Loss of a child

I know people say that you're supposed to live your life and enjoy people and time while you have them, but how is it possible when people are droppin like flies? Moreso, children are passing on every day and I cant help but worry and live in fear. The people that are strongest to me are the parents who have lost their children, especially as babies. I pray that I never experience this, but I always wonder how do they go on? I totally understand why it's important to have more children because not only are ou gving your child a companion, but if you have more kids, your heart will still beat. You still have a reason to live. I pray and I pray that I will never lose my son. I must die before him because when his heart stops, so will mine...

I know everyone beliefs that their son is the sweetest thing in the world and that theyre a genius, etc.... And I believe you guys, but trust me when i say that MY son is the best person in the world! He's a better person than me for sure! And he's so loving! He's now giving kisses (open mouthed), and when I tell him to give me a kiss, he grabs my face and just opens his mouth over my lips! And he hugs my face! It's the absolute best feeling in the world!!!!

Just an update...

So I reviewed the Department of Labor's website and found out that there IS unemployment benefits available for individuals seeking self-employment but it's optional. Meaning each state doesn't have to offer that program. And of course this damn place I call home doesn't offer. I've been looking for a number to call so I can get some info on exactly why my government, that I pay taxes at, refused to opt for funds that would benefit our island. It's already bad enough that the cost of living is ridiculously high, but there is nobody lobbying to appropriate the funds that can help boost employment rates! I loooove my island, I'm a proud Virgin Islander, and an even protrude St. Thomian, but moving back to the states is sounding pretty damn good right now....

Recipe: Sticky BBQ Chicken wings

Today my mouth was sauced up for two things: potatoes and creamed spinach. I initially wanted roasted, garlic potatoes, but there weren't enough potatoes. Before I could come up with an alternative, my eyes scanned my cabinet and found two boxes of Betty Crocker Au gratin potatoes.   Before I post the recipe, please note that I rarely do any measuring so I can't give exact measurements for everything. Here's what you'll need for the meal:

 

• Chicken wings - clean them and season to your liking but do not season heavily. You can cut the tips if you want but I like to keep mine on
•  
• Betty Crocker Au gratin. As many as you need. I made two boxes for two people but I expect it to last at least until Wednesday.
•  
• Two boxes of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted. You can use one but you'll wish you made more
•  
• 1 package of grated Parmesan
•  
• Butter
•  
• Onion
•  
• Clove of Garlic
•  
• Red pepper flakes
• Sour cream
•  
• Evaporated milk. Can also use heavy cream but I didn't have any today
•  
• Nutmeg
•  
• French's fried onions
•  
• Salt and Pepper to taste

 

 

Preheat oven to 400•F. Follow the instructions on the Au gratin box(remember to duplicate ingredient amounts if using more than one box). Put Au gratin in oven.
Arrange seasoned chicken wings in aluminum pan and cover with foil. Place in oven.
Melt butter in saucepan. Add onions, red pepper flakes, and garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add milk or heavy cream, nutmeg and Parmesan cheese. Stir often until cheese whims to melt. When sauce turns creamy and starts to bubble, add spinach and sour cream. Turn off heat. Mix everything together then pour spinach into a buttered baking dish.

 I learned this trick from Sunny Anderson on The Food Network's Cooking For Real: top spinach with French's fried onions.

Place in oven. I swear, you're gonna wanna eat the whole thing!

Remove Au Gratin after 25 minutes, spinach after about 10(don't let onions burn), and remove cover from wings after about 25 minutes. Continue baking until a caramel color appears after about 15 minutes. Turn wings over and let other side brown for another 10 minutes. I drizzled a little semi-homeade BBQ sauce I whipped together on the stove. Just mix some existing BBQ sauce, tomato sauce, parsley, salt and black pepper, a little water and some browning in the saucepan with the cream sauce for a few minutes. Hope you try this recipe and enjoy it like we did!

Why Are Robots #winning Operation: Unemployment?

As the unemployment rate continues to decline, why are there still so many automated services? I understand it is more cost effective to the company to use machines and not incur the cost of training, payroll, and all other fees associated with hiring just one person; not to mention the risks. But at some point, these companies are going to have to realize 3 very important things:

1. Unless people can afford your service, you won't make any money. People can't afford your service because they don't have jobs.

2. People don't have jobs because you, major corporation that could open atleast 100 slots, would rather leave an automated service to run your company. Now, I know that it is easier in certain situations to use an automated service, but the MAJORITY of stuff should now be returned to humans. Because guess what>

3. I AM ANNOYED WITH AUTOMATED SERVICES! Most consumers generally are. It is less time consuming for the consumer to say what the problem is to a human, than to wait for a machine to say your option, and then give you an option within an option.

Don't get me wrong, I'm annoyed with horrible customer service as well, especially in my community, but I would much rather see the employment rate increase and get this economy as close to where it should be as possible. Why are we paying taxes? Here's something to ponder:

America is our nation right? We are charged for EVERYTHING. We can't just wake up in the morning and go about our day and just pay for what we use. No, we pay taxes for everything we buy(sales tax), we pay taxes just for having a job(income tax), plus other witholdings from our earnings. Who do we pay these taxes to? The government. Why do they claim we're paying these taxes? Basically to keep America running. So, basically, we are paying to keep America running, right? And the government is who we're paying this money to? And the Federal Reserve bank is who fronts the bill? So, if the government gets money from the Federal Reserve bank to pay for America's upkeep, and then they charge us taxes to make the money needed to pay back to the Federal Reserve, is it safe to say that the government has mismanaged our funds? How is it that NASA can spend $100M for each project (and they have alot of projects both failed and successful)? Is the government funding NASA or did they skip the middle man and go straight to the Bank?

