Source: YouTube

If you’re in need of a slight pick-me-upper, we’ve got just the thing to make you smile (and possibly even shed a few tears). A video recently surfaced of a young man explaining why he loves his mother so much and what inspired him to save his money and pay off her mortgage as a token of his appreciation.

“At one point in my life I hadn’t been home two and a half years. I hadn’t spoken to anyone or sent any e-mails. I remember the day I came back. I had all of my luggage with me. I just knocked at the door. She opened it. She said ‘Hi.’ She smiled and just asked me what I wanted for dinner. She didn’t ask me any questions. She just let me know in with everything I had. I guess it’s unconditional love,” the unnamed man expressed at the start of the video.

He proceeded to discuss how much he admired his mother for simply accepting him and how hard she works to take care of her family. As the video continues he reveals that he’s been saving his money to present his mother with a very special gift. The video then cuts to the man presenting his mother with a check to pay off the rest of her mortgage.

“Are you sure?” his mother asked, emotionally taken back by his gesture.

Ironically, the man reveals that he presented his mother with the heartwarming gift on his birthday.

“I realize birthdays are a tradition and that tradition dictates that one should celebrate their existence on the day on which they were born every year. However for me, my life has always been about what I can do for those around me. So for the last two and half years ive been saving my money, hoping to do right by a very special woman in my life. I know a lot of my friends wanted me to go out, to celebrate, but this for me is far greater then any gift/party I can hope for,” he wrote in the video description box.

Beautiful!

Check out the video below. Get your kleenex ready!

(AP Photo/The Orange County Register, Paul Bersebach)

Online shopping site Ebates has saved your Mother’s Day. According to a survey the company conducted, 55 percent of men think that women want roses for Mother’s Day. And 49 percent think jewelry is the top gift choice. Yet another thing that men don’t know about women! As it turns out, more than one-third (36 percent) of women said they want a gift certificate to their favorite store for Mother’s Day. Only 21 percent said they want roses and 22 percent said they want jewelry. Gift cards replace last year’s top choice, a spa day, which dropped to tie for second place with a homemade gift.

When asked how much they planned to spend, 28 percent of men said they would spend $20 to $50 on a gift. So what kind of jewelry are we talking about here?

Market research company IBISWorld says that spending on Mother’s Day is expected to increase .2 percent this year. And despite mom’s ambivalence about them, sales of flowers are supposed to go up 2.2 percent. But — good news — sales of gift certificates are expected to go up 2.2 percent. Money spent on Mother’s Day is forecast to total $17.06 billion.

“Disposable income has continued to expand in 2013, largely due to the declining unemployment rate as more Americans return to work,” reads the IBISWorld press release on the forecast. “Time-pressed individuals will increasingly reach for their laptops and smartphones to have flowers delivered or to order gift cards instead of searching out the perfect necklace or home decor.”

Sales of greeting cards and electronics are expected to fall 5.3 percent each, the largest decline of all the categories the research company looked at.

So what do you want for Mother’s Day?

Shutterstock

Mother’s Day is fast approaching (May 12) with many (rightfully so) shopping for those special finds. Though every day should be an appreciation for our mothers, the least we can do is show our love on their noted day. You’ve got less than two weeks to show just how much love!

Common presents include bath robes and slippers, jewelry and various items for the home. All of these options are great, but let’s take it a step further with things our moms can use outside the home.

If your mama is a career woman, here are some gift ideas she can enjoy during and even after work.

Who else is really loving these covers EBONY has done lately? That revamp definitely did the magazine a lot of good and we’re feeling it!

For the new May issue, which centers around motherhood (of course because of Mother’s Day), Jill Scott covers the magazine with her very adorable 3-year-old son Jett. According to LoveBrownSugar.com, the singer speaks on how motherhood has changed her, and the success and sometimes struggles of being a single mother.

From the snippets provided, Scott says that of all the things she loves about being a mother, it’s the moments when she feels and sees the love from her son in some of the smallest ways that moves her the most.

“Motherhood is getting your hands and your feet in the soil…When Jett puts my face in his hands and tells me, ‘Mommy you’re so pretty’ or smells me, it’s so wonderful.”

