Call Her Candice

A Stress- Free Thanksgiving

2021-11-23T08:53:00.002-05:00

Up until last week, our plans were to spend Thanksgiving with our extended family. Things quickly changed on us + we'll actually be staying home for the Holiday. Which means, I've gone from having to hardly do anything to doing EVERYTHING. As the panic began to creep in, I took some CBD and decided to make a plan so that I wouldn't be super stressed out the week of Thanksgiving. Figured I would share the steps I'm taking to make Thanksgiving less stressful + stay within budget.

First things, first... I'm creating a small menu. This might seem like a small thing to do especially when it's not going to be a large number of people. But hear me out because this step helps us get through the next step which is actually SUPER helpful.

Okay... so hopefully you see where I'm going with this now. Yes, we made a menu so that we can then list all of the ingredients we'll need. Listing the ingredients keeps us organized AND helps us not to overspend when shopping. I can quickly open my Amazon Prime app + easily add the ingredients to my cart in no time. Ordering the ingredients as early as possible is also important. Don't wait until the day before or weekend before Thanksgiving to do the shopping. Order the groceries NOW + get it out the way to keep stress at a minimum.

Last but definitely not least is to decorate NOW. Don't wait until we get closer to the holidays to put out all your decor. Do it now and get it out the way because you will have lots of other stuff to do the week of Thanksgiving. Trust, you'll thank me later.

Most of these tips involve preparing as early as you can... AKA now! And if you're a SNAP recipient in the DC Metro Area, you can get started now. Place those orders now for the ingredients you'll need on Thanksgiving. And even better, save yourself lots of time by ordering via Amazon Prime or Amazon Fresh with no delivery fees. Spend your time doing other things around the house to prep for the holiday. Hopefully these tips help you as much as they're helping me right now. Let me know if you implement any to help you this Holiday Season.

Candice

Back to School: with Amazon Fresh

2021-10-07T09:24:00.002-04:00

This post is sponsored by Amazon, however all thoughts and opinions are my own.

The 2021-2022 school year is underway and if you're anything like me, you're still trying to pull it all together. After over a year of virtual learning, this Momma definitely felt a little rusty at certain things. One of which was making lunch for school. How many snacks should I add? Can they get juice or milk at school? So many questions. One thing that made it easy was shopping in one place for everything with Amazon Fresh!

Once again, shopping for our own healthy lunch options has been made easy with Amazon. The variety of fresh fruits and vegetables combined with healthier snack options for the kids, makes this one stop shop unbeatable. I was literally able to order everything from bread, to cold cuts, to fruits + great snack options all in one place. The best part was obviously that I didn't even have to leave my house. I placed an order while we were out at Middle School orientation, and it was at my door when we arrived home. Plus, customers can select between a 2 hour time window that works for them. Moms with multiple kids especially know how convenient that is when you're running around with each child and barely have time in the day to make one more errand.

For my followers who are DC SNAP recipients + those that can help spread the word through our community to families that would benefit... Please remember that there is never a fee or membership required and the process is simple—just add your SNAP EBT card through Amazon.com/snap. Another step taken by Amazon that truly shows their commitment to providing healthier eating options to EVERYONE.

So how is everyone dealing with lunch this year? Our county has free breakfast and lunch for all students (regardless of income) for the entire 2021-2022 school year. Despite this incredible initiative, Kennedy still wants to take lunch to school about 2-3 days out of the week so here we are! Are ya'll making lunch daily? Are they eating lunch in school? Sound off below.

Sweet + Spicy Salmon + Salad

2021-08-06T11:58:00.000-04:00

I don't know about you but I love having light + fresh meals during the Summer! Throw together an easy protein like Salmon with some fresh veggies and its a match made in heaven. I was able to have the groceries I needed delivered from Amazon Fresh in less than two hours. I'm still so happy to know that families in the DC Metro Area in the SNAP program can use their EBT cards to make the same healthy + fresh options. This is something I won't stop talking about for a while because I really want to get the word out to as many families as possible. Being a voice for our community is something I will never get tired of.

Tonight I'm making some Sweet + Spicy Air Fried Salmon using DC favorite's Capitol City Mambo Sauce along with a quick fresh salad on the side.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED:

Salmon Filets

Salt + Pepper (season to your liking)

Capital City Mambo Sauce

Salad:

Orange Bell Pepper (sliced)

Grape Tomatoes (halved)

Red Onion (thinly sliced)

Basil (chopped)

Directions:

Season salmon filets to your liking with S+P. Drizzle Capital City Mambo Sauce all over. Spray top of salmon with oil of your choice (I used Avocado oil) + spray Air Fryer Pan to keep salmon from sticking. Place in Air Fryer for 10 minutes on 375. I personally like my salmon well done but adjust temperature/time to achieve the salmon cooked to your liking.

For the salad, you'll need to thinly slice all the vegetables. Throw in a bowl, add seasonings of your choice + olive oil and vinegar. Mix until all the vegetables are coated. Add half of chopped basil.

Once salmon is cooked, plate immediately with salad. Add remaining basil for garnish.

Bon Appetit!

This is one of my favorite Summer meals to make because of how easy it is. Honestly, my youngest child, Kennedy, could make it on her own! If you're in the mood, throw the salmon on the grill to take the flavor profile up a notch.

Shopping the ingredients online via Amazon using an EBT card is as simple as adding your EBT card through amazon.com/snap. And don't forget, shopping Amazon Fresh with your EBT card does not require a membership. Amazon did really good with this offering + I'm so proud to be able to work alongside a company that is thinking about the everyone in this way. Let me know if you try this recipe and what you think! I'm telling you, that Capital City Mambo Sauce really hits the spot + elevates a very basic meal.

Until next time...

Candice

Fresh Groceries for All Amazon Fresh

2021-05-21T11:15:00.000-04:00

If there's one thing I appreciated over the past year, it's been the ability to order my groceries online + have them delivered to my house. I was already placing orders weekly before the pandemic, but once things shut down, I truly appreciated being able to safely stay home + order groceries. So when I heard that families in the DC Metro area who are SNAP recipients are able to use their SNAP EBT cards to shop for groceries on Amazon, I was so happy. Healthy food access is something that should not only be available to certain people but to EVERYONE.

Years ago, after the divorce of my first husband, I found myself in a place financially where I needed assistance. For a brief time, until I got on my feet, I received food assistance for myself and my children via the SNAP program. Looking back, I have no idea how I would have made it through that time in my life without it. A single Mom with two small children + no family for hundreds of miles. Back then, there weren't grocery delivery services like there are now, but I can only imagine how convenient that would have been to use my EBT card to order groceries on Amazon. Not only does Amazon offer this with free delivery on qualifying orders, but SNAP recipients have access to Amazon Fresh for fresh meat, produce and dairy with NO membership required. This is the exact reason why I was so happy to be able to share this offering to my audience. Throughout the pandemic, so many families fell on hard times + it’s nice to be a voice that can provide information to help! There were countless strangers who did so for me when I needed it, so it's fulfilling to be able to pay it forward now.

Whether it's yourself, or someone you know... I really hope this offering from Amazon can help extend their services to anyone who needs it. Don't keep this information to yourself! SHARE it with everyone you know because you never know who could really use a service like this.

Until next time.

Xx.

The Frames You Didn't Know You Needed Amazon Echo Frames

2021-05-18T19:17:00.001-04:00

Hey, so I know that I've kept you all waiting on my review for these Echo Frames but let me tell you... it was worth the wait. Being that I have so many Alexa enabled devices around my house, I thought it wouldn't be a huge "add-on" for me to have the technology in my glasses but man I was wrong. Especially, right now in the pandemic, it's been nice to get things done hands free while I'm out. We all know the routine of touching things while we're out in stores now... then, you must sanitize your hands + such and nobody wants to do that every couple of minutes.

*Amazon Echo Frames enters chat*

One of the first couple features I tested out was making phone calls + listening to music, the basics. Of course the Echo Frames did both effortlessly but what I was blow away by was the fact that I could hear the person on the other end + hear the music playing but nobody around me could. Like you could sit right next to me and hear absolutely NOTHING. The Open-Ear Audio technology allows for sound to be directed into your ears while reducing what those around can actually hear. Oh, almost forgot, the volume also adjusts to the noise level around you! When I say these are Smart Frames... I mean SMART SMART.

I quickly moved on to test other features such as adding things to my shopping list, dropping in on my other Echo devices in my children's rooms if they weren't answering their phones (or don't have them because they're grounded) or even adding events to my calendar. ALL of which require nothing but a simple command... "Alexa, add butter to my shopping list", "Alexa drop in to Gregory's Alexa", "Alexa add a Parent Teacher Conference to my calendar for tomorrow at 12PM for Kennedy". Instead of having to pull my phone out + do these things manually, it was SO easy to just speak it + keep it moving.

Lastly, the most common question I got was where to go to get prescription lenses put in. For me, I went to Pearl Vision because that was the closest optical that installs lenses on-site but I do know that you can go to LensCrafters as well. If you don't wear prescription lenses, you could even install blue light filtering lenses to protect your eyes during your work day. They really are for everybody to be honestly! At this point, I'm just waiting for more frame styles so I can have options because we all LOVE options.

Let me know if you have any other questions that I may not have answered in this post. Also, check out my Instagram Feed + Stories (limited time) to see to see the Echo Frames in action!

Until next time...

Sephora Sale: My Recommendations + My Cart

2021-04-12T14:36:00.003-04:00

Like clockwork (it seems), here we are at another Sephora Sale. While I know I have lots of Sephora Sale blog posts, I like to update with new recommendations + what's in my own cart. I've been doing lots of skincare shopping more than anything but have purchased a make-up item or two. But when you have to wear a mask, there's only but so much makeup it makes sense to put on. So, my focus has been getting my skin as clear as possible. As most of you know, I deal with Melasma (especially in the warmer months), acne prone skin and oily/sensitive skin. I feel like I got the short end of the perfect skin stick but I've figured out how to make it work for me over the years. My recommendations are from items I've tried and loved over the past few months while the items in my cart are just products I would love to try since its 20% off.

