Products that Help You Relax

I was reading this month's Glamour on my way to Tampa last week, and I enjoyed their article on proven products that help you relax. I thought I'd share some of them...

Matrix Biolage Colorcaretherapie Delicate Care Masque - $20, www.biolage.com for salons

C.O. Bigelow Ginger Mentha Lip Shine Shimmer - $7.50 www.bathandbodyworks.com

Essie Nail Polish in Mint Candy Apple - $8, www.essie.com

Garnier Fructis Triple Nutrition Fortifying Shampoo - $4 at drugstores

Try them out!

Nicole

Monday Morning Mantra - 10/26

Happy Monday all!

I'm looking forward to a very productive week!

I love this week's Mantra because it is a great reminder that anger and pride do nothing for our progress.

"You'll never succeed if you're distracted by anger and pride." -- Danica Patrick

Take some advice from the woman who has finished higher than any other female in the history of the Indianapolis 500 -- don't let anger or pride get in the way of getting what you want. Stay calm and focused on your goal.

This week, don't lose your cool when faced with a challenge.

Want to receive our Mantras in your inbox each Monday? Click here!

Have a great week!

Love,

Nicole

I Think Therefore I Am

One of the things I talk about in my new book, The Gloriously Simple Guide to Getting What You Want (due out before the end of the year), is the power of our minds. If you don't begin to think and carry yourself as the embodiment of your goals, your goals will be that much more difficult to achieve. If you want to be a reporter, but you don't envision yourself as one because you haven't landed a reporting job yet, then your confidence will be slim-to-none.

Don't wait for someone else or something else to validate you. Carry yourself as the person you want to be. People will see your confidence and they will believe in you. It's contagious.

Nicole

Monday Morning Mantra - 10/19

Good morning all!

Happy Monday to you! Despite the gloomy weather, I enjoyed a great weekend with my family. Nerissa won both of her basketball games and Donte went to a Redskins game while Nerissa and I visited my mom and uncle. It was a nice break from the chaos of the week!

This week's Mantra serves as an ecouragement whenever we're feeling inadequate:

"If they can make penicillin out of moldy bread, they can sure make something out of you." -- Muhammad Ali



Do you ever doubt yourself? If so, welcome to the club. But Muhammad Ali's words are evidence that anyone can achieve their dreams. No person is exempt from doing amazing things, including you.

This week, remind yourself of this every time a doubt enters your mind.

Want to receive our Mantras in your inbox each Monday? Click here.

Have a great week!

Nicole

Monday Morning Mantra - 10/12

No, you're not seeing things - I am posting the Mantra for the week on Wednesday. I apologize for the delay, but Monday was my wedding anniversary and while I had a great day with my husband, it's taken me a little while to catch up!

So please find our Mantra for the week below:

"You've got to get to the stage in life where going for it is more important than winning or losing." -- Arthur Ashe

There is something to be said for just "going for it." There will never be a perfect time to jump out there and reach for your dreams, and there is no guarantee that you'll get exactly what you want. But the most important thing is that you TRY, and that's where it gets exciting.

This week, jump out there and do something you've always wanted to do, and remember that it doesn't matter if you win or lose.

Want to receive our Mantras in your inbox every Monday? Click here.

Have an amazing week!

Nicole

October is Let's Talk Month

As you know, I'm a big proponent of the importance of communicating with your children. I've seen the value of this play out in my own childhood, and I try to stay true to it every day with my own children.

My friends over at the Alabama Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy sent an announcement out that October is Let's Talk Month, which emphasizes the importance of communication between adults and youth in helping young people make good decisions regarding their sexuality.

For more info on Let's Talk Month, please click here.

Nicole

Monday Morning Mantra - 10/5

Happy Monday!

I needed a pick-me-up this week, and this mantra is perfect. It's one of my own, and it reminds us that you can't get anywhere in life without hope that good things will happen, you can overcome, you can persevere, etc., etc.

"Hope is the number one, necessary, secret ingredient to anyone's success." -- Nicole Lynn Lewis

Remember to have hope this week - no matter how bleak and gloomy a situation may seem. It will help you come out on the other end!

If you want to receive our mantras in your inbox each Monday, please click here.

Have an amazing week!

Love,
Nicole

"Teen Mom Craze"?

In the October 2009 issue of Glamour there is an article on a supposed "Teenage Mom Craze" that could be causing the teen pregnancy rate in American to be on the rise again. The article suggests that the media has been glamorizing teen pregnancy therefore more and more girls are getting pregnant because they think it's cool.

I don't think there is much validity to this argument, and it's an argument that I hear all the time when I talk to people about my book, Glori. Shows like "16 & Pregnant" are not showing teen moms living the good life, and my own account of my experience as a teen mom includes homelessness, an unhealthy relationship, and more.

So here's a letter I wrote to the magazine in response to their article:

Dear Glamour,

I'm writing in response to your article "Let's Stop the Teen Mom Craze" which appeared in your October 2009 issue.

I am a former teen mother who has written a book entitled Glori on my experience of overcoming the odds and earning a college degree despite homelessness, a drug infested environment, and an unhealthy relationship. I had to self publish Glori because literary agents and publishers are fearful that it might glamorize teen pregnancy. This idea - which is essentially discussed in your article - is really interesting to me.

The majority of girls don't get pregnant because they think it will be a glamorous experience. Lack of information on contraception, low self-esteem, little to no communication with adults about sex, and even molestation are far more serious and likely causes.

When there is a documentary on homelessness or drug abuse, people aren't quick to say that these shows are glamorizing life on the streets or heroine addiction. In the same way, shows that depict the lives of teenage mothers like MTV's "16 & Pregnant" don't glamorize teen pregnancy - they are simply telling a story that young people need to hear. Our problem with these shows has more to do with society's reluctance to discuss and to acknowledge teenage sexuality than anything else.

In closing, I think it's important for young people to see what life as a teenage mother/father is all about. Not only will it help them make better decisions, but it will also encourage other teenage parents by letting them know that they're not alone. The best thing we can do for teens is not to rip these shows off of the airways, but - as Sarah Brown from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy said in your article - talk to them about their goals, their future, and what it really means to start a family.

Thanks.

Got an opinion? Love to hear it!
Nicole