You gotta know when to fold 'em....

Life happens... this we know. As I sit and type my first blog entry in well over a month I’m reminded of the terrible pain I struggled with a short while ago; injury and bad decisions halted my weight loss. My emotions have ranged from self pity, guilt, depression and just enough determination to keep pushing. After losing a significant amount of weight last year, the fear of heading back in the wrong direction loomed over me like a cloud of rain. Despite my fears I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that there were still more than a few days that I fed my sorrows by stuffing anything I could find in my mouth to comfort my worried soul and injured body.

 





It’s safe to say that 2016 didn’t begin as I had planned. I was eager to drop more unwanted pounds and continue lifting weights to build my strength and grow some real muscle.  My very last blog post was dedicated to taking the steps to get my mojo back after our auto accident in January. I suffered a painful rotator cuff  injury and broken wrist on my left arm in the accident. Despite the injury I was determined to pick the momentum back up and continue my fitness journey. I’m still not sure if it was my zeal to give it my all or my bodies way of telling me too much too soon but my injured left side gained an alley to aide in my misery, an old tailbone injury returned with a vengeance.

 

 After a week of working out full throttle I noticed I felt particularly stiff, I continued on despite this feeling with a vigorous workout and by bedtime I knew something was terribly wrong. I know now that my sore tailbone was further aggravated by a heavy set of deadlifts.  As I tossed and turned through the night it soon became clear that this was no ordinary pain. Simply turning in bed was excruciatingly painful.  After a full day of work, standing from a seated position became unbearable and I could barely lift my leg into my SUV at the end of the work day. As I lay on my bed with a heating pad stuck in my underwear the feelings of defeat crept up on me once again. One evening as I headed to the bathroom I caught a glimpse of my darkened silhouette in the bathroom mirror. Between my tailbone, which caused me to limp painfully about; my sore shoulder which I unknowingly hiked a good inch above the opposite shoulder and held at my side I couldn’t help but notice how my pitiful stance resembled that of the Hunch Back of Notre Dame.  Medication offered no relief from the pain, it just caused me to sleep and I added a cherry on top of this disaster by following through on a “minor surgery” that had been scheduled a month prior. Not only wasn’t it minor, the healing process was slow, in short- I was a hot mess!




I dreaded every workout until I got it done

I remember sitting on my couch treating my wounds as I apologized to my body for demanding so much of it before it was ready and adding insult to injury with this surgical procedure.  Everyday seemed to be a struggle to push through until bed time, just getting through my work day was exhausting. Thank goodness I had a understanding manager that allowed me the option to work from home for a period of time. The breaking point came when I was referred to a physical therapist by my physician after my wrist splint was removed. On my first day of therapy I explained to Julie,  my physical therapist, how I tried to get on all fours and perform a basic cat stretch but was unable to bear the weight on my wrist. Then it happened, like a crack in a dam that was ready to burst, the tears of frustration flowed down my face. I tried to hold them and I recall mumbling “I never cry, I don’t know why I’m getting emotional”. I thought I could swallow the lump in my throat but it only served to make the necessity to cry all the more real. I felt defeated, at 43 years old I was embarking on the best level of fitness I’d ever obtained in my life. I felt as if all my hard work was slipping away. Until January 18th, 2016 I felt powerful, in control and alive and these injuries along with my choices were threatening to encase me in the fat suit I’d spent the past year trying to escape. I went from doing full body push ups to being so weak I couldn't manage a damn cat stretch.  I can admit I was afraid of gaining weight, but also terrified of pushing past the pain of the past month. 

Julie, my petite therapist, sat quietly and allowed me a moment to express my fear of gaining weight, my hard work and my desperate need to get in the gym. After handing me tissue she placed both hands firmly on the table in between us, looked me in the eyes and she simply stated “we’re going to make you strong again”. I took a deep breath, those tears were so much more than just the pain. I feared letting myself down but I believed in her and that's what I needed to began my road to recovery. After that moment we rehearsed the barrage of daily movements Julie wanted me to perform in order to reduce the tightness in my body so we could  then begin gaining strength. Just like eating and breathing I practiced those movements several times a day knowing they were the key to getting myself back. I still have bad days, tightness and a twinge of pain but I'm committed to the movements that provide me relief knowing that I'm back in control of my body. Julie gave me the keys to get back on track and for that she's an angel. I'm so thankful I was placed in her care.

