Google knows an awful lot about you.  Do you know how and with whom your information is being shared through Google?  With so many connected sites and services, it can be hard to keep track of exactly where Google is using your information.  Luckily, the company has introduced a new feature allowing you to see and control what information is being shared.

This feature, called the “About Me” page, shows who can see things such as your contact information, work history, education, and data points you’ve shared.  From this page, you can edit and remove data and control who can see it. The page provides a direct link to the “Privacy Checkup” page, where you can adjust the privacy settings for your Google+ profile, change how Google saves information about you, and manage your ad settings.

Going through the whole process can take some time, especially if you need to read up on certain features to fully understand their purpose.  But in the end, knowing how Google uses the information you choose to share is well worth your time, and it’s been made easier now that Google has combined these features into one centralized hub.

---

Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News

The story of how Mel’s Diner came to be is one of two star-crossed lovers, Jack and Mel.  Mel grew up in Lafayette during the rock-and-roll era.  She had a passion for dancing, and she had several jitterbug trophies to prove it.  Jack was born and raised in the small town of Mansura, Louisiana and served in the US Navy.  He graduated from ULL (then known as SLI) with honors and began working for a local restaurant in 1963.

When the two met, it was love at first sight.  They eloped shortly after they met, and Jack made a promise to Mel that he would one day put her name in lights.  While Jack was climbing the hierarchy of the restaurant business, Mel stayed home with their children and spent her time volunteering for various civic organizations.  Both Jack and Mel valued hard work and dreamed of opening a restaurant of their own.

 

Thus, Mel’s Diner was born.  Mel decorated the restaurant’s walls with her old pictures of 1950s stars–Elvis, Marylin Monroe, Norman Rockwell, and James Dean to name a few.  Their mission was to serve great good with quick excellent customer service.

Mel’s became so popular that a second location was opened.  Today both Mel’s restaurants provide the best service to their customers and serve the same delicious items that they always have.  The diners are open 24 hours a day, so Lafayette residents can have a quick bite any time of day.  Mel’s Diner offers a fun, playful atmosphere and yummy food for everyone to enjoy!

---

Originaly posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News

Success takes time, patience, and hard work.  At times, it may seem so far away that you’ll never be able to achieve it. But you are stronger than you think you are.  Your success is inevitable…assuming you’re working for it.  

You can’t expect success to come to you if you don’t put in the effort.  Ask yourself:  Am I doing everything in my power to ensure my success?  If not, what am I missing?

If you don’t think you’re giving it your all but aren’t sure what it is you’re missing, take a look at these 7 actions that guarantee success in the long term:

1. Have a plan.  How can you reach your goals if you don’t know precisely what they are or how you’re going to reach them?
2. Work when others play.  Be prepared to make sacrifices in order to set yourself apart from the rest.
3. Read everyday.  Expanding your knowledge with new beliefs or ideas will offer new perspectives from which to view and plan out your goals.
4. Have a mentor.  Find someone who has achieved what you wish to achieve, follow their guidance, and learn their secrets.
5. Rise and shine.  Take advantage of an early start in the morning to organize your thoughts prioritize your schedule.
6. Be passionate about your work.  Take pride in what you do and fuel yourself with positive energy.
7. Take massive action.  You alone have the power to move forward, and you alone decide how you’re going to do it.

Are you neglecting one of these areas?  Implementing it just might be what it takes to propel you forward on your journey to success.  Which of these areas do you need to improve on, and when will you start?

---

Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News

 

Of all the foods we Cajuns love, gumbo has got to be on top of the list.  Here in Acadiana, we take pride in our gumbo and all the different varieties it comes in: chicken and sausage, okra, seafood, Creole, thick or thin, we don’t discriminate!  

There’s a general rule of thumb that if your “gumbo” wasn’t cooked in South Louisiana, it isn’t real gumbo.  REAL gumbo is cooked in a large stock pot (or gumbo pot, as we call them), with dark, thick roux, fresh meat, onions and peppers, and just enough seasoning to entice your taste buds…or perhaps a bit more.  All of this is left to simmer for at least a couple hours, then served over a bed of hot white rice, usually with potato salad, fresh rolls, and crackers for sides.

There’s nothing like a piping hot bowl of good Cajun gumbo on a cold day.  The temperature in Louisiana has indeed begun to fall, and the gumbo is heating up–and so is the competition!  Next Saturday is the first annual Mawsie’s Gumbo Cook-Off, where Acadians will gather in Breaux Bridge to to put their best gumbo recipes to the test.  

If you don’t have a recipe to enter, you can still have fun listening to live music by Horace Trahan, entering in a horseshoe tournament, and of course sampling all that gumbo!

Mawsie’s Gumbo Cook-Off was inspired by Mary Lynn “Mawsie” H. Thibodeaux, who recently passed away after a long battle with lupus.  It was in her final wishes that her family have a party celebrating her life.  This party will take the form of a Gumbo Cook-Off, and all proceeds will be donated to the Lupus Foundation of America, a nonprofit organization dedicated to unraveling the mystery that is lupus.

Join the Thibodeaux family and friends in honor of Mawsie Saturday, November 21 at Parc des Ponts in Breaux Bridge from 9 AM to 3:30 PM, and be sure to arrive hungry!

---

Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News

Choosing to add herbs to your garden is a great way to really get back to nature. Not to mention the fact that when you grow your own you get better quality herbs, save money and have them ready any time you want them.  Buying herbs in the store can be extremely expensive; it’s a lot cheaper to buy the seeds or seedlings and grow them yourself.

There are so many wonderful herbs that you can grow in your garden.  We’re going to give you three great ones to start you out.

Rosemary 

This herb is absolutely awesome, and can be used dried or fresh. Thankfully, you are able to grow it inside a planter and move it indoors if the weather is too cold, and it can stay dry between waterings.  Depending upon your geography, rosemary can live all year round like an annual, coming back year after year!

Sage

Sage, another annual herb in the right geography, grows for an incredibly long time, over five years, and can go up higher than three feet. You can use it in recipes, as a decoration, or even to smudge and cleanse your home. There are so many uses for sage, it’s crazy. However, if you don’t want it go grow to a tall height, you can cut it back regularly and plant it into a container or a potter.

Chives 

Everyone loves chives. The smell, the taste, everything about them is wonderful. The great thing about chives is that you can grow it in a potter or directly into your garden, whichever you like. During the dead of winter (unless you live where there is lot of snow), green stems will grow. Therefore, this is a plant that has a use all year round!

Growing your own herbs is a great way to have organic food, save money, and even just grow them for fun. Pick the ones that you like but don’t forget to experiment and try some new ones.  You never know, you might end up with some new favorites!

---

Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News