Kayisha Online

Ounce Of Faith And Inspiration Is 4 Years Old

People always ask me if I have children, and at the moment my answer is NO! I don't have natural born children; I have a god daughter, nieces and nephews who I helped to raise, but no children of my own. When I think about it, I should actually start saying YES. They're not living, breathing eating babies, but my books are my children. I developed them, carried them to completion and then gave birth to them, and that's why today I am celebrating the release of Ounce Of Faith And Inspiration. 

My book baby is 4 years old. On this day in November 2016, I released my first book to the world and I was literally in amazement when the first ever printed copy arrived at my house that morning. I was supposed to receive it before, but my initial foreword writer caused a delay, so it arrived on the day and I think it was actually perfect. It made the day even more special. I had accomplished something exceptional. I had written, designed, created and self-published an entire book; all at the age of 26.

It's been 4 years since all of this and the amount of doors that have opened, opportunities that have come my way, people that I have met, books I have signed and faith and inspiration that has been dished out because of this book is unreal. It started the journey of my Author life and there are absolutely no regrets. God chose me to bring faith and inspiration to the world through this book and I couldn't be more grateful. I incorporated my photography amongst the ounces of faith and inspiration, so you get coloured art amongst the words. Its the perfect mix of everything I love.

I haven't been able to produce a memory lane, flashback video for the Kayisha Online youTube channel because my laptop had a slight hinge crack and I sent it away to be repaired on November 16th. I just got a text as I'm typing this to say "Great news! Job Complete" which is wonderful but that means no video until I go and pick it up and film something. What I want you to watch instead is my 1 Year Anniversary video. You'll see that my 1 year anniversary was marvellous so my 4 years have been amazing. STAY TUNED FOR THE VIDEO!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpIyDxJ0CJ8

Be Inspired!

Kayisha

www.kayishaonline.com

All Things Kayisha

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#KayishaThomas #Inspirational #SelfhelpBooks #Education #LifeBooks #FamilyReading #FutureLeaders #YoungReaders #Motivation #Anniversary #FaithLife #Parenthood

Reading Takes You Far

So, the children of the world have all gone back to school and I'm happy for them. School is a major part of your childhood and adolescents and unfortunately, the result of the global pandemic was 6 months of no physical school. Yes, they had Zoom lessons, but it wasn't the same. Yes, they were homeschooled, but it still wasn't the same. So let's celebrate the children's return to school with 3 cheers.

3 Cheers Yayyyy!!!

My mum always tells me and other people about my childhood, and the fact that I never went to bed at night without reading a book. She also never forgets to share the fact that even though I was itching because of my Eczema, I always read a book at bedtime. I can proudly say that I think that pattern of behaviour has contributed to my life as it is now. I believe it contributed to my success as an Author but also as a Self-Employed/ Female Entrepreneur. 

To this day I am an avid reader. I turned 30 at the start of 2020 (February 26th) and I still try to read at least 10 books a year. It's very unfortunate, but I don't personally know much people that aim to do that; nevertheless achieve that. As I write this, I'm reading my eleventh book of the year and so I'm head and on track to accomplishing my 12 books in a year reading challenge. I'm not saying that because I'm an avid reader and have been since I was a child that I am successful, but I can attribute some of my success to reading. 

Reading night after night as a child increased my reading age, widened my vocabulary and heightened my desire for more knowledge. I have never been a massive TV lover. I enjoy watching things that teach me something, but more than that, I enjoy getting knowledge from books. As an Author, but also an avid reader, I am passionate about sharing the importance of reading with both adults and children. How can we learn, open our minds to new things, widen our perspectives, understand new notions and so on, if we never read and explore a range of books. In 2018, I started reading books with my nephew who was 11 years old. He either had a book that he told me to get, so I would order it, or I found a book that we should read together and got his copy sent to him. Also in 2018 I promised my God daughter that I would write a book that she could read. Those two things ignited a passion in me and then a family friend sent me a message that said there is a need for Black children's books and she thinks I'd be perfect for the task. Out of all of that came, "Mum And Dad, We Know What Love Is" which is my first children's book. Black Children's Book might I add.

Zurie and Zaria go on an exciting adventure to not only start and settle into high school, they also go on a journey to find love. Now we all know that love is very vast but I wanted to introduce love to my young audience through different concepts. Zurie and Zaria, the fraternal twins experience love through music, nature, food, strangers, each other and their mum and dad. At the time of the story, Zurie and Zaria are 11 years old and I often wonder if I should create a series so my readers not only travel, but also grow with the twins. I'm going to think on that! 

