Owning Our Glow: Spiritually Cleansing Our Home as a Family for the New Year

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Tackling all the laundry before the New Year just wasn't going to happen but for the three full bags of linens and clothes that did get washed, we managed to fold and put them away. Moving all the bins down to storage wasn't accomplished either but we successfully purged our closets, donated items from every room and started to re-organize drawers, shelves and cabinets. What I did not want was to stress cleaning the house top to bottom before the start of the year, we took care of what we could and enjoyed our time playing tourists in the city with out-of-town family from the West coast. One thing we knew was an absolute must do for the start of 2018 was to cleanse our home spiritually by Smudging as a family for the first time. It had been a purification process that quite a few people had recommended to us & I thought it would be perfect to use wellness & lifestyle expert and author Latham Thomas's new book "Own Your Glow" as a guide. 

Building Self Esteem with City Parks Foundation Summer Sports Program #LilMonstersinNYC

It's the summer Tristan has been waiting for! He's six and a half and finally old enough to participate in the free sports programs hosted by the City Parks Foundation in local playgrounds around the 5 boroughs of New York. Every summer for the last six years he's been watching his big brother CJ leap hurdles during Track and Field at Juniper Park  and practice his tennis swing at Cunningham Park and he's always wanted to step off the sidelines to show his ever growing grit on the field and courts. For the first year ever, the city introduced soccer to the roster which has always been a sport he's wanted to play, so this FREE program was a definite must to add to our Mommy Camp schedule.  

Reflecting on Why We Can No Longer Sit Idly: Please Tell the World my Son's Black Lives Matter Too #BlackLivesMatter #BlackSonsMatter

This weekend has been anything but normal and I've found myself caught up in my feelings & like many of you I'm sure, I've been trying to find all the words to express what I've been thinking after the news of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile's tragic deaths. Typically I write about reasons to celebrate life but realize with this platform I have a social responsibility to speak out honestly on things that are a far cry from jubilation, despite how tough the reality may seem. 

Writing & sharing posts on our most recent lived in moments - trips to Rhode Island, movie screenings of the latest summer blockbusters and the perfect holiday gift seem so irrelevant to write about when our social media feeds and email boxes should be filled with the voices in mourning & those advocating for positive change. I'll make room here for me to share this story because I knew as a mother of two brown little boys I couldn't come back to this space without discussing the current state of our country. There is a need to recognize the disproportionate number of black lives lost at the hands of law enforcement who are meant to serve and protect us all and to encourage you all to speak out against it.

Cupid's Stupid! Treat Ya Self by Indulging in a Valentine's Day Giveaway

Cupid's stupid! Yes I said it (but don't tell my kids I said that word) I'm having a moment! I know Valentine's day is right around the corner and all, but do we really need a commercial holiday filled with heart shaped boxes of chocolates you have to take a bite of to figure out if you like the flavor, cliche long stemmed roses that you could get for half the price the day after and restaurant lines for over priced, tiny plates of food to celebrate how much we love our significant others? Nope I pass. On Valentine's day you'll most likely find me and my boys snuggled up on the couch playing board games or watching a movie because that's just what we do, and we love each other regardless of whether or not cupid or Hallmark tells us to.

High school was brutal during this day, I remember how us girls made such a big deal out of counting how many roses or balloons we received from the guys, and it was many of those same girls who had issues looking at themselves long enough in the mirror to tell themselves they were beautiful.

I've been with the hubby 13 years and wouldn't ever want him to feel obligated to buy a bunch of stuff just to say he loves me on this designated holiday, just like he knows that although it's the thought that counts - if he brings home some cheesy red roses I may give him a side eye! I'd rather a day of spoiling be on just some random day, try in September- just because, lol. However whether you're single, dating or married I am all for treating ourselves and indulging in goodies for this silly holiday. So I've teamed up with my partners and co-founders of Sisterued.com to offer 1 lucky follower a Valentine's Day giveaway full of goodies to promote loving yourself, whether you are headed out for date night or reveling in the peace and quiet of some "me" time at home or something in between feel free to enter the rafflecopter below for the following prizes:

a Rafflecopter giveaway



This Giveaway is for entrants ages 18+ and live in the Continental U.S.A a winner will be announced on 2/9/16 and has 24 hours to accept their prize before another winner is chosen. 

