My Experience at Vigilant Heart...

                                             

This Christmas the Girlfriends Team decided to do something special for orphans at Vigilant Heart Charitable Society and I was so excited about it, even if I knew it would be very hectic for us.

We chose the Vigilant heart because it comprises of orphans from ages 0-21 and we decided giving out old clothes would be more attainable because as ladies we change clothes so often, giving our unused or old clothes was a good idea even though other donations were also accepted.

Preparing and gathering clothes was a bit hectic and not so many people brought clothes forward, most people had prior engagements or were out of town. I would like such people to know that even if they could not be with us on that day they, can find time this period to touch a life and make someone out there feel the Christmas spirit, you can still feed someone, visit the sick, visit prisoners, the old people’s homes and do anything that can touch lives this season.

I met with the owner of Vigilant Heart and hearing her speak about how she sees the children as her own children, how she pays their school fees and buys them clothes, almost made me cry.

She spoke about how they organise workshops and seminars for mothers; advising them to take care of their children, and how they invite other less privileged children the around the area for classes to learn to read and write. She also spoke about the project being her calling and she said she wants to do what people like Mother Theresa did. She has a family of her own and it is so amazing how she has adopted so many other people. Her belief is that God will not give her a mission He cannot support her through; she explained that sometimes she has idea where the food will come from, but still she always finds a way to properly feed and clothe the children.

The mission of Vigilant Heart is ‘’to create a safe and caring environment for the comprehensive development of orphans, abandoned and needy children, as well as work on projects that will protect children against numerous vicissitudes in the society’’. 

Many of the children I saw were quite young. I realized the smaller children, teenagers, and adults were not all in the same location. Although, a few of the adults that Vigilant Heart had supported in their younger years were on location to assist the children.

I spoke with the children for a while and I can remember one of the boys telling me that his favourite subject was maths and how he would like to be a lawyer in the future. I felt so touched, it made me realize that some people would be unable to achieve their dreams if they are not supported.

We sang some Christmas carols with the children and then we left. It was really a touching experience.

Many people believe that because Vigilant Heart is located at Lekki they have lots of donations. However, they still need a lot of support because people don’t visit often and most of the donations are seasonal. We have to realize that the books, old clothes and excess food that we throw away mean a lot to people out there. Anytime is a good time to help someone!

We should develop a mind-set that always has the other person in mind especially in this period that is all about spreading the love of Christ.

Wearing the same thing in different ways

Hey! Do you know you can wear the same thing in different ways? A dress as a skirt, a skirt as a top! It’s fun!!!

I saw an article on it and I just had to try it.

 On a day when you have no idea what to wear and you want a new look try this

First of all you get a knee length baby doll skirt and some safety pins and a ribbons

                                           The first look is what I will like to call ‘the doll’

Here you just wear the baby doll skirt as a normal skirt with a top

   
                                                           The next look is the ‘rock doll’

Here you wear a jacket over a top, some ‘rockstar’ jewellery and fedora

The next look is the tricky one here you wear the skirt as a top with butterfly hands, a one-arm top and just have fun with it!(this is where the pins will be needed)

  Here we have a baby doll skirt as a top with a ribbon in a stylish way

You should try this sometime if you want to dare to look different in the same way!!!

Event Invitation: Clothe Someone with the Girlfriends Team this Christmas!

Hey Guys! You are all officially invited to ‘Clothe Someone with the Girlfriends Team this Christmas’ at Vigilant Heart, Lekki Lagos, on Wednesday, 21^st December 2011 from 1:00pm-3:00pm.

We would be spending time with the kids/teens and giving out all the donations. We need your support; please come with your donations (clothes, shoes, bags, toys and bedspreads) that are not useful to you anymore, but are still in GOOD condition. 

GIRLFRIEND OF THE MONTH!!!

Our girlfriend of the month is Imoh Iniakpaniko, the president of Divas Defined organization. Imoh is a life coach and a profound speaker, whose passion is to help females uplift themselves and radiate God’s given gift in them. Her vision to create Divas’ Defined began with the birth of her son in her single status.

The pain, rejection, denial, and resentment experienced during the initial stage of her son’s birth gave light to the disconcerting circumstances surrounding single mothers. Thankfully, Imoh had the support of her family members and this enabled her to see the need to revive the inner strength in women who have been demeaned either by rape, unexpected pregnancy, divorce, and abusive relationships.

