It's been a month and two weeks since I had my baby. My C-Section belly has healed some more and I felt like dressing up for the camera.

Related: My C-Section Birth Story How I Manifested The Birth of My Baby!

First Fashion Post After Having A Baby - OOTD

These days my outfits have been free wears like free blouses, gowns and sometimes I stay in my loincloth all day. Just clothes that can enable you to breastfeed with ease are welcome.


On days when I have to go out like when I'm going to the hospital to vaccinate my baby, I try to look dressed up.

Hello, welcome to the second edition of your lifestyle magazine. It's a pleasure to have you back. If it's your first time reading The Smart Woman Magazine, you are highly welcome to this woman-friendly space where we share information on topics that every woman who wants to level up her life needs to know.

You can click here to read our very first edition which was published last month.

Last month was the month for women. We celebrated our strength, existence and dynamism as women. Whether we did something significant for the celebration or not, I'm sure we had positive thoughts about ourselves as women in terms of our physical and mental contribution to our society.

This April edition of The Smart Woman Magazine is celebrating our greatness by showing you that striving for greatness is acceptable and that there are no limits to how great we can become as women.

In the spotlight today is Michelle Obama who has been serving us good looks and brains after being the first lady of The United States of America and writing a book which is said to be one of the most successful memories of all time (ELLE USA). We also bring to you what has been making top stories this March in this month's edition of our magazine. In culture, we are showing you the French culture and what makes it classy. Our fashion rubric explains the best tips for choosing an outfit for an event. Career-wise, we are talking about choosing a career when you are confused. On our health page, we give tips on how to eat well even though you are busy. And for relaxation, we share with you how to relax right in your office.

News

Ladies welcome to what made news in March 2019. March was quite a sad month with the deaths of celebrities and deadly natural disasters.




March also saw the release of the documentary called 'Leaving Neverland' where Micheal Jackson is accused of sexually molesting little boys who spent time with him in Neverland. The documentary tells the story of two men who claim to be molested by Micheal when they were kids. While some people feel it's just to give a voice to these boys, this story has also stirred anger in some people who have doubts since the king of pop Micheal Jackson is no more and can't speak for or defend himself. The Jacksons have been very upset with the claims made in this documentary. The Jackson estate sued HBO over the decision to air the documentary.

The saddest news of the month was the shooting and killing of the artist Nipsey Hussle. He was an American rapper, songwriter, entrepreneur, and community activist from Los Angeles, California. He died on March 31st 2019 after he was shot right in front of his store. He went to his store to get some clothes and gifts for someone who was getting out of prison after 20 years. Nipsey was known for his activism against gun violence. Many people around the world are touched by his death. People like Steve Harvey, Gary Vee and even the former president of the United States of America Barack Obama have expressed deep regret and condolences to his wife and two kids. What a sad way to close the month.

Those are the major stories for March 2019. While hoping that April brings better news see you next month for more news in the Smart Woman Magazine.

Spotlight:

Michelle Obama - Greater than being the First lady.

In the spotlight today is this lady who no longer needs to be introduced. She is the first African-American first lady of the United States of America - Michelle Obama. She is the author of one of the most read books these days - 'On Becoming Michelle Obama'. Her father was a city-pump operator and her mom was a secretary who later became a stay at home mom to take care of Michelle and her brother Craig.



She studied sociology in 1985 and then proceeded to study law at Havard Law School. Michelle met her husband Barack Obama in 1989 while she worked as an associate in the Chicago branch of a law firm.

Life after being the first lady of the US

Most first ladies after the mandate is over disappear from the public eye but Michelle has been on it ever since and is even more seen now than when she was the first lady.

For 55years she is on a tour around the world for her book called 'Becoming Michelle Obama' which is one of the most-read books.

There is one major thing to learn from Michelle and it is that you should always push forward to becoming even greater than you already are. Always strive for greatness and more greatness. There is always a level greater than where you are, so go for it.

