Motherhood can feel loud and lonely at the same time. We sat down with Rebekah Cadet, a military spouse who landed in Columbia, South Carolina without a built-in village, and watched her turn one brave TikTok into The Black Mom Village—now 100 moms strong. From a community baby shower for women with no local support to everyday playdates at the library, Rebekah shows how small, clear invites can transform isolation into belonging.

We trade honest stories about postpartum depression and anxiety, the strange grief of losing childhood homes to divorce, and the shock of seeing your toddler shoved at a playground while you freeze and search for words. Together, we unpack what modern community actually requires: subgroups for pregnancy and special needs, WhatsApp threads with purpose, and gentle scripts for public parenting moments that protect your kid and keep the peace. We talk book clubs that feed adult conversation, childcare swaps that buy an hour of quiet, and how to accept quiet gratitude without needing a spotlight.

Rebekah is also preparing for postpartum while leading a growing network. Her plan is simple and wise: identify a small inner circle now, pause large events after birth, and invite the village to run meal trains and laundry trades so care doesn’t depend on a single organizer. If you’re searching for your people—or ready to build a circle where you live—this conversation offers practical steps and real comfort. Tap play for ideas you can copy, language you can use in tough moments, and a reminder that your village may be one message away.

If you’re in Columbia, SC, connect with The Black Mom Village on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Enjoyed the conversation? Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a village, and leave a review so more moms can find us.

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A cozy cousin hang turns into a full-hearted exploration of identity, books, and the rituals that keep family close. We kick off with a quick-fire round—text or call, hardwood or carpet, audiobook or podcast—then dive into star signs with a Pisces who owns her empathy and intuition, a Leo wrestling with leadership and creativity, a Libra chasing balance, and a Gemini reframing duality as clarity. It’s fun, honest, and unexpectedly revealing.

From there, we open the scrapbook. Grandparents’ colorful rooms. Pool days and Pop-Tarts in the toaster. Holiday hosting that taught us how community actually works. Those memories lead straight to the reading life: how we use book clubs to stay connected after school, why Goodreads and StoryGraph scratch different itches, and where library apps like Libby beat Spotify’s audiobook limits. We share the titles that hit hard at the right moment—Legendborn’s myth and power on a Southern campus, Sunburn’s breathtaking queer love in 90s Ireland, Wrong Place, Wrong Time’s time-loop thriller tension, plus joyful romances from Jasmine Guillory and emotional resets from Kennedy Ryan.

Film school insights jump in too—what makes directing humane, how stressful an AD’s job really is, and why adaptation saturation needs more original IP. Still, some adaptations are worth it when they expand the story with care. We also talk practicals: duology vs. seven-book epics, narrator make-or-break, and budget-friendly hauls from ThriftBooks. Underneath it all is a clear theme: stories help us turn the page. They give language to change, courage to choose ourselves, and a way to keep talking when life gets loud.

If you’re here for recs, ritual, and real cousin chaos, hit play. Then subscribe, share with a friend who needs a new read, and leave a review with your top three must-reads—we’re building our 2026 list from your picks.

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What if the most liberating thing you do this week is unlearn a habit that’s been running your life on autopilot? We dive into the messy, honest work of letting go: letting go of fixer energy, of forcing timelines, of giving weight to words that don’t line up with actions. I share how I’m learning to accept my place in people’s lives without taking it personally, and why meeting people where they’ve met themselves can save you from disappointment and emotional whiplash.

From there, we get practical about boundaries that don’t require drama. We talk about walking away without matching rudeness, believing consistent behavior over pretty promises, and recognizing that inaction is still a choice that tells you everything. I open up about the hard pill of being the villain in someone else’s story, how therapy helps me spot projection and take accountability, and why “strong” isn’t about absorbing more—it’s about refusing to abandon yourself. If self-respect is a muscle, keeping small promises—to rest, to move, to stop chasing closure—builds it.

