

If someone were to ask me what I waste the most money on, on a monthly basis, I ain't gonna lie; I'd have to say produce would definitely top the list. I think a part of the reason is because, as grandma used to say, while shopping, "My eyes are bigger than my stomach" and I end up getting more than I need. Also, it wasn't until last year sometime that I really started to pay attention to what the shelf life for various fruits and vegetables actually are (if you'd like to learn more about that, click here). Plus, it wasn't until a few months ago that I became aware of some of the produce-related hacks that I'm about to share with you; ones that can make your foods easily last double their regular amount of time.
Fresh fruits and veggies are definitely better for your health than anything that is processed. But there's no point in buying produce if you're gonna toss everything out (due to them rotting) before you get around to actually enjoying them (le sigh). If that's the pattern you tend to find yourself in, these 12 hacks for making produce last longer may be an answer to your grocery shopping and budget-related prayers.
Hacks For Keeping Your Fruits & Vegetables Fresh
1. Prep Your Own Guacamole (Kinda)
Although I'm not exactly sure what the rhyme or reason is for this particular hack, what I do know is I hate the texture of a slimy avocado. The way to keep that from happening is to 1) store it into a plastic container that has a lid and 2) to place a slice of onion in there with it. If you're worried that the smell (or even taste) of the onion will transfer onto the avocado, no worries—miraculously, it won't.
2. Place Mushrooms in a Brown Paper Bag
If you don't plan on eating your mushrooms for a few days, rather than washing them off as soon as you buy them, take them out of their original packaging and then place them into a brown paper bag.
The bag has a way of absorbing any excess moisture that the mushrooms may have so that they don't mold so quickly.
Another tip? Keep the bag away from any foods that naturally have strong odors or flavors (like garlic). Mushrooms tend to absorb whatever it is closest too. (Oh, and yes, you can—and should—rinse off the mushrooms, right before eating them.)
3. Create Olive Oil Ice Cubes
Want a lot of flavor in your food but don't feel like always having to do a ton of prepping? As far as seasoning goes, something you can try is creating ice cubes out of olive oil, some of your favorite seasonings and fresh herbs. That way, once you're ready to cook, you can just take a couple of cubes out and throw them into your pot or pan. Speaking of seasoning your food, if you use ginger root and fresh turmeric a lot, you might want to store both of them in your freezer; they typically last longer if/when you do.
4. Store Potatoes and Apples Together
Another hack that I can't really explain, I can just tell you that it works, is to put potatoes and apples together. Why in the world would you possibly do that? Well, it's a pretty surefire way to keep your potatoes from sprouting before you actually get around to eating them.
5. Keep Ethylene-Emitting Produce Away from the Rest
Ethylene is a lot of things. As it relates to what we're touching on today, it's the kind of gas that causes certain foods to ripen at a faster pace. While this can be cool for foods with this type of gas in them (tomatoes, avocados, bananas and honeydew top the list), it totally wreaks havoc on apples, broccoli, cabbage and carrots. That's why it's imperative that you never store these foods together.
6. Don’t Store Tomatoes in the Fridge
When tomatoes no longer have their stems attached to them, it is much easier for air to get in and moisture to get out. That's why it's a good idea to store them at room temperature (out of the sunlight) instead of placing them into your refrigerator.
Also, keep the tomatoes from touching each other as much as possible. Something about them being stacked on top of each other affects their original taste and texture.
7. Put Asparagus in Water
I don't know about you, but I really enjoy baked asparagus spears. Problem is, sometimes they go bad before I get around to preparing them. A cool way to keep your own asparagus spears fresh for at least 10 days is to cut ¼ in. off of the bottom of the stalks, place them in a cup of water and then put them into the refrigerator. There's something about the extra oxygen and fluid from the water that extends this veggie's shelf life when you do.
Speaking of water, if you put chopped up dried onions and chives in an empty water bottle and then place the bottle into your freezer, that is one way to keep them extra fresh for a longer period of time as well.
8. Keep Nuts and Seeds in the Refrigerator
I'm willing to bet that you probably store your nuts and seeds in your pantry. Problem with that is, the combination of light and heat can result in both getting moldy and stale. You can avoid this by putting both into some airtight containers and placing them into your fridge. Your nuts and seeds will taste so much fresher (and last longer) if you do.
