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Monday, February 27, 2012

Exfoliating Cleanser and Honey Mask



So, I have yet to try to make the acne/oily toner recipe I blogged about before, mainly because essential oils are expensive!  I did however begin a intense love affair with baking soda this weekend and I made my own facial cleanser.

Baking soda is good for my skin because it exfoliates.  I have been exfoliating my skin everyday for longer than I can remember with gentle acne wash scrubs.  If I don't use some kind of scrub my skin feels rough.  I mixed baking soda with lempn juice and made a grainy paste.  The lemon juice is good for acne and fading discolorations and scars.  The paste was soft and clumpy (pics tomorrow).  I wet my face and neck and massaged the paste on my skin in circular motions with my fingertips.  I had to rinse thouroughly because the baking soda does take a lot of water to flush clean. 

I won't be able to give any solid reveiws of how this new cleanser is working it usually takes my skin about 1 1/2 or 2 weeks to react so stay tuned for that.  I can say that my skin does feel baby soft and clean after the first use.

Honey has several benefits for the skin it's a moisturizer, full of nutritions and it has antioxidents.  It is also supposed to be used for treating acne as well.  I took pure honey and smeared a thin layer all over my face and let it sit for 10 minutes then flushed with water.  After the honey mask my skin feels moisturized but still clean and fresh. 

I will continue to wash once a day with just water and a wash cloth and once a day with the baking soda lemon juice cleanser.  I will do the honey mask once a week to start and on the days I don't use the honey mask I will moisturize with coconut oil before bed.  Pictures tomorrow.

Busy Bee

I have been too busy to post but I have a minute so here goes....

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Ysabel LeMay

I came across this artist and she is giving my creativity life right now and I appreciate her for that.  Ysabel Lemay uses a technique called photo-fusion which is hundreds of photographs composed beautifully detail by detail into these amazing works.  Here is a link to her website Ysabel LeMay and a couple of my favorites from her portfolio.  She is amazing check her out.




The detail is almost unbelievable, she creates the most breathtaking pieces of art.  The layers and layers of nature upon nature go beyond dimension and make you feel like you can just walk in this world she creates.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Naggers Anonymous


I am standing on a soap box so be forewarned. What is the main complaint most husbands have about their wives? She nags too much, have you ever heard that? I hear men saying that all the time. I used to hear it all the time before I got married and I wondered what happens to women when they get married that turns them into that? I just looked at it with logic; every man can't tell the same lie so there must be some truth to it. There is. My hubby is smart enough to never say the n word to me; he goes around it by telling me I say the same thing over and over again. But, the accusation is still there. Here is what I learned about nagging and marriage. Of course you nag when you say something and it is ignored or disregarded the natural reactions are repeating yourself or making your request again. Now I can only speak for me but most little things I don't sweat. If I say, "Can you get the mail?" and he ignores me or doesn't do it I don't get all uptight. If it's about something minor or something I could do myself I don't care. Marriage sometimes is about picking your battles; you can't fight every one that leads nowhere. So I choose not to get myself all wound up about the simple things. The important issues, anything related to our child, finances, residence, loved ones, etc. yes I am going to nag, say the same thing same difference. Because my husband and I are partners it is mandatory for our priorities to be in sync that's the only way the operation will run smooth. So, it frustrates me when it has to get to the point of nagging about something that should strike the same sense of urgency or importance in my partner. So this is my new rule, husbands are no longer allowed to accuse wives of nagging if the topic is of significant importance. If this is the situation then the husband must take into account that they are somehow behaving in a way that is deficient. Marriage Law.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Call Me Nike


For so many years I have been talking about doing so many things. I watch cooking shows and the food network and say, "I wish I could cook like that or I'd like to make something like that one day." And I never did. In the interest of construction I am going to become a doer. Nothing to it but to do it J. I am starting off this revolution small so I am trying to cook at least one new main dish and one new dessert per week. The only rule is the recipe has to be completely new to me. I took advantage of the gift of a slow cooker hubby sprang on me last week and made a slow roasted chicken and slow cooker beef barbeque ribs. I also made cheesecake topped brownies and a triple layer Oreo pie. I feel so accomplished, it's the small things really that make a difference in the big picture, and hubby is in culinary heaven. On tonight's menu is honey glazed pineapple chicken over rice. There are so many more things in addition to being creative with food and learning how to cook new dishes that I want to accomplish. I am proving to myself dish by dish that I can do anything I set my mind to.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Peer Pressure


