Month: July 2020

KANDY’S CORNER 7.26.20

- Kandice Ford

Hey y’all! I’ve been a bit quiet the last week but I’m ready to jump back in. I was feeling a bit stuck honestly. Dealing with some personal issues, hitting a wall with workouts, being in a creative rut etc. So I took a step back, re-evaluated, and gave myself grace to work through my issues.

We’re living in precarious times, and I often feel like there is too much emphasis placed on pretending like everything is normal. NOTHING IS NORMAL RIGHT NOW. I think 2020 has made alot of people take off the rose colored glasses they normally look through. My hope is that we’re able to bring about lasting impactful change. Weekend reads after the jump!

Matisse Thybulle has been vlogging his experience in the NBA bubble and it is the purest thing I’ve seen in a long time.

Clueless turned 25 last week, and this is an excellent write up about the film’s origins and impact.

AOC buried Yoho in her speech this week, and she’s the leader women and little girls need representing us.

This lemon chicken recipe is on my menu this week!

Food blogger Deb Perelman sheds light on the conundrum many parents are facing this fall in terms of child care and unpaid labor.

Going to make this lemonade while peaches are still in season.

The Nordstrom anniversary sale starts soon, and you can preview some of the items here. The sale starts for cardholders on August 13th, and the general public August 19th.

That’s all this week folks! Let me know what you’ve been up to in the comments.

KANDY’S CORNER 7.18.20

- Kandice Ford

We made it to another weekend. The air feels very heavy, and I would be lying if I said I hadn’t been sitting in waves of sadness the past few days with all the loss. I wept last night when I learned of John Lewis’s death. It felt too close, and I am both angered and eternally grateful that he fought for our freedoms until his last day. He told us not to despair, and to get in trouble, good trouble. I find comfort in his optimism and determination. With that being said I hope you can find some comfort and joy in the things I share today.

First things first, we honor an ancestor Rest in Power, Congressman Lewis.

Kelly Preston passed away this week from cancer, and I’ll always remember her as she was in this video. Radiant and full of life. R.I.P.

A fitting tribute to another beautiful soul gone to soon R.I.P. Naya Rivera.

The complete oral history of a Memphis rap anthem.

The Coronavirus epidemic from the viewpoint of a billionaire. If this doesn’t show you how out of touch rich people are, I don’t know what will.

A new show with Memphis roots, haven’t watched it yet but it is definitely on my radar. P-Valley tells the story from the woman’s point of view, and aims to destigmatize the lives of strippers.

A Caesar salad with two of my favorite things, steak and shrimp!

Stumbled across this article today about Black Preps. Really interesting take. Black people set the standard of cool, and Ivy league prep is no exception.

I’ve decided since I’ll probably be stuck in the house for the rest of year I need to up my loungewear game. These pajama shorts are on my list for when my no buy is over.

That’s it for this week folks! Let me know what you’ve been into and how you’ve been taking care of yourself this week.

3 PRODUCTS TO STAY DRY IN THE SUMMER HEAT

- Kandice Ford

The holy trinity of summer skin saviors

It’s that time of year friends. We are smack dab in the middle of summer. Or as I affectionately like to call it, Back and Boob sweat season. Some people love summer. I am not one of those people. Summer for me means a few minutes outside in the heat and I start to sweat profusely. It also means that as someone who is blessed in the chest and a member of the thick thigh brigade, chafing is inevitable.

For the longest it seemed like something I just had to deal with. Summer heat and chafing go hand in hand. Luckily, in recent years brands have gotten hip to the dilemma and acted accordingly. I have discovered a few products that are game changers and allow me to wear whatever I want and stay dry, chafe free, and comfortable.

  1. Lush Silky Underwear dusting powder

Shout out to the OG beauty vloggers for putting me on to this. It’s a dusting powder and I use it for keeping boob sweat at bay. Sprinkle a bit over your chest and under your boobs before getting dressed. It I’ll help you stay dry and it smells like lavender.

