SELF LOVE Affirmations

Just wanted to share some tips on Self love with my readers. I have found that Self-love affirmations can effectively help us live a more positive and love filled life. Affirmations are powerful statements that have the ability to change our beliefs about anything. I’m a firm believer in speaking positive things about yourself no matter how you feel, therefore, I make it a point throughout the day to speak self love affirmations about and to myself. By repeating an affirmation over and over again, it begins to seep into our brains that those affirmations might be true.

Here are just a few affirmations you can say to yourself. Feel free to save these, share and spread love.

I release my negative thoughts, embracing positivity and optimism
I am worthy of love
I do not need someone else to feel happiness
My imperfections make me unique and special
I take responsibility for who I am: the bad and the good
I approve of myself. I love myself deeply and fully
My body is a beautiful expression of my individuality
I have strength to rise in the face of adversity
I am a beautiful person
I have come this far, I can keep going
I deserve love, compassion and empathy
I am worthy of love, peace and joy
I am worth it
I am ENOUGH.
I will Surround myself with positive people who will help bring the best out in me
I am Love

A friendly Reminder that Self-Love is NOT selfish. Selfishness in fact often stems from insecurities where people lack self love and are unsure if they are worthy. Love yourself while taking good care of yourself.

Remember to keep saying these positive self-love affirmations and you will certainly see a great change in your behavior as well as your life.

Tips on taking a road trip with a baby

While there are several tips out there, I just wanted to share my own experiences with my readers. I hope this blog as well as all my other blogs will inspire parents/families and those of you who plan on having kids or single to explore the many beautiful cities and states within the US as well as the world.

Sophia’s first road trip was a 5hr drive to Connersville Indiana for a family baby shower at 6months. And let me tell you, it was a rough one. From crying because she wanted to get out of the car seat, to being curious about everything around her, being sleepy yet not fully taking her naps because of her curiosity and lets not forget the fact that she couldn’t nurse as frequent as she wanted to. (Being a breastfeeding baby, feeds are a lot more frequent) It was through this first trip that I was inspired to write this blog. At 7 months, we took our second road trip to Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia all within a week. Was this second trip perfect? Absolutely NOT, but it was much better than the first one as far as being on the road. I definitely learned from both of these. I hope my experiences and tips will be helpful and inspire you to get on the road.

Keep the babies important items close in reach and not in the trunk: Big items like the Stroller, Bumbo, Fold up playpin go in the trunk. Essentials such as pacifiers, snacks, bottles, toys, books should be close in reach so as to make it easier for you and to avoid the hassle of pulling over just to go to the trunk. Make sure what you pack are babies favorites. Mix up the toys and snacks to a variety so that baby doesn’t get bored.

Travel with someone for the first trip (A friend, Family member, Significant other) Having someone with you (another adult) especially for the first trip will make the trip a little easier and more fun for you. It’s nice to have a second hand especially if you don’t know exactly where you are going. Not to forget, it’s even easier to stop for a bathroom break without having to drag your baby in with you (which I’m sure will happen when you travel alone)

3. Dress the baby in comfortable clothes and according to the weather: You don’t want the baby to over heat or get cold. Putting on comfortable clothing is a must and will help your car go along smoothly. Also have extra clothing inside the car in case of a diaper accident.

Pack Extra: Because the weather is very unpredictable in every state, I highly recommend packing more than you’ll need because chances are you will need some extra clothing. Check weather in advance of course, but plan on it changing as well. For our second trip, I made sure I packed for the 94 degree weather which consisted of short sleeved onsies and shorts but I also packed 2-3 long sleeved onsies and pants. I was glad I did this because once we got to Maryland, the weather flipped on us and went to the low 50s. Expect the unexpected.

FYI: Pack extra clothing for yourself too, messy accidents will happen.

5. Take short breaks: I found that even taking a 5-10min break after driving 2hrs is going to help your baby stay calm. Just like we as adults need a break in between, our babies can use a stretch after sitting in that car seat. (It doesn’t have to be after 2hrs, but whatever works for you and your baby of course) This is also a great way for babies to use their curiosity by seeing what’s around. I noticed that when we stopped even 5min with our Sophie, she was more relaxed.

