Nigerian Weight Loss Recipes and Food Table

It's just so weird how all the things I talk about and want to do are falling in place! I want to pray more, my church is offering a class on prayer... I want to try Nollywood, I'm being given an opportunity to do a monologue in 2 weeks (more info coming)... and so many other things! Isn't God awesome?! And HE's awesome even when things aren't going so great. Even though I've stumbled and felt far from him at different times, He's always been there to pick me up!

Ok, the reason for this post is the Nigerian Food Table for Weight Loss feature on 9ja Foodie. My health-nut, gym-freak cousin's always going on about how Nigerian food is full of carbohydrates and it must be hard to lose weight here. Well, NEVER FEAR for 9jaFoodie is here to save the day! Here's the image below and I'll post links afterwards.

1. 9jafoodie Nigerian Food Table for Weight Loss
2. 9jafoodie Nigerian Recipes for Weight Loss

LET'S DO THIS! 2013 is OUR BEST YEAR SO FAR!

End of January Goals Check-In Time!!!

It's that time again! Time to check in and update progress on Berry Dakara's 2013 Goals post. So far, half of my goals are going along swimmingly. The other half are drowning and need CPR immediately!

Goal	Steps	Progress
1. Live independently by the second half of the year (new apartment, new car)	i. Determine cost of housing in desired area. ii. Determine cost of desired car. iii. Work out necessary saving plan.	i. I might have to look at a different living area to fit my budget. ii. I have my car budget. Now to find a car that fits said budget.
2. Get married by the end of the year	i. Ask God for direction. ii. Start studying marriage books. You gotta study for it! iii. The rest is a secret.	i. Still need to pray more. ii. Reread Things I Wish I Knew Before Getting Married. And weekly perusal of Startmarriageright.com iii. Still keeping lips hushed
3. Try out Nollywood	i. Talk to my actor friend for pointers. ii. Ask other friend with access to Nollywood to introduce me around. iii. Pool the little Nollywood-esque body of work I've done from YouTube and spread. iv. Also order personal calling cards.	i. Card designed, not yet ordered. ii. YouTube compilation (just 2/3 videos coming soon) iii. Was approached to do a monologue for a program titled Love Sessions for Valentine's Day. Will most definitely put up the video on Youtube. CAN'T WAIT!!! iv. Got the DVD for the church play where I acted as Herodias :)
4. Lose 13 pounds by my birthday and keep it off all year!	i. Check weight everyday. ii. Do the 10lbs Slimdown series which means going to bed and waking up early! iii. Do the Max Capactiy Training app on BB Playbook iv. Eat more healthy v. Drink coffee no more than 2ce a week	i. Gained 3-4lbs last week. Lost them by this morning. ii. Trying to sleep earlier. iii. Did not continue with MCT. But will resume in February. Along with Squats Challenge and 10lbs Slimdown. iv. Well weekends and going to PH are bad for my diet :( v. I've achieved drinking coffee 2ce a week!
5. Read at least 13 books (Bible included) by the end of the year	i. One book or more per month and ii. One Year Bible	i. I read my January book!!! Started and finished Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. Lovely book. ii. I'm right on track with the 90-Day Bible Plan. All done with Genesis, Exodus and Leviticus. Praise God :)
6. Put on my makeup before I leave the house daily	i. Wake up 5 minutes earlier. ii. Have makeup palette laid out for easy access.	i. Where did I keep my makeup palette???
7. Make one beaded accessory monthly	i. Plan ahead - necklace, ear rings, rings... decide beforehand. ii. Look up DIY blogs and Etsy for creative ideas.	i. I made 1.9 necklaces in January. Yay me! ii. Making earring and ring set for February
8. Have an emergency-only savings account with at least N1,000,000.00 by the end of the year	i. Save N100,000.00 a month. ii. It's BUDGETING TIME!!! iii. List all monthly expenses (overcompensate, just in case) iv. Put down income (maybe underestimate by a bit) If difference is less than N100k a month, reduce expenses.	i. Still not gotten paid, but that means more money into savings when it does come. Need to stick to budget and track my daily spend. ALSO I'm putting aside every N100 and below bill. Let's see how much that'll come to by the end of the year.
9. Find and volunteer once a month at a charity	i. List interests and things-that-touch-my-heart. ii. Start researching online and via church. iii. Ask parents if/how I can help with their philanthropy.	i. A lady at church mentioned that she's starting up a charity program and wants to have a volunteering exercise in Q1 2013. I've signed up. ii. I want to join Rotary (like my grandfather) and make a difference :)
10. Go to England and Greece or Ghana	i. Decipher when the next potential work break is. ii. Start scouting tickets for that period on various airlines. iii. Start contacting friends/family for accommodation purposes. iv. SAVE FOR AND PLAN HOLIDAY TRIP AND SPENDING!	i. Erm, not sure if the Easter trip will work out anymore. My friend wants to do the islands for our birthday, and that trumps my other travel plans. Bikini Body by FORCE!
11. Read my Bible, pray every day, and fast more often	i. Wake up early!!! ii. Utilize YouVersion bible/devotional plans. iii. Praying is TALKING to God, so just TALK!	i. I listen to the 90-Day Bible on my drive to/from work. ii. I haven't kept up with my Prayer Devotional sadly :( iii. I'm starting my church's School of Prayer this evening :) iv. I think I should steal 15-30 mins during my work day to pray...
12. Follow Nigerian news weekly – not just entertainment news, and not just on Bella Naija	i. Ask around and research Nigerian news outlets. ii. Select and subscribe to 1 or 2 - email deliveries?	i. Maybe Bella Naija and Facebook for Nigerian news isn't that bad. *ok, yes it is. Naughty Berry*
13. Get a fulfilling/rewarding job	i. Write down skills, hobbies, interests. ii. Update resume. iii. Subscribe to job websites and keep an active lookout.	i. Ah ha! I found someone in the company in a department I might enjoy. Going to meet with him early February. ii. Need to update resume ASAP!

