social media Archives - AKAMom Magazine

3 of the Most Stylish Moms on Social Media

wmanning — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 12:21:56 +0000

By Greer Barnes

Becoming a mother is the best experience in the world, but so often women lose their sense of personal style post-pregnancy. Between working, taking care of the kids, and finding a few hours to sleep in between, moms just don’t have a lot of time to spend on themselves. These three social media mavens prove, however, that cultivating your sartorial style doesn’t have to stop after the arrival of kids. These ladies are only getting better with every day and their Instagram posts prove it!

Veronika from Mama Wears Prada blogs about everything from fashion and beauty to travel and cooking, so it’s no wonder that each of her Instagram posts offers something a little different for her followers. Some of her best and most adorable posts, though, feature her and her son in a sweet embrace.

Dasrozo is the epitome of cool moms. Her laid-back, urban aesthetic is reflected in her choice of flat bill hats and graphic tees. The Cali mom often posts photos of family outings and her kids rocking their mom’s signature style.

NYC mom Adanna of Rattles and Heels is all about conscious parenting and creating a community of moms who can teach and learn from each other. A self-proclaimed “Millennial Mom,” she has two kids whom she lovingly refers to as “The Princess Fairy” and “The Super Knight.”

The post 3 of the Most Stylish Moms on Social Media appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

Keep your family safe from identity theft

wmanning — Tue, 04 Aug 2015 01:46:04 +0000

Kids and technology go hand-in-hand when it comes to family vacations. But before you let your child connect to that airport Wi-Fi, or search on your phone – you should know these key tips that will help keep you safe from identity theft.

Experian’s ProtectMyID has key tips for families this vacation season – related to on-the-go technology and risks.

Get your Own: Consider a portable router to create your own Wi-Fi hotspot for your family?s devices. You?ll need a local SIM data card, which is available at most electronic stores or even airport kiosks. This will help you avoid using public Wi-Fi Spots.

Don’t Welcome Hackers: When you use a public Wi-Fi, make sure you are logging into secured/private networks. If you must use public Wi-Fi, be very cautious of using unsecured networks. Hackers have a better chance of accessing your login details and any credit card information you may have entered on an unsecured network.

Be Careful about Being Social: Using social media while you travel can be a great way to share highlights from your family?s trip but remember- checking in or posting pictures can alert someone that your home is vacant. If you really want to share these photos, make sure to set your privacy settings on your FB page to ?friends? only. However the best option is to delay posts until you are back home to limit the number of people who actually see these pictures.

Make Sure it?s Legit: Before logging onto a website from your mobile device, make sure theURLs are legit. There are plenty of URL spoof sites out there, created in order to steal your information. Unfortunately mobile browsers do not show the URL, so it is best to bookmark your favorite sites after you type in the address.

Think Twice About Tweeting: Twitter is just as target-friendly by hackers as other social media accounts like Facebook, therefore be conservative in what you reveal through your Twitter account. Tweeting your goodbyes or elaborating on how long you?ll be out of town or where you are going is not a good idea.

Guard your social networks: If you have a blog or social accounts, such as Facebook and Twitter, use the highest security settings possible to ensure your information, posts and photos aren?t being leaked onto the Internet.

Use strong passwords: Use a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, symbols and punctuation to make your passwords harder to crack.

Protect your mobile devices: Losing your mobile phone, a thumb drive or laptop can be just as bad as losing your wallet. Be sure to protect your mobile devices with passwords and encryption.

Avoid skimming: If you have to use an ATM during your travels, be sure that it is in a secure location, and whenever possible, use one stationed at a bank branch. Fake ATM machines are known to have been placed in high traffic tourist areas. Shield your pin entry with your other hand to avoid shoulder surfers. Debit cards also provide thieves with a direct pipeline to your bank accounts. When used with a PIN, you need not sign for the purchase. When used for a ?credit? purchase with a signature, no confirming PIN is needed. This is why debit cards are deemed valuable to thieves. It is also more difficult and time consuming to resolve fraudulent purchases made with debit cards than to resolve those made with credit cards.

