Hit me on buzz - A fun, afrocentric Buzzfeed Podcast

Friends in my head Heban Nigatu and Tracy Clayton host a promising podcast on BuzzFeed. BuzzFeed is an Internet media company based in New York City. The firm describes itself as a "social news and entertainment company" with a focus on digital media and digital technology in order to provide "the most shareable breaking news, original reporting, entertainment, and video. Prepare yourself there's a lot of drinking and curse (I'm not a fan of that part but they sure are funny) on the show. Number five in the Huffington Post "11 Black Podcast leading the golden age of Audio", Oct 2015. I anticipate the weekly podcast shows and tell anybody that will listen about the ladies. Their topics range from African feminism, turning 90's sitcoms into musicals and men peacocking at the gym (who ever knew that could even be a thing?), and mangoes.

Most recently the ladies interviewed Melissa Harris-Perry an American writer, professor, television host and political commentator. Her show on MSNBC was cancelled after some controversy. Melissa came on the show to explain her side of her show's cancellation. I appreciated Heban and Tracy bringing Melissa on the show because if it was not for them I would have not heard about this incredibly smart, black woman and the awesome work she's doing at Wake Forest University.

I just started listening to the blog in Feb 2016 and I am hooked. I trying to remember how I initially heard about the blog but for the life of me I can't. The blog started just one year ago.

My favorite thus far is Episode 35: Heben and Tracy's Kwanzaa Spectacular. Listening to this really makes me wish I had found this blog earlier and could have attended. The ladies threw a pair of live shows in NYC. In the same format of their podcasts with a few surprises. We all know their are 7 Kwanzaa principals but friend of their show introduces 8 more HILARIOUS people!! I'm trying to tell. Here are a few of my favs.

• Boosee: A traditional request, usually shouted, to be wiped down by one's peers

• Mufasa: To selflessly sacrifice one's life for a child who is on some real bullsh*t

• Anibezjuwokee: The practice of being hit by- of being struck by- a smooth criminal

The interviewed a "Steve Harvey" (impersonator) HILARIOUS. Heban and Tracy sounds like they have been friends forever but The Guardian tells us that the duo met while working at Buzzfeed.

Popular Quotes

• "Doing the Lord's Work" - Heban explanation behind when she feels as though someone is doing a exceptionally while job in the community. I like to think I too am doing lord's work by bringing you this blog
• "Drink some water, take your meds and call your Mom" - This is the way Tracy ends each and every show often times she even adds in more stuff she thinks we should remember
• "Hit me on the buzz" - So... funny, true story. Tracy tells us in an earlier episode how her dad casually asked her to text him later but instead this dude says...and it has been a thing ever since   

The next time you go road tripping or while you are sitting by the beach this summer download a couple of episodes of Another Round with Heban and Tracy. I promise you will learn something you didn't know before. If you don't at lease remember what Tracy always says at the end of each episode

"drink more water, take your meds and call your mom (she misses you)"

This is Doneisha and this is my so-called southern life.

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Year of Yes Book Review

How to dance it out, stand in the rain and be your own person. The author took the year of 2014 to change her perspective and say yes to EVERYTHING. Scary right? This got me thinking could i change my perspective for 2016 and start saying yes? Maybe not to everything but to some of the things that scare me? This is me giving it a try.
















City Guy and I were having brunch with some friends. In between the wonderful food at Blu Notes, a New Orleans inspired restaurant in Charlotte, NC and the continuous laughter of friends one mentioned a book by Shonda Rhimes entitled, Year of Yes. It wasn't until I was faced with some busy work and I needed to be less distracted that I started thinking about the book.

What have you said yes to in the last 30 days that you would have normally said no to?

Shonda says "say yes to anything that scares you. I requested that my Toastmasters introduction include my dream job which is to be a radio personality and or a voice over actress. There was an opportunity to do a voice over at my day job. I raised my hand. Although I was busy doing regular work. I still raised my hand. I wanted to challenge myself, step outside of the box, put myself out there. I had my reservations because this voice over had the potential to be played at least two times a day, at three different locations four days a week with at least 12 people hearing my voice. That means over 7,000 people has the potential to hear MY voice. That's just one year. Anytime I recorded myself doing a Toastmaster speech I could never listen to the speech in its entirely. By agreeing to do this people would be able to hear my voice over and over again. But I said yes anyway.

I so agree with one of the author's theory behind saying yes to anything that scares you. Saying no has gotten you here, here sucks. Saying yes may not get you somewhere better but definitely will get you somewhere different.

