Heart disease is no joke and it affects millions each year. It is the number one killer of women, so we cannot sit idly by without doing something about this serious epidemic. Do right by the cause and show your support by being fabulous in something red.

Friday, February 3rd is National Wear Red for Heart Disease, a day in which we all show our support for those dealing with heart disease. Since the inception of my blog, I have participated in National Wear Red Day and have urged my readers to do so. This year, I will not only be wearing red but attending the Bleeding Heart Project Launch Event in Chicago. The event is being hosted by BHP founder Raijean Stroud, who is a fashion blogger. She suffers from congestive heart failure and has had numerous surgeries and procedures since being diagnosed. Raijean wants to educate and empower others to take control of their health and encourages support and outreach through the Bleeding Heart Project.

The month of February has also been deemed Heart Awareness Month, and there will be plenty of events, programs, and digital attention on the importance of heart health and heart disease prevention.

My father also has congestive heart failure and suffers from heart disease. He has had 2 heart attacks and several stints put into his arteries to open them up. Heart disease runs in my family, so I also have to keep an eye on my heart health. It’s not something I take lightly.

Please make sure to wear red on Feb. 3rd and show your support. Also, I would love to feature you on my blog later this month in a post about supported of heart disease prevention. To be featured, take a photo of yourself wearing red and send it to info@thecubiclechick.com.

Let’s show the world how fab red is!

For more information on heart health:

Go Red for Women

National Wear Red Day Toolkit

The Heart Truth

American Heart Association

The Bleeding Heart Project

During the last year or so, I have become committed to cooking more homemade meals for the family. When I was a full-time Cubicle Chick and working a 9 to 5 in an office, by the time I got home, I was drained. Now that my Cubicle is in my home and I make my own schedule, it’s easier for me to prepare meals that my kids enjoy. I am really beginning to feel my way around the kitchen!

Earlier this week, I wanted to cook something that I had never tackled before—pizza. Pizza is something that everyone in my household loves, and instead of shelling out money for a delivery pizza, I thought it would be pretty fabulous for me to make my own.

I ended up purchasing a Boboli Pizza Crust at my local grocer and went about the task of creating a pizza with toppings my family would love. I ended up making two pizza pies—a pepperoni with veggie and a cheese and bacon delight.

Here is what you will need to make these pizzas:

Boboli pizza crust

Tomato sauce

Olive Oil

Non-Stick Cooking Spray

Shredded cheese (mozzarella and Italian blend)

Veggies (I chose onions, mushrooms)

Hormel pepperoni

Bacon (cut off as much of the fat that you can when prepping)

Rice Wine Vinegar

Worcester sauce

Italian seasoning

Here are directions for preparing the pizzas:

Brown your veggies. I used onions and mushrooms. Use a teaspoon of EVOO, a dash Rice Wine Vinegar, & a teaspoon of Worcester Sauce. Sprinkle a little Italian Seasoning on top.

If using meat (in this case, bacon), fry until 1/3rd done. (It will finish cooking in the oven)

Get your Boboli Pizza Crust,.Apply a ladle full of tomato or pizza sauce. Use the ladle to evenly distribute on the crust and sprinkle a little Italian Seasoning on top

Add cheese (I used 1/2 a bag of shredded mozzarella and 1/4th cup Italian Cheeses)

Apply your previously cooked veggies and add toppings to the sauced crust. I used Hormel pepperoni slices.

On the 2nd pizza, I added my previously fried bacon

Bake in the oven on 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Times may vary depending on your oven type.

And we are done!

Slice and serve!

What I learned: Not to overdo it with the tomato sauce. I used a little too much on my first pizza, so when I made the second one, I was better prepared. Too much sauce can make for a soggy crust. Also, cooking the veggies first before putting them on the pizza and baking the pizza makes for a more even taste. The rice wine vinegar along with the Worcester sauce gave the veggies real flavor that made the pizza taste incredible.

I hope this recipe is easy to use and you are able to try it out!

I, The Cubicle Chick, purchased all the items shown in this recipe with my own money. This is not a sponsored or paid post. And the money I spent was worth every cent. The kids really enjoyed it.

