Tween Literature: A Glimpse Inside Their World... Oh Yeah, and the Light's On.

(Microsoft)

Hey yawl, I'm Layla also known as Lamo Layla by these girl bullies at school who hate the air I breathe.  They don't get how really awesome I am, or maybe they do.  You ask me ...middle school girls bulllying are like weeds with flower buds in a garden.  They look pretty but they screw up your garden every chance they get. 

I hail from a small town about 50 miles outside of Norfolk, Virginia.  You think if I didn't say hail from and yawl, I wouldn't have my new nickname?   

Anyway, I was pretty bummed when my parents told me I had to start middle school up North in this gi-normus city.  Apparently, environmental engineers are desperately needed in the city of tall buildings and smog.  Go Figure.  Daddy didn't need much convincing.  They had him at "city."

Just like Violet in  Luv Ya Bunches: A Flower Power Book by Lauren Myracle ...I'm the new kid in school and neighborhood.

What Violet, Katie-Rose, Yasaman and Milla have in common besides all being named after flowers ...nothing.  Yasaman is a computer whiz, Milla is third in command of an A-list crowd and Violet calls herself a film director-in-training. 

 (microsoft)

I'm a filmmaker-on-the-verge.  I keep my flip camcorder in my backpack and pull it out when nobody's paying attention.  I've got some great blooper footage.   I may need it sooner than I think. 

They would probably be best friends if it wasn't for the evil queen bee, Modessa, who Violet calls Medusa.   Social worlds crash just like in my middle school.  It's like my world is playing out in this book.

(microsoft)

Speaking my world, Daddy hails from New York City ...Brooklyn Heights.  He hasn't lived there in a bunch of years.  The closest he's been to Brooklyn is through a pack of Nathan hot dogs.  I've never been.  I know, crazy ...right?  

Mom despises ...no--past tense.  Mom despised the city before she discovered dollar stores, Pho (noodle dishes) and coffee bars.  I'm worried ...she hasn't said "yawl" in months.

(microsoft)

Last Saturday, Mom brought home The DivaGirl's Guide to Style and Self-Respect, It's your pocket book to success! ...by Cheryl Ann Waddlington with Sonya Beard.  It's Diva defined. 

Before we moved city-side, Mom never even said the word "Diva" in my direction.  "Baby girl" was her favorite pet name.  Now, I'm this cool iCafe Girl Diva and have a new DivaGirl's guide to show me the way.  

I can use this girl's hands-on guide to life, fashion, makeup and handling yourself in the 'real world."  I'm okay in the self-esteem department, but I know my Modessa, (Violet's evil bee) her name is Tory-the-Terrible ...could stand to read a few chapters.  It don't take a rocket science to see how happy she is after tormenting.  Lately, she's been calling me "Fried Grits and Bacon."  Everybody down South knows you don't fried grits with bacon. 

Anyway, "The DivaGirl's Guide to Style and Self Respect" also deals with serious issues that can hurt our self-esteem and  ability to succeed. It explains all the "whys," so we can make the right decisions.

(microsoft)

So why haven't I've been to Brooklyn?  I guess because Daddy's parents moved near us when I was a baby, and my Mom's parents were already there.  We couldn't keep our Brooklyn family away if we wanted to, which we didn't.  They love visiting us in the country. And it doesn't hurt, stopping by Virginia Beach on your way home

I guess we won't see them so much now, since we're not in the country anymore.  But we're right inside the city limits.  At least we have a lawn with a lawn jockey and a backyard.  Okay, so it's not exactly the five acres we had before, but it's better than a concrete jungle.

Guess where I now go to school.  Yep, that's right ...in the concrete jungle surrounded by tall buildings.  It's not in my new neighborhood, but it's where Mom teaches math.  I'm just glad she's not my math teacher.  

You'd think she was ...math problems never go away after the 3 o'clock bell. That's if we had a 3 o'clock bell.  Somebody at this city middle school,where math, science and computer geeks rule, gave the bell's job to a computer lady.  Her fancy voice make us feel good about going to a boring assembly.  We call her Betty.   We took "Byte" added another "T" and Shazam!

