By Kathryn Whitbourne

Long-time gospel act Mary Mary is back in a big way, with a new album Go Get it (out on May 8, 2012) and a new reality show on We tv simply called Mary Mary.  Sisters Erica Atkins-Campbell (who has three children) and Tina Atkins-Campbell (who will give birth to her fifth child in August) took some time to catch us up on all their latest projects.

Hope: Why did you decide to include some classics on Go Get it in addition to the new material?

Tina:  Mainly because they are amazing songs.  Sometimes you have singles that lead the record and you have others that minister and inspire but don’t get the same attention. Some, we’ve done over and recorded live so they have a much newer feel.  Others are just as they were recorded initially but all of them are inspirational and make so much sense on this album.

Hope: What’s your favorite song on this album?

Tina: Hands down, the single “Go Get it.” It just speaks to us.

Erica:  It talks about where we’ve been in our career; knowing that we’ve worked hard, we’re ready for everything that God has for us so we’re going after it and hopefully that motivation will serve as an inspiration for our fans. You know life don’t play fair.  The economy is still as bad as it was a few years ago and people are not going after what they want – they’re sitting back and chillin’ and we want this song to push people forward.

Hope: How did the reality show come about?

Tina:  It came about in God’s perfect time. We’d been solicited before, but it’s a lot to let someone into your personal space. Our lives as Mary Mary are very public and to bring that into your personal life is a big jump. We weren’t sure we wanted to that but when we realized we had healthy families and moms of multiple kids, happily but not perfectly in business together for 12 years – those stories can be inspiring so we decided we’d let the cameras in and continue to inspire people beyond our music.   WE tv was the perfect home because they understand women and tell their stories well.

Hope: Did WE tv expect a certain amount of drama on the show?

Tina: Fortunately or unfortunately, there’s enough real-life drama so we didn’t have to trump up or exaggerate anything for the show. We’re real sisters and sisters get into it.  We’re also in business and also have lives and were both pregnant on the show.  There were hormones flying everywhere so we didn’t have to fake it.

Hope:  Were they comfortable with you talking about your faith?

Tina:  Erica and I are both executive producers on our show so we have a certain amount of control over what is presented.  It was very important for us – we don’t go into business where we don’t have a major say in how we’re represented.  On this show we’re gospel artists and that’s who we are; because we are Christians everywhere we go, if we say Jesus, read the Bible, speak in tongues …the Christ that is in us finds a way to filter into our lives.  This show is not a church show; you won’t necessarily see us going to Sunday morning service though we do that.  But if we are Christians, God is a part of our lives every day on or off the stage.  The network is perfectly fine with that.

Hope: How do you balance all your commitments as artists, wives, and mothers?

Erica:  It’s absolutely not easy.  But we desire to have a healthy family.  A lot of times we sacrifice sleep more than anything else.  I don’t have an A-B-C on how we make it happen.  We just take it one day at a time and sometimes we have to put family first.  But because we have incredible husbands and wonderful children, they do understand when Mommy has to leave. Sometimes we have to take a moment to ourselves and go to the spa and just breathe because it does get overwhelming. But we’re committed to our careers, our families and our ministry.  So we just roll and make it happen!

Hope: Erica, you wrote on Essence.com, “I’m tired and I need a break and I think God has lost my address!” How do you get through those times when you feel God is distant?

Erica: Pray and refocus. I think time with my children is what helps me to be OK because there is so much love and joy and good stuff coming from them. If not, I listen to music or just get on the phone with my husband and he’s such an incredible encourager so I deal with it.

Sometimes it’s just a low point.  I knew God hadn’t really left me; it just felt like it that day and I was being honest and transparent.  After that blog, I got calls from a few friends who were like, “Hey why didn’t you call me?” But sometimes God allows you to go through these moments. Every moment is not supposed to be sunshine and flowers. Sometimes you’re supposed to feel low so that when you are on the mountain top you can appreciate it just a little bit more. But I’m good, I’m back on the mountain top – I’m rolling with it.

Hope:  Do you find your relationship with Jesus is different now than when you were younger?