MY RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Ole Henriksen Lemonade Smoothing Scrub:

This one is a MUST guys. It's so so good and if you are focusing on evening skin tone or dark spots... this is your girl right here. I know how much my skin loves physical exfoliation so I was hype to try this one, and it didn't let me down. Within a week you will start to see your skin just looking brighter and more even toned. From there it just keeps getting better the more consistently you use it.

2. First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum:

Such a great serum right here. I love the price point because it performs like a product that should be well above $100 but it doesn't break the bank AT ALL. I always remember that when it comes to skincare, you either need to have the time + patience to wait for results or the money to pay for the products that bring fast results. This serum actually gives you both which rarely happens but also why I'm obsessed with serums.

3. Sol de Janeiro 4 Play Moisturizing Shower Cream Gel:

LOVE LOVE LOVE this stuff!! It always makes me feel like I've taken my shower game up a notch. The scent is intoxicating and my skin doesn't scream for moisture afterwards like it does with drugstore body wash. I do recommend purchasing this during the Sephora Sale because $25 can sound ridiculous for soap to use in the shower but its one of the personal "luxuries" tbh. Get it because you deserve to shower like you just paid off Sallie Mae + your home loan. Why not?!!

4. Dermalogica:

This brand is a constant on my Sephora Sale list because it's honestly just a fave. The Biolumin-C Serum does what it's suppose to do (brighten + reduce the appearance of fine lines) which at my age is a non-negotiable. Back in the day, I use to spend months waiting to see the results of my affordable skincare but over time, I realized I prefer to just spend the money if necessary. Dermalogica's Biolumin-C Serum is not super affordable but it does what it says it's going to do. Period. Then of course, the Daily Microfoliant Exfoliator is a product I cannot go without as well. I love adding the exfoliating powder to other gentle cleansers like the Soy Facial Cleanser from Fresh for days when I need a stronger cleanser.

5. Drunk Elephant:

I always get questions about which products from Drunk Elephant I would recommend + there's so many!! If I had to narrow down the list it would be: Babyfacial, D-Bronzi Bronzing Drops, A-Passioni Retinol Cream. I could name others but these (3) products are at the top of the list based on how much I love them + how much I use them.

6. Korres:

This brand is not raved about nearly as much as it should be (IMO). I have not tried a product from the brand that I have not loved. It gives me decadent, effective skincare every single time. Wild Rose Brightening Absolute Oil is freaking amazing when it comes to dark spots. I am very specific in using this in the evening because it leaves more glow than I like for during the day. Plus, I'm more focused on using products to combat my uneven skin tone in the evening than during the day. Of course, I use sunscreen during the day but I'm also trying to take advantage of that cell turnover when I sleep! The second top product I would recommend from Korres is their Black Eye-Lift Super Serum... especially if you've been trying to find the perfect treatment for under eyes. This one is really good alone or under makeup which I can't say the same about my other eye treatments. Will it eliminate all the wrinkles under your eyes? No. I've seen it improve the look + texture though and not in months... in weeks!

7. Fresh Beauty:

Fresh is another brand I'm asked about a lot but I will be honest, I have been screaming from the rooftops about the Soy Cleanser for idk how long now. If you have combo or acne prone skin then this should be in your arsenal by now. For such a gentle cleanser, it keeps my acne at bay + my skin RIGHT. Stop what you're doing right now, open another window in your browser and add this to cart immediately. I use this cleanser year round because it's great for removing makeup but also great for controlling any acne breakouts. Not to be left for last but I also love the Kombucha Facial Essence from Fresh as well. I've also been trying the Kombucha No-Rinse Cleanser lately and while I am liking it so far, I can't say if you need to run out + grab it yet. It's been a great "first cleanse" but I can't tell if it's doing anything crazy special that Micellar Water doesn't do. Give me more time with it...

8. Fenty Beauty:

It's been a minute since I got on my soapbox to talk about the Fenty skincare but here we are. The cleanser... ehh, we can do without it. It's average and nothing I would say you NEED. Now that Fat Water Toner/Serum... WHEW! This needs to be your toner if you are battling dark spots. The girl gets it DONE DONE. Now speaking of dark spots + uneven skin tone, I hope we are all using sunscreen daily because if you aren't + you're battling these two issues, then you might as well just throw away all your other skincare. I don't want to hear that you're still trying to find a sunscreen that works because the Hydravisor Invisible Moisturizer + Sunscreen from Fenty is IT. I've purchased this sunscreen multiple times so that should say A LOT. I did try the latest Vitamin C + Sunscreen Serum from Supergoop and did NOT like it nearly as much as I like the Fenty sunscreen. I am SO serious about using this product every single day plus it moisturizes my oily skin perfectly. Not too thick, not too thin. I promise you will love it and wonder why you haven't been using it all this time.

IN MY OWN CART

Fenty Eaze Drop Skin Blurring Tint:

Summer is almost here so lightweight makeup is necessary. I also love how it's transfer-proof... finally companies catching up the current needs of masks.

Drunk Elephant Powerpeptide Resurfacing Serum:

There's no real reason why I grabbed this other than I trust Drunk Elephant and I'm addicted to serums. That's it. That's my reason. LMAO.

Murad Vitamin C Triple Exfoliating Facial:

I don't know about ya'll but Murad has never let my problematic skin down. I've been using the brand for years and I have never returned a product I didn't like for them which says a lot. This one is new but it contains (2) things I love in skincare... Vitamin C + Exfoliating properties. I can't imagine I won't love this as much as I have loved all of their other products I've tried.

Morroccanoil Body: Night Body Serum + Dry Body Oil

These products are part of my luxe body care. They smell amazing and leave my body looking decadent post shower. If you need to level up from the Vaseline Cocoa Butter Gel, this is what you're looking for. All Morroccanoil products smell AMAZING but since these go onto the body after your shower, OMG... talk about walking around smelling like a snack. NARS use to make a similar oil that smelled like heaven but I think Sephora stopped selling it... or maybe NARS did, idk.

Hopefully this list is helpful for your Sephora Sale shopping needs! LOL. I laugh because clearly none of us "need" to shop but ya'll know what I mean. Let me know a couple of items that are on your list that may not be here. You know, just in case I might need to make another trip!

Candice

Treat Yo' Self Gift Guide

2020-12-07T09:47:00.006-05:00

I decided to focus this Gift Guide on ways women can treat themselves. Instead of including items that women would love for use around their home, which is really code for: Gifts for the Family.. all of the gift ideas in this year's gift guide are recommendations of products to pour back into yourself. We spent the greater portion of last year, literally giving our everything to everyone else. Whether that was our jobs, our families, our spouses... this year has no doubt shown us our strengths. But we can't be strong ALL the time + its okay for us to experience the "receiving"! One thing about the Holidays is that we receive all of the Wish Lists... from the kids, from the nieces + nephews, from the husbands. And, when it comes to what we want, we usually don't know because we haven't even thought about ourselves. Well the Holidays are behind us + now it's more than okay to take a moment for ourselves. I've created a gift guide of items to truly Treat Yo' Self... you DESERVE. So, let's get started...

1. Nespresso Machine with Frother

I get asked about my Nespresso Machine often + I always give the same response. It's 100% worth it + the coffee/espresso is amazing... but it goes on sale often so just wait for a good sale. Well, that time is NOW because the deal on this bundle is almost $100 off right now.

2. Korres Skincare

When it comes to skincare not sold in a drugstore, I am extremely picky. If I'm going to spend good money on it then it must have amazing results. Korres is just that for me as I do consider it a luxury product in terms of price point + results. I just discovered the brand this year (which pisses me off but I digress) + already have a few faves. The Black Pine Eye Serum, Golden Krocus Elixir Serum and the Wild Rose Vitamin C Spotless Serum are some of my top skincare products of this year. I'm sure ya'll are tired of hearing me talk about that Eye Serum but its seriously SO GOOD. Light enough to use during the daytime under makeup or by itself or layer it at night with heavier creams on top. I just can't get enough of that stuff!

3. SKIMS Loungewear with matching Kids Set

I'm going to be honest... Its the matching kids set for me! You can find a similar lounge set or robe in so many stores but none of them have the matching set for your mini as well. I haven't lucked out with SKIMS in terms of sizing since I've placed all of my orders online. When I grab an XL, its too big and when I grab a Large, I feel like I could've used an XL. This time I grabbed a L/XL robe and its HUGE... So, I probably could've used a S/M which I would've never guessed. But the quality of all the loungewear + underwear I've purchased from SKIMS has been top notch! So, if your concern is the price, just know that 1. You deserve it, and 2. It's worth it.

4. NoireBud

Let's all be adults here... we've all needed a little calm this year! I've achieved mine via NoireBud drops + tea. I was hooked on the drops for the longest thinking I didn't want to try anything else because I had found THE calm that I needed but then I tried the tea. Let's just say that the Tea can stand toe to toe with the Drops which sounds crazy but that Tea is LEGIT. A lot of people have asked me to describe the feeling I get when I take CBD + I can only best compare it to the euphoric calmness you may feel when you have a moment without the kids. It doesn't make you sleepy but will help you sleep (I can't make it make sense, that's just what I know). If you're feeling anxious or worried or tense, it will make you feel relaxed. There is NO HIGH to this at all! You can have a cup of the Tea or take a drop or two before a meeting + be just fine.

5. Stocks

Earlier this year, I began digging into the stock market. I got tired of always shying away from any conversation involving investing in stocks + using the excuse "I don't do stocks". I didn't do stocks because I didn't know anything about the stock market. No one had ever introduced this as a form of investing but I'm 36 years old + its about time I take responsibility for introducing myself to things. So, that's what I did! I started super small in CashApp after Sakita shared that it was super easy to dip your toes in. She was absolutely correct, CashApp is a very user friendly, beginner friendly way to learn a little. I want to say I did that for about 3 months with very small investments... learning the ins and outs. After about 3 months, I was ready to take a bigger leap + headed over to the Robinhood app. This is where I am currently. There are definitely Pros + Cons but the Pros outweigh the Cons for now. I will eventually outgrow the Robinhood though. For now, I like the ease of purchasing Shares (or selling) + I like that it takes a few days to cash out. Some people may not like this or consider it a 'feature' but for me, the wait helps me to make better decisions. These investments are longterm + I don't want to be able to cash out the shares unless something dire comes up or its in my best financial interest. I'm really looking at my Shares as my longterm high interest yielding Savings account that is untouchable.

