The Art of Tasting Food: Enhancing the Flavor of Food

The art of tasting food is a skill that can be learned and developed with practice. By engaging your senses and paying attention to the nuances of flavor, you can enhance the taste of your food and elevate your culinary experience.

One of the first steps in the art of tasting food is to engage your sense of smell. The aroma of food plays a crucial role in how we perceive flavor, so take a moment to inhale deeply before taking a bite. Pay attention to the different scents and how they combine to create the overall aroma.

Next, take a small bite of the food and let it sit on your tongue for a moment. Pay attention to the different flavors that emerge as the food begins to break down in your mouth. Note any sweet, salty, sour, or bitter flavors, as well as any other tastes that are present.

As you continue to chew, pay attention to the texture of the food. Is it crunchy, smooth, or creamy? Does it have a pleasant mouthfeel, or does it feel gritty or unpleasant?

Finally, pay attention to the aftertaste of the food. Does the flavor linger on your tongue, or does it dissipate quickly? Is there a pleasant or unpleasant aftertaste?

By engaging all of your senses and paying attention to the nuances of flavor, you can enhance the taste of your food and appreciate the art of tasting food. Whether you're a foodie or a professional chef, this skill is essential for developing your palate and elevating your culinary experience.

How Ivy Fashion Shaped Oshare Culture

A common thread connects lifestyle-oriented brands, dokumos, and the contemporary Japanese fashion world: the historical menswear brand VAN.

“Shopping hauls,” #OOTD (outfit of the day), “what’s in my bag,” “my nightly beauty routine,” daily vlogs, traveling vlogs… Seeing life-sized influencers and ordinary people sharing their purchases, day-to-day life, and lifestyle tips is a popular form of content on global social media, from the days of blogging to Youtube, Instagram, and now, TikTok.

In this, Japan has been far ahead of the curve. Decades before the existence of social media, Japanese fashion magazines were already using relatable personalities to explore these topics.

The role of professional models in magazines, for example, isn't only to look beautiful on their pages. They also serve as muses to readers, sharing a glimpse into their daily looks, shopping habits, glamorous trips, and beauty tips. Publications are also full of non-professional "dokumos" (reader models), satisfying readers' curiosity about how ordinary people adapt the magazine's ethos and trends into their day-to-day life.

The editorial appeal of this content is straightforward: it is a direct link between the trends and ideas advocated in theory by a magazine and the real practical world. But to understand how magazine editors and the fashion world realized how potent this strategy was, we have to go back to the 1960s and to the trend that started it all, Ivy fashion.

Ivy Style and the First Fashion Magazine

The book "Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style" by W. David Marx explains how Japan adopted the "American traditional" fashion, made its own, and ultimately saved it. The starting point was the popularization of the "Ivy style" -- a look inspired by preppy, affluent students in US Ivy League universities -- in 1960s Japan.

"AmeTora" is predominantly about male fashion. On "Oshare Nippon," on the contrary, I talk primarily about women's fashion and trends. Still, W. David Marx's book, which serves as the basis for almost everything in this post, is a must-read for Japanese fashion lovers. Understanding the rise of "AmeTora" is an essential insight into contemporary Japanese fashion as a whole.

The origin of the Japanese "American Trad" can be traced back to Kensuke Ishizu, heir to a paper wholesaler company, born in 1911 in Okayama. He came of age during the Taisho Era when Japan opened to the world and society adopted Western customs.

Growing up, Ishizu was a fashionable playboy with a passion for Western clothes who lived a fun-filled college life in Tokyo. When the considerably stricter first half of the Showa Era began, Ishizu moved back to Okayama to marry his girlfriend, taking over his father's business. His dream, however, was to make clothes for a living.

Things would become tumultuous during the war period. He avoided most of the initial hard times by moving to China (then partially under Japanese control) to help control a department store owned by a friend's family. Living in the then-cosmopolitan Tianjin and working with his true passion, fashion, the young Ishizu was happy. Even after Japan's defeat, he befriended American soldiers, which helped him live sheltered from the misery of war. Eventually, however, he was put in a cargo boat to return, with no money, to war-thorn Japan.

After living through the most dramatic periods of the conflict, with constant aerial attacks and food shortages, the war was finally over. Defeated, Japan was in poverty. But Ishizu, who had a lot of fashion expertise, soon found a job as a menswear designer for a high-end clothing showroom in Osaka.

With misery everywhere, it was an odd time to sell upscale clothes. But, it was also a watershed moment for the perception of the US by the Japanese public, as the population started admiring the sheer affluence of what was, until recently, their enemies. Everyone aspired to a wealthy "American lifestyle." And who had an advantage in this scenario? Ishizu, with his lifelong passion for Western culture, experience living abroad, cosmopolitan taste, and knowledge of Western clothing.

In 1949, Ishizu started his own business, Ishizu Shoten, which he would later rename VAN. In 1950, cash started flowing to Japan due to the Korean Peninsula War. The war made the country a key manufacturing base for the US military, creating a sizable moneyed elite. In 1952, the country regained its sovereign status. Transitioning to a new period, the population wanted to leave traditional garments behind and dress in Western fashion.

At the time, almost everyone in Japan wore custom-made clothes. But Ishizu's ready-to-wear brand became popular with the elites. Osaka's biggest department store, Hankyu, gave his brand a corner; from there, he found loyal customers from the affluent suburb of Ashiya.

Ambitious, he wanted more. But, to keep growing, he needed the expanding "new middle class." But there was a significant obstacle: it was taboo for men to show interest in fashion. In conservative Japan, that was a sign of delinquency. Serious men had a uniform: tailor-made suits. And that was more than enough. For his ready-to-wear brand, VAN, to succeed, Ishizu had to change this mentality.

Women, on the contrary, could freely enjoy following global trends. They didn't buy Pret-a-porter either, but dressmaking guides had the latest styles from the USA and France, and movie stars like Audrey Hepburn influenced trends in clothes and beauty. And this discrepancy was starting to bother a few of them, who resented that they were going to parties and weddings in the latest Parisian fashion accompanied by their husbands in bland suits.

In early 1954, editors of women's magazine Fujin Gaho decided to respond to these complaints and started developing a fashion magazine for men. For the sake of his brand, Ishizu also had an urgent interest in educating Japanese men on fashion. 

In search of men with fashion knowledge, editors found Ishizu. And from their partnership, Otoko no Fukushoku (Men's Clothing) was born.

Educating Men

While researching Japanese fashion, one can notice an interesting pattern. Many historical developments started with men before being taken over by women. For example, women are the fuel of the Japanese fashion industry. But it can be argued Ivy fashion was the origin of contemporary Japanese fashion, and Ivy was, initially, men's fashion. Likewise, fashion magazines are historically a vital segment of the Japanese publishing (and fashion) industry, and women are behind its success. But the first fashion magazine had men as its target.

In late 1954, when the first issue of Otoko no Fukushoku was published, there were fashion-specific titles for women. But they were all utilitarian, full of dressmaking patterns. There were still some significant differences, but Otoko no Fukoshoku was much closer to what a standard Japanese fashion magazine became than the dressmaking titles.

In any case, Ishizu used the magazine as a vehicle for his brand. As W. Marx puts it, "Ishizu did more than just help write articles; he turned Otoko no Fukushoku into a VAN media organ." VAN's clothes and philosophy were all over the magazine.

But more than promoting VAN, the magazine had to educate men on what clothes are. Japanese men had no clue about anything fashion-related. They simply transitioned from their school uniforms to tailor-made dark suits. It was up to editors to teach them all the intricacies of style.

Once again, this underlines the role and influence of fashion magazines in Japanese history. While social media and the digital takeover have made them obsolete, the Japanese fashion industry was built on its back, and up to very recently, they enjoyed almost unparalleled power.

Back in the mid-1950s, Ishizu and the editors of Otoko no Fukushu achieved their goals. Men started showing more interest in fashion, and coupled with the improvement in the Japanese economy and living standards, VAN grew exponentially.

But there were still some challenges ahead, starting with the fact the Japanese simply didn't like off-the-rack clothing. Men would see something that pleased them on Otoko no Fukushu and ask their tailors for something similar.

Resigned to the fact he wouldn't be able to change the minds of middle-aged men, Kensuke Ishizu decided to turn his attention to young people.

The Future is Ivy

VAN wasn't a brand suited for students. It was expensive, formal, and very niche. But Ishizu forged ahead with his plan to make it more appealing to this group, starting with changes in the magazine he used to fuel his brand.

Firstly, the descriptive name Otoko no Fukushu was changed for the catchier, more informal "Men's Club." While every issue had a small section dedicated to university students, Ishizu asked editors to expand youth-centered content.

As for the clothing itself, he was ready to develop a new line for younger men. Unsatisfied with the contemporary trends in Japan, he went on a world trip to find inspiration, culminating in his first visit to the USA. He was suspicious of American taste, believing Europeans were much more refined. But, even though he didn't think Japanese men could wear the style, he was curious about US Ivy League fashion which Men's Club routinely covered. 

But, as soon as he arrived at the Princeton campus, he fell in love with the neat traditional, Old Money fashion and its use of natural materials such as cotton. Being Old Money himself, he felt an emotional attachment to the style. So, overflown with emotions, he decided he would make Japanese youth fall in love with Ivy fashion.

Converting the Youth

At 49 years old, Ishizu felt he needed younger people around him to truly understand how to sell VAN to another generation. Soon, he found the perfect ally to help him: Toshiyuki Kurosu, an Ivy-style convert since his late teens.

Kurosu, much like young Ishizu himself, loved fashion and foreign culture. His parents wanted him to dedicate himself to studying, and he attended the prestigious Keio University, but what he cared about was cool American clothes, fashion, and jazz. He bought "Otoko no Fukushoku" from its first issue and immediately fell in love with the "Ivy League" style he read about in the "Dictionary of Men's Fashion Terms" feature. There were no illustrations or pictures, but he became fixated on the look.

His obsession deepened when he befriended Kazuo Hozumi, an architect who left his full-time job to become a freelance fashion illustrator for Otoko no Fukushoku. Together, they'd study the style from imported magazines Hozumi got from the editorial house's office. Soon, the two became the first Ivy Leaguers in Japan. 

After leaving college, Kurosu started writing about jazz and fashion for Otoko no Fukushoku, then rebranded as Men's Club. At the magazine, Kurosu befriended a young editor who soon left to join his father's company. It was Shosuke Ishizu, the son of none other than Kensuke Ishizu from VAN. Eager to have someone younger in charge of the youth line, Ishizu appointed his son for the job. And the son recruited Kurosu, Japan's foremost Ivy expert, to help him.

After a lot of trial and error, deep research of American magazines, and an arduous quest to find a factory to produce the intricate pieces, the full Ivy line came together in 1962. And then, one more obstacle: department store buyers hated it. The gold buttons, essential to turn an ordinary suit into an Ivy-style blazer, had nothing to do with Japanese taste. "This is Japan -- not America," they proclaimed.

Ishizu was sure that, given a chance, the youth would be seduced by the Ivy style. So, he decided to cut the middle man, believing young males were more influenced by magazines than department stores. From 1963, Men's Club would be overtaken by the Ivy style, explaining every small detail around it and reprinting all pictures of American college students they could get their hands on.