In Pursuit of Magic: Reflecting on Reasons to Live in the Moment During the Holidays

I'm having a moment...With all that's going on in the world today, from attacks on everyday freedoms and innocent children, to just dealing with the struggles of the day to day I'll be the first to admit I believe in and seek out the magic of the holidays. During that time of year I put blinders on and sift through all the negativity to make sure my kids enjoy the holidays, and by no means does it mean by just anticipating the presents left under the tree from the Jolly man above but to truly revel in all the moments spent with loved ones and to count our blessings one by one before the year is out. Living in NYC what's not to love about that time of year? The lights, the stunning holiday window displays, skating under the Rockefeller Tree and of course standing on those insanely long lines to meet Santa. I live for those moments!

I must apologize for just sort of disappearing before wishing you all a Happy Holiday and a joyous New Year but the weeks leading up to Christmas were actually way more stressful than I could have imagined and I just never really got the chance to sit down in front of the computer to fill you all in.  But if you follow me on Instagram I tend to post little intimate blurbs from time to time as a quick way to get it all out. All of December I tried my darndest to keep up with the magic of the season even though I just wasn't feeling it, maybe it was the unseasonably warm weather (70 degrees in NYC on Christmas eve was just crazy), maybe it was just me coming down from a year of running around & 6 months of back to back event planning. A time out was needed and I just took it and ran.

Of course because of the stress ultimately a Crohns disease related flare up snuck up on me and has been kicking my butt since the start of the new year. But today something clicked and I decided to muster up some energy and to get back to writing but not before sharing my pursuit to keep the magic alive. Warning - this post will be lengthy, maybe a bit wordy but bare with me o.k, It's a rarity. 

The Accident that Put it all in Perspective:

On the 11th, an unassumingly normal Friday, I kissed the hubby and my 5 year old lil' monster goodbye as they headed off to school. Only to receive an anxiety inducing phone call from my husband to say that they were in a car accident just a block away from the main entrance for morning dropoff. Despite my husbands assurance that he and Tristan were fine, it was one of the most gut-wrenching pangs I'd ever felt and I was literally frozen in fear. You have to love the resilience of children because the only thing that was on Tristan's mind was that he got to ride to the hospital in a cool ambulance and during our brief conversation he said to me "We're OK mommy, but we definitely broke the car". 

What was even scarier to me was that I think I had a premonition about the incident the day before when I decided not to post a picture of Tristan in front of the car. He was beyond excited about showing his friends the red Mazda 6 we had on loaner to review and couldn't wait to show his friends how his new favorite sweatpants matched the cherry red new car. I was going to put a little anecdote after noticing the sticker highlighting the car's award for safety in the rear window about how most car accidents happen only within a few blocks from home, but for whatever reason didn't. All though both cars were pretty banged up we are all truly blessed that the other driver and my boys could walk away to tell the story. 

After that car accident my mission to revel in the whimsy of the "most wonderful time of the year" commenced full throttle, well slowly..... I'll admit we didn't put up our tree until the week before Christmas and it remained up as the first week of January rolled on by. Don't judge me! And some how I found myself wandering the aisles of Target one by one for last minute gifts the night before Christmas eve. All I knew was that this Christmas could have played out so differently had the accident been worse than what it was and I was just thankful that the hubby and his mini me walked away (the hubby a bit more shaken up then I'd ever seen him) without so much as a scratch.

Stop Knocking Santa - Go Ahead and Believe:

Imagine my frustration trying to be all jolly while my tween CJ starts tossing around skeptical questions about the "realness" of Santa. As the years pass I can see the idea of Santa slowly diminishing, it's not the first time he's questioned St. Nick and certainly won't be his last, until the truth comes out. I nearly went off on one of the hubby's co-workers who took it upon himself by whispering to CJ "the real deal" on Santa by having him question how Santa really gets in our NYC apartment without a chimney - but everybody knows Santa just takes the stairs from the roof, C'mon! 

Instead of answering him directly I've decided to tell him that believing in Santa is a personal choice and asked him "Do you want to believe in him?" I've read tons of blog posts and comments on FB where parents have gotten upset that their kids give all the credit to Santa for the cool presents under the tree, or the debates on whether the Santa their kids believe in is black or white and I just don't get the big deal. And you may not agree and that's fine, but to me Santa is just a symbol of childhood innocence and with everything our kids could be caught up in, the idea of this magical person bringing them presents at the end of the year is the last thing I'm going to be up in arms about. But you better believe mom and dad score points for awesome presents too!

