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Come and TASTE with Lake Lily!

Mona Vie offers the best in fruit blended Acai berry juices. Delicious and healthy drinks accompanied by pastries, desserts and other baked goods make for an elegant and sweet evening!

Join us in the Internet Cafe from 6-8pm tonight!

Do you know someone in your personal or professional life who is CONSTANTLY NEGATIVE?

Do you find yourself cringing whenever they strike up a conversation?

If you said YES you are not alone. No one likes a Negative Nellie but we all have them in our lives. It’s important to know how to deal with such negativity or let it bring you down. The sad part is, you often don’t realize they are effecting you until it is too late!  So, before you get pulled into the pit, take a few minutes to think about these tips for dealing with Negative Nellies and Debbie Downers:

1. NEVER argue with a naturally negative person. They won’t like it and you won’t get anywhere.
2. Avoid the GENERAL. Most people who are negative tend to refer to everything generally. Ask for specifics so they actually have to think about what they are saying.
3. Accentuate the Positive. If you throw in perky and positive phrases like “everything happens for a reason” you may be able to block the negativity and positively influence them! Just don’t overdo it!
4. Keep the warmth. It may seem odd, but approaching negative people with an open heart can sometimes be enough to turn their attitude. Accept who they are and don’t belittle them because they are negative.
5. Be affectionate towards those who are negative. Sometimes a pat on the back or touch of the hand can break down a negative attitude faster than a drawn out conversation.
6. Avoid being negative back. Even if you agree with something negative that is being said, don’t feed into it. It will only make it worse and make you a target for more negative conversations in the future.

Tips from Yahoo SHINE.

…to my always empty wallet.

Dear less than full wallet,

We need to talk. You and I both know this had been a long time coming but I just can’t stand it any more. I hope you aren’t offended when I say that you’ve been too-light-for-comfort lately and I’m not very happy about it. While I would never expect you to NOT follow me out for dinner or a show, quite frankly you get a little crazy once we’re out. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, just because there’s a new pair of shoes at DSW doesn’t mean you should open on up and let the bills fly! Show a little dignity and self respect, honestly!  It’s not that I’m not appreciative of wanting nice things for me but, well, you’re looking less than plump lately. But don’t worry! I’ve come up with a plan to keep you happy and heavy from now on!

First things first: we’re going to sign up with the Half Off Depot.  No, no, don’t worry, it won’t take up any of your much needed spending time and it’s completely free! See… you’re looking fuller already! Once we sign up, Half Off Depot will send us daily coupons and discounts on the best restaurants, venues and shops in Orlando. For example, today’s bid deal is 50% off of Central Florida Boot Camp. We could get fit for half the price. Sounds great doesn’t it?

Now I know how happy it makes you to be out and about with me and I would never dream of taking that away from you, so how’s about a bit of a compromise?  If we find a great deal from one of the Half Off Depot alerts, we can go out and earn that discount! This way we can still spend quality time out having fun with one another, but you’ll get the added benefit of staying plump and pretty. We can’t lose!

Great idea huh? I knew you’d love it!

Half Off Depot HERE WE COME!

When you have your foot in the entertainment business, establish a name for yourself and have a great success record in one form of the arts it becomes easier to transition over to something new. That’s exactly what Juliette Lewis has done, and she’s like to take you on along for the ride!

You probably know Juliette Lewis from films like The Other Sister, Old School, Catch and Release and this weekend’s release The Switch (with Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman) but you probably didn’t know that along with being an accomplished actress, she is a rocker at heart. Don’t believe me, see for yourself! Juliette will be at the Back Booth in Orlando on August 25.

Now is your chance to see what this funny gal actress has up her musical sleeves. I’ve always loved seeing entertainers transition from one area to another. Why not show off all of your talents? Tickets are on sale now so get them while they are hot!

There is something about tasty, sugary sweets that instantly puts a smile on my face. Even if I’m having the worst of days, when I get a taste of something especially sweet, the bad stuff seems to disappear. At least until I’m finished eating whatever sweet treat I happen to be enjoying.

There are many great places to get a variety of sweets around Lake Lily but my favorite is, without a doubt, The Sugar Suite. I’m already grinning just thinking about it! The Sugar Suite is Maitland’s best bakery boutique turning flower, sugar and eggs into works of edible art! Owner and baker Jennyfer Mancino is a wedding planner turned sweets-enthusiast from Orlando. Her love of baking and desire to meet a customer’s every wish have made her a quick success in the confectionery world. She puts her heart and soul into every pinch of sugar and drop of sprinkles to create delicious desserts to please all tastes. While her cakes and cookies are nothing to turn your nose up at, her cupcakes are what bring the BIGGEST smile to my face.  Her simple yet elegant flavors and decorations allow each bite to be better than the one before. My favorites are the Amaretto (amaretto cake with vanilla custard filling and vanilla bean buttercream) and Lemon Poppy Seed (lemon poppy seed cake with raspberry filling and vanilla bean buttercream). Is your mouth watering yet? Mine is!

