Never The Less, She Persisted!

Dee Dixon just celebrated 25 years of  community, empowerment, lifestyle upgrading, and love for the African American community  at Pride Magazine. I received the media invite via Neph  Estrada Best and know I had to be there. I have wanted to sit with  Dee Dixon, Lawanda Beacoats, and share a ‘Hey Girl’ from Mrs Best for a while and to have them all in the same room was overwhelming exciting!

The Pride team did it up! It was lovely! I have been to many award events from here to New England, this one was A+. A feeling of welcome met us upon our entry. I could have sworn there were tiny angels with arrows shooting people in the face. EVERYone was smiling!!!!

The panelist included Alma Adams, and you guys already know how much I admire her! I know she shared incredible nuggets of wisdom with the generational selected panel and crowd. I remember her sharing a few yester-year stories with us (Momsrising) in her office last year.  She pretty much said the road isn’t meant to be easy. And to be a problem solver, you must understand the problem as well as the ability, willingness to solve it.  I didn’t have to be there to hear everything that was shared on panel. But i’m sure it was profound. Because 4 of the women involved in the gala, I know first name persists on a daily basis.  I’m talking about Representative Alma Adams, Dee Dixon newlywed, Neph E. Best, and the illuminating Lashawnda Beacoat.

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Unfortunately,  I didn’t get to talk with Ms. Dee Dixon during the gala, yet I was able to take amazing pictures with both her and representative Alma Adams. I also had the honor of having my son as my date. What more could this blogging mama ask for?  Nothing.

So I’m running with it! I’m re motivated. I was motivated before. Lost a bit of it. But I’m filled up again. YES – RE MOTIVATED! I’ll use that as fuel for NCSheroes. It’s on March 18th 2018.

NCSheros is an award ceremony Momsrising has created to honor North Carolina women during Women’s History Month. We want to share these amazing women with other so that they too can be inspired to be better neighbors, mothers, entrepreneurs, healers, growers, politicians, HEROS!

Friends, we are still looking for your NCShero. Give her the flowers while she can still smell them. Nominate her today. More information is in the link below.

(CLICK HERE)

Event title: NC SHEROES: Nevertheless She Persisted!
Date: March 18, 2018
Time: 2:00pm – 4:00pm
Location: Beatties Ford Library
2412 Beatties Ford Road
Charlotte, NC

Family Reunions for the 20th Century

I’m from a very small town. As many of you know , I now live in Charlotte, NC. When I turned 17 I knew Hemingway was not the place I wanted to raise children. It seemed like everyone was related. I didn’t know how, but somehow all conversation ended with, That’s My cousin.or I think we are related.“ 

Well fast forward 2 decades later, I open up facebook and notice that the entire town of Hemingway has been evacuated, and will be in Charlotte for three days. I mean it. Almost EVERYONE from Hemingway-Stuckey was gone! They called it a family reunion though.

(I’m convinced the town was built around those 3 families.)

While i’m making fun of the possible cross breading and inter connections, I do see the beauty in it. Especially when it comes to legacy building. Right now, families are planning reunions all over the U.S.

 

What better time to gather up the blood lines and identify, build,organize, strategize, unite and inspire each other? Sure, it can be done AND the fun  comes as icing on the cake!

 

I was thinking about hosting  one of my branches family in the upcoming years. If I do, it would look something like this. See below:

• Elect planning team based on strength, time and Resources. Then make sure to support that person/persons with a gift basket, connections, extra hand as needed.
• Do fun fundraisers.
• Sponsor one couple of Elders for the weekend.They should be open to lead a roundtable the family history and milestones.
• Define and Explain  the Family tree by generation and lineage – via presentation, charts, exhibits, etc. Go a step further and invite them to voice record a memory  or message down on as a keepsake.
• Design a Meet & Greet JUST for the youth. Give them an opportunity to build their own relationships with out of town relatives their age.
• Create and disburse a Family Business Directory. Make sure the list includes the city and State.
• Make sure that uncle and aunt that loves to dance is there and make sure they are all taken care of  (fundraising funds)
• Host should find local businesses with a good reputation and support them as much as possible. They can cater food, give tours*, entertain,  do hair, makeup, etc.

