To Loc or Not to Loc?

For some time now I have thought of possibly locking my hair (my hubby is all for it). In the past I opted not to because I would wear my hair out and realize just how much I love a big messy hairdo. Lately, I have not been doing anything to my hair and I have no desire to wear it out - that is why there are a lack of posts about my hair as of late. It's like I lost my "umph." Anyone seen it?  ::looks around::

The past few weeks my hair has either been in a bun or two strand twists - or two strand twists in a bun -_-. I think I have gotten a small taste of loc life through attending a few events with my twists and choosing to style them in updos for the occasion The styling was so quick and easy! Maybe locs are for me (and I really did love my yarn braids look). I'm still giving it some thought and I have decided that if I go this route that I will wait until the fall before I begin. I need to trim my ends (badly) and give my hair some TLC first. Plus, it's summer so that means heat, humidity, sweat, and water. Not the best setting for me to start.

 

So many styling options...so many beautiful looks. I am not afraid of the semi-permanent commitment to locs nor am I afraid of cutting them off if I ever want a change. It is just hair - IT WILL grow back. My biggest concern is wasting my time and energy to start them only to change my mind in six months. I'm so indecisive....

Anyone thought about or actually had locs? 

Thoughts?

50 Things to Say to Make Your Husband Feel Great

by Janel Breitenstein

1. Thanks for doing that. It means a lot to me when you serve me in little ways like that.
2. I am such a different woman because of the way you _____ (love me, gently lead me, make me feel secure, etc.).
3. I know you and I haven't been seeing eye-to-eye lately. But I want to let you know that I accept you whether I agree with you or not, and I'm committed to working on our relationship so we both feel understood and secure.
4. I don't have a bit of a headache tonight. Interested?
5. I can't believe how _____ you are. You are so clearly gifted in that area.
6. I'm seeing lately that you may not feel very _____, but I hope you know I still respect you deeply.
7. The way you _____ is such a good complement to me. God knew what I needed when He gave me you.
8. I love it when you wear that.
9. You are my best friend.
10. I am more in love with you than ever.
11. I want to go out with you. Are you free on _____ night?
12. No matter how royally you mess up, I'll always be glad you're mine, I'll forgive you, and I'll love your socks off.
13. I got the car washed and serviced today, hoping it would just take a little of the load off of you.
14. I'm sorry. Will you please forgive me for _____?
15. It is so cool to watch the man you've become since we've been married.
16. I'm proud of you.
17. What would sound great for dinner tonight?
18. I forgive you. And I won't bring this up again, okay?
19. Got a minute? There's something I want to show you in the bedroom.
20. You handled that incredibly well.
21. You're right.
22. Got your favorite snack at the grocery store!
23. Just wanted to let you know I'm praying for you.
24. I trust you.
25. Let's put the kids to bed early.
26. Go ahead and sleep in tomorrow.
27. I had no idea you could do that! You continue to impress me.
28. What do you think?
29. Can I give you a massage?
30. To the kids: I love your dad so much. He is so _____.
31. I love being around you.
32. I got a babysitter tonight!
33. I think you have so much to offer, and I can see it in the ways you _____.
34. I'm so glad you're home.
35. I saw this at the store, and it made me think of you.
36. Do you feel like I'm understanding you?
37. I love doing _____ with you.
38. I stayed within the budget this month!
39. You are one of the best gifts I've ever gotten. I am so humbled God gave me you.
40. You and me this evening: Game on.
41. I got tickets!
42. Mind if I hold your hand?
43. I made your favorite _____.
44. Why don't you take the night off? I've got the kids.
45. You are so well-disciplined in _____.
46. You still take my breath away.
47. I miss you. Have a great time!
48. Our kids are so blessed to have a dad like you. I love the way you _____ them.
49. You make me so happy just by being you.
50. I love you so much.

One final note: Maybe you're a woman who initiates a lot of love for your man, but tenderness is not often reciprocated. Maybe you're reading this under the burden of a husband who doesn't serve you or protect you or cherish you. I want to compassionately encourage you: Jesus gave without mutual gain, too--and that puts you in some pretty good company. Ask God to give you remarkable, gentle grace as you lift up your spouse in prayer, and as you meet everyday struggles against resentment and possibly even injustice. Our God is the God who sees (Genesis 21:15-21)



Excerpted by permission from MomLife Today®, FamilyLife's blog for moms. Copyright ©2013 by Janel Breitenstein. All rights reserved.
If you would like to add your own ideas to this list, please click here for the online version of this article and leave your suggestions in the comment section.