Zurie and Zaria are committed to spreading love, so get your copy of Mum And Dad, We Know What Love Is on the Kayisha Online Book Store, Amazon or Kindle. All orders on the KO Book Store come with a bookmark and pencil to complete the activities. And don't forget to follow the twins on Instagram for ZZ Scenes, quotes, world event related posts, twining video clips, We Know What Love Is t-shirt fashion photos and so much more. Just search @ZurieandZaria.

After 5 days of being FREE on Amazon, Mum And Dad, We Know What Love Is made it to the number 4 spot on the Amazon Best Sellers list. Such an accomplishment and even better, it means that more people are going to know what love is. Please share this post with friends and family to encourage more people (young and old) to start reading more books.

Be Inspired!

Kayisha

www.kayishaonline.com

All Things Kayisha

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#KayishaThomas #KidsBooks #ChildrensBooks #Education #FunBooks #FamilyReading #FutureLeaders #YoungReaders #ReadingAge #MumLife #Parenthood

I Have Something For You For Black History Month

It’s Black History Month in the UK and for a couple of years I produced creative videos on my YouTube channel, to celebrate and educate the masses. But hold up, wait a minute, because last year I did something a little different. Change is good, so following the release of my children’s book, Mum And Dad, We Know What Love Is on February 14th 2019, I decided that I would make the ebook copy FREE for Black History Month 2019. It was FREE for just a few days but it did tremendously well, and made it to the number 3 spot on the Amazon bestsellers list. When I tell you I was over the moon, I was over the moon!

With the way the world is going, and the current state were living through; it’s more important now than ever before to know what love is. It’s important that you love yourself and you love others (some people are fighting battles that you have no idea about, and all they need is a little love). And guess what, that’s exactly what Zurie and Zaria learn all in one day. As 11 year old twins, they not only start high school together, they also go on a journey to find love and they’re inviting you to join them.

So, this is a flash ebook giveaway, it will only be FREE until Friday 16th October 2020, so download it now from Amazon, get the Kindle app if you havent got a Kindle Fire device and take a selfie with the ebook cover showing, tag @ZurieandZaria on Instagram so they can see that you’ve got your copy. Trust me, they can’t wait to see your photos.

Includes an "I Love You" lesson in different languages

Before I go, can I ask you to leave a review on amazon with your thoughts of the book. It will help and encourage other people to get their copy and ultimately spread more love around the world. You must agree that what the world needs now, is love sweet love like Anita Baker said.

Be Inspired!

Kayisha Online

www.kayishaonline.com

All Things Kayisha

Follow me on Instagram for daily photos and inspiration - https://www.instagram.com/kayishaonline

#SpreadTheLove #Freeebook #Kindleebook #AmazonBestseller #ebookgiveaway #MumAndDadWeKnowWhatLoveIs #BlackHistoryMonth #ChildrensBook #KidsBook #ReadMoreBooks #BlackAuthor #AfroCaribbeanBook

It Took Me 5 Years

Women across the world frequently share their weight loss struggle, weight loss journey and then their weight loss success. Before and after photos are all over social media to prove it. Basically,if you don't post it, it didnt happen. There are many reasons why women lose weight, more often it's following teenage weight gain or pregnancy and child birth; but whatever the reason may be, it’s all a very personal and individual process. No two women are physically the same and that’s why I want to share my journey and a struggle I have had with weight.

My journey started 5 years ago. When I look back now, it seems like just yesterday, but over the past 5 years, my journey has been the complete opposite to many women, but I have struggled all the same. In August 2015, I lost my little sister. I recently shared my loss in a vlog on the K London YouTube channel and stated that I never really talk about her passing. I dedicated my first book, Ounce Of Faith And Inspiration to her, I spoke about losing her when I was interviewed on a London based radio station back in early 2017, I’ve done little tributes, but nothing major. So, sharing the impact losing her had on my body is a big step for me. Almost immediately after her passing, I woke up and I had dropped in weight. I never really kept track of my weight before this period, I just knew that as long as my clothes fit me and I was able to fit in new size 8/10 clothes; I was good. A few other things happened to me physically, all of which rectified themselves, but regaining the weight I had dropped overnight wasn’t that easy.

