I''ve built a platform based on being strong, practicing kindness, spreading love, and building confidence. But since this election i've been trying to figure out how I feel. 

I've been emotionally depleted for the past few days. I've been feeling angry, hurt, paranoid, and betrayed. I've been feeling like i'm surrounded by people who expect me to "get over it",or people who make jokes about it, or people who don't understand why i'm so emotionally invested in it and my anxiety has been through the roof.

As a multi-racial black woman in a relationship with a mexican, raising a multi-racial black daughter, I worry. I worry not only for myself, but for the mental and physical safety of my child, my partner, and our families. 

I've been worrying....but then I remember what I stand for; kindness, strength, love, confidence. I remember who I am, who is looking up to me, who i'm inspiring, and I force myself to push forward. Not only for me but for my family and for the young women that write me looking for guidance, I need them to always feel secure and that can't happen if i'm falling apart. 

So how do I, as a mother with 9 million other things on my plate, find time to put my self-care first? 

I set a routine. I know a lot of us moms think that we don't have time or when we do have the time, we could be getting other "more important" things done with that time. To that I say, making time for yourself IS the most important thing. 

I want to share with you all a quick rundown of my morning self-care routine.

1. WAKE UP EARLIER: I generally need to be up at 7:30 to get Jordyn up for school. I tend to wake myself up 30-45 minutes earlier than that so I can have some alone time. It's also really important to be aware of the sounds you have around you while waking up. Some people prefer silence, some prefer music. My alarms are set to a soft bird chirping so it sounds like i'm waking up to birds outside my window, which is calming for me. Experiment with what sounds you enjoy and dislike. 

2 HYDRATE: Our bodies just went 8 hours without water, we need to hydrate. ( nothing too cold, as it can shock your system just waking up) I generally keep water by my bedside and reach over for it first thing in the mornings.

3. INDULGE: Coffee is what I look forward to in the mornings, I like to buy the best ingredients for my coffee, drink out of cups that make me happy, and really enjoy and indulge in it. Whatever your morning indulgence is, whether its smoothies, juices, bagels, tea, go for it. Having something you look forward to in the mornings can work wonder for your moods. 

4. MORNING READS: I like to put myself in a good mood and remind myself of the things I have to be grateful for by reading daily affirmations. I'm currently reading daily inspirations from Your Best Life Begins Each Morning: Devotions To Start Every Day Of The Year By Joel Osteen. 

5. YOGA & MEDITATION: One of the biggest reasons I wake up earlier than Jordyn in the mornings is so that I have time to meditate before the hustle and bustle of the day. A quick stretch and some positive affirmations in the morning are serious mood boosters.

What you don't do in the mornings is just as important as what you do, so here are a few of the things I avoid before i've taken care of myself.

1.MY PHONE: There is no benefit to waking up and scrolling the gram, Facebook, or snapchat. If anything, it'll give you anxiety or FOMO ( fear of missing out) It's so easy to fall into the rabbit hole of social media only to look up and wonder where the time went. 

2.EMAILS: Looking at work emails outside of my designated "work email" time can cause anxiety for me and once my anxiety strikes, its there to stay all day, so I wait to read emails until after i've set my tone for the day. 

3. TV: Tv is a huge time consumer. One minute you're watching the news, next thing you know its been 4 hours and your watching Judge Mathis ask someone how much drugs he's on in his courtroom. Its something I try to avoid first thing in the morning. 

And thats my morning self-care routine. Its quick and simple and to the point. it leaves me refreshed, balanced and energized before I have to get the kiddo up for school.

Xo, Jeanice :)

5 ways to be more productive during the day.

Being productive is one of those things that has taken me a lot of time to figure out, I mean, lets be honest, how many of us plan an entire day of activities, chores, and errands only to end up binge watching Greys Anatomy on Netflix?...

Nobody?...Nobody?....oh, must just me then. 

