When my friend sent the information to our group chat everyone’s immediate response was, “How did you find this?” It was very random to say the least but we were down to go. After all, it’s not everyday that someone sends you a link for something called “The Sweet Spot.”

Howard Theatre is usually standing room only so we purchased reserved seats since we didn’t know how things would play out. The tickets were fairly inexpensive on Groupon ($24 reserved, $12 general admission) so it wasn’t a big deal to upgrade.

The first thing I saw walking in was a woman with her boobs bedazzled. Then I look down to see condoms on the seats. “What are we getting in to?” immediately crossed my mind. I should have known better when I read that the theme for the night was fetishes but I didn’t think much of it. We then see a woman on stage with a leash and collar on. And the drink menu? With names like “The Sweet Spot,” “Leg Spreader” and “Deep Throat,” the drinks definitely fit the theme. And if you ordered all three guess what you ask for? That’s right, a “threesome.” Imagine having that conversation with someone later!

The show wasn’t quite what I had in mind. Remember I’m thinking about the movie with Christina Aguilera. So I’m thinking singing, dancing, the whole event! Nope. There was mostly dancing in little to no clothing, some poetry reading, and a lady who sang “And I’m telling you”; which clearly did not fit the theme. And I’ll be honest, the music wasn’t the best in my opinion. Everything had lots of slow tempos which made the show seem like it was dragging. My friends and I ended up leaving early because we were hungry and couldn’t last the rest of the show. (There was a company selling food but the line was always long.)

Overall, I would say we had a good time. It was a very interesting event for it being our first Burlesque show. I can see us attending another show in the future….just not one we found on Groupon.

Have you purchased tickets to anything interesting on Groupon? Let me know in the comments!

The post I Purchased Tickets to a Burlesque Show on Groupon appeared first on Running Erins.

When I decided to rebrand I knew I needed something that would encompass a variety of my favorite things. I spent weeks trying to think of a new name because I wanted something with value. I also knew that I couldn’t just use my name as it is extremely common. The light bulb went off when I was talking to someone about all the things I needed to do and said “Erin needs to run errands.” It was so perfect to me because I’m always on the go and I’m always up for adventure.

I started poking around with the idea and asking people about their errands without telling them exactly why I was asking. I wanted to see what they usually included to make sure my idea wasn’t too far fetched. And sure enough I received tons of answer. The funniest one had to come from a friend who met Vice President Joe Biden on an airplane. She is an author and CEO of her own brand so she is always on the run. When she was telling the story, she mentioned how her wig wasn’t on and she wasn’t prepared but she made it her business to get her book in his hand no matter what. And she succeeded! As she was telling this story, I said to myself “This is it. This is what I want to portray.”

Women are set to be the caretakers. We are the minority yet we hold the buying power. And if you look more closely at women of color, we are the trendsetters. Yet we are so left behind. Brands would rather look to steal ideas from us than to actually ask us our opinions. We’re leading the movement for entrepreneurship but it’s all built off of what we create for ourselves. We have to create the brands, create the products, and create the lanes. Doing all the work and running all the errands with little recognition. Not anymore.

As I use this blog to make my dreams a reality, I hope it also inspires someone else to take a leap of faith towards theirs. A mustard seed of faith is all you need. And along the way I hope more and more women turn their passions into sources of income. And running errands into their lifestyle of making things happen for themselves.

Sincerely,

Erin

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If you have a schedule like mine, long get aways may not always be convenient. This is where staycations come in! I’ve lived in the DMV all of my life, except those years in Baltimore for college, and I feel like there is still so much that I haven’t done in the area. Staycations give me the opportunity to do things outside of my ordinary activities.

Staycations can be just as fun as any other vacation if you plan out some things to do and remember to take time to relax. All though mine might not have been fully planned out, I did 3 staycations this year. Each one has given me time to rest, unwind, and experience new things. But I still feel like I could use more vacations Here is a bit more information on my 3 staycations:

1. D.C.
   I live about 20 minutes outside of the city but I hate driving in D.C. and parking is always a nightmare so I almost never spend a day out there. My friend decided that she wanted to come down from Baltimore to spend her birthday in D.C. She got a room at The W (fancy) and we just decided to wing it. I knew I would love the hotel when we walked in because they had a pictures of Beyoncé and Rihanna on the walls. They also poured us a glass of champagne upon checking in and gave us drink coupons for the bar upstairs since our room wasn’t ready. We decided to eat at The Hamilton for lunch which I had never been to so I was excited to try the food. Once night rolled around, we headed out to a hookah bar for drinks. We met some dope people who bought us shots, went out for pizza at the end of the night, and overall had a good time not too far from home.
   
2. Virginia
   I originally wanted to go out of town for my birthday but for some reason things just weren’t working out. And I was lucky they didn’t because all of the places I wanted to go ended up being hit by the hurricanes right around my birthday. When I decided to stay home, my boyfriend put together a quick staycation for us. I had no idea where we were going or what we were going to do which was exciting and nerve wrecking at the same time. We ended up staying in a part of Virginia that I had never been to before. We went to a nice dinner one night and spent the next day at the mall trying out a sushi restaurant. We both spend a lot of time at work so doing a staycation baecation gave us time to enjoy each other’s company, connect, and get some rest that was well needed.
3. Baltimore
   I know what you’re thinking….”Baltimore isn’t in the DMV.” I completely agree but it is accessible from the DMV so it fits! My birthday wouldn’t have been complete without some time spent with my girls. I decided that I wanted to get some of my friends together and do a wine tasting and tour. I found a lot of different places all throughout D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Even in cities I’ve never heard of (like where the hell is Boonsboro?) And eventually decided on Boordy Vineyards right outside of Baltimore. The tour was pretty boring because I expected to actually see the wine being made (I guess I watch too much tv). Instead you just listen to a guy talking about the process and he wasn’t the most interesting person in the world so of course the wine tasting was my favorite part. We got to sample 8 different wines, a mix of reds and whites, and decided to buy 2 bottles to drink there because why not?! I got a hotel room near BWI so we could keep the party going (even though they said no parties shhh). We went out to dinner at a small Mexican bar called Toro Bravo before heading to the room. The food/drinks were delicious and they sang happy birthday to me with fried ice cream and a sombrero. When we got back, we drank and played card games; nothing too fancy just a little fun.
   

