8 Months Baby!!!!

Hey dolls,

First post of the month. Happy happy March. It's a pretty special month for me cause 2 people I love dearly were born in this month. First, my sister from another mother, Lillian. She went bungee jumping to celebrate growing older. Pictures when my camera behaves. Second, my heart...my soul and everything in between baby-daddy. Most likely this will go unnoticed cause he believes celebrating birthday's is fickle. In the main good news, my BABY turns 8 months today at 12.30pm. I can't believe it's 8 months already. Time really does fly. And she gets prettier, funnier and of course bigger each day. I am truly truly amazed by the love that overflows out of my heart. I am more amazed at the woman I have become. Her nanny took a few days off and I failed to find someone to babysit for me. I worked the night shift and took care of her during the day. Though my nerves were left raw and every cell in my brain seemed to be on fire from sleep deprivation, I could not be any happier spending all that time with baby. I truly envy stay at home mums now.

Happy week people.

January 2012's 10%

Ola Dolls,

So this is the monthly pay it back forward post. This month the 10% went to contributing tuition for a dear friend's daughter's fees. Her family is suddenly with only one bread winner and in this economy, that just doesn't cut it. And usually, the children are the ones who suffer the most. Being a mother, I cannot imagine the untold suffering my friend must have gone through thinking that her lovely child had to stop school. Her phone call telling me my 10% had completed the money she needed for her baby's school fees did more for me than 10 christian louboutins would have. I now eagerly await February's 10%.

Much love,

XOXO

I was here......

Hi Dolls,

Been awhile ain't it. Oh well, You can't blame me. I have a baby(my favourite excuse these days for not engaging in any activity!) Anyhow, straight to the point this time, no dillydallying in tales of where I have been or what I have been doing.

Ever since I had my baby, I have received,stumbled upon various projects raising social awareness especially here in my homeland,Uganda. It was like something was reminding me about my purpose here on earth. I have always had plans to give back/pay it forward. But I have been putting them off because they are grandiose, require a lot of both money and time. I have wanted to set up a girls school just like the one Oprah has(and this dream was even before Oprah built hers, it was like right out of my head into hers). I want to start a scholarship scheme for orphan girls to go to the best universities in the world. And the last one was to adopt a baby.

But something has been pushing me to do something NOW. No matter what resources I have for if I keep pushing it, I might never do it. So I started, every month I find someone or a cause to give 10% of my salary to. Much like tithing but I refuse to give my money to the churches around me. I trust them as much as I trust the current government(that is a story for another day). I know it is not much but I know that one by one, that 10 % will manage to change some one's life..if it is by making that person feel beautiful for a day or paying a child's education for a term.

So far, I have done this twice. I wish I had detailed profiles of the people I payed forward to but I don't. That is just as well. I want to chronicle every monthly 10% deed here. I am not gloating. I am just hoping to inspire.

And I leave you with the lyrics to Beyonce's song; I was here. It spoke so greatly to me about this cause and every time I falter or feel discouraged in my mission. It lifts me right back up.

I wanna leave my footprints on the sands of time

Know there was something that,

meant something that I left behind

When I leave this world,

I'll leave no regrets

Leave something to remember, so they won't forget

I was here

I lived,

I loved

I was here

I did, I've done everything that I wanted

And it was more than I thought it would be

I will leave my mark so everyone will know

I was here

I want to say I lived each day, until I died

And know that I meant something in, some body's life

The hearts I have touched, will be the proof that I lived

That I made a difference, and this world will see

I was here

I lived, I loved

I was here

I did, I've done everything that I wanted

And it was more than I thought it would be

I will leave my mark so everyone will know

I was here

I lived, I loved

I was here

I did, I've done everything that I wanted

And it was more than I thought it would be

I will leave my mark so everyone will know

I was here

I just want them to know

That I gave my all, did my best

Brought someone some happiness

Left this world a little better just because

I was here.

xoxo

Lessons from the world's greatest Boss!

