A Pet Peeve

I have a minor vent that I need to do today. I don't know if this have every happened to you but I hate when people talk to me through my child. Don't know what I am talking about? Well, at Mekhi's daycare a few of the providers have this awful habit. They like to provide a "critique" of my parenting skills by talking to Mekhi in my presence. The most recent example is when I arrive to school and it is after the children have already eaten breakfast. Mekhi is greeted with "Hi Mekhi, doesn't mommy know that children thrive on routine? I know you like your breakfast but breakfast is over, come join your classmates on the mat." Um, excuse me? I am to understand that I need to explain that Mekhi and I were at the doctor's office this morning and of course I fed my child? Or that I have been given the benefit of having flexible hours and although I know Mekhi has a "routine" sometimes that we spend quality time together before I take him to school .

I respect my elders and I have not said anything because I don't want to have an attitude. I just smile and let Mekhi enjoy his day. I understand that they are "talking' to Mekhi with good intentions but seriously? It is really pissing me off. Have you ever had this type of experience? Do you have any advice for me?

A Visit to the Dentist

Today I took Mekhi for his second trip to the dentist. There is nothing wrong with his teeth but I think it is important to be proactive when dealing with oral hygiene. As a young child my mother instilled in me the importance of regular and thorough care of my teeth and I want to do the same for Mekhi. I must admit that since Mekhi is in the midst of the "teachable" twos and wants to maintain control sometimes I let him get his way more often than I should to keep the peace. I realize the error of my ways and unfortunately this was evident during our doctor visit. Let me start by saying Dr. Wayne is a Pediatric dentist (I don't think such a thing existed when I was growing up) and the whole experience is wonderful and calming. Each station has a television on the ceiling to distract the children during procedures and the staff is well-versed in handling the antics of a preschooler.

Mekhi was fine with all of the doting that he received prior to his cleaning but his demeanor quickly changed once we went into the examination room. I am not sure if he had flashbacks to the last time we visited the dentist for a quick perusal of his teeth or if it was the very sterile environment but Mekhi started screaming the moment I laid him down in the exam chair. I tried to keep him still while the tech attempted to clean his teeth but reinforcements were quickly called in. One attendant played with his feet and sang soothing songs while I held his hands down and his teeth were cleaned. Dr. Wayne came in and his melodic voice calmed Mekhi quite a bit and in an instant the whole process was over. In total the exam and cleaning lasted about five minutes but Mekhi screeched and screamed the entire time.

Dr. Wayne took a moment to discuss the exam with me and reiterated that Mekhi's behavior is normal. However, I need to assist Mekhi in understanding the things that he can and cannot control. Full disclosure: at night I allow Mekhi to brush his teeth first and then I "try" to finish up the job. I am more successful at completing this task when Mekhi complies but more often then not, I am met with extreme resistance to teeth cleaning. Dr. Wayne explained that I need to brush Mekhi's teeth first and then allow him to brush. By changing the process Mekhi will have an incentive for allowing me to brush his teeth. I never thought of doing it this way but it makes complete sense. I learned something new today and although I slightly felt reduced to an idiot ( Because really, why am I allowing a two year old to run the program? ), I am going to apply the sage wisdom of Dr. Wayne to our bedtime routine.

I am grateful for health practitioners like Dr. Wayne that take the time to help make my job as a parent easier and am reminded that parenting is a learning process. *And just so you know - Mekhi really was fine. His toy dinosaur, sticker and bright orange toothbrush did wonders for his disposition!*

Twilight Giveaway!

In August I wrote about my love affair with The Twilight Series by Stephanie Meyer. These romantic novels about teenage vampires are quick easy reads that I enjoy. I have read all of the books in the series and saw the Twilight film the week it was released in November. Now I have the opportunity to share the gift of Twilight with you. If you are already a fan you might want to check out the Walmart Twilight page, the DVD is on sale now for only $17.oo. And thanks to Walmart, I am happy to offer you the opportunity to enjoy a ton of Twilight goodies. I have a prize package that includes the DVD, a book and a host of other goodies with a ARV of $150.00 to giveaway (actual contents of prize pack may vary from the photo).

Here is how to win

Please LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH METHOD OF ENTRY!!!!

