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Monday, September 30, 2013

You deserve a vacation.....

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Why do we all need a vacation?

According to CareerBuilder.com, more than half of workers say that they are stressed at work. For most working people, their full-time job is not their only full time job. Most of us are Moms, Dads, and spouses. Many of us participate in our churches, and other religious institutions. We are chauffeurs for soccer games, football games, ballet, karate, guitar lessons etc. Then we have to cook,cut grass, homework, housework, and whatever else comes our way. And if you stay in a routine 2 or 3 years can go by in a blink of an eye. By this time, you have knots in your shoulder, eye is twitching, you're irritable for no reason..... There is a reason, it's called BURNED OUT.



Vacations are important. Vacations promote creativity, productivity, health and wellness.


According to Elizabeth Scott, M.S., in The Importance of Vacations, for Stress Relief, Productivity and Health there are seven effects that vacations have. These include:

Vacations Promote Creativity: A good vacation can help us to reconnect with ourselves, operating as a vehicle for self-discovery and helping us get back to feeling our best.

Vacations Stave Off Burnout: Workers who take regular time to relax are less likely to experience burnout, making them more creative and productive than their overworked, under-rested counterparts.

Vacations Can Keep Us Healthy: Taking regular time off to ‘recharge your batteries’, thereby keeping stress levels lower, can keep you healthier.

Vacations Promote Overall Wellbeing: One study found that three days after vacation, subjects’ physical complaints, their quality of sleep and mood had improved as compared to before vacation. These gains were still present five weeks later, especially in those who had more personal time and overall satisfaction during their vacations.

Vacations Can Strengthen Bonds: Spending time enjoying life with loved ones can keep relationships strong, helping you enjoy the good times more and helping you through the stress of the hard times. In fact, a study by the Arizona Department of Health and Human Services found that women who took vacations were more satisfied with their marriages.

Vacations Can Help With Your Job Performance: As the authors of the above study suggest, the psychological benefits that come with more frequent vacations lead to increased quality of life, and that can lead to increased quality of work on the job.

Vacations Relieve Stress in Lasting Ways: It should come as no surprise that vacations that include plenty of free time bring stress relief, but research shows that a good vacation can lead to the experience of fewer stressful days at least five weeks later! That means that vacations are the gift to yourself that keep on giving.

Now, for those of us who may be on a budget, vacations do not have to be extravagant. Here are a few ideas:

Be a Local Tourist. How many of us travel around our own city and discover the sites in our own city? Go downtown, visit your historic districts, City Hall, go to the museums that you haven't been to since 3rd grade. Every city has attractions, check them out!!

House sit. While your friends are away, house sit for them. You are away from home, in another atmosphere, chill out and relax! Grab a book and some tea - TAKE IT EASY!

Stay in a local hotel or bed and breakfast. same idea here, get away, but not far away. Treat yourself. (Oh, stay at a hotel with a pool!)

Stay in vacation homes or condos. Ok, hear me out on this. Usually, vacation rental homes are cheaper than hotel stays. You can find a 2 or 3 bedroom condo rental between $150-$200 bucks a night (same as the hotel). In addition, most of them will have more space, a kitchen and dining room. Instead of eating out every night you can go to the local market and purchase groceries. Overall, it saves money!

Visit a national park. Absolutely all of them are free!

Camp out in your own backyard. Once everyone is in the yard, no one goes back in except to use the bathroom. Make it a real live camping trip complete with tents, sleeping bags and picnic baskets. The great thing is, you can go home in the morning!!

I encourage you to take a vacation, you won't regret it!

Yours truly,

What you did not know about September Awareness Month!

Wednesday, September 4, 2013


I got an email stating that all employees get 4 hours off for cancer screening this month because September is National Cancer Awareness Month for Childhood Cancer and Thyroid Cancer. I didn't remember this last year, so I looked up September Awareness. WHOA! September is loaded! Were you all aware of all the awareness?

