THE ZEN MOM'S DAY GIFT GUIDE 2022

4RISSA.COM Sitting Shakyamuni Buddha Antique Bronze Finish Large Garden Zen Statue Sculpture $40.00

Let's be honest you, me, us every mom in the world could use a "Zen Moment!" 

Whether you are giving or receiving, this Mom's Day Zen Gift Guide will inspire, invigorate and re-charge her inner spirit!  

This Zen guide is filled with gifts that keep on giving over and over again!  Go ahead and gift your inner spirit too...you can thank yourself later.  

Oh and all these Zen gifts can be rush delivered for this Sunday, May 8th, so treat Mom and order now!

NaMAste

Mom's Day Zen Gift Guide

NEST Fragrances The Citrus Blossom Collection at Bloomingdales

Burning a Nest Candle is a transforming experience.  Any Nest fragrance will immediately melt the stress away.  Inject Mom's world with the invigorating aroma of Citrus Blossom or Hearth which is our favorite.  Just light up, breathe in, breathe out and repeat as often as possible.  

ZEN GIFT:    NEST Fragrances The Citrus Blossom Collection

RETAIL:        $16.00 - $64.00

BUY HERE:  NESTFRAGRANCES.COM

Tea Forte Green Tea Assortment Rejuvenation Gift Set

Afternoon Tea in England is no joke.  It is a tradition that dates back to 1840.  Introduced in England by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford. The Duchess would become hungry around four o'clock in the afternoon.  The evening meal in her household was served fashionably late at eight o'clock, thus leaving a long period of time between lunch and dinner.  In 2016, time is a luxury so sipping tea anytime of the day is a soothing, calming invigorating experience.  Taking time for tea is taking time for me.  Preparing the perfect cup of tea is an art-form.  Tea Forte has mastered the art of making tea extraordinary, soothing and the best part?  Simple!  The Tea Forte Rejuvenation Gift Set is a perfect pick for Mom to create a Zen moment anywhere she pleases.  The cup provides endless solo soothing moments.  Our favorite flavor is the Jasmine Green Tea.  Pure heaven!

ZEN GIFT:     Tea Forte Rejuvenation Gift Set 

RETAIL:         $55.00 

BUY HERE:   TEAFORTE.COM

ZEEL.COM

What is better than a massage?  A really good massage...What is better than a really good massage?  A really good massage in the comfort of your own home!  Zeel offers a variety of In-Home massages all over the US.  No need to travel at all.  Just open the door for your personal massage therapist.  Watch them set up while you relax in your robe.  Climb onto the table and experience pure heaven for a minimum of 60 minutes.  The best part post massage?  Zeel packs it all up and quietly leaves without you having to ask.  Schedule any massage service via their app, text or call.  You can gift mom a massage with or without a table for any duration you choose.  We love the Zealot membership which offers annual massages and a free professional massage table that Mom gets keep!

ZEN GIFT:    Zeel In-Home Massages

RETAIL:       $79.00 - $1452.00

BUY HERE:  ZEEL.COM

Kenzo Massage Slide at NeimanMarcus.com

 For the Mom on the go, how about a Zen moment with every step she takes?  How about these fashionable patent slides that also double as a foot massage with every step she takes?  We didn't think stylish and zen could go together but Kenzo proved us wrong.  These slides are made for walking! 

ZEN GIFT:    Kenzo Massage Patent Leather Slides

RETAIL:        $400.00

BUY HERE:  NEIMANMARCUS.COM

For the Mom who is too busy to actually attend a Yoga class?  How about a super zen deck of yoga cards in which Mom can stop and practice a few poses on her own time wherever she is.  Mom can get her OM on, in the office, at home, on the beach, in a hotel room, wherever she desires Mom can whip out a card and whip up a few moments of zen.  We love this set from The Yoga Deck, because the pictures and notes are simple and each pose really works.  We know because we tried them all.  Perfect gift to help Mom inhale and exhale that stress away! 

ZEN GIFT:    The Yoga Deck:  50 Poses & Meditations for Body, Mind, & Spirit

RETAIL:        $14.95

BUY HERE:  BARNESANDNOBLE.COM

Sound of Sleep Machine at Amazon.com

That dirty word.  Sleep.  Especially for the new Mom, sleep is a luxury.  Sometimes getting to sleep is part of the challenge.  Maybe Mom just wants to drown out the sound of Dad?  Whatever your Mom needs the Sound of Sleep Machines are the best on the market and will create an instant feel of Zen...We love the high quality sounds of the ocean waves, waterfalls and rainforests. Ten realistic sounds to create the most Zen environment wherever Mom desires.

