Nick@Nite, You're In Time-Out

For years I have enjoyed most of Nick at Nite's evening line ups, such as; I Dream of Jeannie, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Growing Pains and Happy Days, just to name a few. I love those shows that bring back childhood memories. And anyone can see these are family shows that for the most part the entire family can watch. I remember being thrilled about any new line up of old shows that would rerun at Nick@Nite. A little secret about myself is I HATE HORROR films and often times during October and sadly also in December there are a million horror films that are released and their previews are all over the place and I could always count on sweet little innocent Nick@Nite to not air any of them. Another thing about the Nick@Nite line ups were that they were pretty squeaky clean. Nothing that needed *bleeps* or super editing to cut out major vulgarity. 

Many mommies out there can say that when the children are home watching television, the channel pretty much stays on either Nickelodeon or Disney. On one fine evening, while my girls were asleep, I was downstairs in my kitchen making school lunches for the next day and my television was still on. I can not recall the cartoon that was on at the time but once it was over NickMom or Moms Nite Out came on which was a stand up comedy show where people came and said all kinds of parenting type jokes (which were not that funny if you ask me) BUT GET THIS.....they used the B-word and A-hole AND without any bleeping! 

Call me a square but I am truly disappointed! I mean does Nick have to jump on the dirty bandwagon with everyone else??? They were already pushing it with Teen Nick....now this!!! I mean really...was that necessary?? I understand as a mother that sometimes you need that moment to let your hair down, but trust me...we can find that time in other places instead of on our children's television station. I mean Nickeloden/Nick@Nite has been so innocent....and if some of you have children that need that TV on to help fall asleep or if your sweetie pie is up late not feeling well you subconsciously felt safe with your TV on the NICK station....WELL NOT ANYMORE.....profanity is not a good look!! So NICK@NITE you are in TIME-OUT!!! Guess they couldn't compete with ADULTSWIM and CartoonNetwork anymore. 

NAUGHTY NAUGHTY!!!

Duncan Hines Frosting Creations Follow-Up

Man.....those cupcakes were so good!!! I mean really good. I think I may have enjoyed the cupcakes more than my children. As mentioned, I started with the Cotton Candy flavor and I have ABSOLUTELY no regrets. Just the smell of the icing alone was enough to satisfy a sweet tooth......ahhhhhhh.....but moving on. The small packet PACKED a HUGE ball of flavor (and FYI do not taste the flavoring powder....not good....learn from my mistakes). And the color was just beautiful....however I would not say that the consistency of the icing is the best.

Isn't the color pretty?

I allowed my cupcakes to cool completely and then popped the icing in the refrigerator for a few just to possibly solidify it some. Once the icing was removed it was still a mixture of gooey and a bit runny. I was still able to work with the gooey blue icing and thought that if I left the remaining icing in the refrigerator until needed that it would hold better but that was not the case at all. Days later the icing was still soft and eventually would begin to droop off of the cupcakes. Now remember I have only tried ONE flavor of the Duncan Hines Frosting Creations so I can not say that all flavors will result the same. And since the flavor and color was so wonderful I will definitely try other flavors as well as the cotton candy flavor again. But I would not recommend that anyone try this particular flavor for any warm/hot outdoor events.

OVERALL I give the Cotton Candy Frosting Creation by Duncan Hines an A-

xxoo

"Ooooh.....NEW!"

Hi there!! Today I stopped at my local grocery store for dinner and stumbled across one of my favorite words besides "SALE" and "FREE"......"NEW." I'm a sucker for new items and I'm almost always willing to give them a try. During my stroll down the baking isle I saw these tiny little packets with delicious flavors like Orange Cream, Mint Chocolate and Caramel just to name a few. It was Duncan Hines new Frosting Creations. 