I'll close with this: A few months ago I applied for unemplyment benefits. I was in no violation of any policy that would 1. cause termination or 2. get declined for unemployment benefits. When you apply for unemplyment benefits, you're asked if you are willing and available to seeking employment. Basically, you have to seem like you're willing to go back to work and not sit on your butt and contribute to the failing economy. I explained that I am willing and available, but I am now heading in the direction of self employment. I had just given birth and decided that after the situation with my employer, self emplyment was my only option. I was denied benefits. Now, I have an HR background and I know how unemployment works. There was over $8,000.00 that I was eligible to receive. Money, I would have used toward my business. A business that would create jobs. No, I refuse to believe this is what I get for slaving away for employers and paying my taxes for over 10 years of my 29 years of life. Even though I've found a successful home based business, I could still use that money AND it's the principle..... Readers, I'll keep you pposted, but I can't just TAKE this one.....

Why should I pay to get an online job?

Have you ever tried looking for a work from home job online? So, you're tired too then huh? Why is every work at home opportunity you find asking YOU to pay THEM to LEARN how to start making money? Not even to start making money right away, but to LEARN how? Just a bunch of metadata (data about data). And they all basically say the same thing and they never have anything that you're looking for. For example, I initially started looking for something along the lines of data entry; just doing the typing tasks people were too lazy to do. Something that I was qualified or over qualified to do from the comfort of my home during the hours my son sleeps.

But instead, I keep getting vague information about exactly what it is a company is claiming to do. Then you take a chance and spend your little bit of money, keeping your fingers crossed that you're about to be directed to a site with available jobs and clear verbiage about how you get paid. But instead, you have to watch a vague video about how much money you can make working from home. At the end of that video you think you're now about to get some info, but instead, ANOTHER VIDEO! and another and another and ANOTHEEERR!!! gggrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

So because if this, I'm about to share with you the work at home opportunity that I found, that is definitely straight to the point. You don't have to pay me a dime, you won't pay for information, you won't spend any extra money than what you already spend and you can receive MONTHLY checks as soon as next month. Excuse my french, but NO BULLSHIT!

The first thing you should know is that there is a small fee involved but it's not what you're thinking. Hear me out. I've partnered with a wellness company that specializes in enhancing lives and helping families achieve financial freedom. The fee goes to them. YOU WILL NEVER EVER EVER PAY ME A DIME. All I am doing is introducing you to them. Why? Because they don't advertise and unless you were introduced to them by a member you most likely haven't heard of them. I know I hadn't either.

Here are the few steps that you will take. Everything I say is exactly what I did that helped me to start receiving a guaranteed monthly check:

1. I was introduced to the company via  webcast and conference call that lasted about 30 minutes. The webcast is very informative and I highly recommend contacting me so I can email you the link but in a nutshell... The company manufactures over 350 products that we use everyday. But it's not the regular store bought brands. It's the natural version to the chemically induced ones found in stores. And trust me when I tell you, they're better quality and faaaaar less expensive than store brands. Everytime I shop, I save 40-60% of the money I would have spent in stores. I'll get back to this....

2. I reviewed the link to the company's website and selected the products that I needed. I bought a laundry pack that contained 6x concentrated detergent, color guard, dryer sheets, and stain remover; I bought 2 childrens body wash and 1 hair wash; lotion; hand soap; a dental pack that contained whitening tooth polish, mouth wash, dental floss and breath spray; and a 4x concentrated cleaning product. Now remember, everything I bought contains nooooo harsh chemicals and all liquid items are concentrated. For that first order including shipping, I only paid about $60. Had I driven to the store, I would have had to get my son ready, make his bottles, strap him in his car seat, drive cautiously, get to the store, find parking, unload my son, walk into the store, find each item individually, head to the rude cashier and pay close to or over $180 for chemicals in addition to items not on my list. Instead, I clicked away and received a package by mail a few days later. Moving on...

3. The person who introduced me to the company did a 3 way call and connected me to the company so I could give them my information to create my membership and place my order. This is where the fee comes in.

4. The first fee you will pay is your membership fee. I paid $1 because it was a special promotion that month. Unless there is a promotion for a membership discount, the regular membership fee is $29.00 for your first year and then $12.00 every year after. (NOTE: AS OF TODAY, DECEMBER 1, 2011, THE MEMBERSHIP FEE IS $14.50 FOR YOUR FIRST YEAR. THATS A 50% DISCOUNT UNTIL 12/15/11. For any other date, shoot me a message for the current promotion)

5. The second fee I paid was the $60.00 for my products. Let me take this opportunity to say that the money I spent on these products would have been spent anyway. Meaning, had I not found these amazing, natural substitutions for what I would have bought in the stores, I would not have saved over $100 and I would have wasted money on products that were only contributing to toxins in my home and around my newborn. By simply redirecting my money to a better and cost effective store and changing the way I shop for household items....I WIN!