When has there been a time that you have taken control of how your yes looks?

Shonda reminds us that while saying yes, you are also in control of what yes will look like. This had never occurred to me until reading "Year of Yes". Most times you find yourself saying yes right away either because you would have done so even if you weren't asked or you end up regretting saying yes while you are doing the deed or after the deed it is done. What if before you said yes you controlled how your yes looked. For example your child's teacher ask for volunteers at the schools next event and work makes it very difficult to get away and participate in school activities during the day. Instead of telling the teacher "uh no, I can't do that because I have to work" sounding like 75% of all the other parents. What about saying yes right away and hope that your work doesn't get piled while you are at the class St. Patty's day celebration! Which one do you choose? What if you took a moment and came up with a solution that could make all parties winners. You look like the Super Mom or Dad, the teacher is a happy camper because of the extra help and to your child you look at a rock star parent! You say yes and instead of going to the school you say yes to bringing the cupcakes and prepping the St. Patty's day activity. It is nice to be able to go in the classroom to help but these days this is not always possible. I guarantee your child's teacher will appreciate you cutting out all those tiny squares for the St. Patrick's Day Bingo and for going to Kinko's and making the copies of the St. Patrick's Day Word Search!

Shonda reminds us that although you may be a single mother be sure to take advantage of opportunities. You should have people surrounding you. Remember the saying it takes a village. If you are around people you wouldn't trust with your children then you may need some new people.

One of my favorite parts of the book is Power Pose.

Power pose just like Wonder Woman. Hands on Hips head to the sky and image your cape is flapping in the wind. You have silver bracelets on your arms and you know how to use them.

Say yes to play, say yes to your body, say yes to the club (I didn't quite get this one) and say yes to difficult conversations.



















One of Shonda's quotes still lingers in my head and I find myself pulling it out every now and again.

"Happy whole people are attracted to happy whole people yet nothing makes a person more toxic and distributive than a happy whole person. Unhappy people don't like it when a fellow unhappy becomes happy".

Hence misery loves company people!! I'm Doneisha and this is my so-called southern life.

February... My favorite thing

Take time to sit back and think what have I done differently this month? What new experiences from the month can I add to my life? What steps have I taken towards my goals? This month I want to share with you my favorite donut shop.

Favorite Donut Shop- Duck Donuts

I may have passed two Dunkin Donuts and one Krispy Kreme to get to this place. Was it worth it? YASSSSS!!! Tucked in and around the Harris Teeter in Dilworth right off of East Blvd in the Kenilworth Shopping Center. When I realized by mixing and matching the ingredients below you could make hundreds of donut concoctions. All donuts start with an amazing vanilla based cake like"Old Fashion" but lighter donut. All donuts are made to order so no donuts sitting under lights up in here!! Duck Donuts came to Charlotte, NC in September 2015 as a franchise but it started in Duck, NC a small town on the Outer Banks.

Coating Choices:

Bare

Cinnamon Sugar

Powdered Sugar

Glazed

Vanilla Icing

Chocolate Icing

Lemon Icing

Peanut Butter Icing

Maple Icing

Strawberry Icing

Topping Choices:

Shredded Coconut
Chocolate Sprinkles
Rainbow Sprinkles
Chopped Peanuts
Bacon

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When it came time to choose which donut favor I wanted I was at a lose for words. I asked the server about the most popular donuts but to make sure I get one of those Maple icing donuts topped with bacon AKA Maple Bacon BAM!!

Top: Cinnamon bun, Maple Bacon, Reese's Peanut butter,
Bottom: chocolate icing with chocolate sprinkles, Maple icing with powdered sugar, Zebra donut chocolate and vanilla icing

What have you done, seen, made, tasted new this month? 

Make Duck Donuts your new donut spot it is definitely mine. I am Doneisha and this is my so-called southern life.

