Read the fine print

We received a couple of letters in the mail from Bank of America a couple of days ago and it looked like on of those privacy disclosure notices that you sometimes get from your credit card company or bank. Well I let it sit there for a day before I decided to open it yesterday and I am so happy I did. It was a BOA way of notifying us of some HUGE changes. Major change was a change in interest rate that could equal a 5% increase. We only have one card with them but we are trying to pay it off this year with that 5% increase we could pay more interest than what we wanted to pay. It gave the option of rejecting the increase but you must agree to not use the card again. DAMN! So you are saying if we don't accept your crappy increase we can't use our card? Just to think we were going to use BOA for all of our financial needs, mortgage, business accounts, checking, savings, and credit cards. WOW, talk about holding someone by the balls. That is okay though. I had my hubby quickly call BOA and cancel the card and we will pay it off promptly and go right back to Chase. BOA better hope Chase doesn't enter the ATL area because we will be changing banks. I am really happy I opened that letter because I could have shredded the mail and that 5% increase would have been effective May 1st. Just goes to show you that you must read the mail that you think is junk. That is how these banks are getting over on us. We don't read our mail and they increase your interest rate on your card, increase your late fees, minimum payments, and credit limits. Then who is left with the Boo Boo face? *fingers pointing at you* :(

New SPF Moisturizer

I just love free gift time at Clinique (anywhere really). This time was no different. I went to the Clinique counter over the weekend and purchased a gloss stick in black honey and some mascara and I received a free gift. YIPPEEE!! I gave away the cheek stick and lipstick to my roomy Jessica and I kept the Youth Surge SPF Moisturizer for myself as I really needed a new SPF for the summer. Well to my pleasant surprise this stuff is that DEAL!! I've found a new moisturizer that actually does what it says. My pores are less noticeable. My skin is glowing. My dark marks are fading fast. This is after only 5 to 6 days of wearing it morning and night. What really made me happy is Clinique gave me a great sample size. I think it is a ounce or more so I can use if for about a month or so. When I went to the Clinique site to see how much this wonderful moisturizer would cost me I found out they have it in various formulas. SWEET JESUS!!! THANK YA LORD!! I quickly found my combination oily skin formula at $42. Not bad! My skin is really picky about what it likes and it will rebel with all sorts of hives, breakouts, redness, etc if it doesn't like a product. So when I find a good product that my face likes I will spend the money. Clinique's Youth Surge has quickly become a part of my facial cleansing regime. I use Noxema (my face loves the menthol) foaming wash, any astringent with a little Salicylic Acid in it, and now the Youth Surge Moisturizer. I use salicylic acid on my face during those little breakouts that I have but now those little pimples that I have noticed are gone. I haven't found that perfect exfoliator yet, so I may have to try Clinique again to see if anything has changed on that front. I also added a micro dermabrasion from the ISSN (International School of Skin and Nails) once a month to exfoliate. My coworker hip'd me on to this great place to get skin and nail services for the cheap cheap. I hate that Rachel Ray gave up the T on this place because now it is really hard to get in there and get my micro derm on without having to wait a week. I will just have to plan accordingly.

Clinique Youth Surge SPF 15 - Trina's Best Face Award! LOVE IT!!

Well Well Well

Today I steps on the scale a little terrified of what this mofo may say after 6 weeks of travel to and from LA and a blockbuster weekend at the WU and to my pleasant surprise I am not that far off. I weighed in at 188 a while ago and today the scale read 191. Not that bad a 3 pound gain after all the brutality I have put my body through traveling coast to coast and the Zeta Punch. Oh the Zeta Punch....sweet nectar. Not to mention I haven't stepped in the gym in two weeks which shall end today after I hit the gym with hubster for a two hour kick ass blast. I will say that my eating has been EXCELLENTE. I have tried a great recipe this weekend and I have been eating plenty veggies and fruit. My timing of the food has been great too at every 2 to 3 hours and if I miss a meal I will follow up with a piece of fruit to knock the edge off. The funny thing about this is that when I settled myself down in ATL my appetite went right back to what it was pre LA. You have to love it. I plan to try another recipe for this Easter weekend. Not that old traditional ham or turkey meal. I want to try another great vegetable based meal. I will add some meat to it for the protein part. I am really in the mood for black eyed peas but knowing my hubby he will want that sweet Jiffy Mix cornbread. He loves that sweet mess.