6. Make the road trip fun: Have a blast with your baby, make this trip and many more to come memorable and don’t be too serious about it. Expect the Unexpected and just go with the flow. Your first trip and even second may not go as planned and that’s OK. Play some music, tell stories, be silly and take plenty of pictures. Road trips can be fun if you make them fun. At 7 months, Sophia has already taken 2 road trips and 1 flight. This is only the beginning of many adventures to come. My hope is to introduce her to as many cultures, states, and countries the same way my parents did for me. To all you traveling new mamas and experienced ones, may you continue to teach your kids to live outside the box and be open to travel while learning.

Dear New moms and moms to be.

As a new mom myself to a 7month old almost 8 months, I have to be honest in that I was extremely overwhelmed the first 3 months of being a mother. (I’m sure many of you who are already mothers can probably relate) I have NEVER understood what people meant when they said being a mother is the hardest and most rewarding job until I’ve become a mother myself. Every day comes with something new and I’ve accepted that.

To all of you who are new to this mama/parent life and to all the mama’s to be, I wanna just share with you some encouraging words that I learned during these last 7 months. YOU ARE DEFINITELY NOT GOING TO BE PERFECT. NOT EVER. Everyone will have their opinion on how you should and shouldn’t do things. it’s up to you to choose what advice you’ll take. I’ve also learned to to simply accept that I’m gonna mess up, things won’t be perfect. I remember trying to “DO IT ALL” in a certain amount of time till a few friends reminded me to take advantage of napping while baby girl was napping, eat, shower, and do as much as I could.

As I look into my baby girls eyes and spend time bonding with her, I’ve found that what really matters are the memories we make together as I care for and love her in the Best way I know. So as much as you may mess up, remember: YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BE PERFECT AND THAT IS OK BECAUSE YOU ARE THE PERFECT MOM/PARENT FOR YOUR CHILD AND THAT’S WHAT MATTERS THE MOST.

TAKE CARE OF YOU, SO YOU CAN TAKE BETTER CARE OF YOUR BABY.

~From One mama to the next~

A few ways to help you stay Motivated

Because we are all human, it is so easy to get off track and that’s ok as long as we get back on track. I am no where near perfect and never do I try to pretend to be. I simply believe in doing MY BEST, not someone else’s best. As I get older, meet new people, lose some, and just go through life, I have found ways to keep myself motivated and wanted to share them with my readers. One of my favorite sayings is this one, “The grass is greener where you water it”. Whatever you yourself chose to focus on will grow. So choose to focus on the good things life brings no matter what life throws your way.

Believe in yourself.
Reward yourself
Acknowledge your attributes
Recognize your progress
Visualize accomplishing your goals
Celebrate every pound lost
Be kind to yourself
Focus on how you feel, not the scale
Take it one day at time
Surround yourself with positivity
Create a dream board
Ask yourself what you want, and make realistic goals accordingly
What ever you do, don’t compare yourself to others
You are wonderfully and Uniquely made
God didn’t make a mistake on you
Just do and be YOU.
Live, and Be UNAPOLOGETICALLY YOU

What I have learned as a new mom

So this is my first Blog of 2018 so I’ll keep it short, sweet and simple. I’ve been slacking but i’ll do better from here on out. Just thought I start this year’s first blog out with this new baby journey and share a few things I’ve learned and still learning as a new mom. With Sophia now being 6months, I finally learned how to put my foot down. With being a new mom comes people who want to tell you how to raise your child. Yes, I’m open minded and always willing to listen, but I’ve finally learned that despite being new to this motherhood life, I can figure out what I want to do as a mom and if there is any advice I’d like to take, then I’ll decide that. From being pregnant up until now, I’ve heard it all. Don’t do this, do that, this isn’t good for her, don’t feed her this, she’s too little, she’s too big, you need to do this, etc. Being the person I am, I had to shut all this down before I went crazy. Thankfully, I’ve had a few supportive friends and family and of course my mom who reminded me that it is absolutely OK to do what I want with my baby. With that being said, I have accepted that I won’t always do things perfectly, heck i’ve already messed up but I’m learning every day. The biggest thing I’ve learned is that Motherhood/parenthood doesn’t come with a Manual. it’s up to you as a parent to do what you feel is best for your child. it’s ok to say NO, it’s ok to tell people you don’t really want unsolicited advice. The first few months of being a new mom were so hard for me just because I was too afraid to tell people to just let me grow and learn. Too many take and took it the wrong way but I chose/choose to not let that be my problem. Because Self Care is so important to me, I’ve learned that part of taking care of you and your baby can and will sometimes mean, having to just be up front and honest. As a new mom, I’m always gonna be learning just like we all had to as new moms.