Divas Defined is a social enterprise with a network of agencies and initiatives which focuses on personal development in people with emphasis on females. Its aim is to encourage, enhance and empower them to succeed in all life’s endeavour. Divas’ Defined has grown in response to the cry of emotionally drained women who have grown up to believe the norm of a negative life due to the negative experiences in their past. A growing number of young women and girls who are either experiencing difficulty progressing to adulthood or are already entangled in the trauma of sexual exploitation, abuse and trafficking should be enlightened on how the negative consequence of these experiences can affect their lives and they should be taught how to come out of these dramatic and troubling situations.

Clothe someone with the Girlfriends Team this Christmas!

Christmas is our favourite time of the year, because it’s a season filled with so much joy and happiness. Last year, we got to spend some time with some awesome kids at the Red Cross Orphanage in Lagos and it was an amazing experience!

This year, we’ve decided to do something different and we’re getting every single one of you involved in the ‘Clothe someone with the Girlfriends Team this Christmas’ project.

From now to the 16^th of December, we would like you to gather up all your clothes, shoes, and bags or some of your siblings’ and friends’, that are not useful to you or them anymore but are still in good condition; and get them ready for us to pick up.

We will be visiting some orphanages and homes to distribute the clothes. An invitation would be sent out on Facebook for those of you who would like to come with us. Also, if you have any suggestions on the homes/orphanages you would like us to visit, please let us know.

For more info on how to be a part of this, please send us an email: girlfriendsteam@gmail.com or write on our Facebook group wall- http://www.facebook.com/groups/girlfriendsteam/

Please don’t ignore this- You can make a difference in someone’s life this Christmas!

God bless you all!!! xxx

Poem: 'How to be seen'

The body interacts with the environment;

The soul contains the intellect and will;

Man is an embodied spirit;

Man is someone who can think and feel;

I do not just own my body, I am my body.

We enhance or reduce ourselves;

By how we use our bodies;

The way you dress affects your mind;

As above so below, ’Quodestintusestsicut quod est extra’;

As within so without, your world outside is your world inside;

It’s something that you cannot hide;

We dress to cover ourselves, to be seen and not to be seen;

Think of the dresses on your shelves, and wear the one that makes you a queen.

Talent- Lucille...

We got Lucille to share her talent with you guys! Watch this video to hear Lucille sing. :)

Meet Modé the Artist...

Meet Modé, an extremely talented artist. We think her paintings are amazing; see for yourself!

We asked Modé about painting, what inspires her, and some other stuff. Here’s what she had to say…

Modé- “I graduated last year from the Academy of Art in San Francisco. I've always enjoyed painting since I was a kid, but started taking it seriously in 2009.

I enjoy reading, watching movies and visiting countries I've never been to. I am inspired by original concepts that keep me thinking. It can be in anything from politics to art.

GIVE-AWAY!!! GIVE-AWAY!!! GIVE-AWAY!!!

Hi guys! The Girlfriends Team blog is one, yaaaaay!!! It’s been an awesome year and we hope our posts have inspired you so far. On that note, it’s give-away time!!! Whoop Whoop!!! :)
To show appreciation to our readers, we will be giving away two gorgeous beaded Ankara necklaces to one lucky girl (courtesy of our friends at Kaika).

Is someone excited?

To win, send in your name and location and tell us why you should win our give-away prize. The most convincing entry wins both necklaces. All entries should be sent to girlfriendsteam@gmail.com on or before the 26^th of October.

Good luck guys!!! xxx

Style Watch: All eyes on Liz...

We absolutely love Liz’s style, so we decided to feature her on our style watch post. Her style is very chic and elegant but still a bit edgy.

Gorge right? For more amazing looks, check out Liz’s blog http://www.vogued-out.com

Stay fab lovelies xxx 

When it's NOT okay to stay!

We were really moved to do a post on abusive relationships based on a friend's story. Although difficult to believe, abusive relationships among girls/young women is very much existent! A WHO multi-country study found that between 15–71% of women reported experiencing physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner at some point in their lives.

