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  • #52BooksIn2016 | March Reads and Faves

    52Books-March

    e5378-affiliatedisclosure

    Happy April!  Month 3 of the 52 Books in 2016 Reading Challenge is done.  We ended March having read a total of 48 books for the month.  We averaged one book a night for March since we read a few chapter books and longer picture books.  You can check out all the books we read below. ( Not pictured Glide and Slide by Janine Scott).  Check out our February recap if you missed it!

    March Reads

    Click on the book covers for more information on each book.

     

    March Faves

    The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs By Jon Scieszka

    There are hundreds of different variations of this classic bedtime story.  However, Scieszka’s version is the one my kids have found to the funniest so far.  Unlike other Three Little Pigs stories this one is told from  Big Bad Wolf’s perspective.  We had previously read this book, but Moo just had to hear it again.  I was to oblige her because I secretly enjoy this story myself.

    The Buried Bones Mystery (Clubhouse Mysteries series) by Sharon M. Draper

    I’m so glad we marked this off our TBR list.  Moo loved reading about Rico, Ziggy, Rashawn and Jerome aka The Black Dinosaurs as they decided to build a clubhouse, hunt for treasure and become mystery solvers.  We still adore Nancy Drew, but it’s nice to know there’s a series out there featuring main characters of color doing the crime solving.  Next we’re on the hunt for a mystery series that features Black main characters who are girls.  If you have any suggestions leave them in the comments below.  We also loved that The Black Dinosaurs were closer to Moo’s age and she could better relate to them.

    Thomas Goes Fishing by Reverend W. Awdry

    It’s no surprise that JJ’s favorite book was Thomas related.  He’s obsessed with that tank engine!  For days I heard “Can we go fishing like Thomas, Mommy?”  Thanks Thomas!  It looks like we’ll be investing in some fishing rods, bait and fishing permits this summer.

    Nikki & Deja (Nikki & Deja series) by Karen English

    I love books that encourage and teach the importance of friendship, especially among girls of color.  We only got to read the first book of this series last month, but I’m surprising her later on this month by buying the complete series.  Nikki & Deja will make a great addition to our reading library.

    Strong Looks Better Naked by Khloe Kardashian

    When I first picked this book up I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I haven’t watched Keeping Up With The Kardashians in years, but I did read Kris Jenner’s book last year and it was awesome as well as eye-opening.  Therefore, I decided to take a chance and read Khloe’s book.  I’m glad that I did because it was a good read about how living healthy isn’t about dieting, but making lifestyle changes across the board from what you eat to the people you surround yourself with.  Living healthy isn’t just about the outside (physical) but the inside (mental) as well.

    What We’re Reading This Month

    A New York Kind of Love by Synithia Williams

    I knew I had to read this book when I found out that Synithia was a fellow Carolinian and that part of her book would take place in South Carolina with a few mentions of Charlotte.  I love my home states, but also have a deep love for New York.  To have a local writer combine the two is the icing on the cake!  I’ve already started reading this book and so far so good.  I’m looking forward to reading more books from Synithia and hope to meet her in person one day.

    Inevitable Conclusions (Inevitable series) by Christina C Jones

    Many of you might know Christina from her blog Being Mrs Jones.  I’m happy to call her friend and love her books!  She definitely knows romance and has written up a storm since she released her first book.  Her characters and their stories are realistic and relatable.  I’m playing catch-up and can’t wait to read this book as I’ve heard nothing but great things about it.

    I’m super excited to announce that we have passed our reading challenge goal of 150 books for 2016.  We’ve read 154 books in the past three months!  If we keep this momentum going we’ll have read over 500 books by the end of the year.  That’s a lot of books.  I feel like we’ll definitely hit the 300 books mark for sure.

    It’s been a blast reading with the kids everyday, especially doing the chapter book read-alongs with Moo.  The mini breaks from reading adult books has inspired me to find other Mommy & Me projects that I can do with my kids together and with each other individually.

  • Thankful Thursday

    “Let us pray for hearts that see beneath surface problems and into the soul of human need.  May we love others for who they may become in Christ.  May we befriend the friendless, love the sinner, and accept those with different points of view.  And as we walk in today’s world, may we represent the Christ well.”
    ~ Gracie Malone, Unafraid: 365 Days Without Fear
    Happy Thankful Thursday!  Sorry taking last week off, but it’s been around these parts.  I’m happy to be back on the wagon this week.  I need to be mediating on all of the positive things going on in my life right now with the way this week has turned out.
    Earlier this week I had an issue with my furniture delivery that has now resulted in an injury for me.  I didn’t see myself spending my weekend on bed rest, but it looks like that’s what’s going to be happening.  It’s frustrating to say the least.  As a busy mom of two, having an injury that has me sidelined isn’t ideal because Mommy Duty doesn’t have specific hours.  I’m on-call 24/7.
    I’m thankful though that my family has been praying for me and has offered to help in anyway that they can until I’m all better.  I’m also grateful that all of the furniture has arrived.  That’s one less thing that I have to worry about right now.
    I don’t want to jinx anything, but I do think our Spring weather has arrived!  I’m grateful that the weather has been nothing short of lovely this week.  The kids and I got a head start on our gardening.  We planted tomatoes and watermelons and will be adding basil, parsley, lettuce and strawberries in the coming weeks.
    So far gardening has been a great bonding experience for us.  The kids wake up every morning asking to water their plants.  The enthusiasm on their faces as they race to the balcony to see if their plants have sprouted yet is the cutest thing!
    Lastly, I’m thankful for supportive friends, especially Makeba from MELISASource.  I had been silently following her blog for a while before we finally met in person last year at private event hosted by Coca-Cola.  We ended up seated next to each other during a presentation and clicked instantly after realizing we had so much in common.  
    I can’t express how great it is to have friends who support what you do/your dreams.  We all need someone to cheer us on and remind us that we’re not in this alone from time to time.  If you don’t have anyone in your circle cheering you on, it’s never to let to make new friends.
    What are you thankful for this week?

