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The Studio TV Show Review: Growing Up With Seth Rogen and Revisiting My Love for Film
Read More: The Studio TV Show Review: Growing Up With Seth Rogen and Revisiting My Love for FilmI grew up on Seth Rogen’s movies, so watching The Studio felt like growing up alongside him in real time. What I expected to be a simple comedy turned into a funny, honest, and nostalgic look at Hollywood that brought me straight back to my film school days and the…
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Why Warm Foods, Drinks, and Routines Matter in Winter
Read More: Why Warm Foods, Drinks, and Routines Matter in WinterSeasonal changes affect digestion, energy, and mood. Learn why warm foods, drinks, and routines support the body in winter and why cold inputs often backfire.
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One Battle After Another (2025) Film Review
Read More: One Battle After Another (2025) Film ReviewThis film moves across two time periods and focuses on the aftermath of a radical resistance movement after it’s been dismantled. It’s less about the movement itself and more about what’s left behind, the people, the damage, and the systems that quietly survive it. It opens very strong. The very…
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When Herbs Don’t Work or Make Things Worse, There Are Usually Reasons For That
Read More: When Herbs Don’t Work or Make Things Worse, There Are Usually Reasons For ThatHerbal medicine is complex, and when remedies don’t work, there’s usually a reason. Here’s what actually influences results.
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I Love Being a Mother, But It’s Harder Than I Ever Expected
Read More: I Love Being a Mother, But It’s Harder Than I Ever ExpectedMotherhood is beautiful, but it’s also overwhelming in ways no one really prepares you for. As a stay-at-home mom, stepmom, and holistic practitioner, I’m learning to hold gratitude and exhaustion at the same time, embracing the mess, the noise, the loss of freedom, and the deep love that comes with…
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Why Your Labs Can Look Normal When You Don’t Feel Well
Read More: Why Your Labs Can Look Normal When You Don’t Feel WellEver been told your labs are “normal” while your body feels anything but? Fatigue, bloating, dry skin, anxiety, and energy crashes often show up long before bloodwork reflects a problem. This post explains why your body can feel off even when tests look fine, and why your sensations are often…
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Nothing Exposes Ego Like Social Media
Read More: Nothing Exposes Ego Like Social MediaI don’t know why people still act shocked when couples who constantly post perfect, curated, “so in love” photos end up breaking up. Most of the time, the signs are right there. The more something needs to be proven online, the more fragile it usually is in real life. Healthy…
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My Honest Experience of Wellness and Holistic Medicine Schools
Read More: My Honest Experience of Wellness and Holistic Medicine SchoolsOver the last few years, I’ve enrolled in three very different wellness and holistic medical education programs: A lot of people ask me what schools they should attend to become a holistic practitioner. I wish I had an easy answer, but to be honest, in the holistic world, one school…
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When BPD Isn’t BPD: The Quiet Crisis of Misdiagnosed C-PTSD
Read More: When BPD Isn’t BPD: The Quiet Crisis of Misdiagnosed C-PTSDFor a long time, I truly believed I had Borderline Personality Disorder. Not because it deeply resonated with me, but because a therapist gave me that label when I was raw, heartbroken, confused, and just trying to understand why my emotions felt so big and overwhelming in my body. It…
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Why Trauma Lives in the Body (and How Somatic Movement Helps Release It)
Read More: Why Trauma Lives in the Body (and How Somatic Movement Helps Release It)Trauma isn’t just stored in the mind, it lives in the body. Learn how somatic movement, gentle exercise, and nervous system regulation help release stored stress.