Weeellllll then, for those of us who aren't super perfect productivity super heroes, i'm going to share some of the tips i've figured out that help make my days just a little more productive!

TIP 1: MAKE YOUR BED!

The first thing I do when I wake up is make my bed......ok no, it's turn on my Keurig, BUT while its heating I make my bed. This helps make my room look more tidy and reduces my urge to lay back down and get sucked into the blanket monster.

TIP 2: TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO FOCUS ON YOURSELF.

I like to start my day by taking 5-10 minutes for myself before the kid wakes up...some days I sit in silent meditation, some days I read or watch the news, some days I squeeze in a little morning yoga if I woke up a little sore.....whatever it is that makes you happy, take some time to do it...it's a big productivity killer if you wake up and automatically overwhelm yourself with tasks and to-dos. 

TIP 3: CUT YOUR TO-DO LIST IN HALF

Once my coffee is made, I like to sit at my desk and make a to-do list for the day. I write down things I would like to get done that day but I don't overwhelm myself...don't go putting 20 things on your list and then pull your hair out trying to finish them all. Keep it short but keep the most important tasks at the top of the list and tackle those first. That way, if you don't make it through the entire list, at least your most important tasks were completed...you can move the rest to tomorrows list!

TIP 4: GET DRESSED.

While it's really easy to lounge around in your pajamas all day, the simple act of getting up and getting dressed makes you feel productive! I like to drink my coffee and make my list and then shower, get dressed, and get ready for the day.

TIP 5: DONT MULTI-TASK.

So you've gotten a little "me" time in..you've had your coffee, you've made your list, you're dressed and ready to tackle that list...you're energized and feel like you can do 5 things at once.....WRONG!

Tackle one thing at a time, trying to multi-task will set you back. Multi-tasking reduces your efficiency because your brain can really only focus on one thing at at time. When you try to do more than one thing at at time, your brain doesn't actually have the capacity to complete each task successfully so things end up half finished or not finished as best they possibly could. 

So now that you've got it all figured out, go forth and carpe that diem!

Xo, Jeanice :)

Natural hair: Marley twist details.

I think the question I get asked most often whenever I post a selfie is " what kind of hair is that?"
I wrote about my twists on an instagram post awhile back but since the question gets asked over and over and i'm REALLY not a fan of repeating myself over and over....I figured I would just give details here on the blog so that the information is always here for you guys to refer back to.
So, here we go!
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:
WHAT KIND OF TWISTS ARE THESE?:
They're Marley twists. Marley twists are referred to as such because they use marley hair which is coarser in texture than traditional synthetic hair.
WHAT TYPE OF  HAIR DID I USE?
I used Bobby Boss Jamaica braid hair. For the shorter, thinner twist I used1/12 packs of hair in color 1B. For the thin twists I used one strand of hair for each twist. For my longer, thicker twists, I used 5 packs of the same hair. For the long twists I used 2 strands of hair for each twist.
WHAT IS THE LENGTH OF THE HAIR?
The hair itself doesnt come short. It is about 20 inches out of the package. For the short twists I cut each strand in half so they're about 10 inches.

HOW DID I PREP MY HAIR?
I washed, deep conditioned, and moisturized my hair using the LOC method. I then let my hair air dry overnight.
 Since i've been doing these twists almost all summer, i've been using different products.
 My most recent uses are:
Tresemme Botanique  shampoo and conditioner.
TGIN Honey Miracle Hair Mask
Renpure coconut whipped creme leave in.
Dark and Lovely Au Naturale Lock It In Sealing Cream
HOW DID I PREP THE MARLEY HAIR?
I rinsed the hair with an apple cider vinegar rinse ( equal parts ACV and water) and let dry over night.
INSTALLATION?
Youtube! There are tons of tutorials on Youtube with different techniques for installation. Find one that works for you. The video I referenced for installation was this one by TheNotoriousKIA on youtube:

