Wordless Wednesday: Best Friends Forever or Until Sundown

You would never guess that they had never met each other before this day.

Don't you wish making friends as adults were this simple?

Land of the Barbies

I'm not really sure when it all began. It could have been when I got my first Barbie doll that was supposed to be the epitome of beauty. It might have been the first time I was called bean pole or string bean. Or maybe it was when my neighbor called me french fry head(yes, this really happened). Either way; I have stuggled with body image and confidence issues most of my life. If you knew me you would never guess that about me. I exude confidence and I talk a real good game, but deep down inside I am very insecure with myself.

My body issues have covered both ends of the spectrum. When I was younger I was very skinny and was constantly made fun of because of it. Most people would think that being skinny is a great thing but I was made to feel like it was a problem. Being that I am a woman of color most people expect me to be more bootylicious voluptuous. So when I got to college I started taking birth control just to try to gain some weight. It worked I gained 20 pounds while I was in college. It might have been my eating habits but I credit the BC for the weight gain. I was happy for a little while until I couldn't fit into my favorite pair of jeans. This began my struggle to lose weight. Then I had a baby and well all know what that does to your body. I actually lost weight after having my daughter (thank you breastfeeding) and then quickly gain it back.


We live in a land full of wanna be Barbie dolls who are chasing an unrealistic dream. I'm sure that all of you have heard what the real life dimensions  of a Barbie doll are but I'm going to share them anyway. I life size Barbie doll would have a 42D chest a 18-inch waist and 32-inch hips. How realistic is this? We see everyday on television, movies, and real life people obsessed with be perfect. But what is perfect and who gets to make that definition for us?

Everybody has their own flaws and I definitely have my share of flaws and scars. The struggle that myself and other women have is embracing those "flaws". We were all created different and unique and that is okay. This is what I have been trying to tell myself. It is so weird that no matter how often my husband and other people tell me how beautiful I am; I still don't feel that way. Who knew that that  seemingly small things that happen to you in your youth can have such a big impact on you adult life.

 You have teenagers whose bodies aren't fully developed having; having plastic surgery.There are kids constantly faced with images of what you "should" look like. You have the Heidis in the world that are having complete overhauls on their bodies How do you avoid the  lure of perfection? .I have a little girl and I want her to grown up with a healthy body image. I know that in order for her to have that; I have to have one as well. I want her to be okay with the body that God gave her but I also want her to be healthy and take care of herself. How can I protect her so that she doesn't have to go through what I've been through?

Meet Me on Monday!! 9-27-10

Questions: 

1.  How many TV’s do you have in your home?

We only have two television in our home. One in the living room and one in our bedroom. I want to eventually get one for my daughter's room but right now it would be pointless. She rarely watched TV.

2.  What is on your bedside table (nightstand)?

I don't have a nightstand but on my bed post you can usually find a hair brush, my work keys, and some wrappers from whatever snack I had before going to bed.

3.  How many pair of shoes do you own?

If you ask my husband; he will tell you way too many. I actually only have about 40 pairs of shoes. A woman can never have too many shoes. There are probably four that I wear on a daily basis. When we buy a house I want my husband to build some shelves (see below) for my growing shoe collection.

4.  Can you change a flat tire?

I actually can change my own flat tire. My dad made that a requirement when I learned to drive. You had to be able to check all your fluid and change a tire. You know what I can do better than change my tire?....Call someone else to fix it for me.

5.  Do you prefer sweet treats or salty treats?

Definitely sweet treats but after I eat a lot of sweets I usually counter it with something salty like salt & vinegar chips.

New Design

I am so excited that I have a new design!! I absolutely love the way that it turned out. This design was created by Kate at Cutesy Couture. It was a real pleasure working with her through this process.  I would recommend her for anyone looking to customize their blog. I would love to hear what you think about the new design; so please leave a comment.


 Also don't forget to click on her buttons to check out  Cutesy Couture and Kate's other blog Mommy Monologues.

