We’re baaaack, baby! 🙌 After a little break, BabeAF is back in your earbuds and we’re kicking it off with some sunshine for your soul. This week we’re talking about the magic of dropping your routine, hopping on a plane, and letting the ocean breeze, sunburned skin, and belly laughs with your favorite people RESET your whole vibe.

From family reunions that feel like therapy (or adorable chaos in the form of my favorite toddler 👀) to the way friends become your chosen family when blood ties get messy—we’re unpacking the joy of traveling, reconnecting, and remembering that the point is JOY, not perfection. 🌴

Plus: my go-to travel-with-ease tips (because babes don’t lug 17 pairs of shoes through TSA), a cheeky quiz to see if you need a vacation yesterday, and your official permission slip to book the damn trip. ✈️

Buckle up, babes—we’re back, we’re sunburnt, and we’re ready to live BabeAF again.

What happens when you try something new?!

Whether it’s a new class, attending an event or really just getting outside- When you try something new, a lot of things happen—both externally and internally. Here’s a breakdown:

1. ​Your brain lights up.

Literally. New experiences activate the brain’s reward system and spark the growth of new neural pathways, especially in areas related to learning and memory. You’re rewiring yourself—just by showing up.

1. ​Fear and excitement dance together.

That fluttery feeling? It’s your nervous system reacting to the unknown. Trying something new often blends anxiety and anticipation—your body can’t always tell if it’s danger or thrill, but that’s the sweet spot of growth.

1. ​You shake up your routine.

New experiences break the autopilot mode. Suddenly, you’re paying attention again—tasting sharper, noticing more, reacting with intention instead of habit.

1. ​Your confidence builds.

Even if you “fail,” you showed up. You stepped out. That alone is a flex. Every time you do that, your belief in yourself deepens—and that’s way more powerful than being perfect.

1. ​You learn something.

Sometimes it’s a skill. Sometimes it’s a limit. Sometimes it’s “I actually hate hot yoga.” But you’re collecting data about who you are, what you like, what you want, and what’s worth your time.

1. ​It gets easier to keep trying.

Each new step makes the next one less scary. Risk becomes a muscle. So does joy. So does not giving a damn what people think.

⸻

So when you try something new, you’re not just changing your day—you’re changing your brain, your story, and your future. Even if it’s messy. Especially if it is.

Edit: this is episode 197 not 200 😝😜

Today’s episode is a celebration of the divine gift of sisterhood.

Inspired by the touching poem “Keep Your Girlfriends” from achristianhome.org, we’re diving into the sacred bond between women who hold each other up through every season. From whispered prayers to belly laughs, girlfriends are God’s way of saying “You don’t have to walk this life alone.”

Tune in as we unpack the beauty of friendships, and give a heartfelt shoutout to the women who make life richer, more hilarious, and a whole lot more fun.

Read the magnificent words here:

http://www.achristianhome.org/WomensMinistry/Grandmothers/keep_your_girlfriends.htm

Affirming the week ahead could be crucial to how your week can play out or a pivoted opportunity for yourself at each and any moment.

Thank you to @lawofattractionlive and @chakrahealingvibes on socials for the inspiration. Something you may need to remind yourself about inspirational posts and pieces you implement in your real life: they are negotiable and maneuverable to fit into your life and how you’d like to navigate it.

Write them down, make them your own, put them where you can see them: and let’s accomplish the goals together babes!

Excited to to release this weeks ‘redemption tour: featuring confident babes & Kelsea Ballerinj and the substack that follows :

https://open.substack.com/pub/babeafsocialclub

Girl, Stop saying 'I'm sorry'.

In 2025 we are going to stop fucking apologizing and this isn't the way that Ms. Hollis described it many years ago but we're going to do it in a way that is full of tough love in the best way possible. I want you to know that it never gets easier and you're never going to have it all figured out BUT if you continually fill yourself full of doubt instead of divine confidence, the world in which you live in, will never change.

Please x infinity, stop making yourself small- for the person you are and the things that you do. You're not hurting OR helping anyone, especially yourself.

Today's large take away is that you're never going to achieve the goals and dreams that you're liking of when your mind wonders and try to put into action if you keep apologizing.

Trust me when I tell you, it won't always be this hard to self-analyze, it's kind of like cleaning out your mental closet. So let's purge Pam (the self-doubt bitch peep episode 98) from your brain and see how clear you feel and can then start anew as often or regularly as you need too, K babes?

You've got this, we've got this- let's go!

OMG I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS IS THE FIRST EPISODE FOR 2025!

We're bringing some MCE to your life this year babes! Do you have it? How do you Embrace it? How do you enhance it in others???

Let's find out some quick tips from this great article from Greenlight!

Read all about it here: https://greenlight.com/learning-center/parenting-and-family/main-character-energy

This is your permission slip to stay in the pool of grief with an arm out of the water so someone can help pull you out. Yesterday, our plott hound of 13 years passed away on the arm of my husband, covered in a blanket from my parents (thank you Momma & Poppa Rose for letting me steal that comforter years ago, it was his favorite), in his sleep. That boy was the best and for now, that’s all I have for you.

Except one more thing I learned from that guy but didn’t share in the episode: stay inquisitive just like Banner Thomas Dukes. Thank you for giving me the best love I didn’t know I needed.

Rest easy sweet Bannerman

8.12.2011-12.01.2024 ♥️✨🥹

honestly, the time together is great, but the time apart living in your individuality reigns supreme. of course, not all the time, but at least enough time so that you feel centered, challenged and cherished. for yourself, in order to make yourself the best presence for others and remain grateful in those relationships: the ones you've always had, the ones you're nurturing and those you've left behind. Challenge yourself this week darlin, its one of the greatest ways to remain grateful for your time here. I am here to help you understand that loving yourself first, leaves space for you to let all those who didn't love you before, step in and do the best work because you understand how cherished all time together and relationships from here on out- can improve your daily dose of filling your love cup.

+ sorry for the sideways video, we're learning over here

Let’s Grow!

Affirmations to Manifest.

• nothing changes if nothing changes.

• it is never too late to start the thing.

• yes there will be ruptures but focus on the repair.

• sometimes it is you.

• listen to your body, it knows.

• self-compassion releases you/judgement never will.

• not everyone will get you, they're not your people.

• your inner critic should not be your guide.

• choose people who choose you.

• deep honest conversations with yourself are hard but sometimes the only way.

4 things You can do to build your confidence

1. Spend time alone - take

yourself on little dates and get

comfortable doing things in

your own company

2. Prioritizing your health - you love

yourself more when you water

your own plants

3. Staying in your own lane - stop

comparing yourself. Someone

else's intelligence or beauty

doesn't take away from yours

4. Focus on dreams & goals - you'll

feel so much more sure of

yourself if you know

the direction, you're going in

Ilybunches @thebabeafpod