Normcore Living with Brad Goreski

While fashion trends shift constantly, Normcore – a style made of unisex, ageless and time-tested pieces – is here to stay. 

Now, Normcore has evolved into a lifestyle…from the shows we watch, to the food we eat, and even to the electronics and products we use.

Celebrity Stylist Brad Goreski, who works with Sarah Hyland, Lea Michele and Rashida Jones among others, is obsessed with the trend. To share his obsession, Brad created a list of the hottest and most functional pieces to incorporate into one’s wardrobe and beyond that will last a lifetime.  

Book Review Friday: Twenty-Four Shadows

In her eye-opening and heartrending fourth novel, Twenty-Four Shadows, award-winning author Tanya J. Peterson, MS, NCC takes us inside the anguished mind of Isaac Bittman—an average family man whose mysterious and progressively-violent mood swings, many of which he cannot remember, begin to unravel the lives of those closest to him.

After a series of bizarre encounters, including losing his job and waking up half-dead in the wilds of Idaho, he begins treatment at a revolutionary mental health facility, where the childhood trauma he’s repressed for decades leads to revelations that his personality has splintered into twenty-four shadows, or “alters.” 

The novel intricately weaves together Isaac’s internal angst and his wife’s and best friend’s struggles to retain both a private and public semblance of normalcy.

 “Twenty-Four Shadows takes the facts of dissociative identity disorder (DID) and weaves them into the humanity of someone living with this frightening illness,” says Peterson. 

“My goal was to provide a book that informs and entertains readers with characters that are relatable, sympathetic – even lovable - and shows, rather than preaches, both their struggles and hopes.”

Twenty-Four Shadows offers a unique exploration into many themes, including:

• Humanizing the often misunderstood and frightening mental illness – dissociative identity disorder (DID)
• A realistic portrayal of people with DID and the difficulty these people suffer in daily situations that most people take for granted as simple
• How to help repair the disconnect between understanding mental illness, and understanding and accepting the person behind the illness
• Recognizing that the person is not their mental illness

Stark and realistically rendered, Twenty-Four Shadows delves into the thought processes and erratic habits of a regular man dealing with life-altering mental illness, providing an empathetic, insightful glimpse into a misunderstood and often-stereotyped condition.

A perfect piece of literature! Read this look into the mind. 

Try These Recipes to Celebrate Hot Dog Month

Celebrate Hot Dog Month with these amazing recipes from award-winning chef and Restaurateur Eric LeVine!

Hot Dog Taco

Cheese sauce

·         1 tbsp butter

·         1 tbsp all-purpose flour

·         3/4 C milk

·         1 tsp garlic powder

·         1/2 tsp white pepper

·         1 large jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

·         1 1/2 C cheddar cheese (I used a combination of regular and sharp cheddar)

To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook 1 minute. 

Whisk in the milk, garlic powder, white pepper, salt, and jalapeno pepper, and cook until slightly thickened, about 10-15 minutes.

Pico

·         1 medium tomato, diced

·         1 onion, finely chopped

·         1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

·         2 sprigs fresh cilantro, finely chopped

·         1 green onion, finely chopped

·         1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

·         1/8 teaspoon salt

·         1/8 teaspoon pepper

In a medium bowl, combine tomato, onion, jalapeno pepper (to taste,) cilantro and green onion. 

Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir until evenly distributed. 

Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

CREDIT: Eric LeVine, Multi-award Winning Chef, Restaurateur and Author www.ChefEricLeVine.com

Morris Tap & Grill http://www.morristapandgrill.com/

Paragon Tap & Table http://www.paragonnj.com/

Experience Bliss at Valley Beach at Valley Forge Casino Resort: Sun, Sand, and Sandwiches

The sun shines warmly down on me as I hear the water. I sink more comfortably into my chair and dig my toes into the sand while I sip on my Strawberry Basil Mojito. 

It’s safe to say I am pretty happy right now, yet it’s 4:00pm on a Tuesday and I’m in..King of Prussia?

Yes indeed at Valley Beach at Valley Forge Casino Resort, at the Valley Beach Poolside Club and you can bet I will be enjoying myself all summer long! 

50 tons of sand surround the 22,000 gallon pool, so instant refreshment is found, plus you won’t go hungry. 

TONIGHT!!
PLUS- don’t miss WMMR Preston & Steve’s Belly Flop Contest on Wednesday July 27! TONIGHT! 