Whether you’re a new mom/parent, mom of one, two or more kids, Put you and your kid/s first. Take care of yourself and don’t let other people’s unsolicited advice dictate how you raise your child. Our princess Sophia is a Happy, Healthy child and that’s all that matters right now. And we can always learn from others, we just don’t have to accept everyone’s opinions/suggestions.

Written with love from an Unapologetic Mama.

A Happy, Healthy, Positive Pregnancy is Possible (40weeks)

I’ll be honest and I’m sure not too many people want to hear this. The last 40weeks of carrying our little princess have been an amazing journey for me. (currently past due by 6daysJ) From the moment I found out I was going to have a baby, I made up my mind that I would treat my body with absolute love by giving it the best knowing I was also giving the baby the best. Not only that but I also chose to remain positive no matter what the doctors said. With this attitude, I can truly say at 40weeks, despite the here and there aches, frequent bathroom visits, tiredness, mood swings, and the fibroids, I have enjoyed my pregnancy. Yes, I had evening sickness in the beginning which lasted about a month as well as fibroid issues which led me to the emergency room twice. This did not discourage me but only encouraged me to take care of my health even more. It is truly because of my Faith, Confidence, and having a great support system filled with positive people that helped my pregnancy turn out to be what it has been. Happy, Healthy Pregnancy is what I have had even at 40weeks. How did I do it? I chose to look at the positive in everything and to not allow anything or anyone negative in my space. In addition to this, I also chose to remain active for entire pregnancy, whether it was walking, swimming, yoga, lifting or some type of dancing. I didn’t allow being pregnant be an excuse to be lazy and truth be told, exercise has always made me feel great, so why not. A scripture that kept me going was and has always been Philippians 4:13 “I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me the strength” Knowing this gave me the motivation. Nervous? Yes I am, but I’m confident that God will be in that delivery room with me as well as in our little girl’s life just like he’s been throughout my entire pregnancy. As a new mom, I have learned so much in these 40weeks. One thing I know for sure is that every pregnancy is definitely different. I had people telling me all these horror stories about their pregnancy which in the beginning got me scared and discouraged, but after changing my thinking and attitude, my experience has been an entirely different one. Word of advice to new moms and to anyone in general, your experience will be different.

A Happy, Healthy and Positive pregnancy is possible.

Self care during my 9 months of pregnancy

Staying Active and taking care of ME during my first pregnancy has been a key to my happy and healthy pregnancy. Don’t get me wrong in that I’m not saying I’ve had the “perfect” pregnancy, whatever that may be. I have had days where I didn’t want anyone talking to me, where my fibroids led me to the emergency room twice, sleepless nights of tossing and turning and never finding a comfortable position, however non of this has bothered me enough to be miserable. I am thankful each day knowing I have a healthy little human inside, I’m thankful just to hear her heartbeat and kicks, I’m thankful just to have a supportive and caring man in my life and so much more.

