This week’s post is all about setting new goals and fun (dating) ideas that I want to do this year. I saw this trend online where couples are doing the A to Z dating. Just a disclaimer: I am still single and did not keep my word as stated in my 2023 post. As I said before 2024 was a strange year. I will start by doing these “date” ideas solo or with my friends. When Mister Right arrives in 2025 he is more than welcome to join in on all the fun.
Category: Lifestyle
Challenging myself- 75 Soft Challenge
Challenging myself
Challenging myself for 75 days. As the new season is about to start, I have decided to start this challenge that I have been seeing going around. It is called the 75 Soft Challenge. More about that next. I won’t be me if there isn’t a brief ramble before I get to my topic.
Everything hurts
I am turning 46 in about 2.5 months. I have been on and off my fitness journey for years but I haven’t moved this body for months now. My body is reminding me that I am 45! Everything hurts! 😅 In my mind I will forever be 28 but my body is telling me the hell you ain’t! So it’s time to make some drastic changes and get these muscles back to work. The way I have to take a minute and think before getting up isn’t cute anymore and let’s be honest it never was cute. This laziness needs to stop immediately!
Back to this week’s topic
– 75 Hard Challenge
Back to this challenge. I have seen this challenge go around called the 75 Hard Challenge. I got curious read the rules and thought: “Who am I kidding? There is no way I am going to keep this up for 75 days. These are the rules for this challenge. The link brings you to Andy Frisella who started the challenge. The results of the clients are amazing but I also know myself and there is no way that I am going to keep this up for 75 days. I admire those people a lot!
-75 Soft Challenge
So here is the one I am going to do. I am going to do the 75 Soft Challenge. The rules are a bit more doable. I have read that a Fitness influencer named Stephen Gallagher came up with the soft version and posted it on TikTok.
These are the rules for 75 days.
- Eat well and only drink on social occasions
- Train for 45 minutes per day and include one day of active recovery per week.
- Drink 3 liters of water per day. (This is going to be a difficult one because I already drink 2 liters a day and it is a LOT)
- Read 10 pages of any book each day. (This will be easy because I will probably read more than that because I love to read. The difficult part will be which book to choose)
Documenting results
I am going to document it so more people can hold me accountable. I will write about it here and I will post some pics on my Instagram. I want to tone my body and lose some weight but in a way that I won’t quit because finding an excuse to not exercise is very easy for me. I am the person who will be like oh it’s 7.14 of course I have to start at 7.30. If 7.30 goes by and I haven’t done it, I will say well it’s better I do it first thing in the morning. Anyway, you get my point. I am writing this on a Sunday because of course I have to start this challenge on a Monday. I am such a walking cliché sometimes.
10000 steps a day
I am also going to keep walking 10000 steps a day. I use the Pacer app on my watch and phone. I started using this when I did the Lydia Dinga Step Challenge in July. She is such an inspiration because she even goes on her walks when it’s raining. Then there is me who goes: “Oh no it’s raining I better go tomorrow.” Box braids are in so I have no excuse to not walk in the rain. Black women and their hair 🙋🏾♀️
Nervous
I am a bit nervous about starting this 75 soft challenge because I don’t want my “I quit mind” taking over. I can’t wait to see the changes in not only my body but also my mind. If I get this done I am going to be so proud. But let me scratch that and change it to I AM GOING TO GET THIS DONE!
Let’s do this!
Let’s go and if you are also going to do this, let me know and we can hold each other accountable. As always thanxx so much for taking the time to read. Feel free to like and share (if you want to of course) ☺️
Let this journey begin! Talk to you next week. 🫶🏾💛
Cute Dates with Friends
This week’s post is about cute dates with your friends. Life is not just all about dating for romance. Nurturing friendships is very important to me. So besides talking about dating romantically I also want to talk about cute date ideas with friends. Last week’s post was about Cute Date Ideas To Go On with someone you like romantically. This week it’s all about the most important part of my life. The most important parts of my life (besides my fam of course) are my friends.
Cherished Friendships
Some of my friends I have known for a lot of years. One I have known for about 20 years or more. My little sister is also one of my best friends. It is so special to have these people in my life for so many years and we still have so much fun together. I see my girl group as my sisters. They are my family! My life would be so BORING without them. These are the people I can call anytime and I know they would come running to help. Of course, I will do the same for them.
