We meet again...
samantha scottSo you’re back for more? If you can love me through my quick thought process and poor proofreading skills, then you get to experience the tone of the message and therefore the benefits.
TRAVEL INSIGHTS
Traveling with a toddler is always interesting. ‘When you know, you know’ (Lana voice). If you are in your soft girl era, you will get the reference. This past trip, we flew American on the way to the vacation, but then we flew JSX on the way home. This is our first time flying privately with them. I will have to say that our experience was nothing less than perfect. I have been wanting to try them for a while now. I am an American girly, I have my AA advantage card, and I love to enjoy the first class horderves while racking up those points, but after flying JSX, I will have to say we are going to be partaking in more traveling experiences this way.
Not only is there a lack of airport security and the frustration that comes along with it, but the treatment in terms of the liberty and freedom you are granted during your time on the flight is truly liberating. I think that the vetted customer base that JSX has curated has let them allow us as humans to operate off of intuition and morals instead of systems and rules, which is literally everything I stand for.
I will say 10/10. Mom's tip for traveling on this private airline is to pack extra snacks and juice because, in comparison to a commercial first-class experience, you will get service at a later time, so you want to have ammunition for your baby. Arrival is 20 minutes before the flight time. There is a coffee machine with the option of lattes and cappuccinos at your service in the lobby. Along with an open area for your baby to move around in a casual, calm setting. Checking your stroller is as easy as just walking onto the plane. I mean, we literally walked right up to the aircraft and casually approached an employee for assistance on “gate-checking” the stroller. The service is luxury, and the flight experience allows space for you to tend to your little ones without the societal pressure of keeping them "content." The bathrooms are classy; I could record an entire grwm in there and will. I enjoyed a sheet mask while in the air. I would have recorded for y'all, but my phone was dead. Overall, I really enjoyed our experience. I will definitely be partnering with the company here in the near future.
GRWM for dinner & the benefits of peppermint tea for your gut health
One of my go-to room service orders is hot tea or hot water + fresh mint & lemon. This past week, I posted a grwm for a business dinner meeting and shared some benefits a fresh mint tea can bring to your fine dining experience.
Peppermint is an aromatic herb in the mint family that is a cross between water mint and spearmint. Sipping on mint tea may offer digestive benefits in part because of its menthol. This organic compound may have antispasmodic effects, meaning that it helps relax the muscles of the GI tract and facilitates a smoother and faster transit of food through your digestive system.
As you may know, I’ve had a recent endeavor back into the beauty industry, and I’m obsessed. I would love to launch a skintini hair care kit and will. I feel like a kid in a candy store. My notes app is to the brim, and the ideas just keep flowing, guys.. I do see how it is easy to get burned out, so I try to keep my tasks on the brand's schedule. Breaking that down means that if I focus on one particular style of task for too long or overthink it, I will start to lose my mojo. What I have found most beneficial when trying to avoid this is outsourcing as much as possible and not forcing any situation. Let the habitat tell you what task to complete. So if I am at the pool or at breakfast, I am going to take product photos, share mom tips, get content, etc. This being a lifestyle blog, it is easy for me to use every situation I am in to engage with you guys. I love learning my tips and tricks and then taking them to this platform.
Anyway, scalp massaging. I have an obsession with hair masks and scalp massages, and I promise you that is the sole reasoning behind my hair health at this current moment. My hair is longer, stronger, and thicker than it has ever been, and I really do believe it’s because of the maintenance I have put into it. I use the olaplex + moisture bonding mask 2-3 times a week.
Like how I use the setting of my current day or situation to get the fitting work done, I also use the current state of my hair to my advantage as well. I'm always looking to fit in a habit stack where I can. For example, if my hair needs washing, I will get it wet, apply my mask, and style it in a style that I can wear with the mask application. I usually use that time to do a face mask + lip mask, then finish out my skin care. Since my work is fun, I will also use that time to shoot some content and reach out to any brands for collaborations and endorsements. In the midst of motherhood, if Harley isn’t asleep, I will go through emails, post stories, IG’s check in on manufacturing production, and so forth.
I just put on a hair mask while getting ready for the day. I had a self-care moment, depending on whether Harley was up or not. I spent quality, hygienic time with my daughter. Working on growing the brand and moving the needle forward, all within about 30 minutes.
You know, I once had someone in my life tell me that “all I had to worry about was getting my iced coffee and walking around the city doing my workouts,” and while that comment really hurt being a single mother who has put her blood sweat and plenty of tears into trying to build herself and a life for herself and her daughter, it really gave me a sense of perspective.
I have still yet to figure out a “workout” schedule or routine that works well for my lifestyle and have really struggled with that knowing how much I identify with fitness and health and simultaneously knowing how affective my participation in fitness is to my mental health. I just had one thing to say to that comment or person, and it was that all the successful people in life we strive to be like didn’t get rich, famous, or successful and then decided to take care of themselves and live out the life they desired. They did those things in order to become successful. The key denominator for any high-level performer is managing their time. Habbit stacking, I have found, is a great way to optimize my time, especially while trying to run a business, be a mother, and everything in between. I share some more time optimizing tools on our TikTok.
