What I’ve learned about myself so far in 2012

I’m not one to make resolutions at the beginning of a New Year. But in doing self-reflection I knew that I wanted 2012 to be an even better year than 2011. I want this year to be a year of growth where I challenge myself more than ever before. Challenge myself to jump higher and run faster. To leap. To live with reckless abandon. To trust love. To trust myself. To not be afraid to push the limits.

And 25 days into the New Year I can say that I’ve done just that and have learned so much about myself in the process. It’s interesting how situations arise that test you, that test your strength and you have to make a decision. You can go run in a corner and choose to be consumed, or you can strap on your armor and stand with your feet firm. I have been tested, it’s even fair to say I’ve been an emotional roller-coaster (cue Vivian Green’s song) this year.

While I’ve never been one to back away from difficult situations, I usually become an introvert, secluded myself from the world and hidden in a shell. On the exterior seemingly calm and collective, but on the interior a ball of fire. I’ve gotten by like this, but as you can imagine it’s not the ideal situation. But recently I’ve realized that I don’t have all the answers, that when I’m being tested I don’t have to stand alone. I’ve never been comfortable asking for help or sharing a lot of personal information with others, but I realized I can’t carry this load on my own. And I’m glad to say that I was able to look around me and find amazing support from my friends and family these past few weeks. There were no questions, no judgment, just pure concern, encouragement, and love for me and lil mama. It’s been overwhelming and slightly uncomfortable to know that I’ve got so many remarkable people in my corner who truly believe in me and genuinely want what’s best for me and my family.

What I’ve learned 25 days into 2012 is I’m stronger than I think. That when I think I’m backed into a wall, I’m really not, I just have to change my perspective and find another way. That I’ve got an amazing support system that’s there for me no matter what.

That Still I Rise. 

New Year’s Resolution #1. Tip the dating scales in your favor!

Sexy singles everywhere are hitting the scene this January with renewed mojo! The holidays are over (for now) and I don’t know about you, but I sure ate one…or two…or three extra sweets I shouldn't have! And that’s why I’m so excited for The Fresh Diet!

The Fresh Diet is the hottest thing around, and it’s extremely doable! No starving yourself or denying yourself dessert! The Fresh Diet is America’s premiere diet delivery service, providing fresh, healthy, calorie portioned meals all right to your door! As a mom on the go, this type of system works so well with my lifestyle, it basically does all the work for me!

We’re not talking semi-fresh here people. We’re talking never processed, vacuum packed, or frozen! These delicious meals are cooked fresh daily in state of the art local kitchens. It’s like having your own personal chef! With hundreds of meals to choose from, you’ll have no problem figuring out what yummy meals you’d like to have! Daily delivery consists of 3 meals and 2 snacks! Yup, that means no cooking, no counting, and no clean up! Could you ask for an easier way to have fresh, nutritionally balanced meals for healthy weight loss? They do say that nutrition is half the battle when it comes to weight loss. If it were up to me, I’d work out all day every day than start dieting! But, how can I pass up The Fresh Diet, it has the taste, the variety, and the convenience!

I’m starting the year right, by trying my complimentary week of The Fresh Diet, and if you start today for just $29.99 per day, you get 3 days free with this special promo code: singlejan3. Visit www.thefreshdiet.com/single to take advantage of this special offer or call 866-FRESH-50 (866-373-7450).

It’s true what they say about confidence…it comes from within. By fueling your body with good for you foods that confidence will exude from you and tip the dating scale in your favor as a single woman seeking. Why? Well because men are attracted to confident women!

The Fresh Diet is my perfect accessory to prepare me for the dating scene after all the holiday parties! Get the edge on your competition by saying YES to FRESH in 2012!!

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post by The Fresh Diet. All opinions expressed are the blogger's own views not influenced by any outside biases.

I ♥ my Zoya color spoons!!

Back back back in the blogging zone!! Although I don’t usually post about beauty products I wanted to give it a shot because I’m a product-a-holic and I love love my new Zoya color spoons! I don’t get my nails done that often professionally, but like having my nails looking fresh, which means I do at home manis with lil mama weekly. As a result I’ve become a bit of a nail polish junkie! I heard about Zoya via twitter and was excited to learn more about them from their website. They have a gazillion shades to choose from, I felt like a kid in a candy store browsing through the website!

Zoya Nail Polish is a nail polish free of toluene, formaldehyde, DBP (phthalates) and camphor. Nail Polish by Zoya offers over 300 gorgeous nail polish colors to choose from, plus 4 seasonal collections of nail polish every year. Awesome!!!

The only downfall is that I couldn’t find a retailer near me so had to order online, which made me a little nervous. So I was thrilled when I found out about their color spoons! It’s Zoya’s version of trying before you buy! I loved the idea and ordered 10 spoons! I mean they were only $0.50 AND the spoons ship free via ground shipping! Winning!!! Oh and wait, it gets better….as soon as you are invoiced for the price of your spoons you are also send a promo code for a discount in the amount equal to the amount you spent on spoons to be taken against your next order! See why I love these color spoons!!!

