Did I Shave My Legs for This?

It’s 2024 and even if January was a bust, you still have the opportunity to get on top of your fitness game for the remainder of 2024.  Amazon can help you get all of the fitness gear that you need to meet your wellness goals.  There are 10 affordable Amazon products that can assist you in being a healthier you by the end of the year.  Check them out!

Resistance Bands

Gymb Premium Resistance Bands-Glues, Thighs, and Legs (Cloth Non-slip) Set of 3.  

These are great for strength training, mobility exercises, and rehabilitation workouts.  The entire set is priced at 16.99.  

Yoga Mat and Carrier

Yoga Mat with Carry Strap for yoga pilates fitness and floor workout at home and gym  

A durable and comfortable yoga mat is essential for yoga, Pilates, and floor exercise.  Yoga mats range from 12.00-130.00 on Amazon, the pictured version for home and gym is listed at 18.64.

Textured Foam Rollers for Muscle Massage

Textured Foam Rollers for Muscle Massage-Medium-Density Back Foam Roller for Back Relief 

Ideal for self-myofascial release, reducing muscle tension, and improving flexibility.  The 18mm medium density back foam roller is available for 15.95.  Not a bad price for a makeshift home massager. 

Jump Ropes

Sportbit Adjustable Jump Rope for Speed Skipping

An excellent cardo workout tool that’s portable and can be used indoors or outdoors.  They range in capabilities and from five dollars and up at Amazon.  The pictured option sells for a mere 7.99. 

Water Bottles 

Iron Flask Sports Water Bottle 24oz

Staying hydrated during any fitness routine is paramount.  Having a durable and reusable water bottle is essential.  The Iron Flash Sports Water Bottle is versatile (3 lids and 28 colors) and available for 23.98. 

Bluetooth Headphones

JLab JBuds Air Sport True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds and Charging Case

Come on now, what’s a run or walk without music…. Torture!  Wireless headphones with good sound quality are perfect for listening to music or podcasts during workouts.  The JLab JBuds Air Sport True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds and Charging Case available in six colors are super affordable at 29.88.

Adjustable Dumbbells

Adjustable Dumbbells-Sets 20/30/40/60/80lbs

Getting to the gym isn’t always possible, but working out at home can be with compact and versatile, adjustrable dumbbells that allow you to complete a variety of strength training exercises anywhere.  Amazon sells a set of two adjustable free weights ranging from 20-80 pounds for less than 50.00.  

Smart Watch

Smart Watch, 1.8” Touch Screen with Alexa Built-in

You have to keep track of what you’ve done for the week.  The best way to do that is with an affordable fitness tracker which helps monitor daily activity levels, track workouts, and monitor heart rate.  There’s a Smart Watch available at Amazon for 39.99 that does all of this and it’s even waterproof.  

Fitness Journal

Clever Fox Fitness Journal Workout Log Book

Having the smart watch is great, but a fitness journal is a hardcopy record of how far you’re progressing.  Who wouldn’t want that?  The Clever Fox Fitness Journal Workout Log Book is great for both men and women available in eleven colors and is priced at only 14.99.

Exercise Ball

Yoga ball exercise ball for working out, Anti-burst and slip resistance gym ball, Swiss ball for therapy and fitness

An exercise ball can be used so much.  It’s perfect for core workouts, stability training, and improving balance.  The Yoga Ball Exercise Ball for working out, anti-burst and slip resistance gym ball, and Swiss ball for therapy and fitness are available for only 19.99.   The exercise ball rounds out the ten-item list, so you see, there’s no excuse to be your best you in 2024. So head over to Amazon and get the items you need to sweat it out.

Greetings all! I hope you had a great spring and are enjoying a lovely summer! Sorry, I’ve been away for so long. Needless to say, life is just what it is, life, and finding the time to update my blog isn’t always so easy. That said, I wanted to share a recent experience with you. In the spring, on May 20th, I completed the Mammoth Man March here in Memphis. Trust me, the race was as strenuous as its name suggests. The march was a hiking expedition through 20 miles of luscious forest and park terrain. Yes, you read that right, 20 miles. Yes, I knew exactly what I was getting myself into when I signed up and paid for the expedition. However, I got much more than what I bargained for.

What is a marathon?

Dictionary.com has two definitions of a marathon, the first definition is precise about the number of miles, kilometers, and other metric system descriptors, but the second definition is much more blunt and straightforward. The second definition defines a marathon as any long-distance race. After what I experienced, I agree wholeheartedly with the second definition. I could care less about the specificity of metrics outlined in the first definition. If you’re a hip-hop aficionado, you’re familiar with the late Crenshaw rapper Nipsey Hussle, who used the marathon metaphor to guide his music and business ventures. Having completed a literal marathon, the metaphor also guides my life.

