All Posts By

Jeneba Jalloh Ghatt

The Under Armour Backpack All the Cool Kids Have is On Sale!

Posted on May 27, 2020

A lot of people are home shopping and a lot of retailers are aware of this fact, and as such, are offering deep discounts on beloved products.

This weekend, an email popped up on my screen from my affiliate partners Under armour alerting me that its very popular Under Armour UA Hustle 3.0 which normally retails for about $55 is almost half off for a limited time down to $27.99.

All the boys at my sons’ school sport this trendy bag from a beloved brand that was actually founded in our state, Maryland.

It’s the official athletic apparel company for their school’s team sports and Spring uniforms.

The bag is not just stylish and sleek and great for any gender, it is also durable with a sturdy reinforced shoulder strap, a rugged bottom panel to withstand the stress of being dropped on the ground, a top grab handle so it can be picked up and taken on the go and more.

It’s good for a student who carries a laptop as it has a sleeve for a laptop  but beware, it can only hold one that is 15″. If you or your child has a larger 17 or 18″ size laptop, it would be a tight squeeze or won’t fit at all! I’d recommend upgrading to the larger Storm Recruit backpack which isn’t on sale but runs just $64 regular price. Not bad for a durable bag that will last the test of time.

The bag is also good to use a sports bag. It has a gusseted front laundry bag inside at the bottom, meant for shoes to separate them from books or other items. It’s not too large so sons with huge feet may not be able to use this function.

Two side pockets can hold water bottles so hikers can use it to hold enough thirst quencher for a long trek.

There is also font water-repeellant part for valuables like mobile phones and wallets.

Overall, I think this bag is perfect to use as either a light weight back pack or a sports bag but not both.

Also, there is not enough room for heavy books and all the other stuff kids carry around. It’s only good for schools where the kids use lockers during the day to hold books, and for kids that go in and out of their lockers.

If you’re shopping now for Back to School or Summer sports training, consider getting one too!e 3.0 one for too!

I’m also gonna invest in a new runner’s cap. It’s sleek, pre-curved run cap is also on sale down to $15.99 from its original $19.99. I like that it’s super light and made of breathable mesh venitlation on the side and back panels…just in time for outdoor exercising and running this Summer.  Get it now before the sale expires.

0 comments

Trend: Family Porch Portraits Are Sweeping Across America

Posted on May 26, 2020

What started as a way to capture and commemorate these uncertain times with home-bound families for the sake of creating memories, “Porch Project” photoshoots are trending all across the country and abroad in the Uk.

Photographers and community groups work with residents to arrange family photoshoots that take place on the front porches of homes.

The picture-taker uses his or her professional quality lens and stays a substantial social distance away, wears gloves and conducts the entire shoot in a safe manner. They usually capture people in front of their homes so you don’t have to have a porch either.

Many of the photographers donate all or a portion of the proceeds from booked appointments to charities that help COVID-19 victims or front line workers.

Not everyone is crazy about what seems to be a sensible and fun way to celebrate families and give back. One anoymous writer penned a warning on a popular professional photographer’s website, calling the practice an irresponsible trend and work around.

The Photography Association of Canada went as far as request that photographers stop conducting doorstep photo sessions based on fear they caused spread of COVID.

GEORGIA

(source)

IILINOIS

(source)

MARYLAND

(source)

MASSACHUSETTS

(source)

NEW JERSEY

(source)

NEW YORK

(source)

NORTH CAROLINA

(source)

OHIO

 

(source)

TENNESSEE

(Source)

TEXAS

(source)

VIRGINIA

(source)

CANADA

(source)

0 comments

Study: Covid-19 May Attack Placenta in Pregnant Women

Posted on May 26, 2020

A small study of 16 pregnant women who tested positive for Covid-19 found evidence of injury to the placenta, the organ that acts as the gut, kidneys, liver and lungs for a fetus during pregnancy.

Pathological exams completed directly following birth found evidence of insufficient blood flow from the mother to the fetus and blood clots in the placenta.

That might interfere with the placenta’s role in delivering oxygen and nutrients from the mother’s blood stream to the growing baby and removing waste products from the baby’s blood.

“Not to paint a scary picture, but these findings worry me,” said Northwestern Medicine obstetrician Dr. Emily Miller, coauthor of the study published Friday in the American Journal of Clinical Pathology, in a statement.

Despite following only 16 women, the authors said the study is the largest examination of the health of placentas in women who tested positive for Covid-19 done to date.

