How to Get Free Stuff!
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Do you love free stuff ?
I love getting new things, especially when I get those those things for free. One of the best things of living in a digital world is how easy it makes it to get receive free products from companies in exchange for reviewing and sharing their newest products on your social media accounts.
The past two years I have joined 3 programs that send me products several times during the year and allow me to indulge in my love for free stuff. If you love free stuff like I love free stuff, and you have a Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Youtube, and/or blog, here are the programs that you should be joining ASAP :
1. Influenster
Influenster is the go-to destination for trendsetters who want to be rewarded for their influence. Qualified members gain access to the latest products, share their expert opinions and spread the word on their favorite discoveries.
Why I Love Them:
I have gotten a variety of great products from Influenster, including Beanitos chips, Rimmel London mascara, Swiss Miss hot chocolate mix, Jergens moisturizer, Skinnygirl snack bars, barkThins, Blue Diamond cashews, and most recently YSL lipsticks and c. Booth bath products. Many of the products that I have received I had never used before and ended up liking them so much I added them to my monthly shopping list.
Sign up today: www.influenster.com/r/328764
2. Smiley 360
Do you love to try new products and services? Have you ever tried a product and thought, "This would be so much better if..." As a Smiley member, you can provide this kind feedback directly to the source, as well as share what you think with your friends, both online and offline. Smiley members get inside and exclusive looks at new brands, new products, and new online content -- how cool is that?
Why I Love Them:
I have gotten some pretty interesting products from Smiley 360, including a Sleep Number foam pillow (valued at $200), 5-hour Energy drinks, a K-Y vibrator, Bona wet cleaning pads, Boursin cheese, and most recently Goodness Knows snack bars, Nature's Bounty Hair, Skin, and Nails gummies, and Accuflora probiotic supplements. I always look forward to seeing what new products they are offering for review. I use several of the products I received in my everyday life, particularly the Sleep Number foam pillow.
Sign up today: http://h5.sml360.com/-/5x6i
3. PINCHme
PINCHme is the premier online destination for consumers to DISCOVER and DISCUSS consumer products. For manufacturers, PINCHme is a revolutionary platform built to promote consumer products to motivated consumers - delivering AWARENESS, ENGAGEMENT, INSIGHTS and, most importantly, SALES. PINCHme provides manufacturers with access to a targeted membership database, distributing their samples to a uniquely curated demographic of consumers. Members are encouraged to provide feedback while able to purchase the products they like directly through the PINCHme platform.
Why I Love Them:
I have gotten samples of some pretty good products from PINCHme, including Gevalia iced coffee, Summer's Eve nighttime cleansing cloths, Gold Bond healing lotion, Olay body wash, and Pure Via sweetener. Unlike the other two programs, PINCHme usually sends its members sample sizes, and not full sizes, of the complimentary products they are asked to review. The good thing is if you do not like a product, you don't end up wasting a majority of it when you discard it. But if you like the sample of the product, you have gotten enough to sway you to later purchase it.
Sign up today: https://www.pinchme.com/signup?referral_code=5qvsg
10 Rocking Hallowen Costume Ideas for Black Women
/Halloween is almost here. I originally planned to attend one of Kid Fury's
(either in DC or NYC) butttttttt the way my bank account works, you see, is... (if you do not know this cultural reference, you need to make friends with the Google). Long story short, I can't afford to travel out of town to party for a weekend (after doing it last weekend). So, now I will be spending my Halloween in Boston and luckily I have a party to attend. Now my task is to find a kickass costume.
Last year, I was super creative and went as Captain Save-a-Hoe. I got a lot of compliments on my original (and budget-friendly) costume.
This year I want to be creative, fun, and a little sexy. And, I really want to be all of those things while portraying a strong, black female character. Here are some of the ideas I came up with:
Storm from the X-men
Carmen Jones (as portrayed by Dorothy Dandridge)
Josephine Baker in her famous Banana Dance costume
Catwoman (as portrayed by Eartha Kitt)
Janet Jackson in her Pleasure Principle video
Vixen of Justice League
Beyonce from Feeling Myself video
North West as Kanye West
Bumblebee from Teen Titans
Uhura from Stark Trek
5 Shows Starring People of Color (That Are Not Scandal, HTGAWM, and Empire) You Should Be Watching
/There has been a lot of talk about the abundance of people of color on network tv today (and white responses to the rise of black and brown and tan faces on their televisions), but there has not been much talk about the shows, outside of Scandal, Empire and How To Get Away With Murder, starring people of color or why you should be watching them. So I decided to make a list for you tv watchers because my gums are getting very tired from the spreading the news about these great shows via the words from my mouth. Grab your remote, set your dvr, and check out these shows.
