What I'm Watching Lately...

I love a good movie or television show and lately, I’ve been lucking up on some good stuff and decided I would share it with you! I enjoy medical dramas, criminal shows and things about life so if any of that interest you …you might want to check it out.

Amazon Prime

1.       The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (TV Show)

I always enjoy a movie with a strong female lead and if you watch the trailer you might be slightly confused but it’s truly worth watching!

2.       A Girl Like Grace (Movie)

I’ll admit I shed a tear or two. this movie takes place in a high school settling and touches on bullying. I would DEFINITELY watch this with a group of teens and have a discussion about it.

3.       Moonlight (Movie)

when watching this one pay attention. It does have some homosexuality in so if you;re not okay with that then skip it. However, if you can see past that its a must watch!

Netflix:

1.       Let The Church Say Amen

i wasn’t sure if i would like this movie or not but it has a stellar cast so it was worth a shot and I loved it. it touches on a VARIETY of topics- Religion, Family Drama and love.

2.       Like Father

As a woman who doesn’t have much of a RELATIONSHIP with her father this was a nice one to watch. It shows you that things can turn around!

3.       Nappily Ever After

Wow, thank you Netflix! I love sanaa and she DELIVERED. Some say they were a little confused or didn’t see the point but watch it and be your own judge.

4.       Atypical (Netflix Series)

We need more shows like this on tv. This reminds me of parenthood the adult version! This is a family dealing a son with AUTISM and teaching him how to function with others.

5.       Roxanne Roxanne

Oh yeah, Roxanne Roxanne! I’m not really into rap but this has a great story line! so if you enjoy music and a drama then check it out.

Television:

1.       Chicago Med

Think about Grey’s ANATOMY with an edge and there you have it.

2.       Chicago PD

Law and order times two! this crew is edgy and diverse that’s what i love about them.

3.       Law and Order SUV

law and order suv will always have a place in my heart. i’ve been watching this show for years and haven’t been disappointed yet.

4.       This Is Us

i’m almost in tears every episode! if you haven’t heard of this show where have you been? it’s awesome but pay attention because it does a lot of flashbacks and if you’re not aware you’ll be lost.

What are you watching? I’m always looking for something new!

It's Getting Spooky

Do you feel it? I can feel it! The weather is getting cooler and the holidays are right around the corner! First up is Halloween, it’s not my favorite but I do enjoy all of the treats and watching my kids dress up. Currently, still undecided about what I want them to dress up as but no worries, we’ll figure it out soon enough.

Do you give your kids teachers little gifts on holidays? I do, I think that we forget just how tough of a job they have. I’ve worked in the education field and it’s a THANKLESS job! So below are a few small ticket items that the teachers will LOVE!

1.       Candy Jar

Who doesn’t love candy? I always get my kids to pry. My oldest is so good at this, she pays attention to what her teachers eat or drink.

(Want the graphic, click here to visit lilyna!)

2.       Hand Soap

Why hand soap? Germs of course! Kids are not always the cleanest and it’s nice when you get to have your “special” soap. I try to stock up on these when Bath and Body Works have a sale. You can catch them for about $2.5-3.50 and stack it with their 20% off coupon or their $10 off $30. Sign up for their emails!

Get your gift tags here!

3.       Trick or Treat Smell My Feet

Foot cream! You can take this any way you would like. Foot cream or a nice foot scrub! Trust me they will love it. I love it when my feet feel good.

What are you getting your children’s teachers for Halloween?

Queen, Watch Your Mouth

Real Queens fix each other's crowns WITHOUT letting anyone know it was titled.

How many times have you heard or participated in gossip? Whether intentionally or not I know we all have. It wasn't until I realized that what you say about someone can hurt them and leave scars for years! Luckily, I learned this early on. It wasn't an easy lesson but so worth it! 

It's so easy to get caught up in talking about people when we don't know the full story. A group of friends, causally scrolling through social media and it can catch you off guard "Oh girl, did you see Tasha just had another baby," "Yeah girl, I wonder who the daddy is." That can lead to a whole lotta speculation when you don't really know Tasha's situation. 

I don't have many female friends...I had my crew back in the day but we all grew apart and that happens. Life happens. Due to the twist and turns that my life has taken it's been hard for me to develop strong adult relationships. I've been extremely guarded. I meet a group of women that I thought were amazing and turned out to be a COMPLETE MESS! Something I did not want to be associated with.  

 I have been a mom since I was 17 so I didn't have the freedom to do as I pleased - neither did I have the means. My focus was taking care of my daughter and trying put myself through school.

Now that I'm older, I desire these types of relationships. I want relationships with other women that don't pose a threat to me. I want people that truly understand that we can all WIN! We're all beautiful in our own way and there is no need for the back stabbing.

Check out this oldie but goodie...did you watch Red Table Talk? If not, hop on over to Facebook and see what all the buzz was about. 

SOMETIMES, as women once we've done something we don't know how to come back from it. Especially in friendships. We miss those friends but we don't know how to say sorry and truly admit our wrong doings. Not only that there have been times when it's not our fault and we hold grudges not even know why we're mad.

Have you had conflicts with friends that you wish you would have resolved? 

Learning to Love After a Heartbreak

“Closure is not a moment between two people. It’s demanding yourself to stop reliving your history & let go of the “what ifs’”. It’s embracing that every ounce of pain you experienced was necessary for your growth, peace, and joy. It is a reconciliation with one’s self.”

— Sarah Jakes-Roberts

Let's be real for a moment...allow yourself to think clearly and be free of judgment. I have had this conversation several times in the last few months and I've read quite a few articles. So I have a good feeling that this is still relevant. It has also taken me MONTHS to get the courage to finish this piece. I have come to realize that it was because I wasn't there yet.

Wow - can't believe I just admitted that but my goal is to be as real as possible with you all!

Before you can even consider loving again you have to deal with your past. When you've experienced love and real love at that it's hard to keep going. For a moment your life stops. It feels like a piece of you is missing...your best friend is gone. This is insanely difficult if you didn't want the breakup. The worst thing you can do is try to force someone to stay - if they stay and they don't want to they'll be miserable and it won't work. 

Understand that healing takes time and no one is allowed to tell you how much time you need. Only you know when you're done. Cry if you need to. Cry for hours, days, weeks if you have to. Let it out! Keeping that pain bottled inside only hurts you. I'm not suggesting you wallow in your pain for months on end but give yourself time to breathe. 

I remember being told that I shouldn't be sad that I lost the person I loved. I should just get over it and move on with my life. I was told that crying wouldn't change a thing. Well, that was a LIE. I listened to that person and the aftermath wasn't pleasant. I learned to believe that I was okay. I learned to bury those feelings. I didn't get a chance to grieve the life I once had. I didn't know I needed it. I built a wall so high that no one could break it down. My wall of protection was solid. I tried to date but it didn't work. Whatever you do, don't fall victim to the notion that you should be with someone else in order to get over the person that you miss. For me, that didn't work and it doesn't work. All you're doing is masking the real problem. You aren't ready and it's okay not to be ready.

Once you've done your work to heal it is possible to love again. It won't be easy. You're going to have issues trusting again but here's the thing about love...when you start to fall you'll fall. Then you'll catch yourself. You'll worry about everything. You're going to be afraid and you have every right to but remember one important thing...that person isn't the person that hurt you. I'm not saying give every Billy, Bob, and Joe a chance but don't close out the possibility. 

Love is beautiful, it's pure and when you have it - it's magical. Your time will come but you have to be ready!