Fun in the Sun on a Budget

For anybody who does long distance travel, there are tons of tips out there that will help you get to and through your destination with a relatively small budget.  What I found on my most recent trip to Hawaii is that maybe there aren’t as many budget travelers out there as I thought.  I found it interesting that upon arrival and after discussing what we wanted to do on the island of Oahu, another traveler who was not with our party quipped, “You mean you have money left over after getting here?”  We laughed, but I wondered how much his trip costed.

This was my first trip to Hawaii and I traveled in a group of 11 to celebrate my aunt’s retirement last year.  We did use a travel agent and I would definitely recommend that to anybody organizing long distance travel for the first time.  However, this wasn’t my first long distance trip and I do travel domestically often.  If this is also your case, it is very easy to organize your own flights.  There are so many sites that offer this service for you for no additional charge, plus you can often go on the airline’s website and find special sales at any given point in the year.  I have a friend who checks United Airline’s webpage for quick weekend getaways to other countries on a regular basis.  Trips to Belize from Houston, TX can be found in the $200-$300 range often.  Now that my trip to Hawaii is complete, I feel like I could have found better flights to and from Houston.  My group traveled from different cities and the travel agent wanted to make sure we all met in certain airports at the same time.  This wasn’t a necessity for me.  I actually had to leave Houston at 5am and fly to Dallas for a 3hr layover just to meet up with the rest of the group coming from Nashville.  It was a long day for me.  I certainly could have met them in Hawaii and left Houston at a later time.  I had the same experience coming back and left Hawaii at 1pm only to arrive in Houston at 10am the next morning after several long layovers.  I also wondered if I could have found better flights had I not had them all on the same airline.

Hawaii’s number one economic resource is tourism, so naturally, there are a ton of things to do.  Our travel agent suggested that we add sight-seeing tours to our package before we left.  DON’T EVER DO THIS—especially if you are working with an agency.  We were met with a guide at the airport who packed several groups of us up on a bus to take to our respective hotels, then told us there was an orientation the next morning.  This orientation was just to explain “Do’s and Don’ts” for the island—and included a free breakfast.  (Of course, we wanted the free breakfast!)  Lo and behold, during the presentation we were told about all of the fun and exciting things to do on the island and were offered package deals at MUCH CHEAPER RATES than initially quoted before we left.  I literally did everything I could possibly think of to do on that island for around $260.  You can check my Instagram for more pictures.  And when I say everything, I do mean EVERYTHING!  We went to an authentic luau one night that was about four hours long and included traditional food.  The company that drove us to the other side of the island for this event also pointed out different facts about the areas through which we were passing to get there.  On the way back, we saw the hospital where President Obama was born and where he attended high school.  These history lessons were ubiquitous to all of our bus rides.  On the way to our ½ day trip to Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial (included in the package), historical areas were pointed out to us so that we knew more about the base and the events of that day in addition to recognizing how military life affects the island.  The military is Hawaii’s second economic resource.  That night, we attended a magic show that amused kids and adults alike which also included a light meal.  To round out our package, we took an all-day excursion around the island, stopping at several parks and places that are widely used and visited by locals and movie producers alike.  We learned a lot of history on these excursions thanks to our very knowledgeable bus driver-tour guides.  We stopped at the Dole plantation, we learned about the agriculture (#3 economic resource) and aquatic life, and I even got to harvest my own pearls at one of the jewelry stores that was on a tour stop.

Glass art from Under the Koa Tree

One point I want to make is to be very careful of how you choose to spend your money.  We stayed at a resort that had all kinds of tourist traps located inside.  I had one lady give a detailed explanation of some very intricate glass art made by a local artist as if she were justifying its high price tag, only to find the exact same art sold at a store called Under the Koa Tree for less than half the price.  Waikiki, where we stayed, has less than a three-mile radius.  Under the Koa Tree wasn’t even a full block away from the hotel and featured several local artists’ works at very reasonable prices. One thing that stuck out from our orientation is to be mindful of the tour guide kiosks that line the streets.  Those people tend to make overrated promises that essentially steal your money. 

