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I Get It From My Mama. How My Mom Influenced My Love of Art.

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Growing up, my home was always full of Afro-centric statues,  oil paintings, abstract paintings and historical figures. Who else had a picture of Black Jesus, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr. and Harold Washington?

Hyde Park Mural 
Even the clothes my mom wore had remnants of artistic expression; Think of Nefertiti necklaces, black power t-shirts and bold prints. Her style was most definitely a nod to the Hip Hop culture that was heavy in the 80’s. I loved every minute of it. It was creative. It was free. It was me! 
My mom was a reflection of her musical and artistic cultural surrounding, as to am I. She inherited her love for books, music and art from her mother and I got it from her. One day, maybe the torch will continue with my daughter – that’s a whole different conversation. Because, the way my eggs are set up right now lol.

The Chicago Picasso is an untitled monumental
sculpture by Pablo Picasso in Chicago, Illinois.
Artistic expression is apart of who I am. It’s a natural extension to my passion for verbal and written communication, which are also forms of artistic expression. My love for poetry is another blog post in it self. My heart beats creative juices. I’ve successfully integrated myself into the corporate landscape, but please don’t be fooled. I take my creativity to work with me everyday. 
Chicago is a bold supporter of the arts. You can’t turn a block without seeing a mural symbolizing the melting pot of a community or historical landmarks with gorgeous detailed craftsmanship. Downtown Chicago’s Millennium Park is filled with bold structures, giant statues and monuments displaying the artistry that is Chicago. 
Creativity is just apart of who we are as Chicagoans. Unapologetically bold and creative! Research from the University of Pennsylvania proves that a greater focus on the arts in a city creates social cohesion, better civic engagement and improved child welfare, and it also decreases poverty. 

Hyde Park Mural 
Now, I’m not totally sold on art decreasing poverty. I will say that being able to express yourself can contribute to higher self esteem and a feeling of accomplishment. School is tough for many people, especially if you’re not gifted with a photographic memory for studying math or reading. I’m a little bitter about my lack of memory capacity, if you can’t tell. It’s cool, I eventually made it out of college.

Art is essential to life. Before there was pen and paper there were hieroglyphics. I challenge you and your kids to find alternative ways to express your thoughts. You or your kid may just be the next Basquiat.
Join Hustle Mommies for the July 26th painting fundraiser in Bronzeville Chicago. Visit eventbrite for more details. 

In These Streets: 2015 Chicago Food Truck Fest

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Have you ever had food so good that every time someone brings up something mildly related to it – you start reminiscing about the time you had the most amazing so and so. Well I have. 

Let me take you back 😉 It was October of 2014. Me and my girls where at the Chicago Wine Riot at Union Station for my 30th Birthday. Sampling over 250 wines naturally gave me the appetite of a 300 pound man. And just like any good Chicago event, food vendors where there to take advantage of drunk Chicagoans. 
Not just any food vendors. The best freakin Italian Beef slider maker in Chicago. Mannnnn! I haven’t had a good Italian beef since my family moved from the westside of Chicago. 
The Slide Ride’s Italian Beef slider with provolone cheese and hot peppers – was love at first bite. I’ve been talking about this Italian Beef for months. I can’t tell you how many times Randy (My Husband) has heard about those damn sliders. Unfortunately, I could never make a lunch connection with the Slide Ride’s food truck. 
Union Station was the first and last time I met my Italian Beef soul mate – until the Chicago Food Truck Festival.
My best friend gave me the dets on the festival happening not to far from our place. I painted this lovely picture of adventure so my family would want to come along – when really I was on a hunt for the Slide Ride truck. Lucky for me my husband was hungry and our son was anxious to play catch outside. We could execute all of our wants in one location. Happy Wife, Husband and Kid – Happy Life. 

Basketball Sponsored by
State Farm
My husband hadn’t experienced the greatness of the slider so this guy wanted to walk through the entire festival before deciding what to eat. Not me – I locked eyes with the Slide Ride truck and that was about it. The 3 sliders for $10 gave each of us the fix we needed. Now the Slide Ride had the whole family hooked. Randy walked around for another hour before deciding to go eat another 3 sliders. Yeah people – It’s that serious! 
There was another piece of goodness I had to try before leaving the food truck festival – Da Lobsta. Let me tell you hunny. Da Lobsta was Da Bomb. 
The sandwich was $14 which caused some folks to jump out of line, but this lady (talking about myself) was determined. The garlic bread stuffed with seasoned fresh lobster meat was EVERYTHING. I wanted another one, but the way my bank account is set up – I couldn’t pay $14 for another sandwich. 
Boys Playing Catch
It will probably be another 8 months before I indulge in the delicacies of Da Lobsta and Slide Ride. For now I’m cool knowing that I can find my 2 favorite food trucks at the yearly Chicago Food Truck Festival. 
Some Proceeds Went to
Aids Research

