Embarking on a Journey of Wellness, Beauty, and Brunch Delights

Ever embarked on a health journey that led to unexpected surprises? That's exactly what happened to me recently, and I can't wait to share my discoveries with you! I've managed to lose six pounds without exercising, thanks to lifestyle changes like not eating after 8 p.m., intermittent fasting, and drinking lots of water. Plus, I'll spill the beans about my first-ever PR package from Good Molecules, a skincare brand I initially had some hesitations about.

Join me as I also share my delightful experience at a brunch spot called 3Js Cafe, where I chatted with Chef Lando about their unique maple syrup used for pancakes and waffles. Trust me, you don't want to miss his intriguing insights! And if you're tired of tearing up while cutting onions, I've got three amazing Amazon kitchen gadgets that'll change the game for you. From my recent Ulta Beauty haul to new designs in my Redbubble shop, this episode is packed with personal milestones, fun stories, and valuable recommendations. So, grab your snacks or a meal and let's get this episode poppin!


Amazon kitchen gadgets: Click here

Brunch at 3J's cafe: Click here

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hey you guys, my name is Brooke and welcome to my podcast blogger with a twist, and I am your host and the creator. So what you guys can expect from my podcast is topics about lifestyle, brands, story times about my life and etc. So if that sounds entertaining or interesting, then subscribe, tell your family, friends or whoever about my podcast And, last but not least, sit back, relax, get your snacks and let's get this episode popping. Hey you guys, and it's your girl, brooke, and I am back with a brand new podcast episode, and I know that it's been like 99 years, but your girl is back And hopefully, you guys out there have been doing amazing and just living your best life.

Speaker 1: 1:14

So today's episode is going to be an update episode, so I'll be giving you guys all of the tea that's been going on with me, and so that tea will include let me get my little handy dandy notebook, because I got so many updates I had to write them down. Anyway, the updates will include my health, me getting my first PR package. My latest blog post is two new gels that I picked up at Alta Beauty, my latest designs from my online Redbubble shop and then, lastly, a special guest that came by my job last week and any other updates that I might have forgot on my list. So get your snacks or maybe get a meal, because this episode is going to be a little hefty, you know, and let's get this episode popping. So, starting off with my health update, i know, in one of my episodes, which was not too long ago, i talked about my latest health epiphany and how, after seeing a video or, i think, a photo of myself from when I was like 17 or 18 years old, it just made me realize that I want to be healthier and just more conscious of what I'm eating, not, you know, totally cut out everything that I like, but just being more aware because I'm getting older, i'm in my 30s and I can't really eat like I could when I was 16 years old, and so I believe I uploaded that episode back in May And since that episode, you guys, i am happy to say that your girl has lost about six pounds and I have not exercised.

Speaker 1: 3:28

I do want to get back into exercising, but I just have to get motivated to get back into the rhythm of actually doing that. But I'm definitely proud of myself. Typically, i try to aim for about one to two pounds per week because I just think that's the safest way And I rather lose the weight in a low and steady pace versus trying to lose it super quick and then end up having to gain it back just as fast. And if you guys are wondering what else I've been doing to lose the weight, i've been trying not to eat after eight o'clock at night, which has been hard for some days. But even the days that I do eat after eight o'clock, i try to keep it on a lighter side, maybe a piece of fruit or a salad, or if I do, i try not to. I try not to be so hard on myself because I am human and humans We make mistakes. Also, another thing that I've been doing is I think it's called intermediate fasting, where you have to wait a certain time to start eating your first meal. So typically I try to wait until noon to eat my first meal, which is full of a lot of protein. And, as you guys also know, i drink a lot of water and yeah, that's pretty much it What I've been doing to lose the weight.

Speaker 1: 5:12

So that's the first update with my health. The second part of my update is that I was sick for a couple of days. So if you guys remember the whole thing about the Canadian wildfires and how the smoke came all the way down to the East Coast, that particular week I had a head cold, i had congestion, i had a headache for like three to four days straight and I had very little energy. I actually had to call out of work one day that week because I just needed a full day to kind of relax and not have to worry about going to work and dealing with customers. But your girl is better and I'm happy I did not get too sick because if you guys have listened to my previous episodes then you guys know that your girl has already beaten COVID-19 twice and you know my lungs have had enough.

Speaker 1: 6:18

Okay, i'm done, moving on to my next update, which is about me getting my first PR package. So back in May I got an email from a company called Good Molecules and basically they are a skincare brand And I believe they're based in Nashville in San Francisco, and in the email they was basically saying that they wanted to send me a complimentary PR package and they needed my name, my shipping address, my skin type and my skin concern. When I got the first email I didn't really look into it that much. But then, about a week after that, they sent me a follow up email to see if I got the first email. And then I started asking some of my friends and coworkers have they ever heard of this specific brand? And basically, after getting the confirmation that they were real, i decided to send them my information that they needed. I'm not going to lie to you guys.

Speaker 1: 7:30

One of the main reasons why I was so hesitant about giving out my personal information is because, well, it's two things. One is because I've never heard of this particular product, but then again, i don't use a lot of things on my skin. I just drink my water and wear makeup occasionally and just keep it pushing. And then, number two, i'm always well. I'm not always, but it's always well. Maybe not always, but what I'm trying to say is that I hear so many stories about people getting scammed, and you know I'm not trying to be one of those people, so I just didn't really know. But, like I said, after getting the confirmation, that's when I started to get more excited. So I actually got my PR package last weekend. I still have to film an unboxing video and upload it to Instagram and TikTok it and I cannot say, and TikTok it. I still have to make an unboxing video And I'll probably edit it and upload it to TikTok and Instagram because I've been trying to be more active and make more rills to help grow my brand. But yes, you guys, i am super excited that your girl got her first PR package, but definitely in the future, if I continue to get more PR packages, i'm definitely getting a PO box just to be on the safe side, because, also, i still live with my mom and I don't like giving her address like that because you know some people crazy out here. You know what I'm saying. So that's that update.

