Posted on Leave a comment

A Few Good Men

Hello everyone out there,

     So, I was reading the Black Love issue (December ’09) of Essence Magazine.  As I was reading, I stumbled across Real Talk, an interview by their relationships editor Demetria Lucas in which she talked with “5 single alpha-male Black men.”  I was very intrigued by some of the things these few good men had to say.  Therefore, without further delay here is my response and take on what I read.

     Well, the first subject Lucas inquired about was the age old question of why are so many Black women single?  Right off the bad three (Joel, Wes and Norman) out of the five men claimed that we as Black women have standards that are too high for Black men to reach.  Norman (26) went so far as to say, “They have an entitled attitude like, I deserve this. I deserve that. No, you don’t!”

     Dear Norman,  didn’t you ever listen to ‘I Deserve’ by Tank.  Just like he deserved everything bad that happened to him because he stepped out on his good Black woman, I deserve everything wonderful for being such a wonderful and hardworking Black woman.  When I’m in a relationship with a guy, I certainly feel like I’m entitled to certain things such as monogamy, honesty, loyalty, love and your attention.  As far as, Black women having standards that are too high, I think more Black men can benefit from thinking more in terms of how Rich and Wes think.

     Rich said that he loves women with high standards because he has to up his game to get her.  And as Wes simply put it, “The men are just not on par.”  I mean really have no Black men ever watched the Millionaire Matchmaker on Bravo?  Those women feel like they are entitled to only the best and most of them are White.  So, why is it that we as Black women get a bad wrap for feeling the same way?

     I mean seriously, if you’re trying to talk to a Black woman that’s independent, on her grind and has her life together, you damn skippy she feels entitled to only the best.  You better get like Wes and Rich and up your game homie.  I was kind of appalled when Joel suggested that “women should lower their standards and give brothers a chance.”  WTF?!  Why should I have to lower my standards just so you can feel like you’ve got a shot at love with me?  I’m not Tila Tequila son.

     If you feel like I’m out of your reach then that means:

