Lets talk Protective Styling!

First things first, if you haven't heard about the You Grow Girl Hair Growth challenge it's a few days away, check out the deets here. So far I've received a ton of questions from ladies in anticipation of the challenge and the majority are centered around protective styling.

What is protective styling? Most of us have been doing it for years without a given name attached to it but in the hair community it's referred to as a style that keeps your ends tucked away. Why the ends you ask? Because they are the oldest part of our hair and therefore they require more care. In addition, a protective style requires very little if any maintenance on a day to day basis. Finally, by protective styling it helps your hair stay moisturized. If you haven't read my post on the importance of moisturizing and sealing your hair you can find it here. In it I discuss the importance of moisture particularly in black hair growth. By protective styling you are fostering an environment for growth by keeping your ends tucked away from the elements and moisturized.

Starting at the top right my fav's including (half wig, goddess braids, twisted top knots, bun and double decker bun)

How many times have we installed braids or weave with the objective to grow our hair? I was blessed to follow two young ladies in their hair journey that grew their hair with the use of protective styling with very different results. Lets take a moment to review both growth scenarios. Subject #1 over the course of a year subject number one chose to grow her hair by placing her hair in a bun for one year straight, during that year she never wore her hair down, not once. Having been a part of a hair care group she understood the importance washing and deep conditioning her hair, she kept her ends well moisturized and she chose to bun wrapping her hair into a bun and pinning it opposed to using hair bands or other utensils. Her regimen remained simple yet focused on healthy hair care and by the end of the year her hair grew from somewhere between shoulder and arm pit length to waist length. Subject #2 over the course of a year subject #2 grew her hair from above shoulder length to about somewhere between bra strap and mid back length. She accomplished this by having a sewn in weave installed every 2 to 3 months (three months in a protective style is NOT recommended) over the course of a year. She did very little to her hair between installs and yet her hair grew. I noticed one major difference between subject #1 and #2 which is the moral of the story, subject #1 continued enjoying long, healthy hair by maintaining the healthy hair practices she learned throughout her journey. She protective styled 70% of the time after she achieved her goal length and reserved wearing her hair down for weekends and special occasions. Also she continued her healthy hair practices by moisturizing and sealing and following a weekly wash and deep condition routine. Subject #2 on the other hand had no clue on what to do with this newly grown crop of curls sprouting from her pretty head. It was beautiful and longer than she could imagine but overtime it begin to become shorter and appeared less healthy. She increased her salon visits but still couldn't understand why her mane failed to maintain its length and luster. Frustrated by her hairs lack of vitality she resorted to a dependence on weave to maintain the length she longed for but couldn't seem to maintain.

Now, I've done quite a bit of explaining to get to this point and what is the moral of my story you ask? Moral of the story is your hair is going to grow whether it's barely cared for and left unattended or provided with a minimum amount of growth necessities and left mostly unattended. Both women experienced growth, the difference is one was aware that she had to take certain steps to maintain the length she worked to achieve. Now just in case anyone is wondering I have nothing against weave. I've been a weave queen at certain points in my life - glued, quick or sewn in, I've had it! What stood out for me was the level of confidence each women portrayed having achieved long hair. To witness subject #2's confidence dwindle as her hair begin to break was actually sad for me too, if I knew then what I know now we'd both be happy and waist length!

 I like my readers to understand as much as possible about why certain steps are important. So back to the topic of discussion, as discussed in both scenarios protective styling will allow your hair to grow or help you to maintain healthy hair. It keeps your hair moist and protected and away from wind, clothing, cold air, dry heat or anything that could cause breakage. My wedding ring snags and breaks my hair, when I went to Texas for my daughters Air Force BT graduation the dry heat literally caused my hair to feel brittle to the touch, which causes breakage. How many times have you heard your hair snapping from contact with clothes or furniture? Well if you are protective styling and doing extra to care for your scalp such as keeping it clean, moist or applying growth aides then you are really ensuring that your hair achieves the best level of growth possible while protected. Protective styling doesn't mean you can't enjoy long, healthy hair but as a women with afro textured hair you must be aware that certain habits are important in our hair care routine.

