Family * Travel * Food

Cheap or Free Ways You Can Help Others

The inspiration for this post came from something I heard my 7 year old son say... "Wow, my dad helped the neighborhood and he helped the world". I wanted to share some ideas of how you can help people in little ways to make their lives better. This may spark something within them to want to pay it forward and help someone else.


  • Volunteer at your child's school. 
  • Getting rid of outgrown clothing from younger, school-age children? Consider donating them to your local elementary school's nurse's office. They always have the need for bottoms, underwear and socks. 
  • Text a friend just to let them know you are thinking about them.
  • Smile. A genuine smile triggers other people to smile. 
  • Check up on your neighbors.
  • Be a "Mystery Reader" for your child's class.
  • Offer to help an elderly person in the grocery store.
  • Hold the door open for someone.
  • Compliment a stranger (within reason).
  • When you get a buy-one-get-one free deal, why not share the freebie with a friend or neighbor.
  • Offer to babysit for a new mom.
  • Give your neighbor's dog a treat at the fence.
  • If you are in a store and see someone purchasing something that you have a coupon for, offer it to them. You would be amazed at the joy $1 off can bring to someone.
  • Be the Coupon Fairy. Leave coupons in front of the items they are for in a store. Someone will be very happy to save a little extra money. 
  • Call someone out of the blue. 
  • If you baked something, send in extra for you child's teacher.
  • Always ask the cashier at the store you are at how their day is going. No matter the attitude they may give off, you can still show that you care.
  • Tell someone that you love them. 
  • If you get a gift certificate for purchasing a certain amount in a store, consider giving it to someone. My kids give me their $10 Kohl's cash certificates all the time and it makes me so happy.
  • Hug someone.
  • Make people laugh!
  • Rake or blow leaves for your elderly neighbor.
  • Do a chore for another person in your home. I love when my walk into my bedroom and see my bed already made up.
  • Paying with a gift card and have a small balance left? Give it to the person behind you in line. 
  • Saying, "good morning" or "have a great day" gives off a positive vibe. 
  • A simple "thank you" is always in order.
  • Allowing your inner happiness to shine can bring much needed light to others.
  • Send in a special treat for your child's class or your spouse's co-workers.
  • Write notes to your family members.
  • Write a letter and mail it to a friend. Embellish the envelope with fun stickers.
  • Let your kids eat dessert for dinner once in a while. There's nothing wrong with the occasional ice cream sundae dinner.
  • Show gratitude and appreciation every day.
Sharing love is FREE! What will you go out and do today that will make a difference to others? 
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MACY’S celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

Macy’s brings together Jasmine Villegas, Julie Sariñana and Kika Rocha at seven stores nationwide for inspiring discussions on culture and fashion influence

This fall, in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Macy’s honors Latin-American women Jasmine Villegas, Julie Sariñana and Kika Rocha,  who have all influenced and shaped American popular culture via their fashion, beauty and lifestyle expertise. With exciting special events across the country, Macy’s is set to commemorate these three influential Latinas through live candid conversations that will inspire customers to embrace their style heritage.    

"Macy’s recognizes and values the contributions Latinos have made to our nation, not only in fashion, but also in beauty and every aspect of American popular culture. We look forward to celebrating these achievements with our Hispanic Heritage Month events from coast-to-coast," said Dineen Garcia, Macy’s vice-president of Diversity Strategies.

Jasmine Villegas, the multi-talented actress and singer who has amassed a huge following, recently signed with Interscope Records. In 2012 she was listed as the #3 Most Powerful Woman on Twitter and #1 Top Twitter User in Los Angeles by TweetGrader.com. Jasmine most recently released her latest single “That’s Me Right There” which features Kendrick Lamar and has plans to release an EP in the fall, followed by her full length major label debut in early 2015.


Julie Sariñana founded the blog Sincerely Jules in February 2009 as a creative outlet to express her thoughts, inspirations, style and love of everything cool. Jules chronicles her daily style, travels and life and continues to inspire and motivate her readers, one outfit at a time.


Kika Rocha, former People en Español fashion director, knows a thing or two about passion and following dreams. Fluent in four languages, Kika encourages women to look their best and discover new secrets while sharing the next “it” trend with her one million readers on social media and her blog De Tacones Y Mas. She is currently a red carpet fashion host at Telemundo and has a weekly beauty segment on Telemundo’s national morning show “Un Nuevo Dia.”