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  • #52BooksIn2016 | February Reads and Faves

    We’re still going strong with our reading challenge.  You can check out our January update here.  We finished out February strong having read a total of 54 books.  That’s an average of two books a day.  Keep scrolling to see all the books we read in February, find out which ones were our favorites and what we’re knocking off our TBR (To Be Read) list this month.

    February Reads

        
       
     
       
       
       
     
      
       
      
       
      
       
       
       
       
       
       
       

    Our Fave Reads

    The Honest Life by Jessica Alba

    Jessica Alba is the real MVP when it comes to breaking down how to create a naturally healthy lifestyle for yourself and your family.  A lot of times people get turned off from trying to live healthy because it seems so complicated, but it doesn’t have to be.  Also, living naturally looks different for everyone and every family.  What I loved was that this book was filled not only with helpful tips, but recipes, lists, an appendix of resources and more.  If you’re interested in improving your family’s healthy lifestyle, I highly recommend reading this book and then going from there.

     Bad Kittly Meets the Baby by Nick Bruel

    Moo is hooked on the Bad Kitty series.  I can’t even remember how she got hooked on it.  I think my niece let her read one of her Bad Kitty books and the rest is history.  Now she’s kind of gotten me hooked on them.  When I say that I haven’t laughed so hard reading a children’s book before, I literally laughed until I cried.  Kitty is a hot mess, but in a kid-friendly/hilarious way.

    Kitty is a handful and when her family decides to adopt a baby, she is not having it.  I think Moo really loved this book because being the older sibling she could relate to Kitty feeling threatened by Baby’s presence.  No one likes to feel like they’re being replaced whether it’s kids or cats for that matter.

     Thomas & Friends: The Adventure Begins

    It’s no shocker that JJ’s favorite book was The Adventure Begins from the Thomas & Friends series.  He’s been obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine for years now and show no sign of losing interest.  He had never seen or heard the story of how Thomas came to be Sir Topham Hatt’s number one really useful engine before and loved it.  We learned that Thomas actually used to be a green engine stenciled with yellow lettering, but was painted blue because it was one of Sir Topham Hatt’s favorite colors.

    In addition to being beautifully illustrated this book comes with a poster that your Thomas lover can hang on his or her wall and boarding tickets so that they can play train.  It definitely worth it to order the paperback copy instead of an ereader version because obviously you won’t get the poster or tickets with that version. 


    What We’re Reading This Month

    The first week of March is already under our belt and we’ve been chugging right along still and continuing to read daily as a family as well as individually.  Here’s a sneak peek at some of the books we’ll be reading throughout the month.
    Joyce Meyer is another minister that I grew up listening to as a kid and I feel in love with her tell it like it is preaching approach.  She’s very transparent and has been honest about her Christian journey, sharing both good and bad moments.  You don’t find too many ministers who will go into detail about their pasts like Joyce Meyer has and will.  I already own a few of her books and have even gifted her books to family members before.  I was super excited when FaithWords reached out to me and asked if I’d like to check out her new book.
    Honestly, their offer came at the right time because unleashing myself from the many stresses in my life is definitely something that I need to work on right now.  My hope is that after reading this book I will come away with some tips and tricks on how to better leave my worries and stresses at the alter so that they don’t hinder with my faith/relationship with God as well as tips that I can put into place to be more present with my loved ones.
      
    Disney Frozen fans don’t have to wait until the Frozen 2 release to find out what Anna, Elsa and the lovable Olaf have been up since their big screen debut.  Your Frozen lover can follow Anna, Elsa and Olaf as they go adventures in this easy to read and magical book series.  
    From Princess Anna teaching Queen Elsa the ropes of Arendelle to rescuing a summer queen in a distant land this series sounds like it’s going to be a blast to read.  We have all 8 books and Moo’s already started on reading All Hail the Queen.  I’m going to be honest and admit that I’m quite the Frozen myself!  I’ve been struggling hard to not read ahead in this series since we’re doing a mother-daughter read along, but we’ll see what happens.
      
    Growing up my favorite genre to read were mysteries.  The only issue was that there were little to no mysteries with characters of color.  So my mom got me started with the Nancy Drew series.  I’ve read a few of the old and new Nancy Drew books to Moo and like me she’s noticed that none of the characters are brown skinned.  I did a little research and found out about the Clubhouse Mysteries series from Sharon Draper.

    I can’t wait to start reading these Moo.  I wish this series had been around in the late 80s and the 90s when I was a kid because it would have been nice to read about and see more characters that looked like me, but it’s never to late to catch up on these now that I know about them.  These books are fairly short and can each be read in a day.


    Kimani Romance

     Aside from mysteries, self-help and Christian books, I do enjoy reading romance novels.  I especially make it my business to stay up to date on all of the Kimani Romances from Harlequin because African Americans are greatly underrepresented in the world of fictional romance.  I’m actually glad that Harlequin saw this void and decided to create Kimani imprint to not only bring forth more African American love stories, but to also give Black writers a way to get their stories in front of a wider audience.  My mom being a minister only purchased Harlequin romances because they were PG or PG-13 at most back in the day.  So it makes sense that I have not only become a few Harlequin lover, but also a Harlequin book reviewer.