1-You’re lazy and not willing to take on a challenge when you’re face to face with one;
2-I probably am out of your reach and you did a good thing by not even stepping to me;
or 3-You’re not truly ready for love.  If you want something bad enough, you’ll do whatever it takes to get it.
     Moving on, the next question addressed the issue of why so many Black men date White chicks over their own Nubian queens.  Once again, I applaud Joel for putting it our there that this whole idea that Black women are always up in your business while White girls are passive and just let you get away with shit is a stereotype created by society.  We all see what happened to O.J., Kobe and now Tiger Woods for buying into that myth.  Of course, Norman felt like the reason was because Black women don’t know how to meet their man halfway.  Personally, I feel like Norman is on some other shit.  Compromising is not a race thing.  I see he’s bought into the myth a little bit.  White girls will bust your balls and the windows out your Escalade just as hard and quick as a Black woman will sir.
     Compromising is something you learn.  Each relationship is different.  Maybe, I compromised this in my last few relationships and found that compromising on that specific thing didn’t work out.  While it’s not your fault, don’t be insensitive and expect me to make the compromise again after I’ve told you why I’m not doing it.  Prove yourself and give me a reason to believe you’re different.  In other words, give me something worth compromising for.  Then men please come out of the mindset that compromising is the woman’s job.  Yeah, you might be the head of the house, but giving in now and then won’t change that.
     Hell, if anything it will inspire us.  We’ll be like ‘oh he did that for me, so maybe I can do this for him.’  Compromise is a two way street.  Learn that!  When asked if Black men had quality options amongst Black women in regards to us being wife material, I think that Brian’s response started well, but quickly turned South.
     I agreed with him pointing out that a lot of Black men are turned off towards the idea of putting a ring on it because of their parents poor relationship model.  But when started saying that listening to his friend talk about how miserably unhappy he was with his wife since they got married, I thought you’re crazy and I need to meet that friend.  Every marriage is unique, just because your friend is unhappy doesn’t mean you will be the same.  And to the friend, I would like to ask-Weren’t you happy with her while you dating and romancing?  Yes?  Well, what’s the problem now?
     See a lot of people are under the misguided assumption that when you get married you’re suppose to change who you are.  Not the case.  Marriage is just making your relationship secure in the sight of God and legal in the sight of the law.  It doesn’t mean that you should stop doing the things that attracted you both to each other and ultimately got you down the aisle.  Your demeanor should be the same as it was before you said ‘I do.’
     Brian’s third excuse for not wanting to get married was because “there are a lot of beautiful women out here and if you’re married, you miss out on opportunities.”  What opportunities?  Clearly, he could benefit from some therapy sessions to help battle his commitment phobia.  I’m all for dating and seeing what’s out there, but let’s face it your fear will only make for a lot of lonely days and nights when you’re old.  He can enjoy the bootylicious honeys now, but when he starts getting wrinkles and balding not to mention ED, those “opportunities” as he called them will be scarce and very few.
     I think Rich and Wes had the best response when it came explaining what they wanted a marriage to be.  “It’s an emotional and a business partnership” with someone who won’t detract from your goals. I couldn’t agree more.  You need more than just love.  Love is fleeting in our society.
     Well, ladies have you ever wondered why you haven’t been approached by a keeper yet?  According to the guys being obnoxiously loud, trying too hard for attention, not leaving enough to imagination and entertaining every man that hollas are huge turn offs.  Instead, the guys insist that we should keep it “simple and classy”, don’t act bourgeois, and be selective of the men we mingle with.  Every guy who steps to you doesn’t need to get playing time.  Good guys embrace a challenge and you’re too busy letting Pimping Curl and his boys spit some game in your ear, then you’re going to come off as easy and willing to settle for less than your worth.
    Oh and lose the hating friends.  They said that they have walked away from many good women because the bitter friend got in the way.  So, tell all the bitter friends to let you handle your business and check their attitudes at the door.  Who knows they might get some good guy attention if hate wasn’t oozing from their pores.
     And when it comes to sex, surprisingly none of them were looking for a woman who could “swing from the chandeliers.”  You just need to be open to trying new things (different positions, oral sex, etc).  Wes and Joel say that just putting on nice lingerie is enough to keep your man satisfied.   Guys are visual creatures.  In addition, it helps to throw on one of his shirts and just walk around in it with a little booty hanging out the bottom.  Bottom line is just loosen up in the bedroom ladies and keep it sexy.
    The million dollar was “What will it take for a guy to put a ring it?”  Not much really.  Brian says we should be independent.  Norman wants his future wife to be able to keep him check and to set rules.  Don’t let your man walk all over you.  Have big dreams and actually pursue them.  Last but not least support your man’s dreams and truly believe in his vision.
     Overall, I certainly walked away from the article with a few pointers and some fresh insight as to what the Black men of today want.  I will keep those pointers in mind as I continue to navigate the dating field.  And hopefully my sistas will do the same.
Posted on Leave a comment

Raising Killers

     I have to say that Essence has done well since it’s make over earlier last year.  Their content game has stepped up immensely.  Reading yet another article from their December ’09 issue Blood on Our Hands, I once again felt inclined to put my two cents worth out there.

     I’m sure that we all heard about the senseless murder of 16 year honor student Derrion Albert of Chicago.  Albert’s brutal murder made headline news around the nation after video of him being stomped in the head and beat with railroad ties by four of his teenage peers surfaced on the internet.  I have to admit that when the story first broke, I become so disgusted with the news media for playing the video of his beating over and over.  Personally, I felt like they were disrespecting and being insensitive to Albert’s family and friends by repeatedly showing it.

     Not to mention, I could only imagine the criminals who were responsible for his tragic departure watching with their chests puffed out like they had just saved a group of people from a burning building or something.  Even more disturbing was the fact that an onlooker took the time to actually stand and record Albert’s murder and later post it to the web.  I can’t help but wonder why no one came to that boy’s rescue?  I’m sure that there were more than enough bystanders on the street that they could have overtaken the mob of teens and prevented him from getting killed.  Yet no one even tried to rush to his aid.

