Entertainment, Home Living, Local Topics

Rocking tips to plan a New Year’s Eve party in advance

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Couple celebrating new year's eve

Planning for a New Year’s Eve party at home can be very fun, which is exactly what 24 percent of Americans thought at the end of 2018, according to a poll. There may be more party hosts this year if people choose to celebrate at home without having to deal with a huge crowd. If you are one of those who want to host their own celebration at home, you need to prepare ahead of time by knowing what your guests would love to see or drink to start a brand new year with a bang. For foolproof party-planning in advance, here are some tips for hosting a New Year’s Eve bash that is one for the books.

Prepare An Unforgettable New Year’s Eve Party Ambiance

Nothing says “Happy New Year!” like a well-decorated house that suits the theme of your celebration. Your guests should always feel right at home upon entering your venue so everyone can relax and enjoy each other’s company while waiting for the clock to strike 12. You might want to enhance the mood by placing charming candle arrangements that you curated or bought from the store beforehand to give it a warmer glow. Since you are planning a party in advance, you will have ample time to design a candle arrangement that will illuminate the place and provide a subtle hint of fragrance to mask some of the unwanted smells.

If you decided on the theme of the party as early as possible, you will be able to purchase your decoration materials at a fraction of the cost. Many online party supplies shops offer huge discounts on New Year balloon letter kits, party hats, noise party sticks, and danglers that you can use to decorate your venue. Most of these are leftovers from the previous year’s celebration, so make sure that the items do not mention a specific year.

If you want more savings, you can gradually start working on do-it-yourself party decors during your free time so you don’t need to buy from the stores. This is also a good idea if you want to customize your party according to your theme to make it standout. You can also ask your guests to come in a specific color scheme and bring their own DIY party hats to showcase their personality.

Make A Curated Party Cuisine

You need to think about food that you will serve for the party in advance to get it out of the way. Part of the planning is choosing whether to serve your guests a sit down meal or set up a buffet table where they can choose their own food. You also need to choose the dishes that you will serve. List down your menu so it will be easier for you to shop for the ingredients that you will need for cooking before the lines at the grocery get crazy.

If you want your party catered by your favorite restaurant, you must notify the manager as early as possible. Remember, New Year’s Eve can be a very busy day for most food establishments. Call them ahead of time to make sure that they can accommodate your party, so you can make adjustments when needed.

Also, you need to consider your guests’ preferences, especially if they have food allergies. Ask them beforehand if they need to avoid certain foods and inform your caterer right away. This will prevent any unwanted incidents during your party.

Set The Mood With Music And Games

For a fun New Year’s Eve party, you need to select the type of music that suits the theme and download them at least a week before the event. You can select the songs based on your theme and arrange them according to the mood that you want your party to have. You can also ask your friends for suggestions or to send you their favorite songs that fit the party’s theme. Then add it to your playlist.

You can also ask them to pick the kinds of parlor games that they want to play while waiting for midnight. There are plenty of fun party game suggestions for adults online. Pick those that you think you and your friends will enjoy. You can practice playing the game first before the actual event to know if you and your guests will like it.

To make sure that your guests will never forget your New Year’s Eve party for the months and years to come, you can also buy disposable or Polaroid cameras to capture all the fun during the party and distribute it as soon as they arrive. Let them snap their favorite memories during the celebration and have it printed or shared online after the party. This will make all your efforts in staging an epic party in advance pay off.

You can now begin planning a New Year’s Eve bash that your family and friends will never forget!

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Business and Education Tools, Local Topics

2019 Most Gambling-Addicted States | Kentucky Derby Facts & History Infographic

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transparent horse racing graphiic

Americans are losing over $100 billion through gambling each year and with the Kentucky Derby soon to kick off, the personal-finance website WalletHub has released its report on 2019’s Most Gambling-Addicted States, accompanying videos, and its Kentucky Derby Facts & History infographic. Here are some highlights from each report.
Most Gambling-Addicted States Least Gambling-Addicted States
1 Nevada 41 North Carolina
2 South Dakota 42 Wisconsin
3 Montana 43 Maine
4 Mississippi 44 Michigan
5 Oklahoma 45 Arizona
6 West Virginia 46 Alabama
7 New Jersey 47 Nebraska
8 Oregon 48 Alaska
9 Illinois 49 Florida
10 Louisiana 50 Utah

View the full report and your state’s rank.

