25th Birthday!

Today, I've turned 25.

Instead of reflecting on the 25 years that I've been alive on this Earth. (which I tend to reflect almost every other blog post lol!)

I'd like to take the time to Celebrate and Appreciate LIFE. 

I'm happy to be alive for 25 years, I'm joyful for where God has taken me and where he continues to lead me. 

I'm grateful for my selfless husband and my precious daughter.

I'm grateful for my loving parents and siblings.

Honestly, I couldn't be happier today. 

Celebrating TWENTY-FIVE YEARS of LIFE. God is so amazing. 

I Think I've Lost Myself

As the year 2016 comes to an end, I can't help but to reflect on the life changing events that took place this year.

From getting married to having a beautiful baby girl -- my life has changed drastically.

I'm constantly telling my husband that I don't want to completely lose myself and my dreams that I wanted to accomplish before we started a family. Well I think I've lost myself.....

In the mix of taking care of my husband and my daughter I sort of feel like I don't know who I am because I've made sacrifices for breastfeeding  and also settling for career changes. I no longer look at clothes the same like I once use to *which is a surprise for me*

I can't help but to feel lost in the sauce and plan for the future because I want my baby girl to be proud and to see the legacy I've built for her.

It was so easy for me to lose myself in taking care of my family and not giving myself self care and proper maintenance. Some days I look in the mirror and wonder "Who am I?"
At times it hurts...to think that I've "let myself go". I tend to tear up about it... but this is real life as a Mommy. I love seeing the smile on my husband's and daughter's faces but I'd love it even more knowing that my face is because of not just taking care of them but in turn taking care of myself.

Motherhood is hard, emotional, stressful, tiring, joyous, but most of all it's WORTH IT. 
It's more than just the pictures on social media and the words on this blog. I can't put the memories we've created in a box or into a picture because the best moments aren't captured. I appreciate every single second of it and I'm grateful -- no one can take that away. 

I make excuses to not get a pedicure or get my hair done or simply to even write a blog post...
As she gets older and the days of breastfeeding are coming to an end -- I can no longer use her as an excuse. I HAVE to get back out there for my sanity and to keep my dreams alive.

I think I've lost myself in the midst of several life changes but hopefully I can find myself before the New Year.

True Life: I Am A New Mom

On this episode of True Life: I'm A NEW MOM.

Let's get a synopsis of the past 7 months.

From transitioning to a large corporation, to a
"small business" -- life has really hit me hard
with so much "transition" and not enough time.

Savannah has also transitioned from a newborn
to an infant (learning how to crawl, has 2 teeth,
all that jazz).

Over the course of these past few months I've
been tested multiple times with other people critizing
and critiquing my motherly skills.

o   As my husband says, there's only ONE MOM in our house =)

So I make the rules and that's what we stick with.

o   I've been judged multiple times about continuing to breastfeed for 

another 6 months. (By people that have never breastfed a day in their 

lives)

o   I may or may not be sleep deprived.

o   I scarifice going places to feed on demand during the weekends. 

o   I've cried my eyes out when my milk began to decrease and I wasn't able 

to send milk to daycare that day.

 o   Being a mom is a lot of work, I have to fake it til I make it at work some days

           but I wouldn't change it for the world.

I still have dreams that I will accomplish -- Travel plans I will venture to

At the end of the day I am a New Mom.

The only thing that has changed is an addition backslash to the things I were previously.

Child of God/

Wife/

Mother/

Daughter/

Sister/

Friend/

Blogger/

BusinessWoman

One Month.

10:14PM -- This is the only time I can find to blog lol!

I actually thought and typed out new posts in my head.

My last blog post was one month ago -- how ironic because that's not what this post is about lol

It's been One Month at the new job, in a new position. I must say it feels so good.

I feel like I have a reason and a purpose in this position and God will use me to get through to others.
One Month and I already feel like I've created an impact at this new company.
Which means the WORLD to me because at my previous job I felt overworked and undervalued.

Today also marks one month with a new daycare. We've all had to adjust but it has been great! (with a few bumps here and there)

One Month ..... And I still so desperately want to be an entrepreneur even more so. I won't complain about what God has currently blessed me with. Like I've said before God will bless me with my own business when He feels that I'm ready.

Until then I will continue to hold on and press forward. Making an impact one colleague at a time =)

Is it the ring size or the likes?

Happy Sunday!

It's a new week, new month, new ventures!

So I'm midway finish doing my hair for the week and this topic randomly popped into my head. I just HAD to pause for a sec and blog about it.

