Life in the Overflow - Winter 2023

PHOTO: DIGS

In her new book Loving God More Than Food, Kacie Starr Long shares journey of overcoming food idolatry. “For a season, I experienced incredible victory from overeating, and unhealthy food choices, but instead of following God’s guidance and wisdom, I made the decision to return to unhealthy eating practices, and the doors to food addiction and compulsive overeating swung open widely.”

Perhaps you can relate. Available on Amazon or Learn more at InspiredOverflow.com

The Magical Forest Adventures is a children’s book that takes two siblings to a far away land, where they meet the people who live there. When they see the people of this land, they see themselves in them.

It is a story of self-discovery and acceptance.

www.shanicabell.com

LIFESTYLES

CURING THE HOLIDAY BLUES

For many people, the holiday season is not a time of family and togetherness, but a time of loneliness and sadness and missing their loved one’s that have passed on. In a recent article by Choosing Therapy, it is stated that 280 million people in the world experience depression. That’s 5% of the adult population. As many as 14% of adults in the US experience “winter blues,” which may or may not coincide with the holidays. However, statistically depression increases during the winter and holiday seasons due to the rise in demands that can be stressful with family expectations and social events during that time.

While there is no way to totally getting rid of your winter and holiday blues, there are ways that may help you deal with the pressure of the feelings. Get plenty of rest and sleep, try not to overextend yourself and your finances for unnecessary gifts and events that may be beyond your control.

If you’re lonely, try to surround yourself with friends or family members or plan a vacation, cruise or a trip to someplace beautiful for the holidays.

While many people are missing their loved one’s deeply as the memories of past holidays flood their thoughts, try and stay busy. Catch up on your favorite shows, write or blog about your feelings - and don’t forget to talk about it! Sometimes sharing your thoughts with a trusted friend or family member can definitely help.

If you feel that you are struggling with depression, you don’t have to struggle alone. You can call The National Mental Health Hotline at 866-903-3787 to speak to a professional about depression and get help with mental health resources. You can also text GO to 741741 to reach a trained Crisis Counselor through Crisis Text Line, a global not-for-profit organization. Free, 24/7, and surely confidential. §

BEAUTY

BEAUTY PRODUCTS : WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN YOU SHOP

Have you really took the time to read the ingreditent labels on the back of your favorite beauty products?

If you have have you really took note of what they do to your hair and skin?

Thanks to Charlisha Renata, we have a complete list of hair and skin product ingredients and what they do to your hair and skin.

The next time you go shopping for your favorite hair care products, be sure to check out the labels and refer to this list.

The list tells you which cleansers are gentle and best and also let’s you know which one’s are harsh on the hair and skin. She also gives us silicones that prevent less build-up and those that produce build-up, alcohols that dry and those that moisturize.

Let this be a game-changer when you’re out shopping for hair and skin products. Know exactly what you’re putting on and absorbing into your body. Get the list online : www.lifeintheoverflowmag.com §

Photo Credit: Rodnae Productions

Nikel Kiar

Hi Nikel, thank you so much for getting in the flow and shar ing with our readers a little bit about yourself, where you are from, and what was life like growing up.

My name is Nikel I’m from Baltimore, Maryland, growing up life seemed simple but not simple, if you can understand what I mean, I grew up in a typical hood area. My parents were determined by any means to get us out of the ghetto and not have us be a statistic. My grandmother was the neighborhood grandmother. Everyone came to our house she helped everybody, and that’s where for me I first got my love of people from, watching my grandmother help people.

Please share what it is that you do and how you got started.

I am a fashion designer and fashion stylist, I got my start at the age of six years old when my grandmother bought me my first sewing machine and I started sewing doll clothes for my Barbie dolls.

What was your driving force and motivation to become and entrepreneur? Why is that important to you?

I would say my aunt was one of my driving forces to wanting to become an entrepreneur. She wasn’t an entrepreneur, but every time I visited her house I always said I want a house like yours, another motivation was my brother, when he was living he always drilled in me how much he believed in me and I knew that I couldn’t let him down. That’s why being successful is so important to me, because I am not only making a name for myself but I’m making a name for my brother and grandfather as well who my newest collection is named after.

Tell us about that new collection and how did you come up with the inspiration, vision, and concept?

