Let's Straighten It Out

Yesterday was my Naturalversary. I was pretty geeked about it, for those of you who don't know! Being reflective about it, I never could have imagined a year ago that I would have a head full of beautiful, thick, healthy natural hair on my head today, but I do!! Last year was a year for the books. I've definitely come out of some things a lot stronger and I definitely feel as if I have a better sense of who I am. I'm confident in who I am. Going through this natural hair journey played a small part in that.

Do You Know What Today Is? It's My Naturalversary!

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My First Year Natural

Do You Know What Today Is? It's My Naturalversary!

On January 30, 2012, I was sitting in the salon getting a relaxer and some fresh color put into my hair. A few weeks later, I decided I wanted to give this natural thing a try. My hair story is not much different from other stories, but since it's my Naturalversary, I'll share it.

Historically speaking, I've never had too many problems with my hair; it's been long and healthy MOST of my life. I can't remember being natural as a kid. I have a hand full of pictures, but my hair was always braided or in ponytails, so I don't know what my natural hair looks like at all.

Bacon and Cheddar Cheese Grits Casserole

I tried this recipe last night and gave it two thumbs up. I wouldn't necessarily say it was the quickest because it's not...lol, but it is pretty tasty. Usually, when I bake I forget to grease the pan, but I didn't this time and I could definitely tell the difference. I had Pam...but I decided to use butter. Although that's not the healthiest alternative, I love butter! I'm not shamed!! :-)

I found this recipe on Pinterest (Bacon and Cheddar Cheese Grits Casserole), so that already puts me at 2 Pinterest demonstrations this month!

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Pinterest Experiment

I'm not one to just jump on any old bandwagon. When I first heard about Pinterest, I was very skeptical. I thought it was a weird idea! Reluctantly, I joined in February of last year and since then I've found some pretty good ideas there. (Follow me! My Pinterest)

I tell myself that I need to do more than just pin pins, I actually need to use them. I've done a pretty good job of that lately, but I want some accountability. So I've decided to use at least one pin per month. That's definitely undershooting things (because I pin a million pins whenever I visit the sight) but I feel like it will at least get me started with using Pinterest as a resource rather than a time killer.

Time Check

Well, I got my time down to 15 minutes tonight *hand clap*

A few things though...

1. I didn't moisturize my parts because I felt my hair is moisturized enough. If it only takes an extra 5 minutes to do that, that's still not bad.
2. I finger comb the front half of my hair only. The back half is a little more tough to get through with just my fingers...it's definitely more curly and slightly more coarse (but not in a “hard” sense of the word...just a little thicker).
3. Each night I do this, I shed less and less...that's always a plus!

This is still a work in progress that seems to be getting better with each try!

My Cute Afro

This post is just to show off my curly afro. I've gotten so many compliments on my hair in the past two days, I couldn't help but show it off. I kid you not...every single store I went into (and I've gone into quite a few stores this weekend) I've gotten a compliment. I got my twists down to 9 twists in 20 minutes!! As my cosmetologist would tell me, this is the lazy way to do my natural hair!! But I just don't have it in me on my busy days to spend an hour twisting up hair!!

This Hair Thing....

I was reading over my post about the Pan-Fried Tilapia and something crossed my mind. I have a very keen sense of smell and smells tend to resonate with me. As I was cooking, the smell of the Extra Virgin Olive Oil was so strong, it brought back memories. The same oil I was using to cook was the same oil I used to use on my hair!! As I was transitioning, I would watch YouTube videos and read natural hair blogs and it was all the rave to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It was supposed to be better for your hair since it was a “natural oil”.

HA!

This was not the case for me. I used it for a trial period. Shortly after, my face began to break out…BAD! I've never had trouble with acne, ever! All of a sudden, I was having the most trouble with my face. The face washes I usually used weren't working; I tried cleaning my face with rubbing alcohol (which is what I did when I was younger); I tried plain soap…but nothing worked!

Some Times...I Just Miss My Hair!

Hair!! Oh how I miss thee...

 

Coming up on that Naturalversary this week!

So You Want To Eat Healthy??