I personally know a bunch of couples that have been committed long term as in years...and years. But still aren't engaged or even close to marriage. So my question is it about the ring size or the social media likes?

I've told my proposal story here on the blog previously and it only took my husband a few months to propose lol!

We chose to commit to forever. As a family. As a couple. 

So my question to people in a long term relationship that aren't engaged... Is it about the ring size or the social media likes?

Many people in this day & age do things for attention and are focused on their social media following and likes. If you want to be with that person forever and are truly committed then whats the wait?

I know we're 20-somethings and have student loans to pay. 

Trust I know the struggle lol! 

But are you putting forever on pause for that Pinterest/Kim K size ring?

If so, you need to reevaluate some things girl.

Dreams Vs Motherhood

Once you have a baby all of your energy and focus is put towards helping this new little human into the world. It's so easy to forget to pamper and give yourself some lovin'.

But who's to say that you have to completely give up your dreams?? At first I surely thought I would no longer be able to pursue my dreams now that I have a little baby to care for.
Of course there are days were I am DOG TIRED but my dreams won't stop so why should I?

I watched this Youtube video this morning by BronzeGoddess01 and that lightbulb finally turned completely on for me.

I can still pursue my dreams of traveling and starting a business and just about anything else I would like to do. Simply because I have a daughter that looks up to me and thinks I am the greatest thing ever. The way she smiles and watches every step and move that I make.

When she grows old enough to understand about owning a business, I would like her to continue our legacy. Whether that's a nonprofit or a business that grew into something great.

Goodbye Corporate

Let's rewind to May 19,2014 -- immediately after my college graduation I embarked on my consulting career with one of the Fortune 100 companies. Being a new graduate that was a great accomplishment at the time. I was living in a fancy "luxury apartment" with a Bachelors and a Dream. The first 6 months of my consulting career I spent traveling to the West Coast, meeting new people and professionals that could help further my career.

Then after 6 months it hit me.... this consulting/travel career was not for me. I was never at home butI was still paying for this "luxury apartment". I had gained lots of hotel and rental car rewards but something was still missing even with that "Gold Passport".

Back to Present time -- August 2016 -- I finally cut the cord on Corporate America and I couldn't be happier. I hung on to that consultant life for 2yrs and 3months, which I was ready to let go 2 yrs ago. Don't get me wrong, it was a great introduction and also a necessary push to start my very own business.

As I made my last walk through the squeaky clean glass doors and two rows down to my very own cubicle. For a brief second my emotions took over and I couldn't believe I was jumping off the ship. After signing the exit papers and meeting with my manager..... I wasn't even worth a simple Goodbye handshake.
2years and 3months under the same management and a brief gesture of a handshake wasn't presented.

27 months of being overworked, underpaid, and undervalued

I said Goodbye to my comfy Corporate Bubble and Hello to my Family of 3.

My Top 5 Baby Products

**I'm catching up on blog posts that I wrote months ago. This was written when Savannah was only 6 weeks lol!**

It's been a little over a month that Savannah has graced us with her presence.

In a short 6 weeks I've learned what products work best for her & what products I cannot do without.

Here's my list:

1 Little Remedies Gripe Water -- For the gassy moments and when mommy ate something that will affect her stomach like beans/cheese/broccoli 

2 Nose Frida -- Having a congested baby is not for. But the nose frida allows us to "blow her nose" because obviously she can't on her own just yet lol

3 Avent Manual Pump  -- This is great for on the go and also for office hours at work I can just hop in to the pumping room and pump within minutes. 

4 Baby Aquaphor -- She has rather dry skin and this product allows us to keep her moisturized 

5 Dr Bronner's Almond Soap -- When she was a few weeks old... I tried a few different baby body wash products that are hot on the market but they all broke her out or left her skin really dry. This soap is great and also gentle enough for her little baby skin. 

My Fear Led Me To Success

After 2 years of feeling....stagnant, undervalued, worthless, bored, lazy, did I mention undervalued? I finally decided to allow God to lead me into the position that he wanted me to be in to further my career path. In all honesty, I was fearful.. fearing that I would fail, that I wouldn't be successful, and simply fearing that I would actually have work to do.
As a consultant, depending on the season the work load can vary and I became comfortable with not being challenged at work. That's when I sat down with my husband and talked about my fear.
Talking about and identifying your fear isn't the easiest thing because it leaves you feeling vulnerable.. well for me atleast.

But there's a shifting in my life that's taking place. I've known for some time now that it would happen but I just didn't know when. My husband constantly tells me to wait and be patient... but at times that's easier said than done lol!

Here's to not letting my fear control my success.

