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Spread This Like Butter On Toast…

To start this blog post – I have pinched a little nugget from the dictionary.

Dynamic is defined as: adjective 1. (of a process or system) characterised by constant change, activity, or progress. “a dynamic economy” 2. (of a person) positive in attitude and full of energy and new ideas. Thank you Webster dictionary.

The second definition of dynamic is appropriate for this blog post.

As a Human Resources professional with 15+ years of experience behind me I have seen a lot. I often come across dozens of cover letters which have applicants describing themselves as “dynamic”. Next to passionate its one of “the buzz words”.

Every time when I am reviewing a cover letter and I come across an applicant describing themselves as dynamic I cringe and just about vomit in my mouth. Ok maybe dry reach. Gross. I know. Pretty dramatic too. To me it’s like walking into a packed room, grabbing a mic and announcing with a booming voice, “I’m dynamic” to a bunch of strangers who quite frankly couldn’t give a damn. You are doing too much. Calm down.

Let me break it down for you. Either you are dynamic or your not. There is no in between. Being dynamic is an adjective for a reason. If you are a “dynamic” people will recognise that trait during the interview process or when your on the job NOT in the application letter.

Today I am feeling generous so I thought I would share my tips that will help you advance your career. In no particular order they are listed below:

Create a list of roles you have applied for. Nothing worse than shortlisting a candidate, calling them to invite them for an interview and they are like, “Sorry, which company?”.

On the day of the interview – shower, wear deodorant and a low key perfume, brush your teeth and your hair, look presentable. Sounds like common sense but you would be surprised.

Arrive early to the interview – at least 10 minutes before the interview.

Be friendly to other people that are already employees of the organisation. A smile is sufficient – if they chat with you light conversation is fine – don’t tell people about the boil under you arm pit.

Read and understand the job description. Do research on the company and people interviewing you – “stalker mode”.

Dress appropriately for the role you have applied for. Say it with me – no loud colours or on trend fashions! Keep it low key.

Have some questions ready to ask the interview panel.

Smile, make eye contact, be engaged and enjoy the interview process.

Remember this is the one time you can talk about yourself and people genuinely want to hear it all.

After the interview has finished thank the interview panel for their time and use that opportunity to reiterate you interest in the role.

Thats as far as my generosity will go for now plus I don’t believe in creating lists in odd numbers (weird, I know). I hope in reading this I have added some value for any career moves you might want to make.

IamTinashe

Dress – M.N.G | Shoes – Spurr

A Walk Back In Time

We are moving to our new house in less than two weeks and I have started trying to arrange our current belongings. I have mostly been creating bundles of lists, identifying items to Keep, Sell, Donate and Throw.

As I was cleaning out our study, I came across tons of magazines – magazines I read and collected way back when, before the Internet was a big deal and when it was considered socially acceptable to pay 10.95 for glossy well-bound paper with some random images of things I sure couldn’t afford. These days I am much stingier with my money. Trust me. And let’s not forget magazines are dead.

Until recently, some of these classic magazines could have been considered some of my most prized possessions. Madness – because they are just bunches of paper, pictures even, bound together showing fashions and trends of yesteryear and occupying endless amounts of space.

Fashion reinvents itself repeatedly. So, when I was lacking style inspiration, I would take the time to flick through my magazines, and look and see the world as it was back then.

It would have me asking questions, like, “were we really dressing like this?” Damn.

Honestly, when you are curled up your couch with your magazine in lap, reading each page, soaking up the images, what’s not to love?

the half-baked relationship advice (oh, Agony Aunt)

the fancy recipe ideas no one will ever try the dramatic beauty tips, that will leave you looking like one of the contestants on RuPaul’s drag race the competitions – who is actually winning these overseas trips?

Long story short, the 100 plus magazines I had collected over the years will not be coming to our new house. Well, I will allow myself to keep 6 – only because I don’t like odd numbers. The rest of the magazines will be recycled or donated to the hospital.