Angelina Jolie undergoes double mastectomy

"My doctors estimated that I had an 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer, although the risk is different in the case of each woman," Jolie wrote. "Once I knew that this was my reality, I decided to be proactive and to minimize the risk as much I could. I made a decision to have a preventive double mastectomy."Jolie's mother, actress and producer Marcheline Bertrand, died of ovarian cancer in 2007 at the age of 56. Jolie is 37 years old."My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under 5 percent."

Read more: Angelina Jolie undergoes double mastectomy - CNN

Would you do have a double mastectomy if you knew your odds and had the opportunity to do so? 

"Is Your 'Natural' Hairstyle Preventing You from Getting a Job?"

 

Corporate America has a dress code and it applies to your hair. African-American women with natural hairstyles, men with dreadlocks and Baby Boomers with gray hair are not the only ones leaving job interviews questioning whether their hair just cost them a job. Men with long hair and anyone with non-traditional hair colors/hairstyles are looked upon with suspicion.

In the end, if you believe you will need to substantially change the way you look in order to obtain employment, it warrants seeking work outside of a short-sighted employer. You probably wouldn’t have liked working there anyway.

Read more: Is Your 'Natural' Hairstyle Preventing You from Getting a Job? - Forbes

You Asked, I Answered: Breakage

Over the past weekend, I received the following questions via twitter and since they are somewhat related, I will attempt to provide some guidance in one response. As always, I would love for you all to chime in, please leave a comment below!
 

....so I've been working w my hair myself lately & doing ok but now my edge r kinda breaking & I need a great shampoo. I just started using virgin coconut oil as a pre shampoo & read that I should get mizani bc it's less harsh, u recommend anything?

@HerBestHair so can you say 'breakage' which creates frizz, which creates SAD face! #help #askingEXPERT

Edges breaking
How is your styling? Are you do the exact same style every day? Wearing tight ponytails? Using headbands frequently? The edges can be sensitive and repeated friction/tension will wear them down fast.What we may consider as being snug, may just be too tight for our fragile edges. When caring for your hair, make sure you don't skip the edges.

Shampoo and products
Shampoo was the one product category that I could never find that one shampoo that would make me go "wow." I have tried a few and after a few weeks of using them, they just did not do it for me anymore. A lot of shampoos are loaded with sulfate and will strip every little thing they can find from your hair. Recently, I stopped using shampoo (See here: Evercreme Cleansing Conditioner). I prefer to spend my money and time on moisture rich conditioners (the products I use are listed under the My Regimen tab at the top). I also prefer to use as many natural products as possible (Shea butter, coconut oil, jojoba oil, aloe vera juice, and more) because my hair seems to respond better to those than it does to those lab produced products.

Overall breakage
When my hair was suffering from breakage, I adopted a technique for moisturizing & sealing my hair from Chicoro. I applied products in the following order from mid-shaft to the ends of my hair: Water-based, Oil-based, Heavy cream. After a few weeks I noticed a huge difference in my hair. If your schedule will not allow this, you will have to get creative. The increase of moisture did wonders for me.

I have learned the hard way that frizz means that your hair is dry. Your hair is drawn to the moisture in the air because it is thirsty. Now on ridiculously humid days, frizz is almost inevitable. Deep condition your hair regularly, try to avoid dry heat, and once your hair is styled, DON'T TOUCH IT! Manipulation also contributes to frizz.



Other things to keep in mind
How is your diet? What goes in, must come out. If you are frequently indulging in "crap," it will show externally. Make sure that you getting your necessary nutrients daily and also that you getting the right amount of water daily. If you have a hard time adding the right amount of healthy foods to your diet, look into taking a  mulit-vitamin. If you have tried everything and feel as if you have exhausted your options, visit your doctor just to get checked out and make sure that everything is functioning properly.

Tips for decreasing Breakage

1. Detangle well
2. Protection! Cover your hair at night and protect it from hard external elements (dry weather, rough clothes, etc)
3. Keep the hair conditioned. Conditioned well and regularly!
4. Trim your ends (long raggedy ends are not cute and will keep breaking)
5. Protein and Moisture balance - too much of either can lead to breakage. Watch your balance.
6. Handle your hair like fine silk. Roughing handling/combing will cause split ends and lead to breakage.
7. Patience - you will not see overnight results. Keep your regimen simple and consistent. Change will come. 
8. Drink your water. Good ol H2O!

So much can contribute to breakage and without actually seeing your overall day-to-day routine, it is hard to pinpoint the culprit. So, check your products, check your hair habits, and check your diet. Make sure all those are up to par before investing in those pricey "miracle" products that claim to eliminate breakage. 

