Naturally Coiled

First wig!!

2009-12-26T14:29:00.000-05:00

I made this wig on weds night. I used 2 packs of Kanubia brand hair, a wig cap and bonding glue. It took me awhile to make bc I started and stopped. I shouldve taken pics of me in the process but here's the finished results. This hair is synthetic and its starting to frizz slightly but oh well! The next one I'm going to attempt to make will be a straight hair one w an invisible part
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

1st blow out

2009-12-22T08:55:00.000-05:00

Ok this is on my birthday. I didn't really care for the blow out and my hair was still puffy. I took more pics but on my camera which came out better bc I had to re-straighten my hair which flattened it a bit more. I also took some length shots and did a much needed trim. Ill try to post these ASAP. I'm thinking of doing it again for xmas but idk.

Jan marks my 1st year of achieving better hair care and as I semi reflect I need to go bac to the things I did in the beginning which really made a difference and I think for the remainder of my pregnancy I'm going to keep my hair in protective styles lik the box braids I had with my natural hair. Ill do those again after the holidays
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

No maintenance

2009-11-06T15:53:00.000-05:00

For the last month or so I've had my hair in this box braids. Been meanin to post this pics. This is about 2 wks ago when I cowashed my hair I decided to take some pics w my hair wet. It took me about 2 hours to do these braids and more than tht to take it out. I'm currently doin that. I like this style bc it is no maintenance and thts wht I need right now in my life.
This month is my birth month and I wanted to get a blow out for my birthday just to see my length, my little sis comes home and gets them all the time and it looks FAB so I'm curious. My dilemma however is tht I just found out I'm preggo w TWINS, yes twins and I'm not sure if I want to put that much stress on my tresses. I'm only about 11 wks and I figure its still early but idk I'm thinking about it. Ill post more pics once I get these braids out and wash my hair. I'm not sure if I'm due for a length check but ill probably do one any way
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Something new

2009-10-08T22:58:00.000-04:00

I decided to do something basic but still protective w my hair. I was browsing YouTube the other day and came across a great time progression video of her hair growth. She had done a lot of box braids as her grew, so I figured y not do the same. I did these braids 2 nights ago and I think tonight I'm going to attempt the baggy method. Its moisturizing ur hair or ends if u choose, sealing w an oil and then wearing a plastic cap to retain the moisture. The results r suppose to b great and immediately noticeable, so I'm gonna give it a try.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

2009-10-05T18:58:00.000-04:00

My puff, I love this thing. I think I enjoy it bc its gives me the hope of one day having a puff this grand. I'm so disappointed in myself, I started off so string w this hair thing and now its practically nonexistent. I think I went too strong in the beginning and didn't factor in my hectic schedule. I think tonight I'm gonna do a protein treatment while I study and then baggy my ends. In the am since I have no class I'm gonna box braid my hair and hopefully that will last for awhile. Unfortunately I did kinky twist my hair w extension but tht didn't last, I did them too big and ugly like lol
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Half wig

2009-08-19T22:42:00.000-04:00

Well I just got put on to half wigs and I thnk they r great. This is the 2 one tht I've had. Its a great way to let ur hair rest and u can remove it whenever u feel the need. Underneath my hair is in big braids. This school year I want to keep my hair in a protective style just bc I don't want to deal w doing it every day.

Probably next week I will put my hair back in the kinky twists that I had before. I really want to get a blowout from the Dominicans and I think I might do tht for my birthday in Nov.

Excuse the shiny forehead lol. I usually wear a headband or use a cut stocking as a headband where the wig lays just to kind if cover it and add style
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Back 2 Basic

2009-08-16T03:55:00.000-04:00

Today I came to the realization that things, relating to my hair, were better in the beginning when I didn't know. So how thru my busy schedule I made the time to moisturize my hair and braid it up at night and in all honesty I really just wanted to see if my hair would grow. I didn't believe that it would since it hadn't passed the length that it was, even my mother said the same. I browsed different fotkis and ready different hair sites and saw all the other great results that was being achieved by other women and thru sheer curiosity I decided to do the same.

Now I that I have seen that my hair will grow, I have slacked off and need to get back to the basic that I started with. Tonight I realized tht I can shower, brush my teeth and braid up my hair for the night in less than an hour. So I ask myself, why is this something that I haven't been doing, and I've realized that except for being a mother to my son, I had checked out mentally towards everything else. This is my public statement I guess to myself, admitting that and I'm slowly going to work towards reversing that and checking back into life. School will start back up again in a matter of weeks and I think I'm just SCARED. Scared of failure! This is more than a hair issue, my hair just happened to be caught in the crossfire of my life and I plan to regain it all back.
About 2 wks ago I trimmed about 1in off my hair. I had not cut my hair in about 2yrs and the ends were jacked up. I did this in an attempt to rid my hair of the old ends and start a fresh with better ends. So far not so good but I'm going to get back in the motion of doin Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) rinses after conditioning. I also started to get bored w wear my hair out. Silly me, how easily I forgot how I used to wear my hair and I will b goin back to the rod sets and 2 strand twists set on rods. Those styles always worked for me so why fix it if it aint broken? EXACTLY.

Ok had to get that out in the open, now I can fall asleep. Nighty Night!
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Nothing really

2009-07-17T23:09:00.000-04:00

Since the hair show last sun I haven't done anything to my hair. I'm just riding the hairstyle out. Got a lot of compliments on it and I do like it a lot but I can't wait to wash my hair. Once I do wash the style out I'm going to put my hair in the same coiled style that the top is in but just bigger, don't really hav the patience to do small coils. I'm definitely going to clip off the rough ends completely. It will go back and at least my ends will b better. Till then night!!
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Hairshow

2009-07-15T21:36:00.000-04:00

Here are some more pics from the hairshow hair done by Sabine from Sabine's Hallway 325 Franklin Ave Brooklyn NY
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Sabine's Hallways Natural Hair Salon Annual Hair and Fashion Show

2009-07-14T12:48:00.000-04:00

On Sun July 13, I was a model in a hair show by Sabine's Natural Hair Salon in Brooklyn NY. There was about 10 models in the show. All hair was doin by Sabine and Nicole, clothes by Not Just Vintage located in Brooklyn also and make u done by April Perry. Sabine specializes in all natural hair from dreds to fros to transitioners. So if your in brooklyn check her out at 325 Franklin Ave Brooklyn NY
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Just another day

2009-07-10T21:28:00.000-04:00

Last night after I finished blogging I decided to do an overnight oil treatment as I was planning to was my hair today. I used an oil mixture that I made consisting of EVOO, peppermint EO and castor oil? Maybe not sure about the last oil. And I bought some oil from an Indian grocer which is suppose to stop breakage. I put that on the scalp and did a quick scalp massage, donned a plastic bag and called it a night

This morning I co washed my hair and detangled and left my hair in 5 big twist and tied it up n a towel. About a hour later when I was ready to style, my hair was so soft and moisturized. I keep tellin myself to do this oil treatment regularly and I think I'm going to make a valid attempt at doing so.

I took out the twist and sprayed some leave in conditioner and smoothed some shea butter, fluffed and put on my flower. Even now that its completely dry there's still some softness to it
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

2009-07-10T00:53:00.000-04:00

Just a test
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Natural- versary

2009-07-10T00:40:00.007-04:00

This month of July represents my 3 year mark since my last relaxer. Im trying to find pictures of my hair before.

