SPICE UP YOUR HOLIDAY COOKING WITH MCCORMICK'S OLD BAY SEASONING

Hello, wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely friends. How are y'all doing today? I hope y'all are having a great day today and are not letting anyone steal your joy. Welcome to Maryam's Joyful Life! Today is a beautiful day!

I love cooking! I love cooking! I love cooking! I can't say that loud enough. I love cooking for a small crowd and a big crowd. It really doesn't matter who I'm cooking for. I just love it! Cooking is very therapeutic and fun for me. I can cook in any space small or big, but cooking in an open kitchen like this one, pictured below is amazing!

If you like open spaces, this one would put you at another level. Or maybe it's just me. I love this picture, makes me want to jump in the kitchen and start cooking.

Cooking for me is about flavors. I love a rich mixture of spiced flavor like McCormick's Old Bay Seasoning. Old Bay represents a rich outburst of food beauty on my tastebuds. Your tastebuds activate richly when you take a bite of my Old Bay seasoned fried or baked. It's delicious!

I love Old Bay Seasoning soooo much! There's no time I make my signature Old Bay seasoned fried chicken for my sweet man,  that he doesn't shower me with complements.  Who doesn't like complements right?😏 It is really goooood!
I have been using Old Bay Seasoning for over 6 years and I am convinced that I will use it forever!

 If you don't eat meat like me, not to worry. You can use Old Bay Seasoning to spice up your veggie diet too. It's very good on vegetables too. If you are a pescatarian, you're in great company too. Old Bay Seasoning is great for that too.

Old Bay Seasoning is great on BBQ chicken too. Clean up your chicken and marinade it in your Old Bay Seasoning. Add your BBQ sauce over it and let sit for about 2 to 3 hours. Then bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Let cool for 10-15 minutes and serve.

I hope you enjoy your Christmas season, cooking it up in your kitchen using Old Bay Seasoning.

Thanks for stopping by,

Maryam
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A HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS TO ZOZIBINI TUNZI CROWNED MISS UNIVERSE 2019

Hello wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely people. How are y'all doing today? I hope y'all are having an amazing day today and are not letting anyone steal your joy. Welcome to Maryam's Joyful Life. Today is a beautiful day!

Zozibini Tunzi former Miss South Africa was crowned 2019 Miss Universe a couple of days ago. I dedicate this post to her and the inspiration she's brought to young girls all over the world. "It is always deemed impossible until someone does it."  Your success is NEVER the result of being born in the perfect skin, race, country or family. It is born from knowing how much of God you have in you and how to access God in you!

Zozibini will serve as an inspiration for every brown girl and woman who has had to deal with self-esteem issues and derogatory remarks for the color of their skin. I hope that young girls and women all over will see this as an inspiration to believe in themselves.

In today's social media age, women and young girls compare themselves to highly edited images of other women that they are deceived to strive towards. While many of them are unaware of the negative energy that saturates these images, they are however, very well influenced by them. This negative energy shows up in different subtle ways. The most common way it shows up is in their minds. It may appear as a harmless little thought about losing an extra pound or getting plastic surgery in order to measure up...  It could show up as a mindless thought of feeling inadequate.

Anytime you feel negative about your skin, size or appearance, I want you to remember that you're perfect! The God who created you didn't make a mistake. Strive to be a better version of you each passing day. Don't let somebody's poor image they hold of themselves, affect how you feel about you. Anyone who condemns you because of how you look, they are expressing how they feel about themselves not you. You're simply perfect sister!

Don't let negative thoughts creep into your mind. Embrace yourself and speak positive things to yourself.

Thank you Zozibini for inspiring young girls and women everywhere. Your reign has brought a new vibe to what is beautiful. All that God created is beautiful and thank you for reminding us all of that.

Until next time,
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HOW TO GET TO YOUR IDEAL WEIGHT AND LIVING HEALTHIER

Hello wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely people. How are y'all doing today? I hope y'all are having an amazing day today and are not letting anyone steal your joy. Welcome to Maryam's Joyful Life. Today is a beautiful day!

There's a whole craze buzz about losing weight and getting to the ideal shape. I have heard many women say that they won't be happy until they have lost weight. I have learned that waiting to be happy only when your wishes or goals have materialized, is not natural to who you really are. The essence of you is happy NOW! If you're not satisfied with your current weight, your goal should be for you to be happy NOW! Here's what happens if you are happy NOW; Not only will you have the inspiration to workout, you will be content and happy with your result. The need to maintain your goal weight will be natural to you. You will then overcome the pressure of trying to compare your progress and body to others. You should strive to be better than YOU were!