 

So here I am, one pound less than I was on New Years day. I managed to drop five pounds in a matter of weeks. One thing that kept me somewhat on track is I did have the sense of mind to order a few weeks of BistroMD in an effort to gain control of my eating which took a bad turn during my down time. I’m back to exercising with very controlled movements and lifting nothing over 8lbs on my left arm/wrist, doctors orders. I'm also back to my weekly meal prep. Am I frustrated about the past few months, most definitely. I’ve been my own worse critic, but I realize how much my body needs endorphins each time I’m forced to limit or refrain from exercise. Exercise keeps my ADD brain on track, improves my mood and provides me with an incredible sense of power and strength. It may have taken me to be fully deprived to really embrace that I'm in this for life. Fitness is not a 90 day fix, it's an absolute privilege.

 

I thank God for healing. I'm also very thankful for my angel Julie and above all else my strong, capable body. I folded, but dammit...I'm back!!!

Taking my MoJo Back: How I'm hitting the reset button on 2016

Have you ever found it necessary to hit the reset button on your life? Well I’m in the midst of doing just that; I’m working to get back to at least 95%, let me explain. If you’ve been following the blog you already know my New Year started with a bit of a rough patch. After a serious auto accident that left me with an injured rotator cuff and broken wrist, we were hit with the usual swarm of insurance adjusters, accident chasing attorneys and extreme muscle soreness. The first few days I found myself primarily bed ridden, I thought the pain on my left side was just soreness from the accident. When I could barely lift a plate by the end of the second day I sought medical treatment and learned the severity of my injuries. In the midst of this whirlwind our long planned birthday vacation was only a few days away. Since I failed to purchase travel insurance, which I rarely do on our trips within the United States, I also spent a good deal of time trying to reschedule our flight due to the Blizzard of 2016 shutting down Washington D.C. where our layover was scheduled.

Taking my mojo back one day at a time!

After arriving home from vacation to the same madness we’d left behind, a full blow internal audit at work and a full schedule of events it didn’t take long for me to begin feeling resentful of having to do things that should've been fun. In the recent past I’d reach for weights and really pump the iron when I’m overwhelmed but that wasn’t an option. Due to my injuries weights were only permitted on my lower body, so I began focusing on other types of exercise. During my first Zumba class I realized that my left arm and shoulder couldn’t maintain the intensity and it quickly became uncomfortable for me to keep up. I've found myself heading to the stationary cardio equipment more often than not and slowly becoming my worse fear – a cardio queen! In addition, simple task like grocery shopping, lifting files at work or transporting my purse, lunch bag and lap top case into the office were causing me pain. I'd wake up each morning to a stiff, aching shoulder that seemed glued to my side and painful to move. If all that wasn’t enough typing is an awkward undertaking between the unbending keyboard and my cast making my passion to write also go down the drain.

It seemed as if all my outlets such as writing and exercise were uncomfortable and I felt as if I my momentum was fading fast. None of these problems are insurmountable. I’m healthy and able but I’m women enough to admit I’m in a funk. I’ve never been limited in my mobility in my life and it really, majorly sucks! So if you managed to get past my whining and all of the reasons I’m currently not in a happy place then you’ve landed smack in the middle of my plan to get my groove back. Over the past two weeks I put the brakes on anything that wasn’t absolutely necessary which narrows my list to: work, eating, showering and some degree of exercise. Anything that I deemed unnecessary or overly taxing were wiped off my list. I realized I needed to just catch up on life, let me break that down for you. After the accident we left immediately for vacation and returned to all sorts of invites and obligations. I needed time to just organize, determine the true extent of my shoulder injury, unpack my life and get back in the drivers seat. Here are the steps I’m taking to get my life back on track:

 1.  I admitted to my husband that I was feeling down. That’s a big step for this stubborn, independent gal and in my opinion women in general. My energy level was low, I hadn’t really cooked in weeks and it’s fair to say I needed a bit of encouragement. After admitting to him that I just wasn’t feeling myself he said “well come on, let’s do some Zumba on the Xbox”. That not only got me off the couch, it felt so good to move and laugh at him NOT really doing Zumba but giving me the boost I needed.  Also he took over in some areas that didn't need my involvement just to take some weight off my shoulders which was exactly what I needed.
 

