Happy Black History Month 2021 everyone! To celebrate, The Dro Show is featuring another Black Owned Business Guide (here's the one from the holiday season you can still enjoy). As per usual, we want to encourage readers to support Black owned businesses and circulate their dollars within Black American communities. 

 

2020 has been super rough for us all, but we're gonna make this shopping thing super easy! A positive among all the chaos is that there has been a lot of talk and promoting of Black owned businesses. Over here at The Dro Show, we've been practicing group economics and featuring BOBs for years and it's amazing to see that the conversations are becoming more mainstream. It's no secret that due to racism in America, Black businesses and business owners are often systemically discriminated against and left out when it comes to receiving loans and other financial benefits necessary for businesses to be established and flourish. Even amidst the current pandemic, Black business owners haven't been getting a fair shot at receiving federal aid. 

This is why we are promoting and celebrating Black owned businesses to shop with this holiday season. In general, there's so much creativity when shopping small. We want to encourage you all to make your dollars and purchases count by spreading joy with everyday folks with a vision and a plan. Here are a few amazing small, online shops to patronize not just during this season, but even afterwards:

1. D. Renee Beauty

It's time to get your skin right for the winter, y'all. We might be on lockdown, but that's no excuse to be ashy. D. Renee Beauty is a new skincare line that was birthed this year serving up products like the "Butter Me Down" coffee scrub and even holiday bundles for you, yo' mama, and yo' cousin too.

2. Bluff Creation

This flyness is definitely for the fellas and old school hip hop heads for sure. Graphic designed mugs, tees, sweatshirts, beanies and more with an urban street edge. Our favorite is the "Ol' Dirty Bluff" sweatshirt. 

3. Kadija's Paint and Sip Session

Just because you can't pop out like you used to doesn't mean you can't have fun at home with the family 'nem! Kadija Paint and Sip Sessions is bringing you a virtual paint class with a festive twist for the holiday season. You can even get paint kits to use at a session or gift one to a friend!

4. Modretro Couture 

Funky, fly, and fierce vintage fashions that you literally can't find anywhere else. Handpicked all the way from the east coast and shipped to you. The quarantine drip is too real over here! Yes you all can absolutely buy me something from the good sis so I can have an in home 80's themed fashion show. 

5. The BOLD Shop

What's bolder than bold? Clearly it's The BOLD Shop. These fabulous fashions are for the girls with all the killer curves and confidence to match. Founded in Memphis, Tennessee by Brittany Walker, TBS embraces giving the girls something to look at. Live your best bold life #BeBoldBaby

6. KLT Art

It's giving handmade, honey! Earrings, clothing, art and much more for the win. 

7. Finances With Kadija 

8. Abinormal 

Abnoirmal is a new unisex brand that doesn’t let clothes defy you are. Be confident in who you are, be Abnoirmal.

We'll be adding more shops to the list! Be sure to comment your favorite BOB that you'll be supporting this season!

 Happy autumn! One of my favorite seasons is finally here. This fall I'm dedicated to decorating and going all out to create pumpkin spice treats galore. I picked up a few cute autumn themed goodies from Dollar Tree, Michael's, and TJ Maxx. These are hands down a few of my favorite stores to shop at, especially for budgeting money. 

I got this super adorable dinner set and autumn wall hanger from Dollar Tree. I still have no clue where to place the hanger though! Otherwise, I'm going to be eating my home cooked vegan meals something serious in these plates.

Since switching to the plant based and holistic lifestyle, I've always heard about sea moss and it was immediately placed on my "to try" list. When I visited St. Kitts, I finally got the chance to try a sea moss drink from the Life Span vegan food truck (the owner gave it to me for the free-free because I came there regularly) and I tried another drink at Pinney's Beach in Nevis. Both were A-1 and I had to have more.

First off, let's get into the details.

What Is Sea Moss?

