This Christmas!

25 days til Christmas. I saw this Target commercial tonight and it reminded me that I need to take in every single day and live it to its fullest. I half remember what the commercial is about but I do remember feeling like "hmm maybe I need to do something everyday to make my holidays greater!" Now people who know me know that I am an anxious holiday person. Not in a bad way but I bug everyone about Christmas gifts, talk about Christmas all the time, talk about what I want to do in the new year and what ever else is on my mind at the time. I get this feeling that just makes me all jittery during the months of November-March. But I will focus my attention on the now!

Today marks the last day of November and boy did it fly by! I am so excited to start December in a better position than most years I've had on this Earth and knowing my happiness will not rest on what gifts I get. I am one blessed young lady, as I shared on Thanksgiving but I am so blessed to the point that I am not even asking for a thing for Christmas. I tried that last year but of course my SO just had to go out and do something. But this year, I am serious. I have little nieces and nephews and one who will be born on or around Christmas Eve. I want to spoil them and make their Christmas holidays great as oppose to my own. This is a growing point for me. Never have I been a selfish person but who doesn't love a really great Christmas gift? On the subject of gifts, my plan from this day forward is to focus hard on my family and my SO and his family because I have to be honest, I have been wallowing in my own pity for the last few months and pushing my loved ones away. But no more! I am ready to love up on my loved ones because just three years ago I was preparing to say good bye to one and did not even realize it!

So this holiday season, I am making it my business and my mission to let my loved ones know just how much they mean to me. Do not let a day go by without letting your loved ones know that you care and love them!

In the meantime, what is on your Christmas list this year?

Time Flies By!!!

So this year has whizzed right on by! I wanted to do a blog for the 30 days of Christmas but umm, I missed a day or two or three on that! So I will start with today, that is all I have to work with. As we wrap up this year, what are some things you have experienced, learned, accomplished, or hoped to accomplish but did not as of now??? My list is as long as the Mississppi River but I will share a few...
1. I wanted to have some money saved and well, I am an impulse shopper so that has yet to happen. However, on this half of the year I have really reduced my impulse shopping as well as playing hero to those around me. I think that is a good start for 2012.
2. I learned to cope with my anxiety. My anxiety is the worst! It ranges from shaky hands while driving to sleepless nights to sleep-FILLed days. When I get stressed out, anxiety really disrupts my life. As the year has passed, I have not been so quick to resort to those coping mechanisms. I am still dealing.
3. I wanted to deal with my communication issues...Severely inept at communicating with my SO and others who are in my life. I pulled this hiatus from everyone and really hurt some feelings from not informing people about things that bother me...From here on out, my hope is to really get rid of my habit of shutting down and shutting people out when things aren't going well in my life...

That is just my short list of things. What are some things are you need to work on or really did well on this year?

By the way, Christmas is 27 days away...The new year is 32 days away...I just lost my breath whilst typing this...This year has gone by way too fast!

Giving Thanks.