    This month I’m reading and reviewing, Falling for Autumn by Sherelle Green.  Scheduled for an April 1st release, this is the first book of Sherelle Green’s that I’m reading.  I’m only a few pages in on Ajay and Autumn’s love story, but I’m liking it so far.  I can’t wait to check out the rest of the books in Green’s Bare Sophistication series.

    Also this month I received an advance review copy of His Love Lesson by Nicki Night.  This is book two in her Barrington Brothers series and will be released this May, but is currently available for pre-order.  Like Green, this will be my first time reading Nicki Night.  I haven’t started on this book yet, but it’s set in one of my favorite places- New York!  This story also involves a snowstorm and you guys know how much I love snow! I’m really looking forward to reading this book and continuing to support other authors of color.

    That’s it for our March TBR/Currently Reading List.  Since we’re reading more chapter books this month, I’m not sure if we’ll read 52 books this month, but I think we’ll be pretty close.  Having also read 54 books last month, we’re only 44 books away from reaching our family reading goal of 150 books for Dani’s 52 Books Reading Challenge.  I’m thinking that I might have to up our goal to 200 or maybe even 300 since we’ll being doing our own 100 books reading challenge for the 100 days of summer.

    Have you read any good books lately?  Leave us some suggestions in the comments below.

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  • Thankful Thursday

    “For the Lord will not abandon His people, nor will He forsake His inheritance.”

    ~ Psalm 94:14
    Happy Thankful Thursday!  Is February coming to a close already?!  I can’t say that I’m sad this month flew by because February is a bit of a bittersweet month for me.  It’s the month my Ma was born and died in.  Unlike the past few years, I wasn’t depressed on her birthday or the day we held her funeral.  
    They say time heals everything and six years later I can finally say that I feel like I’m healing from the devastating blow of losing someone who meant so much to me.  I know that I was extremely blessed to have aunt who doubled as a second mom and loved me like she had given birth to me.  My kids have this same relationship with my baby sister and I’m so grateful for that.  Whenever she comes to visit, I love standing back and just observing the way the three of them interact. There bond is so amazing.
    I’m thankful that Moo got invited to her first Big Girl party this week!  This is a huge milestone for both of us.  I have a pretty big family.  So she’s been to plenty of family birthday parties for cousins, but this one is different. (Did y’all know that not many parents these days throw parties for their kids?)  For starters, she won’t be related to anyone at this party and it’s a book club party!  Y’all know how much we love books.  I can’t wait to see her in elements and making new friends this weekend.
    This week I’m most thankful that since the second week of this month the Mr has been able to spend a lot more time with the family, especially the kids.  They love having him home more and not just seeing him in passing in the mornings.  I’m loving all the extra family and couple time.  Since having him home more there has been a noticeable change in our relationship.  
    Listen when I tell you that it makes a difference when you make time to be with your spouse.  Before his work schedule had him on the opposite of our schedules.  In the mornings when our day was starting, his was ending.  Then he was leaving for work before school let out which meant Moo was only seeing him in the mornings and there were some mornings when she wasn’t seeing him at all because he’d already gone to Sleep Land by the time she got up. 
    JJ got quality time with him the afternoon before he prepared to go to work, but it was kind of rushed.  Now we can pick up Moo up together, he’s here when we wake up and when the kids go to bed.  I’m trying not to get too used to this schedule because I know it’s going to change again sometime next month, but it’s so hard not to.  I’ve been brainstorming ideas of ways to bring in enough passive income that we can keep this schedule for the long term.
    What are you grateful for this week?  Let me know in the comments.

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  • Murchison-Hume: The Natural And Effective Way To A Beautifully Clean Home


    Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Moms Meet, May Media Group LLC, and Murchison-Hume.  I received this product free to facilitate this review.  All opinions are my own. 



    Do you know what’s in your cleaners?  Seriously, when was the last time you picked up a bottle of spray cleaner and read the ingredients?  Chances are there are a ton of harsh and harmful chemicals in it.  While I’m not above pulling out the disinfectant spray every now and again during cold season, for the part I do prefer to clean our home with products that have natural ingredients and that line up with our journey to living a healthier, more honest lifestyle.  Therefore, I was glad when Moms Meet reached out to see if I was interested in trying out the Murchison-Hume Home Starter Kit.
    Murchison-Hume was started by former fashion editor Max Kater after doctors diagnosed Charlie, her son, with allergies to common household soaps and cleaning products.  “Armed with a mother’s determination, I set out to create safe cleaning solutions for my son’s sensitive skin that were simple to use (and actually worked).  As a mom of two kids with sensitive skin and allergies, I commend Max on taking matters into her hands and creating Murchison-Hume.  We moms will do anything for children including making a line of cleaning and personal care products made from naturally-derived ingredients. 

    What I Received

    Murchison-Hume not only specializes in cleaning products, but personal care products like hand soaps and pet wash as well.  Also, they have a variety of starter kits to choose from to suit your needs.  For my testing purposes I received the following cleaning products in my Murchison-Hume Home Starter Kit:
    • Murchison-Hume Spit & Polish Stainless Steel Cleaner
    • Murchison-Hume Everyday Furniture & Upholstery Cleaner
    • Murchison-Hume Effortless Floor Cleaner
    • Murchison-Hume Premium Glass Polish
    • Murchison-Hume Counter Safe All-Purpose Cleaner
    • Murchison-Hume Ladies’ Bathroom Cleaner
    • 1 Murchison-Hume Jute Tote

