Goodbye Dry Hair..

I mentioned changing up my new hair routine and for the past three weeks,  I've been using it and now I know what my hair really likes for keeping moisture in.

Likes
-water
-non-oil conditioner
-oil as a final sealant only over water based conditioner


Routine:


Prewash
When I do an updo or any hairstyle with gels or other hair products I used Aloe Gel under a conditioner cap overnight or for 30 mins to one hour before shampoo

Wash
I wash with any good moisturizing shampoo

Clarify
Depending on how clean my hair feels post-wash, I dissolve 1/2 cup of baking soda in a 5 quart bucket and rinse to remove any remaining residue (done every other week)

Condition
With a moisture conditioner or protein conditioner

Moisturizing Humectant Spray
with a self mix or bought spray

Leave-In conditioner
Light conditioner or leave in

Oil sealant
Coconut oil (straight) followed by Shea product

I usually do this in sections as I twist

Style:


Doing all this and then twisting my hair and misting it with the honey-water spray has kept my hair feeling very moisturized.

The products I use for each step are as follows.
Products:

Prewash

Lily of the Vally Aloe Gel under a conditioner cap 

Wash

With Giovanni smooth and silk shampoo or Joico K-pak shampoo

Clarify

Joico Phine-you MUST use a deep moisturizing  conditioner after this otherwise hair will feel like straw. 

or I dissolve 1/2 cup of baking soda in a 5 quart bucket and rinse to remove any remaining residue

Condition

With Giovanni 50:50 conditioner my hair likes this the best or Smooth as Silk 

Protein: 911 conditioner 

Moisturizing Humectant Spray

 I use a honey/water spray that I mix up I notice that my hair feels ALOT more moisturized with this spray then with my Oyin Greg Juice.

Leave-In conditioner

Right now I use Giovanni Tea Tree Treat conditioner,  I used to use suave tropical coconut 

Oil sealant

Coconut oil (straight) followed by Shea product usually whipped shea

I'm trying to think ahead for Christmas and I know quite a few of new naturals and transitioning folks I'm thinking about making them a care kit with some hair stuff I've been piddling with

1) Moisture Spray

2) Whipped Shea

3) Detangling Lotion

4) Light daily hair conditioner (maybe) 

5) a 3 x 5 card with my favorite natural hair websites

#4 is the only one that I've NEVER made so it will be fun researching and mixing up things. I normally dabble in making B&B stuff and soaps but I haven't done alot of making hair stuff for other people. I'm looking forward to it!

Update Post!

No exercise since the Tuesday the week before last, when I injured something in my right groin area. Then I was getting headaches (which i think were from dehydration--drinking coffee and hardly any water)
There were a few days in between where I should have done something, but I just was not motivated. Towards the end of this week I came down when some sort of stomach bug..
I really need to take better care of myself and make sure I drink enough water. When I backtracked and thought about what I've been eating drinking for the past two weeks I know there are days where I only had one cup of water all day..from 8am to midnight or later.

Tomorrow I will be getting back into the swing of things.

Two weeks ago when I did 3-4 days straight of hour-long cardio, I noticed that at the 45 minute mark I would get a bit weak and lightheaded.

Normally I don't eat before I work out first thing in the morning so that I can use the stored energy in my body. I might have to now..In the past week I've read three opposing reports one article suggested eating a small snack (150-200 calories) before AM workouts is better then not eating.
Another article suggested eating any non-carb snack, so that you will still use up stored energy (glycogen --i believe) while doing cardio.
Then another one supported the no eating at all theory again..

But I need some more hour long workout DVDs because the WATP 2 mile walk is about 30 minutes and doing it back to back is making me sick of it FAST!

I've heard that her 3 mile walks are really good.


I definitely think that I need to eat preworkout, maybe some egg whites, I can't think of any other snack that has NO carbs in it..

On the eating side of things,
Early last week I had alot of sweets I was thinking it was getting near that time of the month I really hope so because I was craving really bad..I can't do another week of sweets eating like that.

In the medical school side of things..
I've been thinking that after my current Master's program I will enroll in ANOTHER one but this one will be a Master's in Medical Sciences..basically a program where half of my classes are with first year medical students (MS1) the other half of the classes vary.
Also I've really been considering applying to Caribbean Schools the next time I apply. In the past two weeks I found out that alot of people from my graduating class who ended up not getting into med school ended up applying to Caribbean school and are about to graduate and that alot of graduates from one school in particular feel that they were very happy with their school. So I will be adding this school to my arsenal.

MCAT study time: zero
Workout hours: zero
Eating score: 2-3

Hair Revelations, a fitness update and I made a new blog!

Since my permie days I've always had moisture issues with my hair. Since I've been natural I always dread an unwelcome hand copping a feel of the fro and them pulling back their hand because my dry, dry hair cut a finger. But ever since I twisted my hair this Tuesday, I haven't had dryness issues! I'm hoping to repeat this process to see if this is the key to my hair staying moist.

What I did: I read over at The Moptop Maven that dryness issues can sometimes come from product buildup and that the solution is to clarify.

