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  • Then She Was 5

    Dear Moo,

    I don`t know where to begin.  I guess I will start by saying Thank You!  Five years ago looking at three positive pregnancy tests, I felt the most afraid I had ever been in my life.  There was never a question of whether or not I wanted you, but more a question of if I was ready.  You see being a mom is a BIG deal.  At that moment I was no longer responsible for just myself but your wellbeing inside the womb and outside once you finally arrived.

    My biggest fear was messing up.  I questioned my ability to raise a person who would be kind, warm, loving, honest and strong in her faith.  I wondered if I would be able to teach you how to follow your dreams, stay true to yourself and maintain self respect.  This journey in motherhood hasn’t been easy at all but the love that you have given me unconditionally has made it more than worth it!

    I thank you for hanging in here with me.  I thank you for knowing me better than anyone else.  I thank you for being so loving to your brother even when he’s not so nice.  I thank you for wanting to be big helper around the house.  I thank you for all the hugs and kisses.

    Thank you for believing in me.  Thank you for the times you were brave and I wasn’t.  Most importantly thank you for just being you.  You, little girl, are one of the truest loves of my life.  You make me a better person.  A more driven person.

    You are smart, crazy beautiful and compassionate to a fault.  I am so blessed to be your mommy.  Thank you for 5 years of motherhood blissfulness.  We’re going to rock year 6 out like no other mother-daughter duo on this planet.

    Happy birthday!

    Love,
    MOMMY

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  • A Little Affirmation

    Nothing lifts me up more like a little affirmation.   A reminder that better days are coming.  And today, I really need this.

  • 5 On Friday

    Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and got to spend some time with their loved ones!
    My dear friend, Christina of Being Mrs Jones, published her first novel!!  It’s called Love & Other Things.  I’m so happy for her for taking the plunge.  Writing fiction isn’t as easy as it may seem.  Writing something to publish for the public to read is hard period because you’re putting your talent out there for others to judge.  As writers, we struggle with whether to write for ourselves or to compromise and try to appease our readers.
    So, I take my hat off to Christina for taking this huge leap.  I actually got to be a part of her writing process for Love & Other Things.  Let me tell you, this is a book you’ll want to read.  I think that every woman who has struggled with finding love or opening herself back up to love after being hurt will be able to relate to Christina’s characters.  So be sure to scoop up a copy!

    Our Thanksgiving was low key.  I actually had intended to take the kids to the Thanksgiving parade, but after staying up until 4 AM slow cooking our turkey, when I finally did doze off I woke up too late to make it Uptown in time to get a decent parking spot.  No worries, we watched it on the tv.  Look out Macy’s, you’re not the only one who can put on a good Thanksgiving parade!  Novant Health stepped up and sponsored the parade this year.  I’m grateful that they did because it had been cancelled over the summer due to lack of sponsorship.

    The Mr also had to work yesterday.  So, instead of having Thanksgiving dinner, we had Thanksgiving lunch before he left.  I’m hoping next year he’ll be off and we’ll all be able to make the parade and do more festivities.

    Well, looks like we’ll be getting a new car sooner than we had planned.  Sadly, we still won’t be a two car household though.  Our Kia got attacked by a buck (male deer) when the Mr was driving home from work Monday morning.  Anyways, he ran into the driver side front tire hard enough to run the Mr into a ditch and fold in the tire.  And because we have an older model Kia, the insurance company is saying that they want to just total the car instead of paying for the repairs because basically the whole front of the car would need to be replaced, etc.
    If it’s not one thing it’s another.  Still have joy though because my husband could have been seriously hurt.  There were cars on the road in front of and behind him.  He could have easily ran into one of them or the car behind him could have hit him when he went sliding into the ditch.  Not to mention, we had freezing rain the night before.  The whole situation could have been worst than the car getting messed up and the deer being injured.
    One plus side is that we have a SWEET BMW to ride around in from the rental company.  If we could afford it, we’d definitely buy one just like it.  It’s roomy, fully loaded and good on gas.
    Moo turns 5 this weekend!! I can’t believe it.  It feels so surreal because it honestly doesn’t feel like five years have gone by already, but I guess it has.  I was thinking of starting the tradition of putting together a slide show for each birthday going forward so that they’ll be able to look back on a recap of each year of their childhood.  
    Source
    Since, most my pictures were on my old iPhone and didn’t port over to my Galaxy S4, I don’t have many to include for this year. 🙁  Thankfully, that won’t be the case anymore because all the pictures on my S4 automatically save to both the phone and my memory card as well as upload online to a private gallery.  Mama learned her lesson.
    I’m thinking of cutting my hair again.  I did try experimenting with a few twistouts and bantu knots hairstyles, but they didn’t come out so well.  I also need to invest in a decent flatiron because my electric hot comb is dying on me.  It’s about time though because I’ve had it since my freshman year of college.  I also need to find another old school ConAir barrel curler.  
    I took mine to New Orleans for my sister’s wedding and it’s been MIA ever since.  We’ll see.  I might just call up one of the my girlfriends to help me put in some box braids and call this hair situation a wrap.