6. I opted to receive checks from the company, so I signed up as a marketing executive (NO EXTRA CHARGE OR HIDDEN FEES)

7. When I got my products in the mail, I used them immedieately so that I could test them out and make sure that the products were as high quality as claimed. Cuz the prices I paid were so unbelievable! I fell in LOVE with the products! It is such a pleasure to go on my hands and knees to scrub my tub and not have the burning stench of chlorine invade my eyes and nose. And then to have the product clean just as good as clorox was a huge plus. The best thing was switching my sons bath products. Knowing that there aren't ANY harsh chemicals in his stuff is relaxing. Now the formaldehyde in the Quanterium 15(Q15) won't have a chance to irritate my sons eyes, skin or genitals. It's one thing to put this in adult products, but the babies?? Come on J&J!

8. Once I trusted the products, I got so excited I went online and started looking for more products that I could slowly buy to transition my home into a toxin free home. I placed them in my shopping cart. You don't have to do this at this point though. The next thing I did was call a few family members to tell them about my amazing find. I showed them the webcast and introduced them to the company.

9. I set an appointment and enrolled 8 of the 13 people I approached. They bought products and switched the way they shopped. I continued and still continue to this day to tell people about the company, set appointments to direct them to the webcast and enrolled them. Another method I utilized was to do my own presentation. The presentation that's on the webcast is also available on DVD and it is included in your membership packet when you pay your membership fee. So, I invited a few friends over so they could see the DVD and I stuffed them with free food and drink. Except for 3 or 4 questions that just reiterated what was on the DVD, they all pretty much got all the info from the DVD. The next day I enrolled a couple of them.

10. I placed my next order and replaced more of my daily needs including THE WORLD'S BEST VITAMINS!! These vitamins are 10x more absorbable than average vitamins and they are awwwweessome. I wont sit here at delve into the wonderment of them, but I will say this: if you're a person like I was, who has trouble getting up in the morning, these vitamins are for you. Before, I could literally sleep all day and wake up the next day at 9am feeling like I didnt sleep a wink. These vitamins keep me so rejuvenated throughout the day, yet help me to awake at 5am every morning ready for my day! A few days after placing my 2nd order, I got my first check in the mail!! It was only $51 but I felt so accomplished! Plus I felt more at peace knowing that this wasn't a scam. I used that check to pay for my 3rd order and only had to pay for shipping. Now, my monthly checks help pay for my orders when I shop with them. Ive only been a member a few months but I am constantly approaching people about my home business.

This is the least amount of "work" you'll ever have to do to get a paycheck....LEGALLY. If you're still skeptical about starting your own wellness business, it's understandable, but it's very lucrative and very rewarding. First off, before you even make money, you save money buying the things you already NEED in your home. You eliminate the toxins and you provide a safer environment for your family. Just like you are reading this and are interested in saving money and trying out better quality products, someone else will.... I know I did, and so did the people I enroll! Here are some types of people that are interested in saving money and/or making money and/or using safer products:

Parents
First time parents
Grandparents
Eco-friendly people
People interested in improving their carbon footprint
Day care centers
Custodial companies
Homeowners
Unemployed
Recent college grads
People seeking a Plan B to their financial situation

I think you get my drift....

I hope this helps and saves you some time from other "opportunities". This one is legit and has no hidden agenda. It's not an MLM business and you won't ever lose. Now, keep in mind that in order to really benefit from this opportunity, you have to change your lifestyle....meaning, you have to want to enhance it. Here's what you should keep in mind:

1. First and foremost, you HAVE to switch stores. It won't make any sense to purchase your products from the company and still turn around and buy the chemical version from walmart. You'll be spending extra money and won't notice the savings you'd be missing out on.

2. In order to receive a check every month, you have to introduce and enroll at least one person, the same way you were enrolled (there are also 2 other ways to enroll them that involves paperwork). Once you have atleast one person, you automatically get a check EVERY MONTH. Again, excuse the french, but NO BULLSHIT!

3. You might have noticed I haven't called the company name as yet. Honestly, I don't want you to go to the site on your own. If you ask me, of course I'll tell you, but then it won't benefit me. You can always go to the site and sign up, but then it wouldn't be fair that I typed alllll this, and you don't allow me to enroll you so that you could help my checks continue to grow. (I'm just keeping it real)

4. Last but not least, the reason allowing me to enroll you will benefit you is because me and my team are your support group. I am apart of the very awesome Finding Freedom team and we offer TOTALLY FREE training to help you build your business. There is no charge for this training, and it is optional.

Ready to enroll? Want to see a product list? Want to schedule an appointment to view the webcast? Or do you just have some questions? Email me at luhenley@gmail.com You can also go to my website to leave your contact information to be directed to the webcast. My website is iWorkSmartNotHard.com.

Hey NBA, give it a rest already!

I have nothing against the NBA, although I'm more of a football fan myself, but I wonder if the players think about the fans. No, not the expensive seated fans, but the nose bleed section vicinity seated fans whos financial standing is nowhere near their salaries. The fans that pay rent and high gas prices, and barely have enough left over for groceries but follows the NBA religiously! How do those fans feel now that they're deprived of their favorite game because the players refuse to play became the millions they already make is insufficient funds?

