Work it Out Wednesdays~ featuring~ Jenna Anderson: "Get Out and Smell the Fresh Air"

Today one of my besties and truly a woman who I greatly respect and admire, Jenna Anderson, gives us a new take on our health installment and reminds us to count our many blessings.

First off, thank you to D.I.V.A. Blog for inviting me to write.  And I apologize in advance because this is the beginning of me babbling on.

Being asked to write about health is an interesting request, it should be easy because working in healthcare, it’s my career, specifically working in pediatrics as an occupational therapist- don’t worry, most people don’t know what occupational therapy (OT) is, so I’ll tell you a bit about it.  OT is a very general term with an overall goal of helping individuals to gain, regain, or sustain skills to be as independent as possible. I work with kids so it’s lots of fun, to the naked eye, I play with kids all day, but underlying are much more complicated sensory and neurological systems working together.  Basically, kids learn through play and imagination, it’s not always sitting at a desk in class.  I love to share stories about the kids I work with because they are so unique and truly “special” as in individuals, not necessarily “special” in a disability sense.  I hope you enjoy this brief story about a 5 year old boy I have the joy of working with.

“Get outside and enjoy the fresh air”… this is easier said than done for some.  Working with kids with special needs, this saying takes a whole other aspect to “going outside” or “smelling the fresh air.”  Recently I asked a 5 year old child I work with how he is enjoying playing soccer for the first time.  His response was as expected initially, something along the lines of, “I like it to kick the ball and run around,” but then he opened my eyes with the rest of his response.  He added that he “hates the smell” of soccer, meaning the grass and park-like smell I assume.  He also said he “hates the hard grass, bright sun, and whistle blowing.”  At this point I realized that this child isn’t able to enjoy being outside and being a “regular” kid.  As opposed to enjoying the experience of learning to play soccer, making friends, and being part of a team, he is distracted by his hyper-sensitive responses of his sensory system (smell, sight, and touch).  It’s times like this that I have to re-evaluate my personal complaints, I can’t stand my boss, it’s hot out, I don’t want to clean the house, we all know the list can go on; Anyways, in the grand scheme of things, I have nothing to complain about and neither do you.  I guess in coming full circle with my babbling on, the moral of my brief story is to think twice before you complain about life because at least you have the ability to “get outside to enjoy the fresh air…” 

Jenna Anderson is graduate of Quinnipiac University in Connecticut and is currently a Pediatric Occupational Therapist in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Road to Financial Freedom~ Building a Savings Account

Hello DIVAs'!  Hope you are having a pleasant Monday! To begin our next installment on regaining (or for many of us is starting to build) our finances I want to start off by introducing a powerful book that you DIVAs' should consider purchasing, by Catey Hill called "SHOO, Jimmy Choo! The Modern Girl's Guide to Spending Less and Saving More".  This book is an excellent read & covers everything from how to tackle taxes to paying for student loans, and EVERYTHING in between! I have been reading this book in pieces, writing notes and have been evaluating my spending and most importantly- starting to concentrate on SAVING!

Lets' talk Savings!!!

• 401k
• This type of account can be setup through your employer in which you can personally setup a contribution to that you want to deposit each paycheck (& with this account your employer can contribute a percentage that can match what you deposit)
• If your employer does not offer a 401k (or 403b) account try opening a Roth IRA account. IRA is an account that you can setup through a company like Fidelity. There are two types of  IRAs'- a traditional or Roth. Both, Catey Hill and Suze Orman recommends getting a Roth IRA, since this is taxed dollars and you can withdraw from this account at anytime without being taxed or penalized. You can also rollover money easily to another account like from an old 401k (403b); which makes a smoother transition if you make a career move.  If you are setting this account up through fidelity; by going online to www.fidelity.com can guide through a step-by-step process on which will be best for you, as well as the projected amount of money that you will by the time you are ready for retirement.
•  Stock Markets
• These type of accounts, like a CD (certificate of deposit), mutual funds, money marketing account can be setup through a credit union, financial institutions or bank. This option is more for short term savings, if you have a certain amount of money you want to save for an event or big purchase-these type of accounts help. DIVAs' don't get caught up with paying interest...these accounts you pay interest on to keep the account in whichever financial institution you decide.  To explore these options further contact a credit union or financial institution(s) like Bankrate.com, HSBC, TIAA-CREF. 
• Savings Account
• If you just want an option to put away money for long-term and begin to develop an emergency fund or want to feel good about having a little "cushion", check with you current bank about opening a savings account (which would be at no expense to open), in which you can transfer funds from your current checking. Another great way to save is setting up a direct savings account through INGdirect. By setting up this account you can connect it to your current checking account to set your desired amount of money to be deposited as well as how often.  You can set this up online by going to www.INGdirect.com. 

