For years, I had such awful, stupid ideas about taking care of myself. For a long time my goals were in weight loss, and I was caught up in limiting ideas about dress sizes instead of considering health and wellness. As a teenager, I was bulimic and that began as a deliberate choice. Dumb. I…
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Trinidad Corn Soup, American Ingredients – The Trini Corn Soup Remix
Unless you’ve been under a rock for the last few days, huge swaths of America have been affected by the Polar Vortex. It’s been miserably cold here in Chicago, and for a few days we were completely snowed in and hibernating while the wind chill dipped to minus 40 and below. Being hunkered down…
10 Things I Learned Last Year to Make 2014 Awesome
2013 was a year of new experiences and opportunities I couldn’t have anticipated before. I found myself going to places I’ve never been, dealing with issues from my past that I hadn’t dealt with in years, and having to rise to the occasion to represent on levels that I never dreamed of. I did a…
Island Pride – Tessanne Wins The Voice!
I’m not usually one for reality show singing competitions, but two main factors can suck me into any kind of television programming. #1 – show me a competitor with true, raw, undeniable talent and #2 – let me know that someone on the show is from the Caribbean and is proud to represent our…
What Beyoncé’s New Album Release Taught Me
In case you took a social media break over the weekend and missed the explosion, Beyoncé released a new album when absolutely nobody was expecting it. 17 songs. 14 videos. And all she did was post a sneak preview video on Instagram and say “surprise!” She sold 450,000+ in the first day. Her latest release…
Trinidad’s Eggnog – Ponche De Creme, The Best Boozy Christmas Drink
When I grew up in Trinidad, each member of my family had a role to play at Christmas. My mom was in charge of making the salt bread and the ginger beer. My dad was (and still is) the official ham supervisor. My brother would make pancakes for our breakfast. My brother Dominic would usually…
Throwback Thursday. A Year Ago, I Gave a TEDx Talk in Trinidad
I couldn’t sleep. The night before my TEDx Port of Spain appearance, I was nervous to the point of nauseousness. I remember tossing and turning in my old bed, trying to fall asleep in my old childhood bedroom. I had written a speech, but the point was to practice it over and over again until…
Your Official Afrobella Natural Hair Holiday Shopping Guide
Christmas Day is right around the corner. If you haven’t started your holiday shopping yet, this is your day to do as much online shopping as possible. I’m here to help! Before I get into my natural hair holiday shopping guide, allow me to share two similar guides with you. Buzzfeed is one of my…
How To Live A Life More Like Nelson Mandela’s
On December 5, 2013, the world lost Nelson Mandela. At age 95, he had lived an incredibly full life and news of his ailing dominated headlines this year, so hearing that Mandela had passed made me feel a strange mixture of sadness and acceptance. As Bishop Desmond Tutu expressed, “we are relieved that his…
Quick, Easy, YUMMY Thanksgiving Recipes by Chicago’s Coolest Chef Julius Russell
Before I begin this post, can I just say OMG?! I can’t believe it’s already Thanksgiving week!! This week, all over the USA people will be getting on planes, loading up cars, setting tables and gathering with family to celebrate over football and the annual, traditional feast. This year I will be celebrating in St….