Sea moss, or Irish Moss as it's called in some parts of the Caribbean, is a type of red algae that grows in the rocky parts of the Atlantic areas of North America. It's popularly been used in the West Indies for centuries and has currently gotten more well known in the U.S., especially in health conscious communities. The late herbalist teacher affectionately known as Dr. Sebi discussed sea moss and its benefits plentiful during his lifetime.

Benefits of Sea Moss

Sea moss contains 92 of the 102 essential minerals that make up our bodies. It's used for everything from reproductive support to aiding in thyroid health. It can be used both internally and topically.

-Digestion
-Rich in Iron
-Immunity Boosting
-Helps with joint pain
-Decreases inflammation
-Energy Boost
-Increases Sexual Performance
-High in Iodine
-Anti-Viral
-Appetizer Suppressant
-Aids in Weight Loss
-Supports Reproductive Health & Fertility
-Great for both Mental & Emotional Well-Being
-Can be used for Skincare and Hair care


I purchased a 12oz bottle of sea moss gel from TNT Sea Moss Man. Great quality, lovely packaging, arrived super fast. Seriously, no complaints over here. I'm about ready to order my next batch.



How To Use It

Sea Moss is caught in the sea of course and it is usually sold in its raw form. It's also popularly sold as a gel and sometimes as a powder. Based on my research, making the gel is super easy as well. Sea moss is usually paired with the bladderwrack herb, but it's not 100% necessary.

The moss is used in smoothies, drinks, and in food dishes too. It doesn't have a strong taste or smell so it's perfect to add into your healthy plant based meals.


I used it in a plant based brownie ball dish I made (I'll give the recipe deets soon) and I added a scoop in a kale banana smoothie.

I also added a bit into my weekly clay mask.

As sea moss is getting more known, there's a lot of fake sea moss a foot. Sea moss should be wild crafted, not pool crafted. I prefer to get mine from the Caribbean or from a person with a direct Caribbean connect whether they're from there, have family from there or if they get it directly from there. TNT Sea Moss man gets his from Trinidad so that's a-okay with me. Please do your own thorough research and speak with your doctor or physician if need be before using sea moss.

I'm so excited on this sea moss journey and I can't wait to create more recipes with it! Next superfood will be sour sop.

Sources:

11 Sea Moss Benefits that will Change Your Life!
Chondrus crispus


Stay tuned for more of my delicious recipes brought to you by my new ya dig "The Flyest Vegan"!

I'm in love with all things that give me a girly, feminine, sultry feeling, and every other adjective that makes me feel good like Halle Berry when she was in "Monster Ball". The start of 2020 has been crazy with all the world events, but there's nothing like some good ol' self care for peace of mind.

With all the March madness coming to an end, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite goodies I grabbed this month. So let's get into it!

Okay Pure Naturals African Shea Butter



*cues "Pop" from Ari Lennox's "Shea Butter Baby" album* I am a huge sucker for all things natural skincare and one of my favorite products is shea butter, oowee! Don't give me lotion, give me the butter!

Alaffia Authentic Black Soap


Honestly, I traded in black soap for charcoal soap, but will I ever stop using black soap? Heavens no. Grabbed this beauty on sale at Whole Foods Market too.

Jason Coconut Unrefined Oil 


Another product on my holy grail list is coconut oil, oh but not just any coconut oil! Jason unrefined coconut oil is bae! I've had my share of coconut oil throughout the years, but this by far is my absolute favorite mainly because of the rich, fragrant scent. I use this on my bawdy after showering and I massage it into my nails at night before bed.

"The Me Journal" by Shane Windham


Organized journaling now? Here for it! My co-worker put me on to this super amazing journal. It has lists you can fill out, information you can add about yourself. Basically, it's super random which is why it's so cool.

Valjean Matte Makeup Setting Spray

I've had my eye on this for the longest. It was sold out on Amazon, but I scored not one but two bottles for $7! I love mattifying makeup products, and what really drew me to this was the kaolin and vitamin e ingredients!