One of the best decisions I made in 2015 was getting my haircut. I didn't know how much energy I was putting into thinking about my hair until it wasn't there anymore.
When I mean to tell you that my haircut has changed my life I'm not kidding.
I was literally living in a ponytail...
I couldn't even find pictures for this post of me with my hair out. All of the pics on my computer have me rocking braids (which I love) or a ponytail. Sad. In 2015 I went back and forth with the idea of cutting my hair. I really didn't want to get a perm so finding a stylist that could cut and style natural hair was very important to me.
After a long search (it seriously took me all year) I found a stylist that I love. She's professional. She doesn't double book and she's very talented.
It has made a world of a difference for me to no longer be worried about, "What am I going to do with my hair....". When my hair is straight I roll the top in rollers and I wrap the back in a silk scarf at night to sleep. It stays straight until it gets wet.
I haven't worn my hair naturally curly since getting it cut until yesterday. My birthday is next week so I pushed my hair appointment back to have fresh birthday hair. I washed my hair using Cantu's shampoo and I used Savannah's Just For Me styling products. The results were incredible...
Gosh this post was full of selfies. Sorry 'bout that. Anyway, cutting my hair has been one of the best things I could have ever done for myself. I don't have much time these days to pull myself together and a haircut has made me look & feel pulled together without much effort.
Now if I could just make it to the gym I might be on my way to shutting 2016 all the way down...
Have you made any changes lately that have improved your quality of life?
“I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central forJust For Me. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for my participation.”
One of my goals for the Summer was to learn how to braid or twist good enough to do protective styling on Savannah for the school week. I still haven't gotten my skills all the way tight but I have made a vast improvement from where I started.
Savannah and I have been trying out the new hair milk collection from Just For Me. I was so happy with the results from the hair care line. One of my favorite products was the detangler spray. That's what we used this morning to take Sav's hair from a pineapple top ponytail down to some protective flat twists.
After fully detangling her hair I sectioned it into parts and began twisting. I love this style because it is something fast and easy to do before school. We still haven't quite figured out how to make styles last overnight (we have tried bonnets) so I have to have styles that are quick to do in the mornings.
I used the Curl Smoother to moisturize her hair. It's lightweight and works really well with her texture. While twisting I used the Smoothing Edges Crème on her edges. The crème is alcohol free and provides a medium hold which is great for getting those little baby hairs to lay down.
I am really loving the results from the products. Her hair is so soft. These twists will make for a beautiful twist out this weekend. After all the twists were done I used bobby pins to secure them and added the bow in the front because Savannah loves a bow...
I think I'm getting better with styling. Having the right products helps a lot. The new Just For Me Hair Milk Collection is available at Walmart. The line has helped us pass the #5FingerChallenge and I cannot express how great it is to be able to detangle with your fingers! It makes for a #happyhairtime for everyone involved.
If you're like me and still new to braiding and twists I would recommend getting on Youtube and watching tutorials. If you have a friend that can teach you that's always helpful too.
Have you taken the #5FingerChallenge yet? If you have any styling tips or video tutorials to share with me please drop them in the comments!
“I participated in a Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central forJust For Me. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for my participation.”
All Summer I have been trying out new hairstyles on Savannah. It was actually one of my missions to learn how to braid before the Summer was over. Well, we won't talk about what progress I've made towards achieving that goal but I will say that I have become pretty good at some other styles.
I consider that a win.
The whole wash day process is something that I absolutely dread. I love Savannah's hair. Her hair is the exact same coily curly texture as mine. It gets extremely tangled and she let's me know about it. She's never cried but I can tell that she doesn't enjoy the detangling process of wash day.
We have tried so many different products to improve detangling. I was so happy when I found out we'd be trying the new Just For Me® Hair Milk Collection. My Mom used their products on me when I was kid so this is a full circle motherhood moment.
Infused with shea butter, soy milk and honey this line gently cleanses to prevent the breakage that can occur while detangling. It smells amazing and the product line is free of synthetics and parabens.
After using the Pre-Wash Softening Detangler I could finger comb her hair and comb it from root to tip with no problem. She didn't flinch once. Amazing. We absolutely passed the #5fingerchallenge! Her hair was full of moisture and so shiny. I was excited to try the rest of the line.
The pre-wash product made shampooing and conditioning Savannah's hair more enjoyable for both of us. I have never seen her this happy on wash day. She was relaxed and laughing which made me feel so good.