Last April, Betty announced that there would be tryouts for a new web show for sixth graders and one for seventh graders.  Whichever group produced the most educational and off-the-wall programming would get a big surprise at the end of the year. 

So I had no problem hanging out with Jenny and her friends in Caught in the Web (How I Survived Middle School), who started their own webcast like here.  It became a hit at Joyce Kilmer Middle School.  What's good enough for Jenny is good enough for me.  I ignored the ugly kids and their nasty comments and won the producer spot.   I see a webcast ratings war in my future.   

 

To be honest, I never thought of reading the  Dork Diaries: Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life before I moved.  I was part of the happening crowd at my old country school.  I was the one-to-watch, not the one-to-be laughed at.  I'm not proud, I opened the book and looked forward to seeing me again.  But this time I didn't.  

I did relate to Nikki's battle with her Mom over getting an iPhone.  I see one in my hot little hands when I sleep.  Not happening ...when I wake up.  Nikki is kind of a mean girl herself.  But I like that she sketches and write about her not-so-fabulous life in a snooty school.  Okay, there are two things we have in common. 

Excuse me for a second, Miss Kiki's pointing to the monitor.

Oops ...I forgot to introduce this week's text-webisode.  I can't believe I'm this week's host.  So cool!  I was totally getting to it ... if I hadn't forgotten.  

 (microsoft)

Welcome to this week's text-webisode:  Tween Literature:  A Look Inside their World ... Oh yeah, and the Light's On.  I'll admit it.  What helped me through this year of crazy was reading.  See, it kinda took forever for the kids to stop teasing me.  I guess I sound, look and dress funny to them.  Like they don't sound, look and dress funny to me.  

It was so cool reading about the same stuff other kids were going through.  Anyway, I found this doubly cool virtual cafe, iCafe Woman Moderne.  It's iCafe Girl Moderne when me and my new friends (I met here) hang out.  They don't fit in their schools either.

 (Art Moderne House)

At first, I didn't like my new house.  I though it looked like pink tissue boxes stuck together.  But then I saw iCafe Woman Moderne.  My new house looks like a one story version of it.  It's really cool.   Kiki, the owner of the iCafe Woman Moderne, sends her Miracles and Blessings!  These are my picks.  For--

Kiki

(interrupts)

Layla, you already gave your picks through your storytelling.  You're such a natural in front of the web camera.

Kiki

I did?  I guess yawl ...I did.  YaYa (my Grandmom Douglas) calls me a chatterbox when I get wound up.  

Kiki

Yes, you did and it was great.  (She turns to the web camera)  You won't find vampires, wizards, serial killers in these books ... she picked ones that turned on the light.

Layla

I picked what I see me in.  But I didn't mention the Shadows on Society Hill: An Addy Mystery (American Girl Mysteries) yet.  I loved it!

LAYLA (Con'td.)

Look at Addy, she's carrying a lamp.  Her story show where people are mean to her, but that's a real part of our American History.  But she and her family also finds kindness.  New Millennium kids don't know about that stuff because our ancestors worked hard to make things better for us in 2012.  I think we should honor them by at least learning about the time before us, the good and the bad.

KIKI

Well put, Layla.

Tight On Space and Storage? Get Creative!

Luggage that never goes on vacation, but solves a "tight on space" storage issue?  Yes, you're checking out luggage that won't see Bora Bora, but will help you store shoes, clothes, books or papers ...in a cramped space with panache.

We hear it all the time.  I'm tired of the same plastic storage boxes, lacquered shelving units and floral hat boxes.  Well, here's your answer.  Just because you're light on storage and tight on space ... doesn't mean you can't be creative and stylish too.

Ask and you will be given what you ask for.  Seek and you will find.  Knock and the door will be opened.  Matthew 7:7

Welcome to this week's text-webisode, Tight on Space and Storage?  Get Creative! ...inside iCafe Woman Moderne, our bustling virtual cafe for inter-generational women and girls. 

 I'm Maeva, this week's host, and I send you Miracles and Blessings from our fearless leader, Kiki, owner of iCafe Woman Moderne.  It's what us regulars like to call our cafe home away from home inside an Art Moderne mid-century home. 
(Etsy.com-Rockstarlette)

I'm the perfect diva to host today's text-webisode.  Why me? I'm a busy graphic designer who works and live in a studio/loft apartment in a large metropolis.  Of course ...me.  As far as lofts go, it looked humongous until I moved in my stuff.  I've lived here for two years but somehow accumulated 20 years worth of living.  