2. Monistat Care Chafing Relief Power Gel

So this is probably the last brand that comes to mind in terms of chafing but stick with me. This is the first product I ever found that actually worked for chafing. It’s a gel formula that dries to a powder. Use it anywhere there’s friction. It also helps to soothe any area that’s already irritated from chafing. This is the most affordable of the three, but it may require reapplying after several hours.

3. Megababe Thigh Rescue Anti-Chafe Stick

This is the newest product in my collection, and the only one specifically designed for thighs. It comes in stick form, and just like deodorant you roll it on. It takes a few minutes to dry but once it does it leaves you super smooth. I used this on my recent trip to Memphis. It lasted all day and I was able to wear shorts and dresses comfortably

There you have it! Everything I use to survive the summer heat. I hope if you are in need of some products or just need a good laugh, this was helpful to you. Let’s not suffer in silence friends. If you have tried any of these, or have other products to recommend leave them in the comments!

* All products mentioned were purchased with my own money, and shared because I love them.

KANDY’S CORNER 7.11.20

- Kandice Ford

Cheers to the weekend y’all! I’m starting a new blog series , Kandy’s Corner, where I share a weekend roundup of my favorite things from the interwebs. These have always been some of my favorite posts to read, so I figured they would become posts I love to write. Keep reading to see what’s caught my eye this week.

Macy’s is running a killer sale on Staub cookware, and I ordered a couple of these beauties for my collection.

My next baking project are these kolaches from Food & Wine. I’ve never tried them before but they look delicious and it’s cherry season.

Read this article about black women working in media. It was eye-opening and incredibly sad at the same time. I was a COMM major in college and dreamed of working for one of these big media companies. The reality is, either they don’t hire black women or do they do and put them through hell.

I’m on the hunt for new activewear, and these shorts might be the move. Come back in stock soon please.

True story: I read every Baby-Sitters Club book as a kid and went through a phase where every time we went to the video store I rented the movie. The Netflix reboot dropped last week, and judging by the trailer I’m in for a treat.

The summer sangria I made for the 4th of July.

A little summer nostalgia for my fellow 90’s kids.

My favorite band released an acoustic quarantine version of their song Agoraphobia. Very fitting considering the times.

How was your week? Anything exciting happening this weekend? Let me know in the comments!

NO BUY JULY : WEEK 1 UPDATE

- Kandice Ford

My closet feeling sad.

T.G.I.F! I hope y’all had a good week and a relaxing holiday. I spent the 4th in Memphis with my family. I ate all the local delicacies I could hold and sweated the entire time I was there. It was great. Switching gears, Wednesday officially marked 1 week of No Buy July. I was on the road most of the day so a figured a friday update made more sense. So how did I do? Read more after the jump!

Adding fashion this year was definitely harder than I expected….and I cracked. Let me explain. A couple of months ago I put myself on the waitlist to be notified when a couple of items I wanted from Eloquii came back in stock in my size. This shirt and a pair of shorts very similar to these. The actual shorts I bought have already sold out go figure.

To be honest I don’t feel too bad about it. Guilty yes bad no. Obviously I couldn’t control if or when the items I wanted came back in stock. Also, shopping while plus size is already a struggle and a half. You think it would be easy to find basics like distressed shorts but no. I figured if I didn’t order them immediately they would sell out again. I was right. I tried to buy two pairs in my size and couldn’t. I literally got the only pair available. There’s a whole conversation to be had about the lack of clothing options as a plus size person. That’s another post for another day.

So here’s to making it one week. Obviously a purchase is a purchase but everyday is a new day to try again. The 4th of July sales were tempting, but I held my ground as far as those. I also decided as penance I am purchasing at least 2 books for a friend of a friend’s classroom. She’s a teacher who’s wants to diversify her classroom for her 3rd graders. I love to read, and I wish more of my teachers growing up made the effort to provide diverse books. This is a cause I am more than happy to support. Going to share her list here . If the spirit moves you donate a couple of things for her classroom.

I know from experience the first week is the hardest, so hopefully it’s smooth sailing from here on out. If you are doing the challenge with me or just following along use the hashtag #LKNOBUYJULY to follow along. Leave me a comment and let me know how your first week went!