6. Mantra Mugs

We all need custom mugs to say what we can't say when we're drinking our hot beverages. Love the quality of all the Mantra Mugs I've purchased. Unlike some of my Starbucks mugs that have lost decals in the dishwasher, the Mantra Mugs definitely hold up to the dishwasher, microwave, whatever! And, this Treat Yo' Self is the epitome of what I want all of us women to do this Holiday season.

7. Beauty Bio GloPro

This is another item that I know I rave about a lot but it's because I love it that much. So many of us spend good money on our skincare and this product only makes those expensive ass products even more effective. Long story short, this device helps you get the most bang for your buck when it comes to skincare. If you have any hyperpigmentation, this should be high on your WishList for real. I'm a firm believer that unless you were born with it, great skin comes at a price so be wise what you spend that money on.

8. PURA Smart Home Fragrance Diffuser

I'm not sure how I first came across this device but man is it a game changer. Glade Plug-In, Who? Bath + Body Works Wallflower? We don't know her. I can guarantee you that this PURA device will beat any home fragrance situation you have going on right now. I said it, don't @ me. We're talking home fragrance that be controlled via an App on your phone. Increase or decrease the intensity of the fragrance, turn it off completely or change the color of the nightlight all right from your phone. Interested in putting your fragrances on a schedule? Yep, you can do that too! We all need at least one PURA device in our homes. I'm sorry, I don't make the rules!

9. Peloton Bike

If you follow me on Instagram, then you know how much this bike has transformed my entire mindset around working out or fitness. Both myself + my husband went from being complete couch potatoes to both working out at least 4-5 times per week. And while the rides can be very intense, it doesn't feel like we're talking ourselves into it every day like it would feel with other workouts. I will say that the playlists + the instructors are both LIT so that helps a lot. But after a while, you just start feeling better physically + you're proud of your own progress that you don't want to let yourself down. My suggestion is if you have $60/month + you're looking for a way to remain consistent in some form of working out, then the Peloton is a no brainer. It's 0%APR so you're literally just paying for the exact cost of the bike over a set amount of months. Sure, the cost isn't cheap but it's an investment into yourself. What isn't cheap are the medical bills that can come from poor diet + health later in life. So, choose yourself + invest in YOURSELF.

$100 OFF REFERRAL CODE: E7SPWS

10. Amazon Alexa Products: Fire TV Cube, Echo Dot

Yes, we're going to chat about Alexa enabled products AGAIN because it's the one product that I've had for years that just keeps getting better. I'm talking about products that I purchased for like $20 five years ago but we still use them to this day + the features have only improved over time. I've said it before + I'll say it again... an Amazon Echo Dot is hands down, the cheapest gift you can buy that gives so much! You're getting ALL the bang for your buck with this one here. Music, Custom Scheduler, Games, Household Intercom System, Alarm Clocks, Timers... the list goes on! Almost all features are available to use without a Prime account so if you're worried about gifting this without the Prime Membership, don't fret. Things like shopping via the devices requires the Prime Membership (obviously) but you can connect your own music streaming services you may already pay for to your Echo devices + listen to music that way. So, if you've been hesitant on grabbing Amazon Echo devices because you don't have an Amazon Prime Membership, go on ahead + grab them... you're good! But I will also say that I would HIGHLY recommend the Amazon Prime Membership... Like FOR REAL, FOR REAL... but that's another conversation.

Okay, I hope this is a nice comprehensive list for you to pull some things for yourself that you might want. Feel free to use this as a Wish List for yourself or to give to someone looking to give back to you. Now we have some options! Happy Shopping Xx

I Purchased + Tried the MIRROR Home Gym + This is What Happened...

2020-08-09T14:12:00.000-04:00

How's the MIRROR going for you, Candice? Glad you asked! This was actually my Mother's Day gift from the family but with shipping delays + an increase in orders, it took about a month to receive it. Touch-free delivery was great as the men wore masks + placed the box inside of our home for us to unbox. Unfortunately set up by the company was not possible at the time due to safety precautions. Honestly, set up was easy except the fact that this thing is HEAVY! Looking at the pictures + videos of it online, I thought it would be the average weight of a full length mirror. WRONG. Just standing the MIRROR up against the wall was a task for my husband + I to do together. So happy I had an extra set of hands because there was no way I could lift it by myself. Once out of the box, plugged in + app downloaded, getting started was super easy.

The variety of exercise classes was really nice as I could do high intensity cardio or low impact barre which my knees appreciated. Adding music to the workouts wasn't hard to do from your own playlists but as you can imagine, the music wasn't on beat to the workout (for obvious reasons). I tried the option of utilizing the music provided by MIRROR + found that it sounded like the music was added after/over the video as it still was not on beat. This definitely bothered me a little as I really like workout classes because of how the music can drive your motivation to go harder. This put a damper on the main reason for me getting the MIRROR which was because I love a good workout class with good music.

Seeing my metrics on the MIRROR throughout the workout was nice as it kept me from looking down at my Apple Watch every 2 seconds. The Apple Watch is used for heart rate monitoring which in turns measures your calories burned. Unfortunately, the MIRROR + Apple Watch Activity does not entirely interface with each other. Many times the calories burned shown on the MIRROR varied greatly from what was shown on my watch. Also, since the MIRROR doesn't completely integrate with the Apple Watch Activity, the workout doesn't appear in your activity as a "MIRROR workout". If you're familiar with using the Peloton app for workouts, then you know that your workouts will appear in the Apple Watch Activity as a "Peloton workout". For MIRROR classes, you will actually need to select what type of activity it is on your Apple Watch which may account for the difference in the numbers provided after your workout on the MIRROR vs your Apple Watch.

Lastly, I was hype about being to take Live classes or use the Personal Training right from my home. This never happened though because I could never get the Live classes to start when I needed them to. Sometimes they would start + there was sound but no visual. At this point I was over it + began the process of returning my MIRROR. The first thing customer service offered was to have Tech Support reach out to me + see if they could fix some of the issues. In addition, (1) personal training session was offered for my inconvenience. Tech Support never called after a week so I reached back out to continue my return process.

The week my MIRROR was scheduled for pick-up, Lululemon acquired MIRROR which almost had me second guess returning the device but I decided to move forward as I didn't think any features will be upgraded or changed for some time. Any changes made won't be overnight + I have very little patience. Pick-up was just as easy as delivery with the men packaging up the MIRROR for me + with the same precautions. The MIRROR was picked up for the return on a Friday and by Tuesday, a full refund for the device was in my bank account. My reasons for returning the device might vary greatly with whats important to you. The device integrating with your Apple Watch (or other fitness band) might not matter much to you. Listening to music while you workout might not be your thing. And seeing/tracking accurate fitness stats may not be important for you really. For me, all of these things are what made the difference between me truly enjoying the MIRROR + me returning it.

Since I received so many questions about my MIRROR when I shared it on Instagram, I thought it was important to share a detailed review for anyone else interested in grabbing one. I tried to touch on all of the (what I think are) important aspects but if you have other questions, ask below in the comments. I'm always around!

Candice

"Alexa... Shelter in Place"

2020-08-07T14:24:00.004-04:00

*post contains affiliate links*

Who could have ever imagined that I would be safe at home with my family for 4 months straight?! Well that's exactly what the last (4) months have entailed + the adjustment definitely took some time. To go from working our corporate jobs in our designated offices + the kids attending their schools full time to now EVERYONE IS AT HOME was an overnight shock. Immediately we had to figure out ways to make our "new normal" work for all of us as a family.

One of the first resources I implemented was using our Alexa devices as an intercom system to make sure that everyone could easily share when they needed the house quiet. A quick "Alexa, announce I'm on a call" can quiet the house in just seconds. Of course, we had formally let everyone know how to use the feature properly. This included making sure you also announce when you're off the call. We had some hiccups where the kids would forget to announce when they were done with their Zoom class, but overall this feature calmed much of the chaos during calls.

Since sheltering in place, my kids have not been anywhere except outside for some fresh air. As far as stores or any place else, the last time they "went" anywhere was March 10. So, you can imagine how restless they started to become. One activity that we all enjoy is cooking so we began utilizing our Echo Show to walk us through new + delicious recipes. A quick order via Instacart + we could all do something together that everyone would enjoy! The options are endless + the screen is large enough for everyone to see and not fight over who gets to read the recipe. One last thing for them to argue over because apparently that's their favorite quarantine past time.

Lastly, one of our favorite features is still the Drop-In feature. When you have (3) children in separate rooms, you will find yourself either constantly yelling for one of them or running to their rooms to tell them something. The Drop-In feature eliminates both of those options by allowing you to just "Drop-In" + talk to the child from anywhere in the home. This was one of the main reason why we decided to place an Echo Dot in each room. The price is reasonable enough (they go on sale often) where everyone could have one in their bedroom. They're able to listen to music, listen to books, talk to each other and we're able to get their attention without yelling at the top of our lungs. It's a win win!!

I didn't realize how much our Alexa devices would really help keep the family order during Quarantine but I really don't know what we would have done without them. I'm sure my neighbors would have complained about all the yelling if we didn't have the Announcement feature, LOL. If you've been interested in trying out any Alexa devices, now is certainly a great time! Let me know if you have any questions or need help choosing which to add to your home. We currently have Echo Dots in each of the children's rooms, Echo Show 8 devices on both myself + my husbands nightstands as upgraded alarm clocks and an Echo Show (2nd Edition) in the kitchen as our hub. If I don't have the answer then I will surely reach out to my Alexa family + get the answer for you!

Xo.

Schools Are Closed Why Your Child May Not be as Happy as You Thought They Would be...

2020-05-11T13:17:00.000-04:00

When schools first closed, there was a wave of excitement from my kids. It was almost as if Spring Break came early and would last a little longer. Then another week or two of school was cancelled. Which was followed by our county distributing laptops and wifi hotspot devices for the students. All of which still seemed really "cool". Kennedy was up at the crack of dawn on FaceTime with her friends, my son playing video games with his friends and my oldest seemingly unbothered. As the days went by and weeks added up, I slowly began to notice a change in their "happiness" about there being no school. It began to shift from being happy to have a break from school to we might not have the same classmates or teachers when we return to school. And, they would be right as the county recently announced schools would remain closed for the school year.

