Hillary Clinton--What Happened--My Review

Hello!

We are nearly one year into the new administration, and I'm wondering how the hell we got here. I'm not going to go into much of my personal feelings of what I think of the policies and behaviors coming out of the White House, but I can definitely say I don't see how we are setting a good example for our children when the President exhibits the behaviors he does.

I was/am a Hillary Clinton supporter, and I volunteered very hard for her campaign. I'm not saying she is perfect by any means, Mrs. Clinton has stated her faults in her book, What Happened in regards to her campaign; it is a very interesting and well written piece of literature.

Hillary Clinton goes into specifics about her lifelong career as a lawyer and of course her various political titles and experiences. Two of the major components that are covered in her book are those damn emails and of course Russia and its interference.

The different media outlets covered the emails on multiple occasion, even after investigations and hearings revealed no new major information came to surface. Hillary Clinton writes how she never really got a  chance to get her message out to the American voters because the focus was typically on this scandal.

There is another very detailed chapter about Russia and Donald Trump's relationship with Vladimr Putin. She describes it as dangerous.

Overall, my feelings of the book would give it a solid B+. I feel that it is a little bit long; you don't really get into the meat of what happened during the campaign until the middle; the first half is a mixture of her overall life career, as opposed to simply sticking to the campaign. Those points are of course important to give a person the complete picture of who she is as a person and politician, but I felt there was too much added fluff.

I definitely would recommend this book to interested parties, just giving them the heads up that it does have those added tidbits, for the first half (still very interesting information to read!). Her experiences really show that when you want something so bad, and you may not get the accomplishment you are striving for so hard, not to give up. It was pretty painful to read the chapter on her losing, but, she kept everything as positive as possible. You have to give her credit for not ever giving up, no matter what is thrown at her.

I hope that if ever given the opportunity to meet Hillary Clinton, I will be among the many others who gets a hug and a selfie from her!

Get your copy today here!

Xo, Amanda

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DIY Pampering

Hello!

Ladies (and gents), when was the last time you pampered yourself?  Everyone has their own different versions of TLC; maybe its retail therapy, or a night out dancing, heck, it could just be a night in, with a good glass of wine, a book, and a nice fuzzy blanket. Some of my personal favorites are DIY, saving my bank account. 

For Christmas, I was given an Amazon gift card, and trust me, it wasn't hard to spend. One gift that I've been wanting to treat myself to for a long time is an at home gel manicure and pedicure set. I went on to Amazon and got one that was pretty budget friendly only ($23.99!), this UV light dries the gel polish so quickly and effectively. The gel polishes that I got came in a pack of 6, with different colors, you can choose varying packs with color options, these are the ones I chose, and they came out great! 

Another fun DIY pamper is for your hair. Ladies, do you want super soft and healthy hair? Try my secret, I got this recipe online and it works. A tip for this, put the mask on dirty hair, it absorbs better, and then shampoo and condition as you would normally.

I don't measure anything, I just eyeball the amount. Put in a sauce pan on low heat, (this is very important because the mixture heats up very quickly) raw honey and coconut oil. Let both melt and then lather your entire head in the mixture. Keep on for 30 minutes to an hour, either in a pony tail, or a head piece you don't mind washing. Rinse out the mixture first in the shower and then wash. Your hair will look very shiny and soft, I've gotten many compliments on how healthy my hair looks. This method is very budget friendly, and they are ingredients you can eat, so you aren't putting any harsh chemicals on your hair. 

Happy TLC!

Thanks for reading.

Xo, Amanda

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#MeToo

Hello!

I was hesitant to blog about this topic, but I figured, if people don't talk about it, that is part of the problem.

The ending of 2017, a social media hashtag movement began, #metoo. When I first saw my friends posting theirs, I was wondering what the hashtag was all about. I quickly learned that it was about sexual Harassment and assault. I was saddened to see so many of my peers posting these simple yet hurtful words, giving an illustration that unwanted advancements, both verbally and physically, happen all too often. I too shared my own #metoo, however, I was very lucky that mine wasn't a severe moment that put my life in a danger I couldn't handle.

As the Golden Globes aired, I watched the opening monologue, hosted by Seth Meyers, and laughed at his jokes, but also realized many of them were not in reality funny as it was very much related to this whole #metoo movement and the men who came forward or were accused of unwanted behaviors. They are all horrible, but the one that truly broke my heart was hearing about Matt Lauer, though he specifically wasn't brought up during the monologue. I grew up watching Matt on "Today" and truly was blindsided that a man I thought was a genuine respectable human being, had this other side to him.

I try to keep content politically neutral, but I can't keep silent on this particular post. I find it so incredibly sad and pathetic that ever since Mr. Trump came into office, all these behaviors came to the surface from multiple sources. I still cannot believe that after the Access Hollywood Tape was brought to everyone's attention, we still elected this man. It boggles me every single day, that a man who openly bragged about his sexual assault and harrasment tendencies because of his star power. How are we supposed to set an example for future generations, when the leader of the free world gets away with dialogue and sickening behaviors like this?

