Friday, May 30, 2014

ROBOCOP - Coming to DVD and Blu-ray June 3rd

The Robocop franchise of movies is one that my husband has really enjoyed over the years...from the very first one, sequels and copycats. He has always loved movies that mix drama and science fiction together and Robocop happens to be one of his favorites.

Robocop is coming to DVD, Blu-ray and Video-on-Demand starting on June 3rd, 2014. Here is some additional information about the movie and the upcoming release. Mark your calendars now as this is ONE HOT ONE you don't want to miss!

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM) and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment present ROBOCOP, arriving on Digital HD May 20 and on Blu-ray, DVD and VOD June 3rd, 2014.

Directed by José Padilha, ROBOCOP stars Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Abbie Cornish, Jackie Earle Haley and Samuel L. Jackson. In ROBOCOP, the year is 2028 and OmniCorp – the world’s leader in robot technology – sees a golden opportunity to reap billions for their company. When Alex Murphy (Joel Kinnaman) – a loving husband, father and good cop doing his best to stem the tide of crime and corruption in Detroit – is critically injured, OmniCorp grabs their chance to build a part-man, part-robot police officer. OmniCorp envisions a RoboCop in every city and will stop at nothing – no matter the cost to Alex – to make sure the program succeeds. But OmniCorp never counted on one thing: there is still a man fighting inside the machine. The film is written by Joshua Zetumer and Edward Neumeier & Michael Miner, and produced by Marc Abraham and Eric Newman. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and Columbia Pictures’ released ROBOCOP theatrically on February 12, 2014.

The ROBOCOP Blu-ray is charged with nearly an hour of extra features and featurettes, taking fans behind-the-scenes of OmniCorp to witness the future of law enforcement, learn the secrets of director Jose Padilha, and explore the making of the film.

Disclaimer: No compensation has been received. Information and photo is courtesy of Fox Home Entertainment.

Saturday, May 24, 2014

Red Berry Sangria Cocktail Recipe

Finally, the unofficial start to summer is almost here! That's right, Memorial Day is just a few days away and many of us will be attending or hosting a party to kick off the start of summer! I love parties, great food, great family and of course...delicious cocktails for the adults! Yay!

The great folks over at CÎROC sent over these yummy cocktail recipes for me to share with all of my blog readers. They both look delicious but I think I will try out the Red Berry Sangria first! How about you? I typed out the recipe so that you can print the text or print out the image.

Red Berry Sangria Recipe

10 oz. Red Berry CÎROC
10 oz. Rose Wine
5 oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
5 oz. Simple Syrup
20 oz. Berry Tea

Directions: Mix ingredients together and stir over ice in a 64 oz. pitcher. Serve immediately.

Disclosure: You must be 21 years of age or older to consume alcohol. Please drink responsibly. The photo and recipe is courtesy of CIROC.

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

10 Tips for a Safe Manicure

My daughter and I both visit a nail salon regularly. I like to go in about once every 3 weeks for a manicure and pedicure, while my daughter goes in every two weeks for both (along with artificial nails and brow waxing). The salon that we visit is always busy and sometimes you have to wonder about the safety. After all, we have all heard horror stories about infections caught at a nail salon!

Recently I was sent this article by Robert Urfer, Founder of Lucas-Cide Salon and Spa Disinfectant which has a lot of great tips in it that we all need to be aware of. Some of them I knew and others were completely new to me! After reading it, I know that I am a much better consumer of these types of beauty services. The article is below for your education and enjoyment.
How Safe is your Nail Salon? 10 Tips for a Safe Manicure

You might be walking away with more than a great looking set of nails when you leave the salon. Pathogens are right at home in the warm and wet environment that salons provide and proper sanitation is the only way to prevent their spread. Robert Urfer, founder of Lucas-Cide Salon and Spa Disinfectant, offers 10 tips to ensure you're in for a safe mani/pedi.

1. Arrive 15 minutes early to your appointment so that you have time to glance around the salon. Does it appear clean and professional? A tidy salon is a good indication that the owner and technicians value cleanliness and more likely taking extra steps to sanitize their equipment and tools. If trash cans are overflowing and dust is collecting on shelves, do not trust that the foot baths and nail clippers are sanitary.

2. Always look for the salon’s license, which should be posted on the wall near the entrance where clients can easily see it along with the technician’s licenses.

