Name: Itiel McVay

Hometown: Charlotte, NC

Occupation / Company / Website: Entrepreneur/Business Woman, Smell Goods 1998, www.smellgoodspa.com

Hobbies / Interests: Being with my husband, being with my children, traveling, cross-stitching, love blending fragrances and bath/body products, spa days, learning, being around positive women.

Something New You Would Like To Learn: The art/sport of Fencing!

ymib: What would you say is the most challenging part of being a mother, and how do you overcome/get through them?

Itiel: The most challenging part of being a mother is making sure I am keeping up with the mental, emotional, and spiritual growth of my children. I overcome by keeping my Spirit in a healthy, positive mode. I do all that I can humanly do and I let the Wisdom of The Most High guide me.

ymib: What should every mother know and remember about raising a son/daughter in todays world?

Itiel: I feel that every mother should know that her child(ren) is watching her every move, listening to her every word, looking to see if she is a strong woman. I believe that children want honesty and want to have someone around who they can trust. What better person than Mom(my)! Let your child(ren) hear whatever they need to hear first about life from your mouth and not from someone outside of the home.

ymib: What is one lesson that you have learned from your mother that you would want another woman to know and carry with her?

Itiel: I am so grateful to have a mother that was not afraid to be honest with me. I can see the difference in moms in my age range that did not have that connection with their mother. I would want another woman to know that she is in control of her own happiness, strength, and growth. Not her husband, not her children, not anyone else in her circle.

ymib: As a mother, what is your biggest fear for your child(ren)?

Itiel: I think my biggest fear for my children is that when the time comes from them to be out from under my wing I hope they do not allow anyone to take away their self-worth. I hope they remember to pull from the strength within them to overcome any negativity that life throws their way.

ymib: In what ways do you balance your time as a mother and wife along with taking time for yourself...any favorite forms of relaxation/”me-time”?

Itiel: For me being a stay-at-home mother gives me a little more lead way when balancing my time. My children (2 daughters) receive a lot of quality time from me. I also make sure I give each of them special one on one time with mommy. Sitting down and spending time with my husband is part of my daily routine. We have taught our children not to bother us at that time, and they don't. I am also very committed to my business, I work on creating products, marketing, website, etc., early morning, in the evening for a few hours, and after I have laid my children down for bed. My favorite "me-time" is spa days (at a location and at home)! I also get in weight lifting, kickboxing, and boot camp exercise, I need these outlets to keep my sanity!! I make sure I TAKE my "me-time"

ymib: Could you share with us a few of your favorite picks for the following (ie. products, books, websites, organizations, blogs, magazines, etc.):

Child-education/books: Series of What Your _ Grader Needs To Know by E.D. Hirsch,random books and websites about African History, Living Math yahoo forum, African American Unschool yahoo forum, FOCUS (families of color uniting scholars) yahoo forum, MIA cd roms, Your History by JA Rogers, Cyber Chase (pbs kids), Grade Level Skills www.internet4classrooms.com, Rosetta Stone software, Scott Foresman Reading www.sfreading.com, Star Fall www.starfall.com

Health/Beauty/Hair-care: Health- FitTv, my personal favorite workout is with Cathe Friedrich, Beauty (body care)- Smell Goods 1998, www.smellgoodspa.com, Mineral make-up- madminerals.org, Hair-care- Black Earth products by Taliah Waajid, www.naturalhair.org

Inspiration: Life, nature, my husband, my children, gourmet food and gourmet beverages for creating product, YMIB.com.

ymib: What are some things that you hope your children will always remember about you?

Itiel: I have shown and continue to show to my children that I care about my health, I love life, I love and respect their father and that he is my best friend, I am committed to my word, I am a creative and strong business woman, I have integrity, I am honored to be their mother and they are my best little friends in the world, when I am some ones friend I am a friend for life, I love being silly, I love learning, I love being their teacher, I know who I am as a woman, I embrace my weaknesses and strengths, I am a lady, I intentionally encourage, motivate, and compliment others. I hope my children remember those things.

ymib: If you had to write a short mission statement/paragraph for yourself on motherhood, what would it be?

My mission is to always remember that being a mother is an honor,I will be a mother and friend to my children, I will remember that my children are not just children but are people and I will give them full respect, I will let my children help me to grow into a better person, I will raise my children to be spiritually sound, mentally sound, emotionally sound, and physically sound, lastly, I will raise my children to leave their parents and be able to positively function in the world, I will teach my children to help others, and to be a light for those around them.

ymib: What is something that you learned about yourself after having children that you did not know before?

Itiel: There are many, but I will keep it to "something". I have very low tolerance for people that waste my time, who do not follow up with important matters, who do not take my efforts and time seriously. I am one with my family, anything that takes me away from them mentally or physically that proves to be unproductive, I push away from me.

ymib: Please share with us one of your most funniest/memorable moments/kid-moments as a mother?

Itiel: My daughter Zion (7) and I went on the Rock-N-Rollin Coaster at Disney last year. This was Zion's very first time being on a "grown-up" roller coaster. I did not know how she would handle it, I was concerned, but as usual Zion overcame any apprehensions. While on the roller coaster, I looked over to check on her and Zion had her arms up in the air, eyes wide opened, and screams of excitement were coming out of her mouth. She was so filled with joy and it was contagious, I forgot about being the concerned mother. I looked at her a little differently at that moment...my daughter is growing up.

ymib: Favorite affirmation or inspirational quote?

Itiel: This is an affirmation that we say each day: "I am a leader, I am not a follower, I will let my spirit guide me, I will let the Wisdom of JAHovah guide me, because I am a leader". Also, 'be forgiving to a fault'-Les Brown, is one that I sincerely hold to.

In summary, what is an average day for you like as a home-schooling mom?

Itiel: An average day consist of reading a motivational book that my mother gave to me, praying, teaching,spending fun time with my children, operating the business, running errands,cleaning, sitting down and talking/laughing with my husband, sending out/replying to emails, searching and maybe buying on ebay (oh yeah baby!).

ymib: Any additional info about motherhood that you would like our readers to know?

Itiel: It sincerely breaks my heart when a woman is struggling to find the happiness and self worth in her life. I often say to woman, "never forget who you are." It is so easy for us to do that when we become a wife and/or mother. On the other hand their are some women that are wives and mothers who are selfishly trying to find themselves and forget about the other roles. I feel that a woman should see the honor in being a wife and mother and serve well in those roles. When she does, finding herself will not be that difficult. Come back to the middle.