I’m Sheena and this my personal blog. Through this blog I intend on achieving zen by sharing a little of me, my hobbies, and what makes me smile. Initially, I planned to keep life as a mama away from this blog, but after running a separate blog just for parenting stuff (mommydaddyblog.com), I’ve become miserably tired of separating the two. And since that blog was coauthored by my other half who decided his heart wasn’t in it anymore, it’s time to move on.

That said, I’m a mama to toddler, ham, and lover boy, Jayden Elijah, fiancée to my Junior High sweetheart, Gregory. I’m obsessed with anything that contributes to better living. I strive to maintain a happy and healthy family. That is my number one priority. I’m easy going. I’m quiet. I’m quirky. I’m goofy. I’m observant. I listen. I’m a 20 something free spirit living in sweet home Chicago or pretty darn close . I’ve been blogging since 2001 and will probably blog well into my golden years.

Things that excite me: Parenting, Blogging, Working At Home, Natural Health & Beauty Products, Lip Gloss, Natural hair, Dreadlocks, Fashion, Ebay, Etsy, Photography, Gadgets, Shopping, Jeans that make my butt look plump (yea I said it), Traveling, The Tropics, Hibiscus Flowers, Palm Trees, Cowry Shells, Rooster Kitchen Decor (I belong in Key West, seriously)

My gigs include: Blogging, Freelance Writing, Dabbling in Social Media, Creative Web & Graphic Design. View my linkedin profile.

Favorite Quotes
Money can’t buy happiness, but neither can poverty. – Leo Rosten
We may not have it all together; but together we have it all. – Unknown
Fortune over fame, any day. – Me and probably a bunch of other people

Parenting Tidbits
We’re all about going with the flow and what feels natural. Jayden was breastfeed until he self weened at 18 months. We co-slept for 21 months before trying to switch to the toddler bed. We cloth diaper and we use green disposables. Sometimes we use cloth wipes. We’re a babywearing family. Jayden has eczema, so his skin can get very dry. We strive to use natural products on his skin whenever possible. We’re on a journey to greening our lifestyle. You may hear a lot about that here, eventually.

Um, what is Sophistishe?
Sophistishe stands for Sophisticated Sheena. Ever heard of the style Sophistichic? I know, I watch too much HGTV. I came up with this name when I was 18. I previously blogged under the blog name Angelic Essence. As I started to mature, I craved a new blog name and audience to reflect this.

If I’m having trouble with your site, should I tell you?
If you had a booger in your nose, I’d tell you. If you are getting errors or if there is anything that I can do to better your experience here, just let me know.

What’s in your camera bag?
Canon 30D
Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 Lens
Canon EF-S 18-55mm Lens
Lightscoop Standard
Panasonic Lumix G1
Lumix G Vario 14-45 mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH Mega OIS Lens

I’m always looking to partner with and represent brands that seamlessly fit within the focus of my blog. I am interested in but not limited to working with brands in the following categories: Family Entertainment, Fashion for Adults & Toddlers, Toddler Learning Tools, Potty Training, Green Products, Handmade, Natural Health & Beauty Products, Gadgets, Organizing Tools, Home Décor, Cooking, and Video Games.

If you would like to submit your product or service for review, please use the submission form. If you would like to partner with me on a larger scale, invite me to your event, or if you would like to inquire about sidebar or content advertising, feel free to send me an email. Media kit available upon request.

Ongoing brand relationships: HP, Epson, Disney, Hasbro, General Mills, Walmart, T.J. Maxx, Marshalls

Affiliations: Panasonic Living in HD, Magical Moms of Color with Disney, Graco Nation, Wishpot Experts, Walmart Moms, The BlogRollers Hot List, MomSelect, Mom Central

Past Events, Press, & Other Cool Stuff: Visit my Tumblr.

Email: sheena@sophistishe.com

Twitter: @sheenatatum

I accept forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, complimentary products and services to run campaigns on my blog(s). I believe in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. The compensation received will never unduly influence the advertising content or posts made on this blog.

Although I consult with a variety of marketing firms and I am sometimes compensated to provide written content for various topics, the views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own. I only endorse brands and products that I am comfortable partnering with and sharing with my readers. If I don’t like a product or service, I simply won’t write about it. Please use your best judgment by verifying any product claims, statistics, quotes, or other representations about products or services with their manufacturers or providers. The results that I have with a product or service may not be the same for you. I may mention or review items for my son that are recommended for children of older ages. I use those products with discretion and advise that you do the same if your child is younger than the product’s recommended age group.

Under normal circumstances, I am not compensated monetarily to provide my opinions on products and services. I may, however, be compensated for the time and effort it takes to run an extended campaign that may include a review.

Posts that contain any sort of sponsored content or freebie will be properly disclosed (you will know, trust me). Sponsored tweets will be disclosed using the hashtag #ad or http://spon.in URLs.

I insert affiliate links into my content if they are relevant. Those links may not be labeled. If you click on those links and make a purchase, I’ll get a small commission. Think of it as a tip .

I host advertisements on my sidebar through private ad deals. I only accept private advertisements from companies that I am comfortable advertising to my readers. I also host ads from Google Adsense in my content and on my sidebar. I have no control over the ads displayed. I do my best to make sure they are targeted so no naughty ads are displayed.