Florida Aquarium & Sparkman Wharf

We went with friends to visit the Florida Aquarium and I was VERY impressed! I cannot believe we have been in Tampa this long and we are only visiting it just now.

Have you been to the Aquarium?

If you have not and you live in Tampa, it’s environs and/ or you are planning a trip to Tampa, I highly recommend you visit it.

I am not one to go out and look at animals or I should say that I love animals but I am not one to spend all day at the zoo. However, I enjoyed my time at the aquarium and my little one did too. We walked from one end to the other and saw some fishes, lemurs, turtles, jellyfishes, and so much more. The aquarium had so much to offer and I cannot put it all into words! Go and see for your self🙂

The one place I did not visit while at the aquarium was the gift shop! I was doing myself a favor because I would have spent money that I did not have 😜

There is I believe a hurricane simulator in the building, and you pay to experience it- kids and their parents go in and experience it. Outside the aquarium, at one end of the building is a splash pad for kids which I think is great considering the sweltering heat of Florida. The kiddos loved it. The adults can seat and enjoy food and drinks while the kids can go and cool off in the splash pad.

I am glad we went with friends who knew the area well- they suggested we eat at Sparkman Wharf and boy; am I glad we did! Sorry, I did not do any food pics since I scarfed down my food before I remembered to take any pics. The Wharf has rows of shipping containers colored vibrantly that serve as “kiosks” for one to place/order and then pick up your food. A few feet away from the containers you have a place by the water where you find tables with lawn umbrellas where one can sit and look at the water or maybe listen to music coming from the band.

I loved being here. I had a great time and the kids loved it too. From what I hear, there is more development to come in the area and I might dare say that if I come back in about a 6 months or a year- there would be so much to see and possibly love!

So,

If you plan on visiting Florida Aquarium do so and also plan to stop at Sparkman Wharf for good food and drinks before you go back home.

As always,

Love,

Ezanya

Disclaimer

I was not paid to write this. I had so much fun being here, I had to share it. Should you visit after reading this, let me know.

Why We Need to Practice Self-Care

If you are a parent, taking care of yourself is not just locking yourself in the bathroom for a couple of minutes to have time to yourself. If you work, it is not about just “vegging” in front of the TV or your phone to unwind!

Welcome

Let us get social- I am on Instagram, Twitter and my website is theizorapodcast.com. You can also email me at theizorapodcast@gmail.com

What then is taking care of yourself aka “Self Care”?

According to the World Health Organization, “self-care is what people do for themselves to establish and maintain health, to prevent and deal with illness.” This term is super broad, and it covers a lot of things. We know we need to take care of ourselves, but do we take care of ourselves? Do you?

I had mentioned earlier that I would cover this topic and I say that because of something that happened at work. Recently, I went to work and then found out that one of the girls who came in often had quit and was as not working anymore. I do know that she was taking classes and had a young daughter; I was surprised that she had quit!

I wondered was it because work was stressful or was it a combined with other stuff going on at home? What was it? I do not know since I did not have her phone number to call her. I have been thinking about her quitting since. And I ask, what if it were me? I have been in her shoes!

Why We Need to practice self-care:

I believe the number one reason is to prevent burn out.

I was listening to an episode of  Rachel Hollis’ Rise Podcast (Episode 112) and she defined Burn out as doing something that does not light up your heart anymore. 

This resonated with me- I was tired at home, work, mentally, physically and I had no passion for anything.

Momma’s let us talk- this idea of self-care might be a foreign concept. Our mom’s worked or were busy from sun up till sundown and they are the first to wake up. It does not have to be so. It is so easy to care for others and forget about ourselves. Sometimes we work, and then come home and take care of the home, do school and take our kids to every place. We do not stop and then at the end of the day, we crash and go to sleep and repeat this the next day. It has to stop. It took prayers to God to help me to defeat this cycle!

The next reason is to prevent stress

Stress can affect our minds and our well being and we end up not being able to be fully present in the things we do. Stress can cause us to think irrationally

Finally, to excel in all we do: when we take care of ourselves we are able to care for others, and are able to give 100% to our loved ones, our jobs and all we do!

How to Practice self-care:

1.      When was the last time you went for a physical, do you take multivitamins? It is not just for when you are pregnant or thinking of getting pregnant. And men, it is not just ladies who need multivitamins, talk to your doctor regarding your joints, your prostate health, your heart

2.      Exercise. I need not say much here. Exercise is essential to taking care of yourself. It helps our physical, mental and overall outlook on life. 

3.        Practice self-care at work too. As a Histotechnologist, I wear my gloves, lab coat, goggles and shoes that cover my toes. If pouring fluids, I use a shield to protect my face and or eyes. For other workplaces, we practice good sitting body positions like

• Keeping the joints such as hips, knees, and ankles open slightly (more than 90°).

• Keeping the knee joints at or below the hip joints.

