Thursday, May 31, 2012

Mommylogues: Whoa Baby Bump!


Whoa baby bump!
How far we've come?!
I can't believe this weekend i am going on 28 weeks.
The idea of 28 weeks makes me excited  because apparently 
now Baby Pancakes has an awesome chance of surviving.  
Who the heck writes these scary facts?!
But needless to say i am glad i am fully in the third trimester.
This morning he woke me up, literally kicking.
His muscles are developing and he has a personality which is just fun.
He responds to Mr. Pancakes' voice and touch.
It is the best thing ever!!
We play games where i call him and wait for him to respond with a movement.
The complete pregnancy process awes and amazes me.
It truly is God in process!


Do/Did you read the scary stuff?

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Going Without Cable...Not By Choice!!

Sometime last year, i initiated the No-TV Challenge...that was by choice...
my current no-tv challenge is NOT by choice.

Let me explain...

Since we moved, we have been having issues with our
cable/inernet provider and this has been frustrating.
The people that lived in our apartment before did not a
cable/internet connection so in order for us to get it,
the provider had to come out and initiate a connection.
There have been two appointments set and it's almost the end of the month
and NOTHING has been done as of yet.
No connection. 
No cable.
No internet.

THIS HAS BEEN FRUSTRATING BEYOND MEASURE.
We've been able to get away without internet by accessing the hotspot on my iphone.
Thank goodness!! But there has been no TV show watching for me.
I didn't realize i was a TV-holic until i didn't have access to TV shows.
I have watched all of Sex and the City DVDs all over again...
Mr. Pancakes is ready to have me committed.
And i am sure Baby Pancakes probably knows too much
about sex from listening to all the shows.

But I just need to have some noise in the house when i come home.
Soon there will be a baby and i won't need TV shows but in the meantime...
i need distraction.
Distractions like music doesn't do it. 
And reading hasn't been doing it lately.

It's been a month without watching any of my shows
and you know what i haven't gone completely bonkers.
I do miss HGTV, Suze Orman, Golden Girls
and just random television shows like Saturday nights
Mr. Pancakes and i would watch Boxing on HBO
BUT aside from missing these shows....

i am NOT dying to watch TV shows. 
I miss TV shows but i am not dying without them. 
Which leads me to think perhaps, maybe
i can live without cable for the rest of my life.
Maybe...i think....

This lead me to ask my fellow bloggers,
Have you gone without cable by choice
or NOT by choice and how have you dealt with it?

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Trip Down South...

Happy Tuesday...
Hope you enjoyed your long weekend!

Our trip down south was definitely a good and fun time!
The unfortunate part was that i go so caught up in visiting and enjoying the fresh air/breeze 
that i didn't take any pictures.
I also didn't want to come across like a photo hound!
Sometimes being part of the blogging world can do that to you!

So i will reminisce about some of the fun parts of the trip down South
using pictures borrowed from the Internet.

We stayed mostly in Memphis, Bartlett and Arlington areas.
I had no idea TN had so many cities.  Definitely will need to visit all the others soon.

Our first day there...
We went to lunch at Young Avenue Deli--delicious food and they had the best...
Sweetened ice tea ever..it was yummy and definitely had my fair share of it.  
So refreshing!
We were a little early for the lemonade but maybe next time.



Our friends made us feel so comfortable and welcomed...it was a great feeling.
We had a cookout which was complete fun.
We were out on the back porch for most of the evening...
i even saw fireflies which in the South are called lightening bugs!!
Oh and they had ceiling fans on the back porch
 which i just thought was too relaxing for my own good.
Team Pancakes definitely felt at home.

Via

We went house-hunting and saw many beautiful homes 
which we would love to live in someday.
It was fun to see what types of houses we liked 
(large and spacious and affordable)
and what things we needed to compromise on.
At some points, i felt as if we were on House Hunters...
it was a fun experience.
If we had a choice...
i think there were a few houses that were on our list!

Via

Sunday we got our Church on and enjoyed some good ol' Southern worship and praising!
We went to lunch at J. Alexander's Restaurant.


 I've never heard of the restaurant before but 
of course they had delicious foods 
and their sweetened ice tea wasn't bad either.  
Yes i became addicted to sweetened ice tea!

All in all, it was a great trip.
We didn't have Southern BBQ but i think there will be many more trips in our future to TN 
so i will make sure to experience everything it has to offer!
Team Pancakes was excited to see our possible new home!

