Baby Shower Fever

So its that time of year again, BABY SHOWER TIME...in the past month I have had friends attend about 5 baby showers and I have 2 to go to myself next month. With that being said I thought today I would highlight a good friend who you readers will be sure to love!

Are you tired of giving the same gifts all the time? Well my friend Tiffany makes Diaper Cakes as well as baskets to give as gifts. Here are some pictures of cakes she has done!




Like what you see? I'm sure you do! So if you would like to have a diaper cake made or a basket made please email her at Patterson8208@gmail.com and be sure to put diaper cake in the subject and let her know you got this information from MommE-Talk!

So guys instead of giving the same boring gift, give something fun and useful, diapers are a moms best friend!!!

If you are a MommE with a business or you have a business targeting MommE's and you want it showcased Please send all information to ssanders@themommeshop.com and be sure to put MommE-Talk in the subject line.

Until Next time its MommE-Talk!

Cod Liver Oil

When I was younger, I woke up every morning to three things: Hot 97 morning show with Ed, Lisa and Dre; a cup of juice; and COD LIVER OIL. I remember it clearly my mother standing there with the spoon in hand and a stern voice saying swallow it and I better not spill it. YUCK!!! Just the thought of how terrible it tasted makes me shiver. I made a promise that I would NEVER make my children suffer through taking this nonsense!

WELL NEVER SAY NEVER is a great phrase. LOL. I now find myself reading up and trying to purchase Cod Liver Oil for Jade. And I understand why my mother was so adamant about it. Jade started school last week and the first thing I noticed was the snotty nose little boy who coughed all over the place and wanted Jade to sit next to him. YUCK! I also realized I can not afford to take off work in the next few weeks to stay home and nurse my child back to health. So now I am searching for methods on keeping her immune system strong and the first thing that popped into my mind was COD LIVER OIL.

So now I am looking at the pro's and cons of giving it to Jade and where can it be purchased. This is what I have found:

It is one of the most reliable and concentrated food sources of four nutrients that are essential to human health: DHA, EPA, vitamin A, and vitamin D. These four nutrients are needed for:

• Healthy skin

• Strong bones and teeth

• Healthy joints

• A healthy cardiovascular system

• A healthy nervous system and prevention of depression and other mood disorders

• A healthy digestive tract

Research has also shown that consuming 1-2 teaspoons of cod liver oil daily can help to prevent serious diseases such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis, musculoskeletal pain, kidney problems, and high cholesterol.
So I guess my mom was right (I never thought I would say that LOL) and I'm now off to Kmart on my lunch break to pick up a bottle!

Whats your thoughts or home remedies?

My friend GaGa

So this weekend I met Gaga, not Lady Gaga the entertainer, but Gaga Jade's new friend. Onmany occasions I have heard Jade talking to herself but thought nothing of it, she is an only child. But this weekend things were a lot more detailed. I asked Jade who she was talking to and she screamed GAGA! I said o is gaga a boy or a girl? She said a girl mommy she is right here. I said o can you tell her I said hi.

I must admit I first I thought it was hilarious, I laughed and couldn't figure out why the kids name was GaGa of all things. But then I felt a little relieved. Jade was reading to GaGa, and I had a few moments to run her bath water and get her clothes out and ready for the day, hmmm I thought this isn't so bad after all.

So instead of making her feel uncomfortable I let it be and have done an internet search on the topic. Here is what I found

According to Familyresource.com (Armin Brott) Imaginary friends can:

• They can be wonderful companions for pretend play, which is an important way to stimulate creativity and imagination. Having an invisible friend can make those long trips to the moon or back in time a little less lonely.
• They can act as a child's trusted confidant when there's no one else to tell their secrets to. Even small children have issues that are too private to tell us.
• They can help kids figure out the difference between right and wrong. Kids sometimes have a tough time stopping themselves from doing things they know are wrong. Blaming the imaginary friend for eating cookies before dinner is often a sign that the child understands right vs. wrong distinctions but isn't quite ready to assume complete responsibility for her actions.
• They can give you some valuable insights into your child's feelings. Listening to your child bravely comfort an invisible friend who's about to get a shot may be a clue that your child is more afraid than she's letting on.

