Chynna T. Laird's Blog, page 21

Music Mantra Monday: Best Love Songs For Valentine's Day Celebrations

Well, Valentine's Day is coming up this Wednesday so we thought we'd get down with our mushy selves and put together a list of songs we feel are the best for romancing up your Valentine's Day.

This list is in no particular order, except the one we put at #1. And those who know Chynna the best will say, "Well, DUH!!!"

These are just the first ones that popped into our heads, and some of them will date us for sure, but who cares? A good love song stays with you long after you hear it and touches...

The Power of Youth: Teen Dating Violence Awareness month

Welcome to our first post for our new theme on our Sunday slot: The Power of Youth. Today's subject matter is serious and my younger readers may either want a parent or older friend to read with him or her to answer any questions or concerns you may have.

Violence in general is bad enough, and incredibly unnecessary. We are human beings with a higher level of thinking and intelligence where resolving issues among us, or trying to control another person, using violence is just simply inexcusabl...

Writing Prompt Saturday: Compassion

Compassion is the ability to feel for another person and what they may be experiencing at a given time. It is different from pity, which is basically just feeling sorry for someone.

Those who feel compassion may not understand completely what the other person is experiencing, but they 'get' that the other person simply needs someone else just be there.

Life is a very difficult journey - it wasn't created to be easy. Otherwise, how would we learn how to cope in today's world? Good times help to...

Food For Thought: Quinoa Cakes w/Lemon Yogurt Sauce

Okee dokee. Where are my vegetarian friends? Today I am sharing a yummy quinoa recipe.

I'm always looking to find interesting ways to use this wonder grain because it has everything I'm supposed to be increasing in my body right now: iron, protein, vitamins, fiber and these are gluten free to boot.

I call them 'Quinoa Sliders' but the person I got the recipe from calls them 'Quinoa Cakes'. Either way, they are pure yumminess.

Now, you don't have to pan fry them. You can bake them too. I've done...

In The Spotlight: Book Reviews, Interviews and Regular People Doing Amazing Things

We've changed the focus of our Thursday slot a few times since the re-launching of our blog. The subject matter has always been the same (giving someone who deserves some kudos for what they're doing for others), but our title of the post day just didn't seem to fit.

So we have finally agreed that by naming our Thursday slot, "In The Spotlight", we can cover everything from book reviews to interviews to having people join us here on the blog who can give us insight into what's happening in our...

Writing Sample Wednesday: A Snippet From Still Water (The Watcher series)

I just finished an interview for my upcoming Book Blog Tour for 'Out Of Sync'. One of the questions I was asked was how I dealt with writers' block. Well...I have three projects I work on simultaneously (not something I recommend for everyone if you like sleep. lol)

Basically, if I get 'stuck' on one project, I switch to one of the other ones on the go until I can go back the other one with fresh eyes. One of my three right now is Still Water.

This one is the second book in The Watcher series (...

Talk About It Tuesday: Coping With Liver Disease

The liver is probably the most important organ in the body. Its job is to filter out any harmful substances or toxins that we may encounter. When you think about it, the liver is the body's protector and bodyguard in that it fights for us even when we don't realize that we actually need to be fighting.

It faces nasty diseases, toxins and illnesses and endures the medications we must consume in order to get rid of those diseases and illnesses. Plus, many of us take over-the-counter pain relieve...

Music Mantra Monday - Top 10 Beatles Songs (In Our Opinion)

Okay, we've had a lot of down times around here and we seem to be getting into a bit of a funk. So we though that we'd put together a short list of Beatles songs closest and dearest to us.

As those who have followed us for awhile, you are aware of the close connection we have to the music, as well as to the men themselves who sacrificed so much to create the legacy they've become.

So, let's get started, shall we?

Our list is in no particular order. Just what songs came to mind when we were brain...

Writing Prompts Saturday - Writing Through Pain

It's been awhile since we've posted a writing prompt. I thought today was the best day to start again.

We've all gone through tough times in our life. For some of us, it's just a matter of being knocked off the path we thought was working only to discover changes need to be made in order to get back to that path. For others, it can be those little stressors we allow to build up causing us to explode. For others still, it can actually be more serious.

There are some of us who have lost a job and...

Foodie Fridays - Mexican Chicken Pasta

I am always looking for new pasta dishes to try out. Changing up spices and ingredients, you can come up with almost any cultural flavours imaginable. Heck! You can even make desserts with pasta.

Although my oldest and I are pretty much vegetarian, I try to get the rest of the family eating more than red meat all the time. I'll slip in chicken, turkey and fish in there once in awhile to switch things up.

This is a great recipe I came across and it is so versatile. You can add different vegetabl...