There's No Controlling Mother Nature

My daughter and I were extremely excited about her 6th birthday party with all her friends on Saturday.  Unfortunately, Mother Nature had a different plan.  Although I was aware that the forecast called for some snow, it was only expected to be a few light snow showers so I continued with my plans, got up early on Saturday to get my daughter's hair done for the party, packed everything in my car to take to the party site, and even sent out reminder emails telling everyone the party would go on!  Around 10am the snowfall began and it only got worse as the hours passed.  Being the person I am I was defiant against Mother Nature and was convinced that I would still make this party happen.  What happened?  I lost (LOL).  The roads were bad, my vendors started calling me to cancel, and parents started emailing me to tell me the roads were just too bad for them to still come.  So, much to my dismay, I had to pack everything back in my car and start notifying everyone that the party had to be postponed.  Fortunate for me several of my daughter's friends' parents did brave the bad weather and show-up for the party which made the "sting" of having to postpone the party much less dramatic for my baby girl.  She was so excited to see her friends that I think she completely forgot the party had been postponed.  She laughed and played with them for a while until it was time for us to trek back home and enjoy watching the snowfall from our windows.  We got home, got in our pjs, and my daughter enjoyed playing with the bday gifts she received from her friends who showed up for the party.

The plan was to reschedule the party for next Saturday but can you believe they're calling for even more snow next weekend too.  I guess my baby will get her party AT SOME POINT in the near future.

FREE Pampers... Don't Miss Out!

Like me, most moms I know are on a sure and tried budget. As frugal moms we pride ourselves on clipping coupons and finding sales events for everything from baby food to onesies and diapers. But I must admit I don't find many opportunities to get something FREE, especially in today's economy. That is why I am so excited to let all my mommy readers know that Pampers is offering FREE sample 3-packs of their new Pampers Cruisers with Dry Max tomorrow morning. Simply click the link below tomorrow for your FREE sample pack.
http://www.pampers.com/en_US/home/

Pampers has completely redesigned its Cruisers diapers making them 20 percent thinner with no sacrifice in performance. This new high-performance diaper is Pampers’ biggest innovation in 25 years! The new Pampers Cruisers with Dry Max officially hits shelves in March!

Pampers Cruisers with Dry Max offers the following benefits:
• New Dry Max technology to help lock wetness in up to 12 hours. The new thinner core gives baby freedom to move and play with all-around softness to keep him comfortable so playtime never ends.
• 20 percent less bulk, making it Pampers' thinnest diaper and driest ever. The thinner design allows mom to carry or store more of them within less space.
• Helps reduce impact on the environment. If current North American Pampers Swaddlers and Cruisers users switched to the new Pampers with Dry Max diaper, they could together throw away the weight of a billion less diapers every three years.
• Will be offered for the same price as current Pampers Swaddlers and Cruisers.
• Softer outer cover for comfort inside and out (pricing at sole discretion of the retailer).
• Tapered design.
• Sesame Street® characters.

If you think that's great, it only gets better.  Not only will you receive a FREE 3-pack of Pampers Cruisers with Dry Max but you will also have the opportunity to win a year's supply of Pampers diapers.  Pampers has teamed up with the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games to provide families with a year's supply of Pampers diapers.  If your sample pack includes a diaper stamped Team USA (randomly inserted in select sample packs), your baby wins a year’s supply of Pampers diapers!  In addition, Pampers is also providing babies across the country the opportunity to be in the closing ceremonies of the Olympics!  Here’s how, starting February 15, moms and dads can go to Pampers.com to load a video of their baby crawling left to right.  Pampers will compile randomly selected videos into a Pampers commercial that will air during the closing ceremony of the Olympics!

For many Olympic athletes, bringing home a medal is not just their dream – it’s their family dream.  And as such, Pampers is working with two medal contender athletes – 2006 Olympic gold medal speed skater, Chad Hedrick and 2007 World Skeleton, Noelle Pikus-Pace - as they and their families prepare to “go for gold” at the 2010 Olympic games.

