Blog has been Moved to Live Healthier & Happier on WORDPRESS- Please see Update

This blog has been moved to Live Healthier & Happier. I love the new clean simple theme on Wordpress Thesis! Please go to my new blog if you are subscribed here and please subscribe to Live Healthier & Happier. There are a few new posts from the past couple of days that I'd love for you to check out and comment! Thank you so much for being loyal readers and I look forward to hearing from you on Live Healthier and Happier!

Have a beautiful week!


Live Healthier & Happier,

Moving to WORDPRESS...

Thank you for stopping by...My Blog has been changed to www.livehealthierandhappier.com (Live Healthier & Happier) and will be moving to WordPress. An update will be posted when it's live. Hope to have you stop by soon.

Live Healthier & Happier,

This post is a mini-review of some of the great places that we visited for my daughter’s Sweet 16th Birthday in New York City-the city that never sleeps! You got that right! For my daughter’s 16th birthday my husband and I surprised her with a trip to New York City. It was our first mother-daughter trip and the first time to The Big Apple. It was a Sweet 16th Birthday Blast!

She’s been wanting to go to NYC since she was a tween. As her 16th birthday approached, we hadn’t talked much about it. The only thing she shared with me was that she didn’t care to have a “SWEET 16th” birthday party. I was trying to decide how we could make her 16th birthday a special one, and the only thing that came to my mind was 1. A puppy or 2. A trip to New York City.

A puppy meant I’d probably be the one to take care of it, not to mention, my daughter is going off to college in just two years….uh no. The puppy idea was a fleeting thought. After consulting with my husband about the idea of sending his two favorite ladies to New York City…he agreed and the plans were underway-in a very short amount of time.

I had to keep this on the down low so I didn’t post anything on Facebook; too many family and close friends on my profile and I didn’t want to take a chance of it slipping. Who did I share this crazy excitement with? My Twitter friends! From the moment I tweeted out, “Surprising my daughter with trip to NYC for Sweet 16th.” Within minutes, I received replies from people who have either been to NYC or lived in the area with great tips of things to must do, places to must see, and restaurants to must dine. Talk about a travel planner at your service!

With Frequent Flyer miles to use, that was the first thing we checked off our travel arrangements. I booked our hotel through Priceline and was pleasantly surprised to get The Westin for such an amazing price! We were totally blessed. Upon our arrival, we were upgraded to the newly remodeled forty-second floor of the forty-five floors. Either I was exhausted at the end of the day or the bed and pillows are just that incredibly comfortable!

A dear friend Rick Tramanto (@Cheftramonto) and Executive Chef of TRU in Chicago, Illinois recommended dining at Morimoto and Nobu. We dined at both, but my favorite was Morimoto of the two. It’s owned by Masaharu Morimoto, who is the Iron Chef Japan on the TV cooking Show. Morimoto is located in the trendy Meat Packing District.

All I can say is, it’s a definite must dine if you like Japanese or Sushi! I’ll have to share more details in my Restaurant Review of Morimoto.

I was told by a friend to be sure to visit the Women’s Restroom…”just stop in, even if you don’t need to use it.” As you can see, I’m a geek…yes I took a photo. I couldn’t believe how unbelievably GORGEOUS the stall was. I thought I stepped into a galaxy where beautiful flowers floated everywhere; it was a three dimensional piece of art. By this time, my daughter thought I fell in. I must have been in there for 15-20 minutes playing with all the high-tech buttons.

I must tell: The toilet seat greeted me by automatically opening. Very Cool! I stood in several different places so it would do it several times. I noticed a board with remote buttons for “front cleansing, rear cleansing, and pressure”. Ok, by now I was awestruck. Can you see why I was in there for 20 minutes?

I didn’t know how to use the auto cleanse thing…didn’t know where the water was coming up from and where it was going…and what if it missed its target and ended on my beautiful top I just bought on 5th Ave…so I opted for the traditional way. Ok…enough said about the bathroom at Morimoto. Just be sure to dine at Morimoto just to see the Women's Restroom for yourself!

