Tag: lifestyle

lifestyle

Tulsa City Guide for Runners

May 2, 2018

This year, I am headed to Route 66 Marathon in Tulsa for my 35th Birthday. I am so excited and counting down for not only another race but also some great fun in Tulsa. I spoke at Social Media Tulsa, which is a great conference by the way, and while there got a chance to scoop the Tulsa scene. Here is my Tulsa City Guide for Runners! Tulsa City Guide for Runners! Don’t want to read? Check out this video where I go behind the scenes and show off the city digital and virtually. Where to Stay Double Tree: I stayed in the Double Tree Hotel downtown in Tulsa but it is not right on the strip of downtown. This meant I had to walk 10 minutes to everything. This is a great if you are headed down to the Route 66 Marathon and want to be connected to the expo or a little away from downtown. Other Hotels: My recommendations would be the Aloft and Marriott – Fairfield Inn or Courtyards, which are right downtown and in the heart of everything. Hard Rock Cafe: This is a casino and hotel but I would only recommend this for gamblers mostly and not specifically runners. It’s not very close to much of the downtown attractions so you would have to drive to the race on race morning. Still a must see place. Need Last Minute Running Gear? Route 66 Marathon Team: If you have any questions about running in Tulsa, Route 66 is beyond helpful. I had a long run to do while in the city and they were able to connect me with ambassadors, Fleet Feet Tulsa and much more. Route 66 also host the big marathon every year. It’s known as a top 10 best marathon for a reason! Oh yeah they have a cool App too that is very helpful! I used it while I was. in the city as a secondary reference. Fleet Feet Tulsa literally has everything and will help you with open arms. They host several different races, pop-up runs and much more in the city year around. What To Do In Tulsa Greenwood District: Is the hub of Black Wall Street, and local African- American exhibits. Additionally, it has local popular restaurants and is where the baseball and soccer fields/arenas area. Sports: From the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Tulsa Drillers baseball team, you can cheer on just about any and everyone here. Arts & Museums: From Reconciliation and Healing Walkway to the Woody Guthrie Center and, the arts are all over the city. There are at least 5 museums within the downtown area for you to quickly explore. Tulsa Jazz: Tulsa is known for producing some great artist over the last century – hello Charlie Wilson & the GAP band! It also holds the Jazz Hall of Fame. Jazz still is flowing through the city so Tulsa Jazz is your hub for all things related to music in the genre. Gambling & Hard Rock Casino: DUH! Just minutes away are the casinos so enjoy and check out the Hard Rock Casino. Center of the Universe: This is a mysterious phenomenon that no one can really explain. Located downtown and on a small hill, if you stand in the middle of the circle and make a noise, the sound is echoed back several times louder than it was made. It sounds brining when I type it but it’s really cool when visiting. It’s literally as if you were standing in the center of the universe. Where to Eat & Drink in Tulsa for Runners So Tulsa has no short of dinning places in the town. From craft beer to custom pizza, there are a plethora of dining spots. Here are some of my highlights. Glacier Chocolate: Vegan truffles. Gold Chocolate. Need I say anymore?! Valkyrie: Nothing like a good ole Old Fashion and a chill atmosphere for Class Cigars & Lounge: Did you get a PR and want to celebrate with a cigar? Classic cigars and lounge is right downtown just for you. Laffa Medi-eastern: I love Mediterranean food, which this Laffa is sooooo good! Great for my vegan or vegetarian folks and also includes some African infused dishes. All About Cha: Tea drinkers unite! Need to grab some good wifi and just relax? Looking for great tea or a bento box? All about Cha is more than just Chai tea, it’s a perfect hub for relaxing and hanging out. Pizza & Pasta Are Popular: There are a million pizza places but the one I heard a lot about was Upper Crust Wood Fired Pizza. I didn’t eat there because I had pasta instead at Ti Amo Ristorante Italiano. The food was really good at Ti Amo but my service was super slow. Manager was cool and made up for it but it had the best eggplant parmesan I have heard had in my life soooo. This post is sponsored in part with Route 66 Marathon.