Be sure to request your FREE Pampers sample pack online tomorrow morning at http://www.pampers.com/en_US/home/

STAY TUNED for my personal Review & Giveaway of great Pampers products in coming weeks.


Follow Pampers on FACEBOOK:
http://www.facebook.com/pampers?v=app_260676879928
Follow Pampers on TWITTER:
http://twitter.com/Pampersvillage

Moms R The Best presents a new collection of tees

Moms R The Best is thrilled to present its new collection of awesome tees for the empowerment of young girls, women, and moms alike (http://momsrthebest.com/.  We are prepping for a very successful Mother's Day with this new collection!  Check out the tees below and leave us a comment letting us know which is your favorite tee.

Cheryl

HAPPY 6TH BIRTHDAY JAYANA

My darling daughter, Jayana, turned 6 years old on Wednesday, January 27th.  I can still vividly recall all I had to endure in order to have a successful pregnancy -- complete bed rest, over nine weeks straight in the hospital confined to my room, doses of turbutaline, magnesium sulfate and other drugs to avoid losing her because contractions started at 18 weeks of pregnancy, a false alarm transport by ambulance over 80 miles from one city to another for fear of an early, possibly fatal, delivery and, finally, the subsequent transport by ambulance over 80 miles in a snow storm resulting in her delivery by emergency c-section at 31 1/2 weeks.  My baby girl weighed in at 4lbs, 2oz. and remained at Johns Hopkins NICU for approximately one month.  She was then moved to a less critical facility until she was finally strong enough to come home.  I will never forget that joyous day.

Of course, being the princess that she is, there's a BIG birthday party planned for this weekend.  Mommy needs a part-time job just to keep up with all the glorious expectations this little girl has.  I keep asking her to direct me to the tree where I can go and pick money.  She then comes back to reality and responds, "okay mommy, I know, money doesn't grow on trees."  Although we've planned a big party for the weekend, dad and I simply couldn't let the day of her special birth pass without celebrating.  So, per Jayana's request, we had a wonderful family dinner at Red Hot & Blue, a local Memphis BBQ style restaurant.  It was absolutely perfect.  Granted, our kids were pretty much out of control as usual and we probably said "stop" "sit down" "don't touch that" "don't do that" about 100 times... but that's life as a parent!  They're only little once so you have to enjoy it and embrace it.

As my precious daughter gets older I do feel closer to her.  The maturity of 6 year old kids nowadays constantly amazes me.  Sometimes she says things that just melt my heart.  Needless to say I am very excited to see her continue to develop and grow into a gorgeous young woman with strong morals and values similar to what my mom instilled in me.  I love you Jayana.  You will always be mommy's princess!!


Cheryl

Appreciating My Fabulous Followers

I am thrilled to have over 200 followers on my blog although I've only been blogging since September 2009.  I just want to say THANKS to every follower who continues to take the time to follow me, read my blogs, and comment.  Blogging is very enjoyable to me and I enjoy sharing my life's journeys with you.  Please tell your friends to come, visit, and follow too!

Thanks.


Cheryl

Help Me To Win "Outstanding Business Woman of the Year"

I am thrilled to announce that I am among the top three finalists to win the "Outstanding Business Woman of the Year" Award from The Professional Black Woman.  I need all my mommy bloggers, women entrepreneurs, mothers, wives, and anyone willing to support me to PLEASE vote.

Anyone who knows me or reads my blog regularly knows how devoted I am to my children and my business, Moms R The Best (http://momsrthebest.com/).  Some may say "it's just a t-shirt business" but to me it's so much more.  Launching and growing Moms R The Best has allowed me to empower mothers and women of all backgrounds to recognize their true value and to say what's really on their minds.  Expressing ourselves, whether verbal or written, is a significant form of empowerment whether it's plastered on a t-shirt, written across a hat, posted on a billboard or expressed in a therapy session!  So I plan to continue working hard at growing my business and gaining as much recognition for this movement of empowering women as possible.  Please support me!

