DISCOVER GEORGIA: BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Temple Atlanta

Hi there!

I've got another Discover Georgia post for you to check out today. If you're new to the series, I like to routinely check out various tourist attractions in Georgia. A lot of people seem to think that Georgia begins and ends with Atlanta, but there is so much more to see and experience. Some of my posts are from sights within Metro Atlanta, and others are not. Today's post is about the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir. It is a Hindu temple located in the Lilburn, Georgia area.

Mummy and Me: Blazer and Jeans

Happy Monday!

I have wanted to put these photos up for months! They were taken on the same day as these other photos, in the same location, by my sister. Somehow we "lost" the photos. She thought she had sent them to me. I couldn't find them anywhere on my Google drive or my laptop. I essentially gave up on ever posting them, but God is good! Tammy found them a little time ago and I'm so glad I get to share them with you today :)

Clever Girl Finance Book Event in Atlanta

I have been part of the Clever Girl Finance program for a few years now. Clever Girl Finance is a platform that aims to teach women how to be financially savvy and build personal wealth. Earlier this year, I was asked to be one of the Clever Girl Finance mentors - to be honest, I was quite surprised because, to be honest, I don't have a lot of money. At all. My savings account goes up and down and up and down, and sometimes, it seems like I'm living paycheck to paycheck. But the truth of the matter is, I have gained a lot of knowledge from Clever Girl Finance and have made strides in my finances over the years. Sometimes I slip up and make silly mistakes, but I always bounce back based on what I have learned and put into practice. This whole time, through my Clever Girl Finance journey, I had never met the founder, Bola Sokunbi until August 2019!!!

LIFE LATELY: August 2019

Happy Labor Day to my Stateside readers!!!!

Welcome to the -Ember months. We have another 120 days left in the year, so make them count! Just because you haven't started on one goal or another doesn't mean you can't start now. Start today, and use my Goal Getter Guide to get started and keep yourself on track! I've got a few things to share about how August went for me.

Menstrual Cups: I made the switch, and Ask Me Anything!

I was 11 years old when I first got my period. It was in a Mr. Biggs in Port Harcourt - back in the days when Port Harcourt made sense and security was not an issue. I remember smiling to myself because my mum had started talking to us about periods, boys, relationships, etc. I quickly went to let her know and she hugged me, welcoming me into "womanhood."

Berry Lovely Links

Hi there!!!

I hope you've had a pretty week. I'm looking forward to this weekend that's going to be jampacked!!!! I need a nap already. I hope you enjoy your weekend and today's set of Lovely Links. Hugs and kisses!

1. How early should you really get to the airport? For domestic flights, I get there 2 hours before. For international flights, I get to the airport 3 hours before. I like to roam around the airport and not feel rushed.
2. Top Holiday Destinations You Can Visit with your US Visa 
3. This is my new favorite food Youtube channel - have you watched any of the Telande World recipe videos?
4. For all interested, Mattie James posted How to Write an Influencer Business Plan.
5. An old friend wrote about being Average at work. Funny enough, our department's monthly review was posted today and I felt a little sad that I didn't get a mention for anything. I think I'm slacking at work :(
6. Lately I've felt a little bit stretched, so I'm going to follow the steps in How to Define Your Priorities.

Travel Packing Cubes Review: Bagail

Prior to my last trip to Boston, I had never used any real sort of packing system. I would usually wait until the night before my trip to hurriedly throw things into my suitcase and carry-on, hoping everything would fit and that I wouldn't have excess luggage. For my last trip though, I saw the light. My sister had bought herself some packing cubes from Amazon, and I oohed and ahhed over them so much that she bought my mum and I a set to share.

Encore Wynn Boston Harbor

Have you ever heard the saying that the hotel room doesn't matter when you travel, since all you're going to do there is sleep? Do you agree with it? I for one, DO NOT!!! I love hotels! I love nice hotels! As a matter of fact, as a child, I told my mum that I wanted to live in a hotel when I grew up. In my mind having other people do all the cleaning and cooking sounded like paradise, and who doesn't want to live in that kind of environment, right?! LOL, if only real life were like that.

Berry Lovely Links

Happy Friday everybody!!!!!!!!!

Thank God for another weekend in sight. What are your plans for this weekend?

