Category: Flashback Friday’s

Flashback Friday’s: New Year, New Me?

Well look at you – surviving the first week of this year! 2016 was a huge struggle for many people apparently, but it is a NEW year and we can choose to make this a time of new beginnings as well. I want to thank you for stopping in and reading – whether you have been reading my blog for years or if this is your first time here. Hello. Aloha. Welcome. Thank you!

If you’re wondering what a Flashback Friday post is – it is my way of recapping what I was up to during the week. I attempt to post these as regularly as I can, however, that does not always happen. With this new year I do plan on scheduling these out and working on them throughout the week because I am more likely to complete the post if I work on it in that way. Anywho, here is the first one for 2017…

flashback fridays hertaintedlips
This past week has actually been great. I had some stressful situations occur but I can definitely say some really great things have happened. More good than bad happened so I am hoping to ride this positive wave right into the first quarter of the year. What really put me in a great mood was getting a raise at my job. WOO HOO. Who doesn’t like to get rewarded for their hard work?

Of course a new year often means new years resolutions, setting goals and all that jazz. I try to set goals throughout the year but I do think the new year is a good time to reflect and reevaluate where you are at with previous goals, what needs to be done (or let go) and what goals you would like to set in the future. It is a new beginning.

I have mentioned before that the rough and wild ride of 2016 kept me from planning out 2017 the way I had originally intended on doing but I won’t let that stop me from doing it now. It isn’t too late. So this past week (and couple of months actually) I have been really thinking about what I want to do with this new year. This new beginning.

First thing I did this week was really purge and get rid of things that are no longer serving me. From physical objects and emails to people and relationships. It has been a very freeing experience. I have been feeling bogged down with stuff lately and letting go feels so wonderful. Another bonus is when you let go of certain things it makes room for the new.

Another thing I have been doing is planning out how I am going to take better care of my health. As many of you know my Father passed away in October. He has lived most of his adult life with several health issues and it as always difficult watching him suffer. Boy was that a wake up call.

I have intended on taking better care of myself (and have been trying off and on) but his death really reminded me that life is short and if there are things I can do to live a healthier life full of energy and minimal illness – that is the life I want to choose. One step I took so far this is I went to my ophthalmologist to get checked for any damage diabetes may have had on my eyes and was told I was not having any issues so continue to do what I was doing. Last year I significantly lowered my A1c and plan on lowering it more this year.

I have a lot more things planned this year in regards to taking better care of myself and I will be sure to mention them along the way. You can learn more about my weight loss journey and diabetes management efforts at 2bigheffas.com

Another thing I worked on this year was planning out my Avon business and other side hustle goals. I am trying to avoid having to get second part time job so organizing and setting goals should put me in a place to make the extra money required to take care of my personal expenses. I looked at how much money I made from Avon, blogging and my other freelance work last year and I know I can double if not triple it this year if I set small goals, hold myself accountable and am consistent.

So… that’s what I have been up to this week. I am taking the route of making this year about ME. Improving on who I am and the things that I do because I know it will pay off in the end. Better health, losing weight, self care and making that money.

**Cheers to a new year and a new me (and you if you so choose).**

What do you hope to accomplish this year? Let us know in the comments.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.

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2016: A Year In Review

Welcome to 2017. If you are familiar with hertaintedlips.com you know that we do Flashback Friday’s most Friday’s and post about what happened during the week. I like the idea of it and I did a year in review post for 2015 last year so I thought it would be fun to do it again this year even though it didn’t end up on a Friday. I hope you enjoy it!

Flashback Fridays Year In Review 2016 hertaintedlips

January
+ I moved! I ended up moving closer to my job into a small little place to call my own.

February
+ I got the flu from h#ll – so glad that I got over that but I was out from school and work for a little over a week and had so much catching up to do.
+ On the bright side, I got a lot of freelance writing and other money making opportunities – just enough to cover the amount of money I was out of since I was going to school more and had to cut back my hours at my job.