HOW TO VOTE:

1. If you're on Facebook just join "The Professional Black Woman" Group, then click http://thewinnerssummit.com/vote-here-for-the-oustanding-business-woman-of-the-year which takes you to the Winner's Summit page, scroll down to the bottom of the page where you can read more about me, then click the red button and vote for CHERYL WOOD.

OR

2. If you're NOT on Facebook you must join the PBW online group at http://theprofessionalblackwoman.ning.com/, then click on the link to vote for me at http://thewinnerssummit.com/vote-here-for-the-oustanding-business-woman-of-the-year which takes you to the Winner's Summit page, scroll down to the bottom of the page where you can read more about me, then click the red button and vote for CHERYL WOOD.

Voting ends Sunday, January 31, 2010! You must be a part of The Professional Black Woman online or Facebook Group to vote.

THANK YOU!!


Cheryl

REVIEW: Carol’s Daughter Magical Beauty Collection

Disney Consumer Products and Carol’s Daughter, the authentic hair, fragrance and body care line inspired by nature, have collaborated in celebration of Disney’s newest princess in more than ten years and the first African American Princess, Tiana. The Carol’s Daughter Magical Beauty Collection, inspired by Disney’s film The Princess and the Frog which began showing in theaters on December 11, 2009, is a four-piece line celebrating Princess Tiana’s hard work, determination, natural beauty, and universal appeal. Gentle enough for children and appealing to parents, the fanciful product line delivers the benefits of natural ingredients such as aloe leaf juice, sunflower seed oil, cranberry fruit extract and lemon peel. Each product features an inspirational message reflecting the values and lessons that Tiana learns during her journey, making the Magical Beauty Collection a way for girls to connect with Disney’s newest princess.

Needless to say, my 5-year-old daughter was thrilled to receive the shampoo, conditioner, and bubble bath from the Magical Beauty Collection and insisted on taking a bath and having her hair shampooed right away. She has been a Princess Tiana fan ever since we saw the movie with her Girl Scouts Troop a few days after it was released in theaters. The movie was simply magical and captivated both adults and children in the audience. Princess Tiana gives women and girls a new role model, who exemplifies all of the qualities of a true princess, and the Magical Beauty Collection captures the essence of Tiana’s story of inner beauty and believing in your dreams. When the Magical Beauty Collection arrived, I could see the sparkle in my daughter’s eyes as though she had been longing for these products in order to indulge in a feeling of luxury and lather, befitting of a true princess. As a mother, I was tickled to see her excitement and comforted by the fact that these products were made of natural, gentle ingredients. I was even more impressed with how well the products lathered despite the gentle ingredients. Each product contains an adorable photo from the movie along with an inspirational message reflecting the values and lessons that Tiana learns during her journey.

The Magical Beauty Collection is a truly unique, inspirational product line that every young princess will adore. The products are gentle and natural, and very affordable.  Not to mention the priceless memories you will gain from seeing the excitement and joy your child experiences from these products.

The Magical Beauty Collection by Carol’s Daughter includes:

Shampoo (“The Beauty Within”): Designed with a child’s delicate hair in mind, this cleanser gently removes dirt and residue without stripping hair of natural oils. The formula leaves hair silky smooth and soft to the touch. Renowned for its soothing, nourishing and calming properties, aloe leaf juice helps condition dry scalp and hair. SRP, $10.00

Conditioner (“Inner Shine”): This moisturizing conditioner provides long-lasting softness and shine, leaving hair more manageable for easy combing and styling. Sunflower seed oil cleanses as olive fruit oil and aloe leaf juice condition and hydrate. Protein-rich sweet almond promotes hair growth and adds luster while silk amino acids detangle for improved control and manageability. SRP, $10.00

Bubble Bath (“Sharing Means Caring”): This moisturizing bubble bath provides long-lasting bubbles that make bath time fun without irritation or drying delicate skin. The ultra rich formula cleanses and moisturizes skin with natural ingredients like aloe leaf juice. SRP, $8.00