Gettin Fit in February: Squats Challenge

I have a confession... No, I'm not about to sing D'Banj's Oliver Twist, although I just might right after this post.

My confession is this: I have not exercised since the first week of January! I know, I know, I'm terrible. How do I intend to lose the 13lbs by my birthday if I don't exercise. And not just that, during my few days in Port Harcourt last week, I ate like a pig and gained an extra 3-4 pounds. I'm being such a disaster *covers face and runs to hide from utter shame*

This week though, I've gone back to eating regularly, and I've dropped the 3/4 pounds. I'm now back to my starting point. I was chatting with my cousin yesterday, and she's a weight-loss-gym-freak! She's actually been featured on Bella Naija for her weight-loss story - The Number 240. So she told me about the February 2013 Squat Challenge. And since I'm tired of the jelly in my booty and thighs, I asked her to send me the info. So dear friends, I would like to share with you...

I added the pictures and encouragement myself. Going to print and stick on my wall :)

I'm scared, I'm not going to lie. Squats are EVIL! I foresee wearing only flat shoes through the entire month. Well, like my girl, Chidynma (another workout-freak) said, squats won't be enough to lose weight. So I'll be restarting my 10lb Slimdown Exercise Plan series tomorrow as well. Kim, Bey, Salma, I'm coming for you!!!

Fingers crossed and wish me God-speed cos luck won't do it!

Berry.

Is being a SEXY woman a sin?

Hola amigos!


This question has crossed my mind several times over the years. Before I delve into the subject matter, let's look at the definition of the word "Sexy."

1. Concerned primarily with sex. 

2. Radiating sexuality. 

3. Generally attractive, appealing or exciting. 

Well, going by the first definition, sexy would most definitely involve sin, married or not. With the second definition, I think it's okay for a married Christian woman to radiate sexuality towards her husband. Christian men should be able to view their wives as sexy, wouldn't you agree? If they're not aroused when they look at their wives, I would think that's a problem.