DIVA's, yes there are options out there to help us (& there are more), but with these basic options I'm sure we can begin to start somewhere to guide us to "financial freedom". If there is a savings option that works for you please share... DIVAs' the power is in spreading awareness to each other and strengthening ourselves the best way we can..

Fierce Fridays~ featuring~ Cheryl Warren

Good Friday to all...Yes we made it another week! Today a woman I am extremely proud of and is my true hero has left us with an inspiring message to all Young, Fabolous, and Up-in-Coming DIVAs' to live by..when you read challenge yourself to see yourself in a different light.....

Have you ever wondered why a women in their mid-thirties and never married are pitied and scorned more than single men of the same age? How many times have you heard a family member say to you “Are you seeing someone? Or when are you thinking about getting married.  I was raised in the 60’s and 70’s and this was an expectation for all women of color to be married and have a child by the age of 21. When I graduated high school, at the young age of 18 most of my friends were getting married and having children right after high school.  Being single was considered a downgrade to your personal characteristics. Have attitudes changed in the current era? People seem less likely to use negative terms such as old maid or spinster when referring unmarried women. We now know that women are more likely to be single in the current era, due to lack of available partners.
When I was 20 years of age, I found myself married with a brand new baby, which was not uncommon in the 80’s. My life situation was not alarming since it was an acceptable way of life. My advice to all young women is to live your life to the fullest. Get your education and follow your dreams. Do not let society dictate how you should live your life.  Most single women my age are generally well adjusted and are often quite satisfied with their single status. I not saying to say single forever, however don’t think that something is wrong with you if you have not found the perfect life by age 30. When I mean perfect life according to society standards is "husband, wife, two children, white picket fence and a dog".  I have asked single women my age about their status on being single with no children and if they ever regretted being single? The majority of them said no. They have adjusted to their lifestyles and most are very financially stable.   Just look at the divorce rate and unmarried mothers raising children themselves. I was divorced at a young age and was forced to raised two children on my own. It was not an easy task, but I made it through with a great support system. I love my children and would do it again if I had to. 

Cheryl Warren is currently a Customs Resolutions Manager at TIAA-CREF. She will be graduating with an undergraduate degree next year (that took her over 10 years to obtain).  She enjoys watching vintage movies and traveling with family and friends. She has two grown children and is a grandmother of 2 beautiful girls.  She considers herself as living a very full life as a single woman. She can be reached at cwarren29@bellsouth.net or cwarren@tiaa-cref.org

Think About It Thursdays: The New Jersey Black Issues Convention

Happy Thursday!!!!  Just one more day!!! 

A colleague of mine, Atnre Alleyne, recently asked me to complete a survey for the New Jersey Black Issues Convention.  The primary aim of the survey is to identify the most pertinent issues that the black community faces in New Jersey in socio-economic and political arenas. However, I had never heard of it so I decided to take a look.  Read on about this great organization and please support Atnre by completing the survey.  The findings of the survey will be will be used as a tool in NJ BIC's discussions during the conference to help shape an action agenda.  So get your voice heard!

“The New Jersey Black Issues Convention, Inc., is rapidly emerging as the representative state-wide organization promoting the Unity, Survival, and Progress of all Black residents of New Jersey. We are committed to serving the needs of our Member Organizations and the constituencies they represent.

