Mom bullied at the beach for wearing a bikini

It was my friend’s first time in a bikini in 13 years. She was on the beach in Alberta, Canada with her two kids, relaxing under the sun when three people began to taunt her.

“It started with, ‘oh my god, look. Look! That’s f—— gross!’” Tanis Jex-Blake wrote in a private Facebook group we share. She opened her eyes to see what the commotion was to find two guys and a girl standing above her. They were talking about her body and specifically the … Read more ...

Doing the ‘big chop’ to start my natural hair style

Well I did it. I chopped it off. I’ve long been wrestling with the issue of whether to rid myself of my chemically treated hair and grow it natural.

I’m going to back up just a smidge to drop some knowledge for those who don’t know much about black hair and why going natural is a thing. I liked how this piece in The New York Times explains it in the context of updated Army regulations.

OK, so for a few years, I’d stopped getting … Read more ...

Things I Want To Tell My Personal Trainer But Can’t

I’ve got a new personal trainer and, really, I feel bad for all of the personal trainers I’ve ever had because I’m sure I’m not an easy client. My schedule is always topsy turvy, I’m sarcastic and am prone to scoffing at what (at the time) seem like crazy calisthenics.

Personal_trainer_monitoring_a_client's_movement_during_a_fitball_exerciseBut my new trainer, she’s… different than what I’m used to and I feel bad for her. She’s the “favorite” trainer at the gym and everyone seems to love her. I get it, she’s very, … Read more ...

Invisalign vs Metal Braces: Who wins the Teeth-Straightening Contest?

Ever since I was a teenager, I have wanted braces. I know, it sounds strange, especially because I don’t have crazy crooked teeth, but I decided to let you in on a bit of my neurosis through this Invisalign-sponsored post.

I remember as a teen asking my parents for braces because I hated my bottom row. The top was straight and the bottom had a few teeth who didn’t want to get in line.

Metal braces

Image by instafoto.

My parents told me that my braces weren’t … Read more ...

We Did It! Pretty Muddy Was Pretty Awesome

It’s days later and I am still finding dirt. It’s behind my ears, under my nails and in other crevasses you don’t want to hear about.

Me and my girls finished the Pretty Muddy race. It was a fabulous 5K with about 10 obstacle courses on beautiful farmland in Chicago’s far south suburbs. The morning festivities started off at my house,

Before the Pretty Muddy race.

where three of us piled into my friend’s new Honda Pilot. (Her husband was adamant that he was … Read more ...