“No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks”. — Unknown
In light on the hectic travel that will get me to tomorrow, I would like to list a few things I am grateful for. I started a "gratitude" journal not too long ago but I want to share some things that make my world go round.
1. I am grateful for God, His mercy and His grace. Without these things, I would not be who I am today and I would be just another lost soul in the world. Don't get me wrong, I am lost right now but I do find solace in knowing that God has great things in store for me. That is what keeps me going.
2. My family
Even though I don't talk to them everyday and I have had plenty of issues, I am grateful for the family I have. They too have had a major role in who I am today. I love my family and I think of their impact on my life daily. My little sisters are the light of my life. My little unborn niece Savannah keeps me excited and my nieces and nephew, Jazmine, Jamaya, Angel, and Damonte keep me on my toes! They are an entertaining crowd. My parents are great and they work so hard to keep us all healthy and happy.
-Side note, my sisters are truly great. They are both growing and constantly trying to be the best they can be. My youngest sister just started college and my middle sister is in college and about to move out on her own! I wish them both the best and I am glad they are doing so well!
3. My boyfriend
I often refer to him as my significant other because we are way past "boyfriend" and "girlfriend" titles and are getting ready for that next step. He is the most awesome-est boyfriend any girl could ask for...Well me at least. He does any and everything to make me happy, he is smart, he is kind, he is important! LOL (if you ever saw "The Help). But he truly is an amazing guy who is after God's heart and my own. Funny thing, we met three years ago today! (I think or it was on Thanksgiving but I am in the ball park!) He is currently pursuing his law degree and even with all of the pressure from that he works extra hard to make sure I don't feel like I am getting the back seat. At this point, I've become pretty independent but he still hates for me to feel lonely! I love that guy!
-I must also shout out his family. They are great and they treat me like one of their own. Even though I have fought kicking and screaming, they accept me and love me none the less.
4. My friends who are far and few, but still growing...I never meet a stranger. Three friends I would like to shout out are my S, N, and K. These three ladies are the best friends any one could ask for. I have the best of everything if you haven't noticed! They are the most caring, kind, and hardworking people I know. My friend N is getting her Ph.D in Physics and I just graduated with my friends S and K. When I tell you they are awesome, I mean it. I met them both pretty randomly. 4 years ago when I was at a summer program, S and a high school friend were rooming together for orientation. Shamiso and I hit it off immediately and have been inseparable since! We even survived being roomies for two years! Crazy right?! N and I met in McDonald's last year. Her big natural hair is what sparked conversation between myself, my cousin and her mom. Every since then, I have enjoyed our friendship, conversations, laugh fests, etc. K and I go back to high school. We have survived our friendship throughout college and throughout moves across the US and back. I love that girl. No matter how much time passes between us talking, we always find ourselves right back where we left off. I love these girls!
5. My support system
This ranges from extended family to associates to supervisors to the kids I have babysat for. I love these people just like family. They have all been influential in my life and always showing support for whatever I do. When I went on my current hiatus and disconnected myself from the world, they knew where to look to find me and that is something special because it showed they actually paid attention.


I am really one blessed chica! I have a whole host of support factors in my life to make up for those who haven't been the best to me. They keep me grounded and remind me of my purpose in life. All of my blessings make up my support system. They let me know that no matter what, they always have my back! I am grateful to have them! This quote inspires me to continue to show gratitude daily!

-“You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you.”
— Sarah Ban Breathnach

What are you grateful for this holiday season?

Product Review: Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioning Repair Cream

So my next product review is Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioning Repair Cream. I just posted a blog about the day I decided I would go natural. The first thing I bought was Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In. It said it was a repair cream and I surely needed something to repair this over processed relaxed hair of mine. So I got it. Got home, washed my hair and used it as a deep conditioner. I remember liking it at first, the smell wasn't all that great but I really liked the way it made my hair feel after I got finished DC'ing it. So it is supposed to 1) provide moisture to brittle hair, 2) soften, detangle, and add shine, 3) protect against heat styling and sun damage, and 4) provide protection against split ends and breakage. That's what they ALL say isn't it?

My experience
I used it both for DC and a daily leave in. Since I was just starting my transition, I was worried about breakage and split ends because that is what people told me would happen if I went natural. After using it for about 5 months, I never noticed any breakage and my hair was looking healthy. I was heat styling pretty often however I did not experience any heat damage, breakage etc. So it did what it was supposed to do at the time. Because I was a PJ, I switched to something else and I have not turned back since. It is still in my arsenal of products but I have not used it since I chopped off my relaxed ends.

Cons
One of the things I did notice was that this product made my scalp itch terribly. That is one of the reasons why I had to put it away. The smell wasn't too pleasant. Another reason I was turned off from this product is because Cantu Shea Butter makes relaxers as well. As I started doing more research, I decided that it would probably be a good idea to use products that cater specifically to natural hair. I don't have any reservations about my decision to leave it alone. I don't think I will revisit it but I would recommend it to new transitioners especially if you have over processed hair. It really protected my hair during my first few months of transitioning.

One more thing, I did not know what to expect with this journey but I have noticed that at every few months, I have had to change products. I think at each stage my hair demands different ingredients from different products. This has been interesting but the journey has been worth it!

Have you used Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioning Repair Cream? If so, what was your experience with the product?

My next review is going to be Herbal Essence's Hello Hydration!

Memories-The Beginning of Something Great!

