Black Dog Moms Are Taking Over Social Media
Black women and their four-legged besties are taking over social media! From rub downs with shea butter to five-star hand-prepared meals and matching robes, content creators are carving out their own lane of #DogMom life on the internet. With every post, Black women are diversifying “Pet TikTok” and breaking stereotypes of Black families and their pets.
In an interview with the I’ve Had It podcast, dog mom Brittani Mfn Monique shared, “There’s a stigma that Black people don’t like animals, don’t like animals on our furniture, and we keep dogs outside in chains. It’s a new generation…we treat our babies like our children.”
xoNecole rounded up five Black dog moms for you to follow that have a little bit of everything from luxury living to four-legged comedians nailing hilarious voiceovers. With breeds from pit bulls to poodles, these ladies are #DogMomGoals and will have your own pup judging you for another morning of kibble and bits instead of making steak and eggs for them for breakfast.
Check out our Black Girl Dog Mom list below for inspiration on bringing the good life to your pup.
@papathepoodle
Papa and his mom, Ashley, are what you get when you merge The Real Housewives of Atlanta with a WFH dog mom and an adorable golden mini poodle. Papa the Poodle delivers infamous NeNe Leakes voiceovers with a dash of side-eye, judging his mom, Ashley, whenever she has the audacity to leave the house without him. Followers come for the hilarious antics of the two and stay for the looks that Ashley serves. Honestly, we wouldn't be surprised if Papa saw this article and rolled his eyes at anyone, thinking he’s not the star of the page.
@bigdaddy_nem
@bigdaddy_nem Not me sounding like @Beyoncé 😭😭😭 I ain’t good enough, but HE still loves me! Happy Sunday Family! Thank y’all for being a part of our village! 💙💜🐶 #bigdaddynem #dogfamily #praisethelord #holydog #churchdogs #praiseandworship
“I didn’t raise y’all like that!” Brittani “Mfn” Monique proves we all had the same childhood, and Black mama mannerisms and sayings will work on anyone…even if your children are bulldogs. The mother of five went viral when one of her children “tattled” on his big brother for having his toys and resulting in all five of the dogs being sent straight to bed! Brittani chronicles life with her dogs, starting with the eldest and the most stubborn Big Daddy, the twins' Daisy and Autumn, and the twins Phil and Lil, who just turned one.
Whether it’s chewing out the kids or teaching them how to ring the doorbell, Brittani is changing how society views multiple pets in the household and giving us all a laugh showing that even dogs have baby mama/daddy drama!
@reignstormpit
@reignstormpit 💙🐾 Pitbull Morning Routine Moisturizing #foryou #foryoupage #dogsoftiktok #pitbull #morningroutine #dogcare #doggrooming #relaxing #viral
When you click on Reignstormpit’s page, followers are immediately transported to a world of food ASMR. Steaks sizzle, rice boils, broccoli is steamed, and eggs are cracked in heart-shaped molds, and it's all served to two pit bulls. Thousands of followers joke in the comments, “Your dogs eat better than me!” and the lavish life doesn’t stop at mealtime. Reign’s bathtime mimics the experience of a luxury spa, including a coconut oil rubdown and heated towels to dry off, and the way she lovingly looks at her mom throughout the whole bath is enough to make anyone’s heart melt. Reign’s page is the finer side of #DogLife and highlights products, foods, and products to elevate your pup’s life!
@crimsonthecavapoo
@crimsonthecavapoo Don’t leave toys unattended around ya boy! 😅 #hesa10but #hesmine #dogtok #mokensteffhesmine #dogtoys #fyp #dogmomproblems
From Christmas photoshoots, custom birthday cakes, and his favorite meal, Pho, (yes, there is Pho for dogs!) Tia spoils her adorable reddish-brown Cavapoo puppy and affectionately calls him her “broke bestie!” The two-year-old pup keeps followers entertained by walking in his custom “Crimson” hoodie to remind his dog mom, Tia, that her life revolves around him, and honestly, she doesn’t seem to mind!
@_Ravenalexandriaa
@ravenalexandriaa The eyes , the posture , everything. The way he is big chilling on the pillow that hes not supposed to be on 🙃 #Dogmom #dogsoftiktok #puppytiktok #goldendoodle #doodle #greenscreen
“I'm not like a regular mom, I'm a cool mom.” But, make it a dog mom, and you get Raven and Kobe. Kobe is a Goldendoodle who keeps his mom on her toes with his adorable antics! The 55-pound dog is always in her arms, whether it's just for some little extra loving or because he’s refusing to get in a pool. Raven couldn’t claim her dog as a dependent, but that doesn’t stop the duo from giving followers laughs on their daily adventures!
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by MStudioImages/Getty Images
Smile, Sis! These Five Improvements Can Upgrade Your Oral Hygiene Instantly
This article is in partnership with Sensodyne.
Our teeth are connected to so many things - our nutrition, our confidence, and our overall mood. We often take for granted how important healthy teeth are, until issues like tooth sensitivity or gum recession come to remind us. Like most things related to our bodies, prevention is the best medicine. Here are five things you can do immediately to improve your oral hygiene, prevent tooth sensitivity, and avoid dental issues down the road.
