How to keep your inner child and laugh more
Happy New Year Everyone. Wishing you a healthy and amazing 2021! By now, we’ve all probably written our new year’s resolutions with renewed effort, energy and discipline to ensure we achieve all our goals. Goals such as; (a) losing weight; (b) getting healthy; (c) finding a job or a new job; (d) possibly relocating; (e) meeting the one (*wink wink*), travelling and so on, are usually top of our lists. While all these plans are great and will generally contribute to our mental wellbeing during the year, we should all aim to maintain the child within us. Now, what does this mean? “We should try to laugh more and be happy.” There is a common myth that children laugh about 300 times a day and adults laugh about 20 times a day. While these numbers may not be accurate, the message is clear. As we grow older, we tend to laugh less and take life too seriously. This is mostly because our responsibilities and goals increase, and we are always looking to achieve more in different aspects of our lives. We can, however, try to laugh more while carrying our burdens and hoping for what is to come. “So how can we laugh more?” Well, here are some of my tips: Be grateful – Take a moment each day to remember all the things we are grateful for. This exercise helps us to remember everything in our lives that is going well, and what we should be grateful for. It also gives us renewed hope and strength that at the end of the day, everything will fall into place. Watch a funny movie – Funny movies make us laugh, even when we are in the worst of moods. When someone shows us a funny scene or says something hilarious, no matter how much you try to hesitate, you find yourself laughing. Solo dance parties – Now this is one of my favorites. I love listening to happy music, and dancing alone in my room, car, or the park. Anywhere you feel safe, just dance, let it all out and be happy. Talk to people who make you feel safe and happy – We all have that one family member or friend that always leaves us in a better mood every time after we talk to them. Speak to people like these more. Exercise – It’s scientifically proven that exercising releases endorphins, which are known as “happy hormones”. These happy hormones interact with the receptors in your brain that reduce your perception of pain and triggers a positive feeling all over your body. Learn to let things go – Now this is something that I still struggle with but have personally seen the benefits of by taking baby steps. As we go through life, a lot of things will most likely not go our way. When this happens, we should learn to accept it and move on. Stay hopeful – Believe that what you want, or need will happen. Have faith that God has answered your prayers and act like it. This programs our brains to believe we have already received all our heart’s desires and in turn, makes us happy. At the end of the day, we all have one life, so let us try to enjoy it and never let go of our inner child.
How to rock these 5 Corporate Styles effortlessly
At the concluded MET Gala, head swooped and ears buzzed, we saw fashion statement from the future, from Queen mother Serena Williams’ magnificent dress, to Tracy Ellis Ross’ – Mirror in the wall black emblem. We are trying to not mention Cardi’s overflowing regalia and Lupita Nyong’o statement headgear. Nonetheless, Zendaya was the star of the ball or MET rather. She came dressed in an outfit that lit up from a wave of a magic wand. With her very own fairy Godmother or father. Wouldn’t it be great if we all had fairy godmothers that would wave a wand at our swarthy wardrobes and Gbam, we are all glammed up. While we are still waiting for a fairy godmother/Wakanda father, we put together a number of ideas and ways you can switch up. Let’s take a more practical approach to our wardrobe. These makeover and outfit ideas are for that goal-getter who knows she can slay and deliver at the same time and is doing just that, while she might be able to stretch her budget. This boss lady wants to be in the know of fashion trend, she wants to be creative and classic, turning both eyes and heads at the meeting, for her we’ve set up an array of methods to switch that glam up We don’t leave the entrepreneur out, she’s making boss moves, she’s running from an event venue to meeting with her clients. She wants to make sure everything works well for her small business, and she wants to look like she means business to clients. She can’t bust a thousand box on clothes. What ways can she creatively switch up the narrative off her wardrobe from “please-help-this-newbie-entrepreneur” to “here’s -why-you-should-invest-in-my-business entrepreneur”. The Statement Stiletto A stiletto can transform your look from plain to classic. First, it elevates your status, gives you more moral to look people in the eye, and a statement stiletto draws eyes from your heels all the way up to your face. A statement stiletto can be stylish while remaining formal. They usually stand out in just one color. A bright red is an all-time favorite, a neon green will go too. Whatever you choose, make sure to pair them off with soft brown colors and power glasses. Make a statement without saying a word The Formal Ankara What better way to stand out than in an all in one Ankara print pants or skirts. While you rep the Wakanda nation. you bring with you that extra sauce and excitement that is otherwise drab in a suit and tie setting. Note: Ankara prints can get busy so it’s best to pair them off with single color, mainly white or black and minimal accessories. The Stylish Joggers Whoever told you pants can’t be stylish lied to you. There are days when a