3. How does the salon sterilize their tools? Some salons use UV sterilizers – devices that resemble toaster ovens. A UV sterilizer does not kill bacteria. Instead, you should see bottle of disinfectant. Make sure the liquid does not appear cloudy or foggy, which is an indication that the liquid needs to be changed. Ask if they test their solution regularly with test strips.

4. Look in the pedicure area. Are the technicians cleaning and disinfecting the footbaths after each use? Make sure the technicians use hot, soapy water to wash the tub. After being washed, the foot spas should be filled again with water. The proper amount of disinfectant should be added to the water and the spa should be run for at least 10 minutes before being emptied out and wiped clean.

5. If you are getting acrylic nails or fillings, make sure the nail technician washes her hands before getting started. She should also apply an antibacterial spray or gel to your hands. Make sure she is using sterilized or properly disinfected tools. Even nail files should be disinfected or discarded after each use. Look for a salon that has a set of tools for each client.

6. Check the nail technician’s work area. Are the technicians cleaning and disinfecting their work areas after each client, replacing used towels with clean, fresh ones? Are used cotton balls, disposable nail files, and wooden tools thrown out properly?

7. Don’t let the technician cut your cuticles. Cuticles provide natural protection against infection in your nail bed. So, rather than allowing the technician to cut them back, ask the technician to either leave them alone or gently push them back. Cutting cuticles is dangerous because it causes skin to tear, increasing your risk of infection.

8. To further reduce the risk of infection, some salons provide file bags for individual customers. Each bag contains the tools technicians use for manicures and pedicures, such as files, manicure brushes and buffers. The tools are placed in a bag labeled with your name and are used on your nails only. They are cleaned and sterilized or disinfected before and after use. When done, the tools are placed into a plastic bag – not airtight! – ready for your next appointment. Some clients also prefer to bring their own manicure set.

9. If you are still concerned about the risk of infection, consider going to a med spa for your regular nail appointments. Med spas are overseen by a physician, ensuring that the environment, tools, and equipment are cleaned and sterilized or disinfected before and after each client.

10. If you ever have concerns about your local nail salon you can always call your State Board of Cosmetology. The State Boards of Cosmetology are in place to look out for the clients well being.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Spring Gardening - Tulips in Bloom

I love gardening...all types of gardening from growing herbs on my windowsill to planting flowers and vegetables in my garden. Every year we increase the size of our garden and this year will be the biggest one we have ever attempted.

Right now we have flower beds going around 1/2 of our house. Hubby did a beautiful job landscaping those areas last year and now his hard work is paying off. This spring we enjoyed a beautiful crop of white & yellow daffodils (3 different varieties), bleeding hearts and several varieties of gorgeous tulips.
Since our tulips that we planted last year did so well, we will be planting more tulip bulbs this year for bloom time next Spring. I love the wide variety of colors that you can get and the fragrance is fantastic! Tulips are one of the easiest spring flowers to grow!

I don't remember which tulip variety these particular ones are but we just love them! They get about 8-12" high and are two-tone in color...very vibrant color and the petals have frayed edges which really help them to stand out and look unique among our other spring flowers.

Next week I will share some photos of other flowers we are growing in our flower beds with all of you who are interested in Spring flower gardening. My one tip for all of you is to buy your bulbs in early September (North East Coast) and plant them in late September before you get your first frost. Then come late March, April and May (depending on our cold winters) you will see beautiful blooming flowers come springtime.

Saturday, May 10, 2014

3 Simple Things You Can Do Today to Feel Better Tomorrow

I was a healthy baby up until I was 18 months and caught encephalitis. From that time on, I have suffered with various chronic illnesses over the years with many of them being serious. For those of you who don't know me, I suffer with the rare genetic disease called Porphyria and I also suffer with Epilepsy to name just a few. Chronic pain and medical problems are a part of my daily life.

I am always looking for ways to improve my health and the health of my family. After all, if you don't improve things now, your life can be shortened or at the very least, miserable when you hit your senior adult years.

Today I am sharing an article with all of you that was recently given to me. I think the tips in the article are simple and they are changes you can make right now with little to no effort by Dr. Frank King. I am pretty good about doing all 3 of his simple recommended tips. How about you?
3 Simple Things You Can Do Today to Feel Better Tomorrow

“Imagine you’re a spider with just one leg,” says Dr. Frank King.