Hair Detangler (“Dream Big”): This ‘wonder-product’ spray releases tangles while protecting hair against breakage, soothing tender scalps as it conditions. Aloe leaf juice nourishes and calms as cranberry fruit extract helps maintain a healthy, itch-free scalp. Lemon peel extract acts as a natural antiseptic, treating hair concerns while nourishing the scalp and adding shine. SRP, $10.00

Magical Beauty Collection Gift Set: Housed in a reusable tote, it includes shampoo, conditioner, bubble bath and a roseshaped loofah sponge. SRP, $24.00

The Magical Beauty Collection by Carol’s Daughter is available at Carol’s Daughter Stores, select Disney Stores, Macy’s, Dillard’s, carolsdaughter.com and DisneyStore.com. Customers may also contact Carol’s Daughter at (877) 540-2101.


Order products from Carol's Daughter:
http://www.carolsdaughter.com/

Follow Carol's Daughter on TWITTER:
http://twitter.com/carols_daughter

Follow Carol's Daughter on FACEBOOK:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carols-Daughter/111744862223?v=wall&viewas=1048669640&ref=nf

Living a healthier lifestyle in 2010

One of my biggest goals for 2010 is to begin living a healthier lifestyle including changing my eating habits and incorporating a regular routine of exercise into my schedule.  In December 2009, I prepped for this change by signing up for a 5-week kickboxing course at a local gym which would start on January 4th.  I figured this would give me time to make it through the holidays and have a fresh start in the new year.  I would be remised if I didn't mention that before I had kids I was the picture of health & fitness!  Not only did I work out twice a day, but I watched every calorie I put in my mouth and lead a very active life.  But as every mom knows, once you have kids that mostly changes.  The kids become top priority and there's little time for mommy.  And considering how close in age my three little ones are we've mostly been hibernating in the house for the past two years because it's been almost impossible to take the boys, who are 10 months apart, out for activities without later asking myself, "why didn't I just stay at home."  So my lifestyle has become very sedentary in recent years.  I've had a desire to get healthy and fit again but there's always been an excuse or reason -- I'm too tired from working all day, I need to spend any free time I have as quality time with the kids, a membership at the gym is too expensive, I don't like doing workout tapes at home by myself, I prefer to take a class and there aren't any late evening classes.... blah blah blah.  Well, my excuses were finally halted when I discovered a late evening kickboxing class at my local gym.  The class is two nights each week from 8:45-9:45pm.  Now most people ask, "well aren't you exhausted by that time, and more tempted not to go back out of the house."  My answer, "of course, but there's no REAL excuse."  Taking a class that starts at 8:45pm affords me enough time to get home from work, pick up the kids, get home and give them baths, feed them dinner, and do homework... and still get out of the house in time to make my class.  What more can a working mommy ask for!  So, over the next few months I will post pictures and keep you updated on my progres.  Naturally, I'm a bit hesitant about posting "Before" pictures because I'm not sure what's really going to transpire over the next six months, but I figure it will be more incentive to actually work hard at losing my goal of 60-70 pounds... YES, THAT MUCH!  LOL

Below you will see my "Before" picture and some of the healthy eating habits I've been trying to incorporate more consistently, along with the new workout tennis my wonderful hubby bought me to help motivate me in my weight-loss mission.  Enjoy this journey with me!

Cheryl

I Love Seeing Other Mommies In Action

There are so many occasions when I have the opportunity to watch other mommies in action whether it be during the middle of the week while I'm going out to get lunch, while riding on the metro in the evening, or at a local kiddie venue while I'm enjoying quality time with my own kids.  I get so much enjoyment seeing other moms in action whether it be sharing a special moment with their child, consoling an upset baby, picking up supplies at the local party store in preparation for their child's birthday, or just going about their business sweating and keeping the little ones in line!