Let’s rethink the yearly family reunion for a time not just to Eat, Drink and Be Merry’, as Uncle Jay get it on and popping on the dance floor,but  also a time to come together and get better to do better.. What do you think?

(More Fantatic Ideas)

Family History Research

A family reunion is a good time to get the old family history updated.  Ask family members to bring what information they have, so that it can be shared with each other.  Create a large wall chart of the family and hang it on a wall.  Ask the family to write on this chart with any information that might be missing, including missing people, as well as missing dates and places for each person.   That way, everyone walks away a little bit more knowledgeable.

Time Capsule

This is an activity which also needs to be announced prior to the reunion. Ask each family to contribute something which represents themselves or their family to be placed in a time capsule.  Choose a date when the capsule should be opened and store it someplace with the instructions as to when it can be cracked open (ten, twenty, fifty years).  Mister Spiffy wants to point out that even though it would be fun to open a 50 year old time capsule, those who add to the capsule often aren’t around 50 years later.

Family Reunion Quilt

When you mail out your invitations, include a request for each family to bring a quilt block that depicts something about their family, and shows their names and the date. Outline the measurements that the square needs to conform to, but don’t be too prohibitive. Encourage everyone to use their imagination and be creative (Mister Spiffy is always creative). Turn over the block to the volunteer quilting people for the assembling. The finished quilt can be given to a special person in your family (like dear old Grandma Gertrude), displayed at future reunions, or raffled off to earn money for the next reunion.

Since people may forget their square, a nice variation is to have a pile of pre-cut cloth squares at the reunion, and have each family member decorate one at the reunion with their name and a picture using puff paint.  Then have someone connect them with strips of fabric (this can be done after the reunion).  Finish the quilt with a back and batting and use ribbon to tie the quilt.

Family Reunion Video

Creating a video of your family reunion can preserve memories that last a lifetime (unless TVs go obsolete sometime soon). There are many options, from recording family members in activities (everyone loves watching dad fall into the mud in slow motion) to interviewing family members and hearing stories all about their past.   If you plan to do a video interview, make sure the family member is comfortable with that.  Ask questions that trigger memories, and let the family member do most of the talking (reminiscing).  If a question appears to cause anguish or distress to the family member, just change the subject to something else.  This is supposed to be a fun activity.  Here are a few video tips.

Family Map

A fun way to help the reunion guests see where they live in relation to everyone else is to create a family residence map.  Honest, Mister Spiffy claims it’s more fun than it sounds.  Simply buy a large map of the United States (or whatever countries you and your family reside in).  Make sure the map is

What Am I Bid??

We have an auction and everyone brings something to be auctioned off. The money goes to the next years reunion. Bring things for children to seniors. Everyone has fun and we have enough money to buy the meat and drinks for next year. We also have games for every age group. Maybe cards for the grownups, to a cake walk for the kids.

“Birthday game.” Have all the people born in January get together in one group; do the same for each of the other months. Then have the members of the January group give their birthdates, such as January 21, January 9, etc. Out of 100 people you will have lots of people with the same birthday.

If the group is diverse enough, find out where everyone was born (by state). How many states are represented? What’s the most populous state? (This one is usually not difficult.)

See More at : Family Reunion http://family-reunion.com/icebreak.htm0  and Stretcher.com http://www.stretcher.com/stories/980625c.cfm

https://gatheredagain.com/family-reunion-games-list/

 

Scholarships for College Kids

Don’t wait. Apply for these great scholarships today! There are scholarships there that are still open! There are thousands of scholarships out there. Some are large scholarships that are well publicized, while others are lesser known.

Here are 27 scholarships for Saturday, December 3, 2016.

Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship
Sponsor: The National Cartoonists Society Foundation
Amount: $5,000
Closing Date: December 15, 2016
Description: Scholarship is open to students at a four-year college in the United States, Canada or Mexico who will be a Junior or Senior during the 2016-2017 academic year. Applicants do not have to be art majors to be eligible for this scholarship. Applicant must submit an entry form and eight samples of their own cartooning artwork.

Lance Surety’s College Scholarship
Sponsor: Lance Surety Bonds Associates
Amount: $1,500
Closing Date: December 15, 2016
Description: Scholarship is open to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at an accredited university, college or trade school in the U.S. Applicant must submit an essay on one of three given topics related business or surety bonds.

There’s nothing like studying in a great smelling room! Buy Scentsy now! 

Larry E. Sitzman Youth in Nebraska Agriculture Scholarship
Sponsor: Nebraska Pork Producers Association
Amount: $1,000
Closing Date: December 15, 2016
Description: Scholarship is open to students currently enrolled as a full-time undergraduate or graduate student at a fully accredited college, university or technical college in an agriculture related degree program in Nebraska.

Law Office of Joseph J. LoRusso Scholarship
Sponsor: Law Office of Joseph J. LoRusso
Amount: $1,000
Closing Date: December 15, 2016
Description: Scholarship is open to students who are planning on attending an accredited U.S. college or university during the spring 2017 semester. Applicant must submit an essay on a topic related to car accidents.

Lead Roster Scholarship
Sponsor: American Marketing Ventures, Inc.
Amount: $1,000
Closing Date: December 15, 2016
Description: Scholarship is open to high school and college students worldwide who have an interest in sales and marketing. Studying in the fields of Business, Marketing, Computer Science, Communications, or IT are recommended but not required. Applicant must create a video sharing why they should win the scholarship.

Legal Templates Annual Scholarship
Sponsor: LegalTemplates
Amount: $1,000
Closing Date: December 15, 2016
Description: Scholarship is open to students who will be enrolled in college during the Spring 2017 term. Applicant must create a business plan executive summary that is original, creative, unique, and persuasive.

Los Angeles DUI Attorney Diabetes Scholarship
Sponsor: Los Angeles DUI Attorney
Amount: $1,000
Closing Date: December 15, 2016
Description: Scholarship is open to incoming and current undergraduate and graduate students who have been diagnosed with diabetes.

MoldNJ.net Scholarship
Sponsor: Mold Removal Experts
Amount: $750
Closing Date: December 15, 2016
Description: Scholarship is open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are accepted or enrolled in a university, college, or graduate program in the United States with at least a 3.0 GPA. Applicant must submit an essay on a given topic related to preparing for a natural disaster.

MyCDLapp.com Scholarship
Sponsor: MyCDLApp.com
Amount: Up to $2,500
Closing Date: December 15, 2016
Description: Scholarship is open to current undergraduate and graduate students pursuing a degree in Human Resources or Business Management at an accredited college or university in the United States.

National Ag Day Photo Contest
Sponsor: Agriculture Council of America
Amount: $1,000
Closing Date: December 15, 2016
Description: Contest is open to students in college in the United States. Student must submit an original photo on the contest theme: “Agriculture Food For Life.”

 

“Check out Miranda’s House.The Mission of Marion’s House is to Interrupt the cycle of Child Sexual Abuse with E.A.R (Empowerment, Awareness, and Recovery.)

You began surviving the movement you realised you didn’t have to be a victim”
-Miranda Burton

New Orleans Ghosts Scholarship
Sponsor: New Orleans Ghost Tours
Amount: $250
Closing Date: December 15, 2016
Description: Scholarship is open to any student enrolled in an accredited college. Applicant must submit an essay sharing information about their educational goals and why they deserve the scholarship

Nutrition Inspector Scholarship
Sponsor: Nutrition Inspector
Amount: $1,000
Closing Date: December 15, 2016
Description: Scholarship is open to college students currently enrolled in courses related to diet, fitness, and nutrition.

