The Sequined Blazer at Cocktails with Belle

{Jacket, pants, necklace: American Eagle;
Lips and eyes: Bobbi Brown;
boots: Colin Stuart;
bracelets: Aldo's}

Last week was an uuber busy one for this delicious single mama. When I wasn't getting financially fit with GoGirl Finance, having a date night with my friend L, or making dinner at my friend K's place, I was attending a networking event on Manhattan's Lower East Side. 

{L to R: Nika, Demetria Lucas, Yours Truly}

To celebrate the continued success of her book, A Belle in Brooklyn: The Go-to Girl for Advice on Living Your Best Single Life, and the launch of her life coaching company, Coached by Belle, Demetria Lucas (aka: Belle), co-hosted the highly sort after "Cocktails with Belle" at the swanky and cozy Ludlow Manor.

{Nika and I}

I met up with my girl from college Nika of Cultivated Chic to mix and mingle at the event. Between the cupcakes, cocktails, and good music, I think it's safe to say that we had a great time.

{Red velvet cupcakes by CakeMan Raven}

{Photo by: MacKenten Petion/ RINY Media}

{This jacket is my latest obsession}

{It's a celebration every time we link up}

I wore my latest fashion obsession -- a sequined blazer by American Eagle, which I paired with skinny jeans from the same brand. There are so many different ways to pair the cropped blazer so I hope you find an outfit inspiration!

Happy Mode Monday!

Get Financially Fit with GoGirl Finance

Judging by the articles that I've written and posted on this place and space lately, it's becoming quite evident that I want 2012 to be the first year of the best years of our lives. I started out with setting dating resolutions (hey, a single mom has got to have them). Next I spoke about using vision boards and nipping fear in the bud to accomplish our goals. Then I spoke about ways to enhance our lives so that it can be fuller. 


Man, I'm on a roll! Are you ready for more? (I thought so!)

Today let's talk about finances. Because, let's face it: being healthy in our mind, body, and soul is great. But being financially fit and having financial knowledge is the ultimate gift that a woman can give herself. I'm no Finance Guru, but I am a champion of being financially savvy and learning more about securing an even better and solid future for Aiden and me.

That's why I was so excited to attend an event co-hosted by GoGirl Finance and Manisha Thakor (personal finance expert and co-author of On My Own Feet and Get Financially Naked: How to Talk Money with Your Honey).

On the night of the event, a group of women determined to make 2012 our best year yet migrated to Manhattan's Upper East Side to the Warren-Tricomi Salon for post-holiday beauty treatments (mini-makeovers, mani's and blowouts), cocktails, conversations, and financial literacy basics.

The Founder of GoGirl Finance, Caryn, is determined to help women effectively prepare ourselves for our financial futures, which, as she states, "would give us power as we work through the inevitable hardships that define human life."

{Dress: H&M;
Over-the-knee-flat-boots: Steve Madden;
Necklace: Michael C. Fina;
Lips: MAC Plum Fun}

That's why I think an event like this one was/is so important. It's not easy for women to talk about money... Maybe it's because we don't understand as much as we would like to about it. (Surveys show that women remain less financially literate compared to their male counterparts.*)

Maybe it's because we can have a tendency to spend frivolously. (We needed those $200 pair of pumps. No, we don't already have those same pumps. We have the black suede ones... now we need the black leather ones, duh!)

Maybe it's because numbers scare us. (Raise your hand if you're still traumatized by that calculus class from freshman year of college. Or statistics course from sophomore year. Oh, wait... is that just me?!)

{Babysitting mishaps so I brought
along my Plus One, Aiden}

But events like this help us to begin the dialogue. Which is oh so necessary. While Manisha discussed several things at the event like talking about money with your significant other (couples who argue about money are more likely to split, but you knew that already, right?), one thing that I took away from the event and I hope helps you as well is this: Start. Saving. Now. 

Seriously.

If you save $5,000/year in your 20's, by the time you're ready to retire around the ages of 65 or 70, you'll have... err... a lot more money saved up than if you start saving in your 40's. I started saving when I was fresh out of undergrad and working full time. When I left work to enter grad school, I stopped saving. But now that I'm finished with grad school and back to working full time, I am truly encouraged and inspired to... Start. Saving. Now. 

{Not sure what was going on in this convo, but judging
by the picture, I was pretty engrossed in it}

{Tweeting and entertaining my Plus One. #Multitasking}

Thank you so much to GoGirl Finance and Manisha Thakor for co-hosting such a great event. Thanks so much to the gorgeous Jill (Glamamom) and the ever beautiful Sarah (The Stroller Ballet) for helping organize the event. You ladies rock. All of you!

{Event attendees received a gift bag, which contained a copy of Manisha's latest book.}


*Financial Finesse Inc., "Research on the Gender Gap in Financial Literacy." 2009.