1) So, I used a clarifying conditioner--Joico phine chelating conditioner ( that I scored at TJ Maxx for $1!) and deep conditioned afterwards because if you don't your hair will be a dry, hot mess..

2) I deep conditioned overnight with a clear cap with Giovanni 50:50 plus a dash of the smooth as silk conditioner

3) I twisted my hair the next day and sprayed with a weak tea/honey mixture when it got  dry and sealed the water in with coconut oil first then shea butter.

4) Everyday or every-other day I sprayed my twists with the honey water/tea mixture.

Now my hair doesn't seem to dry out so quickly..it may be claryfing plus the honey mix holding water in my hair but I am loving my hair not being a crunchy mess!

As far as my fitness update goes is that I worked out for an hour for the past two days- yesterday I learned some of a new belly dance choreography by my favorite instructor, I did the 2mile walk (35 mins) (Walk Away the Pounds) back to back and today I did the 1 mile walk (20 mins) plus the Chris Freytag walking workout (48 mins)..and I can say that it definitely feels different  when I work out for a whole hour (the massive amount of sweat the comes off my body)... but at the end of the day, I am really glad I worked out 3 days straight.  Hopefully I can keep this up.

I just created a food blog @ Yoruba Girl Cooks where I will be featuring healthy recipes and some no-so healthy recipes..LOL

Updated Vintage Hairdo Tutorial--Pt 2

I was over at BGLH and she featured Loquacious85's vintage pin-up hairdo and I remembered I had this post that I had to finish up..

I just would like to preface this tutorial and my pics with in my pics
the hair looks kinda messy but when you see it in person it looks as
smooth as Janelle Monae's hairstyles. The my pics here amplify the
poufyness. I couldn't get a good pic of the last bun part of my hair,
it basically looks like Loquacious85's after I let it set.
For me the key is to do this when you have some time to let it set under a scarf.

Also I found the links for where I initially thought to even try and
do my hair this way, my hairstyle is a mish-mash of these two. I was
attempting to do the vintage pin up and for some reason my hair will
not do what her's does in the front, it would just would not hold and
fall apart in the front so I ended up rolling it and liking :)
1st:
Check out Loquacious85's vintage up-to tutorial here:
Part I
Part II
And coilycrown's rolling method here (I love her blog BTW)
Her rolling method.


watching/reading these first will make my written tutorial here so
much easier to understand.

Here are pics of my hair.. preset

Sorry about the Bluetooth headset in this pic..





1. Start with freshly washed, towel dried hair (for me it is best if
hair is damp)
2. Part hair in three sections 1/4 in the front (the bangs/pompadour)
2/4 in the middle (the updo part) and about 1/4 in the back, back for
the rest of the hair that won't fit in the updo.
*note* Try and see if the back can fit into the updo part before you
have the back section. I recommend trying Loquacious85's pin/tuck
method it alot faster and I think it looks better but I end up redoing
it almost daily-no me gusta

3. For the front:
You can use the rolling method and just roll the wet hair inward and
bobby pin down as you go. That doesn't work for me because my texture
is looser in the middle and tighter on the sides.
Or you can do it this way--
What I do is take the front section and pull it into a pony tail with
the hair band close to the end of the hair.
Then tuck it back into the part of the ponytail that is loose and
secure with bobby pins if needed. (it doesn't usually look right at
first, sometimes you have to play with it before it dries)

4. For the middle:
I pull the hair up and at the very ends I french braid making sure I
get all the edges in then when I get to the end I tuck the free part
of the braid back into the "french braid" so it is invisible. The
trick is, when the hair dries it will puff up giving you more
texture/volume.

5. For the back:
Option 1
This is the part I have to redo almost everyday, I just pull into a
low ponytail and tuck the ends under (making a little bun in the back)
so that my ends are protected.

Option 2
Recently, I've been braiding or flat-twisting the back/bun portion from the base of the neck upwards and tucking the ends in..

enjoy!!

Weekly Reads 9/10/2010

Weekends Reads


photo from KWESI ABBENSETTS

The Moptop Maven discusses methods to combat hair dryness

Lifehacker shows how to create the ultimate workout playlist

Yoga poses for back pain

I always thought that men were immune to the clothes sizing issues in clothing--I was wrong.. When a size 36, doesn't equal a 36 inch waist..

Style on A string shows diffrent organizaation techniques for your wardrobe's Purses, shoes & heels

For better study recall change your surroundings every once in awhile

WSJ reports that a salary of 75,000 is the perfect salary for happiness

Over at Yes and Yes-- Living your life on purpose

Over at the A Brilliant Brunette winged eyeliner tutorial and tips for long lasting red lips

Quickie Post! Weekly Weigh-in (down 14)

Overall I gained about 3 lbs since the last time I weighed in.. I remember hitting at least -17 lbs at some point during the summer. I was so close to 20!

This morning I got my walk on with Chris Freytag on Exercise TV and got 48 mins of exercise, it was pretty intense for me, I'm kinda glad I didn't go to cardio classes this past week I would have been overwhelmed. I didn't do BD drills today but in Kris's cooldown there were yoga stretches included in her cool down.. I really like that.
I didn't reach my goal today (2 out of 3) but I came close..baby steps..

