It was smooth with it, too. At first, it was all love and positivity. Happy kitty memes (I love cats. Hate me). Funny toddler videos. Then something tragic would pop up in my feed. I'm like, "OMG!! How could this be going on?" Mad face. Sad face. Thumbs up. That’s when everything shifts. Then all I would see is the bad and the sad. WTF??? I didn’t come here for this.
The friends I actually follow are nowhere on my timeline. But I get a lot of suggestions to form friendships with people I don’t even know. How cringe is that? The artists I support are buried under reels that go on forever. And the energy on social is just toxic. The level of trolling that goes on is scary. It's the world's biggest HS cafeteria. Like, are they really living for this? Does this make them eat?
I mean, I get it. Don't miss a bag. But people are really dying out here for likes and shares. To me, that's an L, not W. One artist I follow recently shared that they (I picked the pronoun because of privacy) couldn't bring themselves to show up at their own event. Now, before you assume this person is weak, know their struggle. I've watched the bad over shout the good for them, and it hurt. They are very talented. But people are so quick to judge that they kill a person's spirit. And people think it’s OK because it's how they feel. Until it happens to them. Then it's a problem and they call for their prayer warriors.
Listen, at the end of the day we're all experiencing life. Social media can be an amazing way to share those experiences. But cash is king on social media. Just keep in mind the negative energy is there on purpose. That's what sells. Not everything that falls into your feed is about your choices. When I started seeing the signs, I started ghosting social. F*ck em!
That’s why I'm ghost on the weekends. And if you're judging me because of my number of followers you're proving my point. How are you gonna let some billionaire rate your worth? Based on what? His say so? Really? Naw, I didn't think so. You can be great without the extra.
Do good today! You're amazing!
]]>Summer is almost over! It’s time to get in that last-minute vacay, stay-cay, or beach day before we go back to adulting full time!
What did everyone do this summer? Go on any interesting trips? Travel abroad? Chill at the beach? Let me know what you got into in the comments below.
With summer winding down some of us are thinking about back-to-school. If you’re among the lucky ones, and you’re dreading it, here are 4 tips I used to get the kids back on track painlessly.
Let them know what’s coming!
At first, bedtime was a battle for me and mine. People whining about going to bed. Walking around in circles instead of going to bed. Everything else was suddenly more important than what? Going to bed. Fun stuff. Then I started doing this. About 2 weeks before school starts have a little meeting with the kiddos. I’d let them know the late nights were fun, but it’s come to an end. It’s back to the regular routine. Getting a sleep schedule established before the first day back helps to reinforce the habit and resets their internal clocks gradually. Now keep in mind that these are small people with free will. That said, reminders will be required. But if done consistently, when school starts they’re used to the new rest/rise routine. Pro tip: If your children are older let them negotiate a reasonable bedtime with the condition that if it doesn’t work out it will be revisited.
Give them time to wake up!
The flip side of going to bed early is, of course, getting up early. For me, the worst feeling in the world is oversleeping and then rushing to get out the door. I imagine it feels the same for kids, too. Instead of choosing violence, try waking the kids about 15 minutes before they have to get up. This gives them a chance to hit snooze a couple of times before their feet have to hit the floor.
As a parent, I know I need a few minutes of quiet time in the morning so I can wake up, reflect, and reset. Giving myself this time helps me to calmly deal with all the moping, whining, and complaining that accompanies the beeping alarm clock.
POV: Talk about the social aspect!
There are a lot of back-to-school prep articles that address social anxiety in children and the symptoms to watch for. But having an honest conversation about anticipated interactions might reveal why your child is feeling anxious about going back to school. Start by talking about the people they are excited to see again. Then talk about the people they’re not excited to see and why. Let them make their points without judgment and ask questions that help them figure out the best way to handle difficult situations. These are valuable bonding moments that help to build confidence and empathy. You might discover how resilient your kids are in the process.
Remember, less is more…time together!
I know everyone is involved in some after-school activity, but remember, there are only 24 hours in a day and 8 of them are spent in class. If kids need at least 8 hours of sleep, that only leaves 8 hours for everything else including homework, and you! Keep this in mind when signing those extracurricular permission forms. Explain to your children the importance of balance in all things and encourage them to leave some time for family game/movie night!
And there you have it! If you try any of these tips let me know how they worked (or didn’t work) in the comments!
Happy Birthday to all of our August Butter Lovers!
Did you know you can earn reward points for celebrating your birthday with The Butter Project? Yep! Earn 1000 coins each year you celebrate your birthday with The Butter Project. That's a $10 value!
Go to www.butterbathnbody.com>My Account>Rewards to stack coins and save!
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Enjoy the rest of the summer, Butter Lovers! Talk to you soon!
Huggz!
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First, let’s celebrate Dad! For now, I’ll ignore the grumbling from the
I’ll admit the announcement that Juneteenth will be observed as a National holiday came as a surprise to me. Considering Stevie Wonder lobbied for King Day since the 1980s, this seems out of the blue. But here we are, red velvet cake, strawberry soda and all. I am not a historian so I encourage you to research the significance of the day on your own. But I want to applaud an interesting thing that happened during this first Juneteenth celebration. Someone tried to trademark the day and the culture shut it down. So, the next time someone asks, “why don’t we do something?” you can point to this as an example of when we did. This is Juneteenth energy!
Last but not least, The Butter Project is a year old this month! I am too tickled to say that! I can’t believe it myself. It doesn’t feel like a year has gone by, but what I’m not going to do is focus on the past. This next chapter will be more exciting than the first. I have all of you Butter Lovers to thank for that. Thank you for shopping with me this past year. I’ll keep you posted with updates about what’s new at The Butter Project as we roll into year number two!
I know it’s been a minute, but I had to share this thought with you. Like most of us, I get a little sentimental this time of year. Not in a rom-com, Pinot Grigio, and Giveon on replay kind of way. Mostly I reminisce about fun times I had as a kid, or those silly moments with my kids that leave me smiling for no reason. Lately, my memories are taking me back to how I learned to love plants.
My mom is a hard-core houseplant lover, and I grew up surrounded by plants of all sizes. Every spring my mom would refresh the soil in her potted plants, or “give them new shoes” as she would say. When she said that I knew a trip to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden was coming soon. Don’t get me wrong, no one was checking for the botanic garden. It was just me. Regardless, I tried to tag along anytime my mom went, especially in spring. The garden in spring felt magical to me. It was like an oasis within the city. The air there smelled so fragrant, and the scenery was so tranquil. I loved it there.
We would walk among the plant-filled tables at the nursery and admire the beautiful colors of all the plants and flowers. My mom showed me how to choose healthy plants, and we talked about ways to nurse them back to health if things went left. She taught me to be aware of the unique conditions some plants need to thrive and how to tell if they’re not getting what they need. Mostly, my mom taught me plants are living things that need to be nurtured. It was on these trips I learned how to care for something other than myself. I love her for that.
What's your favorite Mother's Day memory? Share it with us in the comments below!
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But, I got edges now! Heeey!
Going through my morning routine I reflected on my natural skin-care journey and how much of a difference it’s making. My hair is healthier (I use tea tree, olive oil, and aloe), and my complexion is more even with far fewer break-outs (I use everything by The Butter Project).
And that’s what I love about plant-based skincare. Plant-based products work with hair and skin helping them to repair and regenerate naturally. Without all the extras.
So I got edges now! Heeey!
The Butter Project restock on the Oat and Honey Bar Soap is this Friday, April 15. Get 5% off until April 30.
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