January 2011 Archives - Justice Fergie Lifestyle Media

(Belated) Resources Wednesday:

January 28, 2011 By Justice Fergie Leave a Comment

I’m bringing this one to you 2 days late because after being in a conference all day Wednesday (with no wifi!) and being stuck in the insane storm that hit the DC area for FOUR hours, I just did not have it in me to blog. After taking a day off, I’m back! with a tip for all moms, whether you work outside of the home or not:

Cozi, a free online organizer that helps busy families keep up with appointments and lists, coordinate home and work schedules, and share favorite memories, all in one place. What I like about Cozi is that it allows you to enter in important dates and tasks AND allows you to send grocery lists to your phone or reminders to your husband. Amen and hallelujah. Each member of your family is assigned a different color code, so their schedules are easily identified. This may sound like a souped up version of Google Calendar, but Cozi really does offer much more. For example, I was able to search for my daughter’s school system within Cozi; with one click, it had entered her entire school system calendar into her schedule! Professional Days, holiday vacations and all. Beautiful.

Another feature that is unique to Cozi is that is allows you to share the goings-on in your family’s life with friends and family all over. At your request, it will send journal entries – short, blog-like posts – including a photo to your loved ones that want to stay in the loop. A fun feature for those of us whose families refuse to read our blogs. Ahem.

Download Cozi and give it a try. Oh, I forgot to mention – it’s FREE.

Filed Under: family, Real Working Moms, Resources, Uncategorized Tagged With: Calendar, Cozi, Family, Organizer

A Heart-to-Heart with Herb Mesa

January 26, 2011 By Justice Fergie Leave a Comment

I have no end of stories to share about the amazing time I had at Lavish! One in particular was the “Reality of Food TV” session where Herb Mesa, Finalist on The Next Food Network Star, shared his moving, emotional and inspiring life story with us. Chef Mesa kept it real, shedding light on the abuse he endured during his childhood, to his brushes with the law, to his struggle with alcohol, to experiencing marital problems and finally, his life changing decision. He was so personable and honest and most of all passionate about his love for family and cooking. Mark my words, this man is going to not only have a show of his own, but a book deal and a culinary empire.

I’m such a fan!

Filed Under: food, Uncategorized

Wegman’s, Coke Freestyle and Me

January 25, 2011 By Justice Fergie Leave a Comment

My grocery store situation is woeful. Back in 2004 I actually wrote a letter to the corporate headquarters of my neighborhood grocery store to complain about the sad state of affairs at my local grocery. Although they’ve since made substantial improvements, I’ve longed for a specialty foods store – a la Balducci’s – near to where we live.

When I found out that Wegman’s was opening up a store within reasonable driving distance, I was elated. For years I kept hearing about how FABULOUS Wegman’s is — and the closest one was at least 2 hours away. I made a date with myself to do my Thanksgiving shopping at the new store and I was not disappointed. A couple of weeks later, I had the privilege of going back for a VIP event for bloggers to introduce us to the new store and to learn all about the spankin’ new Coca Cola Freestyle.

The Freestyle is Coca Cola’s “Fountain of the Future” – the sleek soda machine offers 106 drink choices (!) and allows for uber-customization. The machine uses “microdosing technology” (fancy!) to dispense more than 100 sparkling and still beverage brands from a single freestanding unit. It creates branded beverages by blending concentrated ingredients with water and sweetener at the point where the beverage is dispensed. I was surprised to learn that the machines do not use syrup, but instead they use concentrated ingredients stored in cartridges in the dispenser cabinet, making for a fresher drink.

Look out for these machines at a restaurant or Wegman’s near you in the near future. I anticipate my kids having a field day with these machines.

The rest of the evening was spent noshing on delicious Wegman’s food. The Chef made us a Coca Cola braised pork loin. Wegman’s is known for their prepared foods bar, whcih is unbelievable. No, scratch that – the food bar is amazing, but the Italian Rum Cake was unbelievable!! Seriously decadent and delicious. I think my sister has decided that this cake is going to be her wedding cake. And she’s not even engaged – the cake was just that damn good.

The moral of the story? Get thee to a Wegman’s.

Filed Under: Events, food, Food News, Media Tour, sponsored post

Glitter Car Accessories: Blingtastic or Just Tacky?

January 24, 2011 By Justice Fergie 2 Comments

Filed Under: Style Tagged With: Bling, Car Accessories, Glitter

My Working Woman’s Retreat

January 20, 2011 By Justice Fergie 5 Comments

When our basement flooded last spring, we took the disaster as an opportunity to revamp our basement. We laid new carpet and have plans for a new wet bar and kids’ play area in the works. What made me the most excited though, was the prospect of converting our rarely used guest bedroom into a home office for me.

Our guests have a love affair with our sectional. It didn’t matter that we had decked out the guestroom with new furniture and flat screen tv; everyone who came to visit always ended up sleeping on the couch. I don’t blame them – it’s like sleeping on a cloud. That said, a perfectly good room was going to waste; now was my chance to take advantage!