Before we ramble off about the many who are dead from this pandemic (which is the reason why schools are closed), take a moment to consider if that's what your child needs to hear right now. Let your child feel whatever it is they are feeling and support that. I can't imagine half a school year being taken away from me and then returning to school a whole grade higher. What would suck more is if it were your last year at the school... think 5th graders, 8th graders and 12th graders. Sure, you didn't get the graduation (many schools are actually making accommodations to give graduations at a later time) but you may never see those friends/classmates again. Whether they're moving onto college, or going to a different school due to districting... this is the reality that has hit most students by now.

So while your child may have been excited at first but seemingly bummed out now, let them know it's okay for them to feel the way they feel. Don't give them the "well children in Africa are starving right now" response that our parents often gave us when we shared disappointments. Encourage virtual playdates, book clubs with their friends, or whatever might give them a sense of normalcy right now. For younger kids, allowing them to construct + send an email to their teacher is really exciting for them. I think it puts a smile on the teacher's face as well receiving a random "I miss you" email from a student. As for your older children/teens, they really do enjoy those virtual classrooms more than they say. Being able to see or hear their classmates outweighs the "work + assignments" they may get so make sure they're showing up!

When school does resume, we'll have students returning who may not be emotionally mature for that particular grade yet. Remember, they didn't have the full school year to prepare for the next grade so that may come with its own set of struggles. As parents, we can predict some of this and prepare for the challenges but there's no amount of preparation that will replace experience and that's what is being lost right now. Do what you can but make LOTS of room for grace + patience over the next year... for both yourself and your children. If any of you have ideas or tips that are working for your family, please share in the comments to help the next Mom. It will LITERALLY take a community to get us all through this.

Xo
Candice

Money Management for Kids

2019-12-10T16:32:00.004-05:00

In past years, we've given our kids Savings Accounts (which came with cards) but that didn't work well for us. Then we moved to giving them children's checking accounts but there just weren't enough resources on the parents end to help them learn how to manage their money. There weren't options to limit or control spending/saving so we would have to take the cards away from the kids and they would have to ask for them back when they needed them. It just didn't work for us but then we came across Go Henry and we instantly fell in love.

Each household is different so what you might allow or might not allow will vary. What we love about Go Henry is the ability to restrict or enable spending Online, In-Store or at ATMs. While they hold on to their debit cards, their access is usually restricted unless we know they will need to use them. In the past with other debit cards, we would have to take the cards away because the kids would try to buy things online via their devices and we wouldn't know unless we checked the bank accounts. Let's be honest, kids will be kids and if a game is asking for $1 to get access to 500 coins, they're going to use the card. With Go Henry, there's no way that will happen if I've restricted their spending.

Now let's talk about Spending + Saving habits. In the beginning, we would deposit their allowance and immediately they would want to spend it. Not spend a portion of it but spend nearly ALL of it. So, I quickly taught them that just because you have money doesn't mean you have enough money to spend. Since all the money they get is from allowance (they're not bringing in paychecks), I set a threshold that they are not allowed to spend past. For instance, Kennedy's threshold is $25 so she is not able to spend + allow her account to drop under $25. The purchase will be declined. For a lot of us, this isn't a lesson we learned until we were in our 20s. When I first left to college, if I had $20 then I would be out at the mall buying whatever I could with that $20 because for me having no money meant I literally had $0. This was a lesson I wanted to teach my children much earlier on because its a mentality that really changes the way you spend. As they get older, I will raise the threshold... eventually, it will be $50 or $100, whatever makes sense depending on the amount of money being deposited into their accounts.

Transferring money onto their cards is so easy and frankly one of the reasons I decided to go with Go Henry. Adding money into their accounts is done similarly to Cash App. Using your debit card, you can immediately load your Go Henry 'Parent Account' with funds. From there, you are able to immediately fund their accounts which will be immediately available on their debit cards. There is no wait time!! I don't know about you but giving allowance was always a hassle because we rarely had cash to give. They would do the chores and then wait until the next time we remembered to take the cash out + pay out their allowance. It was the worst process but now being able to immediately transfer money into their account via Go Henry makes allowance, rewarding amazing grades and any other time we need to give them money, super easy.

Last but certainly not least is the super useful App. Both the parents + the children need to download the App as everything is done from the App itself. Adding funds, restricting card use, reviewing spending is all done in the App. Like I said, we've had these debit cards for almost a year now and I really can't think of anything we don't like about them. One time I added too much money to my parent account and realized that there isn't a way to transfer money back out. While I was annoyed, it wasn't the end of the world. I just left the money there and used it to transfer money to the kids until it was gone. But that's probably the only thing I can remember. And, honestly, the kids really feel like the money is their own knowing that we don't have access to it.

With Christmas right around the corner, this makes a great gift for any child in your life! If you use this link: http://bit.ly/GoHenryxCandice you'll get your first month free plus $10. On my end, $10 will be added to my Parent Account on Go Henry to fund Taylor, Gregory + Kennedy's accounts. So essentially, using my link pays them! Excited to hear how much you guys like this option for your children so if you gift them to your littles, definitely report back.

XO
Candice

Family Business

2019-10-21T11:13:00.001-04:00

Kennedy's Ultrasound

With it being 9 years since having my last child, Idk what was causing me to have the crazy baby fever but it kept happening. It was consistent as it would happen at the weirdest times... a month here or a day there. My mind would convince me that having another child would give me the opportunity to do it "right". But, why didn't I feel like I had done it right before with my other (3) children? That was the bigger discussion I needed to have with myself.

I'll try to make this walk down memory lane as short as I can. Taylor is my oldest child that I had at 19 years old. Her father (my ex-husband), immediately joined the Navy and we both dropped out of college to raise her together. Neither of us knew what we were doing + honestly we had no business getting married at 19 years old. But that's what trying to "be grown" will get you, along with giving in to the pressures of your family. Needless to say, it wasn’t the ideal situation to bring a child into the world but far from the worst tbh. Then, shortly after my marriage began falling apart, I found out that I was expecting my 2nd child, Gregory. Talk about pressure from your family!! Now I had two children and no one thought it was a "good idea" to break the family apart. Well, I tried and tried but what I eventually realized is that the family had already been broken apart and it wasn't by me. Then years later, I met Steven, my current husband, and we had Kennedy (the youngest). We both worked full time jobs, had our own place but still struggled financially with student loans and other bills. Things weren't "horrible" as we were able to afford everything we needed but believe it or not, we qualified for Medicaid + other financial support offered by the state. Yes, you read that right... (2) people working full-time still qualified for food stamps in Virginia Beach. That's good ole low pay + cost of living in the Hampton Roads area for ya. Eventually we had Kennedy, got married and moved up to Northern VA where things quickly turned around for us... I’m talking a complete 180!! We went from qualifying for food stamps to not even qualifying for reduced lunch.

Now that story time is over you might see why I thought that I had never done it right. The biggest mistake was that I was only looking at the circumstances surrounding their births. We've come a long way from all of those situations and things are a lot different now. Here I was wanting a baby so that I could create the perfect outcome at it's birth but shit, this is a whole human we're talking about. There's a whole lot of life to live after the birth! And the life my children have lived and are living are loads better than my own childhood. My own insecurities about my past were causing me to desire major changes for the wrong reasons. I don't know if it was this or if my husband just thought (3) children were enough but he was DONE. Also since he's a man in finance, I'm sure us having our shit together financially was also a big deal for him. It mattered a lot to me as well but I was allowing my insecurities to overshadow that.

So what changed? One day I just asked myself if I really wanted to have an infant AND a teenager at the same damn time. The answer was a clear no. Instead of continuing to focus on having a baby or baby fever, my focus shifted to being the best mom I could be for the (3) children I was currently raising. To keep things on track, my husband and I agreed that he should get a vasectomy since having more children was no longer on the table. An appointment was made that day + we really haven't looked back since. Luckily, I have my sister + friends who are still having children so I can live vicariously through them if I ever want to smell a baby or something. Other than that, I'm gucci. I am so happy that I didn't give into my very temporary desires of having another child because I'm really happy with my crew as it is now. My Fab 5 brings me so much happiness + I haven't felt 'baby fever' since changing my prospective!! Now that we are 100% sure that our family is complete, time for a Family Picture already. I will definitely be using Paperless Post to send our family picture out via Holiday Cards. If you’re behind on taking your family photos, join me + do it for the holidays. Use this link: https://www.paperlesspost.com/ to create your own Holiday Card with me. Don’t forget to share it with me on IG so I can repost it!!

Until next time.
XOXO
Candice

My Top 3 Last Minute Mother's Day Gifts She'll Love...

2019-05-08T11:01:00.001-04:00

If you're anything like me, then you've probably asked your Mom numerous times what she wants for Mother's Day, added it to your cart + it has sat there since. Why do we do this to ourselves? Now here we are just days away from Mother's Day + not a gift in sight. No worries, I have gathered a short list of items that can still be purchased and given on time. Some are very familiar because I've mentioned them gazillion times before but that's only because I love them that much!

APPLE WATCH

How many times do I have to tell you guys that this is one of the best gifts out there. It's the gift that keeps on giving and seems to always be on sale around the holidays. Target currently has them for about $80 off. You really can't be that. Take things up a notch by grabbing an alternate band from Amazon for under $20.

ALEXA

I don't ever share items with you all that I don't have myself or want for myself. Case in point, I have (6) Alexa devices throughout my home. Yes, you read that correctly... SIX! Once the added the intercom feature, I went wild + bought one for every room in my home. The intercom feature allows you to be in the kitchen and tell Alexa to announce that dinner is ready. Every room that has an Alexa device will announced "Dinner is ready". No more yelling like a crazy person up the stairs for the kids to come down. It's really a useful tool because aside from playing music but I would highly suggest buying your Mom two devices for her to get full use out of all the features. They're $20 off right now at only $29.99 for the latest model. Two for $60... you can't beat that!!

AMAZON PRIME

There really is no excuse to not give Mom a gift when we have options like Amazon Prime or Target Same Day Delivery available to us now. What in the world does Amazon OR Target not sell?! Okay, guns... so maybe you can't get Mom a gun but what are the odds that she even wants a damn gun. Find something that Mom wants and have it delivered directly to her. There's still plenty of time.

