Lisa C Writes

Last week Saturday my son went to the mailbox for me and came back with this. Just in time for Mother's Day I received this huge box of goodies from Klout in honor of mothers, families, and communities around the world. "Fair Trade USA, Moms Make A World of Difference" is making a difference in the lives of many.  With every purchase you make of any fair trade certified product you are helping communities living in poverty take care of their families.  Visit, www.befair.org http://www.befair.org/ to find out about Fair Trade Moms and how you can contribute.  Here are some examples of how Fair Trade helps invest in the lives of others. Fair Trade is helping moms in Rwanda buy their kids shoes so that they can attend school. It's giving expectant mothers in Ecuador safe working conditions and maternity leave. It's empowering women in Peru to earn a fair share for their work so that they can buy nutritious food for their families. "Fair Trade i...

Say hello to my newest friend. I carry it with me wherever I go, thanks to Mommy's Club .  Do you use hand sanitizers? I use them all the time, especially on my kids. But little did I know the stuff I was using was alcohol based and was drying out my skin. On top of that it wasn't toxic-free so now I'm "cleaning" my hands with chemicals. Great. I stopped using it but couldn't find another that I liked and when you're on the go with your family these little babies come in handy.  Things I love about Perfect Touch: ~ Easy to carry around ~ Non-toxic (Huge plus) ~ Non-Alcohol ~ Doesn't dry out my skin ~ Has a faint scent that's barely noticeable. (A plus when I want my hands to smell like my lotion or oils I put on). I found Mommy's Club through The Mom Bloggers club. I've been a member of Mom Bloggers club since 2007 and I absolutely heart Jennifer James, the founder.  So, if you use hand sanit...

I was not prepared for that next 134 minutes of my life. I spent the entire time gripping and flinching in my seat. They say that it is history's most accurate account displayed in a movie of slavery in America. I say, it's one of the most heart-felt, gut wrenching, emotionally moving, engaging, movies I've ever seen so far. To this day I cannot bring myself to watch it again. But as I will soon and this time watch it with my older children. Excellent, excellent, movie. Have you seen 12 Years of Slave as yet ? What was your experience like?  And, oh my goodness, the actors and actresses, particularly Lupita Nyong'o and Chiwetel Ejiofor were simply amazing. The tears I shed for them were endless. Another thing I wasn't prepared for. Congratulations to Lupita Nyong'o for winning the Oscars 2014 Supporting Actress Academy Award and the film winning Best Film of the year. Well deserved.

So happy I came across this product. I've been searching for a hair product that would leave my locs smelling yummy but wouldn't leave residue. It's been an upward battle since discovering the build up (residue) in our locs caused by products that were too heavy. My daughters have been very unhappy with it. As a result I resorted to using only water and coconut oil to retwist our locs and shampoo with Dr. Bronner's liquid soap. They work really well but they are missing the scents that I / we would like to have. My oldest daughter has been researching all kind of hair care products and came across Shea Moisture. She uses their conditioner, gels, and hair smoothies. She loves it. While we were out shopping a few weeks ago I came across this product. One of the reasons I wanted to try it was because it says anti-frizz. I will try anything, well almost anything to help me control my frizz. While it doesn't help control my frizz, a problem I think I wi...

( In the car, on the way to the mall to get my free make-over. I was taking out my pin curls that I set in place the night before.  I look so much like my Mom in these shots :-) Last Sunday my oldest took me to the mall to get my face "beat" (that's what they say) by MAC . She was asked to participate in a free make-over and to bring someone with her, so she chose moi. It was cool. I'm not into makeup that makes me feel like I have on makeup. It has to be light enough for me to not even notice and if I have to scratch my eye or itch my face I don't want to have to worry about globs of stuff getting caught up under my nails. For special occasions I don't mind but still I don't want to feel it and last Sunday, I felt it. 

  Your girl got ROTD (Review of the Day) once again on Yelp!!   For those of you who may not know, I've been a writer for Yelp Atlanta for over a year now. In short, Yelp is an online hub for local business reviews. I decided to join the community in hopes of it doing exactly what it did, which was provide me a place to voice my opinion about all of these fabulous and not so fabulous places I visit around Atlanta. It also gives me a place to sharpen my writing skills because as writers know, the more you write the better at it you become.  My friends always ask me where they can go to either hangout, catch a movie, or a have great meal. I figured writing about my experiences would take this concept to another level and it did. Yelp not only provides a place  to write reviews but it also gives you an opportunity to meet other cool Yelper's at the many local events, build community, and lasting friendships.  Receiving ROTD is one way Yelp reco...

Sunday afternoon I attended an Atlanta's Yelp Elite event that was held at the new Capital Grille  location, located in the Atlanta Perimeter Mall area. They've been open for six weeks now and have been serving our Atlanta folks real good. This location might be new but Capital Grille has been around for years and has another location here in Atlanta in Buckhead.  We were definitely wined and dined in style.  The appetizers and cocktail drinks were delicious. I had the pleasure of being introduced to one of their infamous drinks, the Stoley Doley which is an alcoholic beverage that contains pineapple infused in vodka for around seven days. This drink was so good I kept them coming. The red wine was a nice addition to the appetizers and the butternut squash soup with mushrooms was incredible. They did an absolute fabulous job. Capital Grille is the perfect place to host private dining events as they provide a variety of private dining rooms to choose...

