Why I Needed a Blogging & Social Media Break…

I swear I never thought I’d get back to the point of being excited about blogging again. Quite frankly, blogging had become more of a chore and pretty much a bore…no “bars” intended lol.

If you’re a blogger of any kind, I think you can probably relate to how ruthless the blogging world can be. Since I hate drama and am content in my own little bubble, putting myself “out there” got me more than I bargained for. I expected more comraderary from fellow bloggers but ya’ll competition is real out here…even if you’re not competing. I won’t spend much more time on that negativity but to say with real things going on in life, I couldn’t fathom letting trivial bits of pettiness and mean girl personas to move me in any way. I had to focus on getting me back to my best self.

In the midst of blogging, I think I neglected myself more than I realized. Truth is, I neglected myself a ton! I spent a lot of time researching info, growing my Instagram and social media influence and that left little time to really take care of me. I’ve talked about some health issues I have before and not putting myself first was having a negative effect on those pre-existing issues. The oxymoron of it all is that all you saw was me writing about what I was wearing, my skin, my self care solutions. Sadly, I let…myself…go.

As if my own self sabatoge wasn’t enough, our family suffered a few losses last year. One loss this year. Yes I said a few and then one. Mentally, everyone who loses a loved one needs time to reflect and gather themselves to be emotionally fit to move forward. That’s just reality. When you have children, you need more time because children need consoling and nurturing. Ours (hubby’s and mine) are at the age where they are “aware” and have questions, legit ones, about the situation surrounding the death. After they are “okay”, us parents need to usher into self care.

I’m currently on that journey of self care. I suffered extreme hair loss, skin flare ups of all kinds including hives, acne and eczema, headaches, joint and muscle pain and more things that I’ll not have to mention because the above is enough. I had to get these things in order and fast! To resolve these issues calls for more than just some sort of salve or serum. Deep research, medical help and just re-acquainting myself with my body again was essential. Now while I am still in process, I am discovering other fruits that need pruning or plucking from my life. Not that they’re necessarily bad but they provide no enrichment or “nutrition” to me as a person or to my life.

Folks…rid yourself of people, habits, so called goals, mindsets, platforms, loves and hates that don’t help you to be a better person. We grow physically but mental health and growth is just as important…actually more important. Social media is social. It’s not essential in order for us to survive. If IG was shut down for good, if YouTube was outlawed, where would that leave you? I had to ask myself if I was too deeply enthralled with something that encourages faux realities. I actually became a part of it. I looked like I took better care of myself that I actually did. That’s the long and short of it. And look, we all neglect ourselves from time to time but I was extreme. I saw problems and put them off making excuses of not having time. Buy out time. (I got that straight from the Bible lol.) It will cost time from something else but its worth it.

Where am I now? Well I am still a blogger and I have some posts that will be coming out but I am pacing myself. I don’t have to post a new look every day or every three days. I’ve decided on once per week. Maybe a lookbook in between. I’m working on my social media plan but it can not overtake my life. Perspective is important and I’ve put things in perspective.

That being said, I am working on some things that I will share a little later. Hopefully, you guys will be as excited as I am about them!

Feminine Care & Hygiene + Update!

I know I have yet to talk about this subject but I think there are some girls out there that may not have anyone to share valuable information about hygiene. It doesn’t seem like there should be much to this subject but feminine care can make a huge difference in you being comfortable and healthy!

What name do you use for your lady part? Coochie? Pocketbook? Couichewa? Butterfly? The best name to call it? Vagina! The pet names are cute and all for pillow talk with your hubby but in order to get aquatinted with proper care, you may need to refer to your lady parts in the accurate name. Seems stupid but guess what? Getting used to knowing all of your private last parts will help with learning your body as well as being able to easily identify potential or existing problems. There are doctor sites as well as health organization sites that show all your parts in that delicate and private area. Be sure to get acquainted.

I’m simply going to address cleanliness and in-between-showers-care so that those parts are always “fresh” and cares for properly. So the mistake that some women make is using soap or body wash to clean the vaginal area. Unless the washes and/or soaps are pH balanced, these will cause problems after continued use. These problems can include foul smells, itching, dryness, infections and unwanted discharge that indicate issues. Our vaginas are self cleaning on the inside so there’s never a need for douching. THAT actually throws off the pH balance and wreaks havoc as you clean out the good bacteria that helps keep your vaginal area healthy!

I recommend using My Honeypot vaginal cleanser. It’s pH balanced and contains all natural ingredients that won’t harm you. It’s not your typical lathering cleanser so don’t be surprised that you don’t see tons of bubbles. Instead, it’s a foam based cleanser that leaves you refreshed without drying you out.

For those times that are in between showers, grab the wipes. I love the lavender ones…they offer a tingle and warms you up! wink You can use these to wipe off after using the restroom, during menstrual periods and/or simply to be refreshed. I love these wipes and definitely recommend them. All in all, I hope that you guys are able to try the products out and hopefully this enlightened anyone that doesn’t know how to go about feminine hygiene. If you have questions or comments please feel feel to leave them below! Talk to you soon!

Update: The Honey Pot “Moisture” seems to have been discontinued. Just as well, Target now sells this brand’s line of products (cheaper than on the company’s site) and I purchased my next bottle there. I opted for “Sensitive” to replace the first one I tried. My body has been thanking me ever since I’ve been using these products!

Click HERE to try it out for yourself!

The Style Cake 💋