It’s going to be an awesome evening!

Enjoy a new shore-boardwalk type menu, sip craft beers and fresh cocktails while enjoying live music from within a private cabana or any of the hundreds of lounge and beach chairs around the pool.

Plus, there’s a new food truck- The Break, a poolside shower area, expanded food and bar menu, live entertainment, and more. 

Enjoy poolside favorites like Baja Tacos, Jerk Chicken Nachos, Island Bowls, Shrimp Wrap, Wipeout Burger, Chilled Blue Crab Dip, Salads, Wraps, and more.

When the sun starts to fall, Valley Beach transforms into a premiere nightlife experience. 

Every weekend look for live music, DJs and other entertainment on the Valley Beach stage featuring a state-of-the-art sound system.

Summer line-up includes:

Fridays 5:00pm to 8:00pm acoustic

Fridays 8:00pm to close DJ

Saturdays 12:00pm to 4:00pm acoustic

Saturdays 9:00pm to 1:00am live bands

Sundays 12:00pm to 5:00pm DJ

Holiday Monday’s 12:00pm to 5:00pm acoustic.

For a line-up of coming DJs and bands, visit valleybeach.com

Day passes are $10.00 until 9:00pm and $20.00 after 9:00pm. Season passes are $250.00 and include free admission for the tag holder and one guest seven days a week during operating hours, complimentary towel service, 10% off all food purchases, outdoor shaded bar and restaurant access, complimentary admission for all live music events.

Member rates on Cabana, Premium Couch with Fire Pit, and Standard Couch Rentals ($50 off any cabana or couch rentals), exclusive invitation to season end celebration, and an offer on next year’s beach tag at a discount.

Rent a cabana and discover bliss! 

Day cabana rentals are $200 and include personalized waitress service, lounge chairs, beach chairs, couch, towels for each guest and complimentary entry for up to 10 guests. 

Night cabana rentals are $400 and include bottle with bottle service, personalized waitress service, lounge chairs, beach chairs, couch, towels for each guest and complimentary entry for up to 10 guests.

The renovated pool, open-air bar, cabanas, entertainment stage and decks take up 20,000 square feet. 

Valley Beach opened last year for its debut season and cost over $600,000. Valley Beach is part of Valley Forge Casino Resort’s continued investment in the casino property and upgraded programming options.

Other upgrades have included the reestablishment of the storied Valley Forge Music Fair, bringing in high-caliber headline entertainment, as well as the launch of Fianco and LP Steak by Chef Luke Palladino. 

Valley Beach, Valley Forge Casino Resort Music Fair and the new restaurants continue to further position the casino resort as a prime entertainment destination.

Valley Forge Casino Resort offers over 100,000 square feet of recently renovated meeting, conference and banquet facilities, and luxurious hotel accommodations. 

Valley Forge Casino Resort, Philadelphia’s premier entertainment destination. For more about Valley Beach, visit valleybeach.com, follow @thevalleybeach on Twitter and like Valley Beach on Facebook.  

Valley Beach is open to all checked-in hotel guests, day pass holders ($10), beach tag holders or elite casino members. 

For season tag information, menu, hours and entertainment line-ups, visit valleybeach.com.

This is one of my favorite places- at least three times a week I am lounging here after work in the sun, with feet in sand, book in hand (and a frosty adult beverage!)

Skip the shore traffic and find your oasis right in King of Prussia, just two miles from the King of Prussia Mall, with amazing nightlife too.

Celebrate National Ice Cream Month with Nielsen-Massey's Recipes

Celebrate National Ice Cream Month by hosting an ice cream party using the summer-inspired flavor of Orange Blossom Water from Nielsen-MasseyVanillas. 

Orange Blossom Water captures the crisp essence of an orange grove, a cool complement to any sorbet or gelato on a hot July day. 

For a sophisticated ice cream experience, try pairing everyone’s favorite summer treat with these delicious accompaniments:

For a naturally-sweetened ice cream topping, use Orange Blossom Honey. Simply adding Orange Blossom Water to honey will impart a floral zest that wonderfully enhances any frozen dessert. 

“As a nutritive sweetener, honey adds further compounds like trace minerals, vitamins and antimicrobial properties,” says Sofia Sanchez, RD, LDN for Nielsen-Massey Vanillas.

Mangoes are a favorite summer fruit for many people. Mango Fruit Sauce will complement banana ice creams, sherbets and baked goods. It will also pair well with dairy-free alternatives like coconut and almond-based frozen desserts.