This year I knew I wanted to skip the Santa Land maze at Macy's since CJ questioned why multiple families could go into those little houses within seconds of each other to see the "real" Santa. So I remembered seeing my blogger friend Kristin of My Strange Family posting yearly about visiting the Santa at ABC Carpet and Home and knew we had to see him because he was the most beautiful, authentic looking Claus I'd ever seen. So majestic with the rosiest red cheeks and a beard that looked so cottony soft it would make you shut your mouth for ever doubting he really existed. When I showed CJ the post he even said "Wow, mommy it's really him!" 

Another Trip to the ER Means Bring on the Holiday Lights and Hot Coco

 A mere week after the car accident, another premonition, this time owned by mother thanks to a Lifetime movie (that told the story of a family's loss of a child due to secondary drowning in his sleep) led us back to the E.R with our 5 year old. Tristan a completely fearless but novice swimmer, guzzled way too much pool water for comfort during his last swimming class. You couldn't tell him for one second that he wasn't an Olympic swimmer with that shiny medal swinging from his neck. But he also ended up with some what of a wheezy cough, that caused the hubby to wake out of his sleep as he ran to his bed one night. Top that with a slight fever that occurred earlier in the week and we ended up skipping our plans to attend a family holiday party and while dressed to the nines we drove off to the E.R. Completely amused by the irony Tristan smiled at the fact that he ended up sitting in the same bed from the week before and giggled while putting on a tiny gown that instantly made those pangs in my heart re-appear. How could I not have taken his coughs more seriously, what if something truly was wrong? But yet again my trooper, the little monster was perfectly fine and once cleared to go ended up having a melt down because we missed the party.

Remembering that our vlogger friend Betsy from ThatsBetsyV told us to check out a festive house in Jamaica Estates we hopped in the car in hopes that this fully decorated house would instantly make the boy's eyes light up! We're huge fans of the Holiday Light Fight show and this house that's only a ten minute drive from home was once a winner. And well deserving because it saved our night. 

By the time we finished watching the toy trains in the window and the toy soldiers dancing on the fences we were starved and headed to IHOP for hot chocolate that was bigger than the boys faces and of course they loved chowing down on breakfast for dinner!

Christmas Eve Service & Last Minute Guests Means a Clean House Full of Love:

It's been an entire year since we've had guests over to our tiny apartment, a whole freaking year. Nope, my husband's long time childhood friend Ty and my brother don't count because they could care less that our place was busting from the seams with boxes of products to review and seasonal clothes we hadn't had the chance to bring to storage. So Imagine how I nearly lost it when my parents decided they wanted to spend Christmas day with us. I mean I was thrilled but I had some major cleaning to do, deep cleaning that required washing walls, rubbing stains out of the couches and scrubbing toilets. I'm so thankful for their visit because it gave us just the push we needed to start of the New Year. We still have a ton of laundry to catch up on, which is supposedly bad luck to entire the New Year, well that's just fantastic isn't it? We can never get a handle on laundry so what will be will be. 

Attending church on Christmas Eve was all that my daddy wanted as a gift and it was probably the first time we'd all gone to a service as a family since we were kids other than for someone passing away. The evening's message was simply beautiful and resonated with all that was going on during the month "Out of darkness there will always be light." Celebrating being together, health and a new baby on the way (my nephew baby Quentin) was all worth praising. 

Having been so caught up with all that was going on the weeks leading up to the holiday, long hours at work and the kids in school, our tree ended up not being adorned with our star until literally Christmas morning because it's tradition that they do it with their daddy. 
The hubby whipped up homemade Belgium waffles while the lil' monsters opened their presents and us millennial children cracked jokes on the new generation of grandparents who gifted each other with gadgets and gizmos but couldn't figure out how to use them. 

 

Ringing in the New Year

With no desire to be among crowds of folks that were ready to welcome in the New Year, we just headed to a local Applebees and then finally made it to Dyker Heights to see the last remaining holiday decorated houses before heading home round 11pm. Did you catch the show on Fox 5? Well it was full of old school tunes that had the hubby and I dancing as cheesy as we remember our parents doing back in the day. New Years day was only a week before our grandmothers 83rd birthday and she was all smiles from our visit as she cracked herself up while taking selfies for the first time.

Year after year what always seems to ring true is the much needed time spent with loved ones and I'm blessed upon blessed to have been able to bid farewell to 2015 and to welcome 2016 with my family. Can't wait to see what the new year has in store, how did you live in the moment over the holidays?

