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  • Thankful Thursday | A Weekly List of Gratitude

    Can we talk about what a collectively rough and crappy week this has been?  From the earthquake in Mexico to the toddler getting hit in the face by a foul ball at that baseball game to several of my friends having deaths in their families.  It just seems like there was no shortage of bad news anywhere.  And to top things off, I have been feeling so blue lately.  Trust me when I say random bouts of depression suck!
    If I could ask you guys for one favor this week, it would be to pray and/or send out positive vibes into the universe.  The world as a whole could use a more positive week next week.  I feel like our hope is dwindling a bit.  Let’s combat all this negativity and sadness with some positive energy, love, and outpourings of support and compassion!

    What I’m Thankful For This Week

    Safety |  Hurricane Irma came and went.  Thankfully by the time she reached our area, she had been downgraded to a tropical storm.  While some businesses and neighbors in our area experienced some storm-related damages and power outages, we emerged with just a yard of debris of the loose twigs and fallen leaves variety. 
    For a while, I did worry that one of our neighbor’s pine tree was going to fall.  That tree was flapping and swaying in the wind almost as bad as one those inflatable dancing men thingies.  Thankfully, it held on for dear life and is still standing.
    IKEA |  I was in the Queen City this week and of course, I couldn’t pass up the chance to stop by one of my favorite stores – IKEA!  It was just the place I needed to visit to help with inspiration for Moo’s room and the kids’ bathroom.  Moo’s current room isn’t very big and her bed eats up most her floor space.
    Being in IKEA and seeing all the room setups helped us to come up with a room layout that will up open up her floor space drastically.  This means that she can finally get the desk she’s been eyeing.  Also, I got to get an in-person look at what our future kitchen cabinets will look like.  Y’all, I’m so excited!!
    Snuggles + Kind Words |  I think the kids picked up on the dip in my mood this week because they’ve been doing an extra great job of giving me more hugs, snuggles and words of love.  I don’t think they fully grasp how much these things mean to me, but I hope they will in the future.  Now if only we can make it to the end of this bickering stage they seem to be stuck in.
    Fall |  Can you guys believe the first day of Fall starts tomorrow?!!  😍😍🍂  I’m so excited and thankfully because it’s one of my two favorite seasons of the year.   The temps have already started to drop and the bugs have already started to go into hiding (or whatever it is that they do).  I can’t wait to squeeze in more grilling time and time out in the yard now that the sun isn’t blazing.
    I hope everyone has a great first day of Fall tomorrow!  Don’t forget to put our positive vibes and show some kindness!
    What are you grateful for this week?  Let me know in the comments below. 

  • I Just Kept Spinning Book Review

    This post is sponsored.  I received a complimentary copy this book from publisher in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own.
    Are you talking to your children about discrimination?  If not, you probably should be.  Chances are your child has already faced discrimination either from a peer or an adult that they come into contact with on a regular basis.  It’s crazy, right?!  This week Moo and I revisited our discussion on discrimination when we read I Just Kept Spinning by debut children’s book author Destini Bridges. 

    Beautifully illustrated by April Foxx, I Just Kept Spinning is the story of a 7-year old girl named Destini.  Destini has one dream and that dream is to be a prima ballerina.  She’s over the moon when her mom finally lets her start taking ballet lessons at a ballet studio.  Destini’s dreams are soon crushed when she finds herself banned from her ballet class because of her beautiful long dreadlocks.  However, with some help from her mom, Destini proves not even children should accept discrimination from others or allow other people to control their destinies! 

    Considering how many schools were put on blast last year for discriminating hair policies last year, this book is just what we need to get the conversation about discrimination going with our children.  This book is hands down a must-read for Black and Brown moms as well as non-Moms of Color raising children of color.  Not only does I Just Kept Spinning show younger kids a form a of discrimination that could possibly go over their head, but in following Destini’s journey families can learn some real-life tips and tricks that they can implement to fight back against discrimination.
    I loved that this book was super easy to read and Moo was able to better grasp what discrimination is and identify another way that she could possibly be discriminated against.  Remember, it’s important for us to break things down to our children’s levels, especially when talking about important topics like this one.  Often times books like I Just Kept Spinning can be tools to us as parents to broach these topics. 

    Moo was thrilled that Destini wanted to be a prima ballerina because it’s one of the things she wants to be when she grows up, too!  Speaking of which, this book has already prepared us for some of the comments and/or reactions she may receive once she starts her dance classes in a few short months.  You see, Moo doesn’t have straight hair or get her straightened like some of the girls who will be in her class (we scooped it out already).  And most books that she has read about ballerinas also feature ballerinas with silky straight hair and she was worried about standing out because of her curly hair.
    Therefore, I really appreciate Destini Berry and April Foxx making 7-year old Destini, a ballerina with dreadlocks.  Representation matters y’all!!  Even when it comes to hair, our children need to variety and I Just Kept Spinning gave Moo that. 
    While we’re talking about illustrations, we both loved the beautiful hand drawn illustrations by the talented April Foxx.  I don’t have anything against computer generated illustrations, but there’s just something about hand drawn illustrations that gives an added texture and dimension that computer generated images can’t match.

    Also, with our book we received some goodies including two bookmarks, two coloring page, one coloring journal page and a 8×10 print of the book cover that we can’t wait to hang in Moo’s room once we’re done with remodeling it.