On this day last year, I was talking to some of my girlfriends at work. One of them had just big chopped and I was so enamored with her hair. She had convinced another friend to go natural and she decided that she had had enough of relaxers, her last one was Sept 2010. This was right after Homecoming 2010 so I had just gotten a fresh relaxer about two weeks before, a decision I came to regret. So as we sat there and talked, CurlyNikki.com came up in the conversation. My girls were just in awe because there was so much information on the site. But the at this time last year, she had just given birth a few months earlier so the main purpose for visiting her site was to see her cute little baby girl. After we had gotten enough of seeing pictures of the baby, we got into the conversation of going natural and the whys, why nots, pros etc. As I sat there and listened to them and lusted over my friend's new hair, I was decided "hey why not try it again." I say again because earlier last year, I went for about 5 months without a relaxer but broke down and got one when school started back...Big mistake. I felt bad. I felt even worse when I broke down again in October and got a relaxer because homecoming was coming up and I didn't know what to do with my hair...Silly me.

So anyways, today is represents a special day. It is the day that I decided that I was going to go natural, one year ago...Now it also represents the day I would begin to go broke behind hair products! Ugh, I know you know the story. I know I am not the only one! I went to a beauty supply store, stocked up on Flexi Rods, pomades, conditioners, leave-ins...Basically everything that I had seen from CurlyNikki.com that day...I was pitiful. I was looking like Kim Coles in her Youtube video, no joke (Click Here for the Video). I had so much stuff and I had no where to store them. I started using the products with no goal in mind so I just kept buying and buying with the hope of having super mega growth in a few months. The more products I heard about, the more money got spent, the more nights I had to resort to warming up leftovers...Lucky for me and for them, both of my sisters decided to go natural in December of 2010 so I was able to pass on some of those products. This is not the first time you heard this story!

This is what my stash looked like, no kidding!

Ok, so I have allayed myself of product junkism. I still have my moments but I have not splurged on products in several months now! YAY ME!
I just wanted to share a special day in my journey! What makes you smile when you look back on your journey?

There's Hope!!!!!!!!

Ok, so in the last three months, I have been sort of...length obsessed. In the beginning I was checking my hair every single day, taking pictures everyday. I didn't expect my hair to grow overnight but I wanted to have pictures so that I could document my progress. My first photoshoot was August 30th. So I have attempted to keep an accurate account of my growth so that I know I am doing the right things. Anyone feel me?

So anyway, I will try to get these pictures up here. No guarantee because I am not very computer savvy when it comes to getting things from point A to point B. A being my webcam, B being this blog...The point is, I see the growth. I have about an inch more than I did when I cut off the relaxed ends in August!! Needless to say, I am geek'd. I can finally see progress and that makes me excited!

September 12

October 18

November 17

The most obvious length differences can be seen in picture 1 and picture 5 & pictures 2 and picture 6! This has me pumped and excited! I now see that I am making growth and doing a good job at retaining length. Even though it is not much, it has motivated me to keep it up!

-This is just a little inspiration for those of you who are also newly natural! If you are anything like me, you need visuals so that you can make sure you are keeping up with your own progression.

Be encouraged and stay beautiful!

Adventures of Yoga and Me-Healthy Living

My email address is is a combination of my first and last name, "yoga," and it never fails that every time that I give out my email I always get the question "Do you do yoga?" "Do you teach yoga?" The answer is always no...

So I am on this new holistic approach to life, less stress, more healthy eating, working out, finding peace, less stress...Wait I said that already. But you can never be too rid of stress...So anyways, For the last month I have been saying I was going to start working out. I have always been a petite girl so working out has never been a requirement to keep my slim and trim figure...Well, people have been telling me that I looked like I was gaining weight...So what did I do? Get on the dang on scale...Silly me...And what did I see? 10 pounds of weight gain. Now, for most that wouldn't be something of significance but ummm going from 120-something to 130-something is a little more than what I planned for at this age so I decided to do something about it... I like my new body but I do not want to find myself at an uncomfortable weight a year from now and knowing I could have done something about it. Here I am, tonight!