So to recap, here are a few things we enjoyed during my trip down south.
It's hot down South but there is fresh air/breeze.
I learned Sweetened ice tea is refreshing.
Fireflies are called lightening bugs.
Ceiling fans on the back porch is a must!
Houses are large, spacious and affordable!
Southern praise and worship is an experience!









Monday, May 28, 2012

Happy Memorial Day


Happy Memorial Day!
Whatever you do today remember why we have this day off.

Via
Via

Friday, May 25, 2012

Weekend Plans...

Happy Friday!!!
Happy Memorial Weekend!!
Hope you all enjoy your weekend...because i know i will be!

This weekend, i hope to get some stuff together for Baby Pancakes.
Including completing the baby registry which has been a little overwhelming...
just because there is soooo much to choose from...but i am determined to get it done.

Another to-do item on my weekend list is to sleep and nap,
sleep and nap, sleep and nap...you get the idea.
I feel like i need to catch up on my sleep before it's too late!
I've been sleeping well but i have also been getting up earlier which leaves me tired before 8pm.
I don't know if i will be going to any cookouts but i hope to do some eating myself!
Mr. Pancakes and i are starting tonight by getting some grub with granny!

Another thing i hope to do is to begin studying for my clinical exam.
I have NOT been good with this at all so this weekend
i will be cracking open the book to study study study.

I hope to touch base with some family members.
And one of my bff's who is also having a baby boy...so exciting!!

Overall, i am excited to get somethings done over this long weekend!
I wish we were traveling but we just came back from a trip
which i will recap this weekend for next week.

But whatever you decide to do...have fun and be safe out there!

But go ahead and share your plans with Team Pancakes...
What are your weekend plans?

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Inspire Me Series: Successful Blogs






Ashley of Adventures of Newlyweds is sharing with us today
what makes a successful blog in her opinion.
If you don't know about Ashley's blog, here is a little something about her.
She travels the country with her husband for work and takes beautiful pictures too.
Ashley also initiated an awesome link up called: Friday Letters!
Please check her out when you get an opportunity.



 How did you begin blogging?
I started blogging to document my new "newlywed" life! 
 I started out writing about our everyday lives for our friends and family. 
 It started growing and I discovered just how big the blog world was!  
I had no idea at the time!  From there my blog has involved and grown with me! 


What do you believe makes your blog a success?
 I believe my blog, and any blog for that matter, 
is successful when the writer blogs for themselves and stays true 
to why they started in the first place. 
 I am sure we have all gotten caught ip in the thrill of having followers,
 and growing our blogs but now more than ever I realize that its not about that in the slightest.  
Even if no one were to come to my blog ever again I would continue doing 
it so my husband and our family can look back and remember these special moments. 


 How do you maintain a balance between living and keeping up with your readers/followers?
 Great question!  At first it was easy to comment back to 
every single person and do every guest post requested 
but once I got a little more traffic I couldn't keep up!  
These days I comment back when I can but spend more time reading other blogs.  
I have also made great real life friends who I keep up with every day! 
 I always answer e-mails but I think its important to remind ourselves 
that this blog thing is great so we can make some really great friends--- 
not so you can get thousands of followers. 
 How realistic is it that you can connect with all of those people anyways?!  


Wednesday, May 23, 2012

13 Months of Love


Happy Anniversary to Team Pancakes!
I am beyond excited God has blessed us with thirteen months of marriage.
And we continue to count our blessings!
And to celebrate our anniversary...
I wanted to share Baby Pancakes with you...
he is doing so much including moving around like crazy especially at night.  
We call his movements dance parties!! 
He is such an interesting character.
I know i already know he has personality.
I was looking at some pictures recently and was in awe of how much growth
 there's been and how much growth he still has to go through.
There are days when i am moving extremely slower than usual 
but i know in the midst of the pain...my baby is developing 
and meeting his developmental milestones.
Mr. Pancakes can't wait to have his little man around 
and i can't wait to watch the two of them together.
They are going to be adorable!!!
As we celebrate our anniversary...i can't wait to meet our little man 
three months from now.

Baby Pancakes @ 6months!



Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Fifty Shades of Grey....


I've got nothing today to write about really.
Just got back into town and still have yet to settle long
 enough to get some pictures and words together to talk about my trip to TN. 
 I LOVED it by the way!!!!!!!!
It was everything i was hoping for and more.
But more on that later.

