The Happy and Not-So Happy Rantings of a Chocolate Mom

Hubby Done Good!

noreply@blogger.com (Chocolate Mom aka Blupoetres) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:25:00 +0000

Ok, ladies and gents!

Valentine's day was yesterday and my hubby completely got me by surprise. I subscribe to Venus catalog and every month it comes in, I dog-ear my favorite items and keep it moving. Well, well, well...imagine my surprise when I opened my V-Day gift to find the dress and jumpsuit pictured below (I know that jumpsuit is fierce!!)

Now I'm sure some of you may be wondering why this is such a huge deal, let me break it down for you:

This is the first time Hubby's bought my outdoor wear!

Y'all get it now?

We've been together 8 years, and about to be married for 7, and this is the first time he's bought me clothes that can be worn outside!

Fellas, if you don't know, you betta ask somebody, and ladies same to you!

I can't wait to rock both outfits and I have the perfect heels for both!

Great job Hubby!! I love you!!

Cute Black and Purple Babydoll dress

I call this one my "Sexy Ninja" jumpsuit!!

Whitney Houston died???

noreply@blogger.com (Chocolate Mom aka Blupoetres) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 01:34:00 +0000

How horrible! Waiting to hear details!!

Natural Hair Dolls

noreply@blogger.com (Chocolate Mom aka Blupoetres) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:45:00 +0000

My bestie sent me this link (Thanks Chelly) and all I can say is: WOW!!! There are finally some dolls out there that better represent the different hair styles that women of color sport!

The site: Natural Girls United has a tab dedicated to Natural Hair Dolls. I must say that I'm loving the majority of them. However, some of the children that they created for Barbie to have...well, I don't find them to be very flattering. But that's just me.

Here are my two favorite from the site:

Add caption

What are your thoughts on these dolls?

What Was Your Favorite Super Bowl Commercial?

noreply@blogger.com (Chocolate Mom aka Blupoetres) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:54:00 +0000

Top 3:
3. Baby Slingshot
2. You Ain't Seen Nuthin
1. E*Trade

What were your fave's?

Latest Bantu Knot-Out

noreply@blogger.com (Chocolate Mom aka Blupoetres) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:03:00 +0000

Beard, Goatee, Mustache, or Nada?

noreply@blogger.com (Chocolate Mom aka Blupoetres) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:42:00 +0000

My hubby typically sports a goatee with a fine line outline of a beard. This is not a issue at all....

...however, when that sucker is growing in: EESH!!

I've been begging him for some time to just do the goatee and clean shave the rest but he doesn't want to have to worry or deal with razor bumps, but...

...surprise, surprise! He came home today with the thinnest beard outline and the smoothest cheeks I've ever felt on him!! Yummy!! To say that I was enamored by my husband's handsome clean face would be an understatement!

What say you: beard, goatee, mustache, or completely clean shaven? Curious to see what you ladies out there are thinking.

Full Goatee

Thin Goatee

Clean Shaven

Mustache

Don't let a sistuh down, comment please.

He Finally Replied!

noreply@blogger.com (Chocolate Mom aka Blupoetres) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 13:23:00 +0000

Hey Bloggers,

I am ecstatic this morning! Why? Well... After over three years of writing and keeping this blog, my darling husband finally commented!

I don't know how many of you that write blogs have the support of your spouses or significant others, and by support I mean: read, follow, and comment.

I am so happy to wake up this morning to see that my husband not only commented on one post but on two!!

Isn't it the little things that mean so much? These are my thoughts and questions and rants, and now to know that he is reading them, I feel more support and love. Especially since some of my posts deal with my appearance.

Going natural was a big change and to know that he still thinks I'm beautiful is huge!!

Thank you honey for supporting me, loving me, and for realizing how important my wee little blog is.

I love you!

Naturally Beautiful OR Just Too Much Hair?

noreply@blogger.com (Chocolate Mom aka Blupoetres) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 01:54:00 +0000

Thoughts please. I can't tell if this is hot or a hot mess.

What do you think? Be honest. Don't have me walking in the street with people whispering, "Dang, why didn't somebody tell her to tame that nest!".

Ok?

Say Uncle!

noreply@blogger.com (Chocolate Mom aka Blupoetres) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 01:29:00 +0000

When you and your spouse/mate have an argument, who typically initiates the makeup process?

Is it always one person?

Does it vary based on the argument?

Are apologies necessary for every instance?

Thoughts?

Happy 92nd Founder's Day to All of My Blutiful Sorors of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Chocolate Mom aka Blupoetres) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 18:43:00 +0000

My Kiddie Party PomPom

noreply@blogger.com (Chocolate Mom aka Blupoetres) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 21:43:00 +0000

Loving my PomPom!!!

It's so full and fluffy!!!

