My Royal Family 4

We are 4 women bound by blood, 3 sisters and their mother. Our goal is to help each other become the best we can be. Helping each other we can improve our intelligence, image, health, wealth, talents and abilities. We are each magical and powerful when we stand alone, but we are amazingly powerful when we stand together, and the results are out of this world. We talk about our natural hair, our weight, fashion, food, parties and living well. We make the ultimate Mother Daughter Team.

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Diet, Fast Or Just Plain Depression (Why diet If You're Not Having Fun?)

May is the month of events. I already had 2 major ones and it is only May 5! If I were the way I want to be I would be celebrating Cinco de Mayo right now. Instead I decided to give myself and body a break. Actually that's not true. I have not reached some very big image goals and I decided that if I "took off" for Derby and for a reunion with my friends I would have to give up Cinco de Mayo. If I looked perfect, felt perfect and was proud of myself I would be out tonight in spite of being a widow. Unfortunately I am not where, what or who I need to be right now and it is easier to focus on the superficial because those results are easier to notice. I like checking things off my list and frankly (although I am working on it) becoming my higher self is going to take a while. Plus, I have more events I have to go to at the end of the month. Whatever outer improvements I can make will at least help me feel better.

You can get this prepackaged organic fruits and vegetables
at Krogers and just put it in you blender. So easy!

Harvest Sensations great for Alkaline Diet

Spicy canned Tuna with Fried Egg
perfect low carb

In January I had it all planned. I would do the Alkaline Diet for 2 weeks and extreme low carb for 2 weeks alternating between the two. That worked for about a month and I did keep off that weight but then I would have weeks of drinking and eating pizza. I also dropped the low carb part of the weeks when I continued my diet. It is no fun being low carb if no one is doing it with you and the rest of "The 4" have been to stressed and busy to really diet. Of course Faith goes to the gym, Joy always looks great and mom is fabulous whenever she puts in just a little effort, so it really makes this just my problem. Don't get me wrong all of us could stand some improvement but I am the one drowning so I have to do this alone.

I know the me in a good place would rock alternating between the two diets, Alkaline and Low Carb. I like playing with my food. I like all or nothing menus. But right now I am not in the mood to play. My wedding anniversary is on May 14th and being a widow sucks. I have no fight. I don't care one way or another about what comes next in my life. The only thing I do care about is people seeing me. Yes, I am miserable but I don't want people to see me at my worst. I don't want people to see me at all but if I have to be seen can't I at least look good! I like playing with my diet food like I said. I like being creative but not right now. I made a decision late night May 3rd after returning home from meeting with friends I have not seen for years. I decided to fast until my anniversary. Then I don't know what comes next. I think I will fast the entire day of my anniversary May 14th and then I think May 15th I will go out on a date by myself and I will enjoy eating out and I will enjoy my food. I will live in the moment of me. When I was a little girl I would sing Me And My Shadow. I forgot how obsessed I was with that song and my own shadow until a few months ago.

May 16th I'll be back on an Alkaline Diet until the next big event. I would do low carb (we actually say the meat diet in our house, lol) but it can bloat you for the first 3 days and give you a headache so I will have to try my little alternating diet in June. I hope by then I will be playing with my food again because let's be honest why diet without having fun. It is a game. You don't have to take the joy out of food even when trying to make your weight goal.

PS When I am having fun on a diet these are some of the things I eat.

When we were all on a diet and in Atlanta we had this:

When in Florida we all at this:

And I made this for everyone:

Chicken, Kale and Cheese Frittata

Monday, March 30, 2015

Spring Hair Recipes- For Natural, Curly, Kinky, Relaxed and Transitioning Hair

Okay I talked about my Spring hair routine previously (Spring And Natural Hair-Time To Get Your Hair Healthy, Manageable, And Beautiful) and now here are the recipes that go with them. It is super easy. Pics of the ingredients are below.

Oh and Coconut oil, too.

So those are the ingredients I am using to make my hair look great for summer. It is my hair diet.

Shampoo Recipe:

2.5 Oz of Coconut Milk

3 oz Aloe Vera Gel

Mix it together (no lumps) and that's it. I of course will be making a larger batch.

ph of hair is 4.5-5.5

ph of this shampoo is 4.5 allowing the hairs cuticles to close properly and you hair to shine. This is great to control frizz, strengthen damaged hair (relaxers and heat) and stop shrinkage of every type of curly hair.

Coconut Milk and Lime Hair Treatment:

There are simpler recipes for this treatment and originally it was just coconut milk and lime and sometimes sunflower oil but I like adding things I think my hair needs so...

Big Batch

Coconut Milk or Coconut Cream (I use the cream and milk) 5-6 cans

2.5-3 cups of Lime and Lemon juice.

I squeeze both my limes and lemons and strain to remove pulp.

I use more limes than lemons. In fact of the 3 cups there is only the juice of 2

lemons total combined with the limes.

