Ultimate Blog Party 2012: Welcome To MyBrownBaby!

Ain’t no party like a MyBrownBaby party ‘cause a MyBrownBaby party don’t stoooop!

Yup—it’s a party over here, y’all. The sun is shining, life is good, and MyBrownBaby is droppin’ it like it’s hot at 5 Minutes For Mom’s Ultimate Blog Party 2012! I’m having a blast meeting new bloggers and showing off my digs to the #UBP2012 crew. There are lots of prizes. Recipes. Music. Drinks. Great conversation. Definitely my kind of party! If you’re a blogger, stroll on over to 5 Minutes For Mom to list your blog or sign up for prizes (be sure to read the details on how to participate) and then click away to meet new blog friends.

If you’re new to MyBrownBaby, here’s the quick and dirty on the site: I’m Denene Millner, a 19-time author and freelance writer who, for seven years, penned the Reality Check column for Parenting magazine, contributes regularly to Essence magazine and doles out parenting, relationship and etiquette advice on the Today show, the Nate Berkus show, NPR and the Huffington Post. And my New York Times best-selling book “Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man,” which I wrote with Steve Harvey, is making its way to the big screen in a couple of weeks, starring Kevin Hart, Gabrielle Union, Taraji P. Henson and Michael Ealy.

More importantly, I’m a mom of three amazing kids, the wife of the ridiculously talented author Nick Chiles, the proud owner of a spectacular Goldendoodle, Teddy, and a passionate woman who loves the written word, intelligent discourse and my people. I try to remind myself every day how blessed I am for good health, sound mind, strength and, above all else, the good, hearty, everlasting love of an incredible family.

Jill Scott puts it best in, “So Blessed,” her hit song on her album

I woke up in the morning feeling fresh to death
I’m so blessed, yes yes
I went to sleep stressed, woke up refreshed
I’m so blessed, yeah yes
Water in my face and everything is in its place
Peace of mind even my grace
I’m so blessed, yes… yes… yes…

Yup, I’m blessed. If you’re new to MyBrownBaby, come on in and take a look around. You’ll find that I love ART, my dog TEDDY and good MUSIC and great BOOKS featuring children of color. I’m passionate about encouraging more African American mothers to BREASTFEED, protecting women’s reproductive health and rights and especially improving the BIRTH EXPERIENCES OF BLACK MOMS and the lives of black children. Check out what legendary actress DIAHANN CARROLL whispered in my ear, how I feel about BLACK DADS, PLAYING IN THE SUN, and LEARNING HOW TO LOVE MYSELF, FLAWS AND ALL.

Listen to some of my favorite music, including songs by artists like INDIA.AIRE, ANGIE STONE, LEDISI, and ERYKAH BADU—and maybe whip up my favorite cocktail, a delicious GODIVA CHOCOLATINI , while you’re grooving. Looking for great recipes? Find some of my BEST DISHES HERE. Know, too, that I don’t mind speaking my mind, particularly when it comes to issues affecting SINGLE MOTHERS AND THE POOR, and I get nervous for my AFRICAN AMERICAN SON. No conversation is off-limits, and sometimes it can get a little ROWDY around here. But my amazing stable of MYBROWNBABY CONTRIBUTORS, comprised of New York Times best-selling authors, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists, award-winning poets and blog superstars have my back and keep the site full of fresh, interesting, thought-provoking perspectives on today’s biggest issues. But every post is meant to give voice to black moms looking to get in on the parenting debate, and certainly to invite ALL moms to talk about what we love to talk about most: motherhood.

So crank up the tunes—Jill Scott is putting it all the way down up in here! Then check out the site, and introduce yourself in the comment section. If you’re interested in contributing posts to MyBrownBaby, email me at denene at gmail dot com. I’m happy you stopped by!

{Note: The beautiful picture illustrating this post is called “Sugar Shack,” by renowned artist Ernie Barnes.}