Hello lovers xoxo, welcome to my first monthly favorites of 2023!
Life Updates
Am I the only one that loves that wave of positivity and motivation that the beginning of the year brings? I love how everyone is setting new goals, establishing new healthy habits, creating new vision boards, and overall, just dreaming big.
- For me, the beginning of the year looks like…
- REST.
- Goal Setting.
- Buying a cute new yearly planner.
- Getting my finances in order & strategizing.
- Scoping out all the events, festivals and concerts I want to attend throughout the year.
- Cleaning and cleansing my space, mind + body (via spiritual baths, social media breaks, etc).
- Some of my 2023 goals include:
- Read more books. I honestly don’t think I finished any books in 2022 and that’s sad. I usually love getting lost in a good book, but I haven’t been able to calm my mind long enough to focus on reading. I’m more anxious and my attention span is the size of a pea nowadays.
- Pay off credit card debt. I never thought I would be one of those people to lose self-control and max out a credit card, but I did. The good thing is, I only had one credit card and I can 100% trust myself to be more responsible now and to make better money decisions.
I have more goals I want to accomplish, but I don’t feel comfortable sharing all of them because #1- privacy and #2- I’d rather show results.
// Good news- I earned the ‘Rising Creator’ title three times this past month. I found out through my Facebook page. It feels really good to be recognized and that people are still enjoying my content. There’s times when I want to stop blogging but then things like this happens and I’m reminded all over again that I shouldn’t. So, yay me!
If you’re not following my Facebook page, what are you even doing? You can write my blog a review, share a post, and/or simply give the page a “like”. You can also be notified as soon as a post goes live when you follow the page.
Link to Facebook page: Tiffany’s Diary | Baltimore MD
// I’ll be turning 30 later this year so I’ve been feeling a lot of feels- mostly good ones. I would love to truly celebrate my birthday this year. Either with a party, a nice dinner, a creative photoshoot, a solo getaway/spa retreat, a girl’s trip, or a cute lil bae-cation. I just know I want to do something big! Getting older is quite scary and exciting all at once.
I’m grateful to have made most of my mistakes (especially the financial ones) in my 20s so that my early 30s will be focused on growth, healing, and stability. I’ve learned my lessons and I’m ready to start leveling up now.
Sometimes I just get sad that I’m still not as far as I would like to be. I often feel behind compared to my peers, but I just need to keep reminding myself that life is not a race, and that comparison is the thief of joy. No two journeys are ever the same.
Entertainment
When it comes to watching entertainment, I’m in my supernatural and true crime binge bag right about now. Meaning- I’ve been watching mostly true crime and supernatural shows. And Hulu has been feeding my addiction when it comes to true crime, like real bad!
First of all, no one told me that ‘Legacies’ was the spinoff to ‘The Originals’ and that it has 4 seasons! Oh my goddd! I first got into the whole Vampire Diaries saga about 2 years ago (even though I didn’t start from the beginning with The Vampire Diaries, I started with The Originals first) and have been obsessed with it ever since. If you don’t know, I’m a huge fan of all thing’s supernatural- vampires, witches, werewolves, demons, monsters, and ghosts. So, when I discovered ‘Legacies’ was on Netflix, I nearly broke a nail clicking on it so fast, I was gagged!
T.V. Shows
- Watch ‘Legacies’ | Netflix. “Born into a rare supernatural bloodline, Hope Mikaelson attends a gifted private school to master her powers and control her evil impulses.”
- Watch ‘Death in the Dorms’ | Hulu. “When parents send their children off to college, they are filled with pride and hope for the future of their children. These institutions of higher education should be the place where dreams begin – not nightmares. Yet at colleges around the country, there are shocking instances of murder. Death In the Dorms tells the stories of students at different schools whose lives were senselessly cut short. However, in the aftermath of these tragedies there comes hope for change.”
- Watch ‘Web of Death’ | Hulu. “Following the investigations of online sleuths as they use digital footprints, DNA databases and the power of social media to solve gruesome, mysterious and bizarre murder cases.
- Watch ‘How I Caught My Killer’ | Hulu. “How I Caught My Killer is an adjudicated true-crime series that highlights the real-life stories behind these unique cases with in-depth interviews, authentic archival material, and cinematic recreations all packaged together into a fresh spin in the genre.”
- Watch ‘BMF’ – Season 2 | STARZ. “BMF is back with a second hit season, dramatizing the inspiring true story of two brothers who gave birth to Black Mafia Family. The brothers strategically execute a new vision.”
