Lifeabitsweeter.com is MOVING!

Hey All!

We've had such a great run with this domain but it's time to pack-up the china and get to moving as we move into this next chapter of our life....life with Selah! I'll still share about adoption but the site will not just be about adoption. It will be sharing all of my B-U-S-I-N-E-S-S with the world. Yep, I'll continue to be as raw and transparent about topics like marriage, parenting, fashion, my dreams, and anything else that pops up in my head.

Soon www.lifeabitsweeter.com will shut down and all of my posts will move to:

www.becomingmichelle.com

Bookmark us, share us, read us but just make sure you stop over and tell us that you were there! If there's anything you'd ever like me to talk about, just let me know. Hit me at michelle365@me.com.

Ciao!

"YES"...the word that is changing my life

What a rollercoaster of emotions I’ve been on since I’ve been in Africa. Just five weeks ago, I had never left the United States. Beyond living in the Maryland/DC/Virginia area, my lifetime travel experience spanned visiting West Virginia, Nevada, Georgia, and North Carolina with some college residence in Pennsylvania and New York. The crazy thing was I hated traveling. I used to tell friends that I wish whenever I had to go somewhere that would take more than 1 hour to travel to, I wanted to be the woman from “I Dream of Genie”. You know…nod my head and instantly, I’d appear in my destination. Yet here I was at 37 years old, passport in hand, headed on a 16-hour flight to Ethiopia to live alone with my infant daughter for anywhere between 1 ½ - 2 months as I waited the completion of her adoption. It’s amazing how a simple prayer “God, break my heart for what breaks yours” has so many complexities that when earnestly prayed, I believe God is in heaven saying, “Are you sure, you’re ready for this?” I’ve heard it said before but now I believe it with all of my heart – God simply wants our “Yes” and a surrendered, teachable, servant’s heart as He sends us out into the world to be His hands and feet. I think back to elementary school and you know the kid in the classroom who is sitting there with hand raised at his teacher, saying “Ewww…pick me. Pick me.”

I believe God desires that in His children. How amazing would it be for Him to look into His classroom of life and see a sea of us with raised hands saying, “Ewww…ewww….ewww…Here I am, Lord. Send me. Send me.” Instead, many of us, including myself, had become the kid in the back of the room, enjoying the benefits of a relationship with Him but slouching in our seats thinking, “I hope He doesn’t call on me for that.” God is looking through the earth for people who He can send to the hard places that no one really wants to go. It’s so much easier, I think, for us to stay in our comfortable lives where our names become recognized in our collegiate circles, among Twitter followers, blogs, Bible studies of discipleship,  and speaking platforms. But once you become a disciple and you have embraced the Good News, the question becomes are we ready to go to the hard places that will make us uncomfortable? The places where we’ll have to hug and love those that the world just wants to sweep under the rug and pretend that ‘those people over there’ do not exist. For me, when I prayed that prayer (break my heart for what breaks yours), He ended up sending me to Ethiopia. For you, it may be right in your own back yard, your community or the one a few streets down that when you pass by, you quickly lock the doors. Wherever your ‘there’ is, God wants to know are you willing to go to love even them? What are you afraid of? He’s waiting for you to surrender and I promise you, you haven’t much time left to wait for the right opportunity. Just Go. I’m not going to lie, the road will be hard but what He produces in you in the end and how He uses you will blow your mind away. Don’t leave that kind of blessing and reward on the table of your life unused. ‘They” are waiting and God is waiting to transform your heart to become more like His in the process.  Start where you are with what you have and tell Him, Yes. Here I am Lord. Send me.

My Brother's Keeper

 

Natural Hair Meetup & Adoption Fundraiser

I am sooooo excited about our final fundraiser to benefit the travel expenses to complete the adoption of our daughter from Ethiopia. This 'finale' so to speak will be a gathering of the 'sisters' of all ethnic backgrounds...those who are currently natural...those who are curious about going natural...and those ladies who just need a social break.

Save the date and be sure to check it out. I expect that you'll begin to be able to purchase tickets for a really modest donation. The best of all of this is that not only will ladies have a great time hanging out and loading up their bags with products from the product swap , but  you'll be helping another 'sister' cover the travel expenses to plant her daughter from an orphanage in Ethiopia to her home here in Maryland. This has been a 4 year journey and we're so excited to possibly share it with you. Come back to the blog this week to find out how you can support this awesome event if you're not local.