I guess I can say thank you in actuality to Mr. Trump for doing this. Not because his behavior is wonderful, but because this has now become a nationwide if not world wide discussion. Behavior and language like this will not be tolerated, afterall #timesup. Time is up because now women will be fighting harder for equality in all aspects, its 2018!!!!! Equal pay, no more #metoo because everyone should feel safe in both professional and personal environments. A side note to this, Hoda Kotb, who is now the official replacement of Matt Lauer has even said that even though she is doing the same work that Matt was doing previously, her salary isn't anywhere close to his. Why isn't she making equal pay for equal work?

I truly hope that all of these social movements will actually bring about change to our country and world, where we can respect one another, and the only thing that makes us different, is biology.

Thanks for reading.

Xo, Amanda

Tysons Corner--America's Next Great City

Hello readers!

I live right outside of our Nation's Capitol, in the heart of Tyson's Corner, which actually has been named America's next great city! My family actually owns the domain name, www.tysonscityusa.com. We would love to talk to anyone interested in creating a great website for it!

I have been a resident of Vienna/Tysons Corner for nearly 20 years and have had a first hand witness to of the all of the real estate developments. Tysons Corner mall  has been one of the major changes in local attractions in the area. About ten years ago, one of the first huge developments that changed the mall was the addition of the movie theater and additional food court. Developers built it so that patrons could enjoy the convenience of the theatre directly adjacent to the food court offering a variety of different dining options, as well as TGI Fridays restaurant for a more formal restaurant experience.

Other additions to the mall are the constantly changing retail stores, and most recently, the plaza which was developed Summer of 2014. The plaza during the winter months has the ice skating rink available, as well as the annual Christmas tree lighting in addition to fire pits to cozy up to. During Spring and Summer, the plaza offers free events such as the Summer concert series, as well as outdoor family friendly games and activities. The Shake Shack is in one corner of the plaza offering delicious burger and of course milk shake options. Other dining options on the plaza are the Barrel and Bushel with both indoor and outdoor seating for drinks and dining, Earls Kitchen and Bar, and Eddie V's.  

The other really great attraction, or in this case, lodging/living arrangements are the Hyatt Regency Hotel, and the Vita Tysons apartments. The hotel is connected to the Barrel and Bushel restaurant and the mall, while the apartments are connected to the silver metro line, which was added just a few years ago. The metro is a great transportation addition for not only bus lines into DC, but also transportation around the area.

Tysons City truly is a great area to live, as its not only family friendly, but also provides a sense of community. The Vienna Community Center has various community events, there are thrift stores, library, several schools to accommodate the various zip codes, etc.  

Progresso Stew

Hello!

Brrrrr, it's been freezing outside, literally. Today it went up to maybe 20° outside.

Everyone loves a good hot meal on a cold winter day like today. Sometimes, though, you don't have the time, or desire to cook, yet crave a delicious meal in a flash. One thing my family does is buy Progresso soup and then bulk them up! It's like a crock pot stew, without all of the time and preparation!

We purchase a few different variations and then dress them up: Chicken Cheese Enchilada, Chicken Corn Chowder are two of our favorites soup/stews to make. Simply open the cans, and pour them in your soup pan. We add rotisserie chicken, steamed vegetables, Uncle Ben's Instant Rice, and croutons. It certainly adds a lot of flavor and bulk to the soup base. We also spice up the flavor with Garlic powder, Onion powder,  Old Bay seasoning, and Worchestire sauce.

You can of course add any variation that you fancy, these are ones they we have enjoyed thus far. And it only takes 15 minutes to prepare. Easy!

Enjoy

Xoxo, Amanda

"Alexa"

Hello everyone!

Happy New year to you all!

Now that the holidays are winding down, people are getting back into their routines, kids going back to school, and the start of the New Year is here. One of my resolutions that I have made to myself is to blog more and talk about interesting content. I was sitting here at my desk thinking, what do people want to read about? How will I keep other's attention?

Well....one thing that I think we can all agree on is that we love our tech toys and gadgets. A gift that my family received for Christmas was a wonderful Amazon Echo that many refer to as "Alexa." "Alexa" is awesome, she gives you a lot of useful information when asked. All you have to do is set her up to the Wi-Fi and then download the app to your phone or device and then program the settings based on your preferences. I personally have my location set up so that we can have up to the minute weather reporting, as well as any question that is geographically impacted can be answered as accurately as possible. Other settings include setting up your favorite music stations, whether it be through Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, etc.

The possibilities are endless as to what you can ask of "Alexa." She will give you facts based on availability  (I asked how old the Queen of England is, 91 for her Royal Majesty!) Want to hear a joke, "Alexa, tell me a joke"....and she will deliver. Want to set a timer for cooking "Alexa, set cooking time for 15 minutes." Want a soft alarm clock, "Alexa wake me up at 6am to soft music." You can also link her to your Amazon Prime Account and ask her to order you something and receive updates as to the status of your order.

Need more suggestions, there is a "Skills" email you can subscribe to and you will receive a weekly email as to new suggestions you can try with "Alexa." Go ahead and discover the power and convenience behind this new gadget, you'll love it as much as we do. Click here to get yours today!

Thanks for reading, please go ahead and Subscribe your email so that you get automatic updates as to when I post next. I'm going to be adding great content on a weekly basis! Have a suggestion, please leave a comment, I'd love to hear your suggestions.

xo, Amanda