Our type of Friendship
We have the type of friendship that still does sleepovers every once in a while and hang out at least once a week. We call and text each other multiple times a day to catch up or repeat the same fun things and laugh. I cherish our friendship so so much. I was telling them last week about my post about cute date ideas and my best friend said how about cute date ideas with friends. I thought yes that’s a good and fun topic.
Plans that never leave the group chat
I guess we all know about the plans that never leave the group chat. But we are trying more and more to get the plans out of the chat and into real life. One of the things we always do is go to Carnival in London. This is our girl’s trip. We get to hang out for 4 days and stay in the same room, have breakfast together, and party in the streets of Notting Hill. I know this is not for everybody because not everybody loves to be in loud and crowded areas.
Ideas to do with Friends
I have written a small list below with cute dates with friends. Let’s make it our mission to get the plans out of the group chat.
– Friendship Adventure Challenge
https://www.theadventurechallenge.com/collections/friends-edition/products/friends-set
I always say growing up is a trap. Of course, we are responsible people, etc but never let being a grown-up stand in the way of having fun. I saw this the other day and thought this seems like fun and I want to order it. It’s a scratch book with fun activities you can choose from and take pictures with the instant camera it comes with.
– Book a weekend away
Check into a hotel with your friends in a city that you have never been. This doesn’t have to be abroad. Before you go check out what activities you can do in this city. We did this a few times and I loved it! We didn’t do any activities except some shopping but that’s how we roll…LOL. We are a bit of a lazy group. We usually enjoy some shopping and lots of eating.
– Plan a sleepover
Who says that you can’t do sleepovers anymore just because you are older?
- Make a list of who brings what to eat and drink. It will make the whole event budget-friendly.
- Buy some masks (for some pampering) and cute matching pajamas. Think of how cute the pics will look.
- Fun card games with questions are card games that you can play to have even more fun during this sleepover. These questions are a great way to get to know each other even better.
- Make sure you have some movie titles ready for when everybody gets tired and you just want to relax.
- Make a nice breakfast together the next day before everybody goes home and reminisce about the night before.
- Please don’t forget to take some pics during the evening so you can always look back at them. They don’t even have to make it on social media but just for the archives. One of my best friends always says that and she is right. I enjoy looking at the pics that never made it online.
I hope you enjoyed these ideas and maybe you will do one or two of them. If you have fun ideas that you do with your friends feel free to let me know in the comments. Thank you for reading as always and talk to you soon 🫶🏾
p.s If you liked this week’s post you can click like or share the post to spread the love. Thanx 💛☺️
Cute Dates To Go On
Another lighthearted post this week. This week I am going to talk about three dates that seem cute to me. If you are on social media you must have come across discussions between people about how much a date should cost. They also discuss what a good date is. I think a date is fun if you like the company you are with. Because being at an expensive restaurant and you are not into the company you are with, the date will suck. If you like your date, even going to get some ice cream and getting to know each other while having a walk will be fun.
Here comes “Miss I am not even dating” with fun dating ideas.
Anyway, as someone who has invented being single and actually doesn’t date… LOL. I do have a few ideas for some cute dates in my future. I mean I am slowly, emphasis on the slowly part, but surely being more open to the idea of actually getting dressed to meet someone on a date. Not this month though hahaha I need to mentally prepare. (Haven’t we heard this before…side-eyeing myself 😒) I told you that I was going to be more open to dating but tada (surprise) I haven’t been on a single date hahaha…but no worries it will happen THIS YEAR!! Saying this here so you can hold me accountable.
Cute Date Ideas
Let me go ahead and tell you what I have in mind for cute date ideas. I mean you are not here to hear me talking about how I haven’t been on a date. You know that and you have probably given up like my brother-in-law. He is also waiting to have a new ‘bro” at the Christmas dinner table. I told him it’s hard in these streets. At this point, my Mr.Right has to be a delivery man or rob my house cause these streets ain’t it. (Please don’t rob my house. I was being sarcastic) I have also asked my friends what they would consider cute date ideas. Here are a few of mine and them.