My favorite protective styles include: various types of buns, crown or goddess braids, half wigs that  resemble a braid out or natural hair pattern and crochet braids. I am not necessary a fan of sewn in weave anymore because I have to be able to access my hair. It's a me thing so if  sew-in's are your thing please continue. If you do however choose to maintain a permanent protective style (braids, sew-in, etc) do your hair a favor and give it a good light protein treatment followed by a moisturizing deep condition before your install. Secondly, make sure your ends are healthy and dusted or trimmed. Also take care of your hair underneath the weave by spraying your scalp with water and oil, "washing" with dry shampoo and applying castor oil which has antiviral properties and promotes growth.

WARNING: Protective styling can work against you and I do NOT recommend the following practices.  I hate micro braids, they are the devil - period. Having every single, tiny baby hair on your scalp pulled into submission is not healthy, sorry not sorry. If ever there was a real life edge destroyer it's micro braids, just don't. Secondly, when I do sit down to get crochet braids or any install I forewarn my stylist that I do not like my hair pulled tight, if you have bumps on your neck or hair line it's too tight. I have no problem voicing my concern that they are braiding too tight, it's your hair, speak up! So many of us are so desparate to get our moneys worth that we don't care if our hair health or edges are at risk, don't be that gal! Also, when using buns as a protective style you need to either do what subject #1 did and wrap your hair daily and pin it securely or better yet rotate your bun. I've witnessed women with very long hair experience breakage because they placed their bun in the same spot and either kept it there for days or weeks (without taking it down at night) or the hair simply broke because they were pulling the strands on a regular basis in the same spot. I wear high, low, double and middle of my head buns. I change the location on a regular basis and take them down every evening. Finally if you choose to bun make sure you use elastic bands without metal closures that can cause breakage. I love keeping it real so I'm not ashamed to say I often soak my Goody elastic bands in oil to give 'em a bit of lubrication especially if my hair will be in a bun for a few days.

I've given you all a lot of information, some may think it's too much but if you want to fully experience healthy hair or long hair then protective styling needs to come into play. Some of you think nothing of this because you don't yet understand the dynamics of black hair growth but when I'm walking across the artic tundra (the parking lot of my workplace) in the cold winter months with my precious ends moist and tucked neatly in a bun I know that neither the harsh outdoor cold and wind nor the dry climate indoors is going to harm my hair. When I see another sister walking in with a combination of dry, split ends that seem to be screaming for a deep condition I wish I could tap her on the shoulder and give her some advice. Poor little tink tink, I'm not going to end up in jail because I offended someone for telling her she needs to tuck and seal, ha! Moving on....

Throughout the Braidouts & Barbells Facebook page I've offered some examples of protective styles with the hope that you'll find inspiration. If your nervous about protective styling, like I was in the beginning, then play the style up with makeup, headbands, earrings and attitude! Here's to protecting those ends this winter darlings, if I have a say so in this we will all have long healthy hair and fit derrieres by summer! Have a great weekend and to my hair growth challengers, I'll see you on Sunday!

B&B Giveaway winners announced...

Alexis Guinn and Tamara Hood are the winners of the Braidouts & Barbells prize package giveaway. Tamara has selected the Barbell package including the "Anything but Cardion" t-shirt, high performance socks and weight lifting gloves and Alexis will walk away with the Macadamia Reviving Curl Cream, Hask Argon Oil Serum and No Slip Hair Clips.

Thank you all for participating, more prizes to come as the You Grow Girl challenge begins November 1st!

You Grow Girl!! Hair Growth Challenge

One of the reasons for creating Braidouts & Barbells is that my healthy hair journey and the techniques I learned made my fitness journey so much easier to manage. Before my hair journey I was one of those black women that hated to sweat out my fresh ‘do or installing braids or weave in order to workout. Well I’ve been very focused on fitness and now I’d like to incorporate more healthy hair growth and practices by hosting our first B&B You Grow Girl hair growth challenge.
 

I personally am really excited about this challenge, for those of you that aren’t aware I suffered a setback in my hair journey and lost a few inches of hair after the passing of my father. I’m looking forward to regaining those inches lost with all of you. One more important note, hair grows approximately half inch per month with luck and dedication we’ll be able to meet or exceed that ½ inch growth standard.

