And All That Jaz - Podcast

So much has happened these past few weeks and it seems like the phrase 'Black Lives Matter' is no longer seen as taboo. Companies and corporations everywhere are saying in and donating to the cause and Tavaria and I have so many thoughts and feelings about the sudden surge in participation in the movement. We also dive into the history of the upcoming holiday, Juneteenth and why it's so important to Black people in the South. I've also been binging documentaries and noticed a keen difference between the R. Kelly and Jeff Epstein one that I had to share with y'all this week.

Finally, we wanted to end things on a lighter note because one of the ways we can keep sane during times of crisis is to laugh so we talked about the scam goddess that is B. Simone and we finished off the episode talking about 'Insecure'. I want to preface this and say that we recorded this episode on Sunday prior to the season finale of 'Insecure'. I watched it in shock with the rest of y'all and then had a full hour-long Facetime chat with 3 of my girls about not only the episode, but the entire season so please believe that a mini AAtJ episode about the show is coming soon!

Y'all know the drill, grab a cup of coffee and tune in!

This week was heavy, like really heavy. Working from home made it easier because I was able to cry when I needed to and I didn't have to deal with people directly. Between the tears and the physical manifestation of dealing with all of this I'm tired.

I'm tired of my brothers and sisters being MURDERED and their MURDERERS not being held accountable. I'm tired of the "allies" who channel Helen Keller when it's time to speak up and march along with us. I'm tired of the respectability politics and the "not all people" folks. I'm tired of breaking our backs doing the work we shouldn't be doing alone. WE CANNOT FIX A SYSTEM THAT WASN'T MADE FOR US.

In case you couldn't tell I'll be speaking about Christian Cooper and George Floyd on today's episode. I'll be talking about the language of the unheard and how folks need to stop slicing and dicing MLK Jr and the bible to fit whatever BS docile narrative they want to shove down the throat of BIPOC today. So take a listen, get uncomfortable, do the research, and do your part by putting your money and actions where your mouth is and having that uncomfortable conversation with others in your life.

And just like that, I'm back with another podcast episode! Your eyes and ears don't deceive you, I've recently rebranded! On this week's episode we're talking about the last few Verzuz battles, especially when Nelly lost to Ludacris and became a piece of modern artwork. We're also talking about romance during this quarantine period and how it's still possible to not only meet new people but to go on dates with them as well! This is a short episode so grab a mug of tea or coffee and dive right in!

On this week's episode I'll be sharing a few more quarantine purchases, as well as my opinion on what Texas is doing on a state and what we're doing on a local level as far as reopening everything. And since my parents are typically a few episodes behind on my show I think it's safe for me to share my Mother's Day gift for my step-mom with y'all. You know the drill by now, grab a mug of coffee or tea and tune in below. You have options this time!

Links:

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Essential Oil Starter Kit (16 10oz bottles) - https://amzn.to/3aUAyUY

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Shout out to Tyrese and Teddy Riley for this week's episode. Whew chile! Saturday's show was a mess, and Monday's was slightly better. We're (yes, you read that correctly I have a co-host this week) talking about that, stimulating the economy, vetting quarantine baes and more this week. You know the drill, grab a mug of coffee or tea and tune in!

I was feeling a little inspired by Sunday's episode of 'Insecure' and a conversation that was had on a virtual happy hour this past weekend. I can't guarantee that I'll be dropping weekly episodes during this quarantine (that's now been extended to May 13 in Texas), so don't get used to them but I might have a little something special for y'all next week! 

I've lost track of what quarantine day this is, but I will say that I actually put on real clothes today. And by real clothes I mean a jumpsuit instead of leggings and a pullover. Today's episode is about our new Rona normal. I'm sharing my binge watch suggestions (and I just realized that I forgot to mention 'All American' on Netflix, go watch both seasons of that), my new obsession on Instagram, how Patreon accounts and Only Fan pages are essentially the same thing, and reminding folks to give themselves grace. I know I usually say grab a mug of coffee or tea, but times are rough so feel free to grab a real drink or a pint of ice cream and check out this episode!

This week's mini-episode is all about that 'Rona. Y'all know what I'm talking about too, COVID-19/Coronavirus. As many of us are preparing to hunker down for some social distancing I wanted to share a few tips to make working from home a bit easier, as well as a few TV binge recommendations in case you have the time off work. I touched on how I feel about folks clearing shelves at stores just because they can. I also shared some pretty standard (in my opinion) prevention tips. You know the drill, make your coffee/tea and tuck in for a good episode. While you're at it, share it with a friend!

I know the media can be a bit much at times, so if you want to limit your news intake to valid sources for just information then please check out the CDC's website and the World Health Organization's website. 

Last week I mentioned having something special for y'all on the blog...and this is it! It's always nice to collaborate with people you love and admire in real life, especially when they're repeat collaborations! Bri and Jordan are no strangers to the show (or my life), and when Bri pitched this crossover/guest podcast of sorts Jordan and I immediately said hell yeah! (Five points if you know the video I'm referencing there).

You guys know I'm all about trying to live my authentic best life, so it's always nice when I meet other people especially women who are doing the same thing. Both Jordan and Bri are lifestyle/motivational bloggers who I believe are killing it on their platforms. Jordan's blog is one that I check on a regular basis and she's now launched a podcast that I absolutely loved and even shared with y'all last week! Bri recently celebrated the one year anniversary of her blog and did so in a big way! Both women have been featured in Voyage Houston and not only are they flourishing in their creative fields, but they're doing the same in their careers!

We mentioned this on the show, but all three of us have had similar experiences in women not helping other women even though we are in very different industries. I don't want to give too much away, but I think that this episode is right on time for the celebration of Women's History in March and I'm…well we're…really looking forward to y'all's feedback on it. You know the drill, grab a mug of coffee/tea/water and press play. And please feel free to send us your questions and comments!

Bri - Blog | Instagram

Jordan - Blog | Instagram | Podcast

Notable mentions: Y'all know I'm all about women helping other women, and I wanted to share the information for two other bloggers that I mentioned on today's episode. Go give Tanner Mann and Neely a follow!

Tanner is a new mom (like real fresh baby) who's also a really good beauty/fashion blogger! We definitely have different body types, but I love that I'm able to find inspiration in her outfit choices and tailor them to fit my curves. You can find her at tannermann.com and @tannermmann on Instagram.

Neely is an OG blogger who I followed and admired for years before our relationship developed into a beautiful friendship. She's a fellow Texas blogger who does it all: mommy blogging, travel blogging, lifestyle blogging and more! She's not new to the game, she's true to it and is one of the sweetest people I know! You can find her at itstartswithcoffee.com and @neelykins on all social platforms!

What?! We made it to 50 episodes!!! Thank y'all so much for listening in these past few years, for all of the emails, comments, shares, DMs, everything. I truly appreciate it. Y'all have been super flexible with the hosting changes and rebranding and I hope you continue to stick around because I plan on putting out content for a while!

February is typically seen as the month of love, so both episodes this month will be centered around that theme. You can probably tell by the title of today's episode that I'll be talking about struggle love again and how It's absolute BASURA! I have a few hot topics but I promise they will all tie together; and I want to preface this episode by saying I love Black men. I was raised by one, related to a bunch of them, I've loved a few over the years and my siblings are raising some exquisite Black boys. So keep that in mind while you listen to this episode and hear my opinions on this Gayle King interview, Gervontae Davis' assault and Bobby Love's trash love story from Humans of New York.

You know the drill, grab a mug of tea and check out today's episode!