Celebrating Father's Day: Why I'm Happy Facebook Reunited My Hubby with His Dad

There are so many people, including my hubby, who just can't get into social media: the liking, the tweeting the pinning and re-posting just aren't their thing for whatever reason. I swear up until a few months ago my hubby was hardly a fan of Facebook, Instagram or any other similar outlet because he thought they were just silly ways to burn idle time while riding the bus or waiting in the doctors office. In the past he'd give me a quick side eye if he caught me scrolling through my phone while we were having an Orange is the New Black marathon. 

Fast forward to the present and he'd probably want to run up to Mark Zuckerburg himself to give him a huge hug in gratitude, ok maybe not a hug but a pound and a pat on the back definitely.

Without a doubt if you let it, social media can suck you into an abyss of thumbs up and little red hearts but behind all that, there is a HUGE sense of connection to people all over the world and right down the block from you that years ago you wouldn't be able to access as easily.  In a matter of minutes with a click of a name, and a scroll down a list of friends I was able to help my husband fill a void that had existed for over 15 years by sending a message and friend request to his father.

I could NEVER imagine my childhood without my father; the piggy back rides, dancing to classic R&B tunes while standing on his toes and of course we can't forget the lectures about missing curfew. And everyone knows that my quick temper is all my father and I'm always sure to blame it on his genes whenever possible, but I also credit my poise, professionalism and outgoing personality to him too. Although he never really admitted it, or ever really spoke about it too often the fact that my husband's father wasn't in his life was difficult for him as a kid who even into adulthood as a father of two boys questioned why his father wasn't around. Not to say that he was without strong male role models in his life. Having been raised by his Jamaican grandfather and thanks to the father's of friends, he learned how to fish, all about natural home remedies, how to build furniture and what is was to be a Jehovah's Witness among other valued lessons.

Without getting into all nitty-gritty, It's insane how things work themselves out. My hubby and I have been together for about 13 years, and in that time there had been talks of trying to find his dad, hiring an investigator and all that jazz, but nothing ever came of it. I think once I even reached out to the Ellen show and Oprah but those were longshots. Funny enough, one detail we knew was that his dad was married and his wife was cousins with a childhood friend of my dad's. Small world, isn't it!

 Well despite this childhood friend's efforts to try to connect my hubby to his father and younger brother & sister he had never met, when word traveled to family members, some felt it best that they stay out of it all. In a FB message she expressed that if it were meant for them all to reunite, God would see his way to make it happen. That was nearly 2 years ago. Long story short, one evening last year my father's childhood friend thanked that family member [that wanted no involvement] and I clicked her name and searched her list of friends, only to find a handsome man that looked like my husband's dang twin.

All I remember was turning to him and saying "I think I found your dad, babe... on Facebook" and him looking at me like I had just lost my mind. In the past I remember even friending a man with the same first and last name who knew some mutual people but it was pure coincidence. I sent a private message pertaining to my husband's mom and neighborhood, along with a friend request and just waited. The very next day my request was accepted, and I stalked his page looking at their resemblances and matching names with faces of his siblings. If nothing else were to come of it, I knew at least my husband and his father would have the opportunity to hash out any misunderstandings.

This new chapter in their lives has introduced us to a family that seems even larger than the one I grew up in. With a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, a nephew and a grandmother [my hubby got choked up and teary eyed, knowing she was alive and well in the Bronx], we look forward to all the holidays and celebrations. Karaoke, Pokeno, dancing and all, we hope to be there! And it's just a joy to see our kids pick up their Ipads to face-time their Grandpops whenever they want and that they have cousins close in age that they can play and hang out with. I'm sure nobody knew what to expect on either side but thus far it's has been a beautiful experience.

Family trumps everything, it's one of the many things that strengthen our marriage because we prioritize it's importance. Knowing where you came from and why your are the way you are is just as relevant for you personally as it is for your children and heck, even your spouse. Now having spent time with my father in law I see glimmers of him in my husband and things about him make more sense, even if just coincidental. I understand why children naturally gravitate to their loving and gentile personalities and cheesy smiles. Both of them enjoy being behind the camera capturing everyday memories and now I can blame the fact that my hubby needs to leave the television on until 2am in order to fall sleep on his daddy's genes. 

This Father's Day I'm just beyond happy that despite how much time has passed our families have embraced each other and that our sons have another set of genuinely loving, supportive and funny people to call family.... and greatly in thanks to Facebook! Have you ever reconnected or met a family member for the first time through social media interaction? 