I share regularly on my YouTube channel that I am a Pescatarian. I’m also allergic to dairy products and so that is where the difficulty comes in. With my diet being so restricted, I have to watch what I eat like a hawk. I have to read all of the ingredients, I have to cook a lot of things at home from scratch and by the grace of God that means I'm healthy, but it also means that I don't put on weight. My health came before thick thighs and junk in the trunk, but I really wasn't happy with my weight. I couldn't fit in any of my clothes, my head looked too big for my body, I didn't want to buy smaller clothes, I didn't really want to take any photos and me shying away from the camera was unheard of. I continued to film for my Youtube channel because you couldn't really see how much weight I had lost when it started getting cold in the UK and I had 100 layers on, but still I wasn't happy. I was treated badly by Managers at the company I worked for because I couldn't fit in my work clothes and had to wear the smallest black Levi jeans I had, coupled with my usual shirts, waistcoats blazers and ties. Trust me when I say losing weight was a nightmare, but losing my little sister was an even bigger one. 

Back in October 2014, I bought a pair of scales so I could weigh my suitcase before travelling to Florida. I hadn't weighed myself for years and even with these scales in my bedroom, I still didn't weigh myself. I weighed my packed suitcase and then took the batteries out. The first time I weighed myself was just over a year after my whole world crumbled because I noticed that I wasn't putting on any weight. Another winter was coming and this "Skinny Mini" (like my big sister calls me) was going to suffer with no insulation on my body. I was literally skin and bone in my clothes and no matter how much layers I put on; I was still cold. On September 1st 2016, I took out that very brand new scale, put the batteries in, stood on the cold glass and weighed myself. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and then looked down. I was 113lbs which is 8:1 1/4 stones. I wrote on the page in a notebook "Kayisha Weight Journey" below that I underlined Once A Week and then I wrote "Lord, help me put on weight in the right places please. Amen!" This was a very sincere prayer. I was skinny all over but I didn't want unhealthy fat, I didn't want fat around my heart, fat in my arteries etc etc. I wanted healthy fat and healthy weight gain.

The journey officially began there. I weighed myself once a week. Give or take a few days and then sometimes I took a longer break because sometimes the results were disheartening. Sometimes I put on weight and then sometimes I lost it and I felt like I was going backwards. I did everything I could, and those closest to me kept saying, "You need to eat more!" It was frustrating. In 2017, I put on a few pounds and I was happy, I was making progress and the funny thing is, I love food but no matter what; it just wouldn't stick. BUT WAIT, as 2017 came to an end I had reached 122lbs. The New Year came and after all I had eaten for Christmas and New Year's Eve (trust me, I ate a lot) I was a whopping 127lbs which is  9:1 1/4. That was the most I had been since August 2015. I kept recording but it wasn't every week. I had to stop focusing on the number on the scale and just focus on feeling healthy and happy. 

I'm so pleased to say that on the evening of August 15th 2020, I weighed myself for the first time in 4 months. The first time since the global pandemic and lockdown and I was/ am 133lbs. 9:7 stones. I couldn't believe it. It took me 5 whole years to put on 20lbs. My sister said "4lbs each year!" and she's not quite right but it was a struggle. Below I share some of the things I did and even though I did these things, I didn't see immediate results. I had to be consistent.

Tips

Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Always include fruits and vegetables in your meals.

Snack healthily.

Drink water - at least 2000ml/ 2 litres a day.

Make smoothie recipes.

Exercise regularly.

Get good sleep, at least 8 hours a day.

Stay positive. Rebuke all negative thoughts and reduce stress.

Dress comfortably for your current weight.

Eat bigger portions ( Don't overeat, but increase the portions to up your calorie intake).

Carry healthy snacks with you when you're on the go so you don't to eat takeaway or wait too long to eat.

Discuss your goal with the people closest to you.

Pray about your physical concerns, God cares about what bothers you.

Take multivitamins daily to increase your consumption of beneficial vitamins, minerals and nutrients.

Sometimes it seemed like the older I got (I'm 30 years old now), the faster my metabolism got and that meant I needed to take in more calories to maintain my weight. I feel like I'm at the right weight for my height and my build now. I'm petite, I'm 5ft 3 inches, so now my challenge is to maintain this weight, stay fit, healthy and be happy. I'll probably still be cold during winter 2020 BUT at least I'm back to being able to fit in my size 8/10 clothes. And that's with the exception of some size 6 things that still fit me. I really hope this has helped someoone. I know this is the complete opposite to the normal weight struggles, but it's just as real.

Please share some weight gain or weight maintenance tips with me. I'd love to know what you do and it will help others.

Be Inspired!