     Instead, you had people just looking on like they were watching their favorite sitcom.  A few people were running to find a safe haven and then of course their were those recording it with their camera phones like they were recording a celebrity sighting to send to their friends.  As writer Steve Perry pointed out in the article, Albert’s murder is quickly becoming a norm throughout Black communities across America.  At the time Perry wrote the article, 40 kids had already fallen victim to the same fate as Derrion Albert.  Each violently killed and ganged up on by a group of their peers.

     But why are the Black youth of America resorting to such violent behavior at an alarming rate?  While many “critics pointed the finger at the police and school policies,”  I completely agreed with Perry that we as parents and guardians are solely at fault.  Perry says, “White people, the media and police cannot be blamed or held responsible for how we raise our children.  We should be held accountable for creating a culture of violence that cheapens Black life.

     “…We opened another storefront or mega-church that raises more money than children.  Our civil rights organizations are reduced to scholarship dinners rather than producing scholars.  We teach our kids to ‘hit back’ instead of respecting their teachers.  We tell them that ‘if you lose the fight, I’m beating your ass when you get home.’  We read thug fiction and pump thug music.”  And our children are listening and seeing all of that.

     While you’re busy breaking your neck to become part those mega-churches, you forget that T.D. Jakes and those other pastors you see on TBN have raised their children.  And guess what they were raised right.  My feeling on creating churches so big that the only members the pastor knows by name are his own family and the members who write checks with lots of zeros is that a church should never become so out of touch.  I feel like as a pastor it is your duty to get to know your flock on a personal level.  As the shepherd of God’s people, you should be able to spot when one of your sheep is going astray.

     Also, with everyone using the Race Card even in situations where its not applicable, it does make our civil rights organizations more hesitant to form movements.  So, yes they just hold scholarship dinners and banquets selling tickets for $30 to $50.  I have to admit that most of the people I know who received college funds from groups like the NAACP didn’t deserve it.  They were far from scholarly, ending up on academic probation before the close of their freshman year.

     I know we’ve all seen stories on the news where teachers are being put on trial for mistreating their students, but as someone who’s worked in the school system you get tired of trying to be a parent to kids that aren’t yours and don’t appreciate what you try to do for them.  A lot of great teachers are abandoning the teaching field because they can’t teach anymore.  Instead, they spend almost the whole class period teaching your child about the importance of having manners.  Black parents seem to use the excuse that school is suppose to be their child’s home away from home.

     Newsflash, the only schools that should be your child’s home away from home are boarding schools, military schools and college.  Regular public and private schools are learning facilities not daycare for teens and adolescents.   Schools were much better when paddling was an option for punishment.  Now days, principals can’t  scare these kids good by giving them a pink piece of paper to take for Mom to sign since Dad has usually split already.  Half those kids are forging their parent’s signature before the ink has dried and are shoving it back across the principal’s desk like ‘Now what?!’

     If you’re too lazy to use a condom (guys) or take your birth control (ladies) like you’re suppose to then get snipped.  These kids don’t ask to be here and it’s not far they get treated like an unwanted puppy because neither the mom or the dad wants to be a parent.  If you don’t want kids keep your legs closed and guys keep your fly zipped.  I’m all for pro choice, but after the second abortion these girls should be required to either get on a birth control like Mirena or have their tubes tied.

     There is no such thing as an accidental pregnancy.  You had sex.  Therefore, you know that you might get pregnant.  Condoms and birth control are not 100% fool proof.  The safest kinds of sex you can are (1) No sex, (2) Phone sex, and (3) Cyber sex.   Not even oral sex is safe because you’re still putting yourself at risk for getting an STD.  It’s 2010, we have to be smart about who we’re sleeping with.

     Also, why aren’t we teaching our kids to solve their beefs in a more nonviolent way?  Why do we feel like the only way to defend our pride is with our fists, guns, or knives?  Seriously, we have a war going on in which innocent men and women are losing their lives to bring peace and you’re encouraging your kid to fight because somebody stepped on his Jordans?!  There is something very twisted about that.

    No wonder other countries hate us and attempt to wipe us from the face of the planet.  We have been blessed so much and are so unthankful.  We have no morals or respect. Anything goes here in America.  We don’t know the meaning of the word United.  The US couldn’t be more separated and screwed up if we tried.  Am I the only one who sees something wrong with being able to be a fighter as a profession?