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Reading Beauty Sick as a Muslim Woman: A Book Review
Read More: Reading Beauty Sick as a Muslim Woman: A Book ReviewIn the book Beauty Sick, Renee Engeln talks about how modern society’s obsession with physical appearance slowly chips away at our self-worth, mental health, and even our ability to focus on what actually matters. From magazine covers to social media influencers, we’re constantly surrounded by “perfect” bodies and faces, most…
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The Missing Piece of Nutrition Most of Us Never Learn
Read More: The Missing Piece of Nutrition Most of Us Never LearnWe’re taught that eating healthy is all about calories, macros, and vitamins. But what if that’s only half the story? I learned that food doesn’t just fuel the body, it changes the internal environment of it, which explains why the same “healthy” diet can make one person feel amazing and…
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Blink Twice (2024) – Film Review
Read More: Blink Twice (2024) – Film ReviewIt’s been a while since a movie really caught my attention, but Blink Twice is one of the few recent releases that genuinely stands out. In a year full of remakes and predictable thrillers, Blink Twice actually has a pulse. It has intention. It has something to say. The film seduces you…
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One Day Netflix (2024) TV Series Review
Read More: One Day Netflix (2024) TV Series ReviewOne Day follows Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew, who meet on the night of their university graduation. From that moment on, the series revisits their relationship on the same day each year, tracing how their lives, ambitions, and connection evolve over time. They share an undeniable connection, but as life…
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I Know You Love Matcha, But Hear Me Out
Read More: I Know You Love Matcha, But Hear Me OutMatcha has become the symbol of modern wellness, clean energy, aesthetic routines, and plant-based health. But when a concentrated herbal drink turns into a daily habit, it raises bigger questions about dose, ethics, and the assumption that natural always means harmless. This reflection explores the matcha trend, wellness culture, and…
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My Daughter Didn’t Mean to Hurt Me, But the World Already Did
Read More: My Daughter Didn’t Mean to Hurt Me, But the World Already DidWhen my biracial daughter told me she thinks “bright” skin is more beautiful, it opened a much deeper conversation about colorism, media influence, and how early beauty standards take root, even in children.
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The Five Types of People In The Holistic Wellness Space
Read More: The Five Types of People In The Holistic Wellness SpaceI’ve been in the holistic wellness space for a while now, and I can confidently say this work will humble you, stretch you, and reshape you, if you let it. When I first started my wellness journey, I was so enthusiastic, so curious, and so passionate… But also, if I’m…
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My Faith Is Not a Spectacle
Read More: My Faith Is Not a SpectacleA personal reflection on how extremism and media narratives harm Muslims, distort Islam, and turn a deeply peaceful faith into a public spectacle.
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The Best Books to Learn Herbal Medicine (Without Superficial Knowledge)
Read More: The Best Books to Learn Herbal Medicine (Without Superficial Knowledge)If you want to get into learning true holistic herbal medicine and feel overwhelmed by the laundry lists of herbs, what’s it good for gargon, and Latin names, you’re not alone. Along the way, I’ve noticed that a lot of popular herbal books give you information, but very little understanding.…
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How to Prepare Your Body for Fasting (Especially for Ramadan)
Read More: How to Prepare Your Body for Fasting (Especially for Ramadan)Fasting doesn’t have to come with constant fatigue, headaches, and crashes. Learn how to support your body before and during Ramadan with simple food, hydration, rest, and lifestyle shifts.