    Overall, we really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see what books Kifani Press will be releasing next.  You keep up with new releases from Kifani Press by following them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.  
    What tools do you use to talk to your children about important topics?

  • Thankful Thursday | A Weekly List of Gratitude

    Happy Thankful Thursday Y’all!!  We’re in the process of hunkering down as we wait for Hurricane Irma to hit.  The weather reports for our area have been all over the place since there are conflicting reports on the path that she will end up taking.  Either way, I think that we can anticipate some strong winds and heavier than usual rain.  We’re a few hours inland and I’m staying optimistic that we won’t have any flooding and praying that we don’t get any spin-off twisters either.

    I’m praying especially for all of my family and friends in the Florida area as they will be hit pretty hard either way.  Some of them decided not to take any chances and evacuated, but there are a few that have decided and have to weather out the storm due to work and not wanting/being able to abandon other family members.  So, please send up a prayer for the East Coast, especially Florida. 

    What I’m Thankful For This Week

    Family Vacations |  There’s no denying that I was more than a little bit absent from the blog last month.  Part of the reason was that I went on vacation with my family to Florida thanks to my brother who organized the entire trip.  The drive there was long thanks to a really bad rain storm that was sweeping through the Georgia/Florida border from Hurricane Harvey.  At one point we had to actually pull off the road because we couldn’t see through the rain.

    I’m so grateful that God allowed it clear up a few seconds for us to see the exit to a rest area that was literally a few feet ahead of us.  Other drivers actually stopped on the interstate.  We took a 30-minute break and the rain finally let up enough for us to continue our journey.  When I say that I will forever let my baby brother be in charge of future family trips, I’m so serious.

    He picked the perfect resort for us to stay at.  We had an apartment style suite that included two master bedrooms with jacuzzi tubs, a guest bedroom with two full beds, a fully stocked kitchen, three bathrooms and there was a washer and dryer along with washing detergent.  I felt so spoiled and at home.  Overall, our vacation was awesome.  The kids haven’t stopped talking about it yet.

    We already have another family trip to Charleston planned coming up soon and for next year we’ve already added Hawaii and a return trip to Florida!  I’m so excited and grateful that I’m finally able to start traveling with my kids and exposing them to different areas and cultures.

    Homeschooling |  Since homeschooling JJ went well last year, I decided to continue and homeschool again this year.  Then Moo pleaded her case as to why she didn’t want to do traditional school this year and now she’s homeschooling with us too!

     I’m not going to lie, I was a bit overwhelmed at first, especially since the homeschooling laws are different here.  In the end, though, I’m thankful that I have both of my kids in homeschool.

    I love the flexibility.  We were able to still have school while we were on our Florida trip and they have the freedom to learn at their own pace and get one-on-one assistance when they need it.  Plus they’re learning independence and how to be self-starters.  We’re finally in the groove of things and I can’t wait to see how the rest of our homeschooling year will play out.

    Pinterest |  I mentioned before that I’ll be remodeling our current home.  I knew right off the bat that our current home was going to be a live-in fixer upper.  Also, I knew right away that I wanted to give it a farmhouse glam vibe.  With nothing but a vision in my head, I went out to home improvement and furniture stores but ended up overwhelmed and frustrated.

    Then it hit me that I had some things saved on Pinterest.  Some of the stuff I initially wanted, I realized wasn’t going to work for our space.  So since then I’ve been searching all things farmhouse and pinning stuff that I like.  When I say that Pinterest has been a lifesaver, I mean that I’ve finally got the designs for our kitchen, our fence, backyard and most of the master bed and bath finalized.

    I can’t wait to share this whole remodel process with you guys.  And this month is our three month anniversary of being homeowners.  Sometimes, I have to pinch myself to make it’s not a dream.  I think the kids feel the same way because JJ asked me the other day if I could believe that we have a yard for him to play in.  Y’all, leaving apartment life behind was the best decision, we made as a family. We’re just so much happier and at peace.

    Well, I hope you guys have a had a great week.  Remember to be safe and keep your loved ones posted if you’re in the path of Hurricane Irma!

    What are you thankful for this week?

  • Muhiima’s Quest Book Review

    Muhiima's Quest Pin Image

    This post is sponsored.  I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions are my own.  This post also contains affiliate links.  I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase using one of my product links. 
    Raising kids is hard.  Teaching our kids how to love and accept the things that make them different and unique is harder.  From their peers to the media, our children will be bombarded with messages of “This is how you are supposed to look or everyone has to do xyz in order to fit in.”

    Right out of the gate, we as parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, community leaders, etc. have to be ready to help our children combat those negative messages.  We have to be ready to reassure and remind our children time and time again why diversity is important and why being unique/different rocks!  

    In Muhiima’s Quest by Rahma Rodaah and illustrated by Daria Horb, we are introduced to a young girl named Muhiima.  The story opens on her 10th birthday.  And while making it to another year of life is a blessing and very exciting, Muhiima’s parents don’t believe in celebrating birthdays because of their Islamic heritage and faith.    So imagine her surprise when her mom hands her a mysterious treasure map and sends her off a quest to collect even more mysterious little gift boxes.

    While on this quest, Muhiima can’t help but wonder why she can’t be like her classmates and friends and traditional birthday parties.  In fact, Muhiima is tired of being different and explaining to everyone why she’s the odd girl out.  Why does she have to be unique when she could easily be like everyone else?  Little does Muhiima know, this mysterious quest is the beginning to that question getting answered.

