By now you've heard about the latest online craze, Pinterest. But what is it and why all the sudden interest in this social media website? While I use social networking on a daily basis, I am not an expert in it, but I have had a lot of trial and error experience in the three plus years since launching Here We Are. Last week, after my first encounter with Pinterest, I knew it was going to be a huge life & style hit with staying power. Besides the usefulness, unlike other sites, there is something about the Pinterest experience that makes you feel happy. Try it once and you'll see what I mean!

If you are wondering whether or not to join another online networking site, then the following list may be of interest to you!

Top 10 Things you need to know if you are new to Pinterest:

1. It is FUN!

2. No technical know-how needed! The simple user-friendly formatting lets you get right down to business without much of a learning curve. Besides typing skills, the only technical ability you'll need to know is how to drag & drop the Bookmarklet "Pin It" Bar onto your computer's toolbar (here is a video on how-to do this).

3. It is FREE! You do need an "invitation" to start an account (see #5).

4. It is all about visual imagery... With limited text, it's a bonus for the eye-strained web-surfer. Think of your account as a photo and video collection of anything and everything you like, want to share, learn about, cook, etc. According to the Pinterest about page, it "lets you organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. People use pin boards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and organize their favorite recipes... you can browse pin boards created by other people. Browsing pin boards is a fun way to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests." NOTE: All boards are public so share wisely.

5. To get an invitation: tweet your followers who already have an account, do the same with Facebook friends, or ask directly at the Pinterest site by requesting an invite (you will enter an email address). Note: I've read it takes a few days or so to receive the invite from Pinterest; but with its booming popularity, this might now take longer.

6. It is EASY to master setting up your boards and then begin "pinning" images to them. As of now, there doesn't seem to be a limit to the amount of boards, but like anything else, the more organized and specific you are, the more organized and specific you are! Click through to this video I pinned to one of my boards, "How To Use Pinterest." Note: the user page has changed a bit since Beth Hunter recorded it, but the tutorial is excellent.

7. It saves TIME & CLUTTER. Besides uploading a picture from your computer, when you find something you like on the web or in person (using a free iPhone app), you can pin a picture of that item to one of your boards. The benefit is that everything you want to keep track of is in one handy-dandy place...No more "file piles" of shopping ideas, magazine pages of furniture you want, brochures from your travel wish list, books you'd like to read, etc. It's all at your fingertips when you need it. TIP: Renovating? Then pin ideas you want to use and share your virtual boards with your designer.

8. It can be used as a SEARCH engine. Find information you need by browsing the boards of others or by searching for specific items or ideas. Let's say you want a recipe for Key Lime Pie, just type it into the search box in the upper left corner and watch the Key Lime Pie's appear. Click through to the one you like, and click again to be brought to the original page with the recipe (note: not every "key lime pie" pic will have a recipe attached, but most food pictures do).

9. No worries about the original sources. Pinterest has taken care of this by maintaining original source information attached to each picture so you can like, comment, re-pin, embed, or tweet with just a click or two. (See #6 Source info at bottom of video screen shot for an attribution example.)

10. As a social platform for personal use, you will "meet" people with shared interests and likes, not just because you have a tenuous connection from high school. It helps you get to know people on a different level, you can "see" their personality by their selections. As a business use, it can serve as another marketing tool; check out The Marketer's Guide To Pinterest for a detailed, best practices primer on this approach.

Are you using Pinterest? Do you plan to? You can Follow me there. Remember, it's not how many boards you have, but what you pin that will make the experience fun. Start with one or two boards, you'll see how fast they multiply! Experiment, discover, and share with this new, uncomplicated tool that will definitely make you smile! Happy Pinning!!

Announcements, Updates, & Reminders

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Reading, Writing, Romance: Do you have a passion to write? Dream of getting a book published? Join me for February's episode of the Here We Are Radio Show on February 25 at 11:00 am EST to learn how author, Ruth A. Casie, turned her dream of being published into a reality.

Her first novel, Knight of Runes, is filled with romance, adventure, time-travel, and a heroine who revels in it all! Ruth will share how she juggled a full-time job, a family, community service, writing, and found a publisher all at the same time. Now that she is published, she hasn't slowed down a bit; the book's success has Ruth working on a sequel. We are sure to pick up valuable tips from this busy lady!