The contest will run from November 1^st to January 31^st 2016. The goal is to increase the inches and health of your hair, especially during winter months (for those in cold climates).  I understand that some of you may want to be more discreet than others in participating so you can enter one of three ways starting November 1st:
 1) Posting a pic on Instagram of your starting point with the hashtag #yougrowgirl15
2) Posting a starting pic to the Braidouts & Barbells Facebook group under the “You Grow Girl” challenge entry on November 1^st
 3) If your super shy about posting your hair (you won’t be afterwards) you can DM or inbox a picture to me with the caption You Grow Girl!

Here’s what the challenge entails at the minimum! 

1.       One heat pass is allowed per month. In other words direct heat (flat irons, blow dryers with comb attachments) is permitted only one time per month and always with heat protectant. If you want to achieve a straight look without direct heat try a rollerset followed by saran wrap.

2.       Protective styling 50% or more of the time (highly recommended). Some may choose to protective style more often than not. I personally will set out to protective style and average of three weeks out of each month at the least.  A protective style is a style in which your ends are kept moist and tucked away from the elements. Examples include: wigs, crochet braids, buns, sew-in weave, braids and updo’s. I have a few of my fav's on my hairstyles page, check it out. 

a.       If you choose to go for a long term style like a sew in or braids please do your hair a favor and perform a good deep condition first. I personally prefer a light protein treatment followed by a moisturizing deep conditioner. Also, if you need a trim please do so before your install. Finally take care of the hair that is protected under the weave by continuing to moisturize and clean the scalp. I sometimes reach for dry shampoo (ex: Oscar Blandi dry shampoo)  if I’m protective styling to prevent the risk of mildew from hair that is not fully dried.  Finally limit protective styling to 8 weeks max!

3.       Castor oil is a great growth aide and will be applied to the scalp 2 to 3 times per week followed by a light scalp massage. I’ll be applying mine every other night. If your protective styling apply the oil via an applicator bottle in between tracks, braids, etc.  I have a blog post on castor oil that maybe helpful to read but you can get good old pharmacy grade castor oil if you choose.  I’m using Tropical Isle Strong Roots Red Pimento Hair Growth Jamaican Black Castor oil (JBCO).

4.       There will be mini challenges within the YGG challenge such as the deep conditioning challenge, drink your water challenge (moisture from the inside), protective style challenge, pre poo challenge, etc. Within each of these mini challenges I’ll post tips on the blog on how to up your game on each of these categories in order to achieve the health and length you desire.
 

5.       Your participation, feedback, pics and tips are encouraged. Connect with other members of the group by using the hashtag #yougrowgirl15 on Instagram. Also, you’ll have opportunities to connect via Facebook and Instagram check-in updates.

Be on the lookout for my tips, mini challenges and regimen during the challenge. To be sure you get all the updates follow Braidouts & Barbells on Facebook to get challenge and check in updates or go to the home page of the blog and enter your email address in the "Follow by email" field.  November 1^st is coming up fast, who’s with me?

Meal of the week: Spaghetti Squash with Ground turkey

One of the keys to success in my weight loss journey has been tricking my brain. I feel in love with the versatility of cauliflower but here recently I've began a new love affair with spaghetti squash. I'm telling you this is so good you won't miss the carbs, here's what you'll need to serve up this tasty dish.
 
Using one medium-size Spaghetti Squash.  Use a sharp knife to pierce the Spaghetti squash (all the way to center) in a few places to allow steam out when cooking.

Microwave for 5 to 7 minutes on high, stopping at the midway point to rotate 180 degrees and microwave for another 5 minutes until squash shell is soft to the touch.  Carefully remove from microwave and let rest for 10 minutes to allow squash to finish cooking inside.

Use a sharp knife, cut each end off of the squash.  Next cut the squash in half lengthwise.  Allow the squash to cool for a couple minutes.  Scrape the seeds from the inside of the squash with a spoon. Once the seeds are removed use a fork and gently scrape the inside around the squash to shred the pulp strands onto a plate or bowl, that's your spaghetti! Once removed I opted to lightly saute my squash for about 4 to 6 minutes, seasoning with salt, pepper, garlic and a bit parmesan cheese.

Fools the eyes and the taste buds!

I served my squash in conjunction with Ragu Super Chunky Mushroom sauce loaded with fresh garlic, oregano and onion as well as fresh ground turkey. This easy dish served as my lunch last week and not only was my tummy full my taste buds were satisfied. According to my calculations this dish is approximately 300 calories and super satisfying. 