A couple days ago I did my first puff and I LOVED the way it came out, dont you? Its full and beautiful. Its a little lopsided but it was my first time doing this. To get this I co washed my hair, which by the way Ive been doing every 2nd day since it warmer out, I brushed up the sides and applied some Activator grl with aloe to moisturize and some Lets Jam soft hold to keep it together. I used a leg cut off from an old pair of pantyhose and tied around until I felt comfortable.

To cut or not to cut

2009-07-10T00:33:00.003-04:00

is definitely the question. I havent had my hair trimmed in about almost 2 years and my ends are starting to feel rough and you can definitely tell the difference from the ends and the rest of the hair. So I decided to so a very little trim and mayb Ill do this every 3 months until the ends are all gone. Now I understand why people dont like to get their hair trimmed. I feel like I should just cut off the bad ends off but then thats my growth that Im throwing out the window, so like I said I do a baby trim every 3 months until it better.

Im just backtracking because I just realized that I posted the pics of my hair in the curled twists without showing the twists before the curls. Im really enjoying how my hair has been looking these days!

After the Twists are out

2009-07-10T00:08:00.004-04:00

this pictures shows how much growth was made during the challenge. the top white fuzz ball is where the extenstions met.

Once I took out all of the twist I oiled my hair and did a 24 hour hot oil treatment. Once that was done this I carefully detangled each twist strand by strand, so I could retain as much hair as possible. Until now, Ive always just combed out the knots which is probably why my hair "never grew" I know now that I just wasnt retaining length. I learned this technique of detangling twists from Grow Afro Hair Long and I think that was the best piece of hair information that I have discovered thus far,

The big puff of hair on the right side is what came out from me detangling each twist, strand by strand and the left side is from when I detangled while co-washing.Here is my hair after the whole ordeal.

remember how I told you that my hair got completely pulled out in Feb 08? Well here is the current state of that section of hair. There is no longer a bald spot and the hair in that section is growing fine. Im so Happy. Ive been waiting so long to do some "Chiny Bumps" or Bantu Knots, whatever you wanna call it, becauseI couldnt because of the hair loss in the middle but now I can!!!

Playing catch up

2009-06-29T08:31:00.004-04:00

Ok so I have a BUNCH of pics that I took while I was on my work hiatus and Im going to post them in several different posts. While I was doing my 90 twist challenge, I did some research on doing a banana and coconut milk deep conditioner, I forget who I initally saw doing this but I thought it was interesting nonetheless.

I took 1 can of coconut milk and one banana along with some honey and blended it, then smooshed it into my freshly washed twist and donned a plastic cap then rinsed the next day. It left my twists feeling very soft and moisturized.

Here is the final result, soft and moisturized hair . zero products were added in this shot and you can see the shine. I braided up the hair to air dry when I slept and then released in the morning.

3 month length check

2009-06-29T08:22:00.007-04:00

Im so happy and proud of the way that my hair has been growing. If I only knew what I know now back then, who knows where my hair would be. In case you just joined us, in Jan of this year I made a vow to take better care of my hair and for th emost part I have been staying true to that.

So here is my 6 month hair length check. Im not ready to get my hair straightened so I just stretch the hair as far as it goes. These pictures were all taken at the end of the day and all I did was a simple wash n go.

Weight Loss Success

2009-06-17T23:38:00.002-04:00

Before I was trying to lose 20lbs by May but now Im just trying to lose 20lbs and whenever that happens then it does. Im proud to say that I have lost a total of 11lbs thus far and Im so HAPPY!!

What Ive Doing:
Havent really been consistently working out but I havent been eating after 8pm and not buying food. Ive been cooking my food and bringing it to work. About a week ago I decided to cut out carbs from my diet, all I was eating was steamed veggies and tuna fish and chick peas with tuna. From that I lost about 6 lbs and then I lost another 2. Im very happy and proud of myself.

2009-06-02T10:36:00.000-04:00

I didn't realize from my last post tht my 90 day kinky twist was due to end in 3 days. I actually enjoyed the break from having to do my hair. I think I might incorporate this into my hair regimen, maybe 2 months of my hair being out and then 3 months of a protective style

One day at work I was talking to my coworker who is Indian about my search for some local hennas. She just happened to hav about 5lbs of henna laying around bc her uncle hennas his hair but she's not into it. How great is that. She said that her family goes back to India frequently and they get it all the time. So I think I just found my local henna supplier!!

My goals for this summer:
-Henna hair every 2 wks
-wash hair everyday
-if I wear my hair out I will moisturize at night and braid it up

Overall, I'm really impressed by the amount of growth that I've achieved since January, I never thought that my hair would flourish the way it is and I'm definitely excited for the future

Also my 3 year Nappyversay is next month!!
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

2009-05-24T17:20:00.000-04:00

Ok so my work schedule has calmed down A LOT and is pretty much back to normal.

I last left you during my 90 day kinky twists which is scheduled to end on May 27. I took the extension kinky twists out about 2 wks ago. My hair was starting to dred and I only had it in for a month and a half. I was going to give up on the challenge but I decided against it. I did wear my hair out for about 4 days and then I twisted my natural hair and that's how I've been wearing it.
I did get a good amount of new growth so I'm excited

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Sat's dinnerdance

2009-04-20T10:27:00.001-04:00

this pic is from sat @ my job's family and friends dinner dance. Im just about over the half way mark with my 90 days, im at day 52. I have A TON of new growth and I have an idea for a new hairstyle but no time to devote to taking these out and putting in a fresh set. with in the last couple of weeks I havent been as diligent with my routine as I would like but Im trying

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

2009-04-20T10:21:00.001-04:00

This is a test. Trying to setup my mobile blogging so maybe ill be able to update more often....

So Sorry...

2009-04-03T21:49:00.003-04:00

for the hiatus, my work schedule has been nonstop for the last month.. I have so many pics to post and things to say but dont have the time to do it. I will try to get this up to date. I am currently on Day 37 and Im thinking that I need to redo my hair but Im going to try to redo it close to my trip to Miami which is the end of May. Im at work so Ill try to post this sunday which seems to be my only free evenings but I end up catching up on household chores and other things.

Bad week

2009-03-26T12:44:00.003-04:00

this week on the health tip wasnt a good one. So Ive lost 5lbs so far but I think Ive put it all back on this week. I started my new position at the other group home and Im not use to packing lunch/dinner for work so Ive been just dumping all kind of simple in a bag and taking with me to satisfy my hunger, that was Monday. Tues I didnt get a chance to cook because I took the meat out too late so I tried to grab some bread a can of tuna and some other stuff.

I ended up eating 1.5 beef patties and some cream soda for lunch. Not the bed lunch to eat. Ive also realize that Im doing so much that I forget to eat when I initially get hungry and when I do realize that Im hungry its at the point where Im starving and then I start scrambling for something to eat.

Yesterday for example I worked a double from 7-10am. Once I got to the second group home I was in training and doing this and that, would you believe I didnt sit down and eat until about 9 pm, mind you Im suppose to stop eating after 8pm.

I did manage to get 2 good workouts in on Monday and Tues mornings and I felt so hopeful about the week but this wasnt the best week. I have to find a balance between working and exercising and eating right and being a mother and everything else I have to be..

Wish Me Luck!

yea right,

2009-03-26T12:37:00.003-04:00

so like I had said at the beginning of the month, I was suppose to spend money only on essential things. I must say that I started off good, but this last paycheck I got distracted, I dont know what happened. I mean I did order Chinese food but it was steamed chicken and broccoli with brown rice and I did get a subway sandwich last night, but other than that I havent been buying food like I used to. I went out to eat once but that was on my son's father.