Sweeten the celebration with Red, White & Blue Orange Blossom Cookies. These cookies can be decorated to match any summer party theme. Serve with ice cream and these are sure to be a hit with friends and family.

Red, White & Blue Orange Blossom Cookies

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup superfine sugar (purchase or process granulated sugar for about 20 seconds in a food processor)
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 3 ¼ teaspoons Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Orange Blossom Water
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar (for dusting work surface)
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour (for dusting work surface)

Position oven rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line two large, heavy light-colored baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt until blended; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, add butter, sugar, cream, vanilla extract and orange blossom water; beat with a handheld mixer on medium speed until fluffy; about 2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to medium-low; add eggs one at a time and beat after each addition. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the dry ingredients one half at a time.

Divide dough into two even pieces, press each piece into a disk shape, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 hour. Dough should be cool and firm but easy to work with.

In a small bowl, whisk confectioners’ sugar and flour until blended; set aside. Working with one piece of dough at a time, place on a clean, dusted surface. Roll dough about 1/8-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut shapes and transfer with a thin offset metal spatula to prepared cookie sheets. For even baking, do not overcrowd cookies. Gather remaining dough, cover with plastic and chill. Continue with second chilled dough.

For best results, bake one sheet pan at a time until done, about 10 minutes; remove and place cookies on wire racks to cool. Decorate and store in an airtight container.

Orange Blossom Glaze

• 1 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tablespoon meringue powder
• 2 tablespoons water
• ½ teaspoons water
• ½ teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Orange Blossom Water (may substitute with Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract)
• Variety gel food colors

In a small bowl, whisk together sugar and meringue powder. Add water and orange blossom water, stir until smooth. 

Divide glaze into small bowls; add desired gel colors. 

Glaze cookies and set aside to dry.

Makes about 3 Dozen

Sync Unique Creates Fun Unique Clothes

Looking for a brand that is truly unique?
Enter brand Sync Unique.

Fashion designer Shaquille Gant, along with his brother Devante Gant, bring their fans bold, solids designs that speak to the everyday person while retaining their spark and their wit within their fashions. 

Fun T shirts, flowy shirts, and unisex  baseball tees and shirts are fun casual looks for a weekend or a workday.

Shaquille Gant began this line in last winter, in February, when it was super cold and eyes and minds were looking ahead to brighter and lighter clothes.

Shaquille “gets inspiration from everyday things whether its nature itself or music to imagination of one's mind.”

Some new looks this summer will be older, flowy dresses with a more modern twist and unique pants and shirts.

https://thecotery.com/SyncUniqueClothing

#EnchantedEngchik Beauty Weekend: Try This Mask for Gorgeous Skin

7th Heaven makes an amazing Cucumber Peel Off Mask that helps keep skin feeling fresh and clean during the hot summer months.

The Cucumber Peel Off Mask is created from pulped cucumbers and joined citrus that refresh the skin and thoroughly cleanse skin of dirt and debris without stripping any natural oils.

With pure cucumber, lime oil and pressed flowers, this mask is refreshing and cleanses during harsh summer sun, dirt, and sand. Use this gentle peel-off mask to freshen your face. It feels fabulous!

All 7th Heaven products are all-natural, cruelty free and the company is a member of BUAV/Leaping Bunny and PETA.

#BeautyWeekend #EnchantedEngchik 

Q&A with Medium Armand Egidi

 Q & A with noted Medium Armand Egidi

1.How did you use your gift, now, looking back, before you realized your true calling?

From an early age I remember being able to look at someone and see what they were feeling and going through. I had compassion for all the people that I met and I tried to be there for them. I always knew what was under someone’s shield they presented publicly. I assumed everyone could see this about other people. I had a friend who I’ve known since I was in Kindergarten say to me, you always looked right through people and felt them.  To me it’s second nature so I had to think about it, however upon reflection I agreed with him. In high school, the athletes would come up to me and say, “I hear you’re the guy to talk to when I have a question”. Without anyone else around me who could do what I do, I felt like an outcast rather than “special."

2. How has your past professional work assisted you in your present readings with people?

My past professional work seems to disconnect when I am reading clients.  I’m not using my brain when I am reading. A better way of describing it would be to say If life is at 101 on the FM dial, and the source “heaven” is at 105, I stand at 103 and deliver the information to the person at 101. I literally disconnect from my conscious thinking and observe from a distance when I read.