Onto today's nothing in particular but perhaps interesting post.
Something caught my ears this morning on my drive into work.


I heard a conversation about the pros and cons of Fifty Shades of Grey.
There are definitely a lot of hoopla around the book.
The erotica.  The affiar. The romance.  The storyline. 
There are definitely many reasons to hate and love it at the same time.
I have not read it but i know many of my fellow bloggers are reading and talking about it.
Therefore i thought i would put the question out there...
to see if i need to join in the hoopla around this book!

Why are you reading Fifty Shades of Grey?
Should i bother?

Monday, May 21, 2012

Nominate Your Honey Monday

Happy Monday friends! 
 I will be back with a recap of my new adventures down south but in the meantime,
i wanted to see if anyone would like to participate in Nominate Your Honey Monday.


Just to remind you what Nominate Your Honey Monday...read below...

This is the space where you can nominate your honey Monday
to celebrate something great he has done!

So here goes ladies, next Monday, i will be featuring honies (husbands or wives) who have been doing amazing things for their significant other.  We really go above and beyond for our spouses and i think to encourage ongoing awesome behaviors from each other (in order to honor our significant others)...we should praise them on a regular basis.  The only way to encourage ongoing good behaviors is to praise, hi-five, fist bump or pump, shout hooray and celebrate each other, however you do so.

So PLEASE look out for the good and amazing things your honey is doing and nominate them.
Send me an email here: dapancakes@gmail.com if you are interested.
And i will post the nominated honies on Mondays. 
You will need a picture of your honey
 (if you don't want to use a picture, use something that represents them, a quote or something)
Write a little blurb about what your honey did and what you appreciated about it. 
Then get your honey to read it so you can bring a smile to his face.
Oh and just to make this legit...
your honey will be receiving the Nominate Your Honey Monday Award...
an electronic award you can print and frame for him.

Elizabeth and Kirsten did it last time.
Read their awesome nominations here!

You are more than welcomed to nominate your hubby today!!!!! 
I know most of our hubbies do amazing and great things on the regular.

If you are interestd, please email me here for more information.


Have an awesome day today!

Thursday, May 17, 2012

New Adventures...


Again...today i think it's Friday!!
I guess i want Friday to come because we will be on a flight tomorrow for a mini-vacation.
A belated wedding anniversary gift for Team Pancakes.
We are heading South!!!

Mr. Pancakes attended University in the South
and has always had a love affair with the South. 
Since we met he has been trying to sell me on his dream of living there. 
 He always says i would get my big house. 
He would get his peace and quiet. 
And our future children (which is now a reality)
would have excellent manners and a great education. 
I have always been intrigued by his dream and this weekend it's coming to fruition.  
The furthest south in the US I have been is Atlanta. 
For this trip, we are heading a little more south to Tennessee. 
 And i am excited for this new adventure.
We are visiting some of his college friends, two of them who are now married. 
 They are eagerly awaiting our arrival and we are sure
to receive some Southern Hospitality. 
I can't wait to meet everyone and make new friends...our possible future neighbors.
Can you tell I'm excited about this new adventure...

Via

For those who live in the South...
what are some of the things i should try and experience
if i am thinking of moving down there?
What questions should i be asking?
What's the best mall to visit in TN?
For those who don't live in the South...would you ever consider it?



P.S: i will be away from Blogger all weekend
but shall return Monday with all the fun details.
Enjoy your weekend!!

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

The Celebrity Gossip Diet

Have you heard of the Celebrity Gossip Diet?
You probably haven't because i just made it up.

I am addicted to reading about celebrity gossip...
i just want to know what is going on with them.
When did Jessica Simpson have her baby? What's the baby's name?
Is Kanye West really dating Kim while she is still technically married?
What's going on with Halle Berry and her child custody issues?
Is Guiliana and Bill Rancic's baby due the same month Baby Pancakes is due?
And the list goes on and on.

The stupid and mundane things i want to know about these celebrities.
Not that i know them but i think for me it's about being nosey
and just wanting to know what the rich and fabulous are doing in their lives.
Don't get me wrong, i am also interested in politics,
world news, social justice and what is happening in our economy
however those things sometimes are more depressing than i can muster.
So i defer to reading celebrity news because that stuff is all fluff
and can be turned off and on very easily.

Plus there is something telling about watching the rich and fabulous
NOT doing so fabulous sometimes and the reminder
that celebrities are really just like us in terms of problems.
Only they can throw money at it, live in fancy houses and fly in private jets.

