Halle Berry! No mom jeans for this Haute Mama!

Okay, we all know Halle Berry was haute before she became a mom but I must admit she is even more now because she proves that there is no age limit to being fiercely gorgeous and sexy especially when life takes the beautiful turn to motherhood! Halle is another one of my fave celebrity moms because she kills any doubt that you can work motherhood like you can work a pair of 4 inch stilettos! What do I love about her style? Two words: Classic and Effortless! If you're the type of mom that prefers comfy, put together, and classic than you may find Halle's style appealing.  Some of us don't want to be glammed up all day everyday and it is generally not feasible as our lives don't allow time for all of the fuss and you can look just as good keeping it simple! You know what they say "Less is More".  Ms. Berry shows us how you don't have to put alot of time and effort into being stylish while being a mommy!

                                                   Halle making pregnancy look beautiful!

                                        Rockin' boyfriend jeans, a white tank and flat sandals

                                                Workin' the skinny jeans and fitted top

Challenges of Motherhood

They're inevitable and come with the territory. Challenges come in many sporadic forms but are possible to overcome. Sometimes you have to be creative in your resolutions when it comes to the tests and trials your children can spring on you at any given moment. One of my experiences has been the challenge of washing my daughter's hair while she is screaming and begging for mercy as if I am inflicting excrutiating pain on her. No matter how gentle I was she would scream and cry and call for her daddy! Well, I used to get very upset and the way she would cry made me feel terrible as if I really was hurting her when I knew I wasn't. We can really let our little ones work us and she almost won the battle but one day I decided to take the calm method by speaking to her in a soft tone and saying "big girls don't cry when they get their hair washed. They sit and play with their toys and get to have chocolate for being such a good girl." Yeah, I know. Sounds like a bribe but I was desperate. Desperate times call for desperate measures and a little chocolate every know and then won't hurt. The outcome: Both mommy and daughter are happy and stress free on wash day! If you have a young daughter and wash their hair yourself you know exactly what I mean because from what I've heard this is common for many of us. Now when I give my daughter her weekly hair wash I always say "Okay, it's time for bath and getting your hair washed!" When I first began using the reverse psychology by using the "big girl vs baby" concept she had to grow accustomed to it so every now and then she would say "No! I don't want to get my hair washed!" Now, she says "I'm going to be a big girl and get my hair washed! Then, I'm going to have chocolate!" My lesson to dear daughter is you have to earn rewards in life. You just don't get the reward for the sake of getting it. So, she learns that if she behaves well when she gets her hair washed she earned the right to have some chocolate which is a reward not something she has to have or is entitled to. I'm not one of those types of parents that doesn't give my child sweets but I give them to her in limited amounts and because we didn't constantly consume soda, candy, and chips she opts for healthier alternatives like predominantly drinking water. She drinks juice maybe once or twice a day but predominantly water. I have to work on the milk but I give her a daily multi which has added calcium and she gets Vitamin D from other sources but for the mostpart she eats her fruits and veggies. She's at a point now where I believe her taste is changing. For example, she may love to eat granola bars for a few months and then all of a sudden she doesn't want granola bars or anything else she normally favors.

My daughter would eat Dora fruit snacks all day everyday if we let her so she tries to pull this "I don't want anything but Dora snacks" act on us. So, I tell her that she has to eat food like a sandwich or her chicken and veggies then maybe she can have Dora snacks so she would keep testing us and testing us to see if we would give in. Well, today I told her I was going to make her a sandwich for lunch and when she eats her sandwich she can have her Dora snacks. So, she finally decides to give in and she complied by eating her sandwich. Most of the time she would sit and cry and not eat her food because she's trying to see if we will give her what she wants. So, we've made some progression this weekend as far as wash day and teaching her that she has to eat her food before she can get sweets. I'll be updating the Challenges of Motherhood as this is an ongoing process so there will always be something new to share.