Baltimore Running Festival Guide

December 7, 2017

In October, I spent several days in Baltimore, Maryland. The city is known for its harbor and famous crab cakes. I spoke about my quest to run two marathons within two weeks, and it didn’t go as planned. I ended up demoting myself from the full marathon to what’s called a bal-ta-mor-athon, which consist of running a 5k and the half marathon. However, I truly enjoyed myself and the city. If you are running the race or just coming to hang for the weekend, here is a travel guide of the city of Baltimore and the Baltimore Running Festival. So I wanted to share a race recap, travel tips and obviously things to see and do in Baltimore. Travel to Baltimore I travel by way of Southwest airlines straight into Baltimore main airport – BWI, but you can also travel into Washington D.C., which is about an hour away. Additionally, you can fly into Regan or Dulles and take either a train or rent a car to travel the hour distance to Baltimore. So in short, there are a few different ways go getting to B-more. I like BWI because it’s nice, clean and connects directly to the light train. I took the light train from the airport straight into the downtown harbor area for only $1.80!! It was a great way to see the city and relax my feet for 30 minutes. Unfortunately, on the way back due to leaving at the crack of daw, I had to take Uber to the airport, which cost me a little over $20 but it was a short 10-15 minute trip from my hotel. Getting around the city is very easy. I walked most places because they were within walking distance and when not Lyft, which has a more significant prescience in Baltimore during this time, was available within a few minutes. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to take the bus, but the bus is free and very easy to navigate throughout the city. Hotels to Stay At In Baltimore While there, I visited several different hotels for an upcoming event I am planning with the Black Marathoners Association. My favorite hotels thus far are the Baltimore Renaissance Hotel by the Harbor and Hilton Baltimore. Baltimore Renaissance Hotel From amazing views of the harbor every time you wake up to their endless healthy breakfast buffet, this hotel is perfect for families and those who want to be within a few feet from most tourist attractions and less than a mile from Wholefoods.(Gotta be close to a store for last minute item!) Additionally, the hotel is connected to the mall, which may be great for some or not so great for others. I was tempted to do some massive shopping, but I didn’t! HA! I liked that the Marriott allowed guest to make reservations for dining at any time because there is nothing like wasting time for waiting around for a table. Additionally, their breakfast and bar for a night cocktail are great. I was able to make my own juice as I overlooked the harbor before race morning. The hotel is half a mile from the train and pretty easy to access for anything. Hilton Baltimore I stayed at the Hilton Baltimore, which is my top pick of hotels to stay at. It is currently undergoing some updates, but they have already started and should be completed by March 2018. I got a chance to see the newer rooms, which are amazing! The view is breathtaking because you get to look at the beautiful baseball stadium and some of the city skyline. Hilton’s customer service is unlike any hotel I had. Additionally, I liked the Hilton because I was close to several local bars (not tourist stuff), directly off the light train and could easily walk with 10 minutes to the harbor to meet up for drinks. Oh yeah, the food there is the BOMB! I had crab dip, salmon BLT, and beet salad; which everything I ate was so fresh and delicious. Dining Places in Baltimore Harbor Speaking of food, Where can I start! There are so many places to eat in Baltimore, and most of them are within walking distance of either hotel or a short 5-minute ride. I want to focus on most of the restaurants and dinning within the harbor area because I didn’t get a chance to eat at all the places but here are a few highlights of places to go. The Land of Kush – the Best Black vegetarian restaurant within walking distance of the hotel. Make sure you grab it and then some for the next day! It’s that good. Phillips Seafoods: Be careful, you can eat everything at this restaurant and want to continue to eat more. There are so many options, but I had the salmon salad; however, I will be back for their famous seafood mac and cheese. Hard Rock Cafe – Because I know some of you gotta grab the magnet and pins of each location. The Grub Factory – Great spot for vegans. Can’t make it? Then hit the grub hub for delivery to you. Pappas Restaurant – Known for the best crab cakes for decades. Additionally, Oprah listed them as one of her favorite things, so ya know if O’ says it then. Hilton Hotel: For a hotel, this food is the bomb.com. Get into the beet salad, which these pecans were like heaven or their crab dip. If you are staying there, they have tons of specials and goodies before and during the baseball games, which are across the street. Rita’s Frozen Custard – If you haven’t had Rita’s you are missing out. Nothing like stopping midday for some frozen homemade custard, Italian ice or any one of the countless sweets. There is one right in the harbor with fast service and loads of options. Other Vegan & Vegetarian Spots Close –Here is a list of other vegan and vegetarian spots close by. I

