I don't know the plan, but I know it's going to be AWESOME!

Tomorrow is Tim's seventh birthday. I still don't really know how he got to be seven, he's supposed to be three, but I won't dwell on that now. We told our little man that this year will be pretty low-key because mama can't do much and all of that. He agreed that it will be worth it to have a brother or sister be born near his birthday. Since the girl's birthdays in December Tim has had one request for his birthday, hot wings and cheese fries. Yep, the boy wants to eat hot wings and cheese fries until he is sick on his Birthday, and since we have a doctors appointment for mama and baby tomorrow that's cool with us. Ben and I planned to get the man some wings and cheese fries, go to the doctor, and head back home. Of course there would be a simple cake (by Betty Crocker) and the opening of gifts, but no banners or balloons or any of that stuff that mama usually does. Well those were our plans.

I think there are other plans being made though....What do you think? Ben and Tim were out splitting and stacking wood this afternoon when I heard a lot of moving going on in the kitchen, so I went to investigate. It looks like "the girls" (that's what Tim calls them all the time and I think it's so cute) have plans of their own for Tim's big day. I didn't ask any questions. I try not to be nosey when they have secret plans, I like to be surprised too. Molly told me that she made him a banner and the rest I just observed. The banner is made from construction paper, blue duct tape, and she used markers and crayons on the letters.

They dressed the table in a new tablecloth, runners, and gifts. I have no idea what the gifts are, where they came from, or when they wrapped them, I just know that they said that they have been waiting five days to give them to him. By this time my heart was just bursting at the seams! To see my girls excitedly running around working to set things up for Tim's big day, while he was out, so that he could have a special day like mama usually does it....ahhh...there are no words. You see, these are the kinds of things that I would have never seen were I not on bed rest. If I had done it all as usual I would have never got this little glimpse into the hearts of two sisters who truly wanted to make their brother's birthday special. It's just so precious.

Most days around here they are just like any other siblings, they fight, they play, they argue, and have to be *reminded* how to treat each other...about a hundred times a day....you know, the normal brother sister stuff. They are best friends, play mates, and rivals all rolled into one. I'm proud of my girls today, and the little man that obviously deserves all of this attention. I just heard Molly tell him "Tim as soon as you wake up wake us up." He looked at her funny, because this kid NEVER asks anyone to wake her up, and said "Why Sis?" and she said "So that we can give you all of your prizes!"

 (Yes Maddie was posing in those last two pictures, and I have no earthly idea what the child has on, once again, I don't ask.) I have no idea what tomorrow may bring with these silly kids and their plans, but I know whatever it is, it will be awesome! And I know that my little man will have a very special seventh birthday, even if mama wasn't the one to pull it off....and I wouldn't change that for anything! No matter how upside down and crazy my life gets God is always there to show me something beautiful.

I'll be back soon with a baby update, birthday update, and maybe some crochet! I hope that you find something beautiful today too! xo, Sam

Fall/Winter 2010 - Week 13

Sunday
I was finally able to get some time to shampoo, deep condition, and steam my hair after removing the yarn braids. I shampooed with Giovanni Smooth As Silk (SAS) shampoo, deep conditioned with Giovanni SAS conditioner, and sat under the steamer for 15 minutes. Instead of pulling my hair back into a bun, I wanted to enjoy the "free hair" feeling for a day or two so I put about 6 two strand twists in my hair using SheaMoisture Coconut and Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie.

Monday
In the morning I untwisted each section and fluffed. The outside air was not as dry because it rained a little here - this was perfect timing to have my hair out. On Monday night I re-twisted each section because I worked out without properly pulling my hair up.

Tuesday
Tuesday morning was a repeat of Monday morning. It's been a while since I have styled my hair each morning and I forgot that it is not always time consuming. Tuesday night I decided to co-wash my hair so that I could pull it back into a bun for the rest of the week. I used Suave Naturals Aloe Vera and Ginseng to co-wash and applied a leave-in conditioner afterwards. To slick my hair back into the bun the only product I used was shea butter.

Wednesday - Thursday
Wearing a bun requires very little maintenance. Since I did a damp bun (bunned my hair while still wet) I did not have to moisturize the ends at night. The only thing to do at night was put on my head scarf.

Friday
Friday night I set my hair in some two strand twists and flat twists for an "out" style for Saturday's meet-up.

Saturday
I wore my twist out to the meet-up and then reset the style at night for Sunday. The look received a lot of compliments and questions so I did a brief tutorial on how I achieved the look, it will be posted later this week.

Let's talk more about Juicing!

In my last post, I mentioned how juicing is now becoming part of my regular routine. I'm glad to hear that some of you are also interested in the art of fruit and vegetable juicing as well. I'll start by saying that I got into juicing near the end of 2010. Prior to that I blended green smoothies with powders, almond milk, and frozen fruits. While I do believe that green smoothies are a healthy morning practice, I was floored when I found out about the possible benefits of juicing vs blending.

Don't get me wrong, blending is great! I loved the convenience of buying frozen fruits and enjoying a banana flavored smoothies first thing in the morning. Ultimately though, I was intrigued by the idea of taking in the highly nutritious goodness of the fruit and vegetables directly into my bloodstream. Plus I also felt that juicing could offer the possibilities of adding much more variety to my drink mix. Blending works really well with strawberries, bananas and other fruits but it gets kinda tricky when I tried adding spinach and other leafy greens. My blender didn't do a great job breaking up the spinach leaves in small enough pieces. So when I drank my smoothie, I had to interrupt my drinking with chewing spinach chunks. Not pleasant at all.