She also dishes on the reality check she received trying to raise Jett as a single mom after her relationship with her former drummer and fiancé Lil’ John Roberts, ended some time after Jett was brought into the world (they are said to be co-parenting though). She says that every single mother needs a “village,” as she puts it:

“That I-can-do-it-by-myself mentality is a lie. I’m sorry if I hurt anybody’s feelings, but you cannot do it all by yourself. You need a village: some aunties, grandmoms, friends. I couldn’t do this by myself and would be a fool to think I could.”

You can get more of Scott’s thoughts and advice on motherhood when this newest issue of EBONY drops on April 16, and you can see more photos from the shoot at LoveBrownSugar. But in the meantime, do you remember this picture of Scott and Jett above from when she debuted him to the world in Essence? He’s grown up so fast since she showed him off in that magazine in 2010. Definitely a cutie-patootie, and he looks just like Jill!

What do you think about her take on motherhood?

Source: dembabies.com

Because I know you can’t get enough of #dembabies, and Nick and Mariah know you can’t either, we’ve got more photos from the twins’ huge April 30 birthday party in Paris! In them, you can see the cutie pies (who are getting so big by the way) playing with their new toys (including a play Ferrari car) and getting adorable with mom and dad as they turn the big 1. They look so much like Mariah, it’s crazy! And by the look of those toys, those kids are going to be spoiled (but that’s not a bad thing in my book!).  Check out the belated cuteness below:

Source: dembabies.com

Source: dembabies.com

Source: dembabies.com

Source: dembabies.com

Rachel Roy with daughters Ava and Talullah; Source: Twitter - Rachel Roy

In other baby news…or make that kid news, Tallulah Dash (the daughter of Rachel Roy and Damon Dash) turned four recently. In true child-of-a-fashionista fashion, she was decked out with chick jewelry, and both a fab princess cake and balloons. To commemorate her turning four, after tweeting a pic of her big girl, Rachel Roy said, “Today she is 4 ☺! May she grow up to be happy compassionate and wise… ♥ you babygirl…xxRR” Check out the little big girl in all her birthday glory:

Source: http://www.blackcelebkids.com

Source: http://www.blackcelebkids.com

Source: http://www.blackcelebkids.com

Source: http://www.blackcelebkids.com

Emily B at 17 with Taina; Source: Twitter - Emily B

And last but not least, we just wanted to share a cute photo of Emily B and her kids (and Fab and his mother) as she celebrated Mother’s Day this past weekend. Her son, Johan, is growing up fast by the way! She posted this adorable pic through her Twitter of her kids, Taina and Johan, and her man, as she had a wonderful (and fashionable) Mommy’s Day.

Source: Twitter - Emily B

How lovely. *Smiles*

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I probably should’ve written this anonymously because if my family or friends come across it, I will never hear the end of it. The thing is, I’ve been on a tirade for the past four or five years about not having children. I never was a person who dreamed of baby carriages or said I wanted to have a big family, but after seeing how far money doesn’t go in New York City, and watching one too many women carry their strollers up the Subway steps while men pushed past them or just watched them huff and puff at each step, I decided I wasn’t about that life. And so, I made the announcement to my family—at every holiday gathering—and moved on with my happily non-impregnated, don’t ever want to be impregnated life. But something(s) happened to change my tune just a smidge last week.

One, I turned 27. This is actually an age I’ve always wanted to be and probably one of the few years where I didn’t feel like, “oh God, I’m not where I want to be.” There are some situations I don’t want to be in but an equal number of doors are opening and I’m pretty content. However my best friend, who’s not quite 26 yet, hitting me with the “oh my god, you are truly a grown woman. When you say ‘I’m 27,’ it lets people know you are too old to be bothered with childish foolishness but still sort of young you know?’” I just wanted to hang up on her, you know? Plus, I think I got used to the “oh you’re still a baby” comments that annoyed me at 26 and all the years before, but now for the five days that I’ve been telling people I’m 27, I just get “OK, cool.” No wet behind the ears, breath smelling like Similac jokes or nothing.

Number two, I went out for my birthday and spent about a good hour dancing back to back with a guy from high school that I hadn’t seen in forever and who’s 25. I’m not sure if I was on one or having a legitimate breakdown, but I felt like a straight cougar and was having a hard time trying to figure out the appropriate way a woman of my age should dance without moving like a granny or trying to compete with the 21-year-olds whose heads I couldn’t see because they were bouncing and shaking that thing like the twerk team. Add in the fact that he wiped sweat off my forehead and I had just the slightest twinge of knee pain the next day, and I began thinking, “Hmm. Maybe this is the life I’m not about.”