Until the Final Rose: The recurring Chick Flick Chat series continues every Tuesday following each week's drama, tears, and competition on ABC-TV's "The Bachelor" show. Here We Are is always adjusting to improve our content and delivery for our listeners and readers... If you are a regular reader at HWA, you'll notice the Chick Flick Chat recaps containing the show links will now include our coverage of 2 "Bachelor" episodes each until the last rose is given away.  

Whether you are a fan of this television show or not, the CFC review and discussion focuses on the representations of the women's roles as the situations are played out on Reality TV. We debate, dissect, and dish the details of what it all means. NOTE: If you miss the live show, you can always hear the recording any time On-Demand. I hope you'll check it out!

UPDATES

Can I P-Interest You?: Yesterday, I received an invitation from a fellow writer and blogger, Janet Aronica, to join Pinterest. I'd heard people raving about it but didn't understand it until I set up my own boards. It is fun - and addicting - but also very useful to visually "track" items you find and like on the internet. If you are already on Pinterest, or join it, please follow me and I will follow back. Thank you Janet & future pinners!

A Beating Heart: Well, not exactly... But you will hear new theme music on the HWA radio show. AND, in addition to Ruth A. Casie, 2012 offers a wonderful line-up of guests who will share their expertise on all sorts of topics to make your life better, brighter, and easier!

REMINDERS

Accept Only The Best: If things are not rosy in some of your relationships, take a second look at Love YOU. Now is the time to decide that you will only accept the best for yourself, so reevaluate and clean house! It's still early in the New Year and you'll be light and breezy by spring.

Gemstone of The Month: The February gemstone is the Amethyst. We recognize this quartz in shades of deep purple through mauve. It is known as a symbol for humility and sincerity. The word "amethyst" comes from the Greek word, "amethystos," meaning "without drunkenness" and is believed to protect its wearer from poison. It carries the energy for power, protection, and healing.

CLICK HERE to listen to the Chick Flick Chat review and discussion of Episode 4 of ABC-TV's Season 16, "The Bachelor" show.

CLICK HERE to listen to the CFC review and discussion of Episode 5.

To be clear... This recurring series by CFC is not a "Bachelor" show promotion! It's about getting to the nitty-gritty of reality TV, and this reality show is the perfect platform for such a discussion. In order to discuss what it all means in terms of relationships, love, marriage, dating, friendship, etc., we do have to review the details of what happens in each show. This includes the good, the bad, and sometimes the ugly behavior that is captured on camera. 

Episode 4: The best way to describe the theme of this episode is "buggy." Between the bugs on a "romantic" canoe ride on a lake in Park City, Utah, the torturous fly-fishing scene, and the "bug" Courtney so masterfully planted in Ben's ear, it's hard to find another word to encompass this week's dating interludes. The drama was set against grandiose, breathtaking scenery that made the quibbling and backstabbing seem even more petty and small-minded. If nothing else, this episode revealed who was a Jedi Master ready for prime-time competition, and who jeopardized her own position due to her struggles with GTTS = Goodie Two-Shoes Syndrome. 

Episode 5: One, two, three strikes you're out! Ben Flajnik and the bachelorettes suit up to play a game of baseball. Their prize? Time with him. The only winning points scored in this episode are the many examples of what "not to do" on a date!

Whether you love it or hate it, it's all open for discussion, so join me to chime in and share your thoughts! Check out the upcoming CFC coverage of Episode #6 on Tuesday, February 7 at 5:30pm EST.

Can you be anything but happy looking at this scrumptious treat? It tastes even better than it looks! This simple recipe makes it easy to enjoy this french dessert known as "pots de crème" - AKA pot of cream or custard - any time you have a chocolate craving.

Expect a deep, rich chocolate flavor from this little cup of love. The texture is thicker than a pudding, and firmer than a traditional mousse. The bonus is that it also has less fat and calories because you don't use heavy cream and can opt for low-fat or fat-free milk. In fact, you may already have the ingredients in your kitchen to whip a batch up tonight!

Ingredients

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1½ Tbs. sugar

1/3 cup milk - regular or low-fat (I could not detect any difference between the two milks in taste or texture, so go with low-fat and save the calories)

1 5oz. can of evaporated milk - it can be regular, low-fat, or fat-free

3/4 cup dark chocolate chips - semisweet are fine, too, but higher cocoa content in dark chocolate provides antioxidant benefits

1/2 tsp. Vanilla extract - you can also substitute the Vanilla with Almond or Mint extract to change the subtle, underlying flavor

1/4 tsp. cinnamon - add more if you really like it, but leave out if you use Mint extract

Pinch of salt

optional: Whipped Cream & Cherries for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Use the center rack.