ZEN GIFT:    Sound of Sleep Machine

RETAIL:        $79.99 - $99.99

BUY HERE:  SOUNDOFSLEEP.COM

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VALENTINES DAY IN THE 21ST CENTURY...

VALENTINE'S DAY in the 21st Century...  

DOES TECH TURNOFF = TRUE LOVE? 

Valentine's Day.

Each year on February 14th, many people all over the world, exchange cards, candy, gifts or flowers with their special “Valentine.” 

The day of romance we call Valentine's Day is named for a Christian martyr and dates back to the 5th century but, has origins in the Roman holiday Lupercalia.

For some people, V-Day is just another "commercial" holiday that ultimately feels more like an obligation, jacks up the cost of roses, chocolate and reminds single people they may end up alone forever?

Well ... not so fast my cynical friends.  

In today's tech consumed world, the once simple act of experiencing an in-depth human connection is getting harder and harder to find.

Can you remember what a real human connection is?  Real eye to eye contact.  Heart to heart communication.  Soul to soul exchange.  

This real connection takes time.  Dare I say, it takes WORK!   What?  More work?  

In today's day and age, if you are fortunate enough to find another person you actually want to see face to face.  No, selfie to selfie does not count!  Your next step is to actually peel yourself away from all modern technology and make a real effort to connect with a person...That means (gasp) you need to put down the phone...wait no, turn off the phone!  Ok.  Baby steps.  How about just turn over the phone?  

There is NO denying it...TECH TURNOFF is a serious challenge.   

In 2016, Valentines Day has taken on a very different meaning.  The once holiday of professing your love with a bouquet of flowers and chocolates has been trumped just simple human connection.  

Moving forward, when it comes to love, the real question you should ask yourself isn't just,  "Do I really like this person?" 

The real test for your inner love meter is,  "Can I fathom TECH TURNOFF with this person?"  Do I feel the urge to turn off the phone?  Can I realistically take my mind off the social media rat race and focus on this one person?

Now, when it comes to relationships, the tech turn-off should be a no brainer.  If you and your significant other are finding it hard to turn off (or at least turn away) from the phone to share a meal together and actually connect...If you are finding the "tech turn- off" a serious challenge, then maybe you need to work at the relationship or just simply turn away?  

Valentines Day is the perfect opportunity to show your loved ones you care enough to TURN OFF the tech and TURN ON the romance.

HAPPY TURNOFF TECH DAY people!  

XO Gina and W2W

HILLARY CLINTON MAKES FINAL PUSH FOR VOTES WITH HELP FROM MADONNA, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND JON BON JOVI

Kevin Dietsch/UPI

Election Day, November 8th, is here people!  Americans are flocking to the polls to cast their ballots for the next U.S. President.  Throughout this presidential race, famous singers have taken the stage at various rallies and fundraisers in support of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, including Katy Perry, Beyonce, and Chance the Rapper.  On the final night before Election Day, Hillary got some major help from music legends Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, and Madonna.

Getty Images

Monday night, Hillary held a last-minute rally at Independence Mall in Philadelphia, for a crowd of around 20,000 people.  Hillary was joined by her husband Bill Clinton, the Obamas, Bruce Springsteen, and Jon Bon Jovi.  Bon Jovi performed a live set for the rally crowd, including The Beatles’ “Here Comes The Sun.”  Bon Jovi then addressed the audience, saying, “I am voting for someone who sees my nieces as future leaders, and not objects to be rated.”

Next up, Springsteen performed his three songs, "Thunder Road," "Dancing in the Dark" and "Long Walk Home."  Springsteen had some choice words for Donald Trump: “This is a man whose vision is limited to little beyond himself, who has the profound lack of decency that would allow him to prioritize his own interests and ego before American democracy itself.  Somebody who would be willing to damage our long-cherished and admired system rather than look to himself for the reasons behind his own epic failure.  And that's unforgivable. Tomorrow, those ideas and that campaign is going down.”

Springsteen finished with, “Let's all do our part so we can look back on 2016 and say we stood with Hillary Clinton on the right side of history. That's why I'm standing here with you tonight, for the dream of a better America.”

Nothing like a free Springsteen-Bon Jovi concert to spread the word to get out and vote!