Number three, my friend got engaged. I’m not too keen on his bride of choice, but for some reason me telling him I was going to be looking for a new apartment soon—a studio that screams room for one and only one—just didn’t feel quite as exciting as the thought of him creating a home for his soon-to-be wife and their son together. Now don’t get me wrong, for someone as independent as I am, the ability to be able to have my own space, pay my own bills, and do me all by myself is nearly orgasmic. However, for the first time possibly ever, I was feeling the urge to have a purpose outside of myself and be responsible and accountable to someone besides me.

Number four, mother’s day hit. Now again, don’t get me wrong here either. I gladly turned down the mother’s day mug they were giving out at church yesterday. I even gave my friend a high-five as we celebrated the fact that we made it another year child-free; and I was quick to tell anyone who assumedly wished me a happy mother’s day, “oh no, not me.” However, something in me thought it wouldn’t be so bad to be on the receiving end of those wishes legitimately. Someday. Maybe. Like when I’m 35.

That’s my happy medium, compromise and have a kid age right now because there are some things I have to do first, like save (a ton of) money, find a man, fall in love, get married, have several years to ourselves without babies running around, and probably a million other things I can think of accomplishing before incorporating chil’rens. However the fact that I’m even thinking about having any—and had the nerve to write about it—is sort of tripping me out, along with my best friend who went silent when I shared this sentiment with her earlier since we decided we’d have to have kids around the same time or our friendship would be ruined. So basically, I’m secretly hoping I run into one of the worst kids I’ve ever come across in life today so I can go back to my zero tolerance for children policy and live childlessly ever after.

As far as the old chick in the club thing, I’ve just decided to hang out with older people so I can be the young one in the group again. Kidding! I’m pretty sure my cougar paranoia was an isolated incident magnified by the fact that a 25-year-old seemed to be the only decent specimen where I was, and if I was going to be serious about having at least a family consisting of me and a male counterpart I had better find some new places to hang out. At 27, I’m not really the old chick in the club, however I have seen 40 in the club and I’m telling you right now, I refuse to be her or the woman I fear I’m about to turn into, which is a 27-year-old single lady dreaming of babies spitting up on me and keeping me up at night. (If I bring up the bad aspects of motherhood it helps me cope.) Either way, I’m hoping I’m not alone in this struggle and some of you have hit that age where you suddenly start wanting things you never thought you did before. Or, you just feel plain old. Either way, share por favor!

Did you get the itch for a family or children after you turned a certain age?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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Two weeks ago, I got a message from my mother.  It said: “Hi Charing; I hope all is well with you. I am writing to let you know that I will be moving to Florida in two weeks.”

If folks remember back to the whole Tracey Morgan situation with his mother, I wrote very candidly about my own estrangement from my mother.  I would like to say that we had a major falling out that could have been easily resolved with some time but truthfully it was a gradual thing that occured over the years and eventually became inevitable. So when I saw her email message, I had a lot of mixed emotions.

First, why was she emailing me? Emails are so impersonal. I send emails when I want to call out for work and don’t feel like faking the sick voice over the telephone.  Neither my house nor my cell phone numbers have changed so why didn’t she just call? And secondly, why was I the last to know? Of course, I know the answer to that, I mean we are on the outs, but it still didn’t hurt less to know that she is moving some 1200 miles from the place that she was born, raised, reared us – her children -and where her family continues to reside. And all I got was an email.

I didn’t know how to respond: should I point out to her the frosty way she chose to tell me, thus rehashing old arguments and bitter feelings?  Do I ignore the email and continue to be upset that she is moving away before resolving the differences between her and I? Doesn’t she care or even love me? My freaking head was pounding. I can feel the tears welling up in my eyes as all the old memories began to resurface. I really needed to talk to someone. Someone, who could be sympathetic without making me feel guilty for these feelings I was having. Not too many folks understand. Not too many folks want to understand. Mothers are sacred and to speak ill against them is the equivalent of talking ish about Jesus. But I do have one ally, who understands. And that is my baby brother. So I called him:

“I kind of let go a while ago expecting Mom to be the mom we wanted her to be. I’m at the point now where I just let go of that dream so that I can move on with my life. My advice to you is to do the same. Just wish her well, say you’re happy for her and let go,” he said.  