WHAT PRODUCTS DID I USE FOR TWISTING?
I alternate between  products each time I retwist but my favorite to use is
Camille Rose Naturals Almond Jai Twisting Butter. Since the twisting butter is kind of pricey it can get expensive if you're redoing them often, ORS Smooth And Hold pudding is a great alternative.
HOW OFTEN DO I RETWIST?
Once a week I retwist the front edges of my hair and every 2 weeks I completely take them down and start the whole process over.
HOW DO I SEAL THE ENDS?
Dip them in boiling water. Be careful to remove the pot of water from the stove and pour into a bowl or pitcher before dipping.
HOW DO I SLEEP WITH THEM?
I wrap a scarf around my edges and cover the rest with a bonnet.
ARE THEY HEAVY?
 Not when they are hanging down but can be a little heavy when piled high.
HOW LONG DID IT TAKE?
about 3 hours.
WHERE DID I GET MY HAIR CUFFS?
I have 2 sets of cuffs one from Amazon and I also have beads from MICHAELS

Xo, Jeanice 

What are you willing to sacrifice to make your dreams come true?

We all know by now that happiness isn't about having it all or doing it all. It's not about how many hours we work, how much money we make or the amount of possessions we have...We know all of that. We know what happiness isn't..but, does anyone know what their happiness IS?...I've found that the most difficult thing about happiness is figuring out what exactly makes us happy...I mean, really, truly, deeply happy. It's about figuring out what our dreams are and having the courage to pursue them. See, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to make more money...to have a bigger house..a nicer car...to buy more of things..to keep up with the Joneses...in hopes that these things will bring us happiness, because we are taught that these things bring happiness.

We tell ourselves that if we work harder and make more money, we'll be happy. That the happiness will come. 

So we push ourselves to work the jobs we hate, buy more things we don't need...and wait...and wait...and wait...and wait...but it doesn't come. The happiness doesn't come. 

The thing is, once we achieve these things, once we make more money, have a bigger house, a better car, own more possessions...9 times out of 10, we're still left with a feeling of emptiness. We are still searching for more to bring us happiness. 

Because that is not real happiness.

Real happiness is letting go of what we think our lives are supposed to look like and instead, celebrating what our lives actually are and pursuing the goals and dreams that our true hearts desire. 

Real happiness is about sacrifice.

The law of sacrifice says that you cannot get something you want, without giving up something in return. So, in order to attain something we believe is of greater value, we must be wiling to give up something we believe is of lesser value. 

In order to truly be happy, to reach our goals, to pursue our dreams, we have to be willing to sacrifice in order to make space in our life for the those things. Having the courage to pursue our dreams means living for a while like most people won't, so that you can spend the rest of your life living like most people can't. 

For example, Zeke and I both grew up in poverty. Surrounded by more terrible things than most people can imagine. Things that children should never be exposed to. When we moved in together we were broke. We lived paycheck to paycheck, in a tiny apartment with a kid. We struggled. But, we struggled and worked and saved...and struggled and worked and saved..and struggled..and worked..and saved...and missed out of a lot of "fun" because we knew what we wanted. We knew the kind of life we wanted...and a continuous cycle of paycheck to paycheck wasn't it. We scarificed a lot of our youth to pursue the life that we knew wanted. We were willing to put in the work, cut out the extras, and commit to building that life. We didn't eat out, we didn't buy expensive bags or shoes, we didn't go on vacations...we skimped and saved and busted our butts working towards what we wanted, and it paid off. We live an amazingly blessed life because we knew what we wanted and had the courage to sacrifice and work for it. 

Most of the people that we grew up with are stuck in that cycle of paycheck to paycheck and unhappiness because they didn't have that same courage to sacrifice and chase their dreams. 

So here's the hard question....here's what I want you to ask yourselves,

What are you REALLY willing to sacrifice to make your dreams come true? 

Decide what you want. Decide what you're willing to sacrifice for it. Establish your priorities and go for it because there is no way any of us were born to just pay bills and die. 