So then I began to research juicing and immediately was attracted to the possibilities of introducing spinach, kale, carrots, parsley, etc into my drink mix. Instead of adding powdered nutritional supplements into my smoothie, I could now enjoy the richness of vitamins and minerals directly from the source! What else excited me was the greater absorption rate of those nutrients when I juiced compared to eating the vegetable raw or blending. Because there's no digestion involved in the process, the body doesn't have to use nutrient stores to break down the food. Hence, your body gets a potent shot of super-food from the moment it enters you.

I have Jack LaLanne (RIP) juicer. I paid $99 dollars for it at Wal-Mart. My first juicer cost me around $40 but I soon returned it once I saw how little juice I was getting per fruit/vegetable. For now, I'm pretty happy with my purchase. It's really easy to use and does a pretty decent job of extracting juice from my fruit. There is clean-up involved with every use. At first I was turned off by having to take it apart and clean it each morning. I even went as far as trying to convince myself not to juice daily because "it would take to much time." Then one day I actually timed myself from start to finish with an egg timer. The entire process of pulling veggies out of the fridge, juicing, and clean-up took me only 15 minutes. From that day forward, I vowed that I could never use time as an excuse not to juice. There's no reason I should ever not juice because I couldn't dedicate 15 minutes to my well-being. Don't get me wrong, I still use other excuses. "I don't feel like" it is still a valid excuse I use (for now). Even with the excuses I still manage to juice 4-5 days a week. There's a part of me that hates the idea of throwing away wilted organic greens just because I was too lazy to juice. I use that as motivation to keep me pretty consistent for the most part.

One of the concerns most people have when they consider going into juicing is the cost. The idea of spending hundreds of dollars on a regular basis freaks most people out. I'm happy to say that, for me, juicing hasn't been as expensive as I first thought. Generally, my budget for fresh fruits and veggies is around $20-$25 week. I get my organic apples, carrots, and celery at Wal-Mart for the lowest price possible. When I'm at Publix or Target, I get organic cucumbers, beets, and kale. Recently, I've made a trip or two to Whole Foods for parsley and other hard to find organic greens. There are also times when I get "conventional" (non-organic) veggies as well. I just try to make sure more of what I'm drinking is pesticide free.

As far as recipes are concerns I don't really have them. I do have some staples I always include in my mix. Apples, celery, cucumbers, carrots, ginger, spinach and beets are pretty standard for me. Lately though, I've become a little more adventurous in my ingredient choices. I know the greatest power lies in the leafy greens. So now I go for kale leaves, parsley, red cabbage, and cilantro. I pretty much go for anything bright green or red. The sky's the limit! It's quite exciting actually, I love walking through the grocery aisle with my blackberry Googling the nutritional benefits of juicing whatever produce is currently in season.

So for those of you who are curious about getting into the practice of juicing, I say go for it! There's just so much benefit for your body at the cellular level. If cost is an issue, I suggest starting with blending green smoothies and working your way to fresh juices when funds are available. I do want to challenge you to think about whether a $20 weekly expense is possible for you. That $20 goes somewhere. Why not allocate it towards something as powerful as juicing? It's good for you.

The Emo hair styles

Why is my app clowning?

Why is this application clowning, and not in a good way? This is actually the best picture of this app that I can post (CVS self adhesive bandage showing through medium brown lace - forgive the flash). I put this app on this past Thursday, and tonight, the nape just totally popped up - in two days! I thoroughly cleaned my perimeter with 91-99% alcohol and let it dry. This app was only done with 1 layer of Vapon No Tape and 1 layer of Hair Direct White Adhesive (just re-stocked up). I only use Supertape on my nape. Don't know what happened. I do know that the hair back there is shedding a bit, so I've been low ponytailing it. Maybe I should have double layered? Even I can have an off application. From tomorrow until Wednesday (wig removal day), I'll be wearing her down. I may need to reventilate the back. Yes, this is the wig I just got a month ago, and I've already rubbed the middle nape bald.

Because I've started wearing full lace again to re-grow out my hair, I'm already fed up with the glue and tape. My fellow lace wig wearer Ashley just got a glueless lace wig from Rex and it is gorgeous. You know I have to get on that bandwagon (thanks Ashley!), so I've emailed Rex to see what he can do on a 16" virgin malaysian natural straight and a 14" virgin malaysian loose curly (my new go-to wig). Since I like to wear ponytails, it has to be realistic around the elastic perimeter. More than likely, if it's custom, I'll want curly baby hair around the perimeter, on both. I asked for a quote on silktops also, and if I don't do silktops (because of price), I'll cut a length of the CVS self adhesive bandage, and sew it inside the lace lengthwise from center front hairline to nape down the center, to cover where I'd part it. The bandage I use is 4" wide, so it would cover my side part. I'm excited about the possibilities. Truth be told, I couldn't master the Tootsie's Mom No Glue No Tape method, even though I made a video about how I interpreted the concept. I'm too lazy to try to figure it out. I hope the glueless cap is good. We'll see.

I'm a W-2 away from my dream laptop: a 17" MacBook Pro (2.8 GHz i7, 500 GB @ 7200 rpm, Microsoft Office 2011, Parallels 6). Come on Corinthian Colleges (no longer work there - do you think they're holding my W-2 hostage?)

