Recap...

 My morning started out pretty early for a day off (7:00), my first stop was to drop my son off at school (for a basketball game)

Then I headed to the library to return these (not the shoe, that stays with me)

The library was closed so I dropped them off here

After I took my daughter to school, I went to see the emergency rescue team over at FX Nails... this is what they came up with, not to shabby huh

After finishing up at the nail shop, a sistah was HUNGRY, I decided to grab a quick breakfast 

Who can resist freshly squeezed OJ... em em *clears throat* Large Please...

After Breaky, I headed over to my daughter's school to hangout and attend the Thanksgiving luncheon and to see her do THIS

And THIS...

And THIS...

And THIS

And THIS

After I left the school, I went to the shop to get my DO DoNe... This is peaches, my stylist, isn't she darling

After all of that running around I was happy that I wore this

While in the grocery store I saw this

And THIS

When we got home we made this

After all of that, I drank this

SO, how was your day?

It's Okay....

                                                         


To be excited about my very FIRST LINK UP with Neely at "A Complete Waste of Makeup"

To do the "stinky leg" [in my head of course] every time I gain a new follower

To be disappointed that I haven't had any blog-buddy comments in about a month or so

To be more excited about giving than I am about receiving (see yesterdays post about my plans)

To miss Reuel (my husband) even though it hasn't even been a full day since I've seen him

To purchase Heat Vs. Magic tickets as stocking stuffers (I'm so excited about this)

To have Sunday dinner planned already

To HATE CIGARETTE SMOKE

To PRAY for my enemies...whoever they may be

To need a manicure so bad that I'd rather sign paperwork with my teeth than take my hands out of my pockets to reveal the mass-murder that's taking place on my hands- can you say DEAD- that's exactly what my nail polish is...  I have an appt. with the rescue team tomorrow, wish me luck :)

To be happy as all get-out-and-go that TOMORROW'S FRIDAY and its my day off.... I hear KeKe's calling me.... breakfast anyone?

To be totally fine with working on Black Friday instead of standing in the lines all night to catch some of the wonderful deals...I'm just not into it like that, I'll purchase what I want online... I hate dealing with the crowds, people can be so effin RUDE at times, especially if they think you're about to get "the last one"

TO SAY THANK YOU TO NEELY FOR HOSTING THIS LOVELY LINK UP...

Do tell, What's okay with you this week?

My "List of Blessings"

So, Christmas is around the corner and guess what's on my list...

GIVING... yep, you heard me! I'm in the mood to give, to simply be a blessing to someone else. I get so much, so often and so do my children. I had been contemplating ways to make this Christmas journey brighter, and what can be brighter than a blessing... a blessing from God's earthly Angels. I've kicked things off early by making a nice donation to the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). This is my first year participating and It feels AwEsOmE! I feel like I'm doing my part. I support other fundraisers too, but this one was outside the box for me. I like to feel that I am making a difference, like I'm doing something that GOD will smile upon, I love making my father proud! 

So here's whats on my "List of Blessings"


1).Volunteer at the Salvation Army, I've always wanted to do this! I'm finally going to MAKE IT HAPPEN!

2). Pick two children off the Angel Tree (instead of my usual one)

3). Volunteer at the local Hospice House

4). Bake something for my co-workers (I normally take the easy route, ya know, store brought goods)

5). Have the children and hubs create their own list of "Blessings" and follow through with them

6). Send Christmas cards to my family and friends. This will be a first for me, I never think about it until it's too late; not this year though, I'm already on the prowl for the perfect cards!

7). Give my family more love than I've ever given before (this ones probably gonna be the toughest, I don't think it's possible to love them any more than I do, they're the absolute bestest!)


"Blessings are an indispensible part that every one needs to survive. Blessings can be either from god or from your fellow humans but it is the root of all good deeds. Blessings take many forms; it offers peace of mind, good health, wealth, and tranquility" ~ Unknown

So what will you be giving this Christmas?

Why...

Why am I so eager to put the Christmas decorations up, we haven't even celebrated Thanksgiving yet!  It's something about skimming the yard for the perfect Christmas tree, while drinking piping hot apple cider... can you say *Priceless*, I can't wait to trim our tree. 

