#BEing – Being AB

018 Allow me to reintroduce myself…

Well, I guess it was time for a refresh and reset as I begin this new chapter. Ya girl got married!

September 25, 2025 (09.25.25) is now one of my most cherished days. I had the great honor to marry my best friend. We were surrounded by our loved ones at my dream venue, with more magic, love, and joy than I could ever express. Two months in, and it still feels like yesterday. Planning was a journey, but that morning while I wrote my vows, nothing else mattered but us. And after the rollercoaster that was the week leading up to the big day. It was perfect, and I am forever grateful.

So allow me to reintroduce myself, it’s “AB” now, and I am so excited for this journey we are on. And the cool nickname, of course.

Here are some of my favorite moments from our weekend of love.

Shoutout to my amazing team for making my dreams come true!

Wedding Planner – @birdofparasideevents by Tiffanie

Photography – @hanagonzalezphoto by Monica

Hair – @olayhair by Olaitin Olay

MAU – @badgalstudio by Emily

Venue – @mtwashingtonmilldyehouse in Baltimore, MD

014 Delete it All

If you know you know. Sometimes the reset you need is to be alone with yourself.

I recently deleted all my socials, cleared out my messages, and call log. Everything being gone was refreshing on its own. I don’t know if my phone has been this cleared since 2012 when I got my first iPhone.

Then the real sets in. Your fingers are program to click that app, write that person. And when you’re left with yourself. Alone sets in.

You may not need this extreme of a reset but maybe you need a little more time to focus on yourself this week.

I challenge you to have at least one hour with no phone calls, text or social media to be with yourself. Complete the task that you keep putting off. Have an hour of self care. Try for one hour to “delete it all.”

Let me know how your time for your feels.

Xx Ande Mari

011 Thankful for 2021

What a year!!!

I cannot believe this year is coming to a close. So much has happened this year, and I think even more things haven’t happened.

This year I started my blog, finished my masters, started my sixth year teaching, finished pt (yes I know the work is never done), was able to get out the house more than a few times and fell more in love!

With all the great things that happened I’m thankful some things didn’t happen. I didn’t loose any loved ones this year. I didn’t struggle to get food or shelter. I didn’t loose employment. I didn’t pay student loans (forgive them all-please and thank you). I didn’t need to visit the hospital from illness.

Woooh that list can go on and on and I just wanted to give space to reflect and time to be thankful before embarking on a new year.

When talking to one of my great friends about what the year 2022 is going to be for us he mentioned he wasn’t making any resolutions! I felt that. This year let’s make goals and follow through. Let’s grind and build US up during this season of staying inside. No excuses!

I am setting my tangibles in health, career, passions, and relationships! What is a tangible goal you can set to meet this year? Write it down. Create a goal board and set check points along the way!

The year of rebounds and consistency is upon us and I’m so thankful to be walking into it.

Xx Ande Mari

Some inspiration for your goal board! ☺️

009 – The Small Moments

Long drives,

Cookie Brownies, (from Trader Joe’s, thank me later)

Mexican food and margaritas,

Snuggling up with your favorite person watching your favorite show

It’s the small moments of joy that are on my mind this week. The moments that give your warm feels and make you feel like floating. Keeping those with you through the week will get you through the hard times that are sure to come. But like one of my favorite song lines from a movie says “Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, save it for a rainy day! -Princess Dairies” Keep the small moments with you this week and remember them during the hard times.

XX Ande Mari

006 – It is okay to BE the first!

These days I find inspiration and insight anywhere. On my weekly Nike video binge I came across this 11 min video on the Nike App FM Broadcast- Episode 3. There were so many quotable moments throughout this broadcast. In the conversation the host, Janaya Future Khan is interviewing a variety of young people and they are speaking on how they are owning their identities and their advice to the future first. One statement gave me chills.

Ramla Ali stated “ It’s okay to be the first!” This is something I heard before but just hit different today.

Where are you after pushing yourself to have a positive mindset last week? This week I’m back at school and my work life chaos is from 0-100000000! I am a planner, a perfectionist, and someone who runs when inspiration strikes and this broadcast was just what I needed to jump start my 6th year as a teacher!

Black educators have such a unique perspective to bring to the table but also an unseen burden of showing up as our “true” self. I just want to BE me sometimes and the education workforce isn’t always receptive. And in the past I’ve cared wayyy more than I should have. But this year I am going to be the first. I am going to do the creative over the top lesson, join in conversations I’ve stayed silent in, and build the foundation to tackle my next career goal. I am going to be the first! Where can you show up first this week? This is the invitation to be yourself this week!

XX Ande Mari

005 – Mountain Top View

Does your mind have a mountain top view?

Sometimes in life it’s hard to maintain a positive attitude and outlook when we have no view of our future. While driving to visit my best friend in Nashville I saw this ginormous brick house on the top of a mountain. I immediately began to wonder what it was like to live there and have that incredible view every day. The owners have a view of everything below and for miles around their home.

The idea of this view made me really think of what it’s like for us in the valley. Seeing that house brought me a sense of inspiration and light. Yet, sometimes in life we’re in a valley and everything around us is hard and we can’t quite see the beauty of the future, or even the now. Work, family, friends, health, and even love is just not going the way we planned. What do you do? As I continued to drive through the lush trees in this valley I pondered, what if during that time that we are low we had a mountain top view mentality? A mentality that sees the positives and chooses to stay on the optimistic side of any situation.

After what the year 2020 gave us, I know this is harder said then done. But, join me from your mountain top view for this week. Remind yourself of all you have, your dreams, and the possibilities of the future. If you get afraid of the view or find yourself slipping into a valley. Read one of these quotes!