Having a Mommy Moment: Racing Shadows & Celebrating Just Being a Kid

It's inevitable, before you know it your youngest one will no longer want to build blocks with you, squish play doh or race you home from school.

With all of his sweetness and playfulness I'm so thankful to have a 4 year old that can suck me out of any funky day I'm having with a simple laugh and a request to see who's the fastest.... "Mama, you wanna race? I bet I can beat you!"

Of course whenever anyone from the younger set challenges me to a race, I get hyped and remember my days of running track and field and excitedly take on the dare

But who am I fooling? I hadn't run in ages and to top it off It had just been a physically awful week for me and could tell something was off with symptoms from my Crohns disease resurfacing.

Being the freakin' genius mom that I am, I set him up with a greater challenge...

" I'm sure you can beat me, your such a big boy, but I don't think you can beat your shadow!"

Tristan gave me his one dimpled smirk and laughed while he boasted  "Yes I can, watch me mama, yes I can."

 You could see the pure determination in his face each day he tried to race, who he called his "Shadow friend". And he made attempts at racing if the sun and clouds allowed it, over an 8 day span.

Day 1 - They tied and he was so frustrated that there his shadow was, side by side. he kept looking to his right and then back at me, while yelling "But Mama, I wanna win, tell him I wanna win!" 

Day 2 - It was like he had something to prove, the sun was shining and his eye was on the prize.Tristan just cracked up while he ran with all his might. I even raced behind him this time, while cheering him on. He seemed ok with his shadow always being in front of him since I joined in on the fun.

Day 3 - I just so happened to notice that his new friend was behind him and suggested that Tristan give it another go. He was ready!

While I watched his victory, it really had me thinking about how innocent and fun it is to just be a kid, not a care in the world! Wouldn't it be nice to let go of all the adult woes simply to enjoy a day of Peter Pan syndrome. Sometimes I wish my monsters never had to grow up but know it's just inevitable. In the meantime I'll enjoy all these simple moments watching my monsters being monsters.

What was one your favorite imaginary games as a child, or moment you've witnessed with your own kids?

Having A Moment: It's Tough Saying Goodbye to 2014, My Year of New Beginnings

I'm Baaaacccckkk! Sorry I've been MIA for a bit, I needed to take some time to reflect and couldn't return to this space until I could get this post done. It's really hard to sum up a year of happenings in one post without boring you all to death.

We're officially almost a month into the New Year and I'm honestly having a hard time letting go of 2014, which I know seems silly but with all the events and milestones that happened this year I'm actually kind of nervous about what the future has in store. It actually didn't sink in until I started collaging the photos for this post, just how monumental this year actually was in various ways. I get goose-bumps thinking about the amazing people my boys and I have been fortunate enough to meet, and when I play back inspiring conversations I have had, I get freaking excited thinking about how to bring those words to fruition in 2015. 

Now don't get me wrong, by no means was 2014 perfect! I shed tears, I got angry, I doubted myself, but oh boy did we have some great laughs & good times! And it took a low moment during the beginning of the year for me to realize we needed to celebrate life despite our circumstances because as cliche as it sounds, tomorrow just isn't promised.

January 23, 2014: after 26 days in the hospital and an emergency surgery due to strictures and fistulas in my intestines (I couldn't eat anything thicker than the consistency of applesauce and the photo taken is the next morning after 2ft. of intestines were removed) due to Crohns disease, I vowed that 2014 would be my year of New Beginnings. After dealing with such a roller-coaster ride of flare-ups and pain killers and then facing an unnerving experience like that hospitalization, I decided to only focus on the things that were in my control and that would make me and my family happy. We needed to just live in the moment!

 Living in the Moment in NYC: Creating Memories

So as a family, we did what we do best: despite any health issues or financial woes we hit the streets and enjoyed experiencing our crazy, fast paced city and discovered new places and connected with people unexpectedly.

Thanks to Facebook, relationships were re-established as my hubby reconnected with his father and that side of our family after 16 years!!! Our lil' monsters met their Grand-pops, theor daddy's brother and sister (the trio of bald headed guys is my hubby on the left, his dad in the middle and brother on the right) their great-grandmother and a ton of aunts, uncles and cousins over the summer. So, crazy right?