New York City Marathon

November 12, 2017

A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. – Lou Last year, I made a goal to run the NYC Marathon and less than a year later, thousands of steps the journey and goal has been completed. My NYC weekend isn’t the typical weekend because I can never do anything basic. I am always extra with everything. Additionally, I am always representing the Black Marathoners or doing something for the organization so it’s never a dull moment in my life. Brace yourself, it’s a bit lengthy but I couldn’t leave out anything because it was packed weekend and it’s a dream come true! It’s a good read I think. So with that, here is my VIP NYC Marathon recap. Friday – New York City I Am Here I arrived in NYC Friday and basically had mapped out my day with going to hang out and tour the Women’s Health Magazine / Rodale office and then hit the expo and I did just that. The NYC Marathon is not a typical race as most because it’s an entire weekend event of stuff. You really have to be organized or you might just miss out on running the actual race. HA! Anywho, I had a packed weekend so here goes… If you don’t want to read then feel free to enjoy the video epic documentary with scores, scripts and more extraness on my youtube channel. Women’s Health Magazine / Rodale So Rodale owns some major magazines you probably read, one being women’s health but also runners world, men’s health, and Prevention. As a 2x Women’s Health Action Hero of the year, I wanted to finally meet the folks I had been working with for now a few years. It was a cool office and experience. It was even cooler as I got a chance to see the wall of magazine covers! NYC Expo So my goal was to do everything I could at the expo and avoid it on Saturday. I did just that. The expo is basically split into three big sections. Section one is the intro to the NYC where you get everything for the race, (bibs, VIP, etc.) Next section is the NYC Merch and New Balance – the sponsors. The third is full of the other vendors. There was a lot of NYC merchandise and it was very busy. Honestly, it was crazy. The expo can be overwhelming at times. I took breaks because I was so scattered brained and wanted everything but the way my pockets were lined up…. Yeah, Nah son. The lines weren’t too long for me, as I didn’t have a wait at all. After debating on jackets for an hour, I ended up getting a windbreaker NYC jacket because I knew it would look cool with my brooks NYC shoes and red is my favorite color. The next part of the expo is basically the other sponsored stuff and picture time. This also includes the section where you do the thank you wall. I loved this because it was really cool to see all the different nationalities and ethnicities that were represented. It felt like the Olympics and we were the athletes on opening day. I couldn’t just write just one thing but I wrote multiple ones because I am extra… After that, I hit the United section and obviously more and more picture taking. Also, they had a cool section to learn about “visualization” for running from Olympic athlete Meb Keflezighi. You can check out the video in my NYC Race recap, which was really helpful during the race. Once I learned a few tips about visualization when running then I hit up the general expo section for goodies for the race. (Really look at my video recap for details on this.) I met so many people and companies at the expo that it was kinda of a blur. The best thing I did at the expo was NormaTech system. They look like large boots that basically help with dynamic compression devices designed for recovery and rehab. Basically, you put the boots on and they are supposed to help you recover faster between workouts by reducing muscle soreness and improving circulation. I did this before and afterward my race and let me tell you it works! My feet were super sore from just walking, traveling and such. After 10 minutes sitting with it – the swelling was gone. The boots provided circulation to flow better and offered more oxygen. If you get a chance to try this at an expo please do! Anywho, I got a chance to do a lot at the expo, needless to say, I was there basically for hours. From getting VIP badges in the Blue room to picking up a complimentary custom pillow, I had a great time at the NYC Expo it was lit! After the expo, I watched the NYC parade. My phone was basically about to die so I don’t have any footage of it nor do I care. This race/weekend made me just live in the moment and just take it all in. It’s like that sometimes. … SATURDAY – Social Day In the video, I show you a better glimpse of the hotel I stayed it but I stayed in the DoubleTree in the Financial District in New York. It was right off the Ferry stop and very convent to all the trains in New York. I picked this location because I wanted to roll out of the bed the day of the race. Most of my friends had over an hour or so commute just to get to the Ferry stop due to the subways being packed. I had a 3 minute walk! I was able to enjoy some sleeping in a bit. Instead of going for a quick shake out run the day before like most folks, I just took a quick 2-mile tour of the financial district and grab a few