There was just one small problem: the Ivy universe was contained within the pages of Men's Club. Outside, in the real world, young men were still in their uniforms and bland suits.

The Emergence of the Street Snaps

In society, we feel the need to belong. It's an inherent part of human nature. Hivemind behavior and mentality are one of the results of that. It can be argued those impulses can be potentialized in a collective-driven society such as Japan. A famous Japanese proverb, often deployed to describe its culture, is "the nail that sticks out, gets hammered down."

For Ivy fashion to become mainstream, it needed to exist in the real world. But, more importantly, for Japanese youth to have the confidence to wear it, it needs assurance others are wearing it too.

So, one turning point for the style was when Kurosu did an "Ivy Leaguers on the Street" column in the Spring 1963 issue of "Men's Club." Accompanied by a photographer, he went to the glitzy district of Ginza to snap young passers-by dressed in East Coast preppy style. It was a tremendously difficult task: hardly anyone was dressed suitably. Still, they had enough pictures to run the feature. The feedback was explosive: readers loved it. Soon, fashionable Ivy teens took over Ginza's main avenues in the hopes of catching Men Club's photographer's eye.

The column, nicknamed Machi-ai (from the Japanese title: "Machi no Aibii Riigazu"), became the most popular part of the magazine. Since then, "street snaps" have become a staple of Japanese fashion magazines, one of the most effective ways of disseminating trends.

"Street snaps" showed that trend-conscious Japanese wanted to see themselves in magazines. They wanted to see the trends in real-life settings and in practical situations. It's fair to assume "dokumos" and the heavy use of "ordinary" boys and girls in domestic fashion magazines came as a consequence.

In trying to sell its youth line, VAN helped mold Japanese fashion magazines and consumer behaviors.

Clear Instructions

Compared to what was available at the time, Men's Club was much closer to what became the definitive Japanese fashion magazine style. In its attempts to sell VAN clothes, Men's Club set standards for the segment, with street snaps being just one of the many examples.

Japanese fashion magazines are full of authoritative figures readers look up to. Models, dokumos, stylists, beauty artists. Men's Club came directly from VAN employees and had Kensuke Ishizu, his son, Shosuke Ishizu, Toshiyuki Kurosu, and Kazuo Hozumi.

By 1964, VAN was in optimal condition, with editorial control of Japan's top menswear magazine and available in boutiques nationwide. Still, the high prices remained an obstacle for most, and the VAN consumer base was formed entirely by rich kids, creatives at top advertising firms, and celebrities. Japan growing middle class was instead spending their money on the "three sacred treasures" (black-and-white TVs; electric washing machines; refrigerators) before moving on to the "three Cs" (color TVs, cars, and coolers -- a.k.a., air conditioners). Fashionable ready-to-wear clothes were still an afterthought.

For VAN, the challenge was immense because they were literally creating a market from scratch. The average Japanese didn't buy ready-to-wear clothes, the average man couldn't have an interest in fashion, and youth fashion barely existed.

Step by step, VAN was overcoming each of these obstacles. And, to make Ivy more palatable to the average young man, they decided to minutely break the style down in the pages of Men's Club. As per "Ametora," they compared clothes with medicine to summarize their mission.

When you buy medicine, the instructions are always included. There is a proper way of taking the medicine, and if you do not take the medicine correctly, there may be adverse effects. The same goes for dressing up -- there are rules you cannot ignore. Rules teach you style orthodoxy and help you follow the correct conventions for dress.

The Ivy Q&A became a column in the magazine, where Kurosu explained every tiny detail related to how to dress appropriately in Ivy style. Some explanations were essential. For example, the controversial golden buttons department store buyers railed against were precisely what made that suit into a blazer, a quintessential Ivy piece. And would-be consumers needed to be educated about that. On the other hand, some rules were made up as he went along. After all, there was way too much space to fill.

What's important to note is that this rules-based way VAN and Men's Club used to sell the Ivy line had a tremendous impact on how fashion is consumed and sold. Compared to Western fashion magazines, full of conceptual editorials and light suggestions, the standard Japanese fashion magazine is basically a manual. It's not "look at these cute jeans" but "here are the 80 correct ways of matching jean pants in accordance with current trends". It's less "be inspired by these party looks," and more "here are 50 party looks for you to copy step-by-step". The correct rules are emphasized every step of the way.

Of course, this goes much further than VAN. It reflects Japan's fixation on rules. It also outlines significant differences between the West, where people follow trends unconsciously, and Japan, where there's extreme awareness among the trend-conscious portion of the population. Kurosu himself noticed this when a visit to a US Ivy campus had students confused by his questions. "Are these short pants in style?" he'd ask a college student, only to be met with blank stares and "I've never thought about it" answers.

In Japan, on the contrary, there's quite a lot of overthinking involved in following fashion. And in the pages of Men's Club, Ishizu, Kuroza, et al. were among the first ones to make that clear.

Ivy Goes Mainstream

In 1964, Tokyo hosted the Summer Olympics in what became a milestone year in post-war Japanese history. It was also a historical year for VAN and its Ivy Style.

In April, Heibon Publishing launched Heibon Punch, a weekly magazine for urbanite young men. Loosely inspired by Playboy, it had a bit of everything: general interest articles, full-colored pictures of naked girls, and fashion. Fashion, in that case, meant "Ivy fashion." As the emerging youth trend, heavily pushed by the top menswear magazine, Men's Club, it was the natural choice for Heibon's editors to choose the style as its focus. Kensuke Ishizu had a column on menswear with illustrations from Kazuo Hozumi.

Another interesting touch in the magazine was the covers, which had an artistic edgy. They were all illustrated by Ayumi Ohashi, who contributed a few times with Men's Club before getting the Heibon Punch's gig. Her drawings often had boys in Ivy, including the first issue cover.

Heibon Punch was an immediate success. The first issue sold 620k copies and, in two years, circulation reached one million. Men's Club was a popular title but niche, with a reach limited to fashion-loving boys. Heibon Punch was as mainstream as it could be. Suddenly, almost every young man in Japan knew Ivy was the trendiest style.

The Tumultuous Boom

What happened next (in a short few months) was tumultuous and a good display of the contradictions in Japanese society. 

For starters, the emerging trend caused a moral panic. Out of nowhere, young men went crazy for Ivy fashion. Those who could not afford the expensive VAN clothes made do with the VAN shopping bags, which also became a status symbol. The home electronics company SANYO partnered with VAN to release branded razors, hair dryers, and tape recorders.

Adults were scandalized by the kids leaving their uniforms behind and hanging around town in weird Western trends. In many small towns, teens were prohibited from carrying VAN bags or entering shops selling the brand. Parent-teacher associations sent formal requests asking retailers to stop selling VAN clothes to students. All this panic only made the brand even more desirable.

The massive group of boys who'd spend all day in the luxurious Tokyo district of Ginza was of particular concern. Nicknamed Miyuki-zoku (Miyuki Tribe, named after Ginza's Miyuki street), they were seen as delinquents for caring about clothes and adopting feminine habits, such as grooming and styling their hair. After the number of Miyuki-zoku boys kept growing, police were deployed to liberate Ginza from these dangerous trend-conscious men. They were answering pressure from the media, and authorities worried these rebel teens would be a source of embarrassment to the nation during the incoming Olympics.

Ironically, take a guess on who was tasked with planning the official Japanese uniform for the Olympics. VAN's Kensuke Ishizu himself. And he decided to dress the athletes with the quintessential Ivy piece department store buyers had no time for, the blazer. Not any blazer, mind you, but a red blazer. In hindsight, it wasn't such a groundbreaking idea: most international delegations wore something similar. But, in Japan, panic ensued: journalists complained the color was too feminine, and the head Olympic tailor was so enraged with the design he ended up in the hospital.

It all seemed significantly over the top, right? And the Japanese public agreed. There was no shock as soon as they saw the athletes marching down in their blazers. The general reaction was: "cute! I want a blazer too!". And so, all the department store buyers came rushing back, flooding VAN with orders.

Between Heibon Punch and the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, VAN and its Ivy fashion were on their way to becoming a national phenomenon.

Setting the Standards

Of course, nothing lasts forever. Especially when it comes to fashion. VAN would eventually go bankrupt, Ivy would go out of style, and even the editorial phenomenon Heibon Punch would be discontinued in 1988 (Men's Club, on the other hand, is still in print).

But, there'd be a long way between 1964 -- which was only the beginning of the phenomenon -- and Ivy's demise. In the meantime, VAN would reach the equivalent of 600 million dollars in sales and open the doors in Japan for sneakers, T-shirts, and Anglo-American fashion in general. For a complete picture of the rise of "American traditional," W. David Marx's book is essential reading.

Here, I decided to focus on the first few years of VAN because its rise set the standard for contemporary Japanese fashion. While trying to establish the brand, VAN's team created essential parts of oshare culture.

Firstly, there's the concept of the fashion magazine. What they did to Men's Club to help sell their clothes -- street snaps, detailed instructions, partnered content -- was the basis for the editorial guidelines of the billionaire Japanese fashion magazine industry.

Then there was this whole lifestyle created around their label. Of course, trying to convey a lifestyle with your brand is a standard marketing technique. But VAN took it to a whole other level. And the Japanese fashion market took note.

Until UNIQLO and fast fashion came along, clothing in Japan was expensive. For the prices to be justified, there was a need to create an experience for clients. In this scenario, conveying a clear lifestyle with your label is necessary for those who want to succeed. It's also a country where customers can be extremely loyal and can really buy into the experience provided by your brand. Therefore, rewards and a direct line with patrons are essential. VAN was a pioneer in dominating these techniques.

There's also the fact the Japanese trend-conscious public look up to authoritative figures. Store clerks, P.R., and everyone involved with a brand need to be an expert on the lifestyle being sold. Charismatic producers and designers representing the company and its ethos on traditional and social media can boost a label's image. From the beginning, VAN did an excellent job turning its leadership figures (and everyone else involved with the brand) into celebrities among its customer base.

Finally, the VAN crew was directly responsible for creating the "trad" style.

With Ivy fashion causing controversy and becoming popular with teenagers, the original customers started turning their back on the company. To attract them back, Kurosu decided to give a new moniker to the style sold by its adult-oriented line, Kent. Instead of "Ivy", Kent sold "trad" (from "traditional") clothes.

"Ivy" is a style directly tied to US campus fashion, with strict rules. "Trad" is a much broader style, encompassing classic looks and heritage brands beyond the US (a Burberry trench coat, for example, is "trad"). While in Japan, "Ivy fashion" proved itself somewhat ephemeral, a trend from the past (which comes back in style cyclically;) "trad" remains a cornerstone style of local fashion.

The original Ivy fashion was a menswear trend. At Oshare Nippon, I focus on the much more dynamic female fashion world. But, as the origin of contemporary Japanese style, VAN and its Ivy culture is part of the DNA of oshare culture regardless of gender. It's the starting point for everything I plan to cover here.

The First Issue of Heibon Punch

Ivy Boys and Iconic Ivy Illustration

This Sweet Life: An Interview With Natalie Sullivan

It’s so romantic that you met your husband Ryan at 18 years old and have been together ever since. How did you two meet? Was it love at first sight?