Earlychildhood.suite101.com says:

• Parents that are annoyed over their child’s imaginary friend (especially when the friend spills the milk or eats the last cookie) should look at the positives. It is believed that children with imaginary friends are actually very creative and they often have better verbal skills than children that do not have these friends. Also, if your child does not do well at entertain herself, your imaginary friend may serve that purpose, too. She may not want to play in her room alone, but she might spend a lot of time in there playing with the friend.

So mommy's now that we know its perfectly normal, what are your children's imaginary friend stories and how have you dealt with this issue?

A Black Mother and her Son!

Due to many conversations and Facebook statuses I decided to talk about the relationship between a Black Mother and her son! I will talk about discipline and life lessons so sit back and relax your in for a ride!

So many times I hear black mothers saying how they will wait for their sons father to come home and then when those same boys are bigger they are so confused as to why these same boys dont respect their authority. I also hear black women saying how the world is tough enough on their boys so they need to get their affection from home. Let a man toughen him up. Oh and the imfamous I cant teach a man to be a man so I wait for his dad.

Now I know those are all different issues but lets start with the discipline. Lets be real no child will respect you if you dont discipline them. I dont care what your tactic is but discipline is NECESSARY!! *note that i said discipline not abuse!* I am a firm believer that you have to start young with displaying your authority with a child. You can not I repeat you CAN NOT wait until the child is 3 or 4 to try to become an authorative figure. By then the child already has figured out they can do what they want with you and will continue to be disrespectful. If you have a son you NEED to discipline him AND tell his dad so he can be disciplined twice. This ties into the issue of teaching a boy to be a man. Teaching a child respect has nothing to do with gender. So if you are his mother you can allow his dad to teach him to be a man but BOTH of you need to discipline and teach respect, guidance and life lessons.

My second issue is the pampering of these boys and showing them "affection." Now don't get me wrong. I am the first to hug and kiss my child, nieces, nephews, cousins etc. I do believe that little boys should be shown lots of love. BUT at the same time I believe in making them grow up. I have many friends (females) who have brothers. The female knows how to wash, cook, goes to college, finds an apartment, a job, manages bills EVERYTHING. But for some reason their brother, raised by the same person, cant do anything. They are sorry and looking for a women who will continue to take care of them. They stay home forever not ever really doing anything to help the household. They may pay a bill or two but if mom leaves the earth tomorrow they will live a life of fast-food or marry quickly to be taken care of. What kind of lesson is this. Why are we teaching our daughters that they have to be strong and take care of house and family but teaching our sons to be lazy!

Black mothers we must do better. The same way our daughters cook our sons should cook too! The same way our daughters clean, our sons need to clean too! The same way our daughters are taught to be strong our sons need to be strong too, maybe even stronger then our daughters. Lets raise our sons to be MEN not someone else's burden.

I know I had a lot to say today...but what do you think??? Leave a comment!

It's MommE-Talk!

Happy Mother's Day!

Its that time of year where we need to celebrate that special woman who brought us into this world. For all of you who are celebrating your first Mother's day welcome to the world of madness, and happiness, emotions and love!
For those of you who are expecting, congrats you are about to enter a club where only the strong survive!
And for the vets, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to you keep up the good work!

Super Mom

Mom, you're a wonderful mother,
So gentle, yet so strong.
The many ways you show you care
Always make me feel I belong.You're patient when I'm foolish;
You give guidance when I ask;
It seems you can do most anything;
You're the master of every task.You're a dependable source of comfort;
You're my cushion when I fall.
You help in times of trouble;
You support me whenever I call.I love you more than you know;
You have my total respect.
If I had my choice of mothers,
You'd be the one I'd select!By Joanna Fuchs

I'm not your Superwoman

Good Afternoon MommE's,

Yesterday a good friend and fellow MommE sent me an interesting article to read titled Lighten up on Yours to Have a Better Life. She said read this it will be great to discuss on your blog. So im taking her advice.