Four years younger than me and yet so full of grown man wisdom.

The sins of parents are among the most difficult to forgive. Growing up, my brother and I learned very early on that our lives were an impediment on my mother’s happiness.  How do we know that for sure? Well, she told us that in so many words – most of which were not very nice.  She yelled and screamed a lot, called us names, withheld affection and  would punish us harshly for little things like not washing dishes properly and sometimes stuff that she made up in her head (and I’m not exaggerating). We were scared of her, constantly walking around on eggshells, not knowing for sure what minor infraction might set her off.  While on the phone with my brother, he and I recalled, almost amusingly, about how happy we were the times she wasn’t around – like the hours between the time we got home from school and the time she got home from work. But once we heard the key in the door it was like all the happiness had been sucked completely out of the room.

We also talked about how we remembered her being very melancholy. Like coming home from work and going directly into her bedroom, where she stayed the rest of her night locked away from us. Sometimes through the closed door, we would hear her cry. We never knew why. And although we were concerned, we dared not to knock on her bedroom door or else risk “getting in trouble.” Likewise, we don’t remember her having many friends or her doing much besides work – with exceptions of a few boyfriends, who would suddenly show up and move in. Those times she was happy, which meant that we were free to be happy too. But those moments of euphoria were short-lived as those relationships would quickly turn sour for a number of reasons including drug problems and abuse. She then would go back to being sad and depressed again.

We talked about how we know very little about our mother personally. I mean, we knew her birth date and other pertinent information, you know in case of emergency, but the rest of her life, down to what she was thinking, was totally a mystery. In fact, anything I learned about my mother, I learned from observation only or through second hand information.  Like how I learned from my grandmother that my mother and I never got along, “even as a baby I remember her trying to pick you up and you screaming your head off.  And then I would pick you up and you would get quiet. That used to upset your mother,” my grandmother once told me.

Mother’s Day is here and it’s a great day to pamper your mom and give her a small token of your appreciation. There’s always flowers or chocolates, brunch and a card. But sometimes you want to add a personal touch and give a gift with a bit more meaning. So give the gift of healthy hair!

DIY hair talk is all the rage whether your natural, weaved up or relaxed/straight, but some of our mom’s may be overwhelmed with all the talk and trends, or just stuck in habit when it comes to hair care. Giving a hair care gift is a great way to help them wade through all the hair trends and it’s personal to their hair care needs and style. Nothing makes a good gift like a gift that shows thought.

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stylebistro.com

Hey loves!  If you celebrate it, I’m sure you all are enjoying your Mother’s Day with friends and family! The celebs got into quite a few things over the course of the last week and these are just a couple you might have missed. They never cease to leave us hanging for idle chitchat!

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yeahshesaidit.com

My mother is not an entrepreneur. She is not a self-made millionaire with her own company. She does not own a home with a vacation property on the side. She is not rich or has any inheritance to her name.

She did not discover a new product for consumers, invest in any stocks or networked her way to the top. My mother is a normal African-American woman born and raised by a single mother in one of the country’s most dangerous cities. She has been your average blue collar worker for as long as I can remember, and now because of the economy and job market, she is in between careers. And yet, she is the wisest, wealthiest person I know.

I know this because I have always had high standards for my mother. As an only child of a single mother, I knew her worth, I felt her struggle firsthand, and through her struggle came wisdom, something I knew to cherish.

I am appreciative to reflect on this Mother’s Day from a new angle: in my early twenties with a college degree, no children and a successful, growing career in the media industry in New York City. These are all manifestations of my mother’s hopes for me, since she did not have the same. She became a mother at my age and knows the importance of youth, especially when it comes to achieving your professional goals.

As the wisest, most business-savvy person I know, my mother has imparted many lessons that I still remember in my everyday life, especially in the corporate workplace. Although I still remain like a deer in headlights sometimes when it comes to being an African-American female professional in the workplace, I revert back to her teachings and never stray far. Some of my favorite quotes remind me of her lessons and past experiences…

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