3. Do thoughts and presences come to you unbidden, and you try to find to whom they belong? Or is it more that it comes when you are with a specific person.

I am very fortunate to have control over my gifts, so that I am mostly “off” when I am not reading. Having said that, I do have moments when I am not trying to receive information and I will. For example, when I am in line for a roller coaster ride and see the same people again and again as the line loops, I start to “go in” (receive). I am very respectful of privacy and personal space so I never start to read someone unless we start to talk, and they are first made aware of what I do. Actually, over the Independence Day holiday I was at an amusement park in Idaho. I was at the first aid stand with a scrape on my elbow. The first aid person asked what I did for work and after she found out asked me to give her some information. I gave her a message for her Mother from her grandmother who had passed: “Tell her I am so proud of my little soldier”.  She then told me that her mother was in the service.

4. You walk that line between the spirit world and the waking world. Can it be difficult seeing and hearing both worlds?

I love the feeling of being on that line between the two worlds or “frequencies”. However, having said that, at times the answer is still, “yes”.  For example I may meet a client and sense they were in a car accident or had attempted suicide in the past and I may actually feel nauseous if they swallowed pills. I may even recall the scene of the auto accident and how terrible it was. At those moments I have try and stay on the “inbetween frequency” or as I referred to it above, the 103  so I don’t feel it so much. When a reading is done I have to work on bringing myself back to the 101.  Depending how deep I’ve gone, it takes me a little bit to come back.

5. Tell me about the group events and parties you host- can it be confusing with thoughts/ presences in one spot- how do you focus on the person you are helping at any given moment?

When I’m reading in a group. I read one person at a time and go down the line. My focus is solely on that person I am reading. It’s as if I have tuned to their channel only.  Even though everyone else is present in the room, it’s as if I am only with the person I am reading when I’m connecting to them and who is around them.  At times I will have another group member’s energy that is pushing to come through.  I acknowledge this at the time however I make sure I finish with the person who I am reading first.

6. In a group setting, who do you answer/ assist first?

Before I read in a group setting I will look at each group member and start to receive for them individually.  The group member I can feel the clearest and strongest information from is who is read first.  It feels like I’m pulled to them to read right away.

7. You have a class w students to develop your gift and others gifts? How does this work?

Each member of my group has expressed a desire to develop and understand some sort of personal gift or ability. They work on their psychic, medium, intuitive or otherwise “knowing” abilities.  We work on them further developing their ability to read the energies that come through to them from a person who has volunteered to assist the group.

8. What is the most rewarding part of being a medium?

The most rewarding part of being a Medium is that I bring understanding where there is misunderstanding.  The work I do is “healing” in so many ways for the person I am reading.  I love what I do!

9. What are the drawbacks?

It’s hard to think of a drawback.  The help I give people is rewarding.  I guess if I had to isolate one drawback, it would be meeting some people who don’t believe in what I do.

10. What does the future hold for you helping others? What do you feel?

I hopefully see myself helping more and more people with the “healing” that occurs from the information I’m given to pass on to them. A feeling washes over me knowing the aid I give to people with continue to help them grow as more and more people know the benefit of receiving a “reading.”  

 He hosts a regular event every Thursday from 6:30 to 8:30 pm in his office in Flemington, NJ called, “The Knowing.” The group’s focus is assisting others to develop their own psychic gifts. His students are offered an opportunity to perform free readings on volunteers from the local community. Medium Armand also travels regularly to a variety of national and international locales to fill requests for private readings. While visiting other cities, he typically has space for a number of interested locals to see him for a reading. You can learn more about him as well as view his upcoming schedule on his website, www.mediumarmand.com. You can also follow Medium Armand on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and YouTube for additional updates.

Make Breakfast Egg-cellent with These Fantastic Recipes

National Egg Month is happening and it's time to stop being a chicken in the kitchen and experiment with one of the healthiest breakfast offerings. Poached, deviled, hard boiled, baked, curried and many more -- there are so many egg-cellent ways to cook an egg and with the below products it is just got even easier (if that is possible). 

Read more on the KRUPS Egg Cooker and T-Fal Ingenio Egg Slicer that will allow you o celebrate National egg month all the time!

Cook your eggs EGG-actly the way you want with the KRUPS Egg Cooker, making it easier than ever to prepare your favorite egg dishes! 

