When the headband trend started earlier this year, I didn't think I could pull it off but I tried some on when I was in the mall and basically fell in love. I remember being in Nordstrom and trying on a black velvet headband with pearls on it, I looked at the price tag and it was over a hundred dollars. I don't mind buying nice things but I also won't spend money on things that I don't feel are worth the price. I just thought spending over a hundred on one headband, which is such a trendy item didn't feel worth it to me.
I went home that day and decided to search online for a less expensive version and I hit the jackpot. I found the pearl set, the gucci vibes set, and the leopard set all on amazon for extremely affordable prices. I have been wearing them for months now. I have no issues and they still look brand new. You can find all of these headbands here. If you try them, let me know.
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I recently turned 33 last week. In honor of relaunching my blog and for new people that didn't follow me when I was regularly blogging, I figured I would share 33 random facts about me We were really blessed with the boys having my birthday off so we spent the whole day with them hanging out. The next day Tony and I flew to New York. We spent the day together on Friday with my sister and then Saturday he had some work, so I spent the whole day hanging with my sister. She lives in NY and is finishing her last year of law school at NYU law.
Get to know me:
1. I am Jamaican. I was born there. I moved to the US when I was young but I still have family there and we have house there that we rent out
2. I have been married for 12 1/2 years.
3. We got married really young. I was 20 years old.
4. We have two boys Tony III (12) and Tayden (5).
5. I have two sisters Toni and Tiffani. One is a doctor in residency and the other is in her last year of law school.
6. I am super competitive with almost everything I do.
7. I used to run track in college for the University of South Florida.
8. I have my bachelors in Biomedical Science.
9. And my masters in Medical Science.
10. My goal before everything was to be a doctor.
11. My favorite food is ackee and saltfish, callaloo, with dumpling.
12. I am a very loyal friend. If you are in my circle, I will do whatever I can to help you.
13. But I am definitely a quality over quantity type person with friendships.
14. I feel the most comfortable in black and white.
15. I am a Christian and so is our family.
16. I can be a perfectionist and that is something I have to work at daily.
17. I used to compete in fitness competitions in the bikini division.
18. I still struggle because of what competing did to my hormones but making strides daily.
19. Tony is truly my best friend. At night, when he is out of town, we will talk on the phone as if we are dating.
20. I write in my planner almost every day. I love to physically write everything down.
21. I am strict in my parenting style but I make sure my kids feel loved. I find that balance is important.
22. I rarely ever listen to music other than what is on the Message or Praise on Sirius xm so I am usually not hip on the current songs and neither are my kids.
23. I rarely ever get to watch TV but when I do its usually something on Netflix.
24. I love action shows and movies and anything murder or criminal.
25. The most common date night for Tony and I are the Cinebistro movies.
26. I spend most weekends watching my kids play sports.
27. I love traveling and would see the entire world if I could.
28. I can re-watch my favorite movies over and over.
29. One of our favorite shows to watch is American Greed on MSNBC. We watch old episodes on demand before bed if a new one isn't on.
30. I rarely ever wear heels anymore. I have plantar fasciitis from track and then competing made it worse so its not very comfortable and can actually can be quite painful for me to wear them.
31. I don't cry very often and if I do I am probably angry rather than sad.
32. I love to read but don't often find the time to read as much as I would want to. This year I set a goal to read one book a month for the whole year. I'll let you know how I do at the end of the year.
33. Tony and I have a joint book coming out next year, so stay tuned!
Hope you enjoyed this and learned at least one thing new about me. I can't wait to learn more about you!
Besides the big things like communication, trust, and selflessness; keeping things fresh is almost equally as important. More often than not, while we are dating or in our first couple years of marriage we make a lot of effort and work really hard at our relationships but as time goes on we tend to do less and less. I can't stress how important it is to continue to work hard at your relationship even as life gets busier and our to do lists get longer and longer.
One thing Tony and I ALWAYS make a priority is date nights. Of course, going out for a date night is not always possible. But even if we aren't able to go out somewhere, we make a point to have a date night home. Date night is our time, so the kids are in bed, and phones are put on the charger on silent. No distractions, just our time.