I have been however buying little things here and there that I see that are on sale like batteries, dog food, baby food, makeup, lip gloss. The latter 2 aren't needed but it was buy one get one free lol. Im going to analyzes my bank statement and see what I could eliminate from buying. Next month Im really cracking down and getting serious and Ive got my coworker in on it as well so we'll see.

So behind..

2009-03-26T12:18:00.003-04:00

Sorry I havent been posting regularly. I recently got a promotion at my job and Im transitionging so Im doing my new Asst Sup role and my intial position so Im working like crazy but its all good. Im going to try to post the pics from sun, Im shooting to do that on Friday.

As always Im at work now and Ive been searching for Indian grocery stores to see if they had any henna and I found one not to far from my job. They had a good selection of henna and other hair oils, so I didnt really know what to get. I know on a henna for hair the site owner really breaks it down regarding the history and what henna is and everything. Its very imformative and a must if henna'ing is a thought. So I went out on a limb and bought a 200g pack of a Nupur Mehendi and I was very happy that I was able to find a site for it. This package is 100% Mehendi and it has Alma- helps darken haor and promote growth, Brahmi-promotes hair growth and Bkringraj- makes hair black and luxurious.

Im excited but I cant do anything to my head as of yet I just about at 30 days so I have awhile to go before I can do anything to mine but I will experiment on my moms hair. Her hair is very thin and since I got her using some of the hair oils Ive made and taught her about the cowashing her hair has grown a great amount. I still havent done the kinky twist in her head for lack of time but if we can dedicate a day I would like to henna her hair and then kinky twist it.

I also bought a bottle of Dhathri Hair Care Herbal Oil, which the man at the store said was very good and I bought a bottle of Vitka HairOil

I think I might use some of the Vitka tonight before going to bed

finally.....

2009-03-22T17:57:00.002-04:00

Today is the day, Im finally going to wash my hair. YYAAYYY for my hair. its been over a week and a half since my last co-wash. This work week is going to be a little crazy so I have to do it know. Im going to cowash with HE Hydralicious the purple one and Im going to try a homemade deep conditioner. I was researching some things other naturals put in theirs, I have most of the common ingredients but Im just going to wing it and see what happens. Also I have to make another batch of my whipped Shea Mango butter mixture. Since Ive been using the raw Shea butter on my face Im going to whip some up as well as a body cream. So Ill back on later tonight with an update.

Day 20

2009-03-19T08:33:00.002-04:00

I havent really been keeping up with my routine as much as I would like to but my new growth is coming in at a steady rate. I still spritz my hair with the Infusim 23 and water concoction I made and seal with Shea Mango butter, when I remember, and it seems to be doing a good job. However I haven washed my hair since Fri the 7th. I keep telling myself I need to do it but tonight I will. Im going to the gym and Ill probably do an oil treatment while Im working out and then come home and finally wash my hair.

Im suppose to be doing the same kinky twist on my sis's head before she goes back to school on Sun and my mother wants me to do hers as well. I have my work cut out for me.

I do think that at the half way mark I will redo my twist entirely, I mean this set still looks pretty decent but I think I just want to start a new. Also I might be going to Miami end of May so I might keep the twist in longer than the 90 days, I 'll keep you informed

Slow and steady wins the race

2009-03-18T08:42:00.001-04:00

So I started my weight loss journey last Monday. My goal is to lose 20lbs
by May 09 and I've got my 2 friends on the bandwagon as well. I've had a gym membership to Lucille Roberts since last summer and I stopped going once I was about 3 months into my pregnancy. Now that my son is almost 22wks I think its time to get this weight off. I've actually lost the "baby weight" through breastfeefding that instantly took off the 20lbs I put on so now I'm essentially left with the weight I had before I was
pregnant and before I started working out.

My plan is to hit the gym everyday starting with 1 class and and I want to work my way up to doing 2 45 min classes and then 30 mins on the treadmill. I really enjoy the classes that they offer and I really like that gym because its an all women gym, you don't have to worry about a
a cute guy on the treadmill and being conscious of him while your working out. All of the women there are there for the same cause and there are women from every culture there.

Last week was a little rough and I only made it to the gym on Monday and this week I slept in on Monday because I had a busy weekend and needed to recharge. My lilttle sis is home on spring break and she came with me and enjoyed the workout. My starting weight was 186 and I'm at 184 as of yesterday so I'm getting there one pound at a time.

I need..

2009-03-07T18:02:00.004-05:00

to get it together. I really dont want to be one of those women whose child is 5 and they're still talking about "its the baby weight". It is my goal to get back into the gym, since i paying for it anyway, and lose about 20lbs by end of May early June. I was able to do it last Dec before I got preggos so I know I can do it now.

The only thing is I cant go as hard as I was before because the section tissue is still healing, its only been 5 months, so I have to watch it. Im going to see if they have a Pilates class and spend some time on the Elliptical.

I have to do something and I guess I'll be charting my progress on here as well.

I bought what?

2009-03-07T17:50:00.002-05:00

SO this month was suppose to be a "Spend Free" one but umm...I bought 3 things. *holding head down in shame* I was at work and I was so tired while doing Am runs that I stopped to get some coffee in an attempt to keep me awake. I spent about $6, I also got a cheeseburger..I was hungry

Then they opened a new Target by my job and I was with my son and bf so we went inside to see how it was. I have this thing for travel sized toiletries, because I put them in a make up bag and leave it in the car in case I forget to put on deodorant in the morning, I have some on had. So I got some of those and wet wipes for the baby and they had 24 case packs of water for $2, which is a deal. most importantly I finally bought my son a jumper. I was in between one made by Baby Einstein and the Exerscauer, ranging from about $85-100, and I was eyeing to see if i could get one on sale. This day the new Target has the Baby Einstein Jumper on sale for about $65. I was all over it and I dont regret it. My son is slowly liking it so its worth it. My grand total at target was $100...who spends that much at Target? Idk also they had baby socks for $.89 cents.

Then yesterday I was working at another group home and I stopped to get some coffee from Seven11 and that was it, no actually I got coffee from Seven11 twice.

Thats actually not bad considering Ive been having an urge for McDonalds and Ive been bringing food to work so I dont get tempted.

Ive got to do better!!

Day 8....UPDO

2009-03-07T17:14:00.008-05:00

I had to leave work early yesterday and didnt get to post so I just posted it today. Anyhoo, so I went home lastnight and didnt feel like washing my hair so I left the oil in and did an almost 24 hr hot oil treatment. Around 1pm today I was able to tend to my hair.

I put the twist in 2 loose pig tails. I ran some warm over to rinse out the oil, then I used V05 chamomile tea cond to cowash. I liked it because its very light and I was able to put some on my hands and apply it between the pigtail. I let it sit while I washed up then I stood under the stream to let the cond rinse out.

Once I got out I put a t-shirt around the head to catch the water and got dressed. I sprayed some Infusim 23 all over the roots, then my Jamaican castor oil concoction all over as well. I made a Coconut oil, Castor oil mixture with some EO and I poured some in my palm and rubbed it down the parts. My scalp gets dry so this was my way of "greasing" my scalp. Lastly I melted some Shea Mango mixture in my hands and smoothed it down the twist stopped about where my natural hair ends.