It has been said that when women dress they don't do so to impress the men they do so to impress the women. True statement, well at least with me it is. I am critical of myself and I am in turn critical of others under the same standards I put on myself. I've been on the giving and receiving end of girl-on-girl criticism and in an effort to eliminate it from myself I have begun to see it from the outside in. When I made the decision to free myself from relaxers the women in my life who were against it said things like, "So what, you're just going to wear your hair nappy?" Or the asked, "What if you have to go somewhere important or if you have a job interview?" Everyone has their own idea of beauty but I wonder if our "own idea" of beauty is being dictated (by whom is an entirely different mouthful) and perpetuated by us. With my hair situation I ran into a conflict with a deep set idea of "acceptable" hair for a black woman. Women who genuinely care for me said these things not to hurt me but it came from this dictated notion of how beauty should be achieved and because I was going against that it was automatically a negative thing. We watch the dove commercials and talk about accepting each other as women as we are but it doesn't show through in honest reactions I have encountered in so many situations when dealing with other women.

In the past I could have been classified as a mean girl and maybe some friends would still say that in certain situations so I am guilty of it too. And when I think about it we can't blame men entirely for the negative and narrow stereotypes and images of women in the media. We take the limited definition of beauty we are given and use that as the law book in which to judge the next woman. In my own experience I can say it's hard to remain confident in my idea of beauty and my appearance when "acceptable" is completely opposite. I find myself excited when I see another natural hair rocking woman when I am out and about. I feel an instant connection and respect for them like that's what I'm talking about fight the power. Because I choose to not straighten my hair or wear long wigs or weaves and because I choose not to dress over sexed I stick out like a sore thumb in my community. The same images are stressed in the media and you're left feeling like there is only one way to be. I'm glad I have gotten to a level of maturity that I can see through the peer pressure to fit into a box and gather the courage to be myself. You have to have that when you encounter a stranger through the course of your day and she gives you the once over, we are all too familiar with, and you just know that she is deciding if you fit into her beauty box.



 

Jumper

The marketing offer wasn't worth the wait, I'm sending my galleys back today.  I am letting go and opening myself to whatever opportunities publishing my first novel will bring.  I won't look down, not even when I'm in doubt.  My direction is only up.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Hair Update

The flat twist out does not last over night for me.  My hair is so dry its impossible to bring the curls back to life the next day.  I have taken to flat twisting it every night but I don't mind it.  It doesn't take me long to twist my hair and I like the regimen I have gotten into with giving my hair lots of moisture every time I twist.  I have seen some improvement in how my hair feels and I'm crediting that to the healthy dose of coconut oil it's receiving everyday.  It feels more pliable and healthy.  I think I will stick with the flat twists for a while.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Valentine's Day

Our family's first Valentine's day was sweet.  My Bella went out for her first sit down dinner with her "date" (daddy).


Me and my Bella dolled up and ready for our night on the town.


Sitting up like a big girl :-)



My Bella eating the bananas I packed and making a mess.



It was a great evening.


Happy Valentine's Day!

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Flat Twist Out Part Deux

I washed my hair and did another flat twist out.  I love the results! I took pictures from start to finish to post.  I think I will wear it like this until I grow it long enough to get the bantu knot effect I want.  I think I have type 4c hair from all the descriptions I have read and it is next to impossible to keep enough moisture in my hair, I have tried so many things but as I am running my hands over my hair now I have never felt it this soft and healthy.  My hair didn't suck up all the oil for once.