    I truly loved Rodaah’s message not only to kids, but adults as well.  Being different has been hard since the beginning of time.  Just look at Moses, Noah, and Jesus.  It might be 2017 but being different in today’s society is still something that can be struggle.  Just ask any Black person or POC in America or non-Christian.  I’m confident that the majority of us would say that despite the challenges of what being different and unique brings, we wouldn’t trade our heritage or faiths for the world!

    Having once been a kid, I can understand where Muhiima is coming from.  There were things my mom didn’t allow me to do because our heritage and beliefs.  For example, we didn’t celebrate Columbus Day because we are part Native American.  Also, I wasn’t allowed to attend sleepovers and had to dress very modest.

    As a parent, I can related to Muhiima’s parents and fully understand why they decided to send her on this quest of self-discovery.  It’s hard watching our children struggle with love all of themselves and/or questioning the rules, expectations and traditions we have set for our families when we only want the best for them.

    Muhiima’s Quest is a great conversation starter for us as parents and role models to talk to our children or children in our lives about why it’s okay to be different and not to follow the crowd.  For parents and role models, I think Muhiima’s Quest is a great reminder that sometimes we have to get creative in order to get through to our children.  “Because I said so” doesn’t work all the time and honestly shouldn’t be our default go-to.  Kids need reassurance and to know the WHY behind things, especially when it comes to accepting their heritage and religious differences.

    Also, this book reminded me that I’m not alone and don’t have to be alone in raising my children and helping them to accept the things that make them unique.  We all have a village and we should be using those villages.  Sometimes we need to include those people in our discussions with our children when we’re tackling heavy subjects like diversity.

    Overall, the kids and I really enjoyed Muhiima’s Quest.  The story was great and the illustrations were beautiful.  I definitely recommend this book to parents, especially parents of color, who are looking to talk with their children about the importance of diversity and accepting the things about our backgrounds and families that make us unique.

    How do you talk to your kids about diversity and embracing their uniqueness?
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  • Thankful Thursday | A Weekly List of Gratitude

    Please  note there are affiliate links in this post.  This means that if you make a purchase using one of my links, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

    Happy Thankful Thursday!  How is July already almost half over?  I feel like June flew by so fast.  I know part of the reason for me is our move.  We’ve been so absorbed in getting settled in and trying to finalize details for renovations.  It just sucks because school starts earlier here and I feel like our summer break has been eaten up by house stuff.

    It’s already time to get back on our school year sleep schedule and I NOT ready y’all!  School here starts an hour and a half earlier for Moo than her old school did.  I’m not looking forward to 6 AM wake-ups.  Pray for me, please!

    What I’m Thankful For This Week

    Family Time & Fireworks |  Frederick Douglass once asked, “What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July?  I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim.”  Although, America has made some progress, Blacks and other POCs are still heavily experiencing gross injustices and cruelties. This makes it kind of hard for my Black family actually celebrate Independence Day because while we have freedom in some ways it feels like there are terms and conditions on it.

    Nevertheless, it’s one of the few days during the year that everyone in my family has off from work.  Therefore, we don’t waste a good opportunity to have a family get together, share some laughs, and pull out the grill while we catch up.  I’m so thankful we were able to continue our tradition of having family on the 4th.

    My kids got to pop fireworks and do  for the first time.  Also, I got to enjoy some adult time (and drinks) with my siblings.  We stayed up laughing and talking until 3 AM!  Good time and good memories were made y’all.  Can’t wait until our next family gathering.

    Can you guys believe that I took and edited this photo with just my iPhone?!

    Nature and Unplugging |  At the kids’ request, I decided to extend our one day trip into a few days.  On one of those days, we decided to hit up a nearby state park to unplug, have a picnic and just enjoy being outside in nature.  It was one of the BEST days I’ve had in a while.  I love nature and being surrounded by it.

    Views like this are what I missed living in the Queen City.  You can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country and love of the country out of the girl!  It was so much fun taking the kids to a park that I frequented many times growing up as a kid.  I’m thankful for making this new memory with them.  They absolutely loved it.  Also, I learned Moo has a legit fear of bridges.

    We went to see the waterfall and it has a little walkover bridge and she freaked out when I lifted her up to see over the side.  I’m talking full-on meltdown with tears and everything.  I really have no clue when her fear of bridges and heights started but it’s something I want to really help her to overcome, especially as we start to travel more.  If you’ve had a kid who was afraid of heights, how did you help them to gradually get over their fears?  Let me know in the comments.

    Birthdays |  I’m glad that they convinced me because we got to celebrate my niece’s birthday.  We kept simple with a sleepover at my baby sister’s place.  We made tacos, Spanish rice and watched Superman (it’s her favorite movie) the night before her big day.

    We made her a special birthday breakfast of scrambled eggs, french toast, bacon and grits followed by a red velvet birthday cupcake with cream cheese frosting!  She opened her gifts which consisted of a bullet journal, a Monster Activity Journal, a Monster High Clawdeen doll, and The Thing About Jellyfish.  I’m so thankful that my niece is another year older and enjoyed her special day.  Spending time with her made me grateful that I’m closer to my family location wise and can start spending more time with her, especially with her teenage years starting next year.

