"Thrifty Shopping Tips for Spring"

    Spring Temptation

    Fight the urge this spring from digging deep into your pockets to update your wardrobes. Your initial thought may be to get rid of the clutter and revamp some items. But wait!, before you empty out your wallet take inventory of what is already in your closet. Try to avoid reflecting on the saying "out with the old and in with the new", because sometimes the old can compliment the new! 

   For instance, back in January I personally took a trip to one of my favorite discount stores. I found a couple of lounge pants that I just couldn't leave behind, however I had nothing to pair with them. At that moment my limited budget prohibited me from making an additional purchase. So I bought the lounge pants and they hung in my closet for a few months. 

                                 Fast forward to March, I got an itch to buy some apparel for my spring weekend looks. I found myself scoping the new spring collections and on impulse began to grab a few miscellaneous pieces to try on. I then stopped dead in my tracks and had to remind myself of one of my styling rules I've given myself: Check your own inventory before you add more inventory! This is when I intently closed my eyes to think of what I needed (of course I also disobeyed my other rule of surveying my closet and doing a seasonal purge before going wardrobe shopping). At that moment I remembered that I didn't have the proper sporty tops to go with my irresistible lounge pants I purchased back in January. I then did a 360 degree turn and pounced over to the sporty section to do a strategic search. This was when I scored and found the perfect sporty tops to go with my lounge pants!!! 

    Take Inventory

         Take Inventory the next time you look at that lonely grey tunic in your closet, you may consider updating it by simply purchasing a satin skinny pant instead of investing in an entirely new outfit.

         Now go ahead and take a notepad to your wardrobe and do the following: Check your "Basics".

Your basics should consist of: 

• 1 black and 1 white woven (collared) shirt 
• 2 mid-length black skirts 
• 2 pair of trousers: Black and grey 
• 2 pair of novelty pants to give your wardrobe some edge (fun colors like red, royal blue or mustard) 
• 2 pair of denim pants.  I suggest to have styles such as vintage cut/ Bootleg and skinny leg. 

 Updating Tips: With these basics in mind, now you can go shopping! Here's another few tips: -

• Feel free to replace any of your basics if you want to update the cuts or fit 
• keep the basic types though and use the formula as a template for building your wardrobe 
• Don't buy an item simply because it looks good on the rack. Be sure you can actually put it to good use Buy specific tops to pair with your bottoms 
• Do splurge on a couple pairs of novelty tops and pants every season 

 Note: Novelty tops and bottoms are pieces that you buy for an occasion or to add spice to your wardrobe. Such pieces are usually Sequins, satins, silks, Patterns or prints. 

 Don't forget these helpful tips before your next shopping trip to save you from having an empty wallet! 

"Great things start in small places" :) Aniyah

YES, YES,YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YES, is this word embedded in your vocabulary?  Do you find yourself saying this word all day?  This word can be a blessing and a curse.
   Ladies let's take a closer look at this ordeal.  Here's what a few respondents on Quora.com
 (Inc.com) had to say about the word Yes:

                 Response to the word "yes":

-People tend to feel you are a pushover with no boundaries.
- People don't trust you, because they think you're not sincere. They are spectacle and want to know the price for your kindness.
- People whom you attract may be the wrong type, and wish to cause you mischief.
- People may let you down due to not reciprocating your good deeds.
- People tend to demand your time as a consequence of your availability.

         Here's 5 pointers to turn it around:

#1 Identify who you are keeping company with
#2 Put yourself first. If faced with the choice, move yourself into self preservation mold.
#3 Take inventory:
- will saying yes help me or hurt me?
- what are the pros and cons for my Yes?
#4 Immediately remove yourself from a conversation or situation  that makes you feel uncomfortable, and puts you in a weak predicament.
 #5 Finally, look into the mirror and say: " let my Yes mean Yes and No mean No.

    Now ladies go out there and try these techniques, and stay true to another word "me"!

Well that's all for this week ladies
Strength, courage and wisdom; while looking and feeling fabulous😉
Aniyah

Escape

Hi Ladies!

                         Back to School

        So it's end of summer and time for the back to school routine. A routine filled with endless arduous tasks. Stacking up on supplies, maneuvering the hurdles in the apparel isles, getting the kids back on track, and last but not least, battling the added road and school zone traffic.  Only to come home to the never- ending To-Do list!

