6/365 Days: Kick Ass Black Boots

It is my profound belief that no woman should ever be without a pair of truly kick ass black boots. Much like the little black dress, kick ass black boots serve a distinct purpose in a woman’s life. While the dress is something brought out of the closet when nothing else seems just right and is guaranteed to look fabulous regardless of what event you are attending or who you’re looking to impress, kick ass black boots make their appearance when women are feeling confident, strong, powerful and fearless; and if women weren’t exuding these attributes at first, as soon as they lace up those boots, they become a bit transformed. Black boots never go without being noticed and pair perfectly with those vintage graphic tees and jeans that hug your hips just right.

Progresso Souper You Review and Giveaway

At the start of every new year, most of the women I know and connect with regularly openly talk about how their New Year’s resolution is to lose weight and/or to eat healthier. These are some great resolutions, especially the eating healthy one because while losing weight is a perk for a great deal of women, I whole-heartedly believe that crash dieting and the diet industry as a whole is a multi-billion dollar business for a reason, so if you do truly want to lose weight, it should be for purely health reasons, which is why eating healthy and choosing foods that will nourish you instead of just fill you is really important.

Now that we are more than a month into the new year, (by the way, can you believe that? I know I can’t!) a lot of women have been reporting on their progress with their New Year’s resolutions and if they have been able to stick to what they had planned before January 1st. I have noticed that a lot of women are increasingly strong-willed this year in the commitments they have made to themselves, nearly everyone I’ve checked up on who I had read on their blogs had made a New Year’s resolution has been sticking to it pretty phenomenally. So, for those of you who made the resolution to eat healthier and who are still on the fast-track to healthy eating, I have something really great to share with you!

I am a big, big, big fan of soup. I have been not-so blessed in the teeth department, having been diagnosed with Periodontal Disease and rapid tooth decay a few years ago after my wisdom teeth had started to push their way in. Because I am a professional blogger and also a freelance writer and web designer and developer who works from home, I have a very modest monthly income. I can pretty much cover my expenses month-to-month and that’s about it. That, coupled with the fact that I also live with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and major depressive disorder, (which I have blogged about here before,) makes it impossible for me to hold a job outside of the home, it isn’t a possibility for me to go out and get a part time job to help pay dental bills. Needless to say, this causes me a great deal of excruciating physical pain where for days at a time, I am unable to open my mouth wide enough to get most foods in it. That is when soup saves my life and the sanity I would not have after getting insanely frustrated with how big bite-sized food is.

Progresso has always been a great source of delicious and nutritious soup and they have made it even healthier than before by offering an entire product line of light soups that are all 100 calories or less! It is officially super easy to get a great and satisfying meal in your belly and help manage your weight at the same time. To celebrate their line of light soups, Progresso has launched the Souper You Debut–a contest where you can enter for the chance to win a full makeover in New York City!

To enter the Progresso Souper You Debut contest, all you have to do is go to www.Progresso.com/SouperYou and submit an essay (200 characters or less) telling Progresso why you love Progresso Light or 100 calorie soups and why you would like a full makeover. You will also need to submit a photo of yourself that visually reinforces the theme of your essay. Three grand prize winners will be awarded a trip for two to New York City from May 21st-23rd and includes roundtrip airfare, a two-night stay in a NYC hotel, a full makeover, a $1000 wardrobe shopping spree and personal consultation at a New York department store. Pretty fabulous if you ask me!

Review & Giveaway

To get the good word out about new Progresso Light and 100 calorie soups, I had the opportunity to try them out for myself and thanks to Progresso and MyBlogSpark, received 15 cans of Progresso Light and 100 calorie soups in a variety of different flavors, along with a Progresso soup mug and a digital jump rope that keeps track of jumps and calories burned to help you start working out more, in addition to utilizing soup to help manage your weight.

The variety of soups I received is absolutely insane; I was completely blown away by the amount of different flavors offered and there is definitely something for everyone’s specific tastes. My partner, who usually despises soup and will not eat it regardless of what you bribe him with, loved the Italian-Style Meatball with Penne and I cannot get enough of the Chicken and Dumpling. I love, love, love the Progresso soup mug and now refuse to eat my soup out of anything else. It has a great little thumb indentation at the top of the handle to make carrying it from the kitchen to my computer desk very comfortable.

And we want to share the Progresso love!

Because Progresso is awesome like that and MyBlogSpark is always all about extending the opportunity to try awesome products to others, we have the opportunity to give one lucky Woman Tribune reader 2 cans of Progresso Light soup, a Progresso soup mug and a digital jump rope.

To win the Progresso Prize Pack, all you have to do is visit ProgressoSoup.com and tell us what flavor of Progresso Light soup you would love to try. [REQUIRED]

Additional Entries: [Leave a separate comment for each additional entry.]