Five Ways To Live A Full(er) Life

Lately I’ve been feeling extra blessed and extra content with where my life is right now. I’m so happy not only to be in a really good place, but also to feel as though I’m in a really good place because, as optimistic as I like to think that I am, as a single mom, there were times in the past that I didn’t think this feeling would be possible.

I want this feeling to last as long as possible. So lately I’ve been thinking about ways to enhance my life even more. Chalk it up to the New Year. (Not to mention that there’s always room for growth.) As such, I’ve taken stock of my life and realize that there are a few things that I need to be more conscious of as I continue to ride out 2012 and beyond. I need to be conscious of:

How often I actually listen to what my body is trying to tell me.
Sometimes if my shoulders and back (and thighs and feet) could talk, they’d scream at me for the maltreatment. I’m not talking about exercising and working out because please believe that this single mama gets her workouts in there three times per week (for the most part). I’m talking about the “go-go-go-I-must-do-it-all-and-do-it-well-by-trying-to-find-the-25th-hour-in-the-day” type attitude. I can be one heck of a Supermom (woman) from time to time and I can do it all (and do it well), but as the saying goes, “even Superwoman took a break – a commercial.” Sometimes I need to remember that I am NOT a machine. I need to unplug and sleep. And rejuvenate. In order to continue doing all that I do (and doing it well).


How often I meditate and reflect on where my life is and on my goals.
This one (sort of) goes along with the first one. Whether it’s once per week or once per month, I need to stop and reflect on what I’m doing. Is it rewarding? How so? Is it elevating me in anyway? How so? Is it beneficial to both Aiden and me? How so? If I do not have a satisfying answer to these questions, then I need to change some things up. I need to be able to take control over the things that I have control over. Likewise, I need to accept the things that I cannot control. This will surely help me stay on track while constantly working towards my goals.

Head on over to The Young Mommy Life to read the rest of this article and let me know how you're taking stock of your life so that it can be FULL and FULFILLING.

Facebook Timeline and Seasons of Life

By now, I’m sure you’ve heard of Facebook and The Timeline, also known as the thing that freaked me out and almost made me want to cancel my Facebook account. Almost.

Since joining Facebook in 2004 (back when it was called "The Facebook"), I’ve posted almost every… single… micro-thought... that I’ve had as a status update. Well, maybe not every micro thought. But enough for me to freak out a little bit over making the big switch to The Timeline. So before I made the switch, I went back through my Timeline to delete and/or hide things that I did not want to remember, let alone want other people to see. My girl from college, L even threatened to “delete everything from 2004 – 2009.” As she said, "some things should just not be seen."

In case you didn’t know, Facebook Timeline dates back to when you first joined the social network and puts everything out there. Nothing's off limits -- drunken nights with friends in college; my two ex boyfriends (before Aiden’s other parent existed) who posted on my wall almost everyday (I deleted many of those posts once I made the switch); pictures with the kissy faces (like my good friend from college T, said, “why didn’t we just smile in those pics?!") – EVERYTHING!

Then there were the status updates. Some are from good days and some are from not-so-good days. Good months and not-so-good months. An overall good year and an overall not-so-good year. 2005 and 2006 were really good years on Facebook. 2007 and 2008, eh, not so much. I graduated, entered the real world, and had a baby. Unexpectedly. Needless to say, lots of ups and downs occurred in 2007 and 2008.

And I can’t forget the funny quotes from Aiden in 2009-2011, which I’ve been meaning to compile into a book of sorts (something else to add to my 2012 to-do list). My favorite? “Mommy, the wind is pushing me. The wind is not being nice.” Cuteness.

While I didn’t freak out about The Timeline as much as I thought I would have (guess I finally put my big girl pants on, as per my post about Facebook this time last year... what a difference a year makes), The Timeline has taught me at least two things about life:

(1) It is perfectly okay to be who you are and say what you feel. Embrace it because that’s what makes you you.

Looking back at my pictures, status updates, and things that friends have posted to my wall, I know that I’m allowed to be just… me. I’m allowed to act like myself. Act like a 21-year-old who's attending a university that's very intense and replete with people who work hard and play harder. Act like a scared 22-year-old who's about to graduate college and try to "make it" in this world. Act like a 25-year-old who's trying to find her way in the world with a baby in tow. Act like a 27-year-old single mom.

(2) Life really is all about seasons. 

And there really is a time for everything. A time to laugh. A time to cry. A time for taking drunken pictures with kissy faces. A time for being a mature grown-up in the professional world. A time for being all boo'ed up. A time for being single. A time for giving life. A time where significant life changes warrant alone time (I pretty much disappeared from the Facebook world when I found out I was pregnant and a few months following Aiden's birth). A time for mourning the loss of past friendships and relationships. A time for new beginnings. A time for moving on. A time for growth and growing pains and growing up.