Kayisha

www.kayishaonline.com

All Things Kayisha

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#WeightGain #WeightLoss #FastMetabolism #HealthyEating #LiveGood #EatClean #WeightJourney #BeforeandAfter #Pescatarian #DairyFree #Fitness #Exercise

Black Girl In A Car Web Series - Party With Me

There's been a new video on the K London (previously known as Sophisticated K) YouTube channel every week since January 23rd 2015, but now there's a NEW series on the K London YouTube Channel. If you read that right and you're a human calculator, you would know that, that means there are more than 280 videos on my channel. When I say I'm committed, I am committed, but anyway, back to the series. There's a new series of videos on the K London YouTube Channel and it's called "Black Girl In A Car" and yes that Black girl is me - Kayisha aka K London!

The Black Girl In A Car Series is going to be a 5 part series. I've planned it all out very strategically and at the moment there are 3 videos in the playlist. That means we've already had 3 stops. The first was London, my beloved hometown, then it was a full blown, UK road trip and most recently a nationwide, gorgeous Florida roadtrip. I've been having fun posting these, editing these and getting you off of the sofa to go for a drive with me. Trust me, it's all love and all fun.

Back in 2018, my cousin sent me the above photo. She said "I saw this and thought of you." Now when I look back, it's actually the definition of the Black Girl In A Car Series.

So, make sure you subscribe and stay tuned for each stop. It is basically an ode to the phrase "Party In The Car". I have had my driving licence since I was 19 and I immediately made CDs so I could party in the car every time I went for a drive. This has to be my favourite thing to do, especially with the people I love.

Enjoy the series that has been motivated by the fact that we are in a global pandemic, on lockdown, in quarantine and social distancing. Although I'm back at work, aside from going to work, I only go out for essential trips like most people across the world. However, through this virtual reality that I have created, we can get out of the house and go for a drive around the world together. 

All I ask is that you:-

*Get off the sofa

*Get in the car with me

*Put your seat belt on #SafetyFirst

*Share with your friends and family

*Leave a car emoji in the comments

And yeah, enjoy! 1Love KL xox

Be Inspired!

Kayisha

www.kayishaonline.com

All Things Kayisha

Follwo me on Instagram @kayishaonline

#KLondon #YouTube #CarpoolKaraoke #DriveWithMe #Quarantine #SocialDistancing #WithMe #LockDown #VirtualReality #driveby #ContentCreator

I'm not a Hair Stylist, or maybe I am!

All Natural - Just blow-dried hair

I've been a Naturalista since birth. No perm and no chemicals; other than that time when I had to have my hair bleached so I could dye it red, red wine. Did you sing along as you read that? Other than that, literally no chemicals have touched my hair. I'm very proud of that and I do think I'm truly a Naturalista.

I started off by saying "I'm not a Hair Stylist, but I second guessed myself immediately. I think I actually am. I may not be a professional Hair Dresser, BUT I have been styling my own hair since I was a teenager, I do my mum's hair, my sister's hair and people in high school used to ask me to do their hair. I think I am a Hair Stylist after all.

Athough I'm not a professional Hair Stylist, I did embrace my natural hair before being natural became a trend on social media, and like I said, aside from bleaching my hair so that I could dye it red way back in 2009, I haven’t manipulated my hair with any chemicals in my 30 years of living. Natural has been me, even when it’s difficult to manage, style and care for, I love it. I have curls, coils and kinks all on one head. I have 3 curl patterns because I have inherited different curl patterns from my parents. But saying that, my hair texture is unlike anyone I know. When my hair is straight (I’ve used flat irons) my hair looks Indian. I attribute that to my mum’s Syrian dad and my dad’s Arawak ancestors. I love my hair in it’s natural state, I tried to leave it curly and put the most products on it a couple of Summers ago, but the shrinkage was real and the curls were not the same at the front left, front right or back. It's crazy becaue, that day I was gettting a Fenty Beauty make-over, I looked in the mirror to admire my face, but all i could say is “Natural Hair Don’t Care!”

When I started doing my YouTube channel and started posting natural hair how-to videos, I vowed to be an inspiration to women who needed to know how to care for and style their hair. Since I was in high school, I not only had friends ask me to do their hair, I also had people ask me what I use in my hair and I have never been stingy or afraid to share. I remeber listing all of my favourite products, however, as I have grown and learnt, I have had to add the caveat that "everyone’s journey, hair texture, scalp and porosity is different" I try to inspire people to love their hair and to learn it. Saying that, the learning never ends because as you get older, your hair changes. It doesnt just turn grey, the texture and thickness changes too. In the formerly Sophisticated K, now K London YouTube videos, I suggest that you #BringIt with your natural hair, go all out, experiment and create your own style.

