Hello December!!!!!!

It's the first Saturday of December. What are you doing that's good for yourself today? 

Tips

✨ Watch some Hallmark Christmas movies. You can never go wrong there. 🍿🍪☕️

✨ Start gathering those things that you want to give away or throw away before the new year. 🗑

✨ Create a plan to start cleaning for the holidays. (Don't be stressing out cleaning on the 22 knowing you have to pick the Honey Ham up on the 23rd. ijs) 🗓

✨ Spend some time laughing and having charcuterie with your girlfriends. (Where are we meeting and when? 👀) 🧀🫒🍇🍯🫐

#SelfCareSaturdays

1-on-1 with Tyler McKinley, UC's Latest Basketball Commit

TYLER MCKINLEY (CLASS of 2024 ) CINCINNATI COMMIT at the Pangos All-Amer...

Tyler McKinley Commits UC

WATCH: 4-star C Tyler McKinley commits to Cincinnati LIVE on 247Sports

My Trip To CAVA In Belle Meade TN

Last week we traveled from Cincinnati, OH to Memphis, TN for Session 4 of EYBL. I knew that there were CAVA locations on the way to Memphis (but not in Memphis) and I was glued to our directions to see if we would be near one.  I discovered CAVA while staying in Addison, Texas for Session 3 of EYBL. I'll post about that in an upcoming blogpost. At one point, during our trip, Tyler asked for food and we got off the exit outside of Nashville. 

I checked for the nearest location and discovered there was a CAVA close by. Now granted CAVA was 20 minutes away and it would add 40 minutes to an hour to our trip, I considered the fact that there is not a location in Ohio, Kentucky or Indiana. Add to that this would be the closest I'd be to a CAVA for awhile.

It was around 7 p.m. and it stated that the store would be closing soon. I rushed inside to place my order and there is no line and no counter. It's giving minimalism vibes. lol Alex and I look around and we realize that we need to download the app and place our order. This location was a Digital Kitchen. I had never heard the term before. I kinda panicked, thinking that I wouldn't get my order placed in time. I couldn't have come this far and not leave with an order of pita chips. 

I ordered a Crispy Falafel Pita, two orders of pita chips and a blueberry lemonade drink. Whew!!! We made the deadline. 

After a short while a young lady comes in and like us, she realizes that you have to download the app and place your order. I was happy for her to make the. 8 p.m. deadline. Once my order was placed we leave and we see her about to pull off. She tells us that she had never been to CAVA and because of time constraints she was just going to the grocery store. 

I'm sad that this is her first experience with CAVA and she doesn't get to experience it. I tell her that I ordered two orders of pita chips and I wanted her to have one. She was so sweet in telling me no. Then I share with her that I was traveling from Cincinnati and felt it was only right to share. Guess what she said, "I'm from Cincinnati too!!" Look at God!!!! What is the possibility of two people traveling from Cincinnati and ending up at CAVA in Nashville?  

We smiled and continued talking and. discovered that even our names are similar. See, I didn't go to CAVA just for me last week. ;) 

AZ Compass (AZ) vs. Link Academy (MO) - GEICO Nationals Championship

Eleven27? Black Fatherhood? The Meaning | The Story with Wendell Gibbs

Merry Christmas 🎄

 

And It's Ok | Evolving Takes Werk Podcast

    Has anyone been stagnant? I'm amazed at how I've not completed the podcast. For the season, how I have not been writing or blogging. I have still been creative a little bit Canva and still creating content for clients. However, writing has been hard. Is it a writer’s block? I’ve also had to deal with onset of depression and some disappointing things happening in my life. I can only go so long with saying, “I’m ok.” When clearly I have not been, and you know what? That’s ok. 

    That's ok to be where you are and to feel how you feel. It's ok to reflect on that it's been rough lately but today is good. When you think about practicing gratitude and being present it’s important to be true to how you feel in that moment. Being thankful for what you have, being thankful for what is and is not. And practicing mindfulness, being present in that moment and saying you know what today was good a good day. For instance, right now, I am typing out my blog for this podcast. I’m grateful for creative energy right now. Learn to be fully present daily and in return be thankful that today isn't like it was yesterday or heck, like it was last night. 

    Sidenote, the last two nights have been rough. I’ve not felt like the best version of myself physically and it showed up looking like another stroke. I’m super thankful that it was not and I the opportunity to spend the night in the hospital where so many wonderful people cared for me. For the last 48 hours I had to sit in the space that said, ‘You know what Arlinda? It's OK that you don't feel well and it's OK that you've come to the emergency room. It doesn't make you less than anything to say you I'm not feeling well. 

    The experience that I had was amazing. I met so many nice people. I'm in the hospital taking tests, I'm giving out oils, I'm exchanging phone numbers and we are affirming young black women. Oh my God! They had such beautiful hair and nails. I'm both ill and encouraging, I don't know how that happened, but it did. Because I've suffered a stroke, I think it's important that whenever I feel signs that things are off with me, my thought is, “Oh no! I need to get some help.” That's what I did, and it all worked together for good for me and for the people that I encountered. 

Listen to the rest on "And It's Ok" on Spotify