M.I.A

I know I have been missing in action for while. No I haven't dropped off of the face of the earth, life has been so hectic and a bit overwhelming. Its amazing how much pressure we put on ourselves. With a 2-year-old, school full-time, husband whom I barely see because our schedules are ridiculous, my grandfather whom I have to care, add on top laundry for everyone, cleaning the house, running a million and five errands I am exhausted. I have had my share of break downs because I have these impossible expectations of myself.
Well I'm going to start do the things that gave me pleasure like updating this blog and working out, because I realize I am starting to lose myself. I refuse to be full of resentment. So to all the overworked moms you're not alone.

Make sure to check out my girl Sweet AL over at MommyDelicious if you're in need of stress relieving tips.
Be sure to follow her and enter in her GIVEAWAY

Daycare Choices

Choosing the right daycare for your child can be such a daunting task for parents. So many questions run through your mind:

How will my child react?

What’s the staff really like?

What curriculum will they be teaching?

What’s the teacher-to-student ratio?

Private or Public?

What's the cost of tuition?

If you’re like me choosing, a daycare is/was a tough task. I am online researching facility after facility, making sure to tour them and see how the teachers are reacting. I prefer to do unscheduled tours where I just stop by and ask questions or information so I can see what the staff is really like. I have seen price ranges from $168 per week to $210 a week. Then there’s the private school with their various tuition rates. What’s a parent to do? I have narrowed it down to about five different places. Each has their positives and negatives. A few are out of the way, while others offer internet access so I can check on my pooka-poo whenever I want. Well as I make my decision, I ask if anyone had a difficult time choosing the right daycare.

I can't go natural beacuse....

How many times has someone come up to you and said, "WOW you're natural that's great, I can't go natural because [insert reason here]"

I seem to get those comments quite often. People have many reasons why they feel they cannot go natural. I don't think it’s my place to judge because making that leap is a big decision and it took me two attempts to finally make the plunge and stick to it. I bring this up because the other day I was having a conversation with someone and she said she couldn't go natural because she would have to buy new clothes. LOL. That has to be one of the funniest comments I have heard in a while. I reassured her that her hair didn't define her style. I think many people are under the impression that to be natural you HAVE to be Afrocentric. Not the case.

Being natural to me is a choice to accept your God-given hair and enjoy it for what it is.

I don't preach about natural hair but I do encourage. I have gotten more people to become natural just by leading by example. When they make the choice to attempt to be natural, I provide them with encouragement and support on their journey.

At the end of the day, you are your own person and what makes you happy is all that matters.

So have you heard any funny reasons or have you had any interesting reasons for not being natural?

Being A Student

I am glad I have the opportunity to pursue my goals and further my education. As a young mother it is difficult to manage all of my different hats: mother, wife and student. Finances aren't always the best and you feel resentment and guilt. I know that sometimes I truly hate school. I wish I was already done and in my career. I feel guilty because when I come home my son wants his mommy time. He wants me to be able to play with him those are the times I resent school. While other parents come home from work and leave their jobs at the door and can enjoy an evening with their children I have to so much to do and worry about (I am aware that not all professionals have this luxury).
What I do when I come home is play with my son, get him down for a nap, do some cleaning, get dinner started, wash the dishes after dinner, give him a bath, watch 30 minutes of TV, read a book and he's down to sleep at 9:30 (I put him down later because dad works evenings). By this time. I'm exhausted so of course I fall asleep and wake up at 4am so I can study and do homework. Its such a balancing act. I pray the day I can just be a working professional quickly approaches.

Picky Eaters

My son is 2 years old (26 months to be exact). He is such a picky eater. It has been a cause for worry for me because his eating habits are awful. A few months ago, his diet was better. Nowadays, all he wants are Hot Dogs. Yes hot dogs for breakfast, lunch and dinner. So I after searching Google and speaking to his pediatrician have been reassured that this is indeed normal.
What I have done is supplemented his diet various items:

Vegetables and Fruit: He refuses to try so I purchase either V8 Fusion Fruit and Vegetables or Apple and Eve Fruitables. They provide one full serving of the necessary fruits and vegetables. Fruitables has 1/3 less sugar and is only 70 calories. He gets about (2) 9oz cups of this juice a day

Milk and Dairy: He loves Chocolate milk so I purchase the NesQuik Ready-To-Drink 8oz bottles of milk, which is about 100 calories, 12 g of sugar and made with low fat milk. He drinks 2 of these a day.