The post Keep your family safe from identity theft appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

5 Ways to Boost Your Career in 2014

wmanning — Tue, 25 Mar 2014 13:27:07 +0000

It’s a new year, which for many of us means a fresh start with many aspects of our lives that we’d like to improve. Take advantage of the clean slate and use this tips to give your career a boost in 2014:

Clean Up – and Update – Your Online Presence

It’s common knowledge that employers check out social media profiles before they make a hire. They can also use these platforms to check up on current employees. Keep your accounts clean and professional – this means no snapshots of your drunken exploits and no tweets about how much you hate your boss.

Of course it is possible to lock down your social media accounts by making everything private and weeding through your connections to keep weekend activities hidden from your company or potential employers. But be careful, as having no online presence is as harmful as having an overpowering one. Strike a balance: if you keep Facebook and Twitter accounts highly private or don’t have them at all, maintain a LinkedIn profile and keep it up to date. Consider buying your name as a domain and set up a simple site as your online portfolio (you can check out mine, KaliHawlk.com, as an example).

Keep Learning

One of the best ways to boost your career and to make yourself more valuable as an employee is to continue learning new things. Educate yourself on the latest information and practices related to your work, or consider teaching yourself something new (like coding, SEO, or how to use a new online service that may be useful to your company). Always seeking a new challenge helps keep things fresh and interesting, and it’s really rewarding. It also makes you an indispensable member of your employer’s workforce.

Be a Volunteer

When it comes to new projects or tasks around the office, be one of the first to volunteer to take them on. Be eager and willing to accept new responsibilities at work, and don’t wait to be asked or told to get on an assignment. Your boss will appreciate your dedication and willingness to help and get stuff done.

Make New Connections

In a job market that is still pretty tough, it’s all about who you know. With more and more people with a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences competing for the same jobs, having an “in” with a company will give you a huge leg up on everyone else.

This year, make an effort to meet new people. Consider attending a conference, an event relative to your field, or simply reach out to people of interest via the Internet and email. When building your network, it’s always helpful to be accessible to potential connections and willing to add value to their business or project. Be open to exchanging ideas, taking a few minutes to brainstorm with them, or volunteer to answer a few questions or suggest a solution to a particular problem.

Start Your Own Business

There’s never been a better time than now to start your own venture as a freelancer or business owner. If you’re tired of being an employee working for someone else, make 2014 the year you start working for yourself instead.

Don’t think becoming an entrepreneur requires a huge investment or startup cost. People like Chris Guillebeau, author of The $100 Startup, and Natalie Sisson, author of The Suitcase Entrepreneur show that all you really need is an idea you’re passionate about and that other people would love to get involved with.

Kali blogs about common-sense financial advice at Common Sense Millennial. She’s passionate about personal finance and helping millennials manage their money and live well on less. Currently, she is pursuing the ultimate dream of writing for a living and moving abroad. You can connect with her by tweeting @CSMillennial

The post 5 Ways to Boost Your Career in 2014 appeared first on AKAMom Magazine.

The Pinterest Diet: Pin your way to a healthier you

wmanning — Mon, 17 Feb 2014 17:55:36 +0000

By Brenna Robinson

Social media is at it once more, helping us better our lives by linking us with others. Pinterest began as an idea grapevine turned into an organization and planning giant. Countless people have planned weddings, anniversary parties, and baby showers using Pinterest and now we are using the site to attain weight loss goals and live fitter lives. There is even a new diet book on the market The Pinterest Diet: How to Pin Your Way Thin, written by Mitzi Dulan, Registered Dietician. In her book, she suggests using Pinterest to create a vision board of your goals by creating boards such as Most Satisfying Foods, Workout Plans Board, Daily Inspiration Board, In-The-Know, and Favorite Products. Pinterest is the ultimate social media site for planning your healthy life.

Pinterest offers the power to look for recipes, inspirational and motivational quotes, workouts, and merchandise such as exercise clothes as well as the ability to hold all of the ideas organized in a single spot. It is a replacement for the age-old vision board that many of us pinned to our wall to keep ourselves focused on a goal. This site allows you to digitally pin pictures of your dream body or inspirational sayings to keep your actions in check.

