Mid-Winters Eve Blog Hop Giveaway

As this year winds to a close, I want to use this opportunity to thank all the subscribers and regular visitors to this blog. You guys have been awesome, leaving comments, sending emails, and being very very supportive.

In my giveaway, 3 lucky people will each win a $10 Amazon Gift Card (US, UK and Canada). To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter Form below. There are 4 entries, and you must leave a comment on this post to qualify.

Good luck and Happy Holidays!

10 Women and 10 Questions on Relationships

Djinee is one of the Nigerian musicians who has been around for a while but not really getting as much attention as the Wizkids of the day. I liked his debut Ego when I was still back in Nigeria and got to know he has some new singles out as well as a website. One of the singles is titled Lover's Rock and in the spirit of the song, Djinee decided to field 10 different questions on dating and love from 10 women. The questions are wide ranging and the answers, IMO, mostly on point. Different strokes indeed, enjoy

Susan: what was the lesson you learnt from your last relationship?

Djinee: To be less protective. With my last relationship I was too protective. Worried about her safety. Probably I was too obsessed. So I learnt to give some space.

Jemila: what do men want in a woman?

Djinee: Different men, different desires. Some men want trophy girlfriends/wives. The beautiful, model look-alike who they can show off to friends like a new car. Some men look out for women to complement them, good cooks, good lovers, good listeners… Different strokes for different folks.

Spaghetti and Tomato Sauce with Green Lima Beans

Spaghetti and Tomato sauce is a regular in these parts but the Green Lima Beans addition was a first recently. Frozen vegetables were on a half-price sale at the store so I decided to pick a few new ones I had never tried before, one of those was green Lima beans. I wasn't too sure how it would turn out, so on the day I tried it, I decided to use it as a side to a more familiar meal.

Bachelorette Ashley and JP's December Wedding

Ashley Hebert and J.P. Rosenbaum are the third couple from The Bachelor series to ever walk down the aisle, and I am so happy for them! I was rooting for JP from like the final four during their season and so it was so heart-warming to know they would get married.

I finally had the chance to watch their wedding which was televised last Sunday on the ABC website and it was beautiful. The gown, the preparations, everything was just looking great. Most importantly, the couple looked so happy and were smiling all through.

Who remembers that they had a fake wedding shoot during their show? I sure did, and I found me a screenshot. It's funny but for Ashley's hair, the look almost the same. In fact JP has on the exact outfit - a traditional black tuxedo and bowtie. Maybe Ashley knew he was THE ONE even back then? They are just so cute...

Dear Myne - Am I Expecting too much from Him?

...I have been communicating with some guy for about 6 months, we live in different cities, he has almost all the qualities i listed above and is 6'3 :). The truth is i have come to like him a lot and i think that is why it is hurting me now. While he calls, send me mails, would run errands for me (online), send romantic songs and all that, he is yet to ask me out. He says he is scared of women and doesn't want to commit until he is sure he is being led to marry this person.

The truth is i never had an expectation in my relationships. I grew up not expecting anything from anyone and try to give so much. I probably felt being with me was just enough, hence i hooked up with people that were lovely in their own way but totally wrong for me. Even though i walked in without an expectation, i soon get hurt by their actions, they not understanding me and feeling abused because my emotions was not in the kissing and stuffs.

At this stage, i will say i have learnt to be my own woman and i will love a good cerebral man, that can communicate his feelings and frustrations, love God.. read spirit filled, Loves me, from a great family ( am an orphan) and hardworking ( young and up mobile) and Tall! because i am almost 6ft in my socks ... Everything else is negotiable.

Holiday Deals on Fekkai Hair Care Products

When I was contacted by BlogHer to check out the various options available, my eyes immediately went to the Essential Shea family. And sure enough, it is a line meant specifically for African and African American hair. It's no secret that our hair is usually more dry than usual, and can break easily whether natural or chemically straightened if it lacks adequate moisture.

