One Secret to a Working Mom Success: Make Family Events More Enjoyable With Friends

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Better Together: Why Inviting Another Family Makes Activities More Fun #FamilyFun Sometimes family activities can feel like another item on the to-do list. However, doing those activities with another family makes them more fun! Whether it’s a trip to an amusement park , a visit to the local pool , or trip to a pumpkin patch , including another family can multiply the fun in amazing ways. One of my favorite moms to collaborate with is my friend, Ayana Ledford who's pictured above with her daughter Sahar. We have done all of the things listed as seemingly random examples above and here is how including her and her daughter (and sometimes her son too) has made the events more fun. On the date above, Ayana almost left the venue because parking was a nightmare. That said, she hung in there and we would up having a great time!
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Celebrating Life During the COVID19 Pandemic

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The January 15th birthday boy

 

January 15th is the Founders' Day for my beloved sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Incorporated. It is Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. It is also Andre's birthday. One year, our daughter did a project about Martin Luther King Jr. and she said that she wished he had lived long enough to meet her dad because he's also a great man. A daughter's love has a way of elevating even the humblest of men.

Birthdays should be celebrated

Well, we celebrated that great man last night by going out to dinner at an actual restaurant. For me, it was my first time out since March and it took a bit of planning. Fortunately for me, everything that one can want is available on Amazon. Because it was a party, I bought some decorations and decided to give the guests party favors--adult style. So, I prepared a hangover recovery kit. They included acetaminophen, an electrolyte replenishment pack, gum, candy, hand sanitizer, and a key chain that contained a bottle opener. 

The food was beautiful and delicious

After I had the party decorations and favors arranged, I started thinking about safety. We are still in a pandemic after all. So, I bought a personal air purifier and brought it with me! Having it made me feel a little more relaxed. I also washed my hands and maintained my distance. Fortunately, my sister-in-law, Natasha Jativa, got us the best table in the house on a separate level from the others. So, it was all good. 

Photos from the birthday dinner

Perhaps because I won't be making this a habit, or perhaps because I haven't been out since last March, but I decided to go all out. I did full makeup. I was even planning to don lashes, but I ran out of time. My Thrive Cosmetics mascara markets itself as "liquid lash extensions" and it didn't disappoint. I also decided to wear a new dress. Last March, before I knew that the world was going to shut down and socializing would come to a grinding halt,  I bought some things on sale. Those things have been hanging in the closet ever since. 

So, I had taken safety precautions. I was dressed for success and I had been locked up for nearly a year. 

It. Went. Down.

We had so much fun--the kind of fun it takes an entire day to recover from. We laughed. We ate. And we drank--A LOT! We spent so much money. And it was all worth it. And, because we were all having such a great time, everybody came to our house and laughed and drank some more. It was Andre's birthday, but it was like we were all born again!

Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA

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