20,000+ Blog Hits! Enter to Win a $20 Starbucks Gift Card Giveaway!

What better way to celebrate 20,000+ Blog Hits than to give away a 

$20 Starbucks Gift Card!

 

This giveaway is super easy to enter… just leave a comment on this post and post the blog link on your Facebook wall!
**CLOSED** 

This $20 Starbucks Gift Card Giveaway is open to U.S. residents and will close on Tuesday, July 5, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. One lucky winner will be selected by a random drawing. 

*This gift card was provided by Married with Two Boys! Bookmark this site for more summer giveaways! Thank you!

National Black Arts Festival - Jazz Aound Town! *Poster*

NBAF In The Community: Jazz Around Town at Fulton County Arts Centers

Start Date: July 7, 2011

End Date: July 11, 2011

For more information, visit: http://nbaf.org

National HIV Testing Day

All of us have a responsibility to ourselves and those around us to know our status and reduce our risk. So on this National HIV Testing Day and every day, I encourage every American to join the fight against HIV/AIDS and get tested." - President Obama

Today is National HIV Testing Day. Take the test, take control. Find HIV testing & services near you: http://go.usa.gov/ZqS

For more information, visit http://aids.gov

Summer Sales for Fashionable Moms

There are more than 83 million moms in the United States and nearly 61% of us work. Sometimes it's really tough balancing work and motherhood, let alone trying to figure out what to put on to wear every morning! If you're like me, then you may lay our or plan your clothes the night before to make getting dressed in the morning a bit easier. (Some days are better than other days).

Last  week I was on a mission to find great deals for stay-at-work and stay-at-home moms. There are some really great deals going on right now, so I hit the pavement and went online to find them for you!

Sweater from Ann Taylor Loft  ($11), Dress from Target ($25)

1. Target - You probably usually go into Target for household items. Well, you need to take a U-Turn and check out the clothing department. This summer Target has some really cute summer dresses! Don't sleep on Target when if comes to fashion, because Target has some savvy mix and match styles that are cute, flattering, and affordable.Visit here!

2. Old Navy - 25% off your online order. Ends on 6/28. Click here!

3. Express - Last week, I purchased several tops and a dress from the Express located in Atlantic Station (Atlanta, Georgia). The End of Season Sale is awesome! Check it out online too!

4. Ann Taylor (Ann Taylor LOFT) - Love! Love! Love! Did I say LOVE! Tons of summer clothes on sale right now! I bought a really cute skirt last week and top to match!

5. H & M - Sometimes I think H & M is too young for my age group (30's), but if you dig around you'll find some very hip clothes and there are many pieces that you can definitely wear to work.

Sweater from Ann Taylor Loft ($11), Dress from Target ($25), Leggings from Target ($10)

6. Anthropologie - Has some great sales online! Check them out here!

7. GAP - Everyday shipping online is free and no hassle! On Any Order over $50.00! Visit here!

8. J. Crew - 20% off and Free Shipping on Women's Tees & Knits! Sale online right now here!

9. Banana Republic - Summer Sale up to 40% off! Check them out here!

10.The Essentials (Summer Sale) at White House Black Market - I can wear black and white all year! Visit White House Black Market!

There are so many places to shop! Did I miss a sale? Comment on this post and let me know!


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Cars 2 In Theaters This Weekend

Cars 2 is in theaters this weekend! We saw the movie at Movies ATL! You can see it there too! For more information, please visit: www.seethemovies.com Movies ATL
14 screen Stadium Multiplex, rocking chairs, digital sound, closed caption available.
3760 Princeton Lakes Pkwy. Atlanta, GA 30331 Movieline: (678)513-4400 Office: 404-629-2702	Matinee** Child (3-12)* Student (13+)* Senior (62+)* Military* Adults	$7.00 / $8.00-3D $7.00 / $9.00-3D $9.00 / $11.00-3D $9.00 / $11.00-3D $9.00 / $11.00-3D $10.00 / $12.00-3D
	**Shows before 6:00pm *ID Required Child 3-12, Student 13+, Senior 62+ Student prices Monday thru Thursday only

Real Talk, Real Solutions to Unmasking the Truth on HIV/AIDS & STD's in the Black Community

National Coalition of 100 Black Women Inc. - Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter

The Conversation: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You National HIV/AIDS Testing Day Town Hall Meeting

Atlanta, June 10, 2011—The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc - Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter (NCBW-MAC) will host a community town hall meeting and offer free onsite HIV & STD testing in recognition of National HIV/AIDS Testing Day. The event, “The Conversation: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You,” will be held Saturday, June 25, 2011 at 1p.m. at the Atlanta Life Insurance Company, Herndon Plaza, 100 Auburn Ave., Atlanta, Georgia.

This forum will leverage the collective resources of leaders in the community by integrating a strong public health message on HIV/AIDS & STD awareness and prevention. Through the collaborative sponsorship of NCBW-MAC, Atlanta Life Insurance Company, SisterLove, Inc., Georgia Department of Community Health and MLP Communications, this event will seek to unmask the truth on HIV/AIDS & STD’s in the Black Community through an empowering panel discussion with audience participation, free onsite testing and other resources.