    What are you thankful for this week?  Let’s chat in the comments.


  • Finding Wonder With Hillsong United + Giveaway



    This giveaway is sponsored by Capitol Christian Music Group.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own.  This post contains affiliate links which means that I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you if you make a purchase using one of my links.

    I’ve always been a fan of Hillsong’s music ministry and have been looking forward to Wonder, their new album since their last album, Of Dirt And Grace, dropped.  As a teenager and even into my young adult years, “Shout To The Lord” became my anthem of sorts as I struggled to deal with my father’s decision to reject his family.  There were so many emotions warring inside of me as a young woman whose heart had been broken time and time again by the most important man in my life.

    A while back, I heard Hillsong United’s song, “Oceans (Where My Feet May Fail)” on one of our local Christian/inspirational radio stations and honestly, I struggle to find the words to adequately explain what that song does to me.  I quickly dubbed it my surrender song.  Whenever I listen to it, no matter what I’m feeling or what I’m thinking, everything gets completely surrendered for those 8 minutes and I’m moved to tears.  (I prefer the live version, the radio version is less than 8 minutes.)

    Being that I’ve pretty much loved and connected with almost every song I’ve heard from Hillsong and Hillsong United, I didn’t expect Wonder to be any different.  And I was right.  From start to finish, it’s beautiful album that reminds us of why we as believers should be in a constant state of wonder when it comes to God.  Keep reading to find out what my initial reaction to each song was, my favorite lyrics and how you can win a copy of Wonder for yourself.

    My First Impressions

    Before I get into my first impressions of the songs, can I want to point out that the lyrics to each song are written inside the album booklet.  This is a plus in my book because it helps you to sing along with each song and you don’t have to chance getting the wrong lyrics from one of those music lyrics websites.  Also, in the booklet the group shares a prayer, what inspired the songs from the album and what they hope listeners will takeaway from Wonder.

    Wonder

    Right away, I loved how the beat faded in as mid tempo and then after the first verse, it switches to an upbeat tempo.  The drums and guitars on this song make me wish I knew how to play both instruments.  “Wonder” a song made to remind us that God wants us to see the positivity, hope and light in this world we live in.  Even with all the not so positive things going on around us, this song reminds us that we have to continue to see the wonders of God’s hand and to “count everything as joy” (James 1:2).

    It also reminds us to “walk in the light” because after all, we should be letting our lights shine and uniting with fellow believers to fellowship, uplift and do God’s work wherever we are.  This song is very catchy and is one that has been repeat.  Get prepared to bob your head, sway and snap along.

    Shadow Step

    The piano and violin at the beginning of this song almost give me that “Oceans” vibe as this song starts at slow tempo.  Then, you can hear as the kick drum builds the beat up to mid tempo and that’s kind where the beats rides until the verse before the end where it dips back down to slow tempo before finishing off on a strong mid tempo.  “Shadow Step” definitely has a strong country feel with a hind of rock n’ roll sprinkled in here and there.  I could probably listen to just the instrumental version of this song for hours.

    “Shadow Step” is reminder that God cannot be boxed in.  We have to be ready for the unexpected and to move when He calls us.  The lyrics above speak to me because it’s a reminder that God sacrificed His only son, His only child, for us.  And He did it because of His love of for us.  How of us would do the same?

    Future Marches In

    If you’re going through a rough spot or difficult test, the lyrics of this song will definitely inspire you to push through because brighter days are ahead.  This song also reminds us to that if we can, we should use our voices to speak out, spread love and to give God all the praise.  “Future Marches In” gives me total Coldplay vibes and I LOVE it.  I’m not sure what would need to happen to see a remix with Coldplay come to be, but I’m going to pray about it.  This is one of my favorite songs.

    It has a great dance beat that just makes you want to rock out and jump around.  I can’t listen to song if I need to focus because I find myself just needing to move or close my eyes and zone out.  Definitely one of my favorites as well from this album.

    So Will I (100 Billion X)

    “So Will I” is another song that has a Coldplay vibe to it.  When the vocals first came in on this song, I was like “Wait, is this Chris Martin?”  Again, I’m putting it out there that we get a Coldplay remix of this song as well because it would be everything!  With it’s slow tempo and the instrumentation of the drums, guitar and piano, this song is so soothing and mesmerizing.  It another one that invites to just close your eyes and really listen to the lyrics.

    This is probably my second most favorite song on the album.  It’s a reaffirms to us that God has us and that His creation of us wasn’t in vain or accidental.  Whatever His word says He will do for His children, He holds tight to that word and makes good on His promise.  Whatever God says will always come to pass because He is the God of creation, the Almighty, who has command over everything.

    Splinters And Stones

    Now listening to song did make me cry.  It took me back to a period in my life where I was broken.  I felt like I had failed God so badly.  I couldn’t see how He’d ever forgive me or still love me after I’d pretty much turned my back on Him.  Well, I can tell you now, He’s definitely a forgiving God and I know even when I was in one of my darkest and most disappointing moments in my life He was there waiting for me to listen and to allow Him to carry me back to the right path.

    Hands down my most favorite song on Wonder.  If you’re feeling low, discouraged or like you’ve disappointed God to no end, this is the song for you.  Lock yourself in a quiet space and just let the lyrics of this song wash over you and remind that He’s still there.  He’s waiting.