 

Why say "Girl, I'll be praying for you" if you have no intention of praying at all. Has this statement become a cliche', just something to say, for lack of something to say? We need to be mindful of the things we say and be conscientious about making good on our promises.

Why does it take so long for Thursday to come, it's just torture to have to wait so long to see "Scandal" I absolutely LOVE Olivia Pope!

 

Why am I constantly on the prowl for new shoes when I can barely fit the ones I own in my closet {em, em, *clears throat* my name is Jamaya, and I'm addicted to fly shoes} I guess it's time for me to takeover the closet in the "Man Cave"

NOTE: These are my THOUGHTS and OPINIONS, they may not be socially acceptable by all, but hey; my blog, my rules, ya dig!

Good night, good people

I Did My Part, Did You?

Today was a rather exciting day for me. Today was the first time that my husband and I were able to go to the Polls together and cast our vote. As we stood in that [what appeared to be] never ending line, I  couldn't think of any other place I'd rather be.  As the gentle breeze blew, I glanced up at the red and white stripes of the American Flag, flapping so graciously in the air,  at that very moment I was proud, proud to be free, proud to have a voice, proud to exercise the very rights my ancestors fought [and even died] for.

 As they say; after the the rain comes a rainbow and at the end of the rainbow, lies a pot of gold. Well, this was my pot of gold…. I rocked my "I Voted" sticker with pride! Hmm, I am a woman and and a minority... you betta know it! I wanted my sticker, too many people had to fight for me to have this privilege. I ain't playing, give me mine, please and thank you!

I refuse to wonder what could have happened had I voted, I know a lot of people feel that their vote won't  count, that it doesn't really make a difference, but at the end of the day we have to realize that we are the difference, we determine the change, and that change comes about one vote at a time. So please do yourself some good and go out to exercise your right to vote!!!

Jury Duty

So, I had Jury Duty this past Monday (29 Oct 12), and let me tell ya, it was my first time being selected to take part in this process. I went in thinking it was going to be a painfully boring/time consuming process. However, once I accepted the fact that I needed to be there (around 11:00), it wasn't so bad after all. The officials called our case around 10:30 ish, but the clerk announced the wrong charges, so the judge dismissed the jury. After my group was dismissed, we had to report back to the waiting room, after, say, around two hours of sitting, they let us go.  We got out of there around 12:30 and I was back to work by 1:00 ish, not so bad right ? Below I have shared my "Lessons Learned" for Jury Duty

Things to remember when standing Jury Duty:

1) Arrive 30 minutes after your scheduled time, they aren't going to call your number for AT LEAST an hour after you arrive

2) Make sure you have a good book, a fully charged cellphone, and a friend you can call or text with to pass time

3) Take your laptop, because you may be able to close out some unfinished business- I mean, free Wi-Fi, why not cash in on it

4) Make sure you have plenty of change for snacks and/or coffee and ensure your purse is organized because someone may actually look inside it (thank God I cleaned my purse out the night before)

5) Make certain your girdle doesn't have any metal underwires, as the metal detector may pick up on it

6)  If you follow numbers 1 I'm not responsible for how things may turn out for you.... hahaha


So, have you been called for Jury Duty yet?

Life Has Taught Me...

To embrace who I am

That resilience is a gift from God

That all things are possible if I can believe

To stay true to who I am

To embrace my flaws

That friendship shouldn't be taken for granted-as not everyone is blessed with TRUE friends

To love with all my heart

To TRULY forgive those that have done me wrong

To put the NEEDS of others before my WANTS

That I have to set clear boundaries, or else people will cross the line

To take care of home, as those are the people in my life that matter the most

That everyday of my marriage will NOT be PERFECT; but as long as we have GOD we will have each other, as HE is the glue that holds us together

That it’s OKAY to AGREE to DISAGREE… everyone will not share your view all the time, live with it and move on

