This past week I sold my first supreme self-care package. A dear friend of mine wanted one for her friend who is going through a tough time. Putting this together was an absolute treat, I thoughtfully picked items that would help her friend find some calm among the storm. My vision with these packages is to put together product/s that can be used for everyday self-care, utilize local businesses as my vendors and are priced affordably. I believe self-care is what makes your soul happy; expensive or non expensive. At Living Supreme, my goal is to create natural self-care products that are nice to the pockets.
Hey, Beautiful People, I just wanted to post a quick blog to offer some resources/information to help you get through this time of uncertainty. COVID-19 or the Rona as I call it, has caused complete disruption to all of our lives. And I’m not even going to sit here and tell you I have not been dealing with some depression and anxiety about this because I have. However, if there is any comfort, it is knowing I’m not alone in this and we are ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. It is my belief that we will be ok and my hope is that as a society we can take this break and come back and be stronger, and learn to love each other in a way that has never happened to before. I have tried to take this time to be still, work on those projects that have been on the back burner, exercise everyday and stay connected to my friends and family as much as possible. It has definitely been an adjustment getting used to this new normal. With that said, I would like to provide some reliable resources that will be of assistance and get you through this unsettling time.
General Info – These websites will be accurate and informational
Jurea is a fabulous, energetic and super welcoming instructor here is her usual schedule. But check her out on YouTube for the time being. I believe she is working on more content…so stay tuned!
Central Park Rec Center – Monday (7:15-8:15)
Central Park Rec Center – Thursday (6:45-7:45)
Central Park Rec Center – Saturday (10:45-11:45)
Reese & Cooper Chilling
For the Littles – There are so many great resources for the kiddos online, it would be too much to list here.
The Denver Public Library has a ton of resources to keep you and your family busy. Streaming movies, music (local artists), story-times (I believe), OverDrive and much more.
If music is your medicine like me, many artists are doing free online concerts. Check their social media pages for more info. One of my fav’s right now is #ClubQuarantine by DJ D-Nice if you have not jammed out with him, you are missing out. Follow him on Instagram.
Living Supreme is here to inspire and support women to love themselves, and I believe finding your own self-care routine that suits you is the key to keeping your spirit in check. I want to share the practices and rituals that keep my spirit in check. I was recently listening to a podcast on Super Soul Conversations with Oprah Winfrey and Iyanla Vanzant. Iylana spoke about having a spiritual maintenance plan. A plan you have set aside when life gives you everyday challenges or unexpected challenges beyond your control. I immediately thought….Shit, I need one of these myself.
I try to follow this plan almost everyday, not just when I’m in crisis. This plan consist of: listening to an uplifting podcast, currently that is Oprah’s Super Soul Conversations, reading a quote that speaks to me (I have started keeping a journal of quotes that resonate with me and I go back later and read them), I do my daily check-in on the Shine app (this is a paid service, I signed up when they had a really good deal). I like this app because it provides a 6-7min talk about the theme for the day and it provides a small meditation. It is a quick check-in and reflection to start the day and it helps keep me grounded throughout the day. I also try to meditate at night before bed.
In addition, you will find a list below of activities that feed my soul. To switch things up, I plan to post a video discussing some of these activities or me doing some in action. I think this will be a fun way to promote things that I do to stay living supreme.
The Wedding Date drew me in from the first page and held my attention to the end. A modern story with a lead character that is African American, flows like a river and has the perfect dose of humor, love and sexiness. Sometimes romance books are written with chessy undertones, this was far from cheesy, there was substance. Jasmine Guillory does a delightful job of creating characters that are likable, funny and relatable. If you like romance novels and like reading african american authors I highly recommend this book. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series.