• Tell us what steps you take to manage your weight.
• Subscribe to Woman Tribune
• Follow Woman Tribune on Twitter
• Become a fan of Woman Tribune on Facebook
• Subscribe to our videos on YouTube
• Tweet about this giveaway. Feel free to use the following tweet or write your own: [Can be done once per day.]
  

  Win 2 cans of Progresso Light soup, soup mug and digital jump rope from @WomanTribune: http://tinyurl.com/yf24hmk #giveaway

• Blog about this giveaway. [2 entries, so leave 2 comments.]

This giveaway ends Wednesday, February 10th at 11:59PM EST. This giveaway is open to all US residents over the age of 18. The winner will be contacted by email and has 48 hours to respond with their necessary information. If no action is taken, another winner will be picked.

Full Contest Disclaimer

Disclosure: I was given the opportunity to spread the word about Progresso’s Souper You Debut and new line of Light and 100 calorie soups from Progresso and MyBlogSpark. For this post, I received the factual information, 15 cans of Progresso Light and 100 calorie soup, a Progresso soup mug and digital jump rope from Progresso and MyBlogSpark. They have also provided me with the opportunity to give away two cans of Progresso soup, soup mug and digital jump rope to one lucky Woman Tribune reader. All opinions throughout this post are 100% mine.

Urban Girl Squad FREE Event! Two-Year Anniversary Party

Happy Birthday, Urban Girl Squad! Urban Girl Squad turns two in February, and to celebrate, we’re throwing an Urban Girl Squad-style bash on Thursday, February 25, 2010 at 7:00PM.

Help us celebrate in style at a cocktail party at the Ava Lounge Rooftop Bar, where we’ll have drink specials, door prizes, gift bags, and more. Whether you’re an Urban Girl Squad regular or you are totally new to the group, come join the fun, have a few cocktails, and spend time with friends – old and new – in NYC.

We’ll be featuring door prizes and gift bags including Bliss, Molton Brown, By Carolina headbands, Pure Yoga, and more! Check back at our website for a full list of prizes.

Bring five friends to the party and you’ll be entered in a raffle to win The Ultimate Urban Girl Squad Package: 5 free events and an Urban Girl Squad t-shirt!

You don’t want to miss this FREE event. RSVP is required to attend. Space is limited, so reserve your spot now and invite your friends!

About Urban Girl Squad
Amanda Hofman created Urban Girl Squad, a community-based social group for women in their 20’s and 30’s in New York City, in January 2008. Urban Girl Squad creates opportunities for these women to try new things, spend time with friends, and meet new people. Our events include food and wine tastings, beauty and fashion nights, dance and fitness classes, sports, events, cocktail parties and more. We provide special, discounted access to the city — you’ll meet store owners and designers, taste gourmet food and drinks, receive personal attention from popular venues, and score some amazing gift bags. The welcoming atmosphere at our events makes it easy for members to attend on their own or with friends.

Fast Facts:
Date: Thursday, February 25, 2010

Location: Ava Lounge Rooftop Bar
Penthouse of the Dream Hotel
210 West 55th Street
New York, NY

Time: 7:00PM

RSVP: Anniversary Party

Info: Urban Girl Squad

Cost: FREE

Juicy Couture Founders Leave Company

Juicy Couture founders Gela Nash-Taylor and Pamela Skaist-Levy have announced they will be leaving the brand to pursue other projects, including books, television and movies.

Since selling the brand to Liz Claiborne in 2003, the two founders have netted more than $200 million and since that time, their participation in Juicy Couture has been a downward spiral. In 2008, they stepped down as co-presidents of their own brand to become creative directors, making their announcement to leave the brand completely the only logical next step in their edging-toward-exit process. Nash-Taylor and Skaist-Levy did make a brief statement on their departure from the brand, saying:

“We stayed seven years, which is a long time… We’re super-creative girls. We want to bust out and do everything.”

While the founders are definitely trying to exit without too much of a flareup from their fans or anyone else associated with them on a business level, some are speculating that the real reason they have decided to completely leave the brand is because of their scufflings with Liz Claiborne CEO, Bill McComb. It has been said the duo and McComb have gotten into scuffles over the quality of Juicy Couture’s fashions declining after recent reshuffling of Asian manufacturers. McComb has also stated, “As a business gets bigger and bigger, less and less comes from the founding team.”

However, contrary to what McComb has stated about the continued success of Juicy Couture, upscale department stores, including the likes of Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdale’s have been cutting back floor space allotted to the brand after plummeting sales and markdowns. In fact, Juicy Couture’s third quarter sales have dropped 7.8% and while Nash-Taylor and Pamela Skaist-Levy still continue to remain upbeat about its long-term prospects, I have to say that now was the best time to get out with their $200 million and spread their juicy-scrawled asses all over books, movies and television.