Xo, Jeanice. 

Working mom.

It's 11:30pm and i'm sitting here...at a stand off with the last load of laundry that needs to be folded and put away. I've been up since 6:30am, moving non-stop. Running errands, cleaning, cooking, mothering...
and...it's my day off.

This is nothing, its summer time, I have a bit of a break. I mean, I have volunteered tirelessly at Jordyns school since Pre-k. I do testing, i'm room parent, and i'm there 3 days a week, 3+ hours a day. I sit on the board of the PTA.My family eats home cooked meals 5 days a week. I keep my house clean, my dogs walked, and no, aside from this last load of laundry staring me down, laundry isn't piled high or hiding in the dryer for weeks on end.

 I run an entire household...I do it well......and, I work.

Shocking? It shouldn't be. 

However, I do find that it surprises some people to find out that I have time to do the things that I do, work, AND be happy.  

 In fact...in first grade, the president of the PTA asked me to come in on a Friday night to help with some decorations. 

When I told her I couldn't make it because I had to work, her response was well.......a little offensive. She stood there, looking confused and questioned, in a tone that suggested it was beneath her.... " YOU HAVE A JOB?!"

*sigh....eyeroll.*

 Contrary to what the internet may have you believing if you're not an entrepreneur, not everyone that isn't working for themselves hates their job. 

 I enjoy my job...I am happy at work.. Genuinely happy. 

See that smile? Thats the smile of genuine happiness on my way to work. 

 I work at a local brewhouse. My job is fun and fast paced and i'm happy. I make great money, the staff is all very close, the company treats us all really well, the owner doesn't parade around as if he's above his employees...instead he treats everyone like family. It's really a great job. The best thing about my job is that it gives me the flexibly to be the mom that I want to be. I work Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday nights, which leaves me free to be mom during the week. I'm also able to take vacation and time off basically any time I want or need. My job allows me to leave work at work, so that I can focus my time and attention on my family. 

Running a household, being active and present in my daughters life, being present in my relationship, taking time for myself and working outside the home....isn't easy, in fact, it requires a lot of balance...it's all about balance. 

I find work/life balance in a variety of ways. 

1st: I plan and write out everything. In a notebook and a planner. I plan out each week from meals, to activities, to grocery shopping, to bills, to house cleaning, to PTA agendas, to me time,....everything. Literally, the key to my time management is having a written, planned out agenda. The key is to plan but not over-plan. Don't sink yourself with too many demands.

The planner I use is this MAMBI Happy Planner .

2nd: I prioritze "ME" time. Setting aside time for myself daily, whether its a full day or 30 minutes, helps me feel happier, more fulfilled, and all around more balanced. 

"ME" time is different for everyone but here are a few fun ideas.

and lastly, I set my boundaries.

When I started working, during the interview I was very clear about what schedule I could work and that my daughter and family was my priority. I think a lot of working moms feel guilty because they give so much to their workplace and hardly ever say no.

Remember that its ok to say no. Setting your boundaries are crucial to your work/life balance.

Working mamas;
Set your boundaries, connect with your spouse, share the chores, lower your expectations, and ditch the "working mom" guilt.

Xo, Jeanice

Plan with me: DIY life binder

Hi all!

Today I wanted to share with you all my life binder.  

The binder itself is from Target. It's one of those smaller ones so it fits perfectly in my purse. 

 The dividers and pages are all from the Target dollar spot. They were 3 dollars a pack.

The gold lined divider labels are  from a Heidi Swapp pack that I bought a while ago. 

I used large MAMBI sticks ( Me And My BIG Ideas) on the front pages. 

On the back of the first page, which is actually a pocket divider, I created a little dashboard. I just put sticky notes and paper clips for if I happen to come across something or have an idea and don't want to forget. All the sticky notes are from Target. As well as the page flags. The paper clips are from Dollar Tree.

The first section in my life binder is goals. And I did blur out what is written because some of these are really personal. I like to create small goals for myself as well as long term goals. 

