Eclectic Lotus

Because I adore what I write in this blog, I feel as if a transformation will be complete in 2019. What will the next year entail? Hmmmm. . . 1. Eclectic Lotus     This current blog will be more marketed and advertised because I get lots of comments on the street about my baby wearing and how our house is run with me being a vegetarian and my family not being one. I also get questions about my hair from all walks of life which I will try to do more with advertising the hair products I use as well as my own hair and skin concoctions. I never understood why I would get these comments and questions because I really don't feel like I do anything different from the other person but oh well. Also, I get comments about my children so be on the look out for another remodel to this site- but I will have active links in order for you to order on demand if you so should choose. May be a YouTube blog? Probably not because there are too many right now and I really will link to those sit...

Great Music Article from Stereogum- Click to read September 1998,    I purchased "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" as one of my first CD's to add to my building collection of CD's that I will purchase throughout my college career. The album was released August 25th, 1998- right around the time I was moving into my college dorm for the first time. I was in my first serious relationship that turned into an engagement that same month. I get the notification that it has been 20 years since this album has been released. I decided to remove myself from the Christian music circuit in order to flashback. . .  The first few songs took me to my life 20 years ago but seemed to hold true to today. How is that possible? She does not mention a president, she states urban life. She mentions the turbulence of a bad relationship that needs to ends. She mentions how men need to step up and how women need to tone it down. All of these themes at times seem to be universal. She wa...

Before I tell this pretty fascinating tale of getting a floation device in the career world it is going to be tricky on my end because I am going to flashback and fast forward which is something I have not been as successful in but it has to be told this way in order to see the "Ah ha" moments. I am currently working with a new doctor and if you have seen some of my prior post you will know that I was ready to pack up all my Chiro and Naturopathic tricks and just work on writing books, blogging and medical writing. Yesterday, I was going through a spinal screening checklist. There contained a binder which had the date of November 2016. I lifted it up and looked at my new boss and said, "November 2016? Really doc?" He said, "Yes, it has been a while since I did one of these things. Man, it is exciting to get another doctor back in here and do them again!" He walked away going back to running the office and I continued to go through the bin but the date go...

So, my nephew and his beautiful wife are going to have a second child. Their first child is about 6 months younger than my son and when they play they are like brothers- when they are together which is very rare because we live in Chicago, IL and they live in Phoenix, AZ. When they told me over the phone I was excited for them but then I look at my mini tribe. . .the baby was chewing on an old glow bracelet and my son was jumping up and down on the couch screaming how he wanted his tablet to work. ( It shut off due to timing settings I pre-programmed.) So, they waited a little longer than we did to have a second child which I say great! The boy is potty trained and in school and when she takes maternity leave she can be at home caring for her sweet little baby. But, I feel like I have to put this up but most likely they will not heed the warnings. Everyone's path is their own but that second kid though? I must warm and give some sound advice that has been helping me throughout th...

We all know I am eclectic in a multicultural world. But what about those who are not in experience with diversity? I am about to serve it- raw or cooked. An associate wrote a lovely article in the Chicago Tribune which I will post the link here so you can take a look. It is truly worth a peek. Here is my experience with it all: I was born in Milwaukee, WI to African American/Black parents. I went to a school that was predomenentaly white when I started. I was raised Lutheran- Missouri Synod and our church had two other Black families. My neighborhood began as mostly White and gradually grew to mostly Black. I attended a diverse middle school and high school and went to a college that was 14% minority. I moved to Chicago- the Uptown neighborhood where it is highly diverse from Vietnamese, Nigerian, Cameroonian, Ethopian, Indian, White, Black and everything in between. I met my husband who is Mexican-American with Italian ancestry. I attended professional school in Lombard, IL gra...

Ok, I have seven minutes to write this before my kid goes nuts somewhere getting into something she shouldn't. The Green Energizer 1 mango 1/4 tsp matcha powder Spinach-1/2cup Kale- 1/2 cup 1 ripe banana 1/4 tsp spirulina powder coconut water( to Max line if you have a nurtibullet) Add spinach and kale to bottom of cup if you have nutribullet. Add chopped up mango ( I had a medium sized mango) and the one ripe banana- not overly ripe. ( You better bake that overly ripe banana or add it to oatmeal to sweeten.) Add spirulina powder ( I added a dash or two- I really needed the nutrients due to bad eating the week prior.) and matcha powder. Add Coconut water- I used Goya coconut water but there is a brand I recommend. Will post on that later.) Blend in nutribullet for 1 minute and drink within 15 minutes. I am not sure if I ever stated why you should drink within 15 minutes but it is because the nutrients are still contained before it becomes pure sugar. I usually share ...