Pan-Fried Tilapia!

Since the start of 2013, I've been going to the gym about 3 times a week (on average). My next step is to start eating healthier. This isn't something that was high up on my list of things to do, but I decided to put a little effort into it. It's better to start somewhere than to not start at all!

Here's one of my healthy meals. Pan-Fried Tilapia!

Product Review: Mixed Chicks

Although I've only tried the Mixed Chicks products once, I made an instant decision about how I felt about the products!

My "C" Set

I wanted to show a pic of how I set the afro puff style at night. Last night I used Moisture Butter alone. The Moisture Butter turns my dry and brittle-feeling hair into moisturized and very soft hair!!

These pictures show the "C" shaped twists bobby-pinned down. I did 9 twists and just so happened to get the time down to 25 minutes. I'm working on getting that time down to even less minutes than that!!

Afro Puff

Afro Puff Trial

This is a play off another style I've done before, the flat twist with afro puff. It's been a very busy week, so I haven't had time to do much of anything to my hair. Last night I had to comb out the wash-n-go from the previous day. I hadn't detangled at all, so that was a process in itself.

Afro Shot

I know I did a length check post recently,
but the second pic I used wasn't a full afro shot!
So, today I combed my hair out and
noticed that my fro has grown significantly
(and yes one side is longer than the other)!!
Just thought I'd share!!

Woke Up This Morning Looking Like...

a crazy person! This is definitely not the look I was trying to achieve!!

Last night I did a wash-n-go that I thought was pretty cute. I didn't plan to do a wash-n-go but that's how things panned out. Usually when you wash-n-go, you wash and go!! In my case, it was bed time. I tried my best to "preserve" the style, but this is how it turned out.

To preserve the style, I put a bonnet on and went to sleep. When I woke up this morning, my hair was dry AND I had a huge slant in my curl 'fro. There was nothing else to do but fluff my hair out. In doing so, a lot of the curls became frizzy (which defeated the purpose of the wash-n-go). I wanted my defined curls to show more than just an afro look. Don't get me wrong...it doesn't look bad, it just looked better last night. This style was also very dry (even after multiple applications of moisturizer this morning on top of the moisturizer, coconut oil, and gel applied last night). 

When I did this last night, however, I knew I didn't have anywhere to go today, so it's okay that it didn't turn out quite like I wanted it to. I did want to show the outcome since I mentioned being worried about it, so here ya go! Maybe this is a style I should save for the warmer months of the year. Just a thought.

Wash and Go

Turns out my scalp wasn't up for another protective style!! I couldn't take it any longer. I was gung ho for not wanting to do my hair every night. A week before I got this protective style I had another protective style in for two weeks with no problems. Things just did not want to work out that way this time! Maybe it was because I liked the previous style better or maybe one week wasn't long enough to let my scalp breathe...whatever the case, I had to turn tonight into a wash night!

I'm still figuring out which products work best for my hair. One of my natural church cohorts is going through this process too and is into finding online samples to try. She was giving away samples and thought I'd like to try some (because I also told her I was still trying to find products that work for my hair).

As cliche' as this might be, I'm not into trying different products. However, I know that in order to find products that work, I have to do just that. Reluctantly, I tried the Mixed Chicks products (only after my church cohort asked me about it...lol...I didn't want her to feel like giving me the sample was a waste!).

New Style

I went to the salon on my regularly scheduled day. As usual, my stylist asks me what I want done to my hair. I had a week off from a protective style that I kept in for two weeks. I feel like my hair did an extreme amount of growing during that time. Every time I step foot in that salon, I know she'll ask me this same question, and each and every time I get there, I NEVER KNOW WHAT I WANT!! Lol.

Length Check 1

My First Documented Length Check

On the day I did my length check (2nd picture) it'd been 50 weeks since my last relaxer! I probably should have done these more frequently than I have (about 4 times total), but I will attribute my lack of length checks to not being completely natural. When I was transitioning, it was hard to discern my natural hair from my relaxed hair. Now, since I've been completely natural for 9 weeks, I will continue to do length checks from here on out, at least monthly!!

