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Time for you to check out Malyric and Taylor Nelson!

Good morning Fly Girls!

Get your morning started with Beyonce- I Was Here…

Do YOU know that you should be F.L.Y everyday?? I’m not talking about the clothes you wear or the hairstyle you rock but you should be Forever Loving Yourself all the time! LaNetta Price launched F.L.Y. Mentoring Services Inc. which is an organization dedicated to teaching life skills, etiquette and self esteem to African-American girls between the ages of 11-17.  The Houston based organization is completely dedicated to reaching out to schools, churches and various youth organizations to provide unique workshops  in order for girls to mature into confident, graceful young women.

Let’s get to know LaNetta and F.L.Y Mentoring a little better…

Please share how the idea of F.L.Y Mentoring  was develop and the mission behind the movement

The initial idea of F.L.Y. Mentoring Services came about through my mentoring with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. I developed a great relationship with my Little Sister and really began to see the effect of this great pairing. I definitely began to feel as if I was really making a positive difference in her life. This experience was very rewarding and I began to think bigger. I wanted to find a way to impact and empower more girls. F.L.Y. soon became my great vision. I wanted to dispel the negative images of young black girls in our community. I understood that there were millions of girls that did not have positive role models, which is clearly visible in our communities. I wanted the opportunity to show girls how valuable they are and not to succumb to common stereotypes. F.L.Y. Mentoring Services is designed to equip girls between the ages of 11-17, with valuable life skills which include self-esteem and etiquette. F.L.Y. is an acronym which stands for FOREVER LOVING YOURSELF. The program focuses on empowerment through confidence. I certainly feel as if a confident girl can do anything that she puts her mind to. This confidence can radiate through schoolwork as well as personal relationships. The girls in F.L.Y. are gaining valuable skills that will guide them through adulthood.

F.L.Y. stands for Forever Loving Yourself, what piece of advice would you give to teen girls on how to truly love themselves?

I would tell girls that in order to love yourself you have to exude confidence. This confidence is reflected in the way that you treat your body, nurture your mind, and feed your spirit. Confidence is not only the way that you treat yourself, but the way that you treat others as well. If you are a confident individual you will exude that energy in all aspects of your life. A girl that loves herself wants nothing but the best for herself. She works hard and doesn’t give up. A girl that loves herself can be seen from a mile away. She is positive, respectful, smart, strong, classy, and beautiful from the inside out.

Working with youth both parties learn from each other, what’s one thing you have learned from working with girls?

I have definitely learned that the teenage girls of today are dealing with tremendous pressures of society. I truly believe that we are living in a different time and age where media is playing a large role in how our girls feel about themselves. The girls have basically taught me that there are few to no positive or “like” images of themselves on T.V. As a community, we must recognize this and begin to come up with a more positive outlet for our girls.

What is the main goal you accomplish when you host different workshops for the young ladies?

One main goal I accomplish in each workshop is developing a sense of sisterhood. I allow the girls to be themselves and teach them to accept differences. The girls are placed in a positive environment where they can uplift and learn from each other. This has a tremendous effect on how the girls feel about themselves. If they see another girl accomplishing a great goal, they are more likely to strive to reach their own personal goals. If the girls see another girl carrying herself with grace, they are more likely to want to duplicate that behavior. I honestly cannot sum up one goal for all of these workshops. I truly believe that each girl takes a piece of each workshop and applies it in order to strengthen certain areas of her life.

We tend to pull characteristics from others in our lives or from people we admire, who inspires you and why?

I am inspired by my mother who was and still is such a great role model in my life. She has built her life around helping others and I have the desire to do the same. Throughout my life she has taught me to be a caring, respectful, giving, and classy individual. She has given me experiences throughout my life that I can only pray to give my daughter. I have watched her work diligently in her career as well as in her job in caring for her family. She has an unparalleled work ethic. I strive to gain this in all of my endeavors. I feel that every girl should grow up with a positive role model in her life. A young girls’ first role model should be her mother. She should see her image reflected through her mother. I have learned many life lessons from my mother. She inspires me to be strong and independent. She inspires me with her positivity and her grace. With my mothers’ watchful eye, I was able to be my own quirky self without having to conform to what others thought about me. Overall, my mother has taught me to work hard and continue to strive for my dreams.