Clever Girl Finance is coming to Atlanta!!!

Let's celebrate the launch of the new book, Clever Girl Finance: Ditch Debt, Save Money & Build Real Wealth!

Join Bola Sokunbi and her expert friends for a conversation on her new book and panel discussions on pursuing debt freedom, saving money and building real wealth! Plus we'll be discussing career and business too! Get your tickets now as space is limited.

Life Lessons to My Daughter

I shared this post on Instagram last week and I think it's worth sharing here too. As a mother, a lot of times, I wonder about the things I want to teach my daughter. I want her to grow up knowing what my life has been like, and hopefully learn from me.

DISCOVER GEORGIA: Cobb County International Festival

I love traveling. I enjoy attending events. I remember having so many events to attend when I lived in Nigeria - my peak blogging days. I had hoped to replicate the same thing here in Atlanta, but several factors come into play: I live a little bit far away from where a lot of events I'd like to go to are; there are a lot of weekday events and erm I have a full-time job (and a child); and sometimes I'm just plain old lazy. Occasionally, an event will cross my radar that fits well into my life, and the event I'm sharing today is the first annual Cobb County International Festival! Since this is an event in Georgia, I'm adding it to my Discover Georgia series, where I share different tourist attractions in the state of Georgia!.

Berry Lovely Links

Happy Friday everyone!

I hope you've had a great week and I wish you a greater weekend ahead! I shared very personal posts this week on social media, that I may share here on the blog at some point since I know some of you are social media-averse. But I hope you're all doing well, and that you enjoy the links I've got ready for your weekend reading pleasure. God bless.

Four More Things I Learned About Pregnancy

It's been a while since I was pregnant - more than two years, and earlier in the year, at a reader's request, I shared some of the things I learned during pregnancy. I wasn't sure if I would be able to come up with anything, but before long, I had a much longer post than I originally anticipated and chose to split them into two. I was also a little concerned about sharing too many mother-themed posts and decided to space them out. And so, today I'm sharing 4 more things I learned about pregnancy. See the first part here.

LIFE LATELY: July 2019

July seems like it was a very long month... and also a long time ago at the same time. I think I enjoyed July for the most part, even though Cocoa and I had health challenges. Thank God for good health o!

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It's Friday once again.

I've had a particularly tough week, battling sickness. I tried to push through it and go to work, because bills don't pay themselves. But it caught up to me and I had to leave work very early yesterday, and eventually forced myself to go to the hospital. Apparently a viral bug is going around - someone else at work has actually been gone for 3 days. But thank God for my parents who have stepped in to watch Cocoa for me. I am truly blessed to have them. I don't know how I would have managed without them.

I have some nice links for you guys today but I also want to note that a new episode of Mommy Oyoyo podcast dropped early this week, and it centered on the Omugwo experience. Please check it out on your favorite podcast players. Have a great weekend!

WCW July 2019: Gladys Edeh

This post is a long time coming!!! I have known Gladys since the first time I moved to the States, so that's about 20 years now. We both competed in our university's Miss ISA (Miss International Students Association) way back when! It was my bid to step out of my shell, because I was a very shy little thing. Another fun fact about Gladys is she and I participated in the 48-hour movie project a long time ago - have you seen my acting debut in But Mamah? At the time I was going through a very serious bout of what I can only call depression, and the project came at just the right time. She had no idea what was going on with me at the time, and I only told her about it when I moved back to Atlanta in 2016. Anyway, Gladys and I have some collaborations coming up in the future, and you may remember her from the Aliens in America series shot by my sister.

DISCOVER GEORGIA: Helen Hot Air Balloon Festival

It's been a very long time since I put up a Discover Georgia post. This is my travel series that highlights different places and events in Georgia, as there is so much more to do than just visit Atlanta. In this post, I'm sharing a few photos from the annual Helen Hot Air Balloon Festival, which is held the weekend after Memorial Day. It's a three-day event that starts with the only long-distance hot air balloon race where different teams race from Helen to the Atlantic ocean. Fun fact: I've blogged about Helen in a different Discover Georgia post.

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Happy Happy Friday!