Real Men Aren't Afraid of Crying

noreply@blogger.com (Chocolate Mom aka Blupoetres) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:56:00 +0000

If you don't know by now, one of my major passions is the written word. My love for it is so deep that I teach a senior Creative Writing class.

Every Thursday my students have to perform a piece that they have written. Well...this week one of my boys (we'll call him "L") in my program took his open mic to a whole other level!

To celebrate their one year anniversary, "L" wrote a poem for his girlfriend, asked me to write her a pass to come hear it, and in the presence of his entire male peer class "L" professed his undying love for her.

But wait! I'm not done. Towards the end "L" gets so overcome with emotion that he begins to openly weep as he finishes his poem. When he's finished they are both crying and embracing while the class is quietly applauding and my manly little men tried not to show how close they all got to crying too.

While all of my boys know that I don't condone relationships so close to graduation, I was so proud of "L" for 1) not being afraid to show his girl how much she means to him and 2)for showing all the other boys that it takes a real man to share his tears!

I love when I get to see some of my speeches, lessons, and "mothering" come to life.

What will I do when they graduate?

Sigh.

Ready For My Miracle!

noreply@blogger.com (Chocolate Mom aka Blupoetres) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 02:45:00 +0000

God is so good...all the time! I'm claiming my victory in 2012.

Are you ready for yours?

Followers, Followers, Wherefore Art Thou Followers?!

noreply@blogger.com (Chocolate Mom aka Blupoetres) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:50:00 +0000

It seems that in my overanxious joy about Google's Dynamic Views (Bloggers know what I'm talking about), I didn't realize that all of my Links, Pages, Tickers, etc. were not being displayed.

Alas, I'm back you using a more traditional view of my page because I firmly believe that's the reason why I haven't had any new followers...right?

Right?

Anywho, if you've been enjoying my page, please become a follower and subscribe to my page. I guarantee you won't be sorry.

Sad state of affairs, I know. Shameless. Just shameless.

Back to The Gym I Go...

noreply@blogger.com (Chocolate Mom aka Blupoetres) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 04:14:00 +0000

Fat beware there's a new sheriff in town, and she's taking no prisoners!!

Burn calories, burn!
Tone muscles, tone!
Die fat, die!!!

Praying for a sleek, fit, and healthy body! Now and forever!

Linky On Using The "Big Boy Potty"...

noreply@blogger.com (Chocolate Mom aka Blupoetres) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 22:14:00 +0000

For 2012, I'm not buying any more pull-ups! Link has been peeing standing up since Christmas break, and no longer wants to use his potty. We also have the toddler potty seat that goes over the regular toilet, he also does not want to use that.

He says, "I'm a big boy and big boys use big things!"

I know, right?!

Then this weekend when getting ready to make a #2, he squealed, "My bambam doesn't like this big boy potty because it makes my bambam cold!"

When I asked him, "Well, Link now that you're using the big boy potty, it will be cold most of the time, what are you going to do?"

With a huge kool-aid smile, he said, "Don't worry about mom, I will just warm my bambam!"

And with that he stood up and proceeded to rub his little butt for about a minute, proudly proclaimed, "It's warm now, so I can go ahead and finish what I started!"

You can't make these things up!!

Stop It!!

noreply@blogger.com (Chocolate Mom aka Blupoetres) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:00:00 +0000

***Thanks to my bestie, Michelle for this:

30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself

Posted on December 16, 2011 |

30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself

Article written by Marc at Marcandangel.com

When you stop chasing the wrong things you give the right things a chance to catch you.

