An Interview with Tamela Mann

In 2009, I was blessed with the opportunity to do a phone interview with Mrs. Tamela Mann. Last week I was once again blessed to speak with her via about her latest album Best Days Deluxe, Upcoming Projects, Family, Marriage, Ministry and how she and David manages it all! You may read the interview below or watch the video recording of the phone convo YouTube by clicking the link below.

 

BMackWrites:                    Thank you so much for honoring my request for an interview today.

Tamela Mann:                   Oh well your welcome.

BMackWrites:                    I’m not gonna hold you long today. I wanted to talk to you because I have doing some blogs lately that inspire younger women…well women of all ages who are trying to balance home life and career.

Tamela Mann:                   Uh huh

BMackWrites:                   And um I have to say when I do a lot of my blogging, I am really tough on celebrities and Gospel celebrities because because it seems like so many of them are getting away from the standard but when it comes to you and your husband, my husband and I really do have a huge admiration for the both of you all because of your humble spirits and your love for Christ, your love for ministry and your family so we definitely wanted to get your input.

Tamela Mann:                   Okay

BMackWrites:                    And ask you some questions on that. What of the things I wanted to talk to you about is career. God has really blessed your career and ministry. How have you been able to find a balance between career and family?

Tamela Mann:                   …and that’s not what it’s about for us. It’s about the Lord and family first.

BMackWrites:                    Okay

Tamela Mann:                   And then everything else falls in place but once you do get to those things like the music and everything else is like you just take it one day at…for me it just one day at a time..

BMackWrites:                    Okay

Tamela:                                One day at a time and I concentrate on whatever is at hand. That's how I kind of handle it. Like if I know I gotta do a lot of studio time, I’m concentrating.  “Okay you know you’ve got to do a lot of studio time right now. Get your mind straight. Get your mind right. You know it’s going to be long days.” So that’s kind of how I myself deal with it. And when it comes to family, you know I’ve got to make time. You know when I come home like with my grandbabies..you know it’s like first and foremost. If I haven’t seen them in a couple of days, we’ve got to go do dinner. We’ve got to go do some kind of activity together as a family or something like that.

BMackWrites:                    Okay

Tamela Mann:                   But the music..God is really blessing us and it’s just…I’m in awe on what God is doing. How he’s doing it and…man you know..the scriptures tells us if our ways please him, he will give us the desires of our hearts and um God is doing just that. He is doing just that..

BMackWrites:                    Actually Kawambee D, one of my fans on Facebook submitted that question for you about balancing them both. And one of the key things you said is that when it’s time work, you go ahead and focus on work so you can get in, do what you’ve got to do and when you come home that’s the first thing (family). And I think that’s an error that I’ve know I’ve made several times before I’ll be working all day long and my kids will come home from school and I’m still trying to get that little last minute in there. My husband talks to me all the time about that “cut off time” and make sure I get in that family time.

Tamela Mann:                   That’s right. We all need it. You need to shut your brain down.

BMackWrites:                    Exactly

Tamela Mann:                   It’s just…David is like that. Sometimes I have to get on to him about the phone but me when I come home I just want to sit down. If it’s something I need to work on in the house..you know I don’t want to think about work and I don’t want to talk about it. (BMackWrites laughs…Tamela laughs)..because I don’t..when people see me…we are regular people. When you guys see us..I  look at it as I’m still human. I still have to go to the grocery store. I still have to go do me a Marshall’s stop. I mayhave to go to Wal-Mart. Not just at the big stores, I still go to whoever; you know even the Dollar Store if I need to go run in there and get something. You know it’s just that we are still common people. You know we may just know a few more people than you guys know but we are still people…a few more people may know us is what we say but we are all still them same.

BMackWrites:                    I think that is what attracts people to you all so much is because success has not gotten to your head..

Tamela Mann:                   Nooo, I don’t like for people to shop for me. I just don’t. And then when it comes to preparing stuff for my family, I feel like can’t nobody do it like me. You’re not going to fix it.. I can tell you but you are not going to fix it like me. Your heart is not going to be in it like..like mine. You know but I thank God for people coming and helping us you know when that time comes but I want do for my family because bottom line they are my family.

BMackWrites:                    One of the questions and my husband actually submitted this question. He wanted me to ask you all about upholding the standard in a world that’s filled with so much hypocrisy. Um, everbody that we see that’s doing things, that’s you know that’s proclaiming the faith and so forth, they are not really practicing what they preach and you can tell it eventually in the little sideline interviews but…

Tamela Mann:                   Bottom line..bottom line is Bridgett, the Lord is watching and he’s writing it down.