    Glimmer In The Dust

    “Glimmer In The Dust” has a slow country vibe.  Everyone has struggled with feeling like they belong at some point or another in their lives.   We’ve all gotten caught up trying to chase down a place where we can feel accepted and loved as we are.  This song reminds us that God’s love never fails and that when we surrender to His love and wonder, we will truly have found the glimmer in the dust that we’ve been chasing the entire time.

    Greatest Of These

    For some reason, Hillsong United’s lyric “If I don’t have love” remind of me of the late Whitney Houston’s “If I don’t have you” lyric from her hit “I Have Nothing.”  And honestly, if you listen to both songs, the message is pretty much the same.  The difference is that Whitney was talking about a man and Hillsong United is talking about God and His greatest commandment that we should love others as ourselves.

    The last verse is my favorite because I think it pretty much sums  up how we should carry ourselves at all times.  And Christian or not, I think if we all did these things, we’d see great improvement in the on-goings our world.  So if you’re looking a new manifesto, goals or affirmation, let this one be it.

    Shape Of Your Heart

    The autotune and overall beat give “Shape Of Your Heart” a pop/r&b inspired vibe.  It’s definitely roadtrip music worthy.  You’ll have it on repeat for a while.  It’s an addictive listen with a beautiful message, but simple message:  Jesus covered us when he paid the ultimate price for our sins as he hung on the cross.

    His love and blood covers us.  His love is a light that is ever present and that should be wild through our veins.  If ever I get the chance to attend a Christian karaoke night, this is the song I’m singing!

    Not Today

    Lyrically, this is the Christian equivalent of “Nobody Can Drag Me Down” and I’m here for it!  I love pop music vibes and just the overall message of letting the devil and your enemies know that you’re not entertaining their foolishness today (or any other day for that matter).  Life is too short and God is simply too good to do otherwise.

    I think “Not Today” is going to be a crowd/fan favorite for concerts and radio play.  It just gets you pumped and ready to block out the haters including the biggest of them all- Satan.

    Life

    I love that “Life” has an almost hypnotic beat to it that ebbs and flows throughout the song.  I love the harmonizing of the vocals and the overall vocal styling of this track.  It’s another one that’s been on repeat.

    Rain/Reign

    Can I just say that I love the mass choir feel from the vocals at the end of this song!  This is a song that I could see being sung during worship time at my church.  It has a great beat and the tempo is right in the pocket.  It’s not too slow, but it’s not fast either.  It has great drums and a bit of bass guitar in the beginning.

    Water To Wine

    One of Jesus’ most talked about wonders/miracles is of course when he turned water into wine while he was at a wedding reception.  The same way he was able to turn water into wine, when we give our life to him and stay focused on the word, Jesus transforms us and our souls.

    Overall, I think Hillsong United knocked it out of the park with this new albums.  From start to finish Wonder is a very enjoyable and great body of work.  There are so many great songs on this album and a little something for us all no matter where we are in our walk with Christ.  I highly recommend this album!!  It will remind you why you fell in wonder with God and why you should continue to be in wonder of Him and Jesus for the rest of your days.

    Use the widget below to enter to win a copy of Wonder.  A big thank you to Capitol Christian Music Group for sponsoring this giveaway and allowing me to share one of my all time favorite Christian and inspirational music groups with my readers.  Don’t forget to follow Hillsong United on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to day up to date on new music releases, tour dates and more. 
    a Rafflecopter giveaway

    What is your go-to song when you need to be motivated or inspired?


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  • Thankful Thursday | A Weekly List of Gratitude

    So about my two week blog hiatus, let’s just say that I under estimated how much energy (mental and physical) one needs to move.  No, this wasn’t our first move, but it was definitely our biggest.  It was also probably our most emotional move because we left behind the only place both kids have known as home, friends and our favorite shopping spot – Target.  Nevertheless, we are settling into our new home and here’s everything I’ve been thankful for over these last few weeks.

    What I Am Thankful For This Week

    Summer Break |  Y’all, I thought Moo’s school would never let out.  Seriously, I’ve been over getting up early since the school year started last August.  Moo was officially over school by Christmas Break.  While she did enjoy her teacher this year, she did not enjoy her classroom as there were quite the amount of disruptive outbursts from some of her fellow classmates.

    2nd Grade Graduation Day
    I witnessed this when I volunteered for Field Day.  Y’all I want to go on a rant about why our young children (Black, Hispanic and White) are so angry these days, but that’s another post in of itself.  I was disturbed and shocked by some of the behavior I saw.  I intervened and tried to diffuse situations where I could.  Anyways, we’re going to put that behind us and enjoy sleeping in, hanging out with family and making memories for these next few weeks of summer.

    Moving |  So, I have a complete post about our new house and even a new blog series, From Traditional To Farmhouse Glam, coming up.  Until then can I say that I am so excited to no longer be about that attached living aka apartment living life?!  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind having neighbors, but I prefer that they have their own space that isn’t attached to mine.  Also, I’m not going to lie, I miss Target and my cheese danishes from Starbucks something awful.  However, the peace of mind that I have living in the country has me and the kids sleeping like babies at night.
    Can you tell they’re loving the new house
    I’m thankful that I chose to pack and move things over  a little bit at a time instead of trying to move all of our stuff all at once.  But can I vent and say that I almost had some choice words for our downstairs college-aged neighbors the day I had to move the washer and dryer.  One of them had to the nerve to ask if we move the washer and dryer quietly because she had just got up and she’s grouchy in the mornings.
    How Sway, so you move something that is well over 125 lbs down three floors without making noise?  Not to mention, we already waited until everyone was up and about their business.  So it wasn’t like we were waking anyone up.  I wanted to come back with “Did I complain or call the police when y’all was throwing balcony and house parties with the music turned up to the sky until almost 3 AM every other weekend?”  But Jesus was a fence and a mouth shield.  Her roommate did come out to apologize for her, but we were over it.