     Like is that the greatest dream our kids can have?  To grow up and get paid for whipping the crap out of some innocent person because some sadistic animal of a person wants to actually watch and enjoys it.  And let’s be real.  Why is it that we encourage our kids to be the next TO instead of the next Ben Carson?  Have we completely bought into the stereotype that we’re only good for using our bodies?

     Why not push your child to enter a field that is more rewarding emotionally than materialistically?  You can support their sports dreams, but make sure they know the truth about their chances of going pro.  Getting drafted is harder than winning the Power Ball.  Push them to have a back up plan.  Push them to finish college.  If the scouts like you this year, they’ll love you once you’ve graduated and had more time to hone your skills.

    When it comes to music, books and television, yea I get down with 50 Cent, pick up a little erotica and watch rated R movies, but I do so when I’m alone.  I don’t expose my child to those elements because I know that kids are easily influenced.  They can hear, see or read the wrong thing and it will stick with them for life.  Our children are exposed to any and everything. Why?  Because we want them to be tough.

    They’re children.  It’s not their job to be tough.  That’s why God made you the parent.  You’re suppose to be the tough one.  Stop selling our sons this bullshit that they can’t cry and they need to sow their oats.  That’s a load of crap.  Stop teaching girls to hang on to men who treat them like crap just because he looks good and has a little bit of change in his pocket.  If he’s not willing to put some change in his life then leave him.

     If he was such a good man, he would go to church with you, wait until marriage and show you some real respect.  It’s time to take back our race Black people!!  All of our issues are not someone else’s fault.  We need to step up our game and get with the program.

     Let your children know that gangs aren’t good.  If they want brotherhood, they can join a fraternity or boy scouts.  And it’s not snitching when you help bring criminals to justice.  It’s called cleaning up your neighborhood and protecting your family.  Why is it that protecting people who hurt others is looked upon as a good thing?  There is no street code unless you’re talking about zoning.

     I mean seriously people.  We have created all these crazy  things and rules that have only enslaved us again.  Only this time we are enslaved to ourselves.  With Black history month already here and our death toll rising, I challenge us as a people to take a stand.  Start a neighborhood watch group.  If you know Joe down the street selling crack to teenagers, send in an anonymous tip to the police.

     Single parents, stop taking jobs that require you  to be away from your kids.  There are jobs out there during school hours and there are after school programs that you can put your kids in rather than leaving them to their own devices.   If need be go back to school and get a degree so that you can get a better job.  Education is only as important as you make it.

    And finally, stop letting celebrities be your child’s role model.  That’s your job.  If your child is looking to Chris Brown to show him how to treat a woman, you’ve got a problem.  Celebrities are suppose to entertain us.  Don’t let your kids get it twisted.

Let’s go forth and reform!!!!!
Happy Black History Month
Posted on Leave a comment

Adventures in Wedding Planning

Ok, so I have just officially planned my first wedding and I have to say that it went very well.  At first when my younger sister told me that she was getting married in less than a week, I was a little fearful.  One because she wanted to just go down to the courthouse and do some completely unoriginal ceremony conducted by a stranger.  And two, I wasn’t even sure if she had a dress.  Even if you’re just doing the courthouse thing, it is still important to have a dress specifically for that occasion.

Anyways, I  was kind of stoked when she asked me before she left to help her plan a small ceremony here at the family estate.  In the past, we have had our disagreements and weren’t always as close as we should have been.  However, as we have matured and gone through our different trials and struggles, we have bonded in a new light and are discovering a very welcomed friendship of sorts.  So, I was very happy and more than willing to help plan the ceremony.

Wedding planning has been one of my many dreams and I was filled with ideas that I wanted to try.  After the initial excitement wore off, I started thinking about all the things that had to be done in such short time. Flowers, food, decoration and let’s not forget about the CAKE!!  What wedding is complete without a wedding cake?  And I didn’t want her to have some half assed cake either.

I started by first planning out the menu which consisted of Apple & Sage Pork Chops, Mashed Potatoes with Beef Gravy, French Cut Green Beans, Rolls, and an array of drinks and desserts.   Then I started shopping for wedding favors.  I thought it was important for the few guests who be at this ceremony to have something remember it by.  Then it hit me that the biggest part by far would be decorating the yard.

