Blended family advice: Christmas, covid, and conflict
Holidays are stressful enough! Throw in the blended family dynamic and a global pandemic and it can be pure pandemonium. Blended family expert and founder of Blended and Black, Coach Naja shares some tips on how to stay sane during this holiday season.
Can battling infertility cause post traumatic stress disorder?
by Nika Ward Did you know that June is World Infertility Month? If you’re a woman that has experienced infertility, you’re already are aware. Did you know that infertility is a condition that can cause post-traumatic stress disorder? After watching a recent Insecure episode, it really hit me how quiet the infertility community is about […]
White Supremacy is on life support
As a Black kid that grew up right under Tennessee’s Bible belt, there was an assumption that people that looked like me were not God’s chosen people. I was baptized under a beautiful stained-glass image of a White Jesus. Black babydolls were not very plentiful in the 80s, so my first images of beauty were […]
Episode 38: What Can White People Do To Support Black Lives Matter
I’ve recently taken on an interesting challenge proposed to me by my White listeners, followers, friends, colleagues, and clients. I want to TRY to respond to the DMs, emails, and messages from White people that care enough to NOT want to err on the side of injustice. I pride myself on maintaining a diverse audience […]
Corona and CoParenting: How to navigate shared custody during a pandemic
Corona and Coparenting I’ve received many questions from single parents, coparents, and stepparents during this historic pandemic and my BEST piece of advice is to protect your household. Social distancing and quarantines are proven to be effective methods of limiting the spread of infectious disease BUT what do you do when your child lives in […]
A COVID-19 note from Naja Hall+ Team B&B
HOW CAN WE BEST SERVE YOU DURING THIS TIME? A week ago none of us used the term social distancing, but this is our current reality. COVID-19 is taking its toll on our nation, our families, and our individual lives and I’d like to do my part to make this season a little less stressful […]
50/50 Parenting Report Card is here! My State got an F!
Fall 2019 Founder, Blended and Black, Naja Hall attended the press conference for the National Parents Organization. NPO presented their Shared Parenting Report Card. They also screened the Erasing Family Documentary by Ginger Gentile. New York City and Rhode Island got a big fat F. What is your state’s grade? A study just published […]
How To Love Stepkids with a High Conflict Biological Mother
As with fairy tales, the stepmother is generally deemed as evil; Lady Tremaine in ‘Cinderella,’ The Queen in ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,’ Mother Gothel in ‘Repunzel,’ and last, but certainly not least, Maleficent. These scorned women often live in the shadows of a beautiful princess who sings with a voice so beautiful, forest […]
My teenager wants an Instagram account, Here’s my response
I recently allowed my daughter, Kelcie to take over my Facebook page. As the precocious person that she’s been since birth, Kelcie presented her carefully curated argument as to why she should have an Instagram account. As a High School Assistant Principal, I have a uniquie vantage point of understanding the effects of social media […]
Couple Shares Marriage Lessons After Leaving Divorce Court
Hannah and Fard have ended their time as life partners and they’ve penned an excerpt that has the internet abuzz. In this day in age, especially considering the work I do, seeing new divorcees breaking bread is RARE. Here are 5 lessons learned in hindsight from Hannah and Fard. We wish their family love and […]
Podcast 012: I finally created a STEPMOM ONLY Community
I realized that many of fellow StepSistas (stepmoms+sisterfriends) listen to my podcast because of my approach to stepmomming. After careful thought, planning and execution, I created a space just for us. It’s a site where I am pouring all of my stepmom tools, resources and content in one private community. There’s a discussion forum where […]
PODCAST 011: WTF is Borderline Personality Disorder?
I recently chatted with my friend Brian Barnett. He is not only an expert on Borderline Personality Disorder, he’s actually rid himself of the terrible disorder that plagues 4% of Americans. This podcast takes an in-depth look at BPD and the people that it affects. Brian is proof that there is hope beyond borderline. FROM […]
Happy Stepmother’s Day (Yes, it’s a REAL thing!
In 2000, 9-year old Lizzie Capuzzi decided that she wanted to celebrate her stepmother, Joyce and felt this should be done on the Sunday following Mother’s day. Lizzie decided to take her celebration a step further by reaching out to U.S. Representative Rick Santorum. On July 11, 2000, it was published in Congressional Record No. […]
Podcast 010: How To Cope When Your Child Is Turned Against You with Erasing Family
This week I am chatting with the founder of Erasing Family, Ginger Gentile. According to www.Erasingfamily.org, in the US alone, over 22 MILLION PARENTS are being erased from their children’s lives after divorce and separation. Ginger offers tips on how to cope as an erased family member and how to handle your child when they […]
PODCAST 009: 14 Signs You Are Jealous of Your Best Friend
via GIPHY The Brady Bunch is arguably the most well-known blended family sitcoms in pop culture. The feature film version of the show satirized the original characters in a with a modern twist. One of the most memorable scenes was little sister Jan’s frustration with the favoritism of her big sister, Marcia. From the expression […]
PODCAST 008: Naja chats with media-maven Demetria L. Lucas
In this episode of I Know I’m Crazy with Naja Hall, I chat with pop-culture maven, Demetria L. Lucas on divorce, pop culture and current events. We had such a fun girl-chat and the tea was HOTTTTT! ABOUT OUR GUEST DEMETRIA L. LUCAS: Dubbed “the Black Carrie Bradshaw” by The Washington Post, Demetria L. […]
How I Became a Successful Life Coach
There are Life Coaches that are far more well-known than me, so I am always pleased when someone asks me for advice on building their coaching business. I’ve worked very hard at building a brand that speaks to the masses. I have a support team that has my back. I’ve also developed some deep […]
Podcast 007: How to heal from physical and emotional abuse
In this episode of I Know I’m Crazy with Naja Hall, I chat with Psychotherapist and abuse survivor, Anita Bentata. She hails from Australia and she shares her own experiences with abuse and how she has turned her life experiences into a life-changing platform. ABOUT OUR GUEST ANITA BENTATA: Anita Bentata transforms the uncomfortable into living […]
My 1st Personal Blog entry, my friend Winnie
I rarely share deeply personal parts of my life at Blended and Black so I started a section called Naja’s Personal Blog. There is no experience so deeply profound currently, than the life of my friend, Winnie. We memorialized my friend Winnie Burch yesterday. When her daughter Alexcia asked me to speak at the memorial […]