My Theory

"Forget what you heard, recognize what you see. I know you heard the rumors...now here's the real me." XoXo

Friday, May 7, 2010

Giving birth does not make you a mother


Mother's day is typically known as the day of celebration and honor for all mothers. Its the day in which mothers are honored for their hard work, their sacrifices, their unconditional love and the nurturing ways that have paved a foundation for a family. Yet, with the soaring number of single moms, it appears as though the reverencing of Mothers is a phrase that is now loosely used.

Oxford dictionary defines mother as "a female who gives birth". Yet, the saying "anyone can be a father, but it takes a real man to be a dad" applies to woman as well. Any female can be deemed a mom if her decisions leads her down a path to be with child however, a mother is so much more than a woman with child. A mother gives and loves in a way which can never be duplicated. A mother is gentle and kind but can use the rod when necessary. A mother will raise and position her child with all the pertinent traits needed to be a successfully good person. I know this because this is my mother.

Children born out of wedlock is not a new epidemic yet it seems as though it is a decision made more casually these days. Year ago becoming a single mom was a choice made by either a careless mistake, or sheer ignorance of protective measures. These careless mistakes still occur in society now but they are no longer shielded by the excuse of unknown options. These days the options are known and quite often overlooked.

As the number of single mothers steadily rises the term "Happy Mothers Day" is no longer used as sacredly as it was in the past. Mothers day now applies to every woman with child regardless of the parenting tactics these woman are using. Motherhood is a precious gift however, its unfortunate that there are woman who one would never think of as a parent. Woman who are so caught up on living their lives that raising their child has become a secondary responsibility and not a priority. Woman who beat their children in public using vulgar speech and harsh words with an unloving spirit. Woman who are moms because pregnancy was a promising solution to keeping the man they wanted. These are the woman who taken the sacredness out of the well earned recognition of mothers.

Every woman with child is not a mother and it is imperative that we recognize the difference. Let us not continue to use the phrase "mother" as loosely as we have in the past. Let us honor and reverence the woman who are mothers, and let us pray and try to assist those who have yet to arrive at that place.

Happy Mother's to all the real Mothers, you are appreciated.

Sunday, May 2, 2010

10 Things Every Woman Should Do Before..........



One of my mothers favorite quotes to me is "Do it now because when you get married and have a family, you might not be able to do it then." On countless occasions my mother would use that as her response to me when I asked her opinion about about a trip I was interested in or an expensive purchase I was considering. After much thought, I realized there was some truth to her logic. While having a family is one of the greatest gifts a person could have there are quite a few things every gal should do on her own before the hubby and family comes:

1-Take a trip with the girls. Whether you go to Vegas or on a cruise just do it. There is nothing like quality time with the girls, and as we grow older schedules become more and more hectic. There's a big difference in a trip with the girls as a single gal and a trip with the girls when your a mom. Both are fun, but life is short so why not get the full experience of both.

2-Make an investment. Be it a house, stocks, or a 401k. Invest your hard earned money in something. Investments force people to become financially responsible. Come to the table with something of your own. So if your list states that your man must own a home or have a 401K you should have the same requirements for yourself.

3-Wear lingerie. Don't go to sleep in a raggedy T-shirt or boxers. Invest in quality PJ's preferably lingerie and wear it to sleep. Looking good means feeling good and if you can't look good for yourself imagine how draining and unnatural it will feel to have to look good for someone else.

4-Cook REAL meals for yourself. When you cook a meal make sure it is a meal you would give someone else. Don't just pop a microwave dinner in the oven and think your doing something. Brush up on your cooking expertise and make a full meal that your momma would be proud of (meat, starch and veggies). There are several recipe's and cooking shows that have healthy easy to make meals that you can try. Think of it this way, if you can't take the time to make a REAL meal for yourself, how will you be able to do it for a whole family?