    What I Liked & Didn’t Like

    Hands down the Murchison-Hume Counter Safe All-Purpose Cleaner was my favorite.  We are constantly busy here.  Therefore I can greatly appreciate the simplicity of an all-purpose cleaner.  Who has time to use a million and one different cleaners?  With this one cleaner, I can clean the stove top, the counters, coffee tables, TV stand, remotes and anything else with a hard surface.
    I highly recommend ordering multiples of this spray because it will automatically become your go-to.  And the Australian White Grapefruit scent leaves your home smelling nice and fresh.  It also comes in an Original Fig scent.  So I’m ordering one of each.
    My next favorite was Murchison-Hume Ladies’ Bathroom Cleaner.  Bathrooms around here get dirty (and smelly) fast.  Thankfully this spray is a 2-in-1 because it’s a surface cleaner and air freshener!  Talk about pulling double duty.  Be sure to follow the directions and leave this on for tough stains and stuck on dirt.  I chose to spray down the counters, sinks, tubs and outside toilet area and let the spray sit while I swept and cleaned the toilet bowl.
    The dirt wiped away smoothly with no problems.  Although, you might have to put a little elbow grease in for the tub because we all tubs require a little more effort to clean.  I also received the Australian White Grapefruit scent for this one, but comes in Original Fig as well. 

    Murchison-Hume Premium Glass Polish is a must-have in my book.  When you have as many mirrored and glass surfaces as we do, then you know that kids will be kids and smudge them all up every chance they get.  Also, you know that these surfaces can and will attract a good amount of dust.  Thankfully this spray is also a 2-in-1 because it not only polishes all of those sticky smudges from little fingers, but it works to prevent dust re-settling.
    With four pairs of feet roaming through Casa de YUMMommy on a daily basis plus our battle against tracking in pet hair from our neighbors’ dogs, our floors need daily love.  And now with JJ able to open up the frig and get what he wants whether he can actually carry it or not, our floors need love multiple times on some days.  The Murchison-Hume Effortless Floor Cleaner has really come in handy for both of these situations.   A little bit goes a long way with this floor cleaner.  So be sure to follow the directions and dilute the spray. 
    Unfortunately I haven’t gotten a chance to try out the Murchison-Hume Spit & Polish Stainless Steel Cleaner yet because our rental has zero stainless steel.  However, our house will have stainless steel appliances and I can’t wait to if this works as well as the other products have.  I have no doubt that my kids’ little fingers will be drawn to smudging up our appliances once we move.
    While I liked the Murchison-Hume Everyday Furniture & Upholstery Cleaner, you really have to scrub, rinse and respray went it comes to lifting up darker stains like red drink.  Unfortunately JJ spilled some of his strawberry juice one day and it took two good scrubs and rinses to lift it out and in some areas the stain didn’t lift completely.   
    Lastly, I really love that fact that these products don’t contain any harsh chemicals like ammonia, parabens, etc.  They also 100% cruelty-free and are made right here on American soil!  The packaging is recyclable, which is another huge plus for us since we’re all about trying to live as Green and eco-friendly as possible for our family.
    Overall, I’m very pleased with my Murchison-Hume Home Starter Kit and am purchasing more of these products.  I feel a lot better about using these products in our home in comparison to a few of our old ones.  Who says you need harmful chemicals to have a beautifully clean home?! You can stay up to date on new products and sales by following Murchison-Hume on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

    How do you keep your home clean?  Share a cleaning tip below. 
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  • Letters To My (Our) Children: The Importance of Celebrating Our Black History

    Happy Black History Month My Loves!
    Growing up celebrating the richness of our history wasn’t something that was confined to solely to the month of February.  Grandma was very proactive about making sure that we celebrated Black history year round.  From requiring us all to participate in our schools’ yearly History Day competitions to checking out movies with mainly Black casts and keeping our bookshelves stocked with biographies and memoirs like Narrative of Sojourner Truth, she made she we were raised to appreciate our culture.
    Like Grandma, I’ve adopted the tradition of celebrating our Black history year round as well for the following reasons:

    Hope

    “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”

    ~ Romans 15:4
    Throughout the Bible there are many passages that warn about the danger of not knowing one’s history.  There are even more passages that encourage the older generation to pass down the stories of their family’s history to their children while stressing the importance that their children then pass those same messages and history lessons down to the next generation to come and so forth.  Knowing where our people came from gives us hope!  As each generation has improved, the next one has become more hopeful.  
    And when we have hope, we have faith.  Therefore each generation is essentially becoming more faithful because they’re hearing (and even witnessing at times) of just how far God has guided and elevated us.  Always let our history give you hope and faith that you can not only endure all things, but also rise above things like racism and glass ceilings. 

    Vision

    “Have a vision. Be demanding.

    ~ Colin Powell
    How can you have vision for your future if you don’t know where our people have been?  What we’ve been through?  And how can you demand better for your life when you don’t a vision of where you’re going or where you want to be?
    Knowing where we come from inspires us to envision the places we want to go next.  Those visions create direction.  Direction then creates demand because in order to get where we’re going we’ll have to pass out orders along the way and demands of people.  Demands like respect, equality and more.


    Self Definition

    “Defining myself, as opposed to being defined by others, is one of the most difficult challenges I face.”

    ~ Carol Moseley-Braun
    Unfortunately we live in a world where we as Blacks are frequently defined by stereotypes/misconceptions created by non-Blacks.  It’s so frustrating at times.  However, I know and celebrate where I come from and define myself!  It’s easy to believe and buy into other people’s opinions of what your culture and history are when you don’t know it yourself.  Trust me when I say that knowledge gives you the power to define yourself.
    Because we weren’t content with being just known as slaves, we discovered that we were and still are kings and queens!  Never let anyone tell you who you are.  Do the research for yourself because chances are they’re only highlighting the negative parts.

    Success

    “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.”