“I don’t want to draw sweeping conclusions from a small study, but this preliminary glimpse into how Covid-19 might cause changes in the placenta carries some pretty significant implications for the health of a pregnancy,” said Miller, an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

“We must discuss whether we should change how we monitor pregnant women right now,” Miller said, which she said might be done by testing the oxygen delivery of the placenta during the pregnancy and following the growth of babies via ultrasounds.

continue reading

0 comments

Memorial Day: 2 Ways to Honor Fallen Soldiers Right Now!

Posted on May 25, 2020

Today is Memorial Day in the United States, a day set aside to honor, pay homage to, respect and remember fallen soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the armed forces.

It’s not too late to honor a loved one who passed away in the line of duty, or just to generally recognize and do something today. Here are two ideas that you can do right now before the day is over or anytime really!

If you are a parent, these could be great history lessons:

Veteran Affairs’ Cemeteries: VA cemeteries will be open for public visitation on Memorial Day. However, wreath-laying ceremonies, accompanied by a moment of silence and the playing of “Taps,” will not be open to the public.

Here is what you an do:

Go make your own online tribute or watch others at the Veterans Legacy Memorial; a page exists for each veteran and service member interred in a VA national cemetery.

Virtual Tours of U.S. Veterans and War Memorials: Since most travel has been put on pause, Google Arts and Culture has compiled a virtual tour of our nation’s most recognized memorials in Washington, D.C.

Thank you for your service if you are a vet. And God Bless you and your loved ones currently serving!

0 comments

Free and Fee Summer Coding Camps

Posted on May 25, 2020

My eldest kid is heading to college soon to study Cybersecurity, Secured Computing and Information technology.

My husband and I have actively enrolled the younger two in those quick free tech in-store camps hosted by Black Girls Code, Apple, Microft and Verizon Innovating Learning Lab and were looking into investing in full robust camps this year because our daughter, in particular is great at coding and the middle kid is all about digital art.

Enter COVID-16. Plans changed.

But a friend tweeted me, asking me to give her referrals to any good tech summer camps I knew of and that request gave me an excuse to see what’s the landscape looking like this year in light of global shut downs and other restrictions.

Here is what I discovered:

FREE CAMPS

Here are camps that are offered at no cost to students. These usually fill up fast so it’s a good idea to sign up early before it’s too late.

Apple Camp

Every Summer, Apple offers short free 90 minute courses for kids ages 8 to 12 so they can explore music, coding, moviemaking, or art & design.  They re located inside local Apple stores and Apple usually announces the dates early summer to late Spring.  You can sign up here to be notified if they will be having a traditional in-store one this year or will be moving to a virtual set up!

Black Girls Code

The award-winning initiative to encourage black girls to learn to code and enter the tech field is offering a series of online web courses in gaming design. My daughter has already taken one and loved it. She is signed up for the next one in May. Sign up for scholarship for its Online Summer Camp here.

Code Wizard HQ

This coding academy for children and young adults recentlyh curated a list of 46 FREE coding classes, websites and apps for parents looking for educational outlets for their children this Summer. Check out the post HERE! 

Flatiron School

This nation wide college for continuing education offers a series of online courses including free courses in Introduction to Java Script, Hacking 101, Data Science Boot Camp and more. See what is available here!

Harvard Online Tech Courses

Harvard University offers a series of self-paced online courses free that run 12-14 weeks each.  Among the offerings are Introduction to Game Development and  Mobile App Development, Programming with Javascript and Python and Introduction to Computer Science. If you want a fancy certificate you or your child can hang in an office or wall in the home, they charge about $99 for that.

Microsoft Store Camp
The in store 90 minute camp that the Microsoft store offers has not been updated and there are only references to its 2019 Summer program. I’ll tweet at them and see if I can get a response and will update this post with what I discover.

MIT Online Entrepreneur Course

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers a free class 6 week course on how to become an entrepreneur not necessarily for kids but can be taken by teens. If you want to get a certification, it costs $69 and is a great thing to hang in an office or add to a resume.

FEE CLASSES

Code Wizards HW

Code Wizerds HQ has an online virtual  for third to 12th grade students. The camp meets multiple times online for 6 weeks and cost just $149 which is a steal compared to these other courses.

iD Virtual Tech Camps

Roblox, Scratch, Minecraft, video game coding or Adobe, Java, Python languages are among the courses taught in this very popular and well received national camp. Classes are one to two weeks long with live instuctors and cost around $399 each. Age groups 7-9, 10-12,  13-18 or general 7-19. It is now signing up students for virtual camps!