2019 Kentucky Derby Facts & History

  • $225.7 Million – Total amount wagered on the 2018 Kentucky Derby.
  • $500 to $1,000 – Price of a high-end Kentucky Derby hat (90% of female spectators wear hats).
  • 120K – Number of Mint Juleps served over Kentucky Derby weekend, requiring 1K pounds of fresh mint and 60K pounds of ice.
  • 522,000 – Number of cans of beer that will be consumed. 142,000 hot dogs will be eaten.
  • $1.1 Billion – Worldwide sales of thoroughbred horses in 2018.

Check out the full infographic.



Source: WalletHub

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Black Community Empowerment, Community Empowerment, Local Topics, Politics

Martin had a dream: 2019’s States with most racial progress

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Photo fo Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day and 58 percent of Americans agree increased diversity makes the U.S. a better place while only 9 percent say it makes the U.S. worse. The personal-finance website WalletHub this month released its report on 2019’s States with the Most Racial Progress to measure America’s progress in harmonizing racial groups, particularly the gaps between blacks and whites across 22 key indicators of equality and integration in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The data set ranges from median annual income to standardized-test scores to voter turnout.

Note: This report examines the differences between only blacks and whites in light of the high-profile police-brutality incidents that sparked the Black Lives Matter movement and the holiday honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who played a prominent role in the Civil Rights Movement to end segregation and discrimination against blacks.

Most Racially Integrated States States with the Most Racial Progress
1 New Mexico 1 Wyoming
2 West Virginia 2 Texas
3 Hawaii 3 New Mexico
4 Kentucky 4 Georgia
5 Texas 5 Mississippi
6 Wyoming 6 New Jersey
7 Delaware 7 South Carolina
8 Arizona 8 Florida
9 Maryland 9 Idaho
10 Georgia 10 North Carolina

Key Stats

  • The District of Columbia has the lowest gap in homeownership rates between whites and blacks, at 13.41 percent. Connecticut has made the most progress in closing this gap since 1970, with a change of 8.25 percent.
  • Hawaii has the lowest gap in median annual household incomes between whites and blacks, at 7.74 percent, and has made the most progress in closing this gap since 1979, with a change of 33.19 percent.
  • South Dakota has the lowest gap in unemployment rates between whites and blacks, at 0.85 percent. North Dakota has made the most progress in closing this gap since 1970, with a change of 12.94 percent.
  • Hawaii has the lowest gap in poverty rates between whites and blacks, at 0.87 percent. Mississippi has made the most progress in closing this gap since 1970, with a change of 24.80 percent.
  • New Mexico has the lowest gap in the share of adults 25 years and over with at least a bachelor’s degree between whites and blacks, at 0.83 percent, and has made the most progress in closing this gap since 1970, with a change of 5.71 percent.

View the full report and your state or the District’s rank today.

More from WalletHub

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Black Community Empowerment, Community Empowerment, Local Topics, Politics

Analysis of the Turnout Gap by Bernard L. Fraga | book review

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Bernard L. Fraga headshot

For political scholars, I cannot rave more about this must-read ‘The Turnout Gap: Race, Ethnicity and Political Inequality in a Diversifying America’ by Bernard L. Fraga. He offers a comprehensive and striking analysis of the causes and consequences of racial and ethnic disparities in voter turnout.

Here at Fromgirltogirl, we like that Fraga provides evidence reflecting the advanced analytical tools and diverse, big data sources that distinguish the modern study of voter turnout. Reading the book, we discover with Fraga that there are no easy political or policy fixes to voter turnout issues. But it keeps us mindful how vital electoral politics are to narrowing the turnout gap as well as allow us to question whether electoral politics are outdated in modern politics. We also appreciate that the evidence is easy to understand with visual aids throughout the book as well as clear and concise commentary from Fraga.

Examining voting for Whites, African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans from the 1800s to the present, Fraga documents persistent gaps in turnout and shows that elections are increasingly unrepresentative of the wishes of all Americans. The book comes just in time for the 2020 election campaigns as we await how minority voters will influence or not the election outcomes.

Fraga demonstrates throughout the book that voters turnout at higher rates when their votes matter; despite demographic change, in most elections and most places, minorities are less electorally relevant than Whites. But when politicians engage the minority electorate, the power of the vote can win. However, demography is not destiny. It is up to politicians, parties, and citizens themselves to mobilize the potential of all Americans. Get the book today.

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Business and Education Tools, Community Empowerment, Financial investments, Local Topics, Politics

Medical marijuana laws will make weed legal in the United States: Here’s How

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medical marijuana for pharma and recreational use

One World Pharma (OWP) is the first international company to engage with the Cannabis (CBD) community rather than exploit them. Most industry competitors hire locals to work company purchased land. While OWP collaborates with locals and sponsors them for licenses to work their own land. Moreover, competitors do not have the cannabis strains OWP develops in-house for CBD and THC.

