Don’t Wear New Shoes, Don’t Dye Hair…ACTUAL Employee Dress Code!

What would you do if your job handed you a an outrageous Employee Handbook? Well tons of folks over at international bank UBS got the chance to practice “good employee behavior” when they were given the latest handbook. The 43 page book gave strict dress code regulations, including some that were just plain…weird. Check them out below!

Women:

*  Don’t let your Hair roots show

* Don’t touch up your perfume during or after lunch (are you serious?)

* Don’t eat Garlic or Onions ever!

* Do wear underwear that is skin-toned and made of superior quality and textiles

*Do wear dark gray, black and navy.

Have you ever had any dramatic experiences at work because of how you were dressed? Leave me a comment!

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You’re Gonna RUN 2011!!

Have ever seen those people running the streets in all types of weather? I’ve often wondered what woman in their right mind would be out running in 98 or 40 degree weather. Well this past year, I’ve had the pleasure (0r displeasure) being able to answer that question first hand!

I trained for and ran the NY Marathon! Yes, 26.2 miles, SistaGirlz!  Now I know you’re saying you can’t even run up a flight of stairs (and I couldn’t either when I first started training), but now I’m hooked…well somewhat! I do know that with the right support, you can go from huffing and puffing to gliding and sprinting in a just a few months. Are you ready?  Here are few key things you’ll need:

1. Get a training buddy or group- I trained with the international organization Team For Kids.  You raise money for a great cause and will get the motivation you need to keep training with their weekly sessions.

2. Get the right shoes- Oh this is a MAJOR priority! If you have the right shoes, your feet will feel better and you’ll suffer less running injuries. If you train with the WRONG shoes (like I did the majority of the season) you could experience things like the dreaded black toe. Yuck! ( I’ll refrain from posting pics:)

3. Get Started- The new year is just about here and you know how we always say we’re gonna get in shape, etc. Well now is the time to do it! Start out on the treadmill (on an incline of 2.5) and by the time the weather warms up, you’ll be ready to hit the parks!

SistaGirl Deja Vu in  her first 20 mile practice run (yes I know I LOOK crazy, but I felt FABULOUS)

I am CHALLENGING you to complete a 5k by March! That’s 3 miles by March 2011! Are you down? C’mon SistaGirlz, Run For It! Leave me your running comments!

SistaGirl June Ambrose Gets Reality Show!

The fashion elite have come to recognize SistaGirl June Ambrose as a force to be reckoned with, and now it’s time for the rest of the world to find out how she does what she does! June Ambrose has been in the game for years a celebrity stylist for Jay-Z, Chrisette Michelle and Kanye West, just to name a few. Excited to see what this diva can share with us everyday folks, while we’re still trying to look good on a budget! Can I get an Amen, SistaGirlz? LOL!

No word yet on when the show will air, but I will be tuning in to Vh-1 for this one! It’s about time they got a “quality” show featuring a Sistagirl! I”m just sayin’…! P.S. I LOVE that hat she’s rocking in this picture! Fire!

3 Things to Remember BEFORE Joining A Gym!

Have you already made up in your mind that you’ll be joining a gym January 1, 2011? All of our weightloss drama will be over at the start of the new year, or so many of us tend to think! While you may have a resolution to lose 20 lbs by (fill in the blank), you need to have the right tools at your disposal or your cause could be lost before you even start! If you do plan on joining a gym, remember the following things before you sign on the dotted line!

* Doe is fit your needs? How many times have you walked into a gym and felt your head begin to swim? Was it too overwhelming? It can happen! Make sure the gym you join has what to you need as far as trainers and equipment are concerned. Some SistaGirlz may feel more comfortable in a women’s only gym. Another option may be the circuit gyms that are taking over the country. The workout is basically planned out for you and an instructor tells you when to switch equipment.

* Another thing to remember are the peak times. There’s nothing like talking yourself into finally going to the gym and once you get there you are forced to wait for the treadmill because you’ve arrived during the rush, or peak time for the gym.  Check before hand and plan ahead.

*Make sure you can afford the gym payment and READ THE FINE PRINT! Back in the day, gyms were notorious for claiming small or free sign up costs and making you commit to practically a LIFETIME membership! Seriously, be sure to read over the cancellation policies and payment plans. Most importantly, do your due diligence before signing. Compare gyms and find out what best suits your needs..not your friends’. Just remember you’ll be stuck with the payment long after the new year and your resolution have come and gone!