There are definitely obvious things like going to the beach that are included for free in any trip to Hawaii, but I’m not the beach bum type.  Once that sand started grinding on the bottom of my feet, I’d had my fill.  I enjoyed my trip exponentially and really feel like I had the best time for my money.  Food, which I left out for a reason, is not cheap.  But our resort was down the street from a Denny’s where I ate breakfast when it wasn’t free.  My very first server also showed me how to get the most bang for my buck there by ordering a la carte instead of getting the meals.  I came out cheaper getting the $4 pancakes, eggs and bacon meal then adding hash browns and a juice, than getting the same food in a meal.  I found this to be too much food the first time I ordered it and left the hash browns off the next time.  I had breakfast in Hawaii for the exact same price I’d get it in Houston.  Partly because I sing, partly because I’m always on a diet, I typically only drink juice in the morning at breakfast, then drink water for the rest of the day.  I’ve found this also keeps the price down when I eat out.  

My Koa Wood Necklace

Lastly, if you happen to be reading this from another country (such as somewhere in Asia) and you’re considering visiting the US or Hawaii for the first time, you don’t need to bring your whole life savings with you on this trip, no matter how long you’ll stay.  One of our tour guides told us a story of a foreign couple who accidentally left their bag on the bus.  Frantic, they called him to retrieve the bag and wanted to know if all of the contents were still in it—mainly the $14,000 in cash they’d had in the bag.  Even if you’re going to be in Hawaii for several weeks or up to a month or so, you do not need that much money for this trip, no matter what you’re doing.  In the off chance that you do, try opening an account with one of the local banks or credit unions and getting a debit card to use for the time you’re there.  The cards are insured and you can close the account and take all of your money back when you leave.  Or you can utilize the hotel safe.  My trip was only a week and I needed less than $1000 for everything I had to do, minus the flights.  I picked up quite a few souvenirs at the vendors outside Dukes Lane Market to bring home with me.  I got embroidered t-shirts, leis made from Koa nuts, and a handmade tiki from this market.  You can find some good stuff there.  I recommend going later in the day when the prices are cheaper and the vendors are more willing to bargain.  I hope these tips help those of you who have never traveled or rarely travel long distances.

Life's a B*tch, Pull 'em Panties to the Side Now...

I got my period when I was eleven years old.  One of my earliest memories of my period involving a man is when I was in high school.  I used to get really bad cramps and long cycles.  On this particular day, I went to the bathroom and was sitting on the toilet reaching for a sanitary napkin under the sink, only to find the package empty.  No one was at home but me and my dad.  I was in so much

pain and dripping blood in to the toilet.  I cried out to my dad that we were out of pads and I needed him to go to the store and get some more.  His response was, “Ok, put your clothes on and I’ll take you.”  Startled at the incongruousness of this response, I told him I couldn’t go without a pad and that he needed to go get them himself and come back.  Reluctantly, he finally went by himself while I sat waiting in pain on the toilet, and got the wrong brand.  He meant well, I guess…

Fast forward to my Sophomore year in college when I went in for my first Pap Smear.  I saw my mother’s gynecologist, who was a man.  At that time, my period had abruptly stopped and I didn’t know why.  My mother took me to see the doctor, I had my Pap and some tests run.  In the days of waiting for the results, all types of negative thoughts crept into my head.  What if I can’t have children?  What if I have some type of cancer?  What if I’ll die before I turn 25?  In those moments, I prayed and cried a lot, “God please don’t take my babies.”  When the results came back, it was determined that I have irregular cycles.  At just 19 years old, I was nonchalantly told by the doctor that as long as I menstruate 10 months out of the year, I’d be fine.  His response was so cold and I began to cry.  He prescribed birth control and I left his office.

With these and other experiences involving reproductive organs in my life, I never got the warmth and proprieties from men that I usually get from women.  Yes, they may mean well; but men will never completely understand what it’s like to be a woman faced with decisions involving her reproductive organs. These types of decisions absolutely should be left up to women and women alone.  When considering the issue of abortions, many have come to the aid and the ignominy of women wanting to do what’s best for them and their families.  People from all different backgrounds have weighed in on this discussion.  In my journey to my own opinion, I have encountered many Black people who falsely believe that Planned Parenthood is somehow out to exterminate the Black race.  This belief comes from scare tactics of the misinformed who simply want to incite support from people whom they’d otherwise completely disregard.

Having an abortion is something that should be left up to the woman making the decision and her family, not legislators and men who have no idea the excruciatingly emotional heartache of the mother and the financial ties to that decision.  Its abhorrent that these same people who fight so hard against abortions do absolutely nothing for eradicating poverty or even working to help those struggling with the ability to have children.  So, what’s really behind this fight?  This research shows the racial makeup by state of women who have abortions in this country.  This fight has absolutely nothing to do with eliminating the Black race in this country, and without the ability to fully understand what is at stake for the mother and family in each individual situation, it’s definitely not a charge men should spearhead and fight to create legislation against its legalization.