We had an interior designer friend come and take a look at the space. She immediately said: “This can be your Working Woman’s Retreat!” I was determined to make it so from that point on. I got to work creating a design plan; I envisioned what I wanted my space to feel like {bright, soothing, warm} and what I wanted it to look like {light, chic, feminine} and scoured websites and magazines for the elements that I wanted to include. Of course, in a household with 5 people, my home office was at the bottom of the budgetary and scheduling priority lists, so it’s been slow going to pull it together. But I’m excited to say that I finally reached a turning point in the last month where the ball has gotten rolling!

The first major challenge was finding a desk. I knew exactly the desk I wanted. I had seen it on an episode of “Run’s House” (don’t laugh). Angela and Vanessa had a huge white French Provincial table with curved legs in their Pastryoffices. Like this:

And so I searched. For something similar but that didn’t break the bank. I was flat out of luck. Turns out those tables are treasured antiques and run in the neighborhood of $1500 and up. That was not going to work. I was getting very discouraged and took to checking Craigs List like a madwoman. I responded to an ad that I saw posted and dragged my entire family out to the girl’s place, with my husband’s pick up truck, to see it. What a letdown! Her table was in terrible shape, chipped and yellowing and rickety. After that I gave up the search for awhile. And then…2 weeks ago I FOUND MY TABLE ON CRAIGSLIST. Within a few hours it was delivered to my house in great condition for a great price. Woot! I was on my way.

Meanwhile, I was contacted by CurtainWorks asking if I might be interested in reviewing a set of their curtains. They were featuring all of their styles in blue as the color is one of the design trends for 2011. What perfect timing! I was sent their Messina velvet curtains in Peacock. They are the perfect addition to my space and add a luxurious, rich quality. We had painted the walls to the office a light, light blue and carpeted the floor in a similar shade; these curtains are the perfect accent. The length is great too; I ordered the length longer than needed so that they would pool in a bunch on the floor. Instead of using them to cover the window, which is small is this basement room, I decided to use the curtains as coverings for the closet. I plan to use the closet for file storage and like the idea of sprucing up a typical supply closet with these gorgeous curtains. I am now in search of the perfect curtain ties to complement the curtains…oh and a steamer to get them silky smooth! If you are in the market for curtains, definitely give CurtainWorks a shot. Their prices are super affordable ($49 – $79 for these!) and they are currently offering FREE shipping on orders over $125.

Image Source: CurtainWorks.com

Aren’t they pretty?

In addition to a fabulous bronze snakeskin, studded end table and studded leather chair that I scooped up at HomeGoods, I’ve added a pretty lamp, desk and wall accessories, decorative mirrors and Southern magnolia wreath to the mix.

I’ve still got a ways to go, but I am excited to say that my Working Woman’s Retreat is well underway.

Filed Under: Real Working Moms, Slice of Life, Sponsored, Style, success Tagged With: CurtainWorks, Home Office, Retreat

Stuff I Learned: Food Photography Tips

January 18, 2011 By Justice Fergie 3 Comments

Image Credit: MattBites.com

At Lavish! last December, I attended a Food Styling session presented by the awe-inspiring bloggers behind Honey & Jam and Running with Tweezers. I was a bit intimidated at first because these gals are CLEARLY expert food bloggers and, maybe more importantly, food photographers. When it comes down to it, people love food blogs that show great photos, right? This is where I am sorely lacking. I need to start by learning how to use the camera I have. It’s a Canon, point-and-shoot camera, but I was delighted to hear Hannah say that she started out using a point-and-shoot and that those cameras are capable of taking perfectly good food photos. Her two tips for me? (1) sit down and read the camera manual cover to cover (ugh); and (2) always use the camera on the macro setting.

I have yet to do either, but hey, at least I’m ARMED with quality information.

They shared a ton of valuable tidbits and I was live tweeting up a storm. In hindsight, I should have been going old school and typing into Word, because now I don’t have a record of all the jewels they were spitting and have to rely on my overpacked brain. Here are the main pieces of advice I remember from the session.

Always take photos of your dish in the place in your house with the best natural light. Take some time to identify which space this means for you and make that your go-to location.
Keep a photography area setup in your chosen space. {My immediate thought was that clearly neither of these women have crazy kids tearing through their homes} They suggest setting up a small table with props that is always accessible to you.
Take your photos against a white background. The natural light will bounce off of the background and give your photo the best light possible. Their trick for this? Purchase a school science fair display board. You can cut it down to a manageable size and use that as your background.
Make friends with IKEA. They emphasized repeatedly that the accents in the photo are many times what take a photo from “nice” to “wow.” Items like pretty napkins, interesting cutlery, brightly colored bowls or placemats are great, and inexpensive investments. Make yourself a little kit of various accent props and pull from it as needed.
People like Shiny Meat. Say what? Apparently it’s true. If your dish features a meat, take a moment to brush it with a bit of olive oil. It gives it the appearance of being extra juicy. After all, nobody likes dry chicken.

I know for a fact that they gave us tons more tips. But these are the main ones I can remember right now. It’s plenty for me to start with in any event. My first task? To figure out a time of day other than after work at 7pm (for exactly 3 mins) before throwing dinner on the table for my family, to setup, style and photograph my dish.

