Sophistishe » Parenting

The Guilt of Christmas Present Overload

Sheena — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:00:58 +0000

In early September, I started preparing Jayden’s wishlist to ensure that his presents were bought and wrapped in advance to avoid the hectic last minute.

So I made a list.

And it was hard at first because he hadn’t asked for anything and was content with what he had. So I began to add items based on his interests.

Since quite a few people contribute to Jayden’s gifts, I found myself adding things just to add them… so everyone could equally contribute (they are happy to) and then I found myself deleting away. It was just too much.

I started to feel guilty… as I always do when it comes to having MORE.

And then I got to thinking about the kids who receive so much less and than the kids who receive so much more. I started thinking back to my childhood and became a little selfish because I am not a child of MORE.

Continue reading at the Mega Bloks Family Club →

Creating Thanksgiving Memories

Sheena — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:39:54 +0000

Thanksgiving is… next. week. Where has the time gone? This week, I shopped for Thanksgiving dinner without even giving the actual date much thought. Usually, I cook our meal and freeze it before visiting family for the holiday. I enjoy cooking up a meal and it’s always great to have backup because leftover plates don’t last very long. We like to eat until we can’t eat no more. No limits. No remorse.

This year, we plan on spending the earlier part of Thanksgiving Day at my mother’s house where a few family members will stop by. Then, we will spend the rest of day at Greg’s grandmother’s house with his parents and siblings. There will be face stuffing, Wii and board game playing, Black Friday shopping, and more face stuffing.

And come Christmas, we’ll be doing it all over again

…sans doorbustin’.

Since becoming a mom, I’ve been really set on being consistent with holiday celebrations. Not necessarily doing it big… but eventful at least. When Jayden gets older, I want him to remember Thanksgivings with family, dancing with Tee Tee, watching Grandma’s fish swim, stuffing his face full of spinach, snuggling his Na Na while Mommy and Daddy sneak off to buy Christmas presents. Those moments will become tangible memories (that he will share with his family) and not episodic fantasies once seen on TV.

How do you celebrate Thanksgiving? Has parenthood altered your traditions… for the better?

This post is part of Hallmark’s Life Is A Special Occasion campaign. Hallmark is compensating me for my participation in this campaign that aligns SO well with my life. Read my full disclosure policy here and catch up on any posts you may have missed here. Oh and click this link right here to subscribe to Hallmark’s memorable sentiments! Please and thanks! :)

Modern Mexico Tea Showcase at She {hearts} It

Sheena — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:13:52 +0000

Today, I’m showcasing Tea on She {hearts} It. Just thought I’d let you guys know… that… and I don’t want my toes in my last post to be the very first thing you see when visiting my blog, lol. They’re all like HELLO, how you dewin’?!

Steppin’ Out: Mommy Sorceress and Spidey Tot

Sheena — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 12:07:13 +0000

Today, I’m linking up with Steppin Out. Happy Halloween!

On Mommy
Sorceress Dress – Kmart
Necklace – Nancy Burke
Earrings – Forever 21
Headband – Bargain Headbands
Knee Highs – Forever 21
Boots – Volatile, gifted by Grandmother-in-law

On Spidey
Spider-Man Costume – Target
Shoes – Crazy 8
Treat bag – Courtesy of Pottery Barn Kids

You can’t really see my nails, but they are really cool! How-to coming soon on this week’s Nails to the Yeah!

Small Style: Every Boy Wants To Be A Superhero

Sheena — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 04:28:33 +0000

So Greg and I picked out Halloween costumes for Jayden in September; a Chicago Bears football costume, and a pirate costume. Since I’m usually in charge of his costumes, I let Greg take over. He ordered the Chicago Bears costume from an online retailer that shall remain nameless. Days and days would go by with no shipping notification or worse… that the costume was out of stock. It took him logging in and checking his order to find that the costume was out of stock.

So.

I go over to another online retailer that shall remain nameless and order the pirate costume, two necklaces with expedited shipping. The next day, I receive order confirmation. Good. I open it up and the second sentence that I read states, “Note: We cannot cancel orders or change/add items to an order after it has been submitted.” Eh. I scroll down to see that the pirate costume is no longer available, but now I’m being shipped two necklaces that I really don’t even need at the expedited shipping price. Grrr. So, I’m handling that. I’m definitely ordering next year’s costumes post-Halloween like I did the year before.

Tired of the online shenanigans, we decided to run to Target to see what they had to offer and Jayden fell in love with a Spider Man costume. He even wears it around the house, as I figured he would – good investment! So many little boys will be Spider Man this year and it’s a typical costume, but oh em gee is he super cute! And the built in ~~boobs~~ muscles are so funny!