Picture 1 (left)

December 21, 2012 = 46 weeks and 4 days natural; 5 weeks and 3 days since the big chop

vs.
Picture 2 (right)

January 14, 2013 = 50 weeks natural; 8 weeks and 6 days since the big chop

Hair Trial #4

This weekend, I retried the style I said I would use from now on: two strand twists all over with a flat twist in the front middle section of my head. This time I kept the style in from Friday night until Monday morning.

I learned from this trial that if I'm going to keep my hair set over multiple days, I need to moisturize more during those days. I moisturized my scalp with EVCO Sunday night and with Beautiful Textures Moisture Butter (Whipped Curl Creme) that Monday morning, but my hair was still too dry for me. I don't feel like the curls were AS defined as they have been when doing this style so I'm definitely going to have to keep trying it out.

Bacon and Cheddar Potato

So...a little while back my sister put me on these things called Bacon and Cheddar Potatoes (from Wendy's). I caught myself buying 2 or 3 of these things a week!! It was getting ridiculous. Wendy's has lost their minds because they don't have a $0.99 menu anymore (actually they do, but some of the items that used to be up there have magically increased in price). A Bacon Cheddar Potato is almost $3...for ONE!! When you order a potato...it's usually very messy, not done right, missing something, etc.! So one of my coworkers suggested I make my own.

Of course, I looked up a "recipe" to figure out the best way to bake a potato and I found a way that works for me. I altered this recipe a bit. I coat the potato with oil but I don't salt it. I don't eat the skin so there's no need to. I leave the potatoes in the oven for an hour. I usually don't turn them halfway through, but maybe I should start. After I take the potato out of the oven, I split it into four sections, salt and pepper it, butter it, then place cheese all over it. I then put the potato in the microwave to further melt the cheese. After that's done, I top it with bacon.

I love this snack and it usually will hold hunger back long enough for me to get some real food!

Give it a try!

How To Bake A Potato

Another Hairstyle

Today's hairstyle was a variation on yesterday's hairstyle.

I moisturized my hair with Influance’s Moisture Lock with Shea Butter; I did not do this in sections. I parted off a small section of hair from ear to ear and flat twisted this section of hair. I took a small scarf/long piece of fabric and tightened it around the back part of my hair. I then pinned the end of the flat twist back into my afro puff.

The only difference is I took the scarf off this morning and puffed my 'fro out! I like this look, but I don't want to fall back into the routine of not twisting my hair before bed. My stylist told me the best way to help develop my curl pattern is to do something with your hair at night, whether it's twisting, braiding, Bantu knotting, whatever. Don't just tie up the afro and sleep on it! When I first big chopped, there was a-many-a-night I went to bed with my 'fro out. I'm trying to do better since I want my hair to get some definition about its-self!!

Here's to another style for my go-to list!!

Pork Chops in Country Onion Gravy

Another food item I love, along with cheese and broccoli, is ONIONS!!

I finally found a place that sells some pretty decently priced meats. I don't like buying meat in bulk. There are a few reasons for this: 1. I only cook for myself and 2. I prefer cooking fresh meat. I don't like buying meat in bulk, separating it, then storing it in the freezer (for who knows how long). When I cook, I like to be able to eat off the meal for about 2 days at the most. I'm not a big fan of leftovers, so I'm not trying to eat off one meal for a week! My dilemma is that most items in the grocery store are packaged for families, but I always keep an eye out for good single-serving sized items.

New Hairstyle

Flat Twist & Afro Puff

Wednesday night is a very busy night for me. On these nights, I DO NOT feel like doing hair!! Tonight, I decided to stand in front of the mirror and play with my hair until I found a style that required little to no manipulation!

Hair Trial #3

Another Night of Tackling This Hair Thing!

With all the information I've learned from Trials 1 & 2, I feel armed with the best information to make a decision about how to set my hair. This night, I put all that information to use.