Tina:  You become stronger and more rooted in your faith; you become more of a believer; you become a little more unshaken.  You also become a little more realistic.  A lot of times when you’re a new Christian, you’re overzealous and you expect every day to be a day of euphoria and everything will go perfectly. But the Bible never said everything will go perfectly. It says that everything will work together for your good if you love the Lord.  So as we mature in our faith walk, we understand that even when days are bad, or when we fail, God is able to pick us up again and make horrible things work out for our good.  God is able to forgive you and redeem you and bring you back to a good space when you put your faith and trust in him. So we’ve learned over the years to never ever leave God because he has proven over the years he will never ever leave me.

Erica: Preach!

Lack of consistent discipline is increasingly becoming a major problem among families today. Many of today’s parents are convinced that discipline means that we are abusing, or unreasonably punishing ,our children — when in actuality lack of discipline is a form of abuse.

Discipline, which comes from the root word disciple, means to teach and to guide — and when we guide our children toward positive behavior, we help them develop a healthy attitude toward life.

From my experience working with blended families, I have found that stepfamilies have some of the most difficult challenges with discipline — due to the complicated dynamics of the family. Often times, dad and stepmom aren’t on the same page…dad and ex-wife aren’t on the same page…and mom and stepdad aren’t on the same page. All this leads to a lack of consistent discipline.

Additionally, many divorced parents often make many excuses for their child’s negative behavior along the way. “She’s just hurt because of our divorce,” or “He’s just having a hard time dealing with our newly formed family.” As such, they become overly lenient and tend to overcompensate out of guilt from the divorce — which can result in children of divorce sometimes feeling like the whole world owes them something because their family’s change in dynamic. They suddenly feel like everything revolves around solely them and their hurt feelings – and act out accordingly.

Now, in no way am I suggesting that we shouldn’t sympathize with these children – BUT…parents should demand the same positive behavior from the children as they did prior to the divorce. If they don’t, these children run the risk of growing into an “adult child” — who uses their childhood divorce as an excuse for negative behavior. This negative behavior as adult can lead to consequences that are far more severe than what they experienced as a child.

It’s important to teach our children that while they may be hurting — and that we completely understand — there are still basic rules of life…and consequences if those rules are broken.

Overall, lack of discipline leads to spoiled children, and an absence of discipline during a child’s formative years leads to difficult challenges for them as children and adults  — setting up harmful patterns that can last a lifetime.

Remember: these children will eventually leave your little world and go out into the real world, where their behavior will not be tolerated – and when it isn’t, this will leave them confused…and even more angry and resentful when things don’t go their way.

Kela Price is a Certified Stepfamily Coach, and Publisher and CEO of Today’s Modern Family, founded to celebrate today’s families — including stepfamilies, single parent families, recoupled families, adoptive families, and nontraditional families. For more information on Kela Price and her work, visit http://www.todaysmodernfamily.com.

Do-it-yourself lip care recipes and products with natural ingredients

Pamper yourself with these natural lip care products and do-it-yourself recipes

Do your lips feel dry, chapped, or cracked after winter? Spring is a great time to pamper them with natural remedies and products that are kind to the environment, your body, and your wallet.

Hope consulted Brandie Gilliam, Founder and Editor-In-Chief of Organic Beauty Talk, an award-winning website “…dedicated to providing information on the best organic, natural, and eco-friendly products of the highest quality ingredients and materials.” She loves lip scrubs for gentle exfoliation to keep lips soft and smooth. They are easy and inexpensive to make. Here is Gilliam’s DIY lip scrub recipe:

• Mix 1 tablespoon organic coconut oil (like Nutiva or Mountain Rose Herbs), 1 tablespoon organic or all natural raw honey, and 2 teaspoons of organic brown sugar.
• Use a toothbrush or your finger to apply the mixture with a gentle back and forth motion on your lips.
• You can also substitute the organic brown sugar for regular organic sugar or organic coconut flakes.
• Organic coconut oil by itself also makes a great lip conditioner.

Another DIY lip scrub recipe comes courtesy of BellaSugar. You will need:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 teaspoons white granulated sugar
• Dash of lemon juice
• Mix the ingredients into a paste, and apply.

After exfoliation, moisturize and hydrate your lips with an organic lip balm or gloss. Gilliam recommends Intelligent Nutrients Certified Organic Lip Delivery Antioxidant Gloss. Gilliam says it’s packed with antioxidants (such as acai, rosehip, and black cumin) and leaves lips soft and moisturized.

HollyBeth’s Snowflake Lip Balm is another favorite. “It has the most delicious vanilla mint scent and really hydrates lips,” Gilliam says.