I add Jojoba oil and coconut oil for a total of about 1/4 cup of oil.

Cornstarch at least 5 Tablespoons

Cornstarch is not just a thickener it also helps give you hair shine so flour won't do.

1. I blend all the ingredients together and cook over very low heat to thicken. (20 min)

2. I place the mixture in a container and place in the refrigerator over night or at least 4 hours

3. I put mixture through my entire head of hair, massage my scalp for at least 3 min and then place a

plastic cap on my head. Leave it on for 1-2 hours.

4. I then rinse my hair and then co-wash with Wen or Herbal Essence Conditioning Shampoo

Click here if you want the original recipe

Spring And Natural Hair-Time To Get Your Hair Healthy, Manageable, And Beautiful

Okay so we are all worried about swimsuit season and summer fashion. Many of us are on a diet and working out. Many of us are failing at diets and our workouts, lol. We can't just concentrate on our body people. Remember your hair is your crowning glory. Frankly it doesn't matter what size you are or how your hair looks but your hair is something you can improve and not suffer in the process. (I'm on a diet right now and I am suffering. This sucks but working on my hair is fun.) What makes beautiful hair beautiful? For me beautiful hair is healthy, soft, has a personality, and enhances everything beautiful about your face. I know if I take care of my hair this Spring I will have beautiful hair this summer. My hair goals are as follows:

1. Cut down on the frizz
2. Cut down on the shrinkage
3. Stop shedding and breakage
4. Healthy in looks and feel (soft and thick)
5. Shiny

You know there is only one major thing I have to do besides eat right to get the above results. Keep my strands hydrated!!!! I can't slack off. I must be diligent. First of all I am changing my routine. I am not going to do the caramel treatment this spring. Don't get me wrong I love this treatment but I want to do something a little less labor intensive. On the same day years ago that I found the caramel treatment I also found (on the same site) a coconut milk & lime treatment. I chose the caramel treatment because the coconut milk lime treatment was a relaxer. I don't want to relax my curls I want to hydrate them so I never looked at that recipe again until last week. I know that the more hydrated my curls are the looser they are that's why I love Kinky-Curly products. My mind started thinking people put lemon and lime in their hair all the time. Lime isn't a relaxer. Coconut milk provides protein and adds softness to hair but it is not a relaxer! Oh snap said the blind woman who couldn't get pass that word relaxer! The coconut milk & lime treatment is not a relaxer!!! It is a serious hair hydrator.

Okay so I made up a batch for every woman in my family. Tested on my mom's 2c-3a combination hair first. She never takes care of it so it is always dry. I worked it through her hair and her hair was absorbing it all in and loving it. She left it on for an hour, washed it out and bam! Her hair looked healthy, shiny, and shrinkage was cut by about 25%. Oh and frizz was like way down. Did it relax her hair? No! Her curls or waves are still there. So, coconut milk & lime is a super conditioning protein treatment. I next tested the treatment on myself and since my hair is a 3b-3c-4a combo I thought I needed to leave it in my hair longer. Problem is I have healthy but not very hydrated hair. I left it in for 3.5 hours. It did not relax my hair. It made my hair soft and less frizzy but I feel like I got too much protein. I had to really use a lot of conditioner to fix that over protein feeling. Too much protein on healthy hair can make it brittle. My hair wasn't brittle but I could just tell I left the treatment in too long. Bottom line this is not a relaxer. It is the hydration that loosens the curls and stops shrinkage.

My spring routine will be as follows:

1. Coconut Milk Lime Treatment (click to get my version) Will do once a week
2. Leave-in, Oil, Cream method for styling (I have not chosen which products I will use but you can find more info by clicking on the link or going to my Pinterest page Long Curly Hair Inspiration.
3.Coconut Milk and Aloe "Shampoo"

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Winter Hair And Crisco-What I Did For My Natural Hair This Winter

Okay so winter is the hardest on natural hair. It makes your hair dry. Air drying becomes a major problem, health hazard and COLD freezing freaking cold! I found that the following products made my hair hydrated, less frizzy and it gave me fewer wash days. Now the Kinky-Curly makes my hair perfect every time but I save those products for the days I need to look my best. I needed to find a cheaper way to look good on regular days. I needed to find a way to make my wash and go last longer than one day. Please note: I only air dry my hair so 30 degree temps are extremely cold for me. I needed something to seal the moisture in my hair for a few days. Crisco, yes I said it, crisco did the trick. Not only did it seal in the moisture from the two conditioners I put in my hair but it cut down on tangles. In fact many people use crisco to detangle their hair. I have read some people online complaining about build up from crisco but I never had that problem.