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Why Sunnah Is Often Misunderstood When It Comes to Health
Read More: Why Sunnah Is Often Misunderstood When It Comes to HealthOne of the most common mistakes I see, especially in wellness spaces that overlap with Islam, is the belief that sunnah equals a universal health prescription. That misunderstanding creates confusion, guilt, and sometimes even harm. Sunnah is not a biohacking protocol. It was never meant to replace medical discernment, nor was…
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What It’s Like Being a Stepmother and Coparenting with a High-Conflict Bio Mom
Read More: What It’s Like Being a Stepmother and Coparenting with a High-Conflict Bio MomI became a stepmother when the kids were 9, 10, and 12, old enough to remember life before me, but young enough to still need stability, guidance, and love. Now they’re 12, 13, and 15, and I’ve watched them grow into teenagers right in front of my eyes, all while…
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A Simple Way to Understand How the Body Falls Out of Balance
Read More: A Simple Way to Understand How the Body Falls Out of BalanceFor most of human history, medicine wasn’t about naming diseases first, it was about noticing patterns in the body. The skin may be dry while the gut has stagnant fluids (damp). The nerves might be overstimulated (hot) while the muscles are weak (lax). Digestion may feel heavy and slow (cold)…
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Exploring Costa Rica as a Herbalist: A Day at El Arca Jardín Botánico
Read More: Exploring Costa Rica as a Herbalist: A Day at El Arca Jardín BotánicoIf you ever find yourself in Costa Rica and you’re into herbal medicine, El Arca Jardín Botánico is a must-visit spot that beautifully blends nature, healing, good food, and breathtaking views. El Arca Jardín Botánico is a beautiful botanical garden tucked away in Santa Bárbara de Heredia, home to a wide variety…
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The Menu (2022) Film Review
Read More: The Menu (2022) Film ReviewI did not expect to love The Menu as much as I did. It is so unhinged, hilarious and honestly kind of cathartic. This is not a food movie. It’s a movie about power, entitlement, and the absurdity of people who confuse taste with worth. I thought it was so…
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Mad Hatters Kava Bar Review
Read More: Mad Hatters Kava Bar ReviewAs a revert Muslim, I’m obviously not looking for a nightclub vibe. Loud chaos, alcohol-centered spaces, and drunk energy just aren’t aligned with where I’m at anymore. I still enjoy music, community, and being out around people, just without alcohol being the focal point. That’s why Mad Hatters Kava Lounge in St.…
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How to Balance Your Coffee So It Doesn’t Wreck Your Nervous System
Read More: How to Balance Your Coffee So It Doesn’t Wreck Your Nervous SystemCoffee doesn’t have to wreck your nervous system. I shared a simple balanced way that makes a huge difference.
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Does the Blood-Type Diet Support the Body Long Term?
Read More: Does the Blood-Type Diet Support the Body Long Term?A friend of mine recently bought a book on eating according to blood type and was genuinely excited to follow it. She felt hopeful, like she had finally found something that would tell her exactly what to eat and what to avoid. I understood that feeling immediately. When you are…
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Getting Beyond the Baby Blues
Read More: Getting Beyond the Baby BluesI remember the day I found out I was pregnant. I had been dealing with painful cramps for days and, like I often do, my mind jumped straight to worst-case scenarios. I was convinced it was something serious, maybe pelvic inflammatory disease. When I went to the doctor, the nurse…
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Why That Workout Feels Amazing for That Influencer, But Not for You
Read More: Why That Workout Feels Amazing for That Influencer, But Not for YouNot every body feels better after the same workout. Some people leave intense exercise energized, while others feel inflamed and exhausted for days. This post explores why influencer routines don’t work for everyone and how learning to listen to your body can turn movement from punishment into real support.
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Husna Vacations Muslim Workcation in the Bahamas Review
Read More: Husna Vacations Muslim Workcation in the Bahamas ReviewI finally got the chance to experience a Husna Vacations retreat in the Bahamas for the Global Muslim Workcation at the Breezes Superclub and honestly, it was exactly the kind of trip I didn’t know I needed. I’ve traveled a lot, but there’s something different about being surrounded by people…
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What to Pack in Your Airport Travel Bag: The Essentials
Read More: What to Pack in Your Airport Travel Bag: The EssentialsWe just got back from Saudi Arabia, which meant a very long journey with multiple flights, long hours in airports, and a lot of physical and emotional energy being used. On trips like this, having the right essentials isn’t about convenience, it’s about staying regulated. If I don’t have these…
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The Way You Breathe Might Be Stressing Your Body Out
Read More: The Way You Breathe Might Be Stressing Your Body OutI didn’t realize how shallow my breathing had become until learning belly breathing in school changed my digestion and stress levels almost immediately. This post breaks down why respiration is so important, how different breathing patterns affect the body, and how small shifts can make a big difference.
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Is Ayurveda Compatible With Muslim Life?