Grains: It’s difficult to get him to eat from this food group at times but when he’s up for it, he eats about 1-3oz of rice for dinner.

Vitamins:I give him Flintstones Vitamins to supplement for any vitamins or nutrients he isn’t receiving

It can be difficult to get your child to eat all things they are supposed to but with some maneuvering, they can get the nutrients they need.
Although I have said all of this, I still suggesting offering your child a variety of foods and allowing them to try. Just because he/she doesn’t like something today doesn’t mean they won’t like it tomorrow.

Swim Suits

Its 4th of July weekend and its time to pull out those swimsuits. I think some care should be taken when choosing the rigth swim suits. You must find a suit that compliments YOU! Not the manequin you got it off of. Here a few swim suits to compliment your figure. These are examples od swim suits which are all from Target so they will fit into anyones's budget. Whatever you choose make sure you enjoy yourself and pack up the sunscreen.


Monokini


One-Piece




Two-Piece

Rompers

The cutest (revamped) trend of 2010. I keep saying that I need to get a pair of these. They are adorable and can be dressed up or dressed down with the right accessories. The are affordable as well, you can find one to fit in any budget. I think Fourth of July may be the day for me to wear on, along with a big braid or twist out and chunky accessories.
So how do you feel about rompers?


Fab Embroidered Romper
$14.50
Forever21


Kouture by Kimora Romper, Sleeveless Scoop Printed Racerback Romper
MACYS


Silk One Shoulder Romper
$129.00
bebe

Fros on the Fourth

OK...Passing along the word.... taken from www.keepitsimplesista.blogspot.com

So what if we took over July 4th and made it National Afro Day ...and
we go to all the cookouts, firework display, and family events with
our fros big and beautiful?

Wear your afro tees and natural hair shirts and all that good junk.

And all you relaxed ladies can join in too do a braid out and fluff it out real big!
Let's do this!

A logo for the event, feel free to use it for your website, blog or to make your own iron on transfer shirt.

Rocking Shoes

Eva Marcille had some fabulous shoes on at the BET Awards by Gasoline Glamour, they came with a stylish price tag of $3000. Ah, a girl can dream.

Potty Training

My son is 2years, 1 month old. I have been trying to potty train him. It seemed like he was ready a few months ago and would tell me if he needs to go. Now he’s no longer in the “mood” LO. Over the weekend, I tried the “No Diaper” method where I let him roam bottomless around the house. It worked, sort of. He actually held it most of the day, he wasn’t pottying throughout the house and if he had to go number 2, he’s let me know but that was it. It left him and I frustrated. I have vowed to just let him be. I have heard that at times, you have to let them come into their own and I guess I’ll just have to be patient. He knows what the potty is he’s just not interested. What potty training method has worked? Hasn’t worked for you?

Workout Slump

This morning I woke with every intention to workout. My son had other plans, he decided to wake up too and STAY up for an hour?! Which in turn made me dose off trying to put him back to sleep. Well I guess better luck tomorrow...
It seems like every time I get back on my workout regimen something knocks me off track. Maybe I'm not diligent enough. Let change that to definitely not diligent. Its a work in progress. I get easily bored of the same exercise routine so I am always on the search for something new...
What do you do when you find yourself in a workout slump?

Falls Bone Chilling Preview

I am a sucker for cute shoes and handbags. I love shoes that are especially unique. These 160MM Nappa Spine Heel Ankle Boots by D.Squared are no exception. They are set to be release this fall.