Flax Seed Oil!

Okay, in a quest to keep my health in good status I have finally decided to incorporate flax seed oil to my diet.  Me and the fam were visiting GNC last week and I picked up a bag of flax seeds and the clerk suggested I try the vegetarian flax seed oil as opposed to the actual seeds after I inquired about the taste of the flax seeds which he informed me was pretty strong (I interpreted that he meant 'nasty') so I opted to try the oil instead which he described as having a light nutty taste.  I've heard many great things about the health benefits of flax seed oil and after putting it off for years I've decided to give it a try so what I did after doing a little research this am was took a table spoon of the flax seed oil and mixed it with my yogurt.  It actually tastes pretty good! It has a nutty taste just like the clerk said and I don't mind it but if you do than I would say try adding it to a protein shake or a smoothie to really mask it. I tasted the yogurt prior to adding the flax seed oil and then after to see if their would be a major difference but it just added a nutty flavor to the yogurt which was pleasant to me since I like to add granola to my yogurt if I have it on hand so there was a similar taste in granola and flax seed oil when adding it to my yogurt.  I'll keep you posted on my progress but in the meantime here is some helpful information.

What is flax seed oil?

Flax seed oil is derived from the seeds of the flax plant (Linumusitatissimum, L.).  The oil contains both omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids which are necessary to maintain good health.  In addition, it also contains another essential fatty acid ALA (alpha linolenic acid) which is converted by the body into the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oils (EPA- eicosapentaenoic acid and DHA- docosahexaenoic acid). 

Some Health Benefits of Flax Seed Oil

• Prevents cancer and reduces tumor growth in breasts, prostate and colon
• Promotes cardiovascular health
• Promotes colon health
• Helps reduce inflammation associated with arthritis
• Boosts immunity
• Promotes healthy skin
• May lessen the severity of diabetes by stabilizing blood sugar levels
• Increases metabolic rate

Helpful Facts

• Believed to increase the nutritional value when taken with other foods.  In fact, studies show that mixing flax seed oil with yogurt helps emulsify the oil which improves the body's digestion and metabolism as the essential fatty acids are incorporated into cell membranes
• Be sure to purchase flax seed oil stored in dark bottles as prolonged exposure to light, heat, and air affects the potency and cause it to spoil so refrigerate after opening
• Because of the aforementioned it is not suggested that you do not heat it up or cook with it as it should only be added to cold foods or cooked foods
• Flax seeds are high in protein, fiber, omega 3's, and lignans which are a type of phytoestrogen that may protect against certain forms of cancer

*Check with your doctor before consuming as the component, lignan is known to interfere with certain medications such as muscle relaxers, drugs prescribed to breast cancer patients, and acid reflux medications.  Also, those who are pregant or suffer from any gastrointestinal problems should consult their physician first. Although, it is generally safe for pregnant women to consume the recommended 1 tablespoon of flax seed oil per day just to be safe consult your obgyn.*

Kimora!

Need I say more? This woman is the epitome of the ultimate haute mama if you ask me! Entrepreneur, fashionista, mother, wife...The list goes on and on and yes many may argue it is easier for Kimora to juggle such a demanding career and motherhood because she can afford a team of people to help her but I have to say regardless she is workin' it and I admire her greatly! The way she carried herself with class and dignity during the publicized split with her ex-husband Russell Simmons yet still remained business partners with him and what seems to be a respectful and cordial relationship is pure hauteness as you all know my definition of haute goes beyond the fashion sense.  It is the depiction of pure class and holding one's own during life's obstacles which are no stranger to anyone be it rich, poor, black, white or whatever the situation may be and Ms. Simmons wears the haute badge of honor well...Expect to see much more of Kimora here as she is a great inspiration to myself and many others who aspire to be haute moms all around with the career, fashion sense and a beautiful family to boot! Whether she's rockin' a casual halter dress, jeans and heels or furs she always represents well!