We did have some other exciting events! LOL! We scored third row Orchestra seats for Little Mermaid on Broadway at 50% off by standing in the TKTS line. TKTS is a same day discount booth and sells Broadway tickets for same day shows that’s usually drastically discounted. Little Mermaid was remarkably, outrageously awesome. I can’t even describe with words!

My daughter’s favorite hangout was in Central Park. With all the trees starting to bud, Central Park was simply beautiful this time of year. Time Square was extremely lively and energetic but Central Park has its own kind of energy.

We took a wonderful bike tour around the park one day as recommended by Amy Tuggle (@amytuggle), a twitter friend. I highly recommend the bike tour over the horse and buggy alternative! Our guy was not only fun, but brought us to all landmarks that were important or interesting to see; including one that Megan tried to find on her own the day before and couldn’t: John Lennon’s Memorial.

If you are in Central Park, a must restaurant to dine for brunch or lunch is Tavern on the Green- the Crystal Ballroom. What a beautiful view of Central Park and gorgeous lush landscaping. That is one place I would love to dine at, at the peak of every season. We were there at the beginning of Spring when everything is just budding.

Of course, a visit to Serendipity for lunch was on the top of our list. I got the movie for Megan as a present, a part of the New York Theme and we watched it on our flight, so going there for lunch made it more special. Serendipity’s renowned Frozen Hot Chocolate is just absolutely D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!! They were booked when I had called a few days earlier for reservations, but after a nice morning in Central Park, we decided to walk there to see if we could just do a Walk-in and we did! The birthday girl was just abounding in favor the whole time!

Four days in New York City went by too fast. My daughter is growing up before my eyes. We feel so blessed that we were able to make her 16th birthday a very special one. The memories we’ve created are priceless!

Live Healthier & Happier,

Free Ticket to SOBCon!

I recently heard about SOBCon (Successful and Oustanding Bloggers Conference) founded by Liz Strauss and the buzz has been all over my Twitter stream. After checking into it further, I realized I was not able to attend this most coveted event. I really desired to be one of the 150 attendees. Several of my Twitter friends are flying in and attending this event.

A few days ago, I saw a Tweet that had been Re-tweeted several times in my stream about @ittybiz having a GIVEAWAY for her SOBCon tickets due to passport issues and that she was unable to come to the US from UK for this event.

Of course the thought cross my mind, “I’m not going to win…do you know how many people are after this opportunity?” But, what did I have to lose? I believe that good things can come my way! I went to @ittybiz blog and entered for a chance to win one of the SOBCon tickets valued at $800!! Wow, three days to learn and interact with 25 of the most influential Business Bloggers and Social Media Practitioners (as Liz calls them) presenting all in one place.

Last Friday morning, April 24th, I opened my email and was utterly surprised when I received an email from Naomi Dunford, @Ittybiz with the subject: “Congratulations! SOBCon ticket... response required‏!”

Oh my Gosh, I thought I was a kid that was just told I was going to Disney for the first time! Can we say…jump, dance, cart wheels? I was just beside myself! I’m so grateful that Naomi Dunford selected me as one of the winners of the Giveaway and for giving me this opportunity to learn from some of the most successful Bloggers and Social Media Experts in business. Not mention, hanging out with a few of my twitter friends In Real Life for the first time in Chicago!

WhooHoo! I’m going to SOBCOn- Can’t wait! Hope to see you there!

Live Healthier & Happier,

I Have a Twitter?

I thought it would be fun to trace back to how I found Twitter just six months ago. Being that I have over 7,000 updates on my Twitter profile as of today, the only way to find my first tweet is to scroll back to the beginning of my profile, which could take days!

Instead, I went to my Twittermoms profile and was able to trace back to a conversation between myself and another twittermom. Twittermoms is a Social Network for moms and I discovered it while reading a blog and found it to be a resourceful site for moms to connect, share, and learn.

When I registered for TwitterMoms, it asked for my Twitter Username and I DIDN’T HAVE ONE! After joining this Social Network for moms, I saw that just about every profile had a Twitter ID. Twitter must be something…so I created a Twitter ID, not realizing that I just signed up for one of the most talked about an up and coming Social Networks!