Affirmation courtesy of thoughtsfornow.com

2. Two weeks ago my friends and I got together to create our vision boards for 2016, I’ll spill the deets on that in a future blog post. I absentmindedly placed my vision board in a seldom used room in our home. Unlike my 2015 board I didn’t have my goals placed in an area where I’d benefit from seeing them daily. Having realized the importance of keeping my vision for my life in front of me I not only moved my board to a room I spent time in daily but I also saved a picture of it to my computer so I could view it daily at work. Keeping my goals in direct eyesight is a surefire way to get my mental state whipped back into shape. In addition to spending time focusing on my goals via my vision board I also began listening to positive affirmations daily. YouTube has an awesome collection of videos and recordings with powerful affirmations. I listen to them during my morning commute, while I’m at the office and also during a recent spa treatment. The Fit, Flexible and Endurance affirmation by Jason Stephenson is one of my favorite healthy lifestyle recordings. I also enjoy the Abundance affirmations by Growing Forever. I’m a firm believer in the power of the universe and manifesting your desires begins with the right mindset. For me one way to get back on track is to begin by making up my mind that I'm going to do it and affirmations strengthen that resolve. Just as talking myself through workouts or praising God for the strength to keep pushing there is something to be said for having faith and keeping your thoughts powerful, try it!

 3. I treated myself to a mani/pedi at a little gem that I discovered near my home. Not only is the treatment relaxing but I love the quiet, good natured energy of the owner and his wife. Now this little treatment may not sound like much but I’ve realized how low self care has been on my totem pole. Of course I work out and eat well but I rarely partake in any guilt free me time. There’s something about just sitting still and letting someone take care of you that feels incredible. I’ve made a vow to take care of myself as if my life depends on it! I’ll do this by adding a few drops of lavender in my bath water and sinking in or sitting in the peaceful parlor of my home and enjoying a warm cup of bamboo tea and taking a trip to the spa at least once a month. As women, mothers and wives we often are so busy checking things off the list that we rarely treat ourselves to something as simple as some alone time. I was talking to a friend recently who was clearly under the weather, despite the fact that she had a perfectly healthy able bodied husband at home she said she “just couldn’t” go home and go straight to bed in order to get the rest she clearly needed. I challenge my sisters to rebel against this mindset, not only do we do ourselves a disservice but we often don’t give our partners the load they are perfectly capable of carrying! As I type I’m looking down at a set of well manicured magenta digits, they make me feel good, and I’m worth it. Take care of yourself, find your balance and don’t compromise, take time out to do what makes you feel good.



Good eating and meal prep

4. Let’s face it, you are what you eat. In the weeks since we returned from vacay we have pretty much been eating on the run. This past Sunday I took the time to prep my meals and  my belly already feels better. For breakfast I made an apple banana oatmeal bake large enough for me and Allan to both enjoy. For lunch I baked shrimp and white fish in a lemon, garlic, parsley butter broth and prepared quinoa and a mix of broccoli and cauliflower. I realize that my motivation to move may be somewhat down but eating well will not only keep me on track but also decrease my chances of making an unhealthy choice. When I eat food on the go it not only makes me feel bloated and tired but it rarely gives me the satisfaction I receive from sitting down to a home cooked meal.



5. Fake it until you make it! I began smiling every morning upon waking, for no other reason but than being alive and thankful. I practiced smiling as I walked into the office and as I thought about it throughout my day and the simple act of smiling made me feel better! It's as if the muscles that I utilize to smile set off a chemical reaction, it's a great feeling! Finally I began focusing on my posture and really walking up proud and straight, shoulders back! Just because I felt down didn't mean I had to slump around reflecting that energy on the outside.

