Potty Diaries: Day 1

Dear Diary, 

Today was a very exciting day for Nico! He was thrilled to discover that he didn't have to wear his diaper at all, and happily ran around the house in all his naked freedom. 

Then, he had his first accident. He came to me saying, "Nico pee-pee!" And I was excited, until I found a small yellow puddle on the tiled playroom floor. I calmly told him that we pee-pee in the potty, and had him bring me paper towels to help me clean up, which he was very happy to do. 

The second time he had an accident, I caught him, and was able to get him to stop midstream, a thing that is difficult for him to do at this age. We ran to the potty where Nico finished his number 1! We sang a song, and I gave him lots of high-fives and endless praise. 

When it was time for his nap, we visited the potty again, though he didn't use it. It is unreasonable to expect these little ones to stay dry during nap time, or to be able to wake up and alert their parents if they need to use the potty; so, I put a diaper on him to avoid a smelly disaster. When we went to the potty after nap time, he successfully made another pee-pee!

We visited the potty several more times that day. Before and after lunch, snack, and dinner, without much luck. I was careful to not show disappointment when he didn't have to go, so that he wouldn't associate potty time with guilt. However, when he made a number 2 on the floor, I made sure he knew that it was not okay. While he helped me clean the mess again, I sternly but kindly told him that we must use the potty next time so that we can keep the floor clean.

3 things that Reassured me that Nico was ready for potty training:

1. He was able to tell me when he was finished using the potty
2. He knows the difference between going number 1 and going number 2
3. He recognizes the sensation and tells me either before or after he does his business

Overall, the first day of potty training went better than I had excepted!

Sincerely, 
Sabrina (aka The KUL Mom)

8 Hairstyles To Fight Summer Frizz

My hair doesn't do well in the summer. 

The heat causes me to sweat which causes my hair to get ridiculously frizzy! 

Don't get me wrong, I have no problem going natural and rocking my straight Afro.

 But some times, I like to tame to the beast. 

Doing my hair is something that I have been practicing since I was about 12 years old. I literally braid my hair with my eyes closed at this point. Though I have yet to master the art of hair styling completely, I enjoy trying out new things! 

Here are 8 ideas for when the ponytail just won't work:

Loose fish tail brain with a black faux leather bow.

Traditional french braid.

 

Tight curved fishtail side braid with faux leather black bow

 

Another variation of the curved fish tail braid with a light blue ribbon instead of the black bow 

 

 

French braid hybrid with turquoise clippies.

 

Half up half down with a color spotted white bow and pink clippies. 

Bangs twisted and pulled back 

Half up half down with black clippies keeping sides back 

Father's Day Gift Ideas

Dads can be the hardest people to shop for, but finding something just right doesn't have to be complicated! Sometimes the one thing holding us back from thinking of the perfect present, is thinking way too much. 

The first step to finding the last minute gift of his dreams is taking a deep breath and remembering to keep it simple! 

Favorites - Things to keep in mind when looking for something for dad are his favorites. Favorite color, band, vintage show, movie, superhero? A gift card to his favorite store in a meaningful card is guaranteed to win you that smile you love so much! 

 
Books - There is no such thing as having too many books, and there is no such thing as a person who doesn't read. The question is what do they read? Comics, magazines, newspapers? Get your hubby a good thrilling read that he will greatly appreciate the next time he finds himself with a chunk of personal time. 

   
Free Time - Speaking of time, it seems like Dads don't ever have enough of it! When my husband isn't working, he is doing a chore around the house or hanging out with Nico; he never really has a moment for himself. If that sounds like your hubby, a nice gift might be a night to himself. The night before his day off, pack up the kids and take them for an over night trip with you to Grandma's house, leaving your husband all alone for 24 hours of man time! 

Nothing - The ultimate last minute gift is absolutely nothing! Make overnight arrangements for the little ones and spend the day doing nothing but watching his favorite movies/ shows, and eating his favorite junk food (don't forget the pizza!). Most importantly, spend the day wearing NOTHING AT ALL ;) 

  

Date Night Dinner for Two for Under $30

Anyone who has seen Lady and the Tramp knows that spaghetti and meatballs is a signature romantic meal. 