Again, nothing against the league or the players buuuuuuut... Wouldn't it be cool if:

The NBA owners close the league and invest their money into college sports. Cuz their the ones who don't get paid. After they pay the pros a retirement fee, they pay the college players a fair and hefty percentage of what they would have paid the pros. That way, the pros can open business and create jobs, thus creating jobs and helping to boost the economy. In the meantime, college players will get paid and help eliminate their financial worries of a college student.

So maybe our college graduate rates increase, the economy increases and all will be well...... (NBA fans somewhere are at an uproar)

Something to ponder....but to research

I temporarily lost internet access for a few days and had posts backed up. The last few posts were what I typed each day wifi was down but here is my post for today....

I believe in God but I have so many questions about what's written in the Bible. Here are a few:

Why is the Bible written to insinuate that the entire Human race descended from Adam and Eve?

If Cain was cast out for killing Abel, how did he bare sons if Adam and Eve were supposed to be the only other people?

Ok, they had more kids at some point. Does that mean Cain impregnated either his sister or his sister/niece? (where Noah impregnated his own daughter--CHA!) If that's the theory, how did he meet her? Did he return home? Did she leave home and met him? What if it's something sick that we don't know about like, Cain came back and raped his mother and sisters? (Hey, he killed his brother right...)

Do we really believe that the entire world was repopulated by Noah and his family? So, of all the people that existed at that point, there was not even one more person that obeyed God and he spared them? What about the people before Adam that believed and worshipped? And if God promised never to wipe out mankind with a flood again, does that mean that when we are finished polluting the planet and killing each other, that He might wipe us out some other way and start over with another set of humans? Or maybe this time he'll make the animals to be the supreme being. Ok, getting side tracked...

So, assuming that the theory of incest is correct, the entire world was populated by cousins(Noahs grandchildren from each son having sex with each other)? Some of us are living our entire lives off the belief that not only is the Bible accurate but complete.

What if the Bible was written by the Sidney Sheldon of those times and what was to be a work of fiction turned into a religion? Notice how everything has a beginning and an end? Like a story, a rope, a day, life, etc.... So does the Bible. It has a beginning and end that conveniently makes up a "novel" sized book. Theres an introduction(Genesis), a body (Exodus to Jude), and a conclusion(Revelations). Once I heard that the word Bible is an acronym for:

Basic
Instructions
Before
Leaving
Earth

I choose to believe in God because I do believe that there is an explanation for all.....THIS. I choose to keep my faith in Him and to believe that the Bible is true, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't question THIS sometimes...

Laundry 2.0!!

I've been using the awesome Melapower laundry detergent and color brightner for months now, and the fact that I can was an entire load of clothes with 1/2nd. of each has me so mind boggled that I never realized an added bonus of this super detergent. As a test, I washed my whites with my colors (DON'T HAVE A HEART ATTACK...lemme explain). I wanted to see just how extensive this cleaning system is so I intentionally mixed the two loads. Included in that load was a brand new button down shirt that Jason wore only twice, a pink top, black underwear(yes, I threw in some delicates too), red socks, etc... In addition to keeping my colors lolling fresh, in addition to my clothes being and smelling incredibly clean and soft, that shirt is now whiter than it was! Not one stain or smudge! Heck, not even a colored thread!

Readers, if you are interested in buying safer products for your home and eliminating the toxins in from your home to provide a cleaner environment for your family, while using high quality products that work just as well and better than thr expensive store bought options, I can show you where you can get these products.

I do not charge one cent to share this information and you shan't regret listening....

Hello world! I'm 9 months old now!

I am still in disbelief that I gave BIRTH 9 months ago. Henley is the absolute lobe of my life and I am truly grateful that God felt me deserving of this ultimate blessing. I pray for the people who are experiencing heart ache because their child isn't in good health and I pray harder for the people that take their angels for granted.

Bubbles are fun! And bubbles are...yum?

Thank you Heavenly Father for introducing me to this wellness company that is not only helping me attain financial freedom, but has also given me the freedom to not worry about my son ingesting harmful chemicals.

If I had not changed the way I shop and eliminated the toxins from my home, I would have rushed my son to the hospital when I noticed that he had a fist full of bubble bath bubbles in his mouth(he was chewing on blue the whale--his bath time friend). Of course I still rinsed it off and wiped out his mouth, but had it not been koala pals bath wash and that toxic Johnson and Johnson soap, we would have gone to the hospital that instant! Do you guys read the ingredients in that mess from J&J? There is an ingredient called Quanterium 15 (Q15).

Quaternium-15 is a quaternary ammonium salt used as a preservative in many cosmetics and industrial substances. It acts as a formaldehyde releaser. It can cause contact dermatitis, a symptom of an allergic reaction, especially in those with sensitive skin, on an infant's skin, or on sensitive areas such as the genitals.

Did Wikipedia post that correctly? Because there is skin on our genitals....and the eyes are also a sensitive area, yet the products are advertised as "safe for the eyes". But based on this definition, it kinda sounds like that J&J is totally bad for your baby. Imagine, we've bathed(and some are still bathing) our newborn babies, whose immune systems are not developed yet, with FORMALDEHYDE! The stuff they use to embalm the deceased!