Where do you see F.L.Y Mentoring in the next 5 years?

In the next 5 years I see F.L.Y. chapters in several states. I want to provide this unique and empowering experience to as many girls as possible. I also plan on having yearly conferences for girls around the country. These conferences will be a larger version of the intimate F.L.Y. workshops. Girls will be able to meet other girls from around their city or state and form unique bonds. I want to expose them to great female leaders and other positive role models from around the country. The girls will be truly motivated throughout these conferences. Lastly, I see F.L.Y. being able to create a unique way for teens to express themselves, and become empowered through the media.

We’re all about empowerment at C.O.R.E Mag, what does empowerment mean to you?

Empowerment is such a strong word. In my opinion, empower means to teach. It means to equip an individual with the skills it needs to succeed. I feel that once an individual is empowered, they in turn should empower others. It is our responsibility as adults to empower our youth. To empower is to make a life-long affect on one’s life. I truly believe that with more teen empowerment programs, we can change the current generation and mold an upcoming generation.

Fun Faves!!- Food? Song? Artist?

It is very hard to narrow down my favorite food to one thing. I absolutely love lasagna as well as all soul food. What is better than greens, ribs, chicken, mac and cheese flushed down with pound cake or banana pudding?! I am also a very big candy addict. I seriously need help with this issue. ☺ I do not have a favorite song, but one has been my favorite for the past year, which is currently on my website www.flygirlsmentoring.com It is an inspirational song called “Beautifully Made” by Leah Smith. This song has truly touched me as well as countless others. It exemplifies what a lot of girls think about themselves when their self esteem is low but also shows us that we are all beautiful. My favorite artist of all time would have to be Anita Baker. I love all types of music. My faves are certainly gospel, R&B, pop, and jazz.

Check out more F.L.Y Mentoring here…

F.L.Y Mentoring

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Hello C.O.R.E readers!

My name is Ashleigh Thornton, and I am so excited to be contributing to such a positive and empowering magazine! Just to give you a bit of background information on myself, my name is Ashleigh Thornton… I’m 21-years-old… I’m a full-time college student… and I am also the Owner and Creator of NoireNaturals™! NoireNaturals™ is an all-natural line of hair products that I developed after “going natural,” so it will probably come as no surprise to see that health and beauty will be two major topics for the NoireNotes 😉

For my first contribution, I wanted to tackle an issue that many of us tend to overlook, and that is the fact that beauty is an “inside job.” When people ask me what it takes to have beautiful skin, hair, and nails, they are often shocked to hear that product changes aren’t the only things I recommend—I also suggest making changes in eating habits! Using top-of-the-line cosmetics can become very expensive, and chances are you will still not achieve the desired results! Drinking plenty of water and eating vitamin-packed fruits and vegetables are a major part of maintaining happier/healthier hair, skin, and nails; check out my own personal list of beauty boosters!

BEVERAGES

-Green tea

-Water

MEATS

-Salmon

FRUITS

-Granny Smith apples

-Pineapples

-Strawberries

VEGGIES

-Carrots

-Broccoli with cheese

-Baby corn

BREADS

-Whole grain EVERYTHING!

SNACKS

-Salt-less almonds

-Yogurt

Many of these items have an “organic” or “all-natural” option, so go for it when you can! And don’t forget to keep your daily food groups in mind when preparing meals: 2-3 servings of dairy, 2-3 servings of meats, 3-5 servings of veggies, 2-4 servings of fruit, and 6-11 servings of breads. Hopefully this information has been helpful to you ladies; please feel free to comment and let me know what beauty topics you would like to discuss next!