So, the costume is obviously from Target, the Monster shoes are from Crazy 8, and I’m linking up at Small Style :).

Small Style: Urban Tiger

Sheena — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 06:17:24 +0000

↑ Click to open larger sizes

Here’s another outfit I put together from that day. This is getting fun! I can’t wait until I am gifted a sewing machine (ahem) so that I can start making his clothes!

Tee – courtesy of Tea
Button up shirt – Genuine Kids Target
Jeans – Crazy 8
Shoes – The Children’s Place

Linking to Small Style.

One Love: An Interview with Cedella Marley

Sheena — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 06:53:20 +0000

I had the opportunity to interview Bob Marley’s Daughter, Cedella Marley, which was AWESOME by the way! The interview was in conjunction with helping her promote her new children’s book, One Love. The heartwarming and beautifully illustrated picture book tells of a young girl and her parents inspiring neighbors to restore a park in their multi-cultural neighborhood. Based on one of Bob Marley’s most beloved songs, it celebrates his joyful spirit and unforgettable lyrics, bringing them to life for the new generation. I am super excited and grateful to have One Love in our book collection!

So. Check out the interview. I’m so proud of it! I usually don’t do celebrity interviews. It just hasn’t been my thing, honestly. I guess it takes really feeling connected to that person in order to ask them meaningful questions. Cedella was such a delight to interview. She inspires me. It literally took me 5 minutes to come up with my interview questions. Ok, enough of me rambling. I have a great giveaway supporting her book after the interview. To enter the giveaway, please use the Rafflecopter form further down. Comments are open to those who would like to comment without getting buried in giveaway entries.

Hello, beautiful!

How did the One Love children’s book come to fruition?

I’d written two previous books inspired by my father’s lyrics, and was ready to do another based on One Love, one of his most popular and beloved and one that children love to sing.

Do you have any plans to turn more of your father’s songs into books? I’d love to see what 3 Little Birds would look like!

You won’t have to wait long! I’m working on a picture book adaptation of 3 Little Birds right now! It will be published by Chronicle Books in 2012. I’d love to do even more!

When your children are faced with issues brought on by their peers, how do you help your children see the light in the situations? How do you instill the fundamentals of self-love in your children?

I come from a large family, and one of the things I’m so grateful for is that my parents let each of us know we were special in our own way. We were all Marleys, but we each had our own talents and strengths. Since they were small I’ve reminded each of my three boys that he is special and has wonderful gifts that are his alone to give to the world. I can’t always protect them from what their peers will say and do, but my goal is to give them the strength and confidence to know they can overcome and hold their heads high in any challenging situation.

I’ve seen some of your original clothing designs, they are so fly! I’ll take one of everything, please! :) Can you explain a little bit about your design process? What inspires a specific design? What gets your creative juices flowing?

I’m inspired by everything I see and experience! Nature, the ocean, the textiles and colors of Jamaica I remember from my childhood and the beautiful young people I see walking around Miami and the looks they put together. And of course, music always gets my creative juices flowing! Music is a constant in my design studio.

In what ways do you practice “One Love” in your everyday life?

I’m fortunate to have many facets to my life. I’m a wife, mom, daughter, sister, and aunt as well as a designer, author, musician and businesswoman. In each of these roles I strive to act with integrity and treat others with love and respect. I’m very selective about the projects I take on. I ask myself how will this book, song, design or business venture bring joy and beauty to people’s lives, and what more good can come of it?

As a well-grounded businesswoman in control of her own destiny, what are the 3 core values you live by?

I’m inspired by my father’s songs as always, and live by:
“One Love” – Treat others and the world around you with love and respect.

“Every little thing’s gonna be alright” – I know I the strength to overcome any challenge.

“Get Up, Stand Up” – Speak out against injustice. Use your voice and your life to create a better world.

This is a random question, but do you practice yoga?

No, I don’t practice yoga. I’m a p90X Mom. :)

Win a One Love Prize Pack!

Giveaway will close on October 27th, 2011 at 12:01 AM EST. A winner from the U.S. or Canada will be randomly selected and announced in this post in red. Check out my Giveaway Rules if you have any questions. Good luck!

Prize Pack includes a copy of One Love, limited edition doll, and buttons.

I received a copy of One Love, the above prizes to give away, and the amazing opportunity of interviewing Cedella Marley. All words are my own except the words of Cedella Marley :).