This opportunity to move into our new home means the opportunity to bid farewell to things that occupied space but added no real value.

IamTinashe

Top – Bonds | Skirt – Topshop | Heels – Zara

Current Obsessions

I am really trying to get my blogging rhythm back. I have created a schedule and I’m doing my darndest to stick to it. So far so good.

You have probably gathered by now that I am someone that “likes things”. What does that even mean? Well, I am someone that is always on the lookout for the on-trend items be it clothes, shoes, beauty products. I don’t always buy them, but I like to have my finger on the pulse.

That being said, it made sense for me to share my current obsessions with you. I plan to do this on a monthly basis because a lot can happen in a month! And it’s a great segway for me to share my current favorites. In no particular order, they are listed below:

Phro Shea Butter, Coconut Butter, and Castor Oil.

I never want to look like I have been crawling in flour, so I make a conscious effort to stay well moisturized – at all times! I found out about this brand online and I became fast friends with the business owner. Honestly, if you are looking for something that will keep you and your family’s skin and hair well moisturized then look no further. You can find the products that best suit your needs here.

3INA Foundation

Recently, my little cousin came over just to hang out. As soon as she walked in the door I couldn’t help but be mesmerized by her radiant and glowing skin! Was it the copious amounts of water she was drinking? I wanted that glow and needed answers! Turns out she was using 3INA foundation! The following weekend I was at the 3INA store getting color matched – I honestly haven’t looked back since. I am shade 219, you can find your shade here.

HGC Apparel

These days I really trying to be super selective on what I spend my hard earned coin on. That being said the brand name HGC Apparel has really caught my eye with their old school 90’s aesthetic. I haven’t made up my mind on which item I will purchase but I am certain I sown something from HGC Apparel – speaks to me. Check out some of their threads here.

I think I will leave it there.

Can I just say, it feels really good to be blogging again.

As they say, just start. Everything else will flow naturally thereafter.

The spark is coming back, and I am looking forward to having regular conversations with you all.

IamTinashe

Coping Mechanisms That Will Help You Prepare For The Week Ahead

When I was younger, Sunday night used to be the worst for me. I used to get so anxious about having to give up “my time” and get back to the plantation. You could call it Pre – Monday blues. Is this a thing? Basically, I would get anxious about the next day and work myself up to no end. As I have grown older and matured (I like to think, so anyway) I have created some great high-level coping mechanisms that get me into a positive head space. Listed below, and in no particular order, I share them with you:

CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS

Clean house, clean mind. I firmly believe this. With the house clean its one less thing I have to worry about during the working week – minus the daily dishes and the bits and bobs that I might have to pick up and pack away. No one wants to witness “angry cleaning”! For my own sanity, and so I am bearable to the people around me, every Sunday you can find me cleaning the house from top to bottom. When the cleaning is done, things packed away and the house looking like a display home (hard to achieve with a toddler but it’s possible) sanity ensues in the household and sets the atmosphere for the week ahead.

NOURISHMENT

Food is really important to me. I used to live to eat – i.e. thinking about my next meal while I am eating the current meal. These days I think beyond myself and managing a whole household has forced me to plan the week’s meals. Having an idea of what we will be eating means I need to get my grocery list finalized and have the key ingredients in my fridge or pantry. As the week starts and progresses I am at ease and at 6 pm each evening I can go into autopilot mode – enjoying prepping, cooking and eating the predetermined meal.

OUTFITS

Decision fatigue is defined as, “the deteriorating quality of decisions made by an individual after a long session of decision making”. I have a lot of things going on (work and personal life) and I don’t want to waste more time trying to decide what to wear. Before the working week starts, I pick 5 outfits for myself and my daughter. Ironing them and hanging them on clothes rack indicates my intense level of commitment to wearing the outfits. There’s nothing worse than having to iron something new when you’re a chasing a toddler around the house trying to moisturize them. True story. At this point, this process is so streamlined (the clothes fit, I feel good in them) that getting dressed in the morning has become a joyous experience.