As Maria Robinson once said, “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” Nothing could be closer to the truth. But before you can begin this process of transformation you have to stop doing the things that have been holding you back.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you. If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you. You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot. Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth. And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.
2. Stop running from your problems. – Face them head on. No, it won’t be easy. There is no person in the world capable of flawlessly handling every punch thrown at them. We aren’t supposed to be able to instantly solve problems. That’s not how we’re made. In fact, we’re made to get upset, sad, hurt, stumble and fall. Because that’s the whole purpose of living – to face problems, learn, adapt, and solve them over the course of time. This is what ultimately molds us into the person we become.
3. Stop lying to yourself. – You can lie to anyone else in the world, but you can’t lie to yourself. Our lives improve only when we take chances, and the first and most difficult chance we can take is to be honest with ourselves. Read The Road Less Traveled .
4. Stop putting your own needs on the back burner. – The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too. Yes, help others; but help yourself too. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.
5. Stop trying to be someone you’re not. – One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you likeeveryone else. Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter, someone will always be younger, but they will never be you. Don’t change so people will like you. Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.
6. Stop trying to hold onto the past. – You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one.
7. Stop being scared to make a mistake. – Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing. Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success. You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did.
8. Stop berating yourself for old mistakes. – We may love the wrong person and cry about the wrong things, but no matter how things go wrong, one thing is for sure, mistakes help us find the person and things that are right for us. We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past. But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future. Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.
9. Stop trying to buy happiness. – Many of the things we desire are expensive. But the truth is, the things that really satisfy us are totally free – love, laughter and working on our passions.
10. Stop exclusively looking to others for happiness. – If you’re not happy with who you are on the inside, you won’t be happy in a long-term relationship with anyone else either. You have to create stability in your own life first before you can share it with someone else. Read Stumbling on Happiness .
11. Stop being idle. –; Don’t think too much or you’ll create a problem that wasn’t even there in the first place. Evaluate situations and take decisive action. You cannot change what you refuse to confront. Making progress involves risk. Period! You can’t make it to second base with your foot on first.
12. Stop thinking you’re not ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises. Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.
13. Stop getting involved in relationships for the wrong reasons. – Relationships must be chosen wisely. It’s better to be alone than to be in bad company. There’s no need to rush. If something is meant to be, it will happen – in the right time, with the right person, and for the best reason. Fall in love when you’re ready, not when you’re lonely.
14. Stop rejecting new relationships just because old ones didn’t work. – In life you’ll realize that there is a purpose for everyone you meet. Some will test you, some will use you and some will teach you. But most importantly, some will bring out the best in you.
15. Stop trying to compete against everyone else. – Don’t worry about what others doing better than you. Concentrate on beating your own records every day. Success is a battle between YOU and YOURSELF only.
16. Stop being jealous of others. –; Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own. Ask yourself this: “What’s something I have that everyone wants?”;
17. Stop complaining and feeling sorry for yourself. – Life’s curveballs are thrown for a reason – to shift your path in a direction that is meant for you. You may not see or understand everything the moment it happens, and it may be tough. But reflect back on those negative curveballs thrown at you in the past. You’ll often see that eventually they led you to a better place, person, state of mind, or situation. So smile! Let everyone know that today you are a lot stronger than you were yesterday, and you will be.
18. Stop holding grudges. – Don’t live your life with hate in your heart. You will end up hurting yourself more than the people you hate. Forgiveness is not saying, “What you did to me is okay.” It is saying, “I’m not going to let what you did to me ruin my happiness forever.” Forgiveness is the answer… let go, find peace, liberate yourself! And remember, forgiveness is not just for other people, it’s for you too. If you must, forgive yourself, move on and try to do better next time.
19. Stop letting others bring you down to their level. – Refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs.
20. Stop wasting time explaining yourself to others. – Your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it anyway. Just do what you know in your heart is right.
21. Stop doing the same things over and over without taking a break. – The time to take a deep breath is when you don’t have time for it. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting. Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly.
22. Stop overlooking the beauty of small moments. – Enjoy the little things, because one day you may look back and discover they were the big things. The best portion of your life will be the small, nameless moments you spend smiling with someone who matters to you.
23. Stop trying to make things perfect. – The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists, it rewards people who get things done. Read Getting Things Done .
24. Stop following the path of least resistance. – Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile. Don’t take the easy way out. Do something extraordinary.
25. Stop acting like everything is fine if it isn’t. – It’s okay to fall apart for a little while. You don’t always have to pretend to be strong, and there is no need to constantly prove that everything is going well. You shouldn’t be concerned with what other people are thinking either – cry if you need to – it’s healthy to shed your tears. The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to smile again.
26. Stop blaming others for your troubles. – The extent to which you can achieve your dreams depends on the extent to which you take responsibility for your life. When you blame others for what you’re going through, you deny responsibility – you give others power over that part of your life.
27. Stop trying to be everything to everyone. – Doing so is impossible, and trying will only burn you out. But making one person smile CAN change the world. Maybe not the whole world, but their world. So narrow your focus.
28. Stop worrying so much. – Worry will not strip tomorrow of its burdens, it will strip today of its joy. One way to check if something is worth mulling over is to ask yourself this question: “Will this matter in one year’s time? Three years? Five years?” If not, then it’s not worth worrying about.
29. Stop focusing on what you don’t want to happen. – Focus on what you do want to happen. Positive thinking is at the forefront of every great success story. If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.
30. Stop being ungrateful. – No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up each day thankful for your life. Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs. Instead of thinking about what you’re missing, try thinking about what you have that everyone else is missing.

Are Muffin Tops Sexy??

noreply@blogger.com (Chocolate Mom aka Blupoetres) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 01:56:00 +0000

Be honest.

On a woman of average size, skinny, or chunky...is a muffin top ever sexy?

Cuz I've got one, and I gotta say, it's...um...nasty!

Dang broken Wii with quarters and pennies in it!!!

What say you? Sexy muffin tops or what?

The bottom says: If the shirt is short, a tight stomach you must sport!