Hold On, You Said What??

Back in 2008-2009, I was diagnosed with Diabetes.  It wasn’t so much that I was overweight—which I was—but it was more so because I was taking a medication at the time that caused my blood glucose levels to rise.  I remember my doctor telling me when she gave me my prescription that I needed to watch what I ate.  But that was all she said, and I loved bread.  Because I was diagnosed, we changed my medication and I was swiftly “prescribed” diet and exercise (she actually wrote a prescription for it.)  At the time, all I could think about was how both my parents had to be pricked every morning for testing and I hate needles.  I took my prescription very seriously and lost a considerable amount of weight.  So much so, that my doctor asked me how I did it.

I was 31 then and had just started grad school.  My friends and family watched me slim down so

quickly that it was hard for me to keep clothes in my size.  I consigned and gave away a lot then.  When I finally reached a plateau that made my dietician say, “Yeah, sometimes the body just stops at a certain weight,” I was content with my size.  I loved hanging out with friends for dinner after class and watching them listen intently as I gave my two-cents on proper eating and exercise habits.  I loved how once when some friends and I had lunch in The Gulch in the middle of the day, as we were waiting outside for the valet, two guys drove by in a very expensive vehicle and the guy in the passenger side just couldn’t stop staring at me.  I acknowledged him with a, “How are you doing?” and they went on their way.  My friends joked that I was really grabbing the attention.  I LOVED that feeling!! 

Fast forward a few years when I was prescribed a different medication for the same condition.  A new doctor at the time said, “Have you ever taken a steroid?”  I said, “No,” and she wrote the prescription and I left her office.  After having been on the medication for a few weeks, I couldn’t figure out why I was so hungry all of the time!  I would literally eat a big meal and be hungry again less than two hours later.  I asked my pharmacist one night about the medication, asking if it was normal.  Her response was, “Yes.  It’s a steroid.  You have to break your meals up over time so that you don’t eat as much.  You can’t eat a full meal in one sitting.”  I was livid!  How dare my doctor not tell me this!  I had even stopped working out thinking somehow that was affecting my hunger.  By this time, I had gained 35lbs while I was already trying to lose 15.

When I moved to Texas, I decided I was going to turn over a new leaf and finally lose that weight.  I joined a gym and when the weight wasn’t coming off fast enough, I added their trainer to my membership.  I lost three pounds and felt like my life was getting back on track.  Shortly after, I had a disagreement with the gym and decided to cancel my membership.  I thought since I was doing so well, I’d apply what I’d learned and work out on my own.  Some time during that time frame, I stopped losing pounds.  I hired another trainer.  In 2016, back at my original overweight size—plus I think an additional 15 breakfast taco and Kolache pounds, I registered for a week-long organizational conference that happens every two years.  I’d been to several of these in the past and knew that with all of the walking and little time to eat a heavy meal, I’d most definitely lose 1-2lbs.  Excited to weigh myself when I got back I noticed that I’d actually gained five pounds.  Talking to my trainer about it, she encouraged me to see my doctor saying this was not normal. 

After several tests, it was discovered that I have Hypothyroidism.  I was initially devastated.  I think I even cried in my doctor's office.  From what I knew about the disease, what stood out to me the most is something a former classmate said her doctor told her when she was diagnosed:  It’s going to be hard for you to lose weight.  I told my doctor my fear of being overweight for the rest of my life and she reassured me, saying that other doctor was wrong and I’d definitely be able to get the weight off.  Side note:  Unbeknownst to me at the time, she’d worked in a weight-loss clinic for part of her career.  I doubted her, but I’d try anyway.

Around the time of my diagnosis, I remember hearing stories in the news about how Oprah, who also

Oprah 2012

has my condition, had lost 40lbs.  She’s in her 60s.  (In case you don’t remember what she looked like, here are before and after photos.)  Determined that if she could lose weight at twice my age, I decided so could I.  I was motivated and became focused on cardio and strength training throughout the week and seeing my trainer first thing on Saturday mornings.  Progress was very slow.  I would lose a few pounds here, then eat a sandwich or a pastry there and gain it all back within a week.  It was frustrating.  In my head, I blamed my trainer for not making the Saturday workouts strenuous enough.  She would give me homework to do during the week and I started to question that as well.  Then there was the fact that I worked long hours and oftentimes came home and just didn’t feel like it.  I cried.  I prayed.  I asked my doctor, who always said my blood work was “normal”, if something else could

Oprah 2017

be the matter.  I consulted friends and asked my doctor to change my medication.

