• Gavel in Christmas decor

    Holiday Traditions That Need To End in a Lawsuit

    My Possibly Unhinged, Maybe Accurate, But Deeply Necessary List The holidays: a magical time of joy, connection, warmthโ€ฆ and an absurd number of expectations no one signed up for. Some traditions are sweet.Some trigger warm memories you actually want to hold on to.But those other ones? Jail. They need: So, in the spirit of healing, humor, and all the chaos I feel is needed, hereโ€™s your (my) completely necessary list of… Holiday Traditions That Should Absolutely, Positively End in a Lawsuit… beginning in 2025. 1. Unnecessarily leaving the comfort of my home to go into the โ€˜Winterโ€™ First of all? Why? Second of all, whoโ€™s asking? Third-of allโ€ฆ why?Absolutely not!…

  • Beautiful black woman in warm clothing with a sign that reads 'Desperately Seeking Sunshine'

    How to Survive December When You Absolutely Hate the Cold

    Let me be clear from jump: I am not a cold-weather loving girly. I do not flourish in frost. I do not awaken joyfully to the dank darkness. And I have never, nor will I ever, romanticize a numb bum, fingers or toes.I miss the beach. I miss sand. I miss sun. And when Iโ€™m on the Maryland side, that delicious summer heat hugs instead of attacks – 99-degree boob-sweat days aside, clearly. Every year, my brain has to formally come to terms with the fact that for the next three months, I will be waking up in darkness and also ending my days in darkness. At some point in the…

  • BINGO lighted up sign on black background

    Your Quick, Fun Escape From Thanksgiving Chaos: Bingo Time!

    Happy Tuesday!  Thanksgiving is creeping up… next week, in fact. And if youโ€™re fortunate enough to be able to fully enjoy Thanksgiving, just know it doesnโ€™t have to be filled with chaos and stressful-arse to-dos. Who says gratitude canโ€™t come with a playful side of fun (and a pause or ten)? Not me! Remember! Take all the pauses you need, sneak in some laughs, and sprinkle a ton of gratitude into your week (and life), starting with this fun Bingo game. Letโ€™s keep it light this holiday season so we all get to rest and recharge. And who knows, we might see how much we love it, and it might…

  • Two face one side clown and the other colored and floating away

    When Your Perception Can Let You Down

    We all think we know what we see. But do we really? Consider the last time you misjudged someone, or they misjudged you. Maybe because of your bubbly, loud, and silly personality, they assumed you were a โ€œgo-along-to-get-alongโ€ person and not someone with deeper thoughts or stronger beliefs. Or perhaps you misread them, thinking you understood their intentions. These moments remind us that our perceptions are not always accurateโ€”or that, with time and knowing more, theyโ€™ve adjusted. Itโ€™s easy to get lulled into believing we have a clear view of the world around us. Our eyes are open, our ears alert. But perception isnโ€™t just about what we see or…

  • Beautiful black woman sitting watching snow wrapped blanket with a hot drink

    How to Redefine “Enough” in the Holiday Season

    Lately, Iโ€™ve been hearing the collective exhale from people everywhereโ€”friends, strangers online, across the globe, all saying some version of: โ€œYou know what? I donโ€™t need anything this year.โ€ โ€œIโ€™m so over all this unnecessary spending, going broke, and for what?โ€ The mass consensus: Letโ€™s cancel all the holidays! Woah Nelly! Hold up! Slow down! Christmas is LITERRALLY my FAVE holiday. It was the time in my childhood that my mum (RIPโค๏ธ) was the least nuts, and in fact, full of cheer – brimming over if you will! Me and my sister could damn near do no wrong, and cancelling?… That ‘aint happening! Nope! #IWillFightYou. OK fine. Calm down, cause…

  • Angel Meets Demon cartoon kid images (2 of 2)

    How to Stay Steady: My “Good Human” Work-in-Progress List

    As promised from my Tuesday post: Why “Good Human” Energy Matters โ€” Now More Than Ever, hereโ€™s my list. No sugarcoating. No โ€œperfect humanโ€ checklist โ€” just a handful of things I try (and sometimes fumble) to show up a little better each day. Maybe youโ€™ll see yourself in some. Maybe youโ€™ll roll your eyes at a few. Either way, itโ€™s real, and I welcome any ones you have. 1-20… Let’s go! 1. Be Around People Who Push You To Be An Even-Better You You might not have a ton of friends โ€” but you have the right ones. Mentors, peers, and people who call you out (lovingly) when needed.…

  • Documents in Chaos

    Messy Journaling: Your Secret Tool for Better Stress Relief

    Two Moscow Mules, a Prosecco, and a deep conversation about something we all struggle with from time to timeโ€”managing our emotions, especially when other people, situations, or life itself unintentionally trigger them. One friend shared that sheโ€™d been trying to stay calm, respond better, not let things get to herโ€”but sometimes, it just felt impossible. Think: โ€œI know Iโ€™m being triggered, but I canโ€™t seem to stop reacting. I donโ€™t have control over it.โ€ Iโ€™ve one hundred percent been there. Many times. Maybe, like me, you donโ€™t yell or scream out loudโ€”itโ€™s more internalโ€”but either way, you feel it. Youโ€™re not overreacting, being dramatic or โ€˜in your feelsโ€™, itโ€™s real…

  • Death Meets Beauty Traditional tattoo design featuring a detailed skull opposite vibrant red roses, separated by light and connected by butterflies.

    Are you Team ‘Need’ or Team ‘Want’ in a Relationship?

    Yet another slight shift in my SincerelyIreneB posts, but not by my conscious choice, but this has been all over all my feeds for months, and my friend visiting got us talking about this exact subject. Not to mention, a week or so ago, two other friends of mine touched on this topic as well. What is it? The male loneliness epidemic. Iโ€™m gonna begin right out the gate with I know many, many a good man. Not the fake, mask-wearing kind, I mean, I do know too many of those, sadly, but Iโ€™m stating this so if you want to come at me as a man-hater type, then knock…

  • Digital Divine Priestess Bathed in magenta and teal light, the divine feminine emerges as a cybernetic deity manipulating holographic lotuses in cosmic darkness.

    How to Step In and Embrace Your Villain Era?

    Villain = Evil, wicked person. Within this popular term or saying, “I’m in my villain-era”, Iโ€™m not for one second buying the evil part, but the wicked part is in fact wickedly delectable to me. Not (no longer) giving a damn about what anybody else thinks, being the bigger person, or taking the high road isnโ€™t about you now doing wrong to others who wronged you (well, not always), but about taking back your power to choose. Itโ€™s not about resetting your personality to be stuck on cruel, but to finally be selfishโ€”in the most positive sense of the word. Itโ€™s a return to yourself. Disclaimer: Also, never be the…