I immediately started grabbing one of every flavor when my husband's face appeared in my mind. At .99 each, I decided I better play it safe and try just one for now. So I opted for Cotton Candy. After selecting my flavor I then grabbed a tub of the Frosting Creations Frosting Starters and a plain white cake mix, then headed to check out! Stay tuned to see what my family and I have to say about these new "creations" by Duncan Hines!! Meantime, check out the Duncan Hines website to see all the available flavors and cute recipe ideas.

xxoo

Bonding Birds Boutique

Hello readers! Want some of the most beautiful fashion accessories at the BEST price? Check out www.bondingbirds.bigcartel.com

Here you can find very beautiful and unique pieces for affordable prices and to top that off, you can order as little or as much as you want from their site for a flat shipping rate of only $2.00!!!! 

My beautiful earrings from my Date Night post here are from Bonding Birds!

Enjoy!!

xxoo

Maybelline DREAM NUDE Airfoam: Review

So, as I mentioned in the previous post, I was going to try the new Maybelline NEWYORK DREAM NUDE Airfoam. The product comes in an array of shades and also has SPF 16 Sunscreen which is great. I selected shade 350 Caramel for my skin tone which turned out to be right on point. The instructions on the can suggest that you practice using the dispenser before the first application which is a MUST!! The product does come out pretty fast so you want to definitely master dispensing it first and while not wearing anything special when you do. 

For a non-foundation wearer, I must say I feel pretty comfortable with it on. My face does not feel any different but the look, well thats another thing. I can see a difference, and I like it a lot. It looks natural and still allows some of my facial characteristics to show through like beauty marks and my small amount of freckles; I am sure with concealer that may be possible to cover up if that were your choice before using this air-infused foundation. I think this is perfect for the woman who wants to just enhance her natural look. 

I think my skin overall looks more even toned and refreshed. Shine was not an issues after application, which was more than easy in just circular motions across a small area of the face at a time. Another plus is that the product does not settle in the creases under your eyes, forehead and smile lines. I would definitely recommend this as the perfect "enhancer" for anyone, but especially for those who do not typically wear foundation. 

Clean Face

Shake, shake, shake

Dispense Carefully 

A little goes a long way

Apply in circular motions

Apply all over

Goes on well under the eyes

Nice smooth finish

Completely applied

Finished Look

Maybelline DREAM NUDE Airfoam

So...a little birdie...whom I love dearly, told me about this new product from Maybelline (hi Mom!!). I personally do not wear foundation at all, not that I am against it....but I have always been afraid of getting so use to it that I would hate the way I would look without it...and also because the challenge of finding that perfect color seemed way too impossible. So, back to this birdie....she told me about this new product and how wonderful it looked on the skin. It was described as light and airy and left the skin with a nice subtle glow. I said "why not" and went to the store to face my fears! I will be trying this new product and sharing my thoughts tomorrow, so until then!!!

xxoo

Date Night Outfit

One thing I absolutely love is going out on dates with my babe. My husband and I use to try to have a date night once a week, typically on a Monday, which made moving into Monday from the weekend a little easier with something to look forward to. Nowadays we take a date night whenever we get a chance to and this past Friday was the night! We went into the city to Spoon, one of our most favorite Thai restaurants. With a delectable spring time cocktail menu, Spoon had my husband and I trying to sip on one of each.....BUT we are responsible so I settled for the Cherry Blossom martini and my baby love had the Black Mint Tea cocktail. Both were great! Its funny cause my husband and I order the SAME exact thing every time we visit Spoon and we leave just as satisfied as we were the first time going there.

After our dinner we headed over to see a comedy show where I'm sure I burned every single calorie I consumed during dinner with all the laughter. The comedians were extremely funny. I was able to snap a few shots of what I wore before leaving the house...which was right before the sun began to set. I decided to throw a little outfit together that was perfect for date night in the city; something a bit spring like but also helpful with the chill that was in the evening air. 

Blazers are one of my favorite closet pieces...they can help change the total look of an outfit. This one I am wearing was given to me for Christmas from my boo and I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!! Thanks boo....I will be waiting for more colors (hint hint).