BMackWrites:                    Wow

Tamela Mann:                   That’s my accountability and that’s my standard that I want my ways to please him. I’m not trying to be deep. I’m not trying to be better that nobody. You know but I’m striving for perfection and I can do that with the Lord. I can’t do it on my own and I’m not trying to do it in my own light where it’s all about me. Again, if I am trying to please him all I know how. I look at it as I don’t have an earthly father so the Lord is my Father and I don’t want to let him down. So that’s my standard of trying to do right as best as I can as I know how. When I know that it’s going to hurt somebody, you don’t do it. I’m not saying that I don’t make mistakes because I do. Sometimes I may snap at my husband the wrong way if he asks me something or my kids or people that you but it’s not an everyday thing that I am just walking around chewing people out. But we make mistakes but bottom line is pleasing the Lord. Pleasing the Lord. What he has written down is most important; I am trying to do what lines up with what his word says and what his commandments say. I’m just trying to abide by those. That helps me to hold the standard. A lot of people don’t have standards now. Anything go. Everything go.

BMackWrites:                    Yes,  you are right.

Tamela Mann:                   They feel like “I’m in the dark. Don’t nobody see me. You know and I don’t have to…I’m grown.” That’s the word “I’m grown”. That don’t mean anything. You know we want people to see. We want the world to see there is a difference so that’s why we have to have a standard of righteousness. Free from sin. Yes we are in this world of sin but we can be in the world but not of it.

BMacWrites:                      Exactly! Oh my goodness!

Tamela Mann:                   It’s just according to where your faith is and where your beliefs are.Bottom line like you said standard. What you want to uphold? What you want to uphold?  What do you want your kids to see? Your nieces and your nephews? Because it’s not a lot of positive marriages out there. It’s not a lot for them to see. They see everything else. Everything else is okay to see on TV.

 

BMackWrites:                    Yeah

Tamela Mann:                  They don’t give us like positive home life you know and things like that. It’s like they fight against that but everything else is okay. You know, let’s make a show about this and that but all we can do what the little time we have is just live the life. Thank God for Social Cam. We just let people know that we are not boasting or anything but if we live right God will give us some things here on earth. You know we can be comfortable and not walk around talking about we are blinging and banging. You know (we are just saying) this is the goodness of the Lord. When you see me on Social Cam, you’d better believe you me I’m teary eyed and giving thanks to God for blessing me and my husband, me and my family because that’s what it’s all about…without him, I could do nothing. Oh…I’m just talking...Okay..Okay...

BMackWrites:                    No..you’re good. For one thing, I saw the thing with ducks yesterday. For one thing, I absolutely loved it. I couldn’t help but laugh when you threw that first duck because….(Bridgett and Tamela laughs)

(My camera didn’t record the rest of this clip so please watch the Mann’s Duck video on Social Cam…HILARIOUS!)

BMackWrites:                    I love the fact that you all are down to earth..down to home people. As a matter of fact, when are we going to hear more information about Hanging with the Manns? Do we know when..?

Tamela Mann:                   Well, it’s still like kind of in the air. We are still shopping in. But we are still working on a couple other things as well like our reality show “With the Manns” another sitcom that we shot is called "Mann and Wife" where me and David actually play husband and wife.

 

BMackWrites:                    Okay. Okay…And I am rooting for this because see I am tired of blogging about the fake Basketball Wives and all of them. We do need some positive people.

Tamela Mann:                   I need the Saints to be praying that the Lord allows it to go through so we can have some other positive stuff.

BMackWrites:                    Well we need it. I am rooting for you all on that because we do need to see positive marriages. As a matter of fact, a year ago…a couple of years ago,  I ran a job training program and the girls that were in the program…one of the things that they were saying ..they saw me and Travis interact with each other and they thought that we were so fake. They were like “Nobody is that happy Mrs. Bridgett.” And I was like you can be happy. You can have love that is real but you’ve got to learn how to put God first.

Tamela Mann:                   Yes

BMackWrites:                    For one thing, I said, yall have been dealing with all these men…If he doesn’t know how to love God. He ain’t gonna know how to love you. And so it’s just the world has put out so many negative..

Tamela Mann:                   False…negative

BMackWrites:                    …examples of what motherhood is, of what being a wife is about what a career is and it’s really tainting the minds of our younger women and older women and so I am really really rooting for you on that. I’ve got to touch base on your song “I Can Only Imagine”…oh my goodness..

Tamela Mann:                   (Laughs) Yes that’s my new single. I have "Best Days the Deluxe" that’s releasing on October 29^th. I want everybody to put it in their phones for Tuesday, October 29^th. Make sure yall go pick it up! I redid "Take Me to the King" live where I added I" Surrender All" on there and it goes into Only Imagine. And "I Can Only Imagine" kind of happened… I was singing “Take Me to the King” was in worship for the concert and I started singing “I Can Only Imagine” in the end and it just stuck and it was like we were just going from glory to glory in worship. It’s just like man….and when I went and redid the whole song, I was crying in the studio when I was doing this song. Yesterday I was listening to it. I mean I was just thanking God and I was just weeping. And in my mind I was thinking, what will I be doing? What will I do when I get in the presence of God? That’s what it’s all about; us making ready to see the King. Because that day is coming; we don’t when our day is coming but it is coming. We all need to be prepared. Just put it in our minds of what we’re going to do when we see our Savior. And um I’m telling I’m just so excited about it and I’m just praying that God will touch the hearts of people with this like "Take to Me King" that we are going higher and higher. That’s where we are going with this.