Fromgirltogirl likes that OWP plants the seeds through an ideal farming climate in Colombia for cultivation and provides a worldwide export in the form of oil or powder for pharma to use. In other words, OWP has strong partnerships in science, research and development, cultivation, and also fully licensed for cultivation to offer unmatched quality in pharmaceutical grade cannabis extracts.

Companies like OWP can help countries like the United States meet the demand for a reliable supply of high quality, legal pharmaceutical grade CBD. This is one of the reasons the U.S. government and the cannabis industry as a whole should support importing pharmaceutical grade cannabis for use in America.

The Benefits of Pharmaceutical Grade Imported Cannabis for America

For pharmaceutical grade CBD to become universally acceptable in the United States, it needs to meet standards of legality, manufacturing quality and consistency. For example, clinical trials in America need quality pharmaceutical grade products to support pre-clinical work for vitro, animal studies, as well as pharmacokinetic testing and safety. By using pharmaceutical grade products, those in the cannabis industry will meet the documentable standards as related to purity, composition, and consistency. Not only does quality cannabis ensure validity for experimental results but also helps enhance the health, welfare, and safety of both animal and human trial participants.

A lack of reliable, legal, high-quality pharmaceutical grade CBD is the current shortfall of America’s cannabis industry products, especially for clinical trials. Check out JustCBDStore.com or JustCBDStore.com/UK for your CBD fix.

Companies like OWP can benefit America’s developing cannabis industry by offering valid scientific justification and cost savings. It is in the best interests of the United States to import cannabis products for this reason.

Regardless of how the government of the United States addresses the green boom of cannabis industry, the demand for legal marijuana in America will continue to grow. Here is what a cannabis tester has to say about the cannabis revolution. As the masses normalize the use of recreational marijuana and  pharmaceutical grade or medical marijuana for health treatment for various diseases and illnesses, the United States is more likely to pass better marijuana policies.

You may also be interested in reading this overview of current marijuana policies as we are days away from the 2019 new year or a further look into why Congress has not passed a bill to fully legalize marijuana. There are about 10 senators who support the States Act to legalizing marijuana under the Trump administration. If it cannot be legalized during Trump’s presidency, Fromgirltogirl feels confident the chances are high to pass a bill to legalize marijuana when Americans get familiar with contenders seeking the Presidency in 2020.

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Dating, Girltogirl Middle East Studies, Local Topics, Travel

Best Hookah Bars in Adams Morgan: Soussi

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Best hookah bars in DC: Soussi Restaurant

Are you looking for good hookah bars in Washington DC? Do not skip the Adams Morgan neighborhood.  There is a good hookah bar inside the Soussi Restaurant located at 2228 18th Street, Northwest
Washington, DC 20009. It is a very intimate setting as it has two levels and an open balcony in the summer. It’s very relaxing and if you don’t mind Drake’s music, you’ll enjoy the vibes here.

The hookah flavor are very smooth. Check out the Soussi hookah menu. Some of our favorite shisha flavors are mint and jasmine. There is also a Mediterranean food menu available, particularly including Moroccan French inspired cuisines such as the Moroccan spiced kefta ( ground beef with Moroccan spices in tomato basil sauce. Although the wait for the hookah was a little slow, Fromgirltogirl enjoyed our time as well as our drinks there.The hookah is good and we were not disappointed. There is a good crowd of chill people present. Some are newcomers and others are the usual. Subscribe to Fromgirltogirl.com on the sidebar to your right on our homepage to stay in the know about great hookah places as well as other hot spots with themes focused on Middle Eastern culture.

Have hookah products you would like Fromgirltogirl to check or hookah bars in DC to visit? Email us at advertise@fromgirltogirl.com.

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Dating, Entertainment, Local Topics

Best of Wharf DC: Hank’s Oyster Bar

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Seafood platter ice bar on the potomac

 

Looking for a great place in DC to explore with friends, family, or for date night?  If yes, you have to check out the Wharf DC. The transformation of the wharf is unbelievable. There is so much to do and beautifully designed.

Until my recent visit, I had not been to the Wharf DC since my college days where it was simply the wharf and pretty much a stand alone theater. Now in 2018, it’s an incredibly breathtaking place to enjoy a great view, entertainment, and eat at some really amazing restaurants.

Family entertainment area at Wharf DC

I went to Hank’s Oyster Bar on 701 Wharf Street SW Washington, DC 20024. where Chef Jamie Leeds invented urban beach food. It is right on the waterfront, offering option for both indoor and outdoor seating. Although it was a beautiful night, I went for indoor seating. It was a happening place. I recommend going to Hank’s Oyster Baar for happy hour as the restaurant has a great cocktail menu inspired by the staff’s travels. Trying out the different types of oysters and platters were fun as well.