In These Streets: Lakefront Kicking It with the Kiddies

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Excited about Spring is an understatement. We’re charged like batteries fresh out the pack! Spring and Summer in Chicago is epic. We’ve waited 7-9 months for 2 – 3 glorious months of sunshine. So you know when the weather breaks – we break. Chicagoans are looking for any and every reason to get out

an play.

The first warm day, me and the kids took a stroll along the lake. It was refreshing just to go out to feel the breeze. We’re looking forward to many more of these  beautiful Chicago days. My only worry is the violence that comes with Chicago weather. In July 2014, 258 people were wounded. I’m praying that’s not the situation this year. 

In the meantime, I’ll be scheduling fun outings with my kids to keep them occupied. Summer is all about the fun. No kid should have to worry about being shot and no parent should have to worry about treating a wounded child. Let’s do all we can to keep our kiddies safe this summer and everyday.

Here are my 5 go to activites for this summer:

  1. Maggie Daley Park
    337 E Randolph St, Chicago
    Maggie Daley Park is a new addition where Chicago kids can play. Kids can enjoy the Climbing Park with features on the wall for experts and beginners, the Play Garden, an Enchanted Forest with a mirrored maze and kaleidoscope, The Lagoon, The Sea and The Harbor play apparatus for toddlers, a Wave Lawn for recreation for all ages, and a Slide Crater with a spiral slide.
  2. Lincoln Park Zoo
    2200 N. Cannon Drive, Chicago
    Stroll the scenic zoo and visit the local animals, and take in a story hour on Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:15 and 10 a.m. at the Main Barn in the Farm-in-the-Zoo.
  3. Navy Pier Fireworks
    600 E. Grand Ave., Chicago
    Wednesdays and Saturdays May 23 – September 5
    Enjoy a spectacular Fireworks display at Navy Pier every Wednesday at 9:30pm and Saturday at 10:15pm through September 5, with a Fourth of July show t 9:30pm.
  4. Montrose Beach
    4400 N Lake Shore Dr., Chicago
    Pack your blankets, picnic and frisbees – and bring your dog, too! This is a great family friendly beach where you can enjoy free parking, restroom, grills – and even a natural area that attracts migratory birds.
  5. Free Family Night at Chicago Children’s Museum
    Thursday Evenings 5pm – 8pm
    Navy Pier – 700 E. Grand Ave., Chicago
    Target Free Family Nights are Thursday evenings from 5-8pm. Check out exhibits like Boats, WaterWays and the Tinkering Lab.

In These Streets: NFL Draft Chicago Festivities with the Kids

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Well Well Well – They decided to throw good ole Chicago a bone by hosting the NFL Draft here after 51 years.

Now that I got my snide remark out the way – I’m so excited that the NFL Draft was held in Chicago this year. I’m charged because:

  1. My son is a huge sports fan and he’s old enough to actually remember attending the event. 
  2. It was 70 degrees in Chicago. In other parts of the country that wouldn’t be a surprise. Believe me Chicagoans were excited.

I’m always looking for ways to confirm I’m a good parent. You know good parenting is all about creating memories that stick with our kids long after they hopefully move out our house.

My son noticed the Draft Town posters during a recent trip to Maggie Daley park in downtown Chicago. We had no clue what the heck Draft Town was, so me being the investigator that I am – I Googled it. (Yeah, all great investigators use Google.) On the great wizard of information, also known as Google – I discovered the NFL Draft website listing all the festivities for NFL Draft weekend. #Jackpot

I was a little worried that there would be a hefty cost to participate. Not the case. The fan festival was FREE. The real FREE. Not that it’s free to get in, but you have to pay to participate free. FREE makes mommy very happy 😉

I called up my Woes to see if they were down for some action. Translation: I called my mommy friends to ask if they’d like to participate in the festivities. I switch between professional speech and slang regularly – keep up!

My fabulous friend Chae and her dynamic son Donnie decided to roll with us. The rest is history. The boys kicked field goals, recorded touch down dances, conquered football training courses and threw balls at random people. Everyone that attended the event was in good spirits, which was awesome. It’s always a crap shoot when you’re taking your kids to a massive event with drinking adults.

