Dove® is committed to creating a world where beauty is a source of confidence, not anxiety and is launching a new initiative, “Let’s Make Girls Unstoppable”, as part of its commitment to reach 15 million girls by 2015 with self-esteem programming. Dove wants to shine a light on the girls who never stop doing what they love and provide tools to moms and mentors to help them inspire the next generation.

Dove wants to make girls unstoppable and by gathering examples of unstoppable girls coast to coast, Dove hopes to spark conversations across the country and help inspire girls to build the confidence to keep doing what they love. At Dove.com/girlsunstoppable women can view videos, pictures and stories shared by women about their girls, as well as share your own inspiring message about a girl in your life.

Dove Self-Esteem Weekend

Dove will continue its efforts to make girls unstoppable, hosting its fourth annual Dove Self-Esteem Weekend (October 4-6) to celebrate unstoppable girls across the country with a series of self-esteem workshops, hosted by Dove and the brand’s national partner organizations (Girl Scouts of the US, The Boys & Girls Club of America and Girls, Inc.). Dove Global Self-Esteem Ambassador, Jess Weiner, will kick off the weekend with a special event in New York City.

In honor of Nestle’s 75th birthday, consumer voters voted on the custom-made Nestlé Crunch birthday treat contest entries from fifteen of the nation’s most prestigious bakeries from March 27 through April 21 via the Nestlé Crunch Facebook page.

Carla Hall was invited to come and choose the winner from the top three treats: Peanut Butter Brownie from Sweet E’s Bake Shop, Chocolate Cheesecake from Lutz Bakery and Birthday Treat from Sweet Mandy B’s.

After some careful tasting and deliberation, Carla crowned the Birthday Treat from Sweet Mandy B’s the winner!

To get these yummy recipes and congratulate the winner, visit www.facebook.com/nestlecrunch.

For filmmaker Walter Dominguez, preserving the memory of his beloved grandfather, Emilio Hernandez (known as “Tata”) was the initial impulse behind the remarkable documentary “Weaving the Past: Journey of Discovery.” As a young man, Dominguez knew Tata as one of the most beloved figures in the rural California town of Santa Paula, an idyllic town to this day still populated by orange groves, family farms, and proud citizens of modest means.

“Weaving the Past: Journey of Discovery” is written, directed, and produced by Walter Dominguez, with his wife, Shelley Morrison (an actress best known for her role as “Rosario” on the long-running sitcom “Will and Grace”) serving as executive producer.

For more information, visit www.weavingthepast.com

It’s the mecca of inspiration for the home…and we caught up with interior designer Antony Todd for some of his favorite finds….

“I think what I found so special this year about the show is how many artisans are here showing their products. Be it more sort of authentic design or whether is something let’s say high-geared and technical like Jenn-Air. It’s a wonderful mix of form and function all mixed into one, These kitchen appliances look more like luxury design pieces,” says Todd.

Todd’s other favorite hot spots, furniture company…Karkula. “I think their style is good, it’s still contemporary but classical and therefore has a timeless appeal to it.”

And good lighting Todd says is one of the most important touches in a home…and one of his favroties is Fiyel Levent Atelier. “It’s the key to everything it makes people look good. It lights, it personifies beauty. I mean lighting I think is the key to any design, ” says Todd

But the finishing touch to any home…great textiles. Todd likes Hiro Kota Kata, “They have a beautiful sense of textiles that are so soft and so managable. People are really living and breathing, and loving the work.”

Check out some of the other trends featured at the show visit www.archdigesthomeshow.com

Activyst: Help Girls Play Sports from activyst on Vimeo.

Local bag designer, Activyst, has a dual mission of providing great fashion to the active woman in order to help girls in developing countries play sports. It is the company’s belief that, “stronger girls make a stronger world.”

Activyst founders, Katie Rock, Blair Warner, and Leigh Orne are ready to put a stop to these awful truths. They quickly realized that a girl who plays sports is less likely to get pregnant, stay in an abusive relationship, suffer depression or use drugs. As a result these active women become a more productive part of society by being stronger leaders and reaching higher levels of education (Source: Women’s Sports Foundation 2013; SportandDev.org 2013).

Activyst is excited to announce the launch of their athletic bag for the active woman. The line comes in three pieces, The Active Bag ($145); The Out and about Tote ($85); and The Freshen Up Cosmetic Bag ($40). The Active Bag has multiple compartments for shoes, a yoga mat, water bottle, clothes, electronics and personal items.

To support the cause and for more information, visit www.indiegogo.com/Activyst, to buy a bag, share the message about Activyst and help more girls win at life.

For more great tips, pick up the latest copy of Star Magazine or visit them online at www.starmagazine.com.

And Glenda Bailey, Editor in Chief at Harper’s Bazaar says, “Instead of thinking of the usual black and white, think about adding some camel, navy and some grey.”

Pants are getting slimmer, minis get a makeover…and turtlenecks are still trending. The fashion message? WEARABLE!

“The clothes themselves, the silhouette, the shapes are incredibly easily translatable into lines that women can afford into their usual places that they go to at the mall,” Hal Rubenstein, Editor at Large, InStyle.

The Fall fashion and beauty forecast…FABULOUS!

Want more great tips? Visit www.ningknowsbest.com.

Plus she shares some great low cost Valentine’s Day romance tips. One of them involves sleeping!!

For more great tips on cleaning, visit www.facebook.com/LiquidPlumr.

For more information about Annabelle and to be her Facebook friend, visit www.facebook.com/annabelle.gurwitch.

Learn more about the great web series www.awkwardblackgirl.com.