I'm curious to see how many new users are on Twitter since Oprah (@oprah) had one of the co-founders, Evan Williams (@ev) on her show just last week.

I had no clue what Twitter was, how to use it, or for what purpose! I had a Twitter ID and that was about it…didn’t use it, and just didn’t get it! Now…Am I a Twitter or a Tweeter?

I am laughing at the conversation thread that I found between Noelle Mena, Founder of Take Root and Write, (aka on twitter: @TakeRoot) and me. Noelle was so patient with me to answer all my silly illtwitterate questions. She was the first person who taught me how to use Twitter and we’ve become great friends since I entered Twitterverse.

As you can see below, I was confused as to what Social Network I belonged to and even had a Twitter Identity crisis (not knowing which user ID I should have and have since changed it to my first and last name: @DuongSheahan, (makes it easy for anyone to find me if they want to).

I believed I joined Twittermoms on October 12, 2008 which was also when I registered for Twitter…and this is the hilarious conversation between @TakeRoot and me:

At 5:22pm on October 13, 2008, Noelle said…

Hey! I am from Christian Tweeters Group! This is what you have above as your Tweet link http://www.twittermoms.com/profile¬/Duong You also have that in the Christian Tweeters group and you asked how we all got our short versions.

Well, what you list above ...http://www.twittermoms.com/profile/Duong is your link to your PAGE here on Twitter Moms. Your Twitter Acct name is your tweet link- http://twitter.com/Duong which when I went there, you have not started following anyone yet!
I wanted to make sure you knew and this is probably why no one has followed you.

Or are you… http://twitter.com/acupoftea2 (yep, identity crisis, didn't know who I was on Twitter!)
Blessings to you!
Noelle

At 5:44pm on October 13, 2008, Duong said…
I think I'm confused! I thought I can only add a name after the url, like yours: http://www.twittermoms.com/profile/Noelle

the other URLl: http://www.twitter.com/duong Is that from when I joined twitter? That is different than twittermoms or do they link? (Hilarious)

At 6:02pm on October 13, 2008, Noelle said…
They are 2 different things- You have a Twitter account- (What?-"I have a Twitter?") Like- go to your Twitter.com page- like where you would TWEET from on the internet. Then there is HERE (Twittermoms), which is a group where moms who tweet get together and network, have fun. So you have a page link here which is called your profile and yours is-- http://www.twittermoms.com/profile/Duong
See the http://www.twittermoms-part of that- That’s for here (Twittermoms)

My twitter complete link would be... http://twitter.com/TakeRoot

So when someone says- hey what is your twitter name - I say TakeRoot, that’s what you are seeing and not getting!. Is yours the Duong on actual twitter or is it A cup of tea?? (see, I wasn't sure-confused!)

At 6:09pm on October 13, 2008, Duong said…
I just checked...and updated some info:

My name is Duong

and my twitter URL: is http://www.acupoftea2

I just couldn't decide whether to post my blog URL or my website URL: (both different), so I opted for the blog which is A Cup of Tea. Thanks for your help. Now just gotta figure out how to follow and get followers.

Do people follow you because they are interested in your profile, blog posts, or because they are typically your friend’s network that you get to join twitter? (another silly question)

At 6:38pm on October 13, 2008, Noelle said…
You’re following me, I saw on your twitter profile and you’re following Megan (Founder of Twittermoms).

First, you need to go back into like the Christian Tweeters and put your real twitter name now, so people can find you! Next, start following people of interests to you, either in a personal level or business. Follow people of interest to you, that you can have fun, but learn and grow your business. A good way is to connect through the groups here, join groups of interests than hit the profile pages of the women that pull you and start to follow them, and most will turn around and follow you back.

I will go in and follow you now :-) Don’t be hurt if someone does not follow, just focus on following who you want to at first! (great advice)

At 3:13pm on October 20, 2008, Duong said…
Hi, I saw your tweet:
Do people respond in their tweet or on your page somewhere? (now reading this, question doesn't even make sense! LOL!)

At 5:49pm on October 20, 2008, Noelle said…
You are so funny! How did you end up here at Twitter Moms, and don’t know anything about Twitter?? Toooooo funny!
You can keep the website open to twitter and see all of your followers’ messages and all. I use Tweet Deck- you can just download it and it stays open and is awesome.

