The Leap

Hey.. 👋🏾 Hope all is well in your world. We are here in 2026 and I feel like January ran up out of here like it had somewhere to go. It’s been a while since I have been able to tap in. The holidays hit me a bit hard, but I got a few wins in amongst the losses. Happy to see you here. I’m sure you have heard it a bunch, but I’m going to say it again, Happy New Year. I hope that you are still sticking to those resolutions, diets, and workouts.

As the weeks pass we tend to get into the true routine of the new year. Give yourself grace as you get into the groove of things. At the top of the year gyms get filled with people who have intentions to just flip a switch and do everything different. The intentions are always in good faith. The outcome may not always be the best as time passes. I just feel like making a few realistic changes to your day would lead to longer lasting changes. When you get up a nice stretch is so beneficial. Let me add a few extra moves to that long arm in the air you may already do. 😅 Try these below.

Believe it or not you got the blood moving and burned a few calories with these few moves. You may want to do a little more and hit the outdoors or the gym at which you can hit the link below; but, at the minimum getting the day started with a few stretches is very good.

Fitnesschat.co is an amazing resource for various workouts 🏋️‍♀️

The top of the year comes with the expectation of so much change and for some it can be overwhelming. Take it easy on yourself and simply try to incorporate better day to day choices. It will pay off in the long run.

Take a list and make it work for you. Put it in your phone or utilize an app. A friend of mine introduced me to the Finch application which is a gamified self-care app that helps users build healthy habits and manage mental health through a virtual pet. You can set independent goals in addition to the daily ones provided to get you started. I really like the set up and would say its helped me with a few day to day activities. It can be found on IOS, Android, and Windows. It’s worth a try if you tend to be on your phone early in the morning and late at night.

The taste of black eye peas and cabbage is long gone and hopefully being replaced by some healthier alternatives. I’m in Louisiana and the crawfish are starting to wake up along with everything Mardi Gras related. It is really hard to ignore all of the good food being prepared during carnival season and when I tell you as soon as the wind blows hard someone is pulling out a gumbo pot. HELP! It seems like everywhere you turn is temptation. I just want to let you know that a mess up does not mean continue messing up. I tend to still eat what I like just with better ingredients. It takes a little preparation but it works for me. You may want to switch from basic ingredients to organic ones. Give up soda and grab juice for a while, then move to water when you are thirsty. Make things work for you and your lifestyle is my overall point. You have work, kids, family, relationships, healing, and then you expect to just flip a switch and be able to accommodate a mass overhaul of how you and the household navigates simply because the day changed. It works for a few, but I want to speak to the person that feels a little heavy because year after year, or season after season it didn’t “click”. It’s okay; it is a journey. Let’s make some realistic changes for the better and stop staring at the scale.

Behavior in the grocery store is a direct extension of dietary habits and goals. By understanding the dynamics of grocery shopping and making intentional choices, we can better align purchases with health objectives. Whether you're adhering to a specific diet or simply aiming for a more balanced approach, being mindful of your shopping habits can lead to healthier, more informed food choices. I want to share my list and a few tips below that may assist with your journey through the aisles. Add and subtract what you need.

[https://www.afancyvibe.com/post/moving-past-may] if you are looking for a few meal ideas from my list I have shared on a previous post; feel free to check it out and remix whatever you deem necessary.

The world around us continues to spin and we can only hope that with all the calamity the people closest are there. In my own universe life got to be very complex. I tend to give my personal updates after all of the routines are shared; I wish things were a bit better, but I’m still here. My health took a downward spiral at the end of 2025 and continued on into the new year. I’m currently battling an auto immune disease like Lupus along with epilepsy, migraines that last over a week, and a reoccurring eye issue called ocular scleritis. It’s all been alot to take in and adjust to. My independence has been impacted greatly, but as days go on I have found peace in where I am. Praying about where I’m heading. My plans are not my own, because let me tell y’all some days looking in the mirror was so hard. I did not recognize myself at all. As of right now the medical journey seems to have leveled out. I am on a handful of pills, but after months of testing, er visits, uncertainty, and feelings of helplessness there is a bit of hope for me. I’m finding a new norm. Shucks I’m back here talking to you. So happy about it. I give myself grace because this has been such a long 4 months. Below i’ll include just a bit of the visual of this journey.

There are readers from various places, but I love to focus on home. Ain’t no place like it and despite the dip in temperature it is carnival time. So look below if you are in Lafayette or the surrounding areas and need to know where the parades are this year. Make sure to tap into the local cuisine that are along the routes and get into the spirit of letting the good times roll.

If you are far away from the celebration of Mardi Gras there are still so many well wishes sent to you from this way as we head on in to February. Whatever you choose to focus on, give yourself grace and attempt to be kind simply because you never know the load someone is carrying.