All the other stuff seemed so minor in comparison of trying to figure out how to fill such a huge space.   Not to mention there are like a million trees and the ground was covered in leaves.  Well, let me tell you all….it took three people and almost ten hours to tackle that task.  I mean I blisters for days.  I don’t want to see another rake any time in the near future for sure.

But when the final day got here everything went off great.  My sister was happy and so was my brother in-law.  They had a great time.  And the smiles on their faces made my day.  So, now the question remains as to if I ever pursue this adventure again?  Maybe…..we’ll see what happens.

Posted on Leave a comment

Caution Unstable Walker Coming Thru

Happy Friday Everyone!!  The weekend is finally in sight.  Yippeee…  I am so glad this week is coming to an end.  I had the scare of my life on Tuesday.  So, if you are my Facebook page or read my Selfish post, then you would know that my little Moo is my whole life.

Well, after a CAT Scan and visit to a bone specialist, Moo finally decided it was high time for her to start walking.  We discovered her bowed legs were the culprit behind her delayed walking, but that the issue would correct itself.  Obviously even though I put on almost 100 pounds and looked like I had a circus ten under my shirt for nine months, she was still cramped for space.  I blame my tumors.

They took up valuable space that she needed to stretch her legs.  And sleeping in her much loved fetal position post womb only bowed her legs out more.  So, now we finally walking and running everywhere.  I thought the excitement over achieving such a milestone would never wear off.  Boy was I wrong.  She gets into twice as much stuff and in stores, we steer clear of any aisle with breakables.  Just last Friday, she pulled down a whold box of water guns.  I promise my face was bright red from embarrassment as they all clanked loudly to the floor and customers gave me that ‘control your child’ look.

Anyways, back to Tuesday’s events.  So, I’m in the dining room (which is open to the living room) working on my line of custom totes and accessories called Nizhoni Sky.  I’ve rented a booth at the Yard Sale of the Carolinas for May 1st in Chesterfield, SC.  So, I really needed to work on as much as possible to prepare.  I’m in the process of ironing one tote when an argument over a couch pillow breaks out between my Moo and my four year old niece.

Moo decides to get one of the larger couch pillows and starts making her way to me in the dining room.  Like a proud mom, I’m standing there looking on thinking about time has flown and how thankfully I am that she is finally walking.  She decides it’s a good time to play ‘put the pillow over my eyes and try to walk’ and ends up tripping over her feet.

At first I didn’t really think her fall was that bad.  I’ve seen some kids take a bad fall before and hers was nothing compared to theirs.  But as I went to help her up, I turned her over and almost screamed.  Her face was swollen in her T-zone area.  Worst she had started to cry.  I hate it when she cries.

But at the sight of her swollen face, it wasn’t the crying I was all the concerned about.  I wanted to panic, but remained somewhat calm.  I didn’t know what was wrong with her.  All sorts of bad thoughts popped in my mind. What if she fractured her skull or her nose?  So, we loaded up and off I sped to the hospital. Four hours later, she was diagnosed with a contusion.  She damaged a blood vessel from the fall but would be recovered with 3 to 5 days.  Oh my Moo was safe!!

Never have I been so scared.  Sincw then she has been confined to her walker her safety purposes.  She hates it at first but eventually calms down and starts rolling around like nobody’s business.  And here I was worried about her getting hurt with dad and it was me I needed to be worried about.  I am so going to keep her in the walker until she is more sturdy on her feet at least.

If only she had come with a Caution New Walker sign or something. I am to report that she has already recovered from her fall with a little help from Grammie and food.  She is back to her dare devil ways climbing on stuff and being the fearless child that I once was.  I can only chaulk this up to karma.  I gave my mom lots of near heartaches with my dare devil schemes and now Moo is doing the same to me.

Posted on Leave a comment

My Blog Button!!!

Let me first start off by saying that I’m super excited about many things this week. I got my first fellow Blogger follower from my What I’m Making Monday post!!  And it seems my page view counter has confirmed my suspicions that I have more than a few SBS (Silent Blog Stalkers).  That’s great because it means that somebody out there actually gives a hoot about what I have to say and is coming to visit my page.  And now to top it off, I created my own blog button!!