1. Comment and let me know if you have read any of the books or have seen the film. Please no spoilers!

2. Subscribe for email updates (if you are already a subscriber leave a comment too)

Enter your email address:

3. Twitter the giveaway. Please leave the tweet url in your comment (click on the time of your tweet and this will pop-up). To make it easy you can use this text:

Enter Twilight Giveaway on @Cutiebootycakes Blog http://tinyurl.com/djh5wo #11momstwilight Pls R/T

4. Stumble, Digg or Kirtsy this post - please leave your id in your comment.

5. Add Cutie Booty Cakes to your blogroll or post the button on your sidebar (if you have already done this leave a comment too).

Good Luck!

This giveaway is open until 11:59 PM on Saturday, April 4, 2009. The winner will be chosen by random. Winner will be notified by email (please be sure to include your email address if it is not in your profile) and have 48 hours to respond. Otherwise, an alternate winner will be chosen.

Congratulations to Jami! She is entrant number 198.

Walmart and Me!

I am ecstatic about the newest opportunity that has been presented to me. I have been asked to be a Walmart Eleven Mom. You can read more about the program here. Basically, Walmart is leveraging the power of social media by working with Mom bloggers. The program was initially intended to focus on vlogs that provide money saving tips but has branched out into Blog Talk Radio Shows, wonderful giveaways, and more. I am completely ecstatic about this opportunity and look forward to working with this wonderful group of women.

A Picture is Worth A Thousand Words

Baked Alaska and Creme Brulé

I enjoyed these lovely delights during my birthday lunch at The Oceanaire Restaurant in Atlanta. My best friend Calinda treated me to a delicious lunch at this seafood restaurant. I am not sure why it did not occur to me to take a photo of the food: fresh oysters on the half shell and scallops that were melt in your mouth delicious.  Perhaps the grey goose lemon drop made me forget about the blog and just focus on catching up with my girlfriend.  In any event, the food was to die for, the conversation was brilliant and our waiter Daniel H. was superb. The delectable desert above was his gift to me for my birthday - now that is what I call service! If you are ever in the Atlanta area and enjoy seafood be sure to stop by The Oceanaire, you will not be disappointed.

For more wordful Wednesday visit Angie's 7 Clown Circus and for WW visit here.

A Reminder

If your in-box is anything like mine I am sure you recieve your fair share of junk mail, spam and crazy chain letters.  Yesterday amidst the clutter, I recieved a beautiful poem that I need to share with all parents. A simple reminder that our children are always watching us and everything that we do impacts them. I am not sure of the author however I know it is a modified version of an original poem by Mary Rita Schilke Korzan. Enjoy!

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you hang my
first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately
wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a
stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind
to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make my
favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little
things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make a
meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I
learned that we all have to help take care of each
other.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of
your time and money to help people who had nothing,
and I learned that those who have something should
give to others.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you take care
of our house and everyone in it. And, I learned that we
have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw how you
handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't
feel good. And, I learned that I would have to be
responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come
from your eyes. I learned that sometimes things
hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking I saw that you
cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking I learned most of
life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and
productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking I looked at you and
wanted to say,'Thanks for all the things I saw when
you thought I wasn't looking.'

LITTLE EYES SEE A LOT!! Live simply. Love generously.
Care deeply. Speak kindly. Each of us influences the
life of a child.

Today I also have a post on BlogHer.com about the Myth of the Super Mom if you have a moment please read it and share your thoughts.

Welcome to the Ultimate Blog Party!

Thank you for stopping by my blog for the 5 Minutes for Mom's Ultimate Blog Party! I love to blog, vlog and be social. You can just about always find me on twitter and I am a member of multiple blogging communities. Look around, get comfy and read some posts. If you are expected a child or need a baby shower gift be sure to stop by my store. If you are new here I look forward to stopping by your blog and if you are an old friend -thank you and I can't wait to catch up !

I have a couple of goodies to offer up too! Fifty free HP prints and a one tier diaper cake like this one.

Hope Springs Eternal - Kaiya's Story

Lately I have been moved my the music of Mary Mary. Two women that sing gospel with an r&b feel to it. The rhythmic sound of their music coupled with the lyrics that are focused on God is a powerful force that I know will reach many young people. My current favorite "The God In Me" is all about a woman that people see doing well - without the understanding that she attributes all of her success to God and gets down on bended knee to thank Him everyday. I am sure that many people can relate to this song but there is one person that I truly hope this song personifies in the future.