March
+ Launched a new blog project with Kristina called 2BigHeffas.com. We share about our journey to healthy living. From weight loss and working out to cravings and our favorite fitness apparel. This has been a really great project for me.

April
+ This was the month before finals so life was pretty crazy. Not much going on with the blog.

May
+ Did this month even happen? HA!

June
+ This was a great, yet a tough month! I had family members from different states come to visit which meant lots of fun, laughter and new memories with them. Unfortunately I also a horrible allergic reaction which resulted in me being hospitalized a few days and one of my Aunt’s passed away. Let’s just say I was being tested. *whew*

July (My Birthday Month)
+ I wrote about finding your passion or your “thing” and having a quarter life crisis

August
+ New semester of school started! Just four more courses left (as of August 2016) before I can graduate with my Bachelor’s Degree. Unfortunately I could only take 2 of them during this semester but I was so happy that I am getting closer to graduating.
+ I got some exciting offers in regards to moving my blog forward (business wise) so it was an exciting time to be a blogging business woman.

September
+ This month went by super fast! I was super busy with work and school.

October
+ As the year was quickly coming to a close I made sure that I spent a lot of time with family and friends whenever possible. My modified school schedule allowed that flexibility and I was so happy for that. Unfortunately, My Dad ended up in the hospital and weeks later passed away. It was a really rough time.
+ Started planning out holiday posts as best as I could considering the circumstances – product reviews, gift guides and sharing coupons and sales.

November
+ This month went by super fast and I ended up being sick so I shared my favorite ways to stay healthier (and get better quicker) during the holidays.

December
+ After a very long and tumultuous year things seemed to settle down a bit. I reflected on what happened and tried not to dwell too much on the bad things. The holidays are usually my favorite time of year because of time with family and friends but this time around it took me longer to get into the spirit. It wasn’t until I was trying to cheer someone else up by taking them to see Christmas lights that my Christmas spirit really kicked into gear.

What wonderful (or even not so wonderful) things happened in your life last year? If you have a year in review post please share it below!

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.

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Flashback Friday’s: End of The Semester Edition

Dear Fellow College Students,
You can take a deep breath.
I am hoping that you had a great semester and that all of your papers, presentations and finals are turned in and no longer something on your to do list. You have done all that you could have possibly done (hopefully) to make this a successful semester.

*Cheers to you and high five if you are a graduating Senior*

You made it to the end of the semester! It is time to enjoy the Winter Break.

flashback fridays hertaintedlips

This semester was actually a fairly “easy” one for me compared to some of the more recent ones that I have had. Mainly because I enjoyed the courses and Professors that I had. It was full of great information and great people to share and learn it with. Even though my life was all turned upside down I was able to finish the semester fairly unscathed. I am super excited for next semester (and scared out of my mind) because I am taking my two Senior Projects and will be graduating (finally).

I only had 2 courses this semester and they were both online. One actually ended back in September so I am happy that I had about 2 months of just having 1 course to deal with. I’m so happy that they were online because when I went to Georgia while my Dad was hospitalized and after he passed away I think I would have had to drop the course since I was away for so long. Online courses aren’t for everyone, however, they can sometimes be a huge blessing.

I am proud of myself for getting through this semester even while I felt like the world was crumbling beneath my feet. My college career has a been a long journey and I will write about it more on a separate occasion because there are some topics I want to touch on that would do better in a different post. I will probably work on that during the winter break.

I am currently working on a post of resources for college students – it has been sitting in my draft folder since last semester – and it will be posted at the beginning of next semester so be sure to be on the lookout for that. I feel like I had so many more resources to share so I wanted to go back and edit it a bit more before I launch it out to the interwebs.

If you haven’t had time to go shopping for others make sure you check out my gift guides and be sure to check out this post featuring Companies That Give Back When You Make A Purchase This Season.

Thank you so much for stopping in and I hope to chat with you soon.

What are your plans for the Winter Break? Let us know in the comments.

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.