Tracy Taylor: She’s Got NEXT in Hollywood

SistaGirlz.com sat down to chat with Tracy Taylor, a sista that is carving out her own path to success in Hollywood! Check out her story as  You Go Girl! feature!

SG: How long have you been a filmmaker? If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing?

TT: I directed my first film six years ago, but I’m a born writer so I’ve been doing that since I could hold a pen. If I weren’t pursuing filmmaking I’d probably be a news reporter. One of my first jobs out of college was for WYCA in Chicago. I loved being in the studio and getting my work on air.

SG: What inspired your web series The New Twenties?

TT: I love television and I looked at the scope of what TV is today, I thought something was missing.  I had always been a fan of the 90′s show called “ThirtySomething” and one of my favorite movies is St. Elmo’s fire. The thing that was missing is that I rarely saw African-Americans in those kinds of roles. I wanted to create the kind of show that I would want to watch with people who look like me just dealing with challenges that often come with getting older. So that’s where the concepts came from “Six friends, Ten Years After College, the stories we could tell…

SG: Do you ever use real life stories in your writing?

TT: I absolutely use real stories to motivate the writing of the show. After I turned 30 I really started to look a life through a different lens. I also looked at my friends..I used many of their experiences to create stories and personalities.

SG:  How challenging is it for Black filmmakers to succeed in Hollywood?

TT: People assume things about you. They assume you have a limited skill set. They assume you can only handle certain genres. They actually believe they know more about you than you!  So we end up with stereotypes and caricatures that are supposed to represent what Black people are. That’s really what the New 20′s is for me. It’s my chance to say, we may look different than you, but we have shared human experiences. Anyone can relate to getting older and having to deal with being a grownup.  It’s about life but we rarely get to see African Americans in these kinds of roles.

SG: Who are some of your mentors/role models in the industry?

TT: I don’t have a mentor, but I would like one. I think there are so many things I’ve yet learn from someone with more experience in the industry. Bu I look at people like Shonda Rhimes and Spike Lee and Oprah Winfrey andI just want to sit next to them and pick their brains! I think the success that they’ve  had in their industries is inspiring and I would like to follow in those footsteps.

SG: What’s on the horizon for you and your company for 2011?

TT: On the horizon for 2011 is more of The New 20′s. We’re working on getting back into production by early next year. And I am still looking for that network deal! 2011 has good ring to it. It would be the perfect time to premiere a new dramatic series with an African American principal cast! I also have a other show ideas I am tossing around in my brain. So in 2011 there’s lots of work to be done. Lots of writing and directing and taking things to the next level!

Click the link to check out the The New 20′s web series!

Yes, Divas CAN Cook! Help for the Culinary Challenged!

OMG! It was right before Thanksgiving and I couldn’t figure out how I wanted to do my meal for this year. I was searching the net, as I always do, and I somehow I came across the website, Yes, Divas Can Cook. The first thing that drew me were the pictures of food. It looked southern, like it could have come out of my Grandma’s kitchen. Hmmm. Let me keep clicking, I said.

What I found was a SistaGirl by the name of Monique from North Carolina and her delightful recipes! When I say they helped me out, girl let me tell  you! I prepared almost my entire Thanksgiving meal from the recipes on the site! I even brined my turkey, a first in my household! Yes Divas Can Cook provides the pictures and step by step instructions for its recipes, and some have a video that goes right along with it! I’m hooked! Check out the recipe for the Collard Greens with smoked turkey and tell me they don’t have you callin’ yo mama tryin’ to battle! LOL! If you need a little help this holiday season, SistaGirlz, ya might wanna check it out! It’ll be our little secret! No one has to know you didn’t create these recipes yourself! Ha!

p.s. Her son is too cute in the background of the video! LOL!

Tipping Savvy fr Etiquette Expert Cheryl Walker-Robertson

In this financially strapped economy, many of us are cutting out non-essentials. So, what do we about the service providers that usually expect a tip or a gift at the end of year? Well, you can still tip them! Just make sure it makes sense for you! No need getting yourself in EXTRA debt just to impress! Cheryl Walker- Robertson of Protocol International, our resident Etiquette Expert, says if you can’t tip ” an almost extinct handwritten note or handmade gift may suffice this year”.  If you can spare some extra change, here are a few guidelines:

Housekeeper or Cleaner: Cash and/or a gift.