  Ford Go Further Tour VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL A couple of weeks ago I got an invitation in my inbox to the Ford Motor Company “Go Further Tour”. It mentioned something about an “All Electric car, EcoBoost, and test-drive. I immediately jumped all over it and RSVP’d for the event. I had a thought that flashed through my mind about me driving by, waving to the crowd in a ford vehicle, with a bit a flyness ...

Fun times are the best times. Life is meant to be enjoyed, fully! Enjoy your life in anyway you can and desire to do so, you will not regret it! Round 3 of our Atlanta Carnival 2012 celebrations landed us in a familiar place, The Royal Peacock Club located in Sweet Auburn Avenue in Atlanta. The Royal Peacock Club has been around for many, many years and is now enjoyed by the very much young at heart who listen to Rap, Reggae, and Soca. Saturday night we put on our dancing shoes and headed to Peacock. It was Carnival Reload, the night after the parade. This night was all about winding down for some or keeping up the pace from the parade, whatever your flow needed to be you had space to do that. We got there a little before midnight which meant we were getting in free tonight and we ate on the way to maximize on our time. One of the things I love about Peacock is the short lines. We never stand in line longer than a few minutes and then it’s up the infamous red stairs we go. At ...

Friday night was all about Jouvert (pronounced Joo-vay), which means the party before Carnival! There where so many parties going on but we decided to spend the night at the Museum Bar because that’s where DJ Stephen was going to be. DJ Stephen is one of the hottest Soca DJ’s there is who really knows how to get the crowd going and throw a slamming party. The Museum Bar has two floors to it – one, the upstairs area with dining seating a large bar area with a huge flat screen on the wall that can be seen from anywhere in the bar. It has also has a balcony with tables and chairs that overlooks the wide open area downstairs and has a beautiful view of part of the city. The patio provides a nice alternative to dine when the weather is nice. It’s nicely decorated with white and black furniture and has a banquet hall kind of feel. It’s a great place to throw private parties of any kind and has another section for dancing and late night fun. Side two, the downstairs area is where the cl...

Me glowing after getting my Brizilian Wax. I've been going to Brazilian Wax By Andreia for over two years now and I love it! My visits, although painful, are always pleasant because these ladies really know how to make you comfortable. Let’s face it, comfort is what you want when you are laying on a table spread eagle, getting your hair removed by WAX. It does and will hurt, at least until you get used to it. I was sharing with someone just yesterday that although it’s painful it’s worth it. I love the clean, smooth feel and so does hubby. It’s definitely a nice alternative and adds spice to our play life. Here are a few things I love about going to Andreia’s: The prices are one of the best for a Brazilian wax, just $35! The wax that is used is the kind that goes on (it’s very warm, feels great), and is peeled off. It’s usually a quick procedure. This is of course depending on how much hair you have. I always leave satisfied even though I have to endure a littl...

Taking the time to smell the roses continued for me today as I thoroughly enjoyed a facial by Lisa at Posh Nails and Spa in Buckhead Atlanta. It was so good I made a quick video about it and hope that if you're in Atlanta or will be anytime soon that you would check them out.   Enjoy! #AtlantaMom, #YelpAtlanta, #FourSquare

Especially for the girly girlies ;-) check out March Pillow Box here!

I was so excited to see what I was going to get in my first delivery from My Shade of Brown. I received my box last week and took a few days to get familiar with the products. I haven't been able to try all but I did try some and am pleased with them. Take a look at the video as I go through all the samples and if you want to receive a pillow box of your own every month you can sign up at myshadeofbrown.com and make sure to follow them on twitter @myshadeofbrown   *In the video I go into detail about what this is all about and what you have to do to get in! Enjoy ~

Parish is a unique dining experience in the evolving community in Inman Park Atlanta, GA. Their website describes them best as, "...unique people and lively music all coming together in this melting pot of Southern vibrant culture within Inman Park - Parish: Foods and Goods. Catering to no one by catering to everyone, PARISH is a restaurant, a market, a deli, a community haven."  I love this little restaurant; especially for their tasty, scrumptious breakfast foods and teas! Speaking of teas, one of my favorites is the Ginger Pear Tea...delish! Parish has two sides to it, both of which I truly enjoy. Upstairs, in their restaurant you can experience both indoor and outdoor dining with a full waiter service. Here is where you can enjoy a taste of their brunch or dinner foods which are tasty dishes like their infamous Belgium Waffles! Brunch is only offered on Saturday's and Sunday's from 10-3. I made the mistake of showing up with an empty belly, read...

Whoot Whoot!!! I'm a Yelper for Atlanta and I made ROTD {review of the day}!!! {pic taken at the infamous Planet Hollywood in Orlando, Fl in Downtown Disney!} Do you Yelp? If so add me as a friend so we can keep up with each others reviews, travels and the such. This morning I woke up to find fabulosity sitting in my inbox from my fellow yelpers. Yelp.com is a review site that anyone can join for free and write reviews on restaurants, stores, different venues, etc, etc. I joined back in April when I wanted to broaden my writing and I figured since I’m always out and about sampling new tastes, places, and people (<---- not literally, lol) why not write about it. Check out my reviews here, lisacreviews.yelp.com This is truly a Fabulous Find!!