Take Note: Tinkerbell Does NOT Wear An Undershirt!

...at the end of the conversation, Kris and I looked at each other and asked the unstated, but obvious question (to which we already knew the answer): Had we just been cursed out by our 3 year old??

Indeed, we had.

This same child who got more than our money's worth out of her Tinkerbell costume—wearing it day in and day out well into May—was being persuaded to wear the costume again this year since it still fit just fine.  The same rule applied for her older sister, whose Snow Princess costume also fit perfectly fine, and therefore was going to be worn again, because Mommy and Daddy don't waste money on frivolous things like unnecessary new costumes, dammit!

At least that's what we thought.

The other night, while preparing to spend the night with Kris' parents, the girls opted to dress up in last year's costumes.  Last year, Sage wore a turtleneck under her costume because it had no sleeves and though we don't do door-to-door trick or treating, we did go to an event at the mall, and it was cold outside, so the undershirt and tights were non-negotiables.

Apparently, that changes when they get to the ripe old age of three, because home girl looked at us all kinds of sideways when we told her she had to wear a shirt under her costume. After five or so minutes of frustration with her stubborness, I called in the big guns, Daddy! By the time she and he were finished, all I heard was her tiny little voice insisting that "Tinkerbell does NOT wear an undershirt, Daddy, because I never saw that episode, and she never got a pneumonia, and I won't either!"
She ended up wearing a sweater dress to grandma and grandpa's because she was not about to "mess up her costume with an undershirt, which is so lame!"(her words, not mine).  No sweat off my back, Sis! Do "You"!

Grandma heard about the show down and eventually, Kris and I sanctioned the purchase of a new costume for Sage.  No biggie, we're learning the whole choose-your-battles crap lesson, so we didn't feel as though we gave in.

Enter Marley, with the whole hey-no-fair, speech, but dammit, we'd already decided not to continue fighting one battle (Sage vs. Us), and had thus met our October quota!

But then, I kept feeling bad about it, and I trust my gut, so Kris and I talked, and we decided to make up some crap create an opportunity for her to earn her new costume.  She had to read a book of my choosing before bedtime AND answer five questions about the book.

She did it!  So she got this...

Sigh...the things we do for our little Blessings :)  I can't wait for her to see it tomorrow :)

WINNER- BROCHURES! A Uprinting.com Giveaway!

Good old name-outta-hat method has chosen Getting Younger As I Get Older as the winner of this giveaway! CONGRATS, VAL!! Thanks to all participants, of course! More useful giveaways to come...

YOU COULD WIN 100 Brochures!  

Whether your business is in the start-up phase, the deep-in-the-trenches phase, or the fully-established-force phase, you can always use promotional tools to whet the appetites of prospective clients.  Business cards are must-haves, but brochures and flyers sure do help to really put some shine on your professional image!  UPrinting.com has once again offered me an opportunity to share some business building goodies with you, and I'm happy to do just that!  Plus, they're compensating me with 100 free brochures of my own, which I'll be showing off at my first Execumama collaborative event! (More on that later ;)


Here's what's up for grabs!

100-8.5 x11"  Brochure / Flyers on 100lb gloss text paper ; 4 color printing on both sides
Folding Choices: Half fold; Trifold/Letterfold; Z-fold; Accordion (4 panels) Roll Fold (4 Panels)
Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping
Eligibility: Limited to US Residents due to shipping costs.

WIN BY SIMPLY LEAVING A COMMENT to tell me how much good these fancy schmancy brochures would do for your venture! 


Want an extra entry? You know the deal! Just holler about this giveaway on Twitter and be sure to nudge @uprinting and @execumama.


This giveaway runs through November 6th, 2009, with winners announced via blog post on November 7th.  Prizes will be awarded on November 13, 2009. 

Good stuff, right?! I agree! Oh, and check out their Yelp reviews for what to expect.  Most of their reviews are pretty solid, and my experiences with them have been good too, so go for it!  Good luck!

(CLOSED) Customize Your Soiree: A Whimsicard Giveaway

Disney got the memo, and so did many other not-so-small businesses who are finally launching products that reflect the beautiful diversity of this country, better yet, this world.  I was very excited about the reality check of Barbie (how thankful are we for Stacey McBride-Irby), and no doubt I bellow "YES!" in my best that's-right-tell-em! voice in support of things like this.