    ~ Booker T. Washington
    Want to know success looks like?  Take a look back at how far Blacks in America have come.  Read about the Civil Rights Movement and all the advancements being made in the Mother Land.  In reading these stories about our history you will see that we’ve overcome millions of obstacles.  You’ll see that we a people of resilience.  You’ll see that we our a people who can’t be stopped because success is in our blood. 
    It’s all written right there in our history how we’ve managed to work together and defeat each demon, demolish each barrier and emerge successful and victorious!  The obstacles of our past have made us stronger and positioned the drive to succeed right in our hands.  I won’t always be around, but know that whatever obstacles you face in life, if you want to know how to defeat them just take a look back our history.  The Bible says that there is nothing new under the sun and God’s word it correct.  You’re bound to find someone that has had to overcome your obstacle,  research until you find out how they overcame and then tailor their problem-solving technique to match your needs.
    No need to keep reinventing the wheel completely when you can just research and only make a few adjustments!

    Dreams to Reality

    “We all have dreams.  In order to make dreams come into reality it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort.”

    ~ Jesse Owen

    Harriet Tubman once had a dream of becoming a freed woman and leading other slaves to freedom.  You know what inspired her to get focused and disciplined enough to carry out her plan?  Her past/history.  History had shown Harriet Tubman that if she didn’t get serious about her dreams they’d never become a reality.  She’d end up dying a slave like many others before her had.
    Celebrating our history can often give us the push we need to make our dreams into something real.  Don’t miss out on your chance!
    I love you.  Don’t forget celebrating our Black history is important and it’s something we do 365!  I hope one day you all will pass this letter and 365 Black history celebration down to my grandkids and that you’ll encourage them to do the same.  Remember it’s our responsibility to teach each other!
    Love Always,
    Mommy

    Letters To Our Children is a monthly series started by Lashawn of Everyday Eyecandy.  Swing over to  A Southern Bowl of Gumbo to read Tamika’s letter to her daughter!

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  • #52BooksIn2016 | January Reads and Faves

    I inherited my love of reading and books at an early age from my mother and her side of the family.  I’m proud to see that I’ve passed this inheritance down to my children as well.  There’s nothing quite like escaping to a new reality when reading a work of fiction or learning things you never knew while reading nonfiction.  When it comes to reading, it’s serious business around here.  Our librarians can tell you that they see us multiple times throughout the week and that we check out on average upwards of 100 books every month between the kids and I.
    When I read the my friend Dani was hosting the 52 Book Challenge, I knew my family had to join in and show our support.  We committed reading 150 total as a family. We’d like to invite you and your family to join in as well.  The challenge is pretty easy.  
    All your family has to do is commit to reading 52 books before the end of 2016.  One book a week is doable, right?  As you finish reading books, snap a pic and share it using the hashtag #52BooksIn2016 on social media.  Since we read so many books, I’ve decided to do monthly updates sharing all the books we’ve read for that month along with which books were our favorites for that specific month.
    We really hope to see you and your family participate.  Speaking as a parent and having worked in the school system, I can tell you that doing this challenge as a family will have many benefits such as providing bonding time and a tool to help your children become stronger readers.  There are plenty of ways to make this challenge fun like choosing to read books that have been turned into movies and then hosting movie nights after you’ve finished them.

    Anyways our list of January reads are below.  Feel free to click on any of the pictures below to pick up a few of our reads for your little one!

    Our January Reads

    A Valentine for Percy
    Eight Silly Monkeys
    This nursery rhyme was one of my favorite growing up and it’s been remixed many ways over the years.  When I saw this book I knew I had to get to start with the kids and I’m glad that I did because it ended up being one of the kids’ favorites that we read for January.  What really sold them on this book were the 3D die-cut monkey faces on each page.  We read this many times and I see us reading it many more times in the future.
    Mommy Loves You So Much
    This is a Peach

    I Can Draw

    I Like School

    Bubble Shapes

    Say I’m Sorry

    Curious George and the Dump Truck

    Minions Banana

    Heated Moments

    The Sweet Life

    This book has been on my TBR list probably since I first heard the news that Dulce was writing a book.  Dulce is a fellow YouTuber and blogger who’s managed to go from a teenager spiraling out of control to a big time beauty/mompreneur.  Dulce has such a lovable personality in her videos that it’s hard not to like her.  In her new book she spills the beans about how she got control of her life and became the star she is today.  She also shares secrets and tips on how she built her brand.
    I Can Be a Farm Vet
    Moo is pretty obsessed with anything Barbie related and I can’t really blame her.  One day I decided to surprise her with this book to read for our bedtime story.  She loved it!  It combines two of her faves- Barbie and animals.  We’ve read a handful of books from the Barbie: I Can Be series and I’m looking forward to reading more.  I’ll encourage my kids to reads that encourage and empower them to follow their dreams.

    Stop Train, Stop

    Olive Marshmallow
    This book is so adorable and probably sums up every only child’s feelings to becoming a big brother or sister.  We were hanging in the library (our favorite spot) when Moo came up and said, “Is this how your belly looked when I inside?”  We checked the book out, read it and loved it.  Moo declared it a great read because it will help her brother prepare for when we have another baby.  I love that kid’s thinking!  Anyways, there’s a followup book, Olive the Alien and we can’t wait to read it. 

    Treasure on the Tracks

    Lizzie & the Last Day of School

    Where is Petey?

