And One.And Two.And Three.And Four.

Good Morning Beautifuls!

Several components that lead to good overall health include: fresh air, restful sleep, clean water, good nutrition, stress management and exercise, to name a few. Today, I want to focus on exercise and it's importance to our health.

Now let me go on and make it known that I have not been consistently working out for the past year... or two... and a half... give or take a few months or so. Well, you get the picture. This is not good. However, on last week I made myself go sign-up at our gym and did work out and will continue to do so on a daily basis. I had to "purpose" myself to do so for my physical, mental and emotional well-being. I know you may say, "How would a physical activity affect you mentally & emotionally?" My answer is simple and from the heart,"Because I feel happier after I've worked out and more relaxed (less stressed) later on." Now I do understand that you may need a more technical answer so here goes...

According to the Mayo Clinic:

1. Exercise improves your mood.
Need to blow off some steam after a stressful day? A workout at the gym or a brisk 30-minute walk can help you calm down.
Exercise stimulates various brain chemicals, which may leave you feeling happier and more relaxed than you were before you worked out. You'll also look better and feel better when you exercise regularly, which can boost your confidence and improve your self-esteem. Exercise even reduces feelings of depression and anxiety.

2. Exercise combats chronic diseases.
Worried about heart disease? Hoping to prevent osteoporosis? Regular exercise might be the ticket.
Regular exercise can help you prevent — or manage — high blood pressure. Your cholesterol will benefit, too. Regular exercise boosts high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good," cholesterol while decreasing low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad," cholesterol. This one-two punch keeps your blood flowing smoothly by lowering the buildup of plaques in your arteries.
And there's more. Regular exercise can help you prevent type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and certain types of cancer.

3. Exercise strengthens your heart and lungs.
Winded by grocery shopping or household chores? Don't throw in the towel. Regular exercise can leave you breathing easier.
Exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. In fact, regular exercise helps your entire cardiovascular system — the circulation of blood through your heart and blood vessels — work more efficiently. Big deal? You bet! When your heart and lungs work more efficiently, you'll have more energy to do the things you enjoy.

4. Exercise promotes better sleep.
Struggling to fall asleep? Or stay asleep? It might help to boost your physical activity during the day.
A good night's sleep can improve your concentration, productivity and mood. And, you guessed it, exercise is sometimes the key to better sleep. Regular exercise can help you fall asleep faster and deepen your sleep. The timing is up to you — but if you're having trouble sleeping, you might want to try late afternoon workouts. The natural dip in body temperature five to six hours after you exercise might help you fall asleep.

5. Exercise can be — gasp — fun!
Exercise doesn't have to be drudgery. Take a ballroom dancing class. Check out a local climbing wall or hiking trail. Push your kids on the swings or climb with them on the jungle gym. Plan a neighborhood kickball or touch football game. Take up pole dancing. It’s a sensual and fun workout! In Atlanta, you can check out Pole La Teaz. They offer a variety of classes such as: Pole Dance, Chair Dance, Exotic Dance/Striptease, workshops and private parties. You can even check them out in a free teaser class. Please believe. It is not only fun, but a serious workout! Either way, find an activity you enjoy, and go for it. If you get bored, try something new. If you're moving, it counts!

Post Title → And One.And Two.And Three.And Four.

2009 SIDE-HUSTLEMANIA !!!

Good Morning Beautifuls!

I hope that you all are having a wonderful day/week despite all the economic news! I've been wondering how is everyone managing their lives. We hear so much about the economy and the stimulus package, what state is gonna accept which conditions of it, the new job losses of the day, etc. etc., that we miss out on things that people are doing to save money and/or how to bring more money into your household.

One of my purposes for 2009, is to get a side-hustle. My problem is figuring out which one would be best for me. I know about a million folks doing Mary Kay, a qtr of a million pushing melaleuca products, and another qtr of a million doing Primerica.

My questions to you all are: What are you doing to stay afloat in this stormy economic season? What side-hustle is working for you? What cut-backs have you made in your household?....

Post Title → 2009 SIDE-HUSTLEMANIA !!!

IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!...YAY ME!

Post Title → IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!!...YAY ME!

Happy Friday!!

Hi Beautifuls!