Abusive relationships are not merely physical. Sexual, emotional, and even financial (Yes! forcefully taking your money qualifies) abuse in relationships also exists. The danger in early abusive relationships is that most girls get so used to them that they start to develop enduring patterns to handle the situation up until and even in their marriages.

The worst part is that most girls find it exceedingly difficult to communicate about the abuse with their friends or others who would be in a good position to advise and direct them on what to do. A lot of times, they become trapped and enslaved in the relationship for so long.

"Shouldn't we work it out?" "I'm sure he can change", "He loves me but he just gets angry at times", "That's his weakness, no one is perfect"- are some of the lies we females like to tell ourselves. We learn to live in self-denial and suffer in 'near-death relationships'.

The fact is that any guy that really loves you would never even think of hitting you or inflicting you with any form of abuse. One of the important aspects in relationships that most females ignore is respect. Respect is so important because it guarantees an acknowledgment of the fact that you are of value, not just to him, but to your family and the world.

So when is it okay to leave? It's okay to leave the minute you're abused or you start to see the signs! Love is mutual and it should also be based on mutual respect. If your boyfriend disrespects you in any way, it's in your best interest to find your way out of that relationship. He can find his punching bag at the nearest gym; your body was created for so much more!

Health- Body Issues

Every girl wants to look good, but some girls take it to the extreme trying to be like Barbie dolls! Others just feel overcome with stress...

Most girls try to solve their body image issues or stress issues by being anorexic, bulimic or engaging in binge-eating.

Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder where people refuse to maintain their normal healthy body weight by refusing to eat or eating very small amounts of food. Such people are afraid of gaining weight. Anorexia can lead to medical complications that can be cardiovascular, metabolic, endocrinal, gastrointestinal, and even dental problems. Anorexics also experience fatigue and low body temperature. So next time you feel you want to look like a Barbie doll…

Bulimia Nervosa is an eating disorder where people take large amount of food for fear of weight gain they engage in various purging techniques. Such people induce vomiting, use laxatives or diuretics. Bulimics have various renal, gastrointestinal and dental problems. They abuse laxatives and have electrolyte abnormalities.

Binge-eating disorder on the other hand is a situation where one eats at several times a day without planning meals. Binge-eaters eat large amount of food due to stress, anxiety or depression. Women are reported to engage in binge-eating due to anxiety, depression, frustration or anger. Binge eating can lead to obesity, and obese binge eaters have mood and anxiety disorders and also psychosexual dysfunctions.

LOVING YOUR BODY

Your body image is how you see yourself and how you feel others see you. It’s a psychological thing because you tend to feel that way about yourself due to the stereotypes of the “right” body type or what you or see on TV. If everybody was a skinny actress, life wouldn’t be fun! It’s time for you to LOVE who you are!!!

STEPS TO MAINTAINING A GOOD BODY IMAGE

Accept yourself: the media has a way of making people look better than they actually do- a lot of good lighting, make-up, tailored clothes to fit and airbrushing. It’s not real! For goodness sake there are about 6 billion people on planet earth and no one is like you. You are special!!!

A Healthy body comes in all shapes and sizes. Focus on your good qualities, and if there is anything you can realistically and naturally change like your weight, then enrol in a gym, but anything you know you can’t then LOVE IT!

Never pick parts of your body to criticize always remember that it’s the whole person people see and not just your nose or your stomach.

Make a list of all the positive things about you and keep it where you can see it.

Become more physically active: engage in some kind of sport, or exercise routine. It would keep you fit and healthy.

Eat: food isn’t the enemy, eating healthy and regularly will actually help with weight loss once you are in control of your eating habits. Stay away from junk food and eat more fruits and vegetables when you feel hungry between meals.

In the mood for a quick snack? Try the simple cup-cake!

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups wheat flour
• 11/3 cups sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• ½   teaspoon salt
• ½ cup shortening/butter
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• 2 large eggs 

Easy Cupcake Recipe Directions

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

-Line cupcake pans with paper liners.

-Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. 

-Add shortening/butter, milk, and vanilla.  Beat for 1 minute on medium speed. 

-Scrape side of bowl with a spatula.

-Add eggs to the mixture. 

-Beat for 1 minute on medium speed.  Scrape bowl again. Beat on high speed for 1 minute 30 seconds until well mixed.