Gaga Ooh la la...artist commentary & review of The Monster Ball Tour 2010

As far as the concert, I give it a B+/A-. Let me preface this with saying that this was my second official concert. The last one I went to was the backstreet boy's Into the Millennium Tour (1999/2000) at the same venue. The stage for the BSB tour was HUGE, it took up the whole floor. Gaga's set-up was maybe one third of that. So the stage was smaller then I expected.
There were too many interludes between sets, because there were alot of costume changes and stage set-ups. The concert in it's entirety lasted about 2 hours. That being said the performances were great! I loved all of them and if her concert was coming to a city near me soon, I would definitely buy a ticket to see it again.

Lady Gaga is a polarizing figure. Ever since I made it public knowledge that I would be attending her Sept 4 date at Auburn Hills, I've gotten people that love her and people that hate her--with very few in-betweens. Also, I've been asked indirectly many times why I would pay good money to see her perform and why I even like her in the first place.

By just listening to her singles you would think she was simply a pop artist that had a passable voice an artist that makes hit songs made for dancing. A few months ago I came across a YouTube video of Gaga, then as simply Stefani Germanotta playing the piano and singing her songs Captivated & Electric Kiss for a talent show at NYU. If you pay attention to what one of the judges say, they put her in the same category as Norah Jones.



It all started for me when I picked up The Fame in the Summer of 2008 and I haven't stopped listening to it. The Fame is still in rotation in my CD/MP3 player to this day. I enjoy Gaga's up-tempo songs but I find that I love the softer side of Gaga--the ballads! My favorites are Brown Eyes and Speechless, I just find myself drawn to these songs and listening to them over and over again. Here are clips of her singing Brown Eyes (from the Monster Ball Tour) and Speechless (from the Ellen show) LIVE
**Disclaimer**
There is strong language in the Brown Eyes performance towards the end and also in text in the post after this point where I'm quoting Gaga and here asterisks.





She definitely has a great voice and unique lyrics "you popped my heart seams, on my bubble dreams" After singing this song at the concert Gaga said "I don't do that lip-singing shit, you didn't pay all the money just to watch some bitch stand here and rub her breasts together" As she proceeded to sing and rub her breasts together..LOL.

That is when I realized I was a true fan..I may not like all her videos (BTW Telephone is my favorite Peep the analysis of the Telephone Video HERE ) but I can say that I enjoy all of her music..I haven't heard a Gaga song that I don't like... (yet)

The catchy singles and the extreme exaggeration/interpretation of fashion trends drew me in but Gaga's quirky, realistic lyrics and her amazing talent is what has kept me as a Gaga fan..not just a person that kinda likes her music.

Goals--Weekly Evaluation

Cardio Time: 0
MCAT Time: 0
Healthy Eating: 4 (1-10 scale)
Budgeting: 8 (1-10 scale)
Other workouts: 0

I would have taken my MCAT today. Thank God I cancelled it...
I haven't studied any MCAT stuff since two weeks ago, I feel like such a bum. In regards to studying I attempted to study with a study group last week but I quickly realized that I would not be doing anything productive because one person in the group talks aloud while studying and I find that I cannot concentrate. That plus parking at this library is hellacious so I will not be studying there. I had a backup study person but they are not reliable for a study wing person.

Soo I'm kinda at a loss..but I do think that I will start studying at the local public libraries..usually the study areas are nice and quiet..
But, I study better if I know that someone else is studying near me, it is very weird, but I dunno that's what works for me..

Part of the no-study problem is that I was too ambitious in thinking that I will actually go to a noon cardio session because by the time noon rolls around I'm already busy doing something.
I would actually stick to early AM workouts and start my day better when I workout, eat then work (study) It allows me to have a set routine..I think I'm going to start tomorrow and perhaps add daily yoga and belly dance drills to my morning routine.
Also, I have a bunch of fiction books that I've been reading in the morning between 6a-10a this usually takes 3-4 hours and is sucking up my workout time, so I'm going to try and break myself of this new habit..

I must, must, MUST manage my time better..

I know I rated my budgeting at 8, but that was before this afternoon's shopping excursion.. I dropped ~$300 on goods from TJ Maxx..boo hisss!!
Some things were not needed (ie the Cuisinart Oval Enameled Cast Iron pot for $60--on amazon its $99) But alot of things were not purchased randomly I got Christmas gifts for the baby cousins, a Birthday gift for a friend and some much needed home items, etc...

Goals to work on for next week.
1) Stop re-reading books in the morning
2) Workout in the morning for at least 1 hour (not including yoga (10-15 minutes) and BD Drills
(10 mins)
3) Study after my workouts

Ghubar Magazine's Africa Issue Sept 2010

This is the first time I've heard of Ghubar Magazine but these covers are amazing!


Here are the covers for the Africa Issue








And last but not least.. I love this headwrap!! I've been raiding my mom's closet for all her old lace and wax print outfits, I can't seem to find a headwrap that I really, really love..

I spotted this at  Afroklectic! I love her blog!
Here is the link to Ghubar Magazine's  blog post about this issue