One Shot Scholarship
Sponsor: One Shot Outdoors, LLC
Amount: $500
Closing Date: December 15, 2016
Description: Scholarship is open to high school seniors and current college students. Applicant must submit completed application and an essay describing their dream, goal, or passion.

(When you get all of that money, why not invest a little on your wardrobe? Lula Roe’s fabric is the bomb! It’s so comy! I got me three of them. I love the fact that no one else will have pants like mine) Please use the link below to chick out this moms business page.

 

LulaRoe By Bali Mitchell

 

ORB Annual College Scholarship
Sponsor: Online Resume Builders
Amount: $1,000
Closing Date: December 15, 2016
Description: Scholarship is open to domestic and international students enrolled, or due to be enrolled, in full-time university education for the semester they are receiving the scholarship (Spring 2017). Applicant must create a resume for anyone.

Prime Scholarship
Sponsor: Prime Medical Alert
Amount: $1,000
Closing Date: December 15, 2016
Description: Scholarship is open to students working towards a two-year or four-year Nursing degree.

Prompt Scholarship Essay Contest
Sponsor: Prompt.com
Amount: Up to $10,000
Closing Date: December 15, 2016
Description: Scholarship is open to students 16 years of age or older who are currently applying for an undergraduate degree at an accredited institution within the United States or Canada in 2017 (or 2018 if taking a gap year). Applicant can use any essay they have written as part of a college application. Scholarship is open every month until December 15. Each monthly winner will then have a chance for a $10,000 scholarship.

Damsel In Defense
Make sure your child (ren) are protected on campus

Judy Harris
Damsel Protege
PHONE: (828)247-6375
stunninpepper@gmail.com
My Events | About Me

 

 

QuikshipToner.com Student Scholarship
Sponsor: QuikshipToner.com
Amount: $1,500
Closing Date: December 15, 2016
Description: Scholarship is open to undergraduate and graduate students who attend an American college, university or trade school. Applicant must submit an essay on a given topic related to the printing industry.

Rare Disease Scholarship Program
Sponsor: XpertDox
Amount: $750
Closing Date: December 15, 2016
Description: Scholarship is open to current undergraduate and graduate students who have an interest in medical related research (including public health) or patient care (medicine, nursing, pharmacology or nutrition). Applicant must submit an essay on a given topic related to rare diseases.

Resume Genius Annual Scholarship
Sponsor: Resume Genius
Amount: $1,000
Closing Date: December 15, 2016
Description: Scholarship is open to students enrolled, or due to be enrolled, in full-time university education for the semester they are applying for the scholarship. Applicant must create a resume based on the life of any fictional or non-fictional character, from TV, history, literature or myth.

 

Friday Four: Baby Sitter Money Tips

 

One of my  daughters is a private baby sitter.  She is CPR certified and has taken many continued education classes so she may remain in high demand. She’s a natural! As a big sister to five younger siblings, she’s able to baby sit for moms groups, business meetings, private parties, and now she now assistant other doulas while at the hospital serving laboring mothers.

Having a quality, trusted, babysitter is very rare. The process of finding one is a headache alone. But when you find one, many wonder, how will they pay for her.

And guess what? It’s only getting higher! While I don’t agree with that, I do believe that a great baby sitter is worth a good penny.

It costs to learn new skills,training, certifications, transportation to and from service locations and it’s also a symbol of  proper expectation.

My daughter charges up to  $12.00.per hour.  Her clients LOVE her. She brings toys, books, loads of energy , experience in autistic, multiples, and newborns. She also hires other teens like her to help as needed. Most people like her prices, everyone don’t. It’s usually the ones that want her, but can’t afford the rate. The comfort and well being of your child will always be your number one priority, but quality childcare doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Follow these tips and find an option that works for your family.

1. Share Your Sitter- If you are planing on hanging out with your friends, why not share the baby sitting cost. It does a couple of things. It gives the kids an instant play date, and saves each parent money.
2. Barter- My daughter loves getting her nails done, nice shoes, and great food. If you have any of these things, ask to trade instead of using money. Teens like my daughter will accept. Just ask  first to verify it’s acceptable. With both the teen sitter  and her parents.