So what's a 25-year-old single girl to do, (who still gets carded) but to start hitting the cyber-world.  I found some off-the-charts storage solutions that'll make my life a whole lot simpler.

Tight on Space and Storage? Get Creative with Five Innovative Storage Solutions from Maeva

  

I'm spilling the decaf coffee beans on five innovative and tres-stylish storage solutions to get me and you organized.  

1. KIVIK Chaise/Sofa - IKEA

I can't talk about space solutions without starting with my KIVIK.  I love my KIVIK! You can get different pieces and mix and match just like accessories.  I connected the chaise and armless chair and made a  small, but comfy sectional.  It can take up roughly six feet on one side and seven feet on the other.  But it depends on  your configuration and imagination. 

After I brought mine home, I found more space.  So I hopped back in my Honda Element and added a one-section chair and an ottoman to the fun.  I change it whenever I get a whim.  I'm very whimsy.  Whew!  I've done good.

  
2. Tassenkast Luggage System

Our Tassenkast luggage storage system, named after Danish Designer Tassenkast, lets you store plenty of objects.  Discovered at Lotty Lindeman, you can leave some of the luggage open for easy access.  All of the suitcases are made from wood and a special type of fabric that creates an eye-catching wall.

3. Console Bookself  
By Designer Stanislav Katz - This unique baroque-inspired furniture lets me chill while surrounded by my favorite books.  My clients like to check it out when they drop by.  I even caught one dozing off.  Not a smart idea when I charge by the hour.

(First Photo - Sanya Arts Space)

Here's how Katz console bookshelves are constructed.  Two parts are sealed together.  The inside is made of soft, springy polyurethane for lounging. While the outside is solid, handcrafted MDF painted pink and black ...my favorite colors.

Keeping in the Pink and Black Color Scheme...

4. Artistic Dresser called "Drawer's Chest"

This unconventional geometrical “Drawer’s Chest,” is pink and black lacquered MDF measuring 130 cm x 100 cm x 50 cm. An ordinary dresser turns into dazzling artwork with storage.  This curvy creation is a fun place to store your clothing and treasures.  

It's the perfect place for my Victoria's Secrets. 

5. Shoe Lazy Susan 

Lazy Susans are not just for condiments.  It doesn't get any better than this.  You can have your shoes and rotate them too.  A Lazy Susan for shoes is a must for shoe-aholics like myself.

I've got a place for my shoes, jewelry and Victoria Secret.  All that's left to do is to slip on my perfect little black dress, (my Ferretti baby doll) and accessories and go.

Is the $43 Billion Dollar Tween Market Making Tweens Grow Up too Fast?

(Girls Just Wanna Have Fun at Little Princess Spa)

(Spa Day at Little Princess Spa)

How to Write Your Own Money-Making Websites

 She's not a tween yet, but at age five, she can put on a hot pink zebra skirt and matching one shoulder top, grab her pink Coach handbag and go. 

The thing is, she's not the one buying these items. 

Let's imagine our Lil diva wearing a charm bracelet on her wrist.  We can't help but notice her pink  French manicured nails that were recently done at her Little Princess Spa Party. 

 (Little Princess Spa)

Tweens 8 to 13 years old can't drive themselves to the mall.  But that doesn't stop them from being responsible for billions of dollars in consumer spending.  Can you believe it, marketing innocently starts at a girls slumber party. 

Aired on The Early Show, as a joint series with CBS Evening News:  "Gotta Have It:  The Hard Sell to Kids," explored marketers' obsession with tween girls.  Why?  

1. They spend more money.

2. And they love to talk.

Slumber parties are a popular marketing strategy used by marketers to obtain feedback about products.  We all know that tweens love slumber parties.  Especially, when there's a box packed with technology goodies--accessories, games and new products waiting for them to tear into.  They are there to create a viral buzz among this sought-after consumer group.  

Here's how it works.  The box sits in a spot strategically selected by the marketing firm, GIA, short for Girls Intelligence Agency.  