1) Go Easy On the Rough Brushing: Brushing your teeth is and always will be priority number one in the oral hygiene department. No surprises there! However, there is such a thing as applying too much pressure when brushing…and that can lead to problems over time. Use a toothbrush with soft bristles and brush in smooth, circular motions. It may seem counterintuitive, but a gentle approach to brushing is the most effective way to clean those pearly whites without wearing away enamel and exposing sensitive areas of the teeth.
2) Use A Desensitizing Toothpaste: As everyone knows, mouth pain can be highly uncomfortable; but tooth sensitivity is a whole different beast. Hot weather favorites like ice cream and popsicles have the ability to trigger tooth sensitivity, which might make you want to stay away from icy foods altogether. But as always, prevention is the best medicine here. Switching to a toothpaste like Sensodyne’s Sensitivity & Gum toothpaste specifically designed for sensitive teeth will help build a protective layer over sensitive areas of the tooth. Over time, those sharp sensations that occur with extremely cold foods will subside, and you’ll be back to treating yourself to your icy faves like this one!
3) Floss, Rinse, Brush. (And In That Order!): Have you ever heard the saying, “It’s not what you do, but how you do it”? Well, the same thing applies to taking care of your teeth. Even if you are flossing and brushing religiously, you could be missing out on some of the benefits simply because you aren’t doing so in the right order. Flossing is best to do before brushing because it removes food particles and plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. After a proper flossing sesh, it is important to rinse out your mouth with water after. Finally, you can whip out your toothbrush and get to brushing. Though many of us commonly rinse with water after brushing to remove excess toothpaste, it may not be the best thing for our teeth. That’s because fluoride, the active ingredient in toothpaste that protects your enamel, works best when it gets to sit on the teeth and continue working its magic. Rinsing with water after brushing doesn’t let the toothpaste go to work like it really can. Changing up your order may take some getting used to, but over time, you’ll see the difference.
4) Stay Hydrated: Upping your water supply is a no-fail way to level up your health overall, and your teeth are no exception to this rule. Drinking water not only helps maintain a healthy pH balance in your mouth, but it also washes away residue and acids that can cause enamel erosion. It also helps you steer clear of dry mouth, which is a gateway to bad breath. And who needs that?
5) Show Your Gums Some Love: When it comes to improving your smile, you may be laser-focused on getting your teeth whiter, straighter, and overall healthier. Rightfully so, as these are all attributes of a megawatt smile; but you certainly don’t want to leave gum health out of the equation. If you neglect your gums, you’ll start to notice the effects of plaque buildup, which can irritate the gums and cause gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease. Seeing blood while brushing and flossing is a tell-tale sign that your gums are suffering. You may also experience gum recession — a condition where the gum tissue surrounding your teeth pulls back, exposing more of your tooth. Brushing at least twice a day with a gum-protecting toothpaste like Sensodyne Sensitivity and Gum, coupled with regular dentist visits, will keep your gums shining as bright as those pearly whites.
Russell and Nina Westbrook Dish On The Key Ways To Avoid Resentment In Relationships
Russell and Nina Westbrook are one of those low-key, unproblematic couples we don’t talk about enough. They met in college and got married in 2015. They also have a beautiful family with three kids. While Russell is an NBA star, Nina is a licensed family and marriage therapist and a mental health advocate.
She recently launched the podcast The Relationship Chronicles with Nina Westbrook, and in the latest episode, she had none other than her husband on as a guest. The college sweethearts dived into important topics from marriage to children and how they navigate it all.
One of the topics they touched on was dealing with resentment in your relationship. The former MVP highlighted the sacrifices his wife has had to make in order for him to pursue a career in the NBA, and that’s why it’s also important for him to support his wife whenever he can.
“For me is respecting and understanding what your partner do and the time it takes,” Russell said. “Not kind of downplaying what they do, understanding the time and energy and effort they're doing to make sure whether it’s their job or making sure home is taken care of, and understanding that, I think that is the challenge of not being resentful.”
Nina agreed and also shared her thoughts on resentment. According to her, one of the best things couples should do is have their own identity and passions outside of the relationship in an effort to be fulfilled.
“I also think that when you’re in a relationship, that’s why it’s so important that each individual kinda pursue their own passions and follow their own dreams as I feel like it only becomes or leads to resentment when one person is not feeling fulfilled in what they're doing in their lives,” she explained.
“And so, they will start to look at the other partner who’s happy or excelling or promoting or moving along in their journey, then they’re left feeling stuck like they sacrificed themselves, their happiness, their career, their future and have not pursued it in the name of the relationship or their partner. So, it’s so much easier to avoid those feelings of resentment when you’re each equally pursuing your passions.”
The couple has many passions that they work on together and separately. Outside of basketball and his family, Russell has become known for his eclectic style and started the fashion brand Honor The Gift. Nina has her podcast, and she also started the mental health website Bene. Together, they run the Why Not? Foundation, which works with kids in underserved communities.
“I’m a firm believer that one person can’t be everything to you, so you have to sort of seek out those different friendships or groups or hobbies or activities that help to fulfill you,” Nina concluded.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Religion of Sports