    Family Outings |  JJ got to see his favorite Disney character Lighting McQueen and got his fanboy on at the Road to the Races Tour Charlotte stop.  I’m so grateful that we got have this last big family outing as Charlotte Residents before our move and for his birthday weekend.  We all had a blast stopping at all of the different stations they had set up.  The best part was probably seeing an exclusive scene from the movie and getting more backstory on the Cars 3 story line.  And I loved that this was my first actual Disney event that I got to cover!!  You can check out my full recap here.
    Family Vacation |  Y’all, we’re going on a family vacation!!  Like an official, real deal family vacation with my family and I can’t wait.  Of course, the kids and I always vacation and travel with my family, but we usually visit places that are close to home or combine vacations with my work trips.  While I do plan on doing some work on this trip, my family will be along for the entire ride and get see all the behind the scenes stuff.  I can’t wait to go into more details and talk about it.  Where do you guys think we’re going?  Leave your guesses in the comments below.
    What are you thankful for this week?

  • In The Kitchen With Sun Basket

    I received this product for free from Moms Meet to use and post my honest opinions.  Compensation for this post was provided and this post may contain affiliate links.

    If there’s one room in our home that I spend a lot of time in it’s the kitchen.  Because there are some pretty serious food allergies in our family, I cook breakfast, lunch and dinner mostly from scratch every day.  When 2017 started, one of my goals was that I wanted to start mixing things up in the kitchen and exposing my family to new dishes.  So I was excited when Moms Meet reached out and offered us a chance to try out a Sun Basket Meal Kit.  I was delighted to find that they have meal options to suit a variety of dietary needs and restrictions.

    3 Free Meals - Sun Basket

    Packed in a 100% recyclable and compostable packaging, we absolutely loved our meal kit.  Keep reading to find out which recipes we tried as well as a few reasons we think your family should give Sun Basket a try as well. 


    Healthy Fresh Ingredients

    When I opened my Sun Basket meal kit, right away one of the things I appreciated most were that the ingredients were super fresh as well as top-notch.  I’m a country girl and come from a family of farmers and vegetable gardeners.  So I know great quality produce when I see it.  It was as if I’d gone out to my own garden, picked my produce and then came back inside to prepare my meal.

    Sun Basket only uses ingredients that organic and sustainably-source.  This was another huge plus for me.  In my opinion, organic food, especially produce and meats have a better taste, smell and are just over all better for our bodies.  Think about it, you don’t have to worry about your food being sprayed down with harmful pesticides or your if your meat is full yucky antibiotics or hormones.  

    Explore The World Through Healthy Food Options

    Physical travel isn’t the only way to visit other countries.  As I mentioned earlier, I wanted to spice up our menu offerings here at the YUMMommy casa.  What better way to switch things up than by enjoying foods from or inspired by other cultures?!  With our Sun Basket meal kit, we got to do just that and didn’t have to sacrifice our healthy eating habits either. 

    So our Sun Basket kit came with two meal options.  My hands down favorite of the two were the Turkey Kebabs with Carrot-Snap Pea Salad and Lemon Couscous.  When I say that this dish was delicious, I mean it was out of this world amazing in terms of flavoring.  I am dying to get my hands on the exact recipe for the tahini dressing and kebab spice blend.  There was not an empty plate on the table or any seconds left by the end of dinner.
    This dish combined kebabs and couscous which are two Middle Eastern classics/meal staples as well as the tahini dressing.  I’ve had traditional and authentic Middle Eastern kebabs and couscous before and Sun Basket really nailed those flavors with this recipe and the ingredients.  It took me back to my experience of dining at a true Middle Eastern restaurant for the first time and falling in love with Middle Eastern food.
    Our second meal option was Sesame-crusted Chicken with Roasted New Potato Salad.  This recipe is Asian-inspired and was the brain child of Food Network’s chef Tyler Florence along with Chef Justine Kelly, who creates all the other recipes for Sun Basket.  OMG.  I’ve had and cooked a lot of fried chicken in my life time, but this dish above is by far the best fried chicken I’ve made to date.  The sesame-tamari dressing along with the fresh lemon juice, ginger and sambal oelek took the chicken to whole ‘nother level!  
    So I know that potato salad is one of those dishes that folks don’t play around with.  In my family, you can blacklisted/permanently uninvited to family gatherings and cookouts if you screw up the potato salad.  However, I would be willing to risk a cookout ban on this Roasted New Potato Salad recipe.  Not only is it healthier, but the taste is so refreshing.  The roasted potato really meshes well with the baby spinach and Persian cucumbers.  Again the sesame-tamari dressing drizzled over top gives that extra kick that will have you reaching for seconds. 