1) black-ish (airs Wednesdays 9:30pm EST/8:30pm CT on ABC)
Andre 'Dre' Johnson (Anthony Anderson) has a great job, a beautiful wife, Rainbow (Tracee Ellis Ross), four kids and a colonial home in the 'burbs. But has success brought too much assimilation for this black family? With a little help from his dad (Laurence Fishburne), Dre sets out to establish a sense of cultural identity for his family that honors their past while embracing the future.
black-ish
stars Anthony Anderson as Dre, Tracee Ellis Ross as Rainbow, Yara Shahidi as Zoey, Marcus Scribner as Andre Jr., Miles Brown as Jack, Marsai Martin as Diane and Laurence Fishburne as Pops.
Good for:
those who are looking for a modern day The Cosby Show-esque comedy that focuses on the lives of black families trying to thrive, fit in, and maintain their cultural identities in suburbia.
2) Survivor's Remorse (airs Saturdays 9:30pm EST/8:30pm CT on Starz)
"Survivor's Remorse" follows the life of Cam Calloway (played by Jessie T. Usher) a hard-working young basketball star who is thrust into the limelight after signing a huge contract with a pro team in Atlanta. In the second season, we see Cam and his cousin and confidant Reggie Vaughn, played by Ronreaco Lee, continue trying to navigate Cam’s meteoric rise. From business deals to relationships and friendship, the two confront the challenges of balancing the needs of family with the rewards and responsibilities generated by their newfound wealth and fame. Cam, Reggie and
the unforgettable group of characters that is the Calloway clan wrestle with the rewards and pitfalls of stardom, love and loyalty. The series is executive produced by Mike O’Malley, LeBron James, Tom Werner, Maverick Carter and Paul Wachter and the cast also includes Mike Epps, Tichina Arnold, Teyonah Parris and Erica Ash.
Good for:
those who are looking for an adult (i.e., raunchy and straight funny no chaser) sports-themed comedy. Mike Epps, Tichina Arnold, and Erica Ash are hilarious.
3) Sleepy Hollow (airs Thursdays 9pm EST/8pm CT on FOX)
Ichabod Crane awakes from the throes of death 250 years in the future where he must solve a mystery dating back to the founding fathers. Due to a blood spell cast on a battlefield during the Revolution, the infamous headless horseman is revived along with Crane, and the murderous rider embarks on a bloody rampage in present-day Sleepy Hollow. Ichabod realizes that he must act quickly, for the headless horseman is only the first of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Detective Abbie Mills, a woman familiar with supernatural experiences, forms a bond with Crane as they try to stop an increasingly vicious cycle of evil.
Good for:
those who are looking for sci-fi/fantasy dramas that have touches of literary and historical references. In other words, good for those into nerdy things.
4) Being Mary Jane (airs Tuesdays 9pm EST/8pm CT on BET)
Mary Jane Paul is a one-woman show: a successful TV news anchor, entirely self-sufficient--an all-around powerhouse who remains devoted to a family that doesn't share her motivation. As Mary Jane juggles her life, her work and her commitment to her family, we find out how far she’s willing to go to find the puzzle pieces that she, and society, insist are missing from her life as a single Black female.
Good for:
those who are looking for an hour-long drama that focuses on the triumphs, trials, and beautifully flawed realities of being a single Black professional woman in America.
5) Jane The Virgin (airs Mondays 9pm EST/8pm CT on The CW)
When Jane Villanueva was a young girl, her grandmother, Alba, convinced her of two things: telenovelas are the highest form of entertainment, and
women must protect their virginity at all costs. Now age 23, Jane is a driven young woman studying to become a teacher, nursing a dream to be a writer, and supporting herself with a job at a hot new Miami hotel. All the years of watching telenovelas with the two women who raised her – her sexy, young-at-heart mother, Xiomara, and her still-devout grandmother Alba – have given Jane a slightly unrealistic view of romance. Still, she is determined not to make the same mistake her mother made – becoming an unwed mother at 16. Jane has managed to find a wonderful fiancé: a handsome, hard-working detective named Michael, who loves her enough to accept her detailed timeline for their future together and even her insistence on “saving herself” until they’re married. All of Jane’s meticulous life plans are turned upside down, however, when she sees her doctor for a routine check-up and is accidentally artificially inseminated with a specimen meant for the patient in the next room. Unbeknownst to her, the specimen belongs to Rafael, a reformed playboy and cancer survivor, who is not only the new owner of the hotel where Jane works but also a former summer crush of hers. A few weeks later, the unsuspecting Jane is faced with the most important decisions of her life. Will she continue with the pregnancy? How can she explain the situation to her fiancé and family? And what should she do about the wishes of the biological father, Rafael, and his scheming wife Petra? Though she has always tried to be the good girl who does the right thing, Jane’s life has suddenly become as dramatic and complicated as the telenovelas she has always loved.