Behind every successful man is a woman: Michelle Obama

President’s Day…NO! First Lady’s Day

Her career

Michelle Obama is a first lady I can finally relate to. She is black, intelligent, pretty and last but

not least stylist. Michelle Obama is considered a fashion icon by some and a great role model

for all women. I am inspired by her advocacy for poverty awareness, nutrition, physical activity

and healthy eating. I am inspired by her efforts to make a legacy for herself

Quick Facts

Full Name: Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama

Born: 1/17/1964 (honored by many #girlswithpearls)

Place of Birth: DeYoung, Ill (20 minutes from downtown Chicago)

Education: BA Princeton University, Sociology and African American Studies, Juris Doctorate

degree from Harvard Law

Let’s Move! is a comprehensive initiative, launched by the First Lady, dedicated to solving the

challenge of childhood obesity within a generation, so that children born today will grow up

healthier and able to pursue their dreams. (website: http://www.letsmove.gov,

www.facebook.com/letsmove, twitter account: wwww.twitter.com/letsmove)

My letter to my first lady:

Dear Mrs. Obama,

I’m not sure where to start. Thank you for being a strong black woman and a role model. While

researching for today’s blog I was re-inspired by your upbringing and how you have taken the role of

First Lady and showed nothing but grace. You are amazing and unique. I admire you strength,

courage intelligence, and your take charge spirit. I would love the opportunity to meet you if only for a

few seconds. I imagine how it would be. It is very humbling your work with people and how you

served your community. You are definitely to be commended for your work against childhood obesity

through your Let’s Move initiative. Your made us (black girls) no longer invisible. You made it OK to

speak properly, dress conservatively on the world’s stage through your speech, and fierce dress. I

will always remember.

“Always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals.”

~Michelle Obama

Sincerely,

Doneisha, mysocalledsouthernlife.blogspot.com

munity andhttp://www.firstladies.org/biographies/firstladies.aspx?
What inspires you about my first lady? I am Doneisha and this is my so-called southern life.
Affairs

Queen’s Feast Charlotte Restaurant Week (Winter Edition) HAS BEEN EXTENDED Y'ALL!!!

It's here. Queens Feast is Charlotte's biannual restaurant week. For the last eight years you can choose from over 130 different restaurants, with all sorts of cuisines in the metro Charlotte, NC area. Generally three courses are offered in a prix fixe dinner menu for $30 or $35 per person (not including tax and gratuity). This offer would normally lasts from January 22–31st and reappears in July. Due to Snow Storm Jonas the offer has been extended for most restaurants until Thursday, February 4th 2016!

Sooo my City Guy and I took a much needed date night to explore restaurant week. After arriving about 10 minutes late (no fault of my own) the front of the house was very accommodating to our lateness. The restaurant lobby was full with folks waiting to be seated and the hostess seated us quickly because we had reservations.

After we were seated we choose to start the night off with drinks instead of appetizers. My choice was the Blackberry Smashed (but where’s the decoration on this drink?). His choice Blue Moon on tap (appropriately adorned).

Next we had the choice of a soup or salad. He chose the Tortilla Soup and described it as spicy, tangy, and warm but needing more tortilla strips. I had the kale salad described as salty, tangy, and also spicy. The salad had pears, and cashews on the bottom and needed a good tossing. The cashews gave the salad a surprising sweet and crunchy element to the salad. The salad dressing was spicy.

My favorite course of the meal was the entree. These dishes really impressed me. The Scottish Salmon honey mustard glazed and asparagus. The Prime Rib with loaded baked potatoes.

On to dessert we both choose the Ultimate Brownie. Delicious the graham cracker crumbs were a surprise and the caramel was the exact saltiness the dish needed.

Overall dinner was a success. The wait staff was attentive, the food was filling and well prepared. The restaurant reminded us of another place we love in Charlotte, NC’s South Park area. 

Harper’s of South Park we will be back very soon and this is her so-called southern life.

10 Things you should know about me

January 31st, 2016

Welcome 2016!! I am brand new to the blogging world and want to share with y'all my so-called southern life. I have to be honest that I am not the best writer but I figure what better way to improve my writing skills than to start a blog. So here goes. I am a daughter, an auntie, a friend, single but dating, working mother of two, born and raised in Virginia, currently residing in North Carolina and this is her so-called southern life.

Y'all should know…

10. That I love the color purple. Not the movie (although it is a classic) the actual hue purple.

9. I will hurt anyone over scrumptious baked Turkey Wings

8. I dream of one day being a voice over actress or radio personality

7. I’m terrified to get another tattoo because the first tattoo caused so much pain (foot tat ouch!).

6. My bible scripture is "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" - Philippians 4:13.

5. I also a love seafood lover.

4. My favorite scent is Japanese Cherry Blossom by Bath and Body Works #classic

3. I enjoy cooking but not washing dishes

2. The scariest feeling to me is actually driving and being lost

1. White wine, my evening beverage of choice (put any and all suggestions in the comments)

Your turn. Share something you think people should know about you.