WHAT IM READING RIGHT NOW
I am a fairly new reader. The more I read, the more I want to read. It definitely reaps its benefits in my life. From the language I use to the direction of my thoughts, reading has shaped me into the being that I am. I once heard a woman say I started reading because I wanted to be the most interesting woman in the room, and that really registered with me.
Right now, I just started a tree in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. I still haven’t finished The Woman in Me, but I like to have a few current reads and then switch between genres. So I am still reading The Woman in Me and A Tree in Brooklyn, as well as What Happens When Women Say Yes to God and Walk in Faith. They each serve their purpose and have their own time.
I am also very interested in purchasing a Kindle. I love reading my physical copies, but I have found that I would move on to the next book quicker if I didn’t have to run to the book store every time I finished mine. I also can NEVER seem to keep a sippy cup in my bag without spilling it. Speaking of, what brands are we using??? Where is THE cup? Do I need to make one?? A skintini silicone cup. Cute. So the sippie cup always ends up spilling in my bag and then getting my books wet.
So I think it’s time for the Kindle. You guys have homework; your job is to tell me if you’re reading on a physical copy or Kindle. If Kindle, what model? As well as what sippie cup you’re using. I’ll post a poll on my stories. Another announcement going up on my stories today is the give-away winner.
SPARKLING WATER
There are no little things because my life is simply all little things. The newest little addition to my little life. Is my recent obsession with sparkling water. Pellegrino, to be exact. This doesn’t come as a surprise to me because I had the same feelings towards ginger ale when I was pregnant with Harley. I will say the shock factor of how satisfied I was after it was absolutely a surprise.
THE WALK THE TALK
I am so honored to be sitting here today in a space to embody wellness and health. I am where I’m at, fully by the grace of God and his goodness. I know that I am a single parent, and I touched a lot on that experience raising Harley, but this message was laid on my heart this morning.
When I first started attending my church, the scenario of being a single mother caught wind, and I remember a woman reaching out and asking me if I wanted to join an all-singles mom group or something of the sort. While the offer was endearing, my response was that I would have to politely decline because I don’t want to sit around and talk about my situation; I would rather just do something about it.
That sent a message not only to her but also to myself. I wasn’t in a mode to sit around and feel sorry for myself when, in fact, that wasn’t my feelings towards my life or my singlehood whatsoever. I feel so blessed to be Harley's mom, and the fact that God trusted and deemed me responsible for that is something I take very seriously. I know that he has a plan for her life, and I am going to make sure that I can stay in his word and close to him so that I can navigate that correctly for her and for us.
The intention of tackling the problem applied across the board in my life. Not only did I not want to just sit around and harp on an "issue,” but I also wanted to learn. I am so obsessed with learning about and experiencing other people and their testimonies. I wanted to be in groups with women who had been walking in faith for decades, know how to bake sourdough, and are the beset gigi to their babies. I wanted to be in groups with couples who have seen the pit of pits and can give me sound spiritual advice to apply to my marriage and relationships one day. I wanted to be in groups with men who have been sober for 40+ years and can give me a perspective on life that I would never be able to get otherwise. So I did just that.
I was going to speak on a completely different message today, but as I was typing on this, a note for an old Bible study came up and told me to go for it. So here we are. But like usual, he has it all worked out for us. The two messages go together cohesively, so here we are. I have not been in the word as much as I usually am lately. Granted, God has blessed my business and life, so things have been a lot busier, but that’s just it. I was speaking with a friend who finds himself at a similar time in his sanctification process, and I was expressing this concern of mine to him. This lack of quality time this past week that I have spent with the Lord while living in answered prayers that he has granted me. First came the guilt, and then, after allowing it to process, came grace for myself. Followed by that grace came God's revelation over my life that he has done so much work on me, my heart, my wants, and my desires that I AM living in his light. I am so honored to be sitting here today in a space to embody wellness and health. I am where I’m at, fully by the grace of God and his goodness.
Doing something about the situation brings you to a place of preparation. I am not far from the Lord, but I am actually the closest I’ve ever been. Through those times of prayer, study, and worship, the Lord was preparing me. For ministry, for motherhood, for work. The biblical definition of the word “prepare” means “to be firm, be stable, be established, to be set up, to be ready, to make arrangements." Proverbs 24:27 Develop your business first, before building your house.
Through your singlehood, the Lord is preparing you. For a covenant, for a marriage, for an answered prayer. The Lord through you is able to be all things. True love is sacrificial; it does not come from a place of need. Loving from a place of need is based on fleshly love rather than light rain and the promises of God. If your mind is pure, you can see through the lenses of purity. A marriage covenant is all about two becoming one. How can there be a marriage without light and without rain? There is no convenience without light and rain, but when light and rain combine, it forms a rainbow, the promise.
I am going to leave you on that, and we will talk soon. Go shop the site; the spring sets are up, a giveaway will be announced, and we will be sipping on our scripture together over the microphone for some tini time before you know it.
Love you, mean it. xx