Your most amazing life

Everyone that knows me well will tell u I am serious about wellness and experiencing joy..I have a young child and my goal is to be youthful enough to enjoy his kids well into my retirement! So I put the hard work in now.I shed ALOT of pounds..run at least a couple of miles a day..try to only cook in olive oil ..steam or grill..reduce all carbs..limit sweets..learned to love veggies..eliminate stressful events and people and most of all..I have a zeal for life!

My goal is to have an adventure everyday.. Even if that means taking a new route to work or baking cookies with my son and we use red sugar instead of green sprinkles the next time..lol..the key to balanced living is to focus on the extraordinary in the everyday transactions of our lives..walking to the mailbox? Listen for the birds chirping..under the hair dryer at the salon? Meditate for 20 mins and give ur mind permission to run free and i guarantee u at least one amazing idea will blow you away with its persistence..the thought of cooking dinner bore u silly? Cook pancakes for ur family! here's some of my ideas for breathing again and learning to grab life by the keister and enjoy! I'd love to hear ur ideas too at atlbrowngirl@gmail.com or like me on Facebook!

**Redecorate ur bedroom and make it as peaceful and tranquil as possible..luxe sheets and comforter..lots of cozy pillows..room darkening curtains or blinds..a good nights sleep does wonders for the soul!

**Run to gospel music early in the morning and then turn to rock, pop or hip hop and belt out a few verses :-)

**Sketch..doodle..knit..crossword puzzles....try a new recipe...learn the lyrics to a fave song..read non fiction..write..everyday do something to unleash a creative part of ur soul and slow down the effects of mental aging by keeping ur brain active!

**Get up b4 sunrise..and watch the sunrise while drinking ur tea or java in ur pjs..instant awe!

**Ask ur kids compelling questions...is God real? Is it raining in spain? what is the most fun job in the world? And delight in their answers

**Have a dream board of amazing destinations to visit..and even if u can't get to one vacation a year have a "stay-cation" where u take a day or two off work go the spa or drive to a local neighboring town and if budget permits stay overnite and let the kids eat something fun in bed in their pjs in the hotel room !

**Reinvent ur self every few years..get a new haircut..wear a bold new color..try a new cuisine..embark on a new career..try something new (cooking school class? Sip and stroke class)..train to run a marathon...just do it!

**Every holiday do it big..Valentines Day? I decorate my home with all things red and big juicy hearts..Halloween? Its a frightfest wth talking skulls and lots of delicious scary fun..Chmas? Everywhere u look I try to infuse reminders of the season including apple cider and pumpkin fragrant oils in each room..Easter? U got it...colored Easter eggs are everywhere...get the idea? Make every holiday an excuse to celebrate life!

**Believe in the kindness of good works..Have u done a random act of kindness today? Smiled at ur neighbor? Stopped to compliment ur coworkers new hairstyle? Bought groceries or ran errands for a senior citizen church member? Told ur friend u love them because --- fill in the blank..or here's my fave..pay for the persons coffee standing behind u in the line in Starbucks.. And see the delighted look on their face...see how easy it is to make someone's day? Come on.. I dare u to stop thinking of ur own troubles for a sec and be a global citizen for a few mins a day every day..it will change u!

**Every thought about changing careers...what would u do free? Love to cook? Take a pastry class..Ever dreamed of owning ur own company? Call the local chamber of commerce and take the young entrepreneurs boot camp for founding and owning ur own business..when ur side hustle starts making paper don't quit ur full time job..but when ur passion starts making more money than ur gig..well u kno what to do..some of the most successful companies on the planet were founded by folks who were frustrated by their ft job!

Dream..love..dance...sing...laugh...u have one life to live...what will u do in the next year that will be memorable and life changing in its positivity...

Go ahead...dare to dream...today starts your amazing life!

The Working Girl's Guide To: The Bathroom Blues

Everyone that knows me well knows i am OCD about my kitchens and bathrooms..i am so bad that i will let things stay as is until i can get in there and blast behind the microwave...scrub on my hands and knees behind the toilet..and scrub the grout in the shower with a toothbrush until it gleams...that's right...i'm confessing to you my deepest darkest secrets..i drift to the darkside when i start cleaning.lol...i love it so that i seem to zone out in my head and when i come to..the kitchen and bathroom are sparkling...lol..for all those working girls who are not my soul sisters in this regard then i'm feeling you..your girl is always on the job for the working girl...you know the heart and soul of ATLBROWNGIRL is to provide working girls and stay at home moms and dads options for taking their kids to fun places, date spots for you and your boo..fun places for family excursions..markets to grab a great meal for your fam or your boo if it's been a long crummy day at work...and most of all i hope you make my website your resource for hanging out with your family or your boo in our lovely city...

but back to the title..i am starting a new series called "The Working Girl's Guide to.." and i will post all kinds of nifty ideas for making it work..in less time...never fear stay at home moms and dads..and single moms and dads...i give you big love too...we all have the same concerns..how do we either take care of ourselves in a hectic world..or take care of a family...and still take care of all the daily things that are required in our life...so here's my first in the series...How to Blast Your Bathroom Clean..in half the time...i hope you love it as much as I enjoyed writing this for you.. My focus for this post is to give big love to the Working girls...honey i know..sometimes you have to make it work! in 1/2 the time..lol..so here are tips for making it sparkle, and all types of nifty tips to get thyself out the door in record time to you it! either get your money on..so you can head to some of the fun spots in our wonderful city...