Read More: Is Ayurveda Compatible With Muslim Life?This is a question I get often. And the short answer is yes, they can coexist, as long as Ayurveda is approached as a health framework, not a belief system. Ayurveda, at its core, is not a religion. It doesn’t ask for worship, devotion, or spiritual allegiance. It’s an observational system, one…
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Ramy (2019-2022) TV Show Review
Read More: Ramy (2019-2022) TV Show ReviewWhen I first watched the first season of Ramy, I wasn’t Muslim.I didn’t know I would become one a few months later either. I watched it as an outsider. Curious, observant, but emotionally detached, or so I thought. Looking back, I wasn’t detached at all. I just didn’t have the…
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Beginner Gardening Tips I Wish I Knew Sooner
Read More: Beginner Gardening Tips I Wish I Knew SoonerGardening looks simple… until you actually try it. You buy the plants. You water them faithfully. You check on them every morning like they’re your babies. And somehow… they still struggle. When I first started gardening, I honestly thought effort was enough. If I cared enough, watered enough, watched enough,…
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Are Essential Oils Safe to Ingest? And How Should Essential Oils Be Used Safely?
Read More: Are Essential Oils Safe to Ingest? And How Should Essential Oils Be Used Safely?Essential oils aren’t harmless. They’re highly concentrated chemical extracts. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just reality. And when something is powerful, it deserves boundaries. One single drop can equal the volatile content of dozens of cups of herbal tea, far beyond what digestion is designed to handle. Because of…
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Your Skin Has an Environment, Not a Type
Read More: Your Skin Has an Environment, Not a TypeThe skincare industry makes billions convincing us that the next product will finally fix our skin. But real skin health isn’t about chasing trends or switching bottles, it’s about understanding the internal terrain your skin lives in. Once you stop treating symptoms and start supporting the environment behind them, everything…
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Loving Music and Choosing Islam: A Tension I Still Live With
Read More: Loving Music and Choosing Islam: A Tension I Still Live WithIslam discourages music not because sound itself is evil, but because of what it can do to the heart. In Islamic tradition, anything that distracts from remembrance of Allah, inflames desire, or pulls a person away from presence and accountability is treated with caution. Music, especially when it becomes constant…
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I Thought I Was Drinking Enough Water (Turns Out I Wasn’t Hydrated at All)
Read More: I Thought I Was Drinking Enough Water (Turns Out I Wasn’t Hydrated at All)I was carrying my water bottle everywhere and still felt tired, dry, and thirsty. Turns out hydration is way more than just drinking water. Here’s what I learned about minerals, digestion, and what your body really needs to stay balanced.
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What the Health (Netflix 2017) Documentary Review
Read More: What the Health (Netflix 2017) Documentary ReviewWhat the Health wants you to believe it’s exposing hidden truths about nutrition. It isn’t. It’s pure vegan propaganda, wrapped in a documentary format. The film starts with a conclusion and works backward to justify it. Meat is bad. Eggs are bad. Dairy is bad. Animal foods are positioned as…
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The Beach (2003) Film Review
Read More: The Beach (2003) Film ReviewThe Beach follows Richard, a young American backpacker traveling through Thailand who stumbles upon a secret island community living off the grid, untouched by tourists, money, or modern life. What begins as a dream of freedom and belonging slowly reveals itself to be something far darker, a closed system where idealism,…
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10 Healthy Eating Habits To Improve Your Digestion
Read More: 10 Healthy Eating Habits To Improve Your DigestionWhen my digestion is off, everything feels off, my energy, my mood, even my skin. After years of traveling, studying holistic health, and juggling family life, I’ve learned that better digestion isn’t about strict diets or food rules. It’s about simple, everyday habits that actually support your gut and make…