Hank’s Oyster Bar also has lobster rolls, daily fish specials, popcorn shrimp, calamari, Ipswich clams, ceviche, and more for seafood  lovers. You have to try the Hank’s ice bar ( the photo on this post is the sampler platter I enjoyed).

Hank’s Oyster Bar Restaurant Hours

Monday-Thursday: 11:30am-12:00am

Friday: 11:30am-1:00am

Saturday: 11:00am-1:00am

Sunday: 11:00am-10:00pm

You can check out more Wharf DC restaurants today.

Parking at Wharf DC

If you are traveling by car, try to find parking in the neighborhood. Otherwise, you can park right at the waterfront, but it’s pretty pricey. We spent more than $20 for only a night visit.

If you want to impress your date, you have to come down here. Great view of the DC Waterfront and gives off all kinds of romantic feels viewing the Potomac. Not to mention, there’s an outdoor bar to give off that beach, island feel on a good weather day. Check out this list of things to do at the Wharf DC. My only regret was not researching before my visit, there is just so much to do, even for families.

Let Fromgirltogirl know how your visit goes. If you would like us to check out your restaurant or bar at the District Wharf, email us at advertise@fromgirltogirl.com.

Boats on the potomac view from Wharf DC

Not going out to eat, drink or for carryout? Check out:

How to make the most amazing cocktails at home?

from our friends at Culinaryambition.com.

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Fitness, Health, Local Topics

How to relieve foot and ankle pain with hot/cold therapy

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Treat My Feet Foot and Ankle pain relief therapy system

*** Fromgirltogirl.com was provided a sample product for honest review. Opinions are our own. Product reviews are not endorsements. ***

Foot and ankle pain are all too common as we age. It important for us to learn how to relieve foot and ankle pain fast to make sure our aches and pain don’t make everyday living physically unbearable. Our feet and ankles work hard for us everyday as they carry the weight of our muscles and bones. Some of us resort to exercise to strengthen our muscles and improve our balance, but even with those activities, we are susceptible to foot and ankle pain.

Over the years, I often experience foot and ankle pain during dance classes or long distance running. I associated this pain with having flat feet so I would do toe presses and toe walking to warm up before vigorous physical activities. Ankle circles were also useful to me as they would improve the flexibility of my ankles. Learn more on how to relieve foot and ankle pain with routine workouts.

I realized the regular exercise is sometimes not enough to fix the pain and swelling in feet and ankles. This is when I decided to explore products to help ease the pain faster such as compression socks and my new-found favorite: a foot & ankle pain relief hot/cold boot foot wrap from Treat My Feet.

The benefit of a hot/cold boot foot wrap

What is so great about hot/cold therapy for foot & ankle pain relief? In short, this type of therapy can effectively relieve foot and ankle aches and pains because it uses a compression gel wrap to target all the areas where pain arises.

I like that the boot wrap features a removable hot/cold wrap inside and has a one size fits all adjustable strap. Not to mention, the boot has a soft cushion wrap for sore feet and ankles. Doctors recommend using this hot/cold therapy system for:

  • High and low ankle sprains
  • Achilles Tendon strains
  • Foot & Ankle Swelling
  • Sore Feet

I often love to use the boot wrap after a long day of being on my feet or shortly after my fitness routine. I know how important is it to treat my feet and support feet health and overall wellness. Want a boot wrap of your own? You can order the Treat My Feet Foot & Ankle Hot/Cold Therapy System on Amazon today.

Check out the video below to see my reaction from trying the boot wrap for the first time. You can microwave or freeze the hot/cold pad for foot and ankle pain relief. Once you have the boot wrap, let me know what you think by using the hashtag #TreatMyFeet. Learn more about the best ways to relieve swollen feet & ankles at home.

*** Fromgirltogirl.com was provided a sample product for honest review. Opinions are our own. Product reviews are not endorsements. ***

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Business, Business and Education Tools, Career, Financial investments, Health, Local Topics, Women Empowerment

How to win a high insurance settlement by hiring a personal injury attorney

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personal injury attorney Tampa tips on winning a high insurance settlement

Have you experienced a personal injury? If yes, it is important to hire a personal injury attorney. Before you ask whether it is worth hiring a lawyer for a personal injury you feel you’ll win, learn about the advantages of hiring an experienced attorney. Here are the top reasons you should hire a personal injury attorney:

A personal injury attorney will know how much your claim is worth.