And happy weekend trip for me!!!!! I'm too excited to write anything, so I'll just say enjoy your weekend, innit? :p

My Favorite Songs from the Beyonce Lion King:The Gift Album

The Lion King: The Gift Album curated by Beyonce was released on July 19, 2019 to a lot of buzz and excitement. As an African, I was even more thrilled because the album featured quite a number of songs from multiple Nigerian artists. I literally shouted, "Enh? Enh? Enh?" with every Nigerian artist's name that was purported to be on the album. I was a little surprised that Davido wasn't included, but that's my own palava, as I prefer him to Wizkid (not that anybody cares). Anyway, I wanted to share the songs that I have been enjoying from the album, and I hope you let me know which ones you like as well.

My 1000th Blog Post!!!

Happy Monday everyone!

This is my 1000th blog post! Okay, not really. I passed 1000 blog posts a little bit ago, but I had to take down some already published posts for personal reasons. And so, as it stands now, THIS is my 1000th blog post. It's taken me a little bit over 6 years, and a good measure of consistency (even though I've had to take scheduled and impromptu breaks at different points). I wouldn't say I'm ecstatic and so excited about it, but I think I've done pretty well. I'm definitely past my peak period, and sometimes I think if I had stayed back in Nigeria, I would have gone much farther with the blog and as a blogger. However, I'm not looking back but looking ahead and moving ONWARD.

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First of all, introduction!!!

Well I'm going for an introduction tomorrow and I've been looking forward to it for a long time - cos free food, LOL! What are your plans for the weekend? Whatever you do, please make sure to listen to the Mommy Oyoyo podcast - not just listen, but SUBSCRIBE too!!!!!!!

I hope you enjoy the links I have curated for you this weekend. Have a blast!

Aliens in America by Tambari W

My sister, Tambari, started shooting a photography series called 'Aliens in America.' Aliens in America is a photography concept by Tambari Wikina whereby groups of immigrants and children of immigrants are showcased within the spaces of America. It is her effort to show that America was built on immigration and that these immigrants are just continuing the story of what makes America great. They are adding to society not taking away.

Berry Lovely Links

I've got that Friday feeling!!!!!!!!

If you follow me on Instagram @BerryDakara, then you most likely saw my dancing/twerking post this morning. I'm extremely glad it's Friday and that I have nothing planned this weekend! I need to REST and RESET!!!!

What are your plans this weekend?

Mummy and Me: Dashiki

I've got another set of Mummy and Me photos to share with you today! I had a different shoot to share, but I can't find the memory card that has those photos... so sad. However, we can make do with this new set of "And co" photos! For this photo shoot, Cocoa and I wore African dashikis! Are there non-African dashikis, come to think of it? Where do dashikis really come from? See here if you're interested.

Don't Give Up!

Where would you be in life right now if you hadn't quit or given up on one thing or another? If you had believed in yourself and had the confidence to see things through? If you fought past obstacles instead of deciding they were too hard?

Berry Lovely Links

Happy Friday!

If you're in the US, I hope you enjoyed Independence Day yesterday. Check out my Instagram stories to see highlights of our fun BBQ with my family yesterday. As usual, I have a nice selection of articles for you to read this weekend. BUT the first thing you want to do is listen to the newest episode of Mommy Oyoyo podcast! The topic is What NOT to Say to Someone who is Trying to Conceive.

LIFE LATELY: JUNE 2019

Hello!!!!!

Happy July! We're officially in the second half of the year. How are you feeling about it? As usual, here I am with my update of the previous month. You can keep up with my monthly updates here.

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Happy Happy Friday!

It's been a week! But hey, June's over in just 2 days and then we'll be smack dab into the second half of the year, and Q3! How have you done on your goals so far? I hope well. If not, take a look at my Goal Getter Guide to help you smash the rest of the year - it's not too late!

Mommy Oyoyo Podcast

I did something new!!! Something that has been on my mind since last year actually. I had this idea (like many other ideas), and spent so much time wondering if I could execute it, if I should execute it. I thought about it, over-analyzed, "did research," and did everything doable without actually doing much about it. Well, last week, I decided to JUST DO IT! And I'm pleased to announce my new baby...

Berry Lovely Links

Why is June flying by so quickly?!?!?!? Am I the only one that feels that way? I feel like the month needs to slow down a little bit, so I can catch my breath for a few days! BTW thanks to everyone who wished my Cocoa Bean a Happy Birthday. She enjoyed her day, like other days, and I'm just so thankful to be her mummy!