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Elite Season 1 Watched Through a Muslim Lens
Read More: Elite Season 1 Watched Through a Muslim LensLet’s be honest, Elite is chaotic, morally unhinged, and clearly written by people who think shock value equals depth. And yet… it works. I genuinely enjoyed watching it. Elite is a Spanish thriller-drama about three working-class teens who enter an ultra-wealthy private school after a scholarship program throws them into a…
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Sometimes the Healthiest Thing You Can Do Is Just Go to Sleep
Read More: Sometimes the Healthiest Thing You Can Do Is Just Go to SleepIn a world that celebrates hustle and exhaustion, sleep is often treated like a luxury instead of a necessity. Sleep is when the body repairs, rebalances, and truly heals, supporting everything from hormones and immunity to mood and digestion. This post explores why slowing down isn’t laziness, it’s one of…
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When Women Fight Each Other Instead of Holding Men Accountable
Read More: When Women Fight Each Other Instead of Holding Men AccountableSomething I keep noticing in different times of my life, and something I reflected on heavily in therapy the other day, is how quickly women turn against other women… while the man in the situation walks away untouched. A man will lie, cheat, manipulate, disrespect and somehow another woman becomes…
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Inglourious Basterds (2009) Film Review
Read More: Inglourious Basterds (2009) Film ReviewInglourious Basterds is not a war film. It doesn’t pretend to be responsible, educational, or historically faithful. And that’s exactly why it works. Quentin Tarantino isn’t interested in accuracy, he’s interested in emotional revenge. His favorite trope. This is a film about power, humiliation, storytelling, and what it feels like to…
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The Messy, Beautiful, and Confusing First Year of Becoming Muslim
Read More: The Messy, Beautiful, and Confusing First Year of Becoming MuslimFor my one-year anniversary of becoming Muslim, I figured I’d finally sit down and write about what this first year has actually been like. I’m currently bored out of my mind in a cabin in the mountains of South Carolina, pregnant and feeling like this baby in my belly is…
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What Led Me to Islam: Trauma, Solitude, and a Turning Point
Read More: What Led Me to Islam: Trauma, Solitude, and a Turning PointI came to Islam during one of the lowest points in my life. During the COVID lockdown, everything slowed down. I didn’t realize how much I had been distracting myself until I couldn’t anymore. Having more time on your hands can make you think about your past more than you…
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Sisters, Growing Pains, and Finding Our Own Homes
Read More: Sisters, Growing Pains, and Finding Our Own HomesLately, I’ve been thinking a lot about sisterhood, and how strange it feels when the people you once shared every corner of your life with suddenly aren’t under the same roof anymore. Three sisters, all creatives, all with the same slightly dramatic, slightly introverted, deeply imaginative personalities. Growing up in…
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The Message (1976) Film Review
Read More: The Message (1976) Film ReviewI just finished watching The Message earlier this morning, and I wasn’t expecting it to hit me the way it did. I’m currently up in the woods in North Carolina at a cabin with my husband and he recommended we watch it together since I’ve never seen it. He recommends…
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The Warehouse Job That Looked Perfect From the Outside
Read More: The Warehouse Job That Looked Perfect From the OutsideWhat looked like a dream warehouse job, free concert tickets, generous perks, and a wealthy, seemingly kind owner, slowly revealed a hidden system of favoritism and unspoken social classes. From working the warehouse floor to managing returns, I witnessed firsthand how power, proximity, and privilege shaped who truly benefited.