I wasnt exactly sure how I was going to replicate the accidental updo I did yesterday so I just did a completely new one. I like when the back of the hair is woven like a basket weave, where you basically alternately pull hair up from each side of the head as you go up. Once I got to the top I grabbed a section and rolled it onto itself and then pinned it on top of the hair from the basketweave and did the front section the same way.

It came out very cute and the entire process took about an hour give or take 10 mins. As I was pulling out of my driveway this guy who's apparently my neighbors brother , approached my car and told me how I was pretty and this that and the third, so I know I did something right lol

Day 7..(yesterdays post)

2009-03-06T18:42:00.005-05:00

only 93 more days to go lol. So far things have been going well. Tonight when I get home Im actually going to be washing my hair. Im at work right now and Im doing a hot oil treatment to my scalp and hair. What I did was before I left for work, I massaged in a mixture I made, dont really remember what I put it but I think its EVOO, peppermint EO, Jojoba oil and I cant remember i made it awhile back. I did a 5 min scalp massage and donned a clear shower cap then a black crocheted beany so you cant really tell.

According to my coworker, however you can see the plastic , as she pointed out lol. I did this to treat my scalp because it been a little itchier than usual. I had my br check to see if the scalp was dry but it wasnt Idk why this has happened but I figured the heat from my scalp and the oils do rectify this issue.

Today my son had a check up and while I was waiting for the Dr to see him I had unintentionally put my hair up in some kind of bun with no mirrors, no pins, no anything.

My bf happened to take a pic of me and the baby as I was consoling him after his vaccines and the updo was captured...might I say how nice it looked, so now Im not sure if I want to recurl the hair or wash it and wear it in an updo.

Now that im thinking about it, this week I will do an updo to change up the look. When I get home I'll try to post the pic of the updo, how I wore my hair tonight at work and the updo results. This should be a quick hair night, considering Im doing the longest part now.

Also almost every other day Ive be spritzing my hair with Infusium 23 and then a mixture of Jamacian Black Castor Oil, water, Rosemary and Lavendar EO's and a little Suave Trop Coconut cond. then I melt some of my Shea Mango butter mixture and smooth that on the ends then go.

3 month hair check

2009-03-01T20:41:00.014-05:00

At first I didnt think that my hair was retaining any length because when I would detangle my hair I felt like so much hair was coming out, some of which had the white cuticle at the ends and others didnt indicating breakage. However pictures do not lie and I can definitely see and feel the difference since I started taking care of my hair. Here is my 3 month hair check, I started in Jan 09 and my first check is now Mar 09.

Spend Free Month

2009-03-01T08:00:00.003-05:00

Since I will be back in school in the fall, I am determined not to take out another loan for this extra year. Im already not liking the student loan debt that Im in and this is only undergrad, smh. So my biggest plan this year is to save up and pay for school myself. I need about $10,000 to cover the fall and spring. Im only taking one class in the fall and 4 in the spring. Actually lets bump that up to $12,000 because I want to take a summer class as well to boost my gpa.

So Im declaring March as a "no spend" month.
-I will not make any purchases, no restaurants, no malls, no EXTRAS!!!
- Im only going to pay my bills at the beginning of the month
- Im going to spend my money on the basics ie gas, food, and minimal extras for my son, which really shouldnt happen because he's well stocked.
- I will be putting all unused money in my savings account and opening a 6 month CD in April to build the money
- I will also stick to my budget as outlined

Also as a precautions Im taking out all of my credit cards from my wallet and putting them away. I have so many things that Ive been meaning to return back to the stores and this month I will do that which is extra money. depending on how this goes I may be doing a "no spend" month every other month. This is going to require some great discipline but this is something that is important to me. So I will updating you on my progress and any temptations Im feeling along the way. Feel free to join along, it doesnt have to be a month but it is a real test to see how much we spend monthly on extras that could be saved.

Day 3

2009-03-01T07:43:00.005-05:00

Hey guys,
So this is day 3 of my kinky twist 90 day challenge. I did the twist on Friday evening after work, it took about 6.5 hours, with a couple breaks to tend to my son. The reason I am doing this is my life is a little hectic at this moment and doing my hair everyday is something I wish I could do but Ive proven that it cant be done they way I want it to, so Im taking a break and giving my hair a chance to do its thing.

What I will be doing:
co-washing my hair every week
spritzing my scalp and moisturizing the ends
"pre-poo" hot oil treatments

What I will not be doing:
combing my hair
no cutting
basically not really touching my hair

I still havent decided if Im going to redo them every month, maybe half way through Ill see if it needs re-doing. Im at work so Ill be posting pictures later when I get home for you to see .

My hair was in twist after I had washed it the night before and I twisted my hair twist by twist. I applied some more Shea Mango butter mixture to each section then twisted, just as a final moisture attempt. After each strand was twisted I set it on blue or grey perm rods. Once my entire head was completed I dipped the rollers into hot water and then took out the rollers.

The final result wasnt what I had envisioned. I wanted tight curls and I know where I went wrong. 1st I ran out of blue perm rods and the beauty supply store was closed already so I had to use the grey ones which I normally use to curl my natural hair. Needless to say the diameter was too big for the look I was going for. So some curls came out very tight, like I wanted, and others very loose. I spend the better part of Sat morning with my mom attempting to recurl the ones that didnt take. 2nd the next time I might do the twists a little smaller, I did them medium sized because I didnt want to spend all night doing my hair. Overall I am happy with the results but I see that I will have to recurl the ends every week, well the ones that have gotten straight.

ETA: Here are the pics

washed and conditioned

I bought 3 packs of hair and used almost all of the 3 packs. I cut the hair in half right down the middle instead of using the entire length of the hair. This way gives you a shorter twist set

The final results

not the best but not the worst, theres room for improvement

90 day challenge

2009-02-27T11:30:00.003-05:00

I know Ive been MIA for the week, but I had to handle some personal issues that arose over last weekend, which resulted in me not really touching my hair all week. So sad I know.
Update: Im starting my 100 day twist challenge today!!
last night I clarified my scalp and hair with Giovanni 50/50, this time only putting it on my scalp. Oh wait no first thing I did was do an oil treatment with a mixture that I made up, then I clarified. (Sorry if I seem a little rushed, Im at work and Im trying to make this post quick :-)) Then i put some Giovanni LID, Jamacian Black Castor Oil, and then my Shea Mango Butter mixture. I did these in that same order. Oh wait I forgot that I did an Organic Root Stimulator replenish pak treatment. I put that in after I detangled with VO5. Ok this is the order in which I did it:
Oil treatment-Homemade
Clarify- Giovanni 50/50
Detangle- VO5
Protein treatment- ORS Replenish Pak
Moisturize- Giovani DLI
Seal- Jamaican Blk Castor OIl, homemade Shea Mango Butter mixture.

I did an overnight treatment with the ORS and my hair was in big twist the entire time. I woke up and rinsed that out and sealed the ends. Once the hair was mostly air dried I pinned up the twist because I had to work this morning. Once I get home Im going to start the twist.

Change of plan...

2009-02-20T17:40:00.005-05:00

Like I told you guys before in April I was going to do 90 day twists....I think Im going to start next month..well actually in a weeks time. Im moving it up because this week Ive barely touched my head and I wanted to wash it yesterday but that never happened and its still out from the last time I did it. I need a break from it always being out and my hairs grows better when its braided up.

