How to keep your kids learning and growing during the summer.

A lot of kids are now out for the summer and they are easily bored.  We want our children to keep learning and growing during the summer months so they are ready when school starts back in the fall.
Summer vacation affords us a lot of non-traditional ways of stimulating our kids intellectually.   Below you will find some tried and true methods and others that will give your kids a wealth of information they can use and also introduce to their friends.



The public library:  A lot of us use our computer but we forget what the library has to offer.  You can take your kids and they can read and learn about things of the past and the future.  You can truly educate yourself by going to the library and search for any subject that you want.  You can teach your kids about studying in a nice quiet environment.  A lot of libraries have a movie night and arts and crafts.  The library, in my opinion, is a free, public educational institution where you can learn any subject at your own pace.

A Museum:  This is another wonderful place to take your children so that they can see paintings and sculptures from the past and it is a great place to go and spend time with your children and teach them about art and its beauty.

The Zoo:  The zoo is such a wonderful and fun place to take your kids to learn about different animals.  It exposes them to animals that they would never see in their ordinary environment.   Kids who love animals are usually more friendly and tolerant.

Money management:  We can let our kids make a list of things that they want from the store.  Tell them that you will get coupons for the items.  Give them a budget or make them pay for these things from their allowance.  Teach them to calculate to the penny how much they need and add in taxes and they will learn that they have to learn how to save and budget for the things that they want.  Get the Sunday paper and show them how to clip out coupons.

Play Monopoly: Monopoly is a good game that will teach your children about money in a fun way.  We all have played and loved this game but this is a way to teach kids in an entertaining manner.

Day trips:  Take your kids for a drive through the most disadvantaged areas in your state and then have a discussion with your children on ways you can end up living in these areas.  Such as poverty, drug abuse, drinking alcohol or not doing well in school . The next day drive through wealthy areas in your state and have the same conversation on ways you can improve your odds of living in these areas and living the best life possible.  Tell them about living a clean life, excelling in school, staying drug and alcohol-free and staying out of jail.

Cooking:  Get your children together and let them participate in preparing meals for the family.  This activity is good for both boys and girls.  This is a skill that they will always have and they could also make a career out of it.

Teach your kids about exercising:  I wish I had embraced this concept earlier in my life but it is never too late.  I know a lot of people go to the gym to do exercise and there is nothing wrong with that but, I think that you can get fit by running in the park. walking, exercising at home and if you start your children early, they will never have to shell out a lot of money to keep fit.

Start a container garden:  Take your kids to a store such as; Home Depot and get some seeds and containers and watch some YouTube to learn how to garden.  Let your kids start this and let them enjoy the "fruits of their labor" when the plants or vegetables start growing.
I hope you all enjoyed these tips.  Happy Summer!

Finding Your Happy Sweet Spot In Your Life.

I decided to touch on this subject because I had a conversation with my daughter a few months ago and she asked me " What age were you the happiest?".   I told her that I was my happiest at age 40.  She looked very puzzled and she said " Why age Forty?".  Carefully I explained to her that it was the age that I started to fully embrace myself.  I had raised her into adulthood and it was the time that I could truly live my life and do the things that I wanted to do.

It was a time that I was no longer responsible for another person.  When you are forty you have gone through the times in your life when you were totally insecure with yourself due to weight gain or maybe other flaws that you have.   Forty is the age that you can look back and perhaps see the mistakes that you have made and truly thank God for his protection and seeing how you made it through.  You see, life is not perfect or easy but the way you deal with things makes all the difference.

My twenties was not easy at all and you would think that being young would present me with more opportunities and happy experiences.   The road to my forties gave me a chance for forgiveness, and it gave me the wisdom to speak to another young person and tell them that if you persevere, you will be alright.

I am so much calmer now and when things go wrong I know that there will be a way of escape and know to pray for God's guidance.

Through hard times, The Lord showed me how to be resourceful and now I count it as the many gifts that I have.  Happiness starts with self acceptance.  We have all seen the person who the world may see as unattractive but this person thinks they are the most beautiful person in the world and it seems to draw people and make other people think this person is beautiful too.  Deep down this person may know that they are unattractive but the positive image that they project is charismatic.   This shows that you can draw positive things into your life, if you just believe.

If you are young and short on money; buy yourself little small gifts that makes you happy and project a positive image to the world.  I promise that one day you will tell your own story of how you found your happiness in life.  Many years ago when I would be short on cash, I would go to a discount store and buy nail polish that cost $1.00 and keep my nails beautifully polished everyday.  This made me feel happy.  You can find beauty and solace in simplicity.

