Yo Quisera: (Xtreme Feat. Sur Tres)!

Have you heard Xtreme's new single Yo Quisiera, featuring the new Dominican pop group, Sur Tres? I've been playing this song non-stop today, it's unbelievably addicting. Check it out and pass the word around!

Sur Tres: The New Face of Dominican Boy Groups!

I don't know about you, but I've been dying to finally see a Dominican Latin pop group become a reality. Normally when one thinks of Dominican groups, artists like Aventura, Xtreme, or the new bachata sensation, Prince Royce, come to mind. Don't get me wrong, I love my merengue and bachata. But, the truth is in a time when Latin pop seems to be at it's peak, and artists from all over Latin America seem to be getting their breaks, it's only normal for one to want to see Dominican artists finally getting on board. We seem to be the only Latinos not really breaking into the Latin pop scene at all, and simply sticking to what's expected of us-bachata. This is why I was more than excited when Sur Tres, a Latin pop group with a majority of the band members being Dominican, recently formed. The group's sound can be compared to the sounds of Mexican band, Camila, consisting of sophisticated and romantic ballads. Their name Sur Tres, was inspired by South 3rd street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where a majority of the band members grew up. Sur Tres performed this past Sunday, October 10th at Le Feu, in the Southside of Williamsburg. The group performed a mix of some of their own songs such as Primer Beso, Bala Perdida, Aname Sienteme and Siete Letras (my personal favorite), combined with classic cover songs such as Lamento Boliviano and Si No te Hubieras ido. For a group that's just recently started the house was packed! The audience was actually a lot more responsive than I anticipated, many singing along, clapping and fully embracing the music. Steve Styles, from bachata group, Xtreme surprised everyone, joined the group on stage and performed one of Xtreme's most famous songs, Shorty Shorty. Watch out for Sur Tres, the new face in Dominican boy bands and check out their website to listen to some of their other tunes!
http://www.myspace.com/surtres

My Plan to Live a Happier and Healthier Life, With No Regrets!

It has recently hit me, that I am not happy with my life. I think this strange feeling started to take full affect a little after this year began. It's unfortunate to say I have not done any of my new year's resolutions, one being to think more positively in the year 2010. I think some of it stems from some family tragedies that have occurred but most of it stems from just being way too hard on myself. I recently graduated from college with a bachelor's in Journalism, just last summer. And though that can be a huge accomplishment, it also comes with a lot of expectations. The expectations you put on yourself and the expectations that come from those around you as well. I for sure had a hell of a lot of expectations and goals, as I always do. I had a bad year in high school, my senior year. A year I don't think I have fully forgiven myself for. And looking back I wasn't even as bad as you'd think. I wasn't having sex, I wasn't touching drugs, I wasn't coming home past curfew and I was smart enough to not get into a serious relationship. I always understood that was a pointless thing to pursue in high school. I just was seriously slacking in my studies. I lost focus, grades went down and that just lead to a serious of mistakes and disappointments I brought on myself. Since then I've been super ambitious and driven to the point where it's hard for me to just let myself slow down and come up for air.

I pictured myself by 23, with a full-time job working as an editorial assistant at a place I loved and living on my own somewhere in Brooklyn and completely financially independent. I'm glad to say at least part of that goal has been fulfilled. I am an editorial assistant, but I work part-time at my previous college, and don't make enough to live on my own. So I'm still living at my parent's place in Queens, still somewhat financially dependent on them and still commuting about an hour and half to the city. I guess you can say reality hit. This is life. Things happen that sometimes stir you away from the plan you had for yourself. I'm sure if I asked 10 people, 'hey are you where you'd like to be in life,'? I'm sure at least half of them would respond, 'no'. The trick to living your life to it's fullest is not being able to check off every goal you had set for yourself on your life plan(and yes I literally had written up a life plan for myself that's how much of a control freak I am) but to savor every positive moment of your life as much as you can.

