, and our event is designed to help you reach them.

They will talk about:
~Inspiring case studies (not just cautionary tales)
~How-to's from the experts and pioneers
~Debate, discussion and in-depth conversations
~Ample opportunity for informal networking

Check their website out: http://www.blogher.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is also a Blogger Social.

Blogger Social '08 - Friday, April 4, 2008 - Sunday, April 6, 2008

Here is what they say:

Blogger social is like no other marketing event because it’s not about marketing and it’s not about blogging—it’s about the marketers behind the blogs. Neither conference nor summit, it’s one weekend, held once a year, where the marketing blogging community descends upon a designated city for a weekend full of events designed to allow everyone to get to know one another better—and designed to give everyone free time to design their own meet ups, too!

Check out their site http://www.blogger-social.com/ to find out where they will be. If you're in the NYC area, go and visit them.

Neglect

Since setting up my own domain name & blogging at my new site, I've been doing something I'm not very proud of. It's called neglect. I've neglected my house that keeps me protected, warm and happy. How can I do this to my house? I love my house clean and organized but that is not what I've been doing lately. I've been occupying my brain with domain names, blogging and web sites. I know hubby isn't happy about my neglect but he keeps quiet about it. Something I wish he wouldn't do because then I would get my butt off this computer chair and do what I gotta do. I mean he is the breadwinner and I am a SAHM (stay at home mom).

So, what I'm going to do today is put the dishes away from in the dishwasher, laundry, vacuum, mop, dust, go to blockbuster and return some movies, go to the library and figure out what's for dinner, being that we are going on day 3 of not having propane for our stove. Let's see what I accomplish today.

Click here and check out my new home.

The new name is http://www.newyorkchica.com/. Please bookmark the new one because this blog will be deleted soon. I will post here as well as my new home until my new blog is established.

Wordless Wednesday

The Food Network has a new baby!

That's right! Giada De Laurentiis gave birth to a baby girl on Saturday, March 29th in Los Angeles. You've seen her on her show Everyday Italian, Behind the Bash & Giada's Weekend Getaways.

I didn't even know she was pregnant. I was really surprised when I saw it on Yahoo's front page. Her name is Jade Marie De Laurentiis Thompson and she weighed in at 5lbs, 13oz.

Here is what Giada said about her news:

"When I found out I was pregnant I was in complete shock," De Laurentiis said last November, when the baby news was first announced "I truly didn't believe it. I honestly thought, 'There has got to be a mistake.' " By February, she was saying of the physical changes overtaking her – and her sudden cravings for steak – "I couldn't be more excited about being pregnant. ... I can't wait to meet her."

Good luck on your new baby girl! You will have lots of fun with her.

CVS March "FREE" Madness

For all those CVS heads like me, there are a few things you can get for free at your local CVS if you go by Monday, March 31st, which is tomorrow!

One item I am loving right now is Lypsyl Lip Moisturizer.

It's made with pure Swedish beeswax, LypRadiance™ Honey Rose helps moisturize, glisten, and soften your lips, with a light, fruity flavor. Contains a blend of subtle reflectants and a light tint for a natural looking shine.

CVS is selling it for $2.99 and when you buy one, you get $2.99 back in CVS bucks. So it's like getting if for free. I now own five (which is the limit) and I think I'll give a few away. I'll let someone else enjoy the benefits of Lypsyl too.

The other item I really love is the Oral B Cross Action Pro Toothbrush. You buy it for $4.99 and you get $4.99 in CVS bucks. The limit is two.

I really love the way it cleans my teeth and the way it gives my gums an awesome massage.

Here are the 7 benefits:

*Removes up to 90% of plaque in hard-to-reach places*
*Helps improve gum health in 4 weeks
*Provides up to 55% better cleaning along the gumline vs. manual toothbrush
*Removes surface stains and polishes teeth
*Removes odor-causing germs from the tongue
*Stimulates gums
*Works gently on enamel and gums

The last two items for free are the CVS Brand Vitamin C 500 mg 100 or 110 ct (limit 5) & Colgate Total Advanced Whitening 4 oz. (limit 5). They are both $2.99 and you get that back with CVS bucks so you can't lose. I took advantage of all these freebies so what are you waiting for?

Ps.. Maybe I should get a job at CVS and really save more money....Hmmmm, I wonder.. =)

Wordless Wednesday

Be OYSTER aware!

I once heard this joke: What kind of noise annoys an oyster? A noisy noise annoys an oyster. Say that 5 times fast. LOL....

OK, all jokes aside. Let's be serious now. Everyone knows that Oysters are usually eaten raw with fresh lemon juice and sometimes with hot sauce but did you know that Gulf Coast Oysters can carry bacteria called Vibrio vulnificus? It causes vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain, especially if you have chronic liver disease, impaired immune systems, diabetes and cancer. It can even cause DEATH! I'm so glad I don't eat oysters. I can't even stand the look of it. It's slimy, gross looking and it smells bad. I know alot of people that eat oysters and they love it. Even though Oysters are a great source of Vitamins A, C, D and B Vitamins, B1, B2 and B3, I still won't eat it. I rather get my vitamins from a pill.

Did you know there was a site for people who enjoy eating oysters? Be Oyster Aware is a site where you can learn the facts on oysters, how to eat oysters the safe way and they even have recipes on how to cook them too. Check it out and spread the word!

Be Gulf oysters aware!

Products I love and use very often

This is perfect for chapped lips and dry patches on your skin.

This is great for eye makeup removal.
I use this to make smoothies, sofrito & to chop onions.


I've been using Oil of Olay since I was 15. I love it.



This is a great stain removal.




This is the best facial cleanser for me. It doesn't dry out my skin like others do.

I can make you thin

That is the new show on The Learning Channel (TLC) with Paul McKenna. He is a weight loss guru in the U.K. First, there are a few questions.

Do you want to

• Overcome emotional eating?
• Conquer your cravings?
• Supercharge your metabolism?
• Feel confident with your body?

If you answer one or all of the above, then check out his site. I signed up and I think it will help me control the night time eating. I tend to eat at night because the house is quiet, my hubby and I are snuggled on the sofa watching our shows, the kids are in bed and I have no one asking me to feed them too. So maybe I'll lose the 20 pounds I've been wanting to lose for awhile. If it does work for me, I'll be sure to post it here on my blog.

Woman for President?

That may be a possibility but knowing this country, it may not be. Everyone knows, this is a man's world; unfortunately. You see, my husband mentioned something tonite that makes so much sense. He said if we were to ever have a woman president, other countries might view us as being weak. Alot of foreign countries have women that can't show their face, must be a certain way or else they get killed and have set beliefs. Whereas in America, we have freedom of speech and we have Woman's Rights. In this country, women are seen as equals; Well, most of the time. Not when it comes to salary because we all know men get paid more then women for the same type of job.

Anyway, I would love to see a woman be President. That would be such an acheivement to all women. To know we are equal next to men would be great. I would also love to see an African-American become President also because they have come a long way and they also deserve the right to become President. Why not?

What do you think? Who will be our next President?