Tag Archives: New York City

May 15 2013
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I (almost) met Bethenny Frankel

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Good morning Loves,

Well, I am back from my trip to New York City and as always I am a little bit sad. NYC is such a great city and I am always sad to leave. I try to visit NYC as often as my schedule – and my budget – permits because there is just so much to do and no two trips are ever the same.

What is the one city that you just can’t live without?

This time I went to NYC for SELF Workout in the Park.  It was a full day fitness event with classes by Crunch gym and lots and lots of healthy living swag.  In between yoga, dance and sexy stretching classes I snacked on salads and enjoyed a facial and massage from Garnier.  I came home with Victoria’s Secret workout gear, snacks from and of course the new issue of SELF magazine.

My favourite workout was the 90’s dance cardio routine with 2 Fly. These two white girls can really work it out – and to Bell Biv Devoe.  It was the perfect end to an awesome day at SELF Workout in the Park.

What was the best part of SELF Workout in the Park?

Bethenny Frankel made a guest appearance and for the entire 45 seconds of her speech I was in total awe.  Technically I have never met Bethenny, but for some reason I feel like I know her. I have watched Bethenny grow her business from being on The Apprentice with Martha Stewart to having it all with Bethenny Ever After. Personal Confession: I never liked this Jason either!

Bethenny’s signature brand Skinnygirl Daily had a booth at the event and the lovely ladies in red were handing out energizing snacks. It was great to actually see her in person and hear her speak.  Just in case you are wondering – Yes! She is really THAT skinny in real life.

PS – Bethenny if you are reading this (LOL) I am not a crazy stalker, I am just a huge fan!

Check out some pics from my day at SELF Workout in the Park:

 

 

Love Always,

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Dec 10 2012
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Baking for a Cause with The American Cancer Society

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I am not going to lie, I have never really been a girl who likes to spend a lot of time cooking in the kitchen becuase it’s very time consuming and I am not a huge fan of washing dishes.  However my new life plan to get fit by making healthier food choices and exercising on a regular basis has encouraged me to spend more time in the kitchen; surprisingly enough I actually like it.  I find time in my daily routine to cook at least 4 dinners every week and on Sundays I try to bake something.

I actually love baking because it makes my apartment smell great and it’s a really relaxing way to spend a Sunday afternoon.  When the American Cancer Society asked me to share one of my favourite recipes for their A Healthier Holiday Table initiative I was more than happy to do so and I immediately knew which recipe I wanted to share…Hello Low Fat Banana Bread!

Eat Healthy with The American Cancer Society

I met the good folks of The American Cancer Society last summer when I attended BlogHer’12 in New York City; it is a good cause that is near and dear to my heart.  Over 4 years ago I lost my best friend Kevin to cancer and since then my life has never been the same.

Thanks to my new friends from The American Cancer Society I have learned a lot about how your diet can affect/reduce your risk of getting cancer. For instance studies have shown that eating large amounts of processed meat increases the risk of stomach cancers; all the more reason to join me on the vegetarian wagon. Eating at least 2.5 cups of fruits and veggies every day can help prevent your risks of cancers, and drinking more than 1 alcoholic drink per day increases the risk of mouth, liver, breast and colon cancer.

5 Reasons Why I Love Banana Bread:

- There is a low fat option

- You can eat it with tea or coffee for breakfast

- You can eat it with fruit for a snack

- You can eat it as dessert after a meal

- You can eat it on the go

I used the Joy of Baking Low Fat Banana Bread Recipe and made a few minor changes.  The recipe is easy to bake and your home will be filled with the scents of bananas and brown sugar. YUM! If you decide to bake Banana Bread I would love to see your pics. Enjoy!

You Will Need:

1 cup (240 ml) mashed ripe bananas (about 2 large   bananas)1 teaspoon baking soda1/2 cup (120 ml) low-fat plain yogurt1/4 cup (60 ml) canola, vegetable, or corn oil3/4 cup (165 grams) light brown sugar

1 large egg or 2 large (60 grams) egg whites

1 teaspoon pure vanilla   extract

1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (65 grams) whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Baking Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Spray an 8 x 4 inch (20 x 10 cm) loaf pan with a non-stick vegetable cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix the mashed bananas with the baking soda and yogurt. Allow to sit while you prepare the rest of the batter.

Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, egg or egg whites, and vanilla.

In another large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, ground cinnamon and salt.

Then combine the banana mixture with the oil mixture and then add to the flour mixture. Stir just until all the ingredients are moistened. Pour into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 45 – 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.  Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Love Always,

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Sep 28 2012
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Friday Faves: Flameless Candles and Nail Art

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I have been blogging about my experience at BlogHer in New York City since August because it was such an amazing experience, I have never been a part of anything so empowering and rewarding in my life.  Next year BlogHer is in Chicago and I am already counting the days before I get to be a part of it again.

During the 4-day BlogHer event I made some new friends, I learned about the business side of blogging and I discovered some great new products.

These are two of my favourite products from BlogHer12 in New York City:

The Energizer Flameless Wax Candle is a scented candle that is no-mess and no-stress because it has no flame.  You don’t have to worry about messy wax dripping all over your furniture with the Energizer Flameless Wax Candle; you get the authentic look of a real wax candle, the room filling smell-good scent of vanilla and honey without the mess of hot dripping wax.

Why I Love It – I have tried other flameless candles and room fragrances (whose names will not be mentioned), but they just never seem to be the total package. Sometimes the item decor and design looks nice but it doesn’t smell very good (or strong) and sometimes the item smells really good but it just doesn’t fit with my home decor. I want a flameless product that smells good and looks good; I finally found both qualities together in the Energizer Flameless Wax Candle; it smells awesome and it looks like a real candle which fits well with any home decor. The Energizer Flamelss Wax Candles are availalbe in a jar or as a pilar candle.