There are definitely a lot of things I can certainly be grateful for. For one, I have an amazing family. I can go and talk to my parents pretty much about anything, except religion (we never see eye to eye with this) but other than that we have a pretty good and healthy relationship. I have been fortunate enough to have my wonderful grandmother live with us and blessed with two great siblings, and no, I'm not just saying that. I went to college and finished, something not everyone can say. And forgive me if I sound like I'm bragging, but this has always been a huge accomplishment for me. I learned a lot, and I feel like it really molded me into the person I am today. Because of my college education I have developed an interest in a lot of things I probably would of never discovered or been exposed to otherwise. I figured out who I was, and not just who my family wanted me to be, and discovered a way of thinking and living that fit ME and MY personality. And I will always be grateful for that.

I have also been blessed with an amazing boyfriend, I really couldn't ask for a better one. There's just so many things I love about him that if I literally sat down and listed those things that list would probably turn into a book, seriously. He's great. We have such similar interests and mentalities, yet our temperaments and personalities differ in ways that make us so well balanced and compatible. And our love is so strong. But as a career driven woman all those things just haven't been enough for me. But like I've mentioned earlier, even if I was to have all my plans work out for me, and I get my dream job working full-time, making enough to move out and live on my own in a nice, up and coming neighborhood in Brooklyn, that doesn't mean I'll be happy. I mean maybe I will be happy for a couple of years, but what about when that's no longer enough? I mean naturally by the time I meet those goals, I will carry on a new set of goals needed to be met. Am I still making sense to you?

So what makes someone truly happy? What makes someone truly content with life itself? Well part of it is being able to appreciate what we have already been blessed with, and that's easier said than done. So I've decided that I am going to put myself on a new plan. On a life plan to happiness. How to live a happier and healthier life and become content with where you're at in your life. Yea that title definitely needs some work. But I will refine it as I go on. Don't get me wrong, I'll still continue working hard, updating my resume when needed, continue to contribute and write to even places that won't pay, and keep my eye open for good opportunities. But I am going to try my best to no longer make this DEFINE or MAKE my life. Your career doesn't define you, how much you make doesn't define you, what defines is who you are as a person, and these days I'm not totally satisfied with that. Focusing my life on my career and finances hasn't made me the best person I can be. And it sure can be emotionally and even mentally exhausting. So I intend on starting this new life changing plan today. It will be organized to a certain extent, but not super-crazy-psycho-organized like I usually am with every facet of my life. These are some of the things I intend on doing:

Mediating-I never tried this before, but a couple of people I know do it and say that it really helps them to unwind and clear their minds.


Praying-Praying to me, as much as I hate to admit it, can be emotionally exhausting. It makes me feel like I'm constantly asking for things, and so when those things don't happen I remain disappointed. But being the spiritual person that I am, praying does lift my spirits. So I intend on praying, but a little differently than I normally do, I intend on praying just to give thanks. For instance, when I wake up in the morning praying to give thanks for another day.


Taking care of my health-I really believe that taking care of your body really does help your mental and emotional state. Whenever I exercise it relieves a lot of stress. Also taking care of my body, exercising and watching what I eat really makes me feel better about myself in general. Health is something we should never take for granted, I've learned that the hard way.


Reading-Reading is another thing that really distracts me and really enlightens and motivates me. Whether it's spending some time reading recipes from Real Simple Magazine or reading a good novel, reading really does make me feel great. So I intend on continuing to make more time to read.


Avoid gossip-I have to admit I'm usually pretty good at keeping away from gossip. And I don't go around talking about people, especially because I am a HUGE believer of Karma. But I'm not going to lie, every here and there when someone comes to me with an interesting gossip, I don't shut them down. I listen. And listening to a gossip is just as bad as sharing one, you're still participating. Gossip creates a negative energy and usually makes me feel bad about myself afterwards, so it's not worth it.


Surrounding myself with positive energy-I recently had a conversation with my mother about how I just can't see myself pursuing certain relationships with certain people. Over the years I have been able to pick up when someone is being genuine with me, and if someone genuinely cares and respects me like they try to claim. And when I don't feel that sincerity it leads to a lot of awkward and uncomfortable moments. And the truth is why should I hang out with someone whose passive aggressive or tries to put me down even in the most subtle ways or that I just don't connect with at all? It just doesn't make sense, and what winds up happening many times is I feel so uncomfortable around these people, I wind up not being myself around them. And that's probably the worst thing you can do. Hanging out with friends and family who truly respect and love me for who I am is what I intend to do in the future, or should I say the present.