Anyone who really knows me knows that I am such a huge advocate for self care. (Not just working out but whatever it is that makes you feel good) With this pregnancy, I made a vow to myself, for myself and for our little girl that I would make sure I stayed active and positive mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally. I told myself that no matter how I felt, I would always make time for myself as well as my health. I can truly say with being 9 months, I feel GREAT. Prayer has been a great self care for me, so has taking weekly yoga classes, swimming, taking walks, participating in the different events BBC (Birthing Beautiful Community) holds, taking time to meet with friends, enjoying festivals, visiting the botanical gardens, and because I was pregnant in my last semester of Grad school, I made sure I took the time to communicate with my professors and let them know I was pregnant. I was blessed to be given extra time on assignments. This was and has all been a part of selfcare, making sure I am always in good space. I have made sure I make time to be with positive people who inspire, motivate, and encourage me. And with so much negativity in the world, I made sure to stay away/avoid it as much as I could. I’m thankful to have a mom and future mother in law who have been very supportive and have helped in making sure I am having a happy and healthy pregnancy. I am also thankful to have great friends who have constantly made sure I am ok or if I needed anything, my boyfriend who is beyond supportive and my Doula provided by BBC who has been a lifesaver. All the people I have mentioned are a part of my selfcare in so many ways. Being a new mom, my biggest and what I feel is the most important advice for moms who are pregnant would be this: TAKE CARE OF YOU FIRST and DON’T APOLOGIZE FOR MAKING TIME FOR YOURSELF.

Women Empowering One Another

~I love it when women love themselves. I love it when women are learning to love themselves. I love it when women inspire other women to love themselves better. Ladies, Never forget you worth. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. No matter your size, shape, color, background, we are all beautiful in our own Unique way~

So I really wanted to write this short blog after reading several posts, watching how women interact with one another, how society wants us to be and really after my baby shower which was filled with a room of awesome human beings and women. We live in a society that tells us how we should look, which has led so many women to constantly feel the need to compete with one another as opposed to empowering each other. Watching the ladies interact at my baby shower really brightened my day and was a great reminder that women can be in one room and laugh, joke, dance together. When it comes to lifestyle, As a person that loves everything fitness and health, I also love myself enough to know that I am free to have days where I wanna pig out and eat regular ice cream as opposed to organic, eat regular fries as opposed to sweet potato fries, eat a cookie or 10 just bc I CAN, drink 3 glasses of wine, the list goes on. I also have my days where I sit around and do absolutely NOTHING and days when I’m at the gym 4-5 times a week. My point is that we as women need to uplift and encourage one another no matter what instead of allowing society to keep letting us compete with one another. I’m a firm believer in that What’s meant for me is for me and what’s for you, is for YOU so there’s never a need to compete.

While I may live a different lifestyle than others, I’ve also learned to respect others on how they live theirs. It is up to us as women to not judge the next woman, but let them live as they choose. The only thing we can do is live our life and if that individual would like to make life changes, let them come to you instead of you forcing your suggestions or lifestyle.

So here’s to ALL women. May we know them, may we always uplift, support and encourage one another. May we never compete but constantly applaud another woman’s success, may we surround ourselves with positive motivating women. May we never forget how Phenomenal we really are!!!

~Woman, You are Worth it, Your’e Beautiful so Never apologize for who you are~

A healthy lifestyle makes a huge difference

Many of you may already know this but for those that don’t I’ll say it again: A healthy lifestyle is more than how you look, it’s about how you feel. As I write this blog at 29 weeks(7months pregnant, I can truly say I feel absolutely AMAZING) Yes, my body has definitely gone through some changes which I’ve learned to embrace and love knowing I’m carrying a human being, God’s creation, a blessing.