When you think that being the first lady is enough or the highest dream a girl can achieve, then you get surprised that she can do more than being the first lady.

Culture - Classy facts to learn from the French Culture

Being classy is a culture that anyone can learn. Certain cultures in the world speak pure class in their way of life. This is the case with the French culture.

The French culture is known for its language, fashion, cuisine, art and architecture. It's a culture that focuses on being classy as a person and having a unique personality which is appreciated by many.

Their cuisine is very attractive and artistic. It is also very innovative and learning to eat like a French man does make you look classy because there's usually a story behind their cuisine.

In terms of fashion, the French culture is rich in designers who transform the fashion industry with their creativity year in and year out. Fashion brands like Coco Channel, Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior have proven that. The famous 'Je ne sais quo look comes from the French women. They look put together with very little effort which makes them very classy.

French art and architecture are also very beautiful and interesting to see and hear about. French people are very good storytellers and that's why they are one of the most visited countries in the world.

You may want to add a little French culture to your life by learning about these aspects or just learning a little French. Speaking French or telling someone from France what you have learned about their country will really warm their hearts. It creates a golden opportunity to start a conversation with them and makes your networking skills better.

Fashion - How to choose an outfit for an event

Consider the type of event you are going to:

Consider the impression you want to create the moment people lay eyes on you during the event:

Need I say more to this? Dress according to the impression that you want to create. If you want to be taken more seriously or you want to be trusted by those you are trying to network with during the event then you should dress like that.

Wear your best clothes:

Iron, repair and wear clean clothes for your events. This plays a big role in how confident you will feel while interacting with others during the party.

Choose comfortable clothes:

Make sure that you feel comfortable in what you wear. You can't properly and confidently network if you are not comfortable in what you wear. Attending events should be fun and you need to be comfortable to have fun.

Whatever you choose to wear, be yourself and express yourself through your look.

Career - Finding a career path when you are confused

Try your hand at many things to know what you would like to do:

This point sounds so Garyvee. Most people get confused because they haven't tried many things. if you seem to have a passion for many things at the same time and don't know what to choose, then consider trying to do them. This will help you to decide what your real passion is. Actually doing something will enable you to know if that is what you want to be doing for a long time. So go ahead and try as many things as possible to be able to determine the one(s) you want to focus on.

Find your gift:

Your gift is the thing you know how to do very well with very little effort. Find out what gift you have and work on it to build it into a career. Whatever thing that you are talented at will help you find a career because you will obviously do it better than anyone else who is struggling with it. Your gift or talent comes naturally because you are born with it. To find your gift and make it work for you.

Speak to someone who you trust and who can give you good advice about your career:

Find someone who can guide you on what career to choose and talk to them about the reason why you are confused so that they can help you with some good advice.

Health - How to eat healthy when you have a busy life

No matter how busy you are you still need to live healthily. The most common way to practice a healthy lifestyle is by eating healthily. This can be a real challenge when you are a very busy person. The Smart Woman Magazine on health today is focusing on how you should eat well even when you are a busy person.

Carry healthy snacks 

When you are busy, there's less time to go and look for food or to cook your own meals. The best thing to do is to have healthy snacks with you so that you can eat anytime you are free or while you are on the go.

Have one big meal a day

Try to eat one big meal a day because you can't rely on just snacks all day. Your body also needs something heavy and consistent to build your energy.

Drink a lot of water

Do we need to emphasise this? Water will help your metabolism work better. Water is also good for your brain and enables you to work better and enables you to think faster. When you are busy, you lose more water through sweat so it's important to replace what you lost.

Go for balanced diets

Make sure your meals are balanced. Let it contain the proper proportions of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water necessary to maintain good health. Have veggies and fruits to supply your body with necessary vitamins.

Relaxation - Two calm ways to relax at work

Meditate

Watch/listen to ASMR

ASMR videos or audios will enable you to relax and destress for a few minutes. Find a quiet time and place and put on your headphones to listen to it. You can find ASMR videos on YouTube to help you relax.