We actually met and knew each other at school. He tells me that we caught the same bus but I don't remember that part. We were often around each other and in similar circles of friends over the years, in fact his best friend and the best man at our wedding was a high school boyfriend of mine haha. We got together a couple of years after school when we saw each other at a nightclub. We had an instant connection and two weeks after that night we were officially dating and two weeks later he moved in with me. The rest as they say is history.

You mentioned in your blog that you created This Sweet Life because you wanted to better serve your fellow mamas. Do you feel mamas need a greater sense of community and support? Is it something your followers have discussed with you?

I think that women appreciate feeling like they aren't alone. I think they seek genuine, honest conversation that they can relate to. I think that most of us thrive off that connection.

What you post can be really diverse which is amazing! From motherhood, food, travel, interiors, fashion…but what’s your favourite topic to post?

Travel is my favourite and always has been. I love to show families it might not be as hard as they think to take little ones overseas. Then on a general day-to-day basis I love mummy life realities.

We first met at a Nurtur Tea photoshoot. Do you drink tea yourself? Are you interested in natural health?

Yes I do drink tea. I also love matcha. I want to drink more tea! I love the ritual of sitting down and giving yourself a quiet moment with tea. Permission to relax. I need to do that more.

You seem to love fitness. Have you always been so committed to exercise?

Yes I have always loved exercise. I love it for my mental health more than anything else.

Remember Mama is a book written by you as a beautiful reminder to Mothers how truly amazing and loved they are and with every copy sold a donation is made to support Mothers with postnatal depression. Have you suffered from postnatal depression yourself?

I haven't personally but have seen friends go through it. I also have a book called Remember dad which is very similar and aims to uplift the dads too.

Currently, you’re in California! How do you find travelling with three children?

I love it. It's my favourite thing to do. I'm hoping to be able to travel full time for a little bit in the future.

Top 3 favourite things about the Sunshine Coast.

- of course the beach

- the fact that I have so many beautiful friends there

- the foodie scene

- ohhhh one more how accessible it is to live a lifestyle that feels healthy and happy.

Top lifestyle bloggers in USA - Influglue USA

The influencer community cages a wide range of roles. However, there are some areas in which they can make a big mark on clients’ findings. So, lifestyle is one of the top famous and is one of them.

The term lifestyle contains a wide range of topics. From fashion travel and food to home décor, it’s all about getting personal aims and living a good quality of life. Many people dream of living it up, and lifestyle influencers provide them with push, ideas, and tips.

They are famous due to their perfect taste and seeking for everything amazing in the world. They always aim to inspire various audiences by blogging about their daily goods and lives. Their realism and relatability have made them a crucial part of numerous influencer marketing drives.

Thus, if you are looking for a daily pose of impetus or someone to aid your lifestyle label, then you must know about these lifestyle bloggers in usa. Let’s dive and learn more about black lifestyle bloggers on this topic.

Here are the Top lifestyle bloggers in USA

● Joanna Godard

A Brooklyn-based blogger and lifestyle brand owner, Joanna Goddard runs Cup of Jo. She founded the Cup of Jo in the early days of blogging in 2007 and is still growing robust with routine content on design, food, culture, style, travel, parenting and relationship. The blog’s monthly page views are over 5 million, and it gets about 1 million monthly amazing views. To maintain the blog’s fame, Joanna has hired a whole team. There is no doubt that she is one of the best lifestyle bloggers in USA.

● Camille Walker

Camille Walker is the owner of the website My Mommy Style. To share what she has known about Motherhood and to pull aid from other moms from across the globe, her site is a perfect place to learn about being a mom and admit that you are not raising your juniors solely. It does not matter if you have never met Walker, but you will feel like you are close friends. She regularly interacts with people via her blog and regularly strikes up talks.

You can follow Walker for recipes, activities for children, and travel ideas for your family. In addition to telling stories about her four children, she provides helpful tips, and life hacks to help her cope with the more challenging times. Therefore, she is one of the top lifestyle bloggers in usa.

● Mariam Ezzeddine

Mariam Ezzeddine is among the top 10 American bloggers. She is a food influencer and the owner of the blog Cooking with Mima. She graduated from college with criminal justice but finally took her love for meals and turned it into her firm. She has about 2.5 million followers on her largest Food blog on Instagram. There is a wide variety of food porn available from various cultures. You will find a recipe in the caption of each post that is easy to prepare and healthy. However, Mariam’s tactic to audience feedback sets her apart from her peers. When she receives feedback and ideas from her followers, she takes them into account.

● Carmen Renèe

In addition to writing about style, home decor, event hosting, maternity, and everyday life, Carmen Renèe is a lifestyle blogger based in Houston. In her blog, Carmen says she wants to uplift women to feel secure and lovely for their skin. Also, she’s got over 70,000 Instagram followers. Working with Walmart, WW (Weight Watchers), Mrs Meyers, and Grove Collaborative are some of her faves. She is one of the famous bloggers for lifestyle in US.

● Joanna Gaines

Joanna Gaines is a designer, thriving entrepreneur, loving mother and host of Fixer Upper on HGTV. She works on beautifying and redoing homes with her husband, Chip. Her husband takes care of the building part, and she leverages her skill in design to help her clients.

Fixer Upper allows them to showcase the overhauls they are doing at the owner of the Mongolia homes. Additionally, she utilizes Instagram to increase exposure for the show and its business. She is one of the most popular home-decor top lifestyle bloggers in USA, with over 7.5 million followers.

● Blake Scott Silva

Blake Scott Silva owns The Scott Effect, a lifestyle and fashion blog. Besides covering menswear and international travel on his blog, Blake has over 655,000 followers on Instagram. Many firms, including Audi, Cool Sculpting, and Crosby Square, have partnered with Blake.

● Amanda Stanton

Amanda Stanton is a single mother to her two daughters, Charlie and Kinsley, and she is a tenant of Southern California. She comes under the top 10 American bloggers, has a unique style, and loves to express herself through all things design-related.

She posts myriad images of herself wearing stylish outfits on her Instagram page. She also posts cute pics of her daughters. Furthermore, her blog talks about fashion, interior design, and makeup. Fab, Fit, Fun and Third Love are just a few of the ecommerce brands Amanda works with.

The bottom line,

You must know and follow these top lifestyle bloggers in USA. These bloggers post great content to help you learn more about your life. Then what are you waiting for? Follow these Best lifestyle bloggers in USA and learn more about lifestyle tips that will aid you in the future.

FAQs

What is a lifestyle blog?

A lifestyle blog is a website where an individual or group of like-minded people share and promotes their daily lives and perspectives.

Who is the most lifestyle famous blogger in USA?

Camille Styles is one of the lifestyle famous bloggers in USA.

Is life in the United States good?

The United States is still the land of opportunity and one of the most desirable places to live.

What kind of blogs are popular in 2022?

Food blogs, Travel blogs, Health and fitness blogs, Lifestyle blogs and Fashion and beauty blogs are some of the famous blogs in 2022.

Who is the No 1 blogger in the world?

The Huffington Post blog is the most popular in the world. Ariana Huffington runs this blog.

top lifestyle bloggers in usa, influencer marketing platform usa, influencer marketing platform in usa, top influencers in usa, influencer marketing company in usa, influencer marketing agency usa, influencer marketing usa, top food bloggers in usa, top beauty bloggers in usa, top fashion bloggers in usa, top travel bloggers in usa, influencer marketing companies, youtube influencers usa, influencer marketing agency, instagram influencer marketing platform , influencer marketing strategies

A Magical Dance

Midlife is a time to fully embrace ourselves. It’s a time to love exactly who we are, finally figure out what we’re passionate about, travel, enjoy our families and nurture our relationships with friends and significant others. It’s also a time to speak up and share the things we’ve learned along the way.

It breaks my heart to think that there are women out there who don’t yet understand how much power lives within them. Looking back at the woman I was several years ago, I can’t imagine living in the state of chaos that I was in ever again. I went through so much to get to where I am today and I wouldn’t change a thing because I learned so much along the way. My life is amazing now and my desire is to inspire you to create whatever you want in your life.

I can remember feeling so hopeless, unloved (I didn’t love myself), sad, angry and frustrated. As I’ve said before, I took very little responsibility for the way I was feeling. I blamed it all on outside circumstances when really, it all came back to me. I thought the same thoughts every day, and created a version of the same day over and over again.

I am aware that many of the women who read this blog have amazing lives, but I also know that there are those that are struggling. Their lives may look great from the outside, but inside, it’s a different story.

Over the past several years, as I’ve been on my Journey of Becoming, I’ve felt very pulled to tell my story and to do my part to share how I brought myself back from such a dark place in order to inspire others to do the same. I’ve thought about going completely into coaching and leaving the lifestyle piece of Crazy Blonde Life behind, but for some reason, I haven’t been able to do that.

What I’ve realized is this…life is a Magical Dance and it isn’t all about sitting in meditation all day and being spiritual. It’s about Infusing your spiritual beliefs into every other part of your life! Life is so much sweeter when it’s lived with intentionality!

What kinds of foods do you love to eat that also feed your soul? What clothing makes you feel beautiful? How do you feel when you walk into your home? Can you enjoy the moments of your day without feeling anxious and stressed? Does your life naturally flow, or are you trying to control everything? Control is a form of fear and it kills passion. A life filled with passion is a beautiful dance of intentional doing and then leaning back, over and over. It’s a beautiful balance of masculine and feminine energy…giving (doing) and receiving.

How can you Infuse your life with love, passion, joy, beauty, creativity and excitement? The answer to this question comes when you feel worthy of having these things in your life. You deserve to live a life filled with love for yourself, passion for the things you enjoy doing and for your relationships with others. You deserve to feel joyful bliss every day and surround yourself with what is beautiful to you! You deserve to create a life that excites you every single day and you can do just that.

I’ve decided to enhance the lifestyle portion of Crazy Blonde Life with the healthiest of recipes, more sustainable fashion and ideas for creating your perfect wardrobe, more posts on decor…flowers, creating cozy spaces etc., ideas for travel and more fitness videos since that is such a huge part of my life. I’ll also be focusing more on programs that will help you to enhance your life and make it a magical dance!

I would absolutely love for you to join me for INFUSE starting on November 1st. In this course, we’ll explore ways to shift perspectives and live on purpose to create a beautiful life. Get ready to Infuse your life with love, passion and excitement.

I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have about this program…you can email me at [email protected] or DM on Instagram or Facebook. INFUSE will be presented in 3 weekly videos and end with a Q&A. In each call I will include coaching, a powerful visualization and homework. More detailed information on sign up and exact times will be provided on Monday through an email and I’ll be going live on Instagram to talk more! Each of the four calls will be recorded in case you can’t make the live calls and you’ll have lifetime access to each recording.

***I’m still in Germany with my daughter and my mind has been spinning with ideas for this program! I’m so excited to get started! I’ll be home late on Thursday evening after a wonderful visit here. I’m sad to leave this sweet family and so very grateful to have had this time with them! We made wonderful memories that will live with me forever!

Happy Tuesday!

Beach Blankets For A Great Summer Escapade

It is a hot season for females to have an agreeable trip. Yesterday no doubt one of my friends mentioned that she felt puzzled what form of bags she ought to decide for the coming travel with her boyfriend. Well, it is really a good question. A perfect outgoing bag must be cute, functional and strong enough. But just a few some suggestions relating to the outgoing bags that probably make the selection easier for you.