I thought it was going to be super hard to do, but thanks to this really easy to follow tutorial from April Showers Blog Design, I was able to create it in under ten minutes.  I already had a custom created avatar that looks very much like me saved. So all I had to do was upload to Microsoft Paint, add the purple background with pink polkadots, a text box and save it to Photobucket.  From there I just followed the tutorial.  I couldn’t believe how cute it turned out.

I mean it doesn’t have that complete cartoonish look like some of the other buttons, but it’s me.  And I’m sure that as I experiment more and more with Microsoft Paint that I will create a better button.  I even felt inspired to create a button for Etsy shop!!  I am in no way a pro and ready to start creating buttons for others but I might one day.  I feel like  I can finally tackle creating a logo for my Young Urban Modern Mommies brand.

You’d really be surprised at how much quitter people reply to you when you have a logo or face for your brand.  This has just totally made my day.  I can only hope that the rest of this week goes just as well.  I will be trying my hand at making a favicon and eventually a completely customized background for my blog. Wish me luck.  And now the words I have been waiting to say, Grab my buttons from the right and add them to your page.

Posted on Leave a comment

What I'm Making Monday: Blinged out Headbands Giveaway

Well, it’s Monday again and this is the second edition of my What I’m Making Monday posts.  I’m really starting to like these things. It forces me to get back in the hang of crafting.  I’m loving all the other ideas I see linked up at Baby Makin{g} Machine’s blog.  Not to mention, that’s how I got my first two Google followers!!  So, exciting.  Feels like I’m finally proving myself as a mommy blogger.

But anyways, back to what I’m making for today’s post.  If you’re following me on Twitter (@Yummommies) or on Facebook (Young Urban Modern Mommies), then you would know that I had my first public showing of my Etsy Accessory Line, KE Original.  Well, being a mommy of one very spoiled and pampered Princess, I thought it would be a good idea to try my hand at making some cute hair accessories.  And being the bling lover that I am, I decided to make Blinged out Headbands adorned with flowers.

To create these inexpensive works of art all you need is:

A Plastic Headband
Colorful Rhinestones
Flowers
Adhesive Glue
Scissors
Once you have all your supplies gathered you want to:
  1. Remove the flowers from the wire stem and use your scissors to cut off the plastic stem part that connected the two.
  2. Add a medium sized dot of adhesive to your headband and then attach your flower(s).
  3. Start adding your rhinestones along both sides using the same adhesive.  Be sure not to put too big of a dot for the rhinestones so that it doesn’t ooze from under the edges.
  4. Allow the headband to dry for at least 15 minutes.

Your final product should look very similar to mine pictured below.

Hope you have fun trying your hand at creating one of these. I had so much fun that I did like 15 of them.  And I want to give two of them away to two of my blog readers.  So, you could be the lucky person to win one!! All you have to do to win is Subscribe to my blog.

 For Extra Entries
  1. Leave me a comment
  2. Become a fan on Facebook
  3. Follow me on Twitter (@Yummommies)
Winners will be announced on Friday!!!!
Posted on Leave a comment

What I'm Making Monday: Letters to My Daughter

Let me start off by saying Happy Belated Mother’s Day!!!! I had a blast on my third one. It was even more special being able to celebrate with my mom and aunties. I’m already looking forward to next year and planning an even bigger surprise for them.

So, if you don’t know by now, I love writing. Seriously, I could write all day if that were possible. Anyways, when I was pregnant, I didn’t write a lot. Mostly because I was stressed about my pregnancy. It wasn’t exactly the most complication free one. It probably would have helped if I had kept a pregnancy journal or something and that’s one of the things I do regret not doing.

But once my little Moo got here, I knew that everyday with her would be special. So, I decided to make a scrap/storybook chronicling her first years of life. I call it ‘Letters to My Daughter: Days in the Life of My Little Moo.’ And I have to tell you at first it was kind of hard making myself get back in the hang of writing everyday. By the end of the night, I was so tired from having not gotten a full night’s rest the night before, I could barely keep my eyes open long enough to write.