Thanks Kate!!

Wordless Wednesday : Dora Yogurt

Kyla enjoying her favorite yogurt

My First Award!!!

Whoop Whoop! I have received my first award from Sherri at Her Random Thoughts. I am very excited that someone thought enough about me to pass on the love.

So here are the rules of the award:

1. Accept the award. Post it on your blog with the name of the person who granted the award and his or her blog link.

2. Pay it forward to 15 other bloggers that you have newly discovered.

3.Contact those blog owners and let them know they have been selected.


Here is my list of awardees:

Adventures in the Land of Little Choo Choos

Mommy Monologue

Wanna Be Balanced Mom

The Millenial Housewife

Sassy Wife Chronicles

Her Good Intentions

Diary of a Chic Mommy

Diva Script

Mixed Up Mom

The Supermom Blues

Welcome to Mommyhood

Mom Nom

Nuking Futs Mama

ComplexSimplicity

Kandeeland

Please take the time to check out some of these great blogs!!

Meet Me on Monday!! 9-20-10

I really look forward to Meet Me on Monday's. It is a chance you to get to know a little more about me. I sometimes learn new things about myself as well. I hope you enjoy this weeks installment.

Questions: 

1. What is your favorite all time movie?
This one is a tough one. I have so many movies that I love. I think I am going to have to go with Devil's Advocate. I love anything law related. Al Pacino played his role so well that I could watch any other movies with him it it for I while because I thought he was the devil.

2. How often do you go over the speed limit?
Unfortunately, way to often than I would like to admit. I keep trying to tell the police officers that I have a condition called lead foot but they don't buy it.  Now that my speedometer in my truck isn't working; I have to use my Droid app to know how fast I'm going.

3. What really gives you the creeps?
All bugs give me the creeps. I will break my neck just to get away from them. Especially those horrible nasty roaches...

4. What is your favorite snack?
I have two favorite snacks that are on total opposite ends of the spectrum. fruit and chocolate chips cookie(the inner fat girl in my can't resist). It just depends on which one is more readily available. Luckily it is usually fruit.

5. Would you rather be a dog named Killer or a cat named Fluffy?
I'm going to have to go with a dog named Killer because I'm not the biggest fan of cats. Plus, my daughter is allergic to cats so now I have an excuse to not have to be around them.

What was I Thinking?!?

Whew!!! I've made it to the final day of the in  Back 2 Blogging Challenge  by SITS!! I've been having a good time re-uploading some of my post and looking at other SITS member's post.  There is a chance for me  to win Thelma and Louise pictured below. How awesome is that?!?  Make sure you check out the sponsors of this great challenge Standards of Excellence, Westar Kitchen and Bath, and Florida Builder Appliances,

Day 5:Write about what blogging means to you. Why do you blog? What purpose does it serve you and how have you benefited from sharing a piece of yourself online this way?

Why do I blog? That's a good gosh darn question. I knew nothing of the blogging world until my good friend at Adventures in the Land of Little Choo Choos started her blog. I instantly became an avid reader of her blog; constantly waiting for the next post to be published. Then it hit me; "Hey why don't I start one?" I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I just wanted to write and be able to share my thoughts with other like-minded people.

The day that I created my blog; I was so proud of myself. I published my first post and went to work to tell everyone about it. They are laughed me off and asked why I thought that I was so interesting that people would want to read about me. I was crushed and intent on shutting my blog down when I got home that night. When I started it was not because I thought I was special. I wanted to allow my friends and family to be able to keep up with my family. I also needed another outlet. I'm pretty sure that the people at work without kids got tired of me talking about breastfeeding, poopies, and pull-ups.

I'm glad that my nay-sayers did not talk me out of continuing my blog. I have 'met' a lot of really great people and I have learned so much from them. I even created a second blog about my journey into makeupland.  Some of the blogs that I have been introduced to are so flipping hilarious, some are very insightful and helpful. There is such a range of blogs out there. Blogging has re-ignited the creative side of my brain that has been asleep for so long. It has also helped me to open up a little and challenged me to improve my writing.