Meal prep complete!

*If the squash seems difficult to scrape, just return to the oven and bake and additional 10 minutes.

Fiscal Friday: Can you manifest wealth into your life?

You bet your bottom dollar you can! If you read my previous post on manifesting fitness into my life than you already know how significant my vision board and visual reminders are in my transition to a healthy lifestyle.

I maintain two vision boards, one that was created in the company of my girlfriends. That was an awesome night of discovering what mattered to each one of us via the visions we created for our lives. That board sits directly beside my bed and I often find myself meditating on it for direction and to refocus. The other I board was created on a smaller scale to be displayed in my office and at home on my fridge. There are common themes on both my vision boards including: a fit body, travel and wealth. I have to tell you that since I've made strides to keep my goals in front of me making choices,  whether consciously or unconsciously, to achieve those goals has become a part of my daily life.

I'll give you one example, my husband and I enjoyed a very relaxing anniversary vacation this past summer. Almost immediately after returning we began discussing our plans to visit his childhood home next summer in Copenhagen, Denmark, with a brief stop in Paris, France. While both of these destinations are definitely on my bucket list I'm a beach lover at heart. Not only would I love to live in warmer weather I also craved a vacation in the dead of winter when the Midwest snow is at it's peak.  I love everything about tropical living and I couldn't help but voice my frustration to my husband that the bulk of our funds would go to destinations that lacked the lazy, sun filled days I longed for. In my husbands defense he'd do anything to make me smile but both Copenhagen and France are pricey cities to visit he advised. If I was able to work out it however he was happy to make it happen.

Well being the stubborn, one track minded planner that I am I sat about trying to make our winter vacation a reality and I hit a few roadblocks along the way. Not only were we in the market for a new mattress we had our eyes set on a high end foam mattress that we fell in love with. Having also spent a chunk of our joint savings on costly but necessary home repairs (e.g. a new roof) I had to keep in mind that the goal was to take both these vacations without utilizing credit cards. With the holidays approaching and as my frustration began to peak I walked away from the idea and chose to manifest it instead. I manifested all the way down to the dates, our birthday weekend at the end of January early February. I envisioned waking onto a balcony that overlooked the ocean, the warm breeze engulfing me and my hot husband by my side. My visions were detailed to the point of picking out a bright new cover up and thinking of how I would style my hair. I began manifesting this vacation with no worry as to how the money was going to come to pay for it, I simply planned for it to happen.. That was early September when we had the discussion, on Tuesday of this week a blessing arrived in an unexpected bonus of cash and guess what? Half of that will be used to pay for that tropical birthday vacation at the peak of winter.

Now many of you will choose to believe it's simply coincidence and it very well could be, but the more I focus my attention on what will be it seems to come into fruition in one way or another.  I can name a few other examples that the power of manifesting has brought into my life. For example, despite that fact that our home repairs were mounting this past summer due to the updates needed on our wonderfully aged home we covered them without debt. Also my fitness journey was literally mind over matter and keeping my eyes focused on the body type I envisioned. 

In addition to my vision boards I've also began listening to some wealth and fitness affirmations on YouTube. The more I listen to manifestations such as "money flows freely and abundantly into my life" or "I have multiple streams of income" not only do I no longer let money woes consume me but cash seems to be on hand as needed. My favorite verbal manifestation is "everyone around me prospers" because I want to travel and enjoy life with all those I love and I pray for prosperity for all of you as well! I encourage you to try it, not one or two days but consistently! It takes a bit of practice but it could be worth it in more ways than one. Your mind is a powerful muscle, train it!

Don't cheat yourself, treat yourself! EasyTortilla Pizza

Friday night is pizza night in my house and just because I'm cutting back on calories doesn't mean I have to fall back on taste. My easy tortilla pizza is a great alternative to a high carb pizza pie. My version also prevents me from going overboard and it's very satisfying.

Here's what you'll need to cook up this little treat:

Whole wheat low carb tortilla (I like Xtreme Wellness High Fiber Low Carb wraps)
Ragu Pizza Sause
Mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
Oregano
Garlic salt
Red pepper flakes (optional)

For the toppings the sky is the limit, I chose Bridgeford Turkey pepperoni, mushrooms and thinly sliced onions. I simply spray a non stick pan with cooking spray and lay my tortilla down. I spread on two tablespoons of Ragu pizza house and half cup of mozzarella cheese. Once covered I sprinkle the oregano and other spices on to my satisfaction.
 

