Edges Progress

 I posted these pictures in my No More Store Brought Hair Products post once I started the Castor Oil Challenge. Since then, I've noticed a significant difference in the thickness of my edges, as well as new growth (baby hairs) :) 

I had OFFICIALLY started the challenge on the first of September, and I took this picture about two weeks ago. I'm extremely pleased with the results castor oil has been giving me, and I definitely recommend the application of castor oil to any balding spot you may have. 

I, personally, used it all over my entire head and the growth, although not dramatic, is noticeable. I will continue using castor oil to grease my scalp because this stuff is WONDERFUL.

 HAPPY GROWTH!! 

=D

My Acne Story

 Like every other person in the world, I have acne troubles. Due to the fact that I have EXTREMELY sensitive skin, I can't rely on going out to buy just ANY acne product. Proactiv worked for a little while, but eventually my skin became "immune" to it, I guess. #WOMP

Senior year: NO foundation/powder  =)

As I've gotten older and experimented with different skin regimens, I find that one PARTICULAR regimen worked WONDERS for me. During my senior year of H.S.I would wash/scrub with baking soda, "moisturize" with FRESH aloe vera juice/gel and coconut oil every day. It not only reduced the size of my pores, but it lightened my acne scars AND basically obliterated my acne problem...for the moment. 

When I went away to college, I had no access to fresh aloe juice/gel and the bottled version just wasn't working. Eventually I began to break out again, but it was less than before. This carried on until about last year when I finally realized that I was allergic to one of the ingredients in Cantu Shea Butter, which was causing my jawline/ neck area to break out so, regretfully, I had to discontinue the use of my most favorite hair product... =(

College: result of Cantu allergy

I've had a few episodes of cystic acne show up on my chin and once on the bridge of my nose. I also had some popping up on my butt as well =O *gasp* [I know, right?] I googled how to get rid of them, but there really is no definitive way to get rid of a cystic pimple except either ATTEMPTING to drain it or SLATHERING it with salicylic acid. I would always try to pop it like a regular pimple [BIG mistake] only to find that it contains about 3 separate heads which just wound up bleeding and hurting. Waiting for them to heal and scab over was beyond embarrassing cause I was walking around with this big CRATER in my face, tryna cover it up with makeup, only to draw even more attention to this flaky skinned, concealer covered lump on my face. -___- 

Cystic pimple on my nose. I actually liked this pic so i had to photoshop it so no one could see it---->>>

I haven't had any recent episodes of cystic acne, thank GOD, and I think that that is mainly due to my overall lifestyle change. I eat more raw fruits and vegetables than I did when I FIRST got to college, I do bentonite clay masks weekly, and I definitely workout more. The sweat from working out helps to rid my body of  toxins, the bentonite clay mask absorbs even more toxins, and the clean eating/ drinking habits helps flush my body of toxins as well!

I've also been doing weekly bentonite baths, and I've recently done a full body mask with it. I'm hoping this will keep my acne at bay in ALL areas of my body (booty included). Aside from the health benefits of pulling toxins from my body, these baths are extremely relaxing and rejuvenating after a long day's work!

I think it's safe to say that bentonite clay has been the answer to all of my skin prayers. It cleanses and tightens my pores, and reduces the size of any current pimples I may be having. I'm thinking of buying some aloe vera juice and using that to make my mask instead of using just straight up water. I was also thinking of using lemon juice with it, so I'll definitely post that experiment as soon as it's done. lol Another thing I was thinking of squeezing into my regimen was this homemade lemon scrub. I've done it once before, and it DID reduce the size of both my pimples AND my pores, it left my face feeling squeaky clean and it didn't cause another breakout so I think I'll definitely be trying that again.

So as of now, my skin regimen is:

• Scrubbing/ Washing with Baking Soda

• Fresh Aloe Vera Juice/gel and Coconut oil to moisturize

• Bentonite clay masks once a week, always followed up by coconut oil.
• Bentonite clay baths once a week

This is what works for me, and it took me a while before I could tell what my skin liked and what it didn't like. What I've definitely learned is that my skin does not like acne products...ONLY home remedies! So I think I'll just go with the flow and stick to what I know. The only thing I'm trying to do is lighten my scars at this point, and I'm certain once I start doing the lemon scrub, that it will help out with that. 

HAPPY SKIN IS HEALTHY SKIN!

=D

OPERATION: Tight & Right *revisited*

Pardon the unplanned hiatus, but I've been busy with my internship & you know how school goes...

ANYWHOOZ..

This is the OFFICIAL beginning of my "tight & right" journey because, in all honesty, I probably haven't worked out since my last post...*gasp!* I know, right? SLACKIN. But I haven't forgotten about yall ;)

We ALL know what cellulite looks like, and we know that you basically can never FULLY get rid of it unless your body fat percentage is like..-5% (slight exaggeration, but still...)