Staying motivated, but not setting huge goals-Like I mentioned before I will always keep my eye on the ball. My dream job will still be my motivation and I will still work towards that but I'm not going to kill myself. I'll get there when I get there, and try to enjoy life along the way.


Relax!- This is definitely a hard one for me. So hard that whenever my boyfriend tells me 'babe just relax," I immediately hit the defense. 'What do you mean relax, I'm relaxed, don't tell me to relax!' There are a number of ways people relax, but one way I relax is spending more time with myself. A friend of mine who has a dating blog reminded me of that. Her recent entries have been dedicated to "dating herself," getting to know herself better as a person. And if you're not spending time with yourself how can you really know who you are? So definitely more alone time, whether it's reading, meditating, taking long showers(once in a while or my dad will kill me because of the water bill), taking long walks alone, listening to great music or whatever it is.


Grooming yourself- A little bit of vanity won't kill anybody and it can go a long way. I hate when women say 'I'm not vain.' That's such bullshit. Most women do acquire a certain amount of vanity, especially if you look presentable most of the time. And the women I know who claim not to be vain are never fat, ugly slobs with un-plucked brows and no makeup on. Vanity when used wisely can be a good thing and this is one thing that has always been praised in my household. A woman should always take care of herself. Not to say that you have to be super vain and constantly be on top of your appearance, because that in itself can lead to an entirely different problem. If you can't walk out of yourself at least once a week to meet a few friends in a bare face and the only thing running through your mind is 'I can't believe I left my house without makeup.' There's definitely a problem. But like my grandmother always says even at her 81 years of age she still dolls herself up because it just makes her feel good about herself. I don't believe in going over board and spending tons of money on expensive, trendy outfits. I just mean getting your nails done, or doing it yourself if you know how to. Having your hair look nice and neat, get it done in a salon every once in a while. Try to make yourself feel pretty. If you feel great, you'll look great and you'll carry yourself great. And that confidence will show and make other people want to be around you. Nothing's worse than being around an insecure Debbie Downer.

So these are just some of the things I intend on doing to live a happier and mentally, and emotionally healthy life. I intend on trying others things as I continue on my journey. So the next couple of blogs will be dedicated to this journey. I'm not sure I will be writing about anything else on this blog for a while. At least until the end of the summer anyway. I hope you felt inspired by this message and feel free to try this yourself if you'd like. Maybe in a few years I'll be like those Zen people, who knows!

P.S
I think the title for this post is a little better than the original title I had. But the title of the following posts will be Mi Plan. Don't ask. I remembered it from Nelly Furtado's recent album and if just clicked.

Love Jo : )

The Boyfriend VS The Girlfriends: What Do You Do When Your Girlfriend Gets In A Relationship and Forgets About Her Girls

One thing I have always taken pride in, is the fact that for the four years I have been in a committed relationship I have been able to balance my relationship with my friendships. And not only have I been able to balance that, but I believe I really go out of my way to work to put my time and my heart in those relationships that I truly value, especially my relationships with my girlfriends. So what do you do when you have a girlfriend who doesn't exactly live by that motto?

There are a lot of women out there that once they enter a serious relationship slowly but surely start to put less and less time into their friendships. Most of the time it's not necessarily intentional, it's usually due to one out of two of the following possibilities:

-Not being able to balance having a boyfriend and making time for girlfriends

-Thinking they have all they need in their relationship. As a result they start to no longer value their friendships as much as they used to

I have recently been in a situation like this with one of my girlfriends. We have been friends for years, but met at a time in our lives where we were still young, changing and trying to discover ourselves. So we have grown to become extremely different women. We have completely different interests, taste, lifestyles, dreams, priorities and even morals to a certain extent. But, despite our drastic differences we were always able to keep in touch. And whenever we did talk, it was as if no time had passed and we were still able to get each other to laugh for hours every time.