Meet-Ups Are Good Because...

• You can make new friends
• You can swap products and try new things
• Networking is always beneficial
• Looking at gorgeous hair is so much fun

Saturday afternoon a few of the ladies (quite a few) from the Triangle and other surrounding areas met up for an afternoon lunch and product swap. Food, fun, and products...what more could a natural girl ask for? ☺

January 2011 Triangle Meet-Up

Do you attend meet-ups? What do you like about them?

See more pics of this meet-up on CurlyNikki.com

Yarn Braids Reviewed

Oh.My.Gosh! Removing the yarn braids was the worst process ever! I can not even pretend that it was not that bad. It took me 2 evenings and 1 day to put them in and it took about the same amount of time to take them out. I saturated some sections with Suave Tropical Coconut conditioner and when removing those braids, they would slide out when I got close to the roots. For the braids that I did not saturate with conditioner, I would have to un-braid carefully all the way down to the root. I opted to use conditioner all over just to make the job go a little bit easier.

Final Thoughts

Other than the installation and the removal I absolutely adored the yarn braids. The ease of being able to get up and go in the morning was lovely. 

On Long Hair
At this point, I assume that yarn braids would be a lot easier for someone with a shorter length because you could cut off the excess yarn and will not have to un-braid much of the length. The length of my hair did not allow me to cut off much for fear of accidentally slicing off some hair that I actually want to keep.

Maintenance
I have a satin pillowcase so I did not wrap them up at night, I just pulled them into a high ponytail so that they would not interrupt my sleep.

At least twice a week I would sit under the hair steamer for 15-20 mins to restore moisture to my hair and scalp. Once the braids were removed I noticed that my hair from the roots down to about 8 inches was very soft and had a nice sheen. The last few inches felt kind of hard and dry. I did not do a good enough job with keeping the ends of my length moisturized. Note: Keep the entire length moisturized to prevent breakage.

I washed the yarn braids with no problem and to decrease the chances of that dreadful mildew-like smell I washed my scalp and rinsed the braids early in the day. I used a nozzle on the top on my shampoo bottle to ensure that I only got the shampoo on my scalp and lightly massaged the scalp under running water. Then I let the suds run down the length when I rinsed. Basically, I did not shampoo the length. I cared for the braids similar to they way I care for my husband's locs.

Styles
I did not expect my style options to decrease with the yarn braids because I sought out the styling options of ladies with locs like BronzeGoddess01 & Chescalocs. The only thing that kept me from doing more styles was time. After installing the braids my scalp was sensitive to movement of the braids for about 1 day. Any longer than that and that would have been a sign that I braided to tightly. I did not have any redness and no "hair bumps" from tension so I did them just snug enough.

So, will I do them again?  Probably not, because of the amount of time that it took to put them in and take them out. If I ever cut my hair shorter I will definitely do yarn braids again.

If you are transitioning, have a TWA, or just a shorter length and you are looking for something affordable and lasting to do to your hair - I recommend yarn braids. It cost me a total of $2.50 to achieve this style that lasted a little over 1 month and could have possibly lasted even longer.





Hmm,......Did I miss anything?

Date night and a few moments out.

Yesterday, Friday, my Mom called and said that they wanted to take the kids to the rodeo. Let's stop right here for a minute. First I didn't even know that we had a rodeo, and second how did Mom and Dad find out about it? Crazy. Anything is possible with those two. They are like a couple of teenagers who are always trying to steal my kids. But I guess that's cool, even if I don't like sharing I know that the kids have a blast and they are WELL taken care of...ahem...spoiled. ;) So Ben took the kids and dropped them off with my parents, then he came back home and surprised me with take-out, a movie, and chocolate....*insert hallelujah chorus here*.......Do you know what take-out means to someone who hasn't left the house in weeks? Oh, it's heavenly. And a grown up movie that you haven't seen fifty times? And chocolate? These, my friends, are the makings of the BEST date-night- in ever! It's the little things, it really is.

This morning Ben called to see if he could go and get the kids, and was denied. Apparently my parents and kids had grand plans to go to the national park and enjoy this beautiful day riding bikes. Brats. ;) It is a BEAUTIFUL day, almost seventy degrees, a nice breeze, the kind of day that kids should be riding bikes all day. The kind of day that, under normal circumstances, I would enjoy outdoors start to finish. This is where my day gets really good. Ben took my big cushy green chair outside for me! He dragged it out to the end of the porch, where I can see all of my animals, and let me plop my big pregnant rear right there for as long as I wanted. It was so nice...no, perfect. I've been needing some fresh air and I've really been missing my animals.