Linky, The Troublesome Toddler Strikes Again!

noreply@blogger.com (Chocolate Mom aka Blupoetres) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:28:00 +0000

I finally get myself all motivated to do a Wii Zumba workout, had my leggings on, put on my Zumba belt, get the TV ready but the Wii wouldn't take the disc.

I unplug it, reset it, press eject over and over but nothing. Then I completely detach it and when I hold it upside down, what to I hear when I go to check it out?!

Coins!!!

Tons of coins!!

Link has been using it as his own personal ATM machine!!

The cost to ship and fix it to Nintendo?

$85 plus tax!!!

Ugh!

Is that worth it?

What's the craziest thing your toddler's ever done?

Two Strand Twist Out

noreply@blogger.com (Chocolate Mom aka Blupoetres) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 02:12:00 +0000

Two strand twist out!

I used the Ecostyler Gel with Olive Oil, a little of Miss Jessie, and a fresh CO wash to set this style up.

21 Day Fast - No Facebook!

noreply@blogger.com (Chocolate Mom aka Blupoetres) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 02:43:00 +0000

I'm starting to go through withdrawal already and it's only been 18 hours since my last FB post! I'm on a spiritual quest with my church and husband. I didn't think myself strong enough to go without food for that many days, but I'm starting to rethink things as evidently I'm a FB junkie. I'm mad too because I didn't post our holiday pics before my sign off post - Ugh! You know me and my pics! I'll just have to post them here to get my fix. Hubby is giving up soda! I'm so happy and proud that he's doing this with me! It's the two of us united with God's love in 2012!!! Only 19 1/2 more days!! - Posted using BlogPress

My To Do List for 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Chocolate Mom aka Blupoetres) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 01:42:00 +0000

Happy New Year Folks,

Thanks to Make Me Wanna Holler Dad, I just had to re-post my response to his New year To-do assessment.

"I'd like to:

finish my 21 day fast of no Facebook

continue getting closer to God

refinance our mortgage

get to the gym 2-3 times a week

eat more seafood

have more patience with tween daughter attitude

enjoy family game night at least 2 - 3 times a month

get a new babysitter for more date nights with hubby"

I'm giving God all the praise and the glory to help me complete my To Do list!!

Finally Got A Natural Neat Curlytail

noreply@blogger.com (Chocolate Mom aka Blupoetres) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 02:42:00 +0000

I give much praise and thanks to my cousin (and natural motivator) Amanda for the tips on how to do a puff. For Christmas she was rocking one and I was envious (shame on me, I know), but she was quick to assist. I followed her advice and purchased a pack of Goody Hair bands:

A tub (huge for only $4) of Eco Styler Gel (never thought to use gel from all the negative stereotyping it has, but I really like this product, it's light and airy, and doesn't seem to leave that yucky white residue behind):

My hair was doing a horrible version of a Bantu Knot Out (I'm not used to doing it with my new short hair, I guess), so it was already dry and uber curly. I just sprayed a little of my Leave-In/Water mix to everything but the puff, put a few dabs of the Eco Styler in all around, used a wide bristle brush to slick it back, and double banded the headband around the puff twice.

I've been rocking this for 2 days now! This is the first time I've had a successful curlytail in my whole 17 months (I say curlytail cuz it does not whip like a ponytail - yah, feel me?)!

Thanks again Panda!!

Merry Christmas Bloggers and Fans!

noreply@blogger.com (Chocolate Mom aka Blupoetres) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 01:45:00 +0000

Free digital ecard made with Smilebox

Maddy Story #49: Hair + Arms = You Did What?!

noreply@blogger.com (Chocolate Mom aka Blupoetres) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 03:07:00 +0000

Three weeks ago I went to shower and shave but noticed my razor was all gunky with hair and deodorant and shaving gel. I'm thinking that there's no why I left it like that but maybe in a rush I forgot. Hm?

Then a week later my electric razor is broken and full of hair. Hm?

I put 2 and 2 together and have a few choice words with Miss Maddy about the dangers of using a razor at 11 years old an that razors must wait until she's in high school. I tell if I catch her using my stuff again there will be serious consequences.

Fast forward to tonight!

I'm putting Link's folded clothes away in his dresser and my foot kicks something by his rocking chair. What is it, you ask? Well, this child of mine decided to hide a razor on the floor of her brother's room! Where he could find it! Where I kicked it with my bare foot! Did I mention where Link could find it?!

After I lost it and grounded her for Friday night's fun, Hubby jumped in with the rational question of "What exactly are you shaving?"

Are you ready for this?

Her ARMS!

Why?

Because they have TINY HAIRS on them and ALL her friends shave theirs!!

I'm so not looking forward to the teen years!

Sigh!

- Posted using BlogPress