For beach lovers obtainable the towel blanket may be the best  item it's totally add for your collection. With multiple features, it is a perfect choice for travel and outing. Some may have pockets that you can use for storing personal stuffs like sunscreen, cd's, sunglasses and more and more. You may that also to shield your head or method body and everybody else off the burning sunlight at noon by tying each affiliate with a rope and brace it on the tree like a sun give protection to.

For the same reason increasingly more families who can't manage to send their children to camping. Fewer camp counsellors and sports coaches will be needed.

If find round face, you can opt round-brimmed New era hats, fishing hats and New Era caps with forehead. You actually have thin face, may refine choose peaked New Era caps. If you would like to add score for a temperament, you can choose cowboy hat or knitted New trend cap. If you've got oval face, then whether choose on which form of hats, a person be the most attractive!

According to recent Grand Canyon National Park statistics posted in the Backcountry Dept. 86% of the fatalities involving Grand Canyon are male, 47% are between the years of 40-59. 38% on the fatalities happen on Bright Angel Trail in which 49% are heat caused and 42% are a cardiac perform. These are individuals who should know better, but fail to spot warning signs well enough in advance to correct the nightmare.

The only downside that you simply really don't have any privacy, most within the time you share your bathroom and room and you have to pay extra for personalized room Best Travel Fashion Blog Post in 2021 bathroom. Renting an apartment is my choice of lodging: find your own room, person bathroom, and when you share an apartment with friends of friends it discharges out cheaper than hostel! Biggest thing involving is acquire your own kitchen that leads me to my next topic. Super food! Yay!!!!

Unfortunately, there's a tiny a double standard about business casual for and also women. Business casual for females needs in order to a no more business which includes little less casual. Stick to to maneuver the murky waters from the business casual for women means.

Too folks limit themselves to this last option in order to find niche markets. They fail to recognize the need for products related to current news events and upcoming tendencies. Don't just focus in the here all this. Look into the lifestyle.

Qualification and Screening

When I was thinking about the next dating science blog I should write I remembered one of the missing pieces was that I couldn’t give you a good enough answer to ‘What man/woman should I go for?’ in my Long-Term Relationships blog. I told you to just rely on your life experience, but as I started to think about it more and do more research on dating and relationship science I got a better grasp of the picture of qualification and screening.

I feel confident enough now in my knowledge and experience to help guide you to find out which man or woman you should choose.

First things first, you’re going to need attraction, appreciation, emotional responsiveness, and reciprocity before you even begin qualification or your efforts will fall on deaf ears. If you find yourself having to work too hard for a minimal return on time, energy, and emotional investment from her I recommend moving onto the next.

Alright, now let’s begin, Qualification and Screening is where the woman you’ve attracted works to ‘win you over.’ It’s more rewarding to have to work to win over someone’s interest legitimately rather than to just have them love you for your prestige, money, or good looks. (Although there’s nothing wrong with that if these feelings of shallow attraction are mutual.)

If she doesn’t have to work to earn your interest it’s likely she will feel that you only want her for her looks and will feel more insecure about your attraction to her. If all he likes is my looks, what happens after he gets what he wants? Or a more beautiful woman comes along? Your interest will feel more validating and satisfying to her emotionally if she feels that it’s about something special about her.

Flirting is more fun and rewarding for a woman if you ask her qualification and screening questions and you reward her with authentic compliments. Having her work to win you over builds her emotional investment in the relationship and the more she has to work to ‘win you over’ the more she will appreciate your attraction to her.

Being some kind of a challenge and not immediately running into the arms of the first person that is interested in you sub communicates you are a man of value that can afford to be discerning about the kind of women you allow into your life. Having standards shows you know what you want out of life and a relationship which makes you more attractive to every woman, not just the one you’re speaking to in the moment.

When you start the qualification and screening process here are some broad characteristics to keep in mind:

Mental Health: How is her mood and general emotional affect? Is she usually cheerful, positive, upbeat, and proactive? Or depressed, pessimistic, anxious and frustrated? Does she have healthy lifestyle choices in her personal life? Or does she have addictions, obsessions, and compulsions? Mentally healthy women will have more and better dates, relationships, sex, and passion.

Intelligence: A more intelligent women will have more interesting conversations with you. They’re usually better employees which helps them get promoted faster, build more successful businesses, have a bigger paycheck, and manage their finances better. They will also give better career and relationship advice if you ask for it. In general they will be more easily be able to manage the administrative work of their own personal life and your life.

Conscientiousness: The more conscientious your partner is the more likely her conscientiousness will rub off on you. The more conscientious she is the less likely she is to cheat. She will be more reliable, honest, straightforward, and trustworthy. She will be more likely to take better care of her health, her physical appearance, her mental health, her career, and her finances. She will be better at planning ahead for more enjoyable holidays, travel, and dates. And she will create more reliable and consistent social arrangements for the both of you.

Emotional Intelligence: The more emotional intelligence a woman has the better she will convey empathy, kindness, and compassion which will make for a much better partner and lover. Emotional intelligence helps to avoid arguments, resolve conflicts, and makes for a much more enjoyable make-up session. An emotionally intelligent woman is more likely to notice an exhausted partner after a long day and offer nurturing comfort and support.

Social Intelligence: The size and quality of a women’s social circle can be useful for enriching your career network and will improve the quality of your social outings on evenings and weekends. Typically, a popular socially intelligent woman will have more social events available for you to attend. A woman with social intelligence will take some of the burden off of you not always having to always be the sole host, entertainer, and confidant.

Aesthetic Sensibility: A woman with a great sense of personal style will always look great and help you look great. Her aesthetic sensibility will improve the quality of your home environment and have a big impact on your daily mood. Being with a woman who has great fashion sense will make you proud to show her off and she will create a gorgeous functional home where you can both entertain your guests.

Sex Drive: A balance in sex drive will help both partners feel more satisfied with their relationship. If one partner wants more or less sex than the other it can make them feel annoyed, resentful, nagged, frustrated, and perhaps even eventually lead to affairs where one partner can feel more satisfied with their sex life.

Relationship History: Depending on what kind of relationship you’re looking for in the moment you can screen for that as well. ‘Are you seeing anyone?’ ‘When was your last relationship?’ ‘How long did it last?’ ‘Why did it end?’ ‘Did you see other people?’ Based on their answers you’ll be able to tell whether they have been long term relationship material in the past and if they’re currently looking for another long term relationship again or just want to have fun.

I think that covers the main macro personality traits for qualification. Some of the other topics for qualification could include Education, Career, Travel, Hobbies, Pets, and Cooking.

In general the process of qualification goes like this:

Qualification Question or Statement: “What are some of your hobbies?” “You look like a person who enjoys working out.” “Do you like to travel?”

Her Response: I love travelling. I recently went to Mexico with family. It was so nice to enjoy the beach, sunshine, cool breeze, and relax with friends and family. The water was the most crystal clear blue and so refreshing. It makes me smile thinking back on it. We went to XYZ resort and I would totally recommend it.

Explore the Topic Together: Oh really, that sounds great. I went to Mexico with friends last year too. It was so nice to get away from the cold winter weather in November and December. It was all-inclusive so the food and drinks were included. It was delicious! I enjoyed the beach too, the breezy days were my favorite, that way it wasn’t too hot and I could actually enjoy the beach and swim in the water.

Compliment Her: That’s cool you travel a lot. I like people who are worldly and have lots of stories of their travels to share. It makes for more interesting conversation, a more well-rounded perspective, and plenty of interesting memories and pictures to share with people. Feel free to take me on a tour of your travel pictures and memories anytime.

Next Qualifier Question or Statement: “So are you a TV or movie fan?” “You look like someone who’s very well read.” “I loved the latest season of Game of Thrones.”

You have to seem attainable or the woman will lose interest. The effort and energy you put into your compliment of her should be proportional to the effort she’s putting into answering your qualification questions or statements.

What you’re doing here is trying to foster a feeling of natural chemistry and genuine emotional connection. So you shouldn’t fire off too many questions at once. This shouldn’t feel like a job interview for her, but like a fun enjoyable natural curiosity, chemistry, and connection.

Pay close attention to the level of compliance you’re getting in your qualification questions. If she consistently gives one word or flippant answers to your questions I recommend moving onto the next.

In general you can use three different types of qualifiers:

Soft: Simple yes or no questions. “Do you workout?” “Do you like Ice Cream?” “Do you enjoy dancing?” “Are you a dog person?”

Medium: Open questions related to a specific topic. “So you’ve been travelling recently? Where did you go? What was it like?”

Hard: Very wide open questions that specifically push her to demonstrate her value to you. “What’s your story?” “So who are you? Tell me about yourself?” “What are three things about you that would make me want to get to know you more?” “Why are you special?” “What are you really passionate about?” “What are your greatest attributes?”

You can also use statements to screen for character traits too if you so desire. “I love women that are intelligent and educated. Their conversation and debate is so much more interesting.” “The quickest way to my heart is through a good meal!”

Medium and hard qualifiers can sometimes be difficult for the person to answer right away so don’t be afraid to give them time. Don’t worry if they can’t seem to answer your qualification questions or statements either. As long as you can see they’re putting a sincere effort in trying to answer you you’re doing well. If they like you enough and trust you they will be more than willing to let you show them whatever topic you’re interested in screening them on anyway.

You should sit down and think of all the ideal qualities you want in a woman. These qualifiers are just examples and won’t come across as powerfully or smoothly as qualities you genuinely desire and want in a romantic partner. Your sub-communications are always the best when you’re being authentic about what you desire in a woman.

Just a few caveats to be careful of:

1) If you’re interested in career ambition, money, and prestige learn to be subtle about it. Screening too long or too hard on career can make it seem like you’re only after money.

2) When you screen for relationship history try not to linger on past lovers too much. It can make it seem like you or them are still hung up in the past.

3) The harder and more sincerely you screen for something the more you should try to embody the quality yourself. After all it only seems fair doesn’t it? And you are more likely to succeed attracting people who already embody similar characteristics to yourself.

4) Complimentary differences in personality can be a powerful factor in attraction. You have to be careful though as a relationship progresses not to use the other’s strengths as a crutch and instead as a chance to expand one’s life experiences, habits, and skills. Growing into a better couple together by assimilating strengths rather than falling deeper into differences will prevent you from drifting into resentment, disagreement, and breaking up over the long term. It’s a delicate balance between similarity and complimentary differences in your partner such that over the long term your traits won’t grow to eventually contradict each other.

Show a woman that you see her in the way she has always wanted to be seen and appreciate her for things she has always longed to be appreciated for and you will have her looking back on the interaction with fondness and a feeling of genuine connection.

–Dynamox6

References

Savoy, Nick. It's Your Move: How to Play the Game and Win the Man You Want. Grand Central Publishing, 2013.

Max, Tucker, and Geoffrey Miller. Mate: Become the Man Women Want. Little, Brown and Company, 2015.

Savoy. Magic Bullets. Classic Books Publishing, 2009.