    Hippo Says “Excuse Me”

    Pete the Cat: Cavecat Pete

    Back in the Saddle

    The Unfairest of Them All

    Tuscan Heat
    I did get to get in a little adult reading in January.  I was excited when I got an ARC (advance review copy) of this book from Harlequin Kimani because I love supporting Black writers/authors, especially in the romance genre.  If you’re not a book nerd like me then you might not know that over the past few years there’s been quite the buzz about how there isn’t a market for Black romance because nobody wants to read it and/or there aren’t any good authors writing it.  I can say that both of those statements are a lie.  There are plenty Black women ( a few non-Blacks) who want to read about Black romance.
    Clearly there were enough for Harlequin to start up their Kimani division which publishes Black romances only.  Anyways, I’d heard nothing but great things about Deborah Mello and I am proud to say all of those great things were true.  She’s definitely a master of romance writing.  As I told Harlequin in my feedback, this book reads like sweet poetry and has that true hopeless romantic feel with a few moments of humor here and there.

    The Big Green Pocketbook
    Thomas and the Shark
    If there’s one thing my little guy goes nuts over, it’s Thomas the Tank Engine!  We’ve read this book a million times already, but that didn’t stop him from picking it up at the library for us to read again.  We ended up reading at least five more times before he would let me check it back in.  Don’t tell him, but this is one of many of the Thomas books he’ll be getting for his birthday!

    Tea Time With Sophia Grace & Rosie

    The Storybook of Legends
    Okay, I have a confession to make- I’m totally hooked on the Ever After High series!  I know this series is supposed to be for middle school kids, but I can’t help but love these books, especially after reading the Monster High series with Moo last year.  When she asked if we could read this series together, I was game.  It felt great to get lost in such whimsical world and tale.
    If you’ve never heard your child talking about the Ever After High series, it’s basically a series chronicling the lives of famous storybook characters’ children like Snow White’s daughter Apple White and Raven Queen the evil queen’s daughter.  Really great series with an undertone of encouraging children to blaze their own paths!  Definitely YUMMommy approved.

    Clean Up, Clean Up

    Up and Down

    Pat-a-Cake

    The Nuts: Bedtime at the Nut House

    CinderElephant

    Splat the Cat: Back to School, Splat

    Bad Kitty Does Not Like Dogs

    Squares

    Toot Toot, Beep Beep
    Happy
    Bedtime singalong anyone?  If you loved Pharrell’s song Happy before, you’re going to love it in book form even more!  This was a crowd pleaser for sure and I love the photography of the kids as well as the inspirational note he wrote to readers at the end of the book.  Definitely pick this one up!

    Best Friends in Fairyland

    If You See a Kitten

    Tug the Pup

    The Berenstain Bears: Down on the Farm

    Katy Duck & the Secret Valentine
    Sofia Martinez: The Missing Mouse
    Who said learning Spanish had to be boring?!  We love the Sofia Martinez books because they’re funny and the kids are learning some key Spanish words.  Moo’s also learning that just like Blacks, Hispanics come in all shades of brown and tan as well.  I’m always open to books that educate my children on different cultures.  I’ve already purchased a few of the Sofia Martinez books for Moo for her birthday even though it’s more than six months away.  Who knows, I might gift them to her early!

    Cold Rose

    Amazing Gorillas

    There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Rose

    Jeff’s Job

    The Monster of Sodor

    One Big Blue Family

    Farm Alarm

    TMNT: Too Much Ooze

    Peppa Goes Swimming

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    I can’t until next month to share our February reads and faves with you all.  We’ve been having a blast reading and discovering new and old faves as a family!  Thanks again for the challenge Dani!
    Do you read as a family?  If so, what are some of your favorite reads?

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  • Thankful Thursday


    “The making of a saint doesn’t occur in a laboratory but in the field of experience; we do not grow in spite of pain but because of it.”

    ~ Gracie Malone, Unafraid: 365 Days Without Fear

    Happy Thankful Thursday folks!  This week has been looonng!  I am one tired/drained/sleep-deprived mommy.   I literally feel like I’m hanging on by threads.  Remember I mentioned in last week’s Thankful Thursday post that Moo had a bad cough/cold?  
    Well, her cough/cold didn’t go away over the weekend like I was hoping it would.  It actually got worst and I ended taking her to the pediatrician on Tuesday after she complained of being dizzy and “seeing spots.”  Turns out she had two congested lungs and was on her way to getting pneumonia!!  Here I was treating my child with over-the-counter cough syrup for what appeared to be a common cold and cough, but was really something more serious.  Also, her oxygen levels were low.
    I really wanted to beat myself up for not knowing she had something more than a common cold.  However as her doctor pointed out, she didn’t have fever and she wasn’t complaining of chest pains.  She did have to use her inhaler a few times, but she asthma and that usually flares up here and there, especially when she has a cold.  So, there’s no way that I could have known what was really happening.
    In a way, her dizzy spell and persistent cough really helped us to catch this before it was too late and I’m grateful for that.  I’ve heard horror stories about how rough pneumonia is on kids and I’m glad that we catch this in time before it turned that.  We’ve decided that since her body disguises serious issues like a common cold, it would be best if whenever she starts to show signs of being sick to bring her in ASAP and they will diagnose whether or not it’s a common cold or her body playing tricks on us again.  I feel incredibly blessed that my children have a pediatrician who understands our struggle.  We don’t WANT to be that family who goes to the doctor for every little thing, but we have it because the risk is too high otherwise.
    She was very patient and did her best to soothe me as she explained Moo’s condition the seriousness of it.  She knows that I’m one of those emotional moms who internalizes things.  At the end of the day, I just want both of my kids to have one year without something major happening to threaten their health.  If I could take away all of their allergies, their asthma and everything else, I would because it just doesn’t seem fair.  Nevertheless, Moo is home and she is feeling better.
    She’s on steroids and breathing treatments every four hours to help her lungs and praying that we get good news when we go back for her recheck.  A hospital stay is not in the cards for us right now.  Through this all my family has been amazing.  They’ve been calling and texting to check on all of us around the clock and my mom even volunteered to take some time off from her job and come to sit with us.  I’m beyond thankful to have such an amazing support system.  My village holds me down and I wouldn’t have gotten through these last few days without them.
    I’m grateful that JJ is healthy and am praying that he doesn’t catch anything.  I’m thankful that we may have more Snow Days coming.  There’s a snow storm that’s supposed to be coming our way and I’m open to the idea of being snowed in with my family so that I can catch up on some sleep.  Some news reports say we’ll more likely get a few flurries and freezing rain while another said that we should expect to see a few inches and stay inside.  I guess we’ll see what happens this weekend.
    Lastly, I’m thankful for reconnecting with my besties.  We’re all busy working moms and spouses.   So, it’s been hard to really keep in contact, but this past weekend we talked about taking a girls’ trip to Mexico and I’m super excited.  I’ve never been to Mexico and can’t wait to go with my besties.  One of the pictures I put on my vision board was a passport with the word ‘Travel’ on it and it looks like that vision is already manifesting itself into reality!!