2020 is hear y’all and so I’m ready to take a bite out of this new decade and really dig into my goals, dreams and aspirations. As I sit back and reflect on this past year, I know one thing for sure; 2019 was about truly connecting with myself, re-connections and letting go of what no longer serves me. This year has taught me a lot about myself and I have learned some hard lessons, but I couldn’t be happier with where I stand today. One of my biggest obstacles has been worrying too much about what others think of me. Unfortunately, this is something I have struggled with since I can remember. It is something I have tried for many years to overcome and no such luck, until this past year. I had been living in the dark with this issue and finally the light switch was turned on, and I realized, I can no longer live this way. For anyone else struggling with this, my word of advice is “people have already formed their opinions of you so nothing you say or do will make them like you more or less”. This realization was incredibly freeing for me and made me realize that I needed to put my energy into my aspirations and those people in my life who have loved me regardless. I now realize that spending time trying to force situations or wonder why people do not except me is not any of my business. As I enter this new decade, I want to start living my life me and put to rest the negative conversations I have with myself on a daily basis. In 2019 my journey and path gained much clarity through; self-reflection, blogging, yoga, conversations with friends and family, taking breaks from social media, mediation and the continued internal struggle to trust the process.
With that said I’m going into 2020 with the following affirmation:
I no longer need hardcore proof to validate what my intuition tells me. If something feels off about a person/place/thing, it’s because something is off. I’m not sticking around to discover what it is. My time & my energy are way too valuable. -bossladiesmindset
Please leave a comment and tell what affirmations you are walking into 2020 with?
This time of year I always experience a wide range of emotions. I love this time of year because of the time with family, hanging out with my kids, eating rich and not so good food, sending out Christmas cards, decorating, cooking, baking and I love creating this time of year. In past years I have given my family and friends gifts I have made. I’m a firm believer in giving gifts that mean something (yes, gift cards are acceptable 😉 but that is just my opinion. However, pulling all of this together can be a little bit stressful and anxiety ridden for me. So, I sat down with my lovely mother and asked her for some tips to help ease the stress of the holiday season along with how to be done with most shopping early. Janet Reese (my mother) learned from the best at this whole holiday thing from her mother (we called her Murphy) my grandmother.
I always wondered how my mom and Murphy were invariably so prepared for the holidays, I learned much later they planned ahead. This was all done strategically and on a budget, nothing was ever really fancy. My grandmother was so poor when she was growing up, there was a Christmas that came and went without Santa paying a visit. It was then, that she made a vow to never miss another Christmas. From that experience as a child her love for the holidays, especially became a small part of who she was. She loved all holidays, for her It was about spending time, stories, crafting and with sharing a good meal together. I can remember it like it was yesterday, all of the special times I had with my grandparents during the holidays I miss and cherish those times profoundly.
So, for the procrastinators out there (myself included) here are some holiday tips and tricks, from my mother Janet, aka Kitty, along with myself to help you handle this time of year and the future like a boss.
Think ahead and start preparing at least 6 months in advance.
Ask people what they need, what they like and build off that information.
Listen to everyday conversations. People will say things that will give you clues on what they are into. If you are not around them everyday, ask others about their interests.
Take advantage of after christmas sales.
Make a list of all the gifts you need and set dates for completion (I do this in the google spreadsheet).
Create a list for christmas card distribution, that way it is easy to update every year (I use a spreadsheet for this as well).
I enjoy old fashioned written list as well, so for items I need to purchase for gift assembly and creating I make a handwritten list. Doing it this way it is much easier for me to keep track.
If you love making things, make gifts for people. Most people I know love receiving gifts that have been made. Going this route you can get super creative and make the perfect gift.
Buy items all year long and put them away for Christmas
In terms of kiddos, I believe in buying them items they will actually use. I try to stay away from toys and trinkets that will be lost as soon as they open them. For example; both of my kids love to color and draw, they will be getting coloring books, markers, sketchbooks, etc.
If you shop all year, you don’t have to put things on a credit card or try and do all the shopping in December.
If you need to, utilize layaway (for some this is a lifesaver) My parents never spent more than they could afford and they never used credit cards.
Good gift ideas include:
Baked goods
Food baskets
Snack baskets
Pamper baskets
Take advantage of free shipping deals and other coupon deals
If you have a game plan you can be done with shopping by Sept-Nov
Plan your dinner ahead of time and shop a week or two ahead of schedule.
Last but not least, chill and enjoy this time of year however you celebrate if something doesn’t get done it is not the end of the world. I think this time of year brings on stress regardless, but there are always ways to adjust and overcome the stress. Besides following some of these tips, I will be working out more and watching cheesy holiday movies, those movies consistently put me in a good mood and make me feel light-hearted.
Check out my festive playlist Santa Baby on Spotify
Leave a comment below and share what you do to survive the holidays.