And there we sat. We talked about all of the things we want to do in the spring, the garden, camping, bike riding, walking, building a new bridge with the kids over the creek, climbing. We talked about having a new baby here soon. Still a crazy thought! We watched Dot and Kitty play together, those two are such big buddies, it's adorable. I listened to the goats talk to each other and watched them climb the big new roll of hay, goats are so much fun to watch. I looked at how dirty the arms of my green chair look in the sun, and mentally planned to wash all of my slipcovers next month when I'm up and running again. I noticed that my toes could use another polish, and smiled as I remembered Molly saying "Mama, until the baby comes I'll keep your toenails painted for you." It's funny the things that you appreciate so much when you have been "down" for a while. It has just been a wonderful weekend, full of unexpected simple pleasures, and I want to remember it just like this....I hope that your weekend is full of unexpected simple pleasures too! xo, Sam

Adrian Dalera BDay Celebration @ Living

Adjustments

It has been over a week since I have posted here on the old abandoned blog, I miss you guys! As you can imagine, this last week has been FULL of adjustments for our family. On my end I've been trying to get adjusted to total bed rest and my new medicines. The first week on the brethine is always the worst as far as side effects go, so it should begin to get better from here on out. I've mainly just been really shaky (Ben says that he's going to put me in charge of the jiffy pop! Silly boy), it's been really hard to concentrate (which is why I haven't been able to even throw together a blog post, believe me, I tried, it wasn't pretty), and I only manage to get about four hours of sleep a night. I may be going a little crazy with nothing to work on, but I'm determined to try to crochet soon and maybe since my hands know the motions so well (after 15 years!) it will work out. This not crafting stuff is for the birds! I NEED some handmade therapy! :)



Baby and I are doing well, but my doctor doesn't think we will make it past 36 weeks. We went for another visit on Tuesday. Things seem to be moving more quickly since it all started this time...maybe it's my age or how many babies I've had, I don't know. I just keep praying for a strong healthy baby that gets to come home with mama and daddy! I don't worry so much about girls because both of my girls got to come home with us, but boys....oh those lazy white boys, Tim's little lungs just were not ready. He had to stay for 10 days in the NICU, we got to have him home for a week, and then he went back to the hospital with RSV and stayed another week. If this baby is a boy I sure hope he's ready!



My sweet family has had more adjustments than me. They went from having a part time mama to being full time mama caretakers, everyone has taken on more work and responsibilities. They have all made me so proud! The kids have taken on more chores, and they take shifts "babysitting mama". What they call "babysitting mama" is getting all of my drinks, snacks or meals, snickling (snuggling) up to me (you know how I hate to sit, sleep, or even be by myself), occasionally playing with my hair (LOVE), and getting anything else that a bed bound mama may need. They are such sweet babies! Ben, oh poor Ben, he is working full time outside the home and inside the home. He has cooked, cleaned, done laundry, done a little "nesting" for me, and just been the best Mr. Mom ever! My family has really been wonderful and I am so grateful!



This pregnancy has been different for us. It's been such a shocker from the beginning, and to be honest I still don't think it has quite hit us yet that there will be a baby here in just a few weeks! My children have learned a lot, because with Molly only being three when we brought Maddie home, they don't have any memories of mama pregnant (or what all is involved in that!). I think that we have all learned to appreciate each other a little more, I sooo appreciate them all stepping up and taking care of things while I can't, and they are learning to appreciate mama for all of those jobs that usually get done without notice. Overall there have been a lot of changes around here in the last week or so, and a lot of adjustments have been made, and I have to say that I feel like the most BLESSED mama in the world right now! I have a wonderful supportive family, a sweet baby on the way, adoption paperwork seems to be moving right along at the moment, and God has taken care of everything! Life is crazy, but good. :)



I'll be back soon with pictures from my nest. I've decided to try to document more of this process in the next few weeks. Wanna come along?  xo,Sam

Waist Cincher Corset for the Pristine Hourglass Figure

Nothing appeals more than a curvaceous figure for the ladies across the world. They just love being seen with desirous looks. However, not all are blessed with innate beauty and the natural curves. So, they take resort in numerous weight loss programs, exercises, diet plans, weight loss pills and others. In fact, the desire has created an entire “weight loss” industry. Some of them are genuine whereas some of them are weight loss scams. Anyways, even if you are in a genuine program still it would take some substantial time (3-6 months) for reducing the flab and helping you to attain that elusive and envious hourglass figure.

If you have a party to attend now and you wish to look curvy then the best possible solution is to wear waist cincher corset. The dress is designed in such a way that it helps to present the waist in a more prominent and attractive way. They are different from normal corsets which are full of laces and they generally focus on the looks of the entire torso, whereas the waist cincher corsets focus on supporting the waist only. They are generally worn beneath any dress and some modern designs can be worn outside as a complete dress too. So, if you wish to look attractive despite some flab on the hips and their bosom then waist cincher corset is the ideal dress to camouflage the flab and impart you the desired hourglass figure.

Waist Cincher Corset for the Pristine Hourglass Figure

Nothing appeals more than a curvaceous figure for the ladies across the world. They just love being seen with desirous looks. However, not all are blessed with innate beauty and the natural curves. So, they take resort in numerous weight loss programs, exercises, diet plans, weight loss pills and others. In fact, the desire has created an entire “weight loss” industry. Some of them are genuine whereas some of them are weight loss scams. Anyways, even if you are in a genuine program still it would take some substantial time (3-6 months) for reducing the flab and helping you to attain that elusive and envious hourglass figure.

If you have a party to attend now and you wish to look curvy then the best possible solution is to wear waist cincher corset. The dress is designed in such a way that it helps to present the waist in a more prominent and attractive way. They are different from normal corsets which are full of laces and they generally focus on the looks of the entire torso, whereas the waist cincher corsets focus on supporting the waist only. They are generally worn beneath any dress and some modern designs can be worn outside as a complete dress too. So, if you wish to look attractive despite some flab on the hips and their bosom then waist cincher corset is the ideal dress to camouflage the flab and impart you the desired hourglass figure.