There is an old saying "Paint a picture of what you want to be."   Project happiness into the world and that is what you will get back.



                                         ***********SashaMoniqueTalks**************

The View ( Bathing Suit Body Shaming)

Today I watched The View and they were speaking about the body shaming incident with Amy Schumer and the ladies on the program did a segment supposedly with their bathing suits.  Whoopi came out with her signature outfit with the big pants and a big button up shirt, then Candace came out with a bathing suit with a cover-up and she didn't remove the cover-up and she looked uncomfortable.

Then, Joy came out with pants and a top on and I started scratching my head and said to myself " what the heck!!!"     Paula came out and she had a bathing suit with a big cover-up and she did not remove it to show her bathing suit.  She was also uncomfortable.

I have no problem with what Whoopi  and Joy had on because they are women of a certain age but it would have been nice if they actually had  on a suit with a cover-up. I was appalled at Candace and Paula because if we are going to show young ladies that their bodies are perfect just the way they are, we have to lead by example.


I don't know who came up with the idea to do this segment but it was a very poor attempt at supporting the cause against body shaming.

Shame on you The View, we must do better!

Lies And Myths About Plus Size Women.

Hello Ladies:  I have been a plus size women most of my life and over the years I notice and heard all the myths and lies that were told about us, so, let us look at these myths and bust them and you can even add some of your own if you can think of some.

                                     Lies And Myths About Plus Size Women

We eat all the time:  This is a myth because a lot of us in fact, do not have a big appetite.  Our bodies carry more weight or we eat sweets and carbohydrates that are not kind to our bodies.


We don't smell good:  I have heard this myth many times.With all the body weight, we know that we have to try harder to keep ourselves clean and fresh and we make it a habit to bathe both day and night.  We love to wear the finest perfumes and we smell divine.


We are lazy:  This is a myth because there are a lot of ladies who work, run businesses and take care of our families and we do the same things as a person of a so-called normal weight.  I have seen some thin people who are very lazy.


No Man wants to marry us:  Just look around and you will see many plus size women with husbands or boyfriends and some men specifically like a plus size lady.  Truthfully, you will see more "big girls" with husbands than smaller women.  Men like to take a woman out who isn't always complaining that she is on a diet.


We are desperate and will take care of a man:  This is a myth because we are like any other woman. There are women who put up with this behavior, but, I know a lot of women who definitely will not take care of a man and will demand respect from her mate.

  Some men automatically think that if you are plus size, you will be their fool and this is a misnomer.  If you mistreat us, we will get rid of you very fast.


We are sloppy and wear ugly clothes:  I remember a time when there was not a good variety of clothing for plus size women, but, times have changed and I am so thankful for this.  We love to look good and wear fashionable clothing too.

 So many retailers carry clothing in our size now, and we can also get our clothing online and we can look just as good as anyone.

We love clothing that accentuates our curves and in beautiful colors.
They think we are not smart because we are fat:  I have no idea who thought of this because a bigger body doesn't have anything to do with our intellect.

  A lot of us are very bright and if people would have a real conversation with us without worrying about our size, they would know that we bring a lot to the table ( No Pun Intended).
We should only wear black because black is slimming:  If I had to wear black clothing I would scream.

  I think that we can wear clothing in beautiful colors just like anyone and I also encourage it because black clothing can sometimes wash us out.

As long as the clothing has a good fit, we can wear it.
All of us are unhealthy:   If your weight is affecting your health, then you should try to lose some weight but I know some ladies who have no health issues at all, so, we should not be put in a box.

 There are ladies who are very healthy and you will see them strutting proudly with a big, beautiful, smile on their faces.

* I hope this post eliminate the lies and the myths and I am sure that there are a lot more.

Ladies, live loud and proud and don't let any one's perception of you, get in the way of you living your life to the fullest.

We are beautiful and we have value.  Let's show the world what we are made of!

How To Save Money.

                                               9 Ways To Save Money

I like to include some of these video's to see other peoples perspective and learn specific way's that they use to save money.

Should You Have Giveaways And Contest On Social Media Sites?

When I started my Youtube Channel years ago, I was very eager to jump in the arena and there were a lot of people having giveaways and I thought that it was a very nice way to get to know people and also a way of promotion for my Youtube Channel.

People were giving away some really nice things on their channel and I entered some contest and it was so fun to participate, and interact with other youtubers who started around the time that I did.