Motherland Mogul has to be on her feet, moving around to keep things in check, trying to meet up and staying all late to make orders move in the next morning. This is certainly no time to do a catwalk. When you really need that flexibility jump in from one car to another, a jogger’s gat you baby girl. It’s light, free and flexible, allowing you to be comfortable all day long. Paired with a jacket you can quickly make the switch from entrepreneur to the boss lady The Classic Pants Pastel pants come in all shapes and colors. Single-colored pastel pants bearing softer shades like woody brown or pastel pink are great together. Layering a turtle neck tee shirt or a tank top underneath the statement jackets makes your outfit pop. It’s easy, soft and comfortable and you can always switch from feeling classic in a jacket to party style in a tee-shirt styled into a crop top to fit at a party. However you choose to wear it, this outfit works for different occasions. The Multipurpose Jacket A bright colored jacket Is a must for any wardrobe. There’s barely anything you can’t rock with it. A bright colored jacket can be worn on a little black dress, a dinner gown, or even with a corporate dress. You can pair it up with a tee-shirt and you make a unique fashion statement. And if you dare, mix it up with sneakers or all stars. Now you have it, survey your wardrobe to find combinations that work. Here are 3 tips to help you recreate a new wardrobe in a week. Ransack your wardrobe, you would probably find a statement piece you didn’t know what to do with or a jacket you forgot from a long time ago, now is the time to bring out the slayer in you. Pair each outfit by color and accessories them. Next, you’d want to take photos of each outfit you think cuts the mark, scan through your Mirror, Mirror on the wall, and select the dopest of them all. Here are a few online thrift stores you can get clothing from, all of which can be found in Mall of Africa. Zara Boho Pretty Little things Budget shopping Fashionaova All outfits and dresses in this article can be found at StyleAmira’s fashion and lifestyle page. You can also find them on the gram. Till next time, let us slay together.
Read this when you are ready to master adulting
As members of the SLA community, we normally feel like we have so much to do but so little time. From juggling days and side hustles to attending networking events to building our online presence, traveling the world… we want to SLA-Y. Phew! It can be daunting since we can not afford to drop the ball in our private everyday life which is supposed to bolster our public presence. Part of owning your life is adulting. Simply put, adulting is taking up responsibilities so that you can free your time and money to succeed in all facets of life. Here are some of the basic things that every SLA sister should master in order to get her private act together: Managing your money Right off the bat, we have to address this issue because it is the root of everyone’s sanity. You may have heard that having a budget is the most important thing that you can do ad nauseam but it seriously is. A budget can be as simple as tracking your incomes and expenses on a specific notebook or an Excel for the math gurus. If you are into apps, you browse app stores and downloads like Mint. The most important thing is that you can regularly review where your money is going and where you are investing. How to feed yourself Regardless of your gender, cooking is that skill that you should have in your back pocket. Yes, delivery services are popping up, left, right and center but there is a sense of fulfillment that comes with making something from scratch. It saves you money and you can trust the food that you make at home more than someone else’s kitchen. It does not have to be rocket science since you can take time during your free time to do even the most basic-est of meal preps like boiling legumes and meats (for non-veggies) and then stew or sautee them during the week. Then have lunch or dinner ready in under 15 minutes during the week Launder your clothes This is one of my least favorite chores but it must be done. Decluttering does go a long way in reducing the amount of dirty laundry because you have fewer things to wash. Truth be told, you will prioritize the items that you REALLY need to wear to shine at that important presentation. 2017 was the year that I rediscovered the magic of reading care labels, especially when buying secondhand clothes. Try to avoid ‘dry clean only’ items like the plague to reduce your laundry bills. Plus you will be doing the environment a favor. DIY and embrace minimal living If there is ever a time to be more environmentally conscious, it is now. You can play your part by re-using things around your home. Simple ways that you can try out is like reusing glass jars in your kitchen to store your spices or cotton balls, which makes you look more organized without even trying. Those old towels and t-shirts can be great rags around the home. I have to mention that cleaning magic does happen when you use equal amounts of water and white vinegar. Scheduling your cleaning If you spend hours in traffic jam daily, you are probably thinking how is this even possible? I was like that too till I discovered how much you can achieve in between TV commercials or when you distract yourself with your favorite jams. By breaking down, that long list of chores into chunks in the week, you can make deep cleaning less daunting. Hopefully, by tackling the above basics you will be able to reclaim your time and peace of mind so that you can other things outside your home. Do you have a story to share with us? Share your story here.