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Why I Stopped Hot Yoga and Fell in Love With Aerial Yoga
Read More: Why I Stopped Hot Yoga and Fell in Love With Aerial YogaI was really into hot yoga at first. The heat felt incredible, like my body was finally melting after years of holding tension. My muscles would loosen in a way they rarely do, and when I stepped out of the studio and the fresh air hit my face, the contrast…
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Scarface (1983) – My Film Review
Read More: Scarface (1983) – My Film ReviewI’m not usually a fan of violent or crime-related films. I’m actually anti-violence unless it’s in the context of fighting oppression. But Scarface is one of my biggest exceptions, and honestly, one of my favorite films as a film buff. There’s something about it that goes beyond the blood, beyond…
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How The Social Network Keeps You Hooked: A Film Review
Read More: How The Social Network Keeps You Hooked: A Film ReviewThis was one of the most exciting films to come out of the 2010s,. On paper, a movie about the creation of Facebook and the fight over who actually owned it should’ve been boring. I honestly expected it to be like that. But it completely blew me away. There are…
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Terrace House: The Coziest, Messiest, Most Human Reality Show Ever Made (Super Long Review)
Read More: Terrace House: The Coziest, Messiest, Most Human Reality Show Ever Made (Super Long Review)Terrace House is a Japanese reality TV series that follows six strangers, usually three men and three women, who live together in a shared house. There’s no prize money, no forced eliminations, and no scripted challenges. Instead, the show focuses on everyday life, relationships, friendships, and personal growth as the…
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Why I Find Japan’s Mask Culture Really Beautiful
Read More: Why I Find Japan’s Mask Culture Really BeautifulOne thing I’ve always quietly admired about Japan is how normal wearing a mask is. Not because of fear.Not because of rules.Not because someone told them to. But because it’s considerate. If you have a cold, you wear a mask.If your allergies are acting up, you wear a mask.If you’re…
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Memoirs of a Geisha: My Film Review
Read More: Memoirs of a Geisha: My Film ReviewMemoirs of a Geisha has been one of my favorite movies for as long as I can remember. Every time I rewatch it, it hits me the same way. The storytelling, the cinematography, the acting, everything feels intentional and deeply emotional. It’s one of those films where every scene feels…
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VR, Quarantine, and Making the Best of It
Read More: VR, Quarantine, and Making the Best of It2020 feels so unreal right now. It really feels like the world has slowed down, maybe even stopped. We’re home all the time now due to the quarantine that’s just been sanctioned. Isolated from society. Extremely bored. My best friend just bought me a VR headset a few weeks prior,…
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Why Women With Big Hearts Attract Men With Unhealed Trauma (DV Content Warning)
Read More: Why Women With Big Hearts Attract Men With Unhealed Trauma (DV Content Warning)Content Warning: This post discusses domestic violence, emotional abuse, childhood trauma, and near-lethal situations. Please read with care, and only if you feel grounded and safe enough to engage with these themes. I don’t remember much of my childhood in detail, but I do remember the overall environment. My parents were…
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The Side Effects They Don’t Tell You About: What Long-Term Benzos and Adderall Use Can Really Do to You
Read More: The Side Effects They Don’t Tell You About: What Long-Term Benzos and Adderall Use Can Really Do to YouFor years, the mental health industry has sold us this idea that a pill is the fastest way out of our pain. A shortcut. A lifeline. A chemical solution for emotional problems that were often created by our environment, our trauma, our relationships, and our lifestyle. And when we’re desperate,…
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How My Love for Film Started
Read More: How My Love for Film StartedMy love for film started when I was a child, long before I ever understood what filmmaking even was. Growing up, we had movie nights every Friday. It was a whole ritual, the popcorn, VHS rentals, the excitement of picking something new at Blockbuster. My parents worked a lot and…
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Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Film Review
Read More: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: Film ReviewEternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is one of the rare sci-fi stories that has nothing to do with space or technology. Instead, it dives straight into the emotional architecture of the human mind. The film follows Joel and Clementine as they undergo a procedure to erase each other from…
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American Honey (2016) Film Review