A happy heart makes everything easy. When your heart is heavy with dissatisfaction with how you look, you won't have the energy to move forward towards your ideal weight. Even if you get there, you'll still not be happy. The reason for this is you were a happy being. This happiness that is you is not dependent on your physical world or form experience. It is the true nature of your being.

I have always loved being happy. I am not consciously aware of the very nature of my being. It's wellbeing, joy, expansion, harmony and love. Be interested in your own happiness. Your choosing happy should not be in comparison to somebody else. You are God's highest form of creation. Embrace you! Sit in silence and just focus on nothing and watch how happy you start to feel.

Practical Steps to Staying Fit and Losing Weight:
1. Get a comfortable bra top. My personal favorite is Nike brand. You want your boobs held in place, comfortably while you walk or run.

2. Get a comfortable t-shirt or workout shirt. I like Nike Tank Tops. They are breathable and easy to wash.

3. Get a pair of comfortable workout shorts or pants. You can find a variety of these at different stores.

4. A comfortable pair of running shoes. There's a thin line between enjoying your workout and being frustrated by it. That line is called your shoes. Always get a paid of comfortable workout shoes. I suggest going to the store and trying on a variety from Nike to Adidas and Puma to Under Armor. Look for a pair that you can comfortably run in.

Finally, Don't wait for the perfect time, day or space. Get out there and start your journey to your ideal weight. You could start with a 5 minute brisk walk in your driveway. Increase that to 10 minutes the next day. Keep doing it until you can start adding more varieties to your routine and watch what happens.

Thanks for reading this post. I hope you enjoy your new journey.
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HOW MOTHERHOOD HAS CHANGED MY BODY DRAMATICALLY || FEMME LUXE

Hello wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely people. How are y'all doing today? I hope y'all are having an amazing day today and are not letting anyone steal your joy. Welcome to Maryam's Joyful Life. Today is a beautiful day!

Having kids changes your body as a woman. Nothing about your body is as it used to be. I have had the privilege of having birthed 3 babies and I'm still in awe of how much my body has changed as a result. Since having kids, I have come to embrace the elasticity and dynamic nature of female's body. Looking at my bare body in the mirror, I'm still amazed at how my once really big and stretched out belly went back in. I still can't believe.

I have always loved fitness but having a body that I love and feel great in has more to do with the love I have for being alive each day. Although I am intentional about what I put in my body; in terms of nutrition, the vast majority of it for me has been the right mindset of not wishing for someone else's body.

I love wearing clothes that look good on my figure. Femme Luxe Finery has a collection of sexy clothes for women like me, who want to dress sexy for themselves and husbands. I selected a few pieces from their collection that I would like to share with you today.

This Black Cross Satin Floral Lace Bodysuit is really beautiful. It's great under a jacket and can also double as a bikini for spicing up your love affair with your husband 😉.

 This Tan Ribbed Wrap Bat Wing Bodycon Mini Dress is my favorite piece. I love how it hugs my body and brings out my curves. The color is gorgeous on my beautiful brown skin. I love it!

This  Rose High Shine Vinyl PU Trouser is definitely a first for me. It's one of those going outside the box decision for me and I like it.

This Black PU Strappy Top is gorgeous. I was drawn to it and wanted to see how it would look on me. I really like it. It's sexy and fitting.

I thought that the Strappy top and Rose High Shine pants would pair perfectly together.

I am really happy with my new collection and look forward to sharing more with you.
Thanks for stopping by and make sure to click on the highlighted links to check out https://femmeluxefinery.co.uk/ today.

Until next time,
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READY FOR THE COLD DAY WITH A BOWL OF CHILI

Hello wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely friends. How are y'all doing today? I hope y'all are having a great day today and are not letting anyone steal your joy. Welcome to Maryam's Joyful Life. Today is a beautiful day!

It's the winter! That means cold days and colder nights. I don't know about you but I just feel like laying in bed longer because the bed feels particularly cozier in this season. Or is it just me? LOL!

I love cooking for my family. I also know that I have to be wise with what I cook and how much I cook. There are days when I don't feel like spending too much time in the kitchen. It is because of such days that I make a big pot of chili or soup that can be easily warmed up and eaten for a couple of days. Today is one of such days for me.

I made a delicious pot of chili using a range of ingredients from Great Value to Clover Valley. These are Walmart and Dollar General stores brands respectively. I love how affordable their store brand items are. Before sharing pictures with you all, I wanted to first share what I learned recently from a Hallmark movie that I had watched recently. Prior to watching that movie, I didn't know the difference between wooden and metal spoons. Wooden spoons have wider spouts because they are better used for combining and mixing spices and ingredients in the pot. Metal spoons on the other hand, are designed to be used for serving the food. And I had no idea 😀. Did you always know this information? Share below.

