A Hallmark Christmas
Win a Hallmarks Pics ‘n’ Props holiday kit! #WinWithJae
Category: Lifestyles
Chris Hadfield’s “An Astronaut’s Guide to Life On Earth”
One of my most popular columns was on Commander Chris Hadfield. You know — the Canadian astronaut who sang “Space Oddity.” In space! He has a book out called “An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth” and I’ve teamed up with his publisher (Little, Brown & Co.) to give away two books. I’ve read it, and I enjoyed it very much. I think you will, too. #WinWithJae
The Boy Scouts
Our local Boy Scout troop could’ve had an opportunity to learn that there are repercussions to their actions; and that sometimes, the worst action is in pretending that a wrong never happened. Instead, they learned that if they deny something enough, they can get away with being cruel to youngsters and disrespecting members of their community.
A simple and delicious dinner
One of the things I really love about the onset of Fall is making dinners in the oven. Tonight’s meal was simple, rustic and delicious. Served this with some rice. For dessert, we had strawberries. So good!
“The Big Bang Theory” on Blu-Ray … for free?
OK. So, the 7th season of “The Big Bang Theory” will premier on CBS on September 26. I’ll be watching. Will you? And guess what? I have a copy of the 6th season of the series on Blu-ray (+ DVD + Ultraviolet) to giveaway! #WinWithJae
Protected: Americans use the Internet to abandon children adopted from overseas
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Tomato tarte
I don’t really know what a tomato tarte is. I’ve never eaten one before, and I’ve never made one, either. But the other night, I had nothing ready for dinner. We had been planning on going out to eat. But then my husband had to stay at work longer than anticipated; I was sick (literally — thank you, allergies!) and tired of eating leftovers; and I had a small child who was (rightfully) complaining that he was hungry.
Breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Yes, I know this. But, I am not a breakfast fan. I don’t usually like to eat in the morning. I’d much rather drink a cup of coffee or tea (or even a glass of water) and call it good.
Goro Miyazaki‘s “From Up on Poppy Hill”
For my current giveaway, I have a real treat for anime fans. Two lucky readers will win a Blu-ray + DVD combo pack of Goro Miyazaki‘s “From Up on Poppy Hill,” which won’t hit stores until Sept. 3. #WinWithJae
Was Miley Cyrus really that offensive?
I thought that all the hoopla surrounding Miley Cyrus’ performance with Robin Thicke on this past weekend’s Video Music Awards would’ve died down by now. But, it hasn’t. And while there has been some fantastic commentary about the meaning of their performance (as it relates to sexism and racism), I was disappointed to see that the majority of comments boiled down to this: Miley Cyrus is a little slut with a flabby rearend.
Christa Wells’ new CD “Feed Your Soul”
A long time ago, when I was a teenager, I was on a roll winning contests. I won tickets to see Culture Club in concert. I was selected for a hair and makeup makeover. I won albums and boxes of chocolate. But, the biggest prize I won was a trip to San Diego to see the Knack (of “My Sharona” fame). #WinWithJae
Why I write about the past
Someone privately messaged me and asked why I wrote so much about things that had happened in the past. Do I write about it so much? I’ve been writing professionally for the past three decades and I’d estimate that my pieces surrounding race issues encompass less than 1% of everything I’ve ever written.
“Sunday Girl”
For this week’s contest, I’ve teamed up with author Kalliope Lee. We’ll be giving away two paperback copies of her critically-acclaimed novel, “Sunday Girl,” AND 10 e-books. #WinWithJae
Summer meals and memories
This has been our go-to dinner as of late. And so much of it is from our garden. We had a delicious caprese salad with our homegrown tomatoes (nothing like them!) and basil, fresh mozzarella and my balsamic vinegarette drizzled on top. The kid and I made pizza dough in our bread machine, and it tastes so much better than the dough we used to buy from Trader Joe’s.
Justin Roberts’ “Recess”
I’ve teamed up with Justin Roberts. And we’re giving away two copies of the Grammy-nominated kid-friendly musician’s new CD, “Recess,” which is currently in stores. Click on the photo to get instructions! It’s easy and fun! 🙂 #WinWithJae
Grits & Glamour
New contest! I’m giving away TWO copies of the new album by Grits And Glamour (aka Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan). If you’d like to win “Dos Divas,” click on the photo and enter. Contest runs through July 22. Good luck! #WinWithJae
Konnichiwa and death threats
A while ago, I used to do segments on a local radio station. It was a popular show with a host who was vaguely shock jockish. We got along fine, and it was a good forum to promote the newspaper I worked for. One day, they called me at work and put me on the air live to tell them about some of the music acts coming to town that weekend. They kept me on the line as they began another segment, in which they called a bunch of establishments that were operated by Asian Americans — dry cleaners, Chinese restaurants etc. I would soon find out that the sole purpose of these calls was to make fun of the people speaking accented English.
Bring “Babar” home
For this week’s contest, I’ve teamed up with eOne to giveaway a copy of the “Babar Adventure Pack ($19.98). Based on the children’s books by Jean and Laurent de Brunhoff, this 3-disc collection features the chaming elephant king and his friends, as they navigate their way through adventures that test their loyalty, friendship and patience. #WinWithJae
G. Garvin’s new cookbook
Need some new meal ideas? Celebrity chef G. Garvin has some awesome ideas, and I’m giving away two of his cookbooks. #WinWithJae