I'd like to tackle the third definition. Is there anything wrong in purposely acting, dressing, speaking, in a sexy manner - one that is generally attractive, appealing or exciting? I don't think there's any woman in the world who doesn't like/want to be generally attractive, appealing or exciting (with the exception of nuns maybe). I like to think I fall into this category of Sexy (even though I have enough male friends who will dispute it to their dying days). Maybe the question I should be asking is what kind of sexy do you project? And who decides whether a woman is sexy or not? Isn't "being sexy" to someone subjective anyway? What one guy sees as sexy, another guy can see as trashy; still a different guy can see as wholesome.  

This past Sunday, I went to church with a male friend. He said he'd stopped going to our church (name withheld) because of the way women dressed. According to him, there were a lot of tight, short skirts and dresses; body-hugging outfits; cleavage-baring tops and more that could easily arouse him. I hadn't noticed that kinda dressing, so on our way out of church, I asked him to point out women wearing inappropriate outfits. Out of the 5 or 6 women he identified, I thought only 1 of them was dressed inappropriately. Dresses he saw as tight, I saw as fitted. Shoes I saw as just heels, he deemed stripper/Eff-me shoes! I'm pretty sure none of these women think they're doing anything wrong aka sinning. But if a guy's being aroused by looking at them, is it their fault? Actually, at a point, I decided that my friend was just looking for something to arouse him, and that he was the one with the problem.

If I dress well and want to appear appealing, without the intent of arousing sexual desire in a man, then I don't think that being sexy in that way is wrong. And it's not just about dressing either. A lot of guys take a woman's intelligence, spirituality, sense of humor, confidence level into consideration as part of the 'Sexy' package. Does the fact that men think I'm appealing automatically mean that they want to have sex with me? And what if they are aroused by me, even though I am not intentionally trying to incite that reaction? Have I sinned?

I dunno, I feel like I'm rambling - there are too many angles to this topic. But I really want to know what others (YOU) think about this. 

Treasure Hunting in Owerri

Hey friends,

It's been longer than I wanted, and I apologize for being away for this long. BUT I'm back and I have to share my treasure hunting story with you.

Long long ago, in 1935, a beautiful baby girl was born somewhere in Nigeria. Fast forward to her teenage years, where she worked as a secretary to a handsome journalist who was in the fight for Nigeria's independence. Alas, this fight landed him in a prison cell and the young lady assumed the duty of taking care of him during his imprisonment. Upon his release, the journalist professed his love and the pair were married in 1950. Through the years, they had six children: 3 boys and 3 girls. The couple stuck together in good times and trying times. When he lost everything to the Biafran War, she stayed by his side. When he recouped, she was there. Their marriage included jaunts to different parts of the world. They celebrated numerous occasions in style.

It is 2013. They have recently reached their 62nd wedding anniversary. They have 21 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. The couple's first grandchild, a girl, enjoys looking at old pictures of her grandparents. She sees how beautiful and stylish her grandmother was as a young wife (SHE STILL IS, mind you). And so, on a trip to visit her grandparents, she tells her grandmum that she'd like to see and have some of her vintage clothes. After a little persuasion, the treasure hunting begins...

Locked up Trunk Box

Ah-choo! Dusty, innit?

Ah, nice and clean :)

Oooh, pretty!

Mustard (?) pants. It's got a matching jacket somewhere

Trunk box manufactured by...

Grandma's 25th Wedding Anniversary Dress. The year was 1975.

Me holding up my grandma's 25th Wedding Anniversary dress.  Does she look 40 in the photo???

Just thought to share a few photos. In all, I collected about 10 dresses from my grandma. It would be awesome to wear this or another anniversary dress not pictured to MY wedding, don't you think? I plan to dryclean everything I took, take better photographs and share the dresses among my sisters and cousins. :)
Any dresses I wear will be photographed and posted.

What heirlooms have you gotten from your family? Please share.

Hugs,
Berry.

On Public Relations(hips)

Hey guys n gals!

Top of the morning to ya! Why do I always seem so chirpy? Maybe cos I'm sipping on a cuppa tea... That's besides the point.

Today, I want to discuss the matter of PUBLIC RELATIONS(HIPS). I'm not talking about couples who let everyone know that they are together. I'm not talking about the Facebook statuses of 'Berry' is now in a relationship with 'Dakara.' I'm talking about those couples who make it a point to invite their circle of friends and beyond, into their relationship.