- Watch ‘Abbott Elementary’ – 2nd Part of Season 2 | Hulu. “A group of dedicated, passionate teachers — and a slightly tone-deaf principal — find themselves thrown together in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life. Though these incredible public servants may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do — even if they don’t love the school district’s less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children.”
- Watch ‘Evil Lives Here’ (Season 13, Episode 1) | iTunes. “As a child, Lori Hodge doesn’t understand what she sees when her father, Gene Keidel, digs a hole in the yard in the middle of the night, but as she gets older and realizes the truth, she becomes a threat, and he will stop at nothing to keep his secret.”
- Watch ‘Alice in Borderland’ – Season 2 | Netflix. “The games are deadlier, this world more wild and cruel; but will Arisu ever make it back to the real world — and will it be worth everything he’s lost?”
- Watch The 1619 Project Streaming Online | Hulu. “Hulu’s six-part 1619 Docuseries is an expansion of “The 1619 Project” created by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones and the New York Times Magazine. The series seeks to reframe the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of our national narrative”
Movies & Films
- Watch ‘You People’ | Netflix. “Families and cultures clash when two LA millennials from different backgrounds fall in love and face the ultimate relationship test: meeting the parents.”
- Watch ‘Is That Black Enough for You?!?’ | Netflix. “Culture critic and historian Elvis Mitchell traces the evolution — and revolution — of Black cinema from its origins to the impactful films of the 1970s.”
- ‘Orphan: First Kill’ – Watch Full Movie | Paramount Plus. “Esther’s terrifying saga continues in this thrilling prequel to the original and shocking horror hit, Orphan. After orchestrating a brilliant escape from an Estonian psychiatric facility, Esther travels to America by impersonating the missing daughter of a wealthy family. Yet, an unexpected twist arises that pits her against a mother who will protect her family from the murderous “child” at any cost.”
- Watch ‘Get Smart with Money’ | Netflix. “Financial advisers share their simple tips on spending less and saving more with people looking to take control of their funds and achieve their goals.”
Honorable mention: ‘Smile‘. Giving this movie an honorable mention is the least I can do to make up for the fact that this movie was overly hyped. It did not give what it was supposed to have gave. Someone please explain to me how the trailer and the movie promo was better than the actual movie. I’m just glad I didn’t pay to see it in the movies and that I saw it through Paramount+ instead. I thought the movie was boring and it just fell flat.
Music Favorites
This month, there hasn’t been a good amount of new music coming out. So, I found myself listening to old albums or just not listening to a lot of music at all. But I will say, Sam Smith’s ‘GLORIA’ album gave me life. Somebody said his album is giving CUNT and I couldn’t agree more! Haha.
My artist picks of the month: Sam Smith (duh!), Jordan Hawkins (most specifically his song “Honey” ft. Earthgang), EST Gee, Sudan Archives, Lizzie Berchie, Naomi Sharon, and Coco Jones. Give these artists a listen and let me know what you think. Their genres span from Pop and Hip-Hop/Rap to Alternative and R&B/Soul.
Some songs that still has me in a chokehold: “Snooze” by SZA (SZA put her whole vagina into this song and album), “Unholy” by Sam Smith, “Freaky T” by TiaCorine, “Gotta Move On” by Diddy & Bryson Tiller, and “Tomorrow 2” by Glorilla & Cardi B still gets me hype AF! I love listening to these songs in the car. By the way, I’m putting together a pre-game/ work commute turn up playlist for ya’ll.
Lastly, I’m really excited for new albums coming out soon from Kelela, Kali Uchis, Miley Cyrus, Paramore, Chiiild, RAYE, Yaeji, and Gorillaz (although I hate that Gorillaz already released more than half of their singles before the album release).
Favorite New Albums
- Gloria – Album by Sam Smith | Spotify
- What I Didn’t Tell You (Deluxe) – Album by Coco Jones | Spotify
- GREENZONE 108 – Album by Greentea Peng | Spotify
- Cold Toronto – Album by Che Ecru | Spotify
- Under the Sun (Deluxe) – Album by Lizzie Berchie | Spotify
- AudioLust & HigherLove – Album by SG Lewis | Spotify
- Amukelani – Album by Kelvin Momo | Spotify
- Amapiano Hits, Vol. 1 (DJ Mix) – Album by KXD Beats | Apple Music
- this is no longer a dream – Album by anaiis | Spotify. **Released- 2021**
- Heart Won’t Stop – Album by Jordan Hawkins | Spotify **Released 2021**
- Natural Brown Prom Queen – Album by Sudan Archives
Honorable album mention: MANSION MUSIK – Album by Trippie Redd. I don’t know how I feel about this album yet because it’s so damn long and I literally haven’t finished it yet. There’s absolutely no reason why any album should be over an hour long. Even 45 minutes is just too long. I can’t listen to rap music for an hour straight. So, I feel like we need to DEFUND 1 HOUR+ ALBUMS PLEASE & TYSM!