These harmful ingredients are linked to cancer, breathing and other health issues, and sometimes death. Found this website that gives you a few of the harmful chemicals http://www.switchtosaferproducts.com/

Every time I see a St. Jude Hospital commercial, my heart breaks for this innocent babies and I pray that I never have to experience that. While I'm aware that there could be other causes for cancer or other diseases, it does feel good knowing that I've eliminated one possible cause....toxins! Henley will never stumble upon clorox, Lysol, pine sol, Tilex, listerine, or anything else I can buy from a store. Instead, he will wake up to the clean smell of HOUSE, not clorox so his headaches won't be chemical related. He will bathe with soap and not formaldehyde. He will wash his hair with shampoo and not sulfate...you get the idea!

Parents, eliminate the toxins from your home today! Give the green life a try. If you don't like the products(which you WILL love them), you cam get a 100% refund. If you decide you'd rather not save over 50% of your shopping budget AND still use chemically induced products that are slowly killing us all, you can get your money back. But it's worth a shot. If you'd like more information, please visit http://www.iWorkSmartNotHard.com

You're more than welcome to shoot me a message too. luhenley@gmail.com

Fresh Beat Mania!

My son, Henley, will be 9mo. old in 4 days. Ever since he turned 8mo. he's been obsessed with the Fresh Beat Band show and of course, mommy is hooked on it too. But this morning, after he finally went back to sleep after waking us up around 5am, it had slipped my mind that I set daily reminders for the show. So, after falling asleep at 8:10am, he was awoken by the sounds of Kiki, Shout, Marina, and twist singing "I've been looking for a friend like you. So-o-o-meone to make each day brand new. And share the fun in the sun even when a rainy day come...." You get the idea. I wish I had gotten it on camera but when Jason gets home, I'm going to ask him to record the reenactment because it was the funniest and cutesy thing ever.

I gotta admit, the show is pretty good. It has the two E's : Entertaining and educational....a wonderful combination. The only thing is, I found myself getting straddle attracted to Twist. Boy was I pleasantly surprised to find out that the kid is actually a grown man who's a year older than me. WONDERFUL! So I DON'T have pedophile thoughts! All is well with the world again! I'm happy I found that out too. I stumbled on it while trying to find out what happened to the last Marina. They just switched her thinking they were fooling people but not I (I also noticed that Reed is changed). Hmmmm, maybe they both decoded to get married. Anyway, I found out that Twists name is Jon Beavers and he has an impressive resume. And now that I know he's actually a grown man, my attraction has strengthened. Oh well....

USDA Confused...

So, recently I stumbled on some organic baby food that comes in the absolute most convenient container EVER! There's virtually no cleanup and for some reason, Chunk eats neater. Because we've eliminated all toxins from our home, we're trying to do the organic thing also so this falls right into place. However, the USDA Organic stamp has lost all credibility with me. The fact that they've approved the sale of cloned meat (and there's still no labeling to differentiate), leaves me questioning them. I don't care how good or realistic that clones meat might taste, it is not natural! I was under the impression that organic meant "derived from nature"..... I'm gonna have to send a letter to find out if my new favorite baby food is made from cloned fruits and veggies.

Felicity Porter...where are you?!?

So I've been reading alot of blogs lately and I've suddenly gotten back my memories of one of my favorite shows...you guessed it!! FELICITY!!!!!! You know how when you're younger you listen to a song, hear a popular saying, watch a movie, etc... and you understand what you've heard or saw; but when you encounter it again when you're older, or more specifically after you've experienced just what the message was, it has more meaning? Has that ever happened to you? Of course it has! You're human. I'd like to watch felicity again to see who's side I'd take this time -- Ben or Noel? They were my Edward and Jacon back in the day. Ahhh the memories! If I had ever missed that show ANY week, all was sooo not well with the world! Ok, I have more to say but I'm afraid I won't shut up about it. I promise I'll talk about something more meaningful tomorrow (says the blogger to the empty room...)

"The Help"

I finally saw "The Help" over the weekend and I gotta tell ya, I loved it! I mean, aside from the "eat my shit" scene (yuuuuuuck), the message was clear. My only issue with watching movies with racism as the main character is it makes me detest Caucasians!! It's like watching the movie "Roots" all over again! But I love Caucasians. I love people! I just get a little confused watching these types of movies. I tell ya what? I would never had lasted during those times. There would be no way I would allow anyone to disrespect my parents, my family or me...PERIOD!!! Sorry if I'm giving it away or those who didn't watch it(I HATE when people do that to me), but there was a scene where a daughter came to see her momma while she was working for a white lady, and the lady fired the momma on the spot off some old bull. Who's momma??!?! Not my momma!?!? I was coming back in the night to light her house, her neighbors house, EVERYONES house!! Every night I was gonna burn me some Caucasians! Hatred is contagious and I damn sure would have caught the hate bug! See what I mean? Watching those movies upset me! But I'm grown enough not to allow it to influence my decision on how I treat white people. Heck, imagine if I was a racist... First, I wouldn't have met my beloved Julie! only to have her pick up and move to Aspen :-( Juliiiieeeee! Secondly, I wouldn't have developed my undying love for Jake Gyllenhaal!!(yumMO) That's it really. I'm gonna end the race talk because it is a touchy subject, I'm gonna close with this... The N word used shouldn't be used unless it's used to describe an incident back in the day. Black people shouldn't get offended when others use it since the want to use it more than it's ever been used. That is all... (see the movie)

10 Randoms...

1.  If you had to label yourself as to one genre of music you listen to the most, what would it be? REGGAE. I love it! But I love oldies. And I miss tue music of the 90's. 