Even the slumber party's hostess was strategically selected to be the alpha or the peer influencer in her group of friends.  They listen and trust her opinion.  She has the most influence.  GIA has 40 to 50,000 of these girls registered called,  "secret agents."

 (Flickr.com - Glamour Avenue Parties)


It's mind blowing to think that important business decisions, affecting multi-million dollar companies are in the hands of  eight to 12-year-olds.  This group is important because if one girl likes it, she'll tell two friends and they'll tell two friends until it becomes viral.  I'm surprised the GIA haven't infiltrated the Tweens' spa day parties yet.  They probably have. 

 Of course, this puts pressure on kids and parents to keep up.

Ten years ago, Tweens were adolescents from ages ten to 12.  GIA identifies a tween age range as 8 to 13.   Most of Madison Avenue has pushed back the Tweens age range to five.  We're getting close to calling toddlers tweens.  I've seen zebra clothing on them too.  

There's nothing wrong with an eight-year-old or a three-year-old, wearing hot pink zebra as long as it was designed for an eight-year-old and a three-year-old to wear.


Freelance Website in Four Days’ Express



Verizon has also jumped on the bandwagon by incorporating the younger tweens in their Susie's Lemonade commercial.  This campaign advertises Verizon 4G LTE technology and tablets.  It shows Susie and her company doing business at lightning fast speeds.  

Wow, it all started with Dad lending Susie his phone to calculate her lemonade stand sales and keep track of the time.  He returns home to a lemonade conglomerate.

 (Ming-Lee and Aoki Simmons)

There's no question that our 21st Century tweens are more fashion forward than their predecessors were at their age.  Ming-Lee (12) and Aoki Simmons (10) launched a children's clothing line in 2007 that suits our New Millennium kids' style.  

They launched it under their parents' business guidance -- Fashion Mogul Kimora Simmons, and Hip-Hop Music and Fashion Mogul, Russell Simmons.

Here's what's hard to swallow. 7.5 million of the 20 million under 18 Facebook users are younger than 13.  It's no secret that danger lurk between the Social Media walls and hashtags.  Naive tweens Facebooking there every move could attract child molesters and kidnappers. 

   

 Just like adults, tweens are busy Tweeting, Texting, Facebook Chatting ...and let's not forget You Tube viewing and uploading videos daily.  They know their way around a video camera and tablet.

They're showing themselves to be a technologically smarter generation with the most at their fingertips.  That can be good and bad.  Is it Too Much?

And your ears will hear a word behind you saying, this is the way; walk in it when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left.  Isaiah 30:21

Kiki here... welcome to this week's iCafe Woman Moderne's text-webisode:  "Is the $43 Billion Dollar Tween Market Making Tweens Grow Up Too Fast."  Where are the pigtails and ponytails, cute barrettes and hairbands?   

Tweens are wearing their hair loose and experimenting with makeup a lot earlier than previous generations.  Of course, a lot of the makeup they use is made for this market and has lots of glitter.

Victoria's Secret Pink Collection markets to a younger crowd.  I'll never get used to seeing twelve-year-olds shopping at Victoria's Secret with their mothers or a group of peers with an accompanying adult. 

"There is no such thing as preadolescence anymore.  Kids are teenagers at ten," said Henry Trevor, middle-school director of the Berkeley Carroll School in Brooklyn.   

I'm here today with three of our iCafe Girl Moderne Tweens:  Chyna (12), Felicity (11) and Ainsley (10)  They're happy to give us a brief glimpse inside their world.  

 iCafe Woman Moderne - A virtual cafe inside a mid-century home

FADE IN:

INT./ICAFE WOMAN MODERNE SUNROOM - DAY

Our girls are chilling on a Sixties couch and egg chair in our sun room.  

 American Girl

American Girls dolls are next to them, (I asked the girls to bring them.)but they're not feeling the love.  Instead, our tweens' are fixated on their Macbook Pro, iPad and iPhone.


(Egg Chair - Flickr.com)

They're not aware that Kiki has entered the sunroom.  She clears her throat, as the camera zooms in on Ainsley, staring at her iPad.  She looks up with a start.