National Computer Camp

Founded in 1977, National Computer Camp has four locations: New York, Atlanta, Connecticut and Ohio and has moved online and offers (2D and 3D game design, web design, Android app programming, video production, software apps), as well as offering A+ hardware, software and network+ certification, plus PSAT and SAT Math preparation classes, with a lower price tag to boot.

The price is $599 per week with a $100 price drop if you sign up for one of its scholarships it is handing out. During free timee During free time campers are free to explore the NCC software (over 100 gigs), play in tournaments, continue to code, and make new friends.

Texas Robo Camp

The University of Texas has a special online edition of the Texas RoboCamp for 2020 for high school students. The cost is $750.

CAMPS IN LIMBO

These are traditional nationally-recoginized camps that operate nationwide but have not decided yet how to proceed in light of the pandemic:

Emagination Computer Camps

Since 1982, Emagination Computer Camps have offered day and overnight programs for “Kilobytes” ages 8 to 10, “Megabytes” ages 11 to 13, as well as a program for teens in the 8th grade and up. With five locations on college campuses near Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, New York and Philadelphia, the camp offers a wide range of diverse tech programs for every skill level. However, the camps may switch to online, digital only this Summer, depending on state rules and regulations. Stay tuned.

digital media academy

Digital Media Academy

Before COVID, Digital Media Academy operated camps out of top colleges and universities in the U.S. (Harvard, Stanford, Univesity of Washington, GWU, University of Texas, NYU, UC Davis, Chicago) and University of Toronto in Canada, offering day and overnight programs for children ages 6 to 18. According to DMA, kids are taught by “award-winning filmmakers and artists, master teachers and certified Apple, Adobe and AutoDesk professionals.” All of the camps are “project based meaning your son or daughter completes a real-world project under the guidance of one of our professionals.” What’s more, there are two sets of staff, one for technical instruction and another set for more traditional camp activities and the overnight program.

However, it too is taking a wait and see approach and will offer refunds to parents who have pre-paid while still offering up access to suite of digital and online labs, per its COVID-response web page. 

0 comments

20 Fabulous DIY Summer Nail Color and Designs To Try Out

Posted on May 24, 2020

If you’re like a lot of us, you may be totally over the global lockdown and stay home orders that require us to self-isolate from our friends and to avoid frequented sites and to social distance.

But if you’re like me and other fashionistas, you may be struggling with the idea of not being able to get your hair and nails done and having no where to wear all the frivolous outfits you’ve been buying online lately.

Hopefully, you check out my previous posts that show you how to do your own DIY spa with stuff in the fridge and pantry, how to get professional looking nails at home and how to enjoy a nice foot soak and pedicure.

Whether I’m flexing my designs in social media or at the grocery store, I often get remarks from store clerks and friends who believe my nails were done professionally. Now that’s a sign that they look good!

Now if you’re looking for nice colors or design ideas to experiment with at home, you can check out my DIY Nails board on Pinterest which has a nice following of about 10,000 users.

I’ve curated 20 from that board which has the source for the creatives who made or sported these looks:



Pastel Ombre



Almost Neon Blue Coffin Nails

 

The Joker

Jungle Boogie

 

Orange Apeal

Pretty in Pink

Unexpected Tips

Earl Gray

Natural Beauty

Neon Lights

 

Marble Skies

Baby Pink

Unicorn Love

Cosmic Beauty

Forrest v. Beach

Pink Stiletto

 



The Cosmopolitan

Moon and Stars

 



Shark’s Fin

 



Gardenia

0 comments

Memorial Day: How to Be A Grillmaster in 15 Steps

Posted on May 22, 2020

If you are grilling for Memorial Day this weekend and need some grilling tips, you’ve come to the right place. Here are 15 of our fave tips we spotted from various sources and around the web and assembled into top 15 tips

1. Gas vs. Charcoal? – The age-old debate over which grilling method is “better” involves multiple variables, from flavor to cost to convenience. While no studies prove that either is healthier, gas does burn cleaner. Charcoal grills emit more carbon monoxide, particulate matter and soot into the atmosphere, contributing to increased pollution and higher concentrations of ground-level ozone. From a taste perspective, on the other hand, many people prefer the smokier, richer taste of food cooked on a charcoal grill.

2. Get It Hot!– Preheat your grill 15 to 25 minutes before you start cooking to make sure it reaches the right temperature (and to kill any bacteria). Your grill should be 400-450°F for high, 350-400°F for medium-high, 300-350°F for medium and 250-300°F for low heat. A properly heated grill sears foods on contact, keeps the insides moist and helps prevent sticking. While searing doesn’t “seal in” the juices (contrary to popular belief ), it does create improved flavors through caramelization.