    Affordable

    Before trying Sun Basket, I was interested in trying other meal kit delivery services.  Don’t get me wrong I love cooking, but sometimes it’s nice to have the guess work and shopping aspect taken care of by someone else.  I’m a busy mom and wife.  However, one of the reasons I had been holding out on trying these services is that the family plans were a bit a pricey for some of the meal kits that are similar to Sun Basket in terms of ingredient quality and having recipes that met our dietary needs.
    Well, Sun Basket charges $9.99 per serving for their family menu plan option which serves a family of four comfortably.  That’s basically $40 for a healthy, organic gourmet meal.  If I were buy these same ingredients or even take my family out to gourmet restaurant and order either of these meals, I can tell you know that I’d be spending more than $40.  We’ve been there, done that and spend a small fortune.  So kudos to Sun Basket for finding a way to offer families nutritious meal options without the need to break the bank.

    Family Bonding

    Hands down my favorite part of being the kitchen, aside from the actual cooking, is bonding with my children.  From start to finish, cooking with my kids is such a treat and brings me great joy.  When they’re busy and focused on doing their best to make sure our dishes turn out right, that’s when they’re also the most relax.  Our conversations aren’t guarded and they confide in me.
    No matter where we live or what place we call home, the kitchen will always be our sacred space!  And I love the Sun Basket gets the importance of getting kids involved.  They actually encourage us as parents to let them help with the meal.  So at the bottom of each recipe is a Kids can! guide with a list of tasks that are kid-friendly for each recipe.  Again the guess work is taken care of for you.
    Overall, I’d highly recommend that all families try out the Sun Basket meal kit.  Whether you’re looking to eat healthier, want to explore different cultures via your taste buds or like creating new memories in the kitchen with your children like me, this is meal kit for you guys.  You can click here to get 50% off your first order.

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    In the next coming days make sure you stop back by the blog because I’ll be sharing video of our cooking process for each recipe!  Don’t forget to check out Sun Basket on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram!

    Does your family cook together?  Have you ever tried a meal kit delivery service.

  • Disney•Pixar ‘s Cars 3 Road to the Races Tour Charlotte, NC Recap

    This post is sponsored by Disney·Pixar.  Also, this post contains affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you use one of my links to make a purchase.  All opinions expressed are my own.  Thank you for supporting the brands that keep YUMMommy running.

    We’re still counting down the days until Disney·Pixar’s Cars 3 hits theaters nationwide.  Trust me when I say the Cars fever is real in the YUMMommy household.  Thankfully, the kids (and I) got to attend the Cars 3 Road to the Races Tour stop this past weekend with lots of other Disney fans.  Yep, Lightning McQueen and the crew raced into the Charlotte Motor Speedway and it was awesome!!  You can check out some of the fun we had below.

    As soon as we walked into the event, JJ made a break away straight towards the Mattel tent.  They had an interactive play table set up with one of the new Cars 3 race track sets and it was all the rage.  We got in just before the play area started to get swamped.  Kids also got to watch Lightning McQueen as he raced against Jackson Storm, Cruz Ramirez, Mater and more as well as get a look at some of the new Cars model cars.

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    Once I was able to pry the kids away from the Mattel tent, we headed over to check out the Coppertone tent.  They were giving away samples of their new Coppertone SPF 30 Whipped Clearly Sheer sunscreen.  While we had already put on sunscreen before we left home, we still tried it out because the struggle is real when it comes to finding a sunscreen that works well for brown skin.  We want to protect our skin because we sunburn and get skin cancer too, but we don’t want to look ashy in the process or have to invest a fortune for specialty tented sunscreens.  That can get pricey when everyone in your family is different shade of brown and you have to order different shades of tented sunscreen.
    I say all of that to say that I think we’ve finally found a sunscreen we love and that just might love us back.  It is important to note that you want to rub this sunscreen in good in order for it be sheer.  Moo lathered hers own and didn’t rub it in and had streaks on her arms and face as you will see two pictures down.  LOL.  I offered to help her, but she said didn’t want me to embarrass her by treating her like a baby in public. 

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    With our new layer of sunscreen intact, we tried our hands at changing a race car tire while still at the Coppertone tent.  I have to admit that I was rather in impressed at how well my kids did, especially JJ.  The staffer operating the booth commented on how fast he was able to unscrew the bolts and how well they handled using the drill.  I guess seeing me using power tools around the house and at Grandma’s has taught them a few things.  Needless to say if Lightning McQueen ever needs some new pit crew members, these two will definitely be waiting!  Disney you know where to reach me.

    We took a break from pit crew duties to show off our dazzling smiles and pose with #95 in the Crest photo tent.  It’s nice to finally know Lightning’s secret to having camera ready smile.   After we got our photo taken, we got to step over and give the Crest prize wheel a spin.  We all won Cars 3 themed Crest toothpaste.  Although, I was kind of hoping to score some of the temporary tattoos or a Lightning McQueen toothbrush instead.  Not going to complain though because you can never have too much toothpaste in this family.  Thanks Crest and Disney!!
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    We headed over the Dole tent and I got to sample delicious green smoothie.  They passed out recipe cards so that folks would be able to recreate the smoothie at home.  Sadly it had almond milk in it.  So the kids weren’t able to try it.  Also, the guy passing out smoothies recognized me from winning the Food Lion Frugal Blogger Cook-off and from my appearance on Charlotte Today!!  I felt like a local celebrity.
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    The Almo coloring mural tent was another big hit with the kids.  As you can tell from the picture above, the kids really let their creativity run wild with their coloring skills.  We even got cute mini packs of crayons afterwards.