I plan on doing the twist myself, because its a lot cheaper and ...well..yea its cheaper and I need my little pennies now more than ever lol, Im going to plan to put the twist in on Tues March 3, my day off. It will probably take me most of the day especially with the baby. Im going to wash my hair with Giovanni 50/50 clarifying shampoo Monday night and do an overnight deep conditioner with ORS hair mayo with an egg mixed in, and I plan on repeating that every month. Im not sure if I want to redo the twist every month or just let them stay in the entire 90 days..Ill keep you updated on my decision.

Im having big expectations for my hair this summer. Ive been doing A LOT of research on henna and cassia obotava and its effects on hair and Im convinced that thats where I want to go next, Ill do another post on that. I believe that the best way for me to achieve my expectations is to do this 90 twists.

I heart technology

2009-02-19T15:41:00.002-05:00

On Weds of this week and upgraded my phone to the IPhone from the AT&T Tilt. BIG IMPROVEMENT!! I havent fallen for my phone like this in awhile. Now I see what the big hoopla was about. This phone ROCKS!! Not only is it sleek and slim but the graphics and apps are the best.

The only con that Ive run into so far is that I cant send pic messages like other phones and thats a big downside because Im used to getting crazy picture messages from friends and co-workers and sending pictures of my son also and now I cant do that. The only way that Ive seen that it could be done is through email and the whole point of picture messages is that you get the message right away. 1 strike for IPhone.

The biggest pro and it maybe because Im in nursing, but just a few minutes ago I was browsing through the apps and discovered a section for medical applications. Guess what applications I found?? Epocrates, Skyscape, Tabers Medical Dictionary and tons of other. Those of you in the nursing or medical field period know how resourceful this programs are and best of all you can download them to your phone for FREEE!!!!(Well almost for the aforementioned you already have to have a subscription but still some aspects are completely free.) Im besides myself with joy because it was recommended that we buy Palm Pilots with some of these programs on it and mine was in my car when it got stolen. Nonetheless the police found the car but obviously the Palm Pilot wasnt there. So now I can have these resources right at my fingertips and now I dont have to shell out another $300. I cant wait to go home and tell my mother, who's a nurse, about this. I know she'll appreciate the discovery. Next semester is going to be great, MedSurg Im ready for you now..sike lol

Shea Mango Butter mixture

2009-02-17T18:03:00.009-05:00

Finally....IM going to share my Shea Mango Butter hair moisturizer that I made. I wanted to try it out and its definitely worth sharing. It has made my hair super soft and really moisturized.

Supplies:

Unrefined Shea Butter

Manngo Butter

Monoi Tiare de Tahiti

Vegetable Glycerin

Honey

Coconut Oil

Hand mixer

I mixed the shea butter until it was creamy

then I added the mango and blended the 2

then I added the rest of the ingredients and blended until the mixture just about doubled in size and it was smooth

I washed, sanitized and reused some old hair products containers and poured the mixture into them to store. The first is a baby food container lol

I didnt measure out anything and I honestly didnt mean to make this much I forgot that when you whip it, it doubles. I try to use this everyday right after I spritz my hair and and before I go to bed and I have noticed that it leaves my hair so soft and moisturize.

The only thing that I will do differently is melt the Shea and Mango butter becuase there were little chunks of it in the mix, also Im going to experiment use EVOO and Jojoba Oil. As you can see all of the ingredients have moisture retaining properties.

M.I.A

2009-02-17T15:02:00.004-05:00

Im back after a long weekend. So the last time I did my hair was last Fri night. What I did was co-wash w/ HEHH, detangle w/ my Jilbere shower comb and sealed my ends with Giovanni LID, Whipped Shea and Mango Butter mixture and Curl Junkie Coffee Coco Curl Creme. I was reading Chicoro's Fotki and decided to try her sealing method. Basically after washing your hair, to seal your hair, you want to start with a water based moisturizer, then an oil based one and finally an emulisified base. Thats the combination that I used above. I did 2 strand twist all over my head and set the ends on perm rods. In the morning I pulled apart the 2 strand twist and pinned back the front. I didnt really take good pictures this time..Sorry lol

My hair was a little crunchy I probably put too much Curl Junkie, but it was cute for the day. To maintain the style, each morning I spary my homemade 50/50 glycerin, aloe vera moisturizer all over and then melt some whipped Shea Mango butter mixture in my hands and rub that in to my hair to seal , fluff out the hair and keep it moving. Sunday I packed up the baby and we went on a little roadtrip that led us to Columbia, MD. We actually went to my cousin's son 1st birthday party. We had fun, but man there was A LOT of children lol. Guess that what I have to look forward to....but actually I am. Its crazy who you meet and what you can learn from them. At the birthday party there was this woman with the thickest hair ever, and it was gorgeous, I wish my hair was like that. We bagan talking about our hair and what we do and I started telling her about my Shea Mango butter mixture and her response was something to the effect of "wow, Im gonna use you as my hair inspiration" and that really made my day. Can you imagine, little 'ole me inspiring someone else with techniques and tips to better the health of their hair?!?! Im still learning but life is all about paying it forward. Its no good for you to learn something if you cant take that information and help the next person out.

What to do...90 day hair Challenge?

2009-02-13T21:55:00.005-05:00

Ok so its Friday night and Im still at work. When I go home I have to do something to my head..but Im not quite sure what to do. Im thinking of doing 2 strand twist and taking that out in the morning for church. I cant wait for my hair to get longer so that I can rock the 2 strand twist on its own or pin it up and wear it like that. Right now its still too short to pin up in a nice enough style.

Im really thinking of doing a 90 day challenge where I keep my hair in, lets say kinky twist, so I dont hav to really touch my hair because Im thinking the less I manipulate my hair the better. I would redo the twists every month and do a clarifying wash to the hair. During each month that my hair is twisted up I would do a weekly co-wash and moisturize daily. I said that I would give myself 3 months to see if I can develop a routine so that would bring me to the end of March. I think I am going to do that starting April 1, Im going to wash and clarify my hair then do kinky twist, myself and redo them every month. Then Ill check my hair progress from there.

For tonight however Im still not sure what I want to do, but I will be co-washing, moisturizing then sealing.

I Love Money 2

2009-02-12T11:42:00.007-05:00

As usual I did get my Monday fix of reality tv shows. This week Im going to highlight VH1's " I Love Money2" which airs 9pm Mondays on VH1. This show is the second season, its a bunch of different reality show stars from the various shows, ie "Flavor of Love", "I Love NY" "Rock of Love" etc. I just want to talk about Leilene, from "Flavor of Love" cant remember which season. She's the Asian woman who was a stripper and she got really upset when someone called her out about it. She claims she strips to support her children and that shes a good mother to them. In Monday's episode it was just incredible how she wants to be so accepted by her cast masts that she allows herself to be walked over by everyone.

Long story short, Leilene, Buckwild and Onyx were up for elimination and Buckwild and Shapphyri ,both cast masts from "Flavor of Love", convinced her that it would be better for her to quit the show so that they could vote in another player to be eliminated. Leilene ends up flirting and liking the opponent who has the task to chose who goes home and he starts to convince her to quit the show also. Leilene is so clueless and delusional and its just sad, her own "friends" were trying to get her to leave just to save their own behinds and the guy she seems to be "falling for" is playing her just the same. Mind you in the same episode, she admitted that she had a big crush on Buddha....poor lady. I feel really bad for her children, how are they suppose to look up to her when she cant even get herself together. I hope they have a good support system raising them because she obviously aint cutting it. Check out the clip...

