So it’s that time of year, again.  Valentine’s Day is less than a week away and while some of us are excited about it, others…not so much.  For several of my girlfriends it’s just a reminder that they’re single, with no man or significant other to spend the day with, receive flowers from or take them out to a romantic dinner.  But if you don’t have any plans, just make some with yourself.

In prep for the big day, we women will make our ways to the hair salon, get ourselves to that nail shop and RUN to our wax appointments to make sure we’re prepared.  Which is all good…But I say, do all of that whether you’ve got a date or not and LOVE YOURSELF!

I’m not quite sure what my Valentine’s Day will bring in 2010.  But I’m ready for whatever.  At this point, I’m not sure if I’ll be doing the Valentine’s Day thing solo or with a friend.  But I’m prepared to lounge in alone or with company.  As the self-proclaimed Loungewear Queen, the clothing for the evening won’t be a question.  But I did my beautification early.  My hair and nails are done so I don’t need to compete with the crowds on Saturday the 13th.  I will make sure my Netflix arrive on Friday the 12th (just to be safe).  And my Trader Joe’s run will take place at some point on or before Saturday.

If I’m solo, I’ll still be cute and luxuriating with my chick flicks, wine and Westie.  If I get an invite, I’m not trying to run around in an effort to pull it together so it’s best to plan ahead.  Whether you’re kicking it alone, lounging around the house, or with a friend…love yourself this year.  Get your own stuff together.  I love lounging around when I feel cute and pretty!  It makes a difference.

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See all the ways to wear the Super Lounge Tee

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Hi Loungers, even though I’m still devastated by the loss of my 2nd iPod in 2 months, just yesterday, I wanted to post my latest lounge playlist.  And while someone slipped me the latest Sade, “Soldier of Love” CD pre-release, I’m not going to tease you by adding them to the list.  I’ll wait until everyone can download them.  You’re going to love that CD when it drops. But until then, he’s a nice mix.

1. Cold
by Maxwell

2. Mrs. Sexy
by Robin Thicke

3.Sideways
by Citizen Cope

4. Fragile
by Sting

5. Every Word
by Sade

6. Chocolate High
by India Arie & Musiq Soulchild

7. Love’s Holiday
by Earth Wind & Fire

8. Lions, Tigers & Bears
by Jazmine Sullivan

9. Spend a Lifetime
by Jamiroquai

Happy New Year!  It’s been awhile since I’ve posted anything, but one of my business resolutions is to be a more committed blogger.  Midway through January, I’m dragging on that a little, but here goes!

Over the past SEVERAL months, I’ve been working on a new partnership with MGM’s newest Las Vegas property, Aria Las Vegas.  This beautiful, contemporary resort is located in the heart of the Las Vegas strip, next to The Bellagio.  Erin Braxton Loungewear and Aria teamed up to do a co-branded line of loungewear for their boutique, Elements.

Here are some pics of how it turned out.  We’re so excited and look forward to doing more with them.

Elements Boutique

Erin Braxton Loungewear displayed with spa products

Erin Braxton Loungewear

Me with my internet model, Bonqweesha's, cousin

Erin Braxton for Aria Las Vegas Label

Aria Embroidery

I have to say…this recession we’re in seems to be taking a bit of a bigger toll on all of us than we might have originally thought.  Dragging on longer than some of us more optimistic ones had thought.  So many of my friends are out of work.  So many of my friends with small businesses are struggling.  So many people that I know seem to have just given up.  But over the last year my outlook about this entire thing has come full circle.  I did a post, last year, that discussed benefits the recession would have on your lounging schedule.  Because whether you call it lounging or not, staying at home instead of going out is the only option for so many right now.  So you might as well make the most of it.

Here, I’ll highlight some of my previous recession lounging tips and add on a few more.

Last Year…
I wrote about shopping at my local Latin grocery store where produce was too cheap to be true!  Great meals at home are really nice and economical, but the wrong shopping destination can make them equally as expensive as going out.

This year…
Since the recession forced the doors closed on my Latin grocery store, I’m all over Trader Joe’s.  I mean, I love Whole Foods as much as the next person, but eggs cost double what you can get them for at Trader’s.  I also occasionally visit Fresh and Easy.  Not as great as Trader Joe’s but I do eat a lot of popcorn and it’s really cheap there for some reason.  Costco can also be great for SOME things (produce, salmon, Kirkland’s vinegar).

Last Year…
I wrote about ordering cheap Thai food or Pizza when you really don’t feel like cooking and you want to stay in and keep within your budget.

This Year…
If I’m being honest, that cheap pizza was really bad.  A frozen gourmet pizza from the grocery store costs the same thing and tastes better.  But since I’m on this new health kick, I have to say that I cook ALL the time.  This eating in has forced me to eat the best I ever have.  Check out some of my easy, favorite recipes that keep me healthy and more than happy about home cooking.  You can even turn these meals into dinner parties and invite friends.

Last Year…
I mentioned I had to cut out my Netflix due to lack of time and look at Blockbuster every now and then. I also began to focus on my overfilled Tivo.

This Year…
I found a new movie option.  It’s not super convenient, but the Redbox is great if you want to see a movie now and know you can return it within 24 hours.  You can even reserve them online! Not a perfect solution, but they usually have all of the new releases and you can return them to any Redbox, not just the one where you picked up your movie.  So that’s a plus.

This year I’m also trying to spend more time reading.  It’s an old method of entertainment but a good one!  I even heard that more people are taking advantage of public libraries.  I, personally, don’t have a library card for the Los Angeles Public Library, but as soon as I finish this post, I plan to go online and see if I can apply online.  I’m a big fan of sharing books and swapping them with friends.  I also know you can rent movies at the library, so that may be an option for many as well.

We’ll all make it through these rougher economic times.  Many of us just have to approach things a little differently.  I see it as a time to really work on things that I need to work on like my mind (through reading more), my spirit (through keeping faithful and hopeful about the future) and body (through healthier eating at home and with friends).

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