Liebster Award

Hey people,

I got a shiny new award thanks to Natasha @ Sew Short & Crafty.  I think I may have gotten one before but it's been a tiny eon ago if I did and I'm not going to make you go looking for that information.  Instead I'm going to answer her questions and figure out who to nominate after I share more random facts about myself than you probably ever wanted to know like ever.  So without further adieu here is more information about me, myself and I.

1. How long does it take you to wash your hair (full wash day routine)? It takes anywhere from 3 hours to 10 hours depending on how long I take with my prepoo.

2. What is your #1 hair tip? Be kind to your hair and be careful with trends.  Yes it may work for 10 other people but your hair may hate it.  Do the extras at night to take care of your hair.

3. What’s the worst product you’ve ever tried?  I am one of the few people who genuinely get no benefit from Shea Moisture products.  My hair didn't look or feel any better after using any of their products.

4. What is your #1 hair regret? Not starting my healthy hair journey sooner and not paying attention to the whole M&S process.

5. What is your favorite kitchen product to put in your hair?  I don't think I have one.  I used to add in aloe vera juice and I like Olive Oil in my Elasta QP but it comes in the product.

6. Who is your current favorite blogger?  I can't pick a favorite because people have added something at different stages of my journey.  Tracy @ Kiss, Jen @ Just Grow Already and Nadege @ Relaxed Hair Health would be among my favorites

7. Why did you start your hair journey? I was tired of my hair being healthy and strong until it got to my neck and started breaking like nobody's business.  After talking it over with my hair stylist we picked the new relaxing point and started working on better products and practices for me.

8. Are you relaxed, natural, or texlaxed? Relaxed

9. What is your current hair length goal? Bra strap length would be great

10. How long is your hair currently? Shoulder length but longer in the front and sides than the back

11. What is your favorite protective style?  I like flexi sets.  My hair is still technically down but my ends are off my shoulders

Twelve Random Facts:

1. I am a middle child and only girl if you look from dad's side of the family (oldest and only girl from mom's side)
2. Prince is like my musical godfather and I love him dearly
3. My music collection looks like I have multiple personality disorder but I promise I'm ok
4. I love to bake and cook
5. I am highly competitive in nerdy pursuits
6. I am in the process of making my own pickles
7. I enjoy making my own ice cream
8. I bought my tablet mostly for reading books while traveling and on vacation
9. I am one of the biggest tomboys I know with the rare exception of my vintage leanings
10. I used to run track and play volleyball
11. I tend to talk in therapist speak even when I don't mean to
12. I have an irritating tick about numbers being even when I tip or play games.  8s must become 10s or 15s lol

Rules for those that choose to play:

• read the post
• copy the questions
• create an award post
• answer the questions

I nominate:

Relaxed Thairapy
Hard Mashona Type
GhanianEmprezz

Fitness Updates

Hey everyone,

I haven't done a legit fitness update in a while because I haven't been doing anything legitimately fitness oriented throughout the month of August.  I have been the ultimate in slacker bum which is disappointing but it's not the end of the year.  I am now paying to take classes at the Y along with my Planet Fitness membership.  I have signed up for the next round of adult swim classes after taking the summer of and I am super excited for that.  It was a great way to end the week.  Right now I think I'm going to try a yoga class and maybe a cross fit class.  Due to my interesting work schedule for right now this may work best for the moment.  I also reached out to get connected with one of their personal trainers.  I'd like to stay curvy but there doesn't have to be as much of me to curve lol.

I am also calling to see a PCP this coming week too.  I'm indifferent to my dentist at the moment but I love his staff lol.  My new gynecologist rocks.  I even like the dermatologist.  I do need a PCP though.  Maybe they can help with the weight loss and check on the random thing my knee does from time to time.  Gotta take care of myself before I turn 1000 years old and people mistake me for a 200 year old or something.  This is happening without the exaggerated age range.  They think I have grayed early for some reason and that I have to be in my late 20s at best.  While I appreciate the compliment, I never lie about my age so I'm embracing the nearly 39 years of life I've managed to live.

Okay enough for now.  Back to drinking my water and prepping the brisket to be slowly cooked tomorrow.

Updates & Randomness: Yep I Disappeared

Okay so I did kind of vanish for a while there.  Whenever I thought I had time to sit down and blog something else got in the way like sleep or eating or dealing with the random mood swings of my mother. I had a few undocumented wash days there and have a photo to share of one of the last ones before I got my much needed relaxer.

So ignore the collar cause clearly I was in the getting for work mode and wasn't worried about that.  This is from the last wash day in July.  Since my schedule was all over the place I took my hair down on the 30th and shot this.  It actually held up for quite a few days but it was clearly getting time for the next dose of creamy crack.  I didn't take photos of the first wash day in August because I forgot honestly and nothing was feeling terribly great anyway.

I got my last relaxer on August 9th so I'm two weeks post now.  My hair has grown more than I thought it would.  I'm going to include photos of that relaxer plus from the same time last year because really I'm dumbfounded.

So yeah lots of growth clearly.  I couldn't make a ponytail last August and now I have a strong healthy ponytail and when I'm good and motivated I can bun my hair up.  I can't completely complain about the hair cut because my hair is doing much better now but losing all that growth last year was painful.  I should be glad it's still growing even if it's growing out in ways I wasn't expecting.  My front/sides is still much longer than the back which is apparently atypical.

Now I have to say I wasn't super happy post relaxer.  It felt like she was rushing and my hair felt underprocessed and VERY dry.  it got better after I got home and added some Elasta QP Olive Oil & Mango Butter moisturizer to my scalp and hair.  It was great for my trip and I used a few flexi rods to give me a soft vintage bump.  I didn't take any photos of that though lol.

Which brings us to today and the current wash day.  The 3 Comb thing has turned into a 4 Comb detangle.  I am using both of the rakes to run first passes through my hair before proceeding to smaller and smaller toothed combs.  My hair felt pretty good considering I hadn't washed it since the relaxer and I had been on vacation since then.  I ran through most of the normal wash day routine but I cut the prepoo time in half at least by wearing my heating cap.  And I didn't use my Dr. Miracles Deep Conditioner after my wash but before the tshirt drying. Instead I used part of my last shopping haul.  It's a 10 masque.  I also restocked my It's a 10 leave in treatment which turns out there are two and the one I had been given a sample of had Keratin in it. 

My hair is set on flexi rods now and detangled like butter thanks to the minimal product and those fantastic rakes.  So final three photos: post t-shirt, actual hair loss for the wash day and post detangle.  Things are good, just sleepy now.  How are things with you?