Sinn and Vision. LoveSystems Interview Series Vol. 8: Qualification. https://www.lovesystems.com/collections/interview-series/products/interview-series-vol-8-qualification

Pekker, Michael. “Do Opposites Really Attract? Complementary Needs Theory of Interpersonal Attraction” Interpersonal Communication, Relations, and Compatibility. July 15, 2013, http://interpersonal-compatibility.blogspot.ca/2013/07/do-opposites-really-attract.html

The 'Good News', Gospel of Salvation [1 Cor. 15:3-4] I believe, how, Christ died for our sins, that He was buried and that He rose again, the third day, amen." Watch the video. http://j.mp/2CUY2s6 Give Christ a chance, believe the gospel, be born again, at the rapture.

#CANWNT #GalaxysEdge #LETMEGO #AskTXT #personal #love #instagood #me #tbt #cute #follow #followme #photooftheday #money #instagoodme #happy #gospel #jesus #god #satan #evil #rewards #linkedin #facebook #tumbler #twitter #google #salvation #eternity #tagforlikes #beautiful #girl #like #selfie #picoftheday #sex #summer #good

#fun #smile #friends #likeforlike #instadaily #fashion #instalike #food #youtube #worldcup #life #job #sex #freemoney #googling #personalization #books #enjoyment #client #passion #programming #goodness #rip #bookings #liker #roses #lifelessons #goodnews #corner #musicality #watches #dance #givers #take #truth #religion #family #author #howto #authorization #amenities #living #gospelmusic #repost #quotes #gifts #gift #instagram #the #guides #blog #travel #happiness #book #blogging #celebrity #kids #women #lifestyle #retreats #giveup #birthdays #5why #shirts #videos #marriage #video #empower #blogger #socialmedia #podcasting #magazines

"May the grace, of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, be with you and your's, always, amen."

The 'Good News', Gospel of Salvation [1 Cor. 15:3-4] "I believe, how, Christ died for our sins, that He was buried and that He rose again the third day, amen." Watch the video. http://j.mp/2CUY2s6 Give Christ a chance, believe the gospel, be born again, at the rapture.

#personal #love #instagood #me #tbt #cute #follow #followme #photooftheday #money #instagoodme #happy #gospel #jesus #god #satan #evil #rewards #linkedin #facebook #tumbler #twitter #google #salvation #eternity #tagforlikes #beautiful #girl #like #selfie #picoftheday #sex #summer #good

#fun #smile #friends #likeforlike #instadaily #fashion #instalike #food #youtube #worldcup #life #job #sex #freemoney #googling #personalization #books #enjoyment #client #passion #programming #goodness #rip #bookings #liker #roses #lifelessons #goodnews #corner #musicality #watches #dance #givers #take #truth #religion #family #author #howto #authorization #amenities #living #gospelmusic #repost #quotes #gifts #gift #instagram #the #guides #blog #travel #happiness #book #blogging #celebrity #kids #women #lifestyle #retreats #giveup #birthdays #5why #shirts #videos #marriage #video #empower #blogger #socialmedia #podcasting #magazines

Take care

Dear fashion diary,

This weekend I spent the greatest part of my afternoons soaking up the city, sunlight and self-care. Saturday was all about self care, I went to Dis-chem to find some Freeman masks, on recommendation from a friend, and chose the Apple Cider Vinegar Scrub and Mask as my first Freeman purchase. Apple Cider has what feels like millions of great qualities when it comes to your bod, you can drink it, put it on your face or in your hair, this Freeman scrub however is FOR EXTERNAL USE ONLY! The main reason I chose it, is because Apple cider vinegar protects you from harmful environmental chemicals and for me that is worth gold. From moving to Cape Town in April, I had a lot of problems with breakouts, blemishes, pimples, you name it. I assume it is climate, environment and diet related, I have however managed to get it under control the past few weeks with some help from an Anti-pollution mask from The Body Shop and now hopefully from my Freeman mask. Just an update, after the first use I already felt so clean, cared for, healthy and dare I say pretty.

I also popped into a shop in Loop street in the city as part of my unplanned yet successful, Self-care Saturday. Koeksuster had a pop-up shop and I just had to see this Feminist lingerie brand in real life. Although I rather elevate towards an Equalists’ lifestyle and mindset, some pure female empowered t-shirts and knickers have a special place in my heart. Being overwhelmed by the experience from encountering two young women managing the store and pop-up shop and the attention to detail inside the store, I saw my purchase as a souvenir of this experience. I chose to buy a t-shirt that says, “There is power in being soft”, and for me it might as well translate too, “There is greatness in being Velesca.” I am a softy; I am fragile and somewhat shy. However soft is not weak, far from it, soft can be interpreted as being gentle, cautious, graceful and spirited. Therefore, when I saw this shirt and knowing myself I had to have it because it says a lot in one sentence and it’s a great memento of my quick adventure to Loop street.

I ended off my day by grabbing a drink with a friend and enjoyed the crisp weather, good food and cheerful company.

By Sunday I was feeling relaxed, radiant and ready for Thrift shopping. Me and my colleagues/Cape Town family visited the Obs-fficial Thrift fair. My first thrift market in ages, I was amazed by the amount of Second-hand clothing that was still doing their thing and continuously finding new homes and wearers, but I was beside myself by the Vintage pieces (believe me there will be a follow up blog about all my finds.) Unique, quality clothes filled with nostalgia is basically what a thrift finder has in their hands when they come across a piece that has traveled through seasons, years, hands and generations to finally be yours. Magical right?

Retail therapy is a thing, but I think Thriftapy can be word or phrase worth catching on. I admit it is not everybody’s favourite past time, but thrifting is certainly good for the soul, mine at least. So basically, my Self-care Saturday turned into a weekend of enjoying my favourite things, spoiling myself and taking care of my mind, body and soul.

I hope you had a great weekend and if not, I hear there’s talk of another one in just a few short days.

Take care, until next time x

How I optimised my social media for my mental health

cw: this blog post contains references to food, fitness and dieting culture. 

A few years ago I was working for a chain bookstore over the festive period, mostly on the tills serving customers and occasionally dealing with enquiries and shelving. There was blissfully minimal phone answering too. Bookshops tend to stay pretty busy after Christmas with sales, folks coming in to buy something to read in their remaining time off and to buy dieting books. When I clocked in to take my shift on Boxing Day, there had already been a table of dieting and fitness bibles set up, all on two-for-one deals. Whilst I’m sure this table was set up on corporate instruction, it left a bad taste in my mouth. Bookshops are by no means safe spaces- they’re a place you should go to look for material that challenges and stretches your beliefs, as well as things to help you relax.  However, I don’t think they’re a place you go to be judged for your lifestyle, especially if you’re just on the way up to grab a muffin and latte with friends in the cafe. In many ways, this is the experience of being on social media in microcosm.

This summer, I had a bit of a meltdown, which I’ve talked about a little before. Without university to occupy me, I became obsessed with going to the gym. When I didn’t see results as quickly as I had in the past, I started to hyperfocus on my appearance and weight. It quickly became clear that I’d got myself into a dark place, so I started going to see one of the counsellors at my university (which is an enormous privilege you should make the most of if you also have access to it). It became clear to me, in talking to my counsellor, that a lot of my problem was down to the space I had curated for myself on social media. The fitness board I maintained on Pinterest meant that the algorithm was constantly generating unattainable bodies, diet foods and problematic motivational statements. From following some of my younger brother’s school friends on Instagram, I began to feel bad about not having the body shape of a teenager anymore. I decided to clear a whole day to go through all my social media and make it as much of a hospitable space for my mental health as possible. I should be clear at this point that this might not necessarily work for you, though I found it to be incredibly helpful. I’m sharing in the hope that it might make a little difference for someone else. I’ll start with the easier social networks and work my way up to the big guns. 

Facebook

This one might be more difficult for you depending on how much use you get out of Facebook. Personally, I use it mostly for keeping up with events, messaging friends and updating family members. One thing you can do if you only use it for the latter two is delete the Facebook app and just keep Messenger, that way you have to be on an actual computer to check facebook. If you don’t want to delete the app, then start to take advantage of the mute button. You can go through the hassle of sitting going through your whole friend list, removing people you no longer talk to, see, or are interested in keeping up with (you can let go of some people from school at this point, face it). However, I find that the experience of unfriending people can actually make me feel more anxious. 

The best thing I do- and this one isn’t something you can necessarily do in one day- is mute or unfriend as I scroll down my feed. If someone I once met in a job I had four years ago starts posting offensive and ill-informed political memes to my feed, that’s their time to go. If a friend’s mum posts a lot of things about her New Year’s diet, she’s going to get muted for the time being. If a friend posts a photo of her super cute baby, that’s getting a big heart react- give me more of that good shit. A big part of all of this stuff is trying to train your algorithm to show you the stuff you want, even if it fights back. 

Twitter

First huge bit of advice- block all the bigoted reactionaries. That’s your Piers Morgans, Katie Hopkinses, Julia Hartley-Brewerses and that girl who worships guns. This isn’t me openly advocating shutting yourself out of political discourse, or creating some kind of political echo chamber for yourself.  It’s just starving people who thrive on outrage of the attention they crave. I don’t care if you have a witty rebuttal. They don’t deserve your attention, views or clicks. Try to find professional journalists, politicians, and pundits whose expertise you can trust and who conduct themselves ethically and responsibly, rather than trying to just get clicks for their work. Also, read whole articles and think pieces rather than just the headlines. Headlines are often written to stir up outrage over something that just isn’t outrageous.

 Find tweeters who make you laugh, make good art and whose voices you’d like to amplify. 

Instagram (and Tumblr) 

Now we’re getting into the heavy lifters. It seems to me that the more image-dense the platform, the worse it can be for your mental health, especially if your mental health is tied up in your body image. Instagram and Tumblr might be the platforms to be most cutthroat with. What you decide to do with this one is really deeply personal, but I would suggest going with your gut and unfollowing and muting anything that makes you feel less than, no matter how nice the person running it seems. My first call was to unfollow more or less everyone who’s ever breathed in the general vicinity of a Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. A lot of these models seem to be lovely women, but their lifestyles and bodies are the definitions of unattainable. The one exception I make to this rule is Chrissy Teigen because her content is all about earnestly enjoying food, family and travel. Plus, she doesn’t take herself too seriously. Instagram also has a useful feature that allows you to mute stories, posts or both at your own discretion. That way if there’s someone you follow who posts great travel photos but is always talking about weight loss in their stories, you can filter out that content and keep what you like. I found that, personally, having fewer bodies in my line of sight is for the best. I like to maximise the presence of delicious food, cute animals and uplifting messages I follow. Here are some favourites:

Nigella Lawson

Shila and Eddie the Pomeranians

withlovelinh

Hannah Witton

Demi Adejuyigbe

Pinterest

This is the daddy of all the image-based platforms. Whilst probably the least popular of all the platforms listed here, it probably has the most potential to do harm. Don’t get me wrong, I love Pinterest. It is one of the most easily spaces online and the fact that it is image focused means that there is very little text involved, so it’s an ocean of calm compared to a platform like Twitter. However, it also has what might possibly be the most reactive algorithm of any platform. This is broadly a helpful tool, allowing you to locate the exact material you’re looking for, but it can really double down on any harmful material you put into it. It’s the internet’s worst enabler. In this sense, spring cleaning it is work. I got rid of my fitspo board and replaced it with one more focused on self-care. This didn’t mean getting rid of all my fitness-focused stuff- I still pin specific exercise routines- but I don’t pin #bodygoals stuff now.  A very important part of changing this is being conscientious of what I am choosing to repin. Specifically, I have to ask myself 

“Do I really like this hair/ makeup/ clothing, or do I just want to look like the model?”