Be sure to moisturize your lips before you go to sleep. Gilliam loves Izlla Peachy Rose Lip Balm. “I use this every night before bed and my lips have never been softer,” Gilliam says.

Gilliam also likes Organic Indulgence Lip Butter, which features beeswax, shea butter, coconut oil, sunflower seed oil, and vitamin E to hydrate and soften lips. It’s available in four flavors — Chocolate Mint, Cinnamon, Spearmint, and Lemon Tangerine — for a mere $2.95 a tube.

Of course, don’t forget the most important natural lip care tip of all: drink water! Water hydrates your lips. No matter the season, if your lips feel dry or chapped, drink more water, and resist the urge to lick your lips.

Your skin absorbs a percentage of the products you apply to it, and you ingest the things you use on your lips. Your lips can look and feel fabulous, with ingredients that aren’t harmful to your body or the environment. It’s easy, affordable, and delicious to use natural scrubs, balms, and glosses to keep your lips kissable.

Alanna Klapp is a freelance writer and a regular contributor for Hope for Women Magazine. She blogs at The Chipper Writer (www.alannaklapp.blogspot.com) and contributes to the only Cleveland Browns blog written by women, Bitter Orange & Brown (www.bitterorangeandbrown.com). She has previously contributed for AOL/Patch, guest hosted for The Writing Show, and taught at a writers conference on how to “Jumpstart Your Writing Life.”

When the workweek seems everlasting, and the drudgery of the day-to-day feels unbearable, traveling to a new destination can be a welcomed reprieve. On a budget – but over stay-cations? Here are some economical destinations for 2012 travel.

1. Stay Local with Budget Bus Travel to Northeastern USA. This may seem like an unlikely choice, given the expense of cities like Manhattan, Boston, and Washington DC — but with the recent surge in budget bus companies, you can get around for the price of a ticket as low as $10, depending on your destination. Budget bus lines also offer travel to Philadelphia, Toronto, Pittsburgh, and Charlotte. The buses are punctual, and feature wi-fi for added convenience. Early online booking will also get you a good discount on these already affordable routes, from companies such as Megabus and Boltbus.

2. See Europe on a Budget in Porto, Portugal. This lovely locale that’s connected with much of Europe through inexpensive airlines, features picturesque plazas, and narrow lanes to walk through and admire the surroundings. To get around, the tram and ferry only cost $1.40.  You can also visit the wine district, just a few hours east.

3. Enjoy the History of Japan. Tourism in this country has felt the aftershocks of the March 2011 earthquake. This makes traveling there quite affordable these days. In Tokyo, you can find a minshuku-guesthouse for around $37. An added bonus: attractions like the temples and botanical gardens are free, and the Tokyo National Museum is on the cheaper end as well.

4. Union Square, San Francisco, USA. This seems like an unlikely choice, given how expensive it is to live there, but this gorgeous city is an excellent travel choice. Compared to other expensive destinations like New York and London, you can stay in a hotel near Union Square for under $100. For fun, you can walk on the Golden Gate Bridge, visit the beaches, go to an old-fashioned arcade, and check out scads of free art galleries.

5. Make the Most of Mexico in Mérida. Compared to Cancún and Mexico City, this destination is a sliver of the price. You can head to Plaza Grande to admire the 16^th-century cathedrals, visit the free museums, and dance the weekend away, without breaking the bank.

For more info on value destinations, check out Lonely Planet for information on destinations including some other reasonably-priced places to visit: Tajikistan, Mekong Delta, Vietnam Lesotho, Iquitos, Peru, Ohrid, Macedonia.

When searching for cheap flights, here are a few factors to keep in mind:

• · Schedule flexibility – Traveling Thursday to Monday will cut costs, as compared to flights on Fridays and Saturdays.
• · Book in advance – The earlier, the better. This affords you more time to compare prices, and you won’t get stuck paying for a last-minute ticket.
• · Don’t be afraid to ask – If you book a flight, and the next day the price significantly drops, call the airline to see if they’ll reduce the price of your ticket. You’ve got nothing to lose.
• Buy directly from the airline – Buying a ticket through Orbitz or Expedia can incur an extra fee.

Now that we know where to go and how to get there, let’s talk about when:

• The cheapest time of day to fly is: The first flight out in the morning. The next best times are during lunch or dinner time.
• The cheapest day of the week to fly is: Wednesday.
• The best time to buy plane tickets is: 3 pm on Tuesday.