Macy’s Hispanic Heritage Month events will take place at stores across the country including The Bronx, Wheaton, Chicago, Miami, Santa Clara, San Diego and San Antonio. Customers will have the opportunity to be part of a casual conversation with the three Latina influencers, who will speak on cultural heritage and the role it has played in their lifestyles. Villegas will also perform her latest single, set to be released later this year. Customers can shop Macy’s specially styled closet with fashions inspired by Villegas, Sariñana and Rocha as well as have the opportunity to meet the three influencers and take a photo with them in the Macy’s photo booth.

Fans will also receive a copy of Jasmine V’s song “That’s Me Right There” which features Kendrick Lamar and their very own Macy’s swag bag with any purchase of $25 or more during the event, while supplies last.  

Macy’s Hispanic Heritage Month events will take place at the following locations:

Event Celebrations 
Macy’s Bay Plaza – Bronx, NY – Friday, September 19th @ 6:30PM 
Macy’s Wheaton – Wheaton, MD – Saturday, September 20th @ 2:00PM 
Macy’s State Street – Chicago, IL – Thursday, September 25th @ 5:30PM 
Macy’s Dadeland – Miami, FL – Saturday, September 27th @ 3:00PM 
Macy’s Valley Fair – Santa Clara, CA – Thursday, October 2nd @ 6:00PM 
Macy’s Fashion Valley – San Diego, CA – Saturday, October 4th @ 2:00PM 
Macy’s Northstar – San Antonio, TX – Saturday, October 11th @ 2:00PM 
For complete details on Macy’s Hispanic Heritage Month Events, please visit www.macys.com/celebrate.   

About Macy’s: 
Macy's, the largest retail brand of Macy's, Inc., delivers fashion and affordable luxury to customers at approximately 800 locations in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam, as well as to customers in the U.S. and more than 100 international destinations through its leading online store at macys.com. Via its stores, e-commerce site, mobile and social platforms, Macy's offers distinctive assortments including the most desired family of exclusive and fashion brands for him, her and home. Macy's is known for such epic events as Macy's 4th of July Fireworks® and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade®, as well as spectacular fashion shows, culinary events, flower shows and celebrity appearances. Macy's flagship stores -- including Herald Square in New York City, Union Square in San Francisco, State Street in Chicago, Dadeland in Miami and South Coast Plaza in southern California -- are known internationally and leading destinations for visitors. Building on a more than 150-year tradition, and with the collective support of customers, employees and Macy's Foundation, Macy's helps strengthen communities by supporting local and national charities giving more than $70 million each year to help make a difference in the lives of our customers. 
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Guyanese "Cook-up" Rice Recipe

Today I am sharing a recipe with you all that is a very common Guyanese main/side dish called "cook-up" rice. I think it is one of those meals that you almost always have the ingredients on hand to make and it is very versatile. In all the different West Indian countries this dish is called by different names like rice & peas, peas & rice or pilau. I have always known it to be called cook-up rice and it can be made with any type of rice or beans/legumes. Typically you would use pigeon peas, black eyed peas or red beans.
One of the main ingredients that makes this rice dish so special is the use of coconut milk, herbs and spices. Everyone makes their own version and today I will share mine. Please be aware that my recipes are seldom done in precise measurements so I did my best to estimate to make it easier for you.

Ingredients:

-1 1/2 tbs butter
-1 small onion chopped
-2 cloves garlic minced
-herbs~ You must use dried thyme but can also add anything else you like, both fresh or dried. I also used fresh thyme and cilantro
-hot pepper (optional) You can use scotch bonnet, habanero or wiri wiri pepper but leave it whole.
-1 chicken bullion cube
-1 tsp of Kitchen Bouquet browning sauce (optional)
-Salt, pepper, garlic powder, Creole seasoning and any Spanish style seasoning. I like Badia best
-1 1/2 cups of parboiled rice ( I sometimes use Jasmine)
-1 can of coconut milk
-1 can of your choice of beans rinse and drained (I love red)

Note: you can cook this dish with meat but I prefer it as a side dish.

How to make it:

I melt the butter and saute the onion for a couple minutes. I then add the garlic and hot pepper (leave it whole). Next, I add the can of coconut milk, can of beans, some dried thyme, the bullion cube and the remaining seasoning except the salt. I bring all of that to a boil to dissolve the bullion cube and then add the rice and browning sauce and some water. I then taste for salt and add if needed. At this point (if desired) you can press the whole hot pepper with your cooking spoon to release some heat and flavor. Turn it down to medium/low heat and make sure you have enough water in there for the rice to cook properly. It can take about 20-30 minutes cooking time. Once all the liquid is absorbed, I add some fresh chopped cilantro and toss it around. That's it!