Now I know about the creams and the "Bye Bye Cellulite" joint by Nivea or whoever, but I'm not beat for that, cause guess what? As soon as you stop using that cream stuff..your booty goes right back to lookin like the man on the moon...

What exactly IS "cellulite?" 

Cellulite is BASICALLY just fat. It makes your skin look dimply because when it  developed under your skin, it developed unevenly...thus giving us the "cottage cheese" effect.

Now this is about as naked as imma ever get over the internet, but here goes....

It's not bad on my left leg...

...just my right. =/

 So yeah, I may be small now..but I STILL have the same cellulite I had when I was bigger.

My plans on trying to tighten this up are ALOT of leg/glute workouts. I mean, going to the gym and mainly focusing on my legs and butt. I already tackle the Smith Machine (the one you do squats on ) which is, honestly, giving me great quad and booty results so I will definitely be using THAT more often. Of course, my diet plays an important role in trying to tone and develop stronger muscles so I will be incorporating more protein throughout my day and making sure I eat IMMEDIATELY after working out.

...this is one of the many workouts I plan on doing I got it off of Pinterest (thank the Almighty for Pinterest). It's to the song Dance (Ass) by Big Sean and you basically do whichever move at whatever part of the song you're at1 It's really fun! I just did it yesterday...it had me kind of winded though so if you plan on doing this, PLEASE be careful ladies!

HAPPY HEALTH!! 

=D

Yum Yums! Jambalaya

Not the greatest pic, but...

I saw this "Soup" version of mixed vegetables from Harris Teeter. It has okra, potatoes, green beans, peppers, corn, carrots and celery! It was about $1.50 for the pack so I decided to buy it. I really wanted to make Chicken and dumplings w/ it..but I wasn't really in the mood for soup. I have a whole can of tomato puree plus some rice so I decided to make Jambalaya instead! I looked at some recipes but I didn't really like what I saw (mainly because I didn't have the ingredients they asked for) so I just decided to wing it and see how it turned out. I didn't use everything in the vegetable mix- I omitted the potatoes and celery because I HATE cooked celery, and I decided that I'm gonna use the potatoes for something else, so I just put them back in the bag. My chicken was previously seasoned and I used cayenne pepper, black pepper, onion powder and garlic salt. Here it goes!

Jambalaya

Serves: 3

Preheat oven: 350F

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

3 pieces of Chicken (I used 2 thighs and a leg)

1/4 of a Kielbasa link, medium dice

2 tbsp Veg OR Olive Oil 

3 cl. Garlic, minced

1/4 Onion, medium dice

1 tsp Fresh Thyme, minced

1 tsp Fresh Rosemary, minced

1 tbsp Red Pepper Flakes

1/2 bag of Harris Teeter Soup Mixed Vegetables

1/2 c. Rice

2 oz Tomato Puree

3/4 can Chicken Broth

Salt and Pepper to taste

1. In a medium sized dutch oven, or pot, over medium heat, saute Kielbasa until it releases its oils. Remove Kielbasa from pan and add oil. 
2. Once oil is hot, add chicken and sear (brown) on all sides. Be careful to adjust the heat (lower as needed) so that the chicken is not burning. Once all pieces are evenly browned, place on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15 mins.
3. Meanwhile, in the same pot over medium-high heat, saute garlic, onion, thyme, rosemary, red pepper flakes, and vegetable mix until the onions are translucent.  Add rice and saute until all rice is coated in oil-about 2 mins. 
4. Add tomato puree and stir in chicken broth. Reduce the heat and allow it to simmer until the rice has absorbed all the liquid. If the rice is still undercooked, add a 1/4c water (only if needed).
5. Once the chicken is cooked (thigh reads 165F), add back into the pot and stir.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

HAPPY EATING! 

=)

Yum Yums! : Personal Tortilla Pizza

I think I've been having a Tortilla overload! 
I've been making everything from chips to breakfast burritos with them.
The other night I didn't really plan on cooking anything, but I was really hungry so i just decided to whip this up right quick. 
I'd been saying that I was gonna make my own personal pizza one day, but I'd never gotten to it to making the dough, so I figured a simple Tortilla shell would suffice.. lol. 
You'll notice that I'm using alot of the same ingredients, in terms of vegetables, because I've been tryna make these things STRRREEEETCH.
 Living on a budget sucks. As a matter of fact, not having a job yet sucks...but I'm working on it. lol
Welp, here it goes!

Personal Tortilla Pizza

Serves: 1

Prep Time: 5-10 mins

Cook Time: 5-10 mins

Preheat oven: 350F

1 Whole Wheat Tortilla (the regular ones will work just fine too)

1/4 of a Kielbasa Link, small dice

1 tsp Fresh Thyme, rough chop

1/4 of an Onion, small dice

1/4 of a Green Bell Pepper, small dice

1 Chili Pepper, seeded and diced

1 cl. Garlic, minced

4 slices Roma Tomato

1 Tbsp Tomato Sauce (optional)

1 Slice pre-sliced Provolone, torn into about 8-10 pieces

3 Tbsp shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1. In a small saute pan over medium heat, saute Kielbasa until it begins to release its oils.
2. Add Onion, Bell Pepper, Chili pepper, Garlic and Thyme to the pan and saute until the peppers are cooked all the way through and onions are translucent. Set aside.
3. Spread tomato sauce onto tortilla, then add tomato slices and disperse the Provolone pieces evenly across the tortilla.
4. Top with your Kielbasa mixture and shredded mozzarella and bake 3-5 mins, or until the cheese has melted.
5. Remove from oven, slice and enjoy!