The last post was in March and here it is May. I never even posted about my dear daughter's first birthday. Here it is. . .Mother's Day. So many are getting ready for crowded brunches, cheap McDonald's breakfast and sexists gifts like blenders and vacuum cleaners. I just want to run, work on my second job and my blooming writing business and end the day with a glass of Rose.

What is HER story? We only see the famous women stories but what about our own? This year is a little special for me because I am now the mother of a daughter. To me, my SHEroes are the ones who are happy- success is not very measurable in this stage in my life. I feel like I am successful- I am a doctor, a mother, a happy wife with a happy husband, and a new author. (See below for link- The L in my name is for Lotus!) According to my older sister (got to love older siblings) I'm not quite there because I don't have a house. If I lived in New York, I probably STILL wouldn't have a house. That goes for San Francisco as well but I should not compare Chicago to these two cities- it is very expensive to live there. Anyway, what is HER story? Every woman has a unique, beautiful and elaborate story that created them. To my close girlfriend who was born and raised in Haiti very poor and now is on the brink of being a CEO of a successful corporation- I salute her! To my niece w...

Butterflies from Peggy Noterbaert Nature Museum of Chicago I have a horrible confession- I let my kid watch TV and play on the tablet. . . A LOT!! I used to watch TV with him which increased our bond a tad and it kept him on knowledge because we only watched PBS Kids. It got worse when I got pregnant as I slept in front of the TV and he would watch TV and play. They tell us that kids should not be in front of the TV and they should be outside. When you live in a city and there is a limited budget it becomes a challenge. Here is what we did and are doing in order to get our son to unplug. . . 1. Get to School      He is in school which decreases his TV time by 7 hours in a day. His communication is more abundant and he teaches us songs he learns in school. 2. Read a Book     My son can read! He has been reading since he was 3 1/2 years old. I expect him to come home from school and read to me or let me read to him and his baby sister. We spend between ...

If I wanted to be negative I would say that this year alone is rough. This may be a test I passed. January  - Started working outside of the house - Trying to juggle working from home and outside of the home - Got a planner (this was a positive) Click here to learn more of this artist! February - Worked more outside of the home than inside - The Strep Throat epidemic in house - Lack of sleep - Car accident - Winter Storm Mateo - My cell phone went swimming in someone's toilet. (ew) Hmmmm. . . I think February is more of the challenge. LOL! Thus far I have been nothing but positive through it all. The car accident I was so thankful that my babies were well. (They were BOTH in the car!) I think after the prior week of my son being out of school due to strep throat and not the flu might have caused it but nonetheless, I am not as much a stickler as I once was. I have been leaving the house so the incidents of being stuck in the snow have been a tickle to my tummy ra...

If you ever followed me in my early "Xanga" days you will know I am big on music. I LOVE MUSIC!!! That is how the devil will officially do me in by playing me a song with a great beat and not telling me to listen to it I will have to pass my soul over to him. I can say the past two years or so I have been under the radar on hip swaying new tunes. I have just listened to songs like, "The Seed 2.0" by the Roots or "Kind of Blue" by Miles Davis. I have even ventured into groups like Belanova and Romeo Santos. While my taste in music is ever and always ecelctic like my name I have not kept up to date. So, I have to pull from the blood of younger people and people who still keep in the know. Here are my new loves. . . Childish Gambino Oh, I love love love this man! Donald Glover was the guy in my fantasy world who I met in grad school gaining a Master's degree and he was in one of my classes and we were the best of friends in school, got married and h...

It is 2018!!! So far, good start. My son is in school and I am working. I am getting ready to focus on a goal and a plan of what direction I want to lead this family. I want to have an abundance- something that we have already begun and established. Abundance of love and laughter is already in tow. I want to stay positive and not create a perfect life but a perfect assistance. In order to build others you must build yourself. I want to have fun doing it. As long as my goal is there, I can have a focus. So, I am currently researching this schedule and planner thing. I normally get planners every year- costing roughly about $15- $27 for a planner. This time I did something different- I bought pieces and built my own. The cost came out to $14 without tax and that includes dividers, pockets, weekly pages, monthly pages, note sheets, budget booklet, fitness booklet, sticky notes, list pads, page flags, bookmarks, gel pens and a binder to hold it all. I am looking at this as if I have ou...