Got Edges?

I do not know about you but I am HORRIFIED looking at all of these grown women and young ladies with NO EDGES!! It is totally preventable and is never a good look.  The damage we do to our hair with chemicals, tight braids, ponytails, lacefont wigs.....the list goes on and on, is just heartbreaking.  I remember visiting a friend in San Francisco and I kid you not, EVERY young girl I saw in his neighborhood including his own daughter had NO EDGES!!!

Countess Vaughn the actress known best on "The Parkers" and "Moesha" spoke about her horrifying experience using lace front wigs. Countess Vaughn on The Doctors  The crazy part is she STILL HAS ON A WEAVE.

Look at some of these tragedies!! When did vanity take the place of common sense??

As you can see this issue affects the rich, the famous, or the woman down the street, no one is immune. Now we all know this is an issue, but if you are suffering from this what can you do? For you one go see a dermatologist or a trichologist.  Use natural products that can help vitalize the scalp such as Jamaican Black Castor Oil as discussed here: Curly Nikki Jamaican Black Castor Oil. And please use your resources, I love Curly Nikki's blog but there are several others with a wealth of information.  Please do not think your head needs to suffer like this and when you see this occurring leave the cause of it ALONE!

Peace and Love!

Looking for Natural Products?

As I embark on this journey to a healthier me I figured I will share with your some of the products I use that keep me A1.  I will try to remember to do this weekly as I try out new things or share my old tried and true beauty and health products.

Now I read heyfranhey.com and you should probably too because the woman is just on point and gives great tips. One of the best things she shared is the deodorant she uses, all natural from inlovewithbodycare.com.  

When I tell you this stuff works!  You will smell good and it lasts!! I used it right after using Degree and it does not miss a beat, I did not need a long time to get used to the product.  I highly recommend this because trust I am the last person that wants to be musty and this does the job! They have different smells and formulas but I recommend you try and see what you like best. The site also has great lip balms, facial and body products.  

They are usually generous with samples which is a BONUS!!.  I cannot say enough about this company.

Please feel free to share your experience if you know of any other great natural products.

Peace and Blessings!

Keeping At It

When I decided to take this 12 week challenge to get fit I honestly did not have a game plan.  I am not even going to say I have a firm plan now, but what I have tried to do is make better decisions.  I wanted this to be an organic change because I want to live a healthier life period. However, I am not a rapid change type of person so my diet and activity levels have to change gradually.  I am down about 5 lbs so far.  I find myself working out and pushing myself more, but I still can't get through a whole workout DVD just yet.  I still eat what I want but I try to make better choices when I do eat out.  April 1st I decided with my boyfriend to do no bread and no beef for a month so I will update when this occurs and tell you how that goes!

Honestly what I want to share is how much being aware and dealing with the physical part of myself is helping me deal with the emotional side of myself.  I am not going to lie I feel like these past few years I have been an emotional wreck.  My relationships were never in the place I wanted them to be.  I am seeing now that I am slowly getting back to just being happier.  Appreciating all of the good things surrounding me, appreciating my life and my family, friends and my boyfriend.  I feel like I can believe I am loved and can receive that love instead of thinking of everyone's negative intentions towards me.  Let me tell you my life is far from perfect, my money is funny, and I work at my relationship everyday!!! But when you see things with the glass half full you can't even be worried about every little thing.  You know that if you keep pushing another day will come to make things right.  So that is my motto now, I take it one day at a time and every day I want to do something to make me healthier and get me and my family to a place of financial stability, and create a happy home. This my friends is how to start and finish a year!

I wish health and blessings to you all!!

New Challenge

Yesterday I decided to start a 12 week challenge that Jia holds every so often. Follow her on Instagram @deactivatedfatgirl. She gives excellent tips and is just someone who one day decided she needed to get back in shape.  She is very smart and witty and I just enjoy following her.  I personally am at a point where I have reduced a little bit of weight after blowing up shortly after meeting my boyfriend, I guess they call it "love chub". My weight lost has been incremental,  I have yet to make any radical body transformations.  I decided I am going to start this month just really focusing on what I eat, why I eat it, and trying to make a workout routine.  Day 2 and I have already had a setback going into my work gym today.  I am not comfortable in gyms especially with a lot of people in them and today that is exactly what I encountered. After thinking about it for awhile, I think it goes even further than that.  I work with these people I don't want to see them in this environment, I also am always looking over my shoulder to make sure I don't run into a certain "person".  This is not a safe place for me, it actually is my boyfriend's domain, he lives in the gym.  I would one day like to get to this point but I know this location is not it for me, maybe its a foul memory, too much worrying about who I may run into.  So in the meantime I will adjust my focus and what I am comfortable doing, because for me right now the most important thing is to do something, and keep up doing something.  I am finding that in the effort to improve my body, I have to deal with the mental and emotional challenges as well, and I can say I am up for the challenge!  Please share your own stories and experiences as you see my upcoming posts, I hope we can encourage each other!

New Year New Hope

God has truly been good to me!  He saw me travel to London and South Africa this New Year unscathed and in great spirits. Seeing my best friend and her family soothed my soul and just gave me a whole new vision of life.  I truly feel 2014 is turning out to be a year of renewal.  Starting newer healthier habits, and by healthier I mean in all aspects of life including physical, emotional and financial. I am truly blessed to have a great family unit, a man that loves me despite my imperfections and I despite his.  I have great kids around me and my puppy.  What more could I want?  Well I want a lot more, but I am learning to be grateful and truly cherish what I do have.  

I encourage everyone to get out of their comfort zone, travel, meet different people, put yourselves in situations that you may have never thought you could have before.  I went on this two week journey not knowing what I would face. I traveled over 24 hours alone each way.  I met my friend in her country that I had never been to before, hell I never even traveled overseas prior to this trip.  I met her and her husbands parents; I spend time with and broke bread, and worshiped with South African Indians, when I never even been around American Indians.  I have so many stories to tell, I can honestly say a dream was fulfilled. I certainly crossed items off of my bucket list!

My friend Jacintha and I in Cape Town, South Africa

As I look to grow my own family, I have certainly made up my mind that my goal is not to give a bunch of material items on the holidays, but to seek adventures.  Time spend together is what is truly priceless.  Seeing the world and all that it has to offer does nothing but enriches you and makes you aware of all that you do or do not have.  It really places you in a humble place. My relationship with my boyfriend has grown into something I could not even imagine last year.  Mainly because we appreciate what we have and we can see where we can go.  I hope that 2014 brings all of the promise that I feel today and more.  Not just for myself but for everyone of you that took the time to read these words.  God Bless You and Happy New Year!

Contest Alert!!

Lord knows I love a contest, and even better I love winning them, so please sign up for this fabulous trip to NYC Fashion Week and good luck to all!

http://bit.ly/1h0XvoP

It's RiRi Hearts Mac Time Again!

The RiRi Hearts Mac Holiday Collect is out this Thursday!! This time around I want the nail polish and I will try to cop the lipsticks, that is about it for me what about you guys? Check out the products below:

http://hamptonroads.com/2013/12/riri-hearts-mac-holiday-2013