VH1 TV Shows Music Videos Celebrity Photos News & Gossip

Plain 'Ole Tired

2009-02-12T11:27:00.006-05:00

Sorry guys, Ive been tired and not really feeling like spending time on the computer...but Im back. So the last post I did I had perm rod set my hair and that was last Fri and Ive actually been wearing my hair in the same style all week. I dont know but I prefer older curls, especially when the hair starts to puff out, verses newer ones. Since I started my hair journey, this has been the longest Ive gone without doing anything to my head. Actually I needed a break, its a very tedious process and with work and my son I just needed to step back from the routine for a quick minute but now Im back.

I havent washed or styled my hair since last Fri, but I have been moisturizing it with my whipped Shea and Mango butter concoction I conjured up last Sat night and spritzing my hair with a 50/50 mixture of Aloe Vera Gelly and Vegetable Glycerin and a few drops of Rosemary and Peppermint EO. What I can say is that Shea and Mango Butter mixture is the BOMB!! My hair isnt dry and dull and its so soft. I noticed the difference Sun morning when I went to fluff my hair for work. It was hydrated and extremely soft and I was taken aback by it actually. I have always known my hair to be very coarse and similar to Brillo pads, in texture, but it actually felt like Cotton....can you believe it?!?! What I did the night before I just sealed my ends with the Shea Mango Butter and rubbed some in my entire head, sprayed my hair with the Aloe/Glycerin mixture and donned my satin bonnet and by the time I woke up, I had fluffy Cotton hair lol

Im not really sure what I want to do with my hair this week, Im working on Valentine's Day night so its not like Im going out. My boyfriend really like the curls and liked when I separated them even better so I might do that again but separate the curls the next day instead of waiting a couple days.

Curl Junkie Coffee-Coco Curl Creme

2009-02-07T17:37:00.004-05:00

Last night I did the same perm rod set that I did on Tuesday and it came out 10 times better than the first attempt. The Shea butter didnt come but my package from Curl Mart did and in it was myCurl Junkie Coffee-Coco Curl Creme. Im not very fond of the smell but it did produce a very nice curl to my hair and the smell was gone after the hair dried. As I was about to roll the hair I added some of the Curl Creme then rolled the hair on the grey perm rods. There was a white residue on some curls in the back that my sister noticed, but it couldve been because I used too much. I tend to use a lot of stuff but Im working on that. Im going to post some pics of my hair tonight. This just might be added to my staple of products as a curl defining creme

the first 2 pics are without the Curl Creme. Theres definitely a difference

Shea and Mango Butter

2009-02-07T17:33:00.004-05:00

Finally my package came...and inside was a pound of Unrefined Shea Butter, 1/2 pound of Mango Butter and 2oz of Monoi De Tahiti oil, all of which I ordered from Crap Apple Soap. I cant wait to make a homemade Shea, Mango butter mixture. Ive heard and read many great reviews and comments about Shea Butter on hair especially. Thats something that Ive been working on, ways to keep my hair moisturized. I plan on making my mixture tomorrow afternoon when I come home from work.

Hair today...Gone tomorrow

2009-02-06T21:33:00.003-05:00

When I became fully natural I decided that I would keep my hair braided up because thats when it grew the most. I would get box braids, full head weaves and didnt really wear my hair out, only in between. So on this one occasion I went to another salon under a good recommendation, whenever my beautician does a full head weave it looks a little bulky to me so I wanted to try somewhere new.....first mistake- Stick with what you know. So the girl who I was recommend to go asked another stylist to braid my hair up for her and she starts to braid up my hair in a beehive and Im telling her not to braid so tightly and she listens and it was that bad. As the girl is starting to sew the weave in I feel my head getting very warm and my head starts to hurt but we keep going....second mistake- I shouldve stopped her right there and took the entire thing out since she was in the process, but I didnt. I wasnt sure if it was the whole process compounded with me being hungry. It got so bad at one point that I had to step outside to get some air, but like I said I wasnt sure if it was the hair being done and being hungry, because I do get very bad hunger headaches. I finally went back inside and ordered some food, I ate and felt a little better. Needless to say my hair came out so flyyyy, so I was happy. I change my hairstyles frequently and about a month later I was ready to take the weave out. So my boyfriend and I did so, I go in the shower to wash my hair and as Im washing my hair, CHUNKS of hair start to come out in my hand, so Im trying not to panic and pass out. Im crying as I wash my hair and more hair comes out. So I get out of the shower, by this time I cant even breathe or talk to relay the message to my boyfriend. I sit on the floor and turn around to show him my head, and hes silent, for what seemed to be a hour, and all you can hear is me crying. I ask him if it was that bad and he slowly says..."yea babe, it is". There was a golf ball sized patch of hair missing, like as if someone shaved my head with a blade. I cried for hours and started to hyperventilate and I really thought I was going to pass out. I went back to the salon and showed her what happened and she had the nerve to ask me if I had cut the hair out. Now if I had cut the hair then there would still be some hair left in the scalp, but there was NOTHING!! Just a patch of shiny, clear scalp with no piece of hair insight. I was too through and didnt want her touching my hair ever in my life. I thought about suing her behind but that wasnt going to bring my hair back and talking real bad about her and the salon. For awhile there was nothing I could really do but try to use the hair around it to try to cover the spot. Over time it seemed like the spot grew bigger to about the diameter of a tennis ball. Thank God it eventually grew back and its not as noticeable as before. Ive learned my lesson and Im never letting anyone new touch my hair..not even to wash it.

2009-02-05T19:33:00.005-05:00

Curl Junkie Coffee-Coco Curl Creme

I ordered this product last sat and it just arrived in the mail today!! Im excited to use it especially since I desperately needed something to help with the curls when I set my hair on perm rods. Im going to try the style again using the Curl Junkie Creme and hopefully Ill get great results.

Here is the promise:
Enriched with Authentic Monoi Coconut oil, Coffee Bean & Shea butters, and a host of exotic oils, create super moisturized, defined curls and coils with this rich curl crème! Combines the moisturizing properties of a leave-in conditioner with the hold of a light styling gel. Adds weight and provides light to medium hold for curls.

I dont like the smell of it, I dont know if its the coffee or the coco but Im not feeling it..Im tempted to return it but I want to see if it holds up to its promise and expectations, as Ive only heard nothing but great reviews for this product. Tomorrow night Im going to attempt the same hair style that Ive been wearing for the past couple of days, a roller set on perm rods, here is a post pic 2 days. The curls really didnt form all over so its a puffy, curly...something lol what I can say is that my hair is very soft, which hasnt happened in awhile, but the ends are a little crunchy which Im attributing to the S-curl Gel that I used.

Reality Junkie

2009-02-04T18:34:00.004-05:00

Im a reality tv addict. I love it!! I cant help myself but to be draw to the foolishness. From "Flavor of Love", "I Love NY", "Real Chance of Love" and even "Rock of Love", the people at VH1 really know how to tickle my fancy. Their monday line up has always been the highlight of the new work week. Now with Ray J's new show "For the Love of Ray J" VH1 has taken it to a whole 'nother level!! These women are too much especially the booty poppin, Im in love with a stripper chick.