Read More: American Honey (2016) Film ReviewAmerican Honey isn’t a feel-good road trip movie. It’s a portrait of lost youth with no safety net. The screenwriter Andrea Arnold strips the American dream down to its bones and shows what’s left when guidance, stability, and protection are missing. This is freedom born from neglect, not choice. The film is…
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How I Realized that Novel and Blog Writing Suits Me Better
Read More: How I Realized that Novel and Blog Writing Suits Me BetterI love films. I always have. Cinema shaped how I see the world, how I understand emotion, pacing, silence, and beauty. Some of my most formative experiences came from watching stories unfold on a screen, feeling seen by characters who didn’t even know I existed. Film made me fall in…
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Shameless (2012 – ) TV Series Review
Read More: Shameless (2012 – ) TV Series ReviewDon’t get me wrong, Shameless is freaking hilarious. But it’s also stressful. Loud. Triggering. Not because I grew up like this, but because I’ve seen these dynamics up close. In people. In families. In the way adults avoid responsibility and kids quietly adapt. Shameless follows the Gallagher family, a group of siblings growing…
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ClassPass, Yoga, and Finding My Calm in This City
Read More: ClassPass, Yoga, and Finding My Calm in This CityMiami is loud, fast, colorful, chaotic, and distracting. Yoga is the opposite. It’s the only place where I’m not thinking about anything else, not my phone, not my to-do list, nothing. Just breath, heat, music, and movement. Lately I’ve been using ClassPass to hop around different yoga studios all over…
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Anima (2019) – Experimental Film Review
Read More: Anima (2019) – Experimental Film ReviewWatching Anima gave me goosebumps. It’s art. Disturbingly beautiful art. Anima is a Netflix Original short film, currently streaming on Netflix, with a runtime of just under 15 minutes. I’ve been a longtime fan of Thom Yorke, his music has always felt like it understands emotional confusion better than words…
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The Hardest Truth Therapy Made Me Face Today
Read More: The Hardest Truth Therapy Made Me Face TodayI just walked out of therapy and I feel very unsettled right now. The entire session came down to one thing I really didn’t want to accept. Some people will hurt you and they genuinely do not care. They don’t sit with it. They don’t feel the weight. They don’t lose…
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Unfck Your Brain by Faith G. Harper (Book Review)
Read More: Unfck Your Brain by Faith G. Harper (Book Review)Honestly I’m really in my self-help books era right now. I’m craving anything that helps me understand my mind, my patterns, my healing, and the way my past still echoes through my present. What struck me most is how compassionate the book is. It doesn’t treat you like you’re broken or weak. Unfck…
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My Experience at the Cirque du Soleil LOVE Show in Vegas
Read More: My Experience at the Cirque du Soleil LOVE Show in VegasThere are some experiences that stay with you long after the room goes dark, and for me, the Cirque du Soleil LOVE show in Las Vegas is one of them. It was a mind bending sensory experience that felt bigger than entertainment. It felt like stepping inside a dream. I…
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The Dreamers (2003) – French New Wave Cinema
Read More: The Dreamers (2003) – French New Wave CinemaSynopsis: A young American studying in Paris in 1968 strikes up a friendship with a French brother and sister. Set against the background of the ‘68 Paris student riots. I’ve always been deeply drawn to French cinema even as a child, and honestly I’m not a plot-driven viewer, I’m an atmosphere,…
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Why I Can’t Connect With Christianity
Read More: Why I Can’t Connect With ChristianityI grew up technically Catholic. I was baptized, did communion, all of that, but my parents were pretty secular. We were Catholic by name, not really by practice. I mean I could how many times I’ve been to church using one hand. Around 25, I started dating a Christian guy…
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My Favorite Black Mirror Episodes of Season 3
Read More: My Favorite Black Mirror Episodes of Season 3I really love the science fiction genre and my taste in sci-fi is actually very distinct just like everything else about me. The tech-heavy or hard-science side of the genre really bores me unless it’s character-driven with romance arcs and plenty of other elements to give it more personality. What…
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The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle – Book Review
Read More: The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle – Book ReviewI’m currently reading this book The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle which centers on living in the present moment to find peace and emphasizing that things like anxiety and worry comes from dwelling on the past or future, and that true self is consciousness beyond the constant mind chatter.…
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My Experience at a Filmmaker Bootcamp in Downtown Miami