Fortunately for us – Chicago was on it’s best behavior. I’m sure this will be one of those memories the boys will keep until long after they move out of our houses.

Sincerely,

Good Parent

You Have Too Much to Offer to Settle!

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Just because your dreams are different from what’s popular does not make them any less valuable. Some people want fame, others want big families, many want big bank accounts (I want that too) – some of us want to improve the world. Whatever your mission – Go for it with everything you’ve got, because this one life is all you’ve got to get it.#NeverSettle

AIN’T I A WOMAN? – Women’s History Month

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AIN’T I A WOMAN?
by Sojourner Truth

Delivered 1851 at the Women’s Convention in Akron, Ohio

Well, children, where there is so much racket there must be something out of kilter. I think that ‘twixt the negroes of the South and the women at the North, all talking about rights, the white men will be in a fix pretty soon. But what’s all this here talking about?

That man over there says that women need to be helped into carriages, and lifted over ditches, and to have the best place everywhere. Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mud-puddles, or gives me any best place! And ain’t I a woman? Look at me! Look at my arm! I have ploughed and planted, and gathered into barns, and no man could head me! And ain’t I a woman?
I could work as much and eat as much as a man – when I could get it – and bear the lash as well! And ain’t I a woman? I have borne thirteen children, and seen most all sold off to slavery, and when I cried out with my mother’s grief, none but Jesus heard me! And ain’t I a woman?

Then they talk about this thing in the head; what’s this they call it? [member of audience whispers, “intellect”] That’s it, honey. What’s that got to do with women’s rights or negroes’ rights? If my cup won’t hold but a pint, and yours holds a quart, wouldn’t you be mean not to let me have my little half measure full?

Then that little man in black there, he says women can’t have as much rights as men, ’cause Christ wasn’t a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and a woman! Man had nothing to do with Him.

If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back , and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.

Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old Sojourner ain’t got nothing more to say.

3 Songs On the Radio Your Kids Shouldn’t be Singing

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I’m a lover of hard beats, catchy lyrics and almost anything I can dance to. Which is why I absolutely understand why kids love urban music. I hesitate to call it rap or hip hop music, since those genres of music originated to say something worth saying. 
The music heard on radio waves today have four main story lines: Sex, drugs, money or heartbreak. I don’t know about you but my babies are too young to be singing about any of these things.
Here are 3 songs our kids shouldn’t be singing:
1.) I’m in love with the CoCo by O.T. Genasis – The beat has made this a club banger but the constant mentions about drugs has made it a no no to sing in my house. Although you could tell your kids CoCo is for CoCoa Puffs, some adult would mess up the fairy tale by telling your kid the truth. 

2.) I don’t mind by Usher ft. Juicy J –  I’m all for women’s liberation and men finally understanding that a woman’s body is her own but I’m not encouraging any girls to dance on poles. Nope not going to happen.

3.) Throw Some Mo by Ray Sremmurd ft. Nicki Minaji – Now I love some Nicki. However, that doesn’t mean I’ll allow my kids or any kids in my home to sing about throwing more money to keep someone dancing. Yeah, let’s find another way to invest your money kids.

This list grows everyday. Now that I think about it I should add those damn Viagra and Condom commercials to this list. No, I’m for real. That’s a whole different post.
How do you talk to your kids about inappropriate  song lyrics?

How to Make Kids Feel Special

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Valentines Day Highlight

My Aunt and Granny are the most thoughtful moms I know. Not just I’ll keep you in my prayers thoughtful – I’m talking about make you feel like you’re special thoughtful. My Granny sent each of her Grandkids and Great Grandkids cash and encouraging words for Valentine’s Day. The kids loved every dollar of course 😘 Winning, right?

My Aunt sent home made brownies (they were delicious) and bought McDonald’s treat books for the kids ( I won’t eat those 😉 McDonald’s treat books are available for purchase during Valentine’s Day and Halloween. And the treat books are only $1 and include 12 coupons for burgers, apple slices, Go Gurt and chocolate milk. The treat book coupons don’t expire until May 2015. Ask your neighborhood McDonald’s for details.

Valentine’s Day gift giving goes back to my childhood. Growing up, we didn’t have men in our family to give the ladies gifts, so in true Superwoman fashion the moms decided to celebrate each other and their kids. Oh I just love women that take a day that many are thinking of what they’d like to get on V-Day and turn it into a day of giving. 

How did you celebrate Valentine’s Day with your family?