That purchasing an item on SALE feels so much better than paying FULL PRICE

If I want an honest opinion about something to ask my five year old… children have a tendency to give it to you straight-no CHASER, adults tend to make sugar out of feces

That sometimes tough love is the best remedy

That people will talk whether you’re doing good or bad

That God’s opinion of me is what matters most

That nothing compares to the love of GOD

Not to give up on my hopes and dreams

Not to apologize for my feelings-apparently I feel the way I feel for a reason

To appreciate the simple things

To stay AWAY from credit cards-and to purchase ONLY the things I can AFFORD (hence the reason
I love a  good SALE)

To learn from the past and look forward to the future

That anything worth having is worth waiting for

That just because I don’t agree with someone’s decisions, doesn’t mean I have the right to judge them- who the heck am I to judge anyone

That Love concurs ALL

That somethings are NOT worth a “By all means necessary” attitude-sometimes things don’t work out because they are not meant to be-why force it

Good Things Come in Small Packages...

What a lovely surprise!!!! Can you say Christmas in September-isn't that something.  I was fortunate to receive this beautiful gift in the mail the other day, This is such  a plesant surprise.  Thanks a million cousin, I'll be sure to wear it with style.

Hello Monday!

Yep, it’s Monday! You know, that day that's infamous for interrupting our much sought after weekend.  I spent a lot of time disliking Monday’s, and then it hit me. Someone, somewhere is praying for another Monday. Tomorrow is not promised to us,  so for a change, I decided to reflect on the positive things that transpired this Monday

I). First and foremost, God granted me another day, he didn’t have to wake me up this morning, but he did….  Lord ,I thank you for giving me another chance

II). I got to work on time today.  For those of you who know me personally, you know that's major.   I’m proud to say that I’ve been on time everyday since I changed my schedule

III).  My morning coffee went down rather smoothly, just the right amount of sugar and creamer-gotta take time to appreciate the simple things in life

IV). I received a lot of positive feedback on my blog- thanks guys, I really appreciate the support

V). Got home from work and dinner was already prepared- I know, I know, my hubby ROCKS!!!

VI). Didn’t have many dishes to wash, so clean-up was easy- paper plate anyone?

VII). Lastly, I had the opportunity to write this post- some days I just don’t have the time, today wasn’t one of them!
So, how was your Monday?

Feature Post of the Week

Negative Energy...Ugh!!

Okay, I am sure you all have experienced that one person or group of people that just kill your positive vibe. This negative energy chips at your soul and cuts through your mood like a ginsu knife. Its draining, discouraging and downright sickening...but hey, that’s just my opinion. So I recently started this new job and of course, I go in skeptical of the people and work ethics. That’s normal, right? Anyway, my first day on the job is like “wow.” Everyone has all these negative things to say about the other and I must admit, I was overwhelmed. Well at about the month mark, all this backbiting, nagging, whining and discontent took shards of my soul.  I instantly noticed that one day out of the blue, I was in this god awful mood and my husband said it was my new job. He said, “Don’t allow the energy of others to mess your mood up.” Years ago, I would have allowed the mood, feelings and opinions of others to dictate my thought process, to take me out of my element and alter the spirit within me. With age truly comes wisdom. This is not to say that what these individuals say is false or that they don’t have the right to feel the way that they do; but they don’t have the right to impose their negative energy off on me. I am entitled to my peace of mind. Little do they know, I have taken the necessary steps to ensure that “no weapon formed against me shall prosper.” I understand that the treatment of one doesn’t conclude that this will be the treatment of all. So I say to all of you that are searching for that internal, neutral place within your spirit; simply limit the time you spend with these negative souls. speak peace into the atmosphere you reside and ask God to go into each space before you. Good luck and God bless you as you discover who you are.

Yours Truly,

Humbly Speaking

The Never Ending Weight Loss Attempt...

Is it me or does this weight loss thing seem to be one of the biggest challenges in life. It’s so hard for me to stick to my weight loss plans. I’ve tried dieting, Weight Watchers, and even joining a workout group, but to no avail, I always end up falling off the wagon.