We also unpack the lure of the endless “why.” Curiosity can become a trap that drags you back into chaos for answers that don’t change the facts. My intuition usually knows first, and when I honor it, I skip a lot of pain. If you’re ready to trust your gut, choose your peace, and invest in relationships where words and actions match, this conversation will feel like a deep breath.

Subscribe, share with a friend who needs stronger boundaries, and leave a five-star review to help others find the show. Then tell me: what are you unlearning right now?

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What if softness wasn’t an escape, but a strategy for days that won’t slow down? Tajuana opens up about rebuilding calm inside a loud life—motherhood with two energetic boys, a body moving through hormonal phases, and a schedule that never quite empties. Instead of chasing an idealized version of ease, she walks through a practical soft-life toolkit: habit stacking that keeps essentials on autopilot, cycle-aware planning that honors shifting energy, and tiny joy rituals that reset the nervous system in minutes.

We unpack how stress tricks us into dropping the routines that work, and how to make them frictionless again by anchoring new behaviors to ones you already do. Think: checking your cycle phase before email, journaling after skincare, and slipping in a short meditation without re-negotiating with yourself. Tajuana also shares what she’s learning about menstrual phases—why luteal days call for warmth, simpler tasks, and more rest—and how period tracking apps can guide food, movement, and focus choices without becoming rigid rules.

This conversation gets specific about micro-moments that matter: a quiet lap through a bookstore, fresh flowers on the counter, a vegetable-heavy salad that sparks genuine delight, and the grounding power of breath and mantras when the room turns rowdy. The theme isn’t perfection; it’s pattern recognition and kindness—choosing inputs that soothe instead of spike. If you’ve felt “always on,” this is a gentle blueprint for building calm into the cracks of a busy day, protecting your energy with boundaries, and finding pockets of peace that actually fit your season.

If this resonates, tap follow, share it with a friend who needs softer edges this week, and leave a quick review to help more listeners find the show.

Lively. Cycle Tracking App

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Hair carries memory, culture, and the everyday work of showing up. I open up about life with thick, curly hair—from toddler photos where my curls were bigger than me to a present-day silk press that finally feels like balance. You’ll hear the real differences between a “perm” for straight hair versus Black hair, why heat is both a tool and a threat, and how I weigh the trade-offs that come with shine, swing, and scalp health. This is a practical guide and a personal story in one, built from years of braids, weaves, trims, and do-overs.

We get into the fine print of protective styles: the hours they demand, the take-downs that test your patience, and the small techniques that keep them fresh—sealing ends, gentle wash routines, and scalp access. I share what changed when I moved away from chemicals, wrestled with shrinkage and dryness, and learned a silk press could give me ease without losing myself. Expect concrete details on tools and routines, from brush-dryer combos that won’t snap off in coils to heat protectants and wrapping at night with flexi rods or pin curls to hold shape.

There’s mindset work here too. Two sisters, same parents, different textures—proof that comparison robs joy. I talk about releasing length envy, prioritizing healthy ends and low manipulation, and embracing grays when I want to and dye when I don’t. Biotin, prenatal vitamins, rosemary mint oil, and weekly wash habits show up as supporting players, not miracle cures. If you’ve ever juggled identity, practicality, and beauty through your hair, you’ll feel seen and leave with strategies to try next wash day.

Enjoy the conversation? Follow the show, share this episode with a friend who gets the Black hair journey, and leave a quick review to help more listeners find us. Your stories and tips make this community stronger—what routine is working for you right now?

Episode 15: What Is Dry Shampoo?

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/15-what-is-dry-shampoo/id1677891195?i=1000638393181

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The reading life doesn’t wait for perfect conditions, so I hit record from bed and opened the door to a TBR that just did a plot twist. I used to swear I wasn’t a fantasy person. Now I’m racing through A Court of Thorns and Roses, loving the romance inside the magic, and comparing notes with my work book club on a modern witch story that feels like found family. That pivot didn’t erase my old favorites—memoir, self-help, and historical fiction—it gave me new ways to find the same heart: complicated love, moral choices, and characters who want to be better.