But here we are almost two years later and somehow I have managed to chronicle everyday. And while some people say not much can possibly change from day to day, it can. I was recently looking back thru some of the notebooks I wrote in (we’re up to 4 now)and we had some great adventures, some heartbreaks and some times I wish I could rewind. I’m very honest in my letters to Moo about what I’m feeling, how things were going with me and her father and much more. I also took some pictures of her just about everyday.

So we have quite the collection. Babies don’t really remember their infanthood (yes I made that word up)and I felt like it would be great to help give her some insight by doing this. I certainly recommend that all moms and dads do this. You don’t really have to write in it everyday like I do, but weekly would good.

All you need is:

A Notebook,
A Pen,
A camera to take pictures,
And Quiet Place to write.
Then once you’ve finished your first year you can get a scrapbook kit and type it all up or just paste the handwritten pages right in the scrapbook. Adorn the pages with the pictures and you’re done.  This is truly a great gift for a high school senior.  I’m sure your daughter or son will love it.
Posted on Leave a comment

Montastic Monday

For starters, I just want to go ahead and put it out there that yes, I created the word Montastic. LOL.  And second, I’m taking a break from What I’m Making Monday until next week.  I know, I know, we had a little routine going here.  But I have something to share that might make up for it.

So, if you’ve checked out My Networks blog on right sidebar, you would know that I am a member of The Product Review Place.  In a nut shell, the title pretty much describe what the site is all about. It’s place where bloggers and businesses collide and work together to help spread the word out about products, giveaways and more.  Check them out if you haven’t already.

Anyways, I was on there surfing through some of the posts when I stumbled across one that read 

Yo Gabba Gabba! Live! Tour – 60 Cities This Fall/ Blogger OpportunityNow, I will be the first to tell you that when I first saw Yo Gabba Gabba, on Noggin (now Nick Jr.), I was like what in the heck.  I couldn’t believe that little kids found those creatures funny.  I was sure that they all looked a scary and not the least bit friendly.  However, by the third episode I was hooked. I mean that show is dope.

 What other kids show teaches kids about manners, how to dance and they can learn how to beat box from one of the best in the business-Biz Markie.  Like that is seriously awesome.  I take my hat off to DJ Lance because truly he is the highlight of the show.  I especially love the episodes where he dances and sings.  I never knew he could sing until I was watching an episode this past Saturday.

 Back to the post…when I saw it, I was secretly screaming for joy on the inside.  At this point, I am completely in love with the television show and to win an opportunity to see it live with Moo, is like icing on the cake.  So, I clicked on the post and apparently, Michell from Michelle Sisco PR is looking to set up an opportunity for bloggers like you and I to blog about our Yo Gabba Gabba Live.  Check out Michelle’s post below:

“I’m helping to promote the Yo Gabba Gabba! LIve! Tour: There’s a Party in My City, which launches in Bethel, NY on August 27th.  I am looking for bloggers in ALL the cities to assist with promoting the show in return for tickets, or other possible items to giveaway (CDs for example). Details are still TBD depending on the response.

If you are interested, please email me with the following information:

Your Name, city you’d want to promote/attend, blog URL, twitter/facebook if applicable, stats if you have them.

I’ll be putting one massive spreadsheet together, and it’s going to be a while before we can start guaranteeing anything! But the sooner I get responses, the better.

For the tour info, including the list of cities, go to http://www.yogabbagabbalive.com/

Amex presale starts today! If you’d like me to email you the release about the tour to post on your blog, let me know and I’ll send it as an attachment.

Thanks!

Michelle Sisco

So, I’m encouraging all you other Yo Gabba Gabba fans and moms to jump on this wonderful opportunity.  I know that I am looking forward to join thousands of other excited fans in Charlotte, NC this October to see that show.  So, what if the fans will all be shorter than me and younger than me by say almost two decades. I will be there front and center sporting my Yo Gabba Gabba gear.!!!  For the tour info, including the list of cities, go to http://www.yogabbagabbalive.com/ and don’t forget to spread the word.