BMackWrites:                    Well let me tell you. Those two songs really blessed me because Take Me to the King. I had to have this in my private time. A couple of years ago, I lost my baby sister. Well I didn’t lose her I know where she went. She went to Heaven. I know where she went.

Tamela Mann:                   Yeah

BMackWrites:                    She died suddenly a couple of years ago. I’m the oldest of four children.

Tamela Mann:                   Uh huh

BMackWrites:                    It was one of those things where..because she died suddenly. She went to sleep and didn’t wake up. She was a wife and a mom. And I was…the whole grieving process totally drained me. This was one of those things that big sister couldn’t fix. I couldn’t make things better for her children, my parents and my family. It was your song "Take Me to the King" that blessed me because I didn’t have nothing else to bring because I was broken.

Tamela Mann:                   Yes

BMackWrites:                   I know "Take Me to the King" is one of those songs that you can’t listen to in the car because you’ll be at the light and folks will be blowing. (Tamela laughs) You’ll be done got on the mountain and but it really did bless me. And when I heard "I Can Only Imagine", I could imagine myself standing before God and I could imagine Toshia standing in the arms of God. It’s one of those songs really ministers. It takes you in the presence of God. It doesn’t…you don’t focus on just a good beat and you moving around and you don’t know what you are listening to but the words really minister to your spirit. That is an awesome awesome song so I am looking forward to October29th. Everybody need to get it. (to the camera) Yall hear that. Go get it..October 29^th!

Tamela Mann:                   Best Days Deluxe …Tamela Mann

BMackWrites:                    I am gonna ask you one last question. Now you and your husband recently your vow renewal earlier this year.

Tamela Mann:                   Yes, Twenty five years.

BMackWrites:                    Twenty five years! My husband and I have been married for seventeen years.

Tamela Mann:                   Amen! Yay! I love to hear that. I love to hear people still hanging in there and man we can make it. We’ve got some ups and downs but it’s work. Marriage is work.

BMackWrites:                    That’s what I wanted to touch on because my husband and I have befriended a lot of people . We’ve seen a lot of marriages demise and go their separate ways. There are going to  be down days. I’ve given people my advice on what do in those down days but in your words. In Mrs. Tamela’s words, what is your best advice for down days?

Tamela Mann:                   On down days look at yourself. Go look in the mirror to see. It’s  not about you changing somebody. You can’t change anybody. You have to change you. A lot times you have to examine yourself to make sure you are lining up; that you are doing everything that you know how to do what’s right. So start checking yourself to see “What is that I have to do to change Lord to start making my relationship better?” That’s our mistake [we say] “Well you need to do..” We are pointing the finger but in reality, it’s you that need to make the change. It’s  not always somebody else, a lot of times it’s our selves. You need to examine yourself and ask the Lord to help you see you. Learn from whatever those mistakes are because you are going to keep going through it until you pass the test.

BMackWrites:                    Exactly

Tamela Mann:                   Whatever that issue is, it’s gonna keep coming around. It may change up a little bit but it’s gonna keep coming until you pass the test. That’s my advice on that. Ask the Lord to help you and give you peace during the storm. Every argument doesn’t need a response. Sometimes you just have to hold your tongue to keep the peace. You may not be wrong. You may be wrong but then you may not be but sometime you just [need to] sit back and let everything cool down.

BMackWrites:                    Thank you so much for your words of wisdom. We look forward to buying your album Best Days

Tamela Mann:                   Thank you. I’ve have people to tell me that they’ve feel in love with the songs all over again. I also went back and redid "Now Behold the Lamb".

 

BMackWrites:                    No you didn’t.

Tamela Mann:                   (Laughs and says to someone in background. "She talking about No you didn’t”) Yes I did. So that’s on there as well. You are in for a great treat. So everybody make sure you go out and pick it up and I love you. Thank you for having me again today and we will talk you again soon.

BMackWrites:                    Okay. We love you all and you all have a blessed day.

Tamela Mann:                   Alright Thank you.

BMackWrites:                  Bye Bye

 

Tamela Mann:                 Bye Bye

Imitation Flattery

We've all heard the saying "Imitation is the biggest form of flattery"; to some degree it is, but it can also be the greatest form of irritation. When you are trying to make your mark in the world, the last thing you need is for someone to come along and seemingly try to steal your idea before you can even make a footprint in the sand.
 

  

The harsh reality is, there is nothing you can do about copy catters. They have always been around and will always be. There will always be a Dr. Pepper and a Mr. Pibb. The question is who would you prefer to be? An authentic original or a copy cat version. Mr. Pibb tastes good but still this beverage brand does not appeal on a "high end" level. It costs less to make and is even cheaper to buy, ergo..."You get what you pay for."