My questions are:

1. Why do I need to see a picture of you sucking face on my Facebook feed, BBM recent updates, Whatsapp updates, Instagram, and whathaveyou?



2. Why do I need to know that your "baby" took a picture of you sleeping? Yeah, you slept... so did I. So did most other people on Earth.



Liar, I can see your reflection in the mirror.

3. Why must you have a 60-minute conversation with your honey on your Facebook and BBM profiles? You know how you can chat with someone privately? How about you do that? It's none of my concern that she just left your house and you miss her. Tell it to HER.
4. You know those fake subliminal rants you post about "men" "women" "couples?" Thanks a lot. Now I know what he/she did to you. And so do your 5000 Facebook friends.
5. Why put up pictures, statuses, messages, etc and when I say something, you tell me your relationship is none of my business? Yeah, I'm talking to you CHRIHANNA!

*wonders if my friends online and my phone contact list feel the same way when I post a million pictures of the cutest nephew in the world* :p

Weekend Hair - 3 styles!

Soooooooo, how are ya and how was your weekend? I hope you had a pretty one. I'd say mine was pretty until 9pm on Sunday night, at which point I admitted I'd overextended myself this weekend and broke down in tears from sheer fatigue. I know, I know, I'm a drama queen *cue Nollywood*

Anyways, during the week, I usually wear wigs, until I get around to going to a salon. But on weekends I like to let my hair breathe and fly free. Like I said in my Pomadorable post, I'm trying to play around with different hairstyles and I think I did a pretty good job this weekend.

#1. The Grecian. This is my go-to hairstyle, because it's easy to do (2-3 minutes) and it looks simple, elegant, and classic. I wore it to a daytime event - Nibi of The Kinky Apothecary opened her first concession stand at L'Espace in Victoria Island. She manufactures a line of natural hair care products, as well as sells other lines. It was a pretty event with champagne and I got to meet and socialize with other ladies like moi.

Grecian Hair style

Nibi - natural hair guru

Ms. Kinky Apothecary

The Kinky Apothecary Oils

#2 - Twist, Tuck, Pin - I think? Well, I started off wanting to do a pompadour style for a nighttime event. However, I changed my mind and flat-twisted the back in a straight line. I left some hair out in front and tucked it in. I was pretty happy with the result. I attended the Republic of Foreigner sale at A White Space. Met up with my friend there and we had drinks and enjoyed the overall ambiance. Oops, no pics from the event. Sawry.

Flat twist in the back

#3. Simple Up-do: On Sunday, I felt like being sunny and wore a modified yellow bridesmaid dress. I decided to just pull my hair up into a simple up-do, and I secured it with a necklace given to me by my parents. I went to church, visited my friend's house, went to another friend's house, attended a HILARIOUS play at Terra Kulture, went to pick something up at an aunt's house, then to drop off my friend (at which point I started crying cos I was exhausted), and finally got home. I'm never scheduling more than 2 outings per weekend anymore!

Princess Updo

And so we've come to the end of my weekend hairdventures! I'm going to look for a cup of coffee.

See ya :)

Da-Cook-Kara: Grilled Garden Eggs

 Hi everybody,

Yesterday, I decided to finally try out a recipe I'd been thinking about for the past one year. I hadn't eaten garden eggs in the years I lived in the States. In my one and a half years of being back in Nigeria, I've had them maybe twice. What I'd never before tasted was the peanut paste that goes along with garden eggs. My were my taste buds dancing to it! So much so, that I forfeited the garden eggs altogether and would put the paste on jollof rice :)

Anyways, I'd always wondered about a different way to eat garden eggs. Up until last year, I didn't know there was a thing called Garden Egg Stew/Sauce/Soup. But I thought about grilling. Because I figured if garden egg is a vegetable, and you can grill vegetables, why not garden eggs? (*side note: Wikipedia says they're actually classified as BERRY! Hey, just like me!*) In addition, I believe they're related to the eggplant regularly eaten grilled in America.