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  • Thankful Thursday And Happy Thanksgiving Too

    Happy Thanksgiving y’all!!  I hope everyone got to spend time with their loved ones.  It’s late here (after 11 PM), the kids are in bed (JJ is sleeping, Moo’s still wide awake) and all the dishes have been done and all the food is put away.  It’s in these few minutes of Thanksgiving that I just want to take the time to truly reflect on all that I have to be thankful for.
    First off, I’m thankful to just be alive and that my family is alive.  There’s been so much loss lately.  I think that often times we go to sleep at night thinking that waking up the next day is something that’s automatically guaranteed.  The reality is that it’s not.  Cherish the moments you’ve been blessed with and don’t forget to give thanks for each more you get to open your eyes!
    I’m thankful for my husband’s job.  Although, he had to work today, we’re blessed that he has a steady stream of income.  I’m beyond thankful that he makes enough to afford me the privilege to stay at home with our two beautiful children.  He never complains about it.  Providing for us is just something that comes naturally for him.
    I’m thankful for having a roof over our heads.  Even though these last two apartments have come with their flaws and not so good landlords, we have some place to lay our heads, use the bathroom, eat and have privacy.  This the time of year when I really get a look at just how many people here in the QC are homeless.  You see the homeless people sneaking into the turnstile doors of big buildings Uptown to have a place to escape from the freezing temps.  You see them gathered in boxes under bridge ways.  It breaks my heart and I wish I had hotel or some place big enough to take them in.
    I’m thankful for my wonderful family.  We’re not perfect by any means and have our issues like any other, but we’re always there for each during an emergency.  We don’t stand for outsiders causing problems.  We have each other’s backs.
    I’m thankful for this blog.  It’s been such a wonderful outlet to share my experiences as a woman, mother and wife.  I’ve met so many amazing people.  Some of you have touched me in ways I can’t even put into words.  For that alone I am eternally grateful.
    I hope that as your Thanksgiving is coming to an end that you are taking the time to think about all the blessings you have in your life.
    What was your favorite Thanksgiving dish?

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  • VTech: Durable, Educational and Fun

    Disclosure: I received products to facilitate this review.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own.
    This year I decided that all of the kids Christmas gifts had to be either durable and fun or durable and educational or all three.  Either way, durability was not a quality I was willing to sacrifice.  I don’t know about you but when I pay for something, I expect it to last.  I don’t buy them toys year round-usually just Christmas, birthdays and a little something for Easter.  Therefore, I try to really invest in things that will last and that they will get lots of use out of.
    And when it comes to toys that are durable, educational and fun, nobody does it quite like VTech.  It seems that over the years they have mastered art of making toys that kids will love playing with but also helps them learn in the process and can withstand tumbles and bumps that toys are surely to suffer when played with. We got Moo a VTech laptop two years ago and between her and JJ it has definitely gotten a lot of use and taken a lot of tumbles, but still works like it’s fresh out of the box.  So, when they told me that they wanted to send some toys for the kids, I was like “Sweet!”
    The kids thought it was Christmas morning when they woke up and saw the three huge boxes the UPS had dropped off.  Moo and JJ couldn’t wait to rip open the packages and see what they got.  They already knew that something special was coming, but they didn’t know what.  Here’s a closer look at what they got.

    First off let me say that I love that the pieces are so colorful.  JJ has been showing an interest in colors.  So, I’ve been asking to point different colored track pieces.  For example, I’ll ask him to point to the color orange and he’ll either point to one of the corner track pieces or the crane tower.  Speaking of the crane tower, it has little shape cutouts on the sides.  
    This set comes with a triangle, round and square boulder that kids use the crane clip to pick up and send the down the slide or they can put them through the cutout hole and watch them fall into the grey catcher on the side.  Moo loves the talking the dump truck and operating the crane.  I also loved that this was very easy to snap together and you can take it apart after they finish playing with it.  It doesn’t have a million and one pieces either.


    This comes with two race tracks-a circular one pictured below and the jump ramp pictured on the box above.  Moo and JJ enjoy playing with the circular track the most.  It has lights, makes sounds and the flag serves as a lever to magically make the cars race around the track.  That’s JJ’s favorite part.  
    I like the race track because it’s a two player toy and helps to encourage sharing through imaginative play.  And that is something that we are definitely trying to work on with JJ.  The manual elevator lift and turning car platform help with motor skills while the different sounds and phrases helps with language development.  With JJ in speech therapy, the language development is very important. 
    This was also easy to put together.  And the best part is that you can connect it with the construction set to make one bit playset!