  

I understand there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). And I know there will always be others who will be an inspiration to me. Still, I choose to be an authentic original of what God called me to be as a business woman. I choose to take what I already have along with what inspires me and strategically work to create a BMackWrites original.

  

I'll end with this advice...

• Always protect your work. Copyright and patent your creations.
• Be careful who you share your vision with.
• Don't be afraid to take risks in Faith.
• BE THE BEST YOU YOU CAN BE!!! 

B's Research to Review..

Click the links below to learn more about copyrights and patents.

US Copyright Office

United States Patent and Trademark Office  

Loving Me for Me

It feels good to finally be at a place in my life where I am happy being me. I was raised to be strong and confident in who I am as a child of God, wife, mom, business woman and friend. Still, this was a struggle for me because of the negativity around me. When I was confident, they called me cocky. When I stood up for what I believed in, they called me opinionated. When I was silent, they called me stuck up. When I second guessed myself , they called me weak.

I felt like I was in a lose lose situation. My life dreams were beginning to feel like nightmares. But then one day a light bulb went off and I heard the voice of God say "When it comes to giving gifts I make no mistakes. I gave you your gifts and talents now go use them with much confidence and faith in me."

And so here I am comfortable in my own skin. Loving what I see in the mirror. Writing with purpose and speaking with joy and authority. I understand that it's not me, it's the God in me and I can't second guess God.

I encourage you to love who you are in Christ. When you look at life through God's eyes, all you will see  is greatness!!!

Quick Minute Tip: Grocery Bag Storage Solution

 

Please click below to watch my Quick Minute tip on storage solutions for your grocery shopping bags. Enjoy!

 

 

 

The Hypocritical Parent?

As a parent, do you practice what you preach or do you live by the saying "Do as I say not as I do." Some parents take for granted the influence they have on their children. I am so blessed to have the parents that I have because they set the standard of practicing what they preached. They taught me the importance of living by example. Some of my fondest memories of my children growing up were when they went through the phase of mimicking everything Travis and I did. There were times when as I typed away at my computer my daughter would sit at her little Elmo desk making typing sounds with her little fingers. My oldest daughter loved (and she still does) playing dress up in my closet. When our son was two years old, he went for weeks without eyebrows because (without our knowing) he decided to shave just like his daddy. (It was nobody but God that kept him from cutting himself)

The reality is even though our children grow up and act as if they don't need us, they never stop watching us. How many times have you said "Now he/she is the splitting image of their mom/dad." Whether we be the best parents in the world or the worst, our children will eventually inherit part of who we are.

Generational curses are created or broken based on how we parent. If we set a Godly standard in our households, our children automatically become destined for greatness because they will then have principles to live by. You can't expect your children to live a life pleasing to God if you allow worldly influences in your home. We say we want the best for our children. We say we want for them to go farther in life than we did but then we introduce them to obstacles that could hinder their growth.

It's important to establish Godly principles for your children to live by because outside influences will eventually arise. There will come a time in your child's life when curiosity will set in and they will want to experience new things. Pop culture for example, has one of the greatest influences on our youth. Celebrities and artists set trends for fashion, how to talk, how to act and even how to handle relationships. We as parents become fans of these celebrities despite the negative influences they have on our children. We justify supporting their work by saying "Well I don't agree with how they live. I just love their music." We become blinded to the fact that while we are mature enough not to mimick what we see our impressionable children are drawn to it. These artists are about making the dollar first and being a good influence whenever their PR agents deems it necessary. Still we allow these same people into our homes via music videos, Ipods and YouTube.

Why do we tell our children not to be a certain way but we constantly watch that "certain way"? If what a person is doing disobeys the word of God, why do we allow it into our homes? Proverbs 17:4 says " A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips and a liar to a naughty tongue". This scripture took me by surprise. I didn't realize that for every time I entertained vanity and profanity, God considered me to be a wicked liar as well (and we wonder why our children lie and rebel).

With all of the tragedies and havoc going on in the world, my husband and I have chosen to add more caution to our parenting.  Our children know to only accept the best;role models have to come with the whole package. Anyone who's willing to compromise their dignity, expose their body, use foul language and most importantly not live for Christ for the sake of fame and fortune, does not meet the criteria. It's all about the standard. Travis and I may not be perfect parents but we refuse to be hypocritical ones.

Raise Your Standard

Even though their motto says "Have it Your Way", you wouldn't walk into Burger King and order a Big Mac out of respect for the business and their standards.....Ladies, a man who respects what you stand for would never ask you to move in with him...He would ask you to marry him. What standard are you projecting to those around you? Check out my latest video blog...

How Not To Go Off On Your Child's Teacher

Click below to watch my latest vlog/testimony on How Not to Go Off on Your Child's Teacher. Based on a recent experience, I choose to keep it real in this video about my emotions and how through prayer I was able keep a cool head in a semi-heated situation. As children of God, our flesh will be tested on the daily basis. It's important to remember, a TESTimony is born ONLY after we pass the TEST and YES I passed the test!