3. Brush It Off – It’s easier to remove debris when the grill is hot, so after preheating, use a long-handled wire grill brush on your grill rack to clean off charred debris from prior meals. Scrape again immediately after use.

4. Oil It Up– Even on a clean grill, lean foods may stick when placed directly on the rack. Reduce sticking by oiling your hot grill rack with a vegetable oil-soaked paper towel: hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.)

5. Marinate Your Meat -Marinating does more than infuse food with flavor; it also inhibits the formation of potentially carcinogenic HCAs (heterocyclic amines), which form when grilling “muscle meats” like poultry, red meat and fish. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR), marinating can reduce HCA formation by as much as 92 to 99 percent.

6. Is It Done?– The best way to know if protein is fully cooked is to check its internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer.

7. The Hand Test– To gauge the temperature of a grill without a thermometer, place your open palm about 5 inches above the grill rack; the fire is high if you have to move your hand in 2 seconds, medium if you have to move your hand in 5 seconds and low if you have to move your hand in 10 seconds.

8. Tame The Flames- Flare-ups happen when fat drips onto the heat source and catches fire. This causes carcinogenic PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) to form and accumulate on your food. Meat licked by flames also tastes “off” and flames may char the outside of food before the inside has thoroughly cooked. To reduce flare-ups, select lean cuts of meat, trim excess fat and remove poultry skin. And, keep a squirt bottle of water near the grill to quickly douse any unexpected flare-ups.

9. Give It A Rest – Let finished meats rest on a clean platter, tented with foil, for about 10 minutes before carving so juices can redistribute evenly.

10. Veggies Lift – Keep the lid up for Veggies so they don’t become too limp and are crisp not soggy

11. Fishy Fish – For fish, slice lemon and make a bed of them and lay the fish on top to grill.

12. Ribs Boil – Boil ribs for 10 to 15 minutes before grilling to make sure you kill all bacteria from them.

13. Get Saucy – Add the sauce during the last 15 minutes of grilling.

14. Keep it Juicy – Don’t flatten your burgers and cause all the succulent juice to run out. Instead poke them with a fork.

15. Portion control – To avoid overcooking or undercooking, grill smaller pieces of meat at a time.

YUM!!!!

0 comments

Viral: Dad YT Channel Helps Fatherless Kids He Once Was

Posted on May 22, 2020

 

Are you ready for another feel good “dad” story, just in time for Father’s Day in a few weeks?

About a month ago,  Bellevue, Washington native Rob Kenney launched a special YouTube channel dedicated to showing kids who may not have a dad in their life how to fix every day things.

Kenney’s channel ‘Dad, how do I?’ was in response to his own upbringing where his father abandoned him and his siblings after divorcing their mom.

In an interview with Shattered Magazine, Kenney  said of his dad who he explained has cheated on his mother “he got custody of us, but he didn’t really want us…I think he was kind of done by that time.”

After he grew up, Kenney turned to his faith as a Catholic and decided that when he became a dad himself, he would focus on raising good adults.

“I never wanted to be wealthy. I never wanted to be necessarily successful,” he explained. “My goal in life was to raise good adults — not good children but good adults — because I had a fractured childhood.”

And that’s what he did until his own kids grew up and left the nest.  He has now turned to making sure all those other children growing up without the presence of a father in their home will have a place to go to get some fatherly advice.

Since his story went viral, Kenney’s channel has amassed 1.4M viewers as of this post!

Great job! I’m a new subscriber!

0 comments

9 Free Financial Apps to Download Today

Posted on May 21, 2020

A lot of people are out of work due to global stay home orders and shutdowns because of the Coronavirus pandemic.

Therefore, a lot of families are budgeting more and being more mindful of their finances.

They may be depleting their savings or surviving on government subsidies like unemployment or pandemic loans or grants. Here is where it is a good idea to download a good software or two to help you track your spending, pay bills or track deferrals, in case your mortgage, landlord or utility provider has suspended collections.

A few of these allow you to keep track of your credit score, your investment portfolio  (if you’re not afraid), track your debt reduction or your daily, weekly, and monthly expenses so you know where your money is going and what you need to reign in, if that’s a concern.