Lastly for my green folks..your girl has lots of environmentally friendly tips to help make us feel good about getting our clean on...lol...Toodles and L&K,

Cleaning Tile -To get in the nitty gritty, spray the whole shower esp in the grout with Tilex Mildew Root Penetrator..you will see it by different names but that Tilex Mildew remover is the truth..then spray Mean Green Mildew Remover over it..cut on the fan and walk out overnite...voila in the morning all you have to do is run the hot water before you take your shower and the mildew has magically disappeared...yeah baby! mama does not like to scrub so if you let it set overnite that is the key..it is stinky but all worth the trouble...for folks that have the dreaded white grout in between your colored tile, then dip a thin sponge paintbrush in distilled white vinegar and apply it directly to the grout before you do the mean green/tilex application..it gets hard water deposits and mildew and soap scum out...

Toilet - To bust that rust, and lime and hard water stains..pour table salt directly on the stain..then squeeze a fresh lemon on a bowlbrush or heavy duty papertowel and scrub..the acid in the lemon when combo with the salt will remove stains...then you can follow up with your Lysol toilet cleaner for up under the bowl and around the outside if you have little men that (ahem) miss the mark at the toilet on the regular...lol

Shower curtains - if you are lucky enough to have a standup shower with a glass shower door, then shower curtains are SOP in your home like mine..i hate when the little mildew and soap scum gathers on those boogers...problem solved! just toss them in the washing machine with vinegar and let it soak for 2 hours...then resume the cycle and voila! your shower curtain looks like brand new again...

Faucets and mirrors - Wipe your mirrors with a sponge soaked in hot vinegar..if you are like me and sometimes you are in a hurry..then Glass Plus wipes..they are awesome and reusable...great idea! I also spray Mean Green around the faucet while i am wiping the mirrors and let it set for a moment,..when i am thru using the Glass plus wipes i use to wipe my faucets...hey now..am i practical or what? lol

Bathtub - my little 5 year old bathtub king uses bubbles everynite for his bathie..somehow that cuts down on a bathring..but for your big kids who have long let Mr. Bubble go..unsightly bathtub rings are a drag...lol..the green option is to place salt on the ring and scrub..if you haven't guessed already...i am a big fan of Mean Green...it is a mothersucka on dirt honey...i have never seen such an environmentally product that is so tough..did the military make this stuff? lol..spray Mean Green on your bathtub ring, take a soft cloth that is damp and spray a bit of liquid cleanser like liquid ajax (doesn't scratch) and you know it! clean as a thistle...Ditto this procedure for your sink...it works i promise...

Walls - if you are lucky enough to have painted walls great...no fuss..but if you have bathroom tile like we do in our 1970's explosion of a bathroom..then wipe down the walls with a damp cloth soaked in vinegar or u got it..Mean Green...by the way i get my Mean Green and all cleaning supplies from Family Dollar...i save all my pennies for eating out..but u already had guessed that right? lol

Be Breezy,

GREAT NEWS!!

Hello Dahlings:

I have FANTASTIC news..my new website has launched! Thanks to the very gifted services of my web designer Ron Akins, he has created http://www.atlbrowngirl.com/

Please bear with me as the website is under construction so that we can offer you the very best Web-Suite experience for all your Entertainment needs. Think of ATLBROWNGIRL as your own fun coffee shop experience! Stop by, get you a cup of whatever you love, sit back, put your feet up and log in....I intend to link you to all the fun, funky and cutting edge things our beautiful city has to offer.

Please continue to check out my new website for updates and soon you will be able to sign up for my FREE email subscription.

In the coming months I will be traveling around hat in hand to my fave restaraunts and entrepeneurs so that they can introduce themselves to you and offer you exciting offers to woo you and offer you my subscribers special offers and deals so that you can have the inside scoop on what's HOT in the ATL.

It's my job to keep you informed of the latest greatest and proven favorites in our favorite city...

I will continue to give my Positive Postings..if i don't post on a spot you're curious about let me know..I promise to check them out or tell you privately why they are not Hot Hot Hot...lol

Trust me I got you!

I appreciate your loyal support and love. Keep our city alive by continuing to support local businesses and write http://www.atlbrowngirl.com/ across your heart!

