Breaking Routine

After returning from our family vacation last week, I had another vacation to look forward to…My in-laws are keeping the children at their house this week! It’s a win-win for everyone. Hubby and I get a break and the kids get to spend a week with their grandparents and their cousin. Not sure where my…

Watching From a Distance

While on family vacation in Florida, I have been able to do something I rarely get to do these days – watch my children from a distance. I have a boy and girl, ages 5 and 3, respectively. When they aren’t in school, they spend all their time under the watchful eye of my husband…

Guest Post: We Are Family…?

Here’s another post from This and That’s new Contributor, Jasmine Ratliff… Calandra and I are cousins because my grandmother and her mother are sisters. I think technically that makes us second-cousins (she and my mom would be first) but regardless, we know the connection. In the past year, though, I found new family in unfamiliar…

Guest Post: Confessions of a former Afro-girl

Please welcome my first guest-blogger, my Cousin Jasmine…Give her some love! Very early in Calandra’s video blogging, she based an entry on a question her new-mom cousin asked about going on intuition vs. advice. That new-mom cousin was me, Jasmine Ratliff. Recently I asked Calandra if I could occasionally contribute to This and That as…

Adventures in Traveling: Part 2

Now that I’ve had real sleep in a real bed, I can appreciate the beauty of South Carolina and my sister’s new apartment. What I reflected on this morning was a meeting of past and present. Those who know me know I LOVE to reminisce. So what moved me, beside seeing my sister after all…

Adventures in Traveling: Part I

This morning, EARLY this morning, my husband and I packed up suitcases, snacks, toys, and DVDs and began our long drive from New York to my sister’s house in South Carolina. Oh yeah, we also packed up our 3- and 5-year old! LOL After staying with her a few days, we’re packing her in the…

13 Personal Question Tag

One of my favorite YouTubers, Brian (ThesPNation) is returning to YouTube with his own personal 31-day commitment to posting videos during the month of August. His first video is a tag of 13 Personal Questions. I decided to answer the tag myself. Feel free to answer them yourself. Here are the tag questions: 13 Personal…

This and That This Week – PILOT

As I mentioned before, This and That This Week (TTTW) is my new feature, highlighting articles, sites and videos of interest I’ve run across during the week. Please feel free to check them out. Recipe of the week – Bourbon Banana Pudding with Glazed Pecans (from nolagirlsocial) – need I say more?? Who doesn’t like banana…