I’ve chosen to focus on a few positive steps to reset my failing motivation. My first step was admitting that I was in a slump . Secondly, I focused on my goals for 2016 and beyond by meditating on my vision board and listening to daily affirmations. As if the universe was confirming my path I listened to Shonda Rhimes on GMA last week speak on how “taking time out to play” got her creative engine humming again. Like Shonda I plan to do just that by intentionally practicing self care in various forms on a regular basis. Also, eating well gives me a sense of power by controlling the things I put into my body. Good food fuels my internal engine and ensures I avoid the mid day slump that comes from eating junk food. Finally, even though I felt out of sorts I chose to put on a happy face and gave myself the "chin up buttercup" before heading out the door. Well, I'm happy to report that things are changing for the better and I didn't have to force the transition.  If your New Years resolutions aren't panning out like you thought they would I challenge you to take these steps to reset your state of mind and get back in the race with me!

What do you do when you need to spark your motivation?

Our birthday escape to the islands

It goes without saying that my husband and I share a deep love for one another but we also have an uncanny connection. I've always felt that connection was due to the fact that our birthdays are only three days apart, and we both fit the definition of our Aquarius birth traits to a tee. For the first time in our marriage my husband and I decided to plan a getaway in the middle of  Aquarius season, aka winter in the Midwest, to celebrate our birthdays. Not only has this vacation, which included a cruise with stops in the Bahamas, been long planned after the rough week we had leading up to it, it was very much needed. The car accident from the prior week and the Blizzard of 2016 threatened to ruin our trip but the universe was on our side and it was all I could ask for and then some.

A perfect day on the beach!

I long for the days when waking up to sunshine is a daily ritual, until then take me to the beach! Surround us with good people, food and music and that's a party! We met the most incredible, welcoming individuals from all walks of life. Both Allan and I agree that this tropical escape tops the charts as one of our very best vacations to date.

 So I thought I'd share just a few pictures of us soaking up the sun and embracing the moments that made this vacay so memorable.
For me the sun is like an earthly power cord that charges me and the energy of the ocean is undeniable. I feel so alive when I'm surrounded by the sun and ocean, it's a special kind of energy.


 On the first day at sea we woke to a beautiful sight, the rising of the sun. On of earths most precious gifts rising to greatness with the ocean as it's canvas, beautiful! It was even more captivating in person.

Arriving in Nassau, upon exiting the ship, they have all these photo ops that are kinda cheesy, yet irresistible. So like obedient suckers tourist, we found ourselves to be so captivating in these pictures that we purchased more than a few!

 

 

 Unfortunately the bulk of our pictures feature good times with our new found friends or Allan and I fully embracing the beach life. Knowing that we had a limited amount of time to soak in the sun we pretty much lived in swimsuits and this is exactly the life I'm manifesting for our future. Flip flops in January is my idea of living!

It's safe to safe I'm fully embracing this moment...

Unlike myself my husband wasn't a very cooperative model. This is the best shot I managed of him exiting the water. Funny thing is, it's totally him, I love this shot!

We did manage a few pictures that were fully clothed but I choose to focus on these few shots plus a few more that make me smile. This was a great vacation! Next stop, France and Copenhagen in May, I've got a hot and ready passport that's ready for some stamps!

Vacation hair: I love crochet braids

Let me count the ways that I love crochet braids as one of my top protective styles. My top reasons for selecting crochet are cost, convenience, versatility and take down ease. Also I can access my scalp, which is a must for me.

If you've read my previous post you already know that a fender bender left me with a broken wrist. With a long planned vacation right around the corner I needed a style that was versatile and relatively low maintenance. Enter, my beloved crochet braids! After booking an appointment I searched the web for the look I was going for and fell in love with the wave pattern of Freetress Deep Twist hair. Since crochet hair is more often than not synthetic I purchased six packs at $5.99 a pack at the local beauty supply store. I did have to go to two stores because this particular hair is in high demand. I was prepared to pay at least $75 for the install but surprisingly my braider Precious Yisreal, Designed and Divine on Facebook, was running a $40 special for basic crochet braids. How sweet is that? Girl, don't threaten me with a good time!!! She has been braiding both myself and my son, who's hair length rivals mine, for the past few years now.