Myself and my little munchkins in Aspen, Colorado @ Sundeck Mountain
Since I graduated from grad school in 2014, I have wanted to start and maintain a blog. However, my first pass at this was not what I had envisioned for myself or my blog. So, I took some time away from writing or sharing and the past 6-8 months I have revamped and put more passion into this. What I’m realizing is, Living Supreme is my narrative, I get to tell my story unapologetically from my own point of view.
Parallel thigh (barre exercise) in Grand Lake, Colorado
As an African American woman, I feel everyone takes it upon themselves to write our narratives for us. We are constantly put into a box that is full of stereotypes and derogatory ideals that I refused to be defined by going forward. For me Living Supreme is sharing and writing about my experiences, and journey about what it means for me to live a supreme life. Their might be times when I will discuss topics that are tough to talk about, but for the most part, I intend to share and spread positivity. Living Supreme is about; self-care, cooking, sports, family life, traveling, holidays, music, and reading all of the things and more that feed my soul. I’m here for things that are uplifting, empowering, positive and serve me well. I’m over being put in a box and allowing others to have a say in my narrative. This blog is my life in my words.
Disclaimer: This concert took place back in August so this should have been posted sometime ago. However, I had to sit in my thoughts and feelings to truly process this experience. So excuse the timing of this blog post.
Music is just one of my many life lines that keeps me sane. There are some artists whose music has become the soundtrack of my life and Mary J. Blige is one of those artists. So when my best friend asked if I wanted to go, I was thrilled to say the least. I was forever changed at this concert, and I’m beyond grateful I got to experience her concert with Nas, this summer at Fiddler’s Green. I had no idea I would break down and cry like a baby it was like all of my feelings flashed before my eyes and I decided to LET GO of the negativity that has been holding me back. I have been living my life through societies narrative of me. Mary J Blige’s energy and music allowed me to be me for the night and going forward. The song: My Life is what brought about these feelings. My body got heavy, I started dancing, my eyes filled with tears, and my body started to “feel” the music. It was as if I was being taken on a ride with the lyrics, the beat and the melody. I sat and marinated in all those feelings that this song brings about. In that moment I had become completely enthralled in the music and decided to have this moment of being entirely raw. Also, realizing I needed to “just be” if only for a minute or two. Mary spoke to me in a way she never has.
As it has been stated many times before, Mary J is the soundtrack of our (women, black women especially) lives. For us Mary fans, we have been ride or die with her since the beginning, “What’s the 411”. Her sound, music and stories have never become boring or old. We as fans just continue to connect and relate to her. This experience was SO powerful, beautiful and uplifting for me.
The icing on the cake was experiencing this with some of my favorite people (bestie, hubby and close friend). As Crystal (bestie) stated: “It was so real and I’m glad I got to share that experience with my friends, I realized how much bullshit I have been through with people. Mary made me realize just how I grateful I am for the tried and true relationships and people”. I could not have said this better.
Thank you, Mary J or being a fucking goddess and making music that has been just about every brown’s girls therapy, voice and helped us through this crazy thing called life.
If you just can’t get enough of Mary, like myself…check out “This is Mary J. Blige”playlist on Spotify.
There are times in life when, we need to breathe, show gratitude, lower our stress levels, live in the present moment and the list goes on. All of these things are proven benefits of practicing yoga. Sadly, my first couple of experiences with yoga left nothing to be desired. Practicing yoga is something I have always wanted to do (in theory), due to the benefits, and the perception of freedom that presents itself when being in all those nifty poses. During my first few experiences there were a few things I enjoyed, there was still something missing. Three years ago due to some work and life challenges I decided to give yoga another try. Looking back I realize I was not open to slowing my mind, body and soul down long enough to truly receive the energy that yoga provides. I believe the places I attempted to practice yoga did not help my cause. Though I love the use of rec centers for certain types of workouts, yoga did not properly translate for me there. The energy was stale and offered no sense of peacefulness. My main reason for trying it again was the “come to Jesus” talk I had with my life coach; she made it clear, I needed to find outlets to help me discover my zen and simply “let go” of the fight or flight situation I was immersed in at the time. Since flying was not an option, I chose to fight with a holistic approach.