VH1 TV Shows Music Videos Celebrity Photos News & Gossip

I would love to be on one of these reality shows but I have morals and values and wouldnt subject myself to be devalued, but I dont mind living vicariously for a hour, through these shows. I guess thats why Im so addicted lol. Ever since I was younger I have always wanted to be on MTV'S "Road Rules" but thats a flop now and Ive even considered "Real World" but Im a mother now and I would disgrace my son like that. Each week Im going to be posting updates and my thoughts regarding whats happening...so stay tuned

Cinderella.....Giovanni 50/50......Aphogee

2009-02-04T17:09:00.010-05:00

Tuesdays are my only day off so I usually spend it catching up on household chores, cooking and cleaning, so yesterday was no different. Unfortunately I didnt get to start dealing with my hair until about 11pm and soon after I started my son woke up needless to say I didnt finish everything till about 2 and didnt go to sleep till after 3am. Anyways my hair didnt come out the way I wanted it to but I know where I went wrong and will correct it the next go round. 1st- my shea and mango butter didnt come in the mail yet and I wouldve preferred to use that instead of S-Curl Gel. 2nd- I was rushing and didnt really smooth out the hair before rolling it which left some curls frizzy and 3rd- some curls werent dry all the way but it was after 6 30am and I was running late for work. I pretty much stuck with the routine I outlined before here is what I did:

- all day pre-poo with castor/coconut oil mixture and HE Hello Hydration Cond
- clarify with Giovanni 50/50
- Aphogee 2 Min Keratin treatment
- Co-wash and detangle with HE Hello Hydration Cond
- Giovanni DLI then Castor/coconut oil mixture to seal ends
- I set my hair on perm rods
I did forget to do a final rinse with the ACV.

When I took my vow I did some research by looking at other peoples blogs and websites dedicated to natural hair care and I stumbled across a video demonstrating the proper way to detangle knots and that was a God send. Usually I would try to untangle it, to no avail then I get so frustrated that I would end up ripping my hair but this video has helped me keep a lot of my hair, Im going to try to find the video because those simple steps are an invaluable lesson to retain your hair. I finger detangled my hair first and took out any knots before using my Jilbere comb and when I did go to comb the hair, it was like a warm knife cutting butter and a lot less hair broke and shed. This is all the hair that was lost during my 20 minute detangling session. Since I started moisturizing and taking care of my hair the amount of hair that is lost has significantly decreased and I can see that the hair lost is coming from the root because of the white bulb on the ends. Theres still some broken ends but things are looking better than before.

Aphogee 2 Min Treatment
The first time I used Aphogee 2 min treatment my curls got super duper define and my hair shrunk to half its normal size when wet and I wish I wouldve taken a picture to show you guys what I meant. I used this product again and my hair did shrink but not as bad as the first time.

the first picture is my hair after using Giovanni 50/50 and the next is after the Aphogee treatment, can you see the tightness of the curls? I wasnt sure if that was suppose to happen but I like the product because it strengthened my hair

Giovanni 50/50 Hydrating/Clarifying Shampoo
This shampoo was the bomb. Usually when I use shampoos it leaves my hair matted and just dry until I used a conditioner which restores some type of manageability. As Ive learned that "stripped" feeling the shampoo leaves is because of the sulfates used in most shampoo. This shampoo however left my hair feeling soft and moist, however I cant give it complete credit because I did do just about a 24 hr pre-poo, but the combo of both was great. I used too much because I usually have to use A LOT of shampoo because my hair just drinks it up. This however my hair LOVED and is deemed the first staple in my hair routine. It lather very well for a non sulfate organic shampoo. If your looking for a great clarifying shampoo try this one.

After all was said and done here is the end result, some parts were more curled than others. The next time along with using Shea and Mango butter instead of S-Curl Gel, Im going to only use the grey rods because it is smaller and those curls on the grey rollers came out perfect and I will sit under a hooded dryer to make sure my hair does dry.

as you can see the curls around the front came out better then the middle

Giovanni 50/50 Balanced Hydrating/Clarifying Shampoo

2009-02-02T17:34:00.007-05:00

Last night I made a stop at my local supermarket and was walking down the hair supplies aisle and I saw a section with a bunch of Giovanni Products and was immediately excited, but that didn't last long when I saw that the prices were jacked up from Whole Foods. The nearest Whole Foods is a short journey but nonetheless a journey and it was much more convenient to purchase it there. Ive been looking for a good product to clarify my hair with. I'm going to start with every month to gauge the difference then Ill take it from there. This Giovanni 50/50 Balanced Hydrating/ Clarifying Shampoo is all organic and the ingredients looks ok to me, no cones, parabens or mineral oil.

This is what it reads:
When hair is dry, it needs a drink. Give it the hydration it needs, and wants, with a balance of ingredients that infuse moisture while locking in color. 50/50 Balanced Shampoo balances the art of clean with supreme protection. Gentle enough for every day, superior shine is on the way. Smile. This is happy hour... for your hair.

Ingredients: Aqua (purified water), Rosemary (Rosemarinus Officinalis) Oil, Nettle (Urtica Dioica) oil, Thyme (Thymus Vulgaris) Oil, Birch Leaf (butela alba) oil, Chamomile (anthemis nobilis flower) oil, Clary (salvia sclarea), Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia), Coltsfoot leaf (tussilago fargara), Yarrow (Achillea Millefolium) oil, Mallow (Malya Sylvestris), Horsetail (Equisetum arvense) oil, Soybean Protein (Glycine Soja), C12 - 14 olefin Sulfonate (coconut derived), Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Tocopherol (Vit. E), Trace Minerals, Citric Acid (corn), Sodium Hydroxymethlyglucinate, Sodium Chloride Sea Salt, Grapefruit Seed (citrus derived)

I will be using it tomorrow so Ill let you know how it goes

Happy February!!!

2009-02-02T17:19:00.004-05:00

I cant believe its already February, before we know it we're going to be half way through the year. This weekend was a rather busy one, not really but when your sleep-deprived it seems that way. Finally my son slept through the night and hopefully we can get him back on track with sleeping at night.

I haven't done much with my hair because Ive been so tired. Ive been wearing it in the same afro from sat morning. Last night while talking to my mom about our hair I decided to see if I would be able to put some curls in it. So I grabbed a piece of hair, put some s-curl activator on the piece and set it on a perm rod and in a couple hours it did curl, so now my objective for tomorrow is to set my entire head...what a mission Im setting myself up for.

This is what I plan to do:
- Pre-poo tonight with a Coconut/Castor Oil mixture I made and do a 5 min scalp massage
-Wash hair tomorrow with Giovanni 50/50 clarifying shampoo
- Aphogee 2 minute keratin treatment
- detangle/DC w/ HE Hello Hydration w/ 30 mins of heat under hooded dryer
-ACV rinse to seal cuticle
- Giovanni DLI and Coconut/ Castor Oil as a sealant
-Set hair on perm rods w/ S-curl activator gel

I really wish my Shea and Mango Butter would be delivered tomorrow so I could use that instead of the S-curl Gel, but I highly doubt it. If any of you know something else I could use to define and set the curls better, feel free to let me know

So Ill keep you posted on the results!!!

Chirst's coming, 2011????

2009-01-31T16:58:00.002-05:00

Im a born and raised Seventh Day Adventist Christian. Those of you who have never heard of the religion we believe that the 7th day, Saturday is the day God designated as the day of rest from all forms of work, it is the day that we are suppose to rest and reflect on the wonders God has done in our lives. We believe in Christ's second coming and the New Jerusalem.