 I chose to lightly saute the mushrooms and onions but I've eaten this treat without this extra step and it was still tasty. Once my veggies are loaded on I place my pepperoni to ensure my pie is covered and then I bake this baby at 550 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes. Piece of cake! Feel free to load on the ingredients, I have a friend who prefers ground Italian turkey sausage and let me tell you right about now my taste buds are watering.

The key here is fooling your brain without denying your taste buds. Have a healthy weekend!

Hair Growth Tip!

Many black women suffer from horribly damaged edges caused by too tight weaves, wig combs and braiding. On the other hand there are some that just want thicker hair and if you fit any of these categories there is hope in a jar.

Castor oil is excellent for thickening and hair regrowth. It's rumored to increase hair growth 3 to 5x quicker than the normal growth rate. I've witnessed horribly damaged edges flourish with regular applications of castor oil. I personally have used it in my hair journey when I was really gunning for growth. In return my already thick hair became unbelievably thick, so keep that in mind. I've also had great success when a particular section along my hairline was damaged from too tight buns, castor oil cleared that up in no time.

Due to the thick consistency of castor oil it can be mixed with a lighter oil such as jojoba to prevent weighing down the hair. Although I prefer unrefined cold pressed castor oil such Jamaican Black Castor oil off brands seem to work fine as well.

To apply I run the oil through my scalp in a bottle with a pointed applicator tip. I've found that using it about every other night has worked well and with good results. Also if your using this to regrow edges or damage you must layoff the styling method that is causing that damage! For example, if your wearing wigs pin them down with bobby pins instead of wig combs.

There are reports that some women add castor oil to there shampoo and conditioners for thickening. I haven't tried that but I often reach for it as part of my pre-poo treatment, you can read more about that on my wash day and review post. Finally some of the benefits of castor oil include:

•  Prevents itchy, dry scalp
• Antibacterial and anti-fungal which makes it great for scalp conditions such as ringworm
• Treatment for thinning hair or hair regrowth
• High concentration of fatty acids make it an excellent moisturizer
• With regular use it can fade scars

There are a ton of uses for this super oil, the list goes on and on. If you happen to reach for some please let me know your results!

Back at it! A week in my fit life...

I've spoken a lot about hair and healthy eats within the blog thus far but not much about working out which makes up the "barbells" portion of my blog. To put it very bluntly I'm getting back into full swing, let me explain. I caught a nasty cold, the type of cold that should have kept me in bed but I dragged myself to work nevertheless and once I got home it was a wrap. During the course of my fitness journey I've held myself to a minimum of 10 minutes of fitness a day standard that I just couldn't bear to uphold once that cold got hold of me. Other than a few twenty minute walks that may have been forced by my accountability partner I did very little for close to two weeks. That's right after several months of total dedication, even exercising while on vacation, I took a break and I'm glad I did. I'm not sure if I realized how much my body needed that rest. Now I'll pause for a moment of silence while I relish in the fact that I didn't game one pound during my break from fitness...... Ahhh that felt great! I'm happy to report that my weight stayed exactly the same because I tried to stay true to my eating regimen.

Well I'm back to hitting the gym again hard and it feels good to get back on track. Here is a sample of what a typical workout week looks like for me:

Sunday          Steady state cardio (elliptical or a walk/jog), I keep it light on Sunday.
Monday         I like to wake up to fasted cardio (Xbox Zumba or a high interval training DVD).
Tuesday         Meet with my trainer, yesterday was upper body and back. My arms feel like jelly.
Wednesday    Light cardio (fitness DVD/elliptical) in the AM and zumba class in the PM.
Thursday        Lower body with my trainer. Let's just say last weeks session made sitting difficult.
Friday             I'm pooped by now and I get by with some steady state cardio like a fitness machine.
Saturday         Full body strength training. I may go light on my legs if they're still recovering.


