Michelle Obama Answers - What's Your Ideal Mother's Day?

Michelle Obama, after signing copies of her new book, American Grown, in a Washington D.C. bookstore, revealed  to TODAY that she's blissfully planning a quiet Sunday. “I mean, like any mother, I get to sleep in, or for me, it's wake up when I feel like it.”

She says the rest of the day will consist of a workout, spending time with her mom, and deciding what’s for dinner. “My mom and I pick our meal. So we decide what we want to eat that day. So it's our choice.” Marian Robinson, Michelle Obama's mom lives with them in the White House, and I'm guessing that like most mothers around the world, they rarely get to choose what's on the family menu. So this would surely be a treat :)

Asked to finish the sentence, “My mother taught me…,” Michelle Obama replies. “What my mom taught me and continues to teach me is patience and good humor and common sense and openness. You know, my mom is such a good listener. And she has taught me that one of the best things I can do for my daughters is to listen, not talk or always give advice, but to be there with an open ear and a warm hug and an understanding heart because I still find myself going up to my mom's room and just talking to her for hours about any and everything. And that relationship keeps me whole, not just here as first lady in the White House but it has sustained me throughout my entire life. And if I could be half that mother for my girls, then I will have done a good thing.”

That's a great relationship she has with her mom, and I totally agree with her!

Dear Myne - I am 30 and Single and Losing Faith

I gave my life to Jesus in my final year in school 2007, and since than I’ve stayed with God faithfully. I am born again and serving God faithfully, I judge him faithful who has kept me this far. Am 30 years old, single and never been married. Every year of my life men come in and out of my life, they come in batches asking my hand in marriage but after praying to God to choose the best for me none will eventually marry me (reason that I refuse to have sex with them that’s for some, while others won’t say why they left).

I really want to keep myself till my wedding night though I am no longer a virgin (lost it in school before i gave my live to Christ). I am tired because this challenge is really depressing me and is affecting my walk with God seriously. I don’t want this batch upon batches of suitors again, I just want my own HUSBAND to come. Please pray for me I am really loosing hope.

What else can I do to keep hope and faith alive?

Comedienne Princess Weds Adeshola Jeremiah

Comedienne Damilola Adekoya, popularly known as Princess, celebrated her marriage to Adeshola Jeremiah recently. This is following their registry wedding which held about a month ago. I heard she also said, kinda like JayZ, that he saved her. I think it shows because she looks sparkly happy in her non-traditional blue and silver gown. I wish them the best of married life :)

10 Tips For Effective Anger Management in Relationships

by Dr. Susan Heitler

In relationships, we all have our fights, and having the occasional heated debate with your significant other is even healthy. But when these fights cross into full-blown blow-ups, the arguments can quickly get out of hand. Follow these 10 tips for effective anger management if you want to enjoy a lasting, loving relationship.

1. Know when to make an exit. Remove yourself from a situation you can’t handle. If you can’t gracefully leave the room, gracefully change the topic.

2. Exit earlier than you think you need to. Exit when your anger is at a level three on a scale up to 10. By the time you’re up over level four, exits will become increasingly difficult. Self-righteous indignation will propel you to keep trying to prove your point and will make your wants seem all-important. (As a friend of mine once put it, “My anger makes what I want feel holy and what you want is totally insignificant.”)

3. Change your focus. Phew. You’ve separated yourself from that situation you couldn’t handle. Now what? Focus on something other than what you were mad about. Avoid further thoughts about the person.

4. Evoke peace and laughter. Find something to think about that evokes calm images or even laughter. Close your eyes and picture yourself on a beach.

Date Night - Quansah For Tsemaye Binitie

Ojy Okpe and Bawo

5th + Quansah along with designer, Tsemaye Binite celebrated the unveiling of his debut bridal collection at Didi Museum recently. The audience was mostly female fashion lovers and admirers of the designer's work, but some came along with their SOs, and others just with friends or family. Enjoy...