What Mommy's wearing

Navy blazer~ Charlotte Russe, Coral Pants~Rich&Skinny Jeans, Nude pumps~Guess, T-Shirt~Rue 21, Earrings~Bonding Birds

Mommy's Sangrias

The weather here in Georgia has been more than nice these last few days. Even with slight overcast it has been warm with the best breeze ever. This type of weather makes me so anxious and excited for Spring. Since it has been so nice out my family and I have taken full advantage of it by spending more time outdoors and cooking on the grill. And what goes better with warm weather and grilled food than a nice glass of Sangria?!? Below is a great Sangria recipe with a guaranteed kick! I love it. Its not too sweet and has a really great flavor and the fruit is an added treat!

Enjoy

Xxoo

Mommy's Sangria


1 bottle of your favorite Sangria
1 1/2 cup of Dark Rum
1 cup of Peach Schnapps
1 can of sliced peaches with juice
1 can of fruit cocktail with juice
1 cup of sprite


In a large pitcher add both cans of fruit with the juice followed by the bottle of Sangria wine. Then add the remaining liquid ingredients and stir well. 


**Serve chilled or on ice

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day to you all. In celebration of Valentine's, I have been posting a few selections from Song of Songs which are such poetic expressions of love between a man and his wife. He loves and compliments her and she does the same for him. Of course love is shared in so many ways...love for your children, your siblings, parents and friends, and that love should be expressed throughout the year, not just on today. So tomorrow I hope everyone takes the time to express love for someone.

13And now abide faith, hope, love these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1Cor. 13:13 NIV

Here are a few treats I made for my family for Valentine's Day

I honestly did not want to post these because of my extremely amateur cake decorating, but my 22 month old said "Mommy that is puurrdy" and that was ALL the approval I needed!! 

Xxoo

Cute As A Button Interview

I had the pleasure of asking a few questions to some very talented and creative ladies. Owners of Cute As A Button, a unique and adorable accessories line, Whitney Kennedy and Chanelle Wiggins are on the move making their mark in the fashion arena of accessories! Lets see what these two have to say!

Q. What inspired you to create Cute As A Button and how did the two of you come together for this venture?

A. We were always looking for a craft that displayed our creativity and passion for fashion from our out of the box perspective. Also we love to accessorize and we kept finding that sometimes our accessories were just not giving us that signature look that we were trying to accomplish. So one day we were both getting ready for an event and found that we were adding little trinkets onto our already made accessories. And we were like "If we have to do all of this; we can just make our own stuff from scratch." So then we just did it!

Q. How did you come up with the company's name?


A. We wanted a name that literally described how the individual will feel when they have our product on. We wanted it to be almost like a "flavor you could taste with your eyes."

Q. Where do you see Cute As A Button five years from now?

A. Five years from now we see Cute As A Button as a corporate chain with hundreds of locations nation wide and then of course heading overseas. More than likely Japan will be first, because they are very FASHION FORWARD. And also we have plans to add a couture dog collection, by high demand. Who knew that so many owners wanted their precious pups to sport the same look as them?


Q. How would one accessorize with these fashionable buttons?

A. Well the possibilities for accessorizing with our buttons are LITERALLY endless. They can spruce up pretty much ANY tangible item. For example, headbands, purses, book bags, hoodies, blazers, gloves, UGG boots..you name it.

Q. What material do you use to design these cute buttons?


A. Any and everything a customer could possibly dream of or want, and the infrastructure is our little secret...but we can say that we are a green company and we use RECYCLED materials.

Q. Will Cute As A Button expand to other fashion accessories?


A. Absolutely

Q. What do you admire most about your business partner?


Whitney's Response: What I admire most about Chanelle is her adaptability and her sportsmanship. Because no matter what obstacle we have faced together, she always rises to the challenge and plugs in to get the job done. She has no problem communicating with me and she just understands me.