Inspirational Photos

- Source

sometimes they all run together

In case you missed the State of the Union or zoned out during the speech, I have created a Word Cloud JUST for you using the transcript of the speech:




Or you can read it yourself HERE.

I always like hearing about individual stories of real people -like Kathy Proctor seeking to inspire her children by going back to college. (If you follow me on twitter, you've already seen what I think are the hoghlights). But in the interest of full disclosure, I also zone out from time to time in long speeches.

But then again, moments like these THESE in this clip make curling up with a cup of hot tea and a blanket and listening to our President really exciting. Perhaps next year I will write/record my OWN "State of the Melon" and post it on the blog for all to tweet about, discuss, tear apart, etc. Who's gonna volunteer to post a response?

I want YOU to share with US!

 Would you like to share your hair testimony with everyone?! Feel like shouting it from the rooftops :) Want to be en encouragement to others??

Here is what you do,

•  Send an email to mrs.kthaler@gmail.com and let me know you are interested!
• I will reply with a list of questions that I would like for you to answer
• I will also request a certain amount of photos

Want to share a style that you just love to do? Its just so awesome that you have to share :)

Here is what you do,

• Send an email to mrs.kthaler@gmail.com  and tell me all about your style. In addition, send me some pictures of the style.
• I will proof-read what you would like to post
• If all is well I will send you a confirmation email letting you know it will be posted!

Want to submit a product review or share a hair recipe?

Here is what you do,

• Send an email to mrs.kthaler@gmail.com and let me know you would like to submit a product review
• I will respond with a list of questions and a format that I would like the post written in
• Once you send it back to me, I will proof read it and if all is well, look for a confirmation email

Anything else you want to share?? Email me!!

We are in this together so why not share what works for ALL of us?

Celebrating togetherness in this hair journey <3

David Guetta feat U2!

Não tem jeito, o mundo musical está rendido ao poder da produção de David Guetta.

O queridinho das estrelas foi elogiado nesta semana por mais um ícone da música, Bono Vox, que também o convidou para participar do próximo álbum da banda.

"Nós nos reunimos com Bono, e eu fiquei muito animado, muito honrado, porque ele me convidou para talvez produzir algumas faixas do próximo álbum do U2", contou Guetta, que ainda completou: "Eu já comecei a ter algumas ideias". O novo album do U2 está programado para ser lançado ainda em 2011.

Enquanto isso, Guetta já está preparando as malas. Ele deve desembarcar em Salvador no carnaval para uma apresentação ao lado de Will.i.Am.

Art by Leonceo!

I want to thank Leonceo Omar Bennett for creating this image art for me. I love this. Thank you.

Sunday Style: Dry Twistout

On Saturday night after removing the yarn braids I did not have the time and energy to wash & deep condition my hair. As I removed the braids I did twist each section with Suave Tropical coconut conditioner to keep the hair from getting tangled. When I was done I was so happy that I chose to twist each section because this lead to a last minute style for Sunday. This look is simply a twistout from those twists.

Twistout

The hair is not as curly as my twistouts normally look because the hair has been stretched out from the braids.  The ultimate goal was just to come up with something quick that I could wear out in public. If this did not work I was planning to pin my hair in some form of an updo. I happier that the twistout worked out okay.

Curl Shot

Sunday's Message
What to Realize When Sin Abounds
Romans 5:15-21
1. WE ARE justified - All the good works you do can not justify you , justification is a gift from God and Grace is not measured according to merit. {Romans 3:20-24,28}
2. Power is made available through our faith - Faith is the key because it releases power; it is the key that activates the power of God's grace in your life.{Romans 5:1-3}
3. Our responsibility is to righteousness - God wants us to act responsibly and righteously. Act, walk, talk, be, and give right! {Romans 5:17-18}

Fall/Winter 2010 - Week 12

I started out this week SLACK because I was looking forward to removing the yarn braids. I did oil and steam my scalp but I didn't put much effort towards any type of style for the week.


Sunday and Wednesday
I oiled my scalp lightly with Castor oil and sat under the steamer. This became one of my favorite things to do with the braids.

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
It took me Thursday evening, Friday evening, and all of Saturday to get the braids completely removed. I was hoping to have the braids removed in time for me to shampoo and deep condition my hair - it didn't happen. It was late, my hands were cramping, and I was tired.

As far as length retention is concerned, I did not measure my length before braiding but I could tell by the roots that I gained ½" - 1" of growth all over. Some areas displayed more growth than others and that is a characteristic of my hair that I have come to expect.

Full yarn braid review coming...stay tuned!

Healthy Lifestyle, Healthy Hair: Protein

"Without adequate protein or with low-quality protein, one can experience weak brittle hair, while a profound protein deficiency can result in loss of hair color," Giancoli tells WebMD.

It is a proven fact that in inadequate amounts of protein can lead to hair loss and shedding. Keep in mind that protein is needed by every cell in the body, including the cells needed in normal hair growth. Without adequate protein intake, the body cannot efficiently make new hair to replace the hair that has shed!

Meats (Lean cuts of): 

• beef
• ham
• lamb
• pork
• veal 

Game meats:

• bison
• rabbit
• venison
• game hen

Lean ground meats:

•  beef
• pork
• lamb 

Lean luncheon meats = your normal turkey, ham, roast beef, etc.

Organ meats:

• liver
• giblets 
• chicken
• duck
• goose
• turkey
• ground chicken and turkey 

Eggs

Fish = Shellfish, Canned fish AND Finfish

  

The possibilities are endless! Just make sure you load up on protein!