My plans for next week in St. Louis
I plan to take my workout clothes with me as I usually do so I can workout Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I will travel back home on Thursday afternoon so I will have to skip that workout and make up for it on Friday morning. In St. Louis near our hotel there is a great little place called Provisions that serve great soup, salads, and sandwiches that I could eat all day long. To add the salads are so large you can eat half for lunch and half for dinner. The killer part is their soups are mostly cream based and I love their cream of chicken which can add up quickly. So my plan is to stick to the greek salad during the day and if we go to the restaurant for dinner as my team always does I will eat the fish and veggies. You must have a plan working with all men.

Sparkpeople
I plan to get back on Sparkpeople and document my food and water intake and my workout routines. This free online tool has been great for me tracking everything that I put into my body. The one thing that I wish it had was mobile capability where I could just scroll through my Q9 and update what I have been eating versus logging onto my computer and doing it the long way.

I used to love him

With the return to my Alma mater comes reverence of old loves, old flames, old crushes, people who had crushes on you who never said anything, etc. So while I was at the the WU it was a pleasure to see the men gawk and say Damn Trina you doing the thing or the occasional damn I used to have a crush on you. But with all of those good moments comes some not so good moments. I titled this I used to love him for a reason. Prior to marrying my husband we dated on and off since I was 16. Even when we were off we were still together. I had the opportunity to meet, love, and learn from the men who were lucky to have my love. This goes out to that one who came to DD and profess his love a day late and a dollar short. I have to get this off my chest and out in the atmosphere so I can stop thinking about it and getting aggravated..

Closed mouths don't get fed! You had the nerve to get mad at me when I asked you over 10 years ago what the hell were we doing. Either shit or get off of the pot dude. No man is about to be laying in my bed and acting like we are together but you don't want to put a ring on let a lone a title on it. Nope! Not the kid! You had the nerve to get mad at me! Shit I had every right to get mad with you because you couldn't make up your mind if you loved me or not. You refused to talk to me for some months after that encounter so I bounced and moved on. Yes I went right back to that familiar as you called him, but he was open enough to profess his feelings right then and there. It might have been fear that he would lose me but all in all he did what he had to do and put up. I didn't have to force him to put a ring on it. He brought it!

I wasn't married until 21 months after his proposal so you had your time. We communicated during my engagement but nothing big, just the friendship thing. You always joking (a little too much if you ask me). You still made me laugh so I will give you that. You called him the lumpy spare tire and the familiar. You even called me scary and afraid to take a step out and experience new things. One thing you never said was WHY? Why should I step out there and experience new things. Who were you speaking of. You never could tell me. You never could say what was on your mind, so to me you were the one who was scared. I kept my distance and continued on with life, school, and work while planning my wedding ceremony. Then on the day of my wedding, you called my cell phone and you yell...Don't do it! WTF!?!? I couldn't contain my emotions. You waited until the day of my damn wedding to tell me to not marry him but you couldn't tell me why I shouldn't marry him just not to do it. Are you serious!?!? I was so livid my maid of honor and bridesmaids had to calm me down. Just to think this was supposed to be my special day that you tried to destroy but you still couldn't tell me WHY?!?!?

So after you have two beautiful daughters that have humbled you and helped you grow you want to tell me all those things that should have been said 10 plus years ago. Thank you! You are right it is never too late to express your true feelings, but what were you hoping would happen after you expressed those feelings? I'm not sure. All I can say is I used to love you but now all I have is love for you. I am happy that God has blessed you with two beautiful daughters. I am happy that you have grown and matured into a great father. I wish you nothing but success in your career whether it be rapping or blue collar work. I pray that you share with your daughters this story of a love lost and you tell them to never wait to do something that they can do that day. Tell them that tomorrow is never promised. I pray that you find the right woman, even if in your heart you believe that you did once upon a time and she has moved on (Me). I am happy!! My life is much different than what it was in college and grad school. I am so happy! Did I say I am happy already. Yes very happy! Let me be happy. Let me go so that you can move on. When you let me go only then will you be able to find that right woman and that is what I want for you. I used to love him....now all I have is love him that will never fade. Once I love you I will always care for you. Be blessed my friend.