    Grow & Discover Tree House

    This is hands down the best thing since sliced bread to JJ (and Moo).  Build for toddlers up to 36 months, the Grow & Discover Tree House features a ball slide, peek-a-boo door, talking clock, canopy, turning gears and more.  JJ is obsessed with the ball slide as you see in the pictures below.  Although Moo is a little too big for this as you can see, she enjoys playing with it too.  I’m seriously hoping they make a taller version for older kids soon.
    There’s so much kids can learn playing with this.  They can learn about time, numbers, colors, and nursery rhymes.  They’ve played with all of these everyday since we got them last week, but the tree house is what they play with the longest.

    I definitely recommend that if you have a child between the ages of 1 and 5, that you look into getting them on of these or visit VTech to see what else they have.  Trust me they have a variety of toys for all ages.  Check out their official website: http://bit.ly/tHKlfD.  You can like them on Facebook (http://on.fb.me/iIPfUE) and follow them on Twitter (http://bit.ly/Q7J7vM) to stay up to date on the latest product releases, sales and deals! 

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  • Dressing Mad Men Style With Eshakti

    Disclosure: I reviewed a product to facilitate this review.  All opinions expressed are 100% my own.
    The holidays are officially upon us and I’m going mad!  Mad Men style that is thanks to my friends over at eShakti.com.  Now, I don’t get fancy for Thanksgiving because that’s the one holiday besides the 4th of July and Memorial Day that I think it’s acceptable to dress casual.  However, Christmas and New Year’s are right around the corner and I’ve always been raised to pull out my Sunday best to celebrate.  And eSkakti’s Fall 2013 Collection couldn’t have come out at a better time.
    Curved Button Front Faux-Wrap Dress
    If you don’t know by now, I’m totally an eShakti girl when it comes to dresses.  (See here and here).  So, when I saw this houndstooth twofer dress, I just had to have it.  And knowing that it was Mad Men inspired only made me want it even more.  I’ve been a fan of the sophistication of the 50s and 60s.  
    What do I love about this dress?  For starters it looks like it’s two pieces (hence the word twofer)- a skirt and a blouse.  Speaking of the skirt and blouse, I love the high fold over collar because I’m not necessarily a fan of necklaces.  And with this collar, I don’t need one.  The pencil skirt bottom features not only a black and white houndstooth print but a tulip (or curved) hem with a split in the back.  And let’s not forget the button detailing along the side.
    Most importantly what I love about this dress is that I got to customize it to fit my body and silhouette specifically.  If you recall in the original picture above this dress had capped sleeves.  I had elbow length sleeves to make it more fall/winter weather appropriate.  I also chose to get the skirt so that the curve it above the knee, but you can adjust it to have it fall right at knee level or below the knee as well. 
    You can totally see the Mad Men inspiration of dress from the pictures above.  The side button detail. Accentuated waists. Wrapped tops and bottoms. Pencil skirts.  The black & white color scheme.
    And of course to finish off my look, I couldn’t forget about hair and accessories.  For hair, I’m thinking of rocking bangs with a faux-hair cut (just pin the edges of long underneath the nape so that it bows out giving the appearance of a short hair cut).  And for accessories, I’m keeping it simple with diamond studs & tennis bracelet, a mesh silver watch with rhinestone detailing and mother of pearl face and of course my promise ring (I may or may not have lost my wedding rings.)  And for shoes, I was thinking of adding a twist wearing a pair of metallic bronze gladiator style heels.
    So, there you have it folks!  That is my holiday look in a nutshell.  I definitely encourage you to skip on over to eShakti.com and check out their Fall 2013 Collection.  Who knows you might just find a little something for your holiday parties or maybe another gift to add to your Christmas list for Santa aka our significant other.  I’m going to leave you with a few more of my favorites.
    Zip Front Geo Print Skirt
    Ponte Knit Jacquard Sheath Dress
    Beaded Crepe Knit Sheath Dress
    Cowl Collar w/ Ties Ponte Dress
    Faux Leather Ponte Skater Skirt

    Are you a fan of Mad Men inspired fashion?  What are you going to be rocking this holiday?

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  • Bible 365: Week 47

    Who’s looking forward to their four day weekend coming up?!  Beyond excited for Thanksgivings.  Before I get into my recap, I want to share something that melted my heart last night.  So, every night I say prayer with the kids and I always ask if they want to add something to prayer for or give thanks for.  Well, here’s what Moo addition to our prayer was last night: “Thank You for our food and our drink.  And thank You for blessing us.”

    Y’all my little heart melted on the spot.  When your child knows that your family is blessed and acknowledges it is just an amazing feeling as a parent.  I’m not the perfect Christian or parent by any means, but it moves me to know that my daughter is on the right track spiritually and that I’ve had something to do with that.  My greatest goal as a parent has always been to raise to children who turn into great, kind and loving adults with good values and morals.  Her little prayer addition makes me even more anxious to see JJ progress with his speech therapy and one day be able to hear what he would pray for during our nightly prayers.