From my baby Tristan starting preschool and having his first school birthday party, to my oldest experiencing Alvin Ailey and getting excepted to a prestigious ballet program in the city, I was one proud & emotional mama that year. Their daddy and I couldn't be more lucky, to have been chosen as parents to, two monsters who are beyond amazing little boys and it makes me sorta sad that the time is just speeding by before our eyes.

NYC is nothing short of things to do and we made our best attempts to see as much of it as we could while not hurting the wallets too much. We rounded up family for a trip to Flushing Zoo and  the adults reminisced and while riding the carousel & as Marvel lovers we had so much fun checking out the incredible, stunt-filled live show at the IZOD center. Some of the coolest things we got to do as a family for the first time was to visit Madame Toussand wax museum, discovered a secret water feature at The American Museum of Natural History and explored midtown on The RIDE, a one-of-a-kind tour bus experience which featured the boys picture in a local newspaper for a few days before the year ended. 

Our metrocard took us everywhere from the New York Public library for a unique exhibit on children's books, to an off Broadway shadow puppet performance of The Old Man and The Old Moon at the New Victory theater and then got us to Brooklyn to check out the dopest street art in the boroughs and to the Bronx Zoo  to explore with our nature club for hours once a month.

Although we make sure to prioritize our free time to our kids, we find it equally important to carve in moments for ourselves and with friends, which ensures we don't lose our sanity & sense of self. I'm always looking forward to celebrating any occasion  whether with my three long time friends from high school while dolled up in sequins over dinner or with my hubby who cooked up the sweetest surprise rooftop brunch right above our apartment for our 6 year wedding anniversary in August.

Blogger Life

                         

It's really kind of crazy how in just a year, my little blog that started off focusing on the fun we had been having in NYC as a family, has allowed us to meet so many awe-inspiring people and how it's been a platform to help us form great relationships and to create some pretty-freaking awesome memories! 

I've sort of just been learning as I go along & fortunately I have met some fantastic and supportive bloggers & digital influencers along the way at events like: Well Rounded NY's Tips by Trimester, Girls Night Out  at the car show and at conferences like Blogger Bash (my first conference) and Fashion Forward who have given sound advice, have been my cheering squad and many of whom I call my blogger babes. In all honesty, we probably see each other more than we see our closest friends and family and even our kids look forward to the next event & hanging out with their blogger buddies.

I love that blogging is something that allows me to spend time with my family and gives us something to look forward to from month to month. My two boys even discovered they love making videos and started recently creating reviews for their series Must Haves for Lil Monsters and started another with their dad, Lil' Monsters in the Kitchen , which we are hoping to do more of this year.

 The Amazing Things Crossed of our Bucket List:

1. Attended the NYC Wine and Food Festival which was probably my hubby's fave event.

2. Watched celebrities walk the red carpet of The Amazing Spiderman 2  premier.

3. Saw the Lion King on Broadway, which was phenomenal.

4. Saw not 1, but 2 shows for NYFW and one was under the tents at Lincoln Center.

5. Got the closest I ever dreamed of getting to Oprah at the Live Your Life tour.

Becoming WWE Ambassadors

If my maternal grandma was alive today, I know hands down she would have loved to share in the amazing experiences we had thanks to the WWE, their Superstars and Divas. I grew up watching the greats like the Ultimate Warrior, The Undertaker, Hulk Hogan and Brett the Hitman Hart with her and my dad and it brings back so many great memories. Now that I have two boys who are die hard fans I'm so beyond grateful that blogging has allowed us the chance to experience such exciting moments as a family. 

When we took pics with Triple H at the  Scooby Doo Wrestlemania Mystery event I literally got teary eyed because he was one of my gramps's favorites and I knew she was smiling from heaven. From attending Extreme Rules and seeing Evolution get back together to fight the Shield, to my oldest son CJ singing & dancing with Darren Young at the KidzVuz BTS party and meeting his crush Natalya........ to bringing my dad to his first live event, creating a WWE tribute video and becoming WWE Brand Ambassadors, we are so thankful for the fun that has brought us closer together. And let's not get it twisted, my boys are huge fans and can name all the signature moves but i'm the true fanatic! 

A lot of people I know just aren't moved much by meeting celebrities because honestly, they are human just like us. And well, although that's very true, excuse me while I say " I took a freaking selfie with Boo (Lea Delaria) from Orange is the New Black at a Kiehls party, haha!" and she has some pretty awesome moves on the dance floor.

