Into It, Vol. 2

Mic check 1, 2 1, 2. Test test. Is this thing on? It seems to be, so I'm just gonna roll with it. Hey guys! Remember last week when I wrote that really intense post about not settling? Well, great news: STILL HAVEN'T SETTLED! Haven't done it, won't do it, can't make me do it. I got a lot of really positive, empowering feedback after writing that, so I wanted to thank everyone who reached out whether it was via comments, likes, messages, carrier pigeons (there was just one and it was epic), or saying nice things to my face about it.

Switching gears, I haven't done an Into It post in a long while and, in an effort to steer away from the negativity that I can showcase via my I Can't installments, I want to share some things with you guys that I am currently WAY into.

INTO IT: The new iOS update.

Every time one of our beloved social media platforms or iOS rolls out an update, everyone panics. Like sheer, unadulterated panic. "WHAT IS THIS? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THIS? WHY IS INSTAGRAM'S LOGO A POWERPOINT THEME? WHAT'S ALL THIS NOISE ABOUT DIGITAL TOUCH MESSAGES?" Basically, we all turn into 90-year-old Jewish men who can't be bothered with fancy new technology. But this latest update is pretty fly, y'all. At first, I was like "nah." But, a day later, I was like "yeah." There's a lot to discover about it, but so far, one of the coolest parts is how voicemails are transcribed into messages so you don't have to waste your precious time actually listening to the message. GENIUS. Of course, they're not spot-on transcriptions, but close enough. And this particular one I saved from the day I quit my last job made me die, so.

INTO IT: Rediscovering my natural curls.

This particular "into it" is so specific, I'm sure most of you won't care unless you are the proud owner of curls. However, I just wanted to pay my natural hair some respect. Once I discovered this glorious curling wand and how it's able to make my tight ringlets into glorious, loose waves, I've been turning to it a lot in my time of need. However, I've started to feel guilty lately, like I've been taking my natural hair-state for granted and not showing it any attention. It's like this wand is my new, mini Goldendoodle, and Cece is still amazing and adorable, but like... this is a new, mini Goldendoodle puppy. Anyhow, I decided to reinvest in my natural curls and buy some new products to really bring them out of their hiding hole. I rarely get the right products on the first try when I'm ordering new junk, but I'm happy to report that after some very extensive research, I NAILED IT. I got some natural shampoo for curly hair by Winsome & Wisdom and a brand new curl cream by Royal Locks, and lemme tell ya... I DID GOOD, Y'ALL! Highly recommend both these brands. LOOK AT DOZE CURLS DOE!

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INTO IT: Chicken Avocado Lime Salad for lunch.

I have this weird habit where I email myself recipes constantly. Half of them never see the light of day, but I just keep sending them and labeling them as "cooking" until, one day, I've grown so bored with everything I make that I finally poke around my archived recipes. Last week, I did just this and found a recipe I had sent myself back in May of 2015 but hadn't ever made (v similar to how I buy clothes and "save them" for special occasions, then find them in my closet months later with the tags still attached). Boy, have I been missing out 'cause this shit was LIT, FAM. What more does a lunch need besides chicken, lime, avocado, scallions, cilantro, and a wee bit of mayo? I'll tell you what — maybe an english muffin or a couple bread slices to put it on. Other than that, though... nothing. This salad is so divine. EXPERT TIP: Don't make it in bulk ahead of time. That shit'll get soggy and your avocados will rot. I made it fresh, the morning-of each day 'cause I'm disciplined like that.

INTO IT: Benefit's "Gimme Brow" revamp

There's an unspoken rule that you should not fuck with beauty products' formulas once you've grown a dedicated, loyal user-base. Why fix what isn't broke? Typically, when brands do this, the "new and improved" product ends up sucking D or breaking you out or smelling different or not having the same effect as it once did. However, Benefit's roll-out of their amped up Gimme Brow eyebrow filler does NOT disappoint. I was real nervous when I saw they had redesigned the packaging. "Oh fuck," I thought. "I swear to God, if my eyebrows are not on fleek with this new shit, I'm gonna get upset" (so threatening). But they did themselves good, because the main change (besides how the tube itself looks), is that they took it from just two color options (light and medium/deep) to THREE color options (light, medium, dark). I had been using dark this whole time, knowing light would be too light for my fake Latina skin tone and now? The medium is perfect! Good job, Benefit. For now.

INTO IT: Defriending exes.

Listen. In this day and age of social media where basically no one can hide and, if you do hide (i.e. are "private"), you're thought of as weird and shady, escaping goings-on with your ex boyfriends, lovers, husbands, girlfriends, flings, WHATEVERS is nearly impossible. For a long time now, I'm remained friends with ex-whatevers on Facebook just because, I mean, eh. It feels so final to unfriend them and close myself off like that, plus some of them really are great guys. But after seeing something less than appealing this past weekend, I finally realized my former statement makes no sense and DEFRIENDED THE FUCK out of a handful of ex-whatevers and some of their friends. And I gotta tell you, it felt right. Why am I still connected to these goons? I don't want to see their lives via them or their friends, and they shouldn't want to see mine. I didn't know them before we dated, and I'm definitely not gonna know them now. So, like, GTFO. If you really feel the need to keep tabs on me and stalk me, you know where to find me but please don't 'cause you're the worst.

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