The funniest part of it all is that you never really notice the weight gain, it’s like you just wake up fat one day, whats up with that! For a while I would say stuff like, man, having children sure does do a number on your body;  or,  this brand isn’t good quality-the clothes shrink everytime I put em in the dryer. It's time for me to get real-my youngest child just turned five years old. I've come up with more excuses than someone going to jail! The fact of the matter is-I CAN DO THIS!!! I can shed these pounds,  I just have to have the will to do it. Heck, I could have Meagan Good’s body by now!  I really believe that my biggest issue is consistency. I need to settle on a routine and STICK TO IT.  Another thing is-I have to be willing to change a few things-Okay, Okay, a lot of things.  For instance, those 2:00 trips to the vending machine have to STOP, I've got to stay away from those Famous Amos Cookies and 3 Musketeers. Why in the heck did they put the vending machine so close to my cubicle anyway!?!?

When I think back to my most successful period of weight loss, the thing that stands out most is my food journal, I truly believe that keeping a journal helped me stay on track, it actually made me conscious of the foods I ate from day-to-day. Another thing that helped me was eating every two hours. I’m not talking about devouring a double quarter pounder w/ cheese at twelve o'clock and then having  a three- piece chicken dinner at 2:00pm (who does that?). I'm talking about having a sensible snack every two hours between meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). This said, I think I’m gonna start my “Never ending weight loss attempt” AGAIN, wish me luck !!! :-)

So how are you going about reaching your goal weight?

7 Valuable Lessons I've Learned

I). Never pay full price for clothing and fashion accessories, they will eventually go on sale

II). If you can find a duplicate product that works just as well as the name brand, stop buying the name brand… you could save some serious Cash. Besides, being a label whore doesn't earn you brownie points, especially to those of us that appreciate the mighty dollar. Please understand, I'm not saying I don't  purchase name brands-I mean, come on, this is me you're talking to. I'm saying if you can get the same QUALITY product for LESS money, WHY NOT!

III). Do not discuss politics or religion at work or social gatherings, this ALWAYS takes a turn for the worse, trust me, I am speaking from experience honey.

IV). Always remember the 7 P's in life… Proper,Prior, Planning, Prevents, Piss, Poor, Performance. It's that simple, if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.  Now, I know this lesson all to well but I haven't quite mastered it yet. Hey! Don't turn your nose up, GOD ain't through with me yet *Rolls eyes and turns head*

V). Never say anything about someone that you aren't willing to say in front of them… PERIOD

VI). Never underestimate what your children will do when you're not looking. They aren't perfect; and nine times out of ten, if you think they are, then they've done a really good job of keeping secrets. I advise you to run to the nearest computer to conduct an Facebook/text message audit, you'll be amazed at some of the things children say and do when they feel their parents aren't listening. This was a hard lesson for me, but it certainly opened my eyes. The bottom line is nobody's PERFECT, That's right, your kid is no exception.  Weren't you a kid once?

VII). Lastly, put God first and you CANNOT go wrong, even when things seem as though they aren't going according to your plan, always remember that his plan for your life is FAR GREATER than any plan you can draft up for yourself. GOD has shown me this countless times, in every aspect of my life.  I'm proud to say I  believe in me BECAUSE I  BELIEVE IN HIM- TRUST ME ON THIS ONE, you will NOT regret it.



     
                      

Why 30 Is Better Than 20

The Twenties were indeed awesome; but on  the flip side, there are somethings to appreciate about being 30...
Here's MY take on thirty in comparison to twenty

30 has  been great! It took some getting use to  in the beginning, but when I fully  embraced it, I realized that being 30 wasn't so bad after all…..  These are my top SEVEN reasons "Why 30 is better than 20". Why seven you ask… well duh!  That's my favorite number…

I). I can finally say "I know what I want in life" and really mean it. See, when I was 20, I was just really figuring things out. I was still trying to find my way in the world.  If you would've asked me what I wanted at 20, I probably would've described a fairytale of a life, where everything would be perfect.  I would have a dream career, marry my high school sweetheart, and ride off into the sunset with out a care in the world (ok, this is a bit of a stretch, but you get the point). Today, I understand that  my Imperfekt life is what makes me human, we are all subject to mistakes-it's whether or not we learn from them that  matters most. 