But, over the last year or so it hasn't exactly played out like that anymore. She started to date this guy who I always believed wasn't good for her. I tried to express my feelings and perceptions about him, but she was never having it. I just always felt like the dude was bringing her more problems than joy. On top of that, our differences have become more obvious to one another and now with this new guy who has had a TREMENDOUS influence on her, it's like she's an entirely different person. She talks about things I would of never heard her expressing an interest in before, moving to places that were never even an option, and putting things that were once main priorities to the side. We recently had a conversation, and I was disappointed to discover a whole bunch of life-changing things that have been going on in her life. And I feel like if I would have not called and reached out to her, I would of probably never found out. Not only did I find this hurtful but surprising as well. I just feel like our friendship is not as strong as it once was. And I'm also concerned about the influence this guy has had on her life and some of the decisions she has been making.

So what do you do when you see your girlfriend heading towards this route? I'm still not exactly certain how to deal with this kind of situation, but I can tell you what I'm leaning towards. Below are some of the things I'm planning on doing.

-Giving myself some time to fully grasp what's been going on with my friend, her life and our friendship.

-Deciding whether or not this friendship really matters to me anymore. If it doesn't, I'll stop calling and move on. If it does, I'll probably give her a call and honestly express everything I've been thinking.

-Giving her the opportunity to realize how I feel and how she has neglected the friendship. Allow her to start to making an initiative, this will tell me whether or not the friendship means as much to her as it does to me. And then just take it from there.

Being in a serious, committed and wonderful relationship myself I can understand how you would want to dedicate all your time to that special guy. But at the same time I learned and understood early on in my relationship the importance of friendship. Good girlfriends are there for you no matter what, and they stay by you during good times and bad times. And face it ladies sometimes relationships don't work out! It's your girlfriends that remain and help you get yourself back together. So why abandon them?

In my opinion if a friend really matters to you, I think it's definitely important to try to express what you are thinking and feeling to them. Because sometimes they are simply clueless about what's going on. But after that, if things don't change, I suggest to just move on and leave it alone. After all, your first love should always be yourself. Self-respect and self-love is really important and if someone doesn't value you as a friend, than you probably shouldn't pursue that friendship anymore.

So ladies stay loyal to your girlfriends!

SONG OF THE DAY+LOOK OF THE DAY

Today's song of the day is one of my favorite songs, "The Greatest," by Cat Power. And today's look of the day is one of my favorite actresses in Hollywood right now, Zoe Saldana. In this picture the adorable Saldana is wearing a sheer layered tank top with a textured mini skirt by MaxMara and YSL pumps. This outfit definitely complimented the actress's little frame.

Men Hooked on Pretty Soaps!

Sudz 'N Bubbles, an online boutique specializing in handmade soaps is apparently appealing to a lot of men out there. According to Cindy Tollen, the owner and founder of Sudz 'N Bubbles, her fastest growing clientele is men. Sudz 'N Bubbles creates all natural glycerin soaps as well as bath salts, lotions, shower gels, body butters and lip balms. Cindy started the company 4 years ago when her son's doctor suggested that he bath with glycerin soap for his eczema. Cindy discovered that glycerin soap was very costly and invested in making her own soaps. Apparently most soaps are detergent based but glycerin-based soap is an all natural soap that leaves the skin much more moisturized and fresh. Sudz 'N Bubbles even has an adorable collection of soaps called, Bubblin Bakery line. This consists of a collection of soaps that look like delicious pastries such as, Strawberry Creme Pie Soap, or Cherry Tart Soap. The soaps don't just look like desserts but smell like them too. So why do men love them? Apparently they love how the soap leaves their skin a lot smoother than ordinary soaps. "I literally have to conduct business like a drug dealer with some of my clients. I have local customers insist we talk in private and only communicate through text messages," says Cindy. Most of the men order the old pure soaps, but Cindy admits that there are some who are not afraid of the pretty scented soaps and have ordered special orders of soaps with customized fragrances. Cindy has even included a soap designed to remove the human scent and it smells like dirt. It doesn't get any manlier than that! This is considered to be the manliest of all her soaps and a lot of her male clients get a kick out of it. Think your man could get hooked?

I'm on lookville!

So I was checking my trendcount emails and was really excited to discover that I was invited to join lookville.com Check out the look that I posted!

http://lookville.com/look/2265/What-do-you-think-of-a-short-floral-dress-paired-with-peep-toe-booties