Unless you are buying Mom a gift to travel to Paris, then giving your gift after Mother's Day is definitely frowned upon. Especially seeing as we had since last Mother's Day to grab something. LOL. This goes for us as well! I expect my Mother's Day gifts ON TIME since I'm not allowed to be late with things. Waiting until next month to give you tonight's dinner wouldn't go over well so I expect the same courtesy. LMAO. My Mom is much like myself as she just tells us what she would like. Thank you. I can't remember the last time I expected my husband to pick up on hints or remember things I wanted. Probably the last time I didn't get what I wanted!! I'm very direct... here's what I want + here's the link. Sometimes I even just go buy it for myself... we're all adults right?! Now if you STILL drop the ball, there's a problem.

So good luck grabbing Mom something by this Sunday. Remember, no excuses for late gifts unless we're planning international trips or grabbing guns. Otherwise, get on it!!

XOXO
Candice

The Bedroom Reset

2019-05-02T22:54:00.000-04:00

After two years of living in this home I looked around proud of every area except the one room with the door always closed. Funny how it's called the "Master" Bedroom, yet there was nothing dominant about it. For over two years, it's been a room with a Bed, Dresser and TV. We didn't even purchase a new Bedding Set when we moved in. Nope, just washed our old one we've had for years + kept it moving. No wonder, we spent VERY little time there. Don't get me wrong... lock the door and it gets the job done for sleeping + other adult activities. But it definitely wasn't the calming space I've always wanted it to be. And for no reason other than it had not been a priority. Well priorities have changed lil' fella...

We've had our Bedroom Set for about 8ish years and while it has some scratches on it from moving, it's still in great condition. We gave the nightstands away years ago because they were just too traditional for my liking but other than, the furniture was gucci. Not to mention, we paid good money for it so we're going to get FULL use out of it, OKAY! Replacing the furniture wasn't necessary but my friend, Rashida, did suggest we spray paint it. After considering the work that it would require, I decided that we still liked the dark wood. LOL. So I based the rest of the room decor around the fact that we had dark furniture which meant everything else needed to be light + bright. I'm not a girl that can do all white so I decided to go with Grey, White and Blush Pink. When I showed everything to my Mom, she insisted that the room needed a brighter, more substantial pop of color like Red, Orange, Yellow. Hi my name is Candice, have we met Mother? When have I ever been a fan of any of those colors?! Then she threw out green (I think that was her attempt at knowing me a little better lol), and I agreed that a little green might work.

Hourglass Accent Table (similar option here) || Gold Palm Leaves Wall Decals (Amazon)

First I started with the Kate Spade Bedding (Comforter + Sheet Set). Then I grabbed the Gold Tipped Lucite Curtain Rods from HomeSense. I'm the type of person that likes having the sunlight peek through in the morning to wake me up naturally so finding sheer window treatments was important. They actually took some time but I ended up finding them at HomeSense as well. Come to think of it, I actually found quite a bit at HomeSense because that's also where I found the green floral throw pillow and the grey wicker bed tray.

Everything else, began to quickly come together. The white + denim decorative pillows, I found at Target. Once I saw those denim pillows, it was all I could think of until I eventually went back + snatched them up. Dark brown furniture, White Pillows/Sheets with Denim Pillows to accent... it all just makes me so happy because it's sooooo me. This definitely sounds like an outfit I would wear!

Chambray Pillows (Target)

Okay moving along... since we rent, I didn't feel like painting only to have to paint it back when we left so my choices were removable wallpaper or removable wall decals. When I found the leaf decals on amazon, I hit add to cart IMMEDIATELY + then purchased two weeks later. LOL, we all do that right? Applying them took about an hour with (2) sets of hands because I'm a Leo + need to control everything. For example: Husband goes to place decal. I yell and say no not there! Then tell him to move it 3 centimeters to the right. Perfect! I don't know why I'm this way guys. Once we got the decals up, the room started to transform. And since Hubs arms were already on fire, I figured asking him to hang the curtains immediately after was ideal. Now once those curtains went up, the room really started looking NEW NEW.

Artificial Fiddle Leaf- Target || CATCH ALL BASKET NECESSARY TO KEEP NIGHTSTAND NEAT

Popped the bedding on to the bed and what we have here ladies + gents is a whole ass adult bedroom. But that wasn't enough. The wall decals were cute but the wall behind the headboard still seemed empty. I decided that some pictures would be REAL cute so I reached out to my friends at FrameBridge on 14th St. in DC to make that happen. Guys... GUYS, this experience was another level of adulting that I will have to go into further detail in another Blog Post. Just know, if it deserves it's own Blog Post then shit must be legit.

Irvine White Mat Frame (Framebridge) || Marble + Gold Globe Light (Target)

Anyways, how do you think it all came out?! Our bedroom isn't the largest space as we're only able to fit a Queen size bed in it but I think we've utilized the space well. And, I promise you I've spent a ridiculously amount of time in my room since we completed it. Now it actually feels like a space I can go hang out in... that I actually WANT to hang out in. If you haven't spruced your bedroom up in a while, do it girl... it'll have you acting brand new.

XOXO
Candice

The Blog Grew Up Guys...

2019-04-30T22:38:00.000-04:00

There was no going away party or any warning but MyCandiShoppe has served her time. So many years, I've actually wanted to change my name but just couldn't think of a new name that felt right. Instead of forcing it, I kept MyCandiShoppe because homegirl had held me down so why not? I knew that one day I would wake up and the right name would just come to me. Kid you not, that's exactly what happened.

I had been going back and forth in emails with a brand + I woke up to an email response from them. This might have been the 5th email in correspondence with them so we had been doing the back + forth thing for some time now. But, when I opened that email and read "Hey Candi..." I nearly threw my computer. It didn't matter that my email address is CANDICE@mycandishoppe, or that my signature says "XOXO Candice", or that my Instagram Bio actually says "Don't call me Candi". Here we were 5 emails in and somehow I am now "Candi". In that moment, it dawned on me that people may be referencing 'myCANDIshoppe' + calling me 'Candi' because that's what my Blog name + Social Media handles are. Maybe... possibly. All I knew was that this needed to be fixed ASAP.

When I woke up to the thought of 'Call Her Candice', I instantly knew that was the new name. It was direct, mature + could stand the test of time. I'm in a place where if I want something, I ask for it directly. There's no beating around the bush like I did before by saying 'don't call me candi, i'm not a stripper'. Nah... CALL HER CANDICE. I remember years ago when I refused to let anyone call my oldest two children by nicknames. People would constantly want to shorten Taylor to Tay or Gregory to Greg. Immediately, I would correct them. There's no nicknames bih! Then Kennedy came along + I nicknamed her "Kens" myself... don't ask me why. She's literally the only person in my house that I will call by a nickname. I digresss... if I could constantly stand up for my kids + demand people call them by their actual names then I can do that for myself now.

So, let's all say it together... What's her name? Candice. And what do we call her? Candice. I'm a grown ass married women with three kids. I don't need a nickname. Never had one. Never will. So, if you're wondering what name I go by... call her Candice. Mrs. Horn if you nasty!! LOL.

XOXO
Candice

Avengers: End Game It's Not Just for the Super Fans

2019-04-26T09:45:00.001-04:00

When I received the invite to go screen Avengers: End Game, the first thing I thought was that I would need to take Steven with me because I know nothing about the story line. And, I did just that. Would ya'll believe that man actually took a whole day off from work to attend the press preview with me?! Talking about... "finally something I benefit from in all of this blogging..."! But I digress... walking into the movie, I really thought I would be asleep by hour 2 of the movie (because it's 3 whole hours). GIRL. I was on the edge of my seat THE WHOLE TIME. This is coming from someone who isn't even a super fan of the series! I barely knew anything about these characters yet here I was with my heart racing, tears in my eyes + cracking up like we went way back.

If you are like myself + haven't seen any of the previous movies, don't worry! I promise you that you will understand everything that is going on. There was really only one moment where I was confused as to why something was said or done but that didn't take away from how great the movie was. There was a mention of 'Hail Hydra' which had me like, huh? But, Steven explained the significance which made sense immediately. I'm not (or didn't think I was) a super hero movie fan but this movie definitely changed my mind. It wasn't cheesy or 'childish' like I thought it would be. It was a damn good movie and probably one of the best I've seen in a very long time. Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), was hilarious the entire movie which is a personality trait that we don't get to see much in his previous movies. The entire cast really showcased very comedic personalities making the movie funny yet emotionally charged as well. Does it live up to the hype? ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY.

Until next time...

XOXO
Candice

Let's Catch Up...

2019-03-04T10:06:00.000-05:00

It only took me 2 whole months to post my first blog post for 2019... NBD. Girl, I wish I could say I feel a way but I honestly don't. I took the time I needed to be away and didn't let what everyone else was doing rush my process. January + February tend to be slower months for business anyways so I wasn't pressed. If I missed out on it, then it wasn't for me... that's how I looked at it. But I'm back and it feels good to be running my own race at my own pace. This doesn't mean there hasn't been a ton going on at the Shoppe HQ aka Home, just means that there's been a lot going on behind the scenes that I haven't shared...

First off, I can't believe that I turn 35 years old this August!! It's the first birthday that I've looked forward to in a while, don't ask me why. It's so different than what I normally do but I'm excited to create something fun + memorable. I know you're thinking that it's odd that I'm planning my own Birthday celebration... umm, hi have you met me? I rarely like big surprises and I'm hella anxious if I don't have any of the control so here we are. Not sure if I'm going to do a photoshoot or anything as I sometimes feel that's more for 'show' and not the memory. We are literally just now in the process of getting our wedding pictures blown up poster size for our bedroom, 7 years later. What I do know is that my birthday falls on a Friday which provides the perfect timeline for a bomb ass birthday weekend. Ya'll just stay tuned...