I decided to do a giveaway and before it was announced I started to gather the items that I wanted to give away. This was joyful to me and this gave me the opportunity to make some new friends online.

What started to happen was, people were only subscribing to my channel only to get into the giveaway and as soon as the giveaway was over, they unsubscribed.    Since this is also a form of promotion the decision was made not to do any more giveaways.

From this point I decided I  would do lovemail and  have enjoyed contacting some subscribers behind the scene's to send them things that they would like.

This is a way that I give back to the people who sincerely subscribed to my channel and who have supported me and we became friendly with each other.

I have been on other social media sites and have participated in some giveaways and have found, that, some people have a giveaway but they never give you the prize that you won.  I don't know whether these people changed their mind about the giveaway or what.

My feelings regarding this is; if you cannot follow through on your giveaway, just cancel it because things do happen that may prevent you from sending the prizes off.   This would be the fair way to deal with this situation.

Another thing that we must consider when we host a giveaway is; when you announce a giveaway, you open yourself up to dealing with some legal issues when you do not award the prizes, because this could be considered gambling fraud.

Make sure that you do a thorough research regarding contest and giveaways online to see if it is worth you taking a chance with the legalities of hosting a contest.  Also, be sure that you have the prizes already in your possession and the money to pay postal fee's before you post your giveaway.

Keep thorough records of when the contest started and it ending date and make sure that you save all receipts such as; sales receipts from the purchase of contest items and postal fee's.  This will prevent some problems in the future.

Are We Sharing Too Much On Social Media?

I have been active on social media for a few years now.  I wasn't exactly sure about what I should share and what I shouldn't share on social media.  When we start on our journey on Youtube and also start Blogging, our creative juices start flowing and since we are sharing our lives sometimes, we over share.  I am guilty of this myself, but what we don't realize is that anyone with an Internet connection is privy to all our personal information.

Sometimes we forget that there are people on  social networks that can view us and we don't know who they are.  Some of these companies demand that we use our real names which further put us at risk.  There are people who like us but there are also people for some reason or another do not care for us and we have to learn to be very careful about disclosing certain things on social media.

Like most of you, I have heard a lot of horror stories and most of the time it comes from someone becoming obsessed with you or don't like something that you revealed.  We must never forget that there are some really crazy people in this world and we have to take steps to protect ourselves and our families.

Let's make a conscious effort to share but don't share too much. We deserve our privacy like anyone else.  Do not give anyone an open door into your life.

If your life is threatened do not take it lightly and alert the proper authorities and tell the people that you love, what is going on.

QVC You Are The Leader!

I have been  watching the shopping networks for many years.  Many times I imagined myself presenting Jewelry and describing the product and getting a chance to talk to the customers interested in buying Jewelry at affordable prices.  Being a plus sized girl most of my life I quietly thought that people my size could never get a job in the TV Shopping Network arena.

Many years ago, they didn't even have any plus size models.  I would watch models showcasing the many famous clothing brands and sometimes I was afraid to order because I was not sure that the style or cut of the garment would suit my body type.

Well, QVC I have to salute you.  Recent years I have seen so many changes in QVC because you have a variety of host who are plus size.  This makes me feel very proud because now, a young lady will see these beautiful plus size women and say to herself " I can do this too".

These plus size ladies who work for QVC are very proficient at their job and it makes me more eager to order clothing from them.

QVC have plus size models who vary from size 12 on up and some even look like they are a size 20.  I can tell from the way they are wearing the item whether it would look good on me and it is such an blessing because we no longer have to stand in the background wearing the big shapeless Mumu.

Accepting yourself at any size is a great thing to do.  If you don't, nobody else will!

How To Save Money On Office Wear

                                          How To Save Money On Office Wear

Hello Ladies:  After online research, I found a wonderful website.  You all know that thrift shopping is a hobby and passion of mine and I love searching through the many racks to find beautiful clothing.

Some of us are working and don't have the time to hit our local thrift stores or maybe our town don't carry quality items.  Well, you are in luck, You can now find nice clothing for work or to wear just about anywhere and you can really save money.  The website that I am just in love with is Swap.com.

I searched and I found some beautiful tops and blouses for five and six dollars and the first time shipping was free.  If you order after that, the shipping is very reasonable.  Being a plus-size lady, sometimes you can be very hard to fit and Swap.com makes it very easy to return items that do not fit you correctly.