These shoes are way out of budget for me....But a girl can dream

If you want to see this and other shoes by D.Squared click the link below

http://www.luisaviaroma.com/index.aspx#getData.aspxCallType=Product&prodId=L4Z2&des=117&cat=&gender=women&group=&vendorColor=MjA=&season=actual&seasProdID=52I

Heat damage

Heat damage is prevalent in many new naturals because some tend to be at a loss of how to style their hair. I know that for me this is the case. Although I have cleaned up my act, I have suffered damage in only one spot. It’s a small patch in the front of my hair. It’s completely damaged. So now, what I do is use two heat protectants and a serum. The serum I use as a finishing product.
I deep condition with my Cholesterol and use a leave in conditioner then I use:
John Frieda Frizz-Ease Heat Defeat Protective Styling Spray followed by GVP Thermal Protection Spray and finish up with John Frieda Frizz-Ease Hair Serum, Thermal Protection Formula.
It may be excessive for some but it has truly helped me combat heat damage. It doesn’t matter what protectant you use as long as you use one.

To Weave or Not to Weave

Ok...I think I have finally gotten a true handle on being natural. Most important things that can be done for natural hair is Moisture and Protective Styling (protein is necessary as well). I'm still struggling with finding protective styles that I like to wear. My protective style as of late has been weaves. I love the versatility. Wearing a weave has its advantages and disadvantages.

Advantage: It’s a good protective style if you are constantly moisturizing the hair underneath, which I do with SCurl spray.
I only leave my weaves on for about a week. Take it down deep condition my hair with Cholesterol use a leave in conditioner like H.E. Long Term Relationship or Giovanni Direct.

I seal my ends with Shea Butter, braid my hair up, and start again.

Disadvantage: People (I’ve been guilty of this in the past) tend to neglect their hair underneath. If you aren’t moisturizing your hair, the weave and thread are sucking out additional moisture making this an unfavorable environment for your hair. Not deep conditioning and not handling the weave with care puts extra stress on your hair.

Disadvantage: If you get a straight, weave and you leave your hair out. You are compelled to straighten your hair. This can lead to heat damage, especially if you aren’t using a heat protectant and straightening dirty hair.
Therefore, if you are looking for a good protective style weaving is an option but it has to be done with care. Just because your hair is natural, it won’t just grow on its own if it not taking care of, a weave is not a hair neglect pass. So good luck and happy weaving.

Favoritism

The issue of favoritism is one that truly gets under my skin. I feel that it puts a divide amongst children, which can have long lasting effect. I’ll use my family as an example. My grandmother favored one of my cousins because of the length of her hair and the complexion of her skin. It put a wedge amongst the cousins and between her and her siblings. My grandmothers comments, which she thought were innocent, hurt feelings and made some self-conscious. As a parent, I have sworn never to do this to my children or future nieces and nephews. Although my husband agrees with me on this issue and see what a negative impact this can be others aren’t so “aware”. I have heard comments made and actions displayed that have made me uncomfortable and I feel may lead to future issues when my child and his cousins are more able to understand the magnitude of the comments being made. Sometimes I wonder am I being overly sensitive when comments are made comparing my son to others, for example his complexion or hair texture or the fact that he’s the only boy. I don’t want there to be any animosity. So do you believe favoritism is an issue? If so how do you deal with it?

You're Just Not "Together"

Have you noticed that there are some of your friends, who have no kids or aren’t married, that can’t seem to understand you anymore? Well the other day I was having a frustrated mommy moment. I called my friend up to vent and as we were talking the conversation led to the idea of having more children. I do want more children and would love for my children to be close in age. My friend stated, I was being “unrealistic” and SHE didn’t think I should “lie down” and have another child since my life wasn’t “together”. WOW, Really?! My life may not be idea for some but I wouldn’t trade it. I love my son and I would love to have more children. I am blessed to have a husband to support me through any endeavor I would like to embark upon. My friend has a bachelors is working on her masters and has decided this is not what she wants to be doing. Therefore, she’s going to start a new path, which will take her another 4 years. That’s fine FOR HER! She is not married, in a relationship nor does she have children so she’s free to do as she pleases with worrying about how her actions affect anyone but herself. Although I want to have a career, I want be a mom and a wife as well. I want to enjoy my child(ren). I want to give my son as normal of a life as possible. My friends comments did hurt my feelings a bit but whether she or anyone else thinks my life is together or not, is irrelevant to me I know who I am and what I want and I intend on getting it.

Sex And The City II....