If you can't tell I like a good bit of variety. Having multiple workout options in my home keeps me from getting bored, boredom is equivalent to quitting in my world. I must be entertained! I love the Xbox One Zumba Fitness game, it offers a variety of dance workouts and you can choose different places all over the world. From India to Hawaii or Europe the music and intensity levels vary and it really makes working out fun. If I'm lucky my husband will join me, then it's a party!

From my early days of working out at home as a teenager my mom always kept various fitness VHS tapes. Today I also keep a variety of fitness DVD's on hand but my favorite are The Firm which includes cardio and weights in their workouts. My favorite Firm videos are the 500 calorie workout, The Firm Super Sculpting (not pictured) and the Firm Ignite Calorie Burn. These DVD's are not only inexpensive but very effective workouts with a variety of sculpted trainers, we all need a little six pack to give us motivation don't we? In addition to my DVD collection I have an elliptical, stationary bike, free weights and a weight rack and bench in my home gym, having access to a variety keeps me motivated.

My favorite home DVD's

 Another favorite DVD that I must mention is the Abs diet for Women. This is a twenty minute interval training option that has a great deal of jumping and heart pumping moves. It's quick and intense, also interval cardio training is great for weight loss. I also like to add intervals on the elliptical, stationary bike or track, mixing periods of high and low intensity really burns the calories.

I reserve my Wednesdays for zumba as offered by my employer. The camaraderie and music make this a fun workout and it's free to employees- BONUS! My Tuesdays and Thursdays are reserved for Steve, he's a professional body builder and he's pretty hard core. I somewhat dread these meetings with Steve, he pushes me out of my comfort zone. I realize that's exactly what I need but who wants to pay for this kind of punishment....oh yeah that girl who wants to where bikinis well into her sixties that's who. Fitness is better than any purchase I've ever made or food I've ever tasted. I say this because there are thousands of people that lose weight counting calories or points with great success but fitness just feels powerful, strong and sexy. What woman couldn't use a little dose of those three ingredients?

My little home gym

What else can I say? My advice to you is to find a workout you love and do it! I love variety and I've always craved muscle definition, that's where Steve comes into play. Also if I can be honest Steve as well as my Wednesday zumba class offers me a bit of accountability in knowing I will get three high calorie burn workouts a week. An accountability partner or personal trainer can do wonders in the battle to lose weight, coupled with healthy eating options of course. I'd love to hear what kind of workouts you B&B darlings enjoy! 

Motions Enhance and Define Pre Wash Detangling Butter Review & My Wash Day Routine

I set aside time every Sunday to wash my hair and as part of this ritual I always pre-poo.  If you’re not familiar with the term “pre-poo it’s a pre shampoo scalp or hair treatment which is typically performed to reduce the stripping effect of shampoo. I’ve performed a pre-poo treatment since the early days of my hair journey and I tend to base it on what my hair “needs”. For example, there are times that my hair feels mushy, I know because I’ve been doing this awhile, and I also know that it’s a sign of too much moisture. In this instance I’d pre-poo with more protein such as egg whites and a bit of olive oil or a protein rich conditioner. Since pre-pooing is a part of my weekly regimen I was curious when I came across a product that offered both detangling and a pre-wash treatment in one jar.

I happened upon a jar of Motions Enhance and Define Detangling Butter during a recent shopping trip and thought I’d give it a try as my pre-poo for the week. It retailed for $6.99 and there was an instant $1.50 off coupon on the jar. In regards to my hair journey some of you may know that I’m recovering from a set back. After the death of my father my hair suffered greatly, primarily in one particular area. For this reason I’ve began taking extra care in my wash day and pre-poo routine. That's an fyi for those that may think my extra precautions seem excessive. Upon opening the jar I notice that the pre-wash has a light scent and creamy consistency, upon application it melts right into my strands. 

• To apply, I sectioned my dry hair in four quadrants and held each section with a clip. I then applied the Motions pre wash as one would a relaxer utilizing my Sprush and starting at my scalp, parting in sections then applying the butter to my new growth and down the length of my strands.  I also payed close attention to my ends layering the butter on thick since my ends seemed a bit dry. I proceeded to layer the butter upon each section. I then popped my Hot Head heat conditioning cap in the microwave to warm and onto my head, letting the detangling butter pre wash work it’s magic for about an hour while I prepped my meals for the week.