2/365 Days: L’Oréal Paris® Lash Boosting Technology — Week 3

I have been using L’Oréal Paris® Lash Boosting Technology for the past three weeks (you can check out week one here) and according to L’Oréal Paris®, they only need four weeks to completely transform your short, almost non-existent eyelashes into phenomenal, longer, stronger lashes. Thanks to BzzAgent, I was able to give L’Oréal Paris® Lash Boosting Technology a try and in the past three weeks, have definitely seen a few slight differences.

• My eyelashes don’t fall out by the multiples when I wash my makeup off at night. Big, big plus.
• My eyelashes are most definitely longer and more defined, even with no eye makeup on at all.

There are two products in the L’Oréal Paris® Lash Boosting Technology line–the Lash Boosting Serum, which retails for around $12 and the Double Extend Lash Boosting Mascara, which retails for for around $10, or you can buy them both together. While I have been applying the Lash Boosting Serum at night for the past three weeks, if you don’t want to buy the set, I would definitely opt for the Double Extend Lash Boosting Mascara of the two. It is, hands down, the best mascara I have ever used. It goes on evenly and stays there all day long and I really love it.

Urban Girl Squad Hosts Intro to Bollywood Dance Class

Inspired by the beautiful Bollywood dance number of Oscar winning film Slumdog Millionare? Want to take your chance with a new style of dance? Now is your chance! On Thursday, Febuary 11, 2010 Urban Girl Squad will host an Intro to Bollywood Dance Class at The Dance Theater Workshop at 7:00PM.

Join Urban Girl Squad as we learn “BollyBasics,” an introduction to the famous Indian folk dance called Bollywood, with the founder of Bollywood dance company Dhoonya Dance. Dhoonya Dance is a growing dance company that has taught Bollywood on Oprah! In our class, you’ll learn the fundamentals of Bollywood and Pop Bhangra dance in a fun, beginner’s setting. No dance experience is necessary. You’ll get a great workout, learn a new style of dance, and meet new women in NYC!

At this class, you’ll learn Bollywood Basics and receive:

• A gift bag of South Asian goodies from City Saheli, including a Bollywood CD, a pamphlet with basic Bollywood steps, a henna tattoo, and a piece of South Asian inspired jewelry. City Saheli is an online platform that brings to you New York City with a South Asian twist–you can learn more about new types of yoga, natural healing, fusion designers and more.
• 1 free class for every 4 class package you purchase from Dhoonya Dance

Dhoonya Dance is home of the best Bollywood talent, teachers and training providing simple, artistic instruction. The Dhooyna Method of Bollywood dance emphasizes strong fundamentals and choreography rooted in traditional, folk and classical Indian dance.

About Urban Girl Squad
Amanda Hofman created Urban Girl Squad, a community-based social group for women in their 20’s and 30’s in New York City, in January 2008. Urban Girl Squad creates opportunities for these women to try new things, spend time with friends, and meet new people. Our events include food and wine tastings, beauty and fashion nights, dance and fitness classes, sports events, cocktail parties and more. We provide special, discounted access to the city–you’ll meet store owners and designers, taste gourmet food and drinks, receive personal attention from popular venues, and score some amazing gift bags. The welcoming atmosphere at our events makes it easy for members to attend on their own or with friends!

Join us on February 11th as we learn the basics of Bollywood dance. Space is limited and advanced placement is required, so purchase your ticket today! Wear comfortable, workout/yoga attire. No shoes necessary.

Fast Facts:
Date: Thursday, February 11, 2010

Location: The Dance Theater Workshop
219 West 19th Street
New York, NY 10011

Time: 7:00PM

RSVP/Purchase Ticket: Bollywood Dance Class

Info: Urban Girl Squad

Cost: $20 per ticket

Book Review: Dream Life by Lauren Mechling

Although Dream Life is a sequel to Lauren Mechling’s first book, Dream Girl, Dream Life is the first book I have read in the supernatural journey that is Claire Voyante’s world. That being said, Mechling first and foremost succeeded in creating a book that you can pick up and jump right into, without needing any back story from the first publication in the series.

Claire is a typical high school girl with a not-so-typical gift; ever since her grandmother, Kiki, gave her an onyx and ivory cameo necklace, Claire has been having black and white dreams that are major tips in solving some pretty influential mysteries. To make Dream Life even more intriguing, Claire isn’t just solving mysteries around New York, she (albeit, mistakenly) aligns herself with a secret society of do-gooders called the Blue Moons, who give her quite the mystery to solve–find a missing pink iPod that holds the secrets of a new and absolutely huge project to save the Brooklyn Bridge from real estate developer slimeball, Sink Landon.

