EDITOR IN CHIEF
Thomas Corbin EDITOR Latoya Corbin
JOURNALISTS Latoya Corbin
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Thomas Corbin
Email thomascorbin@outlook.com
Contact P : (757) 348-6636
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budget is an important tool for first-time homebuyers and current homeowners. Throw out any negative feeling you may have toward budgeting. We’re here to tell you that budgeting is a great exercise, and can free your financial mind! A budget is meant to be a guide to where you should spend your monthly income. Budgeting can mean guilt-free fun. By making and sticking to your budget, you can spend money knowing exactly how much you need to set aside for necessities, and how much you can spend on other activities! Budgets are an important tool for the first-time homebuyer because it can help you make your move into a home with a payment that fits your lifestyle and circumstances. For existing homeowners, budgets can help you achieve or maintain financial freedom. Budgeting can be done by anyone - it just takes time initially to set it up correctly. Gather paychecks, bills and bank statements to get started. You can write down all this information or use a budget tool.
Start by calculating your monthly income, which includes not only the amount you may get from a regular paycheck, but also any money you get in government aid, child support or pensions. The next step is to look at your bills and bank statements to find out truly what you spend in each category. This accurate information will empower you to take control of your finances. Do you see a surplus? That is great! You can take that surplus and contribute to your financial goals, whether that be saving for a down payment, taking a family vacation or building a nest egg. Do you see a deficit? If so, you can make the changes needed to balance your budget. You can cut back on nonessential items, like eating dinners out, to get financially fit. Having this knowledge is powerful and can help you take the right steps toward financial stability. A budget is crucial for home ownership, whether you’re a first-time homebuyer or you currently own a home. A sound budget can relieve stress and help you feel confident in the way you spend your hard-earned income.
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lush lawn and garden boosts your home’s curb appeal, but it also takes a lot of your free time. You want to spend that time enjoying the space, not taking care of it. The solution? A few low-maintenance strategies to keep your yard looking great while maximizing your relaxation time. 1. Install an automatic irrigation system With an automatic irrigation system, you don’t even need to be home to water your lawn and garden. You can spend all that extra time kicked back on your front porch enjoying the view of a luscious green lawn. Automatic irrigation systems are also cost-effective - providing water to your lawn exactly where and when it’s needed. Random dry patches or wet sidewalks and driveways will be a thing of the past. 2. Use high-quality equipment When purchasing your next riding or walk-behind lawn mower, take time to make an informed decision. The engine is the most important part of the mower. Keep in mind, KOHLER engines are built to last, with many models having commercial-grade components. Additional features will help your mower to maintain engine speed in tough conditions and eliminate the need to prime or choke the engine so you can just turn the key and go. 3. Choose perennials Flower beds are the perfect complement to a lush, green lawn. Plants like coneflowers, black-eyed Susans and Russian sage come back year after year and don’t need to be replanted. 4. Strategically placed mulch Mulch is one of the best investments you can make in your yard. When it breaks down
over time, mulch fertilizes your plants and can prevent weeds. It adds a pleasant aroma to your outdoor spaces and doesn’t require watering. 5. Follow lawn care best practices Save yourself the extra hassle by following basic lawn care best practices. For example, keep your grass-cutting blades sharp, avoid cutting the grass too short and mow when the grass is dry. Additionally, grasscycling - leaving grass clippings on the lawn after cutting - helps fertilize the lawn and creates less work for you. There may be no such thing as a maintenance-free lawn, but choosing the right tools and techniques can make your life a lot easier. Follow these tips and learn more at KohlerEngines.com.
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efore you set out to perform any task, it’s important to make sure you have the right tools. While many products can be picked up on the cheap in the drug store or at your grocery store, you owe it to yourself to get the best products you can afford. While we don’t believe in paying a lot of money for fancy packaging, a name brand or a foo-foo salon, we know that there are much better products available from specialty stores like Treasured Locks or even your local salon. Wide tooth comb or pick or brush made for African American hair. We like “detangling” combs like the NuBone and the Knot Genie Good moisturizing and cream conditioner Knot No More is a must. Not only is it good for removing braids, twists, etc. without damaging the hair. It’s amazing for every day comb outs. It’s the product you wish your mother had when you were young. Deep conditioning like Deep V Conditioneronce a month along with the HydraCap Satin sleep cap or satin pillow cases Spray bottle to spritz hair in case you just want to hit it with some water to comb Tips for combing out Black hair This section will be particularly important to those of you who have not worked with kinky hair. Never try to comb out kinky hair while it is dry. Use a moisturizer to provide elasticity to the hair and to reduce friction.