Matt Rourke/AP

Hillary also had some last-minute campaign help from Madonna.  The hugely famous singer took it upon herself to perform a surprise, acoustic concert in New York City’s Washington Square Park Monday night.  She sang, “Express Yourself,” “Like A Prayer,” and John Lennons’ “Imagine.”  After the performance, Madonna implored the audience to vote, saying, “Please come out tomorrow.  Vote with your heart, vote with your mind, vote with your spirit, vote with your soul.  Save this country, please.  Vote for Hillary Rodham Clinton!”

Take it from music legends Madonna, Springsteen, and Bon Jovi – Get out there and vote!

Still not sure how to get your vote in?  Check out rockthevote.com to find out if you can vote instantly in your state!

Ya Know You Wanna!

ROBERT DOWNEY JR, SCARLETT JOHANSSON AND OTHER CELEBS WANT YOU TO “GET OUT THERE AND VOTE”

CNN

Election Day is tomorrow, November 8th, which means the craziest Presidential race in U.S. history will finally come to a close.  Either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump will take their place in the Oval Office as Commander in Chief.  But there is still a good chunk of Americans who have chosen not to cast a ballot for this particular Election.

Throughout the campaigns, celebrities such as Robert DeNiro, Kathy Griffin, Aziz Ansari, and tons more, have appeared in videos urging people to vote, usually against Trump.  You can revisit The WANNA’s previous roundup of celeb-driven videos here.

In a new SaveTheDay.Vote video, “Vote Tomorrow,” released Monday November 7th, director Joss Whedon rounded up several Hollywood celebrities in a final attempt to encourage people to go out and vote.  In “Vote Tomorrow”, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, James Franco, Neil Patrick Harris, and others urge viewers to “just get out and vote” on November 8th.  They add humor to the video, along with more serious intonations, such as Julianne Moore saying, “No one has the right to stop you from casting your vote.”

Watch the full video below, and then make sure to get out and cast your vote tomorrow!

You got a ride? You got a plan? Everything changes tomorrow - don't miss out on history. For more information about what's on your ballot and where your polling station is, go to savetheday.vote. Starring Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johannson, James Franco Neil Patrick Harris Keegan-Michael Key Julianne Moore, and Martin Sheen.

Ya Know You Wanna!

DO YOU KNOW AN AMAZING TEEN WHO MAKES A DIFFERENCE? NOMINATE A CARING KID WHO CREATES CHANGE AND GIVES BACK!

www.spirit.prudential.com

With all the crazy things going on in our world today, it’s good to know we can find some hope for the future in the young people of America.  The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program seeks to encourage middle school and high school level students to give back to their communities with volunteer community service.  America’s youth is the future of our world, so it’s fitting to inspire and award those young people who choose to make a difference in their communities.  After all, they are just average kids helping to make the world better one step at a time.

Each year since 1995, The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards honors the students who perform the most outstanding acts of service in their community.  These could include fundraising for charity, feeding the homeless, or educating others about an important issue, to name a few.  This year there were more than 30,000 participants.  102 State Honorees are named every year, and there are also a number of Distinguished Finalists and Local Honorees.  Each year in May, the top 10 kids overall are chosen as “America’s Top 10 Youth Volunteers.”

The program’s call for entries in 2017 is open now.  If you want to make a difference in your community, or know a student who does, go here to apply for the 2017 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program before the deadline on November 8th.

www.spirit.prudential.com

Interested in this year’s inspiring batch of youth volunteers?  Below is the list of 2016’s “America’s Top 10 Youth Volunteers.”

Jungin Angie Lee, 17, of Naperville, Ill., a junior at Metea Valley High School in Aurora, co-founded a nonprofit organization that has generated nearly $200,000 over the past nine years through annual fundraising events to help find a cure for her rare neuromuscular disease. When she was 15 months old, Angie was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a genetic disorder that causes debilitating and often fatal muscle weakness.

Connor Archer, 17, of Stillwater, Maine, a senior at Old Town High School, works to educate the public about autism and the challenges faced by people with autism like himself, and has raised more than $12,000 for organizations that help people with special needs. Connor was diagnosed with autism when he was 3 years old.

Maria Keller, 15, of Plymouth, Minn., a sophomore at Orono High School, founded a nonprofit called “Read Indeed” when she was 8 years old, and has since collected more than 1.7 million books for children in need in 48 states and 17 other countries. 