Admittedly, Dream Life was a little slow to start for me, which I attribute to not reading the first book and really not knowing the who knew each other so well. However, the book surprised me with its ability to catch–and keep–my attention to the end. Claire is a remarkable and rememberable heroine that you find yourself rooting for in her entire series of problems, not just with solving mysteries, but also rifts with her friends, her complicated boy troubles and dealing with her eccentric parents. Through reading so many young adult books and seeing the amount of quirkiness young adult authors portray in their parental characters, it is my belief that YA authors write parents with the exaggerated qualities they had in parents growing up, with a myriad of additional attributes they wished their parents had and Dream Life had that ten-fold with a Paris-crazed mother with a love of the Zodiac and her parents’ insane Paris-themed house parties. But most of all, I fell in absolute love with Claire’s grandmother, Kiki, who reminds me of every genuinely close friend I have ever had that I could divulge anything to without feeling a hint of judgment.

Lauren Mechling not only presents a fabulous mystery novel that captures the attention of young adults and older adults alike, but also is the first author since the creators of Sex and the City to turn New York City into a character in itself. Being the wannabe-fashionista that I am (read: If I had money, oh the clothes, shoes and accessories I would buy), I really enjoyed the fashion appearances in this book as well. Kiki’s hand-me-down vintage dresses Claire wears and the footwear described in her best friend Becca’s wardrobe are enough to make even the savviest of fashionistas swoon.

I loved being given the opportunity to be a fly on the wall in Claire’s life; from her stance as a Half Moon in the Blue Moon society, solving a mystery that proved me wrong when I thought I had everything figured out, to finally figuring out who she is as a person and knowing her own level of morality, which makes Claire completely and utterly real.

I would recommend this book to anyone craving a serving of hilarious, page-turning, on-the-edge-of-your-seat read that lets you breathe a sigh of relief when you think things can’t get much worse.

Rating:

L’Oréal Paris® Lash Boosting Technology — Week 1

I have never been one to wear a ton of makeup; I am a big fan of natural beauty and most often, I can be found wearing only some eyeliner and mascara. I love accentuating my eyes, I’ll dab on a little lip gloss or if I’m going out somewhere special I’ll apply a classic red lip, but that about covers me and makeup’s relationship. Needless to say, I go through a great deal of eye cosmetics, especially considering you should update your mascara once every three months; something I had not known until just a few months ago. Lucky for me, just around the same time I needed some updating, BzzAgent sent me a brand new mascara product from L’Oréal Paris®–their Lash Boosting Technology.

Of course, because I’m well, me, before even reading my literature on the product, I ran up to the bathroom and put it on, since I was getting ready to leave the house already anyway. With just the very first application, I was amazed. I ran into my partner’s office and started saying, “Look at my eyelashes! Look how much bigger and fuller they are, they look amazing!” He agreed, of course, and started comparing the literature on the product to how it really worked, such as the fact that it really does separate and accentuate each and every single lash you have, which let’s face it, most mascaras do not do without some major clumping. I was absolutely overjoyed with the product, but completely forgot that they are currently hosting a 4 week challenge to let you see just how much your lashes will change in 4 weeks while using L’Oréal Paris® Lash Boosting Technology.

So here we are at the beginning. Week 1. Here is a picture of me with absolutely no makeup on whatsoever. In fact, I have been sick with pneumonia for the past 10 days and this is what being sick, just waking up and having no makeup on looks like:

As you can see, without mascara, my eyelashes look nonexistent until I close my eyes. Hopefully this lash boosting technology fixes that. So be sure to check back here every Tuesday until February 9th to see if it really works!

After doing some research when it comes to lash boosting technology and eyelash growth cosmetics and products, L’Oréal is definitely one of the cheapest ways to go about lengthening your eyelashes in a safe, comfortable and easy way. Some products sell for up to over $100 and the entire product line of Lash Boosting Technology sells for up to $21.79. You can purchase it at Walmart and Target for pretty cheap!

67th Annual Golden Globe Awards Red Carpet Arrivals

All the big stars from movies as well as television gathered together last night for the 67th annual Golden Globe Awards. Let’s take a look at some of the fabulous red carpet fashion and of course, some major cases of celebrity style gone bad.

[Images via INF Daily]

Winner of the GladRags Color Pad Sampler

GladRags is a phenomenal, woman-owned company in Portland, Oregon. GladRags was started by a mother who was inspired by earth-friendliness and comfort and who expanded her business into what it is today–an awesome and respected business dedicated to giving women an alternative to disposable menstrual products.

Becauase disposable menstrual products are the norm, most women do not know that they contain harsh chemicals that are bad for your skin and bad for your body. Most women who hear about reusables are very skeptical when it comes to giving them a try; change is not something that is always welcome and why disrupt the way you go about dealing with your period every month? Because of this skepticism, we were thrilled to be able to give one lucky Woman Tribune winner her very own color pad sampler kit.

And so, the winner is…

Congratulations, Jacquelynn!

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