I know 2 things:

1. My hair sets better with two strand twists, but
2. The hair around my part lays better when I flat twist it.

Chicken and Broccoli Bake

Chicken and Broccoli Bake just sounds good, doesn't it?! I make a similar recipe to this one. The main difference = broccoli!! I love broccoli!! I'll eat it plain, but I love it most when it's covered in some form of gravy. I figured this would be a quick and awesome recipe to try because of the broccoli alone.

Lately, I've acquired a taste for heartier meals over fast food. I would rather have a meal that's going to stick to my ribs more than something I don't have to cook like fast food. I usually like to follow recipes exactly, but my mom showed me different techniques to use when cooking. She helped me learn that I need to think outside of the box and put my own spin on recipes.

Hair Trial #2

After yesterday's fiasco, I had to redeem myself. I wanted to revert back to my normal nighttime hair routine, but I'm determined to find out what works best for my hair. You can't find out what works best unless you try new things. The scary thing about trying new things is that you have to wear that hairstyle the next day, ALL DAY!! Who wants to walk around looking "crazy"? I know I sure don't!!

Hair Trial #1

Saturday is usually the only kind of "off-day" I have. This Saturday, I had time and my hairstyle had been in for about 2 weeks, so I figured I would take it down. I frequent a local salon that specializes in natural hair every 2 weeks to get my hair done. Somehow my weeks got off and since I had a protective style I agreed to go 3 weeks this time to get back on track.

This night's routine was just that...routine. Here are the steps I took:

Sloppy Joe Casserole

Another goal I've decided to take on this year is to be more proactive about making dinner. Towards the end of last year, I was getting pretty slack with my meal planning. Dinner would sneak up and I wouldn't even know what I was cooking for the night!! Then I would rush through dinner, just to get it done, only to end up unhappy with the results...but having to eat it anyway (because food is too expensive to throw it away!). There's just something about feeling rushed and unorganized that works my nerves. There's also something about eating the same things every other week that irritates me as well!

During my virtual couponing expedition, I stumbled across the Pillsbury website. I get at least 2 to 3 emails a day from them (for different things). When I finally got a chance to sit down and look at all the emails I'd accumulated since starting my accounts, I discovered that a lot of the emails I had contained some excellent recipes.

My Wal-Mart Experience

The thing about Wal-Mart is I always seem to spend a lot of money there whenever I have to buy one of these items:

• Paper towels
• Toilet paper
• Pads/Tampons/Pantyliners
• PlugIn Air Fresheners

My Harris Teeter Experience

I've been trying my hand at budgeting for a little while now. I can't say I'm perfect at it just yet, but I continue to try. I recently took a very small class about couponing to start building my foundation for becoming a better shopper. I can say I definitely learned a lot from the class.

Accessorize

Hairstyle getting old?

Throw a hat on it!!

My Hairdo for the New Year!

Flat twist up-do, top out 

The latter part of 2012                                                        New Year's Eve

2013: My First Blog

So…today is January 1st, 2013. One of my goals for this year is to document something in my life for at least one year.

When I think of blogging, I think of somebody trying to present something to the public that piques their interests. I've run many thoughts through my head about what I could possibly blog about that reaches that goal. I was clueless!! What I came up with is to blog for me/Mi!! I will use MY website to document things that are on my mind and that pique MY interests. This will be my outlet. I will discuss a number of things; some may grab your attention, some may not, but at the end of the day it will be all me/Mi!

I'm not a professional writer, by any means, but I'm striving to do my best in that area. I don't exactly think thoughts that are always grammatically correct. I think in long, running sentences connected by ellipses. My writing seems to mimic my thought process, but I try to disguise that as best as I can!

I've decided to do a better job documenting my hair journey. I started this journey on January 30, 2012 and I've been slacking with documenting it. This is definitely new territory for me and I'm sure I'll want to remember these times (because my hair will probably never be this short ever again, if I have anything to do with it!). What's a better way to remember these times than to blog about them?!

Other things I'll blog about will include my couponing escapades, new recipes I’m trying, clever thoughts I have, cute pictures I run across, etc. Again, this is my outlet and I will use it as such! Next year I want to be able to look back and see where I was compared with the progress I've made. One of my best friends keeps pushing me to try blogging, so I figure why not?

Let's get started!