5 Great Getaways for Moms! - ad

Being a mom means being busy and we all need deserve a breather! Click the photo above for great getaways for moms!

I don't know about you, but a get-away is a relished treat that I barely have the opportunity to take advantage of. But the truth is, we mom's sometimes need to steal a moment here and there to re-charge if nothing else. It's best for us and it's best for our families. It's okay to give yourself a treat now and then!

When is the last time you had a get-away?!

TV Programming for Kids...Qubo Gift Pack Giveaway-CLOSED

I have read many the article about how TV is not the best for kids…. but my kids still watch TV anyway. I, personally, do not believe that TV will turn a child’s mind to mush. When it comes to TV programming, I try to make sure that whatever is on the TV is educational and my little cuties walk away being enlightened and smarter, not brain dead and numb.

I don’t know about you, but I watched plenty of TV when I was a child… and I think that I turned out alright. Some of my favorite shows were “The Smurfs,” “The Littles,” and what little girl didn’t look up to “Shera.” I have very fond memories of remember racing to the TV to watch these shows on Saturday mornings.

Qubo is one of those channels that offer the type of quality children’s programming that I love and remind me of my own childhood. Programming with characters that can serve as positive role models and episodes full of teachable moments. Favorite, classic programming like “The Magic School Bus,” “Babar,” and “Sheldon” are among the many shows that you can catch on Qubo.

Do you remember your childhood TV favorites? Share and enter for your chance to win the Qubo prize pack.

Qubo is giving away a Qubo prize pack to one lucky Soul Mom. The prize pack includes a Qubo-branded t-shirt, cinch pack, beach towel, silly bands of characters, notebook, jump rope, and character game/puzzle.

My little preschooler was very excited to get her gift pack. The first thing she tried was the jump rope, and she’s still working at it.

TO ENTER, answer the questions below in a comment:

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CHILDHOOD TV SHOW?

WHAT CURRENT TV SHOW DO YOU THINK OFFERS THE BEST CONTENT FOR CHILDREN?

Open to US residents only. Giveaway ends 4/22/11 at 11:59 EST.

Good luck!

Wordless Wednesday

Brush-a-brush, brush those teeth!

Chuck E Cheese 5th Birthday Success!

Today, my first born daughter turns five. She's been acting like a "big girl" for years now (yes years), but it's finally starting to feel official. Nail polish, lip gloss, tights, skirts and fancy dancing fills the air. I smile at her blossoming girlieness... I miss my cuddly baby. They all grow up one day and it's her day. Five here we come and we're celebrating with a party!

While I had initially planned to do it up big style for her 5th birthday, I gradually came off that idea and wanted to do something manageable. I didn't want a party at the house and after searching children's museums and other possible locations in the city, my husband simply recommended....Chuck E. Cheese. "Chuck E. Cheese?!," I squealed, "I CAN'T STAND Chuck E. Cheese." Of all my adult memories of Chuck E. Cheese NONE of them were particularly good (my childhood memories were of love for Chuck E. Cheese). Screaming poor-behaving kids, crowded game floor, hectic, just hectic. I didn't want my daughter's 5-year-old birthday party to be hectic.

But my husband reminded me that she loved Chuck E. Cheese. It is her party after all. I thought about it and I knew he was right. She would love it and at the end of the day, that's what really matters.

From the moment I told her she was having her birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese I knew it was the right decision. She lit up with joy. She reminded me how much she loves Chuck E (the mouse). She couldn't wait to see him. She was so very excited. We bought her a very special big girl outfit, had her big sister do her nails and toes in pink polish topped in glitter, whipped up a fancy big girl hairstyle and off we went to Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate her 5th birthday with family.

The place was hectic, but my birthday girl (my birthday star) had so much fun, that it was all worth it. Some of the many highlights:

The games: I rarely saw the birthday girl during the party she was so busy running around with her cousins playing games. While the games and "rides" seem so simple to me, they seem to suit her fancy just fine.

Chuck E.: She just loves Chuck E and the moment he hit the floor she ran to him like a lost relative.

The Ticket Blaster: The machine had everyone's interest on high and she could not wait to get in. I told her to try to get the big tickets and off she went. And she did a great job, although most of the tickets ended up in her inflatable birthday crown.

Our hostess: I don't even remember her name, but she was awesome. She worked great with the kids, she kept the birthday girl happy and was always smiling. She was perfect. I could not have asked for a better hostess.