Yes I Am A New Mom

Yes I am a new mom but no that doesn't mean I'm an idiot.
Something about people and their judgments just does something to me.

So when we started daycare I went over to visit during my lunch break just about every day for the first 2 weeks. Immediately the workers assumed that this was my first child by the way I did things and cared for my child.

Sorry but I don't believe in "spoiling" a baby. I love to affection to my baby and so does my husband... what's so wrong with that?

I have an issue when the daycare just lets her sit all day and really doesn't interact with her. At home, we sing, play and dance on repeat so she's use to being active instead of confided to one spot for 8 hours in a day.

So yes I am a new mom but how I interact with my child should not be out of the norm. If more adults were held tighter as a child maybe, just maybe we would have a world with happier people.

So the next time you judge me for showing affection to my baby, you may need a hug too. 

I Decided To Take A Leap

I finally decided to take a leap of faith. Of course I'm fearful of failing but I decided to start my design studio. I have a passion to be creative so why not share with others?

From logo design, brand design or social media design -- MoreThanJustAPrettyFace is at your service! 

Follow my Facebook Page @MoreThanJustAPrettyFace

First Week Back At Work

This is officially my first week back at the consulting life. Over the week I've done alot of self reflection and I can truly say that I never was passionate about consulting. Being a consultant under someone else's corporation doesn't excite me and traveling without my family definitely doesn't excite me.
Being creativity and having the freedom of creating whatever my heart desires really gets my heart pumping.
I want to build a legacy for Savannah so that she can know that I worked my hardest with my God given talents.
I want to be there for each milestone without having the daycare workers tell me she did it first at daycare.
I want to travel with my family so that they can experience what the world has to offer.

So this week I decided to take a leap of faith to begin my passion part-time. It is alot of work but I know at the end of the day it makes me happy. It keeps me sane.

#iaintsorry for telling the truth and letting it be known what's really real.

Baby's First Day of Daycare

Yesterday was Savannah's first day of daycare. Oh boy.

I'm pretty sure I was more upset and sad than she was.

I was okay with the idea until her daycare teacher asked, "Will you be okay?"

No....actually I won't. This may be a bit dramatic but I feel like I've introduced our baby to the real world & we'll only spend holidays with her now.

Being that she's at daycare majority of the week.

I couldn't stand for her to be at daycare for the entire day so I went pick her up at 2:00 lol!! My husband wasn't so pleased because we paid for an entire week and she is only spending 3 days there.

Next week its back to th consulting life for me & I know that it will take some adjusting. 

I miss my little baby & I hope I don't miss any of her milestones...

-- A worried mommy

Snapchat Geofilters

Weddings. Graduation Party. Birthday. Bridal Shower. Business event.

Get a custom Snapchat Geofilter to share the memories. 

Message me or email @ corplady6@gmail.com

Breastfeeding Chronicles: Philips Avent Breast Pump Manual vs MedelaPump In Style

Before giving birth, I had already decided on the choice of breastfeeding. I wasn't too sold on the whole "milk out of a can" formula so the decision was pretty simple and of course Q agreed.
My health insurance provides free electric pumps so I placed my order for the Medela Pump In Style after doing extensive research and hearing from other moms that this was THE PUMP to go with.

Well let me just tell you.... do your own research and reviewing before deciding to actually buy this electric Medela pump.
I have larger breasts so the breast shields in the Medela Pump In Style box that are provided did not fit. Q took a trip to Walmart and found the 27mm which fit perfectly for me.

I bought the Avent Breast Pump Manual right before going in to labor and it was the best decision I made. I wanted to have the option of doing manual or electric. The end result of that was.... MANUAL all the way.
I love that I can take this little hand held pump on the go with me and pump in the car under my shirt without any hassle.
On the other hand, the Medela Pump In Style has to be plugged into the wall and I have to sit there and maneuver myself to be able to hold both pumps at one time. This leaves me sitting in one position for at least 30 minutes which is unrealistic with a newborn.

My choice: Philips Avent Breast Pump Manual -- 1. For Travel 2. For Late night pumping 3. For bigger boobs lol! (the plastic suction cup helps tremendously)  

I'm not part of the "natural hair community"

Yes I am natural.

With that being said, I am clueless about abbreviations and special hair tricks that the natural hair community praise. 

I look at my curls as a way out of straightening it because I didn't have time or just wanted to give my hair a break.

I don't attend networking events for the natural hair community because simply put....there are some people that take this thing to heart.

Sometimes when I'm out in public I get stares of people trying to figure out my "hair type" I'm guessing.