TIME MANAGEMENT

My phone is everything to me. My dairy, in particular, is of special interest to me because it dictates the tone of the day and the working week. I make sure I set aside time to exercise and to eat lunch (seriously!). Every task, no matter how painful it may be, is allocated in my diaries (work or personal) – taking my time management to another level! I have found that by putting the activities in my calendar it gives me a heads up to prepare for anything that is coming up outside my normal schedule.

SLEEP PLAN

I never used to care much for sleep – I considered it a luxury – because in my mind you sleep when you are dead. Motherhood taught me that sleep is not only necessary, but it is a requirement to be human. These days I guard my sleep jealously. I will do just about anything to ensure that I get a minimum of 7 – 8hrs. Ask my husband – I will literally end a conversation halfway and say, “I have to sleep now”. By looking at my calendar on a daily and sometimes hourly basis, I am able to plan ahead to make sure I get the rest I need to function at optimal levels.

PHONE TIME

Friendships are like plants. They need water and nourishment to grow. So much can happen in a week. Yes, we text, WhatsApp and send each other inappropriate memes, but I still make time to chat with my friends. I use that time catching up on life, having random conversations and laughter. My god do we laugh.

WIND DOWN

At some point, I make time to stop. Just do nothing, be at one with my thoughts and mentally, physically and emotionally prepare for the week ahead. No distractions. No interruptions.

You are probably wondering where my family fits into all this – they are there in the background ensuring that together we can start the week right and achieve the key outcomes.

These are my tips to survive the week ahead. I am curious, what do you do?

IamTinashe

Grey T-shirt – Target | Sequin Skirt – Cooper Street | Heels– Nubian Skin

Issa Truce

*Waves white flag*

Hi there – long time no speak!

I can imagine you hurling profanities at the screen you are reading this from – she has the nerve to show her face here?

I come in peace and can understand your hostility – it’s fair.

The truth is, I have been around – same old same old, really, just immensely consumed with home and work life.

I am one of those people that gives all or nothing and I so happened to give my all to my work and home life – leaving me completely unmotivated to gather my thoughts and blog.

Instead I have been busy watching people on YouTube and stalking other bloggers. Sometimes it’s nice to be hands off for a little while and just watch. Maybe then my motivation would come.

What was lacking in my life was balance. Too much of anything is no good for anyone. Too much work makes Tinashe a dull girl and too much lounging at home makes me creatively stagnant.

Writing has always been therapeutic to me – it has helped me work through many a things in my time under the sun. Writing has also been a great mechanism for me to record things as they happen – lord knows I have a lot of opinions.

My original excuse for not blogging was not having photos for all the amazing content I was producing. In reality, for the last 4 months or so I have been documenting my looks. Ironically though my content was drier than the Sahara desert.

Writers block. I was no longer able to articulate myself nor was I really looking to share anything.

I even seriously considered just abandoning IamTinashe.com. Yes – it was like that. The only thing that stopped me dead in my tracks was one daunting thought- “what I would do as a hobby?” I had a few options – options that I am not sharing because I might still pursue them. But I digress. Giving myself an ultimatum helped me to discover that I wasn’t quite ready to let go.

When I would whinge and complain about not having time to blog, my husband would say, “people make time for things they love”. The truth, as they say, hurts. Whilst I wasn’t initially comfortable with the words that were coming out of his mouth – hell, it enraged me – he was right. I needed to make time for this blog.

I think in any relationship you have to own your truth and as my loyal followers and readers I owed you that.

So here I am ready to fully utilize this platform and do what I love.

IamTinashe

Dress – McFaydens Fashions | Belt – Topshop | Heels – The Iconic

Speaking Freely With Faro

When I moved interstate, away from my hometown I suddenly found myself alone. As an adult I now found myself having to try and make new friends. As a wife and mother, this proved to be difficult – lack of spare time was a major factor. Luckily I managed to form some strong connections with…

Money Matters

I often have friends, even colleagues, watching my pockets with comments such as “You must spend a fortune on clothes”, or my personal favorite, “Seriously though, how much do you spend on clothes? I never see you wearing the same thing twice”!