It was a great day and I knew that my birthday girl had a wonderful 5th birthday. Happy 5th birthday Miss Saada!

Thinking of a party at Chuck E. Cheese? Here are a few tips that can help it be as successful as possible. If not, give it a thought and consider the below.

1. Go early. We had a 2:30 party and that was too late. 11:00 is probably ideal. The place will be less crowded and you'll be happier.

2. When reserving space, err on the high side. Depending on how much space you reserve, you may have to pay a minimum regardless of how many people show up, but it's best to have more space than less. We reserved space for 50, while maybe half showed up. In the end we may have paid for 1 or 2 kids that didn't show and it was worth it to have the space to spread out.

3. If you can get it, reserve space by the wall with booths for the parents. Being in the middle of the floor can be pretty tight.

4. Bring coupons. Chuck E. Cheese has coupons online that can help with purchasing additional food (for the adults) and tokens. We were able to use two of our coupons while at the party.

5. Play the Ticket Blaster online game. You can win 30 tickets for each game you play. I played about 10 times before the party and brought the printouts to give to guests as they left to redeem their tickets on the way out.

Helping My Children Achieve

Thanks to the makers of Pine-Sol® for sponsoring my writing. A study shows a clean smelling home can help children succeed, so Pine-Sol® is supporting Reading is Fundamental (RIF) this year. Click "Like" on Pine-Sol®’s Facebook page here and they will donate books to RIF!

Being a parent can be tons of fun, but it is also a lot of work. Having a little person’s life in your hands is a huge responsibility and you have to take it seriously. My husband and I always have our children’s future in mind and we do everything that we can do to help them achieve and set a foundation for a successful future.

We start with love. I believe that making sure that your child knows s/he is loved sets the foundation for positive self-esteem and positive self esteem sets the foundation for achievement and success. We shower them with kisses and hugs, we tell them we love them and we know that they believe it. Our girls are proud, confident and loved.

We stress learning. Children look to their parents to outline the road on which they travel. In our home, we work to set a road that is built on learning. We read every day. We find educational programs for our children to watch on TV. We purchase educational games and toys. We find educational websites for our children to surf on the web. We know that our children will look to TV, games and toys for entertainment and we make sure that some of the entertainment will also help them learn.

We explore their talents. Every child has a talent and some kids are lucky enough to have a few. As parents, it is our job to uncover our child’s talents and invest in their development. All of our girls have shown strength and interest in swimming from an early age and we have invested in classes to help develop their swimming abilities.

We celebrate success. There is nothing better than your child knowing that you are proud of them and what they have achieved. We reward everything that our children achieve from straight A’s and cheerleading championships to successfully reading through a book and coloring in the lines. Our children know that we see their effort and nothing makes us happier than seeing them at their best.

While there is no roadmap to guarantee that my children will achieve all that I envision for them, there are things that my husband and I do every day to help them along the way. Our goal is to give them the best start and while we feel we are doing a great job at it, we still look for new opportunities to help them every day.


Don't forget to click over to Pine-Sol®'s Facebook page to support our children's success. I was selected for this Pine-Sol® sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do.

Dry Winter Skin Needs Dove Cream Oil Shea Butter Body Wash

Winter time is finally approaching its end, just a few more weeks until it’s finally Spring. I can’t wait for warm weather and trips to the park. And my skin can use some rejuvenation as well. Wintertime brings more than just frosty cheeks and snow-bitten noses. The brisk air zaps skin of needed moisture and can leave your skin quite dry and flaky. Yuck.

In desperate need of some relief from my dry wintertime skin, I was happy when the folks at Dove approached me to try their new Dove Cream Oil Shea Butter Body Wash. I was super excited to see a shea butter body wash (the first one I’ve run across, although I am pretty sure others exist). Plus, Dove’s technology is perfect for winter skin, combining nourishing and moisturizing elements to help skin keeps its natural moisture during baths or showers. I was already a Dove body wash fan with my most recent favorite being the Go Fresh cool moisture body wash in cucumber and green tea scent. So needless to say, I couldn’t wait to try a new body wash described as a whipped blend of cream infused with shea butter. Yay.