I'm glad I started this blog and look forward to where this might lead...

She gets it from her momma

We've made it over the hump and now things get a little harder in  Back 2 Blogging Challenge  by SITS!! I've been having a good time re-uploading some of my post and looking at other SITS member's post.  There is a chance for me  to win Thelma and Louise pictured below. How awesome is that?!?  Make sure you check out the sponsors of this great challenge Standards of Excellence, Westar Kitchen and Bath, and Florida Builder Appliances,

Day 5: Write about a woman that inspires you

I have been trying to come up with the perfect person to write about all week.  Well, as I was driving home from work last night it hit me. There is only one woman that truly inspires me....My Mom!

I know what you are thinking...what a typical thing to say. Well most people will say that their mother inspires them but that's usually on Mother's Day and other major holidays. My mom inspires me on a daily basis. Now don't get me wrong; my mom and I have never had the perfect relationship. We have had our share of fights and arguments (who hasn't). That doesn't change the fact that she is my mom and I love her.

Let me tell you a little about my mom. My mom married her high school sweetheart shortly after high school, and age 27 she gave birth to my brother Brian. Three years later she gave birth to yours truly and put her career on hold to be a stay at home mom to my brother and I. She was married to my father for 20+ years (I lost track).  My mom and I are complete opposites other than our looks. I was the tomboy that hated pink,dresses, or anything girly and my mom was miss prissy (think Claire Huxtable meets Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde).

We went through some very tough times as a family when my parent went through their divorce. My mom was a rock through it all and never let her faith be shaken. My mom had to start all over from scratch and she done everything that she has ever set out to do.She taught me that nothing was impossible when she went back to school and earned her Master's Degree. My mother has done everything from an aid to a state representative,  be an equestrian store owner, doing voice overs, and now writing children's books. She went back to teaching which was her first. She even won Teacher of the Year in 2009.  

It has always been my mom's level of faith that has inspired me. I know that it was her constant prayers that helped me to be the person that I am today. When I got in to my near fatal car accident in 2001 my mom rushed  to the hospital in the middle of the night sans makeup ( my mom never leaves the house without at least her lipstick). Unfortunately I was  not conscience and don't remember it, but I would have paid someone a lot of money to get a picture of that. I honestly don't think I would have made it if it was not for her praying over me that night.

Most people dread becoming like their mothers and I can admit that I have felt that way. Now with everyday that goes by; I can see myself becoming more and more like my mom. Who would have thought that I would like makeup, love the colors pink and purple, and be a shoe fanatic? I see myself turning into my mother....and you know what? I'm glad!!

Title Appreciation

It's hump day of the Back 2 Blogging Challenge  by SITS Day3!! I've been having a good time re-uploading some of my post and looking at other SITS member's post.  There is a chance for me  to win Thelma and Louise pictured below. How awesome is that?!?  Make sure you check out the sponsors of this great challenge Standards of Excellence, Westar Kitchen and Bath, and Florida Builder Appliances,

Day 3: Re-upload a post with a title that you are particularly proud of and explain why.

I don't have a lot of post to choose from and quite honestly I think that my titles are the best. That is one of the things that I would like to improve on. So, here is my pick for a pretty decent title:

I've Relapsed Again

I have a confession to make. Other than my new make-up addiction; I have another addiction. I am completely addicted to sweets. I have always had a sweet tooth as far back as I remember. This is one of the reasons that I love baking.  My candy addiction got real bad for a while. My husband would complain because he would wake up with candy wrappers on his face(I would hide candy in my pillow case). This is when I realized that things were out of control. When you start hiding your addiction; you have a problem.

Well, I told myself that I was going to give of the candy and sweets habit and I actually was doing very well for a few months. Not only did I give up the sweet I started working out again, eating healthy and even drinking water. Things were going really good. I lost 5 pounds, my skins was crystal clear and I had so much energy. I was so proud of myself. Then I went on vacation....