So, the next time you are driving past and get a wiff of a sweet-smelling deliciousness, pull right on in and taste something for yourself. I guarantee a smile won’t be far behind!

Find her on Facebook!

Yes, you read that right.. tax free! Here’s the scoop:

One weekend out of the year, state governments give certain states a sweet sweet gift in the form of a little SHOPPING help! They say ‘bye bye’ to sales tax for the whole weekend. With the economy like it is, many states have opted out of the tax free weekend while others have made certain restrictions. Lucky for FLORIDIANS, we still get a piece of the pie!

Starting tomorrow, Friday August 13 at 12:00 am and running through Sunday August 15 at 11:59 pm, you can take advantage of the tax free gift… just in time for back to school shopping. Pay ZERO sales tax on books, clothes and footwear $50 or less and school supplies $10 or less. Like I said, restrictions. But lets be honest, no matter how minimal the savings, we could all use a little help these days!  So, strap on your shopping shoes and get ready for a weekend filled with bags, carts, bar codes and happy receipt totals!

If you have never been to the Back Booth in Orlando then you are truly missing out. It’s time to change that! Lucky for you, there are plenty of events to choose from this week for your first Back Booth experience. Ever since Back Booth’s opening it has been a hub for music and art, even being named one of the best live music venues in Orlando by Orlando Weekly.

Back Booth is comfortable and inviting with a massive stage for performances and one of the largest draft selections in all of downtown Orlando. There, you will here the sounds of local, regional and nationally recognized bands and 9 times out of 10 there will be SOMEONE on the dance floor. I dare you not to join in. To central Florida, this is the place to be for anything like a small intimate performance to all out rock extravaganza.  Here’s a list of the upcoming headliner bands that will be gracing the Back Booth stage:

• August 11 – Dreamer (Rock)  – 8:00 pm
• August 12 - One31 (Rock/Hip hop) – 8:00 pm (18+)
• August 13 – Stereo Skyline (Rock/pop)- 5:00 pm
• August 13 – Johnny Plastic and the Rubber Band Farewell Show (Rock)- 8:00 pm
• August 14 – Thomas Wynn and the Believers (Southern Rock) – 7:30 pm

Tickets can be purchased ahead of time online or at the door! Keep in mind that each of these headline performers will be joined by a few friends, so you get more music for your money and more ROCK for your soul!

It’s time for a new poll!

If you could be a professional athlete, what sport would you go pro in?

Take a look at our poll and pick your dream athletic career. If we forgot to list your favorite, comment back on this post!

Our tastes tend to change as we get older. We like different foods now that we did when we were kids (aka broccoli). We like different clothes, different movies and different music. Some things, however, stay the same. If you could think of one musical artist whose talent has not only stood the test of time thus far, but promises to be a favorite of yours for years to come, who would it be? This is serious business, so really think.

Have you got yours? Comment on this post with who you picked! We’d love to hear.

Mine would, without a doubt, have to be Norah Jones. Her soothing voice and cool melodies have been a favorite of mine since she first came out with Come Away With Me.  Now after her latest album, The Fall, she is still at the top of my favorites list.  Lucky for me, and every other fan here at Lake Lily, Norah Jones will be performing at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, August 10 at 8:00 pm.

Tickets are on sale now but knowing her loyal fan-base, will probably sell out quickly.

In case you have been missing out on Norah’s latest music, here is a one of my favorites from her latest album: Chasing Pirates

With the summer heat reaching record highs, isn’t it time we cooled off a little?

Why not take a weekend trip to SeaWorld and make a splash with Shamu! If you haven’t been in a while, you should know that SeaWorld isn’t just about the creatures. There are exciting rides and games for you and the whole family that will have you forgetting about the summer heat! Take advantage of the SeaWorld Cares $5 child’s ticket, where all proceeds go to help Wildlife Conservation.  You can also purchase Twilight Tickets and see SeaWorld After Dark! There are so many great opportunities there, all you have to do is decide which one you want!

Check out this interactive park map and get a sense of all that you have to look forward to! Then order your tickets and be on your way to a weekend filled with flippers and fun!

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