    Have you ever been to Mexico?  What was your favorite place to visit?  Don’t forget to let me know one thing you’re grateful for this week in the comments!

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  • Kayem Foods: Helping The Carolina Panthers Win Off The Field

    There’s no denying this football season has been beyond great for the Carolina Panthers.  While the coaching staff and players have done a great job of winning fans over with their on-field performance, Kayem foods is helping the Carolina Panthers win off the field.  Kayem Foods and  the Carolina Panthers recently partnered together and Kayem is now the official brand of franks and sausages of the Carolina Panthers and Bank of America Stadium.
    If you think we football fans don’t play about our teams, we really don’t mess around when it comes to our Game Day eats either.  One just cannot properly enjoy a football game without some good eats and in my family, plain ol’ chips and salsa won’t cut it.  My family enjoys eating “Real Food” meaning something with meat in it and that will stick to the belly.  So, I was delighted and a bit anxious when Kayem reached out to me to try out some of their products.  I had never heard of their brand before, but felt reassured that they had good products because down here in the South we know good food when taste it.   The Panthers know this and wouldn’t possibly dare to serve their fans Kayem franks and sausages if they weren’t up our Southern expectations.
    The Carolina Panthers and Bank of America Stadium co-sign wasn’t the only reason I decided to try out Kayem’s.  As y’all know we are a household with many food allergies.  As mentioned above my family members are major meat eaters, but are also allergic to gluten.  Over the years I’ve learned to steer clear of prepared foods, even meats, because they have gluten and a host of over preservatives that we try to steer clear of.  When I learned that Kayem doesn’t use fillers, MSG and their meats were gluten-free, I took it as a good sign. 

    What I Received

    Kayem Foods has a variety of franks and artisan sausages to choose from.  In addition to franks and sausages, they also make deli meats, beef patties, and buns.  Although not listed on their website, on a visit to my local Harris Teeter I learned that they sell Kayem Italian Style Meatballs as well.  Not sure if this product is getting discontinued, but stock up on them while you can!
    For my taste-testing I selected the following products:
    • Kayem Artisan Pineapple Uncured Bacon Sausage, 12 oz
    • Kayem Artisan Andouille Sausage, 12 oz
    • Kayem Fire Grill Angus Beef Patties, 15 oz 

    What I (We) Liked & Didn’t Like

     Right out of the gate everyone loved the Artisan Andouille Sausage, especially Moo.  I was chopping up the sausage to add to one of her favorite soups that I make from scratch and she couldn’t stop stealing pieces from the cutting board.  At one point I had to threaten her with a timeout to stop her from eating it all.  I snuck a few pieces too and can’t say that blame her.  That sausage was delicious.

    It was spicy without being too spicy.  It reminded me of my trips to New Orleans visiting with family.  Great andouille sausage is staple down there.  They use it in red beans and rice, gumbo, crawfish boils, etc.  Honestly, I didn’t eat a lot of andouille sausage before I stayed in New Orleans.
    This is definitely the one sausage you’ll want to get for your sausage dogs or sausage hoagies.  It’s also a great breakfast sausage if you fry it up with some fresh peppers, onion and serve over buttery grits.
    If you not a big fan of pineapples then you will want to steer clear of their Artisan Pineapple Uncured Bacon Sausage.  In addition to chunks of pineapple, this sausage also has brown sugar and maple syrup giving it a tangy sweet taste if eaten alone as a sausage dog.  Moo was not a big fan of the “sweet sausage” as she called it, at least not eating it by itself.  However, once paired with the Andouille and mixed into the soup, she came to love it 
    I honestly didn’t mind the taste.  But then again I’m a fan of putting maple syrup on my sausage.  I choose to crisp my sausage before adding it the soup and I loved how the sugars from the pineapple, syrup and brown sugar helped to make a nice sweet crust on the sausage chunks I diced.  I’ll definitely purchase this again and see what other dishes I can use it in.
    Before I talk about the beef patties, I want to let all of my Queen City folks know that these have not yet unrolled in our Harris Teeters.  I’m also not sure if they ever will, but we are really, really, REALLY hoping that will soon!  When I say Kayem Foods knows how to craft the perfect precooked beef patties, I mean they know beef and how to use the grill!!  Y’all may remember that we only eat beef and red meats maybe once a month or every other month.  However, I will confess that after trying these Fire Grilled Angus Beef Patties, we were ready to toss that habit out the window and start eating these everyday.
     These beef patties were juicy, tender, and grilled and seasoned to perfection.  Seriously, I’ve never had a store-bought beef patties that I haven’t had to re-season myself because the seasoning wasn’t up to par until I tried Kayem’s.  We loved that these come pre-grilled because our package arrived the weekend of our first snow of the New Year and the scrumptious aromas that floated out of the pan as I cooked these had us feeling like we were having an indoor cookout.  Yes, we got transported right to summer.
    If there was a scratch-and-smell button that I could have used, I would have tweeted y’all a sniff.   And God was looking out because each bag comes with 5 patties, but somehow ours came with 6.  From the first to the last bite we communicated in a series of “Mmms”, “Noms” and sighs because these are just that good.  Seriously, I argued with my seven year old over who was getting the last patty.  We decided to split it. (Kayem Foods when you read this, please consider rolling out your patties to Charlotte, NC and Panthers please consider getting these as well to serve at the Bank of America Stadium!)