So I went to the handy dandy P90x. I decided that I would do the Yoga portion because I want to again, take a holistic approach to this new lifestyle I am trying to accomplish. I also love the thought of yoga. The thought of it brings peace so I can only imagine what it will do for me from actually doing it...The video is 1 hour and 32 minutes...I got through 33 minutes. One third of the video. Now, I hope that I build up to doing the whole 1 hour and 32 minutes but I had to start off small, baby steps. I fully intend to keep up with it. I really don't have a choice if I want to be healthy. I enjoyed the portion that I did do. It left me sweating and feeling like a new woman!
NEW BEGINNINGS!
Here are some things I hope to gain from doing Yoga, every night at least 4 times a week...
1. To have something that challenges me to reach a greater limit of physical fitness
2. To have something that requires me to have a clear mind for at least 30 minutes out of the day
3. To force myself into a healthy lifestyle, eating right, drinking water, etc
-To establish good health today at 22 (almost 23, better late than never) rather than wait until 42!
4. To embrace the inner peace that I KNOW exists!
5. To establish an active lifestyle...I spend way too much time in front of the TV and my laptop...

So in conclusion, P90x is about to kick my butt, but it is something I am looking forward to...Now my peace has been disturbed with rap music ( someLittle Wayne Mixtape???)...The SO is back!

I hope this inspires someone out there to get on their healthy! I will continue blogging with my progress on this new lifestyle!

Celebrating a Milestone...

Natural hair milestone...I have been "natural" for 13 months after transitioning for 10 out of the 13 months. Well, my hair has been growing it up and last week I was complaining about not being able to do anything to it. Well, I tried to pull it into a puff and I was successful! However, the bands hurt my head...I have to figure out a less painful way to keep the puff going all day but I guess that comes with trial and error. I also wanted to pull my hair into a puff because the front of my hair is more wavy than coily and it was getting too long to just put a band around it...So anyway, check out my little puff! I think I was extremely successful for a first timer!

-Ignore all the books in the background. They are everywhere!!!! My boyfriend is in law school and well, I am a nerd!

I used one of those Goody's stretchy bands but I cut it, made it into a string, and tied it in the back!

Ugh, Oh no she didn't!

OHHHHH, but she really did. My mom...put...a...I can't even say it...I think I am going to cry, for real...Because I told my nieces that if need be I would drive home every two weeks to make sure their hair was done...She...she put...she put a relaxer in HER SIX YEAR OLD HAIR!! Ugh, I am mad. I wanted my nieces, the three of them, to grow up and love their natural hair. And feel proud of their mane like we had to work EXTRA hard to learn as adults. She has beautiful hair. It has all been retained since she's had it and now, a freaking relaxer. Six years old...#ican't

Ok. This may seem a little dramatic to you. But I am serious with every bone in my body. I am saddened because we have a family full of girls. Myself and sisters are newly natural and wanted to be examples to our nieces that we were more than just our hair... Part of me feels like my mom felt the need to, I don't know, tell someone that their hair was too nappy and that a relaxer was necessary....LYES, LIES, LYES!!!! I am livid! Why is it necessary to put a relaxer in a six year old's hair? Can someone answer that question? All they had to do was keep her hair braided and it would have been fine. YES, it took me an hour and a half to detangle her and her 10 year old sister's hair, but guess what, Lord knows I would do it again to prevent her from feeling like her natural hair is not beautiful. I would do it so her older sister would not feel like she would need a relaxer too because of her sister's chemically straight hair...Six years old is just too young for a child to have those harsh chemicals in their hair, kiddy relaxers count too. I wouldn't be so upset if I myself were still getting relaxers but my natural journey has shown me that I relied to much on my chemically, burnt up, broke up, crispity-crunchity, stagnant relaxed hair as I grew up...And that's nothing I would wish on any child...As she grows into a young lady, I hope she learns that her hair is not what makes her beautiful...I hope all of my 5 nieces learn that. Because as black females, we are often told that if our hair is nappy, we are not desired. I wanted to show them differently. I was hoping to show my mom differently...But I guess I lost that battle...Mom 1...Yo-0


Signed,
A very hurt auntie

Give Those Leftovers a Makeover!