According to UrbanSitter’s 2014 Childcare Rate Survey of nine large metro areas, the average babysitter wage paid in New York City is$15.34 per hour while in Denver it’s $10.84 per hour

3. Join a progressive mom group. – Queen City Stay At Home Moms offers discount child

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care rates to their premium members.

4.Take The Credit.     If you use registered child care or pay a babysitter to care for your children, you can deduct at least a portion of your expenses for income tax purposes.

1. • Expenses are deductible for the care of dependent children, under the age of 16.
   • Babysitters may be related to you (but not a parent to your child) and must be over 17 years of age.
   • The child care deduction is limited to two-thirds of earned income, or $4,000 a year per child aged seven to 16; $7,000 a year per child under seven years; and up to $10,000 a year for each disabled child.
   • For details of child care options in your area, contact your province’s child care licensing agency.

Bonus- Sign up for a Flexible Spending Account
If your employer offers this option, use your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) to set aside money for child care. You can include up to $5,000 before taxes

In closing , be strategic! At The Big Sister, most families look for care during the summer. The more affordable and experienced caregivers get grabbed early and day care slots fill up quickly. Start your search soon and don’t wait until the last minute.Well, there you have it! You have no reason to avoid date night away from the house, a business meeting at home ,or a fun Moms Night Out! You can afford it!

PLEASE READ- From Care.Com- Great Area- Fee based Information! 

College Weekend In The QC With My Teens!

I graduated from Johnson and Wales University with two degrees. It was a fun wild and time to put it mildly. Some 20 years later, if  I knew then, what I know now, I may have attended a Vocation/Trade school. For some reason, I grew up thinking it was an automatic decision.

It would have saved me time and loads of money. BUT then I wouldn’t be QC Supermom right? No looking back! But what I CAN do is ensure I prepare a spread of options before my children, and encourage them to find their own path.  With that in mind, we are now prepping 3 daughters for life after high school .

Over the weekend, I took two of my daughters to two separate fairs this weekend. Both were extremely informative!

So much so that it got me thinking about going back to school to enhance what I’m doing now in my birthing services. But that’s another story for another day.

The Fast Track hosted Saturday ‘s Trade School Fair.  We met LaTanya Gray from Brightwood College. (I LOVE HER!)  It was reassuring to have the kids hear what I’ve always tell them. Listen in…..

 

I was really impressed with the quality of schools there. Who knew that AVEDA  offered such a holistic menu of services. Did You Know that with their program you can become a licensed cosmetologist and Esthiology at the same time?

 

I also learned that Job Corp isn’t what I thought it was. It has changed A LOT since the 90’s. No more do they pay students when they go home for the Christmas holiday.  I also found out that they do not go after “trouble youth” anymore. But they can refer you to an agency that does. Note: They are still FREE!

The other companies in attendance was:

• The Charlotte Star Room
• ITT Technical Institute
• Central Piedmont Community College -Kawan Bilal told us about the 3D printers making salads and ears! No joke! (STEM Programs)
• ECPI University
• Paul Mitchel
• The Iron Yard
• The Arts Institute
• and Carolina School Of Broad Casting

On Saturday, the International College Fair was like entering a new world. I NEVER considered attending college aboard! Spain, Brazil, Switzerland, China, the U.K, Paris; Oh my! I was impressed. Many of the schools that were inside the U.S. offered internships aboard to help broaden their horizons.

Sweet Briar College is an All- Female college

 

What I figured out is that Trade School are for those that knows EXACTLY what they want to do. for a career. They teach you a trade. The focus is on preparing students to enter the workforce  upon completion of the course. A good trade school would balance conceptual and practical knowledge. One of the obvious advantages of vocational education is that it’s relatively quick: usually students complete their studies in just one or two years instead of four.