Those are two very calm ways to relax while you are at work. Take a short break and just relax so that your output after that will be the best.

Closing words from our editor 

Opening words from the Editor:

My name is Ngumabi and I am the editor in chief of The Smart Woman Magazine. I'm so proud to present to you this first edition. This magazine is tailored to inform and support the ambitious woman through her journey of becoming her best self; career, beauty, fashion, culture, relaxation and health-wise.

I hope that through these monthly publications you will be inspired and informed about people, facts and cultures that will push you to take action to make your life better and also build your mind to confront the better life that awaits you.

It's a pleasure for me to contribute to your level up journey through my blog posts and now through this magazine that is meant to build your mind intellectually and culturally.

I originally thought of making this magazine a free downloadable magazine but it needed some more expertise and time to do it. And all I wanted to do was start to publish this month of March. So just some days ago, I had the idea to create the magazine right here on the blog, until I can make it an actual magazine that you can download, read and share with your fellow women.

I was so excited when I realized that my dream of creating this magazine and putting out all these ideas and content for you guys was still possible from this month. of March.

Hope you enjoy this first edition because it covers the amazing and inspiring story of Dr Tererai Trent who never seized to believe and work for a dream that she buried in the ground. And despite all the difficulties and obstacles she faced, she realized that dream. Her story is so inspiring so please take time to read it.

In culture, we are also going to be talking about etiquette when attending events. In beauty, we will learn the various beauty hacks you can do with honey. We shall also get some career advice which will be about the necessity of having multiple streams of income in this new age. We shall also be discussing health where we will talk about how to eat properly to avoid falling sick while working hard for your dreams. To relax, we will visit fun and relaxing outdoor activities that can help you build a stronger bond and connection with your loved ones.

It's going to be an interesting first edition. But before we get into all of these stories and tips our magazine begins with top interesting facts and what made the news during February.

Hope you enjoy the rest of the Smart Woman Magazine and don't forget to leave your feedback in the comment section when you are done.

Happy reading!
Ngumabi.

News

One should be wondering what else could have made news in February other than the fact that it was the month of love with red roses and wine flowing to celebrate it. But apart from Valentine's day, some other surprising stories painted the month of February.

Let's begin with the Gucci "Blackface" campaign which got many black people and anti-racists in their feelings for weeks. The tea is Gucci put up on their website a black pullover for sale which covered half of the face and had wide red lips. This got people tweeting and replying to Gucci on various social media platforms that this fashion outfit was purely racist as it reminded people of the representation of black people in movies and cartoons in the past.

Though Gucci publicly apologized for the incident and withdrew the sweaters from their site, the most intriguing questions are "How could they not know that this looks racist?" "Was it done deliberately to pull attention?". Stories like these can only leave you wondering why.




In politics, as the presidential race is building up in America, other presidential races have come to an end in countries like Senegal and Nigeria this month as Presidents Macky Sall and Mohamed Buhari win second terms in office.

Those were the stories that made waves in February 2019. Other stories like the testimony of President Trump's ex-lawyer Micheal Cohen are on the rise and you can follow that story on CNN, BBC or any other world news channel.

Spotlight:

Tererai Trent: A Girl Who Buried Her Dreams In A Can - The reward of perseverance and persistence 

From being a child bride in a village in Zimbabwe to becoming a PhD holder and Oprah's all-time favourite guest.

Here are her story and the lessons we can learn from it.

She has given into marriage by the age of 11 and by the age of 18 she had already given birth to 4 children. One of the children died because she couldn't produce enough milk to breastfeed the child. Being a wife in a polygamous home was the tradition of her village and it was followed by her grate-grate-grand mother, her grandmother and her mother.

When she was a little girl, she used her brother's school books to read and write. She even did his assignments for him. When the teacher found out about it, he asked that Tererai should be let go to school. She attended just two terms of school and then was married off at the age of eleven.