Dante Charles came about because I wanted to start a handbag col lection because me and my grandmother shared a love of handbags. So originally, it was supposed to be called Liz Kiar, after me and my grandmother, but after a few months of sitting with it, I decided that I wanted my brand to have a more luxury feel so I rebranded, changed the name and designed my first sample and here we are…Dante Charles Collection.

How did you start styling clients?

My first very client I styled was a local artist in Baltimore, she gave me a chance, then after her I styled a few models for a fashion show, then got my big break styling my first celebrity client for a book cover in 2013, and the rest has been history, I’ve styled for the Stellar Awards, the Dove Awards and the Steeple Awards. I’ve also been a stylist for NFL athletes as well as actors and singers.

What else can we look forward to from Dante Charles Collection?

Dante Charles Collection will launch in the spring of ’23, and I am looking forward to launching a few more designs along with a unisex travel set as well.

What advice would you go back and give your younger self?

To my younger self I would say, keep going drown out the noise and naysayers, keep God first and everything else will fall in line.

What do you wish someone had told you about being an entrepreneur?

I wish someone would have told me that, sometimes in business you lose more friends than money, meaning that everyone won’t be happy with your life and success so prepare yourself to leave some people behind.

Please share anything else that you would like to share with our readers and community.

Stay on the lookout for Dante Charles Collection coming soon!

I can be found on ig nikelkiar and DanteCharlesCollection. §

New release from the Dante Charles Collection by Nikel Kiar

“everyone won’t be happy with your life and success so prepare yourself to leave some people behind.”

- NIKEL KIAR

HEALTH + WELLNESS

Pastor Paris Harrison is passionate about the earth, healing and its people. We at the magazine took the time to talk with her about her passion, natural health solutions and a venture in the wine industry.

Hello Paris, tell us what you do and what sets you apart from others that are in your field and do what you do?

I am blessed to be a multi-faucet entrepreneur who spe cializes in a very delicate area of Holistic Health. My pas sion for the earth and healing goes far beyond one who just looks for a solution, I look for the cause, the solution, and the healing in its entirety. As a master gardener, I grow ev ery herb and vegetable, studying it carefully for its purpose as my goal is to restore people and their health, mind-body, and soul. The passion I have for my clients and their lives and ways of living means they have invited me into a sa cred area, a place in their lives that is personal and intimate. They are looking for answers to so many questions about their health, ailments, challenges, mental state of being, physical state of living as well as development. Being a Holistic Healer in Ministry means that God has given me a gift to share through the powers of my hands and wisdom of my knowledge of the earth to restore people naturally, organically, wholly (holy), and holistically. The time that I take to learning about my clients, hearing not about just their ailments but who they are is what allows me to truly go deep into prayer seeking what God has for them to re store them to better health.

Sadly in today’s world, chemicalized medication is the quick answer with no long-term solution. It is a mask to cover and not a cure! Doctors prescribe multiple medica tions without a true plan to help that person overcome and a lot of those medications cause more damage than what originally was wrong. I teach people how to eat to live, how to cook to live how to appreciate life and all that it has to offer so that they can live with the correct mindset, because your mind dictates your reactions and actions, to honor your body which is your temple and how one is to treat, value and care for that temple. Once the temple has a loose brick the foundation begins to crumble, but if that loose brick is restored the temple can maintain with lon gevity, aged to perfection. I reserve careful focus on spirit, I live a very transparent life allowing my followers to see that yes God has blessed me but not without a cost. Spirit is built with faith, hope, trust, and love. These are the es sential tools needed to keep the foundation intact. If your spirit is raised, the pits of depression, anxiety, and sadness

can not defeat you. If your spirit is raised, that means God is always seeing you are ready for your next level of ap pointment. When we find ourselves in deep pits of mis ery, it contaminates our bodies because it contaminates our minds. Once we lose our minds the enemy preys and where he preys he seeks to destroy.

It is my assignment to not only heal a person’s body by touch but to heal their minds, give them hope to feed on, faith to pull on, and love to grow on.

As a Funeral Service Associate my compassion and empa thy to comfort and stand by families during a time that is the most challenging of their lives, I can relate on so many levels as it allows me to offer a calming presence, a gentle spirit, and when they are ready empowering words to get them past where they are and into healing.

