Transition from Relaxed to Natural Progress Pictures

I just wanted to give you all an update on my youngest daughter's hair.  She started her natural hair journey on April 1, 2012.  Here are 3 comparison pictures over the past 13 months.

October 2012 - 6 months into transition

February 2013 - 10 months into transition

 

 

May 2013 - 13 months into transition

Side by Side Comparison

 

Kanekalon Hair Prepraration

Kanekalon hair extensions have turned out to be a great option to use when braiding my daughter's hair.  I love the texture and cost of it.

Before using the kanekalon hair, I like to prep it to remove the coating (which is alkaline).  For some individuals, this alkaline coating can cause scalp irritation and even hair breakage.  Here are the steps that I use to prepare the kanekalon hair for installation

CLICK HERE TO SEE MY "KANEKALON HAIR PREP" VIDEO ON YOUTUBE

Kanekalon Hair Prep Steps:

•  I remove the hair from the package, but leave the rubberbands on hair bundle.  This ensures that the hair doesn't get tangled during the "washing" process.

• Add 1 cup of distilled vinegar to a  sink of warm water.  Allow the hair to soak for at least 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, there will be a film on top of the water.  Remove hair, and drain the water from the sink.

• Fill sink with fresh warm water, and add 1/4 to 1/3 cup of your favorite conditioner.  Soak hair in this conditioner/water mixture for 20 additional minutes.

• After 20 minutes, remove hair from conditioner soak, and rinse with cool water, and pat dry with a towel.  Hair will still be wet, so remove bottom rubberband, and drape hair over a hanger.  Allow to air dry.  I always place a towel underneath the hanging hair so that water is not all over the floor.

Once hair is dry, use a paddle brush to smooth, and it is ready to use!

Easy Turkey Lasagna

This dish is always a hit at my house.  Serve with a green salad and garlic bread.

Ingredients

• 1 lb of lean ground turkey (I like all brands besides Jennie-O... lacks in flavor to me)

• 23.5 oz of your favorite Italian sauce (I like Prego traditional)

• 2 tablespoon of dried parsley flakes

• 14.5 oz (1 can) of garlic, oregano, and basil diced tomatoes (I use the Del Monte brand)

• 15 oz of low fat ricotta cheese

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 16 oz of low fat Italian blend cheese (I like the one that has mozzarella, provolone, parmesan, asiago, fontina, and romano)

• 9-12 lasagna noodles (oven ready, no bake type)

• Salt, pepper, and onion powder to taste

Directions: (Preheat oven to 375 degrees)
1.  Brown ground turkey and season to taste using salt, pepper and onion powder
2.  Measure 1/2 cup of Italian sauce and set to the side
3.  Pour remaining sauce in with browned turkey and also add the can of diced tomatoes
4.  Simmer mixture on low heat for about 20-25 minutes
5.  Mix in a large bowl eggs, ricotta cheese, 8 oz. of Italian blend cheese, and parsley until mixture is creamy and smooth
6.  Take 13 x 9 rectangular casserole dish and spread 1/4 cup of Italian sauce evenly on the bottom of the dish (this helps to make the oven ready noodles tender and not crunchy when baking)
7.  Now it is time to layer:  noodles, meat sauce, cheese mixture; repeat
8.  Top off with noodles-- spread the remaining Italian sauce on top of noodles and top with remaining Italian blend cheese
9.  Bake for 30 to 40 minutes-- allow to rest for about 20-25 minutes after removing from oven

Get Fit and Stay Fit

We all need a little extra support in our daily challenge to stay fit.  I find that when I am surrounded by others with like goals--  it makes my fitness journey a lot easier.  It is so easy to put everything else in our daily lives ahead of exercising and making healthy food choices.  We have to stop... and put our bodies first.

So, start today with putting "YOU" first!  Get FIT... and stay fit!

Check out my brother's youtube page:

Bryan Keith Hall's Fitness Page on YouTube

Here's one video he made about how simple walking with a weighted backpack helped him back pain.

