Making Progress

I'm happy to report that I'm down 5 pounds!  I'm making good progress on my quest to get back into pre-pregnancy shape.  During the holidays, I developed some really bad eating habits.  I was eating a lot of sweets and drinking way too many sodas and sugary drinks.

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When the New Year rolled around I made a serious effort to drink at least a half gallon of water a day.  On a good day, I can easily get in a gallon of water without drinking juice or anything else.  I've also become more conscious of the foods I'm putting my mouth.  I did relapse and go overboard with some chocolate chips cookies my husband had.  However, since then it's been fruit smoothies and fruit to soothe my sweet tooth.

Who knew that getting your daily share of water in and cutting the sugary drinks down to a minimum could be so rewarding weight wise.  I'm realizing that my body isn't as quick at burning off calories and other things as it used to be before I had two kids.  It needs a little help and I'm glad that I'm taking the needed steps to assist it.

Did you set fitness or weight goals?  If so, what progress are you making?

Two Years Strong

YUMMommy officially turned two years old on January 15th and I couldn't be more excited!  

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I feel like I need to pop a bottle of champagne and blow out some candles or something.  Maybe, next year I'll throw a big party in celebration of such a wonderful occasion.  Year two was such a great one.  I finally got the YUMMommy logo in a usable format.

I tried my hand at redesigning my layout, experimented with sending out a weekly newsletter (bringing it back don't worry), and even met some extraordinary people.  By far my great joy of year two has been the friendships that I have bloomed and become stronger than they were in year one.  This blog has afforded me the opportunity to connect with some wonderful and amazing people on such a personal level.

My heart is just so full right now thinking about how much this blog has grown.  I know I don't say it often but thank you to everyone who reads and comments and reaches out in some way.  I greatly appreciate your support more than I will ever be able to put into words!

And an even bigger thank you to those of you who've gone beyond the blog to rock with me on Twitter and Facebook.  It's been a blast getting to see a different side of some of you outside of our blogs.  With year three already started, I'm hoping that we can get to know each other even better.

On a side note, I hope that you all are taking advantage of of the 25% off local deals with promo code charlotte25 over on Plum District Charlotte!  They have some great deal packages going on that would be perfect for Valentine's Day and SuperBowl Sunday.  

Safety Signs

Did you know that street signs serve a purpose?  That purpose is to keep us safe.  Sadly, I don't think a lot of drivers in my area really pay much attention to these signs.  Thus, they end up putting not only their lives in jeopardy but those around them.  Lately, I've been hearing on the news about a lot of pedestrians being involved in accidents where they were hit cars.

Well, last Thursday the kids and I were coming home from the grocery store and I noticed that traffic was moving slower than a snail's pace.  At first, I thought it was maybe there was stalled car blocking traffic or something.  However, when I heard all the sirens and saw three police cruisers, a wrecker and ambulance trying to weave their way through traffic, I knew it was something more serious.

Thankfully, it didn't take all day for traffic to get moving again.  The police were able to get on the scene of the accident and start redirecting everyone around the accident.  Once we got to the area where the accident occurred, I could see that it was another case of a pedestrian being struck by a car.  This time it appeared that the victim was an elderly person.  They had loaded up the person struck by the car in the ambulance by the time I got to the front of the line.

All that was left was an elderly woman, who appear visibly shaken, standing on the sidewalk being comforted by a man.  It breaks my heart when I have to see or pass scenes like this because my best friend was killed by a driver who failed to pay attention to the road signs.  Had she of being paying attention to them she would have seen the children at play sign.  Or maybe she did but see and ignored it.

We'll never know because she didn't even stop to see if he was ok.  So, I urge you to pay attention to these safety signs when you're out and about driving or even walking.  If you see a sign that says No Trespassing, please obey it because it could be the difference between life or death!

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by SafetySign.com.  All opinions expressed in this post are my own. Likewise, the events disclosed in this post are real.

Searching For A Rainbow

This past week has been a very ROUGH week for me to say the least.  January's not even over yet and already I'm searching for a rainbow in the mist of this rain.  I keep reminding myself of Ecclesiastes 3:1 that reads:

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens..."

I started 2012 off on a good note and I'm determined to get it back on track.  I can't allow these recent obstacles to throw me off my game plan.  I know that God never forsakes me or leaves me stranded.  I just have to trust Him and believe that He will show  me the way out of this situation.