Peace and Blessings,

A ♥

I made a list of twenty things I wanted to do before I died recently. One thing about teenagers our ages is that, we rarely ever think about death as a plausible occurrence. When we are young, we feel as if we can live forever. I don’t like to think of not being on this Earth, I rather think of an idea worth living for. After I read my “things before I die” to my mother she told me her list. Her list, I might add, is AWESOME!! However, you can decide that for yourself…

 1. Go to Wimbledon Tennis Tournament

2. Go to the Cannes and Sundace Film Festival

3. Go to Australia

4. See the Grand Canyon

5. See Old Faithful

6. Take a Cruise to an Island

7. Go to Brazil (preferably for Carnival)

8. Swim in Lake Tahoe

9. Stay in a hotel that cost $1000 a night

10. Visit the 7 Wonders of the world

11. Eat at the most famous restaurant in 10 major cities around the world

12. Meet Barack Obama

13. Take a train tour of Eastern Europe

14. Take a road trip across the US and Canada

15. Take a helicopter ride over Alaska

16. Take a bike ride through Ireland

17. Go to Bucking Ham Palace

18. Visit every island on the planet

19. See a live volcano

20. See all your children accomplish their dreams in life

My list, I suppose, happened to be pretty juvenile. It might have been my mother and I’s age difference. Most of the things I want to do, she had already done. The list above, are twenty things MOST people on this planet will never accomplish. My goal is to try to let my mother experience these things before she dies of either cancer or old age.

What are your top twenty???

Iyanna James

Check out actress and singer, Skye Townsend’s Fresh Style!

Non-Negotiables– Not only in dating you should have your non-negotiables but in finances too! Now, when you first receive your check you should have a list with the breakdowns of departments you need to pay. For example it can be easy Your list can be…1. Tithes 2. Savings. 3. Phone Bill. Now you know that every month that these are your non-negotiables. No matter what, these items need to be paid. From here you can base your budget of what you need.

Time to Take Inventory!– Yeah,yeah you might be what we would call a “Repeat Offender.” The one who goes out and buys 5 more items that almost look identical to the ones you have in you r closet. No one’s pointing fingers because I stand here GUILTY. But you would be surprised how much money you would save if you take inventory before going shopping. There is nothing worse than wasting money on replicas.

No Impulse Buys– So every time you head out to the stores set a plan before you head out the door. If you just need to buy a pair of jeans or a cd, that is what you should come back with. Or even if you give yourself a total amount that you’re going to spend, stick to the amount. This way you can have the freedom to buy what you want to  and even indulge in that sale but still stick to the amount you want to spend. Trust me, the best feeling is going out shopping and coming back knowing you stuck to your budget and bought something you wanted! Score!

“I have to go 150 percent or nothing at all” -Patti LaBelle

“So if diva means giving your best, then yes, I guess I am a diva.” -Patti LaBelle

“I don’t feel as though I have to prove anything to anybody.”-Patti LaBelle

Happy Labor Day!!!

Good Morning Fly Girls!

Check out Naomi as she covers “Adorn” and “Empire State of Mind”

Enjoy!!

Good Morning Beautiful Ladies!

I know at times in your life you feel like you are the ONLY one going through tough times in middle and high school. It  almost feels as if you’re the only one in the entire world being picked on or bullied. Well, please remember that you are NOT the only one and you would be surprised of the all the other girls who go through the same issues in school.

Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas who was the  first African American to win the individual all-around competition  and the first American to win both the individual and team competition, admits to being a victim to bullying.

Even though she overcame the torment by succeeding, it wasn’t an easy road to walk down.

In her upcoming interview with Oprah, Gabby opens up about the bullying and racism she experienced while training at a gym in Virginia. A fellow gymnast routinely referred to Douglas as her “slave.”

From the Huffington Post:

“But it hasn’t been an easy road. Douglas opened up about her time training at a gym in Virginia, where she was met with racism and ridicule. She told a story how at one point she was actually referred to by another gymnast as their ‘slave.’

‘I definitely felt isolated. I felt, why am I deserving this?’ she said. ‘Is it because I’m black? Like, those thoughts would go through my mind.’

Douglas felt so unwelcome in Virginia that she moved to the gym in Iowa where she blossomed into the gold medalist who wowed the world in London.”

Read more at HuffingtonPost.com