I already had high expectations for Dove body wash and after three weeks of using this product, I can definitely say that this product has met my expectations. My skin, usually dull and dry from the winter, felt soft, smooth and moisturized. But my favorite thing about Dove Cream Oil Shea Butter Body Wash was the scent...warm vanilla and brown sugar. Yum. It’s relaxing, calming and combined with a rich lather….your skin comes out of the shower feeling and looking much better than it went in. Plus you feel sweet and yummy. I even tried it on my preschooler and she loved it too. Skin on the little ones also need some TLC now and then.

I have to say that I am now hooked now on this product and have not stopped using it since it arrived. (Sorry Go Fresh body wash). I even think that I may give the shea butter beauty bar a try (doesn’t that sound great!) If you feel your winter skin is parched and could use some relief, I definitely recommend giving Dove’s Cream Oil Shea Butter Body Wash a try. You won’t be disappointed and your skin will thank you.

For more information on Dove’s products visit http://www.dove.com/.

Dove provided one 24 fl oz bottle of Dove Cream Oil Shea Butter Body Wash for this review, but it does not influence my post or my opinion of this product. My writing and my perspective is mine alone.

Baby Girl Afro Tee- Review & Giveaway- CLOSED

I haven’t written anything about Black History Month this year… shame on me. But is has been on my mind. This past weekend, I attended a Black History Fair hosted by my mother-in-law, so do know that Black History Month has not been forgotten in my household!

I recently received two super cute, and oh so groovy, shirts for my girls courtesy of Region USA and I knew that the Black History fair was the perfect place for them to wear them. I love, love, love the Fro Zoe character that is used for the girls’ apparel and no better place to show that kind of girlie soul than at a celebration for Black History (with their own afro puff of course). In addition to girls’ apparel, Region USA also sells apparel for little boys and the funkiest soulful t-shirts for women.

Keyah rocks the purple Fro Zoe shirt... go'on girl

Saada the little diva strikes a pose... she works it

My toddler received the purple shirt and my 4 (nearly 5) year old preschooler got the yellow shirt to sport. Both shirts were super soft (something that is important for the clothes my children wear) and I must say… boy did they look cute!

Sister love and afro puffs... gotta love it!

They got tons of compliments on the shirts at the Black History fair… they were a bonafide hit!

If you’ve got a toddler or preschool girl and you know that they would just look oh so cute rocking a Fro Zoe shirt from Region USA, today’s your lucky day!

Region USA and The Soul Mom are giving away one size 2T purple Fro Zoe shirt AND one size 5 yellow For Zoe shirt (just like you see above) to two lucky Soul Moms!

Yellow T size 5

Check Fro Zoe's "Power to the People" fist

Purple T size 2T

Huggable!

To enter, visit Region USA website and pick your favorite tee (could be women’s or kids). Leave a comment below indicating your favorite AND the item that you’d love to win (purple 2T or yellow 5T tee). Comments close on Sunday, February 27th 11:59 EST. Open to US residents only. Winners must respond within 48 hours of being contacted or winner announcement or another winner will be selected.

Want extra entries? Do any or all of the following and receive an extra entry for each one. Be sure to leave additional separate comments for each additional entry. Thanks and good luck!

FOLLOW TheSoulMom publicly via Google Friend Connect (1 entry)

LIKE TheSoulMom on Facebook (1 entry)

LIKE Region USA on Facebook (1 entry)

FOLLOW TheSoulMom on Twitter (1 entry)
TWEET about this giveaway. Tweet “Win a FREE cute afro t-shirt for your toddler or preschool girl from Region USA and @thesoulmom http://bit.ly/gpjcru #soulfulgiveaway” (1 entry)
You can tweet once a day, but remember to leave the URL to each tweet as a separate comment. You must have at least 50 followers for this entry.

ADD TheSoulMom button to your sidebar. Make sure to include your blog link and let me know where to find the button. (3 entries). Please post your comment 3 times

Region USA provided two Fro Zoe T-shirts for this giveaway and will be providing the prizes for this giveaway at no cost to me, but it does not influence my post or my opinion of this product. My writing and my perspective is mine alone.

Fun Indoor Project- Castle Cake!

While I warmly welcome February (who isn’t excited about Valentine’s Day chocolate), I must say that I cannot wait until February is over and I can feel the kiss of Spring. Wintertime means inside-time, which is usually pretty boring and drab, but luckily the great folks at CSN are allowing me to review a product that will allow me to have some quality and fun inside-time with my girlies.