Childhood Cancer Awareness month
Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month
Children’s Good Manners Month
Cholesterol Education Month
German-American Heritage Month (September 15-October 15)
Guide Dog Month
Gynecological Cancer Awareness Month
Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15)
Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month
Library Card Sign-Up Month
Menopause Awareness Month
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
Pediculosis Prevention Month
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Awareness Month
Preparedness Month
Project AWARE Month (Marine Conservation)
Prostate Cancer Awareness Month
Self-Awareness Month
Self-Improvement Month
Sickle Cell Awareness Month
Yoga Month

We have some research to do this month!! Let's get more aware!

**Early detection, intervention and treatment are vital to cancer survival!**

Yours truly,

Late summer beach Fabulous Find!!!

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

For all of us that go to the beach in the late summer, the breeze can pick up! No need to not look absolutely fabulous. Found this Walsh Gauze Kaftan, nice for a coverall!! You can find it at lemlem.com.


Enjoy!

Bumps in the Road

Sunday, August 11, 2013



Hello out there!

Well, I haven't written in a long time. I have been battling with what I want to write about. I've been scared to write about certain issues because I never want to make anyone angry or be offensive, or disgrace my family, church family or friends. But things happen and things are happening right? So why not just write? I realized my first huge mistake: I was so impressed and inspired by my sister's blogging and blogging network - that I jumped on her bandwagon - www.onlylaila.com (please visit her page, she's dynamic). What I did not do was research my OWN commonalities. My sister is in a difference space and place in time. She is a decade younger than me, with a much younger child! Hence, all of her followers, bloggy groups etc. were in the same place and space. They have young children, booties, diapers, play dates and cute trips to the zoo are what they blog about. I started following these women - and didn't have much in common. My daughter is going through puberty! Second mistake, I was/am always afraid to offend someone else. Why? Nobody is afraid to offend me, in the public blogging arena, that is... So in order for me to be successful at this, I have to change some things!

Baskets by Sadi used to be an actual gift basket business I did for years. It fell to the wayside because I didn't push enough to keep it going. I had the resources, I just didn't do it. But baskets still remain. I have several of them, the life in general basket, family basket, friend basket, church basket, marriage basket etc. So I am thinking I will keep the name. So in yet another attempt to redo my mo (modus operandi) here I go.

Let me reintroduce myself.

1. I'm 40 ish
2. I'm a mother to a 15 year old (whew). I could stop right here, it's enough right???
3. Wife - in an interracial marriage to an Italian.
4. I love God, I am Christian. Grew up Muslim though. Took me a while to get where I am.
5. I work full time as a Chemist, but always hustling on the side!
6. I dislike my job very much. Not sure if it's the job or the people....
7. Been through a LOT of things growing up, seen a lot, been a lot places, know a lot of people.
8. I fully understand that I do not know everything. However, I know a lot about a lot....
9. When I am stressed I eat, so the chic up there in that fancy banner sitting on the table with the basket.... yeah give her about 10 more pounds!
10.I love to travel, to the point where I get upset if I have to stay local for too long.
11. Most of my life, I have had to be serious about a lot of stuff, so I will not continue to feel bad about wanting to talk about frivolous things.
12. I like sarcasm in all things.
13. I decided that my blog will be about what's in my basket: my mind, my experience, my topic of conversation, whatever.

I can't be afraid to be me. So here I go! You with me?


Raven's Nation 2013

Monday, February 4, 2013




Ravens Nation Baby! My team ROCKS!! So here we go:



The Ravens start off with a bang! In the second quarter, Jacoby Jones is killing them with his 50-yard touchdown catch, and then coming right back in the third quarter with 108 yard kickoff return. The score was 28-6 Ravens. Then.....the killer, San Fran gets 17 unanswered points immediately following a 30+ minute BLACKOUT. Thanks New Orleans. Somebody HAD to lose their job over that.

I really felt like, the black out caused the Ravens to lose that rhythm, and the 49er's took complete advantage of that, which they should have - it's football. But at this point my nerves were really shot. We lost Haloti Ngata to a knee injury.

