I'm in the LA Times!

First I was lucky enough to be in the The NY Times and now the Los Angeles Times--paralleling my move.

This time I was interviewed by Business Staff Writer, Molly Slevin at the LA Times, in her More employers allowing some March Madness at work article about companies allowing time for sports and personal tasks to help boost morale. The article appears on the front cover of the LA Times paper, but I'm on the jump page / the second page, same with the online version. I can't believe the story made the front cover though! Besides being cool as is, it also gets my office and blog publicity.  Here's the snipit:

Fusion Public Relations has gone beyond one-time events by encouraging some employees to blog, recognizing that they will probably write partly on company time.

Fusion spokeswoman Michelle Van Jura said bloggers had skills that helped the firm service its technology clients.

Account manager Tara Settembre blogs about movies she sees, her social life and the gym where she works out on When Tara Met Blog (Tarametblog.com). Fusion's website links to Settembre's blog and several others. Settembre said the blog, festooned with martini glasses, "gets my creative juices flowing" and is particularly helpful to clients interested in starting blogs.

"I can offer them an expert opinion," Settembre said.
 

I'm off to buy a copy (or several ;) at the grocery store. 

You give me fever

We all know that there are many energy and performance drinks on the market and sometimes they are mixed with alcohol like Red Bull and vodka, but now there’s an energy-like beverage that’s supposed to provide you with a different kind of energy and just might be replacing Red Bull soon. This drink, called Fever, claims to make you randy and enhance male and female pleasure. Yes, a performance drink to make you horny.

When I heard about Fever, I knew I had to write about it for ya'll, so I contacted Fever Beverage USA and requested a sample for review. I soon received their low calorie and regular calorie versions, which come in these cool looking heavy aluminum 14 oz bottles that supposedly keep the drinks cooler longer.

Marketed as a "stimulation beverage" and not an energy drink, Fever is an all-natural, non carbonated, herbal fusion with nine organic herbs traditionally used as aphrodisiacs and has a ginger-vanilla flavor.  Ingrediants include: Clavo Huasca, Panax Ginseng, Green Tea Caffeine, Catuaba, Damiana Leaf, Horny Goat Weed, Suma, Maca and Guarana. Several of these are known to increase blood flow throughout your body helping to incite heat and warmth. 

I’m not a fan of the taste of Red Bull or other energy drinks and Fever tasted similar. The low calorie version, which has 10 calories had an a Splenda/nutri-sweet taste, however mixed with vodka it was like any other liquored drink really. Fever is non-alcoholic but the company says euphoric and stimulating sensations are heightened when Fever is mixed with alcohol like rum, tequila and vodka, but isn't that the case with liquor in general? Either way, I can see Fever becoming popular even just for its notoriety and intrigue. Fever sells for $2.89 at a variety of retail establishments, already hitting LA, NY, Vegas, Atlantic City, Miami, Philadelphia and is available for purchase online too.

Needless to say I enjoyed this assignment, since it provided a fun experiment. My boyfriend thinks it worked and I’m not sure if it’s just a placebo effect but…

I apologize to any family reading the above ;)

News: Philadelphia Inquirer, More stimulating than common energy drink

PS: Want free stuff too, check out WalMart's sample offers.

I could have been a contender

I saw the following reality TV casting call earlier in the week and submitted me and my boyfriend.

“Would you and your partner like to spend the weekend at Tori Spelling's new bed & breakfast inn located in the Los Angeles wine country? Oxygen is casting for their latest reality series, Tori & Dean: Inn Love and they are looking for couples who would like to spend THIS weekend at Chateau La Rue. Hurry and send an email with your photos and why you deserve this dream vacation getaway.”

Upon sending an email, I got a call back and the guy said he really liked the silly Spartan Cheerleader photo from Halloween that I sent over. He said that was smart and then started a preliminary interview and asked me about my personality and what I normally do on a Saturday, etc. He said there was availability to stay at the Inn during the week, but because of work I said we couldn’t, but hoped he’d call back about the weekend though. Unfortunately I never heard back. It was cool thinking about it and originally gaining their interest. My coworker didn’t receive a call at all, so I guess it was good to have been considered at least. 

Bedroom eyes

I just got DuWop's new Smoke eyeshadow, because earthy but bright colors look good on my eyelids. The Smoke kits come with a creamy eyeliner and a power shimmer available in 4 intense shades, a deep shimmering burgandy (Plum Wine), a midnight blue with shimmer (Navy Seal), green with gold shimmer (Olive Branch) and Black Gold, which is what I own. I want the others too, but will have to pace myself. 

Recent Best Actress Nominee, Rinko Kikuchi, who I loved in Babel, actually wore DuWop's black and gold Smoke eye shadow to the Oscars, the same one I have. Rinko's makeup artist Hee Soo said, "Rinko's dress was so glamorous, I wanted her to be smoldering and sexy! Smoke in Black Gold creates my favorite smoky eye--very dramatic and super easy for me to blend."

Take a look:  

Gym comment card

These were my suggestions for my health club:

1. Why would you ever show the Food Network on the large plasma screens in front of the treadmills, why? Is it the carrot in front of the horse tactic?  
2. Does MTV need to be on every other screen that's not playing the Food Network? I feel like I'm losing brain cells by just looking at Date My Mom. The guys area of the gym meanwhile has CNN and ESPN playing. 
3. What is the easiest class that you offer? Because all of the classes that I see through the glass, seriously intimidate the hell out of me

 Thank you.