A SWEET SMILE!!!

I recently noticed that my son's lips had become extremely chapped. So in addition to monitoring his water intake more closely, I turned to a website I frequently visit that listed at home organic spa treatments . Here is what I found for immediate relief:

 

As you can see I applied petroleum jelly and sugar to his very chapped lips, he and I rubbed the sugar over his lips and then wiped off what remained with a napkin. 

His review of this mini spa treatment was summed up in three words "All better mommy."

Protect Your Hair While Swimming

How to protect your beloved hair from chlorine or salt in 3 simple steps.

Water Water WATER

Leave in Conditioner + Oil

Saturate your entire head with water. Than apply a generous amount conditioner concentrating on your ends. Next apply an oil (I used Olive Oil) it will lock in the moisture and since water doesn't penetrate through oil easily it will further help to protect your hair while swimming. I put my hair in a high puff, but you can style as you wish.

Now it's time for some fun in the sun don't forget your sunblock!

She's Seeing Green

For nearly two months the color GREEN has been a constant in my daily life. I have been drinking green tea two to three times a day and I love it! I could go through a laundry list of the health benefits of drinking green tea, but I just want to share with you what it has done for me and what drew me to it.

When I was looking into making small life changes the suggestion to stop drinking soda was always at the top of the list, well I didn't and don't drink soda, so I decided to look for a drink that I could add to my routine and green tea stood out to me. Along with the immediate results that I have experienced, it also boast long term benefits of reducing your chances of getting cancer due to the antioxidants in it and it's said to boost your metabolism therefore promoting weight loss.

Since I have been drinking green tea I have become more regular, which is always a plus. I also have more energy and it is evident in the fact that I have been working out daily, but have been able to skip my usual mid day nap yet am still able to stay up with my night owl husband. I have shed a few pounds, but I can't contribute that specifically to green tea because I have made several healthy changes in recent weeks. 

As I stated I drink tea two to three times a day typically after every major meal. I prefer to drink it with a 1/2 a tablespoon of honey and warm. I drink it warm for two reasons if you drink warm fluid you are able to feel satiety or full for a longer period of time and also the sooner you drink green tea after brewing the greater the health benefits. The oxidation process reduces the potency of the antioxidants in the tea so the simplest way to remedy that is to drink it promptly. You could add an ice cube or two to it immediately after brewing to enjoy it cool while still retaining it's maximum benefits.


If you are a green tea drinkers please share what brand you drink and how you like yours prepared! 

DID YOU KNOW... Honey

Honey is the only food that does not spoil. Honey found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs has been tasted by archaeologists and found edible.

Wordless Wednesday- Egg White Mask & Cartoons

Check out my tutorial for an Egg White Mask.

We're Not Twins We're Brothers

The hubby and I decided that we would have two kids beginning two years after our nuptials.  The decision to start our family two years after our wedding came easy deciding on having two not so easy. You see my loving husband at first put his number in at "as many kids as I would give him" and once pressed for an actual number stated three, I on the other hand wanted one. Well in a marriage the very first thing you learn how to do quickly is to  COMPROMISE, so our compromise was two. After considering the benefits of having two (built in playmate, no odd man out, man on man defense...) we were happy with our decision.



Now, we had to decide on the spacing between the children surprisingly this decision came easier than one might think. Hubby had always wanted to start his family before he was thirty and I did not want to be pregnant beyond the age of twenty eight. Well seeing how my hubby would be thirty at the time we would began attempting to have children and I twenty six that only left us a window of  two years to have children based off our individual wants. Now thinking as a married couple considering the medical risk and the cost associated with having children so close in age amongst other things, the best thing for us and how we envisioned our family was to either A) have twins or B) attempt to have them as close as possible or what some may call Irish twins. Our boys are 10 days shy of being a year apart.


As Romee and Deakin tells the many people who ask us are they twins when we are out, "We're not twins, we're brothers."

Weight Loss Challenge- Going Brown

On my quest to lose weight I find myself goggling phrases like " How to get rid of tummy fat?"and "What food contributes to stomach fat?". Well one of the most consistent result, aside from avoiding fast food, is to minimize the amount of simple carbohydrates in your diet.Several years ago when my hubby and I began cohabitating I started eating only whole wheat bread at home because that was his preference. Than a few years later we decided to make the transition from white rice to brown/whole wheat rice. Well now the time has come and we have transitioned to whole wheat pasta and whole wheat flour. The grocery list has also lost weight ten pounds to be exact, we are no longer purchasing a ten pound bag of potatoes monthly.

It has only been a few weeks since we have made the complete transformation to "brown", but we haven't missed potatoes or the white counterparts of the other "browns". We have discovered that whole wheat products are just as filling if not more than simple carbohydrate and also offer a more complex flavor and texture (no pun intended). I can honestly say you will gain more health and flavor wise by switching from white to brown!!!

With these changes I not only hope to lose weight overall, but am hoping to lose weight in my midsection specifically  for both aesthetics and health reasons. It is said that those who carry their weight in their midsection like myself are more likely to have diabetes, high blood pressure and a recent study shows is also more likely to have  sudden cardiac death. I am grateful that I do not have either condition and would like to decrease my odds of having them and most certainly I do not want to have my heart give out on me suddenly. So for me these change are MUST.

If you are looking to make a positive change in your diet try going brown!

DID YOU KNOW... Pickles

The United States Department of Agriculture reports that the average American eats 8 and a half pounds of pickles a year. Dill pickles are twice as popular as sweet.

Wordless Wednesday-Got Milk?

Leap Frog Scribble & Write- More Writing Less Scribbling

Leap Frog products are a staple in our household, but currently the Scribble & Write is shining above the rest. I must preface this by saying that we have had this computer for nearly  1 1/2 years, but only in recent weeks have I really realized how valuable this has been to my child's development. By my oldest son 2nd birthday he was able to identify all the letters and their sounds, thanks to a persistent mom and his love of the Leap Frogs Letter Factory  and Talking Words Factory DVD's and the accompanying flashcards. 

So in order to encourage his love for letters and began to introduce him to writing we bought him the Scribble & Write for his  2nd birthday.The Scribble & Write encourages children to trace lights to practice drawing simple shapes, pictures and upper- and lowercase letters while developing pencil control. Mind you this product is geared towards children that are between the ages of 3 & 5. So really it was know surprise that initially he would only push the buttons to hear the letters and watch it as it appeared on the screen, but in no time he was scribbling right along with it. 

So by his 3rd birthday which occurred in March he was/is able to write most of the letters (Z is a doozie) freehand and I couldn't be prouder. If you recall I stated that I only recently became impressed by this product that is because my youngest son who turned 2 in March, whom I haven't made a honest attempt to teach how to write/trace his letters, has gotten a hold of this learning tool and is now writing 5 letters freehand as well. 

If you are looking for a toy that's not only entertaining, but a learning aid for you preschooler that travels well and is durable I highly recommend the Scribble & Write!!! 

Disclosure: I purchased this product and received no monetary exchange for reviewing this product. As always my opinions are my own.

DID YOU KNOW... Celery

Celery has negative calories—it takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery has in it to begin with.

Wordless Wednesday- Happiness

How to Achieve My National Afro Day Look!!!

ENJOY!!!

Happy National Afro Day!!!

Happy National Afro Day... oh yeah and Independence Day!!!