Filed Under: Droppin' Knowledge, food

Dine & Dish Monday: Farmers & Fishers at the Georgetown Waterfront

January 16, 2011 By Justice Fergie 2 Comments

This past weekend, I met some ladies for lunch at Farmers & Fishers in Georgetown on the waterfront. Right off the bat I was impressed at the array of choices offered for every part of the meal; we were a little chilled from the weather, so before eating we wanted some hot tea to warm us up – the waiter produced an entire tea menu! A rare but appreciated perk for a tea-lover like myself.

The restaurant’s motto is: “Harvesting the Finest In Farmer-Approved Food and Drink.” This means that they source their food from farmers and fisherman that believe in sustainable agriculture. Huh? I know. I kinda had an idea of what that meant, but here’s the definition the restaurant gives:

Sustainable agriculture is a way of raising food that is healthy for consumers and animals, does not harm the environment, is humane for workers, respects animals, provides a fair wage to the farmer, and supports and enhances rural communities.

Love it. I can get down with that. We ended up sharing the Virginia Cracker Crusted Calamari and the Farmers Hummus with Fresh Griddled Navajo Bread.

OMG you guys. The hummus platter was off the hook. They make their own hummus and bread in-house. The platter came with fresh roasted garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, fresh sliced tomatoes with basil, roasted red peppers and some other delicious spread to accompany the bread and hummus. I swear that could have been my meal right there.

For my entree I ordered the La Quercia Fig Jam Prosciutto, Brie and Blue Cheese Farmhouse Pizza. It was delicious – chewy and so flavorful. It was huge as well – I ended up bringing 3/4 of it home. Although I decided to forego a cocktail that day, their drink menu was no joke. Sadly, we didn’t even get to the mouthwatering dessert menu (did somebody say Fried to Order Doughnut Holes??).

I’m already looking forward to going back and also to trying out their sister restaurant Founding Farmers; thanks to a tip from MrsTDJ, I have their Lobster Macaroni and Cheese in my sights…

Filed Under: Dine & DIsh, food, Food for Good, green Tagged With: Farmers & Fishers, Sustainable Agriculture

Resources Wednesday: See Jane Work

January 12, 2011 By Justice Fergie 4 Comments

I’ve always had a hankering for cute stationary and fun office supplies. As a matter of fact, I remember being beyond excited (can we say “Nerd”?) when it was time to go school supply shopping at the end of the summer. I lived for spankin’ new Duo-Tang folders, brightly colored notebooks, and smelly pens This obsession has followed me through adulthood; so when I found See Jane Work, I was like a kid in a candy store. The site offers stylish office accessories for women and I am a fan! Adding pretty knick knacks to my desk just seems to make the actual work I have to do more enjoyable.

Last week, I found this little gem:

The Penny Bag

Love.

Filed Under: Real Working Moms, Resources, Style, success Tagged With: See Jane Work

“Easy” Christmas Dinner

January 6, 2011 By Justice Fergie 3 Comments

So this year I decided that I wasn’t going to slave over the stove for hours on Christmas Day making a knockout dinner. Instead I was going to make a simple but tasty meal that didn’t require a lot of energy and time.

Or so I thought.

Unlike Thanksgiving, I didn’t spend hours researching recipes and compiling the perfect menu. Since I wasn’t going to be entertaining a host of folks (just my family of five plus my sis and Mom), I figured I could take the laid-back route. I hit Wegman’s with only a skeleton of a shopping list and a vague idea of what I wanted to cook. Some form of Surf ‘n Turf, a veggie and potatoes. We already had a rum cake in the pantry, so I was all set.

We ended up with prime rib, lobster, brussel sprouts, pancetta and red potatoes. I thought I’d whip up some kind of sauce for the prime rib and I’d be good to go.

Let’s just say I underestimated the prep work involved in actually getting this “easy” menu on the table. Two hours, a call from the fire department (that touchy smoke detector!), and watery eyes (shallots!) later, I finally got dinner on the table with the help of my sis. We had:

Pan-Seared Prime Rib (that ended up spending quite an unexpected bit of time in the oven because Hubby likes his beef well-done), accompanied by Lobster in Garlic-Shallot Butter Sauce. It was delish.

Because I can’t get enough of looking at this pretty beef.

No, seriously.

My sister helping to shell the lobster. Yes, that is a bonafide hammer next to her. No, I apparently do not have an adequate seafood utensils set.

Brussel Sprouts with Crispy Pancetta. My sister screwed her nose up when I told her I was making brussel sprouts. She is now a believer.

Didn’t realize the picture was blurry until, um, RIGHT NOW. I’m rolling with it anyway.

Smashed Potatoes. These were more work than necessary. I think in the future I will just stick with my signature Roasted Red Potatoes or my Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

Note to self: Try to remember to take the photo BEFORE everyone starts eating.

Chatterbox actually took this photo. I just found it on the camera. Aren’t you impressed on how she was experimenting with depth (and hopefully not the champagne)?