im doing something right...........

the day after this election I felt completely defeated. as if all of my efforts that I work so hard for and I hold to a high standard don't really matter. as a woman....no as a black woman I felt so hopeless. so as I woke up this morning with tears in my eyes thinking about the amount of hate that people have and the lack of respect, integrity and character so many Americans have I pulled myself together and got my 4 year old daughter ready for school. I wasn't in the best mood, my emotions were all over the place, and I was undoubtedly tired from staying up to 3 am trying to watch the end of the election results. holding summers hand she lead me to the wall outside of her classroom and showed me so proudly what she wanted to be when she grows up. my mood completely changed as I saw hope in her eyes. she was so proud showing me this, and I was so proud that this is something that she actually wants to do. when it comes to education I am a bit of a tiger mom....she rolls her eyes, and get tired of me repeating things over and over again but in the end she gets it. being a lawyer is something that i've never said to her. so the fact that in her 4 year old mind this is something that she actually wants to do makes me feel hopeful for the little girl that I'm raising and I actually feel like I'm doing something right as a parent.

Adidas: hot pink track suit
Nike shoes
hair accessories: Michaels

after 2 years she finally coming around to being a big sister, lol! they still fight at home but she is so protective of her little sister when we are out and Delilah adores summer.

new bookstore adventure!!

Earlier this week me and Delilah finally got a chance to stop by a fairly new bookstore here. I have a serious love for books and I'm so happy that summer and Delilah both feel the same way. seriously anytime we go to a store and they have a kids book sections I'm guaranteed to walk out with at least two new books. Eyeseeme is an amazing local bookstore in St. louis Missouri that's been open for about one year. they are finally getting the buzz they deserve especially because its the only black owned bookstore that sales black children's books. hence the name "eye see me". I was extremely pleased to find a wide variety of books with well known authors as well as local St. louis authors. summer was at school and wasn't able to come with us but Delilah had a blast. small town bookstore vibe with friendly faces and story time. if you are in the St. louis area head over to Eyeseeme located in university city.

All Natural Remedies for Children and Adults

Over the years I've collected a few amazing remedies that can treat a variety of illness. They work pretty good for adults and children. As parents we always want the best for our kids and while a lot of over the counter medicine is not approved for children under the age of 2, we as parents are left to search the internet and deal with sleepless nights trying to figure out how to calm a fussy child. After many doctor appointments over the years that would often times get me no where, I've developed my list of remedies with ingredients that are usually found in my home already. below you will find 3 natural remedies that will get rid of the common ear infection that kids tend to get, soar throat, and an extreme upset stomach.

1. Ear Infection: that awful moment when you child is crying and screaming and you have no idea what's wrong with them. many ear infections go without notice however most children will cry, fuss, and pull at their ears in pain. here is a quick remedy that has worked many times for me and the girls.
one cotton ball soaked in apple cider vinegar and a little water, turn over with the problem ear facing upward, let the wet cotton ball sit in the opening of the ear (like a plug) for 1-2 mins, turn over and drain. however many small kids will not sit still during this time, and if that's the case then you can hold them down with the problem ear facing upward, wring out the wet cotton ball allowing the liquid to travel directly into the ear cannel, turn them over and let it drain. however if you do it the second way then I would advice you to repeat this process twice.

2. Stomach ache: blueberries are magical!!! really they are. I don't like them but the only time I will eat them is when I have a horrible stomach ache. summer loves blueberries and with her kidney issues we are limited to the kind of medicine she is allowed to have. recently she had a really bad stomach ache and this blueberry smoothie cured her pain within 30 minutes. 80% blueberries (fresh or frozen), 10% yogurt ( I typically use vanilla ), 10% water or ice. blend until smooth, pour the desired amount into a cup and drink within 10 minutes. you will feel like a new person. no sign of horrible stomach pains or diarrhea.

3. Soar Throat: most kids don't like hot water with lemon....however....if you add honey then the sweetness will definitely make them more prone to drink it. HOWEVER,  please keep in mind that children under 12 months should not consume honey.

all white Nike air max 90 review

I love the look of all white tennis shoes however the maintenance of all white tennis shoes I can do without. overall I am in love with these shoes and the funny story is that I've been eyeing these shoes for a few months now. so when I went to actually buy them I realized that summers foot has gotten bigger also and she needed new tennis shoes more than I did. the kid is now in a size 12! so we walked out of champs that day with only one pair of shoes. now usually I would never spend $70 on kids shoes. I pride myself on being a bargain shopper. really I once got a pair of brand new shoes for only 70 cent while searching the sale section at Macy's! but tennis shoes seems to be the one thing that I can never find an amazing sale on. I'm not much of a tennis shoe person myself but for kids it is a must. she's had many pair of air max and they are definitely my favorite brand to purchase for her. You can definitely tell the difference when a shoe is made well. they hold up through any and everything. I've yet to get a pair that will come apart or the leather starts to look really ruff. they pair well with pretty much anything. shorts, jeans, denim skirt. I think the sole looks really good, especially on girls because if gives them that sporty cheerleader look. are they worth $70.........yes. but if I could do it all over again I would get a different color than white. kids with white tennis shoes is a no no, no matter how neat the kid is. just remember kids will always be kids. in other word they are bound to get a little dirty from time to time.

shirt: Oshkosh
legging: Gymboree
shoes: Nike air max

weekend style

It's so crazy how fast the weather changes here in Missouri. It's been really cool for about 2-3 weeks. however this week its back to summer time! seriously the girls wore shorts and sandals today and the high was 90 degrees! anyway, lets go back to this past weekend when we did a few fall time arts and crafts. Michaels has a lot of cool events geared toward kids and they are free. well not completely free but for only $7 we purchased a craft pumpkin and summer participated in the art class where she got to decorate it with all Michael supplies! she loved it. Delilah was hanging out with her daddy for the morning!

boots: carters

jeans: gap kids

shirt: childrens place

jacket: gap kids

sunglasses: childrens place

purse: childrens place

boots: childrens place

tights: steve madden

dress: target ($7)

infinity scarf: target ($3)

I can never get a good picture of both of them! One looks at the camera

the other looks away

not too bad for a 4 year old!

It's all in the details

Is it just me or does it seem like hair accessories are with us through out life. I remember when summer was only 2 days old she was gifted with her first hair bow from the hospital because I somehow forgot about this oh so important detail. Besides, how can you really tell if the baby is a girl anyway. Since then hair accessories have become a must. Summer is all about the details when it comes to her hair accessories and this is definitely one thing I leave 100% up to her. After all she is only 4 so why not let her have a little fun with cat ears, sparkly bows, and velvet butterfly headbands. Here are a few that have caught my eye along with a few that we've already bought. And the great thing about hair accessories is that you can find them anywhere, from high end department stores, to small neighborhood boutiques, and even online.

apple picking

this is definitely becoming a family tradition for us! picked summer up from school early after swim practice, drove about 50 minutes outside of the city to one of our favorite farms!

sum looks calm but she was terrified of the goats, cows, and kangaroos

she was not feeling the fast rides

these apples are HUGE...total $9

wow! what a difference a year makes (September 2015)