First, I shampooed my hair with Shea Moisture Organic Shea Butter Curl and Shine Coconut and Hibiscus and then conditioned with Shea Moisture Organic Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner.  I love how soft and springy the Curl and Shine Shampoo makes my hair and I have learned through painful trial and error that I absolutely MUST have a leave in conditioner every time I shampoo.  Every time I rinse out my conditioner I end up with a wiry, coarse, unmanageable mess.  So, I didn't wash the restorative conditioner out, detangled and air dried.



  I don't put the flat twists in immediately after washing because it would never dry.  After my afro dried I sectioned my hair into four sections the sides, front and back to begin my flat twists.  In the front and back sections I put three flat twists and in the sides I put two.  I sprayed the section I was working with just a little water to moisturize and make it easier to work with.  I also used pure organic coconut oil for gloss and moisture.



I wrapped it with a satin scarf and let it set over night.  In the morning I took it down carefully and split some of the twists to fluff it out.



Then I tamed it a little and added and head band. 




I think this was a pretty successful twist out.  I used only three products and I spent maybe one hour in total washing and twisting.  I want to continue to wash once a week so I will update on how long I can keep it like this before I have to wash or re-twist.


Saturday, February 11, 2012

Enough Stalling Time to Get To It


Okay time to stop neglecting the elephant that IS the room (well several rooms actually) we need to start working on finishing this house. We have taken a month off after the holidays and the initial gut and remodel but now is time to get back to work. There is so much to do I can only take it one room at a time so here goes. The most important rooms right now are the living spaces on the first floor, the living room, kitchen and bathroom. There is a guest room on the first floor as well but I don't have any inspiration for that so I won't force it. The living room is completely painted minus a few minor touch ups that need to be done so it's time to decorate, finally. I have some ideas but I'm not married to anything yet. I've seen some nice pieces I like for the room but I still haven't found that focal point to build the room around. Here is the very blank canvas…




The only things that definitely stay are the couches (until I can save enough mad money to get rid of them but now it's not in the budget) and the TV. You have to see past the baby furniture obviously J my Bella is everywhere. Everything else is temporary and can go.

I want to do a large picture over the love seat something with color because the color of the walls and couches is so neutral.  I say that while I'm looking at this picture and I think maybe a large statement picture may compete with that TV and make that corner busy.


Another view head on.  This is only half of the living room, I'm not including the other half because I'm kicking around the idea of using it as a dining room.  I want an armchair and a small table on the wall with the window, create another seating area. Valances on the windows not curtains, the windows are small so I want to dress the windows without blocking the light.  Get this, hubby wants a bear skin rug so I found a contemporary bear skin rug inspired rug to compromise.


Last view. remove the play pen, chair and boxes and in this corner (in my boxing announcer voice) I got nothing.

Let the living room project begin, I'll post my ideas and tag them with the label Living Room Project and hopefully soon I'll be posting an after pic.
 

Friday, February 10, 2012

A Thousand Words

I'm looking forward to seeing this.  It sounds good in theory but I wonder how he pulled off acting through a script with no lines.


Thursday, February 9, 2012

Solid Foods


Starting solids was one of the milestones I looked forward to with my Bella, that and crawling. So when our pediatrician gave us the go ahead at our four month appointment I couldn't wait to get started. I still planned on breastfeeding until at least 12 months but I thought solids would be a fun and new activity for us. My Bella took to it like a champ she started out on brown rice and peas then progressed to bananas, avocados, apples and pears. She loved the new tastes and textures so I was satisfied. Hubby bought me a Baby Bullet before I had the baby so I am able to make her food myself. It came with a guide with information on safe foods for baby and the vitamins, nutrients and benefits from each fruit and vegetable. The Baby Bullet also came with a feeding schedule so I decided to use that as a template and then take cues from my Bella to tailor it to her needs. Everything was fine for a couple of months until about 2 weeks ago when my milk supply began to slow. Of course I panicked because I hate to pump and I don't have a supply for emergencies like this (I have learned my lesson I will pump from now on). Formula is not an option so I took to the forums and blogs to find out what I should do.