• Upon rinsing the treatment from my hair I can tell why they call it butter because baby my hair felt delicious! When you take it upon yourself to style and care for your hair you began to really appreciate a good product and I give this a thumbs up, my hair felt really moisturized. The kicker came after I washed with Cantu Shea Butter Sulfate free shampoo, the moisturized texture remained even after cleansing, that's a winner in my book.
• After rinsing my shampoo I applied a bit of JOICO  K-PAK to my ends for a boost of protein. If your paying attention you've noticed that I give my ends a lot of extra attention because the ends are the oldest part of your hair. The ends also represent the length we want to retain for those of us on a hair growth journey so they require more attention. In addition to the protein conditioner on my ends I also layered on my favorite deep conditioner Macadamia Deep Repair Mask. This conditioner makes detangling a breeze. I couldn’t be bothered with sitting under my steamer so I again reached for my Hot Head heat cap. After several seconds in the microwave it’s nice and hot and gives my deep conditioning treatment an extra boost with the added heat.

• After a half hour I rinsed and let me tell you my hair felt great. I allow it to air dry for about an hour with a t-shirt on my hair to soak up some of the moisture. I proceed to detangle my hair with a wide tooth comb and it seems to just glide through my thick stresses with little resistance.  I never rush the detangling process by tearing through my hair so it takes about half hour to forty-five minutes. Once detangled to my satisfaction I apply Neutrogena Triple Moisture Leave in conditioner, starting at the ends and working my way up and through my hair in sections.  I seal my ends with another staple Organix Coconut Milk anti-breakage serum, I love this stuff!   

Hair dried detangled hair

In a bun for the night!

After applying a bit of serum to the top of my hair for added shine I twist my hair into a bun for the night, on goes the satin cap and off go the lights. The real test of moisture retention for me often comes in the AM, upon unraveling my locks my hair feels nice and moist I proceed to do a quick protective style for the week.  I’m very pleased with this wash day combination of products and I’ll definitely be reaching for the Motions pre wash for wash days to come.

              

What’s your wash day routine?

Football Food...Good eats without going overboard

We have a tradition in our household that no diet or lifestyle change can break, football Saturdays. My husband and I are both Big 10 fanatics, with a passion for our football teams. Despite the fact that we bleed for different teams we each appreciate a good match up.

As I began to shift from a rootin' tootin' broad cheering on my team with a alcoholic beverage in one hand and a hearty plate of football offerings in the other to a very conscious of my calories dame; riding my stationary bike as I cheer on my team, the landscape of our Saturdays changed dramatically. Despite my change in lifestyle there was one thing that I was bound and determined to remain the same, with football there must be food! Good, hearty football food to be exact!

This weekends football fare included oven baked chicken wings and my version of potato skins. Within both of these offerings you will find breading, butter and cheese and some of you may ask is that indeed healthy? You can bet your sweet cheeks they are in comparison to the calorie, carb and grease laden meals of days past. Also because I cooked these meals in my home I'm in control of the portions and I also control the amount of cheese and toppings. Finally I have the ability to make substitutions such as light sour cream, turkey bacon, etc.

For the "potato skins" I lined a pan with aluminum foil and coated with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and proceeded to melt 3 TBS of Country Crock light. I sliced three large potatoes (discarding the ends) into 1/2 inch slices and brushed each side with melted butter as well as seasoning each side with lite salt, pepper and seasoning salt. I tossed the potatoes in the oven for 35 minutes, removed from the oven and turned the potatoes and allowed them to cook another ten minutes or until tender. I then removed the potatoes and sprinkled on the cheese and then back into the oven for 3 to 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Once removed I layered on my favorite Applegate turkey bacon that I precooked and diced green onion. I finished off my skins with a side of light sour cream.

 

 

 

 

I got the recipe for the wings from Allrecipes.com one of my favorite sites, for the recipe click here. Please keep in mind that when I cook meat I'm always going to first season it with my main three ingredients (Lawrys seasoning salt, garlic salt, pepper) once seasoned I proceeded to dip the chicken in butter as directed and continued with the recipe as instructed. Both myself and my husband enjoyed the food and the football and because I make working out on Saturday morning mandatory I have no reason to let my lifestyle interfere with our love of the game. For those of you wondering I only drank water but I did enjoy a couple glasses of wine and a movie Sunday night, everything in moderation!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

Let's get physical! Fiscally fit that is....