5-Make your place a home. This applies to every woman who has her own living quarters. If you rent or own, where you live should feel like home. Decorating your place and keeping a clean house gives you peace of mind. Have you ever noticed when things are going bad and you life feels like a mess looking at a dirty house will only make you feel worst. If you want to organize your life, start first by organizing your home. Men come with many great qualities but decorating is usually not one of them. Make your house a home now, so one day you can make a home for your family.

6-Make an expensive purchase- Buy a high end bag, a nice piece of jewelry, a pair of Jimmy Choo's or whatever floats your boat. Elaborate purchases can make a gal feel nice. The repercussions of elaborate purchases only affects you if you do it now, but if you wait till you have a family, those new Jimmy Choo's might mean little Johnny has to eat P&J for the rest of the month.

7-Take yourself out. Going to the movies or out to eat alone takes guts and confidence. Dining or watching a movie alone is not a sign of loneliness but moreso a sign of independence. It shows that you are a grown woman and you know how to really enjoy time with yourself. My logic to that is, if you won't take yourself on a date, don't expect anyone else to.

8-Host a party. Don't make your husbands Superbowl party the 1st party you ever host. Party hosting is a art every woman should hone in on. If cooking AND hosting overwhelms you, have the party catered or go to your local market and purchase ready made appetizers. There are so many reasons to throw a party these days, so ladies roll up your sleeves and host a game night or a "Sex In the City" marathon party.

9-Travel on Business. The woman in the amazing suit with fabulous shoes, sitting in first class can be you. Traveling on business is a sign of independence, a sign of commitment to your job and to be quite honest its the grown and sexy thing to do at this age. So whether your going to meet a client or attend a conference/training consult your boss about it and be sure not to forget your ultra chic briefcase.

10-Get a hobby. For one to be interesting they must do interesting things. Sewing, cooking, working out, or being active in your community are all productive things you can do with your time. A hobby or activity is not just something to do but is adds character and shows commitment. While your hobbies and activities should continue even when you have a family, the free time you have to commit as a single gal will be much different then the time you have when your married.

My mother was definitely on to something when she instructed me to make this list. I've been fortunate enough to cross off most of the things on the list I still have a few things left to cross off. So ladies step your game up and be the best you, you can be NOW, so you will be even better later.

Monday, April 26, 2010

When I Grow Up

A good friend of mine posed the following question on Facebook, "The Difference Between A Goal and a Dream is one is "A" Wish the Other has "A" Deadline (Game plan) attached too it" Which one do you have, are you still wishing?" That phrase has been ringing in my head since I read it.

We all have things we want to accomplish in life. We all are victims of our own lists which dictates where we should be career wise, financially and romantically at this moment in life. While some things we can't control, like when we will get married or start a family. The direction of our life is within our very own reach.

God give us the talent to reach our full potential and purpose however, it is up to us to apply ourselves and utilize the gift we have been blessed with. There will be times we will succeed in our endeavors and overtimes we will fail. But failure cannot deters one from his or her dreams. Winston Churchill once said that " success is nothing more than moving from failure to failure with undiminished enthusiasm." That quote has become my theme statement and has allowed me to identify understand that persistence makes a dream a goal, and determination makes that goal a reality.

We all have used the phrase "When I grow up I want to be......" Are you what you always wanted to be? Have you watched your life from the passenger seat "wishing" things can be different but not doing anything about it. I know I am guilty as charged. I have watched and wished and dreamed but it is now that I am inspired to live and do. What I have learned is that a goal is really just a wish unless you define it, put a deadline on it and roll up your sleeves and start working towards it. The first attempt may not work, the second attempt may be worst than the first, but as long as I continue to try with undiminished enthusiasm.....the world is MY oyster.

Starting today I will no longer say "When I was growing up I wanted to be....." today I will say "I'm grown up, and this is what I'm going to be...and here is what I am going to do to get there and how!!! Make today the day that you say the same.