I put this out there for anyone who can use this to grow. People come from your past and sometimes it is good and other times it is bad. Just remember the reason they were a part of your past. My mother always told me that. She would say they are in your past for a reason. I never knew what she was saying until recently. Old sparks come out in hopes to rekindle that flame but I realize why they were a part of my past. Either there were incapable of expressing their feelings, they were jerks, they were lacking motivation, lacking goals, lacking desire, etc. Sometimes we as women are hoping they have changed and our nurturing side comes out and we are looking to save them. Oh I can help him get to where he needs to be. We can't do that for all men ladies. We must allow these men to grow in their own time. Some men do well with a woman helping them some part of the way, but for that last green mile they need the Lord. Without a higher power it is a WRAP!! I realize that now after being married to my husband for almost 8 years. His last green mile God stepped in and he is not that same man I met 17 years ago. He is totally different. With my husband changing I needed to change and no one could do that but my God. I am not saying I am perfect. Nope! I am a work in progress.

Peace and always love.

When clothes do this

Hey Blog Fam!

So I went back to Wilberforce for Alumni Weekend right. Well I picked up this dress from H& M and when I tried it on it was great. Well my hubby tried to tell me that the midsection part wasn't tapered enough for my shape right. Well I wore it anyway and by the end of the night the dress was a bulging mess. One of my good guy friends reiterated what my hubby told me. He was like that dress did your shape no justice Trina. Okay damn I know it started off good but blah. Here is a shot of it. Just look at all of that room around my midsection....boot!

On a good note...everyone that I reconnected with was like Trina you look great. I even had this one dude give me a sweet and sour compliment. It went a little like this....Trina I hope you don't take any offense to this but this is the best that I have ever seen you look. DAMN dude what are you trying to say I was looking busted back at school. He better be lucky I didn't take it like that. This was Friday. On Saturday with my cute jeans with my shirt and vest more compliments poured in from everywhere. Talk about motivation. It was a great weekend.

New Recipe

Hey Blog Fam!

Well today I decided to start off on the good foot. I didn't do too bad after a visit back to my aluma mater Wilberforce University. Plenty of drinking and just eating on the go...well for me it was more like not eating but trying to see everyone. Today I just said you know what I have to go grocery shopping and I started at the Dekalb Farmer's Market. I spent $80 and filled my refrigerator to capacity. Plenty of veggies and fruit to get me through a week or two. I decided to try a new recipe I received from Spark People called Fresh Vegetable Stir Fry with brown rice. The only meat I had today was two slices of turkey on a slice of whole wheat bread. The vegetable stir fry was a success. It was great and it had a nice sweet taste too it that coated the vegetables and rice nicely.

It's Hair

Hey Blog Fam!

As I surf the net I am always amazed with the amount of women who want to control their locs. Oh my hair has lump, bumps, and holes my consultant must have installed them wrong. Or my hair doesn't feel right my consultant must have done something wrong. Or my hair doesn't look like her hair my consultant must have done something wrong. NEWS FLASH ladies your hair is exactly that...YOUR HAIR. It is going to do what it wants regardless. We as consultants may give you a flawless installation and your hair will still do what it wants to do because it is what....YOUR HAIR. It will not conform to what you want it to do or what I as your consultant wants it to do. I have seen women bash consultants or trainees because their hair did something unexpected. Now I am not saying there aren't any consultants or trainees that need to have their certificate ripped to shreds and their tool taken away. There are some bad people who do bad things and unfortunately that gives us good people a bad name. Ladies, we need to just be realistic...we can't control our natural hair in all of its kinks, coils, and beautiful glory. Let your mane BE FREE!! Wake up from your relaxed hair comma and let your hair be FREE.