Hope you guys take the time this week to either go out for a date night or spend a date night at home with your significant other! Relationships don't stay happy, its all about the work you put in. You get out what you put in, so do the work.
Happy Tuesday Yall!
Once they are dressed, I will comb their hair out. I comb it out in 4 sections and add more knot today as I start a section. They are used to combing their out and don't fuss or complain about it. Tayden will watch some Disney show and T will watch a movie on Netflix. They both love their hair and don't want to cut it, so I tell them this is part of the process to have their curls. If the other sections of their hair start to get dry (Tayden's hair dries really easily), I take a spray bottle with warm water and regular conditioner mixed together and spray those sections. It helps moisten the hair but also de-tangles as well too. As I finish section, I just put it in a braid while I do the rest. T's hair probably takes about 15 minutes and Tayden's takes about 20 minutes, just because I am extremely gentle with his. T washes his hair twice a week because he is so active with sports and he sweats a lot and it makes it much easier to comb out. Tayden washes his hair once or twice, depending on if he had swim that week or not.
After, I will take the braids out and I will take some of the pantene proV oil hydrating oil and run it through their hair and shape their hair how they usually wear it. T wears his with a curly bang look, we had it cut that way to give him a distinct shape. Tayden wears his pushed back and pulled out.
During the week in the mornings, I use the Cantu curl activator cream to keep it hydrated and reshape their curls after they sleep on it. This has been a new addition to our routine but I love it. We have been using this for the past two months and I can see a difference in their hair and maintaining their curls throughout the week.
I hope some of these products work. Curls can be a lot of work but as long as you keep them moisturized during the week, they can look soo good. And of course, you go through a rough phase while the hair is growing to a length that looks good. The boys go to a real salon and get their hair cut while wet and cut for curls so it always looks neat.
Hope this helps and helps you keep 'all them curls' lol!
I hope some of these products work. Curls can be a lot of work but as long as you keep them moisturized during the week, they can look soo good. And of course, you go through a rough phase while the hair is growing to a length that looks good. The boys go to a real salon and get their hair cut while wet and cut for curls so it always looks neat.
Hope this helps and helps you keep 'all them curls' lol!
It's crazy to think it's already October! Crazy to think the year will be over in less than 90 days. January will come around and we will all set our new year goals and then by February we will forget about them. Around the middle of this year, I started doing monthly goals. I really love this because I am able to break down my big goals into smaller ones and manage them monthly. Every month, when I am able to cross something off my goal sheet, I not only feel great but I am one step closer to accomplishing my yearly goals. Instead of waiting until January, try setting some small goals you can accomplish this month. If you start today, imagine how much better you will feel in the new year. Prioritize you and keep yourself accountable by writing it down. Writing down your goals helps you to visualize the steps you want to accomplish and it commits it to memory. And if you are more into the tech goal setting, you can use the Notes on your phone. Throughout the month, look back at your goals and remind yourself why you are doing what you are doing. Lets make October a great month and a great start to our last 90 days of the 2018.
Kiehl's Dark Spot Corrector: This is one of those things that does what it says on the container. With consistent, continued use, it really does work. I am on my second bottle and almost all of my dark spots from little bumps I had on my cheeks are gone. I put this on before my moisturizer at night.
Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen: Now that I am older, I understand the importance of sunscreen Every Single Day. If you want skin without dark scarring and age spots when you are older, I suggest you join the sunscreen club as well. It took me awhile to find a sunscreen that I liked but this one from Supergoop is amazing. It is a clear gel like consistency and literally just feels like a nice primer before applying make up. I love that it doesn't have any white color to it and doesn't affect the application of my make up. I have been using it for months now and I am still on my first tube. Totally recommend it, I love it so much.
Nuxe Lip Balm: Ok I know, its just a lip balm. I bought this one from Duane Reed in NY and I have been hooked ever since. It has a matte like consistency so it isn't sticky when you put it on your lips. I put it on AM and PM. When I go to sleep with it on, I wake up with moisturized lips that are soft and hydrated.
Mario Badescu Drying Lotion: Got a bump or feel one coming? This guy will be your best friend. You keep the clear and pink solutions separate, take your Qtip and dip through both. Place it on your bump and keep it on through the night and within a day or so it'll dry it right up.
Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk: Hands down, my favorite foundation ever. Goes on like a dream and literally makes it seem like you have a filter on your face without being heavy or full coverage. It is very build-able, you can use one layer for light coverage and can add more for medium/full coverage. I have been using this for years and literally nothing compares and I have used quite a few different foundations.
Giorgio Armani Eccentrico Mascara: Falsies in a mascara? This is it right here, two coats and it curls and gives you voluminous eyelashes. I have tried sooo many mascaras and this one has been the star of the show for me.
Let me know if you try any of these products and if they work out for you!
Structure Is A Good Thing:
Kids actually thrive with structure. They might act like they don't like it but once you implement it, you will see how much they flourish. Every day in the summer (with the exception of when we are on vacation or out of town), our kids had some work to do every day to start the day. For my now 6th grader, the goal is to keep challenging him mentally and not let him forget everything he has done during the previous school year. His work consisted of a workbook, reading, and a workout. Every morning, he knew exactly what was expected and he did it with no complaints. An hour a day is such a small portion of the day, and they knew they had the whole rest of the day to relax or hang out. For my 4 year old, I wanted to strengthen his endurance while doing work, go over all of his letters with sounds and writing, and practice writing his name. He felt like such a big kid and loved showing off his work that he had done for he day.
Read, Read, Read:
Before my kids can read, I read to them all the time while pointing to the words as I read them. Pick books they are interested in and as they hear the words you are saying while seeing how they look, it helps start the reading process for them.
For my older son, he loves to read. Most days he reads at least 20 -30 minutes a day, he used to read a lot more but of course he has sports and a lot more homework. During the summer, he would 30-40 pages a day. And after each book, he would write a summary about the book. He read 5 books this summer and they were not short books. All of the books he reads are on a high school level. It's really important to help strengthen your kids reading ability. It helps them comprehend what they are reading for school and also teaches them vocabulary and spelling. As a second grader, he tested college freshman for his reading comprehension, vocabulary, and language. Reading really pays off.
This is actually something my dad did for me when I was a kid and it helped me tremendously and I do the same for my own. Kids will perform much better in school if they are confident in what they are doing at school. I help my kids feel academically strong by teaching them things they will encounter in the upcoming year during the summer. My oldest did 6th grade math the whole summer so this year the things he will be learning won't be new to him. And my 4 year old worked on things he would be doing in K4. I wanted him to be confident in class and not scared to do things because he felt unsure. They have been in school for four days and his teacher is already so impressed with how well he is already writing his name and how well he writes his letter. His name is Tayden which isn't the easiest name to write.
Praying all of your kids have an amazing school year!!!
1. I don't like taking pictures of myself.
If you look at any of my social media pages, it's very rare that you will see a picture of me by myself or a selfie shot. The only seflie shots I may take are with Tony. Even when Tony takes pics of me, 90% of the time I don't like them and won't even save them. If I'm honest with myself, I feel like this started after I had Tayden. Tayden is 4 now but I still don't feel like myself so when I take pics or see pics of myself, I always find something I don't like in the picture. This is probably why I haven't filmed any youtube videos in forever but it is definitely something I am working on. I am forcing myself to do things that make me feel uncomfortable, definitely a work in progress.
2. I'm very competitive.
When I say competitive, I mean really competitive lol. If Tony and I playing are anything, from uno to swimming laps in the pool, I want to win. And I will admit, I can be a bit of a sore loser if I lose. I think that's why I have always played sports and have to be active, I have to release some of that competitive nature somewhere.
3. I originally was going to medical school.
My bachelors degree is in Biomedical science and I did a one year masters called Medical Science which was the curriculum of the first year of med school. I had always planned to go medical school before having little Tony. He was a preemie baby born 2 1/2 months premature and it changed my life forever. I needed to be there for him more than the average kid and I couldn't imagine not being there like I needed to be while in medical school so I put it on hold. And to be honest, it's something I don't regret. During that time, I was able to learn so much more about myself and discover so many things I am more passionate about that I never had the chance to explore. I will always love medicine and it will always have special place in my heart and maybe one day I'll revisit it in some capacity.