Also, check out his Facebook Board for more motivation-- 

**WARNING:  He does use colorful language at times.  He is straight and to the point.**

Click HERE to go to my brother's FACEBOOK group page, Get Fit & Stay Fit.

Yummy, Easy Salsa Recipe

I love good salsa!  I am constantly looking for a good recipe to make at home.  Salsa is a good low-fat way to enjoy many flavors all blended into one delicious dip or topping.

Here is a salsa recipe that I found at http://www.food.com/recipe/salsa-1078.  It turned out pretty good!

Ingredients:

• 2 large tomatoes, seeded (don't have to) and diced
• 1/2 small sweet onion, finely chopped (like Texas sweet or red)
• 1 -3 jalapeno, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons lime juice, fresh squeezed
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1.  Combine all the ingredients,
2.  Blend everything in a food processor or blender
3.  Chill for 2 hours before serving with chips

What's your favorite salsa recipe?   

Air Drying with a Sock Bun

This is an easy method to air dry hair.  I like it because it does not require heat, and it stretches the hair a bit before styling.  I follow this method weekly. 

• Using a brush, I smooth her detangled hair into a ponytail.  I apply EcoStyler Gel with argan oil to lay down her edges.

•  After that, I slip a satin covered sock bun onto the ponytail.

• Then, I wrap the loose ends of her hair around the sock bun and secure with a pony tail holder or bobby pins.

• Apply extra gel if needed.

This style air dries overnight, and then her hair is ready to style for the week!

PREVIEW OF NEXT WEEK'S VIDEO TUTORIAL:

How to Make a Satin Covered Sock Bun

Making a neat bun using a sock covered with satin has provided me with a quick and easy hair style for D.W. while she transitions.  Here are the instructions on how you can make your own.

NOTE:  If you need a refresher on the stitches referenced in the video, CLICK HERE.

You will need the following:

• Sock
• Satin material with some stretch to it
• Scissors and a ruler
• Needle and thread

Video Tutorial:  How to Make a Satin Covered Sock Bun

1.  First, cut the toe off of an old sock.

2.  Starting at the end that was cut, roll the sock making a donut shape.


3.  Secure the rolled sock by wrapping the opening around the new donut shape.


4.  Next, take your satin material and fold it with the shiny sides together and cut your desired width
     (this should be about 1/2 an inch bigger than the widest part of your donut shaped sock bun).


5.  Now sew a running stitch down the open end of the satin material.  When you get to the end of
     the fabric, reinforce the stitch by second running stitch down the same side.


6.  Take your satin material and feed it through the sock bun.


7.  Start folding your material down over the sock bun in the same fashion that you did when you
     were making your original donut shape.


8.  Once you finish, take your threaded needle and secure the loose ends of the satin covering using a
     whip stitch.

Easy BBQ Baked Chicken Legs

This recipe requires little prep, but is big on taste!

Ingredients

• Chicken drumsticks, with bone and skin
• 1/4 cup of butter, melted
• Seasoning salt (I use a mix of Lawry's and Mrs. Dash Table Blend)
• Barbeque sauce (I like to mix the Kraft original with the Kraft hickory smoked)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Spray baking dish with non-stick cooking spray
3. Place chicken in dish and brush with melted butter
4. Sprinkle with season salt to taste (I put A LOT of the Mrs. Dash because it doesn't increase the sodium content)
5. Bake for 1 hour or until the drumsticks are cooked thoroughly (if it seems they are cooking too fast on the outside, cover them with heavy duty foil)
6. Next, brush the drumsticks with BBQ sauce and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes uncovered

That's pretty much it!  You can serve this dish with baked potatoes and a green dinner salad.

NOTE:  For easy clean-up, line your baking pan with heavy duty foil.

Stand Up and Cheer on the Heavy Days!