I read a lot of messages from women who said the milk just simply dried up and I began to panic more. A couple of moms said that the dwindle in milk supply was the first sign that they were pregnant again so I checked that too. I tried eating oatmeal and practically drowning myself with water but ended up sending up an S.O.S to an acquaintance of the family who is practically a professional nursing mama still nursing her five year old. Her first question was why are you feeding her solids? I explained that her doctor said it was okay and she is aware of my intentions to nurse until 12 months. She told me she didn't give her daughter solids until she was a year old. She explained to me that introducing solids and feeding her BEFORE I nursed her are probably the reasons for the reduction in supply. Her body was telling my body she was already full every time she came to the breast. I was unknowingly weaning her off. I was following the schedule I had that specifically said follow the solid foods with a formula bottle or nursing session. I want to be clear that I do not fault our pediatrician or the schedule in the Baby Bullet because there are a lot of people who don't have all the information about breastfeeding because formula feeding is more common. None of my doctors even talked to me about nursing. And even now most people I know think I should stop breastfeeding now that she is older than six months.

Now that I know what the problem is I took her completely off solids and I have been nursing like crazy. I found a couple of articles on the La Leche League webpage I linked below about feeding solids and breastfeeding. I still would like to keep feeding solids but not at the expense of our milk supply so I will start her up again in a couple days following the more accurate information I have now.

When should my baby start solids?

Starting Solids

Dream Deferred?


Am I holding myself back? I have finished proofing the galleys of my novel made all the corrections and decisions to be made but I have not sent the book back in for printing. Two days before I finished with my proofs, the company I am self-publishing through had a promotion for authors who sent their proofs back in for printing before a certain date. The offer was for free marketing services which I'm sure I could use. I asked if the offer would still be available even though I was a couple days late and it wasn't. So, I decided to hold off on sending my material in, in hopes there will be another promotion and I can get some services for free. It does make sense but I wonder if my "fear of success" issue is really the culprit behind the decision. I have been working to publish this book for over two years and if I am honest with myself and you, I have been standing in my own way for two years. In my heart I believe in my talent but I am so afraid of rejection so many times I close myself off from it so tight that I close myself off from success as well. 

~Some said HOV, how you get so fly I said from not being afraid to fall out the sky – Jay-Z

I wish I had the courage to leap when it comes to my writing. I think if I had more faith in myself and my ability to be a novelist I would put more focus into my craft. I control how successful or how much of a failure I will be. This blog has been encouraging me to write every day, and I'm getting back to the essence of me. I forgot how writing gave me energy, how writing centered me and gave me an escape. Well, the generator just kicked back on. This under construction project is so important to me and important for my family and I will just continue to improve. I will be 20+10 soon and I would like to leave my reckless, irresponsible, wild and free 20's and emerge into the woman, mother, wife and writer I always knew I would be.

Today I am changing the way I have been handling my business yesterday. Today I am going to crunch the numbers and figure out if waiting for another marketing offer is worth it. If it turns out it's not I am going to pull the trigger, I am not afraid to fall and all I have to do is…

Just…

Jump.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Never Say Never


I have a secret, a dirty little secret and I can't live a lie any longer. I have a tablet and recently I downloaded a Nook app so I could read the galley proofs of my book on it instead of the laptop. Well the Nook app comes with a sample magazine (Cosmopolitan) and I downloaded it just because but never went back to look at it. I didn't know that the magazine download was part of a trial period and because I didn't cancel at a certain time they charged me $1.99 for the subscription. So now I have two issues of Cosmos sitting on the tab. Well, I got bored today and I read through one and I liked it. I have been infected with the eReader insanity. I only paid $1.99 for a subscription to a magazine that would usually cost maybe $10-12? And you don't end up with the clutter of 12 magazines a year in your house. Especially bulky ones like In Style. Okay so I guess magazines are probably more convenient on an eReader or Tablet. But I still refuse to read books on it, yes I know that ironically all this began when I was reading my own book on the tab but that was out of the sheer necessity. It is easier to keep the tab away from my Bella than the laptop. That's beside the point the magazines maybe but the books no.

