Alexandra Elizabeth » 2011

Archive for February, 2011

I’ve been gone for a minute, but now im back in the jumpoff

Let me talk to ya’ll for a minute…

So I know I haven’t been blogging very much lately. What happened? Life. I get overwhelmed very easy and realized I had way too much on my plate. See, I’m what you like to call an overachiever. I like to be involved in as much as possible, but doing everything I easily forgot about myself. I was having daily breakdowns holding it all in. Not good. I recently reached out to my mama and confided in her about some of my troubles, which felt really good, and not something I’ve ever done. I realized that I don’t have to carry around all this baggage with me, and I’m lucky to have a few close friends whom I know will support me.

So I took a step back from blogging and twitter for awhile. I felt like I was forcing it a bit. I got caught up and forgot the reason why I created Mommy Glow. I created this blog to document my travels as I navigate being a mom, an employee, a student, a young woman. This was a place to share my lows, my highs, my accomplishments and challenges. To gain support from others and at the same time support others, to show that young mommies are competent and not failures!

But somewhere somehow I got caught up. It all started seeming to be a game, a game I didn’t want to play. This whole follow me and I’ll follow you business rubs me the wrong way. Started feeling like it was all about numbers to some bloggers. But I soon learned that a high follow rate does not mean a lot of support or quality information. I felt like I was slacking, I wasn’t getting enough followers, I wasn’t going after sponsorship or hosting giveaways or teaming with companies. While my hope is to grow my blog, I want to do so in a way that is genuine to me. I want people to follow Mommy Glow because they like what I write, not because they want me to follow their blog back, know what I mean? So I needed to take a step back and regain my focus, my desire to write and connect, to remember my purpose.

I have a lot to blog about and hope you’ll all stay tuned and continue with me on this journey.

Happy Monday.

Posted on: February 28th, 2011 | No Comments »
Tags: blogging, inspiration, motivation
Posted in Uncategorized

Mamavation Monday

What’s new? After gaining weight 2 weeks ago, I’m happy to report that I lost last week. Seems like I gain a little, and then lose a little, still not making significant process, which is annoying, but I understand why. School has been brutal and I’ve been an emotional eater, and I also haven’t been on my workout game so much. I’m still walking as much as I can, but not carving out time to workout at home as often as I’d like. Boo.

Big News: I think I’m going to sign up for my first 5 mile race in April. I reached out to my friends, but none of them want to run with me, so I’m going solo. Which makes me sad, but completing a 5k is a personal goal of mine for this year, so if I have to run by myself, then so be it. I’m worried that I won’t have enough time to train for it, considering March is tomorrow! But I talked with a coworker who gave me some tips about building up endurance, and I hope to be able to kick serious ass in April. This means I have to start running like yesterday. I’m thinking I’ll start training during my lunch break at work weather permitting. It’ll be tough to squeeze in time to run, but I want to do well in my first 5 mile race! And hope that registering will give me the extra umph I need to lose more weight by then.

I’m down to 166.2 and I am really tired of being in the 60s. I hope to be in the 50s by the time I complete the race.

Posted on: February 28th, 2011 | No Comments »
Tags: fitness, health, mamavation, motivation
Posted in Uncategorized

Mamavation Monday

Another super crazy busy week.My classes are really hard and this has increased my stress level and I’ve been an emotional eater. I am trying to only reach for healthy snacks, but its very very hard with all the juggling that I do. But I am trying. Managed to continue walking everyday and incorporated turbo jam a few times this week.

Scale shows I lost 0.8lbs last week which is progress.

Going to continue walking this week, and will try to do turbo jam as much as I can, but will be hard with 2 final exams, 1 quiz, 1 paper, work, and a child to take care of.

Posted on: February 15th, 2011 | No Comments »
Tags: exercise, fitness, mamavation, mamavation monday, motivation
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Where is the love, the love, the love?

I’ve read so many anti-valentines updates today, and they’ve all rubbed me the wrong way. I’ve spent the past 2 Valentine’s Day with my significant other, but this year I’m single. And before today I was feeling really bummed about it. I mean, you can’t escape the reds and pinks and flowers and cards and candy. I was like, come ON already!! I was entirely salted that I was spending this Valentine’s Day without a boo by my side to enjoy this hallmark holiday with. And when I woke up I was all my all black everything status. No happiness here, just gloominess. Then I had a change of heart. I told myself my emotions determine the mood. This can either be a good day or I can spend the whole day miserable. So I put my black dress back, and instead chose a cream one topped off with a light pink scarf. And I decided that today was going to be a good day. Who friggen cares that I don’t have a boo today. I’m not going to curse all the couples I see. Love is a beautiful beautiful thing. And if people are lucky enough to find it than that’s glorious. We need to stop the hate, and appreciate!! We should all remember the wonderful people in our lives that we love and that mean something to us. This is a day not only for lovers, but this is a day for love in general.

my daughter this am

I am so so blessed to have a awesome 5 year old to call my daughter and I love her to pieces. She is my valentine today and always. I turned my frown around when I saw her hair standing up in bed as she perked up and said mommy, its party day at school! She lights up my life, and makes me truly appreciate my ability to love and be loved.

And know what else I love about this hallmark holiday? Super awesome valentine chocolate will be discounted tomorrow! Hollller!!

Posted on: February 14th, 2011 | No Comments »
Tags: appreciation, holiday, love, valentines day
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This Isn’t Just For Colored Girls…

When I saw the previews for For Colored Girls I knew it was a movie I had to see. So along with 2 girlfriends we went to see the movie on opening night. It was great to see the packed theatre and all the support for the film and amazing cast. I started crying about 20minutes into the movie. And by the end my eyes were red and puffy. Its like I was hit by a train. The movie didn’t just move it. It dragged me. It swung me. It threw me down in the dirt, and make me take a look at myself. At those around me. At the secrets that I am carrying around, and I wrote this shortly after seeing the film”

Do our secrets define us?

Shape us, make us. Break us?
We all have secrets.
Let them unite us
Not tear us apart
Let us be able to release ourselves
from our secrets
and allow ourselves
to be
loved
to be
supported
to be

cared for.
Let us not store our secrets away
Let us not fear our secrets
Let us find healing
and
peace
Let us drop the baggage
and begin a new journey
Let us believe in the power
of a
community
of a
sisterhood

Because this..
Is For Colored Girls
Who Have Considered
Suicide
When the Rainbow
Wasn’t Enough

There is no way to describe the power of this movie. The messages are available to those who want to listen. This movie isn’t just For Colored Girls. It’s for all of us, all of us who have struggled, who have scarified, who have made mistakes, who’ve been beaten down by life, who have been silenced, who have had sex without love, who have ever loved and lost, and those whom are seeking comfort and affection.

The movie is available today on DVD. Though I have no plans on watching it soon, because it put me in a dark emotional stage, its a movie that I have to have in my movie collection. After watching the film, I went out and bought the book, and am excited to read the poems within it.