Three Items That Will Keep Your School Year Organized

 

Click below to watch the video on how these items are helping to keep our school year organized and insanity free!!!  

 

 

 

Sweet Tomato Poppers & The Butler Movie Review

Hello Everyone! Please click below to watch my latest video blog "Cooking and Convo  where I show you how to make Spinach Chicken with Sweet Tomato Poppers while giving a movie review on The Butler. Enjoy!

Fire Roasted Chicken (Campbell's Skillet Sauces)

I tried the Campbell's Skillets last night. Here is the Fire Roasted Tomato Chicken with Creamy Potatoes and String Beans. The fam loved it!

Product Review: Playtex 18 Hour & Activia Yogurt with Fiber

Check out my latest product review of the Playtex 18 Hour Bra and Activia Yogurt with Fiber!

 

Talking to Your Children About Race

Please click below to watch my latest vlog "Talking to Your Children About Race." I would love to hear your feedback. Please be advised: "While we do not use or condone vulgar language, you will hear some profanity from various media clips included." I've never done this before but before we can build a even more beautiful America, I felt it necessary to expose all of the ugly that's affecting our families.  

 

Prayerfully this post will promote unity and not divide.

..

Ten Rules Everyone Should Live By

So here I am. It's the wee hours of the morning and God woke me up just so that I could reflect on some things. A lot has changed for my family over the past three years starting with us moving from my husband's hometown to a new city. While we have no regrets about the move, we've lost a lot since we made that decision.


From the outside looking in, you would think everything that has happened would be the breaking of us but actually it was the making of us as family. Our ability to persevere comes from our spiritual roots and the good ground in which they are deeply planted. Travis and I grew up in a church where our parents, leaders and church mothers worried about our souls first and our feelings second. Their tough love and two-edged words of wisdom prepared us for the harsh world and the tough times to come. And believe it or not, our toughest times wasn't in our finances, marital issues, health scares or after the death of our loved ones. Our darkest hours came when those who we thought would love us forever decided they didn't need us anymore. Growing up, we were prepared for the persecutions that would come from the enemy's camp but when some of those from our church world turned their backs on us...we hit our breaking point.

But God.

God is notorious for always having a "ram in the bush" and for us, he had several. In the recent weeks, God reunited us with spiritual mentors from our past and introduced us to new ones for present day. Their words of wisdom, love, prayers, support has helped us to generate ten rules to live by. And here they are:

1. When you don't know what to do, seek God. When you are in need, ask God. When you don't know what to say, be quiet and listen to God.
2. Christians don't keep their friends close and their enemies closer. They keep their friends close and their enemies confused. Why? Because the enemy will never understand love.
3. If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, be careful, it might be a wolf in sheep's clothing.
4. Their "no" is God's not yet. Never lose heart.
5. Remember Jesus didn't say a mumbling word while being persecuted. You'd better not either.
6. Vengeance belongs to God and if you take action, he won't spare the rod....(against you that is).
7. The battle is not yours but the spoils of war is if you let God fight it for you.
8. Never cry over spilled milk or the "friends" that stole your cookie. Let them have it. God has better in store for you.
9. You can't be a child of God and a punk too. Stand firm on his word no matter what.
10. When the day comes to forgive those who have lied, betrayed, back stabbed, rejected, neglected and spat on you..do it quickly and with much sincerity of heart.

Please understand, this post was not written for pity. The post was written in praise. I once had someone to say, "Bridgett, you don't have to write about your bad experiences." To which I respectfully replied "Yes I do. This is my testimony"

My life is not picture perfect but most of the time, it feels that way. If it had not been for the testimony of others who had gone through and overcame, we probably would have given up. I know that if God can do for them, he can do it for me too. I hope our testimony encourages those of you who reads this. Always remember, just because life may not always give you the roses you asked for, doesn't mean your blessings can't be found in the beauty of daisies.

B

Budget Friendly Teen Girl Room Makeover

After months of saving, bargain hunting and some revamping, we were finally able to redecorate our daughter's room to fit their individual teen styles. As a family we have decided to choose our color schemes and decorating styles based on what we want when we finally purchase our dream home. Patience is the key and creativity unlocks the door. You don't have to break the bank to get what you want! You can also watch this tutorial on You Tube!



Old Dresser Before

After

Made these Storage Containers From Old String Bean Cans

How to Make Crispy Cheddar Chicken

 Crispy Cheddar Chicken

2 lbs chicken tenders or 4 large chicken breasts
2 sleeves Ritz crackers
1/4 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup whole milk
3 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1 teaspoon dried parsley

Sauce:
1 10 ounce can cream of chicken soup
2 tablespoon sour cream
2 tablespoon butter

Crush crackers. If using chicken breasts and not tenders, cut each chicken breast into 3 large pieces. Pour the milk, cheese and cracker crumbs into 3 separate small pans. Toss the salt and pepper into the cracker crumbs and stir the mixture around to combine. Dip each piece of chicken into the milk and then the cheese. Press the cheese into the chicken with your fingers. Then press the cheesy coated chicken into the cracker crumbs and press it in.

Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray and lay the chicken inside the pan. Sprinkle the dried parsley over the chicken. Cover the pan with tin foil and bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove the tin foil, bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the edges of the chicken are golden brown and crispy.

In a medium sized sauce pan combine the cream of chicken soup, sour cream and butter with a whisk. Stir it over medium high heat until the sauce is nice and hot. Serve over the chicken.

Watch the Tutorial!

 

Latest Mother Knows Best Segments

Just in case you missed them. Here are the latest segments of Fox 31's Mother Knows Best.

How to Motivate Your Family to Eat Healthy and Stay Active (6/6/13)

 



Father's Day Gift Ideas & Staying Sane While Raising Children (6/13/13)



 

Dealing With Colicky Babies and Sibling Rivalries (6/20/13)

Possible Reasons Why You Are Suffering From Hair Loss

DISCLAIMER: I am in no way an expert in hair care. This post is my testimony of my hair journey's trials and triumphs. Please talk to your doctor and/or beautician for any professional advice.

I washed my hair this morning and I am so happy with how much my hair health has improved I decided to write a blog post that will hopefully encourage those of you are suffering from hair loss.

I started experiencing severe hair shedding after I had my first daughter. I couldn't figure out what was going on. Was my hormones, heat damage, stress or a combination of all three? I spoke with both my doctor and beautician. They gave me advice on what to do but nothing seemed to work. My hair would only grow below my ears before breaking off again. I continued to fight on/off  hair battles for the next 15 years!!! What was even worse, I started losing hair in the top center of my scalp. I did everything I knew to do. I drank plenty of water. I watched what I ate. I avoided hair styles that required a lot of heat. I eventually started wearing extensions to cover my frustrating embarrassment.

Put a Pin for a Minute Myth Moment: Most people believe African American women wear weaves and wigs because they have no hair. While this might be true for some, it is definitely not fact for everyone. Not only are extensions and wigs a great way to protect your natural hair but they allow flexibility to changes up styles, lengths and hair color. I started wearing extensions to protect my hair but now I love the conveniences and options they give me to switch it up without the worry.

Now back to the blog...

In the summer of 2010 and out of frustration, I decided to cut off my. My plan was to keep short and sassy but then my hair started growing... rapidly. I thought "Hm...maybe all of my hair worries are over." Then in 2011, my little sister passed away and before I knew it, I found myself doing the Donald Trump swirl to hide the thin spot in the top of my head.

That's when I decided; Enough was enough! It was time to dig a little deeper and do some research. So I prayed and asked God to guide me...



While I already knew stress played a huge role in my hair loss, I also discovered certain medications were big factors as well. Certain pain medicines, including the ibuprofen I took for migraines was one of the reasons why my hair shedded so much. When I switched medicine, much of my shedding came to an automatic cease. I also realized that my hair was paying an unhealthy price because of my frugal nature when buying hair care products. I had to learn the hard way that you truly get what you pay for. I started investing in my hair by buying products that would help to heal, strengthen and reinvigorate my hair. Today, my hair is longer and healthier than ever. Will I ever stop wearing extensions? I doubt it. The perks are far to great besides it feels good to know that when I do wear my natural hair, no one can tell the difference!

May 2013

 Listed below are some possible reason for hair loss. Please take the time to click on the resource link included for more information. And remember Don't Give Up. There so many solutions to hair loss. You just have to find the one that best suits your needs!

1. Stress
• Stress is a part of life but it doesn't have to rule your life. Grief was a huge stressor for me and it was affecting me mentally and physically. It took prayer, support and my making the decision to not let our loss consume me. God showed me how to convert my pain into purpose. I encourage you to do the same.
2. Medicines (Before you stop taking your medicine ALWAYS ALWAYS talk to your doctor first!)
• According  Web MD (Drug Induced Hair Loss) Many different types of drugs are thought to cause hair loss, including:
• Acne medications containing vitamin A (retinoids)
• Antibiotics and antifungal drugs
• Antidepressants   
• Birth control pills
• Anticlotting drugs
• Cholesterol-lowering drugs  
• Drugs that suppress the immune system  
• Drugs that treat breast cancer  
• Epilepsy drugs (anticonvulsants)
• High blood pressure medications (anti-hypertensives), such as beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, and diuretics
• Hormone replacement therapy  
• Mood stabilizers  
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)  
• Parkinson's disease drugs  
• Steroids
• Thyroid medications
• Weight loss drugs
• Excessive Heat and Chemicals
• Cheap Hair Care Products
• Be careful when choosing cheaper hair care products. Read the label and watch out for ingredients that can strip your hair of the essentials oils it needs to stay shiny and strong.
3. Medical Problems
• Talk to your doctor. There may be an underlying cause to why you are suffering from hair loss. He/She will be able to perform the tests needed to determine this.
4. Malnutrition Top 10 Foods for Healthy Hair
• We overlook the role a healthy diet plays in maintaining healthy hair. You are what you eat. Healthy eating leads to healthy hair. 
• Lisa Drayer, New York Nutritionist says."The nutrients you eat today help fortify the hair follicle -- from which each strand is born -- and the scalp that surrounds it. "Healthier follicles? Healthier hair. Healthier scalp? Healthier hair!" 
5. Questionable Beauticians
• If your beautician is doing more harm than good on your hair...I have just one thing to say "SWITCH".