So what do I mean...  stand up and cheer on the heavy days?  Well, I am not sure about everyone else in the world, but some of my days seem SUPER heavy.  Concerns over finances...  concerns over personal health.... concerns about aging parents...  concerns about my children leaving the nest and heading out into this big, crazy world...  SCREECH!!!!  Let's turn off this pity party and get the cheering started (corny I know LOL)--

I was reading Facebook today, and one of my friend's from high school posted a quote by Henry David Thoreau.  "Wealth is the ability to fully experience life."

Our life experience is not just happy times... but also times of change and growth... times of sadness... times of feeling lonely...  All of it makes up the story of us as individuals.  We can't just have our fairy tale "and she lived happily ever after" part.  So, if you feel anxious and out of sorts, pull those  poms poms out and start cheering--  because all of it is part of your story!  You may not feel like cheering... but just start doing it-- because once you start, I am sure you can think of several things to cheer about!

What I am cheering about today:

• Good Health
• Sunshine
• Warm Puppy Kisses (who is really not a puppy anymore, but I refer to him as such because he is so cute and adorable)
• ... and even the "heavy stuff"-- 'cause at the end of the chapter...  I will learn something new...   I will have more empathy for my fellow man...  I will be stronger...  

I AM CHEERING!!!

Weekly Transition Wash Routine

Part of transitioning from relaxed to natural is finding a weekly routine that address two different hair textures.  This current regimen seems to work well for D.W.'s hair.

Detangle:

Before washing D.W.'s hair, I detangle.  This helps keep any shed hair from causing additional knots and mattes.

First, I thoroughly wet her hair under warm water.  I separate her hair into four equal sections.  I apply conditioner to each section and detangle using my Tangle Teezer (working from tip to root).  I continue until her hair is completely detangled.

Purchased at Target

Wet sectioned detangled hair

 Cleanse/Shampoo*

Once per week I will cleanse/shampoo her scalp and hair.  I use warm water to loosen up any product that has been used to style her hair, and then I apply the cleanser/shampoo.  I only do 1 wash.

Hair One purchased at Sally's Beauty Supply/ Aveeno purchased at Target

Conditioner

Next, I deep condition her hair with either the Silk Elements Moisturizing Treatment or the Silk Elements Intense Conditioning Mayonnaise Treatment.  I leave this on her hair for about 30 minutes with a plastic cap.  I rinse with cool water.

Purchased at Sally's Beauty Supply

Leave-in:

After thoroughly rinsing the conditioner from her hair, I apply a leave-in.  Currently I am using a mixture that was made popular by Kim Luv from Kimmaytube on YouTube.  I use the Shea Moisture Curl and Style Milk as my conditioner.

2 tablespoons of your preferred conditioner (silicone free)
2 tablespoons of (Whole leaf version) Aloe Vera Juice with a pH 4.0 or 4.5
2 teaspoons of Castor Oil
2 teaspoons of Jojoba Oil

Purchased at Target

10 months into transition with leave-in mixture applied to wet hair

That's it--  Check back soon for more updates!
*Note:  I only use the sulfate free shampoo every 4th wash week.  All other weeks I use the Hair One Hair Cleanser and Conditioner.

Getting back to natural... without the BIG CHOP! (A preteen's journey)

Introducing my youngest daughter, DW (12 years old)--

For the past 10 months, I have been transitioning DW from relaxed to natural.  I decided it was time to stop relaxing!  I have been natural for many years, and my oldest daughter, Asia from www.youtube.com/girlsloveglamour, has been natural since 2010 (transitioned for a year).  DW was ready for the journey, but had no desire to cut her hair off in a drastic big chop.  My plan is to transition her over a period of 24 months with regular trims.

This feels like a brand new journey because her natural hair texture is different from Asia's.  As a matter of fact, we all have different textures.   I like that though--  It is exciting finding different products that work with our different hair types!

This picture was taken at the 6 month mark.  Her official transition start date was April 1, 2012.

October 2012 (6 months transitioning-- wet hair)

6 months transitioning

Today is hair wash day, so I will post a 10 month comparison picture soon!

Introduction

Welcome to my blog!  I have thought about doing this for a long time, but FINALLY I am taking time to turn my thoughts into action.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by... and check back soon for regular updates!