PJ Harrison Vintage Garden Wines

And with my new venture as a wine producer, I saw a vision that would leave a legacy for my children. I envisioned a blueprint of something that could grow and be built on so I went after it. Using my own grown produce, fruits and berries I decided to make wines and build a brand with our family name. Now we don’t just have a name we own our brand which is our name!!!

by Tonya Cross

Photo Credit: Accented Glory Pictured: Suede Studded Adjustable Headband

BEAUTY

Fall is here and winter is just around the corner. The changing of seasons brings in cooler weather which can be brutal on your hair. But no worries, you can winterize your hair and dodge damage while styling with great hair accessories!

Combating Dryness

Dry hair is a concern during fall and winter. Low humidity during this time of year can make your hair dry and brittle. Cold and dry air can cause the hair cuticle strand to lift, making it difficult for moisture to stay locked into the hair shaft. Below are a few ways to combat dryness during the fall and winter.

• Steaming – Steamers open up the hair cuticle and allow moisture to penetrate your strands. You can get the same effect with a plastic cap and hot towel wrapped around your head.

• Satin Fabric – Satin bonnets and pillowcases are great ways to protect your hair from drying out while you sleep. Satin acts as a barrier and prevents water absorption. Plus, the fabric is smooth and doesn’t cause friction with textured hair.

• Headbands – Satin lined headbands are great fall/winter accessories. They also protect your hair from drying out and breakage. When styling with headbands, also make sure your headband is a proper fit. Your headband should not cause any pain or headaches. Adjustable headbands allow you to control how tight the headband fits and avoid headband headaches.

Accented Glory, my hair accessory brand, offers a variety of adjustable headbands in my Etsy shop.

Protecting Ends

The ends of your hair are the oldest part of your hair and most fragile. It’s important to protect them to avoid split ends and damage. When your ends are protected, you retain hair length. Check out a few hair care tips below on protecting your ends.

• Detangle – You should detangle your hair regularly with a wide tooth comb or detangler brush. Getting rid of shed hairs can protect your ends. If hair that naturally releases from the follicle is not removed, they can get tangled with your hair that’s still connected to the scalp. This weakens your hair and causes breakage.

• Protective Styles – Protective styles like braids or twists is a way to protect your hair ends during cooler months. The styles allow you to keep your ends tucked away and minimize hair manipulation. Exposed ends are at risk of drying out and breakage.

• Hair Cuffs – Hair cuffs is hair jewelry that can be worn on braid, twist, or loc protective styles. They’re a great way to add subtle detail to a protective style. If the hair jewelry you’re styl ing with has loops, make sure the loops are closed to avoid getting your hair tangled in the accesso ry. Also check wire or metal designs for nicks to prevent additional hair snags.

Click here to browse some beautiful Hair Cuff designs.

Continued from page 19

Hair Coverings

Providing a physical barrier from cold temperatures and cool winds is another way to winterize your hair. This is also another way to protect your ends. See a few covering ideas below.

• Beanies – Beanies are great accessories to use to protect your hair. They’re created with fabrics and materials designed for warmth. They keep the cold out and the warm in. Beware of beanies created with coarse fabrics that are not lined. Friction with the fabric can lead to hair breakage.

• Hats – Many winter hats are created with materials like wool and tweed for warmth. These fabrics can also cause friction with your hair.  If your favorite hat isn’t satin lined, no worries! I have created a DIY Tutorial on how to line your hats with a satin bonnet. Keep in mind, this is not a pass on moisturizing your hair. For team “Throw A Hat on It”, I still recommend that you moisturize your hair before wearing a hat and/or styling with hair accessories.

• Head Wraps – With head wraps, you can fully cover your hair and tuck your ends. When styling with head wraps, it’s important to choose the right type of fabric to style with. Whether you use a scarf or an actual head wrap, choose a fabric that’s not coarse and soft to the touch. Soft fabrics will minimize the friction with textured hair and lessen breakage.

To learn more about styling with head wraps click here

I hope you found my tips and advice for winterizing your hair helpful! When these tips are followed, you’ll minimize drying out your hair and breakage. For more information about styling with hair accessories, join my email list to get a FREE copy of my e-styling guide – 3 Things Naturals Should Consider When Styling with Hair Accessories.