I actually didn't mind the eReaders when they first began to be introduced that is until the bookstores started closing. To me there is nothing more relaxing than wasting a day in the book store; I look forward to hanging out with my Bella in the children's section at the little tables and picking out books. I know that the closing bookstores are not all the fault of eReaders but they do bear some responsibility. I do think eReaders are convenient and I imagine that they may have gotten people to read more but I am biased I love books. I love the smell of the pages, the sound and the feel. I love how satisfying it is to close a really good book at the end. I like adding to my personal library and seeing my bookshelves full. I love books and eReaders scare me because I don't want them to make books obsolete the way digital music made CDs, tapes, etc. obsolete.

If we keep moving towards digitizing everything what of us will exist besides bits and bytes in a computer. What would we leave behind? If the computers crash do we just start from scratch? Digital pictures instead of prints, word files instead of pages I don't know about you but I am beginning to have a phobia of disappearing.

Make Way for the Teeth


For almost 70% of my day I listen to a nonstop whine because my Bella is teething. I know she is going through the toughest part but we are simply exhausted from growing these teeth. I am lucky enough (knock on wood) that we have not had any fevers or ear aches but she is so irritable and whiny when her gums are bothering her the most. When I have the time I can sooth her with a cold washcloth wrapped around my finger. I just simply sit and massage her gums with the cool towel and that quiets her. I have bought teething ring after teething ring and she doesn't have much interest in any of them. And if she does start in on one and it seems to be soothing her she always gets distracted and drops the soother for something else. Then seconds later she realizes, hey my gums hurt again and gets mad at me (it's always mommy's fault). But I found the most awesome teething toy EVER. It's called a Raz-Berry Teether I found it in the baby section at Walgreens and it really works.


My Bella loves it and she can keep it in her mouth just in case she wants to do something else. It's not a pacifier, the red part is covered in raised bumps to massage her gums and the green part even has interesting textures and ridges she likes as well. On top of all that I scored two mommy points because the Raz-Berry is BPA and Pthalate free. I'm so grateful I found something to soothe her. Now I have to go and buy a back-up Raz-Berry just in case we lose this one.

Ready to Cross the Finish Line


I found these pictures yesterday cleaning out the digital camera. I was four days away from my due date and my OB/GYN started talking induction so my hubby and I hit the streets to get me walking in hopes that I would go into spontaneous labor. We walked the malls, up and downstairs and in the neighborhood but nothing worked. Hubby suggested we go to the Taste of Chicago and walk around for a couple of hours and it turned out to be one of the best days. We laughed and ate and smiled all day waiting for our little Bella to arrive.


This is one of my few pregnancy pictures I was very self-conscious about my pregnancy and I don't like pictures normally so I really didn't want to be photographed.  I think for the next baby maybe we should take a family pregnancy picture.


Hubby in his New Dad shirt, this plus the baby bump and we were a hit everywhere we went.


Hubby is a comedian :-P The food is what I miss most about being pregnant. Oh and I demonstrated excellent eating technique lol I could attack a buffet with reckless abandon and no shame. I really miss the food L
   
This was one of those good days that you are glad you recorded in someway (we have video too) so you can have it forever. We were really happy and we laughed a lot, I can't wait to let my Bella watch the videos so she can hear just how much joy she brought us before she even arrived.

And a few days later…


Having a family is awesome :-)

Book Review


What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccinations by: Stephanie Cave and Deborah Mitchell



I highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to know more about vaccinations whether you have children or not. Going through the experience of having a baby is overwhelming in itself but throughout my pregnancy and the birth of my daughter I found that dealing with decisions about healthcare surely need to be researched independently. Although I do trust the information about vaccinations I received from our pediatrician I wanted to take a step further and this book was the perfect introduction to understanding more about communicable diseases and vaccinations. The book takes an unbiased approach to providing accurate information about vaccines and the industries and entities involved with them. The information about Mercury and other toxins used in making vaccines and the links between autism and autoimmune diseases were a couple sections that stood out for me. My main reasons for questioning the vaccines are the ingredients and the side effect risks of those ingredients and this book was a wealth of knowledge in that area. I also like how Cave goes into a detailed explanation of each vaccine and gives information on who should receive it, the statistics on the disease itself, the risks and some alternative solutions for parents who are interested on the vaccine but modified in some way.