Where to Find It – The Energizer Flameless Wax Candle will be available at various retailers in the fall, it will be available at select Canadian Tire Stores in Canada and on Amazon.ca.  You can find more information about the Energizer Flameless Wax Candle on their website.

Impress Press-On Nails are a totally awesome nail art product that saves time and looks just like a real manicure.  Let me tell you that press-on nails have come a long way since I last used them, the evolution of press-on nails has finally left the messy (and sticky) glue behind.  Women no longer need to glue their fingers together when trying to press-on our nails.

Why I Love Them – Impress Press-on Nails are fast and easy to apply. I love applying these press-on nails because I don’t have to wait for nail polish to dry. They come in a variety of different nail art designs from holiday themes and shiny bling to solid colours and French manicures. Impress Press-On Nails definitely offer a nail art design for everyone.

Where to Find Them – You can buy Impress Press-on Nails at any local pharmacy.  You can also become a fan on Facebook.

Love Always,

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Sep 24 2012
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A Smart and Sexy Giveaway Just For You!

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One Lucky Reader will Win All These Gifts.

Good Morning Everyone.

Today I have some great news, My Diary Entry is hosting another giveaway.  Actually it’s an existing giveaway that I decided to upgrade.  Do you remember the Sexy Giveaway from Eden Fantasys? Well I decided to upgrade it to The Smart and Sexy Giveaway.  You now have a chance to win some of my swag from BlogHer12 in NYC and from FinCon12 in Denver.

If you already entered the original sexy giveaway don’t worry your entry is still valid and you don’t have to enter again.  If you have not yet entered the giveaway then now’s your chance to enter and win.

This is what you can win in the Smart and Sexy Giveaway:

- A t-shirt and reusable bag from Coupon Cabin. Coupon Cabin had a booth at BlogHer12 in NYC. Their celebrity spokesperson is America’s favourite reality TV mother Kate Gosselin. Does she beat out Kris Kardashian? Kate Gosselin was at BlogHer, but I did not get a chance to meet her. Coupon Cabin is a website that features coupons and discounts at a variety of national and local retailers. If you love to coupon then you should definitely check them out.

- A Sexy Couples Gift Bag from Eden Fantasys. I met Eden Fantasys at BlogHer12 in NYC and today I am giving away a sexy little gift that you and your “special friend” or spouse can enjoy over and over again for many years to come. For a closer look at what’s inside the bag please click here.

- A Financial Guide to Investing. The Sound Mind Investing Handbook by Austin Pryor was in my FinCon12 swag bag. It is a step by step guide to managing your money. Sound Mind Investing discusses topics such as how investing can be quite simple, how to use your own money to limit your investing risk, how to implement an investing strategy, and how to maximize your retirement savings.

- An attitude changing personal finance book. Pocket Your Dollars by Carrie Rocha was also in my FinCon12 swag bag. This book is not yet released and therefore you are entering to win an advanced copy of Carrie Rocha’s book. This book will help you change your attitude to help you pay down debt, avoid financial stress, and pocket more of your own money.

One lucky reader will win all of these Smart and Sexy gifts. Good Luck everyone, the winner will be announced next week.

Love Always,

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Sep 21 2012
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Friday Faves: My favourite bloggers right now

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Downtown Denver @ Night.

This year I was fortunate enough to attend two different blogging conferences, this was a new experience for me because I have never ever been to an overnight conference that wasn’t imposed by my 9-5 employer, aka I have never been to a conference that I actually wanted to attend.

This year I travelled to NYC for BlogHer12 and I travelled to Denver for FinCon12.  I met some great people; I discovered some amazing new products, and most of all I learned a lot about turning my blog into a business, aka my personal goal.  I am using My Diary Entry as a platform to share my thoughts, showcase my writing (talent), and promote my (soon to be finished) books.

Today I am sharing blog posts from some of my favourite bloggers that I discovered at BlogHer12 and FinCon12.  I hope that you love these bloggers as much as I do.

- Lyz Lenz @ LyzLenz.com – I met Lyz Lenz at BlogHer12 in NYC and she is totally awesome. If I had to describe Lyz in one word it would be “Fun”. I can relate to her writing because we are both girls who left our small towns in hopes of finding all of the bigger and better things that the world has to offer. OH and PS she isn’t wearing pants for a year. You can see a photo of us on my Facebook page @Tahnya Kristina.

- Cecily Kellogg @ UpperCaseWoman.com – Cecily is a mother and wife who speaks her mind and doesn’t take any crap from anyone. During her panel at BlogHer12 she taught me how to value myself as a writer and how to present myself as a professional.  If I had to describe Cecily Kellogg in one word it would be “Outspoken”.

- Alli Worthington @ BlissfullyDomestic.com – Alli Worthington is a housewife turned media mogul. She is the co-founder of the very successful social media conference Blissdom, they recently started a Blissdom Canada conference in Toronto.  Alli is a typical southern belle and she is absolutely too cute for words. If I had to describe Alli in one word it would be “Ambitious”.

- Jenna Broomberg @ H&RBlock.com- I had the pleasure of meeting Jenna at FinCon12 in Denver, Colorado.  Actually I met a couple of ladies at FinCon12 who represent H&R Block and they were all very friendly, professional, and easy going. If I had to describe the ladies from H&R Block in one word it would be “unordinary”. These ladies are young professionals who work for one of the biggest tax corporations in the country and yet they are not uptight, stuffy, or unapproachable. Actually it’s the total opposite, they are just normal ladies who work hard and like to have fun. Thanks to the ladies from H&R Block I was given the opportunity to write a guest post for H&R Block, you can read it here.

Love Always,

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