The next section is my workout section. My workouts are very simple, very basic. I'm pretty active and i'm not looking to lose any weight so I just focus on staying in shape and giving my body the love it deserves.

This next section is my meal tracker. This section is super important to me because sometimes, I will be so busy and I will forget to eat. You can see that I didn't eat lunch this day and really I only had a handful of popcorn. I'm trying to be more consistent with my meals so this is a really big help. I printed this meal tracker from THIRTY HANDMADE DAYS

The next section is my serve section and i've actually split this section into 3 smaller sections.

Donate; here I keep all the information on what i'm donating and when. I keep track of how much I spend on items that i've purchased for donation as well.

Next is volunteer. I keep track of where i'm volunteering and when. 

Then I have Random acts of kindness. Sometimes I am out and have an idea but can't do it right away so I like to write it down so that I can come back to it later. I also keep track of any monies spent for these acts.

 The next section is Nurture. Again, I have this section split into 2 smaller sections for family and friends. I have to consciously remind myself how important it is to nurture the relationships with the people in my life and to always make time for them.

The last section in my life binder is Gratitude. Here I take time to write every night what i'm grateful for. It helps to keep me looking at the positive things rather than negative.

Do you guys keep a life binder? What is inside of yours?

Peace and Love,
Xo, Jeanice

Plan with me July 6th-12th

I don't know about you guys but over here we are VERY excited about the Minion movie coming out this Friday! So, this weeks theme is Minion of course. 

I printed all the minion images off of the internet and just cut them out. 

My meal plan this week is very simple. We strayed a little from our paleo diet but we are getting back into it. We aren't super strict paleo eaters, I like to make our meals a little more convenient but still maintain the core values of the paleo diet. 

My meal plan is short, sweet, and to the point this week. Just meats, fruits, and veggies. 

My main week plan is super packed. I have a lot i'm trying to get done this week.

The gymnast stickers were made my me. :) 

I love, love, love how this weeks spreads came out.

Is anyone else excited about the Minion movie? 

Xo, Jeanice

Plan with me: June 22nd-28th

I know this post is a little late but I wanted to also share my new "planner supply book" with you guys. I got the idea from the MAMBI instagram page. It's basically an extra planner with all my stickers and labels in it. 

I purchased the decorative planner covers and the expander rings from Michaels for $4.99 each. I used a 40% off coupon as well.

I also purchased the MAMBI pocket folders from Michaels. They retail for 7.99 but I used a 40% off coupon. 

I love how my planner supply book came out. It works perfectly to organize all my stickers and labels. 

Now on to this weeks spread. 

I call this week my "secret garden" theme. I love the pinks and greens in this spread.

The cute naturalista is from Pinterest. I just printed her off on regular paper and taped her down.

LOVE my new gold rings!!

I can't believe it's already the end of June! Where is time going?! 

Xo, Jeanice :)

Plan with me. June 15th-21st

I've got a pretty easy week coming up with both my meal planning as well as my regular weekly schedule. I've seemed to actually have built up a pretty well stocked pantry so my grocery list for the week is really short and we don't have much planned besides our regular activities ( swim...gymnastics..work...etc.)

This week I decided on a Starbucks themed meal plan. Ironically, I spilled coffee on the page while planning.....hilarious......not. 

 See, top left. Total coffee spill and everything got all wrinkled and weird looking.....oh well. You win some. You spill coffee on some. 

My regular week spread is a very chic black and pink. I'm not a super chic person but I really love how this spread came out. 

Picture quality is a little off. Theres a weird overcast this morning and I wanted to get this posted before we went to swim practice. 

For both these spreads I used stickers from Me and My BIG Ideas as well as images I found and printed off of Pinterest. I have deers on the hydrate stickers and the weekend stickers on my very first plan with me post. 

So thats my upcoming weekly spread. 

Enjoy!

Xo, Jeanice.