II). I actually think before I speak… I know that sounds a little cliche' but it's the truth. Honey, when I was twenty, I was too busy "keeping it real" and "Telling it like it is".  Now, don't get it twisted, I'm not saying I turned 30 and decided to  lay down and take it, because thats just not my style-I wasn't raised that way.  What I am saying is-I say what needs to be said in a tactful manner, my thoughts and words are  calculated. I tend to analyze the situation and think with " The end in mind". in doing this, I  get better results. Instead of losing potential friends and missing out on opportunities, I seek resolutions to problems.  Let's face it, keeping it real can actually result in talking yourself out of what could be the opportunity of a life time. Furthermore, you could miss out on one of the best gifts in the world…. FRIENDSHIP! I am sure many of you (especially if  you have lived to be 30) can think of one moment in your life where you kept it real and it backfired.  If not, keep livin' and keep on keeping it real….

III). My finances are much better at 30 than they were at 20. Shoot, at twenty Ramen was my friend, heck it was considered a meal, now I have that Kobe beef money!

IV). Why settle for a boy when you can have a MAN. Chile, this is the real of the real right here. At twenty I didn't know the difference between a boy and a MAN.  At twenty I was madly in love with a boy, and no one could tell me that we weren't suppose to be together forever. I loved his dirty draws you hear me….. I went through the phase of checking his cell phone to see who he was calling, worrying about where he was spending his time when we weren't together, dealing with all of the rumor mill that poured in from the streets, you know, his friends and my friends. At thirty, I can say I am married to a MAN who appreciates me being a WOMAN. We have trust in our relationship and we can appreciate each other for who we are. We have this thing called communication on our side. When we have differences, we work it out.

V).  I have REAL FRIENDS in my circle. I'm talking genuine friends.  Not the kind of friends that talk to me and then run off  and talk about me…. I did away with those in my twenties. Now that I'm thirty, I'm more selective of the people I surround myself with.

VI).  I can't care less about someone else's opinion of how I live MY life…. key word people…. MY life! God granted us all a free will, ya dig?  The life he gave ME is MINE to live. When I was younger, I wasted a lot of time worrying about what other people thought of me. Not anymore, I do whats right for me, what benefits my family.  I no longer entertain the talk of "If I were you I would" because the fact is, YOU ARE NOT ME… I am me and you are you…. you do what works for you and let me do what works for me. This is not to say I am above a word from the wise, because we can all learn something from someone. I'm simply saying I don't let other peoples OPINIONS effect my life decisions, especially when the decisions they make in their life aren't benefiting them.

VII). My living arrangements have improved drastically. I own my home, and that's something I'm proud of. When I was twenty, I didn't own anything but my name.

Happiness Is......

Knowing the love of God

Waking up in the arms of the man I love

Three-day-weekends

Having three beautiful children to share my life with

Knowing and resting on God’s promise

The smell of my hubby’s cooking on Sunday mornings :-)

Watching the sunrise

Hearing the birds sing

Sweet morning kisses from my babies

The smell of freshly laundered  sheets after a nice-long-steamy-shower-bath

Waking up to the sound of Blu’s  (my pup) collar, and puppy kisses

Two scoops of vanilla bean ice cream on a waffle cone

Shopping trips with my favorite cousin

Hydrangeas

A chilled glass of wine and a good romance novel

A clean house after a long day at work

The sound of my best friends laughter ringing through the air

My childhood memories of singing Whitney Houston/Betty Wright songs with my mom

 The love I feel when I look into my husbands eyes

Dancing with my Dad

Random phone conversations with my friends about life and everything in between

1990’ hip-hop

Having sisters to grow old with

A hot cup of Blueberry & Pomegranate tea 

Picnics with my children

Margarita’s with the girls

Cuddling under a snugly blanket,  while watching a good movie

A simple thank you for a good deed

The Caramel Latte’

My iPhone and MacBook

Gods grace

Happiness can be found in so many non superficial things, what is happiness to you?