Metaphorical Marathon

I knew the experience would be challenging and promised to give it my all. Now mind you, I am no stranger to exercise, I religiously attend spinning and kickboxing classes regularly and love spending time at Shelby Farms, where the event occurred. So, please don’t roll your eyes thinking I’m an idiot. I knew, but I wanted a challenge. Yes, I wanted the challenge. I know that sounds crazy at times because life is a trip. Life is hard. Life is difficult even when life is good, but yes, I wanted to push my body to a limit. Mission accomplished!

Mile 1

As soon as the marathon began, I fell in the mud halfway through the first mile. I fell on my knees into the wet dirt. I’m a country girl. I can take it. No biggie. I expected to fall. Another expectation that I’m glad I had early on. That first fall was definitely aligned with life, you fall, sometimes quickly, but you get back up and keep going. It may sound cliche, but that’s the reality. Let’s keep going.

Mile 5

Here we go. I’ve got to mile 5. I’ve done five miles quickly before in this same park consistently. This was also the first time that I and my marathon partners were faced with the opportunity to cheat. A pathway featured a shortcut to get with the pack of marathon participants who began 45 minutes before us. I am happy to report that we didn’t take it. I’m proud that we didn’t, but there was a point during the expedition where I wished we’d taken that opportunity. In the immortal words of Nipsey Hussle, “The marathon continues.”

Mile 8

If I had to characterize mile 8 as being any portion of my life, I’d say it was like the end of high school. Difficult but gratifying. It’s also closely related to the ending of high school because I thought leaving high school would be the most challenging task, but life quickly proved me wrong. When I think about the high school parallel to mile 8, it reminds me of my time as a teacher when I tried to get students to understand that high school doesn’t even scratch the surface of life.

Mile 10

Halfway through the marathon, you could look at things in one of two ways: either you are halfway there or halfway done. There suggests a destination. Done suggests completion. Much like life, do you see it as a journey or something you’re doing?

Mile 14

My God! I began to ask myself some hard questions. “Why, again, are you doing this?”, “Are you going to make it?”, “Can you actually do this?” Looking back, I realized at mile 14, I was genuinely selling myself short, a practice that my past therapist identified consistently. I am my own worst critic. This kind of questioning cannot continue with the girl who has thrived in public education since 2009. Nor can this be the same woman who has completed the carnival trek at Caribana in Toronto for four years. Lastly, you are your Papi’s daughter and survived his death, so how dare you question yourself in the face of a day-long marathon? You’ve accomplished difficult degrees, received coveted accolades, and more by calling on God.

Mile 16

Mile 16 reminds me a lot of how my thirties have been. Let me say this, I’m 38 years old, and I don’t feel like I was told 38 should feel, and proud to say that I don’t look 38 either. How many 38-year-olds do you know would even participate in marathons, to begin with? Also, in my thirties, I traded speed for direction. I stopped worrying about doing things at a rapid rate or just doing things to be doing them and took a different approach. In my thirties, I discovered how to love myself better and started doing what I wanted. Heavy emphasis on the I. I traded in other people’s ideas about my life and just went for experiences. I love living my life this way. I called on God during mile 16, invoked my father’s strength, and pushed through.

Mile 18

Victory is near. I knew it and could almost taste it. Inside I kept chanting, “Just keep swimming,” and “Just keep swimming,” the end of this physical marathon was apparent. Every day is damn near, like mile 18. You have to keep swimming.

Mile 20

Victory is mine. The organizers handed us certificates, stamped our marathon book, and gave us a medal that signaled our triumphant finish. Let me tell you, that medal looked like an Olympic gold after falling about 5 times, being scratched, enduring hills, and incessant climbing during this 20-mile journey. Not to mention, despite wearing comfortable shoes, I already felt blisters forming on my feet. The blisters, soreness, and fatigue were all badges of honor to me. Weeks later and I still feel accomplished and happy about the journey. It is a sense of accomplishment that I cannot describe. All twenty miles made me happy, agonize, and reflect. The marathon was just like life; if we’re lucky, our life will be just like the marathon.

SMOOCHES!

P.S. Life your life! I have a few messages to add to my sign-off today. Simply, life YOUR life. It’s yours. If you have an interest that you love, get involved in it, don’t wait on your unsure friends, do it for you. You never know. By embracing your interests, you may gain new friends. Don’t let your work or job consume you because if you die, they’ll simply hire your replacement as soon as possible, and you’ll be a memory. Don’t get caught up in the idea that your co-workers and superiors are “family” unless they are. Live YOUR life.

Click on the above link for the order form for all Bryce August novels and other products from A. Grandberry.

Order Form for Bryce August, the Beginning & Bryce August, Redemption

Happy 2021 to you all. I pray that February will be an improvement to the year that has to bring some redemption to what 2020 was. I hope all of you are well and the coronavirus hasn’t negatively affected the majority of you. I realize that I have taken quite the hiatus from my blog however as you can see, I’ve been quite busy. In 2019, I finished my first book, Bryce August, the Beginning which is the first installment of a romantic trilogy. The first novel tells the story of the clueless but privileged Bryce August, a 21 year old heir to a wealthy enterprise. Bryce is a part of the wealthy Augusts of the Potomac, Maryland region of the United States. The Augusts are an influential family who has managed to hold onto generational wealth by arranging marriages to other prominent blacks. Their tradition is simple, your parents select your husband or wife, and if you refuse, you won’t get your inheritance. Although the tradition is simple, Bryce is anything but simple as he detests who his parents has selected and has fallen for another woman. What will Bryce do? What will he uncover in his quest for a way out?