Favorite New EPs
- Before We Crash – Ep by Dende | Spotify
- Like..? – Ep by Ice Spice | Spotify
- DEAR JAZ – Ep by Jaz Karis | Spotify
(Link to Apple Music Playlist)
If anyone would like to go see Paramore in Washington D.C. (click to see tickets) with me on June 2nd, 2023- let me know ASAP. Preferably a female.
Podcast Episodes
I discovered a new podcast called “As If the Podcast” that I’ve been listening to for the past couple weeks. I found the host Aja through TikTok and then I discovered her YouTube channel and then landed upon her podcast. I was immediately captured by her beauty and the fact that she’s naturally funny and down to earth. She describes herself as being a self-love advocate with a few curse words.
Some other podcast episodes I enjoyed:
Beauty + Locs
Sadly, there’s no cute nails to show off this month because I’m currently taking a break from acrylics. I’ll be back in the claw game in February for sure!
I took down my loc knot bob on January 9th and it took some time for my locs to be fluffy and thicken back up and that kind of scared me. I thought my locs were thinning, but they weren’t. They were just super curly.
That being said, I’m probably not going to get my locs styled for a while once I go for my retwist appointment on February 1st just to give my locs and roots a break from manipulation. I do have plans on trying out the drawstring loc petal buns that are pretty popular on Amazon but, I’m currently waiting for the hair color that I want to come back in stock, ugh.
(I do not own the rights to this photo- using for demonstration purposes only)
I’m now 13 months loc’d in and I’m happy my locs are now long enough to get a full low ponytail and a bun. My go to style has been the “claw clip” up do. It’s quick and easy and allows me to keep my hair off my neck. My longest loc is measuring at about 8-10 inches.
Home Goods
“The Happy Planner.”
I got my 2023 yearly planner from thehappyplanner.com. This is my second time purchasing a planner through them and they will probably continue to be my go-to brand now.
I went with a beautiful, frosted cover flower design in a classic size. The planner includes inspirational quotes throughout and plenty of space to write down monthly goals. I also purchased some sticker books to decorate it.
The four sticker books I purchased have stickers to accommodate different themes like celebrations, productivity, “the planner basics”, and mood + mindfulness. This brand makes planning 10x more fun and colorful and it’s pretty affordable. They’re having a 60% off sale right now so go grab yourself a planner if you haven’t done so already!
Link to the planner I have>>> 2023 DELUXE Frosted Cover Beautiful Blooms Floral Happy Planner – The Happy Planner
The L. Brand
Since ‘The Honey Pot’ products are usually always sold out, I decided to give another feminine product brand a try. I only use organic cotton brands and I prefer ultra-thin pads because I would rather not feel like I’m wearing a diaper.
One thing I really love about this brand is that I can get 36 or 56 pads in a bag. Unlike ‘The Honey Pot’ which has no more than 16 or 20 pads and sometimes only 12. My only critique about The L. Brand is that the “super” pads fit more like a “regular” sized pad, but the overnight pads were nice and long. Very heavy flow friendly.
Food Favorites
I’m so mad I haven’t been out to any good restaurants in a while which is why my food favorites and food reviews have been a little lackluster as of late. Hopefully, I’ll be out trying new foods again soon!
Premium Cocktail Juice
Yum, yum, yum! The Old Tyme- Caribbean Blends drinks have become a favorite of mine. They’re not too sweet and are very refreshing. Mango is the best flavor (to me) but the lemonade one is good as well.
Stovetop Popcorn
Hear me out, popcorn popped the old-fashioned way on the stovetop taste much better than when it’s popped in the microwave. Maybe because it has less radiation in it? Lol. The only thing I don’t like about popping it on the stove is that it sucks out all the buttery goodness.
Happy Birthday to all the ‘life of the party’ Aquarians out there, and I hope all the Capricorns enjoyed their birthdays!!
That’s all for now, xoxo!
Tiffany’s Diary 