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On a more positive note (for me at least), the Patriots are going to the SuperBowl!!!

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How do you stay on track during difficult times?

Apples & Fries

My fellow McDonald's lovers, say good bye to the traditional Happy Meal as we once knew it.  This past Wednesday, January 18th, all North Carolina McDonald's unveiled the new, improved and healthier Happy Meal.

Notice anything different?

The new, healthier Happy Meal now comes with an order of apple slices and smaller container of French Fries with your child's hamburger, cheeseburger or McNuggets.  You can also skip the soft drink and substitute it for fat-free chocolate milk (new) or 1% low-fat white milk.  By incorporating these changes, McDonald's has reduced the calorie intake of its Happy Meals by 20%!

Another great plus is that the smaller container of French Fries will help to teach children about portion control.  "By showcasing portion control and moderation through the new Happy Meal, children are guided toward making better decisions when it comes to food," says Registered Dietitian and Licensed Nutritionist Melissa Herrmann Dierks of Charlotte.

I am very pleased to see our favorite fast food restaurant taking a voluntary step at making sure the food we feed our little ones from their eatery is nutritious.  It definitely shows me that they value more than just our hard earned  money.  In fact as 2012 goes on we can expect to see McDonald's continuing to support and create awareness about the importance of families (parents and children) living healthy lifestyles that include nutrition and being active.

Local Charlotte McDonald's owner and operator David Powell says "We've been looking forward to bringing the new Happy Meal into our restaurants since the initiative was announced last year.  Kids now get the best of both worlds-- they can still have their French Fries but they also get a half serving of produce through the apple slices."

I for one can't wait to see if McDonald's will take their healthier meal options one step further and offer soy milk and other fruit options in the future.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they will since we have some dairy and fruit allergies in my household.  Either way this is a great step and start at getting children interested in making smarter lifestyle choices.

Want to find out more about McDonald's commitment to nutrition?  Click here.  Don't forget to visit them on Facebook and Twitter too!!

Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post.

A Dream Worth Dying For

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"A man who won't die for something is not fit to live."

~Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Nobody lived by these words better than Dr. King did.  This strong, intelligent, determined Black man believed so much in his dream to help to create equality in the United States that he was willing to die for it.  And on April 4, 1968, that is exactly what happened.  For that I am so very grateful.

You see, I grew up in a mostly White town.  Growing up there was certainly a divide among the Black and White students.  Most of the Black students didn't take honors classes.  In fact, my senior year I was the only Black person in my AP English class.  However, I was blessed to have a wonderful teacher who truly didn't care about color, class or gender.

She always did her very best to make that we read just many books and stories about Blacks as we did about Shakespeare.  And somehow, I'm convinced that regardless of not if I had been in her class or not, she still would have selected the reading material she did.  In my opinion, she was one of the few non-Black teachers who truly embraced Dr. King's mindset of total equality.

Today, I live in a nice neighborhood where there is only two other Black families besides my own.  And I'm thankful that we get along with almost all of our neighbors.  I'm pretty sure that without Dr. King and his Civil Rights peers, I wouldn't have had such good experiences in these situations.

So, today we're not celebrating the achievements of Dr. King, but a renewing of his legacy.  I challenge everyone reading this take on a dream that you feel is worth dying for.  Find that one thing that you are passionate to death about and go for it.  Maybe, it's something to do with your kids, your family, your community, etc.  Just go forth and make a positive difference!

How are you keeping Dr. King's legacy alive?

Game On

I was talking with my bestie Thursday night and we started talking about weddings.  Her wedding to be exact.  And she drops the bomb on me that they've decided that they want to get married in March.  No, not March 2012, but this March.  As in two months and a few weeks away!

I thought I would have at least four months before I had to be special event ready bodywise.  So, much for wishful thinking.  Looks like it's game on as far as shedding these extra pounds.  I gotta get it right and get it tight for these wedding photos.  Not to mention, I don't want to be girdled up so tight I can't cut a rug on the dance floor.  

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I'm not saying I'm on Usher or Chris Brown's dance level, but I can crank dat and Superman it out. LOL.  Well, I recently took on a freelance position away from home. So, that means I won't be able to hit gym.  Yes, another month of my share of the gym membership wasted. (Sorry honey)  So, the dilemma becomes how do I shed these extra pounds?