Who cares? Rock what makes you comfortable and keep it moving. 

I'm natural whether I decide to rock straight or curly hair, it makes no difference.

I'm not new to this whole natural thing,  I've been natural before natural became a "thing".

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Skip Hop Diaper Bag Review

A few blog posts ago I was searching for a diaper bag that was modern, trendy & also easy to carry.

I must say that the backpack diaper bag idea is genius.

I scooped up the Skip Hop Chelsea Downtown Chic Backpack from Babies R Us just a few weeks ago.

I AM IN LOVE.

In the mist of carrying a carseat or carrying Savannah this backpack is perfect for any mom. 

The only problem I have with the backpack is the bottle holders on the side.

Yes, the bottle holders are insulated but the top portion is open which makes me question if it really keeps the bottles cold. 

Other than that I love this backpack. The cost of it is a bit pricey but the material used to create this backpack I know I'll have it for years to come with Savannah.

What I've Been Up To?

I've been enjoying being a mother. From doctor visits, late night feeds, littlesmiles and   grins.... I've just been soaking it all in.

Everytime I attempt to blog from my laptop I get distracted or little Savannah wants all my attention.

I honestly feel guilty about going back to work. I really don't care for daycare and all the germs it carry but it's something that has to be done at the moment. 

I've been trying to get the hang of things but it's kind of hard with everything going on. So for now I may just pop up every now & then on the blog lol

Six Things I Wish Someone Would've Told Me About Caring for a Newborn

Our little sunshine has been a being in this world for exactly 5 weeks now!

YAYYYYY!!

Basically everything we've done until this point has been trial and error. I understand that all babies are different and what may work for some may not work for others.

With that being said, here's a list of things I wish someone would've atleast warned me about caring for a newborn

1. Cradle cap -- What is it?! And why didn't anyone tell me steps to prevent it.

2. Crying -- She has different cries for different reasons

3. Diapers -- Newborn diapers last for about 1.5 weeks then she continues to grow out the other sizes just as fast.

4. Breastfeeding-- The weight gain is serious lol! She is steady growing & there's no stopping her.

5. Choose your pediatrician wisely -- As a first time mom, this whole "motherhood" "newborn" thing is all new to me & I'm clueless. Well I definitely don't need nurses or a pediatrician looking at me crazy as if I'm overreacting.

Like I said I'm clueless and Google can only tell me so much.

6. Google at your own risk -- Even before giving birth I would self diagnose lol! So with a newborn I'm constantly Googling daily occurrences

First Three Weeks of Motherhood

I've finally pushed myself to type another blog post. In my first few weeks of motherhood.... I must say all of these motherly duties make me appreciate my mom so much more. I'm not sure how she found the time to take care of 4 kids and still find time to work a full time job.

Basically in 3 short weeks I've found out a lot about myself and also my husband (that still feels weird to say lol). I've cried, laughed, argued, cried some more and laughed even more. This is only the beginning and the journey is so worth it.

To sum up everything that's been going on..... Savannah has grown so much in only 3 weeks and the breastfeeding journey has been going GREAT. I worried so much about being able to breastfeed or if I was doing things right.
In the hospital I requested a lactation consultant all 3 days of my hospital stay lol! I wanted to make sure I was holding the baby the "proper way"... make sure she was getting enough milk... make sure she was having enough dirty diapers.
Then once I got home I quickly realized that I just needed to do what was comfortable for myself and the baby. It's that simple. No books or Breastfeeding classes or Youtube videos can teach me that.

The support from Q and my family has driven me to be the best I can be and also allowed me to slow down and just take my time instead of rushing.

With Mother's Day quickly approaching I must say... to all the Mothers out there. You are appreciated. Hopefully there is some type of support system in your household because I couldn't imagine raising Savannah alone.

Yes I'm Married, No I Didn't Share with Social Media

This blog post has kind of been a long awaited topic that I've been meaning to write but life happened per usual lol.

So by the title you can tell that yes I am MARRIED lol!

The engagement process was short & to the point like majority of my life has been. I did not feel the need to share that moment on social media simply because I don't center my life or my choices on "likes" and followers on social networks.

Let me explain.....

I've always prayed to God for a family of my own after seeing how my sibilings interact with their families it inspired me to want my own. 

With that being said, I met Q that started off as just friends but God had plans for something much bigger. 

After finding out about the pregnancy we decided to kick things up a notch & make a commitment to each other. We bought a house & began doing all the things that a married couple would do.