“You put forth immense effort to try to haul yourself around and not only does it wear you out, it’s frustrating and you don’t get far.” King is a chiropractor and doctor of naturopathy specializing in homeopathic remedies, and author of The Healing Revolution (www.kingbio.com).

“It gets a bit easier with two legs and easier still with four legs. But it’s not till you have all eight legs that you can really dance.”

Dr. King explains that the eight legs represent Eight Essentials we need for optimum mental, physical and spiritual health: Empowering your human spirit; Water; Nutrition; Fitness; Sleep; Nature; Relationships; and Hands On Techniques (touch).

“It would be overwhelming and self-defeating to look at all eight areas and think, ‘I have to make significant changes in every area immediately!” Dr. King says. “You don’t have to and who could? I know from my experience with countless patients and friends, and even in my own life, that you can see immediate results by making a few small changes at a time.”

Dr. King describes three that are easy to make and will have you feeling better quickly.

Drink half your body weight in ounces of spring or well water every day.
If you weigh 150 pounds, that’s 75 ounces of water (about 9 cups).

“Many of us walk around dehydrated without realizing it and that can have a significant effect on our health and how we feel,” Dr. King says. Dehydrated bodies trap toxins and encourage water retention – a natural defense against the chronic “drought.”

“Our bodies need the steady flow of pure, spring or well water. If you don’t like the taste, try mixing up to a teaspoon of sea salt into a quart of water,” he says.

A simple test for dehydration: Pinch the skin on the back of your hand and hold for three seconds. When you release, if the ridge from the pinch remains for more than a second, you’re probably dehydrated.

Take at least a few minutes every day to connect with nature. Nature brings perpetual revitalization and ongoing renewal, especially when experienced through multiple senses: the smell of freshly turned earth or evergreens in the woods; the touch of cool stream water on your face or feet; the sight of birds on the wing and budding blooms.

“These are not just pleasant little gifts to experience – we need them for restoration, renewal, revival and rehabilitation,” Dr. King says. “The more disconnected we become from the Earth, the more we inhibit our body’s natural ability to heal.”

Take a brisk, 10- to 20-minute walk every day. Walking is the simplest, most natural form of exercise. You might walk a nature trail, walk to the store instead of driving or take your pet for a stroll.

“Three brisk 10-minute walks a day are as effective at lowering blood pressure as one 30-minute walk,” Dr. King says, citing an Arizona State University study.

“Outdoor walking is preferable to walking on a treadmill or other machine, since the uneven surfaces and changing directions of natural walking will engage more muscles and tendons.”

Swing each arm in synchronization with the opposite foot to strengthen your cross-crawl functionality and mind-body balance.

About Dr. Frank King: Dr. Frank King is a chiropractor, doctor of naturopathy, and founder and president of King Bio, an FDA-registered pharmaceutical manufacturing company dedicated to education, research, development, manufacture and distribution of safe and natural homeopathic medicines for people and pets. Dr. King is also the author of, The Healing Revolution: Eight Essentials to Awaken Abundant Life Naturally! (www.kingbio.com). A fourth-generation farmer, Dr. King raises yak, camel, boar, wisent and American bison sold under the Carolina Bison brand. He is a member of the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia Convention of the United States.

Monday, May 5, 2014

Moscato Ginger Margarita Cocktail Recipe

Did you all know that May 9th is national Moscato Day? I never knew that until now but it seems like the perfect way to relieve some stress, unwind and to have some fun with your favorite Moscato!

Gallo Family Vineyards offers three great Moscato wines – White, Pink & Red and sent over this delicious looking Moscato Ginger Margarita recipe for me to share with all of you. YUMMY!
Moscato Ginger Margarita Recipe

1 1/4 ounces GFV Moscato
1 ounce silver tequila
1 1/3 ounces lime juice
1/2 ounce orange juice
1/4 ounce ginger simple syrup
Rock salt
Lime wheel for garnish

Preparation: Combine moscato, tequila, lime juice, orange juice, and ginger syrup in an ice-filled shaker. Salt the rim. Carefully add ice to the glass, then empty shaker into glass. Garnish with lime wheel.

Disclosure: You must be 21 years of age or older to consume alcohol. Recipe and photo in this blog post are courtesy of Gallo Family Vineyards.