L&K,

Atlbrowngirl

Ways to Save. Tips to tighten your belt in an Uncertain Economy

i'm sure by now you've figured me out..i love to hang out in the city and enjoy all that our wonderful city has to offer..but just like the rest of America i'm also concerned about being smart about spending these days...i like to find innovative ways to save money so that i can funnel more fun money to do the things my family and i like to do which is explore all the hot spots in the area...lol..so in the spirit of these times i offer something a little different on the blog this month...great ways to save money so you can have a little something extra in your pocket to have a fun...if you have innovative ways that you do as a single or perhaps as a family to save money, please feel free to post a comment. i'd love to hear from you!

TOP WAYS TO SAVE MONEY IN UNCERTAIN TIMES

*I only go to the ATM once after payday. i take out enough cash for the week and keep it in an envelope..when we run out, we wait till the next payday to hang out

*we go to alot of free stuff..festivals...parks and shopping malls to just hang out

*i fill my gas tank once a week

*i buy gift cards for amazing restaurants at www.halfoffdepot.com

*we buy late model cars at discount car lots..Carmax is awesome!

*i have a budget that i prepare 3 months at a time..i earmark only a certain amount for "fun money" each payday

*we buy our cars at the end of the model year or the last few days of the year and drive them till we pay them off

*we have a discount car insurance (Geico is way cool)

*we use a babysitter who charges a flat rate fee rather than per hour

*i never buy breakfast during the week. i make my own coffee and cook my own muffins, bring fruit, yogurt, granola, english muffins, oatmeal for a healthy breakfast..i save the weekends for a splurge for brunch!

*i try new places at lunch when typically the menu options are much cheaper

*i search the web for special days when special places (Fernbank, Imagine IT museum, Zoo atlanta) offer discounts

*i grocery shop once a month and buy in bulk from major discounters (I am a big fan of super Walmart)

*i shop for papergoods and cleaning supplies at family dollar and big lots

*i only shop for furniture at major discount retailers (Rooms to Go outlet and Big lots have quality furniture at a steal)

*we book Vacation packages thru Orbitz, Travelocity and Expedia..typically you can save a bundle if you book airline tickets, the hotel and rental car as a package

*we take vacations off season

*everytime i break a big bill i save all the singles and deposit them in a savings fund at the end of the month

*i love to shop..but i only shop at off-price discount chains (the designer brand selections are amazing..but you have to dig)

*i shop off-season..on the regular i shop for winter clothes when they are slashed to make room for summer clothes and vice versa..i peruse the fashion magazines to stay in touch with what will be trendy for the season and buy accessories to keep my wardrobe fresh...

*my new clothes purchase are minimal..but shoes..well erra that's another story...lol..i shop my fave designers (liz claiborne flex, dr. scholls, tory burch, steve madden, aerosoles at outlets and at the major stores during their seasonal sales)

*i typically buy fragrances once a season and i love body oil! 1/8 the price of major cologne brands

*everytime i have loose change i save it in a big jar and cash it in at my credit union and deposit the total in a savings fund

*i believe in managed health care..my employer has an HMO that i am a member of and i find the absolute best doctors in network and pay a flat rate for deductible visits..visit my primary care dr for everything...and pay rock bottom prices for dental visits...

*i take natural supplements to stay healthy...i also eat reasonably well, floss like a fiend and get plenty of rest to cut down on seasonal ailments and surprise visits to the dentist..and i am religious about hand sanitizer..germs live everywhere and it only takes a sec for you to catch something icky..lol

*i pray, meditate and exercise to cut down on stress...it's amazing the ailments that everyday stress can cause! the mantra i chant is "this too shall pass"..lol

*i ask my doc for samples of prescriptions during drs visits to cut down on visits to the pharmacy

*you have a checking account that is fee-free right? no? run to your local credit union! lol

*i have a Health Savings fund thru my employer that i use for pre-tax dollars..when i pay my deductible for any prescriptions or dr visits the fund pays me back by depositing the amount back in my checking account

*i also have a Dependent care account thru my employer..same concept using pre-tax dollars..all after school care monies i pay are directly deposited back into my checking account at a time i choose

*i set my kid's expectations low for toys..before we enter the store he repeats the rules "No means no...when it's time to go, it's time to go..and no whining and crying for anything" ..try it...the little ones get it really quickly.. lol....

*Repeat after me...coupons are your friend...lol

*i have one major credit card..we plan major purchases and pay them off within 30 days before the interest kicks in..repeat after me....installment agreements with interest are evil unless in emergency situations...lol..and yes that includes big screen tvs

*i estimate all the tax deductions i'm entitled to upfront (i have very smart tax accountants on my speed dial) and get all my money from Uncle Sam upfront in my paycheck...my tax refund is minimal and i love to "break even"...many may argue with me...if you disagree fine...plan to use your tax refund for that major purchase you've been salivating over like that flat screen tv instead of putting the purchase on a credit card and paying for it for the next 5 years...lol

*i wait until tax free weekends once a year to buy major computer purchases

*i utilize budget billing for all my utilities..esp the power bill and gas co

*we bundle services thru our cable company for phone, dsl and cable services

*i work out at home..no monthly gym fees! i even use the neighborhood pool if i need a change of pace

Repeat after me..the Dollar store is your friend..lol