1. Sip and Paint
I can’t draw or paint for the life of me but I can sip. Hey everybody has their talents. I think this date would be fun because it’s something different to do and you get to know the other person while you are doing an activity. I think the conversation will flow better because it isn’t an interview-style date. You know the ones where the questions are always the same. What is your favorite color…bla bla bla. I saw a funny TikTok about this. As I am writing this I am thinking maybe it will be better for a second date because what if you don’t like the person? But as I was writing that last sentence I thought well at least you had fun with the drinks and a fun painting. (Welcome to how my brain works. I am sure that my picture is in the dictionary next to Overthinker.)
2. R&B brunch
I saw this on my For You page on TikTok and thought this would be fun too. I saw a bunch of friends do this but I think I would most definitely enjoy this as a date too. Food, drinks, and my favorite genre of music. I love music and anything that has to do with music, especially R&B I would enjoy! This one can also be tricky as a first date because what if the music is too loud? Hear me out. Again if you don’t like your date 😱..bonus is that at least you enjoyed the music and the food. If you do like your date it gives you a chance to sit closer to your date and hear what they are saying 😉
3. A workshop
I asked my friends what they thought would be a good date and my friend said workshop. She came up with the idea of a workshop. For example, a cocktail workshop, and of course you can make this cocktail without alcohol too. Not all dates need alcohol of course.
Recommendations
The links recommended below are all in the Netherlands and as you know I haven’t been on these dates myself. I have read reviews and seen posts so if you go on a date before me, let me know if the location was fun. I have seen that people from different countries read my blog🫶🏾. Please let me know of fun places to go on a date in your country.
Thank you again for taking the time to read my blog and I will talk to you soon. Please feel free to click the like button or share the post on your own social media platforms. 💛
LINKS
Sip and Paint: I saw that the www.naturalhairclub.nl is going to have one on 9 September 2023 in Rotterdam
R&B Brunch: Villa Thalia has an event on 23 September 2023
My favorites of July 2023
In this post, I want to talk about 3 of my favorite things of July 2023. I thought it was about time to talk about something other than the thing that shall not be named. I want to be positive and tell you about things I enjoyed this past month. By the way, how are we almost in the month of August and where was the sun??? Why does summer not stick to its script? We just want sun and good vibes. We can’t be going from snow, rain, skip the sun, and back to fall with rain! But I am rambling and this was going to be a fun and positive post. So here we go. My favorites of July 2023.
Storytel
I have spoken about this Storytel app before in a previous post and I am loving it. I have made it a mission to start reading books again in 2023. I am doing well but I don’t always have the time to sit and read. As you know adult life is busy and with lots of responsibilities. Once done with things like cleaning my house or doing the laundry, I am too tired to sit and read. The Storytel app is great because I just listen to my books instead of listening to all the songs I have listened to a million times. I did a trial and I am hooked. I signed up.
Storytel- Books
I have finished the book The Mountain is You by Brianna Wiest (which I LOVED!!). I am currently listening to The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferris. As I am listening to this I realize that I am on the right path.
Hello Fresh
This seems like it’s a sponsored post but really I am not on that level…LOL!! These are truly things that I have loved this month and the past month. I DON’T like cooking one bit! I can cook but I don’t like it. I don’t want to think about recipes and at one point I think I became friends with all the take-out delivery people. This wasn’t good for my wallet or my weight. I wanted to try Hello Fresh for a while now but thought it was too expensive. But I was spending way more on ordering or going to my local grocery store every day of the week.
Hello Fresh -Easy Recipes
I love how simple the recipes are. I choose the easy ones because I DON’T like standing in the kitchen for too long. I chose the 3 days a week option and honestly, I eat for 5 days because I live alone. The app guides you through it and you also receive the menus in your box. I now send pics of my food every time to my sis and best friend because I feel like a CHEF 😌
Natural Hair/ Braided Ponytail
I have been loving my natural hair this last month. I always have braids, crochet curls, locs, etc. I do this because not only does it protect my natural hair but I also just love experimenting with new looks. Unfortunately, the weather doesn’t let me rock my fro but I am enjoying that I am letting my hair breathe. My go-to now is a braided ponytail (see pic) and I LOVE IT! I always rock these big hairs to hide my face but as I am growing older, I am loving myself, including my face more and more. I never liked it but that’s a story for another day. I also have the loveliest/ best friends/ sisters who always hype me up to love myself more and I guess it’s working so a shout-out to them❤️
Talk to you soon
I am going to end the post here because I feel like I can write for hours today. I don’t know what got into me. Thanx as always for taking the time to read. Let me know your favorites in the comments or you can also let me know on Instagram.