Good for:
those who are looking for a telenovela-esque comedy that features a young woman dealing with love, family, career, and an unexpected pregnancy.
What I Wore: College Homecoming Event
/This past weekend was the homecoming weekend for my alma mater, Columbia University. I haven't been able to attend any homecoming events since I moved out of New York 6 years ago. The last time I was able to attend an event was 2008. So, I was super excited that I was able to attend this year's Black Homecoming Event, hosted by the Black Alumni Council of Columbia University. I pulled out all of the stops: new dress, hair professionally done, and my best nail art.
Here is what I wore:
Nails:
Columbia University Class of 2005 (and a special member of Class of 2007). Providence Night Club, NY, 2015.
Finding the Perfect Jeans For Curvy Girls (With Thick Thighs)
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For curvy women, finding a great pair of jeans that are flattering and affordable is hard, especially if you are part of my particular sect of the Women with Curves club---the Thick Thighs Crew. Unlike women with those highly sought-after thigh gaps, women like me with big thighs and disproportionately smaller waists are lucky if we can find jeans with spandex in them. The jeans that I typically find at the local mall are either too big in the waist or can't get passed my thighs (without a lot of dancing and struggling and deep breaths).
As a curvy woman who added on a few more curves over during Snowmaggedon 2015, I have actually avoided wearing jeans for the past 6 months because I can't fit the ones in my closet (they look real nice on the hangers). For most of this year, I have turned to leggings--a curvy girl's best friend. But, after seeing a post on
Hey Fran Hey's blog about how she found a flattering pair of curvy girl friendly jeans, the Levi's 721 High-Rise Skinny Jeans. Inspired by her, I hit Macy's and tried on about 10 pairs of the 721 and of the Levi's 311 Shaping Skinny Jeans.
The 721 fit me, but the 311 fit me so much better. The 311 features tummy slimming technology and feels so soft on the skinny. I loved them so much, I bought two pairs. If you are looking for a pair of jeans that flatter all of your curves, I highly recommend you check out what Levi's has to offer.
For my ladies with the thick thighs, what are your favorite jeans?
Are You Ready To Jump?
/A year ago on October 12, 2014, I jumped out of a plane and it changed my life. I know it sounds a bit cliche, but the jump was more than a thrill-seeking activity, it was the culmination of the hardest two years of my life. From the fall of 2012 to the spring of 2014, I was silently battling with severe depression and anxiety. The stresses of completing my dissertation and phd program, feeling unsatisfied with a career in academia, and feeling like I was lagging behind my non-graduate school friends, mixed with feelings of insecurity and fears of failure, caused me to fall down a dark hole of hopelessness and inadequacy that I saw no way out of. It was dark times. I felt that I couldn't achieve any of my goals. I was afraid to ask for help or to admit that I needed help. I didn't want people, especially my family and friends, to see me as a failure. And honestly I almost gave up on my degree, on my future, and on my life.
My road to mental health was long one. It started with first admitting to my graduate advisor/mentor that I was depressed and had stopped writing my dissertation because I was depressed and anxious. She was extremely understanding and forthright about her struggles as a woman in academia and told me something that I will never forget--"there is nothing wrong with needing help." She recommended I talk to my doctor about my depression so that I could work on a plan to restore my mental health and to move forward with my life and goals. Although it was hard, I followed her advice and spoke to my doctor, who was also very helpful and understanding. With my doctor's guidance, I started my climb out of that dark hole of depression and anxiety.