I hope you've had a good week though, and I hope you enjoy the links from this week.

Happy Birthday Cocoa!

Happy Birthday to the most beautiful Cocoa girl!!!

Start Where You Are

If you follow me on Instagram (@BerryDakara), then you likely saw this post last week. We had a guest preacher at our church whose message was on a little known character from the Bible - Shamgar. In Judges 3:31, he was mentioned for killing 600 men and helping to save Israel. The sermon was centered on using the resources available to you to just get started.

Berry Lovely Links

Happy Friday!

I hope you had a lovely week, and wish you a lovelier weekend! Hugs and kisses from moi.

When You Gain Weight

Ugh! Who else is tired of losing weight, then gaining it, then losing and gaining it again?! If not you, I certainly am. It's been almost two years since I gave birth to Cocoa, and even though I was not "trying" to snap-back quickly, I lost a good amount of weight. I got as far as 10 pounds below my pre-pregnancy weight at a point, and I won't lie, I felt pretty proud of myself. I even stocked my closet with clothes to fit my smaller size. All was honky dory until the later part of last year...

Managing Expectations

Good Monday Morning!

It's going to be a short one today, but the topic of managing one's expectations has been on my mind for a little while. If you read my birthday post this year, then you know that I didn't really have any expectations whatsoever, and ended up being pleasantly surprised. The calls and messages from well-wishers, and hanging with my family over several days made me feel really loved and appreciated. I did have one very tiny expectation that was dashed, and kinda reinforced my belief that it's better to have low or no expectations in a bid to avoid getting disappointed.

Berry Lovely Links

Thank God for the end of another work week. I hope you had a good one. I'm happy for the weekend, even though it's going to be filled with rain! It's not so bad, because we haven't had rain in a while and drought was beginning to set in. What's the weather like on your end? I hope you take time out this weekend to read up on some of the links I've curated for your viewing pleasure :)

Mummy and Me: Dornubari's Apparel

Before I got pregnant with Cocoa, I knew I wanted to have two children - a boy and a girl. I didn't think it out loud, but I think I hoped that my first child would be a girl. I didn't have any particular reasons though. Maybe because I'm the first child? Anyway, some of the things I looked forward to when I knew I would have a daughter included being Mummy-Daughter best friends, playing with makeup (which she does already), and also dressing alike in matching Mummy and Me outfits! Now, my husband does not like to dress in matching outfits, but I can do what I want with my daughter in that regard, and I got another chance with Dornubari's Apparel (see our Christmas photos for the first time we had a Mummy and Me shoot)!

Life Lately: May 2019

Welcome to June!

May went by so quickly, didn't it? I feel like I just wrote the April Life Lately post just a few days ago. Well, thank God for June because it's Cocoa's birthday in two weeks! I'm not having a party or anything, but hopefully will have some photos to share when the time comes. On that note, let's find out what's been happening in my life, aye?

Berry Lovely Links

Happy Friday and end of the month!!!

Is it me or did May fly by? Can you guys believe Cocoa is going to be TWO YEARS OLD in just 2.5 weeks? My baby is not a baby anymore!!! I mean, she is but she's not! Anyway, thanks to everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday on Wednesday. I had zero expectations and ended up having a nice day. Sending love, kisses and hugs from my big bosom to you! Enjoy the links this weekend.

WCW May 2019: Berry Dakara

Happy Birthday to me!

I have normally been that person who enjoys her birthday and draws attention to it. Last year, I didn't want to celebrate. As a matter of fact, I turned off my phone because I didn't want to speak to anyone. I put up a post on Instagram because I was completing a 31-day challenge, but apart from that, didn't want to make a big deal out of my birthday. I already felt the same thought coming along this year and decided to stop it in its tracks. As you know, I feature a woman I'm inspired by on the last Wednesday of every month for my WCW series. This month I have decided to do something different and feature myself.

Happy Childrens Day!

Today, May 27th is Childrens' Day in Nigeria. No matter where I am in the world, I will always acknowledge the holiday inwardly at the very least. I always enjoyed Childrens Day, for a few reasons - it was a school-free holiday, and it's two days before my birthday. In my mind, they should have just added May 28th into the fray so I could have 3 days off! Anyway, today I'd like to share a few photos of Cocoa (my daughter, if you're new to the blog). She's a full blown toddler now (with tantrums to boot), and even though she's almost 2 years old, I still catch myself looking at her and wondering in amazement at God's grace in my life!