4. I don't have a lot of friends.
You will probably rarely see me with a huge group of girls on a girl trip or something like that. I'm more about quality over quantity. I don't let people get to close to me very easily but if I do, we will be best friends for life. The friends I do have, know I have their back no matter what and that I would give them the shirt of my back if they needed it.
5. I am a tomboy through and through.
You may have noticed but you will rarely see me in heels and dresses. I don't feel all that comfortable in them. My go to outfit more often than not, is jeans and a t-shirt. I have ways to dress it down and up depending on the occasion. Of course I do wear heels and will wear dresses from time to time but I am most me in a t-shirt lol. True story, before I met Tony I was the opposite of a domestic goddess. I was always playing sports my whole life so I never really learned how to cook, take care of the house etc... I learned all that stuff after we got married and some things I am still learning. Thankfully, Tony is an amazing husband and doesn't come home expecting me to have cooked every single night and he doesn't mind cooking if I don't feel like it.
I hope you enjoyed getting to know me a little bit more and if you have enjoyed this let me know and I will do them from time to time.
My bachelors degree is in Biomedical science and I did a one year masters called Medical Science which was the curriculum of the first year of med school. I had always planned to go medical school before having little Tony. He was a preemie baby born 2 1/2 months premature and it changed my life forever. I needed to be there for him more than the average kid and I couldn't imagine not being there like I needed to be while in medical school so I put it on hold. And to be honest, it's something I don't regret. During that time, I was able to learn so much more about myself and discover so many things I am more passionate about that I never had the chance to explore. I will always love medicine and it will always have special place in my heart and maybe one day I'll revisit it in some capacity.
4. I don't have a lot of friends.
You will probably rarely see me with a huge group of girls on a girl trip or something like that. I'm more about quality over quantity. I don't let people get to close to me very easily but if I do, we will be best friends for life. The friends I do have, know I have their back no matter what and that I would give them the shirt of my back if they needed it.
5. I am a tomboy through and through.
You may have noticed but you will rarely see me in heels and dresses. I don't feel all that comfortable in them. My go to outfit more often than not, is jeans and a t-shirt. I have ways to dress it down and up depending on the occasion. Of course I do wear heels and will wear dresses from time to time but I am most me in a t-shirt lol. True story, before I met Tony I was the opposite of a domestic goddess. I was always playing sports my whole life so I never really learned how to cook, take care of the house etc... I learned all that stuff after we got married and some things I am still learning. Thankfully, Tony is an amazing husband and doesn't come home expecting me to have cooked every single night and he doesn't mind cooking if I don't feel like it.
I hope you enjoyed getting to know me a little bit more and if you have enjoyed this let me know and I will do them from time to time.
In this society, it's easy to take things for granted and not to appreciate things we consider as small or standard. Recently, I watched the documentary 'Daughters of Destiny' on Netflix. I am not rating in on it's cinematic quality or things of that sort but I enjoyed the documentary and for me it home. I am Jamaican, and my dad's side is Indian Jamaican. A lot of the things my dad wanted for me and our sisters, I could see where it came from in this documentary.
The documentary is about a school in India called Shanti Bhavan. This school was created by a man who sold his company in the US and used all his money to fund it. It is for children of the lowest caste in India. This school takes these kids from preschoolers and gives them access to education until they finish college. They live there and go home on winter and summer breaks. The idea is for them to make it to college, get a good job, and help take care of their family. They can only take one child per family so oftentimes there are siblings who have been left behind. Their families barely have money for food, do back breaking work, and sleep on a blanket on the floor. For the full story, I recommend you watch the documentary.
The sad part is we are given so many things here that we tend to take for granted. We are given the chance to get an education and most kids complain so much about hating school. We have jobs that we complain about going to every day.
I write this post really to remind you that no matter what you are going through, you have a million and one reasons to be thankful. Be thankful for somewhere to sleep. Be thankful for that job that you think is the worst. Be thankful for food to eat. Be thankful for that school you hate going to. Be thankful you aren't forced into marriage at 14 and that being beat on isn't considered customary. I promise if you had to live like some people do around the world, it would help you appreciate life so much more. Take a moment as soon as you wake up to find a couple reasons to be thankful. A spirit of gratefulness to start your day will change your outlook for the rest of the day. Choose to be thankful!
