As The Wind Blows

I had the pleasure of trying three products from a Chicago based company called - Thank God I'm Natural (TGIN) .  It's  an organic company created by Chris-Tia Donaldson, the author of the best selling book Thank God I'm Natural: The Ultimate Guide to Caring for Natural Hair .  The items that I tried were provided in a trio sample pack, 100% Natural African Shea Butter, a Lemon-grass Shea Butter soap & a Peppermint Shea Butter lip balm. I must begin by saying I am a true fan of Shea Butter, so I am very critical of products that use my favorite butter. I use it all the time so you cant fool me with any impostors and TGIN didn't try.  The organic Shea Butter they provided was great.  It came in a small container but the consistency was smooth and creamy, normally I have to whip my Shea Butter & change the properties a little to achieve it. The company provided a quick fact summary of the products claims and benefits that I really appreciated.  The cl...

On a journey to have beautiful & healthy tresses, my daughter Tia & I tried another deep conditioner.  This time we incorporated Avocado to achieve moisture and shine.  This deep conditioner was inspired by Lola Zabeth  ......well she had a lot of good stuff in hers but I was broke and didn't have some of the ingredients so I worked with what I had LOL..... The ingredients were: 4 tablespoons- Greek Yogurt 1 Avocado 2 tablespoons - Honey 2 tablespoons - Apple Cider Vinegar(ACV) 1 teaspoon - Rosemary I mixed the avocado first with a fork then with a hand mixer, added the yogurt and honey.  I added the ACV & rosemary mixing it  by hand.  The deep conditioner was applied to clean wet hair then wrapped with plastic wrap for 45 minutes. After coating  both of our heads we had conditioner remaining so we decide to have a spa treatment. we gave a few facials.... Even my hubby, James, was willing to give it a try.... The avocado conditioner was gre...

I recently won a contest on twitter hosted by one of my fellow bloggers @cuteandbronzed of www.cuteandbronzed.com and I had the opportunity to try Miss Jessie's Baby Butter cream .  I don't know why I put off trying this butter because its amazing! Now that I think about it, I'm  pretty sure it was my pockets being a little too empty for the $58 for a 16oz jar .... However  after seeing the results and the small amount needed to achieve them I will consider purchasing the smaller 8 oz for $32 or maybe stick with the 2 oz for $9..... I used the butter cream to do a two strand twist out on dry hair. I did spritz my hair with a little water (Aloe Vera & water) and applied a dime size amount of the cream on each section and twist. My hair was so soft and retained the moisture from the Aloe Vera and water spritz. I was very happy with the way a small amount seem to cover the entire section of hair I used for each twist. My hair is extremely thick so that's a big deal f...

I decided to review the "As I Am" hair care line and also give one lucky reader the opportunity also.  My local Sally's Beauty Supply (nationwide also) has a promotion until the end of January of Buy two get one free so you get to have my free item- YAY!  I purchased the Coconut CoWash and the Leave-in conditioner. I wanted to give the smoothing gel a try but they were sold out. The Coconut CoWash cleansing conditioner came in a 16 oz size for $7.99 ($7.19 w/Sally's card) and contains Tangerine, Coconut Oil, Castor Oil, Saw Palmetto and Phytosterols according to the front label.  It is a no-suds cleanser that the label claims will help maintain moisture as well as add moisture to your hair. The Leave-in Conditioner has extracts of Coconut,  Amla, Sugar Beet Root, Green Tea, Lemon, Apple, Sugar Cane, Phytosterols and Saw Palmetto according to its front label. The label also has a few claims which are to keep tangles away, provide a great foundation for styling and ...