• Keeping ankle joints in front of the knees.

• Keeping a gap the width of three fingers between the back of the knee joint and the front edge of the chair.

• Keep feet flat on the floor or on a footrest.

• For more information check out the OSHA.gov (Occupational Safety and Health Administration website

4.      Get a massage! You do not need to pay spa fees for this, go to the mall, (there is no shame here) and get it done. Some of my work has repetitive motion and I can tell you sometimes, muscles that I did not think I had hurt. Massages go a long way. And get your spouse/significant other to give you a massage.

5.      Take care of your skin. Living in Florida, the beauty of it is that there is lots and lots of sunshine. However, on my visit to the clinic for a work eval, I was asked do you use sunscreen and I was like- ahem no. The doc was like you need it now that you are in FL. To prevent skin cancer, I need to be protected from the sun by using sunscreen

6.        Look good! You do not have to spend lots of money to look good. And do not use the “I am married who cares” excuse. Looking good feels good, it boosts our confidence and so much more. I wear scrubs to work and I love it. They are comfortable and all they hide a multitude of love handles. When I dress up to go out, even my son does a wow! You look, good mommy. Even that little compliment goes a long way.

Regarding looking good & feeling good; I had broken out on my face and I had tried a lot of things to get rid of it. I was listening to  YouTube and had stumbled upon how this YouTuber had started taking care of her skin. She mentioned a 10 step Korean Skin Care routine and how her skin went from blah to amazing. I will share the link  about what the 10 steps entail. I know 10 steps sound like it is a lengthy process but this can be your own spa day at home! You can treat yourself and your spouse and thank me later. Note this website also has a shop- I am not being sponsored. I found the information very helpful.

Did I try the 10 step routine? Yes-on a weekend.

Did it take care of my breakout, yes! If you want to know what exactly I use after reading this 10step routine outline, message me and I would Share it with you.

The final self-care step is to pray for yourself! Proverbs 3:24 says: “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.”

 Sometimes, we might lay down and the day’s activities,  what we have to do might keep us awake. Pray for yourself, your family, your mind, relationships and everything that worries you.

 Commit the worries to God (Philippians 4:6); and the Peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus- Philippians 4:7

Self-care did help me get back to feeling myself!

Have a great day.

Ezanya

9/11 We remember & pray

In Psalm 147:3 we read: “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

That is what I pray for this country on this day!

On TV we are often asked on this day 9/11; “do you remember where you were?” I cannot say I remember where I was on this day because I was in Nigeria on 9/11/2001 but the whole world felt the impact of this day.

I cannot pretend or imagine what it feels like to have lost a loved one, family, or friend too!

My prayer is for the families and persons affected by the tragedy 18 years ago find peace and healing in a world where the pain is constant!

I want us to remember we are all God’s children and not just humans defined by the color of our skin or the amount of money in our pockets. I am praying that God will bless this country we call home and our children will continue to enjoy the blessings of being in this country.

Do not just remember where you were on this day but pray for this country we call home, pray for the people in leadership who make decisions too.

God bless America, today and always!

The Pacifier

Ode to the Pacifier 👶

Oh how my parents loved you.
How many a nights you have soothed
And kept us company.
You have stayed true
And kept all your promises

Tis been a week since
Since I asked for you.
Do not feel bad,
I am a big kid now 💪🏽
See how much I have grown?

You do look shabby
It is a sign of hard work
And respect 🙌🏽
It is a sign of trust,

Thank you for everything
The soothing
The accompanying
The sleeping

Good bye Paci
Do not feel bad.
You did your job,
I am grateful
Now I bid you adieu

Hurricane Dorian

Hello Friends,

Hope this finds you well. I live in Tampa as you all know and probably have seen the news about Hurricane Dorian.

So far, it has made downfall in the Bahamas and we have got rain for now. Yesterday, was beautifully sunny and just a wee bit of rainy. Today, we went to church earlier and so far, no rain fell until this afternoon. I recorded a little video to show you how heavy it came down. For now, it is quiet but cloudy outside with no rain.

This is the beginning of my second year in Florida and I would say the first time we had to stay safe during a hurricane. I was the one who was a bit sacred, but my hubby was calm and said we have all we need- water, gas and food stuff. Our apartment complex sent out a flier about hurricane preparedness information. Some of the instructions were:

• Do not tape your windows, it could produce giant shards of flying glass held together by tape

• Remove all items from your patio/balcony and front door area. Store items securely inside the apartment until the storm passes

• The pool area will be closed etc.

The flier also had websites for hurricane and severe weather guides, here are some:

1. Local Media

2. National Hurricane Center

To stay busy with my toddler, we made a double batch of brownies, here is the recipe (without the coffee) I had used 😍

How about you, are you in the path of the Hurricane, how are you staying safe?

Praying for little to no damage to anyone in the path of the storm/ hurricane.

Stay safe my dears!

Always,

Ezanya