Be sure you have a wide tooth comb. You might want to look for a “detangling” comb. If you’re used to fine tooth combs, it might look a little strange to you. But, generally speaking, the farther apart the teeth the better. Do not use bristled brushes because I find they tend to grab the hair. I have a Knot Genie which does a great job on the girls’ natural hair. It’s a combination comb and brush in one device. It’s shaped like a brush, but has round teeth more like a comb. Be patient and gentle when combing kinky hair. If your daughter is screaming, you might want to consider that you are
pulling too hard. How to comb Begin by working in sections. Part the hair and tie off the part I am not working on at the time. Gently grasp the hair near the scalp with my free hand and work the comb against that hand, rather than against the scalp. Comb gently beginning near the roots and work your way up- until all kinks are free. Tie that section off and start on the next section. Tips for washing Black hair I wash their hair about once a week. In the winter this might stretch out a little longer. I wash more often in the summer. But, one of the mistakes non-African parents of Biracial or African children commonly make is to wash their hair too frequently. Many of my Caucasian friends wash their hair daily. In a child with Black or African hair, this can lead to dullness and dryness. I like to use different shampoos to eliminate the possibility of build-up from a particular shampoo. If your child is very young (too young to keep her eyes closed), use a no tears baby shampoo. These shampoos contain agents that keep the eyes from stinging. We do not sell any no-tears shampoos. But, these shampoos can be drying, especially for Black hair care. So, transition to a nice mild shampoo as soon as possible. The washing process Wash gently, but thoroughly, massaging the scalp while washing. When you dry, blot with a towel rather than rubbing vigorously. Avoid heat as much as possible for drying. Allow the hair to air dry or you can even
use a conditioning cap to drive some of the moisture out before blasting the hair with forced hot air. Between washings If your child swims or sweats from her scalp, you may be tempted to wash too often. One way to stretch out the time between washings is to just rinse the hair with warm water, condition and go from there. Models: Fresh Braids Miss Fresh, (757) 920-9670 801 East 26th Street, Suite C2 Norfolk, Virginia 23510 Article: www.treasuredlocks.com/black-haircare-tips/
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o you struggle to stay awake during the day? Is your child falling asleep in school? Does your teenager seem to be napping more than normal? If so, it may be due to excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). EDS means that you get overcome by an irresistible need to sleep during the day, and you can feel tired all the time. It’s the essential symptom of narcolepsy, and EDS is usually the first symptom that people notice. Narcolepsy is not as uncommon as you might think. About 1 in 2,000 people in the U.S. is estimated to have narcolepsy. Often thought of as an adult sleep disorder, symptoms of narcolepsy most commonly start in childhood or adolescence. In fact, more than 50 percent of people with narcolepsy say their symptoms started before they turned 18. Misdiagnosis is common, and it can take as long as 10 or more years to get an accurate diagnosis after the onset of symptoms. According to Dr. Raj Dasgupta, pulmo-
nary and sleep specialist at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, “Delays in diagnosis can impact the lives of children and adults alike. That’s why it’s so important to be aware of the symptoms of narcolepsy and how they
can look and feel differently in adults and children.” There are five major symptoms of narcolepsy. You don’t need to have them all to have narcolepsy. 1. Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is an irresistible need to sleep during the day. EDS has been described by some as feeling fatigued or irritable, having difficulty concentrating, or having poor memory or mood changes. In children, EDS may appear as hyperactivity, problems paying attention, variable emotions, aggression or behavioral changes, which can lead to a misdiagnosis of ADHD or other psychiatric disorders. 2. Cataplexy is a sudden, brief weakening of muscles triggered by strong emotions such as laughter that can range from small muscle twitches to full body collapse. Cataplexy in children is sometimes mistaken for other conditions that can have a sudden, uncontrollable and unpredictable effect on the body such as epilepsy. 3. Hypnagogic/Hypnopompic hallucinations are vivid dreamlike experiences that seem real and are often frightening. They are called hypnagogic hallucinations if they occur while falling asleep and hypnopompic hallucinations if they occur while waking up. 4. Sleep paralysis is the inability to move or speak for a short time when you’re falling asleep or waking up. This can be a frightening or disturbing experience. Sleep paralysis can be hard to confirm in pediatric patients, as they may have difficulty describing it. 5. Disrupted nighttime sleep associated with narcolepsy means you often fall asleep quickly but wake up frequently throughout the night. You may report poor-quality sleep. Disturbed sleep can affect adults’ and children’s attention, memory and ability to think and reason normally. Sleep problems are also a cause of distress for parents and
may be one of the primary reasons for caregiver stress in families with children who have chronic illnesses. “My daughter Caroline started experiencing symptoms of narcolepsy in the eighth grade,” said Carol Arnette of Williamsburg, Virginia. “She was exhausted, depressed, and began to isolate herself from her friends and family. We thought it was normal teenage behavior, but her symptoms progressively worsened. We took Caroline to a sleep specialist and after participating in a sleep study, she was diagnosed with narcolepsy. Since her diagnosis her life has changed. She no longer experiences the shame or guilt about feeling sleepy all the time.”