Recipe List:

 Clover Valley Crushed Tomatoes

 2 Packs of McCormick Chili seasoning and 3 Clover Valley Chili Ready Beans

 A tea spoon of salt and 1/2 a table spoon of Caldo de Res(optional)

A tea spoon of Great Value Italian Seasoning

2 Pounds Pack of Ground Beef. Cook in a sauce pan/pot with chopped onion and garlic until brown.

Drain grease and rinse with about 2 1/2 cups of water.
Place pot/pan on stove at medium heat. Add beans, tomatoes and all spices and stir until perfectly combined. Cook covered for 25 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit, to cool for about 10-15mins and then enjoy😋!

You can enjoy plain or with cheese!

I hope you enjoy trying out this recipe!

Until next time.
Many blessings to you and your family!
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A New Way To Surf The Web, Share and Enjoy Your Work/Leisure Using Azulle Byte3 mini Desktop PC

Hello everyone, I hope this blog meets you in great spirits. I am so excited to be sharing another post with you today. I have always enjoyed reviewing and sharing my opinions on items and devices I am loving in the moment and items that I tag my go-to items. I am starting to think that Azulle Byte3 mini PC might be my new favorite thing.
So, today I am going to share my favorite things about Azulle Byte3 mini Desktop PC with you today.

Azulle Byte3 IR Remote

Azulle’s Byte3 Fanless Mini Desktop PC is designed to keep up with today’s ever-evolving mini-PC user and the multi-tasker that needs to get it all done – and done now. Azulle powers the Byte3 desktop mini PC with a 64-bit Quad-Core Intel Apollo Lake processor making the Byte3 not only lighter but more powerful. Use the HD or VGA port to connect to a TV or monitor. With 4K at 60 FPS, you can stream Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Prime; or use Microsoft Office to complete any business, school, or leisure-time task. The Byte3 mini desktop computer is the feather-weight champion of fast, functional, user-friendly and affordable technology. The Byte3 fanless desktop PC comes loaded with Windows 10 Pro operating system. Byte3 comes with an IR remote to switch on/off.
You can video chat and Skype your family and friends or even your business partners straight from your TV by connecting it to your Azulle Byte3 Fanless Mini Desktop PC in-built camera.

Azulle's Byte3 Fanless Mini Desktop PC is very easy to install and work with. The instructions are easy to follow and if you have any questions about your device or how to install it, their live chat assistant on https://azulletech.com/product/byte-3/ is very helpful. Let me share a little story with you. While I was installing my device, I couldn't figure out how to get my remote to work on the keyboard, I reached out and they answered my question. They told me I have to use an external mouse to navigate the remote. As soon as I attached an external mouse to my PC, voila! Problem solved! 😊 Now, I sit back and use my Azulle Byte3 as my personal home entertainment system . I also love the fact I can teach my kids new things on a big screen, thanks to Azulle! You can read your favorite magazines, news websites and more using Azulle Byte3 mini PC.

Azulle Byte3 Fanless mini Desktop PC

I am very happy with my Azulle Fanless mini Desktop PC! I hope you check it out today. There are different sizes of mini PCs and the prices range from $180- $359.99. Here's the purchase link: https://azulletech.com/product/byte-3/

Thanks for checking out my blog today.

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CELEBRATING AFRICAN QUEENS ON THE BLOG TODAY!

Hello wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely people. how are y'all doing today? I hope you are having an amazing day today and are not letting anyone steal your joy. Welcome to Maryam's Joyful Life! Today is a beautiful day!

So, I love being around confident women. It is an empowering atmosphere to be in. I have always been a pusher of self-confidence and accepting of whom you are regardless of what anyone thinks about you.

I have grown to believe that the best way to live your life is to live it the way you want to, not paying attention to what others think about you whether good or bad. Here's a clarification. If you base your actions off of what people think, there will always be this subliminal desire to always please people and they will expect you to please them ALL THE TIME! That's a messed up way to live because you can NEVER satisfy another but yourself! However, when you live your life doing what you think is right before God and on your own terms, your actions are not dependent on what people think, say or do!

Queen Hamamat is a Ghanian international business woman bringing jobs to the population of her village in Ghana. She's just assisted in creating a Shea Butter Museum in Ghana.