    What I Made

    Because our Winter weather had finally came in and we had gotten some snow earlier that weekend, I decided to make a Game Day and Moo’s favorite soup- Pea Soup.  However, I put a twist on it by adding the sausages.  I served it over white rice and topped it with gluten-free herb croutons and added some cheese to mine.  The recipe is really easy to make and doesn’t take that long to prepare or cook.  
    I would suggest though that you soak your split peas overnight though as this helps to speed up cooking time.  You save the recipe printable below.

    Since the beef patties were perfectly seasoned, the kids had patties on gluten-free bun with tomato and for myself I added cole slaw made here in NC (gotta support local businesses/brands), onion and a few squirts of ketchup aka my version of a lite Carolina Burger.
    Overall, we were more than satisfied with our first experience of enjoying Kayem Foods products.  I do recommend that you visit their website to see if any of the stores near you sell any of their products and give them a try for yourself. 
    What is your favorite way to eat franks and/or sausages?
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  • Thankful Thursday

    “We all know what it’s to be excited to follow a dream, and we all know how hard this journey of following our dreams can be.  Knowing this, how can we see others experiencing similar things and not be there for them?  How can we refuse to help them?  How can we be jealous?  How can we not uplift them?  How can we not be a community?”

    It’s that time again!  Happy Thankful Thursday folks.  This week started off with me trying to recover from a bad cold and a mini case of food poisoning from some bad shredded carrots that were in a salad I ate.  I will spare you the details and just say that I was definitely uncomfortable and slightly miserable until yesterday when I really started feeling like I was at 95%.  Thank you to everyone who posted well wishes on the last Thankful Thursday post.
    I’m grateful to be feeling better.  Honestly, my cold and food poisoning couldn’t have cleared up at a better time.  Tuesday, Moo started having flareups with her asthma at bedtime.  Also, she got this cough that I feel like we’re going to have to see the pediatrician about on Monday if it hasn’t cleared up by the weekend.  I will admit that I’m more than a little worried.
    I’m worried that maybe I’m getting wound up over nothing, but yet I’m worried that what seems like asthma flareups as a result of her cough could turn into something worst.  Her breathing is slightly labored, but I already know the protocol of what to do to manage it here at home.  She’s had asthma since birth and every attack isn’t necessarily worthy of an ER trip.  My prayer is that it doesn’t get worst.
    I’m bummed because she’s been kicking some school germs butt and hasn’t really been sick at all this school year.  I guess a few of those pesky germs finally found a weak spot in her immune system.  However, I’m grateful that she’s still been able to keep up her bubbly and bouncy personality.  She’s still smiling, laughing, playing and talking our heads off nonstop.  That’s got to be a good sign, right?
    I’ve been working with JJ and trying to help get all the basics down that he will need to know for kindergarten this coming school year.  While he’s struggling a bit with recognizing and memorizing his ABCs, he’s picking up counting, number recognition and being able to state his full name, birthday and age like a champ.  He’s always had his colors and shapes down almost since Day 1.  I think we have his obsession with Thomas & Friends to thank for his knowing his colors early one because when he couldn’t pronounce their names he would call them by colors.
    I’m thankful for all of his continued progress as well as his excitement over starting school next year.  Fingers crossed this excitement doesn’t wear off over the summer.  I’m also thankful that he’s been killing it with reading his nightly book readings.  His word pronunciation is getting better and better.
    While my number 1 team, the Patriots, didn’t make it to the Super Bowl this year, I’m grateful that my home team, the Carolina Panthers, did make it.  They’ve been underdogs in the NFL for years now and it’s been so an incredible journey to see them blow everyone’s expectations out of the water this season.  It’s probably even more incredible being a Carolina native and being right here in the Queen City where you literally can’t go anywhere without seeing some Panther pride/love.  I’m grateful that we have a QB who has constantly proved all the naysayers wrong not only about his playing ability, but his ability to be a team leader on and off the field.
    Before Newton was even officially signed to the Panthers there were people calling him a thug and saying that having a Black quarterback was going to be the Panther’s downfall.  People were giving him a month or two before his rookie status went to his head and he ended up busted for something illegal.  It’s been sad to see how some people can’t look beyond his skin color and repeatedly attack his character, but I’m proud of the way he’s been handling it all and continuing to take the high road.
    I know that it can’t be easy for him to see how all these things.  I for one think that he’s more than proven himself to be a stand-up guy and worthy role model.  We’ll definitely be rooting for him and the rest of the team to win the Super Bowl!
    Lastly, I’m stumbled across the quote above earlier today when I was catching up on some blog reading and it made realize how much thankful I am for the supportive community that starting YUMMommy has given me.  Y’all are truly amazing.  It’s always been my dream to have some place to write other than a notebook.  Well, YUMMommy turned six years old this past January and I’m thankful for all of the kind and uplifting comments. 
    Most importantly I’m thankful for everyone who has played a part in helping me to realize this dream of mine.  Whether this is your first or hundredth visit here, THANK YOU!
    What are you grateful for this week?
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