Roll Call is where we hand pick some of our favorite women of color who blog that is setting the example of what “You Make It Beautiful” really means. From crafty ladies to holistic mamas, to poetic writers, life inspiration and more, we will share them all on the Roll Call!

Who We Love: Tifi Blogs, Dee

Why We Love Her: Her passion for books and reading, her creative and motherly spirit, her photos which are filled with motherhood, family outings and some lovely little crafty adventures(which we adore), and her appreciation of vintage pieces and thrifting!

Our Favorite Posts:

A Mommy Moment

Sailboat Chic

Scenes from Summer

1. Cooking Ideas: A great idea to keep your ideas flowing in the kitchen is to collect menus from some of your favorite restaurants and keep them in a 3 ring binder. No this is not to order take-out, but it offers up a great way to come up with meal ideas. I use to-go menus all the time to come up with our meals. Best of all, you can get a similar if not the same taste for half the price.

1. Grocery Shopping: Do you ever find yourself rambling in the kitchen thinking “what am I going to cook for dinner today”? Or how about that time of the week or month when it is time to do the heavy grocery shopping and you just get tired thinking about it all. A great way to ease the pain and rush of grocery shopping & meal planning for your family is to have pre-made grocery lists. Many times I find myself writing out grocery lists that contain the same exact things that I bought at my last trip to the market. So, having a pre-made list with all of your essentials will save you a lot of time & energy. Just keep some extra space for new ingredients needed for your current menu.

"In 51 visually stunning, emotionally compelling portraits, acclaimed photographer Carol Ross presents a hopeful, heartwarming, and caring view of black fatherhood in the United States. In an era that pays little positive attention to black fathers, Ross' inspirational perspective on the relationships between black men and their children is vitally important—and long overdue.

We will be sharing with our fellow mommies three mama tips every week! From health tips, to cooking, to playtime, and more. We will cover it all! This week we give tips on tidying up, serving up the veggies, and we share a fun and creative way to spend family time together!

Constant Cleaning: Do you ever find yourself constantly picking up random toys, socks, and other “droppings” from play that you discover from your little ones? Then create a “Lost & Found” basket that acts sort of like a catch all place for things that need to be put away. This works great when you need to clean up in a hurry, or if you just want to tidy up a bit. Then when you have the time, grab your basket or baskets and return everything to their rightful owner...or better yet have the kids do it!

Having problems feeding the kids the veggies? Use some fresh or frozen fruit like mango, pineapple, strawberries,and banana, and mix in some fresh spinach leaves. Add some sweetened almond milk(or unsweetened almond milk with a dash of honey), and you've got yourself a treat that they will love and full of nutrients.

Nixon calls her mother her best friend. "She will annoy the crap out of me and she can drive me crazy but she's the closest person to me, and I love her … more than anything." -Vivian Nixon

Don't you just love this photo of Debbie Allen and her daughter Vivian Nixon! You can feel the love and proudness beaming from Debbie. Her daughter Vivian is a true natural beauty and she is up to some fabulous things with her Broadway career, and in the footsteps of her mother, she has also received professional training from Washington's Kirov Academy of Ballet, The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and of course the dance studio ran by her mother in Culver City.

This brings us to question, what do you cherish most about being a mother and what are some things that you will always keep close to you as far as memories and experiences between you and your daughter or son? What would you hope your child(ren) will say about you when asked?

Store bought baby food is laced with all sorts of preservatives and many times added sugars and other ingredients that you may not want your baby to have. So if you have a blender or a juicer, then why not make your own baby food & fruit juices. The little ones deserve freshness too! Veggies and fruits are super easy to make into baby food. Simply take some fresh greens beans, or peas, or broccoli florets, or carrots and steam them until soft and tender (keep the water for thinning mixture after puree), then puree them in your blender, strain it through a strainer, and voila! You've got yourself a jar of fresh baby food. There is no need to ad any salt or sugars for taste, as babies taste buds have not developed yet, and the freshness of the veggies and fruit will taste just dandy to them.

Click here to read up on how to store your baby food once prepared.

Moms will need extra nutrition, and this tea is a staple in my herbal and doula practice. Clients love it, as do the midwives and family members. Make this by the gallon. It is rich in nervines, vitamins and minerals. Mom, family and care providers can drink this throughout the day, hot or cold.

YOU ROCK! Mamma Tea and Infusion 2 parts chamomile flower (Matricaria recutita) 2 parts hibiscus flower (Hibiscus sabdariffa) 1 part rose petal (Rosa spp.) 1/8 part lavender flower (Lavendula officinalis) 1/4 part rose hips (Rosa canina) 3 parts lemon balm leaf (Melissa officinalis)

Many of us moms have been there...you tell your little one that it is bed time and they put up a rumble, then they quiet down, and you tuck them in, give them a kiss on the fore-head, and gently say good-night. Whew! You are feelin' good and ready to enjoy your few minutes thats left in the night for relaxation. Next thing you know you hear toys rattling, games being turned on, and the sounds of imagination playing in the background. You go in and they say, “but I'm” not sleepy”. This repeats itself another time, and then they finally fall off to sleep. But by now, your few minutes of relaxation has been used up by the night-time play, and you're frustrated, cranky, and tired.

What to do? How do you handle bed-time with your toddler or your older kids for that matter? Share your experiences, tips, and advice with other mothers!

News has it that the cable network The Black Family Channel will be moving to broadband soon! Making it free to all those with broadband connections.

Started by attorney Willie E. Gary, baseball legend Cecil Fielder, four-time heavyweight boxing champ Evander Holyfield, Marlon Jackson of the Jackson Five, and broadcast television veteran Alvin James; The Black Family Channel is America’s only minority owned and operated cable network committed to providing responsible programming for the entire family. They even have a show called “Souled Out” which is co-hosted by the fabulous Janelle Monae! The show examines the suggestive language, and subliminal messages depicted in all genres of music videos, and discuss the content, creativity and controversy surrounding today’s hip hop, R&B, pop and rock music videos. They also have a great line up for kids as well.