2. What are five items that you always keep in your purse?
CHAPSTICK! Cannot live without it. Gum, passport(ya just never know), a pen, and feminine wipes (tmi?)

3. If you could drink only one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
In real life I'd pick water, but since this is a fantasy, I pick passionfruit fraco (our version of a snow cone)

4. What are three tv shows you miss watching that are no longer aired? Well, none really but if you ask me what shows should never have been canceled: FRIENDS, GIRLFRIENDS, and Felicity (YES, damnit!!)

5. What is one cd you own that people would laugh if you told them you actually bought that?
The grease soundtrack. But they'd be lame cuz that cd is awesome!

6. What is one job/career you told yourself you would never do even if it was your last resort?
PROSTITUTION. Even if it is the oldest profession and recession-proof.

7. How did you decide on the name{s} of your child{ren}? I wanted to name my son Dartagnian(not sure of the spelling but pronounced dar-tan-yun) ever since I saw "The Man In the Iron Mask" with Leonardo DiCaprio back in high school. And I was actually set on that but early in the pregnancy I just decided that I wanted part of my name in his name. Don't really remember how I came up with it, but it was finalized because mt boyfriend missed the first sonogram and because I was a little P.Oed about that, I  was removed him from the name choosers list. And that basically left me to decide! So, I gave my son my last name as his first name.

8.  What is one show you refuse to miss no matter what? Cant think on any right now but back in the day, my week was planned around Friends, Sex in the city, Felicity, Girlfriends, and Popular. 

9. How many miles would you say you drive in a week?Maybe around 60 miles total but that's mostly a bunch of back and forth. I'm a work at home mom so don't do as much driving as I used to.

10. Who is one celebrity you wish would just go away & disappear off the face of the earth never to return? While I an think on a few that make me cringe, that's a little extreme don't ya think?

Da ABC's of M.E. !!!

Here goes my ABC's!! I'd like to add some photos but my laptop is down so if anyone knows a really good blogger app that would be better please advise!! As for now, I'm mobile blogging:

A - ALWAYS late! I am seriously working on this though. Not that it's justifiable, but I'm never late for stuff like catching a flight, or picking you up from work. But your birthday party, our dinner reservation...stuff like that. Horrible quality that I'm working on and have some success

B - Bad housekeeper. Again, nothing I'm proud of but I'm quicker to hire someone to do it for me. I only clean because it needs to be done but would sooo prefer a housekeeper

C - Cautious! But my friends call it paranoia

D - Down to earth. I love getting to know people and helping them however I can. I am super easy to talk to and welcome new conversations!

E - Eater. Yup. I like to eat! Who doesn't though? 

F - First time mom! 7 months ago I gave birth to my beautiful angel. He's precious, he's smart, he's active already and he is in for a ride with me for a mom!

G - Giver. I would literally give you my shoes if you needed them more than me at that moment.

H - Henley. My last name and the first name of my son. 

I - Ice Cream!!! Butter pecan, cookies n cream, pralines and pecans, coffee, vanilla....I love it! Lol 

J - Joker. I like jokes and I like to tell jokes. I don't encourage practical jokes though, although it is fun to watch on "Worlds dumbest

K - kindhearted. 

L - Lewjahri Henley. This is the name of my little brother that died a few days before his 2nd birthday in January(weeks before I gave birth). I'm still having a hard time swallowing this one but I know he's in a better place. I'm proud to have been his sister because at his tender age, he was truly an ambassador of God.

M - MOM!! A badge I wear with the utmost pride and honor!

N - Natural-born nurturer! I love to care for people. I sometimes find myself babying my 13 year old sister

O - OVERPROTECTIVE! I'm the oldest of 8 kids and I developed my motherly instincts from young. After the fatal accident of my little brother, it got worse

P - Passionate. Anything I believe in gets my full attention and my full passion! My siblings, my son, my business! 

Q - Quoter. I'm big on finding and applying quotes to certain situations

R - Researcher. I research everything I don't understand fully and always seek an alternate source of information aside from word of mouth.

S - Self employed and loving it!!

T - Tries everything once

U - Unofficial chef. I love to feed people and create different dished and try different recipes.

V - (I have 2):Visionary. I've visualized financial freedom and I'm going after it!
Virgin Islander! Born and raised in Americas paradise!

W - Work at home mom. 

X - XXIX. Lol that's all I could think on

Y - Yearning for music to return to what it used to be

Z - Zero tolerance. I don't allow any disrespect. Period

Sigh of relief

Today marks the third month anniversary of the day I decided to be a work at home mom. The month of July was a little slow for me but this month I "worked" my butt off and I have seen amazing results! If you've been reading my blog, you saw that last month I only had about $100 to my name; this month is toTALLY different! Why am I only NOW knowing about this work at home wonderment(is that a word?)? Why have I been slaving away for some "boss" for all these years? I won't dwell on the why's. But I gotta yell you, if you are thinking about starting your own business, working from home, or eliminating the cost of daycare...NOW IS THE TIME. I love sharing my success with others so that they too can create their own success so don't be shy to ask me. I'm not charging you to share it, I'm not selling anything, and I'm more than happy to help you develop your business also(free of charge!!)!!

The Internet is a powerful tool, but believe it or not, I've been successful without the Internet thus far! But that changes today...well, actually yesterday because that's when I purchased my domain name. So I'm embarking on the www to continue building my business.

