How to survive 2025 and beyond!

My thoughts on how to survive and thrive in 2025 and beyond because it's getting really crazy out here. 

Vote in Every Election! 

Please look into your own city, county, school board and state government election. I am from NJ and we have a governors race going on. Here are my democratic NJ governor candidates for 2025: 

Democratic Party Candidates for New Jersey

1. Ras Baraka, Mayor of Newark (2014–present)
2. Steven Fulop, Mayor of Jersey City (2013–present)
3. Josh Gottheimer, U.S. representative for New Jersey's 5th congressional district (2017–present)
4. Mikie Sherrill, U.S. representative from New Jersey's 11th congressional district (2019–present)
5. Sean Spiller, president of the New Jersey Education Association (2021–present) and former mayor of Montclair (2020–2024)
6. Stephen Sweeney, former president of the New Jersey Senate (2010–2022) from the 3rd district (2002–2022)

I was also able to find a video featuring Democratic gubernation candidates participating in the conversation include Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, former Senate President Steve Sweeney and NJEA President and former Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller. There are two republican candidates as well but my goal is to #keepNJBlue so I will be focusing on those candidates and putting my effects behind who will help my community and family. 

Get Active in your community! 

If you have the time, try to volunteer and be active in your community. Whether it is helping at your local church or joining a organization in your community. You are being active. Try to do this year round and not just during the holidays. There are tons of great organizations to join. I will be focusing on groups in my area 

1. Black Women f New Jersey  - https://www.blackwomennj.com/
2. New Jersey Black Women's Collective https://njblackwomenscollective.com/about-us
3. New Jersey Black Empowerment Coalition https://njbec.org/
4. Black Men Run - https://blackmenrun.com/

If you are apart of the Divine Nine Black Fraternities and Sorority, definitely look into your local chapter and help out! If you are of the Christian faith, check out your local church community. Also consider exploring your local in-person Facebook groups or neighborhood organizations. Many of us are aware that times are changing, and we need to rely on one another. I recommend forming a community with people you trust and who can also be trusted. Work together to pool your resources. With discussions of tariffs and the rollback of civil rights, having a community of like-minded individuals will be essential not only for surviving this period in history but also for thriving during it.

If you do not have a group like that around you. I would suggest starting one. 

Be Prepared for Anything! 

Start getting ready for the worst and hope for the best. Preparation is key right now. Though I want to keep a positive outlook on the state of everything. I can not lie. This is not good especially for my community. I am now in the mind set of getting prepared. 

Start a garden: Gardening can be therapeutic and healthy for your family. Also the food supply chain is about to get very expensive and scarce. So far in 2024, there have been 1,908 product recalls of "food and/or cosmetics," compared to 1,563 in 2023, FDA data show. I live in a small apartment with my son so I opted for Hydroponic Indoor Garden. This is the link for the garden that I brought - https://amzn.to/3Ze52fT. and some seeds https://amzn.to/4fVlxEI. I also brought 6 piece - 5 Gallon Grow Bags once the plants got too big for the Hydroponic garden. Here is the link for that-  https://amzn.to/3D4zFgk. Now if you have some outdoor space, check out this book - https://amzn.to/3B9DwYY about gardening in small spaces. 

Create an "Oh Hell Nah" Bag: Many people refer to it as a bug-out bag or an emergency bag. I like to call it an "Oh Hell Nah" bag. This bag should be filled with essential emergency supplies. I selected this kit for myself and my son https://amzn.to/4i9zrVv. In addition, I have included important paperwork for your family, emergency food, and clothing. If you already have a backpack, that's great—use it! If not, look for something designed for camping. Try to avoid unnecessary expenses if possible. Also, don't forget to get a Personal Water Filter Straw https://amzn.to/3AYSDVf and a Solar Hand Crank Emergency Radio - https://amzn.to/3ZwBkEl

Girl, Be safe: I pray it never comes to this but if it get too dangerous outside. Make you home your safe and protected oasis. I have cameras in my home because my son is autistic and he gets into everything. I like this camera system - https://amzn.to/3B938Fo but I have another system too. I also have a Door Security Bar - https://amzn.to/4ij2Egu and a Door Stop Alarm - https://amzn.to/4fTr4vH. All parents of autistics children know that you have to be alert at all time. Also have a plan just in case things go wrong. Get your Oh hell Nah Bag, your family and get out! 