As you can see, my staycations definitely weren’t over the top or very expensive but I still had fun! This year was about creating experiences for me and that’s just what I did. Sometimes you don’t need to be very fancy; you just need to getaway. That’s why staycations are perfect to clear your mind, let loose, and just have fun!

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I was sitting down with my blogger sister, Bri, a few months ago when she asked me who is my current style inspo. Without hesitation I answered, “Cardi B.” She had the most confused look on her face which was hilarious because if you know me, you know my style is definitely more of a comfy/cute. But I also love fashion (Rihanna is also an all time fave). I love seeing the way celebrities, or even other bloggers, put together an outfit. She continued by asking me “Well how would you describe your style?” And of course I said “Comfy/cute” at first but I followed it by saying “I also like to be a little Sophisti-Ratchet which is why I like Cardi B.”

Whether she is wearing Fashion Nova or Alexander Wang, you have to admit that Cardi B has been KILLING the fashion scene all 2017! From award shows to New York Fashion Week to her performance outfits. She displays her style in a way that is completely unique to her. She knows what works for her figure and she is not embarrassed by wearing inexpensive clothing. She can dress up in a ball gown or dress all the way down to something with little material. And I think it’s so dope!

Check out a few of my favorite looks from Cardi B in the gallery above!

*all pictures have been pulled from Cardi B’s Instagram*

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Curlfest is an annual natural beauty festival hosted by Curly Girl Collective in Brooklyn. It was created to celebrate the beauty of black women in a world where we aren’t the majority. 2017 is their 4th year putting together this event but it was my first time attending Curlfest, or any natural beauty festival. I did not know what to expect but I was extremely excited! I have been natural for about 3 years now and although I often wear protective styles it is exciting to be in the presences of other naturalistas. So many other bloggers, hair inspiration galore, and free samples!

The festival was in Prospect Park, Brooklyn’s second largest public park, so tickets are not necessary of course. But if you want to receive a gift bag you must either purchase early bird tickets for $20 (guaranteed bag) or RSVP (first come, first serve). I decided to purchase an early bird ticket to avoid waiting in line for a gift bag with the slight chance of getting one. The $20 was definitely worth it because the gift bags included full sized products plus samples so it was well worth more than $20 (if you’re natural you know how expensive hair products can be honey!)

I’ll start by saying we had an amazing time! Leaving, I felt so inspired to continue pushing towards my dreams. So many positive vibes. So many compliments. So many beautiful people! There were vendors and sponsors galore. But there were also people galore so you have to be prepared to be patient and wait in lines.

The event was scheduled to start at 12pm. We arrived around 11:40am and the line was ridiculous. I mean down the street, around the corner, so long you couldn’t see the end. Luckily for us, we had early bird tickets so our line was shorter (but still pretty long). We waited in line for over an hour before getting our gift bags. And let’s not talk about how they only had one security guard at the front of the line so after waiting all of that time the line was rushed (inserts side eye emoji).

Once we got inside, we knew we weren’t going to stay long because it was so hot and the lines for food were about as long as the line to get a gift bag. And the line for the Creme of Nature booth? Girllllll! We spent a lot of time in that line but it was so worth it. Their gift bag was EVERYTHING! No purchase necessary and you got a full box of hair color, a bottle of their ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) rinse, a compact mirror, a hair pick and several different product samples! Hands down they had the best booth which is why their line was boomin’ like Metro.

Overall, I had an enjoyable time. It is definitely an event that you have to plan for and be prepared. This is an event I recommend for all curly girls and if you plan to go check out my tips below!

Tips for Next Year:

• Buy early bird tickets! (If you don’t care about the swag bag then skip this. There are plenty of freebies inside the festival)
• Arrive to the event at least 45mins to an hour early.
• Be sure to eat before you come.
• Pack snacks and bottled waters in your bag.
• Bring a blanket and/or chairs to be comfortable.
• Dress cute! But still make sure you are comfortable.

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Over the past couple of week’s I have seen more and more pictures of it pop up on Instagram. So many of my friends had been and I just had to find out what was this new, intriguing space. Once I found out and was able to visit their Instagram for myself, the nerd in me screamed let’s go!

The current exhibit is called XYZT: Abstract Landscapes. It uses imagery and digital art to create a sensory experience of the four dimensions: X (horizontal), Y (vertical), Z (depth), and T (time). It includes about 11 different pieces, several of which respond to movement and are great for pictures (no flash allowed though). I felt like a kid in a candy shop interacting with many of the pieces.

It is different than the experience you get at most museums where you are just there to see the artwork. In this space, you get to become a part of the art work. If you go after 5:30pm, only people who are 21+ with a proper ID area allowed because they have a bar. Also unlike the Smithsonians, Artechouse is not free. Tickets are $25 per adult and must be purchased in advance because there are time slots. 

As with most DC spaces, the most frustrating part about the space is figuring out parking and finding the building. It is located in a building between a pizza shop and a Potbelly’s. The naked eye would not see it at first so make sure you do that thing where you turn the music down so you can see. There is a garage right beside the building as there is not much street parking in the area.

The last day for the XYZT exhibit is September 3 so if the pictures sparked your creativity make sure you head there before the end of summer.

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