Taking Steps To Pursuing My Empire

  Lately I’ve been thinking about all the things I still want in my life. The list seems to get longer and longer each time I take a moment to think about it. I realized one day that there are some things I’m afraid to ask for, simply because it seems so far fetched. With so many opportunities out there, what’s stopping me from pursing mine? Nothing except fear of failure. I realized this a few days ago when reading a magazine about successful business women.  For many of these women, their lives changed with just one good idea. But...

Five Staycation Ideas for Your Family This Summer

fun staycation florida

Summer vacation planning doesn’t have to be stressful nor does a fun vacation have to cost your family a ton of money! My family loves to travel, explore and take in the sights and sounds of any city.  Last week, we spent time in Radford, Virginia, a small little of town  in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  We had so much fun with family and each other. So what’ s a family to do that wants a vacation but needs to do so on a budget?  Plan a staycation!   Staycations give families an opportunity to skip traveling...

It’s Time To Shape Up!!

Ever since my car accident last year I have had a hard time working out and staying in shape. As a result, I gained a few extra pounds. In fact, my skinny jeans wrote me an email telling me how much they miss our outings and cute pumps I usually pair them with for a night on the town. So it’s time to get my act together. Although I’m still not able to run or workout like I once use to, I am able to do some physical activity. The only problem is that the activity I can do does...

Signs of Heart Attack for Women: GoRed

Recently, I was invited by Dole Fresh Fruit to attend the Jacksonville Go Red First Coast luncheon event benefiting American Heart Association’s  “Go Red for Women” program. I was happy to attend as the American Heart Association has been an advocate for women in the area of heart disease. As someone that is an eight year survivor of a heart condition and a previous Go Red Blog Ambassador, I was happy to have been invited to attend. It’s important for women to understand the risks associated with heart disease.  Heart disease is  the number one killer of women and is more deadly...

Remembering Our First Home: A Row House Rehab

It’s coming up on our 13 year wedding anniversary and there are a lot of firsts that happened to us around this time of year.*  One is the first time we bought a house. We had been married one year and already expecting our first baby.  My husband and I lived in Washington D.C. and were your typical young urban professionals.  Living anywhere but inside the District of Columbia was a non-option.  Our realtor kept showing us newer, even less expensive homes in Maryland, some even in Virginia, but we didn’t want to consider them.  We both worked in the...

Learning The Most From Those With the Least

I’ve been in Haiti now for three days for the second annual #Bloggers4Haiti trip. Myself and other bloggers like TechSavvyMama, KellyTillman, and Kety Esquivel  are here with support from Macy’s Heart of Haiti, The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, and the leadership of the Everywhere agency.  During our time here we travel the island from Port-au-Prince to Jacmel to witness first-hand the sustainable economic development programs that Willa Shalit of Fairwinds Trading, the visionary behind all of this, has spearheaded. Recognizing the rich talent of Haitian artists, Willa and the Artisan Business Network scouts Haiti to find talented artists that are skilled at...

How to Earn Money Blogging: TJMS Nikki Woods Edition

Blogging has really opened up many doors for me and recently that door included an interview with Nikki Woods, Tom Joyner Morning Show contributor and producer.  During the 10 minute interview I had a chance to share different ways that bloggers have and can earn money blogging.  Earning money by blogging is something that many bloggers have been doing for several years now.   I know some bloggers have left their full-time jobs because they were earning more money blogging or because the earning potential was there and it was time to pursue it.  Other bloggers, even those that have been blogging...

What Parents Can Teach Their Children From Cleveland Kidnapping – With News Segment!

What Parents Can Teach Their Children From Cleveland Kidnapping – With News Segment!

I’ve been glued to the television for the last few days since news broke that the three women held captive for ten years were rescued. At first I was intrigued by the fact that my hometown of Cleveland was on national TV. But as we learned more about Gina DeJesus, Amanda Berry, and Michelle Knight, the more I could not stop watching.  The stories we are hearing are horrific; the sexual abuse, the pregnancies, the starvation. I’m sure we’ll learn even more soon enough.  And with additional news that Ariel Castro may face the death penalty, the legal debate of when...

It’s Time To Play In New York City!

I’m heading to New York today to attend the Time To Play Spring Showcase. The spring showcase features this summer’s upcoming hottest toys and gadgets hitting the shelves. As one of Time to Play’s Parent Panelists, I was fortunate enough to have gone to attend the Holiday Showcase last September. It was a fun trip and I left New York  armed with everything I needed to know to get my holiday shopping started.  This time around, I’m excited to see the latest toys and reconnect with the other parent panelists also attending. More on toys later but until then, I’ll tweet ya from...

Caramel Soaked French Toast Recipe

Baked french toast

My favorite thing to do on the weekends or for a special holiday is to make a big family breakfast. With the weekday mornings so busy, I usually opt for something quick and easy. But on the weekends, I can make anything from a spinach and smoked gouda Quiche to pumpkin pancakes. Sometimes I’ll even make biscuits from scratch.  My family loves it! One of my all time favorite breakfast dishes to make is Caramel Soaked French Toast Pudding.  It is beyond delicious. Add some chocolate chips or maybe some pecans and you could serve it as a dessert. I first started...