BUT as i am approaching motherhood and actually having my baby here with me...
i am thinking i need to go on a Celebrity Gossip Diet!

Not to NEVER read or indulge in celebrity gossip
BUT to refrain from it and allow my mind to be on more
important topics like lactation and sleeping techniques and learn substantial things
so i can have something interesting to teach my baby.
It's also about going on this  diet so that i can be a model for my child.
I don't want my child to think sensationalize news is the way to go.
I want him to know there is more to this world than celebrity-ism and what is happening in their lives.
I want my baby to know there is substance in the world/society and it starts with me.

There is definitely many a things to learn in the world and it doesn't begin with celebrity gossip!

Question of the Day:
Have you ever gone on a Celebrity Gossip Diet?

Monday, May 14, 2012

Mommylogues: Naming Our Baby!

Good Monday Morning Friends!!!
Hope everyone had an awesome weekend!
It's raining on this side of the world so i am singing:
"rain rain go away...come back another day even though you are good for my sinuses!"

Onto Mommylogues Monday!
One of the most daunting tasks at hand during pregnancy is naming our baby. 
And there are hundreds of baby name websites, books and apps to help you name your baby.
My niece, bless her heart, has the app on her iphone to help come up with names for the baby.
Last night, we were going over the names and there were like a million names to choose from.

Of course in blogsphere coming up with Baby Pancakes' name was natural
but calling our little one Baby Pancakes is just not going to cut it...
plus our families and friends may look at us cross eyed with confusion.

How do we choose a name for our baby? 
Do we name him after Mr. Pancakes?
 Do we name him after my dad since Mr. Pancakes is already named after his dad?
Does he become a Junior Junior?
Do we name him after someone famous?
Someone we admire?
A biblical name?
A name i have always liked?
Remember Charlotte of SATC and Monica of Friends, 
had picked out a name for her future baby. 
A made up name? Like Apple of our eye?!
A combination of our names?

Clearly, there are so many options to choosing the right name. 
But it's not just choosing a name, it's choosing a name that has meaning.
A name that is strong and powerful which will carry him through his life.
A name that will not discriminate but instead give him opportunities beyond this world.
And for Team Pancakes it will come down to choosing a name that are all that
and "biblical" and "family oriented".

The family name will be after my dad and it will become his middle name.
We have decided once we have a first name to keep it between us
until we finally meet and share his name with him for the first time. 
I remember calling out my godson's name during delivery
and the doctor and nurses encouraging him to enter into this world
by his name and that i thought was a special moment!! 
There is something magical about calling your baby by his name as he enters this world.  

I can't wait to meet Baby Pancakes by calling out his name as he enters into this world!
It's definitely a daunting task but one that we are proud to do
because giving him a name is one of the first and most important responsibilities we have as parents!!



Question of the Day:
How did you choose your baby's name?
Did you keep it until the baby was born?

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Proverbs 31: Happy Mother's Day!

Mother, mom, mommy, ma however you refer to her, today and everyday is a special day. When I think of my mom, ones proverbs 31 always comes to mind because she is just that type of mother! I hope to someday become like her as I have my own bundle of joy. I'm in the throws of motherhood but not quite in the midst yet so today and everyday I want to wish every mom out there Happy Mother's Day!! Motherhood is the hardest job there is and we shouln't take it for granted ever. Forgive me as I am blogging on my iPhone and things may be all over the place:-) Proverbs 31: 10 [b]A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Friday, May 11, 2012

Breastfeeding Controversy & Attachment...

TODAY IS FRIDAY!!!!!

I am sure you have seen the Time's magazine floating around cyberspace.
Whether you are for breastfeeding after a certain age or not...
the magazine cover will make you pause and take notice. 
And the magazine cover probably is a little extreme because
 they were trying to get people to react.  Hence it did it's job in the media.
What the magazine cover takes away however is the importance of the article. 
I haven't read the complete article but i have read about it. 

And since i am currently in the process of figuring out
what kind of mother and parent i want to be...
this would be an interesting article to read,
since the article is really about a parenting philosophy entitled:
Attachment Parenting (AP). 
AP parenting is about: parents focus on forming
strong emotional bonds with their children as they grow,
using techniques such as co-sleeping, baby wearing and extended nursing.
The article is so much more than breastfeeding but the shocking
picture takes away from the serious topic of parenting
and attachment and sensationalizes it to just a mother breasting a grown-ass baby!