Pinterest has something for everyone! Searching for a recipe that is Vegan, Paleo, or Gluten-free? Check out this delicious looking Healthy Chocolate Cake recipe by iFOODreal @http://www.pinterest.com/pin/195273333817500880/

Ingredients

Cake:

2 large eggs
3/4 cup applesauce, unsweetened
1/2 cup almond or any milk, unsweetened
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Various berries, for decorating
Cooking spray (I use Misto)

Ganache:

1/3 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease the sides and bottom of a springform pan really well with coconut oil, vegan butter or spray with cooking spray. You can use cake pan or square baking dish as well.
In a medium mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs and add applesauce, milk, agave and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine.
In another medium bowl, mix to combine flour, cocoa & baking powders, baking soda and salt. Gently fold into the bowl with wet ingredients from previous step. Do not over mix. You can first gently whisk the batter and then stir with a spatula. A few lumps are fine, the batter won’t be completely smooth. Pour into prepared baking dish and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake, a few times in a few spots, comes out clean. A bit of batter at the end of toothpick is fine. Remove cake from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack. Let cool to room temperature. Do not remove cake from the baking dish.
To make the ganache, in a small bowl whisk together agave nectar, coconut oil and vanilla extract. Add cocoa powder and whisk again until smooth. Place in the fridge to thicken a bit, for about 20 minutes. You want ganache to be the consistency of melted chocolate.
Pour ganache over the cake. If using the springform pan, the ganache will “leak” to the sides making nice chocolate covered sides. Refrigerate until the ganache is completely set, about an hour. To ensure easy removal from the springform, let cake warm up on a counter for 20 minutes and go around the perimeter with a thin knife before removing the form. Decorate with your favorite fruits and/or berries on top.

Storage Instructions: Refrigerate covered for up to 5 days. Freeze (without berries, decorate after defrosting) in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Nutritional Info

Servings Per Recipe: 10; Amount Per Serving = 1 slice; Calories: 265.8; Total Fat: 13.0 g; Cholesterol: 37.2 mg; Sodium: 211.1 mg; Total Carbs: 37.5 g; Sugars: 17.3 g; Dietary Fiber: 4.5 g; Protein: 5.3 g; WW Points+: 8

or check out this Mashed Cauliflower recipe by Healthy Recipes @http://www.pinterest.com/pin/89016530108918303/.

Total time: 20 minutes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients
1 medium cauliflower (1 pound trimmed)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, soft
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
1. Wash the cauliflower,towel dry, trim outer leaves and cut into florets, or just into chunks. Place in a microwave-safe bowl, add a tablespoon of water to the bottom of the bowl, cover with a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high around 10 minutes, until very tender.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients.

3. When the cauliflower is done, carefully remove it from the microwave (bowl and plate will be hot and steam will escape) and transfer to the food processor. Add the remaining ingredients. Process until very smooth, about 1 minute. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition per Serving

Calories 102.9; Total Fat 7.5 g; Saturated Fat 4.6 g; Sodium 407.8 mg; Potassium 350.9 mg; Total Carbohydrate 6.3 g; Dietary Fiber 2.8 g; Sugars 0.0 g; Protein 4.4 g

Health and wellness websites are also jumping on the bandwagon. You can follow sites on Pinterest such as POPSUGAR Fitness, Holistic Ebony, and Health.com. Following these sites can lead you to information that you might not otherwise find when searching on your own. You can search and pin exercises from gym routines to 8 minutes at home at routines. There are even exercise routines for the couch potato to follow during the commercials of your favorite television show.

Pinterest is the ultimate social site to connect ideas as well as people. There is no limit to the number of ideas found and once you start searching it can be difficult to stop. Just Remember to put all those newly found ideas to use and start living healthier today.

Reference

Dulan, M. (2014, 01 19). How Pinterest can help you lose weight and get fit. Retrieved from Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2014/01/19/how-pinterest-can-help-lose-weight-and-get-fit/

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