If I had access to FiTv, I would just turn on some Gilead Total Body and get busy.  But I don't.  So, to all of you fitness gurus and workout at home readers:

What is your workout at home routine or tips?

Team Walgreens

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Walgreens. All opinions are 100% mine.
It's no secret that I am a fan of Walgreens.  I have had nothing but great experiences with their pharmacy services.  I've never had any issues with them not accepting or being accepted by my current insurance company or past insurance companies. And with two kids that have major allergies, that aspect is very important to me.
However, it seems that other users of Walgreens' pharmacy will no longer be able to enjoy the same great services as me and my family do.   Walgreens and Express Scripts have sadly parted ways.  Despite their best efforts to accommodate Express Scripts, Walgreens was not able to renegotiate another contract.  As a  result, Express Scripts subscribers have been forced to hunt down other pharmacies that in some cases are longer distances from their homes and have not so great hours.  (See more here.)
And this breakup not only affects everyday citizens but military families as well.  It so happens that Tricare is under the Express Scripts umbrella.  So, as if these military families don't go through enough, they now have to find new in-network pharmacies.  I think this is one of the issues that upsets me the most because I have family in military who have been Walgreens pharmacy users for years!  And I just don't think it's fair for this burden to be thrown on them or anyone else for that matter, especially during these hard economic times.
However, Prescription Savings Club at Walgreens was developed to help those Express Scripts subscribers who want to continue Walgreens to do so as well as to help make the transition to a new pharmacy as easy as possible.  I for one commend Walgreens on doing this and making it available to not only Express Script users but all Walgreens customers worldwide.  My heart really goes out to those families who are being affected by this.  I really encourage anyone who's affected by this to speak out via their local media outlets.
It's time that we take a stand against all these medical, insurance and pharmacy related companies that make their customers and consumers jump through hoops without any benefits. To stay up to date and show your support you can follow Walgreens on Twitter and like Walgreens on Facebook.

Restless Baby Syndrome

JJ is almost eight months and we seem to be entering into what I like to call RBS-Restless Baby Syndrome.  Since he's approaching toddlerhood, he's taking fewer naps.  And that's not a problem.  The problem is finding stuff for him to do during those hours that he's now spending awake.

It's hard work keeping him entertained.  I thought for sure that he would be like Moo was.  She was fine as long as she was in her bouncer seat and watching Yo Gabba Gabba.  And once she learned how to make her walker go, she could care less if anybody paid her any attention.  

This is not the case for my little prince though.  He is a total attention hog.  I can't leave his sight for more two seconds unless he's fully occupied with something else.  But the moment that fascination wears off and he sees that I've escaped the room, he lets it rip.

We've been trying to get him interested in toys.  It works for a little bit and then he's like ok, what else ya got ma?  He's not a fan of tummy time at all.  He simply rolls over and gives me the you have ten seconds to pick me up look.  He's already mastered the walker.

I mean he can navigate that thing better some people navigate their cars.  I thought it would have taken a while to get the hang of it.  But by six months, he was already showing off his skills.  My family couldn't believe how well he got around in that thing.  We're convinced he's going to be walking by his first birthday.

And you would think that the walker would keep him occupied, but not so.  It just allows him to get into stuff like the Mr's PS3, snatching lamps off tables, knocking over cups, etc.  It also serves as a way for him to tag along behind me 24/7.  He was content with that at first but the novelty of being able to keep tabs on me is wearing off since I'm not actually holding him.

I'm running out of things and ways to keep this little guy entertained.  I don't want him getting sucked into tv watching.  However, we're both going nuts from his restlessness and easy boredom.  I never imagined that I would be the mother of a high maintenance child.

So, how do you keep your baby entertained?

Travel Bug

When I graduated high school, my dream was to go to college and study fashion.  Once, I finished college I wanted to move to New York and get a job at a big fashion house like Gucci or DVF.  I didn't care if I had to work in the mailroom.  I just wanted to be in the Big Apple surrounded by fashion, bright lights and being close to my bestie!

