An Amazing Birthday Month

Instead of celebrating my birthday for one day, I decided to get on board with the “celebrate your birthday for the whole month” trend and I have to say, it’s definitely something I’m on board with. My birthday was amazing! I wanted a nice, quiet, and peaceful brunch with my family, and I got that and more. We all ended up on the beach too, which was a wonderful surprise (as the beach is one of my favorite retreats) and a great way to celebrate. I highly recommend having birthday months and enjoying what makes them special for you too. How might one have an amazing birthday month? Keep reading…

Have A Birthday Photoshoot.

I enjoy taking pictures and last year I dabbled with doing a professional shoot for my birthday. This year, I thought it’d be fun to do again, and I loved the way my photos came together. I picked out a dress I felt beautiful and confident in, a simple pair of heels, got my hair done, did my makeup and just went for it. It’s cool being your own model for a day and what better day to do so than on your

birthday?

Eat Lots of Cake.

I workout and count calories, but sometimes, you have to indulge and, on my birthday, and throughout my birthday month, I decided to consume what I wanted for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It felt so good to not think about calories or working out for a day and having lots of cake. I got some cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes and their cakes are delicious. If you’ve never had one, get one. Or two or three 😄

Celebrate With Cool People.

My family and close circle of friends are important to me. Being able to celebrate with them was a major blessing. If you’re able to, you should celebrate with cool people too. One of the reasons I wanted a low key birthday brunch was because I like being around people I’m comfortable being myself with. My family and friends allow me to be who I am and are cool to spend time with. Prioritize celebrating with cool people.

Enjoy Your Thoughtful Gifts & Experiences Too.

I like nice things, but I’m not a materialistic person. I’m definitely more into having memorable experiences (trips to the beach, live concerts, and touring art museums for example…) but this year I received some thoughtful gifts I’m enjoying. One was a coffee mug from my brother and my sister-in-law that was a refreshing reminder to keep exploring. I love it because it was a reminder to get ready for some traveling – which I’m really excited for. The other gifts were a sloth tote bag and some sloth drinking glasses I got from my mom. I even got a stuffed sloth animal too. Clearly, I have a thing for sloths. I think they’re adorable.

Love Yo Self.

Self-love and self-care are so important these days. And what better way to celebrate your birthday than loving yourself? You can’t possibly expect to like/love others until you love yourself first. I believe this is especially important for women. You set the stages for the kind of love you want and deserve and you, dear reader, deserve the best. Love yo self. You’re amazing!

Thoughts From a Black Educator: Qualified, Credentialed, and Constantly Undermined

I’m a Black educator in my fifth year of teaching middle school English, and in my third as the 8th Grade English PLC (Professional Learning Community) Lead. And while I genuinely enjoy the purposeful work I get to do, seeing the growth of my scholars, and continuing to hone my skills in a content area I’ve loved since I was a little girl, I’ve had to confront some unpleasant experiences in this space. I’d been through much worse when I was an academic advisor at a Christian university. Racism, sexism, harassment, and workplace bullying were sadly norms in that environment. However, some of what I’ve experienced as a Black educator hasn’t been normal … It doesn’t seem normal to be the only Black educator in my department – in a predominantly Black school. One of my Black colleagues once said, “It should look like a Tyler Perry movie in here.” But it doesn’t. It didn’t feel normal being reprimanded in a meeting (during my second year of teaching) by an administrator who went in on...

Ditching Dating And Decentering Men

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The Day I Took A Concealed Carry Course

Ability, opportunity, and intent are three words I’ll never forget after taking my first concealed carry course. Learning about firearm safety, how to properly purchase and use a firearm, and obtaining my concealed carry license were goals I set for myself and accomplished at the end of last year. Although I felt completely outside my comfort zone, I knew taking these steps were important to me. Mainly because of the current state of our world and society in general. During the course with Concealed Coalition, our instructor began by stating that the world seems more hostile than ever. He shared how you could be an innocent person minding your own business and suddenly find yourself in a situation where a firearm is present or needed. When he asked, “What made you take this course?” I responded, “For protection.” The course was filled with men and women there for the same reason and others. We all learned about specific laws in place surrounding firearms, the steps to purchase them, ho...

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