    Hands down our favorite park of the Disney·Pixar’s Cars 3 Road to the Races Tour event was getting to have our pictures taken with Lightning McQueen, Cruz, and Jackson!!  My little was so impatient and keep asking every five seconds why we couldn’t just skip to the front of the line.  He was so close one of his favorite celebrities yet so far away at the same time.  Can I just say that Lightning looked so cool in person!

    Okay, confession time.  While we will always love McQueen, I became super smitten with the detailing on Cruz’s paint job.  I mean how amazing does her blue metallic detailing look?!  And those blue rims are to die for.  If you didn’t know this about me before, I love sports cars.  And if we were passing out awards for best dressed sports car, Cruz would have definitely gotten my vote.

    Yes, I totally matched part of my outfit and my lipstick to Lightning McQueen’s paint color.  What can say, I love the color red!  Also, shout out to guy who took everyone’s picture with Lightning.  He was by far one of our favorite staffers at this event.  He was so patient, polite and fun.  His energy was through the roof and he did a fantastic job of interacting with the kids and making them feel special.  We truly felt like we were walking a red carpet thanks to him. 

    We’re excited to see how Jackson Storm’s relationship/interactions with Lightning McQueen are going to play out in Cars 3.  If you’ve seen the movie trailers then you already know that this year Jackson Storm became one of Lightning McQueen’s biggest competitors on the track.  I really hope he doesn’t end up being a “bad guy.”  Also, his body structure/frame was amazing!

    When we finished snapping pics with the stars of Cars 3, we head over another tent and got to make our own cars!!  JJ picked Lightning McQueen and Jackson Storm.  Moo opted for Cruz Ramirez.

    Each car takes about 15 to 30 minutes to make from start to finish, but they look really cool once they’re finished.  Lastly, we ended our time celebrating the upcoming Cars 3 release by enjoying some unreleased footage from the actual movie and a behind the scenes look at how Cars 3 came to life.   Overall, we had a blast and I hope that Disney will consider more tours like this for future movies. 
    It truly was a great way to continue building up the excitement for Cars 3, but at the same time it gave us fans something to hold us over until Cars 3 rolls into theaters nationwide on June 16, 2017.   Check out the Road to the Races Tour page to see if Lightning and the crew are coming to a city near you next!

    Is your family excited about Cars 3?

  • Thankful Thursday | A Weekly List of Gratitude

    Happy Thankful Thursday YUMMs!  I was on Twitter the other day and it dawned on me that the only shows I watch are the ones on Netflix.  Everyone was talking about all the shows that got cancelled and which ones got renewed.  Of course, I didn’t know anything about a good 80% of the shows folks were tweeting about.  Y’all my goal for this summer is give cable television another try. especially since we’re paying for it already.   Anyways, let’s get into my gratitude list for the week.

    Also, in the spirit of full disclosure.  Some of the links below are affiliate links.  this means that I will receive a small commission at NO extra charge to you if you purchase something using one of the links below.

    What I Am Thankful For This Week

    Birthdays |  JJ turned six this week and surprisingly I handled it pretty well.  Ever since I had kids, birthdays have tended to reduce to me an emotional puddle of tears.  Neither I or Jay could wait until his actual birthday to give him his gifts.  So for his actually birthday, JJ had two requests.  He wanted to go to the library to play with the blocks and look for Thomas & Friends books.

    We didn’t find any Thomas & Friends books that we hadn’t already read.  After leaving the library, he requested to hang out at the park.  Although, this Carolina sun was blazing, I couldn’t say no.  So off to the park we went.  You can check out a little bit of our adventure in our first mini family vlog below.

    Ibotta App |  At the beginning of the year, I set a goal to be more deliberate and consistent about using the Ibotta app.  If you don’t know Ibotta is an app that you download to your smartphone and use to earn cash back on almost everything from groceries and makeup to shopping at certain online retailers.  They have a low cash out threshold of just $20.  I set a goal to earn $60 – $100 back in cash every month.

    Well, I slacked off big time until pretty much the end of last month.  You see this Christmas I want to have $100 to spend solely on books and at least $200 to spend on gifts for my siblings that doesn’t come out of my or Jay’s regular income.  Therefore, when I realized that I wasn’t anywhere close to meeting by $300 goal, I got serious.

    My consistency is paying off because I’ve earned over $75 in just a few weeks.  By the end of the week I will have earned an additional $20 bringing me to $95.  This might not seem like a lot, but literally I’m getting paid to buy things that I already buy.

    And the best part is that I’m saving even more because I often use coupons.  If I stay on task and with earning $20 in cash back every week, I’ll have more than $300 stowed away in my PayPal by the time Christmas gets here.  I invite you to try out Ibotta.  


    Spring Cleaning |  I’ve finally made some progress on getting rid of more unneeded to stuff.  We cleaned out the kids’ dressers and got rid of a ton of clothing that was way to small for them.  I haven’t a clue why I was still hanging on to it, but it’s been donated to a charity that will sort through and divide everything to go to other families who need it.

    I hope you guys have lovely weekend!  I’ll be covering the Cars 3 Road to the Races Tour this weekend for Disney.  Be on the lookout for a recap post and a vlog.

    What are you thankful for this week?