Read More: My Experience at a Filmmaker Bootcamp in Downtown MiamiA lot of the people I look up to in the film world didn’t attend film school, , and honestly, that always made sense to me. In film school, you’re usually learning from people who have never actually completed their own film, which always bothered me. Along with the performance…
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My 23andMe DNA Results: A Deep Dive Into My Ancestry🧬
Read More: My 23andMe DNA Results: A Deep Dive Into My Ancestry🧬My best friend had bought me a 23andMe DNA kit for my 27th birthday and and honestly… it was wild seeing my genetic story laid out in charts, colors, and timelines. I always knew I was mixed, but seeing the exact regions and generations mapped out felt like opening a…
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Crashing (2016) UK TV Series Review
Read More: Crashing (2016) UK TV Series ReviewCrashing is about a group of twenty-somethings living together as property guardians in a massive, abandoned hospital. So British lol they’re broke, directionless, emotionally messy, and way too close to each other for comfort. Basically: chaos with thin walls. It’s short, fast, awkward in the best way, and painfully funny. Every…
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Misfits (2009) – UK TV Series Review
Read More: Misfits (2009) – UK TV Series ReviewMisfits follows a group of young adults who are forced to do community service together until a strange electrical storm strikes the city and suddenly gives them superpowers, but not the glamorous kind. Their powers reflect their deepest insecurities: invisibility, mind-reading, uncontrollable sexuality, time reversal, rage. Instead of turning them into…
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Kill Bill – An Unexpected Childhood Classic for Me
Read More: Kill Bill – An Unexpected Childhood Classic for MeKill Bill was one of those movies I never expected to love as much as I did. As a kid, I didn’t fully understand all the symbolism, the genre-blending, or the emotional weight behind The Bride’s story but it was really cool for it’s time and there was definitely something…
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Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) Film Review
Read More: Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) Film ReviewA lot of us idolized Holly before we understood her. When you’re younger, she looks like freedom. No rules. No roots. Beautiful, desired, unattached. She answers to no one. She floats through life on her own terms. That kind of woman feels powerful when you’re still learning how painful attachment can…
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Grieving a Friendship That Wasn’t Healthy
Read More: Grieving a Friendship That Wasn’t HealthyI’m writing this because I feel heartbroken. I just cut off one of my long-term best friends, and even though it had to be done, I still feel terrible about it. We met as kids at Norwood Elementary, right off 19th Street and 14th Court in Miami Gardens. From the…
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Curly Hair Gang: How I Take Care of My 3C Curly Hair
Read More: Curly Hair Gang: How I Take Care of My 3C Curly HairIf you have 3C curls, you already know this, your hair has a personality. Some days it cooperates. Some days it absolutely does not. And a lot of what I learned about my curls came from trial, error, and ignoring advice that clearly wasn’t made for my hair type. I’ve…
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Enter The Void (2009) Film Review
Read More: Enter The Void (2009) Film ReviewSet in the neon-soaked underbelly of Tokyo, the story follows Oscar, a young American drug dealer, and his sister Linda, who works as a stripper. They are emotionally fused by shared childhood trauma and an unspoken promise to never abandon each other. Early in the film, Oscar smokes DMT, a…
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Mass Effect Sci Fi RPG Video Game Review
Read More: Mass Effect Sci Fi RPG Video Game ReviewI discovered Mass Effect almost ten years after its first release. I wasn’t looking for a video game to play per se. I was writing sci-fi stories at the time and wanted some inspiration when it came to world-building, something immersive enough to pull me into another world for a…
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Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Film Review
Read More: Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Film ReviewThe film follows a married couple, Bill (a doctor) and Alice Harford (a housewife). On the surface, they look like they’re doing well, until the party. A lavish, glittering night where small cracks start to show. Bill flirts comfortably with two models, almost on autopilot, while Alice lingers on the dance…
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This is my personal blog, where I write about media, motherhood, faith, identity, relationships, trauma, culture, and everything else.
I’m Vanessa, a writer, mother, wife, Muslim, and holistic health educator, and the founder of The Passionate Herbalist, a terrain-based wellness platform. While parts of the site are still under constructed, you can explore my health, wellness, and holistic medicine blogs there.
This is a space where I unwind, reflect, and share my thoughts out loud.
Browse by category. Choose a topic to explore.
Honestly, Vanessa 