This tradition and marriage she followed kept her silent for a long time though she wanted an education. She didn't like this life and tradition but because there were no role models and she didn't know any other way out she went on living like that.

Her husband knew about her desire to go to school but will beat her every time she talked about it.
It wasn't until a certain American woman called Jolack who visited her village in 1991 asked her alongside other women "What are your dreams?"

While the other women talked about having food security and educating their children, she said she wanted to go to America, have a degree, then a master's degree and then a PhD. She was 18 years at the time and expecting her 5th child. She also never had a high school education.

This woman told her that if she believes in her dreams then she can achieve them. She was confused because she knew that she didn't have a secondary school certificate. So she wrote to her mother telling her about the American woman who told her that she can achieve her dreams. And her mother said to her that if she believes in her dreams and achieves them, then she won't only be a pacesetter and role model for other women but also for the children she brings into this world. Her mother also told her to write down her dreams and bury them in the ground so that she will not forget where she comes from no matter where she goes in search of her dreams.

She wrote her dreams down and buried them. The fifth dream she added was that she wants to come back and help the girls and women in her community. Her mother made her write the fifth dream and Tererai says that she understands why. She says our dreams make more sense when we use them to help others. This fifth dream made her want to build schools, especially in her community to help other girls who have dreams and prevent them from going through what she went through to achieve her dreams.

It took Tererai 8 years to get her GED (an exam certificate that is equivalent to a high school diploma). She will struggle to get money to study and write the exams in her country and then send the results to the post office every time. She kept failing the exam and kept writing it until she passed it after trying it for eight years.

Then she was admitted into Oklahoma State University where she got a degree in agriculture and then a master's in Plant Pathology and of course a PhD.

But all of these achievements didn't come without trials and obstacles.

She moved to Oklahoma, America with her husband and five children. Her relationship with her husband was abusive to the point where he was deported for continuously abusing her. Life became so hard for them as she was going to school and worked four jobs to take care of her family. One day she saw the gums of her kids bleed as they brushed their teeth and she realized that it was because they weren't eating fruits and vegetables. She asked for help from her school and was directed to a store which accepted to give her fruits and vegetables that were going bad and were to be thrown away. She would select the fruits and vegetables from the trash can, wash them and feed her kids.

During this difficult moment, what kept her grounded was thoughts of gratitude. She felt grateful that even though her kids ate from the trash can, other kids ate from trash cans which were not as clean as the one she and her kids ate from. She was also grounded by the thought that despite the uncomfortable place she lived in there were other women who lived with their kids on the street and she wasn't one of them. These thoughts made her grateful, they kept her moving on and remaining persistent with achieving her dreams.





She printed t-shirts with the words "Tinogona" meaning "it's achievable" written on them in her local language. But she sold only 20 of them and so she couldn't raise money to open schools back home in Zimbabwe.




She is invited to give talks all over the world by organizations like the United Nations to talk about the importance of girls' education.



She built 11 schools which support more than 6000 children. She is an inspiration and role model for her community.

Tererai believes that if you truly believe in your dreams and work hard for them and never give up then you will achieve them. As she often says 'It is achievable' and she is living proof of that.





Her book "The Awakened Woman" is a guide to help women ignite and remember their secret dreams. Her book teaches essential lessons that encourage women to uncover the power hidden within them so that they can achieve their dreams. This book is written to help you achieve your dreams.


Her book is available on her website and other sites like Amazon in both audio and e-book format.


She also wrote this book titled "A Girl Who Buried Her Dreams In  Can: A True Story" which talks about the true story of her life. You can get it in audio and downloadable e-books as well.

Memorable moments for Tererai.

Terarai's face and reaction when Oprah told her that she will donate $1.5 million to realize her dream of building schools.




















The school in her village was not in a good state because the walls were falling apart, children took classes on the bare floor and teachers had no material to help them teach the children.