I know I've been m.i.a. longer than I said I would but I'm back now! After recuping from Cheersport Nationals I had so many errands to run. A couple of which included me getting my cartag and renewing my license. I had tried to renew my license earlier this week but the systems had crashed so my hour and a half long wait counted for nothing. I was so disappointed because I wore my hair out and it was bangin'! Damn you crashed computers! Anyhoo, I renewed it this morning ..in my bun. (Still cute but not what I really wanted.) Ooh, I can't wait for March 20th! Which brings me to the subject of hair.

I received a note from Curljunkie.com regarding choosing the right products for your curls. And being a self-professed product junkie, I was immediately drawn in. (And yes, Curljunkie products are on my wishlist of hair goodies to try.) Here's the excerpt that caught my attention the most.

Weather plays a huge part. If it's a humid or rainy day outside, you know that you need to grab the extra moisturizing conditioner and/or use a moisturizing leave-in product (so your hair is saturated with moisture and won't try to "grab" it from the air, causing frizz and expansion) and then use a styling product to help "seal" hair and keep frizzies at bay. If it's dry outside, you want to use a product (especially a leave-in or styler) with more emollients (which help smooth and protect the hair shaft) than humectants (which grab moisture from the air) to help keep moisture in the hair shaft and not have the dry air try to "steal" it, which can cause frizzies as well.

I've read this before on other blogs and sites, but this was only after the Winter season had begun. So I definitely want to be prepared when the warm, humid weather comes so that I can use my hair products appropriately. I'm almost at a year and a half of being all-natural and I am definitely still learning things.

Well, I just had to drop in and spread a little knowledge. My birthday is this Sunday so I will be celebrating this weekend.

I hope that you have a great weekend! And be sure to do something for you!
What are your happening in your world, Beautiful?....

Post Title → Happy Friday!!

Happy Friday, Beautifuls!!!

Hola Beautifuls!

I just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful weekend and Happy Valentine's Day all rolled into one. I'll be at cheerleader competitions at Cheersport Nationals all weekend. So wish our team luck and send up a prayer! I may not blog again until Wednesday, depending on my recuperation from this weekend's activities. But I'll definitely check in on everyone.

To all my fellow bloggers, subscribers, old and new followers of my blog and the lurkers I send you much love and wish you a wonderful day!

And as always, do you.

If you're wondering why I have a pair of Via Spiga "Fran" shoes up, it's just because they're pink and I think they're cute.

Peace and blessings,
CO

Post Title → Happy Friday, Beautifuls!!!

123 Book Meme

Guess what?!... I've been tagged again! Courtesy of BohemianBookworm. He-e-ey gu-u-urrll! And in order not to overload and potentially go mad on all the wonderful Valentine shenanigans, I'm participating. (Don't get me wrong. I do enjoy it. I just don't get carried away with it. Gotta have balance!) Well, also because I find this very interesting.

The game: open the nearest book to page 123 and reproduce the 6-8th sentence.

"During these transition times when the natural energies are in the extremes, it is beneficial to eat lightly and be particularly careful to follow a balanced, harmonious lifestyle. Fall is usually a time of cooling temperatures and increased wind. These two forces aggravate the vata dosha."

Okay, I gots some 'xplainin' to do. This excerpt comes from the book "Conscious Eating" by Gabriel Cousens. Cousens is one of the leading living foods authorities.

Dr. Gabriel Cousens, M.D. is an internationally celebrated spiritual teacher, author, lecturer, world peace worker, and physician of the soul. He is the world’s foremost physician promoting live food nutrition for physical health and spiritual growth. He received his M.D. degree from Columbia Medical School in 1969, and completed his psychiatry residency in 1973. As a leading researcher and practitioner in the field of rejuvenation, he specializes in the healing of many chronic degenerative diseases. To the healing process he also brings experience as a homeopathic physician (M.D. (H)), Diplomate in Ayurveda, family therapist, and live-food nutritionist.

Dr. Cousens is also a Doctor of Divinity (D.D.), a Rebbe who has received rabbinical initiation, a student of Ecstatic Kabbalah since 1986, a certified Senior Essene Teacher in the Kabbalistic tradition, a recognized Yogi, a four-year Sundancer adopted into the Lakota Nation, and the White Buffalo Spirit Dance Chief.

He is the author of a number of titles, including Rainbow Green Live Food Cuisine, Spiritual Nutrition, Depression-Free for Life, Sevenfold Peace, and Tachyon Energy: A New Paradigm in Holistic Healing, co-authored with David Wagner, the creator of the Tachyon process. Dr. Cousens presents seminars worldwide on many topics including health and nutrition, psycho-spiritual healing, meditation, and spiritual awareness.