Braid pattern prior to install

I think it's important to mention that prior to installing any protective style that I plan on rocking for awhile I always give my hair some special treatment prior to the install. Taking care of the hair underneath your weave is mandatory in my book. I began by pre-pooing with Motions Enhance and Define Pre Wash Detangling Butter and leaving that in for a half hour under my Hot Head heated cap. I then proceeded to wash my hair with Cantu Sulfate Free Cleansing Shampoo. My husband was my shampooer, rinser and product applicator due to my wrist, all I have to say about that one is I now know how our dog feels, poor thing. My final step was applying Aphogee Keratin 2 Minute Reconstructor, for a dose of protein which strengthens the hair followed by ORS Hair Mayonnaise for thirty more minutes under my Hot Head. Ladies, I think I'm in love with ORS Hair Mayo...OMG!! It may have also been the combination of products but why did I wait so long to try this conditioner? My hair was easy to detangle and very moisturized. After a comical detangling session with me and my husband, we managed two braids and I let it air dry overnight for my next day appointment.

There's one more key step to this process. Since crochet braid hair is synthetic it makes me itch terribly. Also, you must keep in mind weave is dirty and it will be in direct contact with your body. I soaked my synthetic weave by keeping the bundles in tact (or keeping them secured with the rubber band) as they come out the package in a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar for one hour. After soaking I rinsed the hair, used paper towels to squeeze it dry and hung the hair to air dry overnight, piece of cake and no chance of dirty, itchy hair

The install began about 10am the following day and was complete about 1:30pm. Due to the length of my natural hair my stylist braided it in back and "crocheted" the loose ends into place as you can somewhat see in the above picture. I did have a rather thick braid in back but there is no chance of that showing through this incredibly thick hair. The install was over in no time, quick, easy and plenty of packing time to spare! Because we were going on vacation I chose a longer style, therefore my stylist didn't cut the hair prior to the install. Let me tell you this hair was loooong! To be exact 22 inches of full, wavy, waist length hair. It overpowered me and my barely 5'4 frame so despite my promise to my stylist not to cut it for a few days I went home and did just that, with plenty of hair to spare. Without crying too much about my wrist all I can say is it was quite sore after this trimming session, this hair was a workout! Pass the paid meds please!

Finally, having exhausted all the energy I could on getting my hair into shape I ended up heading to a

TL- prior to trimming/thinning and pics of the end result

drop in salon after arriving in Florida where a fabulous young lady by the name of Dee thinned my bulky synthetic hair and cut it into shape for $17.00. Typically I'm able to do this myself but it proved to be too much while wearing a cast. I just loved Ms. Dee's southern charm and wit so much that I offered her a ten dollar tip and a hug for being a huge lifesaver in decreasing the volume of my huge hair.

It's been a full week and a half and the hair still looks great despite swimming and plenty of time in the ocean. To care for my hair underneath I use a spray bottle filled with water and shampoo to wash my scalp, rinse well and remove shed hair after swimming. Also I apply oil directly to my scalp every other day. In the evening I again perform a ritual of removing shed hair, pull the hair back with a satin pony tail holder and stuff it under a satin cap for bed. In my opinion, crochet braids have a shelf life of about three to four weeks before it starts looking a bit worn. Luckily they're also easy to remove. If you haven't heard by now protective styles are the way to go for hair growth and I see another install in the near future for me.



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Pre-vacation testimony

1st workout on vacation

My husband and I are less than an hour away from stepping onto our long anticipated birthday cruise. I plan to completely unplug, but first I wanted to share with you  my testimony that I posted to Facebook just two days ago. It's been a trying week but my faith and power has been restored.

 "Have you ever had a divine tap on the shoulder?  It's been a rough week, a totalled car, broken wrist, injured my rotator cuff, flight out of D.C. was a no-go and the list goes on.