I love meeting celebrities, especially ones who have impacted my way of thinking in a huge way. Meeting GMA anchor Robin Roberts was probably one of the most moving moments for me last year, her book "Everybody's Got Something" although it was her testimony on how she handled beating breast cancer and a rare blood disorder, her journey resonated so deeply with my heart. From page to page I found myself scribbling in the margins my own reflections and crying at how easily I could relate to her story.  

        1O More Fave Celeb Encounters by Far Were:  

1. Winning an Instagram contest to meet celeb stylist June Ambrose a few days after my release from the hospital and the day after my birthday. Also in attendance was the Glow Maven Latham Thomas, owner of Carols Daughter Lisa Price and NJ Housewife reality star Dina Manzo, who I all admire as mom-preneurs.

2. Attending the Henry and Me Premier with my hubby and meeting Yankee Coach Joe Girardi and his daughter and making my sister seriously jealous when I told her we met Chazz Palminteri from the movie A Bronx Tale who joked with us about opening car doors.

3. Getting complimented on my color blocked outfit & advise from Amber Sabathia at a NYFW event hosted by The Moms Network.

4. Channeling my inner DIY'er and getting crafty with Sabrina Soto  who was named Velcro Brand Amabassador.

5. Enjoying a summer day in Brooklyn at an Essence Magazine Festival and meeting two of my fave bloggers Gorgeous in Grey and Rae Holliday and Project Runway star Korto Momolu who said she was love'n my statement necklace.

6. Listening to tips on how to capture the best family moments from photographer Anne Geddes who was a keynote speaker at Bloggerbash.

7. Reminiscing on my days as an MTV lover and chatting it up at a #FeelGlade event with Sway

 who is hilarious.

8.  By Far Robin Williams was one of my all time favorite actors and I wish he could've been in the room the day I had the chance to interview the cast of Night at The Museum: Secret of the Tomb, you could see how hard it was for Ben Stiller  to discuss their final moments together.

9. My high energy kids enjoyed an afternoon away from all the gadgets and gizmos and headed to a Nickelodeon Day of Play event and had a blast meeting Nick Stars like Jack Griffo.

10. I wrapped up my year by attending a luncheon where I got to sit next to Marlo Thomas 

as she shared the inspiring mission of St. Jude's Children Hospital & the Thanks and Giving campaign.

So, What Now?

Before this month is over I promised my boys I would print out a book of photos for them because these experiences were beyond special and deserve more than being stored on my phone or liked on Instagram and Facebook. I want them to be able to flip through the pages of this year even when I'm gone and remember all the fun they had, people they met and achievements and firsts that happened.  We always joke about all the cool things our boys have been able to experience before the age of ten, that we are just experiencing in our 30's and that we never even dreamed of happening and I hope if nothing else they learn from this year that there is light after darkness and as cheesy as it sounds, brighter days after you weather a storm!

For me, 2014 proved that after darkness there is light, I can't even wrap my head around the idea that I might not have been alive to experience all of this.  I'm not sure how 2015 can top my year of New Beginnings but my boys and I say bring it on! We are looking forward to a year of good health, growth and happiness and wish the very same to you and yours!

What was the highlight of 2014 for you & what are you most excited for this year?

Having a Moment: My Dream for my Son on His 8th Birthday

I couldn't think of a better day to celebrate my son CJ's 8th birthday then today January 21st, 2013, a day honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr & the public viewing of President Obama being sworn in. We are tuned in watching NBC and all the Inauguration day coverage before heading out to Barnes & Nobles and Toys R' Us for CJ to run through all his gift-cards and a visit to the grandparents to devour Crumbs cupcakes. 

Like any mother I have high hopes and dreams for my son to be strong, respectful, encouraging, supportive, intelligent and loving. CJ is fortunate to have examples of all of those qualities within his father, grandfather and a host of uncles, sadly some young men aren't as fortunate. You would think that after all those years ago when  Dr. King first gave his infamous speech that the ways of the world would have changed greatly. I will say that, yes we have come a long way from the days of slavery but with stories of Sean Bell & Trayvon Martin still unsettling in our hearts, have we really forged a way for more open-mindedness and less judgement towards our fellow man/woman? With words of encouragement all I can to my son is "Rise above it all to be the great man you are destined to be and when you've reached the top remember to pay it forward!" I truly believe it's in the hands of our future generations to be the change we want to see in this world.

Enjoy this historical day and celebrate the LEGACY! 

Bunches of Xoxo's

                            Dellah

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