So...please share it with your friends. The goal is to sell 60 tickets...that means lots of products for you to swap and lots of great convo! Hope to see you there!

Fun Family Video to Kick Off Week 4 Adoption Challenge!

Check out Tony, the boys, and I as we share our Week 4 adoption challenge BUT be sure to watch to the very end. We are a bunch of silly people and wanted to show this outtake with you. SMH still.

If you're just becoming familiar with our family, here's the deal. We've been in this adoption journey since 2009 and we are now so close to traveling to Ethiopia to meet our daughter and go to court. So exciting! The one obstacle we had is that we were short about $6,000 to take care of our travel costs. (For Ethiopia adoptions, we are required to travel twice, each trip lasting 7 days...not inexpensive by any stretch of the imagination but she's worth it!)


So we decided to dream big. We decided that each week for 6 weeks, our goal was to save and raise $1,000 to cover our travel costs. We have been so blessed in that we have been able to radically cut back at home, save money, and also raise funds. Every week, without fail, we believe that God has blessed us to meet that goal every single week and now we're on Week 4!!! Please consider supporting us.


You can donate directly to www.gofundme.com/selah OR you can purchase a necklace at www.etsy.com/shop/lifeabitsweeter

Thanks for dropping by!

Winners....Curly Nikki Book Giveway

Congratulations to Lenneil T., Ashley G., and Lori T. who each one a copy of the book 'Better Than Good Hair' by Nikki Walton. What a great book. Can't wait for you all to devour it like I am.

Enjoy!
Michelle

The 'Taboo' of Fundraising & Adoption

If a family decides to host and participate in fundraising for their adoption, doesn't that communicate that they really can't afford to raise another child?

Well...take a peek as I discuss this very issue in the below quick clip:

African-American Hair Care & Curly Nikki Book Giveaway!!!

(GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON MONDAY, MAY 6TH!) 
When it comes to taking care of African-American hair naturally and promoting healthy, gorgeous hair, hands down, many of us would agree that psychotherapist Nikki Walton is the go-to expert that many of us follow. Not only does she carry a mean sense of style herself, but Curly Nikki, as most of her fans would call her, is "the most credible online source in regards to natural hair care, maintenance, and decoding the psychological ties between black women and their hair."

As a huge fan myself, I'm excited to share her wisdom in the form of a giveaway. Beginning today, you can enter to win 1 of 3 copies of Nikki's new book, "Better Than Good Hair". The book title in itself makes quite the statement if you're familiar with the old stereotypes of what defines 'Good Hair vs. Bad Hair'. Whether you're a natural hair enthusiast, considering a big chop, want to maintain and grow your relaxed hair, or are a vanilla mommy raising a chocolate little one, you don't want to miss this giveaway. Trust me, you'll thank me. This book is chock full of product recommendation, home care recipes, advice for parents on how to manage their child's hair, and the psychology of hair as it pertains to black women.



Don't miss this great opportunity! The giveaway closes on Saturday, May 4th at 11:59pm Eastern. All three winners will be announced on Monday, May 6th.

To enter, it's REALLY SIMPLE!  

For the first two entry types (Twitter & Instagram), you'll need to copy (right click and save) this Giveaway Badge to your computer. 

The ways to enter are in the image and also in the video below. Take a peek at both and let's roll! I can't wait to send these three copies out. I'm loving mine!

P.S.
Here are a few rules (beyond what's shared in the video above):

• Don't forget to come back to the blog to let us know in the Comments Section if you posted via Instagram, Twitter, or made a donation.
• If you win a copy of the book, shipping is at our expense except if you are outside of the United States.
• For any comments left on the blog, please be kind. While I love discussions to challenge our thinking, it's important to be supportive and non-judgmental of others. I reserve the right to delete any harsh comments which may disqualify individuals from the contest.

That's it lovelies!

(Adoptive mommies: Please also check out the post, "Ask Anything! A Safe Place for Vanilla Moms & Dads Raising Chocolate Children)