The reality is that the rate of STDs is continuously higher in African Americans than any other
race/ethnicity in the USi. According to a recent report from the CDC, HIV prevalence rates among African Americans were approximately eight times the rate among whites. Georgia’s HIV/AIDS Reporting System (eHARS), reports that 78% of HIV (not-AIDS) cases diagnosed in 2008 were among African Americans, who make up only 30% of Georgia’s population. Even further, metro Atlanta has 64% of all AIDS cases in Georgia. We encourage event participants to share their voice and to take a stand - Atlanta is Greater Than AIDS.

The town hall meeting will provide a forum for Atlanta locals to hear community leaders discuss
the related issues, get answers to questions, and learn about options for prevention and protection. Topics covered will include prevention, treatment options, stigma, sexual health for families, the alarming rates of HIV/AIDS and STDs from diagnosis to deaths, healthy relationship dynamics and more. The event will offer real talk and practical solutions to the epidemic of HIV/AIDS and STDs.

National HIV/AIDS Testing Day Event

The panelists will include community leaders from various fields such as medical experts, HIV/AIDS activists, clergy, celebrities and relationship experts. The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter and Atlanta Life Insurance Company will be hosting the event in partnership with Sister Love, Inc., Georgia Department of Community Health, and MLP Communications, Inc. The town hall discussion and testing event will take place June 25, 2011; National HIV/AIDS Testing Day is June 27, 2011. June 2011 marks the 30th anniversary since the first cases of HIV were reported. This event supports national commemoration activities.

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MLP Communications is an Atlanta-based health event planning and public relations firm. We help companies launch, grow, and reinvent their health brands through good, old-fashioned storytelling and innovative use of social media. MLP Communications specializes in developing health campaigns and events that are effective, targeted, and impactful.

The National Coalition of 100 Black Women is an advocacy organization built to empower African- American women through greater access to education, political strength, business opportunities and civic responsibility. Each member embraces the value of nurturing young women as they look toward a brighter future.

SisterLove, Inc. is an Atlanta-based nonprofit with a mission to eradicate the adverse impact of HIV/AIDS and other reproductive health challenges upon women and their families through education, prevention, support and human rights advocacy in the United States and around the world. The Atlanta Life Insurance Company, the flagship of Atlanta Life Financial Group, is comprised of Group Reinsurance and Atlanta Life General Agency. Atlanta Life Insurance Company and its subsidiary, Atlanta Life General Agency provides insurance products to businesses and individuals.

The Georgia Department of Community Health (DCH) was created in 1999 to serve as the lead agency for health care planning and purchasing issues in Georgia. http://www.cdc.gov/hiv

Author Linda Pace Samuel will be at Medu Bookstore at Greenbriar Mall

Author Linda Pace Samuel will be at Medu Bookstore at Greenbriar Mall on Saturday, June 25th to read passages from her book, Return of the African Diaspora.  Ms. Samuel will also read excerpts from  her upcoming book, Exodus Village, which is scheduled to be released in 2011.


The event is scheduled from 2pm - 5pm. Contact Medu Bookstore for more information at 404-346-3263.

Stop Saying "That's So Gay"

Frank Ski and Wanda Smith, VJ's for Atlanta's Hip Hop and R & B station, V-103 recently discussed phrases that the Black community needed to eliminate. Frank Ski said Black folks needed to stop saying the phrase, "You know what I'm saying?" instead of really saying what you want people to understand and comprehend.

It made me think about the various phrases that bother me. The first phrase that came to mind was, "That's so Gay!" That phrase sends chills up my spine and irritates me to no end. I'm offended by this phrase  because it is derogatory against gay and lesbian people (or LGBT people—Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender). Instead of saying that particular phrase, just say, "That's so bad." The other phrase that we need to get rid of is, "Don't cry like a girl." If that phrase so happens to come out of someone's mouth when they’re around my boys then I'm going to kindly take them aside and let them know that that phrase isn't appropriate around my children.

I think putting little boys in boxes, and saying that they can't show their feelings is insensitive, stereotypical, and just plain wrong. I'm teaching our children to talk about their feelings instead of hiding them and telling me what's on their minds. I believe such phrases can hurt our children and internally destroy them.


The media has brought attention to the recent apologies from Kobe Bryant and Tracy Morgan for hurling homophobic slurs.  While the LGBT and Ally community may have appreciated their apologies, I personally don't think it's good enough. Having been called out of my name,  I believe that community outreach and service working with LGBT students should have been  recommended, as well as, a substantial fine. Have you ever heard the expression to "put yourself in someone else's shoes?"



Wanda Sykes and Hillary Duff campaigned against the phrase, "That's so Gay," in 2008 promoting ads to educate communities about the effects the phrase can have on young people. So the next time you hear someone say one of these phrases, think about the young students that are too afraid to come out of the closet and end up hurting themselves or even worse killing themselves. As a society, we need to choose are words carefully around children and realize the impact that words can have on young people's lives. 

Having worked with high school and college students for over 10 years I have learned the importance of being sensitive with this age group and promoting information and knowledge that imparts acceptance and respect for every unique person.

Published on MyAtlantaMoms.com