9. Soak Strawberries in Vinegar
First off, let me just say that, even if you happen to see strawberries in your store year-round, they are really only in season during the summer; more specifically, the entire month of June. That's important to keep in mind because when fruit is sold during its off season, you might be surprised by how many additives, preservatives and artificial coloring are added to them (yuck). That said, if you can't wait until summertime rolls around, just so that you can dig into a bowl of fresh strawberries, but you hate that they seem to go bad within a couple of days, do this. Put 2 ½ cups of water into a bowl, along with a ½ cup of white vinegar. If you soak your berries in this mixture, you'll get about an extra week of time before you'll need to eat them. (This hack typically goes for all berries, by the way.)
10. Dismantle Your Lettuce
Want your lettuce to last longer than 2-3 days? Separate its leaves, place a paper towel between each one, put them into a plastic bag and then store the leaves in the fridge. It'll earn you 5-8 extra days if you do because the paper towels will absorb the moisture that could cause the lettuce to mold.
11. Sprinkle a Little Lemon Juice on a Few Things
If you want to extend the life of your avocados or you want to keep chopped fruits like apples and bananas from going brown for at least 3-4 hours, sprinkle some fresh lemon juice on them. Long story short, the acid from the lemon keeps the oxidation (browning) of these types of food from happening. Pretty great, right?
12. Keep Fruits and Veggies at 40 Degrees
It's basically a science lesson, why a lot of produce needs to be kept at 40 degrees (there's a full breakdown on the logic behind it here). Bottom line is, in order for your fruits and veggies to stay fresh and delicious, it's important that your fridge is no higher than 40 degrees and no lower than 32 degrees. If you do that—along with the rest of this—you won't have to make a salad as big as your house in under 24 hours, just to make your produce run make sense. Awesome.
Want more stories like this? Sign up for our newsletter here and check out the related reads below:
10 Hacks That Can Make Cooking Easier (If You Hate To Cook)
These Food Trends Are Gonna Be Big In 2020
The Foods You Should & Shouldn't Be Eating On A Plant-Based Diet
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It's kinda wild that, in 2025, my byline will have appeared on this platform for (what?!) seven years. And yeah, when I'm not waxing poetic on here about sex, relationships and then...more sex and relationships, I am working as a certified marriage life coach, helping to birth babies (as a doula) or penning for other places (oftentimes under pen names).
As some of you know, something that I've been "threatening" to do for a few years now is write another book. Welp, October 2024 was the month that I "gave birth" to my third one: 'Inside of Me 2.0: My Story. With a 20-Year Lens'. It's fitting considering I hit a milestone during the same year.
Beyond that, Pumas and lip gloss are still my faves along with sweatshirts and tees that have a pro-Black message on them. I've also started really getting into big ass unique handbags and I'm always gonna have a signature scent that ain't nobody's business but my own.
As far as where to find me, I continue to be MIA on the social media front and I honestly don't know if that will ever change. Still, if you need to hit me up about something *that has nothing to do with pitching on the site (I'm gonna start ignoring those emails because...boundaries)*, hit me up at missnosipho@gmail.com. I'll do what I can. ;)
On her debut album,CTRL,SZA crooned about her desire to be a “Normal Girl.” Now, nearly eight years since its release, her Not Beauty line represents her commitment to existing outside of traditional beauty norms.
The singer whose real name is Solána Imani Rowe first teased the idea of a lip gloss line during Super Bowl LIX in February, noting that the release would be happening “very shortly.” Not Beauty debuted simultaneously with the Grand National Tour, which she co-headlines with Kendrick Lamar, in Minneapolis on April 19.
Each Not Beauty pop-up would offer fans the opportunity to purchase the glosses, learn more about the brand, and have the opportunity to meet the superstar in the flesh regardless of their ticket status.
During the Los Angeles tour stop, which spanned three dates on May 21, May 23, with the finale on May 24, xoNecole had the opportunity to test out the glosses included in this soft launch, as SZA revealed in a statement that "this is just the start of other lip products, including plans to launch stains, liners, and creams all inspired by SZA's “infamous layered lip combinations.”
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So, what is included in the first Not Beauty launch?
The current Not Beauty products available are lip glosses that come in three shades: In the Flesh, Strawberry Jelly, and Quartz.
During my visit to the first LA Not Beauty pop-up activation, I not only had the chance to purchase all three glosses but also took a peek inside the blow-up log tent. Inside, fans got to experience SZA’s love for nature and her fascination with bugs, which are prominently featured in her performances for this tour. At one point, she even had human preying mantis prancing across the stage y'all.
There were blow-up photos of the beauty that is SZA for fans (myself included) to take photos, but in wooden-like tree trunks were a deeper dive into some of the ingredients featured in her products and their benefits.
For example, the glosses feature Hi-Shine Lip Jelly and Shea Butter as key ingredients and some of the listed benefits included are:
- Shea Butter - “A powerhouse ingredient, offering both functional and nourishing benefits.”