So, when I came across Whimsicard, a party supply company whose motto is "Party Stuff For Us", via Twitter, I reached out to them to offer a li'l somethin' to the best readers ever -- MINE, and they graciously obliged.  No financial incentives involved, just good old-fashioned sharing.  In this case, I found a fabulous product, and I wanna share, PLUS my readers deserve information, and occasionally free stuff, so it's a win-win for me (and you!).

Whimsicard is offering a WhimsiPrizePack that includes:
- TEN (10) personalized kids Thank You cards
- TEN (10) Spa cards
- A Free phone consultation for your next party
(Your total win is valued at over $150!  SCORE!!)

Look at those! Irresistible...I know!

And when we're ready to ditch the kids and indulge...

I love that Whimsicard gives us a choice between the slim and the curvy spa ladies! 

Enter to win your prize pack:

Mandatory: Visit Whimsicard's site, then come back and tell me what kind of soiree you'd have, and which Whimsicard product(s) you would use.

For two (2) additional entries: Sign up for Whimsicard's FREE online newsletter by clicking here.

For one (1) additional entry: Tweet about the giveaway, but be sure to nudge us by putting @WhimsiGal or @Execumama at the end of your tweet.

The contest will run for TEN WHOLE DAYS, so you have until 11:59 (EST) on Wednesday, November 4th to use all your chances to win the Whimsicard Prize Pack! The winner will be chosen by Random.Org.   and announced via blog post and Twitter on Friday, November 6th.

Good luck!

FlashForward, Execumama-style!

What Would Your FlashForward Be?

Tell me you've at least heard of this new ABC series! It's soooo good!  Not since X-Files have I been so fixated on a concept.  Shout out to Robert J. Sawyer (the author of the 1999 novel on which the series is loosely based) for the thought-provoking concept!  The premise is that during a large-scale scientific experiment, every living human being loses consciousness for two full minutes, during which they experience a vision of themselves six months from the current date.  Basically, everyone sees six months into their future.  I LOVE IT! I look at is my command to the Universe for how I expect to live in the near future.  In the book, the flashforward is 21 years away, but they had to hurry the script along for the sake of TV, which is alright with me :) Check out the blog, you're interested.

I'm "outting" my flashforward right now, and I want to know yours too.  Don't make me feel like a big geek by snarling at this post and moving on.  The concept is intriguing, no? So, what's your flashforward??? I really want to know!

...and now, for your viewing pleasure...(not-so) Live from my YouTube channel:

Winner Announcement: Testing the Ice by Sharon Robinson

YIKES!! Please pardon my tardiness! 
My lucky winners should have been doing their happy dances as of yesterday, October 20th, but I got lost in working mommyhood and forgot to draw the winners and publish this post!!!
CONGRATULATIONS to Harlem Minded! She is the grand prize winner of:

One (1) winner will receive a TESTING THE ICE prize pack!

• Kidorable Hat, Glove & Scarf set valued at approximately $50 (random styles – see styles above the book image)
• A copy of Testing the Ice valued at approximately $17 

Ms. Lady's little ones get to have the Testing the Ice experience, complete with a valuable lesson cleverly disguised as a beautiful story, and phenomenal artwork by Kadir Nelson.  CONGRATULATIONS, Ms. Lady.

Please comment with your email address (I won't post it) so I can send it to the good folks over at Scholastic!  Thank you for your participation!

EXECUMAMA

Inspired By Morehouse Dress Code Drama: New hashtag - #shutitup

Quick, someone...anyone...remind me what's wrong with having a dress code again?

The world (and his mama) is up in arms about Morehouse's new dress code mandate, and since I'm CERTAIN I'm not too old to get it*side eye*, I"m confused about the notions that elements of the new code are discriminatory.

I remember college quite well, and I understand the importance of being able to present yourself in an image that best reflects whatever stage of your journey you may be embarking upon.  HOWEVER, since you don't live in a bubble, and you DO represent your school, which (minor detail!) happens to be an institution of higher learning, —a private one at that—with (God-forbid) an image of its own to uphold (or create, or reclaim, as it were), then you can either adhere to the new code or RIDE OUT!  Dr. Franklin, as far as I've heard, is not holding any weapons to anyone's heads, so work with it, or walk it out, folks! This is real life, and it comes (GASP!) with guidelines.