Remember — there’s still lots of time in 2012 to plan a budget-friendly get away…and lots of destinations to choose from that won’t break your bank!

Twenty years ago Nancy Traversy — a new mom, avid traveler, and world culture enthusiast — imagined a children’s book line that would bring her passions together in an imaginative way.

With a background in business and finance – and coming came from a family that was “very artistic” — after graduating with a business degree and working for Price Waterhouse, Nancy discovered her love of design. She worked in the design industry in London for several years, learning to run a small creative business. Melding these interests put her on an entrepreneurial – and creative – path…and when she met her business partner, Tessa Strickland, magic happened.

“When I first started I didn’t know anything about the publishing industry,” shares Nancy. “So I met Tessa, and Tessa had been in Random House, and Penguin, very large publishing houses — so knew it from her perspective in the department that she worked, in editorial – but didn’t really know anything about running a small business.”

The two formed the venture that was to become Barefoot Books – and from the start Nancy knew they had to be innovative in their strategy.  “I came at it from a perspective of, I’m not going to play the traditional publishing game; it was quite a slow moving industry, and very traditional…and we never really played by the rules,” she remembers. When they set up the business in 1992, Nancy recalls deciding they wanted to “connect directly with our customers. So we found everyone we knew, and we did our first mail-order catalogue – and nobody back then was even doing mail-order, it wasn’t done.”

Rather than selling to bookstore chains and suppliers, they developed their own way of marketing and selling their books. In 1996, they were the first British publisher with a website — thanks to the prodding of her husband.

“My husband said, ‘I know what you need – you need to get a website!’…and I’m going, ‘whatever dear,’” Nancy laughs. “So he meanwhile quietly sat in the basement and built me a website. I think we had it up for a year before anyone really looked at it, because we didn’t really know what he was talking about.” From there on, working from home, they took advantage of the growing e-commerce industry.  They also decided to set up a “lifestyle website” – offering birthday party ideas, gift-wrap, and recordings of their books. Finally they opened their “Barefoot Studios” – bookstores with a “community center” feel — that offer storytelling, music, and crafts, where families can go together to experience their unique Barefoot books brand.

But, it hasn’t always been easy, Nancy admits: “I have had a lot of setbacks in twenty years; my mantra is really, perseverance.  And really, I think the single most important thing that I’ve done is believed in the books we’re making. I knew that they were special.”

“I’ve often said when times when times have gotten incredibly tough, and they certainly have — I’ve had times with bankrupt warehouses with all my books and money, and I’ve had a near plane crash – everything that could possibly go wrong over the past twenty years probably has!” she adds.  “I’ve often stopped and chatted with my husband and said, ‘well, if everything goes up in a puff of smoke, at least I’ve created something that’s meaningful and made a lot of kids happy – and we’ve created 500 beautiful books.’ In terms of challenges, it’s continuing to believe in the product you’re making, and continuing to be an innovator.”

When asked if she could have done it without the partnership she’s had with Tessa, she’s resolute. “No. Absolutely not. I think what’s lovely about my relationship with Tessa is that we’re both very, very, different people, and we don’t always see eye to eye; as Tessa once said, it’s the grit between the oyster and the pearl. It was just a really lovely partnership,” says Nancy – noting that it’s their individual talents brought together that’s made Barefoot work, and that “none of them could exist without each other.”

That partnership has also extended itself to a larger community of people who not only love the books — but are able to generate income by selling Barefoot books, as well.

Nancy notes, “Our Ambassador program has also really kept me going all these years, because we’ve met these wonderful women who are all very, very different. Some of them are literacy experts, and some of them home-school, some are passionate artists, some are musicians and some are chefs – all these different women. I’ve got to know them as my friends over the years. So that’s what keeps you going as well.”

When asked what “hope” means to her, Nancy is thoughtful. “That’s a good question. Hope in the world; I think it gives me hope that things are getting back to basics now. I feel like, with all the crazy stuff going on in the world, I think this idea of getting back to simple community, grass roots – people caring about those values again. The idea of farmers markets having a resurgence, people not just worrying about materialistic things. And what gives me hope, in our case, is to see a group of intelligent, creative women supporting each other to find their path.”

For more information on Nancy Traversy, the Barefoot community, and their Ambassador program, visit Barefoot Books.