-Spoon cupcake batter into paper liners until 1/2 to 2/3 full.

-Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.

-Cool 5 minutes in pans then remove and place on wire racks to cool completely.

-Once cupcakes are completely cooled, frost with your favourite frosting recipe, add cream, desirable topping or decorate as you desire.

-Note: once you know the basic recipe you can add any flavouring you like to make it yummy!

       

       

Careers- Interview with the CEO of Ldivaa Cosmetics

1)   Tell us a bit about yourself?

My name is Lara Odumosu, I am a British born Nigerian living in the UK. I studied TV/Film Production at Leeds University. I love anything to do with creativity, fashion, sports and love.

    2) Tell us a bit about Ldivaa Cosmetics?

Ldivaa Cosmetics is a make-up and beauty line which exists to cater to everyone who wants to look, classy and retro! Levres Lipstick is the first product to come out and is already making hits all over the world!

   3)  When did you decide to create Ldivaa Cosmetics?

I guess it is something I have always had in me, but let’s not go into history, lol. The idea itself arose two years ago when I started to do things out of the ordinary like mix two bright lipsticks together and wear them at once, I started to get a lot of comments and people asking the exact shade and brand of lipstick, mascara or eyeliner I was wearing. I couldn’t tell them to buy ten different brands of make up like I was and start mixing to get the desired effect, so I decided with the strong encouragement of my fiancé to start my own makeup line.

4)     What sets Ldivaa Cosmetics apart from other cosmetic brands?

Ldivaa Cosmetics has a CEO that is not in it to make the money but to satisfy clients. As a woman, I have of course experienced a lot of disappointments when it came to buying make up that suits me perfectly. Sometimes you find the perfect lipstick shade but it’s too oily or you find the perfect texture but they don’t have the shade you like. The list is endless. The plan is to bring out cosmetic solutions that have not yet been dealt with. This is already happening with the Lipstick range. I personally found that I love the retro colours but most brands do them too glossy and it just does not look right on my big lips as an African woman, or they are so matte that they just dry out your lips badly. We have been able to deal with that problem now, our lipsticks give you a wide range of retro colours but don’t come glossy or oily and yet has a bit of lip balm in it to keep your lips moisturised. I could go on but, I’ll just stop here as I’m sure you get the gist.

      5) Are you involved in any other business?

Yes I am, but I won’t disclose just yet, it does have to do with TV AND Film though.

6)  What challenges do you face as a young female entrepreneur?

A lot, you do get people criticizing in the beginning and laughing at you that you are a dreamer, but like I said recently on twitter “Cheat on your fears, break up with your doubts, get engaged to your faith and marry your dreams!”, plus when you have the right family and friends around you, always supporting and encouraging, makes all the challenges interesting to deal with.

7) What inspires you?

My first inspiration is God, my relationship with Him gives me a constant reminder that I can do anything. Next are my parents who support me in whatever good thing I do no matter how crazy it may sound, then my husband to be who unlike a lot of African men is always beside me all the way, and finally my sister who is my best friend.

      8)  Entrepreneurs that are your role models.......

My father Jimi Odumosu, Tyra Banks, gosh there are loads of them.

9) Your philosophy.........

Hmmm, my philosophy…. Well my thing is, put God first in all you do, keep the right people around you and understand that mistakes are bound to happen, never beat yourself up over it, learn from it and move on!

10) Your advice to girls who would like to be entrepreneurs......

Girls, work hard and when you have a great idea, just get started, get started! When you do, you will find that you can only keep moving on, don’t worry about all the difficulties that may lie ahead because Worry is like rocking in a rocking chair all day, it keeps you busy but gets you nowhere, at least once you’ve started you have no choice but to continue because giving up is not even an option!

11) Where do you see your business and yourself as an entrepreneur in the next few years?

I see Ldivaa Cosmetics becoming a massive and well-known brand around the world, tending to the needs of women (and men in some cases) when it comes to make-up and beauty thereby giving Nigeria a good name yet again. As we can see that is already happening with music and movies. I am very proud to be Nigerian!

For more info on Ldivaa Cosmetics, follow @LevresByLdivaa on twitter and also look out for http://www.ldivaa.com/ coming real soon!