2012 has my hair believing she's a lottery winner.  The Greek yogurt deep conditioner, from 1/2/12 pos t,  has my hair shiny, soft and easy to de-tangle.  Tia had great results too and we will use it again this weekend. I'm going to risk the chance of my hair becoming totally spoiled and incorporate a new butter to my hair growth journey. We will use a whipped Shea Butter daily. Tia is wearing mini twists so I will apply the butter to her ends at night before she goes to bed and on her entire head before she leaves for school.   My hair will be in  multiple styles  , as I try to find my Fro Fashion Week style, but I will use the butter when styling and preparing for bed.   The Butter: Raw Shea Butter Extra Virgin Olive Oil Coconut Oil Vitamin E Oil I didn't measure but no more than 2 tablespoons of any of the oils...Using a hand mixer I blended the shea butter until it was smooth..you can melt it down some if you like using a double boiler but i just...

I have a slight obsession with 70's Diana Ross and I'm not ashamed to say so! I  love her hair, her style and of course her voice. Those of you, who know me personally, have seen many of my favorite photos of Ms. Ross on my facebook page. Well yesterday on twitter a fellow blogger @TribeCalledCurl tweeted a link from ebonymag.tumblr.com of an Ebony cover from February 1970 that I LOVED! Well I decided it was time to try and  replicate her hair... .better said then done LOL! I was wearing an old twist out so I just applied a little more Koils by Nature leave in and grabbed some flexi-rods, some satin rollers and some optimism. My hair is all one length so i knew it would be a challenge plus I didn't want to use any hair pins.   I used flexi -rods in the front and the sides of my hair in a spiral curl but as close to the scalp as I could. I twisted the remainder of my hair before placing it in satin rollers.   I didn't detangle or comb my hair in anyway . I wore m...

My next journey is the one many choose as a New Years Resolution-  Weight-loss ... I have struggled with my weight and health for the last few years and I am ready for a change..Not a quick fix but a long steady life changing course..I expect bumps, turns and curves in the road but I am praying that I don't sit on the side of the street.  I am considered morbidly obese so my weight-loss plan is a little modified.  I will push myself extremely hard and I hope that I can get support from you guys (my readers).  I have more info about my struggles on my Body Tab so feel free to check it out. My Plan: I decided to attack my weight problem as a health issue so off to GNC I went. I had researched what my body was probably missing and my allergies so I had a good idea of what I wanted to do. I knew the best thing to do was to get my body ready for a change by removing the toxins and the clerk agreed.  I chose the GNC 14 day body cleansing . The cost was $37....

I am ready to step my hair game up! I was pleasantly surprised with the thickness and length of my hair at the end of 2011 but I was disappointed in the documenting of the process.  I took lots of pictures but I didn't measure, stick to a hair routine or set any goals.  Well this year will be different. I am going to measure my length, stick to a regimen and share the process with you guys. During the Christmas holiday I decided to straighten my hair so I will take my measurements now.  My hair isn't extremely straight but similar to a stretched length.  My daughter Tia will also follow the 2012 hair program so here is the measurements of the both of us: Lawanda: Front (bang area) 13 inches Right - side 13 1/2 inches Right- back 12 1/2 inches Left - back 12 inches Left - side 12 inches Center - back 10 1/2 inches Tia: Front (bang area) 10 inches Right - side 10 inches Right - back 11 inches Left - back 10 inches Left - ...

I'm very excited to experience the adventures of 2012 . I hope to share a lot more with you (my readers) and make your stories center stage as well. Some of the areas I plan to continue my focus on are hair growth, small business spotlights, giveaways & product reviews but I want to begin sharing more. I will share my weight struggles, family issues and try and get a little crafty with some DIY posts. I will introduce you to some new people from my travels, in my family and fellow bloggers. 2011 was a great year in natural hair and I expect 2012 to be even better. So let's get our resolutions together then start over with the life changes we really want. My life is an open book so ask away. Struggles aren't worth overcoming if the journey isn't shared. Let's make everyday count! Monday (1/2/12),  I will begin with my hair journey of '12...I will list my measurements, my plans and the goals I hope to achieve.. Check out this great blog post  about measuring a...