Three years later, I’m beyond grateful to have found, Elevate Yoga, a studio that became my happy place the moment I walked in providing me with a refreshing sense of calm and stillness. I gravitated toward the classes that provided a restorative and relaxation piece to my practice since I was looking for some type of sanity at the time. I admired the warm, euphoric laid back personalities of the instructors. After attending my first couple of classes, it was solidified that this was my “place” to practice yoga. I had a couple of great instructors, but my favorite instructor is Laurel. The first time attending the Flow to Restore class with Laurel, I fell in love with her vibe, calming nature and the music she chose to play. The song I vividly remember playing when I walked in was, “For Love of Da Game” by DJ Jazzy Jeff (Instrumental), ummmm…..DJ Jazzy Jeff and yoga, sign me up. Needless to say, `I was hooked and I have gone to this class since, every Sunday night. Ironically, yoga has been the pill I have needed to digest, so I can slow down and savor life. My personality is go-go-go and I have a tendency to hold onto things that do not serve me. However, the hippie in me, said I needed to make a change, and slow my shit down, let go and just breathe. I love the feeling of being more connected to my breath and releasing the bad juju. It has become a part of my routine and my meditation through movement. The stretching of the body is almost meditative and provides a blanket of calmness. I’m at the point where I notice the difference in my energy when I miss a Sunday. I can say with 100% certainty, my mindset has grown and changed after making yoga a part of my life consistently. It has helped me to find the serene in stressful situations, get my mind right when shit goes awry and the best benefit…I found my breath.
*If you have Spotify, check out my Yoga Chill playlist*
I am definitely my worst critic. Yes, I realize this is a trait that is no good for any party involved. But……hey in the words of G.I. Joe, “knowing is half the battle”. As I continue to struggle with loving me for me, I relish in reading books by women whose confidence and tenacity speaks to me on many levels. These 5 titles shifted how I walk through life, they speak to the chances I decided to take and get the hell out of my own my way and just do the damn thing.
Becoming by Michelle Obama – Michelle discusses her humble beings living in the Southside of Chicago, from her college days at Princeton and then onto Harvard Law School. The sweet tender days of when she met Barack Obama while he was interning at Sidley Austin the same law firm she worked at. Then onto becoming the First Lady of the United States for eight years. Michelle Obama did this all with smarts, poise and tenacity, after reading this I felt as though I could run for President (not really) but you get the point. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with self-worth, confidence or if you just wanna continue being the badass that you are.
Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes – I have got three words: READ THIS BOOK!! This book is for any and everyone who at some point did not believe in themselves or talked themselves out of doing something they wanted to do, but was afraid. Shonda’s witty and quirky sense of humor added a realness to the novel that I was not expecting. I listened on audio ( read by Shonda), and I was constantly nodding my head in agreement most of the time. Familiarly I have found myself in similar situations or I agreed with what she was saying. Once I finished this book, I felt as though there was not anything I could not accomplish…as long as I took a chance on myself and said YES!
True You: A Journey to Finding and Loving Yourself by Janet Jackson– I’m not even gonna lie, it has been a while since I read this book, so I’m pretty stale at remembering a lot of this. But, If you know and love, Janet…Ms. Jackson if you nasty, story like I do, you know how much she has struggled with self-love, confidence and loss. Janet fan or not, just read it, you will finish it feeling pretty badass and that is what matters.
You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero – I began reading this book in the first couple of weeks of new job. The job I left, I was supposed to retire from but my journey lead me elsewhere. Although, this new position was taking me back to my Criminal Justice roots, I was the new kid on the block and that was a struggle at first. Reading this book, provided me with the confidence and insight to realize, I spend a lot of time talking myself out of things instead of just…doing. This quote resonated with me: “ All of us are connected to this limitless power and most of us aren’t using but a fraction of it”. Reading this gave me a much clearer view point of how to love myself and to stop doubting my greatness.
A New Model: What confidence, Beauty, and Power Really Look Like by Ashley Graham – I LOVED this book! As someone who has struggled with body confidence my whole life, this book was the sweet nothings whispering in my ear; that I too am beautiful and desirable. Ashley has some great advice for me, girls and women everywhere. This is a book I will continue to reference as a reminder to feel confident inside and out. One of my favorite quotes: “No matter what your size, you are a sexy goddess. Remember that.”