In completing my first installment, I was a lot like Bryce, clueless, I made a lot of mistakes with the self- publishing route with Amazon Direct Publishing and hiring an amateur editor. There were a lot of mistakes that were made but upon such there were some triumphs as well, and I was able to capitalize upon them. Those triumphs pushed me forward no matter how I received criticism from others and myself. Then not to mention during one of the most difficult years of my life, I managed to publish the sequel, Bryce August, Redemption. Here in this installment not only does Bryce redeem himself but I do as well. This go around, I knew how to handle Amazon, I knew how to navigate the publishing portal and I acquired a more seasoned editor for my work and thus a more polished creation was made. Despite the difficulty of the year, I improved quite well.

With this story, Bryce grows up, he is faced with constant obstacles but instead of cowering or whining about it, he faces it all. In this installment, it’s apparent what Bryce will do with or without the support of loved ones. Readers also get a chance to see the different side of Bryce’s best friend, Larry and his ever changing mother, Myra. I am eager to build upon these developments and finish the story of this industrious young man, so I pray that 2021 is good to me in that regard. What are you looking forward to this year? Please share.

SMOOCHES!

This year marked 5 years ago that I lost my best friend to senseless gun violence, sometimes I still cannot believe that he’s not here with me. There are times when I want to call him and tell him about the absurdities I am facing while dating and even in the workplace and I can’t. During those times I’m either sad, numb or enraged. I take solace in the fact that he taught me what true friendship is. During these trying times, I’m trying to be as he was with me, patient and understanding and never judgmental. Love on your people as you have them because pretty soon, God will want them back. Rest in love EJ, I miss you so much old boy.

2008 the world changed, a remarkable black family brought hope and inspiration,

The good saw a new day, others felt a threat to the nation.

8 years past, the good brimmed with pride while others schemed,

The good were robbed of that hope and a nightmare replaced a dream.

Misogyny, lies, deceit, a robbery was ultimately committed,

We were saddled with a classless, vile, clueless and godless idiot.

Racism woke up while the woke laid dormant and still,

All progress that was once made, the other half sought to kill.

Skin color, sexual preference, place of origin were all under attack,

We became so many hashtags it was impossible to keep track.

There was a twindemic before flu season even began,

We all had to remember to kneel before we could take a stand. 

This year marks 60 years where little Ruby became a giant,

And reminded us that “good trouble” is being devoutly defiant.

Ruby walked to school because Rosa sat and now Kamala leads,

Today the good got spiritual medicine that we desperately need.

We can’t breathe and the masks aren’t the reason why,

Today we actually had a happy reason to have a cry.

Hope was inhaled as Shyamala’s baby crushed a ceiling,

Immigrants, minorities, women, HBCU grads love this feeling.

Shirley you ran because you had hope this day would come,

When we decide to unite who knows where the support comes from. 

Two black women, Stacey and Keisha, stood on John’s memory,

And flipped a red state blue and thus we all claim the victory.

Kamala’s win validates the work of Nancy, Maxine and even Hilary,

All children can say, “greatness does in fact look like me.”

Lovely irony is that Shyamala and Donald met on the freedom fight,

And their daughter manifested all of the dreams of the good on this historic night.

Kamala you represent so much, I hope that you know it,

Be proud of your ambition and accomplishments, queen show it.

She sought to achieve and serve and found love later in life,

She secured a great legacy before she became a wife.

Your story speaks volumes for little black girls, even me,

Who still believes I can make my dreams a reality.

Madam Vice President we all rejoice as your black girl magic reigns supreme,

You are a pearl wearing, ceiling shattering embodiment of the American Dream.

Spring Forward Vox Box

I’ve been an active user of the Influenster app for a few years and they always give me access to some dope products periodically. Recently they sent me a Spring Box with three great items.

Item #1. Smashmallow Chocolate Chip marshmallow. This sample was a great snack but I think the product is especially versatile for baking because not only is it good for marshmallow uses but the chocolate chips baked in gives it an awesome twist.

Item #2. Gold Bond Ultimate Age Defense Moisturizer. Gold Bond has already been established as a trust worthy and great moisturizing product, adding the age defense is just another bonus for women who spend a lot of time in the sun.

Item #3. Lemi Shine Dishwasher tabs. Let’s be honest, no one wants to spend their time hand washing dishes at all. So I was pleased to get this product that keeps me from doing so. Thus far with the product, I don’t have to pre or post wash the dishes, it cleans all of my plates and flatware that I use daily.

The entire Spring Vox Box has been a heaven sent and if you want to focus on the detergent tabs, it’s a heaven scent. I love being an influenster.