Tonya Cross is an author, accessory designer, and marketing coach at The Vine Events and StrategyPreneur. Since 2001 Tonya has been wearing her natural hair and her journey inspired her to launch her brand Accented Glory and create a community for Accented Glory Naturals in which she shares her accessories and natural hair tips and education.

Follow Tonya Cross and Accented Glory today

Facebook:

“I still recommend that you moisturize your hair before wearing a hat and/or styling with hair accessories.”

- Tonya Cross

Continued from page 17

Talk to us about some challenges and lessons that you have learned along the way.

As a teenage mother, I was really challenged by the stigma of failure. My family made me feel that I couldn’t reach or accomplish my future goals because I had gotten pregnant. It was made known I was a disappointment and many stopped rooting for my success because to them I had dropped the ball. However, for me, I now had a life that I had to be an example for and I knew no matter what the cost I could not fail him nor could I fail myself. I finished school a year ear ly, I worked and took care of my son often times having him sit in night classes with me so I could graduate early which I did. I then decided to go into law enforcement as that was always my passion and I remained in that area until I got married at the age of 22.

depression, anxiety and sadness as it was obedience that re stored me and gave me LIFE!!! The challenge was losing myself, the lesson was to endure with a purpose and seek God who could bring me out and He did.

I think a challenge even greater than that was losing my son, having to agree with God that it was ok to take him, and accepting the assignment of caring for him until God was ready. That was major for me!!! I think about the process of having a baby and going through trimesters and all that is required before a baby’s birth, God allowed me to ex perience that and gave me great joy in its reward. He then really tested my stewardship, my dedication to Him, and my level of obedience and said now, you have to grow through the trimesters of returning him to me. Just like I had to be patient and formulate that baby within me, I had to be pa tient and position him to be rebirthed into eternity. God gave me strength to push him into this world and gave me even greater strength to push him into everlasting life. It taught me resilience and honor, it gave me remarkable strength and faith, and it gave me the posture to be positioned for what ever endeavors my Father has for me.

What advice would you give yourself, if you could go back and talk to yourself as an aspiring entrepreneur?

After I married, I became a stay-at-home wife and mother as we now had 3 boys at home so I let my career go stagnant honestly losing myself in what I desired, as a perfect mar riage and home life. That lasted for about 13 years until one day I decided I had to find Paris again. I needed to figure out what made me happy because I wasn’t happy, I was miser able and sad and depression was consuming me. One day God said, you are to serve and it blew my mind. I talked to my husband and he absolutely was against it. I then began to put all my time into studying the word, secretly taking ministry classes and once I graduated I asked God what was I to do, He said, I never authorized you to marry him in the first place so with that revelation my husband and I filed for divorce. The moment I divorced was the day Paris was rebirthed. This taught me that in life we have to be obedient and follow God’s instructions because had I not, I would not be the Pastor I am today with followers worldwide who look to my transparency, my wisdom, and guidance. I would not have become the holistic practitioner I am today having now helped hundreds of thousands of people internationally with my products, I would not have been able to overcome

Never be afraid to be who you have been assigned to be, God gave you a description and purpose when He formed you. Do not ever try to make someone else happy if it means your unhappiness and whatever you set your mind to do that has been authorized by God you better move on it because it is what will be the continuing chapters of what tells your life story. My life story has twists and turns, bumps and bruises, it has highs and lows and for every level, I have had to en dure I WOULDN’T CHANGE IT because it has made me who I am today. I am a virtuous woman, strong and proud. Never afraid to face life, always eager to pursue my better in order to be at my best.

What are some things that we can expect to see in the future? What are some of your dreams that have yet to come to pass?

I have no idea what my next path will be, whatever I be come interested in that’s what I go for. I don’t believe in boxing myself to one area, life is too short yet so full of so much to experience and explore so I welcome it. My goals are to continue to grow in my business, and my companies and teach my children about generational wealth and happi ness. I hope to one day, someday meet the man God has au thorized for me as I feel there is something more for me but it’s in an aspect of teamwork, companionship, and elevation. So I patiently wait! I always say, don’t blink too long on me, YOU BETTER WATCH!!! §

Learn more at www.paraquahealth.com

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