My laptop is being repaired and I'm doing EVERYTHING that requires Internet access from my iPhone. Heck, I'm blogging this from my iPhone right now! Life has never been this simple!!

Now I can continue to contribute to the household!
Now the full burden is off my boyfriend!
Now I can breeeaathhee!!

I think I'll take the day off from "work" and take chunk to the beach. I'll just have to make sure the waters are safe to swim since Irene was here last week. But we are both recovering froma nasty cold, and the ocean water will be good for us. With that said, I'll close this post and opena new one so I can add the ABC's of Me!!(so excited)

Organic doesn't have to mean expensive....

This applies to everyone but especially to the parents. Did you know that Lysol AND Clorox are REGISTERED pesticides!!??!? Our children are inhaling the toxins found in these products making and keeping them sick. Did you know that there is currently a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson because along with other chemicals, there is Q15--a type of formaldehyde--in the baby shampoo??? What kind of MONSTER poisons baby products!?!?!? Wake up people!!! These every day items that we ALL use are the reasons we are sick! They're the reason your kid still has asthma when you know you take every precaution there is! I have started to transform my home to a green home. I've replaced my handsoap, lotion, and laundry detergent and now that I know of this lawsuit, I'm replacing my son's...EVERYTHING! People do yourself and your family this huge favor and provide them with a cleaner environment. I'm not selling the products, but if you want to get more information about how EASY it is to replace your every day items with 100% natural and 100% organic items that are at LEAST 50% cheaper than your current items, it will be my PLEASURE to help you breathe better and live healthier! This is the ONLY place you will find that ORGANIC is not synonymous with EXPENSIVE. If you're reading this, even if youre not tagged, ibox me or call me at 340-643-8122. #REALTALK!!

Ask me about how to make serious, legal, EEEEAAASSSY money without selling ONE thing...if you're intersted.

It'll get bad before it gets better?

*sigh* I have come to the very sad realization that I have $100.00 to my name! My income has stopped, my bank account is depleting and I have a 4 month old son to care for. I've researched work-from-home opportunities and it is quite apparent that most of these offers are scams. How are they going to ask me to pay them to work for them? Come on, son! I recently stumbled upon an opportunity that might be lucrative, but in order to join their "working moms" program I'd have to become a member of their products. Thanks to the string of power outages throughout the island, I haven't been able to log on to the online web conference to get further details. I'm hoping this is something that can bring in decent money so that all the burden isn't on my boyfriend. He's been so supportive and without him it would definitely be worse. But we'll talk about him in another post.

In the meantime, I signed up to be an IC (independent contractor) for a few mystery shopping companies, but my God these people pay pennies! But the experience will be good for one of my many ideas. I have a few small business ideas that I believe will be beneficial to my family and the community but in addition to the lack of funding, other obstacles are presenting themselves that's causing me to just shut down. I know, I know, I'm not at luxury to shut down. But I tell you, the mind is a powerful thing. I'm working it out though.

I submitted an idea to an invention company. People, let me remind you all to read the fine print and read everything in its' entirety. I contacted company A to submit an idea and went through the process. Now, they call and explain everything to you and inform you of a fee that is due to research the idea and make sure there is no other product like it on the market. I paid that. Now, out of the BLUE, they're asking for over 8 GRAND to create a prototype of that idea and present it to a target company that may be interested in buying it. Whoa hold up....who the eff told them that I have 8 grand? I was under the impression that the company accepts your idea and after you pay your research fee, THEY create the prototype and find a buyer and if it's sold, THEN they receive payment. Either upfront from me, or a percentage of the product sales. I blame myself for not being more informed.

So, now that I've come this far I cant turn back. I have to find that money...

Couponer: Beginner Level

So, I'm not an extreme couponer yet, but if my resources were better, I have all confidence that I would be. See, I live in the Virgin Islands and the problem with the stores down here are: 1. They NEVER have sales on the items that I have coupons for, 2. The cost of living down here is ridiculous, and 3. I've never even heard of some of these products that I have coupons for and have never seen them in the stores I shop in down here(which is already very limited). So, I'm basically left with items that are marked up higher down here than on the mainland and all I get is a discount. For example, I had to purchase two V8 Fusion drinks @ $4.79 each just to get $1 off; so I only got $.50 of each. Now I'm not complaining at ALL. I am very excited about the money I did save and this will be practice for my first big shopping trip when I hop a flight to the mainland! Until then, I will continue to enjoy the discounts my coupons bring because every little adds up.

The other day I went to K-mart to shop with my coupons for the very first time. It was such a calming experience! I kissed my son and my boyfriend good bye and headed to the store. When I got there, I first purchased a couponed item to ensure the online coupon would scan; IT DID! So I flipped open my coupon binder, pressed play on the ipod and started my shopping. I was so at peace I felt like I was laying face down on a massage table. About two hours after I first stepped in the store, I headed to the cashier with my coupons and immediately felt like I was in an episode of Extreme Couponing!! Each coupon beeped as my $133.00 balance began to decrease!!! IT...WAS...EXHILARATING!!!! Until the coupons were done, the beeping stopped and my balance was STILL in excess of $100.00. But no worries. Like I said, I appreciate the discount! After I got home, I tallied my receipt and of the $120.48 that I paid, $75.74 were items purchased with discounts. Of that $75.74, I used $13.25 worth of coupons; therefore only paying $62.49 for those items. PLUS, I got a $3.00 coupon from the register! I can't wait to take a vacation on the mainland. My ENTIRE vacation will revolve around couponing and building my stockpile!!!!!!!! People, I haven't been this excited about anything since the first time I saw Damian Marley in concert! I need to compose myself...

