Vlogmas
Vlogmas is such an interesting time of the year to watch YouTube. There’s new daily vlogs from your favorite content creators and sometimes it’s extremely difficult to keep up with the hours upon hours of content flooding the platform. The vlogs typically have a different cadence from the content creator’s normal posting schedule to accommodate the seasonal festivities.
Perfecting My Craft | 2024 Content Goals
As the New Year rapidly approaches, December is always a popular time to start thinking about resolutions to change bad habits and set goals for the upcoming year. Some people jump into a strict fitness regimen while others buckle down from all the holiday spending to achieve some financial milestones. Setting goals for the New Year doesn’t just stop on a personal level. Lots of business owners use this time period to align their visions, thoughts, and ideas to create an action plan for the following year.
Road Dawgs
Unofficially, Kris and I are on a tour to see as many NCAA stadiums and college towns as we can. We love seeing different schools when Georgia is playing a game, within reason of course. If it’s something short notice, anything under two hours of travel is doable; however, if we plan in advance, realistically any distance is feasible. We consider ourselves part of the Road Dawg community and have traveled for soccer and football games so far.
Historical Spotlight: Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a time when families gather round the dinner table and reflect on the multitude of blessings experienced over the previous year. Join me as we shine a historical spotlight on the contributions Black Americans have made to the famous holiday.
Historical Spotlight: Ida B. Wells
Learn all about Ida B. Wells in this Historical Spotlight!
Georgia’s Coastal Cities
Vacations are a great way to reset and clear your mind from the daily grind of work or your home life. Kris and I took a vacation last week and it was much needed. The last time I took time off and away from home was in March when we went to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Just like then, I was in dire need of a change of scenery.
25 Essential Skin Care Tips and Tricks for Healthy and Glowing Skin
Maintaining healthy and radiant skin is a goal that many of us strive for, but often it can feel like a never-ending pursuit. The beauty industry bombards us with an overwhelming amount of products and routines, making it challenging to figure out what truly works. However, by following a set of tried-and-true skincare tips and tricks, you can simplify your routine and achieve the glowing complexion you desire. From the importance of removing makeup to the benefits of consulting a dermatologist, these 25 essential tips will guide you on your journey to healthier skin.
Grueling Gauntlet
The cost of owning a dog doesn’t just stop when you buy or adopt it. The fully loaded cost includes food, toys, bedding, medicines, vet appointments, grooming, and any other normal, recurrent expenditures that are consumed solely by the fur baby. Pet insurance, while optional, is part of Nala and Sasha’s monthly bills, because you never know when they may require a major medical expense. I’d much rather know I’m getting reimbursed 80% after the deductible is met, than having to pay multiple thousands of dollars out of my pocket.
Hustling Backwards
There are very specific situations under which college makes sense. The pros and cons must be carefully analyzed to ensure all the effort on assignments and money on tuition is actually worth it in the long run. Certain majors like communication studies, psychology, history, art, social work and others of the like are useless degrees that won’t really recoup an investment. Unfortunately, these degrees either lead to jobs that pay less than $60,000 per year or require additional schooling to really get into the field to make more money.
Holistic Healing
I recently had my annual checkup appointment and it went so much better than my appointment last year! I usually get anxious while waiting at doctor’s offices, but this time I miraculously didn’t get the jitters. The new office was smaller than the big hospital I used to visit and seemingly had fewer patients waiting, but of course that might be because I chose the earliest morning appointment they had available. Another huge plus, and a major reason why I switched providers, was having a doctor that looked like me. She was thorough and made sure to explain everything in an easily digestible way. My previous doctor provided great care too, but there’s an added level of comfort in seeing a professional from your own race, gender, and culture.
Happy Birthday | 25 Life Lessons Learned By 26
Birthdays are a joyous occasion and typically include lots of fanfare. Some people dread turning older while others fully embrace their additional wisdom. Before my 26th birthday, I’d like to share 25 things that I’ve learned throughout my short lifetime.
Independent Pibbles
While raising pets is nowhere near as difficult as raising children, it still brings a level of enjoyment and pride that is truly unmatched. Getting to see them grow from puppies into adolescent teenagers to fully grown and responsible family members is quite amazing. Nala and Sasha are officially entering their grown dog eras, and it’s been so cool to see their development over the last three years. Long gone are the days where they have to be closely supervised.
Root Of All Evil
The qualities to succeed in corporate America are the exact qualities that will keep a woman single and alone. The domineering, aggressive, and stubborn nature that women must use to be on level playing ground at a job just won’t work in a healthy marriage situation. At the end of the day, it’s in a man’s nature to lead his household and family. Most won’t put up with a particularly quarrelsome woman for long.
Fall Ball
The fall is great for lots of reasons. Cooler weather brings promises of sweaters, hoodies, and pumpkin spice lattes. There’s plenty of holiday joy to look forward to. The leaves are turning beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow and the days are getting shorter. One of my absolute favorite things about the fall is the return of football.
Time to Pivot
There will be people out there who absolutely love the planners I create just like there will be people who hate them. The same can be said about my training sessions, postcards, video editing, and any and every other thing I create. Nothing is perfect in this life, so there’s no point in stressing over the things I can’t change or control. The most important thing is to just find your tribe that appreciates the skills, products, and assistance only you can offer.
Healed and Healthy
Overall, I don’t have any regrets getting the surgery for the dog. It was the difference between her limping around, potentially in pain, and being a carefree three year old puppy. The money spent will ultimately make its way back to us tenfold, but the peace of mind we have that Nala is healed and healthy is well worth the journey we’ve all been on.
Future Forever Home
My vision changes from time to time since I see new ideas to incorporate in the plans. I make sure to write down my ideas so when it’s time to flesh out the design and features, I won’t have to try and remember things from years past. As time passes and Kris and I identify the things that work and don’t work in our current house, we can feel confident choosing a basic structure that will work for our family in the future.
Happy Spouse, Happy House
There’s a lot of things they never tell you about marriage until you’re deep in the midst of a long term, committed relationship. Things like disagreements, finances, kids, pets, and even daily struggles can become landmines if there’s not a solid foundation and a mutual understanding. It’s important that two people are working towards the same goals as a team and not detracting from the overall good of the family.
Pushing Agendas
Although it’s not the blatant, in your face propaganda like we were taught in history class, it seems as time goes on, we are fed information to fit certain narratives. Companies, politicians, and other individuals absolutely produce marketing and advertising to push certain agendas to the masses. Sometimes the agendas are harmless and focus more on promoting certain products, but most of the time they are more sinister to try and uproot your way of life or undermine a certain group in America.