So my SO and I have made it our business to be conscious about how we spend money. Therefore, he we decided to cook more often rather than go out to eat so much. Before now, I have not been a person who likes to eat leftover. Well, in order for us to achieve this new set goal, I kinda had to learn to love day old-or two- food. So I have and I've enjoyed remixing meals in order to make food work for more than a day. Ok, so my projected hope is to post my food ideas for different leftover makeovers. I'll start with what we did tonight.

I discovered this delicious Hidden Valley Spicy Ranch dressing about two months ago. We used it to make a southwest chicken salad for a late night meeting. So two nights ago, we made some bread battered fried chicken with gravy, green peas, baked macaroni and cheese and Jiffy's cornbread :)

We ate everything except one piece of chicken. So tonight while trying to decide what to eat, my SO, who loves burritos/wraps anything with a tortilla, made a roast beef tortilla. I decided what the hay, I'll make one too. But I don't like roast beef so I went to the fridge and got the left over chicken. Warmed it up, some corn (Mrs Dash's Fiesta lime seasoning, sugar, salt and pepper), lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, and the Spicy Ranch dressing...Voila, a brand new meal. I call it my Overstuffed Southwest Chicken Burrito! It was delicious and did the job in curing my hunger!

Pictured are a couple of ingredients we used:

This is just one of the many remixes we've done in the last month. What are some things you do with your leftovers???

Hide Ya Kids...

No really! It's crazy out here. So I am a from an "underprivileged" background, for all intents and purposes of this post. I didn't grow up poor. However, I did not have a lot of social capital that most middle class people grow up with such as mentors, college educated parents or family members, good schools etc. I had to learn how to use my social networks to my advantage and THAT took some work. I am still working on letting my social network work for me but that is not the point. Being from an underprivileged background, I remember often times having people during non-profit and charity work within my community and my schools. I rarely took part in these because sometimes the trust was not there to with people we weren't acquainted with. For good reason. That doubt is a valuable survival tactic for a young child. Parents are sometimes too quick to put their trust in people in the community who SEEM to have their child(ren)'s best interest at heart. Sometimes the charities and non-profit work is a preying ground for people who would love nothing more than to take a child's innocence away.

In the latest news, we have Coach Jerry Sandusky who is a renowned and honored member of the Penn State community who has taken it upon himself to molest little boys for the past 30 years. This man helped children who were identified as "under-privileged" develop football skill but used this as an opportunity to prey on boys from ages 8-13. He was caught several times having intercourse with his eight victims but did not suffer the consequences until now. It is truly a tragedy when a man who has everything the world at his fingertips would take the youth of several young boys. It frightens me to think that people put their trust in this man and he would go as far as to rape these boys during a time in their life where they should be enjoying grade school and middle school. Sexual abuse is one of the most unnoticed forms of abuse because children are often scared into silence.

This brings up another issue. It is of the utmost importance that families do not shut down the communication walls to their kids. Coming from a family where the walls were burnt down before puberty even came upon me. As the oldest girl, I never had the opportunity to talk about the things that were plaguing my developing mind and therefore had to resort to those blind peers of mind. The blind leading the blind results in a whole lot of bad decisions. This I know from first hand experience. Parents, from a child's perspective, talking to your child is much more influential than waiting on their life experiences to teach them. It is also better to let them know that you are there to be a mentor/comforter/PARENT to them rather than having them feel as if they are facing the world alone. As a teenager, I always felt like I had to hold everything in because I did not feel comfortable talking to my mom about ANYTHING! I even got on the radio station and did an interview about "kids and technology" and put out a plea for parents to be in their children't business. There is no way to know everything that goes through a child's mind and what goes on in their life unless you actually TALK TO THEM. To this day, I wish that I could just call home and talk to my mom about anything on my mind. Now that I know it will never happen, I am learning to take the lessons of life and use them as I move forward.

So to further discuss this, parents be careful of people in your life and your children's lives, teachers, preachers, coaches, friends' parents etc., in order to assure your child's safety in whatever situation they are presented in without you being around. Since you can't hide ya kids always keep your child(ren) from harms way, keep the door of communication open so they can know that you will be there for them if something was to happen with them. Trust me when I tell you, they will thank you for it later!