To Plank or not to Plank...

Soooo, I recently learned about "Planking". For those who don't know, Planking is simply the act of taking a photo in a face down position. It has got to be in the top 5 list of useless things I've seen , but I can't get enough of it! Here are some of the funniest ones I've seen thus far:


I call this Dangerous plank



Bear plank

My son is on board the Planking craze too! Lol

Middle of the road plank

Dwight Howard planking

Garbage bin plank

I went to school with this guy plank. LOL!


I don't know why it's so funny but I can't stop cracking up. Maybe the pointlessness of it is a good way to distract me from all the BS going on in my life. But no worries. Jah has never ignored my prayers. Now, I will just sit and wait patiently for that ultimate blessing as I take the steps leading toward it. If you're reading this, thank you for listening, and please, research this planking craze and laugh your but off (that is, if you can see the humor in it).

More coupons

My coupon binder is FILLING!!! I swear I'm not usually this organized with anything. In fact, I secretly wish I had OCD! But I have taken the time to divide my binder into 5 categories: Household, Grocery, Baby, Health & Beauty, and Beverages & Liquids. See, the problem is, I have no money and I don't have enough coupons yet to get stuff for free. Not like that's the big problem, the island is so limited. All I'll be able to do is save money per item with these coupons down here. If I want to get the big HUGE savings, I'm gonna have to take a trip to a state soon. The next problem is, I'm not one to ask anyone for money. My boyfriend is doing his absolute best to take care of everything but this is hard for me. I've never been dependent on anyone and I feel like this unfamiliar territory is stressing me out. Again, I have very minimal income, so this week my pennies will come in. I know I sound bitter, but if I decide to divulge the missing details, you'll understand why. In the meantime, take a gander at my coupon binder!!

My coupon holder. This is where I sore coupons that need to be clipped, sorted, and filed to the binder

This is my Grocery section

This Health & Beauty

This is the Baby section. I've got quite a bit of hunting to do for this category

Household

My proud binder! I LOVE this thing and I haven't even used it yet. Just stuffing

My every action, my reasoning behind everything I do is because of this angel.

And don't forget, you can help my coupon journey by sending your coupons to:

DYOATA
PO Box 863
St. Thomas, VI 00804

I'll keep you posted.....

In the meantime...

Well, I've begun my couponing and I gotta tell ya, it's alot more work than I initially anticipated! I started my coupon book and am no where near what the professionals are doing. I've got maybe 40 coupons....these people have THOUSANDS! But I will continue. I shan't give up! I can't. I'm in a bit of a pickle. My employment status has "changed" and I am no longer an income source in my household; this is totally unfamiliar territory for me...

coupons Coupons COUPONS!!!

Is there one functional family out there? I mean, I understand that we are all different, and sometimes even when we're cut from the same cloth...ripped from the same HOLE...we are all different. Later on I might discuss further in depth just what I mean, but for now, today, at this very moment....all I can think about.....are coupons. You heard correctly my friend, coupons.

See, recently, I watched a show called Extreme Couponing, and if you too have seen this show, and you too live paycheck to paycheck, AND you too recently had a baby, and you too just got your financial status turned totally upside down....then you, too understand exactly what I'm talking about.

So, I'm embarking on an exciting journey to become an extreme couponer. I want my own stockpile damnit!!! I want a thousand tubes of toothpaste and a shelf full of Similac milk and baby products. Why you ask? Well, I don't actually need 1,000 tubes of toothpaste, but I do intend to help others with this amazing talent. And it has been a dream of mine to help my community more than I do. I can save my family members and friends so much money. I anticipate they will get about 70% of their monthly shopping for free from my stockpile.

I will also get a better opportunity to help out local charities and bring my Free Restaurant idea to fruition. I can partner with Dept. of Human Services and volunteer my services to assist the elderly with their grocery shopping. Do you know that the cost of living on St. Thomas is so high that most elderly people who are on a fixed income can barely afford their groceries? Hell, some of them have to skip grocery shopping because their electric bill is so high. This breaks my heart! I will be able to use my couponing to ensure that the elderly NEVER has to spend money on food again!!

You guys must be thinking I'm a crazy person huh? Well, honestly, and you'll find this out later, you're not too far off. But I'm just so excited!!! My son and coupons are the two things constantly on my mind. Oh, before I forget, if you want to send me your coupons, I will gladly accept them and once my stockpile is up and operational, you would be more than welcome to go by and shop.
Mail coupons to:

DYOATA
PO Box 863
St. Thomas, VI 00804
Well, I'm new to the world of BLOG but I intend to follow through with it and I hope someone is reading this. Stay tuned as I enter the beginning stage of extreme couponing. Step 1...Collect coupons. Step 2. Create an organized coupon storage system. Step 3...Carefully map out a shopping trip with coupons.
People, the next time you hear from me, you will learn about my other reasons for wanting to extreme coupon. You will learn about me as a person and me as an extremely neurotic, paranoid, first-time mom. And you will learn if I was able to cut my first grocery bill as an extreme couponer by at LEAST 50%.