The Importance of Meditation

May 4, 2017

So often our brains are overloaded with various messages, emails, to-do-list, events and more that it hardly has times to rest and slow down. It is important to unplug, shut off and relax the mind. Mediation is critical in shutting off as it helps get rid of unnecessary feelings and thoughts and to reflect. It also helps to improve health, sleep, mentality, reduce stress, and improve concentration. Monday, I was so grateful to relax and take a break with a few local fitness and slow down on Monday with my Dallas Fitness Ambassadors crew. We met at the gorgeous Alexan apartments in Downtown Dallas and had a great platter of healthy foods and low-calorie drinks from Sprouts. Sprouts, by the way, is one of my favorite grocery stores to shop at so it was great to learn more about their cater services and new products. Additionally, we had chair massages from Spa Kneads, DIY essential oils demo from Aura cacia, and amazing homemade tea from Restore Simply. After being pampered and relaxed for a bit, I took my first official meditation class, which was soo needed!!! I have always struggled with meditation and during those last few minutes of yoga in the class, I am always going through my to-do list. As I started to deal with depression and listening to my internal struggles, I realized the importance of meditation and having a little bit of time in my life. Now it’s a regular part of my healthy lifestyle and can actually see the benefits of meditation such as reducing stress, sleeping better and much more. Meditation Apps There are tons of youtube videos that have meditation tips or practices, which is great. Sometimes the videos are removed or slow to buffer so instead I prefer meditation apps or audio that can aid in meditation, mindfulness and easy to use. With most of the apps, you can choose the time and then sit or lay down for the instructions of what to do. It’s that easy! Don’t worry, these apps are for both android and iTunes users and don’t cost anything to use at first. Calm Headspace Mindfulness App Simply Being Dr. Wayne Dyer (Spotify) Three Easy Tips To Start Meditation Establish a Daily Practice: Mediation doesn’t have to be complicated, but it’s important to have a set location, time and routine. Start with taking two to three minutes a day and then work your way up. I highly recommend starting your day off with meditation too! Proper Posture: Posture is important in any activity so whether you are laying down or standing up, make sure you are keeping yourself aligned. Choose a position Here are a few tips on my Pinterest board of postures, setting up a meditation space, movements and more. Breathe & Release: It is important to know our mind is going to have a lot of thoughts popping in randomly. Continue to take deep breathes, acknowledge the thoughts and release them. Hopefully, these tips will help you think about meditation a bit different or plant the seed in your journey. Special thanks to DFA and Sprouts for reminding me the importance of being mindful!

Running From Depression – My Story

April 27, 2017

Many of you know I am a runner but you don’t know one of the main reasons why I run is how I am dealing with depression. This is probably the longest video I have ever done but I was pushed to speak up about my journey with depression and how running has helped me to heal in the process. Articles On Depression Information about depression Tips for getting out of depression Christian Resources & Mentioned in Video Celebrate Recovery: http://www.celebraterecovery.com/ Re: Generation: http://www.regenerationrecovery.org/ Battlefield of the Mind: http://amzn.to/2qcmrEv Power Thoughts: http://amzn.to/2oBRexj Resources For Depression National Suicide Hope line: 800.784.2433 National Suicide Prevention: Lifeline 800.273.8255 National Alliance on Mental Illness: 1-800-950-NAMI https://www.nami.org Anxiety and Depression Association of America: http://www.adaa.org National Institute of Mental Health: 1-866-615-6464, http://www.nimh.nih.gov Financial Help Partnership for Prescription Assistance: https://www.pparx.org NeedyMeds: 1-800-503-6897, http://www.needymeds.org Together Rx Access: http://www.togetherrxaccess.com Social Security Administration: https://www.ssa.gov