How many of you Mom's are trying to superwoman? I can admit I am! I work full time, and as you all know I am also working on my company The MommE-Shop. Outside of that I am planning my mothers destination wedding, being a mom, and I have started a new relationship. But I still feel its not enough! I want a radio show, travel agency, and I want to plan a fundraiser for a scholarship I just learned about. What is wrong with me?? Why do I feel like my worth as a person is determined by all the projects I take on?

As women, we often over do it. We work so hard to prove ourselves to others. And I think as women of color we take this ten steps further. At work we over compensate and go far beyond the norm to prove that we are as good as and better than our counterparts. We come home and take care of the kids and husband/boyfriend in an attempt to make them happy as well. Our family calls and here we come running with an S on our chest to make it all better. We join the gym because we have to lose 10 pounds. And after all of that we still want extra responsibilities.

But we have to stop!!! We need to take better care of ourselves and stop trying to run ourselves into the ground. WE ARE GOOD ENOUGH AS WE ARE! We don't have to prove anything to anyone. So MommE's in honor of Mothers Day, put your projects down, kick up your feet and enjoy your weekend!! Believe me YOU DESERVE IT!



http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/wayoflife/05/03/o.well.lived.life.key/index.html

Planning a Birthday Party

Summer is coming and it seems that so many children in my life have birthdays coming and parents are trying to figure out what to do next. I guess this is what happens with winter loving, we get summer and fall babies LOL. Anyway I thought I would share my advice on planning hassle free birthday parties.

My number one piece of advice is DON'T give a party every year. Why drive yourself crazy? Your child does not need an elaborate birthday celebration every year. Its a waste of money especially in the early years when they don't even know its their birthday. You get all stressed and the child usually doesnt even want to be bothered. And as they get older many children don't want to be bothered with parties either. Lets stick to the milestone ages 1, 5, 10, 15 or 16, 18, 21. and maybe 1 or 2 in between if the child really wants one.

My next bit of advice is find a place that does all the work for you. No matter where you are there are places that throw parties for children of all ages. They do everything from invitations, to birthday cake, and all in between. You dont have to set up or breakdown you just show up. Whats better then that? Many of these places are even using themes to help you out. Sounds great doesn't it? At the bottom of this post I have listed a few places in the NYC area that I think look fun.

If you are like me and have a child who has a birthday in summer months or around a summer holiday throw a BBQ. Whats easier then having a few people over and throwing some hamburgers and hot-dogs on the grill. Let the kids run around crazy. Hire a clown or character to come with some games for the little ones and if the child is older get some jump ropes and a basketball hoop. Or plan some relay races they will love that.

Do you have a daughter. The easiest birthday party of all time is slumber party. You order some pizza, let them rent some movies, paint each others nails, giggle and chat all night if they want. And you don't have to be bothered at all. AAAAH I sure can't wait for Jade to reach about 8 she will def have a sleep over LOL.

My final tip! If all else fails call a party planner. Leave the stress to the professionals. Sometimes the extra money spent is well worth it if you have no headache and no hassle!



Fun Party Activities:

http://www.totallyglamgirlsclub.com/default.html

http://www.thebirthdayzone.com/

http://www.daveandbusters.com/

http://www.chuckecheese.com/

http://www.appleseedsnyc.com/birthdays.html

http://www.creativedreamparties.com/packages.php

http://www.nykidsclub.com/Birthday-Party-Places-NYC.cfm

There are tons of other places in NYC these are just a few! If you know of any that you really love be sure to leave a comment!

Remember its MommE-Talk!