Boil up to 7 eggs at a time, and choose your setting from hard/soft boiled, poached or individual omelets. 

Simply pile the eggs into the slots and an audible signal will indicate when your eggs are done cooking. (Available at Macy's for $39.99)

There's no wrong way to slice an egg! T-Fal Ingenio Egg Slicer includes interchangeable disks for egg slices, wedges, and halves. 

\

The built-in disks snap together for easy, convenient storage. Available at Amazon, Kohls.com & various grocery stores nationwide June 2016. (MSRP: $9.99)

Pepper Jack Bacon Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

·         12 eggs

·         2 tablespoons finely shredded Pepper Jack cheese

·         1/2 cup mayonnaise

·         5 slices bacon

·         1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

·         Chopped chives (garnish)

·         Paprika (garnish)

 Directions

1. Place eggs in KRUPS Egg Cooker, and remove when hard boiled. Remove and rinse under cold water until cool.

2. Place bacon in a skillet and cook on medium until brown and crispy.  Crumble bacon and set aside.

3. Peel the cooled eggs and cut in half lengthwise. Remove yolks and place into a small bowl. Mash egg yolks with mayonnaise, mustard, crumbled bacon and cheese. Fill egg white halves with the yolk mixture and sprinkle paprika on the tops of each egg. Add a sprig of parsley to each egg.  Refrigerate until serving.

Lox Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients

•  
• ·         7 Large Eggs
•  
• ·         2 Tablespoons Cream
•  
• ·         2 Tablespoons Butter from Grass-fed Cows
•  
• ·         4 ounces Wild Salmon Lox
•  
• ·         ¼ Cup Chopped Scallions
•  
• ·         2 Tablespoons Parsley
•  
• ·         Salt & Pepper to Taste

Directions

1. Beat the eggs and cream together.

2. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat until it's melted.

3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the eggs.

1. Break apart lox into small chunks

6. Add lox, scallions, parsley, salt and pepper.

7. Fold eggs until firm

Egg Bake

Ingredients

·         3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

·         3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

·         ½ cup chopped mushrooms

·         1/3 cup chopped scallions

·         1/2 cup chopped red pepper

·         1 cup fresh spinach

·         2 tablespoons butter

·         2 cups chopped ham or sausage

·         8 eggs

·         1 3/4 cups milk

·         1/2 cup all-purpose flour

·         2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

·         1/2 teaspoon dried dill

·         Salt and Pepper to Taste.

•  

Directions

1. In a ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish, sprinkle half of both cheeses and set aside.

2. In a medium skillet, sauté mushrooms, onions and red pepper and spinach in butter until tender.

3. Place over cheese and top with ham or sausage. Sprinkle mixture with the remaining cheese.

4. In a bowl, beat eggs. Add milk, flour, parsley, dill, salt and pepper; mix well.

5. Slowly pour over the cheese.

6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean

Egg recipes courtesy of KRUPS

Saving Money is Easier than Expected with These 5 Tips

Behold July! 

I feel like I should start saving for the holidays now. I'm in full-paying off mode, and S and I have finally done a household budget. It wasn’t as painful as we imagined. 

I have models of my budget set in folders on Learnvest, where I can follow how much I am spending and saving each month.

Here’s a few things to try..

·         Buy a gift card each month to keep for Christmas gifts (I read this somewhere, going to start trying it 5 months before the holidays, this month) If I buy a visa gift card, it’s on my CC statement, plus if I don’t spend them all, I can use them for groceries. I am going to pick one up this week. I like this better than putting money in a Christmas account, in my opinion.

·         Make and take my lunch every day. Lunch out only once a week. This is a huge investment to get lunch at work each day- sometimes around $9. That’s about $80 a month if I get the café even just twice a week, and that could be a nice dinner out with my honeypie.

·         Make my own coffee daily- this is a biggie for several reasons. I work in Philly, miles from my home, I leave very early so stopping to get a leisurely cup of joe isn’t on the schedule. 
I wake up, I go to the kitchen, turn on the Keurig, get dressed, and make coffee- boom, one cup for me.

·         Barter for services. Got a skill- USE IT! Teach yoga for electrical work, make meals for gardening. Local time banks are helpful too.  
Obv, use common sense and be aware of your surroundings and people that you are bartering with.

·         Shopping in house. I want to change up some things, so rearranging the furniture, finding new uses for items and repurposing is a fabulous way to shop without spending any money.

what are your favorite ways to save?