The documentary is about a school in India called Shanti Bhavan. This school was created by a man who sold his company in the US and used all his money to fund it. It is for children of the lowest caste in India. This school takes these kids from preschoolers and gives them access to education until they finish college. They live there and go home on winter and summer breaks. The idea is for them to make it to college, get a good job, and help take care of their family. They can only take one child per family so oftentimes there are siblings who have been left behind. Their families barely have money for food, do back breaking work, and sleep on a blanket on the floor. For the full story, I recommend you watch the documentary.
The sad part is we are given so many things here that we tend to take for granted. We are given the chance to get an education and most kids complain so much about hating school. We have jobs that we complain about going to every day.
I write this post really to remind you that no matter what you are going through, you have a million and one reasons to be thankful. Be thankful for somewhere to sleep. Be thankful for that job that you think is the worst. Be thankful for food to eat. Be thankful for that school you hate going to. Be thankful you aren't forced into marriage at 14 and that being beat on isn't considered customary. I promise if you had to live like some people do around the world, it would help you appreciate life so much more. Take a moment as soon as you wake up to find a couple reasons to be thankful. A spirit of gratefulness to start your day will change your outlook for the rest of the day. Choose to be thankful!
We had a lot of things going on this past weekend and I am so glad I enjoyed the moments and the quality time with family rather than trying to get work done. It's important to unplug when necessary. On Thursday, we were able to take T to the Soccer Gold Cup tournament. He plays competitive soccer and loves watching soccer. We watched Panama vs. Nicaragua and US vs. Martinique. It was a long day and night but so much fun!!
On Friday, we headed on a road trip down to my dad's house (he lives about 4 hours away from us) to spend time with family. I have two younger sisters, one is in her third year of medical school and the other one will be starting law school at NYU in the fall. They both were in town so it was great to spend time with them before everything gets really crazy when school starts. We had such a great time and even went to a Marlins game one of the days we were there. The kids love getting to spend time with them too.
Before beating yourself up about things not going exactly how you planned, take a second to recognize that progress is the goal. Take care of yourself and being okay with taking time off when necessary.
In honor of us hitting 10 years of marriage this year, I thought I would share 10 tips that help our marriage continue to work.
1. As my fellow islanders say: "Don't worry, be happy." But in all seriousness, happiness is a choice we have to make over and over again. We can choose to be upset over small details or annoyances or we can look at the bigger picture and choose to focus on the positive. If it's not worth divorcing over, it's not worth wasting time arguing over it.
2. Ignore and Redirect. There will be times when one of us does get annoyed over something stupid and meaningless, I mean c'mon we are human. Arguments or disagreements escalate when the other person feeds into it. So when one of us gets annoyed over something really small or insignificant, the other person continues to be kind and ignores the attention seeking behavior. Its hard to be annoyed at someone when they are being kind to you as if nothing happened.
3. Go back to the beginning. As time goes on in an relationship, we tend to get complacent and forget the things we did in the beginning. Take a moment to write down the things you did the first year you dated and do some of those things again. It may surprise you how many things you all don't do for each other anymore.
4. Get creative. After being married for awhile, life gets in the way. You may have kids and they seem to take over your schedule. The plethora of date nights you had before may not be as frequent as they used to be. Even if you aren't able to go out on a date, make sure you still make date time even if it's at home. Try taking a bubble bath together, having a movie night at home, playing games, etc...
5. Keep it Sexy. This one is dual meaning. If you have been following me for awhile then you know I've posted about it this before, but always try your best to keep it sexy. Obviously life happens and there will be days when you look a hot mess but try your best to make an effort most days. And the other part of this one is make time for some lovin. We have two kids (and one is a toddler) so I totally understand how crazy life can be but get it in when you can whether its at nap time or right before bed. It's important for your marriage and it provides a different connection then anything else can bring.
6. Express Yourself. A lot of times, we expect our partners to be mind readers and they absolutely aren't. You feel like they're ignoring your feelings when they have no idea your feelings are hurt. If something is on your mind let them know. It's much better to express yourself early instead of letting things boil up inside and then getting extremely anger later.
7. Love Languages. It's important to find out your partners love language. It's so easy and common to try to love someone the way you need to be loved but that won't work. Pay attention to what things make them happy and ask them the things that make them feel loved and vice versa. Make sure they know the things that fill your love bucket as well.