Hey dolls,

Missed you. Between being a mom, girlfriend, sister, friend, mentor and boss lady there was simply no time for the blog. But don't worry, will pop in once in a while. I aint dead.

I believe I have the world’s greatest boss. He has helped me grow from a simple naive intern from the university to a fully fledged confident IT engineer leading a team of 6. I have worked with him for close to 3 years now and the amount and quality of knowledge I have gained is too much and too good to not be shared. Here are the most valuable lessons I have picked from him.

1. Attitude: In most cases, attitude beats both experience and skill. When you have an employee who has a hunger to learn, a thirst to grow and extremely good at following instructions, this is someone invaluable. They will most likely go further than a highly skilled experienced worker.

2. Punctuality: You can never go wrong with this. Always be early to work, early to meetings. (Please note that I said early not on time) For my entire internship (up to date) I always arrived an hour before the official starting time. He has never been more impressed.

3. Dress to impress: Always stand out. Shabby clothes never helped anyone. This man has 500 dollar shades!

4. Know where and when: Always praise in public, rebuke in private.

5. Patience: Give people as many chances as you can, the more rope to hang themselves.

6. Mentor: Make sure each and every employee you are in charge of grows.

7. Have a sense of humour: It’s never that serious. Always have a good laugh. It makes you approachable.

8. Respect: Give it regardless of public stature. He treats the cleaning lady the same way he does the CEO. Respect is very different from being feared. Respect is commanded not demanded. Respect yourself and others will.


9. Motivate: We work for a really good company. The motivational benefits are already many but he always has the mind to treat the entire team to breakfast or lunch or even the odd pizza. Be generous, it doesn’t hurt.

10. Fair: Always be fair. Give everyone an opportunity to explain themselves. Listen to both sides of the story.

Aspire to inspire before you expire.

Yes Africa, We can! Miss Angola is Miss Universe!

Songs about the boy(now babydaddy)

Ola dolls, Having a baby has taught me alot of things but mostly it has taught me alot about relations. I want to share the most important one with you. That of friendship. I have realised that there is no way to successfully parent without being friends. It is almost like owning a business together. You cannot dive into it with all the heated emotions lovers tend to have. It has to be approached with alot of calm and sensibility. So whoever said for a relationship to work,you need to be friends was right.On a related note, Looking forward to my date night with the boy. Wonder what I shall wear,got to keep things fresh and interesting.. Xoxo

I spy with my good ear..Maurice Kirya!

Ola dolls,

Had a lovely weekend, no?! Well, I did. The highlight was attending Kirya Live. Maurice Kirya's premier concert(Not an album launch like you people are used to..side eye at all the Ugandans reading this). It was amazing. He truly came into his own. Though I would have preferred he chronicles his musical journey by starting with his old favourites but even the way he did it was okay to. Best way to describe it is; it was like eating a cake and being surprised at the mouth watering layers you'd discover with every bite..a little chocolate here..caramel goodness there(am writing this at breakfast so bear with me).

The part I enjoyed the most was when he did a rendition of one of my favourite Afrigo songs..I don't recall the name but that my friends was an eargasm. I almost cried. That man really can sing. And of course wooye was brilliant too. Ijust wished I had brought my baby who for some reason really likes this song.I'll be sure to ask her when she can talk.

All in all, it was a lovely show of art. I loved that he did not go down the usual road that other artistes go with curtain raisers. I loved the constant interaction with the crowd. He really connected with his fans. I loved the set. Silk events did a brilliant job. But most of all I loved the music. No theatrics just plain old music. Maurice is definitely an artist to reckon with. A few more like him and this country will take the music world by storm. I felt proud to be Ugandan that night.

And to all those that chose to go to the Chameleon concert, damn! You need to have your ears checked, don't you get tired of hearing different songs play over the same beat. He stopped producing anything worth hearing along time ago.

Happy Monday dolls.

xoxo