Here was my routine:
1. Wet hair completely down
2. Wash Hair with Herbal Essence Cleansing Conditioner (Co-Washing)
3. Rinse
4. Condition with Pantene Repair & Protect
5. Wash the rest of my body and after maybe slightly rinse out conditioner. I leave some of this product in my hair.
6. Apply Pantene Curl Perfection Conditioner and I leave it in; only adding a little water to work it through if needed.
7. Take a dab or two of crisco, melt it with your hands body heat and distribute through your hair. This seals in moisture and keeps the frizz down. My hair also felt silky to the touch.

I am writing this info down because by next winter I may forget what I learned or I may have a completely new routine. The crisco worked better for my hair than coconut oil. I think because coconut oil gets hard in cold weather and the crisco melted into my hair strands smoother. This is what worked for me. You need to find out what works for your hair in winter.

So my winter hair products are:

Crisco
Herbal Essence Naked Cleansing Conditioner
Pantene Repair & Protect Conditioner
Pantene Curl Perfection Conditioner
Kinky-Curly Knot Today and Curling Custard
I also did Caramel Treatment

Sunday, January 4, 2015

In The Anime World Capricorns Rule

Capricorn Super Couple
Urahara and Yoruichi

Okay, my birthday is today which makes me a Capricorn but I am no ordinary Capricorn. I happen to have five planets in Capricorn (correction I have 6 in Capricorn). By the way in astrology the word “planets” refer to more than just planets. Planets in astrology is a term used loosely so, don’t get hung up on the use of the word. The sign Capricorn is ruled by the beautiful planet of Saturn. I love my ruling planet but in the world of astrology there is not much love for Saturn. Saturn is the, teach you a lesson planet, the no fun hard times planet. When Saturn comes to your sign it is all gloom and doom. At least that’s how many people feel, so having five (correction 6) “planets” in Capricorn can be a very heavy thing. My Sun, Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, Mean Mode are all in Capricorn. (Correction I have 6 things in Capricorn because I also have Capricorn in True Node.) When things are going bad for Capricorn I get five times (make that 6x) the bad. My sisters would make fun of me, “You do that because you’re ruled by Saturn.” This statement would be just the beginning in a true fight. Their statements can be brutal and being a Capricorn can be used against me.

I am a very proud Capricorn. Capricorns are smart, loyal and have a very unique sense of humor. The traits of Capricorn make great traits for anime characters. When I get a little down on myself I remember I am a Capricorn and I like being a Capricorn. Everyone has their opinions about my beloved sign but my favorite interpretations of the sign Capricorn comes from the anime world. Even when a Capricorn is a villain you respect them and that is awesome. I find my sign to be represented well in both manga and anime. I like seeing how Capricorns are defined in the stories of anime. I watch Japanese anime a lot but I never blog about it. I love being a Capricorn, I love anime and I love seeing both worlds together. I made myself a promise Fall of 2014. I promised that on my birthday I would talk about anime. Well there are thousands of great blogs already out there for anime and I read them from time to time. The point is I don’t need to blog about anime but I do want to celebrate me. Being a Capricorn and watching anime is a big part of me. It is my personal fun. So in honor of Capricorns everywhere I have a Pinterest Board just for Anime Capricorns. I find many anime characters inspiring so if you want to see what inspires me also take a look at My Anime Inspiration. The Anime inspiration board is my favorite of the two boards. I love Capricorn characters in all stories but in anime they are magic. I need magic in my life always and this is one way to do just that.

Albert Einstein Quote

Monday, December 29, 2014

New Cleansing Conditioners That Are Great For Those Who Co-Wash (Herbal Essences is Wen Alternative)

Herbal Essences Naked Cleansing Conditioner

This cleansing conditioner is the real deal. I have used it for the last two months and have loved the results. Detangling my hair comes easy with this conditioning cleanser and it really cleans my hair. In some ways it is better than Wen. My hair detangles faster with this product. In fact no other product works as well as Herbal Essences Naked Cleansing Conditioner at detangling my hair. For a long time I wanted to find an alternative to Wen. I love Wen but the cost not so much. Herbal Essence Cleanser is better than just co-washing because it leaves my hair soft, clean and feeling healthy. The price is also a money saver. One thing, this conditioner cannot be left in your hair as a leave in conditioner. I wish it could and frankly so does my little sister Faith but the scent is very strong, too strong. We have allergies and this cleansing conditioner must be washed out due to the strong fragrance.

Herbal Essence also claims you don't need to condition your hair after rinsing out the product. This is true for most hair types but not all. Plus I use conditioner to style my hair so...I always add a conditioner or a leave in conditioner after. The fact is my hair feels and looks great after rinsing the product out and if I had my mother's hair type (2b-3A) I could rinse and go, but I don't so I can't. That said this is a great product for all hair types. If Herbal Essence would come out with a leave in conditioner with the same chemical make up and a softer scent well my life would get a whole lot easier.

Please note: My husband would proofread my blog for me and now that he has crossed over I no longer have a way to check my mistakes. I am a typo waiting to happen but at least I can laugh at myself.