Dr. Cousens founded and directs the Tree of Life Foundation, Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center, and Tree of Life Health Practice in Patagonia, Arizona. He is a frequent guest on popular radio talk shows, and has published articles in health journals and popular magazines on a number of health, nutrition, and social topics. Visit his website at www.treeoflife.nu.

And as you may or may not be able to tell, it is deep.

Conscious Eating has been referred to as the "Bible of Vegetarians," for both beginners and advanced students of health. This classic work in the field of live-food nutrition is an inspirational journey and a manual for life. Included is new information on enzymes, vegetarian nutrition for pregnancy, and an innovative international 14-day menu of gourmet, Kosher, vegetarian, live-food cuisine, plus 150 recipes.

In the above excerpts, the book is referring to the "vata dosha". The term "dosha" refers to a person's individual mind-body or psychophysiological constitution. You generally may hear it used when dealing with the Ayurvedic system. The term "Ayurveda" means "science of daily living". At the risk of not putting you to sleep or causing your brain to explode, I'll just leave it at that.


I honestly am taking my time reading this book. Not because it's 814 pages long. That's no biggie. It's because this book uses alot of new terms for me and calls for serious reader participation. It calls on you to examine everything in your life and how food plays a part in it. I am honestly having to read it in "sips". It's an awesome book!

If you decide to participate in this game, let me know so that I can check out your answers. I'm curious to see what everyone is reading.

CO

Post Title → 123 Book Meme

Chocolate for your Sweet...

Hi Beautifuls!

I hope that this week has gone well for you. Mine has been good just tiring w/my daughter's late practices. It's cool. After this weekend, all will be back to normal.

I was talking with a friend of mine regarding her Valentine's Day plans and discovered she has somewhat of a dilemma. See, she has a new beau who is vegan (she's not) and is a little stumped as to what to prepare for him in place of the regular chocolate covered strawberries that she likes to whip up. I am writing this post to hopefully give her a solution or at least steer her in a good direction.

During the raw foods class that I took, Chef Jenya demonstrated how to prepare Chocolate Mousse. It was actually a raw foods version, using Cacao. Cacao is simply raw chocolate. Unprocessed, unadulterated raw chocolate. Ooh, so sexy! (lol) It is truly full of the antioxidants that you always hear/read about chocolate having. With processed chocolate, all of the good-for-you stuff has been cooked out.

Anyhoo, I wanted to share this recipe for my friend and anyone else who may want to try it. If you're a fan of chocolate, I promise you it is absolutely delicious.

Chocolate Mousse
* 3 avocados, peeled and seeded
* 7 1/2 T. raw cacao powder (1/2 C)
* 1/2 C vanilla agave
* 1 T. raw, fermented Coconut butter (optional)
* 1 T. vanilla extract
* Pinch of mineral salt
* 1 tsp cinnamon

Place the avocados, cacao powder, agave, coconut butter, vanilla, salt and cinnamon in a food processor and process until smooth.
Serve at room temperature or chill. Can store in a sealed container in the fridge. Chocolate Mousse will keep up to 3 days in the refrigerator and 2 weeks in the freezer.

For Fudgesicles: Freeze the Chocolate Mousse in ice cube trays. Thaw for 5 minutes before serving.

This is by itself or served as a fondue with fresh strawberries or bananas.

I also want to include a link to another recipe for Cacao Mousse. The above photo was taken from the rawmazing site. In this recipe, I see that they added dates which I would imagine makes it a bit sweeter. Also, if you've never tried cacao keep in mind that it is chocolate so it's taste is bitter. If you're looking for a milk chocolate flavor, you may want to try carob.

If you have any vegan recipes that can make for a romantic dinner, lunch or treat please share.

Post Title → Chocolate for your Sweet...

A Little Something To Get You Through The Week

Hi Beautifuls!

Just wanted to give you a little (eye)candy to help get you through your Valentine week. Enjoy.....

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Much Love,
CO

Post Title → A Little Something To Get You Through The Week

"All the Singles Ladies. All the Singles Ladies."...

Not put 'cha hands up...








Good Morning Beautifuls!

I hope that you all had a great weekend! Did you do something for you?..
Mine was full of competitions. One in the "A" and yesterday's in B'ham, Alabama so I am a bit spent today. It's cool though. Our seniors and junior level 5 team got first place both days. The youth team won first place Saturday and 3rd place on Sunday. We all had a great time!

