FITNESS | LIFESTYLE | FASHION

  How many of you thought of an incredible idea or had an opportunity at the tip of your fingers, but didn’t proceed because of self doubt or distractions?  My BIGGEST productivity killer is distractions. I’m a ‘dot my I’s and cross my T’s...’ kinda gal, and I can become easily distracted by my drive. If I’m browsing something, I want to know all the details. I like to know how things work, and I’m an extreme problem solver. This can easily distract you in our digital world. These aren’t bad traits. These just can be the result of time wasted scrolling on a newsfeed on social media that can bring absolutely nothing of value to your life.  With my time permanently off of social media, I’ve been connecting deeply with friends that I haven’t talked to in months. I’m more attentive to my kids and focused on being in the moment. I’ve placed my phone down without any anxiety about missing out on information from social media because the people I care most about I’m reaching out...

  The social dilemma: Why I’m staying off of IG permanently The Social Dilemma| Why I’m permanently inactive on Instagram. ~~~>  https://youtu.be/PanK39KBU2k  <~~Video If you have not watched social dilemma, I urge you to stop what you are doing and go watch it now on NETFLIX. You will be blown away with the tactics technical engineers have used to keep us scrolling away. I’m guilty of it. I have or should I said had a ‘Fear of Missing Out.’ I felt my only way to stay connected with people on a large scale was to have social media. But what about the days before social media? People were still connected. I believe more personally then today. We traded hugs and in person contact, with emoji’s and filtered facetime.  What made me quit cold turkey was the part in the movie where the young teenage girl was looking for validation from people through her posts. Are we all guilty of that? Why do I post my dope brightly filtered images? Just because I think there great...

  Fubbles- this spill proof container makes it easy for kids to blow bubbles without any worries of spilling. This is a must have for us, since our entire downstairs is tile. I would hate for her to spill and slip. Cocomelon or Farmees- my kids love to sing and dance. You can access these two nursery rhymes and kid friendly music free on youtube, itunes, and even Alexa. Flash cards- shapes, numbers, letters, and objects are fun and also very educational for little ones. If they don’t seem interested, just add some music and make up a song while having them guess whats on the card. Besides the obvious toys, having a box of dress up clothes is always fun, especially for little girls. I passed my dress up clothes down to my daughter, so she will be able to enjoy: Ariel from The Little Mermaid, Princess Jasmine, Belle from Beauty and the Beast and many more. Alphabet fun- you can actually put all those fun foam alphabet letters kids use in the bathtub by adding a tiny bit of water into...

  Why #couplegoals can be toxic , especially in the black community We all seen the hashtag on social media. Even though it was somewhat of a joke back in the day, I have noticed this to be a trend now.  Here’s why #couplegoals can be harmful. We are painting an unrealistic view of marriage. You show me one perfect couple who gets along everyday and just thinks the world of their spouse 24/7. It doesn’t exist. I have not yet found a #couplegoals and here’s why. We are ALL different. Marriage is like a fingerprint. They are all different and unique. That’s why #couplegoals don’t exist.  This is the problem we are having: people aren’t finding their ‘perfect person’ so they opt out of getting married altogether. They see perfection on social media, so they think perfection truly exists. I call this the ‘sitcom syndrome.’ I want what I see on tv. This is a big problem in the African American community. 20% of black women get married. This is percentages of women who have kid...

Wearing masks during an 8 hour shift can do some damage to our skin. The skin can be susceptible to heat, causing break outs, redness near the mask line, and if the masks are not cleaned properly, it can be a breading ground for bacteria. What I noticed has helped me was of course my daily (twice) facial cleansing, however, to get a good deep clean I’ve been using my Clarisonic Mia electric scrub brush. I use my favorite cleansing products and in a gentle circular motion I concentrate on the ‘T zone’ on my face.  I also purchased a blackhead extractor from my local drug store to extract those pesky bumps we all get on our nose and chin. I’ve seen an increase since wearing the masks, so I use it at the least, 3x’s a day. An exfoliating scrub and black charcoal mask is a must near the end of the week. With the heat, sweat from working out, and wearing a mask while going out during the week, my SKIN needs the extra care. My number one tip for glowing skin is hydration. I aim for drink...