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by: La'Toya Sibley   To many times we are looking around to see who is clapping for us because we feel that need to be validated by others. Then when we notice the two or three that isn't clapping, we get down and out negating the 20 or 30 that are. Why? 2 reasons.
1.) Because no matter how much positivity is in the room, negativity always seem to drown out the noise positivity makes. 2.) We are inherently trained to focus on the negativity. My question is, what would happen if we began to clap like a crazy woman for ourselves? I'll tell you what would happen. If we become so enamored with clapping for ourselves, we wouldn't care or have to time to look around to see who else is or is not clapping. It wouldn't even matter because clapping would keep your head in a forward position and it's hard to look around while doing it. Try it. Began clapping like crazy for yourself and see how hard it is to look around at the same time without falling, stumbling or hurting your neck. Start today being your own cheerleader. Tooting your own horn. Patting yourself on the back. Clapping for your darn self because no one will support you like you will. The crazy thing is, when people see you clapping and cheering for yourself, they will begin to jump on board with you. So start a clap epidemic for yourself and be unapologetic about it. You deserve to be celebrated but it starts and ends with you. If you're the only one at your celebration, at least you won't have to worry about nobody coming in and bringing your mood down. 💜💜💜
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by: La'Toya Sibley  I want to start this post off with a question? That question is:
Where does your inspiration come from? What, in this life, inspires you to step out into greatness? Everybody's answer to this question is different. Some people are inspired by photos. Some people are inspired by music. Some by prayer, the bible, other people's lives, our children, history, etc. etc. etc. But we all have a tendency to draw or pull our inspiration from somewhere. What I have learned in this life is that there are some people who are easily inspired, while others take a little bit more pressing and pushing. But before I go any further, let me take a step back for a second and define what inspiration is. Inspiration is defined as: ~ the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative. ~ a divine influence or action on a person believed to qualify him or her to receive and communicate sacred revelation. Inspiration has been the very beginning of GREAT outcomes in peoples lives when they followed through with that little feeling in their belly. Inspiration drove Leonardo da Vinci to draw the well known Mona Lisa. Inspiration moved Dr. Martin Luther King Jr to write and deliver the highly quoted and never forgotten "I Have a Dream" speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. Inspiration moved David Foster and Linda Thompson to write the infamous I Have Nothing song sung by Whitney Houston (may she rest in peace). Inspiration catapulted Mark Zuckerberg to create the most used social media platform in history Facebook. I could go on all day with this. As you can see, inspiration is something that is necessary and needed in the world. It is by inspiration that people are moved to do GREAT things, make GREAT changes, fight necessary and GREAT fights, shoot put one foot in front of the other day after day. It is my belief that we all have at least one GREAT thing inside of us that we are supposed to do before we lay six feet under. It is crazy to know that many have died without even looking in the direction of the GREAT thing that they were supposed to do. I do not want to be one of those people nor do I want you to. This writing is to move you to find the inspiration to do that GREAT thing that you were created to do before you leave this Earth. I am not sure how you draw your inspiration, but I pray that you discover that inspiration to do what you were put on this Earth to do. The world needs that GREAT thing that is in your belly. That book, that business, that non-profit, that school, that invention. It truly does and if you don't do it, then the many people behind you will not be able to draw their needed inspiration that is to come from your work to do their own GREAT thing. You just have to do. Get inspired. TODAY! by: La'Toya R. Sibley  If you were anything like me an my family, growing up in the 80's and 90's, you would know that finances were never a discussion that children were privy to let alone something that was commonly taught in most households. As a Mother to my own three children and facing the financial ups and downs that myself and my husband have been through, all I can think is that I do not want my kids to fight the same fights that I have. So the question that have plagued me is...…...… What is the right age to begin teaching my children about finances? Many people have come up with so many different answers but we will dive into the answer that resonated deeply within me and has caused me to be solid in my stance about teaching my children about money.