Some good info!
Why is my hair breaking? Erm.......because you broke it!
Can You Really Have A Breakage Free Regimen?
Retaining Length: To Trim or Not to Trim Your Ends 

 

RIP Chris Kelly (and free "Best of..." download)

"80's baby....90s made me"

Kris Kross made (some of) us put our clothes on backwards, Jump until we could not breathe, and pray that we never Missed the Bus. If you have not heard or read the news lately, Chris Kelly was found unresponsive in his home on Wednesday. According to some media sources that I have read, it appears that drugs played a factor.

Rapper Chris "Mac Daddy" Kelly of 1990s' hip-hop group Kris Kross was pronounced dead at an Atlanta hospital on Wednesday evening. He was 34.

If anyone reading this post has a problem (or knows someone with a problem) with drugs or alcohol, please do not fall for the "that won't happen to me" mentality. That mindset is exactly  the one that the enemy wants you to have - it makes it easier to take you down when you are already not thinking straight. If there is not anyone in your life that you can talk to, please utilize some of the many free resources that are available here in the US.

The Partnership at Drugfree.org
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration
Understanding Drug Abuse and Addiction
Also, Google drug abuse treatment in your area for local resources

♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪♫ ♪ ♫ ♪♫ ♪ ♫ ♪♫ ♪ ♫ ♪♫ ♪ ♫ ♪

Free Download - The Best Of Kris Kross • DJ QuickSilva

♫ ♪ ♫ ♪♫ ♪ ♫ ♪♫ ♪ ♫ ♪♫ ♪ ♫ ♪♫ ♪ ♫ ♪♫ ♪ ♫ ♪

List of Celebrities lost to drug related deaths - and this doesn't even begin to put a dent in the number of non-famous people lost daily to drugs. 

May is...

May

• Lupus Awareness Month
• ALS Awareness Month
• National Bike Month
• Asthma Awareness Month
• Celiac Awareness Month
• National Foster Care Month
• Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Awareness Month
• Arthritis Awareness Month

Perms Rods and a Braid-out

Lately I have been putting perm rods on the end of my twists and loving the results. Braid-outs are one of my favorite styles but I have always hated the straight ends that I get from the braids. So, I got the idea to put the perm rods on the ends of my cornrows. My ends were not straight but I did not have the uniformed look that I was going for with the braid-out. However, I know that is because I did not do my cornrows neatly - a braid-out was not in the plans. Next time I will braid with the intent of doing a braid-out.

Earrings: IMI

Prior to cornrowing my hair I washed and conditioned my hair. I did the cornrows while my hair was still wet. I did not put the perm rods on my ends until a day later. To encourage the curl to set I used setting lotion on my ends only.

Got any braid-out tips to share? 

Leave a comment below.

Henna...I think I have missed you

It has been a while since I have done an henna treatment on my hair. Time goes by, you get to busy, and then you just forget (well that is my story and I am sticking to it). Luckily, I still had one box of henna left from my last henna purchase and since I had some free time in the house this weekend, I decided to go ahead and use it. Plus, I love the coloring effect that henna has on my hair.

This time around I mixed my henna with:
• Aloe Vera Juice
• Jasmine Oil (for the smell)
• a few drops of tea tree oil (because it just felt right) lol.

In the past I have mixed my henna by hand but this time I used my handheld mixer and a glass bowl. It was a lot quicker and less painful for my shoulder and arm. After mixing I let the batch sit for about 1.5 hours before applying to my hair.

Prior to applying the henna I shampooed my hair (first shampoo since switching to the L'Oreal cleansing conditioner) to remove any present buildup - and pollen. Yuck.

I then applied the henna in (3) sections and let it sit on my hair underneath a shower cap for a little over 1 hours. As usual - rinsing was a mess! After rinsing my hair I applied HEHH conditioner to my hair and again let that sit for about an  hour - long enough for me to do some laundry and watch some TV. Post-henna, my hair felt so soft but strong I forgot all about that feeling.

For my styling I opted to do a flat twist-out with perm rods on the ends. This little trick is something that I have started doing with all my twist-outs lately and I love the outcome. Unfortunately, this time around I waited until late to set my hair so it was still slightly damp in the morning. I had more frizz than curl definition - oh well. I tried to make it look like that was the look I was going for :)

The next day - after the henna treatment

Click the Henna tag for my past posts on henna treatments

Pressing In to a New Beginning

"When you have to use your faith, your faith becomes greater"