I envisioned climbing my way up the ladder.  It was also my dream to dabble in a little freelance writing for magazines and The Times.  What I really looked forward to most was the travel that comes along with working in the fashion industry.  As a little girl, I would always clip out pictures of places I wanted to visit-the warm beaches of Hawaii, romantic Paris, exotic Spain, etc.

Well, my life hasn't quite panned out that way.  Not that I'm complaining or anything.  However, if anything my travel bug has grown.  Day in and day out, I daydream of attending Fashion Week in New York and Paris.  I see myself in a two piece putting on sunblock somewhere in the Bahamas. 

Now that I have two kids, I find myself wondering if my dreams of traveling are realistic?  I mean with my husband's schedule, if I went anywhere more than 3 hours away I'd have to go alone.  Traveling with two young kids scares the hell out of me to be honest.  I have fears of losing track of Moo in a crowded airport or train station now that she's going through her I don't want to ride in the stroller stage.

My mom says that I shouldn't let traveling with kids scare me.  After all, we spent summers and winter breaks in DC all the time when I was young.  We'd be all over the city going to the mall, hitting up museums and amusement parks.  If she can do it with five kids, that means two should be a piece of cake right?

So do any of you travel solo with your kid(s)? If so, what tips do you have?

You're Invited

It's a party. It's a party. It's a par-tay!!

Yes, you are being cordially invited to join 

Me, The Young Mommy Life and the rest of the 

This Is How We Do It co-authors

for 

a super awesome and amazing Twitter party.

When: Thursday, January 5th aka tomorrow

Time: 8-9 PM EST

Where: Twitter (duh!)/ TweetChat

Hashtag: #SurvivalGuide

It's going to be hour of fun and laughs as 

we share tips and tricks on how to 

survive motherhood.

So be there or be square folks!

Don't forget to spread the word too! (Pretty please.)

See ya there.

Visions For 2012

2012 is well underway and I've been reading and hearing about a lot New Year's resolutions and goals.  It got me to thinking about what I want to accomplish before this year is out.  So, I decided to create my 2012 Vision Board.  Last year, I got a late start but was still able to get the ball rolling on some things.

Being able to visually see the goals I want to accomplish this year day in and day out is really going to motivate me even harder.  I'll have a daily reminder of what it is I'm supposed to be working hard to achieve. Some of these things are a continuation from last year such as;

~Buy a house:  We've been house hunting for some now.  I did get briefly discouraged.  And we did face a few bumps, but I'm learning to be patient.  This is the biggest purchase and decision of our lives.  I don't want to end up settling because I was in a hurry.  At the same time though, we are living in the rental from Hell!

~Travel:  So, last year I did not travel at all unless going back and forth to my mom's house counts.  And there was New Year's 2011 at the beach but that's about it.  This year I'm going to work hard to change that.    I've been researching and traveling isn't all that expensive if you plan ahead and take alternative transportation like the train.  I've been aching to return to New York and visit my family.  And I'm overdue for a visit to see my bff in Philly!

~$1500 Emergency Fund:  Sadly, I failed miserably at even closely obtaining this goal.  We had so many things happening like our getting totaled, having a baby, house hunting and more than our share of ER trips.  Plus, I did get a little shopping happy too.  Not this year though.  I'm going to be reigning in my spending and setting aside money on a monthly basis.

Some things on this board are new like:

~Pampering Myself:  I have a really hard time treating myself to nice things.  I'm always coming up with reasons I don't need a new pair of shoes even though the ones on my feet have about had it.  My kids walk around dressed in Calvin Klien pea coats and Kenneth Cole jump suits (the internet/Marshalls/TJ Maxx are my bffs).  However, I have a hard time buying myself designer things.

~Cooking & Eating Healthier:  I love cooking and I love eating just as much!  However, I'm not exactly the most healthy cook.  What can I say, Paula Dean is my kitchen idol!  But if I'm going to leave the plus size section behind for good, I have to make better food choices.  I'm not only helping myself but my family.

~Back to College: I've mentioned this but I never really put it on my vision board.  Well, now that it's on there I'm ready to do something about it.  I'm thinking that online classes will be good until summer since I'm still breastfeeding.

~Stronger Marriage/Relationship w/ God:  Both my marriage and faith are very important to me.  And they go hand in hand.  Without a strong relationship with God, what will I fall back on when my marriage is in the dumps.  And yes it happens, but divorce is just not an option for us (with the exception of cheating, abuse & drug addiction).  I don't want to end up like these celebrity couples we see splashed on the pages of magazines.  Married today, out of love tomorrow. 