    I’m getting a little misty eyed again, so let’s jump into this Week 47 recap.  I can’t believe we have 5 weeks (counting this week) left in 2013 and in this Bible 365 Challenge!  It’s been such a journey and learning experience.  And know that to all of you who have been right here every Monday supporting me by reading, sharing or commenting on these posts, I am thankful and grateful for your support!

    With Thanksgiving being this Thursday, I don’t think it’s any coincidence that the first scripture that caught my eye was Philippians 4:6, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer or petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God.”  I have so many things that I’ve been praying for God to intercede on right now.  And although not all of those requests have been answered, I realize the importance to give Him thanks like they have been when I pray.  He is so good to all of us that we should never forget to say Thank You when we pray.

    He sacrificed His only child for us folks!  That alone makes me eternally grateful.  I’ve said it before, I couldn’t imagine giving up Moo or JJ to die for the sins of selfish and unappreciative people.  Thankfully, God is better than we are and His love for us truly knows no bounds or limitations.  He forgives us when we don’t even deserve to forgive ourselves.  Simply put- God is good!

    We can be the most compassionate, forgiving and patient people in the work, but without love those virtues just want stick.  “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity” (Colossians 3:14).  Love conquers all not because it is a feeling, but because it is an action.  Love is the action of doing the right thing or something that benefits another without it having any benefit for you or motive behind it.  You can be kind and patient to people all you want, but you’re not doing it with love or from the heart, you might as well not do it at all.  Like the song says “Love, love will keep us together…”

    “Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.  Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.  Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.  Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged” (Colossians 3:18-21).  I call this the Family Commandments.  A lot of families fall apart from lack of order and lack of effort to get said family in order.  Well, God has already laid out the blueprint for having a non-dysfunctional family.

    Now, a lot of men try to use that “wives, submit to your husbands” part to justify being controlling.  But I’m going to need some of y’all to read on to that “as is fitting in the Lord” part too.  I’m all for submitting to my husband, but it’s within reason.  I know that it is not fitting to the Lord for me to become more of a slave or child to my husband than to his partner and help mate.  So, don’t get it twisted men, we have rights!  And that includes saying no.

    At the end of the day, I couldn’t agree more with 1 Thessalonians 2:12, that I want to be “encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.”  There have been so many people who have encouraged and helped me to get back to living a purpose driven life and I’m determined to pay it forward by doing the same for others.

    Week 48 Readings
    12/01:Titus 1

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  • My Weekly Ambition

    I’m linking up again with Marika over at Ambitious Curls for My Weekly Ambition.  About last week, I totally did not exercise for 30 minutes like I was suppose to everyday.  Does chasing after kids count?  I did manage to write for an hour everyday.  However, it wasn’t necessarily an hour spent on my book.  So, I’m still playing catch up on that.  I did manage to start and end my days on a positive note though!  Here’s to hoping I do better this week!

    To exercise for 30 minutes everyday.  I know Thanksgiving is coming up on Thursday and I didn’t exercise last week, but I’m determine to not be a failure this week.  I’ve got my workout gear and some workout videos are ready to go.  Goodbye to these last five pounds! (I’ve been doing good with watching what I eat though!)
    To write for 5,000 in my novel each day this week.  The thoughts for future chapters and flowing faster than I can take notes to keep track of it all.  So, I’m focused on getting this novel finished by 5,000 words everyday this week.  I know that may seem like a lot, but I look at how many words I write a day in blog posts, blog comments, Facebook, tweets and Instagram and I feel awful because I definitely go over 5,000.  The pressure is on!
    To have more patience.  I’ve been very impatient lately.  It seems like the littlest things set me on edge and I don’t like being this way.  I’m yelling at the kids and being short with the Mr when he’s here.  I could blame it on the stress of getting ready to meet JJ’s new speech therapist, Moo being a little bit more vocal in disagreements, the recent drama with the property manager and owner (racial profiling was involved) or issues that I’m going through with feeling like I’m not progressing with certain areas of success like I want to be.  At the end of the day, they’re just excuses.

    I need to be real and put forth the effort to keep my patience and attitude in check. Point. Blank. Period.

    What’s one challenge that you want to overcome this upcoming week?
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  • Saturday Funny

    It’s late and I was browsing Facebook when I saw this. If you crochet you can probably relate.

  • 5 On Friday

    With six days until Thanksgiving, I thought that I would share a few of my favorite Thanksgiving pins from Pinterest.
    Festive desserts anyone?

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    Let’s set the table.

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    Craft Time!
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    Words to live by.
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    What’s a holiday without some cute fashion?
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