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Flashback Friday’s: Living Through Loss

Trigger Warning: I recently lost my Father so this post may get emotional and be triggering for people that are still in mourning, bereavement and so on.

flashback fridays hertaintedlips

F*ck 2016.
Seriously. I had such a positive outlook for this year and it seems like every time things are going well I get hit with a curve ball. The past couple of years have been challenging but 2016 is really the year that I feel is testing me and taking me to my limit. I am at my breaking point and each time I really want to give up someone comes to me and says something positive, loving and/or encouraging.

I went into 2016 with health and and other personal issues – I got through them the best I could. I felt lost and unsure on so many occasions but things slowly started getting better. I was feeling happy and healthy but over the summer I suffered a serious allergic reaction which sent me to the hospital for 3 days while they monitored me. I now have certain foods I have to avoid and will have to carry an Epi Pen with me for the rest of my life.

Soon after my hospital stay, my Aunt fell ill and ended up in the hospital. She suffered several heart attacks and passed away. I was thousands of miles away and I felt so guilty and frustrated because I wasn’t able to be there to tell her I love her and be with my family. I still have days I reach for the phone to call her only to remember that she is no longer there.

I thought that would be where the struggle and pain of this year would taper off. I was wrong.

Early in October I called my Dad and he told me that he wasn’t feeling well – he thought he had the flu. He apologized for cutting our call short. We exchanged our “I love you’s” and little did I know that would be my last time hearing his voice.

Soon after our last conversation he ended up in the hospital for pneumonia and ended up being put in a medically-induced coma so he could be intubated. Awhile later he seemed to be doing better – tube was taken out and he was moved out of ICU. Within two days he had a heart attack and was intubated again. My Mom worked some magic so that I could come to Georgia and be with him and my family. I thought he would kick this.

He had a total of 3 heart attacks and some seizures. There was too much damage done to his brain and things looked grim. I tried to remain positive and present but I would just cry randomly and my sleep schedule continues to suffer. Once I had the courage to ask the prognosis I knew that even if he was taken off the machines and could breath on his own – he would not be the same person we all knew and loved.

He was removed from life support on a Friday, moved to a Hospice facility on a Saturday and passed away on Sunday, October 30, 2016.

Living Through Loss

It has been a week since I stood in that ICU room while they removed the breathing tube and this weekend we are holding a memorial service for him. Anything that reminds me of him either makes me cry or makes my heart ache – sometimes both at the same time.

I want to sleep because maybe this is just a horrible nightmare yet fear, hurt, resentment and guilt fill my thoughts in the quiet of the night. Why couldn’t I be here sooner? Did he really know how much I loved him? I only eventually sleep because my body just cant take it anymore so it shuts down.

Depression and anxiety constantly knock at my door.

I feel like I am at one place in time and the entire world is just passing me by. I forget what day it is often – days turn to nights right before my eyes. I enjoy time with family but when I am not “busy” I get overwhelmed with grief. I’m an emotional eater yet I let my body feel empty. I feel lost and confused.

I told a friend that reached out to me with comforting words that I feel like I am about to crack open and end up in a dark place. He assured me that I am stronger than I know and if I “go there” I will find my way back out. I have so many wonderful friends and family members – as well as strangers that have reached out to me. I really feel like this support is what has kept me going because there are so many times I just want to give up.

I constantly tell myself that I can get through this. That I am a strong person. I can hear my Dads voice saying “don’t worry suga” – it is reassuring yet hurts at the same time.

This is what it is like living through loss.

Click here to donate to my bereavement fund

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.

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Flashback Friday’s: Make It Work

Welcome to another edition of Flashback Fridays. I hope that this post finds you doing well and excited for the weekend.

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This week has been eventful yet somehow relaxing at the same time compared to last week. I was glad that things sort of slowed down for me yet I was able to get a lot accomplished and had more fun days than blah days.

Last week I was extremely busy with school work as I did my part in wrapping up a final group project. At work things were a little crazy as well as I worked more hours and days than usual in order to make a deadline.

This week I was able to get together with family a few times and enjoy my time with then. From shopping & dinners to arcade games and catching up on our favorite shows together including Project Runway.