Every person is different so it's important to choose a hair regime that works for you. No one knows your body like you do. Sometimes it helps to do the research.

 

Praying this post has helped to make living your life a little easier!

Cyber Bullying and Ways to Entertain Your Kids During Roadtrips

Please click below to watch the first episode of Fox 31's Mother Knows Best panel. The topics for the show's premiere were "Cyber bullying and Ways to Entertain Your Kids During Roadtrips". Please comment and leave a topic you would like for us to address!!!

Casual Dating & Celibacy. Does that Match?!?!?

Can you date casually and remain celibate? Is this ideal for Christians?  I asked the question on Facebook and people answered. While I had a million things to say on this topic, so did several others. Please watch my video blog below. I would love to know what you think!!!

Premiere of Fox 31's Mother Knows Best Panel

Hi everyone!!!
I know that it's been a minute since I posted a blog but I have a good excuse. In addition to preparing for our next stage play, I was recently selected to be a part of Fox 31's Mother Knows Best Panel!!! The Mother Knows Best Panel includes four mothers that will address parenting, family issues during our  20 minute segment that each Thursday.

We are so excited the Mother Knows Best and look forward to it growing into something that will bring positive growth in the lives of families everywhere. Be sure to watch us every Thursday in the 8:00 AM hour on Fox 31. Our segment will also post to YouTube for those of you miss the show or don't live locally. Please click below to watch the first episode of Fox 31's Mother Knows Best panel. The topics for the show's premiere were "How to Prepare Your Children for Natural Disaster and Animal Safety.

If you ( whether you live near or far) have any topics that you would like for us to cover please email me at bmackwrites@gmail.com.

 

I am so excited about these God-given endeavors. Please pray for me as I work to prioritize my projects so that nothing will go lacking. Stay tuned! More blog posts coming soon!!!

Publix and Winn Dixie Deals: Hurry Some of These Deals End April 30th!

Check Out This Week's Deals!!!!

 

Publix Deals

 

Total Cost $27.49!!!

 

Kraft Velveeta Cheesy Skillets Dinner BOGO @ 3.39 Each

Publix Coupon $2.00 off Two  (Best Meals Happen at Home Publix Coupon Found in Store)

Final Price .70 cents each!

 

General Mills Cereal BOGO Free @ $3.99

.50 Cents off One General Mills Cinnamon Toast Crunch Publix Digital Coupon Print Two

I also used a $1.50 off Three General Mills Cereal Winn Dixie Catalina Coupon

 

Boca Veggie Protein Burger BOGO Free @ $3.69

$1.00 off One Boca Meatless Product Print Two

Final Price .85 cents each!

 

Ragu Pasta Sauce BOGO Free @ $2.57

Harvey's Competitor Coupon $1.00 off Two (Hurry Coupon Expires April 30th)

Final Price .80 cents each!

 

Right Guard Deodorant BOGO Free @ $3.83

$2.00 off Two

Final Price .92 cents each!

 

Print these competitor coupons from Harvey's for great deals on Meat and Produce at your Publix! (Hurry Coupons Expires April 30th)

$1 off any Meat Department Purchase of $2.50 or more

$1 off any Produce Purchase of $2.50 or more

.75 cents of Dairy Department Purchase (I purchased to half dozen Publix eggs and only paid .48 cents for both cartons!)

 

Also, take advantage of the Publix "Buy Theirs Get Ours for Free" Deal. I caught a great deal on Heinz Ketchup this Week! Click Here to View This Week's List of Sale Items

 

 

Winn Dixie Deals

 

Total Cost $24.99!!!

 

Starkist Tuna in Water 5 for $5.00 (no coupon but still a great deal!)

 

Fast Fixin Chicken BOGO Free @ 6.99

$1.00 off One Print Two

Final Price $4.99 for Both Bags!

 

Dixie Crystal Sugar on sale $1.99 each

.75 cents off One

Final Price: $1.24 each

 

Alexia Rolls, Potatoes or Onion Rings BOGO Free @ $3.99

$1.00 off One Print Two

Final Price $1.00 per bag!!!

 

Purchase two bags of Bird's Eye Viola Meals for $11.98. Get Pepperidge Farm Garlic Bread, Larry's Potatoes and get Mrs. Smith's Cobbler FREE!