Love and Blessings.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

March for Babies

On April 25, 2010, I will be walking with my lovely sorors of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. in the March for Babies walk. Every day, thousands of babies are born too soon, too small and often very sick. The mission of March of Dimes is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality.

I'm walking in March for Babies because I want to do something about this. And I need your help. Please support my walk and help me give all babies a healthy start!

To make a donation just cut and paste the link below.

www.marchforbabies.org/loisgoddard

Thank you for supporting me as I March for Babies!!!!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Oprah Goes to New York


On May 7- 9th Oprah will be celebrating the 10 year anniversary of O magazine. With a 3 day celebration planned, Oprah is doing it up in a big way. The scheduled events are as follows:

-Friday Welcome Reception at Gotham Hall
1356 Broadway at 36th Street - 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

-Saturday LifeShops at Jacob Javits Convention Center
Event entrance on 11th Avenue between 35th and 36th Street
Doors Open at 8am; Event begins at 9:30 a.m. and ends at 4:00 p.m.

-Saturday Evening Oprah Winfrey at Radio City Music Hall
1260 Avenue of the Americas - 8:00-10:00 p.m.

-Sunday Live Your Best Life Walk
The walk will begin on the scenic Hudson River, at Pier 94, and will culminate in the heart of New York City, at Times Square. The walk starts at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 11:30 a.m

Since NY is just a hop and skip away not to mention my hometown, I will be making my way up north to attend one of these events. The event that stands out to me the most is the Live Your Best Life Walk. My mom and I have decided to do the walk together since it falls on Mother Day's. The walk supports 10 of Oprah's preselected charities. With the beautiful scenery of the Hudson River followed by the bright lights and busy streets of Times Square this walk will prove to be exciting.

Oprah will be doing the walk as well.

For more information regarding the events or to donate to one of Oprah's charities go to:
http://www.oprah.com/omagazine/Oprahs-Live-Your-Best-Life-Weekend

Monday, April 5, 2010

Can McNabb Save the Skins????


I think NOT. The news has been obsessing over it, people at work have been talking about it and overall it seems to be a big deal that Donovon McNabb is joining the Redskins. Apparently McNabb will be replacing Jason Campbell however, the Skins stated they plan to keep Campbell.

The Skins are not wasting anytime. McNabb was flown into Dulles airport today on a private jet, to make the deal official. While it is still unknown exactly how much McNabb will get for joining the Skins it is evident that Mike Shanahan thinks McNabb can save the Skins. With one year left on his Eagles contract the Skins are already looking into extending McNabbs contract with them.

As a former Skins fan I am totally confused as to what the hype is about McNabb becomming a Redskin. McNabb's reputation definitely preceeds him, but one man alone cannot save a team and definitely not the Redskins.

Time will tell it all very soon.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Birthday Recap


So my 32nd birthday was AMAZING! It was a birthday I will probably never be able to match on my own. On my actual birthday I went to work which wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. My phone blew up all day with text messages and happy birthday voicemails. One of my coworkers suprised me with a beautiful gold braclet that I LOVE LOVE LOVE. My 50 minute spa treatment was cancelled but two hours before it was time to go I was suprised with a bouquet of flowers from my secret admirer. I was elated. I met up with one of my friends afterwork for a Happy Birthday Me Margarita and I was on cloud nine.The next day I prepared for my diner party which was celebrated at OYA. My girls and I had a grand time cathching up and just spending time with each other.

The next day with no sleep whatsoever I was off to VEGAS. Five days and 4 nites filled with partying, sight seeing, theaters, shopping, a little gambling and having a great time with my sista from another mother Kellye. If all that wasn't enough, one day before I decided to leave I decided to treat my self to the Damier Speedy 30!!! I couldn't make that purchase 100% in my right mind so Vegas was definetly the place to get it. I love the bag, I loved my trip and I will never forget my 32nd birthday.

Theres an old saying that says if you won't do it for yourself no one else will. Treat yourself the way you want to be treated folks!

Check out some of my birthday treats!