                          Delegate

       Ladies I have one word for you: DELEGATE, and then retreat. Yes that's right, grab a helping hand. I have managed this by seeking out whom I could recruit for my various tasks.

              Here's how my list looks:

- Make Breakfast 3 days a week: Hubby/son

-Dishes 3 nights a week: Hubby/son

-Laundry and groceries- alternate w/Hubby

-Cleaning- assign as needed

    With the extra time your saving, you have          just allowed yourself time for this list:

- An evening soak in a bubble bath

-Deep hair conditioner

-Facial with a body scrub

- Curling up into a mysterious book

        Now that's a list worth savoring moments for.  So try using these tips to steal some time. The little moments you give to yourself will make you more enjoyable and interesting to be around! 

Note: single moms: ask a relative, friend or neighbor to look after the kids for a couple hours.  Use this time for your retreat .

Good day😊

 Aniyah

Bill of health!

Bill of health!

I must confess I never took exercise seriously! I mean how can something that hurts be beneficial? I'm sure you have all heard "no pain no gain". It's time to start living by this. Think about it, if you don't study for a test you may just fail (at least most of us will😊), if you don't brush your teeth you are  most likely to get cavities, and if you don't take your car in for a tune-up,  you may just  find yourself on the wrong side of some desolate road waving or calling for help with a "check engine sign" flashing.
  So moms, we see the consequences for not maintaining key areas in our lives. It's time to put exercise on the top of our maintenance list. If you don't have a list, get yourself a notepad and make exercise a top priority! Yes, let's steal 30 minutes a day. Do it now, do it today, don't wait! If you want to be your best fitness is an essential ingredient to a clean bill of health!!!!

Tip: Don't have time for the gym? Pick up some workout DVDs that you can pop in during your own time. Spice it up with variety: Aerobics, Salsa dancing or even yoga. Let's do it ladies!!!
Aniyah😊

Are you catching your Zzzzz's?

If you are like most of the population, the answer to this is probably no? So the question becomes: why not? Why aren't we catching our eight hours every night? Is it possible to actually get a full night of rest with such busy schedules?

So to attack this issue lets take a closer look at our  most traditional daily routines:

-Wake between 5am to 7am (on average)

-Office work or house work 9am to 5 to 7pm

-Dinner 7pm

-8pm Evening routine: homework with the kids, baths, getting ready for the next day

-Wind down  between 9pm and 11pm

-Now up again for the next day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The loop continues for the rest of the week , and most of us actually don't get to bed until after 12am! Yikes!  So how do we intervene with this vicious cycle?   Well let's just say that on the gloomy side, there is no way to end the cycle, but on the bright side there are some remedies to this age old issue. Keep your evening simple with my three step rule.  It takes practice, but it can be done. These are the 3 things that all of us should do every evening.  If we stick to these 3 steps we will be in bed in  a timely manner and catch our z's!!!!!

Step 1: Dinner cooked and eaten 1 hour

Step 2: Homework, prep for work for the next day (lunches, clothes and hair set/ready) 2 hours

Step 3: Wand down bath or reading 1 hour 

It's that simply.  Just prioritize your evening with these essentials and you will have balance and more importantly, get your rest! Sorry to break the news but there is no time for TV, internet surfing, or chatting on Face time or other social media outlets. Save those novelties for your weekends.  For instance, catch up on you favorite movies on a Friday night, this way you won't feel like your missing out.

It's up to you if you want to choose sleep or weep:)

Aniyah 

Resource guide for mommys on fashion, lifestyle and entertainment

Mood Boosters

Hey you, how are you feeling today?  Is your busy "must do" schedule dominating your life? Well your not alone! Most of us moms spend the majority of our time taking care of other people.  We have our checklist for our spouses, kids, relatives, friends or pets, but we don't include ourselves on this list.  I guess we forgot that there should be a box for ourselves.  Funny oversight right?   So let's turn this around and check in with ourselves starting today, yes don't wait until tomorrow, start today!  Did you know that making yourself a higher priority could boost your mood?  Self pampering can make us feel like we matter. When most people think of pampering they imagine a bubble bath, a day at the spa or maybe even a good workout.  These techniques are effective, but not solely tapping into our needs. Pampering also comes in the form of taking care of our personal business.  When we prioritize our lives we essentially are cuddling our inner psyche, thus resulting in a mood boost! So the next time you are feeling weighed down by the world, try some of these mood boosters to improve your sense of worth:

Meditate:
Start your day with a daily meditation. State what you'd like your day to look like.... If you have a few goals in mind for the day, specify what they are so you can commit to them. One source of stress stems from procrastination or from items on lists that remain pending. So knock out those items so they are no longer hanging over your head.  Do the things you like the least, first, this way you don't have to think about them. 
Note: if you are unable to meditate at home in the morning due to schedule restraints; take a 10 minute break at work and find a quiet meditative spot (the bathroom is a good source for privacy).

Organize:
After you've meditated, prioritize your task.  Don't just write down what you need to do.  Put a number next to the task.  Strategically plan out your day.  Doing this allows you to pencil in time for the things you enjoy:)

Manage your money:
When we take control of our finances we automatically put ourselves in the driver's seat of our lives.  Our money is the foundation of our livelihood.  Mismanaging our funds can add to stress and of course unnecessary debt. The anecdote is to plan ahead by creating a realistic financial budget. Allocate funds for each area: Bills, savings,emergency fund, spending and vacation. Seeing where our money is going can actually help us to find dollars we never thought existed. For instance, packing a breakfast, lunch and a snack can save us up to $20 a day! That is $100 a week, and up to $400 a month. Think of it this way, this $400 can pay your car note!

Hobbies:
I can not stress enough on how important it is to keep your hobbies and never neglect them.  Our hobbies feed our inner spirit and are indispensable outlets.  Whether your hobby is as simply as reading suspense thrillers, drawing, painting, or creating family photo galleries; they are important because they make us feel good and may even relax us.  So go ahead take that trip to the art supply store on your next day off and stock up on some apparatus for your next project.  Your safe to
stock up as long as it is within your budget!

So I hope these tips will prove helpful in boosting your mood. Remember you have to take the first step though!

Aniyah 

"Tips for moms on looking good on the outside and feeling good inside!"

Ready for the summer?

I know most of us panic when the temperature starts rising
in late spring.  The layers start to come off and we are afraid that
 we aren't ready to show some skin! We think, yikes another summer where I have to squeeze into those shorts, expose my arms and toss the hot and clingy Spanx ! 

Here are some tips so you can bare it all with confidence this summer season:

Step 1: Don't be so hard on yourself.  We are usually the ones who confirm what our flaws are. The rest of the world probably doesn't notice that birthmark you dread about, which is located slightly beneath your left calf.  

Step 2: Make a list of the things you feel you can realistically and comfortably change about your appearance. Be realistic, because
you probably don't have the budget for the cosmetic surgery that
your more affluent peers can afford.  The alternative is to work with what you have!
-A new hair cut or color can take years off of your face!
-Adding some brighter colors to your wardrobe can set a different mood (do a google search on colors that work for your particular skin tone)
-Invest in a waist clinching belt.  Accentuating your waist can give the appearance of significant weight loss. 

Step 3: If your not the traditional workout type, think of alternatives to hitting the gym:
-If you commute on the bus, get off a few stops sooner than your normal route. Try to get in at least a 20 minute power walk (don't forget your walking shoes!). 
-If you drive to work, park a few blocks further away from the job,
so you can get a quick power walk each morning.
-Join a hiking group (there are hundreds of hiking meet-up groups on the Internet).
-Purchase a few dance or exercise DVDs so you can work off some pounds during your own leisure time.
Step 4: Take inventory of what is in your closet that you feel flatters your figure and keep those key items! 

Rule to remember: Accentuate the parts you like and negate the parts you don't.  A good way to do this is; if you like the top part of your body, wear brighter colors in this area.  If you aren't comfortable with your bottom half, wear darker colors to play this area down.  Sometimes it is as simple as fooling the eye! 

I hope these tips come in handy so you can bare it all! LOL....

Aniyah 
" Tips for moms on looking good on the outside and feeling good inside"