Speaking of a bomb ass birthday weekend, we are going to do so responsibly!! LOL. No bills will be skipped to make this happen. We have kept a lot on the back burner when it came to our financial stability but 2019 is the year we are changing that. One of our biggest challenges is our credit scores. Not just improving them but rehabbing the poor habits that caused us to have lower scores to begin with. We use to aim for buying a home but once we decided that wasn't on "our" list of must-haves, things just fell apart. Now our goal is to be able to be approved for a home loan, whether we actually want to buy or not. That's one thing a great credit score will do, it will give you options and we all love having options. The first thing that was necessary for us was establishing a budget, then paying down revolving debt then and last (but not least), finding a financial advisor. We are still putting these processes in place and I wish I could say it's been easy but it hasn't but I do know we will be hella proud of ourselves once we accomplish our goals. In the meantime, just keep us in your rich prayers saints!!

Unless you've been hiding under a rock, all the Influencers on Instagram are now pregnant. Okay, maybe not all of them but GIRL, it's a lot!! I would be lying if I said that I haven't experienced 'Baby Fever' over the past few years but we just have no room for extra children in our plans. Not to mention, we are happy with the family we have now. Kennedy is almost 9 years old, I can't imagine starting over again now. So, I have redirected any 'Baby Fever' into 'Puppy Fever'!! LOL. Yes, that means we will soon have a puppy join our family and I am beyond excited. I've been patiently looking for weeks to find the 'perfect' one for us + the kids don't know as it will be a surprise which is even more exciting. Keep your eyes open because he'll be making his appearance sometime this month!!

This was fun catching up with you all. No worries, I'll be back soon and it won't be another 2 months before you hear from me again. PROMISE.

XOXO
Candice

Shoppe the Gift Guide

2018-12-03T21:57:00.001-05:00

I know I'm a few days late but please believe, I'm not one dollar short when it comes to this 2018 Gift Guide. Still sniffling + highly medicated right now, I knew this Gift Guide was a MUST have for you all. I did things a little different this year + shared only products that I have obsessed over in 2018. Which means that these are all products I already have, love and think you need as well. None of these items are super expensive so add them to your wishlist ASAP because Santa, we've been good baby!

Some brands have given you a chance to win these products which is even better! You won't know which brands/products are being given away until the day of, so you will want to keep your eyes open. If you have a friend who needs to be subscribed, let them know. Only Blog Subscribers and Instagram Followers will be eligible to win.

1. Ecobee 4 Smart Thermostat
2. The Mom Life Co SKINNIE bar necklace
3. Canary Security System
4. Favorite Skincare: Origins, Dermalogica, Fresh, Drunk Elephant, Pixi Beauty
5. Mixtiles
6. Shark ION Robot 750
7. Snuggly Sweater Candle: Target
8. Kate Spade Taxi Flats
9. Kate Spade Mega Sam Tote
10. Dyson V7 Cordless Vacuum

All of these items are products that the Millennial Woman/Mom/Wife needs! Idk about you but I like to be connected to everything happening around my home but with little effort. The Ecobee, Canary and Shark Robot let me do just that with apps. The other items are must have for different reasons to be shared in the near future, so stay tuned!

Edit: A few brands have updated their participation in this Gift Guide so things were shifted in the graphic to accommodate. Please take a peek at the new graphic so you are entering the Giveaways you want.

XOXOMCS

Marriage Mondays: Our Hardest Year

2018-10-22T14:14:00.000-04:00

We are going on 7 years of marriage and while we have been through some shit, our first year of marriage still remains our hardest year of marriage. For a while, I've always shared this was my hardest year but it dawned on me this past weekend as I wrote this Blog post that I've never asked my husband what was his hardest year. To my surprise, he actually said that our first year was the hardest! For some reason, I didn't expect him to say that because like I said... we've been through some shit. And, the funniest part is that his reason why is EXACTLY the same as my reason why. Go figure.

EXPECTATIONS

We had a beautiful wedding, we really did. All the planning up to it was perfect + the wedding itself came out better than I could have ever expected. Then the wedding was just OVER and it was back to living life together but now we were married. From the time I came home, I expected to see some miraculous change from boyfriend/fiance to now Husband. I expected our marriage to be just as beautiful as our wedding day but without the effort. What I forgot was that our wedding was beautiful because of all the work we had put into it. GIRL, I expected this man to come home with roses daily/weekly to surprise me... I expected him to treat me like his Queen regardless of how I treated him... I literally expected him to change overnight. Stop talking to your friends so much, I'm your Wife now. Stop watching Sports so much + watch what WE want to watch, I'm your Wife now. Spend all your free time with me, I'm your Wife now. The arguing and silent treatment was constant in our first year. I would call my cousin (who is also my best friend) + cry on the phone to her while staring at my wedding dress still hanging in my room. That dress hung in my room for months because it was metaphorically me hanging on to the perfection I expected us to turn into overnight. Then one day, I decided to talk to Steven about how I was feeling. No surprise, it started another argument but this argument ended in him trying to prove me wrong. I told him that I was concerned because we don't seem to even be friends with each other anymore. He seemed more dedicated to his college and work friendships than he was to us. His reply was that your Wife doesn't have to be your friend and followed up by saying "watch, I'm going to ask some of my friends that are married"! To his surprise, not only did every single person say that their Wife was one of their friends but they all said that their Wife was their BEST friend. That was an eye opener for Steven and definitely a pivotal moment in our marriage. He looked at me + apologized for not being the friend I needed and asked me how he could be a better friend.

Now for him, things were very different but also the same. He came home from the wedding with tons of expectations in mind as well. According to him, he thought a "good Wife" should be taking care of the house, keeping it clean, cooking and taking care of the kids. On top of that he also expected a "good Wife" to be Fucking + Sucking on demand (his words, not mine). NONE of this was happening. I had just started a new job that I was struggling at so I was giving 150% there and probably 25% to the care of my home (it doesn't add up, I know). Nobody was dying because the house wasn't clean. Then this man would go the entire day without a quick text to say "hey" or "how's your day" but wonder why there was no connection once we both got home from work. At first, I thought it was because he was swamped at work but our phone bill proved that to be a lie. He was using up ALL our data playing games with his friends and had chats a mile long every single day with every single friend. Of course, I wasn't included in that. We were both disappointed in each other for different reasons but nobody wanted to make the first move.

REALITY

Once Steven was open to the idea that your Wife can be your Best Friend, a lot changed. We talked more, connected more and LAUGHED more. Things in our every day life began fitting together seamlessly. How we parented improved because we were just happier people around each other. The reality is that we began putting in the real work necessary to have a happy marriage. Did this solve all of our problems, definitely not because shit got real years later but it began to lay the foundation needed to get through the tougher areas down the road. Our sex life improved as I challenged myself to not say NO for an entire month. That one month changed our sex life in ways I never thought possible but that's another story for another time. It took us both wanting to improve not only for each other, but for ourselves + our children. Looking back at that first year, we were soooooo selfish! I wish I could go back and not waste a whole year (plus some) being as unhappy as we were over things that were easily fixable. But hey, you live + you learn.

For all the married women/couples out there, what was your hardest year of marriage? It doesn't necessarily have to be a "bad" year but which year challenged you the most? Let's chat below.

XOXOMCS.

Life Update|| Part 1

2018-10-17T14:02:00.000-04:00

Well Happy New Year! Dramatic as I may be, that's certainly how I feel the speed of this year is going. So much has been going on personally that I have definitely neglected my Blog. Instead of just coming back with a Fall Skincare post as if I haven't left you hanging for months, I figured we could catch up.

As most of you know, I accepted a job opportunity back in July at a hotel. I was so hopeful + really thought "this was the one". GIRL, this couldn't have been further from the truth. I know I haven't shared yet + that's because I wanted to be further removed from the incident because I truly wanted to cut someone. LOL. So the big question is "Why did I leave that job"? Well, let me ask you something... if the company you were working for was having financial issues to the point that your pay was late + there was a chance that you wouldn't get paid... what would you do? Yes, it was that bad. As an Influencer, late payments is something I have to deal with time and time again. If I wanted to stay on this struggle bus, I could just continue working for my damn self. It started off pretty simple + innocent... the company didn't have direct deposit. I thought this was odd but my husband reassured me that a company having direct deposit for only two employees (myself + my boss) is an expense that they may not want to take on yet. Okay, fair enough... but then. BUT THEN... my boss told me that none of the hotels with this company have direct deposit! So, it had nothing to do with it being a new hotel that was not open yet or had enough employees. Strike 1.

By the end of my first week, my boss opened up to me + shared that she could no longer deposit the payroll checks from the company at her personal bank because they had bounced so many times. Her bank refused to accept them anymore. So, she had to drive about an hour away to go cash the checks at their Mom + Pop bank. This specific time, she got to the bank and THEIR bank refused to the cash the check because the funds were not available. GIIIIRL. Strike 2.

It was at this point that my energy started to shift + I began questioning if this was the right decision. Sure, the move would look great on my resume (opening a new hotel) but could I really deal with uncertainties when it came to my pay. I don't know her financial health but I did know that my household could not afford for a check that size to bounce in my account. The next week I come into the office to find out that construction on the hotel had halted because the workers refused to come in until they were paid. How in the world are you not paying the construction workers if you're opening a new hotel?! What sense does that make?! After listening in on a meeting between the Owners + the General Contractor (being nosy AF), I overheard that the Construction Company was owed over 100K in payroll. WHAT?! Strike 3.

At this point, I was one foot out the door. The following week was finally my first pay week... here we go! Checks were suppose to be ready on Tuesday. You didn't read that wrong, checks are ready on Tuesday... not Thursday or Friday. Moving along, so checks were suppose to come in on Tuesday. The owner called and said they wouldn't be ready until Wednesday. After all I had put up with, I talked myself into thinking that one more day isn't the end of the world. Wednesday comes and the Owner walks into the office. My boss approaches him and asks for the checks to which he replies, "I forgot them at the office, you'll get them tomorrow". Even after my boss offered to go get them from his office, he replied "No, you guys have work to do... you'll get it tomorrow". It was at this point that Candice began packing up her shit. Yes, now I'm talking about myself in the third person because I literally felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. I packed up all of my shit, left to lunch, went home and sent them my resignation letter.

I have very little patience for anything but children so for me to have stayed during this nonsense for 3 weeks is a huge deal, you don't even know. Yes, I went back the next day to pick up my check but that was the last straw for me. Had I accepted that treatment, they would have continued down the same path they had done with my boss... bounced checks, late checks, no checks, etc. Nope, I'm good love, enjoy! My apologies for taking this long to share but as I promised, it was worth it wasn't it?! What would you have done?