Unfortunate but that's our society nowadays.
Where the unimportant issues gets more of a focus than what really matters.
Where when Beyonce says i breastfeed...
it makes Evening News where women have
 been breastfeeding and talking about it for years and years!

I believe what the Time's magazine does it open the door
for discussion about the importance of parenting and attachment of our child. 
Whether it's using the AP format or something else...
developing an attachment to parenting is important.


Question of the Day:
What do you think about the magazine cover?


Via


Thursday, May 10, 2012

Would You Be Upset?


Happy Almost Friday Ladies....
Today i woke up and wished it was Friday...it's been one of those weeks.
I am excited for Friday...hope I am not alone!!
But since today is Thursday, let's move onto today's post...

I read this question in Redbook and thought i would share it here.
Of course i don't have the question in front of me so i will be improvising.

Question:

My husband always calls his mother first on Mother's Day before he says anything to me.
I am not happy about this because i am his wife and the mother of his children,
he should be wishing me Happy Mother's Day first and foremost.
What should i do? Please help?

Sincerely,
Upset Mama!

The dilemma husbands can experience on Mother's Day.
The plight mother's have to go through on Mother's Day.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the matter.
If you were giving this lady advice, what would you say to her?
Does she have the right to be upset?
Would you be upset?

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Inspire Me Series: Successful Blog

I wanted to continue the theme of Mom's Week with the
Inspire Me Series: Successful Blogs?

I wanted to share with you what Mommy Mimi of Lipgloss and Binky 
has to say about having a successful blog. 
If you have not visited Mimi's blog, please do so!
She does an amazing job of infusing her roles as  
mother/woman/entrepreneur/community advocate while looking fabulous! 
Here's how Mimi answered the three questions.

How did you begin blogging?
I began blogging on a fluke.
After being thrown into my roles as a pregnant housewife turned SAHM
I was longing for an outlet to the outside world
as I adjusted to my life with two children.
A very good friend of mine Erika who blogs at Blulabel Bungalow
had just started her blog and I thought I would give it a whirl and she was more than supportive and even felt pity on me and did my blog header!


 
What do you believe makes your blog a success?
I'm not really sure if I consider my blog to be successful,
but I think its real and I think that is what keeps people coming back and reading.
 I blog my life and my reality. The good and most of the bad.
I'm an open book but there are a few things I will never blog about.
I also think the amount of interaction that I do with my readers helps.
If its not responding to comments left on the blog its engaging on Twitter or on FB.
I truly feel like I know my readers and in some cases
I would go the lengths to help them in their personal life if I can.
The blogging community is amazing if you are genuine and connected.

How do you maintain a balance between living
and keeping up with your readers/followers?
Balance? Call me Janelle Monae I'm always on the tightrope.
There are times when I can't balance and blogging has to chill.
I try to blog on Sundays and schedule my posts and peek in during the week
to respond to comments and read other blogs.
Recently as I am trying to grow a business and keep up with a
busy 2 year old it has been hard. I take the time when I need to.
I never want blogging to not be fun so I don't force it.
I make time, but if it gets hectic I have to put my family first.
I always let my readers know what is going on with me. I hope they understand,
that I'll catch them when things calm down.
I think my track record and my word is good.
At least I hope so!








 

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Mommylogues: Dear My Future Self As Mom...

Since this is Mother's Day Week most of my posts will be
about mothers and motherhood to some degree.

I got this idea from Jennifer of BabyMakingMachine 
about writing a letter to your pre-mother self.
What a great and thoughtful idea right...so here goes.

*********************************************

 
Dear My Future Self As Mom,

I thought it would be fun to write this letter to you since you are currently with child.
Plus, it will be nice to read this when the little one is finally here and things get hectic.
It will be important to remind yourself of a few things about being a mom, 
motherhood and the beautiful decision that you and Mr. Pancakes have made.


Know that your body has changed and will continue to change.
When your body changes, remember that's part of the process of motherhood.
Embrace it and work to strengthen it at the gym and with what you eat.
Don't beat up yourself because your body changed!

Remember you are human and you will make mistakes.
You may not know right away what his cries all mean 
BUT eventually you will learn and understand them all within two seconds of it starting.