Over the past 3 years, I have been making my own hair products. I am so sensitive to the world, I have allergic reactions to so much things, even after having used the product previously. When I had a reaction to olive oil, carrot oil and then to coconut oil, I decided it was time to make my own hair grease and hair spray. I created my hair spray from scratch, and I use it when I am blow-drying my hair. Then my hair grease is used to grease my scalp, especially when I’m in the UK. Dry scalp in the winter is a pain.

I go back to the Hair Stylist subject because a hair professional would be able to help you determine whether you have Low Porosity or High Porosity hair. The difference between the two are grand. Low Porosity hair is dry, brittle and breaking, because of this it's important to do steams and hot oil treatments. High porosity hair soaks up product because this hair has the ability to hold moisture.

We all want soft and moisturised hair, hair that looks and feels healthy, hair that's long and curly. So, overall, I want the message to be that the natural grandeur of your hair is beautiful, it is your crown, it’s a part of the essence of your blackness (no one has hair like Black, African, Caribbean people); so we should enjoy and embrace it. Whether we are Hair Stylists or not, we can be experts in our own hair and we can rock it well.

I'd like to close this out by saying, India Arie sings, “I am not my hair” but I’d like to say that this is true BUT my hair is a part of me. 

To have a look at some of my natural hair how to videos on youTube, go to the Natural Hair & Beauty K London playlist.

Be Inspired!

Kayisha

www.kayishaonline.com

All Things Kayisha

Follwo me on Instagram @kayishaonline

#IAmNotMyHair #NaturalHair #Naturalista #LongHair #BlackGirlsRock #NaturalHairVideo #Youtube #HairCare #HairAndBeauty #BantuKnots #Hairstyle #HealthyHair #Afrocentric

Any Such Thing As Too Much Sunglasses?!?

Sparks Sunglasses has been a part of the Kayisha Online Empire since the 19th May 2019. Just over a year now and everything is going well. It's a great addition to the family and so much people have already been added to the Sparks Family. When I tell you that it's a beautiful occasion every time someone places an order or two. And I say order or two because, it's only been a year and we've already had repeat customers. Anyway, someone recently asked if you can ever have too much sunglasses, and as an official sunglasses lover, I can proudly say that you can NEVER have too much! I have been collecting sunglasses since I was a teenager in high school. Sadly, back in the day I used to be so generous, I'd lend them to people, but unfortunately I never got them back. That hurts because each pair that becomes a part of my personal collection was chosen for a specific reason. Each pair is connected to a time and a place (London, Ft Lauderdale, Orlando etc). I choose each pair of sunglasses because they reflect my love for style and sunglasses; so losing them is like losing a piece of me. You might say that sounds dramatic, but I'm a real Sunglasses Lover. 

Sparks Sunglasses can help you do a lot of finding:-

1. Find the shape to fit the silhouette of your face

2. Find the colours to match your chosen outfit of the day

3. Find tints and shades to fit your mood

4. Find the ones that are the most comfortable for you.

5. Find the style to suit the occasion

And the list goes on...

Basically, to answer the question is... You can never have too much sunglasses in your home collection and that is why Sparks Sunglasses are here to help. Come rain or shine, winter, spring, summer or fall all you have to do is call or just visit our website and place an order. With speedy delivery, you don't have to settle for a pair that don't match the outfit you have in mind. We will get them to you just in time. 

And because it's July and I'm feeling joyfully generous, I'm giving 6/7 people items from a TED BAKER Beauty set with each order from the Summer Vybz Sparks Sunglasses Collection. Some people might get 1/2 pieces. But make sure you place your order today, otherwise you will miss out on these complimentary items. When they're gone, they're gone! Who knows when I'll be feeling generous again LOL!

Head over to https://www.sparkssunglasses.co.uk to check out the Summer Vybz Collection. Follow Sparks on Instagram and/or Facebook @SparksSunglasses oh and you can subscribe to the YouTube channel - Sparks Sunglasses for videos. That way you can see what is going on behind the scenes.

Be Inspired!

Kayisha

www.kayishaonline.com

#SparksSunglasses #Sunglasses #Summer2020 #SummerTime #SummerFashion #2020vision #SunglassesLover #SunglassesFashion #BlackBusinessWoman #OversizedSunglasses #LoveSunglasses #SunglassesShop