Merry Christmas From My Family to Yours! #WordfulWednesday

Merry Christmas to all of you! I hope you are spending the holiday enveloped in the love of family and friends!

It's been a busy month and my blogging has taken a back seat. Here is a recap of what I have been doing in pictures:

The day after Thanksgiving we skipped the Black Friday madness and went on a hike
through the Tennessee Valley down to Muir Glen beach with our neighbors. It was majestic.

Then I took a trip to Atlanta (SOLO!) for the 10th Anniversary of Enchanted Closet, a fairy godmother charity I founded in 2003. I haven't been back in five years so I took the opportunity to visit with some friends before the gala:

That's me and Kia from Determined to Be Fit having lunch.
Blogging friends since 2009,we finally met IRL!

I met up with a bunch of my former colleagues for happy hour.

This young lady showed up and made my whole night. She was one of my
high school mentees. Now she is a hard-working nurse. #proud

The big event! In a packed ballroom at the Courtyard Marriott in downtown Decatur, we celebrated 10 years of outfitting girls inside and out:

Add caption(l-r) Me trying to look red carpet ready, me and Bonita Johnson, CEO of Enchanted Closet,
me and the original Enchanted Closet crew. The ladies helped build this organization.

There was no time to rest when I got back. The holiday season was in full swing. There were holiday cards to mail, parties to plan and attend, lots of holiday festivities to take the kids to, and gifts to buy. So that's why I have been absent from this blog. We took in some culture...

I took Marlie to see the production of Cinderella by the African-American Shakespeare Co for our annual
mommy & me holiday outing. It was fantastic and the cast stuck around for pictures!

We made friends at the grocery store while picking up last-minute ingredients for the big feast!

I am thankful for so many people and experiences that made my life extra blessed this year!

Holiday Cards Are Easy and #TopoftheMantel Worthy at Cardstore.com #sponsored #MC

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting (#MC) for Cardstore. I received a promotional item as a thank you for participating.

Am I the only one who doesn't put off sending out my family's holiday card?! Yes, it's a hassle to get all four of us dressed up to take a photo, then design the card, then address over 50 cards with personalized notes, then go down to the post office and stand in line. Come to think of it, I see why most people procrastinate!

This year, don't be tardy to the party. Let Cardstore.com help you score the primo spot on the mantel this holiday season! Cardstore removes the hassle from holiday cards by printing, addressing and sending them out for you, AND you get to include your own personalized message.

Right now, get 50% off all holiday cards and invitations—including Season’s Greetings, Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year. Use Code: CCN3125. Valid 12/3-12/4! Log on and make your holiday card today: http://po.st/PersonalizeYourCard 

Have you finished creating and mailing your holiday cards?

Concious Parenting Means Saying Yes to Less #MC

As a conscious mom, I am a always looking for ways to reduce excess in my family. So I enthusiastically took the Little Remedies "Say Yes to Less" pledge. I pledged to say no to negativity because the holidays are stressful and can wear on a parent's patience. I am vowing to not yell at my kids, to be less snappish, and to exercise more grace in stressful situations.

I think it is wonderful that Little Remedies is spearheading this campaign because we could all use a reminder not to go overboard this time of year. The holidays bring families and friends together in the spirit of love and thanksgiving, but it also encourages gluttony in the form of excessive eating and shopping. This pledge is a great way to rededicate myself to focusing more on my family and less on external distractions like buying more stuff that will clutter my home or unhealthy activities like binge eating.

When I was pregnant with Marlie, I made a commitment to raise her naturally and I did the same for her brother Desmond. Our lifestyle includes staying active and eating a diet rich in whole foods. I say no to artificial ingredients and too much sugary and processed foods. It is important to me to put healthy stuff in my children's' bodies. It is my first line of defense to prevent cold and flu! On the rare occasions my kids get sick I turn to natural remedies first because I want the medicine to support their immune systems rather than just suppress symptoms.

When Marlie was an infant she got a bad head cold. She was so stuffy but was too little to blow her own nose. I found Little Remedies Little Noses Saline Drops after doing some Internet research and it worked wonders! I always have two bottles in the medicine cabinet. I use it too! What I love most about the product is that there is no risk of side effects.

Join me in taking the "Say Yes to  Less" pledge. What will you pledge to minimize for the next 30 days?