With over 200 stores and thousands of great products to choose from, it was tough to choose the perfect indoor project. My preschooler would probably have preferred that we reviewed one of the swing sets for kids (what kid wouldn’t), but being more practical, I selected a too-cute castle cake pan.

Everyone loves cake and baking has always been an activity where my daughters and I have lots of fun. And a castle cake… the decorating opportunities are endless.

Remember to check back and see our final masterpiece. Trust me, it’ll be…. sweet!

Happy New Year- Resolution Solutions

Happy New Year!

I hope that everyone had happy and healthy holidays and is charged to have a better 2011, I know I am. Like many, I have set my new year’s resolutions and have made some positive change at least in these first 4 days of 2011. I feel like I am already fitting better in my jeans (baby weight be gone) and I am making as many moves as possible to find a cozy house for my family.

But the reality of new year’s resolutions is that most people spend one month making positive change and 11 months business as usual (and I so admit that I fall into that category). To actually be successful at achieving your new year’s resolutions, one must have a plan of action, a roadmap to success.

When I think “plan of action” I think “work “and I am going to borrow a few elements from the work-world to help in setting a roadmap and achieving new year’s resolutions:

Set measurable goals now- Put a number, a date, a quantity (something that you can measure) on your resolutions now and steadily work toward that goal. Running a marathon is awesome, but which one, when, where and how quickly do you hope to finish?

Be realistic- Great lofty resolutions are fabulous and fuels the fire in your soul. I agree that you should aim for the stars, but do try to set yourself up for success and be realistic with what you hope to accomplish. We probably could use more of this in the business world. I have seen many a business plan not met due to expectations that could not be achieved even under the best conditions.

Set milestones- These should be stair steps that help you get to your ultimate goal. Setting (and meeting) smaller goals is a lot easier than looking at the large looming goal over the hill. If you need to lose 20 pounds by June 1st that means you need to have lost 10 pounds by March 1st.

Give yourself a mid-year review- On or about June 1st, look at your resolutions and evaluate what you have accomplished. Have you met your milestones? Have you already achieved your goals? Are you on track to achieve your goals? Are you at risk of not achieving these goals? Take this opportunity to self-correct your path so that you can meet your new year’s resolutions, you still have six months and you can still do it!

Give yourself a final evaluation- Don’t forget to evaluate your success at the end of the year. Many people are so past their resolutions by the time December rolls around it’s like it never happened and they are on to the next. Do yourself (and your plan) justice and evaluate what you accomplished. Marvel at your successes and use your learnings to establish new resolutions and goals for the coming year.

Good luck!

A Little Soul for Your Christmas Music

A few years ago I went on a mission to compile the most soulful collection of Christmas music that I could. I searched high and low, picked my favorites and loaded them onto the ipod. I set out to create a collection of covers of all the traditional holiday music, but ended up with a combination of traditional covers and new music... all wonderful!

Want to add a little soul to your Christmas playlist this year? Here are 30 songs from my soulful Christmas collection. You are sure to find something you love in this list!

1. Donny Hathaway This Christmas
2. Alicia Keys Little Drummer Girl
3. Destiny’s Child 8 Days Of Christmas
4. Mariah Carey All I Want For Christmas Is You
5. Luther Vandross Every Year, Every Christmas
6. Lou Rawls: The Little Drummer Boy
7. Stevie Wonder One Little Christmas Tree
8. Boyz II Men Let It Snow
9. Faith Evans A Christmas Lullabye
10. India Arie and Stevie Wonder Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)
11. Christina Aguilera Angels We Have Heard On High
12. Babyface Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
13. Jackson 5 Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
14. Toni Braxton The Christmas Song
15. Boyz II Men Do They Know
16. Patti LaBelle O Holy Night
17. Tamia The Christmas Song
18. Destiny’s Child White Christmas
19. Brian McKnight Christmas Time Is Here
20. Mariah Carey Joy To The World
21. Luther Vandross Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
22. Supremes My Favorite Things
23. Stevie Wonder What Christmas Means To Me
24. Jackson 5 Give Love On Christmas Day
25. Babyface Sleigh Ride
26. R. Kelly World Christmas
27. Ashanti Hey Santa
28. Eartha Kitt Santa Baby
29. Babyface Winter Wonderland
30. James Brown Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto

Enjoy!!