D.A.M.E is a blog dedicated to all mothers. Young, old, African, American, African-American, Asian, Caribbean, European, Indian, Latina... every woman in the world can be part of this project call D.A.M.E!









Saturday 27 March 2010

PLAY DATES for PARENTS


When one is residing in an area where there are no other family members, it is important to reach out to neighbours and seek out playmates for your children. (You are also able to do this when you are near friends and families) However regular playdates between children can turn into regular get-togethers for parents. When your children are playing together, it is nice to sit together as parents and chat about the different things that are happening with the children, with yourself, in the community and around the world. As much as children need to socialize with their peers, parents also need to socialize with their own peers. And if you are planning play dates for your children then play dates are built in for you. Most of the time you choose children whose families are similar to yours so it would not be a surprise that you would enjoy the company of the parents. Recently i heard of parents starting playdates for their children which has lasted into the pre-teen and teen years. The playdates create built-in friendships and a support group, perhaps not all the children will get along but most of the time, some friendshsips can withstand the changes that children go through. And for parents, support systems are developed and streghtened as experiences are shared. Children and parents need an outlet and what better way to do so than through play dates where everyone is having fun and enjoying themselves.

DATE NIGHTS


Before the wedding and definitely before the babies, you and your betrothed would spend hours on the weekends going out on dates and engaging in fund activities. One of the things that help us to bond with our mates are through dates. Dates were enjoyable because they bring out the best in each other. Not only are you doing fun things but you are also learning how the other deals in different situations and environments. It is of course more difficult for new parents to continue to date and have those bonding days however this is A MUST! It can be as simple as something i heard recently, barbequing some meat, after the children have gone to sleep, and setting up a picnic outside the house. Whatever you are able to do that is simple, easy and will bring you and your betrothed together. And for those that are ambitious, ask a friend, family member and even a co-worker to babysit for you and ENJOY DATE NIGHTS AGAIN! Here's to great bonding times!

Thursday 4 March 2010

Is Wellness a Luxury?

I was on the website, huffingtonpost.com and i came across this article and it made me pause and think about this title. Even the fact that wellness could be a luxury issue is concerning. It goes back to how expensive the foods we purchase are and how difficult it has come for us to take care of ourselves. Wellness, as part of the health care debate, should be something that is offered to all citizens, regardless of where we reside. She speaks to these three factors (where you live, price and ethnicity/race) that impact on wellness.

In the following paragraphs, Ms.Pooja R. Mootl expands on these factors...

Where you live matters:
If you can't get it, you can't eat it! Being able to get your hands on fresh, nutritious food is harder for some urban and rural populations than it is for the rest. In her campaign to make American children live healthier, Michelle Obama discusses access as it relates to "food deserts" where a lot of inner city kids as well as those from rural America don't have supermarkets within reach - only fast food restaurants and bodegas. Manhattan's Borough President, Scott Stringer is also trying to address this problem in a major way through a new initiative based on the report, FoodNYC, that aims to promote urban agriculture and regional food production. Moreover, studies have shown that obesity rates can actually be predicted by zip code.

Price Matters.
Even if you can get your hands on it, can you afford it? Research has shown that nutrient-deplete foods average around $1.76 per 1,000 calories versus healthy, nutrient-rich foods which can average nearly 10 times more than that. If you can buy an entire lunch meal at a fast food restaurant for $1 versus a head of organic broccoli for more than $3, eating for your wellness becomes a pretty tough decision. Healthy foods simply cost more. And, unfortunately, vegetables and fruits are becoming luxury goods for many. So its not surprising that scientists find the highest rates of obesity among people in lower income groups.

Ethnicity and Race Matters
In a recent report released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Surgeon General Regina Benjamin noted in her Vision for a Healthy and Fit Nation, that many racial and ethic groups in our country are disproportionately affected by the epidemic of overweight and obesity. Her report states that among 40 to 59-year-old women, about 52 percent of non-Hispanic blacks and 47 percent of Hispanics are obese versus 36 percent for non-Hispanic whites. And in the super popular, academy award nominated documentary, Food Inc., it's noted that according to the CDC, 50 percent of American minorities born after 2000 will contract early onset diabetes in their lifetimes as opposed to about 33 percent for non-minority groups.