I hope you enjoyed this lighthearted post. Feel free to click on the share or like button on this post. 💛
I want to get fit again so I quit the gym.
How are these resolutions going?
So January has been here for almost four weeks now. Remember when we started with all of our New Year’s resolutions and all the changes we were going to make this year? Somewhere on my list, I had my “favorite” part and this is the I want to get fit again so I quit the gym. SAY WHAT?!? You might think well this isn’t the most logical thing to do if you want to get fit again but I have a very good reason. I realized that at this point I was sponsoring the place these last two years and when I checked my gym app it said I went 11 times in 365 days. I paid 29 Euros each month to not go. As if the world isn’t expensive enough. I do hope they got some good equipment due to my sponsoring them and never showing up.
Reasons I don’t like going to the gym.
1: It was taking too much time for me to go home, get my stuff and then leave the house again. I am that person who puts a little gloss on her lips and checks to see if I look alright to be amongst these gym people and not scare them. Plus I am an insecure as hell and always feel like everybody is looking at me and not because they think I am hot or anything. This makes me nervous so I need to look ok before I set foot in the gym.
2. I love either getting out of bed looking like crap, getting my workout in and showering, or getting out of work looking like crap (cause really why do we look like crap when we get out of work. I look lovely when I leave the house but anyway that’s another topic) and get my workout in and shower.
3. I never know what to do with the equipment in the gym besides the cardio stuff. I look like an idiot and I feel like everybody is looking at me looking at the equipment. It’s an embarrassing moment for all of us.
4. The bonus reason and basically the only reason I should have written down. I don’t like to leave my house once I am inside my house. Let’s just call it what it is and that’s that my ass is lazy!
So what’s my plan?
Better Me app
I have noticed that my clothes are getting a bit tighter these days so I want to nip it in the bud as they say. I have started with intermitted fasting. I have been doing this for 3 weeks now and the first 3 days were HELL!!! I was so used to eating something (nothing healthy of course) in the evening whilst watching everything and nothing on tv after work. I am doing the stop eating crap at 20.00 and I start eating again (healthy) at 12.00 the next day. I have to say it gets easier and easier. The only time it’s a bit hard is during the weekend because I am at home all day and I just want to eat and enjoy my weekend. I am thinking about doing this 6 days a week instead of 7. I will skip the intermitted fasting on Saturday because that is my longest day at home and life needs to be fun too and food is fun! I am using an app called Better Me which tells me when to work out, drink my water, and tells me when I can eat again. I know this might not be for everybody but I need something to remind me to be consistent otherwise these clothes are going to get tighter and tighter.
Workout apps and YouTube
As I said in the previous paragraph the app Better Me has workouts that you can do if you are a beginner to “you want to die from doing this workout but get the best body ever” I am of course doing the beginner part because I am not there yet to do the I want to die level hahaha but we’ll get there hopefully one day. As many of you may know and if you didn’t the title says it all..I DON’T like working out!!! I start and I quit! I have to literally drag myself to do it. I have found a way to “enjoy” this whole sweating to get a great body by doing workouts that don’t feel like workouts. I will list a few of my favorite channels and you can go check them out if you want to of course and see if maybe one or two will fit your lifestyle.
YouTube channels
https://www.youtube.com/@tarasbody This one is one of my faves. It is in French so you get to work out and learn French hahaha. She teaches you all these dances but while you are doing all of these moves you are also doing a full body workout. I love to dance so this is a win-win situation.
https://www.youtube.com/@Mrandmrsmuscle These workouts are sometimes short and sweet but once you get fitter they also have longer workouts. They have workouts with and without equipment so you can do them in your own living room. One of my faves is their abs workout but standing up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AEfmDJkuMg
https://www.youtube.com/@growwithjo Her channel is also so much fun. It’s also at-home friendly.