I could continue but the bulk of my frustration came from the conflict between my stubborn, independent nature and not wanting to request assistance as well as my inability to get a good workout. To make a long story short I'm sulking, I was in pain because in my opinion my husband didn't notice I needed help soon enough (being a brat) and I was too prideful to ask, I was being a 1st class witch on a broom. Then as we flew into  Chicago I looked out my window at an image only God's paint brush could create. The soft rays of sun peaked through the clouds and seemed to collide with the frigid waters of Lake Michigan and the city shore. I got that tingle that overcomes you when you're excited for the Lord, my eyes filled with tears..

I'm a happy gal again!

How dare me make a bad week a bad life. How dare I treat this injury like a life sentence. How dare I allow myself to be pitiful instead of powerful! God is good and His timing is always right. Now we're off to celebrate our birthdays and I'm in the state of mind I should've chosen before we departed" #butGod

I really had to choose to take my power back and I got my first explosive workout on our first day of vacation, which may I add we got an extra day due to rerouting our flight layover from D.C. (which was shut down due to the blizzard) to Chicago, a blessing in itself! I was measuring everything that went wrong and nothing that was right. We escaped a terrible accident that could have taken our lives, the car is replaceable and we are headed to an island vacation!  I chose my attitude and it has made a mighty differance! Have a wonderful week my beauties!

Brown girls guide to sunless tanning....

This maybe my most difficult blog entry to type to date, allow me to explain. I'm writing with limited capabilities having suffered a broken wrist from a fender bender last weekend. Between this bulky cast, pain meds and an injured rotator cuff I've been out of commission a few days. So please forgive me for the limited post in the coming weeks while I'm on the mend.

Moving on to todays topic, sunless tanning brown girl style! My hubby and I are one day away from a long planned birthday beach vacation and other than researching ways to waterproof my cast I'm also getting a head start on my tan. Yes I'm one of the sista's that adores the glow! To be honest, being that I'm already brown I was hesitant to admit to "tanning" but it is what it is, I have a great appreciation for dark skin to the point of getting creative to achieve my summer time glow in the off seasons. Having darker skin allows me to cut down on the amount of make-up I apply, after all who wants to worry about perfect application while on vacay?  Glowing dark skin makes me feel better in less clothes and most importantly darker skin minimizes the appearance of cellulite and stretch marks. To compare the final effect of my sunless tan here are two pictures of me, both taken outside, one with my normal Midwest winter skin tone and one taken on our first day of arrival in Miami last year. Now keep in mind when viewing these side by side pics that I go a bit light in the application of sunless tanner on my face as opposed to my body and legs, which are a few subtle shades darker.

 

My Miami "sunless" kissed skin vs my normal winter skin tone

I have two products that I reach for that guarantee great results with no streaks and provide me the look of dark sun kissed skin. I begin this process about five to seven days before we are scheduled to depart for a beach vacation. First, I begin with a good exfoliation with Tree Hut Shea Sugar Coconut Lime Body Scrub, exfoliation allows for a good, streak free application and this stuff smells delish! Once I'm freshly showered and dry I apply a thick layer of Banana Boat Self Tanning Lotion in Deep Dark Color. I avoid my elbows, knees and ankles as instructed and wash my hands after applying. I like to apply the Banana Boat lotion about two to three days before I move on to phase two of my two step process.



The second phase of my transition comes in the form of an at home spray tan by PHD Skincare. The PHD Body Mist in Dark is just amazing, I love this product! I happened upon it on HSN one evening, after viewing the live demonstration on air I had to get my hands on it! I purchased two bottles prior to our anniversary vacation last year. I sprayed myself and my sister with excellent results. The only mishap I did experience with this product is the evening I tried to apply it directly after a shower on dried, dewy skin which I later learned was a spray tan don't. Be forewarned that showering and applying this product before your completely dry (I'd wait and hour or so) will simply cause the spray to run down your body in a puddle of brown droplets. I apply PHD evenly on dry skin with the applicator aimed about 10 inches from my body. Once applied you cannot bathe for 6 to 8 hours and of course no clothes until you're completely dry. The appearance of darker skin is instantaneous and it deepens as the color sets. I'll continue applying one layer each evening for three nights prior to our departure. Now if you read the reviews on HSN they're not so great, all I can say is those ladies may have aimed the spray bottle too close to their bodies or they made the aforementioned post shower error, for me it works like a charm!