8. Always be respectful. A major thing in our marriage is respect. We try our very best to (even when we are upset or angry) to always be respectful to each other. If we have a disagreement, we don't yell at each other or call each other out of our name. Respect is huge and it makes all the difference.
9. Physical Touch. It's easy to go through a normal busy day and forget to love on each other. Physical touch is an important transfer of energy and even just a small touches throughout the day reminds us of how much we love each other. If we are driving, Tony will rub on my face or shoulders. If we are watching tv, he will lay in my lap and I'll rub his head. Those little things matter and mean more than you probably realize.
10. Make an effort. Staying married and in love is work. It is something that you have to work at every single day. It takes you being unselfish and giving of yourself even when you don't feel like it. But if the other person is doing the same, it all works out. If both of you guys are working at it and truly making an effort each and every day, love and marriage can be such a beautiful thing. I honestly feel like I am hanging out with my homie every day and its a great feeling to have.
I'm finally finally posting T's 10th birthday pictures. 10 is a big number so we decided to try and throw him a surprise birthday party. His birthday is in April so its always risky with weather but we decided to try a pool party and just prayed really hard that everything would work out. Let me tell you, trying to hide anything from a 10 year old is extremely hard but we made it through.
I rented out the pool at our clubhouse so we would have enough space for everyone. We kept the food light and mostly finger foods: subs, wings, mac and cheese, baked beans, fruit, and chips. I had a life size Connect four and Jenga made. And I also purchased an oversized inflatable bowling set to add some other activities for the kids. T has a lot of different allergies so I had a special vegan cake made for him and did Publix cupcakes for everyone else. Add some music, a photographer and a few decorations and we were all set. For the cherry on top, he actually had no idea and was really surprised. It worked out beautifully! I hope you all enjoy the pics.
I hope you guys had a great 4th of July with your family and friends and are now recovered and back to the normal grind. We have a pool at our house and normally will just have family and friends over and cook on the grill, but we decided to switch it up. We live near some really nice beaches and often take them for granted, so we decided to pack up and head out. Turned out to be a great idea and we all had an absolute blast.
We brought a canopy tent, filled up our coolers with lots of water, gatorade, and drinks. I bought cuban bread from Publix and made homemade mini turkey subs, such a hit for our family. We added some chips and we were all set.
We brought our nieces along with our boys and everyone really enjoyed themselves. Tayden loves playing in the sand, he was content with building castles and houses all day. T and my niece Liyah loved boogie boarding and also did some paddle boarding. Miah (my older niece) loved laying on the blanket in the canopy reading magazines and hanging out. It was really really hot and the water was so warm and nice. It was the perfect beach day!
Next holiday, dont be scared to step out of your comfort zone and do something different from time to time. You might surpise yourself and enjoy it more than you think. I shared some pictures from our day below. I don't have too many because we were just hanging out and enjoying ourselves. I also shared some links to where I get a lot of the boys swim trunks and swim gear for very affordable prices.
I know, I know, I am finally posting some pics from Tayden's 3rd birthday party. I love throwing parties for the kids. I really enjoy seeing my kids and their friends having a good time enjoying themselves. For Tayden's party, we rented out the children's before hours and had a construction themed birthday party. I love the children's museum here but the issue I always have is when it's crowded it is always hard for the little kids to have any room to play. At his party it was so nice seeing all the kids having free reign and able to play with whatever they wanted to play with.
Before sharing some pics, I want to share some tips for throwing an epic kids party:
1. Find the venue first: I think that theme is dependent on the venue you find. Even though you may have a theme in mind, sometimes it just won't work if you can't find the perfect venue.
2. Pinterest is your best friend! Once you find your theme, Pinterest can help you flesh out all the details you like and would like to replicate. If nothing else, it gives you a good starting point.
3. Etsy is great for custom pieces that will help take your party to the next level. I always get custom t-shirts made and little extras like custom cupcake toppers, party favor bags, etc...
4. When all else fails DIY, if you can't find what you are looking for don't be scared to DIY. Sometimes the best focal points of the parties are the things that you made for the parties. Not only does it add a custom feel to your party, it also saves you a lot of money.
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