Toxic Chemicals & Hair Growth

April 18, 2017

It’s spring time and if you are like me, you are full of cleaning and purging mode. As you are working to clean your house, I wanted to recommend taking another look at the cleaning supplies you are using on a daily basis. Household Toxic Chemicals According to Organic Consumers “the chemicals in cleaners foam, bleach, and disinfect to make our dishes, bathtubs, and countertops gleaming and germ-free, many also contribute to indoor air pollution, are poisonous if ingested, and can be harmful if inhaled or touched. In fact, some cleaners are among the most toxic products found in the home. In 2000, cleaning products were responsible for nearly 10% of all toxic exposures reported to U.S. Poison Control Centers, accounting for 206,636 calls. Of these, 120,434 exposures involved children under six, who can swallow or spill cleaners stored or left open inside the home.” Toxic Chemicals Affect On Skin and Hair As you look into the chemicals you use in your household, it is important to note these chemicals could also affect your skin, hair and overall health. There are hundreds of chemicals in these cleaning products, which a lot of them could be absorbed into your body. Additionally, these products could cause skin irritation, breakouts and affect your body, hair, scalp and overall health. Where To Buy Green Products Spring cleaning your home doesn’t have to be dirty work or potentially harm your overall health. The Grove Collaborative has some of the best natural products at great prices, delivered right to your door. It’s my favorite online site to shop for organic, eco-friendly and sustainable items like Dr. Bronner’s, Meyer’s and Seventh Generation. On my first order, I grabbed a special filled with 4 free products. Yeah! I got all this for free-99! Don’t be jealous though because as a result of joining, I can share with you $10 to spend online. Yep! So click and get to shopping and replace your toxic chemicals without the stress or harmful chemicals.

Recap | How-To-Cornrow Event

April 28, 2016

Hey gang! How many times have you said, “I wish I knew How To Cornrow?” Well The Natural Cole, my hair stylist Ashley Danielle and my company The FitHair, teamed up to help women learn how to cornrow and take care of their hair from the inside out. The Natural Cole’s How-To-Cornrow event was held in Dallas, Texas at amazing and cute Kowork space. Recap of The Natural Cole’s How-To Cornrow Event In this interactive class, Ashley and Cole taught the proper way to cornrow, provide hair care education and discuss products to help with this styling technique. The FitHair was a sponsor of light refreshments that also aid in hair growth.Here is a quick recap of the items served Organic strawberries Aidells teriyaki and pineapple chicken-meatball (nitrate and hormone free) Eat Smart Sweet Kale Salad with Trader joe’s Pear champagne dressing Infused water with cucumbers, limes, and lemon Infused peached champagne with pineapple juice Organic dark chocolate covered almonds (Trader Joe’s) In my presentation, I discussed how your skin often reflects external and international conditions. An excellent example of how we know they are related focused on the usage of Icy-How or Ben-gay products. Since the skin is one of the largest organs most, attendees walked away knowing how they are connected. Recap of Quick FitHair Tips: Eating a variety of foods rich in vitamins and nutrients are essential for healthy hair. Here are a few essentials I discussed. Eat organic and healthy foods such Salmon, Greens, Juice, Hemp Seeds Manage Stress Exercise Limit sugar, alcohol, and caffeine Drink daily spring and alkaline water Balance. Balance. Balance. Check of the gallery for a visual recap and also this awesome recap video below. Video Credit: @jaleesacharisse

Surprise Announcement!