HAPPY EATING!!

=D

Yum Yums: 20 Minute Baked Tilapia

I got a whole bag of frozen Tilapia fillets for freakin $10!! SCORE!

 I was so happy when I saw that they were on sale cause they're usually $15 -__- and Lord knows that I needed some fish in my life. I can only take but so much of beef & chicken...

The one thing that I love about Tilapia is that it's versatile. You can fry it, bake it, steam it, poach it...the possibilities are limitless. The only thing I've done with it so far is bake it and this is something that my grandmother does ALL of the time, so kudos to her for this post!! When I made this the first time, I DEMOLISHED that poor fish...I couldn't believe how good it was! It was actually better than my grandmother's (but you better not tell her I said that. lmao)!

I kind of modified her version cause she usually puts tomatoes and a few other things on it, but it still came out really good! What I love about this recipe is that it's so quick and easy, AND you can eat the vegetables you used in the foil w/ the fish. 

Here it goes!

Baked Tilapia
Serves: 1

Prep time: 5 mins   
Cook time: 20 mins

Preheat oven- 350F

1 Tilapia fillet

1/4 of an Onion, thinly sliced

2 cl Garlic, smashed, peeled, and cut in half

2 Sprigs of Thyme

2 Sprigs of Parsley

1 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 tsp Italian Seasoning

1/2 tbsp Kosher Salt 

1 Tbsp Veg or Olive Oil

Lemon wedge/lemon juice (optional)

I used onions I already had diced up though..lol

1. Get a piece of foil that will be large enough to wrap the fillet in, about the length of a standard sized reading book (I used Reynold's Wrappers)
2. Place the onion slices down first, spreading them out so that they are about the same length of the fillet. place the garlic on top of the onion. Feel free to sprinkle a little bit of the salt on the onions and garlic if you wish (optional).
3. Place the fillet on top of the garlic and onions and season w/ Salt, Cayenne and Italian seasoning. Make sure the entire top of the fillet is fully seasoned. 
4. Place the sprigs of thyme and parsley on top and drizzle w/ oil. Squeezing some lemon juice over the fillet can also be done, but is optional.
5. Wrap the foil over the fish so that it is fully covered and no steam can escape. Place in a cake pan or on a small cookie sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, or until fish is opaque(white) and flaky.
6. Remove from oven and discard thyme and parsley sprigs before eating.

I roasted some carrots w/ mines

HAPPY EATING!!

=D

September's Hair Tales...

Staple style of September.

My regimen for September was pretty simple..co-wash, deep-condition, blow-dry, twist, oil scalp w/ Castor oil 3-5x a week!

I blow dry using the tension method, I deep-condition with anything I have on hand (coconut milk, coconut oil, eggs, honey, yogurt are a few examples), co-wash w/ Suave Naturals Tropical Coconut and oil my scalp w/ my Castor/coconut oil mix. I've been trying to steer away from doing small twists cause I'm just going to assume that they are the culprits of why my hairline started thinning. >=(

 I've also been looking up different up dos to do for class, but since I only have class 2x week, I haven't really been pressed about leaving them up for the whole week (i have itchy hands =[ ) 

Me and the boyfriend went out on a date a couple of weeks ago and I wore a twist-out with my bang twisted and pinned to the side.  It's safe to say that the humidity didn't show me any mercy cause as we were sitting there eating, I FELT my hair EXPANDING. LMAO. It got transformed into a side bun w/ twisted pompadour bun with the QUICKNESS. Hahaha!  The most recent twist out I've done was AMAZING. 

The Monday after our date night I had done the baggy method on my ends, sat under the dryer w/ a conditioning cap on my whole head for a half an hour, and then just let it air dry.

The day I took them down...it was sweet, sweet GLORY goin on on my head! I was feeling myself TOO much. 

Once that twist-out began to stretch out, I threw it into that side bun thing again (I really like that style ;]), and a few more buns until wash day. 

Wash day, i finger detangled my twist out and applied  yogurt & honey as a deep conditioner. I sat with it in my hair for like..4 hours (I'm sorry, The Parkers was on..lol) And once I rinsed it out, detangling in the shower was like BUTTER. I'm still shocked at how little time it took me! Afterwards I just rubbed some Shea butter into each wet twisted section, my castor/coconut oil mix to my scalp, re-twisted it and let it air dry.The day after THAT, I just broke the big twists into smaller twists, and that's basically what I'm rockin right now!