Posted on Leave a comment

Putting on Our Crowns

Did you know that inside everyone of us as women is the power to find our inner queendom?  According to the Queen-Queen Latifah that is-“there seem to be an epidemic of lousy self-esteem in this country, especially among young women,…We ladies have stopped putting ourselves first, and I wanted to share something with you that would help you feel empowered and make you recognize the individual and innate beauty that is you.”  Put on Your Crown: Life-Changing Moments on the Path to Queendom is Grammy Award winning songstress, talk show hostess, Oscar nominated actress, Queen Latifah’s author debut.

In her book, Queen is quick to point out to readers that she “never set out to be anyone’s role model. That’s too much responsibility for any flawed human being to carry.”  She also lets it be known that this is not some mapped out self-help book either.  Instead, she bares her soul and shares some of her most intimate stories and experiences of success, fear, love and much more to serve as guides or lights on readers individual journeys through life.

Put on Your Crown is pretty much like saying ‘here are the mistakes I’ve made.  This is what works and this is what doesn’t work.’  A conversation similar to the ones many of us have shared with older siblings or our closest friends.  This is certainly a must read for all women out there, especially those of color.  Join the female empowerment movement by picking up this book.  Don’t forget to share this book with your daughters, sisters, mothers and friends.

You can purchase Queen Latifah’s Put on Your Crown at the following retailers:

or
You can enter for a chance to win a copy by commenting on this post.
Extra Entries (Leave one comment for each)
-Subscribe to my blog
-Follow me on Twitter (@Yummommies)
-Like YUMM on Facebook (See badge on right sidebar)
-Tweet about this giveaway/blog 

2 winners will be chosen on Sunday, May 30th.
This giveaway is sponsored by
Posted on Leave a comment

Wishful Wednesday

Ok, I’m pretty sure that what I’m about to share is probably TMI, but I’ve read worst on other blogs.  And besides I’ve come to think of some of you as really good friends.  So, here goes…. As you all know, I have a little shadow that follows me everywhere.  And I do mean everywhere.  She’s about 30″ tall, 23 lbs and has the cutest smile and biggest brown eyes that will just melt your heart.

So, Sunday, I’m in the bathroom doing my thing and in walks my shadow right on cue.  Of course, I’m completely used to this and I’ve given up on closing the door because she will simply stand outside and beat on it yelling “Ma, ma, ma, mommy, mommy” to the top of her lungs until I open it. And when I do open the door, her yelling turns to joyous “Mommyyyyyy…” as she pushes right past me.  Anyways, she comes in the bathroom and bursts into her random rambling of toddler gibberish mixed with plain English.  I just nod and say “yeah”, “really” or “she said what?”

Even though I don’t understand what the half things she says means, I still feel it’s important to pretend that I do.  And sometimes, I really try to sit and listen and try to understand if she’s asking for something.  But she has pointing down, so usually it’s just her rambling. But clearly, this time it was not just aimless chatter. No sooner had she finished her run-on sentence of gibberish did she proceed to pull down her pants and snatch off her diaper.  I was about to launch into a “why would you do that” rant when she came and sat down on the potty next to me.

Oh, my little heart leaped for joy.  I know you think I’m nuts. But do you have any idea what that small gesture means?  She’s ready for potty training.  I sort of figured that she has been ready to trade in her diaper for a pair of big girl panties because:

  1. She started taking an interest in mine whenever I would fold laundry.  She would always sort through the basket of freshly dried clothes and turn up with a pair of my panties to place on her head. LOL. (I’ll have to snap a photo for her scrapbook)
  2. She had started taking an interest in the toilet. No, she wasn’t playing in the toilet water, but she would watch it and always put the lid down. Also, she has mastered the art of working the handle.
  3. She snatched her diaper off in church two Sundays ago and promptly placed it on the floor.  Then she gave me that look like ‘I’m tired of that thing’ and proceeded to stalk away.  I was slightly embarrassed and wanted to disappear.  Yes, I’m THAT mom almost every Sunday.

So, you know what they say about signs-they come in threes.  Therefore, this Wishful Wednesday, my wish is that this potty training adventure will go as smooth as possible. I’m hoping and praying that she will be as easy to potty train as the hints she’s been throwing my way.  Wish us luck.

And don’t forget to check out this week’s giveaway.