Her name is Kaiya. She is a 14 year old girl with cystic fibrosis in need of a double lung transplant. The family needs at least $35,000 to help offset the costs of the transplant. You can get all of the details on her website by clicking HERE. I do not know her personally but the light that shines in her eyes is so bright and I want to do all I can to spread the word about the fundraiser being held on her behalf. I learned about her plight on Facebook and did the research- this girl is in need of help and the non-profit Children's Organ Transplant Association is handling the funds that are generated for her. I am asking that you help Kaiya. I know that we are in difficult economic times and you may not be able to help monetarily but please get the word out about Kaiya- write a blog post, tweet it, share the website with friends. I think this beautiful young lady deserves a chance to live a long happy life.

God In Me - Mary Mary Feat. Kierra Kiki Sheard

Jack's Big Music Show

"Music in my life makes me happy, music and I are never apart, music will always be my pleasure, music is here in my heart"

Mekhi loves music. He has numerous instruments that he enjoys but he really loves his flute and drumsticks(notice I said sticks and not drum, any object that he comes into contact with becomes his "drum"). I know he gets is honest, both his father and I are musicians. His father was a professional saxophone player and I played the violin for well over a decade. Although we both have refrained from playing our respective instruments for many years, I am pretty sure that we will start again when Mekhi is old enough to sit and listen.

In the meantime, to foster the joy of music in Mekhi I have a favorite television show, Jack's Big Music Show which airs on Noggin.

As you can probably guess I am a big fan of Noggin - I have written about Yo Gabba Gabba in the past and Jack's is also on the list of favorites in the Cutie Booty household. Every episode of Jack's Big Music Show highlights different entertainers and quite often different genres of music. Opera, jazz and calypso are some of the types of music that I've - I mean, Mekhi has learned about and enjoyed. I am not a spokesperson or a blogger for Noggin or any of these shows but I really enjoy them. I love sharing information with other parents when I find programming that is both educational and entertaining. Jack's Big Music Show completely fits that bill. The puppets all play instruments and have human companions that drop in and sing and/or play music with them. If you have a preschooler this is a show that you don't want to miss. Speaking of missing, the programming has been changed on Noggin and now I am not sure when my favorite - I mean Mekhi's favorite show is being aired. I am on the lookout and hopefully it will return for Saturday morning fun.

It's Hip Hop Baby!!!!!

An opportunity to review "It’s Hip-Hop Baby" CD and DVD came my way when I was on twitter (I know, when am I not on twitter?). Now, when I hear the words Hip Hop combined with anything for children I am immediately skeptical. I suppose this stems from my dislike of the Hip Hop Harry show. A show that in my opinion fulfills every negative stereotype associated with hip hop. But I digress. Let me get back to “It’s Hip-Hop Baby” which has totally blown my mind.

It’s Hip Hop Baby takes songs that we know and love like “If your happy and you know it” and “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” and backs them up with a heavy bass-laden beat that will have both you and your child doing the head nod. The CD and DVD are also filled with new songs that review counting, animals and the sounds they make, and even Simon says. The repetition of the words and the great music combine for a real musical treat that will enable your child to learn while enjoying movement. This is not music that you can sit still and listen to.

As a matter of fact, when I first played the DVD my husband came downstairs to find out what was going on. He got tickled when he realized that it was children's music. Mekhi listens to the CD everyday in the car and his father frequently lets him watch the DVD on the computer. Mekhi’s favorite is “Animal Fun” you will see in this brief video that he really enjoys it.




The video is from Mekhi’s first time watching "It’s Hip Hop Baby." Now the boy will request it and actively dance and sing along to the music. This really is a great series that I highly recommend. It is available for purchase at Amazon.com and 3 new DVDs have been released today. The makers of "It’s Hip Hop Baby" have generously provided the “Fruit” CD and the “Rockin’ Dance Party” DVD for me to giveaway. Here is how you can enter to win:

Simply tell me why you want to win the CD and DVD.

For additional entries:

Sign up for Cutie Booty Cakes email updates:

Enter your email address:

Twitter the giveaway. Please leave the tweeet url in your comment (click on the time of your tweet and this will pop-up) or leave your twitter name. To make it easy you can use this text:

Enter to win It's Hip Hop Baby CD and DVD on @Cutiebootycakes Blog :http://tinyurl.com/cjydvu


Follow my blog on the left hand sidebar.