Speaker 1: 9:30

And then the next update is my latest blog post. So the first post is about this brunch spot that I went to about two and a half weeks ago and it's called 3Js Cafe, and I had a really good time there. I actually ended up getting chicken waffle sandwich and a strawberry lemonade for my drink, and I also got to talk to Chef Lando. He told me something very interesting about the maple syrup that they use for the pancakes and the waffles. So if you guys want to check out the post, i'll leave the link in the description of this episode. And then the next blog post in the last one that I'll be talking about is three Amazon kitchen gadgets that I saw that are great for cutting onions. So if you're like me and every time you cut an onion you cry and your eyes start to burn as if your eyes were at a funeral, then you definitely need to check out these kitchen gadgets from and from Amazon, and they're great to have in your stash. And, yes, protect your eyes from the onions. Okay, i'll leave a link to that blog post in the description as well. Next update is my latest designs on redbubble. So I came out with two new designs. One is called Hello Summer and the next one is called Be Fearless. So if you guys want to check that out, link to my shop in the description as well.

Speaker 1: 11:23

Next update is about my little shopping trip to all to beauty, even dip. I did not need any more hair products but because the humidity here on East Coast has been getting not really ridiculous, but my curls are just not having it. You know, i wanted to get some gel, even though I don't really use a lot of gel in my hair because it weighs down my strands but my mousses and stuff is not working in this humidity, in these conditions. So the two gels that I picked up at all to was the Curl Smith fragrance-free shine gel and number nine, which is the Stronghold, and then the second and last one I got was by Not Your Mothers Pearl Talk Hardhold gel, also at number nine as well. I actually fell out about these products on TikTok. So just a tip if you live in a very humid area, okay, maybe try to find gels that work against humidity, to kind of give your hair like that little barrier if you want to keep your definition. And so I did use the Curl Smith one this week and we'll see what happens. But when it comes to Curl Smith, i like most of their products. They smell amazing. So I'll give you guys an update in my next episode if this gel actually works.

Speaker 1: 13:14

And then the last update for this episode is a special guest that came to my job last week. So, as a lot of you guys know, i work at Starbucks, the Starbucks-y, okay, and so I believe it was last Friday that just had. Well, last Friday, okay, i was on register and this lady walked in and when I first saw her, something in my head was saying I've seen her on TV before or something. When she came up to my register and she placed her order with her son, i asked her are you an actress? And she said yes, and so after that, you know she got done with her transaction. I didn't ask her any more questions because number one, i was at work and I was on the floor by myself soloing between doing food at the register and making drinks. Number three, she was with her son, so I didn't want to start asking her a million questions And then, lastly, there were other people in line behind her, so I just didn't have time.

Speaker 1: 14:33

So after that day I kept thinking in my head after she left, like that whole day I've seen her somewhere. So I remembered when she scanned her Starbucks app on the scanner at the register, her name came up and her first name came up as Jane. So later on a day I actually went to Google on my phone and I typed in what actress is named Jane, and so her name popped up and her picture. And when I saw her name in her picture in my head, i'm like that's the lady that was in here. So I don't want to butcher up her last name. So I am so sorry if I say it incorrectly, but her name is Jane Krakowski and she's an American singer and actress. Some of the movies that she's played in include Ice Age, the Flintstones and VV Rock, alfie and Season Pixels, and she also played the role of Jenna on the NBC comedy series called 30 Rock.

Speaker 1: 15:53

And let me tell you guys, when I saw this on Wikipedia, i was thinking to myself oh, i found out who she was. And then the next day, on Saturday and I'm still talking about last week I was actually on a bar instead of on register, and so I did not even see her walk in And I remember I was making her drink because I had turned around and I was like, hey, and then I was like, you know, i did not want to, you know, ask you a lot of questions because you're with your son, you know. And she told me, i appreciate that. So she seemed very appreciative that I didn't like bombard her with a whole lot of questions And of course, she did like the way I made her drink And she was, you know, really nice, even though I did not have a lot of interaction with her with the short one that I did. But, like I said. But, like I said, it was really cool meeting her. It's funny because, out of all my coworkers, only like one or two knew who I was talking about and the one guy that really liked her on his show, 30 Rock, he was like, oh my gosh, she really came in here. I'm like, yeah, she came in here Friday and she came in here Saturday, and I think my coworker was actually working on Saturday, but when she came in on Saturday I think he was in the back doing something. So, yeah, that was my little cool experience at work And I think that's all of my updates.

Speaker 1: 17:33

I don't think I forgot anything. So, other than that, you guys, i hope that you enjoyed this update episode and you got all of the tea and make sure that you guys check out all of my links in the description to the blog posts and to my online red bubble shop so you can check out my latest designs, and definitely I will be getting that unboxing video out for good molecules very soon. It's just I have some other things to do, but I'm definitely grateful for all the blessings and opportunities that is coming my way. So thank you guys again for taking the time out to listen to my rants and rambles And, as always, make sure that you subscribe to your family and friends, and I will talk to you guys in my next episode, which is hopefully not next month or not in a month or over month. Okay, you guys have a great day, a great weekend and peace.