BUT the end......
Ed Reed stopped the 2 point conversion with a blitz on Colin Kaepernick at the 5 yard line and got a goal line stand. What a great way for Ray Lewis to retire!!!!!


And my BOY- Joe Flacco - MVP!!! WAY TO GO!




Just wanted to say GO RAVENS 34-31 !!!!!! Enjoy!





The Animal Kingdom - Fabulous Find!!

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Hey hey hey!
Let's talk animal prints...

Now, in the past I have not been a fan of busy prints all over me. And it never occurred to me, that a print can bring a bit of flavor to a mundane decor. I saw a picture of a couple of printed decor pieces and I fell in LOVE!! Although you probably will not catch me in a leopard print (I'm working on it), you might find a print or two in my house!

It IS Easy Being Green!

Friday, January 25, 2013

Pantone has declared the official color for 2013....

How exciting is that?! So, what do we know about green? It is a color of elegance and beauty that enhances our sense of well being, balance and harmony. Google's definition gives us synonyms of growth and prosperity. Some would say it's the color of money! Well, I say, 'Kermit!! It's all you 2013 baby!!'


Ok so my fabulous green find so far this year:


I cannot wait to rock it!! Some other green finds...

1. Jean Blush Viktoria Dress - nelly.com
2. Green Carmen Steffins Peep Toe - carmensteffins.com
3. Chanel Emerald Green Gripoix Earrings - Vintage - call for an offer - fashion.1stdibs.com
4. Lanvin Silk Snakeprint Shift - flannelsfashion.com
5. Adam and Viktoria Turkish Delight Kelly Green Pillow - zincdoor.com
6. Vega armchair - artdeco.com
7. Scarf - pret-a-beaute.com
8. Green Acrylic bottle plugs - etsy.com

Have fun being green!

Yours Truly,

My Office

Friday, January 18, 2013

The doors will remain closed...
Ok, so I have an office now. And for the first several months it served as a storage area. I finally got in there and started making it look like an office. I cleared out the boxes, and the junk!!! Now I have been able to get in here, it's like a different world OUTSIDE the house, especially when I close the doors!!!


My husband is not used to it yet, he's trying to figure out why I have the doors closed.... So he keeps coming in asking me stuff. Hilarious! The doors will remain closed when I am in here. I'm going to make this my vacation space. I am soo focused in here. I love it.

My new space is wonderful! Now I have to decorate. This is gonna be exciting! The doors will remain closed...

Special Moments of 2012

Saturday, January 12, 2013

I don't know about you guys, but 2012 went quick for me. I actually did a lot of stuff. I did not realize how much I did until I looked over my pics. Soooo, I decided to take a look at my 2012 in pictures. I wanna share special moments for me and my fam last year!

January 2012

I threw my best friend and Soror a surprise 40th birthday party!!! OMG! It was a blast...






...And I threw Alice a surprise 60th birthday party!!


March 2012
I GRADUATED!!!! YAAAYYY! I officially received my Master's in Business Administration! Whoop Whoop!!

Then I hit a notch on my bucket list- KEY WEST! It was beautiful...



April 2012

PUERTO RICO BABY!!! MUCHA CALIENTE!!





May 2012
We bought a zoo, I mean a house!

June 2012

My baby graduated from middle school and my baby sister (who I had not seen in years) was with us to see it all!!!


My very first Lia Sophia Conference. This was absolutely amazing!!! And I got to be on the red carpet!!!



July 2012

OMG! I turned the big 40! I didn't do a damn thing this day because it was 106 degrees outside, so no pics :(. But!!! I bought this mirror... It's my FAVORITE!!! Btw, I will be celebrating my 40th this year!!!


October 2012
I actually had a costume for Halloween...

November 2012

I saw my daughter dance onstage for the first time! And we got to drive to Chicago to see my parents!!!! We had a ball during the drive. I missed them so much!!




December 2012

Made my first diaper cake!

2013 - Let's make it even better!!! My awesome Pastor Gary G. Johnson Sr. said, "You can only win when you refuse to lose." YES INDEED! Here I come....


Yours Truly,

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