Different kinds of Eggplant

Health Benefits of Garden Eggs
For those of us who are watching our weight, garden eggs have a number of health benefits. They are high in fiber, vitamin B1, and low in calories. The skin is rich with nasunin, which is a potent antioxidant and therefore is a good anti-aging food. Nasunin also restricts the growth of new blood cells, which is good for fighting cancer, but bad for fetuses so pregnant women should take note. They're a good snack to have between meals too. I had them for dinner instead.

Recipe
So I got some garden eggs on my way home from work yesterday. I couldn't find the groundnut paste, but luckily we had some at home. I didn't know they were sold in big jars. I informed my aunt/uncle and their son and the housekeeper about my intentions to grill the garden eggs. Reactions range from stupefied looks to shaking heads to laughter. But they didn't sway me and I got to work.

1. Wash garden eggs

2. Cut garden eggs into halves and place on aluminum foil

*side note: it wasn't until after I was done, that I looked up Grilled Eggplant recipes and saw that I could have lightly glazed the garden eggs with olive oil and sprinkled some salt and herbs. Maybe next time, if there's one.*

3. Place pan in grill. Grill one side for 10 minutes, flip over and the grill the other side another 10 minutes.

4. Once done, bring out of grill. They didn't look very appetizing.

Still not sure I want to eat them.

5. Spread paste, or other sauteed vegetables (mine were peppers, onions and carrots) on garden eggs and VOILA!

BON APPETIT!

VERDICT - Well, erm, ok... first of all, I must have been the only person in the world that didn't know garden eggs were full of water. Whereas my thought was to have the garden eggs crunchy, they came out soft and full of water - like any other vegetable, or berry as we've just found out. So because it wasn't what I was expecting, it wasn't GREAT for me. The peanut paste mixed with all the water from the garden eggs didn't mesh well together. BUT on the plus side, the sauteed veggies were a wonderful complement to the garden eggs. 

Will I try it again? Mmmm, maybe if I was bored. And if I had sauteed chicken and shrimps to go along with it.

Signing off now. Have a pretty weekend. 

On Prayer (Style)...

Yes, you read the title correctly... Prayer Style. And by style, I don't mean fashion - LOL, imagine if I did though: In order to pray, you need to wear this and this. K, I'm silly, enough of that.

A friend of mine said something to me last week: "You don't like to pray." Erm, que, wha, heh? The statement came out of a chat we were having. He mentioned a prayer retreat event coming up soon, and I told him I wasn't going to attend - not because I had plans already, but I just didn't really want to go. And then he made that comment. He continued by saying that he had noticed that during the prayer portion of church services, I wouldn't shout or be audibly speaking in tongues and proclaiming the blood of Jesus to rain fire and brimstone on my enemies... ok, I'm exaggerating but you get the point. I was slightly offended by the remark, because I felt like it was a judgment against me because I'd rather sit and pray quietly.

I've mentioned how I pray on this blog a few times. To me, to make it more personal, I pray like I'm simply having a conversation with God. I noticed that I talk to myself a lot, and decided to turn the things I say towards God instead. When I talk regularly, I'm more quiet than anything. People even say I sound like a child. The only times I get LOUD are when I'm angry. So I figure, if I'm not angry at God, why do I need to shout at/to Him? In my conversational, quiet style of praying, it helps me pray constantly because it's easy for me. I have spoken in tongues at some point in my life, much less so now. Not because I don't believe in it anymore. But in the church I went to in Boston, the bishop/pastor went with the doctrine and passage in the bible that called for interpretation when speaking in tongues. This has stayed with me, and even though I know that there are other verses that say speaking in tongues is the Holy Spirit speaking on your behalf, I haven't been comfortable doing it (aside from the guilt of sinning here and there).

So back to my friend. The same prayer retreat came up in discussion again, and I told him again that I didn't want to go, just because. His comment was "You don't want to pray?!" Erm, do I need to pray for 6 hours to show that I want or like to pray? Do I need to shout at the top of my voice to prove to God that I'm indeed praying? Must I get on my knees with tears streaming down my face, knotted eyebrows for people to believe I'm praying?