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urrent Market Trends Although interest rates skyrocketed, the rates have come down to 4% and in some cases, 3%.
In which area of real estate do you specialize? Residential Investment Commercial. Last year I had a lot of first time homebuyers and this year I’m seeing more investors. I would say that 30% first time home buyers; 40% investors; and 30% buyers, sellers and investors. The Mindset of a Successful Realtor. If you think you can do it then you can do it. I knew that I wanted it and I was going to put the work in to make it work well. It takes a lot of work and its not as easy as it seems. Oftentimes I am working while many people are asleep. I realize that it’s always important to learn something new. There’s so much that you can do in real estate so learning is necessary. I would encourage other Realtors who may not be sure what they want to specialize in to try it out for a few months to see if it works for them. If it doesn’t you can try something else. If it works out for you then stick with it.
The Mindset of a Successful Realtor. If you think you can do it then you can do it!
repaired. Although it’s a lot of work, I would still highly recommend and encourage individuals who are interested in real estate to give it a try. I especially like to encourage young people because they are easy to mold. Really, any age group is appropriate for a career in real estate. Transitioning to a Full-Time Realtor Prior to becoming a Realtor, I sold cars. After 8 years of selling cars I decided to give real estate a try. Once I received my first commission check and realized that my commission check was equal to selling 3 or 4 cars. After that , I never wanted to sell a car again. When I decided to pursue real estate full time it was a big step. I must admit that I didn’t’t think it all the way through. I’m not to proud to say that I wasn’t in the best situation. The first 8 months were not pretty! I’m so glad that hard work pays off. The Role of a Realtor As a realtor, a large part of what I do is provide education and counseling. I am a people person and it’s privilege to work with so many different types of people, personalities, and backgrounds. Depending on where the homebuyer is in the process often determines the length of the process. Sometimes I work with clients for up to a year because their credit may need to be
A Good Return Real Estate is a good return on your investment. It’s a no brainer because you can be assured that real estate values will appreciate. I’m interested in providing educational resources to the community to assist them to prepare for home ownership or learn about investment options that are available. I love what I do! (757) 204-1011
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graduated from Virginia State University where I studied Biology and Criminal Justice. I wanted to become a medical examiner; however, I noticed that a lot of what was coming across my desk were preventable illnesses like high blood pressure and diabetes to name a few. In my youth, I had really bad uterine health issues. I was never expected to have children, I suffered with cramps that were so bad that I had to use a wheelchair in school. Unfortunately, medication did nothing good for my body and I was in womb hell! I read a book named African Holistic Health written by Dr. Llaila Afrika and it changed. Dr. Afrika and his book are considered the bible of holistic health from an African perspective and alternative methods; consciousness of empowerment; and academia tied in with physical and mental health. I was fortunate enough to meet him in DC. Initially, I had to do a lot of detoxification and I had to withdraw from certain foods and I eventuallyI even became pregnant. I know my calling is to help women. If you are in a car accident, please don’t call me to ask me what herbs
to take. Go to the emergency room. Hospitals are equipped to handle emergencies and they have their own level of expertise. I don’t discourage people from seeing traditional doctors. They have the technology and helps us to find a balance and have the best of both worlds. Everything is duality. Contact www.goddessbody.net info@goddessbody.org Products Feminine Hygiene & Healing Goddess Body Cleanse Its important to start with cleaning the body out to release the toxicity in your body. You don’t build inside a burning home; you have to put the fire out first. It’s safe to use while breastfeeding, as it will making the milk more nutritive. It’s made to enhance women’s hormones, however; is not recommended for use during pregnancy. Male cleanse is available Place orders by May 1st to receive a discount. Give your loved one the gift of holistic health this Mother’s Day and Father’s Day DO YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW SUFFER FROM FIBROIDS? Greetings, Nothing is incurable once you get to the root of the problem beloved. So basically to start your healing process I recom-
