Barbie's Back on the Scene

By Mashaka Williams

Barbie's Back on the Scene

                                          
So as you may have heard there are some new girls in town, and they look like us. I am talking about the new babies with bodies that look like all women. They have petite, curvy and tall.

I am a short, curvy black woman, therefore I am dancing and screaming thanking Barbie for me in the form of a doll. It took them 57 years to get it done. My take is that there will be more grown-ups purchasing the dolls.

As a mother of colored daughters it has been really hard for me to get into the idea of having my daughters fall in love with a doll that has done a poor job of representing young women, however my girls still liked the doll. So my house has Barbies and the girls love playing with them. I really think that what they have done is amazing because it allows girls to see that we are all different. This by no means should replace the jobs of parents helping and guiding their daughters on building and having good self-esteem.

We still have to do the work. We have to let our children know that they are beautiful even if there aren’t dolls that represent them. We still have to teach them that different is good. We still have to continue to let them know the reality of the world they live in. I give kudos to Mattel for hearing the masses and making the change, because Barbie is what she is a household name. Girls still love the movies and they still want the dolls as gifts. But now we have options and can get them any doll they want, even one that might look like them.

So my plan is to find a brown, curvy not too tall with a natural curly afro. Shop for the new Barbie at www.barbie.com.

 Have a great day,

Shak

Addicted

By: Mashaka Williams

Photo Credit : Ipsy 

Ok so I realize I am an addict. Yes I said it. I love getting that hot pink envelope in the mail once a month.

I initially registered with ipsy for the makeup. I figured I was getting to a certain age where makeup might come in handy to keep the wrinkles hidden. So $10 a month for a bag of expensive products seemed like a good idea. Cheap, and if I like the product I could buy it. Simple enough plan.

Well that is no longer the truth, I look forward to getting the package every month and quite frankly it has nothing to do with the make-up as much as it has to do with this is MINE. As a mother and a wife very few things are mine and mine alone. So this gift is my relief.

The other day when my husband walked in with the mail and I saw that neon package I was elated. I felt like a kid at Christmas and getting that feeling once a month is the greatest thing in the world. So they say the first step is admitting it. Well I have taken the first step, however that's where it stops I am keeping my ipsy package.

  

Have a great day,

Shak

Embrace This New Day

By: Mashaka Williams

It is so easy to bring your yesterday’s events into your today. Make a point with each new morning to learn from your yesterdays, but do not allow them to consume your today.

As a working parent and wife I have learned that I am far from perfect and that each day is a learning experience. I have learned the importance of accepting things as they are and embracing the new and unknown.

Every day is not going to be a great day; however there is always a great thing that happens in a day. Like a smiling baby, a dancing toddler, new nail polish and dinner conversations with your spouse. Look for those small things and make them the big and important thing of your day. 

Smile and embrace the new day.

Love,

Shak