Today officially begins the first day of Black History Month. And while this is a time when the media and various companies utilize the recognition of African Americans and their contributions to our country (and the world), it also can be looked upon as taking advantage of this huge month by “using” it to show support of diversity. Black History Month and its message shouldn’t just be during the month of February, but all year around. Brands and companies, please take note.

I love it when I see companies embracing diversity and speaking about it all during the entire year. Not that I have expectations that it will be done in every commercial and every campaign—I like it when it feels real. Not, “hey, look at us! We are talking about diversity!” It should be authentic and true and not forced or contrived.

I do respect and recognize and give props to companies that do make it a point to celebrate Black History Month. But I want them to do that all year long. It should be a message of supporting diversity even when it’s not the “hot thing to do” at that moment.

Here’s a back story on why I feel this way:

Being an African American that was raised in Phoenix, Arizona, I was often the only person of color in the room. It never was an issue or a problem—we played together, we laughed together. It wasn’t until one of the parents of one of my friends said no to them being able to come to my slumber party because we were “those people” did the issue of race even come into play in my world. That statement hurt me, but I promised that it would not deter me from being friends with people who didn’t look like me. Just because one person felt that way didn’t mean everyone that looked liked them did. It was a hard lesson, but is one I will never forget.

I will never truly know why this parent felt the way they did. But I knew that I wanted my children to not go through what I went through. And that meant educating them about all ethnicity types and backgrounds. As a parent, this is important in their development.

Diversity doesn’t have to be ignored or made into a taboo subject. Actually, it can be quite fun. One of my best friends does not look like me at all, but we have fun discussing our differences culturally. I think we can learn so much from one another when it’s not something forced, but done because we truly want to learn about one another. I want to embrace everyone, no matter their color or creed. That is what Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dream was all about!

So, yes, let’s celebrate Black History Month and the positive message it sends. But let’s keep in in our hearts and minds all throughout the year.

Here are some ways to help spread the message of diversity year ’round:

• Don’t be afraid to talk about it. It’s fine! And it’s refreshing. Don’t assume you know someone based on their skin color. Don’t be afraid to dig deeper.
• Attend events and exhibits at museums that are focused on diversity and different cultures. When’s the last time you went to the museum to learn about a different culture.
• Utilize your local library to check out books on this subject.
• Encourage your friends and family to do so as well.
• Attend local theater productions or community plays about African Americans and other cultures.

Remember, we are all in this together!

In my quest to try to do more videos, I recently recorded a vlog where I showcase my ever-expanding Urban Decay palette collection, which in 2 short years, has grown to— ALOT!

Feast your eyes on my latest video and let me know what you think!

Please subscribe to my You Tube channel. You can do so HERE.

Valentines Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. I love spending time with my man in a romantical way, and all of the love and coupledom that goes on during Cupid’s Time makes me warm and fuzzy.

Valentines Day isn’t just about the gifts, but it is quite wonderful when your significant other surprises you with a special gift that makes you smile.

I’ve compiled a Cube Closet of 12 Fabulous Girlie Gift Ideas & Fashion Finds that are glamorous, fly, and oh so Chic!

Wearing a lot of red? Break up the monotony with this white nail polish from Essie—great sheen and shine w/ a hint of sparkle. $8.00, ULTA

MAC Red Lipstick is THE definitive red lip color. Timeless and fab! MAC Cosmetics, $14.50

This amazingly fly timepiece is from Tissot, and is indeed a head turner! Tissot Couturier Ladies Watch, $325

This red wireless mouse from makes it easy to compute on the go. JetTech, $22.99

You can’t go wrong with an iPod Touch. The white finish ups its fabulousness factor. Apple.com. $299 for 32 GB

Color blocking is the rage these days. Take this red, pink, & beige number from day to evening, Old Navy Women’s Color Blocked Charmeuse Dress, $32.99

I fell in love with this ASUS Ultrabook at CES! Thin, hip, and trendy. (Price unknown, 2nd quarter offering)