If the answer is no, I will ask Pinterest to remove it from my feed. Pinterest also has a zero-tolerance policy for content that encourages eating disorders and self-harm so you can report anything like that. Whilst Pinterest will continue to show you things after you have deleted the boards you can, over time, train it to show you more of the things you want to see. I’ve finally got it to a point where I’m seeing things that make me feel bad far less frequently. 

All of this is work and requires a conscious effort from yourself to remove things that are harmful before they get to you. This system isn’t perfect and you will continue to see garbage some of the time. It is still possible to optimise what you’re seeing in order to feel less anxious and down on yourself. Do keep in mind, that it’s just a small part of your life and that if you are genuinely concerned about your mental health to talk to a professional if that is something you are able to access. Also, this isn’t an alternative to minimising your screentime, which we should probably all try to do a little more. 

Happy new year! 

More like this 

You are doing enough. 

Did I Keep my 2018 Resolutions?

10 Most Famous Star Kids with a Sensational Fashion Sense

Super Stylish Star Kids in The World

To know better about the Popular star kids, we have a simple question for you. Can anyone imagine having to deal with fashion, camera, limelight, and crowds on a regular basis?

Well, nobody but star kids has to deal with such a stressful aspect of life on a daily basis. We don’t know what to say because we don’t know if it’s their own wish or if it’s a weight they’ve carried since infancy.

We have discovered in some interviews that celebrity youngsters like being photographed every day and have learned to change up their appearance and have planned to stand in front of the camera is a little different way the next time. However, other children believed that their lives were not as typical as those of their peers in their neighborhood, class, or university. They can’t even see how other people’s everyday lives look? What does it mean to be free to walk through a crowded street?

Some celebrity kids, on the other hand, like such a God-given lifestyle and a desire to be treated like a prince or princess, encircled by a ring of guards and security that no one can enter. They are constantly ready to be spotted on the front cover of a magazine, in a news heading, or for TV interviews and who leading in the race of popular star kids. They’ve also become the face of new trends by becoming fashionists for their ardent devotees, thanks to their royal taste.

In our list, we cover some seasoning beauty to show when and how their style became popular, let’s get enticed by these beauty divas and know the Popular star kids?

Ananya Pandey

Ananya Panday, who won a Filmfare Award and a Zee Cine Award for her first two acting roles in the industry, made headlines earlier this year for her stunning appearance and high style quotient at Le Bal in Paris. Her exquisite taste, as a Bollywood princess, elevated her to the forefront of social media trends as she incorporated Jean Paul Gaultier’s garment into her wardrobe.

Today, Pandey, the second student of the year winner, is signing more Popular star kids who oriented commercials, and brands are eager to see her promoting their new exclusive shoes, jewelry, and trendy outfits because the marketing world knows what she chooses will be the next seasoning trend in India and abroad.

Sara Ali Khan

Sara Ali Khan is unlike the rest of the new breed in Bollywood; she is a true princess, descended from the Nawabs of Pataudi and egger to make the trend of popular star kids on top. Sara Ali Khan, a Columbia University graduate, earned the Filmfare Award for her performances in the films Kedarnath and Simmba, and Aishwarya Rai Bacchan served as her inspiration.

Sara, on the other hand, is a great fan of global brands like Fanta, Puma, and Veet, and her simple, comfortable, and moody clothing turn her from a conventional Indian girl to a stunning alluring bikini mama.

Suhana Khan

In the mid of 2010, Bollywood news never started without Shah Rukh Khan’s events and something happening in 2021, today when news and celebrity blogs who even never want to miss the priority of popular star kids, they never want to miss the stunning beauty of her daughter: Suhana Khan. Her appearances in the B-town world are incredibly important for the media and whatever she wears becomes the top-trending week style. Suhana Khan is that Bollywood princess who loves to enjoy all the royalty, fame, and expender through her father’s achievements, today, but her confidence at her 21 slightly enhancing her foot to the industry’s top strongest personality.

Suhana’s bold and hot style on her social media creates some controversies in entire nations but she never worries about it because she knew how to tackle negative calling around her impressive personality and this made her at age of 21 trendy millennials in every outfit.

Janhvi Kapoor

Janhvi Kapoor is the daughter of late-superstar Sridevi and Boney Kapoor. This 24-year-old B-town princess earned a deep fashion sense naturally through her mother’s versatile look. After completing her acting course from Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in California, she entered Bollywood, and leading lady of popular star kids headlines by her mother’s acting and fashion inspirations, but soon she made a remark with her successful commercial movie, Dhadak in 2018.

However, her mother wanted her to be a doctor at first, her gorgeous personality and acting-oriented blood dragged her feet to the Bollywood industry. By the way, she also loves to explore the world being a nomad, but her fashion sense never stops her from being noticed anywhere on earth whether she completes her workout in stylish gym wear or travels anywhere with a traditional salwar suit according to her hectic film schedules.

KHUSHI KAPOOR

Khushi Kapoor is a princess of the Bollywood empire who still carrying a big burden over her soft shoulders, she is the first-gen-z by birth, who has already backpacked to New York for completing her acting studies, and is in the race for being in the top of popular star kids, followed by the path of Suhana Khan and Navya Naveli Nanda. A rumor said that she and Aryan Khan( son of Shah Rukh Khan) will make on-screen love in an expected movie under Karan Johar’s production house.

Interestingly, she is a gen-z but her stylish personality still inspiring millions of millennial fans, and at the age of 20, she is trending highly through her Instagram feeds by wearing sports wears traditional outfits and neon bikini suits. Her recent post showcased her moody appearances beside a pink rickshaw tag with her words: Happy place.

Shanaya Kapoor

Millions of fans still waiting for her entry into the Bollywood big screen but, Shanaya Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor’s younger cousin, already made her big existence in the competition of popular star kids and her pretty look with her super-fit body curves make her no less than a millennial diva. A rumor already came in the B-town for her acting role with a romantic comedy, casting Shashank Khaitan as her lover on the big screen, let’s see when this will be in the real world.

Her Instagram account is littered with hundreds of love emoticons, whether she’s posting about her foodie-moody behavior in the kitchen or praising her hard work in the gym. She is constantly ready to motivate all of her admirers with her curved body form, just like a top health model or influencer. Hundreds of fashion firms are watching Shanaya’s influence over millions of people and are willing to participate in her fashion promotions.

Navya Naveli Nanda

Navya Naveli Nanda is a showbiz baby doll who loves to tag all the beautiful events that she finds amazing in her life; she enjoys traveling, partying, food, and occasions with her closet pals, and she loves to post her gorgeous appearance in a series of popular star kids for her adoring fans. She is the queen of millions of fans, but she, like others, has had certain personality controversies that have distressed her greatly.

As a member of the Bollywood family (Grand Daughter of Amitabh Bachchan and daughter of businessman Nikhil Nanda), Nanda teaches all of her fans to never stop doing what they love in life, and as a mother, she continues to inspire millions of her fans with her fashion senses, whether it’s her sexy legs in trip jeans or her bachelor girl look while partying with her friends.

You can also see here 10 Most Popular Stars From Ott Platforms in India

Krishna Shroff

Krishna Shroff, a top-rated social media icon, has no concerns about furthering her career as a filmmaker because, despite numerous market experts advising her to pursue a career as an actress rather than just an off-screen celebrity, she believes in her personality and her best abilities, which is why she won an international award for the documentary ‘Black Sheep‘ in 2014.

However, as the daughter of Jackie Shroff, she inherited a stunning supermodel personality, and her first job in filmmaking was to work behind the scenes, honing her creative abilities. And, don’t forget, she’s still in the running for popular star kids, which continues to inspire millions of her followers every day, thanks to her constant capturing acts for her Instagram feeds. Krishna’s appearances not only inspire a large number of followers, but they also divert the attention of the fashion industry away from her sporty bras, mini shorts, evening gowns, traditional ghagra choli, and other outfits.

Aaliyah Kashyap

Aaliyah Kashyap, daughter of Anurag Kashyap is giving a big challenge to all her competitors in the race of Bollywood star kids. Her very recent alluring look in Longue wear sports bra alarm on Instagram fashion index, and who don’t want to miss her sizzling bikini outfit before a natural waterfall.

Kashyap’s Instagram feeds have not only inspired her fan base, but Bollywood is also preparing to cast her in a film. Until then, we can watch her advocating the best fashion essentials for her fans by offering live beauty tutorials in several makeup videos. As a fashion blogger, she also likes to refer to herself as a trendy Gen Z.

ALAYA F

Alaya Furniturewalla, or Alaya F., is the leading glamorous girl for Bollywood star kids fashion. Alaya F. won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut in the film ‘Jawaani Jaaneman‘ since she is the granddaughter of Kabir Bedi and the daughter of Pooja Bedi.

Alaya is a typical millennial girl who knows her way around the fashion industry. Her beautiful, distinct style is influenced by her strong mother, Pooja Bedi. Alaya, 23, has a distinct style that is both fashionable and youthful. And she never forgets to update her Instagram account, where hundreds of thousands of followers are waiting to see what she will post today and how her outfit will break the Instagram fashion feeds’ record.

You also can see here 10 Popular Self-made Bollywood Stars who Really Empower the Industry

You also can see here Top 10 Sensational and Stunning sexiest women in the world 2021

i want this bitch's life: my obsession with lifestyle bloggers

Full disclosure: I took this title from The Cut's series, I Like This Bitch's Life.

My high school was all-girls and Catholic. Throughout my freshman year, I was fixated on a group of senior girls. People called them The Barbies or The Tan Clan. Most of them were blonde. But they were all tan and beautiful. Even in school uniforms, they were fashion forward. They had UGG boots before I knew what they were. On free dress days, they sported Juicy Couture sweat suits before anyone else. They were so beautiful. They didn’t wear make up and their hair was always in a perfect messy bun. All of which just impressed upon me how much more beautiful they were.

I loved them. Quietly and from afar. I could not tell my friends because a lot of them were their sisters or knew them from grade school. They did not share my infatuation. I found out their screen names and looked at their AIM profile. I stared at them when I passed them down the hall, taking note of their new handbags. They were so perfect. I wanted to be them.

Flash forward to 2015. I joined Instagram, late to the game, and did not really understand how to use it until late 2016. This is when I found lifestyle bloggers. It took me awhile to understand who these women were. I started following them because one of their beautiful photos was recommended to me.

At first, I didn’t get it. But I slowly started to realize these women were a part of an elusive club, much like my Tan Clan. But instead of seeing them in the cafeteria, I watch their lives through a series of high quality photos of their perfect kids, gorgeous homes, exquisite outfits, and an unbelievable amount of beautiful travel. Supplemented with the periodic #ad post.

I follow about two dozen women, who identify as lifestyle bloggers. The term lifestyle blogger is ambiguous and almost anyone with a blog can identify as one. But who I am talking about today are the women with followers amounting somewhere between half a million to over one million. They post perfectly curated photos of their daily life: their families, vacations, outfits, and other things that are mostly mundane from anyone else.