Let’s get fiscal B&B darlings! Not only do I want you physically fit one of my greatest wishes is for your body to be lean and your bank account green – filled with Benjamin’s that is! I’ve spent the majority of my adult life as a single mom. I wasn’t completely on my own struggling day in and day out; my ex played a major role in providing for our children financially and otherwise. Despite his support there were some very lean times and when I reflect on those times I’m so thankful that despite how busted and disgusted I was I stayed current on my bills and obligations because I always made saving money a mandatory action.

I have a dear friend that jokes of my tendency to keep my savings in “Newark”. For those of you that don't know me on a personal level Newark is a neighboring city about thirty miles outside the capital in which we reside.  The reason for her jest is I kept my savings in a credit union account that was a good drive away away and I opted to not receive an ATM card for my savings account.  My rational behind intentionally putting my hard earned cash out of reach and not easily accessible is I would only access those funds if I really needed the cash. By creating a direct deposit from my paycheck into that account, the money was gone before I ever had the opportunity to miss it. Those funds would not be utilized because I wanted to hang with the girls or I was aching for a new pair of shoes. That money, unbeknownst to me when I opened that account over twenty years ago, was for me what we now call an emergency fund.

I cannot begin to count the times that my little emergency fund came through when I needed a bail out. From high dollar car repairs to needing a new washing machine my savings account kept me independent. I can’t begin to tell you how proud I was to hear my grandfather say “you’re my only baby who doesn’t borrow money”. Being the father of six children and tons of grand kids that was some kind of compliment and I was glad to receive it. When I opened that account I was investing what I could at the time which was about $25 a check, since then that amount has more than quadrupled and that initial savings account has been changed from an “emergency” to a “just in case” account. I still utilize this for unplanned expenses from unexpected birthdays to unforeseen events and because I’ve learned to be disciplined I now have an ATM card as well.

I have some big dreams that include traveling the world and for this reason I’ve since opened another online account. About six years ago they were not only offering some pretty competitive rates on savings but I also wanted to up the ante on my saving goals. My new savings account became my emergency account and now that its close to reaching my target goal to cover a few months of living expenses I’ve opened another online account. It was easy to do online with the same company and that my darlings is my dream big account. I’ve covered the bases in regards to security so now I want a “throw caution to the winds” account. I opened an account that will allow me to leave my corporate job and travel the world if I choose. I’d love nothing more than to live day by day seeing this wonderful world of ours by boat, plane or train with my husband. Now it’s not going to happen overnight but as long as there is air in this capable body of mine, it will happen!

I’ve chosen to only focus on saving in this particular post but Lord only knows I’ve had to overcome debt, figure out 401(k) and become dead broke before I determined I was going to be in control of my life. Small actions geared towards saving money have taught me a lot, and one lesson that has repeated itself in my hair and fitness journey both is consistency. By making my savings contribution automatic I didn’t even miss that money, by the time my paycheck was deposited that money was already deducted and sitting pretty in backup accounts. Also, I learned that small actions add up big, I could only afford to deposit small amounts initially but left untouched those meager investments saved me from borrowing from my family or playing the pay day loan game. Finally, although I’m not a single woman any longer I must say there is something about independence that no one can take from you. I’ve gone through tough times, for example when I chose to take on more mortgage in order to provide my children with a home in a better school system that move really affected my lifestyle but I overcame that period and many more and that feeling is very rewarding. Now that my adult children are out of the house money has become the flexibility to choose my next course of action. Let me tell you spending money on what really matters is what it’s all about for me. I’ve chosen to spend my hard earned cash on experiences like the breathtaking bike ride down South Beach board walk at sunrise with my husband. We rode all the way to South Point Park, at the end of Ocean Boulevard and we were greeted by brilliant blue water and a very admiring view as the ocean seamed to collide with downtown Miami.  Sending my precious daughter to Hawaii as a twenty-first birthday gift that allows her to embrace the wonder of a new culture and share my love for travel is a special treat. I choose to spend on experiences like walking the quant, cobblestone streets of Europe; stopping in an adorable café and eating the most exquisite bread and cheese plate that you’ve ever tasted. Now that’s good living in my book and not only have prayed for it, I’m willing to pay for it! Until next time beauties and honeys, stay fiscally and physically fit!