And the best thing is that a lot of these apps are FREE! (and some with in app purchases or upgrades)

Mint – is an all-in-one resource that allows you to make budgets, track spending, pay bills and keep track of your investment portfolio. DOWNLOAD THIS APP

 

Clarity Money allows you to set savings goals, make budgets, check your credit score, and track your spending. DOWNLOAD THIS APP

Albert analyzes your finances, spending habits and savings goals and creates a plan based on them. DOWNLOAD THIS APP

You Need a Budget – Gives you a “job” for every dollar so you know exactly howmuch you have available for purchases. DOWNLOAD THIS APP

Wally allows you to track your daily, weekly, and monthly expenses against your overall income to see where money is coming in and going out. DOWNLOAD THIS APP

Acorns saves money automatically by rounding up purchases on linked accounts and moves the differences into savings. DOWNLOAD THIS APP.

 

Prism is a streamline bill payment system that shows all account balances, bills and payments to creditors in one platform . DOWNLOAD THIS APP.

 

Digit tracks all your loans in one place, along with your payment due dates and debt amounts. DOWNLOAD THIS APP.

Settle up keeps track of your shared expenses to show all money owed and who you should pay next. DOWNLOAD THIS APP.

There you have it! Download some of these today and start getting your life in order and in check!

0 comments

With New Fatherhood, CNN’s Anderson Cooper Joined the 3 percent

Posted on May 20, 2020

When CNN anchor Anderson Cooper announced on the last day of April last month that he had become a father, he joined the 3% of single men in the United States who become a parent without a partner or spouse.

“On Monday, I became a father,” the heir to the Vanderbilt fortune and popular on air news personality shared at the end of a CNN Town Hall segment. “I have a son.”

He later tweeted that Wyatt Morgan Cooper was born on Monday weighing 7 pounds 2 ounces.

Before Cooper, one of his best friends, BravoTV‘s Andy Cohen also welcomed a baby solo, and similarly, Cohen too announced the news on his nightly talk show Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

Other famous men who became parents while single include, actor Hill Harper, who adopted a son, while  there is apparently a growing trend of single men turning to surrogacy, according to recent reports.

International soccer star and the most famous person on Instagram, Cristiano Ronaldo, is a surrogate to three children, two of whom were born when he was single.

In 2008, Latin pop sensation Ricky Martin used a surrogate to father twins while he was also without a partner at the time. He has since welcomed a daughter, Lucia, with his husband Jwan Josef.

In a blog post on the E network‘s Daily Dish Blog, an expert explains the trend:

“There are many reasons why some men don’t start a family in their 20s or 30s. But it’s not too late to have a child, even if you don’t have a wife or a female partner? Single men who want to have a biological child of their own, both gay and straight, are starting to turn to IVF and surrogacy,” reports WINfertility, an organization which assists men in becoming single fathers.

“It’s not a simple process — basically, a single man who wants to be a dad needs an egg donor, a gestational surrogate to carry the child, and IVF to make fertilization of the egg and transfer of the embryo possible. There are hormones to take, sperm to donate, tests to undergo, egg testing to be done, contracts to be signed. It can be a years-long process. Which means that if you do it, you really want it.”

But according to Gayle East, owner and director of Surrogate Solutions in Hewitt, Texas, single man surrogacy is becoming more prevalent!

The type of guy who will be willing to undertake such a life-altering move are professionals who are financially stable and ready to settle down but they haven’t found a partner yet.

“They’re single guys who’ve been working in a career, saving money and becoming more financially secure. It’s very doable for them,” says East. “In the past, there was the stereotype of moms raising a family, but they’re seeing same-sex couples with families. And now, watching other guys go through this process will probably give more single guys the courage to do this.”

Congrats to Cooper!

0 comments

Batman138 Bro138 Dolar138 Gas138 Gudang138 Hoki99 Ligaciputra Panen77 Zeus138 Kilat77 Planet88 Gaspol168 Sikat88 Rupiah138 Garuda138 Gacor77 Roma77 Sensa138 Panen138 Slot138 Gaco88 Elanggame Candy99 Cair77 Max7 Best188 Space77 Sky77 Luxury777 Maxwin138 Bosswin168 Cocol88 Slot5000 Babe138 Luxury138 Jet77 Bonanza138 Bos88 Aquaslot Taktik88 Lord88 Indobet Slot69 Paus138 Tiktok88 Panengg Bingo4d Stars77 77dragon Warung168 Receh88 Online138 Tambang88 Asia77 Klik4d Bdslot88 Gajah138 Bigwin138 Markas138 Yuk69 Emas168 Key4d Harta138  Gopek178 Imbaslot Imbajp Deluna4d Luxury333 Pentaslot Luxury111 Cair77 Gboslot Pandora188 Olxtoto Slotvip Eslot Kuy138 Imbagacor Bimabet