The key is to embrace each of these moments and cherish each of these seasons. When we're right in the thick of it, we can't see it, but they are fleeting moments. They come and go quite quickly. And if we're not careful, we'll miss out on the lesson that we're supposed to learn from them. Or the thing we're supposed to take away from them.

Remember, "happiness is a journey, not a destination..."

How are you embracing the different seasons in your life?

{By the way, if you're not apart of the Mommy Delicious Facebook page, you should jump all over that! It's where all the cool kids are hanging out.}

Dating Resolutions for 2012

Remember the golden night out that my girlfriends and I had on New Years Eve? Well by the end of that night, I created a few dating resolutions for 2012. I'm over on HowAboutWe.com's site, The Date Report talking about all of them.

Click here to head on over and check it out. Facebook "likes" and tweets are always appreciated. I know, I know... self-pimping. At it's finest.

Happy Dating!

You Can Achieve Your Goals. All Of Them.

There's just something about New Years that has everyone contemplating on goals and dreams and resolving to do one thing or the other to achieve those goals and dreams.

{Photo: yourgoalbook.com}

I stopped making resolutions a few years ago and instead I started focusing more on my goals. I started plotting, planning, and mapping out exactly how I would achieve them. And I'm happy to say that, for the most part, it has worked for me. As I rang in 2012, I felt extremely blessed because I feel as though I am right where I'm supposed to be in my life. I've written about this before. Although I'm experiencing lots of growing pains, I'm in a really good place right now. And it's pretty exciting. I feel so empowered and as though I can achieve all of my goals. With lots of hard and smart work, of course.

I was over on The Young Mommy Life (a site that's, like, totally the bomb) and was very proud to see that Founder and Editor, Tara, along with seven other young mothers have published an e-book -- a collection of essays that'll serve as a survival guide for busy moms. Pretty dope, right? Click here to get your copy. These ladies set a goal and worked diligently to see it come to fruition. And that's what it's all about.

Working. Hard. Slowly and steady, one day at a time, one goal at a time.

I'm here to tell you that in 2012, you can achieve ALL of your goals. Each and every one of them. Write it down, create a vision board, scribble it on some nice stationary and hang it up on the refrigerator, tape it to the bathroom mirror, whatsoever it takes to remind you of YOUR goals.

{Photo: ideas2life.blogspot.com}

And then get to work. Grind, push, press.... hard. Don't be afraid to ask questions when necessary. (After all, what's the worst that can happen? You'll still be breathing after you ask. Pinky swear on it.) Don't be afraid to go after something that you want. Don't be afraid to try new and different things. Don't be afraid to make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. Don't be afraid to reach out for help. Don't be afraid to do whatever it takes. Basically... don't be SCURRED! (A little slang for ya!)

You don't have to be the fastest and you don't have to be the strongest. "The race is not for the swift or the strong," remember? All you have to have is endurance. Keep. Pushing. Forward... and do that damn thing!

And I'll be one of the first ones to meet you on the other side to say, "congratulations... you did it!"

A Golden New Years Eve!

Happy New Year lovelies! 

{Dress: Bebe; Necklace: American Eagle 77Kids;
Nails: OPI Kardashian Kollection & MILANI Gold;
Earrings, ring, clutch, tights: Aldo Accessories:
Shoes: Steve Madden;
Lips: MAC Plum Fun;
Eyes: Bobbi Brown}

Well my dress wasn't exactly gold, but my jewelry was so the title of the post isn't entirely misleading. And my night was also pretty darn GOLDEN, if you know what I mean. To celebrate one of the most exciting nights of the year, some of my girlfriends and I headed out to Chelsea/West Village to party like rockstars! Woot! 

As I mentioned in this beauty post, my original plan was to wear a gold mini dress and jazz it up with a red clutch. But then I fell in love with this sequined clutch and it's chic and trendy colors. And I just had to have it! (You know how that is.) So I painted my nails in a royal blue and sequined gold to match the fabulousness that is the clutch and added this oversized ring. What do you think?

The champagne-colored mini dress featured a slight sweetheart neckline for the perfect feminine and sexy look (last seen here when I celebrated my birthday). I loved the way the dress looked on my birthday, but I was going for an entirely different look this time. So... I paired the dress with patterned tights with rose detailing and 5-inch Steve Madden peep-toe heels with three bows lining the front of the shoe (last seen here). It was the perfect combo of chic and edgy (or sweet and badass, as I like to say). 

Entirely different look? I think so! Mission accomplished? Check the birthday post and you be the judge.

As for my girlfriends and I, we had a great time. Cue Beyonce's lyrics, "we like to partyyyy."

{M and Me}

{T and Me}

{L to R: Me, T, M, S, and J}

But don't worry... we didn't talk to boys. 

Okay... I'm totally lying!

Cheers to the new year! What'd you guys wear to ring in 2012? Whether you were in your pajamas or party dresses, I hope your NYE was totally fabulous!