The winner will be chosen by random.org. The contest ends March 24th at noon EST. Open only to US addresses. I will announce the winner on the blog and send an email. If I do not receive a response in 48 hours I will choose a new winner.

Please fill out this form with your method(s) of entry and also leave a comment for me. Thanks and good luck!

For more Wordful Wednesday visit Angie's Circus and for WW visit here.

This Giveaway is over. Congratulations to Lynn!

EA Sports Active and Me!

During my life I have had ups and downs regarding my health and fitness both literally and figuratively. Over the two years since I’ve had my son my weight has creeped up to the 200lb mark. Just typing that makes me shudder but I am being transparent because I know I am not alone in the battle of the bulge. To take action, at the beginning of this year I teamed up with Modern Mom.com to host a 12 week health and fitness challenge. It has been amazing; I have received inspiration from the wonderful women that have participated and sadly the Challenge is soon coming to an end. My recent thoughts have been focused on continuing the journey to health and fitness all alone. Luckily for me those thoughts were short-lived.

Recently I was contacted by EA Sports to participate in the EA Sports Active 30 Day Challenge. EA Sports Active is a new game being released on May 19th that will help busy Moms like me get active. Earlier this year I asked for a Wii because I knew that having the ability to exercise at home, at my convenience facilitates my ability to reaching my goals. I have had gym memberships in the past and it has simply been wasted money because I fail to make my way to the gym – somehow life gets in the way. EA Sports Active is for the Wii and I am excited to add it to my fitness program.

In the Challenge, I and 11 other participants, including Alison Sweeney of The Biggest Loser, will take the 30 day Challenge by utilizing EA Sports Active. The Challenge kickoff will be at a resort in Santa Barbara next month and we will be shown the ropes by none other than Bob Greene, Oprah’s trainer!

Whew! Did you get all that? I am going to be rubbing shoulders with celebrities and getting fit! I am so excited about this opportunity and cannot wait to get started. I hope that you can join me on this journey. Starting on April 14th, I will be posting blogs and vlogs on the EA Sports Active site tracking my progress. I hope that you check in with me (of course I will remind you when my posts go up) because your girl really can use all the support she can get!

I just want to give a big thank you to EA Sports for this opportunity. You can check out some additional information about the game in this video. Wish me luck!

A Worthy Cause

Shortly after I gave birth to Mekhi he was whisked away from me. I had a cesarean birth and they had to take care of completing my surgery. My husband stayed with Mekhi, gave him his first bath and put on his first diaper, a Pamper.


I was happy to find that the hospital used Pampers. Prior to giving birth I had done tons of research online and wanted the best for my baby and Pampers was my brand of choice. We still use Pampers and although Mekhi will soon be potty trained (I hope), we are loyal to the brand. And of course in my diaper cakes (remember those?) I always use Pampers Swaddlers.

In addition to loving the brand, I support Pampers because of their committment to helping others. The Pampers "One Pack=On Vaccine" campaign is part of a global initiative with UNICEF to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT), a preventable disease that claims the lives of approximately 128,000 infants and 30,000 mothers in less industrialized nations each year – that’s approximately one death every four minutes.

Tetanus can be contracted during childbirth in developing countries, where women often must give birth at home in unsanitary conditions without access to adequate health care. The disease rages through newborns within days of their exposure to the tetanus bacteria and almost always leads to a swift and painful death.

If you have a child in diapers or use wipes, through May 1, 2009, you can help UNICEF protect moms and babies around the world against tetanus by simply purchasing specially-marked packages of Pampers diapers and wipes. Each product purchased triggers one life-saving vaccine*. These specially marked packages of diapers and wipes cost the same as traditional products and are available wherever Pampers products are sold. For more information, go to: http://www.pampers.com/en_US/unicefhome

In addition to products, you can also redeem a special campaign “baby body suit” using Gifts to Grow points though Pampers.com. Each baby body suit triggers a life-saving vaccine. http://www.pampers.com/giftstogrow

With your Help, Pampers is Helping to Eliminate Tetanus
Funding from the “One Pack=One Vaccine” program has been essential to helping UNICEF provide much-needed tetanus vaccines to help protect moms and their newborn babies in developing nations against tetanus.