As a Member Organization of N.J. BIC, you acquire immediate access to state-wide resources and linkages that few organizations could command individually. You will gain access to research data that will broaden your understanding of issues affecting the Black community. You will gain the opportunity to exchange information and organization of viewpoints with representatives of other predominantly Black state-wide organizations, and you will gain access to a most powerful forum for the dissemination of your organization's views. Through N.J. BIC, you will also gain access to national Black resources and to national Black leaders.

Seminars, conferences, and panels for Minority organization officials are convened by resource organizations to clarify issues and to develop workable delivery systems with respect to the public policy priorities of the community. Because of N.J. BIC's organizational clout and the broad-based resources of its friends and supporters, government agencies on all levels respond affirmatively to its members' requests for technical assistance programs and for informational workshops. By these means, N.J. BIC is able to keep its membership current on trends, developments and legislation relating to major issues.

Moreover, you will want to participate with your organizational colleagues and your neighbours as part of the Action Alert N.J. BIC Communications Network established under the auspices of the Black Leadership Family Plan, sponsored by the Congressional Black Caucus.”

For more information about this organization visit http://njbic.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67&Itemid=66

Here's the link for the survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NJBIC2010 .  The survey is intended for African American residents of NJ.

Work It Out Wednesdays~ Denisha of D.I.V.A Rules

Happy “Hump” Day Divas’- Let’s first be thankful we made it to today and hopefully I greet you all in great spirits and positivity!!!

Now for this installment of Work-It-Out Wednesday; let’s do just that.  Developing a workout plan is never pleasant for some of us DIVA’s because it can be overwhelming and sometimes tedious. Whether you are trying to get some wiggle room in those jeans or drop some serious sizes…every DIVA can do this. Let’s establish a plan of action.

PLAN OF ACTION!

                Let’s consider our reason for wanting to get physically fit: To fit back into our clothes that are becoming too tight or to lower our blood pressure or risks for illnesses (like diabetes).

                Let’s get a goal. Whether you want to lose 5-15lbs in 8 weeks or 5-8 inches from our waist and hips in 10 weeks, keeping an ideal of where we want to be is a motivator.

                Let’s start to consider what options we have in achieving those goals: Our income can allow for a monthly gym membership/or professional class (like mixed martial arts, etc.) or We have a great park to utilize near our home (weather permitting), exercise DVDs or tapes at home, or magazines (Women’s Health, Self, or Fitness Magazine) with great Do-It-At-Home exercises that we can certainly do. *these magazines also have websites where you can search exercises on the web from your computer or phone*

                Let’s look at our schedule to see where we can fit in fitness: Starting twice a week is good for beginners, then gradually increasing a day or two to fit our fitness goals is good; maybe Mon/Wed/Fri or Tues/Thurs. schedule for 30-45min each exercise day is great for DIVA’s at this stage.

                Let’s keep track. I have recently found that keeping a record of what you do is great to hit your target fitness goal. This way you can see where you left off, what you did not do and may want to get to, or what you may need to add or subtract from your workout to achieve your goal.

                Let’s not forget what we eat. Eating contributes to majority of our weight gain or loss, by being conscious of getting our essentials (veggies, fruit, & protein-to name a few) can influence our target goals.

Let’s remember the key to everything.  STICKING TO IT!

I give love and props to those Divas’ who have been implementing a fitness schedule already, as you know it’s not easy trying to be FABOLOUS and VIVACIOUS, as we are! DIVA’s please share your fitness tips or words of encouragement so we can achieve together along our journey to fitness and health!

True Expressions Tuesday!!!!!!! ~featuring~ iLLSPiRE

Today we feature a group of creative young men who are on the road to taking fashion to another level.  We were able to get in touch with AJ of the up and coming line, iLLSPiRE.  Get to know their story and this line, its only going to get bigger!

iLLSPiRE came to life October of 2008 by two cousins from NJ, AJ & CJ. We felt that fashion at the time was becoming repetitive and all the labels had nothing to separate them from the rest, so we felt why not do our own thing and use the clothing to pass on a message also. 

The definition of iLLSPiRE is inspiring people to live more iLLer. iLLSPiRE is not just a clothing line, it is a way of life. 