Know that your grandma, mom, sisters and most of the mothers 
you know all did it and continue to do it with all the challenges motherhood comes with.
Remember your mom gave birth to you naturally at home. 
And to your siblings..she did it five times.
Get strength from that knowledge.

Know you will feel overwhemeled with all the responsibilitues of motherhood.
And that you will get weary sometimes because of the pressures of all your roles:
wife, mother, daughter, friend, employee and woman.  
But you are NEVER alone in these roles because 
you have the support of the best partner there ever was.
Mr. Pancakes will be there always...you just have to ask.
And above all, say a prayer always asking God for guidance and direction in all you do. 
And while you are praying...you are modeling for 
Baby Pancakes the significance of depending on God always.

Don't get too freaked out if your son decides to
play football and gets tackled or tackles people.
Or at the playground if he climbs high things and jumps off screaming,
 remember these are regular everyday boy behaviours...
don't stifle his need or sense for adventure.

Remember not to control the situation when it comes to mothering...
Mr. Pancakes should do some fathering too!
Remember NOT to compare yourself to other mothers
and or your child to someone else's child.
Know that you are your own person and so is Baby Pancakes!

And if you feel like staying home and raising your child (instead of working) 
that does not make you weak...it just means you are normal 
and want to experience everything firsts with your baby.
Know it's alright to want to nurture and nourish your baby....
But it's also important to nurture and nourish yourself.


Remember to savour the beautiful moments of quiet times with your baby.
Hold his little hands, kiss his beautiful cheeks, stare and get lost in his eyes!
Sing him songs and don't be shy of getting silly with him.


Take pictures, lots of lots of pictures and videos
because they grow up so fast!


Tell him you love him everyday...and give long and sweet hugs!


And above all else...
live, love & laugh always
because motherhood only gets better with time!

Love Always, Future-Mama-To-Be Pancakes!!


Monday, May 7, 2012

Ringless Pregnant Women & Mothers ...

Good Monday Morning...
i still don't have internet so i was unable to do an installment of LongLazySunday...
but my Sunday was long, not lazy & good!

Here's today's interesting blog post.
I read an article by Tamara of  Mocking Bird Don't Write entitled, 
Ringless & Married through Blogher and thought i would ponder it on my blog.  

Does it matter if you are married but choose not to wear a ring?
Is there judgement for women with children who do not wear a ring?

In her article, Tamara chose not to wear a ring after gaining weight from pregnancy.
When she is with her husband, she ays she is confident however
without her husband, there is a level of judgement she feels from others. 

Since i am still considered a newlywed
 (i think, I've only been married a year)
i wear my wedding ring ALL THE TIME!
I hardly ever take it off except to wash and put lotion in between my fingers.
I wear my ring because it's something i have done ever before i got married.
But Tamara's blog post made me think, "will there be judgement on me without a ring?"
Especially now that i am pregnant.  
Will others look at me with judgement, shake their heads and think
"there goes another unmarried pregnant black woman."
I think as much as your mind knows you are married without a ring,
a look or glance from someone else will make you think you are being judged.
And judgement stings like nasty words or a slap in the face. 

Tamara raises many important "what if" questions about ringless women and mothers.
Tamara wonders:
 "What if her husband had just passed away and wearing the ring hurt too much?
What if her religion views jewelry as unnecessary vanity and she is very much married?
Or what if she's divorced? Or what if she was never married?
Or what if she's just like me and simply can't fit into her ring?"

I am sure i have judged mothers, pregnant or with children without rings...
because as a Society we are so quick to believe wedding rings are the only symbol of love.
But Tamara reminds us that wedding rings are NOT the only symbol of love.
She reminds us there are many symbols of love
including the gentle caress a pregnant woman gives to her growing belly and the helping 
hand a mother gives to her small child after he has fallen.  

It's definitely easy to judge a pregnant woman or mother without a ring
but reading Tamara's article reminded me the wedding ring is NOT the only symbol of love.  
Love is more than a wedding ring.



Question of the Day?
Have you ever felt judgment because you weren't wearing a wedding ring?
Have you ever judged someone because they were NOT wearing a wedding ring?

Source Unknown



Friday, May 4, 2012

What Makes a Successful Blog?

Good Friday Ladies,
We finally finished our move...we are not settled but everything is moved
and now our new place looks like a hot mess.
Gotta love moving.
I don't know how two people one person can accumulate so much STUFF!!
I told Mr. Pancakes this will be our last move before we purchase a house!
He seemed to like that news.