This online consignment shop is the answer to us all who may be on a budget and the clothes are in great condition.  You can also send in your items to make a little money or use your credits towards new purchases.  I ordered five tops and it came to $25.00.  What a bargain!

They also have some higher-priced items if you are interested in designer items.  You can also shop for your children.  This would be really good for shopping for school clothes to mix in with new items to build your kid's wardrobe.

If you are a lady who is re-entering the workforce or changing jobs, you can create an office-friendly wardrobe that is affordable or if you are just tired of your clothes and want some new pieces, don't be afraid to try Swap.com because you have nothing to lose.

Please leave a comment if you have tried this website and tell me what you think about it.

The Bachelor (Commentary)

Hello Ladies:

I have been watching The Bachelor for a few weeks now and I just had to comment on what I have noticed.  There have been so many ladies vying for the attention of a young man with hopes to be the one chosen to be his wife.  So many women have gone on dates with this man and they have kissed him and he has expressed his desire to be with them and have told them that he see potential in them for something more in the future.

These ladies are believing every word and have fallen for this man. They are being catty with some of the other women so they will be the lady with the so-called golden ticket to matrimony.

Most of these women are very beautiful and they put their feelings on the line.  I have watched this man talk with the ladies families and he told every one of them that he has deep feelings for their daughters when in fact, he has to only pick one woman.  Honestly, I am getting very sick of the stereotype that we have to dumb ourselves down to get a man.

The very fact that he is kissing all these women is sickening to me because it is not necessary to do this to meet and spend time with these ladies.  Some of these ladies could be harboring disease and I am sure that some are doing a little more than just kissing.  When these ladies are not picked they have to deal with the humiliation of being second best and it is not a good place to be.

There was also a discussion about the show always have a black woman who the man never picks.  We have to be realistic and know that this show is not for us and there was a show in the past called The Flavor Of Love who showcased black women trying to win the affection of Flavor Flav and although it was interesting, it was the same concept of The Bachelor.   In my opinion we should not go on the Bachelor because it is just the truth that some other races do not want to date or marry a black women and it is their choice.  We have to stop pushing ourselves on people when our men love and adore us.

Ladies, we have a lot to offer the world and we do not want our daughters to think that they have to jump through hoops just to get a man.   There is someone for everyone, and if you meet someone and they are not interested, there will always be another one who will be.

Concentrate on celebrating you and building yourself up, the right one will come along, just wait and see.  Make him respect you and he should be the one jumping through hoops to get you.


                                               *** ******SashaMoniqueTalks***********

I Will Call Her Carol: Homelessness In The Suburbs

                                     I Will Call Her Carol: Homelessness In The Suburbs


There is a lady in my area; I will call her Carol.  She is a young lady in her thirties and she is thin, athletic, tall and attractive.

 She wears her hair in a simple bun or she will tie her scarf in a beautiful manner.  She is very clean and you can tell that she likes to look nice.

Carol carries two big duffel bag everywhere she goes, why? because she is homeless, a presence in the suburbs that is becoming a norm.

 People want to deny that this is going on in the suburbs but it is.  I first saw Carol about two years ago, so she has been homeless for a while. She doesn't appear to be on drugs or anything, in fact, I have heard her speak and she is very articulate.

So, you might say, how can a young, beautiful lady become homeless and she doesn't have a mental condition or a drug or alcohol problem?   The answer is unemployment.

I can tell by Carol's demeanor that she comes from an upbringing that is upper middle class.  I forgot to also add that Carol is African American.

This beautiful lady does not ask you for change or anything so I assume that she may be in a shelter but have to leave during the daytime like most shelters.  She smells very fresh and clean and her clothes are always clean.

Something horrible has happened to this lady and only she knows her story.  What I  know is that the rents in my area are outrageous and we are definitely one paycheck away from homelessness.

  This is the reality!  Instead of the United States bailing out other countries, it is time for America to provide for her children who have fallen on hard times.

There is no excuse for anyone to be walking the streets without anywhere to lay their heads and lack of food.

Next time you see a homeless person and you turn your nose up and just assume they  have done something wrong to experience homelessness, go, take your children to a local shelter and you will see that a lot of these people have lost jobs, disabled, cannot find affordable rent, lost spouses who was the breadwinner and etc.

 It will put you in the right mindset and make you want to help instead of criticizing.

Instead of the Suburbs trying to cover up their homeless problem, they should publicize it so, The White House can take notice and do something about this.

The truth is, homelessness can happen to anyone, even you and me.