The next (and hardest) step was talking to my mother about what I was dealing with. My fear of failure has been strongly connected to my desire to make my mother proud. She sacrificed so much for me to make sure that I got a good education. She is an immigrant. She is focused and hard working woman. She is my role model. I have never ever felt comfortable admitting to her when I couldn't do something. I felt ashamed that I was having so much trouble getting my dissertation done or that I was seeking help. After I was honest with her about my issues, she surprised me with her response. She told me that she cared about me being happy and healthy and not whether or not I got my phd, and she supported whatever I wanted to do, as long as I was happy doing it. From that moment, she did a series of things that helped me further climb out of my dark hole. She threw down a rope and encouraged me as I pulled myself up.
By the time I got to the airfield on October 12, 2014 for my skydiving jump, I had overcome many obstacles physically and mentally. I had completed a final draft of my dissertation and was preparing to defend it in front of my committee and my family and friends later that month. I had climbed out of the dark hole and found a new happiness, new career focus, and new strength. I was ready to start the next chapter of my life. To move forward. To face my fears and doubts head on. When I jumped out of the plane, I let go. I gave myself over to God and the elements and laughed (literally) at fear and doubt. After I successfully planted my feet on the ground, I felt that I could conquer anything. I jumped out of a F#$%ing plane. I can do anything. I have no reason to be afraid of what people think of me or my work, to be afraid of failing, or to be afraid of following my gut and doing the things I need to be happy and healthy spiritually, mentally, and physically.
Check out my JUMP in the video below.
Jesse Williams Speaks The Truth
/I wish that I could articulate the many issues that are plaguing people of color in America today as well as Jesse Williams does. He is inspiring, passionate, and informative. Check out the video and let me know what you think.
Every once in a while, a brave soul comes along that is willing to put his career on the line to speak for his people when most would shy a way….Like Mohamed Ali, now is this guy. #RESPECT
Posted by Africlandpost on Monday, August 10, 2015
To Be Like First Lady Michelle Obama: Learning to Embrace Me
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First Lady Michelle Obama is an inspiration. She is intelligent, beautiful, and confident. She is a role model for all women, especially women of color who have to deal with racism, sexism, and classism from those outside their communities and sadly also from those within their communities.
Hearing First Lady Michelle Obama speak candidly (in the video below) about her personal struggles dealing with racism and sexism, during the time of her husband's first presidential bid, with the media and opinion polls openly picking her apart and questioning her every action really hit home for me. Despite her educational and professional pedigree, as a Princeton grad and successful lawyer, almost all of the critiques of Michelle Obama were steeped in longstanding stereotypes of black women as being too loud, too angry, or too emasculating. As a black woman, I struggle with how people, including my family and friends, perceive me. The way I present myself, speak, eat, dress, and choose to live my life is constantly judged and ridiculed by not only mainstream society but also by other black and brown people.
Lately, I have been especially concerned with not being viewed as an "angry black woman" (which I discussed in an earlier post). This concern has invaded my everyday thoughts. When I am teaching in my classroom, when I am interacting with people in public, and even when I am hanging out with my friends, I am checking myself. Am I talking too loud? Am I coming off as bitter or angry? Am I being too aggressive or too bold? If I feel the answer is yes to any of these questions, I try to change my tone or my mannerisms, or I completely shut down. It is a hard thing to deal with, this feeling that something is wrong with you or that you need to change yourself to make others comfortable around you. And then I think...Why do I care if people think that I am angry? Why can't I be angry? Isn't anger a natural, normal feeling? Why are people so concerned with black women's anger? Why am I worried about how people may or may not view me?
The First Lady's ability to overcome being publicly critiqued, through confidence in herself and in God's plan for her, emboldens me. Her story points out the possible light at the end of the dark tunnel of negativity and racial/gender stereotypes that I face as a black woman in America. I aspire to be like First Lady Michelle Obama, to be able to fully embrace being me. All day. Every day. To stand proudly in my truth, in my skin.
I am loud. I am opinionated. I curse. I cry easily and often when I'm mad, sad, frustrated, or happy. I am overly protective of my friendships. I'm rude. I'm selfish. I'm giving. I'm intelligent. I'm silly. I'm introverted. I'm outgoing. I am not friendly. I sometimes speak before I think. I think too much and tend to dwell. I'm insecure. I'm confident. I get angry. I am a womanly. I am perfectly imperfect. I am divinely favored. I am my mother and father's daughter. I am me and the best thing I can do is, like First Lady Michelle Obama, "have faith in God's plan for me, [...] ignore the noise, and be true to myself; and the rest [will] work its way out."