Why am I sharing this?
I am hoping that by posting this that maybe some of you will join me in this getting fitter lifestyle. Roll in our hotter and fitter bodies in Summer 23. Maybe we can keep each other accountable by checking in from time to time how many times a week we actually did a workout. I absolutely know that life can sometimes get in the way and that we can’t reach our goals every week but let’s be proud of ourselves if we at least do one workout a week.
At the moment I am working out 3x a week and eating healthier. To make my life easier I have all my working out stuff in my living room behind my couch. This way I have zero excuses. The stuff is there so no sitting on the couch before I have at least moved my body for at least 45 minutes to an hour. The only things I have to get upstairs are my workout clothes and it’s GO!!! I will let you know at the end of February how well this goal is going and if I am being consistent. Another thing before I stop writing is that I am not just doing this for a “hotter” body (this is a bonus of course) but I am also doing it to get fitter because once you get to 45 just getting up hurts..LOL so I need to get healthier.
Let me know if you are going to use one of these channels and how you liked them. Maybe working out at home is not your thing and that’s ok too of course. 🙂 We’ll keep each other posted.
Talk to you next week 🙂
2023 Goals
It’s that time of the year. GOALS GOALS GOALS! We are getting bombarded with posts about goals and things that people want to achieve. Well, here I am. I am people and I am going to join these other people and write down a few of my goals so I can live my best life in the years to come.
I do this every year but I never stick to the plan. You may think, why write them down again?? I am asking myself this too but I have more faith in myself this year because I already achieved one. The big one! The one about leaving my steady income. This was the scary one. So if I did this (and survived), I am sure it is possible to accomplish a few smaller ones and who knows I might also achieve the other big one that has been high on my list—the one about leaving the country for a few months.
Let me know what your goals are and how you are planning on achieving them next year. We can learn from each other. Hope you all are enjoying the festive season and if you are not, that’s ok too. I must say it isn’t my favorite time of the year either. I don’t hate it or anything but it’s just like any other day to me. I just see them as days that we don’t have to go to work and get to watch a bunch of shows we never have time for. The only thing that makes it unique to me is that it’s my nephew’s birthday on the 26th of December, he is my little heartbeat and I love seeing him happy when he is opening all of his presents.
Anyway back to our goals. I am excited for next year just because I have no idea where life is going to take me and I LOVE IT!!
This will be the last post in 2022. I will see you next year (which is in a few days so this sounds ridiculous…lol) Have fun and I wish us all a very happy New Year and may we all achieve everything we want in 2023.
LIST OF GOALS in 2023 (click on them to unfold and read more about them 🙂
You might already know this because I wrote about it in my previous post https://www.dushilifestyle.com/12-books-in-2023/
I am on a ban of buying books but I do want to buy this one. Have you read it?
Yes of course this is on the list. When has it ever not been on my list. Do I always achieve it…nope. I have already dismissed the idea of going to the gym cause let’s be real I never stick to that but what I can stick to is working out at home. I can roll out of bed and look horrible, get it done and continue with my day. The goal is to do this at least 4 times a week. Also walk more and get these steps in and of course eat healthier and avoid knowing the food delivery people by name.
This has been high on my list after quitting my job. The only reason I haven’t done it yet is cause I am afraid that I am going to miss my people. I am going to try and be a big girl and follow through with this plan cause life is short and I don’t want it to become something I might regret if I don’t do it. I have no idea how to start but I am going to figure it out. If you have done something like this already please let me know how you did it and how it feels to leave everything and everyone behind.
I have written about this one https://www.dushilifestyle.com/idea/
LOL!! I say this every year but as you can see this is on the bottom of my list because we have some personal goals to achieve first.
Dating is something else but I might do it and maybe we will get some nice stories out of these dates or maybe we will get one good story because I might just meet the man of my dreams on one of these dates. Who knows? I will at least try to have an open mind about this. I usually don’t so this is a HUGE step for me 
Just in case you have
This one speaks for itself. I want to see more of the world. I