Gratitude...

“Gratitude, thankfulness, or appreciation is a positive emotion or attitude in acknowledgment of a benefit that one has received or will receive.”

Today, I’m feeling grateful and thankful for my many blessings. We often times do not realize how blessed we are. I remember once hearing a Pastor say “If you don’t know that you are blessed….take a deep breath in….then exhale.” That statement shows how we take even the smallest of things for granted.

Often times I feel unworthy of the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon me. I am not trying to preach to you in this blog entry but I simply want to shed light on the fact that the lack of appreciation or gratitude we exhibit can block future blessings. I desire to be a
“Proverbs 31 woman”. This is my goal as a Christian woman. To be desired by my husband, admired by my children, considerate of others and blessed with God’s best.

Proverbs 31:10-31
10Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
11The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.
12She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.
13She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.
14She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.
15She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.
16She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.
17She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.
18She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.
19She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.
20She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.
21She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
22She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.
23Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.
24She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
25Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
26She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
27She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
28Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.
29Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.
30Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.
31Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

Lord knows I am a work in progress and no where near this level of greatness that I long for. However, knowing that I was raised by a virtuous woman and surrounded by the love of my grandmother, another virtuous woman, encourages me walk righteously and live for God.

Bottom line folks…appreciate your life; the good and bad. Look past your current situation and strive for greatness in all that you do and KNOW that you are loved!

With Gratitude…

OMG! I LOVE THIS SHOW!!!!

One of my new favorite reality shows is Let’s Talk about Pep. This is a reality show starring Pepa from the legendary female rap group Salt n’ Pepa. The show is almost like an updated version of Sex and the City. Pepa and three of her friends share their experiences with life and love. When I watch that show, I instantly feel like I’m sitting at that table with the ladies as they share intimate details of dates and dating disasters over lunch.

This show is so interesting because I’ve always seen Pepa as a strong, confident, vivacious woman. However, on this show you get to see Pepa as a vulnerable woman, looking for love and waiting for that one man that she can allow herself to become intimate with (after being celibate for 4 years). Let’s Talk about Pep airs on VH1 on Mondays at 10:30 pm EST.
Enjoy!

Book Club!!!!

Book Club Night! Our selection this time….Push by Sapphire, the book that inspired the motion picture Precious.

This book was once described as “one of the most disturbing portraits of motherhood ever published” (City Paper, November 1996). The complexities in this book allowed for a diverse discussion of topics ranging from the incest to homophobia and about racism and racial/economic disparities in educational/welfare systems.

I had not seen the movie but felt that the book read like a script where you could imagine exactly what was occurring at each moment. The only drawback was that the book was written grammatically as Precious would speak which was very frustrating when she spoke about her “Muver” (Mother) or used profanity every other word.

Our next selection…..Hill Harper's Letters to a Young Sister.

Happy Reading!

Resolution Time!!!

Well, its that time. Time to share my New Year Resolutions for 2010!

1. Blog more (at least once a month)


2. Start an eBay business


3. Finish my Learn to speak Tagalog CD


4. Re-build my savings/emergency fund


5. Explore doctoral programs - apply by the years end


6. Volunteer in my daughter's class


7. Practice patience at home


8. Have routine date nights with my hubby


9. Go wine tasting


10. Vacation somewhere tropical


11. Go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium

I think these are all resolutions that are certainly attainable (thats why I left off lose 40 lbs). What will you resolve to do next year?

Queen of “Staycations”

Well, it’s that time of year....school is almost out and families all over are getting ready to go on summer vacation. However, most families have been hit hard by the economy and can not afford elaborate vacations (myself included). So this week I've been charged with finding some "out of the box" options for my summer “staycation" and I wanted to share a few ideas:

Check out your local attractions. Most cities have a community section in their local newspaper that will highlight local events, most of which are free. These include fun events like: movies in the park events, county fairs, story time at the local libraries, etc.

Movies: Check out the local movie theatre for new box office releases. Drive-In theatres are a great way to enjoy a night out with the family. Also a staycation can be a great time to catch up on your Net Flix backlog.

AAA Discounts: If you are a member you have access to great ‘last minute’ local travel packages, as well as, discounts at restaurants, on rental cars and at retail stores.

Google: Google your area to find and find information about the city history, major landmarks and restaurants.

B of A Museum discounts: If you are a B of A cardholder you can get free general admission to participating museums, zoos, science centers, botanical gardens and more on the first full weekend of every month – just by presenting any B of A card. Check it out at museums.bankofamerica.com

If all else fails, stay at home and enjoy what you work so hard for! Work in your garden, catch up on some reading or start a craft project like a scrapbook or memory box.

ENJOY!!!

My Favorite Things:

Just thought I’d take a queue from Oprah and give you a list of some my favorite things (in no particular order):

Apple iPhone: It’s been almost 3 months since I’ve had my iPhone and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!!! This phone is so amazing! I already have 5 pages of applications that help me to organize, map locations, play and socialize.

Starbucks: My favorite drink: Grande Vanilla Soy Latte (no foam please).

Orbit Gum: I love this sugar free gum that comes in tons of various flavors. My latest favorite Strawberry Mint.

Green 960 Talk Radio [960 AM]: This station keeps me politically informed and thoroughly entertained.

www.theybf.com: This is a truly fabulous blog that has all the latest celebrity gossip and photos.

Smashbox Sheer Focus Tinted Moisturizer: Not only does this product moisturize your skin but the tint provides a beautiful glow to your skin. It is available at Sephora.

Tylenol Extra Strength: Need I say more?

Audio books: I am a commuter and I listen to audio books to keep myself “entertained” while on the road. I have an account with audible.com; the books are downloaded through iTunes.

TiVo: As I’ve shared before, reality shows are my guilty pleasure. With TiVo I am able to tape all my favorite reality shows. So once I’ve put my daughter to bed I stay up and catch up on all the latest foolishness: The Hills, Daisy of Love, I Married a Baller, Keeping up with the Kardashians, Real Housewives of...New York, Atlanta, New Jersey, etc. etc.

The Game: I’ve been watching re-runs of this show on BET not realizing that it was still on the CW network. Unfortunately, the new word is that the show has been cancelled so now I’m forced to watch all the episodes that I’ve missed online at http://www.cwtv.com/.

Product Review: Eyedentity Labels!!

No one ever told me that as a mother I would live in a CONSTANT STATE OF WORRY! I worry about my child's safety and well being at ALL TIMES. Although I have never temporarily lost my daughter in a store or public place, I've heard stories from friends and family members and I can only imagine the trauma that coincides with such an event.

Today I was reading my March 2009 Redbook Magazine. I know I’m a little behind on my reading but it’s been a busy few months okay! (Smile) There was an article about a mother of two boys who stayed in constant worry about her kids safety, so much that one day she wrote her phone number in marker on her sons upper thigh just in case he got lost. She then came up with the idea of inventing temporary tattoos that you can have personalized with your child’s name, your phone number or your child’s medical information (i.e., food allergies or medical conditions). She calls the tattoos “Eyedentity Labels”.

I immediately thought this would be great to use when on vacation at a large amusement park like Disneyland. Usually, you’ll see the big families all wearing the same shirt or something like that. I think this is a great alternative because it’s something cute and cool that kids will enjoy AND it will set our mommy minds at ease. The tattoos could also be useful at sporting events, at the park or even at the mall.

Interesting note: The website also encourages the use of the product for those who speak English as a second language or even for Alzheimer patients that tend to wander off.

Check out the website at http://www.eyedentitylabel.com/