I did get back in time to see some of the Grammys. And let me tell you, M.I.A. made my night!! Probably my entire weekend! She got out there in did her thang! Ready-to-blow baby belly and all! That was it for me!

Getting to the point of today's post and seeing as this is Valentine's week, I figures I'd be posting on topics related to love. As a fellow single lady (meaning sans a current relationship), I want to speak on how to navigate this holiday. Instead of running from it or loathing the day, I embrace it. Not taking away from any regular day, I think it's wonderful to celebrate love. If you have no significant other, beau (or belle), or hubby it's nothing to dread or feel down about.

Here are a few things that you can do to celebrate the day:

1. Get a professional massage or have a spa day

2. Treat yourself to a cute outfit and/or shoes

3. Go get a makeover

4. Host a Valentine cocktail party for/with other single friends

5. Go to a Valentine's event for singles in your city or area

6. Give the gift of giving and volunteer at a senior center or other organization for the day.

7. Cook a V-day dinner for an elder single family member or friend.

I wish I could say that I'm doing one of these things, but alas I am not. I'll be attending Cheersport Nationals all day Saturday and Sunday for cheerleading competitions. And when I say all day, I literally mean from morning through the evening. Sucks that they scheduled it for Valentine weekend. Oh well. Least my b'day weekend isn't hemmed up.


Those are just a few suggestions. If you have, any do share.

Peace and blessings!!

Post Title → "All the Singles Ladies. All the Singles Ladies."...

Wanna Put A Little Heat Into Your Valentine's..

Happy Friday Beautifuls!


I hope that you all have had a wonderful week. Mine has been good. Just trying to work with the yo-yo temperatures that we have going on here. A day ago, our high only reach 30 (maybe 32) with a low in the teens. This weekend, we're supposed to get up into the 60's. Weather gone wild, I say!

Anyhoo, seeing as Valentine's Day is approaching I was thinking about ways that you could heat things up for your loved one. So yes, I will be touching on that so more next week. As I stated in my 25 Random Things About Me post. I am a romantic (a romantic realist if you can figure that one out). And although, I don't presently have a Valentine I'm still excited about it. Hell, I think I'm gonna buy myself some roses (or a pretty bouquet) and treat myself to a candlelight herbal soak with some serenading music and a glass of wine and..(clearing my throat). Sorry, I got a little caught up. (blushes)

Well..as I was saying there are some ways to warm things up. Today, I wanna touch on the herbal side of things to help warm up your body in this chilly weather. In herbology, herbs are perceived to have varying combinations of qualities and degrees of each quality, too. Herbs can be both heating and drying, or heating and moistening. It can be cooling and drying, or cooling and moistening. One herb can be very warming, while another may be just slightly warming. But both are considered heating herbs

Heating herbs are believed to produce warmth in the body. Generally speaking, all of the aromatic herbs, such as anise and caraway, are considered warming. Many of the bitter herbs, such as Oregon grape, are also classified as heating.

Ginger is another heating herb that is assigned properties similar to those of cayenne. But ginger's center of activity is defined as lying primarily in the internal organs. In the traditional European system, it is thought to create a type of heat that stays inside the body; Ginger is therefore used by herbalists in the winter and in more northern climates. They employ it as a remedy for colds and to "strengthen" the kidneys and bladder. These differences between cayenne and ginger are due to the body's different centers of activity for each herb.

Just a little something regarding heating things up. Not what you expected? Well check me out next week. We'll have a little fun, eh.

What are your plans for the weekend? I'll be in and out of town for cheerleading competitions. I also plan on hennaing (Is that a real word?) my hair this weekend. That will also be another post.

Have a wonderful weekend, Beautifuls! And as always, do you!
Smooches..

Post Title → Wanna Put A Little Heat Into Your Valentine's..

Smart the New Sexy?.....

Good Morning Beautifuls!

I was recently watching an episode of "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and saw this fascinating man on his show. It was probably a repeat but my interests were still sparked because I was unaware of him. (Shame on me)




Neil deGrasse Tyson was born and raised in New York City where he was educated in the public schools clear through his graduation from the Bronx High School of Science. Tyson went on to earn his BA in Physics from Harvard and his PhD in Astrophysics from Columbia.

Tyson's professional research interests are broad, but include star formation, exploding stars, dwarf galaxies, and the structure of our Milky Way. Tyson obtains his data from the Hubble Space Telescope, as well as from telescopes in California, New Mexico, Arizona, and in the Andes Mountains of Chile.