- Hi-Shine Lip Jelly (featured in the In the Flesh shade) - “Formula glides on with perfect adhesion to the lips without stickiness).
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What are in the products?
Featured in an orange package, with images of a bug and flower on the side, the back of the box reads: “It’s NOT BEAUTY, it just works. Developed by Solána “SZA” Rowe.
As someone who never leaves home without a good lip gloss, I loved how compact the wood panel packaging is. Perfect to slip into my purse, or in the case of the show at SoFi Stadium, into my pocket when I’m not carrying a bag.
Because I’m a sucker for a good black and brown lip liner and clear gloss combo, I decided to wear the Quartz flavor on night one of the Grand National Tour LA stop, and it did not disappoint. I’ll admit, it’s light weight feel made me nervous because it felt like there was nothing on my lips. However, when I checked my lips in my compact mirror several times throughout the night, I was shocked to find that my gloss was still intact. I only reapplied once out of the habit of looking cute and applying my gloss, but not necessity.
Here are some of the ingredients featured, but not limited to, in the Quartz flavor.
- Polyisoubutene
- Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea)Butter
- Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil
- Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil
- Tocopherol
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Lip prep
I’m a simple girl who loves to stay true to her roots. So ahead of the show, I stopped by a local Inglewood Beauty Supply store and grabbed a Black and Brown shade lip pencil for just under $2 a piece.
Shading the outline of my lips with the black pencil first, I used the brown to lightly fill the inside of my lips before applying my Quartz Not Beauty shade gloss.
How to apply
There’s truly no right or wrong way to apply lip gloss (in my opinion), with this being a brush applicator sort of product, I simply untwisted the top and swiped the gloss around my top and bottom lip generously.
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Results
Again, my Not Beauty Quartz product stayed on my lips from the start of the show, which began with a fire DJ set from LA’s very own, Mustard, to the conclusion when Kendrick and SZA reunited on stage to send us home to their duet, “luther,” featured on the rapper's GNX album.
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It’s almost always “annoyingly fun” to have conversations with super churchy folks. Example? Recently, I had on an anklet that a particular woman took notice of. When she complimented it and asked what it was made of, I said, “Moonstone, which is one of my birthstones.” Oddly enough, she then turned up her nose and said that stones and crystals were tied to witchcraft, to which I casually replied, “Then I guess you hate Aaron’s breastplate, huh?” She paused and turned her nose up again — this time, though, because she just experienced a good old-fashioned “checkmate.”
This article is about crystals not Scripture, so when it comes to the latter, I’ll just briefly say that if you mosey on over to Exodus 28, you’ll see that a high priest breastplate is referenced; one that contains precious gems including topaz, sapphire, agate, onyx and jasper (and that’s just for starters!). Yeah, it really is important to not just throw judgments around like confetti — know of what you are actually speaking of first (because that’s what Matthew 7 is really all about).
I did think it was important to mention that for potential skeptics about why this article even exists. Because although there are Scriptural and evenscience-based individuals who roll their eyes at the power of what gemstones and crystals can (possibly) do, I’m pretty sure that some of you are not surprised that the holistic and Ayurveda worlds see it all very differently.In those realms, energy plays a big role in physical, emotional, and mental health, and crystals are believed to cultivate balance or intensify certain feelings or experiences through that said energy.
That said, when it comes to sex, specifically, there are certain stones (which are basically what crystals are;in fact, all gemstones are a type of crystal) that are believed to help make intimacy even more satisfying. If you’re curious about which ones are, I’ve got 10 for you below.
10 Crystals That May Enhance Your Intimate Life
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1. Garnet
Garnet is a rich shade of red that happens to be January’s gemstone. It’s considered to be one of the oldest gemstones around, one that Egyptians believed was a symbol of life and something that they oftentimes wore in their signet rings. As far as symbolism goes, garnet also represents love and vitality as well as energy, passion and even self-confidence — all of which are quite relevant when it comes to having an active and fulfilling sex life.
2. Amethyst
Queen Cleopatra and Leonardo da Vinci are just two powerful figures who were big fans of the purple gemstone amethyst. Interestingly enough, it is February’s birthstone — the month that Valentine’s Day falls under. Another interesting fact is many early Christians relied on this gem in order to increase their spirituality while many Greeks used to see it as a stone that provided protection. When it comes to intimacy, amethyst is also associated with love and devotion as well as feelings of calm and reduced anxiety — and since the less calm you feel, the easier it is to climax…well. #wink
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3. Orange Carnelian
Looking to experience more joy and happiness? Or maybe you want to strengthen your friendships. Or perhaps it’s time to increase your pleasure levels or to go into deeper levels of sensuality. For all of these things, orange carnelian is a top-tier pick. As I did a bit more research on this stone, it’s considered to be a royal one and something that can bring forth peace. One of my favorite things about orange carnelian is it comes in different hues of orange — the deeper the color, the more passion it exudes. Just an FYI.