Personal trainer: Cash or gift

Livein help (Au Pair or Nanny): One week’s pay and a gift from your child(ren).

Live-in help (Cook, Butler, Housekeeper): One week to one month of pay as a cash tip, plus a gift from you.

Handyman: $15-$20

Doorman: $50-$80 for a doorman; $15-$20 each for multiple doormen

Superintendent: $20-80 or a gift

Garage attendants: $10-30 or a small gift

Gardeners: $20-$50

Favorite waiter or waitress or delivery person: Be generous, they survive on tips

Hairdresser or Manicurist: The price of a service

For more Etiquette advice visit Cheryl Walker Robertson at:

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Photo Credit: Bill Kennedy

Ipads, Smartphones & Kindle, Oh My!

We’re in a tech society and with that comes new gadgets seemingly almost every month! How many do you have? Well if you’re good, maybe Santa will bring you some of this years’ best -sellers!

* The Apple Ipad is selling so well, I’m hearing they are stealing some sales from the laptop industry. While I don’t own one personally, I have played around with one and it had me thinking of making the purchase. But what will I do with my laptop then? Hmm. That’s the one thing holding me back from diving in right now. That and the fact that they might have one with a camera coming out in the next few months! LOL!

Now with the Smartphones, I can personally say I am addicted! I gave up my Blackberry for the original Droid back in 2009. Last month, I was a sucker for the latest upgrade, the Droid Pro. It is similar to the Blackberry in that it is geared toward the business user and has Outlook interface. The styling is similar to RIM’s Blackberry, but it functions with the Uber-Cool Android system. That means apps, apps and more apps! SistaGirlz, did you know there is an actual app that tracks your ovulation? Was that TMI? Did I say I downloaded that app? LOL!

Are you the book reading kinda gal? I know I am! I can spend hours in Barnes & Noble, ask my family! They hate whenever I walk by a book store, because they know I’m about to post up for a few! Maybe that’s why my fiance bought me the Sony E-reader way back when they first came out! Sure enough, right after her made that purchase, the upgraded it and made it sleeker. It still couldn’t compete with the Kindle. They are killing the e-book right now! Don’t count out the Barnes & Noble Nook, just yet. They’re getting their feet wet in the e-book industry  and are looking to bring major competition to the Amazon Kindle by allowing the buyer to see everything in color! Personally, I still want to go in and smell the books at the book store! But that’s just me! LOL!

Cut-Buddy to Boyfriend?

C’mon SistaGirlz! Be HONEST! We have all had him at one point in our lives. Call him what you will, cut-buddy, maintenance man, jump-off, he’s been around your house and at one point in your bed. Or couch or kitchen floor. Hey, I’m not judging. LOL!

I was having a conversation with a friend of mine who has a current “cut-buddy” who isn’t quite playing the game like she’d hoped. Well, actually it could be her fault. When they first met, he had dreams of becoming a BF, you know Boyfriend. He told her was beautiful, she ignored him. He wanted to hang out, she called him at 1am.  He bought her a little trinket, she said let’s order -in Chinese.

Now that the holidays are here, she wants to check out some of the festivities in her city and thinks “cut-buddy” should be her escort.  He’s ignoring her early evening calls. Could it be that “cut-buddy” is giving her a taste of her own medicine? And is he supposed to all of a sudden start buying her gifts and taking her to the movies if she didn’t want that from the beginning? Speak on it!

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What Happened to YOU in 2010?

2010 brought us so many headlines of drama, like the Haiti Earthquake and the floods of Pakistan. We saw miracles like the rescue of the Chilean Miners and research that might cure Aids/HIV.  2010 brought us technology that mirrors that of movies, and  has made us feel the pangs of hunger as more middle class families fill soup kitchens. We have cried with friends that have suffered job loss and rejoiced at the birth of new little family member. All in all we’re still here. For better we are still here!

NO worse in this scenario! We are still here! How strong we are as a people, our country, our world?! How innovative we’ve become in these so called hard times! Yes, like they used to sing in the civil rights era, We Shall Overcome. For BETTER, we overcame this year with resounding success. So tell me, WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU in 2010?

Inspire your SistaGirlz with your story of 2010. Leave a comment NOW!

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