This book helped me with the seed information I need to continue my research to help me make the right decision for my family. I recommend this book even to parents that are sure they want to vaccinate because if not for anything you should know what is in the syringe being injected into your newborn. I am grateful that we live in a society where we don't have to rely on the Doctor to give us all the information we need to make a medical decision. We have the means and freedom of information to seek our own answers and come into conversations with medical personnel not as a professional peer but as an informed educated patient interested in being an active participant in the management of my healthcare.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

You’re Getting Sleeeeepy


My Bella hates to go to sleep at night. Despite my efforts of a solid evening routine, she still refuses to go down peacefully and quietly. About the time she made two months I could get her to sleep if not all a good part of the night after I nursed her until she drifted off. That has been working for us until recently but things have changed and unfortunately we have to adjust. I hope I can find a night job in the near future so as much as she dosen't like it the princess must be broken out of being nursed to sleep. I implemented this new rule about a month ago but my Bella refuses to comply. When she is older, when she figures out what she wants to do in life God help the person who stands in her way because she is the most determined relentless stubborn child I have ever encountered. You would think after a strict routine of 8:30 pm bath, massage with calming lotion, a story or playtime with Daddy, a full nursing session and rocking and cuddling with mom before being put down for the night any normal child would begin to yield. Oh no, not this kid and to make matters worse she can sit up and stand up in her crib on her own so she spends and least (emphasis on the least) 30 minutes standing at the bars of her crib like an inmate lulling herself with a droning whine/cry until she finally gets to tired and passes out. I am hoping that one day she will see reason and go to sleep at her regular scheduled bedtime but I think baby fairies with magic dust would be required.

Email Digest #1


In attempts to organize and change the way I dealt with my email yesterday, I came up with a good way to eliminate the digital clutter and pay it forward. I will periodically post all of the coupon codes, sales and special offers I receive from the countless times I have given my information to companies. I don't always take advantage of them but I'm sure someone will.


15% off all rugs at Ballard Designs offer ends 2/27/12 (no code discount taken at checkout)
$15 off you first order at diapers.com COUPON CODE: WOWDEALB
20% cash back with your first order at diapers.com COUPON CODE: OUR365OFFER
$25 gift card when you buy a Nook from B&N.com with your MasterCard
Additional 30% off all clearance at wetseal.com
Carol's Daughter become a member for $5 and receive 10% off everything today and everyday offer ends 2/8/12 carolsdaughter.com

Happy shopping!

 

SAHM --> WAHM


I just found (I seriously need to get my inbox and junk mail under control) the email I was waiting for with the names and email addresses of legitimate work from home corporations where I can apply. One of today's tasks (hmm… I may be wrong but I wrote today in possessive form like the task belongs to the day and not me) is rewriting my resume and cover letters to send it off. This year is for financial responsibility and stability.