While driving to work this afternoon I often like to listen to 94.7 WFME Family Radio in Noth New Jersey, it is a Christian radio station that I grew up listening to every Saturday morning while getting ready for church. Theres this one segment called Ministries from the Bible with Harold Camping, theres actually a tv version. So Mr. Camping and the entire Family Radio station has complied some information in a book stating that the end of times is near and the second coming of Christ will be in the year 2011. Now I dont know about you and your religious affiliations and beliefs but I grew up knowing that, no man knows the day nor the hour of his coming and Im just really confused to hear of this man on a nationally syndicated program stating false facts. You can check it out for yourself in Matthew 24:36 but if you have time read the entire chapter. God speaks about how false prophets and people will be talking about his coming but how we must stand firm in our beliefs. God said not even the angels in heaven know when his second coming will be, so how could any human proclaim such a thing? We just have to be ready. Do you believe in the second coming of Christ and do you believe that God has revealed this date to us?

Too tired

2009-01-31T16:39:00.004-05:00

After work on Friday nights I usually come home and do my hair for church the next day. I am a born and raised Seventh Day Adventist, btw. So lastnight I wasnt really able to do anything with my hair, as Ive said in a previous post I have a 15wk old son and for the last couple of nights he hasnt been sleeping through the night like he normally does. IDK y but I just have to deal. Add the restless baby on top of just coming in from work and running off of a combined 10 hrs of sleep from the last 3 nights= not doing my hair for church. What I was able to do was douce my hair with some EVOO and Suave Tropical Coconut conditioner, donned a shower cap with a headband around the border to keep the cap in place and called it a night.....yea right, we didnt go to sleep till about 4 30 this morning and only because his father put the tv on a channel where it "snows" and the white noise lulled him to sleep.
I didnt get up this afternoon till about 1 45pm, mind you I had to be at work for 3pm. What I was able to do since my hair already had conditioner in it I just wet it some more and began to detangle it added more conditioner as needed. I jumped in the shower and washed it out, did the final rinse with ACV and squeezed out excess water. I added Giovanni LID followed with Jojoba Oil. I wasnt really sure what I wanted to do with my hair and I was pressed for time so it was loojing like an afro day, so I added some S-curl activator gel then realized that I had aloe vera gel and that would be better so I added some of that to my wet hair as well. Then I saw some white residue Im guessing from the S-curl/Aloe mixture in the front which was not sexy, needless to say I rinsed that out. I used the blow dryer and finger diffuser on cool in an attempt to not go outside with sopping wet hair. Once it was just about dry I put some more Jojoba Oil in my hands and formed the afro. Ill put some pictures up tomorrow as I am currently at work now.

Shea and Mango Butters

2009-01-30T22:07:00.003-05:00

Im so excited I just placed some orders for 100% natural unrefined Shea Butter, Mango Butterand Monoi de Tahiti oil, all of which have great moisturizing properties. in the pictures the first is actually refined Shea butter and the second is Mango ButterAlso I went to Curlmart.com and order a jar of the CurlJunkie Coffee-Coco Curl Creme. After such a great product review from ManeandChic Im going to go out on a limb and try it and also a big THANK YOU to Ms CurlyNikkii for the discount code. Ive been looking for something that will define my curls so lets see whats going to happen

Time wasted

2009-01-30T17:26:00.002-05:00

Ok so this last week has been a little hard to maintain my routine and be a mother to my 15week old son. Im back at work which is going well, but by the time I get home, get the baby to sleep and do my hair stuff, its about 1am and thats too late. So what Ive been attempting to do is cowashing on Suns, Tues, Thurs and Fri nights. On the in between days Ive still been moisturizing with a mixture if castor oil, aloe vera gel and a couple drops of rosemanry eo in a spary bottle and spritzing my hair in the morning and evenings and sealing my ends with EVOO and coconut oil. Im still trying to get the hang of balancing everything in my life

The Routine

2009-01-30T16:43:00.002-05:00

Ok so I made my better hair care vow about 3 weeks ago and since then I must say that I have noticed a difference in my hair. There's a lot less breakage when I detangle or even when I touch my hair to "freshen" it up. Before it use to look lack any type of luster now the color is more vibrant and alive. I dont know what took me so long to get it together but Im working on it. So Im gonna share with you guys what I bought and what Ive been doing for the last 3 weeks. I went on a big shopping binge and spent like $200 getting products...thats a lot for someone who's still on maternity leave and not getting paid, but I see it as a much needed investment for my hair. So I went to Whole Foods and my local Beauty Supple Store and got the bulk of my starter products. I didnt really know where to start to so I went on a couple blogs and hair site to see what were some common items used amongst naturals.
Whole Foods:
Coconut Oil ( food grade)
Avocado Oil
EVOO
Castor Oil
Vegetable Glycerin
Rosaemary EO
Peppermint EO
Lavender EO
Giovanni Leave In Direct
Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)
Aloe Vera Gel

Beauty Supply Store:
Suave Tropical Coconut Conditioner
hair clips
shower caps
wide tooth comb
application bottles
spray bottles

So what Ive been doing is daily cowashes with the Suave Tropical Coconut, sectioning my hair in about 6 twist and detangling twist by twist, adding more conditioner as need. I completely rinse that out and in one 8 oz applicator bottle I add about 1.5 oz of ACV, 5 drops of Rosemary and Peppermint EO each and fill the rest of the bottle with distilled water. With my hair still in twist I pour the ACV mixture all over my head, massaging it in. I squeeze out the excess water then put about a palm size amount of Giovanni Leave In and massage that in, do whatever style I feel like doing and then I seal the hair and ends with some coconut oil and castor oil, one after the other.

Like Ive said just from doing this the last 3 weeks Ive noticed such a difference in my hair.

My Story

2009-01-28T10:41:00.006-05:00

This is my first blog and I was inspired to start a blog of my journey being natural after reading several other blogs. It seemed like a great way to not only track my hair progress but also an outlet to interact with other naturals and learn off of each other trials.

I contemplated going natural since I was a sophomore in high school, but never really acted on the thought of doing so. For as long as I have known myself my hair was always relaxed. From what my mother told me I had thick hair and it was always a struggle to do it so she decided to relax it to ease the pain of doing my hair. As the new growth would grow in I knew what she said was true as my hair would be very thick and coarse. I would go to the salon and get my hair relaxed and doobied like clockwork but it would never grow past the top of my shoulders. One day I was with a group of friends walking in NYC standing on the corner about to cross the street. As we were walking I saw a big head of hair coming towards me and I was in complete awe. Here was this lady with the biggest Afro I had ever seen and I just had to stop her. She was very nice and we briefly chatted about her hair and from that day I was over relaxing my hair and wanted to be natural. Just as I was about to graduate h.s. I thought that since I would be beginning a new chapter in my life I would do so with my hair. The summer after my first year of college, I decided that July 2006 would be my last relaxer. At the time my hair was dyed red and I grew the relaxer and color out for about 6 months, at which time I grew tired of the straight red ends and decided to do The Big Chop and haven't looked back.

I was always a fast learner and with no formal training, I quickly learned how to style hair and that was my side hustle even to this day, but this year for some odd reason I realized that I don't really know how to "take care" of my hair. Yea it has been growing but I never really did anything to it, except for the once every 2 wk washes and braiding it up. As this year began I realized that I needed to do some research on hair care and Ive come across a plethora of information that I never knew existed. To be honest I feel ashamed that I never thought of doing this before, but its better late than never. Now I have vowed to myself to learn to what my hair needs to flourish and to take better care of my hair, so this marks my journey.................