I used to have a lot of clothes, not because of senseless spending, but as a result of careful planning and execution. In this blog post I am going to share my guiding principles:

Set Aside A Seasonal Wardrobe Budget: Hard to believe, I know, but I am not made of money nor do I have a million dollar budget. I have a realistic amount that I set aside for me to spend each month, really breaking it down to make sure that every cent is accounted for. The truth is, sometimes I forgo an expensive outing for that special dress. Compromise, compromise, compromise!

Focus On Your Work Wardrobe: Let me tell you this – I did not obtain a university degree and postgraduate studies just for the fun of it! I am serious about my career, so my clothes need to reflect that. Remember – your clothes speak before you do. For this reason, the clothes I purchase or invest in have to be an 85% fit for my professional life and stunt double in my social life.

Invest In Key Pieces: When I first started earning my own cash, I used to just buy on-trend items, you know, disposable fashion. These days, I make a conscious decision to invest in key pieces. Think quality, not quantity. I have been building a collection of key pieces which include leather jackets, suits, designer bags, belts and shoes – you know, the main attractions! They may cost a little more now, but they will have longevity in my wardrobe. Family heirlooms.

Avoid Paying Full Price I rarely buy things at full price – my African heritage will not allow me to. I tend to stalk items obsessively, waiting for the price to be just right. Say it with me – SALE PRICE! If you get impatient and the sale is nowhere in sight, nothing stops you from asking for a discount at the counter. No shame in my shopping game. From my own personal experience, nine times out of ten they will offer a small percentage discount. You just have to speak up. Besides, what is the worst that could happen? They just stay no and you move on.

Style, Style and Restyle: This the fun and challenging part of having style. Your style is not what you wear, it is how you wear it. So look for different ways to wear the same thing. You don’t always have to buy something new, you can accept the creative challenge and create something new with what you already have in your wardrobe. I guarantee you will surprise yourself.

*Mic Drop*

IamTinashe

Hit Reset And Restart

I have been working in Human Resources since my very early twenties, and in that time I have met some inspirational, intelligent, humorous and downright strange individuals. Interestingly even to this day, when I meet some people and I say I work in Human Resources, there are normally two reactions – “oh here comes the fun police” or better yet, “do you just organize morning teas and celebrations whilst the rest of the team works?”. I can appreciate that they may just be jokes (not sensitive in the slightest), but it’s clear people wonder what HR people actually do. Having worked in the profession for fifteen years, I guess now is a good a time as any to give you an overview, As an HR professional I am responsible for:

Being a strategic partner to the business: contributing to the development and accomplishment of organization-wide business plans and objectives by providing talent. An employee advocate: A responsibility to know the team – need and wants, delivering on talent management initiatives whilst creating a work environment where people choose to contribute, to be motivated, and to be happy. Change champion: Constantly evaluating the effectiveness of the organization’s results and seeing how we can utilize our talent to do things bigger and better. This is an overview, to learn more head to my LinkedIn in profile here. Why am I writing all this? Well, I have recently had a HR graduate come under my wing and once again things have come full circle for me. I have reflected on what I do, how I do it and why I do HR as I impart knowledge. The whole experience has taken me back to my graduate experience and how I want to make it even better for someone who enters the workforce for the first time.

In my opinion, it has always been clear to me that someone can have all the smarts in the world but to work effectively in today’s business environment it takes zero talent to do the following: be on time: know the importance of being on time, as well as completing projects and tasks on schedule. If they’re going to be late or miss a deadline, then they communicate with those who need to know, and a new deadline or meeting time can be established.

Honesty: You can have all the talent in the world, but without integrity and authenticity, nothing great will be accomplished.