Natural Living Snowball Effect


I think it's time for me to fine tune my skin care regimen because my journey into natural hair care is definitely calling for it. When my hair was relaxed I would only have skin problems like acne breakouts, excess oil and flaky dry patches when I went longer than my normal 6-8 week relaxing routine. I believe something with the chemicals was causing this but I have yet to prove that (I'm sure I will). I have always leaned toward Clean & Clear products when making skin care purchases. My current routine includes the Rapid Clear Daily Acne Scrub, the 2-1 Daily Cleanser and the Dual Action Moisturizer and I have been happy with these products for years. But I got to thinking, if I am choosing to become responsible for the chemicals I come in contact with in my hair care products I should take a look at my skin care routine as well.
With natural hair (especially type 4c hair) moisture is as important as breathing. In my past relaxer life moisture was important but the appearance of moisture was more important. I liked to use glossers and polishers that made my hair shiny but did little to nothing to actually moisturize it. I wanted to make sure my hair wasn't weighted down by anything so I would never use heavy greases or oils. My natural afro cries out desperately for moisture sometimes more than once a day so I'm always using coconut oil and Shea butter containing products. They really moisturize my hair but leave my skin oily. I think it's wonderful on every other part of my body except my face. In fact, I can't wait to show off the benefits of the constant coconut oil moisturizing I've been giving my body this summer. My face is a different story. I was already acne prone so the buildup of oil on my face is really starting to increase the break outs. Hence the need for an effective natural skin care regimen.
I took a look at a few natural skin care product lines but nothing made me want to run out and buy it so in my new pinterest inspired DIY motivation I decided to find, fine tune and/or create my own natural skin care products. I want to start with a toner first. I have used toners in the past and I like them because I can use them throughout the day with a cotton ball for a quick refresh for me and my pores. But the toners I have used in the past either left me feeling sticky and tight or [the toners with salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide] dried out peeling. So what do I want in a natural toner:
  • Treat and prevent acne
  • Clarifying (I need deep pore debris removal)
  • Skin Balancing
  • Clean feeling with no residue
  • Non-drying
I Googled natural toners to find a base recipe to start with and I will fine tune and add and subtract from there. I found several recipes that are witch hazel based but since I am making this myself and I can eliminate the alcohol I will. I bought a trial size bottle of Evian facial refresher from Sephora a couple of years ago and I loved it so I think a water based product is best for me. I'm going to begin with the recipe I found below on Homemade Beauty Recipes:
Lavender Toner Recipe for Acne/Oily Skin
Ingredients:
2 fluid ounces of distilled water
6 drops Lavender essential oil
5 drops Sandalwood Essential Oil
3 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
I'm not a fan of lavender so I'm sure I am going to substitute that with the first batch. Tea Tree Oil is an acne fighter and Sandalwood balances the skin that's two checks off my lists already.

Membership Granted

I finally got my invite to join pinterest.com. I absolutely adore that site and I'm so glad I can begin my own pinboard. In my mind I believe that everyone will see my board and clamor out to the stores to buy my favorite things like Oprah. No need to bring me back to Earth, just let me have this moment for a while J

Monday, February 6, 2012

Flat Twist Out

I had a pretty good experience with my first attempt at a flat twist out. Here is what I did:

First I shampooed my hair with Kinky-Curly Come Clean shampoo. The next time I do this in about 3-4 days I'm going to use Shea Moisture Organic Shea Butter Curl & Shine Shampoo. The Kinky-Curly Come Clean is a good clarifying shampoo but I don't like using it more than maybe once every month or month and a half to remove the build-up. I conditioned with Shea Moisture Organic Raw Shea Butter Restorative Conditioner and used it as a leave in. I let my hair dry overnight into an afro. I sectioned my hair into four sections sides, front and back and put three flat twists in each section four in the back. I used a spray bottle with water and coconut oil to moisturize my hair before twisting each flat twist. I wrapped it with a satin scarf and let it set for about 4 hours then carefully undid each flat twist fluffed with coconut oil and that's it. Pictures next time I wash stay tuned.

Words I Want To Read


**Running List** I will update periodically and post my reviews as normal blog posts.
  • Brand Thinking and Other Normal Pursuits – Debbie Millman
  • The Pilgrimage – Paul Coelho
  • What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Children's Vaccinations – Deborah R. Mitchell and Stephanie Cave
  • Are Prisons Obsolete – Angela Y. Davis

Sins of the Mother


Watching shows like Intervention can keep you honest as a parent. When they cut to the explanation of the addicts addiction somewhere through the persons past usually it's one of the parents that screwed them up or dropped the ball. Now I'm not sure if the shows are edited that way for a reason but something good certainly came from it because it helps me see the big picture when raising my Bella. Being a parent comes with so much responsibility because not only are you responsible for your child's health and well-being but everything you do will affect her in some way. I am very glad and very grateful that I had my Bella at a time in my life where I am mature enough to understand that. I am determined to remain under construction to improve on myself as much as possible so I can present an example of a woman she can admire and build on.