The average person lacks the knowledge about how much money his or her personal injury claim is worth. Even with tools like a personal injury calculator, you cannot get an accurate estimate of the final settlement value. Why? The calculator tool does cannot comprehend the subtleties of the specific personal injury case. Your injury would need to be analyzed, including the pain and suffering. You will also need to understand how insurance companies work and negotiate accident settlements. By guessing the worth of your claim, it could cost you thousands of dollars. By hiring a personal injury attorney, you will have the opportunity to leverage his or her experiences and tools to make sure you have a high insurance settlement.

Your attorney will understand the ins and outs of the legal process.

It doesn’t matter if you have a good idea what your personal injury might be worth, you won’t be well versed about the legal procedures involved with litigating or mediating your personal injury claim. This will included the type of legal documents you will need to file, how to properly complete those forms, and even the applicable statute of limitations. When you don’t have the knowledge, it is easier for insurance companies win based on a legal technicality.

Hiring a personal injury attorney will improve your odds of winning a high insurance settlement.

It doesn’t matter how well you prepare, the insurance company will have more knowledge and bargaining power than you will have on your own. Remember, you are not the only person making a claim against them. By being unfamiliar with the legal process, the insurance company will use your lack of knowledge to protect their best interests. To protect yourself, it is important to hire an experienced personal injury attorney to guide you through the process and win a high insurance settlement.

The personal injury attorney is here to help you win a high insurance settlement.

Yes, you heard right. Your personal injury attorney is here to protect your best interests because he or she will work on a contingency basis. In other words, the attorney will only get paid if you win your insurance settlement. This is why it is importance to hire an experienced personal injury attorney. Moreover, this will motivate the lawyer to settle your claim quickly and most personal injury attorneys choose cases they think they can win.

Your personal injury attorney can help you take your case to trial.

On average, most personal injury cases do not go to trial because the cases are settled. But if you want to go to trial, there’s a good chance the jury will rule against the insurance companies. If you have a personal injury attorney representing you, it will signal to the insurance companies you are well prepared to go to trial and make them try for a more equitable settlement offer than you would have on your own.

Speak with a personal injury attorney Tampa representative to help you find whether you have a good injury case and can claim a high insurance settlement. This will help you protect your rights and take the right steps for an otherwise costly and complicated experience.

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Business, Business and Education Tools, Career, Community Empowerment, Financial investments, Local Topics, Women Empowerment

Top 10 best cities for Hispanic entrepreneurs

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Hispanic entrepreneur working on her fitness

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With National Small Business Week approaching and the U.S. census projecting Hispanics to be over 25% of the population by 2050, the personal-finance website WalletHub has released its report on 2018’s Best Cities for Hispanic Entrepreneurs. To help Hispanic entrepreneurs find the best citis to start their enterprises, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities across 23 key metrics. The data set ranges from Hispanic entrepreneurship rate to Hispanic income growth to share of Hispanic-owned businesses. Here are the top 20 cities in America for Hispanic entrepreneurs:

Top 20 Cities for Hispanic Entrepreneurs

 
1 Laredo, TX 11 Miami, FL
2 South Burlington, VT 12 Tulsa, OK
3 Charleston, WV 13 Grand Prairie, TX
4 Corpus Christi, TX 14 Sioux Falls, SD
5 Oklahoma City, OK 15 Cheyenne, WY
6 Pembroke Pines, FL 16 Tampa, FL
7 Amarillo, TX 17 Irving, TX
8 San Antonio, TX 18 Fort Worth, TX
9 Bismarck, ND 19 El Paso, TX
10 Casper, WY 20 Austin, TX

Best vs. Worst cities for Hispanic entrepreneurs

  • Hialeah, Fla., has the highest share of Hispanic residents, 96.26 percent, which is 72.9 times higher than in Jackson, Miss., the city with the lowest at 1.32 percent.
  • Fargo, N.D., has one of the lowest Hispanic unemployment rate, 0.90 percent, which is 18.8 times lower than in Rochester, N.Y., the city with the highest at 16.90 percent.
  • Pittsburgh has the highest share of Hispanics with at least a bachelor’s degree, 46.90 percent, which is 10.7 times higher than in Detroit, the city with the lowest at 4.40 percent.
  • Charleston, W.V., has the highest entrepreneurship rate among the Hispanic population, 3.15 percent, which is 28.6 times higher than in Toledo, Ohio, the city with the lowest at 0.11 percent.

View full report and your city’s rank now:
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-and-worst-cities-for-hispanic-entrepreneurs/6491/

More from WalletHub

 

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