Since we inspire people to be iLLer we bring things to the table that you may not be used to.  Our style could be described as the fresh prince meets the 21st century.  You can catch poets, skaters to dancers to sneaker heads sporting the apparel.  Since we launched our website (http://www.illspire.com/) we have then had our apparel put into stores in South Jersey, Central Jersey & North Jersey.  We have also been involved in fashion shows in Philly, South Jersey, North Jersey, New York.  We have also been blessed to have Rythm City of ABDC support/rep iLLSPiRE.  Since iLLSPiRE came into existance we have also gained a member, Mackie, who is a big asset to the team. 

Be prepared to see iLLSPiRE videos, fashion shows, sneaker events, photo shoots, and gatherings coming soon. 

Stay Cool. Live Fresh. Be iLL.
iLLSPiRE (c)2009

Check them out in this clip "A Black Man's Blues"

For more information about the line and these talented individuals, you can check them out at:
website: http://www.illspire.com/
twitter: @iLLSPiRE
facebook: ill spire
email: illspireinc@yahoo.com
contact #: 609 247 3589

Road to Financial Freedom: Part 1- Get A Grip ~featuring~ Jade of D.I.V.A Rules

Happy Monday D.I.V.A.s !!!!

Hope today brings you nothing but positivity, productivity, and possibility. We received great reviews about Dana’s post regarding financial independence. While everyone was so completely motivated to start anew and get our money right, me included, I found myself stuck with “How do I start????”. Well ladies look no further. The next three Monday installments will be your go to guide for starting your more financially conscientious lifestyle. Now many of us are going to be starting at different entry points. If you’re like me, somehow Bills (Loans, credit card, rent, Mixed Martial Arts- don’t even get me started) have become my significant other. Wherever you’re starting, we are going to work together to get us on the road to financial freedom. Feel free to chime in with some additional tips. Happy Saving!!!

If any of you don’t know Suze Orman, get to know her. She is a very financially savvy woman who has become an expert of saving money, making money, and growing money. According to her 2010 Financial To-Do List as shown in O Magazine there are three stages in gaining financial confidence. She refers to them as:

• Get A Grip: Where you are today- your current income, debt, etc.
• Find Hidden Savings: Growing what you have
• Build Security: Knowing where to put the money you save

Today we will tackle Get A Grip!!!!

Step 1
Track Your Spending: If your spending more than you’re making, then guess what, you will not save a thing. Sometimes spending gets away from us with all the many activities or events that make unexpectedly come up. But in order to start saving we have to get more diligent about this.

• 
  
  Action: Make sure to keep an accurate account register with you at all times. Additionally gather your credit card and bank statements and head to suzeorman.com. Use her Expense Sheet to get a picture of your monthly outflow

Step 2

Calculate Your Net Worth-Google search “net worth calculator” and input your information. This will show us our overall financial self and is a major key to financial security. What are our assets minus our debts.

Caution…. You may want to grab a glass of wine or something before doing this step, because sometimes the truth hurts.

• Action: Google search “net worth calculator” and input your information. Come to Jesus with what you see and take the time to make some necessary adjustments or financial plans.

Step 3

Check your Credit Profile- The importance of your credit score is beyond belief. Did you know that your credit score could influence you getting a job? Worse yet, a bad score will get you the highest interest rates on your credit cards and loans, etc.

 Caution…. Keep that wine flowing

• Action: Go to annualcreditreport.com to get your annual free credit reports. Yes it’s free. Look through the reports carefully to ensure all of your information is correct. Remember this number will proceed you in the financial world so make sure it truly is representative of you. Once you have reviewed and corrected, then go to myFICO to purchase your FICO credit report. This is not free (~$16) so make sure everything is correct before buying the FICO report.

Step 4
Cut Spending by 10 percent- I don’t have to tell you that the economy has changed, many of us are feeling the burden in some capacity. Just as the economy has changed, so to our habits must change. In order to save more (our ultimate goal), we need to spend less. Sound simple right? Lol

• Action: Take that great Expense sheet from Step 1 and burn it. Just playing. Take the sheet and circle or highlight every expense that is a want. Wants are things we truly do not need. So you will need to be honest with yourself. You may need shoes for work, but want Manolo’s. Once again make some necessary adjustment to either eliminate or reduce these costs.