James Lea, 17, of Las Vegas, Nev., a junior at Faith Lutheran Middle School and High School, helps brighten the holiday season for children who have recently lost a parent by surprising their families with an anonymous gift each day for 12 days, tied to the theme of the song “12 Days of Christmas.” In 2008, when James was 9 years old, his father died from a sudden heart attack. “

Alisha Zhao, 17, of Portland, Ore., a junior at Lincoln High School, created a club at her school to provide services to local homeless people, and then founded a nonprofit organization called “Kids First Project” to expand her efforts and focus on the needs of homeless youth.

Kayla Abramowitz, 13, of North Palm Beach, Fla., an eighth-grader at Watson B. Duncan Middle School, has collected nearly 10,000 DVDs, books and other items for 81 hospitals and Ronald McDonald Houses in all 50 states through her nonprofit organization, “Kayla Cares 4 Kids.” Kayla has juvenile arthritis and Crohn’s disease, and knows firsthand about hospital stays.

Clare Szalkowski, 10, of Dubuque, Iowa, a member of the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois and a fifth-grader at Hoover Elementary School, started “Clare Cares” over two years ago to “build friendships and make our community a better place” by organizing projects that benefit bullied children, homeless and hungry people, and others in need of assistance. Clare was inspired to start her project after her older sister had an epileptic seizure at school and her friend made fun of her.  

Grace Davis, 10, of Louisville, Ky., a fifth-grader at Greathouse Shryock Traditional Elementary School, has raised more than $140,000 over the past four years to care for babies born prematurely by distributing piggy banks to students in her community and encouraging them to fill them up.  

Zachary Rice, 13, of Long Valley, N.J., an eighth-grader at Long Valley Middle School, initiated an annual 5K run/walk that has raised more than $50,000 over the past three years to provide gaming systems and other fun distractions for young patients at Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown. Zach spent a lot of time in the hospital during fourth and fifth grade due to a painful hip infection and a subsequent debilitating bone condition.

Jackson Silverman, 10, of Charleston, S.C., a fifth-grader at Advanced Studies Magnet-Haut Gap Middle School, persuaded a local food bank to let him start a youth volunteer program there in 2013 that has by now packed more than 14,000 weekend lunch bags for kids in need. He started his own nonprofit organization called “I Heart Hungry Kids” and, after a little persuasion, got the food bank to agree to a kid volunteer program.

Ya Know You Wanna!

M.I.A GETS DROPPED FROM AFROPUNK MUSIC FESTIVAL

Entertainment Monthly

Have You Heard Of The Artist M.I.A.?  

No worries, some of us haven’t either… you may recognise her song, "Paper Planes." 

Point is, according to the upcoming AFROPUNK festival, M.I.A. is out!

Yes, the self described “multi-cultural festival,” is dropping M.I.A because the artist was busy running her mouth about Beyoncé, in an interview with Evening Standard Magazine.

M.I.A. Said, "‘It’s interesting that in America the problem you’re allowed to talk about is Black Lives Matter. It’s not a new thing to me — it’s what Lauryn Hill was saying in the 1990s, or Public Enemy in the 1980s. Is Beyoncé or Kendrick Lamar going to say Muslim Lives Matter? Or Syrian Lives Matter? Or this kid in Pakistan matters? That’s a more interesting question. And you cannot ask it on a song that’s on Apple, you cannot ask it on an American TV program, you cannot create that tag on Twitter, Michelle Obama is not going to hump you back.’

Clearly M.I.A.’s statements were going to piss someone off.   Question is who?

Initially her nasty comments to Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar and African American community (#muslimlivesmatter) offended fans and the AFROPUNK Festival came to M.I.A’s rescue by officially stating: “M.I.A will still perform at AFROPUNK London, and there is a huge amount of UK/ global talent still to be announced. We hope that this event also brings to light the experience of black Brits, immigrants and refugees in the UK, who are continuously erased.”

Now, 3 months later AFROPUNK has decided to give her the boot! This Saturday AFROPUNK released a statement on their social media stating; “After discussing the situation with the artist and the community, a decision was agreed upon by all involved that M.I.A will no longer headline AFROPUNK London.”

Twitter @afropunk

Based on M.I.A.’s offensive comments to all lives, cultures and Beyoncé, we suspect she will have to do some major clean up, before she performs on this side of the pond anytime soon...  

AFROPUNK Brooklyn, is August 27-28 and you can buy tickets here.