Look into Self-defense classes. Martial arts are a great physical activity. Jiujitsu, Muay Tai, TaeKwonDo, or even Karate! I may look into boxing if my budget allows or weightlifting. Weightlifting is the cheapest option. You can train with homemade milk jugs or bags of groceries You can venture into owning a lethal weapon 🔫 but please looking into getting your gun license and taking gun safety classes. Check out National African American Gun Association - https://naaga.co/. 

For me, I am not a lethal gun girl. My son is autistic and I can not take that risk of having a deadly weapon in the house. So I am looking into a none lethal approach. If you are a non lethal girl like me, here are a few options that I found - the BYRNA - https://byrna.com/,  the Pepperball gun - https://pepperball.com/, and the Mace gun - https://www.mace.com/. Do what works for you and your family. I also recommend taking up Baseball if you catch what I throwing! 

Buy Books!: It seems the 🍊cartel has taken a strong interest in banning books —especially those that explore real black history, identity, philosophy, and educated thought. If you’re curious about this issue, check out these articles about the challenges to the First Amendment - here and here . It’s a great time to grab your favorite books while you can, so dive in and enjoy learning new things!

I’ve put together a Reading/Wishlist list for Heavy on Fashion,  and I’d love for you to check it out at here. I have a ton of books in my collection, and I cherish them not only for entertainment but also for learning. While I really enjoy my Kindle app, there's just something special about holding a physical book in your hands. Happy reading!

Go where you are wanted: There tons of companies that are showing out since the 🍊dictator was elected. Walmart, Molson Coors, Ford Motor Co., John Deere, Lowe's, Home depot, Harley-Davidson, Brown-Forman (Maker of Jack Daniel's), Tractor Supply Co., Toyota Motor Corp, and many others have eliminated their DEI programs. This also goes for companies that donate to the Republican party. 

This lets me know that my dollar is not wanted at these companies. I love a good boycott and a good ban. I am using a great app called Goods Unite Us at https://www.goodsuniteus.com/. It literally tells you what company donated to which party. I love it and gearing my spending habits towards that. 

Now, you do not have the means to BOYCOTT/BAN because you live in a food desert or live in a digital desert (internet access is limited/not available). Here is my advice: 

• Pay everything in cash and stick to the essentials. If you have an EBT card...use it!
• Stay away from the Store Manufacture brands. They get the most profit from these line. Look into something else along the same price point. Ex: Sam's Choice, Bettergoods, Great Value, Equate, Special Kitty, Play Day, Pen+Gear, Better Homes and Gardens, Mainstays, and more here, here, and here for Walmart! 
• Manufacture Coupons are your friend. It helps you to save more and hit the companies profits! Anyone saying different is a fool! 
• The clearance and off season is your friend. When January Hit, buy all your Christmas stuff for next year. Same with all other holidays or seasonal goods. Off-Season is the best season. 
• You can shop in Costco with a gift card, if you have one in your area. 
• If possible, support your local markets that support the community. These are the place that are in your community. Corporation move depending on the cash flow. They are not loyal to the community. They are only to the money. 
• Buy Black! Look into Black brands that are available in store or online. Shop the Hood Tv has a great listing -  https://www.shopthehoodtv.com/. Also NAPORA (Formerly known as We Buy Black), has a great directory and shopping platform- https://naspora.com/. Also check out theBOM - https://ourbom.com/. 

Self-care is essential: Please take care of yourself. Do not let the chaos outside disrupt your peace. I am not saying not to be aware and prepare. What I am saying is to have you head on a swivel but not your mind.  Have a beauty day at least once a week. Play affirmation in the tub/shower. Make yourself a special meal or treat yourself to lunch. Your self-care day can encompass many things. Go out and do something for yourself no matter the time. 

Make a Self care list that require cash and some free options. I made my self-care routine on Canva. If you would like a copy for inspiration, please let me know. 

Until Next Time! 

Let Thrive & Survive in 2025 and Beyond!