I was delighted to get them in the mail; they were great quality and came packed beautifully and professionally. The color spoons make so much sense and it was great to get to see them up to my nail and see how they worked with my complexion.

It’s hard to choose a favorite, I really love them all!! But with the spoons I was able to compare what I bought to colors I already have in my collection, which was a great great. Since getting them last week I’ve already made an order with them for full bottles of polish!!!

What’s your favorite brand of nail polish? Would you try Zoya's color spoons?

Wordless Wednesday

What we can learn from the Grinch

“And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow,

Stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so?

It came without ribbons! It came without tags!

"It came without packages, boxes or bags!"

And he puzzled three hours, `till his puzzler was sore.

Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!

"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.

"Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"

My daughter and I have already watched the Grinch (the original & Jim Carrey’s version) about six or seven times already this December. I think there is much to be learned from the Grinch’s story and Cindy Loo Hoo, who despite the community’s fear and disgust with the Grinch, decided that he wasn’t so different from them all after all.

I love the passage above the most from the book, for me it’s a friendly reminder of what the holidays, and Christmas is all about. As a young professional and single mother, the holidays are extremely stressful and I worry about money and being able to get my daughter a few nice things. And then there are my nieces. And my sisters. And my Mom. And my co-workers. And a few close friends. Ahhh!! It’s overwhelming because I like to give meaningful nice gifts to those I care about…and they often carry hefty price tags. And every year I end up in debt over the holidays, regardless of the budget I create for myself. It’s easy to get caught up in the holidays, and I’m guilty of forgetting what the holidays really mean to me and my family. My daughter and I spend Christmas Eve and Christmas together, just the two of us, making cookies and watching movies, and dancing of course. And it’s those moments: setting out cookies and milk for Santa, and when I tuck her in to bed Christmas Eve night that reminds me of what Christmas is all about.

I often doubt my ability to provide for all my daughter’s needs and wants being a single mom. I’m spread t-h-i-n and I have to sacrifice on a daily basis. Christmas isn’t about the gifts; it isn’t about shopping till I drop. It’s about the memories, it’s about love. Under the tree will be full, heck my whole house will be full of Christmas spirit this year because I am blessed; I have a beautiful, happy, kind, healthy child who I am crazy about. She inspires me, she makes me laugh, and she may be the wisest person I know. She is my gift every single day. And that’s not something you can buy in a store.

Happy Holidays from our hearts to yours

How to Talk to Little Girls

A friend of mine, who is a mother of 2 daughters, forwarded me this article titled How to Talk to Little Girls featured in The Huffington Post. The article by Lisa Bloom talks about girls & self image and how we as parents and adults play into girl’s self-esteem. Think for a second about your encounters with girls, do you comment on their hair or outfit? Are you quick to tell them how cute they are? (slumps down in seat).

Lisa says, "Teaching girls that their appearance is the first thing you notice tells them that looks are more important than anything. It sets them up for dieting at age 5 and foundation at age 11 and boob jobs at 17 and Botox at 23. As our cultural imperative for girls to be hot 24/7 has become the new normal”

Not good!! The article was enlightening to me; it made me take a hard look at how I interact with my own daughter as well as little girls I come across. I realize that I often comment little girls on their new haircut or sparkly tights. And while I never saw anything wrong with it, I am becoming more aware of how these constant comments can affect a girl’s self-esteem and expectations.

My friend Marlene who forwarded me the article had this to say after reading:

“It really opened my eyes to how I interact with my girls and other young children their age. I mean I am definitely one of those people that use compliments as an ice breaker with kids like "wow, you look beautiful in that dress" and even with boys "he look so handsome in that outfit" etc. And I also thought showering my girls with compliments like these would build their self confidence, but it's actually counter-productive because now thinking back I can recall instances where my own daughter would get dressed and ask ‘Mom, do I look pretty in this dress?, Does my hair look nice like this?’ I always say of course you look great no matter what.....BUT now I realize that she was seeking my approval. I want my girls' self confidence to be based on who they are and what they know and not how they look. I guess all we can do I acknowledge this and try to break the cycle. At least I do.”

This article made me think of a previous post of mine titled Does this diaper make my butt look big. In the article I talked about the poison that are Bratz dolls and how more and more kids are concerned with their image, when they should just be concerned about being kids! Raising a healthy and confident daughter is extremely important to me, and I know that in order to achieve this it takes a lot of patience and conversations with her. Though it seems that society is completely against my desires, promoting the complete opposite of role-models and putting so much pressure onto image.

Did you read the article by Lisa Bloom? How do you counteract society’s fascination with image when interacting with your own daughter or girls you may know? 

Favorite Quote Friday

I haven't posted new quotes recently, my apologies! My posting is a bit sporadic, as life has changed ALOT recently, and I'm trying to do better!


I am only one, but I am one.
I cannot do everything, but I can do something.
And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do. 
   ~Edward Everett Hale


This week's quote speaks to my core...I am committed to helping someone... somewhere.... somehow. And I believe we all have a responsibility to make this world a better place. And this is why I give, this is why I volunteer. We all have the ability to do something...even though we are just one.

Happy Friday