Some of Ms. Pooja's ideas are well noted and again it is an urgent discussion we should continue to have until EFFECTIVE AND APPROPRIATE CHANGES are made that impact all of us FAIRLY. Wellness should not be a luxury, it is necessity. To look at her complete article and for further interested reading, check out this website... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pooja-r-mottl/has-wellness-become-a-lux_b_479685.html.

Sunday 21 February 2010

The Fashionable-Affordable Maternity and Nursing Wear

So as you are aware this blog wants to bring diverse women together. It also wants to bring the best clothing line designed for a comfortable nursing and motherhood. So we went on search of the website where you can purchase some of these garments.

Expressiva is the website dedicated to mothers who want to be stylish but also have freedom to breastfeed their little ones when out and about. There is a variety of choice for affordable top, dresses, bras and nightgowns. All for the comfort to breastfeed. There is also the choice of covers whilst breastfeeding although I am not convinced of its benefit for the child. So The dresses and tops are excellent (no one is paying me to say this, you can see for yourself on their page).

Another good find are these two website in the UK. Isabella Oliver (left), their aim is to produce produce effortlessly chic collections; multifunctional must-haves that provide style confidence when you need it most. They have managed to do so by creating timeless classics with a contemporary twist such as ruche and wrap accents to create comfortable and stylish maternity essentials in easy and wearable fabrics. This to prove that you can be pretty and fashionable whilst pregnant and breastfeeding. Please check their website out.

The other cloth line that we find fabulous are by FertileMind (right). The garments are classy and elegant. According to us women/mothers would like to wear these kind of line. There many items in sale so please don't hesitate. This post will be breve because there are so many website dedicated to maternity/nursing wear, we loved these three and wanted to share it with you all.

Sunday 14 February 2010

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!


Hope everyone enjoyed Valentine's Day. Just remember it is not a one day event, the idea of spreading love, giving flowers and chocolates and cards are all something that should be given on a regular basis. Another idea, next time instead of indulging in all the pleasures of V-Day...spread the love to an older person who may not have anyone to share the day with. Trust me, it is a day worth spending.

Wednesday 10 February 2010

CAN WE AFFORD HEALTHY FOODS?


I went to the grocery store to purchase a few items to weather the BLIZZARD OF 2010 and came out having spent almost $20 on four apples and three oranges, bag of baby carrots, milk and some cereal. How are we to feed our children healthy but delicious foods when things are so expensive at the grocery stores? It would be cheaper to purchase processed, frozen foods including vegetables for the children and the family if i knew it were healthy. I understand the production, packaging, and the delivery of foods are expensive and a very tedious process however our Society are constantly talking about making sure our children are eating a large serving of fresh fruits and vegetables. However when a few items of fresh produce are expensive and children are to eat these items daily, how does one reconcile the grocery bills weekly? I am not encouraging not spending the money on fresh fruits and vegetables, i am voicing my concerns about the PRICING of so-called HEALTHY FOODS for families. If we would like our children to be well fed and healthy, then we need to make sure the PRODUCERS and the GROCERY STORE managers are pricing these types of foods so that ALL families can afford to feed their children the right amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables. Let us not even talk about ORGANIC fruits and vegetables, that would cost me my leg and arm and $20.00!

Friday 5 February 2010

CAN/SHOULD: FRIENDSHIPS BETWEEN THE SEXES?

Can women and men be friends? Furthermore, should women and men be friends?

Of course men and women should be friends and can be friends but let us get a little spicy and ask this question, can and should a married woman be friends with a single man? We have heard many times before that a man cannot be friends with a woman without some sexual tension playing a part in their friendship.

The fact that women are from venus and men are from mars is very true in the sense that both sexes have different needs in relationships. What a man gets from his male buddies--the games, the bonding over repairing and or building something in the home is very different than the relationship two women have including shopping and spa days. So then if the sexes have such different needs and interests how much differences are between a married woman and a single man who are friends?