Product Review: TreSemme Naturals Nourish Moisture Conditioner

This is my first product review. I am starting reviews of the products I have used over the last year in order to help someone out there who is fresh into the process or just trying to switch up their regimen. I am not a paid advertiser for any product I review. I will give my honest opinion regarding all of them!

So up first: TreSemme Naturals Nourish Moisture Conditioner

I started using this right after my big chop which was a little over two months ago! I love my cute lil fro!

1 year, 1 month post relaxer
10 month transition

Ok so this is a conditioner that for one has lasted 2.5 months and I still have about a quarter of the bottle left. For a $5.00 bottle of yum, this one has my heart hair. I use it to cowash most times. At one point, I was using it everyday but I got tired of waiting on my hair to dry so I use it maybe every two or three days.

So what does it do?
So it is supposed to be light weight, it is. I love that I can put it on my hair and it doesn't send my head backward. I like that it is very slippery, I am lazy and I don't want to put too much work into detangling my hair. It really does take the frustration work out of detangling. It leaves my hair extremely soft, although my hair is soft anyway. I have not noticed a lot of shedding or breakage since I have started using it which is great because I have extremely fragile hair. It leaves my hair stretched for about an hour, long enough if I want to try to style it, which I don't but it is worth the mention.

Next up: Cantu Shea Butter

Rest in Peace Heavy D

Friends,

We have lost a great music icon today! We pray that his family, friends, and fans find comfort in each together during this tragic time.

Burnt out: When the Fire is Gone...

You ever felt like you were just existing? Like nothing you did was really of greatness, didn't really evoke excitement in you? Have you ever just lost interest in doing things that you know that you know you LOVE without a shadow of a doubt? Welp, that is where I am in life right now. Let me be candid for a minute...

I knew this would happen. I should have taken a break. I should have given myself time to just rest...Rest, what the H*#L? What do you mean rest? You don't need rest when you are taking over the world! Everyone always says, "You'll sleep when you are dead." I guess that's when I thought I would take my break...I don't know how much sense that makes considering if you don't sleep, you will surely shorten your days!

So the point, there is a point. I know realize that what I have been suffering from, FOR FOUR YEARS, is being burnt out. And this is how I know. Being a student, I felt like I was constantly sinking, just every semester, sinking into a deeper hole. I am smart, always have been. But I went to college and made a complete mockery of my FULL scholarship and my own abilities. Bad grades begot more bad grades which resulted in a complete effin miserable few years of failure, for the first time in my life...I can talk about it now because, well, if I don't it will continue to nag at me until I've gotten to a point of no return. I know this because I've been there, when everything was going wrong and I waited until I was completely broken to express what was going on in my life.

So being burnt out consists of a few things, it is not depression but it is one of the SEVERAL things that can lead to someone suffering from depression. I can recognize what I am going through now because I am in a state of reflection. A period in my life what I have THE TIME to figure out what is going on with me, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Being burnt out is something that no one can point out because often times, it is just seen as being "tired" or "working too hard." But how long do we have to put up with just existing? At some point, we need to recognize that this ish is real! Being burnt out feels like being without sleep for days, maybe weeks, even though you sleep every night. It makes one feel like no matter what how you try to make yourself feel, you aren't going to get that true feeling of happiness.

So what can you do to prevent recover from being burnt out?

1. Take it one day at a time.
Don't try to save the world and solve all of its problems in 24 hours...Rome wasn't built in a day. That problem will be there tomorrow to solve!
2. Take a break from it all.
Now, I have had the opportunity to actually take a break. But for most of us, a break is within an allotted time frame, maybe an hour or a weekend. Pray, Meditate, work out, or just free your mind from the thoughts plaguing you. Also, don't be afraid to say no to your family and friends when you feel you are taking on too much. You can only do so much for everyone else if you aren't even the best you can be.
3. Make a schedule
Plan your time and allot space in your day just to DO NOTHING! Or rather do something mindless like a puzzle, Sudoku, watch tv, read up on the latest news/gossip. These things will help take your mind off of everything. This will also allow you to keep up with what needs to be done and what can wait.
4. Take a vacation
There are many things you can do that classify as taking a vacation such as actually going out of town, going to get a massage, go on a shopping spree, all these things can give you the much needed break that you need.
5. Last but not least, get some rest. Seriously, get at least 6 hours, 8 hours is a stretch but shoot for it. It is necessary for health to get some sleep.