Now onto today's post...
One of my readers asked me a while ago
 "How do i maintain such a successful blog?"
Which lead me to mull over the questions:
Do I have a successful blog?
and exactly What Makes a Successful Blog?

The answer to this question is diferent for everyone
because the definition of "Success" in blogland is so wide and varied. 
 I beleive my blog is soooo far from successful but in a lot of ways...
there has been some success including my ability to stick to blogging for over a year. 
To me that's success! 

One thing i am sure of is that a successful blog is defined differently by each blogger.
One of the blogs i follow who has over 2000 followers
and receives on average 50 comments per day
reminded me she looks at other bloggers
who have over 10,000 followers and on average 100 comments per day
and thinks she has a long way to go.
Therefore, successful blogs are very relative to the blogger.
Because what glitters may not always be gold.
We can always do and be better at our craft...which is blogging/writing.
There is always a higher standard to reach.

This conversation was definitely intriguing
and it lead me to reach out to other bloggers
and ask questions about successful and balancing the success of blogs and real life. 
Because as we all know, it takes time and dedication to maintain a blog.
Which can impact our ability to have balance between blogging and living our lives.
I am far from considering myself a blogger but i chose these specific ladies
who i consider bloggers for different reasons. 
Reasons included but not limited to: readership, daily comments,
content, sponsorship, monies generated, extracurricular jobs like freelance and etc.  

The ladies i reached out to include:
Ashely of Adventures of Newlywed
Charli of Man Wife & Dog
Mimi of Lipgloss & Binky
Bessie of Bravoe Runaway
The ladies will be sharing their thoughts on these three questions:

1) How did you begin blogging?
2) What do you believe makes your blog a success?
3) How do you maintain a balance between living and keeping up with your readers/followers?

Hopefully you can join the conversation next week as the ladies explore and share!!

Have an AWESOME Weekend!!
  

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Would You Say Something...


I just had to share this on my website?
If you saw this lady with toilet paper sticking out of her jeans...
Would you say something to her?

Via
I could resist...i had to post it because it's such an awkward situation.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Celebrity Endorsements...Would You Buy It?

I love reading magazines BUT sometimes 
the amount of celebrity endorsements gets on my nerves like no other.  
If you ripped up all the ads in magazines...
you would end up having fifteen to twenty pages in a magazine.  
Now I understand magazine companies need to pay their bills 
but it's almost too much sometimes.


Will celebrity endorsements really make you buy products?

The perfumes, the shoes, purses, clothes, make-up, acne cream, bedding, household furniture etc..
I don't think i have ever purchased an item JUST because a celebrity was endorsing it.
For example, I don't think celebrities REALLY use the acne creams they advertise!
I might just be cynical but somehow i don't believe P-Diddy actually uses proactive every morning.
However, there are individuals who will buy proactive ONLY because P-Diddy supports this.

The other day i was thinking about how crazy we get 
when we want the next Gucci purse (i am guilty of this) 
or Louboutin shoes just because we saw some celebrity wearing it, 
when usually they get these products for free. 

Us regular people, on the other hand, work hard to make our money only to purchase
 products because a celebrity endorses it 
even though they don't wear it or use it except to get paid from it.

I am sure celebrity endorsements will make people buy products 
BUT in my world that ain't happening.
To me it just doesn't make cents (get it!)
As much as i want a Gucci purse or Louboutin shoes, 
i am not going to purchase it JUST because some celebrity is peddling them!

Anywho, off to the Question of the Day:
What are your thoughts on this topic?
Do you think as a Society, we go crazy for celebrity endorsements?








Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Happy May & My First Goals List

Via

Today is May 1st and i usually don't do May goals 
and probably won't be doing them monthly but i was inspired to make a list. 
There are a few things i wanted to accomplish this month.
And they include but not limited to:
*Get settled in our new home (YAAAH!!!)
*Complete at least two books (fictional and nonfictional)
*Start weekly Mommylogues to give Baby Pancakes' Update
*Explore: What Makes a Successful Blog on my blog?
*Try at least three new Recipes
*Slow Dance with my hubby at least once a week
*Don't watch TV 2 or 3 times a week
*Study at least four hours a week for my Clinical Exam...

Well that's it for my May goals list..i will keep you posted on how i do.
Thanks to all the ladies who complete goals on a monthly basis...this is hard.
i am hopeful it will keep me accountable!


 Question of the Day:
What are some of your May goals?