I grew up in a community where bleaching your skin is normal because the dominant belief is that light skin is beautiful. That's a belief that works for those who believe it. I have since learned that dark skin, chocolate skin, brown skin, caramel skin, any type of skin is as beautiful as the one who beholds it or accepts it. Every skin type is beautiful. I can not ignore the fact that there's always been this stereotype around women like me who have rich, dark brown skin.
Before I became more enlightened, I refused to think that I was less beautiful because of my skin tone. It broke my heart to see women hurt themselves by bleaching their skin so they could feel beautiful.

Beauty is everyone's natural state of being as long as they allow it. I have sisters who bleach but I have never had the desire to bleach my skin. I love my skin and want every dark skin Queen to love their skin also. Your success and happiness are not dependent on your skin tone. God, the Creator didn't make a mistake when He made you. You are truly masterpiece. I say this because I have seen your essence. Quit letting people define you. Society doesn't have the right to put a label on you!
Start right now,  decide right now that you will embrace and see the beautiful masterpiece that you are!

Here are some Queens who are breaking boundaries and giving beautiful dark skin girls and women an example of success to look at. They let you know that you can be dark skin and happily successful!

Bettinah Tianna is a Ugandan TV host; she's pictured on the right. Nandy is a beautiful model; pictured on the left.

Lupita Nyong'o a Hollywood decorated Kenyan actress.

Nikki Thot is also an example of a beautiful Queen.

Finally, Queen Maryam is also an example 😍

You don't have to damage your god-given beauty in other to feel accepted or loved. Anyone who does not accept your skin is the type you don't want in your life. You don't owe ANYONE an apology for how you were created. Right now, walk in fullness of your QUEENDOM, sweet lady, sweet girl. You deserve all the success and happiness in the world!

I hope this post inspires you!

Until next time.
Maryam💕

I LOVE BREAKFAST TIME WITH MY FAMILY

Hello wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely people. How are y'all doing today? I hope y'all are having a great day today and are not letting anyone steal your joy. Welcome to Maryam's Joyful Life. Today is a beautiful day!

It is always amazing to write. Anytime I get the opportunity to blog, I feel very happy and blessed!

What makes you feel particularly blessed? Share with me in the comments below.

My sweet family loves to eat. Food is a tradition in our home and we all enjoy it. I am very thankful for the ability God has given me to cook and enjoy the food with my sweet family.
My sweet man loves eating together as a family. It's something he looks forward to whenever he is off work and can eat breakfast with us. So, I decided to go all out this time. Our normal breakfast is sausage biscuits and water. The kids usually eat breakfast before we do and they enjoy their warm cereal. I decided to break the norm and give us something different to eat.

My menu was bacon, sausage biscuits, apple juice, tater tots, and apple slices. My sweet man was so thankful for breakfast and I was very happy. The food was so good and so much that I took a nap after breakfast. We ate everything except for the tater tots.
I also filmed the process for my internet family. If you want to hangout with me in the kitchen and with us at the dining table, watch the video?:

God is good, God is love and I am so thankful to Him for my family and His many blessings.
Until next time.

Maryam💕

MY KIDS TRIED COLD CEREAL FOR THE FIRST TIME

Hello wonderful, amazing, sweet and lovely people. How are y'all doing today? I hope you're having an amazing day today and are not letting anyone steal your joy. Welcome to Maryam's Joyful Life.
Today is a beautiful day!

So, my sweet babies had not tried cold cereal prior to today. I had the idea to capture their reaction on camera and post on our YouTube channel. My children are so traditional in what they want and do. Let me clarify. We are used to going to the park by a certain route and after the park, we usually walk around the lake and finally, cross a bridge that leads us to the route we take back home. We've been doing this for over 6 months and my kids have gotten a hang of it. Especially, my sweet son; Le'Veon. Le'Veon maps out our trip and activities from home before we get out. Anytime I make an attempt to change our plans in the last minute, Le'Vy instantly tells me that's not right and he doesn't like it.

Anyways, my babies like to go through with our plans and any slight change in plans in the process, aggravates my kids😂😂😂. I'm still trying to figure out where my kids got this habit. However, It is so amazing watching my kids display their personalities and understanding. I am so grateful for them and God for this.
So, I didn't know how my kids would react to the cold cereal. I have tried feeding them some unfamiliar foods before and they were really upset. I asked them if they'd like to try it and Levy said yes. Zozo was just ready to eat and didn't really pay attention to the preparation.

They finally tried it and Le'Veon liked it a little bit but Zozo could only endure the first bite 😂😂😂.
Here's the video:

I hope this made you laugh or entertained you in some way.

Until next time.
Maryam💕