The married woman is busy with her children, her husband, her friends and family and work. The single man is busy with work, friends and finding new adventures. Aside from perhaps the married woman sometimes wanting to find and have new adventures, her focus is on her family. Henceforth, it would be very confusing for a married woman to be friends with a single man. Friendships are very intimate and for a married woman to be in that type of relationship can be very dangerous.

A married woman can be friends with anyone that she chooses to be friends with. However married woman should not be friends with a single man due to her role as a mother, wife and the intimate nature of friendships so as not to place herself in a confusing situation. There are plenty of girlfriends to go around therefore we need to stick with them. Allow the single men to be unattached and allow them to befriends the single ladies.

Please comment

Monday 1 February 2010

Body and Image: Beautiful inside/outside

As mothers and women we must always try to be happy with our body image, to help our children love their own (even more even when we have little girls). This will unsure that our other half keep their eyes on us - but this will also let them know that we are still gorgeous, if they mess around ;)! Beauty is most cherished if is from both sides of the individual. Meaning when inside you are beautiful it doesn't mean you have to neglect how you look from the outside. We are not saying you should try to overdo yourself (do not risk your life for any cosmetic surgery, is not ethical). All we want you to do is to be health and give extra LMT (little me-time)to yourself. The children and your other half will always appreciate the fact that you still take pride in your looks. 5aday combined in fruit and vegetables is good food habit. Plus, following these few steps you will see the result. Apply these healthy living to your family.

To prevent lot of stretch marks on your skin you should use essential oils such as Jojoba Oil and Almond Oil. Women have been these oils for very long. Creams should be used in moderation, and oils in excess. I will share with you some tips given by another blogger on M.A.I.L.
My body is precious to me and since I was about thirteen I've been spending tons of money to keep it smooth and silky. Like the French I like to buy expensive products that will solve the problem, instead of buying many cheap products that won't do anything for my skin.
The best cellulite cream I've ever bought was L'oreal Perfect Slim Pro (left). This essential gel is excellent to fight those difficult point. It smooths the fatty look of dimpled skin in solely four weeks. When I tried it I lost about 1 centimeter around the the thighs.
Another product that I go by is Johnson Baby oil. That was a product my mother introduced me to when I was a little kid and since then it has being in my body cosmetic bag. You just need a small amount to keep your skin moist. That was my secret for the perfect skin tone. Now the secret is outside for people to take example.
My latest addiction is Bio-oil. As is advertised on the box.
I've recently started using this product but it seems like it's going to be in my make up bag for years to come. It's quite easy to use, it should be massaged in a circular motion into the scar and the area affected twice a day. The manufacture advice to use it for a minimum time of three months. In this way even the old scars will benefit from the oil. If you have money and want your skin to be forever smooth. Do not spare on your body girls...
Yep, don't spare on your skin, you must love it and teach your family how to protect their skin from premature aging; this will help you avoid any body surgery :)!

Tuesday 26 January 2010

Working Mother



Chances are that most women return to work shortly after their babies are born. Some women by virtue of lack of employment are stay-at-home moms. However very few women are moms who stay at home to take care of their children. It has been become somewhat of a previlege (in many north-american and european countries) to stay home with our babies especially because it has become imperative for two-income earners in most households. For most of us this is the way life is and we accept it for what it is. In order to have certain lifestyles and so we do what we need to do. The question i want to reflect on is how this impacts mothers in general when we have to leave our new babies at the daycare centers and at home with a babysitter. Most of us are still bonding with our babies including breastfeeding and cuddling time to want to continue working. At work, we daydream about our babies and wonder what they are doing and the milestones we are missing out on. Most of us cry in private due to our sadness of separating from our babies. Many of us do not share our sadness which leads to postpartum depresssion.
It is time to talk about the sadness and frustration we are feeling in order to get the right support we need, whether it be emotional, financial, physical and allow for systemic changes.

Using Our Voices for Good

Emotional: we need to reach out to other mothers who are going through the same thing. We need to ask for help when we need it and have a shoulder to cry on during the time when we should be feeding our babies in the afternoon. We need to be able to tell someone "I am sad to be leaving the baby home."