4. Rose Quartz
If you want to take your romantic relationship to another level, rose quartz has a solid reputation for helping to make that happen for you. In fact, this pink crystal is oftentimes referred to as being the stone of unconditional love because it encourages the wearers of it to both give as well as put themselves in the position to receive love too. Since rose quartz is also tied to things like emotional healing, restored trust and harmony, if you’re looking to make a much deeper intimate connection with your partner, this just might be the stone for you.
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5. Rhodochrosite
Rhodochrosite is a red-rose colored stone that I personally hold dear. I say that because, as a survivor of sexual abuse, it is one that helps recovering individuals to work through sexual trauma (and trauma, in general). It is associated with love, compassion and strength as it helps you to process your emotions in a positive way, so that you are able to effectively release past pain and deal with any PTSD that you might have. You know, I know a wife who sexually struggled in her marriage for years because she had been sexually assaulted in college and never told her husband.
A stone of compassion is a precious one — including when it comes to dealing with sexual trauma and intimacy challenges and learning how to face them. Salute to this stone right here.
6. Citrine
Citrine is November’s birthstone and its rich yellow color explains why it represents things like abundance, prosperity, radiance and happiness. Aside from this, whether you’re seeking clarity, you’d like to be more creative or you’re interested in becoming more sensual, citrine encourages all of this. Sensuality is a dope word because it’s all about appealing to all five senses; especially during intimacy. To learn more about how to do that, check out “How To Incorporate All Five Senses To Have The Best Sex Ever.”
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7. Red Jasper
While doing my own research on what red jasper represents, what I liked the most is it’s something that encourages emotional stability which is always a wonderful thing to have. Although it is a fiery red color, it also contains grounding properties and it symbolizes strength, courage and, another word that can always make sex more pleasurable: stamina. Since stamina is what helps both men and women to last longer during sex, anything that is a “stamina hack” earns an automatic mention when it comes to sex-themed content — including this.
8. Clear Quartz
A fun fact about quartz is it’s one of the most common minerals on this planet. When it comes to clear quartz, specifically, I like the way that it looks because it’s either a cloudy white or something that you can see straight through. As far as its symbolism is concerned, if you want to reduce physical discomfort, remove distractions and focus more on heightened levels of yourself, this crystal represents all of that. Clear quartz also encourages healing, spiritual growth and balance. To me, it seems like if you want to cultivate a spiritual or meditative (check out “What Exactly Is 'Orgasmic Meditation'?”) experience with your partner, clear quartz is a stone to try.
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9. Shiva Lingam
I ain’t got no lies to tell you — when I first happened upon this particular stone, the first thing that came to my mind was an article that I penned for the site back in the day entitled, “Blow Your Man's Mind By Giving Him This Tantalizing Massage.” That’s because it explains what a lingam massage is and, as you can see, this crystal has that word all up in it. The history of lingam is a bit layered (you can read about it here); however, because it is considered by many to be a phallic symbol and that typically represents the penis — shiva lingam is a neutral-colored crystal that represents both sexuality as well as fertility. Shocking, right? #sarcasm
10. Pyrite
It doesn’t escape me that it’s kind of funny that I’m closing this out with a crystal that has the nickname “fool’s gold.” That’s due to its appearance. That said, it’s also a stone that has some interesting symbolism to it. Since it comes from a Greek word that means fire — of course, it’s a crystal of passion. Since it also taps into things like heightened energy, self-esteem, creativity, awakened senses and the removal of toxic thoughts — if any stone should be in your “let’s get it on” crystal collection, pyrite would be the one!
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Know what’s kinda wild? While I was on Etsy’s site looking for another moonstone, a sake popped up in my feed on what the merchant calls their “libido crystal set” — and six of the 10 stones that I’ve mentioned throughout this article are featured in the collection.
Yeah, I’ll take that as a confirmation that whether you purchase a piece of jewelry that has one (or more) of these stones or you buy a piece of crystal itself to place somewhere in your bedroom — just putting your own energy into wanting a better sex life is a powerful step in the right direction to achieving it.
And what science can’t refute is the benefits of positive thoughts and actions — crystals or not.
So, if precious stones are totally your thing — enjoy, sis. Enjoy!
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