Magazine Covers I'm Loving - Funmi Iyanda on Genevieve

Talk show host, Funmi Iyanda is on the cover of the latest issue of Genevieve Magazine and inside, she discusses her humanitarian work, personal style and her life philosophy. She also talks about being outspoken, raising awareness about Nigeria’s inequalities and refusing to marry. That should be interesting :)

Beyonce is Not a Role Model?

This post was inspired by an article a friend linked to on Yahoo titled An Open Letter to Michelle Obama: Beyonce is Not a Role Model. In it, the writer laments on the outfits that Beyonce uses in her performances and wonders how Michelle Obama can still consider her a role model for her two young daughters.

Personally, I consider celebrities no matter how big they are as human being first, and just like the rest of us, they have the life pressures they face, they have their flaws, their dreams, their goals, and how they want to live their life. They are on pedestals because we put them there, not because they have special powers or personality traits that make them saints or idols.

When I say somebody who is in the public eye is a role model, it means to me that the person has used some of the talent they have and made the world notice them. It may be in Science, Arts, Sports, but in today's world, mostly in Entertainment. Thinking that these ordinary people have somehow become perfect is setting oneself up for a fall. In the same way however, that thinking they are all bad is disingenuous too.

Beyonce has her strong sides, just as she has her weak sides, but blaming her for all that is wrong in the world for other women is kinda tricky. As adults we know to be inspired by the aspects that we admire, and allow her her foibles. We do not have to do exactly what that person does, for instance we do not have to become an R&B singer in a bodysuit like Beyonce's, but we can emulate the drive and hard work that got her to the top.

For the children in our lives, like Michelle Obama who has two daughters, our task is to educate them by making ourselves who are closest to them their primary examples of what a human and a woman is. Make your life as real and admirable as you can, teach your children the basic tenets of morality, self esteem and being an individual, and protect them while they're still young from the power of the media. By the time they're old enough, they'll know how to be true to themselves and not to follow the crowd, and how to pick and choose what to emulate from their favorite singers and celebrities.

Below is the particular image that got the writer incensed, and his article.

Couple Love - Wizkid and Omotani Omotayo

Wizkid and Omotani Omotayo are young, they are still dating, but they sure look very cute together.

A writer fot 360nobs says seeing "the couple together at events is a rarity (they only post pics on Twitter)" and that "Wizkid’s demand at shows and Omotani’s education (she just graduated from University) could be a reason". The writer added, "... we hope they start making some star-babies soon!"

Eh... I say they should take all the time they need and enjoy their relationship :)

Ariel Castro - Evil Confessions Of A Sexual Predator

Ariel Castro reportedly wrote a note in 2004 which includes a chilling admission: "I am a sexual predator. I need help." Scott Taylor, an investigative reporter obtained this note from the police in Cleveland Ohio, and has posted excerpts from the letter on his Twitter feed.

According to Taylor's  tweets, Castro wrote, "They are here against their will because they made a mistake of getting in a car with a total stranger,", "I don't know why I kept looking for another. I already had 2 in my possession." and also "writes about wanting to kill himself and 'give all the money I saved to my victims.'"

Taylor tweeted that Castro wrote in the note that he was surprised to learn how young DeJesus was because "he thought she was a lot older." Taylor added, "Ariel Castro says in the letter he has no feeling for the bad things he has done." and that "Castro writes he treated the 3 women well and later writes he's sick."

Whether he was sick or not, probably mentally, he refused to get help, kept these women locked up for years, and treated them in evil ways. In addition to this note, more gruelling facts are emerging about the kidnap and captivity of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight. According to Yahoo News;

Throwback Thursday - He Popped the Question!

These were the pictures I put up on Facebook the day after Atala proposed. I think I put up the status, I said yes, and everyone wanted to see the pictures. Those days, I had less than a hundred friennds so it was easy to oblige. Good old days.

The proposal was really amazing, and one I'll always remember. I'll say yes, again and again :)