You do have ample opportunity to dress however you deem fit outside of school grounds and hours, so what's the beef? Am I missing it? Are they saying that if a member of the Morehouse staff finds out that your attire, at any point during your matriculation, on or off campus, doesn't adhere to the dress code, you're getting expelled forever and ever, Amen?  That's not how I read it.  They did say:

Additional dress regulations may be imposed upon students participating in certain extracurricular activities that are sponsored or organized by the College (e.g. athletic teams, the band, Glee Club, etc).

but those still count as school functions, so again I ask, what is the problem?

The primary gripe seems to be about the "undertone of homophobia" in this particular section:

No wearing of clothing associated with women’s garb (dresses, tops, tunics, purses, pumps, etc.) on the Morehouse campus or at College-sponsored events.

Does the absence of said women's garb make someone less gay? Is sexual preference defined solely (or at least primarily) by attire? These aren't rhetorical questions, folks, I actually want to know?!

I'm sure counter arguments state things like "what if they said women at Spelman can't wear pants anymore because only men should wear pants", or "Muslim female students at Spelman or Clark Atlanta can no longer wear hijabs because those schools don't recognize that as valid"... or something to that effect.  I think the former is impractical because culturally, pants are appropriate on a broad scale throughout the United States at the very least, and the latter might violate civil rights (no?).

My opinion - pull up your pants, take off the stupid "hater-blockers" in class, stop dressing for attention, and focus on your studies, dammit!

*Descending from soapbox*

Have a zippidy-do-dah wonderful weekend, Loves!


Photo credit

And the Breasts Have It! (We know, but it's always good to be reminded)

I came across THIS ARTICLE in today's Gleaner, and thought it was an excellent reminder of the benefits of breastfeeding.  I'm an advocate, and I feel that my children are proof of the benefits :)

Seems like such an innate right to me, but I recall numerous side-eye stares from all-up-in-my-business onlookers whenever I publicly chose NOT to deny my children of freakin' sustenance! (Yep, I remain a tad salty about those experiences!)

I myself was breastfed well into my second year of life, and look how awesome I turned out :)

A body of evidence recently realised by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research concludes that there is strong evidence that breastfeeding lowers the risk of cancers in both mother and child. The evidence is convincing that breastfeeding protects women from developing breast cancer, ..

Click here for the rest of Rosalee Brown's informative reminder.  What about you? Did you/Will you breastfeed? All perspectives (even the wrong ones) are welcome :)

Photo credit

How in the world did I NOT hear about this?!

Dude, I am still trying to wrap my brain around this concept! How absolutely intriguing!!! I was not approached by SKIN's PR folks, I just had to share what seems to me is a MUST-SEE film!

SKIN is one of the most moving stories to emerge from apartheid South Africa: Sandra Laing is a black child born in the 1950s to white Afrikaners, unaware of their black ancestry. Her parents are rural shopkeepers serving the local black community, who lovingly bring her up as their ‘white’ little girl. But at the age of ten, Sandra is driven out of white society. The film follows Sandra’s thirty-year journey from rejection to acceptance, betrayal to reconciliation, as she struggles to define her place in a changing world - and triumphs against all odds.

What a thought-provoking concept! I'm already a huge Sophie Okodeno fan, and this just put 17 exclamation points on my "I heart Sophie" t-shirt!

Share your thoughts.  I'm curios...

Execumama Citing #34,837: Work, Play,...it's all the same to this Execu-counsel member

Okay, tell me you're not three seconds from swooning after you read this.  I double-dog dare you!!!


This quote sits above one of the computer screens on my desk:

A person who is a master in the art of living makes little distinction between their work and their play, their labor and their leisure, their minds and their body, their education and their recreation, their loves and their religion. They hardly know which is which and simply pursue their vision of excellence and grace, whatever they do; leaving others to decide whether they are working or playing. To them they are always doing both. 
--Unknown Zen Poet

This quote sums up how I feel about work.  I love my day job because it allows me freedom, creativity and the ability to help and serve people.  Plus, my day job allows me the flexibility to not have to create paintings to match someone's sofa!