 Especially if your hair is protein sensitive like mine!!

Celebrating a healthier lifestyle <3

This is exactly how I feel sometime...

DO YOU!!

Visit whoissugar on YouTube

The key thing to remember when taking care of yourself is that the individuals that have the biggest opinions are usually the ones that don't have to dress you, style your hair, live your life, and most importantly they are the ones that ARE NOT YOU! So always DO YOU!

To Natural Hair:

Art work by Love Sugar

Chronicles of a Natural Apostolic: Encouragement for Discouragement

I am all about encouraging others to do what is right for their hair, to keep up the good work and to not even consider giving up! Whenever you need an encouraging word, Kendra is there for you! Yet there are times I am speaking encouragement that I am wishing someone would speak to me. For about the past month my hair journey has gotten a bit hard. Straightening my hair was a huge highlight because I was able to see the growth! It was super exciting for me to see how much my hair had grown :) well about two weeks later, discouragement came.

The washing, detangling and protective styling takes sooo much time. I was wishing I could easily put my hair into a bun and call it a day.

I wanted it down my back already! I looove my pentecostal sisters at church, but it started bugging me that my hair was so much shorter. I was wishing I could just have different hair.

Kendra why did you cut your hair in the first place?? When I was in the world I didn't know the truth. I chopped my almost mid back hair into a super short cut. I was wishing I had never ever done that.

If only I had mixed textured hair, straight hair - any other type of hair- life would be so much easier for me concerning my hair. I was wishing the kinks and curls would just disappear. Suddenly relaxed hair began to look appealing for the first time in a very long time.

Now I understand why so many black women give in and resort to weaves, extensions and wigs. Its easier to fit in than to stand out. Is conformity really wrong when it makes you feel more comfortable in your own skin?

-the pressure was really on-

And the biggest of all- God I love natural hair but why did you have to make my hair this texture?

I am being transparent and open to share my thoughts with you because I know these are common battles with having natural hair.

On Thursday night I was preparing myself for bed. I was frustrated because I was exhausted but I had to prep my hair for the next day and tie it up. My husband was in bed waiting patiently for me to finish, as he always does. I threw down my comb and said,

"Why does it take so long for me to do my hair?!"

My husband answered quick without any hestiation,

"Because its so beautiful."

I replied, "what do you mean?"

He explained, "Butterflies are one of the most beautiful yet fragile insects. Did you know that if you touch their wings they can never fly again?"

"No I didn't know that..."

His words touched me. It was as if God spoke through him the answer to all of my frustration.

My hair is beautiful.

My hair is fragile and requires care, because its beautiful.

My hair may not look like everyone elses, but it is still beautiful.

Perhaps if we take the time to care and love our hair we will truly realize, its beautiful.

And when the going gets tough, and at times it will, say these words to yourself,

"Because its beautiful"

Update: Tangle Teezer, Healthy Scalp, Green Juices

I know it's been a little while since I last posted. The last few months or so I've had a somewhat hectic travel schedule and I'm currently getting over a wicked cold. All that aside, I've still remained diligent in my hair journey and product experimentation. I just want to take a few minutes to introduce you to some of what I've been into as of late.

Two months ago, I invested nearly $30 in this Scalp Renew product by Nioxin. I have a special place in my heart for Nioxin products because they just produce quality without all the frills of unfulfilled promises. One of the things I appreciate about Nioxin is their focus on creating a healthy scalp as an important part of the healthy hair puzzle. Unfortunately, this product did nothing for me. I have this deep seated belief that any topical scalp product must tingle or stimulate in order to produce desired results. This product, gives no tingle and, for that, I'm unhappy with it. I kinda feel bad for this product, it has to compete with the likes of my powerful essential oils that envigorate my scalp on contact. The Scalp Renew has more of a light gel consistency and cool the scalp, which is nice, but not what I'm looking for. So for now, I'm sticking to my spray bottle and stimulating oils.

I remember watching an episode of the British Based show "The Dragon's Den" where entreprenuers present their inventions and products to would-be investors. On one such episode, the Tangle Teezer was presented. I remember my eyes lighting up as the creator shared promises of tangle free hair without the fear of damage. This was due to the revolutionary design which gave Tangle Teezer's ability to work through tangles sans snags. I've had mine for nearly a month now and, to be honest, the jury's still out. Unfortunately, I purchased the wrong color. Because of how dark it is, I can't accurately assess how much hair I may or may not loose during the process. Because the teeth are so close together, it's a bit difficult for me to run a comb through it to collect the hairs like I would a hair brush. I'm thinking about going out to the get the bright pink one so I can know for sure if this thing can truly detangle my hair without any excess damage. Honestly though, I feel more comfortable using my wide tooth detangling combs for now.

Yet another stroll through my local Big Lots has paid off big time for me with these new additions to my hair belongings. So these are hand held, battery powered personal massagers. Yes, they were probably created for aching shoulders and sore backs but I, of course, immediately saw how they could be used for hair massaging purposes. What attracted me to these babies is their ability to vibrate on contact. I figured that I could save on manipulation if the product did all of the movement. Instead of moving the massager around, I could keep the massager in one place and still get increased stimulation to that area. I paid around $9 bucks for each one and they take 2 AA batteries.