China Glaze’s Eye Candy 3-D Glitters in Love Marilyn is fun, playful, and Blonde Bombshell approved. China Glaze, $9.00

This cute Coach wristlet has pink hearts. It had me at hello , Coach.com, $45.00

Dare to be different. Instead of an all red shoe, try some polka dots. Good for outside of the bedroom as well as in! HAUTE! Bordello Shoe, $65.99

Monster’s Beats by Dre headphones are a must have when listening to music. Experience music the way the artist intended. BeatsByDre.com. $199 and up

Lip Gloss is a girl’s best friend. And with Sephora’s Shimmer Harmony Gloss Palette, a little goes a long way. Sephora, $12.00

I hope these Fabulous and Girlie Valentines Day Gift Ideas & Fashion Finds help you and your Cupid out. I certainly enjoyed putting it together for you!

I, The Cubicle Chick, received promotional consideration from some of the items listed in this post. The opinions and descriptions of all items within this article are mine. Stay FAB!

 Written by Kid Noble, Tech Dude, The Cubicle Chick.com Contributor

For those of you who are avid followers of The Cubicle Chick (and even some of you who may not be), you may have noticed that both the Cube and I have the Motorola Xoom Android tablets. Imagine my surprise when I picked up my tablet earlier this week and was prompted to download an update!

Recently, Motorola started rolling out an update to the Xoom, which updates it from the Honeycomb tablet operating system to the more recent Ice Cream Sandwich OS. The Xoom was the first tablet in the US to be released with Honeycomb, and is the first that is receiving the update to Ice Cream Sandwich, though other tablets have been released with it pre-loaded.

The first thing I noticed upon booting up after the update was that ICS made the look of everything a little cleaner.  It actually reminded me of the look of the OS on the Samsung Galaxy Tablet 10.1, in that the font was a bit slimmer. It overall didn’t look as “chunky” is the best way I can describe it. Lines were thinner and things ran a little smoother.

Upon researching, one of the major improvements with the update include is the ability to use “zoom to fill”, which allows users to basically zoom in on apps. This comes in handy for a lot of the games and apps in the market because not all of them have been optimized for tablet viewing, so when viewed on the tablet, the fonts and items within the app appear very small.

Another of the major improvements with ICS is docking support. This allows the tablet to automatically detect which dock you connect it to, and launches the corresponding application or docking profile. Other improvements include rotation acceleration, enabling the device’s rotation to be more sensitive, MOTOPRINT which is a printing application for the Xoom, and other tweaks here and there that improve speed, in addition to the aesthetic changes I mentioned earlier.

So far, I’ve loved all of the improvements! If you have a Motorola Xoom, have you received the update? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below!

The awards season is now in full swing as the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (or SAGs) were held last night in Los Angeles. While the SAG Awards are not the most prominent awards of the season, it is definitely an opportunity for the stars to bring out their most fabulous looks for the red carpet.

Big winners last night were Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis from The Help, ABC’s Modern Family for Best Cast, and Kate Winslet for Mildred Pierce.

Here is a photo rundown of some of the looks that rocked the catwalk last night. 30 pics below!

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie

Actress Zoe Saldana

Actress and nominee Michelle Williams

Actress Emily Blunt

Modern Family’s Sofia Vergara

The Help’s Viola Davis

Actress Regina King

E! Fashionista Kelly Osborne

Actress Julianna Margulles

Actress Jayma Mays

Actress Natalie Portman

SAG Winner Octavia Spencer

E!’s Giuliana Rancic

Singer Ashlee Simpson

Glee’s Amber Riley

George Clooney and girlfriend Stacy Keibler

The Help’s Emma Stone

Nominee Glenn Close

Tina Fey

Bridesmaids’ Melissa McCarthy

Bridesmaids’ Maya Rudolph

Actress Tilda Swinton

SAG winner Jessica Lange

Bridesmaids’ Kristen Wiig

Actress Diane Lane

Kyra Sedgwick

Boardwalk Empire’s Gretchen Mol

Actress Lea Michele

Nominee Meryl Streep

Actress Sarah Hyland

What did you think of the looks on the 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards red carpet?