Take Notes: as brilliant as you think you are – take notes, otherwise you will forget things.

Work Hard: nothing great is accomplished easily. Be willing to put in the hours and be willing to learn new things and incorporate different ways of thinking.

Ask Questions: there is no such thing as asking a stupid question. Better to ask the question than spend hours trying to fix something that could have been avoided.

Your Attitude Matters: Come into work fresh and energetic and you will outproduce workers who think negatively and easily burn-out when they encounter defeat.

In the short time that I have worked with our graduate, she has demonstrated the above and then some. In reading this post, I hope you have come to understand what your HR department does wherever you work and that you have found some tips to become the successful employee you have always wanted to be.

Blouse – M.N.G | Jeans – Topshop | Heels – The Iconic

I Wore All Black For A Week and Here Is What Happened

When I was younger, people that wore all black were considered “goths”. What are goths you ask? Well, from what I’ve observed, apart from repping team Gothic, they were people that opted for all black. Think black clothes, hair dyed super black, dark eyeliner and wait for it – black nail polish. Let’s just say that this was not considered mainstream while growing up. Often times these “goths” were considered weird – bare in in mind this was before our “lets celebrate individuality” culture. But times are changing – these days wearing all black from head to toe is considered effortlessly “chic” or “elegant”.

On a more somber note, the last time I wore all black for a prolonged period of time was when my dad passed away and I decided to wear all black for a year whilst in mourning. At the time I really didn’t think about it – i just did it. It was survival, really.

This time around it’s completely different. For starters, I am in a completely different headspace and generally wear a lot of colours. In all honesty I really wasn’t sure if i would be able to do it because I have incorporated so much colour in my wardrobe – to suddenly switch to wearing only one colour seemed sinful.

After each day I reflected on how wearing all black made me feel. Below are my observations:

My decision fatigue reduced dramatically – it was a lot easier to get ready in the morning.

I felt really put together – head to toe black had me feeling like a classic woman.

With my outfits sorted I could focus more on my hair and makeup.

When I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror I seemed to look slimmer and elongated. Sure made me smile.

It became easier to wear all black as the days passed – I began to wonder if I ever needed colour in the first place?

I was able to spend more time on other things that mattered, rather than obsessing on creating and wearing the perfect outfit.

I got a lot of compliments at work – I guess the all black look was so different from my everyday colourful attire.

Laundry was easy! Since I had worn all black it was so easy to wash my clothes at the end of the week -thus more time to do other things.

I am not a messy person but at times I have been a victim of getting pasta sauce getting on my white blouse – when wearing all black, I didn’t have this problem.

Black goes with everything – things that I found at the back of my closet all of a sudden were brought back to life when paired together.

Look, I really surprised myself with this challenge – as an avid pro colour wearer I really enjoyed wearing all black. It is, however, a strange feeling because I felt like I could be my true self when not wearing clothing of colour that sometimes overpowered me as a person. Jaden Smith said it best, “i am just an icon living”.

IamTinashe

The Sky Is The Limit

It’s the first day of 2018 and all I want to do is just lounge around and drink lots and lots of water. You see, last night hubby and I went out to a party together for the first time since having our baby girl – it’s been over 2 years! My mother was kind enough…

If You Are Comfortable Then It's Not Fashion

The title of the blog post is a result of observing women in see through leggings, ill fitting short shorts or oversized dresses that are unflattering to the female form – comfortable for them but not necessarily for our eyes.

As I people watch it dawned on me that women dress for three different types of audiences: for themselves, their girlfriends, and for their significant other.

When you are dressing for yourself, you wear what you feel comfortable in or whatever shows off what you consider to be your best asset i.e cleavage, legs, shoulders etc.

When you dress for your girlfriends, it can sometimes be ‘men repelling’. For some weird reason the Olsen twins come to mind – I mean I like the way they dress, but would I dress like them? Not necessarily. Men repelling fashion is on trend, but your average mere male just can’t understand i.e. statement earrings that weigh about the same weight as a new born baby or our beloved shapeless maxi dresses.