Is there anything wrong with my style of praying? I know God hears me, because He's answered me before. Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking loud, warrior-chanting, mountain-falling, tongue-filled prayer. Hey, do you. I think God wants you to be free and honest with Him. If praying induces tears, cry out an ocean's worth of tears. If you want to shout, screeeeeeeeeeam so that the fish in the deepest darkest seas can hear you. And if my style is easygoing and conversational, what's so wrong with that? Obviously there have been those days where I cried out in pain to God. But that's not the norm for me, and I don't agree with the assertion that I don't like to pray.

All that being said, I just started the 'Teach Me to Pray' devotional on Youversion. One way or another, I'm going to find out myself what God says about praying.

G'nite folks.

2 Girls, A White Space

So this year, I've determined in my heart to explore Lagos! Well, the island because the mainland scares me - it's just too big and I can't handle it. For me, exploring will take me to new restaurants, cafes, museums, beaches, fun activities and more... maybe even churches?

Anyways, first up for me this year - A WHITE SPACE.

What is that, you ask? Well, it's a different kind of event venue. They describe it as "a small boutique short term lettable space/venue for cultural and retail use." Basically, they rent out the bottom floor of this building (all the rooms are painted white) to people who want to have small events, art displays, pop-up retail events, cake-tastings, film clubs... the list is endless. Right now, the owner (nice guy called Papa) is having a 60-day hang-out exhibition, if you will. I found out about it via The 4 Aces Date blog and decided to call up a fellow blogger (Review Naija) and asked if she'd be interested. She was and we made plans to visit last Friday. From the way we were acting and our endless conversation, people would think we were best friends, even though our first meeting was that same evening. I regularly contribute reviews to her site so that forged a pre-meeting-friendship.

I didn't take too many pictures - what else is new? But here are the ones I have...

Artwork behind the makeshift bar. Pretty, right?

A poem about FOOD innit?

We played table tennis... She whooped my behind! My hand-eye coordination sucks :(

Chicken Suya and Flat Bread - YUM!

Anita and Efe

I plan on going again this weekend, as there's a pop-up fashion/retail exhibit. Will take better pictures next time.

Have a pretty Thursday :)

2013 Goals Biweekly Check-In

So, remember how I posted a Berry Dakara's 2013 Goals post? Well, I've decided that it's not enough to just post the goals and forget about them. I shall be sharing on a biweekly basis on any progress made and what improvements can be taken. I also didn't post what steps are needed, so here they are:

Goal	Steps	Progress
1. Live independently by the second half of the year (new apartment, new car)	i. Determine cost of housing in desired area. ii. Determine cost of desired car. iii. Work out necessary saving plan.	i. I've started asking around for prices.
2. Get married by the end of the year	i. Ask God for direction. ii. Start studying marriage books. You gotta study for it! iii. The rest is a secret.	i. I really ought to pray more :( God said to pray without ceasing. ii. I plead the 5th.
3. Try out Nollywood	i. Talk to my actor friend for pointers. ii. Ask other friend with access to Nollywood to introduce me around. iii. Pool the little Nollywood-esque body of work I've done from YouTube and spread. iv. Also order personal calling cards.	i. Card designed, not yet ordered. ii. YouTube compilation (just 2/3 videos coming soon)
4. Lose 13 pounds by my birthday and keep it off all year!	i. Check weight everyday. ii. Do the 10lbs Slimdown series which means going to bed and waking up early! iii. Do the Max Capactiy Training app on BB Playbook iv. Eat more healthy v. Drink coffee no more than 2ce a week	i. Still hovering at my starting point. ii. I sleep late, wake up late and tired iii. Did the MCT for one week *I'm ashamed* iv. Well... v. Going well, I think. Actually, no.
5. Read at least 13 books (Bible included) by the end of the year	i. One book or more per month and ii. One Year Bible	i. I haven't yet chosen a book, but I bought a compilation of 4 books by Jane Austen. I will start THIS EVENING! ii. I was going to sign up for the 1-Year Bible Plan on Youversion (see my Youversion profile here) but I took too long and would have to finish next year, so instead I've signed up for the 90-Day Bible Plan which is intense.
6. Put on my makeup before I leave the house daily	i. Wake up 5 minutes earlier. ii. Have makeup palette laid out for easy access.	i. Well, I'm still doing my makeup in the car. But I've been able to apply it at home a few days :)
7. Make one beaded accessory monthly	i. Plan ahead - necklace, ear rings, rings... decide beforehand. ii. Look up DIY blogs and Etsy for creative ideas.	i. I'm 99% complete with a necklace for January!
8. Have an emergency-only savings account with at least N1,000,000.00 by the end of the year	i. Save N100,000.00 a month. ii. It's BUDGETING TIME!!! iii. List all monthly expenses (overcompensate, just in case) iv. Put down income (maybe underestimate by a bit) If difference is less than N100k a month, reduce expenses.	i. Well, I haven't gotten paid, but budget has been created.
9. Find and volunteer once a month at a charity	i. List interests and things-that-touch-my-heart. ii. Start researching online and via church. iii. Ask parents if/how I can help with their philanthropy.	i. I know women and children's issues are endearing to me. ii. I need to be more proactive on this one.
10. Go to England and Greece or Ghana	i. Decipher when the next potential work break is. ii. Start scouting tickets for that period on various airlines. iii. Start contacting friends/family for accommodation purposes. iv. SAVE FOR AND PLAN HOLIDAY TRIP AND SPENDING!	i. So far, I know the next break would be Easter. That is all.
11. Read my Bible, pray every day, and fast more often	i. Wake up early!!! ii. Utilize YouVersion bible/devotional plans. iii. Praying is TALKING to God, so just TALK!	i. Hmmm... I've been going to bed late and so I wake up late. ii. And do you know that you have to practice constant prayer? iii. I half-heartedly fasted with church last week - NO GOOD! iv. Erm, I must discipline myself to read my devotional everyday, and stop playing catch-up every 3 days.
12. Follow Nigerian news weekly – not just entertainment news, and not just on Bella Naija	i. Ask around and research Nigerian news outlets. ii. Select and subscribe to 1 or 2 - email deliveries?	i. So I asked last week, but haven't gotten around to visiting Sahara Reporters yet. *Shame*
13. Get a fulfilling/rewarding job	i. Write down skills, hobbies, interests. ii. Update resume. iii. Subscribe to job websites and keep an active lookout.	i. Well, I had previously subscribed to Jobberman but I don't check it religiously.

What I'm Listening to Now...

Hola!

Last week, family friend (and "younger sister"), Adaku, premiered her music video on YouTube. I've watched little Ada grow up from an "I-watch-only-TBN" girl to a smart, grounded, confident young woman who I'm sure watches other channels now. Her debut song is called "If You Can" and it's got a pretty melody and tone. Check out her amazing natural hair - I remember when she still had the longest relaxed hair ever and asked me questions about going natural - well, she more than overtook me. She excels at what she puts her mind to. I started teaching myself guitar before she did. Fast forward: I quit after the first lesson cos I lost my book, and now she's a recording artist.

Anyways, enough of my rambling. Here's her video.

PS: Adaku, next time, let me know ahead of time so I can play a character in your next video!

Pompadorable!

Hi friends,

So I want to wear my natural hair out more often this year. Which means I'm more willing to experiment with different styles. Over the weekend, I started to do a Roll, Tuck n Pin style, and ended up with a Pompadour a la Janelle Monae instead. Mine's nowhere near as smooth as hers, but I think I did an okay job for a first try. I'll try to perfect it with time. :)

LOL @ my kissy-surprise face :p

RANT of the day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG! I want to screeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeam! I am SO ANNOYED! Somebody give me a pillow to scream into a la Lilo and Stitch!

The source of my annoyance? Bad customer service - unintended, nevertheless, BAD customer service!!!

So I went to get my car fixed today, cos a tire had been making a yucky sound for a while. My friend (K) referred me to his mechanic, and we went to drop it off in the morning. After the consultation, the price I was told was N12,000. Hmm, ok, fair enough. I go off with K, having a fairly jolly day. And then we're called back to the auto shop 7 hours later... after which, my mood shifted DRAMATICALLY! *I'm going to have to ask for forgiveness once I calm down*

Random thought of the day: How to shower properly

Yes yes yes, I'm back with a very random thought. Why would anyone wonder how to shower? Well, this comes from the realization that a lot of my family/friends seem to spend a much longer time showering than I do. If you ask me, I don't see why anyone needs to be in the shower for more than 5-10 minutes.