Financial: we need to talk to our partners and be honest enough to say, "I need to stay home a few more months because i am not ready to leave the baby and return to work." We say this so that we can plan a way to save money enough for you to stay home a few more months. We need to make adjustments to our lifestyles in order to save money where we can to stay home longer if the sadness of separation is too unbearable.

Physical: as much as mental health is important to our health so is our phsyical bodies. Self-care is a must when are stuggling with depression, taking our vitamins, sleeping when we can, exercising and asking for hugs when we need it. If nothing, getting hugs will warm us up and remind us that we are connected to someone else. What better way to continue the bonding process than to cuddle up to our babies.

Systemic: before society can begin to understand the importance of mothers staying at home with their babies for a longer period of time, we need to speak out about how this process impacts our lives and our babies lives so that changes can be made systemically. Only when our voices are united can we call to action changes that need to be made to impact everyone.

Use your voice as a Working Mother to make the change you want to see for yourself and your babies/families

Thursday 21 January 2010

Forgiveness


Sometimes for us to become the best person and mother, it is important to forgive the negative things that have been done to us. Forgiving our own mothers may lead us on a path to becoming the best mother possible. Letting go of whatever was done to us, whether it be physical, emotional and even sexual abuse, it is imperative to learn forgiveness and give it as well as ask for it when need be. Without forgiveness we have a burden weighing on us that can at times bury us in our daily lives. Dr. Laura Schlessinger speaks about the 4 R's that must come before a person can completely forgive:

1. Responsibility--the person needs to acknowledge what they have done, do not blame anyone else, take the responsibility of your part in the process

2. Remorse--acknowledge that the other person is hurting because of you

3. Repair--what are we doing to repair it, to make the situation better

4. Repetition--they are taking steps to make sure they are willing to change the patterns

If it is your mother that you are forgiving, they need to have the Patience to give you time to really FORGIVE.

Wednesday 20 January 2010

PLANNING PARENTHOOD



You have waited and the stars have finally blessed you with a man. The man of your dreams, families have been introduced, engagement has been completed,the wedding has been had and honeymoon has been done and now married life is happening in real-time. Then the questions come, when are the babies coming? Your biological clock is ticking and you are ready to have a baby.

The question is:
Do you need consent from your husband in order to have a baby?
And i mean consent, permission from your husband, boyfriend, lover to have a baby?

YEA!
Those on the 'yea' side argue that once you are married, you and your husband are one and because of this, you and your husband should be making decisions as a unit. The woman would not go and buy a car without the consent of her husband, just as the man would not go buy a house in the islands without the consent of his wife. Big decisions in marriages/relationships are to be made as a unit especially when finances are involved. And of course, in the area of child-rearing, money is definitely a factor. To have a baby in the United Stages costs on average $10,000 without insurance!

NAY!
Those on the 'nay' side argue that when a woman is ready to have a baby, then because they are in a committed relationship or marriage, a woman should be able to make the decision to have the baby if and when she is ready. Marriages and committed relationships imply an intention to procreate (in the biblical sense) hence the consent from the partner is not required because consent is implied.

Regardless of which side you are on, PLANNING PARENTHOOD is significant in relationships--married life or coupling life. Too many couples, married or otherwise are having children without sitting down and talking about the logistics of having children.

Do we have the extra money to afford children right now?
How many child do we need to have?

These are questions that should be asked before children come into the married/coupling relationship. Marriages are difficult enough, so whether you agree with getting consent from your husband to have a baby or not, it is paramount that you consent to having some kind of PLAN when it comes to PARENTHOOD. As this is the biggest decision that you may ever make in your life.

Tuesday 19 January 2010

Planned Life vs Chance Life


Arguably planning is the key concept to be a successful person. When you decide in advance what you want to achieve at different stages of you life, this makes things.

However, not always planned things go smoothly.

But how can you cope if your dreams seem to take a long time to realise. No panic. Just follow these few steps and you will see the results. Everything happens when least expected.