LOVED IT!
I am a big fan of SATC. I was so excited about the new movie. I have heard mixed reviews about this movie. I enjoyed this movie. I think people expect too much of the movie. Seriously, the movie is an extension the show that followed everyday women in the daily lives. The movie has to remain true.
Ok as far as fashion in this movie, it was to DIE FOR! I swear the movie make you feel like you need to have a pen and pad to take notes of all the fashion do and don'ts LOL. I was able to relate to so many things in this movie.
What I got out of the movie was this:

First, don't allow anyone to define you or your relationship. There are so many ways to have a successful relationship you find what works for you and enjoy.

Second, you don’t have to be perfect. Charlotte's character aims for perfection, I’m known for this. It’s ok if everything isn’t perfect and as a mother, you need a break. The truth of the matter is that you're not going to be happy with your children 100% of the time they will frustrate you and that’s ok. It doesn’t make you a bad parent it makes you human.

So this will be a DVD added to my collection when it comes out.
If you haven’t seen it, get dressed up go with your girls and have a good laugh...

I'm Back...

I have really neglected this blog. There have been so many changes in my life.I am going to get bette because writing really gives me an outlet. Well as for updates:

Fitness: I fell off my regimen slightly

Hair: I have been hiding my hair by wearing weaves. I was caught in the comfort of weaves where you sometime neglect you own hair. As of late, I have been making sure to take my hair out once a week. Yes, you read right. I remove the weaves once a week wash and deep condition my hair. It has been doing well. My hair feels good. I recently trimmed it. I was due for a quick trim.

Career: I have been in school since March working towards my goals. I am very proud of myself for being able to manage a household, toddler, husband and elderly person and still maintain good grades. I am one-step closer to my ultimate goal and very proud of myself.

Faith: I have returned to church. I am becoming better with my faith. I feel that I am truly evolving into the woman I always wanted to be.

Slimmer in 7 Days - Fitness Magazine

Slimmer in 7 Days - Fitness Magazine

Best Mommy Advice

It seems that women become pregnant in packs. LOL. Yes, its true do you ever notice that you never just hear of only one person you know being pregnant. When I was pregnant with my son, my sister-in-law and three of my other friends were pregnant. Not to mention two of my hubby's friends' wives/girlfriends were also pregnant. Now about 2 years later I have four friends that are pregnant. I always give women the same advice. Be patient; develop a schedule with your child early (it truly does help) and most importantly BREASTFEED! Yes, I emphasize the importance of breastfeeding, whether a friend is just finding out they are pregnant or at the end of her pregnancy, she can guarantee that I'm going to tell her to breastfeed, and I will keep reminding them. I encourage them to utilize lactation consultants after giving birth and reading books prior. When I was pregnant, I had 2-3 pregnancy books on rotation, not to mention my weekly updates from the Babycenter.com. Reading is so important being informed it key. I have seen so many of my friends give up on breastfeeding because they were ill prepared. I’m not saying that I was entirely prepared for motherhood (seriously who really is) but I knew many of the things that could happen. With breastfeeding, women expect it to be blissful from the beginning, it is and it isn’t. It’s beautiful to connect with your child, but the first few days to weeks of breastfeeding can be painful because the suckling of the baby causes contractions of the uterus that can be uncomfortable. There is the swelling and gorging of the breast, ice packs work wonders. The place I see so many mothers go wrong and the reason the give up breastfeeding is because they start wrong. They do not get their babies to latch on correctly. Although I had read a lot I still requested a lactation consultant to come in and she corrected my sons method of latching she even informed my hubby of how to help me open the baby’s mouth wider (by placing index finger on chin and slightly pulling, not hard). With hubby, assisting me the first 24 hours with baby’s mouth positioning, things started and remained great. Improper latching can lead to so many problems the baby not being able to get the milk easily, mom uncomfortable thus making baby uncomfortable, which in turn results in giving up and moving on to formula. I have heard of people giving up in 2 weeks, cracked nipples, the list goes on. Thankfully, I didn’t have any of these issues. Actually, the hardest part about breastfeeding for me was weaning. LOL. I nursed for 15 months. So to all my first-time moms and veteran moms (LOL) if you haven’t done so, consider breastfeeding. The benefits for mother and child are outstanding.