Lastly, I wanted to let you guys know that I'm still juicing. Actually, I fell off the bandbawagon for a little while because of traveling and a little bit of laziness. Well since it's a brand new year, I've recommitted to the habit of regular juicing. I've also decided to man-up and graduate from fruit-filled easy to swallow mixes to ultra-powerful leafy greens blends.

Cheers!

Featured Reader - LaRisha!

Q: What is your hair story?  What kind of hair styles have you rocked, before embracing your natural hair?  

A: Throughout the mid-80s to late-90s, my hair was chemically tainted from perms, s-curls, leisure curls, and relaxers. In 1998, after my first big trim, I tried to grow it out and wear my hair natural, but being afraid of “the big chop”, half my head was curly and half was chemically straight and limp. Ewwwwwwwww.

In 1999, I got inner-locs twice. First time, I took them out, my hair pressed out beautifully and it was long. Second time, I left them in too long, and I broke off a lot of my hair. Still afraid of a big chop, in 2000, I started getting it relaxed again, got trims and started wearing it in cute roller sets (think Whitney in the 90’s). Relaxers finally ruined my scalp completely, so I started transitioning again by using this mixture – LIV leave-in crème, ProStyle Gel, and water and scrunching my hair into these pretty cool waves and curls. As the transition progressed, I started getting creative with the curly/wavy styles. I started putting my hair in medium braids at night, and I would use jeri curl rods to curl the braids tightly. When I take the braids and curls out, it would make the cutest style (think 1930s).

One day, after getting my hair pressed, I saw how badly uneven and broken my ends were, it was horrible. So finally, I did THE BIG CHOP! And, boy it was liberating. I was chemical-free!!! I wore it in a bob cut. It was so cute when pressed, but it felt so good to wash it and wear it wavy/curly knowing that this was ALL MY NATURAL hair!  I’ve been wearing it natural ever since.

Q: When and why did you decide to start wearing your hair naturally?

A:  I’ve been wearing my hair naturally on and off, but went permanently natural in the early 2000s. Chemicals were killing my scalp and ruining my hair. I always loved the look of curly hair on black women (i.e. Lark Voorhies from Saved by the Bell was my inspiration), I desired to rock that look one day.  I didn’t know my hair could really do it.

Q: Did you have any big fears about going back to your natural texture?
A: Not really. I didn’t know my hair was naturally curly and wavy, so I embraced it.  Only thing I feared was losing a lot my hair from the breakage after washing it. When my hair finally got to its total natural state, my curls got real coily and tight, and they would get tangled a lot. I had to learn to be real careful when I comb my hair out.

Q: What are three products you can't live without for nurturing/styling your hair?
A:  Essential oils (Castor at the moment), Aloe Vera Gel, A good deep conditioner (using Aubrey’s at the moment)

Q: What would you say to someone who's thinking about embracing their natural hair, but scared about being rejected in various parts of their lives?
A: Look at the millions of beautiful and prominent women who are embracing their natural hair, and say to yourself “hey, this is me – take it or leave it. I’m awesome, confident, and this is part of my heritage”. There are so many ways to wear your hair as a natural woman. You can be wild and free, or neat and chic, so don’t be afraid, there is a personal style for every natural woman. If one regimen doesn’t work, try the next.  Don’t give up. You just have to be willing to accept that being natural is a trial and error process. Not all regimens work the same, but it’s worth it when you find the right one or few.

Q: How can we keep up with you and your journey i.e. blog, twitter, facebook, fotki, tumblr, personal or professional website? (Optional)
A: www.rishabelle-summersoul.blogspot.com

Eyebrow Threading

There are not a lot of things that I do to treat myself. I don't go to a professional for hair care, I don't get manicures regularly (maybe once a year) and, I don't do any time of regular beauty treatments. Recently, a friend convinced me to get my eyebrows threaded and I went (because I am trying to make a change and take care of me). I must say, the experience was a lot better than I expected and for $7, you can't beat that!

For more on Threading:
Threading (epilation)
Eyebrow Threading

ZONA ROSA AMNESIA

SPECIAL Product Review: Uncut and Grow, Christine Carney

Hello beautiful ladies! I am here to give you another product review! This one is special though :) I received an email from Christine Carney with an inquiry for me to try a few of her products from her product line. She is an Apostolic woman of God who is licensed Nurse and Herbwife. She firmly believes in the power of God and His gift of Nature to heal the human body and spirit! I was so excited to see her using her talents and career to help other women in the faith. What a beautiful thing!

As she states on her website:

I Believe: God created the Earth and all the things in the Earth. Nature was created for the health and healing of man. Prayer should precede every treatment. Knowledge and Understanding are not acquired by accident.

About the Products: 
 
UNCUT Hair Oil

UNCUT Hair Oil is the perfect blend of organic jojoba and hemp seed oils blended with healing essential oils. It can be heated and applied as an intensive conditioning oil treatment or leave-in styling conditioner. UNCUT infuses hair with rejuvenating minerals and vitamins to restore your natural hair’s strength and vitality. This oil is perfect for softening long,frayed and fragile hair. A must have for the woman who wants to grow strong luscious locks!

4 ounces

Price: $12.95

GROW

Grow is specially formulated for hair that has been damaged or over processed. It is a deep conditioning hair mask made with shea butter, a blend of jojoba and hemp seed oils. Healing essential oils are added to help to de-stress, soothe and soften dry hair. Grow can be applied as an intensive conditioning mask or leave-in styling conditioner. It helps shield hair by locking in moisture and infusing hair with rejuvenating minerals and vitamins to restore your natural hair’s strength and vitality. Grow is a superb product that is beneficial to Anglo and African-American hair.

