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My Dream relaxation room #Roomtobreathe #ad

2013-05-24T21:47:00.002-04:00

This is a sponsored post, I am participating in the Room to Breathe Blogger program. As usual all opinions are my own.

As crazy as it may sound, I’ve lived in my home for 6 years now and I have done very little decorating. My office is painted and my son’s room is fully decorated but the rest of the rooms in my home leave much to be desired. This year I’ve been very inspired to truly turn this house into a home and have been looking for ideas to create my perfect bedroom retreat. Unlike many people, my bedroom is a place of solace for me, I have no television in there and I will soon be transferring my home office into the guest bedroom. I have an entire sitting room that is part of my bedroom and it is here that I will create my dream relaxation room.

I will incorporate all of my favorite things including a chaise lounge and a built in bookcase. My room will be a soft heather grey with lemon and lavender accent pieces. For the decor, I will be incorporating candles too, I love scents and they help relax me. As a participant in the Room to Breathe blogger program, I already have a jumpstart on some of the items I will incorporate in my dream relaxation room.

I’ve been sent a Clean air soy wax candle. I love soy it is long burning and it neutralizes any odors in the room. I was also sent a Envirascape Silver Springs Illuminated relaxation fountain. Can you say bliss? I have both the candle and the fountain on my bedside table. When I turn off my lights the candle and fountain both provide slight illumination in the room and lend to an environment that is healthy and relaxing as a drift off to sleep. And finally, I was sent a Areca Palm plant that looks beautiful, will help keep the air clean and I am hoping I don’t kill it. Sadly, I was not born with a green thumb but was told it is low-maintenance so I’m going to try my best to keep it alive!

And when my room is completed, I will certainly incorporate my Sharp PCI Air Purifier. My bedroom is in the back of the house and during allergy seasons if I run my ceiling fan or open the windows, the pollen and other allergens settle in my room and it is disastrous. The Sharp PCI Air Purifier will be a wonderful addition to the dream room. It is whisper quiet, I mean literally you cannot hear it and you could easily use it in a library without disturbing anyone. It is compact and automatic so it will not disturb the decor and it provides automatic and complete air quality for my room - exactly what I need! Until I complete my room, I am keeping the Sharp PCI Air Purifier in my family room and so far, so good. My son has not had any respiratory problems and I am sure the air quality is better in this room than in any other in the house.

Be on the lookout for a full review of the Sharp PCI Air Purifier and in the meantime, please excuse me as I enjoy my modified relaxation space! For more information you can visit the Sharp Air facebook page and follow on twitter.

Save Your Do!

2013-05-22T15:41:00.003-04:00

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you know that I lost 50 pounds from the end of 2009 to mid 2010 and living a healthy lifestyle is extremely important to me. I have personally never had any reservations about exercising relating to my hair, however there are numerous African American women who cite their hair and maintaining it as a hinderance to working out. I completely understand this, if I had a hairstyle that required going to a salon and a weekly basis and my style would be ruined by a workout, I’d be hesitant too. That is why actress Nicole Ari Parker devised the idea of the Save Your Do GymWrap which is now available at Walmart.

The Save Your Do Gymwrap “uses a patent-pending proprietary “Edge Control Technology” that consists of three layers of materials that wick away moisture from your hair, allow heat to escape, and when properly applied keep hair pressed down during a workout.” It is machine washable and has open ends so it is adjustable no matter the size of your head. This weekend I had the opportunity to visit a local Walmart and see Nicole Ari Parker and her handsome husband Boris Kodjoe meet consumers and answer questions about “Save Your Do”.

One thing that really impressed me is that 10% of the proceeds are donated to the Sophie’s Voice Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to spina bifida research, improving the lives of children and adults with spina bifida and raising awareness about prevention. Nicole and her husband Boris founded the non-profit after their daughter Sophie was born with the disease. The Save Your Do not only saves hair, it saves lives!
I am currently in the process of determining my next hairstyle and there is a high likelihood that it will be a straight style. A definite change for me, I haven’t worn my hair straight for any length of time since high school! But I am glad to know that the Save Your Do is available so that I don’t join the numbers of women claiming they can’t exercise because it will mess up the “do”!

American Cancer Society Celebrating 100 years and honoring caregivers

2013-05-22T12:35:00.001-04:00

Today is the 100th anniversary of the American Cancer Society and they are determined to finish the fight against cancer. Sadly this is a fight that millions of people grapple with on a daily basis. In celebration of the anniversary, I would like to honor the often unsung heros in the fight against cancer, the caregivers. As I sat down to write this post, I struggled with identifying one person. As is often the case with cancer, especially in the black community, in many cases the cancer was identified late stage and the caregivers were there to make the patient comfortable and prepare for the worst.

In these instances, I’ve found that communities come together to pitch in and help. Some provide transportation to and from the hospital for treatment. Others prepare food. And there are those who simply provide a listening ear, frequent visits and conversations. All of these caregivers deserve to recognized and honored. However, these are the same people who look for no pat on the back for simply providing love and kindness to someone they love.

Today I ask that if you know a caregiver for someone who fought cancer, is fighting cancer or perhaps lost the fight that you give them a big hug and thank you. Watching a loved one go through this experience is difficult mentally, spiritually and physically. Today please honor those who have quietly led the charge in the battle without asking for anything in return. They deserve it!

My story is just one and this year, starting today, the American Cancer Society would like to collect 100 stories of caregivers. They want to shine a light on people who work so tirelessly to help loved ones through their cancer journey. If you have a story you would like to share, please click here.