Hope this helps!!!
Noelle

“At 5:55pm on October 20, 2008, Duong said…
I guess I'm all backwards---I found twittermoms and joined then I see all this Twitter stuff, and had to figure that out…now I'm excited I just found icons "follow me on twitter" to add to my blogs and other social pages. LOL....Thanks!!

I was rolling on the floor laughing as I read this thread! I was one lost and confused Twitter! Since then, I have met so many others like myself and I'm so happy to be at a place to help those new to Twitter.

Thanks to Noelle (@TakeRoot) and several others whom I've started following for their great Twitter tips. I’ve learned a great deal, from moms to bloggers, to CEOs of large organizations. In my next post, I will share why I am such a fan of Twitter and will recommend some amazing tweeps (people) to follow if you are considering becoming a tweeter...I mean a twitter. I still can't seem to keep it strait! Just having fun...

Live Healthier & Happier,

Changes to My Blog Soon!!

Dear Readers,

I making a couple of changes to this blog very soon! I met with someone recently who challenged me and really inspired me to make this change...so here I go!

1. I am moving from Blogger to Wordpress. I like the ease of Blogger, but WordPress will allow me to take my blog to another level with several features that I plan to implement.

2. I just purchased the domain name: www.livehealthierandhappier.com. As you know, my mission is to empower and inspire people to Live Healthier and Happier; hence, I've decided to change my blog and theme to fit around my mission.

3. I'm interviewing designers and will be working with one to either tweek this current design or we may come up with something totally new.

I will continue to post as we work on the changes, so please stay tuned for more!

As always....

Live Healthier & Happier,

What’s Age Got To Do With It: Living Your Healthiest & Happiest Life By Robin McGraw

New York Times Best Selling Author, Robin McGraw’s newest book, What's Age Got To Do With It by Robin McGraw (wife of Dr. Phil) hit book stores earlier this year packed with her own secrets for living her healthiest and happiest life, and at age 55, she is doing just that. When I first saw this book's tag line, which is almost identical to my blog's, I only wished I would have thought of the book first!

The emphasis that Robin makes to women is the importance of taking care of YOU first. I couldn’t agree with Robin more on this. I believe women know this, but seldom are they practicing it.

Robin's passion for health came as a result of experiencing the loss of her own mother at the young age of fifty-eight to a massive heart attack. She believes her premature death was due to a lack of self-care. Since the tragic death of her mother, Robin vowed to take charge of her own health and to not allow self-neglect. Robin began her mission to make sure that she lives her healthiest and happiest life possible, which she outlines in nine chapters.

What's Age Got To Do With Itis loaded with health, fitness, recipes, beauty, and hormone advice from many top experts in the field. A lot of what she shares is similar to what we've read in other resources, but it's nice to see someone that is walking it. Reading "how to" articles are great, but what's more powerful is learning from someone that is showing evidence of truly living their healthiest and happiest life.

I believe Chapter 5: What’s Hormone Got to Do with It is very informative, especially for older women who were drawn to this book because they saw age 55 on the cover. The subject on Hormone Replacement Therapy has been a controversial one and can be confusing and overwhelming for many. While Robin shares her own journey with menopause and chose bio-identical hormones, she is well aware of the controversy and emphasizes that this is what worked for her. She encourages women going through menopause to work with their doctors, do research, and ask a lot of questions because women know their body.

I love that Robin openly shares her faith in Jesus and includes "Faith" as one of her secrets to her healthiest and happiest life. Like Robin, I also believe it’s never too early, nor late to make changes for better health. This book will greatly benefit anyone at any age; therefore, the title, What's Age Got To Do With Itis very appropriate!

Live Healthier & Happier,

Day 21: My Favorite Things…

To conclude my series for Living Healthier and Happier, I am sharing a few of my favorite things that have helped my family and me over the years to live a healthier and happier life.

For our family, making the transition to all natural and organic wasn't always smooth. I don't know about your kids, but at times ours were pretty picky about certain foods. They've since acquired a taste for the many things that they once griped and complained about.