 And I know God can help me through those times when I feel close to the edge.  I also know that I can be better a wife.  There's always room for improvement on everything in life.  I plan to take good advantage of that as it pertains to my marriage.

~Freelancing/ YUMMommy:  Last year was my first year dabbling in freelancing and I loved it.  I was nervous at first, but now I'm ready to step my game up.  In the words of Drake, "There's money to be got.  And I'mma get that shit!"  Real talk there is money to be made using your God given talents. You just have come up with a plan to turn it into a profitable hustle and from there a profitable career.

With that said, I'm going to be working hard to improve and take YUMMommy to the next level.  I'm still researching host sites because I really want to become my own dot com.  So, I want to make sure that whatever route I take to get there will be the right fit.  I'm also working on trademarking the name and logo.  I've been toying with the idea of adding nonprofit to the mix but don't want to take on too much. 

So, for now I'll just be satisfied with March For Charity and working with other organizations.

This is going to be a wonderful year ladies and gentlemen!

Have you started your 2012 Vision Board?  What's on it?

This Is How We Do It

Oh my gosh yall!!! I'm now a published author!!  WooHoo!  

I'm beyond thrilled because I finally built up the courage to put myself out there beyond this blog.  And for me that is a HUGE deal.  I'm so proud to have been invited to help co-write This Is How We Do It: A Survival Guide For Busy Moms.  I feel so blessed to be able to share the wisdom that I've learned from my experience as a mommy of two.

The Thank You Speech

First and foremost, I want to thank God because I was super nervous about if what I had to say would be good enough or even worth sharing.  He certainly gave me the faith I needed to sit down and hammer out my story and the strength to hit the send button.  I would like to send out a huge THANK YOU to Tara over at The Young Mommy Life.  I am so honored that she invited me to be a part of this whole project.

Like she's been a major key to me even getting my freelance career off the ground. She's always willing to give advice and share resources and just help me in any way I need her to.  I'd like to thank my fellow co-authors-Rahma, Merlene, Jasmine, Tina, Franchesca and Amie!  Thank you ladies for taking this journey with me.  We will forever be connected because of this book.

I would also like to thank my family and my husband because they've been supportive of my writing from day one.  I'm sure there are times when they've read something on the blog and thought I over shared a bit.  However, I know that at the end of the day they have my back.

Last but not least, I want to thank all you-the readers.  You all are by far my biggest supporters.  Honestly, my family  because well they're family.  But for you all-complete strangers-to support me, it feels so humbling and a bit surreal.  I hope that you all will continue to take this ride with me because things will continue to go upward from here.

And don't forget to cop the book!

Hello 2012

Can't believe that this is my first post of 2012!  Wow, a new year is officially upon us.  I feel so blessed to be alive and well in 2012 and to have celebrated with my family.

So, how did we ring in the New Year?  Of course, I had to watch New Year's Rockin Eve with Ryan, Jenny and Fergie.  My favorite performances were Pitbull and One Republic.  Contrary to what Jenny McCarthy said, Pitbull killed both of his performances.  

I mean am I the only one who thought she was sipping on some bitter juice halfway through the show?  I don't know but it started to seem like her happiness was forced after they came back from that second commercial break.  And Fergie's blue sparkle mini was so stiff as nails. I don't think she could have sat in that thing. But I loved her makeup.  She always goes for a fresh or natural glam look.

I didn't get to see the ball drop because the Mr thought it would be a good idea to head Uptown and see the fireworks.  Only one problem though.  The Queen City did not do fireworks this year!! BOOOOOO!!!  What kind of crap was that huh?!! 

Disappointed we headed to McDonald's to get a little pick me up snack.  And on the way there we passed by an apartment complex and some of the residents were shooting their own fireworks. Score!!  We got to see some after all.

Then we headed back home and watched movies on Netflix until I passed out around 4 AM.  Yea, I'm paying for that now because the kids seemed to have not been affected by staying up so late but I'm seriously dragging.  Still I'm thankful for how my New Year's ring in turned out. I was with the three people I love the most and that's more than some people had.

2012 is going to be a GREAT year!

How did you ring in the New Year?