In 2001, Tyson was appointed by President Bush to serve on a 12-member commission that studied the Future of the US Aerospace Industry. The final report was published in 2002 and contained recommendations (for Congress and for the major agencies of the government) that would promote a thriving future of transportation, space exploration, and national security.

In 2004, Tyson was once again appointed by President Bush to serve on a 9-member commission on the Implementation of the United States Space Exploration Policy, dubbed the Moon, Mars, and Beyond commission. This group navigated a path by which the new space vision can become a successful part of the American agenda. And in 2006, the head of NASA appointed Tyson to serve on its prestigious Advisory Council, which will help guide NASA through its perennial need to fit its ambitious vision into its restricted budget.

In addition to dozens of professional publications, Dr. Tyson has written, and continues to write for the public. He is a monthly essayist for Natural History magazine under the title Universe. And among Tyson's eight books is his memoir The Sky is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist; and Origins: Fourteen Billion Years of Cosmic Evolution, co-written with Donald Goldsmith. Origins is the companion book to the PBS-NOVA 4-part mini-series Origins, in which Tyson serves as on-camera host. The program premiered on September 28 and 29, 2004. And in the fall of 2006, Tyson appeared as the on-camera host of PBS-NOVA's spinoff program NOVA ScienceNow, which is an accessible look at the frontier of all the science that shapes the understanding of our place in the universe.

Tyson's latest two books are the playful and informative Death By Black Hole and Other Cosmic Quandaries, which was a New York Times bestseller, and The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet, chronicling his experience at the center of the controversy over Pluto's planetary status.
Tyson is the recipient of nine honorary doctorates and the NASA Distinguished Public Service Medal. His contributions to the public appreciation of the cosmos have been recognized by the International Astronomical Union in their official naming of asteroid 13123 Tyson. On the lighter side, Tyson was voted Sexiest Astrophysicist Alive by People Magazine in 2000. I could see that. He has appeared on television shows such as "The Colbert Report," "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" to discuss science.

Tyson is the first occupant of the Frederick P. Rose Directorship of the Hayden Planetarium. Tyson lives in New York City with his wife and two children.

If you know of some sexy smarties, shout 'em out! I wanna know.

Post Title → Smart the New Sexy?.....

My Raw Foods Class Experience -Part I

Good Morning Beautifuls!

I hope all is well in your world! As promised I am posting about the raw foods class that I took on this past weekend. It was entitled “Change Your Food-Change Your Life” and encompassed strategies for experiencing long term success in eating healthier, why raw, why you should go organic, suggested equipment, a raw food pantry list, pointers on quick and easy meal preparation, green smoothie basics, flavor balancing and some yummy recipes and how to mistake proof them. Whew!...Yes it was a lot! The class which was an all-day one and totally enjoyable, was led by Chef Jenya (pictured above)!

Seeing as I can’t give you all this information in one post, I will focus today on what stuck with me the most. Over the next few weeks, I’ll go over other things that are just as important.

Flavor Balancing in Raw Cuisine

Learning to balance flavors is what will free you to create your own masterpieces. The elements of flavor balancing are the same elements that go into balancing flavors in all ethnic traditions. Together they act as a choir, each flavor merging together to become one harmonic cord. The voices are sweet, salty, sour, pungent and bitter. Each flavor influences each other and are all supported by the patriarch of the family:fats.

Sweet: brings balance to all other flavors, increases our pleasure quotient.
Examples: dates, dried and fresh fruits, agave nectar, stevia, etc.

Salty: Universal flavor enhancer, adds depth and roundness to the choir
Examples: solar-dried sea salt, tamari, miso, celery

Acid/sour: Enhances other flavors in small amounts, adds intensity, reduces the amount of salt required, adds a high note/brilliance/liveliness to the choir of flavores, keeps greens from oxidizing.
Examples: lemon, lime, tamarind, grapefruit

Pungent/spicy: Adds drama, brilliance and intensity
Examples: gingerroot, garlic, onion, hot chili peppers, mustard

Bitter: Highly alkaline
Examples: romaine lettuce, kale, arugula, dandelion, chard, nutmeg, aromatic herbs

Fats: carries and emulsifies (thickens) the other flavors, bringing them together harmonically as one voice, calms all flavors
Examples: cold pressed oils, avocado, coconut milk/cream, nuts and nut oils

A 7th flavor was mentioned which is an earthy flavor. An example of that would be mushrooms.