The hair care collection from Frédéric Fekkai was first introduced in 1995 and it was originally developed to meet the particular needs of different hair types. Frédéric Fekkai is a renowned style-maker and one of the most celebrated names in beauty and hair styling. In addition to providing exceptional professional results, Fekkai products feature luxurious textures and invigorating scents.

The hair care line is divided into regimen “families”, including: Advanced Care, Color Care, Curl Care Glossing, Repair, Styling and Styling Tools. Before his products are marketed to the public, Frédéric and his staff personally test every formula in his world-renowned Frédéric Fekkai Salon to ensure the highest quality and performance.

Joke Silva on Marriage - The Man can be Vulnerable too

Over the next few weeks as December wedding season progresses, I'll be running a series first featured on Genevieve Magazine about three friends, three weddings and three marriages of 20+ years. I'll start off with Joke Silva, that doyen of the Nigerian movie industry, and her husband, actor, Olu Jacobs.

The Proposal: Olu and I dated for a couple of years before we got married. I remember he proposed when we went for dinner and a Greek meal was served. I think he got the people in the restaurant involved in the whole arrangement; oh…it was just so romantic! He was living in England at the time though, so that was their custom and he was used to it.

The first years of the relationship: When I first met Olu, he was this dashing guy. He was just such incredible fun! We got along very well. I didn’t even know his age; I thought maybe he was in his late twenties, early thirties. I screamed when I found out his age. He was 39 and I was 20! Well, eventually it was my mum who gave me the go ahead because she saw how serious I was with him and hadn’t seen me that serious with anyone. My dad was worried about the age difference but my mum was able to make him see reasons. She also had the background of her mum being much younger than her dad and didn’t really see a problem with it. She felt it was something I could handle.

Date Night Movie Review - Silver Linings Playbook

Myne and I were reviewing the movies that we'd watched since the start of 2012, and we realised that there weren't that many comedies in the list. There's a reason - we like comedies where the humour is sharp, intelligent and natural, but unfortunately, there haven't been that many of those kinds of comedies.

So when I heard that one; Silver Linings Playbook had received rave reviews at the Toronto International Film Festival, and two, it was a comedy, I immediately put it on my must-watch list, and when it came out, we went to watch it.

It turns out that there was a difference between what I expected and what I got. I had been expecting a more hilarious movie - maybe like a comedy of errors. But it turned out more to be a moving drama with many humorous moments, which was a difference that I didn't mind.

Top 10 Sexiest Nigerian Bachelors by Emeh Achanga

OK, I didn’t say eligible, I said sexy. This list is a compilation gathered from people’s opinion poll, twitter,facebook, and blogs. My sexiest bachelors are handsome , appealing, friendly, generous ,rich and of course, sexy. You might not agree with this list but If you look closely, you will realize that they are sexy indeed. These are men who are in relationships, single or snatchable. lol. So ladies, fasten your seatbelt, put on some heels, throw on that sexy LBD, as we enter the race of SEXIEST NIGERIAN BACHELORS.

10: UTI NWACHUKWU

20 Children Dead in Connecticut School Shooting

You think you've seen the worst that can happen, and then a day like this comes and breaks your heart all over again. Just last week in our backyard (Portland in neighboring state, Oregon), a gunman killed two people and then himself at a shopping mall. Today, the violence is targeted at children, while they were in school, and all these just a few weeks, days to Christmas. What is really going on?

NEWTOWN, Connecticut (Reuters) - A heavily armed gunman opened fire at a Connecticut elementary school on Friday, killing 26 people including 20 children in the latest in a series of shooting rampages across the United States this year, U.S. media reported.

The gunman was dead inside Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, state police Lieutenant Paul Vance told a news conference.

Vance said there were 28 deaths in Connecticut - 20 children and seven adults from the school and another person connected to the suspect at a house in Newtown. The total included the shooter, who media said was a 24-year-old man. The New York Times reported that the gunman killed himself at the scene.