Fortunately for us, the classic dish eliminates the need to slave over the stove for hours, trying to create the perfect Date Night dinner. Not only is this delicious entrée fast and simple to prepare, all of the ingredients can be purchased for under $30; under $20 if some are on sale! 

Meatballs:

INGREDIENTS

1lb ground beef

3/4 cup bread crumbs 

3/4 grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg

1tbs pepper

1tbs all purpose seasoning 

1 1/2tbs garlic powder

Salt to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Season the thawed ground beef with the spices. Then mix in the egg, bread crumbs, and grated Parmesan. 

Pull small pieces of beef and roll it into a ball in the palm of your hand and place on a NON-GREASED baking sheet.

(to save clean up time, cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil before baking) 

Cook for about 15 minutes or until the meatballs are lightly browned on the top. Remove from sheet and place on a paper towel covered plate. 

Spaghetti & Sauce: 

INGREDIENTS

Half a package of uncooked spaghetti

1/2 Jar of your favorite sauce

3tbs of parmesan

1tbs pepper

1/2tbs onion powder

Salt to taste

1/2 cheese of choice

While waiting for those meatballs to bake, boil water with a dash of salt and olive oil in a medium sized pot for the pasta. If you wait until the water is boiling before adding the spaghetti, it cooks faster and more evenly. Once pasta is at desired tenderness turn off the burner and drain it. Then add the rest of the ingredients and mix it all up! 

After mixing the sauce into the spaghetti throw the meatballs in the pot and mix it together. Cover the main course and let the flavors mesh while you make a deliciously healthy side salad! 

 

Side Salad:

INGREDIENTS

1 cup fresh spinach

1 cup romaine lettuce

1/4 cup fresh cilantro 

1 tomato 

1/2 small white onion 

1/2 tbs lemon juice

1tbs olive oil

Dice the tomato and onions. Chop up the cilantro. Cut the spinach and romaine lettuce into smaller pieces. Finally add all of the ingredients together in a pretty bowl and serve along side the spaghetti.

Now the only thing you have to worry about is what movie to watch and of course what to wear to WOW your date ;)  

What Movies Make You Think

Everyday, millions of people watch millions of movies, all around the world. The film industry has one of the biggest influences on society. I mean, who doesn't love a good movie, right? 

What most people do not realize however, is just how much their love of silver screen classics has molded their frame of mind and view of life. 

Through this popular form of mass communication, any kind of behavior or idea can be implemented. This is where we get our ideas about romance and love, gender roles, and even acceptable human interactions. The cult classic Mean Girls, for example, led us to believe that emotional bullying in an intolerable act that will have negative effects on everyone involved, including the bullies. While the Disney animated feature Mulan, taught young girls everywhere that you do not have to be a boy to be a hero. 

Public displays of affection became popular because of the way romance was portrayed in early cinema in the mid to late 60's. Not only that, but because of films like Rebel Without a Cause youths began to question the very idea of happiness and began to pull away from the roles society had pushed on them.

Unfortunately, not all films share the same positive outlook of life. Movies like Jaws, which was meant to entertain, inspired an entire country's irrational fear of sharks. On the other hand, many real underground fight clubs sprouted shortly after the release of David Fincher's critically acclaimed film Fight Club.

Many studies show that watching increasingly violent films can desensitize the mind to real life violence. Meaning that we find blood, gore, and aggression more acceptable, which is UNACCEPTABLE! (pardon the redundancy)

Though is sounds silly, many people let Hollywood dictate how they live their lives. In many cases, instead of movies portraying reality, reality portrays movies. Among the most tragic examples of this is the death of young Mickey Culpepper, who lost his life at the age of 23 by playing Russian Roulette with friends shortly after watching the film The Deer Hunter.

I am not saying that movies kill people. They DO NOT!

The real danger posed by the film industry is that people are no longer thinking for themselves. Instead of provoking thought, films are implanting thoughts. It seems like now they tell us what to wear, who to love, what to buy, where to eat, how to interact with one another, and even how we should be having sex! 

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

Movies are meant to inform and entertain, NOT to influence and manipulate. 

The next time you sit down to watch the latest box office hit, don't just consider how it makes you feel, be aware of WHAT IT IS MAKING YOU THINK.