The average trade school in the U.S costs $33,000,

Traditional colleges are for those who are aren’t quite sure yet. If you have an academic bent of mind, you’re better off in a traditional college.  By design you get more classes that tends to funnel your interests into one  or maybe two concentrations.Oh and the Greek Life! Sororities and fraternities are great places to meet like-minded people and forge life-long friendships.(Something else that I didn’t do)

TorShonda Howard from Warner University. She is ONE Resourceful Woman! 

The average bachelor’s degree in the United States costs $127,000.

Get More Technical here with hybrid-education

Trade School Maybe Better For You If…….

 RoseDale reported that the trade school scholar salary isn’t that much of a drop-off compared to a four year degree.(that statement is very vague if you ask me)  In short, explore all options and make it’s the best fit for you! The worst feeling is to question your decisions years later and be buried in student education loans.Is trade school the best or traditional college way to go is  in part, on the student’s ultimate educational and career goals.

Happy college trails my friends,

QC Supermom

QC Supermom’s 2015 in review

I think we’ve done pretty well. Thank you for coming along! Check out my reach. With YOUR help I made it to China and other amazing places!

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 8,200 times in 2015. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 3 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Halloween Candy Hangover

The fun of dressing up is over. Now parents across the country are wondering how they’re going to get rid of all that candy their kids brought home over the weekend…. You Are NOT Alone. My guy tribe enjoyed 8 days of Halloween festivities.Although most of them were non candy focused, (like the Home Depot Party by Queen City Stay At Home Moms) some how we left with at least 5 lbs of candy in-tow! 

We could open up a Sweet Shop’ if we wanted too.

There are a number of creative ways to get rid of Halloween candy, like using it for crafts or science experiments, saving it until Easter and throwing it in the basket. (Hey, it’s only six months away—how stale can that candy get?) But perhaps the best thing to do with Halloween candy is keep some, donate to others and trash the rest.

Today we made ART! Using just candy and toothpicks, our family has an annual competition to make the best statue. See the video.. 

Operation Gratitude and Halloween Candy Buy Back
Operation Gratitude sends more than 100,000 care packages annually to U.S. troops stationed in overseas and to their children left behind, as well as veterans. The organization’s mission is simple: to put a smile on soldiers’ faces. Operation Gratitude accepts donations of unopened candy, and asks that you separate and mark “chocolate” versus “non-chocolate” packages. The website contains other important shipping info, and kids are encouraged to include letters and pictures, too. Worried you won’t get it together to send the candy by the mid-November deadline? Then consider the Halloween Candy Buy Back program, which benefits Operation Gratitude. Go to the website to search for a participating dentist near you who will accept candy in exchange for toothbrushes, coupons and sometimes cash.

The closest one to me is-

Charlotte Pediatric Dentistry
130 Harbour Place Drive Suite 180
Davidson, NC, 28036
Phone: 704-377-3687
Email: mstamey@cltpediatricdentistry.com
www.cltpediatricdentistry.com

Important note: It’s imperative that you call ahead. Many dentists set certain buy back rules, like a maximum amount of candy or specific drop-off hours. Get the details before you go!

Listen in to Kids Health  on the topic of moderation and Halloween Candy<Click here!>

Operation Stars and Stripes
Founded in 2001 in memory of a Vietnam War hero, this all-volunteer nonprofit supports service members at home and abroad with care packages and letters. Packages of unopened candy can be sent to the organization’s Georgia headquarters. Specific shipping info can be found on the website.

Operation Shoebox and Any Soldier
These are two more organizations that collect and send care packages to troops overseas. Operation Shoebox accepts individually wrapped candies all year long. Meanwhile, Any Soldier allows you to decide which branch of the armed forces you’d like to support: Army, Navy, Air Force or Marines.     

Finally, don’t forget about your local soup kitchen, homeless shelter, food pantry, or retirement or nursing home. Many take donations of unopened candy for residents and guests. It’s worth calling to find out if they accept treats, otherwise….. just trash them! Everyone knows sugar is NOT The healthiest thing to eat!