The deal gets even better if you have coupons on any of these items.

$1.00 off One Bird Eye Viola Print Two

I pray this post has helped to make living your life a little easier!!!

BMackWrites

Stuffed Swiss Chicken Tutorial

Stuffed Swiss Chicken 

 

 

Life Made Easy

This recipe was sent to me on Facebook. My family loved it. Of course I had to add my own touch. Ingredients in green are my little tweeks to suit my taste.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 8 chicken tenderloins
Salt and black pepper
4-6 slices baby Swiss cheese
1 can Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup
1/3 cup milk
1 stick butter, melted

1/2 cup Real Bacon Bits
 1 bag of Pepperidge Farm seasoned stuffing mix (not cubes) or 1 small box Stovetop Chicken stuffing mix

 Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 x 9 baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange chicken in pan and season to taste with seasoned salt and black pepper. Top each breast with a slice of cheese. Combine soup and milk in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour soup over chicken to cover breasts entirely. Combine melted butter and Stovetop in a small bowl (moisten a little more with some warm water if it seems too dry) and scoop over top of chicken. Sprinkle Bacon Bits on top. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Recipe compliments of mrsmichaelscooks.blogspot.com/

 

 

 

Tyler Perry's Tempation: LME Review

My husband and I went to see Tyler Perry's latest movie "Temptation". Now, I am trying my best to be careful as I write this review because even though I enjoy some of Tyler's work, my principles as a Christian are different from his so I wouldn't say this is a Christian movie. Still he' very talented and I can appreciate the message he sent in this movie.

Temptation presents an onscreen representation of the 80/20 rule regarding love and marriage. Movie characters Brice and Judith are childhood sweethearts who grow up to marry and move away to start life on their own. Six years into the marriage, Judith finds herself growing inpatient of her stagnant career as a marriage counselor. Judith also finds herself questioning the spice and strength in her own marriage once she meets business client Harley, who introduces her to a world she's never before experienced.

A very rich Harley seduces her with his promiscuous charm and promises to give her a life of luxury and fulfill her career goals. At first, Judith refuses Harley's advances but soon gives in after an unsuspecting Brice fails to give her the attention she desires. Judith and Harley embark on a whirlwind lust affair that ends with all parties paying a significant price of pain.

I was surprised when I read some of the reviews of online critics. Namely, Veronica Miller, writer for the Grio, who wrote she was annoyed with the "heavy-handed punishment of a female character who happened to be interested in sex, and the implication that the rest of her days on Earth were doomed to loneliness and regret. Oh. And HIV." I strongly disagree with Ms.  Miller. In fact, the CDC reports "African Americans have the most severe burden of HIV of all racial/ethnic groups in the United States. African Americans accounted for an estimated 44% of all new HIV infections among adults and adolescents (aged 13 years or older) in 2010.." In my opinion, this movie provided yet another eye opener for it's viewers.  Tyler kept it real and produced a movie that exposed one of the biggest problems that's affecting most marriages. Today's inpatient couples are splitting up at the first signs of boredom and adversity. They are quick to forget their vow to stay together "for better or for worse". Marriage takes work and has it's ups and downs. God ordained it to be forever....PERIOD!

B's Thumbs Up: I give this movie a thumbs up because it's relatable and it gives you a cold hard view into what can happen if you act selfishly and irresponsibly. Hollywood constantly sensationalizes lust and sin. They are blinding the public's ability to tell the difference between what's fake and real. I applaud Tyler for writing the truth in this regard. As my husband and I were leaving the theatre, we overheard to two women talking about the movie. One said to the other, "Thank you for bringing me to see this. I see where you were coming from. Tyler showed me that in this movie" The other woman replied "I told you. Think about it before you make your decision." I would like to think this movie helped someone make this decision not to give up on  her marriage but instead fight.

B's Thumbs Down: Tyler is very talented at his craft but I have to give him a thumbs down when it comes to applying biblical principles in this movie. He gives the audience a lukewarm interpretation of what Christianity is all about and we all know how God feels about a lukewarm Christian (Rev.3:16) Also, it was agitating to see Judith's mom who (in the movie) was also a reverend, curse at her son in law, Brice, and then justify her slip up after he tells her she shouldn't be cursing. For once...no lemme change that, From now on, I would like to see Tyler write characters with strong Christian values minus the cursing, misquoting of scripture and bar scene fellowships. We are to reverence the word of God and not make light of God's doctrine. I understand the desire to keep it real and relatable but it can be done without compromising the standard (Sherwood Pictures has proven that). If we are going to acknowledge God for his might, power and ability to change any circumstance then go all out!!! Jesus Christ died on the cross so that we can be free from sin.

Tyler, you say God has blessed you and has given you a platform to help the people so please start writing characters with true Godly standards and stop writing lukewarm christian characters who will only become a stumbling block for those (your viewers) who are seeking to know God.

Praying This Review Has Helped Make Living Your Life a Little Easier :)