How I’m Making My Home A Sacred Space For Self-Care
This article is in partnership with The Home Depot.
For the last seven months (honestly, for life), I've been a salt bath-taking, incense burning, face mask-rocking, meditation loving, gratitude recording, cardio slaying Mama, and while that's still absolutely the case, I've graduated. My brand of self-care has expanded, not just to include the people I love and live with (twenty-four-frickin-seven), but also the space that we love and spend ALL of our time in, together, constantly. The walls that once seemed to be closing in on me, are now supporting and reinforcing the peace I'm actively cultivating.
While it's easy to get swept up in the chaos and lack of control out there, I choose to focus on and revel in the harmony and control that I can set up here. And thanks to science (I friggin' love science), The Home Depot, and a little research, I'm keeping myself and my family safer at home like a boss. Our space is the ultimate fully connected home - a self-care haven, and that's the focus of today's "focusing on the GOOD" gratitude entry! I'm thankful for:
1. Good music.
Music is life. I can't sing, or dance. But I find that the right song shifts my mood, instantly, every time. Music keeps me connected to the peace inside me, and that's why my phone stays connected to one of my many wireless speakers around the house!
Options:JBL Link Music, JBL Portable, and Sonos One
2. Good lighting.
People burn all the scented candles and love on their salt lamps, but smart lighting does it for me! Research shows that certain types of lighting may improve mood and energy levels, while others may contribute to the opposite. Lighting may also directly impact concentration and appetite. In addition to saving on energy costs, smart lighting and the easy-to-use timers support my natural circadian rhythm, turns the kids bedroom into a whole party, adds razzle-dazzle to my décor, and lights up my mornings with energizing tones. I'm thankful for the instant mood-shifting it provides, and that I can control the whole system from my phone!
Options: Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance BR30 Smart Light Bulb, Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance LightStrip, Philips Hue White and Color Ambiance A19 Smart Bulb
3. Good temperatures.
I get chilly when the temperature outside dips below 75 (I may actually be a lizard, and I'm definitely anemic). Much to my family's dismay, I find it uncomfortable when the thermostat inside reads lower than 76 degrees Fahrenheit and have multiple heating pads stashed around the house. I used to stalk around the thermostat (I still do sometimes, out of habit), but can be even stealthier now because I can make my micro adjustments to the temp from my phone or on a Google Nest smart display! Smart thermostats are the best thing to happen to me this year (aside from robot vacuums).
Options: Google Nest Learning Thermostat 3rd Gen, Google Nest Thermostat E, Google Nest Hub Max
Courtesy of The Home Depot
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How are you "home-caring"?
Featured image courtesy of The Home Depot
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Exclusive: Koryn Hawthorne On Her Miraculous Love Story: ‘I Was Never A Girlfriend’
Gospel singer Koryn Hawthorne has used her voice to let the world know about what God can do, and now the Season 8 finalist of NBC’s The Voice is sharing a miraculous act that led to her engagement.
The Praise This actress shared in an interview with xoNecole that prior to becoming engaged to her partner, Hunter Register, she passed over one particular title on her way to becoming a fiancée.
“I was never a girlfriend,” Hawthorn, 26, tells xoNecole.
“We've known each other since we were kids, so we just kind of always had this distant friendship. We would hit each other up on social media, and [I] slide up under things that he was posting,” she says. “We ended up hanging out together, and when we hung out, it was an instant immediate connection from all fronts. I think we just knew from the first day that I don't want to spend a day apart from you.”
Koryn Hawthorne On Her Miraculous Love Story, New Album, & More
She continued, "And yeah, we probably were boyfriend or girlfriend after — am I delusional? Then we were engaged a few months later.”
The Grammy-nominated singer, who became engaged in November of 2023, went on to share what her experience has been preparing to become a wife, exploring the personal growth, challenges, and emotions experienced throughout the process.
“It's a journey, I'm not gonna lie,” she says. “Relationships, in general, are hard, and whenever you think about marriage, is just different from being boyfriend and girlfriend because if you piss me off, I could just go,” she shared. “But marriage is an actual commitment. It's a partnership. It's a ministry.”
Hawthorne, 26, and Register, 27, were childhood friends growing up in Louisiana and sealed their love during a weekend getaway in New Orleans last fall.
For the gospel star, marriage involves more than lovely-dovey aspects, emphasizing how her relationship has allowed her to grow, mature, and learn valuable lessons through love.
“We were supposed to get married in May, but like for us to be mature enough to be like, ‘You know what? No, let's take the necessary time to make sure that we're fully prepared for this commitment such a beautiful thing,” Hawthorne reflected.
“It's a learning curve for sure, but our preparation for marriage would have been the only thing that brought this out of me. It's hard and it's scary at times, but it's God's purpose and His plan for our lives.”
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Featured image by Dia DipasupilGetty Images