The thought behind involving all these flavors in a meal is to satisfy every taste so that you don’t feel as if you’re lacking in anything, which could lead to you overeating or eating a food that is not the best for you simply to satisfy that taste.

Chef Jenya made a Super Meal salad to help us understand this principle of flavor balancing and let me tell you it was absolutely delish!! (Sorry I didn’t take a picture. I got caught up in the class and taking in all that she was doing and saying.) It had beets in it and let me tell you. I am not fond of beets in no way, shape, form or fashion. But they were absolutely delightful in this salad.

Anyhoo, another wonderful tip that I got from her class is illustrated in the photo below. She purchased mason jars from Ace Hardware and stores her greens in them. She explained that since the greens are a plant (Duh me.) they can be kept fresh in water. Just be sure to change the water daily. And of course, use filtered water.


This picture really doesn't do this justice. It was absolutely beautiful! So I'm trying to figure out how I can pull this off at home with a cat who likes to nibble on my plants. We shall see.

As I said, I will continue to share this information over the next few weeks. It’s impossible to put it all in one post. Chef Jenya is a delight! You can check her out here. She actually heads the Raw Vegan Meetup group in Atlanta! She’s very friendly and not rigid in her approach to living foods and wellness.

Peace and blessings,
CO

Post Title → My Raw Foods Class Experience -Part I

TOP 3 THINGS THAT HELP TO SAP YOUR ENERGY

Good Morning Beautifuls!

I hope that all is well in your world. I am doing okie-dokie. Feelin' a little yukey this a.m. but I'll be okay. I was recently reading a little info. from Matt Amsden over at Rawvolution and had to share. Here's what he says about three things that sap our energy and compromise our health.

Dehydration
Your body is over seventy percent water, shouldn’t your food choices mirror this? A great way to get a head start on becoming hydrated is to consume food that has not had the natural water removed from it through cooking. Cooked food does nothing to provide your body with much-needed water and, it dehydrates you further in your bodies attempt to digest it. Everything you put in your stomach needs to be turned into liquid to be digested. How easily is your current diet liquefied?


Malnutrition
Recent data shows that nutritional deficiencies are most often caused by what we eat rather than by what we do not eat. Your current diet may be robbing you of precious vitamins and minerals. A well balanced diet of consciously prepared raw plant foods contains the full compliment of essential vitamins and minerals, while food prepared using conventional methods destroys over 80% of that foods nutrition. Can you afford 80% less nutrition than is naturally found in your food?



Lack of Enzymes
Enzymes are responsible for every metabolic process that takes place in your body from digestion to healing. Most prepared food is served with up to 100% of the natural enzymes destroyed. One hundred percent! When the lipase and amylase enzymes are destroyed, the body cannot digest fats or carbohydrates and they are stored in the body, causing you to gain weight. When you consume living, enzyme rich food, it practically digests itself. This leaves you with a surplus of energy to play harder, work more efficiently and do more of what you love!

That's another knock against processed foods!
Tomorrow, I will hopefully be posting about the raw foods class that I took. Had to get the trusty laptop (which contains the photo I want to put on the post) looked at so I'm crossing my fingers that I'll be able to get it back tonight.

Have a great day, Lovelies!!

Post Title → TOP 3 THINGS THAT HELP TO SAP YOUR ENERGY

PROTECTIVE STYLE CHALLENGE

Hola Beautifuls!

I hope that you all had a wonderful weekend! I did. I had a great time at my Raw Foods class. (I'll post on that tomorrow.)

Today I'm making public (or web public) on my participation in a Growth Challenge. Ever since my failed weave attempt, I've been toiling with potential protective styling options. A few weeks ago while detangling my hair, I discovered that I could make a ponytail. (Yay me!) After making this monumental discovery, I decided to bun my hair for the duration of Winter.

While perusing Curltalk, I happened upon Fleurtzy who has a great hair blog, Texture Playground. She started a Protective Style Challenge, listing details that I'd already been doing. So for comraderie sake, I decided to join in. The pictures above document my current length. On March 20th (the last day of the challenge), I will post another photo to show any progress in length. I can already tell a difference when hand-detangling my hair. It has not been knotting up like it was before. I'm sure my weekly oil treatments are helping also. On a weekly basis, I switch between Dabur Vatika Oil overnight treatments on the weekend and Hairveda's CoCasta Shikakai Oil rinse during the week. I'm loving 'em both.

Wish me luck!! Say,how was your weekend?....

Post Title → PROTECTIVE STYLE CHALLENGE