So I really just wanted to write this blog just to share how living a healthy lifestyle really does make a huge difference. (I’ve always known this, but being pregnant has really opened my eyes) As far as food, No, I don’t always eat everything organic but 9 out of 10 I choose to eat natural foods.(Yes, I’m one of those people that prefers shopping at whole foods(where they do accept food stamps by the way., local farms, and local farmers markets) And yes, organic food and eating healthy can be expensive but doctors visits are more expensive. I choose to spend my money on health which starts with what I put in my body, how I think, and the lifestyle I live. I’ve always been health conscious but for the first time in my life and after finding out we were expecting, my health has become even more important. It’s no longer just about me but about my mini me Sophia. Because of choosing a healthier lifestyle, my pregnancy has been truly amazing. Yes, I’ve gained weight that I’m not used to but I’m also ok with it bc it’s the weight needed, I’ve managed to exercise 3-5 times a week even if it’s just a short walk, a run, swim, yoga, strength training, etc. This pregnancy has inspired me so much more to keep an active lifestyle and because of the healthy choices I’ve made, in my third trimester, my body is adjusting and doing what it needs to. From having a great glucose test, to no back pains, no swelling, no bad cravings, and most important to being able to maintain my fibroid. (I had discovered I had fibroids right above my uterus during my pregnancy which was depressing in my first trimester. I was told they would either shrink or continue to grow as the baby grew. I have to say by the grace of God and with healthy eating and consistent exercise, the fibroids have shrunk and no more emergency room visits) I share this little part of my battling with fibroids just to say that we can avoid so many sicknesses just by making small changes in our health. No, this pregnancy hasn’t been perfect, but heck it’s been close to it and I owe it all to God, fitness, healthy choices and the encouraging friends in my circle. And even if your’e not preggo, taking control of your health will change so much. Mentally, physically, emotionally, Spiritually. Your health really is your Wealth so be good to yourself, be good to your body!!!!!!

Diary of a new mom to be:)

I’m not Beautiful like you, I’m Beautiful like ME. (Be Your Own Beautiful)

So I’m pretty excited to write this blog. “I’m Not Beautiful like you, I’m Beautiful like me” is one of my favorite sayings, quotes, words to remember. I chose this particular picture to show the strength, confidence and love of self I have developed. Growing up, I never really cared so much about what I wore or how I looked until I moved to the US in the 7th grade. I have to admit, as a confident, bubbly tom boy coming straight from Zambia, my self esteem immediately went down when I was first bullied and told I was “TOO DARK, too skinny, with an ugly African accent and so many more negative comments. Although these words did affect me for about 2yrs, they also gave me the strength to become the woman I’ve become now as well as to be an advocate for those who are/have been bullied. Since going through this, I can truly say at the age of 29, I have become even more comfortable in my skin while living my life the best way I can. (I actually thank God I went through that bullying phase bc now I’m even stronger and confident) Being comfortable in one’s own skin is not a state that comes easily to many, I know it wasn’t for me at the age of 13, 14 and even 15 as well during my adulthood. We struggle with our failure to meet societies standards or even just our own. We starve, workout, crunch, pluck, dye, wax, inject ourselves toward an unattainable ideal. Bear in mind that most celebrity photo’s are airbrushed. A reminder to my readers that life is too short to worry that your thighs are too dimply or your ears are too pointy or your boobs are too small, too big, your upper arms sag, etc. (Yes, I workout and make sure I’m healthy but I don’t do it for societies approval, I do it bc it makes me feel great, so if there’s something you don’t like heck yea work on it bc that’s what YOU want) Life is too short to get upset at finding another wrinkle or grey hair. Life is too short to spend apologizing for the genetic hand we were dealt. Life is too short to care about the opinion or compromise yourself especially for some tosser(s) or so called friend who can’t treat you with respect and care. We have to start thinking about ourselves in a healthy way. Mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually. To learn a type of comfort and acceptance of our likes and dislikes, our choices and values, and how we live our lives. it’s the knowledge that we’re not perfect, and mistakes do not make us worthless. it’s a form of grace, of living in alignment with who we are, and not trying to fit ourselves into a mould. Sure I want to look my best so I exercise my mind, body and eat healthy and I treat everyone like an old friend and I laugh often BUT I’ve also learned to have healthy boundaries bc now I recognize what is not good for me emotionally and I am definitely not bothered about what others think of me. I am Unapologetically Me.

As I remind myself that I’m not beautiful like you, I’m beautiful like me I also keep the following in mind: Treat others well, recognize who does not treat you well, live well by treating yourself well, and do all you can with joyful confidence and you will come to love yourself and not tolerate people who do not treat you with care and respect.

To each one of my readers, may you always remember that you’re not beautiful like anyone else, your’e beautiful like you. We were all created in our own unique way. Love yourself better as you focus on working on YOU for YOU, it’s Not Selfish.

vibewithnizablog