Once I was done rinsing out her conditioner I braced myself for what I thought was going to be the moment our fun time playing "kitchen beautician" went south. I literally could not believe it but I was able to brush Savannah's hair from root to tip with absolutely no problem or back talk. Mind officially blown.
Honestly, I was so surprised at how tangle free her hair was that I actually had my husband take a quick video of me brushing her hair. I wanted to show you just how manageable and stress free the Just For Me® Hair Milk Collection made her hair. If you have a child with beautiful naturally curly hair you know that this is pretty cool to see...
I enjoyed bonding with my daughter today. It's important to me that she feels good about herself and embraces her natural beauty. I'm actually looking forward to our next wash day.
The Just For Me® Hair Milk Collection can be found at Walmart ($5.49). Give these products a try! The line is incredible and affordable.
Pre-Wash Softening Detangler - Eases pre-wash detangling and breaking from combing. My favorite product from the line!)
Moistursoft Sulfate-Free Cleanser - Cleanses without stripping hair of natural oils
Silkening Conditioner - Protects against dryness and breakage with advanced conditioning technology
Hydrate & Protect Leave-In Conditioner - Creamy and lightweight formula locks in moisture and maintains bouncy curls
Leave-In Detangler - Restores hair's moisture, flexibility and shine
How does wash day go at your house? Try the #5fingerchallenge and let me know your results!
We have been stuck inside for the past two days due to the frigid temps. I feel so bad for all of the people in Atlanta and Birmingham that were literally stuck in their cars, work or school over night. My Dad was one of the people out there sitting somewhere on 285 and I-75. So glad he made it home okay. It only took him 12 hours to get home. Someone needs to do better planning for the next winter storm.
Anyway.
Being at home has given me a little time to think about what type of hair color I'm going for. Remember I have three bundles of Peruvian loose wave hair that I'll be getting installed on Saturday. I'm so excited for a new look.
I initially fell in love with Cynthia Bailey's hair color on RHOA…
But then as I searched the wonderful world wide web I started to see more versions of the ombre trend that were pretty…
So what do you think? Is the ombre trend had its moment or is it good to go for another season?
I can not believe it is already September. This is a very fun month for our family. I spent the majority of Labor Day weekend laying in bed fighting sinus pressure and shopping online. I got some great deals! Very excited about getting all those shipments this week.
All of Savannah's activities start back up this month and I could not be more excited. It is going to feel so good to have a scheduled activity every day. We'll be out and about Tuesday thru Thursday. On Mondays and Fridays we'll do more "Preschool at Home" activities, run errands, clean and do whatever else the house needs. Savannah will also be turning three in a couple weeks. This year she wanted a trip to the beach for her birthday so we'll be having a family party/getaway. I'm not even mad or sad about her not wanting a party. That's one less thing for me to plan...
We'll probably at least have cake and ice cream with her girlfriends though, but that's it.
I've been trying to gather things for our beach trip and plan my outfits. I found a cute outfit on Pinterest that seemed really easy and comfy. Since it was repinned over 200 times I decided to recreate the look. Cute, right? Can't wait to share my finished look!
I also want to try something different with my hair. I'm not sure if I want to put in some marley twists or if I should invest in a good flat iron and wear my hair straight or blown out. I would really love to do the twists but from the reviews I've read they don't really last that long. We'll see.
I'm so ready for this much needed break. My husband's birthday is at the end of the month so we'll be celebrating all month long. As I've said before Fall is my favorite season. I'm looking forward to this season and all the changes that will come with it!
So I admit that I am not the most vocal "team natural"Naturalista. I hardly ever blog about my hair. If you follow me on Instagram then you know I normally wear my hair in a wash and go, afro or twist out. These are all styles I love but because they require some for of maintenance I'm looking for a new do for when baby arrives.
Since I'll be spending a couple days in the hospital I want to make sure that I protect my hair during my stay. And as you know I'll be having a C-Section so it will be nice to not have to think about my hair while I'm recovering. After doing lots of pinning and YouTubing I think I have narrowed my choices down to two options. A high bun using marley hair or marley twists. I'm torn between the two. I've read that marley twists only lasts a couple weeks. In my mind that really doesn't help me much. Has anyone else heard this? Does it depend on what technique is used to install them? I plan to DIY the marley twists and would love to hear about someone else experience.