1. In the 2008 North America campaign, Pampers provided funding to UNICEF for over 50 million tetanus vaccines to help protect moms and their newborn babies against tetanus.
2. In the 2009 campaign in North America, Pampers aims to raise funds to help provide an additional 30 million vaccines.
3. Thanks to Pampers’ funding, the total global donations have helped UNICEF provide more than 100 million vaccines through August 31, 2008, and the North American goal was far exceeded.
4. The global campaign goal is to provide funding for more than 200 million life-saving tetanus vaccines over the next three years.

Mom and actress Salma Hayek is the international spokesperson for the program. She continued to demonstrate her commitment to the campaign on her recent trip to Sierra Leone with UNICEF where she witnessed firsthand the vital issue of maternal and neonatal tetanus. During her trip, Hayek met with local UNICEF representatives to discuss the impact of the campaign and see the dramatic reduction in annual newborn deaths, from 215,000 in 1999 to approximately 128,000 in 2004, saving 87,000 babies’ lives each year. While there is significant progress, much work has yet to be done.

I admire the work that Pampers is doing and will remain a loyal fan until my son is out of diapers (soon).

Laughter

When Mekhi laughs it is the most beautiful sound in the world. Memories of his peals of laughter help me maintain my sanity when he is in the midst a toddler breakdown. Not familiar with the toddler breakdown? Imagine a young child screeching at the top of his lungs because things are not going his way. As Mekhi quickly approaches two these breakdowns are becoming commonplace. But with a face like this one I an unable to stay upset for too long.

Tickle torture

For more Wordful Wednesday visit Angie's 7 Clown Circus.

Rock the Red Pump!

Today is National Women And Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. I am joining 100 other women bloggers to Rock The Red Pump and raise awareness about this disease. HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects African- American women, it is the number one cause of death in the 25-34 year old age group. There are more statistics available at Kaiser.org and CDC.gov. Check out my vlog for more information about this deadly disease. I commend Luvvie and Karyn for starting The Red Pump project, visit the Rock The Red Pump blog for more information and a full list of participating bloggers.

And here is my red pump!

Great News!

This year has started off with a bang! During my birthday week I recieved wonderful news that I want to share with you. I will start off with this - I am the newest Contributing Editor for BlogHer. I am so excited about this opportunity. When I began blogging 8 months ago one of my goals was to write for BlogHer and I am ecstatic that I've reached that goal. My first post is up today, I am discussing the question "What do you do when parenting styles clash?" If you have a chance please check it out. Just click on this button and you will be magically whisked away to BlogHer.

Next up, I am a channel editor for BlogNosh online magazine. BlogNosh editors scour the internet for the best writing out there. If you have not checked out BlogNosh, what are you waiting for? I am a Race and Ethnicity Channel editor if you have any old posts that have fallen off of your front page related to my channel, please let me know. I would love to feature you!

I honestly cannot contain my joy and excitement about these opportunities. I will be working with brilliant women that I respect and admire. I am sure that I will learn a great deal and will be sure to share my adventures with you. I truly feel like 2009 is my year and this is only the beginning!

Bliss

As I frenetically prepare for my whirlwind trip to Washington, DC I have fleeting memories of my trip to Bliss last week. I will have to hold fast to them because by the end of Thursday my feet will be aching after pounding the halls of the Cannon, Rayburn and Russel State Office buildings. I am embarking on this annual trip to convince my legislators of the necessity of funding the early childhood literacy program, Reach Out and Read. A worthy cause, if I may say so myself, pediatricians "prescribe a book" at every well child visit from 0 -5 years and provide parents with guidance for reading with their children. This is important enough for me to briefly suffer with achy feet but in the meantime I want to reminisce about my lovely spa day last week.

On the morning of my birthday I made the excursion downtown to Bliss Atlanta Midtown. I easily found parking and quickly made my way to the W Hotel where the spa resides. The signage was easy to spot and I soon was in the brightly lit lobby area that was filled with Bliss products with the trademarked blue, yellow and white colors dominating the scene. I gave my name and the desk and the receptionist ushered me to the woman's lounge. Upon entrance she pointed out comfy looking seating and a nice spread that I knew I would investigate later.


We walked into the locker room and after giving me a brief tour she handed me my slippers and left me to my own devices. I undressed, snapped a few photos and returned to the lounge to survey the scene while I filled out the requisite forms. My eyes feasted on the olives, cheese and crackers that were laid out for my delight. And I could not resist a tempting mini brownie. My massage therapist, Kris appeared and with one last glance at the small buffet I followed him to experience "bliss."