Chanelle's Response: What I admire most about Whitney is her creativity. It is a blessing to work with Whitney because she truly is an angel. Her compromising spirit is what allows this partnetship to work. Whitney is a very positive person and she allows me to also be creative and expressive in my own way. Whitney is very loyal; I know that together we rise and together we fall, which makes me want to work even harder and be loyal to her as well.

Q. How can one go about purchasing the buttons?

A. To purchase our LOVELY buttons, we can be contacted via email and phone at: cuteasabutton@gmail.com or 706-402-1433 and 757-746-7714. And in a couple weeks they can be ordered straight from our website...it is currently under construction.

Well there you have it. Check out some of the Cute As A Button merchandise that I received!! 

Xxoo

Expressions of Love III

Beloved

3Like an apple tree among the trees of the forest
is my lover among the young men.
I delight to sit in his shade, and his
fruit is sweet to my taste.

4He has taken me to the banquet hall,
and his banner over me is love.

5Strengthen me with raisins, refresh
me with apples, for I
am faint with love.

6His left arm is under my head, and
his right arm embraces me.

7Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge
you by the gazelles and
by the does of the field:

Do not arouse or awaken love
until it so desires.


Song of Songs 2:3-7 NIV

xxoo

Expressions of Love II

Lover

How beautiful you are, my darling!
Oh, how beautiful!
Your eyes behind your veil are doves.
Your hair is like a flock of goats
descending from Mount Gilead.

2Your teeth are like a flock of sheep just shorn,
coming up from the washing,
Each has its twin;
not one of them is alone.

3Your lips are like a scarlet ribbon;
your mouth is lovely. Your temples
behind your veil are like the halves of a pomegranate.

Songs of Songs 4:1-3 NIV

xxoo

Valentine's Treats for My little Hearts

Ok, so you all know I love my girls....I love to see them, kiss them, hug & squeeze them. I think I may give out at least 300 kisses a day, NO LIE....and I am not ashamed. I remember watching Lisa Raye's reality show some time back and seeing her kiss her daughter saying how much she needs those kisses and I could totally relate. 

I need kisses from them like I need air. I thank God for my daughters and my husband. Well moving on,  I took the time to get some really cute inexpensive treats for them for Valentine's Day. Most of the items I found were just a dollar each and not one item I purchased was over  two dollars. 

I tend to always make my girls baskets for special occasions. Below you can see I just got a few little things and added them to a really cute Valentine's bucket which they can use again and again. It also has a lid which I thought would be great for a little packed snack to stay secure inside.

 Well enjoy!! xxoo

Black History that paved the way for The Black Present & Future

Madam C. J. Walker

(December 23, 1867- May 25, 1919)

"I am a woman who came from the cotton fields of the South. From there I was promoted to the washtub. From there I was promoted to the cook kitchen. And from there I promoted myself into the business of manufacturing hair goods and preparations....I have built my own factory on my own ground." Madam C.J. Walker, National Negro Business League Convention, July 1912

Madam C. J. Walker, born Sarah Breedlove was a self-made entrepreneur through her hard work, humbling dedication and innovative hair care products. Starting from what some may say was the very bottom, the cotton fields, Madam C.J. Walker moved up the ladder of success creating a business empire that paved the way for many companies today. Most know her as the woman behind the hot comb and hair straightening perm, but according to the official site of Madam C.J. Walker, both are untrue.

However, what many may not be aware of is her generous help towards the Black community, donating as much as one thousand dollars to build a YMCA for colored in Indianapolis. Madam C. J. Walker also stood among the Harlem Leaders who took actions into their own hands when they visited the White House to present a petition advocating federal anti-lynching legislation. Madam C.J. Walker is more than just a beauty innovator, she is also a true advocate for equality and justice and thats enough to make her One Hot Mommy.



By: Mommy Stiletto
Source Used   ("Madam Walker Essay" from www.madamcjwalker.com by A'Lelia Bundles)