When you dress for your significant other….well *raises one eye brow*, I don’t think I have to go into too much detail there, you should know what your partner likes to see you in. If you don’t – you are doing it wrong. Yeah, I said it.

I see each day as an opportunity for me to wear all my beloved clothes.

It excites me that I get to style my clothes my way and present my unapologetic version of myself, yes even in the workplace.

What I can say is I dress how I feel, even If sometimes I look back at the photos and cringe.

At the time when I put the outfit on I glanced in the mirror and it just felt right.

T-Shirt – Gucci | Skirt – Custom Made | Shoes – Nordstrom

IamTinashe

Celebrating Christmas

Its Christmas day I am on the couch – stomach full to the brim – I have really pushed my limits and eaten way too much. I had high hopes for myself, but I haven’t even drunk one and a half beverages. It’s not a complete failure of holiday festivities – I still have the rest of the holidays to really enjoy this down time.

Christmas is a holiday period that you just cannot ignore. Stores, houses – hell, even cars, have Christmas decorations. Yes, it’s definitely Christmas.

In the lead up to Christmas some of my friends were in a panic because they were yet to buy gifts for their family, friends, neighbours, teachers – the list of gift recipients was endless. When I told my “stressed out-desperate to spend money, and buy gifts” friends about my family’s Christmas arrangement, they looked on in horror.

You see, as a family, we have made the conscious decision not to buy each other gifts. There is, however, one caveat – if you are under the age of eighteen, you do get a gift. I love the Christmas break – it’s a time to put our work tools down and enjoy life. Queensland supplies the summer weather, we eat ridiculous amounts of seafood, mangoes and sugar cane, drink our fair share of adult beverages and just enjoy each others company.

We have no gift buying stress – we are each other’s gift. Our only “stress” is making sure all the food and drinks are fully stocked. As you get older you rarely remember the gifts you give or are given – it’s the memories that you share that you will cherish for a lifetime.

Wishing you and your family a happy Christmas.

IamTinashe

Head Band – Lovisa | Dress – Bohoo

Sleep. Rest. It’s Essential

One of the things that I never really valued was sleep. I used to say, “I will sleep when I am dead”. I was notorious for surviving on 5-6 hours a day – all because I felt I had so much to do and so little time. Sleeping, to me, was just a waste of time, and I am sure a lot of you share the same sentiments.

Ironically, I married a Sleep Scientist who often commented on my lack of sleep i.e. it’s harder to lose weight without sleep, or, my least favourite: people who don’t sleep age quicker. I usually just ignored him – haters are going to hate, right?

Wrong.

Each night, before I went to bed, I would suffer from anxiety – I would go to bed at 1am and freak out that I had only six hours until I had to wake up. And each morning in the shower I would promise myself that I would sleep earlier that night – but it would never happen. It was a vicious cycle.

It was hard to really see the need for change because I was thriving on the limited sleep I was having. On paper, in every aspect of my life, I was handling my responsibilities.

If I am honest though, this lack of sleep came at a price – at least once a month I would just crack it, fatigue would hit me hard and over a weekend I would decide I didn’t want to be bothered by anyone and just sleep. I would sleep for hours and hours, repaying the accumulated sleep debt.

In my heart of hearts I knew something had to change, but my stubbornness clung on to the “who needs sleep” mantra.

It wasn’t on purpose, but the change started when we were overseas on holiday. Instead of going to bed around 1am in the morning like I used to I slowly started rolling my bed time back. Bed time became 11:30pm then 11pm and now it’s 10pm. I also imposed two rules:

1. I must sleep for 7 hours at a minimum, 8 hours would mean I’m on target, anything more was bonus round! 2. This is the big one – I no longer use an alarm to wake up.

The time away allowed me to practice my sleep habits without any harsh consequences, i.e. missing a work meeting because I slept in.