To Wong Foo…


To Wong Foo Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar

I am so glad this movie came on HBO and not one of the basic cable stations all chopped and screwed. Aside from being pure and utter campy comedy this movie had awesome performances from all three leads Wesley Snipes, Patrick Swayze and John Leguizamo. My mom and I went to see this movie together in 95 and we enjoyed every minute.
Best moments:
Wesley Snipes driving to the hoop in his "basketball uniform" miniskirt.
Cop to Swayze, "You know what all you career girls want?" Swayze, "Careers?"
Wesley Snipes nails during the entire movie
Wesley Snipes reaction to finding the clothes from the sixties upstairs in the store
John Leguizamo vowing that he would find a foundation in a shade closer to his skin tone


I don't have the DVD but when I do start building my movie library I will. I am hoping there is commentary from the actors as well as the directors because I know it had to be difficult to keep a straight face through some of these scenes.

Owning It


Hubby and I had yet another row. My Bella was playing with him on the couch and he was being inattentive long story short she falls off and I get PISSED. He was playing the PlayStation as usual and I guess that's why I was so mad because of what he was doing instead of watching her. His first response was, she didn't fall! When I know he knows I saw and heard her hit the ground. The argument took a wrong turn at that point because it was no longer about my Bella falling it was about his lying. It makes me feel crazy when he looks at me with a straight face and tells me that something didn't happen when it clearly did. He tries to Jedi mind trick me and by the time I get finished arguing about that the main issue is left untouched because we're exhausted and too pissed off to deal with anything else. Today was about him being more careful and attentive when he has my Bella but we ended up fighting about if she actually hit the ground or the top of his foot. I wish that when he and I have an issue we could argue (the mature way) if necessary, come to some kind of understanding and own up to the part we played in the issue. But too many times in our relationship I own up to my actions and he dances around admitting fault. Taking responsibility for his actions is something that is so hard for hubby and I wonder sometimes if our marriage can ever be fixed if we don't work on our individual issues because they play such a huge part. If I let myself be pessimistic I wonder if he is even at a place in his life where he is ready to improve in that way. I try to show by example and own my missteps, I make a point to say oh that was my fault or that was all on me I'm sorry. But he has yet to do the same it's so frustrating and belittling because he doesn't understand that I feel like my feelings don't matter to him when he neglects to address them.
The fight got ugly. Well I will be honest and say the fight made me act ugly and talk mean and cuss because I am holding on to a lot of resent and unresolved issues with him that spill over every time we have a problem. I wish he knew I didn't want it to be like this. I wish he knew that I do wish I could forget everything that has happened and just love him. That's what my heart wants me to do but my head is logical enough to tell it when it has been disrespected. Every time I look at my Bella I pray we are not broken beyond repair.

Hurry Up and Wait


I get all set to get down to business my husband left for his basketball game and my Bella is asleep so I am all systems go to accomplish something. My focus at the moment is going live with this blog so I go to blogger.com to create one with my special template all ready and what happens? I end up waiting for 114 (I really wish there was a way to bold numbers because I definitely screamed that) updates to my computer so I can update my internet explorer and watching a rerun episode of Gilmore Girls while I wait. It's the episode where Babette's cat Cinnamon dies and Lorelei is beginning things with Max and Rory is beginning things with Dean. I swear I can't ever get tired of that TV show. So I wouldn't feel bad about wasting this precious baby-free time watching an episode I've seen a hundred times before I'm writing this. At least that is a solid attempt at doing something different than I would have did yesterday. Yesterday I would have kicked back enjoyed the show grabbed a snack and justified not getting anything done on the software update drama. That quote I put on FB a couple days ago has been sticking with me, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result." Albert Einstein said that. So to try to cure my own special brand of insanity (in my mind I said that like Naturi's mother in Avatar, J) I am consciously changing my repetitive behavior because I would like different results. I would like to be a successful writer so I have to write every time I inhale and exhale and I want to be more motivated so I can set a better example for my Bella. Small steps over time can cross a great distance, I don't know if anyone has ever said that but if not I just did.