AINSLEY 

 Oh Hi.... I'm Ainsley and I just turned ten a week ago.  Chyna's on my left ... she's 12.   That's Felicity in the egg chair.  She's 11.  Felicity, look up!

An embarrassed Felicity grins toward the web-cam.

AINSLEY

Chyna, Felicity and seven of my girlfriends who hang here with us, came to my Birthday Princess Spa Party.  It was at a real spa for girls.  We arrived in a pink stretch limo ...had chocolate facials, manicures, pedicures and massages.  Stylists made us over with makeup, lots of glitter and hair pieces.  My stylist crimped mine and added a cute crimped hair piece.  Then, we modeled our fashions.  It was so cool.

CHYNA 

It was so much fun.  I mean, it was Ainsley's birthday party, but she gave us each a piece of jewelryand this cute tiara she makes and sells.  They were her party favors.  I love my tiara and earrings. 

KIKI

That's right, Ainsley.  You design and sell your own jewelry online.

AINSLEY

Yep, also tiaras, hair accessories and the ones we're wearing today.  Mom said if I wanted a spa birthday party, I'd have to pay for half.  

Kiki faces the camera.

KIKI

You go, Mom!

AINSLEY

That's what she said, until she saw my final report card.  I got all As and this great spa party.  The spa had an opening at the last minute.  And I didn't have to spend any of my money.

(Princess Spa Party)

FELICITY
We wore little black dresses with pink accessories.

Kiki 
I heard you ordered your dresses at an online store that sells LBDs for little girls, the LLBD Shop - The Little-Little Black Dress Shop.  The little girl in our opening scene is one of their models. 

AINSLEY
Yes, thankfully it won Mom over.  She wanted us to wear boring pink dresses ...but I only like pink with black.  Black's my favorite dress color.

(Llum - Colorblocked - LLBD)

KIKI

Oh, I understand.  Perfect Little Black Dresses are big at iCafe Woman Moderne. They're my favorite too.  You're all kidpreneurs, right?  You have your own businesses.

They nod. 

FELICITY

Uh-huh.  I crochet cell phone purses, iPad covers, small pocketbooks and cute socks and hats for babies. 

KIKI
So that's how you get your electronics.

FELICITY
Nope.  I get my electronics, video games and clothes from my family.  Mom controls my business account.  She gives me a weekly allowance that could be $50 to $100, depending on what's going on.   I don't have to spend much of my money, which I love.  I got an iPhone from my Dad last week and a MacBook Pro for Christmas.

 (LLBD - By Blush)

KIKI
I thought you already had a cell phone.

FELICITY
I do, but I really wanted an iPhone.  I've been begging my mom for one for months.  My parents are divorced.  Mom didn't say much after Daddy gave it to me.  She was so mad.  I'm just glad she let me keep it.  My iPhone is a thousand times way better.

CHYNA 

My Daddy's parents gave me an iPad for my birthday, last February.  They said I deserve one because I worked so hard, and they're old school so that was a big deal.  


KIKI
You make those unique cupcakes I had the other day.  They were delicious.


CHYNA
I also bake cookies too. My business is called Sweetie's Cupcakes & Cookies. That's my nickname.  I made the same cupcakes you tasted for Ainsley's birthday party.  I started seriously baking after my Dad died from cancer two years ago.  Mom was so sad, she could barely talk without crying.  I sort of had trouble focusing in school.

 (Mango Coriander Pound Cake Cupcake - Food Network's Cupcake Wars)

Chyna's eyes fill with tears.  She accepts Kiki's tissues and wipe them away.


CHYNA (CON'TD.)
 It was hard on me too, but Dad kind of prepared me, since I'm the oldest.  He also made me 12 videos, one for every month for a year, where he talks about stuff.  His parents, MiMi and Pop-Pop, gave them to me right after the funeral.  On the first video, he reminded me of our last conversation.  He told me he loved my blueberry pancakes and orange vanilla cupcakes.

The girls reach out to her, she fans them away. 


CHYNA 

I'm good.  Anyway, I needed something to make Mom and me and my two sisters smile again.  So I combined Daddy's two favorite things .... no ... three ...and created blueberry pancake vanilla cupcakes with bacon.   He loved bacon too ...the thick kind.