• First of all, Do you have that much body mass? 
• II., Are you showering in slow motion?
• 3. Ever heard of water conservation? Be kind to Planet Earth!
• D. Being here in Nigeria, in our house, the water's epileptic so you can't tell when the hot water'll go off, so just rush and jump out.
• Fifthly, that is all.

So I brought up the question to my best friend, Google.

Dakara Style - Pretty In Pink

Bonjour mes amours!

Went to a traditional wedding last weekend. My going was kinda impromptu because I'd been in Atlanta, and wasn't sure I'd attend when I got back. I literally had to get dressed in 15 minutes - I left work late and the wedding had started 2.5 hours earlier. So I flew home, freshened up, put on my outfit, miraculously managed to put on my makeup BEFORE leaving the house (2013 Goals on track!)

Look! It's my twin!

Time to DECLUTTER!

A few years ago, I wrote an article for an e-magazine, Mimi Magazine. The article was published in the January 2008 issue and you can read it here: Removing the Clutter. What I basically talked about was how to remove the clutter and noise in different areas of your life, such as your Wardrobe, Filing Cabinet, and Friends and Family.

With 2013 just starting out, resolutions and goals flying all over the place, now's a great time to take a close look at your life and start removing the junk!

Great Minds Dress Alike!

Hiya!

So, I bought this dress a few years ago from H&M. Imagine my delight when I discovered that the FLOTUS had the same dress!

Help me choose a Personal Business Card design!

So in my last post, I brought up the topic of personal business cards.

Like my friend Funmi pointed out, personal business cards started out as "calling cards." In Victorian times, it was a rule of etiquette for gentlemen to drop their calling cards upon visiting friends, acquaintances, female interests, etc. The butler would take the card to the intended, and if they were home, would receive the visitor. If not home, the card would be left behind to indicate that the visitor had stopped by. In addition, if you were trying to introduce yourself formally, you would go to a person's house and leave your card there. If they wished to further get acquainted with you, they would send you their card in return. Otherwise, your calling card would be sent back to you - OUCH, that's kinda harsh!

Mmm, the propriety of it all! Sometimes I wish I was an aristocrat.

Personal Business Cards

So I've recently been thinking about getting business cards, just not for work. Yes, I know it's random, but you know I'm random anyways so let's just run with it.

A personal business card would have

• Your name
• Your contact info - Phone number and Email address
• Website or blog if you have one
• A photo, possibly
• Something that catches attention - either design-wise, a great quote or a witty line about yourself

Now, while I know I want a personal card, I can't help but wonder: Is it incredibly narcissistic? The reality is I just want them - no particular reason (shame on me?)

But they can be used for a great purpose - MARKETING YOURSELF!

Quality Time

Regarding the topic at hand, I'm referring to Dating Relationships only.

So I ask: what is Quality Time? I posed the question to Google (which should be everyone's other best friend) and my friends on Facebook. The answers I got are below:

Google: Time spent in giving another person one's undivided attention to strengthen a relationship.

Friend #1 (aka my mummy): Achieving a lot in the shortest possible time. Maximum output with limited input. Spending a little time effectively with optimum results. (Wha the wha wha?)

Friend #2 (aka my sister): No outside interruptions period! Just the two players involved...good movie, good food, nice time to talk.

Friend #3 (aka my dad): Every minute is cherished and wishing the clock will stop ticking for the moment never to end.

Friend #4 (no relation): Spending time talking and chilling with NO PHONES OR BLACKBERRIES

Dakara Style: Greek/Naija Chic

I had this dress made in Atlanta, by my super-talented and high-blood-pressure-inducing tailor there. I wore it once in 2010 at a wedding in California, and again just 2 months ago, at a wedding here in Lagos. One of my go-to hair styles when I leave my natural hair out, is a Grecian flat twist. And so I decided to do something similar to my weave.