Our Gallery Wall with MixTiles

2018-09-05T12:58:00.001-04:00

I am constantly looking on Pinterest for easy ways to spruce up my home, either easily or on the low low. Gallery Walls always stood out to me because it seemed like the perfect way to add character without doing too much. THE PROBLEM: I am not a Gallery Wall person. What's a Gallery Wall person, you ask? Someone who loves to measure precisely, scour stores for the perfect frames and spend hours going through pictures to order. Thats not me!! So when I found MixTiles while scrolling on Instagram one day and saw how easy creating a Gallery Wall could be, I was all types of excited. You all know how much I love a good peel + stick situation from my project I did with Smart Tiles last year. And, now I have a Peel + Stick Gallery Wall... The Lord knows my heart and continues to bless me with opportunities created just for me.

Now on to the Gallery Wall itself. I thought I was going to be annoyed by having to use an App to place my order. Rolled my eyes and everything but turns out the joke was on me because it might have been easier to do it on the App than it would have on the computer. The process was super user friendly and easily allowed me to switch out pictures, crop and even add a filter to specific images if I wanted to. The only thing I wish it allowed was for me to 'preview' what the pictures would look like hung. I'm a little high maintenance when it comes to this type of stuff so that part may not bother you at all. To be honest, if I could have someone come peel and stick them to the wall, that would be nice too. LOL.

Once I chose the images from my phone and placed the order, I sat back and did nothing. Figured I had a week or so before they arrived, so no need to rush out and get any other accessories I might need for the wall. So joke was on me (AGAIN), when they arrived a whole two days later. I've never been upset because an order arrived too quick in the mail but I felt a way because I had been lazy + wasn't prepared. Nonetheless, I unboxed and immediately began to arrange the pictures on my floor in the way that I would want them on the wall. They stayed on the floor for another week. Judge your Momma.

When it came time to finally hang the photos, I was so happy with how easy it was. No measuring, just eyeballing. You can measure for preciseness if you want... that's just not my thing! It took MAYBE 30 minutes and I really don't think it took THAT long. I ran out to Home Goods and Home Sense to see if I could find some accent pieces but when I found the 'This is Us' sign, I felt like I didn't need anything else really. Sometimes less is more and in this case, it was.

So I hope you enjoy my Gallery Wall + it inspires you to make your own. MixTiles gave me a coupon code for you to use if you do: MCSHOPPE15. Don't forget to send me pictures when you create yours! Until next time... XOXOMCS

Sephora Sale: In Case You Needed Help Spending More Money...

2018-08-23T12:43:00.000-04:00

Sephora Sale is back and I always laugh as I create these posts because essentially, I'm helping you spend even more money than you were going to spend already. I appreciate you allowing me into your wallet this way + clearly we are closer than close at this point. I've gone back and forth with whether I should share suggestions OR share what products I have in my own cart. I decided to just do both PLUS include links to previous Sephora Sale posts I've done. You will have all types of options to choose from, GOOD LUCK.

What's In My Cart:

DIOR BACKSTAGE FOUNDATION- Don't ask me why I need another foundation, just don't... because I don't have an answer for you. You might as well be asking me why the sky is blue. But I have heard nothing but good things about this buildable medium coverage foundation and I feel like I need to add it to my never ending collection of foundations. Plus it has nearly 5 Stars on Sephora and you guys know how I feel about anything that has nearly 5 Stars on Sephora... it must be hella good!

BOBBI BROWN PRIMER PLUS MATTIFIER- Does this one even need to be explained? Yes? Okay, well first of all it's Bobbi Brown and I have NEVER been let down by this brand. Like, EVER. Second of all, it's a Primer that also helps with mattifying my oily ass face. Lastly, it has 5 Stars on Sephora. Drops mic.

GLOW RECIPE WATERMELON GLOW JELLY SHEET MASK- I can't lie, I've definitely been sucked in by the whole watermelon skincare craze. Not only do I love the scent but the benefits are BOMB AF as well. This mask is suppose to help with Uneven Skintone + Uneven Texture which are two of my skin concerns always being acne prone. I know everyone loves the overnight mask but I'm not fond of overnight masks so this one is right up my alley.

PAT MCGRATH LABS LIP FETISH LIP BALM- Listen, from the time I found out that Pat McGrath was a self-made Billionaire, I've wanted to purchase from the line. It almost seems like me buying one of her products puts me at close proximity to becoming a billionaire as well. I know that logic doesn't make sense, just let me be with my dreams! I've heard nothing about this product but the packaging is dope and it's a clear balm... how bad can a clear balm be?!

Personal Product Suggestions:

ORIGINS CLEAR IMPROVEMENT CHARCOAL HONEY MASK- This mask needs to be a staple in everyone's arsenal who deals with acne. Dry skin? Use this. Oily Skin? Use this. Normal skin? Leave me alone. Unlike most charcoal masks, this one does not leave your skin feeling tight and dry. Personally, I have to be careful using drying masks all over my face because my entire face is not oily. In fact, some parts are actually more normal-dry and using drying products can cause even more problems in those areas. The honey in this can provide hydration while the charcoal agents pull out that guck from your skin. It's a match made in skincare heaven.

FRESH BLACK TEA KOMBUCHA FACIAL TREATMENT ESSENCE- About a month ago, a friend asked me how I've been liking this product and honestly my answer was, "I'm not sure because I can't really see what it's doing"! After talking with her, it dawned on me that I also wasn't using this product consistently. I have so many Essences + Toners that I wasn't really using this one much and I was also using them interchangeably. Then I recently learned that Essences + Toners are not one in the same and in fact, you can use BOTH in your skincare routine. Well that changed EVERYTHING and I began using this Essence more consistently, in conjunction with my Toners. GIRL. For this Essence to be so gentle on the skin, it's definitely a heavy hitter WHEN USED CONSISTENTLY. I can't exaggerate that enough because I honestly didn't notice anything happening when using it every now and then but isn't that the case with anything in life. No one sees results when doing something every now and then. Consistency wins every time + that's the case with skincare as well.

PINROSE SECRET GENIUS- I first tried this scent as a sample that my friend received in her Sephora order. I was hooked at first sniff. I believe Sephora puts this in the Warm + Spicy family for those wondering what it smells like. I would also say that it smells like a nice cuddle under your favorite blanket with a strong man next to a fireplace. But since, that isn't the best description for a scent, let's just go with what Sephora says. Worn alone, it wears well for an entire 8 hour day but I still like to pair it with my Malin + Goetz Dark Rum for a nice layered scent. These two together cannot be stopped. Don't @ me about this!

SEPHORA COLLECTION MASK APPLICATOR- I don't know how I came across this tool on Sephora but as soon as I saw it, I knew I needed it. YES, NEEDED IT! Every time I need to apply a mask from a jar to my face, I wish I had some sort of brush or applicator. This one fit the bill. I love that the other end helps remove the mask + provides a little exfoliation while doing so. I think I might actually go ahead and grab another one to apply my face moisturizers because at $8, why not?! Yes, I could use the same one to do both but that seems too easy... let's complicate things a little here. LOL.

DRUNK ELEPHANT MARULA OIL + MAKE UP FOR EVER ULTRA HD SKIN TINT- I've spoken in depth about both of these products in a recent blog post here. To save time and not be redundant, you can click to read my reviews on them there. Long story short, YOU NEED THEM. If that sounds a bit drastic then you at least need to give them a try! The Drunk Elephant Marula Oil is a little pricey so that's a product I would definitely grab during the sale. Don't say I never tried to help you save money.

Okay so I promised that I would share some other Sephora Sale posts in case you just had an itch to spend even more money so here they go.

http://www.mycandishoppe.com/2017/11/get-your-wallets-out-sephora-sale-is.html
http://www.mycandishoppe.com/2014/11/sephora-vib-sale-shopping-list.html
http://www.mycandishoppe.com/2017/04/my-sephora-vib-sale-picks-spring-2017.html

HAPPY SHOPPING and don't forget to tag me in your purchases whether you grab any of these suggestions or not!

XOXO
Candice

Summer Favorites #sundayskincare edition

2018-08-05T13:52:00.000-04:00

I love 'Favorites round up Blog Posts' but the one thing I don't love about them is how LONG they usually are. So, I will try to keep this one as short as I can while giving you the important deets!

1. FRESH Black Tea Kombucha Facial Treatment Essence

At first I couldn't really determine if this product was really making a difference in my skin. It just felt like a step in my skincare routine that I could do without. But then I started noticing the texture of my skin improving over time. It's not an overnight miracle worker but it's definitely a heavy hitter when it comes smoothing out your texture and helping to diminish dark spots. Kombucha in my tummy and Kombucha on my skin, yes please!

2. DRUNK ELEPHANT Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil

I'm not sure if Drunk Elephant figured out how to bottle Unicorn tears or what but this stuff is worth every drop. Now ya'll now I'm oily AF but I am very specific in how I use this in my routine. Either I use it at night and wake up with skin that looks like the baby Jesus blessed it Himself. Or, I use it during the day with the D-Bronzi Serum for a "no makeup" makeup look! I've been using it for my no makeup look A LOT this Summer and absolutely LOVE the beautiful glow it gives my skin. I will say that I tried using this under my makeup and found my foundation slipping around quite a bit once my natural oils started to come through around midday.

3. KIEHL'S Clearly Corrective Line

Listen to me. When I say this ENTIRE line is a secret gem, I mean it! Remember, a few months back when Kiehl's invited me to learn more about their apothecary personalized serums? Well, I've been quietly using and testing these products since then! First off, the Clearly Corrective Brightening + Exofoliating Daily Cleanser is now my Staple exfoliator when I'm not using my Clarisonic. Use it consistently, and you will notice your breakouts become nonexistent. Be careful using the Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution in sensitive areas because this stuff is no joke! It's potent, strong and IT WORKS. I'm VERY careful to only use this in specific areas when needed. And lastly, the Brightening + Smoothing Moisture Treatment is probably the first of it's kind that I've ever used. It has a Jell-O like consistency but melts onto your skin to provide the perfect canvas. If you come by a value set that includes these (3) products specifically then GRAB IT. Otherwise, trust me when I say you need these if you're battling hyperpigmentation.