I break down how I keep reading alive with kids, work, and a calendar that never sits still. Libby fuels my audiobook habit with library holds; Spotify lets me jump straight into new titles, even if I have to watch the monthly hour cap. Paperbacks anchor bedtime, ebooks live on my phone for surprise five-minute windows, and audio powers errands. That format mix stops momentum from dying when a hold expires, a nap ends early, or a book light goes missing again. Along the way I add heritage reads—Things Fall Apart and The Shadow King—to deepen my connection to African and African American history, and I shout out Awfully Hilarious, a collection of period and menopause stories that lands with humor and truth.

If you’re juggling multiple books, you’ll hear how I keep the worlds separate and why I think bookstores are still the quietest rooms on earth. I also preview our November mystery pick, talk about nine-week library waits, and share where to find more recs, including Sheree's Bookstagram, BookishAndBusy_. Come for the fantasy conversion, stay for the practical reading hacks and the community energy that makes stories stick.

Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a reading spark, and leave a quick review. Then tell me: what’s the one book I should add to my nightstand this week?

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Ever feel like the only adult voice in a room that’s become a stadium? Tajuana pulls back the curtain on life as the only woman in a house of boys and explains how she navigates nonstop motion, surprise sass, and the tender moments that make it all worth it. This candid solo story blends humor and hard-won tactics, showing how overstimulation, mood swings, and the three-versus-one energy shape daily life—and how small, steady habits can calm the storm.

We talk about the reality of boy energy colliding with a mom’s nervous system, the way premenstrual lows can tilt the day, and the relief and reset that follow. Tajuana gets practical about tracking cycles, naming feelings out loud, and using simple tools—quiet corners, short breaks, and predictable routines—to keep patience intact. She also dives into those unexpected lessons: boys can be wildly affectionate and wildly sassy; boundaries around privacy and bodies shift fast; and honest answers build trust when curiosity kicks in. From library parking lot reflections to post-school chaos, this is parenting up close and unfiltered.

You’ll hear about sports days, swim sessions, piano practice, and the logistics of being the only girl who still needs her own space. Family threads run through the story—big babies, tall genes, and the warmth of boys who adore their mom even on the loud days.

If you’re juggling big feelings, bigger volumes, and the pressure to keep it together, you’ll find comfort and strategies here: structure over shouting, repair over perfection, and identity that grows with your kids. If this resonated, tap follow, share it with a friend who’s outnumbered at home, and leave a review to help more parents find us.

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What if the birthday you plan is really a love letter to yourself? We dive into the messy, funny, and honest side of celebrating as adults—especially after motherhood—where a perfect day might look like a winery flight, three excellent pizzas, and the relief of not hosting. With our cousin Blair in the mix, we trace how birthdays evolve from glow‑stick college parties and $5 covers to intentional, low‑key gatherings that honor who we are now.

We unpack the tension between planning and surprises—why control can feel like protection against being forgotten, and how a good surprise should add to, not replace, a day that’s already yours. Motherhood reshapes the calendar, too: kids’ birthdays feel like your milestone, sleep is gold, and “doing nothing” becomes a worthy plan. From setting boundaries around hosting to embracing found family when you live across the country, we share practical strategies for making your day meaningful without making it a production.

Along the way, we swap stories: the Temecula party bus and the Uber that bailed mid‑ride, a teary 21st at midnight because a cousin wasn’t there, and the food memories that hold our grandparents close—Pop‑Pop’s spaghetti night, Nanny’s gift‑bag magic, and the pasta salad that gets requested all summer. If you’ve ever wanted to be celebrated but struggled to ask, this conversation is your permission slip.

Hit play for real talk on boundaries, joy, and the rituals that make another year feel like a win. If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs birthday courage, and leave a review so more listeners can find us.

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