2. Set up for a Bain-marie (water bath): Boil a small pot or tea kettle of water. Put 5 or 6 small ramekins into a roasting pan. Do NOT add the hot water yet. TIP: Put a paper towel on the bottom to prevent the cups from sliding around when the water is added.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar with the egg and egg yolk; set aside.

4. Mix the milks together in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil; stir this often so it doesn't scorch. At the first sign of a boil, remove the milk from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir in and return to heat. Whisking continuously, bring to a simmer for about 1 minute, be sure the chocolate is melted.

5. Using a ladle in one hand & a whisk in the other, scoop up a small amount of the melted chocolate mixture and slowly whisk into the eggs. TIP: You don't want to cook the eggs from the heat of the chocolate mixture, so whisk continuously throughout this process until all the chocolate is incorporated evenly.

6. Whisk in the Extract of your choice, cinnamon (if using), and pinch of salt.

7. Pour the chocolate mixture into the ramekins in even amounts. Tip: To avoid spilling, do not fill to the top. From the picture above, you can see that I filled 2/3 of the ramekin - just below the fill line.

8. Pull out middle oven rack, and place the roasting pan securely. Fill with the hot water until the ramekins are immersed - approx. 2/3 up the sides. Carefully slide the rack into the oven. Bake 25 - 30 minutes until set - they should be tight in the cups like a thick custard.

9. Leave the roaster in the oven, and carefully remove the ramekins with tongs, place on a wire rack to cool. NOTE: Be sure to wear a water resistant oven mitt when transferring the pots de crème.

10. Allow at least an hour or so to cool on the wire rack. Chill in fridge.

To serve, add whipped cream and a cherry. Voilà! A rich creamy, chocolate dessert that delights the chocolate lovers palette! Try all three extract versions and see which is your favorite. All are very good - I did a lot of testing before I would share this recipe... It was hard work but someone had to do it!! Enjoy!

CLICK HERE to listen to the Chick Flick Chat review and discussion of ABC-TV's "The Bachelor" Season 16, Episode 3.

NOTE: If you missed the original explanation regarding this recurring CFC series, check out Episode 1's article for details about why this particular reality show was selected for a recurring series.

Episode 3: The best word to describe what occurred in Episode 3 is "meltdown." The producers got ratings for the bikini clad street skiing, and the 16 remaining contestants got loopy over a new (or used - depending on how you look at it) bachelorette seeking Ben's affection. Neither scenario was pretty, nor entertaining; both were, unfortunately, a downhill slide into the worst of reality television. I'll leave this week's details on this frosty episode for you to hear!

If you haven't listened yet, please do, and if you are following this recurring discussion, let me know your thoughts. The CFC series featuring "The Bachelor" show is about the guts of reality TV, not the glory. Join me to chat live about Episode 4 of The Bachelor next Tuesday, 6:30pm EST. Whether you love it or hate it, it's all open for discussion, so chime in!

➠ A big thank you to Andy Dehnart, TV critic, and publisher of the popular website Reality Blurred, for allowing me to quote his May/June 2011 RealScreen magazine article One (Real) Life To Live.

Life's circumstances are not always what you may wish them to be. The pattern of life does not necessarily go as you plan. Beyond any understanding, you may at times be led in different directions that you never imagined, dreamed, or designed. (via positive-thoughts.typepad.com)

via billvanloan.typepad.com

This weekend, a relative of mine was hit by a car as he was crossing the street. Now, we are all praying that this father, son, husband, grandfather, brother, cousin, nephew, and friend recovers. Get well, Anthony.

When I saw this quote, it highlighted how one second can change everything... A random, split second of abstract energy can alter one's course, and those with whom we share our lives, onto an unexpected path. 

I share this to remind you, and myself, to make every day count and to be grateful for the moments that make up each day. ~ Luci

CLICK HERE to listen to the Chick Flick Chat review and discussion of ABC-TV's "The Bachelor" Season 16, Episode 2.