I've found that the combination of these two products not only has incredible staying power but also gives me the beach body confidence that tanned or darker skinned offers. All my mommy marks and womanly lumps seem to be a lot less noticeable with a deep dark skin tone. To be honest, I wish I was consistent enough to maintain my fake and bake all year long but I reserve that level of commitment to my healthy lifestyle. I really hope someone benefits from my fool proof steps to great summer skin at anytime of the year. The countdown to sun, sand and mojitos is just days away and this gal is ready to go, glow an all!

Combat the winter hair blues with the baggy method

Long time no hair post! 2016 not only marks the beginning of what is bound to be a fabulous New Year but it also marks the end of the thirty days of protective style challenge! Let me be the first to say that not only did I successfully protective style the entire thirty-one days of December but I also held firm to the challenges by taking my vitamins and applying my castor oil faithfully! I've achieved an evident increase in thickness and so far I'm pleased to see that I am finally getting beyond my set back. If you weren't able to complete all the #YGG challenge steps please add them into your regimen, I'm getting some great feedback from those who are staying true to course. Nourishing healthy hair is much like fitness, don't be disappointed by the work you didn't do, small steps taken daily can lead to big results.

If you haven't been following the challenge or you've just tuned in you can read more about the details of the You Grow Girl hair growth challenge here. Now onto the good stuff, if your living in the Midwest like myself then winter just officially hit, aren't we lucky? I literally had on sandals one day this past December! In Ohio!! Okay enough of that excitement that's far from the point I'm trying to make. In regards to black hair, which is dry by nature, the onslaught of winter is particularly hard on our strands. During the winter months I step up my hair care by moisturizing and sealing, protective styling to spare my ends from the harsh elements and I also increase my moisturizing deep conditioning and steaming routine. There's one more method that I want to introduce to you to promote moisture during these dry winter months and its called the baggy method. Not only would I like for you to try and implement it into your hair care routine, it's also the You Grow Girl mini challenge for the next two weeks!

The baggy method is a technique used to lock in moisture. It begins by applying moisture to your hair then utilizing a plastic baggy, saran wrap, Ziploc bag or processing cap to lock in the moisture. The application of moisture could be a light spritz of water, leave-in conditioner or a drop of conditioner. Once you've applied your moisture you have two options, you can choose to baggy your entire head or focus solely on those precious ends. Whatever option you choose, baggy your ends or entire head for two to four hours max. Baggying any longer than that is not beneficial to your hair, so use this method in moderation. I personally prefer to focus on my ends because I sweat profusely in my scalp. Doing this a few hours, in the evening about two nights a week and that's plenty for me to get a boost in moisture. I do this by applying a light amount of my favorite leave in conditioner to my ends, wrapping them with saran wrap or a small plastic bag and using an ouchless hair band to secure the plastic wrap in place. Practicing this two to three times a week really promotes moisture especially in the dry winter months. Your hair will emerge softer, also the moisture combined with your body heat, which is activated by the baggy, really promotes a dewy environment for growth. Finally, I typically utilize this method in the evening because your strands will be slightly damp and we don't want to expose your hair to the cool air.

Now allow me to reiterate that you should NOT baggy your ends or head and leave that in for a prolonged period of time, this method is to be used in small increments, not days on end! In fact, I once thought I was a pretty wise gal and I moisturized the length of my hair, wrapped it securely into a small bun, covered it in plastic and applied a phony pony on top of my little bun. I maintained this style for about a weeks time. Let me tell you,  in my case the results were disastrous, my hair smelled bad and the texture was terrible. My hair wasn't happy at all with my little experiment, so trust me just don't even go there.

For this mini challenge the goal is to moisturize and baggy your hair, two to four hours, two or three times a week for the next two weeks. Perhaps you want to alternate between your entire head and just your ends to test which method you prefer. While your experimenting take note of how your hair feels after the bag is removed. Is it softer with notable moisture? If so, good that's what we're shooting for with this challenge. We've got less than three weeks remaining in the #YGG growth challenge, increase your baggying and step up your growth!

Are you up for the challenge?