mend: 1. 28 Day Goddess Body Cleanse™ women’s detox system 2. Take Healthy Yoni™ (morning) & Womb Detox™ (evening) daily after cleanse is done. 3. Follow clean eating regimen after cleanse where you eliminate sugary and processed foods like candy bars, pies, cakes, breads, white rice, & pastas and replace with higher fresh fruit & veggie intake, daily salads and if you choose to consume animal flesh only organic or wild fish (baked, grilled, pan seared in light oil) no other meat period. 4. Be sure while cleansing & afterward to drink 1/2 your body weight in oz of water. And do not put detergents disguised as soaps or toxic ingredients in your yoni � (Yoni wash™ & Yoni oil™ are natural feminine hygiene options that we offer). Doing this will cause all negative symptoms lessen, and the growths to dissipate.. And they will, as long as you are consistent. Physically, Fibroids and ovarian cysts are internal trash bags whose onset may be genetically linked but is ultimately caused by factors like eating and drinking acidic dairy products, acidic red meat and antibiotic and growth hormone laced poultry . TO READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE OR TO SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION PLEASE VISIT WWW.GODDESSBODY. NET Goddess Body® Inc. Angela Elizabeth MS CHHP Holistic Biologist Multi-Genius PO BOX 6627 Portsmouth, VA 23703 info@GoddessBody.org www.GoddessBody.net
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emale entrepreneurs make up approximately 1/3 of all entrepreneurs worldwide, and it’s always a great time to highlight, support and applaud women in business, in your community and across the globe. Here are a few easy ways you can celebrate and support businesswomen and female entrepreneurs. Shop women-owned businesses. Know about a restaurant, shop or service-oriented business in your area that’s owned and operated by women entrepreneurs? (If you don’t, do a little online research to find some.) Go out of your way to shop at their location, refer friends and family members to their businesses and be sure to let them know that you support their efforts in your community. Give them a boost by posting a positive review of their business on social media. Helping female-owned businesses thrive is a great way to empower women in your own backyard. Mentor women and girls in your industry. Find ways to offer female students and younger employees a chance to learn more about educational and employment opportunities in your own field. Contact career counselors at high schools or local colleges and offer to let students shadow you at work, or give them a chance to do an informational interview with you to learn more about your business. Help
them get connected within your business network and share your experiences. If your employer is willing, develop an internship or on-the-job training program to encourage and empower up-and-coming women in your industry. Support companies actively involved in projects that empower women. Mars Wrigley Confectionery U.S. and Dove Chocolate have pledged $1 million to CARE, a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty, specifically to empower women in West Africa. Dove Chocolate and CARE partnered to empower women in the cocoa growing communities of Cote d’Ivoire after an assessment of women’s involvement in West African cocoa farms found that women were not benefiting from cocoa production, even though they participate in more than half of cocoa-farming activities. The first stone was recently laid on a new marketplace for women-led businesses in the village of Gueyo, a centrally located commerce area nestled among the cocoa fields of Cote d’Ivoire. Consumers can help support these efforts, as $5 will be donated to CARE with every online purchase of qualifying Dove Chocolate Promises. This year, find special ways to celebrate and support the women in your neighborhood and around the world who are working hard to create better lives for themselves, their families and their communities.
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hether you are trying to reduce carbs or eat more protein, eating well on the go can be a challenge.
Quality carbohydrates like whole-grain breads, milk, yogurt, fruits and legumes are an important part of a balanced diet, especially for children and teens. For adults, reducing the amount of empty carbs you eat can be a great way to meet your personal wellness goals. It’s important to replace those carbs with lean meats, healthy fats and nutrient-dense vegetables. Here are a few simple suggestions to eat on the go while still following your current diet. Keto-style A ketogenic diet, also known as keto, is a popular diet that balances protein, fat and carbs roughly in the following breakdown: * 10 percent or less of their calories from carbs * 70 to 80 percent of their calories from fat * 10 to 20 percent of their calories from protein One good way to follow a ketogenic diet is
with a salad starting with a lean meat such as rotisserie-style chicken, turkey breast, steak or roast beef. Add in some veggies like lettuce, spinach and onions. Then top it all off with a dressing that has less than 2 grams of carbs like ranch, savory Caesar, oil and vinegar or Chipotle Southwest.