For a full list of winners, click HERE.

Photo credit: Getty Images

As a Black professional for many years, I have felt a void of positive and enlightening publications geared towards this important group. Magazines like Black Enterprise have been mainstays in this segment population but focuses more on business than on lifestyle and personal goals.Think Positive! Magazine is changing that by offering positive perspectives and newsworthy information for young, urban professionals.

Founded by Miracle Media, Inc. headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Think Positive! Magazine is a quarterly publication that will inspire, enlighten, and help share news and information in a positive light. It’s not your average publication, in that its focus is on positivity in a negative world.

According to Telie Woods, co-founder and marketing manager:

“There are many magazines that contend to reach our demographic, but this publication is truly more than a magazine. The name says it all. Think Positive is a call to action. It is a lifestyle. Daily our readers seek to improve their health, finances, education, career, family, spirit and community. Every interview, column, feature and photograph within this magazine speaks to those desires and helps society live a more productive way of life. For far too long the urban community has been stifled economically, broken spiritually and force-fed negative images in the media.”

Think Positive! Magazine is currently available via annual subscription on it’s official website, ThinkPositiveMag.com. A year subscription is $12.00. Digital subscriptions to the publication will be offered soon.

In a world full of negativity and bad news, it’s good to know there is publication focused on the opposite.

Popular African American Political Pundit, Jeff Johnson, agrees. “I’m excited about the birth of such a relevant and provocative source of information that targets a demographic that is often ignored. Think Positive speaks prophetically to the desire of our communities to elevate our thinking; and then provides the content to do so.”

For more information about Think Positive! Magazine, click HERE! And tell them I sent’cha!

I think we can all agree that having a tablet makes it convenient to be able to to surf the web and conduct business online while on the go. I don’t know what I would do without my tablets, and I love the flexibility it gives me. Recently, I received a letter from a reader who wanted to know if they could be fired for using their tablet at work since it wasn’t outlined in the Employee Handbook, and it got me to thinking.

Anytime you are using technology in the office, you should do so with caution.

As a former HR manager, I had to make sure that our employees adhered to our policies and procedures. We had strict rules about the use of cellphones in the office, and would discipline or terminate anyone who was caught not following these guidelines. Tablets are the newest wave to enter the workforce, but bringing it to work may not be such a good idea (unless it is work issued of course).

Why?

Well, if you are using your tablet with the wifi connection provided by your employer, it is almost like using your computer at your desk. Any information transmitted over this signal can be seen by your employer. They can still tell what sites you are visiting and block sites that are not work safe. Using the wifi at work on your personal device is still using work property.

Emails, web visits, and other information can be visible when using your tablet at work. And if you are doing so even on your own time (lunch, breaks, etc.) still may be in breach of the rules of wifi use.

So be careful when using your tablet at work. And beware that Big Brother is still watching, even when you are using your own technology.

January 2009 was such a momentous time for our country as President Obama was sworn in as our leader and chief. First Lady Michelle turned heads later that evening with her oh so fabulous gown, which was created by a little-known designer by the name of Jason Wu, and a star was born. Everyone wanted to know who styled the frock, a one shoulder cream confection complete with tulle and embellishments. She was a stunner, and Jason Wu became a man discussed around fashionable circles. He was now the IT boy.

Fast forward three years and Wu is readying his first line, Jason Wu for Target. Target has really been able to grasp the high fashion consumer by offering Missoni by Target, which flew off the shelves and off of their website. Jason Wu is hoping that the trend continues and his line will be a popular staple in the store and online.

According to USA Today:

The Target (Jason Wu) collection, which features women’s apparel, handbags and scarves, includes A-line dresses, tie-waist shifts and high-waisted skirts. While Wu’s runway designs can sell for thousands of dollars, each piece in his Target collection is under $60.

So for us fabulous chicks that can’t spend thousands on designer duds, Target and Jason Wu are keeping us fashionable yet affordable.

I likes!

Jason Wu for Target is a 53 piece collection and impacts its stores and website on February 5th.

Source: USA Today

Photo credit(s): PopCrunch & HotBeautyHealth