We are 1 week into October and I feel like if I blink Christmas will be here in no time. I am wanting to get so many things accomplished this month yet take it slow. I will have to somehow find balance in there somewhere.

I wasn’t able to get as much leisure reading in as I had hoped this week, however, I was able to check out some magazines while I was sitting in a waiting room waiting for a family member. Of course I chose the fashion ones to look through first.

Normally offices only have older issues so I was shocked and excited to find the October Issue of VOGUE featuring Lupita on the cover. I devoured each and every page – taking in all of the fall fashion and reading as many of the articles as I could muster.

Fashion magazines have been my escape and happy place for as long as I can remember. They sparked my interest in fashion design & marketing/advertising. Even though I never went into those fields they continue to be things I am passionate about.

Random fact: I once stopped by the Art Institute of Atlanta because I was interested in a degree in Fashion Design but at the time they didn’t have a degree available so I almost ended up in Advertising. The Adviser talked me out of it (sort of) by reminding me not to take something that would take years and $ out of my pocket that I may not be fully committed to. She was right – best advice ever.

I’m glad that I was able to go through the VOGUE and other fashion magazines. I feel inspired. I haven’t been feeling happy about myself and how I look lately and it shows in how I dress. I haven’t dressed up much since I left my Retail Store Manager position and I plan on changing that. I love clothes and fashion – this little magazine binge I had may be just what I needed.

It was a great week to make new memories and enjoy time with the people I care about. I hope that yours was great and if you are in one of the areas in the path of Mathew I hope that you are staying safe. Have a wonderful weekend!

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.

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Flashback Friday’s: Naps Are Necessary

flashback fridays hertaintedlips

This week was a bit of a blur. I was feeling a little under the weather – body aches, stuffy nose and itchy throat. I made sure I stayed hydrated by drinking a lot of water and consumed a lot of green tea with honey to sooth my throat (and make me feel better). I actually surprised myself because I was able to get a lot done in regards to blogging, my business and school work.

One thing I realized is that even when I am not feeling well I always end up trying to push through and get things done. This can cause burnout and keep me from feeling better faster as well. After last semesters repeated sick days I didn’t want to go that route again. Instead of trying to push through – I napped. Whenever I really just felt like my body was saying “relax” – I listened. I laid down and took a nap for however long my body felt it needed to rest. Upon waking I felt refreshed (as much as I could feel while still feeling like crap) and was able to get back to getting things done.

I always laugh at how children get older they fight having to take a nap and as adults get older we fight it too but for a different reason. We fight it because we think that we need to be doing something – anything really – other than taking a nap. We don’t want to feel judged. We don’t want people to think we are a bad or irresponsible person. But deep down, even though we are fighting it, we actually crave being able to just relax and nap it out.

But Rose, naps are for babies. WRONG. Naps are mutherfrackin necessary. I give you permission to take a nap (or several) when you feel the need to do so – of course if you do it at work I am not responsible for what might happen. But if you are at home and just feel the need to lay it down for a bit – do it. I promise, you will wake up feeling refreshed and ready to face whatever is next.

You might enjoy:
How To Boost Your Immune System (Right Before Cold Season Strikes)
Information about napping from the National Sleep Foundation

My wins for the week:
I’m happy to announce that I made it to 1,000 followers on Pinterest! That made my day! Also, in my Avon business I got my first recruit to mentor – I am super excited to help them get their Avon business started. Another thing I was happy about is that we got a 23/25 on our group project and we are nearly done with the draft and presentation for our final project so we will be able to submit it for review and editing in more than enough time to edit it if the professor sees anything he feels we need to change. So even though I wasn’t physically feeling too good – I was in a good mood most of the the week. YAY!

I hope that you had a wonderful week. Let me know what you think about naps. Do you think naps are necessary?

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Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links which means I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) if you decide to purchase something featured here. This commission will be invested back into hertaintedlips.com as well as help me buy a cheap bottle of wine or some Starbucks. For more information please read our disclosure page.

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