Everything went downhill from the first day of my vacation. I thought I could have ONE bag of candy and it would be alright....WRONG!!! It was like a recovering drug addict taking one hit for old times sake. One bag let to three bags, a soda,cake, and Subway cookies (Yum!). I've gained back my five pounds +3 extra (inserts scream here). I have got to get things back in order. I'm running out of clothes that fit and I can't afford to buy new ones.

OK...in front of you, God and my dog; I vow to get back on track. I am finishing my last piece of cheesecake as we speak. I WILL drink at least 5 glasses of water a day. If any of you ever see me with candy, soda, or a cupcake...please slap it out of my hand. Thank You!

Wordless Wednesday: Kyla's First Day of Dressing Herself

Let's Try this again

This is Day 2 of the Back 2 Blogging Challenge  by SITS!!
There is a chance for me  to win Thelma and Louise pictured below. How awesome is that?!?  Make sure you check out the sponsors of this great challenge Standards of Excellence, Westar Kitchen and Bath, and Florida Builder Appliances,

Day 2: Re-Upload a post that you wish more people had read and explain why it was important to you. 


So here it goes:

Review: FUZE Healthy Infuzions: Slenderize

As many of you may already know...I'm currently in sugar rehab. Luckily it is an outpatient rehab center because I have too much stuff to do to be locked up for 21 days.

I have been trying to find something to satisfy my sweet tooth without resorting to candy, cake, cookies, and doughnuts (did I just drool as I typed that?!?). Anyway, a few months ago I was reading one of my fitness magazines while eating candy and saw an ad for FUZE Beverages. They have different products but the one being advertised was their FUZE Slenderize drinks. I love to try new things; so the next morning I stopped by the store and pick one up.

The first one that I tried was the tropical fruit 
It was $1.79; which is a little bit cheaper than a bottle of soda. I popped it open and almost spilled it because it was filled to the rim(YES!!). Of course the next thing I had to do was smell it...yes, I smell my food and drinks. It smelled so sweet and delicious; so I was automatically preparing myself for a let down. OMG!!....I was wrong. This was so good that before I left the parking lot I went back in the store to get another flavor.

Now on to my next surprise. I remember in the ad that it said the product was low calories and low carbs. but after tasting it I couldn't believe it. Check out the label: 5 calories per serving and 1g of carbs. per serving. You can't beat that. It comes with 18.5 FL oz which is two servings. It is also loaded with healthy antioxidants and a full does of Vitamin C. There are six wonderful flavors to choose from. Pick one up and try it today! You can purchase these at your local grocery store, drug store and some gas stations.

A Toddler's Point of View

I am currently in the throughs of the terrible-twos with my daughter and it can get reall frustrating some times see Payback is a Mother. Well I came across this article today and I just had to share it with other moms/dads who might be going through the same thing right now. This article was very entertaining and insightful. I could picture Kyla telling me these things herself. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Here is the link: Into the mind of your toddler

Meet Me on Monday!! 9-13-10

Questions: 

1. What is your favorite pasta dish?


If any of your have read my post My Fav Five you will already know the answer to this one. If you haven't here you go. I am a spaghetti fanatic. This is how my husband won me over *hint hint* (maybe I will get some tonight).

2. What is the last thing you do before going to bed?


The last thing I do before going to bed is usually finish up my online homework.

3. How many nights a week do you go out to eat?


Well since I manage at a restaurant...I eat out every day that I work. That's one of the perks of the job.

4. Are you an avid book reader?


I love to read books. My mom and I have the same favorite author John Grisham. My mom got me started on my reading addiction. I wish I had more time to read.

5. Would you rather have x-ray vision or bionic hearing?


I'm going to have to go with bionic hearing. I'm a little bit nosy and with bionic hearing; I would be able to get all the juicy gossip.