Here a couple of the YouTube videos I found on marley twists that I found helpful...
This looks easy enough. I never learned how to braid (down to your scalp) or flat twist so this DIY is right up my alley. My plan is to attempt these twists and if for some reason I'm unable to achieve the style then I'l do a bun. I'm looking forward to trying something new with my hair. Have any of you tried these styles? Got any tips for me?
Happy Veteran's Day everyone! We spent the morning in downtown San Antonio at the Veteran's Day parade. My soldier walked in the parade along with the other Sgt. Audie Murphy Club members. It was a beautiful windy morning and I was very excited about taking Sav to her first parade.
Once we got there I learned that they wanted the families to walk with him. I was cool with that but I felt bad because I wasn't dressed in red, white and blue. My plan was to stand on the side and take it all in. Apparently, I was the only wife with that plan because everyone else had on colors from old glory. Ah well. We'll get'em next year. Here are some self portraits of my outfit and a couple from the parade.
these girls were gorgeous!
Sav in a diva moment
clapping during the parade. i was pushing the stroller and snapping pics at the same time. Pow!
Now for my outfit...
this pic is actually for my hair. i was rocking a twist out that kept getting bigger and bigger the more the wind blew!
Sweater and Jeans - Express
Earrings - Forever 21 (very old) ... I can't believe they're still "gold"
In an effort to keep trying new things with my hair I did a twist out on my hair this past Friday. After watching eight million YouTube videos I got the confidence to give it a shot. I normally do twist outs on Sav's hair all the time. Mainly because it's the only thing I know how to do and secondly because it doesn't take forever to get it done.
I started my own hair by shampooing with Shea Moisture and doing a deep conditioner. I can't remember the name of the deep conditioner but it's the Aloe one in the mustard yellow pack. They sell it everywhere. I then did two strand twist all over using Cantu Shea Butter leave-in conditioner.
I didn't use the hair dryer. I took them out Saturday morning using Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie and grape seed oil. The grape seed oil that I used wasn't anything fancy. It's an all natural grape seed oil I found in my beauty supply store. The pics below are from days one, three and four (today). Have you tried anything different with your hair lately?
I wanted to do a quick update or review on what I think about my braids so far. Since this is my first time getting braids done I'm not quite sure I knew what to expect. While I am very happy with the way they look I'm not so sure I was prepared for the way they feel. These suckers are heavy, long and in the way. Maybe it's because I'm use to having my little curly fro, but I can not imagine wearing my braids down. I've been trying to pin them back in the front and I've attempted to do a bun several times with no luck. I'm still very happy with my decision to get them but I'm still trying to get use to them. The next time I have my braids done I will definitely go with a smaller box braid.
Anyway. Here are some of the styles I've done so far. Nothing extreme. I've been getting tons of compliments on the color of the hair. It is a number 30 from the Kanekelon line.
i think this ponytail makes me look sixteen. not to mention my husband said it reminded him of "Shanaynay" from Martin.
While I'm away visiting my mother in law I got a new look. I had been thinking about getting box braids for awhile. I'm so glad I decided to get them. Here are some pics that I snapped during the braiding process, right after my appointment and the next day. I'll posts new pics as I change them up. I plan to pin them up in different styles. What do you guys think of my new look? Any style or maintenance recommendations?
As you know I will be attending my newest nephew's baby shower tomorrow. I'm very excited! I wanted to get something done to my hair for the weekend. I'll be seeing lots of family and friends so I wanted to switch my look up a bit.
I scheduled an appointment with Dyevercity Salon here in Augusta. I have to say that I was pretty nervous about getting my hair straightened because I've always had a bad experience with it before. Either the stylist would cut an extreme amount of my hair off or they wouldn't have actually styled my hair. I know that some stylists get intimidated by natural hair. Stacy at Dyevercity is not one of those stylist. She took my fly coily ringlets and turned them into a beautiful head of curls. I am so happy with how my hair turned out. She answered all the questions I had about me and my daughter's hair. I was in and out in under two hours, super professional. My hair is bouncy, full of body and feels incredible!
If it wasn't for our big move next month I would go back to Stacy in a heartbeat. If you're in this area be sure to look her up! Here are some before, during and after pics.
fresh face. no filter. LOL
after shampoo. detangle.
all blown out.
the finished product.
What do you do with your hair when you're ready to switch it up a bit?