4. MAKE UP FOR EVER Matte Velvet Skin Foundation + Ultra HD Perfector Blurring Skin Tint

The Summer season isn't an Oily girl's favorite season when it comes to makeup. It's a constant struggle to find the products that won't make me look like a frying pan. So when a brand comes out with a new foundation product in the middle of the Summer, I pay close attention! I expect it to be formulated to wear well throughout a hot day AND be lightweight. Both of these foundations from Make Up For Ever are just that! HALLELU! The Matte Velvet Skin has a new package and reformulation that I am LOVING. No more cake face and no more heavy feeling foundation at the end of the day. You heard me right! It still feels lightweight at the end of a long hot summer day. I've been using the Matte Velvet Skin Foundation only on my trouble areas as it's (true) Full Coverage and I don't want to look like I'm photoshoot ready by using it all over. I love the way it looks more like skin and less like a mask despite how much it covers. Now the Ultra HD Skin Tint is the total opposite when it comes to coverage. It gives you a nice sheer (think BB Cream) foundation look which I love to use in the center of my face. Wearing this in the center of my face with the Matte Velvet Skin Foundation along the perimeter of my face gives me the PERFECT coverage.

5. BECCA First Light Primer

The lavender shade of this Primer in the bottle had me a little skeptical at first, can't lie. It just doesn't seem brown girl friendly at first. So, I did what any of us would do and applied it to the back of my hand to see what it was all about but turns out, it does go on sheer! Thank you Jesus!! Not only does it apply sheer but it totally improves the appearance of your skin before you even put foundation on. You probably guessed it already, but this is amazing with your "No Makeup" Makeup look or if you actually plan on wearing no makeup, LOL. I haven't used a Primer in a long time because I generally don't see a true benefit usually but this one has had a reoccurring role in my daily look! Love, love, love using this with a pump of the Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Serum, OMG... it looks so bomb + natural.

Well I'm going to leave you with these recommendations for now so I don't have us all broke!! Believe me, this list could be a mile long but I'm trying to be a better friend to you. Now if you have questions about other products, send them over. That's totally different!

XOXO Candice

5 QUICK TIPS if you're attending ESSENCE FEST (or any festival really)

2018-07-06T10:41:00.002-04:00

This week women everywhere left behind their cares and worries to head to New Orleans for Essence Festival. While I have been one of these women in the past, I decided to stay home this Summer as it's my last full Summer at home with my kids. You read that right... I'm heading back to work this Fall! So my priority was spending as much time with my family as possible vs attending Essence Fest for a 3rd year in a row. I have considered the whole '3rd times a charm' adage + what that may have meant for me but I also considered how much my kids will appreciate this time when they look back. Anyways, back to why I'm here writing this blog post to begin with! For those of you who are headed to Essence Fest (or later this month, Curl Fest), I have a few good tips that you will thank me for later.

1. To Stay in the City or Not...
This tip may be a little late because I know anyone attending Essence Fest probably reserved their room months ago. I've stayed on the perimeter of the city (Metairie) as well as in the middle of everything (Royal Sonesta on Bourbon St.) before. I highly suggest that you stay in the middle of everything BUT grab a courtyard view room. It may seem great to be a part of the fun throwing beads down with a street view room but what's not fun is trying to go to sleep when there's a band playing outside your window. They say New York is the city that never sleeps + that may be true but it doesn't hold a candle to the parades you will find going down Bourbon Street at 2AM! Grab a courtyard view and you won't even know what's going on outside most of the time but you can easily leave your room + go join the fun if you want.

2. Uber/Lyft
Unless you're driving around New Orleans yourself (which I don't recommend), you will likely be using Uber or Lyft to get around. Guess what? So will everyone else! So when your Uber driver is trying to find you + all you can tell them is that you're the cute black girl on the corner in a sundress... girl, your frustration will begin to kick in faster than the Louisiana heat does every morning. TIP: keep a solid bright scarf with you at all times. When your Uber driver calls you to see where you are, you'll be able to wave your bright orange scarf in the air to direct him towards you. Now, it still may take them 15 minutes to drive a block because of the crowds but it beats them passing you + having to go all the way around the block again. Nobody has time for that when you're practically melting!

3. Cash is King
This one is easy! Always carry enough cash on you to feed yourself + a friend (there's always somebody who only has their card) but not enough to get robbed. Don't be walking the streets at 2AM with a bankroll of cash because that, my dear, is not safe at all. Keep $100 in cash on yourself at all times. Yes, everyone takes cards these days but machines go down all the time and sometimes the line for cash payers is MUCH shorter than the one for card payers (because everyone is using their card to pay). Lastly, the street artists are amazing and you will find yourself wanting to leave a tip for just about all of them after they put on their concert! Yes, it does feel like a concert because they are THAT good. So, having a little cash on you for this will come in handy as well.

Miss Julee

Creator of @ChicBusyMoms

4. Be Persistent + Network
For the Influencers/Bloggers, this tip is for you! Hopefully before you traveled to New Orleans, you made a game plan for the events to attend. Occasionally, your point of contact may become busy + unavailable to you especially if the festival is underway. Reaching them during the festival may not seem possible but I implore you to not give up. If you want to be in the room, go anyways. There is a HIGH chance that the contact who was suppose to get you in will be a gatekeeper. I'm not a fan of name dropping but if you're going to do it, do it when you're trying to get into an event that you were suppose to be at. Whoever is checking names, likely knows your point of contact and can easily confirm. Now, this does NOT work if your name was never suppose to be on the list. In that case, abort mission and go home! But don't come all the way to New Orleans + give up because people are too busy to take your call or return your text. It's pretty likely that they're not doing it on purpose so BE PERSISTENT.

Mom lived her best life as you can see! LOL

5. Find the Balance: Social Media vs IRL
My first year in New Orleans, I failed miserably with this one. I wanted to capture EVERYTHING, and my girl Amber who I went with wanted ALL the pictures. Every 2 seconds, we saw a wall or backdrop that we wanted a picture in front of. If I'm not mistaken, we even bickered a few times because I was over it after a while and the heat was something I had never experienced. Here's something to keep in mind... be intentional about the content you're trying to grab! You're not going to post 987 pictures, nor will you need that many for a blog post so don't waste your time trying to grab ALL the images. At the most, you MIGHT use 10 of those pictures and that's including #throwback content. I know it's tempting to take a picture in front of all those pretty walls but you will drive yourself crazy... and your friends who have to take the picture. Instagram Stories is even bigger now than it was then + while you may want to share your every second with your audience, it will take away from YOUR experience if you're not careful. What worked really well for me was capturing the video content for Instagram Stories/Snapchat and then editing later. We all know that bulk of the time we spend Insta-Storying is editing + adding captions so try and do that later. I found using the time in the Uber going from place to place or while waiting in line at a restaurant was the perfect time. This way while you are in the moment/at the event, you aren't sitting down in a corner trying to put finishing touches on Instagram Stories.

I can't wait to see everyone's point of view from Essence Fest this year while I'm back home. No FOMO here because I'm still very grateful for the opportunity I have with my family but I will definitely be tuned in! If you can think of any more tips to share, definitely leave them below. Whether it's Essence Fest or another Festival, I'm sure they will still be applicable.

None of Your Faves Look Like Me? A Talk on Inclusivity + Diversity

2018-05-09T18:12:00.002-04:00

Woke up on a sunny Wednesday morning, checked my email and what do you know... yet another reminder that Black women are underrated. If you follow me over on Instagram Stories then you know I received an email from Planoly (as did hundreds of thousands of others) sharing their Favorite Moms for Mother's Day. Love the gesture because Moms really deserve the recognition so I excitedly scrolled the list to see if there was anyone I recognized, anyone I could relate to... you know, anyone that looked like ME. And, to my surprise there was not ONE black woman. First thought was that this must be a mistake because all the bomb ass Black Bloggers who are Moms that I know of, one of them had to make the list. Scrolled again but nope. Not one. I'm tired of this shit so I shared my frustration over on Instagram Stories AND tagged Planoly. And, not that fake tag that everyone knows isn't really tagging anyone. Nah, I made sure it had that underline so that they would see my story because I need to know HOW + WHY nobody who looked like me made your list.

PLANOLY'S RESPONSES

removed information that included actual name(s)

Okay, now that we're all caught up let's recap. This is yet another 'mistake' where 'we' were left out but unintentionally, of course. You know sometimes you have to force something before it becomes habit. So if every company (that is or may have an issue with this) has to set forth a protocol that requires them to always include Blacks in order for it to become INTENTIONAL then so be it. Because how many mistakes and mishaps are going to happen if proper procedures aren't put in place so it doesn't happen again? Now moving on to Brandy Pham's response, Founder + Creative Director of Planoly. I will speak for myself when I say that Asians are WOC, yes, but they do not look like me. Instead of (4) White, (1) Asian and (1) Racially Ambiguous (not sure what her race is... could we not have found one (God forbid TWO) black Mom(s) to throw in there? There is nothing wrong with all WOC (Women of Color) including Asians being used, but my issue is that none of the women in the Promo Email look like ME. With ALL the Black creatives who are Mother's like myself, you mean to tell me that we couldn't find ONE?!

Lastly, the Email header is yet another coined term from black culture: "We Got it From Our Momma"! I kid you not...

I can overstand a Momma needing to go on Maternity leave and take care of their babies... shoot, I've done it 3 times! Besides yourself, someone (if not multiple people) on your team should have caught this. This is part of the problem!! Not enough people in these decision making meetings are seeing this as a problem. I received numerous responses about building our own table to sit at and that's all well + good. There are quite a few tables already built by women who like me or are currently being built but I'm getting tired of having to boycott businesses left and right. It sounds to me like Planoly made a poor judgement call in the selection of Bloggers chosen for this email BUT there has to be a way to stop this from happening over and over and over again. That's the part that is wearing at me... the constant "oops" "our bad" "we made a mistake" "we'll do better". JUST DO BETTER!

I'm sore as hell from working out last night, moody from cutting sweets + incorporating a better diet and now THIS. Candice didn't need this today. NOT today.

Lets chat soon.

XOXO