NOTE: If you missed the info regarding this recurring CFC series, check out Episode 1's article for details.

Episode 2: A week later and the drama heated up quickly this season. This is not surprising since the ratings for the first episode were down by 17%. Perhaps a bit of re-editing was performed before Ep. 2's airdate? In any case, we saw two one-on-one dates with Ben Flajnik, the sweet and playful bachelor. According to "Bachelor" protocol, these were successful dates because he gave both girls, Kacie B., and Courtney, roses at the conclusion of their respective time with him.

We were also treated (or shall I say tortured?) to the fairy-tale group date from hell. I won't go into detail here, but on the show I dish the dirt about the corniest of set-ups ever! This ensemble date, complete with taffeta, sparkles, and forced smiles, would make the toughest of competitors cringe with embarrassment.

When I recorded this week's CFC, I didn't realize that the hostility engendered during the group date extravaganza might actually have resurfaced at the cocktail party. The humiliation suffered by 11 of the 12 girls who didn't receive a rose on the group date - after putting aside their self-esteem - was revisited upon the girl who did get the rose, Blakeley. While there appeared to be "production" driven contrived interaction during the party, the display of anger and jealousy by several of the bachelorettes toward Blakeley was appalling. Call her any name in the book, but she may be the only one who understands this is a competition.

Were you thinking that this CFC series featuring "The Bachelor" show is all roses and candy? Not so much so! Join me to chat live about Episode 3 of The Bachelor next Tuesday, 6:30pm EST. Whether you love it or hate it, share your thoughts!

P.S. Thank you to Henry for calling in to ask a very challenging question on the CFC Ep. 1 show; and to Marie for her insightful comment about Jenna on the CFC Ep. 2 show. I loved hearing from you!

Part 12 of the HWA Series: Live Your Life Out Loud

Dreamers can find their way by moonlight and their only punishment is that they see the dawn before the rest of the world. ~ Oscar Wilde

This is a picture of the first full moon of 2012 (taken from my backyard deck). As children, we're taught to look up at the sky and "wish upon a star." There are also beliefs about wishing on a "new" moon's crescent. Whatever you like to wish upon, I think you'll agree that the light and energy of a full moon draws us in and calls to us to make a wish, share a dream, express a hope, set a goal.

Each month it shows up in all its glory, not just as a twinkle or a sliver, but as a full-faced presence. It has worked and waited each day to achieve its grandeur for the world to see.

Tonight I made a wish on the full moon, and I encourage you to express a wish, a dream, a hope, or a goal on it, too. Track yourself and see where you are next month. Let its light guide you toward your dreams, month to month, working each day to shine your light on the world! Wishing you fulfillment in 2012!

CLICK Here to listen to the Chick Flick Chat review and discussion of ABC-TV's "The Bachelor" Season 16, Episode 1.

NOTE: This is a weekly show for the 2012 season of "The Bachelor," which I am hosting solo - please consider calling in to chat with me when the show airs live!*

What the heck is going on with the never-ending search for love on reality shows!? When I first heard the premise for the original show 15 bachelors ago, I was shocked that anyone (aka a producer) could get 25 women together - on television - to tear it up over a man they've never met. While I haven't watched every season, I have run the gamut of emotions from happiness for certain contestants, surprise by the depth of human drama that is displayed, to utter disappointment in how women (and men) will behave in certain circumstances. 

In Episode 1, there is a lot to discuss; the important first impression steps out of the limo, Ben Flajnik's reactions, and the results of the first rose ceremony. Hear my take on who the producers picked to get roses - yes, the producers - it is a TV show after all, and TV shows need conflict in order to get ratings. Sad, but true!

Then we'll do it again next week on this recurring Chick Flick Chat series following every episode of Season 16 to the Final Rose Ceremony. As we go along, we'll dish and dissect the drama, the tears, the joy, the jealousy, the competition, and the emerging love that is propagated by reality dating. Call in to help me to explore what it all means. Is it real? Scripted? Why do people take this route? And more!

Whether you love or hate this show, watch any reality television, hear about it at the water cooler, or see the video clips... The saturation into our lives is here to stay. If you are interested in the human condition and how the images, behavior, and vocabulary in television and film influence our society, then join me live for these chats every Tuesday at 6:30pm EST.

*Here is the link for the upcoming show covering S.16, Episode 2 of "The Bachelor" series.