KIKI
Girl, you're preaching to the choir.  She's making them for two of iCafe Girl Moderne upcoming events.

AINSLEY
It sounds weird, but I couldn't stop eating them.  Tell them how you made it.

CHYNA
It's so easy.  I made a light pancake batter from scratch, added fresh blueberries, marscapone and fresh vanilla bean.  I made a sweetened condensed milk whipped cream frosting swirled with maple syrup and topped with an orange slice glazed with orange juice, cinnamon and sugar.  And I added a crisp piece of thick bacon.  It's so yummy.  

FELICITY
Tell them what you told me.  

Felicity doesn't wait for her to speak.  She turns to the web camera.

FELICITY (Con'td.)
She said, the cupcakes were what made them all smile again. 

CHYNA
(smiling)
Since then, I've never stopped baking ...and people started ordering a bunch of stuff and paying me.  I made my my Mom and sisters my staff ...even Ainsley and Felicity help out. We're trying to get on Food Network's Cup Cake Wars.  

AINSLEY

Your cupcakes are awesome! We ate them first, but I had a birthday cake too.  

(her smile dims) 

I'm a ballerina, so my dad surprised me with cake in the shape of a ballerina that looked like me.   She thought it was going to be a sheet cake with a ballerina on it, not a replica of me.  I overheard her tell him that it was too over-the-top.  And he said, "so a spa day with a chauffered pink limo is your average little girl's birthday party?"  They shut up when they saw me in the doorway.  I was too psyched about the cake to get bummed.  I wish they would stop trying to compete for my love.  They already got it.

KIKI

I'm glad you all shared your feelings with us today.  I think parents don't fully realize how hard divorce is on their children.  And, a death of a parent is especially hard on a family, because the life as they know it has changed forever.  

The camera pans the girls faces.

KIKI (CONT'D.)
...They still have a life to live and new memories to create.  Ainsley and Felicity ...keep telling your parents how you love them both, equally.  They'll get it.

She sits down next to Chyna.

KIKI (CONT'D.)
 And Chyna, you were so smart to find something your Daddy loved and turn it into something that would make you all remember the happy times together.

The camera zooms in on Kiki.

KIKI (CONT'D.)
What about you?  We'd like to hear your comments ... tweens, parents, grandparents ... just click on the comments.  Don't be shy!

    

.

Dance-it-Out! Dance Your Stress Away!

Wouldn't it be nice if we developed a positive outlet for stress within the first year of our lives?  And what if it grew throughout childhood and lasted a lifetime?  Imagine what kind of world this would be.

No, I'm not talking about bawling our eyes out at the drop of a hat.  However, we may need to shed a few tears to begin the emotional healing process.  A really good cry can help cleanse the soul.  But keep in mind, it's hard to have power in the middle of a pity party.  So why not have a dance party of one, instead?

"Teach a child to choose the right path, and when he is older he will remain upon it."  Proverbs 22:6

Miracles and Blessings ...Kiki here.  I'm so excited about this week's iCafe Woman Moderne text-webisode:  Dance-it-Out!  Dance the Stress Away!  Wouldn't it be nice if this caught on?

Picture this, you had a suckish day at work.  Let's just say, Murphy's Law won this round.  You're the first to arrive home.  (Thank Goodness!) You kick off your sensible work shoes, and you and your Dooney & Bourke swan dive onto the couch.  Aaaah ...that feels good, right?  Your iPod peeks out of your purse.   You snatch it and click on your favorite gospel tune or top 40 (whatever you need).   

Next thing you know, you're Praise Dancing or Dancing Out your anger, disappointment, frustration, grief, sadness, jealousy, low self-esteem, doubt ...everything you don't want brewing inside.  

These sweet angels in our opening video give us hope for the future.   They're PRAISING-it-Out to the song, Encourage Yourself by Grammy Award-Winning Singer, Yolanda Adams. 
 

(Yolanda Adams)

Remember ...when the praises go up, the blessings come down.  Watch this!