4 oz

Price: $10.95

My Review:
After a fresh wash and detangling, I twisted my hair using the UNCUT and GROW products. It took me a few tries to find the right amount to use in my hair. After I did that, these were my results and reviews:

UNCUT

The oils worked like magic in my hair! They did great to seal in the moisture after my creme based moisturizer. I think it was a great mix, not too greasy or heavy! (Which is a BIG deal) Many oil mixes are just way to greasy lol. My only con is that the scent was a bit overwhelming after a while. It was just a bit strong for my liking

GROW

My initial feeling was that it was too greasy, but that was just because I was using too much *smile* It is actually very lightweight and doesn't take much. It REALLY worked great on my twists! Gave great sheen and body! It also has a lot of slip to it so it makes it easier for me to keep my hair detangled. It tends to re curl and tangle itself on its own even after I comb it all out. Overall this is a great product for my hair type :)

 

I KNOW the product is good and I KNOW it works and I cannot stress enough that is is WORTH the money! Not only are the products awesome, but they go a long way. I only had to use 1/3 the amount of UNCUT that I generally use (with an oil mix) in order to get good results. And I only had to use half a dime size of the GROW in order to have good results. That's nothing compared to how much product I generally have to put into my hair.

Here is a special offer that Christine has personally given to the followers of this blog, THAT'S YOU!

Christine has offered a 20% discount if you mention that your purpose for buying the product is because you saw the review on my blog! What a GREAT deal!! So don't wait, support a fellow sister in the faith especially because this product is very worthwhile. Click here to check out her website!

Celebrating the joys of product reviews and deals :)

Link of the day - Franchesca's Headband/Necklace

Franchesca found a great accessorie online. It is a bendable necklace that can also be worn as a headband.

Necklace/Headband

Franchesca's Blog

Hair Tip #14: Oil Rinsing

First let’s talk about why oil is so important for the health of our hair. Oil is essential, necessary and I would go as far to say, crucial for the health of your hair!

Why?

• Oil is essential for nourishing hair.
• It contains natural product extracts that hydrate, condition and protect hair.
•  In addition, it helps you to avoid tangles and roughness in the hair.
• Above all else, it gives your hair stability which enables hair to grow faster.

There are many different types of hair oil. Many women choose to use hair mixes that contain various different oils.

1. One type of oil is Tea Tree Oil. It is best for oily hair and is good for combating dandruff and a scaly scalp. Lemon Oil is also good for oily hair and helps to fight against dandruff as well.
2. Another type is Neem Oil, also known as “wonder oil”. It is best for an itchy scalp because it is very soothing to the scalp.
3.  Rose Oil has extremely similar properties and works the same way as Neem Oil.
4. Almond oil is a great oil for all types of hair. It contains vitamin E, it nourishes hair, smooths hair cuticles (which reduces frizz), adds shine, and controls hair loss. It also helps hair to grow thick and strong.

Some very popular oils that you hear talked about on literally every natural hair care site are Jojoba, Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) and Coconut Oil. I was very curious why these oils stand out to natural women so much.

Here is why:

1. Jojoba Oil is a natural hair softener. It also hydrates the hair and balances secretion of sebum (natural oil that is produced by the scalp) on the scalp.
2. EVOO is rich in biotin, niacin, vitamins A and E and it also contains antioxidants. It is also great for treating dandruff and it contains moisture retaining properties.
3. Coconut Oil keeps hair strong, vitalized, nourished and protected from the effects of hair aging (sun, wind, weather damage, etc). It contains lauric and capric acid that protect the hair from hair loss due to microbial action on scalp and roots. There is also vitamin E in this oil. It has moisture retaining and anti dandruff properties. In addition, it is great to use for hair styling!

With all of that said, here is a new way to nourish your hair with oil. And that is through an oil rinse.

You will need:

• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Wide toothed comb (optional)
• 1 cup of warm oil of your choice

(1) Shampoo hair with warm water. Make sure hair is thoroughly saturated with warm water

(2) Apply warm oil to hair, not scalp. Finger comb or use wide toothed comb to gently detangle the hair

(3) Rinse with warm water

(4) Condition the hair paying close attention to the ends

(5) Use cool water to rinse out the conditioner in order to smooth cuticles and add shine

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FAQ about Oil Rinsing

• Is an oil rinse better than a hot oil treatment?
• In most cases yes because the shampoo is done before oil is applied so natural oils that are lost during the shampoo process are replenished with the oil rinse
• Is 1 cup enough for every hair length?
• You will have to modify the amount of oil you use based on the length and thickness of your hair. Using too much oil can cause your hair to be weighted down and greasy
• Does this really work?
• There are hundreds of reviews raving and singing the praises of this oil rinse
• Do you have to shampoo your hair in order to do this? Can it be used with a co-wash (washing your hair with conditioner) or wash and go (rinsing your hair with water and wearing the curls out)?
• You do not have to shampoo your hair in order to do this. It can be done with a co-wash or wash and go. You just have to be sure to rinse out all of the oil!

CLEAN THE BOTTOM OF YOUR SHOWER after an oil rinse if you share a shower with someone! Oil is very slippery!!

Celebrating the bare necessities of hair <3

Link of the day - Baby Kenzo looking fab!

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