They are all different and I’m not here to make any generalizations about all women bloggers or lifestyle bloggers. For the most part, they grew their strong following by starting as something more specific, i.e. hairstyle tips, mommy life, or photos of their toddler take naps with their new puppy went viral. But they’ve all evolved.

When I’m in bed late at night, I stare at their gorgeous photos on Instagram, long after I’ve double tapped. Most often their posts feature themselves. The women are always white, beautiful, thin, and have perfect skin. When they show off a new outfit, it always looks good on them and I always like it – even if it is not my style. I find myself admiring their fit bodies in bikinis, then I look to my right at my night stand and see my glass of wine and the clean plate from whatever I just binge ate.

They are always married. The younger ones are engaged. Their husbands are always very handsome. If I have found out their husband’s profession, it is always a professional and prestigious job, like finance or doctor. When I find this out, I take a big gulp of my wine thinking about how the only men who seem interested in me quit college because he “makes so much money at his serving job/selling weed”.

Usually they have kids, if not, they will soon. And their kids are gorgeous. Blonde and tan babies in diapers at the beach. I don’t even want kids but this shit is freaking cute. The aesthetic is too much to hate.

Something else they all have in common: they travel a lot. Weekend trips to Hawaii with their husband and three kids. Two weeks in Australia with the whole fam. Couples getaway to Paris. Japan. Europe. Jamaica. They can afford to go anywhere. I have traveled a lot the past couple years, so I don’t know want to sound like I am bitter and jealous because I’m not. I want them to travel – travel more, please! I want to see more photos. I love gazing at their family photos, they look so happy. The scenery is beautiful and she looks great in a bikini or a beach maxi dress, holding a baby on her hip, all of them ankle deep in the ocean.

The women I’m talking about are not posting photos of anything resembling my life. They aren’t posting day drinking pics, or making jokes about being broke, or mention anything about their love life other than their “perfect hubby”. I can’t relate to their family life, and I only aspire to pieces of it, but I love looking at it.

All of the photos, the babies, the beaches, the hairstyles, along with strategic branding, creates beautiful imagery. This is why I love these women so much. Most of the time they are not selling me anything. They don’t do “unboxing” or “hauls”. They might have started out blogging about organization or makeup tricks, but they don’t do that anymore. Their content is purely for my eyeball’s pleasure. Their #ad or #partner posts are sparse and always done well. I can never tell it’s an advertisement unless I read the whole caption. They are legitimately showing me their beautiful lives.

Only 2% of the time do I stop to think, who took this photo? This type of thinking pulls me out of the fantasy I fall into when I look at their feeds. Their lives are magical and I don’t want to know how they pull it off.

While I appreciate the veil they provide for me, I know these photos and captions are their jobs. They work hard. I am often impressed with a women’s hustle, strategic vision, and passion. They started with a simple blog, years ago, and grew it. Like the blogger who got her start doing hairstyles on YouTube, after six years, she has launched her own hair extension line, which I know is doing very well because the product line expands every month. She is crushing it. And of course, I look at her Instagram stories updating me on the new stuff she’s launching, with no intention of buying her extensions.

Other times, I’m confused at how/why they make money doing what they do. Their pics are fine. But they don’t post much on their blog anymore. And it wasn’t anything super interesting. Generic takes on food, family, fun. I’m hating a little. Don’t get me wrong though, I thought a lot about this. Some of these blogs are just not interesting enough to deserve the kind of partnerships they are getting, in my opinion.

Most of the lady lifestyle bloggers I stumble upon are truly impressive to me. Yes, their photographs and seemingly perfect lives are great. They also just have a hustle and entrepreneurial spirit I don’t see in a lot of women I know. They work hard to expand their brand.

And they make a lot of money. This is not hard to figure out based on their lifestyle. Companies pay handsomely to #partner with. They don’t worry about money like I do. I know they don’t share the same anxiety I have when I hand over the gas station attendant my credit card to buy cigarettes. One because I know they don’t smoke (their skin is too good) and two, because they don’t worry about their credit limit when buying a $7 product.

 Either way, I look with some envy. But the envy does not come from hate or anger. At least not focused on her. It’s on me. I’m mad at myself for not having a successful business. I’m mad at myself for not getting into this game earlier. For jumping around careers. For not being successful at all. Luckily, I shut that part of me off and continue to scroll, getting to more pics of floral bouquets on top of a Pottery Barn dining room table that costs as much as one year of my grad school tuition.

I envy everything I see that they have. Except the kids. But I envy the joy and stability they find in having kids and how it adds to the image of the perfect life. I want that. I want their bodies. I want their husbands. I want their outfits and make-up. I want their houses. I want their vacations. Yes, I travel, but I want their trips. I want their photographs of the trips. I want their money! I want their lives. More than I’d like to admit.

Why though? I so clearly don’t fit that life. I’m kind of a mess. Clearly, I can’t land a dude like they can. I definitely don’t have their bodies. I don’t want kids. I blog about depression and figuring out what I am supposed to do with my life. I drink too much. Their lives are so clearly not me.

Sometimes, I wonder if I torture myself going on deep dives into their lives. Why am I so obsessed with them? Do I secretly want that life? Do I secretly believe deep down I don’t deserve it? Do I just like to see that life like the other one million people who follow them?

I don’t know. I don’t have the answer. Just like I can’t answer why I was obsessed with the Tan Clan 15 years ago. Except back then, I can probably attribute most of it to teenage pressure to conform to beauty and popularity. But maybe now I’m facing the same thing. I am still aspiring to be thin, beautiful, rich, and perfect. Don’t get me wrong. I love myself and my life. But I am realistic about feeling self-doubt and not always feeling confident compared to our society’s standards.

I know that these women are problematic and can perpetuate racial/gender stereotypes that are not helpful/terrible. I also know that they can be kind and loving, to their families and the world, and advocates for humanitarian causes. I know that their images can tell women all sorts of shitty things, (be skinnier, richer, a mom, more successful and a mom). But I also know that they can be inspiring to women aspiring to be entrepreneurs or working moms. I could go on and on.

Am I going to continue to follow these women’s lives? No. Do I like their pictures? Yes. Do I want to be mindful of how it impacts me? Yes.

Like anything else in life, it’s not black and white.

THE G WORD

 I wrote this blog months ago. It’s time to share my story and some exciting news! I’m re-branding my business to include herbal education, workshops, and more! The entrepreneurial journey has been fun for me as I grow and expand my offerings. I am so happy to offer skincare and beauty services, but my practice has evolved into so much more. The following true story is told from my heart and I hope you’ll embrace my new brand with enthusiasm and support.  This is my story from Gypsy Skin Spa to Wild N Rooted. 

 It has been brought to my attention recently that a word exists. This word is part of our English language and our cosmology. This word has many meanings, it is powerful, controversial, and mysterious.

 Gypsy.

 Some people believe it to be a racial slur, others believe it to be a lifestyle and some have no idea what the word is, means, where it comes from, how to say it, or even care. You can see where this may cause some issues and concerns. Due to its controversial nature, I used it once, but will refrain from using it moving forward out of respect for those reading this who deem it offensive.

 This is my story and how I birthed my lifestyle brand in 2015. This word resonates with me deeply in a very authentic way. It is an expression of my being.  After being attacked online and accused of being a racist, I strongly felt the need to tell my story. I want to talk about it. This dilemma, this idea, this age of offending is an opportunity for education and to begin co-creating a high vibe around the label.

 You see, our English language is convoluted in historical accounts that many of us didn’t even know existed. For instance, the word “Bucket List” actually comes from hanging someone by “kicking the bucket” out from beneath them before they die. Did you know that Hooligans are associated with the Irish? Vandals, the Germans? The G word are associated with the ethnic group, Roma or Romany, who immigrated into parts of Eastern Europe. The locals thought they were from Egypt or Egyptian (hence gyp) which we now know as they begin to have a voice in literature and other cultural affairs. They identify with Roma, Romani, Romany, or Rroma. I’m what you call a European Mutt, which is essentially a dog mixed with who knows what and I don’t like it very much. Alas, society has deemed that description appropriate.

 My focus is on the positive aspects of the G word discussion and how we can use it to free the people under this guise, not slander them. More importantly, that we stop grouping people together and/or generalizing, stereotyping subgroups of people or minorities in the first place.  There are good people and bad people. Period. There are all types of different people in this world. I mean, there are ALOT of us!  We have different ideas, perspectives, opinions, customs, foods, languages, fashions, economics, currency, status, religions, and experiences. This all happens simultaneously as life spirals along, upwards and outwards.

  My personal story regarding this particular identity began when I was 30 years old, also known as my Saturn Return, when the walls around me would literally come crashing down. My roommates and I were residing in Marina Del Rey, CA and we all lived peaceful, independent lives. A large development company purchased the property and our landlord told us to vacate. During this time, I also lost my job and couldn’t afford to pay my bills. A dance troupe that I created and adored fell apart at the seams and my Grandmother passed away. I went on unemployment and moved back in with my parents. Welcome to the Boomerang Generation.

 Although grateful for this landing, it was uncomfortable. I got a part time job in a small salon, but my business couldn’t thrive without clientele.  Soon enough, I decided to go back to College in Fullerton and soon I found myself back in Los Angeles living in West Hollywood. This was an interesting time. I had ditched an abusive boyfriend, my car was broken into, very important documents like college homework and documentary drafts were stolen. I was drunk most of the time falling into a deep state of depression. I had also discovered Ayahuasca as a medicine, something that would change my life in the most extraordinary way.

 Still to come at 32 years old, I was forced to file Bankruptcy, the banks wouldn’t accept my income loss or life changes. Eventually, I found another spa in Redondo Beach, CA and moved into a room with the generous Persian couple who owned it. A month later, I met a nice Indian man in Hawthorne and I rented a room from him. He was a single father with a daughter and a gorgeous white Shepherd named Bella. To supplement my income, I began working as a cocktail waitress while developing my clientele. No more than 3 months later, the restaurant folded. My inappropriate employer kept my last paycheck and I wasn’t making enough money at the spa to live on my own. I moved back to Culver City with my Aunt and shared a room with a friend. I lived there for, you guessed it, about 3 months. During this time, I was able to get another part time job in Santa Monica at a small spa called Petite Spa with a lot of potential, as well as taking up an offer to work for a high- profile ticket broker in Huntington Beach. This led me to a short stint in Orange County. I even got a third job working part time at another day spa. Less than 3 months later, I was fired from the office job and so I quit the esthetic job and moved back to Los Angeles. I found a small studio in Mar Vista, CA. One room, no kitchen, and it became my sacred space for 2 years.

 With hardly anything, but a strong will and a humbled spirit, my private practice as an Esthetician and Herbalist was born. The journey was already under way.

 In 2016 I studied in New York with a wise, old woman named Susun Weed, a Witch. All five of her apprentices were not allowed to say the word “guy.” It was unacceptable around her and she would only accept “Gaia” instead. It was difficult to change my habitual language, but eventually I started to remember. I admired how she created her reality, yet I feared her verbal abuse. Ironic eh? I lived on her land for two weeks and was initiated as a Green Witch, polishing my toe green as the final induction. The Washington Post wrote a great article about the word “guy” and its origins. Although now common language, the Oxford English Dictionary defines it as a “person of grotesque appearance.” When I came back to L.A, I began noticing how many people said “Guy” when referring to myself and women. It really bothered me. I attempted to correct them several times, then held my tongue, then it became plain awkward. Nobody cared. It was a construct. Once I realized my offenders never intended to insult or hurt me, I stopped physically hearing it. I can’t even remember the last time. I know they’re saying it, but I just can’t hear them.  The origin of “guy” has become a fun fact in Etymology. Now it means “a man or woman.” It’s amazing how our language morphs, twists and turns, along with history, experiences and ideologies.  