I wanted to keep this series simple and practical; especially for those like me who can get overwhelmed at starting a big change. At the time of when I was a stay at home mom I didn't own a computer and would have to borrow my husband's laptop whenever he brought it home from work. I practically had to force myself to learn how to use the computer because of all health resources that were becoming available online. This was a little over eight years ago, so if you are reading this post, you are already ahead of me. Most women and moms I know today own a laptop!

1. Prescription for Nutritional Healing by James F. Balch, MD and Phyllis A. Balch, CNC., was my Health Bible when I first began my health journey.


It’s now it it’s 5th edition, but when I discovered this amazing resource, it was the third edition. Prescription for Nutritional Healing is a practical guide to drug-free remedies using vitamins, minerals, herbs and food supplements.





2. Jason Bath products for kids:

*No Lauryl/Laureth Sulfates
*Concentrated and Moisturizing
*Never Dries your skin
*Natural Ingredients

Using some big name brands consisted of unhealthy chemicals; hence, I found Jason Natural bath and body products for my kids when they were young and it’s still a favorite. Jason Natural Shower Wash in Apricot is one of our favorites.

3. Derma E Skin Care Products:

Healthy skin is beautiful. Derma E's skin care line is a natural and organic therapeutic skin and hair care formulation that is rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and botanicals. Derma E is Paraben-free, phthalate-free, gluten-free, cruelty-free.

4. Stonyfield Farms Organic Yogurt: Stonyfileds Farms even makes yogurt for babies. Yokids yogurt is an alternative to a lot of the famous brands, but does not contain:

*No icky gelatin
*No phony colors
*No use of toxic pesticides, antibiotics and hormones
*No artificial anything

5. GTS Kombucha Synergy Tea: An alternative to soda, lattes, Kombucha’s health benefits has been a favorite weekly drink. Kombucha story is amazing and can found on the website.
My kids are very limited on when they can have soda. It’s usually on very rare occasions, but a couple of my kids love Kombucha. Here are just a few benefits, all of which are good enough reasons for me to drink Kombucha! GTS Kombucha supports…

*Digestion
*Metabolism
*Immune System
*Appetite Control
*Liver Function
*Body Alkalinity
*Anti-Aging
*Cell Integrity
*Healthy Skin & Hair

6. Laura’s Lean Beef fully cooked dinners: This is for a “mom on the run” and some nights you just have to throw something in quick and know that you are still feeding your family a healthy meal. These meals are delicious and all you need is a simple side dish! You can find Laura’s Lean Beef at Super Target and other super markets. Check their website for a listing of stores in your area. Below are our favorites:
*Beef Pot Roast Au Jus
*Shredded Beef with Barbecue Sauce (great for quick sandwiches, like healthy Sloppy Joe's)
*Meatloaf with Tomato Sauce




7. Seventh Generation Household Products:Non-toxic & biodegradable

*Hypo-allergenic
*Does not create harsh fumes
*Not tested on animals
*Kosher-certified

8. Jack La Lanne Juicer: If you read my post on Day 16,
I shared the benefits of juicing. Jack La Lanne Juicer is one of favorite things to use that helps me to stay healthy! Nothing like drinking your greens and adding some great fruit and colorful vegetables to the bitterness. It makes greens go down quite smooth and tasty too!


9. Whirley Pop (Popcorn Maker) Healthy alternative to microwave popcorn.
I am not a big fan of the microwave and use it very sparingly. A friend gave us the Whirly Pop as a gift, and we love it. Whirley Pop makes good old homemade popcorn that's healthy!

10. The Scottsdale Princess Resort: Rest and Relaxation is one of the secrets to living healthier and happier.


There is nothing wrong with getting away and enjoying a little 'ME TIME" with a girlfriend or spouse. The Scottsdale Princess Resort (Scottsdale, Arizona) is one of the nicest place to sneak away to.



Please feel free to check out the links that interest you for more details about the products that I've shared. Thank you for following me on this journey to living healthier and happier!

"May Your Spirit, Your Soul, and Your Body be kep complete." ~1Thessalonians 5:23

Live Healthier & Happier,