The thing that we know about life is that what we do not teach our children, the world will teach them and it will probably not be in their favor. With that being said, as parents, it is a must that we do our part. Dave Ramsey wrote an article on his website titled 15 Ways to Teach Kids About Money. In this article he gives 3 tips on his website on how to teach your Pre-schoolers and Kindergarteners about money that demonstrate how to begin to open their eyes to the realities of money. In this same article, Dave Ramsey stated that there is a study by the University of Cambridge that found that money habits in children are formed by the time that they are 7 years old. This same article by Dave Ramsey goes on to talk about how to continue teaching your child about money until they are 18 years old to include credit card knowledge and them saving for college so that they may stay away from student loans. So again, what is the right time to teach your child(ren) about finances? As soon as they can pick up or know the difference between a coin and a dollar bill. Why wait? Waiting did nothing for us. We need to do everything that we can to not have our children go through the same struggles that we went through with our finances. Also, visit Dave Ramsey's blog article at https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/how-to-teach-kids-about-money for further insight into the tips that he gives in regards to teaching your younger ones about finances. You are guaranteed to find something to help you on this journey to helping your children be financially fit and financially free. by: La'Toya Sibley  If you are anything like me you like to look nice but don't want to pay an arm and a leg for it. I love bargain shopping and I frequent places like Ross, Burlington, Bealls Outlet, etc. At these stores, I can find really nice items (both name brand and not name brand) for super reasonable prices. On my most recent visit, I ran across THESE Puma shoes. Now Puma, and Adidas, has been on the come up as of lately and I am sooooo feeling it. I was looking for a new pair of tennis shoes and BAM, there they were. They were in the little boys section but they are very girly appropriate as you can see. And guess what? They were only 44.99!!! I COULD NOT pass them up! I HAD to get them and I did. And they are sooooooo comfortable. I cannot forget about that!  The crazy thing is, people pass up on stores like this and head straight to the outlets stores or the malls. There are really nice things in these types of stores for great prices. I have even found Jordan's and LeBron's for my kiddos in both Burlington and Ross. I urge you to do not sleep on these stores. My husband whines that these stores give him anxiety because to him they seem so cluttered and all over the place. But if you have some extra time and are looking for some nice and inexpensive stuff, go there. Looking good doesn't have to be uber expensive. I can spend my extra money in other places.... or just save it. I'm just saying. But I love my Puma's and will be going back to see if I can find some more again. :)
Tell me some of your favorite stores to get nice things for great prices. Maybe you have found a treasure that the rest of us bargain shoppers haven't discovered yet. Let us in on your secrets ehh. by: La'Toya R. Sibley  On last night, the 2018 70th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards was filled with celebrity hots and nots in terms of fashion as always. BUT the talk of the night was none other than everybody's favorite adopted Auntie, Black-ish star Auntie Jenifer Lewis who is well known for her "tell it like it is" vernacular. Auntie Jenifer donned a Nike sweatshirt which is an Emmy first EVER in the history of the Emmys. When asked about her choice of outfit, Auntie Jennifer gladly stated, “I’m wearing this Nike because I applaud them for supporting Colin Kaepernick and his protest against police brutality and racial injustice.” She went on to state that "Nina Simon said the artist duty is to reflect the times and that's what I am doing right now. And what better time than now. " I am beyond sure that no one was expecting her, or anybody for that matter, to wear or say these things on last nights Emmy Red Carpet. But I am so glad that she decided to show her support for the reality of what is going on in today's time. Kudos and blessings to you Auntie Jennifer. You are THE REAL MVP!
by: La'Toya R. Sibley  Unless you have been hiding under a rock, you would know that the Fanny pack has resurfaced and become one of the stylish trends of 2018. I mean they are EVERYWHERE! So stylish, that for Spring 2018, it was all over the runways proving that it is here for the long haul. The likes of Rihanna, Beyoncé, Kendall Jenner, Fergie and more have been spotted rocking a Fanny Pack. But wait, not only are the women wearing them, but the men are too. Celebrities such as Dwayne Wade, A$AP Rocky, Pharrell, Liam Payne and many more have been contributing to the Fanny Pack epidemic. Jimmy Kimmel was even spotted wearing one on the red carpet at the Emmy's. This trend is EVERYWHERE and so many designers have picked up on it from Gucci, to Louis V, to Channel just to name a few. But you tell us what you think. Do you think this trend is all the way in, or all the way out? Would you rock it, or would you not? We would love to hear your thoughts.
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