The Execumama credo is "Define, Design and Live your fullest version of WOMAN." How do you strive to do that in your work/your art/your daily life?


I try to live a fully integrated life. I bring my passion and my joy and my heart to everything I do. If I don't love it, I don't do it. I have also learned (the hard way!) that I am not super woman. No has become one of the best loved words in my vocabulary. I spend a part of everyday in quiet time and reflection. I eat well (though I back slide from time to time -- potato chips are my WEAKNESS!), exercise and try to get to bed on time. I also try to maintain some sense of balance. What I have also learned to do is to carve out time just for me.
-----------------------
See what I mean? Deborah Grayson Bailey is an excellent example of why I had little choice but to open up the "Execumama Club" to women who may not have birthed their own children, but nurture our spirits with their talents in such a way that gives them a sense of familiarity within us, like an 80-year-old stranger you'd just as soon call Grandma, or a 4-year-old girl you could easily see as your own child.

Visit the main site to read about this artist and designer in detail, then stop by her blog and subscribe.  Her Web site will be launched this month, and trust me, you DON'T want to be out of the loop on this one!

Sharon Robinson's Testing the Ice: A Children's Book Giveaway!

In our household, books are right up there with grandma's cooking, shoe sales, and quiet time.  We are serious bookworms, right down to 3-year-old Sage who is just learning to read, but takes great joy in getting to choose her own beginning reader books from our local library.  When I was asked to join Scholastic in a book giveaway for this new children's release by Sharon Robinson—daughter of baseball legend, Jackie Robinson—I was elated! I was offered a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my opinion of it.  Of course I'd get involved, how could I not! Kris, the girls, and I are huge fans of illustrator Kadir Nelson's life-like and riveting style of art.  He's the same talent behind the endearing art in one of our house fave's, Please, Puppy, Please by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee, and his art coupled with Sharon Robinson's talent of creating a meaningful story that managed to impart a valuable lesson but not be too heavy or wordy for my 5 and 3 year olds made this book an absolute gem!

My girls loved it!
Click here for Marley's 5 Reasons Why This Book's A Keeper

In Testing the Ice, Sharon recalls a particular childhood memory involving her father that offers powerful symbolism between his color barrier breaking role in major league baseball, and his role as brave ice tester for the safety of his children and their friends.

Here's the short and sweet of it...

In the early 1950s, legendary baseball hero Jackie Robinson literally "tested the ice" for his kids who so eagerly wanted to skate on the frozen lake near their home. Under Sharon Robinson's skillful authorship and Kadir Nelson's vivid illustrations, TESTING THE ICE also becomes a stunning metaphor for her father's remarkable racial breakthrough.

Her detailed account offered excellent segues for conversations about race, humanity, and being brave--all topics that our school-aged children face in their every day lives.  You've absolutely got to grab your copy and here's how this particular Execumama is going to help you do just that!

TESTING THE ICE
HARDCOVER CHILDREN’S BOOK RELEASE 
BOOK GIVEAWAY

5 LUCKY EXECUMAMA ONLINE READERS WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO  WIN!


One (1) winner will receive a TESTING THE ICE prize pack!

• Kidorable Hat, Glove & Scarf set valued at approximately $50 (random styles – see styles above the book image)
• A copy of Testing the Ice valued at approximately $17 

Four (4) additional winners will receive a copy of the book! 

The lucky winners will be chosen by the method I always use...name in hat, pulled by Sage -- because she has so much fun choosing names!

The winner will be announced via blog post here on October 20th!
*Shipping only available for United States participants

To win, I simply ask that you do two things by 11:59PM on 
Sunday October 18th:

1.  Watch THIS VIDEO, then come right back to Execumama Online and leave a comment telling me something that sparked your interest.
2.  Tweet about this giveaway, and be sure to nudge me by including @Execumama in the tweet.

Want extra chances to win?

-Become a fan of this Execumama on Facebook and leave a separate comment letting me know you did.

-Subscribe to Execumama Online by typing your email address in the lovely box at the top left of this blog, then confirm your subscription when it comes to your email inbox.  Be sure to leave a separate comment for each of your entries!

So easy, you can't stand it, right?  You're welcome, Love!