What was that?  They took your breath away?  Mine too.  There's nothing better than watching children praise God before the age of 12.   Praise dance-it-out, and you'll have victory over any obstacle.  There's nothing you can't do.  "God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind."  2Timothy 1:7

How to Write Your Own Money-Making Websites

Our next video is a little raw on the video quality side, but extremely powerful.  Watch the first few minutes and you'll surely get a blessing.  This video of a mother and her one-year-old daughter (yes, one-year-old) praise dancing together brought tears to my eyes.  Watch the baby, she's something to behold.  She's a seed waiting to bloom.  No matter how tired she is, she keeps praising God.



Isn't she precious?  If you think she's amazing, check out the four-year-old in the next video.




Kiki's Journey
Another term for praise dance is liturgical dance.  I was introduced to praise dance during a dark period.  Since claiming my victory, I've praise danced and taught praise dance to children and adults for 14 years.   This form of praise helped me see God's light shine through the clouds.  And I've never looked back.  

There are so many dance forms ...latin, hip-hop, ballet, line, disco... it's endless.  It's basically moving to a beat and taking it from there.  So let's see how the doctors on ABC's Grey's Anatomy ...Meredith, Cristine and Lexie "dance it out."  They dance away the day's challenges.  


(Grey's Anatomy)



A medical resident, a criminal attorney, police officer, paramedic ...all are poster children for stress. This popular Grey's Anatomy scene seem to have started this "dance it out" trend, but I've been doing it for years.  After-all, the talented Shonda Rhimes (Grey's Anatomy Creator/Executive Producer) or her impressive team of writers most likely wrote it from an experience, direct or indirectly.  This episode prompted even non-dancers to bust a move and bust away stress. 

 There's no doubt that dancing brings smiles, laughter and fun  ...all great things for your soul.  You can't deny the medical studies, attributing good health to having a happy outlook.

(ABC Family - Bunheads)

I Saw it on ABC's Bunheads
Monday's premiere of the new ABC Family series, Bunheads, starring Tony Award Actress Sutton Foster, shows us how it's done.  In the midst of the tug-of-war drama between a mother and her son's unexpected, new wife -- the mother decides it's time to "dance-it-out" with this interloper now called Daughter-in-law.

At the end of their hilarious dance, this unlikely duo seem to form a natural bond.  It's a good thing. They'll need it for the emotional storm that's heading their way, before the song is over.

In case you're wondering, I'm flying solo today for this text-webisode. Our divas couldn't wait to grab summer by the Adirondack chair.  They're buzzing around here, enjoying our Summer salad, smoothy and dessert specials. 

Did You Say, Goat Milk Ice Cream?
We even have someone making goat milk ice cream after seeing it on a Cooking Channel show. You heard me right.  This ice cream did not come from Elsa, the cow.

Victory Garden Ice Cream Shop New York City at 131 Carmine Street in New York City's West Village (between Bleeker and Bedford) only makes Artisanal Goat Milk soft serve ice cream made with the root of the wild orchid.  I can't wait to try it the next time I'm in the West Village.

Hey, don't knock it until you try it. Customers sang its praises on Cooking Channel's Unique Sweets, which aired Monday, June 11.  It's lower in fat and healthier.  For now, I'll try the samples here.  
 Since last summer, Victory Garden expanded its menu to include distinctive beverages and savory lunches.

(Chocolate Victory and Herbal Blend with Pistachios

 - Photo by Jacqueline S.)

 (Mexican Vanilla with Honey Comb Candy and Chocolate)

(Strawberry and Lemon Poppy Swirl 
- Photo by Ryna D.)

(Victory Garden - located in the West Village - Photo by Jacqueline S.)
 
Here are Victory Garden's facts about goat milk ice cream:

• Goat milk is lower in fat than cow’s milk, but with all the nutrition.
• Goat milk is rich in healthy antimicrobial fatty acids, which are burned by the body, rather than stored as is cow’s milk.
• Goat milk is also a great source of iron, calcium, protein
  and potassium.
• Goat milk is lactose friendly, making it a easy for people with lactose-intolerance to digest.
• Goat milk is the most similar animal milk to that of humans. It is more readily processed than cow’s milk.

Keep This in Mind
Whether you're praise dancing with a purpose or enjoying a Zumba party of one ...you're dancing that stress away.  And guess what,  you're also giving yourself a healthy mind, body and spirit.

What music do you Praise Dance or Dance It Out?  iCafe Woman Moderne wants to know.