THE WANNA loves the idea of any multi-cultural event.  Bringing people together from all races and cultures— education is the key to a more peaceful world.  

Treat others as you wish to be treated and remember #alllivesmatter 

"YA KNOW YOU WANNA!" 

BRITNEY SPEARS RETRACTS HER ENDORSEMENT FOR HILLARY CLINTON?

OOPS!  BRIT DOES IT AGAIN?  

BRITNEY SPEARS RETRACTS HER ENDORSEMENT FOR HILLARY CLINTON?

CLICK ON THE LINK ABOVE FOR LATEST SPEARS STORY...

STEVEN SPIELBERG DOESN'T KNOW WHY IDRIS ELBA WASN'T NOMINATED FOR AN OSCAR?

STEVEN SPIELBERG DOESN'T KNOW WHY IDRIS ELBA WASN'T NOMINATED FOR AN OSCAR? 

BOWIE'S BLOOD AND DIEHARD FANS DISAPPOINTED BY GAGA'S FAILED GRAMMY TRIBUTE...

BOWIE'S BLOOD AND DIEHARD FANS DISAPPOINTED BY GAGA'S FAILED GRAMMY TRIBUTE...

By @Lancesirlot

See the innovative collaboration from music's biggest night. Subscribe NOW to GRAMMYs on YouTube: http://grm.my/1dTBF8H About GRAMMYs: The recording industry's most prestigious award, the GRAMMY, is presented annually by The Recording Academy. A GRAMMY is awarded by The Recording Academy's voting membership to honor excellence in the recording arts and sciences.

Let's get this straight, we are fans of Lady Gaga.  

There is no debating that she is an incredibly talented musician and actress.  

In fact, Ms. Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta's recent "Best Actress" Golden Globe for her performance in "American Horror Story," was well deserved.

But, Gaga's tribute performance at the 73rd Grammy Awards show, in honor of the legendary David Bowie, is getting some serious criticism by Bowie fans and even Bowie's son, Duncan Jones, who tweeted his disdain after the tribute, "overexcited or irrational, typically as a result of infatuation or excessive enthusiasm; mentally confused." Damn it! What IS that word!?

Gaga's tribute kicked off with an extreme close up on her face, with an image of Ziggy Stardust's famous make-up, superimposed over her.  When Gaga started singing that's when the performance took a turn for the worse.  Dressed in a high waisted jump suit that looked more Elvis (circa late 70's) then Ziggy, she rushed through a disjointed medley of Bowie's legendary hits, including Space Oddity, Changes, Ziggy Stardust, Suffragette City, Rebel Rebel, Fashion, Fame, Under Pressure, Let's Dance and Heroes.

Unfortunately, Gaga's tribute seriously missed the mark.  

Gaga's performance left fans wondering, was this a showcase for Gaga or a Bowie centric tribute? 

Gaga's performance was more about a Gaga resurrection or comeback into the current music scene, then about honoring Bowies contributions and legacy to Rock music.  

The tribute was chaotic and more about Gaga transforming into Bowie (at one point she even distorted her voice to emulate his signature sound) versus Gaga just simply being Gaga and singing (in her signature voice) a tribute to Bowie.   We would have preferred Gaga chose one song and put her unique spin on it.  

We must admit, the entire production of the awards ceremony also displayed an unformatted, chaotic, disjointed collection of visuals.  The Director was off in the pacing and the sound quality confused viewers. 

Now, lets not shoot the messenger.  Clearly, Gaga stepped up to the massive challenge.  She is an obvious fan and where were the other artists to pay tribute to Bowie this year?  Not one other well known musician felt compelled to honor Bowie? 

There is no question Gaga is a super fan of Bowie and in the end she did ultimately honor his legacy just by taking a risk.  Sometimes the risk reward doesn't payoff but, taking a risk is essentially honoring the essence of what Bowie was all about.

Speaking of the music scene or shall we say, lack of music and more about an abundance of narcissistic self aggrandizement, the current music scene is entrenched in a formulaic machine that generates at best, mediocre music.  Overall, the music generated today seriously lacks elements of what Bowie's music symbolized:  real substance, originality, authenticity and a sense of sacrifice and struggle.  

Bottom line, if Bowie represents the passing of a musical era and Gaga is the Millennial representative expected to carry on the spirit of Ziggy Stardust, then what will be the future of Rock and Roll?  

Will any new artist truly carry on the substantial cultural impact that Bowie and several artists of that era contributed to society?

Only time will tell...