April 14, 2016

I have been working hard on building The FitHair company and also expanding my expertise in communications, travel and wellness communities. — While I can go into a long post about everything, I am doing, I know you are probably reading like just get to the announcement please. Blah blah blah.. A few months ago, I applied to be a Women’s Health Action Hero. The Magazine dubs this title as a person who is a kicka** trendsetter who is a top influencer in her community, a social media maven and a go-to for the latest finds in fitness, beauty and style. THOSE SELECTED WILL HAVE THE CHANCE TO: Become a voice for Women’s Health and our partners See yourself in the pages of our magazine Drive the message for nationwide advertising campaigns Get a sneak peek at the hottest new products and gear Give your social following the inside scoop on what’s trending Help change the world with RUN 10 FEED 10 After the third time seeing this ad around the internet and from fellow bloggers, I figured I would apply. I honestly didn’t think much of it as I literally was just in the magazine this time last year. (#Blessed) I filled out the application in three minutes and went on about my day. A few weeks ago, I received an email, reviewed loads of paperwork (Big Thank you to Bex at Bexlife for reviewing with me!!!) and today finished up with our first conference call, which I revealed on a few snaps (SnapChat Alexandria-will) sooooooooo you know where this is leading to right… AHHHHHHH FAINTS!!! I am so honored to be involved the program as there are a lot of other things that will happen outside those few perks. For you my readers, this means more goodies and latest information from the fitness, health and beauty industry. I will be posting on here and The FitHair website so make sure you signup for my newsletter, and follow me on social media in order to stay to date for announcements, prizes and much more. Now back to the grind of my other full-time job. XOXO PS: Thank you continually to those who have supported me and my FitHair mission. From emails to text messages or working with you for an event and buying tickets your support matters and I truly do love you all.

Made Beautiful Presents Dallas Textured Hair Marketplace

March 28, 2016

You all know, I had a great time at the first Dallas Textured Hair Marketplace so it’s no surprise the 2nd event was event better. The event featured bloggers, Romance of Heycurlie, Charlene Walton of Textured Talk and Textures Natural Hair Care and Doni of The Doni Brown. This month featured the Made Beautiful TRUE products, live music from Q Moore, a local Dallas jazz musician and a whole lot much more. You can review a few photos in the gallery and also don’t forget to check out next’s April’s event here. Made Beautiful Presents Dallas Textured Hair Marketplace A photo posted by Textured In DFW? #DallasTHM (@dallastexturedhairmarketplace) on Mar 13, 2016 at 8:06pm PDT

Just Alex Life | Brunch, Beauty and Blushing(ton)

February 23, 2016

This weekend, I got a chance to have a intimate brunch with other natural hair business women and blogger in the Dallas area. Julian aka Bella Kinks, kicked off her first Brunch and Build event. Attendees included Tia, Marrica, Jaleesa, Charlene, Vashti, Adaeze, Cole, Ciara, Kala, I’sha and myself meeting at CBD Provisions for brunch then some pampering at Blushington. BRUNCH AND BUILD SERIES After a long morning run, I headed over to meet the other ladies at CBD Provision, which is located in the fabulous Joule Hotel. After grabbing a few appetizers we learning about the goal of the Brunch and Blog series. The goal of the group was to bring influential natural hair bloggers together, build memories and also help support each other. What I loved about the group is that we are not competing against each other but collectively collaborating to make an impact and enhance lives. I left more motivated to work in my passion and continue to create content surrounding my love hair, wellness and much more. BEAUTY AND BLUSHINGTON After brunch, we headed to Blushington in Highland Park Village. Blushington is a gorgeous place offering professional makeup application at affordable prices. We sipped champagne, learned new makeup tips and relaxed for a bit. Since our makeup was so amazing, we decided to do an impromptu photoshoot and then head out for another “brunch round” at Papadeaux’s. Photography by: I’sha Gaines Photography AFTERHOURS If you didn’t know I love me some Papadeaux’s! 🙂 We had a great bar table chat about dating and natural hair industry at Papadeaux’s for hours. With great cocktails, friends and 70 degree weather, what a perfect Saturday. Don’t forget to scroll the gallery above to see all the visually of my day. Many thanks to Julian of Bella Kinks for setting up the Brunch and Build series, the entire staff at Blushington Makeup & Beauty Lounge in Dallas for hosting and my creative boo I’sha Gaines for always being ready for an impromptu photoshoot. Check out the #brunchandbuild hashtag on Instagram to see more of how we spent our day. PS: If you noticed my photography skills improving, you can credit I’sha for teaching me some graphic and skills. What’s even cooler is your wanting to flex and improve your graphic skills I’sha and Veepee Jay are having a live hands on workshop “Make It Pop” here in Dallas on March 19th. You can check out the details HERE.