About a month ago, I went in for my blood work results and sat there as my doctor looked over the several sheets of information saying everything “looked good.”  Determined, I asked her to explain the numbers to me, specifically my T3/T4 count.  She showed me the sheet and said, “See?  You’re in the normal range.”  I noticed the number was on the lower end of normal and asked, “So is the goal to have a low number or a high number?”  She explained the higher number was the better number.  I asked her to up my dosage.   I also stepped my workouts up to two-a-days on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, continuing to do cardio on Mondays and Fridays and challenging myself on Saturdays.  I weighed myself religiously and even when I hung out with a friend and she commented that I’d lost weight, I didn’t believe her because I knew my scale hadn’t budged.

Last month's blood work

Last week, I saw my doctor and we discussed how I was feeling.  I told her that I could tell my stomach felt different on my thighs when I stretched so I thought I was gaining muscle.  She looked up at me and said, “Well you’ve lost five pounds…”  I’ve never been so excited in my life!  I felt vindicated!  My friend wasn’t just “being nice” after all!  I had more testing done and have to see her in two weeks for the results.  I pray that everything is still normal.  This has been a long journey for me and I am determined to get back down.  My goal weight is the same size I was just a few short years ago and I now know that is possible.  I have never been so excited to lose a measly five pounds (and holding) in my life!  I just pray that my results from my blood work are normal…

Blogger 2.0

So I was trying to link an old blog site to this one and I can’t seem to find it.  I did delete it previously, but you know what they say about the internet… Nothing really goes away.  Anyway, I’m going to start posting the old blogs again on this site.  I may not have all of the pictures, but at least the links are still there.  Here’s the first one:

I never pay full price for clothes…ever.  Many people think this means buying knock-offs or lesser quality brands.  Not so.  It just means shopping smart.  When you crunch the numbers, you’ll actually find that you spend more on buying and replacing low quality “cheap” pieces that lose their shape or change texture after one or two washes.  So how do we shop smart?  This too requires crunching numbers and planning.  Planning requires knowing your body type.  Know your shape and what style types best fit.  Once this is done, you can streamline your shopping experience to only look for items that will accentuate your features.

Warning:  This next step requires thinking skills. Now that we can focus on what designs work best for our shape, we can apply all of our energy toward organizing our shopping experience around finding great deals.  This isn’t as difficult as it may seem. Retail stores always have sales at the end of the season.  Always.  Unless you are being paid to show up wearing the season’s new releases (newsflash: this would require that you obtain them before they hit stores), it is absolutely unnecessary for you to buy them at full price once they’re available for mass consumption.  While this may take a bit of brain rewiring, it is entirely doable.  If you can’t yet window shop without making a purchase, get in the habit of only shopping at the end of the season.  Subscribe to email lists at your favorite stores who will not only inform you of the current styles, they will also send you coupons and special sale notifications specifically created for their loyal customers.

This outfit (sans the jewelry:  We’ll discuss that in another blog.) came from J. Crew.  The top is pure silk with a polyester lining.  The skirt is a silk/wool blend.  I bought it during a sale that deducted an additional percentage off their already reduced prices.  This is where emails become important.  Because of the type of store J. Crew is, you will never see “additional percentage off” signs in the store.  But they will send you an email.  I paid around $50 for the entire outfit, including the belt cinching the waist.  You could easily spend that much at a store on lower quality items that you will have to replace after they’ve lost their shape in the wash.  Be mindful of money wasting practices.  Banana Republic will also send emails and will even choose single days where they will give an additional significant markdown—sometimes only during a specific time frame on a specific day.  These sales aren’t advertised in the store.  Get on the email list!

Shopping at places like Target and JC Penny shouldn’t be completely ruled out.  Both stores have begun to make changes and often partner with higher end designers to provide great quality items at lower prices.  I picked up this Neiman Marcus designer dress on sale at Target where I used my Target REDcard® debit card that automatically deducts an additional 5% just for using the card.  Currently, these designers are only featured for limited times.  Quantities are also limited, stressing the importance of emails. Target has been known to sell out of items as soon as the store opens on the very first day of the sale.  The velour blazer came from NY&CO where, because I’m on the list, I was able to purchase it with a discount code that was delivered via email.  You do have to be careful with these types of stores.  I’ve often noticed items that are originally quite overpriced for the type of quality just to lead you to believe you are getting a good deal.  Again, know your body type & style and what works for you.  Once I get “burned” at a store where I feel I’ve wasted money, I never buy that type of item there again.  I will never buy cotton tees from a certain store, no matter how low they mark the price, simply because holes appeared in the weave of the fabric after the first time I washed it.