All in all, the point is to take care of yourself! You will wake up one day and wonder why you can't shack feelings of unhappiness and frustration. It is ok to take a break! Trust me, if you are anything like me, it will be the hardest thing in the world but I am learning so much about myself and how I must be in overall good health in order to do what I want. Being burnt out made everything around me fuzzy. Taking a break gave me the much needed time to reflect on my life. Fancy that...All from taking a break!

Rant Rant Rant!!!!!!!!

Yea, go ahead and tag me as that angry black woman... BUT This is about my hair...Maybe I need a trim. Maybe I'm out of love...Maybe it is just at an interesting length where it is making BABY steps in growth and development...But I am ready for this hair, lovely hair of mine, to freaking grow some more so that I can style it or something...Ok, let me back that up a second. I love my hair, don't get me wrong. I'm just at a stage where well, its just wash n go's. I've tries pulling it into a puff and well, the darn bands hurt my head all day! So that doesn't quite work...So I try to just put a single band around it but it seems they are stretched out and my hair has outgrown them! I don't know where to go next! Last year this time, I had no problem because I had straighter hair, curlers and I was a curious little one month old transitioner. Now I am two months post BC and my hair is growing beautifully buuuuuuuuuut (screeching halt)...It's just there now. What do I do? As I have mentioned before, braids and extensions are out of the question...Do I just have to deal with it? I mean, I will but I am impatient.

I just had to get that off my chest. I feel better now...I am going to go be nice to my kinks and coils.

Anyone else have frustrations with their coils?

10 Myths about Natural Women and their Lifestyles

I found this while browsing the web. I enjoy Madame Noire's website!!!!

Check out things people just ASSUME about us naturals!

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I would like to comment that I do LOVE neo-soul AND jazz...That's about the only thing that applies to me! As for number 2, I don't know what I would do without my meat, dairy, etc!!

Preparation meets God

Today, I was having a conversation with my cousin about marriage. The lesson of the conversation applied to so many parts of my life that I took it in a whole new direction. Basically, we discussed that marriage required being in a state of readiness. A state of readiness requires going through some things to gain knowledge, experience, and wisdom to be ready to accept what God has planned for you, whether you are ready for it or not. Being in a state of readiness will prevent us from making decisions that we will regret later on as well as prevent us from RUSHING into something that God has not prepared us for yet. With that being said, don't ever doubt the hand you've been dealt because you never know what cards you possess to put yourself in a winning position. God has a way of giving us all a way out of any troubles we face. But that way out also requires us to learn to fight and fend for ourselves and for us to learn some lessons that will prepare us to recognize when a blessing season is upon us.

So in a season of preparation (also known as trials and tribulations) keep your faith high and your eye on Christ because He will never take you through unnecessary lessons. The enemy will do everything he can to break you during your time of preparation because we are often weak in the spirit but trust, if you remain faithful and steadfast in your faith, God will bring you through. Don't let the enemy tempt you from doing what is right when you feel that everything is going wrong. Don't let the enemy try to tell you that you are doing something wrong when you are following God's word and doing what you know is right! Show the enemy that no matter what, you are not fazed by tactics to distract your attention from Your God. Convinced yourself and the enemy that the hand you have is powerful enough to keep you winning and even fool the enemy into thinking that the power and faith you have is so great that no matter what he does, you refuse to budge on your faithfulness. To that end, play your hand to the best of your ability and show the enemy that you can't be swayed in your faith. God takes us through tests of faith so that we show Him that we are truly faithful no matter what...How do I know?

If God hasn't blessed you with that job, that house, that car, that child or whatever you may be waiting on know that HE IS STILL PREPARING YOU for whatever it is. He does not want you to have it right now because He is prepping you for something better than what YOU THINK you should have. Stop shorting your blessings because of what YOU THINK you should have and let God give you what He has planned for you. It will be worth the fight...

So, be encouraged. Continue to be strong until your season of blessings come, because you never know when God is about to bless you with a breakthrough.



Further Reading: Genesis 16:1-16
Until next time,
Stay Prayed up...Keep Dreaming and Keep Believing. God has a blessing in store for you.