Mommy of a Super Hero| Strength of a Preemie

Around this time last year there were so many thoughts running through my mind about #NewMomLife: hoping that I'd do a good job recognizing different cries and being able to take care of my little one was just some of what went through my head as I felt Button kick around in the early morning hours.

Needles to say when Button made her debut at 24 weeks and 6 days, I was floored and had no clue of what was in store:

• Respitory assistance

• Constant observation

• PICC lines

• Blood transfusions

• Therapy

• Eye surgery

...Just to name a few.

Not to mention the fact that my little one could not come home.

The 1st few weeks of Button being in the NICU were by far the toughest days of my life. I honestly felt like I had let her down and there was nothing I could do to help during such a crucial time.

However, this little lady of ours was a tough cookie and even though there were ups and downs for those 91 days, she's fought like a champ and her fighting made me want to be stronger for her because she was not worrying, so why was I?

Want to know more about infant prematurity and how you can help?

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Flashback Friday| "I'm going to be a mom!"

Happy April to all! As usual lately, I'm up early feeding Button... Oh, who is Button? She is my pint-size super hero.

Around this time last year hubby and I discovered that we were going to be parents. What a discovering right?! So excited and intrigued with the unknown:

• Girl or Boy?
• Hubby's smile?
• My personality?
• Will we be good parents?

Minds were racing wondering what was in store for our to-be party of 3. We kept Button a secret from many for as long as she would allow us (24 weeks and 4 days to be exact)...

With our due not being until November 30th, we were thrown for a loop when Button made her entrance on August 13th. 

Want to know more about our story? 

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No Fast Food February| Update

UPDATE



Hello, back and give an update on the February challenge of not eating takeout food whatsoever...

I DIDN'T MAKE IT
*hangs head in shame...not really*

Of the 29 days I made it 19 without any sort of fast food or takeout. The temptation was real and at times it slipped my mind that I was suppose to go without:

• Invitation to go out for sushi
• Kind gesture of someone bringing buying fries
• ...or pizza...
• ...or ice cream...

Yeah, it was a bust however, I will say that I'm better off than I was 2yrs ago because I'm not compelled to buy a "quick meal" to combat hungry.

Avoid the easy way out (ie: fast food) has helped me realize that I'm an OK cook and I don't always need a recipe to follow to create a meal.

Aaaanywho... two meals that I really enjoyed to during the challenge and actually made multiple times in February were:

Vegetable stir-fry 

Spinach panini with creamy chicken soup

Even though the challenge is over and I failed miserably, I am still working on it because it helps save money by forcing me to cook what is already home and not allowing groceries to spoil. 

Did you participate in #NoFastFoodFebruary or any other monthly challenge?

Motivational Monday| Estelle - Something Good

Hey hey!

Coming to spread some positive energy and/or motivation: 

Mondays get such a bad wrap but have been flipping that in my life and using Mondays as a day to reboot and set the tone for the the entire week. I mean, it's the start of the week so why not?

Music always take me to an emotional place and one song that quickly search for when I'm looking to feel good or just want to keep the upbeat tempo of the day going is Estelle's Something Good/Devotion.

CLICK HERE TO VIBE

What songs help you start or get through the day?

*Content shared is for entertainment purposes ONLY*

Dollar Tree Mini Haul

I have become a fan of Dollar Tree over the past few years as they have some items that I [personally] never found there prior. Other than cleaning supplies, I have found e.l.f. products, glue guns, essie nail decals and other items that have wowed me.

A new DT recently opened by my house and of course I went in to take a look at their inventory and ran across some really nice items and wanted to share what I found: 

Books | Mama Ruby by Mary Monroe

I own and have read some of Mary Monroe's books before and was very surprised when I saw this book in Dollar Tree. Retailed for $24.00.

Books| Special Occasions Craft book

Pretty cool book on paper crafts; banners, cards, place cards and more. This book is full of cute ideas and even has templates in the back to cut out and use as a guide. 

Beauty| Face Mask with Charcoal

I have a regimen that I try my best to stick to when it comes to skin care, One thing I enjoy doing at least once a month is a face mask (on that rare occasion when I have a full day of pampering). I figured why not take a shot at this mask at DT because I enjoy using mask with charcoal and well....it was ONE DOLLAR.

Beauty| Cooling Face Mask 

To contribute to my full pampering day, I will incorporate this cooling face mask to my day to help with puffy eyes (which may or may not have gained with our new addition finally coming home for us to love on). You simply place the mask in the refrigerator for a few minutes and then put it on for a few minutes to combat the puffiness. 

Beauty| Facial Brush

I actually use this facial brush every night before going to bed to assist in exfoliating and clearing my pores; I dampen the brush and rub it across my Shea Moisture Black Soap then clean my face. I have noticed that it helps my face out a lot to clear up dead skin and avoid using a wash cloth which can house germs. It also comes with a brush cover. I since gone back and purchased 2 more.. 

What interesting items have you found in your local Dollar Tree?

Easy DIY| Headband/Bracelet Holder

Attempting to organize Baby Girl Button's room (yes, she had been home for almost 3 months and we're still getting her space together) I am already building up a collection of headbands but no place to store them so, I got the idea to make a holder for them. I have created this before to store my bracelets and figured "why not use the same concept for headbands?"

Items you will need:

• Toilet paper and/or paper towel rolls
• Duct Tape
• *optional* rocks, sand or something weighted for the base

Easy list right? 

Lets get Started!

1  I chose to use one paper towel and 2 toilet tissue rolls. I inserted the 2 toilet tissue rolls into each other to get the desired height for the holder. Once that was accomplished, I wrapped duct tape around it to secure them together. 

2 Now that the base is together, I set the paper towel roll horizontally and attempt to make it line up evenly on the base. Once I have it set evenly, I duct tape it to the base.

3 LAST STEP! Now you duct tape the entire piece. I decided to use white tape for the base and then pink on top as the pick tape was pretty thin.

*Optional Step* I put rocks in a bag and inserted it in the bottom of the holder then taped the bottom closed so helps keep it steady.

There you have it. The easiest DIY project I have ever done. I know this has been circulating on social media for years now but wanted to share in case there is someone out there looking for inspiration to create. It may just take one simple project to get your gears turning. 

Soul Food| Food For Thought

Fried chicken, collard greens, ham, yams and biscuits are just some of the food that come to mind when I hear someone talk about Soul Food.

In my attempts to stay on point with the #NoFastFoodFebruary challenge, I went to the web for inspiration on meal ideas and stumbled across the PBS documentary Soul Food Junkie. This documentary looks into the culture of southern cuisine and the impact it has had on the health and food choices in black communities.

Near the end of the documentary, a point was made that soul food is not necessarily the "traditional" southern foods or meals we think of BUT can be any food/meal that you find to be delicious or "good to your soul".

So, with ALL OF THAT being said... What food is good to YOUR soul? What meals are staples in you household?

Mine would have to be...

Spaghetti

I know it seems simple but I load it down spinach, peppers, squash, zucchini and onions. For our meat, I use turkey sausage and regular ground turkey. And lastly, whole grain spaghetti noodles.
This dish is made at least once a month and I make enough to last a few day so I have some to take to work and still eat for dinner. I love this meal because it is so simple to make however, over the years I've adjusted it from what i grew up eating.