1. Never think about numbers.
Meaning, you might have wanted to get married at 20 years old but now you are rocking towards 35 candles and you still don't have the ring on the finger? Just think how lucky you are. You can flirt with as many men as you want and never feel guilty. ;)

2. Enjoy your many me-times.
Why? Because one day your dream of being a wife and mother will come true, and although you will enjoy all the new challenges you might wish you had all that me-times when you could have. So while you can just enjoy it.

3. Never think negative.
Always be positive, don't throw away all the best wishes and just get the first thing that comes into your life. Ask the Almighty for the best gift and he will definitely give it to you when He believes is the right time for you to receive it.

So while your girlfriends are complaining about their kids and husband and in secret you envy them, don't because you will get yours when least expected. Sometimes life can be made by chances, we don't need to plan all the time. Plan your life but live it as not planned at all.

In the mean time take the chance to spoil all your nephews, these little kids will love you more and one day your kids will benefits from that love. ;)

Monday 18 January 2010

Separated Clothing


As mothers, we have to decide what to do with clothing for our kids.
As if we did not have enough going on with everyday life...now we have to decide how best to perserve the clothes of our children. It is important to keep clothes apart for the purpose of having some organization in the home. We maintain the kitchen, the bathroom and all the rooms. Children in general have different activities they participate on a daily basis. Church, play and school. Hence keeping church clothes laundred and folded and laid out nicely and neatly for saturday and or sunday makes weekends easy for me and stress-free!! Play clothes are of course always dirty and somewhat tattered so definitely need to keep that in the drawer for play-time. I do not want my children going to school looking like they have been rolling around in mud so school clothes should be clean, well-fitted and looking as new as possible. Keeping clothes separate provides three reprieves for me:

1) Controlled Cleaned Closets
2) Stress Free Days
3) Nice Looking Kids

As mothers, we need to make our lives easier and if separating clothes into play, church and school, then we need to do so.

Sunday 17 January 2010

D.A.M.E


Diversity is all around us regardless of which part of the world we live in. As mothers, we are diverse because of us are stay-at-home mothers, career moms, young moms, mature moms, rich moms, not-so-well off moms, but regardless of the diversity, one thing binds us together, aspirations.
Aspiring to do better in this world. We as mothers would like to aspire to bigger and better things. We are desirous to educate and train our children to be better human beings. We aspire to be better mothers everywhere we go in the world in order to support and encourage our families and friends.
In everthing we do, we are Diverse Aspiring Mothers Everywhere.

Nurturing Mother


It is difficult to be a woman, a wife, a girlfriend, a sister, a daughter and last but not least a mother! Although all these roles have their challenges and rewards, being a mother is the one at the top of my list. To be a mother is to be all these roles in one. A friend, a coach, a teacher, a doctor and most of all a nurturer. A nurturer is perhaps one of the most important role that a mother can have. The dictionary explains nuturer as:

1. to feed and protect, to nurture one's offspring
2. to support and encourage, as during the period of training or development
3. To bring up, traing, educate
4. rearing, upbringing, educate training or the like
5. something that nourishes..ie: nourishment, food

Regardless of your race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status, all mothers want to nurturer regardless it is their children or other individuals in their lives.

Friday 8 January 2010

Welcome...

D.A.M.E is a blog dedicated to all mothers. Young, old, African, European Asian Latina, every woman in the world can be part of this project call D.A.M.E!
The logo simply means DIVERSE-ASPIRING-MOTHERS- EVERYWHERE. Most of the time when we look around in the mainstream publoshing industry and media there is very little representation space for all the women in the world. Most magazine advertise impeccably over-brushed image of women posing as real mothers. But according to D.A.M.E, mothers come in different colour, shape and social background. There are mothers and women who work the normal jobs and there are not celebrity or models but strive to be a better mother and person.

On this blog we will give advice on how to plan for a family, how to dress when it comes to motherhood and womanhood. This blog will browse the net to discover different anecdotes in life to share with the readers on this blog. We will promote best blogs dedicated to mothers and children.

This blog is family oriented blog and we condone any act that is not ethical and moral.