This morning I gazed and smiled as I watched a mommy on the metro happily communicating with her son who looked to be about 3 or 4 years old.  A few stops later another mom got on the metro with a screaming baby in a stroller at 8:20am.  Although some of the other riders seemed to cringe as though they had never heard a crying baby before, I embraced the fact that kids have their moments just like adults do.  My heart told me to go over and play with the baby girl, make funny faces, or offer her something that would make her smile... but I remained seated and contently offered the mom a warm smile to send a feeling of compassion while others frowned.

No matter how you look at it moms are the glue that hold families together.  We run the household errands, make sure bills are paid on time, send reminders to our spouses so they won't forget important dates and upcoming events, prepare the kids clothes and lunches for school, attend the school plays, use our "free" time making sure the kids are involved in extracurricular activities, sit through numerous birthday parties so our kids can continue to have a grand social life, clean up the kids toys a gazillion times at home, kiss the kids when they have boo-boo's and make it all better, encourage our kids when they are feeling down, get excited with our kids about their accomplishments.  Simply stated, Moms R The Best!


Cheryl

Moms R The Best Has A CUSTOM Domain

Moms R The Best is pleased to announce that we now have our own custom domain for our blog.  You can now find us by typing the URL http://momsrthebest.net/; however, our previous URL (http://arealmomsview.blogspot.com/) is still active as well.  We believe this update makes the company more cohesive and provides a more user-friendly atmosphere for our customers and followers.  Don't forget that you can order our unique mommy tees at http://momsrthebest.com/.

Cheryl

I NEED YOUR VOTE!!!

Please read the following post.  I NEED YOUR VOTE:

It's time to CELEBRATE!  The Winner's Summit wants to recognize an outstanding business woman for the year.  We are looking for a great internet presence, super website and user friendly, one who offers great customer service, who implements unique branding strategies and an effective communicator.  Please send all nominations to info@thewinnerssummit.com by Friday, January 22, 2010.  Please visit http://thewinnerssummit.com/nominations for more details.

Simply put NOMINATE in the subject and include:
Name:  Moms R The Best
Website:  http://momsrthebest.com/
Email:  cheryl@momsrthebest.com
Phone:  301-395-7589
City, State:  Upper Marlboro, MD

A decision will be made based on the final top 3 candidates.  The voting will be conducted the week of Monday, January 25 thru Friday, January 29, 2010. The Winner will be announced on the Wealthy Sistas® Radio Show on Monday, Feburary 1, 2010.

An AMAZING business strategy session

A few days ago I received an email on my LinkedIn account that offered the opportunity to win a complimentary business strategy session.  Considering my 2010 goals for Moms R The Best I immediately responded to the offer and was lucky to be among the first 10 individuals to be accepted for a session.

My call was scheduled for 8pm this evening and I was quite apprehensive about what to expect.  Mostly, I anticipated listening to some salesperson ramble on-and-on about some service I couldn't do without or some unaffordable purchase I desperately needed to make in order to make my business successful.  TO MY SURPRISE the call was just the opposite.  I experienced an AMAZING business strategy session with Life Coach, Jamee Tenzer.  Jamee is amazingly insightful, inspirational, and motivational.  She's a professional certified life and career coach for working mothers and women in the entertainment industry.  She's also a Trainer for the International Coach Academy and a published writer.  Jamee held a 30 minute call with me to discuss my personalized business goals and a specific strategy for reaching those goals.  She provided me with clear and concise information and questions to ponder on in the coming weeks.  After the call, she even emailed me an informative web link to offer more helpful tips.  I highly recommend that any working mom, mompreneur or busy, overwhelmed, or over-committed working woman contact Jamee to schedule a session.  You won't regret it!
http://shesarealmother.wordpress.com/about/


Cheryl 

Making Time For Family in 2010

One of my resolutions for the New Year is to spend much more time with my immediate family.  I was able to get that resolution off to a great kick-start over the weekend.  I took the kids to visit with my mom for a while, then met up with the rest of my family for dinner, good eats, and plenty of laughs.  There's nothing like family!!


Cheryl