Berry Lovely Links

Happy Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you guys follow IAmZoie on Instagram? I don't but every now and then I go to his profile to watch his "IT'S FRIIIIIIIIIIIDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY" twerking videos. They're just hilarious to me. Anyway, thank goodness for the end of another week and for a holiday this Monday (and my birthday next week too). I hope you have a great weekend and enjoy some of the links I curated this week. I won't tell you which one was my favorite to read, but tell me yours :)

Three Ways to Style an Ankara Peplum Belt

Happy Monday!

Do you guys remember when peplum belts were all the rage?! Wait, was that peplum belts or just the peplum silhouette in general? I can't remember. Either way, lots of women were very happy to wear peplum anything because it was trendy at the time, and also helped to conceal or hide not-so-flat tummies. I remember loving the trend too, but never thought about getting a peplum belt. I know that ankara peplum belts have been on the scene for a while, but it was not until this year that I started trying them out, and today I want to share three ways I styled my ankara peplum belt.

Berry Lovely Links

Thank God for another Friday!

Is it me or is May flying by really quickly?! I feel like April dragged quite a bit and I wasn't too happy about it, but I'm also not happy that May's going by so fast either. Do you see us human beings? We're never satisfied in life, LOL. Anyway, I hope you're having a good May so far. I have a pretty busy weekend planned - what are you going to be up to? I hope one thing on your To Do list this weekend is reading along with some of these links I have curated for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!

Mum Guilt and How to Get Over It - Part 2

Hey there!

In my last post, I shared a few ways that I have experienced Mum Guilt since becoming a mother. As a refresher, it is generally defined as "the feeling of guilt, doubt, anxiousness or uncertainty experienced by mothers when they worry they're failing or falling short of expectations in some way." Like I said in that post, a lot of it is in our heads and not based on facts. Today I want to complete the things that have caused me Mum Guilt. In the first post, I covered Breastfeeding, Career, Hair Care, Health and Finances. Check out the other five things below and how I have tried to get over them.

Mum Guilt and How to Get Over It - Part 1

Happy Belated Mothers Day!

I typically would put up a Mothers Day post, but missed out on it this year - I'm really trying to find the best ways to manage my time. I had a wonderful weekend with my family and I'll share photos of Cocoa and I in our Mummy and Me outfits soon enough. In the meantime though, I want to talk about a topic that's been on my mind for a little while: MUM GUILT.

I never thought about mum guilt before I got pregnant and had Cocoa. No wait, that's not true. I had a minor guilt trip for a few minutes one day when almost everything on the news was bad, and I wondered whether it was a good thing to bring a child into such a flawed world. That's not exactly mum guilt though. According to ActiveKids.com, Mum Guilt is defined as, "the feeling of guilt, doubt, anxiousness or uncertainty experienced by mothers when they worry they're failing or falling short of expectations in some way."

I don't think there is any mother on this earth who has not had Mum Guilt in one way or another, or at several points in motherhood. Sometimes it can be debilitating and make you feel shameful and unworthy, and like a failure. But the truth is, in my experience, a lot of it is unfounded and baseless and can be overcome. I'm going to share some of the areas in which I have experience Mum Guilt and what helped me get over it.

Berry Lovely Links

Hey there!

This weekend has been so crazy!!!!! I thought I would have some downtime this week, but it's been very busy and I just want to go home and sleep. Does anyone want to do my work for me, but I still get paid? For just 3 months? Pretty please!

I hope you have a pretty weekend. Enjoy the links I have for ya!

Life Lately: April 2019

May Day! May Day!

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Happy May!!!!!

I feel like May is already flying by. We're already three days in and I'm struggling to catch up to April. I hope you're all doing well. If you're on Instagram or Facebook, join @TeaWithCubes for our live weekly talk show (4pm EST) - we're talking about African Traditions vs Modernity - what traditions should go, and what should stay; how do we balance them? I've got some nice links up for some light weekend reading, and there will definitely be 3 blog posts next week - and hopefully a video as well.