Minority Report

There is a Darryl Coley song that starts:  What’s in a name?  Does it really matter?  What’s in a name?  Who really cares?  While I know that this is a Gospel song therefore talking about Jesus, I’ve wondered how this translates in the secular sense in America.  Though there has been a long history of people changing their first names on resumes from ethnic sounding names to “white” sounding names and getting more hits, what about last names? 

Since living in Houston for a little over a year now, I’ve had many up close and personal experiences with people of Hispanic and Latin decent—from the Spanish speaking service workers at various restaurants to the English speakers with thick accents in government positions and Corporate America.  It wasn’t until I met one of my current co-workers with the last name Gonzalezz (yes, it has two “z”s) that I realized the difficulty of the Latin and Mexican American struggle here in the US. 

My co-worker comes in early every day and leaves later than everyone else but is still unsure of himself.  I remember having a team meeting once where he had a panic attack.  He doesn’t usually talk much in the team meetings and I wondered after his attack if he might have been overwhelmed with not understanding the subject matter.   Sometimes while writing emails and such, he asks me to proofread them to make sure they sound correct.  It takes him forever to write them too.

I wonder if this struggle is akin to the African American struggle just after Emancipation.  While there are no lynch threats and they’ve never been counted at 3/5 a person, Enrique has an eagerness to learn.  I find it frustrating sometimes when I have to explain simple things to him.  After all, he moved here when he was 10.  Sometimes, I wonder why he didn’t do better in school.  Then I am reminded of the current state of the American school system and how students are often passed up for good behavior and are not necessarily taught.

I also wonder what can help.  Before moving to Texas, I believed part of the media stereotype that Mexicans don’t want to participate in American culture.  I thought they were just here to make money to send back to Mexico and have lots of babies.  Since moving to Texas, I realize this isn’t completely true.  They want the American dream as well and, like Blacks, face barriers to entry.  During President Obama’s second administration, I changed my voting classification from Independent as it had been since I registered at 18, to Democrat and I plan to vote Democrat in the upcoming election.  I am anxious to see how both Democratic candidates will vie for the minority vote.  While Hillary Clinton has absolutely done the work to be our next Commander-In-Chief, neither candidate has announced their plans for America’s minorities…

Are you listening?

Bearberry

So Sundays are considered me days.  Sometimes I don’t even leave the house or change my bed clothes.  My church has live broadcasts online and I’ll watch there then spend the rest of the day mostly researching whatever topic seems interesting at the time.  On Sunday, March 02, 2014, I was watching an Essence online video of the Black Women in Hollywood White Carpet.  Near the end of the video, the hostess Yolanda interviews Angela Bassett and asks her to dip into a bowl of questions written by readers.  The question pulled out was simply, “What is the last thing you bought online,” but the answer was very intriguing.  “Bearberry,” Angela says, which she uses as a natural skin lightener. Bearberry leaves contain a natural lightening compound called arbutin that's said to be quite powerful at bleaching dark spots, age spots and melasma. While I don’t have a huge problem with discoloration, I had to try some on the dark circles under my eyes twice a day for about six weeks.  The brand I bought on Amazon was 100% pure and needed to be mixed with a moisturizer before applying to the skin.

 

I didn’t think to take a before photo but I have noticed a difference on my eyes and on my neck.  I have a little discoloration that came from a scarf I bought that was made in another country and I didn’t wash before wearing.  (Lesson learned.)  I will say that before I found out about the bearberry, I had also been using a natural product by EssenceTree Holistic Life called Renewal Balm.  Though it is a regional product, it can be bought at Whole Foods (Whole Body) and was marketed to help clear up the residual scars from eczema.  It works very well too.

 

In addition to the bearberry on my face, I occasionally use Smashbox BB cream which has color correcting and wrinkle improving qualities.  This could have aided in the skin lightening as well. On a side note, I use Oil of Olay Regenerist Anti-Aging Eye Roller which combats wrinkles and puffiness.  At times I was combining it with the bearberry and it makes me believe less attention is drawn to my eyes. Bio-oil is another product I have that I learned about at the Southern Women’s Show that you may want to try.  I was told though it helps with stretch marks, it doesn’t do much for discoloration which I don’t understand because aren’t stretch marks usually darker? 

 

It was wonderful learning about new natural products and how they can be used to treat the skin.  I thank Angela Bassett and Essence for the question and the answer.  Click here for more tips on how to naturally lighten the skin.