I served it with some wonderful broiled salmon and it was a big hit with the family. You can also serve it with chicken, steak or pork chops. If you want to keep it meat free then you can add salad or roasted veggies on the side. The only thing this meal was missing was some fried plantains. I couldn't find any ripe ones in the store.

I hope you find this recipe simple enough to try it for yourself. If you do try it, please let me know how it turned out! Enjoy :)
Shelly, Mom Files
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A typical Guyanese breakfast

I often times get a lot of questions about my Guyanese heritage. So many want to know what language is spoken in Guyana, what types of food is eaten and what some customs might be. Although I was born in Guyana, I left when I was 3. My parents did bring me and my siblings up with a lot of Guyanese culture. I wanted to show you what a typical breakfast in a Guyanese household might looks like.

This dish is what we would call "Channa and boiled egg". It is very simple and is nothing more than heavily seasoned chick peas/garbanzo beans and a boiled egg. I make it by starting off with some sliced onion, scallion and tomato. I saute my veggies in a splash of oil for a few and add one can of chick peas with the liquid. I season with Spanish style seasonings, Creole seasoning, black pepper, garlic powder, cumin and hot pepper sauce. I cook it until it gets tender. I serve it with fresh, sliced scallion on top and a boiled egg cut in half. Simple, filling and flavorful. I made this dish today because I had a taste for it. 

I will periodically share recipes and interesting facts from my culture. If there is anything you are curious about please leave me a comment or you can always email me. Have a great weekend! :)

Shelly, Mom Files
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Grits are... gritty

Growing up in a West Indian home, we ate many interesting things for breakfast. We had everything from sardines, fried eggs, channa (chick peas), toast and sometimes even crepe-like pancakes. Our breakfast food was far from the traditional American fare. When I moved out on my own I learned a lot about American breakfast foods including grits. I had never even heard of grits to say I grew up in the states. My husband grew up on them and it was the daily breakfast staple for him. I remember tasting it for the first time. I was very disgusted and blurted out that "grits are gritty!" Since my husband has grown up eating grits I figured I better learn how to cook them so I did not take away from what he was used to. It took some practice and it turns out that I am an excellent grits cook. I cook them low and slow. Although I am still not a big fan of grits, I will eat them on occasion if I have something yummy to eat along with it. My family loves them and little William recently discovered his love for grits with cheese. I prefer to cook it on the stove-top but since he wants to eat it every day I am going to try him out with the instant kind. Knowing him he will prefer the slow cooked type. My kids are mini food snobs like their mommy :-)

What about you? Did you grow up eating grits? Do you like them?

Shelly, Mom Files
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From princess to diva?

I remember when little girls were referred to as princesses. They would be decked out in pink with ruffles and glitter. They were all things sweet and innocent. Of course times change...people change. Now parents refer to little girls (even babies) as a diva. If you look up the definition of the word diva you will find out that it means a celebrated female singer. Ladies like Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston or Mariah Carey are great examples of a diva. The word "diva" is also used negatively, to describe a celebrity in film or music who is extremely demanding and fussy when it comes to their personal needs or wants.

Now tell me something. Why on earth does a 6 month old baby girl need to be referred to as a diva? Am I missing something here? Little sweet girls are being called a diva like it is a badge of honor. I am not judging you if you do this so please don't get me wrong. I just need some understanding.

What are your thoughts?
Shelly, Mom Files
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Outrageous Food

I consider myself to be very adventurous with food, a foodie as some call it. I am willing to try just about anything once (with the exception of rattlesnake or bugs). My food adventure list is extensive especially growing up in a Guyanese home. We ate things that were not considered the norm to our everyday American friends. Quite frankly if people knew the things I have eaten they would have thought twice about our friendship. I was watching a fishing show with Dwayne last night and these crews were fishing in Alaskan waters for herring. The herring were being fished not for the actual fish itself but for what was inside of them~ the roe (egg sacs). They were fishing for export to Japan. The Japanese eat the herring roe in the new year to promote fertility. I got all excited because I remember being a kid and having freshly caught fish that you had to clean yourself and finding those big egg sacs. I used to have to fight my mom over who was going to get to eat it. We generally had it curried or stewed. I have has everything from cow's feet, tail, brain, testicles and more. Are you freaking out right now? hehehe! Like I said, I am very adventurous with food~ I hope we're still friends :D

What about you? What are the most outrageous things you have ever eaten?

Shelly, Mom Files
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