Well as you can see the problem with all of that is we were doing martial things without actually standing in front of God and correcting our sin of all of these premartial things. Eventually we both agreed that we wanted to be blameless and submit ourselves to Christ not just as a couple but also as individuals. We had no intentions on falling so hard...so fast.. but we both allowed God to intervene.

I really think my invitation to church is really what got him lol! 

In March, we had a little private ceremony with just family, by the pond in my sister's backyard. It was the perfect setup & straight to the point just like I like it. We showed ourselves to the Lord & embarked on a new journey in life as ONE.

---In life you have to make decisions that will make you happy not the others around you.---

First week of Motherhood.

Let me start off by saying that I have a new found appreciation for my mom on a whole new level.

Being pregnant for 9 months(10 months to be exact) definitely didn't prepare me mentally for almost a completely full day in labor(23 hours), exciting moments, a sleepless week, and oh yeah.....breastfeeding.

Obviously I was completely clueless to all of this & it really just comes with the territory & there's nothing to prepare you except actually experiencing it.

Yes Savannah has finally arrived! 

---signed a tired mommy @ 3:45AM

Overworked and Undervalued.

My blog has always been a stress reliever when it comes to work, like this is my "stress free spot".
Well lately I haven't really been stressing over anything due to the simple fact that when I stress, it stresses the baby out, and that's not something I want to put on the baby.

This has been a topic of discussion with many of my friends at work and also with my family,

"Overworked and Undervalued". 

As a consultant I understand that work needs to get done and accomplished to gain more money for your employer. 
There's just some things that are wrong with that when it comes to college grads and not 'professional hires'. After 2 years of graduating college and I'm still looked at as a "college grad", crazy right lol!

As a college grad you're looked at as "no prior work experience, no business knowledge, no trained skill set" -- Basically a baby to this whole 'career' thing no matter how prepared you think you are. So if you're going to battle with no weapons, it means that you aren't ready for the battle right? It's the same as a company offering you any (low) offer and you'll take it, right?

There's a nickname for that around here, it's called the "U.S. sweat shop" lol! As horrible as that sounds it's true, and after 2 years of working at a big company you begin to feel the pain of the "sweat shop". 


Working long hours, on call during the weekends, minimal to no raises annually, no bonuses, no incentives, being under ranked over someone that just started 2 years after you....the list goes on.

So when do you make the decision that 'enough is enough'?
Lol! I would say soon as you get that next job offer. But at some point in your career whether it's after 1 year, 2 years, or 5 years, it is important to decide is this position stagnant or have I made progression in these years.

What's best for me at the moment?
You can base that whether your skillset has/hasn't expanded or whether you have just made the decision to start a family/start freelance/build a business to call your own.

At the end of it all, I choose ME and by making that decision, I refuse to not leave my kids(s) a legacy. Because let's be honest, any business that you aren't the sole owner of will never be "yours". 

So what's the point of it all?

Nursery Tour

Finally we have the nursery completed! I'll post a video including details of where everything was purchased and what not but here's snapshots 

*taken by daddy =)*

The "Pregnant and Emotional" Excuse

Since I've last blogged about work, I've started on a new project at work and also traveled to Connecticut.

As of today I am currently 38 weeks pregnant and I still commute to the office everyday for work. (Only 2 more weeks. Thank God!)

Well with that being said, I've come across some situations on my project where I've made the decision to speak out about how I believe a team should function.

In business I am a firm believer in a few things like, being a hard worker, never apologizing and getting work done in a timely fashion.

On this new project I've been tested multiple times and one day I finally decided to react to my other teammates work ethic. ......believe me isn't much at all. 

I look at myself as a team player but when it comes to others not doing any work at all I feel it should be addressed.

This brings me to the "Pregnant and Emotional" excuse. I may be 9 months pregnant but the last thing I am is emotional at work. This pregnancy has definitely given me the confidence to speak out on issues but I see that as a great thing! So before you judge a pregnant woman by her comments, is it really emotions or true statements that you aren't sure how to respond to?

=) my point exactly.

Happy Saturday!

DIY Maternity Photoshoot

After weighing my options to decide whether or not I would like to hire a professional photographer for maternity photos-- I decided not to, to save money. I honestly believe that was the best decision I made.

Of course we're not professionals but I think the pictures turned out pretty well for our first try!

I woke up this morning and I was feeling like today was the perfect day for a photoshoot.
So that's exactly what we did. We had no intention or even planned outfits but we just went for it.
Shoutout out to Q for being a great photographer and director through out the whole implusive process.

Supplies Used:

• Mom's Canon
• $10 Tripod -- Walmart 
• Free Lighting -- God's creation =)