Our Summer 2020 Garden

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The kids and I had such a great time planting and harvesting our vegetable and fruit garden last summer. So we’re giving it another go this summer as well. My green thumb may be more of a black thumb when it comes to houseplants and flowers but grateful I seem to be able to keep fruits and vegetables alive. Here’s a look at what we’re growing this summer.

40 Books To Buy To Add Black Representation To Your Child's Bookshelves

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In our household we take our Blackness seriously. We feel that it is something that we should celebrate not only during Black History Month but every day of the year. One of the best ways to do this with kids is through reading.

As a Black mom it is important for me to be proactive in surrounding my children with a vast collection of books that tell OUR stories through OUR own voices from all different walks of Blackness. Representation STILL matters. I want my kids to be surrounded by stories that tell our history as well as stories that celebrate our beauty, uniqueness, accomplishments, strengths, and resilience. 

With the current state of race relations being in major upheaval, if you are non-Black it is also important for you to immerse yourself in our culture as well. One of the best ways to do so without appropriating Black culture is through reading Black own voices stories as well. Doing so will challenge and stretch the way you see Blackness and hopefully assist you in starting dialog with your children about racism, diversity, and equality.

That said, here are 40 Black stories written by Black authors that I'm challenging everyone to buy for their child's/family's bookshelves.

5 Disney Movies On My Radar To Watch This Year

New year, new selection of movie releases from Disney to enjoy.  Yes, if you didn't already know, we are big fans of Disney movies including Marvel Studios. Last year Disney kind of knocked it out of the park with so many great releases like Endgame, Toy Story 4, and we finally got a follow up to Maleficent. This year, I have five movies that I've been amped to watch since I saw the trailers last year and am looking forward to seeing each of them.

100 Creative Journal Prompts For Middle Schoolers

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I've always been a lover of the written word.  My mom jokes that I was born with a book, a notebook, and an ink pen in my hand.  Now as a homeschooling mom and having worked in the education field, I know that not all kids are born with a natural love for writing.

For some kids this is a skill that has to be cultivated and practiced over and over again.  One of the ways, I've gotten my kids to at least NOT hate writing is through prompt journaling.  I learned early on that part of their dislike for writing came from them not having a clue what to write about.  So I look the guesswork out of it by giving them FUN and sometimes personal prompts to write about.

Today I'm sharing 100 of those prompts with you.  It is my hope that these prompts will help your child either enjoy writing more or at least dislike it less than they currently do.  And in the process they'll be honing their writing skills and on their way to becoming better and hopefully less reluctant writers.

YUMMommy Book Club

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What do you do when you love talking about books almost as much as you love reading them?  You start a book club of course.  Having talked about books here on the blog and pretty much everywhere else, it seemed like the next logical step for me was to start a digital book club.  Thus, the YUMMommy Book Club was born.

Last Minute Valentine's Day Gift Ideas For Adults & Kids

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Happy Monday!  Valentine's Day totally got the drop on me this year.  Usually I have gifts already purchased and hidden by the end of January.  Unfortunately it's looking like I'm going to be out here in these streets with the rest of the procrastinators and forgetters doing last minute shopping.

Thank goodness stores like Target and Walmart offer same day pickup and/or delivery.  Anyways, if you're like me and will be last minute shopping, check out some of the gift ideas below.  There's a mixture of traditional and non-traditional suggestions.

Adult Gift Ideas

Jewelry | We've been using jewelry as a way to show our for centuries now.  It's hard to go wrong with earrings, a ring, or maybe a watch in your loved one's favorite color.

Books | Did you know more people visited the library last year than the movies? So it's safe to say that a book by your loved one's favorite author will be right up their alley.  Also, another fun concept would be get a book that you can buddy read together.  Reading always even more fun when you have someone to talk about all the juicy bits with as you read.

Treats | They say food is the way to a man's heart and I'm here to say that food is the way to EVERYONE's heart.

Beauty & Grooming | Listen I have never turned down gifts of lipstick, hair care products, or skincare stuff. I love it when my loved ones want to help me look and feel my best by investing in me via beauty product gifts.

For The Home | I wish other adults understood how much their peers appreciate simple gifts like a new set of coffee mugs, towel sets, candles, and other home goods.

Flowers | I know flowers seem like a cliché gift to give but studies have shown that having fresh flowers in a home reduces stress.  So get the flowers.

Entrepreneurship | There's more than one way to support your loved one's business.  Something as simple as a planner can go a long ways to helping them get organized by giving them a central place to jot down business meetings, lunch dates, and more.

Kids Gift Ideas

Toys & DIY | I don't know a kid alive who turns down the gift of toys after Christmas.  My little guy loves getting toys for all the holidays.  And Moo, my tween, is all about DIYs.

Treats | Remember food is the way to everyone's heart including kids!

Clothes | In case you didn't get the memo, kids love clothes too.  Moo has hit the tween age and she's all about clothes and shoes.

Books | Don't let these kids fool you, they love reading too!

What is your favorite Valentine's Day gift?

Friday Five Recently | Week 8

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Happy Friday!  We are another week closer to Christmas.  Naturally, the kids can hardly contain their excitement.  I'm not ashamed to say that they get their love of Christmas from me.  I'm a holiday baby.  So the love of Christmas is in my blood.

Anyways, they've been asking Alexa almost everyday how many days we have until Christmas. It's so cute to watch.  Their joy and excitement is so infectious and just what I need right now.