I have now mastered a personal sleep and wake up cycle. A person like me, who mostly hates rules, jealously guards my sleep time now.

I honestly can’t believe it took me thirty plus years to value my sleep – life is easier now because I have great sleeping habits. Each day I wake up feeling well rested, refreshed and ready to start the day.

As women we carry a lot of pressures, be it at home or at work, but sleep is a gift that we can give to ourselves in order to be what we need to be to others.

A rested mind and body will always make better decisions than the unrested.

I guess hubby was right – don’t tell him though. Xo

IamTinashe

Fried Sweet Plantain Bites

I post videos of my cooking adventures on Instagram every other day. Some of you slid into my DMs asking for recipes or blog posts. I was a little hesitant but with the festive season now upon us I thought I would share my first recipe. If I get positive vibes I will keep doing…

Body Goals - What Does That Even Mean?

The picture you see above is of me before I had our beautiful girl. Although if I am honest, in my head I swear I was closer to Naomi Campbell or Beyonce – I guess we all remember things differently. That’s why its important to take pictures, these images keep us all honest.

How many times have you heard a now heavy set woman say, “Before I had Timmy and Jessie I was a size six, wafer thin“. You try to believe her but you can’t help but give her the side eye, like really?

Body Goals.

What made it okay for those words to be married?

It is so misleading, adding to women’s already heavy mental load. Just one more thing to tack on to the unrealistic expectations of being a modern superwoman in 2017.

I have watched on as friends, family, and celebrities (are they even human?) have their babies and looked to immediately shed the weight and return to their “prebaby weight”.

Not me.

I guess everyone is different, I told myself. Easy enough to say, but harder to swallow when that desired outfit doesn’t sit right in the change room or worse still in your own wardrobe – leaving you on the verge of tears.

When I look in the mirror I can see that the weight is shifting – but at a glacial pace. Yes, I am working out (two to three times a week) and mostly eating right but the changes were not as dramatic as my unrealistic mind would have liked.

After months of looking at the same number on the scale, I was just about ready to put my money where my mouth is and enlist the help of a personal trainer. I seriously considered it – but being the Scrooge McDuck that I am – I was still hesitant.

I had made some inquiries with some local personal trainers and was discussing this process with one of my friends. One friend simply asked me – why don’t you get a Fit Bit?

To be honest, I had never entertained the idea of getting a Fit Bit – I always thought that I would stay true to my Apple affiliation and purchase an Apple Watch instead. As I did more research it was clear to me that for now, I needed a Fit Bit. The price also kept my pockets lined and that makes me smile.

This is not a paid endorsement but I can tell you that it has been one of the best fitness decisions that I have ever made in my life.

Owning a fit bit has allowed me to join a real community. There is a group of us who compete in weekly and weekend challenges. Week in week out we compete to be number one. This is just what my competitive soul needed to get me moving and get me out of my mental “I am not losing weight fast enough” slump – each day I am moving more, keeping track of my sleep, what I eat, what I drink etc.

I am happier and embracing myself.

All of me.

Turns out it was never about the weight loss – it was more about being active and changing my mental state. Truly accepting that my body had changed. I had a baby. My body created a whole new human that I brought into this world. Things will never go back to the way they once were and I am okay with that especially when I look at my little one. My heart sings.

Comparison is the thief of joy. Your motherhood journey is unique. Embrace it and own it.

IamTinashe

The Travel Questions You Asked And My Answers

We have just returned home from a whirlwind five-week tour of Europe. If you follow my Instagram stories you would have seen that we spent time in Prague, London, Scotland, and Amsterdam. Do you want to know the craziest thing? I really thought that when I was traveling I would be able to blog every…

Instant Braids, Can You Handle?

I think we can all agree that we all dread sitting for hours at a time to install the braids, only to have to repeat the process weeks later to remove them. Ugh! I literally don’t have time for that. Enter Braid Wigs Australia. How we met was interesting. I posted a question via my…

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