 Why am I telling you my life story? Well, because it all has to do with the G word. With all of that being said, we are still in a predicament because the G word is STILL used as a derogatory ethnic slur in other parts of the world.  In this very moment. In fact, people all over the world continue to oppress minorities and entire countries still deny genocides and documented accounts of massive human extermination. This pains my heart so. I dream of a peaceful planet where all cultures can learn from one another, respecting the language, food, music, fashion, art, and religious views. May we all migrate toward our tribes. This is a tall order; however, THIS is my focus, not how the G word has dubious meanings around the globe. My work is to continue finding my truth, my voice, and stand up for what I believe in. Of course, my writings and teachings are a part of this. I believe in service to the people, empowering women and leaving the world a cleaner place. It’s that simple.

 There is freedom and oppression within the G word. It has become an archetype. At age 3, my mother chose this as my costume on Halloween, dressing me in a gold scarf, bright red lipstick, blush and hoop earrings (clip on of course!). Let us think about it as an archetype. Like Witch, Faerie, Crone, Goddess, and Bitch, all those that we have reclaimed.  Allow for the good, the bad, and the ugly. I don’t subscribe to living in a paradigm that even allows for racism. Using the word racist and race separates us more than it holds us. I think that for people in the U.S, the G word conjures up feelings of traveling, romance, fashion, mystery, a free spirit, natural living, family, and determination. The irony and most painful part of this archetype is that one group of people on one side of the world felt and feel offended by it, and the other groups in the West have gained wild open-hearted freedom from it. We must ponder as a society, no matter where we were in the past, we are here today and need to continue moving forward together. We cannot suspend each other in the past. As my Mentor once said, “It’s ok to look into the rear-view mirror every once in a while, but you can’t drive the car that way.”  

 I consistently check myself and tune into my energy. When I’m feeling off, I have to take a deep breath and move it into a higher vibration. Living in society with different people has its challenges, but I believe it is our human right to feel happy and free no matter what our circumstances. I wish this upon all cultures. Instead of accepting a slur from the oppressors, the people of Romany are in a great position to reclaim themselves. Let us embrace the real G word and may they come into the light. Let the women tell their stories, entering into evolution. My prayer is that we release the word into the ethers and let peace fall upon the land of the aggrieving. My highest belief about this is that we are one human race thriving together on Planet Earth.

 So here we are back in my studio apartment. I knew exactly what I had to do. I had to create work for myself, with my own two hands. I had to discover my passion, my gifts, and share them with the world. I had to learn from other women and I also promised myself I would stay in one place as long as I could. Humbled by my life on the road, I was finally feeling confident, independent, and free once again. I began embracing my call to the wild, to ceremony, Paganism, the plants, and natural healing methods, reading books, apprenticing, and attending workshops. I studied myself. I studied others. Along with the Magician, The G word was becoming a strong presence in my life.  I still receive gifts to this day that represent G word magic.

What I did not know until recently is that the Romany are STILL being oppressed in Eastern Europe and the G Word is not a nice word at all.

I interviewed a couple Roma men that I found online. I interviewed Romany women who use the term in their business brand. They told me that the prejudices are still occurring against them. They all said they are not personally offended by the word, but warned that others may be. As a woman of mixed European descent, I am always searching for cultural traditions that I can call my own. I grew up with a small family and little tradition.  This is partly why I am so drawn to the archetype and the lifestyle, one that allows me freedom, contrary to what others feel the G word means.  

 I am a privledged white woman. I will use my voice to help others in need. I will continue to lead by example. I am a Lover. I am a Magician. I am a Manifestor. I am not an oppressor. I am not a racist. I AM wild and rooted.

 The Archetype that I felt would continue to represent my journey, my dream, and my passion was Gypsy (oops I said it), but after months of pondering the last three years of my life in the herbal world and reading historical accounts of this word and how misused it has been, it has left a rather bitter taste on my lips. I have decided to evolve myself, my name, and my brand to include more herbal knowledge, medicine making skills, and workshops. A name that I feel will bring the people together. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Things really do happen for a reason and sometimes buttons get pushed for a higher purpose. I will be launching a new website soon so stay tuned!!! I created a name that represents my most divine constitution. A name that is not controversial, or offensive, but one that remains powerful and meaningful to me. I belong to no one.  

 I AM WildNRooted!!  

Emilee Amara

Holistic Facials, Herbalist

I will speed up your wordpress website speed drastically

I will speed up your wordpress website speed drastically https://www.digitfiverr.com/2020/09/i-will-speed-up-your-wordpress-website.html

https://www.digitfiverr.com/2020/09/i-will-speed-up-your-wordpress-website.html

#1 WordPress Speed Up Gig on Fiverr

Are You, Your Website Visitors and Google Frustrated of Your Slow Website?

♛ We can help you to speed up your WordPress website.

Why Site Speed is Important? 1. Google has announced that fast sites rank high. 2. Most people close your site if it does not load within 5 seconds. Less Visitors = Less Money. 3. Slow sites make users angry. Negative User Experience is not good for business.

♛ We'll make your website so fast that your visitors will say "WOW!".

After we speed up your site: ✔ Your site will start RANKING high on Google ✔ Visitors will Love your site and open more pages ✔ Your Sales, Revenue and Ad clicks will increase

Why Kreativo Pro? 1. 100% Customer Satisfaction Guarantee 2. 7 Years of Experience in WordPress Development 3. You Get After-Gig Support 4. Once we speed up your website, it remains fast forever

♛ IMPORTANT: Please message us before ordering. We'll reply to your message within 60 SECONDS. Try now!

NOTE: You will get Before & After GTMetrix reports for comparison.

LIMITED TIME BONUS: Free Security and Automatic Backup setup in all orders.

Don't Wait. Order Now!

specialization

Blog Business Education Portfolio Entertainment Non-profit Wedding Podcasting Online Communities Forms Crowdfunding Wiki /Knowledge SaaS Job Board Portal Brochure Supported plugin types

Marketing Payment Forum Social Media Customer Support Shipping Inventory Analytics Video Form Events Music Chat Membership Map FAQ Gallery Integrating Plugins

Adsense Akismet All in One SEO Pack Amazon Aweber Clickbank Contact Form 7 Facebook Getresponse Gravity Forms Instagram LinkedIn Mailchimp OpenCart Paypal Twitter Vimeo W3 Total Cache WooCommerce WordPress SEO by Yoast Youtube

keys : 

website, blog, business, education, portfolio, entrepreneur, site, montessori, department of education, web design, amazon business, woocommerce, website design, vlog, education city, fox business, iep, website builder, omg blog, trade school, trish regan, teaching, homeschooling, my ed, startups, 99 cents store, starting a business, private school near me, college board ap, ed s, compani, speeded, sitegrounds, onewp, wordpress, teacher pay teachers, speed up, wordpress website, linda ikeji blog, ministry of education, sped, polytechnic, business intelligence, maria montessori, b2c, wordpress themes, ece, bbc business, secondary school, businessman, higher education, montessori school, aesop online, physical education, primary school, web developer, ferpa, brick and mortar, york college, us department of education, free website builder, early childhood education, wix website, free website, board of education, websites, free hosting, parsons school of design, maria bartiromo, business ethics, international business, cnn business, web page design, paraprofessional, angel investors, my ed bc, wordpress plugins, secondary education, google pagespeed, business cycle, wix pricing, vocational school, chronicle of higher education, wordpress blog, fun brain, google web designer, us auto sales, aws educate, company search, bloglovin, wordpress templates, wpml, times higher education, squarespace pricing, educational psychology, wix site, trade schools near me, field trip, wordpress hosting, adult education, turtleboy sports, social enterprise, online school, portfolio management, socrative teacher, nyc doe calendar, waldorf school, private school, nyc school calendar, special education, website development, blog to, ecommerce website, google blog, japanese school, yahoo finance portfolio, corporation tax, continuing education, dinar recaps blog, online learning, professional development, business strategy, best website builder, blog sites, world education services, philosophy of education, chase ink, website maker, chick fil a franchise, dropbox business, stem education, distance learning, open learning, teach account, the celtic blog, business partner, nc ed cloud, hmv store, bloomberg businessweek, online mba, avada theme, business whatsapp, maddow blog, responsive design, tumblr themes, best colleges, mary mcleod bethune, zola wedding website, edtech, web design agency, web design company, school board, my portfolio, mobile car wash, insurance auto auction, godaddy website, wedding website, universal technical institute, amazon business account, mary kay ash, payroll services, arseblog news, freckle student dashboard, teaching philosophy, ipeds, canada college, office for students, google business listing, technical college, website creator, mcmansion hell, school subjects, family dollar store, extra petite, tk20, make a website, apple school manager, famous entrepreneurs, starting a blog, hbcu colleges, it company, schooling, online education, teaching standards, mcdonalds franchise, universal design for learning, largest companies in the world, asset allocation, kidblog, create a blog, godaddy website builder, start up business, mlm company, k12 online school, starting your own business, alternative school, secondary schools near me, new york city department of education, not a blog, company culture, ford motor company stock, online mba programs, sir ken robinson, blog post, portfolio website, teachers college, la salle college, postsecondary education, home business, wiley college, verizon wireless business, ecommerce business, gmail business, business week, tide bank, business marketing, portfolio visualizer, women in business, make your own website, weebly student, new google sites, disney tourist blog, master of education, finance companies, aesop frontline education, best business to start, blog writing, catholic school, business owner, sears store, paraeducator, technical schools, retail stores, business meeting, adult learning center, company values, sears store near me, good colleges, assistant teacher, law firms, national education association, manufacturing companies, my education bc, amazon store near me, business coaching, lifestyle blog, web host, going postal blog, macy's store, publicly traded companies, saas company, stuart varney, export import, amazon grocery store, photography websites, duffel blog, cnbc finance, warren buffett portfolio, free website maker, online teaching, accounting firms, the small things blog, wordpress free, business majors, marketing company, focpx, blog websites, best blogging platform, liz claman, school pod, classdojo for teachers, ford motor company stock price, azure student, educational systems, joe biden education, black owned businesses, software companies, solar company, small businesses, revolut for business, highered, jcpenney store, starting a small business, teachers union, free website creator, shopify website, investor business daily, electrician trade school, driver ed, private elementary schools near me, postsecondary, mom and pop, international schools, independent school, super teachers, lululemon store, web hosting free, startup business loans, invest in startups, states ranked by education, online businesses, the knot wedding websites, trucking company, m&s stores, co op business banking, lifelong learner, buying a business, teacher strategies, markets insider, applied education, wayfair stores, best online shops, wordapp, consumerportfolio, coin master blog, seo yoast, kids blog, installing wordpress, food blogging, model blog, travel blogging, making money blogging, mrs money mustache, wordpressorg, wordpresscom, fashion blogging, theme astra, consumers portfolio services, managed investments, ,